we follow the example of Jesus who though he was able by his very word to make the Elements what he pleased yet he did first give thanks or crave a blessing to shew us what we must do m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. in Math. 26. He had given thanks in order to the Passover before Luke 22.17 and therefore it is likely that he made a peculiar Thanksgiving now relating to this mystery n Vid. Buxt Synag Jud. cap. 13. for so the Jews were wont to have several forms for the Passover o Super Pacifica benedicunt cum comedunt ea hoc modo Benedictus tu Domine Deus noster qui sanctificasti nos praeceptis tuis mandasti nobis comedere de Pacificis R. Salom. for the Peace-offerings yea distinct Graces for the meat and for the drink What the very words were with which our Saviour blessed God is not recorded so that all Churches have used their liberty in the manner of expressing this with some variety in the Phrase but as to the substance and design they are the same nor doth any Liturgy want some such supplication The Latine Church saith We humbly beseech and intreat thee O most merciful Father by Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord that thou wouldst accept and bless these gifts c. in St. Ambrose Make this our Oblation valid reasonable and acceptable which is made for a figure of the body and blood of Jesus Christ In the Liturgy of St. Basil We beseech thee let thy holy Spirit come upon us and upon these gifts here set forth to bless and sanctifie them c. And to name no more in that called St. Clements We offer to thee O Lord our King according to his institution this Bread and this Cup and we beseech thee vouchsafe to look graciously upon these gifts set forth in thy sight Now it is requisite that the whole Congregation should in heart join in this part of the Prayer to make it the more prevalent with Almighty God Math. 18.19 And to quicken us to ask with the greater Ardency let us consider how great a thing it is which we desire how earnestly did Moses pray when he was to bring water out of the Rock how fervently did Elijah call on his God when his sacrifice was to be kindled from Heaven but we do now beg a greater matter and for a much more noble end We behold the Creatures of Bread and Wine and we know them to be as yet no more p Antequam ergo consecretur panis est Ambros de sacr l 4 c. 5. But we desire they may be made the body and blood of Christ to us that although they remain in substance what they were yet to the worthy Receiver they may be something far more excellent which nothing can effect but that word q Si ergo tanta vis est in sermonibus Domini Jesu ut inciperent esse quae non erant quanto magis operatorius est ut sint quae erant in aliud commutentur Idem which made all things out of nothing We are not now begging for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth to everlasting life John 6.27 yet we ought to hope he will grant us this request because we are about to partake of this Ordinance both in a right manner as Christ did institute it and to a right end viz. for a memorial of his Death we long after our Saviour with a mighty Passion and in this manner he hath chosen to communicate himself therefore we may chearfully request that by the receiving this Bread and Wine which he hath chosen we may become partakers of his most blessed Body and blood for St. Paul assures us the Bread thus blessed is the Communion or Communication of Christs Body There needs no real change in the substance of the Elements for this participation is not by sense but by Faith This lively representation by the operation of the Spirit gives us a fresh remembrance of the Love and Merit of our Redeemers Passion so that by Faith we lay hold upon him as the only satisfaction for our sins and then the Power of God doth by these Symbols communicate our Lord unto us and convey unto our Souls all the salutary benefits of that great expiation We have all the real effects the virtue and the comfort of receiving Jesus though we do not tear his flesh with our teeth And if it may please God to make us partakers of the benefits of Christs Passion we will not inquire into the manner but we will believe because we feel the effects and rejoice in the graces that flow from him nor shall we desire more § 7. Who in the same night that he was betrayed took Bread The best pattern for the Celebration of this mystery is to be taken from the divine Author thereof our Lord Jesus whose Words and Actions are in this particular so punctually related in the Gospels on purpose to direct us in this solemnity and when the Rite was disordered in the Church of Corinth St. Paul 1 Cor. 11. sends them to the first Institution as to the Rule and Canon by which they ought to rectifie all that was amiss and for this reason as we have noted no Church in the World did ever omit these words of our Saviour by which they believed the Consecration to be principally made Wherefore let him that Ministers pronounce them with great deliberation and the profoundest reverence remembring he speaks in the person of Christ And let each Communicant think he is placed among the Disciples in the presence of Jesus at his first Supper and since every Word and Action is big with Mystery let him fix both his Eye and his heart upon the Holy Table and prepare to entertain every particular with a suitable Meditation And first when the time is mentioned in which this Heavenly Feast was instituted viz. The same night in which he was betrayed r 1 Cor. 11.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In quâ nocte tradebatur Litur Clem. In nocte quâ tradebat se ipsum pro vitâ mundi Lit. S. Basil Perperam itaque Missal Rom. habet Qui pridie quam pateretur even the last night which he lived in this mortal Body Then consider in this manner Behold what kind of Love O my Soul is expressed by thy Redeemer when our sins his treacherous servant and his enraged Enemies were contriving his Death he was designing an excellent benefit for us the stream of his affections was so strong that no baseness or ingratitude could check it we might have expected that the horror of this dismal night should have made him repent of his undertaking and have put him upon reversing all his former favours but lo he adds a greater than ever he had given before and appoints this as a seal to confirm and convey the rest unto us Thy Love was stronger than death and when all the terrors of
forth the Death of Christ and that homage and service which thou commandest us to perform Wherefore Dear Lord be thou pleased with this so sincere though poor acknowledgment not weighing or considering our merits by which we cannot pretend any right to thy acceptance but pardoning our offences which might cause thee to reject us Oh do thou deal thus with us through the Merits and Intercession of Iesus Christ our Lord by whom as our Mediator and with whom as thy only Son in the unity of and together with the Holy Ghost we desire all honour and glory may be given unto thee O Father Almighty both now in this World and for ever in the World which is without end Amen SECT III. Of the second Prayer in the Post-Communion § 1. WHen we communicate often it may be very grateful and sometimes very helpful to our devotion to vary the form for which cause the Church hath supplyed us with an other Prayer that so according to the temper of our spirit we may make our choice This being more full of praises and acknowledgments will be most fit when our minds have a joyful sense of the benefits received in this Sacrament as the former consisting chiefly of Vows and resolutions is more proper when we would express our selves in love or duty And yet we may use either of them at any time because neither doth the former want Thanksgivings nor this Petitions for Grace The Composition of this also is regular and judicious pious and extracted out of antient forms and as the former Prayer it will not only serve to close our Devotions within the Temple a Non est vera Religio quae cum templo relinquitur Lactantius but it offers very useful Meditations for the Closet also after we return home as the ensuing method will demonstrate The Analysis of the Second Prayer in the Post-Communion § 2. This Second Prayer consists of Four Parts 1. A hearty Thanksgiving for the present Favour describing 1. The Object of our Praise Almighty and everlasting God we most heartily thank thee 2. The Subject thereof for that thou hast vouchsafed to feed us who have duly received these holy Mysteries with the spiritual Food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ 2. A free Confession of the Benefits assured thereby 1. In possession 1. The Love of God And dost assure us thereby of thy favour and goodness towards us 2. Union with the Saints and that we are very Members incorporate into the mystical Body of thy Son which is the blessed Company of all faithful People 2. In reversion Eternal Life And are also Heirs through hope of thy everlasting Kingdom by the Merits of the most precious Death and Passion of thy dear Son 3. An humble Petition that we may retain them shewing 1. The Thing requested And we most humbly beseech thee O heavenly Father so to assist us with thy Grace 2. The Ends why we do request it viz. for 1. Perseverance that we may continue in that holy Fellowship 2. Fruitfulness and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in 3. The Motive to obtain it Through Iesus Christ our Lord 4. A concluding Doxologie to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end Amen A Practical Discourse upon the second Prayer with Meditations after the Communion § 3. Almighty and everliving God we most heartily thank thee for that thou hast vouchsafed to feed us who have duly received these holy Mysteries with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ This Act of Thanksgiving may be expressed in various words but it must not be omitted after the Communion and therefore it is put into both these forms We ought not at any time rudely to ask for blessings from God until we have prepared the way by Praises b Arrogans oratio si ab homine quid petiturus dicas statim da mihi hoc Peto Debet inchoari oratio à laude Dei ut sequatur supplicatio Ambr. de Sacr. l. 6. c. 5. But having so lately received so great mercy it would be unsufferable to pray for more till we have acknowledged that which is already bestowed on us And by confessing the former mercy in the very entrance of this Prayer we do both encourage our selves to ask and expect further blessings c Sequentium rerum certitudo est praeteritorum exhibitio Greg. in Evang. hom 1. and we do also by our gratitude engage the Almighty to give us more d Ascensus gratiarum descensus gratias Cassiod Efficacissimum genus est rogandi gratias agere Plin. Paneg. Indignus est dandis qui ingratus est pro datis Aug. de temp 112. Besides the very gift it self now imparted to us is the greatest and the best the most sweet and most necessary for us in the World we bless God for our daily Bread our common food how much more then ought we to praise him for this spiritual food which nourisheth our Souls unto life everlasting True it is that carnal and unworthy Receivers have little cause of joy e Sacrificia non sanctificant hominem non enim indiget Deus sacrificio sed conscientia ejus qui offert sanctificat hominem pura existens Irenae l. 4. c. 34. for they have eat the Bread and drank the Wine not discerning the Lords Body and Blood but those that prepared themselves by Repentance and received by Faith those I say have fed upon the spiritual part and therefore they have the most reason with all their powers to bless the Lord in this wise An Act of Thanksgiving It is a mighty favour to me O my God that thou hast made bread to grow out of the Earth to nourish my mortal body but O how far hast thou transcended that mercy in giving me the Bread of Life from Heaven to feed my immortal Soul Whom was there in Heaven or Earth that I could have wished for in comparison of Jesus Christ and now thou hast given him to me whom my Soul longed for and in him thou hast given me all for he is all in all He is the fairest of ten thousand for whose sake I will trample upon all that this World accounts desirable O my Soul bless thou the Lord I came not to gaze at or taste of the outward part but to satisfie the longings of my sin-sick Soul by laying hold of the merits of a Crucified Saviour yet I have received the Sacred Elements and thou hast made them to me that which I needed and desired even the Body and Blood of thy Son I have received his flesh in Sacrament but his grace in reality f Ideo in similitudine quidem accipis sacramentum sed verae naturae gratiam virtutemque consequeâ—is Ambr. de sacr l. 6. And O how it fills my Soul with joy to behold thy Majesty
Hebr. 10.14 It was the part of Jesus to offer up that most meritorious Sacrifice once upon the Cross d Offerimus quidem sed recordationem facientes mortis ejus una est haec hostia non multae quia semel oblata in Sancto Sanctorum hoc autem sacrificium exemplar illius est Ambr. Com. in 10. ad Heb. but it is our duty to keep a perpetual memorial of that most valuable and never to be forgotten propitiation For thereby alone and not by the merits or Prayers of Saints or Angels our Salvation was obtained Now if the pardon of our sins and the purchasing Heaven for us who were Heirs of Hell be the greatest mercies consider with what devout affections we should celebrate the memorial of that which was the price thereof How far did the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and the destroying Angel come short of this and yet that was thought worthy to be remembred with the solemnity of a Passover so long as the Nation did endure We cannot then think that this can be remembred to the end of the World as it ought to be unless we proclaim it early and prepare for it diligently and celebrate it with the deepest resentments alas we can never imprint it sufficiently upon our Souls without frequent and serious Commemorations and he doth not understand or not consider the excellency of this mercy of our Redemption that doth not wish it were written on his heart in indelible Characters and carefully set himself upon this intimation to prepare to make the most grateful memorial of his enfranchisement by the Death of Jesus § 5. Wherefore it is our duty to render most humble and hearty thanks to Almighty God for that he hath given his Son our Saviour Iesus Christ not only to die for us but also to be our spiritual food and sustenance in that holy Sacrament The second part of the Communicants Duty is to receive it with thanksgiving for if we are obliged to praise God for the least and most common Mercies then sure our ordinary praises are not sufficient for this which is the first the greatest and the foundation of all the rest when we remember our unworthiness of such unspeakâ—able mercies we cannot but return our most humble thanks and when we reflect upon the benefit we have by them surely we shall offer up our most hearty praises Because God hath not only spared us when he might have destroyed us and set ordinary food before us as the King of Israel did 2 Kings 6.22 23. but he hath ransomed us fully by the Sacrifice of his Son John 15.13 and made us a Feast upon the remainders of this Sin-offering this sheweth his Justice is fully satisfied in that he receives us into the nearest Unions and our admission to eat and drink of our Lords body and blood is not only to shew forth that there is a great expiation for all the World but to assure us that we may have an interest in it and shall be particularly forgiven as the benefit of the Sacrifices of old were supposed to descend upon all that were admitted to eat thereof Now this pledge of Gods peculiar love and this seal of a gracious Pardon doth give such courage and strength to poor Sinners that the believing it is called spiritual food and nourishment and eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ for it even ravishes the Soul of the humbled Penitent to receive such a Testimony of Gods being reconciled to him Hence are all those ecstasies of joy which holy Men here express and God hath on purpose instituted this Ordinance to be a most solemn and mysterious manner of offering up these humble and hearty thanks for which cause it is called the Cup of blessing e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 13.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 10.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen in Cels l. 8. and the Eucharist that is the office of Thanksgiving Oh summon up therefore all your powers and labour so to affect your hearts with these incomparable acts of the divine goodness that you may here offer up his praises in the highest key and rejoice before him with the most affâ—ctionate gratulations § 6. Which being so divine and comfortable a thing to them who receive it worthily and so dangerous to them who will presume to receive it unworthily my duty is to exhort you in the mean season First To consider the dignity of that holy mystery and the great peril of the unworthy receiving thereof This Sacrament like all things that are high and fair hath excellency enough to invite us to desire it and yet danger sufficient to make us afraid to go about it rashly And here our spiritual guide having surveyed them both makes a faithful report as Caleb and Joshuah did Numb 14.6 7. he doth not deny there is hazard and pains in the attempt but the honour and advantage doth far outweigh them both It is he considers a Divine f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divinissimum Sacramentum vocatur apud Antiquos Patres thing as the Ancients called it to be a Companion of Gods Table and to be made partaker of his nature and also it is the sweetest g Mihi ante omnia supra omnia summa dulcedo Rom. Missal comfort in the World to behold these lively representations of our perfect expiation to receive the pledges of pardon and immortality so that humble and devout receivers do often find their hearts transported with ecstasies of holy joy and ravishments of delight in the due performance of this duty On the other side our spiritual guide considers that for the obstinate and prophane for those that have sinned and will sin it is very dangerous to press into this Coelestial Banquet for such presume meerly upon the outward part and would fain perswade themselves this will acquit their old scores so that they may more freshly begin to sin again but God is not so mocked and therefore they provoke him abuse the mystery and delude their own Souls Wherefore upon the whole inquiry the Minister doth exhort us to spend the time between this and the Sacrament well for if we come not to it we lose this divine comfort if we come unworthily we run into an unknown danger he is unwilling therefore we should be deprived of the comfort or incur the mischief And therefore he doth exhort us to prepare for so we shall be sure of the advantage and avoid the Evil. Now there are two things especially to be done in this mean season the first is Consideration of the dignity of the Sacrament which St. Paul calls discerning h 1 Corin. 11.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Apol. 2. 1 Cor. 11.21 the Lords body that is making much difference between this and our ordinary food The second is that which St. Paul and we both call Examination 1 Corin. 11.28 And these are no more than what every prudent
sees that this Plea is often feigned because few men are so intangled in the World as not to be able upon a Weeks notice to gain a day or two of leisure do not these very men contrive to have some portions of their time for Recreations and Visits for Feasts and discourse with their Friends but if their Prince or their Patron should send notice of their coming they would throw all away to prepare for them or if they received intelligence of a cheap purchase or a good Bargain a few days were easily spared to accomplish those concerns and why have they no time nor leisure for this Sacrament They could not be always so busie at the Sacrament but that instead of contriving their occasions so that they may come God knows that many chuse and design to make appointments just then that so they may have this poor Apology And for the Company that is with us if they be good they will attend us to the Holy Table if but civil they will not hinder us if they perceive we are resolved to receive but if they do keep us back they are neither our Friends nor Servants of God and so no matter for their anger nor shall we lose by their going away it is not therefore our Company that hinders us only we use it to palliate our sloth and wicked aversation Secondly It is always frivolous for if we be now so busie I wonder when we shall be at leisure the World saith not yet the flesh saith the next Sacrament but the Devil saith never and both the former come to this at last for if we will not receive till we are so at leisure as that we have no real business nor can pretend any we shall never receive at all will not Satan find us imployment or excuses think you against the next Communion if he can so keep us off we may be sure to be deprived of this Holy Feast for ever We do more easily allow an excuse now because we hope to come to the next y Qui non meretur quotidiè accipere non meretur post annum accipere Aug. in Math. 6. but how can we expect to live to another opportunity who have so lightly contemned this May not Death seize us before the next Sacrament and then we shall in vain bewail our neglect and curse that business that prevented the minding the Salvation of our Souls Thirdly It is sometimes Impious To say we will not come because we are busie is to cast a great contempt upon this Divine Mystery and is as if we said we will come when we have nothing else to do for if we know but of a Market or an Entertainment an opportunity of merriment or recreation we cannot attend at this Heavenly Feâ—st Do we not witness to all the World that we love our Body better than our Souls our Friends more than God and Earth more than Heaven If we had a due esteem for spiritual things is there any business so necessary as to repent so profitable as to make our peace with God so pleasant as to receive the pledges of his love Or do we think when we chuse the World and leave the Sacrament that the concern which we pretend can make us amends for the loss of our Souls It is plain such persons think Months and Years too little for their affairs and pleasures but as many hours are too much â—o spare to remember Christs love and that they will despise the greatest benefits to their Souls rather than lose the least earthly advantage or delight So that these excuses are so far from being accepted by God that they make the fault worse and discover the Person that useth them to be ordinarily an Hypocrite and despiser of holy things a stupid Worldly wretch and therefore either let us bring a better excuse than this or not dare to stay away for this is nothing before God who knows we might contrive our affairs so as to come if we had a desire to partake hereof § 7. If any man say I am a grievous Sinner and therefore am afraid to come Wherefore then do ye not Râ—pâ—nt and amend The ground of both these objections is an undeniable Truth viz. that unless we have leisure and time to prepare and are in some degrees penitent it is not fit to come to the Holy Sacrament but when we draw false Conclusions from these premises meerly to hide our negligence the consequence is only the more taking and more mischievous because it seems to be deduced from a Truth And if we be wise and careful of our own Salvation we must not rely upon them how specious soever they seem till we have duly examined them As for this second pretence of staying away because of our sinfulness it is alledged by three sorts of Persons First By the scrupulous who think it is humility and a high esteem of this Ordinance that makes them stay away they pretend they are unworthy of it and shew more fear of God and Reverence to the Sacrament because they do not or dare not come to it But sure as St. Ambrose notes z Sed aiunt se Domino deferre reverentiam Quis est qui magis honorat qui mandatis obtemperat an qui resistit Ambr. de poen l. 1. c. 2. it is an odd way to express their Reverence to God by flying from his embraces and living in the neglect of his plain Commands Our Saviour saith Do this Luke 22.19 and if they did honour him as the Centurions Servant did his Master they would do it Math. 8 9. Can any that truly fears Gods displeasure be so confident while they disobey a plain Precept if they were rightly informâ—d they should be as much afraid to stay from the Communion so carelesly as to come unworthily I confess these are dreadful mysteries but it is to the Impenitent and Persevering Sinner whose condition is fearful in it self and every Page in Scripture is terrible to such but why then saith the Church do ye not Repent and turn your scrupulous abstaining into a penitent address and then hâ—re is nothing dismal in this Holy Feast for there are none condemned for unworthy receiving but such as deserve it for other Iniquities and continuing in them had been sentenced if they had never come hither Bullinger complains of the Anabaptists in his time that they had made so many scruples about the Lords Supper and represented this lovely and comfortable Ordinance so horrible as to scare many good and tender Persons from the use of it a Hâc ratione Coenam domini amabilem gaudio plenam horribilem tristem faciunt ac aditum ad eam adeo coarctanâ— ut pii quoque homines ab eâ abhorreant adv Anabap lib. 6. cap. 9. But let our reverence to this holy Communion be shewed rather by diligent preparation than captious scruples for God will never cast any man into Eternal Flames for striving to
their meat in due season Math. 24.45 For this Cause the Antient Church appointed the Priests in great Cities to have a Communion every Day so that devout people might always find the Table spread whensoever they hungred after this Bread of Life and in such places our own Church still makes monthly preparations and also sends the Minister to the Altar upon every great Festival on purpose to mind the people that he is ready if they were so also But when the Table is actually spread methinks we should need no other Oratory than those holy Symbols to invite us did we know our need of that food and were we acquainted with the pleasures of that Celestial Banquet we should be attracted with the very sight of the Elements and long yea languish to participate of them and sure they upbraid those wretches who go away and turn their backs upon them but there are some who cannot or will not hear this still voice and therefore the Minister doth once again ex officio invite us in the Name of God who is the great Master of this Feast and in the behalf of Christ who is the precious food there provided beseeching us that we will not by neglecting affront the great God and slight his dear Son and further exhorting us by the most cogent Argument viz. for our own sakes as we love our Souls as we fear to be Condemned and wish for Salvation that we will come Cicero thought a man might as soon run away from himself as lose the desire after those things which conduced to his own happiness h Prius à se poterit quispiam discedere quam appetitum earum rerum quae sibi conducunt amittere lib. de fin 5. But we have some so wretched who know there is no Salvation but by the Sacrifice of Christs Death and no so proper and ready way to get an interest in that Sacrifice as to eat of the remainders thereof in Faith and yet are hardly perswaded by the most pressing invitations But let us Consider that by frequent and long omissions our devotion grows flat our purposes wavering our Faith weak and our Corruptions strong the Enemy gets ground of us and the Spirit begins to withdraw from us i Mens deficit quamnon recepta Eucharistia erigit ac accendit Cypr. Ep. 54. ad Cor. so that if we would go safely to Heaven we must not too long neglect this holy Sacrament § 11. And as the Son of God did vouchsafe to yield up his Soul by Death upon the Cross for your Salvation so it is your duty to receive the Communion in remembrance of the Sacrifice of his Death as he himself hath Commanded Although we be by Gods Embassadors strongly intreated to come to this Holy Feast yet we must not think it left to our choice to hearken or to disobey for if they should not invite us we are obliged to come hither by the strongest Bonds of reason and duty For if Jesus thought our Salvation worth his Death do we think it too dear of a little preparation is he willing to bleed for our sins and are we not willing to weep for them shall he yield up his Soul in the midst of the most dolorous agonies and will not we yield up our Lusts and come to remember his love in this Holy Sacrament Our Saviour hath satisfied the divine Justice obtained a Pardon and done his part towards our Salvation but our part is still behind viz. to sue out this pardon in the Commemoration of his Death and in this Communion of his Body and blood to apply his merits by Faith to our own Souls And that we should Do this was one of his last and dying Commands Luke 22.19 1 Cor. 11.25 and is it not our duty to obey it How wretched then are we if we refuse to kneel and extend our hand for this Pardon which was purchased at so vast a price How unworthy are we to have any part in this Redemption if we disobey so small a Command and deny so easie a Request of so dear a Master His last Precept was to keep the memorial of the last Act he did for us on the Earth and sure it is our duty never to let that be forgotten § 12. Which if ye shall neglect to do Consider with your selves how great injury ye do to God and how sore punishment hangeth over your Heads for the same If we be resolved in spite of all this still to neglect this divine Ordinance the Minister can do no more than sadly tell us First the grievousness of our sin Secondly The greatness of our danger First We are desired to consider the sin which is called a great injury to God even as we esteem it to our selves when our Guests slight our invitation § 4. 'T is true we cannot properly injure God Job 35.6 by taking away any of his essential happiness Yet because we owe Obedience to him as our Soveraign Lord we are said to wrong him of his due k Debitum contrahitur quoties delinquitur quod debitum solvi in gehennâ quandoque necesse est Aug. Serm. 126. de Temp. Creditor est qui minus quam quod suum est habet vel voluntario ut in mutuatione vel involuntariò ut in Criminibus Vide Grot. de sat Chris c. 2. when we refuse to observe his Commands And in this Case let us consider before we resolve not to come that hereby we shall rob our God of this solemn part of his worship reject a plain and loving command despise the Passion of his dear Son slight his provision refuse his invitation grieve his Servants by such rash and obstinate denials and perhaps bring an evil report upon the Ordinance it self when men see we must be dragged to it The Sacrifices of the Erecynian Venus came of their own accord to the Altar saith Aelian hist anim l. 10. c. 1. But we are forced hither as to a slaughter house is not this a great injury to the Master of this divine Feast But secondly The mischief in fine lights upon our own heads for no man provoketh this King but in so doing he sinneth against his own Soul Prov. 20.2 God is just as well as merciful and severe to revenge the abuses of his love He will not always pass by this scorn nor put up these affronts but punish us perhaps temporally with losses and crosses sickness or an evil Death which careless neglecters deserve as well as unworthy receivers 1 Cor. 11.30 for so those Israelites who laughed at Hezekiahs invitation to the Passover 2 Chron. 30.10 were carryed into a sad Captivity within two years after 2 Kings 18.9 And we must not think presently we are safe because as yet none of these Judgments have seized on us for they may hover over our heads as the Arrow over Julians and at last pierce us to the heart but if we do escape a while l Si nunc omne
my dejected mind and turn my ignorance into knowledge my knowledge into practice and make that practice so sweet and easie that this may be a day of joy to me also solemnized in the white garments of sanctification and rejoicing And finally let not this Heavenly Inspiration be only expressed in extasies and holy fervors this day but let thy spirit rest upon me and dwell in me for ever So shall I always have cause to bless thee for so incomparable a gift Methinks I feel already the force thereof bearing down my corruptions and its bright beams driving away the mists of sin and error I find its flames warming my heart with Zeal and Charity and its quickning power opening my sealed lips to shew forth thy praise Therefore with Angels c. A Meditation for the Communion on Trinity-Sunday § 13. O admirable mystery to be adored in the profoundest silence by the contemplation whereof when I am struck with amazement I can learn humility and discover my own ignorance and I have the opportunity of exercising a nobler Faith than if I could comprehend it with my shallow reasonings and imperfect demonstrations The Trinity in Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity hath been derided by the Heathens and endeavoured to be perplexed by the wits of all kinds of Hereticks but it sufficeth me blessed Jesus that thou hast revealed it and thy Holy Church divided in too many other things hath universally agreed in this great Truth And I am the more confirmed in it because I learn by it to worship with a regular devotion from hence I am taught to pray to the Father in the name of the Son through the assistance of the Holy Ghost and as long as I live will I praise thee and magnifie thee in this manner I will bless thee particularly at this holy feast for so excellent a revelation for this Ordinance it self contains many things above my understanding and is all mystery The Trinity is the Article and this Sacrament the Rite which do distinguish thy true Religion from all the Sects in the World wherefore by observing this Rite I do embrace this Faith and upon the representation of thy death I do profess to live in it and die for it resolving never to have other Lord And when I find the Father giving the Son given and the Holy Ghost dispensing that gift unto my Soul in this sacred Communion it shall be a greater confirmation to my Faith in this Divine Mystery than can be acquired from the most curious search into it However I am resolved my Reason shall vail to thy Word and I will be content to stay for a full apprehension of this sublime Truth till I am advanced to a state of Angelick Perfection and come to behold the glories of the Trin-une God till then I will bless thee for what I know and believe more than I can conceive and I will worship the same Majesty which the Heavenly Quire doth in these addresses Therefore with Angels c. PARTITION III. Of the Celebration SECT I. Of the Address § 1. THE nearer we approach to these mysteries the greater reverence we must express The very Heathen could say men should be always best when they came to the Gods a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. ap Plur. de superstit and therefore so much better by how much they come nearer Our late rejoicing might savour of too much confidence if it were not allayed with this Act of humility which is the immediate Address to this holy Feast There is somewhat agreeable to this some Apology or acknowledgment in all antient Liturgies but that of St. James comes the nearest to this of ours I come to this divine and supercoelestial mystery unworthy indeed but relying on thy goodness And afterwards Turn not away from us sinners who are celebrating this dreadful and unbloody Sacrifice for we trust not in our own righteousness but in thy bountiful mercy c. But in none so fully as in this present form can the devout Soul express its sense of its own unworthiness and its desires to taste of this Heavenly Banquet as by our usual method will be more clearly manifested The Analysis of the Address Sect. 2. The Address hath two Parts 1. An Apology for this our approach shewing 1. The ground thereof 1. Negatively We do not presume to come to this thy Table O merciful Lord trusting in our own righteousness 2. Affirmatively But in thy manifold and great mercies 2. The persons coming We are not worthy so much as to gather up the Crumbs under thy Table 3. What he is to whom we come But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy 2. A Prayer for a blessing upon it noting 1. To whom we pray Grant us therefore gracious Lord 2. What we pray for so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Iesus Christ and to drink his blood 3. For what end 1. A present advantage by the 1. Cleansing of our Bodies that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his Body 2. Purifying of our Souls and our Souls washed through his most precious blood 2. A continual benefit by an inseparable Uâ—ion And that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us Amen A Practical Discourse upon the Address § 3. We do not presume to come to this thy Table O merciful Lord trusting in our own righteousness but in thy manifold and great mercies When Josephs Brethren were invited to his House they durst not enter till they had made their Apology at the door because they esteemed themselves both criminal and unworthy Gen. 43.20 How then shall we that are greater offenders and more unworthy presume to sit down at the Table of the King of Kings before we have expressed our reverence and humility It is his goodness indeed to do us this honour but then it is at least our duty to be so just as to confess it is a free and undeserved favour agreeing rather to the nobleness of the giver than to the deserts of the Receivers b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysos Now how can we better declare this than in the words of that favourite of Heaven Dan. 9.23 the Prophet Daniel whose Prayer was heard before it was finished because he presented it not trusting in his own Righteousness but in Gods manifold and great mercies Dan. 9.18 And that we may speak these words with the same sincerity and make these addresses with the same sense of our own unworthiness Let us consider 1. How dangerous it is to come to this Holy Sacrament with a proud heart For Pride is foolish c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. therap ser 1. and unreasonable in it self dishonourable and injurious to God offensive and troublesome to our Brethren hardening and mischievous to our selves and especially it is most odious and contrary to our Lord Jesus whose humility we are here to remember Solomon accounts it an uncomely
sight to see servants riding and Princes beside them walking on foot Eccles 10.7 But how much more abominable is it to see such evil and base servants as we are with proud hearts pretending to celebrate the memorial of the greatest and best Master who humbled himself to the death of the Cross if we are righteous why did he suffer if we be sinners why are we bold and puffed up be assured that this sin alone if there were no other would turn this Banquet into Poison or make us at least incapable to receive any benefit from it 2. Consider the great dignity of these terrible mysteries had we the purity of an Angel and the affections of a Seraphin we could scarce be worthy to come so near to a most holy and All-seeing God to lay such claim to the blessed Jesus and all his Merits and to be so wholly united to him as we are designing in this admirable Communion But thirdly We are so far from such excellencies that our late Confession is yet fresh in our memories wherein we did most truly accuse our selves of many and grievous offences and our own Conscience will check the vanity of all proud imaginations of our own merit by discovering to us that we have done very little good and that very imperfectly yet even that also by the grace of God and not by our own Power d Debetur enim merces si fiant sed gratia quae non debetur praecedit ut fiant Aug. in Julian How then can we fancy our selves worthy to make this approach Especially if we remember Fourthly That our preparation it self the only remaining suppletory hath been very imperfect if not deficient and who is there that can shew such a tender heart such strong desires so lively affections and so vigorous a Faith as this Ordinance doth require Upon all which accounts we have no reason to come presumptuously trusting in our own Righteousness We should be more likely to fly from this holy Table with shame and fear but only that we hear our God is merciful 1 King 20.31 and that Jesus will in no wise cast out those who come unto him John 6.37 We have manifold and great miseries and he hath manifold and great mercies and by these we are invited Our own righteousness is nothing the merits of others are insufficient for themselves but the compassions of God can never fail to these we fly for refuge and oh happy venture to take sanctuary in the divine mercy where there is no hazard e Pulchrum periculum confugere ad Deum D. Bern. but that he who is mercy it self should not pity us Wherefore behold O Lord we come unto thee thou mightest indeed justly censure this approach of such wretched Creatures to be the most daring presumption but we beseech thee condemn not the action but behold the motives that drew us hither even our own miseries and thy mercies and help us to supply in humility what we want in worthiness let our mean and just opinion of our selves our bended knees and broken hearts shew that we durst not have adventured so nigh if thy mercy had not held out the golden Scepter to us § 4. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the Crumbs under thy Table but thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy Our Saviour adviseth us even at an ordinary Feast to take the lowest room Luke 14.10 and Solomon warneth us not to put our selves too forward in the presence of a King Prov. 25.6 How much more then is it our duty to think the meanest place too good for us at this Heavenly Feast of the King of Kings How scornfully do the great ones of this World sometimes look upon their poor Brethren thinking their footstool f Jam. 2.3 Populus terrae scabellum pedûm Pharisaeorum Proverb Hebr. or a place among their Dogs good enough for them Job 30.1 and is there not a much greater distance between God and us When Mephibosheth was admitted to King Davids Table he in great humility compares himself to a dead Dog 2 Sam. 9.7 8. but we have much more reason to esteem our selves as such before the Majesty of Heaven Had we always been dutiful and obedient Children we might then have expected to have been fed at our Fathers Table but we have been Rebels and therefore with Adonibezeks Captives might justly be made to gather up the Crumbs Jud. 1.7 under the feet of our great Lord Nay by our Anger Luxury Intemperance and especially by falling back into our old sins g Canis ad vomitum rediens Prov. 26.11 2 Pet. 2.22 we have behaved our selves like unto Dogs and therefore how dare we challenge the Childrens Bread We may well confess with the poor Canaanitish Woman that the Crumbs and Reliques h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip Cress 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist 2. de gen which are the part of Dogs are too good for us That is the common mercies of food and raiment health and habitations and the least measures of grace and comfort which are but small i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl in Math. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz ep 45. considering the Power of God and his bounty to his own Children but very great considering our unworthiness If the Lord will please but to give us these necessary things and to bestow so much grace and comfort on us as will support us and encourage us in our Repentance we will be very thankful although we be not filled with extasies and assurance It is true this Heavenly bread is too good for us but only that our merciful Father is admirable in his condescensions he looks at our necessities but weigheth not our merits and doth most graciously receive us wherefore we will lie down in the dust and be as vile as may be before so good a God our acknowledgments shall lay us as low as ever our sins have done we will profess we are unworthy of the least favours that so we may the better set out the divine goodness which vouchsafeth to give us the greatest And no doubt they that thus humble themselves sincerely shall certainly be exalted Luke 14.11 For our God is always gracious and ever the same whose property it is to have mercy upon humble and contrite ones § 5. Grant us therefore gracious Lord so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Iesus Christ and to drink his blood that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and our Souls washed through his most precious blood and that we may evermore dwell in him and be in us Amen In the midst of these our acknowledgments of our own unworthiness we are seasonably minded that we have a gracious Lord who is apt to pitty us even when we are justly miserable He sees our bodies are defiled and our Souls polluted and both empty and void of Christ and he hath appointed this
Blessed Sacrament on purpose to purifie us and unite us unto our dear Redeemer Why then do we stand looking one upon another Gen. 42.1 and not rather look up to him that only can help us all will not our own necessities open our mouths nor his tender mercies incourage us to call upon him to give us grace that we may eat and live We do intend to eat but we had better not eat at all than not eat So k 1 Cor. 11.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So let him eat Psal 26.6 So will I compass c. as God requires and So as to be bettered thereby Now to the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure Titus 1.15 In vain therefore should we desire in the following Prayer of Consecration that these Elements should become the body and blood of Christ if we did not first pray that we might worthily receive them There must be a change in us or else though Christs natural flesh and blood were here and we should eat and drink thereof every day we could not partake of Christ l Qui discordat à Christo nec carnem ejus manducat nec sanguinem bibit etiamsi tantae rei sacramentum quotidiè indifferentèr accipiat Prosp sent 341. It is our eating with Faith and penitence love and holy purposes that makes it to be Christs body and blood to us most wisely therefore hath the Church ordered that before we pray for the Consecration of the Symbols we should desire to be Consecrated our selves Thus St. Ambrose in that Prayer said to be used by him before he Communicated saith O holy Bread which camest down from Heaven and givest life to the World come into my heart and cleanse me from all defilements of flesh and spirit enter into my Soul heal and sanctifie me within and without Let us consider the spots and stains the foulness and diseases with which our bodies and Souls are overspread and then behold this salutary and living Manna which hath power to restore us to an excellent purity and to make us amiable in the Eyes of God and then we shall heartily put up this Petition we shall hunger and thirst after it groan and long for it m Famelicus accedo ne recedam impastus si antequam comedam suspiro da vel post suspiria ut comedam August Med. c. 39. as it is reported St. Catherine was wont to do with the same passion that the Child doth for the Breast of its Mother Let us come then with most ardent desires and summon up all our Powers now the Angel is so near who makes our Bethesda Medicinal let us passionately cry out and say Lord hast thou set open this Fountain and wilt thou let a wretched Creature die for thirst in thy presence hast thou prepared such balm to heal me and shall I languish here before thee I know if thou wilt thou canst make me clean here is the very instrument in thy hand Grant therefore holy Jesus that I may duly apply it and rightly use it and then it shall prepare me for thee and unite me to thee by such inseparable Bonds as shall never break unless Eternity can have an end Blessed are they that So eat thy flesh and So drink thy blood So as thou requirest and So as thy Saints of old have done for they have been cleansed at this Fountain and here their Vnion with thee first began Oh happy season Excellent opportunity Lord let me do it well this once and I am thine for ever Amen The Paraphrase of the Address § 6. Holy God! thou mightest justly wonder to see so many grievous Sinners daring to come so near but We do not impudently rush upon these dreadful mysteries nor do we presume to come to this thy Table where Angels do attend as if we deserved this Honour O merciful Lord We do not approach trusting in our own Righteousness for alas we have done nothing which can bear that name but that which drew us hither was our confidence in thy manifold and great mercies which exceed our manifold and great offences And now that we are before thee we must still confess whatever favours thy goodness heaps upon us that we are not worthy by reason of our sinfulness and backslidings so much as with the Dogs to gather up the Crumbs which fall under thy Table not fit to receive the least mercies or measures of grace from thee much less to sit as guests before thy Majesty at this Heavenly Feast But yet we make bold to do this because thou art not to be changed by our sins being ever the same Lord whose property is to be unwearied with well-doing and never wanting in pity and thou art wont always to have mercy on those who confess their offences as we have done Grant unto us therefore gracious Lord by the present assistance of thy holy Spirit so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Iesus Christ spiritually in this Sacrament and so to drink his blood as that we may receive all the benefits of his Cross and Passion even that our sinful and defiled bodies may be made clean by his holy and immaculate body and our Souls which are polluted in every faculty washed through his most precious blood which taketh away the sins of the World Let us be so wholly purifyed that we may now begin to be inseparably united to Jesus and that we by Faith may evermore dwell in him abiding in his love and that by his spirit he may dwell in us always Amen SECT II. Of the Prayer of Consecration § 1. AFter all this Preparation we need not ask with Isaac Gen. 22.7 where is the Lamb for the Burnt-Offering for God hath provided his own dear Son whose blood being already spilt is so efficacious and all-sufficient that there is now no need of any other but this unbloody Sacrifice a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril cat Myst 5. incruentam oblationem Liturg. 5. Marci sacrificium absque sanguine Liturg. S. Basil to be offered and that in memorial of that great Sin-offering which taketh away the sins of the World 1 Pet. 2.5 And for this purpose Christ himself hath b Ille mirabilem quandam victimam pro nostra omnium salute obtulit memoriam nobis tradens loco sacrificii continuo offerendam Euseb praep Evang. l. 1. c. 10. appointed these Creatures of Bread and Wine ordaining that because they are designed to express so great a Mystery they shall have a peculiar Consecration The antient Greeks and Romans would not taste of their ordinary Meat and Drink till they had hallowed it by giving the first parts thereof to their Gods c Romani Graeci in convictu familiari ciborum particulis vino in ignem conjectis libamina Diis dabant Alex. ab Alex. gen dier l. 5. c. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porph. de abst l 2. c. 20. The
thy dreadful Passion were in view thy Soul was so calm as to be at leisure to institute this feast of joy and gladness surely I will entertain this Festival with the dearest regard I can express since it was one of the last Å¿ Plerique mortales postrema meminêre Caesar ap Salust Debetur maximo operi haec veneratio quod novissimum sit Authorque ejus statim consecrandus Plin. Panegyr and greatest Testimonies of the love of a dying friend this blessed Legacy this parting remembrance shall be in my heart for ever Secondly from the time we pass to the subject matter out of which this Ordinance was instituted and that is Bread such as we behold on the holy Altar which may when we behold it occasion such thoughts as these Blessed Jesus how lovely is thy humility thou hast chosen to be represented by Bread and though some curious or costly preparation had been more agreeable to thy Dignity yet this doth best express thy condescension Bread is the poor mans food yet necessary also for the rich the most antient constant universal and necessary sustenance of mankind and therefore a lively Emblem of thy all-sufficient and unconfined Love it springs from the Earth yet it is the staff of our life and given to strengthen mans heart t stomacho fultura ruenti Horat. Jud. 9.5 Heb. Fulci cor tuum buocellâ panis Vid. loc Psal 104.15 and so it signifies that Body which thou didst take from the Earth and gavest for the life of the World being contented it should be beaten and bruised winnowed and ground yea and prepared by all the varieties of suffering that it might become food for our Souls O that I may receive thee by Faith and then I know I shall draw the most salutary nourishment from thee and thou wilt as effectually be united to my Soul as the Bread which is eaten is to my Body u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Galen Let me eat this holy Bread in Charity that as the many grains are compacted into one Loaf x Panes Hebraeorum ita magni sunt ut unus omnibus convivis sufficeret Grot. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diog. Laert. Pythag. so we being many fellow Christians may all be united into that one body of which thou art the Head The meanness y Simplicitas Sacramenti quibusdam derogat effectûs fidem Tertul of the outward part is not to me any disparagement to this blessed mystery but I rejoice that thou hast chosen that which is so easie for all to procure in all places and at all times because it is so necessary for all persons Lord do thou make it thy Body and it shall be the Bread of Life to my Soul I see O merciful Jesus thou hast taken Bread into thy bountiful hands and behold I faint for hunger my strength is gone my sight is failed I languish for this spiritual food happy am I who am once again come so nigh thee on this blessed day of distribution I beseech thee do not pass me by As thou takest this Bread so didst thou take thy Body only to be broken in Sacrifice for us and in Sacrament to us let me not therefore want my part § 8. And when he had given thanks he brake it and gave it to his Disciples St. Cyril adviseth that we should carefully receive the consecrated Elements and beware that we lose not the least part thereof for the very filings of gold are precious But we should be much more solicitous to fix our minds so that we do not miss the least circumstance in this Holy Rite because there is none without a mystery Thirdly Therefore let us observe the Preparation which was by Giving thanks for Jesus did not enter upon the Administration till he had first as the Hellenists speak Blessed the Bread and Blessed God for it and it is very probable he did add some peculiar Praises for the Redemption to be wrought by his Death as also for this opportunity to commemorate it and convey the benefits thereof unto us which may furnish us with some such Meditations And dost thou O my Lord give thanks for my Redemption which cost thee so much pain and agony how much more then should I do so to whom all the advantage doth redound thou hadst the bitter but I the sweet thou the misery but I the benefit thereof and yet thou enterest upon it with thanksgiving to shew how freely thou didst suffer for our good and to teach us chearfully to suffer for thy sake if thou dressest thy self for death by praising God in this holy Institution shall I not compose my self for this blessed Feast by giving thanks also especially since by blessing God for it I shall bring down a blessing on it to make it become the Bread of Life wherefore I do here join my Eucharist to thine holy Jesus and do bless the Lord with all my Soul for this Heavenly repast O shew thy acceptance of my Praises by hallowing these Elements to the purposes for which they are designed Fourthly The distribution follows viz. The breaking of the Bread and giving it to his Disciples for although the breaking of the Bread do well set forth the Torments of our Saviours Body broken and wounded on the Cross yet there will be a fuller opportunity to remember this in the Administration § 8. 11. and for the present it may suffice to observe that among the Jews to break ones bread to any is as much as to distribute it to them and make them partakers thereof Isai 63.7 Lam. 4.4 Mark 8.19 And since the Lord doth this to thee he doth thereby own thee to be a servant of his Family and a Disciple of his School and therefore thou mayst thus consider O my fainting Soul make hast behold thy gracious Master is dealing his Bread to those that hunger and thiâ—st after Righteousness and if thy desires be as great as thy necessities they will make thee fly to partake of his bounty be not discouraged with thy unworthiness for he giveth to all men liberally and upbraids no man It is a mighty honour to receive the meanest Token from the Hands of a King but here the very gift it self is both excellent in it self and a pledge of the Givers love z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. l. 1. c. 5. who is the King of Kings and Lord of Glory The gift is most profitable and the Giver most honourable Dear Jesus give me a share thereof and I will ever value the Gift and love the Giver Declare me to be thine by feeding me at thy Table thou who wert content to be bruised and broken to satisfie my offended God oh be pleased to give thy self and the merits of this thy Passion unto me to satisfie my earnest longings and it shall be so welcome that I shall cry Lord give me evermore this Bread § 9. Saying Take Eat this is my Body which
shew his all-sufficiency for the life of our Souls And of all kinds of drink he hath chose Wine to represent his most precious blood for this is called the blood of the Grape m Deut. 32.14 1 Macc. 6.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem Alex. paed l. 2. and in colour comes the nearest to it this minds us of Jesus who is the true Vine John 15.1 and of the Wine-Press of his Fathers wrath Isai 63.2 3. wherein he was grievously pressed till all his holy blood yea and his Soul was exhausted And as Wine was given to chear mans heart n Jud. 9.13 Psal 104.15 Duo sunt liquores corporibus humanis gratissimi intus vini foris olei Plin. l. 4 c. 22. item ap Homer Il. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Odyss β. and raise his decaying spirits so was the blood of Jesus shed to revive poor disconsolate sinners with the hopes of the divine favour It was the Custom among the Jews for the Master of the Family after Supper to take a Cup of Wine in both hands and giving thanks to him that created the fruit of the Vine to drink to all the Guests as a Symbol of Charity Fag in Deut. 8.10 and among the Gentiles also their Feasts were concluded o Postremo Graeci Mercurio litabant bono daemoni cui gratias agebant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alex. ab Alex. l. 5. c. 21. Schol. Aristop Mos erat cum mensa auferenda sit bono genio litare Hoc hoc mensa claudatur scypho Sen. with a Cup offered to their good genius But our Lord hath spiritualized these usages and here we may behold him with hands and eyes lift up to Heaven Consecrating this Cup for an Excellent Mystery that it may be a Cup of Salvation and of Charity and may be offered up with praise to the most high when therefore we see the holy Man beginning to bless the Wine also let us say within our selves Oh what preparations is our gracious Master making for us he thinks it not enough to give us his blessed body with the merit of all those torments which he suffered in the flesh but he is pleased to pour out his blood and his life together with it that we might drink thereof and so take as it were his very Soul into us p 〈◊〉 â—7 14 ita 〈…〉 llud Virgil. 〈…〉 vomit ille â—â—â—â—tam Secundum eâ—s inquit qui sanguinem animam dicunt Alas we are faint and feeble ready to die and languish and he hath made us a Cordial with his own hearts blood miserable wretches as we are that nothing less will help us but oh how gracious a Redeemer have we that will not deny us this behold O Lord we thirst and this Wine of joy makes us more q Non facile esuriens positâ retinebere mensâ Et multum saliens incitat unda sitim Ovid. impatient to tast of this Cup of Salvation and Thanksgiving thou that hast prepared it for us make it thy holy blood and then it shall cleanse our Souls and make us thine for ever § 12. He gave it to them saying Drink ye all of this for this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you and for many for the Remission of Sins Since our Saviour did give the Cup to every one of his Disciples and plainly commands both them and us all to drink of it r Math. 26.27 1 Cor. 12.13 Et Vulg. Editio Pontificiis Authentica 1 Cor. 10.17 addit Et de uno calice we have cause to bless God that we are not of that Church which hath lately Å¿ Secundum antiquam Ecclesiae consuetudinem omnes tam corpori quam sanguini communicabant quod etiam adhuc in quibusdam Ecclesiis servatur Aquin. in Johan 6. robbed the people of half the Sacrament and I wish that as the Legacy is preserved to us intire and a double portion provided for us that we would endeavour to receive with twice as much devotion as they do Furthermore when we hear the most efficacious words of Christ pronounced we must exercise our Faith and not only join our desires that this Wine may become the Blood of Christ but with our hearts say Amen for it is unto us according to our Faith if we believe it is to us the Blood of Christ and that which makes us partakers t 1 Cor. 10.16 communicatio sanguinis Christi Vatab. idem in Margin annotae vel participatio Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the benefits thereof And although it be still Wine unto our senses because we naturally abhor to drink humane blood u Similitudinem pretiâ—si sanguinis bibis ut nullus horror cruoris sit pretium tamen operetur Redemptionis Ambros de sacr lâ—b 4 cap. 4. yet by the power of Jesus and the mercy of God it shall make our attonement be accepted as fully for our expiation as if our own lives had been laid down or our own blood spilt in a Sin-offering For it is now to be esteemed as the blood of the New Covenant or Testament w Math. 26.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h. e. propriè â—â—â—guis novi foederis 〈◊〉 Grot. Ham. annâ—â— in Titul Beza in lâ—cum Latini autem Testamentum vertunt Grotius For the Original word signifies both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the first and common sense it is used for a Covenant and those of old were confirmed with blood x Exod. 24.8 Haustu mutui sanguinis foedus faciunt de Scythis Herodot l. 4. Quod idem refert etiam de Medis ut Solinus Cap. 20. but this New-Covenant between God and Man could not be made without it because God could not in justice grant remission unless some blood were spilt the visible Soul being given as a ransom for the invisible and this most precious Blood of Christ is that which was shed to appease the divine anger and so to engage God to enter into this Covenant with us wherefore it may be called the Blood of the New Covenant Secondly This word also is used for a Testament or Will y Heb. 9.16 17. Testamentum est voluntas defuncti Quintil. Viventis nulla est haereditas Digest Roman J. C. dicunt Testamentum morte confirmatur Grot. by this account we call the Gospel the New-Testament because it contains our Lords Will and therein he hath left us as Legacies his Merits and Graces his Spirit and his Peace and secured them to us by his Promise wherefore when we see this holy Blood it is to us as it were the Seal of the New-Testament because it shews us that the Testator hath dyed and consequently assures us that all those promises shall be made good unto us especially that of the pardon of our Sins for since we and many had deserved Eternal Death by our offences this Blood was poured forth to procure a Pardon not for us alone but for
gave it to his Disciples to declare he would freely pour out his blood for them saying Drink ye all who desire a part in me of this Cup and apply to your selves the benefits of my blood-shedding For this is the Communion of my Blood which sealeth the New Covenant and is the Confirmation of the New-Testament with the promises thereof And it shall give you a right unto them for this is it which is shed to make Attonement for you in particular and for as many as believe it to be sufficient for the Remission of Sins Wherefore I charge you Do this as oft as may be and whensoever ye shall drink it let it be with great devotion in remembrance of me and of my love in laying down my life for you Amen It is finished according to thy will So be it and let all the people say Amen SECT III. Of the form of Administration § 1. WHen the time of distribution is come the Guests must not rudely and disorderly take every one his own part 1 Cor. 11.14 because God is the Master of the Feast and according to the Eastern Custom he hath provided Officers to divide to every one their portion a Gen. 42.34 1 Sam. 9.24 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esth 2.9 fercula singulis apposita secundum morem Orientalem Vide Ham. Annot. Luke 8. a. Wherefore the people are to receive this from the Minister as from the hands of God himself and accordingly they ought to kneel in the most lowly manner as those do who are to receive a favour even from an Earthly Prince For it is now the Custom of the Eastern and Greek Churches of the Latine Church and Lutherans also yea of all the World saith Erasmus to receive kneeling and which is most considerable to us our own Church which hath power to determine these circumstances hath prescribed this posture and withal declared it is only for order and comeliness and to express our humility to God not to give any worship to the Elements * Non enim inclinaverunt carni sanguini sed tibi terribili domino Lit. S. Chrysos and it is a wonder any should refuse to receive kneeling meerly because the Church enjoins it since every considering and humble Christian would chuse that way if it were left indifferent The whole time of Communicating is spent in Prayers and Praises and therefore sure we ought to be upon our b Nemo carnem illam manducat nisi prius adoraverit August in Psal 98. knees if it were only that we might be ready to offer up our Prayers to God It is highly probable that this gesture hath obtained in the Western Church at least 1200. years and although of Old in the East they did stand c Stemus benè stemus in timore Lit. Basil yet it was with fear and trembling with silence and down-cast eyes for they groaned in spirit and kept their joy within saith St. d Chrysost homil de encoeniis Chrysost They came near saith St. Cyril c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Catech. Mystag 5. versus finem bowing themselves in the posture of Worship and Adoration As for the Words of Administration some think they contain a double form Both the Old Roman form and that which Calvin did prescribe both united by the Revisors of the Liturgy under Queen Elizabeth It is most certain that the Antient Church did use the first words The Body of our Lord Iesus Christ in the Administration To which the people answered Amen f Dicit tibi Sacerdos Corpus Christi tu dicis Amen h. e. verum quod confitetur Lingua teneat affectus Ambros de Sacram l. 4. c. 5. Vniversa Ecclesia accepto Christi sanguine dicit Amen Aug. Resp ad Oros qu. 49 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Catech. myst 5. both to express their desire it might be Christs Body unto them and their firm belief that it was so The next words Preserve thy Body and Soul unto everlasting life as we are told by Durantus de Rit Eccles Cathol l. 2. c. 55. were added in St. Gregory lib. de Sacram. although the modern Missals have altered this now The other part Take and Eat c. have for their Author Christ himself who did Administer in these words and if we should leave them out as the Roman Church doth we should have but half his form And if we do well consider the whole frame it appears to be nothing else but a necessary Paraphrase upon our Saviours Words which doth expound and sit them for every ones private Meditation for therefore the Church appoints all these words to be repeated to each partaker that every one may have time and subject matter afforded for his own particular Meditations yet because all are not able themselves to fix and to enlarge their thoughts so as to deduce suitable Soliloquies and Devotions to entertain themselves within the time of Administration we judge the most practical handling of this rare Composure will be to draw proper Meditations from all the parts thereof when we have first discovered the method in this Analysis The Analysis of the form of Administration Sect. 2. The form of Administration hath three parts 1. A Commemoration declaring what it is The Body Blood of our Lord Iesus Christ Which was given shed for thee 2. A Petition that we may partake of the benefits thâ—â—eof Preserve thy Body and Soul unto Everlasting Life 3. A direction how to receive it 1. Externally Take and Eat this Drink this 2. Internally 1. In remembrance that Christ died Christs blood was shed for thee 2. And feed on him in thy heart by Faith with thanksgiving Be thankful Discourses and Meditations upon the Administration § 3. We must now lay by all other thoughts and diligently compose our Souls for the Acts of holy Communion remembring that we must feast with God by silence and Heavenly Contemplation Let us now therefore consider how great a work we are about to perform let us think what benefits we shall lose and what evil we shall fall into if we do it unworthily what Comforts and advantages we shall receive if we do it acceptably let us call to mind what need we have of the divine assistance and pray with Sampson Strengthen us O Lord only this once Jud. 16.28 Let us remember our sins afresh to humble us and review our wants Both that we may have them ready to spread before our Lord and that we may thereby stir up in our selves most fervent desires after his Grace and Mercy And let nothing divert us from these thoughts unless our Charity to our Brethren For when we hear the Minister use these words to the rest of the Congregation we shall do well most heartily to wish this holy Communion may be life to every Soul so that all who sit together at this blessed Feast may also meet in life everlasting And as the Minister is drawing near
not sustained your fury ye had delivered me over to Everlasting Burnings I do abhor and detest ye all how dear soever you have been to me the sight of my bleeding Saviour hath stirred up my indignation against you and I will revenge his blood upon you by sacrificing you all at this Altar How can my Eyes but drop down tears of Contrition when they behold thee pouring forth Rivers of thy Blood but while I grieve to see thy bleeding wounds I must not forget for whom thou didst sustain them thy Blood was shed for me because my life was forfeited why art thou then so cast down O my Soul wilt thou dishonour that price by thy doubts and fears which God hath accepted for all the World cannot that Sacrifice which appeaseth the divine wrath satisfie thy Faith Be not afraid only believe and be assured he will not cast away those whom he hath bought at so dear a rate for thee it was shed for thee it is prepared open thy mouth wide and he will fill it §. 12. Preserve thy Body and Soul unto Everlasting Life An Act of Supplication O Lord I tremble at the apprehension of all those Evils that stand between me and thy glory behold the Grave gapeth for my Body the Infernal Pit threatens to swallow my Soul and Satan is ready were he permitted every moment to devour me wherefore I beseech thee sprinkle me with thy all-saving blood that the destroying Angel may pass over me let me drink of this Cup of Life and so shall my Body be free from Corruption and my Soul from Condemnation Death shall be defeated the Grave dismantled and Satan disappointed Let me drink of thy precious Blood that I may receive thereby abundance of thy Spirit so shall my Body be hallowed into a sacred Temple and my Soul shall be replenished with such Graces that I can never perish Sweetest Jesus how desireable are thy Provisions oh let us not always languish without them but pitty our dry and parched Souls and water them we intreat thee with these living streams for behold we thirst and long with a mighty Passion to drink of this Fountain of Life that we may not faint in our journey to those Rivers of pleasures which are at thy right hand Oh give us this divine Cordial at present and make it to us a Preservative for Body and Soul to everlasting life Amen A Meditation in the receiving of the Cup. §. 13. Drink this in remembrance that Christs blood was shed for thee An Act of Commemoration How chearing is this Cup to me Blessed Jesus which was so dreadful unto thee it was thy Agonies and thy Wounds which afforded me this Wine of Joy Thou didst find how bitter it was when thou wert appeasing an offended God but I tast how sweet it is now that thou hast made him a tender and reconciled Father I receive this Cup O my Saviour as a new plâ—dge of thy dearest love for from those pits whence these Rivulets did flow I can discern thy heart bleeding in pity to my misery and sick of Love And since thou dost here give me a right to that great expiation which thou hast made I do most humbly commemorate the same before the Father of Heaven as the full satisfaction for my innumerable debts and I will remember the dolours of thy Cross with a brisker sense than ever because thou hast made me drink of thy blood and given me thy Soul thy Life and thy Spirit so that now I will live no more but thou shalt live in me because we have mingled Souls and thou hast joined me to thy self by the Communications of thy Spirit O let nothing separate that which thou hast so graciously joined together A Meditation after the receiving of the Cup. §. 14. And be thankful An Act of Thankfulness and Resolution Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name for now I find the Mercy and the Peace the Comfort and the Grace which flows from the Death of Christ let all the World know what he hath done for my Soul he hath rescued me and many of my poor Brethren round about me from the nethermost Hell wherefore I will love thee holy Jesus more than I can express and I will love them for thy sake And since thou hast given thy self thy merits and graces to me and sealed a New Covenant with me in thy own blood I do here bind my self by this sacred Cup to be sincerely thine m Mos est regibus quoties in societatem coeant implicare dextras pollicesque inter se vincire Mâ—x levi ictu cruorem eliciunt atque invicem lambunt id foedus arcanum habetur quasi mutuo cruore sancitum Tacit. Annal. lib. 12. I will spend my time and strength in thy service yea and Sacrifice my blood to bear witness to thy truth if ever thou callest me thereunto I will never betray nor forsake thee but live and die with thee for I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous judgments Oh let me never unhallow that body nor defile that Soul in which the Lord Jesus delights to dwell let no Oaths or lying prophane those lips no Obscenity or Intemperance pollute that mouth by which those holy Symbols have passed And methinks I feel new desires and new hopes my nature seems râ—newed my blood refined my Soul full of holy vigour blessed be thy name for it let thy mercy keep me in this happy temper till I have accomplished all my resolutions Amen § 15. By these and such like contemplations you must keep your minds imployed all the time that the Heavenly Banquet doth continue and if the Congregation be numerous and there be further opportunity the devout Soul will easily find more fuel to nourish these flames viz. by considering the necessities of all Mankind the Calamities of the Church the Miseries of the Sick the wants of the Poor the condition of our Relations Friends and Acquaintance and recommending them all with an effectual Charity to Almighty God through Christ Jesus As also by lamenting its own unworthiness and indispositions by recollecting all its present wants both spiritual and temporal by surveying the difficulties and dangers of that pious course now undertaken and by calling upon the Father of Mercies for grace and relief for courage and strength for support and protection in order to each of these So likewise by doing Acts of mental Charity to be put in Execution afterwards viz. Resolving for the sake of Jesus to forgive and do good to our Enemies to reprove Sinners instruct the ignorant help those that are in need And finally by contemplating of the wisdom and advantage of a holy Life the comfort and peace of a happy Death the joys and felicities of the life of Glory with the pleasures of those Souls that behold Jesus face to face these and many more which the good Spirit will offer we must improve
as much as the time will give us leave because to look about us or to unbend our thoughts while the Celebration is in hand is a sign of a carnal heart and a base spirit that is weary of conversing with God it is an affront to the blood of Christ it exposeth us to Satans malice and prepares us for evil suggestions which unguarded Souls fall into sooner here than elsewhere and to conclude it will make our Lord abhor us the Spirit forsake us and turn the Cup of Blessing into poison and a Curse Wherefore be very watchful that no evil or impertinent cogitation do divert you till the Post-Communion doth begin and then you must have no other imployment but to join with the Minister in that part of this holy Office also PARTITION IV. Of the Post-Communion SECT I. Of the Post-Communion in general and in particular of the Lords-Prayer § 1. IT is a rudeness in manners to depart from the House of our Friend as soon as the Tables are removed and an Act of Irreligion to rise from our common meals a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porphyr de Essenis de abst lib. 4. Sect. 12. Gratias agere debent cum hymno à mensâ devenire Chrysos hom 83. in Math. without Prayer Thanksgiving How much more absurd and impious then were it for us to depart so abruptly from the Lords Table Our Church hath therefore here provided this concluding Banquet of Prayers and Praises imitating our Saviours Pattern who concluded his last Supper with that excellent Prayer John 17. as well as with that Hymn Math. 26.30 which is supposed to have been the Paschal Hallelujah and all Churches do finish this Heavenly Feast in like manner as the following particulars will demonstrate It is our part therefore to take care that the vigour of our devotion do not remit for we ought to perform these duties also with the same affections It is the first Testimony which we give of that Piety that we have vowed and if well done will be like the digestion and turning this Heavenly food into spiritual nourishment We do not eat our common meat only to please our palate but to support and strengthen our nature and to make us more fit for our imployment in like manner we do not partake of the Blessed Eucharist to put us into holy raptures at present only but to strengthen our Souls and put them into better frame for all Duties which we owe to Almighty God so that now we must give the first experiment of our having worthily received § 2. The Lords Prayer is placed in the first entrance upon this part of the Office both in imitation of Antiquity b Docuit Apostolos ut quotidiè in Corporis illius sacrificio credentes audeant loqui Pater noster Hieron in Pelag l. 3. Vid. Aug. ep 59. Greg l. 7. ep 63. and because it cannot any where be used more properly For having now been made partakers of Jesus and his Spirit it is fit the first words which we speak should be his as if not we but he lived and spake in us and surely these divine words can never be more effectual than when we have the blessed Author of them so fresh in our memories and have so lately set forth his most meritorious Death We have in this Sacrament received him and we know that unto as many as receives him he gives them power to become the Sons of God so that we may all with one heart and voice now say most chearfully Our Father and apply every Petition to the present occasion in this or the like manner The Paraphrase of the Lords-Prayer O Lord who hast now sealed our Adoption and made us Members of Christ we make bold to call thee Our Father and do lift up our hearts to thee which art in Heaven to bless thee for this mighty favour wishing that Hallowed and for ever blessed may be thy Name throughout all the World Thou hast made us thy servants now by grace therefore O let thy Kingdom of glory Come as soon as thou pleasest In the mean time since we have been fed with Angels food we pray that thy Will may be done by us thy servants in Earth as readily and as constantly as it is ever done by those blessed Spirits in Heaven We cannot distrust thy Providence for Earthly things since thou hast given us thy own Son and fed us with his Body and Blood wherefore we will only beseech thee to Give us this day so much as is necessary for our subsistence even our daily Bread to enable us to serve thee And â—orgive us by the merits of that prevailing Sacrifice now commemorated all our trespasses by which we have deserved that wrath which Jesus hath endured Lord pardon us therefore as we by thy Example in this Feast of love do freely forgive them that have done any trespass against us And do thou not only remit what is past but lest we lose our comfort and break our Vows O Lead us not neither suffer us to fall into temptation which we expect with more violence now that we have renounced the bondage of Satan But we trust in thee O Lord and call upon thee to deliver us from all Evâ—l temporal spiritual and Eternal * Note that the Doxology is here used because this part of the office is Eucharistical For thine is the Kingdom over all especially over us who have now sworn Allegiance unto thee Thou only hast the might and the Power to secure us And therefore to thee shall all the Praise and the Glory be given by Men and Angels for ever and ever O do thou therefore to these our requests say Amen that we may also join in thy Praises So be it SECT II. Of the first Prayer in the Post-Communion § 1. THat the Eucharist was always concluded with a Hymn is observed by all but we affirm there were Prayers also made after it as appears by that Prayer of our Saviour John 17. and also from the Custom of the Jews who finished the Paschal Solemnity with Prayers as well as Hymns a Hoc ita gesto pater familias precationes mensarias ad finem precari pergit Buxt Synag Cap. de Pasch 13. And for the Christians St. Cyril warns them b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyril Mystag cat 5. not to depart till the last Prayer be done Besides the joint consent of all the antient Liturgies shew that all Churches had such Prayers As for this form the principal clause thereof of offering up our Bodies and Souls is taken from St. Paul Rom. 12.1 and it is a main end of this Sacrament though the Roman Mass is wholly silent in it the rest of this Prayer although the words be modern in sense agrees with many of the antient forms and is so well contrived as it may not only serve to exercise our devotion at present but teach how to demean our selves
a troubled Conscience doth perplex us our remaining Corruptions oppose us the decay of our graces doth deject us and lo here is an effectual remedy for all these Evils help us we beseech thee every one so to apply it that both we and our brethren whom we love as our own Souls may find a blessed Cure Who was ever reconciled to thee but by Jesus or who was ever so much thine Enemy but this holy Sacrifice hath made their Peace and shall it be ineffectual only to us Dear Father let us find the efficacy thereof in our selves and discern the fruits thereof in all the members of thy Church so shall we be ingaged to praise thee more and more for this great Salvation through Jesus Christ Amen § 5. And here we offer and present unto thee O Lord our selves our Souls and Bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively Sacrifice unto thee They that are truly sensible of that infinite mercy which God hath shewed them will not think the praises of their lips a sufficient return but when they have paid them will still ask with David What shall I return to the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me Psal 116.11 if he required Sacrifice Psal 51.16 they would give the fairest of their flock yea if it were expected they would lay down their own lives in Sacrifice But no other Sin-offering besides that which Jesus hath made is desired by the Almighty only A body hath he prepared us Psal 40.8 And St. Paul beseeches us by the mercies of God to offer up that as a living holy and acceptable Sacrifice and considering that our Saviour hath offered up his Body for us this is no more but our reasonable service Romans 12.1 By this Apostolical direction therefore we do here make this Oblation of our selves which though wholly omitted in the Mass was antiently a considerable part of the Sacrifice to be offered up at this Altar called upon that account mensam rationalem by Theodoret Serm. 6. de Prov. and thence it is that Eusebius g Euseb de praep Evang l. 1. c. 10. mentions it as an essential part of this office We offer saith he the Eucharist with religious Hymns and Prayers to God for our Salvation yea we consecrate our selves wholly to him and dedicate our Words our Bodies and Souls to his High-Priest And because all that we have done hitherto is in vain without this we will first by several reasons evince the necessity of thus offering up our selves at this Ordinance and secondly direct the manner how it is to be done First we have many peculiar Obligations to this duty just now laid upon us whâ—refore let it be considered First That our Lord Jesus hath here represented to us how he hath given himself for us and offered up his Body and Soul to deliver our Bodies and Souls from everlasting torments in Hell fire And is it not most reasonable according as the old Roman Law determined h Grotius de jur Bel. Pacis lib. 3. cap. 9. Sect. 10. that he who is saved from Execution and rescued from the Sword of an Enemy should spend that life which he hath received in the service of his deliverer We must now esteem our sâ—lves no more to be our own since we are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 such as the greatest lover never gave for the purchase of his best beloved even with the precious blood of Christ and can we be so ingrateful and unjust as not to consecrate our selves to his service who hath thus redeemed us Secondly He doth in this Sacrament give himself to us intending to be with â—s and dwell in us wherefore it is most equal that the Covenant should be mutual and that we should give our selves to him as we must have him or nothing else will profit us so we must give our selves to him or nothing else will please him i Cant. 6.3 Domine mea tibi oblata non prosunt sine me nec tua mihi sine te Bern. If he please to make us happy in his desirable presence We must dedicate our bodies to be Temples k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · Hierocl of the holy Ghost our Souls to be Houses of Prayer and receptacles of holy thoughts Wheresoever this King of Glory comes he must have all the Keys delivered to him and he must be Commander in Chief so will he be content to abide with us for ever if so great a Prince shall condescend to espouse the meanest of his subjâ—cts to be a sharer in his riches and a Partner in his honours how can she do less than vow in all duty to be for ever and most faithfully his 1 Sam. 25.41 Thirdly We have chosen him to be our Lord and our Guide as wâ—ll as our Saviour because his conduct as well as his pardon is necessary to our Salvation wherefore we have now taken the Sacrament that is the Souldiers Oath l Sacramentum seu juramentum militaâ—e erat Se streriuè fucturum quaecunque praeceperit Impâ—rator Vegetius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Polybius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dion Hâ—licar l. 11. Et ap Horat. Non ego persidum diâ—i sacramentum Ibimus ibimus utcunque praecedes Supremum carpeâ—e iter Comites parati That we will obey and do whatsoever our Gâ—neral shall Command us to our Power and follow him whithersoâ—ver he shall lead us not only through danger but Death it self so that we are bound to give up our Souls and Bodies to the conduct of our Triumphant Leader who will doubtlâ—ss carry them both safely through all the Aâ—mies and Ambushes of the Enemy and bring them to Everlasting Glory Fourthly We have hâ—re received extraordinary testimonies of the divine favour and pledges of the love of Jesus so that we are obliged in requital to give back the greatest and best gift that we have and that is our selves When many of Socrates Scholars presented him with large donatives poor Aeschines came blushing to him and said Sir I have nothing to give which is worthy of you but I here offer unto you all that I have to give viz. My self m Tu mihi magnum munus dederis nisi forte parvo te aestimes Sen. de ben 1. Prov. 23.26 Et Prosper Epigr. 15. Quid voveat Domino quisquis bene â—orde volutat Ipsum se totum praeparet voveat Major enim offerri nequit hostia mentis in ara Nec Christi ex templo suavior exit odor and I beseech you to accept this present considering that though others have given you more yet none hath left himself so little as I who have given you my self and all at once To whom Socrates made this reply even as Christ will do to those who present themselves to him Thou couldst not have given me any gift more acceptable than thy self and it shall be my care to keep this gift choicely and I will return thee
sins of the World receive our Prayer Thou that sittest at the right hand of the Father have mercy upon us As the Father is the Object so the Son is the Subject of the Angelick Praises wherefore in the next place we are to glorifie him who is remembred and represented given by God and received by us in this Mystery It is usual at the Entertainment of great Princes by a Herauld to proclaim their Names Stile and Titles with great solemnity Even so the pious Soul which hath now received her dearest Lord doth with a mighty pleasure repeat all the names belonging to his Person to his Nature and his Offices and thereby declare the Majesty and Glory the Mercy and Goodness of him whom she hath now accepted for her Lord and King And whilst we are setting out his glories we do also invocate him by all these honourable and endearing Names that he will imploy his Power his Interest and Merits to make our Persons and our Prayers acceptable We behold him dying for the sins of all the World and we cannot but beseech him to grant our Pardon We discern him sitting at the right hand of the Father interceeding for us and thereby we are encouraged to beseech him to pitty our miseries and accomplish our desires His glory and our necessity makes us beg this with ingeminated cries and a redoubled importunity saying as he once in his Agony did the very same words And thus we do at once provide for our own relief and do honour to the Blessed Jesus for this part is so contrived that it is a Confession of our Faith an acknowledgment of his Glory a Prayer and a Tanksgiving all in one and thus we may reduce it to a practical Meditation How shall we express thy welcom into our Souls Blessed Jesus or how shall we celebrate thy praise We will remember what thou art in thy self and what thou hast done for us for thou art glorious enough in thy own perfections O thou Eternal and only begotten Son of God equal to the Father who art thy self both Lord and God How lovely art thou O thou innocent Lamb of God encircled with millions of redeemed Souls whom thou hast washed in thy blood O how illustrious a brightness shines round about thee whilst thou art in the midst of all thy happiness interceding for poor Sinners I adore thee and long to do thee honour and I delight to see all the Angels of Heaven worshipping thee my Lord and my God Hast thou merited so much on Earth and hast thou so much glory in Heaven sweetest Saviour then sure I cannot perish Behold how many poor Souls are prostrate before thee admiring and publishing the merits of thy Death and the power of thy intercession hear our importunate Supplications and help us all therefore O Lord that we may be able by experience to proclaim thy goodness Amen § 6. For thou only art holy thou only art the Lord thou only O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the glory of God the Father Amen This Phrase thou only art holy with some others in this Hymn are taken out of the Song of Moses and of the Lamb Revel 15.4 as that thou only art the Lord is from the first Ep. Tim. 6.15 g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 15.4 Vulg. Solus Pius es 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Timoth. 6.15 Non quod non aliis is titulus aliquo sensu tribuatur sed quia hoc quicquid est à Deo venit Grot. in 1 Tim. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Responsor ad Quaest Graec. There are indeed holy Angels and Saints and there are Lords many 1 Cor. 8.5 Yet none of these have a propriety in this Title because their holiness is imperfect and derived Only Jesus is Holy in and of himself and of his holiness all others do receive He is Holy and Hallowed because he halloweth and sanctifieth us as the Liturgy of St. James paraphraseth it h Solus tu sanctus es qui sanctificas sanctificaris Liturg. S. Jacob. He only is that Lord saith St. Augustine i Solus verus Dominus es qui Dominum non habes Aug. Confes l. 10. c. 36. who hath no other Lord above him For he only with the Holy Ghost is equal to the Father God blessed for ever And this is the reason why we exalt him so highly and pass by the Mediation of Saints and Angels because none is so holy none so mighty none so high in the favour of God nor none so gracious and loving to us as Jesus is This we do acknowledge therefore with all possible joy and triumph and it is a mighty rejoicing to our Spirits that he who hath given himself for us and is come to dwell with us is so High and so Magnificent And while it doth chear our hearts to set forth his glory our Enemies are confounded For while the Church triumphs the powers of darkness tremble at the mention of his perfections Let us then refresh our selves with some such Meditation We have exalted thee O Lord as high as we can and yet scarcely so high as really thou art We will apply our selves to thee only for Holiness for thou only art most Holy we will seek for succour and protection from thee for thou art the supream Lord of Lords and we will not doubt of acceptance with our Heavenly Father because thou art a Partner in his Divinity the highest Favourite of the Coelestial Court Thou art the greatest and the best in Heaven and Earth and to my endless comfort whatsoever thou art thou hast made thy self mine so that the greater thy glory is the greater is my happiness now by Faith hereafter by enjoyment 'T is true I cannot see thee with my bodily Eyes but I admire and bless thee I love thee with ecstasies of affection for thou art my Lord and I am thy servant I feel thy influence and I believe thy excellencies so that I can rejoice in thee with joy unspeakable and full of glory Thou art the highest in thy Fathers favour and in my esteem also to thee therefore with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and for ever Amen The Paraphrase of the Angelick Hymn § 7. O come let us join with the Heavenly Host and sing Praises for the Redemption wrought by Jesus which bringeth so much Glory to God who dwells on high from all the Saints and Angels and which makes on Earth such a blessed Peace by reconciling us all to God and to one another and which also declares so great good will in the Almighty towards Men who had perished eternally without his Mercy Holy Father it is we that receive the benefit of this thy goodness wherefore We praise thee for the Power and we bless thee for the mercy of this great Salvation We worship thee with our Bodies and we glorifie thee with our Souls for thou hast redeemed them both We give
all gifts of understanding and it hath a sweetness and pleasure in it that passeth all Carnal knowledge and none can tell the delights of this Peace but they that feel it Wherefore when the Minister sees you all united in this divine Peace he prays that you may find such comfort in this Amity and Concord as to keep your hearts and minds firm in loving that God who hath made you all friends That you may be so taken with these paths of Peace that you may desire to know more fully and to love more fervently the God of Peace and the Prince of Peace who first directed you into those blâ—ssâ—d ways In both Senses it is an apt and pious wish that we may not Apostatize nor fall of and therefore we ought to join our own Petitions to this Blessing that so we may be constant to the end § 4 And the Blesâ—ing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be amongst you aâ—d remain with you always Amen It is a principal part of the Priests Office to bless the People in Gods name Deut. 10.8 and he hath promised to bless those whom thâ—y bless Num. 6. ver 27. hereupon the Antient Christians departed not till the Priest had given them the Blessing h Domine benedic Benedictio Domini super nos semper nunc in secula seculorum Amen in fine Liturg. S. Chrys And the Congregation ought to receive it upon their knees as the Blessing of their spiritual Father And we are to believe it to be more than a bare Prayer because it not only begs but imparts a Blessing to those who are duly qualified We believe that God heard his Prayer in order to the Consecration of the Elements and why should we doubt of the efficacy of â—his Blessing i Benedicere populo non debet qui Christum meruit consecrare Hieron ep ad Ruffin We ought to believe that those whom Gods Minister blesseth shall be Blessed and accordingly let us most fervently desire of God to ratifie and confirm it For I assure you it is a most desireable thing It is the blessing of God Almighty which makes every thing to prosper and particularly it is the Blessing of the Father as to our Preservation the Blessing of the Son as to our Pardon the Blessing of the Holy Ghost as to our Sanctification and all this desired to be with us all at present and to remain upon us for ever O happy Soul that receives this Benediction what can such an one need or desire more than the Blessing of God and the favour of every Person in the Holy Trinity both now and for ever and yet wheresoever the Peace of God hath gone before this Blessing shall follow after Receive it then with Faith and thankfulness and when you have done worship and return home with joy since the Blessing of Heaven goeth with you and will never leave you so long as the Peace of God doth rule in your hearts and may that be for ever Amen The Paraphrase of the final Blessing § 5. Let the comfort which you find in The Peace and favour of God and the sweetness of that amity made one with another which passeth and excelleth all the gifts of knowledge yea and surpasseth all understanding to comprehend it Let this divine peace I say keep the affections of your heart and the powers of your mind firm and constant in the knowledge and sincere in the love of God our Father and of his Son Iesus Christ whom we have taken to be our Lord and only Saviour And let the blessing and favour of God Almighty which you all so much need and desire Even the Blessing of God the Father for your Preservation of God the Son for your Redemption and of God the Holy Ghost for your Sanctification Let each of these at present be amongst you and let them remain with you always to your lives end And may the Almighty say hereto Amen and then it shall be so An Appendix of the Additional Prayers § 1. Lest there should be any thing left unasked in this excellent Office the Church hath added six Collects more to be used at the Ministers discretion Concerning which there is little to be said in the general but that they are plain and pious and almost every sentence in them taken out of holy Scripture wherefore it will be sufficient to give them their proper Titlâ—s to manifest on what occasion they may most fitly â—e usâ—d as also to remark in the Margin the places of Scripture whereof they are composed and finally by a brief Paraphrase to illustrate every particular I. A Prayer for Safety in all Worldly Changes § 2. When we apprehend any danger by reason of the sudden Changes and sad Accidents to which we and all the World are liable there are two main particulars which we are to beg of God for our security 1. That he will always assist our Prayers 2. That he will direct us toward the right end For so long as we can pray fervently and are going on in the right course to Heaven we are in no danger whatsoever may happen The Paraphrase of the first Prayer Be pleased to Assist us according to thy promise a Rom. 8.26 and and help us Mercifully O Lord that we may be sincere and devout in these and all our Supplications and Prayers For we cannot be miserable so long as we can fervently call upon thee And thou that orderest every good Mans going b Psal 37 23 order the Conversation c Psal 50. ult and Dispose the way d Prov. 4. ult ubi Vulg. 70. addunt of us who are thy Servants That we may e Ipse autem rectos faciet cursus tuos itinera autem tua in pace producet still tend toward the attainment of our great end even Everlasting Salvation for so long as we remain in the paths that lead thither we are safe Wherefore do thou so direct us that among all the Changes of this uncertain World and all the sad accidents and Chances f Eccles 9.11 Fortuna est accidentium rerum subitus inopinatus eventus Lact Inst l. 3. Sect. 29 which may happen to us or any of thine g Cuivis potest accidere quod cuiquam potest Pub. Syr. in the course of this mortal life We and they may never presume or despair but ever be defended from all the mischiefs of those alterations â—y thy most gracious Providence watching over us and thy ready help afforded to us whensoever we are in danger All which we beg through the prevailing Mediation of Iesus Christ our Lord who always interceeds for our relief Amen II. A Prayer for the Preservation of Body and Soul § 3. The former Prayer mentions the Evils from which we would be defended this declares what it is which we desire should be preserved it is grounded upon St. Pauls Prayer 1 Thessal 5.23 and
receive it able to understand it b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotinus John 7.17 Ecclus 1.26 nor likely to profit by it Nor must any Man think these divine Precepts of the Moral Law so appropriated to the Jewish Synagogues where they were constantly with great reverence used as to deserve no place in the Christian Worship Or at least that we need not so great preparations before they are read to us For our Saviour hath rather more strictly enjoined than any ways abrogated these Measures of Eternal goodness And withal assures us that the keeping of the Precepts is the way to Everlasting Life Matth. 5.19 20. and Chap. 19.17 So that all of us are concern'd to know this Covenant to which we have ingaged in our Baptism this Rule by which we are to square our lives here and this Law by which we must be judged hereafter And therefore it is appointed that these Commandments shall be read in this place while all the Congregation is together to the Catechumens as well as to the Elder Christians to those that do not as well as to those that do Communicate And that immediately before the Gospel to make that the more welcom to us when the Law hath humbled us by its Terrors Wherefore we here present the general Division of them both to instruct the ignorant and to afford all an Opportunity to see their principal offences against them at one glance while the Minister is reading them or when we have no time for more particular Examination The Analysis of the Ten Commandments § 2. The Ten Commandments are by Christ himself divided into Two Tables I. Table Of Piety towards God 1. As to the Object of Worship I. Com. Thou shalt have no other gods c. I Sins chiefly forbidden Apostasie Deifying the Creature Distrust of God 2. As to the Manner of Worship 1. In our solemn Addresses to God II. Com. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image c. II Idolatry Superstition Slight and careless Worship 2. In all other Acts that have respect unto him III. Com. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord c. III Blasphemy Swearing vainly falsly Cursing Profaning Holy things Sacrilege 3. As to the Time of Worship IV. Com. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath c. IV Neglect of the Sabbath Holy Times Mispending them in Idlenesâ— or Debauchery II. Table Of Charity to our Neighbor 1. Directing us in the Duties of our several Relations 1. Natural as Parents Children 2. Religious Ministers People 3. Civil Princes Subjects 4. Domestical Masters Servants V. Com. Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. V Superiours Negligence Pride Evil Example Inferiour Disobedience Contempt Resisting 2. Forbidding us to do any injury either 1. Indeed against our Neighbour's 1. Life VI. Com. Thou shalt doe no murder VI Taking away Life Quarrelling Anger Revenge Cruelty 2. Chastity VII Thou shalt not commit adultery VII Adultery Fornication Wanton Desires Words Behaviour Drukenness 3. Estate or Goods VIII Thou shalt not steal VIII Theft and Robbery Oppression Cheating Unjust detaining Idleness 4. Good Name IX Thou shalt not bear false witness c. IX False Testimonies Lying Slandering Tale-bearing Flattery 2. Or in thought or desire X. Com. Thou shalt not covet c. X Covetousness Envy at others Discontent with our own A Practical Discourse of the Ten Commandments § 3. It must not be expected that I should explain the particular Commandments which would too much swell this work Only I shall undertake two things First To direct how to use them for our profit when there is no Communion Secondly And chiefly how they may be used in private to help us in our Preparation for the Blessed Sacrament As our natural Ignorance makes it necessary to teach us this Law of God in our Catechism So our aptness to forget that which is good requires that it should be repeated in our publick Service It is dangerous either not to know or not to remember these holy Commandments which are proclaimed by our God approved by our own Consciences established with eternal rewards and punishments c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porph. de abst 1. 8. Whosoever therefore thinks it a trouble to hear them so often neither considers the weight of these divine Precepts nor observes that his own frequent breaches of them do shew that they are not read often enough to fix them so in his mind as to procure a sincere Obedience For till we do exactly observe them We do not know or remember them as we ought Let us then endeavour so often as we use them to receive benefit to our Souls thereby And to that purpose First You must with great humility receive them from the Mouth of the Minister as if they were spoken from Mount Sinai by God himself imitating the tenderness of good Josiah 2 Chron. 34.19 and cast your selves down upon your knees for that is the most suitable posture for Criminals who are to petition for pardon and thus listen to every Commandment with diligent attention and a submissive Reverence Secondly Apply them every one carefully to your ways for since you have neglected to follow the direction of this holy Law as your Guide d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex Paed. 1. it now becomes your Accuser e Rectum est index sui obliqui and it may be an excellent opportunity to bring you to the knowledge of your sinful Estate and so unto repentance because your gracious God doth allow you the liberty of second thoughts and will not condemn you for these offences if you condemn your selves for them Ask then your own heart seriously at every one Have I not been such an one Done this evil Neglected this duty And when your Conscience Answers Yes then you must most passionately cry out Lord have mercy upon me and forgive me this or that sin Thirdly Let the discovery of so many breaches and the sight of so vast a heap of guilt make you afraid to add Sin unto Sin f Iterata enim lex solliciâ—iores reddit regligente Ambr. in Galat. and to break these holy bonds any more g Hoc nos pâ—ssimos facit quod nemo vitam suam respicit Sen. Epist 38. for therefore have you lived at random because you have not considered your ways nor compared them strictly with Gods sacred Law But now that you are freshly minded of your Duty and reproved for your former Neglect It will be expected you shall be more afraid to transgress hereafter and therefore desiring never more to offend say Lord incline my heart to keep this Law And thus the hearing of the Ten Commandments may be an exercise of our Repentance and a means of amendment every day § 4. It is of excellent use frequently to compare our ways with Gods Law for so it would be our guide before we act to put us upon our Duty Our reprover afterward to bring us
have another opportunity but that thy next Inditement may be in another World And in the mean time that an All-seeing God will come in at this Feast to inquire how faithfully thou hast performed this Duty And then fifthly Set your self seriously to look over all the Records of your Memory and Conscience Call to mind all Places you have been in all Companies and Persons with which you have conversed Reflect upon your designs your business your pleasure and divertisements with all those circumstances which may represent unto you all your evil thoughts words and actions and may set before you all the good which you have omitted And if any seem dubious Quo praetergressus quid factum in tempore quid non Offensus pravis date palmam praemia rectis you must prove and try them Lam. 3.40 That you may condemn them in your judgment as well as recollect them by your memory And do this as impartially as is possible judging the same of your own Actions as you would if they were done by the worst of your Enemies For your better help wherein the following Table is contrived Sect. 6. Brief heads of Self-Examination upon every one of the Commandments I. Commandment § Though I have not Atheistically denied the Being of God or wickedly renounced him by Apostasie Yet § Have I not loved desired and delighted in other things more than God § Have I not feared Men more than God and sinned against him to avoid their displeasure or outward Sufferings § Have I not trusted in Man and relyed on outward means more than on God in my wants dangers and distresses § Have I neither neglected lawful means nor used unlawful means to bring me out of them § Have I not despaired of Gods mercy so as to neglect my duty or by presuming upon it incouraged my self to go on in Sin § Have I not been fearless of the divine threatnings And yet discontented with impatient under and unreformed by Gods Corrections § Have I not been unthankful for goods things or ascribed the praise of what I am have or can do to fortune my self or any other Creature Lord have mercy c. And encline c. II. Commandment Though I have not worshipped God by Images Yet § Have I not entertained gross and false Conceptions of God and worshipped him so as is unbecoming his Divine Nature § Have I not failed in any of the parts of Religious Worship § Have I not either omitted or sleightly performed Morning and Evening Prayer and reading the Holy Scriptures § Have I not been indifferent and customary as to my coming to the Publick Worship § Have I not behaved my self there without Reverence or Devotion forgetting the Presence of the Invisible God whom I serve § Have I not by design or carelesness neglected the Lords Supper or come to it ignorantly rashly and without preparation § Have I not received it irreverently and without spiritual affection or broken the vows and promises I then made Lord have mercy c. And encline c. III. Commandment If I have not openly blasphemed the Holy Name of God § Have I not sleightly or irreverently mentioned his Holy Name or Attributes § Have I not prophanely jested upon or abused his holy Word § Have I not violated holy Places Persons Ordinances or any thing peculiarly dedicated to God § Have I not taken Gods name in vain by common Swearing or by Cursing my self or others § Have I not taken false or unlawful Oaths Or broken my lawful Oaths or Vows Especially my Baptismal Vow Lord have mercy c. And encline c. IV. Commandment § Have I not neglected the publick worship of God on the Sabbath Day § Have I not mispent any part thereof in vain sports idle discourses complemental visits or unnecessary business § Have I not permitted those under my charge to prophane it § Have I not forgotten to praise God for the Creation and Resurrection especially on this Day § Or for his other Mercies in his Son or his Servants upon the Festivals of the Church § Have I not sleighted these solemnities or abused them by debauchery Lord have mercy c. And encline c. V. Commandment § Have I not omitted or acted contrary to my Duty in those Relations wherein I stand § Have I not censured envyed or railed against my Domestical Ecclesiastical or civil Governours instead of honouring imitating and praying for them § Have I not been undutiful to my Parents disloyal to my Prince stubborn or unfaithful to my Master fractory and unthankful to my Minister peevish and unkind to my Yokefellow § Have I been careful to instruct and incourage in well doing To reprove and chastise for ill doing those under my charge Lord have mercy c. And encline c. VI. Commandment If I have not actually taken away the life of any person Yet § Have I not made my Neighbours life grievous concealed designs against it or willingly hastned his death or wished it § Have I not by fighting or quarrelling wounded or maimed him or drawn him to any vice which might destroy his health or shorten his life § Have I not been rashly and immoderately angry or used reviling and quarrelsom speeches or harboured thoughts and purposes of Malice and Revenge § Have I not been intemperate in meat or drink or any other ways prejudiced my own health or indangered my life Lord have mercy c. And encline c. VII Commandment If I have escaped the grosser acts of Adultery and Fornication Yet § Have I not neglected to use the means to preserve my own and others Chastity § Have I not by gluttony and drunkenness pampered my body or by cherishing unclean thoughts purposes and desires defiled my Soul § Have I not run into any occasions or used any provocations of wantonness § Have I not used or listened to filthy talking or been guilty of immodest Garbs or unchast behaviour Lord have mercy c. And encline c. VIII Commandment If I have not been guilty of notorious Felony or Robbery Yet § Have I not by negligence in my particular Calling run into debt without hopes or purposes of repayment § Have I not wasted my own Estate and ruin'd my Family by idleness or prodigality § Have I not cheated my neighbour in buying or selling breaking my Covenants fraudulent writings or falsifying my word § Have I not by violence or oppression exacted of my inferiours or by unreasonable usury taken advantage of others necessity § Have I not wasted or imbezeled that which was committed to my trust refused to restore the pledge abused what was lent or denied that which was found by me Lord have mercy c. And encline c. IX Commandment If I have not before a Magistrate directly sworn falsly Yet § Have I not accustomed my self to lying in my common discourse § Have I not maliciously and uncharitably raised or spread abroad evil and false
and the compliance of our affections being not only confident of their truth because God hath revealed them but delighted with their excellency because they tend to make us holy and happy and then we shall believe them with a perswasion stronger than can be built upon the Scholastical Demonstration we shall adhere to them closely and for ever because they are amiable and lead us to God and immortality Let us not think our Faith sufficient till we so believe in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour that we are moved thereby to repent of our sins and cast our Souls on him for Pardon and then we have spiritually communicated already we have obtained the benefits and perfected the designs of this Sacrament and done that internally and nakedly by Faith which is more solemnly effected in the Mysteries themselves To which there is no better preparation than such a repetition of our Holy Faith The Paraphrase of this Creed Sect. 4. I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart in one God a pure and infinite Spirit distinguished into three Persons the first of which is God the Father declared to be Almighty as he is the Maker of Heaven and Earth Creator of the whole World and all things contained in any part thereof both visible as all bodily substances on Earth and invisible as spiritual beings and Angels in Heaven And I also believe firmly in one Lord Iesus Christ the second Person of the glorious Trinity who is not as Angels or Men the adopted but the only begotten Son of God not created in time but begotten of his Father from all Eternity before all Ages of the Coelestial or Terrestrial Worlds Of the same nature with his Father God begotten of God after a mysterious and spiritual manner as Light is kindled of Light not diminishing his Fathers substance and yet being very God of very God derived not as the Creatures for he was begotten and not made and is equal to God being of one nature and substance with the Father and of the same dignity and power for he is that Eternal Word by whom all things were made out of nothing I believe also it was this very Son of God who passing by the fallen Angels for us Men and for the effecting of our Salvation and deliverance out of the state of sin and death in which we miserably lay came down unto this Earth from Heaven and left his glory for he took our nature and was incarnate by assuming a body of flesh like ours only without sin because it was conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin Mary so though he was still very God yet he took the form of a servant And was made Man living holily and working Miracles till at last he was unjustly condemned and was crucified also with intolerable torments to satisfie Gods justice for us and all Mankind who were become liable to Damnation which cruel Death he endured under Pontius Pilate the Roman President by whose unjust sentence he suffered till he was really dead and was buried and yet when he had paid the full price of our Redemption The third day after his Crucifixion by his divine power he rose again to life according to all those Prophecies and Types of him before recorded in the Scriptures After which he conversed with his Disciples fourty days and ascended in their sight into Heaven where he is restored to all his glory and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father interceeding for us And he shall come again at the end of the World with glory and Millions of Saints and Angels to judge all men according to their works both the quick then living and the dead who departed never so long since whereupon the wicked shall be condemned to endless Torments and the righteous received to immortal joy by the same Jesus whose Kingdom shall then fully begin but shall have no end but remain for ever and ever And I believe most firmly in the Holy Ghost the third person of the glorious Trinity who is also very God the Lord and giver of grace and all spiritual Life who is not made nor begotten but proceedeth from the Father and the Son yet is not less in dignity as who with the Father and the Son in all Offices of the Church together and in the same manner is worshipped and glorified being the inditer of holy Scriptures and he who spake by the Prophets in the Old Testament and by the Apostles in the New And finally I believe that the whole body of Christian people holding the right Faith do make one Catholick and Universal True and Apostolick Church in which Society I acknowledge there are great priviledges viz. One Baptis◠instituted by Christ not only as a sign of but a means for the remission of all those sins which we are guilty of when we enter into this Covenant Wherefore being my self baptized I hope for pardon and grace in this life And I look for and expect that my body though after Death corrupted and turned to dust shall be restored to life in the Resurrection of the Dead at the last day and I hope then for a Portion in glory and the life Everlasting and that I shall Reign in the blissful Kingdom of the World which is to come after this is utterly dissolved Amen Lord be it unto me according to my Faith Amen § 4. The Sermon which is here to follow comes not within the Method we have proposed so that we shall only note that it was appointed by Antiquity there should be Sermons i Concil 6. Constant can 19. Concil Mogunt can 25. or Homilies k Concil Vasense can 4. an Christi 460. every Lords Day especially when the Lords Supper was Administred l Acts 20.7 Post lectionem legis prophetarum Epistolarum c. Ordinatus-alloquatur populum verbis Exhortatoriis Const Apost c. 4. Leo. 1. Serm. 2. de Pasch Aug. confes l. 3. cap. 3. and surely this is the fittest place since the Sermon is either an explication of some Article of the Creed preceeding or an exhortation to the following duty of Charity But I do earnestly wish that when there is a Communion the Minister would sute his Discourse to that occasion for to treat of another subject then although otherwise never so good will too much divert the minds of those whose careful preparation hath composed their thoughts for this Ordinance whereas if the Sermon be chiefly tending to raise them still into a higher strain of Devotion for their communicating it will be a word spoken in due season Prov. 15.23 and rarely improve their Souls then made tender by Repentance and much more apt to receive impressions from all representations of the love of Christ and the means of our Union with him Yet withal the people must now hear with extraordinary attention and receive with great affection these holy Instructions and Exhortations drawn from the Word of
sociis pro aegrotis pro afflictis in summo pro omnibus iis qui egent Auxilio Cyril Catech. 5. exactly agreeing with this of our Church St. Chrysostome also saith That the Priest standing at the Altar did offer Prayers and Praises for all the World for those that are absent and those that are present for those that were before us and those that shall be after us while that Sacrifice is set forth Hom. 26. in Math. For which cause our Communion Office in the Rubrick before this Prayer appoints the Bread and Wine to be set upon the Table first and then stirs us all up with that solemn Let us pray for the whole Estate of Christs Church c. And if as we are worshipping without we remember him that is praying within the Vail and by imitating his general Charity do unite our supplications to his all-poweriul Intercession we may no doubt obtain the Iargest and the choicest blessings in the Treasures of Heaven §. 2. The Analysis of the Prayer for the Whole Church § 2. This Prayer as the beginning intimateth consisteth of Three main Parts with a Preface and Conclusion 1. The Preface shewing 1. To whom it is made Almighty and Everliving God 2. On what ground we make it Who by thy Holy Apostle hast taught us to make Prayers and Supplications and to give Thanks for all Men 2. Prayers for the Acceptance of 1. Our Alms We humbly beseech thee most mercifully to accept our Alms and Oblations 2. Our Petitions and to receive these our Prayers which we offer to thy Divine Majesty 3. Supplications and Intercessions made 1. Generally for 1. The whole Church together Beseeching thee to inspire continually the Vniversal Church with the Spirit of Truth Vnity and Concord 2. All its Members And grant that all they that do confess thy Holy Name may agree in the truth of thy Holy Word and live in Vnity and godly Love 3. Especially its Temporal Governours We beseech thee also to save and defend all Christian Kings Princes and Governours 2. Particularly for this Church viz. 1. The Governours of it 1. Temporal 1. The King Especially thy servant CHARLES our King that under him we may be godly and quietly governed 2. The Magistrates And grant unto his whole Council and to all that are put in Authority under him that c. 2. Spiritual Give grace O heavenly Father to all Bishops 2. Ministers and Curates that they may both by their Life and Doctrine set forth c. 3. The People 1. For the spiritual good of all 1. In these Duties And to all thy People give thy heavenly grace especially to this Congregation c. 2. In the rest of their lives truly serving thee in Righteousness and true c. 2. For the Afflicted Temporal Relief And we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness O Lord to comfort and succour c. 4. Giving Thanks by 1. Praising God for the Saints departed And we also bless thy Holy Name for all thy Servants departed thâ—s Life in thy faith and fear 2. Applying it to our selves Beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow their good Examples that with them we may be Partakers of thy Heavenly Kingdom 5. The Conclusion of the Whole Grant this O Father for Iesus Christ his sake our onely Mediator and Advocate Amen A Practical Discourse upon the Prayer for the whole Church Sect. 3. Almighty and Everliving God who by thy Holy Apostle hast taught us to make Prayers and Supplications and to give thanks for all men These two glorious Attributes of Omnipotence and Eternity so clearly distinguish God from all Creatures and are so properly the Character of an infinite Majesty that he is sometimes called the Almighty Psal 91.1 Job 21.15 and sometimes He that liveth for ever Dan. 4.34 Rev. 4.9 without any other denomination wherefore they are placed here to strike a Religious reverence into us because of his infinite perfections to whom we make this Address and yet also to confirm our Faith and excite our hope that though we petition for so many persons and so great Blessings we shall be heard by him who is mod mighty in Power and who hath through all times preserved his Church and though one Generation goeth and another cometh yet he ever liveth and is always the same But that which may still encrease our hope is that this Almighty and Everliving God is not only able to grant these Prayers but hath expresly commanded us by his Apostle St. Paul to make them 1 Ep. Timothy 2.1 I exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all Men Now had he not intended to grant them he would not have enjoined us to make them shall Esther fear to speak or to speed when the King commands her to ask Chap. 5.3 or will the Lord reject that Petition which is drawn up by his own Direction Behold how closely the Church hath followed the Apostles Directory for here in this form we have as the Analysis doth manifest first Prayers that is Petitions for Good d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophil in 1 Tim. 2. then Supplications or deprecations of evil in which are comprehended Intercessions and so not named here that is desiring some good or some deliverance from evil for others and lastly giving of thanks for mercies already received And surely all the Liturgies in the World ought to be composed by this Rule as ours most plainly is for the Morning and Evening offices do chiefly consist of Prayer The Letany is in the first part Supplication in the second Intercession and this Communion office may well be accounted Eucharistical being full of Hymns of Thanksgiving This for the kinds of our Requests now the Persons for whom we are to pray are all men which surely God commands in pursuance of those Precepts of Universal Charity of which this universal intercession is an excellent indication For no man can pray for all the World if he hates any one person he that prays for all must be in Charity with all and it is also an effectual means to oblige all people to us and tame the furies of our Enemies it being barbarous and highly infamous to prosecute those that heartily pray for our good And now if our hearts be filled with true Christian Charity such as is necessary for this holy Communion we cannot but rejoice to meet so excellent an opportunity to express our desire of the welfare of all Mankind Let us then with all possible Devotion offer up this Sacrifice Love this pious and prudent intercession which is enjoined by him that purposes to grant it and printed by Charitable Souls who will infinitely rejoice in the success thereof viz. the prosperity of the whole Church § 4. We humbly beseech thee most mercifully to accept our Alms and Oblations and to receive these our Prayers which we offer unto thy Divine Majesty It seems to have been
man considers before he set upon any great affair First He surveys the nature of the work Secondly He examines his own fitness to undertake it Thus did Solomon when he was to build the Temple 1 Kings 3.3.8 9. and when a marriage with Sauls Daughter was proposed to David Seemeth it saith he a light thing unto you to be a Kings Son c. so must we meditate of this divine Ordinance and say to our own Souls O how dreadful is this place Gen. 28.17 seemeth it a small thing unto thee to be feasted with God waited on by Angels fed with the body of Jesus and refreshed with a Cup of that saving blood which hath attoned the sins of the World What meaneth this secret that so poor a Wretch and sinful a Rebel should receive so mighty a favour and be received to so near embraces How can I approach to these Terrible Mysteries till I have pulled back the Veil and worshipped him that feeds my body to convey grace to my Soul and makes that stoop to the Eye of sense which Angels cannot behold with open faces The Minister's considering this before doth not excuse us from considering it also but we our selves must as he adviseth consider withal the dignity to make us full of desires and humble and the danger to put us upon the strictest care and preparation And if the peril of unworthy receiving do only make us more diligent to come well it becomes its own Cure and the consideration of this danger makes that really there is none to those who come humbly esteeming this Ordinance as it doth deserve § 7. And so to search and examine your own Consciences and that not lightly and after the manner of dissemblers with God but so that ye may come holy and clean to such an Heavenly Feast in the marriage garment required by God in holy Scripture and be received as worthy partakers of that holy Table Having spent some time in a serious contemplation of the dignity of this mystery our next duty is to search and try how we are fitted for it we must not only admire the Guest but prepare and cleanse the House for his reception and if we have done the first part so as that we have begot in our Souls a due esteem of the blessed Jesus we shall not dare to bring him into a filthy heart the receptacle of his Enemies and his Murderers When Augustus found but mean entertainment at the House of a Roman Citizen to whom he was invited he accounted it a disrespect to his Person and in anger said Sir I thought you and I had not been so familiar but our Lord is not offended at the meanness of his treat if there be no mixtures of uncleanness and iniquity Pythagoras his mystical precept not to cast Bread into a draught i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may fitly warn us not to put this Bread of Life into a Soul more odious to the Eyes of God than the receptacles of abomination can be to ours How careful was Joseph and Nicodemus to wrap his dead body in the purest linnen and shall we shew a less regard to his Person now that he liveth for ever But surely no Christian need be urged to so plain and so necessary a Duty only let us note those excellent directions for the manner of doing it which are here given us viz. That which we must search is the the Records of Conscience which if we examine l Salvatorem nostrum suscepturi totis viribus debemus nos cum iplius adjutorio praeparare omnes latebras animae nostrae diligentèr aspicere ne fortè sit in nobis aliquod peccatum absconditum quod conscientiam nostram confundat oculos divina Majestatis offendat Ambros de Sacram. seriously and strictly we may find there an impartial account of all the good we have omitted and all the evil which we have committed for there are those remembrances which will either accuse or excuse us at the holy Table Rom. 2.15 Wherefore we must take heed that we do not this lightly only out of Custom before a solemn time or meerly that we may seem to have done it as most men do who only gently touch these sores and give a slight and superficial glance at some of their greatest or latest committed sins but never care for searching into the bottom and looking into the inward Corners of their Corruptions These alas are but Dissemblers with God who only seek for some matter to confess and tell a sad story without any sorrow or real purposes of amendment yet call this preparation and come to this Sacrament with expectations of pardon and acceptance But truly we had as good do nothing neither God nor Conscience will so excuse us we do but lose our labour and cheat our selves with a shadow for the substance unless we do it impartially and with real designs to see our sins clearly and be humbled deeply for them so that we may hate and forsake them for ever hereafter Now that our Examination may be thus performed let us as the wise man adviseth Remember the end and we shall never do amiss Ecclus 7.16 We must consider therefore in the present case That we are so to try our selves First That we may come to this Heavenly Feast holy and adorned with the Wedding Garment Math. 22.2 that is we must examine not only till we see our sin but till we hate it and instead of those filthy rags have put on pure and pious dispositions which are that clean Linnen even the Righteousness of the Saints Revel 19.8 for by these Ornaments are holy Souls fitted for that Coelestial Company which is to be met at this Solemnity And secondly another end of our Examination is that we may be accepted by God himself as worthy Communicants that he who seeth the heart may approve the sincerity of our Repentance and the great King who comes in to see the Guests may by his gracious estimation supply the defects of our performance and call us worthy though strictly we are not so It is not that men may think we have duly prepared but that the All-seeing God may receive us that is treat us nobly and entertain us kindly as the word to receive signifies Math. 18.5 Act. 21.17 at this Heavenly Banquet And can we think a formal search will procure these graces or prevail for the divine acceptance nothing less than a through Repentance will suffice to this end and how to perform that the next Paragraph will discover § 8. The way and means thereto is first to examine your lives and Conversations by the Rule of Gods Commandments and whereinsoever ye shall perceive your selves to have offended either by Will Word or Deed there to bewail your own sinfulness and to confess your selves to Almighty God with full purpose of amendment If all that hath been said have convinced us of the necessity and advantage of a strict preparation
directs the offending person what to do the next him that is offended First He that hath given his Brother cause of complaint against him is directed to go to him that hath taken the offence whether justly or unjustly saith Theophylact. in Math. 5. and endeavour to appease him and if possible to win his love by entreaties and where there is a real injury by acknowledging the fault and desiring forgiveness Neither should any Man refuse to go first and desire peace t Dissensio ab aliis à te reconciliatio incipiat Seneca Nec Dicas ipsius est me convenire hoc enim signum est superbiae cordis R. Jon lib. de Timor ap Capellum in Math. 5. for fear lest it should be thought a disparagement to him for as the Philosopher who first submitted did observe he is the best and most honourable Person who first moves for Peace nor yet may we neglect to go upon pretence that we are the more wronged of the two for be it so yet let us imitate the Example of God himself who is glorified in Heaven and Earth in that he first offers peace to his poor Creatures who have so highly offended him he beseeches us to be reconciled to him when he could easily destroy us and can it be our dishonour to be like God It is possible the World may judge this to be a poor Spirit but what then since it is honourable in the sight of God What if our Neighbour shall refuse this offer We have done our part and left upon him the guilt of the Contention and the blot of an implacable and malicious Person and whatever the event be we have quieted our mind and imitated our dearest Master in our condescension and Charity whose memorial we come here to celebrate But secondly if the injury be great and have hurt the body the fame or the estate of our Brother then a bare desire of reconciliation in private is not sufficient either to testifie our sorrow or to make him satisfaction u Si res aliena propter quam peccatum est cum reddi possit non redditur non agitur poenitentia sed fingitur August ep ad Maced But we must as Zachaeus did offer publick compensation for all wrongs and trespasses and must make restitution of all ill-gotten or wrongfully-detained goods as far as our ability extends and if the wronged party do require it because unless we please him we cannot please God x Non condonatur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum August ibid. who forgives offences directly against himself without any satisfaction from us but does not remit those against men until we have contented them and if possible obliged them to intercede for us And Oh happy were it for Christendom if this were punctually observed we should have fewer injuries speedier reconciliations and more peace with God and one another but whoever doth neglect his part of this duty let him know that the hands full of rapine and injustice the mouths full of lying and slander the hearts full of rancour and malice cannot receive the Lord Jesus nor come to this Sacrament unless it be to their Condemnation wherefore let every man beware and strive to make peace § 10. And being likewise ready to forgive others that have offended you as ye would have forgiveness of your offences at Gods hands for otherwise the receiving of the Holy Communion doth nothing else but increase your Damnation As the offending Party is by Jesus commanded to offer reconciliation Math. 5.24 so is the offended also enjoined to be ready to accept it Mark 11.25 Luke 17.3 4. Colos 3.13 for the deep resentments of our wrongs our fury and purposes of revenge for small injuries do often discourage those that have offended and keep them back from making their acknowledgments and thus both are equally guilty The one for beginning the strife the other because he will not let it have an end unless we shall say that he that is hard to be appeased is the greater Criminal because he perpetuates the quarrel and hinders Charity more than the first offence If then we have been slandered or affronted wronged or oppressed our duty is to shew our selves willing and easy to be reconciled so that if the injurious Man or Woman come to us we must not stand too much upon terms â—r aggravations nor require infamous or unreasonable satisfactions but as lightly as we can must grant a Pardon y Gravissimum poenae â—enus â—st contumeliosa â—â—nia Seneca and if they do not come to confess the fault we must excuse it and imâ—â—tâ— iâ— tâ— their ignorance or mistake and forgive them 〈◊〉 our hearts renouncing all purposes of revenge and â—hâ—ther they come or no let us deal with our felâ—â—w servant as we desire God should deal with us We have offended by many and grievous sins the Majesty of Heaven and as we ask pardon always z Homâ— sine peccato esâ—e â—eâ— pâ—â—es vis tibi sempeâ— dimitti dimitte semper quantum vis tibi dimitti tantum dimitte quoties vis tibi dimitti toties dimitte imo quia vis totum tibi dimitti totum dimitte Petr. Chrysol we should always forgive as great things as often as freely as fully as we desire or need to be forgiven which unless we do Christ assures us our own sins shall not be remitted Math. 6.14 15. 18.35 and then we shall have no reparation of our wrong neither from God nor Man but by exacting a smaller Debt we bring the most terrible Creditor of all against us Let us then beware that our pride and threatnings our difficulty of access or scornful receiving of our submitting Brother do not hinder the Peace and pull upon us the Divine Vengeance for heavier provocations Math. 18.34 35. Finally we are taught that till Repentance have reconciled us to God and Charity to our Neighbour it is dangerous and unsafe to come to this Mystery for it is bold and presumptuous for the obdurate sinner and the implacable Man to think to Feast with Jesus the Saviour of Penitents and the Prince of Peace 1 Cor. 11.29 He that upholds the quarrel or refuseth to repent is in a state of Condemnation for his obstinacy against God and his Malice against his Fellow-Servant and if in that estate he presume to come to this Holy Sacrament he shall be the more surely if not more speedily condemned for this impious profanation Such a wretch indeed would have been sentenced if he so continued although he had not come hither but he doth increase his sad portion by putting Christs Body into a filthy Soul and taking the holy Symbols into those receptacles of rage and anger cruelty and revenge which Jesus hates as the Infernal Pit Which ought to make us all diligent to endeavour after a true Repentance and unfeigned Charity and to resolve to part with our sins and our malice and then it shall be safe and
blessed to us to approach the terror is not to affright us from this Heavenly Feast but from impenitence and an angry spirit which turn this food of life into very poison § 11. Thereâ—ore if any of you be a Blasphemer of God an hinderer or slanderer of his Word an Adulterer or be in Malice or Envy or in any other grievous Crimes Repent you of your sins or else come not to that holy Table lest after the taking of that holy Sacrament the Devil enter into you as he entred into Judas and fill you full of all iniquities and bâ—ing you to destruction both of Body and Soul The first Ages of Christianity considered how positively our Saviour had forbidden us to give that which is holy to the malicious and to cast this Pearl as they interpreted it of the Lords Body to those that wallow in Swinish pleasures Math. 7.6 and observed how plainly St. Paul had described the danger of such if they should receive it 1 Cor. 11.29 Wherefore they did very strictly forbid all such to approach these Mysteries and by Canons of Councils and the Sentence of Excommunication did keep back all notorious sinners And if any such presumed to come the Jewish Priests did not more zealously oppose the Kings offering Incense 2 Chron. 26.17 than the Christian Bishops did the prophane accesses even of the Emperours themselves to whom in all things else they submitted Thus was Philippus the Emperour placed among the Poenitentes before he might be Communicated a Euseb hist Eccles l. 6 cap. 25. Anno 246. And Theodosius was resolutely kept back by the famous St. Ambrose b Theodor. in hist Tripaâ—titâ l. 9. c. 30. till he had bitterly lamented the slaughter of the Thessalonians St. Chrysostome also protested he would dye rather than Administer this Sacrament to the Unworthy But besides all this when the Celebration was to begin then did the Deacon stand up and proclaim that all unbaptized Infidels Hereticks c. c Nullus Catechumenus nullus auditor nullus infidelis nullus haereticus Qui primam orationem perfecistis Discedite pueros Recipite Matres Ne Quis contra aliquem Const Apost should depart and none to stay that had any quarrel nor any to come in Hypocrisie which custom is imitated by our Church in this Denunciation wherein we most plainly shew obstinate sinners their danger as St. Peter did to Simon Magus Acts 8.21 22 23. we appeal to their own Consciences charging them to examine faithfully and if they find themselves guilty we warn them as they love their Souls not to come till they have repented We do not finally bid them not to come at all but only to stay till they have repented because it may be useful as St. Augustine notes for such notorious offenders to stay till another Communion and to meditate that their being excluded here on Earth whilst others enter in to have Communion with Christ is the sad Emblem of that Day when if they do not now repent they shall see many holy Persons go in and sit down with Abraham c. in the Kingdom of God while they themselves are cast out So that whether by Excommunication or by this Warning they are excluded for the present it is the Ministers love to them and is intended only for their Souls health d Quid prodest non ejici è coetu piorum nam ejici remedium est gradus ad recuperandam sanitatem ejectionem meruisse summa malorum est Cypr. de dupl Martyr to bring them to repentance that they may be fit against another opportunity As to the sins enumerated they are the most scandalous and heinous both against God and Man viz. Swearing and Blasphemy Opposing or despising Gods Word Adultery and Fornication Malice and Envy with other grievous Crimes such as Murder or Theft Drunkenness or Oppression of which whosoever is guilty St. Paul affirms they shall not enter into the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10. and therefore how can they be received to this Holy Table It were easie to shew out of Tertullian St. Cyprian and the ancient Councils that every one of these offenders were of old rejected and not suffered ever to come into these Mysteries unless upon a very great Repentance and publick humiliation after five or seven years separation Which pious Custom did make very much for the honour of this Sacrament and for the bringing such to repentance that so they might escape everlasting vengeance The very Heathens would not offer their Sacrifice until the Herald had warned all unhallowed persons to depart nor might the Sacrificer proceed till he were assured there were none present but such as were duly prepared e Hostis Vinctus Mulier Virgo Exesto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stuckius Apud Graecos Sacerdos quaerit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resp populi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sard. de Mor. Gent. l. 3. c. 15. Have we not then much more reason to enjoin the absence of all wicked wretches from this Heavenly Mystery And yet we imitate our Master herein who did not by force drive out the Jews John 8. but set their own Conscience upon them Even so f Nos à Communione quenquam prohibere non possumus nisi aut sponte confessum aut in aliquo judicio Ecclesiastico vel seculari nominatum atque convictum Aug. Homil. 50. we violently cast out none unless publick and convicted Criminals But we appeal to every Mans Conscience and set before them the danger of coming with wicked purposes for so they imitate Judas who notwithstanding that plain Caution Math. 26.24 sat down with a heart full of Treachery and Covetousness John 13.26 27. but instead of being a partaker of Christ Satan did enter into him and confirmed his wicked purposes so that he came to destruction of Body and Soul Repent therefore Oh you prophane Wretches being warned by so terrible an Example or else your judgment is inevitable for if you continue in these damnable sins you die and if you think to find favour by laying hold of Christs Body you are mistaken g Jerem. 11.15 Nunquid carnes Sanctae auferent à te malitias tuas Vulg. Lat. Vide Math. 12.45 Heb. 10.26 for you prophane the mystery violate Gods Covenant trample on the Blood of Christ to which you have no right so long as you live in open defiance to his Laws and if you will come thus you give Satan more power over you both to corrupt you and to ruine you yet if you stay away you cannot escape unless you do repent and if you would do that after a while you might be received However we have delivered our Souls by giving you this warning do not you cast away yours by despising it § 12. And because it is requisite that no man should come to the Holy Communion but with a full trust in Gods Mercy and with a quiet Conscience therefore if there be any of you
who by this means cannot quiet his own Conscience but requireth farther Comfort or Counsel The desperate stupidity of bold Sinners who will rush unprepared upon this Sacrament hath forced the Minister to speak like Boanerges in those thundering denunciations yet lest while he is rouzing those from security the humble Christian should be terrified into despair the Church sends him like Barnabas more gently to treat with those who tremble at Gods word To let such know that a lively Faith and quiet Conscience are as necessary preparatives for the Eucharist as either Charity or Repentance And that the poor Penitent may not come without these comfortable graces he is advised to call in the aid of a spiritual man when his own endeavours will not produce this happy Peace Contrition is the most natural way indeed to procure a well-grounded Faith and yet sometimes though we fast and pray examine and confess read and meditate yet our fears may expel the hopes of Mercy and then all our endeavours will end in a sad dejection of spirit upon the discovery of our own vileness In this Case our doubts and sad apprehensions though reasonable enough may proceed too far insomuch that they may hinder that gratitude and joy those praises and acts of Faith and Love which we ought to express at this Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and if so we must use some means to allay them or else the duty will begin with trembling go on without pleasure and end in scruple and greater dissatisfactions St. Paul hath told us that we ought to be fully perswaded in our minds before we do any indifferent thing h Benè praecipiunt qui vetant quicquam agere quod dubitant aequum sit an iniquum Cicer. off l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutar. Rom. 14.5 and if we may not eat common things with a doubting Conscience we shall much more be condemned in our selves if we do not remove these fears before we eat of this Celestial food Our own strength it may be is not sufficient but then we must not smother our trouble which is encreased by concealment but reveal it to our spiritual Counsellors who will joyfully serve any afflicted Penitent and neither God nor good Men will ever quench the smoaking Flax or break the bruised Reed § 13. Let him come to me or some other discreet and learned Minister of Gods Word and open his grief That by the Ministry of Gods holy Word he may receive the benefit of Absolution together with Ghostly Counsel and advice to the quieting of his Conscience and the avoiding of all scruple and doubtfulness It is neither prudent nor safe always to rely upon our own Judgment of our selves for another Eye sees more of us than is discerned by our own In the dangers of our body we consult the Physician in the intricacies of our estate we advise with the Lawyer and in the Case of our immortal Souls why do we not advise with our Spiritual Physicians i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 1. for they are appointed to direct the ignorant confirm the doubtful and comfort the disconsolate by Christ himself We must not be ashamed of so beneficial a duty since the Scripture commands it James 5.16 and we have Examples of those in Holy Writ who did confess their Sins to St. John Baptist Math. 3.16 and to the Apostles Acts 19.18 and in all the Primitive times the Christians did frequently repair to their Bishops and Ministers not only to confess their faults but to be satisfied in their doubts and assisted in order to a pious life and were it now more often practised we should soon perceive the great advantages thereof It is certain this Office hath been much abused by the Romanists among whom it is become formal slight and vendible an Engine to unlock secrets and a suppletory to excuse all other parts of Repentance so that Confession to a Priest is by most of the vulgar thought a sufficient preparation for this holy Sacrament but this ought not to cause us wholly to reject it since with us it is restored to its Primitive use for we direct all Men always to confess to God k Quidam Deo quidam sacerdotibus confitenda esse peccata dicunt quorum utrumque non sine magno fructu intra Sanctam Ecclesiam sit Concil Cabilon 2. c. 13. Anno 813. ita Gratian de poenit dist 1. cap. 89. but some also to confess their faults and reveal their doubts to the Priest especially in these three Cases First When we are disquieted with the guilt of some sin already committed or secondly When we cannot conquer some lust or passion or thirdly When we are afflicted with any intricate scruples particularly whether we may now be fit to receive this blessed Sacrament or no if any of these be our Case then First We must chuse prudently preferring our own Minister if he be tolerably fitted or else we may elect another that is Prudent and Pious Learned and Judicious l Facit enim justitia ut nulla sit fraudis metus facit etiam prudentia ut nulla erroris sit suspicio Ambros de off l. 2. c. 8. one who may mannage this weighty concern gravely and privately and dispatch it wisely and fully to our satisfaction Being thus provided of a guide secondly Let us deal sincerely and open our grief to him as fully and impartially as we would do a wound to the skilful Chirurgeon let not fear or shame stop our mouths for if the Minister be pious he will be secret and compassionate if he be discreet he will discover whether it be an heavy guilt or a slight repentance love of sin or a strong Temptation fear or scruple that hath occasioned this trouble And so thirdly He hath threatnings and promises instructions and directions out of Gods Holy Word which being dextrously applied and duly ministred may be a perfect Cure If the Conscience be wounded with guilt he hath power from Christ upon our Contrition to give us Absolution if it be the fury of a passion or the violence of a temptation his piety and experience hath store of Counsel for the effectual suppressing thereof if it be doubts and fears his learning and judgment affordeth sufficient comfort and satisfaction through the blessing of Almighty God Wherefore I do heartily wish we were more frequent in these applications to our Ministers it would argue that we were more concerned for a pardon and more sensible of our guilt nay it would shew we did perfectly hate sin when we could be content to suffer the shame of discovery so we might have the benefit of amendment Consider how comfortable and how profitable it may be to have the particular Prayers and Advice the Judgment and Experience of an holy Man of the sacred Function especially at this time No doubt it would make our receiving more sweet and more safe and gain us great comforts
and incouragements in order thereunto And thus we see here is comprized in this Warning so full directions in order to the address to the Holy Table that there needs no Paraphrase to make it plainer only God grant us to be as willing to do as we are able to understand these things Amen SECT IX Of the Exhortation to the Communion § 1. OUR Lord Jesus hath not fixed the time nor determined how often we should partake of his last Supper that so we might have an opportunity to make it a free will offering and that he might by our voluntary and often coming make an experiment of our Love But this gracious liberty hath been perverted and some have from thence taken occasion to do it seldom and others wholly to leave it undone We read that of old in the Church of Alexandâ—ia many of the people went out after the Reading of the Gospel but John sirnamed the Almsgiver then Patriarch there followed them out and sharply reproving their neglect said he came to administer the Eucharist to them neither would he leave them till with him they all returned to the Holy Table With such an importunity do we here seem to follow those who do so unworthily turn their backs upon these Mysteries We find St. Ambrose m Si quotidianus est cibus cur post annum illum sumis Ambros de Sacr. l. 4. S. Chrysost Ser. 3. in Ephes Augustin Epis ad Januar. 118. and St. Chrysostome as also St. Augustine in their times complaining of and blaming the peoples omissions in this kind But sure we have now much more reason since the neglect of this Sâ—crament is grown far more common and scandalous some by ill principles glorying in their foâ—bearâ—nce others out of Worldly carefulness excusing their absence and the most as unwilling to take pâ—ins being become too remiss To redress which evils our Church hath provided this excellent Exhortation both to convince us that it is our duty to come and to discover the danger if we wilfully stay away The Order whereof the following Analysis will shew and the discourse annexed will represent how agreeable it is to so pious a design The Analysis of the Exhortation to the Communion § 2. This Necessary Exhortation containeth Five Parts 1. The Preface being an Indication of 1. The Persons invited Dearly beloved Brethren 2. The Time when on I intend by Gods grate to celebrate 3. The Thing to which c. the Lords Supper 2. The Invitation calling them all 1. Most plainly unto which in Gods behalf I bid you all that are here present 2. Most earnestly And beseech you for the Lord Iesus Christs sake that ye will not refuse to come thereto being so lovingly called and bidden by God himself 3. The Arguments to press it being 1. A plain Similitude urged by 1. Setting it before us Ye know how grievous and unkind a thing it is when a man hath prepared a rich feast c. 2. Appealing to us Which of you in such a case would not be moved Who would not think a great injury and wrong done unto him 3. Applying it to this Case Wherefore take ye good heed lest ye withdrawing your selves from this holy Supper provoke Gods indignation against you 2. A full Answer to the Excuses 1. In particular concerning 1. Business It is an easie matter for a man to say I will not Communicate because I am otherwise hindred with c. 2. Sinfulness If any man say I am a grievous sinner and therefore am afraid to come wherefore then do ye not c. 2. In general shewing they are all 1. Base When God calleth you are ye not ashamed to say ye will not come When ye should return c. 2. Vain Consider earnestly with your selves how little such feigned excuses will avail before God 3. A proper Example setting out 1. Such like sinners They that refused the feast in the Gospel 2. With like pretences because they had bought a Farm or would try their yoke of Oxen or because c. 3. Sadly doomed were not so excused but counted unworthy of the heavenly feast 4. An Exhortation to come from 1. The Ministers care in 1. Preparing I for my part shall be ready 2. Inviting them again and according to mine Office I bid you in the Name of God I call c. 3. Urging them I exhort you as you love your own Salvation that ye will c. 2. The Love of Christ And as the Son of God did vouchsafe to yield up his Soul by death upon the Cross for your Salvation 3. The Obligations laid upon us by it So it is your Duty to receive the Communion in remembrance of the Sacrifice of his Death as he himself hath commanded 4. The evil of neglecting viz. 1. The Danger Which if ye shall neglect to do consider how great injury ye do to God and how sore punishment c. 2. The Sin against God when ye wilfully abstain from the Lords Table Men and separate from your Brethren c. 5. The Conclusion expressing 1. The Ministers hope of them These things if ye earnestly consider ye will by Gods grace return to a better mind 2. His Charity for them For the obtaining whereof we shall not cease to make our humble Petitions unto Almighty God our heavenly Father A Practical Discourse upon this Exhortation § 3. Dearly beloved Brethren on I intend by Gods grace to Celebrate the Lords Supper unto which in Gods behalf I bid you all that are â—ere present and beseech you for the Lord Iesus Christs sake that ye will not refuse to come thereto being so lovingly called and bidden by God himself The Kingdom of grace as well as glory is likened in Scripture to a Banquet Luke 14.16 Math. 8.11 and the offers of both are named our Calling or Invitation Ephes 4.1 2 Tim. 1.19 and we that now partake of his grace and are hereafter to enjoy his glory are stiled the called or invited Guests Rom. 8.28 by a plain allusion to this Sacred Feast the Epitome of the Gospel wherein we are called without a Figure and invited to participate of the grace of God And as it is the Custom of all Nations n 2 Sam. 13.23 1 Kings 5.9 Job 1.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylac Com. in Luc. 14. to invite those who are designed to partake of the Feast So hath the King of Heaven now sent his Minister Math. 22.3 Luk. 14.17 most courteously to salute us in his Name and to bid us to that Celestial Feast viz. the Supper of the Lord which he hath made ready for us The notice is sent thus long before because we may prepare suitably to so great an Entertainment and be fitted for this which is the highest Festival in the World It is true we receive the Message only from the mouth of a Servant but it is in the name and behalf of his great Master o Math.
disowned him from being a Christian who did not receive at least three times a year d Inter Catholicos non est annumerandus qui temporibus Paschae Pentecostes Nativitatis Domini non Communicaverit Concil Ellib and of old they Excommunicated those who coming to the Sermon went out before the Communion e Laici fideles Ecclesiam ingredientes scripturas audientes si non permaneant in Precatione sacrâ Communione sâ—gregantur Can. Apost 9. And our own Church doth by her Canons strictly enjoin this Duty and by her Ministâ—rs frequently exhort us to it The practice of the best Christians of our own and elder times also do all declare it is a duty imposed by God and are we not Ashamed to tell God and Men to their Faces we will not after so many Mâ—ssâ—ges and Calls and Commands from Christ and his Church do we dare give impudent denials take heed and consider and with the stubborn Son in the Gospel though you have said obstinately you would not yet now repent and come and wipe off your evil words by better Deeds hereafter Secondly They who defer their coming upon pretence they are not ready must consider this excuse can never serve but once and must not be used by any man that hath not begun to prepare himself for otherwise they may put it off thus for ever till the Bridegroom comes and then they shall have the fate of the foolish Virgins Math. 25.6 7. c. If they are not ready for the Sacrament much less are they ready to dye and yet they do not live in safety till they are prepared for Death and so had need immediately to begin have they not reason to set upon their work who have much to do and little time Our being ready is a good Argument why we should speedily and diligently prepare but no Apology for our staying away and truly he that will not labour to fit himself for this Sacrament will scarce repent upon any other occasion and he that often says he is not ready thus to meet Christ at his first Coming will be strangely surprized at his second and doubtless be as unready then Besides are we not told of these holy times long enough before had we any love for Jesus we should begin early to adorn our selves as that Jewish Doctor who put on his best habit on Friday in the Afternoon and sat longing for the Sun-setting the time when the Jewish Sabbath begins and said Veni Sponsa Come my Spouse for so he called that Sacred Day The Church History relates that St. Catherine was wont to long for the Communion as the Child for its Mothers Breasts but we are glad of an excuse to shift it off and neither desire it nor prepare for it on purpose that we may say we are not ready These are fine pretences to stop the mouths and blind the Eyes of Men and serve us to cozen our selves with but they are vain and insignificant before him that looks through these thin Veils and sees other Causes which keep us away from the Altar which we would gladly conceal for God perceives that many which make these excuses do really forbear the Communion either because 1. They love sin and hate Virtue and resolve not to be engaged against the one nor obliged too strongly to the other or Secondly They are unwilling to take that pains which a serious Repentance and a due preparation do require or Thirdly They harbour some secret malice and either are too proud to ask forgiveness or too revengeful to forgive And therefore let no man think these or the like empty Apologies will excuse him at Gods Tribunal § 9. They that refused the Feast in the Gospel because they had bought a Farm or would try their Yokes of Oxen or because they were Married were not so excused but were counted unworthy of the Heavenly Feast If all this do not effectually enough represent the danger of relying upon such pretences here is added a plain Example in a Parable spoken by Christ himself Luke 14.18 19 c. which admirably sutes this very Case I doubt not but those Guests thought their excuses as fair as we can do ours And when they had alledged such weighty and important impediments they did as little fear the Lords anger as we are wont to do Yet we see he was very wroth Luke 14.21 Math. 22.7 and because some preferred their profit others their pleasure before his noble Feast he blotted them out of the list of his Friends and resolved never to invite them any more Let us beware by so fair a warning and not dare upon the like accounts to reject this Heavenly Feast for in so doing we reject the memorial of Christs Death the Symbols of his Body and blood and the pledges of his grace and love and do as directly refuse Christ himself as we can do upon Earth because there is no Ordinance wherein he is so really present and by which he is so surely conveyed to the believing Soul how fair soever our Plea is we seem to judge our selves unworthy of Eternal Life Acts 13.46 and God may not only sentence us as unworthy of this Holy Feast but resolve we that value the enjoyment of him so little on Earth are unfit to partake of the f Nec sibi posthà c de eo honore blandiantur quo seipsos indignos judicaverunt Cod. de dign Celestial Banquet or to enter into the Mansions of Bliss for they that will not remember his sufferings ought not to share in his glories It seems we think it a small punishment to be counted unworthy of the Sacrament for we inflict this upon our selves in our abstaining from it but if God do esteem us unworthy ever to have the grace of this Sacrament offered to us again for our slight refusals the doom is very sad and without a speedy repentance is the Harbinger of a final rejection from which God deliver us § 10. I for my part shall be ready and according to mine Office I bid you in the Name of God I call you in Christs behalf I exhort you as you love your own Salvation tâ—at ye will be partakers of this holy Communion Our Lord appointed two of his Apostles to prepare the Passover Luke 22.8 as an Emblem of their Duty in after Ages to provide for this Holy Supper For to them and their Successors he hath enjoined the care of its Administration wherefore it concerns the Ministers to take heed least by too seldom and too few Communions or too short notice they be not the occasion of the peoples abstinence for then they cannot justly reprove them g Serò advenis inquit Pomponius ad Ciceronem Minimè seró respondit ille nihil enim hîc paratum video Plutar. Apotheg and they bring the guilt of this neglect upon themselves Our Lord hath made them Stewards of his Houshold and they must take care to give them
means to accomplish all these desires Do but examine into thy own heart till thou relentest for thy sins and search into Gods Mercy till thou art perswaded of his love And with this penitent believing heart come and partake of this spiritual Banquet and though thou dost not press thy Saviours flesh with thy Teeth which would do thee no good yet thou shalt really partake of all the benefits of his Death and become one with him and receive all from him that thy Soul doth either need or desire § 5. So is the danger great if we receive the same unworthily for then we are guilty of the body and blood of Christ our Saviour we Eat and Drink our own Damnation not considering the Lords Body we kindle Gods wrath against us we provoke him to plague us with divers Diseases and sundry kinds of Death The fear of losing the former benefits will be a sufficient motive to an ingenuous temper to prepare yet many are so obdurate as to rush upon this Ordinance without any preceeding care But that we may deliver our Souls the Church enjoins not only in the former but in this present Exhortation also that the Minister shall warn them not to come in so rude a manner the Heathen Man allows not that any should worship their Gods en passant o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutar. nor unless they had first prepared themselves at home and can such addresses be endured in the highest mystery of the best Religion Let such from the mouth of St. Paul hear and consider First The greatness of their sin 1 Cor. 11.27 29. Secondly The severity of their punishment ver 30.1 Their sin who come hither as to an ordinary solemnity and eat of this as common food not considering that the Lords Body and blood here p Nec se judicant nec sacramenta dijudicant sed sicut cibis communibus irreverentèr sacris utuntur lib. de Card. op Christi ap Cypr. is in Scripture q Hebr. 6.6 Chap. 10.29 accounted Crucifying the Son of God again as much as in them lyeth r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putting him to an open shame trampling upon him and accounting the blood of his Covenant as an unholy thing they use him as his Murtherers did shedding his blood not with design to be saved by it Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophil in 11 1 Cor. but suffering it to be spilt in vain They receive no benefit by it and yet they make a memorial of it which wounds Christ deeper than all the Cruelty of his Crucifiers did from them he expected no other but from these he doth t Quid est autem reos esse nisi dare poenas mortis Domini occisus est enim ab iis qui beneficium ejus irritum ducunt Ambros in loc so that they are guilty of his Body and Blood and shall be proceeded against as those that offer violence to the Lord Jesus By eating and drinking of this memorial of his Sacrifice they own he hath died for them but by their impenitence and perseverance in evil they declare that they will not be saved thereby And thus this sacred and salutary Rite which in its own nature would assure their Salvation and is designed by Christ to convey his benefits unto them u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylac ut supr is by their unpreparedness and iniquity turned into poison and a Curse and they being before fit for Condemnation by adding this Act of presumption they do accelerate and confirm it Secondly Their punishment will be answerable for they may be sure it will enflame the wrath of God to behold men so stupid and insolent to his dear Son and their Redeemer perhaps this wrath may only be expressed in temporal punishments shorter sicknesses lingring Diseases or sudden Death so it was at Corinth x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl ut supr Febribus infirmitatibus corripiebantur multi moriebantur Ambros in loc so were the Jews cut off who profaned the Passover Exod. 12.15 and thus many Apostates in the Primitive times were possest by the Devil for coming to the Eucharist before their reconciliation to the Church but if the Lord forbear shewing these visible judgments he hath ways enow and an Eternity coming on to chastise this presumption Wherefore ye bold and careless sinners who come in ignorance or in malice without Faith or Devotion sorrow for former or purposes against future iniquities consider what you do and what you must suffer for coming in this unfitness we tremble at the danger you run upon yet who shall pity those who might have escaped all the evil and gained infinite blessings only by a small preparation § 6. Iudge therefore your selves Brethren that ye be not judged of the Lord repent you truly of your sins past have a lively and stedfast Faith in Christ our Saviour amend your lives and be in perfect Charity with all men so shall ye be meet partakers of these holy mysteries That which God and his Church intend as caution to all that they may come better prepared is by the slothful and unbelieving made a pretence for their total abstaining but these dangers as St. Paul shews ver 31. might soon be avoided if we would judge our selves for then we should not be judged of the Lord Let us therefore set up a Tribunal in our own Breast y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylac Bonum judicium quod divinum praevenit quod divino subducit volo praesentari vultui irae tuae judicatus non judicandus Bern. in Cantic 55. and laying Gods Law before us let our memory read the Indictment and our penitential thoughts urge the accusation and that till we be convinced and plead guilty so shall our Conscience pronounce the same sentence upon us which otherwise would more dreadfully have issued out against us from the Divine Judicature It will condemn us as foolish base ungrateful wretches deserving the wrath of God and Eternal Damnation And when we are thus convicted we shall see it necessary by Faith to lay hold of Gods Mercy and further this will most effectually move us to amend our lives z Deprehendas te oportet antequam emendes Sen. Ep. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simplic ad Epic. and discover what need we have to forgive all Men who our selves have so much to be forgiven so that it appears if we duly judge our selves all the other duties will follow in order let the danger of unworthy receiving therefore only make us more strict in our Examination for there is danger also if we do wholly stay away a Vtrobique grande periculum ideo magâ—â— necessitas instat ne indigni inveniamur Bern. de ordin vitae But the lesser hazard is on their side who set themselves to do their duty in the best manner they are able If we have by due process condemned our selves before it will
pit He saw us wretched and miserable lying hopeless and helpless reserved in Chains of Darkness to the judgment of the great Day and then he had Compassion on us and broke our Bonds in sunder But there is one step higher still 4. Let us behold the noble design and happy consequence of this Deliverance he hath not only snatched us from the flames of Hell but made us Heirs of Heaven not only pacified our offended Judge but engaged him to become our most gracious Father so that he owns us for his Friends adopts us for his Children and intends us to be partakers of his endless joys We are taken from our Dungeon into the Family of God from his Bar into his Bosom and advanced to be like unto the Angels in glory and immortality Oh the heigth and length the depth and breadth of the love of Christ Who can sufficiently admire it that so great a Majesty should stoop so low and suffer so much for so poor and so evil-deserving wretches with purpose to advance them to so blessed a condition this is a subject fit for an Angels Song-Praise the Lord oh my Soul and let all thy powers be acted with such love and wonder that thou maist break forth into all the expressions of joy that admiration and gratitude can inspire thee with Glory be to thee O Lord most high § 9. And to the end that we should always remember the exceeding great love of our Master and only Saviour thus dying for us and the innumerable benefits which by his precious blood-shedding he hath obtained to us he hath instituted and ordained holy mysteries as pledges of his love and for a continual remembrance of his Death to our great and endless comfort Our merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous works that they ought to be had in remembrance Psal 111.3 but especially this work of our Redemption which to forget were an ingratitude baser than Heathens or Publicans ever knew Math. 5.46 and might almost compare with the Cruelty of his Murtherers Is it not our greatest comfort and our highest honour that we were thus redeemed by such a Saviour Can we forget that precious blood which was the price of our Souls and the purchase of Heaven by which we obtain benefits more than we can number greater than we can sufficiently apprehend Pardon and peace the love of God and the service of Angels Victory over Satan and the Conquest of Death the Conversion of Souls and the fruition of glory do all spring from it with many many more The Choire of Heaven bless God for it and Eternity is designed to sing the glory of this excellent love which had no pattern hath no parallel nor ever can it fully have an imitation John 15.13 Rom. 5.7 8. And is it possible now that those for whom all this was done should ever forget so rare a mercy or neglect so cheap d Qui meminit sine impendio gratus est Sen. so mean a return as to Commemorate it with thanksgiving Reason would deem this impossible but experience alas shews it is too frequent and both good and bad do more or less let slip the memory hereof Wherefore the holy Jesus found it necessary to appoint this Sacrament to be the Worlds Remembrancer therein It hath been the Custom of all Nations to preserve the memory of their Hero's and to perpetuate their deliverances by appointing publick Games and Festivals thus Cities commemorate their Founders and the Sects of Philosophers their first Authors yet all these being of humane Institution are soon apt to decay and beside they are without advantage to the Souls of men But our Lord hath appointed a Commemoration of his Death and our Salvation that shall as far out-last as it doth outvy them all A Coelestial Banquet and worthy of so great so divine an Author Which doth at once represent our Saviours Passion before us and convey its benefits to us it demonstrates his love confirms our Faith mortifies our Lusts it makes us like to Jesus and one with him And how can we have more evident pledges of his favour He knew we were apt to forget him and then we grow cold and dull exposed to our Enemies and open to all mischief wherefore he hath contrived these mysteries that we might neither want the comfort of remembring his holy Passion nor the benefit of sharing in the merits of it He had given himself for all before but now he gives himself to every particular Soul Let us then take care duly to receive these Tokens of his endless love and they shall begin a joy which shall never cease till our Lord in person shall appear in all his glory and by the brightness of his presence remove all these Vails and Coverings and give us leave to see him face to face § 10. To him therefore with the Father and the Holy Ghost let us give as we are most bounden continual thanks submitting our selves wholly to his holy will and pleasure and studying to serve him in true holiness and righteousness all the days of our life Amen By this time surely we begin to be melted with these vigorous manifestations of the love of Christ and our affections big with gratitude and admiration begin to struggle within us for therefore is this representation made that we might remember it and remembred that we might celebrate it with Hymns and Eucharist My heart is ready O God saith the pious Soul My heart is ready Psal 108.1 Most seasonably therefore doth the Priest invite us to Praise the Lord with him just now and summon us to this excellent duty almost in the very words of St. Paul Heb. 13.15 We have seen the everlasting love of the Father the unspeakable kindness of the Son the incomparable grace of the Holy Ghost and our own infinite Obligations Let us therefore all join in offering up all possible Praise and Glory let us begin the Office with it that it may warm our hearts and dispose them for all the following parts thereof And let us worship the blessed Trinity with such sincere and hearty thanksgivings that the Choire of Communicants may be a little Emblem of that of Angels with this only difference that they openly behold that which we discern by Faith but both they and we rejoice in it with joy unspeakable and full of glory But because when we have done all we can we shall come far short we must resolve not only to make a few praises in this highest part of our Devotion but to perpetuate the duty to our lives end for our very life is too short and all our Thanksgiving too narrow to celebrate these mercies let us strive therefore to imprint the love of Jesus so deeply in our minds that the memory thereof may never depart from us but be ever in us and always dispose us to bless the Lord at all times in all places and upon all occasions And further since no praises
reply We lift them up n Chrysos homil de encoeniis c. The heart of holy men is daily directed to Heaven and therefore when the Priest admonisheth them to lift it up thither they may safely answer We lift c. p Corda fidelium coelum sunt quia in coelum quotidiè diriguntur dicente sacerdote Sursum corda securè Respondent Habemus ad Dominum Aug. de tempor ser 44. for where our Treasure is there will our heart be also And he that requires q Id. de ver Relig. c. 16. this duty of us will enable us to perform it O happy agreement when Priest and people are raised up above this sublunary World and ascended into the Holy Mount to converse with Jesus with whom it is good to dwell for ever § 4. Priest Let us give thanks unto our Lord God Answ It is meet and right so to do When the Soul is thus lifted up and enlarged by contemplating the glories of God it is then in right frame to celebrate his Praise wherefore the Priest improves the opportunity and invites us while we are thus disposed to give thanks c. Thus the Praecentor of the Jewish Choir was wont to call upon the rest to join with him in the divine Praises as appears by several of the Psalms Psal 34.3 81.1 95.1 96.1 And it may be from thence this excellent Exhortation was taken at first which hath been retained ever since Verbatim both in the Churches of the East and West as appears both from the Liturgies r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liturg. Basilii ap Cyril Hieros Ad haec inter sacra mysteria ad gratiarum actiones convertitur Cypr. de coen In ipso verissimo singulari sacrificio gratias agere admonemur Aug. de spir lit 11. and the observations of the ancients upon these words The Priest saith Let us give thanks unto the Lord And surely saith St. Cyril Å¿ Cyril Hierosol catech mystag 5. We ought to give thanks unto him who hath admitted us that are so unworthy unto such mighty favours that being Enemies he hath reconciled us and honoured us with the Spirit of Adoption And then you answer It is meet and right for when we give thanks to God we verily do a work that is just and due But when he granted so great a benefit and gave us such good things it was not an Act of his Justice but infinitely more than of right belonged to us thus he St. Augustine applies it somewhat otherwise but very well in this manner In the Sacrament of the faithful it is said that we should Lift up our hearts which is done by the gift of God for which gift we are admonished by the Priest to give thanks to the Lord our God and the people answer It is just and right so to do Å¿ Aug. de bon perseverant l. 2. And elsewhere t Idem de bon Viduit cap. 16. We do not attribute unto our selves the glory of this great good viz. the lifting up of our hearts But we give thanks unto the Lord God as we are presently warned because it is just and right so to do Let us then give thanks now for that which is past the gracious promise of Absolution Let us praise him for that which is present the Grace that elevates our hearts And bless him for that which is at hand the Banquet of his Sons most precious Body and Blood for nothing is more agreeable to this Office more fit for us to give nor more due for him to receive And if you do from your heart confess that the Lord deserves all honour and glory the Priest may rejoice in the success of his Exhortation for that very acknowledgment is it self an Act of Praise in which both Priest and People are now agreed to join with all possible Devotion § 5. It is very meet right and our bounden duty that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee O Lord holy Father Almighty and Everlasting God These are still the words of Pious Antiquity the dependence whereof we learn from St. Chrysostom for the Priest saith he u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Hom. 18. in 2. ad Cor. having received their suffrage doth gather their Confessions together and then begin the Sacrifice of praise Most joyful it is to the Holy Man to hear such an acknowledgment from the Congregation and that he may promote it as much as possible he doth confirm the truth of so pious an Assertion with many words much of the same signification saith Florus x Repetitio sermonis est confirmatio veritatis Flor. Magister Or as others y Dignum est quantum ad Dominum quia ipse Dominus Deus noster Justum est quantum ad nos quia nos sumus populus ejus Innocent Mist miss l. 2. in general it is very meet that is most fit and reasonable to praise God And as to him who is the object of it it is Just and Right because he deserves it as to our selves who are the offerers thereof it is our bounden duty because we are so infinitely indebted to him If it were possible we should rejoice in him evermore 1 Thess 5.16 and bless him in all places in private as well as publick for he bestows mercy on us at all times and in all places night and day at home and abroad in retirement and Company in sickness and health we are indebted to him for our Creation and preservation for our Bodies and our Souls for our Redemption for the means of Grace and the hopes of Glory so that we ought to give him thanks every moment But at this great Solemnity we must unite all our Powers and as the Christians were wont of old Bless him here for all together If the most ordinary single mercy challenges â—n Act of praise how should we raise our gratitude to the highest pitch now when we survey them all at once § 6. Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all the Company of Heaven we laud and magnify thy glorious Name That the Angels were present at the performance of divine mysteries hath been the opinion of both Heathens and of Christians z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse dicit Plutar. lib. de Orac. Angelo orationis adhuc adstante Tertul de orat but that they are especially present at the Lords Supper is generally received Flesh and blood saith St. Chrysost a Chrys in Math. hom 10. is here made a part of the Angelick Choir And again b Idem Homil. de non contem Eccles Consider O man near whom thou standest in these terrible mysteries with whom thou art about to worship God with Cherubins and Seraphins and all the Heavenly Powers And surely it will mightily exalt our affections and stir us up to the most vigorous devotion to consider with whom we are to bear a part not
is given for you Our Heavenly Physician being about to cure the Diseases of our Souls having thus prepared the Remedy and presented it to us he doth first direct the use of it a Medicus non tantum curat sed etiam monet Sen. ep 94. and Secondly Tell us what it is We are not taught to carry it about to gaze at and to be adored but to Take and Eat it For Christ having made himself a Sin-offering for us desires that Sacrifice may be accepted as ours and would have us to share in the benefits thereof wherefore he hath made this a Peace-offering as the memorial of it and invited us to take and eat our Portion that so he may be one with us and we with him And when we hear him so lovingly call us to feast with God upon the remainders we may very fitly fall into these Contemplations There is indeed a mighty difference between the feeding of my Body and the refreshing of my Soul that which enters in by the mouth cannot of it self reach thither yet I am commanded when I come for spiritual relief to Take and Eat and I will not enquire but obey because he that prescribes this method can work wonders and at once satisfie both Body and Soul wherefore I will perform the outward part and at the same time lift up my Soul above these visible representations and being sensible of my offences against Heaven while my mouth is chewing the holy Bread my Faith b Quod esca est carni hoc animae fides Cypr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil shall feast upon the satisfaction made by my Redeemers Passion until I find my Soul is nourished with the Joy the Peace and the Comfort which it draws from thence As he hath made his Oblation mine by his designing it for me so I will make it mine also by a particular application O strengthen my hand by a lively Faith and open my mouth by fervent desires so will I take and eat this and rejoice in so lively an Emblem which leads me into that within the vail and while I am performing the bodily part let my soul feel the spiritual efficacy of thy grace that I may not eat unworthily or to Condemnation Lord I feed upon thy love I lay hold upon thy Promises I will take and eat these as well as the material part if thou wilt please to enable me so to do Furthermore lest I should be mistaken and either not understand or not believe the true worth of this incomparable gift he is pleased to tell me what it is This is my Body saith he which is given for you and by that word he makes it to be so to every true Believer wherefore the Minister ought to pronounce this so reverently and so deliberately that the Communicants may have time to exercise their Faith because their senses cannot discover any material alteration For the true understanding whereof let me here digress a little for the satisfaction of such as are not prejudiced nor contentious We know how stifly the Roman Church contends for the literal exposition of this Text and what Tragedies have been acted upon those who did not so understand it but we have great reason to believe That our Saviour did not intend by these words to change the substance of the Bread and Wine into his natural Flesh and Blood For I. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This being Neuter cannot agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bread which is Masculine and it is very probable that our Lord did herein as in other things imitate that Phrase which the Jews used at the Feast of the Passover This is the Bread of affliction which our Fathers did eat c. and This is the Body of the Paschal Lamb which our Fathers did eat c. as the Talmud tract de Pasch declares For as that was not the very Bread nor the very Lamb yet they called it so because it did represent and continue the memorial of that and was used to the same purpose so in like manner He calls this his own Body who was the true Paschal Lamb because This Action doth signifie and remember it and by this Bread we are partakers thereof Secondly St. Paul the best interpreter of his Master expounds This is my Body and Blood by this is the Communion of my Body and Blood 1 Cor. 10.16 that is most plainly This blessed Bread is that which will make you partakers of Christs Body c. and 1 Cor. 11.26 he calls it no more but Bread even after the Consecration ver 24 25. And the same Apostle c Solet autem res quae significat ejus rei nomine quam significat nuncupari ut Petra erat Christus Hebraeis non signum Christi dicit Apostolus Aug. in Levit. Quaest 57. saith That Rock was Christ d 1 Cor. 10.4 not intending to make us believe the Rock was Transubstantiate but only that it was the figure and symbol of Christ and so might be called by his name Thirdly Nor did the most antient Fathers thus apprehend our Saviours meaning when they called this the Antitype of his Body the Type of a great Mystery the Figure of his Body and a Symbol called by the name of his Body e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Mys cat 5. Hoc est corpus meum i. e. figura corporis mei Tertul. in Marc. l. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. Ego sum panis vitae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. Hoc est corpus meum Theod. Dial. cap. 8. and much more to this purpose Fourthly Nor will this opinion of Transubstantiation agree with the most antient Liturgies for in the most genuine part of them the Prayer of Consecration all those forms called from St. James St. Clement St. Basil and St. Chrysostome do pray after they have pronounced the words of Christ This is my Body that the Holy Spirit may descend and make that Bread so they still call it the Body and that Cup the Blood of Christ Yea in the Roman Church it self one of the most authentick parts of the Canon of the Mass hath these words That this Oblation may be made Vnto us the body and blood of thy most beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ Which doubtless may be done without any real change in the Elements themselves Yea and in the last part of the Canon long after the Priest hath said Hâ—c est Corpus meum by which they suppose the substances to be changed they say Through Jesus Christ our Lord by whom thou dost always create sanctifie quicken bless and give us these good things Which words being only applicable to the Bread and Wine do shew f Haeretici hujus seculi rident hanc Canonis particulam eò quod post Consecrationem adjecta sit quasi ea verba intelligi nequeunt nisi de pane vino nam Corpus sanguinem Christi non
as many as had sinned even for all the World for all saith St. Chrysostom are many When therefore we see this so plainly represented in the pouring forth of the Holy Chalice let us not only shew a high estimation of that most meritorious Blood which saves so many Souls effectually and hath virtue enough to redeem all the World but also actuate our devotion in some pertinent Soliloquies after this or the like form Methinks O my dear Redeemer while thou art pouring forth thy most precious blood thou lookest on me with a Countenance mixed of pity and upbraiding that I should take so little care to save this Soul which thou hast bought at such a rate Do I not behold those drops and streams to trickle down that have sealed the Covenant of Peace and confirmed all the Promises of the Gospel why then am I not swallowed up with admiration why do I not breath and pant after it I came not to quench my bodily thirst but to wash my Soul in this salutary Fountain oh how freely it flows how perfectly it cures Lord let me tast thereof Make it unto me the blood of Jesus for it is that my Soul thirsteth after And now that thy powerful word hath hallowed it let me not by evil thoughts or unbelief malice or impenitence make it to my self an unhallowed thing but as thou hast fitted it for the mystery oh fit me also to receive it I cannot now have any more low or common thoughts about it I will by Faith esteem it as my Saviours blood and though I am unworthy of so divine a Cordial yet my Soul gaspeth for it and without it alas I must die and perish § 13. Do this as oft as ye shall drink it in remembrance of me Amen We have here again a renewed injunction to Do this and if we have any sense of our Redeemers love or any care of our own Souls we shall not need to be pressed to it but shall desire to Do it often and yet always to Do it well not Drinking it as common Wine but as the memorial of his blood-shedding in remembrance of him and his inestimable kindness but of this we have spoken before § 10. Only we must note that this Amen in the end of this Prayer was antiently spoken z 1 Cor. 14.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atque ubi Praeses orationes gratiarum actiones absolvit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Ap. 2. by the people with a loud voice not only to shew their joining in the desire that the Elements may become truly Consecrated but also to declare their firm belief that they are now to be esteemed as the very Body and Blood of Christ Let us therefore here most devoutly seal all that the Priest hath done and unfeignedly testifie our Faith by a hearty Amen Lord it is done as thou hast commanded and I doubt not but the mystery is rightly accomplished I am perswaded that here is that which my Soul longeth after a Crucifyed Saviour communicating himself to poor penitent Sinners Oh let me be reckoned among that number and then I shall assuredly receive thee holy Jesus Amen The Paraphrase of the Prayer of Consecration § 14. O Almighty God infinite in Power and wonderful in thy goodness Thou art our Heavenly Father who to save us from Eternal Misery of thy tender mercy and free Compassion didst give thy only and well-beloved Son Iesus Christ not only to be born in our nature but also to suffer a most grievous and bitter death upon the Cross that his life might be for our Redemption from everlasting Torments to which we were forfeited We believe and confess it was this thy Son who made there on the Cross by his own voluntary oblation of himsel◠to that accursed Death though he was but once offered in this manner a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and satisfaction to thy offended Justice not only for the sins of some times or some Persons but for the sins of all men that are were or shall be throughout the whole World so that there is none but might upon their Faith and Repentance be forgiven by the vertue thereof And because there needs no other Sacrifice for sin now therefore our Lord Jesus appointed and did institute this holy Sacrament to represent it And in his holy Gospel he doth accordingly plainly command us to observe this Rite thereby to continue a perpetual and lively memory of that his most meritorious and most precious Death So that his love may be fresh in our hearts until his coming again to judgment in the end of the World In obedience to this command we are now about to make this memorial of his Passion and that we may do it effectually Hear us O most merciful Father Consider our need of this Heavenly food We most humbly beseech thee in whose power it is alone to feed our Souls And grant that we receiving with a true repentance and lively Faith these thy Creatures of Bread and Wine which thou hast chosen to express this mystery and partaking of them according to thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christs gracious intention and most holy Institution namely in remembrance of his bitter Death and bloody Passion Let them Communicate him unto us that we by them may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood and of all the benefits of his Incarnation and his sufferings But it is not in us to make these Creatures to be a Sacrament wherefore we will do as our Lord did and say as he said And be thou pleased to grant that the Words of Jesus pronounced by thy Servant may have the same effect upon these Elements which they had when spoken with his blessed mouth Who in the same night that he was betrayed to his Crucifyers as one of the last tokens of his love Took Bread the staff of life as we now take this into our hands to resemble his taking our nature and when he had begged thy blessing as we do also thereon and given thanks shewing how chearfully he suffered for us He brake it as we this Bread into many pieces an Emblem of his broken and wounded Body and gave it to his Disciples to whom he designed the benefits of his Passion Saying Take this pledge of your Redemption most thankfully and by Faith Eat that you may be nourished by my Love for This is the Communion of my Body and shall make you partakers of it as it is a Sacrifice which is given to God to satisfie for you Provided you Do this in a most thankful remembrance of me and my all-sufficient Oblation Likewise also after the Paschal Supper that he might give himself wholly to us He took the Cup of Wine which maketh glad the heart of Man even as we take this And when he had begged thy blessing on it as we now do and also given thanks that his blood was accepted for the life of the World He
to you consider the sound of his Masters feet is behind him wherefore labour to express the same reverence both in Soul and Body as you would do if Jesus were visibly present with a train of glorious Angels say as the Primitive Christians did g Porro moris erat Communicaturis dum accipiebant Eucharistiam dicere Domine non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum Authore Origine hom 6. in divers ap Durant Lord I am not worthy thou shouldst come under my roof and at the sound of his words let you heart leap within you for joy and say whence is it that my Lord himself should come unto me and then according as you have opportunity you may from these very words be furnished with most pertinent Meditations Meditations before the receiving of the Bread §. 4. The Body of our Lord Iesus Christ An Act of Faith O Eternal word of God by whose power all things were made I will not ask how thou canst give me thy flesh to Eat because I am abundantly satisfyed in thy saying This is my Body since thou canst make it become to me whatsoever thou sayst it is h Oportet igitur non in sumptionibus Divinorum mysteriorum indubitatam retinere fidem non quaerere quo modo D. Bernar. I believe Lord help my unbelief What though my senses assure me the outward substance and its accidents still remain i Corporalis substantiae retinet speciem sed virtutis divinae invisibili efficientiâ probat adesse praesentiam Cypr. de coen Dom. Yet my Faith and my Experience tell me there is an efficacy therein beyond the power of any other thing Alas the flâ—sh would profit me nothing John 6.63 for he that is joined to thee must be one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 O let these sacred Symbols therefore make me partaker of thy nature and a partner in thy merits let them unite me to thee ingraft me in thee and make that body mine which did suffer Death for me and then I shall seek no further but be more happy than if I could understand all mysteries Sure I am This is thy body in Sacrament it communicates to us the blessings and benefit thereof and though presented in a figure and by a holy Rite yet it is to all its purposes that which it doth represent I will therefore receive it as thy Body and esteem it infinitely above all other food that I may not be judged for not discerning thy Body O let it be unto me according to my Faith Amen An Act of Humility I am a sinful wretch O Lord and yet if I bid thee depart from me I banish all true happiness from my Soul I long for thy presence but how shall I entertain thee thou wast born of a pure Virgin wrapped in clean linnen laid in a new Tomb and dwellest now where nothing defiled can enter but never was there so unworthy an Apartment prepared for thee as my polluted heart into which I durst not presume to bring thee but that I know thou canst make it clean However when by Faith I see that Body which all the Angels of Heaven worship I cannot but abhor myself in Dust and Ashes I am amazed to see such a Majesty come to visit a Sin-sick Soul in so poor a Cottage yea I cannot but tremble at thy presence O thou King of Glory because I am so overspread with the filth of sin But I will lament those corruptions which I cannot fully purge away and beseech thee not to despise me though I do deserve it I do profess my self unworthy but thy condescension in stooping to me will be the more illustrious k Majoris enim pretii beneficium est quod praestatur indignis Salvian and if thou hast less delight in me for the present thou shalt have more glory by me afterwards when thou hast changed my vile body and made it like to thy glorious Body according to thy mighty Power Amen §. 5. Which was given for thee An Act of Love Holy Jesus I am not worthy to touch this blessed Body as it is thine yet I presume to approach because thy Love hath made it mine This is the Sacrifice for my Sins the price of my Redemption and that by which my Soul was ransomed from Hell and rescued from a dreadful Execution it was given for me and it shall now be given to me And hast thou prepared such a propitiation for me and offered it unto me which is dearer to thee than thousands of Gold and Silver Lord I am even ravished with thy Love and transported with affection to thee who hast regarded me a forlorn Creature and disappointed my Enemies that waited to see my fall Dear Saviour I will love thee with all my Powers and strive and pray that I may love thee more and more as fervently as ever any of thy Saints have done I will give my self unto thee and despise all other things in comparison of thee and when I have once tasted of this all-saving Sacrifice which was given for me I am perswaded that neither Life nor Death pleasure nor pain things prâ—sent or things to come shall ever be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Amen §. 6. Preserve thy Body and Soul to Everlasting Life An Act of Desire O my Coelestial food the Bread that came down from Heaven how doth thy sweetness and my own necessities invite me My body alas is liable to temporal my Soul to Eternal Death and behold here is the Medicine of immortality which will remove the sting of the first and destroy the power of the second Death which will fill me with the graces which I want fit me for the glory which I desire and advance my Soul and Body above the power of Corruption I feel a mighty hunger created in me an Appetite kindled after these incomparable dainties which nothing but this Heavenly Manna can satisfie Behold I despise the meat which perisheth and feedeth for destruction and I long with a great impatience to taste of this Body of Christ of which I may eat and live for ever which will make the Grave unable to hold me and Hell not to dare to shut its mouth upon me O make no long tarrying but give me now and ever this Bread for I desire nothing but Christ and if I want this repast I shall faint or die before I come to the Mount of God A Meditation when the Bread is offered to us §. 7. Take and Eat this An Act of Admiration Whence is it that my Lord himself should come to me No sooner doth his voice sound in my ears but my heart within me leaps for joy Oh blessed tidings to my poor Soul almost famished with feeding on husks and vanity faint and languishing with grief and fear and behold thou sayst Take and Eat thou offerest thy self unto me and commandest me to feast upon thy own flesh
back again to thy self better than I received thee There needs no application but that every Communicant do as sincerely make oblation of their Souls and Bodies to God for this the poorest may give and yet this is more acceptable than thousands of Gold and Silver If these reasons do convince us of the justice and the necessity of our making this Oblation we may learn in the next place from the very form in this Prayer how and in what manner it may be done for we are taught therein I. What it is which we must offer viz. our whole selves not only our Bodies but our Souls also n Quodâ—si corpus quo inferiore tanquam famulo utitur anima sacrificium est quanto magis anima ipsa cum se refert ad Deum August Deinde cum plena resignatione integrâ voluntate offer teipsum in honorem nominis mei corpus tuum scil animam mihi fidelitèr câ—mmittendo Tho. à Kemp. de imit Christi l. 4. c. 6. for we consist of both these God hath created and redeemed both and each of them in their capacity can do him service wherefore we must give him both or he will accept neither o Pectora vestra duanon admittentia curas Juven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macrob. Saturn because he hath no equal he will have no Rival All the members of our Bodies and all the powers of our Souls our Limbs and Senses our Will and Affections our Reason and Understanding must be dedicated to him for so long as any of these are under the bondage of sin the rest cannot be intirely the Servants of God Math. 6.24 II. To what end we make this Oblation of our selves First To be a reasonable Sacrifice The offering up of our Souls and Bodies since we are rational Creatures is not like the Sacrifices of brute Beasts by dying but by living agreeable to the will of God and the rules of right reason p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epicharmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat. ap Stobaeum for reason as it is inlightned in us Christians doth direct us to approve of all things that are good and doth attest and confirm the Duties which God requires He therefore makes himself a reasonable Sacrifice who doth live prudently and piously and walk according to the dictates of the best reason he that is religious and just sober and humble meek and patient compassionate and charitable q Qui innocentiam colit Deo supplicat qui justitiam Deo libat qui hominem periculo subtrahit optimam victimam caedit Min. Foelix Vis Deos propitiare bonus esto satis illos coluit quisquis imitatus est Sen. ep 95. for these things are in themselves the most rational and we have the greatest reason and the highest obligations to perform them Secondly We offer our selves to be an Holy Sacrifice that is to be pure and spotless as all those offerings were appointed to be r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · Athenaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · Suidas which were offer'd to the Divine Majesty And as all such offerings were set apart and sanctified never to be accounted the owners Å¿ Nullius autem scil hominis sunt res sacrae religiosae quod enim Divini juris est id nullius in bonis est Justinian instit l. 2. tit 1. Sect. 7. or to be used to any common or prophane use afterwards so when we are purified by the blood of Christ and dedicated to God it is with intent never to use our faculties as the servants of sin nor our members as the instruments of unrighteousness any more Our Eyes must not look towards wantonness our Ears must not hearken to vanity our tongues must not speak lies or slanders our hands must not wrong nor oppress nor our feet spurn the poor neither may our wit or reason our passions or our will be the slaves of Sin hereafter For we are Holy 1 Cor. 3.16 17. and if we unhallow our selves again it is a crime equal to Belshazzers sacrilegious drinking in the holy Vessels of the Temple Thirdly That we may be a Living Sacrifice for we do not vow to kill or destroy our selves as some of the Heathens did in honour to their less-deserving Deities but we resolve to Sacrifice our Lusts t Non enim sicut tunc corpora pro corporibus immolanda sed vitia corporis perimenda sunt S. Ambros in 12. ad Rom. by mortification because so long as they live we are dead to the service of God We engage to be living u Aqua viva Hebr. Dialecto est aqua fontana ebulliens perennis jugitèr manans that is lively and strong vigorous and persevering in all religious duties and that we will perform all kind of good works with such an alacrity as may express life and spirit so that although we do not or cannot return the love of Jesus by dying for him as he hath done for us yet we will live to him and desire our life no longer nor for no other end than to advance his glory and do his blessed pleasure And now if we do so far understand our own interest and are so really weary of the bondage of Satan as to desire and long for a better Master and do wish unfeignedly that we may be accepted as the servants of God let us resign up and dedicate our selves to him in this or the like form An Act of Oblation of our selves or the form of a Vow after the Holy Communion O most merciful Lord God I am amazed at the mighty faâ—â—â—â—s which thou hast shewed to me a sinful wretched Creature I cannot but acknowledge thy goodness although I can make no retribution had I all the World at my disposal I could freely give it all to thee as a testimony of my unfeigned gratitude but I hear thy gracious voice saying My Son give me thy heart It is not mine dearest Lord but me thou seekest sinful and miserable though I am yet I am that purchase for which Jesus hath left his glory laid down his life done and suffered all these things O marvellous condescension I am nothing I have nothing I am void of all good full of evil and deserving thy wrath so that I abhor my self and canst thou delight in me Be it so then for I will dispute no more with unsearchable mercy I believe O my God and wonder I can no longer resist thy condescending and Almighty Love I will with all the joy imaginable give my se f to thee for thou hast but lately restored me to my self Alas I have been a Prisoner to Satan a Slave to Sin and marked for destruction but thou hast procured my Pardon my Liberty and my Life requiring no more for so unexpressible bounty but only that I will intirely become thine Had I the life of an Angel the understanding of a Cherubin or the powers of one of the Heavenly Host
thou dost deserve it all I am sorry I am no better yet such as I am I do most freely surrender my self unto thee both Soul and Body avowing that I will be no more my own but thy servant in all things My understanding shall enquire after thee my will shall chuse thee my affections embrace thee my senses shall obey thee my passions shall be at thy command and my thoughts shall be always of thee O be thou pleased to come and reign over me take possession of me for thou hast won my heart I shall never be my own till thou hast made me thine but if now at last I may be accepted I hope I shall never be so unjust and ungrateful so foolish and absurd so perjured and sacrilegious as to rob thee of my self hereafter or wilfully to prophane my Body or Soul any more It is indeed a miserable gift that I offer a defiled Body a stained Soul and corrupt affections But it is all I have to give and all that thou requirest and it will be freer and better by being thine Let me never have other Master let me never sully that which the blood of Christ hath washed nor sell that to Satan which Jesus hath bought for God Grant me therefore gracious Lord that I may find by the workings of thy spirit within me that thou hast accepted me give me such help from thee to confirm my hope that I may always perform my Vows and never rob thee of that which I have dedicated to thee in the sincerity of my Soul I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous judgments I am thine O save me for thy mercies sake Amen Amen § 6. Humbly beseeching thee that all we who are Partakers of this holy Communion may be full-filled with thy grace and Heavenly Benediction There are too many who are forward enough to promise great things w 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylac in Math. 20. while their zeal is warm which they either do not intend or do not take care to perform x Quid enim est turpin◠quam promittere quae praestare aut nolis per ignaviam aut non possis per imbecilitatem Drus But the sincere Christian is not more ready to make his Vow than diligent to keep it wherefore he considers that this will prove but a vain oblation unless he can obtain the divine grace and Benediction to enable him to perform it and accordingly his next care is to pray most earnestly for the aid of Heaven both for himself and his Brethren We may perhaps be too confident and secure imagining the evil spirit to be cast out and both Soul and Body consecrated unto God but alas how easily may the Enemy return and recover his hold if the grace of God do not preserve us Let us therefore now consider how prudently we have made this vow and how blessed we may be in keeping it let us remember how often we have formerly been surprized and what danger there is of future failings and finally let us think how impossible it is to stand without the assistance of the holy Spirit and then doubtless we shall hunger and thirst after Righteousness and accordingly as he hath promised we shall be filled Math. 5.6 We shall not ask riches honours or pleasures for we have renounced them all but above all things we shall desire the grace of God and his blessing whereby we may have power to keep our Covenant with him made upon the blood of Jesus and this is that request which the Lord delights to hear and which now we have most need to make and doubtless if we be sincere it shall be granted to which purpose we may add this supplication as the enlargement of the preceeding Petition Behold O blessed Jesus how many of thy redeemed ones are here returned to their duty and allegiance we have all vowed our selves thy servants but we do yet tremble in expectation of those most furious assaults which will be made upon us by the Enemy from whom we have withdrawn and Alas we have too often returned again to folly But if thou pleasest to plant thy grace within us and send thy blessing upon us we fear not his policy nor his power We have received that heavenly food which is the means to convey this grace and we know that by this Coelestial Remedy many of thy servants have been dreadful to the powers of darkness and thou didst never cast off any humble Soul O bless then this life-giving mystery unto us that we may find such power and strength such courage and resolution flowing from thence that we may all stand firm to the purposes which we have made Sweetest Saviour we are now thy servants and O what quiet and comfort what safety and joy what honour and pleasure have we under so gracious a Lord how happy shall we be in enjoying a freedom from Anger and Intemperance Malice and Revenge Pride and Covetousness and all the furies which use to torture us O mark us for thine own therefore and deny us not that grace which is necessary to make thee ours and us to be thine if we feel not some effects thereof we shall sink and die for fear lest thou hast rejected us and our Oblation But who did ever seek thee and did not find who ever trusted in thee and was forsaken or why should we suspect thou shouldst make us the first instances of such a severity We are sure in thee all fulness of grace doth dwell O let it now overflow that of thy fulness we may all receive so shall we daily and always perform our Vows Amen § 7. And although we be unworthy through our manifold sins to offer unto thee any Sacrifice yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service not weighing our merits but pardoning our offences To offer up the Sacrifice of Praise is properly the imployment of an Angel and to make whole Burnt-Offerings was the Office of the sacred Order alone But we Christians are every one so far become Priests as to be allowed to come near to Gods Altar and there we are admitted to offer the incense of our Praises and to make our selves a living Sacrifice Yet the more favour we have the more humility we should express because we are unworthy of it and we must not let our presumption grow upon the stock of the divine condescension Let us remember therefore that Aarons Motto was Holiness to the Lord Exod. 39.30 and that God destroyed his two Sons for making bold to offer unworthily declaring thereby that he would be sanctified in those that came near to him Levit. 10.3 so that we had need be exceeding humble and with all possible lowliness confess our unworthiness for alas we have been Enemies and Rebels treacherous and unfaithful full of vain thoughts and vile affections all which is most apparent to him before whom we stand so that we may justly
pleasures of sin 2. It is most base ingratitude to the goodness of God and the love of Jesus to part with these tokens of the divine favour so easily It was censured as an infamous Act in that Epicurean Philosopher whom Athenaeus speaks of l. 5. who having obtained of the Syrian King the priviledge to wear a Purple Robe and a Golden Coronet and to be stiled the Priest of Virtue gave all these soon after to his Courtezan and she was seen publickly wearing the Ensigns of his Honour Yet it is far baser so cheaply to give up the Testimonies of Heavens Love How vile a wretch is he that when his wounds are healed and his Peace made with God will tear them open again and renew the breach so lately made up What can be more horrid than to throw those Souls willfully into the Portion of Devils which Jesus hath with so much sweat and blood rescued from thence 3. It is the immediate way to utter destruction for what can save such an one who is so desperately in love with sin that no mercy can oblige him to leave it no vows hold him from it And as those who at their Baptism were dispossest of evil Spirits upon their return to iniquity were as St. Cyprian notes possessed again c Recedente siquidem disciplina recessit gratia Cypr. ep 75. Ingens periculum ad deteriora redeundi Sen. ep 72. Math. 12.45 So we may be assured the Devil will with more strength return upon those who do wilfully or carelesly relapse after this sacred Communion and they will become more wicked and more hardened than ever And why should God withhold such a person from destruction who despiseth his favour and is weary of the Company of Jesus and longs to be in a state of Evil. To this might be added that to fall off now will shew that the whole Duty was feigned and hypocritical and will cause God scarce ever to be willing to give us grace again if we thus abuse this and it will shew we hate the ways of God when we cannot endure to be tyed to them But I hope this will suffice to convince us of the sin and danger of not continuing in this fellowship and of neglecting to do those good works which God requireth Wherefore to assist our resolutions of perseverance let us observe carefully these few directions 1. Immediately after we return from the Lords Table we must not entertain any business or Company until we have first seriously considered the happiness of our present Estate as to the comfort the hopes and the peace which we now feel and then to consider the folly and the danger of quitting so desirable a condition and this we must meditate upon until we see it is our wisdom our interest and greatest advantage to continue in this blessed Society and these good ways where we may be so easie so safe and so rewarded For many part with their comfort before they ever considered the value thereof 2. Be sure immediately to beg of God as this Petition teacheth the assistance of his Grace to which purpose the annexed form may be used and to excite our devotion let us sadly reflect upon our former backslidings and that we have the same frail nature d Multos impedit à firmitate praesumptio firmitatis Aug. de verb. Dom. 13. our Enemies the same power and policy and greater malice still and if we can pray heartily for grace to be good it is a great assurance that we do sincerely desire to be good e Justa vita cum volumus adest quia ipsum plane velle justitia est August ep 45. And it is the beginning of grace to wish earnestly for it f Vt ergo desideremus adjutorium gratiae hoc ipsum quoque opus est gratiae ipsa namque incipit infundi ut incipiat posci idem Yea we serve such a Master as will be pleased if we do what we can and ask of him what we cannot do though we do not all we should Only it must be remembred that we must not only pray for perseverance just now but every day of our life also afterwards 3. Let us presently begin to do these good works and to perform our Vows while our hearts are warm with these flames for to morrow we shall be less able and perhaps less willing and if we go not forward we shall go backward g Vnum è duobus necesse erit aut semper proficere aut prorsus deficere Bern. divers 36. And by doing Acts of Religion and Vertue that will be pleasant and easie which was thought difficult h Quem unquam ista destituêre tentantem cui non faciliora in Actu apparuêre Non quia difficilia sunt non audemus sed quia non audemus difficilia Senec. ep 104. only because we had not tryed it Besides by denying our desires once or twice we shall perceive how much easier and sweeter it is to deny a Lust than to satisfie it and by the success of these first attempts we shall both give Experiment of the grace received and have somewhat wherewith to upbraid our Souls afterwards if we grow remiss 4. When we feel our zeal to cool our devotion to decay when we find our selves less sensible of former sins and that we begin to abate of our watchfulness and care we must renew our Addresses to these Mysteries for if we receive this Sacrament carefully and often it is the best means to make us persevere and so it must never be omitted too long together A Supplication for the Grace of Perseverance Blessed Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith who art the same yesterday to day and for ever thou hast given spiritual meat to those that fear thee and wilt ever be mindful of thy Covenant But my goodness is as a Morning Cloud which soon passeth my devotion fleeth like a shadow and never continueth in one stay O do thou establish me with thy free spirit that I may not so easily forfeit my Comfort forget my Duty and break my Vows as I have formerly done How unwearied art thou dearest Saviour in doing well unto me how constant in thy love how amiable and attractive are thy endless and unalterable Mercies And shall I be so ungrateful to thee and so Cruel to my self to forsake thee and my own happiness Alas I justly suspect my own weakness I fear the power and policy of my Enemies I do with shame and sorrow call to mind my former returns to folly and I do most passionately entreat thee not to leave me to my self I have through thy goodness now obtained some measures of peace and comfort my eyes are inlightned my heart is revived my hopes are quickned and my purposes seem to be sincere O grant that I may be as careful to keep these as I have been earnest to obtain them that when I find the pleasure of thy service I may be
may fitly be used when we fear or feel any Temptation to Sin as the other when we apprehended any danger For so long as our hearts and bodies are kept in the ways of Righteousness we may be assured of universal and continual safety The Paraphrase of the Second Prayer O Almighty Lord Eternal and Everlasting God whose Power is infinite and always the same Remember the frailty of us thy finite Creatures and vouchsafe we beseech thee to keep us wholly and throughout h 1 Thessal 5.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl Direct by thy Wisdom sanctifie by thy grace and govern by thy Providence both the affections of our hearts where sin is wont to begin i Spiritus enim dominatur caro famulatur Tertul. de Bapt. and the members of our Bodies by which it is too often accomplished Keeping them both in the right and pleasant ways of thy Laws assisting them in the duties and in the holy and good works of thy Commandments Let us never stray from thy sure paths so that through thy most mighty Protection which is always over those that are exercised in well-doing Both here in this present life and ever hereafter We may be preserved from all sin and danger and kept safe both in Body and Soul until we come to thy Kingdom Which we beg through his merits who is our Lord to govern us and our Saviour to deliver us even for Iesus Christ his sake Amen III. A Prayer for a Blessing upon the Word of God § 4. This short Collect is of excellent use after the Sermon or Lessons in publick as also when the Scripture hath been read in private And because it is not the hearing of Gods word with our Ears but the engrafting it in our hearts James 1.21 which makes it powerful to our Salvation we ought always after it to pray as here 1. That it may take root in our hearts 2. That it may spring forth in our lives The Paraphrase of the third Prayer O Lord we have brought forth little fruit of all the excellent things which we have hitherto heard Grant we beseech thee therefore O Almighty God who only givest increase to this spiritual Seed k 1 Corinth 3.6 Cathedram in coelo habet qui corda docet Aug. in Ep. Johan That the words which we have heard this day Preached or read out of holy Scripture with our outward Ears which are so apt to let good things slip l Nec retinent patulae commissa fidelitèr aures Pauci illam quam conceperunt mentem domum perferre potuerunt Sen. ep 108. even that they may through the working of thy Grace which quickens all things be so grafted and planted m James 1.23 Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syriac plantatum benè nam Verbum Dei saepe confertur semini Math. 13. c. inwardly in our very hearts and affections that they may never be forgotten but take root there and bring forth in us so plentifully that our whole Conversation may abound in the fruit n Coloss 1.6 James 1.22 of good works Which blessed effect of thy Word we pray for because it will not only tend to our benefit but to the spreading of the Honour and setting forth the Praise of thy Name who hast so happily reformed our ways Do thou therefore thus teach us through the merits and for the sake of Iesus Christ our Lord be it so Amen IV. A Prayer for Success in all our actions § 5. If we acknowledge Gods Providence we must undertake nothing till we have first asked his Counsel to direct us o Ita Scipio referente Plutar. Et ap Platon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Timae and as we go on we must call for his assistance to further us and when we have done we must wait for his blessing to Crown all with success All which we are taught to do in this compendious and pious form which is never unseasonable but very fit to be used especially in the Morning before we begin our work The Paraphrase of the fourth Prayer O God our ways are not in our own Power p Jer. 10.23 wherefore we commit them to thee who art able to bring them to pass q Psal 37.5 And be thou pleased to Prevent r Prevent vex media Psal 88.13 in malo sensu Psal 18.18 in bono 21.3 Psal 59.10 Bonitas tua O Deus meus antevertat Vulg. praeveniet me Vatabl. Psal 79.10 Vulg. Antevertat nos Misericordia tua Vide item Hammond Psal 21. ver 3. Annot. b. us O Lord before we expect it in the beginning of all our doings and come early to meet us before hand with thy most gracious savour so that we may begin things pleasing and then as we go on further us all the way with thy continual help And leave us not till we have accomplished them by thy prospering our endeavours Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demosthen Olynth 2. So that in the performance of all our works since they are Begun by thee and thy direction continued through thee and thy assistance and ended t Hinc omne principium huc refer exitum Horat. Carm. l. 3. Od. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in thee and with thy blessing We may have continual cause to glorifie and speak good of thy holy Name when we find how we prosper by trusting in thee And finally having advanced thy Glory in this short life let us though unworthy and without any merit in our selves yet by thy mercy obtain that everlasting life where we may praise thee for ever through Iesus Christ our Lord for whose sake we beseech thee to hear us Amen V. A Prayer to supply the defects of our other Devotions § 6. When St. Paul had asked all he could for his Ephesians he commits them to him that was able to do more for them than he could ask or think u Ephes 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl And from thence we have taken this suppletory Prayer being very proper for the beginning or ending of publick or private Supplications because it sets before us 1. The incomparable Wisdom of God 2. Our own Imperfections And thence deduceth 1. A general Petition for Compassion as to all the defects of our Prayers 2. A particular request for the adding of that which we omitted The Paraphrase of the fifth Prayer x Note this Prayer is very proper to be said to our selves when we kneel down at our first coming into the Church to Prayers O Almighty God the Original of all Power and the fountain of all Wâ—sâ—om y Proverbs 2.6 We make not our Prayers to instruct thee z Math. 6.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl who knowest our necessities and all our wants before we ask of thee to supply them And who discernest our Ignorance and folly in asking hurtful things because we do not well know what is good for ourselves
est sed tibi gratia cui gratia est ipsa justitia Aug. ep 105. ad Sixt. Presb. yet shall be bestowed by the Mercy of the Master upon all that are so qualified Let us then earnestly beseech this blessed Lord who is the Fountain of eternal goodness and doth govern and dispose of all things to give abundant grace to this his new Servant so that it may have the comfort of these graces here and the reward of them hereafter through his Mercy which Crowneth in us that which he hath first given to us for Jesus sake Amen §. 2. The Prayer of Consecration Almighty and everliving God whose most dearly beloved Son Iesus Christ c. The word of God teacheth us that the World was darkness and a Chaos until the Spirit moved upon the face of the Waters Gen. 1.2 from whence the rude and indigested matter received a quickning influence which produced that beauty and order which we now behold And as it was in the first Creation and Generation of all things so it is in the new Creation and Regeneration of a Christian the Spirit moving upon the Waters of Baptism giveth Light and Life and bringeth in order and comeliness instead of the confusion and darkness which Sin had caused wherefore since there is so great a work to be done by the Spirit we must most humbly beseech that the holy Spirit may return to its antient seat as Tertullian speaks It is true our Lord Jesus did sanctifie Water in general to the mystical washing away of Sin but when this particular Water is to be used in so sacred a Ministry and to so admirable purposes it is necessary it should first be sanctified by the word of God and Prayer 1 Timoth. 4.5 that is by repeating the Words of Christs Institution and by Petitioning for the descent of the Holy Spirit which are the two Parts of this Prayer Yet if any shall ask why we Consecrate the Water and where we have an express command in Scripture for it S. Basil g Benedicimus Aquam baptismatis ex quâ autem Scripturâ nonne ex tacitâ traditione Basil de Spir. Sanc. cap. 27. Answers We do this as well as many other weighty things because of the Constant Tradition and continual Practice of the Church which is a sufficient Warrant in matters so reasonable and pious as this is Now that the Primitive Christians did always use a Prayer for the Consecrating of the Water doth appear by many Witnesses h Oportet vero mundari sanctificari Aqua priùs à sacerdote ut possit baptismo suo peccata hominis qui baptizatur abluere Cypr. l. 1. ep 21. Venit sacerdos Precem dicit ad fontem invocavit Patris nomen Praesentiam filii Spiritûs Sancti Vtitur verbis coelestibus Quod baptizemus in Nomine Patris Filii Spiritûs Sancti Ambros de sacr l. 2. c. 5. In Ecclesia Aqua sacerdotis prece sanctificatur Aug. de bapt in Donat. and which is more their Prayer did consist of two principal Parts as ours also doth viz. 1. The repetition of Christs Word Math. 27.19 and a Petition for the Holy Spirit Only the present form is somewhat fuller having First a Typical Allusion as to the Original of Baptism Secondly A recital of the Institution thereof Thirdly A double request grounded on these premises 1. For the sanctifying of the Water 2. For the right disposition of the Child to receive the benefits conveyed thereby 1. This great Petition is introduced by remembring a remarkable passage in the Passion of Christ viz. the flowing of blood and Water from his holy side as he was hanging on the Cross which the Fathers say was from no natural cause but that it was miraculous and a mystery designed to signifie that as Sin had entred into the World by the Woman made by a wound in Adams side So Salvation came in by the two Sacraments of Water and Blood i Aqua ad lavacrum sanguis ad potum Ambros de virgin ad Marcellin l. 3. idem in Luc. 23. de Sacram. l. 5. c. 1. item Tertul. de bapt c. 16. which flowed from the side of the second Adam and therefore we follow Antiquity in this application and encourage our selves to expect great things from him whose suffering did occasion this Mystery and who poured out his hearts blood for us 2. Our Lord did not only figure this Sacrament in a mystical manner but after his Resurrection by a plain and express Commission made it a perpetual Sanction That all Nations should be Baptized in the Name of the Father c. Math. 28.19 Wherefore since it is by his Command that we go about this Mystery we do repeat the Words of our Commission to shew that we expect the inward part and the efficacy of all from him who set us upon the work And since he is God blessed for ever and now also glorified and invested with all Power in Heaven and Earth Math. 28.18 we believe his words k Accedat verbum ad Elementum fit Sacramentum Augustin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dictum Oraculi Pythii ap Herodot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo de sacrif Abel are sufficient to effect whatsoever he would have done in Baptism There are many believe that in this as well as the other Sacrament the Consecration is made by the divine efficacy of the words of Christ Yet that we may not rest in the repetition of the Syllables only 3. Here is added the requests of the whole Congregation who are all bound to join in this great request that it may be the more prevalent when so many who are already Christian do beg the holy Spirit for the making these Waters effectual to the party now to be baptized And the two former particulars do add much strength to this Petition which we may thus Express O thou who didst so livelily typifie this sacred Ordinance in thy Passion and so plainly institute it after thy Resurrection let us not want thy Presence and thy influence now that we are going about it by express Commission from thee Behold we do all unite our most fervent desires that thou wilt by this Water effect that which far transcends all humane Power Amen Now the things desired are two First That whereas this which we have provided is but common Water yet upon our humble supplication he will send down his Holy Spirit upon it l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Catech. 3. Ita de sancto viz. Spiritu sanctificata natura aquarum ipsa sanctificare concepit Tertul. de bapt c. 4. that it may signifie operate and effect all that ever any Soul received in this holy Laver and convey all the blessings of Baptism unto this Child We do not desire nor expect the Water should be changed in substance but only sanctifyed to a new purpose and impregnated with a spiritual property for the mystical washing away of Sin And
if the holy Dove did descend in the Baptism of Jesus who had no need of cleansing we hope by the devout Prayers of the Church it will be sent to these Waters which are to be used for the purifying of a Soul most miserably defiled Secondly We pray for suitable dispositions in the suscipient as well as spiritual efficacy in the instrument that not only this Water may be hallowed to convey but this Child fitted to receive abundance of Grace at present and may keep the blessings for ever which are now bestowed on it There are too many whose names are written in the Catalogue of Christians yea and their names written it seems in the Book of Life who yet are blotted out again because of their Apostasie Revel 22.19 Chap. 3.5 m A sanctitate ad immunditiam à justitiâ ad iniquitatem à fide ad impietatem multos transire dubium non est Prosper resp ad objec 3. and lose their Crown n Revel 3.2 Dominus non minaretur auferri posse coronam justitiae nisi quia recedente justitiâ recessit corona Cyprian de un Eccles Wherefore we pray that this Child may not only be admitted into the number of Gods chosen ones but may make its calling and election sure by adorning this Faith into which it is baptized with Virtue and all holy Conversation 2 Peter 1.5.10 Many have received abundance of Grace in this holy Laver here they have been adopted and have persevered in that blessed estate to their lives end and we wish this Child may receive as much as any ever received use it as well as ever any used it and keep it as long as ever any kept it Amen § 3 4. The Naming and Baptizing of the Child Name the Child N. All things being thus Prepared when we see the Minister take the Infant in his Arms it should mind us of the mercy of Jesus who in like manner embraced those that were brought unto him and we are to hope that he will as lovingly receive the Soul thereof as his Minister doth the body And now the time is come to give it a new name Nature hath taught the most barbarous Nations to impose Names on their Children for distinction and among the Civilized part of the Heathen World the Name was given upon a certain day o Alexander ab Alexand genial Dier l. 2. c. 25. Varro l. 17. Nominalia Romanis dicuntur either the Seventh Eighth Ninth or Tenth according to custom of several places But always with great solemnity and among the Grecians not without a Sacrifice The Jews it is well known named the Child at Circumcision Gen. 21.2 3. Luke 1.59 60. Chap. 2.21 and therefore the Christians named theirs at Baptism Alluding to that new name which Jesus promiseth to give to his Servants Revel 2.17 Yea even Persons of riper Years did commonly change their Names as St. Ambrose saith Saul did in Baptism change his name to Paul Acts 13.9 p At ubi pluvia super eum lavacri coelestis influxit necatur persecutor necatur Saulus vivificatur Apostolus vivificatur Paulus usque adeo autem perdidit veterem hominem ut cum moribus mutaret nomen Ambros Dom. 1. Quadrag ser 2. Ordine 31. The like might be shewed in many others especially where they had names before taken from any Idol or relating to false Gods For it was forbid by Christian Councils q Concil Nicaen can 30. to give Heathen Names to Children or others but rather to give them the Name of some Apostle or Saint not that there is any fortune or merit in the name it self but that so the party may be stirred up to imitate the Example of that holy Person whose name he bears Now this Name though it may be privately resolved upon by the Relations Gen. 28.29 Ruth 4.18 yet it must be dictated by the Godfather the Witness of this new birth the Surety who engageth it shall lead a new life and then solemnly given by the Minister because he is in Gods stead who we hope will give it a new nature also We derive one name together with our original guilt from our Parents which ought to humble us and mind us of our being born in Sin But this new name we receive at the time of our Regeneration to admonish us of our new Birth and our Heavenly Kindred This Christian Name was given us when we were listed under Christs Banner and it is a badge that we belong to God so that as often as we hear it we should remember the Vow then made in our behalf The Custom of old was to write the Souldiers name upon his Shield r Inde prodiit jus imaginum nomina militum clypeis inscripta Forerius in leg 95. Vide Veget. de re militari l. 2. c. 28. by which he was engaged in honour not to lose that Shield unless he lost his life Even so hath God given us our Name and our Faith together so that if we Apostatize our Name will be our Eternal Infamy We have a new Name let us walk worthy of it and lead a new life ſ Reatus impii est pium nomen Salvian de Prov. l. 4. Cura esse quod audis Horat. Epist 16. Nomen tuum attende esto quod diceris Hieron ad Paul either striving to make our name Exemplary if there have been no Saint of it or else labouring to be like those of our Ancestors Luke 1.59 Vide Grot. in locum or of Gods Saints who have worn it worthily before us so shall it be recorded not only in the Churches Register but in the Book of Life and stand there for ever Amen §. 4. The form of Baptism N. I Baptize thee In the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen After the Name is given there are three things considerable in the performance of this Holy Ministration 1. The Person who baptizeth 2. The Words 3. The Actions used in Baptizing 1. He that doth Baptize ought to be a lawful Minister for Christ gave this Commission only to the Apostles joining the Office of Preaching together with it so that unordained Persons may as well presume to preach as to Baptize t Petulantia autem mulieris quae usurpavit docere non etiam tinguendi jus sibi pariet Tert. de bapt c. 17. And therefore the Church of old forbad Women to baptize u Mulier baptizare non praesumat Conc Carthag 4. Can. 100. quibu◠Gratian P. Lomb. de suo addunt nisi cogente necessitate and Epiphanius accounts it ridiculous in Marcion and his followers to permit Women to do this Office w Epiphan Panar lib. 1. tom 3. haeres 42. So that our Church requires it be done by a lawful Minister I know there are some allegations out of Antiquity which seem to allow of a Lay-Man to Baptize in Cases of great necessity But there are others
there is no impediment we may then very justly receive them into our Communion and sign them with the cognizance of Christs Religion as we do in this present Form 1. By Words 2. By a Sign concluding Thirdly with a practical Application 1. The Words are a solemn Proclamation made by a Sacred Herald according to the Custom in humane Creations Investitures and Admissions to Honourable Orders declaring the party is now and ought to be reputed a Christian and this ought to be spoken with a loud voice that all the Congregation may rejoice in beholding one more listed under Jesus Christ Now if we seek any Precedent for this in Scripture methinks it may very well be deduced from that solemn Proclamation made by God the Father immediately after the Baptism of Jesus Christ Math. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased As he by the Master so we by the Servant are declared to belong to God He as his own only-begotten Son we as adopted by him into the Family of our Heavenly Father Again St. Paul speaking of the Ephesians who were baptized which is meant by their being raised up together in Christ c Ephes 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylac in loc he declareth that whereas they were before Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and Strangers to the Covenant of Promise ver 12. they were now become fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God ver 19. Our Lord Jesus hath rescued this poor Soul from the Bondage of Satan he hath found this strange and straying Sheep and hath sent it home wherefore let us joyfully receive it The Church on Earth is compared to the Moon daily diminishing and encreasing we see many of our Brethren do die and are parted from us but God hath now filled the vacant places and by these continual accessions the visible Church shall be continued to the end of the World Our Saviour himself is the great Shepheard but under him the Pastors of the flock of Christ are to admit the Sheep into his Fold and accordingly the Priest here saith We receive c. and withal sets the mark of Christ upon the new Baptized Person declaring by Actions as well as Words the self-same thing Even that this Person is of the Religion of Jesus Christ and one of the Society that do profess the same But because this Signing with the sign of the Cross hath been scrupled by some and reviled by others as abominable superstition c. I will endeavour somewhat more fully to vindicate the Church in this particular and to give satisfaction to those whose prejudice hath not made them inflexible 2. The Sign which is Ordered to be annexed to the foregoing Words is the Sign of the Cross which seems designed from the beginning to some great mystery for not to mention that it is the figure of Mans Body when the Arms are Extended we find that God did chuse it to be the mark which should be set upon those who should be saved from a common Destruction Ezek. 9. ver 4. And though the Rabbins the sworn Enemies of the Cross do expound the Hebrew word Tau there to signifie a mark I see no reason why the Christians should follow them having Translators d Omnem autem super quem videris Thau non occidetur Vulg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquil. Theod. ita Explicat Tertul. in Marcion l. 3. c. 22. Origen Homil. de Epiphan Hieronym in loc c. and the most learned Fathers against them particularly St. Jerome affirming that it signifies the letter Thau which in the old Samaritan Alphabet had the form of a Cross even as Τ among the Greeks which it may be from thence was the mark of the Living and Τ was set in the Muster-roll after a Battel against the names of the living e Sixt. Senens bibliothec l. 2. Thau as θ was against the names of the slain And further it is very remarkable what is related in the Church History f Ruffin Eccl. Histor l. 11. cap. 29. Socr. l. 5. cap. 17. Sozom. l. 7. cap. 15. Niceph. l. 21. c. 16. Isidore l. 1. Orig c. 3. and observed by others g Hor. Apollo Hieroglyph cum notis Nicolai Caussini That one straight line upright and another transverse was an Eminent Hieroglyphick among the Aegyptians and signified sometimes the one upholder of all things sometimes Eternal Life which was so well known to the Worshipers of Serapis at Alexandria that when they saw this Figure of the Cross so often used by the Christians they did many of them believe by remembring the Antient signification of the Cross among them supposing it was a mysterious prediction that the Christians were the Servants of the one true God and were in the right way to Eternal Life But to come nearer when our Blessed Redeemer had expiated the Sins of the World upon the Cross the Primitive Disciples of his Religion who as Minutius Foelix affirms did not worship the Cross yet they did assume that figure as the Badge of Christianity and long before material Crosses were in use they did with their finger make this sign either in the Air or upon their Foreheads or Breasts in their rising up and lying down going out and coming in in washing eating c. as might abundantly be proved out of Tertullian St. Basil Cyril and many others but only that it is too evident to be denied wherefore we must condemn the purest Ages of the Church if we shall censure the making this sign to be idolatrous or superstitious and it may be become injurious to the Spirit of God who did work many Miracles in the first Centuries by the sign of the Cross as is apparent to all that are versed in the History of those Times All this is confessed by many who yet pretend that it was not used in Baptism although they alledge no sufficient reason why they might not have used it there as well as upon all other occasions But as to the matter of fact it seems to me very plain that the sign of the Cross was used in Baptism also for Lactantius speaking of the Converted Heathens saith They came under the Wings of Jesus and did receive his great and noble sign upon their Foreheads which like the blood on the Lintel causeth the destroying Angel to pass over h Lactant. Instit l. 4. c. 27. yea he calls a Christian one with a signed forehead And Tertullian i Mithra signat illic in frontibus milites suos Tertul. de praeser adv haer c. 40. saith that Satan not only imitated the Christians in the washing but the signing his Souldiers in the forehead which shews it to have been then a known rite of Christianity St. Basil also affirms it to be an antient tradition to sign those with the sign of the Cross who had placed their hope in Christ k Basil de Sp. S. c. 27. that is
Fathers or our Brethren SECT III. The Close and Consequents after Baptism §. 1. The Exhortation to the Congregation SEeing now Dearly Beloved Brethren that this Child is regenerate c. We must not presently turn our backs upon God so soon as the Holy Rite is finished but compleat the Solemnity by Thanksgiving and Prayer and that we may do both not only with the Spirit but with Understanding the Minister doth here teach us what must be the Subjects of our Praises and Petitions 1. Our Praises must look back upon the Grace already shewed and the benefits which are already given to this Infant which are principally two 1. Internally it is regenerated 2. Externally it is grafted into Christs Church for which we must give hearty thanks to Almighty God To which we must add 2. Our Prayers which must look forward upon the grace which will be needful to enable it to live answerable to this Estate into which it is admitted and this we must beg of Almighty God also or else the former blessings will be altogether in vain Now all this is so plain that no more would need to be added but only that some with Nicodemus are apt to say How can these things be John 3.9 judging it impossible that so great a matter as regeneration can be effected so soon and by so mean an instrument b Simplicitas sacramenti quibusdam derogat effectûs fidem cum sumptu plurimo pompis idolorum arcana sibi authoritatem conciliant Tertul. de Bapt. as they account it whereas the effect is to be ascribed to the Divine Power of the Author not to the intrinsick efficacy of the outward means Yet in regard we can never bless God heartily for a mercy unless we believe he hath bestowed it we must labour to remove these scruples by a fuller Account of this Baptismal Regeneration that we may not withhold the divine praises by our doubting and unbelief The word Regeneration is but twice that I know of used in Scripture first Math. 19.28 Ye that have followed me in the Regeneration where though by altering the point followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man c. it may signifie in the Resurrection yet as we read it signifies the renewing of men by the Gospel and Baptism Secondly Titus 3.5 he saved us by the Laver of Regeneration b Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per Lavacrum Regenerationis Vulg. Syr. Vatab. Beza and renewing of the Holy Ghost which is a Paraphrase upon that of our Saviour John 3. Except a man be born of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God ver 5. And because Persons come to Age before their Conversion are first taught and perswaded by the Word of God the Language of Holy Writ enlarges the Metaphor and saith such are Begotten by the Word of God 1 Cor. 4.15 and then Born again or Regenerated in Baptism In like manner speak the Fathers who do constantly and unanimously affirm that we are Regenerated in or by Baptism c In novam vitam lavacro aquae salutaris animatus Cyprian de seipso ep 2. ad Donat. Regeneratione coelesti Christo consurreximus lib. de zel livor Lavacrum inde Dionysius vocat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Ambr. de Sacram. l. 3. c. 1. So that we must next enquire wherein this Regeneration doth consist And first whereas both Children and those of riper years are by nature dead in Sin so that they lie under the guilt and power thereof our gracious Father doth here in Baptism Seal a Covenant with us wherein he promiseth to pardon them and when this deadly load is removed the Soul receives as it were a new life and takes new hopes and Courage being restored to the divine favour and being set free from the sad expectations of unavoidable condemnation for former sin Original in Infants and both it and Actual in those of riper years Before this Covenant we were dead in Law and by the Pardon of our Sins we are begotten again to a lively hope and herein stands the first particular of our Regeneration viz. in the Remission of Sins wherefore both Scripture and Antiquity d Luke 3.3 Acts 2.38 Chap. 22 16. Omnem autem enormitatem sceleris baptismi sacramenta diluunt teach us that Baptism is the means for Remission of Sin and hence they join Pardon and Regeneration commonly together e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Catech 2. because this forgiveness puts us into a new Estate and an excellent condition in comparison of that which our natural Birth had left us in 2. But further by Baptism we gain new Relations and old things being done away all things become new Hence the Jews called their Proselytes New-born Children because they forsook all their Heathen Kindred so we although we do not renounce our Earthly Parents because they also are Christian yet we gain new Alliances for God hereby doth become our Father and Jesus our Master and all the Saints both in Heaven and Earth our Brethren so that it is as if we were born over again since Baptism doth intitle us to this Coelestial Kindred But this is not all For Thirdly Our corrupt nature is changed in Baptism and there is a renovation effected thereby both as to the mortification of the old affections and the quickning of the new by the Holy Spirit which is hereby given to all that put no bar or impediment unto it This was the Antient Doctrine who affirmed a real Change to be wrought f Da injustum insipientem peccatorem continuò aequus prudens innocens erit uno enim lavacro malitia omni◠abolebitur Lact. Inst 3. 26. Vndae genitalis auxilio superioris aevi labe detersâ in expiatum pectus purum desuper lumen infudit Cypr. de seipso 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril catech 3. and believed the Spirit to be therein bestowed as God had promised Ezek. 36.25 26. That he would sprinkle clean Water upon them and they should be clean from all their filthiness and then a new heart would he give them and put a new Spirit within them And it is manifest that in the first Ages of the Church there was abundance of gifts and graces miraculously bestowed upon Christians in their Baptism and no doubt if the Catechumens of our days who are of Age would prepare themselves as strictly by Repentance Fasting and Prayer as they of old did they should find incomparable effects of this sacred Laver if not in as miraculous measures yet to as real purposes that is they should be truly regenerated and their hearts changed by the influence of the Divine Spirit But some may doubt whether Infants be regenerate in this sense because they are not capable of giving any Evidences of their receiving the Spirit nor doth there any immediate effects of their Regeneration appear hence the
Pelagians denied it but they are therefore condemned by the Milevitan Council Can. 2. and confuted by St. Augustine ad Bonif. l. 3. It is confest they can shew no visible signs of spiritual life in the operations thereof no more can they of their having a rational Soul for some time and yet we know they have the power of reason within them and since all Infants are alike either all do here receive a Principle of New Life or none receive it wherefore I see no reason why we may not believe as the Antients did that Gods Grace which is dispensed according to the Capacity of the Suscipient is here given to Infants to heal their nature and that he bestoweth on them such measures of his Spirit as they can receive for the malignant effects of the first Adams sin are not larger than the free gift obtained by the second Adams righteousness Rom. 5.15.18 And if it be asked how it comes to pass then that so many Children do afterwards fall off to all impurity I answer so do too many grown Persons also and neither Infants nor Men are so regenerated in this life as absolutely to extinguish the concupiscence for the flesh still will lust against the Spirit g Baptizatus caret quidem omni peccato sed non omni malo remanet siquidem concupiscentia Aug. advers Julian Dimittitur concupiscentia carnis non ut non sit sed ut in peccatum non imputetur id de Bapt. Concup l. 1. c. 5. ad agonèm manet non consentientibus nihil omnino nocitura idem de remiss l. 2. c. 4. but then God gives the Spirit also to lust against the flesh Gal. 5. He leaves the Corruption to try and exercise us but so that he engageth to enable us to get the better through this new nature planted in us if we will improve it and follow the Dictates of his holy Spirit but by neglect or wilful complying with the flesh we may lose this grace again Our Gracious Father hath already done his part and will do it more and more as the Child shall be capable and willing to receive it and if this seem strange to any whose Opinions are taken up from later Definitions of Regeneration let them dispute with holy Cyprian not with me who saith h Eadem gratia spiritualis quae aequalitèr in Baptismo à credentibus sumitur in conversatione atque actu nostro postmodum vel minuitur vel augetur Cypr. ep 76. ad Magnum The Grace of God is equally distributed in Baptism but it may either be diminished or encreased afterward by our Acts and Conversation The sum is That Baptism doth seal a Pardon to us for all former Transgression and begets us again to the hope of Eternal Life that it restores us to the favour of God and gives us a new Relation to him and finally it heals our nature by the Spirit hereby conveyed to us and though all this be upon condition of our keeping our part of the Covenant yet that makes not Gods mercy less nor ought it to diminish any of our Praises but only it must make our Prayers at present more earnest and the Childs care hereafter more strict to make this its calling and Election sure This is I hope the sense of our Church as well as of the Primitive and if so it will not be material to a judicious Christian for any to say it doth not agree to some modern Systems The other Parts of this Exhortation we shall not need further to explain here because we mentioned them in the begining and there are no objections against them and they are all repeated in the ensuing Collect where we will speak more practically of them §. 2. Of the Lords Prayer Our Father which art in Heaven c. Whensoever we pray we are Commanded to say Our Father Luke 11.2 because whatsoever we need is comprized in that divine form and when this leads the way it prepares God to hear all the rest giving efficacy to them and supplying the defects of them But still we must apply it to the present occasion And now let us consider we could never say Our Father with respect to this Infant before whereas the whole Congregation being about to Petition for this new Member of their Society and lately adopted Child of God may fitly now say Our Father which art in Heaven and since he hath given to it and to us the Holy Name of Christian we ought to pray that this his Name may be Hallowed in our lives and that his Kingdom of Grace may be compleated by these daily accessions till the coming of his Kingdom of Glory in the mean time that all we his Earthly Children may do his will and submit to his Providence as those in Heaven ever do We must pray that God will henceforth take a Fatherly care of this Infant among the rest of his Children Giving both to it and to us our daily bread And that he will please to forgive to it its Original and to us our Actual Sin even as we are engaged in a Covenant of Charity and promised to forgive all the World as one of his prime commands Finally we must beseech him to defend both it and us from the Temptations which we have renounced that so we may not fall into the Evil of Sin or Punishment nor fall off from the Grace in which we stand All which for this new Brother of our Society which yet cannot pray for it self and also upon our own Account we must conclude with a hearty Amen §. 3. Of the last Collect. We yield thee hearty thanks most merciful Father for that it hath pleased thee c. As the foregoing Exhortation did perswade us to conclude this Office with Praises and Prayer so here the Church hath prepared an excellent form to express both and according to the method there prescribed here is First most hearty Thanksgivings for the benefits of Baptism 2. Most humble Petitions that the Party which hath received them may walk answerably 1. We begin with Acknowledgments and Praises in imitation of the Jews who when the Child is Circumcised do use to say Blessed be the Lord our God who hath sanctified us with his Precepts and commanded us to bring this Child into the Covenant of Abraham i Fagius in Deuter. 10.6 Buxtorf Synagog cap. 2. But this Child enters into a better Covenant established upon better promises so that we have more cause to bless God than they nor ought we to Question whether the Grace of the Sacrament be received or no since the Church of old did ever suppose it even in Adult Persons because they knew the Lord was ever ready on his part and had promised to be with his Church to the end of the World in this very Administration Math. 28. ult Hence in the East they sung after Baptism the 32. Psalm Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven c. and St.
us of an Holy Virgin that conquered all the Devils Temptations by Crying out I am Baptized I am a Christian If we fall off to an Evil Faith or Wicked Life we are not only disobedient or deceived but perjured and forsworn and we forfeit all the Grace that we had begun to receive and the Glory to which we were sealed Let our lives shew we did obtain some Grace in Baptism by early beginning to cultivate that good Seed before it be choked with the Weeds of evil Lusts Let the younger labour to keep out sin by speedy applying themselves to good exercises and the elder labour to regain by unfeigned Repentance their former Purity remembring from whence they are fallen so shall Baptism not only let us into the way to Heaven but be a means to keep us in the same till we come to the enjoyment of a blessed Immortality Amen A Brief Discourse upon the Office of Confirmation THE Conclusion of Baptism being an Admonition that the party Baptized may be brought to Confirmation would have obliged us to treat of this Rite there but because the Church hath made it a peculiar Office we may allow it a peculiar Discourse and it doth most fitly follow that of Baptism being so nearly allyed to it and in pursuance of that great Vow to the observance whereof we are all so strictly bound only before we enter upon the Parts of this Office we shall first survey the Original thereof Although our Lord Jesus did not expresly institute Confirmation as he did Baptism and the Holy Eucharist and so it is not properly a Sacrament yet Aquinas fancies the reason why this had no positive institution was because the Holy-Ghost which is herein to be communicated was not given till after Christs Ascension John 7.39 yet in his promising the Holy Spirit to his Disciples and to remain with his Church for ever John 14.16 he seemed to suppose that there should be some Rite instituted by them for the perpetual Collation of the Spirit The first Converts indeed whom the Apostles Baptized were confirmed by the immediate Hand of God and he by miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost sealed their Baptism and attested the Religion into which they had entred But it was not long before the Apostles were appointed to Minister in giving the Holy Spirit to the newly Baptized and then they instituted the Rite of Laying on of hands and God was pleased so far to approve their institution that he did actually give wonderful measures of the Spirit to those on whom they laid their hands thereby honouring the Governours of his Church and engaging all the Members thereof to be subject to them and to be at Peace one with another This appears from that famous instance Acts 8.14 15 16 17. where when the Samaritans had been Converted and Baptized by Philip the Deacon they did not receive the Holy Ghost until St. Peter and St. John had Confirmed them a Id quod deerat à Petro Johanne factum est ut oratione pro eis habitâ manu impositâ invocaretur infunderetur super eos Spiritus Sanctus Quod nunc quoque apud nos geritur Cypr. ep ad Jubai ita Hieron in Lucif Innocent l. 1. ep 3. c. from whence the Fathers generally deduce this Practice But that this was generally constituted among the Apostles is evident because St. Paul meeting with some Baptized Persons at Ephesus did in like manner lay his hands upon them and confirm them Acts 19.6 of which he minds them Ephes 1.13 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise And so we may justly believe he did in other Churches whereupon he saith to those of Corinth 2 Corinth 1.21 22. Now he which Confirmeth us b Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with you in Christ and hath Anointed us is God who hath also sealed us c. And when this great Apostle comes to reckon up the Fundamentals of Religion Hebrews 6.1 2. amongst them he placeth The Laying on of Hands which cannot well be meant of the Imposition of hands in absolving Penitents since that is included in Repentance before nor yet of Ordination which is one of those Mysteries of perfection to which St. Paul goes on Chap. 7. But in regard it follows Baptism and is a Doctrine to be taught to Catechumens or young beginners it is most likely to be meant of Confirmation and so it is interpreted by St. Chrysostome The Doctrine of being prepared to receive the Holy Spirit which is given by imposition of hands St. Cyprian also applies that of our Saviour John 3.5 of being Regenerated with the Spirit as well as with Water to this Mystery c Tunc enim plenè sanctificari esse filii Dei possunt si Sacramento utroque nascantur cum scriptum sit Nisi quis natus fuerit ex Aquâ Spiritu c. Epist 72. Which is so often alluded to in Scripture and so plainly to be proved from thence that those who disallow it are forced to pretend that this Apostolical Usage Laying on of Hands was only a Personal Priviledge and was to cease when miraculous inspirations did not accompany it But besides that we might argue that the Spirit is to abide in the Church for ever and that Christians have and need it now though not in such wonderful measures yet as really and effectually to the purposes of Sanctification as any had it then wherefore there is no reason the Rite of Communicating it should cease besides this I say we can easily Confute this pretence by shewing that the Church did in every Age continue this Custom of Confirming after Baptism which proves they did not imagine it was a Temporary Institution We might here alledge the Testimonies of Dionysius and Clemens Romanus as also the Epistles of Vrban and Melchiades d Dionys Eccles hierar cap. 4. Clement Constit l. 3. c. 17. Epist 4. Urban Epist ad omnes fidel Melchiad Epist ad Episc Hispaniae which though they are not so antient as their pretended Authors yet in their due place are not wholly to be rejected these therefore we omit as being liable to Exception But we find in Eusebius that the Asian Bishop not only Baptized but Confirmed the young Man which St. John delivered to him e Euseb Eccles hist l. 3. cap. 17. Tertullian who lived in the second Century plainly affirms That they laid on hands after Baptism to invite the Holy Ghost f Dehinc manus imponitur advocans invitans Spiritum Sanctum de Bapt. cap. 6. And elsewhere The flesh is sealed that the Soul may be defended the flesh is shadowed by imposition of hands that the Soul may be illuminated by the Spirit g Idem de Res carnis Cap. 8. About fifty years after St. Cyprian is most express Vpon those saith he who have been baptized in the Church and received Ecclesiastical and lawful
attended with miraculous effects which have been ceased above twelve hundred years though it impart no gifts yet it communicates Graces which are much more desireable if hereby we gain the Defence of Gods peculiar protecting hand and the influence of his Spirit that we may understand our duty and practise it so as to go on safely to the possession of Eternal Life we shall have cause to rejoice that we came to it and be obliged to give glory to Jesus who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever one God World without end Amen §. 9. The general Collect and final Blessing Both these Parts of this Office are expounded in the end of the Communion Service The Collect is added here because the Antients believed that Confirmation was a Preservative to both Body and Soul a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · Cyril Catech. mystag 3. so that after it we may fitly pray That God may direct sanctifie and govern both our Souls and Bodies so that we may not stray from his Commandments and we make it a new Prayer if we say it with a new Devotion and apply it to this Occasion The Blessing concludes all Offices and particularly ought to end this in regard it is the Epitome of the whole Administration which is only a more solemn Benediction and therefore we must most humbly receive it and most firmly believe it that it may be made good unto us Amen The Conclusion Thus we have represented a Rite in it self Primitive and Pious in its Administration pure and separate from all that Superstition had added to it in its End so excellent that it is commended by Christians of all perswasions and yet alas however it comes to pass too much neglected to the grief of all good Men the scandal of the Church and the great detriment of Religion Wherefore we cannot leave it till we have pressed the constant observation thereof The Romanists indeed pretend to prefer it before Baptism b Hoc sacramentum perfectivum esse Baptismi asserit Aquin. sum 3. p. qu. 72. art 9. majori veneratione venerandum tenendum quam Baptismus Dist 5. de consec can de his but must we give it no honour because they give it too much It is not in our Church set to vye with Baptism but as of old appointed to pursue the same design and ordered to make the Baptismal Vow more solemn and more regarded We do not absolutely deny Salvation to all that want it but we judge it a great sin to despise it or wilfully to neglect it And we think it highly concerns the Church and every particular Person to be careful it be not omitted and that for these Reasons I. Because it tends very much to advance the knowledge of Christian People who are more obliged to teach and to learn when so solemn an Account is to be given II. It conduceth to the encrease of Piety also and lays fresh engagements upon every one to avoid Evil and to do good obtaining withal the Spirit for their assistance therein III. It is an excellent means to preserve the Churches Peace and may prevent many from falling into Schism and Heresie by laying a good foundation at first and by rescuing the younger from the dire misfortune of Evil guides IV. It doth effectually confute the clamours of Anabaptists against our custom of baptizing Children before they can understand for if this be added we have the benefit of Baptism against the danger of Death and yet the same security they pretend to who defer it till riper years V. Hereby we shall agree with the Apostles with the Catholick Church in all Ages with all those wise and holy Men who have enjoined and practised this Rite and believed great benefits were received thereby Which Considerations I hope will have their due effect upon all that are concerned And I. That the Reverend Fathers of the Church will imitate the Piety of the Primitive Bishops and not esteem it a trouble to go into the Country to confirm c Non quidem abnuo hanc esse Ecclesiarum consuetudinem ut ad eos qui longe in minoribus urbibus per Presbyteros Diaconos baptizati sunt Episcopus ad invocationem Sancti Spiritûs manum impositurus excurrat Hieron since they will thereby bring so much good to the Church beget in the minds of the People a singular affection to their Persons and a great Veneration of their Office II. That Parents and Godfathers who stand obliged by the Baptismal Vow will be careful to obtain a discharge from the Bonds they have entred and when they have done their Duty in fitting their Charge for Confirmation I hope they will not repine at a little trouble and charge but rather go to the Bishop than want so great a benefit to themselves and to the Child III. I hope that Ministers will be ready to promote it considering that when they have fitted their Catechumens for this Office and brought them to it they are excellently prepared to receive the benefit of all their after labours and may well hope to give a good account to God of them Finally I wish this serious Advice may encourage all persons who want Confirmation of what Age or condition soever to desire it and wait for an opportunity of it and that it may direct those who come to it to perform their part acceptably and so as to gain the benefits of it And also that it may warn all who have been Confirmed To keep the grace thereof as St. Cyril speaks intire and without spot in their heart daily encreasing in good works and walking in all well-pleasing to the Author of their Salvation Christ Jesus to whom be glory for ever and ever d Cyril Catech. mystag 3. For nothing can more adorn this excellent Rite than the holy Conversation of those who have been partakers thereof FINIS A TABLE Of the chief Heads in the Communion Office Of the Communion Office in general the Analysis of the whole Office PART I.  SECT Parag. Page Of the more general Preparation to the Holy Communion    Of the Lords Prayer I. § 1. 1 the Paraphrase  2 2 Of the Collect for Purity II. 1 3 the Analysis  2 4 the Practical Discourse  3 c. 4 c. the Paraphrase  6 8 Of the Ten Commandments III. 1 9 the Analysis  2  the Practical Discourse containing directions and heads of Self-Examination  3 c. 11 Of the two Collects for the King IV. 1 32 the Analysis of the first  2 34 the Practical Discourse  3 c. 35 the Paraphrase  7 39 the Analysis of the second  9 42 the Paraphrase  10 ib. Of the Epistle and Gospel V. 1 43 and of the Nicene Creed  2 46 the Paraphrase of it  4 50 Of the Offertory and Sentences VI. 1 53 the Analysis of the Sentences  3 58 Discourses
and Paraphrases of them  4 c. ib Of the Prayer for the whole Church VII 1 75 the Analysis  2  the Practical Discourse  3 c. 78 the Paraphrase  14 97 Of the warning before the Communion VIII 1 101 the Analysis  2  the Practical Discourse  3 c. 103 Of the Exhortation to the Communion IX 1 127 the Analysis  2  the Practical Discourse  3 c. 129 PART II.  SECT Parag. Page Of the more immediate Preparation    Of the Exhortation at the Communion I. 1 155 the Analysis  2  the Practical Discourse  3 c. 157 Of the immediate invitation II. 1 173 the Analysis  2 175 the Paraphrase  3 176 Of the Confession III. 1 ib. the Analysis  2 178 the Practical Discourse  3 c. ib. the Paraphrase  9 192 Of the Absolution IV. 1 194 the Analysis  2 196 the Practical Discourse  3 c. ib. the Paraphrase  5 199 Of the Sentences of Scripture V. 1 200 the Discourse and Paraphrase on Math. XI 28.  2 202 the Discourse and Paraphrase on John III. 16.  3 204 the Discourse and Paraphrase on 1 Tim. I. 15.  4 206 the Discourse and Paraphrase on 1 John II. 1.  5 207 Of the Prefaces and Trisagium VI. 1 209 the Analysis  2 212 the Practical Discourse  3 c. 213 Appen Of the Particular Prefaces  8 221 Meditations for the Communion at Christmas at Easter on Ascension day on Whitsunday on Trinity Sunday  9 223  10 225  11 227  12 228  13 230 PART III.  SECT Parag. Page Of the Celebration    Of the Address I. 1 232 the Analysis  2 233 the Practical Discourse with Meditations  3 c. ib. the Paraphrase  6 240 Of the Prayer of Consecration II. 1 241 the Analysis  2  the Practical Discourse with Meditations  3 c. 244 the Paraphrase  14 268 Of the form of Administration III. 1 270 the Analysis  2 273 Discourses and Meditations upon it  3 ib. Meditations    before the Receiving of the bread an act of Faith an act of Humility an act of Love an act of Desire  4 274   275  5 276  6 277 when it is offered to us an act of Admiration  7 278 while we eat it an act of Contrition  8 ib. After Receiving the bread an act of Gratitude  9 280 Before Receiving the Cup an act of Acknowledgment an act of Repentance an act of Supplication  10 281  11 282  12 283 In Receiving the Cup an act of Commemoration  13 284 After Receiving the Cup an act of Resolution  14 285 PART IV.  SECT Parag. Page Of the Post-Communion    Of the Lords Prayer with a Paraphrase I. 2 289 Of the first Prayer II. 1 291 the Analysis  2  Discourses and Meditations upon it  3 c. 292 the form of a solemn Vow   301 the Paraphrase  9 307 Of the second Prayer III. 1 309 the Analysis  2  Discourses and Meditations upon it  3 c. 311 Containing an act of Thanksgiving 3. Acts of Acknowledgment A Prayer for Perseverance   312   315 c.   326 the Paraphrase   328 Of the Angelick Hymn IV. 1 329 the Analysis  2  the Practical Discourse with Meditations  3 c. 331 the Paraphrase  7 337 Of the final Blessing V. 1 339 the Analysis  2 340 the Practical Discourse  3 ib. the Paraphrase  5 344 An Appendix of the additional Prayers 1. for safety in worldly changes 2. for Preservation of body and soul 3. for a blessing on Gods word 4. for success in all our actions 5. to supply the defects of our other Devotions 6. for the acceptance of all the rest  2 345  3 346  4 347  5 349  6 350  7 352 The Chief Heads in the Office of Baptism    Of Baptism in general  1 c.  the Analysis of the whole Office  5  Of the Preparation before Baptism I.   the first Question  1  the first general Exhortation  2  the first Collect for the Child  3 370 the second Collect for the Child  4 373 the Gospel and Exhortation  5 375 the Thanksgiving  6 379 the Preface to the Covenant  7 380 the Interrogatories and Answers  8 384 Of the Administration of Baptism II.   the short Prayers for sanctifying the Child  1 391 the Prayer of Consecration  2 394 the naming of the Child  3 398 the form of Baptism  4 401 the Receiving the Child into the Church and signing it with the Cross  5 405 Of the Consequents after Baptism III.   the Exhortation to the Congregation  1 412 the Lords Prayer after Baptism  2 418 the Last Collect.  3 419 the last Exhortation to the Sureties  4 425 Of Confirmation in general   432 Of the Preface to the Office  1 437 the Interrogation and Answer  2 439 the Versicles and Responses  3 441 the first Prayer  4 443 the laying on of Hands  5 446 the Benediction  6 449 the Versicle Response and Lords Prayer  7 450 the proper Collect.  8 451 the general Collect and final Blessing  9 453 the Conclusion   454 ERRATA thus to be Corrected PAge 1. line 17. read repeat it p. 18. l. 4. r. good things p. 20. l. 6. r. refractory p. 37. l. 5. r. set forth p. 46. l. 21. r. with the heart p. 66. l. 28. r. dispenseth p. 75. l. 18. r. his office p. 84. l. 31. r. their several p. 95. l. 8. r. languish p. 97. l. 13. r. disclaiming p. 121. marg l. 14. r. summum p. 133. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 140. marg r. coarctant p. 141. l. 29. r. at present are or p. 145. l. 5. r. being not ready p. 159. l. 19. r. of what we did p. 162. l. 29. r. is here p. 177. marg l. 7. r. docum p. 228. l. 22. r. go to thy Altar p. 244. l. 29. r. grateful heart p. 265. l. 3. r. which makes p. 291. l. 26 r. teach us how p. 310. l. 14. r. with in p. 311. marg l. 14. r. gratiae p. 320. l 27. r. thy murtherers p. 326. marg l. 7. r. difficilia sunt p. 343. l. 11. r. his blessing And note that in several places especially the Analyses Sect. is printed instead of this mark § which stands for Paragraph And the little letters directing to the Margin are often set after the points of the sentence they belong to besides some lesser mistakes