our Repentance be unfeigned and rest neither in confessing our Sins nor sorrowing for them nor begging Pardon nor in any thing else till it come up to a hatred of Sin and a full Resolution to forsake it When it is come to this we will be very angry at our own Folly that we have so long continued in it very thankful to God for any Chastisement thinking our selves mercifully dealt with whatever our Condition be so long as we are not in Hell use cheerfully all helps and means how hard or sharp soever to mortifie our Lusts thank any man that will reprove us and shew us our Faults watch diligently against all Temptations avoid carefully all occasions of Sin observe jealously our Thoughts Words and Actions pray devoutly for more Grace and Strength abridge our selves of many things lawful and punish our selves by crossing our own Wills not be ashamed to make publick satisfaction to the Church where it is required nor to open our Breasts freely to the Guide of our Souls for our own Satisfaction We will do any thing or suffer any thing to prevent sinning against God These helps to Self-examination might here have been omitted had I cause enough to believe that they for whose Ease and Benefit they are chiefly design'd had made as good use of my little Book called Christianity in short as I could wish they had made Those Summaries of Faith and Duty which there they have might have served them for this purpose And here I think fit to give my Readers notice that I suppose it would be very beneficial to their Souls once a Week or Fortnight or at least when they have examined themselves in order to this Sacrament with the greatest Seriousness and Devotion to use that form of Resigning themselves to God and renewing their Covenant with him which they have at the end of that small Book CHAP. VI. How to examine whether we be rightly disposed for the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper IF we be Christians we have a right to this Sacrament yet that we may profit the more by it we are more particularly to examine our selves both how we understand it and how suitable our Affections are unto it I. We are to try how we understand the Nature Ends and Benefits of this divine Ordinance To which end we are duely to consider the Institution of it as it is recorded in Scripture St. Matthew tells us that as they were eating Iesus took Bread and blessed it St. Luke saith he gave Thanks and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body St. Luke addeth Which is given for you this do in Remembrance of me and St. Paul saith which is broken for you c. And he took the Cup and gave Thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it for this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sins St. Luke saith This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you And St. Paul saith This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood This do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew or shew ye the Lord's Death till he come By these Words of the Evangelists and St. Paul we may understand what the meaning and use of this Sacrament is 1. It is a holy Christian Feast not much unlike the Feast of the Passover among the Iews at which this was instituted by Christ. When they were in Bondage in Egypt God in order to their Deliverance destroyed all the first-born in Egypt commanding them to kill in each Family a Lamb and to strike the Blood thereof upon the Door-posts of their Houses and so to feast upon it promising that when he saw the Blood he would pass over their Houses and not destroy their first-born In thankful Remembrance whereof they yearly kept the like Feast called therefore the Lord 's Passover Thus by the Sin of Adam we being all brought into Bondage and Slavery under Satan it pleased God to destroy the Power of the Devil and deliver us by the Death of JESUS CHRIST the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World to redeem us by his precious Blood as of a Lamb without Blemish and without Spot so that Christ is our Passover sacrificed for us Therefore are we to keep the Feast eating our Passover the Body and Blood of Christ in a thankful Remembrance of this our Redemption and Deliverance by his once offering himself to God a Sacrifice for our Sins In like manner when according to the Law Men sacrificed Peace-offerings unto God they were allowed to feast before God on part of the same to signifie that God now admitted them to an intimate Communion and Friendship with himself feasting them at his own Table of that meat which by their Oblation was now in a special manner his So Christ whom all the Sacrifices of the Law did shadow forth and typifie being offered once for all a Sacrifice of Atonement for our Sins calleth us Christians to feast upon this Sacrifice though it was a Sin-offering and even upon the Blood of it as the Iews were not allowed to do in their Feasts in token of a more intimate Communion and Friendship with God through him who hath made our Peace This Sacrament then is a sacred Feast and that upon the sacrificed Body and Blood of Christ and as bodily we eat and drink the broken Bread and poured-out Wine the Symbols of his Body and Blood so spiritually we eat his crucified Body and drink his poured-out Blood 2. The great end of this Feast is to keep up in the Christian Church a fresh and joyful Remembrance of Iesus Christ and of all that he did and suffered in the Flesh for us This do saith he in remembrance of me It is his Pleasure that we more signally and solemnly commemorate thus the Sacrifice of his Death by a lively Representation of it at this Feast of Love and so shew his Death till he come 1. We shew it hereby to our own Hearts for the stirring them up to an holy rejoycing in Christ praising him believing in him loving him and obeying him and to bring them to true Repentance and a perfect hatred of Sin which crucified the Lord of Glory 2. We shew it to the World declaring to the Honour of our holy Iesus what great things he hath done for our Souls that we are not ashamed of a crucified Saviour that we glory before the World and rejoyce in him that he is the Food and Gladness of our Souls that we are resolved to be faithful unto him whilst we live and are ready to dye a bloody Death for him if he shall call us to it 3. We shew it unto God laying before him in our Prayers the Death of his only
Messias the Anointed holy one of God who as the great Prophet of God hath instructed us in the way of Righteousness and Salvation and having taught us the whole Will of his Father after he had suffered many things in our Humane Nature was Crucified and willingly died a Sacrifice of Atonement for our Sins and was buried and continued till the third day in the state of the Dead and herein was the true High-priest who offering himself once for all hath made Reconciliation for the Sins of the People Do I believe That on the third day he rose again from the dead to die no more and having sufficiently instructed his Apostles in their Office and instituted the Sacrament of Baptism whereby they were to admit men into his Church he was received up into Heaven and sat down on the right hand of God in all Power and Majestly King of Kings and Head over all things to the Church and there as the great High-priest maketh Intercession for us and blesseth us rendring our Services acceptable to God Do I believe that at the day appointed by God he shall come again in Glory to judge the Quick and Dead according to his Gospel and that we must all appear before his Judgment Seat that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Do I believe That Christ sent the Promise of his Father the Comforter which is the HOLY GHOST to guide the Church into all Truth to be with it for ever and to sanctifie our Hearts to believe love and obey the Truth and to prepare us by Holiness for Happiness in the Presence of God for ever Do I believe that God always had and will have a peculiar People and Society of Men which make One holy Catholick Church or Body whereof Christ is the only Head who ruleth and governeth it by his Spirit and Word and Ministers under him in Doctrine Worship and Discipline That all the true sanctified Members of this Church are enlivened by the holy Spirit of Christ and by the Communion of the Spirit communicate in the Love of the Father and the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ in the Ministry of Angels and the Prayers of glorified Souls and with all Saints in the same holy Faith and Love and Offices of Religion Do I believe that all who faithfully persevere in this holy Communion of Saints have the Pardon of their Sins given them of God through Jesus Christ proclaimed unto them by the Ministry of the Word and particularly applied and sealed unto them in the Sacraments Do I believe That the Bodies of all men shall after Death be raised up again to Life and that the Wicked shall go into everlasting Torments and the Righteous shall live for ever in perfect Holiness and Glory in the Presence of God in Heaven These are the chief Matters of Faith wherein we are to examine our selves But that we may know whether we believe these things savingly we are farther to enquire 1. If we believe them understandingly To be satisfied herein we should do well to have the Approbation and Judgment of God's Minister 2. If we believe them with a divine Faith because of the Truth or Veracity of God who hath revealed them Be perfect therefore in the Scriptures that you may know they are taught therein by God 3. If we believe them firmly so that we are persuaded we dare even lay down our Lives for the Truth 4. If we believe them effectually and practically so that this Belief doth fill our Hearts with the Fear and Love of God and produce strong Resolutions servent Prayers and strenuous Endeavours to honour God by holy and obedient Lives Yet here we are to note That it is not every doubting whether we understand aright or whether the thing be a divine Truth or whether our Faith be firm and strong or have sufficient Influence on our Hearts and Lives that should dismay us but whilst we find that notwithstanding some Doubtings our Faith is able to carry us on in a Christian Course of Life trusting our Souls in well doing to the Mercy of God through Iesus Christ we are to cheer up our selves and using the means of strengthening our Faith say Lord I believe help thou my Unbelief CHAP. V. An help for the Examination of our Repentance and Obedience IT is the great Blessing of the Gospel that CHRIST came to call Sinners to Repentance That after the Law of Innocence was broken and we were under the Curse of Death and an impossibility to be saved by our own Righteousness Repentance is allowed of and a new Obedience Repentance in Scripture is sometimes all one with Conversion that is such a turning and change of Heart and Mind that being brought to the Knowledge of the true God and our Duty to him we renounce our former course of Life and resolve to serve and honour God according to his Word This fits us for Baptism wherein God's Minister in God's Name admits us into the Church and assures us of Pardon upon our continuing living Members of the same Repentance is also an humbling sense of and hearty Sorrow for any Sin or Violation of our Baptismal Covenant with a free Confession of our Demerit an earnest begging of Pardon a resolving to amend and praying for God's Grace so to do Now because all Sin is Disobedience to the Law of God we may at once examine our Repentance and Obedience by that Law it telling us our Duty and our Consciences telling us how we have either done it or are concerned for not doing it Ask then Have I done my best by such helps as God affords me to attain to divine Knowledge and not contented my self to live in Ignorance of God and of his Truth Hath the Knowledge of God wrought in me a most high and honourable Esteem of him an aweful Reverence towards him an entire Resignation of my self to him and humble Obedience to his Government a total dependance and trust to his Goodness an unfeigned Love of him above all things and an ardent Desire to enjoy him Do I love God for the excellency of his Nature and the beauty of his Holiness and his Goodness to me and all men especially as manifested in Iesus Christ Do I love him so as to love his Laws and his Word and Worship his Ministers and his Children his House and Day and every thing that relates to him Is it the earnest desire of my Soul to be able to honour him more and to be more like him in Holiness and can I find no rest to my Soul in any thing but him Have I made his Wisdom
there hath been occasion Am I a Father to the Fatherless a Husband to the Widow a Deliverer to the Oppressed a Reliever of the Poor Do I weep with those that weep and rejoyce with those that rejoyce with a fellow-feeling of their Joys or Afflictions Am I more especially thus affected towards those of the Houshold of Faith mourning for the Calamities of the Church and praying for the peace and flourishing of it Have I married no such as is forbidden by God nor for unlawful ends nor against my Parents Will Do I use the Marriage-bed soberly and religiously Do I love and live quietly and kindly with my Husband or Wife and faithfully using his or her Bed only Do we bear with each others Infirmities advising assisting comforting praying for and with each other promote each others spiritual Welfare agree in governing the Family and well-educating our Children Have I not used my Servants hardly or cruelly but gently as Christian Brethren or Sisters giving them their due instructing and allowing time to serve God Have I diligently done my Master's Commands studied his Profit not wasted his Goods or wrong'd him of my time or service by Idleness or any other way Have I concealed his Secrets or Infirmities born his Rebukes and Corrections without answering again Have I done him Service as in the Sight of God Have I murder'd no man hurt no man's Body tempted no man to Intemperance or any thing which hath impaired his Health or occasion'd his Sickness or Death raised no Quarrels or Dissentions among men been angry causlesly or immoderately Have I labour'd to promote the bodily Welfare of others as my own Have I defiled no man's Wife nor lusted after her committed no Fornication or Uncleanness Have I checkt all lustful thoughts forborn all lascivious words and Actions not occasioning Lust in my self or others by Idleness pampering the Body using immodest Dresses amorous Gestures obscene Songs or Stories unseasonable Familiarity and private Opportunities Do I use all means of preserving my own and others Chastity Have I stol'n nor spoiled no man's Goods nor by force or fraud or colour of Law injured him in any part of his Estate Have I not begged without need nor borrow'd without punctually paying again nor over-reached others in buying or selling by concealment of faults or taking advantage of another's Ignorance or Necessity nor oppressed any by Usury or Exaction Have I laboured honestly for my own Living and freely given and neighbourly lent as there was cause Do I make satisfaction for all Trespasses pay all Dues and do what I can to better another man's Estate as mine own Have I no way injured any one 's good Name or Credit by false-witness railing slandering backbiting busie prating of his Behaviour Infirmities or Concerns causless suspicions rash censuring and judging misconstruing and wresting his Words or Actions not checking or willingly hearing others do so gibing scoffing playing upon him or not righting and defending him as much as we can with Truth Have I not been too selfish so that I could be content to thrive by another's Loss or value not much the Publick or my Neighbours Welfare so I may please my self Have I so learn'd to deny my self that I can be heartily contented with and thankful for my present Condition be it better or worse and rejoyce to see others in a better Condition than I am in that I can bear Poverty and Shame and Injuries and love pray for and do good to Enemies Am I so little in love with the World that nothing therein can tempt me to dishonour God or wrong my Neighbour or bear Malice or Hatred against any man or break the Bond of Love and Charity or to neglect the care of my Soul These are the chief Branches of our Christian Duty whereby we may also know our Sins and what we have more especially to repent of And here we are to note some things very needful to be observed 1. That though we are to aim at the Perfection of Duty in all we do and not to satisfie our selves with low degrees of Holiness but to be greatly humbled by the sense of our Failings and restlesly to strive after better things yet it is not a perfect Obedience without Sin but a sincere Obedience without feigning and hypocrisie that is the Gospel-condition of our Salvation through Christ Iesus It is not our duty to be perfectly innocent but it is our duty to labour after Perfection Tho then we find that we offend in many things and do all that we do very weakly and imperfectly we are not to discourage our selves thereby so long as we can find our hearts sincerely bent to keep Covenant with God and to honour and serve him more perfectly 2. That we are therefore narrowly to search our hearts to see that we are sincere in our obedience We are to see that all our obedience flow from a true Love of God in our hearts and a sense of his Right to command and our Obligations to obey that our great design in all things be to please God and to enjoy his Love and not any of those low ends of pleasing men or securing our own Reputation or our worldly Peace Profit or Safety And if our Obedience be thus sincere then do we make a Conscience of those which men account little Duties as well as of greater of shunning little Sins as well as grosser Sins of governing our Thoughts and Desires as well as Words and outward Actions we are as religious in private as in publick where it is costly as where it is cheap where 't is painful as where it is easie where it is against our natural Inclinations as where it suits with our natural Temper where it is discountenanced derided or persecuted as where it is countenanced commended and rewarded by men 3. That having discovered our Sins we seek not any Excuses or Pretences to cloak or lessen them but endeavour to view them in their ugliest and most affrighting Shapes as contrary to the Purity of God and the very Nature of man as well as his Happiness against so much goodness long-suffering and patient Forbearance of God against so many Encouragements of his present Bounty and rich Promises of Reward so many gracious Warnings and Threatnings so many fatherly Chastisements and Corrections so much Light and Knowledge so many means helps and opportunities so many vows and engagements so many admonitions by Friends and checks by our own Consciences after all this so long continued in so much time strength estate wasted thereby so little of all this left to serve God with c. By such Considerations must we labour to humble our proud Hearts and bring them to a perfect Hatred of Sin 4. That
so will I compass thine Altar O God I come O my God I come for whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee O hide not thy comfortable Presence from me ¶ Then humbly joyn in the Confession of Sins saying after the Minister and receive in the humblest Posture the Absolution as from Christ himself interceding for you at God's right hand and blessing you Draw Comfort from the Sentences of Scripture read unto you and lift up your Hearts with joyful Praises unto God as you are called upon to do heartily joyning in the following Devotions When the Minister consecrateth the Elements fix your Eye upon the whole Action and your Heart upon your crucified Jesus considering with what Pains and Tortures on the Cross he finished your Redemption When the Minister draweth near you with the Bread say Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me ¶ When you take the Bread say With all Humility and Thankfulness of heart I take this sacred Pledge of thy Love O dearest Saviour Be it according to thy Word with thy crucified Body feed my Soul to Life eternal ¶ Then eating the Bread say O Father Son and Holy Ghost one God blessed for ever I am wholly thine and not my own reign in me rule over me O blessed Iesus now and for ever By thee I live through thee let me grow in Grace and Goodness Keep me from hungring any more after Sin and Vanity Lord evermore give me this Bread till thou bring me to thy eternal Supper in thy Kingdom of Glory ¶ Receiving the Cup say I will receive the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. ¶ Having drunk of it say My Soul was a-thirst for the living God let thy Blood O holy Lamb of God cleanse me and this whole Congregation from all Sin Let thy holy Spirit be in us a Well of living Water springing up into everlasting Life I have confessed my Sin and thou art faithful and just to forgive my Sin and to cleanse me from all Unrighteousness Take now my blessed Lord a full and everlasting possession of thy dear Purchase As I believe we have Redemption through thy Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins so do I here deny my self and resolve by thy Assistance to follow thee even unto Death And O thou God of Peace that brought'st again from the dead our Lord Iesus Christ that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant feed govern and protect thy whole Flock the Universal Church make us perfect in every good Work to do thy Will working in us that which is well-pleasing in thy Sight through Iesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen ¶ During the time of the Distribution if no Psalm be sung or if a Psalm be sung then during the Oblation or at any other vacant times employ your selves in such Meditations as these following O how wonderful is the Love of God! How doth the Lord triumph in his Goodness and rejoyce in his Mercy We that have a thousand times over deserved to be weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth in everlasting Fire are here admitted to feast and rejoyce at the Table of the Lord. O astonishing Love of the blessed Iesus O abominable Sins of us rebellious Wretches Was thy holy Body my dearest Lord and God thus broken and torn they precious Blood thus shed and poured out for our sinful Souls And shall we not abhor those cursed Sins of ours and with all due Hatred and Indignation cast them off for ever Shall we not renounce all Kindness to our beastly Lusts loath our selves for our Iniquities and give our selves entirely to thy Service which is perfect Freedom for evermore O ravishing Love that moved the eternal Son of God to rescue us from everlasting Torments by the sharpest Pains and Tortures of his spotless Body and the bitterest Agonies of his purest Soul That moved the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to condescend unto Sufferings Shame and Death and to be made a Curse for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Wast thou O blessed Saviour content for our sake to be despised and rejected of men to become a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief and have we so long hid as it were our Faces from thee Hast thou been despised and yet have not we esteemed thee Surely thou hast born ou◠Griefs and carried our Sorrows thou wast wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our Peace was upon thee and with thy Stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on thee the Iniquity of us all Thou wast oppressed and afflicted yet did'st thou not open thy Mouth thou wast brought as a Lamb dumb to the Slaughter thou wast cut off out of the Land of the Living for the Transgression of thy People wast thou stricken O holy Iesus I do most stedfastly believe that thou art the Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World that thou hast in thine own Body born our Sins upon the Tree and that in the Body of thy Flesh through Death thou hast reconciled us who were Enemies to present us holy and unblameable in God's sight Thou wast not ashamed to call us Brethren and because the Children are Partakers of Flesh and Blood thou 〈◊〉 thy self tookest part of the same and through Death hast destroy'd him that had the power of Death the Devil We have not an High-priest which cannot be touch'd with a feeling of our Infirmities but was in all Points tempted as we are yet without Sin Therefore may we come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Thou O blessed Iesus being made perfect through Sufferings art become the Author of Salvation unto all that obey thee O Lord I poor Sinner fly for Refuge to lay hold on the Hope now set before us Thou art able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by thee seeing thou ever livest to make Intercession for us By thine own Blood hast thou entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us Thou art entered into Heaven it self now to appear in the Presence of God for us Thou art our Advocate with the Father the Propitiation for our Sins and we look for thee to appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation O Lord seeing thou hast given us Boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Iesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh and having such an High-priest over thine House I here draw near with a true Heart in full Assurance of Faith having my Heart
that his Name may be glorified his Church may flourish in Truth and Purity and Peace and Love may abound amongst Christians Some short Directions and Prayers WHen you go to examine your Faith by the help I have herein given you or some other fall humbly before God on your Knees and heartily say O most glorious God who madest me that I might know thee and knowing thee might love thee and loving thee might be for ever happy in thy Love I poor Sinner do here most humbly bewail and confess my great and alas too willful Ignorance of thee O! for his sake whom thou hast sent to call us out of Darkness into Light by his Gospel even JESUS CHRIST in whom dwell all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge enlighten my dark Soul by thy Word and holy Spirit with the saving Knowledge of the Truth and incline my Heart firmly to believe it even to the end Remove from me all prejudice and blindness of Heart let not the God of this World any longer darken the Eyes of my Understanding or delude my poor Soul to believe a Lye or possess me with a desire of vain Knowledge which profiteth not unto Godliness but enable me daily to grow in all Grace and the Knowledge of thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Help me at this time to discern my Errors and the Imperfections in my Knowledge and Faith and to correct them Strengthen me to hold fast without wavering the form of sound Words which thou teachest and not Man that persevering stedfast in the same unto the Death I may receive the end of my Faith even the Salvation of my Soul through Iesus Christ my blessed Lord and Saviour Amen At the end of every Question consider well and if you find you so believe say For ever blessed be God who hath enlighten'd my Soul with the Knowledge of this sacred Truth and Faith in him O Lord encrease this Knowledge and confirm this Faith in me unto the end If you doubt in any point note it well and say O Lord pardon thy Servant I am weak and blind open mine Eyes what I know not teach thou me by thy holy Spirit guide me into all the Truth for Iesus Christ his sake Having noted all your Doubts take a fit opportunity to consult your Pastor for better Instruction At the end of this Examination thus pray O most blessed God if my Heart deceive me not I firmly believe all that I know of thy sacred Truth Thou know'st O Lord the scantness of my Knowledge and weakness of my Faith I most heartily beseech thee to pardon my Imperfections to keep me from Heresie and Error and to strengthen me daily in the true Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ. Let me not rest in an idle and dead Faith but make it lively and active in me purifying my Heart from all Hypocrisie and Uncleanness kindling in me a fervent Love to thee and to thy Laws working in me by Love an universal Obedience to thy blessed Will enabling me to overcome the World subdue the Flesh with the Lusts thereof to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil to resist all his Temptations unto Victory to be conformed daily more and more to the Image of Christ to be strong against all Sufferings and the Terrors of Death and finally to lay hold on eternal Life through thy Mercy and the Merits of my blessed Saviour Iesus Christ. Amen When you are to examine your Repentance and Obedience pray to this sense Most great and good Good the searcher of Hearts and trier of the Reins who art every where present and from whom no Darkness can hide us thou compassest my Path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways there is not a word in my Tongue nor a thought in my Heart but thou know'st it altogether My heart O God is deceitful above all things and I cannot find it out neither understand the errors of my ways nor the sincerity of my Purposes without the help of thy holy Spirit Help me O my God help me I beseech thee to know my self and the true frame and temper of my Soul shew thou me wherein I have offended thee in Thought Word or Deed grant me a true and a humbling sight and sense of all my Sins let not my Ignorance blind me nor self-self-love beguile me nor the common practice of the World delude me into a false Opinion of my self and my own Righteousness but enable me I humbly beseech thee to find out all my Sins together with all the Aggravations of my Guilt make me truly vile in mine own Eyes and heartily sorry for all my Failings enable me to hate and forsake every evil way and to turn unto thee by an unfeigned Repentance and a sincere Obedience to all thy holy and good Laws that I may have my fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life through Iesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen After every Question pause a while and impartially judge your self and where you think you have done any part of your Duty say Blessed be my good God through Iesus Christ who by his holy Spirit hath enabled me either to will or to do any good thing in his Sight O Lord I have done all very weakly and imperfectly and most humbly beg thy pardon If I have done any thing well not unto me O Lord not unto me thy very unprofitable Servant but unto thy Name be the Glory through Iesus Christ my Lord. Where you see your sin lay it in earnest to your Heart and say O Lord I have herein sinned most grievously against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Child God be merciful to me poor Sinner who deserve nothing but Hell and Damnation O grant me Repentance unto Life and enter not into Judgment with thy Servant but pardon my Sin and lead me in the ways of thy Commandments to eternal life through Iesus Christ. If you have offended or injured any man note it well and take some sit time to confess it to him satisfie him and beg his Pardon If your Sin be publick and scandalous think not you have done enough till you have publickly testified your Repentance as the Church shall require it of you When you are in any doubt resort again to the Minister confess your Sin freely to him and crave his Iudgment and Directions After Examination pray earnestly to this effect O most holy and just God who perfectly hatest all Iniquity and will not have Mercy on any impenitent Sinner how should so vile and polluted a Wretch as I am dare so much as to take thy holy Name into my defiled Mouth O Lord I am a most grievous and abominable Sinner and do altogether deserve thy fierce Wrath and heavy Indignation It is a very great wonder of Mercy that thou sufferest me yet to live and hast not long since cast me into Hell and given me the
Wages of Sin for which I have so long labour'd How many and foul are the Sins which thou hast now enabled me to discover in my self even the least of this black number is enough to condemn me to endless Torments and whither then would not such a multitude of foulest Transgressions sink me if thy Mercies were not infinite and thy Patience truly wonderful Yet alas how few are all these in comparison of those which have escaped my Observation but cannot be hid from thine all-seeing Eye And if I appear so vile in my own Eyes how loathsome and abominable a thing must I needs be in thine My Sins O God are not a few but many no small Offences but very heinous Transgressions few of them rare with me but most of them very often repeated long continued in and become even familiar customary and habitual Yea O Lord with shame and confusion of Face I confess that I have had so little regard to thy Will that I have even sinned as I eat and drink with all greediness and delight Though thou hast never been wanting to me in any help to enable me or any Remembrancer to mind me or any Motive to invite me or any Bounty or Promise to encourage me yet have I made a very bad use of all thy Goodness and by that very Patience and Forbearance which should have led me to Repentance I have encouraged my self to sin the more freely even without fear and I may justly fear to the great hardening of my Heart Tho I have lived long under the bright Light of thy Gospel and have thy Word sounding in my Ears daily and have thy Ministers ready at hand to instruct me yet am I very ignorant and have even hated Knowledge and despised Instruction and cast thy Words behind Though I have had many seasonable Monitors of my Duty and felt many motions of thy good Spirit and suffered many Checks from my own Conscience yet have I turned my Back upon thee and done almost none of thy Commandments Nay after the most solemn Engagements Covenants and Vows I have treacherously revolted from thee rebelled against thee and set at naught all thy Goodness to me I have a false and treacherous Heart which hath never yet kept Faith with thee I find to the great discomfort of my Soul that I have dissembled with thee and gone about to mock thee by feigned Professions counterseit Repentances and hypocritical Devotions Even now O Lord I feel not that deep Humiliation that piercing Grief that Anger and Hatred and Indignation against my Sins and my self for cherishing them that I ought to have neither do I find in my Heart that servent Love of thee that true Zeal for thy Honour that hungring desire of Righteousness and Holiness that should be in me And now O my God what can I have to say for my self after all this Why should'st thou not deal with me as I have justly deserved and reward me with Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish If thou should'st even now instead of accepting my Confession throw me in thy just Fury into unquenchable Flames with the Devil and his Angels thou wert most just in so doing and even merciful in taking Vengeance of me so late when I had so often and long provoked thy Wrath before O Lord I have nothing to plead in my own Excuse I have nothing to fly unto but that Mercy of my good God which I have so long abused O hide not thy Face away from me but humble my Soul yet more for my Unworthiness break my Heart into true Contrition that it may yet be an acceptable Sacrifice unto thee give me not over unto vile Affections nor a reprobate Mind break the dominion Sin hath got over me for the earnest desire of my Soul is to be thy Servant and only thine for ever O gracious God we have an Advocate at thy right hand even Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins him thou sentest into the World to be the Saviour of lost Sinners and hast promised that no Man shall perish or be rejected that cometh unto thee by him for his sake pardon me for his sake have Mercy upon me by the bitter Death and Passion of thy dearly beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased I beseech thee O holy Father to look graciously upon me and blot out all my Transgressions and restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation Cleanse and purifie my sinnful Soul in his Blood receive me graciously into the number of thine adopted Children rid me and set me free from the power of Sin and slavery of my Lusts let thy holy Spirit rule for ever in my Heart and deliver me from the Law of Sin and Death in my Members O speak Peace unto thy Servant and let me yet live to praise thy Name let me not return any more with the Dog to his Vomit nor with the Sow to her wallowing in the Mire but work in me a perfect Hatred of all that thou hatest and a true Love to all that thou lovest Strengthen me by thy Grace to withstand all Temptations and to persevere and grow in Faith and Love and all Goodness to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to live henceforward righteously soberly and godly in this present World patiently and comfortably looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearance of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works In his blessed Name and perfect Prayer I here commend unto thee all the Desires and Needs of my poor Soul and of thy whole Church Our Father c. A Prayer before the blessed Sacrament O Most merciful God and Father in Iesus Christ who of thine infinite Love and Goodness to our poor perishing Souls hast provided for us all things that be needful to us in our polluted and miserable Condition whereinto we have brought our selves by Sin and shew'st Mercy unto us even when we would have no Mercy on our selves I am here O Lord prostrate at thy Foot-stool a vile Wretch that have again and again deserved to be punished with everlasting Destruction from thy presence And will the great God of Heaven and Earth vouchsafe to look upon such a Dog as I Shall the so often offended dishonoured provoked Majesty of the glorious God condescend even to invite and beseech so traiterous a Rebel as I have been to accept of Pardon and Salvation And shall I yet despise thy loving-kindness O my gracious God and neglect so great Salvation as this that thou daily tenderst unto us in the Son of thy Love and our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ When we were gone astray from thee the God of our Life and were going head-long to Destruction thou wert pleased to open unto us a new and living way by the Death of thy only begotten
THE Communicant's Guide SHEWING A Safe and Easie WAY TO THE Lord's Table In Compassion to The Poorer and Weaker Sort OF CHRISTIANS By CLEM. ELIS Rector of Kirkby in Nottinghamshire 1 Cor. 11. â—â— If we would Iudge our selves we should not be Iudged LONDON Printed for Iohn Baker at the Sign of the Three Pidgeons in St. Paul's Church-Yard M DC LXXXV TO THE Christian Readers More especially to those who belong unto my Charge for whose Help this Book is principally intended My Dear Friends I Hope none of you will think me so vain as to publish this Little Book for this Reason That I suppose there are not many better of the same Subject and for the same Use already abroad in the World I well know that there be very many and not a few of them so excellent that if you had them and knew how to use them this that I now present you with might well seem to be superfluous if not contemptible But I hope till you can be better provided it may be very useful to you at least in this that it may help to fit you for the using of those better and if this only be the use of it you ought not to despise it The true Reasons then why I thus tender you my Service are those which some of your selves have often prompted me with When you have been admonished to prepare your selves carefully for the worthy Receiving of this Holy Sacrament you have been ready to say That you wanted good helps and Books for that purpose and you continue ignorant for want of Instruction for though you hear Sermons and have been Catechized in publick and have been examined and instructed privately too by the Minister yet your Understandings being dull and your Memories weak you are not much better for all this because you want such Books to read as may help you more fully to understand your Duty This is a Pretence and no more than so in very many whose Love to Sin and Carelessness of their Souls and all their spiritual Concerns is indeed the real cause of their Ignorance and Unfitness for this and all other religious Duties To remove this Pretence and that you may not delude your selves to your utter undoing by thinking you have a sufficient Excuse for not doing so necessary a Duty when you have none is the cause of my presenting you with this help to the doing of it Some of you say That the most excellent of those Books already extant to this purpose are too dear and you are not able to buy them Herein some of you speak the Truth such I mean as have not wherewith to buy Bread for their Mouths or Cloaths for their Backs But the most of them who thus plead their Poverty say no more in effect but this That they think their Money better bestow'd in a Lace or Riband a Cup of Ale or a Game at Cards than on their Souls which were so dear to Christ that he paid his most precious Blood to redeem them Others say That those Books are too learned and hard for their Understanding and they should be no wiser for them if they had them And indeed there is too much Truth in this yet are there not wanting such as are so plain and easie that it can be nothing but your unacquaintedness with the very Princâ—ples of Religion that makes them seem hard If you were concern'd to understand any other Language than that of the Plow and Cart or thought it as needful to discourse sometimes of matters relating to God and your own Souls as to talk to your Horses and Oxen you might soon learn much Good from the Books you thus complain of Some of these Books you say are too long and tedious And it is true that some of them are longer than they should be for the use of the weaker sort of Christians But it is no wonder if every good Book seem too long to them who have no Delight in Goodness and to them that are weary of hearing a short Sermon of an Hour or it may be not so much A Book that will cost them some days to read it over understandingly must needs be very tedious indeed They that think all their time little enough to trade and drudge in for the World or their swinish Lusts cannot spare much of it for their Souls without grudging and wearisomness Now that you may not henceforward have any colour for such Pretences I here offer you one that is if I mistake not every way fitted to your Condition and Capacity for it is cheap and easie and short and yet I hope sufficient to teach and direct you in your Duty I herein endeavour to manifest my hearty Love and Care for your Souls and everlasting Welfare and if I had no other Reason for writing and publishing it but this only that I desire to shew my Readiness to serve you and to cast in my small Mite amongst those that offer more largely out of their Abundance towards the enriching of your Souls I may I hope be at least excusable But alas what better will you be for my Kindness if you will not make use of it This Book nay all the Books in the World will not make you Christians or worthy Communicants by lying by you or by a careless reading without understanding applying and practising no more than your Meat will nourish you without eating it Some few Years ago I gave you for the same Reasons which move me now to give you this a small Summary both of your Faith and Duty called Christianity in short which hath with very many found a welcome much above my Hope or Expectation the worst Entertainment it hath met with is from some of you for whose Benefit it was chiefly intended and who had it gratis The Reason why it hath been so coldly entertained at home whilst it was so welcome abroad I am apt to think is this That you know me better than Strangers do and seeing my Infirmities daily do more slightly regard my Endeavours than they who see them not But remember I pray you it is the Doctrine of your Blessed Saviour that in both that little Book and this I commend unto you and not my own Example Make but use of that as you ought and my Failings what hurt soever they do my self shall not hurt you One thing you are to be here minded of You read things of this nature so imperfectly and so heartlesly that little of what you read remains with you An obscene Ballad or idle Tale-Book you can read with Delight and though imperfectly at first yet you read them so often till you grow too perfect in them to your own great Hurt Why take you not the like Pains in these Helps of Religion Because you take no Pleasure in Religion nor care much what becomes of God's Honour or the Salvation of your Souls This is too sad a Truth and you cannot deny it Your drowsie
and are not sufficiently instructed cannot examine themselves and therefore may not eat and they who either because they are afraid to awaken their Consciences and not be able to sin in Quietness or because they are loath to be at the Pains or take so much time from their worldly Business or Pleasures will not examine themselves may not presume to eat What then must such Persons do for if they eat not they die The ignorant must be Catechised and learn if they be ashamed of this they are ashamed of Christ and must perish for hating Instruction They that will not examine themselves must consider how they can dwell with everlasting Burnings Eat or Die Examine or eat not that 's all the Choice our Sins have left us Yet Examination is not a thing commanded for it self but in order to something else Counterfeit Gold is of no more worth than it was before for being examined or tryed by the Touch-stone We must examine our selves that we may know what we are Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves Know you not your own selves how that Iesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. We might know whether we be Christians or no would we try our selves and not be content like false Gold to make a shew only And to this end must we by Examination learn to know our selves that we may be able to approve of our selves in our own Consciences before God that we are sincere Christians that we may not think our selves to be something when we are nothing and so deceive our selves let every Man prove his own Work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself Gal. 6. 4. In short we are to examine what Graces God hath given us and be truly thankful what is yet amiss in us and amend it what we yet want and endeavour to obtain it The difficulty of this Duty affrighteth many from this Sacrament and indeed considering how most of us live it is no wonder that it seemeth difficult But we should remember first That this Self-Examination is a Duty necessary not only now and then before a Sacrament but at all times that we may understand how far we are Christians indeed and therefore the Difficulty may as well affright us from being Christians as from this Sacrament and so I fear it doth too many who therefore abstain from the Lord's Table because they have no mind to be Christians any farther than in Name only And then secondly We must remember that whatever Difficulty there is in this Duty it is of our own making and we may make the Duty more easie if we will For 1. We continue willingly ignorant of the Word of God and its use and it must needs be hard for us to examine our selves by a Rule which we understand not But let us take pains to learn perfectly the particulars of our Christian Faith and Duty gathered from the Sacred Scriptures and explained in easie Catechisms and often beg the Minister's help for the right understanding and due applying thereof to our selves opening freely to him all our Ignorances and Doubts and this part of the Difficulty will be removed 2. We live loosly and carelesly not observing well our own Tempers and Actions and having let them slip without any notice of them we cannot recall to mind and examine what we never regarded Let us but once every day take a little time to consider what Inclinations in us have that day shewn themselves and what have been our Thoughts Words and Actions and comparing them with the Rule of Life observe how they agree or disagree with it and heartily blessing God for any Good that by his help we have done humbly bewailing confessing and begging Pardon for all our Failings of Omission or Commission praying devoutly and seriously for more Strength and Grace to live better resolve to do our utmost Endeavour to amend and improve daily we shall soon find all the Difficulty over especially if we would as often as we find cause to doubt of any thing open our Souls freely to our Spiritual Guides God's Ministers for their Assistance Which course till i be taken we shall every where find too few Christians but if we would do thus we should learn to know our selves so well that it would be a very easie matter to examine our selveâ— against a Communion Now that we may be worthy Communicants we must examine our selve both whether we be sound Christianâ— or no and whether we be rightly disposed for this particular Christian Duty 1. We must be of Christ's Family as Christians before we may feast at Christ's Table as Communicants Wâ— are solemnly admitted into the Family or Church of Christ by Baptism wherein we are dedicated to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and admitted into the Bond of a sacred Covenant with the ever Blessed and Glorious Trinity So long as we continue faithful in this Covenant so long are we Christians and therefore this is first to be enquired into Whether or no we faithfully stand to this Baptismal Covenant 2. Then are we duely disposed for this Duty of Communicating when understanding the Nature Ends and Benefits of this Sacrament we find the Affections of our Hearts in some measure suitable thereunto And to this purpose it is that we are more especially before our Approaches to the Lord's Table to examine our selves CHAP. III. How to examine our Selves about our Baptismal Covenant THE faithful keeping of our Baptismal Covenant is our Christianity We are therefore impartially to enquire both how we understand it how we have kept it and how we resolve to keep it 1. To help us to understand it we must know four things viz. 1. That our Good God having made man a rational Creature in his own Image and given him an immortal Soul void of any Inclination to Evil with sufficient Knowledge to understand his Duty and Power enough to do it did command him to live in perfect Obedience to God his Maker whereby he and his might live for ever happy in the Love of God 2. That Adam the first Man and common Father of us all by the Temptation of the Devil disobey'd this Command and thereby brought us all into a state of Weakness Sin and Death And now in such a Condition we come into the World that left unto our selves we would do nothing but sin against God and run upon our own Destruction 3. That our gracious God when he might justly have cut off at once the whole Race of Mankind in Adam and Eve or have left all their Posterity to perish by their own Doings of his wonderful Goodness and Mercy took pity on Sinners and opened â— to us a new way to Salvation by providing for us a Saviour even GOD the SON the only begotten of the FATHER who in our Flesh having taught us what God now requireth of us if we will be saved
begotten Son as the most powerful Argument and all indeed that we have to prevail with him for Pardon and Grace and Glory offering our Persons and our Services to the Father as acceptable unto him in the Vertue of this Sacrifice only 3. The Benefits of this Sacrament must needs be many seeing herein our blessed IESUS giveth himself unto us to be the food of our Souls His Body which was broken for us he here bids us take and eat His Blood which was shed for us he here bids us drink The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion or Communication of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communication of the Body of Christ Christ and all the Benefits of his Passion are freely communicated to the worthy Partakers of this Bread and this Cup. The Cup of which we drink is the New Testament in his Blood Covenants were of old made and confirmed with Sacrificings and Feastings the new Covenant of Grace and Salvation was established with us through the bloody Sacrifice of Iesus Christ and is renew'd and confirm'd by our feasting before God on this Sacrifice 1. This Blood was shed for the Remission of Sins and by our worthy drinking of it we receive an Assurance That our Sins and our Iniquities God will remember no more Hebrews 8. 12. 2. God by admitting us to his Table to feast on this Sacrifice owns us as Members of his proper Family and will accordingly provide for us and protect us He will be to us a God and we shall be to him a People Hebrews 8. 10. 3. The Promise of the Covenant was this I will put my Laws saith God into their Minds and write them in their Hearts God will give the light of Knowledge and the life of Grace not only teach us but incline our Hearts to love and delight in his Laws Here is Life and strength of Grace promised but all through Iesus Christ he is the bread of God which giveth Life unto the World and this bread is his Flesh which he gave for the Life of the World and he that eateth this bread shall never hunger nor die John 6. 33. 51. 35. 4. The Bond of Vnion betwixt Christ our Head and us his Members is hereby strengthned He saith he that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him Joh. 6. 56. 5. The Communion of Saints is hereby preserved and maintain'd by this we declare that we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all Partakers of that one Bread 1 Corinth 10. 17. 6. Our Faith of the Resurrection is hereby confirm'd Whoso eateth my Flesh saith Christ and drinketh my Blood hath eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6. 54. So many and inestimable are the Benefits of the New Testament in Christ's Blood by this Sacrament confirmed unto every worthy Communicant CHAP. VII What Affections of Soul are suitable to this Sacrament HE eateth and drinketh unworthily who discerneth not the Lord's Body To discern the Lord's Body is to put a sufficient Difference between this Divine Feast and other common Feasts both in our Iudgment Affection and Behaviour How we are to judge of it hath been already shewn We are next to see what Affections it calls for We come not here to feast with Men only but with God nor to feed our Bodies with a little Bread and Wine but our Souls on the Body and Blood of Christ. Let us then enquire 1. Are we deeply sensible of our spiritual Wants and our great need of this divine Food Except we eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Son of Man we have no Life in us John 6. 53. 2. Are we highly sensible of God's wonderful Goodness in providing so graciously for our Wants God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever belâ—eveth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life All things saith he are now ready come ye to the Marriage John 3. 16. Mat. 22. 4. 3. Do we verily believe that whosoever cometh preparedly shall be kindly welcome Him that cometh to me saith Christ I will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. 4. Have we longing Appetites and ardent Desires to this food of our Souls Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Matt. 5. 6. 5. Do we empty our Souls of carnal and worldly Thoughts and Cares and Desires Labour not for the Meat which perisheth but for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting Life which the Son of Man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed John 6. 27. 6. Are we not ready to lay hold on vain Excuses borrow'd from our worldly Businesses of Pleasures None of those Men saith God shall taste of my Supper Luke 14. 24. 7. Do we labour to put our selves into a fit habit and posture of Soul for so divine a Feast He that came without his Wedding-garment was bound hand and foot and cast into outer Darkness Matt. 22. 13. Now therefore we are as it were to new trim up all our Graces and appear with them before God in their greatest Brightness having our Souls adorned and adorning the Gospel of Christ. 1. Let the Consideration of the Odiousness of Sin to God which he would not pardon without the Death of his only begotten Son and of the astonishing Love of God to Sinners Souls so that he would send his Son to die rather than they should perish give Life to our Repentance 2. Let this Consideration that Christ hath not only left us the History of his Life Death and Resurrection in his Gospel confirmed by many Miracles but hath also instituted a solemn festival Commemoration of himself which hath been constantly celebrated in his Church in all Ages wherein what by the Word is preached to our Ears is lively represented to our Eyes even Iesus Christ evidently set forth crucified among us set our Faith on work 3. Let the wonderful Love of the Father in giving his only Son of the Son in shedding his precious Blood for us ungodly Sinners rebellious Enemies hopeless Wretches demonstrated in this Feast of Love enflame our Hearts with the Love of God in Iesus Christ. 4. Let the Promises of God that cannot lie first sealed in the Blood of the everlasting Covenant now renewed and confirmed in this Sacrament feed and nourish our Hope 5. Let the numerous Benefits of Christ's Death thus signally exhibited and assured unto us fill our Hearts with Thankfulness remembring that this Sacrament is the Eucharist a thankful Commemoration of Christ and this Cup the Cup of Blessing Praise or Thanksgiving 6. Let our Deliverance from the Vassalage of Sin and Torments of Hell and our new Title to the Kingdom of Heaven fill our Hearts with spiritual Joy Let us take the Cup of Sâ—lvation and call upon the Name of the Lord
in joyful Songs and Hymns of Praise 7. As God whom we have so often provoked to Wrath and Indignation doth graciously condescend in Christ Iesus to renew his Covenant of Mercy to us so let us most heartily come to renew through the same blessed Iesus our Engagements to him and do that which may correspond with what Christ hath done for us Did he deny himself veiled his God-head in mortal Flesh taking on him the form of a Servant humbling himself to the Death of the Cross Let us deny our selves take up the Cross forsake all and follow him Was he Crucified for us Let the Old-man be cruciâ—â—ed in us with the Affections and Lusts let the World be crucified to us and we unto the World let us make no more Provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof Did he give himself a Sacrifice for our Sins Let us offer to God the Sacrifices of broken and contrite Hearts the Sacrifice of Prayer and Supplication of Praise and Thansgiving of Almsgiving and Mercy and in a word our Bodies a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God 8. Let this Feast of Love and holy Communion oblige us to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace to purge out the old leaven of Malice and Envy to forgive as God for Christ his sake hath forgiven us to do good to all men as we have opportunity especially to them that are of the Houshold of Faith to love our Enemies bless our Persecutors pray for our Haters render good for evil overcome evil with good and if going to the Altar we remember that our Brother hath ought against us go first and be reconciled unto him When we are thus disposed we may with an holy Boldness come to the Lord's Table and need not fear but we shall have the Benefits thereof conferred upon us CHAP. VIII How we are to behave our selves at this Sacrament ¶ AS thou goest to the Church meditate all the way or discourse with thy Company of the Goodness of God in inviting poor Sinners to his own Table Say thus with thy self O my sinful Soul taste and see that the Lord is good O what a Love and Goodness is this that such wicked Prodigals as we who have so long abused all the good Gifts which our heavenly Father hath bestowed upon us in a vain foolish and sinful way of living should have such Encouragements as these to return to our offended God and Father I will go unto him and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son or to appear and feed amongst thy Children O Lord not considering what thou hast made me a rational Creature to know love and honour thee my great and good God I have used my self like a Beast and have fed with Greediness and Delight amongst swinish Sinners upon empty Husks and Vanities O blessed be thy Name who hast brought me to my self again to see and lament and hate my past Folly I am now in all Humility coming to feast my Soul with thee in thy House where there is ever bread enough and to spare even the Bread of Life my ever blessed JESUS O send out thy Light and thy Truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles then will I go unto the Altar of God unto God my exceeding Joy and with all my Soul will I praise thee O God my God I will enter into thy Gates with Thanksgiving and into thy Courts with Praise I will be thankful unto thee and bless thy Name For the Lord is good his Mercy is everlasting and his Truth endureth to all Generations ¶ Entring into the Church have such Thoughts as these before the Service begin O how dreadful is this place This is no other but the House of God and the Gate of Heaven Holiness O God becometh thine House for ever One day in thy House is better than a thousand Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts I come O Lord into thy House in the multitude of thy Mercy and in thy Fear will I worship thee in thy holy Temple I have loved the Habitation of thy House and the place where thine honour dwelleth O let me be abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of thy House and make me drink of the River of thy Pleasures ¶ Ioyn devoutly with the Congregation in the Prayers of the Church and attend diligently to God's Word read and preached And when the Minister is going to the Table say thus Blessed be God for affording us Pastors and Teachers O how beautiful are the Feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad tidings of good things O Lord bless and assist this thy Servant in this holy Ministration Thou O Lord art our Shepherd we can want nothing thou preparest a Table before us surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow us all the days of our Life ¶ When the Bread and Wine are placed upon the Table and thou art preparing thine Offering say thus O gracious Lord what a miracle of Divine Love do we here behold We have sinned against thee and yet thou callest not upon us for Sacrifices and burnt Offerings but hast prepared a Body for thy eternal Son that he in that might do thy Will live among us and die a Sacrifice for us and here feed us on that Sacrifice of himself to eternal Life I have abundantly deserved to be at this time in Hell amongst the Devils and dost thou yet vouchsafe to feast me at thy Table amongst thy Children on the Body and Blood of thy dearest Son O astonishing Love Let this thy love O God pierce my Heart and do thou O blessed JESUS dwell therein for ever The Earth is thine O Lord and the fullness thereof What can I render unto thee for all thine inestimable Benefits My Goodness extendeth not unto thee but to the Saints that are in the Earth Thou O God of thy Goodness hast prepared for the poor Accept I beseech thee of my poor Mite receive this my humble Acknowledgment of thy Bounty to me poor Sinner whereby I confess and declare my self and all that I have to be at thy Command and Service accept of me for Iesus Christ his sake ¶ When the Exhortation is read mind it well and observe whether you come so duely prepared as is therein said you ought to be Then say Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Who can understand his Errors Cleanse thou me from my secret Faults ¶ When you are bid to draw near do so both with Body and Soul saying My Heart is ready O God my Heart is ready I will wash my hands in Innocency and
good Christians want it and are but working out their Salvation with fear and trembling To labour after it is our Duty to have it is our great Comfort but no Condition of Salvation Do you believe the Gospel that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved that Iesus Christ is the Saviour of all them that repenting of their Sins trust in his Merits and live in Obedience to his Government and Laws Do you accordingly consent to be saved by him upon these terms and striving against Sin earnestly desire and endeavour to live according to his Gospel and trust to him for Salvation This is saving Faith whether you have full Assurance or no and you are to receive this Sacrament for the strengthning of your Faith Obj. 6. Faith worketh by Love Gal. and I fear I do not love God Ans. Are you convinced that God is the chief good and ought to be loved above all things And do you so value him above all things Are you thereupon resolved to do any thing to part with any thing to suffer any thing thereby to honour him and enjoy his Love Do you thus practice and can you deny your self and your own Will to do his This is Love that you keep his Commandments And though you feel not such a passionate Lov◠〈◊〉 you have for some other things yet if you have this prizing and over-ruling Love that you do prefer his Will and his Favour above other things you are to use this Sacrament for the confirming and farther inflaming your Love Obj. 7. I fear I do not truly repent for I cannot weep for my Sins Ans. Can you hate them and avoid them and do you in Obedienee to God and of Love to him shun all Temptations and watch against them If so though your Eyes be dry God will not despise a broken Heart Obj. 8. But I feel Lusts and evil Inclinations stirring in me Ans. So you shall whilst you live more or less But do you not feed and cherish them Do not you delight in them nor obey and fulfill them Do you on the contrary check and restrain them and use all the means of subduing and mortifying them If you find it thus come to this Sacrament with Comfort Let not Sin reign in you to fulfill the Lusts thereof and all will be well Obj. 9. I am not in charity with my Neighbours therefore I dare not come Ans. That is You dare sin and perish but you dare not leave off sinning and do your Duty and be saved If you be not in charity how dare you pray for the Forgiveness of your Sins as you forgive others how dare you sleep lest you die out of Charity Plead not Sin as an Excuse for not doing your Duty but leave your Sin and do it Obj. 10. But I am engaged in Law Suits and dare not come till they be ended Ans. That is You will have your Right first if you can get it and let God stay your leisure for his When you have got your Will of your Neighbour you will do your Duty to God But cannot you manage your Law Suits justly and charitably Can you not defend or recover your Right without doing wrong or bearing ill will to your Neighbour Then doâ— you take a sad course to damn 〈◊〉 own Soul to do your Neighbour an ill-turn Do nothing but your Duty in going to Law and you need not be kept from your Duty in this Sacrament of Christ. Obj. 11. I have so much Business that I cannot prepare my self Ans. Is it honest and profitable Business which you may do to the Glory of God Then need it not hinder you from doing this great Business of your Soul Doth it afford you time to eat and drink to sleep yea and perhaps give and receive impertinent Visits And will it allow no time to prepare your self for this Sacrament See that you make no more Business than is needful Examine your self daily and stir up your Affections to God and renew your Vows and use only honest Business and the work of Preparation will require no great time â—bj 12. I receive it sometimes but why so often Ans. Where 's the Zeal of the Primitive Christians who communicated every Lord's Day or oftner What Reason can you give why this Sacrament should not be a part of all our publick and more solemn Worship seeing it is a Duty whereby we are so especially to own our selves the Disciples of a Crucified Saviour Have we not need often to stir up in us the Remembrance of Christ to quicken and actuate our Graces Are they so lively and active in us Would not the frequent Celebration hereof keep in us a warm sense of our Christian Duty to live Godly Righteously and Soberly Would it not keep in a constant readiness to dye and fit our Accounts for Iudgment Can our unwillingness frequently to communicate signifie any thing else but that we too coldly resent God's Love to our Souls in Christ and thaâ— we desire to have time enough betwixt Sacrament and Sacrament to 〈◊〉 get our Vows and to enjoy our Sins and hope to make amends for all the next time we receive Obj. 13. I see many that come to this Sacrament little better for it they live no better Lives than they did before Ans. You see some that thrive not by their Labour nor grow strong by their Meat nor are cured by their Physick Will this move you to neglect your Business refuse to eat seek no Remedy when you are sick Must not you do your Duty because others do it amiss Obj. 14. I have not found that Benefit and Comfort by it formerly which should encourage me to come to it again Ans. We are to do our Duty whether we get any thing by it or no. If we reap not the Benefit the fault is neither in God nor his Ordinance but in our selves The Sun makes a living Plant grow but drieth up a dead one If we have done our Duty as we ought the Conscience of that should comfort us very much If we hold on constantly in a Christian course of Life we may presume we have got good by this Sacrament and may get much more by receiving it oftner Be more careful to do your Duty in an acceptable manner than too desirous of sensible Joys and Comforts The Duty is ours to perform in its season the Benefit is God's to give when he pleaseth and the Comfort may be reserved to come in fully in Heaven Obj. 15. But I am guilty of back-stiding into many Sins since the last Sacrament Ans. It is that which good men have been guilty of and for that there is no less need of Humiliation and Repentance but there is more room for Hope The more dangerously you have fallen the more care ought you to take to rise again by Repentance the more need have you to renew youâ— Covenant and to come for more strength in your greater need Obj. 16. I shall
Son When we lay polluted in our Filth and odious to thy pure Eyes thou opened'st for us in his precious Blood a Fountain for Sin and for Uncleanness Thou hast not disdain'd to admit me poor Sinner into thy holy Church and Family by Baptism and into a sacred Covenant of Grace and Peace with thy self through the Blood of the blessed Mediator And even now after so many careless and even willful Violations of this holy Covenant thy Mercy follows me with fresh Offers of Reconciliation and thou hast invited me to a Feast of Love in thy House and at thy own Table and on the Body and Blood of thine own dear Son and my blessed Redeemer O my most bountiful God how long have I plaid the ed Prodigal and pleased my self in Sin and Vanity and delighted in disobeying thy Commandments How often have I set light by the Bread of Life in the House of my Father and preferred the Trash of this World before it How often have I boldly and presumptuously without due Preparation approached unto thy holy Table And how often have I return'd thence with the same unclean Heart and unmortified Lusts which I carried thither When I consider this I tremble to think what Entertainment such a monstrous Sinner as I have been might expect from thee O let me not any longer through Impenitence and Negligence lose the Benefits of thy rich Mercy in Iesus Christ. For his sake pardon all my former Neglects Misbehaviours and Breaches of Covenant with thee and grant me now good God I beseech thee such a measure of thy Grace as may fit me for this sacred Ordinance Once more most blessed God I am preparing to come at thy gracious Call but what can I do without thy Help I am clogged with Sin and Corruption I have suffered my Lusts to get the upper hand and to lead me Captive O! shew thy Strength in my weakness pull down every proud and unruly thing in me that exalteth it self against thy holy Spirit strengthen me henceforward for ever to do thy Will Awaken and stir up my dull Affections to love thee and praise thee for thy wonderful love in redeeming us by the Sacrifice of thy beloved Son O Lord I do now renew most heartily my so often broken Vows and Promises to be wholly thine O Father Son and Holy Ghost for evermore Accept of me O my God and let not my great Unworthiness provoke thee to reject thy poor Servant whose Soul panteth after thee Enable me amongst those that keep Holyday in thy House worthily to shew forth the Death of our blessed Iesus even as he hath commanded us in a joyful and truly thankful Remembrance of his inestimable Love in an absolute and entire Dedication of our selves to his Service and Government in a total Reliance upon thy Mercy through his Merits in a cordial Love to him our Head to all his Members yea to all Mankind and even our Enemies for his sake And do thou O merciful Father for thy dear Son's sake herein seal unto our Souls the Pardon of all our Sins confirm and strengthen us in all Grace and Goodness and bring us by the constant and conscientious use of this and all other Instruments of Grace to everlasting Life through Iesus Christ our Lord in whose holy Words I farther beg whatever is needful for my self and for thy whole Church Our Father c. A Prayer after receiving this Sacrament O Father of Mercies and God of all Comforts I have this day tasted and seen that thou art good and that thy Mercy endureth for ever It is well seen O God that thou delightest not in the Death of a Sinner seeing thou vouchsafest so vile a Sinner as I am to feast my hungry Soul at thy Table and to drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures For ever blessed be thy Goodness and praised for evermore be thy Mercies to us poor Sinners in the Lord Christ Iesus O let the deep sense of this thy wonderful Love ever rest upon my Heart Let the spiritual Relish of this heavenly Feast so delight my Soul as to render all Sin and Vanity unsavoury and loathsome to it for ever Let this great Grace and Favour of admitting me this day to renew my Covenant with thee after so many Breakin gs of it oblige me to constant Thankfulness and continual Obedience to the greatest watchfulness over my Heart◠and Circumspection in all my ways And as I have been shewing the Death of Christ in this holy Sacrament in the midst of the Congregation so give me Grace and Strength to shew it daily in a Christian Life and Conversation and in the continual mortifying and crucifying of my sinful Affections and Lusts. Enable me to resist and vanquish all those Temptations to Sin whereby I have been formerly conquered O holy Iesus I have given my Heart to thee this day take I beseech thee such a full Possession of it by thy holy Spirit that neither the Devil the World nor Sin may ever again have any part or interest in it nor let me ever desire to be any otherwise my own than that I may continue wholly thine at thy sole Command and Disposal O good God pardon all the Infirmities and Failings whereof I have been guilty in the performance of this great Duty And bless I beseech thee this sacred Ordinance to thy whole Church so that Truth and Holiness and Christian Love may ever flourish and abound therein As we have one Faith one Baptism one Lord one Hope and profess our selves one Body by partaking this one Bread so grant us to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace till we come to the Church triumphant in Heaven through him who loved us and hath wash'd us in his Blood even IESUS CHRIST our only Lord and Saviour Amen FINIS Books printed for and sold by John Baker at the Three Pidgeons in Saint Paul's Church-yard THE right Foundation of Quietness Obedience and Concord by Clement Elis. Lately published by Dr. Parker Arch-deacon of Canterbury An Account of Church Government for the first six hundred Years Religion and Loyalty or a Demonstration of the Christian Church within it self octavo in two Volumes The Service-Book in folio in 〈…〉 fit for Churches and Chapls Duport in Psalmos quarto Gr. Lat. idem in Homerum 4 o. idem 4 o. Graece separatim An earnest Invitation to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 12 o. by Ioseph Glanvil A Sermon before the Artillery-Company by Dr. Calamy lately published FINIS Acts 4. 12. Iohn 14. 6. Heb. 5. 9. 2 Thes. 1. 8. Rom. 9. 5. Col. 1. 16. 1 Cor. 6. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 19. Matt. 28. 18. Matt. 17. 15. Act 3. 22. Iohn 15. 9. 10. 13. Rom. 5. 6. 8. 1 Cor. 11. 26. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 1 Iohn 1. 3. 1 Cor. 11. 17. Gen. 1. 27. Eccl. 7. 29. Gen. 3. Rom. 5. 12. Rom. 8. 7 8. Mat. 1. 21. 1 Thes. 1. 10. Mar. 16. 16. Act. 3.