begotten Son as the most powerful Argument and all indeed that we have to prevail with him for Pardon and Grace and Glory offering our Persons and our Services to the Father as acceptable unto him in the Vertue of this Sacrifice only 3. The Benefits of this Sacrament must needs be many seeing herein our blessed IESUS giveth himself unto us to be the food of our Souls His Body which was broken for us he here bids us take and eat His Blood which was shed for us he here bids us drink The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion or Communication of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communication of the Body of Christ Christ and all the Benefits of his Passion are freely communicated to the worthy Partakers of this Bread and this Cup. The Cup of which we drink is the New Testament in his Blood Covenants were of old made and confirmed with Sacrificings and Feastings the new Covenant of Grace and Salvation was established with us through the bloody Sacrifice of Iesus Christ and is renew'd and confirm'd by our feasting before God on this Sacrifice 1. This Blood was shed for the Remission of Sins and by our worthy drinking of it we receive an Assurance That our Sins and our Iniquities God will remember no more Hebrews 8. 12. 2. God by admitting us to his Table to feast on this Sacrifice owns us as Members of his proper Family and will accordingly provide for us and protect us He will be to us a God and we shall be to him a People Hebrews 8. 10. 3. The Promise of the Covenant was this I will put my Laws saith God into their Minds and write them in their Hearts God will give the light of Knowledge and the life of Grace not only teach us but incline our Hearts to love and delight in his Laws Here is Life and strength of Grace promised but all through Iesus Christ he is the bread of God which giveth Life unto the World and this bread is his Flesh which he gave for the Life of the World and he that eateth this bread shall never hunger nor die John 6. 33. 51. 35. 4. The Bond of Vnion betwixt Christ our Head and us his Members is hereby strengthned He saith he that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him Joh. 6. 56. 5. The Communion of Saints is hereby preserved and maintain'd by this we declare that we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all Partakers of that one Bread 1 Corinth 10. 17. 6. Our Faith of the Resurrection is hereby confirm'd Whoso eateth my Flesh saith Christ and drinketh my Blood hath eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6. 54. So many and inestimable are the Benefits of the New Testament in Christ's Blood by this Sacrament confirmed unto every worthy Communicant CHAP. VII What Affections of Soul are suitable to this Sacrament HE eateth and drinketh unworthily who discerneth not the Lord's Body To discern the Lord's Body is to put a sufficient Difference between this Divine Feast and other common Feasts both in our Iudgment Affection and Behaviour How we are to judge of it hath been already shewn We are next to see what Affections it calls for We come not here to feast with Men only but with God nor to feed our Bodies with a little Bread and Wine but our Souls on the Body and Blood of Christ. Let us then enquire 1. Are we deeply sensible of our spiritual Wants and our great need of this divine Food Except we eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Son of Man we have no Life in us John 6. 53. 2. Are we highly sensible of God's wonderful Goodness in providing so graciously for our Wants God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever belâ—eveth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life All things saith he are now ready come ye to the Marriage John 3. 16. Mat. 22. 4. 3. Do we verily believe that whosoever cometh preparedly shall be kindly welcome Him that cometh to me saith Christ I will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. 4. Have we longing Appetites and ardent Desires to this food of our Souls Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Matt. 5. 6. 5. Do we empty our Souls of carnal and worldly Thoughts and Cares and Desires Labour not for the Meat which perisheth but for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting Life which the Son of Man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed John 6. 27. 6. Are we not ready to lay hold on vain Excuses borrow'd from our worldly Businesses of Pleasures None of those Men saith God shall taste of my Supper Luke 14. 24. 7. Do we labour to put our selves into a fit habit and posture of Soul for so divine a Feast He that came without his Wedding-garment was bound hand and foot and cast into outer Darkness Matt. 22. 13. Now therefore we are as it were to new trim up all our Graces and appear with them before God in their greatest Brightness having our Souls adorned and adorning the Gospel of Christ. 1. Let the Consideration of the Odiousness of Sin to God which he would not pardon without the Death of his only begotten Son and of the astonishing Love of God to Sinners Souls so that he would send his Son to die rather than they should perish give Life to our Repentance 2. Let this Consideration that Christ hath not only left us the History of his Life Death and Resurrection in his Gospel confirmed by many Miracles but hath also instituted a solemn festival Commemoration of himself which hath been constantly celebrated in his Church in all Ages wherein what by the Word is preached to our Ears is lively represented to our Eyes even Iesus Christ evidently set forth crucified among us set our Faith on work 3. Let the wonderful Love of the Father in giving his only Son of the Son in shedding his precious Blood for us ungodly Sinners rebellious Enemies hopeless Wretches demonstrated in this Feast of Love enflame our Hearts with the Love of God in Iesus Christ. 4. Let the Promises of God that cannot lie first sealed in the Blood of the everlasting Covenant now renewed and confirmed in this Sacrament feed and nourish our Hope 5. Let the numerous Benefits of Christ's Death thus signally exhibited and assured unto us fill our Hearts with Thankfulness remembring that this Sacrament is the Eucharist a thankful Commemoration of Christ and this Cup the Cup of Blessing Praise or Thanksgiving 6. Let our Deliverance from the Vassalage of Sin and Torments of Hell and our new Title to the Kingdom of Heaven fill our Hearts with spiritual Joy Let us take the Cup of Sâ—lvation and call upon the Name of the Lord
reading makes all good Books mere Non-sense to you If it were not so you would never be weary of learning your Christian Duty nor of practising it neither and you would particularly never rest till you understood the right way of coming worthily to this heavenly Banquet unto which I here direct you Whenever men are Christians indeed they will set a greater Price than now they do upon this unvaluable Token of Divine Love and they will be ashamed to think that the Table of Devils should have so many Guests and the Table of the Lord so few I have here very plainly shunning all Disputes and Niceties laid the whole Duty before you with the necessity of it and the way to perform it aright I have also removed out of your way all the Rubs and Mormoes which are apt to hinder or affright you Nothing can be wanting but a Will in you to be Christians and to live so now as that you may live eternally This is that which I cannot give you but must not cease to beg it for you of the only Giver of all good Gifts nor to beseech you by the Mercies of God that you will by all means endeavour after it To the Grace of God I do moâ—â— heartily commend you in my Prayers beseeching him to bless this poor Endeavour to the eternal Good of your Souls THE CONTENTS Chap. I. THE necessity of Receiving this Sacrament II. The necessity and way of Receiving it worthily III. How to examine our selves about our Baptismal Covenant IV. A help for the Examination of our Faith V. A help for the Examination of our Repentance and Obedience VI. How to examine whether we be rightly disposed for this Sacrament VII What Affections of Soul are sutable to this Sacrament VIII How we are to behave our selves at this Sacrament IX The pretended Reasons for neglecting this Sacrament briefly answered X. The Stumbling-blocks cast in our way removed Some short Directions and Prayers THE WAY TO THE Lord's Table CHAP. I. The necessity of receiving this Sacrament REverently and Devoutly to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is so indispensable a Christian Duty that whosoever refuseth to do it doth no less in effect than refuse Salvation and renounce his Saviour There is no Salvation in any other but IESVS CHRIST No man cometh to the Father but by him There is no Salvation by Christ for those that keep not his Commandments but as he is the Author of Salvation to them that obey him So will he come to take Vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel And his express Command he hath left us in these plain Words This do in Remembrance of me Luke 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24. He that hath given us this Command is GOD over all blessed for ever The great God that made us the good Lord that bought and redeemed us with his own most precious Blood he to whom God the Father hath given all Power both in Heaven and in Earth and hath commanded us to hear him in all things whatsoever he saith unto us It is the Command of a dear Friend who loved us as his Father loved him who hath called us Friends and laid down his Life for us in pure Love and hath assured us that if we keep his Commandments we shall abide in his Love The Command of this dying Friend when he was going to reconcile us wicked Rebels by his own bloody Death unto God was this This do in Remembrance of me When dying for us he bequeathed unto us Pardon and his Spirit and eternal Life this he required of us that by doing this we would preserve alive a loving and thankful Remembrance of him and shew his Death and his Kindness therein to our Souls till he come again to receive us to himself and put us into full Possession of eternal Glory And how shall we then look him in the Face if we have refused to do this In this Sacrament he offereth us himself Crucified for us his Body and Blood the most choice Token of his wonderful Love Can we refuse it and not renounce his Love and Friendship thereby Thus would He have us declare our Fellowship with the Father and the Son and with the Holy Apostles and all Saints as joynt Members of his one Body the Church by feasting together at his Table on this one Bread Can we refuse to do this and not renounce all Fellowship with the Father and the Son and the Communion of Saints Two solemn Rites he hath instituted as peculiar to his Religion Baptism and the Supper of the Lord whereby we are to own him openly before the World and profess our selves in Covenant with him As he then that refuseth to be Baptized refuseth to be a Christian so he that having been baptized refuseth this other Sacrament doth in effect renounce his Baptism disown the Covenant apostatize from Christ and cast off the Profession of Christianity He hath not commanded us many chargeable and troublesome Sacrifices such as the Iews offered nor the Blood of our Sons and Daughters which the Gentiles grudged not to offer unto Devils The Cost we are put to is of a little Bread and Wine the Pains we are put to is with holy and thankful Hearts to take eat and drink in Remembrance of our Saviour Can we now disobey so easie a Command of the God of Heaven and Earth the King of the World the Redeemer of Sinners the only Saviour of Souls and not renounce God our Saviour the Christian Religion and all our claim to Salvation No 't is very plain that tho' the want of this Sacrament when it is desired but cannot be had is no Sin if not occasioned by our Sin yet the wilfull neglect of it is no less than a damning Sin unless there be no such thing as Damnation and the Gospel be a Fable from which blasphemous thought Good God preserve us all CHAP. II. The Necessity and Way to Receive worthily HE that eateth not at the Lord's Table must dye and he that eateth unworthily is in danger of Death so St. Paul assures us Whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 27. and again v. 29. He eateth and drinketh Damnation or Judgment to himself If this seem hard to us it is only because we are unreasonable and had rather not do any Duty at all than be at the Pains to do it as we ought As the Duty is necessary and yet very reasonable and not burdensome so to do it worthily is as necessary and no less reasonable or easie if we have a Mind to be Christians The Direction how to communicate worthily we have in these words Let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup 1 Cor. 11. 28. They who are ignorant
my Director and his Will my Choice and his Promises my Confidence and his Laws my Rule and depending on his Providence in all dangers or wants using the lawful means which he alloweth and no other without any disheartning Fears or anxious Thoughts and Cares commending the Success to him in Prayer dare I trust all my Concerns both in this World and the next to God only through the Mediation of Iesus Christ Do I not presume of Salvation by Christ without the Sanctification of his Spirit nor hope for Mercy without Repentance and Amendment of my Life but doth my hope in God set me upon cleansing my self from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit and perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God never despairing of his Mercy through Christ so long as I sincerely desire and endeavour to serve him faithfully Have I been patient in Wants and Losses and Griefs without all repining at God's Dealings or hard Thoughts of him Do I thankfully receive his sharpest Chastisements improving them all to Humility and Amendment of Life and rejoycing in them as Tokens of his Love and as the Condition which he hath chosen as best for me Have I not neglected to worship God devoutly both in publick and in secret and do I not rest in a formal outward Worship and for low ends but heartily in pure Conscience of Duty to honour God thereby Do I pray fervently and reverently and with a prepared and composed Mind and for such things as are agreeable to God's Will especially for Grace to enable me to honour him Have I reverently attentively and constantly read and heard God's Word treasuring it in my Heart as the Rule of Life and Foundation of Hope not enduring to hear it abused Have I kept holy the days of God's solemn Worship constantly frequenting the publick Assemblies and devoutly joyning in all the Services there Have I behaved my self in God's House as in his more especial Presence and done what I was able to maintain and uphold the holy Ministry and the Purity of God's Worship without Heresie Superstition Schism or Faction Have I duely and preparedly received the Sacraments of Christ's Institution and submitted my self to the Government and Discipline of his Church endeavouring to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Have I had a religious regard to the sacred Name of God in no case using it blasphemously profanely vainly irreverently or willingly hearing it so used either in common swearing needless swearing false swearing or in idle talk of God or hypocritical praying to God or venting false Doctrine in God's Name or fathering any evil practice on God or by my wicked Life tempting others to blaspheme the Name of Christ by which I am called Have I made a right use of my Reason to judge of things as they deserve and to consider my Obligations to God and the great Concerns of my Soul and to care for it more than for my Body and to govern my self so by the Laws of God that I am ready to die and to give account of my self at the Judgment Seat of Christ Have I check'd in my idle Thoughts and busied them in things useful Have I restrained and kept in my Passions within the Bounds of Religion and not been hurried by them unto any Words or Deeds unbeseeming a Christian Have I well husbanded my time in doing good and lost wilfully as little as may be Have I had just Thoughts of my self as a vile Sinner and hath not any Opinion of my Birth Parentage Strength Beauty Riches Honours Wit Learning any Action Gift Grace or Vertue made me proud self-conceited ambitious or vain-glorious Have I thankfully acknowledged all to be God's undeserved gift of which he may deprive me when he will and very justly because I have not done so much good by it as I ought Have I been temperate and sober not exceeding in Meat Drink Sleep Sport or Apparel and used them all to the Health Strength Refreshment and Vigour of my Body and Mind that I might the better serve God in the Duties of my Calling Have I not in any of them wasted my time weakened my Body disordered my Head fed my Lusts consumed my Estate disabling my self to do my duties of Piety to God Justice to my Neighbour Charity to the Poor and providing for my Charge and educating my Children Have I carefully avoided superfluous Expences bewitching Pleasures tempting Company Idleness and unprofitable Business Have I loved my Neighbour as my self and done to all men as I would they should do to me that is all the good I could and no hurt instructing admonishing reproving counselling comforting giving forgiving healing helping relieving speaking well of praying for him and doing him all good Offices according to my Power and Opportunities Have I been thankful to others for the like Kindnesses studying to requite them Do I reverence without Envy my Superiours in any kind am I loving and friendly to all my Equals and affable and helpful to my Inferiours without Pride or Disdain no way scorning upbraiding mocking or vilifying them for any Infirmities or Imperfections Have I honour'd the King and all inferiour Magistrates praying for them speaking no evil of them obeying their just Commands paying Tribute and Custom suffering willingly for my Faults and patiently without resistance for well-doing discovering all Plots and Conspiracies that I can know of against them assisting them against their Enemies serving faithfully under them in my â—lace and Calling no way disturbing the Peace obstructing or reproaching the Government Have I esteemed the Pastors and Governours in the Church highly in love for their Works sake not defrauding them of or grudgingly paying or by hard Bargains diminishing their dues Do I pray for them often consult them submit to their Teaching and Discipline and neither by my Absence from Church nor irregular Life or any war discourage them Have I loved and honoured my Father and Mother concealing their Failings bearing their Infirmities endeavouring their Comfort obeying their Commands following their Counsel praying for their Happiness and long Lives submitting to their Correction relieving and requiting them to my Power as there was need Have I loved and done all fatherly or motherly Offices for my Children given them devoutly to God in Baptism pray'd for them nursed them instructed them moderately corrected them restrained them from Evil given them good Example encouraged them in Goodness not pamper'd them in Back or Belly brought them up in Humility and Modesty provided them of honest Callings and married them religiously Have I loved my Brothers or Sisters and manifested my Love to them as
good Christians want it and are but working out their Salvation with fear and trembling To labour after it is our Duty to have it is our great Comfort but no Condition of Salvation Do you believe the Gospel that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved that Iesus Christ is the Saviour of all them that repenting of their Sins trust in his Merits and live in Obedience to his Government and Laws Do you accordingly consent to be saved by him upon these terms and striving against Sin earnestly desire and endeavour to live according to his Gospel and trust to him for Salvation This is saving Faith whether you have full Assurance or no and you are to receive this Sacrament for the strengthning of your Faith Obj. 6. Faith worketh by Love Gal. and I fear I do not love God Ans. Are you convinced that God is the chief good and ought to be loved above all things And do you so value him above all things Are you thereupon resolved to do any thing to part with any thing to suffer any thing thereby to honour him and enjoy his Love Do you thus practice and can you deny your self and your own Will to do his This is Love that you keep his Commandments And though you feel not such a passionate Lov◠〈◊〉 you have for some other things yet if you have this prizing and over-ruling Love that you do prefer his Will and his Favour above other things you are to use this Sacrament for the confirming and farther inflaming your Love Obj. 7. I fear I do not truly repent for I cannot weep for my Sins Ans. Can you hate them and avoid them and do you in Obedienee to God and of Love to him shun all Temptations and watch against them If so though your Eyes be dry God will not despise a broken Heart Obj. 8. But I feel Lusts and evil Inclinations stirring in me Ans. So you shall whilst you live more or less But do you not feed and cherish them Do not you delight in them nor obey and fulfill them Do you on the contrary check and restrain them and use all the means of subduing and mortifying them If you find it thus come to this Sacrament with Comfort Let not Sin reign in you to fulfill the Lusts thereof and all will be well Obj. 9. I am not in charity with my Neighbours therefore I dare not come Ans. That is You dare sin and perish but you dare not leave off sinning and do your Duty and be saved If you be not in charity how dare you pray for the Forgiveness of your Sins as you forgive others how dare you sleep lest you die out of Charity Plead not Sin as an Excuse for not doing your Duty but leave your Sin and do it Obj. 10. But I am engaged in Law Suits and dare not come till they be ended Ans. That is You will have your Right first if you can get it and let God stay your leisure for his When you have got your Will of your Neighbour you will do your Duty to God But cannot you manage your Law Suits justly and charitably Can you not defend or recover your Right without doing wrong or bearing ill will to your Neighbour Then doâ— you take a sad course to damn 〈◊〉 own Soul to do your Neighbour an ill-turn Do nothing but your Duty in going to Law and you need not be kept from your Duty in this Sacrament of Christ. Obj. 11. I have so much Business that I cannot prepare my self Ans. Is it honest and profitable Business which you may do to the Glory of God Then need it not hinder you from doing this great Business of your Soul Doth it afford you time to eat and drink to sleep yea and perhaps give and receive impertinent Visits And will it allow no time to prepare your self for this Sacrament See that you make no more Business than is needful Examine your self daily and stir up your Affections to God and renew your Vows and use only honest Business and the work of Preparation will require no great time â—bj 12. I receive it sometimes but why so often Ans. Where 's the Zeal of the Primitive Christians who communicated every Lord's Day or oftner What Reason can you give why this Sacrament should not be a part of all our publick and more solemn Worship seeing it is a Duty whereby we are so especially to own our selves the Disciples of a Crucified Saviour Have we not need often to stir up in us the Remembrance of Christ to quicken and actuate our Graces Are they so lively and active in us Would not the frequent Celebration hereof keep in us a warm sense of our Christian Duty to live Godly Righteously and Soberly Would it not keep in a constant readiness to dye and fit our Accounts for Iudgment Can our unwillingness frequently to communicate signifie any thing else but that we too coldly resent God's Love to our Souls in Christ and thaâ— we desire to have time enough betwixt Sacrament and Sacrament to 〈◊〉 get our Vows and to enjoy our Sins and hope to make amends for all the next time we receive Obj. 13. I see many that come to this Sacrament little better for it they live no better Lives than they did before Ans. You see some that thrive not by their Labour nor grow strong by their Meat nor are cured by their Physick Will this move you to neglect your Business refuse to eat seek no Remedy when you are sick Must not you do your Duty because others do it amiss Obj. 14. I have not found that Benefit and Comfort by it formerly which should encourage me to come to it again Ans. We are to do our Duty whether we get any thing by it or no. If we reap not the Benefit the fault is neither in God nor his Ordinance but in our selves The Sun makes a living Plant grow but drieth up a dead one If we have done our Duty as we ought the Conscience of that should comfort us very much If we hold on constantly in a Christian course of Life we may presume we have got good by this Sacrament and may get much more by receiving it oftner Be more careful to do your Duty in an acceptable manner than too desirous of sensible Joys and Comforts The Duty is ours to perform in its season the Benefit is God's to give when he pleaseth and the Comfort may be reserved to come in fully in Heaven Obj. 15. But I am guilty of back-stiding into many Sins since the last Sacrament Ans. It is that which good men have been guilty of and for that there is no less need of Humiliation and Repentance but there is more room for Hope The more dangerously you have fallen the more care ought you to take to rise again by Repentance the more need have you to renew youâ— Covenant and to come for more strength in your greater need Obj. 16. I shall