of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his Works in all places of his Dominions Bless the Lord O my soul my mouth shall speak the Praises of the Lord And let all Flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise yee the Lord. The Order of Celebrating the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ This or the like Explication of the Nature Use and Benefits of this Sacrament may bee used at the discretion of the Minister when hee seeth it needful to the Instruction of the Communicants THat you may discern the Lords body and understand the nature use and benefits of this Sacrament you must know that God created man in his own Image to know and love and serve his Maker That man fell under the guilt of sin and condemnation and left his holy Fitness for the work for which hee was created That hereupon the wonderful love and wisdome of God provided us a Remedy in our Redeemer to the end hee might not lose the glory of his Creation that hee might pardon and save us upon terms Securing the honour of his Justice and attaining the ends of his Law and Government and recover us to his love and service by appearing to the world in the greatest demonstrations of Goodness Love and Mercy By the greatest Miracle of Condiscension hee first promised and then gave his onely Son the Eternal Word to take mans nature into personal union with his God-head that being God and Man hee might bee a fit Mediator between God and Man to restore us and reconcile us to himself Thus Jesus Christ conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary became the second Adam the Physician and Saviour of undone Sinners the Captain of our Salvation to bee the glorious King and Head of all that are sanctified and saved Hee revealed the Holiness the Goodness and the Love of God by the perfect Holiness Goodness and Love of his Blessed Person Doctrine and Conversation and by suffering for us all the Afflictions of this life and at last the cursed death of the Cross as a Sacrifice and Ransome for us That all this might be effectual to our Recovery hee made for us a new and better Covenant and preached it himself undertaking the Pardon Justification and Sanctification of all that by unfeigned Faith do take him for their Saviour repenting of their sins and consenting to be sanctified by his Word and Spirit by which also hee inviteth and draweth men to himself and giveth them to beleeve Into this blessed pardoning saving Covenant wee are first solemnly entred by Baptism And when Christ was ready to leave the world and to give up himself a Sacrifice for us and intercede and exercise the fulness of his Kingly Power as the Churches Head and by his grace to draw men to himself and prepare them for his glory hee did himself institute this Sacrament of his body and blood at his last Supper to bee a continued Representation and Remembrance of his Death and therein of his own and his Fathers Love until his coming appointing his Ministers by the Preaching of the Gospel and Administration of these Sacraments to bee his Agents without and his Spirit within effectually to communicate his Grace The Lords Supper then is a holy Sacrament instituted by Christ wherein Bread and Wine being first by Consecration made Sacramentally or Representatively the body and blood of Christ are used by breaking and pouring out to represent and commemorate the Sacrifice of Christs Body and Blood upon the Cross once offered up to God for sin and are given in the Name of Christ unto the Church to signifie solemnize the renewal of his holy Covenant with them and the giving of himself unto them to expiate their sins by his Sacrifice and sanctifie them further by his Spirit and confirm their right to everlasting life And they are received Eaten and drunk by the Church to profess that they willingly receive Christ himself to the Ends aforesaid their Justification Sanctification and Glorification and to signifie and solemnize the Renewal of their Covenant with him and their holy Communion with him and with one another It being the renewing of a mutual Covenant that is here solemnized as wee commemorate Christs Sacrifice and receive him and his saving benefits so wee offer and deliver to him our selves as his redeemed sanctified people to bee a living Acceptable Sacrifice thankfully and obediently to live unto his Praise Before the receiving of this holy Sacrament wee must examine our selves and come preparedly In the receiving of it wee must exercise holy affections suited to the work And after the receiving of it wee must by consideration of it indeavour to revive the same Affections and perform our Covenant there renewed The holy Qualifications to bee before Provided and in Receiving exercised and after Receiving are these 1. A true beleef of the Articles of the Christian Faith concerning the Father Son and Holy Ghost the Person Offices Works and Sufferings and Benefits of Christ 2. The sense of our sinful and undone condition as in our selves and of our need of Christ so as humbly to loath our selves for our transgressions with the sense of our present weaknesses to bee strengthened and sins to bee forgiven 3. A true desire after Christ for pardon and spiritual Nourishment and Salvation 4. A thankful sense of the Wonderful Love of God declared in our Redemption and in the present offers of Christ and Life 5. The exercise of holy love and joy in the sense of this unspeakable Love if these two bee not felt before wee come yet in and after the Sacrament we must strive to exercise them 6. A love to one another and forgiving wrongs to one another with a desire after the Communion of Saints 7. The giving up our selves in Covenant to God with resolution of renewed Obedience 8. A patient hope for the coming of Christ himself and of the Everlasting Kingdome where wee shall bee perfectly united in him and glorified with him Those onely are to bee invited to the Lords Table and to come that truly repent and beleeve and unfeignedly consent to the terms of the Covenant though all are not to bee invited thus to beleeve and repent and so to come But those are to be admitted by the Pastors if they come who having the use of reason to understand what they do and examine themselves have made a Personal Profession of Faith Repentance and Obedience and are Members of the Church and not justly for Heresie or scandalous sin removed from its present Communion The benefit of the Sacrament is not to be judged of onely by present Experience and Feeling but by Faith God having appointed us to use it and promised his Blessing wee may and must beleeve that hee will make good his Promise and what ever wee feel at present that wee sincerely wait not on him in
peace to us wée returned again to Folly wée have deserved O Lord to bée cast out of thy presence And to bée forsaken as wée have forsaken thée and to hear to our confusion Depart from mée I know you not yée workers of iniquity Thou mayest justly tell us thou hast no pleasure in us nor wilt receive an offering at our hand But with thée there is abundant mercy And our Advocate Jesus Christ the Righteous is the propitiation for our sins who bare them in his body on the Cross and made himself an offering for them that hée might put them away by the sacrifice of himself Have mercy upon us and wash us in his blood Cloath us with his Righteousness take away our iniquities and let them not bée our ruine forgive them and remember them no more O thou that delightest not in the death of sinners heal our backslidings love us freely and say unto our souls that thou art our salvation Thou wilt in no wise cast out them that come unto thée receive us graciously to the Feast thou hast prepared for us cause us to hunger and thirst after Christ and his Righteousness that wée may bée satisfied Let his Flesh and blood bee to us Meat and Drink indéed And his spirit bée in us a well of living water Springing up to Everlasting life Give us to know thy Love in Christ which passeth knowledge Though wée have not séen him let us love him And though now wée see him not yet beleeving let us rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Though wée are unworthy of the crums that fall from thy Table yet féed us with the Bread of Life and speak and seal up Peace to our sinful wounded souls Soften our hearts that are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin Mortifie the Flesh and strengthen us with might in the inward man that wee may live and glorifie thy Grace through Jesus Christ our onely Saviour Amen Here let the Bread he brought to the Minister and received by him and set upon the Table and then the Wine in like manner or if they be set there before however let him bless them praying in these or the like words ALmighty God thou art the Creator and the Lord of all things Thou art the Soveraign Majesty whom wée have offended Thou art our most loving and merciful Father who hast given thy Son to reconcile us to thy self who hath ratified the New Testament and Covenant of Grace with his most precious blood and hath instituted this Holy Sacrament to bee celebrated in remembrance of him till his coming Sanctifie these thy Creatures of Bread and Wine which according to thy Institution and Command wee set apart to this holy use that they may bee Sacramentally The Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ Amen Then or immediately before this Prayer let the Minister read the words of the Institution saying HEar what the Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. 11. For I have received of the Lord that which also I deliver unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which hee was betrayed took Bread and when hee had given thanks hee brake it and said Take Eat This is my Body which is broken for you This do in remembrance of mee After the same manner also hee took the Cup when hee had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood This do yee as oft as yee drink it in remembrance of mee For as often as yee eat this Bread and drink this Cup yee do shew the Lords death till hee come Then let the Minister say THis Bread and Wine being set apart and consecrated to this Holy use by Gods appointment are not now Common Bread and Wine but Sacramentally the Body and Blood of Christ Then let him thus Pray MOst merciful Saviour as thou hast loved us to the death and suffered for our sins the just for the unjust and hast instituted this holy Sacrament to bee used in remembrance of Thée till thy coming Wée beséech Thée by thine intercession with the Father through the Sacrifice of thy Body and Blood give us the pardon of our sins and thy quickening Spirit without which the Flesh will profit us nothing Reconcile us to the Father Nourish us as thy Members to Everlasting Life Amen Then let the Minister take the Bread and break it in the sight of the People saying THe Body of Christ was broken for us and offered once for all to sanctifie us Behold the sacrificed Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World In like manner let him take the Cup and pour out the Wine in the sight of the Congregation saying WEE were redeemed with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Then let him thus Pray MOst holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son by whom Christ was conceived by whom the Prophets and Apostles were inspired and the Ministers of Christ are qualified and called that dwellest and workest in all the members of Christ whom hou sanctifiest to the Image and for the service of their Head and comfortest them that they may shew forth his Praise Illuminate us that by Faith wée may sée him that is here represented to us Soften our hearts and humble us for our sins Sanctifie and quicken us That wée may rellish the Spiritual Food and feed on it to our Nourishment and growth in Grace Shed abroad the Love of God upon our hearts and draw them out in love to him Fill us with thankfulness and holy Joy and with love to one another Comfort us by witnessing that wée are the Children of God Confirm us for New Obedience Bée the Earnest of our Inheritance and seal us up to Everlasting Life Amen Then let the Minister deliver the Bread thus Consecrated and broken to the Communicants first taking and eating it himself as one of them when hee hath said TAke yée Eat yée This is the Body of Christ which is broken for you Do this in remembrance of him In like manner hee shall deliver them the Cup first drinking of it himself when hee hath said THis Cup is the New Testament in Christs Blood or Christs Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you for the remission of sins Drink yee all of it in remembrance of him Let it be left to the Ministers choice whether hee will consecrate the Bread and Wine together and break the Bread and pour out the Wine immediately or whether hee will consecrate and pour out the Wine when the Communicants have eaten the Bread If hee do the latter hee must use the fore-going Prayers and Expressions twice accordingly and let it bee left to his discretion whether hee will use any words at the breaking of the Bread and pouring out the Wine or not And if the Minister chuse to pray but once at the Consecration Commemoration and Delivery Let him pray as
followeth or to this sense ALmighty God thou art the Creator and the Lord of all Thou art the Soveraign Majesty whom wee have offended Thou art our merciful Father who hast given us thy Son to reconcile us to thy self who hath ratified the New Testament and Covenant of Grace with his most precious blood and hath instituted this Holy Sacrament to bée Celebrated in memorial of him till his coming Sanctifie these thy Creatures of bread and wine which according to thy will wée set apart to this holy use that they may bée Sacramentally the Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ And through his sacrifice and intercession give us the pardon of all our sins and bée reconciled to us and nourish us by the body and blood of Christ to Everlasting life And to that end give us thy quickning spirit to shewChrist to our beléeving souls that is here represented to our senses Let him soften our hearts and humble us for our sins and cause us to féed on Christ by Faith Let him shed abroad thy love upon our hearts and draw them on in love to thée and fill us with Holy Joy and thankfulness and fervent love to one another let him comfort us by witnessing that wée are thy Children and confirm us for New obedience and bée the Earnest of our Inheritance and seal us up to life Everlasting through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Let it bee left to the Ministers discretion whether to deliver the Bread and Wine to the People at the Table onely in General each one taking it and applying it to themselves or to deliver it in General to so many as are in each particular form or to put it into every persons hand As also at what season to take the Contribution for the Poor And let none of the people be forced to sit stand or kneel in the Act of Receiving whose Judgement is against it The Participation being ended let the Minister pray thus or to this sense MOst Glorious God how wonderful is thy power and wisdome thy Holiness and Justice thy love and mercy in this work of our Redemption by the Incarnation life death resurrection intercession and dominion of thy Son No power or wisdome in Heaven or Earth could have delivered us but thine The Angels desire to pry into this Mystery the Heavenly Host do celebrate it with praises saying Glory bée to God in the Highest On Earth peace Good will towards men The whole Creation shall proclaim thy Praises Blessing Honour Glorie and power bée unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Honour and Glory for hée hath redeemed us to God by his blood and made us Kings and Priests unto our God Where sin abounded Grace hath abounded much more And hast thou indéed forgiven us so great a debt by so precious a Ransome Wilt thou indéed give us to reign with Christ in Glory and sée thy face and love thée and bée beloved of thée for ever Yea Lord thou hast forgiven us and thou wilt glorifie us for thou art faithful that hast promised With the blood of thy Son with the Sacrament and with thy spirit thou hast sealed up to us these precious promises And shall wée not love thée that hast thus loved us Shall wée not love thy Servants and forgive our Neighbours their little debt After all this shall wée again forsake thée and deal falsly in thy Covenant God forbid O set our affections on the things above where Christ sitteth at thy right hand Let us no more minde Earthly things but let our Conversation bée in Heaven from whence wée expect our Saviour to come and change us into the likeness of his glory Teach us to do thy will O God and to follow him who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that do obey him Order our steps by thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over us Let us not henceforth live unto our selves but unto him who died for us and rose again Let us have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but reprove them And let our light so shine before men that they may glorifie thée In Simplicity and Godly Sincerity and not in Fleshly wisdome let us have our Conversation in the world O that our waies were so directed that wée might kéep thy statutes Though Satan will bée desirous again to sift us and séek as a roaring Lion to devour strengthen us to stand against his Wiles and shortly bruise him under our féet Accept us O Lord who resign our selves unto thée as thine own and with our thanks and praise present our selves a living Sacrifice to bée acceptable through Christ Useful for thine honour Being made frée from sin and become thy Servants let us have our fruit unto Holiness and the End Everlasting Life Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Next add this or some such Exhortation if there bee time DEar Brethren wee have been here feasted with the Son of God at his Table upon his Flesh and Blood in preparation for the Feast of Endless Glory You have seen here represented what sin deserveth what Christ suffered what wonderful Love the God of infinite Goodness hath expressed to us You have had Communion with the Saints you have renewed your Covenant of Faith and thankful Obedience unto Christ You have received his renewed Covenant of Pardon Grace and Glory unto you O carry hence the lively sense of these great and excellent things upon your hearts You came not onely to receive the mercy of an hour onely but that which may spring up to Endless Joy You came not onely to do the duty of an hour but to promise that which you must perform while you live on Earth Remember daily especially when temptations to unbeleef and sinful heaviness assault you what pledges of Love you here received Remember daily especially when the Flesh the Devil or the World would draw your hearts again from God and temptations to sin are laid before you what bonds God and your own consent have laid upon you If you are Penitent Beleevers you are now forgiven and washed in the Blood of Christ O go your way and sin no more No more through wilfulness and strive against you sins of weaknesse Wallow no more in the mire and return not to your vomit Let the exceeding Love of Christ constrain you having such Promises to cleanse your selves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God And as a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People to bee Zealous of good works and shew forth the Praises of him that hath called you Next sing some part of the Hymn in meeter or some other sit Psalm of Praise as the 23. 116. or 103. or 100 c. And conclude with this or the like Blessing NOw the God of
ready at last to bee revealed though when they are needful wee must for a season bee in heavyness under tribulations thou hast promised that all things shall work together for our good in all our straits thou grantest us access to the Throne of grace bidding us call upon thee in the time of trouble and promising to deliver us that wee may glorifie thee every where wee have leave to lift up unto thée holy hands Especially in the house of Prayer and the Assembly of the Saints Thou hast heard the voice of our supplications when wee have cried unto thee great is thy mercy towards us O Lord. Thou hast delivered our souls from the lowest Hell Thou hast sent forth from Heaven thy mercy and truth and saved us from the reproach of him that would swallow us up Thou art our Hiding place In the secrets of thy presence thou preservest us from trouble from the pride of men and from the strife of Tongues Thou doest compass us about with Songs of deliverance O love the Lord all yee his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer Hee dealeth not with us after our sins his Anger is but for a moment but in his favour is life In his wrath hee remembereth mercy All thy paths O Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep thy Covenant Wee come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies O give thanks unto the Lord for hee is good for his mercy Endureth for ever Glory yee in his Holy Name let the hearts of them rejoyce that seek him Blessed are the People that know the joyful sound They shall walk O Lord in the Light of thy Countenance In thy name shall they rejoyce all the day and in thy righteousness and favour shall they bee axalted Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praysing thee O satisfie us early with thy mercy that wee may rejoyce and bee glad in thee all our daies Guide us by thy Counsel and afterwards receive us unto thy glory where with all the blessed host of Heaven wee may behold admire and perfectly and joyfully praise thee Our most glorious Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier for ever and for ever Amen The Hymn The First Part. BLess the Lord O my Soul And all that is within mee bless his Holy Name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine Iniquities and healeth all thy diseases who redeemed thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindeness and tender mercies As far as the East is from the West so far hath hee removed our transgressions from us Behold what love the Father hath bestowed on us that wee should bee called the Sons of God because thy loving kindeness is better than life my Lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my Hands in thy name My Soul shall bee satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee My Flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my Portion for ever For lo all that are far from thee shall perish but it is good for mee to draw near to God I am continually with thee Thou hast holden mee by my right hand in the multitude of my thoughts within mee thy comforts delight my Soul Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterward receive mee to glory The Second Part. HOw excellent is thy loving kindeness O God therefore do the Sons of Men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings They shall bee abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures for with thee is the Fountain of life In thy sight we shall see Light therefore my Heart is glad and my Glory rejoyceth My Flesh also shall rest in hope Thou wilt shew mee the path of life In thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for ever more Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow mee all the daies of my life And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever O continue thy loving kindeness to them that know thee and thy righteousness to the upright in heart To the end that my glory may sing praise unto thee and not bée silent O Lord my God I will give thanks to thée for ever The Third Part. GLory to God in the Highest On Earth Peace Good will towards men Praise yée the Lord sing to the Lord a new Song His praise is in the Congregation of Saints For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautify the meek with salvation Let the Saints be joyful in glory Let the high praises of God bée in their mouths All thy works praise thée O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thée They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdome and talk of thy Power To make known to the sons of men thy mighty Acts and the glorious Majestie of thy Kingdome Thy Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and thy Dominions is through all Generations The Elders and Saints about thy Throne rest not night nor day saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created They sing unto thée the Song of Moses and of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy waies thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thée O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art Holy For all Nations shall come and Worship before thee for thy judgements are made manifest Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdome and Strength and Honour and Glory For thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and made us Kings and Priests to God The Fourth Part. O That men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the Children of men Let them Sacrifice the Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoycing Sing unto the Lord bless his Name shew forth his Salvation from day to day Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness fear before him all the Earth Let the Heavens rejoyce and the Earth bee glad before the Lord For hee cometh For hee cometh to judge the Earth With Righteousness shall hée judge the World and the People with Equity Bless the Lord yée his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandements hearkening to the voice of his Word Bless yée the Lord all yée his Hosts yee Ministers
vain The Exhortation YOu are invited hither Dear Brethren to bee Guests at this Holy Table by the Lords Command to receive the greatest Mercy and to perform the greatest duty On Christs part All things are made ready The Feast is prepared for you even for you that by sin have deserved to bee cast out of the presence of the Lord for you that have so oft neglected and abused Mercy A Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ free to you but dear to him You were lost and in the way to bee lost for ever when by the greatest Miracle of Condiscending-love hee sought and saved you You were dead in sin condemned by the Law the Slaves of Satan There wanted nothing but the Executing-stroak of Justice to have sent you into endless misery When our dear Redeemer pitied you in your blood and shed his own to wash and heal you Hee suffered that was offended that the offender might not suffer Hee cried out on the Cross My God My God Why hast thou forsaken mee that wee who had deserved it might not bee everlastingly forsaken Hee died that wee might live O how would the mercy of Redemption have affected you if you had first lyen one year or month or day in Hell Had you but seen your dying Lord or seen the damned in their misery how do you think you should have valued the Salvation that is now revealed and tendred to you see here Christ dying in this holy Representation Behold the sacrifized Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world It is his will to be thus frequently crucified before your eyes O how should wee bee covered with shame and loath our selves that have both procured the death of Christ by sin and sinned against it And how should wee all bee filled with joy that have such mysteries of Mercy opened and so great Salvation freely offered to us O hate sin O love this Saviour See that you come not hither without a desire to bee more Holy nor with a purpose to go on in wilful sin Bee not deceived God is not mocked but if you heartily repent and consent to the Covenant come and welcome Wee have commission from Christ to tell you that you are welcome Let no trembling contrite soul draw back that is willing to bee Christs upon his Covenant-terms but beleeve that Christ is much more willing to bee yours Hee was first willing and therefore died for you and made the Covenant of Grace and sent to invite and importune you to consent and stayed for you so long and gave you your Repentance your willingness and desire Question not then his willingness if you are willing It is Satan and unbeleef that would have you question it to the injury both of Christ and you Come neer observe beleeve and wonder at the Riches of his Love and Grace For hee hath himself invited you to see and taste that you may wonder You are sinners but hee inviteth you to receive a renewed sealed pardon of your sins and to give you more of his Spirit to overcome them See here his broken Body and his Blood the Testimonies of his Willingness Thus hath hee sealed the Covenant which pardoneth all your sins and secureth you of your Reconciliation with God and your Adoption and your right to Everlasting Blessedness Deny not your consent but heartily give up your selves to Christ and then doubt not but your Scarlet Crimson-sins shall bee made as white as Wooll or Snow Object not the number or greatness of them against his Grace There is none too great for him to pardon to penitent Beleevers Great sins shall bring great glory to his Blood and Grace But strive you then for great loathing of your sins and greater love to such a God and greater thanks to such a Saviour Unfeignedly say I am willing Lord to bee wholly Thine and then beleevingly take Christ and Pardon and Life as given you by his own appointment in the sealed Covenant And remember that hee is a coming Hee is coming with thousands of His Mighty Angels to execute judgement on the ungodly but to bee glorified in his Saints and admired in all that do beleeve And then wee shall have greater things than these Then shall you see all the Promises fulfilled which now are sealed to you on which hee causeth you to trust Revive now your love to one another and forgive those that have wronged you and delight in the Communion of the Saints And then you shall bee admitted into the Church Triumphant where with perfect Saints you shall perfectly rejoyce and love and praise the Lord for ever Receive now a crucified Christ here represented and bee contented to take up your Cross and follow him And then you shall reign with a glorified Christ in the Blessed Vision and Fruition of that God to whom by Christ you are now reconciled Let Faith and Love bee working upon these things while you are at this holy Table Then shall the Minister use this or the like Prayer MOst Holy God wée are as stubble before thée the Consuming Fire How shall wée stand before thy Holiness for wée are a sinful people laden with Iniquity that have gone backward and provoked the Holy one of Israel when wée were lost thy Son did séek and save us when wée were dead in sin thou madest us alive Thou sawest us polluted in our blood and saidst unto us live In that time of love thou coveredst our nakedness and enteredst into a Covenant with us and wée became thine own Thou didst deliver us from the power of Darkness and translate us into the Kingdome of thy dear Son and gavest us remission of sin through his blood But wée are grievous Revolters wée have forgotten the Covenant of the Lord our God wée were engaged to love thee with all our hearts and to hate iniquity and serve thée diligently and thankfully to set forth thy praise But wée have departed from thée and corrupted our selves by self love and by loving the world and the things that are in the world and have fulfilled the desires of the Flesh which wée should have crucified Wée have neglected our duty to thée and to our neighbour and the necessary care of our own Salvation Wée have béen unprofitable servants and have hid thy Talents and have dishonoured thée whom in all things wée should have pleased and glorified Wée have béen negligent in hearing and reading thy Holy Word and in meditating and conferring of it in publick and private Prayer and thanksgiving and in our preparation to this Holy Sacrament in the Examining of our selves and repenting of our sins and stirring up our hearts to a beleeving and thankfull receiving of thy grace and to love and Joyfulness in our Communion with thée and with one another Wée have not duely discerned the Lords Body but have prophaned thy Holy Name and Ordinance as if the Table of the Lord had been contemptible And when thou hast spoken
secrets shall bee opened and God will no more intreat you to confess Heb. 9. 7. Matth. 10. 26. Behold the Judge standeth at the door Jam. 5. 9. will sin goe then with you for as light a matter as it doth now Will you then deny it or will you stand to all the reasonings or excuses by which you would now extenuate or cover it Will you defend it as your friend and bee angry with Ministers and Reprovers as your Enemies Or will you not mourn at last with weeping and gnashing of teeth And say How have I hated Instruction and my heart despised Reproof And have not obeyed the voyce of my Teachers nor inclined mine Ear to them that Instructed mee Pro. 5. 11 12 13. Mat. 13. 4◠50. O that you were wise that you understood this and that you would consider your latter End Deut. 32. 29. beleeve Gods wrath before you feel it bee convinced by the word and servants of the Lord before you are confounded by the dreadfulness of his Majesty yet there is hope but shortly there will be none if you now neglect it yet if you consess and forsake your sins you shall have mercy but if you cover them you shall not prosper Prov. 28. 13. And if being oft reproved you harden your Neck you shall suddenly bee destroyed and that without remedy Pro. 29. 1. Bee not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever you sow that shall you also reap Gal. 6. 7. O man you know not what it is to deal with an offended and revenging God Nor what it is to hear Christ say depart from mee yee workers of Iniquity I never knew you depart from mee yee wicked into everlasting fire Matth. 7. 23. and 25. 41. You know not what it is to bee shut out of Heaven and concluded under utter desperation and in Hell to look back upon this obstinate Impenitence and rejecting of the mercy that would have saved you And there to have Conscience telling you for ever what it is that you have done Did you not know what this is could you think a Penitent confessing and forsaking your sin to be a condition too hard for the preventing of such a Doleful state O No! you know not what a case you are casting your immortal soul into The Lord give you repentance that you may never know it by experience To prevent this is our business with you Wee delight not to displease or shame you But God hath told us that if any do err from the truth and one convert him let him know that hee which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins Jam. 5. 20. I do therefore by the Command and in the name of Jesus Christ require and beseech you that you do without any more delay confess your sins and heartily bewail them and beg pardon of them and resolve and promise by the help of God to do so no more And bless God that you have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous whose blood will cleanse you from your sins if you penitently confess them 1 John 1. 7 9. and 2. 1 2. and that mercy may bee yet had on so easie terms If you had any sense of your sin and misery or any sense of the dishonour done to God or of the wrong that you have done to others and of the usefulness of your Penitent confession and amendment to the reparation of all these you would cast your self in the dust in shame and grief before the Lord and before the Church To day therefore if you will hear his voyce harden not your heart least God forsake you and give you over unto your own hearts lust to walk in your own counsels and resolve in his wrath you shall never enter into his rest Psalm 95. 8. 12. and 81. 11. 12. And then God and this Congregation will bee Witnesses that you were warned and your blood will bee upon your own head But if in Penitent confession you fly to Christ and loath your self for your iniquities and heartily forsake them I have Authority to promise you free Forgiveness and that your Iniquitie shall not bee your Ruine Luke 24. 4. 7. Ezek. 18. 30 31 32. A Form of Confession to bee made beeore the Congregation I do confess before God and this Congregation that I have greatly Sinned I have offended and dishonoured God wronged the Church and the Souls of others I have deserved to bée forsaken of the Lord and cast out of his presence and the communion of Saints into desperation and remediless misery in Hell I am no more worthy to bée called thy Son or to have a name or place among thy Servants I do here declare mine Iniquitys and am sorry for my sins They are gone over my head as a heavy burden they are too heavy for mée they take hold upon mée I am ashamed as unworthy to look up towards heaven but my hope is in the blood grace of Christ who made his life a Sacrifice for sin and came to séek and save that which was lost whose grace aboundeth where sin hath abounded The Lord bée merciful to mée a sinner I humbly beg of the Congregation that they will earnestly pray that God will wash mée throughly from mine Iniquity and cleanse mée from my sin that hée will forgive them and blot them out and hide his Face from them and remember them no more that hée will not cast mée away from his presence nor forsake mée as I have forsaken him nor deal with mée according to my deserts But that hée will create in mée a Clean heart and renew a right spirit in mée and grant mée the joy of his Salvation and I beg pardon of the Church and all that I have wronged and resolve by the grace of God to do so no more but to walk more watchfully as before the Lord and I desire all that are ungodly that they think never the worse of the Laws or waies or servants of the Lord for my misdoings For if I had béen ruled by God and by his servants I had never done as I have done There is nothing in Religion that befriendeth sin there is nothing so contrary to it as God and his Holy Laws which I should have obeyed Rather let all take warning by mée and avoid temptations and live not carelesly and hearken not to the Inclinatious or Reasonings of the Flesh nor trust not their weak and sinful hearts but live in godly fear and watchfulness and kéep under the Flesh and kéep close to God and hearken to the faithful Counsel of his servants and Intreat your Prayers to God that I may bée strengthened by his grace that I may sin thus no more least worse befal mée A Form of Prayer for a Sinner Impenitent after Publick Admonition MOst Gracious God According to thy Command wée have warned this sinner and told him of thy