were required of us were this that we should sit still and without any more to do relie upon Christ for pardon and for life for righteousness and eternal glory certainly would be no very hard thing to believe and the world would not be so so full of unbelievers as now it is Who would not be saved from the wrath to come Who would not be glad to have his sins forgiven him Christ was never yet unwelcome to any man upon this score And if this were Faith Christ may always find great store of Faith upon Earth The vilest sinner who loves his folly is yet willing to have it pardoned and that by Christ also The Adulterer and the Drunkard love their sin indeed but not the guilt and penalty None are so fond of Hell but they will readily that Christ should redeem them from it Nor do they desire to betake themselves to any other Saviour to redeem them from that horrour and those pains The blood of Jesus they do readily fly to for Sanctuary against the destroyer However men are fond of their sin yet sure no man is fond of the sting and plague which it leaves behind it Such a recumbency and relying upon Christ as this is not enough to shew that we have saving Faith We shall infinitely deceive our selves if we have no other Faith but this The way to Heaven were very easie if such a Faith as this would bring us thither Our sins would be no obstacle to us if this were all that were required Our greatest sins and such a Faith as this might easily consist with each other We shall not need much labour to perswade men to believe if this were all that is meant by it We are very willing to be saved at so cheap a rate We are ready enough to receive the pardon which the Gospel brings us the tydings of We are content that Jesus should save us from our sins that is from the punishment and guilt of them And we are very forward to believe this was the main if not the only end of his coming into the World 3. Nor will the bare assent to the history of the Gospel be enough to entitle us to a saving Faith We may believe the truth of what we there find and yet be very far from the Kingdom of God Indeed unless we do this we cannot have a saving Faith but it is not our bare believing all this which is a sufficient argument of such a Faith For saving Faith is that which implys more than the assent of the mind to the truth of that which is revealed and made known For we are not justified by this assent of our understanding There are great arguments to evict the truth of Christianity so great and so powerful that if we apprehend them aright we cannot but assent to the truth of what they do infer and it is not in our power to resist so great an evidence For we cannot believe what we please but must needs assent to what is evident to our understanding And to do this is so far from being a saving Faith that it may belong to those who are not in a state of Salvation There have been many that have believed the History of the Gospel and made profession of this belief also who yet have turn'd Apostates It is very possible that a man's reason may be satisfied in the truth of Christianity and yet still he may remain in a very dangerous estate as to his own Salvation we find that many believed in the name of Christ when they saw the miracles which he did That is they were convinced by the works which Jesus did that he came from God and consequently must needs believe what he said to be true But this Faith in the name of Jesus does not seem to be such as our Saviour thought sufficient for it is presently added That Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men Joh. 2.23 24. Our Saviour would not trust them who yet believed on his name when they saw the Miracles which he did And we read of others who are said to believe on him who for all that are called by our Saviour the Children of the Devil Joh. 8.30 31 44. We may see great reason to believe the truth of the Gospel the belief of which we cannot resist and yet not be endued with a Faith that is saving if we go no farther Indeed the Scripture sometimes speaks as if the assent to the articles of Christianity were sufficient to our Salvation If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10.9 10. Again Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God 1 Joh. 5.1 And again Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God Chap. 4. ver 2. Again No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 Which expressions seem to intimate that there is no more required to make our Faith saving but this that we do heartily believe and also profess the articles of the Christian Religion But certain it is however we misunderstand our selves and mistake the meaning of these places such a Faith as this though it be enough to leave us without excuse will not save our Souls And therefore as to the words of Scripture which are brought to this purpose there are these two things to be considered First the time in which these words were spoken and that was in the early dayes of Christianity when there was danger in professing the Religion of Christ In the beginning of Christian Religion he that made a profession of it exposed himself to the fury of Jew and Gentile The Jews had agreed while Jesus was alive that if any man did confess that he was Christ he should be put out of the Synagogue And the man that was restored to his sight we find cast out by the Jews for pleading that Jesus must needs be from God Joh. 9.22 34. And we read afterwards how very furiously the Jews did persecute them who did profess the Faith of Christ And they who did profess Christ among the Gentiles were not only derided for the sake of their crucified Saviour but also persecuted for his names sake And when they were so it was no easie thing to profess Christianity Indeed as things are now we do very easily profess our Religion 'T is that which agrees well with the Laws of the Country and the custom of the place we live in It puts us now to no expence to profess Jesus to be the Christ We can do it without the fear of the Jew or any other There is no man suffers among us because he is a Christian We may
Blessed Saviour But our remembrance of it must be 1. Affectionate and vigorous as we remember the death of a dear friend that died and died in our quarrel and defence who at once shed his blood for us and for the truth How passionately can we rehearse the praises and preserve the memory of such an one as this 'T was thus with our dearest Lord he fell a Sacrifice at once for the testimony of the truth and for the sake of our precious Souls He died that he might rescue us from eternal misery and death And this we must remember when we do remember the death of our Blessed Lord. 2. With all thankfulness to God for so unspeakable a mercy Let us awaken our Psaltery and Harp all our powers and faculties and all that is within us to praise his holy name Let us have our hymn of praise Matth. 26.30 'T is an heavenly feast we are going to and who goes to a feast with a sad countenance or heart Let us be filled with the spirit Speaking to our selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs and making melody in our hearts to the Lord Ephes 5.18 19. We are Gods guests at this time and God loves we should be chearful and rejoyce He would have the Jews so in their Festivals Deut. 16.11 14. And certainly we have more reason to be so than they God having provided some better thing for us Heb. 11.40 This Sacrament is an Eucharist or service of praise and as such was observed by the first Christians Who breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the people Act. 2.46 47. 3. It must be such a remembrance as works in us a detestation against our sins which put our Blessed Saviour to death Coâ—â—â—â—ve you saw him hang upon the Cross and saw the nails pierce his hands and feet that you heard him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And that you saw the blood he sweat and the thorns he wore That you saw the Sun darkened the Dead arise and the rocky Earth rend in pieces certainly if your hearts were not more hard than the rocks you would relent especially when you consider that all this was for your sins and that he died that you might live 'T was thy Covetousness that betrayed him Thy Iust that made him bleed Thy unbelief and wickedness that loaded Him with the Cross that crowned Him with thorns that nailed his hands and pierced his side and filled his Soul with horror and amazement This should work in us a great indignation against our Sins as that which crucified our dearest Lord. Should a tender Mother lose a Child by a knife or some other instrument that is but the occasion of its death Surely she would not endure to see that instrument in her sight If we loved our Saviour we should hate our sins which made him bleed and bow his head Since 't is a most certain truth that he that commits sin does more displease i. e. does that which is more against the mind and will of Christ than Judas that betrayed him and those that hanged him upon his Cross And therefore as you pity your Saviour add not to his sorrows as you have any compassion to Him add not to the bitterness of his Soul Bring not with you instruments of crâ—â—lty when you pretend to remember his love â—e shewed in his death But think thâ—◠〈◊〉 that if God did not spare his Son that 〈◊〉 might not go unpunished that he will mucâ— less spare you who go on in your sins and love them III. Another great end of this Sacrament is that Christians might by it be united together in the strictest bond of love and charity It is indeed a feast of love and that which does not only joyn us to God but firmly cements us also to one another This indeed is the great Commandement of our Blessed Saviour that we should love one another as He hath loved us John 15.12 Nay he hath made this the mark by which his followers shall be known from the rest of the World By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Joh. 13.35 And in the early days of Christianity the Heathen World took notice how the Christians loved one another Nay the Holy Scriptures tell us that in the beginning of Christianity The multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul Act. 4.32 And they shewed their love to one another by making all things common that there might be no lack and wants among them Acts 2.44 45. But then 't is added when it was that they loved one another thus greatly viz. While they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart verse 46. Whiles there were frequent Communions in the Church of God there did remain a fervent Charity among Christians But when they were but seldome celebrated Charity also grew cold For indeed this Sacrament was appointed for the keeping up a fervent charity among the followers of Jesus And very plain methinks are the words of the Apostle to this purpose We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 i. e. We that partake of this Heavenly feast are by that made one we are of one kind and 〈◊〉 just as Bread and Wine though they be made up of several grains and grapes yet are made up together into one similar body all whose parts are homogeneous and of the same sort or kind so we that are Christians tho as men we differ from one another and have our several affections and designs distinct from each other yet for all this by the death of our Saviour and by the participation of the Sacrament of our Lords Supper we are made one we are reconciled to the same designs and interests acted by the same Spirit and by this Sacrament united into one Spiritual body However we are other wise divided it is the intention of this Sacrament to make us One. And therefore the Ancients called the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a Collection or gathering together into one those who were otherwise divided The partaking of this Feast makes the partakers of one mind and heart where they do receive it worthily What is said of Pilate and Herod when our Saviour was about to suffer That they were the same day made friends together who before had been at enmity between themselves Luke 23.12 The same is true of all true Christians that do aright partake of this Sacrament of the death of Christ they are now united and reconciled and made of one heart and mind And this seems to be the great design of the Eucharist to unite Christians together in the closest bond of unity and
great end and purpose for which our Lord was sent into the world Now this makes it evident that where there is a saving Faith in Christ it is accompanied with an Holy Life And that we do but pretend to be Believers of the Gospel if we do not obey its Precepts and perform those Conditions which it doth require at our hands For we then do believe the Gospel when we believe all the parts of it Now certain it is that the Gospel does not only bring us the tydings of pardon but it makes known the conditions upon which this Grace and Favour is offered And it will avail us nothing that we accept the pardon if we do refuse the condition upon which it is offered unto us for this is but to believe the Gospel in part and to be but almost Christians The Gospel does not only contain an History of what was said and done and suffered by our Lord but also promises precepts and threats and he does fully believe this Gospel who not only believes the truth of what is there related but obeys its Precepts submits to the condition of its promises and reveres its threats We do easily believe that Christ dyed for our sins but this is but part of what the Gospel tells us We must also believe that therefore we are not to live in them And that he did not only dye to redeem us from wrath but from our vain Conversations also We believe that Christ is our Atonement 'T is well but then we must believe that he is our Law-giver and our Lord and must own him for our King as well as for our Priest And if we believe that he dyed for this end that he might be our propitiation and our ransom we must also believe that to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14.9 And certainly if we think it an act of Faith to acknowledge him for our Priest and consequently to rest upon him for our Salvation we must needs think it an act of Faith to acknowledge him for our King and Lord and consequently to obey his commands And unless we do obey him we do but mock him when we call him Lord Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which 〈◊〉 say Luk. 6.46 If Christ be our Redeemer he is our Lord too and if he came to procure our pardon he also came to amend our hearts and lives for the time to come And methinks the words of St. Peter are very plain and yet very Emphatical also to the purpose in hand He tells the Jews that God had exalted Jesus with his right hand and for what end he had exalted him he adds in the next words to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give Repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Act. 5.31 So that if we believe him to be our Saviour yet we must believe him to be our Prince and when we hope for forgiveness of sins we must be first endued with repentance in order to it Our Saviour he is but then he is our Lord first He is the Author of Eternal Salvation but to whom is he so it is to them that obey him Heb. 5.9 He came to save sinners 't is true but he came to save them from their sins They must be divorced from their sins or else may not expect to be saved He was not obedient that we might have leave to rebel he did not suffer for sin that we might live in it without controul He did not do his Fathers will that we might do our own He did not come only to dispossess the Devil out of Temples and Oracles or the bodies of men but to drive him also out of mens hearts and lives He came to set us at liberty from our sins and from the evil effects of them And we may not think we have gained the end of our Saviours being manifested till we are set free from the slavery of our sins And that Faith which lets us spare our sins and suffers us to live in a contradiction to the commands of Christ will never save our Souls 2. This will farther appear to be a great Truth that a true and saving Faith is productive of a good life and that the Gospel does not require a less Faith than this if we do consider the Faith of Abraham who is the Father of the faithful His Faith is much spoken of in the New Testament and seems to be set there as the pattern of our Faith And therefore it will be worth our while to consider what kind of Faith that is which the Holy Scriptures take so great notice of Abraham for Now there are two things very remarkable in this Faith of Abraham 1. That he did believe that God would make good his promise which he had made to him And this he did firmly believe notwithstanding the great unlikelihood of the thing promised had he consulted with flesh and blood He had a great assurance that God would make his word good unto him though it seemed to contradict the ordinary course of nature and the common reasonings of Mankind He knew not how the thing could come to pass but yet he judged him faithful and able to do it who had made the promise to him ' Being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when hs was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarahs Womb He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform Rom. 4.19 20 11. Thus did Abraham against hope believe in hope v. 18. He could have no natural hopes that this promise should be verified but yet he believed it would because God had made the promise upon this it is that he rests and stays himself He does not dispute either Gods Veracity or Power Now then our Faith is like that of Abraham when we do believe what God hath revealed and promised though the thing revealed should in it self seem very mysterious and strange to our reason and the thing promised very unlikely in it self to come to pass We ought to believe that which God sayes for his revealing of it makes it evidently credible though the thing it self be not in it self evidently true We have sufficient reason to believe when yet this reason does not stand upon the evidence of the thing but upon the veracity of him who makes it known to us Then we do believe as Abraham did when we acquiesce in Gods Veracity and Power He that hath a true Faith does believe what God hath revealed and doubts not but God will make his promise good He does intirely trust in God in whom he hath believed And he will neither reject an Article of Faith because his reason cannot comprehend it nor yet will he distrust Gods
cleanse his heart He that believes it as he ought endeavours to be holy as God is holy Again the Gospel tells us that we must not swear at all Matth. 5.34 Nay more than that that we shall give an account at the day of judgement for every idle word we speak Matth. 12.36 Now certain it is that there are many who swear in their ordinary conversation and others also who forswear themselves and whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness And who can think that such men as these are do believe the Gospel as they should do He believes aright who does practise those precepts which he professes the belief of He that does not that is an unbeliever He may profess that he knows God but in works he denies him Tit. 1.16 and they that do so the Apostle reckons among the unbelieving ver 15. Our Saviour tells us that he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life i. e. he that obeyeth the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he presently adds he that believeth not the Son or he that obeyeth not the Son as those words may well be rendred shall not see life Joh. 3.36 And when the Apostle tells us that God sware to some that they should not enter into his rest he adds that it was to them who believed not so we render the words but they might be rendred to them who obeyed not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And then he presently infers we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief Heb. 3.18 19. To believe on the name of Christ is to receive him Joh. 1.12 But if we receive him as we should we must receive him and acknowledge him in all his Offices as our Prophet Priest and King That is we must believe the truth of his Doctrine as he is our great Prophet and that Teacher who came from God and then we must obey his Precepts as he is our Lord and our King as well as expect pardon from him as he is our Priest and our Atonement We must receive him as he is offered to us in the Gospel and not only confidently expect our pardon from him but we must receive him as God hath sent him and God hath sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Act. 3.26 Now that it is such a Faith in Christ as I have been speaking of which the Scriptures require of us in order to our eternal Salvation will appear 1. If we consider the great end of the manifestation of Jesus Christ or the great purpose for which he was sent into the World Now we must not think that Christ came into the world and did and suffered those great things which we read of him only to procure our pardon and indemnity we must not think that the only end of all this was that we might be delivered from the evil effects and bad consequents of our sins he would be certainly a welcome Saviour to the worst of mankind upon this score For provided we may enjoy our sins we are content that he should suffer for them We are very willing that he should bear the blame provided we may but have the liberty to commit the fault Though we love our sins well yet are we not fond of the sorrows which they bring with them We are willing enough that Christ should pay our scores and well pleased to live in our sins and take it kindly that Christ would die for them But certain it is that Christ appeared and suffered for us too that he might deliver us from the power and dominion as well as from the guilt of our sins He did not die for sin that we might live in it He never came to discharge us from our duty we think unworthily of our Saviour and of our Religion if we think thus He came to plant the divine life in our hearts to make us better and more like unto God Let the holy Scriptures speak in this matter His name is called Jesus because he should save his people from their sins Matth. 1.21 It is ridiculous to say that by sins is meant no more than the punishment of them Nor can we think that Christ came into the world for no other end He would then have taken away the effect and left the cause remaining This would be to remove the less evil and to let the greater continue as if a Physician should only project how to remove or abate the symptom and take no care to suppress the disease and remove the morbifick matter which is the cause of it Certainly we think meanly of our Saviours design if we think this was all his business in the World He came to save us from our sins and they are a greater evil sure than the effects of them This is a nobler conquest than to deliver us from death And this sure was the great purpose of our blessed Saviour When God promised the Messias no less blessing was contained in that promise than this that we might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our Life Luk. 1.74 75. The Apostle certainly understood the great end for which Christ appeared He tells us that for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 And that this was one great end why our Lord laid down his life no man can deny that gives any credit to the Holy Scriptures There we are told that he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 Again it is said that he gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil World Gal. 1.4 And that he dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5.15 He dyed for his Church indeed but then he gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without blemish Eph. 5.25 26 27. The same Apostle tells his Colossians that Christ hath reconciled them in the body of his flesh through death to present them holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight Col. 1.21 22. Besides what hath been said we are from the death of Christ exhorted to an Holy Life 1 Pet. 4.1 2. Rom. 6.3 4. 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Which certainly we could not so effectually have been had our Saviour only dyed for our Indemnity and to procure our pardon But since he dyed for sin that we might not live in it well may we from his death be exhorted to an Holy Life and Conversation Which if we do not lead we do then frustrate and make void the
All-sufficiency and Veracity when he is in straits and difficulties He that believes as he should when trouble comes is not dismaid for his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. He well knows that God is faithful and therefore he quiets himself when the greatest storms arise 2. Abraham did yield himself obedient to Gods commands also how cross soever they were to flesh and blood And his doing that was an act of that Faith which he is celebrated for in the Holy Scriptures When God commands him to leave his Country his kindred and his Fathers house Gen. 12.1 He readily departs ver 4. And obeys God who had commanded him though the thing it self were so very difficult For 't is no easie thing at such an age to leave ones Country our kindred and fathers house and go to a land which we know not of But this Abraham did and it was an act of his Faith also By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 Again when God had given him a Son a Son of all his hopes and of his old age a Son whom he loved and his only Son too a Son of the promise and of the free Woman yet when God who gave him requires him of him he is not only willing to part with him but with his own hands to sacrifice him where God appoints him Gen. 22. And this was an act of his Faith also for so we read By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac and he that received the promises offered up his only begotten Son of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called Heb. 11.17 18. Such a Faith had this Father of the Faithful and such a Faith as this must we have also if we would be the Children of Abraham He hath the Faith of Abraham and he only that doth his works If our Faith be saving we shall yield our selves obedient to all the Laws of God Nothing will be so dear to us as the words of Gods mouth We shall part with every thing quietly which God commands away from us We shall obey his Precepts as well as believe his promises if our Faith be of the right stamp We shall be at Gods dispose if we be such Believers as we ought to be And our great care will be this that we resign up our will to the will of God We do but pretend to Faith if we be void of good works And then we may only be thought to be the Children of Abraham when we do his works Abraham shewed his faith by his works and so must we do also For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also Jam. 2.26 3. It will farther appear that a saving Faith is productive of a good life if we do but diligently consider what great things the Holy Scriptures speak of Faith For it is greatly magnified in the holy writ and such things are said of it as do greatly advance it above that lazy and ineffectual faith which we please our selves with Very many and very excellent things are said to have been done by Faith Heb. 11. This made the Sacrifice of Abel more excellent in Gods sight than that of Cain 'T was by Faith that Enoch pleased God and was translated This puts Noah upon making the Ark in which a remnant of of the World were saved By Faith Moses contemns the riches and pleasures of the Egyptian Court and rather chuses to suffer affliction with Gods people This carried the Israclites through the Red Sea this threw down the Walls of Jericho and saved Rahab from that common destruction Faith subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtained Promises stopped the mouths of Lions overcame fire and sword made weakness strong turned armies to flight This put courage and resolution into the weak and prevailed against that which did oppose it Great are the works which a true and saving Faith hath done It enables both to do and suffer for the name of Christ It enables us to perform the hardest tasks of Religion It will enable us to forgive our offending brother Luk. 17.5 And to cleanse our hearts of our filthines Act. 15.9 Aye and beside all this the Apostle tells us that this is the vistory that overcometh the World even our faith 1 Joh. 5.4 And when the Apostle exhorts us to put on the whole armour of God he bids us above all to take the sheild of faith wherewith we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Ephes 6.16 So that it is the great engine against the Devil the World and the Flesh It vanquishes our Spiritual enemies and triumphs over them It works miraculously where it is It subdues our lusts and enables us to conquer our greatest enemies And certainly then the Faith which the Scriptures speak thus greatly of is not a sluggish and lazy Faith but it does produce in us a great change of Heart and Life Our Saviour tells his Disciples that if they had faith as a grain of mustard-seed they might say to a mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing should be impossible unto them Mat. 17.20 It is true indeed the first Preachers of the Gospel had the power of doing Miracles bestowed upon them such a faith had they but we have it not But yet we have a Faith still if we be the genuine followers of Christ that does enable us to do works that are miraculous also though not in the same kind with theirs Indeed they had power to do great Miracles and wonderful works in the World for the confirming that Gospel which was but newly planted among men This power is now ceased with the reason of it vid. Chrysost vol. 5. p. 274. Edit Savil. But yet a true Faith does very mighty works and such as are as pleasing to God and of themselves more advantagious to us than that power of working Miracles would have been They cast out Devils and could easily dispossess them from the bodies of men but then our Faith enables us to cast him out of our hearts They cured diseases that were bodily our Faith cleanses our Souls They could raise the dead our Faith raises us from the death of sin to the life of Righteousness They could heal Lepers give sight to the Blind restore the Lame and destroy the obstinate offenders Our saving Faith cures our leprosie of Sin opens our blind eyes enables us to walk in Gods ways and throws down the obstacles that lie in our way What was done by the first Preachers of the Gospel is done daily by every sincere Christian If they destroyed the Devil so does he They turn'd him out of his Temples he out of his heart The works of Faith now are as momentous as that of Miracles He that overcomes the world and vanquishes
least spark of goodness you will find it shine and glow and spread it self to your infinite joy and contentment of heart Among all the various degrees and conditions of Christian people there will none be found that come hither with sincere affection to do this in remembrance of their Saviour but may go away rejoycing loaded with many Divine benefits Heads of Self-Examination by which we may be directed to find out what sins we are particularly to repent of either before the Sacrament or at any other time which we set apart for Repentance and Humiliation of our selves Wherein are laid before us the several duties we owe to God our Neighbour and our Selves To God FAith or belief of his Word A well grounded Hope in his Mercy Love and Fear of Him above all Trust in him Submission to Him Honour to His Holy Name Word Appointments Thankfulness Worship Repentance To our Neighbour in General Justice which requires a doing by him in all respects as we would be done by and forbids all injury whether it be by drawing him into Sin endangering his Life depriving him of his Peace invading his Bed his Goods or good Name and forbids all Envy and Malice and Covetous desires of what belongs to Him and Charity by which we wish well to him and are disposed to assist and help him In Particular To our Superiors Reverence and hearty Obdience and Submission to our Equals unfained Friendship and Kindness To our Inferiors Gentleness Mercy and a great care of their Souls To our Selves Humility Meekness Consideration Content Diligence and Watchfulness over our Selves Chastity or purity of Heart and Life Temperance in Eating and Drinking Moderation in our Sleep or Rest and Recreations and in our Garb and Expences Hy these Heads we may examine our selves And we must particularly confess wherein we have failed and we must not onl confess the sin but the circumstances of aggravation with which it was attended Of which see the first chapter of this Book And as we must confess with shame and sorrow so we must come to the Sacrament with express resolutions to forsake these sins for the time to come A Prayer before the Sacrament O Most Glorious and for ever Blessed Lord God Thou art and there is none like unto thee in Heaven or in Earth thy Wisdom is infinite thy Power irresistible and thou art of purer eyes than to behold the least iniquity with approbation It is of thy unspeakable Mercy that I am not long ago consumed I blush and am ashamed when I lift up my eyes unto thy Divine Majesty I do in all humble reverence prostrate my self before thee and implore thy gracious favour in the name and Mediation of Jesus Christ the Righteous who ever lives to make intercession for those who come unto God by him I do acknowledge thy many mercies towards me I received my being and my breath from thee I have ever since I came into being been sustained by thee Thou hast preserved mine eyes from tears my feet from falling and my Soul from death My Life and Health my Liberty and all the comforts of my life are intirely owing to thy gracious goodness and bounty But above all thou art to be acknowledged for thine inestimable Love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ for the means of Grace and hope of Glory Thou hast given thy Son to dye for me revealed thy gentle and holy Laws to direct and guide me promised thy Spirit to assist me propounded Eternal Life to encourage my endeavours I have been received into thy Church by Baptism and promised and professed obedience to thy holy Laws But notwithstanding all these obligations to sincere and universal obedience I have many wayes offended against thy Divine Majesty I have not honoured thee as my Creator nor loved thee as my Father nor obeyed thee as my Soveraign Lord and Master And whereas I have been very sensible of the kindness shewed my by my fellow Creatures I have had but very little sense of the innumerable and underserved favours which thou hast heaped upon me from time to time I have sinned against thee in thought word and deed I have sinned greatly and deserve the death which by my wickedness I have pursued I am guilty after the clearest light and knowledge Here make a particular confession of sin after the most indearing mercies and favours after the most solemn Vows and promises of obedience and the most awakening Judgments I have sinned under sufficient means of Grace and after many experiences of the evil of departing from thee I have contemned and despised thy divine Majesty and suffered my self by an easie and small temptation to be drawn away from thee the fountain of my Life and Happiness and the great lover of Souls O Lord look down from heaven with an eye of pity and compassion upon me a wretched sinner I am less then the least of thy mercies and am vile in my own eyes I beg thy pardon and forgiveness for Christ his sake who came into the World to seek and save that which was lost In a deep sense of the wickedness of my former life and the hainous nature of my offences I approach unto thy Divine Majesty with full purpose of amendment of Life I trust in thy mercy O Lord through Christ Jesus and do with all possible thankfulness keep in memory his precious death And being very sensible how much I stand in need of thy mercy and forgiveness of all my sins and the circumstances of aggravation which have attended them I do declare that I do forgive all my Enemies and that I come before thee with sincere and universal Charity to all mankind Search me O Lord and try my heart and lead me into the way Everlasting I am coming to thy Holy Table to renew the Covenant with thee which I have broken I am unworthy of the Crumbs which fall from thence But most gracious Lord look upon me in Christ Jesus Help me that I may attend upon thee without distraction Work in me all those holy and heavenly dispositions which may render me fit for this service Grant that I may come before thee with lowly thoughts of my self and the most raised apprehensions of thy love in Christ Jesus strengthen my weak Faith perfect my Repentance confirm my resolutions of amendment and enlarge my Charity grant that I may receive Christ Jesus my Lord and that I may walk in him That I may partake of the benefits of his death and of the fruits of his intercession at thy right hand I most humbly beseech thee not only to pardon all my past sins and to speak peace to my Soul but that thou wouldest renew my nature and write thy laws upon my heart Englighten my dark mind rectifie my crooked will sanctifie my depraved affections and purifie all the thoughts and intentions of my Heart and grant that for the time to come I may forsake
every evil way and purifie my self as thou art pure Keep me O Lord for the time to come from every thing that is hurtful to me and displeasing to thee From the excesses both of care and fear from snares and great perplexities from carnal desires and brutish inclinations from covetousness and hatred from envy and pride from vanity and dissimulation murmuring and discontent And make me stedfast in justice and charity in humility and meekness in purity of heart and heavenly mindedness and sincere devotion And to these Holy ends vouch safe me the presence of thy Spirit and power of thy grace and endue me with heavenly Wisdom and all this I beg for the sake and in the Mediation of Jesus Christ Our Father which art c. Ejaculations to be used at the Lords Supper THE Lord hath done great things for me whereof I am glad If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life At the Receiving of the Bread THou hast said O Blessed Jesus I am the living Bread which came down from heaven If any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever Be it unto thy Servant according to thy Word in which thou hast caused me to trust Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my Life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us ward They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee If I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred I am thine O Lord I devote my self to thee O save thy Servant who trusteth in thee I have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alway even unto the end Depart from me ye evil doers for I will keep the Commandments of my God At the Receiving of the Cup. O Blessed Saviour let thy Blood purge my Conscience from dead works to serve the living God Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood I will not henceforth live unto my self but unto him who dyed for me and rose again Blessed be the Lord my God who only doeth wondrous things And blessed be his glorious name for ever and let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory Amen and Amen After Receiving BLessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead To an inheritance uncorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Perfect that which concerneth me and forsake not the work of thine own hands I intreat thy favour with my whole heart Be merciful unto me according to thy word I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Judgements O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not A Prayer after the Receiving the Sacrament BLessed be thy glorious name O Lord for all thy unspeakable mercies to me and to all the World I adore and magnifie thee for thy great goodness in giving thy Son to dye for me and making me partaker of his most pretious Body and Blood O Lord what is man that thou thus regardest him And what am I a vile and wretched sinner that thou shouldst be thus favourable to me Thou hast been pleased to admit me to renew that Covenant with thee which I had broken and to give me assurance of thy readiness to pardon so vile and great a sinner as I have been I have received the pledges of thy love and been admitted to thy holy Table I have there devoted my self again unto thee my Soul and Body all my powers and faculties I have vowed obedience to thee and after the most solemn manner consecrated my self to thy service Thou art a God that knowest the heart and art not to be mocked I tremble when I consider thy infinite power wisdom and holiness Let these thoughts beget in my Soul a great fear of thy Holy name a great care to do thy will Grant I may not for the future turn the grace of thee my God into wantonness and that I may not receive the Grace of God in vain There is nothing hid from thee Thou knowest my weakness and infirmities and the temptations with which I am assaulted and to which I have too often yielded I am surrounded with snares and my spiritual Enemies are powerful and active O Lord help thy Servant and grant that I may both resist and vanquish them by the aid of thy Holy Spirit Keep the possession of my Soul which I have unfeignedly surrendred up unto thee Unite my heart O Lord to fear thy name and grant that I may spend the remainder of my time in obedience to thee and in acts of Charity to my brethren Create a clean heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me Forsake me not O Lord if thou leave me I perish Guide me by thy Counsel and at last receive me to thy glory I do greatly desire the Salvation of mankind and humbly commend to thee this Church and Kingdom the Kings Majesty and all our Superiors in Church and State humbly intreating thee to direct and guide them all into those holy wayes that are pleasing to thee and beneficial to those who are under their charge and influence And work in the minds of all Christians an unfeigned Charity a peaceable temper patience and exemplary meekness and all the other fruits of thy Holy Spirit And grant me thy heavenly grace that I may so use things temporal that I may not miss of thy Eternal Bliss for the sake of Jesus Christ my onely Mediator and Advocate Amen A Morning Prayer for a Family O Almighty and Eternal Lord God the great Creator of Heaven and Earth and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ look down from Heaven with pity and compassion upon thy servants who humbly cast ourselves down before thee in a great sense of thy mercies and our own misery There is an infinite distance between Thy Glorious
profess that Jesus is risen from the dead and that he is the Christ without any molestation And therefore this profession is no argument now that we have a saving Faith But were it now with us as it was with the first Christians it would be indeed an argument of our sincerity If it would cost us our lives or estates to confess the Faith of Christ then we might hope well of our selves if we retained our confidence unto the end This would argue us to be the faithful and genuine followers of our Lord. It is an easie thing to profess the Faith when we lose nothing by this profession But we cannot be his Disciples till we do prefer him before our Houses and Lands and our Life it self This was that which the first Martyrs or Witnesses of the Resurrection did They durst own Jesus to be the Christ though they paid their blood and sacrificed their lives for him No terrors or torments could make them deny the Lord that bought them The Faith of the Gospel was dearer to them than all the best things of this present life They that did this were indeed born of God And their patient sufferings for Christ were an evident argument of the sincerity of their Faith Secondly it is very certain and this follows from what was said before that the confessing of Christ the saying that he is the Lord the believing that Jesus is the Christ and confessing that he is come in the flesh do imply a life agreeable to such a profession 1 John 5 4 5. If the belief of these things have an influence upon our lives if it regulate and form them to a due and proportionable obedience then indeed we are born of God and shall be saved If we believe that Christ is risen and do which such a belief should teach us to do also rise with him to newness of life If we believe Jesus to be the Christ and accordingly submit to him in all his offices if we call him Lord and then do whatsoever he commands then indeed we are Gods Children and shall be saved It is very evident that no less than this can be meant by those expressions which are before named we cannot imagine that it is enough to call him Lord though we obey him not To believe that he rose from the dead when we lie in the grave of our sin and filthiness Certainly these expressions import the belief and profession of these truths and a life answerable to such a belief Were it not so it would be a most easie thing to be a Christian and our Faith were very reconcileable with our evil lives And therefore I add 4. A true and saving Faith is productive of a good life We must not only believe that what God hath revealed is true but we must consent to it and yield our selves obedient The Gospel may be looked upon either as an History of things that were done and said or as a tendry and offer of mercy upon terms and conditions which are therein specified and propounded And accordingly he that believes to Salvation does not only assent to what is therein revealed and made known but also consent to embrace the mercy that is there offered upon those terms upon which it is propounded For a man may believe what is revealed to be true and to have come from God and yet refuse to give up himself to the obedience of those precepts and rules which are there injoyned him in order to his eternal Salvation The holy Scriptures require of us such a belief as is accompanied with obedience And when it commands us the belief of the Gospel it requires that we should shew by our actions that we do believe it That is that we should so behave our selves as we do in other things which we do believe and how we do in other things it is easie to observe If men do upon rational grounds believe that they may attain their ends be it riches or honour c. by using such or such a method and course they do diligently set themselves to work that they may accomplish their designs Nay a very small assurance will set men to work in these cases The Merchant out of the uncertain hope of wealth will venture himself and what he hath upon a rough and a doubtful Sea The Ambitious man of Wars for the hope of a victory and a triumph will adventure his life upon the chance of battel The Husbandman that believes he shall fill his Barns and Coffers by his labour and pains will rise up early and sit up late and eat the bread of carefulness He will spare nor cost nor pains he will not be dismayed with the burden of the Summers heat nor the keenness of the Winters cold he will do and he will suffer no pains or care are thought too much that he may obtain his end Men do this when they have no assurance of success and when the thing which they aim at is not worth their while Yet these pains they take because they beleive their success is possible and that their labour may not be lost If men did believe the Gospel at this rate what would they not do that they might lay hold of eternal life Here 's a sure word of promise and here 's a great promise too here 's all the encouragement that can be imagined here 's eternal life before us that unspeakable gift and the greatest assurance of it upon the terms offered God himself who cannot lie or repent hath promised if we did believe this as much as we do other things which we have not such reason to believe we should not be idle and lazy but we should give all diligence we should always abound in the work of the Lord knowing that our labour would not be in vain in the Lord. Certainly thus it would be with us if our Faith were as it should be if it were genuine and of the right stamp But if we sit still and be unconcerned in the great affair of our Souls if we be lazy and without devotion we may indeed boast of a Faith but it is a dead Faith and we may please our selves with a good opinion of our estate but sure it is we are not risen with Christ but we are dead in our trespasses and sins Then we do indeed savingly believe the Gospel when this belief of it begets in us a good life Unless it have this effect upon us we are infidels and unbelievers For we cannot think our selves better then the Heathens for our Faith if our works be not better than theirs If we know these things and do not do them we are worse than they who know them not He believes as he should do that lives as he does believe The Gospel tells us that without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 Who can imagine that the man believes this who does confidently expect to go to Heaven and yet takes no care to pâ—â—ge and