and expresly ratify and confirm it too This may fairly be presumed to be one end of the Holy Communion because it is the end of Baptism which St. Peter calls a Stipulation and which as we have seen is our entrance into the Gospel-Covenant and Religion And since it is so evidently the use of that in great likelihood it is of this too for both the Sacraments were still held of like Vse Nature and Signification Nay this was the end not only of the Christian but also of the Jewish Sacraments which shews it was not peculiar to any one but runs through all of them For as for Circumcision it was a Federal Rite or Sign It bound the Jews as before it had done the Patriarchs to God and God to them in the Covenant Moses gave them by a mutual Obligation For therein they promised to perform all that the Law injoined He that is Circumcised says St. Paul is a Debtor to keep the whole Law Gal. 5.3 And thereby they were assured of the Righteousness and Benefits God had promised Abraham received Circumcision as a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith says the same Apostle i. e. as a Seal or Confirmation of the Promises made to it Rom. 4.11 And because it was thus a sign to both parts and a Rite used at their engaging in it Circumcision is call'd the Covenant i. e. the Solemn Ceremony and undertaking of it Gen. 17.10 Act. 7.8 And then as for the Passover it also was a Covenanting Ceremony and Federal Rite as may sufficiently appear from its being a Feast on Sacrifice which is the most Solemn way of Covenanting with God And this use of the Passover is of the greater weight to conclude the same of the Lords Supper because among us this answers to it and comes in stead of it It answers to it I say for our bleeding Lord was the Great thing which their Sacrificed Lamb signified whence he is called the Lamb without Blemish and without Spot the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World and the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of Mankind and our Feasting upon his body and blood is the same with their Feasting upon it as St. Paul plainly intimates when he says Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us therefore let us keep our Eucharistical Feast upon him in it answerable to what they did upon the Lamb in theirs 1 Cor. 5.7 8. And at the Institution of the Holy Sacrament our Saviour intimated that the Passover was abolish'd and that this was henceforward to succeed and come in stead of it For immediately before he appointed his own Supper he tells them he would not any more eat of the Lamb or drink of the Wine in the Passover i. e. he would abolish this so as we should no more eat or drink of it and substitute that in place of it Luc. 22.16 18. And now since 't is the general Nature of Sacraments both among Jews and Christians to be Covenanting Rites since Baptism plainly is that goes hand in hand with it and since the Passover was which preceded and answered to it this being substituted in place and put instead of it in all likelihood the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a Federal Feast and a Covenanting Rite too But to prove this yet more particularly That this Holy Sacrament is intended for a Federal Rite and for our Renewal and Ratification of the New Covenant will appear 1 st From the words of Institution wherein the Cup is call'd the New Covenant and we are bid to drink of it which is a Federal Rite and the Bread is call'd Christs Body to the same intent as the Paschal Lamb was which was a Federal Conveyance of it 2ly From its being a Feast upon Sacrifice which is a Federal Feast for Sacrifice is one way of Covenanting with God and by Feasting on the Sacrifice we joyn in and partake of it 3ly From all the particular Blessings of the Covenant being conveyed by it which otherwise than by Federal Promises or Performances are not to be had 1 st That oâ—r eating Bread and drinking Wine in the Holy Sacrament is intended for a Federal Rite and for our Renewal and Ratification of the New Covenant appears from the words of Institution wherein the Cup is called the New Covenant and we are bid to drink of it which is a Covenanting Rite and the Bread is call'd Christs Body to the same intent as the Pascal Lamb was which also was a Federal Conveyance of it 1. In the words of Institution the Cup is called the New Covenant This Cup says our Saviour is the New Testament or Covenant in my Blood 1 Cor. 11.25 And we are all bid to drink of it which is a Federal Rite and was then a known Ceremony of confirming any Covenant Drink ye all of it says he to his Disciples Mat. 26.27 This drinking of it as it is an Application of it to our selves and taking it into our own Bodies is a plain sign of our ingaging in it and adhering to it for thereby we shew that we close with and embrace it But this is still further evident because anciently among the Jews and other Eastern Nations eating and drinking were Federal Rites whereby they were wont mutually to Seal Leagues of friendship and confirm Covenants with each other For they used to bind their Compacts by a Friendly Treat and to consummate them in all Hospitable Entertainment Thus we read in the Story of Laban and Jacob for when Laban demands Come thou let us make a Covenant I and thou Gen. 31.44 Jacob's Consent to it is expressed by this he said unto his Brethren Gather stones and they took stones and made an heap and did eat there upon the heap by that Note of Friendship answering the Demand and confirming the Covenant which was proposed v. 46. And so Joshua's Covenanting or making Peace with the Gibeonites when they came to sue for it is called his taking of their victuals Josh. 9. the men took of their victuals and asked not counsel of the Lord and Joshua made Peace with them and made a League with them to let them live Josh. 9.14 15. And Obadiah mentions being in Covenant with any one and Eating Bread with him as Words that signifie the same Thing whereof the one is the others Explication The men of thy Confederacy have brought thee even to the border says he i. e. have almost quite bereft thee of thy own Country the men that are at Peace with thee have deceived thee they that eat thy Bread have laid a Wound under thee in which Description of the Enemies of Edom tho' there be Variety in the Expression yet is one and the same Thing meant by them Obad. v. 7. And the same might appear from other Instances both in the Scriptures and in Prophane Authors Since in the Words of Institution then our Saviour tells his Disciples the Cup is the New Covenant
vouchsafed to the Jews no not to the Priests themselves for in all their Sacrifices he would never give them the Blood of Expiation to assure them of their Sins being atoned by it nay nor the Flesh neither in the Great Sacrifice of Expiation which was burnt without the Camp but ordered it always to be poured out upon the Altar or the Ground Exod. 29.12 Levit. 4.25 30 34. And to this 't is like St. Paul may have respect when he tells the Hebrews We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat who serve the Tabernacle Heb. 13.10 11. They convey to us also the Assistance of Gods Spirit and Grace to aid and strengthen us This is intimated by our Saviour Christ when he calls his Flesh which all must eat i. e. not in its Natural Substance but in its Effects or those Blessings which were purchased by it by the Name of Bread which is a thing that as the Psalmist says strengthens mans heart and gives Nourishment and Support to us I am the living Bread says he which came down from Heaven If any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread which I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World Joh. 6.51 In the Sacrament we are called to eat Christs Flesh and drink his Blood not in their Natural Substances as I have hinted but in their Effects and he that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood saith he dwelleth in me and I in him and when Christ dwells in any Man his Spirit dwells there too so that he cannot want Grace sufficient to assist him Joh. 6.56 And St. Paul alluding to the Power of Wine whose Natural Vertue is to enspirit and enliven Men says That in the Eucharist we are all made to drink into one Spirit i. e. we are all made to share in the same Holy Spirit which is the same to our Souls that a Draught of Wine is to our Bodies a Principle of New Life Strength and Vigour in us 1 Cor. 12.13 They convey to us lastly a Right and Title to Eternal Life and Happiness The Blessed Sacrament was thought anciently to have a peculiar Efficacy in preparing our Bodies for an Immortal State Thus Irenaeus says of it As the Bread that springs from the Earth after it is blessed is not Common Bread but the Eucharist consisting of an Earthly and an Heavenly Part i. e. the Sensible Sign and the Spiritual Thing signified so our Bodies receiving the Communion are not now corruptible as they were before but are put in hope of a Resurrection And St. Ignatius calls it the Medicine of Immortality which is an Antidote to preserve Men from Dying and give them a Life that is Everlasting And to this as 't is not unlike the Prayer at the giving of the Bread and Wine refers That they may preserve our Souls and Bodies to everlasting Life as it was long since in the Form of the Western Church and as it is still in use amongst us But whatever becomes of that Conceit viz. it s preparing our Bodies for it 't is plain that a Right to Life and Immortality is conferred by it Whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood saith our Saviour hath Eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day Joh. 6.54 and again He that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever v. 58. And if he had not in express Words declared it in all Equity and Reason this might most justly have been presumed For since in this Sacrament God gives us the Body and Blood of his own Son than which nothing can be dearer to him we may justly argue as St. Paul doth and say He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up both for and to us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 Thus are all the Particular Blessings of the New Covenant which Christs Blood has purchased and which God has promised and made over in it conveyed to us in this Holy Sacrament And since they are so it must needs be a Federal Rite and a Solemn Ceremony of Covenantin◠with God because otherwise than 〈◊〉 Federal Performances and Engagements 〈◊〉 are not to be had God has suspended all these Benefits upon our Performance of certain Conditions so that we cannot have them conveyed to us on his part otherwise than by undertaking at the same time for these on our own He will not forgive any Believers their Sins unless they repent of them nor help them to any Graces unless they endeavour after them nor reward them at last with Eternal Life unless they have intirely obeyed him as we have already seen And therefore wheresoever those are bestowed these are either performed or sincerely promised too So that from this Reason also it appears that the Sacrament is a Federal Rite and a Ratification of the New Covenant and of our Baptismal Ingagement because all the Blessings of that Covenant are conveyed by it which otherwise than by Federal Performances or Engagements are not to be had And thus we see upon all these accounts that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is intended not onely for a Remembrance of the Death of Christ but also for a Renewal and Ratification of the New Covenant which was purchased by it For so much the General Nature of Sacraments which are Covenant-Rites of Baptism which goes hand in hand with it and of the Passover which preceded and answered to it do fairly intimate and so much also the Words of Institution at the Blessing both the Bread and Wine declare and its being a Feast on Sacrifice infers and its conveying all the Blessings of the Covenant proves concerning it And this is the second End of our Eating Bread and Drinking Wine in the Holy Sacrament namely to renew our Baptismal Vow and in most solemn sort to confirm the New Covenant with Almighty God So that when we come to remember our Saviour Christ in this Feast we must come also to give and receive Engagements with our Blessed Lord promising that we will believe all his Words and endeavour after all Virtues and obey all his Laws and repent of all our Faults and then hoping assuredly that his Mercy shall forgive us his Grace and Spirit assist us and his Bounty reward us with Eternal Happiness when we do But besides these Ends of its being in Remembrance of Christ and his Dying for us and in confirmation of the New Covenant which his Death procured us there is yet another 3 ly And that is in Ratification of a League of Love and Friendship with those Brethren that Communicate with us and with all others Eating and Drinking together at the same Table and joyning in the same Feast was always a Note of Friendship and a Profession of Love and Kindness among Men. It is the common way of the World to compose Differences to keep up
Numerous Expensive and Laborious Jewish Precepts so that out of Natural Equity and to shew our Thankfulness for such a gainful Exchange we ought most readily to observe it The Jews were loaded with a Number of Troublesome and Expensive Rites which had no Goodness discernable in themselves nor any thing but the Revelation made by Moses to recommend them to their Consciences Such as the forbearing Swine and several sorts of Flesh the washing of their Bodies upon their touching of any Dead Persons and upon any Corporal Vncleannesses the bringing Offerings and Sacrifice of Fed Beasts at return of Thanks and for Propitiation upon any Offences and many other cumbersome and costly Rites which the Apostle calls the Law of Carnal Commandments Heb. 7.16 and 9.10 and weak and beggerly Elements Gal. 4.9 which were given them not because the things deserv'd it but only that they might be kept imploy'd as useless Exercises are to Children to hinder them from more hurtful Work and so were suited only to the Infancy and Non-age of the World Gal. 4.3 But from all this Burden of Ceremonies under which as St. Peter says they and their Fathers groaned and were oppressed Act. 15.10 by the coming of Christ we are most graciously delivered For he has abolish'd in his Flesh i. e. by his Death wherein he gave his Body for us the Law of Commandments contain'd in Ordinances Eph. 2.15 He has blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us hedging in the Church within the Jews and excluding all us Gentiles and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross Col. 2.14 All this Law of Jewish Ceremonies he has abrogated and procured us a compleat liberty and exemption from it injoining us only thâ—se two cheap and easie Rites of Baptism and the Lords Supper instead of it And if any man has but Common Ingenuity and will return Equitably for what is done and much more if he has any grateful Resentments for so valuable an Exemption he must needs submit with all Thankfulness to this gainful Exchange and Imposition and run to it with as much forwardness as any man would to pay Twelve pence in full Discharge of twenty pound 3 ly It was his Dying and last Command he gave it the very Night before he suffered The same night says St. Paul in which he was betray'd he took Bread and said Take eat this do in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.23 24. And this had it come only in the Nature of a Request and not with the Authority of a Command must needs have made it of greatest Power with us For it is great Inhumanity and shews an hard Heart to deny the last Suit of a Dying Person though he were a Stranger to us and base Ingratitude and a Falsification of all Friendship to throw back the last Request of a Dying Friend especially if he is before hand with us and has done much more than his Request comes to for our sakes and the greatest aggravation of all Disobedience to sleight the last Will and Words of our Fathers or Masters or others that have Right over us and Power to Command us And therefore since our Blessed Lord who came upon Earth for no other end but to do us Service yea even to lay down his Life for our sakes after all the Pains and Cost he has been at for us left this as his last Will and both intreated and injoyn'd at parting that we should eat and drink in Remembrance of him if we have any shame we cannot and if we profess any Duty we dare not and if we have any Love for him we will not neglect it but come to it out of mindfulness of our gone Friend and Departed Lord as oft as we shall have opportunity so to do 4 ly It was thought by Christ a Command so material that when St. Paul received his Commission to Preach the Gospel it was by name inserted and particularly specified and this special Designation of it shews that he was more than ordinarily concerned for it I have received of the Lord says he or by his Revelation when I was call'd by him that which I also delivered unto you as from him namely that the same night he was betrayed he took Bread and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.23 24. 5 ly It is a Command which as the Scripture plainly intimates without great danger to our selves cannot either be unworthily kept or neglected Without very great and apparent danger to our selves we cannot come Vnworthily to the Sacrament For he that eats and drinks unworthily says St. Paul eats and drinks Damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11.29 And without a like danger we cannot neglect or keep back from it Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man says our Saviour and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Joh. 6.53 This the Ancient Church as is well known understood generally of eating his Flesh in the Holy Sacrament which is the great Reason they give for that Practice so common among them namely why Infants are to be Communicated And of this there is great cause to understand it For 't is hard to think of any thing that can support such full Expressions as eating of his Body and drinking of his Blood besides eating Bread and drinking Wine in the Sacrament which he calls his Body and his Blood when he institutes it Mat. 26.26 27 28. And besides in this very place he directs us to his Body Crucified and given for the Life of the World to shew the Eating relates to it as so represented which is no where done but in the Eucharist I am the living Bread says he which whoso eats shall live for ever and the Bread which I will give i. e. to be eaten is my Body Crucified which under that Notion is represented only in the Sacrament or my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World And except ye thus eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Son of Man ye have no Life in you Joh. 6.51 52 53. This Discourse indeed of eating his Flesh in the Sacrament was before the Sacrament it self was instituted But so was his Discourse of Baptism to Nicodemus before Baptism was appointed for the standing Rite whereby all Mankind should be Christned Joh. 3.5 And so was his Discourse to the People of the Death he should dye by being lifted up before he was Crucified Joh. 12.32 33. And so was his Discourse of raising up the Temple of his Body after it should be destroyed before he was raised from the dead Joh. 2.19.21 And so in this very place was his Discourse of giving his Flesh for the Life of the World which they understood not before he suffered more than they did this Sacramental eating of it before the Sacrament was appointed Joh. 6.51 Our Saviour spake several
a most awful one and therefore not to be perform'd with disrespect and an irreverent Carriage So that we must be careful both to partake of this Holy Feast when we are called to it and to come to it worthily when we do And this St. Paul prescribes concerning it 1 Cor. 11. Let a man examine himself says he and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. v. 28. Let a man examine himself i. e. let him approve himself as the word here rendered examin signifies v. 19 and Chap. 16. v. 3 let him so long try his fitness for it till he see cause to like and approve himself and think he is worthy of it for he would not call unworthy Receivers to the Sacrament but drive them from it as he doth by telling them the extream danger of it v. 27 29. But when once he is so approved and fit to come to it then says he let him not forbear the Feast but hasten to partake in it Let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. Thus are both a careless Forbearance and an indecent unworthy Vsage of this Holy Feast great Indignities to our Blessed Lord and criminal Violations of it It suffers on either hand so that to secure it in its just esteem and due observance both are carefully to be removed And to do what Right I can to this Holy Ordinance and what Service I am able to all such as shall seek help from this Treatise I shall endeavour what in me lies to cure or prevent both in that which follows Now to do this with the greater clearness in Discoursing upon this Subject I shall do these five things 1 st I shall shew What is the meaning of eating Bread and drinking Wine in the Blessed Sacrament 2ly Wherein lies the worthiness of doing it 3ly How much it is every good Christians Duty to frequent it 4ly What great inducements we have to it and how great the Benefits are that come by it which should make us press to it of our selves though it were not commanded 5ly I shall consider those Excuses and take off those Pleas which are most usually made against it And when all this is done I think I shall have said enough both to invite and press men to this Feast and also to a worthy partaking of it that so they may come to it when they are invited and be welcome and worthy Guests when they do PART I. The meaning of Feasting in the Sacrament CHAP. I. Of the meaning of our eating and drinking in the Sacrament The Contents Three Ends of Feasting in the Lords Supper 1 End is in Remembrance and Commemoration of our Saviour Christ and of his dying for us To remember him is not barely to call to mind that once there was such a Person but to think of his particular Quality and Relation to us which are worth remembring as of his being our most Faithful Teacher our most gracious Governour our most intire Friend and noble Benefactor These things usually commemorated by Festivals 2 End is in confirmation of the New Covenant which his Death purchased for us An account of the New Covenant Christs Death purchased it It is ratified in the Holy Sacrament which is shown from the same thing being done in Baptism Circumcision and the Passover which answered to it more particularly 1. From the Words of Institution wherein the Cup is call'd the New Covenant and we are bid to drink of it which was a Covenant-Rite and the Bread Christs Body to the same intent the Paschal Lamb was which was a Federal Conveyance of it 2. From its being a Feast or Sacrifice for Sacrifice is one way of Covenanting with God and by Feasting on it we partake of it 3. From its conveying the particular Blessings of the New Covenant which otherwise than by Federal Promises or Performances are not to be had 3 End is in Ratification of a League of Love and Friendship with those Brethren that Communicate with us and with all others This Chapter summ'd up FIrst I shall shew what is the meaning of eating Bread and drinking Wine in the Blessed Sacrament and what we are to understand by them and think of them when we do them When we come to eat Bread and drink Wine in the Holy Sacrament we must not come only for a Bodily refreshment or for eating and drinkings sake as we do to our common Food For this is to eat as St. Paul says not discerning the Lords Body but as if it were bare ordinary Meat 1 Cor. 11.29 But we must eat and drink with special ends and particular Intentions which may render our eating and drinking not an ordinary Repast but a Religious Feasting upon the Body and Blood of our Lord. And these ends are three 1 st In Remembrance and Commemoration of our Saviour Christ and of his dying for us 2 ly In Confirmation of the New Covenant which his Death procured us 3 ly In Ratification of a League of Love and Friendship with those Brethren that Communicate with us and with all others First We must eat Bread and drink Wine in Remembrance and Commemoratioâ— of our Saviour Christ and of his dying for us By these Actions we must be put in remembrance and call to mind our selves and commemorate or tell it out to others what a good Friend and Saviour Christ has been to us and how at last he died and gave his own Hearts Blood for our sakes And this our Blessed Lord expresly ordered at the time of Institution This do says he both of the eating Bread and drinking Wine in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.24 25. To Remember one is not barely to call to mind that once there was such a Person but also to think of their particular Quality and Relation what they are to us or what they have left with us or what they have done for us which is worth Remembring If we bid a Servant remember us we intend he should be mindful of the Commands which we have left with him if a Friend that he should bear in mind the Great Love and Faithfulness which we have always expressed towards him if one we have highly obliged that he should gratefully resent and think of the kindnesses which we have done him or if one lastly whose favour we desire and of whom we have requested any thing that he would be mindful of the Good turn which he promises to do or which we ask of him In desiring any of these or any others to remember us we mean not barely that they should call to mind how once there were such men as we in being but over and above that that they be particularly mindful of the Relation wherein we stand and think of what we have done what we deserve or what we desire or expect from them And this our Blessed Lord intends when in this Holy Feast he Desires and Commands us to remember him He would have
entred and established by it Exod. 24.3 4 5 6 7 8. And thus he did in other Compacts but particularly in all those wherein he promised Pardon of Sin for without shedding of Blood i. e. of some Sacrifice says the Apostle there is no Remission Heb. 9.22 Thus did God in all Contracts of Pardon and Reconciliation require the Blood of some Sacrifâ—ce that therein he might ratifie and confirm them And this was the great Use whereto all Sacrifices of Expâ—ation such as our Saviour Christs is in most signal manner whereon we Feast in the Lords Supper served among the Jews they were solemn Compacts and Stipulations wherein he promised Pardon and they Amendment after any Offences He ingaged to accept the Life of the sacrificed Beast in lieu of theirs and to exempt them because it had suffered and they engaged to amend the Fault which they sought to have atoned and never more to repeat it This 't is plain they did from that Form of Penitential Confession in use among them when they brought an Expiatory Sacrifice to the Lord O Lord I have sinned and dealt wickedly and rebelled against thee in doing this or that now I am sorry for it and ashamed of it and will never more return to it and therefore beg this Sacrifice may atone for it And if they had not thus repented of it the Sacrifice would have been of no avail to the Forgiveness of it For to what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the Lord so long as you shew no Repentance with them But wash you make you clean cease to do evil learn to do well Come now and let us reason together tho' your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow Isa. 1.11 16 17 18. The Sacrifices of God says the Psalmist are a broken Spirit i. e. they must be offered and presented with it a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Ps. 51.17 Thus were Sacrifices a mutual Stipulation and Engagement consisting of a Promise of Pardon on Gods part and a Promise of Repentance and Amendment on Mans so that they were in the nature of a virtual Contract and Covenant between them And this God plainly intimates concerning them when he tells of his Saints making a Covenant with him by Sacrifice Gather my Saints saith he who have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice Ps. 50.5 and calls Salt wherewith every Oblation of Meat-offering was to be seasoned the Salt of the Covenant because it was to season all those Sacrifices wherein the Covenant was confirmed Levit. 2.13 And as Sacrifice is one way of Covenanting with God so is Feasting upon it the way of sharing and partaking in it He who joyned in the Feast was looked upon by God himself to joyn also in the Offering to promise all the Duty which it engaged and to partake in all the Blessings which it procured for them They which eat of the Sacrifices says St. Paul are Partakers of the Altar 1 Cor. 10.18 And therefore he forbids them to joyn in the Gentile Feasts where they sacrificed to Devils because that were to partake and have Fellowship with Devils v. 20 21. And thus from this also viz. the Lords Supper being a Feast on Sacrifice it appears to be a Federal Rite because Sacrifice is the great way of Covenanting with God and by Feasting on it we joyn in and partake of it In eating Bread and drinking Wine at the Lords Table agreeably to what the Jews and Gentiles did at their Religious Feasts we feed on the Sacrifice of Christ and that Sacrifice confirmed the New Covenant with Almighty God that being as he says sealed in his Blood so that by our Feasting on it we are made to share in it and give our full Consent thereto 3 ly That our Eating and Drinking at the Lord's Table is a Covenant-Rite appears from all the particular Blessings of the Covenant being conveyed by it which otherwise than by Federal Promises and Performances are not to be had The Particular Blessings promised in the Covenant I say are all conveyed by it Our Saviour tells us of the Bread we eat and of the Wine we drink that they are his Body and Blood This is my Body says he and this is my Blood of the New Testament Mat. 26.26 28. By which altho' we are not to understand that they are so in their Natures yet the least we can understand is that they are so in their Effects i. e. that they convey to us all those Blessings which the piercing of his Body and the shedding of his Blood procured for us Those Blessings are contained in the New Covenant and as I said are chiefly these three viz. the Forgiveness of Sins the Assistance of Gods Spirit to aid and strengthen us and Eternal Life and Happiness and all these the Eating of Bread and Drinking Wine in the Holy Sacrament are designed to convey to us They convey to us Forgiveness of Sins and assure us when we perform them as we ought that God is in Favour and at Peace with us Of this we have sufficient Assurance because we Feast upon a Sacrifice which is Gods Meat and are entertained at his own Table as his Guests whom he has invited and the least which that can mean is that he admits us into a State of Love and Friendliness since we do not invite those we will not be Friends with to our own Tables When any one calls another to a Treat it is a plain Sign he either would be or is or at least makes shew of being reconciled It is a most Natural Sign and now every where is and always was a Note of Friendship and Endearment And as such the Scriptures are wont to speak of it When those whom he had shut out should knock at the door to be let in and claim Acquaintance our Saviour tells us they will say to him We have eaten and drunk in thy presence Luc. 13.25 26. And when he shews his Apostles how high Favour and what great Interest they shall have with him he tells them they shall eat and drink at his Table in his Kingdom Luc. 22.29 30. And when he declares how kind he will be to those that hear his voice and open unto him he â—ays he will come in and sup with them and they wâ—th him Rev. 3.20 So that when God entertains us at his own Table and invites us to Feast with him as he doth in the Holy Communion we may be sure if we come worthily as we ought he is in Friendship with us and our Sins are forgiven And this our Saviour plainly intimates when he tells us at the giving of the Cup that it is his Blood shed for the Remission of Sins and bids us drink of it that so we may have it in our selves and be assured we have received the Atonement And this we must observe is a Privilege which God never
Friendliness in Neighbourhoods and to beget Endearment and mutual Love in all Fraternities And this our Saviour intended it should be among us He invites us all to eat of the same Loaf and to Feast at the same Table that we may embrace as Friends and love as Brethren and be knit together in the same Fellowship and Communion We being many says St. Paul are one Bread and one Body for in the Sacrament we are all Partakers of that one Bread which is a firm Bond of Union to make us one also 1 Cor. 10.17 It links us together by the most Powerful Arguments of our being Servants of the same Lord and Sharers in the same Privileges and Members of the same Body which are all most strong Motives to Peace and mutual Kindness and besides all this by our own Solemn Covenant and Engagement also For in coming to this Feast we are not onely excited to it by mighty Reasons which suggest it but are to Covenant and Promise Love to all our Brethren and to plight our Troth for it And thus the Primitive Christians understood it and accordingly made use of it whose Judgment and Practice in this Point were so apparent that the Heathens themselves who looked any thing into their Religion took notice of it For Pliny in his Letter to the Emperour Trajan wherein he gives an Account of the Christians Meetings reports their Communicating to be a Religious Compact and Combination among themselves to do no hurt to each other but to love as Brethren and live as Friends together They assemble early in the morning says he and sing an Hymn to Christ as God and then bind themselves mutually in their Sacrament which is a sacred Oath not to commit any wickedness like a pack of lewd Conspirators but to be no Thieves Adulterers Injurious False and Perfidious Persons and having done these things and given these Assurances of mutual Honesty and Kindnesses to each other they depart home and meet again at a promiscuous and Friendly Treat where they innocently Feast together This then is a third End of our Eating Bread and Drinking Wine in the Holy Sacrament namely to be a Solemn Profession of our Communion and Fellowship with our Brethren and an Engagement of mutual Love and Friendship to those who Communicate with us and to all others So that when we come therein to remember our Saviour Christ and to confirm the New Covenant with Almighty God we must enter into a League of Love with all our Brethren and promise an inviolable Friendship unto them too And thus we see what is the meaning of Eating Bread and Drinking Wine in the Holy Communion and what we must intend and understand by them that we may as the Apostle says discern the Lords Body in them When we Eat Bread and Drink Wine according to Christs appointment we must fix our thoughts upon him and remember what Love and Friendship he had for us what Lessons as our faithful Guide and Instructor he has taught us what Commands as our Lord and Master he has left with us and what inexpressible Things as our most Precious Saviour and Benefactor he has done for us in being made Man and leading a mean and necessitous Life but above all in dying a most ignominious and painful Death for our sakes and that he might purchase us the Favour of God the Graces of the Spirit and Eternal Happiness We must renew that Engagement which we made when we were Baptized and confirm again that New Covenant with Almighty God which his Blood procured professing that we do and will believe his Word and repent of every Fault and endeavour with his Spirit and obey all not wilfully transgressing any Commandment that so we may have Right to that Forgiveness Grace and Happiness which upon these Terms he has purchased And lastly we must confirm a League of Love and Friendship with all our Brethren professing that we do and will forgive all that injure us and be kind to all about us and never fall into Hatred or cause Difference with any Persons but be at Peace and live in Charity with all the World The Bodily Eating is but the out-side and the least part in this Feast but the chief thing required is this Spiritual Work and Business which is to accompany it So that when our Saviour Christ calls us to Eat and Drink at his own Table he calls us not barely to Feast our Bodies for that is the least thing that he intends but chiefly and principally to employ our Souls in remembring him his Laws and Benefits and among them above all that of his Dying for us in confirming the New Covenant with God and a Covenant of Peace and Brotherly Love with his Members throughout all Mankind CHAP. II. Of the Worthiness of Communicating in the Sacrament The Contents To Communicate Worthily is to do it with such Tempers and Behaviour as are worthy of it and becoming the Things which are meant by it The First End was to remember Christ both first As our Lord and Master which calls for Honour and Reverence in our selves and a Care to maintain his Honour among others For mindfulness of his Commands and Resolutions of Obedience 2. As our most kind Friend and Benefactor which calls for Love and an hearty Affection for him For Joy and Gladness in what we receive from him For Thankfulness for all his Kindnesses particularly in Dying for us And as this Death was a Sacrifice for our Sins the Remembrance of it calls for a deep sense of our own Vnworthiness An utter Abhorrence of our Sins which caused his Sufferings A Resignation of our selves to his Vse as thereby we are become his own Purchase The Second End was to confirm the New Covenant with God which his Blood procured This calls for Sincerity and Faithfulness A Third End was to confirm a League of Love and Friendship with all Christians This calls for Peace and Charity to all Persons and particularly for Alms to the Necessitous A Summary Repetition of these Qualifications A Belief of these Things which carries us on to these Tempers and Performances is the Faith that makes us Worthy Communicants HAving shewn hitherto what is the meaning of Eating Bread and Drinking Wine in the Blessed Sacrament I proceed now in the next place to shew wherein lies the Worthiness of Doing it And this had need be clearly stated not onely because the most considerable Scruple against Communicating lies in it but also because really 't is a Matter of great account and there hangs a great weight upon it For he that eats and drinks unworthily says the Apostle commits a Damning Sin which will destroy him unless he repent of it he eats and drinks Damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11.29 and is guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord v. 27. Now to Do this Worthily is to Do it with such Tempers and Dispositions as become it and are worthy of it For this
things by Anticipation in sundry places as from this last instance 't is plain he did in this which though his Hearers did not at that time fully understand yet they would afterwards so that when other Reasons evince him to have spoke in this place of the Sacramental eating of his Body and Blood the Sacrament's not being yet instituted is no good Proof or Argument against it Thus is this necessity of eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood as ever we would hope for Eternal Life by it spoke of the Lords Supper wherein we Feast upon it And that it should be so has no wonder in it For it is no more than is expresly spoke of Baptism which is but of equal Rank with it both being alike Duties and equally required For of that 't is said He that Believes and is Baptized shall be saved Marc. 16.16 And except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Joh. 3.5 But besides this Proof of the danger of neglecting the Sacrament because our Lord tells us we have no Life in us without it it may also appear from the danger of neglecting the Jewish Passover which answer'd to it and was the same to them as this Feast is to us wherein Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us And as for the danger of neglecting that it was great indeed no less than of being cut off from Israel which was the punishment God had threatned to it Whosoever in the Feast of the Passover eats leaven'd Bread from the First day to the Seventh day that Soul shall be cut off from Israel Exod. 12.15 Thus necessary is it for all men who would please God to frequent this Ordinance and to come to the Holy Sacrament when they are call'd to it They have Christs express Command for it who by injoyning it has required Obedience in such an instance as best shews their particular Reverence and Love to him and to ingage them the more to it has freed them from all the load of Jewish Ceremonies and imposed no heavier burden than it and Baptism instead of them and to make it have the more effect has left it among the last words which he spake to them and to shew it was a matter of no small moment would have it expresly specified in St. Paul 's Commission and tells them That unless they come therein to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood they have no Life in them and will punish the neglect or abuse of it as he did of the Jewish Passover which answer'd to it with Excision All which shew the Greatness of the Duty and how much it is every mans Concern who would hope to have the Favour of God or go to Heaven And as this appears from the obliging Import and Expressness of the Command about it so doth it 2 ly From the obliging Nature of those things which are meant by it For therein we publickly own Christ and his Religion and solemnly remember him and confirm the New Covenant with Almighty God and a League of Friendship with our Brethren and are vouchsafed the highest Honour and receive Tokens of the greatest Love and injoyment of present Graces and Pledges of future Glories from him all which no Ingenuous man will and no Good man ought to refuse when he is call'd to them 1 st In the Sacrament I say we publickly own Christ and profess his Religion This was always understood to be the meaning of Feasts on Sacrifices both among Jews and Gentiles they that would eat of the Sacrifice offer'd to any God or Idol were looked on to have Fellowship and Communion with him and thereby to own their joyning in that Worship and Service which was paid to him Thus St. Paul tells us it was among the Jews for they that ate of their Sacrifices were partakers of their Altars And thus he tells us it was among the Gentiles and that they who Feasted in the Idol-Temples on the Sacrifices made to Devils did thereby declare their Communion with them and had Fellowship with Devils And the same is true of the Feast of the Lords Supper which upon this account he makes parallel to and compares with them In Israel after the Flesh says he they who eat of the Sacrifice are sharers in the Worship or Partakers of the Altar And in the things which the Gentiles Sacrifice to Devils they who Feast on the Sacrifices have Fellowship with Devils And therefore you that Feast with the Lord at his Table and thereby have Fellowship with him must not mix Light and Darkness Christ and Belial together and by Feasting with Devils at theirs have Fellowship with them too You cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils you cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and the Table of Devils since that were to unite the most opposite Interests by holding Fellowship and professing your selves to be the Servants of Christ and of the Devil also 1 Cor. 10.16 18 20 21. Our joyning in the Holy Communion is our avow'd owning of Faith in our Crucified Lord and of our adherence to him By eating at his Table of broken Bread and Wine poured out which are the Representation of his Death we tell it out to all the World that we are the Servants of that Lord and Worshippers of that Jesus who gave himself to be Crucified and to Dye for us As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup saith St. Paul ye do shew forth the Lords Death till he come Ye shew forth his Death i. e. ye tell it abroad and profess to all the World that he dyed for you and is Lord over you and that you own him so to be 1 Cor. 11.26 Thus is our eating Bread and drinking Wine at the Lords Table an open profession of his Religion and a Token whereby we give out to all the World who see what we do that we belong to him It is a most solemn sign of our Relation to Christ and a publick Badge of our being Christians And this sure no man will decline when there is a fit occasion who is not ashamed of his Lord nor Repents of his Profession But if he is really a Follower of Christ and would be thought one he will let all the World know it by joyning in this Feast which is the most Solemn Badge and Authentick Mark which Christ has appointed of it 2 ly In coming to the Holy Sacrament according to our Lords appointment we solemnly remember him and think of the Relation wherein we stand and of the benefits which we have received from him Do this says he in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.24 25. And when he is call'd to remember his most precious Saviour who has both lived and dyed to make God his Friend and to do him Service there is no man sure that has any thing of Shame or Ingenuity left in him who will shew backwardness and
begin to make excuses For has not he done enough for us to deserve to be thought of Do not all the inexpressible Favours he has gain'd and all the exquisite Pains he underwent for our sakes most justly challenge to be held in remembrance He left unutterable Glories and submitted to all sorts of Earthly Calamities and took unwearied Pains and shewed Invincible Patience and laid down at last his own Life to save our Souls and must all this be forgotten now 't is done and quite buried in silence What man of any Ingenuity that has been happy in such a Friend can be averse to remember him What man that has been blessed in such a Saviour can ever decline the Thoughts of him Unless we will shew our selves grossly stupid or intolerably proud and both ways Monsters of Ingratitude we must needs be ready to Celebrate the memory of such a Person when we are called to do that Honour to him and none that would be thought a man much more a Christian must ever refuse to remember his Saviour Christ and give him Thanks when in the Sacrament he is call'd to it in Christ's own Name and by his special invitation 3 ly In eating Bread and drinking Wine at the Sacrament we confirm the New Covenant with Almighty God In this Feast as has been shewn we assure him that we will Repent of every sin as ever we hope that he will forgive us and will endeavour with his Grace after every Virtue as ever we expect that he should assist us and obey every one of his Commandments as ever we look that he should Crown us with Eternal Happiness and believe that for Christs sake we shall have this Pardon Grace and Eternal Life upon these Terms and not otherwise for all these Duties we give him our Word and Promise and on that Condition for all these Blessings he gives us his Seal and Assurance back again And what man is there who pretends to the Name of a Christian who will refuse to do this when he has an Authentick Summons nay even a Friendly Invitation will he not Repent that he may be forgiven nor endeavour after such Graces as he wants that Gods Spirit may help him to them nor obey all his Saviours Laws that he may be happy in Heaven nor believe that Christ has purchased these Benefits for us at Gods hands upon these Terms but that without performing them we shall never have them If he will not do all this why doth he make any pretence to Religion If he is unresolv'd and suspends about any of these Particulars why doth he profess himself a Christian For these things are the very substance of Christianity and the Life and Soul of all Religion No man can belong to Christ without them and when he was Baptized and came to him he solemnly undertook and ingaged for them And therefore if any man will refuse to make God his engagement of this Faith Repentance and Obedience when he is call'd to Promise and Profess them he revolts from his Baptismal Vow and if he persists in that mind may as well renounce his Profession and turn his back on the whole Christian Religion 4 ly In eating Bread and drinking Wine at the Lords Supper we confirm a League of Love and Friendship with all our Brethren this being one end as I have shewn of this meeting to profess our selves in perfect Peace and Charity with all men And who now that owns himself a Christian can seek shifts and shun this when God calls him when his Saviour that dyed to make God Friends with him asks him to be Friends with all the World can he refuse him When he invites him to be at Peace with all his Members and to embrace them all as Brethren can he fly from him If he shun this he may as well shun every thing else and quit all claim to his Religion For by this says our Saviour shall all men know that you are my Disciples if ye have Love one to another Joh. 13.35 And unless ye forgive men their Trespasses says he again neither will your heavenly Father forgive you yours Mat. 6.15 And he that says he Loves God and yet hates his Brother saith St. John is a Lyar. 1 Joh. 4.20 And if it be possible saith St. Paul and as much as in you lies live peaceably with all men Rom. 12.18 Love and Peace and mutual Friendship and Beneficence are the great Duties which Christs Law prescribes and which all his Followers must be forward at all times to make profession of And therefore if any man turns away from declaring them when God calls him to them he turns his back of the most Signal Duty of his Religion and will not come to that whereby above all things else he should declare himself a Christian. 5 ly In Feasting with God at the Holy Sacrament we are vouchsafed the highest Honour and receive Tokens of highest Love and injoyment of present Graces and Pledges of future Glory from him and these no man ought to refuse when he is call'd to them He vouchsafes us the greatest Honour For he calls us to his own Table and tells us he is most glad to see us there and that the oftner we come the welcomer shall we be to his Supper he invites us as his own Guests and thereby seeks our Company and Acquaintance and treats us as his Friends and Confidents which Honour is so high that greater cannot be shewed us He gives us the surest Tokens of highest Love For he calls us to Feast upon the Body and Blood of his own Son i. e. upon those Blessings which the breaking of his Body and shedding of his Blood procured for men and shews us plainly that he is still of the same mind and is glad that for our sakes he parted with him For his inviting us to eat the Body and drink the Blood of Christ in this Holy Supper imports as much as if he should say to us Lo here my dear and only Son whom I gave to shed his own hearts Blood a Ransome for your Souls When I did it your sins were most provoking and render'd you utterly undeserving of it and since you have received it you have not been affected as you ought but have shewed your selves most unthankful for it but yet all this doth not make me Repent of what I have done or grudge you the Benefit of him I am come here freely to present you with him and invite you and exhort you nay intreat you to accept him Eat his Body and drink his Blood i. e. those Benefits and that Expiation which was purchased by it I freely give them without grudging nay I shall take it extreamly ill if you refuse them For I would by all means have you receive the advantage of him I gave him once for you and now again I give him to you I am still of the same mind to part with my own dear Son for your sakes and
And this is a state of such Horrour and Astonishment as no man that looks upon it can abide in it is a condition of such extream danger as no one in his Wits can willingly indure So that if any of those who are Impenitent will but be at the pains to lay to heart and consider of the sadness of their state they can by no means persist in it but will run with haste to Repent and instantly set about the amendment of their ways that so they may be delivered from it And as soon as ever they do so this hindrance is gone and they are worthy to come to the Holy Communion For that which fits us for it is not an high Pitch and Perfection in saving Virtues or Ecstatick Degrees and Transports in Devotion as I have shewn but such true Repentance and change of Life either in Deed or at least in Will and Purpose as makes us acceptable and honest Christians so that whatever we were before whilst we continued impenitently wicked we are meet Partakers of this Holy Feast now we have Repented and are fully resolv'd to become Obedient and need not scrupulously draw back but come to it gladly when we are call'd and expect a Friendly welcome when we do And thus I have consider'd this great and most common plea whereby so many are kept back from the Holy Sacrament viz. their thinking themselves unworthy of it and unfit to receive it and shewn plainly that no ill man can be excused and that no good man ought to be hindred by it And the Result of it is this If any Person tells me he cannot come to this Feast because he is unworthy to join in it I must tell him again That he must not only be afraid of unworthy coming to it but also of unworthy abstaining from it and that unless he is impenitent and still unresolv'd to leave all his Sins he is worthy of it and that if such Impenitence is the cause of his not coming it is no excuse for it and that he must consider of the danger and misery of that state and so Repent and get out of it and when once that is done he will be worthy since every Penitent is welcome to it If he is truly Penitent he is worthy and if he has not Repented yet he must instantly Repent that he may be worthy and then let him not hold off from this Heavenly Banquet but chearfully approach to it when he is invited 2 ly Others who cannot positively say they are unworthy of it are yet kept back from the Holy Sacrament because of the great danger of unworthy Communicating Damnation being said to be eaten in it which seems to make abstaining from it the safer side He that eats and drinks unworthily says St. Paul eats and drinks Damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11.29 Now in Answer to this I shall observe that by Damnation is meant 1. A Damning sin which is deadly to any man till he Repent of it and such are both unworthy eating and sinful abstaining so that they are equal as to that Point 2. Temporal Death and Punishments which were inflicted on the Corinthians for their Intemperance at this Feast and other Disorders which were peculiar to those times and are not usual now in ours so that the Fear of them need not discourage us from it 1 st I say By eating his own Damnation the Apostle means not that he shall inevitably be damn'd for it but only that he commits a Damning Sin which will prove deadly to him unless he Repent of it and this is true not only of unworthy eating but also of sinful abstaining so that they are equal as to that Point He means not I say that he shall inevitably be Damn'd for it And this is plain because for Christs sake God has promised to forgive us all our sins upon Repentance and therefore this of unworthy receiving among the rest Nay as for this their unworthy eating the Apostle tells the Corinthians in that very place that when they are Judg'd or Condemned for it it is not to consign them to but to deliver them from Eternal Torment When we are Judg'd says he or Condemn'd for this Fault i. e. to be sick and weak which God inflicted because of it we are not in Anger Punish'd but in Mercy Chastned of the Lord by present Sufferings that we should not at the last day be Condemn'd with the World to Eternal 1 Cor. 11.30 31. But only that he commits a Damning Sin which will prove deadly to him unless he Repent of it He that eats this Bread and drinks this Cup unworthily says he shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. i. e. Unless his Repentance that Gospel Remedy for all sin prevents it he shall be liable to be punish'd not only for an abuse in Meat and Drink as if it were only Common Food but for violating and prophaning the Body and Blood of Christ which he should have discern'd in it 1 Cor. 11.27 29. And this is true not only of unworthy eating but also of sinful abstaining from it For that our Lord has expresly forbidden as I have shewn and that too in such sort as shews he lays a great weight upon it so that we most highly offend him in it and cannot expect to regain his Favour till we Repent and Amend it and therefore they are both equal as to that Point We shall be Condemned without Amendment for unworthy eating and so we shall too for sinful abstaining and therefore if the Fear of Damnation be of Force with us it must keep us off from both of them and neither suffer us to neglect this Feast nor to prophane it but ingage us to come to it worthily i. e. with Penitent Hearts whensoever we are call'd thereto 2 ly By Damnation the Apostle means Temporal Death and Punishments which God did then inflict on unworthy Communicants And this was not for all unworthiness but particularly for their Intemperance at this Feast and other Disorders which were peculiar to thâ—se Times and are not usual now in ours so that the Fear of them need not discourage us from it By Damnation I say he means Temporal Death and Punishments which God did then inflict on unworthy Communicants This he plainly intimates when he sets down weakness and sickness and death as the Penalties whereto they were Condemn'd for their unworthy usage He that eats and drinks unworthily says he eats and drinks Damnation to himself whereof you have many sad Examples now in Corinth for for this very Cause of unworthy eatting many now are weak and sickly among you and many sleep 1 Cor. 11.29 30. And this God inflicted not for all unworthiness but particularly for some high and heinous Disorders such as their open Schisms and gross Intemperance crept in by occasion of their Love-Feasts which Prophanations were peculiar to those times and are not now usual or any where to be seen in
then do not despise me for thine own Mercies and thy Sons sake in whose Holy Name and Words I further pray as he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer and Thanksgiving After the SACRAMENT I Thank thee most intirely O! my God for calling me this day to thy own Table to shew me how thine only Son freely dyed in my stead and to assure me that now for his sake thou art fully Reconciled and wilt live in me by thy Grace now at present and raise me up to be Eternally happy with thy Self at last of all which thou hast given me the surest Pledges in his precious Body and Blood What can I render to thee Holy Father or to thee my dearest Saviour for so incomprehensible a Benefit I admire thy marvellous Love and magnify it above all things Thy Praise shall ever be in my Mouth and I will tell out thy wondrous works with Gladness And may all Hearts adore and every Tongue confess that thou Holy Jesus art the Saviour of the World and the Son of the Father whom Heaven and Earth must Honour and call Blessed for evermore Pardon O! Good God the unaffectedness of my dull Heart in the receipt of so inestimable a Treasure and fill me with Desires some way suitable to my needs and the richness of thy Mercies that whenever this Cup of Blessings shall again over-flow my Heart may run over with Joy and Thankfulness also Let me never forget the Love I have received and the Peace I have Seal'd and the Promises of New Life I have made this Day but as thy Grace has help'd me to them so keep me in a lively sense of them and inable me always to fulfill the same to my Lives end Now thou hast given me the Blood of Expiation to shew we are Friends O! never let me be guilty of any thing to break the Peace which is now so solemnly ratified betwixt us Now I have vow'd Obedience to thy Laws to be Humble Chast Temperate Just Charitable Patient Devout and entirely resign'd to thy Will and Pleasure O! let me not start back again from these Holy Promises for ever Now I have received my Blessed Lord never suffer me to do any thing unworthy of him now I am Partaker of his Body and Blood let his Holy Spirit go along with them and then I shall be what I ought when I am in his keeping My sins which I have renounced will return again except he chase them away and my false Heart which now seems fixt for God will revolt unless he establish it O! Sweetest Saviour let thy Body be my Food thy Strength my Guard thy Spirit my Life and the sense of thy Favour my greatest Joy and Comfort Go on Graciously to accomplish what thou hast now begun in me and let me ever be secure and happy in thy Custody Be it even so for thine own sake Blessed Jesu And then where there is time for it or afterwards where theâ—â— is not may they go on and say Give thy Grace O Holy Jesu to all the World and let all who were Redeemed by thy Blood acknowledge thee to be the Lord and become thy Worshippers and Faithful Servants Make all Christians Conscientious Practisers of that Holiness which they profess and above all inspire them with uniting Principles and charitable Hearts that by their loving one another as thou hast loved us all the World may know they are thy Disciples Let all Governours Rule with Wisdom and Justice and Subjects obey with Love and Chearfulness Let the Priests of the Lord be Exemplary in their Lives and Discreet and Diligent in their Labourâ— having a most compassionate Love for Souls and let the People be Humble and Towardly most desirous to hearken and fully bent to follow wise Instructions Be a help at hand to all that need and are afflicted Send supplies to all that are in want and assist them contentedly to depend upon thee Raise Friends to the Widow and Fatherless the Prisoners and Captives and all that groan under Oppressors who are thrown upon thy Mercy Give Repentance Patience and Resignation to all that are sick and Ease when thou seest it convenient for them Be a Comforter to all troubled Consciences helping them to an acceptable Holiness and enlightning their minds about all causeless Scruples that they may not fear where no Fear is Succour all that are tempted with such a measure of thy Grace as may inable them to stand in all their Tryals Think particularly on all my Friends who are especially indeared to me by their Kindnesses or Acquaintance on all my Relations in the Flesh on all that Pray particularly for me or desire my Prayers Teach us all to desire what thou approvest and then grant us whatsoever as desired Prevent us in all our Actions and Guard us against all Dangers and Relieve us in all Straights and grant that we may always make thee our Stay and Confidence and take all things well which thou orderest for us Shorten all our Sorrows and prevent all our Sins and fit us all for that Eternal Kingdom which thou hast prepared for us for Jesus's sake in whose Holy Name and Words I further pray unto thee Our Father c. Being sensible how plain minds who are ready to do it so far as they are inabled are oft-times at a Loss for their Daily Devotions and not knowing but this Treatise may fall into some such Hands I have added two Prayers which such Persons may say Morning and Evening in their Families A Morning Prayer FOR A FAMILY O God who art the Giver of all good Gifts and the Father of Mercies We thine unworthy Servants intirely desire to praise thy Name for all the Expressions of thy Bounty towards us Blessed be thy Love that gave thy Son to die for our Sins to put us in a way of being happy if we would obey thee and after all our wilful Refusals of thy Grace still hast patience with us and hast added this one Day more to all we have mis-spent already to see if we will finish the Work thou hast set us to do and fit our selves for Eternal Glory Pardon Good Lord all our former Sins and all our Abuses of thy Forbearance for which now we are sorry at our Hearts and give us Grace to lead more holy Lives and be more careful in improving all future Opportunities Make thy self present to our Minds and let thy Love and Fear rule in our Souls in all those Places and Companies where our Occasions shall lead us this Day Keep us Chaste in all our Thoughts Temperate in all our Enjoyments Humble in all our Opinions of our selves Charitable in all our Speeches of others Meek and Peaceable under all Provocations Sincere and Faithful in all our Professions and so Just and Vpright in all our Dealings that no Necessity may force nor Opportunity in any kind allure us to defraud or go beyond our Neighbours
AN HELP and EXHORTATION TO Worthy Communicating OR A TREATISE Describing the Meaning Worthy Reception Duty and Benefits OF THE HOLY SACRAMENT AND Answering the Doubts of Conscience and other Reasons which most generally detain Men from It. Together with SUITABLE DEVOTIONS ADDED By John Kettlewell Vicar of Coles-hill in Warwick-shire LONDON Pâ—inted by R. E. for Robert Kettlewell at the Hand and Sâ—eptâ—r over against St. Dunstâ—n's Church in Fleetstreet 1683. TO THE Right Honourable SIMON Lord DIGBY BARON OF GEASHILL MY LORD THe Holy Eucharist is a Rite of the greatest Honour and Endearment that ever God vouchsafed to Men and the most Sublime and Blissful Instance of our Communion with him For therein he calls us to his own Table not to attend as Servants but to Feast with him as his Friends He treats us with the most Magnificent Fare presenting That to us for our Food which one would think were not to be eaten but adored even the most Sacred Body and Blood of his own Son in which he conveys to us all the Benefits of our Redemption And being thus apt to excite in us the highest Devotion and to enrich us with the greatest Fulness of Grace and Blessing one would expect it should be had in Reverence and most Thankfull Received by every Christian. But yet in our Days what part of Religion doth so generally suffer or is so universally neglected among Men For the greatest Numbers have either little or no Reverence at all for it or too much which makes them afraid of it they Neglect it thro' Carelesness and Causeless Scruples or Prophane it by Unworthy and Disrespectful Usage So that among all the Professors of Christianity few pay that Honour to their Lord or secure that Benefit to themselves by Receiving which he intended All should do This My Lord is the Grief and Complaint of all who have any just Honour for their Dearest Saviour and this Venerable Ordinance or any generous Compassion for the Souls of others And that by the Grace of God I may help something to redress it I have endeavoured to describe a Worthy Communicating and to set out both the Duty and Advantages of it in this Treatise that thereby I may recommend it to the Choice of all who are Wise and to the Consciences of all that are Religious In the Management whereof I have shunn'd all fruitless Disputes and nice Speculations seeking onely to get it Authority among the Loose and Reverence with the Careless and to reconcile it to the Scrupulous and to make the Duty as Clear Easie and Useful as I can to all Particularly I have designed all along to make it not onely an Honourable Remembrance of our Dear Lord but a most Solemn and Strict Engagement to a Good Life in all that use it for then I am sure they will be infinitely Happy in it And this Discourse My Noble Lord I here humbly offer to Your Lordship desiring it may stand as a Publick Testimony of the great Honour and Affection I have for those Excellencies that shine so clear in You. God has endow'd Your Great Mind with a strong Love and a steady Choice of Virtue and what I have beheld with Pleasure with a Generous and as there is Place for it an Active Compassion for those that want it You have the True Wisdom upon Deliberate and Well-studied Reasons to be Religious and the Courage in this Audacious Age when Irreligion is set up for the onely Creditable Dress to own it and study to be thought so For 't is Your Lordships Honour to think that nothing can truly make You Greater than to be an humble Worshipper and Faithful Servant of Your Holy Saviour This Noble Piety and Zeal for Goodness will endear You My Lord to Almighty God and to all Good Men. And if by these Papers I may in any wise contribute to them I shall think my self happy in having serv'd to set on the Virtuous Growth of One whom I hope God has set out in a Time that so infinitely needs it for an Illustrious Example that may give both Ornament and Support to Religion But besides this My Lord I have another End in this Dedication and that is That these Sheets may remain a Lasting Monument of my Gratitude for the Endearing Favours I have received from Your Noble Hand They were Composed for the Benefit of a Place where I am now fixed and whereto I was design'd by Your great Generosity and Nobleness when I thought of nothing less For so truly Publick was Your Lordships Spirit in the Filling of that Church that You pitch'd upon a Person whose Face You had never known and who never knew of it only because You believed he would make it his Care to promote Religion and to Benefit those Souls which You had to commit to him And this My Lord I humbly beg Your Lordships Leave to mention not for Your own but for the Publicks sake For in this degenerate Age when either Filthy Lucre or at least some other mean and sordid End have made a Merchandise and bred Corruption even in the most Sacred Trusts I think the World has need of such Examples I have nothing more to add but to beg of Almighty God That he who brings about the Noblest Ends by the Weakest and most Unlikely Instruments would make this Book effectual to his own Honour and Service and also bless Your Lordship with a Continuance and Encrease of all Virtuous Excellencies Honour and Happiness in this World till at last he shall take You to shine in his own Immortal Glory in the World to come This is the most hearty Prayer of him who very much for Your Favours but more for the true Affection and Esteem You have for the God and Saviour he serves is in all sincerity My Honoured Lord Your Lordships most Affectionate obliged Chaplain and humble Servant John Kettlewell From Your Lordships House near Coles-hill Jun. 27. 83. THE CONTENTS PART I. The meaning of Feasting in the Sacrament CHAP. I. Of the meaning of our eating and drinking in the Sacrament THree ends of Feasting in the Lords Supper 1 〈…〉 in Remembrance and Commemoration of our Saviour Christ and of his dying for us To remember him is not barely to call to mind that once there was such a Person but to think of his particular Quality and Relation to us which are worth remembring as of his being our most Faithful Teacher our most Gracious Governour our most intire Friend and noble Benefactor These things usually commemorated by Festivals 2 End is in confirmation of the New Covenant which his Death purchased for us An account of the New Covenant Christs Death purchased it It is ratified in the Holy Sacrament which is shewn from the same thing being done in Baptisme Circumcision and the Passover which answered to it more particularly 1. From the Words of Institution wherein the Cup is call'd the New Covenant and we are bid to drink of it which
and bids them drink of it which was well known among them to be a Federal Rite he plainly shew'd his meaning was that they should ratifie and confirm the New Covenant by it 2. In the Words of Institution the Bread is called Christs Body to the same intent as the Paschal Lamb was in the Jewish Sacrament and this also shews it to be a Covenanting Rite because that was a Federal Conveyance of it The Bread I say or rather the taking and eating of it is called Christs Body to the same Intent as the Paschal Lamb was in the Jewish Sacrament Jesus took bread says St. Matthew and brake it and said Take eat this is my Body Mat. 26.26 Which Words This is my Body relate to the Paschal Lamb that in the ordinary Phrase of the Doctors was called the Body of the Passover and the Body of the Paschal Lamb to shew that the taking and eating of the Bread and Wine was to be his Body in the same sense now as the eating of the Paschal Lamb had been hitherto Which Relation to the Passover that he had then in hand and to their manner of expressing it I think is one very obvious and natural Account of his calling this New Feast his Body when he spake of it And this also shews it to be a Covenant-Rite because the eating of the Paschal Lamb among the Jews was his Body in a Federal sense as a Federal Conveyance of it For their Slain Lamb was a Figure of our Dying Lord as hath been proved and was accepted to all the purposes of his Blood and their Feasting on it as in all other Sacrifices was their Federal joyning in and partaking of it For to Feast on a Sacrifice was to joyn in the Covenant made by it and to partake of the Blessings promised to it as shall presently be shewed And since in the Words of Institution our Saviour says of the Eating of the Bread that it is his Body to the same intent as the Eating of the Paschal Lamb was in that Jewish Sacrament which was so in a Federal sense as a Federal Conveyance of it he plainly intimates his own Supper to be a Federal Feast and that we confirm the New Covenant by joyning in it And as this appears from the Words of Institution wherein the Cup is called the New Covenant and they are bid to eat and drink which is a Federal Rite and the Eating of the Bread is called Christs Body to the same intent as the Paschal Lamb was which was so in a Federal sense as it Federally conveyed it So doth it also 2 ly From its being a Feast upon Sacrifice which is a Federal Feast for Sacrifice is one way of Covenanting with God and by Feasting on the Sacrifice we joyn in and partake of it The Lords Supper I say is a Feast upon Sacrifice It was the way both among Jews and Gentiles that when they brought an Offering to God they who offered it were to come and Feast on some part of it Thus it was in the Worship of the Golden Calf and the Sacrifice which Aaron made to it Exod. 32 He built an Altar before it and offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings and the People sate down to Eat and to Drink i. e. upon part of what they had offered v. 5 6. And thus it was in the Sacrifice which Samuel blessed 1 Sam. 9 The People will not eat until he come because he doth bless the Sacrifice and afterwards they eat that be bidden v. 13. And to this Usage several Places of the Scripture allude as namely Psal. 106.28 they joyned themselves unto Baal-Pâ—or and ate the Sacrifices of the Dead And Exod. 34.15 lest thou do Sacrifice unto their Gods and one call thee and thou eat of his Sacrifice And several others And as it was thus in the Religious Feasts both of Jews and Gentiles so it is also in the Lords Supper Our Saviour gave his Body and Blood a Sacrifice for our Sins putting away Sin as the Apostle says by the Sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 And having thus made the Oblation according to what was in use both in the Jewish and Gentile Sacrifices he institutes this Treat of Bread and Wine as a Feast upon it This I suppose is aim'd at when St. Paul brings in an Altar speaking of the Christian Feast which sufficiently intimates its relation to a Sacrifice as a Treat upon it We have an Altar says he whereof they have no right to eat that serve the Tabernacle i. e. wherein the strict Judaizers may not partake for Judaism excludes Men from the Communion especially and indeed from all Parts of the Christian Worship Heb. 13.10 And this he also shews concerning it when he compares it with the Jewish and Gentile Feasts on Sacrifices making them answerable and parallel to it 1 Cor. 10.16 18 20 21. And this he directly affirms of it when he says Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the Eucharistical Feast i. e. upon this Sacrificed Christ 1 Cor. 5.7 8. And Feasts upon Sacrifice are Federal Feasts i. e. Feasts that ratifie and confirm Covenants for Sacrifice is one way of Covenanting with God and Feasting upon it is the way of participating or sharing in it Sacrifice I say is one way of Covenanting with God When God would enter into Articles and bind himself in Covenants with Men he chose to do it in shedding the Blood of some Sacrifice that Typified the Blood of Christ his Son which is the onely thing that moves him to deal with us in any Concern that either implies or tends to Friendship and Reconciliation Thus he did with Abraham when he promised him the Land of Canaan if he would continue perfect and walk before him he ordered him to make a Sacrifice that therein he might covenant and engage it to him Take an Heifer says he and a she-Goat and a Ram c. And Abraham took them and divided them in the midst and when the Sun went down behold a smoaking Furnace and a burning Lamp that passed between those Pieces wherein 't is like God Consumed and Feasted on Abraham's Sacrifice and in that same day the Lord made a Covenant with Abraham saying Vnto thy Seed have I given this Land c Gen. 15.8 9 10 17 18. And thus he did with the Jewish Nation when he ratified that Covenant with them which Moses gave them he chose the Blood of Burnt-offerings that therein he might seal it tâ— them For when Moses told the People all the words of the Lord and they answered with one voice saying We will do them he built an Altar of twelve Pillars according to the twelâ—e Tribes and offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings and then recited the Book of the Covenant in their â—ars that they might give their Assent to it in the Solemnity of this Sacrifice the Blood whereof is therefore called the Blood of the Covenant because it was thus solemnly
Eating and Drinking not being to satisfie Hunger but for Sacred Ends 't is fit we come to it with a suitable and a Sacred Carriage and in that consists the Worthiness of the Usage Were it onely a Feast on Common Food we should behave our selves worthily at it by thanking God for it and being Temperate But being a Feast wherein Religion is concerned and whereat we are to remember the Death of our Lord and to Seal the New Covenant with God and a League of Love with all the Christian World to the doing this worthily and as 't is fit we should there is more required For we deal very unworthily in remembring the Death of our Lord if we are not thankful for it and in ratifying the New Covenant with God if we are not sincere in it and in promising Love to all the Christian World if we are in enmity and hatred These Religious Ends must be answered with a Religious Temper and a Devout Carriage and then they are treated as they ought and as their Worth requires This is signified by several Copies which in 1 Cor. 11.27 read not barely Whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup OF THE LORD VNWORTHILY but whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord VNWORTHILY OF THE LORD i. e. in a way unworthy of him which clearly shews the Unworthiness to consist in the want of those Tempers wherewith 't is sit our Blessed Lord who is commemorated in it should be treated And this the Apostle plainly intimates when he places the unworthiness of Eating in not Discerning or rather Discriminating the Lords Body and putting a difference between it and Common Food by a different Carriage and Behaviour at it He that eats and drinks unworthily says he eats and drinks Damnation to himself for such unworthy usage which lies in his not discerning or rather not discriminating the Lords Body 1 Cor. 11.29 Thus doth a worthy Eating of the Sacrament consist in answering its Sacred Ends with Sacred and suitable Carriage and Dispositions And therefore that we may see what Behaviour is worthy of it 't is fit we run over those several Ends and inquire what Tempers every one of them requires of us Those Ends are Three 1 st To Remember Christ our Blessed Lord and Saviour and particularly his Dying for us which call for Love Joy Gratitude Obedient Resolutions and such like Tempers 2 ly To Confirm the New Covenant with Almighty God which is not worthily done by us unless we come to it in Sincerity and Faithfulness and with full Purpose and Performance of that Repentance and Obedience which we profess and promise 3 ly To Confirm a League of Love and Friendship with all our Brethren and Fellow-Christians which requires that we lay aside all Envy Hatred and Malicious Thoughts and come to it in Peace and Forgiveness of all that have any ways offended us If we Believe all these things which Christ our Great Prophet has revealed to us and our Faith shews it self in these Tempers and carries us on to these Performances we are Worthy Communicants and have that Faith which will render us welcom Guests at the Lords Table and acceptable to him at all other times 1 st One End of our Eating Bread and Drinking Wine at the Lords Supper is to remember Christ not onely as our Prophet and Teacher which I do not make a Distinct Head now because the Belief required to that is exercised thro' the whole Action and falls in at all the other but as our Blessed Lord Saviour and Benefactor and above all his Benefits particularly to remember his Dying for us and this to do it worthily calls for Love Joy Gratitude Resolutions of Obedience and other such like Tempers The Remembrance of any thing absent and long since past brings it back into our Minds and gives a sort of Presence to it And therefore when things are brought to our Remembrance they should work upon us and affect us as if they were before us When we remember our Saviour Christ then we must bear the same Mind towards him as we should if we saw him and were conversing with him and that will consist in these Things that follow We must Honour him and resolve to Obey him as he is our Lord and Master and Love him and Delight in him and give Thanks to him as he is our Friend and Benefactor and be humbled under the sense of our own Vnworthiness and abhor our own Sins as they brought him to bleed and die for us and resign up our selves both Souls and Bodies to his Vse as we are bought with his Blood and are thereby become his own Purchase 1 st In Eating and Drinking in the Lords Supper we are to remember Christ as our Lord and Master and to do that worthily we must remember him with Honour and Reverence and with mindfulness of his Commands and Resolutions of Obedience which are Duties we owe and should pay to him were he present with us 1 st We ought to remember him our Lord and Master with Honour and Reverence These Tempers Lordship and Authority always call for whensoever they are lodged in any Persons A Son honoureth his Father saith God and a Servant his Master if then I be a Father where is mine Honour and if I be a Master where is my Fear Mal. 1.6 Honour the King says St. Peter and Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear 1 Pet. 2.17 18. And Render to all their Dues says St. Paul as Fear or Reverence to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour is due Rom. 13.7 But when this Authority is in the most absolute and full Degrees and is joyned with the highest Excellencies and tempered with the most Endearments and guided by the most surpassing Goodness as it is in Christ Jesus it calls for them most especially For he is every way wonderfully accomplished and has all those Endowments in their greatest Perfection which of right can challenge or are fit to excite them For he is boundless in knowledge he understands all things and infinitely wise in Counsel able to suit Means to every End and bring about every Purpose and surpassing in Might so that he may do what he pleases and holy in all his ways and faithful in all his Promises and just and equitable in all his Dealings and Glorious in his Divine Essence being the very Brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person and Supereminent in Power having all Authority in Heaven Earth put into his hands and yet in the midst of all these Excellencies and the height of all this Greatness which are apt to puff us up with Pride and Contempt of others he is unspeakable in Love and wonderful in Condescensions vouchsafing to leave Heaven where he was Equal to God and be made in fashion of a mean Man for our sakes and unwearied in
Requisite to our worthy Commemoration of his Benefits in this Feast For Praising God is reckoned as one Particular of the Disciples Carriage in their Breaking Bread Act. 2. They continued daily breaking Bread says St. Luke which they eat with gladness praising God v. 46 47. Nay so great a share has Thanksgiving and Praise in this Business that the whole Action is called the Eucharist i. e. the Giving of Thanks to God for those Benefits which are therein Commemorated And these are the Things which must render our Remembrance worthy of him when we Commemorate him as our Friend and Benefactor in this Holy Supper We must love him for his Kindnesses and delight in his Benefits and be thankful for all his Favours particularly for that which is therein especially Commemorated his Dying upon our accounts bursting out into grateful Acknowledgments and Words of Praise and being ready and resolved by our Zeal in his Service our Observance of his Laws and our Kindness to his poor Members to make him all the small Requital we are able so that he may never have any cause to repent of what he has done for us But besides this Remembrance of his Friendship to us and Benefits in general which require in us these forementioned Tempers we are especially to commemorate the Benefit of his Dying for us which more particularly calls for certain others In Eating Bread and Drinking Wine in the Lords Supper I say we are to remember his Dying for us and shedding his Blood a Ransom for our Sins And to do this worthily we must be humbled under the sense of our own unworthiness and abhor our Sins which brought him to bleed and die for us and resign up our selves both Souls and Bodies to his use as we are bought with his Blood and thereby become his own Purchase 1 st We must remember his Dying for us in an humble and deep sense of our own unworthiness and in an utter abhorrence of our Sins which brought him to these Sufferings We must remember it I say in an humble and deep sense of our own unworthiness His Death was not for any thing that he had done but onely for our Sins and this shews what vile Wretches we are and how unworthy Persons It lets us see how hateful our Sins had made us unto God and what they had deserved at his Hands For he would not let them pass without inflicting the highest Shame and the most exquisite Pain and Tortures Yea when his own onely Begotten Son would intercede for them and bâ—ar the Burden of them in his own â—â—â—son so implacable was the 〈…〉 to them and so indispensable â—he Râ—â—sons that constrainâ—d him to punis◠〈…〉 that his most tender Love for him whom he valued as his own Right Eye could not hinder but that he should bleed and die for them It lets us see also how troublesom they had made us to our best Friends and how shamefully burdensom and expensive to the Blessed Jesus For when he long'd and labour'd to redeem us from them he could not be our Friend unless he would cease to be his own nor do us any good at all except he would give his own Life a Ransom And what Man now can ever think of this but he must hide his Face and be quite buried in a shameful sense of his own Unworthiness He may see how vile he was when God was so highly offended with him and thought no Punishment too heavy for him and would not be reconciled at the Intercession of his own Son unless he would die in stead of him and it was so dangerous and costly a thing no less than the laying down his own Life for his Saviour to shew himself a serviceable Friend to him And if this Sight doth not work shame and self-abasement in him he will be concluded by all to be the basest Man alive and utterly unworthy that â—ver any thing of all this unparallell'd Kindness should have been done him We must also remember his Dying for us with an utter abhorrence of our Sins which were the Causes of his Sufferings For if we do not hate and abhor them when we consider what Tortures he endured for them we shew we are very little concerned for his Ease nor have any feeling of his Pains nor any Zeal at all against the Occasion of his Sorrows And this is a very bad Requital of his undergoing all those Pains for our sakes and a most unworthy Usage So that if we would worthily Commemorate his Dying for us we must be humbled and ashamed of our selves at the sense of our own Unworthiness seeing we had deserved such insupportable Punishments and have put him to such exquisite and intense Pains and particularly we must turn our abhorrence on our Sins which caused all this Mischief and made him if he would befriend us to undergo such heavy Tortures 2 ly We must remember his Dying for us with a Resignation of our selves both Souls and Bodies to his use as we are bought with his Blood and thereby become his own Purchase He died in our stead and his Blood was given to God for a Ransom to buy us off from it that we might not die also The Son of Man saith he is come to give his Life a Ransom for many Mat. 20.28 And since he has bought us and paid so dear for us to deliver us from Hell-torments and Eternal Death which is not his but our own Advantage in all Equity and Reason he ought to have the Use of us and we should be wholly devoted to his Service And this the Scripture requires of us The Love of God constrains us saith St. Paul to live to him because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them 2 Cor. 5.14 15. And again Ye are not your own ye are bought with a Price therefore glorifie God in your Body and in your Spirit which are Gods 1 Cor. 6.19 20. And since his Dying for us has made us his own Propriety and acquired him an absolute Right over us to his own use which we had infinite Reason to desire but he had no need of if we would remember it worthily we must do it justly by honestly devoting our Souls and Bodies and assigning them over to him to be wholly at his Service And these are the Things which must render our Remembrance worthy of him when in the Holy Sacrament we Commemorate his Dying for us and shedding his most precious Blood a Ransom for our Sins We must be humbled with the sense of our own Unworthiness and abhor our Sins which brought him to these Sufferings and resign up our selves both Bodies and Souls to be wholly at his use and employed where and in what he pleases as thereby they are become his own Purchase And thus it appears what Tempers are becoming
Duty is requir'd in us at this Feast but if our Hearts go along with it it puts in act and makes a place for it It exercises our humble sense of our own unworthiness in the Prayer before Consecration in these words We do not presume to come to this thy Table O merciful Lord trusting in our own Righteousness but in thy manifold and great Mercies We are not worthy so much as to gather up the Crumbs under thy Table And so again in the Prayer after receiving in these Though we be unworthy through our manifold sins to offer up unto thee any Sacrifice yet humbly we beseech thee accept this our bounden Duty and Service not weighing our Merits but pardoning our Offences through Jesus Christ our Lord. It exercises our hatred and abhorrence of our Sins which caused Christs Sufferings in the Confession of Repentance in these The remembrance of our mis-doings is grievous unto us the burden of them is intolerable And it exercises our Love and Reverence and Honour to Christ either in words that express it or in things that imply it being real proofs and effects of it in every thing that is done through the whole Service If every Receiver therefore that has these Tempers doth but go along heartily and affectionately with the Churches Prayers and joyn with the Minister and the Congregation in the Communion Service he acts them over as he ought and doth Honour to his Saviour and is a worthy Communicant He shews all those qualifications which God has required and receives as a worthy Guest if he can do nothing more than go along and strike in heartily at every part of the Publick Worship Which I speak not for the ease of those who either by their own invention or the help of Books can set their own Minds on work and employ their own Thoughts in meditating and acting over all these Tempers whilst the Minister is distributing the Sacrament I speak it not I say for the ease of these Persons as if beside what they do in the Churches Prayers they should not moreover do what they can otherwise But for the sake of others who have not these abilities that they may not be discouraged and to let them know that if they are good men and have these Tempers there is exercise of them sufficient in the Publick Prayers were there nothing else from the help of Books or their own invention to make them worthy Communicants And thus we see wherein lies the worthiness of receiving and what Virtues are fit for him to exercise who would be a welcome Guest at the Holy Communion When he remembers the Death of Christ and confirms the New Covenant with God and a League of Love and Friendship with all the Christian World by eating Bread and drinking Wine according to Christs appointment he must exercise himself in joyful Praise and affectionate Thanks and Resignation of his whole man both Soul and Body to Christs Service and in Repentance of all his Sins making God faithful Promises of New Obedience and in Charity towards all Persons all which he may express in joyning heartily with the Churches Prayers besides what he doth whilst the Bread and Wine are in preparing or whilst others are Communicating in his own Meditations And if he believes these things and is carryed on by such belief to these Performances he is welcome to the Table of his Lord and may justly esteem himself a worthy Partaker of this Blessed Sacrament CHAP. IV. Worthy Receiving not extraordinary difficult and of unworthiness to Communicate The Contents To silence the Complaint of extraordinary difficulty in coming worthily to this Sacrament three things noted 1. All the particulars of worthy Receiving are necessary parts of Duty and of a good Man so that no more is required to fit us for receiving than is required to fit us to dye or to go to Heaven 2. They are all necessary Qualifications of an acceptable Prayer Vow or Thanksgiving so that no more is required to it than to a worthy discharge of all other Acts of Religion 3. However they may be commended yet are they not necessarily required in more intense and transporting degrees in it than in other instances of Devotion The only unworthiness which can put us by this Ordinance is Impenitence if Repentance will â—o down with any man nothing else need stick with him This Point of Worthy Communicating summ'd up HAving hitherto shewn wherein lies the worthiness of receiving and what those Qualifications are which fit us for this Holy Feast I shall now only note some things that may silence all good mens Complaints about the hardship of it and shew plainly who are unworthy to join in it and what they must do to fit and prepare themselves for it and so conclude this Point 1 st I shall Note some things that may reconcile all good minds to this Feast and silence their Complaints of the hardship and extraordinary difficulty of coming worthily to partake in it And this had need to be done and may prove of great use when once it is because one chief thing which causes even good People to come so seldome is the apprehended difficulty and extraordinary solemnity of the worthy receiving Now to satisfy all good Souls in this point and to remove these hard thoughâ—s of it I would suggest to them these three things 1st That all these Tempers which are required to a worthy Communion are necessary parts of Duty and of a good Man so that no more is required of us to sit our selves for receiving than is required to fit us to dye or to go to Heaven 2 ly That they are all required to a worthy Prayer Vow or Thanksgiving so that no more Duties are required to our worthiness in it than to our worthiness in all other Acts of Religion 3 ly That however they may be commended yet are they not necessarily required as some have imagined in more intense and transporting degrees in it than in other instances of Devotion 1 st I say all the Tempers which I have mentioned as necessary to a worthy Communion are necessary parts of Duty and of a good Man so that no more is required of us to sit our selves for a worthy receiving than is required to sit us to Dye or to go to Heaven They are all necessary parts of Duty and of a good Man It is necessarily required of every good Man who would serve God and be accepted with him that he honour his Lord and Master Jesus Christ and be careful to obey him that he be affectionately sensible of all the kindnesses he has done particularly in dying for him and most heartily thank him for them that he be humbled under the sense of his own sins and utterly abhor them and resign up himself both Soul and Body to his Saviours use who by his own hearts blood has bought him that having first Believed in Christ he
enforce it viz. It is such an Instance as best shews our peculiar Reverence and Love to him the whole yoke of Jewish Ceremonies is taken away and only it and Baptism two cheap and easie Rites imposed instead of them it was his last Command he gave it the Night before he suffered in St. Paul's Commission to Preach the Gospel it was particularly specified without greatest Danger to our selves it cannot be neglected as appears from our Saviours words Joh. 6.53 which are shâ—wn to speak of it and from the Danger of Neglecting the Jewish Passover which answered to it 2. From the obliging Nature of those things which are meant by it viz. Because therein we publickly own Christ and his Religion and solemnly remember him and confirm the New Covenant with God and a League of Friendship with our Brethren and are vouchsafed the highest Honour and receive Tokens of greatest Love and enjoyment of present Graces and pledges of future Glory from him all which no Good man ought and no Ingenuous man will Decline when he is call'd to them This Duty obliges those only who are of Age for it and them too only at such times as they have an Opportunity and a fit Occasion offered An Objection against its being a Duty from 1 Cor. 11.25 answered The Neglect of it is a great Sin This God may excuse in thosâ— good Souls who through Ignorance or Error are held back and because of their over-high Veneration for it think themselves unworthy to come to it whilst in the honesty of their Hearts they thus mistake it But he will not excuse it in them when they are better inform'd and much less in others who neglect it because they are careless of it or too Wicked and Impenitent to receive it THE worthy receiving of the Sacrament which I have hitherto Described is no Indifferent thing which may either be done or let alone according to Discretion but an indispensable Duty wherein God has straitly bound and which he has peremptorily required of every grown Christian. And this will appear these two ways 1 st From the Expressness and Obliging import of the Command about it 2ly From the Obliging Nature of those things which are meant by it 1 st That every Christian ought to frequent the Holy Sacrament and come to it when he is call'd and an opportunity is offered appears from the expressness and obliging import of the Command about it For our Blessed Lord has given us his Command for it and that with such particular Notes and Circumstances as shews he lays a great weight upon it which must needs oblige all that have any regard to him to frequent it He has given us I say his express Command for it For thus St. Paul tells us he injoined when he ordained this Feast He took Bread says he and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this DO in Remembrance of me And after the same manner he took the Cup saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood this DO ye as often as you Drink it in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.24 25. And if we had nothing more than this plain Command for it it were enough to make every man who would please God and go to Heaven to come to it when he is invited For then ye are my Friends says Christ when ye do whatsoever I Command you Joh. 15.14 And he that shall break the least of my Commandments and shall teach men so shall be least in the Kingdom of Heaven i. e. he shaâ—l not enter or have any share at all there Mat. 5.19 But besides this express Command which he has given for it we have other Notes and Circumstances added which greatly recommend it and shew that he lays a particular weight upon it For it is a thing which is to be done purely upon his account and has only our Love of him to enforce it so that if we have any Love and Reverence for him this is the best way to shew it it and Baptism are the only positive Commands he has given us in exchange for the Numerous and Expensive Jewish Ceremonies so that in all Ingenuity and Thankfulness for so great a Benefit we ought to observe it it was his Dying and last Command he gave it the very Night before he Suffered it was thought by him a Command so material that in St. Paul 's Commission to Preach the Gospel it was not omitted but particularly specified And lastly it is a Command which as the Scripture plainly intimates without great danger to our selves cannot either be unworthily kept or neglected 1 st It is a thing which is to be done purely upon his account having no other Reason but his Command to bind and enforce it so that if we have any Love and Reverence for him this is the best way to shew it As for the Duties of Humility Temperance Justice Faithfulness Gratitude Charity Peace Prayers to God and the like Though Christ has told us of them and expresly injoyn'd them as well as this yet is not he alone in that but they were sufficiently proclaimed before he came to the Jews by Moses and the Prophets and to the Gentile World by Natural Conscience In declaring them he had an open way made for him and the Consciences of all men ready to strike in with him which among all good Minds would much facilitate their Reception But in this Command he stands alone for Natural Reason knows nothing of it nor will the Conscience of any man but a Christian oblige him to it So that here we have no Light but his Word no Motive but our Obedience to him to perswade it and therefore if we do it at all must be purely for his sake without any other Inducement And this is a strong Bond upon all that Love their Lord and have any peculiarity of Respect for him to observe it It is the true Cause and Reason indeed why some neglect it who because their own Conscience doth not startle at it and check them so severely for absenting from this Feast as for Drunkenness Whoredome Lyes Cheating c. which have not only Christs Laws but Natural Reason also to exclaim against them go on securely in their contempt of it And if men have no Love for their Lord no peculiar Regard for any thing because he has injoyn'd it or are not duly inform'd of his Command about it thus it will be But if any that see he has made it their Duty have any peculiar Love and Regard to him they will greedily embrace this as the best Opportunity of shewing their Affection to his Service since therein they can be sway'd by nothing else and most readily Communicate when he calls them so to do 2ly It and Baptism those two cheap and easie Things are the only positive Commands he has laid upon us when he took off the heavy yoke of the
to make him think of shewing Favour and being kind to us It is the Blood of Propitiation Rom. 3.25 that makes peace between God and Men Col. 1.20 and speaks better things than the Blood of Abel calling for Life and Salvation as that did for Destruction Heb. 12.24 And 't is the Representation of that Blood now in heavenly places that gives Christ himself such absolute Power with God and makes him sure to prevail whensoever he intercedes for us For by it he entered into the Holy Place where the Mercy-seat or Propitiatory was Heb. 9.3 5.12.24 and where he ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 So that the great Argument which either Christ our high Priest now in Heaven offers for us or which in our Prayers we can plead for our selves is his own Death and Sufferings Now this is set before God in every Prayer and in all Acts of Religion in all which we use Christs Name and desire to be heard and hope to prevail through his Mediation But in the Sacrament it is done more perfectly and with greater Solemnity and that too by Gods own appointment For one chief end of the Holy Sacrament is to Commemorate the Death of Christ i. e. to set it out in solemn shew and make mention of it not only before men but also to Almighty God This do in Remembrance or Commemoration of me says our Saviour Luc. 22.19 And as oft as ye do it says St. Paul ye shew forth the Lords Death i. e. both to God and Men till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 Thus do we no where so livelily and advantageously set out this great Argument of being heard as in the Holy Sacrament which we may justly hope will be the more observed and have the more effect because it is not done of our own heads but by Gods own special Direction and Appointment And where the Argument is most advantageously set out we may expect the better effect and greater force from it And this the Ancient Christians thought accounting their Prayers were not like to be so Powerful at any time as when this Commemoration of Christs Death the only Plea for being heard accompanied them And therefore at the Sacrament they used to pray not only for themselves but also for all others and to recommend any Person or thing to God which was dear to them thinking they could never so advantageously as at that time sue for them Thus in the General is the Holy Sacrament a most likely means to obtain for us all Mercies because it is the most effectual course in all Religion to recommend our Prayers which must procure them for us 2 dly In Particular 1 st It seals to us the Pardon of our Sins for the peace of our Consciences 2 ly It increases and confirms in us all our Graces 1 st It seals and confirms to us the Pardon of our Sins for the peace of our Consciences In the Holy Sacrament God calls us to give us a full Pardon by giving us that Blood which was shed for the remission of Sins and which is the Blood of Expiation and having received that at his hand if we are true Penitents we need not doubt but that our sins are expiated and he is reconciled The Sacrament it self as we have seen is nothing less than a soâ—emn Confirmation of the New Covenant which promises Remission of Sin to all that truly repent of it So that when with Penitent Hearts we come to joyn in it we come to stipulate and secure a Pardon of all our Offences which will give us all the security of it that Covenants and Promises can make us Whensoever we Repent indeed we have Gods promise of Forgiveness which may comfort our hearts after any Sin not only in the Communion but in every Penitential Prayer and Confession But in the Sacrament this Promise is again repeated and in most solemn manner Sealed and Confirmed to shew us that God is still of the same mind and to give us a renewed and a sensible assurance of it And when God has thus set his Seal to it and a Penitent Soul has just received his Word and Bond for it it need not question but he is reconciled and unless it starts back from these penitential engagements and falls afresh into new Provocations will always continue so to be And thus the Sacrament is the most effectual means to calm the Fears and quiet the Consciences of all true penitents If once they make sure of their own Repentance after any Fault it doth that in an ordinary way which an Angel from Heaven and a special Revelation would do in extraordinary i. e. it lets them know their Sins are Pardoned and that God is their Friend For therein they receive from him the Blood of Expiation a plain proof their Sins are atoned for and forgiven and therein there is an express agreement and solemn Covenant of Peace and Reconciliation between God and them which is confirmed by this Feast of his own prescribing and having this Instrument of his own appointment which they may look upon as his Hand and Seal to it they may chearfully depend upon it and rest satisfied in their own mind 2 ly It increases and confirms in us all our Graces These Graces are ordinarily such as we bring along with us which we either have already practised or are fully purposed and resolved so to do For therein God gives Grace only to the Worthy Communicants and those Communicants only are Worthy who Repent of all their Sinâ— and are wholly determined to lead a New Life in Obedience to all his Commandments It is not a Sacrament intended to give strength in Grace to those that have nothing of it for it is our Spiritual Meat and Bread as our Saviour calls it Joh. 6.51 55. the use whereof is not to give Life to a Dead Person but Strength and Nourishment to a Living It is not designed to turn an Impenitent Man into a true Penitent or to make an Ill man Good for every impenitently ill man is an Unworthy Receiver and eats his own Damnation which is a Curse and not a Blessing so that he is not the better but the worse by it But it is intended to make a Good Man Better to carry on Repentance in those that have begun it and to confirm and enlarge every Virtue in those who are already possessed of it If we come to it with Faith or Belief of the Scriptures particularly of Gods promises to pardon our Sins for Christs sake upon our Repentance and to help us to any Graces upon our indeavours and to make us Eternally happy upon our entire Obedience it strengthens and assures it if with Love of our dear Lord who dyed for us it increases it if with Thankfulness for his kindnesses particularly that of giving his own Life for ours it makes us more sensible of it if with hearty Repentance and full purpose of amending all our Sins
objective Representation of most forcible inducements to them powerfully excited in them at that time And as these Duties are all improved by the Holy Communion so are they 2ly Most Powerful in helping us to become Obedient and Good men If we were but perfect in these Virtues and they had once got the Ascendant over us and ruled in our Hearts they would have an Universal influence on all others and govern our whole Lives For if when we are tempâ—â—d to any sin our minds being familiarized to it would at that instant readily suggest to us that Christ dyed for it and that it put him to all the pain and anguish he suffered we should not endure to come near it If we have any true Love and Zeal for him we shall shew no manner of Favour or Compliance with it if we are really Thankful for what he has done for his sake we shall withstand it if we are resign'd up to his use we shall have nothing to do with it because he is against it and if we abhor it for the pains it put him to when he answer'd for it and will at last put us to also if we continue in it we shall disdainfully reject and turn away from it If we Believe and remember always as we have need that Christ died for our Sins and procured us Pardon for them upon our Repentance and Grace to get quit of them upon our best indeavours that Faith will make us Obedient and carry us on to amend them If we truly Love Christ that Love will make us do something for him and cast to please and obey him If we are Thankful for what is done we shall never despite him by any Sin which for all his Benefits were to return the greatest injuries again If we are resign'd up to his use we shall Faithfully serve him If we are heartily Penitent and abhor our Sins we shall forsake them If we have this lively Faith and Remembrance of Christs dying for us and this intense Love and hearty Thankfulness and entire Resignation of our selves to his Service and sincere Repentance and utter Abhorrence of all our Sins If we have these Virtues I say and in these prevailing measures they will carry us on to an Holy Life and make us Obedient to all Gods Commandments And therefore since this Holy Sacrament when 't is worthily received doth so much improve these Virtues in us it must needs help us on and improve us in all others and in the whole course of a good Life too Thus doth a worthy receiving by its own Natural tendency confirm and increase us in all good Living by our exercising and its exciting in us such Duties as help it on and set it forward and so doth it 2 ly By our binding our selves thereat in solemn Vows and Ingagements to go on in it One chief end of our meeting at this Feast and prime part of our Worthiness in partaking of it is to confirm the New Covenant as we have seen and to make God our Faithful promises that from that day we will amend all our Faults 〈◊〉 so we may attain that Pardon and Happiness which upon our true Repentance he comes to offer and assure to us And these solemn Vows and Promises are a fast hank upon us to make us leave our Sins and do all that he requires of us For every man ought and thinks himself concerned to be as good as his word and to perform what he has promised especially when 't is to one who is too Wise to be deluded and too Just and Powerful to suffer any abuses of him to pass unrevenged which all men that understand any thing believe of Almighty God When we Promise and Vow to him we know that he cannot be deceived and that he will not be mocked so that we must needs see it stands us in stead and is our highest concern to perform with him And therefore since in the Sacrament we do in the most solemn manner Vow to amend our ways and promise an Holy Life to Almighty God in Regard none that are honest will and none that are wise and serious dare be unmindful of such sacred and solemn Compacts it must needs be an excellent way to bind it fast upon our Souls and fix it in our minds and so help very much to establish and imprint it in us And thus we see how a worthy receiving conveys Grace and confirms and increases in us all Virtues by the Natural tendency of those Duties which it exercises and excites in us For it powerfully excites and therein we exercise several Duties which help on a Good Life and set it forward and bind our selves by solemn Vows and Ingagements to go on in it both which are most Powerful to improve and effect it And as it thus confirms and increases in us all Graces by the Natural Virtue and Tendency of those Duties which it excites in us so does it 2 ly By those inward Assistances which it ministers and conveys to us This Sacrament doth not only confer Grace by its Natural Tendency as other means but moreover by virtue of Gods Promise and especial Bounty to the Worthy Receivers of it as it is an Instrument in his hands He tells us that he will do great things at the presence of it and be liberal in Spiritual Blessings to all that duly partake in it So that besides what they do from the Virtues themselves which are exercised thereat they may promise themselves much Spiritual Grace and Strength from his Free Gift and immediate concurrence with it For in the Sacrament he offers them all that outward Grace and Spiritual strength which Christs Death procured and therefore if they come to it worthily so as their own unworthiness is no bar against it that offer will be sure to take effect and they shall undoubtedly receive it And this is plainly intimated to us when our Saviour tells us of his Flesh that it is Bread the true use and end whereof is for support and nourishment Joh. 6.51 And when St. Paul declares that the Cup of Blessing which we Bless is the Communion or Communicating to us the Blood of Christ i. e. those Benefits his Blood procured us and that the Bread which we break is the Communion or Communicating to us the Body of Christ i. e. those Graces which the offering of his Body obtain'd for us amongst which are these Spiritual Assistances 1 Cor. 10.16 And when our Lord himself tells us that the Bread he gives us is his Body and that the Câ—p he reaches out to us is his Blood Mat. 26.26 28. By which though he mean not that they are his Body and Blood in their Natures yet the least he can mean is that they are so in their Effects so that when we receive them we receive all the Blessings of his Blood-shedding and all that Grace which his Death has purchased for all Men. And thus the
thing whereat they are displeased if they have no Reason for it we must seek to inform them better and rectifie their mistakes about it but if they have we must give them all proper satisfaction and make a just amends for it If we have given them just Offence by Affronts or contumelious Carriage we must acknowledge our Fault and promise to do so no more and ask Forgivegiveness and if we have injuriously prejudiced them in their Estates Good Names or Business we must as far as in us lies repair the loss which they have sustain'd by us And this God expects from us before he will accept our Offerings or be pleas'd with us in any Ordinance When thou bringest thy Gift to the Altar says our Saviour and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift Mat. 5.23 24. But if they hate us when we gave no Cause for it nor have in any wise deserv'd it of them yet must we still be careful to Love them though they will not be perswaded to Love us and not harbour any Enmity or Hatred towards them again We must Love them I say not with that Degree of Love indeed wherewith we embrace our particular Friends and those who have better deserved of us but with that which we owe in common to all Persons We must have so much affection for them as will restrain us both from doing and speaking Evil of them and make us exercise all that Justice and shew that kindness towards them in all Conversation which is due to the promiscuous multitude of other men For all these Instances of general Charity are due to our very Enemies as I have already shâ—wn so that when they are unmoveable in their Hatred and persist in their malicious ways yet must not that provoke us into any spiteful Returns or chase us into any hard Speeches or injurious or unkind Carriage towards them again And thus it appears what is to be thought of this Hindrance viz. the implacableness of some ill Neighbours and their unconquerable Enmity against us For when 't is our hard hap to fall among such Persons we must still Love them and be at Peace with them in our own minds though we never gave them any just Cause to be angred and if we did by confessing of our Fault and repairing of the Wrong which makes the Breach we must indeavour after a Reconcilement But if after all they are obstinate and unmoveable in their hatred that is their own Fault which may justly hinder them but ought not to detain us from the Holy Sacrament For although God requires a worthy Receiver to Love his Enemies yet he no where requires him to make his Enemies Love him and if no Person could Communicate worthily whilst he has an unreconciled Enemy our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles and all the first and best Christians had been most unworthy and could never have received at all An Eighth hindrance which holds back several Persons from coming to this Feast notwithstanding it is so much both their Duty and their Priviledge as I have shewn to join in it is because it loâ—ks like an high Presumption in us to Feast on the Body and Blood of our Sovereign Lord and to eat at the same Table with Almighty God and therefore an humble man ought in all modesty to abstain from it I have already considered that unworthiness which respects the manner of receiving and answered those who urge that they are unworthy to Communicate meaning thereby that they want that height of Virtuous and Devout Tempers which they apprehend God has required to it But this unworthiness is not from the want of such due Dispositions or from the Indecency in the unsuitable Receiving but from the inaccessible height and greatness of the thing which they think is so far above us that fit or unfit no Person is worthy of it but that 't is boldness and presumption in any one to touch things so surpassing high and excellent But to satisfie these Persons who think it a piece of Arrogance and Presumption to come to this Holy Sacrament when their Lord not only Requests but Commands it I shall suggest to them these three things 1. It is no Presumption to come when we are call'd and to do what we are bidden But 2. It is a very great boldness and presumption to stay away and leave it undone 3. If the height of Priviledge and Honour in it be sufficient to make an humble modest man refuse the Communion it will not rest in that alone but carry him on equally to renounce the whole Christian Profession 1. I say It is no Presumption to coâ—e to this Feast when we are call'd and to do what we are bidden If we should intrude of our own accord and come uninvited we might be too bold indeed and very rudely Arrogant But when we are particularly sent to and call'd to come especially if there be as in this Case there is great earnestness and importunity in the Invitation it is the part of an humble man to comply with it and he is not Guilty of the least shew of Arrogance and Ill-breeding in so doing There is Civility shewn sometimes in accepting as well as in offering kindnesses and it is Good manners to receive what God would have us yea indeed to accept any thing from the hands of our Betters So that in all Civility and inoffensive Carriage we were bound to come had we nothing more than a Friendly Invitation But besides that God has expresly injoyn'd as I have observ'd and peremptorily required it of us So that now we must approach to it not only out of Civility and Respect but also out of Obedience to his Commandment And true Humility is no hindrance but the greatest furtherance in the World to such a Service it being not the part of a Presumptuous but of a truly humble man to do what he is bidden and to please those whom he is bound in Duty to obey It is no Presumption then to come to the Sacrament when we are call'd and to do what we are bidden but 2. It is a very great Boldness and Presumption to stay away and leave it undone He is no proud man who accepts a kindness when 't is offer'd and he is earnestly invited to it but he may shew Pride and Haughtiness enough who slights and despises it And he is no bold man that doth what he is Commanded but he shews Boldness and presumes indeed that dare venture to Transgress it There are no men so bold and Presumptions with God as they who will act what he forbids and refuse to do what he injoyns them So that it is truly an high Presumption to stay away when he has expresly charged us both upon our Duty and our Love for him to joyn in the Communion 3. If the height of Priviledge and Honour in it be
sufficient to make an humble modest man refuse the Communion since his whole Religion is made up of high Characters and honourable Priviledges it will not rest in that alone but carry him on equally to renounce the whole Christian Profession What thinks he of Holy Baptism wherein he was made not only a Servant but a Child of God not only a Friend but a Brother and Joint-heir with Christ and an Inheritor not of a small Estate but of a Kingdome and that no cheap or fading one neither but of the Kingdom of Heaven What thinks he of the happiness of another Life wherein God will fill us with unutterable Joys and adorn us with Crowns and Scepters and take us as our Saviour says into the same Throne with himself What thinks he of his Redemption being purchased at so dear a rate which could not be obtain'd unless Jesus Christ Gods only Son would come down from Heaven and be made man and pay down his own Life for it Are not all these as superlatively high things and as much above us as Feasting with God in the Communion is Is it not as great a Presumption in us to become Gods Sons and to inherit Kingdoms and to hope for Crowns and Thrones and Scepters as it is to sit down with him as his Guests and to eat and drink in his own Presence Is it not as high Arrogance to admit that Christ should dye for us as it is to come and remember his Death and to accept those Benefits which are thereby convey'd to us All these things are infinitely above us and we could not have had the Face to have asked any of them if God had referr'd it to our own choice and bid us name what we would for our own selves But yet since in his unbounded Love and Kindness he has freely offered them we must have the good manners in all forward Thankfulness and Humility to accept and not out of a shâ—w of Modesty and unreasonable Self-abasement refuse them When God calls us then to Feast with him in the Holy Sacrament and to feed upon the Body and Blood of our dear Lord we must not hold back because there is so eminent a Priviledge and high an Honour in it For we receive no greater Favour or higher Honour therein than in being made Gods Children as we were in Holy Baptism than in Christs Incarnation Death and Suffering than in the offers of Crowns and Thrones and the other Glorious Priviledges of our Religion So that if the Fear of receiving too much honour from God ought to put us by the Communion it ought as much to the full to puâ— us by our Baptism and the whole Christian Profession As for those then who are hindred from the Sacrament by the fear of being too Bold and Presumptuous with God in coming to a Feast which has such height of Priviledge and Honour in it they are hindred without any just Ground and kept back by what they ought not For it is no Presumption but the part of humble men to come when they are call'd and to do what they are bidden but it is a very great Boldness and Presumption to stay away and leave it undone and if the height of Priviledge and Honour in it be sufficient to keep back humble Souls from this Feast it must also keep them back from Baptism wherein the same Honours are conferr'd which are in it and carry them in the same guise of Modesty to refuse Christs dying for them and all the hopes of Heaven and in a word their Christianity and whole Religion too A Ninth Plea whereby several Persons are wont to excuse their not coming to the Sacrament is because many Good People are seldom or never seen at it and therefore they may be good too and have good Company if they keep away from it Now as for those who urgâ— this in excuse I would desire them to consider that when they are inquiring after their own Duty in any matter it is no right way to ask whether others Practise it but whether their Lord has any where Commanded it For mens Practice is not always fully answerable to their own Duty and so is a very false Rule whereby to judge of ours All Persons have their Faults and though no Good man can continue in any willful ones yet will even they be subject to several Ignorant slips and unadvised miscarriages But when at any time they either willfully break any Commandment or ignorantly mistake it that is no warranty for us to do so likewise So that if we would truly understand whether we are bound to Communicate our way is not to inquire whether others do it but whether our Lord has any where injoyn'd it for if he has we are certainly obliged to it whether others observe it or no. But in more Particular Answer to this Plea I must tell them 1 st That if any good People keep away from the Sacrament that is no part of their goodness but their blemish so that therein they are not to be imitated 2 ly That although they might be acceptably good whilst through innocent Scruples and honest Ignorance they were afraid to come to it yet will it be a very great Fault even in them to Neglect it after they are better inform'd which will not be forgiven but upon their amendment of it 1. I say If any Good People keep away from the Sacrament that is no part of their Goodness but their Blemish so that therein they are not to be imitated For we have Gods express Command to come and that we cannot slight without being disobâ—dient and guilty of a plain Transgression We are call'd therein to shew our selves thankfully mindful of our Blessed Saviours Death and of all that he has done and this Call we cannot deny without proclaiming our selves most shamefully unthankful towards him We are summon'd in to profess Repentance and Amendment of all our sins and this we cannot honestly decline if really we are resolv'd to leave them We are invited to declare our selves at Peace with all the Members of our Lord and reconciled to all the Christian World and this Invitation no man can fairly refuse who in very deed is in Charity and an hearty Friend to them Gods Law peremptorily injoyns and the things therein imply'd straitly oblige us to partake of the Sacrament when an opportunity is offer'd so that every man who makes Conscience of his Duty and regards Obedience to his Lord must be careful to join in it And it is the Greatest means of a good Life and Obligation to Amendment that can be prescribed so that every one who has a just care of his own Soul and is earnestly desirous of Virtuous Improvements will seek to be admitted to it A Good mans Duty binds him and the care of his own Soul ingages him to Communicate so that there is neither Virtue nor Prudence shewn in staying away nor is it any part of Goodness to
we shall be kindly treated and accepted by him and not any ways prejudiced or frown'd upon for the unworthiness and undue Preparation of other men Thus ought not the sight of some unworthy Persons joyning in it to strike any Terror into us or drive us from the Holy Sacrament There is a great Sin and a great Danger in unworthy Receiveing which is enough to discourage all impenitent unworthy men from offering at it and where the Censures of the Church are held in any esteem and are likely to gain their end through the Awe and Reverence men have for them the Governours of the Church both out of Compassion for their Souls and concern for the honour of this Ordinance may see cause to remove them from it But if neither the Danger of the thing nor any Affectionate and fair Warning nor the enfeebled Hand of Discipline when it is become impotent and of small account through the Number of Offenders who are too strong for it or through the multitude of Schisms and Divisions one party entertaining what another excludes which cuts off all the Force of it If notwithstanding all these I say unworthy men will still press in and presume to Communicate yet is their unworthiness only to themselves but as for others who are truly worthy they have no hurt at all by it they shall not suffer for their Brethrens sins nor are incapacitated by their unfitnesses so that whilst they have no unworthiness in their own Souls they may approach the Holy Table and chearfully receive still But yet further 3. If any should be really scandalised at the Presence of those who are notoriously wicked or who have done any wrong to their Neighbours either in word or deed upon Complaint made in the Congregation they are to be suspended from the Holy Table and denied the Sacrament For this Care our Church has taken in this Case to prevent all those whose wickedness gives publick Scandal and Offence from sharing in these Holy Mysteries If any Communicant says the Rubrick before the Communion-Service be an open and notorious evil liver or have done any wrong to his Neighbour by Word or Deed so that the Congregation be thereby offended the Curate having knowledge thereof shall call him and advertise him that in any wise he presume not to come to the Lords Table until he hath openly declared himself to have truly Repented and Amended his former naughty Life that the Congregation may thereby be satisfied which before were offended and that he hath recompenced the Parties to whom he hath done wrong or at least declare himself to be in full purpose so to do as soon as conveniently he may As for those then who are kept back from this Feast because they see some unworthy Persons are admitted to it my Answer to them in brief is this That they ought not to be forward in judging any others unworthy because 't is hard for them to know it and they are liable to be mistaken in it And that when they have great and plain cause to conclude others unworthy yet ought not that in any wise to hinder them who are truly worthy from coming to it For if the Company of unworthy Receivers were a just Hindrance it would have hindred our Blessed Lord and the Primitive Christians since it lay in their way as well as now it doth in ours it would not rest in with-holding us from the Communion but serve equally to put us by from being Members of the Church or professing the Christian Religion but it is plainly of no force for either of them since one man shall not bear anothers but every one his own Burden But if still any are really scandalised by the Company of such as are notoriously wicked that offenâ—e may be removed when they have a mind to it for upon complaint made those unworthy Persons are to be suspended from the Holy Table and denied the Sacrament An Eleventh Hindrance whereby several persons are kept back from joyning in this Feast is the Gesture which is required to it For though right-gladly they would be admitted to the Sacrament yet they dare not Kneel as the Church appoints all men to do when they receive it Now when any Persons refuse the Holy Sacrament upon this account they have no sufficient Plea or just Excuse from it When our Lord shall ask them at the last Day why they did not Communicate according to his appointment It will be but a bad Answer in them to say it was because they could not sit or use some other Posture which they thought convenient For since he has only required the Thing but has no where injoyn'd the Gesture we are to receive in he will have just Reason to reply to such Men That then it seems they would not do what he bid them unless at the same time they could do that also which he had not bidden nor perform his will unless withall they should be allowed to have their own which justly merits a severe Reproof but is far from being a matter of Commendation But that they may not inexcusably Neglect so great a Commandment upon so weak a Reason for it I would offer to their Consideration these three things 1. Kneeling is no unsuitable Posture in receiving the Holy Sacrament so that if we were left at Liberty we might have enough to justifie our selves in making use of it 2. It is appointed by our Governours whom God Commands us to obey in all Lawful things so that every Good man who is under Authority ought to observe it But if it were not our Duty when Authority has thus required the use of it and it had no Reasons from it self to recommend it but it were much better that some other Posture should be used yet 3. Since it lawfully may be used too tho' not so well as another if men have any due value for and desire of the Sacrament for its sake and rather than miss of it they should at least comply with it 1. Kneeling is no unsuitable Posture in receiving the Holy Sacrament so that if we were left at Liberty we might have enough to justifie our selves in making use of it For the Sacrament as I have already shew'd is a Religious Feast wherein we are set in the Presence of and are concerned with Almighty God and when we have to do with him 't is no ways unfit sure to use such Posture as is Humble and Reverent It is a Feast wherein we receive the greatest Benefits no less than our Saviour Christs Blessed Body and Blood i. e. those Benefits which his Bloody Death procured and when we receive Gifts especially of that infinite Price and from our Betters and Supream Governours it cannot misbecome us to use such Carriage as expresses most Respect and Thankfulness It is a Feast whereat we confirm the New Covenant and solemnly give Thanks and Praise to Christ and pour out many Prayers and Promises to our Heavenly Lord and
comply with it But against this Compliance it is by some still further urged That Kneeling in the Sacrament is Worshipping the Bread and a Popish Rite and therefore they dare not yield and conform to it Now in Answer to its being a worshipping the Bread I would observe to them that there is no fear of that because we do not kneel to the Bread nor have any intent to worship it and if really we did intend it without which there is no Adoration paid to it we should worship it whether we kneel or sit so that their mode and ours are equally concern'd and it must be own'd on all sides that not the Posture but the Intent is to be blamed for it 1. In kneeling at the Sacrament I say there is no fear of worshipping the Bread because we do not kneel to it nor have any intent to worship it If we should kneel down to the Bread indeed and submitting our selves before it pay Divine Honour and Homage to it this were really to worship it And this the Papists plainly do in that Reverence which they shew towards it For they verily believe it to be Transubstantiated i. e. that the substance of the Bread after the words of Consecration is passed into the Natural Body and Blood of Christ and upon this Belief they fall down to it with a design to Reverence it and to give as much Adoration to it as they would to Christ himself were he visibly present But although this be their intent yet is it in no case ours in kneeling at the Sacrament For we kneel not to the Bread to give any Homage and Adoration unto it as our Church has most expresly declared in the Rubrick so that if any Persons intend any such thing they must not say they follow the Church in it since in the most earnest and express words it utterly disclaims and warns us all against it But we use kneeling to a quite different end viz. only as it is a Reverential Humble Posture wherein we may very decently receive Gifts and make Confession of our sins and give Thanks and pour out our Prayers to Almighty God So that our kneeling is only unto God who is the proper object of our worship but not at all to the Bread which is never intended to be serv'd nor receives any Homage or Submission by it This I say is all we do in kneeling at the Sacrament as the Church requires and as our own Consciences bear us witness which are the only sure Judges in this Case since they alone do throughly understand and are privy to our own Intents and Purposes And when both our Church and we do thus openly profess that we kneel not to the Bread nor have any intent thereby to worship and submit our selves to it there is none sure will be so rash and unchristianly Censorious as to charge us with it But if any do they are thereby Guilty not only of an open uncharitableness in imputing the worst things to us without any just Cause but also of great Presumption and high Arrogance since therein they take upon them to teach us our own thoughts and to tell us our own Hearts and Intentions better than we can tell our selves 2. If in kneeling at the Sacrament we should have any such intent without which there is no Adoration paid to it we should worship it whether we kneel or sit so that their Mode and ours are equally concerned in this doubt and it must be own'd on all sides that not the Posture but the Intent is to be blamed for it For when we designe worship to any Object we can give it by a bare inward Homage and submission of the Mind without the help of any outward act or if we would make it a worship of the Body too that may be done by any Posture wherein we design to express it It may be done sitting as well as in a more humble mode for tho' that seem to shew more of Familiarity than Respect yet has it sometimes been used for the Posture of worship Thus the Gentiles worshipped their Gods as Tertullian tells us the Nations says he worship their Images sitting And thus also the Jews sometimes worshipped in their Religious Feasts when they fed upon their Sacrifices for so it was plainly in the worship of the Golden Calf where after they had offer'd their Burnt-offerings and their Peace-Offerings they sate down to eat and to drink upon what they had offer'd Exod. 32.6 So that if any of those that kneel are Guilty of worshipping the Bread their kneeling must not be accused for it since when giving worship is their intent they would be Guilty of the same thing if they sate and therefore it is not the Posture which were very commendable were it directed unto God but the mis-applying it to the Bread and using it with that irreligious intent which is to bear the blame of it As for those then who are afraid to kneel at the Sacrament for fear lest thereby with the Papists they should worship the Bread my Answer in brief is this To worship the bread as the Papists do is to kneel down to it and to pay Divine Honour and Adoration to it because they believe Christ bodily present in it and this may be done in any Posture either sitting or kneeling when any Persons so intend it and without such intent 't is not done by kneeling in the Holy Sacrament and they are best able to tell themselves whether in Receiving they intend any such thing or no and if they say they do not 't is great Arrogance as well as Vncharitableness in others to charge them with it and if they have any such design they must not say it is to comply with our Church because it expresly declares against it and warns them of the danger of it If they worship the Bread their kneeling is no cause of it and they may use that Posture only to confess their Sins and give Thanks and make Prayers by all which they worship God if they are so minded and if still they will worship the Bread by it they go off from the Injunction of the Church which would deâ—er them from it So that their Submission to the Churches Order in this Case can put them in no danger of worshipping the Bread and therefore in complying with her they have no cause at all to be afraid of it And then as for this Kneeling in the Sacrament being a Popish Rite if they mean that the Papists use it they may call their own Sitting a Popish Rite too upon the same ground because that also is sometimes used by them in receiving For the Benedictine Monks as Didoclavius a zealous Asserter of the Sitting Mode has observed from Bullinger sit at the Communion sometimes Nay so doth the Pope himself as William Thomas an Eye-witness of it in the Year 1547 says the Quench-Coal in his History of Italy
seem sufficient to inforce a due Attendance on it And when once Men are so disposed and seriously resolv'd to communicate I shall add a few things to assist them in a right Discharge of it and so conclude this Subject When we come to the Holy Sacrament to commemorate the Death of our Bleeding Lord whose Body there is represented as broken and his most precious Blood as shed on our account we are to shew forth an affectionate and hearty Thankfulness for so invaluable a Kindness and an intire Resignation of our selves to his Vse and Repentance of all our Sins fully purposing to amend them all thenceforwards and an universal Peace and Charity towards all our Neighbours all which we must excite in our own Souls by due Considerations 1. We must shew forth an affectionate aâ—d hearty Thankfulness for so invaluable a â—â—ndness And what Soul can be slow to 〈◊〉 this who considers how infinitely our 〈◊〉 Lord has deserved of us For he has got us the most precious and glorious things which Heaven it self could afford that all our Sins should be freely pardoned and that the Holy Ghost that Immense Eternal and All-sufficient Spirit should come in at all times to our help and that we should be in no less Quality than the Sons of God and Heirs of a Kingdom who are assured of eternal Joys and Glories in another World And ought not Gifts so august and superlatively excellent to be most affectionately acknowledged He has bought all these to bestow upon us at the dearest Rate not onely taking the most unwearied Pains but also paying the highest Price and laying down his own most precious Blood for the Purchase And must not such astonishing Kindness which was affrighted by no Hazards nor stopt at any Difficulties nor declined any Sufferings not the Suffering of Death it self for our sakes be always held in a most thankful Remembrance And in all this he had no Ends of his own to serve of us but was led on purely by the Pleasure he takes in our Happiness he was not won by our Deserts for alas we were his profest Enemies who had nothing to shew but highest Provocations he was not wearied out with the importunity of our Intreaties for it came as undeserv'd so altogether unask'd whatsoever he did for us he was â—ot moved by the Mediâ—tiâ—n of Friends â—or whom alas had we to intercede for 〈◊〉 And shall not such amazing Love and Goodness so frankly shew'd without any Eye at 〈◊〉 or Private Interests without 〈◊〉 or Deserts nay in spite of all Discâ—uâ—agâ—meâ—ts and highest Provocations be entertain'd with greatest Joy and grateful Acclamations He has been an infinitely endearing and entire Friend to us without any Inducement but his own most generous Kindness and against all Discouragements and beyond all 〈◊〉 and under the most frightful Hazards and at the highest Expences giving his own Soul even to Death for a Ransom to redeem ours And whensoever we hear or think of this I am confident it will not be difficult for any of us to embrace him with Hearts full of Love and high Desires and pay him most intire Thanks and burst out into Songs of Praise and find it a most joyful Business so to do What am I my dear Lord will a devout Mind then say that thou shouldest leave the Right-hand of God and come to visit me Hadji thou no Ease in thy own Breast so long as I lay plunged in Misery And couldst not thou be Happy in Heaven nor enjoy thy self amidst all the Joys and Glories of that Blissful Plaâ—â— unlâ—ss I were there too to bâ—ar thâ—â— Company How â—arnest thou being so highly exalted and the Eternal Son of God to have any Affectionate Concern at all for me Was nâ—t I a defâ—rred pâ—lluted Wretch and thy profest Enemy And werenâ—t either of these enough to turn away thy Face from me But if notwithstanding all this thy overflowing Goodness would put th◠〈…〉 something for my sake why must thou come thy self upon the Earth nay come to bleed and die to Redeem me Am I dearer to thee than thy own Life that thou shouldest part with it to save me Dost thou love me better than thou lovest thy self that thou wilt shed the last Drop of thy own Hearts Blood to make me happy Blessed Jesus how unfaâ—â—â—mable is thy Grace and what an unsearchable Depth of Love is this which thou hast opened to us O how happy do I think my self in it and how doth my Heart rejoyce at the Remembrance of it Lord I love thee dearly and long to love thee more Would I had the Heartâ— of a Seraphin that I might be all over Love and neither wish nor think of any thing besides thee Would I could feel my Soul affected to that degree which I desire and thou infinitely deservest of me I wish no greater Pleasure than to be found perfect in thy Love and to have thee so dear unto me that I can contemn all the gilded Vanities and Allurements of the World at the thoughts of thee O! do thou fill me with an Affection full and absolute like thine own that I may love thee infinitely as I am beloved by thee Possess me with such a Sense of thy Love and such Thankfulness for all thy Favours as is worthy of thee tho' should I offer the utmost Acknowledgments which the most affected and enlarged Heart can pay I should not give the thousandth part of what I owe thee Let all the Angels adore thy glorious Goodness and all the Sons of Men so long as they have a Tongue to speak set forth thy Noble Praise for thou O sweetest Jesu art the Son of the Blessed the Joy and Glory of the World the Lamb of God and the Saviour of Mankind who wast slain for our sakes and art alive again and sittest now for ever at the Right-hand of Power in the Glory of the Father that Angels may submit to thee and all the World may worship thee sing of thee and praise thy Goodness Power and Glory to all Eternity 2. We must shew our selves reconciled to all who have any ways offended us and that we are in Peace and Charity with all Persons And this we shall not think much to do if we consider how highly our dear Lord is concern'd for them and how earnestly he sues in behalf of them for then we shall be readily brought to it on his account tho we might be more averse to it on their own He has loved them so well as to shed his precious Blood for them and can we find in our Hearts to hurt any Person when we see him giving his own Life to save him He owns them as his Friends and Brethren and is not that enough to make us kind to see that he is so near akin to them He has made them Members of his Body and thereby Parts of his own self and can we study Revenge against them when he comes in at
thou throw back a Soul that would hang it self upon thee wilt thou disdain an Heart that is desirous after thee and would fain be no longer it s own but thine that thou mightest use it as it may best serve and honour thee O Blessed Jesu do not reject it for it is the Purchase of thy Blood Let not all that be thrown away which thou hast already done for it for want of thy further Care and Conduct of it Accept me Good Lord who here unfeignedly devote my self unto thee that both my Soul and Body and all I have may be employed as thou seest fit to order me I am nothing I have nothing and I desire nothing but to be with thee to be filled with thy Grace and obey thee perfectly that so I may have nothing of my self but do all things thro' Christ dwelling in me And when we thus Resign our selves to our Saviour's Use we must heartily repent of all our Sins faithfully promising never more to yield to them but to amend them all thenceforwards To Repent particularly of all our Sins we must first discover them by taking some Catalogue of Christian Duties and examining our own Hearts at every one Whether we have consented to transgress them And where we find we have there we must bemoan our selves and fully resolve That if God will be pleased to pardon what is past we will never yield to do the like again And what Man will not thus stedfastly resolve to leave all his Sins that has the patience to consider what will be the End of his Continuance in them For by that we shall infinitely offend our Saviour Christ who gave his own Life for ours and whom therefore we are bound to please above all Persons we shall certainly lose the Joys of Heaven and Eternal Happiness a Loss which the whole World put together cannot recompence we shall unavoidably be dâ—â—med to Hell-fire and Eternal Torments which is the utmost heighth of Misery that can possibly befal us This will infalâ—ibly be the Effect of our Perseverance in any Sins we find our selves guilty of And now let us ask our own Souls Whether we love them so well that we will â—ndure all this rather than forâ—go them Shall I prize my Sin to that degree as for its sake to act despite to my dearest Lord who died for me Must it be dearer to me than his Love that I should dishonour and offend him whensoever it bids me Is this the Return I make to my truâ—st dearest Friend to side with his professed Enemy Is this my Thankfulness for all his Kindness to stick to a Lust that aims at nothing but my Destruction rather than to him who gave his own Life to save mine Thou lovest it dearly O my Soul but canst thou value it at such a Rate as to part with Everlasting Life for it Hadst thou rather have it than enjoy the Face of God and be for ever Happy Art thou content for the short and unsatisfying Pleasures it affords to lose all the Joys and Glories of a Blessed Eternity Wilt thou die sooner than be divorced from it and accompany it even into the Flames of Hell and the midst of Eternal Torment God forbid will every May say whose Heart is thus particularly posed that ever I should be so desperately mad and unaccountably wicked I cannot despite so dear a Lord or throw away the Eternal Joys of the Heavenly State or endure the Smart of Hell and the insupportable Load of Everlasting Torment No Man can bear it and I stand amazed to think of it And therefore since this will be the Effect of my wicked ways I am resolved from this Moment to renounce them and by the help of God will never return to them any more Thus let the Drunkard think with himself on his Cups the Sâ—â—earer on his Oaths the unjust Man on his unlawful Gain the Contentious on his Quarrels the unclean Person on his Fornication and forbidden Pleasures the Revengeful Man on his spiteful Carriage the Slanderer and Evil-speaker on his reproachful Words Back-bitings and Defamations and every other Sinner on his particular Sins and when they seriously consider that this Saviour must be lost this Happiness of Heaven forfeited and this eternal Anguish and Extremity of Pain endured if they persist in it they will instantly resolve to forsake it and never yield to be guilty of it again O Blessed Lamb of God who hast redeem'd me with thy Blood will every Contrite Heart then cry out I am utterly ashamed to look thee in the Face considering all the cruel Usage I have brought upon thee I scarce know how to think of Feasting on thy precious Blood now I am most earnestly invited to it since mine own Sins have shed it I am alas a most polluted Creature who have daily offended in Thought Word and Deed against thy Divine Majesty My Pride and contempt of God and Sensual Lusts and Covetous Desires and uncharitable Practices have cried aloud for Vengeance on me and that Cry would not be silenced unless thou my dearest Saviour wouldst die in stead of me Of all these Offences I am guilty and the horrour of that Guilt would fright me from thee were it not that thou freely callest me to accept of Mercy I come Lord in obedience to thy Word and with an humble and a penitent Heart most earnestly entreat thee to have pity on me I am sensible of these and all my Errours and utterly ashamed that ever I committed them I am weary of them and fully purposed by thy Graâ—e to become a New Man or else I durst not ask to be forgiven My Heart shall never more joyn with them nor will I ever hereafter yield to live in such ungrateful and wicked ways again They nail'd thy tender Hands and Feet to the accursed Tree and thrust the Spear into thy Side and can I then endure to see or any longer side with them They made God who is the Author of all I have and hope to enjoy my utter Enemy and shall I then be still a Friend to them They would bring me to eternal Destruction both of Body and Soul and whilst I consider this is it possible I should have any more to do with them No Blessed Lord I hate them and am utterly resolved from this time forth for ever to abandon them They have been the Shame of my Life and are now the Sorrow of my Heart as alas when thou enduredst such Anguish for them on the Cross once they were of thine I loath my self by reason of them and will never consent any more to live in them and with an humble and a contrite Heart beseech my Heavenly Father that thro' the Merits of thy Blood I may be forgiven And wilt not thou O God who sentest to seek after me whilst I was an open Rebel now meet me graciously as thou didst the Prodigal Son when I return again to my
Duty Wilt not thou my sweetest Saviour who diedst for me whilst I was thine unrelenting Foe now intercede for me when I come to serve thee O speak Peace unto my poor Heart and let me know and feel that thou forgivest me Send thy Holy Spirit to take possession of it to keep it true unto thy self that it may never more start back from thee Thou hast promised thy Grace to those that ask it and endeavour in expectation of it O! I desire it and will do what I can to be assisted by it and therefore humbly hope this Promise shall be made good unto thy Servant Whatsoever thou doest in other things deny me not this Grace O Heavenly Father for Jesus's sake who is infinitely dear to thee and who died for me Amen Thus may we Discharge the Duties of this Feast and excite and actuate in our own minds that Faith and Thankfullness and Charity and Resignation and Repentance which are to render us fit and worthy of it If any are destitute of other helps they may make use of these Meditations and Prayers to affect their own Hearts and to shew forth these Virtues of worthy Receivers They will not always find room for all these Devotions whilst the Sacrament is Administring but they may go thro' with all of them before they come for then they may allot what space they please for them and make use of such of them as the time allows when they are receiving And for a more actual adorning of their Souls with them at that time whilst the Minister himself or others before them are Receiving they may express them all in one Continued Devotion by lifting up their Hearts to God in the words following O Blessed Jesu who gavest thy self to die for my sake how near have I lain to thy kind heart when the precious Blood that streamed thence was not so dear to it I am utterly ashamed of my self that ever I should put thee to part with such a price and to endure such exceeding smart and tortures to bâ—friend me I blush to think of it and abhor my sins which brought thee to it But since my need required and thy Boundless Love would make thee undergo what thou didst in the utmost thankfulness of an humble heart I gladly accept the inestimable benefit for which I love thee most Affectionately and will serve thee most Faithfully and praise thee most joyfully evermore extolling thy boundless Goodness and glorious Excellencies and endeavouring that all others may do so too Thou hast Bought me with thy Blood and here with an unfeigned Heart I give up my Soul and Body my Goods and all I have to be employ'd in thy Service and disposed of as thy Providence shall order me Take Possession of me by thy Spirit that my Body may always be the Temple of the Holy Ghost my Soul and all its Faculties intirely Devoted to thy Behoof and Interest and all 〈◊〉 worldly Goods acquired so innoâ—â—ntly injoyed so thankfully spent so â—â—â—perately and laid out so charitablâ—â—s becomes thy Faithful Steward I 〈◊〉 not hence forward call any things my own when once my Lord has need of them I freely resign all up unto thee since thou hast paid so dear for me I have grievously offended thee by many sins particularly by c. I am perfectly asham'd of them and sorry at my heart that ever I committed them and would never do it were they to do again and faithfully promise that wittingly I will never more yield to them and humbly beg that for Christ's sake in whom thou offerest Pardon to every penitent Heart thou wouldst forgive them Thou hast purchased the Holy Spirit for all those who are ready to labour in an Holy Life and take pains with it and offerest him to all such industrious Souls in this Sacrament I desire O Lord to amend all these Sins which I have here acknowledged I am fully bent upon it and will endeavour what I can towards it and depend upon thy Grace and Aid to carry me through it Be it unto thy Servant according to thy Word I am at Peace O Lord with all Persons and forgive all Offenders against me as I expect Forgiveness of my own Offences at thy Hands and am fully resolved to be kind to all the World but especially to all the Members of thy Mystical Body for thy sake that by these Returns of Charity I may in some sort answer that Infinite Love and Kindness I receive from thee Thy Blood O Blessed Jesus has procured and thou Holy Father for Christ's sake hast promised Pardon of any Sin to every one who repents of it and the Assistance of thy Spirit to every one that endeavours with it and Eternal Life to all that are entirely Obedient and callest us to receive Assurance that thou art still of the same mind and wilt make all this good in this Holy Sacrament Lord I heartily repent me of all my Sins for Christ's sake do thou pardon me I am fully resolved to shew Care and to labour in the Amendment of all my Faults let thy Grace and Holy Spirit come in to assist and enable me I am stedfastly purposed to keep thy Commandments do thou then graciously accept me for the sake of my Crucified Saviour whose Death I now most thankfully commemorate and who is here offered unto thee as our Atonement on this Table Or shorter thus O Blessed Jesus who diedst for my sake and daily still renewest thy Kindness by shewing thy self well-pleased with what thou hast done and calling me to meet thee in this joyful Commemoration of it I come at thy Command to shew my self humbly and thankfully mindful of so Infinite a Benefit Blessed yea for ever Blessed be thy Love which made thee think upon when I lay in misery nay forget thy self and throw away thy own Life to save mine I humbly adore thy marvellous Goodness which shall ever be the Joy and Praise the Wonder and Astonishment of Men and Angels And O that I may always love thee better than I do my Life that so I may not flinch even to die for thee as thou hast done for me if ever thou shalt call me to it for thy Glory I see in this Bread that is broken and this Wine which is poured out what cruel Pains my Sins brought to my dearest Lord and how they stand guilty of his Body and Blood I come with shame and a troubled Heart to confess it I utterly abhor them for what they have done and declare since they have proved thâ—â—ruel Enemies they shall evermore be mâ—â—e and that I will never from this day admit of a Reconciliation I am here to assure thee that I will not live unto my self or them but unto thee and freely devote all I have to thy use since thou hast bought me I love all Men and will embrace them as my Brethren because they are thine and freely forgive all the World even as I
desire to be forgiven O Holy Jesus according to thy boundless Mercy accept of these small returns of thy poor Servant which though very mean alas are yet the best I have to offer thee and supply me with a more abundant measure of thy Grace that I may be able to pay back something more worthy of thee Let this Holy Sacrament be the Comfort and Refreshment of my Heart conveying Pardon and Peace to it and the Enriching and Establishing of my Spirit with all the Benefits of thy Blood make it a great increase of present Grace to me and a certain pledge of Immortality to assure me that I shall even live with thee and be near to that Heart which Dyed for me Be it even so for thine own sake Blessed Jesu Amen In these or such like words may we act over all those Virtues which are to render us worthy Communicants before the Holy Mysteries are brought to us And at the receipt of them we may lift up our Hearts to God in these or the like Expressions After the Receiving of the Bread we may say to our Dearest Lord with an Affectionate Heart I Receive this O! my Lord in remembrance of thy Death and thank thee most intirely for laying down thine own Life for me O! how I rejoyce in thy marvellous Love and in this Remembrance of it I will always live to thee and utterly renounce every sin whereby I have most ungratefully pierced thy bleeding Heart and am Friends with all the World for thy sake and will extol thy matchless Bounty whilst I have a Tongue to speak giving all Honour Glory and Praise to thee the Lamb of God who wast slain and now sittest upon the Throne for evermore And in like manner after the receiving of the Cup. THe Remembrance of thy Blood-shedding O! sweetest Saviour is dear to me I can never forget it since it was altogether for my sake and I owe my very Life to it In all the Affection of an infinitely obliged heart I humbly thank thee for what thou hast done and gladly consent to those Terms of Life and Mercy which were purchased by it and will never willfully yield to do any thing that is unworthy of so great a Benefit and embrace all my Brethren with open Arms since thou so requirest it and desire after this sort to fulfill thy will in all things and adore thy Glorious Goodness and shew forth thy boundless Praise to my Lifes end O! keep me unalterable in this mind may a Devout Soul then go on and never suffer my own Corrupt Lusts to turn me from it I have now O! Holy Saviour taken thee into my Heart O let thy Presence banish them away that they may never pretend to it again since now 't is Holy to the Lord nor ever appear to pollute that place wherein so Divine a Guest is lodged Now thou art pleas'd to enter under my Roof have me always in thy keeping for I am safe in no other hands Preserve the place thou hast taken possession of and let not thy Enemies and mine any more invade it Pour into my Heart all the Benefits of thy Crucified Body and Blood since now by thy wonderful Grace I am made Partaker of them Thy Blood was shed for the Remission of sins O! let me know and feel that mine are all forgiven It obtained the Assistance of thy Spirit and Grace O! let me ever enjoy that as I stand in need of it It was the Price thou payedst down for Eternal Life O! let that finally be my Lot since thou hast paid so dear for it Bid me hope assuredly O Blessed Jesu that all this shall be made good unto thy Servant because now thou hast given thy self to me and fed me with thine own Body whereby mayest thou ever dwell in me and I in thee Amen And when this is done whilst others are receiving we may employ our selves in some of the foregoing Devotions or when we have enough of them joyn heartily in the Prayer which is made at the Delivery of the Bread and Wine to others or strike in affectionately with the Psalm of Praise which for the ease and exercise of all but of those particularly who have already received is wont at that time to be sung in most Places After this sort then may we lift up our Hearts to God and discharge all those Duties which are required in every worthy Communicant When we have no other helps we may acceptably express them all in a Devout Concurrence with the Churches Prayers since in them as I have shewn there is an actual exercise of all these Duties But when we can do more either by the help of Books or our own invention we may act them over still more fully in these or such like forms of Devotion And when all this is done and this solemn Feast is concluded we must not think tho work of worthy Receiving is at an end for one thing still remains that must employ us always afterwards and that is a careful performance of all those Promises which we made to God in this Holy Ordinance In the Sacrament as has been shew'd we seek not only a Pardon for what is past but also vow and promise Amendment for the Future and these Promises must be made good afterwards and it must be our care whilst we Live to fulfil them This we are higly concerned to do and it will greatly increase our Guilt and Condemnation if we fall short of it For if we return to our former sins again after we have thus solemnly vow'd to forsake them We are false to our Word and treacherous where we seem to be most sincere and seek more especially to be trusted We break our Faith with God and go about to delude his Expectation had he been capable to be imposed upon and believed as we would have had him which is as great an abúse as we can well put upon him And this doubles the sin which we commit and sets God further off from being intreated for now we have not only the Fault it self to answer for but also this Perfidiousness and breach of Vows which adds a new one to it and makes it greater So that after every Sacrament if we still continue Impenitent our Guilt is aggravated and our Souls more endanger'd and we are greater sinners than we were before Thus highly are we concerned to perform the Promises which we made at the Table of our Lord. And this we shall be very like to do if we think often of them every day for some time especially after we are gone from it Indeed if we forget all we did and all the Vows we made there to Almighty God we are like to be the same men still and must not expect that it should amend us For the Sacrament as I have shewn doth not better us without our own Care but by helping and ingaging us to Good endeavours after it is over It works not as a
Tale-bearing Not satisfying for Injuries Contentiousness Division and Faction Heresie Schism Tumult Sins against our Brethren in Particular Relations Sins against Sovereign Princes as Dishonour Irreverence Speaking Evil of Dignities Refusing Tribute and Taxes Traitorousness Neglecting to pray for Kings Disobedience to them Resistance and Rebellion Sins against Bishops and Ministers as Dishonour of them especially for their Works sake Irreverence Not providing for them Sacrilege or taking away either by Force or Fraud those Just Dues which are given to God for their Support Not Praying for them Disobedience Sins of Married Persons as Vnconcernedness in each others Condition Not bearing each others Infirmities Provoking each other Estrangedness Publishing each others Faults Not praying for each other Jealousie Of the Husband against the Wife as Not maintaining her with convenient Supplies Not protecting her from outward Annoyances Imperiousness or a harsh and magisterial exercise of Commands Vncompliance with her Reasonable Desires and Vncondescention to her Pitiable Weaknesses Of the Wife against the Husband as Dishonour in inward Esteem and Opinions Irreverence in outward Carriage Vnobservance in not forecasting to do what may please him Disobedience to his just Commands Casting off his Yoke or Unsubjection Sins of Parents and Children as Want of Natural Affection Not praying for each other Imprecation Of the Parents against the Children as Not providing for them Irreligious and Evil Education Provoking them to Anger by Imperious Harshness and needless Severity in Governing Of the Children against the Parents as Dishonour in their Minds Irreverence in their Behaviour Being ashamed of them Mocking them Speaking Evil of them Stealing from them Disobedience to their Lawful Commands Contumacy or Casting off Subjection to them Sins of Brothers and Sisters as Want of Natural Affection Not providing for our Brethren Not praying for them Praying against them Sins of Masters against their Servants as Not maintaining them Not Catechising or Instructing them Vnequal Government or Injustice shewn in requiring Unlawful Wantonness in requiring Superfluous and Rigour in requiring Unmerciful things of them Immoderate Threatning Imperiousness or Contemptuous haughty treating of them Defrauding or keeping back the Wages of the Hireling Of Servants against their Masters as Dishonour Irreverence Publishing or aggravating their Master's Faults Not clearing when they can his injured Reputation Vnfaithfulness in what he intrusts with them shewn either by their Wastefulness i. e. Spending it for their Pleasure or Purloyning i. e. Diverting it to their own Profit and secret Enrichment Disobedience Non-observance Answering again Slothfulness Eye-service Resistance Not praying for him Praying against him To all which add two other Sins which are peculiarly so among Christians viz. The Neglect of Baptism and Absenting from the Lord's Supper When we are desirous to discover all our Sins that we may truly repent of them we may examine our own Hearts in all these Particulars trying our selves either by the former Catalogue when we have less or by this latter when we have more Time according to our own Discretion We may ask our selves at every one Whether we ever wittingly yielded to it and if we have Whether since that we have amended it And noting all those whereof we stand guilty before God affect our own Hearts with a sorrowful sense of what we have done from such Considerations as are before laid down and then renew our Vows and make God our humble Confession and Engagements that we will never have more to do with them For which end they who are not otherwise supplied may make use of the Devotion p. 448 which may serve as a Penitential Prayer and Confession A PRAYER Before the SACRAMENT O Father of Mercies who hast once given thy Son to die for me and art now ready in the Holy Sacrament to offer him to me again I humbly adore but am utterly at a loss when I would duely prize so invaluable a Mercy What am I poor wretched Creature that I should sit down to eat with my Blessed Lord when the Glorious Angels at a distance adore and pay him Homage Why should I be call'd to feed upon his Sacred Body and Blood when my Sins had a hand in all he suffered so that I deserve to be ranked among his Murderers who were guilty of that horrid Fact which nothing but the Blood they shed could ever expiate But since it is thy Glorious Excellency O Blessed Jesu to love those that hate thee and to save their Lives who barbarously took away thine and accordingly to call to this Heavenly Feast so unworthy a Wretch as I am I am ready to come at thy Command but would fain come Worthily and leave all my Sins behind me seeing it is no Feast for them Oh! I loath them and would never yield to commit them were they to do again and humbly intreat my Heavenly Father that for thy sake he would freely forgive me what is past and rid me of them for the time to come Slay them Good Lord for they have slain thee and will slay mee too in time if they are suffer'd to reign in me Meet me in this Heavenly Banquet with a full Pardon of all mine Offences and a perfect Cure of all mine Infirmities that I may be cleansed by thy Blood and quickned by thy Spirit and assured of that Eternal Life which for thy sake God has promised to all his Elect ones All this thou art ready to do for me if I come worthily and therefore my humble Request is That thou wouldst assist me acceptably to perform the Duties of this Feast that so I may enjoy all the Blessings of it and feel it a Communion of thy very Body and Blood I would gladly remember thy Dying Love with the most Devout Affections with a Heart that is full of Thanks and intirely devoted to thy Service and quite weary of my Sins and most desirous of thy Grace and throughly prepared to seal a lasting Covenant of Repentance and Reconciliation with thee and all my Neighbours All this I desire to do and to do it fervently But alas I cannot do it as I ought unless thou wilt graciously come and help me My Apprehnsions of this amazing Love are very low O do thou exalt them My Heart is still insensible of what thou hast done for me and my Affections dull and heavy O do thou quicken and inflame them Make me love thee as much as thou deservest and desire thy Grace as highly as I need it and be set against every Sin as irreconcileably as there is cause for it and love all my Brethren as I am beloved that I may be fit to receive the abundant Communications of thy Grace in the approaching Sacrament I earnestly ask and humbly hope for all this O Good God only because I infinitely need it and thy Grace is Infinite which will not suffer thee to see the Necessities of thy poor Servant unsupplied and unworthy as I am I am still the Purchase of thy Sons Blood O
loc Animad v. c. 1. †v. 20. * v. 22. †v. 25. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 1 Pet. 3.21 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †1 Pet. 3.21 †1 Pet. 1.19 * Rev. 13.8 †Joh. 1.29 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the masculine to agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bread but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whâ—ch bâ—ing of a different gender cannot agree to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to the whole Action †Corpus Paschatis Corpus Agni Paschalis Vt Buxt observ è Talmud Maim †Gen. 17.1 2. †Obsecro Domine peccavi deliqui rebellavi hoc aut illud feci nunc autem poenitentiam ago sitque haec hostia expiatio mea Vi. Episcop Instit. l. 3. c. 3. ad Praecep 35. Ouir de Sacr. c. 15. †Isa. 66.3 †1 Cor. 11.25 †Mat. 26.28 * ver 27. †Lev. 16.27 Heb. 13.11 * Psal. 104.15 * Quemadmodum enim qui est à terra panis percipiens invocationem Dei jam non Communis panis est sed Eucharistia ex duabus rebus constans terrena coelesti sic corpora nostra percipientia Eucharistiam jam non sunt corruptibilia spem resurrectionis habentia Iren. l. 4. adv Haer. c. 34. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep. ad Ephes. †Soliti stato die ante lucem convenire carmenque Christo quasi Deo dicere secum invicem Seque Sacramento non in scelus aliquod obstringere sed ne furta ne latrocinia ne Adulteria committerent ne fidem sallerent ne depositum appellati abnegarent quibus peractis morem sibi discedendi fuisse rursusque coeundi ad capescendum cibum promiscuum tamen innoxium Plin. ep l. 10. ep 97. * 1 Cor. 11.29 * Not meerly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as several MSS. partic Coll. Linc. Coll. Nov. read the place And this is followed by St. Ambrose who reads thus biberit Calicem Domini indigne Domino v. 27. and St. Chrysostom who reads thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. v. 29. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Joh. 21.17 * Isa. 11.1 2. †Isa. 9.6 Rev. 3.7 * 1 Joh. 3.5 †Rev. 3.7 * Isa. 9.7 †Heb. 1.3 * Mat. 28.18 †1 Joh. 3.16 * Phil. 2.6 7 8. †Marc. 10.45 Act. 10.38 * Joh. 6.51 Rev. 5.9 †Rev. 5.11 12 13. †Act. 2.38 Luc. 3.3 * Psal. 51.17 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constit Apost l. 8. c. 13. p. 484. tom prim Concil Ed. Par. Lab. * Ubique mysterii ordo servatur ut prius per remissionem Peccatorum vulneribus medicina tribuatur postea alimoniâ— mensae Coelestis exuberet S. Ambros Comment in Luc. l. 6. c. 9. †Phil. 2.9 10. * Luc. 6.46 †Jâ—m 1.12 †Eâ—h 5.20 * Mâ—t. 5.3 †â—â—ov 8.13 †1 Cor. 6.19 20. †Marc. 16.16 †Luc. 13.3 * Phil. 2.12 †Heb. 5.9 †Gal. 5.20 21. * Mat. 6.15 †Ezek. 33.14 15. * Rom. 12.18 †Col. 3.14 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Canon 9. Can. Apostol * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Antioch Can. 2. †Lev. 11.7 * Num. 19.13 †Lev. 15. †1 Cor. 5.7 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Palladius Dalog de vit Chrysost. p. 128. †Luc. 22.19 †Psal. 119.49.2 Chron. 6.42 * Psal. 132.1.10 †Deut. 9.27 and Exod. 32.13 †Ezra 9.5 * Psal. 141.2 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Thus 't is in the form prescribed Constit. Apostol l. 8. c. 13. 15. p. 484 485. tom prim Concil ed. Lab. And this Eusebius testifies de vita Constant. l. 4. c. 45. †Mat. 26.28 †Joh. 14.15 †Psal. 104.15 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Gal. 3.13 14. †Ideo in similitudinem quidem accipis Sacramentum sed verae Naturae gratiam virtutemque consequeris Ambros. de Sacram. l. 6. c. 1. * Sed immortalitatis alimonia datur à communibus cibis Differens Corporalis substantiae retinens speciem sed virtutis Divinae invisibili efficientia probans adesse praesentiam Cyp. de Cona Dem. sub inâ—t †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex Paedag. l. 2. c. 2. p. 151. Ed Par. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. cont Cels. l. 8. p. Ed. Cant. 399. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep. ad Ephes Ed. Vâ—ss p. 25. †Quos excitamus hortamur ad praelâ—um â—on inermes nudas relinquamus sed protectione Sanguinis Corporis Christi muniamus Et cum ad Loc fiat Eucharistia ut possit accipientibus esse tutela quos tutos esse contra adversarium voluimus munimento Dominicae Saturitatis armemus Cyp. alii Episc in Epist. Synod Eccles. Afrâ—c ad Eccles. Roman Ep. 57. Ed. Oxon. 54. Pamel †Act. 8.36 37 38. †Part 1. Chap. 3. †So St. Chrysost understands it Vid. Chrys. in v. 32.34 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * It reads Deliciis affluentes nâ—t Fraudibus †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sec. Hist. Eccles. l. 5. c. 22. p. Ed. Val. 287. * Ut Sacramenta Altaris nonnisi à jejunis hominibus celebrentur excepto uno Die anniversario quo coena Domini celebratur Concil Carth. 3. Can. 29. apud Bin. Vol. prim Concil p. 711. †Part 1. Chap. 3. †Joh. 4.9 †Meas of Christ. Obâ—d B. 2. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Act. 13.13 †Heb. 8.12 †Dr. Lightf Hor. Heb. in loc è Jom †Jo. 21.15 16 17. †Luc. 22.48 †Act. 2.23 and 7.52 †Gal. 2.11 12 13 14. †Luc. 6.35 †Mat. 6.13 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †So the Greek is literally to be rendered The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ye have not disputed it among your selves 〈◊〉 are ye not partial in yourselves by way of Interrogation as we translate it For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wâ—nt to ask a question only whâ—n it is 〈◊〉 first nâ—t wâ—â—n it hâ—s anothâ—r 〈…〉 it as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 〈…〉 have made a difference or act 〈…〉 which is expâ—essâ—d by the Active 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but ye have nâ—t been in doubt or dâ—spute 〈…〉 that ordinarily agrees 〈…〉 Mat. 21.21 Mar. 11.23 Rom. 4.2 Jam. 1.6 and in other places * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †1 Cor. 14.33 †Dr. Ham. Annot in loc †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †as Jer. 49.19 who will appoint me the time or as it is rendred in the Margin convent me to plead which the 70 express by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so again Chap. 50.44 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †2 Cor. 12.14 †1 Cor. 13.5 †Their way is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athen. Legat. p. 12. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Mat. 22.39 †Dr. Lightâ— Hor. Heb. in Mat. 5.39 †i. e. in English â—â—in 6. l. 5◠†〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Rom. 12.15 * 1 Cor. 13.4 5. †Rom. 12.17 21. * Eph. 4.31 †Rom. 12 1◠†Gal. 6.10 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suid. †Mat. 5.23.24 †Rev. 3.21 †Joh. 12.6 * Joh. 17.12 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †It is hereby declared that thereby â—iz by kneeling no Adoration is intended or ought to be done either unto the Sacramental Bread and Wine there bodily received or unto any Corporal presence of Christs Natural Flesh and Blood For the Sacramental Bread and Wine remain still in their Natural substances and therefore may not be adoâ—ed for that we eâ—dolaâ—ry to be abhor'd of all Faithful Christians And the Natural Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ are in Heaven and not here it being against the Truth of Christs Natural Body to be at one time in more places than one Rub. at the end of the Commun Service * Which Order of Kneeling is well meant for a signification of our Humble and Grateful acknowledgement of the Benefits of Christ therein given to all worthy Receivers ib. †Cum peâ—inde 〈◊〉 Nationes adoratis Siâ—illaribus suis râ—sidâ—ndo vel propteâ—ea in nobis 〈…〉 mereâ—â—r viz. sitting at Prayers quod apud â—â—ola celebratur Tertul. de Orat c. 12. †1 Sam. 9.13.22 * Hodie in Cathedralibus Ecclesiis Monasteriis Benedictinorum in Die Coenae Domini ante Parasceâ—en c. Evangelium Johannis a Diacono publice praelegitur dulcissima illa colloquia Christi quae abiturus cum Discipulis habuit recitantur interim ordine dispositis mensis convivae assident panem azymum frangentes c. Didoclaâ— Alt. Damasc. c. 10. p. 746. †Quench Coal p. 12. * Summus Pontifex ad sedem ascendens ibique confidens universis cernentibus majorem partem oblatae suscipit de Patena quam Subdiaconus apportaverat de Altari ipsamque Dentibus subdividens unam particulam ejus sumit aliam in Calicem mittit c. Durand Raâ—ion Divin Offic. l. 4. c. 54. Nu. 4. p. 203. †Imperator retrahens se ad partem dextram stat usque quo Pontifex ad sedem eminentem communicaturus revertatur quem Imperator sequltur Lib. Sacr. â—â—rem S. Rom. Eccl. l. 1. sect 5. c. 3. p. 59. * Mat. 18.24 28. * This may be used 〈◊〉 a Penitential Confession of our Sins after Self-examination †This Sentence may be omitted when this Confession is not before a Sacrament * Here mention your particular Sins †Here name such Sins as you know your selves most guilty of †Here name Particulars †Part â— Chap. 3. * Here mention Virtues particularly Vow'd at the Lords Table