awful presence of that God to whom he had made them Psal. 16. 8. I have set the Lord always before my Face that I might not sin against him And Psal. 119. 106. I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Iudgments § XIV The third thing concerning which we are to examine our selves before we approach this Holy Table is Whether we have a lively Faith in God's Mercy thro' Christ. Not a dead cold and unactive but a lively Faith for Faith without Works is dead and such is the ungrounded fatal Presumption of every impenitent Sinner for what is more common than for bad Men who live in direct contradiction to our Saviour's Laws in repeated Acts of Intemperance Injustice Uncleanness immoderate Love to this World and in the neglect of their Duty of Praying of God's Word and Sacrament What is more common than to hear such mistaken Wretches as these cry out that God is merciful that Christ has died and they hope to be saved tho' they bring forth no Fruits meet for Faith or Repentance They believe the Promise of the Gospel tho' they never take care to perform the Conditions of it But they forget or are willingly ignorant that it contains threatnings too and that very terrible ones against the Impenitent and Disobedient and that Christ himself has told such that he 'll say to them at the last day Depart from me I never knew you because Workers of Iniquity But the true lively Faith here required is Such a Belief of God's Word and such a Trust in his Mercy thro' his Promises by our Saviour as produces a constant and ingenuous Obedience Now if we find this Faith weak and languishing we must pray as the Disciples did Lord encrease our Faith And to that End we must consider the Promises of God unto us for the sake of his dear Son our Lord in whom all the Promises are Yea and Amen ratified and certain In whom alone the Father is well pleased by the Merits of whose Obedience and Sufferings his Satisfaction his Intercession and Mediation he is reconciled to lost Mankind and offers Pardon to all that are penitent and obedient And this is all our Salvation and all our Desire the Hope of Holy Souls the Ground of their Consolation and their Triumph which are fixed so firmly upon that Rock of Ages that they can never be moved who has told us That if we believe in God we must believe also in him as the means of conveying all the Father's blessings nay as being himself as he is God the Author and Finisher of our Faith Whence it follows that he himself the second Person of the glorious Trinity may and ought to be the object of our Trust our Faith and our Adoration both in this Life and in the hour of Death as he was of blessed St. Steven's who cried out in his last Agonies Lord Jesus receive my Spirit * Act. 7. 59. And thus in our preparation for the Holy Sacrament without the reception whereof I see not how any can live comfortably or die happily we must actually advert unto deeply and seriously consider those Promises which God has made us by his Son of Grace and Pardon on our Repentance and Obedience That those who come to the Father by him he will in no wise cast out St. Iohn 6. 37. That they shall not see Death but are passed from Death unto Life St. Iohn 8. 51. 5. 24. That there is no condemnation for them which are in Christ Iesus and who those are we are immediately told who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 1. That all who are weary and heavy laden with the Burthen of their Sins if they come unto him he will refresh them St. Matt. 11. 28. and several others of the same nature the substance of the Gospel being promises of eternal Life to those who yield a sincere and impartial tho' not absolutely sinless and perfect obedience to the Commands of it all the threatnings thereof being only the unavoidable Consequences of wilfully rejecting it Now the very Nature of the Sacrament shows the necessity of Faith towards worthy Receiving for how can we renew our Covenant with God unless we believe he 's really willing to be reconciled to us and have a firm Faith in his Truth his Power and his Goodness And how could we have any well grounded hopes of Pardon but from the Revelation of the Gospel and by the merits of a Redeemer And to the exercise of this Grace the Church also directs us when we approach this Holy Table requiring us to have a lively and stedfast Faith in Christ our Saviour and so in the Exhortation the Sunday before the Communion that 't is requisite that those who come thither should have a full Trust in God's Mercy Not that all are required to have the same degrees of Faith for there are doubtless different measures of it as in the Resurrection one Star shall differ from another in Glory 1 Cor. 15. 43. But our Faith ought certainly to be so strong as to overcome our Infidelity to over come the World It is to be sincere and then it will not want acceptance tho' it be but as a Grain of Mustard-Seed for our gracious Lord has promised that he will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax St. Matt. 12. 20. Tho' we are always to press forward that this as well as all other Graces may still be encreased towards which nothing can more highly conduce than the frequent and devout reception of this Sacrament § XV. The 4th thing concerning which we are to examine our selves in our preparation is whether we have a thankful Remembrance of Christ's Death whereunto the Church directs us in such pathetical Expressions as were scarce ever excelled and I question whether equalled in any other Liturgy tho' not only the antient Churches but our Protestant Brethren particularly the French and the Tigurine have excellent Forms on this occasion I mean that passage wherein we are exhorted * Exhortation at the time of the celebration above all things to give most humble and hearty Thanks to God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost for the Redemption of the World by the Death and Passion of our Saviour Christ both GOD and Man who did humble himself even to the Death upon the Cross for us miserable Sinners who lay in darkness and the shadow of Death that he might make us the Children of God and exalt us to everlasting Life This we are to do above all things because this true and unfeigned Gratitude is the principal Ornament of the Wedding-Garment This seems to have been the chief and immediate End of the Institution Do this in Remembrance of me and hereby ye shew forth the Lord's Death till he come And how is it possible for any ingenuous mind to remember to reflect upon our Saviour's sufferings without the most tender Resentments
from those heavy Punishments that are due unto them but from their Power and prevailing Influence on my Mind from all my Sins even those which have been most dear unto me and am willing to cut off my Right Hand or pluck out my Right Eye so I may but enter into the Kingdom of Heaven My Saviour came to take away the Sins of the World He has born all our Griefs he has carried our Sorrows he was wounded for our Transgressions he was grieved for our Iniquities he has excepted none out of that General Pardon which he has purchased for Mankind and offered to all those who are qualified for receiving it I present the Merits of his inestimable Sacrifice before thee O offended Majesty of Heaven I have no Merits of my own I have nothing I am nothing but vile Dust and Sin But he is worthy for whose sake I beg Mercy of thee which I most humbly implore and expect only in that way which thou hast appointed and on those Conditions which thy Son has revealed in his Holy Gospel by an unfeigned Repentance a firm Faith a sincere and an impartial Obedience O therefore take away all mine Iniquities and receive me graciously who like the Prodigal desire to return to my Father's House And since 't is thou alone who dost both put into our Minds good Desires and canst also give us Grace to perform the same assist me now and ever in those Holy Resolves which I make of new and better Obedience Vouchsafe me thy Grace to avoid all those Occasions and Temptations whereby I have been too often drawn to Evil. Let thy Blessed Spirit evermore comfort and guide me and lead me into all Truth and all Goodness Let me henceforth Evidence my unfeigned Love to my Saviour by keeping his Commandments and let that and all other Graces be excited and encreased in me at this Time in my approaches to his Holy Table Pardon the frivolous and sinful Excuses which I have too often made for my Absence from it my want of Preparation for it the Deadness and Indevotion of my Soul in receiving it and my shameful Unprofitableness by it O that I may now sit under my Saviour's shadow with great Delight and that his Fruit may be sweet unto my Taste That I may in this Sacrament receive greater Strength than ever against my Sins and be thereby nourished up unto Everlasting Life that so after this painful Life is ended I may sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of Heaven for the sake of Jesus Christ who ever lives to make Intercession for us in whose most perfect Form of Word I conclude my unworthy and imperfect Prayers saying Our Father c. Collect for Perseverance O GOD of all Power and all Love who art the same yesterday to day and for ever and hast assured us in thy Holy Word that thou wilt not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. Accept I beseech thee for the sake of thy Dear Son any weak beginnings of Goodness which thou mayst have wrought in me by thy Holy Spirit Despise not the Day of small things Help me to continue to the End that I may be saved And now that I have put my Hand to the Plough grant I may never look back lest I be accounted unworthy of the Kingdom of Heaven My Strength O Lord I ascribe unto thee for my own Heart has often deceived me and I know that all my Strength is weakness and my Wisdom folly Assist me therefore by the mighty Aids of thy Holy Spirit and while I am to wrestle not only against Flesh and Blood but against Principalites and Powers let the strong Man be bound by a stronger than he and the God of Love bruise Satan under my Feet Let me be content to suffer shame for thy sake and never be drawn away by the Number or Greatness of bad Examples Lead me not into Temptation and let me never be so hardy and presumptuous as to rush into it Keep me always sober and vigilant temperate and humble ever upon my Guard watching and praying that the Enemy may obtain no advantage against me Accept and confirm all my Vows and Resolutions of Obedience Let me have a constant Respect unto the blessed Recompence of Reward and by patient continuance in well doing seek for and at length obtain Glory Immortality and Eternal Life thro' thy Mercies in Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen! Amen For Faith O LORD who hast said that he who has but Faith as a Grain of Mustard-seed may remove Mountains and that without Faith it is impossible to please thee Increase my Faith and let me thereby overcome the World and the Flesh and quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil Let me firmly believe all thy Promises to the Penitent and Obedient and all thy Threatnings against impenitent Sinners Let me not rest in a dead Faith a presumptuous Opinion that I shall be pardoned or saved without performing all those good Works which thou hast prepared for me to walk in Give me that Faith which worketh by Love and by an impartial Obedience to thy Commands Let me firmly believe in the Lord Jesus that I may be saved and not trust in my own Righteousness but in his Merits who is the Way the Truth and the Life Let me always hope in him for Pardon of what 's past and Grace to serve thee better for the future Let me have a lively and stedfast Faith in him when I approach to his Table that I may draw near and take the Holy Sacrament to my Comsort and that it may powerfully help me forward in the right way which leads unto Everlasting Life To the unfading Glories of that happy State where Faith shall be changed into sight where with Holy Souls who are departed this Life in the true Faith and Fear of thy Holy Name I may enjoy the End of my Faith the Salvation of my Soul and see and love thee to all Eternity thro' Jesus Amen A Thanksgiving before the Sacrament WHAT shall I render to thee O God of all Grace for the Riches of thy Goodness towards me a miserable Sinner How utterly unworthy am I even of the common Blessings of Life And yet art thou pleased out of thy infinite Mercies once more to permit me to invite me to tread thy Courts to sit at thy Table and to Feast on Angels Food O that my Heart could be fully possest with Thoughts of Gratitude and Love O let my Mouth be filled with Thanks and my Lips with Praise for those inestimable Benefits God will in very deed dwell with Man tho' the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him My Saviour will fulfil his gracious Promise and be present with his Church in his own Institutions till the End of the World I have now one happy Opportunity more offered me to renew that Covenant which I have so often broken to obtain greater Strength against my Sins and to sacrifice
THE Pious Communicant Rightly Prepar'd OR A DISCOURSE Concerning the Blessed Sacrament Wherein the NATURE of it is Described our Obligation to frequent Communion Enforced and Directions given for due Preparation for it Behaviour at and after it and Profiting by it WITH PRAYERS and HYMNS suited to the several Parts of that Holy Office To which is added A Short DISCOURSE of BAPTISM By SAMUEL WESLEY A. M Chaplain to the most Honourable IOHN Lord Marquess of Normanby and Rector of Epworth in the Diocese of Lincoln LONDON Printed for Charles Harper at the Flower-de-luce over-against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet MDCC The Life of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. An Heroic Poem Dedicated to Her most Sacred MAJESTY In Ten Books In Folio Each Book Illustrated by necessary Notes With Sixty Copper-Plates by the celebrated Hand of W. Faithorn The Second Edition revised and improved with the Addition of a large Map of the Holy-Land and a Table of the Principal Matters Written by the Author of this Manual on the Sacrament Printed for C. Harper PREFACE WHEN so many excellent Treatises have already appear'd on this Subject it may well be wonder'd why after all so mean a Pen should attempt so weighty an Argument since 't is almost impossible to say any thing New upon it and the mildest Question a Man must expect who now handles it would be of the same Nature with that of Iob to his Friends Who knoweth not such Iob xii 3. Things as these But one that is resolved to write a Book seldom wants an Excuse for doing it and will be ready to draw one even from the Number of those which have gone before him since this might have hinder'd others as well as him And besides there is a different Size of Writers suitable to the different Capacities of Readers and Acquaintance or Inclination or sometimes pure Accident may be the occasion of some Persons reading one Book when they would not have read another and perhaps to Profit more by it than they might by another better written on the same Subject What I have aim'd at in this Manual is to be as clear and methodical as I could both in the Description of the Nature of the Sacrament and the Occasion and Ends of its Institution and in the Directions for our Behaviour in relation to the Reception of it I have endeavour'd to give a rational and distinct View of it in all the Notions wherein Learned and Pious Men have represented it To press home the indispensible tho' much neglected Duty of frequent Communion which I am persuaded would highly conduce to a general Reformation of Manners and to repair the Decays of Christian Piety amongst us To lay down some plain Rules for our Preparation and Heads of Examination in order to our worthy Receiving with Meditations or Prayers suited to every Part of the Office and inserted in their proper Places As to the double Appendix the former relating to our Religious Societies whose Rules and Orders have been published and defended by Mr. Woodward in his late Book on that Subject and my Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells in the Life of Dr. Horneck and for whom Her late Majesty of Blessed Memory was so much concerned while She was living their whole Design appeared to me so highly serviceable to Christianity that I could not but take this Opportunity to recommend it and shall still be of the same mind till I can see what I have here offered on that Head fairly answered And the latter which relates to Baptism will be granted not unnecessary when several I hope well-meaning Persons especially in those Parts where I live are unsatisfied about it And 't is the same which has been done before by the Right Reverend and Pious Bishop of Ely in his Aqua Genitalis after his Mensa Mystica and by others who have laboured on the same Subject Likewise I have added the Great Hallel or Paschal Hymn which was usually sung by the Iews at their Passover and by our Saviour and his Apostles at the Institution of this Sacrament Nor am I unwilling to own that I have thro' the whole wrought in any memorable Thoughts which I have met with in such Authors as have handled the same Argument having done all as plainly and compendiously as I was able To conclude if the whole or any Part of this little Book may any ways tend to promote the Glory of God or the Piety and Happiness of Mankind especially of that dear Flock over which it has pleased God to give me Charge I shall not much regret my Composing and Adventuring it abroad into the World THE CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Pag. 1. Chap. I. Of the Nature of the Sacrament 3. Chap. II. Of the perpetual Obligation that lies upon Christians of riper years to communicate and even to frequent Communion 42. Chap. III. Of Examination before the Sacrament and Preparation for it 94. A Confession when we are Preparing for the Communion 128. A Collect for Perseverance 132. For Faith 134. A Thanksgiving before the Sacrament 135. A Collect for Charity 137. Chap. IV. Of our Behaviour immediately before the Communion and when we receive it 143. An Act of Penitence 163. An Act of Faith 165. An Act of Humility immediately before Receiving 167. An Act of Praise after Receiving 169. An Act of Love 170. Chap. V. Of our Behaviour after we have received and during the whole course of our Lives especially the Time betwixt different Celebrations 173. Questions for the Evening 186. Questions for the Morning 187. Short Directions for those who are really straightned for Time and cannot go thro' the larger Methods of Examination already given And a Prayer for one in Affliction and Want 187 c. Of BAPTISM 189. The Great Hallel or Pasehal Hymn c. 251. THE Worthy Communicant INTRODUCTION THE End of every Christian Duty is to make us still better and holier The height of our Perfection consists in the Imitation of God unless we know God we cannot be like him and the clearest Revelation of his Nature and of his Will is left us by his Son in his Holy Gospel The Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord is an Epitome of that Gospel * The word Sacrament is often used in the Fathers for the whole Christian Religion and a lively Representation of our Saviour's Sufferings He therefore who frequently and devoutly receives it cannot be an ill Man but must needs make a more than ordinary Progress in Virtue and Holiness For the promoting whereof I have undertaken to write this little Manual wherein I shall endeavour in the I. Chapter to give a clear and rational Account of the Nature of this Sacrament and the Occasion and Ends of its Institution As in the II. Of the perpetual Obligation which lies upon all adult Christians to communicate and even to frequent Communion In the III. Of our Examination before it and Preparation for it The
IV. Our Behaviour in it And in the V. After we have received and during the whole course of our Lives especially the Time betwixt different Celebrations To which shall be added Prayers Meditations and Hymns suited to the several Parts of this Holy Office CHAP. I. Of the Nature of the Sacrament § I. THE Sacrament of the Lord's Supper may be thus described 'T is a Memorial and Representation of the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ instituted by Christ himself in the room of the Jewish Passover wherein by the breaking of Bread and drinking of Wine we renew our Covenant with God praising him for all his Goodness and testify our Union with all good Men and whereby the Benefits of our Saviour's Death are sealed and applyed to every faithful Receiver § II. 'T is a Memorial of the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ. I confess the whole Sacred Action has been stiled by the Fathers as well as by some Excellent Persons of our own Church the Christian Sacrifice the unbloody Sacrifice and is indeed such in the same Sense that Prayer and Praise whereof it is in a great measure compos'd are styled under the Gospel spiritual Sacrifices Nay it comes yet nearer to the Nature of the old Eucharistical and other Sacrifices because 't is an Oblation of something visible namely Bread and Wine to be consum'd to God's Honor which are then offer'd when the Minister places them on the Christian Altar or Holy Table as was done more solemnly by lifting them up in the antient Church immediately after which in the Prayer for the Church Militant he beseeches God to receive our Oblations as well as Alms and Prayers which may relate to the Bread and Wine newly offered But since it has no shedding of Blood therein which has been thought essential to a proper Sacrifice * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 macto facio is used in the same Sense and that the shedding of our Saviour's Blood is only Sacramentally represented in it and not actually and properly poured forth as it was upon the Cross whereon he was once offered to take away Sin and since the Sacrament is a Memorial of that one Oblation of Christ and 't is contrary to the Nature of a Memorial or Remembrance of the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ to be the same with that Sacrifice it remembers for these Reasons we cannot own any such proper propitiatory attoning Sacrifice * Homily of the Sacrament Part 1. We must take heed lest of the Memory it be made a Sacrifice exactly as Eusebius who says our Saviour left us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Sacrament as the Romanists do believe any more than we can think with them that 't is available both for quick and dead of neither of which we find any Footsteps in the Holy Scriptures Suffice it therefore that we believe it a Sacrifice in the highest Sense that Prayer and Praise are so call'd in the New Testament because it requires and is compos'd of the most exalted Acts of both that we believe it an Offering or Dedication of the Bread and Wine to the sacred use as well as we therein offer our selves anew to God and that we believe the whole Action a Memorial a Commemoration and Representation of the inestimable Sacrifice of the Death of Christ whereby alone we expect Life and Salvation § III. First 'T is a ' Memorial or Commemoration of Christ's Death and of the Sacrifice which he thereby offer'd for us That is by this sacred Action we record and keep it in mind till he come again to Iudgment And that according to his own Command as St. Luke * St. Luk. 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. relates it of the Bread and St. Paul both of the Bread and Wine This do in remembrance of me As forgetfulness of God's Goodness and Ingratitude for it must needs have been great occasions of the fall of Man so that very fall renders us still more forgetful and ungrateful Mankind will therefore have always need enough of Helps to their Memory in religious Matters And some of these God has appointed wherever there has been a revealed Religion Thus the Sacrifice of the Passover was instituted for a Remembrance of what the Israelites suffered in Egypt and of God's wonderful Mercy in delivering them from it as well as to typify or shadow forth unto them Christ himself our great Passover The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was in like manner instituted That we might keep in memory that which Christ suffered for us and delivered to us such a sensible Sign and remarkable solemn Action being much more likely to preserve a lively impression of it than if it had been only barely recorded in History Now this Commemoration may be considered either with respect to our selves or with respect to God as it respects our selves we not only therein commemorate God's Love in general to Mankind in giving his Son and our Saviour's Love in giving himself a Ransom for all Men to bring them into a Capacity of Salvation on their Faith and Obedience but yet farther the actual Application of his meritorious Sacrifice to our selves on our performing the Conditions of his Covenant and his infinite Goodness in making us partakers of his Holy Word and Sacraments and thereby calling us to this State of Salvation and preserving us in it As this Commemoration relates to God we do also in the Communion present a Memorial of a sweet Savour before him and beseech him for the sake of his dear Son and by his Agonies and bloody Sweat by his Cross and Passion and precious Death to have Mercy upon us and grant us the Remission of our Sins and all other Benefits of his Sufferings Not that God is either ignorant of our Wants or unwilling to relieve us or forgetful of us But we must be sensible of these things our selves and of God's Power to help us and seek for Relief in those ways he has appointed And well may we more solemnly commemorate our Saviour's Sacrifice in this Sacrament when we do the same in some degree even in our daily Prayers and ask all for his sake and in a Sense offer him anew to his Father applying his Attonement and pleading his Merits and trusting in his Intercession and Meditation Nor ought we to forget that the antient Liturgies did not only commemorate our Saviour's Death in the Sacrament but likewise his Resurrection and Ascention into Heaven § IV. Secondly But there is not only a Commemoration but a Representation too of our Saviour's Death in the Holy Communion 'T is not a bare Remembrance of it 't is a lively Scheme and Figure of what he endur'd As oft as ye eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup says the Apostle ye do shew forth or rather by way of Command shew ye forth the Lord's Death till he come Declare it proclaim it tell the People what great things he has done Whence
them all before God at his Holy Altar even after I have either frequently slighted the like Invitations or been present at thy Holy Table without due Preparation and Devotion or have soon forgotten those Promises which I there made and those Vows of God which have been upon me But O Lord as my utter unworthiness does more magnifie thy infinite Goodness so let the Sense of the one produce in my Mind more lively and lasting acknowledgements of the other For which help me to magnifie thee O God my King and to praise thy Name for ever and ever and grant that I may now approach thy Table with such devout Praises such true Gratitude such humble Love as may there be accepted of thee and being increased and confirmed by the renewed Pledges of thy Favours I may continue to shew forth thy Praise in the steddy Course of a fruitful thankful and obedient Life thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen! A Collect for Charity O LORD who hast told us that all our doings without Charity are nothing worth pour into my Heart I beseech thee the most excellent Gift of Charity that I may love thee above all things and love my Neighbour as my self I am now approaching once more to that Feast of Love which my Saviour has provided for me O that my Heart may be entirely penetrated with his Love and that the endearing Thoughts of what he has done and suffered for me even while I was an Enemy may wholly subdue in me all Hatred and Wrath and Malice and Revenge and criminal Self-love and Peevishness and immoderate Anger and may render it as delightful to me as 't is necessary to forgive all that have offended me as I expect that God for Christ's sake should forgive me Give me a constant Disposition to love my Enemies to bless them that curse me do good to them that hate me and pray for them that despightfully use me and persecute me Here if you have any Enemies 't would be well in particular to name them and ask Pardon for them and then add Forgive O Lord my Trespasses as I desire from the bottom of my Heart to forgive all those that trespass against me and help me by a wise a gentle and a peaceable behaviour and by all good Offices towards them to heap Coals of Fire upon their Heads and melt them down into a better Temper Grant that I may more and more covet that best Gift of Charity and may feel it daily encrease in my Heart towards all my Christian Brethren Let my Love unto them be advanced in proportion to their Excellency in Piety and nearer Resemblance to God Especially unite me in the most fervent and tender Affection to all those with whom by thy Grace I shall partake of the Bread of Life at the approaching Communion Let us be all one Body and one Bread and grant that I may heartily seek the Welfare both of their Souls and Bodies Bless thy Holy Catholick Church especially that part of it planted in these Kingdoms Reform her Professors heal her Breaches disappoint and convert her Enemies Pity all that suffer for Righteousness sake Here add any particular Church that is persecuted as suppose in France Scotland c. Comfort the afflicted support the miserable help those that have no helper and in thy due time deliver thine Israel out of all their Trouble for Christ his sake Amen! § XVIII Having thus finished the Directions concerning such a stated Examination and Preparation as is necessary or highly convenient to those who have Opportunities for it in the Week before the Communion I should here add a Summary of them for the use of such as have not Time or Convenience for such a larger Preparation But think it more proper to remit that to the End of this Tract and shall add a word or two in the Conclusion of this Chapter concerning our Behaviour betwixt this forementioned Preparation and our actual approach to the Sacrament especially in the Morning of the Communion § XIX For the former as for the Time that passes between our Preparation and Reception he who desires to be a Worthy Communicant can hardly be too careful or too much upon his Guard lest he should build again the things he had destroyed and fall from his stedfastness He cannot therefore do better than to repeat his Examen not only every Evening which has been the Custom even of Heathens and every Evening and Morning as many serious Christians but even oftner in the day if there be Opportunity according to the practice of devout Persons of other Communions * Marquis de Renti Father Paul the Venetian c. for why should we not follow a good Example whoever it be that gives it And hereby we shall preserve that good Frame which 't is to be hoped we have already acquired by our solemn Preparation and if any criminal Thought Word or Action should escape us may immediately wash it off again by a speedy recollection and Repentance that our Wedding Garment may be clean and unspotted when we enter into the Marriage In order whereunto 't would be advisable to avoid mingling with worldly Business as much as possible however to shun such Conversation and Diversion as would be apt to efface or lessen those good Impressions which with so much Pains may have lately been fixed on our Minds § XIX In the Morning which immediately precedes the Communion shake off Sloth betimes remember who 't is that calls rise early to meet your Redeemer And with the Royal Psalmist Psal. 5. 3. in the morning direct your Prayer unto him and look up for his Grace and Assistance contrary to the very ill Custom of too many who make the Lord's Day as short as they can and indulge their Sloth and Idleness on the Day more than on any other But so will not the pious Christian especially when he designs and desires to be a Worthy Communicant but considers the great Advantages of being early at his Devotions before his Mind be filled or diverted by any other Object and that wonderful Spirit and Life which it adds to his Meditations and Prayers when his Mind is thus fresh and vigorous his Body refresht by rest and sleep and his Spirits recreated and révived when he sees and hears all the Creation round him praising God with whom he may joyn and make it his first happy Employment to sing his Praises either in the Lxiii Psalm O God my gracious God c. the five first Verses Or if he pleases in the Sacramental morning Hymn Awake my heart c. annexed among others to this Treatise Then after his Examen he may repeat the Devotions used at the Preparation or any other from the Whole Duty of Man or other pious Books or of his own Composing As for eating or not eating any thing the Morning before we receive 't is a thing in it self indifferent and therefore must be determined according to the
Cannot the Blood of Jesus soften it and cleanse it that Blood of sprinkling which speaks better things than that of Abel Shall I not now at least detest abhor forsake all those Sins which cost my Saviour so dear shall I again commit them shall I any more favour those Iudas's which betrayed those Herods which mocked those Pilates which crucified the Lord of Glory O Lord my Heart is deceitful and desperately wicked and has often already deceived me and my Goodness is as the morning Cloud and early Dew which soon passeth away and without thy Grace I shall again fall into those very Sins which I now detest and abhor which that I may never more do imprint I beseech thee in my Mind so lively a Sense of my Saviour's Sufferings and let me receive and carry away so lasting an Impression of them from this Sacrament that I may henceforth die unto Sin and live unto Righteousness that I may subdue and mortifie more and more all criminal Desires and the whole Body of Death thro' Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen! An Act of Faith I Desire to believe Lord help my Unbelief I believe that thou canst do all things and if thou wilt canst make me clean I chuse thee for my chief Good I depend upon thee as my only Happiness I believe all thy Promises are Yea and Amen faithful and true in thy Son Jesus and that those who come unto thee by him thou wilt in no wise cast off He is able to save to the uttermost he is mighty to save and to forgive In him alone thou art well pleased thro' him O God art thou reconciled to Mankind and hast made them capable of everlasting Happiness from whence none shall be excluded who believe in the Name of the Lord Jesus and obey his Commands On him therefore do I cast my self and on his Merits is all my hope for Time and for Eternity believing that there is no other Name given under Heaven by whom I may receive Health and Salvation In this perswasion do I now approach to thy Holy Table humbly believing and expecting that my Saviour will be known unto me there and will meet me and bless me that his Body and Blood shall preserve my Body and Soul to everlasting Life that he will pardon my Sins and strengthen me in Grace guide me by his Counsel and bring me to his Glory Amen! An Act of Humility immediately before Receiving WHence is it O Lord that such a Wretch as I so loathsome and deformed with Sin should once more be admitted to thy presence to taste the Bread of Life Whence is it that my Saviour should be Guest to one that is such a Sinner O Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my Roof nor that I should come under thine I desire to humble my self before thee with the utmost prostration and adoration I cast my self at the Feet of Jesus and will not let him go except he bless me I am nothing I have nothing I desire nothing but Jesus and to be with him in Peace in the heavenly Ierusalem The lowest place in Heaven will be infinitely above what I can deserve who wonder why thou shouldst cast thine Eyes on such a nothing A Covenant and League uses to be made between those that are equals but there is an infinite distance between God and me by Nature and if possible a yet greater distance by my Sins Yet has that God who dwells in the High and Holy Place vouchsafed to promise that he will also dwell with the humble and contrite Spirit that trembles at his Word Come therefore O Lover of Souls O ever blessed Jesus who tho' thou fillest Heaven and Earth with the Majesty of thy Glory didst yet humble thy self when thou camest into the World to the inconveniences of a Cave a Stable and a Manger My Heart is yet meaner than any of these but thou canst purifie and cleanse it and make it a Temple fit for thy self to dwell in Come and meet me in thy own comfortable Ordinance who hast promised tho' thou wilt resist the proud to give Grace to the humble I beg this O Father for the sake of Jesus Christ my Saviour who humbled himself to the Death upon the Cross for me a miserable Sinner to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost Three and One be all Honour and Glory now and for ever Amen! An Act of Praise after Receiving ALL Glory and Honour and Praise to him who sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever To him who has loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood and has now entertained us with that heavenly Food which those who taste with Faith shall never die I have tasted that God is Good and that blessed are all those that trust in him he is not a barren Land or a dry Wilderness He has given me Meat to eat at his own Table which the World knows not of such Joy as no Man can give or take from me He has assured me of his Favour and Goodness towards me and given me the Seals of his Pardon and the Pledges of Everlasting Happiness Alas how poor am I of Thanks for such inestimable Benefits what have I to render to the Lord of Life and Glory for these and all his Favours I devote and dedicate all my little all unto him my Soul and Body for Time and Eternity without Exception and without Reserve 'T is but a mite but 't is my All O give me more that I may restore it to the Giver Accept O gracious God this my poor Sacrifice of Praise and help me also to order my Conversation aright that I may see thy Salvation that in Heaven the place of Eternal Praises I may with Angels and Arch-angels and all the glorious Company there adore and magnifie and bless thee and sing Hallelujabs and Hymns of Praise unto thee for ever and ever Amen! An Act of Love O Infinite Goodness O amiable Jesu O bleeding dying agonizing Love What Man what Angel in Heaven durst have ever thought of such a way to appease God's Anger against Sinners as the Death of thee the Only begotten Son of God had not thy Father freely sent thee hadst not thou thy self as freely descended to Earth and taken our mortal Clay upon thee to do and to suffer the Will of God Who could have believed this hadst not thou thy self revealed it and confirmed it by so many Miracles Nay as if it had not been sufficient to die for us thou hast also given us the heavenly Food of thy blessed Body and Blood to be our spiritual Nourishment in this Holy Sacrament Thou hast made me partaker of those venerable Mysteries Thou hast renewed that Covenant with me which I trust shall never be broken O! was there no other way to save Mankind but the Death of him that lives for ever were all the Souls of the lost Sons of Adam worth one Groan one
as they are in our Communion-Service and in the Versicle added to every one of them implore Pardon where you find any Breach and Grace for the future to observe them better And the same of any other Sin not so easily reducible under any particular Command such as Drunkenness neglect or abuse of the Sacrament and the like 4. Fix your main Battery against that Sin which you find the strongest whether discontent with your Condition hard Thoughts of God Intemperance Passion Pride Sloth Impurity or what ever else Most heartily lament it most earnestly resolve and implore Strength against it and draw near to the Holy Table with Faith to obtain it and fear not but your Saviour will meet and bless you A Prayer for one in Affliction and Want O GOD who art Infinite in Power and Compassion and Goodness and Truth who hast promised in thy Holy Word That thou wilt hear the Prayer of the poor distitute and wilt not despise his Desire Look down I beseech thee from Heaven the Habitation of thy Holiness and Glory upon me a miserable Sinner now lying under thy Hand in great Affliction and Sorrow who fly to thee alone for help and Comfort I am weary of my groaning my Heart faileth me the Light of my Eyes is gone from me I sink in the deep Waters and there is none to help me yet I wait still upon thee my God Tho' all the World forsake me let the Lord still uphold me and in him let me always find the truest the kindest the most compassionate unwearied Almighty Friendship to him let me ease my wearied Soul and unbosom all my Sorrows Help me O Lord against Hope to believe in Hope Grant that I may not be moved with all the Slights and Censures of a mistaken World Let me look by Faith beyond this Vale of Tears and Misery to that happy place which knows no Pain or Want or Sorrows as being assur'd that there is an End and my Expectation shall not be cut off I know O Lord that a Man's Life consists not in the abundance of Things that he possesses but that he who has the most here as he brought nothing with him into this World so he shall carry nothing out I bless thee that thou hast not given me my Portion among those who have received all their Consolation here whose Portion is in this Life only Neither let me expect those Blessings which thou hast promised to the Poor unless I am really poor in Spirit and meek and humble I know nothing is impossible with God and that it is thou alone who givest Power to get Riches and that thou canst by thy good Providence raise me from this mean Condition whenever thou pleasest and wilt certainly do it if it be best for me and therefore humbly submit all unto thy wise and kind Disposal I desire not Wealth or Greatness Give me neither extreme Poverty nor do I ask Riches of thee but only to be fed with Food convenient for me I desire earnestly to seek first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof well hoping that in thy good Time Food and Raiment all other things that be needful shall be added unto me I believe O Lord that thou who feedest the Ravens and clothest the Lilies wilt not neglect me and mine That thou wilt make good thy own unfailing Promises wilt give Meat to them that fear thee and be ever mindful of thy Covenant In the mean time let me not be querulous or impatient or envious at the Prosperity of the wicked or judge uncharitably of those to whom thou hast given a larger Portion of the Good things of this Life or be cruel to those who are in the same Circumstances with my self Let me never sink or despond under my heavy pressures and continued Misfortunes Tho' I fall let me rise again because the Lord taketh me up Let my Heart never be sunk so low that I should be afraid to own the Cause of despised Vertue Give me Diligence and Prudence and Industry and let me neglect nothing that lies in me to provide honestly for my own House least I be worse than an Infidel Help me carefully to examine my Life past and if by my own Carelesness or Imprudence I have reduced my self into this low Condition let me be more deeply afflicted for it but yet still hope in thy Goodness avoiding those Failures whereof I have been formerly guilty Or if for my Sins thou hast brought this upon me my unthankfulness for thy Mercies or abuse of them help me now with Submission and Patience to bear the Punishment of my Iniquity Or if by thy Wise Providence thou art pleas'd thus to afflict me for Tryal and for the Examples of others Thy Will O my God! not mine be done Help me and any who are in the same Circumstances in Patience to possess our Souls and let all thy Fatherly Chastisements advance us still nearer towards Christian Perfection teach us the Emptiness of all things here below wean us more and more from a vain World fix our Hearts more upon Heaven and help us forward in the right Way that leads to Everlasting Life Thro' Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and Holy Ghost be Glory Honour and Power now and for ever Amen! APPENDIX A LETTER concerning the Religious Societies SIR HAVING in Conversation accidentally mentioned those Religious Societies which have been for some time erected in and about the Cities of London and Westminster and of late in some other places you were pleased to desire a more particular Account concerning them of their Orders and manner of Life and what my Thoughts were as to what we then heard objected against them I must confess I have had the Curiosity to make a particular Enquiry about them and the Informations I have received have been from such Persons as I think I may entirely depend upon for the Truth of them and what I have from them I here very briefly give you referring them for a larger Account to Mr. Woodward's little Book on that Subject In the first place I find many Persons are in the same mistake which you were once in and confound these Religious Societies with the Societies for Reformation tho' they are quite different as to their Institution and immediate Ends and for the most part as to the Persons whereof they are composed The immediate Business of the Societies for Reformation is to assist the Civil Magistrates in putting the Laws in Execution against Profaneness and Immorality and consists of Sober Persons of any Persuasion among Protestants tho' most of them as far as I can observe of the Church of England But the Religious Societies as we call them for distinction from the other are composed of such as meet together wholly upon a Religious Account to promote true Piety in themselves and others and are all of them strict Members of the Church of England none being admitted or suffered to
anxious Thoughts distrest God's bounteous Love does thee restore To wonted ease and rest 8. 9. My Eyes no longer drown'd in Tears My Feet from stumbling free Redeem'd from Death and deadly Fears O Lord I 'll live to thee 10. When nearest press'd I still believ'd 11. Still glori'd in thy Aid Tho' when by faithless Men deceiv'd All all are false I said 12. To him what Offerings shall I make Whence my Salvation came The Cup of Blessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now I 'll take 13. And call upon his Name 14. Those Vows which in my greatest straits Unto the Lord I made Shall now be at his Temple Gates Before his People paid 15. That Life which thou O Lord didst save From raging Tyrants free 16. That ransom'd Life thy Bounty gave I dedicate to thee 17. My Heart and Voice at once I 'll raise Thy Goodness to proclaim With loud and grateful Songs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Praise I 'll call upon thy Name 18. Yes all those Vows which in my straits Unto the Lord I made Shall now be at his Temple Gates Before his People paid 19. His Priests shall mix their Hymns with mine His Goodness to record And all Ierusalem shall joyn With me to praise the Lord. PSALM CXVII 1. YE Nations who the Globe divide Ye numerous People scatter'd wide To God your grateful Voices raise 2. To all his boundless Mercy shown His Truth to endless Ages known Require our endless Laud and Praise Doxology To him who reigns enthron'd on high To his dear Son who deign'd to die Our Guilt and Errors to remove To that bless'd Spirit who Grace imparts And rules in all believing Hearts Be endless Glory Praise and Love PSALM CXVIII 1. GLad Hymns and Songs of Praise rehearse To th'Maker of the Universe Whose Goodness does so far extend Whose wondrous Mercy knows no End 2. Let Israel now no more oppress'd With Quiet and with Plenty bless'd Praise him who all their Bliss did send Whose wondrous Mercy knows no End 3. Let Aaron's Sons who round his Throne In sacred Hymns his Goodness own While his bless'd Service they attend Confess his Mercy knows no End 4. Let all who with Religious Fear Approach his Gates and every Year With Gifts fair Sion's Hill ascend Confess his Mercy knows no End 5. With deep distress encompast round To him I cry'd and succour found He me from Exile did retrieve And safe and free as Air I live 6. He 's on my side and I 'll despise 7. Th' Efforts of all my Enemies 8. On him 't is safer to rely 9. Than Princes who may fail or die 10. Tho' Troops of Foes besieg'd me round 11. As angry Insects swarming sound 12. Their short liv'd Mischief I can scorn Noise without Strength like Fire in Thorn 13. At once they charg'd and prest me all Yet staid by God I could not fall 14. My Saviour he to whom belongs The Tribute of my grateful Songs 15. Nor shall my single Thanks be paid Lend me ye Saints O lend your Aid Let Health and Joy be spread around With Praise let your glad Gates resound 16. God's own Right Hand has Wonders wrought And conquer'd those against him fought 17. He smiles and grants me happier Days And here I now my Saviour praise 18. Heavy his angry Strokes did fall But ah I well deserv'd 'em all Yet in the Confines of Despair And Death he found and sav'd me there 19. Now to his Holy House return'd Who late a helpless Exile mourn'd Thro' th' Everlasting Gates I 'll go And pay him part of what I owe. 20. 21. A pious Crowd I 'll with me bring And with glad Heart my Saviour sing 22. That Stone the Builders once displac'd Now to the Corner's Head is rais'd 23. God's Hand the great Event has wrought Wondrous and passing human Thought 24. This is the Day the Lord has made Therein let all our Vows be paid 25. Still hear and save O still defend And heavenly Joy and Comfort send 26. Blessed be he who'll Blessings bring Pardon and Grace from Heav'ns high King We who from his high Altar bless Will for his People ask Success 27. He from the Confines of Despair Has rais'd us to the Lightsome Air. Let the crown'd Victims haste away And Thousands after Thousands slay Wash the broad Courts with sacred Gore Till Bashan's Fields can send no more 28. And what thou valuest far above Thee O my God! I 'll Praise and Love 29. Whose Goodness does so far extend Whose wondrous Mercy knows no End FINIS BOOKS Printed for and Sold by Charles Harper at the Flower-de-Luce over-against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet THE Life of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. An Heroic Poem dedicated to her most Sacred Majesty in Ten Books Attempted by Samuel Wesley M. A. each Book illustrated by necessary Notes explaining all the more difficult Matters in the whole History Also a Prefatory Discourse concerning Heroic Poetry The Second Edition revised by the Author and improved with the Addition of a Large Map of the Holy Land and a Table of the Principal Matters with Sixty Copper-Plates by the celebrated Hand of W. Faithorn Folio Linguae Rom. Dict. Luculentum Novum A New Dictionary in five Alphabets Representing first the English Words and Phrases before the Latin Second The Latin Classic before the English Third The Latin Proper Names of Persons Countries c. Fourth The Latin Barbarous Fifth The Law-Latin The whole compleated and improved from the several Works of Stephens Cooper Gouldman Holyoke Dr Littleton a large Manuscript in three Volumes of Mr. Iohn Milton c. In the Use of all which for greater Exactness recourse has always been had to the Authors themselves Cole's Dictionary in Octavo Eng. Lat. and Lat. and Eng. The Pantheon representing the Fabulous Histories of the Heathen Gods and most Illustrious Heroes in a short plain and familiar Method by way of Dialogue Written by F. Pomey For the Use of Schools The Second Edition wherein the Whole Translation is Revised and much amended and the Work is illustrated and adorned with elegant Copper-Cuts of the several Deities c. The Lives of the Roman Emperors from Demitian where Suetonius ends to Constantine the Great Containing those of Nerva and Trajan from Dion Cassius A Translation of the Six Writers of the Augustean History And those of Dioclesian and his Associates from Eusebius and others with the Heads of the Emperors in Copper-Plates dedicated to His most Sacred MAJESTY In two Volumes By Iohn Bernard A. M. English Examples to Lily's Grammar Rules for Children's Latin Exercises with an Explanation to each Rule For the Use of Eton School Gratii Falisci Cynegeticon cum Poematio Cognomine M. A. Olympii Nemesiani Carthaginensis Notis perpetuis variisque Lectionibus adernavit Tho. Johnson M. A. Accedunt Hier. Fracastorii Alcon Carmen Pastoritium Jo. Caii de Canibus Libellus Ut Opusculum vetus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dict seu de Cura Canum incerto Auctore
ridiculous Consequences That our Saviour did eat his own Body and gave it to his Disciples to eat making Christians the worst of Cannibals to eat their God a thousand times over * Eoquem tam amentem esse putas qui illud quo vescatur credat Deum esse Tully de natura Deorum implying penetration of dimensions contradicting the very Nature of a Body which cannot be in two places at the same time †Rubrick after Communion much less in Earth and Heaven contradicting our Saviour's own Words that we should not have him always ‖ St. Mat. 26. 11. that is his Body with us tho' in his Divinity his Spirit his Power his Graces he 's with the Church to the End of the World * St. Mat. 28. 20. contrary to the End of the Institution which was to be a Memorial of his Body broken and Blood shed for us contrary to the Words of the Apostle †1 Cor. 11. 26 27 28. who calls it Bread and Wine after Consecration thrice in one Chapter ‖ Vide supra For which Reasons and many others that might be alledged our Church declares in her Twenty Eighth Article of the Lord's Supper That Transubstantiation or the Change of the Substance of the Bread and Wine in the Supper of the Lord cannot be proved in Holy Writ but it is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture overthroweth the Nature of a Sacrament and hath given occasion to many Superstitions § XIV But how is it then called the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ and in what Sense is he present there and how are the faithful said therein to eat his Body and drink his Blood both by the antient Fathers and by our own Church and most other Protestants of all denominations * Lutherans Calvin Beza Assemb Catechism great and less Cranmer Ridley Communion Service English Tigur Liturg. c. That this is true in some Sense is evident from Holy Scripture it self as well as from the Consent of all Christian Churches Our Saviour said This is my Body and this is my Blood And the Apostle * 1 Cor. 10. 16. The Cup of Blessing is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ the Bread of the Body of Christ And to the same purpose in the next Chapter Thus our fore-mentioned Article That the Bread which we break is a partaking of the Body of Christ and the Cup of Blessing a partaking of the Blood of Christ. And in the Catechism that the inward part or thing signified in the sacrament is The Body and Blood of Christ which are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper And the like in several places in the Communion-Office From all which it appears how little Reason our Adversaries have to brand us for Sacramentarians or such as deny the Body and Blood of Christ in a sound Sense to be received in the Lord's Supper § XV. But what Sense that is we come now to enquire First The Symbols the very Bread and Wine are in a figurative typical and sacramental Sense the Body and Blood of our Saviour They are more than a bare or ordinary Figure they do really and actually from their Institution represent and exhibit Christ's Death unto us as did the Paschal Lamb the delivery of the Iews out of Egypt This our Church affirms in her Homily of the Sacrament Part I. That we must be sure to hold that in the Supper of the Lord there is no vain Ceremony no untrue Figure of a thing absent but the Bread and Cup of the Lord the Memory of Christ the Annunciation of his Death c. § XVI But there 's yet more in it for 2. There is in the Blessed Sacrament a real spiritual presence of the Body and Blood of our Saviour to every faithful Receiver Christ as to his Divinity is every where and more effectually and graciously present to his own Institutions and will make his Promise good to be with his Church to the End of the World * St. Mat. 28. 20. and doubtless is so in this Sacrament as well as in the other of Baptism and herein he conveys all the real Benefits obtained by his Sufferings to every faithful Receiver His Natural Body is in Heaven where it will remain till he comes to Iudgment He is spiritually present in the Sacrament present by Faith to our Spirits The fore-mentioned Homily tells us that in the Supper of the Lord we are not only to hold that there is a Memory of Christ's Death but that there is likewise the Communion of his Body and Blood in a marvellous Incorporation wrought in the Souls of the faithful And again If God hath purified our hearts by Faith we do at this Table receive not only the outward Sacrament but the spiritual thing also not the Figure but the Truth not the Shadow only but the Body And to the same purpose our Learned Bishop Iewell That not the naked Figure and bare Sign and Token only but Christ's Body and Blood are verily and indeed given unto us in the Sacrament we verily eat it and drink it and live by it and thereby Christ dwells in us and we in him Yet he goes on ' We say not that the Substance of Bread and Wine is done away or that Christ's Body is fleshly present in the Sacrament but we lift up our hearts to Heaven there to feed on him Tho' by the way What need would there have been of the Sursum Corda or Invitation to the People in the Primitive Church to lift up their Hearts to Christ in Heaven if whole Christ God and Man were actually present upon the Altar § XVII But neither the Apostles nor the Primitive Church nor our Church of England ever held that the Sacrament was so much as in this latter Sense the Body and Blood of Christ to all that received but only to the faithful Receivers For those who received unworthily the Apostle tells us they were guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord therefore surely they did not properly communicate of his Body and Blood which he that does has eternal Life nay they did eat and drink their own Iudgment or Condemnation not discerning the Lords Body And to the same purpose is that famous saying of one of the Fathers That the Wicked do only press with their Teeth the Sacrament or outward Sign of the Lords Body but do not really communicate in it Neither did the Fathers ever think that we were to eat the Flesh of Christ in a gross carnal Capernaitical sense whatever high Expressions they may have sometime used concerning this Mystery wherein they may have been followed by devout modern Writers Hear one for all 'T is St. Augustine de Doctrinâ Christianâ Lib. 3. Cap. 16. where in his Rules for interpreting Scripture he instances in that Text which has been so much controverted of late years the 6th of
St. Iohn Ver. 53. Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Si praeceptiva locutio c. If says he the Expression forbid any wicked action or command a good one then 't is not figurative but if it appears to command any Wickedness or forbid any Good it must be figurative Thus he goes on that expression Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood you have no Life in you seems to command a very wicked thing it must therefore be understood in a Figure and the meaning of it is that we are to communicate in our Lords sufferings and to lay it up in our Remembrance that his Flesh was crucified and wounded for us And when any Romanist fairly answers this we may safely promise them to believe Transubstantiation § XVII But if Christ be no otherwise in the Sacrament than figuratively in the Symbols as they are a Commemoration of his death and spiritually and effectually present to the faithful Reeeiver Where is then it may be asked the Mystery which all acknowledge in this Sacrament and which is so often called by ancient Writers the venerable the awful and the tremendous Mystery or Mysteries of our Faith In answer We do own that as in general great is the Mystery of Godliness so there is something which far transcends our Reason in this Sacrament and in the manner of our Saviours acting on our minds therein though the Fact it self be clearly revealed in Scripture The manner I say is still mysterious how it becomes to us the Body and Blood of Christ How the inestimable Benefits of Christs Death are communicated to us by the reception of the humble Signs how we are thereby united to him and he to us this as the Apostle says perhaps on the same occasion is indeed a great Mystery * Ephes. 5. 32. and we can no more give an account thereof than we can of ' the Wind which ' bloweth where it listeth We ought therefore firmly to believe it we ought to adore the depth of the divine Wisdom in it without going about so fruitless an attempt as to fathom and comprehend it But to go on with our description of this Sacrament § XVIII By the eating this Bread and drinking this Wine continuing thus in their proper substances tho' Grace is added to them by their being taken and blessed or set apart to this sacred use we do most solemnly and Sacramentally renew our Covenant with God God made a Covenant in Paradice with all Mankind in our first Parents which was called The First Covenant the Condition whereof was Do this and live the Sanction In the day thou eatest of the Tree of Knowledge thou shalt surely dye or become obnoxious to Death both Temporal and Eternal Adam broke this Covenant by his Disobedience and being the Head and Representative of Mankind by him Sin and Death entred into the World he lost his original Righteousness and became the Parent of a sinful and a miserable Offspring and in him all died †1 Cor. 15. 22. or were obnoxious to the same Curse which he was to suffer § XIX Yet God who is rich in Mercy did not leave him to despair but immediately made another Covenant with him called the Covenant of Grace or the Second Covenant established on a better Security and on better Promises which was briefly contained in those Words Gen. 3. 15. The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents Head ‖ See the excellent Discourse of these Two Covenants in the Preface to the Whole Duty of Man that is Christ the promised Seed should destroy the Principality of the Devil rescue lost Mankind from his Slavery and again reconcile us to God This was yet more clearly reveal'd to Abraham that in his Seed that is in Christ should all the Nations of the Earth be blessed * Gen. 22. 18. 'T was farther illustrated in the Types and Figures of the old Law but the full and compleat discovery thereof was reserved to the Times of the Gospel which is called the New Covenant containing the most perfect Revelation of the Divine Will the Promises of God and those Conditions on which he accepts and forgives us Which were on Christs part his suffering in our room as our Surety and a Sacrifice for us to attone his Fathers Anger * Heb. 9. 12. 10. 10. as on our part Faith †St. Mark 16. 16. Repentance and not a Sinless as in the First Covenant but a sincere Obedience ‖ Acts 3. 19 25 26. § XX. This General Covenant is first applyed to particular persons by Baptism wherein we are now admitted into it as Abraham and his Posterity were by Circumcision into the same Evangelical Covenant * Gal. 3. 17. and are thereby actually dedicated to Gods Service and renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil and because there are none who come to age without having been guilty of some Breaches of this Covenant we do after we have taken it upon our selves in Confirmation renew it again at the Holy Communion Of which we shall still have a clearer notion if we consider it as 't is a Feast or as 't is a solemn Oath and on both accounts a federal Rite or a Token Pledge or instituted Sign of our being actually in Covenant with God without which what right had we to approach unto him or how could we expect any Mercy from him § XXI Let us consider the Holy Communion as a Feast a sacred Feast which was used among the Ancients at the Confirmation of Covenants in token of Amity and Friendship between the Guests Thus in that noted Instance at the ratifying the League between Isaac and Abimelech Isaac made a Feast and they did eat and drink and sware one to another †Gen. 26. 30. But this was more than an ordinary Feast there was generally a Sacrifice added to it at which they believed God himself present a Partaker thereof and a Witness of their Agreement Thus when Iacob and Laban made a Covenant Iacob offered Sacrifice upon the Mount and called his Brethren to eat Bread Gen. 29 54. And the Passover was both a Feast and a Sacrifice and 't is the Character which God himself gives of his Saints or those that were relatively or federally holy that they had made a Covenant with him with Sacrifice Psal. 50. 5. And the Apostle speaking as 't is very probable of this Christian Banquet the Holy Communion which comes in the room of the Passover exhorts the Corinthians to keep the Feast not with old Leaven c. * 1 Cor. 7. 8. Thus 't is called the Table of the †1 Cor. 10. 21. Lord and the Wine the Cup of the Lord. And God vouchsafes therein to come in unto us and sup with us nay to kill the fatted Calf for us and feast us with his own Sacramental Body
our Dissenting Brethren are so far convinced of their former miscarriages in this matter that they have now generally monthly Communions and if we have followed them in their Errors ought we not much more to do so in their Reformation § XXI The Advantages of frequent Communion to the great Ends of Christianity and Reformation to all the parts of a good Life shall be the last Argument to engage to the practice of it How far the Sacrament it self conduces to those Ends has been already declared and the more frequently we receive it as we ought the greater Benefit shall we obtain by it The oftner the Vows of God are renewed upon us the stronger will the Cord be and with more difficulty to be broken The oftner we come to these Waters of Life the more will our Souls be refresht by them the more frequently we partake of this Bread of Life the greater Strength shall we receive in the inward Man and higher Degrees of Grace and assistance in God's Service And as the great Zeal and Piety of the Primitive Christians already mention'd was very much owing to their daily Communion so if we impartially consider those amongst us who do most frequently communicate I 'm persuaded we should find them the most devout and rational Christians and generally the best of Men whilst those are the most profligate Wretches who have no regard at all to this blessed Feast and thro' the whole course of their Lives scarce ever receive it § XXII But 't will now be time to consider those Objections which are brought against receiving this Sacrament or at least against frequent Communion For the First Against receiving in General the most common Objections may be reduc'd to the following Heads Either a bad Life or multiplicity of Business or want of preparation or the danger of receiving unworthily or else the manner of receiving and the ill Characters perhaps of some of the Communicants The four former being usually brought by Persons of all Persuasions the two latter principally by those who are dissatisfied with our way of Worship § XXIII As for the first and more common rank of Excuses before we come to the particular Consideration of them it may deserve a Remark that our Church has already fully answered them and all Persons have heard as much as often as they have heard the Minister read the Exhortations at the warning for the Celebration before the Communion and therefore 't is neither fair nor modest it argues neither Ingenuity nor Conscience still to insist upon them without any addition to their Strength or taking notice of what has been said to satisfy them The two former Objections Business and a bad Life are answer'd in the second Exhortation in these words It 's an easie matter for a Man to say I will not communicate because I am otherwise hinder'd by worldly Business But such Excuses are not so easily accepted and allowed before God They that refus'd the Feast in the Gospel because they had bought a Farm c were not so excused but counted unworthy of the Heavenly Feast And as to that which is taken from a bad Life 't is added If any Man say I am a grievous Sinner and therefore am afraid to come wherefore then do ye not repent and a mend The two latter Unpreparedness and the Fear of eating and drinking unworthily are also fairly hinted at in the End of the first Exhortation and a Remedy appointed for them If any Man cannot quiet his Conscience but requires farther Comfort or Counsel he is directed to go to the Minister of his Parish or such is the Church's Caution and Indulgence in so tender an Affair to any other Discreet and Learned Minister of God's Word and open his Grief that he may receive Ghostly Counsel or Spiritual Advice suitable to his Condition And he who neglects to take this Method it 's evident that he either does not understand or does not regard the Churches Direction in these Matters § XXIV But to come to the more particular Examination of these Objections The first of which is taken from a wicked Life a Man's being a most grievous Sinner and therefore he comes not to the Holy Table This is indeed a most inexcusable Excuse for tho' some have thought that a Duty may attone for a Sin yet one would think none should be so wild to persuade themselves that one Sin could ever attone for another But in answer to it we must say of this Sacrament as Ananias did to St. Paul of that of Baptism * Act. 22. 16. Why tarriest thou arise and be baptised and wash away thy Sins The Sacraments are doubtless Means to confer Grace on those that are truly penitent truly sensible of their Sins and afflicted for them as well as to confirm and strengthen it in those who already lead a holy Life It 's true that the Lord's Table is no place for a wicked Man who resolves to continue in his wickedness who does not heartily resolve by God's Grace to strive against it and actually and immediately forsake it For it is not meet to cast the Children's Bread to Dogs and the Holy Sacrament is a Token and Pledge of Pardon and Reconciliation the Seal of a Covenant between God and Man But what has any to do with the Sign who has not the Substance What has a stubborn Rebel to do with his Prince's Pardon Yet after all we know that Christ came into the World to save Sinners tho' he saves them no other way but by Repentance nor is it while they remain so but upon a change of their minds that he actually justifies the ungodly 'T is not the repenting Sinner but the obstinate Sinner that is excluded from the Lord s Table who is also if he lives and dyes such as certainly as God is true excluded out of Heaven But for those who are indeed desirous to do better tho' their Faith be yet but as a Grain of Mustard-Seed they shall not be rejected by that merciful Redeemer who will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax and surely the Sacrament cannot but have that good effect on all who are not quite harden'd as to make them think on their ways and amend their Lives when they approach unto it And 't is well if the great Reason which keeps many from it be not lest they should be thereby obliged to forsake their Sins which they are not yet willing to do and to the Exercise of an exact Examination and severe Repentance § XXV And as some have raised Objections against Receiving because of Sins that are past or of which they may be at that very time guilty so there are others who say they dare not come to the Sacrament for fear of falling into Sin after they have received as if that were unpardonable an Error much of the same Nature with that which some Persons ran into in the Primitive Church who deferr'd their Baptism till
To acknowledge them and to bewail our manifold Sins and Wickedness since we can by no means hide them from the Eye of Heaven and they are the truest and justest Causes of Lamentation and Sorrow Nor are we to rest in generals but here again to call to mind the greatest and most hainous Sins whereof on our former Examination we have found our selves guilty whether in Thought Word or outward Action These we are to acknowledge we have most grievously committed which may imply the hainous aggravation of them for which we must own that we have provoked most justly God's Wrath and Indignation against us that we have deserved his Anger and all the dreadful Consequences thereof in the Punishments both of this and another World § V. And having thus confest and acknowledged our Sins their number continuance extent and aggravation we are directed to proceed to the formal Act of Repentance for them to profess that we do earnestly repent and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings and woe to him who tho' he joyns in this solemn protestation with all good Christians yet does not truly and earnestly repent of his Sins nor is heartily sorry for them which how can he be thought to be when he falls into them again on the next Temptation whereas if we do truly repent of them the Remembrance of them will be indeed grievous unto us and their Burthen intolerable We shall know how evil and bitter a thing it is to depart from the Living God and be weary and heavy laden and fly to Christ to give us rest Which Repentance and abhorrence of our Sins ought to be raised to the greatest heighth at the time of Consecration when we see Christ's Sacramental Body broken and his Blood poured out for us and just at the time of receiving when we ought with an Holy Indignation to bring our Sins and nail them to the Cross of Christ to kill those Murderers as Benaiah did Ioab at the Horns of the Altar to sacrifice them there and hew them in pieces before the Lord in short to be deeply afflicted for them and to make firm Resolves to forsake them § VI. In order to which we must in the third place ask mercy for Christ's sake and pardon for all our Sins as the Church teaches us in those moving and tender Expressions Have mercy upon us Have mercy upon us most merciful Father For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake forgive us all that is past And this we have need to pray for since without Forgiveness the past Guilt remains as well as the Punishment due for our Sins tho' we should no more commit them But both are remitted in this Sacrament to the worthy Receiver not by Virtue of our own Merits or any Preparation Examination or Repentance or even of the very Act of outward receiving but merely for Christ's sake on account of his Merits and Intercession and by the Virtue which flows from his wounded Side his spiritual Flesh and Blood inwardly received by the Faithful in this Ordinance § VII Now we are taught to conclude this Confession with praying that God would grant us that we may ever hereafter serve and please him in newness of Life without which all that 's past is in vain nor is there any that 's so perfectly renewed that he has not still need to purge out something of the old Leaven And tho' God will give such Grace to those who worthily partake of this Sacrament yet has he appointed Prayer as the means to obtain it and of our perseverance in well-doing and daily encreasing in Goodness which Prayer does virtually contain a Promise to use our own utmost endeavors to amend our Lives that Resolution of better Obedience which seems to be the very Act wherein we renew our Covenant with God and engage to fulfil our part of it which if we do faithfully perform he will never be wanting to his § VIII Thus much for Repentance The second Grace to be exercised at the Sacrament is Faith which we are to reduce into Act when the Minister declares in the Absolution That Almighty God has promised forgivenness of Sins to all them that with hearty Repentance and true Faith turn unto him further praying ' That God would have mercy upon us pardon and deliver us from all our Sins confirm and strengthen us in all Goodness and bring us to Everlasting Life Which Absolution we are humbly to receive upon our Knees as an authoritative Declaration from one commissioned by Christ himself to bind and loose and to remit and retain Sins to which we are to add a hearty and faithful Amen as being fully assured that God will perform what he has promised by his Son if we neglect not our parts in the Covenant Faith is here more eminently necessary as well with respect to all the Promises of the Gospel as to the particular Benefits of this Sacrament and the application of them to our selves For our Lord has said He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last Day The faithful Receiver eats and drinks Salvation this Sacrament shall eminently conduce unto it He is thereby united to Christ one with Christ and Christ with him and by virtue of that indissoluble union sealed in this Holy Ordinance he receives a Principle of Immortality whereby he shall be not only raised from the Death of sin in this World but at length raised from the Grave and live in endless Happiness which also seems to be the meaning of the Prayer in the very delivery of the Elements The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve the Body and Soul to Everlasting Life to which most devout Christians add their private Amen as being fully perswaded that it shall have that happy efficacy to every worthy Receiver And the same Act of Faith they are to exert when they hear the Minister read those comfortable Words which our Saviour saith by himself and his Apostles to all that truly turn unto him Come unto me all that travel and are heavy laden and I will refresh you c. To which the devout Soul will be ready to answer Draw me and we will run after thee or with St. Peter To whom should we go but to thee thou hast the Words of eternal Life And so in the rest of the Sentences applying them to himself by a particular Act of Faith and saying Lord I believe help my unbelief And this Faith will be mightily advanced by our actual advertence to Christ's spiritual presence in this Holy Ordinance more eminently graciously and peculiarly than in any other And the highest Act of it is to be exercised at the very instant of receiving § IX Devotion is in the third place highly necessary to a Worthy Communicant at the time of Celebration and in all the parts of that Holy Office By which Devotion is meant the intense abstraction or withdrawing of
the Mind from all wordly things till it acquires a contrary bent and inclination and mounts freely and vigorously towards Heaven despising and trampling all the ridiculous trifles of this perishing World and counting all things but Dung and Dross for the Knowledge for the Love of a crucified Redeemer which every very good Man experiences in some happier moments of his Life Now the way to obtain this is the vigorous acting of Faith Repentance Humility and Divine Love and the Energy and inward free motion of the Mind towards Heaven And to this the Church invites in those Words which were used on this occasion in the Primitive times The sursum corda or Life up your Hearts to which the Congregation replys We lift them up unto the Lord which we have the highest reason to do when he confers such inestimable Favours upon us and when Christ instituted this Feast as has been said principally for this Reason that we should think upon him our absent Friend give our selves a little ease and breathing from the amusements and care of Life escape from this World and fix our Hearts upon a better upon that happy place where Christ sits at the right Hand of God and whither if we are faithful to him we shall at length also arrive seeing he has prayed to his Father That all those whom he has given him may be with him where he is that they may behold his Glory St. Iohn 17. 24. § X. A fourth Grace is Humility This is indeed included in Repentance for a true Penitent must be humble But we must be more explicite in it and are directed by the Church to form a particular Act thereof immediately before the Consecration when the Priest kneeling at the Lord's Table says in the name of all that communicate We do not presume to come to this thy Table O merciful Lord trusting in our own Righteousness but only in thy manifold and great Mercies We are not worthy so much as to gather up the Crumbs under thy Table And indeed one would wonder that any Christian should think he could express too great Humility either of Body or Mind when he comes before the Throne of God to receive his Pardon 'T is this most humble prostration of Soul this abasement and annihilation of our selves and utterly disclaiming our own merits which seems to be the bottom of that seraphical Divinity which has made so much noise in the World If they make it more than this 't is dangerous Enthusiasm as has appeared both in the Church of Rome and others If they rest it here as is done in some part at least of Sancta Sophia it is accountable and rational and may be of great Advantage in the course of a Christian Life especially in the Sacrament where the lower we abase our selves the higher will God raise us And this we ought particularly to exercise when we see the Minister approaching to us with the Bread or Wine and firmly to believe that we shall receive our Saviour together with them § XI But yet fifthly this ought not to hinder but rather to encrease our Thankfulness because as has been said the Sense of God's Goodness must needs be advanced by the consideration of our own unworthiness To this the Church especially directs us Above all things ye must render most humble and hearty Thanks to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for the Redemption of the World by the Death and Passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And again after the Sursum Corda we are invited To give Thanks to our Lord God to which the Congregation answers 'T is meet and right so to do On which follows that solemn Act of Thanks and Praise which the Priest alone pronounces as 't is said our Saviour did in St. Luk. 22. 19. and in 1 Cor. 11. 24. He took Bread and when he had given Thanks he broke it From which Actions the whole Sacrament obtained two Names the Eucharist from giving Thanks as 't is expresly called in two or three places of the New Testament in the Syriac Version and breaking of Bread as 't is stiled in the Acts of the Apostles Now this praising God and acknowledging and adoring his infinite Goodness ought to spread it self thro' every part of the Office And even our Repentance and Humility would be so managed as to encrease our Praises But we should more especially exercise our Thankfulness when the Minister says It is meet right and our bounden Duty that we should at all times * 1 Thess. 5. 16. and in all places give Thanks unto God on which follows that Seraphical Anthem repeated by Saints here below and Angels above Therefore with Angels and Arch-angels c. In which the pious Communicant joins both in Heart and Voice as well as in the particular Prefaces before it wherein we are directed to praise God either for the Birth of Christ or his Resurrection or Ascension or for his sending the Holy Ghost or else we adore the Divine Trinity in the Unity of the Godhead which Prefaces seem to have been added because the Church does not doubt but that so often at least as these greater Festivals return there will be a Communion And after we have received We entirely desire our heavenly Father mercifully to accept our Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving and we most heartily thank him that he has vouchsafed to feed us who have duly received these Holy Mysteries with the spiritual Food of the most precious Body and Blood of his dear Son and assured us thereby of his Favour and Goodness towards us And then we again break out into that Hymn of Praise to the whole Blessed Trinity part of which is the same that was sung by the Angels at the Birth of our Saviour Glory to God on High on Earth Peace Good-will toward Men. But more especially are we to have our Hearts filled with the most exalted Praises in the very Act of Receiving to which the Minister exhorts us in the delivery both of the Bread and Wine Nothing but Faith and Holy Ioy and humble Praise are then to be admitted Then when the Holy Soul is in the Mount with God and says 't is good for her to be here and if any thing of disturbance can find Entrance 't is because she must so soon return again to a sordid vexatious impertinent World when she is now already on the Wing for Heaven is advanced so far upward in that glorious Road and would so gladly fly away and be at rest in the Bosom of her Redeemer § XII The last Grace is Charity taken in the largest Sense for Love to God and to our Neighbour 1. Love to God the Soul of all Piety which quickens and enlivens every Christian Duty This is here encreased by remembring God's Love to us in sending his Son and our Saviour's Love in giving himself to die for us This Sacrament is the dearest Token of his Love and the
Manna that Angel's Food of Ioy in Believing the pleasures of God's House and Table the Fruits of the Tree of Life the foretasts of Heaven for which he pants as the thirsty Hart does after the refreshing Streams being fully perswaded by Reason Experience and Scripture that Ioy in the Holy Ghost and Fellowship with the Father and the Son are something more than Enthusiastical Fancies that God can communicate himself to his Creatures in what measure and by what means he pleases and that his own Institutions are those means whereby he does thus communicate himself to prepar'd and holy Minds and therefore he cannot rest in the outward only but prays for the Light of God's Countenance and the Ioy of his Salvation which make up so great a part of the Happiness of Heaven and when he has thus tasted how good the Lord is he cannot but be entirely thankful for it But yet neither does he estimate his Profit in any religious Duty or the presence of God in them by these sensible Ioys only He knows our weak Nature is neither able long to bear them nor is often fit for them He expects not all Canaan while on this side Iordan tho' he cannot but be delighted with a taste sometimes of the Fruits of that happy Country He believes he has then Benefit by any Duty and particularly by this Sacrament and that then God is present with him in it when he finds that he is thereby more settled in his Faith his Hope and his Obedience more rooted and grounded in Holy Love both to God and his Christian Brother when he finds his will more submissive and entirely resigned to God's Sovereign Will and the Duties of Religion growing gradually more easie and as it were natural and delightful to him And consequently he cannot be so well satisfied of his profiting by a Sacrament immediately after he has received for he expects it not all at once as at some distance of time when the Grace he then received is as it were digested in his Mind and spreads it self thro' all the Parts and Offices of an holy Life § IV. After examining the Frame of our Minds at the past Communion we are in the next place exactly to reflect on those Holy Vows and Resolves which we have made at God's Altar whether against Passion Impurity Intemperance immoderate Love to the World neglect of Sacraments or of publick private or Family Devotion or of the Souls of those whom God's Providence has committed to our Charge or any other failure whereof we found our selves guilty in our former Preparation and Examination and which we have anew vowed against at the Communion all which Vows if we did now again solemnly renew and implore and expect the continuance of Divine Strength to perform them and consider the means to obtain and preserve it we should doubtless find great Advantage by it especially if we renewed the same in our daily Examination which must needs preserve both the sense of God's Goodness and of our own Obligations more fresh and lively on our Minds and have a good Influence on our Practice tho' at greater distance from the Communion § V. And indeed this is the main hinge of the whole matter the great means whereby we must gain advantage by the Sacrament and which if we neglect we must at least expect the loss of our Comfort if not our Souls 'T is to remember all is not over as soon as we have received No nor that Day nor Week nor indeed while we live for the Obligation is for ever We do in the Sacrament shew forth the Lord's Death Till he come We engage our selves by this Oath as well as by that at Baptism to be his faithful Soldiers and Servants to our Lives End We are not to think the Oath it self is all since 't is but a Security to our future Faith and true Allegiance 'T is not enough to Vow nay 't is better not to vow at all than to vow and not to pay tho' to do both is still better than either We cannot too often remember that those Graces which we exercise at this Ordinance must also be put in Practice thro' the whole course of our Lives and 't is the reason of its Institution that they may by degrees be reduced into holy Habits We must be inwardly better'd by the Sacrament as well as by other Duties or else indeed we are not better at all for as one well observes Religion is not a Road of Performances but a New Nature evidenced by a New Life § VI. But more especially are we to call to mind these Promises and Obligations when we find our selves again attack'd by any Temptation either to those Sins which we have formerly committed or to any others Wo to him who after he has escaped the Pollutions of the World and tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come in this Ordinance shall yet fall away again return like a Dog to his Vomit shamefully yield to the same Sin which he has before so solemnly renounced and pretended to forsake and thereby in a great measure trample under foot the Blood of the Covenant crucifie the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame I speak not of lesser unavoidable Infirmities such as wandring Thoughts the first motions of Passion or being ready to give way to the violence of Temptation tho' recovering again but what I here intend is the relapsing into any grosser Sins such as Uncleanness Injustice Drunkenness habitual Carelessness of Duty and neglect of God's Word and Sacraments and our private stated Devotions which last may justly be ranked among greater Sins as being too frequently the beginning of all the rest Not that even these are unpardonable on true Repentance but that the Aggravations of them are so exceedingly heightned by the addition of Ingratitude and Perjury An old Wound may possibly be cured at last even when 't is badly healed but then there 's a necessity of its being laid open again and the Pain will be more exquisite than it was at the first We ought therefore when attack'd by any old Temptation to oppose immediately this powerful Armor against it and whatever pleasure or profit it 's baited with by the great Deceiver with Indignation to reject it To reflect vigorously on our new Obligations to the contrary both of Promises of Interest and of Gratitude To say within our selves I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed to keep God's righteous Judgments And ' Get thee behind me Satan the God of Peace whose I am and who has promised to help me shall bruise thee under my Feet And to this end we must be always upon our Guard we must be temperate and sober or else we can never be vigilant We must avoid ill Company the great Emissaries of Satan as we would Satan himself A great End of the Sacrament is to make us look forward and remember Christ's last coming
as well as backward in remembrance of his Death and he who eats and drinks with the Drunken will soon be apt to say My Lord delays his coming tho' to such he himself has said That he will come in a day when he looks not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of and will cut him in sunder and divide him his portion with the Hypocrites The frequent Reflection on our latter End will also mightily confirm us in our holy Purposes of Obedience the time of our own particular Iudgment or at least of our passing into our unchangeable Eternity which we should often meditate upon and Discourse concerning it with our Fellow Christians instead of those impertinencies and worse which make up so great a part of common Conversation And those who thus speak often one to another and remind each other of their Duty need not be much concerned tho' they are despised for it by ill Men since the Lord himself will hearken and hear and remember them for it when he comes in Vengeance to destroy the Ungodly Malac. 3. 16. 4. 1 2. § VII In the next place we would do well to consider that the Sacrament is appointed for our perfection in Grace as well as Conquest over our Sins 'T is not enough merely to escape the Pollutions of the World but we must also aspire towards Perfection to be strong Men in Christ. We are all called to be Saints to Glory as well as to Vertue and why should we then be content with the lowest measures He that thinks he 'll be just good enough to be saved if he does not miss of that must not however expect much Comfort Nay not to go forward is to go backward in the way to Heaven We are obliged by the Sacrament to do all we can for him who has done so much for us Always to abound in the work of the Lord since when we have done our best we shall be so far from Supererrogation However as Health and Strength are infallible Signs of Life so we shall obtain this great Advantage by stronger Degrees of Grace that we may be better satisfied of the Truth and Sincerity thereof Consider that this would render God's Service much more easie and delightful to us But this must cost us constant Pains and Labour for Sloth is the greatest Obstruction to our growing in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ and is commonly the last Enemy in this World that is destroyed in a Christian. Conquer that and all is done Shake off that Ague of the Soul remember your Vows call for Strength believe and all things are possible Give Diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for he that does these things shall never fall and the higher we rise in Piety here the shorter Steps we shall have to Heaven and it 's very probable the higher Degrees of Glory among those many different mansions in our Father's House § VIII In the last place when we are called again by God's Providence to another Sacrament which happy Opportunity we will be careful never to neglect let us in our Preparation and Examination impartially enquire how we have performed those Vows we made in the last and how we have profited by it To rejoyce and bless God if well to be humbled if otherwise and the greater the Defect the deeper the Humiliation I speak here of lesser Infirmities rather than of presumptuous scandalous Sins the Habits whereof while unreformed and unrepented do utterly exclude from the Sacrament as well as from Heaven Nor ought we by any means to be ungrateful if we find that thro' God's Grace preventing us that we might be willing and assisting us when we were willing we may have obtained any Advantage against our Spiritual Enemies If any Sin be weaker any Vertue stronger whether Patience or Humility or Resignation or Devotion for which we are again to approach full of Gratitude to the Holy Table to offer the Sacrifice of Praise and take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. These things if we observe and do thro' the whole Course of our Lives we shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour but an abundant Entrance shall be ministred unto us into his Everlasting Kingdom To whom be Glory in the Church throughout all Ages Amen! Questions for the Evening 1. WHAT Mercies have I received this Day Answers of Prayer Deliverance from Evil common or extraordinary Blessings 2. What Sin have I committed What Duty omitted 3. What have I done endeavoured or designed for God's Glory or the Good of my Neighbour or have I lost any Opportunity for either 4. With what Success have I encounter'd those Sins to which my Circumstances or Constitution most incline me Passion Sloth Impurity Intemperance Vanity c. 5. How have I improved my Time this Day Am I any wiser or better than I was the last Have I thought of Death and Judgment 6. Have I Pray'd and How And the same of Meditation and Reading 7. What Mercy do I want for Soul or Body my Self or Relations that I may now ask it 8. Have I remembred my Promises made at the last Sacrament and how have I performed them Questions for the Morning 1 DID I Read and Pray Meditate and Examine my self last Night and in what manner 2. Did I think of God last and first 3. What Sin have I committed in Thought Word or Deed What Duty omitted since Evening 4. What Occasions may I probably have this Day of serving God or my Neighbour 5. To what Temptations am I like to be exposed 6. What Mercies have I received What do I want Short Directions for those who are really straightned for Time and cannot go through the larger Methods of Examination already given 1. BE sure this be more than a pretended Necessity as in the case of indispensible and unavoidable Business or the like since the more conscientious and exact you are in your Preparation and Examination Note That this Sheet is to be plac'd after Page 186. you may generally speaking expect the greater Advantage by the Sacrament Turtle-Doves or young Pigeons were not accepted of Old unless where the Presenter could not reach a more costly Sacrifice 2. This being taken Care of never indulge any ill grounded Scruples so far as to suffer them to hinder you from coming to this Divine Banquet See what has been already said on this Head both from Authority and Reason in Answer to the Objections against Receiving 3. It can scarce be supposed but you may redeem some time on the Morning of the Lord's Day when you may retire from the World and 1. Use the Prayers here at Preparation or any other that is proper for that Occasion 2. Consider the Nature of the Sacrament and your Happiness in having one Opportunity more of partaking in it 3. Examine your Conscience by the Ten Commandments
by Nature Children of Wrath. 'T is the Sacrament of Adoption as our Church affirms Thanksgiving after Baptism which seems to mean these two things by that Regeneration which in so many places it ascribes to Baptism namely The being grafted into the Body of Christ's Church and being made the Children of God by Adoption and Grace Thanksgiving after Baptism and Collect for Sunday after Christmas There is something more in this Baptismal Regeneration than barely being admitted into the Church or having the Guilt of original Sin washed away It relates to some actual positive Benefit conferred on the Believers and is the effect of our being engrafted into the Church and therefore not the thing it self only Except a Man be born again of Water and of the Spirit says our Saviour he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God St. Iohn 3. 5. By Water then as a means the Water of Baptism we are regenerated or born again whence it is also called the washing of Regeneration Our Church affirms no more of Baptism ascribes no greater Virtue to it than Christ himself has done Nor does she ascribe it to the outward washing only but to the inward Grace which is added to the outward to make it a Sacrament We say not that Regeneration is always compleated in this Sacrament but that it is begun in it a Principle of Grace is infused which we lost by the Fall which shall never be wholly withdrawn unless we quench God's Holy Spirit by obstinate habits of Wickedness There are Babes as well as strong Men in Christ. A Christian's Life is progressive as is our natural Life and tho' the Seeds of Grace should like the reasonable Soul the Principle of Life and of all Action be infused in a Moment yet there requires time to produce strong habits of Grace as well as of Reason as every one knows who is any thing acquainted with his own Mind or with the Word of God And the same our Church affirms in her devout Collect for the Nativity where she prays That we being namely already in Baptism regenerate and made God's Children by Adoption and Grace may daily be renewed by his Holy Spirit Which we learn from St. Austin to have been also in his time the Judgment of the Catholick Church who has these Expressions near the end of his Discourse de morihus Eccles. Cathol In that most holy Law says he the Renovation of the new Man is begun that by going on it may be perfected in some indeed this is done sooner in others later but in many it proceeds to a New Life if any Man diligently regard it For thus saith the Apostle Tho' the outward Man perisheth the inward Man is renewed day by day He says 'T is renewed that it may be perfected Thus far he and indeed 't is evident that this Renovation tho' to be daily perfected in the course of a Religious Life is yet begun in Baptism That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit St. Iohn 3. 6. The Holy Spirit of God descended visibly on our Saviour at his Baptism St. Matt. 3. 16. It descended miraculously on the first Christians after they were baptised on Simon Magus himself there seems to be little doubt Act. 8. 13 17. as well as on others and doubtless 't was his own Fault that he lost it because he did not improve it but grieve and quench it by wilful obstinate Sin And from hence it is that the Apostle says that the Bodies even of very bad Christians were the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. And we are not to doubt but this Holy Spirit descends as really still on those that are baptised tho' not so visibly so miraculously as he did formerly whence Christians are in Baptism sacramentally washed sanctified and justified in the name of our Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 6. 11. Nor will this Holy Spirit ever leave us but strive with us to perfect what is now begun unless we finally leave him and forfeit his Protection by neglecting to perform our Engagements in Baptism Now in consequence of this Baptismal Regeneration and our being therein made the Children of God we are also Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven For by this we enter into it If Children then Heirs Heirs with God and joynt Heirs with Christ and Inheritors of that Kingdom which cannot be moved Rom. 8. 17. Baptism doth now save us if we live answerable thereunto repent believe and obey the Gospel 'T is that which admits us into the Church here and Glory hereafter And many have been of Opinion that by the Sea of Glass like unto Crystal which is mentioned in the Revelation Rev. 4. 6. before the Throne of God was figured out our Baptism through which we must pass if we ever come to Heaven § X. But all these Privileges imply Obligations Something to be done on our parts for the obtaining them a Contract or Covenant without Conditions being little better than a Contradiction and the Conditions of this Covenant are Repentance Faith and Obedience Baptism is but the way of our Entrance into Covenant with God into the Church of God but the Obligations thereof remain as long as our Lives as the Benefits reach yet further Faith only without Repentance will never save us The Doctrine of the Apostles was Repent and be Baptised Acts 2. 38. for the Remission of Sins and Repent and Believe the Gospel and Truth itself has assur'd us that except we Repent we shall all perish But yet we are indispensibly obliged by our Baptism First To believe all Divine Revelation especially the Holy Gospel to believe Christ the true Messiah the eternal Son of God the Saviour of the World and actually to trust in him for Remission of Sins and eternal Happiness And because all the Gospel cannot be repeated at Baptism the Church has all along made use of a Form of sound words comprehending the Substance thereof and for many ages that particular Form which is called the Apostles Creed containing that Doctrine which they preacht to all Nations And to this the Person to be Baptised is obliged to testify his assent either by himself or others But tho' this be a good Step yet this alone will not save him For he must not only believe Gods Word but likewise obediently keep his Commandments Those who are buried with Christ in Baptism must remember they are to be Dead to Sin to walk in newness of Life and to be careful that they maintain Good Works Rom. 6. 3 4. Tit. 3. 8. agreeable whereunto is the excellent Advice of our Church to the Baptised Office of Baptism Exhortation at the End That 't is their Parts and Dutys being made the Children of God and of the Light by Faith in Jesus Christ to walk answerably to their Christian Calling and as becomes the Children of the Light Remembring always that Baptism represents unto
it was the way among the Iews to make Proselytes of whole Families small and great together if the whole Church of God has in all Places and Ages for almost Seventeen Hundred Years together baptised Children and continue it now and were never opposed till the last Century by some in Germany who were far from being of the best Characters and if they were in the right and we mistaken it would follow that there has been no true Church since our Saviour and his Apostles and that all the old Fathers and Bishops and our first Protestant Reformers and Martyrs were either deceived themselves after their most diligent search for the Truth or else did delude wilfully and deceive others Lastly if there are so many high and inestimable Benefits conferred in Baptism no less than washing away the damning Guilt of original Sin and weakning the Power of it by the application of our Saviour's merits the engrafting us into Christ by making us Members of his Church and thereby giving us a right to all the Graces and Promises of the Gospel the beginning of Regeneration the solemn early sacramental Dedication of us to the Service of the blessed Trinity all which Infants are capable of as well as grown Persons If all this be true as I hope I have made it out from the Word of God from good Reason and from the Iudgment and Practice of the universal Church then surely it follows that Infants may be baptised that they ought to be baptised that our Church does well in baptising them that the Universal Church has done well in baptising them that those do extremely ill who neglect it that those are dangerously mistaken who forsake the Church because she continues in the true Faith Doctrine and Practice of the Apostles and yet deny not to communicate with those who hold dangerous and damnable Heresies who some of them deny the Lord that bought them by denying the Divinity of our Saviour who many of them believe affirm and too many teach that the Soul sleeps till the Resurrection As on the other side it will follow that those are in a safe and happy Condition who lead a Holy Life and continue in the Fellowship of the regular established Church of this Nation a sound Member of the Universal Church of Christ and therefore tho' some may leave it tho' many live unworthy of it yet we are assured Christ will not forsake his own he will not forget his Promises it is founded on the Rock of Ages and we trust the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it § XXII Having thus established the Truth in Controversie I come to answer those Objections which are commonly brought against it tho' indeed they may be all or most of them easily answered from what has been already said and an honest and well meaning Christian may be well established in the Faith and yet not fit for doubtful Disputations which are to be left to those who have more Learning Time and Ability to manage them § XXIII I think their main Objection and which they most frequently make use of is drawn from the mistaken Interpretation and Application of our Saviour's words to his Disciples in the 28 of St. Matthew and 19. Go and teach all Nations baptising them in the Name of the Father c. Here say they Teaching is put before Baptising whence they argue that all Persons ought to be taught before they are baptised and that since Infants are uncapable of being taught they are also uncapable of Baptism In answer 1. The Order of Words is no certain Rule for the Order of things either in common Speech or in Scripture We usually say a Man was bred and born in such a place and the Latins accordingly nutrit peperitque by a common Figure and many Instances of the same nature might be given from the Scripture which as the Rabbies tell us speaks with the Tongue of the Sons of Men. Instances we have of this in the first of St. Mark v. 4. Iohn did baptise in the Wilderness and preach the Baptism of Repentance Again v. 5. They were baptised of him in Iordan confessing their Sins Now either the Order of Words in Scripture does not always infer the same Order of Things or else it follows that St. Iohn did baptise before he preached and before his Hearers Confession and Repentance Again it is said in St. Mark 1. 15. Repent and believe the Gospel But Repentance does not always go before Faith for Faith rather in order of Time as well as of Nature precedes Repentance because the Belief of the Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel is that which induces Sinners to repent Last of all the place is certainly mistranslated For whereas we read Go and teach all Nations baptising them And again Teaching them to observe all things c. which makes a plain Tautology or improper and undecent Repetition of the same Word in the same Sense it ought to be render'd Go and make Disciples of all Nations by Baptising them This is plain from the very Construction of the Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 included in the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if it had only been teach or preach to all Nations baptising them it might have agreed with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and must have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to proselyte or make Proselytes Disciple or make Disciples has been sufficiently proved by Learned Men who have wrote on this Controversie This is now owned by the Antipedobaptists themselves for Dr. Russel in the late Dispute at Gosport renders the word Disciple or make Disciples the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same signification being here used by the Syriack but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 20 v. which answers the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly rendered Teaching But that Children are capable of being made Proselytes has been already proved as they are of being further taught when they are by Baptism entred into the School of Christ. § XXIV Their next Objection is taken from those Expressions in Scripture Repent and be baptised believe and be baptised He that believes and is baptised shall be saved and the like whence they argue as before that Faith and Repentance are to go before Baptism In answer as to the order of the words we have already proved that there is nothing in it tho' it is not denied but that where a Person is capable of making an actual Declaration of Faith and Repentance he is obliged to do it before Baptism And such were those adult or grown Persons to whom the Gospel was at first preached as Oral Profession was required by the Iews of adult Proselytes and the same does our Church require in the most solemn manner of those who are