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
(1695)
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Wing G2187B; ESTC R223701
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15,115
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22
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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 The Fourth Edition London Printed for G. C. at the Ring in Little-Britain Price 2 d. Reader THis little Book was printed for the Use of an Honourable Lady and was wrote as I was inform'd by Dr. J. Bishop of L n. It has found a kind Reception and many of them have been distributed among the Poor It contains what is necessary to be known on this Occasion sufficiently explaining what the Communion or Sacrament of the New Testament is and what is meant thereby showing plainly what is to be done at before and after Receiving Indeed that which makes all People Worthy Communicants or truly prepares for this Duty is a Holy Life it does not require so much Head-Knowledge as a sincere Heart devoted to God A God-like or Christ-like Life is the best Qualification True Repentance or forsaking Sins past and hearty Obedience to what God manifests or discovers in the inward of thy Heart to be thy Duty This must be done by thee whoever thou art thâ—t would come rightly prepar'd to Receive the Lord's Supper For thy Assistance herein I recommend to thee this little Book ADVERTISEMENT A Guide to young Communicants with Meditations for every Day of the Week to which is added a History of Riches Poverty Godliness Labour and Content Bp Usher's Prophecy an Account of Popish Persecutions with other matters Pr. stitcht 4 d. bd 6 d. A Guide to the Altar with Prayers for Morning and Evening and other Occasions to which is added The Practice of the Faithful 1 s. A Spark from the Altar or Preparation for the Sacrament Pr. 6 d. A Bundle of Myrrh Pr. 1 d. The pious Man's Directions shewing how to walk with God all his Days c. Pr. 6 d. The Child's Weeks-work and Father's Blessing 6 d. England's Reformation against Drunkenness Gluttony Whoredom Fornication Cursing Swearing c. with Examples of God's Judgments on such as use them Pr. 1 d. The Tryal and Execution of Joan Perry her two Sons in Gloucestershire very strange and true Pr. 2 d. A Week's Preparation for a Worthy Communicant Quest 1. WHAT is the Communion Answ It is the second Sacrament of the New Testament wherein by the outward Receiving the Bread and Wine is signified the inward and spiritual Receiving of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ that is of all the Benefits of his Incarnation and Sufferings Q 2. Why do we Receive the Communion A. For four Reasons especially 1. Because Christ in the Institution of it did expresly command it Do this in remembrance of me Luk. 22.19 which is also repeated and enjoin'd by St. Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 11 from the 2â—d to the 29th verse 2. To testifie our unfeigned Love to GOD and Charity to all Men. 3. To shew our thankful Hearts for God's unspeakable Mercy in it Abraham reckoned himself unworthy to speak with God Moses thought himself unfit to be sent to Pharaoh And behold God himself entertains us as Guests at a Holy Feast of the richest and most costly Dainties provided by himself for us And what can be sufficient for sinful Creatures to return in Gratitude for such endearing Love and Condescension 4. Because of the great Advantage and Benefit we receive by taking of it worthily The Benefit we receive in this Sacrament does chiefly consist in these four Particulars 1. We are by this Sacrament united to Christ and made one with him for as the Bread and Wine becomes one with our Bodies so by this Sacrament we become one with Christ 2. To strengthen and encrease our Faith and Repentance for in this Sacrament we do as it were see Christ Crucified before our Eyes Gal. 3.1 When the Bread is Broken it puts me in mind how the Blessed Body of my Saviour was Torn and Wounded before Pontius Pilate upon the Cross and when the Wine is poured forth into the Cup it shews how the precious Blood of Jesus Christ was abundantly shed for our Sins And when the Minister reaches me the Bread and Wine it sheweth me his beloved Son is to be received and embraced by me and that through his Merits and Intercession we are reconciled unto him 3. By this Sacrament we become united to our Christian Brethren for it is a Feast of Love where we profess hearty Affection to all the People of God sincerely desiring and seeking the Welfare of his Church putting up our devoutest Prayers for our Fellow Christians and forgiving if we have ought against any of them as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us And 4. We hereby receive the Assurance of Pardon and Remission for all our past Transgressions and a Confirmation and Encrease of all Christian Graces for this Sacrament is a Seal of our Covenant with God assuring and sealing to us upon the Conditions of true and hearty Repentance c. the Pardon of all our Sins and a comfortable Assurance of Eternal Life and Salvation and it is an Instrument or Means whereby we receive Grace and Strength to serve God more freely and chearfully ever after In a word it gives us a Title and Interest to all the Blessings obtained by Christ Jesus The very Names given to the Sacrament in the New-Testament declare unto us the Nature of it and the Blessing we receive by it which are these six 1. It 's call'd the Communion or Communication of the Body and Blood of Christ that is as was said before of all the Benefits of his Life and Sufferings 1 Cor. 10.26 2. It is called The Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.20 as our Lord instituted it after he supt with his Disciples 3. It is call'd The Lord's Table on the same account 1 Cor. 10.21 4. It is call'd Breaking of Bread Acts 2.40 to denote Charity 5. It is call'd The Last Will of Christ or The New Testament Mat. 26.28 viz. wherein he bequeaths to us Life and Salvation 6. It is call'd The Cup of Blessing that is of Praise and Thanksgiving 1 Cor. 10.16 It is also call'd the Eucharist which signifies the same thing Q. 3. What is requir'd of a Christian that he may become a Worthy Communicant A. Three sorts of Duties 1. Somewhat to be done before we receive the Communion 2. Our Duties at Receiving And 3. Our Duties afterwards Q. 4. What is expected before we receive the Communion A. To examin and prepare ourselves beforehand this God hath commanded And we can't be assured that without such Examination we shall be welcome Guests at the Lord's Table See to this purpose 1 Cor. 11.28 29. For tho' a true Christian ought always to be fitted for the
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