no life in us Whoso eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood hath eternal life and he will raise him up at the last day For his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed He that eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood dwelleth in Christ and Christ in him As the living Father hath sent the Son and he liveth by the Father so he that eateth him shall live by him This is that bread that came down from Heaven not as the Fathers did eat Manna and are dead he that eateth this bread shall live for ever I shall here only give you some brief Directions for your private duty herein Direct 1. Understand well the proper ends to which this Sacrament was instituted by Christ and take heed that you use it not to ends for which it never was appointed The true ends are these 1. To be a solemn Commemoration of the Death and passion of Jesus Christ Mat. 26. 28. Mar. 14. 24. Luke 22. 20. to keep it as it were in the eye of the Church in his bodily absence till he come 1 Cor. 11. 24 25 26. 2. To be a solemn renewing of the Holy Covenant which was first entred in Baptism between Christ and the Receiver and in that Covenant it is on Christ's part a solemn delivery of himself first and with himself the benefits of Pardon Reconciliation Adoption and right to Life eternal Heb. 9. 15 16 17 18. 1 Cor. 10. 16 24. And on mans part it is our solemn acceptance of Christ with his Benefits upon his terms and a delivering up our selves to him as his Redeemed ones even to the Father as our reconciled Father and to the Son as our Lord and Saviour and to the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier with Professed Thankfulness for so great a benefit 3. It is appointed to be a lively objective means by which the Spirit of Christ should work to stir up and exercise and increase the Repentance Faith Desire Love Hope Joy Thankfulness and New-Obedience of Believers by a lively Representation of the evil of sin the infinite love of God in Christ the firmness of the Covenant or Promise the greatness and sureness of the Mercy given and the Blessedness purchased and promised to us and the great obligations that are laid upon us And that herein believers might be solemnly called out to the most serious exercise of all these Graces 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29 31. 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 21. 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. 2 Cor. 6. 4. and might be provoked and assisted to stir up themselves to this Communion with God in Christ to pray for more as through a sacrificed Christ 4. It is appointed to be the solemn Profession of Believers of their Faith and Love and Gratitude and Obedience to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and of continuing firm in the Christian Religion And a Badge of the Church before the World Acts 2. 42 46. 20. 7. 5. And it is appointed to be a sign and means of the Unity Love and Communion of Saints and their readiness to Communicate to each other The false mistaken ends which you must avoid are these 1. You must not with the Papists think that the end of it is to turn Bread into no Bread and Wine into no Wine and to make them really the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ For if sense which telleth all Men that it is still Bread and Wine be not to be believed then we cannot believe that ever there was a Gospel or an Apostle or a Pope or a Man or any thing in the World And the Apostle expresly calleth it Bread three times in three Verses together after the Consecration 1 Cor. 11. 26 27 28. and he telleth us that the use of it is not to make the Lords Body really present but to shew the Lords Death till he come that is As a visible representing and commemorating sign to be instead of the Bodily presence till he come 2. Nor must you with the Papists use this Sacrament to sacrifice Christ again really unto the Father to propitiate him for the quick and dead and ease Souls in Purgatory and deliver them out of it For Christ having died once dieth no more and without killing him there is no sacrificing him By once offering up himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and now there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Having finished the sacrificing work on Earth he is now passed into the Heavens to appear before God for his Redeemed ones Ro. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Heb. 9. 26. and 10. 12 26. and 9. 24. 3. Nor is it any better than odious impiety to receive the Sacrament to confirm some Confederacies or Oaths of Secresie for rebellions or other unlawful designs as the Powder-Plotters in England did 4. Nor is it any other than impious prophanation of these sacred Mysteries for the Priest to constrain or suffer notoriously ignorant and ungodly persons to receive them either to make themselves believe that they are indeed the Children of God or to be a means which ungodly men should use to make them godly or which Infidels or Impenitent persons must use to help them to Repentance and Faith in Christ For though there is that in it which may become a means of their Conversion as a Thief that stealeth a Bible or Sermon Book may be converted by it yet is it not to be used by the Receiver to that end For that were to tell God a lie as the means of their Conversion for whosoever cometh to receive a setled pardon doth thereby profess repentance as also by the words adjoyned he must do And whosoever taketh and eateth and drinketh the Bread and Wine doth actually profess thereby that he taketh and applieth Christ himself by Faith And therefore if he do neither of these he lieth openly to God and lies and false Covenants are not the appointed means of Conversion Not that the Minister is a lier in his delivery of it For he doth but conditionally seal and deliver Gods Covenant and Benefits to the Receiver to be his if he truly Repent and Believe But the Receiver himself lieth if he do not actually Repent and Believe as he there professeth to do 5. Also it is an impious prophanation of the Sacrament if any Priest for the love of filthy lucre shall give it to those that ought not to receive it that he may have his Fees or Offerings or that the Priest may have so much money that is bequeathed for the saying a Mass for such or such a Soul 6. And it is odious prophanation of the Sacrament to use it as a League or Bond of Faction to gather persons in to the party and tie them fast to it that they may depend upon the Priest and his Faction and Inerest may thereby be strengthned and he may seem to have many followers 7. And it is a dangerous abuse of it to
receive it that you may be pardoned or sanctified or saved barely by the work done or by the outward exercise alone As if God were there obliged to give you Grace while you strive not with your own hearts to stir them up to love or desire or faith or obedience by the means that are before you or as if God would pardon and save you for eating so much Bread and drinking so much Wine when the Canon biddeth you or as if the Sacrament conveyed Grace like as Charms are supposed to work by saying over so many words 8. Lastly It is no appointed end of this Sacrament that the Receiver thereby profess himself certain of the sincerity of his own Repentance and Faith For it is not managed on the ground of such certainty only by the Receiver much less by the minister that delivereth it But only he professeth that as far as he can discern by observing his own heart he is truly willing to have Christ and his benefits on the terms that they are offered and that he doth consent to the Covenant which he is there to renew Think not therefore that the Sacrament is instituted for any of these mistaken ends Direct 2. Distinctly understand the parts of the Sacrament that you may distinctly use them and not do you know not what This Sacrament containeth these three parts 1. The Consecration of the Bread and Wine which maketh it the Representative Body and Blood of Christ 2. The Representation and Commemoration of the Sacrifice of Christ 3. The Communion Or Communication by Christ and Reception by the people 1. In the Consecration the Church doth first offer the Creatures of Bread and Wine to be accepted of God to this Sacred use And God accepteth them and blesseth them to this use which he signifieth both by the words of his own Institution and by the Action of his Ministers and their Benidiction They being the Agents of God to the People in this Accepting and Blessing as they are the Agents of the People to God in offering or dedicating the Creatures to this use 2. This Consecration having a special respect to God the Father in it we acknowledge his three grand Relations 1. That he is the Creator and so the Owner of all the Creatures for we offer them to him as his own 2. That he is our Righteous Governor whose Law it was that Adam and we have broken and who required satisfaction and hath received the Sacrifice and atonement and hath dispensed with the strict and proper execution of that Law and will rule us hereafter by the Law of Grace 3. That he is our Father or Benefactor who hath freely given us a Redeemer and the Covenant of Grace whose Love and Favor we have forfeited by sin but desire hope to be reconciled by Christ 3. As Christ himself was Incarnate and true Christ before he was sacrificed to God and was sacrificed to God before that sacrifice be communicated for life and nourishment to Souls So in the Sacrament Consecration must first make the Creature to be the Flesh and Blood of Christ representative and then the sacrificing of that flesh and blood must be represented and commemorated and then the sacrificed flesh and blood communicated to the Receivers for their spiritual life II. The Commemoration chiefly but not only respecteth God the Son For he hath ordained that these consecrated Representations should in their manner and measure supply the room of his bodily presence while his body is in Heaven And that thus as it were in effigy in representation he might be still Crucified before the Churches eyes and they might be affected as if they had seen him on the Cross And that by Faith and Prayer they might as it were offer him up to God that is Might shew the Father that sacrifice once made for sin in which they trust and for which it is that they expect all the acceptance of their persons with God and hope for audience when they beg for mercy and offer up prayer or praise to him III. In the Communication though the Sacrament have respect to the Father as the principal Giver and to the Son as both the Gift and Giver yet hath it a special respect to the Holy Ghost as being that spirit given in the flesh and Blood which quickeneth Souls without which the Flesh will profit nothing And whose operations must convey and apply Christs saving benefits to us John 6. 63. 7. 39. These three being the parts of the Sacrament in whole as comprehending that sacred Action and participation which is essential to it The Material parts called the Relate and Correlate are 1. Substantial and Qualitative 2. Active and Passive 1. The first are the Bread and Wine as signs and the Body and Blood of Christ with his Graces and Benefits as the things signified and given The second are the Actions of Breaking Pouring out and Delivering on the Ministers part after the Conscration and the Taking Eating and Drinking by the Receivers as the sign And the signified is the Crucifying or Sacrificing of Christ and the Delivering himself with his Benefits to the Believer and the Receivers thankful Accepting and using the said gift To these add the Relative Form and the Ends and you have the definition of this Sacrament Direct 3. Look upon the minister as the Agent or Officer of Christ who is Commissioned by him to seal and deliver to you the Covenant and its benefits And take the Bread and Wine as if you heard Christ himself saying to you Take my Body and Blood and the Pardon and Grace which is thereby purchased It is a great help in the Application to have mercy and pardon brought us by the hand of a Commissioned Officer of Christ Direct 4. In your preparation before-hand take heed of these two extreams 1. That you come not prophanely and carelesly with common hearts as to a common work For God will be sanctified in them that draw near to him Levit. 10. 3. And they that eat and drink unworthily not discerning the Lords Body from common Bread but eating as if it were a common meal do eat death to themselves instead of life 2. Take heed lest your mistakes of the nature of this Sacrament should possess you with such fears of unworthy receiving and the following dangers as may quite discompose and unfit your Souls for the joyful exercises of Faith and Love and Praise and Thanksgiving to which you are invited Many that are scrupulous of receiving it in any save a feasting gesture are too little careful and scrupulous of receiving it in any save a feasting frame of mind The first extream is caused by prophanness and negligence or by gross ignorance of the nature of the Sacramental work The latter extream is frequently caused as followeth 1. By setting this Sacrament at a greater distance from other parts of God's worship than there is cause So that the excess of Reverence doth overwhelm the minds
Monthly Preparations FOR THE Holy Communion By R. B. To which is added Suitable Meditations before in and after Receiving WITH Divine Hymns In Common Tunes Fitted for Publick Congregations or Private Families LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible Three Crowns the lower end of Cheapside 1696. THE PREFACE TO THE READER SAcramental work is solemn work indeed And all those helps are valuable and desirable whereby the furniture of our minds the temper of our hearts and the conduct of our lives may be answerable to the solemnity of a Sacramental Table A mind that is barren or perplext an heart that is false or stupid and the conscience of a disordered conversation are bad Companions to attend us to the Holy Supper of our Lord. The Lord's Body is to be discerned his Death shewed forth his tender'd self and benefits received and his next Coming seriously thought on and throughly prepared for and joyfully expected by us and all this is to be influenced and actuated by this Memorial which Christ hath left with us Such helps as these are the more useful by being brief if brevity do not render them defective and obscure as here I think they will not No Directory can be better than the Institution if well discerned and attended to I. The Memorable Person is the Lord Jesus in his perfections relations and designs Here therefore let him be considered 1. As Man to render him capable of sufferings service and contending with that Enemy of God and Man who once deceived and enslaved us 2. As the Son of Man the chief of Humane Race for Tryals Faithfulness and Advancement 3. As the Son of God as essentially and most intimately one with God as Lord of the Universe Head over all things to his Church and of the Church it self The brightness of his Fathers Glory the one Mediator and so God's way to Man and Man's way to God and one deputed to undertake and perfect our Conduct Government and Salvation II. His Sufferings are the things here next to be commemorated Great were his Tryals from God from Hell and from this World With great composedness and gallantry of spirit did he endure them and work his passage through them to that exalted state wherein he had so much to do with God for us In all these and in his preparations for them doth he appear most exemplary to us claiming and urging our Conformity to his obedient submissive and resolved self And in his Meritorious Sufferings and Expiatory Death must we discern and think severely on what there and thence was evident viz. Gods Wisdom Majesty Holiness and his Governing Justice and Prerogatives the sinfulness of sin the misery of Revolted Man the equity and power of God's Violated Law and the eminence of the Divine above the Animal Life Nature and Concerns III. Our Interest in and Benefit by these his Sufferings are next to exercise our thoughts He died to let us see 1. How glorious a God we have to do with 2 What wise and righteous Constitutions we had violated 3. What dreadful evils we had brought upon our selves 4. What spirit strength and reach there is in Divine Threatnings 5. How hard it is to be recovered when we are faln from God and so what an Enemy Satan is to Man and how unwilling to let his Captives go 6. To shew us the riches of God's Grace in him and his own Dignity in that his Sufferings could and did merit and obtain of God our Pardon Adoption Acceptance and Eternal Bliss through him 7. To raise and cherish holy endeavours to return to God in hope 8. To make us dread the thoughts of ever falling off from God again 9. To justifie our claims to all the Benefits of our Gospel-state and day 10. To obtain of God for us the Spirit and Means of Grace thereby to fit us for our present Work and Trials in this our Probationary state and to suit and bring us to his Father and himself in Glory and that with universul Satisfaction and Advantage and Applause 11. To put himself into a capacity of interceding for us in Heaven and blessing us from Heaven as our High-Priest upon his Throne 12. To put us into and to keep us in a Covenant-state and frame that thus we may deal and walk with God as Children as interested in his Son as inhabited and actuated by his Spirit and as united with all the Family of God and Christ in the same Principles Practices Concerns and Hopes in order to the exercises of all the sympathies and services of mutually Christian Love Ephes iv v. 1-6 IV. Our Commemoration of Christ thus represented to us as upon the Cross and as determining to come again is our next work 1. The Sacramental Elements and the Observed Institution is the Memorial 2. The Remembrance contains 1. Head-work in discerning remembring and believing the Sacramental Doctrine of this Supper to be true and of great consequence to us Christ Crucified and determining to come again 2. Heart-work in forming the temper purposes hopes and comforts of our hearts unto what this Supper imports and our acceptance of what is tendered here and our obliging our selves to do and be as Christ would have us 3. Life-work in keeping up our Christian practice and profession as we are here directed and obliged to for a more full account whereof and greater fitness for it thou art commended to this helpful Treatise by Thine to his poor power for Christ Matthew Sylvester Feb. 3. 1695 6. A Monthly Preparation for our Holy Communion with Christ and his Church in the Lord's Supper THIS is a holy Feast that is purposely provided by the King of Saints for the Entertainment of his Family for the refreshing of the weary and the making glad the mournful Soul The night before his bitter Death he instituted this Sacramental Feast He caused his Disciples to sit down with him and when they had partaked of the Passover the Sacrament of Promise and had their taste of the old wine he giveth them the new even the Sacrament of the better Covenant and of the fuller Gospel-Grace He teacheth them that his Death is Life to them and that which is his bitterest suffering is their Feast and his sorrows are their Joyes as our sinful pleasures were his sorrows The slain Lamb of God our passover that was Sacrificed for us that taketh away the sins of the world was the pleasant food which Sacramentally he himself then delivered to them and substantially the next day offered for them The bread of God is he which cometh down from Heaven and giveth life unto the world John 6. 33. He is the living bread which came down from Heaven If any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread which he giveth is his flesh which he hath given for the life of the world verse 50 51. Except we eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood we have
cleanse thee and take thee to himself betroth thee to him for ever and after all will give thee to see his Glory even the same Glory which he had before the World And the Father is willing to all this for he tells thee his Son is his well-beloved Son and bids thee believe him and misdoubt not one syllable And canst thou after all this doubt that the Father is not willing But do not his Angels likewise who are ministring spirits with voice and looks proclaim as much that Heaven is well-pleased with the Son and with his Death and Passion and so with thee in him Do not the Angels admire the mystery of Redeeming Grace that makes them so desirous to peep into it Why did they proclaim his coming into the World and sing for joy that there was good will in Heaven to men on earth or why do they so diligently attend thee by night and day Thou seest them not keep guard about thy Chamber-door and round about the Curtains of thy bed Why do they attend thee from room to room and follow thee down stairs and out of doors if it were not but that thou art some great Princess nearly allied to their Lord and Master Thou dost not see this blame then thine eyes and the infidelity of thy heart shall it be less true because thy base infidelity cannot digest it Thou might doubt God Heaven and every thing else on that score but hast thou not it from his own mouth that the Angels are ministring spirits for the heirs of Glory Come tell me I say tell me quickly I must have an answer Can this and all this be true and Heaven yet not be pleased If God with his Son and Angels be all content that thou shouldst be restored and so exalted to such dignities as to be heir unto the Crown of Heaven if these be pleased who is there in Heaven that can else be displeased What saith my heart what not yet one word Oh how long shall I be troubled and pestered with my unbelief Oh my God strike chide and break this flint reprove this stubborn and unbelieving heart I cannot perswade it that thou lovest me or art willing to love me I urge thy word and my best reason to prove it but I cannot make it yield Oh break I pray thee this Flint or Adamant upon thy downy breast of love strike and one blow of thine will make it fall in pieces and confess at length that thou art well pleased with thy Son and fully satisfied that he should bleed and die for me But let me try thee once again if thou hast lost thine ears and eyes I 'le see if thou hast lost thy feeling too Thou sayst thou canst not believe that God is willing to accept the Son for thee or that thou so vile a wretch canst be accepted of by the Father through the merits of his Death and sufferings Come tell me is not this thy language I know thou darest not to speak so much in words But ah my Heart I find thou hast got a Tongue as well as my Mouth that often mutters and speaks a different language But tell me if thy unbelief hath any ground for it What makes it then that thy self is so free from fears and terrours when thou shouldest believe the Almighty of thy Bodies Death Resurrection and coming to Judgment if thou thoughtest him not thy friend and reconciled to thee in his Son if not methinks thy fears should fright thee and trembling seize on every joynt and yet thou wilt foolishly mutter against thine own feeling Soul Speaks O blessed God! I feel thou hast overcome I yield I yield I have not left a word to speak against thy love thy Son hath offered satisfaction and thou hast accepted it thou hast laid down O my Saviour thy life for mine and thy Father and my Father is well pleased with it Blood is paid Justice is satisfied Heavens doors are widened thine arms opened to receive me nothing is wanting but by heart make it such as thou wilt have it and then take it to thy self Come up my soul thou hast an heart and there is a Christ the Father thou seest is willing and the Son is willing give but thy consent and he is thine for ever Fear not thy hardness blindness deadness loathsomness all these cannot hinder if thou be but willing He hath been in the world to ask the worlds consent already and also thine thou canst not doubt of his good-will speak but the word and he hath thine too What stickest thou at surely thou art a sluggish spirit what dost thou ail Half of this ado would find a heart for a little mire or dirt or something else that is worse and is not Christ better But ah yet I feel a piece of unbelief still working in thy very bowels as if that Jesus that died at Jerusalem were not the Son of God and the Redeemer of the World And is this all O were I certain thou wouldst ne're doubt more how freely should I make satisfaction But Oh! I faint and tire with the trips and stumblings of my unbelief But mount my Soul thou must resolve to tire and put to silence all thy unbelieving bablings or they will thee which if they do never expect an hours peace or quiet more thou must resolve to conquer thy unbelief or to be conquered thou knowest her tyranny too well to let her go away the victoress He was not the Christ thou sayest but tell me why Object His Parentage was too low and mean what the Saviour of the world a Carpenters Son how can it be Answ My unbelief in the first place thou lyest his Mother was a Virgin and her Conception knew no Father but the Almighty power of the overshadowing Holy Ghost he was more truly the Son of God than Joseph's Son And was his birth thinkst thou so mean whose Parentage was so glorious Object His birth but mean and beggarly no sooner born but cradled in a manger and could Heaven suffer this Answ It consists But yet it was as glorious for did not a Star proclaim him born and did not a whole Host of Angels sing and shout it up for joy and did not wise men yea and Kings bring Incense Myrrh and Frankinsense being but as so much tribute unto the new-born King and heir of all things as if by instinct they knew they held their Crowns of him a greater honour than ever any new born Prince hath yet received before him or ever shall or will do after him Methinks my unbelieving heart I could dare to tell thee that room was no stable it was a Palace and did not the cost presents and glorious presence of Kings speak as much Object But his days were spent in poverty meanness and disgrace and can I dare I trust my soul with such a one and take him to be the Son of God Answ And now I wonder at thee it's true what
Grace Take now the Earnest of my Love Before you see my face Never be strange to me I wait to hear your cry Let me but know your pressing wants And you shall have supply IV. Never distrust my Love I Am this is my Name Sin makes me hide my face a while When yet my Love 's the same Never regard your Foes They are no match for me Plead still my Conquests with your God And you shall Victors be HYMN XII I. FIll'd with the sense of sin and wrath And black despair drew nigh To Christ I fled for succ'ring Grace He heard my mournful cry Under his pleasant shade I sate Sweet notes of Love I heard My welcome was above my thought How was I lov'd and chear'd II. He came to me but not alone Divine fruits were my fair I waited what he first would say Your sins now pardon'd are Peace with Jehovah is my gift No frowns appear above Go boldly to my Father's Throne Love waits your Soul to love III. The Book of Life your Name is there And ever there shall be Love wrote it there Love keeps it there To all Eternity Ask what you will I have God's Ear He never me deny'd Come with your fears come with your wants And you shall be supply'd IV. I give my Angels for your Guard You are their daily care Let Satan tempt and shoot his Darts They can prevent the snare O Lord what can I now reply What love at such a rate But this I 'll pray O let my Love Bear an Eternal Date Another I. The time is past when humane Race Became God's Enemy The World ne're saw so black a Night When Adam eat the Tree Vast gulf of Woes became his due Which had no bounds nor end What e're he did what e're he thought Still guilt did him attend II. God saw this sad tremendous Fall His Truth said might thy Word Justice requir'd the Sinner's Blood No pity him afford But Love that charming Attribute Prepar'd a kind Reply The Pleas of Justice I 'll adjust My only Son shall die III. Blest was the day when Adam heard That chearing word of Grace I 'll send the Lord of Glory here And hide my angry face Hear what he says he knows my heart My Mercy shall rejoice Peace he 'll proclaim the War will cease If you obey his voice IV. Go trembling Sinner go to him Fear not your former guilt His Death has answer'd my demands And I will you acquit Come take the Pledge believe my Son I am your own your All I have a Father's hand and heart To hear you when you call V. My Christ did lovingly invite Me to his charming Feast He added to his wond'rous Love Made me a wiliing Guest I came and found a Banquet rare He brought me Angels food He bid me take and eat my fill For my Eternal good VI. He spoke such chearing words of Grace What do you want my Friend What can you doubt my kind design Consider and attend Sin cannot now defeat my Love Since pardons I will give Sin seems an unresisted Foe It shall not always live VII You feel a dreadful War within Lusts claim a rightless Throne But this united force I 'll break Since now you are my own Satan with all his Darts and Snares Shall prove a fruitless Foe You are design'd for Heaven's Bliss He to Eternal Woe VIII Never distrust my wond'rous Love The best is yet behind No Tongue nor Thought can represent How good I 'll be and kind Refresh your Souls with what I give Wait till you come on high I long till all my Members see What 's in Eternity Another I. What made the Lord of Glory die Shall God the answer make Our guilty Souls may trembling stand To hear Hehovah speak But God has spoke he sent his Son But stay dejected heart Not to condemn a Rebel World But to regain his part II. The Death of Christ no vengeance cries It is a sign of Peace It pardons sins and pays our debts And gives our Souls release Let Law Conscience bring their charge Let Justice plead our guilt The Death of Christ can silence all And God will us acquit III. Oh Soul shall banisht fears return When you can pardon plead Hold fast this charming Pledge of Love For you it is decreed Let Angels sing their highest Note Let Earth triumph below Let the Redeemed of the Lord Their Saviour's Glory show Books sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns the lower End of Cheapside A Body of Practical Divinity consisting of above one hundred seventy six Sermons on the lesser Catechism composed by the Reverend Assembly of Divines at Westminster With a Supplement of some Sermons on several Texts of Scripture By Tho. Watson formerly Minister at St. Stephen's Walbrook London A Paraphrase on the New Testament with Notes doctrinal and practical By plainness and brevity fitted to the Use of Religious Families in their daily Reading of the Scriptures and of the younger and poorer sort of Scholars and Ministers who want fuller helps With an Advertisement of Difficulties in the Revelations By the Late Reverend Mr. Rich. Baxter Six hundred of select Hymns and Spiritual Songs collected out of the Holy Bible Together with a Catechism the Canticles and a Catalogue of Vertuous Women The Three last hundred of select Hymns collected out of the Psalms of David By William Barton A. M. late Minister of St. Martins in Leicester Spiritual Songs Or Songs of Praise to Almighty God upon several occasions Together with the Song of Songs which is Solomon's First turn'd then paraphrased in English Verse By John Mason Penitential Cries in Thirty two Hymns Begun by the Author of the Songs of Praise and Midnight Cry and carried on by another hand Sacramental Hymns collected chiefly out of such passages of the N. Testament as contain the most suitable matter of Divine Praises in the Celebration of the Lord's Supper To which is added one Hymn relating to Baptism and another to the Ministry By J. Boyse With some by other hands A Collection of Divine Hymns upon several occasions suited to our common Tunes for the use of Devout Christians in singing forth the Praises of God The Psalms of David in Metre Newly translated and diligently compared with the Original Text and former Translations More plain smooth and agreeable to the Text than any heretofore Of â—â—ee Justification by Christ Written first in Latine by John Fox Author of the Book of Martyrs against Osorius c. And now Translated into English for the benefit of those who love their own Souls and would not be mistaken in so great a Point An Earnest Call to Family-Religion Or a Discourse concerning Family-Worship Being the substance of Eighteen Sermons Preached by Samuel Slater A. M. Minister of the Gospel The Preaching of Christ and the Prison of God as the certain Portion of them that reject Christ's Word Opened in several Sermons on 1 Pet. 3. 19.
of some with terrors 2. By studying more the terrible words of eating and drinking damnation to themselves if they do it unworthily than all the expressions of Love and Mercy which that Blessed Feast is furnished with So that when the viewes of infinite Love should ravish them they are studying wrath and vengeance to terrifie them as if they came to Moses and not to Christ 3. By not understanding what maketh a Receiver worthy or unworthy but taking their unwilling infirmities for condemning unworthiness 4. By receiving it so seldom as to make it strange to them and increase their fear whereas if it were administred every Lords day as it was in the Primitve Churches it would better acquaint them with it and cure that fear that cometh from strangeness 5. By imagining that none that want assurance of their own sincerity can receive in Faith 6. By contracting an ill habit of mistaken Religiousness placing it all in poring on themselves and mourning for their corruptions and not in studying the Love of God in Christ and living in the daily praises of his Name and joyful thanksgiving for his exceeding Mercies 7. And if besides all these the Body contract a weak or timorous melancholly distemper it will leave the mind capable of almost nothing but fear and trouble even in the sweetest works From many such causes it cometh to pass that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is become more terrible and uncomfortable to abundance of such distempered Christians than any other Ordinance of God that which should most comfort them doth trouble them most Quest 1. But is not this Sacrament more holy and dreadful and should it not have more preparation than other parts of worship Answ For the degree indeed it should have very careful preparation And we cannot well compare it with other parts of worship as Praise Thanksgiving Covenanting with God Prayer c. Because that all these other parts are here comprised and performed But doubtless God must also be sanctified in all his other worship and his Name must not be taken in vain And when this Sacrament was received every Lords day and often in the week besides Christians were supposed to live continually in a state of general preparation and not to be so far from a due particular preparation as many poor Christians think they are Quest 2. How often should the Sacrament be now administred that it neither grow into contempt nor strangeness Answ Ordinarily in well Displined Churches it should be still every Lord's day For 1. We have no reason to prove that the Apostles example and appointment in this case was proper to those times any more than that praise and thanksgiving daily is proper to them And we may as well deny the obligation of other Institutions or Apostolical Orders as that 2. It is a part of the settled order for the Lords day's worship and omitting it maimeth and altereth the worship for the day and occasioneth the omission of the thanksgiving and praise and lively commemorations of Christ which should be then most performed And so Christians by use grow habited to sadness and a mourning melancholly Religion and grow unacquainted with much of the Worship and Spirit of the Gospel 3. Hereby the Papists lamentable corruptions of this Ordinance have grown up even by an excess of reverence and fear which seldom receiving doth increase till they are come to worship Bread as their God 4. By seldom communicating Men are seduced to think all proper Communion of Churches lieth in that Sacrament and to be more prophanely bold in abusing many other parts of worship 5. There are better means by Teaching and Discipline to keep the Sacrament from contempt than the omitting or displacing of it 6. Every Lord's day is no oftener than Christians need it 7. The frequency will teach them to live prepared and not only to make much ado once a Month or Quarter when the same work is neglected all the year beside even as one that liveth in continual expectation of death will live in continual preparation When he that expecteth it but in some grievous sickness will then be frightned into some seeming preparations which are not the habit of his Soul but laid by again when the disease is over 2. But yet I must add that in some indisciplined Churches and upon some occasions it may be longer omitted or seldomer used no duty is a duty at all â—imes And therefore extraordinary cases may raise such impediments as may hinder us a long time from this and many other Priviledges But the ordinary faultness of our imperfect hearts that are apt â—o grow customary and dull is no good reason why it should be seldom any more than why other special duties of Worship and Church-Communion should be seldom Read well the Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians and you will find that theâ— were then as bad as the true Christians â—re now and that even in this Sacrament they were very culpable and yet Paul seeketh not to cure them by their seldomer communicating Q 3. Are all the Members of the visible Church to be admitted to this Sacrament or Communicate Answ All are not to seek it or to take it because many may know their own unfitness when the Church or Pastors know it not But all that come and seek it are to be admitted by the Pastors except such Children Idiots ignorant persons or Heriticks as know not what they are to receive and do and such as are notoriously wicked or scandalous and have not manifested their repentance But then it is presupposed that none should be numbred with the adult members of the Church but those that have personally owned their Baptismal Covenant by a Credible Profession of true Christianity Quest 4. May a Man that hath knowledge and civility and common gifts come and take this Sacrament if he know that he is yet void of true repentance and other saving Grace Answ No for he then knoweth himself to be one that is uncapable of it in his present state Quest 5. May an ungodly Man receive this Sacrament who knoweth not himself to be ungodly Answ No For he ought to know it and his sinful ignorance of his own condition will not make his sin to be his duty nor excuse his other faults before God Quest 6. Must a sincere Christian receive that is uncertain of his sincerity and in continual doubting Answ Two preparations are necessary to this Sacrament the general preparation which is a state of Grace and this the doubting Christian hath and the particular preparation which consisteth in his present actual fitness And all the question is of this And to know this you must further distinguish between immediate duty and more remote and between the degrees of doubtfulness in Christians 1. The nearest immediate duty of the doubting Christian is to use the means to have his doubts resolved till te know his case and then his next duty is to receive
cases that are too hard for your selves to resolve and where you need their special help 3. That you lovingly admonish them that you know do intend to communicate unworthily and to come thither in their ungodliness and gross sin unrepented of That you shew not such hatred of your Brother as to suffer sin upon him Lev. 19. 17. But tell him his faults as Christ hath directed you Mat. 18. 15 16 17. And do your parts to promote Christs Discipline and keep pure the Church See 1 Cor 5. throughout Direct 6. When you come to the holy Communion let not the over-scrupulous regard of the person of the Minister or the company or the imperfections of the ministration disturb your meditations nor call away your minds from the high and serious imployment of the day Hypocrites who place their Religion in bodily exercises have taught many weak Christians to take up unecessary scruples and to turn their eye and observation too much to things without them Quest But should we have no regard to the due celebration of these sacred Mysteries and to the Minister and communicants and manner of Administration Answ Yes You should have so much regard to them 1. As to see that nothing be amiss through your default which is in your power to amend 2. And that you joyn not in the committing of any known sin But 1. Take not every sin of another for your sin and think not that you are guilty of that in others which you cannot amend or that you must forsake the Church and worship of God for these corruptions which you are not guilty of or deny your own mercies because others usurp them or abuse them 2. If you suspect any thing imposed upon you to be sinful to you try it before you come thither and leave not your minds open to disturbance when they should be wholly imployed with Christ Quest But what if my conscience be not satisfied but I am still in doubt must I not forbear Seeing he that doubteth is condemned if he eat because he eateth not in Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Answ The Apostle there speaketh not of eating in the Sacrament but of eating meats which he doubteth of whether they are lawful but is sure that it is lawful to forbear them And in case of doubting about things indifferent the surer side is to forbear them because there may be sin in doing but there can be none on the other side in forbearing But in case of Duties your doubting will not disoblige you else men might give over praying and hearing Gods Word and believing and obeying their Rulers and maintaining their Families when they are but blind enough to doubt of it 2. Your erring Conscience is not a Law-maker and cannot make it your duty to obey it For God is your King and the Office of your Conscience is to discern his Law and urge you to obedience and not to make you Laws of its own So that if it speak falsly it doth not oblige you but deceive you It doth only ligate or insnare you but not obligare or make a sin a duty It casteth you into necessity of sinning more or less till you relinquish the error But in case of such duties as these it is a sin to do them with a doubting Conscience but ordinarily it is a greater sin to forbear Object But some Divines write that Conscience being Gods Officer when it erreth God himself doth bind me by it to follow that error and the evil which it requireth becometh my duty Answ A dangerous error tending to subversion of Souls and Kingdoms and highly dishonourable to God God hath made it your duty to know his Will and do it And if you ignorantly mistake him will you lay the blame on him and draw him into participation of your sin when he forbiddeth you both the error and the sin And doth he at once forbid and command the same thing At that very moment God is so far from obliging you to follow your error that he still obligeth you to lay it by and do the contrary If you say You cannot I answer Your impotency is a sinful impotency and you can use the means in which his Grace can help you and he will not change his Law nor make you Kings and Rulers of your selves instead of him because you are ignorant or impotent Direct 7. In the time of administration go along with the Minister throughout the work and keep your hearts close to Jesus Christ in the exercise of all those Graces which are suited to the several parts of the administration Think not that all the work must be the Minister's It should be a busie day with you and your hearts should be taken up with as much diligence as your hands be in your common labor but not in a toilsome weary diligence but in such delightful business as becometh the guests of the God of Heaven at so sweet a feast and in the receiving of such unvaluable gifts Here I should distinctly shew you I. What Graces they be that you must there exercise II. What there is obiectively presented before you in the Sacrament to exercise all these Graces III. At what seasons in the administration each of these inward works are to be done I. The Graces to be exercised are these besides that holy fear and reverence common to all worship 1. A humble sense of the odiousness of sin and of our undone condition as in our selves and a displeasure against our selves loathing of our selves and melting Repentance for the sins we have committed as against our Creator and as against the Love and Mercy of a Redeemer and as against the holy Spirit of Grace 2. A hungring and thirsting desire after the Lord Jesus and his Grace and the favour of God and communion with him which are there represented and offered to the Soul 3. A lively Faith in our Redeemer his death resurrection and intercession and a trusting our miserable souls upon him as our sufficient Saviour and help And a hearty acceptance of him and his benefits upon his offered terms 4. A joy and gladness in the sense of that unspeakable mercy which is here offered us 5. A thankful heart towards him from whom we do receive it 6. A fervent Love to him that by such Love doth seek our Love 7. A triumphant Hope of life eternal which is purchased for us and sealed to us 8. A willingness and resolution to deny our selves and all this world and suffer for him that hath suffered for our Redemption 9. A Love to our Brethren our Neighbours and our Enemies with a readiness to relieve them and to forgive them when they do us wrong 10. And a firm Resolution for future obedience to our Creator and Redeemer and Sanctifier according to our Covenant II. In the naming of these Graces I have named their objects which you should observe as distinctly as you can that they may be operative 1. To
hazard my Eternal pleasures Speak sinner was it not so The sinner answers My God these weeping eyes and bended knees confess so much God speaks Had I not told thee that sin would cost thee thy life then thou hadst had some excuse have I said it and will the great God change sinner thou must die I told thee so before and now I tell thee again the God of Heaven cannot lye Get thee gone thou cursed wretch into eternal flames and keep that Devil company in chains and torments with whom thou hast rebelled against me and go see what pleasures thou hast in sinning The Sinner answereth Thou great God and terrible Judge I do confess thy sentence just but if there be any powels of mercy in thee pity me or I die for ever Mercy mercy Lord for I am thy creature the workmanship of thy hands If there be any thing in the trembling heart and hands and knees of this thy sentenced prisoner that will move compassion O pity pity a condemned sinner God speaks What! stays he longer to trouble my patience I say be gone thou cursed though thou art my creature know that my wrath hath kindled on better creatures than thou art get thee to Hell and the howling Devils will tell thee as much The sinner speaks Ah wo wo wo to me for ever cursed I am and cursed must I go for ever My righteous Judge and ye Glorious Angels adieu for ever Live live for ever bless'd and happy in his love I might have lived and joyed and gloried in that God that made both ye and me but like a wretch that I am wo that ever I was born I sold his favour and so my eternal life for a thing of nought a vain lust a sinful pleasure that lasted but for a season and I go I go into eternal flames What says my heart to this Methinks the very thoughts of it do make my heart to quiver and my flesh to shake all round about me I feel no strength in all my joints God speaks So so I am glad something moves thee But think again that the Devil did take hold of thee and drag thee from the place thou fittest on to Hell suppose the Father frowning on thee and all the Angels shouting thee down to Hell and glorying in thy damnation but think again thou sawest when all were joying to see thee sentenced to Hell that he that sat just by the Judge whom thou thoughtest even now to be his Son but knewest it not Look look methings I see him rise off his Throne see see how the Angels fall to adore him methinks he is a coming near thee Oh how my heart doth tremble Oh what will he torment me before my time Ah me my doom is great enough already Sinner speaks Thou wilt not send me to a worser place than Hell my Judge hath passed my sentence thou canst not send me into worser than flames or punish me longer than everlastingly Christ answers Oh how my bowels turn this sinner knows not what is in my heart he thinks I am his enemy Sinner shake off thy tears and wipe thine eyes thou shalt not die The sinner speaks again Oh thou glorious God or Angel or I know not what to call thee do not delude or deride a poor Caitiff wretch in the midst of misery Why wilt thou raise me to such a pinacle of hope to cast me down and make my fall the greater My Judge hath passed the sentence I must die and who can reverse the doom Ah! I must go see my prison-door wide open the smoke and flashes come to meet my despairing soul half way Christ speaks And now my heart begins to break my love can keep no longer in how causlesly doth this wretch torment his heart he knows not who I am I must reveal my self Sinner I love thee I say thou shalt not die Come feel my heart and pulse how they beat and tell how strong my love within doth act them Dost thou not fee I have left my Throne and am come down to the Bar where thou standest condemned But why dost thou weep Come let me wipe thine eyes and bind up thy bleeding and despairing heart I tell thee thou shalt not die If Heaven will have blood it shall have mine so it will but spare thine Sinner if thou knewest who I am thou wouldest not doubt one tittle I tell thee I am his Son his only Son that but now condemned thee I know he is just and justice must be satisfied But do not thou fear if one of us must die it shall be I I will pour out my blood a sacrifice for sin and appease his wrath and make you friends again Ye innumerable company of Angels yet servants at my Father will why do ye rejoyce to see my prisoner sent to Hell this cursed soul over whom in glory you do now triumph I do resolve to die for and to buy her to my self a Spouse and to make her blessed with your selves and give her a Princes's place on a Throne that is by my self Sinner speaks Is this a dream or am I waking the goodness greatness glory of this sudden unexpected blessed change tempts me to doubt whether it be true or whether it be some unruly fancy that doth delude this wretched heart of mine What for the Son of God to debase himself so low as to take my nature so my cause and become the prisoner What! and though he knows he shall be cast Will he hear the sentence and quietly bear bolts and shackles and chains which should have fettered me Yet more than this Doth he know it is impossible to get a reprieve from his Father and judge and that he must most assuredly drink the bitterest dregs of Death more bitter than Devils or damned Souls in Hell has yet ever tasted of For it is impossible the Cup should pass And can he will he dare he venture But stay I must be a Spouse to be exalted from this Dunghill to be a Princess to the Son and Heir of Glory Hold hold here 's enugh it is a dream an idle fancy of a distempered brain I shall never find a heart to believe one Syllable But yet methinks if it be a dream 't is a Golden one Is it possible that such a damned wretch as I could harbour such silken gilded thoughts of such love grace mercy and tenderness of the Son of God Oh my heart if they were not true how came they into my mind or how came they to stay or could they if but meer fictions make such a change in my heart Could they so victoriously conquer all my fear silence all my doubts allay the heats of a scorched and be-helled Conscience But why a dream poor wretched heart Didst thou not see him step off his Throne Was it a time to dream or sleep in when thou wert before the judgment-seat while God was frowning and the Devils dragging thee to and fro to
Meditation on the Death of Christ Preparative to the Scrament Pen'd for his private use BUT is he dead Oh sad yet joyful news how strangely is my soul amazed and diversly mov'd and troubl'd by these contrary passions methinks I could pull up the floodgates of my sorrow and vent it out in tears but something bids me hold Shall I mourn for him that 's just now past his state of mourning He 's dead and what of that And so are all his griefs his bloody sweats his sighs and groans concluded He hath drunk on the brook in the way bitter while they were in his mouth and he was living but sweet now they have sunk into his belly and he in Heaven Sweet to him because it was his work he hath finisht it and sweet to me because it was the portion of sorrow death hell that I must have taken And canst thou mourn methinks if thou didst love thine heart should rather sympathize with his He is singing and shalt thou be sighing He is joying that his work is done and now is welcomed into Heaven by God his Father and shouting up by Angels voices as the great Conquerour of the hearts of men on earth and that now in triumph he is returned And will a mournful weed a wet eye and a cloudy brow become thee at these times of Festivals Shall the Heavenly Angels be joyful and thou sad How strangely will this be construed Will it not be said thou dost not love him or thou dost envy his recovered glory that he had left and now again hath taken Or that thou canst not endure to see him wear his Princes Crown in Heaven that for a time he had laid aside to come down to the earth to fetch thee thence to Heaven But ah my Lord thou wilt not sure interpret sorrow thus thou hast not sure forgot to give a meaning unto tears to teach a sigh to speak and then to know its language Hath my Lord forgot so suddenly that he was on earth and that he sweat and groan'd and wept and bled as well as I do now What though now all tears and sorrow and sighing is done away and he ceaseth to be any longer subject to our infirmities yet sure he knows it is not thus with us I am not yet in Heaven nor am I yet quite past the vale of sorrow and it cannot then be strange to him if he sees sometimes our faces look of a sadder hue than those that are in Heaven But why should thus my tears be check'd and my throbbing heart be chidden were it for a thing of nought I might be counted fool or child but shall my Saviour die and vent his Soul in a stream of blood and all in love to me and shall he thus forsake the world and die and then be laid in the grave and I be denied the liberty of following him thither as a mourner Shall it be said of the Prince of Glory that he died and had the burial of an Ass because there was none to sorrow forth those words of Ah my Lord What! shall it be granted to a Wife to mourn for the death of a beloved Husband and to a Child at the burial of a beloved Father Shall not such be blamed but rather pitied And shall their friends come in and confess the loss and the ground of their sorrow just and rather sit them down and bear them company in their grief And must I of all be thus censur'd Away with an Husband Wife or Child to me Is he not more to me than ten Husbands Might I not have had an hundred that would have never done half so much for me as he hath done That first left his glory for my sake and then laid down his life and took the stroke upon himself that I my self deserved and all because he lov'd me Was ever friend like this friend and ever love like this love Many waters cannot quench love but neither waters blood death nor many deaths could quench his love to me But shall he love and die in love and thus be forc'd to leave me because he lov'd me and I not mourn the absence of my best Beloved How unreasonable may any this deny me But ah what a bitter-worded check did I even now receive as if my sorrow would arise from the envying of his now glorious state and not from any love I bare him Oh! what needle-pointed words are those methinks they have pierc'd mine heart in every part and from each prick hath started forth a drop that hath set it o're with a bloody dew But how can it once be thought that envy should get a room in an heart that 's full of love with which it swells it bubbles up and runs all over it cannot be Bear witness heavens I do not grieve that you contain him but that I on earth have lost him Oh my God! I am not sorry that thy Son hath past his sufferings and is arriv'd to rest and got again into thy bosom his ancient nest of love and pleasure Oh you blessed Orders of Seraphim Cherubims and you innumerable company of the spirits of the just men made perfect I do not envy that you have my Lord with you that you see his face and live and walk and joy in the light of his countenance Alas we your poor Brethren could not make him so welcome here on earth as you can there we lov'd him as sincerely as you and believ'd in him and took delight too in him but yet nothing near so much as you You know him better than we do for you know him as you are known and therefore know better how to prize him We know him but in part and the value price love could but be in the like proportion He is therefore far much better there than here and how shall I then either envy him or you And what my soul should I wish him back again what if I thought I could prize and love him more and could promise the like for all his beloved disciples I could not alike engage for the wicked envious malicious unbelieving world I could not promise he should meet with no other Herod to seek his life or that the hard-hearted Jews would give him better entertainment whom they dare yet curse with the name of Conjurer though Moses and their Prophets bore witness to him and though they received a seal from Heaven in voices thunders signs and an innumerable company of real Miracles Oh no! my Lord though I could wish to see thy face again on earth yet not in such a state of misery in the midst of a den of Bears and Lions as not long since thou wast Ah! thou knowest I took no delight to hear that traiterous news of thine own Apostle that had betray'd thee that it fill'd mine heart with anguish to hear how shamefully and scornfully thou wast abused Thou sawest me blush when I heard thy face was spit
hear to my confusion Depart from me I know thee not thou worker of iniquity Thou mayest justly tell me thou hast no pleasure in me nor wilt receive an Offering at my hand But with thee there is abundant mercy And my Advocate Jesus Christ the Righteous is the Propitiation for my sins who bare them in his Body on the Cross and made himself an Offering for them that he might put them away by the Sacrifice of himself have mercy upon me and wash me in his blood cloath me with his Righteousness take away my iniquities and let them not be my ruine forgive them and remember them no more O thou that delightest not in the death of sinners heal my back-slidings love me freely and say unto my soul that thou art my salvation Thou wilt in no wise cast out them that come unto thee receive me graciously to the Feast thou hast prepared for me cause me to hunger and thirst after Christ and his Righteousness that I may be satisfied Let his flesh and blood be to me meat and drink indeed and his Spirit be in me a well of living water springing up to everlasting life Give me to know thy Love in Christ which passeth knowledge Though I have not seen him let me love him And though now I see him not yet believing let me rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory though I am unworthy of the crumbs that fall from thy Table yet feed me with the Bread of Life and speak and seal up Peace to my sinful wounded soul Soften my heart that is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin mortifie the flesh and strengthen me with might in the inward man that I may live and glorifie thy Grace through Jesus Christ our only Saviour In whose words I conclude saying Our Father c. A Prayer after the Receiving of the Holy Communion MOST Glorious God how wonderful is thy Power and Wisdom thy Holiness and Justice thy Love and Mercy in this work of our Redemption by the Incarnation Life Death Resurrection Intercession and Dominion of thy Son No power or wisdom in Heaven or Earth could have delivered me but thine The Angels desire to pry into this Mystery the Heavenly Host do celebrate it with praises saying Glory be to God in the Highest on Earth peace good will towards men The whole Creation shall proclaim thy praises blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and honour and glory for he haeth redeemed us to God by his blood and made us Kings and Priests unto our God Where sin abounded grace hath abounded much more And hast thou indeed forgiven me so great a debt by so precious a Ransom Wilt thou indeed give me to reign with Christ in Glory and see thy face and love thee and be beloved of thee for ever Yea Lord thou hast forgiven me and thou wilt glorifie me for thou art faithful that hast promised With the blood of thy Son with the Sacrament and with thy Spirit thou hast sealed up to me these precious promises And shall I not love thee that hast thus loved me Shall I not love thy Servants and forgive my Neighbours their little debt After all this shall I again forsake thee and deal falsly in thy Covenant God forbid O! set my affections on the things above where Christ sitteth at thy right hand Let me no more mind earthly things but let my Conversation be in Heaven from whence I expect my Saviour to come and change me into the likeness of his glory Teach me to do thy will O God! and to follow him who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that do obey him Order my stops by thy Word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Let me not hence-forth live unto my self but unto him who died for me and rose again Let me have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but reprove them And let my light so shine before men that they may glorifie thee In simplicity and godly sincerity and not in fleshly wisdom let me have my Conversation in the world O that my ways were so directed that I might keep thy Statutes Though Satan will be desirous again to sist me and seek as a roaring Lion to devour strengthen me to stand against his Wiles and shortly bruise him under my feet Accept me O Lord who resign my self unto thee as thine own and with my thanks and praise present my self a living Sacrifice to be acceptable through Christ. Useful for thine honour Being made free from sin and become thy Servant let me have my fruit unto holiness and the End Everlasting Life Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour In whose words I farther pray Our Father c. A Divine Soliloquy O My Soul thou hast been feasted with the Son of God at his Table upon his Flesh and Blood in preparation for the Feast of Endless Glory thou hast seen there represented what sin deserveth what Christ suffered what wonderful Love the God of infinite goodness hath exprest to thee Thou hast had Communion with the Saints thou hast renewed thy Covenant of Faith and thankful Obedience unto Christ Thou hast received his renewed Covenant of Pardon Grace and Glory to thee O carry hence the lively sense of these great and excellent things upon thy heart Remember O my Soul thou camest not to that holy Table only to injoy the mercy of an hour but that which may spring up to endless Joy Thou camest not only to do the duty of an hour but to promise that which thou must perform while thou livest on Earth Remember daily especially when Temptations to unbelief and sinful heaviness assault thee what pledges of Love thou hast received Remember daily especially when Flesh and Devil and World would draw thy heart again from God and temptations to sin are laid before thee what Bonds God and thy own Consent have laid upon thee Remember O my Soul if thou art a Penitent Believer thou art now forgiven and washed in the Blood of Christ O! go your way and sin no more no more thro' wilfulness and strive against your sins of weakness Wallow no more in the Mire and return not to thy Vomit Let the exceeding Love of Christ constrain thee having such Promises as 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. O cleanse thy self from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Amen Hymns suited to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper To be sung in the common Tunes A Hymn for the Sacrament HYMN I. I. A New and well composed Song With raptures fill'd of Love And extasies of Joy let 's tune Unto our Lord above Awake my drowsie sleepy Soul Awake dull heavy heart And all my faculties and powers Joyn in and bear a part II. Let judgment weigh the argument Let fancy it adorn Let memory