the way You have furnished me with a better notion of Sacraments than I had before and thereby given me so great satisfaction that you shall not need to bespeak my attention hereafter I beseech you therefore since you have well dispatched the notion of Sacraments in general that you would now proceed to that of the Lord's Supper in particular Pastor I shall very willingly comply with your desire and in so doing I shall endeavour to do these two things I. To show you plainly what notion you ought to have of the Lord's Supper II. That the Celebration thereof is a duty incumbent upon us by vertue of a divine Command I. We must look upon this Supper as a Sacrament properly so called I have already shown you what conditions are requisite to constitute such a Sacrament and if I make it appear that all those conditions are to be found in this then may it be justly reckoned as one of that number The Conditions I told you were these four 1. A Divine Institution Now that this holy Supper was instituted and ordained by Christ that it owes its Original to none other but only the Son of God and our Saviour will plainly appear from the concurrent testimonies of St. Matthew St. Mark and St. Luke St. Matthew gives us this account of it As they were eating Jesus took Bread Matth. 26. v. 26 27 28 29 30. and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take Eat This is my Body And he took the Cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins But I say unto you I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the Vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom And when they had sung an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives Much to the same purpose is that account which St. Mark gives of it And as they did eat Jesus took bread Mark 14. v. 22 23 24 25 26. and when he had given thanks he brake it and gave it to them and said Take Eat this is my Body Also he took the Cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them and they all drank of it And he said unto them This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many Verily I say unto you I will drink no more of the fruit of the Vine until that day that I drink it new in the Kingdom of God. And when they had sung an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives St. Luke also with little variation gives the same account And he took bread Luke 22. v. 19 20. and when he had given thanks he brake it and gave it to them saying This is my body which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise also after Supper he took the Cup saying This Cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you And if we call in St. Paul to give his suffrage with these three Evangelists we shall find him according with them all in the History of the Sacrament and the Institution of it but most expresly with St. Luke 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25 26. I have received of the Lord that which I also have delivered unto you That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take Eat This is my body which is broken for you this do ye in remembrance of me After the same manner he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the new Testament in my blood this do as oft as you drink it in remembrance of me For as often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew or shew ye forth the Lord's Death till he come Thus have I shown you all those Scriptures which give any account of the History of this Sacrament and the institution of it and you see plainly they do all agree that it was ordained and instituted by Christ that it owes its Original to none other but only the Son of God the Lord 's Christ and our Jesus and if so then the first thing requisite for the constitution of a Sacrament properly so called viz. A Divine Institution doth evidently appear in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 2. The second thing requisite for the constitution of a Sacrament properly so called is a visible sign And that there are such things in the Lord's Supper is visible and apparent for by the words of Institution Bread and Wine which are substantial and visible things are appointed to be the Elements thereof And though these in their own essence and nature do nothing differ from common Bread and Wine yet in regard of their designation and use they do very much differ therefrom For in this holy Supper they are designed for and used as outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace and in respect of that secret thing which is hidden under them and represented by them they become Sacramental 3. The third thing requisite for the constitution of a Sacrament properly so called is a divine promise added to the sign which importing spiritual grace here and eternal life hereafter may firmly unite the sign and thing signified and that this is to be found in the Lord's Supper is plain from the words of institution where the Bread blessed and broken is called the Body of Christ and the Cup the New Testament in his blood which is shed for many for the remission of sins And our Saviour expresly saith John 6.35 I am the bread of life he that cometh unto me shall not hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst And again v. 54 55 56. Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Which plainly declareth an Union of the sign and thing signified by vertue of a divine word and promise in which Union consists the nature of a Sacrament properly so called 4. The fourth thing requisite for the constitution of a Sacrament properly so called is That it be given to the whole Church as a perpetual sign to continue so long as the external form of divine Worship instituted by God doth remain in that Church Now that this was given to the whole Church appears plainly from the institution of it for the Disciples to whom it was first given were the Representatives of the whole Church And that it was given for perpetuity seemeth plain from those words of our blessed Saviour Matth. 26.29 I say unto you that I will not drink henceforth of this fruit
plain that the Celebration of this Feast is a duty incumbent upon all Christians by vertue of a Divine Command And if so then how those who pretend to Christianity will at the great and general day of Judgment answer their neglect and refusal of it I wish they would seriously consider But my Friend can you and I reflect upon this as the Command and last Command of our dying Saviour Can we remember that he gave his Body to be broken and his blood to be shed for our sins Can we think of his being made subject to the wrath of God the hatred of Hell and the malice of Man and all this for our sakes and that for all this he requireth no more of us but only to keep a Feast wherein we may solemnly commemorate and perpetuate the memory of what he hath done and suffered for us Can we I say remember all this and yet at the same time be so unkind so ungrateful and so undutiful as to neglect opportunities when offered of paying the tribute of our acknowledgment to our great Saviour and mighty Redeemer To close up this Argument let me only read unto you one place of Scripture and desire you seriously to consider it John 6. v. 54 55 56. Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my Blood hath Eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day For my flesh is meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him The inference from which words as they relate to this holy Feast is plain and easy viz. That as it is highly necessary for all who would be saved to be made partakers of the merits of Christ's Sacrifice and the efficacy of his Death and Sufferings so will it as highly concern them who have an opportunity to do it to partake of the Lord's Supper in order thereunto For those who refuse when they may to receive the tokens and signs of his Body broken and Blood shed for their sins and persist in that refusal and neglect can never hope to be owned and rewarded by him as his Friends Parishioner I must needs own Sir that you have very well acquitted your self in the performance of what you promised I am better instructed in the nature and notion of this holy Sacrament than I was before and am now very well satisfied that the Celebration of it is a duty upon me and all Christians by vertue of a Divine Command But Sir I have still some scruples upon me which if I did not fear I had too much tired you already I would have propounded in order to your resolution of them Pastor Let not any such fear trouble you I neither am nor can be weary of well doing If therefore you have any thing to offer be free in it and assure your self of my utmost endeavour to give you satisfaction Parishioner Sir You oblige me very much and seeing you are pleased to give me that freedom I will presume to make use of it Obj. 1. And the first thing I shall propound and desire to be resolved in is this Whether this duty be so strictly enjoined and so indispensibly required of all Christians that none of them are left at liberty either to Communicate or not as they shall think fit Pastor This Query seems to answer it self for 1. It supposeth the thing in question to be a Duty and if so then it ought to be out of question for every Duty implieth an obligation and every obligation layeth a restraint upon liberty and taketh away the indifferency of the thing it obligeth to To be at liberty therefore either to do or not do a thing must suppose the thing not only to be indifferent in its nature but also to be free from any command or obligation and so consequently to be no duty at all but only a prudential Act which a man may either do or leave undone as he in his discretion shall see cause 2. It supposeth the thing in question to be a Duty enjoined which implyeth a superiour power endued with full and just authority to impose the thing and by that imposition to make it necessary Now that power I have told you is God and that authority Divine which maketh the thing required to be a duty upon us by vertue of a Divine Command So that unless you can assign any power superiour to that of God which can and doth dispense with his Commands you can never fancy to your self any such liberty as you seem here to enquire after These two considerations might suffice to overthrow this pretence of liberty and show the necessity of the thing required but because I would willingly quiet your mind and give you all the satisfaction that I can I shall offer a few things more to your consideration and desire you to spend some serious thoughts upon them 1. Consider the extent of the Command and the unlimited obligation thereof The word of Command Do this is general and indeterminate it reacheth all Christians in all times and in all places and when all are included none are exempted And the obligation of duty and obedience thereunto is as general as the Command For unless we will call in question the power and authority of God and Christ we must needs acknowledge that to whomsoever it is said Do this they stand obliged both in duty and conscience to yield obedience thereunto If therefore the command reach all then the thing commanded must needs be a duty incumbent upon all And indeed I know no other limitation that this divine Command admits of save only one of these two viz. Either want of opportunity as when men are in a Journey in such a place and under such circumstances that though they do earnestly desire it yet can they not for want of an opportunity do the thing they desire Or some just impediment as when one is under a Church-censure or some indisposition which at present he cannot conquer In the former of these Cases men must in the latter they may forbear the doing of the thing required These Cases may limit but they do not lessen the Duty They may suffice as excuses for the present but they will not serve always For so soon as an opportunity can be had and the impediments be removed the obligation will return upon us and in obedience to this Command we ought to apply our selves to the performance of the duty required therein 2. Consider That to disobey the command of God when we have an opportunity and no just impediment to hinder us from yielding obedience thereunto is not only a sin but a sin of a deep die tinctured with so much pride and obstinacy and attended with such aggravations as maketh it not only highly displeasing unto God but if not timely repented of will render it
of the Vine until that day when I shall drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom In which words the Holy Jesus seemeth to intimate two things to his Disciples 1. That this was the last time that he should ever celebrate this Feast with them in this World. 2. That though they were not to expect his Company his Bodily presence yet they and the whole Church represented by them should keep up the observation of this Feast till they met again to celebrate an Eternal Feast in his Father's Kingdom And that this latter was designed by him is evident from those words of St. Paul 1 Cor. 11.26 As often as ye do eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew or shew ye forth the Lord's Death till he come Thus have I shown you that those four Conditions which are thought necessary to the constitution of a Sacrament properly so called are all to be found in this and therefore this may deservedly be reckoned as one of that number But to make the notion of this Sacrament yet more plain to you let us consider by what names it is usually known in holy Scripture It is called a Supper and the Lord's Supper 1 Cor. 11.20 It is also called a Feast and a Feast upon a Sacrifice 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us Therefore let us keep the Feast saith St. Paul. When therefore you fix your thoughts upon this holy Sacrament with a design to celebrate the same let me desire you to look upon it 1. As a Feast 2. As a Feast upon a Sacrifice 3. As a Feast upon a Sacrifice for sin 1. Consider it as a divine Feast which our Lord hath appointed to be kept in Commemoration of himself The cheer provided viz. Bread and Wine and the Body and blood of Christ The actions about it viz. Receiving Eating and Drinking The names given to it viz. Breaking of Bread and the Lord's Supper The design thereof which is to nourish up the members of Christ's Church unto Eternal Life do all of them sufficiently speak this notion of it And that it was ordained to be a Commemoration-Feast the very words of Institution tell us which say This do in remembrance of me Luke 22. v. 19. Nor were these kind of Feasts unusual in the World both before and at that time For as the Hebrews had their Feasts which were commonly signified by setting on Bread or Eating Bread. So the Greeks also had their sober Compotations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At which Feasts they did usually commemorate the worthy actions and glorious Examples of some memorable persons And this no doubt was the design of this most holy Feast wherein Christians have the honour not only to feast with but upon God the holy Jesus being both the Master of it and the cheer provided in it Wherein we have an opportunity of feasting with one another thereby the better to promote and preserve amity love and charity among our selves to keep up a lasting remembrance of our glorious Redeemer and to fix more deeply in our minds all that he hath done and suffered for us Hereby shall we be the better disposed with all thankfulness and humility to embrace such opportunities when offered with greater joy and alacrity to address our selves thereunto and made the more careful that in a becoming manner we appear before our Lord and Master therein In a word by this Commemoration-Feast we shall be the better disposed and hold our selves the more obliged to a cheerful observance of our Redeemer's Will and to pay a sincere and entire obedience to all his Laws 2. Consider it not only as a Feast but as a Feast upon a Sacrifice wherein we are more particularly to commemorate the sufferings and death of our blessed Saviour St. Paul doth very well explain those words of Christ Do this in remembrance of me Luke 22.19 when he saith As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord ye shew forth the Lord's Death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 thereby teaching us that we ought herein to commemorate the dying love of the holy Jesus with such suitable praises and thanksgivings as may be agreeable to that great goodness which he expressed by dying for us As in all Feasts of this kind both among the Jews and Gentiles God had his Portion and the people had their portion wherewith to entertain themselves and their Friends so in this Christian Feast we also are made partakers of the Sacrifice in that by these representations of the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus we are admitted to feast upon it And as by eating of the Sacrifices offered at the Altar both Jews and Gentiles professed themselves to be the Worshippers and Servants of that God to whom the oblation was offered so we by partaking of this holy Feast do make a solemn profession of the Christian Religion of our Faith in Jesus and obedience to him We declare our selves to be the Disciples and Followers of him to whom we join our selves in Communion Eating and Drinking together was always esteemed a sign of Friendship and good understanding between the parties so doing But when a Feast was made on purpose to express their Friendship then was it the more notorious But when the Feast was upon a Sacrifice then the obligation between them was held the more sacred and inviolable We therefore by being partakers of this holy Feast do thereby engage our selves in a mutual Covenant with the blessed Jesus and by often doing this we make repeated protestations of our fidelity and renew our Baptismal Vow and Covenant taking as we usually say the Sacrament upon it that in all things we will be faithful and obedient to him 3. Let us consider this holy Action not only as a Feast nor only as a Feast upon a Sacrifice but as a Feast upon a Sacrifice for sin That Jesus Christ did offer up himself as a Sacrifice for sin is so plain and evident through the whole History of the New Testament that to produce instances to attest it would look like an uncharitable censure of others as if they had neglected to peruse those sacred Records which contain the Charter for their Inheritance in Heaven Now in the time of the Law when any Beast was slain and offered in Sacrifice for sin it was not permitted in that case nor indeed in any other neither to the People nor Priests themselves to eat of the blood Nor had they any portion of the flesh for that was wholly burn'd To partake of the sin-offering therefore was a priviledge reserved for Christians who at this holy Feast are allowed both to eat the Bread which represents the Body or flesh of Christ and drink the Cup which represents his blood And in this case that of the Apostle is fully verified We have an Altar i. e. a Sacrifice whereof they had no right to eat who served the Tabernacle Hebr. 13. v. 10. By vertue
of this priviledge we are made partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ and all the benefits thereof We are strengthned and refreshed in all grace and goodness and the remission of sins is not only offered but conveyed to every worthy Communicant The consideration whereof as it ought to beget in us a grateful sense of all God's favours and of this in particular so ought it to be an Obligation or Bond of Union between all Christian People For If God so loved us we ought also to love one another 1 John 4. v. 11. Thus have I performed the former part of my promise by shewing you what notion you ought to have of the Lord's Supper That it is a Sacrament properly so called having all the conditions that are or can be thought necessary to constitute such a thing That it is not only a Feast but a Feast upon a Sacrifice and which is more a Feast upon a Sacrifice for Sin. And under such a character as this I hope it will not appear to you with such a frightful visage as you tell me it hath been represented to you heretofore Parishioner No indeed Sir Instead of a dangerous and dreadful Precipice I have a plain path now before me instead of terrible and frightful objects I have a pleasant and delightful prospect instead of affrighting it doth now allure and invite me to it it seemeth to offer me such advantages as I once thought I could never reasonably hope for from it I confess Sir You have mightily relieved my mind by removing that pressure which prejudice and prepossession had put upon it I heartily thank you for the pains you have taken in it and am so well pleased and satisfied therewith that if it be not too great a trouble to you I would humbly beg the performance of the other part of your promise also Pastor No Neighbour Parishioner it will be no trouble to me I am better pleased with doing my duty than to think it so and therefore if you can but be contented to continue your Patience I shall not I hope grow weary of so good a work II. The other part of my promise was To make it evident to you That the Celebration of this holy Feast is a duty incumbent upon all Christians by vertue of a Divine Command And to do this I shall need only to have recourse to the words of institution as they stand recorded by St. Luke and repeated by St. Paul. In the Evangelist the words run thus He took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and gave to them saying This is my Body which is given for you This do in remembrance of me Likewise also after Supper he took the Cup saying This Cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you Luk. 22.19 20. The Apostle is somewhat more large taking in the account which the other Evangelists also give of it for he tells the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25 26. That he had received from the Lord that which he delivered unto them viz. That the Lord Jesus in the same night in which he was betrayed took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take Eat This is my Body which is broken for you This do ye in remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my blood This do as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew or shew ye forth the Lord's Death until he come These words as they are recorded by St. Luke are indeed directed to the twelve Apostles but then we are to consider that the Apostles in that holy action were the Representatives of the whole Church and therefore to be considered under a double capacity viz. either as Governours and Ministers intrusted by Christ with the power of dispensing and administring the Sacrament or as ordinary and Lay Communicants If we look upon them in the former capacity as Governours of the Church and Stewards of the sacred mysteries then the duty to which they are obliged by the express command of Christ is to take the Bread into their hands to bless and consecrate it to that mysterious and divine use to which he designed it to break it to give it to the Communicants as he gave it to them And so in like manner to take the Cup to bless it and give it to the people Whence it is plain That there is an unavoidable necessity upon them and their Successors to administer this holy Sacrament And if they stand obliged to give it then certainly there must be some who are obliged to receive it And if we look upon them in the other capacity as private men and Lay Communicants we have a plain evidence hereof For it is evident that in that capacity their duty in obedience to the Command of Christ was to take and receive the consecrated Elements of Bread and Wine to Eat and Drink and to do all this in commemoration of his wonderful love in giving his Body to be broken and his Blood to be shed for the sins of the World. But if we will suffer St. Paul who well knew it to explain the mind of his Master the matter will be yet more plain and evident For though he give the same account of the History of the Sacrament and the institution of it as the Evangelists do yet doth he not therein address himself to his Fellow-Apostles or their Successors but to the people of the Church of Corinth thereby plainly showing that the Command of our Blessed Saviour This do doth equally oblige both the one and the other That as the Priest is bound to prepare and give it so the people are bound to prepare and receive it and both by vertue of a divine Command For that these words Do ye this were not spoken by way of Counsel but Command will plainly appear if we consider that whatsoever may be thought requisite to render any expression preceptive and obligatory are to be found in this For 1. There was sufficient power and authority in the person commanding viz. Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God and our Saviour 2. The Terms in which he is pleased to signify his divine will and pleasure are imperative Do this 3. The obedience which he expects thereunto is to be perpetual till his coming again 1 Cor. 11.26 4. St. Pauls interpretation and application of this command to the Lay Communicants in the Church of Corinth doth plainly speak the design of our blessed Saviour which was to oblige them and all Christians to do this in remembrance of him i. e. to express their thankful acknowledgments of what he did and suffered for them by their dutiful obedience to this Command Thus have I performed the other part of my promise to you and I hope made it sufficiently
You must make it your great concern with all care and Conscience to perform your Baptismal Vow and Covenant in all the parts and branches thereof i. e. You must take care to spend the remainder of your lives in living holily towards God and righteously towards all men And thus have I endeavoured to perform the third and last part of my Promise by acquainting you what it is that will be expected from you after you have had the honour to be admitted a Guest at God's Table and to bear your part in the Celebration of this holy Feast Pashioner Sir You have to my great satisfaction fully performed all that you promised And now it is my part not only to remember but carefully to observe and conscienciously follow those good Rules and Instructions which you have given me And that from this time forward I will endeavour by God's Assistance to do I beg your Pardon for the trouble I have given you and heartily thank you for the pains you have taken with me I hope you will excuse the One and I will endeavour to improve the Other to those good Ends and Purposes which you design'd it And that I may the sooner set about that Work I will at present take my Leave of you Pastor God b'w'y ' good Neighbour Go and do as you have said and the Lord give a Blessing thereunto Be not you wanting to your self in your Endeavours and God Almighty will never be wanting to you in his assistance But that you may carry on this work the more comfortably be frequent in your Prayers to God for his blessing and direction and rest assured my Prayers shall not be wanting at the Throne of Grace that you may be successful therein A SHORT FORM OF PRAYERS Fitted for the more Worthy RECEIVING OF THE Holy Communion WITH A Morning and Evening Prayer for the Use of Private Families WHen you hear the Exhortation read by the Minister on the Sunday or Holy-day before and find your selves thereby invited to and admonished to prepare your selves for the Celebration of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper consider seriously by whom and to what you are invited imprint upon your minds a due sense of that great honour which is done you by God and of the great love of your dying Saviour and think with your selves with what Godly Preparation you ought to approach thereunto And that these impressions may not wear out let me advise you constantly to use this following or some such like Prayer and Confession every Morning and Evening the Week before O Almighty and most merciful Father who of thine infinite goodness hast been pleased to invite me not only to Feast with thee but to Feast upon thee who hast provided for me not only Sacramental Bread and Wine but the Bread and Water of Life the Body and Blood of my blessed Saviour How infinite is thy mercy and how unspeakable is thy loving kindness herein I am overwhelmed with the thoughts of it and lost in admiration But when I consider That Thou art a God of purer Eyes than to behold the least Iniquity That Thou neither dost nor canst approve of any Sin in any one then my fears arise and my confidence faileth me How shall I who am a great and grievous Sinner appear before thee How shall I dare to approach thy presence I cannot but own that both in thought word and deed I have grievously offended thy most Sacred Majesty and that too frequently and with too high an hand I have done what in me lay to forfeit thy favour and to provoke thy wrath and indignation against me What therefore can I expect but with him who wanted the Wedding-Garment to be rejected with scorn and exposed to Punishment But O Lord with Thee is mercy that thou mayst be feared It is thy property to have mercy and to forgive In confidence therefore of this thy great mercy and in hopes of Pardon and Forgiveness it is that I am now humbly bold to appear before Thee Behold me O Lord thus prostrate in thy presence with the tears of true and unfeigned Repentance bewailing the miscarriages of my by-past life and for thy mercies sake and for the merits sake of thy dear Son Jesus Christ humbly begging not only Pardoning Grace for Sins past but Preventing Grace against Sin for the time to come It was for my Sin that my Saviour suffered it was to wash away the stain thereof that he shed his Blood O let me not lose the benefit of it If there be any thing in me that may render me uncapable of it be pleased to remove it If there be any thing wanting in me to make me fit for it let thy Holy Spirit O Lord work it in me Subdue and mortifie all my Lusts and Corruptions and implant in me principles of Holiness and true Righteousness Teach me to love and fear Thee as I ought Give me an humble and obedient temper of mind Let it be my great pleasure to walk in thy ways and my only delight to keep thy commandments Make me thankful for all thy mercies and careful to improve them to thy glory my own comfort and the good of others Fit me for all states and conditions of life and prepare me for every good work but especially for the celebration of that Sacred Feast which I am now invited to Let nothing O Lord be wanting in me that Thou knowest requisite for me when I appear in thy presence Let me be found a welcome guest at thy Table and there receive that heavenly Food which alone can nourish up my Soul unto Eternal Life All which I humbly beg in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ and in that Sacred form of Words which he himself hath taught us saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. In the Morning of the Communion-Day before you go to Church use this following or some such like Prayer O Lord my God the Day the joyful Day is come on which Thou hast promised to provide and invited me to be a guest at a most Heavenly Banquet This day I am to Feast with Thee and Feed upon my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Give me I beseech Thee a due sense of that Honour and Happiness I am now going to be made partaker of and make me truly thankful for it I am now going to Thy Table good Lord fit and prepare me for it furnish me with such Graces and Ornaments of Mind as may be suitable to so high and honourable an entertainment fill my Soul with Fear and Reverence with Humility and Meekness with Piety and Devotion and with Faith and Charity that nothing may be found wanting in me when I appear before Thee Let thy Blessing go along with me and let Thy Holy Spirit guide and direct me Let me find a gracious reception there and a full satisfaction to all my wishes and desires Enable me so to Eat the Flesh and Drink the Blood of my blessed
Saviour that he may evermore dwell in me and I in him Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ's sake our only Mediator and Advocate Amen When you Approach the Lord's Table and there see the Symbols of Christ's Body and Blood placed in order and ready to be Consecrated to that Holy Vse you may use this following or some other short Prayer to this purpose I Am here O Lord in Obedience to thy Command and am very desirous to do my Duty I come to renew my Covenant with Thee and beg thy assisting Grace That I may keep it better for the time to come To this end be pleased to increase and strengthen that Faith which Thou hast already wrought in me and grant That I may ever hereafter serve and please Thee in Newness of Life I find a Table spread for me blessed be thy Name for it give me I beseech Thee a Spiritual Appetite thereunto I am unfit I confess for so great an Honour I am unworthy to partake of these Holy Mysteries I have no Merits of my own to trust to but I have thy Mercies to depend upon and the Merits of my Blessed Saviour to plead for me Hear them O Lord and for their sakes look graciously down upon me upon their Account let me find Favour with Thee here and obtain Everlasting Life when Time shall be no more hereafter Amen When you see the Bread broken and the Wine poured out by the Minister then use this following or some other short Prayer to this purpose O Holy Jesu who for my sake didst suffer thy self to be Apprehended Arraigned and Condemned and at last to suffer Death upon the Cross for my Sins Give me Grace to be truly affected with the Remembrance of what Thou hast done and suffered for me Write it on the Tables of my Heart that I may ever be mindful of it and let the Consideration thereof cause me to hate Sin and love Holiness Create in me O Lord a new Heart and renew a right Spirit within me that for the future I may make it my business to Perfect Holiness in thy Fear That as Thou diedst for Sin so I may die to Sin That as thy Body was broken and Blood spilt upon the Cross for the Sins of Mankind so my Heart may be broken under the Sense of Sin and broken off from the love and likeing of any Sin and at last fixed upon Holy and stedfast Resolutions of better Obedience for the future Amen Whilst the Minister is Receiving the Sacrament himself and Administring it to the rest of the Communicants you may use this following or some other short Prayer to this effect O Blessed Lord God! Who am I that Thou shouldst be thus mindful of me That Thou shouldst admit me a Guest to thy Table I know I am unworthy to appear in thy Presence and should have wanted Confidence to approach this Sacred Place if I had not received thy Command so to do Lord Let me not suffer for my Obedience thereunto But as Thou hast thought fit to invite me hither so be pleased to prepare my Heart for the Reception of these Holy Mysteries provided for me And grant That my so doing may in some measure be instrumental to the Advancement of thy Glory the Good of my own Soul and the Edification of others And this I beg for Jesus Christ his sake Amen When you have Received the Holy Sacrament whilst the Minister is Administring it to others or returning to the Table and placing things decently and in order there you may use this following or some other short Prayer to this purpose O Almighty God and Heavenly Father I most heartily thank Thee for that Spiritual Food which I have now Received Let not I beseech Thee any Failure of mine deprive me of the Advantages of this Holy Feast But be pleased to add thy Blessing thereunto that so it may be Food indeed and nourish my Soul not only in Grace here but unto Glory hereafter I am so sensible of the Obligation that Thou hast been pleased now to lay upon me that I do henceforward devote and consecrate my self Soul and Body wholly to thy Service humbly beseeching Thee to accept this my bounden Duty and to give me Grace ever hereafter rightly and truly to perform the same to thy Honour and Glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen When you return Home and are retired into your Chamber or Closset you may use this following or some other Prayer to this purpose O Almighty and most Merciful Father who art Good and do'st Good Thou art an inexhaustible Fountain and an unfathomable Depth of Mercy and Goodness Of thy Fulness we all receive and are filled without lessening thy Store How great an instance have I this Day had of thy Bounty How large an Experience of thy Mercy I confess I am a Sinner and a great Sinner the unworthiest of those that worship Thee unfit for the Company of thy Saints and Servants And yet I have this Day had the Honour to sit at thy Table and to be entertain'd by Thee at a most Heavenly Banquet I have had the Happiness not only to Feast with my Saviour but to feed upon Him to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood which whosoever doth He hath assured me Shall have Everlasting Life and He will Raise him up at the last Day What shall I render unto Thee O Lord for all this Mercy and Goodness I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of my God I will make it my business to serve and please Thee as long as I live These are my Resolutions Lord Let not thy assisting Grace be wanting to me for the Performance of them Write I beseech Thee this thy Mercy upon my Mind in such Characters as may never be blotted out Give me such a due Sense of it that my Heart may be unfeignedly thankful and that I may shew forth thy Praise not only with my Lips but in my Life by giving up my self to thy Service and by walking before Thee in Holiness and Righteousness all my Days through Jesus Christ our Lord In whose Blessed Name and Words I further Pray as He hath taught me saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. FOrasmuch as no Business either Religious or Civil can be well done by us without the Grace and Assistance of Almighty God nor any thing prosper under our Hands without his Blessing thereupon And that neither his Grace and Assistance nor his Blessing upon what we go about can reasonably be hoped for unless with Pious and Devout Hearts we faithfully and diligently Pray unto Him for the same It will highly concern us even in point of Interest as well as Duty to take the Counsel of St. Paul and Pray continually i. e. To keep our Hearts and Minds in such an Holy and Devout Frame and Temper that at all Times and upon all Occasions we may be ready to offer up pure Hearts and clean