8. v. 34. Who is he that Condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us St. Matth. 13. v. 41 42. The Son of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things which offend and them that do Iniquity and shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire where shall be wailing and weeping c. IV. Concerning the Way and Means to obtain Salvation by Christ 1. That the way and means appointed by God for the Sinners Salvation thro' Jesus Christ the Redeemer is by Faith Repentence and sincere Obedience So saith the Apostle Eph. 2.8 By Grace ye are saved thro' Faith Acts 11. r8 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Heb. 5. v. 9. Christ became the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him 2. That saving Faith is a Grace of the Holy Spirit wrought in us by the Ministery of the Word Whereby we do in our Understandings Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel as true and with our Wills embrace it as good And according to that Revelation do depend upon the merits of Christ alone foâ— pardon of Sin and eternal life on such conditions as the Gospeâ— has assured them upon Rom. 10. v. 10. With the heart man beliveth unto Righteousness St. John 6. v. 68 69. We believe and are sure that thou art Christ the Son of the living God to whom shall we go thou hast the words of Eternal Life 3. That true Repentance consists in an hearty Trouble and Sorrow for sin past In an humble acknowledgment and Penitential Confession of sin both past and present but chiefly in such stedfast Purposes and Resolutions against sin for the time to come as do produce Actual Reformation and Amendment of Life 2 Cor. 7.11 Ye sorrowed after a Godly sort what carefulness did it work in you yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what revenge Isa 55.7 Let the Wicked forsake his way and turn c. 4. That Repentance being a real Change and Reformation of our Lives to defer it to a sick bed and a dying hour puts the Soul upon a mighty hazard it being then impossible to know the truth of our Repentance when we want time and opportunity to make tryal of the sincerity of it St. Mat. 3.8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for Repentance Isa 55.6 Seek ye now the Lord whilst he may be found and call upon him whilst he is near 2 Cor. 6.2 Behold now is the accepted time 5. That Sincere obedience consists in a conformity of Heart and Life to the Word and Will of God from an unfeigned Love to God and a sincere delight in keeping his Commandments Psal 40.8 I delight to do thy will oh my God yea thy Law is within my heart Acts 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self to keep always a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards all men 6. That the Obedience of the best of Christians in this Life when at the best is but imperfect attended with much weakness and accompanied with manifold imperfections which yet upon our humble acknowledgment God will graciously pardon and for Christs sake mercifully accept Job 9. v. 20. If I justifie my self my own mouth shall condemn me If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse 2 Chr. 30.18 19 20. The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God tho' he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the People 7. That no Obedience is sincere but that which is Universal and causes us to have an abiding respect unto all Gods Commandments to obey them and to all Christs institutions to observe and follow them Psal 119.9 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments St. Mat. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you 8. That the great Commands of God are to Love him with all our Hearts with all our Souls with all our Strength and to love our Neighbour as our selves Matth. 22.37 38. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. This is the first and great Commandment and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self 9. That the great Institutions of Jesus Christ under the Gospel are his Word and Sacraments to wit Baptism and the Lords Supper which he Commands all his Disciples and Followers most Religiously to Celebrate until his coming again unto Judgment St. Math. 28. ult Go teach all Nations Baptizing them c. And lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world 1 Cor. 11.26 As oft as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come 10. That Baptism is a holy Institution of our Saviours for the benefit of Believers and their Seed Wherein by the outward washing with Water in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost it signifies the Spiritual washing of the Soul by the Blood and Spirit of Christ from the guilt and filth of sin Eph. 5.25 26. Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleatnse it by the washing of Water and the Word 11. That the Lords Supper is an holy Ordinance wherein by Bread broken and Wine poured out the death of Christ is shewed forth and all the Benefits of his death are Represented Applied and Sealed unto Worthy Receivers 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Commmunion of the Blood of Christ c. 12. That the end of this Ordinance is to be a Memorial of Christs Death To strengthen our Faith in him To encrease our Communion with him To be a Spiritual Banquet wherein we feed upon him in order to our Spiritual nourishment and Growth in Grace 1 Cor. 11.26 As oft as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come 13. That all such as are truly penitent for sin past and holily resolved against sin and for a new life for the time to come tho' their Grace be weak their doubts many and their fears great yet ought they often to come to this Heavenly Banquet for Spiritual strength and inward comfort St. John 6.51 I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever 14. That it is the duty of every one who would be a Worthy Receiver of the Lords Supper to prepare himself thereunto by previous Examination and to make proof of his Knowledge Faith and Charity and so to eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup. See 1 Cor 11.28 But let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. 15. That the danger
and Obeyed Consider also That if thou art a Doer of God's Will he will be a Doer of thine he will make as much of thy Prayers as thou dost of his Commands John 9.31 If any Man be a Worshipper of God and doth his Will him be heareth What a Priviledge is this to have God's Fiat set to all we ask 8. Be careful to take an Account of thy self after thou hast heard the Word Preached God has indued man with a noble Faculty of Self-reflection he has a power of calling himself to an account for the several Actions performed by him Now when a Christian after hearing of the Word Preach'd is found in the Exercise of this Duty frequently and faithfully interrogating his own Heart what he has heard and how he has heard it is a good Evidence of his Sincerity both because First It is a secret Duty And Secondly A searching Duty This is not the Hypocrite's Walk who desires not to search himself nor that the Word should search him he is for taking all upon Trust and nothing upon Tryal And having called thy self to an account in Secret how thou hast heard the Word in Publick what Benefit thou receivedst and what Assistance thou enjoyedst call likewise thy Family if thou hast any under thy Charge to give thee an Account what they have heard and how they understand endeavouring to inform their Judgments aright as to the Nature of those Divine Truths they have heard and praying with them and for them according to the Directions given before Chap. 8. Page 29. CHAP. XIII Concerning the Lord's-Supper THE Sacrament of the Lord's Supper being one of the most Tremendous Mysteries of the Christian Religion and the highest Act and Exercise of Religious Worship he must be unthankful to Christ and unjust to himself that does not warily attend his Soul in so sacred an Homage Therefore that I may Assist you in a faithful Preparation for this Ordinance and excite you to the frequent Participation of it I shall briefly dispatch the following Severals 1. I shall acquaint you with the Nature of this Ordinance 2. Inform you of the Ends of its Institution 3. Lay before you the Obligations which are upon you to frequent it 4. Answer the several Pleas made by many for the Neglect of it 5. What Preparation is necessary to fit you for it 6. What Directions may be useful to assist you in it 7. How we ought to manage our Deportment and Behaviour after it 1. Concerning the Nature of this Ordinance Know that the Lord's Supper it is a Spiritual Feast appointed for a Solemn remembrance of Christ's Death and to be a Seal of that Covenant which God has made with us in Christ The Use then of this Ordinance is two-fold 1. To be a solemn Remembrance of the Person and Passion of our Holy Lord to excite us thankfully to call to mind all that Christ hath done and suffered for our good and in our stead in order to the inflaming of our Affections with Love unto his Person and our Wills with Resolution to obey his Precepts 2. 'T is a Seal of the New-Covenant or Covenant of Grace which God has made with us in Christ in which Covenant he has assured us of Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life upon the Conditions of Faith and Repentance Almighty God Seals to us in the Sacraments and assures us that he for his part will make good his Promises and we Seal on our part to him that we will endeavour by his Grace enabling to perform the Conditions This is the Genuine Nature of the Lord's-Supper 2. Now as touching the Ends of this Institution and the special Reasons and Purposes for which it was ordained by our Saviour they are such as these 1. The renewing of that Solemn Covenant with God which we entred into at our Baptism when by the Piety of our Parents we were Dedicated to the Lord and took an Oath of Fidelity unto Christ the Captain of our Salvation to become his faithful Souldiers and Servants unto our Lives end Now because our Infirmities are many and our Covenant-Breaches too frequent that we may not want a merciful opportunity to bewail our Backslidings and to renew our Covenant this Ordinance was appointed 2. Another end is to Remember the Love of our dying Redeemer in laying down his Life for us St. Luke 22.19 This do in Remembrance of me In Remembrance of my Bloody Sufferings in Remembrance of my Bitter Death and Passion 3 To Seal up unto us the Pardon of our Sins and the Assurance of Everlasting Life St. Matth. 26.28 This is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sins Christ assures us of Pardon on his part if we perform the Conditions of Faith and Repentance on our part 4. Another end of this Ordinance is to fortifie the Soul with power to resist Sin and to get the Victory over it yea to mortifie and subdue it That our Souls being as Giants refresht with this Spiritual Wine all the Enemies of our Salvation may fall before us and we may be more than Conquerors over them 5. The last but not the least end of Christ in Appointing this Ordinance was for the Uniting all the Professors of his Holy Religion together in the strictest Bond of Love and Charity 1 Cor. 10.17 We being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread That is as many grains of Wheat united together as one Mass or Lump do make one Loaf of Bread so Christians tho' many by the Death of their Saviour and by partaking of his Supper are Spiritually incorporated into one Mystical Body and should labour to be of one heart and of one mind 3. Next let us consider the Obligations which lie upon Christians to Attend upon Christ in this Ordinance now these are especially two namely an Obligation of Duty and of Interest First We lie under an Obligation to frequent this Ordinance in Point of Duty and Obedience to our Saviour's Command especially if we consider what kind of Command it is namely the Command of a Sovereign the Command of a Saviour the Command of a dying Saviour 'T is a Command of Love a gracious Command Eat and Live 'T is a pleasant easie and honourable Command What more pleasant than a Feast What more easie than to come to a Feast What more honourable than to Feast with a King yea with the King of Kings In a word 't is such a Command the due Observation whereof will help us to keep the rest of God's Commandments better it will be an efficacious means to make you do well Finally 't is a plain positive express Command from which nothing can discharge us but a Countermand from Heaven which we must never expect or an impossibility of doing it for want of Opportunity which we cannot plead Secondly We lie under a super-added Obligation to the practice of this Duty from a tie
thy self and others the Benefit of thy attendance on him in holy Duties 4. Labour to preserve Family-peace if you would acceptably perform Family-Prayers agree together in Love that your Prayers be not hindred This is certain that Religion and the power of Holiness can never thrive or prosper in that Family where discord and contention dwells you may as well hope to Live together comfortably in an house on fire as pray together acceptably when your Spirits are inflamed with passion or imbitter'd with prejudice one against another nay verily the Body may as well thrive in a Feaver as such a Family grow in Grace As the fire in the Bones must be quenched and the Body brought to its natural temper and disposition before it can thrive and grow healthy so these unkindly heats must be quencht in a Family before Religion can thrive or prosper That Family will be unsuccessful in praying that is much squabling and brawling often contending with and clashing against one another 5. Take heed of setting up Family-Worship in opposition to Publick Worship or to suffer the one to interfere with the other We can say our Prayers say some in the Chimny-corner what need we go to Church to do it But at this rate all sense of God and Religion will be utterly lost in the World and is not this the Communion of Saints and the Fellowship of Holy Christians a priviledge worth thy prizing How does the presence of Devout Souls sometimes fire and inflame our cold Spirits and cause them to grow into greater Ardours and Transports of Zeal Thus the Divine Herbert sweetly expresses it Though Private Prayer be a brave Design Yet Publick hath more Promises more Love c. Leave there thy Six and Seven To pray with most for where most pray is Heaven God allows you time both for Publick-Worship and Family-Duties he expects the joint performance of both from you Let Piety and Prudence so Guide and Direct you in the management of both that God may be Glorified and your Souls improved by both 6. Let not the sense of thine own weakness or want of Gifts and Parts c. discourage thee from the daily performance of this Duty of Praying in and with thy Family but in Obedience to God set about it in the best manner thou art able and he will pardon thy weakness and accept thy sincerity It is not enlarged Parts and Gifts and Florid Expressions that Almighty God looks at but an Humble Penitent Broken and Believing Heart In Prayer it is not the quaint Note of the Nightingal but the Mournful Tone of the Dove that finds the best acceptance Study your Sins your Wants and Mercies and get a sense of all these upon your Hearts and you will be able in some measure to express your desires to Almighty God But if after all the want of suitable Expressions do discourage thee from Praying before others in thy Family make use of some of those many good Books of Devotion which are amongst us Or if you have none of them and are so poor that you cannot purchase them make use of the following Words to express your Family-wants in to Almighty God Morning and Evening A Family Prayer for the Moning OH Eternal Ever-Glorious Ever-Gracious and Merciful Lord our God! Thou fillest the Heavens with thy Glory the Earth with thy Goodness and all places with the immensity of thy Presence We pray Thee fill our Hearts with awful Apprehensions of thy Great and Glorious Majesty that whenever we come before Thee we may Sanctify thy Name in all our Religious Addresses to Thee We Holily Admire and Humbly Adore thy Divine Goodness towards us in this Invaluable Priveledge of our Admission to the Throne of Grace which our dear Redeemer has purchased for us by Faith in whose Mediation it is that we offer up our Prayers and Suplications now unto Thee beseeching thee for his satisfaction sake to pardon our Iniquities and for his Intercession sake to hear our Prayers It is oh Lord the sincere desire of our Souls this Morning to give Glory to thy Name by a free Penitent Acknowledgment and Confession of our Sin and Guilt which has rendred us All justy lyable and Obnoxious to thy Wrath and Curse Particularly We lament before God the want of the Original Purity and Perfection of our Natures the loss of thy Divine Image which was Instampt upon our Souls in their first Creation Oh how have we by our Apostacy from God forefeited his favour and lost his likeness being by Nature Children of Wrath because Children of Disobedience Help us also to lye low at thy foot in a Sorrowful fight and sense of the manifold Actual Transgressions and Provocations of our Lives Humble us greatly for all the Follies and Indecencies of our Childhood for the Vanities of our Youth and the sinfulness of our Riper Years for our Sins of Ignorance and of Knowledge of Weakness and of Wilfulness of Omission and of Commission against thy Law and against thy Gospel against the motions of thy Holy Spirit and the checks of our own Consciences We lament and bewail them all in thy presence they are our grief and our shame and the burthen of our Souls God Almighty pardon them unto us blot them out of thy Book bury them in our Saviours Grave that they may never arise more either in this World to shame us or in the World to come to condemn us And as we humbly implore thy Pardoning Mercy for the Errors of our Life past so we do Importunately begg the Aids of thy Divine Grace to impower us against the Dominion of Sin for the time to come let the Grace of God which has appeared to us in thy Gospel Teach every one of us practically to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to Live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World And God Almighty keep it in the purpose of our hearts for ever to continue faithful to him that with full purpose of heart we may cleave unto the Lord that continuing faithful to the Death we may lay hold of the Crown of Life Prepare and sit us for thy whole providential Will and Pleasure We pray thee Compose our Minds in all Conditions of Life to a quiet and steady dependance on thy Good Providence that we may be Solicitously carefull or nothing but in every condition by Prayer and Supplication let us make our Requests known to God Mind us of our Mortality and let us never be forgetful of our latter end help us practically to understand how frail we are and let us wisely prepare for that great change of ours which will Translate every Soul of us into an Unchangeable and Everlasting State Extend thy Goodness and Compassions to the whole World Pity the deplorable Ruines of Mankind think upon the dark Corners of the Earth that perish for want of Vision and where ever thou hast a Church planted perpetually watch over it and be a protection
for the time to come so direct sanctifie and govern both my Heart and Life in the Ways of thy Laws and in the Works of thy Commandments that in all my Thoughts Words and Works I may ever seek thy Honour and Glory and may so Order my Conversation aright that at Death I may see the Salvation of God Prepare me for a sick-bed and fit me for a dying hour let not God be a Stranger nor my Conscience a Terrour to me when I come to die but do thou mercifully assist and succour me in my last Moments In the hour of Death and in the Day of Judement Good Lord deliver me and conduct me safely to thine Everlasting Kingdom I Bless thy Name Oh Lord for that good Providence of thine which has brought me to the Light of another day do thou so prevent me with thy Grace so direct and assist me by thy Holy and Good Spirit that I may not run this day into any Sin or Temptation that I may not follow nor be led by any Worldly and Carnal Lusts but be enabled in my place and station to perform my Duty to thy Self and my Neibour with such Care Fidelity and Chearfulness as may be acceptable both to God and Man I humbly commend this Church and Nation to thy merciful Care and Protection Let our Gracious King and Queen live in thy sight and rule in thy fear and let all their Subjects fear God Honour their Majesties and Love one another Assist all thy Ministers in their hard and difficult work and follow their endeavours with thy Blessing particularly his who labours amongst us in the Word and Doctrine Pity all in an afflicted Condition Pardon their Sins and supply their wants Remember all my Relations for good requite the kindness of my Friends pardon and forgive my Enemies and Enable me to forgive them also These Mercies with whatever else thou knowest to be needful for me and all Mankind I humbly beg in the Name and Words of my Blessed Redeemer saying as he has Taught me Our Father c. An Evening Prayer for a Private Person MOst Holy and ever Blessed Lord God! the Father of Mercies the Fountain of Goodness and the Author of all Grace I desire again this Evening to bow before thy Mercy-Seat to adore and praise thy Glorious Majesty for thy Gracious Care and Providence over me the day past Pardon unto me most Merciful Father I most humby Beseech whatever I have committed or omitted this day contrary to my Resolutions and Obligations Pity my weaknesses and accept my sincere endeavours to serve and glorifie Thee Wherein I have been wont to slip Lord help me to be more Watchful where I have been careless and negligent let me use greater Diligence and Circumspection help me more sensibly to groan under this Body of Sin which I carry about with me and which so interrupts me in thy Service that when I would do Good evil is present with me And oh that the Sense of that Corruption which I find stirring in my Soul may cause me more earnestly to implore the help of thy Blessed Spirit which alone can enable me to Mortifie all Evil and Corrupt Affections to deny all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World Raise up my Heart and my Affections above this World and the things below and place them upon thy Self and the things that are above oh help me to Realize the Things of Eternity and another World to my Mind and to believe them as certainly as if I saw them with my Bodily Eyes Hear Oh Lord and Answer the Supplications and Prayers which have been put up unto Thee by any of thine this day on the behalf of this Church and Nation Oh that Peace and Happiness Truth and Justice Religion and Piety may be established amongst us for all Generations Secure the Persons of thy Servants King William and Queen Mary from all attempts of Violence and let that hand be for ever withered which shall be once stretched forth to hurt the Lords anointed and let all that are in Authority under them execute Judgment and Justice impartially to the Punishment of Wickedness and Vice and to the maintainance of thy True Religion and Godliness Let all that Minister unto Thee in Holy things endeavour both by the Purity of their Doctrine and the Piety of their Lives to win many to a Love of Holiness and Religion that they may shine as Stars for ever and ever Pity all those that are in a worse Condition than my self supply their wants out of thy abundance and work in me a readiness of Disposition to administer to their necessities according to my Ability Accept my Thankful returns to thy Majesty for all thy Mercies for the Fountain of them all the Holy Jesus for all the invaluable Benefits of his Incarnation Death and Passion Resurrection Ascension and Intercession for the Gift of thy Holy Spirit for the Light of thy Glorious Gospel for all the Comforts and Conveniences of Life afforded to me which many Better than my self are deprived of for thy watchful care and good Hand of Providence over me this day Receive me into thy Protection this Night sanctifie my Rest and keep me from sinning against Thee upon my Bed and let the natural repose of my Body put me in Mind that e're long I must sleep in the Bosom of the Grave and awake no more 'till the Morning of the Resurrection for which solemn hour good Lord prepare and sit me and all Mankind by a renewed frame of Heart and a Religious course of Life for thy Mercies sake in Christ Jesus who has both directed and commanded me when I pray to say Our Father c. A short Hymn for the Evening NOw from the Altar of my Heart Let Incense Flames arise Assist me Lord to offer up My Evening Sacrifice Lord Watch and Ward when I shall sleep I humbly Thee implore Thine Angels let my Guardians be Both now and evermore Into thy hands do I commit My Spirit which is thy due For why Thou hast created it Yea didst Redeem it too Lord if I live let me be thine Thine also if I die Come Life come Death let Heaven be mine Amen Amen say I. CHAP. XI Of Reading the Holy Scriptures THE Holy Bible being a Letter wrote unto us by the Finger of God himself what is our Reading of it and daily Conversing with it but a Communing with the Almighty and making an inquiry after that Revelation of his Will which his Wisdom has been pleased to make unto us How stupendious then is the Folly and Impiety of those who either lay the Bible aside as a neglected Book or else read it carelesly irreverently unattentively without an honest simplicity of Mind to be guided instructed and directed by it To prevent the Sin and danger of both which neglects it will be our Wisdom to resolve with our selves to redeem some time every
a borrowed Chamber in an upper Room in the Evening only to Twelve Persons and those Twelve Men yea Twelve Ministers and in a Coat without a Seam To keep thus strictly to Christ's Order in the use of this Ordinance I assure you is so far from being a Duty that it will be your sin But 2ly As to the Garment worn by us in the Administration why should a matter of such indifferency discompose thy Thoughts at such a solemn time Look you to your self that you come cloathed with the Wedding Garment of Repentance Faith Love and Joy and if there be any Evil in Colours in a White Garment more than a Black one he that wears it or the Authority that enjoyns it shall Answer for that and not you 3ly As to our using a Form of Prayer in the Administration know that all the Reformed Churches throughout the World have done the like the Church of Geneva not excepted for the Spirituality of Prayer doth not consist in an extemporary fluency of Words but in the Intention of the Mind and Devotion of the Soul if we pray in Faith with Humility with Holy Fervency with Humble Resignation we certainly pray by the Spirit tho' with a Form of Words before us and on the other hand if we pray without the forementioned Dispositions our Prayers are formal and unacceptable tho' we pray without a Form Lastly As to what is scrupled about Kneeling 1. It doth not clearly appear what Gesture our Saviour used when he celebrated this Ordinance the Scripture is very silent about it from whence I infer that had it been our Saviour's mind we should follow his Example in this Circumstance we should not have been left in the dark concerning it 2. Suppose it were Sitting this being but a Circumstance of the Action we are no more obliged to follow it than the other Circumstances of Time Place Habit c. 3. Let it be considered how far the Church of England has protested against all Adoration of the Elements so that they who suspect us Kneeling to the Bread and Wine do shew themselves to be either grosly ignorant or greatly malicious But because this is the highest Ordinance we attend upon Christ in and we receive the greatest Benefits by the Ordinance we are capable of on this side Glory even a Pardon Sealed from the King of Heaven which we would not receive in any other posture than upon our Knees from an Earthly Prince and forasmuch as the Sacrament is delivered to us with Prayer we judge it the most suitable Gesture for such a solemn Ordinance and both in Obedience to Authority and also from an Act of choice we use this Gesture as a Token of profound Reverence to our most endearing Redeemer These are all the most considerable Pleas and Pretences which I have met with from Persons for the neglect of this Duty If what has been here said tend to the satisfaction of any and they are willing to address themselves to the practice of this long neglected Duty I shall next inform them what Preparation is necessary to fit them for it 5. And here know in General that the best Preparation for the Sacrament is a Holy Life a daily walking before God in the Holy Path of his Commandments in an uniform Compliance with the Duties both of our General and Particular Callings exercising your selves daily in keeping a Conscience void of Offence both towards God and towards all Men. In short the habitual devotedness of the Soul to God accompanied with a steady resolution to continue stedfast in our Obedience to him all our days is such a Divine Temper as gives us an undoubted right to the Ordinance and is the best Qualification for it But more particularly you are to understand that besides our habitual Preparation by Repentance and the constant Endeavours of a Holy Life we ought to set some time apart for Actual Preparation tho' how much every Person ought to allot of his Time for that Work cannot precisely be determined some have more cause for it than others having long neglected themselves and their Duty Others have more Leisure and Freedom for it No man ought to come to the Sacrament without due Care and Preparation but God doth not expect so much time should be set apart for Solemn Preparation by a poor Servant as he does from a Rich Master Now a Christian 's actual Preparation for this Ordinance I take to consist in the practice of these five following Duties Examination Humilation Resolution Meditation Prayer and Supplication 1. Examine thy self according to St. Paul's Advice 1 Cor. 11.28 For we stand too near our selves to see our Failings without great Observation Take therefore the Candle of the Word into thy hand to search thy Heart and examine thy Life by Particularly examine 1. What good there is in thee what Knowledge to discern the Lord's Body and to understand the Nature Use and End of the Lord's Supper What Faith to apply the Merits of his Death to thy own Soul What Love to thy Saviour's Person Precepts Promises People to every one that has the Image of Christ upon him What Repentance and Godly Sorrow dost thou find in thy Soul for Sin What Care every day to mortifie it and to die daily more and more unto it 2. Examine what Evil is in Thee and has been done by Thee See and be sensible of the sinfulness of thy Nature of the Sins of thy Heart and Life of thy Omissions of Good and Commissions of Evil of thy Sins against God and thy Neighbour in Heart Word or Deed And tho' it be impossible upon thy utmost search to find out all it will be a good Evidence of thy Sincerity that thou art not willing to hide any 2. Having by Examination found out thy Sins fall down upon thy Knees in Confession and Humiliation before God bewailing manifold Sins ond Wickedness which thou from time to time hast most grievously committed by Thought Word and Deed against his Divine Majesty Labour earnestly to repent and to be unfeignedly sorry for these thy misdoings beg of God that the remembrance of Sin may be bitter to thy Soul and the burthen of it be intolerable plead with him to forgive Thee all that is past and to give thee his Grace that thou mayst ever hereafter serve and please Him in newness of Life to the Honour and Glory of his Holy Name This done before thou arisest from thy Knees 3. Renew thy Resolutions for a Holy Life Vow to be more watchful more careful and circumspect for the time to come say with holy David Psal 119.106 I have sworn and will perfarm that I will keep thy righteous Judgments And be sure when you resolve against your Sins that you resolve against all Temptations which lead to Sin he that resolves against Drunkenness and Swearing must resolve to avoid wicked Company which draw him to that excess and to pass by the Door where he is wont to
let my Entertainment now Be so Exceeding Sweet That I may long to come again And at thy Table meet 6. Having directed you in your Preparation for this Ordinance next understand how you are to behave your selves at and under it First then Come to the Ordinance with high and raised Expectations to receive great Benefit and Advantage by it both as to the Mortifying of thy Sin and Quickning of thy Grace And whatever Lust it is that thou art most Captivated by and enslaved to be it Pride Passion Earthly Mindedness c. let us set our selves against that Lust with all our might and plead with God at his Table thus Lord I come to this Ordinance with a sincere desire and design to get Victory over every Lust but particularly against which doth so often solicite and importune me oh let it receive its Death wound in the Death of my Saviour and never molest or inslave me more Secondly When come to thy Lords Table labour to cast all thy Worldly Thoughts and Concerns out of thy Head and Heart And strive to lift up thy Heart unto the Lord as thou art exhorted by the Minister say unto all unsuitable Thoughts as Abraham did unto his Servants Gen. 22.5 Abide you here below whilst I go and worship the Lord yonder 3ly The better to keep all Impertinent and Improper Thoughts out of thy mind Entertain thy self with a frequent Remembrance of the Death of Christ at the sight of the Bread broken and Wine poured out call to mind at once the Passion of the Son of God and thy Sins which exposed him to such a Painful Shameful and Accursed Death Represent to the Eye of your minds your Dear Redeemer as hanging upon the Cross Bleeding Sighing Groaning Dying under the insupportable burthen of thy sins and his Fathers Wrath. 4ly When thou perceivest the Minister approaching with the Elements towards thee put thy self in the lowliest posture of Reverence and say thus betwixt God and thy Soul How Beautifull are the feet of him that publisheth Salvation and brings the proffer of a Saviour to me I am unworthy of Christ but he is worthy of me and of my Faith I do therefore Oh Lord with all Humility accept Thee for my King Priest and Prophet for my Sanctifier and Saviour 5ly When thou hast received the Bread say to this or the like effect Lord I receive this broken Bread in remembrance of thy broken Body Oh strengthen me with thy Heavenly Grace that I may continue thine for ever and daily encrease in thy Holy Spirit more and more until I come to thine Everlasting Kingdom Amen In like manner after thou hast received the Cup pray to this purpose Oh my God Let my Soul go forth as a Gyant refreshed with this Spiritual Wine and let all the Enemies of my Salvation fall before me may I walk in the Strength of this Spiritual Meal all my days and in the end of my days enjoy the full Manifestation of thy Love which is better than Wine in thine Everlasting Kingdom Amen 6ly Imploy your time whilest others are Receiving in Meditation and Prayer in meditating upon the Love of the Father in sending and upon the Love of the Son in coming upon this great Errand to accomplish the Work of Redemption of us Also in Praying unto God for all Mankind in General for the whole Church of God in special for that part of it planted in these Nations in particular for all Christian Kings Princes and Governours especially our own for all our Friends and Benefactors that God would requite the kindnesses they have shewn us for all our Enemies that God would Pardon the wrongs and injuries done to him to us and to their own Souls This being a Feast of Love in which we commemorate the highest instance of Love that ever the World was acquainted with a greater Expression of our Love we cannot shew to our offending Brother than in a readiness to forgive him and interceeding earnestly for his Soul Lastly As an Expression of thy Thankfulness to Christ for his Mercy and Compassion towards Thee lay hold upon this occasion to shew thy Charity to his Members that thy Prayers and thine Alms may be had in Remembrance of God and as thou refreshest the Bowels of the Poor so mayst thou find Mercy of the Lod in the needful day 7. It only now Remaines to shew how we ought to behave our selves after we have waited upon Christ at his Holy Table 1. Decline if possible all Company immediately after the Action and retire instanly into some Secret Places and there upon your Knees offer up your Thanksgivings to Almighty God for his Rich Mercy and Invaluable goodness vouchsafed to you in that Ordinance entreating him to Pardon all the defects of the whole Service and imploring the Gracious Assistances of his Holy and Good Spirit whereby you may be enabled to walk in the Strength of that Grace as becometh those who have recived such great Pledges of Salvation 2. When you are return'd into Company take heed that the spiritual heat which was inkindled in your Souls by and under the Ordinance be not quenched by a sudden falling into worldly Conferences and fruitless Discourses but labour to cherish and keep alive that Holy Fire upon the Altar of your Hearts and endeavour by Prayer Meditation and Holy Conference to improve it into a Holy Flame 3. Spend the Sacrament-day in Publick Private and Secret Duties of Religious Worship particularly in Prayer and Praises in After-Examination of your selves What Faith what Love what Humility what Sincerity was found with us when waiting upon your Saviour at his Holy Table Take notice also of any deadness of Heart and disposition of Spirit which thou labouredst under bewail it and beg pardon of it for Christs sake who bears the Iniquities of our Holy Things 4. Conclude the Sacrament-day with Prayer and an Hymn of Praise Thus did our Saviour after he had kept this Supper with his Disciples He sung an Hymn St Matth. 26.30 and betakes himself to God in Prayer and the Jews at their Passover did Sing the 113th Psalm with the five following Psalms which they call'd the great Hallelujah A Christian should every day of his Life give Thanks and Pray but especially on a Sacrament-day then should we Bless the Lord with our whole Souls and call upon all that is within us to Bliss his Holy Name such Christians as desire to do this but want suitable Words to express their desires in may make use of what here followeth A Prayer after the Sacrament FOr ever Blessed be thy Great thy Glorius and thy Holy Name Oh Lord For all thy unspeakable Favours and Benefits vouchsafed to me and to all Mankind particularly for thy invaluable Love in giving thy Dear Son to die for me in the Sacrifice and to be my Spiritual Food and sustenance in the Holy Sacrament Lord who am I and what am I that thou hast been pleased to