not tie themselves to that practise particularly that of Troas where the Communion was celebrated every Lords Day only as St. Luke informs us Act. 20. 7. And upon the first day of the week when the Disciples came together to break Bread Paul preach'd unto them and this custom the Apostles seem to have establish'd in most Churches because it was follow'd almost in all places not only while they lived but after they had left the world and continued for several Centuries till Zeal and Fervor in the House of God decayed and because none of the Ancients hath so fully described this custom as Justin Martyr who lived in the second Century or 150 years after Christ it will not be amiss to set down his words which are On the day called Sunday all who are either in the City or Country come together in one place and the comentaries or Writings either of the Apostles or Prophets as time will permit are read to the Congregation The Reader having done the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 President or the Chief Minister of the Church makes an Oration in which he instructs the hearers and exhorts them to a sincere imitation of the excellent things that have been delivered to them Upon this we all rise and apply our selves to Prayer This done Bread and Wine and Water are brought forth and the President as far as he is able offers to Almighty God Prayers and Praises at which the People joyfully say Amen Whereupon distribution is made of the consecrated things to all that are present If any be absent the Deacons carry them to their Houses Those who are of the richer sort contribute Alms every one according to his ability and what is thus gathered is deposited in the President 's hand and out of that he re lieves Orphans and Widows and such as by reason of sickness or some other distresses have need of it such also as are in bonds and poor Strangers that come to him in a word he is a Steward to all that are in want And on Sunday particularly we meet thus because it is the first day in which God out of darkness and matter which he had created before framed this visible World and Jesus Christ our Redeemer rose that day from the Dead for the day before Saturday he was Crucified and after that which is Sunday he appear'd to his Disciples and bid them do what we have here related To this purpose speaks Tertullian who lived about Fifty years after him and of this Lords Day it 's probable Pliny the Heathen Governor spoke when giving Trajan the Emperor an account of the life and manners of the Christians he tells them that they used to meet Stato die on a set day In a word for Believers to receive the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day was counted in those Ages as necessary as publick Prayer and hearing the Word of God explained In Epiphanius's time it was customary in some places to receive the Holy Communion thrice a week and they looked upon that practise as derived from an Apostolical Tradition viz. Wednesdays Fridays and Sundays In some Churches as Socrates informs us they had a Sacrament constantly on the Sabbath-day or Saturday but that was much disliked by the Churches of Rome and Alexandria St. Basil makes mention of a Custom in his time which was to Communicate four times a week Wednesdays Fridays Saturdays and Sundays Afterwards some received the Holy Communion once in three weeks At last as all things in progress of time deviate from the first Institution the Christians came to Receiving of it thrice in a year which they thought was the least a Man who profess'd himself a Christian could do which occasioned that Canon in the Council of Turin that a Lay-man who did not Communicate thrice a year should be Excommunicated or which is the same not be counted a Christian from which Historical reflections it 's evident that in the purer Ages of the Church frequent Communion was counted a very necessary Duty II. What was necessary then cannot must not be counted needless now and the reasons that enforce the necessity of it at this Day are these following 1. It must be granted that this frequent Communicating is a very great preservative against Sin The Heathens talk'd much of their Amulets and preservatives against the Arts of Sorcerers and Magicians but this without any Superstition may more truly be called a preservative against the Witchcraft of Sin and offending God Nothing is more rational for in this Sacrament the demerit of Sin is represented in very sad Characters In the Wounded and Mangled Body of our Great Master in the Anguish His Soul was in upon the account of our Sins we behold what odious and monstrous things they are how abominable to God's purer Eyes how contrary to His Holiness and what a separation they make betwixt the Creator and the Creature how they move Him to forsake us to withdraw His Gracious Presence from us What fears what tremblings what shame what ignominy what sorrow and what grief they cause All this certainly is to be seen in the floods of Misery which fell upon our Mediator who undertook our Cause bore our Sins upon the Cross and was made Sin for us put his Shoulder under our Griefs and carried our Sorrows was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities And having taken that tremendous burden upon himself see how he was rejected despised forsaken trampled on what horror what fears what darkness fell upon Him which is an Item not only of what our Sins have deserved but of what we shall feel everlastingly if we embrace not this Mediator as our Sovereign Lord or are not resolved to tread in his steps for when he cry'd My God why hast thou forsaken me it was not for his own sake that he fell into this exclamation but for ours to shew that the Sinner who after this would not repent should be forsaken of God for ever And can I see in this great Example how God will deal with me if I neglect the calls of Grace and Mercy And can I be so brutish and hug those Sins which upon my account were so severely lashed in him that was my Surety who stept in and took the Blow that would have lighted upon me All the Goodness Holiness and Divinity that was in this Saviour of Mankind could not make the Sins he bore look lovely in the Eyes of God and though he was the Son of God yet our Sins being laid upon him as they were on the Sacrifice under the Law God's Justice and Purity would not dispense with looking upon them with a favourable Eye and though he was the dearly beloved of his Eternal Father yet God punished those Sins in him in a very terrible manner to let us know that if we accept not of the remedy Christ offers us do not make his Cross a motive to Conversion they shall be thus punished in our
with the multitude to the House of God with the voice of Joy and Praise O let me consider it is the All-seeing God in whose Presence I stand and that the Holy Angels are sent to observe my Devotion Give me sober Thoughts holy Affections devout postures steddiness of Mind ardent Desires modest Looks a grave Behaviour especially when I am going to contemplate the precious Sacrifice offered by the Son of God for the Sins of the World let all that is within me turn into holy breathings represent that comfortable Object in lively Characters to my Understanding that I may think nothing unworthy of my Saviour banish from me all undecent Thoughts or if thou dost not think fit to free me from Temptations encourage me however to resist them vigorously that I may discover my Zeal for thy Glory by my abhorrency of all Imaginations that exalt themselves against the Obedience of Christ Jesus Amen CHAP. IV. Of Eating the Lord's Supper The Nature of it and how it is to be Eaten The CONTENTS A great difference betwixt coming to the Lord's Supper and Eating the Lord's Supper Several Reasons why Men come though they do not Eat as they ought to do What Eating the Lord's Supper is viz. To Eat it with a relish of the Benefits of Christ's Death with longings to be conformable to Christ in his Graces and to Eat it with unfeigned Resolutions to resist Temptations Much depends upon the manner of any Religious Performance Conversation with God with our selves and with the Holy Angels a great means to Eat as we ought to Eat The Prayer I. THat there are many who come to the Lord's Supper and yet Eat not the Lord's Supper as they ought to do is evident from Experience and will appear more fully in the sequel of this Discourse when we shall tell you what it is to Eat and Drink unworthily When some of the looser sort of the Corinthian Christians 1 Cor. 11. 20. came drunk to this Sacrament it 's certain they only eat the Bread of the Lord but not the Bread the Lord as the Fathers speak and if Simon Magus Acts 8. 13. came to this Feast as I am apt to believe he did for in those days they that were baptized were soon after admitted to the Lord's Supper as appears from Act. 2. 41 42. this must necessarily have been his case and who can doubt of this Truth that in the Age we live in sees so many come to this Royal Supper and go away unreformed untouch'd and unconcerned than which there cannot be a greater sign that they do not eat the Supper of the Lord though they approach and feed upon the External Elements And Men may very easily know it by such Marks as these 1. If they come without any sense of the designs Christ had in Instituting this Sacrament one of which certainly was to engage us to the generous contempt of the World in imitation of him who for the Glory set before him not only undervalued the Pomp and Grandeur of the World but endured the Cross and despised the shame as we are told Heb. 12. 2. And when we see Men and women approach the Table of the Lord with all the Gaudes and Gayeties their vain desires prompt them to like Ranters rather than Penitents more like soft Sybarites than frighted Disciples dressed to allure Mens eyes more than to invite the Crucified Jesus into their Souls like players rather than like Christians And when we see how the very next day after this Feast if they stay so long they quarrel fight contend and fall out about the trifles of the World run to Theatres and Play-houses and with as great greediness as ever pursue the Riches and Glories and Fashions of the World how can we imagine that such Persons came with the sense of the aforementioned design of Christ in instituting this Sacred Feast 2. If they come without any sense of the love of God of which there is so curious a Picture drawn in this Sacrament as is enough to make even the most hard hearted Heathen weep And what sense of this Love can we suppose to have been in Men when after their Receiving they do not so much as look into a Bible to see what Precepts and Commands of Christ they mean for the future to be more observant of Is it possible such Men had sense of the Love of God upon their Spirits that day they receiv'd the Holy Elements when the next day they offend him as boldly as ever and hug the same sins they entertained several years before and are now as little concerned to please God as they were some Months ago and consequently such Persons come to the Lord's Supper yet do not eat as they ought to do for none eat it truly but such as eat with this sense and where this sense is it will make the Soul cautious of offending God II. Yet such Guests are very common at this Table which would make a wise Man wonder why they will come at all when their coming signifies so little and as will appear afterward doth them more harm than good Yet the Reasons may easily be guess'd at For 1. Conviction brings them to it They are convinced that coming is a commanded Duty not a thing indifferent and that they may not seem dispisers and contemners of so great a Law they come though they put strange Fire in their Censers Conviction hath great power even upon unregenerate Men It made Felix tremble Acts 24 25. and Judas throw down the Thirty Pieces of Silver the reward of his Treason in the Temple Matth. 27. 4. and Simon embrace Christian Baptism Act. 8. 13. And where a Man is teazed and haunted by his Conscience he 'll do something to stop his mouth and though he doth it but slovenly yet he 'll bribe Conscience with this trifle as we do Children that cry for a Jewel with a Rattle and in this manner Conviction Works upon some Men and Women and that force puts several upon coming to the Lord's Table 2. Their Office and Employment obliges them to receive and that makes not a few appear at this Table The Law of the Land excluding Men from publick Offices and Charges that receive not the Communion we may very justly believe that abundance come to satisfie the Statute more than their Conscience and fear of losing or missing of the Office they are ambitious of hath a stronger influence upon them than the fear of losing God's Favour not but that a man may Eat the Lord's Supper to his great comfort and edification because an Act of Parliament commands it at his entrance upon an Office for a man who fears God may make use of any occasion to receive and consequently may make his present Office an opportunity of coming to the Sacrament But I speak my just fears that many receive on this account whom neither Love to God nor to their own Souls could have obliged to come had it
know to be against the common Principles riveted in our Souls he that feels them hath reason to believe that he consents not to them though for the present they stun him However when he recovers out of his present Fright and Consternation if deliberately he rejects them 't is enough And though they should follow him Twenty Years together yet if he resist and detest them Twenty Years together they cannot make him an unworthy Communicant 4. Impossibility of forgetting an Injury doth not make a Man an unworthy Receiver By not being able to forget an Injury I mean not being able so to put the Matter of Fact out of our Minds that we shall never think of it or remember that such an Injury was done unto us 'T is true the uncharitable Man as he is a Stranger to Christ's Religion so it cannot be supposed that he will meet with any kind Entertainment at the Lord's Table And whoever would not go away empty from this Ordinance must from his Heart forgive the Offender who hath either wronged or disparaged him or wounded his good Name Nay so far he must forget the Injury too as not to exercise Revenge when it lies in his power nor must he remember it with Wrath and Passion or ill Language or with an Intent or Resolution to withdraw from him the charitable Offices of Humanity or with renewing his Grudge and Hatred to him or with making the Remembrance an Argument and Motive to desist from the Good he intended him for he must not forget to do good to Enemies and such as have despitefully used him And though no Person is by the Law of the Gospel obliged to make a Person who hath been notoriously â—alse and treacherous to him his Bosom-friend and Familiar or to trust him again without Fear or Suspicion except he sees and is sensible of the Offender's sincere Repentance yet still the Injury must be so far forgotten as not to deny or refuse to help the Offender in things we can conveniently and easily serve him in But to think sometimes of the Injury done to us with Pity and Compassion to the Offender or not to be able so to extinguish the Thoughts of it that it shall not so much as beat upon our Minds again This I say doth not make a Person an unworthy Receiver 1. Because God doth not intend the Destruction of our Faculties whereof Memory is one Never to remember an Injury or not to be able so much as barely to think of it supposes Destruction of our Memory All that God intends in our Reformation is the Destruction of our evil Qualities and the Irregularities of our Faculties His Design is not to annihilate our Minds but the evil Thoughts that are apt to take up their Lodging there not to abolish our Wills but the Perverseness and Stubbornness that cleaves to them and consequently not to destroy our Memories but the Revenge and Hatred and Malice and secret Grudges which are apt to harbour there Even then when God presses upon us the Destruction of the Body of Sin it is not that we are to kill our Natural Bodies but the Mass of Corruption that lies in them And though Christ bids us cut off our Right Hand yet he means no more than that the Sins should be resected which cleave to it And that is the the meaning too of pulling out the Eye i. e. the evil Looks and unchaste Desires and foolish Concupiscences which are apt to incorporate with that Organ So that he who can so far rase an Injury out of his Memory as to destroy his own ill-Will his ill Designs his evil Inclinations to the Offender which are written there his not being able totally to obliterate that such a thing was ever done to him need not make him afraid that he shall be an unworthy Receiver in this Ordinance 2. This Sacrament will help us totally to forget the Injury or if not totally to forget it yet totally to forget requiting the Offender according to his Demerits and so to forget it that the Remembrance shall cause no Commotion no Disorder no Tumults no Risings in our Minds For here we are told and here we are made to see how God that hath far greater reason to stand upon Points of Honour than any Mortal Man freely and graciously forgives and forgets our Sins and Offences against him in the Blood of his Son blots them out like a thick Cloud and notwithstanding all the Wrong we have offer'd to him is willing to pass by the foulest Trespasses willing to open his Gates to us though we have lock'd our selves out willing to vouchsafe us his Smiles again though we have forfeited the Light of his Favour and willing to adopt us for his Children though we have lived like Prodigals which must needs be a great help to make us forget the Wrongs we have suffer'd from unreasonable Men And therefore he that is not able totally to forget ought to come that by this great Example of God's forgetting his Offences he may be persuaded totally to forget his Neighbour's Trespasses 5. Worldly Business either a Day or Week before a Man receives doth not make him as unworthy Receiver By Worldly Business I mean lawful Business not Playing or Drinking or going to Stage Plays or mis-spending our Time c. but such Business as appertains to an honest and lawful Calling or Business considered abstractedly from the evil Concomitants of it For lawful Business is one thing and the way of managing of it is another A Man may manage even his lawful Business sinfully and run himself into Danger but following it without Sin as it may happen that the Day or Week before he may have greater Occasions than ordinary to look after it as this need not hinder him from an holy Life so neither can it be a just Impediment to his Receiving worthily 1. Because it is our Duty to mind it on such Days of the Week as God hath permitted us to work in which makes the Apostle enjoyn us to do our own Business and work with our Hands without making any distinction in Days 1 Thes. 4. 11. 'T is true where publick Authority either Civil or Ecclesiastical appoints a Day in the Week to be kept holy or a Festival or a Fast or where a Person by a Vow hath consecrated a certain Day in the Week to spend it entirely in religious Duties there Working ought to be forborn for Magistrates ought to be obeyed and a Vow doth bind the Soul But set aside these Cases the Command to work extends to all Days except the Lord's Day and therefore he that is to receive the holy Sacrament on the Lord's Day is not necessarily obliged to abstain from minding his lawful Business the Day before 2. Lawful Business doth not need not hinder a Man from preserving holy Thoughts holy Desires and holy Affections if his Soul were acquainted with any before A good Man in the midst of his lawful Business
molested them and stung them into strange and painful Distempers and most of them perish'd miserably And as it is with other Sacred Things so it is more particularly with the most Sacred Thing of all the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Bishop Morton upon this account tells us of one Booth in his time a Scholar in Cambridge who being Popishly inclin'd yet loth to own it would still receive the Sacrament in our Church and coming one day to the Lord's Table he seem'd to to take the Holy Bread with his Hands and put it in his Mouth but by an easie craft he thrust it into his Pocket and when the Devotion of the Chapel was ended he took the Bread he had hid and threw it over the Colledge Wall But see the pursuing Judgment of God soon after he threw himself over the Battlements of the Chapel broke his Neck and so ended his life St. Cyprian one of the greatest and most eminent Men in the Primitive Church relates that a Girl left by her Parents in time of Persecution to shift for her self and taken up by her Nurse was by that Nurse being timorous and loth to lose her own and the Child's lâ—fe for being Christians carried to the Heathen Magistrate and there made to Eat and Drink of the Bread and Wine offered to Idols and the Heathen Deities This Child afterward her Mother returning was by her conducted to Church and came to the Holy Eucharist with the rest of the Congregation for in those days they gave the Eucharist to Children as well as to adult Persons where St. Cyprian himself was then officiating The Deacon as his custom was carrying the Holy Wine about and coming to the Child offers her the Cup but finds a strange aversion in her to touch it with her Lips for through a Divine Instinct teaching her that the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils were inconsistent and incompatible she turn'd her Head away shut up her Mouth press'd her Lips together and refus'd it with obstinacy The Deacon however how prudent he was in doing so I shall not dispute using some force upon her poured some drops of the Eucharistical Wine into her Mouth which she had no sooner receiv'd but she fell a vomiting groan'd and sigh'd and as the Father expresses it The Drink sanctified in Christ's Blood broke forth from her polluted entrails And to this purpose he hath another passage of a Woman that kept the Bread of the Eucharist irreverently in a Chest. and when one day she went rudely to open the Chest a Fire flashing out of the Chest did fright her so that she durst not come near it any more All which Examples make it evident that he that Eats and Drinks unworthily Eats and Drinks or may Eat and Drink some extraordinary Temporal Judgment to himself III. It must be confess'd that the expression of Eating and Drinking Judgment is not very smooth and proper yet there is great Truth in the Metaphor and how the unworthy Receiver Eats and Drinks Judgment to himself will appear from the following particulars 1. By eating and drinking unworthily he prepares for some extraordinary Judgment which Judgment he takes and grasps and attracts and pulls to himself as Men do Bread and Wine or Beer when they are going to eat and drink The Apostle Rom. 9. 22. speaks of Vessels fitted for Destruction they fitted themselves for it by their Sins as a Thief by stealing and robbing upon the High-way fits himself for the Gallows or as an idle lazy Servant that neglects his Master's Business fits himself for his Master's Anger So the unworthy Receiver by eating and drinking irreverently and without regard to the Obligations the Sight of Christ's Love and Death lays upon him fits himself for Judgment makes himself ripe for God's Vengeance lays the Wood together and erects the Pile gathers Materials and combustible Stuff for the Fire that will certainly burn him and though he doth not do it designedly and the Judgment comes contrary to his Intention yet as long as he doth that to which such Judgments are annexed he fits himself for Judgment as much as he that will touch Vipers and handle Adders or let a Snake creep about in his Bosom though he may intend no harm by it yet actually prepares and fits himself for Mischief Eating and Drinking imports some Desire after and Delight in the Victuals before us So he that by unworthy Receiving prepares for Judgments seems to delight in Judgment threatned him because he will needs do that which will certainly end in some Judgment or other 2. The unworthy Receiver eats and drinks Judgment to himself by incorporating the Guilt of some extraordinary Judgment with his Soul Eating and Drinking unworthily at the same time he brings Guilt upon his Soul and appropriates the deserved Judgment to himself and as the Sin sticks to him so the Demerits of the Judgment which is threatned to the Sin sticks to him too He eats and drinks unworthily and the Effect it hath upon him is God's Indignation which he swallows with the Food unworthily taken God's Wrath goes along with his Sin and as he takes the one so he doth the other into his Bowels As Poyson and Death go together so unworthy Feeding at the Lord's Table and God's Anger go together and they both mingle with the Spirits of the unworthy Receiver as the Fish at the same time that he swallows the Bait swallows the Hook too and he hath that fastned in him which will be his Death So that Job's Expression is very suitable to the Subject in hand Job 20. 23. When he is about to fill his Belly God shall cast the Fury of his Wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is eating To this purpose David saith of the Israelites in the Wilderness murmuring and speaking against God While their Meat was yet in their Mouths the Wrath of God came upon them So it may be said of an unworthy Communicant While he is feeding at the Table of the Lord the Wrath of God breaks forth against him becomes due to him and is his Portion falls to his Lot and he gets a Title to it We read of Henry VII Emperor of the Romans that he was poyson'd in eating of the Sacramental Bread given him by a Monk This they say was the Fate of Pope Victor II. who died of poyson'd Wine presented to him in the Eucharistical Chalice by his Sub-Deacon And the same is reported of an Archbishop of York that he fell down dead and swelled upon receiving the Sacramental Cup given him by a Priest that bore some Spleen and Malice to him These Men did without a Metaphor eat and drink their Death And though he that eats and drinks unworthily doth not just in the same manner eat and drink Judgment to himself yet the Fate that attends him doth very much resemble the Misfortunes of the other only here is the difference that
been guilty of before that Age were committed out of Ignorance so the Examination is more easily performed and as their Age and Religion advances so they will know more Their early Self-Examination makes way for early Gravity and helps to ripen their Understandings and is the only Way to prevent their falling into the Vices of the Age and if any thing next to the Grace of God can be a Charm against Infection from a debauch'd and irreligious World this is most likely to be it I mean this Self-Examination joyned with the holy Sacrament for which it is intended as a proper Preparative III. It is not enough that another Person hath examined us or doth examine us but we our selves must take pains in it Ministers and Parents and Friends by examining of us may be able to give us very good Directions and excellent Instructions how we are to order our Conversation but to all this must be added our own Labour and Diligence to see whether we observe those Directions whether they are acceptable to us how we relish them and whether we intend to act accordingly Up then Christian and try thy Ways Be not afraid of Labour Labour and Food saith Philo have the same Vertue for as upon Food a Man's whole Life depends so upon Labour also depends all that a Man can call good Therefore as they that will prolong Life do not neglect their Food so he that desires any real or solid Good must not be afraid of Labour As Meat is very troublesome and burthensome to a weak Stomach that hath but little Natural Heat so to him that hath but little Love to Christ this Labour of Self-Examination will be burthensome But Christian as thou hast the greatest reason to love the Lord Jesus so if thou lovest him to any purpose both this and other Labours will appear very easie for Love will make them so See therefore and enquire how Concerns stand betwixt God and thine own Soul Shall thy Reason lie useless Shall that excellent Faculty be employed in searching into the Accounts of thy Shop and not into the State of thy better Part Is it not worth knowing whether thou art of God or a Child of the Devil And whether thou hadst rather grovel in the Dust like a Muck-worm or elevate thy thy Soul and fix it upon Objects which Angels desire to pry into Hath God given thee Power to examine thy self and wilt thou neglect that Power Though thou canst not Read nor Write yet thou canst think and think whether thy Life be according to the Holy Rules which are observed by other conscientious Christians Through this examination thou mayst come to see what God hath done for thy Soul and if he hath planted there an abhorrency of that which is evil and a strong affection to that which is good how joyfully mayst thou come to this Holy Table and expect that God will pour Water upon him that is Thirsty and Floods upon the dry Ground and that thou shalt spring up as among the Grass and as the Willows by the Water-courses Isai. 44. 3. 3. He that comes to be acquainted with himself at the same time comes to be acquainted with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. This is true Policy and as he is the greatest Politician in Temporals that sees afar off and considers the events of things and upon what causes they depend and gives counsel accordingly so he is the greast Politician in Spirituals that studies himself acquaints himself with his own heart for such a person looks further than his present profit and sensible how this self-acquaintance will be valued one day counsels himself to be expert in that Wisdom For it is certain that in the last day not the great Scholarship of Men not their improving of Arts and Sciences not their skill in various Languages not their Ability to Discourse well not their volubility of Tongue not their Rhetorical and Eloquent Speaking not their profound Philosophy nor their Diving into the secrets of Nature will be much admired These things did well for this World and might be serviceable to various Sorts and Degrees of Men But if Persons with all these Accomplishments about them overlook'd their own Hearts cherished Weeds and Vices there and would take no notice of them their Parts and Learning will not stand them in great stead in that Day of Retribution The poor Christian that ransack'd his Soul often turned over the Leaves of his Conscience that spiritual Book on purpose to see his own Spots and Stains and wash himself clean out of an holy Emulation of the Purity of the Lord Jesus he will be counted at last the most prudent Man that had the quickest Eye and a Sight sharper than an Eagle for as this gives him a Title to all that Christ hath purchased and the rich Blessings laid up for him in this holy Sacrament so in the last Day it gives him full Possession of all the Trophies of Christ's Victory The PRAYER O God! Thou seest the secret Recesses of my Soul Though I may hide my self from my self yet I cannot hide my self from thee whose Sight is not darkned by the Night nor stopped by an Object intervening nor hindred by Walls of Brass nor weaken'd with the greatness of the Distance O Lord Thou hast commanded me to examine my self and to search into the Sins and Errours of my Life What Foes I have and how many there be that rise against me that would swallow up my Soul and devour it that I may secure my self against their Rage by taking Sanctuary at the Death of my ever blessed Redeemer the Lord Jesus O Lord I am very apt to do thy Work negligently I am apt to do it by halves and superficially and without any regard to its weight and moment Thou that knowest my Dulness my Backwardness and my Hypocrisie deliver me I beseech thee from my self and make me Partaker of that Light whereby thou meanest to discover the Sins of Men in the last Day when they come to appear before thy Tribunal By that Light they will see every Deformity every Enormity every Exorbitance of their Outward and Inward Man That will discover to them what they have long ago forgotten and manifest to them what for many Years they have not thought of That will shew them every Errour of their Lives to their Confusion and Amazement That will make them see their Faults so evidently and so distinctly that they will not be able to deny them but be forced to render themselves Prisoners to thy Justice That will undeceive them in their fond Opinions of their Sins and pull away the Varnish they have put upon them and make them appear in their native Hue and Blackness Oh vouchsafe me that Light in some measure now that I may not deceive mine own Soul Make me Partaker withal of the Zeal of thy Justice and of that Hatred thou bearest against Sin that I may hate my Sins as
of it and in so doing have higher thoughts and reflect upon all the instances of his Love to their Immortal Souls and teach their Successors to do so too This Jesus who by wicked hands was Crucified and whom God hath made both Lord and Christ was the Master and Author of this Feast and from him it justly derives its Name 2. Because the end of this Eating and Drinking is to Commemorate the Death of the Lord Jesus As the end of the Passover under the Law was to remember the great Deliverance from the Egyptian Bondage and that of the Feast of Tabernacles their being guided through the Wilderness by a Cloud and their Ancestors dwelin Booths and Tents As the Feast of Trumpets was instituted either by way of Anticipation that they might remember afterwards how the Walls of Jericho fell or to refresh their Minds with Isaac's Sacrifice an Emblem of the Messiah's Death and the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost was ordained as a Testimony of their Gratitude for a Plentiful Harvest and to put them in mind of the Liberty they gain'd when God gave them the Law and entred into a Covenant with them and that of Purim to bring into their Memories how they were rescued from the cruelty of Haman the Amalekite and that of the Dedication to suggest to them the Rebuilding of the Temple So the Lord Jesus enjoyn'd and recommended the keeping of this Feast to his Followers that they might remember how their Master loved them and made his Death a demonstration of Love how he died to make them happy and denied himself in all the Contents of Life to make theirs blessed and glorious for ever how he submitted to the Power of the Grave to purchase their comfortable Resurrection and fell a Sacrifice that they might have hopes of Pardon through his Blood a Remembrance so just that if this Charity deserves not frequent Commemoration no Mercy no Benefit no Favour no Providence can deserve it for this goes beyond all that the Word of God calls glorious and beneficial to Mankind 3. It s the Lord's Supper because the Lord Jesus is Meat and Drink in this Feast Meat indeed and Drink indeed as the expression is John 6. 11. for though that Chapter speaks not directly of this Supper yet the Phrases and modes of speech used there may very piously be applied to what is represented by the Elements in this Feast for the Benefits Advantages and Emoluments of Christs Death are Food so proper to a Religious Soul and a gracious Mind feeds so savourly upon these that nothing deserves the name of Spiritual Meat and Drink so much as these and indeed these nourish and feed the Soul make her strong and lively these are her Cordials and Restoratives and in the nature of David's Oyl Psal. 104. 15. which make her Face to shine 4. It 's the Lords Supper because the nourishment and strength it affords or yields is by the influence of the Lord Jesus He sends his Spirit into the Soul that comes to his Feast hungry and thirsty and longing after the Riches of Gods Love whereby the Soul is inflamed to love him who bought her at this dear rate and that love produces Peaceableness and Gentleness and Faith and Purity and Sincerity and Delight in good Works which are excellent signs of the Souls growing strong in the use of the Spiritual Food The Holy Spirit of Christ destroys the reigning Power of Sin in her and the government of the Flesh for the leaner this grows and the more the authority of it is diminished the better the Soul thrives and the more vigorous and active it becomes in all its faculties III. Though to call this Feast The Lord's Supper when it is in most Churches Celebrated in the Morning seems to be improper yet the reason why it still bears the name is Because the same substantial Actions are still observed in the Celebration of it that were used by Christ and his Disciples at his first institution in the night and not only the same Actions but the same end and design is kept on foot which we find in its first foundation and whenever it is celebrated it 's still in imitation of that Supper and that Supper is still remembred in it The reason why Christ in instituting of it made use of the night which gave it the name of a Supper was because it was to be succedaneous to the Passover which according to custom was eaten at night as the Deliverance which the Jews remembred then was performed by the Angel at night and as the Passover represented the Old Covenant or Testament and this Feast the New so it was fit that the later should be instituted immediately after the Celebration of the former that both being set together their different signification might more plainly appear and Men might see what Mercies they might expect from the bringing in of a better Covenant This being the occasion of Christ Celebrating this Feast at night and consequently the reason ceasing with the Typical Passover the Christian Churches in process of time took the liberty of Celebrating it at all seasons as they saw it either necessary or expedient And though what I have said about the Passover is the Principal reason why Christ made choice of the night for this Institution yet for ought we know it might be with an intent also to hint to us how by this Sacrament the night of Ignorance which sat heavy on the minds of most Men would be dispell'd that by night is sometimes understood the night of Ignorance in Scripture is evident from Matth. 4. 16. Es. 9. 1 2. Rom. 13. 12. and that by the devout and religious use of this Sacrament our Ignorance is in a great measure cured experience is a sufficient testimony Hereby certainly our minds are signally enlightned and we behold the Wisdom Love and Goodness of God discover the methods and ways of Salvation get clear Apprehensions of the Mysteries of our Faith and see how inconsistent the Works of Darkness are with this solemn remembrance of the Death of Christ hereby we come to feel the Power of God toward them that Believe and find out the Secret of the Union that is betwixt Christ and his true Followers and learn to know that what is said in the Word of God concerning the tender regard of Christ to his Church and Friends is no Fable Add to all this that Christ made choice of the night possibly to put us in mind of his sudden coming to Judgment which is frequently expressed in Scripture by his coming in the night Mark 13. 35 36. Luke 12. 38 39. 1 Thessal 5 2. Rev. 3. 3. nor is this an unsuitable Reflection in this Sacrament to contemplate his coming to judge the World for though that coming may strike terror into Men that put the evil day far from them and prepare not for their Lord 's coming yet to a Soul enlightned and Sanctified it cannot but
despised by thee than to be made the filth and off-scouring of all things Give me a just esteem of thy favour let me prefer it before all the Contents of this present World Let me feel that thy loving kindness is better than life this life will sade away but thy Mercy endureth for ever Let Goodness and Mercy follow me all the days of my life and make me dwell in thy House for ever Amen CHAP. II. Of the Mystery of Christ's Instituting this Sacrament in that very Night in which he was betray'd The CONTENTS The Treachery of Judas His Character and how That is imitated by Nominal Christians at this day Christ betray'd to wicked Men and to Devils betray'd partly for filthy Lucre partly for his unchangeable integrity The same is still done by Hypocrites in Religion This Sacrament instituted that very Night when he was betrayed for three Reasons The different appearances of Sin when Surveyed slightly and when considered in its designs and Tendencies While we detest the Treason of Judas we are to take heed we do not become guilty of the same Crime The Prayer 1. THough in the first Chapter I have already hinted the reason why Christ made use of the Night to institute this Holy Sacrament yet the Evangelists laying an Emphasis or weight upon his instituting of it that night in which he was betray'd it 's fit we should search into the Mystery of it But before we can do this some Circumstances of that Treason must be considered which will give light to Christ's design in pitching upon that time and no other The Person that did venture on this height of Impiety was Judas Iscariot a a Man who by this Treason hath indeed left an Everlasting Name behind him but such an one as all Ages must detest and talk of with greater Indignation than the Heathens did of Herostratus who to make himself illustrious by doing mischief burnt the famous Temple of Diana By this Man the Ever-blessed JESUS was betrayed and if you will allow me to give a true Character of him some of us in this Glass may see their own treachery and deformity 1. He was betray'd by one who made profession of Religion but was a Hypocrite i.e. his Actions contradicted his Profession professing one thing he did another and seeming to be good he proved a Devil Hypocrisie at this day makes Men Traitors to Christ even their coming to the Temple of the Lord and adhering to their known Sins their frequenting the Ordinances of God and being unconcerned at his Promises and Threatnings their believing the Articles of Religion and acting contrary to the design of them their sinding fault with those sins in others which they have no aversion from in themselve their speaking honourably of God with their Lips and dispensing with affronts put upon him in their practices and what can we call this but Judas-like to betray the Son of Man with a Kiss to say Hail-Master and deliver him to be Crucified to cry Hosanna and by and by Away with him at once to embrace and to decide him to hug and to contemn him to how the knee to him and mock him and in imitation to the rude Soldiery to cloath him with Purple and to strike and buffet him 2. He was betray'd by one who by no argument of love or mercy could be wrought into a sincere reformation He had seen the Miracles of his Master himself by his Masters influence did wonders and he saw Divinity shine in him nor was Christ wanting in warning Teaching Instructing Entreating and admonishing of him yet nothing could prevail with him to purge out the Leven of Malice and wickedness and is not Christ betray'd this way by thousands at this day He that despises you saith he to his Servants and Instruments despises me and then if his calling to Men by his Ministers by signal providences by Mercies by Afflictions by their Consciences by their Infirmities and Sicknesses Weaknesses and approaching Death will not make them sensible of their Duty if in despite of his endeavours to keep them from being undone they scorne both his Yoak and his Love what greater treason can they be guilty of especially where they make his mercy a shelter for their sin are therefore evil because he is good and are tempted by his Patience to be refractory and obstinate II. He was betray'd both to wicked Men and Devils 1. To Wicked Men such as the Scribes and Elders of the Jews his sworn Enemies and this way he is still betray'd for though there be no Scribes no Pharises at this day yet there are Atheistical and sensual Men who seeing Christ's Religion made a Clock for ill Designs and bad Practices take occasion from thence to speak evil of it as David having professed much zeal to God and falling afterwards into very monstrous sins made the Enemies of the Lord Blaspheme and laugh at the advantages the Jews boasted of above the Doctrines and Principles of their Neighbour-Idolaters Indeed to see Men wicked and vain under a shew of Piety and while they profess to be followers of Jesus live directly contrary to the example and precepts of the Holy Jesus makes that pretended Devotion ridiculous and instead of converting Men of loose Principles drives them farther off and tempts them to think all Religion to be nothing but a Cheat And though this Inference is unjust and absurd yet still these dangerous Inferences will be laid at their door who either contradicted the Principles of their Religion by their actions or made it a Stalking horse to ill Designs and Purposes 2. He was betray'd to Devils too who seeing him in the hands of bloody and barbarous Men left and forsaken as it were by Heaven and that Divinity which dwelt there took the greater boldness to set upon him by temptations and as these foes watch opportunities and then molest most when Men are least able to controul their insolence so seeing the Saviour of the World thus seemingly forsaken we may suppose they assaulted him with greater fierceness partly because his design had been to destroy their Kingdom and partly because he had so often dispossessed them of their Habitations It is therefore the Opinion of the Learned Men that in the Garden of Gethsemane when Christ fell into trembling fits the Devil appeared to him in a visible and most dismal shape which occasions an Angels descent from above to comfort him but whether it were so or no the Fiend seeing him betray'd and deliver'd into the hands of his own slaves without all peradventure triumph'd in his misery and insulted over him with greater scorn and in imitation of David's Enemies cry'd Aha So would he have it so doth the Hypocrite betray Christ to the Devil who hearing the painted Christian talk of Mortification and contempt of the World the two fundamental points of his Masters Religion and seeing him act point blank against them doth not only deride and despise Religion but casts
of the Wheat Psal. 147. 14 so it s like they would not in their Passover in the Bread they used omit the commemoration of that Mercy and the same Bread which Christ made use of in the Passover we must suppose he made use of in the institution of this Sacrament This will give us occasion to enquire whether any other thing Men make use of instead of Corn-Bread may be used in this Holy Sacrament for it 's certain that in some Countries they have no Corn and divers Authors tells us how much the Bread differs in the several parts of the habitable World according to the nature of the Soil and temper of the Inhabitants The Egyptians heretofore made Bread of Millet and Milk and Water and in some part of the West-Indies at this day they make Bread of the roots of certain Trees which they dry and powder and then make up into Paste or Bread and so they do in divers parts of Africa And as it may be the lots of many Christians to be cast upon such places so the question may justly be ask'd Whether in the administration of the Lord's Supper being destitute of Bread made of Corn they may with a safe Conscience make use of any other And most Divines answer in the affirmative For tho' the Canonists among the Papists will allow nothing to be Bread but what is made of Corn yet whatever it is that nourishes like Bread made of Corn is Bread to them who are so nourish'd by it And since the reason of Christ's making use of Bread in this Sacrament was to represent the Spiritual nourishment of our Souls by application of the benefits of his death or as we commonly speak by his Body and Blood Why should not any Nation or People make use of that in the Sacrament to represent this Spiritual nourishment which serves them instead of Bread and gives the same nourishment to their Bodies that ordinary Bread doth especially where Bread of Wheat or Rye or Barley is not to be had Yet this is not to be applied to other Fruits of the Earth such as Pears and Apples and Figs and Melons c. as if they in case of necessity might be made use of instead of Bread for though they nourish too yet no Nation makes use of them as their Bread And since Bread is not only used by Christ but by all the Christian Churches in all Ages something that hath the nature and the name of Bread must still be used in this Holy Sacrament and all care imaginable taken that by making use of something else Men run not into Profanation of this Ordinance 3. As it was unleaven'd and wheaten Bread Christ made use of in the Institution of this Holy Sacrament so it was also substantial Bread not a Wafer as is now used in the Church of Rome That Christ used substantial Bread no Man ever doubted that understood what Bread the Jews made use of in the Celebration of the Passover and for a thousand years after Christ the Church was wholly ignorant of Wafers It 's granted that the Sacramental Bread was antiently called Host from the Latin Hostia a Sacrifice because the Bread represents the Body of Christ which was offered in Sacrifice for the sins of the World which name of Host the Church of Rome still applies at this day to their Wafers in the Mass but then it was substantial Bread or a whole Loaf they called by that name How these Wafers first came in is explain'd by Honorius Augustodunensis The report goes saith he that it was usual in former times for the Ministers of the Church when the Sacrament of the Altar was to be Celebrated to fetch a quantity of Meal or Flower from every House or Family in the place they lived in which Custom is yet observ'd among the Greeks and of that to make the Bread which was to be used at the Lord's Table and distributed among the Communicants But after the Church increased in number but decreas'd in Holiness it was order'd for the sake of carnal Men that those that could should communicate either every Lords Day or every Third Lord's Day or on the Festivals of the Year But the People not coming and there being no need of so great a Loaf as formerly it was thought good to use Wafers in the form of a larger Penny and that they might not want a Mystery for these new doings the People desired instead of Flower to offer every Man a Penny that thereby they might acknowledge how their Lord and Master was betraid for Thirty pieces of Silver So far he And it 's probable that from hence came the Easter-Offerings which as yet are usual in most Churches of the Nation And since these Wafers are the effects of so great no abuse which the wickedness of the times brought into the Church it can be no great encouragement for those that would preserve the solemnity of this Mystery to keep them up or plead in vindication of them It 's true the Wafers they use this day in the Church of Rome are made of Flower and Water But 1. There is not that quantity of Flower and Water in them as is required in substantial Bread Neither 2. Are they wrought or baked as common substantial Bread is Neither 3. When they are made are they design'd for any thing but to seal Letters withal I mean in the ordinary use of them before the Priest doth lay them upon the Altar which shews that they are not intended for nourishing Bread nor have they the right taste or smell or strength of Bread neither are they commonly sold for Bread nor doth any Man make use of them for his daily Bread thereby to strengthen his Body So that they do not answer Chrst's design and the Analogy that ought to be betwixt the thing signifying and that which is signified i. e. They being no substantial Bread cannot exactly represent the substantial Nourishment of the Soul and therefore have been most justly rejected by most Churches but by that which hath made bold with God himself with Scripture and the express Laws of our Saviour and substituted their own Inventions and Traditions IV. Why Christ made use of Bread in this Holy Sacrament is next to be consider'd Besides the general Reason I have already mentioned viz. To represent the Nourishment he intends our Souls by his Death and Crucifixion if we lay hold of it by an active and fruitful Faith there may these following Reasons be also given for it 1. To put us in mind that he was the Person prefigured by the Bread variously prepared and ordered under the Law and in the Temple and in the Rituals of the Jews The Shew-bread was to be before the Lord continually Exod. 25. 30. In the Original it 's called The Bread of Faces The Mystery of it was to shew that Christ was to be the great Mediator who should be always in the Presence of God behold his
Sacrament which is to consecrate our selves to God in Christ Jesus and that is not to be done without a very serious Use of this Ordinance in which we acknowledge with the deepest Humility that our Souls and Bodies and all the Gifts and Graces we have are the Effects of his Bounty and declare our unfeigned Purposes to speak and act and think as he would have us and dedicate our selves to his Service professing that we will use the Blessings he hath given us to his Glory and the Good of his People will resign our selves to his Providence and be content with the Lot and Portion he shall think fit to assign us and be thankful for Afflictions too as well as for Prosperity they being both his Gifts and Blessings and say and confess under the various Dispensations we shall meet withal Lord not as I will but as thou wilt And who can forget himself so much as to think that all this may be done without a serious Behaviour IV. The Church of Rome at this Day makes strange Work with Consecration of the Elements in the Supper of the Lord. And though they are told by one of their own Popes Gregory the Great that the Apostles consecrated only with saying the Lord's Prayer yet they boldly according to their Custom place Consecration in the Priests muttering these Words Hoc est Corpus meum hic est Sanguis meus This is my Body This is my Blood over the Bread and Wine Which Words partly by their own secret Virtue and partly by virtue of the Priest's Office immediately upon their being secretly pronounced change the Bread and Wine into the substantial Body and Blood of Christ whereof we shall have Occasion to speak more largely in the Sequel And this is their Consecration contrary to the Sense of the Primitive Church which was of Opinion that Consecration was performed by Prayer and Praises And though some think that Christ used a peculiar Form of Consecration which is either lost or the Church did not think necessary to preserve yet that Fancy is altogether needless since we are told by the inspired Writers that Christ gave Thanks In which he either observ'd the usual Form used in the Passover Blessed be God who hath created the Fruit of the Earth and Blessed be God who hath created the Fruit of the Vine Or Blessed be thou O Lord our God King of the World who bringest forth Bread out of the Earth and Blessed be thou O Lord our God King of the World who createst tbe Fruit of the Vine Or some other though it is more probable that he did not vary from the common Practice of the Jews in this Particular And what is this but Consecrating the Elements and Sanctifying of them For every Creature of God is good and not to be refused for it is sanctified by the Word of God and by Prayer saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 4 5. The Greek Church at this Day lays the Stress of Consecration upon the Prayer of the Holy Ghost as they call it whereby the Holy Spirit of God is invited to come down and make a Change in the Bread and Wine In our Church we joyn Prayer and Praises and the Words of Institution which is the safest Way and such as no rational Person can find fault with though the Words of Institution are sufficient in this Case which we discover in our Practice when the first Consecrated Bread and Wine are spent and the Number of the Communicants require a new Consecration V. Though the Gospel tells us only in general that Christ gave Thanks yet we cannot but suppose that they were particular Things he praised the Divine Bounty for and it is very rational to conclude that he gave Thanks 1. For the Providence of God which watches over Mankind and brings forth Fruit out of the Earth to satisfie the Desire and natural Appetite of Man God the Creator of all Things provides Food and Sustenance for all his Creatures He causes the Grass to grow for the Cattel He sends the Springs into the Valleys which run among the Hills they give Drink to every Beast of the Field the Wild Asses quench their Thirst the Lions receive their Prey from him He it is that hath appointed Toads and Snakes to be proper Meat for the Stork and Flies for the Nourishment of Spiders for some Birds of the Air he hath design'd Variety of Seeds and Worms of the Earth for others He provides Leaves for Caterpillars and those Insects for the Use of other Animals and the young Ravens that make a noise and upon that Account are said to cry to him are fed and maintain'd by his Power He prevents the Crocodile from doing excessive Mischief by making the Ichneumon his Enemy and the lesser Fishes prove a Prey to the greater by his Order In all these Things the Divine Providence displays it self and because the rest of the Creatures are not endow'd with Reason to celebrate God for his Bounty he hath placed Man in the Earth and enrich'd him with an Angelical Soul to be the Trumpet of his Glory and to take notice of God's feeding his Creatures of all sorts and sizes and particularly the Children of Men and when he sees Bread before him the Staff of Humane Life to admire the Wisdom Power and Goodness of the Almighty And upon this Account it was that Christ as Man and Mediator gave Thanks and when he took Bread blessed the Author of it who had made it agreeable to Man's Nature and gave it Strength to nourish him sent the Former and the Later Rain to nourish the Seed in the Ground and gave his Sun-shine to warm and ripen the Corn into Perfection 2. It was not God's Providence alone that he gave Thanks for but for the more indearing Expressions of God's Love to Mankind too And this we need not wonder at when we read how at other Times he magnified his Father's Goodness to sincere Believers particularly Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes No Man ever saw the immense Charity and Goodness of God to the lapsed Progeny of Adam in those lively Characters that he did We can only speak of it with stammering Tongues and give some faint Descriptions of it but He felt it The Sense of that Love over-spread his Soul and he saw the Heighth and Depth and Breadth and Length of it He beheld the Miracles of this Love in all the amazing Circumstances and what it was for God to give a Son to redeem a Servant to expose a Lamb to buy a Wolf and to let an innocent Sheep be led to the Slaughter to ransom Swine He saw how that Compassion extended it self and what it was for the Word to be made Flesh and to run about to seek the lost Sheep and when he had found it to rejoyce over it and
Deacon's Hand or whether they took it out of the Dish into which the sacred Bread was broken with their own Hands is not very material to determine Though whatever Passages there may be in Clemenâ— of Alexandria and St. Cyprian which seem to import that the Communicants did take the broken Bread out of the Dish yet most of the Ancients do agree that the consecrated Elements were taken from the Hands of Ecclesiastical Persons And though among the Jews the Master of the Family that broke the Bread did not always give it into the Hands of every Guest but having broken it laid it upon the Table and every one took a Piece yet the Practice of the Christian Church for Six Hundred Years at least after Christ sufficiently shews how the holy Apostles took it whom we may suppose the first Churches did imitate And as the Disciples took it from Christ's Hands so the Communicants afterward took it from the Apostles and their Successors Hands which Practice continues this Day in most Churches of the Protestants that call themselves Reformed I say in most for in some and particularly those of the United Provinces the Communicants take it out of the Dish after it is broken by the Minister It was Ignorance and Superstition that brought in a contrary Custom And from hence rose that Canon in the Council of Antisiodorum celebrated about the Year after Christ 613. That Women must not take the Eucharist with their bare Hands but in a Linen Cloth which they called Dominicale Soon after as Folly and Superstition increased some began to take the consecrated Bread in little Vessels of Gold or of some other Metal against whom the Sixth Council of Constantinople about the Year of our Lord 676. made a Canon and forbad them to do so for the future but to put their Hands cross-wise and so to receive it The Pretence in receiving the holy Bread in some Thing besides their bare Hands was that they might not defile the Body of Christ with their Hands as if touching it with baser Things than their own Hands would be more acceptable to God For as Solomon tells us a living Dog is better than a dead Lion so we may with far greater Reason say That a living Hand is infinitely better than all the dead Things which are made either of Gold or Silver or Brass or any other Mineral But though these Abuses crept in so early yet the Custom of receiving the holy Bread with their Hands continued in abundance of Churches till the latter end of the Ninth Century by which Time it began to be customary in the Western Church to put the Eucharist into the Mouths of the Communicants as it is practised this Day in the Roman Church as also among the Lutheran Protestants It is confessed that a Canon was made in a Council of Roan about the Year of our Lord 685. That the Eucharist should for the future by the Priest be put into the Mouth of the Communicant whether Woman or Lay-man Yet there are sufficient Testimonies extant that assure us that this Canon was not observ'd every where till about the latter end of the Ninth Century In a Word As Superstition grew and the Doctrine of Transubstantiation began to prevail so this ancient Rite of taking the Eucharist with the Hand was abolished and the Priests of the Church of Rome would not so much as suffer Lay-men to touch the Sacramental Bread with the Tip of their Fingers pretending that it was only given by Christ into the Hands of Priests an Absurdity so great that by the same Rule it would follow that the Laity must be totally excluded from the Sacrament because at the first Institution it was received by none but Priests Nay to that heighth of Folly did Men arise by degrees not only Papists but many also that professed the Purity of the Gospel that it was counted a great Profanation of the Eucharist if the People did any way touch the sacred Bread and therefore great Care was and is still taken even at this Day that the Bread be put exactly upon the Tongue of the Communicant that he may not touch it so much as with his Teeth So that under a pretence of Religion Men are made to forbear that which true Religion commands to be done And what an Injury is it to the People to hinder them from touching and taking the holy Bread in their Hands when Christ laid down his Life for them as well as for the Priests Did the Priests receive greater Benefit by Christ's Death than the People Or were some peculiar Advantages consigned to them by his Death over and above what is intended for the Laity If this could be proved there might be some Colour for this Pretence But when all equally share in his Mercies why should not all take the Bread in their Hands whereby they remember the Benefits of his Death Are the Priest's Hands holier or cleaner than the People's Would to God they were so not only in this Sacrament but in all Things But after all what can be more weak or silly than to imagine that the holy Bread is defiled more by the Hands and Teeth than by the Tongue or Bowels or Stomach which receive it Is not the Tongue a Member of the Body as well as the Hand Or are the Bowels into which the Bread is received purer than the Hand If it be said that by the Hands great Sins are usually committed I would fain know whether greater Sins are not daily committed with the Tongue than with the Hand So impertinent is this Plea that it deserves no Argument or Answer In the Greek Church the Custom of taking the holy Bread with the Hand was kept up for many Hundred Years till of late they have got a way of mingling the holy Wine with the Bread in a Spoon whence the Communicants do take it II. As we are commanded to take the holy Bread with our Hands which makes it no indifferent Thing so we cannot suppose that Christ would command it without intending some Mystery in that Action and if it be lawful to guess we may piously believe that by that Taking he intended these following Things 1. It puts us in mind with what Alacrity we should accept of the unspeakable Gift viz. The Mercy of Reconciliation by the Death of Christ Jesus As we readily stretch forth our Hands to receive a Present that is pleasing to us so ought we to accept of what a merciful God doth so freely and so frankly bestow upon us Accept of it You will say Who can be supposed to refuse it Will a Malefactor scruple to accept of his Prince's Pardon Or If a King put a Treasure into a poor Prisoner's Hands will he scorn it or withdraw his Hand 'T is true Men are willing enough to accept of a Saviour so they may have him upon their own Terms If he will give them leave to do what they please and
remembred in this Sacrament What kind of Death it was shewn in four Particulars How this Death is to be remembred The Benefits of this Remembrance laid down Though the Death of Christ be the principal thing that is to be remembred in this Sacrament yet that puts no stop to other Remembrances Christ's Example makes it lawful to preserve the memory of any signal Mercy or Providence we meet with Those that do not remember Christ's Death in this Sacrament do very much forget themselves The remembrance of his Death a Motive to forget the World and the Vanities of it This Remembrance the best Defensative against Sin The Prayer I. AS these words Do this in remembrance of me do necessarily import the Bread in this Sacrament to be a Memorial of Christ's Crucified Body or that which is to put us in mind of it and consequently suppose that Christ's real Body is absent so how Christ is to be remembred here must needs be worth our serious enquiry What Christ calls Doing in remembrance of him the Apostle the best Interpreter of his words stiles Shewing forth his Death 1 Cor. 11. 26. So that his Death is the thing that is to be remembred here by all the Communicants And that this Death is worth our serious remembrance will easily appear if we consider what Death the Death of Christ Jesus was For 1. It was the Death of God According to the Quality of the Person dying so his Death is more or less surprizing hence the Death of a King makes a greater noise in the World than that of a Peasant The Death remembred here is the Death of the King of Kings and though as God he could not dye yet it may truly be said that he that was God did die not in his Godhead but in his Humanity not as dwelling in a Light inaccessible but as dwelling in a Tabernacle of Flesh. Plutarch relates that he had heard his Master Epitherses tells this Story How in the Emperor Tiberius's time under whom Christ suffered intending to Sail into Italy he went aboard of a Ship laden with many Goods and Passengers One Evening coming near certain Islands call'd the Echinades the Wind slackening and the Ship being becalm'd with a slow pace they arriv'd at last at the Isle of Paxae Several of the Seamen and Passengers sitting up that Night and drinking on a suddain from off the Island came a Voice calling to Thamus the Master of the Ship thrice When you are come as far as the Palodes proclaim that the Great PAN is dead The Master and his Company doubtful what to do whether they should do according to the import of the Voice or no resolved at last if the Wind favour'd them to pass by the Palodes and say nothing but if they were becalm'd about that place then to cry as they were directed So sailing on and coming to the place they found themselves strangely becalm'd whereupon Thamus call'd aloud That the Great PAN was dead which words he had no sooner spoken but great Howlings and Sighings and Lamentations were heard By PAN the Heathens meant the God of the Universe or him that rul'd govern'd and influenced all and it 's probable this Voice had relation to Christ Jesus who suffered about that time at Jerusalem and that upon the news of this Death Howlings were heard it 's very likely this noise was made by Fiends and Devils whom the Death of the Son of God filling all in all put into those excesses of consternation and sorrow And lest any Man should object That the Furies of Hell had no reason to mourn at his Death but might rejoyce rather that their great Antagonist was gone it must be noted That they feared the Power and Virtue of that Death such Virtue as in a short time would make all the Powers of Darkness tremble and destroy their Empire When Abner Saul's General was carried to his Grave King David follow'd the Herse and said Know ye not that there is a Prince and a great Man fallen this day in Israel 2 Sam. 3. 38. If such a death as Abner's deserv'd to be taken notice of what must we think of the Death of the Lord Jesus Not a Great Man only but one of whom it was said Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thy Hands Heb. 1. 10. How justly is this death remembred by his Followers And what a mixture of Passions Amazement as well as Gladness Trembling as well as rejoycing ought it to cause in all Christian Hearts to think that our God died for us A Captain hath his like a General his Fellow a Prince may be parallel'd with others a King may meet with others of his Rank and Quality but God hath no equal 2. It was the Death of a Person higher than the highest for his Enemies Regulus Codrus Mutius and among the Jews Moses had courage to die for their Country and the good of the People they were related to but still they were their Friends but here a Person ador'd by Angels worshipp'd by all the Host of Heaven the Comfort of Paradise the Joy of Seraphim the Terror of Devils the Lord of Life the Eternal Son of God the Brightness of his Father's Glory and the express Image of his Person dies for Men for Men miserable and wretched for Men that were Sinners for Men that were proper Objects of his Justice for Men that were haters of God acted like Enemies had affronted their Maker Crucified their Redeemer came out against him as against a Thief who took pleasure in trampling on his Laws rejoyced in their Disobedience had made a Covenant with Hell conspired against him who had given them their Being laugh'd on the brink of Destruction were Heirs of Hell and had no other Inheritance but Damnation for such this wonderful Person dies and this makes his death miraculous and astonishing Rom. 5. 8. 3. It 's Death that Nature and all the Elements were confounded at and Heaven and Earth seem'd to be at strife which of them should be most concern'd at it insomuch that we are told of Dionysius the Areopagite the Person mention'd Acts 17. 34. when he was yet under the Clouds of Paganism that beholding the stupendous Eclipse of the Sun which happen'd about the time that the Saviour of the World died brake forth into this memorable saying That certainly either Nature was going to be dissolv'd or the God of Nature suffer'd If ever Nature endur'd a Convulsion-Fit it did now The Sun disdain'd to look upon the barbarity of the Murther and hid his Face that he might not see his Creator die The Earth trembl'd as if it were asham'd to see Men stupid at the dreadful Spectacle The Rocks broke as if they would testifie against the Sinners that could stand under the Cross without broken Hearts The Vail of the Temple was rent as if it would chide the Wretches that could see the
a Month is a just distance to take notice what progress we make in Goodness and what effects the last Communion hath upon our Spirits and though I can alledge no express Command for it out of the Word of God yet there is a Command which imports as much even this Obey them that have the Rule over you in the Lord and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give an account that they do it with Joy and not with Grief Heb. 13. 17. But these Arguments are needless to a Soul that hath a lively Sense of the Love of God Love will run without a driver and there needs no pulling or haling him to the Communion who hath seen and tasted how sweet and how gracious the Lord is That inward Sense will make him come frequently whether his Superiours command him or no. He that doth nothing in Religion but what his Governoâ—s force him to doth not yet understand what that means The Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts He that hath this Sense finds a Law within stronger than the Law of all Superiors and which hath greater power with him than all external motives He that loves Christ fervently will love to be with him frequently and since the Communion Table is the place where Christ hath promised to him he 'll be as often there as he can except Sickness or some such inevitable impediments hinder him the rather because here Men hear the joyful sound of Pardon and walk in the light of Godâ—s Countenance Psal. 89. 15. IV. But because I foresee it will be objected here That frequent Communicating will abate our esteem and veneration of this Sacrament as all things when grown common and familiar are apt to breed contempt and carelesness It 's fit I should answer and remove that pretended stumbling-block And therefore 1. It cannot be frequent Communicating consider'd in it self that abates our Zeal and Fervor to this Ordinance for let the Communion be never so frequent the Arguments and Motives are still the same their Grandeur Strength Force and Power is still the same still these are able to kindle holy Fire on the Altars of our Souls to raise admiration of God's Mercies aud to enliven our Spirits into Conscientiousness and severity of life and if this be the natural tendency of these Motivies at one time it is so to another and consequently the abatement of our esteem and veneration is not the necessary effect of frequent Communicating and in this the Primitive Believers are a signal instance who though they Communicated some every day some every Lord's day yet did not that frequency lessen their Veneration of these mysteries It rather increas'd and cherish'd it and we have reason to ascribe their contempt of Sublunary Contents their Courage in Adversity their Valour in Persecution their ardent desires after another Life their invincible Patience under reproaches their Constancy in the severest Tryals their wonderful Joy in Troubles and their prodigious Self-denials to this frequent Communicating This as it was a means to set their Master always before their Eyes so it left an aw upon their Spirits not to dishonour him by their lives This was a perpetual curb to their Lusts and having his Image constantly before them made them walk as Children of their Father which is in Heaven so that if frequent Communicating be not the necessary cause of an abatement in our veneration of this Sacrament it must be some other accidental thing which may be remedied that must occasion it And therefore 2. Some decay in the Receiver some indisposition in the inward Man must be charged with this dis-esteem of the ordinance and it is not the frequent Communicating that is the cause but want of care and watchfulneâ—s in the Communicant Indeed where People approach this Holy Table frequently and bring no Hearts with them no desires after a better Life do not think it worth while to spend serious thoughts on the Death they are going to remember come to it without any design of being like Christ premise only a few Prayers out of Custom touch the Ark with unwashen hands dive not into their hearts nor do prepare themselves for this Banquet thrust themselves in as the Guest in the Gospel without suitable Ornaments do not plow up the fallow Ground or do not make it soft and Mellow with Meditation and Praises and consider not what they come for or to what end and purpose they give their attendance at the Altar there we need not wonder if frequent Communicating abates their esteem and veneration of this Sacrament but this is their Sin and frequent Communion is not to be blamed it 's their love to the World that will not suffer them to bring that attention watchfulness and devotion with them as is requisite to the comfortable use of this Ordinance a Sin which must be deplored and like the cursed thing in the Camp of Israel removed before they come to see the goings of God in the Sanctuary The Covetous Man abates not in his esteem of his Wealth and Treasure though he look upon it every day and the reason is because his Affections are set upon it and were our Affections set upon him from whose fulness we all received Grace for Grace our frequent Communicating would be so far from lessening our esteem of this Sacrament that it would render it more lovely and more amiable to our Souls Two Men of the same Trade live together the one grows rich the other continues poor the one thrives the other decays because the one is industrious the other lazy one minds his business the other lies in Ale-houses and Taverns This is the Case here if some fall into a disesteem of the greatness of this Ordinance by frequent Communicating it is because they take no pains with their Souls before they Communicate whereas others who are laborious and careful though they recieve never so often they go on from strength to strength till every one of them appears before God in Sion V. But since frequent Communication requires frequent Preparation and frequent Preparation is a thing that Persons who have much business in the World cannot attend how can it be supposed necessary for such to Communicate frequently Though Preparation be a Subject that I intend to spend a distinct Chapter upon yet something may be said of it here by the by and by way of anticipation to shew the weakness of this excuse and the vanity of this exception And therefore 1. Business is either lawful or unlawful If it be unlawful no conscentious Man must either involve himself in it or continue to mind it for whoever applys his Thoughts Desires or Affections to any business of that nature puts himself in a state of Damnation and hangs over Hell fire by a very weak and feeble Thread even this Transitory Life which if it chance to break his Soul is lost in a word unlawful business makes a
the other had a wicked Priest to put Poyson in their Cup but the unworthy Receiver puts the Poyson in himself and what was said of the other may very truly be applied to him Calix vitae Calix mortis The Cup of Life becomes a Cup of Death and Misery to him Thou hast made us saith the Psalmist drink the Wine of Astonishment Psal. 60. 3. This he spoke of the afflicted and persecuted Believers of his Age but it may be applied to the unworthy Receiver too He drinks the holy Wine 't is true but it will prove Wine of Astonishment to him when the Judgment of God lights upon his Head it will astonish and terrifie him And what is said Psal. 69. 22. is true of him His Table becomes a Snare to him The Table of the Lord he frequents he turns into a Snare to his own Soul while he involves his better part in the Guilt and Demerit of signal exemplary Judgments IV. But all this seems to be a groundless Supposition for there is no doubt but there are unworthy Receivers at this Day as well as formerly yet we see no such signal Judgments executed upon any of them And therefore what St. Paul saith must be either confined to the Times he lived in or if it extends to our Age it doth not look like Truth 1. God sends Judgments upon Men many times and for their unworthy Receiving the holy Sacrament too and they take no notice of it When God sends Judgments because he doth not at the same time signifie the Crimes laid against Men or doth not set a Mark upon them to give notice for what Sin the Judgment comes neither the Sufferer nor the Standers by especially the more careless sort take any Cognisance of his Anger And the Reason why God doth not at the same time that he sends the Judgment send a Messenger to tell the Sinner what the Judgment is for is because he hath given him Reason and Power to enquire and search into his Heart and Ways upon which Search he may satisfie himself and come to the Knowledge of himself It hath been a very old Custom for Men not to take notice of God's Judgments but to ascribe them to Second Causes to Fate or Chance whereby God's Design in them hath been lost and his Displeasure signified in the Punishment dis-regarded God complains of it Isa. 42. 25. Therefore hath he poured upon him the Fury of his Anger and the Strength of the Battel and it hath set him on fire round about yet he knew it not and it burnt him and he laid it not to heart And so we read Hos. 7. 9. Strangers have devoured his Strength and he knows it not yea gray Hairs are here and there upon him yet he knows it not Where Men are inconsiderate and observe not the Providences of God and the Operations of his Hand they may easily fall into a Conceit that he sends no signal Judgment upon an unworthy Receiver when he doth But let a Man enquire seriously into the Cause of his present Misfortunes and into the Reasons of the Misery or Affliction he lies under or if he will lay himself open to a faithful and conscientious Minister of the Gospel he may without any great difficulty find especially if he hath formerly been at the Table of the Lord without considering what he did that God's Judgment upon the Account of his eating and drinking unworthily slumbers not God speaks once yea twice yet Man perceives it not said Elihu one of the Eastern Princes and Jâ—b's Friends Job 33. 14. It must needs be so where Men's Reason lies dormant and is not active But an intelligent Observer will see that these threatned Judgments are not so confined to the Corinthians but that they reach a great way farther even to Men we converse with and that these Judgments are more frequent than the generality of unbelieving People think they are 2. If God doth not send always exemplary Judgments upon unworthy Receivers it is an Argument indeed of his Patience but the Sinner is not thereby secured from the Stroak for that which doth not come to day may come to â—orrow and besides having deserv'd the Blow by his unworthy Approaches to the Table of the Lord the Sword hangs over him by a very slender Thread and waits only for God's Summons to fall on the Offender's Head And what if God exercises Patience for the present Who knows how soon that Patience will be tired and turn into a tempestuous Indignation The Sinner hath still reason to fear it and that which seems to be far off this Week may the next be upon his Back and consume both Root and Branch This is certain ' T is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the living God Heb. 10. 31. And if the Sinner be once fallen into the Hands of an angry God though he may spare him for a while as he did the stubborn Pharaoh who had long before deserv'd to be destroyed only God by his Providence held him up that he might shew his Power in him yet when-ever the Judgment comes the Dealy will but aggravate the Doom and change the intended Rods into deadly Scorpions Had it been executed presently upon unworthy Receiving it would have been gentle and easier to be born but the Delay gives it Strength and makes it sorer and when-ever it comes it comes with greater Weight and Fury V. 'T is very probable that some will be so curious as to desire to know whether in case any Temporal Judgments do fall upon an unworthy Receiver they expiate the Communicant's Crime or whether they may be called Satisfactions which God accepts of for the Offence committed against his Majesty To this the Answer is as follows 1. That the Punishment inflicted by a Civil Magistrate atones for the Offence committed against the Law and that the Offence is ipso facto forgiven when the Offender suffers the Penalty we cannot deny And to a Man that superficially reads the Old Testament even the Saints of those Ages will seem to have been of Opinion that with the removing of the Temporal Judgment the Sin for which it was inflicted by God was at the same time removed too As Psal. 85 1 2. Lord thou hast been favourable unto thy Land thou hast brought back the Captivity of Jacob thou hast forgiven the Iniquity of the People thou hast covered all their Sin And Psal. 103. 3. Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities who healeth all thy Diseases Which Places seem to import that David believed that the removing of the Judgment did at the same time remove the Sin and the Guilt of it But still we must suppose that though Repentance is not mention'd yet it is included and that they did not lay the Stress of Pardon upon the Removal of the Judgment so much as upon the Repentance which was occasion'd by the Judgment And therefore whatever those Places may seem to import considering that the Fathers
strong Liquor in the Use of this Ordinance He applies it not only to this Sin but also to Want of Self-Examination and not to discern the Lord's Body as will appear to any Man that compares the 28th and 29th Verses in that Chapter I mean the 11th of the First Epistle to the Corinthians And besides Though their coming drunk to this Sacrament gives Occasion to the Discourse yet he makes a general Inference or Conclusion He that or Whosoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks Damnation to himself So that if there be more Ways of unworthy Receiving than coming drunk to this Ordinance it will follow that they all come under the reach of this Penalty 2. If one wilful Sin or Sin allowed of or Sin of Temper Custom and Inclination which a Man is not heartily resolved to strive against makes him an unworthy Receiver another must be supposed to do the same for all Sins allowed of are of the same Nature though the Object be changed And therefore whether a Man be loth or unresolved to part with his drunken Cups or unresolved to mortifie his Envy or Malice or Pride or Hatred or Revengeful Desires or Opprobrious Language or Injustice or Cheating or Lying c. the Change of the Object makes no Alteration in the unworthy Receiving and therefore no Alteration in the Penalty If a Corinthian Christian that professed himself a Member of Christ's Church had come drunk to the Lord's Table to Day and come again in the same Posture and in the same Disguise the Lord's Day following there is no Dispute of it but coming again with the same Sin upon his Back would have made himself an unworthy Receiver And if not parting with a known Sin against he came next made him an unworthy Communicant it stands to reason that he who is given to lying and to Cheating or to any other known Sin and comes to the Sacrament without a full purpose to reform it draws the same Guilt upon himself that the prophane Corinthians did 'T is true Coming with the Guilt of other Sins allowed of is not so scandalous a thing as coming drunk but with respect to God who is offended by it and against whose Laws the Sin is committed they are of the same Nature with Coming disguised or drunk to the Lord's Table and therefore such Men are liable to the same Penalty 3. Though a vicious Person in this Age cannot well come drunk to this Sacrament because it is commonly received in the Morning and most Men make some little Preparation and approach sober yet he may come drunk with evil Habits of Sin and then he comes drunk with evil Habits when he is so besotted with the Sins which Custom or Company or something else hath made sweet and easie and pleasant to him that whatever is feigned and pretended as to general Purposes to mend his Life before he receives yet he is not heartily resolved to part with such particular Sins as he is very prone to and all the Love and Charity set before him â—n the Lord's Supper cannot work in him a Change of Mind or an unfeigned Resolution to use the proper Means to â—hake off the Sin which is become natural to him And whether a Man come to the Sacrament drunk in a natural Sense or drunk in a spiritual Sense whether he come to it drunk with Wine or drunk with Sin there is no great difference in the Crime the Sin is still the same especially since all those who lay claim to the Promise of Pardon and Salvation are peremptorily commanded to cleanse themselves from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. The Preceding Considerations reduced to Practice I. HEre I cannot but take notice how little the things which are not seen with our Bodily Organs though of the greatest Consequence are minded by the Generality even those that pretend to believe them Damnation is certainly the most dreadful thing imaginable yet most Men make so little of it that the Fear of losing Twenty or Thirty Pounds discomposes and disorders them more than the Apprehension that they shall lose the Light of God's Countenance for ever What can we imagine to be the Reason of it Surely it must be because it is not seen And therefore People do not heartily believe it nor seriously think of it And yet when a thing is very certain and God hath spoke it and we have all the Assurances that the thing is capable of that it is so though it cannot be seen with the Eyes of Flesh yet being certain the Thoughts of it surely might effect and work upon and discompose the Soul in a manner as much as Sight and Sense But here lies the Misery the greatest part of Men are unthinking Animals they believe but think not they think but not of that which concerns them most This makes Damnation only a big Word to set off a violent Passion but it frights not nay is so far from frighting that not a few do barbarously wish it to their own Souls yet still not only Faith but Reason saith there is such a thing and the Justice of a Supream Being requires so much So that he that will be frighted with Damnation must first deliberately examine the Reasons which may convince him of the Being and Reality of it and then reflect and ruminate upon the Terrour and Consequences of it And if this be done and the Divine Assistance which must co-operate with all spiritual Endeavours to make them effectual be heartily implored Sin Vanity and Lust and foolish Desires must necessarily fall and faint before it and a Change of Life cannot but follow and a Man's Carefulness to please God must needs be the happy Consequences of it II. The Penalty God inflicts upon unworthy Receivers shews how God would have us value and esteem what he hath done for us in Christ Jesus The Death of Christ for poor Sinners God looks upon to be so great a thing that he expects that every Soul upon hearing of it and sufficient Demonstration of the Truth of it should be so surprized with the Mercy as immediately to throw off the Works of Darkness and put off the Old Man with all his deceitful Lusts and to become an obedient Subject of Christ's Kingdom God sets that high Value upon it that he expects that every Soul to whom the News comes immediately lay Force upon the Kingdom of Heaven rejoyce that he is made capable of Pardon and an Inheritance incorruptible and for the Glory set before him fall to work and seek first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof And therefore for any Person who professes himself a Christian to entertain this Message coldly lazily and with Indifferency is an Act so unworthy so derogatory from the Sublimity and Excellency of the Favour that we need not wonder if he lashes this low slavish and pitiful Temper of ours with the severest Vengeance Can we think because we have no
despise mean services in the Church of God! and how loth to be employed in things that make for God's Glory merely because thou hast been afraid they would blemish thy credit and reputation in the World How loth hast thou been to visit thy poor Neighbor or to dress his Wounds or to tend him when destitute of Friends or Kindred What a disparagement hast thou thought it to pay respect to thine Inferiors and how hast thou chosen the Upper Rooms at Feasts and other Meetings and loved the praise of Men more than the praise of God! 28. Ye are they which have continued with me in my Temptations IT is not enough to stand a blow or two but to hold out to the end To stay with Christ a few Weeks or Years and then to forsake him is base Cowardice yet how weary O my Soul hast thou been of thy Master's service How soon hast thou been tired with Devotion How dull hath Prayer made thee If thou hast been fervent for a few days how soon hast thou given over What excellent progress didst thou make in Religion when low in the World and how art thou changest since prosperous fortunes have flown in upon thee Or if thou hast believed and rejoyced in the light for a time how hast thou in the hour of Temptation turned thy back and like an hireling fled away The Fruit thou hast brought forth in thy youth how hath it decayed and withered in thy riper Age and in trouble how hast thou laid force upon the Kingdom of Heaven and yet upon thy deliverance as Flies in Autumn how hath thy Piety fainted and died away 29. And I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me WHat mighty Rewards doth God give for poor and mean services No less than a Kingdom for a few years patience in well-doing How should this encourage thee to work O my Soul How should it make thee strive to enter in at the strait Gate Yet how apt art thou to cry There is a Lion without There is a Bear in the way And what if there were Is it not worth a being torn by Bears and Lions to inherit an everlasting Kingdom What pains do Men take to get a little Money or to purchase a parcel of Lands which they know not whether they shall possess above a Month or two And yet thou hast not thought it worth toiling to inherit a Kingdom which fades not away 30. That you may Eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones Judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel HOW will the Scene be changed e're long And those poor Saints which wicked Men counted Slaves how will the World wonder when they shall see them their Judges Yet how little dost thou think of that day O my Soul How apt art thou to put it out of thy Mind and consequently how unwilling to imitate those excellent Men that meditate in the Law of God Day and Night Didst thou think seriously of their preferment in the last day thou wouldst write Copies after them and be a much harder Student in that Holiness which makes them capable to Judge the World and the Apostate Angels Thou dost not thoroughly believe that mighty alteration Didst thou open the Eye of thy Faith and see what Glory will be put upon them in that day thou wouldst certainly be inquisitive how to participate of the the same priviledges and consequently be earnest in the pursuit of the same Virtues and Graces whereby they run and obtain the prize 31. And the Lord said Simon Simon Behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat HOW busie is the Devil to ruin a sincere Christian and hast not thou felt him busie in thy Heart O my Soul to deprive thee of the Crown of Righteousness which the Lord hath promised to them that strive lawfully Hast not thou felt him busie to poison thy Graces busie to infect thy Prayers busie to evacuate the Virtue of thy Holy performances and yet thou hast not resisted him How have all the Avenues been set open that that King of Darkness might come in How hast thou hugg'd his Temptations suffer'd him to revel in thy Breast yielded to his evil suggestions and been persuaded by his Arguments He hath but beckoned to thee and thou hast run How hast thou betrayed the Citadel of the Holy Ghost Prophaned his Temple and suffered the Sanctuary to be robb'd by Heathens and Infidels 32. But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not THus Christ Prays for all true Believers that God may not forsake them Yet how dejected hast thou been O my Soul upon the least Storm that hath fallen upon thee How ready hast thou been to cast away thy hope How ready to say with Sion The Lord hath forsaken me and God hath forgotten me Dost thou think God doth not hear the great Mediators Prayer for thee Dost thou think he can refuse his intercessions whom he always hears When he heard his Prayers for those that Crucified him that God would not for that barbarous fact exclude them from hopes of Salvation will not he hear him dost thou think when he Prays for thee that thou mayst not be deprived of the light of God's countenance Therefore why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God 33. And he said unto him Lord I am ready to goe with thee both into Prison and to death A Brave Resolution For though he miscarried in the performance yet I doubt not but he really spoke at this time what he thought But how faint hast thou been in thy resolutions O my Soul How loth to resolve upon a Duty that hath had some hardship in it How loth to resolve upon leaving a sin in which thy profit hath been wrapt up How hast thou humm'd and haw'd when thou hast been to declare thy resolution to suffer for righteousness sake How hast thou been frighted at the smallest danger Thou hast may be resolved to suppress Sin for the present but not to reform it for the future To clip the Luxurious branches but not to pull up the evil Tree by the root And what pitiful half-resolutions have these been How unlike St. Paul who was ready not only to suffer but to dye also at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus 34. And he said I tell thee Peter the Cock shall not Crow this day before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me GOD sees that which Man cannot see Why then O my Soul dost not thou shun that Rock which God sees and says will split thy Vessel Thou wantest such a sensual pleasure God sees and protests it will undo thee yet dost thou believe thine own Appetite more than that God who sees all things in their first Principles He sees that such a Blessing will
to the Emperor of Mis-government and of Unfaithfulness to his Master and that turns the Scale and tempts him to change his Resolution In this Misdemeanour Lord I read mine own Thus hath Profit and Gain and Fear of losing the Favour of Men changed my good and pious Purposes When I have thought to reprove a Person greater than my self Fear of drawing his Frowns upon me hath made me give over those Religious Thoughts When I have resolved not to comply with a sinful Design or Proposal made to me how hath the Temptation of a considerable Advantage turned the Byass Oh make this Fickleness and Inconstancy very odious to me And let me count nothing Gain that is accompanied with the Loss of thy Favour Let that be dearer to me than Gold yea dearer than fine Gold and let me hate every false Way 25. And he released unto them him who for Sedition and Murther was cast into Prison whom they had desired but he delivered Jesus to their Will HOW pleased is sinful Nature when its wicked Desires are gratified when it obtains its Wishes and gets possession of what it craved with Eagerness It fancies it drinks Nectar and Cordials though in good truth it is nothing but Poyson No doubt the Apple or Fruit our first Parents ate of seemed very delicious but it appeared soon after that they had swallowed Death and God's Indignation Such Sweetness have I dreamed of in committing Sin And how have my Senses been tickled when I have enjoyed the dangerous Meat my Appetite longed for But it hath proved very bitter in my Bowels Thus the unwary Fish swallows the Bait but knows not that the Hook which will certainly kill it lies under it O Jesu My Desires never move more orderly than when they move within the Sphere and Circle of thy Law Oh charm them to that Circle and I shall never perish 26. And as they led him away they laid hold upon one Simon a Cyrenian coming out of the Country and on him they laid the Cross that he might bear it after Jesus HAppy Man that was counted worthy to bear the Cross with the Lord Jesus How light did the burthen seem to himâ— when Jesus was at one end of it So thy Holy Apostles my dearest Lord thought themselves bless'd that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for thy Name How contented should I be under any affliction did I believe that thou art with me and helpest to bear my load Surely thou art not far off when the Cross is laid upon my Shoulder In all my afflictions thou art afflicted O let me think of it and be chearful under it I know thou layest it on me for my good and art touch'd with the feeling of my infirmities Let me have no hard thought of any trouble for I suffer in thy Company Shall I think much of the burthen when thou enduredst far greater for my sake In all my distresses be thou with me and convince me that thou art so that I may never repine never murmur never fret but may bear thy yoak with a willing Mind being confident I shall not be a loser by it but when I am tryed receive the Crown of Righteousness which thou hast promis'd to all that love thy Name 27. And there follow'd him a great company of People and of Women which also bewailed and lamented him TEnderness and Compassion to persons in distress is a Tribute that nature requires And to have denied it thee in thy sufferings my Blessed Lord had been barbarous Those that follow'd thee and wept did not know how great and good thou wert If they had their Tears had been turn'd into Blood They believed thee innocent that makes them wet their Cheeks but had they known that thou wert the Son of God the dearly beloved of the Eternal Father they would have wish'd that their Heads were Fountains of Water O that I could never think of thy Cross without Tears in mine Eyes O that I could never behold thee bleeding in the Holy Sacrament without deep compunction Lord Touch the Rock of my Heart that the Waters may flow to the everlasting comfort of my Soul 28. But Jesus turning unto them said Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but weep for your selves and for your Children LOrd Jesu Thou sawest what miseries were coming upon that Nation and art concern'd for them more than thou art for thy self In all thy sufferings thou didst not consult thine own welfare so much as ours It was for our sakes it was for my sake that thou didst endure the Torments which fell upon thee Thou wast loth I should perish and therefore wouldst rather dye than I should be undone Thy Father's wrath was levell'd at me and thou stepst in and tookest the blow that I might escape The curse of the Law was pronounc'd against me who was the Offender Thou wentst into the midst of the Fire that I might not be burnt The Floods went high and their Commission was to drown me thou venturedst into that Sea and didst divide the Waters that I might go through the midst and be safe and if this Mercy does not melt my Affections and make them thine how unexcusable must I make my self O let these Thoughts for ever dwell in my mind that I may live as becomes the Gospel of Christ and may think no service so sweet as thine 29. For behold the days are coming in the which they shall say Blessed are the barren and the Wombs that never bare and the Paps which never gave suck THese were the days of Jerusalem's destruction than which never worse times were seen and Men and Women wish'd that they had never been born Lord thou wouldst have me prepare for the worst of times that when they come I may not be surpriz'd but know where to flee for refuge Sweet Jesu Teach me how to prepare for the evil to come that it may not touch me or if it touch me it may not hurt me To be always good always watchful always doing thy Will is the way to be always safe even then when the Earth is moved and all things are turned upside down when the Sea rages when the Waters thereof roar and be troubled and the Mountains shake with the swelling thereof Let me ever preserve a pure Heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned that however thou disposest of things in this World I may not lose the felicity of that which is to come 30. Then shall they begin to say to the Mountains fall on us and to the Hills cover us VVHen Men have forsaken God and his Judgments break forth upon them how do they lay hold on every bull-rush to save themselves from ruin What good can Hills or Mountains do when God is angry They cannot hide from the wrath of God Thus it will be in the great day of Judgment of which the Destruction of Jerusalem was an Emblem When Men shall see the frowning Judge whom they have
offended what tremblings will invade them How will they quake for fear What pitiful shifts will they betake themselves to but all in vain O let that dreadful day be ever before mine Eyes Let the future shrieks and groans of impenitent Sinners even now in this my day sound in mine Ears that I may be frighted from Sin O let me think what their ways will end in and turn my feet away from their Paths O let me not follow their pernicious ways that I may not be condemn'd with the World 31. For if they do these things in a green tree what shall be done in the dry JUdgment must begin at the House of God and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God And if the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the Ungodly and Sinner appear God is resolved to judge the World and even the best shall have a taste of his Justice The Afflictions that befall the good in this World are but the beginnings of his indignation against Sin and by the Blood of Christ they shall be saved from the wrath to come But if these be the beginnings of God's anger what will the progress of his Justice be and where will it end O blessed Saviour How fearful will the end of all ungodly Sinners be If I must be afflicted O let me have my share of it in this World that I may not sink under the burden of thine indignation hereafter 32. And there were also two other Malefactors led with him to be put to death VVHat an opportunity had these wretches to save their Souls even at the last moment of their Lives An opportunity the like of which never was before nor ever will be Here was an happy day for them to have secured Christ's Favour who would not have denied his Grace to them had they been but willing to accept of it upon this extraordinary occasion Kings and Princes bestow extraordinary Acts of Grace at their Coronation or upon some remarkable Solemnity Now had been the time for these Malefactors to have laid hold on Eternal life which they never had any hope of before But how do Men let slip the opportunities God puts in their hands So have I my Blessed Jesus many a time when I have been in a good frame when thou hast put good Thoughts and Resolutions in my Heart what opportunities had I to to make my self for ever But I have return'd to the love of the World despised these opportunies of Grace and justly deserved thou shouldst deny them me for ever Dear Saviour visit me once more with thy Salvation with the Day-spring from on high and I will admit thy Beams into my Soul that I may be enlighten'd edified sanctified and preserv'd for ever 33. And when they were come to the place which is call'd Calvary there they crucified him and the Malefactors one on the right hand and the other on the left HEre begins the act at which Heaven and Earth stood amaz'd What a spectacle was here The Son of God nailed to the Cross and hanging betwixt two Thieves Did not the hands of the Soldiers that nailed the Saviour of the World to the Cross tremble Did not their Hearts fail them when they tied him to the Tree No their hearts were flint and adamant No other could have been engaged in the Service O wonderful stupidity they knew not what flesh they touch'd They knew not it was a Body fram'd by the Holy Ghost and the fruit of the Virgin 's Womb Here O my Soul here the work of thy Redemption is commenc'd O look upon the Heavenly Creature that hangs here and think what Riches are treasured up in his Cross Here he shew'd himself a Mediator indeed hanging in the middle betwixt a Penitent and a Prodigal betwixt Heaven and Earth betwixt the Living and the Dead They crucified him What did the Angels think to see their Lord and Master thus used What dost thou think of it O my Soul Job's Friends seeing the greatness of his misery sate silent by him in the Dust seven Days Look O my Soul upon this object sit silent and admire for thy Lord's grief is great 34. Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do LOrd Jesus What a Miracle of Mercy dost thou work here I know not which is the greater wonder those thou dist formerly when conversant on the Earth or that which I see now perform'd on the Cross. To pray for Men who had abused thee to a Prodigy To beg of thy Father to forgive their Insolencies and not to exclude them from the possibility of Repentance Can I think of this and not believe that this was to teach me how I must behave my self toward those that have done me wrong Canst thou forgive such injuries and shall not I forgive them that trespass against me One would have thought that these affronts and indignities which were offered to thee would never have been forgiven yet they are no sooner offer'd but thou intercedest for their Remission O let no injury that 's henceforward offer'd me seem too big for pardon O let me freely pass by the offence committed against me that my Father which is the Heaven may forgive me my Trespasses 34. And they parted his Garments and cast Lots VVHat a rich Spoil did these Soldiers get and they knew it not If a good Christian that understood the great Mystery of Godliness had got such a Treasure how would he have valued it what Joy what Comfort would it have been to such a Soul Not that there is any great virtue in the Cloaths of the Son of God A Man might have kept them and yet by leading an ill life have perish'd Eternally but Who would not have preserv'd these precious Relicks if he had known what Person it was that wore them It would have done him good to have looked upon them and admirable Reflections he might have made upon them But to Men that knew not God these things were of no value O my Soul Thou hast not priz'd the good Things thy God hath bequeathed to thee How little hast thou valued the Means of Grace thy Saviour left behind him Henceforward learn to make a better Use of them that they may be Health to thy Navel and Marrow to thy Bones 35. And the People stood beholding and the Rulers also with them derided him saying He saved others Let him save himself if he be Christ the chosen of God IT could not but cause strange Admiration to see him who had been known to be a Prophet mighty in Word or Deed come to such a doleful and dreadful End But for any Man to be so impudent as to deride him in his Misery this was extraordinary bold and insolent Yet Men that have done a very ill thing think themselves obliged to justifie it by their Gestures and Actions partly to keep themselves from Reproach and partly to
that Kingdom that the Kingdoms and Glories of this World may not beguile or tempt me to love the World If I love the World the Love of the Father cannot be in me Represent the Beauty of thy future Kingdom to my Mind in lively Characters that my Admiration of this present World may decay and I may be content to sell all for the Pearl of Price that is before me 52. This Man went unto Pilate and begged the Body of Jesus IT is base to forsake a Friend when he is under a Cloud Then to shew our Respect to him when he lies unjustly under Contempt and Disgrace is true Affection It was bold and great and like a Friend to beg the Body of Jesus when it was counted a Disgrace to be any way concern'd for him How hast thou deviated from this admirable Example O my Soul when a Person whom thou hast courted and admired in the Day of his Prosperity hath through the Venom of malicious Tongues and more malicious Practices fallen from his Glory and Respect How hast thou withdrawn thy self from him been afraid to speak the Truth of him and to give him that good Character which thou knewest he deserved As thou dealest with Man so it is to be feared thou wilt deal with thy God and Religion when it becomes dangerous to own them Up and be earnest with thy God to give thee invincible Integrity which may mock all Storms and be the same to God and to thy Neighbour in all Conditions Stick close to God and to thy Friend and rejoyce in a good Conscience for that will bring thee Peace at last 53. And he took it down and wrapped it in Linen and laid it in a Sepulchre that was hewn in Stone wherein never Man before was laid REligion is an insignificant thing if it cost us nothing Good Men love to be at Charges for their God and the Good of their own Souls O my Soul How loth hast thou been to let those Persons reap thy Carnal Things which have sown unto thee Spiritual Things When thou hast thought nothing too much for thy Luxury and Pride and Ease how hath it gone against the Grain to be expensive for Religion Thou hast loved to serve thy God cheaply How loth hast thou been to express thy Gratitude to God by being liberal to his distressed Members and thy Spiritual Guids Oh learn by this Example to prize thy Spiritual Good more and let thy bountiful Actions shew that thou hast the highest Value for the Concerns of Eternity 54. And that Day was the Preparation and the Sabbath drew on O My Soul How little Preparation hast thou made for the Everlasting Sabbath and thine Eternal Rest Dost thou hope to rest for ever among the Flowers of Paradise and is it not high time to prepare for it Dost thou think to rest at last under the Wings of thy Everlasting Father and is it not time to rise and work as it were for thy Life that thou may'st find Repose in the Everlasting Tabernacles Was ever any admitted there that would not sweat and labour here Oh labour against thy Corruptions wrestle with Temptations fight with thy Spiritual Enemies live in Contemplation of the highest Good embrace thy Saviour with the warmest Love strive to do much Good in thy Generation and thy Rest will be sweet 55. And the Women also which came with him from Galilee followed after and beheld the Sepulchre and how his Body was laid TRue Goodness is never weary of following Christ It follows him to the very Grave It may meet with Stops and Rubs in its Way but it gets up again and is not tired with Running the Race which is set before it O Blessed Jesu Thou hast not been weary of working and suffering for me Let me never be weary of loving thee When my Flesh would make me give over running after thee assist me with new Strength and Courage that I may hold out to the End And since none shall sit at thy Table in thy Kingdom but those that have continued with thee in thy Temptations Oh let my Soul feel the Power of thy Spirit which may lift me up that I may mount up with Wings as Eagles may run and not be weary walk and not faint till I am within the Gates of Heaven 56. And they returned and prepared Spices and Ointments and rested the sabbath-Sabbath-day according to the Commandment MY dearest Lord though I have no opportunity to prepare Spices and Ointments for thy Burial yet thou hast shewn me how I may offer an Odor of a sweet Smell a Sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to God This is a life fruitful in good Works No Incense smells sweeter in thy Nostrils No Persume casts a nobler scent in Heaven than this Enrich the ground of my Heart fatten it with thy Blood water the Furrows thereof with thy Heavenly Dew and shine upon it with thy Gracious Beams and bid the Tree of my Life advance and Bud and Blossom and bear fruit even the Fruit of Charity of Meekness of Humility of Patience of Goodness of Faith of Love of Temperance of Sobriety of Watchfulness and of contempt of the World that I may have my Fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life The Preceding Considerations reduced to Practice I. HOw justly after this prospect may God say What could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it St. Bernard hath an Elegant Discourse upon this Subject to shew what force the serious consideration of Christ's Incarnation and of what he hath done for us and particularly of his Sufferings and Death hath to kindle the Fire of reciprocal Love in our Hearts God being desirous saith he to restore Man who had lost himself and to rescue him from the clutches of the Devil said within himself If I should force this wretched Creature against his Will and Choice to the Duties he is to discharge and perform I should make a Beast or an Ass of him instead of a rational Man nor would he come to me voluntarily of his own accord and with a good Will nor would he be able to say I will freely sacrifice unto thee Therefore to make his coming to me a matter of choice and rational freedom I will terrifie and fright him to see whether that will drive him to Repentance and accordingly he threatened him with misery which no Mortal is able to express with everlasting Darkness and a never dying Worm and unquenchable Fire But stubborn Man nothing terrified with all these Thunders God was resolv'd to try what Promises would do and since naturally he is desirous of Riches and Honour and Pleasures and long Life God accordingly promis'd him infinite Treasures of Glory unexpressible Dignities in Heaven and such Pleasures as the Heart of Man is not able to conceive they are so big and large and overflowing and a life free not only from all evil but from any end or period and abounding
16 17 18. 3. To believe that Jesus of Nazareth who appear'd in Days of Pontius Pilate and was Crucified is that Son of God and our Redeemer and Mediator and is both God and Man in one Person Act. 10. 38. Rom. 1. 3 4. 4. To believe that without Faith Repentance and an holy Obedience to the Commands of the Gospel we have no interest in Christ's Death and the Benefits of it Heb. 5. 9. 5. To believe that there is an Heaven and Hell and Eternal Rewards and Punishments after this Life according to the good or evil Lives of Men 2 Thess. 1. 5 6 7 8 9 10. 6. To believe that the Dead Bodies of Men shall Rise again in the Great Day of Judgment 2 Tim. 2. 17 18. 7. To believe that the assistance of God's Holy Spirit in order to a sound Faith and true Repentance is a Gift which may be had by earnest Prayer Luke 11. 13. 8. To love God with all our Hearts and with all our Souls and with all our Minds i.e. with great Sincerity Matth 22. 37. 9. To rely upon God and trust in him in all dangers and necessities whatsoever and firmly to believe that all things will work for our good if we love him Rom. 8. 28. Heb. 13. 5 6. 10. To believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the revealed Word of God and to read and search and meditate in these holy Scriptures in order to know we must do to be saved John 5. 39. 11. To prefer the Will of God before the Will and Favour of Men when these two come to clash or interfere one with another Act. 5. 29. 12. To live and walk in a lively sense of God's Omniscience and Omnipresence Act. 23. Luk. 1. 75. 13. To have great high and reverend thoughts of God and conceptions suitable to his infinite Wisdom and Goodness and Power 1 Pet. 3. 15. 14. To let our Speech be always with Grace season'd with Salt that we may know how to answer every Man Col. 4. 6. 15. To be frequent and serious and attentive in praising of God and praying to him for his Help Assistance and Protection especially Night and Morning Luke 2. 37. Eph. 6. 18. 16. To walk worthy of our Baptism even in newness of Life Rom 6. 3 4. 17 To make great Conscience of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to come often to that Holy Table and to prepare and examine our selves in order to our worthy receiving of Pardon and Remission of sins 1 Cor. 11. 26 28. 18. To express willingness and alacrity in God's service and to be ready unto good Works Tit. 3. 1. 19. To have pure aims and designs in Holy Duties and good Works viz. The glory of God and the good of others Matth. 6. 22. 1 Pet. 4. 11. 20. To be zealous and fervent in Devotion and in expressing our love to God Tit. 2. 14. Rev. 3. 19. 21. To bring a very serious mind with us to the House of God and to behave our selves there with all decency and gravity 1 Cor. 11. 22. 22. To be not only a hearer of the Word but a doer of it also Jam. 1. 22. 23. To fix our Thoughts upon God in the publick Prayers of the Church and to offer to God the desires of our Hearts in joyning with the Congregatian in their Prayers Rom. 15. 6. 24. To sanctifie the Lord's Day both in private and in publick Acts 20. 7. Rev. 1. 10. 25. To be subject to Principalities and Powers and to obey Magistrates Tit. 3. 1. 26. To obey our Pastors and Teachers that have the rule over us and to submit our selves to them as those that watch for our Souls Heb. 13. 17. 27. To maintain our Ministers and to communicate to them in all good things Gal. 6. 6. 28. Faithfully to discharge the Duties of our respective Relations As 1. Husbands to love and honour their Wives Eph. 5. 25. 2. Wives to be obedient and subject to their Husbands Eph. 5. 22. 3. Parents to provide for the Souls and Bodies of their Children 1 Tim. 5. 8. 4. Children to honour their Parents all their days Eph. 6. 1. 5. Masters to encourage their Servants to Goodness and to be just in paying them their Wages Eph. 6. 9. 6. Servants to serve their Masters in singleness of heart fearing God and to please them well in all things Col. 3. 22. 7. Ministers to be patterns of good Works Tit. 2. 7. 8. Widows to trust in God and to continue in Supplications and Prayers night and day 1 Tim. 5. 5. 9. Virgins to mind those things that may please the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 7. 32. 29. To learn to be very meek and humble upon all occasions Matth. 11. 29. 30. To hunger and Thirst after Goodness and Righteousness Matth. 5. 6. 31. To purifie the Heart or inward Man from evil Desires and Affections and to season it with holy Thoughts and Contemplations Matth. 5. 8. 32. To labour to make Peace among dissenting Neighbours and to be peaceable our selves and as much as in us lies with all Men Matth. 5. 9. Rom. 12. 18. 33. To rejoyce in being reviled and persecuted for Righteousness sake Matth. 5. 11. 12. 34. To be merciful kind tender-hearted and charitable and ready to forgive Eph. 4. 32. 35. To edifie others by our Conversation and to preserve them as much as in us lies from Sin and Damnation Matth 5. 13 14. 36. To love our Enemies to bless them that curse us to do good to them that hate us and to pray for them which despitefully use us Matth. 5. 44. 37. Rather to lose our Right than quarrel and go to Law about small things Matthâ— 5. 39 40. 38. To use great simplicity in our Speeches and Answers Matth. 5. 37. 39. To give and to lend to our poor Neighbor what is reasonable Matth. 5. 42. 40. To humble our selves sometimes before God by fasting Matth. 6. 16. 41. To be confident God will provide for us in the use of honest and lawful means Matth. 6. 31. 42. To seek God's Kingdom and its Righteousness with more earnest Affections than temporal Things Matth. 6. 20 33. 43. To reform our selves before we seek to reform others Matth. 7. 5. 44. To do to others what we would have others do to us Matth. 7. 12. 45. To enter in at the strait Gate and to deny our selves in our Honour Ease and Pleasure for a better Life Matth. 7. 13. 46. To confess and own Christ and his Religion before Men Matth. 10. 32. 47. To be industrious in the discharge of the Duties of our Calling Rom. 12. 6 7 8. 48. To love without Dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. 49. To be patient in Tribulation Rom. 12. 12. 50. To rejoyce with them that do rejoyce and to weep with them that weep Rom. 12. 15. 51. To condescend to Men of low Estates Rom. 12. 16. 52. To provide things honest in the sight of all Men Rom. 12. 17. 53. To
Sacrament In such a method this Self-Examination must proceed and then it 's like to produce the effects we desire and God expects at our hands IV. But still you will say That is a very operose and laborious Business and full of intricacies and difficulties and scarce possible to be done every time a Person receives the Holy Communion especially if accidentally a Christian is to Communicate with a sick or dying Neighbour nor can Ministers themselves be supposed capable of doing all this when they are on a sudden call'd upon to administer the Holy Sacrament to persons that send for them But to give a satisfactory Answer to this point it will be necessary to lay down the reply in these following Positions 1. The Trouble is imagined to be greater than really it is If People are unwilling it is an easie matter to pretend Difficulties and Impossibilities All that I have mentioned may be done in an Hour's time or less For it is to be supposed that every Person is not guilty of all the Sins nor guilty of the Neglect of all the Duties in the preceeding Lists And how easily may a Person spy those Sins and Neglects he is prone to and then by the Rule of Queries mentioned before see how his Heart stands affected But suppose it were a Task of some difficulty Is Heaven worth nothing And is the Labour for the Body of that Consequence that the Soul deserves to be neglected What if God would not part with an Interest in his Love upon cheaper Terms Will ye refuse it and chuse to be miserable Sure you would not think so if you had been but one Moment in Hell However as I said the Task is not so laborious as is imagined by Persons who have an Aversion from Goodness 2. It is confessed that the Command about Self-Examination is general and concerns both the Good and Bad both Worthy and Unworthy Receivers both those who are void of Grace and those that are filled with the Spirit But though the Command is general and obliges the Serious as well as the Profane the Compleat as well as the Half-Christian equally yet in the manner of the Performance of it there cannot but be a very great difference because the Persons concerned do differ much in their Tempers Progress in Goodness and in their Wants and Necessities and consequently to the one it must be more laborious than to the other and the one hath reason to spend more Time in this Self-Examination than the other as he who hath suffered his House to become very full of Filth and Dirt must be at greater Cost and Pains to cleanse it than he that every Day takes care to keep it swept And therefore 3. A Man who hath led an ill Life and thinks of coming to the Table of his Lord and Master or if he have communicated formerly and after that is fallen into any grosser Sin and gone on in it when-ever he approaches had need set all the particular Sins God hath forbid in his Gospel and all the particular Duties commanded in that Book before him and ransack all the Actions of his Life he can remember to see how far he hath been from the Kingdom of God and how his Heart is now resolved and disposed As to his particular Sins and Neglects whether he intends to take up and to set his Face against them and whether it be his unfeigned Desire Purpose and deliberate Resolution to submit his Neck to the sweet and easie Yoke of Christ of whom he expects Pardon and Salvation both in this Sacrament and in the last Day And as tedious as this Self-Examination may appear to such a Person yet he may thank himself that his long Continuance and Boldness in a sinful Life hath made the Task so laborious to him And indeed till such a Man's Love to Sin and a sinful Life doth signally abate and the Byass of his Soul be changed and turned it will be necessary for him for some time at least as often as he receives the holy Sacrament to iterate and repeat this larger Self-Examination to see what Advance he makes in Holiness and whether there be not some Sins lurking in his Breast he took no notice of before But then 4. If he find that after Receiving several times his Faith and Love to the Lord Jesus Christ doth signally grow and his Relish of a sinful Life dies and a nobler Taste of the Goodness of God insinuates into his Breast as his Sins grow fewer so his Self-Examination before the holy Sacrament need not be so laborious as before it was Finding he hath gotten a setled Hatred and Abhorrency of several Sins he formerly delighted in instead of examining himself about them he hath reason to break forth into Praises and Admiration of the Goodness of God who hath delivered him from the Power of Darkness and led him to his Marvellous Light In a Word The holier the more melting towards God and Goodness the more spiritual the more obedient to the Commands of the Gospel a Man or Woman grows the less Self-Examination will serve turn for as he grows in Grace so his Errours and Infirmities abate and those which remain against his Will may be easily known and he may easily take a View of them nor will it cost him so much Time to take them into Consideration as the greater Heap of them formerly did and let him separate those Sins he hath left and got the Mastery and Conquest of from those Infirmities which yet against his Desire or Approbation cleave to him and the Remainder will soon be examined and he may soon satisfie himself whether he be resolved to labour more and more to exterminate them from his Soul and upon that Account come to the holy Sacrament to get greater Strength and Courage against them by contemplating the Love of God and the Cross the Agonies and the Tremblings the Lord Jesus endured for them The Sins a Man hath actually left need not be examined over again every time he Receives but those only he is yet very prone to slip into and would fain be rid of to become more conformable to the Lord Jesus So that 5. He that makes it the Business of his Life to please God in all Places and in all the Conditions and Concerns of his Life and is arrived to a Cordial and Practical Love of Goodness may very Conscientiously after a very small Examination of his Life and Actions especially if he be straitned in Time come to the holy Communion for the Sins he would fain be rid of he may soon run over and see whether he goes to this holy Ordinance with a Design to become more spiritual and take a final Leave of his Sins at the awful Sight of the Cross of Christ. And for this Reason not only a serious Minister of the Gospel who endeavours to lead a very Exemplary Life and to practise what he preaches but even a Conscientious Lay-man who
Confessions specifies the particular Acts wherein he hath walk'd contrary to God discovers an earnest desire to grow in Grace and in this St. Paul shews us an example 1 Tim. 1. 13. where he doth not say I have been a great Sinner but a Blasphemer spoke ill of the way to Life a Persecuter afflicted oppressed and made havock of the Churches of God injurious done great injuries to St. Stephen and to abundance of other Christians In a word such a person by his particular Confession deals faithfully with his own Soul and by mentioning the particular Diseases that annoy him manifests his earnest desire of a Cure whereas General Confessions leave the Soul ignorant dull careless and unaffected with the great Concerns of Salvation And tho' a person every time he accuses himself or confesses his Errors is not bound to enumerate all the particular Sins of his Life he can charge his Memory with yet if he never did it before it 's fit he should do it at least when first he receives the Holy Sacrament and at other times confess such fins as he finds himself most inclin'd to and most apt to harbor in his Bosom 2. These Confessions must be accompanied especially the Confessions before the Sacrament with aggravations of our Offences and with shame and confusion of Face I joyn these two together because aggravating of them is the cause of that confusion and he that reflects in his Confessions what light what knowledge what checks of Conscience what motions of God's Spirit what goodness of God what mercy what patience what promises what threatnings he hath sinn'd against what time he hathlost what opportunities he hath neglected what a gracious what a merciful God he hath offended even love it self and sweetness and beauty it self and what blessings what priviledges what advantages what offers he hath slighted will find himself obliged to have very low and mean thoughts of himself This was the Publican's case Luke 18. 13. Who standing afar off would not lift up so much as his Eyes to Heaven but smote upon his Breast saying God be merciful to me a Sinner He was ashamed and confounded His Conscience told him how unworthily he had dealt with his Creator how strangely he had carried himself to God his best and greatest Friend how unthankful and how base he had been to his most gracious Benefactor and how strangely he had carried himself to the best of Beings He was confounded with the thoughts of his vileness and conscious of his guilt he â—ast his eyes to the ground unable to look his offended Father in the Face His Heart was full of grief Sorrow fate heavy on his Soul and though his Tongue could not express his particular acts of injustice oppression pride anger and greediness after the World yet his Mind confess'd them thought of them his Heart was ready to break at the dismal sight and this was a very acceptable Confession 3. These Confessions must be joyned with invincible purposes to endeavour after a better and more Spiritu-Temper So the wise Man tells us He that confesses his Sins and forsakes theâ— shall find mercy Prov. 28. 13. Without this Qualification our Confessions are mere Lip-services and rceive not one gracious Look from above nay are accounted no better than Israel's Devotion Hos. 10. 1. Israel is an empty Vine He brings forth fruit unto himself Why unto himself The reason is because in that fruit he aim'd not so much at God's Glory as his own Profit Nor was any Person the better for it the design was selfish it was just to satisfie the present terror within no love of God lay at the bottom the ground of all was self-love and God had nothing to do with it The same may justly be said of him that confesses but is not concern'd whether his Flesh be subdued to the Spirit or not Such a Confession is his own invention it is not that Confession which God requires If he confesses it must not be to himself for God regards it not and indeed till this actual endeavour to forsake them is added to the Confession our Sins continue still in God's Books of Accompt look still as black as ever not one of them is blotted out for the enmity against God is still maintained and whilst that lasts it naturally follows that God and we cannot be friends III. The second act of judging our selves is upon this Confession to condemn our selves And indeed if the Soul be truly awake and the Heart sincerely sensible of its errors and miscarriages the Penitent cannot but condemn himself and acknowledge that the Judgments threatned in the word of God are due to him and cry Ah! my God and my Lord Who shall deliver me from the Body of this death from this confluence of Misery I have deserv'd with Adam to be thrown out of Paradise and to be for ever forbid eating of the Tree of Life I have deserv'd to drown'd with the first World or to be consumed for ever as Sodom and Gomorrah I have deserved the sudden and unnatural death of Nadab and Abihu to be stoned with Achan to be struck with Leprosie as Miriam to be swallowed up â—live by the Earth as Dathan and Abiram I have deserv'd Manasseh's Prison and Zedekiah's Chains and what is worse the everlasting Chains of Darkness I acknowledge that I have deserved it should be more tolerable for Infidels in the Great Day than for me for I have seen the mighty works of God and continu'd a stranger to Repentance I have deserved to be called upon at Midnight as that careless Man Thou Fool this Night thy Soul shall be required of thee and whose shall be which thou hast provided To this Wretch that is before thee belongs nothing but Wrath and Indignation On this Head of mine thou mightest justly discharge the Ordinance of Justice and pour out the Vials of thy Wrath On me thou mightest justly rain snares and Fire and Brimstone I have deserv'd to be plagued with Diseases tormented with grievous Pain haunted by panick Terrors If any of these Judgments do not fall upon mee it is thy Patience not my Goodness and I may wonder I have escaped them all this while I have deserved to be made a Prey to that Devil whose Temptations I have swallow'd with Greediness Instead of rejoycing over me to build me up thou mightest justly rejoyce over me to destroy me Justly O Lord thou mightest send upon me trembling of Heart and fainting of Eyes and sorrow of Mind I have deserv'd that my Life should hang in doubt before me that I should fear day and night that in the Morning I should say Would God it were Even and at Even Would God it were Morning Mercy Lord I have deserved none The Crums that fall from thy Table are Blessings too good for me if I deserve any thing it is thy Rod thy Scourges thy Waves thy Billows and a horrible Tempest To condemn is the proper act of a
rejoyce in nothing so much as in this that I love thee XX. O my bountiful Saviour O my loving Redeemer When when shall it be that I shall love thee perfectly Here on Earth I must not hope for this Happiness but in Heaven I shall O Heaven Heaven How desirable art thou Where the Love of Jesus shall eternally reign in my Soul Where my Love shall be perfectly pure perfectly Seraphick perfectly Extatical and Eternal Ages shall not alter it At present I am in Prison encompassed with a Mortal Body and must sojourn in a wicked World Oh when will that Day that Hour that Minute that happy Time come that I shall be delivered from this Dungeon and translated to that place where Love is all in all where Love knows no End no Decay no Period where it is pure without Mixture invariable without Changes eternal without ceasing Come Lord Jesu Come quickly Particular Acts of Devotion at the Acts of Consecration and Receiving of the Consecrated Bread and Wine At the Minister's pouring out the holy Wine into the Cup. O Jesu Who can think of the flowing of thy Blood without being desirous to be washed with it Or I fancy I do at this present stand under thy Cross and see thee bleeding for my Sins Or Oh. Let thy Blood flow upon my wounded Soul that I may become a sound Member of thy Mystical Body At the Minister's laying his Hand upon the Bread O Blessed Saviour Lay thy Hand upon my Soul that all my Distempers may depart from me Or Oh lay hold on my Soul as the Angel did on Lot Save me from the Flames and let me escape into the Mount of God that I perish not At the Minister's Breaking the Bread Lord Jesu In suffering thy Body to be broken for my Sins I see the Vehemence the Strength and Fervour of thy Love Oh make me all Love all Fervour all Charity Or Oh break the united Forces of my Sins scatter them by thy mighty Arm. Gather the broken Planks of Vertue in my Soul unite them make them whole and strong and secure against the Fury of Winds and Tempests At the Minister's pronouncing the Words This is my Body Lord Let me look off from these material Things and shew me Things invisible and Heavenly Or O Lord The Benefits of thy wounded Body my Soul longs for Oh say They shall be thy Portion At the Minister's touching the Cup. Lord Touch my Soul that it may feel the Power of thy Super-abundant Charity Or Oh! Touch me as thou didst the Blind of old that I may see the Bowels of thy Compassion and rejoyce in the glorious Sight At the Minister's pronouncing the Words This is my Blood Lord My Soul wants Wine of another nature than is in this Cup Oh wash it and cleanse it and purifie it in thy Blood Or Lord Speak thou to my Soul and say I will be thou clean At the Receiving of the Bread Lord Let thy Death be my Life And the Bread represented by this Bread feed me into Everlasting Life Or Lord As thou hast provided Food for my Soul so give me a Taste and Relish also of this Food and a Tongue to praise thy Name for ever Or Lord As thou hast given thy Body for me so I freely offer my Soul and Body as Living Sacrifices to thy Majesty At the Receiving of the Cup. Lord Nothing is more precious than thy Blood Oh! Let it warm my Heart that it may comply with thy Will wlthout wavering Or Lord Bid me look upon thy Blood and in thy Blood upon the Reconciliation wrought by it to the Comfort and Edification of my Soul Or O Lord I am heavy laden and my Pollutions are great And as thy Blood alone can remove that Burthen so free me from those Spots and Wrinkles which make me look deformed in thy Sight CHAP. XXVIII Of the proper Acts of Devotion after we have Received The CONTENTS The Time that is left after our Personal Receiving before all have Communicated not to be spent in Gazing or Looking about Acts of Devotion to be used after Receiving and relating to the Wisdom Mercy Liberality Love Goodness Greatness and Majesty of God to our own Vileness and Unworthiness c. IT falls out so often that when we have Communicated and our Souls have been fed at this Table a considerable Space of Time remains before the united Praises and Thanksgivings of the Congregation begin again This Time be it more or less must not be spent in looking about or in sitting still or in thinking of what Objects our Fancy is pleased to offer and present to us but in holy Aspirations And that the Communicant may know how to employ himself in that Interval it may not be amiss to set down some pious and proper Ejaculations whereby he may exercise his Mind according as Time will permit I. O God! Thy Love in Christ Jesus deserves to be praised admired and magnified There is all that in it which can engage a Soul to break forth into Praises and Hallelujahs There is Beauty Wisdom Condescention Mercy Liberality Sweetness Power Greatness Majesty in it and all these in the highest Degree which would force even a dumb Man to speak of thy Glory II. I adore thee O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity for that infinite Care of my immortal Soul which I see in all thy Proceedings and Transactions and particularly in the Cross of my dearest Redeemer Here thou seemest to empty all thy Stores and pourest out thy Grace abundantly upon the Heads and Hearts of thy Servants Behold Bless ye the Lord all ye Servants of the Lord which by Night stand in the House of the Lord Lift up your Hands in the Sanctuary and bless the Lord. The Lord that made Heaven and Earth hath blessed us out of Zion III. O Charming Son of God! I alone am not able sufficiently to praise thee and therefore I wish that every Drop of the Ocean every Grain of Sand every Leaf of the Trees of the Field and every Sprig of Herbs and all the Creatures that ever were or are or shall be might be turn'd into Seraphick Tongues to praise thee IV. O Jefu When I behold thy wonderful Love how it hath bowed how it hath stooped to so mean a Creature as I am the Thoughts of it force my Soul into the humblest and deepest Prostrations Thou art Beauty I am Deformity Thou art Wisdom I am Ignorance Thou art Light I am Darkness Thou art Omnipotence I am feeble Thou art Purity I am Filth and Dung Thou art rich I am Poverty it self Thou art happy I am Misery it self Thou art Perfection I am Weakness Thou art All in All I am nothing V. O Blessed Saviour When I see how Men fall in love with a mortal and fading Beauty which to Day shines bright as the Sun to Morrow by Sickness or Death is all tarnish'd and decay'd how do I blame my self that I do not love thee better whose
Beauty like thy Crown is immarcessible Ages cannot change it neither Heat nor Cold can alter it Thou art beautiful in thy Body beautiful in thy Soul but infifinitely beautiful in thy Divinity Nothing deserves to be loved or praised if thou dost not VI. Oh how blind are poor Mortals who are so very fond of Honours Riches curious Palaces Gardens Pleasures Musick Rarities Colours Herbs Flowers Stones and Minerals Great Conqueror of my Soul Thou art more honourable more amiable more sweet more pleasant more agreeable more delicious more harmonious to my Soul than all these Thy Excellency cannot by searching be found out VII O Lamb of Gd With the Four and Twenty Elders I fall down before thy Throne and cry Blessing and Praise and Honour and Wisdom be unto the Lamb for ever and ever for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation VIII O God of Glory I beseech thee remove from me all those things which would hinder me from glorifying thee Remove from me an unsteady Mind that I may glorifie thee in Poverty as well as in Plenty in Adversity as well as Prosperity in Desertions as well as in Consolations in Disgrace as well as in Honour Let me look upon both Conditions as coming from the same good Hand of Providence and let that be an everlasting Motive to me to shew forth thy Glory IX O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ I desire to glorifie thee in this World and in that to come with Men here and with Angels hereafter Give me the Grace of Continuance in magnifying thy Name thy Goodness and thy Charity while I am in this barren Wilderness that I may not fail of being admitted to the Regions of the Blessed where I may praise and magnifie thee World without end X. O Jesu Why art thou so lovely so beautiful so amiable but that I might love thee But I cannot love thee of my self Thy Love must give me Power and sow the Seeds of Reciprocal Love in my Soul O Love O Desire of my Soul Oh do not do that Injury to thy infinite Perfections as to let me live without being passionately enamoured with thee XI O God who hast promised that the Needy shall not always be forgotten that the Expectation of the Poor shall not perish for ever Look upon me a poor needy Wretch and give me those Riches I desire and without which I must ever count my self most miserably poor even the Riches of thy Love which whoever does enjoy hath enough and more than the richest Princes can pretend to XII Who would not praise thee O thou great Redeemer of Men Seven times a Day will I praise thee because of thine infinite Charity Morning and Evening and at Noon will I praise thee because thou hast bought me with Blood Oh that Men would praise the Lord for his Goodness and for his wonderful Works to the Children of Men. The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock and let the God of my Salvation be exalted He delivers me from mine Enemies yea thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me Therefore will I give Thanks unto thee O Lord and sing Praises unto thy Name for ever CHAP. XXIX Of the Life we are to lead after we have receiv'd the Holy Communion The CONTENTS The Life to be led after Receiving a Reasonable Service Wherein that Service consists The necessity of it Men that are in an unconverted State live below their Reason The Generality of Men very rational in Temporal Concerns but very unreasonable in Things belonging to their Everlasting Peace The Prayer I. THough from the Premises any Man may guess what life it is that a Christian who hath engaged himself to God in this Sacrament and vow'd Faith and Allegiance to the King of Saints is to live after it yet to make these instructions complete I shall briefly add some Memorandums that are to be observed in our future Conversation and though in the foregoing Discourse I have often occasionally mention'd such a thing as a REASONABLE SERVICE yet it 's time I should now press it with great earnestness there being nothing more proper nothing more equitable after such solemn engagements than this Service and if we examine what it is it will be found to consist In these following particulars 1. In an happy agreement of our profession and actions of our belief and practices of our Principles and Conversation where our Profession is of one colour and our Practice of another where our Tongues speak one thing and our Lives another there I need not tell you how we involve our selves in a palpable contradiction Things contradictory mutually destroy each other A thing that is cold cannot at the same time be hot and what is black at the same time and under the same respects cannot be white and consequently where the Actions contradict our Principles the Actions destroy our Principles and in God's account we deny the Principles too by denying the consequences which are the actions that should naturall issue from those Principles and he that hath very good Principles but allows himself in bad Actions cannot be partly good and partly bad but is wholly bad which makes the Holy Ghost call all those Vnbelievers which profess the true Worship of God and dishonour it by their Lives Heb. 3. 17 18 19. But where I do believe that God is my Supreme Governor and therefore prefers his Will and Favour before the Will and Favour of Men when these two interfere and are contrary to one another Where I do believe that neither Fornicators nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God and therefore will not be perswaded by all the gain and profit of the World to venture upon any of these Sins If I believe that my Soul is worth more than a whole World and therefore will not wrong my better part though I might have the Riches of the Indies for doing it If I believe that if I am ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and of observing his Laws the Son of God will certainly be ashamed of me in the last day and thereupon take courage to act like a Man that believes it and stand up for the Glory and Honour of my God with Humility and Modesty in despight of all the reproaches and contempt of the World If I profess and believe that if I love not the Lord Jesus Christ so as to testifie my Love in my obedience to him I shall be for ever banish'd from the Glorious Presence of God and thereupon express my Love in thinking of him in Honouring and Esteeming him within and without if I believe that except my Righteousness exceeds the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees I shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and thereupon actually shun those Sins which the Pharisees made
and Feet and Gestures and Behaviour thy Reason Memory and Passion should all be at his beck move by his prescription act according to his appointment be seasoned with his Grace and conducted by his Wisdom If thou art content that all shall go rather than his Favour if his Love or a share in it be dearer to thee than the dearest of all outward enjoyments be of good cheer it 's a good sign and thou mayst rationally infer that thou art in Covenant with thy Lord and hast a right to all the priviledges that are annex'd to it for thy encouragement V. And here we may justly reflect what a mercy it is to be in Covenant with God a mercy indeed which no Tongue can express nay no Apollos neither as eloquent as he was can describe no Tertullus no Cicero no Demosthenes represent according to its worth a mercy which no Man knows save he who receives it a mercy weich fills the Tongues of departed Saints with praises a mercy which unhappy Souls that groan among Devils would give Millions for if they had them a mercy which sweetens all Conditions makes Sickness easie and Iron Chains sit soft mitigates pain and tempers grief and anguish A mercy which made the penitent Publican stand confounded amaz'd the humble Magdalen caused St. Paul to go chearfully through Stripes and Imprisonment and encouraged the Believers of old to defie death and torments He that is in Covenant with God enjoys all that Son of God enjoys though not as yet in fruition and possession yet in title and reversion God the Father carries him on his Wings as the Eagle doth her young the Eternal Son of God is his faithful Friend The Holy Spirit of God speaks to him in the still voice of peace and comfort He that is in this Covenant is safe in the midst of Spears and Arrows safe when he goes through the Water safe when he passes through the Fire safe when the Waves do roar safe when Hell gapes upon him safe in a Storm safe at Sea safe on the Shore safe in his Life safe in his Death God is concern'd for him in all his afflictions He is afflicted The Lord Jesus is touch'd with his infirmities and the Spirit of God makes intercessions for him with groans that cannot be utter'd In a word there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus to them that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 1. The PRAYER O God! whose pity is infinite whose compassion knows no bounds How shall I extol thy Humiliation How shall I admire thy condescension to this poor Worm Will God the Great the omnipotent God look upon such an one as I Wilt thou enter into a Covenant with this lump of Clay wilt thou tye and oblige thy self to do me good The Favour is wonderful I could not have thought it possible but that thou hast most graciously revealed it to me I believe Lord help my unbelief Behold I am Servant the Son the Daughter of thine Handmaid Be it unto me according unto thy Word I accept of thy offer I count my self happy that I may be admitted into Covenant with thee I renounce the Devil and all his Works Thou shalt be my Master my Father my Guide my Director my King and my God my Master to command me my Father to counsel me my Guide to lead me my Director to conduct me my King to rule me my God to dispose of me as thou pleasest I will know no Will but thy Will By the Blood of the Covenant unite my Will to thy Will Grant me to desire what thou delightest in desiring to search after it searching to know it and knowing it to fulfil it Make me O Lord for thou alone canst do it make me Obedient without contradiction Holy without defection Chast without corruption Patient without murmuring Humble without dissimulation Chearful without licentiousness Sorrowful without dejection Grave without affectation nimble in Religion without lightness Fearful without despair Upright without Hypocrisie and fruitful in good Works without presumption Give me a watchful Heart a Heart not easily drawn away by vain imaginations a Heart unbroken by afflictions unaffected with the vanities of the World that may not swell with prosperity nor sink in adversity Grant me understanding to know thee diligence to seek thee wisdom to find thee a readiness to please thee perseverance to wait for thee and confidence at last to embrace thee O Holy and Eternal Spirit I depend upon thy assistance Make me faithful to my God faithful to my Neighbour faithful to mine own Soul faithful in my Calling faithful in the discharge of my Duty faithful in my Promises faithful in my Conversation faithful in my Love faithful in my Obedience faithful in thy House faithful in mine own faithful unto Death that I may obtain a Crown of Life through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen CHAP. XV. Of frequent receiving the Holy Communion and the necessity of it The ONTENTS Frequent coming to the Lord's Table the Practise of the Primitive Christians Receiving every Lord's Day an universal observance Different Customs in different Churches Decay of a good life the cause of Communicating seldom The necessity of frequent Communicating shewn in four particulars as the Eucharist is a great preservative against Sin an engagement to emulate Christ's Virtues a Motive to Charity and the frequent coming a thing very pleasing to God Inquiry made how often a conscientious Christian is bound to Communicate The measures of that Obligation to be taken partly from the Orders of the Church we live in and partly from the fervency of our love to Christ. An Objection drawn from the danger of contempt and disesteem of the Ordinance if we come often answered Arguments to prove that lawful business in the World is no just impediment of Communicating frequently An Expostulation pressing frequent Receiving The frequent Communicant an Object of Divine Mercy The Prayer I. THough the Example of the Primitive Believers is not properly a Law yet we may have leave to infer so much from it that being well acquainted with the Will of Christ and his Apostles in those Practises especially which were universal we ought not without very urgent reasons to depart from that Pattern and if this Rule hold frequent communicating at the Lords Table will become if not absolutely necessary yet highly useful and expedient since it was the practise of the best of Men in the best of Ages and of this the Acts of the Holy Apostles give us a very large account particularly Ch. 2. 42. 46. which place being generally understood of the Eucharist it must follow that the Believers did daily participate of it But this seems to have been a custom peculiar to the Church of Jerusalem for though St. â—yprian St. Chrysostom and St. Austin speak of some places in their time where the daily Sacrifice was celebrated yet even in the Apostles days we find other Churches did