whose Gospel we derive our Hopes and Expectations of a joyful Resurrection And that we may be constantly put in mind that seeing we name the name of Christ we are to depart from iniquity Question Who gave you this name Answer My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism c. THE meaning is This Name was given me by them who brought me when I knew it not to be admitted to the Favour of God and to be made a Lamb of Christ's Flock And by my Baptism I was made I thank God a Lamb of that Flock a Member of his Church and an Heir to an Inheritance above in Heaven Question What did your Godfathers and Godmothers c. Answer They did promise and vow three things in my name c. THE meaning is They promised for me what I should have promised for my self had I been of Age but seeing I was not and they did promise it I will now stand to it And so I am sensible I must if I hope to receive the Benefits of my Baptism These were then the Three Things they promised which follow 1. They promised I should renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil The Pomps of the World that is all that Pride Vain-glory and Excess that is in the World in Food Raiment or any thing else All vain and sinful Companies and Customs of the World All the Temptations of the World All that is vain or wicked in the World All that Friendship of the World that is Enmity with God All things of the World that may be an occasion of sin to me All the unlawful Riches Honours or Pleasures of the World and never greedily to seek or set my heart upon those that are lawful Thus they renounced for me the Pomps and Vanities of the World which was the first thing they renounced in my name The next was All the sinful Lusts of the Flesh That is all the evil Affections sinful Desires and unlawful Lusts of my corrupt Heart By no means either to be led by them to yeild to them or consent to them The other Branch of what they renounced in my name was The Devil and all his Works Which works are Lying Envying Slandering Pride Murder Hatred but especially tempting others to sin And the actual committing or habitual living in any one wilful known sin Thus in this sense they promised I should renounce The World The Flesh and The Devil Which Renunciation of all these was the First of the Three things they did for me 2. When they presented me to Baptism the second thing they did for me was they promised in my Name That I should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith The meaning is They promised in my Name that I should believe all the Parts of the Christian Religion which are briefly contained in the Creed That is they promised I should believe in God and I do now believe in him They promised I should believe in Jesus Christ and I do firmly believe in him That he was born of a Virgin was crucified died and rose again c. All which I stedfastly believe They promised I should believe the Resurrection of the Body and a Life eternal after Death And I firmly believe these and all other Parts of the Gospel That I should believe these things was the second thing they did for me 3. They promised in my name That I should keep God's holy Will and Commandments and walk in them all the days of my Life The meaning is When they presented me to Baptism they promised in my Name That I should obey God's Will in avoiding all those things which he hath forbidden me and in performing all those things he hath commanded me And to do this not for a day only or a year but all the days of my Life Thus for instance 'T is God's Will and Commandment that I should be Sober Temperate Chast Pure Just and Upright Repent of and Reform my Sins believe in Christ be a very charitable Person That I should be meek humble and peaceable self-denying and mortified fear him love him above all things trust in him be patient in Afflictions submitting to his Will and to his Wisdom attend upon his Ordinances attend upon his Word attend upon Prayer attend upon his holy Sacraments and perform all other parts and instances of my Duty to God to my self and Neighbour This is to keep his holy Will and Commandments So that they who presented me to Baptism and charitably brought me to be received into Christ's Church by it promised in summ these things in my Name 1. That I should renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil so as by neither of them to be led to any known Sin 2. That I should believe the Christian Religion and live according to that belief 3. That I should give God one short life of Love and Obedience in sincerely though imperfectly doing what he has commanded As they promised this in my Name before I was baptized so I am now to keep it afterward that after death I may enjoy the Promises of God which he has made me upon these three Conditions in a joyful Resurrection and an eternal Life of Glory Question Dost thou not think that thou art bound c. Answer Yes verily and by God's help so I will c. THE meaning is As they promised these things in my name or for me when I was an Infant and could promise nothing for my self so I do now heartily own them all and take them intirely upon my self 1. I will and do renounce what they promised in my Name to renounce 2. I will and do believe firmly what they promised in my Name I should believe 3. I will ever by divine aid keep that holy Will and those Commandments of my God and Saviour which they promised in my Name I should And I bless God that he hath in infinite Love to me and Compassion to my Soul called me to this hope this great hope of being saved when I die And I earnestly beg his Grace that I may continue in this Faith this Hope this Love and this Obedience till the end of my Life till I change Worlds and come up to him SECT II. Of the Creed Catechist REhearse the Articles of thy Belief Answer I believe in God the Father c. I. ARTICLE I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth THE meaning is I do profess that I really believe there is an infinitely knowing just powerful holy wise good and merciful Spirit whom we call God that has been from ever and shall be for ever that he is eternal unchangeable omnipresent or every where present omnipotent or able to do all things who gave being to all things and received his Being from none That he orders all things in this lower World by his Providence that being omniscient he knows every Man's Thoughts Words and Actions I firmly believe that this Almighty God who is the Father of our
do thus stedfastly keep up this Communion with each other in all holy things in Faith and Worship Love and Obedience they all have a Communion or Fellowship with the Blessed Trinity with the holy Angels and with the Saints departed So that as I am a member of Christ's Catholick or Universal Church so I ever desire to keep Communion or Fellowship with them in all Holy Things and that as Christ is our Common Head and we his Members and I never withdrawing my self from this Communion so my Faith may be accepted with theirs my Prayers offered up with theirs my profession of the Gospel may appear with theirs my Duty Love and Obedience may be accepted with theirs in the Day of the Lord Jesus And thus I believe the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints X. ARTICLE The forgiveness of Sins THE meaning is I believe that whereas every Sin whether of Thought Word or Action is a transgression of the Law of God and for every transgression the Sinner is liable to Eternal Punishment by the infinite Justice of God Yet that God in his unspeakable Mercy gave his Son Jesus and the Son gave himself to become a Surety for this Debt of ours and did offer up himself a Sacrifice by his Death to God's Justice and a satisfaction for us Thus reconciling God's punishing Justice with his pardoning Mercy Provided that the Sinner who had chosen amiss chosen the ways of Sin and Death would in Faith and with Repentance and new Obedience turn seasonably to God and chuse better I firmly believe the first remission is obtained by the Holy Sacrament of Baptism All original and actual Sin being there washed away to every one that duly partakes of that Sacrament But whereas alas 't is too true we have some way or other stained the white Robes which we had put on when we came from the waters of Baptism and because every disobedience since is a recession or going back from our Baptismal Purity for all such Sins God in much Mercy through the death of Jesus hath given us the Covenant of Repentance Which being but this a turning from Sin to God a lasting durable state of new Life and Reformation he has promised through the Merits and the Death of Jesus that if I have but this to offer up to him from a sincere and contrite Heart it shall be accepted to my Pardon and Forgiveness and he will be reconciled to me And thus I believe the forgiveness of Sins XI ARTICLE The Resurrection of the Body THE meaning is I do profess solemnly that I am fully perswaded of this infallible truth That as 't is appointed for all Men once to die so 't is determined that all Men shall arise from death That the Souls separated or parted from our Bodies are in the Hand of God and live That the Bodies of the Dead although turned to dust mouldered into ashes consum'd in flames or swallowed up of the waters devoured by beasts or fishes or any way scattered shall be gathered together again all the scattered dust pack'd together and in an instant be revived and come alive by the Soul 's being united to it again The same Flesh which died shall live the same Body which fell shall rise the same Soul infallibly be united to the same Body So that the Soul and Body are parted asunder by Death yet at the last day they shall be joined together at the Resurrection and shall no more be parted And this Resurrection I firmly believe shall be Universal of all Mankind no Man shall be left in the Grave or Dead That this shall be at the end of the World when Christ shall come to Judgment when the Trump shall sound or when the Arch-Angel shall lift up his Voice like a Trumpet the just and unjust shall both arise out of their Graves and live The Just shall arise to the Resurrection of Life and the Unjust to the Resurrection of Damnation And thus I believe the Resurrection of the Body XII ARTICLE And the Life Everlasting Amen THE meaning is I do freely declare that I believe this to be an undoubted truth That besides this Life here in this World which is but for a short time there shall be another Life in the other World which shall last for ever I firmly believe that after this finite Life here is over and the Soul departed and the Body dead that the Soul still lives and shall live for ever and after the Resurrection the Body shall live also and both shall live together for Eternity The Soul and Body of the unbelievers disobedient and impenitent shall live for ever and be Partners with the Devil and his accursed Spirits in Hell And that the Souls and Bodies of the Righteous after the Resurrection and after their Sentence shall enter into the fullness of their Master's Joy beyond all possibility of Sin and Sorrow suffering and temptation doubts or scruples fears or dangers where they shall have their Understandings clarified and enriched where the Will shall be satisfied where the Affections shall be all Love and all Joy where they shall securely and peacefully possess all that they breathed after panted sighed and languish'd for here and enjoy it not for Years or Ages but for all Eternity Amen THE meaning of that Word at the end of the Creed is I do declare that I do stedfastly believe all this and desire to live accordingly Question What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles c. Answer First I learn to believe in God the Father c. THE meaning is I do according to this my confession of Faith firmly and as I hope to see the Face of God believe in God the Father who is the first Person of the adorable Trinity who created me and all Men who made the whole World and all Things therein out of nothing Secondly I do likewise firmly believe in God the Son Jesus Christ my Saviour who is the second Person of the Adorable Trinity Perfect God and perfect Man equal to the Father as touching his Godhead but inferiour to the Father as touching his Manhood who redeemed me and all Men by his Death and who has satisfied God's Justice for my Sins upon my Faith and my Repentance my future Love and Obedience Thirdly I do also firmly believe in God the Holy Ghost or holy Spirit who is the third Person of the adorable Trinity who proceeds from the Father and the Son and is co-equal and co-eternal with them It is he who is my Guide my Sanctifier my Comforter who puts into my Mind good desires pious purposes and devout resolutions who offers me his Grace and Assistance to do God's Will so truly that he is said to be grieved when I refuse it And although I cannot fully understand in this Life how these three Persons can be but one God yet I do fully and firmly assent to it as an undoubted truth that it is so without which Belief I cannot
when he raised him from the Dead and set him at his own Right-Hand in the Heavenly Places Far above all Principality and Power and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this World but also in that which is to come And hath put all things under his Feet Prove that he shall come to judge the quick and the dead Acts 17.31 Because he hath appointed a Day in the which he will judge the World in Righteousness Acts 10.42 It is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick and the dead Prove that you are to believe in the Holy-Ghost or Holy Spirit 1 Joh. 5.7 There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy-Ghost and these three are one 1 Thes 4.8 God who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit Matth. 12.32 Whosoever speaketh against the Holy-Ghost it shall not be forgiven him Prove that Christ hath a Church upon Earth Acts 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be Saved Prove that this Church of Christ is Holy Eph. 5.27 That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all Men and Holiness without which none shall see the Lord. Prove that this Church is Catholick that is Vniversal or to consist of People of all Nations And not limited to one Nation as the Jewish Church was Matth. 28.19 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father c. Rev. 5.9 For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation Prove that there is and ought to be a Communion of Saints or fellowship one with another in all holy things 1 Joh. 1.7 But if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship one with another Eph. 4.4 5. There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism 2 Cor. 13.14 The Communion of the Holy-Ghost be with you all 1 Cor. 10.17 We being many are one Head and one Body for we are all partakers of one Bread Prove that we must not forsake the Communion of Saints in holy things Heb. 10.25 Not forsaking the assembling your selves together as the manner of some is Rom. 15.6 That ye may with one Mind and one Mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Prove that there is forgiveness of Sins to be had upon Repentance in the Church Acts 3 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out Acts 13.38 Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this Man is preached unto you forgiveness of Sins 1 Joh. 1.1 2. If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitation for our Sins Prove that there shall be a Resurrection of the Body 1 Cor. 15.21 22. For since by Man came death by Man came also the Resurrection of the Dead For as is Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive Acts 24.15 There shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Unjust Prove that there is an Everlasting Life after Death Matth. 25.46 And these shall go away into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal Joh. 5.28 29. The hour is coming in the which all that are in the Graves shall hear his Voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation Question What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy Belief Answer First I learn to believe in God the Father who hath made me and all the World Secondly in God the Son who hath redeemed me and all Mankind Thirdly in God the Holy-Ghost who sanctifieth me and all the Elect People of God Prove that God made you and all the World Acts 17.24 God that made the World and all things therein seeing he is the Lord of Heaven and Earth Acts 17.28 In him we live move and have our being Prove that God the Son redeemed you Luke 1.68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law Prove that he did redeem you and all Mankind Heb. 2.9 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour that he by the Grace of God should taste death for every Man Prove that God the Holy-Ghost or holy Spirit sanctifieth you and all the Elect People of God 2 Thes 2.13 But we are bound to give Thanks alway to God for you Brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Prove or shew where you find the Ten Commandments Exod. 20.2 to the 18th I am the Lord c. Question What is thy Duty towards God Answer My Duty towards God is to believe in him to c. Question What is thy Duty towards thy Neighbour Answer My Duty towards my Neighbour is to love him as my self and to do c. Prove that you are to perform your Duty towards God and towards your Neighbour Matth. 22.37 38 39. Thou salt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind This is the first and great Commandment And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Prove that you are to believe in God 2 Chron. 20.20 Believe in the Lord you God so shall you be established Prove that you are to fear God Eccl. 12.13 Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of Man Prove that you are to love him with all your Heart Soul Strength and Mind Luke 10.27 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Strength and with all thy Mind Prove that you are to worship God Matth. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Prove that you are to give him Thanks 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thanks for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you Prove that you are to put your whole Trust in him Psal 62.8 Trust in him at all times ye People pour out your Heart before him God is a Refuge for us Prove that you are to call upon him Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt
Wine the outward part of the Lord's Supper Yes And is not the inward and spiritual part this The giving of Christ to us his very Body and Blood and all the Benefits and Merits of his Death and Sufferings Yes Doth not the breaking of the Bread shew forth to us that the Body of Christ was broken upon the Cross for us Yes And doth not the Wine poured out shew forth Christ's Blood shed for us Yes Doth not this Sacrament nourish and strengthen our Souls Yes Doth it not nourish and strengthen them in Faith Yes Doth it not nourish and strengthen them in Hope Yes Doth it not nourish and strengthen them in Love to Christ Yes Doth it not nourish and strengthen them in Charity to one another Yes Doth it not encourage every good Christian in a holy Life when he receives these Tokens of his Saviour's Love Yes But may we receive this Sacrament unworthily No. If we would come worthily must we not examine our selves Yes That is to say must we not examine our Faith whether we believe in Christ and believe his Gospel Yes If we would come worthily must we not examine our selves whether we repent of our Sin Yes If we would come worthily must we not examine our selves whether we resolve sincerely to obey Christ's Laws Yes If we would come worthily must we not examine our selves whether we be in Love and Charity with our Neighbours Yes If we would come worthily must we not come and thankfully remember Christ's dying for us Yes If we would come worthily should we not earnestly beg God in Prayer to make us worthy Yes If we come after this manner will God refuse to accept of us No. If we come after this manner shall we not find it a very comfortable Duty Yes If we come after this manner will God cease to love us or refuse to pardon us No. And if we persevere and hold out will he take us to himself when we die Yes Should notorious customary Sinners presume to come to this Sacrament without Repentance No. In Repentance must we not bewail our Sins to God Yes Must we not sorrow because we have offended him we love Yes In Repentance must we not Confess our Sins to God Yes In Repentance must we not stedfastly purpose amendment of Life Yes Does our Repentance signifie any thing without intentions of Reformation No. If we thus repent of our Sins and leave them heartily is not God willing for Christ's sake to be Friends with us Yes Did not Christ die for the Sins of all true Penitents Yes Will not Christ Seal a Pardon to us in the Sacrament if we come faithful Penitents Yes And is it not a strange thing that Men will not come to the Sacrament with Faith Repentance and Charity that so they may have their Pardon sealed Yes Should we not in the Sacrament remember and think upon the wonderful Love of Christ in dying for us Yes Should malicious and uncharitable and revengeful Persons so continuing come to the Sacrament No. Must we not therefore take care to come in Charity Yes Suppose we have done any Man any considerable Injury should we not be ready to make him Satisfaction and reconcile him to us before we come to the Sacrament Yes Suppose a Man have done us an Injury should we forgive him and be willing to be reconciled to him Yes May not a Man lawfully seek Satisfaction for greater Injuries Yes But if we do seek for Satisfaction by Law for a great Injury should it not be without Spite Malice and purposes of Revenge Yes Should we not at the Sacrament offer up something to God for the Use of the Poor Yes Should a Christian that hopes to see God wilfully neglect the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper No. Can he do it without endangering his Salvation No. Should you not therefore take all fit Opportunities to come to this Sacrament after you come to years of Discretion Yes Is it not a good sign of devout Affections and divine Love to come to it frequently Yes Shall not those that conscionably do these things be happy in their change of Worlds Yes Is not eternal Happiness well worth a Christian Life for a few Years Yes Is he wise who will chuse to live wickedly for a little while and live in Hell for ever No. Is it not infinitely better to live and die in Peace Yes AN EXPOSITION OF THE Church-Catechism IN A Continued full and plain Discourse PART II. IN Order to the Explication of this Excellent Catechism we are to consider 't is made up of Five Chief Parts which like the Five Pillars placed near the Door of the Tabernacle Exod. 26.36 37. are the fittest and best Entrance upon Christian Knowledge after our first admission into the Church in the whole World 1. The First Part of it contains an account of our baptismal Benefits Vow and Covenant that is it teaches us to understand and consider what was done for us and in our Name when we were received into the Family of our Saviour into the Christian Church And takes care that we should know what we then promised to do our selves 2. The Second Part of it contains a brief Account of what is to be believed by every Man that hopes Salvation by the Name of Jesus This is comprehended in short in the Apostles Creed 3. The Third Part of it contains an Account in short of what is to be done by every Christian what is to be performed by us if we hope to see God and desire to shew our Love of him by our Obedience And this is briefly comprehended in the Ten Commandments 4. The Fourth Part of it contains a short and comprehensive Account of what is to be prayed for by every Christian And this is contained in the Lord's Prayer which is that very self-same Prayer which our Saviour taught his Disciples when he came to visit us in great Humility and lived upon Earth 5. The Fifth Part of it contains the Doctrine of the Two Sacraments Or a most brief but excellent Account of the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper SECTION I. 1. The First Part of the Catechism contains an Account of our baptismal Benefits Vow and Covenant That is it teaches us to understand and consider what was done for us and in our Name when we were received into the Family of our Saviour into the Christian Church And takes care that we should know what we then promised to do our selves Question WHAT is your Name Answer N. or M. THE First Question is What is your Name and the Reason of it is this That we may remember that when our Name was given us we were received into Christ's Church made Disciples of his and admitted into the number of his Flock by Baptism That we may remember whose we are and to whom we belong That we may remember whose Faith and Love and Obedience we have undertaken here from whose Merits and
himself is effectually and really but spiritually given and exhibited to all worthy Communicants And 2. It was appointed for a Seal or Confirmation and renewing of that Covenant of Grace which God made with us in and by Christ Jesus which is the great Benefit we receive by his Death 'T is true we were as I said admitted into this Covenant by Baptism and 't is as true that we have since that time by Disobedience broken our part of it But here we are graciously admitted to confirm it we renew it here Here we come to own that though we are Sinners yet we are no Apostates have not fallen from the Christian Faith Here we come solemnly to own our Crucified Master and to declare that as we were admitted into a gracious Covenant with God in Baptism so we now desire to confirm it desire to renew it humbly desire to receive the benefit of it to all Ages So that by coming to this last Sacrament of the Lord's Supper for the constant remembrance of his Death for us for the real and effectual receiving him and for a renewing of the Covenant of Grace with God we solemnly own whose we are to whom we belong what Religion we are Professors of We here most solemnly distinguish our selves from Jews Infidels and Mahometans We come to own and evidence solemnly to God and the World whose Name we profess and own and upon whose account 't is we hope Salvation We come to own for whose Death and Sufferings-sake 't is that we do humbly expect and hope to be blessed for ever happy for ever secure for ever so sit down in peace and glory for ever We shew by frequenting it upon whose account 't is we humbly hope to be safe then when the whole World shall be in Flames and the Earth with the Works thereof shall be burnt up Here we come solemnly to own upon whose account 't is we hope to have all our Prayers heard and to have our Obedience though imperfect accepted and all our religious Actions and Instance of Duty to be united to his Merits and his Intercession Question What is the outward part or sign of the Lord's Supper Answer Bread and Wine which the Lord hath commanded c. THE meaning is As the outward part or sign in the One Sacrament is Water wherein the Person is Baptized In the name c. So the outward part or sign of the Other Sacrament is Bread and Wine Here now an ill Person may say 'T is strange there should be so much in pouring a little Water on an Infant and in eating and drinking a little consecrated Bread and Wine To this I answer This is a great instance of our Lord's Love and Tenderness and Mercy to us that he would enjoin us no such painful troublesom and chargeable ways of Service of him as were in the Jewish Church when That was the true Church Their Circumcision was a painful way of admitting them into Covenant with God Their Bullocks Sheep Goats and Lambs were offered up in Sacrifice to him But our Blessed Jesus requires of us no such expensive and painful Rites and Sacrifices in his Service and his Worship No he will please to admit us into Covenant with him into his Church and his Favour by being Baptized with Water In the name c. if we afterward sincerely stand to our Conditions of Faith Repentance and Obedience these easie and reasonable terms Then again in the other Sacrament of the Lord's Supper he permits and invites us to renew this Covenant and injoins us to remember the Death and Sufferings of him our Master not by any painful troublesom chargeable ways of Sacrifice or the like but by coming with Faith and Repentance Charity and Devotion to his holy Table there to Feast together on his Body and Blood represented and exhibited to us by Bread and Wine Question What is the inward part or thing signified Answer The Body and Blood of Christ which are verily c. THE meaning is As Bread and Wine are the outward parts or signs of the Lord's Supper to be seen by the Eye so the thing signified or inward part is this All faithful receivers do after a spiritual manner feed on the Body and Blood of Christ as truly and really as they do on the Bread and Wine They are by this heavenly Duty united more closely to him They behold in the broken Bread his Body broken on the Cross for us They behold and see represented in the Wine poured out his Blood shed for us Having beheld this they then truly spiritually and effectually receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in this Supper that is their crucified Saviour is really exhibited and given to the Souls of all faithful Communicants all the benefits of his Death and Sufferings conveyed to them Question What are the Benefits whereof we are made partakers thereby Answer The strengthening and refreshing of our Souls by c. THE meaning is That all penitent faithful sincerely worthy Communicants are by the receiving of the body and blood of our Saviour strengthened and refreshed both They are strengthened by the Grace of God hereby conveyed to them and they are refreshed by the comfortable hope of Pardon and of being admitted to his Favour Thus By this heavenly Duty their Faith is strengthened by beholding the lively representation of their crucified Saviour's Body broken and Blood shed before their Eyes By this Duty their Hope is strengthened when they see before them what great Things Christ has done and suffered for their Salvation how willing he is to be reconciled and that now there is nothing wanting to their Pardon and Salvation but a sincere Repentance Reformation and a persevering new Obedience By this Duty their Love to God is strengthened by considering and beholding his Love to them in sending his Son to die for their Sins and by beholding the Love of Jesus in laying down his Life for their Redemption By this Holy Duty their Love and Charity towards each other is strengthened when we consider how freely Christ laid down his Life for us all and that we are all Members of his Body how must this needs unite us with Peace and Love as we are Travelling on together to Jesus and Jerusalem By this Duty our Repentance would be strengthened and made more serious deep and persevering when we behold what bitter sufferings our Iniquities brought our Jesus to and in these sufferings behold the great hatred of God to Sin By this Duty our resolutions of Obedience would be strengthened For as the Representation of the sufferings of our dearest Lord for our Interest would encrease our Love so would that Love fix and endear our Obedience By the frequent and devout performance of this Duty our Souls would through the Grace of God then conveyed to them in it be strengthened in a lively and active Faith in a Seraphick Love in Divine Obedience and in a Primitive Piety As in this Duty
our Souls are thus strengthened so are they refreshed too by the comfortable Apprehensions of having renewed the Covenant of Grace with our God and Saviour to the Conditions of which if we sincerely stand on our part we are certainly intituled to Heaven and Glory and Immortality We are refreshed as we before intimated by the comfortable Hopes of Pardon of Sin and of being restored to the Divine Favour which we certainly then are if we fail not of our part These are strengthenings and refreshings of the Soul as great as any that can be given to the Body by bread and wine Question What is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper Answer To examine themselves whether they repent them c. THE meaning is All that come to this Sacrament if they hope to feast comfortably on the body and blood of their Saviour and to partake of all the benefits of his Death and Sufferings are to come daily prepared And to that end are as the Apostle advises 1 Cor. 11.28 to examine themselves Now this Examination is chiefly to be touching these Five things which are here summed up together in this Answer 1. touching their Repentance 2. Touching their Resolutions of a new Life or Obedience 3. Touching their Faeith 4. Touching their Charity 5. Touching their Thankfulness and Devotion 1. Touching their Repentance Repentance in short is this A change of Life a turning from Sin to God with Confession and Contrition a lasting durable State of new Life and Reformation 2. Touching resolutions of a new Life and Obedience That is a future sincere universal constant and persevering discharge of all known Duty to our God our Selves and Neighbours and where at any time we fail of perfection through Infirmity there instantly to rise again by Repentance a greater diligence and watchfulness 3. Touching our Faith Faith in short is this Such a belief of Jesus Christ and his Gospel as makes us sincerely obedient to his Laws and to live accordingly We are to come with Faith in God's Mercy that is stedfastly believing that for the sake of our Saviour our God will not fail to be reconciled to us upon Repentance Reformation and a persevering future Obedience 4. Touching our Charity Charity in brief is this A sincere Love of God and of our Neighbour for God's sake Now this Charity is to shew its self to our Neighbour in a readiness to Give and Forgive To forgive Injuries that is all lesser and more inconsiderable Injuries so as to seek no satisfaction In greater instances or in considerable and insupportable matters though we may seek for legal Reparation from the injurious Person yet we are so far to forgive as not to seek it with spite and rigour and malice and hatred and with designs of gratifying our revengeful Humour But still to carry a treatable and friendly a Christian and charitable Disposition toward the Person And to be ready to make satisfaction to and to seek a reconciliation with them whom we have injured In giving to them of need and in this holy Sacrament never to appear before the Lord empty In short to be charitably inclined to all Men not only our Friends but even our bitterest Enemies and not to be hindred from it by the difficulty of the Duty considering the Example of our Master and the Crown before us 5. Touching our Thankfulness and Devotion That is to come to these holy Mysteries with a thankful remembrance of Christ's astonishing and most endearing Love in dying for us with a Heart and Soul and Mouth full of Thanks and Praises and Zeal and Devotion Divine Love and purposes of Obedience full of the most affectionate admiration that our God and Saviour should do so much more for us fallen Men than he did for the fallen Angels As for that unworthiness the Apostle speaks of in not discerning the Lord's body that consists in these Four Things 1. In not discerning it by Faith from a common meal or from common food Not discerning Christ's body in the consecrated bread and Christ's blood in the consecrated wine 2. In not by Faith discerning this holy Sacrament from the Jewish Passover as some of the half converted Jews did not 3. In not discerning Christ's body and blood in the consecrated bread and wine so as to come to it irreverently 4. Not so to discern Christ's body as to come to it with a remaining affection to sin with a known willful sin unrepented of unresolved against particularly hatred and malice These are the chief parts of unworthiness So that if we examine our selves touching the Five things mentioned 1. Repentance 2. Faith in the Holy Jesus 3. Resolutions of a Christian Life and a new Obedience 4. Our Charity 5. Our Thankfulness and Devotion and find them in the Soul though in lower degrees and measures yet if we find there withal desires of having them greater let us not then fear of eating and drinking our own Damnation but ever come with a holy chearful humble and devout heart to this most heavenly Duty Thus have I briefly explained the Nature and the meaning and the benefits of the Two Sacraments which are necessary for all men in general to Salvation and which our blessed Saviour a little before he left this lower World appointed and ordered to be continued by us in his Church to the Worlds end to be dispensed by the Ministers of the Gospel to all believers as the ordinary way and means to keep us in Covenant with him and to convey Grace to his People Accordingly he has appointed and set apart a whole Order of Men in succession down from the Apostles to administer the Word and both these Sacraments to all faithful People till his second coming to judge the World The First of these I mean Baptism is the Sacrament by which we are admitted into his Church the Second of these the Lord's Supper is the Sacrament by which we solemnly and thankfully own our having been so The First of these is the Sacrament by which we are admitted to the Favour of our God and Saviour the Second is that Sacrament by which we are to continue our selves in that Favour Again The First of these is the Sacrament by which we are admitted and received into the Covenant of Grace before we knew it the Second of these is the Sacrament by which we renew and confirm this gracious Covenant with our God and Saviour The First of these the Sacrament by which we have a Title given us to a Kingdom of Glory the Second is the Sacrament to which God mercifully invites us to ratifie confirm and renew that Title of ours to a Crown of Life The First of these the Sacrament by which we are new-born to Righteousness the Second of them is the Sacrament by which we are nourished up in it The First of these the Sacrament by which we are made Christians or Disciples of the Holy Jesus the other the Sacrament by which we solemnly