begotten Son as the most powerful Argument and all indeed that we have to prevail with him for Pardon and Grace and Glory offering our Persons and our Services to the Father as acceptable unto him in the Vertue of this Sacrifice only 3. The Benefits of this Sacrament must needs be many seeing herein our blessed IESUS giveth himself unto us to be the food of our Souls His Body which was broken for us he here bids us take and eat His Blood which was shed for us he here bids us drink The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion or Communication of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communication of the Body of Christ Christ and all the Benefits of his Passion are freely communicated to the worthy Partakers of this Bread and this Cup. The Cup of which we drink is the New Testament in his Blood Covenants were of old made and confirmed with Sacrificings and Feastings the new Covenant of Grace and Salvation was established with us through the bloody Sacrifice of Iesus Christ and is renew'd and confirm'd by our feasting before God on this Sacrifice 1. This Blood was shed for the Remission of Sins and by our worthy drinking of it we receive an Assurance That our Sins and our Iniquities God will remember no more Hebrews 8. 12. 2. God by admitting us to his Table to feast on this Sacrifice owns us as Members of his proper Family and will accordingly provide for us and protect us He will be to us a God and we shall be to him a People Hebrews 8. 10. 3. The Promise of the Covenant was this I will put my Laws saith God into their Minds and write them in their Hearts God will give the light of Knowledge and the life of Grace not only teach us but incline our Hearts to love and delight in his Laws Here is Life and strength of Grace promised but all through Iesus Christ he is the bread of God which giveth Life unto the World and this bread is his Flesh which he gave for the Life of the World and he that eateth this bread shall never hunger nor die John 6. 33. 51. 35. 4. The Bond of Vnion betwixt Christ our Head and us his Members is hereby strengthned He saith he that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him Joh. 6. 56. 5. The Communion of Saints is hereby preserved and maintain'd by this we declare that we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all Partakers of that one Bread 1 Corinth 10. 17. 6. Our Faith of the Resurrection is hereby confirm'd Whoso eateth my Flesh saith Christ and drinketh my Blood hath eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6. 54. So many and inestimable are the Benefits of the New Testament in Christ's Blood by this Sacrament confirmed unto every worthy Communicant CHAP. VII What Affections of Soul are suitable to this Sacrament HE eateth and drinketh unworthily who discerneth not the Lord's Body To discern the Lord's Body is to put a sufficient Difference between this Divine Feast and other common Feasts both in our Iudgment Affection and Behaviour How we are to judge of it hath been already shewn We are next to see what Affections it calls for We come not here to feast with Men only but with God nor to feed our Bodies with a little Bread and Wine but our Souls on the Body and Blood of Christ. Let us then enquire 1. Are we deeply sensible of our spiritual Wants and our great need of this divine Food Except we eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Son of Man we have no Life in us John 6. 53. 2. Are we highly sensible of God's wonderful Goodness in providing so graciously for our Wants God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever belâ—eveth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life All things saith he are now ready come ye to the Marriage John 3. 16. Mat. 22. 4. 3. Do we verily believe that whosoever cometh preparedly shall be kindly welcome Him that cometh to me saith Christ I will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. 4. Have we longing Appetites and ardent Desires to this food of our Souls Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Matt. 5. 6. 5. Do we empty our Souls of carnal and worldly Thoughts and Cares and Desires Labour not for the Meat which perisheth but for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting Life which the Son of Man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed John 6. 27. 6. Are we not ready to lay hold on vain Excuses borrow'd from our worldly Businesses of Pleasures None of those Men saith God shall taste of my Supper Luke 14. 24. 7. Do we labour to put our selves into a fit habit and posture of Soul for so divine a Feast He that came without his Wedding-garment was bound hand and foot and cast into outer Darkness Matt. 22. 13. Now therefore we are as it were to new trim up all our Graces and appear with them before God in their greatest Brightness having our Souls adorned and adorning the Gospel of Christ. 1. Let the Consideration of the Odiousness of Sin to God which he would not pardon without the Death of his only begotten Son and of the astonishing Love of God to Sinners Souls so that he would send his Son to die rather than they should perish give Life to our Repentance 2. Let this Consideration that Christ hath not only left us the History of his Life Death and Resurrection in his Gospel confirmed by many Miracles but hath also instituted a solemn festival Commemoration of himself which hath been constantly celebrated in his Church in all Ages wherein what by the Word is preached to our Ears is lively represented to our Eyes even Iesus Christ evidently set forth crucified among us set our Faith on work 3. Let the wonderful Love of the Father in giving his only Son of the Son in shedding his precious Blood for us ungodly Sinners rebellious Enemies hopeless Wretches demonstrated in this Feast of Love enflame our Hearts with the Love of God in Iesus Christ. 4. Let the Promises of God that cannot lie first sealed in the Blood of the everlasting Covenant now renewed and confirmed in this Sacrament feed and nourish our Hope 5. Let the numerous Benefits of Christ's Death thus signally exhibited and assured unto us fill our Hearts with Thankfulness remembring that this Sacrament is the Eucharist a thankful Commemoration of Christ and this Cup the Cup of Blessing Praise or Thanksgiving 6. Let our Deliverance from the Vassalage of Sin and Torments of Hell and our new Title to the Kingdom of Heaven fill our Hearts with spiritual Joy Let us take the Cup of Sâ—lvation and call upon the Name of the Lord
reading makes all good Books mere Non-sense to you If it were not so you would never be weary of learning your Christian Duty nor of practising it neither and you would particularly never rest till you understood the right way of coming worthily to this heavenly Banquet unto which I here direct you Whenever men are Christians indeed they will set a greater Price than now they do upon this unvaluable Token of Divine Love and they will be ashamed to think that the Table of Devils should have so many Guests and the Table of the Lord so few I have here very plainly shunning all Disputes and Niceties laid the whole Duty before you with the necessity of it and the way to perform it aright I have also removed out of your way all the Rubs and Mormoes which are apt to hinder or affright you Nothing can be wanting but a Will in you to be Christians and to live so now as that you may live eternally This is that which I cannot give you but must not cease to beg it for you of the only Giver of all good Gifts nor to beseech you by the Mercies of God that you will by all means endeavour after it To the Grace of God I do moâ—â— heartily commend you in my Prayers beseeching him to bless this poor Endeavour to the eternal Good of your Souls THE CONTENTS Chap. I. THE necessity of Receiving this Sacrament II. The necessity and way of Receiving it worthily III. How to examine our selves about our Baptismal Covenant IV. A help for the Examination of our Faith V. A help for the Examination of our Repentance and Obedience VI. How to examine whether we be rightly disposed for this Sacrament VII What Affections of Soul are sutable to this Sacrament VIII How we are to behave our selves at this Sacrament IX The pretended Reasons for neglecting this Sacrament briefly answered X. The Stumbling-blocks cast in our way removed Some short Directions and Prayers THE WAY TO THE Lord's Table CHAP. I. The necessity of receiving this Sacrament REverently and Devoutly to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is so indispensable a Christian Duty that whosoever refuseth to do it doth no less in effect than refuse Salvation and renounce his Saviour There is no Salvation in any other but IESVS CHRIST No man cometh to the Father but by him There is no Salvation by Christ for those that keep not his Commandments but as he is the Author of Salvation to them that obey him So will he come to take Vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel And his express Command he hath left us in these plain Words This do in Remembrance of me Luke 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24. He that hath given us this Command is GOD over all blessed for ever The great God that made us the good Lord that bought and redeemed us with his own most precious Blood he to whom God the Father hath given all Power both in Heaven and in Earth and hath commanded us to hear him in all things whatsoever he saith unto us It is the Command of a dear Friend who loved us as his Father loved him who hath called us Friends and laid down his Life for us in pure Love and hath assured us that if we keep his Commandments we shall abide in his Love The Command of this dying Friend when he was going to reconcile us wicked Rebels by his own bloody Death unto God was this This do in Remembrance of me When dying for us he bequeathed unto us Pardon and his Spirit and eternal Life this he required of us that by doing this we would preserve alive a loving and thankful Remembrance of him and shew his Death and his Kindness therein to our Souls till he come again to receive us to himself and put us into full Possession of eternal Glory And how shall we then look him in the Face if we have refused to do this In this Sacrament he offereth us himself Crucified for us his Body and Blood the most choice Token of his wonderful Love Can we refuse it and not renounce his Love and Friendship thereby Thus would He have us declare our Fellowship with the Father and the Son and with the Holy Apostles and all Saints as joynt Members of his one Body the Church by feasting together at his Table on this one Bread Can we refuse to do this and not renounce all Fellowship with the Father and the Son and the Communion of Saints Two solemn Rites he hath instituted as peculiar to his Religion Baptism and the Supper of the Lord whereby we are to own him openly before the World and profess our selves in Covenant with him As he then that refuseth to be Baptized refuseth to be a Christian so he that having been baptized refuseth this other Sacrament doth in effect renounce his Baptism disown the Covenant apostatize from Christ and cast off the Profession of Christianity He hath not commanded us many chargeable and troublesome Sacrifices such as the Iews offered nor the Blood of our Sons and Daughters which the Gentiles grudged not to offer unto Devils The Cost we are put to is of a little Bread and Wine the Pains we are put to is with holy and thankful Hearts to take eat and drink in Remembrance of our Saviour Can we now disobey so easie a Command of the God of Heaven and Earth the King of the World the Redeemer of Sinners the only Saviour of Souls and not renounce God our Saviour the Christian Religion and all our claim to Salvation No 't is very plain that tho' the want of this Sacrament when it is desired but cannot be had is no Sin if not occasioned by our Sin yet the wilfull neglect of it is no less than a damning Sin unless there be no such thing as Damnation and the Gospel be a Fable from which blasphemous thought Good God preserve us all CHAP. II. The Necessity and Way to Receive worthily HE that eateth not at the Lord's Table must dye and he that eateth unworthily is in danger of Death so St. Paul assures us Whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 27. and again v. 29. He eateth and drinketh Damnation or Judgment to himself If this seem hard to us it is only because we are unreasonable and had rather not do any Duty at all than be at the Pains to do it as we ought As the Duty is necessary and yet very reasonable and not burdensome so to do it worthily is as necessary and no less reasonable or easie if we have a Mind to be Christians The Direction how to communicate worthily we have in these words Let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup 1 Cor. 11. 28. They who are ignorant
our Repentance be unfeigned and rest neither in confessing our Sins nor sorrowing for them nor begging Pardon nor in any thing else till it come up to a hatred of Sin and a full Resolution to forsake it When it is come to this we will be very angry at our own Folly that we have so long continued in it very thankful to God for any Chastisement thinking our selves mercifully dealt with whatever our Condition be so long as we are not in Hell use cheerfully all helps and means how hard or sharp soever to mortifie our Lusts thank any man that will reprove us and shew us our Faults watch diligently against all Temptations avoid carefully all occasions of Sin observe jealously our Thoughts Words and Actions pray devoutly for more Grace and Strength abridge our selves of many things lawful and punish our selves by crossing our own Wills not be ashamed to make publick satisfaction to the Church where it is required nor to open our Breasts freely to the Guide of our Souls for our own Satisfaction We will do any thing or suffer any thing to prevent sinning against God These helps to Self-examination might here have been omitted had I cause enough to believe that they for whose Ease and Benefit they are chiefly design'd had made as good use of my little Book called Christianity in short as I could wish they had made Those Summaries of Faith and Duty which there they have might have served them for this purpose And here I think fit to give my Readers notice that I suppose it would be very beneficial to their Souls once a Week or Fortnight or at least when they have examined themselves in order to this Sacrament with the greatest Seriousness and Devotion to use that form of Resigning themselves to God and renewing their Covenant with him which they have at the end of that small Book CHAP. VI. How to examine whether we be rightly disposed for the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper IF we be Christians we have a right to this Sacrament yet that we may profit the more by it we are more particularly to examine our selves both how we understand it and how suitable our Affections are unto it I. We are to try how we understand the Nature Ends and Benefits of this divine Ordinance To which end we are duely to consider the Institution of it as it is recorded in Scripture St. Matthew tells us that as they were eating Iesus took Bread and blessed it St. Luke saith he gave Thanks and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body St. Luke addeth Which is given for you this do in Remembrance of me and St. Paul saith which is broken for you c. And he took the Cup and gave Thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it for this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sins St. Luke saith This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you And St. Paul saith This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood This do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew or shew ye the Lord's Death till he come By these Words of the Evangelists and St. Paul we may understand what the meaning and use of this Sacrament is 1. It is a holy Christian Feast not much unlike the Feast of the Passover among the Iews at which this was instituted by Christ. When they were in Bondage in Egypt God in order to their Deliverance destroyed all the first-born in Egypt commanding them to kill in each Family a Lamb and to strike the Blood thereof upon the Door-posts of their Houses and so to feast upon it promising that when he saw the Blood he would pass over their Houses and not destroy their first-born In thankful Remembrance whereof they yearly kept the like Feast called therefore the Lord 's Passover Thus by the Sin of Adam we being all brought into Bondage and Slavery under Satan it pleased God to destroy the Power of the Devil and deliver us by the Death of JESUS CHRIST the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World to redeem us by his precious Blood as of a Lamb without Blemish and without Spot so that Christ is our Passover sacrificed for us Therefore are we to keep the Feast eating our Passover the Body and Blood of Christ in a thankful Remembrance of this our Redemption and Deliverance by his once offering himself to God a Sacrifice for our Sins In like manner when according to the Law Men sacrificed Peace-offerings unto God they were allowed to feast before God on part of the same to signifie that God now admitted them to an intimate Communion and Friendship with himself feasting them at his own Table of that meat which by their Oblation was now in a special manner his So Christ whom all the Sacrifices of the Law did shadow forth and typifie being offered once for all a Sacrifice of Atonement for our Sins calleth us Christians to feast upon this Sacrifice though it was a Sin-offering and even upon the Blood of it as the Iews were not allowed to do in their Feasts in token of a more intimate Communion and Friendship with God through him who hath made our Peace This Sacrament then is a sacred Feast and that upon the sacrificed Body and Blood of Christ and as bodily we eat and drink the broken Bread and poured-out Wine the Symbols of his Body and Blood so spiritually we eat his crucified Body and drink his poured-out Blood 2. The great end of this Feast is to keep up in the Christian Church a fresh and joyful Remembrance of Iesus Christ and of all that he did and suffered in the Flesh for us This do saith he in remembrance of me It is his Pleasure that we more signally and solemnly commemorate thus the Sacrifice of his Death by a lively Representation of it at this Feast of Love and so shew his Death till he come 1. We shew it hereby to our own Hearts for the stirring them up to an holy rejoycing in Christ praising him believing in him loving him and obeying him and to bring them to true Repentance and a perfect hatred of Sin which crucified the Lord of Glory 2. We shew it to the World declaring to the Honour of our holy Iesus what great things he hath done for our Souls that we are not ashamed of a crucified Saviour that we glory before the World and rejoyce in him that he is the Food and Gladness of our Souls that we are resolved to be faithful unto him whilst we live and are ready to dye a bloody Death for him if he shall call us to it 3. We shew it unto God laying before him in our Prayers the Death of his only
sprinkled from an evil Conscience and resolving by thy Grace to hold fast the Profession of my Faith without wavering I do here O Lord in all Humility offer up my self to be a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable unto thee in vertue of the Sacrifice of thy dear Son desiring to glorifie thee with my Body and Spirit which are thine Confirm I beseech thee now unto my Soul and to all here present the Covenant sealed in his Blood Enable us to continue stedfast therein for â—ver Lord make all that profess thy Name zealous of good Works unite us in the same Faith and Love and let us keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace Let us never forsake the assembling of our selves together to celebrate the Memorial of thy loving-Kindness and shew thy Death till thou come Put thy Laws into our Hearts and write them in our Minds and enable us to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit and to perfect Holiness in the fear of God ¶ When the Distribution is ended joyn heartily in the Thansgiving and following Hymn of Praise Being return'd home give hearty Thanks for this Mercy afforded you pray for Grace to perform your Vows and return not too soon to your common Business Strive by Meditation to keep a warm sense of God's Goodness in your Heart and labour to strengthen your Resolutions of a Holy and Christian Life Watch especially against the Sins you have been lateliest guilty of or 〈◊〉 most inclined to and sin no more lest a worse thing come unto you CHAP. IX The pretended Reasons for neglecting this Sacrament briefly answered NO good man will seek an Excuse no wicked man can find one for not endeavouring to do his Duty and a Duty it is to do this in Remembrance of Christ. The Benefits are such as cannot be slighted by a wise man the Necessity is such as cannot be dispensed with by any man Yet because men are too apt to deceive themselves out of their Duty and Happiness at once by something that they call Reason and where they have no good Excuse are ready to make a bad one in charity to their Souls their Vanity herein is to be shew'n them Obj. 1. We eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Christ spiritually by Faith out of this Sacrament what need therefore can there be of this Sacrament seeing therein we are but to do the same Ans. This is all one as to say We do some part of our Duty what need is therefore of doing the rest Or We believe in Christ what need iâ— there to obey his Commandments It is enough to a Christian that Christ hath commanded it That Faith whereby we eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Christ spiritually implieth Obedience to the Gospel of Christ and it is an especial Command of the Gospel to do this He then that neglects the doing of this neglects to obey the Gospel and therefore falsly pretends that he eats and drinks spiritually the Flesh and Blood of Christ. Whatever therefore the Christian doth more in this Sacrament than out of it the willful Neglecter of it is inexcusable for he is no Christian or true Believer Obj. 2. he that receiveth unworthily receiveth Damnation to himself therefore 't is safer to forbear Ans. So you may say He that eateth may if he be not careful eat Poison or choak himself or surfeit and die and therefore 't is safest to forbear eating Will you fast for this reason Willful neglect is certain Damnaâ—â—â—â— receiving is not so Will you prevent an uncertain danger of Death by killing your self If a man receive without Faith and Repentance he receiveth Damnation and so he doth if he do not believe and repent tho' he receive not this Sacrament What better is he then for not receiving it He perisheth either way receiving or not receiving it A Communicant that being a penitent Believer comes to the Lord's Table without due Preparation and sutable Affections may receive thereby Iudgment so the Word translated Damnation may be englished that is some Chastisement such as Weakness Sickness or Death 1 Cor. 11. 30. and he is thus chastened that he may not be condemned v. 32. But even this may be prevented by judging our selves or duely examining our selves v. 31. And now which is safer to judge our selves and eat or to neglect our Duty and perish Obj. 3. But I am afraid I am unworthy and therefore dare not come to this Sacrament Ans. In a strict sense we are all unworthy even so much as to eat or live being Sinners and deserving Damnation In another sense he is unworthy that is ignorant an Unbeliever and wicked or no good Christian and must not come But say Are you a sincere Christian or a dissembling Hypocrite If the former prepare your self and come if the latter be ashamed of it and repent for otherwise you perish Obj. 4. I doubt of my Sincerity and he that doubteth is damned if he eateth Rom. 14. 23. Ans. To do a thing doubting that it is an unlawful thing or a Sin is that which deserveth Damnation according to that Text. But you cannot fear that the receiving of this Sacrament is a Sin it being a necessary Duty That which you doubt of is your own Sincerity If you be indeed unsincere that is a Hypocrite and a Dissembler you are not to receive it if you be sincere you may there can be no doubt of this But you doubt whether you be a sincere Christian. And if this Doubt be so prevalent that you rather judge you are not I shall not advise you to come to this Sacrament till you be better satisfied of your Sincerity But then consider Will you contentedly rest in this doubtful Condition Can you be quiet in your Mind till you find cause to hope you are a Christian and shall be saved If you find no cause to hope this why should you not forbear all other Christian Duties as well as this Why do you not lay open your condition freely and impartially to your spiritual Guide and take his Judgment of your Sincerity If you use not this or any other means of knowing your self but rest contentedly under your Doubts and plead them as an Excuse for not doing your Duty you are certainly no sincere Christian. But if you are troubled that you know your self no better and are above all things desirous to be a good Christian and endeavour by all means to be so and to know that you are so and give your self no rest but mourn and pray and examine your self and crave Advice and set your self in earnest about the Duties of Christianity these are good signs of Sincerity and you ought to receive this Sacrament and wait upon God for a farther Blessing Obj. 5. I fear I have not a saving Faith I have no Assurance of my Salvation Ans. Though such Assurance may be had yet I verily think that the far greater number of
Wages of Sin for which I have so long labour'd How many and foul are the Sins which thou hast now enabled me to discover in my self even the least of this black number is enough to condemn me to endless Torments and whither then would not such a multitude of foulest Transgressions sink me if thy Mercies were not infinite and thy Patience truly wonderful Yet alas how few are all these in comparison of those which have escaped my Observation but cannot be hid from thine all-seeing Eye And if I appear so vile in my own Eyes how loathsome and abominable a thing must I needs be in thine My Sins O God are not a few but many no small Offences but very heinous Transgressions few of them rare with me but most of them very often repeated long continued in and become even familiar customary and habitual Yea O Lord with shame and confusion of Face I confess that I have had so little regard to thy Will that I have even sinned as I eat and drink with all greediness and delight Though thou hast never been wanting to me in any help to enable me or any Remembrancer to mind me or any Motive to invite me or any Bounty or Promise to encourage me yet have I made a very bad use of all thy Goodness and by that very Patience and Forbearance which should have led me to Repentance I have encouraged my self to sin the more freely even without fear and I may justly fear to the great hardening of my Heart Tho I have lived long under the bright Light of thy Gospel and have thy Word sounding in my Ears daily and have thy Ministers ready at hand to instruct me yet am I very ignorant and have even hated Knowledge and despised Instruction and cast thy Words behind Though I have had many seasonable Monitors of my Duty and felt many motions of thy good Spirit and suffered many Checks from my own Conscience yet have I turned my Back upon thee and done almost none of thy Commandments Nay after the most solemn Engagements Covenants and Vows I have treacherously revolted from thee rebelled against thee and set at naught all thy Goodness to me I have a false and treacherous Heart which hath never yet kept Faith with thee I find to the great discomfort of my Soul that I have dissembled with thee and gone about to mock thee by feigned Professions counterseit Repentances and hypocritical Devotions Even now O Lord I feel not that deep Humiliation that piercing Grief that Anger and Hatred and Indignation against my Sins and my self for cherishing them that I ought to have neither do I find in my Heart that servent Love of thee that true Zeal for thy Honour that hungring desire of Righteousness and Holiness that should be in me And now O my God what can I have to say for my self after all this Why should'st thou not deal with me as I have justly deserved and reward me with Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish If thou should'st even now instead of accepting my Confession throw me in thy just Fury into unquenchable Flames with the Devil and his Angels thou wert most just in so doing and even merciful in taking Vengeance of me so late when I had so often and long provoked thy Wrath before O Lord I have nothing to plead in my own Excuse I have nothing to fly unto but that Mercy of my good God which I have so long abused O hide not thy Face away from me but humble my Soul yet more for my Unworthiness break my Heart into true Contrition that it may yet be an acceptable Sacrifice unto thee give me not over unto vile Affections nor a reprobate Mind break the dominion Sin hath got over me for the earnest desire of my Soul is to be thy Servant and only thine for ever O gracious God we have an Advocate at thy right hand even Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins him thou sentest into the World to be the Saviour of lost Sinners and hast promised that no Man shall perish or be rejected that cometh unto thee by him for his sake pardon me for his sake have Mercy upon me by the bitter Death and Passion of thy dearly beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased I beseech thee O holy Father to look graciously upon me and blot out all my Transgressions and restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation Cleanse and purifie my sinnful Soul in his Blood receive me graciously into the number of thine adopted Children rid me and set me free from the power of Sin and slavery of my Lusts let thy holy Spirit rule for ever in my Heart and deliver me from the Law of Sin and Death in my Members O speak Peace unto thy Servant and let me yet live to praise thy Name let me not return any more with the Dog to his Vomit nor with the Sow to her wallowing in the Mire but work in me a perfect Hatred of all that thou hatest and a true Love to all that thou lovest Strengthen me by thy Grace to withstand all Temptations and to persevere and grow in Faith and Love and all Goodness to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to live henceforward righteously soberly and godly in this present World patiently and comfortably looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearance of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works In his blessed Name and perfect Prayer I here commend unto thee all the Desires and Needs of my poor Soul and of thy whole Church Our Father c. A Prayer before the blessed Sacrament O Most merciful God and Father in Iesus Christ who of thine infinite Love and Goodness to our poor perishing Souls hast provided for us all things that be needful to us in our polluted and miserable Condition whereinto we have brought our selves by Sin and shew'st Mercy unto us even when we would have no Mercy on our selves I am here O Lord prostrate at thy Foot-stool a vile Wretch that have again and again deserved to be punished with everlasting Destruction from thy presence And will the great God of Heaven and Earth vouchsafe to look upon such a Dog as I Shall the so often offended dishonoured provoked Majesty of the glorious God condescend even to invite and beseech so traiterous a Rebel as I have been to accept of Pardon and Salvation And shall I yet despise thy loving-kindness O my gracious God and neglect so great Salvation as this that thou daily tenderst unto us in the Son of thy Love and our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ When we were gone astray from thee the God of our Life and were going head-long to Destruction thou wert pleased to open unto us a new and living way by the Death of thy only begotten
Son When we lay polluted in our Filth and odious to thy pure Eyes thou opened'st for us in his precious Blood a Fountain for Sin and for Uncleanness Thou hast not disdain'd to admit me poor Sinner into thy holy Church and Family by Baptism and into a sacred Covenant of Grace and Peace with thy self through the Blood of the blessed Mediator And even now after so many careless and even willful Violations of this holy Covenant thy Mercy follows me with fresh Offers of Reconciliation and thou hast invited me to a Feast of Love in thy House and at thy own Table and on the Body and Blood of thine own dear Son and my blessed Redeemer O my most bountiful God how long have I plaid the ed Prodigal and pleased my self in Sin and Vanity and delighted in disobeying thy Commandments How often have I set light by the Bread of Life in the House of my Father and preferred the Trash of this World before it How often have I boldly and presumptuously without due Preparation approached unto thy holy Table And how often have I return'd thence with the same unclean Heart and unmortified Lusts which I carried thither When I consider this I tremble to think what Entertainment such a monstrous Sinner as I have been might expect from thee O let me not any longer through Impenitence and Negligence lose the Benefits of thy rich Mercy in Iesus Christ. For his sake pardon all my former Neglects Misbehaviours and Breaches of Covenant with thee and grant me now good God I beseech thee such a measure of thy Grace as may fit me for this sacred Ordinance Once more most blessed God I am preparing to come at thy gracious Call but what can I do without thy Help I am clogged with Sin and Corruption I have suffered my Lusts to get the upper hand and to lead me Captive O! shew thy Strength in my weakness pull down every proud and unruly thing in me that exalteth it self against thy holy Spirit strengthen me henceforward for ever to do thy Will Awaken and stir up my dull Affections to love thee and praise thee for thy wonderful love in redeeming us by the Sacrifice of thy beloved Son O Lord I do now renew most heartily my so often broken Vows and Promises to be wholly thine O Father Son and Holy Ghost for evermore Accept of me O my God and let not my great Unworthiness provoke thee to reject thy poor Servant whose Soul panteth after thee Enable me amongst those that keep Holyday in thy House worthily to shew forth the Death of our blessed Iesus even as he hath commanded us in a joyful and truly thankful Remembrance of his inestimable Love in an absolute and entire Dedication of our selves to his Service and Government in a total Reliance upon thy Mercy through his Merits in a cordial Love to him our Head to all his Members yea to all Mankind and even our Enemies for his sake And do thou O merciful Father for thy dear Son's sake herein seal unto our Souls the Pardon of all our Sins confirm and strengthen us in all Grace and Goodness and bring us by the constant and conscientious use of this and all other Instruments of Grace to everlasting Life through Iesus Christ our Lord in whose holy Words I farther beg whatever is needful for my self and for thy whole Church Our Father c. A Prayer after receiving this Sacrament O Father of Mercies and God of all Comforts I have this day tasted and seen that thou art good and that thy Mercy endureth for ever It is well seen O God that thou delightest not in the Death of a Sinner seeing thou vouchsafest so vile a Sinner as I am to feast my hungry Soul at thy Table and to drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures For ever blessed be thy Goodness and praised for evermore be thy Mercies to us poor Sinners in the Lord Christ Iesus O let the deep sense of this thy wonderful Love ever rest upon my Heart Let the spiritual Relish of this heavenly Feast so delight my Soul as to render all Sin and Vanity unsavoury and loathsome to it for ever Let this great Grace and Favour of admitting me this day to renew my Covenant with thee after so many Breakin gs of it oblige me to constant Thankfulness and continual Obedience to the greatest watchfulness over my Heart◠and Circumspection in all my ways And as I have been shewing the Death of Christ in this holy Sacrament in the midst of the Congregation so give me Grace and Strength to shew it daily in a Christian Life and Conversation and in the continual mortifying and crucifying of my sinful Affections and Lusts. Enable me to resist and vanquish all those Temptations to Sin whereby I have been formerly conquered O holy Iesus I have given my Heart to thee this day take I beseech thee such a full Possession of it by thy holy Spirit that neither the Devil the World nor Sin may ever again have any part or interest in it nor let me ever desire to be any otherwise my own than that I may continue wholly thine at thy sole Command and Disposal O good God pardon all the Infirmities and Failings whereof I have been guilty in the performance of this great Duty And bless I beseech thee this sacred Ordinance to thy whole Church so that Truth and Holiness and Christian Love may ever flourish and abound therein As we have one Faith one Baptism one Lord one Hope and profess our selves one Body by partaking this one Bread so grant us to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace till we come to the Church triumphant in Heaven through him who loved us and hath wash'd us in his Blood even IESUS CHRIST our only Lord and Saviour Amen FINIS Books printed for and sold by John Baker at the Three Pidgeons in Saint Paul's Church-yard THE right Foundation of Quietness Obedience and Concord by Clement Elis. Lately published by Dr. Parker Arch-deacon of Canterbury An Account of Church Government for the first six hundred Years Religion and Loyalty or a Demonstration of the Christian Church within it self octavo in two Volumes The Service-Book in folio in 〈…〉 fit for Churches and Chapls Duport in Psalmos quarto Gr. Lat. idem in Homerum 4 o. idem 4 o. Graece separatim An earnest Invitation to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 12 o. by Ioseph Glanvil A Sermon before the Artillery-Company by Dr. Calamy lately published FINIS Acts 4. 12. Iohn 14. 6. Heb. 5. 9. 2 Thes. 1. 8. Rom. 9. 5. Col. 1. 16. 1 Cor. 6. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 19. Matt. 28. 18. Matt. 17. 15. Act 3. 22. Iohn 15. 9. 10. 13. Rom. 5. 6. 8. 1 Cor. 11. 26. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 1 Iohn 1. 3. 1 Cor. 11. 17. Gen. 1. 27. Eccl. 7. 29. Gen. 3. Rom. 5. 12. Rom. 8. 7 8. Mat. 1. 21. 1 Thes. 1. 10. Mar. 16. 16. Act. 3.