Morrice sonne to M. Morrice Attourney of the court of Wardes who thinking euer of sodaine death died suddenly in Milforde Lane Sep. 12. 1604. at the age of 23 yeares Twise twelue yeares not fully tolde a wearied breath I haue exchanged for an happy death My course was short the longer is my rest God takes them soonest whom he loueth best For he that 's borne to day and dyes to morrow Looseth some daies of rest but moneths of sorrow VVhy feare we death that cures all sicknesses Author of rest and end of all distresses Other misfortunes often come to grieue vs vs. Death striks but once that stroke doth relieue vs. He that thus thought of death in lifes vncerteÌ„ty Hath doubtles now a life that brings eternity Liue for to learne that die thou must And after come to iudgement iust A Communicant instructed AT LONDON Printed for William Cotten 1606. A Communicant prepared to the Lordes Table Question MY good auditor after all these instructions concerning praier and pietie are you not desirous to receiue the Lordes supper Answ Yea sir I am desirous with all mine heart if you shal thinke me fit for so holy a banquet Quest What must you doe to bee a fit guest 1. Sam. 16.6 Psal 27. 1. Cor. 21. Ans Samuel bids me to santifie my selfe Dauid bids mee to wash mine hands in innocencie Paul bids mée to examine my selfe and so to eate of that bread and after to drink of that cuppe Quest Howe doe you proue this examination to be néedefull Ans 1. If the Iewes durst not eate the pascall Lambe without it I must not eate of the Lambes Supper without it 2. I must neither pray nor heare Gods word before I sée in what estate I am 3. I come in the best sort I can to the feast of any great man in this world 4. He that came without his wedding garment was examined how hée came thither Math. 22.12 5. If I eate and drinke vnworthily I eate and drinke mine owne damnation 1. Cor. 11.29 Quest What things are required of him that will come a fit guest to the Lords table Ans Thrée things The first what I must doe before I come 2. What I must doe when I am come 3. What I must doe after I haue bin partaker of that holy supper Quest What things are required of you before you come Ans Two things First I am bound to examine my selfe 2. I am bound to pray meditate of diuers things Quest What is examination An. It is a triall of my selfe howe I stand in the grace of God Quest What learne you out of this that a man must examine himselfe before he come to this table An. First that children are not capable of this banquet 2. That ignorant persons must not approach to this table 3. That madde people are not to bee admitted to this feast 4. That such as intend to liue in their sinnes must not dare to approach vnto this communion Quest Wherein stands this examination An. In fiue things 1. I must examine what knowledge I haue 2. What faith I haue 3. What repentance I haue 4. What obedience I haue 5. What loue I beare to my brethren Quest Wherein standes the examination of your knowledge An. In two things 1. What general knowledge I haue 2. What knowledge I haue in particular Quest Wherein consists generall knowledge Ans In three things whereof the 1. is What knowledge I haue of God 2. What knowledge I haue of my selfe 3. What knowledge I haue of the couenant of grace Quest what knowledge must you haue of God Ans I must know him to be such an one as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word to wit one inuisible and indiuisible essence and three truely distinct persons namely the Father begetting the Sonne begotten and the holy ghost procéeding from the father and the sonne Quest Must you knowe nothing els of God Answ Yes I must knowe that hee is creator and gouernour of all things a most wise vnderstander and knower of all thoughts most holy iust and mercifull to his creatures that hee is eternall without either beginning or ende and that he is present in all places Quest What must you know concerning your selfe Ans That by nature I am stained wholly with originall sinne so that my mind is full of blindnes will of frowardnes affections of peruersenes my conscience of guiltines so that therby by I am subiect to the curse of God in life in death and after death Quest What things are you subiect to in life Ans By reason of this sinne in my soule I am subiect to madnes in my body to diseases in my goods to losse 〈◊〉 in my name to reproach Quest What are you subiect to in death Ans To the separation of the soule from the body Quest What are you subiect to after death An. To be tormented for euer with the deuill and his angels and to be cast away from the presence of God Que. What must you know concerning the couenant of grace An. That Christ Iesus hath deliuered me from this misery who béeing very God became man to die for my sinnes and rose againe for my iustification Quest What particular knowledge is required of you An. I must know the nature and vse of this sacrament Quest What then is the Lords Supper An. It is a Sacrament wherein by the vse of bread and wine those that are ingrafted into Christ are nourished to life Quest What learne you out of this definition An. 1. That he cannot eate the Lords body who is not of the Lords body 2. That a man must come withall cheerefulnesse to this banquet and not to feare it as a man would doe poyson Quest Tell me now what is the outward matter of this sacrament An. Bread and wine by which are signified Christs bodie crucified and his blood powred out Quest Is not the bread wine turned into the body blood of Christ Ans No for these reasons 1. Christ instituted this supper before he was crucified 2. Then he must haue giuen his dead bodie with his liuing hands 3. The bread after consecration 〈◊〉 distributed into partes but the whole body of Christ is receiued of euery seuerall communicant 4. The bread is the communion oâ— Christs body and therefore not the very body 5. This were to make the body oâ— Christ of bakers bread 6. The bread and wine will corrupt being kept after consecration 7. We sée and taste onely bread and wine 8. Else the wicked should eate Christs body and so must haue eternall life 9. This takes away the nature of a sacrament wherein there must be a signe and the thing signified 10. It destroyes the nature of Christs body making it aliue dead in heaâ—uen vpon earth glorified vilified and in many places at one time Quest But yet may not this be done by a miracle An. Priests haue no promise to worke miracles nowe a daies and
vnder the burden of them make vs good god displeased with our selues because by sin wee haue dishonored thy maiesty Stir vp our dead dul harts that we may hunger after Christ his righteousnesse and after euery drop of his precious bloud In that son of thine looke on vs thy seruants and for his merits righteousnes vouchsafe good God mercifullie and freelie to doe awaye all our offenses Wash them away in his bloud and by the puritie of his spirite clense our hearts from the pollution and impuritie of them all say vnto our soules thou art our saluation let thy spirite in our hearts crie Abba Father Teach vs O Lord thy way and we shall walk in thy trueth O knit our hearts vnto thee that we may feare thy name And because through corruption in our harts and sin in our liues our faith is feeble and our confidence small we do humbly beseech thee to strengthen our faith by the daily meditation and particular application of thy mercifull promises made vnto vs in thy son Christ that neither in the dangers of this world nor the trobles of conscience nor in the hour of death wee may fall from thee Gratious father expell out of our hearts all carnall confidence the vnderminer of our faith teach vs in the spirit of tru humility to deny our selues to rely only vpon thee the merit of christ in the mater of our saluation And because it is not enough to com vnto thee by praier to sue vnto thee for pardon but al that ar in christ must be new creatures therfore we cal vpon thee for the spirit of regeneration mortify therby the corruptions of our flesh quicken vs thereby in the inner mā By the powr of Christs deth let vs dy vnto sin by the power of his resurrectiō let vs rise to righteousnes newnes of life let the one as a corrosiue eat vp the dead flesh of vngodlines the other as a spur stir vs vp to holines Illuminatour minds that we may know thy will giue vs spiritual vnderstāding to discern good euil Sanctify our memories to tresure vp good things purify our consciences to haue peace in thee reform our wils to doe thy wil let al our affections be ordered aright Teach vs to fear thee continually whersoeuer we ar to neglect al things in regard of christ to loue thee our brethren for thy sake to be zealus of thy glory to be greeued at our other sins ioyful when we cāpleas thee Let our bodies the instruments of sin be euer heerafter clensed by thy spirit that they may bee temples for that spirit to dwel in keepe our eies from beholding vanitie our eares from harkning to variety our mouths frō speking blasphemy our hands frō committing of iniquity our bodies from the action of adultery Let our light so shine before mē that they seeing our good works may glorify thee our heauenly father Make vs to remember that as we are sons wee must depend vpon thee as we ar seruants wee must obey thee and as we are christians we ought to walk worthy of our vocatiō and calling And because we haue al som particular calling either of rule or seruice or trust or fauor make vs from the highest to the lowest Faithful in our callings to remēber that a day wil come in which we must giue an accompte vnto thee of all our actions doon in this flesh whether they be good or euill Take away from vs all oportunity of sinning make vs euer thankful that we liue so as wee want allurementes to many sinnes Cause vs to see how deformed sin is in it selfe to what confusiō it is like to bring vs Lord make vs to fly the very occasiōs of sin to resist the beginnings of al tēptation let not a night pas ouer our heads in which we examin not howe wee haue spent the day neuer let vs come into any company wherin we may not not doe or receiue som good Keep vs that we fashiō not ourselues to this world but rather imitate the fashion of the moste godly in our callings Let vs neuer count any sin to be a little one because that our sauior died for the least And because we liue in dangerous times wherin many ar withdrawne from the profession of thy trueth Lord giue vs harts neuer to entertain any such doctrine which cannot be warranted out of thy word nor to admit of any such teachers as goe about to withdraw vs frō obedience to our gouernors if any one fal into any sin let vs restore such an one with the spirit of meeknes cōsidering our selues that we also may be tempted We further acknowledge most gracious God that our life is a war-fare vpon earth our enemies are sinn Satan the flesh Lord helpe vs in this spitituall combat are we weak be thou strong ar we tempted with the tēptation giue an issue may we be ouercom tech vs to watch ouer our own harts waies is there any one ◅une which we are weak to resist in the act of temptation giue vs power to resist it that by this means we may haue as iust cause to praise thee in our cōquests as we haue many reasons to hūble our selues in our foyles We see also most all seeing God that none cā liue godly in this world but they must suffer persecutions either Ismaell wil reuile them with a reproachful tongue or Esau wil pursue them with a blody sword what now must we do in these days of trial whether shal we come for helpe but to thee To thee therfore must wee come O Lord our god crauing wisdom to forsee prouidence to preuent patience to beare harts to be prepared for this fierytrial that by the denial of our selues distasting the worlde liking of heauen and heauenly things wee may make a good vse euen of the least affliction Confound in euery on of vs the cursed workes of the diuel Increase in vs dayly the giftes of thy spirit Fit vs for such calings in which thou hast or wilt place vs make vs to referre the strength of our bodies the giftes of our minde our credit in this world what so euer grace thou hast alredy or wilt hereafter bestow vpon vs to the glorye of thy name the good of thy church the eternal saluacion of our own souls And howe soeuer we liue heer in this Babilon of the world lord let our conuersation be euer in heauē that whether we eat or drink or what soeuer we do else wee may heare alwayes this voice soūding in our eares arise you dead come vnto iudgment Many other things haue we to beg for our selus that our ignorāce knoweth not to aske or forgetfulnes remēbers not to ask hear vs for thē in thy beloued son And giue vs leaue now good god to pray to thee for others Ther ar no christiā peple at
denie my God 9. That I shal be rewarded if I cōtinue 10. That by prayer I shall haue power to resist him Euch. These rules indéed are generall but what if he tempt you to the sinne of Couetousnesse what remedies must you vse Phil. I must meditate 1. That God hath taken vpon him to be my carefull protector 2. That this sin is the roote of all euill 3. That euery couetous man is an idolater 4. That my life stands not in aboundance 5. That Christ his disciples were poore 6. That I shall carry nothing with me 7. That I must giue an accompt of my getting 8. That it will hinder me in the seruice of God 9. That riche men come hardly to heauen 10. That by riches I am most subiect to be spoiled 11. That they make a man vnwilling to die 12. That they may be taken away from me 13. That many woes are denounced against rich men Euch. What remedies haue you against the temptation of pride Phil. I must meditate 1. That I must not be proud because I haue all things of gift 2. That God resisteth the proud 3. That it hindreth a greater larges of grace 4. That I am but dust and ashes 5. That pride cast Sathan out of heauen 6. That if it be in apparell I haue more occasion to bee humbled for my shamefull nakednesse 7. That Christ left me an example of humilitie 8. That by this I make others to contemne me 9. That it argues a sonne of the deuill 10. That others haue more excellent gifts then my selfe 11. That pride is the causer of contentions 12. That proud men are farre from reformation Seest thou saith Salomon a man wise in his owne eyes there is more hope of a foole then of him and a proud heart is a Pallace for the deuill Euch. What remedies haue you against the temptations of adulterie Phil. I must meditate here 1. That God sées me 2. That God can punish me 3. That he will punish me 4. That I am a member of Christ 5. That adulterours shall not inherite heauen 6. That such people seldome repent 7. That such a thing should not be done in Israel 8. That it made Salomon to commit Idolatrie 9. That for the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread 10. That I doe not as I would be done to 11. That I wrong the Church and commonwealth by obtruding to both a bastardly generation 12. That as by this I endanger my soule so must I néeds decay my body and when I am dead leaue a blotte behinde me which neuer can be wiped out Euch. What remedies haue you against the temptation of gluttonie and drunkennesse Phil. Here I must meditate 1. That Salomon commands me at great tables to put my knife to my throate 2. That by these I make morter of my body by too much drinke and my stomacke but a streiner by too much meate 3. That I abuse that which might doe good to the poore 4. That I abuse the good creatures of God 5. That all ciuill nations haue detested these sinnes 6. That by them I am vnfit for Gods seruice 7. That I bring vpon my body diseases 8. That I am vnfit to kéepe any secret 9. That I am a scorne to the sober 10. That these sinnes are the maine instruments of other sinnes 11. That I must fall into the Phisitions hands 12. That I may in them commit some such sinne as may cause me to fall into the censure of God and gouernours Euch. What remedies haue you against the temptation of enuie Phil. I must meditate 1. That mine eye must not be euill because Gods eye is good 2. That God may dispose of his owne as he list 3. That enuie is a note of a bad man 4. I must bee glad at the good of others 5. Moses and Christ and other good men were glad when they heard of others excellencie 6. God will not haue all alike 7. It is a meanes to murther our brother 8. It is a fruite of the flesh 9. It hinders vs from dooing good to others 10. It is the greatest torment to a mans selfe 11. Though our brother excell vs in one thing yet we do him in another 12. God euen hateth and curseth the enuious Euch. What remedies haue you against idlenesse in your calling Phil. I must meditate 1. That God commandeth all men to labour 2. That Euah fel in paradice by idlenes 3. That it was one of the sinnes of Sodome 4. That it is a cushion for Sathan to sléepe in 5. That labour puts Sathans assaults away 6. That idlenesse consumes the body 7. That a sloathfull hand maketh poore as a diligent hand maketh rich 8. Without diligence wee cannot prouide for a familie or the time to come 9. All creatures euen to the pismire are diligent 10. GOD our father is euer working 11. by it we may be able to do good to others 12. All good men haue laboured in a calling And why haue people hands wits but to vse them and the more both are vsed the better they are Euch. What remedies haue you against impatience in afflictions I must meditate 1. That naked I came into this world naked I must returne againe 2. I must remember the afflictions of Iob what ende God made of them 3. That the patient abiding of the righteous shall be gladnes 4. That God hath a stroake in afflictions 5. That they are nothing to the ioyes of heauen 6. That I haue deserued more 7. That they will tend to my good 8. That in this world we must haue tribulations 9. That murmuring is a signe of bad child 10. Christ said not my wil but thine be done 11. Many of Gods seruants haue endured more 12. That Gods children haue béene ready to suffer Euch. But what remedies haue you if sathan tempt you to despaire of Gods mercy Phil. I will saie vnto him auoide satan and will enter into this meditatiō 1. I was by baptisme receiued into the Church and it hath beene to mee the lauer of regeneration 2. I once heard and beleeued his worde and therefore I shall stand euer by this faith 3. Mine election is in Gods kéeping and therefore Sathan can neuer stealt it away 4. The calling of God is without repentance and whom he loueth bee loueth to the end 5. I knew by my loue of the brethren that I am translated frō death to life 6. I am sorry that I can bee no more sorrie for my sinnes and this to me is an argument of faith 7. I desire to beléeue in Christ and to runne the waies of his cōmandements 8. Christs merits are greater then my synnes and hee is the propitiation for my synnes 9. Though the righteous fal he shal rise againe for GOD supporteth him with his hand 10. The Spirit doth though verie weakely witnes to my spirit that I am Gods childe 11. I hate syn with an vnfained hatred 12. I loue
that it can be no miracle it may appeare by this vnanswerable reason Euery miracle is sensible as when Moses rod was turned into a serpent and Christ turned Water into Wine But this myracle is not sensible for I see bread and taste bread I sée wine and tast wine euen after consecration Therefore it is no miracle Quest May you not receiue the bread without the wine An. No for these reasons 1. This were to crosse Christs institution 2. It doth dispriuiledge Christs people 3. It makes Christs feast a drye feast 4. It takes away the remembrance of Christs blood shed 5. The wine signifies not Christs bloud in his veines but that bloud which was powred out Quest What is the forme of this sacrament An. The coniunction of the thing signified with the signe the action of God with the action of the Minister the action of faith with the action of the receiuer Quest What doth the action of the minister signifie An. His taking of bread and wine into his hands doth signifie Gods sealing of Christ to beare the office of a mediator Ioh. 6.27 His blessing of the bread the sending of Christ to be a mediator his breaking of bread and powring out of wine the execrable passion of Christ and effusion of his blood the giuing of bread and wine to the receiuer the offring of Christ to al euen hypocrites but the giuing him onely to true Christians Qu. What doth the action of the receauer signifie Answ His taking of bread and wine into his hand doth signifie his apprehending of Iesus Christ by faith His eatinge of bread and drinking of wine for the nourishment of his bodie his applying of Christ vnto him selfe that his true communion with him may be more increased Quest What is the end of this Sacrament Ans 1. The assurance of Gods fauor 2. The increasing of my faith 3. Fellowship with Christ 4. Communion with the saintes Quest You said in the second place that you must examine your faith tell me therefore what this faith is An. It is a miraculous worke of God wrought in the heart of a regenerate man by the preaching of the gospell whereby hee doth apprehend and applie to himselfe particularly Christ Iesus withall his benyfites to the pardon and forgiuenesse of all his sinnes Quest Howe may a man knowe whether bee haue this faith An. by these signes First if wee can from our hearts renounce our false supposed goodnesse and can wholy relie vpon Christ in the matter of our saluation this nature cannot doe 2. If we haue peace of conscience arysing from the apprehension of Gods loue in Christ and our reconciliation with him Quest Which are the wantes of faith Ans 1. Doubting and distrust of Gods mercie 2. Presumption and vaine confidence in our selues Quest To come to the third parte of our examination tell me what repentance is An. 1. It is a worke of grace arysing of a Godly sorrow whereby a man turnes from all his sinnes to God and brings forth fruit worthy amentement of life Quest How shall you know whether you haue this repentance or not Answ By these markes 1. If I haue a Godly sorrow wherby I am displeased with my selfe because by sinne I haue displeased God 2. If there be in me a changing of the minde a purpose to forsake sinne and euer after to please God 3. If I do dayly more more breake off my sinnes and abstaine from inward practise kéeping vnder my corruptions and vngodly thoughts 4. If I can mourne for the present corruption of my nature 5. If I haue bin gréeued craued pardon for my late sins euen sithence I was last partaker of the Lords table Quest You said that obedience was the forth part of our examination can you tell me what obedience is An. It is a frée heartie vniuersall personall perpetuall kéeping of Gods commandements Quest Howe many properties are there of this obedience An. Fiue 1. It must be frée without constraint Psal 110 3. 2. Sincere without hipocrysie 2. Tim. 1.5 3. Vniuersall not to some but to all the coÌ„mandements Psa 119.6 Ia 2.10 4. Perpetuall till the hower of our death Math. 24.13 5. Personall in regard of our personal 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 5.1 Quest Which is the last part of examination Ans Our reconciling one selues vnto our brethren if wee haue made them any offence Math. 5.24 Que. When are we fit to receaue the sacrament in regard of reconciliation Answ Euen then when we are fit to say in the Lords praier forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespas against vs. And therefore many indaÌ„ger there own coÌ„sciences in refusing to receaue lest they should leaue their sins be reconciled to men Now the Lord grant that I may after this sorte examine my selfe that at all times I may be fit to come to Gods table Quest I hope you are well Instructed in examinatioÌ„ Tel me what premeditation the second part of preparaâ—… is Answ It is a consideration of those graces which wée doe receaue by the death of Christ signified in the sacrament of the Lords supper Quest Which are those graces that 〈◊〉 must consider of An. Our redemption from hell our deliverance from death damnation 〈…〉 of the lawe 2. The remission of our sinnes whereby wee receaue fréedome from sinne and acceptation to life Psal 103. 3.4 ps 32 1.2 3. Which is a fruite of the former reconciliation with God when we are made friends with him Col. 1.20 4. Our communion and fellowship with Christ 1. Cor. 10.16 5. Interest and title to eternall life by Christ in whom we are sonnes Ioh. 1.12 Rom. 8.13 Quest What fruite ariseth out of these two Answ A spirituall hunger after Christ and his benefits for when a nian hath examined his wants and hath considered the riches of Christ his heart longes after the same Ioh. 7.37 Quest You haue wel said al that you haue yet said howe must you be disposed in the action of receiuing An. I must seriously thinke of these fiue pointes 1. First when I sée the minister sake bread and wine I must consider the action of God whereby he sent Christ to worke my redemption 2. When I see the bread broken the wine powred out I must consider 1. the bitter passion of Christ for me in so suffering 2. Gods infinit loue to me who sent Christ coredeeme me his enimy 3 Gods wrath towards me for my sin which nothing could satisfie but the deth of christ 4 I must detest those sins of mine which caused Christ thus to suffer 5. When the minister distributes breade and wine I must consider that as it is truly offered vnto mee by man so Christ is truly offered vnto me by god 4. In receauing breade and wine I muste apprehend Christ by faith 5 In eating that breade drinking that wine I must apply christ particulerly to my selfe be perswaded that as that bred and wine is