yield unto thy Word But grant that I may continue stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord and by patient continuing in well doing seek for and in the end obtain eternal Life Suffer not my own weakness nor the number or strength of Temptations to turn me from that holy course upon which I have now resolved to enter But grant that I may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of Life to the Honour and Glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ Amen 3. To have a lively Faith in Gods Mercy through Christ A Prayer for the same SEeing O God that it is impossible without Faith to please thee and that whatever I do without Faith is Sin Pour into my Heart this most excellent Grace of Faith for it is thy Gift and not my procurement Let thy Spirit work in my Heart such a Faith as may be acceptable in thy sight and which at this time may be as a Hand to receive a Mouth to eat and a Stomach to digest and turn the Elements of this blessed Sacrament into the Food and Nourishment of my Soul O let me not rest in a dead ineffectual Faith but grant it may be such as may shew it self in good Works inabling me to overcome the World and to conform to the Image of that Christ on whom I believe that so at the last I may receive the end of my Faith even the Salvation of my Soul by the same Jesus Christ Amen 4. With a Thankful remembrance of his Death THou O God expectest no other return for all thy Mercies but Praise and Thanksgiving let me O Lord never defraud thee of that so easie tribute but let my Heart be ever filled with the Sense and my Mouth with the Acknowledgment of thy Mercies It is a joyful and pleasant thing to be thankful O suffer me not I beseech thee to lose my part in that Divine Pleasure especially grant that with humble and sincere Devotion I may now and after with all imaginable Thankfulness celebrate the Memorial which thy Son hath commanded to be made in remembrance of his most blessed Passion and Sacrifice that by the Power thereof now represented before thy Divine Majesty I and all thy whole Church may obtain remission of our Sins and be made Partakers of all other benefits of his most precious Death and Passion Grant that as often as thou vouchsafest me this blessing so often I may thankfully receive it and with an affectionate and devout Heart offer up thanks to thee for the same And grant that I may not only with my Lips but with my Life shew forth thy Praise by consecrating my self to thy Service and walking in Righteousness and Holiness before thee all the days of my Life Amen 5. And to be in Charity with all Men. A Prayer for the same O Mercifull Lord who hast made of one Blood and redeem'd by one ransom all Nations of Men let me never harden my Bowels against any thaâ— partake of the same Nature anâ— Redemption with me but granâ— me an universal Charity toward aâ— Men. Give me O thou Father oâ— Compassions such a tenderness oâ— Heart that I may be deeply aâ—fected with all the Miseries and Calamities outward or inward of my Brethren and diligently imploy all my Abilities for their succour and relief Let thy Spirit of Love enter and dwell in my Heart and cast out thence Malice Envy Hatred and all Uncharitableness make me seek not to please my self but my Neighbour for his good to Edification even as Christ pleased not himself Thou hast taught me O Lord that all my doings without Charity are nothing worth pour into my Heart that most excellent Gift of Charity without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake Amen A SHORT OFFICE OF Private Devotions To be used 1. Before 2. At and 3. After the receiving of the Blessed Sacrament 1. Before Receiving When you enter into the Church I. LOrd I have loved the Habitation of thine House and the place where thine Honour dwelleth II. I will wash mine Hands in Innocency O Lord and so will go to thine Altar When you are kneeling before the Communion Table I. THou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy Wills sake they are and were created II. Blessing and Glory and Wisdom and Thanks and Honour and Power and Might be unto our God for evermore Amen III. Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come receive my Prayer I. ALmighty Lord who hast of thine infinite Mercy vouchsafed to ordain this dreadful Sacrament for a perpetual memory of that blessed Sacrifice which once thou madest for us upon the Cross grant me with such diligent remembrance and such due reverence to assist at the holy Celebration of so heavenly and wonderful a Mistery that I may be made worthy of thy Grace to obtain the Virtue and Fruits of the same with all the Benefits of thy precious Death and Passion even the remission of all my Sins and the fulness of all thy Graces which I beg for thy only Merits who art my only Saviour God from everlasting World without end Amen II. O Lord our heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God regard I beseech thee the Devotion of thy humble Servant who does now celebrate the memorial which thy Son our Saviour hath commanded to be made in remembrance of his most blessed Passion and Sacrifice that by the Merits and Power thereof I and all thy whole Church may obtain remission of our Sins and be made Partakers of all other the Benefits of his most precious Death and Passion together with his mighty Resurrection from the Earth and his glorious Ascension into Heaven who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever one God World without end Amen III. BE pleased O God to accept this our bounden Duty and Service and vouchsafe that the Prayers and Supplications together with the remembrance of Christs Passion which we now offer up unto thee may be received into thy heavenly Tabernacle and that thou not weighing our own Merits but looking upon the blessed Sacrifice of our Saviour which was once fully and perfectly made for us all mayest pardon our Offences and replenish us with thy Grace and heavenly Benediction through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Devout Thoughts immediately before the receiving of the blessed Sacrament I. I Will go to the Altar of God even to the God of my Joy and Gladness II. I will offer thanksgiving unto my God and pay my Vows unto the most highest III. O Lamb of God that takest awâ—y the Sins of the World have mercy upon me IV. O Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World grant me thy Peace V. Grant me gracious Lord so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son and to drink his Blood that my
other Appointed means but by a due receiving the Holy Communion The Young Persons Devotions upon his first Admission to the LORD'S TABLE Expostulation WIlt thou then O God vouchsafe me to partake of that which my Soul has so long thirsted after Shall I this day be admitted a Guest at that Divine Banquet from which my own unworthiness ought for ever to exclude me Wilt thou be so gracious to a miserable sinner as to accept of a renewing of the Covenant I made in Baptism after that by numerous ways I have violated and broken it Then Lord I will not absent my self but draw near hoping to be found in the number of those whom thou dost invite even of those who truly and earnestly repent of their sins who are in Love and Charity with their Neighbours who intend to lead a New Life to follow thy Commandments and to walk from henceforth in thy Holy Ways For upon these and no Terms else do I come to the Holy Sacrament which yet I dare not receive till with all Humility of Soul and Body I have prostrated my self and made Confession of my sins The Confession ALmighty God Father oâ— our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things Judge of alâ— Men I acknowledge and bewail my manifold Sins and Wickedness which I from time to time most grievously have committed by Thought Word and Deed against thy Divine Majesty provoking most justly thy Wrath and Indignation against me I do earnestly repent and am heartily sorry for these my Misdoings the Remembrance of them is grievous to me the burden of them is intolerable Have mercy upon me have mercy upon me most merciful Father for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake forgive me all that is past and grant that I may ever hereafter serve and please thee in Newness of Life to the Honour and Glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Prayer for Pardon FOrgive me O Lord whatsoever I have transgrest against thee from the time of my Baptism even to this very Moment whether against Knowledge or through Ignorance at home or abroad sleeping or waking in Thoughts Words or Deeds Whether occasion'd through the fiery Darts of my Ghostly Enemy or by the unclean Desires of my own Heart Have Mercy upon me and grant me pardon through Jesus Christ Amen Remember not the sins of my Youth nor my Transgressions According to thy Mercy remember me for thy goodness sake O Lord. Lord the sins of these my Younger Days are many the Breaches innumerable wherewiâ—â— I have ignorantly or foolishlâ— for want of Knowledge or Coâ—sideration offended against thee Lay them not I beseech thee tâ— my Charge but of thy owâ— free Mercy and Compassion to 〈◊〉 wretched sinner be thou pleased to be reconciled unto me anâ— seal the same to my Soul by thiâ— blessed Sacrament For thy Name sake O Lord pardon my iniquity for it is great I have many ways greatly sinn'd against thee and have no ground of hope for Mercy but only from thy free abundant Pardon which I know exceedeth my Sins and for which I am the more abundantly qualified by how much my state is more truly Miserable On the account therefore of thy Free Pardon to the greatest sinners so they be truly penitent I beseech thee be reconciled unto me who this day unfeignedly repent and turn to thee For Purifying the Heart ALmighty God unto whom all Hearts be open all Desires known and from whom no Secrets are hid Cleanse the Thoughts of my Heart by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit that I may sincerely love thee and worthily magnifie thy Holy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Lord give me Grace this day to receive the blessed Body and Blood of thy Son my most blessed Saviour into a Clean Charitable and Thankful Heart that it may perfectly cleanse me from all Dregs of sin that being made clean it may nourish me in Faith Hope Charity and Obedience with all other Fruits of spiritual life and growth in thee That in all the future Course of my Life I may shew my self such an engrafted Member into the Body of thy Son that I may nevâ—â— be drawn to do any â—hing thâ— may dishonour his Name Granâ— this O Lord I beseech theâ— eveâ— for his Merit and Mercy sake Amen For Self-Examination ALmighty God and most merciful Father give me I beseech thee that Grace that I may duly examine the inmost of my heart and my most secret thoughts that I may know how I stand before thee Lord I confess all my sins and my unworthiness to present my self at thine Altar But thou and thou only canst forgive sin and give true Repentance do both gracious Father and them behold I am clean to come unto thee Lord make me a worthy Receiver of that for which I come even Christ and Forgiveness of sin in Christ and that for his own Mercy-sake and thine Amen For belief of Christ's Presence without disputing the manner O Lord God hear my Prayers And while others dispute grant that I may stedfastly believe behold I quarrel not the Words of thy Son my Saviour's blessed Institution I know his Words are no gross unnatural Conceit but they are Spirit and Life and supernatural He hath promised me if I come worthily that I shall receive his most precious Body and Blood with all the benefits of his Passion without amusing my self then about the manner of receiving Him Lord make me able make me worthy to receive Him For grant me this Favour and I know I can no more die Eternally then his Body and Blood can again die and be shed Lord so wash and cleanse my Soul that I may now and at all times else come prepared by hearty Prayers and Devotion and be made worthy by thâ— Grace of this blessed Sacramenâ— the Pledge and Earnest of Eternâ—â— Life in the Merits of the same Holy Jesus who gave his Body anâ— Blood for me Amen Immediately before the sight of tâ—â— Bread O Lord God how I receive thâ— Body and Blood of my moâ— blessed Saviour the price of mâ— Redemption is the very wondeâ— of my Soul Yet that I do receivâ— them is my firm and constant belief At this time they are graciously tender'd to me and my Faith Lord make me a worthy Receiveâ— and be it unto me according to mâ— Saviour's Word Amen Looking upon the Bread and Winâ— say O Thou that sittest on high with the Father and art here invisibly present with us come and sanctifie these thy Creatures of Bread â—nd Wine and those by whom â—hey are to be received Amen As the Bread is coming to you say LEt thy Body I beseech thee O Lord Jesu Christ which was given for me preserve my Boâ—y and Soul unto Everlasting Life â—nd grant that I may take and eat â—n Remembrance that thou hast died for me and feed on thee in my Heart by Faith with Thanksgiving Amen As the Wine is brought say LEt thy
you may here do wisely to call to mind by what occasions and with what baits you have been â—nd still are apt to be drawn away and enticed to the end you may with greater vigilance and courage avoid and resist them For common Prudence will teach you to strengthen the Fence where the Beast useth to break in and to re-inforce that Avenue where the Enemy is wont to make and prevail in his Attack XLVIII The last thing I shall mention concerning your Religious Resolutions is their speedy execution for delay therein has ever been thought dangerous aâ— having a throat wide enough tâ— swallow the biggest opportunâ—ty And you cannot be suâ—â— till you practise what you puâ—pose for seeing your life coâ—tinually walks to and fro â— a breath and that you have 〈◊〉 warrant of being able to do thâ— the next hour which this yoâ— neglect and put off this througâ—ly concludes for the present dâ—ing of what you purpose Anâ— if holy Resolutions might safeâ—â— be delay'd yet they can be delay'd no longer than your comâ—ing to the Scarament becauâ— you cannot safely approach thâ— Ordinance without stedfastâ— purposing to lead a new lifâ— for till you are a new Creaturâ— or begin to lead a new life yoâ— are in sense of Scripture deaâ— And how absurd a thing is it 〈◊〉 put Bread and Wine into a deaâ— mans mouth none so stupid aâ— not to imagine You may indeed naturally eat and drink the Bread and Wine receive into your stomach the elements of the Sacrament but if you live in the liking much more in the commission of any thing you know to be sin you can receive no more spiritual nourishment in the Sacrament than a dead Carcass at the best Entertainment XLIX And this is another consideration that lays upon you a necessity presently to renounce your sins to give them a Bill of Divorce and to withdraw from them all degrees of kindness and respect For without this you can be in no fit disposition to be married to Christ and to embrace all the Graces flowing from him In short that Resolution which I call a branch of Repentance and which is indispensible required of you when you come to the Lords Table is made up of these two things First Renouncing of all sin Secondly Embracing of all Christian Vertues The first without the second is but sweeping the house without furnishing it And therefore when you have cleansed your Soul of the nastiness and dirt of sin you are not to let it lye empty but to furnish it with all those Graces commanded you in the Gospel such especially as are required in every one coming to the Supper of the Lord. And those are chiefly three namely Faith Charity and Devotion L. The necessity of Faith is expresly taught you by your first Catechism where it saith That a lively Faith in Gods Mercies through Christ is required of every Communicant and that the Body and Blood of Christ are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lords Supper For it is by Faith that you there look upon him whom God hath set forth to be the Propitiation for your Sins even Jesus Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World Rom. 3.25 John 1.29 You easily perceive the necessity of Faith when you mind that in receiving the Holy Sacrament you are to believe that Jesus is the true Seed of the Woman which was promised in the beginning and was sent in the fulness of time that in hiâ— all the Nations of the Earth iâ— they will may be blessed he being the Universal and Mighty Saviour who both will and can save all that come unto him there being no other in whom Salvation is to be expected Yoâ— are likewise to believe that he was crucified or died an ignominious or cursed death and that the Merits of his death are sufficient to save all Sinners and that all those Merits are convey'd to you in the Sacrament when it is worthily received LI. But as to the clear Nature oâ— that Faith now required of you the Church fairly intimates whaâ— it is when she calls it a lively Faith in Gods Mercy through Christ LII And Faith is said to be lively when it works through Love shewing it self in well doing for where Life is there will be Action And the Life of Faith like that of Nature will shew it self in the Heart Tongue and Hands In the first by sincereness of Devotion and holy Thoughts in the second by wholsome and gracious Communication And in the last by works of Justice and Charity LIII The Object of this lively Faith is God's Mercy upon which it reflects as the Fountain whence the Scriptures have proceeded in which Gods Covenant for Mans Redemption is established and his Promises to believing penitent Sinners are contained And if you shall inquire into the reason of all this you will find that nothing but his meer Mercy moved God to make known his Will and in the Holy Scriptures to reveal the Means of Salvation and make the way to Heaven plain and easie It was onely to shew the great love wherewith he loved you and the exceeding Riches of his Grace that prevailed with God to be thus kind unto you LIV. But all this is through Christ he is the Conduit of all these Blessings being of God made unto all Believers Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption He is the Author oâ— all true Knowledge the cause oâ— your Justification your Sanctification and will be also of your Deliverance and rescue from all Calamities that you are subject to in this Life and at last from Death it self by raising you again 1 Cor. 1.30 And as by a voice from Heaven God declaed with Solemnity that he was well pleased with Christ so he hath likewise declared that he is well pleased with Believers only for his sake By Christ you are predestinated adopted accepted and pardon'd and shall be glorified So that in your own Person you may speak as the Apostle did in the Name of all Christians Ephes 1.3 4 5 c. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed me with all spiritual Blessings in heavenly things in Christ according as he hath chosen me in him that I should be holy and without blame before him in Love LV. In whom I have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of Sins according to the riches of his Grace c. It is impossible in any Duty without Faith to please God or to be accepted of him because whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin But in the matter of the Holy Sacrament Faith hath a more appropriate Office for by it as by a Hand Mouth and Stomach you receive eat and digest the spiritual Food and heavenly Sustenance by which your Soul is nourished to eternal Life And in the sense of the Spirit to eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ is properly to believe on him
your behalf to enquire into the Duties you are to discharge when you come to the Holy Sacrament before I deâ—cend to a distinct handling â—hereof give me leave first to â—ind you of the end of your â—oming thither which I take 〈◊〉 be none other than chiefly to renew the Covenant yoâ— made with God in Baptism who is pleased in great mercy to admit you to the Lords Table in order to repair youâ— Vow of Baptism after that by numerous ways you have broken it And when it shall bâ— your care worthily to Commâ—nicate God will vouchsafe graciously to accept you and iâ— the Lords Supper to restore yoâ— to all the forfeited benefits oâ— your Baptism II. Seeing then that the renewing of your Covenant is the greaâ— business of your coming to thâ— Blessed Communion it is highly reasonable that you have a fuâ—â— and clear understanding of thâ— nature of that Covenant whicâ— you are to renew And in oâ—der hereunto you are to knoâ— iâ— general that the Covenant to â—e renewed by you is that into â—hich you enter'd at Baptism â—here the Covenant God at first â—ade with Mankind which is â—e foundation of all Christiaâ—â—ty is applied to every parâ—â—cular person who at Baptism â—â—lemnly give up their Names â—â—to Christ and enter upon â—â—e profession of his most Holy â—eligion And to the end you â—ay more clearly comprehend â—is important Truth it is conâ—enient that you a little reflect â—pon that double Covenant God â—ade with Adam as he was â—ot only the Patriarch but â—â—presentative of all Mankind III. Where you may find that the â—â—â—st Covenant was made with â—dam immediately upon his â—eation when he was in his flourishing Integrity and indue not barely with a perfect knoâ—ledge of his Duty but with sufficient power of performinâ— it When Adam I say was in most excellent State and Câ—â—dition God made an Agreemeâ—â— with him to this purpose vâ— That if he took care to conâ—â—nue in Obedience to his Makâ— then his Knowledge and Strengâ— should remain and after a loâ—â— and pleasant life upon Earth last he should either put off Body or have it together wâ— his Soul taken up into Heaveâ— and therein both be happy aâ— glorious to all Eternity â— if he disobeyed and so brâ— this Covenant he was to the perfect knowledge of Duty and his strength of â—â—fectly discharging it and â— also to be subject to tempâ— death which is a separatioâ— the Soul from the Body â— time and to death eternal which is a banishment from God's gracious presence for eâ—er And as upon his breach â—f Covenant Adam was liable 〈◊〉 the first sort of Death and 〈◊〉 the appointed time suffer'd 〈◊〉 so had he likewise underâ—one the second kind of Death God in his unspeakable merâ—â— had not come to new Agreeâ—ent with him Now all that â—u need to know concerning â—e first Covenant is 1. That â—e Condition thereof was wonâ—â—rful easie for Adam to have served seeing no more was â—â—uired of him than an abstiâ—â—â—ce from one Tree only in 〈◊〉 Garden where God had â—ced him which Restraint â—ld not be grievous seeing was allowed a freedom of the rest 2. That Aâ— at his Wife's instigation of the forbidden Tree and by eating thereof broke 〈◊〉 first Covenant the effeâ—â— whereof were no milder thâ— the loss both of the Knowledâ— and Ability of doing what Gâ—â— required of him For immeâ—ately upon his transgressâ— God's Commandment the liâ—â— that was in Adam became dâ— and his Strength like Saâ—sons upon the cutting off of Locks was extreamly weâ—ned so that he became feeble and defective and â—â—serably crippled both in his â—â—derstanding and Will that could neither clearly disceâ— nor exactly execute his Dâ—â— 3. You are to know tâ—â— all men being in the loins Adam were infected with sin and like him became â—â—â—stitute of a right understaâ—â—ing of their Duty and Abiâ— to discharge it backward Good and prone to Evil â—â—mane Nature upon Adam 's Fall becoming like a sick Stomach which doth not only loath what is wholsome but lust after that which â—s quite otherwise IV. But when Adam by Disobediâ—nce had forfeited the benefits â—f the first God was pleased to make with him a second Coveâ—ant and therein to accept of â—nother to pay the Debts and â—erform the Duties in his stead â—or which he had made himself â—together unable and insolvent â—nd this is that Covenant â—hich only now concerns you â—nd which at the Communion â—ou are to renew and whereof â—ou ought to have a full and â—ear understanding for it â—ould sound very oddly for a â—an to pretend a most solemn â—newing of he knows not what V. Now in tracing out the â—â—ture of this Covenant you wâ— find it was made with all Maâ—kind in Adam immediately 〈◊〉 on his Fall I say immediatâ—â— upon his Fall for considerâ— the great love God ever bâ— Man you may imagine 〈◊〉 would not suffer our Great â— rent to lie long under the â—â—â—turing reflections and hellish paâ—â— with which his Conscienceâ— loaden by the consideration his sin and which have eâ— been found to be the most â—â—tural effects of doing vitiousâ— but that he presently relieâ— his afflicted mind by entrâ— into a gracious Compact wâ— him and shewing him how and his Off-spring were to saved from that destruction had brought upon both â— the first revelation of this Covenant is met with in Gen. 3.15 which with greater plainness is repeated Gen. 22.17 18. compared with Gen. 12.3 and Gen. 18.18 The contents of which Texts the Son of Sirach calls the Blessing of all Men and the Covenant Ecclesiasticus 44.22 VI. And seeing as has been said that the great business of your coming to the Lords Table is to renew the Covenant of your Baptism which you have broken which Covenant of Baptism is no other than the second Covenant made with Mankind in general applied to you in particular you are to understand that a Covenant as we now consider it is a mutual Agreement betwixt God and Man consisting of Mercies â— God 's part made over to Maâ— and of Duties or Conditions on Man's part required by Goâ— So that it is necessary for yoâ— to know 1. What the Mercies are which on God's part are madâ— over to Man 2. What the Conditions are which on Man's part are required by God VII And first as to the Mercies which on God's part are made over to Man in the second Covenant the sum thereof is the Seed of the Woman or the sending Christ to take upon him the nature of Man and to be as a second Adam to supply what was wanting in the first and to perform that sinless Obedience which was the Condition of the first Covenant he being both in Birth and Conversation absolutely innocent And though the thus sending of Christ the second Person of the ineffable Trinity be the abridgement of all the Mercies of the second Covenant yet under this Title many Benefits are contain'd For you
Language out of an idle conceit that it is an argument of a great Spirit or that it comes of a want of Reverence to the holy Name of God or that men using such Oaths think others are like themselves namely so faithless as not to be believed without them And as to Execrations and Cursings of your self or others consider I beseech you what David hath said not barely by way of wish but also of prophecy in Psal 109.18 19 c. I shall mention no other ways whereby you may sin in your Speech 1. because all the fault thereof may be reduced to these four and 2. because men are more eminently liable to offend by speaking filthily reproachfully falsely or prophanely XXVI And having thus brought your Thoughts and Words to the Test you are in like manner to deal with your Actions in order to find out their obliquity and pollution And because every Christian is no less accountable for the good he has omitted when it was in his power than for the evil he hath committed when he might have prevented it You are therefore in the search of your Actions to begin with the things you have left undone which you ought to have done and then to proceed to consider the things that you have done which you ought not to have done The former are usually call'd sins of Omission the latter sins of Commission And here give me leave to tell you that besides a search into the sorts you are also to seek into the degrees of your sins For though sins consider'd naked in themselves and as bare transgressions of a Rule may seem to be all equal yet looked upon in the circumstances wherewith they are clothed some will manifestly appear greater than other And though no sin whatsoever can be said to be little every one being a transgression of that Law which God has appointed to be the Instrument of his own Glory and mans Salvation yet there are circumstances which raise even little sins into high provocations XXVII And you need no other Star to guide you in taking the degrees of your sins against God than the consideration of the circumstances by which you are to measure the injuries done to your self And I need not tell you how the harm a man doth you is the more hainous if he do it knowingly and willingly than if he did it ignorantly and against his mind Next when he doth it purposely and with deliberation than when he doth it suddenly and at unawares when he doth it in the heat of Passion and blindness of Zeal and according to his present sentiments than when he doth it contrary to the checks and resistances of his Conscience and the cool dictates of his Reason You likewise judge the injury more grievous and provoking the oftner it is repeated and you can with less trouble forgive a few than many faults You also find your self more sensible of the wrong done by him you often pardon'd and long spar'd whom by many benefits you have oblig'd and who has vow'd and promised to do so no more And in the last place it makes the wrong intolerable that it is become customary and that he that doth it can by no reproof threatning exhortation advice or punishment be diverted but that notwithstanding all means used to the contrary he goes on and takes pleasure to trespass against you XXVIII But these and the like circumstances you find the injury aggravated that is done against your self and by application you may also conclude how your sins against God become aggravated Whom you may find you have too often offended knowingly deliberately against the checks and motions of your own Conscience after vows and promises of amendment after the private admonitions of Friends the publick exhortations of the Ministry the menaces and promises of the Word XXIX And when you have thus proceeded in the search both of the kinds and degrees of your sins you are to know that the end of all this unpleasing travel is to bring you to Repentance To which you can want no motives when you apprehend that by your sins you have incurr'd his displeasure who is a consuming fire and as an impartial Judge will render to every man according to his deeds And were your heart never so hardned it will melt at the apprehensions of those misdoings by which you may perhaps have incensed Gods Mercy as well aâ— Justice and set his bowels nâ— less than his hand against you Sins in Scripture you know are call'd debts which you arâ— altogether unable by any otheâ— way to discharge but by Repentance A Duty though aâ— all times yet now in an especiaâ— manner required of you wheâ— you come to the Sacramenâ— And Repentance being the surâ— and abridgement of all the Duties to be discharged by you aâ— your coming thither I shaâ— briefly mind you what it is 〈◊〉 wherein it consists XXX And not to trouble you witâ— the Opinions of Schools Fatherâ— Doctors and Divines you may find out the nature of Repentance toward God by considering what the Repentance is which is required by one man from another Where from him that has injured you you expect no less than that he should confess how he hath offended you Next that he be sorry for having done so And thirdly that he make reparation and resolve to do so no more So that that which in Religion is properly called Repentance consists in Confession Sorrow Reparation and Resolution XXXI And first as to Confession of sins it is upon the account of common Ingenuity to be expected from every one who knows himself to be guilty Now that Confession which is valuable with the Almighty ariseth from an abhorrence of the iniquities you confess thaâ— thereby you have displeased God and worthily deserved his Vengeance And it runs througâ— all the sorts of sins whereof yoâ— know your self to be conscious Aggravating them with aâ— their heightning circumstances and comprizing your unknowâ— sins in David's penitent form Who can tell how oft he offendeth Cleanse me O Lord from my seâ—cret sins But if in Confessioâ— of sins you should be never 〈◊〉 particular yet if it be done witâ— any milder purpose towarâ— them than their utter destrâ—ction it will look rather like 〈◊〉 Inventory than a Confession a counting up the goods yeâ— have a mind to preserve rathâ—â— than an acknowledgment 〈◊〉 the sins you resolve to abandoâ— God forbid you should be evâ—â— so infatuated and befooled bâ— your own fancy as to imaginâ— the pure Eyes of God should be taken with the sight of your filthiness and obliquity or that you should think he is delighted in the Narrative of those iniquities whose committing he hath so strictly forbidden and doth so greatly abhor When you open your Ulcers unto God with any other intent than to have them healed their view will excite his indignation and not his pity When therefore you do not really intend to forsake the sins you confess you do â—n
others and beget a discountenance in your self But there will be no ground left for this surmise when it is duely consider'd that the Person to whom you are thus to reveal your self is a pious and discreet Minister of Gods Word one who will be as faithful to conceal as you are to discover your infirmities and as ready to heal your sores as you are to rip them up one too who will be so far from insulting over your Weaknesses or thinking ill of you for discovering them that he will love and encourage your ingenuous and Christian dealing and restore you in the Spirit of meekness and help to set things at rights between God and your Soul But suppose the discovery of your Scruples should indeed turn to your shame which is the worst you can fear yet to abstain from doing it upon this account is to betray in you a less care of your Soul than of your Body For the foulest and most shameful Diseases of the Body you can without blushing lay open to your Physician and will you then be coy and squeamish to confess the sickness of your Soul of which your care ought to be infinitely greater than of your Body as no less excelling it than the heavenly Manna did the Earthen Pot that contained it So that neither fear of shame nor any thing else ought to keep you from using such means as any way tend to its Salvation LXXV And thus having with what brevity and plainness I was able run through the several Duties to be perform'd at your coming to the Communion and brought you as it were to the Rails of the Holy Table before I leave you I will take the freedom to mind you how you are there to carry your self Where two things are now required of you namely a Devout frame of Mind and a decent gesture of Body LXXVI As to that Devout frame of Mind required of you at the time of receiving it chiefly consists in thoughts of your own unworthiness of being a Guest at so Divine a Banquet And in order to raise in and to humble you under a due sense of this Unworthiness call to mind the sins you have committed since you were last at the Sacrament because you are now come again to repeat and renew that Covenant which thereby you have broken LXXVII Be attentive to the actions of the Minister and when you see him breaking the Bread and pouring out the Wine meditate How Christs Body was broken and his Blood shed upon the Cross And above all think with your self that it was your Sins that drove the Nails into his Hands and Feet and pierced his blessed Side with the Spear That it was your sins with the sins of others occasioned all his Sufferings the pains of his Body and Soul and that if he had not suffered once upon the Cross you had been tormented to everlasting Ages And upon these sober Thoughts you will even abhor your self and with indignation behold your cruel dealing with your Gracious Lord. Consider too how nothing but the Blood of Christ can cleanse your sins and that it doth not like Abel's speak for Vengeance but loudly calls for Mercy upon them who spilt it if they repent and reform and still draws down Blessing upon all who worthily receive it in the Sacrament Consider too how Christ by those Sufferings which are represented and commemorated in the Sacrament has made an Atonement for your sins appeased the Wrath and satisfi'd the Justice of God which you have provoked and incensed against your Soul And this will raise up your hopes and make you come with an humble and religious boldness to the Communion being assured God will not onely there seal unto you but put you in possession of the benefits of Christs Sufferings namely Reconciliation with God and Pardon of your Sins LXXVIII Let your Tongue and Heart joyn with the Minister in that excellent Prayer wherewith he delivers the Bread and Wine The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given c. The Bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed c. Lift up your Heart unto the Lord. Let your Thoughts be wholly set upon Christs death and its benefits for the remembrance of Christs death as it was one main end of the Institution so is it of your receiving of the Sacrament And look not upon the Bread and Wine being consecrate and blessed as ordinary things but as they are after a spiritual manner the Body and Bloud of Christ LXXIX And as these and the like considerations may serve to render your Soul devout so will they also make your Body humble For though Humility properly belongs to the Heart yet it cannot be outwardly expressed but by gestures of the Body And you are to manifest your Reverence at the Lords Supper by using such gestures as the custom of the place where you receive it account most decent humble and reverend Kneeling is the posture appointed by our National Church as fittest to signifie your humble and grateful acknowledgment of the benefits of Christ therein sealed to every worthy Receiver and for the avoiding of such profanation and disorder in the Holy Communion as might otherwise ensue LXXX If you look to the first Institution of the Sacrament you will find Christ employing therein such a singular care that nothing low or mean appears about it And in all times where Schism and Faction were excluded nothing but solemnity and expressions of greatest reverence appear'd at the receiving it But to proceed LXXXI Besides Humility and Reverence there is required of them who come to the Lords Supper a thankful remembrance of Christs death And this you cannot want when you reflect upon what he suffer'd for you both in credit and Body when he underwent the most painful and ignominious sort of dying and in those sharp and fearful Agonies of his Soul which forced him to cry out His God had forsaken him And seeing all this was to save you from perishing this must needs awaken you to an holy ambition of making your Thankfulness if possible as unspeakable as his Sufferings And how can you but praise and magnifie his Goodness who hath redeem'd you at so dear a rate especially when you come to the Sacrament to make solemn Commemoration of Gods mercies in sending his Son to die for you and appointing the Sacrament to be a continual Pledge of your Thankfulness for the same With Angels therefore and Arch-angels and all the Company of Heaven laud and magnifie his glorious Name praising him and saying Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory Glory be to thee O Lord most high Thanksgiving or praising of God was the devout practice of the first Christians at the receiving of the Lords Supper Acts 2.46 47. And in after-Ages Thanksgiving was thought so necessary at its celebration that the Sacrament it self thence got the name of Eucharist A word though it be not found
kept so long for this speaks it your want of Will and not of Power and that it was not your Weakness but something else that moved you to leave the Road wherein you had walked so long a time with ease and safety XC Use makes hard things easie the chief if not onely difficulty in Holiness is want of practice and a being accustom'd to the contrary The ways of Gods Commandments neither waste the Spirits nor gall the Feet of those who use constantly to walk in them Let the like serious and holy Thoughts possess your Soul for the future that you have the day of receiving and continue to co-operate with that Grace God gives you at the Sacrament and I see not why your whole Life may not be all of the same piece and your Conversation continue as vertuous and well-govern'd after as it was at the time you came to the Holy Communion from which I will no longer stay you than with this hearty Wish That when you come thither to renew your Covenant in Vows and Purposes of better Obedience God may vouchsafe to assist you with his Grace and to strengthen you with his Power that you may pay the Vows you then make unto him and that by Virtue of the heavenly Nourishment you there receive you may grow up in Grace and Holiness till at last you come to be a perfect man in Christ Amen THE Communicants Assistant BEING A COLLECTION OF DEVOTIONS To that purpose A Prayer before communicating WHY should I O God who by innumerable wayes have offended thee why should I dare to come to thy Table which none ought to approach but obedient Children and faithful Servants But seeing thy fatherly Goodness this day doth invite me to receive the blessed Pledges of my Peace and Reconciliation with thee and seeing thy well-beloved Son whose Death I now with all Thankfulness commemorate doth call unto him those and only those who travail and are heavy laden to whom the remembrance of their Sins is grievous and the burthen of them is intolerable Finding my self in this number I know thou wilt not reject me Raise O raise up my Heart and Spirit unto thee Strengthen my Faith and help my Infirmities Grant me power to perform and to persevere in all those good things thou now requirest at my hands and grant that the whole course of my Life may be answerable to the present purposes of my Heart and bring me at last to the enjoyment of those Blessings which at this thy holy Table thou art pleased to propound unto me Amen O My God raise up my Thoughts unto thee increase my Faith Hope and Charity warm my Heart with the divine Fire of thy Love purifie my Conscience with the Spirit of Sanctification Grant this day I may with full affiance in thee receive the Pledges of thy Goodness and the Seals of that Covenant which thou hast graciously contracted with me by the Mediation of thy Son my Saviour O My God save and deliver me from all my Offences and at the end of my Life receive me into thy heavenly Kingdom to the accomplishment of all those things which are represented at thy holy Table Let my future Conversation be as one of thy Sheep living in thy Church an Example of Peaceableness Charity Humility Patience and Justice Give me a firm reliance upon thy Promises a holy zeal for thy Worship and a sincere obedience to all thy Commands Fill my Heart with spiritual Joy keep me from the immoderate Cares of the World and among all disquiets here give me that Peace which the World can neither give nor take away from me For forgiveness of Sins FOrgive me my Sins O Lord forgive me the Sins of my Youth and the Sins of mine Age the Sins of my Soul and the Sins of my Body my secret and my whispering Sins my presumptuous and my crying Sins the Sins that I have done to please my self and the Sins that I have done to please others Forgive me my wanton and idle Sins forgive me my serious and deliberate Sins forgive me those Sins I know and those Sins which I know not the Sins which I have striven so long to hide from others that at last they are even hid from mine own Memory Forgive them O Lord forgive them all and of thy great Goodness let me be absolved from all mine Offences Amen PRAYERS FOR The several things required of those who come to the Lords Supper 1. To repent them truly of their former Sins A Prayer for true Repentance TO thee O God all Hearts are open all desires known and from thee no Secrets are hid so that if I would I cannot conceal my Sins from thee And now that I confess my Sins unto thee it is not to inform thy infinite Knowledge but to obey thy gracious Pleasure and to make me capable of that forgiveness promised to all who confess their Sins With a sorrowfull Heart therefore I confess my Sins unto thee I accuse my self here before thee of innumerable wicked thoughts and desires which I have conceived form'd and foster'd in my Heart of infinite corrupt and evil Words that I have utter'd with my Tongue of many naughty and ungodly Deeds which I have wrought with my Hands by all which I have provoked most justly thy Wrath and Indignation against me but it is thy Nature and Property always to have mercy and to forgive the Sins of them that are penitent Grant me therefore Holy Father the Grace of true repentance create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Grant I may truly lament my Sins whose burden is intollerable and whose remembrance is so grievous unto me And for the future inable me to cease from evil and learn to do well to cast away the Works of Darkness and to put on the Armour of Light and to bring forth Fruits of Repentance in amendment of Life to the Praise and Glory of thy Grace in Jesus Christ my blessed Redeemer 2. Stedfastly purposing to lead a new Life A Prayer for Perseverance in good Purposes GRant O God that I may bring the good Purposes with which this day I come to thy Holy Table Grant I may bring them to good effect I know I am light and unconstant turn'd with every blast diverted by every allurement and ready to yield to every Temptation But do thou O God who art the same Yesterday to Day and for ever do thou graciously impart some of thy unchangeableness to establish my Understanding in Truth and to keep it from the Snares of all seducing Spirits that I may not be led away with the Errours of those who are cunning to deceive Fix my irresolute and wavering Will and cause it faithfully to adhere unto that which is good Let neither the Flatteries of the World nor of my own Heart so far work upon my Affections as to draw me from that intire Obedience which I resolve from this day forward to