Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
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A42296
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A guide to young communicants: or, The whole duty of the sacrament fitted for those that desire to be worthy receivers of the Lords Supper: with suitable prayers, for morning and evening. Also directions for a holy living and dying. A dialogue between a divine and a beggar. And a description of Christ's person when on earth. To which is added, Bishop Usher's prophecy.
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1695
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Wing G2187B; ESTC R223701
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15,115
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performance of so holy a Duty to God which is call'd Habitual Preparation yet in regard of our daily Errors and Miscarriages we should prepare and examin our selves in a stricter way whenever we intend to receive And this is call'd Actual Preparation which is a serious Tryal and Examination of our State how we stand affected toward GOD and Man Q. 5. Wherein must we examin our selves A. In these Five Things viz. Knowledge Faith Repentance Charity and Obedience Q. 6. How must I examin my Knowledge A. I must try 1. Whether I understand the Nature of this Sacrament and the Necessity of Receiving it The Knowledge here requir'd is plain and easy and may be learnt from the Answers to the first and second Questions 2. I must examin how much I have profited grown in Grace and Knowledge and if I have not profited Whether 3. I am sorry for my want of Knowledge or Faith or other Heavenly Graces Q. 7. How must I examin my Faith A. I must try 1. Whether I rely on Christ alone for Salvation yet so as not to neglect my Endeavours and Whether I depend on him only in time of internal or external Temptation 2. Whether I believe that God on my Repentance will freely for Christ's sake forgive and blot out all my Sins 3. Whether I long for such a strong and lively Faith such a firm Belief of God's Word as may influence my Heart and Practice and transform me into the Image of Him who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith Q. 8. How must I examin my Repentance A. I must try 1. Whether I am sorry for my Sins past 2. Whether I am willing in good earnest to forsake 'em and live a better Life for the future aiming at the Life and Power of Religion 3. Whether I am willing to make Restitution for the Injuries I have done and for whatever I have unjustly taken from any because without this there can be no True Repentance 4. Whether I like those Sermons which reach to my Conscience and bring me to the sight of my Sins Q. 9. How must I examin my Charity A. I must try 1. Whether I forgive every one and bear no Malice nor Hatred in my Heart but wish my Enemies Repentance and Salvation 2. Whether I labour for Peace and neither seek nor give Occasion of Contention 3. Whether I love Good Men because they are Good Q. 10. How must I examin my Obedience A. I must try 1. Whether I make God's Word my Rule and frame my Life thereafter 2. Whether I am ready to obey all the Laws and Commands of God without keeping any darling Sin or Lust in my Soul Q. 11. What is requir'd of me at Receiving A. 1. To carry my self decently humbly and reverently 2. To fix my Heart and Thoughts on this Sacred Ordinance and the bitter Passion and Sufferings of Christ there represented to us 3. According to my Ability to give somewhat towards the Relief of the poor Members of Christ Q. 12. What is requir'd of me after my Receiving A. 1. To examin whether I receive Comfort by it 2. To be joyful and thankful to God for affording this blessed Opportunity of receiving Ps 116.13 3. To remember that I have now renew'd that Vow which at first in Baptism I made to God by my Sureties 4. To be careful to pay to GOD and Man what I have so vow'd 5. To shew my Love and Thankfulness to God by holiness of Life and Conversation by loving his Word i. e. by duly reading and meditating on it by a strict Observation of the Lord's Day spending it in Devotion especially attending on publick Prayer and Preaching being careful to remember of every Sermon I hear somewhat either for my Information or Reproof or that tends to the promoting Piety towards GOD or Charity to Men. And because we are not able of our selves to perform the least of these Duties here prescrib'd we ought therefore now and then to abstain from a Meals Meat and by Fasting Prayer and Humiliation to implore the Grace and Assistance of God's Holy Spirit to enable us to perform these Duties and keep us in the constant Practice thereof At such time of Abstinence it may be convenient to read and meditate on Psalms 25 39 130. Isaiah 55. Matth. 5. John 6. 15. Romans 8. and Hebrews 12. Thus I have done with the First Part that respects Knowledge or what we ought to know of this Duty Next follows what you are to practise On Sunday Morning get up betimes and Read a Chapter on your Knees wait or sit silent a little time casting all worldly Thoughts out of your Mind Then say this Preparatory Prayer for Sunday Morning at home MOST Great and Incomprehensible Lord God! Thou art worthy of all Praise and infinitely to be admir'd for thy Grace and Mercy in the Redemption of the World by the Body and Blood of thy Son whom thou hast given to be Meat and Drink to them that Fear and Obey Thee O Lord I design this Morning to receive of that Bread and Drink of that Cup that nourishes the Soul of all true Penitents Lord let the Inward and Spiritual Grace accompany the Bread and Wine that so my Body may not only be Refresh'd but my Soul also Refresh'd Comfortcd and Strengthen'd that I may evermore continue Obedient to thee Blessed Jesus O Lord I beseech thee send forth thy Light and thy Truth to Guide and Direct me O Establish me with thy free Spirit that thou givest freely to them that ask in Faith that Blessed Spirit that makes our Meditations of Thee to be sweet yea sweeter than Honey It makes the Soul to rejoyce more than in plenty of Corn Wine and Oil. This is that that made Shadrach Meshach and Abednego embrace a Fiery Furnace Daniel a Lyon's Den St. Peter a Crucifixion and John a Kettle of Boiling Oil St. Bartholomew to be Flead St. Bernard to cry out Hold hold for my Heart is not able to cantain these Joys which thou dost so liberally pour out upon me Blessed God let my Heart be thus tuned and then shall I receive Strength and Nourishment of Soul to Everlasting Life All which I beg through the Merits of Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all Glory and Praise now and evermore Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. Then repair to Church c. And after Sermon is ended say this Prayer before the Sacrament MOST merciful and gracious Lord who didst Institute this Feast of Love for us vile and miserable Sinners utterly unworthy of the least of thy Favours be pleas'd to help me to approach it with that Devotion Reverence and Humility that befits a worthy Communicant at thy Table Lord I come out of a Sense of my want of that Food from Heaven to which thou most graciously dost invite me I come in Obedience to thy Commands to testifie my Faith in Thee and
mindful of him or Son of Man that thou should'st so regard him as to suffer such bitter things for his sake to be Scourged and Bruised for his Transgressions and to bear upon thy Shoulders the Sins of a whole World O the depth of the Riches of thy Mercy and Goodness We have sinned against thee and thou thy self hast undergone the Punishment We have perversly run in the Paths that lead to Death and Damnation and thou hast undeservedly merited Life and Salvation for us and dost wooe and entreat us to accept of it and hast ordain'd this Sacrament to assure us of the Reality of thy gracious Intentions towards us Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his Holy Name Praise the Lord O Soul and forget not all his Benefits who forgiveth all thy Sin and healeth all thine Infirmities who saveth thy Life from Destruction and crowneth thee with Mercy and loving Kindness Lord grant that this unspeakable Love of thine may make me more and more a bound in Love to thee Grant that it may constrain me to Obedience and good Living and to a diligent Performance of all those solemn Engagements I have now made unto thee And since thou hast purchased me with the inestimable Price of thy Blood grant that I may continue wholly thine and glorify thee both in Body and Spirit by giving up my self to thy Service and by walking before thee in Holiness and Righteousness all my days Thou hast in infinite Mercy vouchsafed to unite thy self to me miserable and unworthy Creature thereby becoming the Strength Life and Support of my Soul O grant that I may never dissolve this Sacred Union nor suffer any sinful Lust or unlawful Passion to take me out of thy Hand And grant that according to the Profession of Charity I have made at thy Table I may henceforward be Compassionate and ready to forgive all Wrongs and Injuries supply the Wants and Necessities of the Poor that so in all things I may adorn the Gospel of God my Saviour and finally attain that Glorious Crown of Bliss and Immortality which thou hast prepar'd for thy Saints in Heaven Pardon O my God all my Sins and Failings and perfect whatever Good Work thou hast begun in me unto the Day of Christ Direct sanctify and govern both my Heart and Body in the ways of thy Laws and in the Works of thy Commandments that through thy most Mighty Protection both here and ever I may be preserved both in Body and Soul through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen Our Father c. Then return home with a chearful Heart and let a Holy Life be thy Care ever after Directions for Holy Living and Dying 1. Directions how to Live well IN the Morning awake with God and offer up unto Him thy Morning-Sacrifice of Prayer First Give hearty Thanks for all his Mercies Spiritual and Temporal and for thy Preservation in the Night Secondly Make an humble Confession of thy Sins and desire Pardon Thirdly Ask such Necessaries as are requisite for thy Soul and Body with fervent Request to be reliev'd in them and desire his Blessing upon thy Labour in thy Calling Always think that thou art before the Living God and let the Remembrance hereof make thee afraid to Sin Make Conscience of Idle Vain Dishonest and Ungodly Thoughts for these are the Seeds and Beginnings of actual Sin in Word and Deed. Have a special Care to avoid those Sins which thou findest thy Nature most prone unto and eschew those Provocations which were wont most to prevail against thee Follow with Faithfulness and Diligence thy Lawful Calling Think thy present State and Condition to be the best State for thee Look well to thy Carriage in Company that thou do no hurt by Word or Example nor take any thing from others but endeavour rather to do good Use Honesty towards all Men A good Conscience and good Manners go together If at any time thou art overtaken with any Sin lie not in it but speedily recover thy self by Repentance When any good Desire Motion or Affection doth arise in thine Heart suffer it not to pass away but feed it by Reading Meditating or Praying Esteem every Day as the Day of thy Death and therefore live now even as though thou wert now Dying and do those good Duties every Day which thou would'st do if this were thy Dying Day At the end of the Day before thou sleepest call to mind how thou hast spent the Day past Thy Misdoings repent and praise God for assisting thee with his Grace in the Duties which thou hast perform'd Sleep not at Night before thou hast commended thy self by Prayer into the Hands of God for thou knowest not whether fall'n asleep thou shalt rise again to live here Let Prayer be the Key to open the Morning and the Bar to shut in the Evening Walk as the Children of Light II. Directions how to Die well THink that the greatest Work thou hast to do in this World is to Die well They which Die well Die not to Die but to Live Eternally Be every Day ready to leave this Life That Man doth finish his Days best that every Day esteemeth the last Day of his Life to be present and at hand Endeavour before Death come to pull out his Sting and take from him his Power and Strength by humbling thy self in the time present for all thy Sins past and by turning unto God for the time to come That Man can never die ill that taketh care to live well Innure thy self by little and little to Die before thou come to that Point that thou must needs Die He that leaves the World before the World leaves him gives Death the Hand like a welcome Messenger and departs in Peace When thou art Visited with Sickness or Old-age think either of these are Warnings for thee e'er long to appear before the Great Judge of all the World Therefore now prepare to set all things in good order and make thine Accounts ready Make a new Examination of thy Life and Conversation passed Make a Confession unto God of thy new and particular Sins As God sendeth new Corrections and Chastisements make new Prayers and more earnest than ever before for Pardon of thy Sins and Reconciliation with God in Christ by all means avoid those Sins which thou findest and feelest encrease the Wrath of God against thee Be reconciled to thy Neighbour freely forgiving them that have offended thee and earnestly desire to be forgiven of all that thou hast offended Set thine House and Family in order by disposing of thy Worldly Goods in thy Will and Testament thereby thou shalt Die not the more quickly but the more quietly and prevent the Brawls and Jars that otherwise when thou art gone may arise from thine Heirs Thou partest with Earthly Possessions and art going to take Possession of Heavenly In the last Agony of Death when all things in and of the World do