thee Thirdly Set thy self as in the Presence of God with awfull and reverent thoughts of thy crucified Lord. If the blessed Apostle S. Peter seeing but a glimpse of Christs Almighty Power thought himself unworthy to stand in the same Boat with him how unworthy art thou to sit with Christ at the same Table where thou mayest behold so much of his infinite Grace and Mercy displayed Yet if thou comest humbly in Faith Repentance and Charity abhorring thy sins past and purposing unfeignedly to amend thy life henceforth let not thy former sins affright thee for they shall never be laid to thy Charge and this Sacrament shall seal to thy Soul that all thy sins are fully pardoned and clean washed away by the Blood of Christ For this Sacrament was not ordained for them who are perfect but to help penitent sinners towards Perfection Christ came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance And he saith That the whole need not the Physician but they that are sick Bathe thou therefore thy Soul in this fountain of Christs Blood and doubtless according to the Promise Zech. 13. 1. Thou shalt be healed of all thy sins and uncleannesses Not sinners but they who are unwilling to repent of their sins are debarred this Holy Ordinance Fourthly When the Minister begins to read the sentences of Scripture before the Offertory let them be considered by thee to stirr up thy Charity to the Poor Let Gods bounty to thee in Spirituals provoke thy Mercy to others in Temporals Hoping to be refreshed with the saving benefits of Christs Death be willing to thy Power to refresh the bowels of his poor Members What we do to them we do to Christ and who would not thus relieve Christ who made himself Poor to make us Rich in the best things And now the Sacrament being begun to be administred apply thy self with diligent Attention and fervent Devotion to go along with the Minister in all Actions Rites Prayers Confessions Readings Exhortations or Thanksgivings which are used in and about the Holy Sacrament When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lords Table and consecrating them by Prayers and rehearsal of the words of Christs Institution to be an holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ then meditate how God the Father of his meer love to Mankind did set apart and seal his only begotten Son to be the All-sufficient means and only Mediator to redeem us from sin and to reconcile us to Himself and to bring us to Glory When thou seest him break the Bread meditate how Jesus Christ was put to death as to his humane Nature and his blessed Body wounded and pierced and both Soul and Body as we may say broken asunder for our sins and withall call to mind the hainousness of them and the greatness of Gods hatred against them seeing his Justice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When he is drawing towards Thee with the consecrated Bread and offering it unto thee then meditate that Christ himself cometh unto thee and both offereth and giveth indeed unto thy Faith Himself and all the merits of his Death and Passion to feed thy Soul unto Eternal life The bread of the Lord is given by the Minister but the Bread which is the Lord is given by Christ himself Ejaculations and Meditations which we may use while the Minister is giving the Bread and Wine to others 1. O Holy Jesus I behold thee stretched upon the Cross with thy arms spread ready to embrace and receive all Mankind into thy Bosom 2. I see the Symbols the Holy Bread and the blessed Cup but I also think of thy Authority ordaining these Rites of thy voice blessing these Symbols of thy Mercy reaching out my pardon thy Holy Spirit sanctifying my Spirit thy blessed Self making intercession for me at the eternall Altar in Heaven 3. Thy infinite Arms of Mercy are reached unto us and our Arm of Faith reacheth unto thee blessed be Jesus who will be joyned unto Servants 4. I am helped by these outward signs blessed Saviour to remember thy Body and thy Blood but by these I do not feel thy Wounds My Lord had the smart but we the ease his were the Sufferings but ours the Mercy and after he had paid the Price we got the Purchase Oh that my heart therefore by love and desire might reach out after him and by joy and delight ever rest in Him 5. I desire to know nothing but Jesus and him crucified O let the power of thy Cross prevail against all the powers of Darkness Let the Peace of thy Cross give me Peace with God and in my own Conscience Let the Victory of thy Cross mortifie all my evil and corrupt affections Let the Triumph of thy Cross lead me on to a state of Holiness And let the Wisdom of thy Cross make me wise unto Salvation 6. Thou wilt not dwell in a polluted House make my Soul clean and do thou consecrate it into a Temple O theu great Bishop of our Souls by the indwelling of thy holy Spirit and let the Members of Christ never become the instruments of Unrighteousness 7. O God my God assist me now and ever greatly and graciously Grant that I may not receive Bread onely nor Wine onely for man cannot live by that but that I may eat Christ not by Papal Transubstantiation but by Sacramental Participation 8. I am nothing I have nothing I desire nothing but Jesus my Saviour make haste O Lord behold my heart is ready thou hast opened my heart to receive Thee into the seat of Love Come Lord Jesus come quickly As thou eatest the Bread thankfully praise God for the saving benefits of Christs Death And further think with thy self As verily as I now cat this Bread so verily was Christs Body broken for the sins of the World and if I sincerely believe in Him as I now desire to do unfeignedly devoting my self unto him relying upon Gods Mercy in and through him being willing to be guided by his Word and sanctified by his Spirit so verily are my sins pardoned for the merits of his precious Death Here before the Cup be brought to thee thou mayest use one or more of the foregoing Ejaculations Thou mayest also have time to bless God for the Death of Christ to meditate upon his Sufferings to admire the greatness of his Love in dying for thee resolving to take the Cup of Salvation and to pledge his love with love to renew thy Covenants with God to reinforce thy purposes of better Obedience to beg of God strength to performe such Duties as thou hast formerly neglected against such sins and temptations as have too easily prevailed against thee to pray also for all Patience under such troubles and afflictions as may befall thee before another Sacrament Day come about Having received the Cup at the Ministers hand in the instant of Drinking and as soon after it as may
us think we have done nothing in Hearing Reading Praying Receiving Singing of Psalms Confering Meditating till in all we have glorified Thee our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier till our Souls be brought something nearer unto Heaven unto thy Self And all we beg upon the account of Christ saying further as he hath taught us Our Father c. A Family Prayer for the Evening on the Lords-Day OEternal God and most Gracious Father we thine unworthy servants do here cast down our selves at the Footstool of thy Grace acknowledging that we were conceived in sin and have actually in thought word and deed transgressed thy Holy and Righteous Precepts so that if thou shouldest look upon us as in our selves we could not expect any thing but thy Wrath and our own Condemnation But O holy Father for Jesus Christ thy dear Sons sake for the Merits of his Obedience and Bloodshed we beseech Thee to have Mercy upon us pardoning to us all our sins and freeing us from the Shame and Confusion which is due unto us for them And we pray Thee inspire thy Holy Spirit into our Hearts that by his Illumination and effectual Working we may have the inward sight and feeling of our sins and natural corruptions and not through Custom be blinded or hardened in them That we may more and more loath them and be heartily grieved for them endeavouring by the use of all good means to overcome and to get out of them Oh let us feel the Power of Christs death killing sin in our mortal Bodies and the vertue of his Resurrection raising up our Souls unto Newness of Life that living in thy Fear unto thy Glory we may die in thy Favour and in thine Appointed time attain unto the Blessed Resurrection of the Just unto Eternal Life In the mean while O Lord increase our Faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel and our Repentance from dead works the assurance of our hope and our love unto thy self and thy children especially those whom we shall see to stand in need of our help and comfort that so by the fruits of Piety and a Righteous Life we may be assured that thy holy Spirit doth dwell in us and that we are thy Children by Grace and Adoption And grant us Good Father the continuance of Health Peace Maintenance and all other outward things so far forth as thy Divine Wisdome shall think meet and necessary for us And we beseech thee O Lord to be mercifull likewise to thy whole Church and particularly to these Kingdoms wherein we live vouchsafing to us those Mercies we stand in need of and turning from us those Judgements which our sins may cry for Preserve the Kings Majesty bless all the Royal Family bless our Magistrates and Ministers this place those that are near unto us by Kindred or Neighbourhood be graciously present with all our Christian Brethren that suffer sickness or any other affliction or misery grant them patience to bear thy Cross and Deliverance when and which way it shall seem best unto Thee And O Lord let us not forget our last End and those accounts which then we must render unto Thee In Health and Prosperity make us mindfull of Sickness and the evil Day that is behind that these things may not overtake us as a snare but that we may in good measure like wise Virgins be found prepared for the Coming of Christ to call us by Death unto Judgement And here O Lord we do from our very Souls render unto Thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy Blessings bestowed upon us concerning this Life and that which is to come We praise Thee especially for Christ the Fountain and Foundation of all thy Mercies we ever yet received or hope hereafter to receive from Thee In him we praise Thee for the Mercies thou hast this day bestowed upon us or given us occasion to remember whether concerning the Creation of the World or the Redemption of Mankind We praise thee for thy holy Word and Sacraments and seasons of Grace yet vouchsafed unto us We praise Thee that by thy good Providence we have been preserved and provided for to this very moment intreating Thee likewise to continue thy Mercifull Protection over us this night And O Lord we beseech Thee let those saving Truths which have been delivered unto us sink down into our Hearts and spring up in our Conversations Let us keep up such holy Purposes and heavenly Affections as may have been wrought in any of us whilst attending upon Thee Let our lives be in some measure answerable to the means we enjoy Let the fruit of this Day appear in us the Week following and all the days of our Lives following Henceforth let our resolution of pleasing Thee and doing good in our Generation be more confirmed let the felicities of Heaven be more esteemed let our desires of Earthly things be more abated let the Breathings of our Souls after a fuller enjoyment of thy Self be more enlarged Let our sins those of our holy things be pardodoned our persons and performances accepted and our Souls eternally saved And al upon the alone account of Jesus Christ it whose prevailing Name we continue to pray unto Thee saying Our Father c. As for those who are furnished with Bibles and the Book of Common Prayer I shall direct them if they desire it how to use part of the Morning and Evening Service according to the Liturgy by themselves or with their Families But because many Pious Divines are of opinion that the Reverence due to the Book of Common Prayer is best preserved by imploying it only in the Publick Divine Service or in Private where there is one in Holy Orders to officiate And because we should always strive to be present at the Publick Service of the Church on any Holy Day especially on the Lords-Day and such Festivals as are in Remembrance of our Saviour Christ You have to the former here added one Prayer more which you may use on any such Festival in Remembrance of our Blessed Saviour that is to say On the Days of his Incarnation Birth Circumcision Epiphanie Presenting in the Temple Passion Resurrection Ascension and Mission of the Holy Ghost A Prayer upon any of the foresaid Festivals in Remembrance of our Blessed Lord and Saviour O Most glorious God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of lights from whom cometh every good and perfect Gift it is our bounden Duty and our great Priviledge constantly to acknowledge Thee with joy and exaltation of Spirit in remembrance of thy infinite Bounty to us and to all the World Every day tells us how good Thou art and every one of thy Creatures calls upon us to magnifie love and serve Thee who hast made so many of them to serve us But this Day gives us occasion to remember thy more special and extraordinary kindness to us the Children of Men which calls for our highest Praises to be joyned with those of the
blessed Company above who are never weary of giving Honour Glory Blessing and Thanks to thee our mercifull God and Saviour O how great was that Love which an Angel came to give notice of and which a multitude of an Heavenly Host celebrated with songs of Praise when thou sentest thy dear Son in the likeness of sinfull Flesh and in the form of a Servant to minister to our necessities to relieve our misery and to be the Way to everlasting Life Oh the Riches of thy Grace that after Mankind had forfeited all the rights of thy Creatures and had contemned and despitefully used many of thy Messengers Thou wouldest in such Mercy create us again unto good Works and for that end appear thy self most gloriously among us in the Person of Jesus Christ We thank thee O Lord that thou hast assumed our Nature unto such a nearness to Thee as we are not able to understand We thank Thee for the glad tidings which Jesus hath brought us from Heaven that thou wilt be reconciled unto us and admit us again into thy Favour and that he hath observed the whole Law and fulfilled all Righteousness and shewn us in our Likeness what thou wouldest have us to do and to be We thank Thee for the Redemption which he hath wrought for us by his Blood and meritorious Passion We rejoyce in the Victory which he hath gotten over hell and the grave by his Resurrection from the dead and in his glorious Triumph when he ascended up on High and led Captivity captive And in his Royal Power wherewith He was invested when He sat down on the Right hand of the Majesty on High And in those Gifts which he received for Men even for the Rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them Blessed be thy Eternal Goodness which hath made him a most mercifull and compassionate High Priest and given us so great assurance that he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Blessed be thy Goodness which hath sent the Holy Ghost and continued to us a succession of Pastours and Teachers to be the Guides of our Souls and to minister to us those pledges of thy Love which our Saviour left us in the Communion of his Body and Blood O God that our hearts enflamed with ardent love to Thee who hast loved us in such a wonderfull manner could ascend up to Heaven in these devout Meditations and not come down again but with desires left in them still aspiring thitherwards Oh touch our Souls so powerfully with a sense of these things that with an hearty zealous Affection they may ever look towards Thee and our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Oh fix our eyes on him as he was here on earth that we may learn of Him his humble and meek obedience to thy Commands and as he is now in Heaven that we may trust Him for the performance of his precious Promises and patiently wait till he carry us also to that glorious Place Since he appeared among us to destroy the works of the devil and died to redeem us from all sin and rose again that he might bless us in turning every one of us from our iniquities and is made Lord of all that he may govern us by his Laws and reward or punish us according to our works Preserve in our minds we beseech Thee a constant and lively sense of this great End of his whole Undertaking for us that he may see the fruit of the Travell of his Soul in us and our whole life may be a serious study and endeavour to imitate Him by purifying our selves as he is pure Oh that thy Fear and Love may keep us from abusing any of the good things which thou hast allowed us for our bodily Refreshment grant that we may receive them thankfully as from thy Hand and enjoy them moderately as in thy Presence with bowels of Mercy to those who are in need with a tast of better spiritual Delights and Heavenly Joyes and with hunger and thirst after the Fulness and Perfection of those Joyes when our Lord Jesus shall come to shew us his Glory and entertain us with eternal Satisfaction in his incomprehensible Love Amen Here you may add the Collect for the Morning or Evening respectively set down page 6. Concluding always with the Lords Prayer The following Prayer for the Sacrament may be used by one alone after a Private Prayer or by more after a Family-Prayer at convenient times before Receiving ANd as for those of us in this Place or Family who intend to receive the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood pardon Lord we pray Thee our former not hungering and thirsting after it our not Preparing for it not Partaking of it so often as our necessities and opportunities have required Enable us now we earnestly beseech Thee being duly prepared to come as worthy and welcome Guests unto thy Table Give us a Lively sight and sense of our sins and imperfections of our wants and weaknesses that we may hunger and thirst after Christ and his Righteousness expecting from his Fulness to be supplied in whatsoever our Souls may stand in need of Let us be enabled rightly to discern the Lords Body and feelingly to understand the relation between the Signs and things signified applying both unto our selves in their proper use To this end Enlighten our Minds more and more with the Knowledge of Jesus Christ and of his Gospel especially of the great work of our Redemption by his Blood and his unspeakable Love shining forth therein as also of the Covenant of Grace and Seals annexed thereunto Work in us an unfeigned Repentance bewailing our sins past and resolving to leave them for the time to come and to serve thee in Righteousness and Holiness all the days of our Life Endue us also with a true and lively Faith that we may not only receive the outward Elements of Bread and Wine but inwardly partake of the Spiritual Blessings and benefits of our Saviours Death that so we may be assured of the forgiveness of all our forepast sins and be better enabled to withstand Temptations for the time to come that thereby our Souls may be enriched with all saving Graces strengthened unto all good Duties and nourished unto Everlasting Life Inflame our hearts with most fervent Love towards Thee and our Neighbours yea even our Enemies for thy sake and link our hearts together in an Holy Communion as it becometh the true Members of Jesus Christ And being thus in some measure prepared let us yet look up to Thee to pardon our Unpreparedness Let us still continue our dependance upon Christ for his Assistance as knowing that we are not sufficient of our selves so much as to think any thing but our Sufficiency is of God And when we come to thy Table let us not coldly and formally perform this high and holy Service but with the exercise of Faith Love Repentance Reverence with the renewal
be meditate on Christs Hanging and Bleeding upon the Cross giving him hearly thanks for his love in Dying for us And having poured the Sacramental Wine into thy stomach say with thy self As verily as I have received this Wine so certainly Christs Blood was shed for the sins of the World and if I sincerely believe in him as I now desire to do unfeignedly devoting my self unto Him relying upon Gods Mercies and his Merits and being willing to be guided by his Laws and sanctified by his Spirit and resolving to continue in his Love and Service to the end so certainly are my sins forgiven by the vertue of his Obedience and Bloodshed And now having received the Sacrament of Christs blessed Body and Blood out of a conscientious respect to his Command with a desire thankfully to remember his precious Death consider that he who hath given thee his Son will with him give thee all things else so far as will be for thy true Good Therefore now thou mayest here further represent unto God through Christ all thy needs and the needs of thy Relations signifie to him the condition of thy Soul complain of thy infirmities Pray for help against the enemies of thy Salvation tell him of thy griefs represent thy fears thy hopes and thy Desires look up to God to make the Blood of Christ unto thee a quickening comforting strengthening justifying sanctifying Blood And as thou feelest the Sacramental Wine which thou hast drunk warming thy cold stomach so endeavour to feel the Holy Ghost cherishing thy Soul with the joyfull assurance of thy being reconciled to God and accepted unto eternal Life Furthermore because it is said 1 Cor. 16. 17. The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ the Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread It must be remembred by thee that though all the faithfull are many yet they are all but one Mystical Body whereof Christ is Head And therefore thou must love every Christian especially those Receiving with thee as thy self and a member of that Body When the Minister hath given the Bread and Wine to all the Communicants be ready to joyn with him again in the remaining Prayers and Praises And after you have given Thanks and finished your private and publick Devotions go home but do not presently forget what you have been doing in this solemn Ordinance They that as soon as the Office is performed part with Christ and carry their mind away presently to worldly Interests or to sensual Merriments these may be suspected to be too indifferent as to the things of God They have as one says brought their Lord into the house and themselves slip out at the back-door Otherwise doth the Spouse entertain her beloved Lord. Cant. 3. 4. I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go Spend therefore the remaining part of the Day partly in the entertainment of thy Lord with acts of love and delight with thanks and praise unto Him for his Favours partly in after-examination in reflecting upon thy Behaviour when thou wert before the Lord and partly in strengthening of thy purposes and confirming thy Resolutions of better Obedience that so there may be some fruit seen of this day in many other days that follow till the Solemnity shall return again Remember thy promises renewed unto God bind thee to watch against sin and unto Holiness all thy life as much as upon the Sacrament Day Moses coming from the Mount where he had been conversing with God his face did shine Exod. 34. 30. When thou goest from the Table where thou hast had sweet Communion with thy God the face of thy conversation must shine so with holiness that others may take notice of it It is said of the High Priest and Elders that observing the language and carriage of the Apostles Peter and John they marvelled and took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus Acts 4. 13. So thy words should be so gracious and thy works so exemplary after a Sacrament that all those who behold thee may take knowledge that thou hast been with Jesus that at his Table thou didst sup with Christ and Christ with thee A Prayer after the Sacrament BLess the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities and satisfieth thy Soul with good things Who redeemeth thy life from Destruction who crowneth thee with loving Kindness and tender Mercies O mercifull Lord I humbly thank thee for Christ the Fountain and Foundation of all thy Mercies vouchsafed unto me from day to day O gracious Redeemer I yield thee all possible Thanks that thou hast this day refreshed my Soul with the Sacrament of thy precious Body and Blood Seeing O God that thou hast so loved me as to give thy Son and that thou O Saviour hast so loved me as to give thy self to die for me help me I pray thee to pledge thy Love with love henceforth hating and forbearing what thou forbiddest loving and practising what thou commandest Oh that my prevailing love to Thee may quench and kill in me all inordinate love of the World and the Vanities thereof Oh that walking in the strength of that Heavenly Food which I have now received I may overcome the difficulties of this Life and perform better the Duties of my Place and Calling and withstand more constantly the temptations which I am most liable unto O God seeing thou hast not withholden thy only Son how shalt thou not with him as I humbly desire freely give all needfull Blessings to me and all that I am especially bound to pray for And whereas I have this day renewed my Covenant with thee and my purposes of better Obedience strengthen me I beseech thee that I may pay the Vows which I have made and do as I have purposed Oh that whatever is in me vicious and contrary to thy Holy Will may by vertue of this Sacrament be rooted out of me so that my Heart may become thereby a fit habitation for thy Spirit Let it be to me a seal of the Pardon of my sins the confirmation of my Faith the provision of my Pilgrimage and the joy of my Soul let it be my peace and support in the time of Affliction and my comfort and strength in the day of my Dissolution Let me hereafter walk more evenly and closely with Thee in the performance of my Duty with a contented Mind whatever trials or troubles befal me before another Sacrament come about Grant that I may still hunger and thirst after this Bread of Life and Cup of Salvation and that I may with a pure mind and chaste affection receive it often so as to grow in Grace
not bear false witness against thy Neighbour X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours House thou shalt not covet thy neighbours Wife nor his Servant nor his Maid nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is his Quest What dost thou chiefly learn by these Commandments Ans I learn two things my duty towards God and my duty towards my Neighbour Quest What is thy duty towards God Ans My duty towards God is to believe in him to fear him and love him with all my Heart with all my Mind with all my Soul and with all my strength to worship him to give him thanks to put my whole trust in him to call upon him to honour his holy Name and his Word and to serve him truly all the days of my life Quest What is thy duty towards thy Neighbour Ans My duty towards my Neighbour is to love him as my self and to do to all Men as I would they should do to me To love honour and succour my Father and Mother To honour and obey the King and all that are put in Authority under him To submit my self to all my Governours Teachers Spiritual Pastours and Masters To order my self lowly and reverently to all my Betters To hurt no body by word or deed To be true and just in all my Dealings To bear no malice nor hatred in my Heart To keep my hands from picking and stealing and my tongue from evil speaking lying and slandering To keep my body in temperance soberness and chastity Not to covet nor desire other mens goods but to learn and labour truly to get mine own living and to do my duty in that state of life unto which it shall please God to call me Cat. My good Child know this that thou art not able to do these things of thy self nor to walk in the Commandments of God and to serve him without his special Grace which thou must learn at all times to call for by diligent Prayer Let me hear therefore if thou canst say the Lords Prayer Ans Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Amen Quest What desirest thou of God in this Prayer Ans I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father who is the giver of all goodness to send his Grace unto me and to all People that we may worship him serve him and obey him as we ought to do And I pray unto God that he will send us all things that be needfull both for our Souls and Bodies and that he will be mercifull unto us and forgive us our sins and that it will please him to save and defend us in all dangers ghostly and bodily and that he will keep us from all sin and wickedness and from our ghostly enemy and from everlasting death And this I trust he will do of his mercy and goodness through our Lord Jesus Christ And therefore I say Amen So be it Quest How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church Ans Two only as generally necessary to Salvation that is to say Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. Quest What meanest thou by this word Sacrament Ans I mean an outward visible Sign of an inward and spiritual Grace given unto us ordained by Christ himself as a means whereby we receive the same and a pledge to assure us thereof Quest How many parts are there in a Sacrament Ans Two the outward visible Sign and the inward spiritual Grace Quest What is the outward visible sign or form in Baptism Ans Water wherein the person is baptized In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Quest What is the inward and spiritual Grace Ans A death unto sin and a new birth unto Righteousness for being by nature born in sin and the children of wrath we are hereby made the children of Grace Quest What is required of persons to be baptized Ans Repentance whereby they forsake sin and Faith whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God made to them in that Sacrament Quest Why then are Infants baptized when by reason of their tender age they cannot perform them Ans Because they promise them both by their sureties which promise when they come to age themselves are bound to perform Quest Why was the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper ordained Ans For the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ and of the benefits which we receive thereby Quest What is the outward part or sign of the Lords-Supper Ans Bread and Wine which the Lord hath commanded to be received Quest What is the inward part or thing signified Ans The Body and Blood of Christ which are indeed taken and received by the faithfull in the Lords Supper Quest What are the benefits whereof we are partakers thereby Ans The strengthning and refreshing of our Souls by the Body and Blood of Christ as our bodies are by the Bread and Wine Quest What is required of them who come to the Lords Supper Ans To examine themselves whether they repent them truly of their former sins stedfastly purposing to lead a new life have a lively faith in Gods mercy through Christ with a thankfull remembrance of his death and be in charity with all men When the Sacrament comes every fourth moneth to be administred for any of the Divisions above mentioned the respective Church and Chappel-Wardens thereof are desired to give timely notice unto a fitting number of Servants and Children within the same to be catechised on the Sacrament Day for the said Division or on some other day of that Moneth Thus the care of this needfull exercise will be more equally shared among them and the duty it self more constantly performed And the better to observe an Order in thus calling the Youth to Catechizing in the said Divisions it may be convenient to begin in the Higher End of each of them and so to go by House-rows as much as may be through the whole taking a convenient number of Families at a time Concerning Personal Instruction THe like course so far as it shall be found convenient may be used concerning Personal Instruction whereby as the younger sort in several Families come to the Church to be catechized so the elder People in the same or the like number of Families may come to the Ministers house or he go to theirs to discourse with him in a plain familiar way of the most necessary Gospel Truths and Christian duties which most nearly concern Gods honour and worship and our eternal Salvation To this purpose we may improve the Church Catechism or the following Profession of Faith and Catechism consisting but of 12 Questions and Answers endeavouring fully to understand and to practice the things therein
with his own Blood By the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one both night and day with tears S. Luke 12. 42. Who then is that faithfull and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make Ruler over his Houshold to give them their portion of meat in due season Col. 1. 28. Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all Wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Mal. 2. 7. For the Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts S. Mark 4. 34. And when they were alone he expounded all things to his Disciples Hebr. 5. 12. Ye have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of Milk and not of strong Meat 1 Cor. 4 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Hebr. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you 1 Thess 5. 12 13. We beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and be at peace among your selves A brief Explication or Profession of our Faith taken out of Scripture for the better understanding and improvement of the Apostles Creed I Believe that there is one only true God who is a Spirit infinitely glorious and being One in Nature is yet Three in Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost which are three and one after a wonderfull and mysterious manner The Father God the Son God and the Holy Ghost God and yet not three Gods but one God infinite in Being Wisdom Power and Goodness the Maker Preserver and Disposer of all things the must just and most mercifull Lord of all I believe that Mankind being fallen by sin from God and Happiness under the wrath of God the curse of his Law and the power of the Devil God so loved the World that he gave his only Son to be their Redeemer who being God and one with the Father became Man also in the same Person by taking to him our Nature as to which he was conceived by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and born of her without sin and named Jesus Christ and having lived on earth without sin and wrought many miracles for a witness of his Truth he gave up himself a Sacrifice for our sins and a Ransom for us in suffering death on the Cross and being buried he rose again the third day and afterward ascended into Heaven where he is Lord of all in Glory with the Father And having ordained and appointed that all that truly repent and believe in Him and love him above all things and sincerely obey him and that to the death shall be saved and that they that will not shall be damned and commanded his Ministers to publish thus much and to preach the Gospel to the World he will come again and raise the bodies of all Men from death and will judge all men according to what they have done in the Body I believe that God the Holy Ghost the Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son was sent by them to inspire and guide the Prophets and Apostles that they might fully reveal the Doctrine of Christ and by multitudes of evident Miracles to be the great witness of Christ and of the Truth of his holy Word and also to dwell and work in all that are drawn to believe that being first joyned unto Christ their Head and into one Church which is his Body and so pardoned and made the Sons of God they may be a peculiar People sanctified to Christ and may overcome the world the flesh and the devil and being zealous of good Works may serve God in Holiness and Righteousness and may live in the special love and Communion of the Saints and in hope of Christs appearing and of everlasting life I do heartily take this One God in the Trinity of Persons for my only God and my chief good And this Jesus Christ for my only Lord-Redeemer and Saviour And this Holy Ghost for my Sanctifier and Comforter and the Doctrine by him revealed and witnessed by his Miracles and now contained in the Holy Scriptures I do take for the Law of God and the rule of my Faith and Life And repenting unfeignedly of my sins I do resolve through the grace of God sincerely to obey him both in Holiness to God Righteousness to Men and in special love to the Saints and in Communion with them against all the temptations of the devil flesh or world and this to death The Catechism or Christian Doctrine and Practice Note that the first eight Questions and Answers contain the foregoing Profession and the four last do express the Particulars contained in the two words Holiness and Righteousness and in the Ten Commandments Question 1. What do you believe concerning God THere is one only God in three Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost who is Infinite in Being Power Wisdom and Goodness the Maker Preserver and Disposer of all things and the most just and mercifull Lord of all 1 Cor. 8. 4 6 1 John 5. 7. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Psal 139. 7 8 9 Isa 40. 17. Revel 4. 8. Psal 147. 5. Nehem 9. 6. Psal 135. 6. Revel 15. 3. Exod. 34. 6. Quest 2. How did God make man and who Law did he give him God made Man for himself after his own image in Righteousness and true Holiness and gave him a righteous Law requiring perfect obedience upon pain of death Prov. 16. 4. Gen. 1. 26 27. 2. 16 17. Rom. 6. 23. Deut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10. Quest 3. Did man keep or break this Law Man being tempted by Satan did wilfully sin and so fall from God and Happiness under the wrath of God the curse of the Law and the power of the Devil so that we are by Nature dead in sin and prone to do more evil continually and to grow worse and to depart yet further from God Gen. 3. Rom. 5. 12 18. 3. 23. 6. 23. Eph. 2. 12. Hos 14. 1. Eph. 2. 2 3 5. Gal. 3. 10 13. Acts 26. 18. Gen. 6. 5. 2 Tim. 3. 13. Hos 13. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 16. Quest 4. How was Man redeemed God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to be their Redeemer who being God and One with the Father did take to him our Nature and became Man being conceived by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and born of her and called Jesus Christ and having lived on earth without sin and wrought many Miracles