our Repentance be unfeigned and rest neither in confessing our Sins nor sorrowing for them nor begging Pardon nor in any thing else till it come up to a hatred of Sin and a full Resolution to forsake it When it is come to this we will be very angry at our own Folly that we have so long continued in it very thankful to God for any Chastisement thinking our selves mercifully dealt with whatever our Condition be so long as we are not in Hell use cheerfully all helps and means how hard or sharp soever to mortifie our Lusts thank any man that will reprove us and shew us our Faults watch diligently against all Temptations avoid carefully all occasions of Sin observe jealously our Thoughts Words and Actions pray devoutly for more Grace and Strength abridge our selves of many things lawful and punish our selves by crossing our own Wills not be ashamed to make publick satisfaction to the Church where it is required nor to open our Breasts freely to the Guide of our Souls for our own Satisfaction We will do any thing or suffer any thing to prevent sinning against God These helps to Self-examination might here have been omitted had I cause enough to believe that they for whose Ease and Benefit they are chiefly design'd had made as good use of my little Book called Christianity in short as I could wish they had made Those Summaries of Faith and Duty which there they have might have served them for this purpose And here I think fit to give my Readers notice that I suppose it would be very beneficial to their Souls once a Week or Fortnight or at least when they have examined themselves in order to this Sacrament with the greatest Seriousness and Devotion to use that form of Resigning themselves to God and renewing their Covenant with him which they have at the end of that small Book CHAP. VI. How to examine whether we be rightly disposed for the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper IF we be Christians we have a right to this Sacrament yet that we may profit the more by it we are more particularly to examine our selves both how we understand it and how suitable our Affections are unto it I. We are to try how we understand the Nature Ends and Benefits of this divine Ordinance To which end we are duely to consider the Institution of it as it is recorded in Scripture St. Matthew tells us that as they were eating Iesus took Bread and blessed it St. Luke saith he gave Thanks and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body St. Luke addeth Which is given for you this do in Remembrance of me and St. Paul saith which is broken for you c. And he took the Cup and gave Thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it for this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sins St. Luke saith This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you And St. Paul saith This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood This do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew or shew ye the Lord's Death till he come By these Words of the Evangelists and St. Paul we may understand what the meaning and use of this Sacrament is 1. It is a holy Christian Feast not much unlike the Feast of the Passover among the Iews at which this was instituted by Christ. When they were in Bondage in Egypt God in order to their Deliverance destroyed all the first-born in Egypt commanding them to kill in each Family a Lamb and to strike the Blood thereof upon the Door-posts of their Houses and so to feast upon it promising that when he saw the Blood he would pass over their Houses and not destroy their first-born In thankful Remembrance whereof they yearly kept the like Feast called therefore the Lord 's Passover Thus by the Sin of Adam we being all brought into Bondage and Slavery under Satan it pleased God to destroy the Power of the Devil and deliver us by the Death of JESUS CHRIST the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World to redeem us by his precious Blood as of a Lamb without Blemish and without Spot so that Christ is our Passover sacrificed for us Therefore are we to keep the Feast eating our Passover the Body and Blood of Christ in a thankful Remembrance of this our Redemption and Deliverance by his once offering himself to God a Sacrifice for our Sins In like manner when according to the Law Men sacrificed Peace-offerings unto God they were allowed to feast before God on part of the same to signifie that God now admitted them to an intimate Communion and Friendship with himself feasting them at his own Table of that meat which by their Oblation was now in a special manner his So Christ whom all the Sacrifices of the Law did shadow forth and typifie being offered once for all a Sacrifice of Atonement for our Sins calleth us Christians to feast upon this Sacrifice though it was a Sin-offering and even upon the Blood of it as the Iews were not allowed to do in their Feasts in token of a more intimate Communion and Friendship with God through him who hath made our Peace This Sacrament then is a sacred Feast and that upon the sacrificed Body and Blood of Christ and as bodily we eat and drink the broken Bread and poured-out Wine the Symbols of his Body and Blood so spiritually we eat his crucified Body and drink his poured-out Blood 2. The great end of this Feast is to keep up in the Christian Church a fresh and joyful Remembrance of Iesus Christ and of all that he did and suffered in the Flesh for us This do saith he in remembrance of me It is his Pleasure that we more signally and solemnly commemorate thus the Sacrifice of his Death by a lively Representation of it at this Feast of Love and so shew his Death till he come 1. We shew it hereby to our own Hearts for the stirring them up to an holy rejoycing in Christ praising him believing in him loving him and obeying him and to bring them to true Repentance and a perfect hatred of Sin which crucified the Lord of Glory 2. We shew it to the World declaring to the Honour of our holy Iesus what great things he hath done for our Souls that we are not ashamed of a crucified Saviour that we glory before the World and rejoyce in him that he is the Food and Gladness of our Souls that we are resolved to be faithful unto him whilst we live and are ready to dye a bloody Death for him if he shall call us to it 3. We shew it unto God laying before him in our Prayers the Death of his only
so will I compass thine Altar O God I come O my God I come for whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee O hide not thy comfortable Presence from me ¶ Then humbly joyn in the Confession of Sins saying after the Minister and receive in the humblest Posture the Absolution as from Christ himself interceding for you at God's right hand and blessing you Draw Comfort from the Sentences of Scripture read unto you and lift up your Hearts with joyful Praises unto God as you are called upon to do heartily joyning in the following Devotions When the Minister consecrateth the Elements fix your Eye upon the whole Action and your Heart upon your crucified Jesus considering with what Pains and Tortures on the Cross he finished your Redemption When the Minister draweth near you with the Bread say Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me ¶ When you take the Bread say With all Humility and Thankfulness of heart I take this sacred Pledge of thy Love O dearest Saviour Be it according to thy Word with thy crucified Body feed my Soul to Life eternal ¶ Then eating the Bread say O Father Son and Holy Ghost one God blessed for ever I am wholly thine and not my own reign in me rule over me O blessed Iesus now and for ever By thee I live through thee let me grow in Grace and Goodness Keep me from hungring any more after Sin and Vanity Lord evermore give me this Bread till thou bring me to thy eternal Supper in thy Kingdom of Glory ¶ Receiving the Cup say I will receive the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. ¶ Having drunk of it say My Soul was a-thirst for the living God let thy Blood O holy Lamb of God cleanse me and this whole Congregation from all Sin Let thy holy Spirit be in us a Well of living Water springing up into everlasting Life I have confessed my Sin and thou art faithful and just to forgive my Sin and to cleanse me from all Unrighteousness Take now my blessed Lord a full and everlasting possession of thy dear Purchase As I believe we have Redemption through thy Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins so do I here deny my self and resolve by thy Assistance to follow thee even unto Death And O thou God of Peace that brought'st again from the dead our Lord Iesus Christ that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant feed govern and protect thy whole Flock the Universal Church make us perfect in every good Work to do thy Will working in us that which is well-pleasing in thy Sight through Iesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen ¶ During the time of the Distribution if no Psalm be sung or if a Psalm be sung then during the Oblation or at any other vacant times employ your selves in such Meditations as these following O how wonderful is the Love of God! How doth the Lord triumph in his Goodness and rejoyce in his Mercy We that have a thousand times over deserved to be weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth in everlasting Fire are here admitted to feast and rejoyce at the Table of the Lord. O astonishing Love of the blessed Iesus O abominable Sins of us rebellious Wretches Was thy holy Body my dearest Lord and God thus broken and torn they precious Blood thus shed and poured out for our sinful Souls And shall we not abhor those cursed Sins of ours and with all due Hatred and Indignation cast them off for ever Shall we not renounce all Kindness to our beastly Lusts loath our selves for our Iniquities and give our selves entirely to thy Service which is perfect Freedom for evermore O ravishing Love that moved the eternal Son of God to rescue us from everlasting Torments by the sharpest Pains and Tortures of his spotless Body and the bitterest Agonies of his purest Soul That moved the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to condescend unto Sufferings Shame and Death and to be made a Curse for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Wast thou O blessed Saviour content for our sake to be despised and rejected of men to become a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief and have we so long hid as it were our Faces from thee Hast thou been despised and yet have not we esteemed thee Surely thou hast born ou◠Griefs and carried our Sorrows thou wast wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our Peace was upon thee and with thy Stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on thee the Iniquity of us all Thou wast oppressed and afflicted yet did'st thou not open thy Mouth thou wast brought as a Lamb dumb to the Slaughter thou wast cut off out of the Land of the Living for the Transgression of thy People wast thou stricken O holy Iesus I do most stedfastly believe that thou art the Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World that thou hast in thine own Body born our Sins upon the Tree and that in the Body of thy Flesh through Death thou hast reconciled us who were Enemies to present us holy and unblameable in God's sight Thou wast not ashamed to call us Brethren and because the Children are Partakers of Flesh and Blood thou 〈◊〉 thy self tookest part of the same and through Death hast destroy'd him that had the power of Death the Devil We have not an High-priest which cannot be touch'd with a feeling of our Infirmities but was in all Points tempted as we are yet without Sin Therefore may we come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Thou O blessed Iesus being made perfect through Sufferings art become the Author of Salvation unto all that obey thee O Lord I poor Sinner fly for Refuge to lay hold on the Hope now set before us Thou art able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by thee seeing thou ever livest to make Intercession for us By thine own Blood hast thou entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us Thou art entered into Heaven it self now to appear in the Presence of God for us Thou art our Advocate with the Father the Propitiation for our Sins and we look for thee to appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation O Lord seeing thou hast given us Boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Iesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh and having such an High-priest over thine House I here draw near with a true Heart in full Assurance of Faith having my Heart
that his Name may be glorified his Church may flourish in Truth and Purity and Peace and Love may abound amongst Christians Some short Directions and Prayers WHen you go to examine your Faith by the help I have herein given you or some other fall humbly before God on your Knees and heartily say O most glorious God who madest me that I might know thee and knowing thee might love thee and loving thee might be for ever happy in thy Love I poor Sinner do here most humbly bewail and confess my great and alas too willful Ignorance of thee O! for his sake whom thou hast sent to call us out of Darkness into Light by his Gospel even JESUS CHRIST in whom dwell all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge enlighten my dark Soul by thy Word and holy Spirit with the saving Knowledge of the Truth and incline my Heart firmly to believe it even to the end Remove from me all prejudice and blindness of Heart let not the God of this World any longer darken the Eyes of my Understanding or delude my poor Soul to believe a Lye or possess me with a desire of vain Knowledge which profiteth not unto Godliness but enable me daily to grow in all Grace and the Knowledge of thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Help me at this time to discern my Errors and the Imperfections in my Knowledge and Faith and to correct them Strengthen me to hold fast without wavering the form of sound Words which thou teachest and not Man that persevering stedfast in the same unto the Death I may receive the end of my Faith even the Salvation of my Soul through Iesus Christ my blessed Lord and Saviour Amen At the end of every Question consider well and if you find you so believe say For ever blessed be God who hath enlighten'd my Soul with the Knowledge of this sacred Truth and Faith in him O Lord encrease this Knowledge and confirm this Faith in me unto the end If you doubt in any point note it well and say O Lord pardon thy Servant I am weak and blind open mine Eyes what I know not teach thou me by thy holy Spirit guide me into all the Truth for Iesus Christ his sake Having noted all your Doubts take a fit opportunity to consult your Pastor for better Instruction At the end of this Examination thus pray O most blessed God if my Heart deceive me not I firmly believe all that I know of thy sacred Truth Thou know'st O Lord the scantness of my Knowledge and weakness of my Faith I most heartily beseech thee to pardon my Imperfections to keep me from Heresie and Error and to strengthen me daily in the true Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ. Let me not rest in an idle and dead Faith but make it lively and active in me purifying my Heart from all Hypocrisie and Uncleanness kindling in me a fervent Love to thee and to thy Laws working in me by Love an universal Obedience to thy blessed Will enabling me to overcome the World subdue the Flesh with the Lusts thereof to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil to resist all his Temptations unto Victory to be conformed daily more and more to the Image of Christ to be strong against all Sufferings and the Terrors of Death and finally to lay hold on eternal Life through thy Mercy and the Merits of my blessed Saviour Iesus Christ. Amen When you are to examine your Repentance and Obedience pray to this sense Most great and good Good the searcher of Hearts and trier of the Reins who art every where present and from whom no Darkness can hide us thou compassest my Path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways there is not a word in my Tongue nor a thought in my Heart but thou know'st it altogether My heart O God is deceitful above all things and I cannot find it out neither understand the errors of my ways nor the sincerity of my Purposes without the help of thy holy Spirit Help me O my God help me I beseech thee to know my self and the true frame and temper of my Soul shew thou me wherein I have offended thee in Thought Word or Deed grant me a true and a humbling sight and sense of all my Sins let not my Ignorance blind me nor self-love beguile me nor the common practice of the World delude me into a false Opinion of my self and my own Righteousness but enable me I humbly beseech thee to find out all my Sins together with all the Aggravations of my Guilt make me truly vile in mine own Eyes and heartily sorry for all my Failings enable me to hate and forsake every evil way and to turn unto thee by an unfeigned Repentance and a sincere Obedience to all thy holy and good Laws that I may have my fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life through Iesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen After every Question pause a while and impartially judge your self and where you think you have done any part of your Duty say Blessed be my good God through Iesus Christ who by his holy Spirit hath enabled me either to will or to do any good thing in his Sight O Lord I have done all very weakly and imperfectly and most humbly beg thy pardon If I have done any thing well not unto me O Lord not unto me thy very unprofitable Servant but unto thy Name be the Glory through Iesus Christ my Lord. Where you see your sin lay it in earnest to your Heart and say O Lord I have herein sinned most grievously against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Child God be merciful to me poor Sinner who deserve nothing but Hell and Damnation O grant me Repentance unto Life and enter not into Judgment with thy Servant but pardon my Sin and lead me in the ways of thy Commandments to eternal life through Iesus Christ. If you have offended or injured any man note it well and take some sit time to confess it to him satisfie him and beg his Pardon If your Sin be publick and scandalous think not you have done enough till you have publickly testified your Repentance as the Church shall require it of you When you are in any doubt resort again to the Minister confess your Sin freely to him and crave his Iudgment and Directions After Examination pray earnestly to this effect O most holy and just God who perfectly hatest all Iniquity and will not have Mercy on any impenitent Sinner how should so vile and polluted a Wretch as I am dare so much as to take thy holy Name into my defiled Mouth O Lord I am a most grievous and abominable Sinner and do altogether deserve thy fierce Wrath and heavy Indignation It is a very great wonder of Mercy that thou sufferest me yet to live and hast not long since cast me into Hell and given me the
Son When we lay polluted in our Filth and odious to thy pure Eyes thou opened'st for us in his precious Blood a Fountain for Sin and for Uncleanness Thou hast not disdain'd to admit me poor Sinner into thy holy Church and Family by Baptism and into a sacred Covenant of Grace and Peace with thy self through the Blood of the blessed Mediator And even now after so many careless and even willful Violations of this holy Covenant thy Mercy follows me with fresh Offers of Reconciliation and thou hast invited me to a Feast of Love in thy House and at thy own Table and on the Body and Blood of thine own dear Son and my blessed Redeemer O my most bountiful God how long have I plaid the ed Prodigal and pleased my self in Sin and Vanity and delighted in disobeying thy Commandments How often have I set light by the Bread of Life in the House of my Father and preferred the Trash of this World before it How often have I boldly and presumptuously without due Preparation approached unto thy holy Table And how often have I return'd thence with the same unclean Heart and unmortified Lusts which I carried thither When I consider this I tremble to think what Entertainment such a monstrous Sinner as I have been might expect from thee O let me not any longer through Impenitence and Negligence lose the Benefits of thy rich Mercy in Iesus Christ. For his sake pardon all my former Neglects Misbehaviours and Breaches of Covenant with thee and grant me now good God I beseech thee such a measure of thy Grace as may fit me for this sacred Ordinance Once more most blessed God I am preparing to come at thy gracious Call but what can I do without thy Help I am clogged with Sin and Corruption I have suffered my Lusts to get the upper hand and to lead me Captive O! shew thy Strength in my weakness pull down every proud and unruly thing in me that exalteth it self against thy holy Spirit strengthen me henceforward for ever to do thy Will Awaken and stir up my dull Affections to love thee and praise thee for thy wonderful love in redeeming us by the Sacrifice of thy beloved Son O Lord I do now renew most heartily my so often broken Vows and Promises to be wholly thine O Father Son and Holy Ghost for evermore Accept of me O my God and let not my great Unworthiness provoke thee to reject thy poor Servant whose Soul panteth after thee Enable me amongst those that keep Holyday in thy House worthily to shew forth the Death of our blessed Iesus even as he hath commanded us in a joyful and truly thankful Remembrance of his inestimable Love in an absolute and entire Dedication of our selves to his Service and Government in a total Reliance upon thy Mercy through his Merits in a cordial Love to him our Head to all his Members yea to all Mankind and even our Enemies for his sake And do thou O merciful Father for thy dear Son's sake herein seal unto our Souls the Pardon of all our Sins confirm and strengthen us in all Grace and Goodness and bring us by the constant and conscientious use of this and all other Instruments of Grace to everlasting Life through Iesus Christ our Lord in whose holy Words I farther beg whatever is needful for my self and for thy whole Church Our Father c. A Prayer after receiving this Sacrament O Father of Mercies and God of all Comforts I have this day tasted and seen that thou art good and that thy Mercy endureth for ever It is well seen O God that thou delightest not in the Death of a Sinner seeing thou vouchsafest so vile a Sinner as I am to feast my hungry Soul at thy Table and to drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures For ever blessed be thy Goodness and praised for evermore be thy Mercies to us poor Sinners in the Lord Christ Iesus O let the deep sense of this thy wonderful Love ever rest upon my Heart Let the spiritual Relish of this heavenly Feast so delight my Soul as to render all Sin and Vanity unsavoury and loathsome to it for ever Let this great Grace and Favour of admitting me this day to renew my Covenant with thee after so many Breakin gs of it oblige me to constant Thankfulness and continual Obedience to the greatest watchfulness over my Heart◠and Circumspection in all my ways And as I have been shewing the Death of Christ in this holy Sacrament in the midst of the Congregation so give me Grace and Strength to shew it daily in a Christian Life and Conversation and in the continual mortifying and crucifying of my sinful Affections and Lusts. Enable me to resist and vanquish all those Temptations to Sin whereby I have been formerly conquered O holy Iesus I have given my Heart to thee this day take I beseech thee such a full Possession of it by thy holy Spirit that neither the Devil the World nor Sin may ever again have any part or interest in it nor let me ever desire to be any otherwise my own than that I may continue wholly thine at thy sole Command and Disposal O good God pardon all the Infirmities and Failings whereof I have been guilty in the performance of this great Duty And bless I beseech thee this sacred Ordinance to thy whole Church so that Truth and Holiness and Christian Love may ever flourish and abound therein As we have one Faith one Baptism one Lord one Hope and profess our selves one Body by partaking this one Bread so grant us to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace till we come to the Church triumphant in Heaven through him who loved us and hath wash'd us in his Blood even IESUS CHRIST our only Lord and Saviour Amen FINIS Books printed for and sold by John Baker at the Three Pidgeons in Saint Paul's Church-yard THE right Foundation of Quietness Obedience and Concord by Clement Elis. Lately published by Dr. Parker Arch-deacon of Canterbury An Account of Church Government for the first six hundred Years Religion and Loyalty or a Demonstration of the Christian Church within it self octavo in two Volumes The Service-Book in folio in 〈…〉 fit for Churches and Chapls Duport in Psalmos quarto Gr. Lat. idem in Homerum 4 o. idem 4 o. Graece separatim An earnest Invitation to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 12 o. by Ioseph Glanvil A Sermon before the Artillery-Company by Dr. Calamy lately published FINIS Acts 4. 12. Iohn 14. 6. Heb. 5. 9. 2 Thes. 1. 8. Rom. 9. 5. Col. 1. 16. 1 Cor. 6. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 19. Matt. 28. 18. Matt. 17. 15. Act 3. 22. Iohn 15. 9. 10. 13. Rom. 5. 6. 8. 1 Cor. 11. 26. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 1 Iohn 1. 3. 1 Cor. 11. 17. Gen. 1. 27. Eccl. 7. 29. Gen. 3. Rom. 5. 12. Rom. 8. 7 8. Mat. 1. 21. 1 Thes. 1. 10. Mar. 16. 16. Act. 3.
Messias the Anointed holy one of God who as the great Prophet of God hath instructed us in the way of Righteousness and Salvation and having taught us the whole Will of his Father after he had suffered many things in our Humane Nature was Crucified and willingly died a Sacrifice of Atonement for our Sins and was buried and continued till the third day in the state of the Dead and herein was the true High-priest who offering himself once for all hath made Reconciliation for the Sins of the People Do I believe That on the third day he rose again from the dead to die no more and having sufficiently instructed his Apostles in their Office and instituted the Sacrament of Baptism whereby they were to admit men into his Church he was received up into Heaven and sat down on the right hand of God in all Power and Majestly King of Kings and Head over all things to the Church and there as the great High-priest maketh Intercession for us and blesseth us rendring our Services acceptable to God Do I believe that at the day appointed by God he shall come again in Glory to judge the Quick and Dead according to his Gospel and that we must all appear before his Judgment Seat that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Do I believe That Christ sent the Promise of his Father the Comforter which is the HOLY GHOST to guide the Church into all Truth to be with it for ever and to sanctifie our Hearts to believe love and obey the Truth and to prepare us by Holiness for Happiness in the Presence of God for ever Do I believe that God always had and will have a peculiar People and Society of Men which make One holy Catholick Church or Body whereof Christ is the only Head who ruleth and governeth it by his Spirit and Word and Ministers under him in Doctrine Worship and Discipline That all the true sanctified Members of this Church are enlivened by the holy Spirit of Christ and by the Communion of the Spirit communicate in the Love of the Father and the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ in the Ministry of Angels and the Prayers of glorified Souls and with all Saints in the same holy Faith and Love and Offices of Religion Do I believe that all who faithfully persevere in this holy Communion of Saints have the Pardon of their Sins given them of God through Jesus Christ proclaimed unto them by the Ministry of the Word and particularly applied and sealed unto them in the Sacraments Do I believe That the Bodies of all men shall after Death be raised up again to Life and that the Wicked shall go into everlasting Torments and the Righteous shall live for ever in perfect Holiness and Glory in the Presence of God in Heaven These are the chief Matters of Faith wherein we are to examine our selves But that we may know whether we believe these things savingly we are farther to enquire 1. If we believe them understandingly To be satisfied herein we should do well to have the Approbation and Judgment of God's Minister 2. If we believe them with a divine Faith because of the Truth or Veracity of God who hath revealed them Be perfect therefore in the Scriptures that you may know they are taught therein by God 3. If we believe them firmly so that we are persuaded we dare even lay down our Lives for the Truth 4. If we believe them effectually and practically so that this Belief doth fill our Hearts with the Fear and Love of God and produce strong Resolutions servent Prayers and strenuous Endeavours to honour God by holy and obedient Lives Yet here we are to note That it is not every doubting whether we understand aright or whether the thing be a divine Truth or whether our Faith be firm and strong or have sufficient Influence on our Hearts and Lives that should dismay us but whilst we find that notwithstanding some Doubtings our Faith is able to carry us on in a Christian Course of Life trusting our Souls in well doing to the Mercy of God through Iesus Christ we are to cheer up our selves and using the means of strengthening our Faith say Lord I believe help thou my Unbelief CHAP. V. An help for the Examination of our Repentance and Obedience IT is the great Blessing of the Gospel that CHRIST came to call Sinners to Repentance That after the Law of Innocence was broken and we were under the Curse of Death and an impossibility to be saved by our own Righteousness Repentance is allowed of and a new Obedience Repentance in Scripture is sometimes all one with Conversion that is such a turning and change of Heart and Mind that being brought to the Knowledge of the true God and our Duty to him we renounce our former course of Life and resolve to serve and honour God according to his Word This fits us for Baptism wherein God's Minister in God's Name admits us into the Church and assures us of Pardon upon our continuing living Members of the same Repentance is also an humbling sense of and hearty Sorrow for any Sin or Violation of our Baptismal Covenant with a free Confession of our Demerit an earnest begging of Pardon a resolving to amend and praying for God's Grace so to do Now because all Sin is Disobedience to the Law of God we may at once examine our Repentance and Obedience by that Law it telling us our Duty and our Consciences telling us how we have either done it or are concerned for not doing it Ask then Have I done my best by such helps as God affords me to attain to divine Knowledge and not contented my self to live in Ignorance of God and of his Truth Hath the Knowledge of God wrought in me a most high and honourable Esteem of him an aweful Reverence towards him an entire Resignation of my self to him and humble Obedience to his Government a total dependance and trust to his Goodness an unfeigned Love of him above all things and an ardent Desire to enjoy him Do I love God for the excellency of his Nature and the beauty of his Holiness and his Goodness to me and all men especially as manifested in Iesus Christ Do I love him so as to love his Laws and his Word and Worship his Ministers and his Children his House and Day and every thing that relates to him Is it the earnest desire of my Soul to be able to honour him more and to be more like him in Holiness and can I find no rest to my Soul in any thing but him Have I made his Wisdom
reading makes all good Books mere Non-sense to you If it were not so you would never be weary of learning your Christian Duty nor of practising it neither and you would particularly never rest till you understood the right way of coming worthily to this heavenly Banquet unto which I here direct you Whenever men are Christians indeed they will set a greater Price than now they do upon this unvaluable Token of Divine Love and they will be ashamed to think that the Table of Devils should have so many Guests and the Table of the Lord so few I have here very plainly shunning all Disputes and Niceties laid the whole Duty before you with the necessity of it and the way to perform it aright I have also removed out of your way all the Rubs and Mormoes which are apt to hinder or affright you Nothing can be wanting but a Will in you to be Christians and to live so now as that you may live eternally This is that which I cannot give you but must not cease to beg it for you of the only Giver of all good Gifts nor to beseech you by the Mercies of God that you will by all means endeavour after it To the Grace of God I do moâ—â— heartily commend you in my Prayers beseeching him to bless this poor Endeavour to the eternal Good of your Souls THE CONTENTS Chap. I. THE necessity of Receiving this Sacrament II. The necessity and way of Receiving it worthily III. How to examine our selves about our Baptismal Covenant IV. A help for the Examination of our Faith V. A help for the Examination of our Repentance and Obedience VI. How to examine whether we be rightly disposed for this Sacrament VII What Affections of Soul are sutable to this Sacrament VIII How we are to behave our selves at this Sacrament IX The pretended Reasons for neglecting this Sacrament briefly answered X. The Stumbling-blocks cast in our way removed Some short Directions and Prayers THE WAY TO THE Lord's Table CHAP. I. The necessity of receiving this Sacrament REverently and Devoutly to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is so indispensable a Christian Duty that whosoever refuseth to do it doth no less in effect than refuse Salvation and renounce his Saviour There is no Salvation in any other but IESVS CHRIST No man cometh to the Father but by him There is no Salvation by Christ for those that keep not his Commandments but as he is the Author of Salvation to them that obey him So will he come to take Vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel And his express Command he hath left us in these plain Words This do in Remembrance of me Luke 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24. He that hath given us this Command is GOD over all blessed for ever The great God that made us the good Lord that bought and redeemed us with his own most precious Blood he to whom God the Father hath given all Power both in Heaven and in Earth and hath commanded us to hear him in all things whatsoever he saith unto us It is the Command of a dear Friend who loved us as his Father loved him who hath called us Friends and laid down his Life for us in pure Love and hath assured us that if we keep his Commandments we shall abide in his Love The Command of this dying Friend when he was going to reconcile us wicked Rebels by his own bloody Death unto God was this This do in Remembrance of me When dying for us he bequeathed unto us Pardon and his Spirit and eternal Life this he required of us that by doing this we would preserve alive a loving and thankful Remembrance of him and shew his Death and his Kindness therein to our Souls till he come again to receive us to himself and put us into full Possession of eternal Glory And how shall we then look him in the Face if we have refused to do this In this Sacrament he offereth us himself Crucified for us his Body and Blood the most choice Token of his wonderful Love Can we refuse it and not renounce his Love and Friendship thereby Thus would He have us declare our Fellowship with the Father and the Son and with the Holy Apostles and all Saints as joynt Members of his one Body the Church by feasting together at his Table on this one Bread Can we refuse to do this and not renounce all Fellowship with the Father and the Son and the Communion of Saints Two solemn Rites he hath instituted as peculiar to his Religion Baptism and the Supper of the Lord whereby we are to own him openly before the World and profess our selves in Covenant with him As he then that refuseth to be Baptized refuseth to be a Christian so he that having been baptized refuseth this other Sacrament doth in effect renounce his Baptism disown the Covenant apostatize from Christ and cast off the Profession of Christianity He hath not commanded us many chargeable and troublesome Sacrifices such as the Iews offered nor the Blood of our Sons and Daughters which the Gentiles grudged not to offer unto Devils The Cost we are put to is of a little Bread and Wine the Pains we are put to is with holy and thankful Hearts to take eat and drink in Remembrance of our Saviour Can we now disobey so easie a Command of the God of Heaven and Earth the King of the World the Redeemer of Sinners the only Saviour of Souls and not renounce God our Saviour the Christian Religion and all our claim to Salvation No 't is very plain that tho' the want of this Sacrament when it is desired but cannot be had is no Sin if not occasioned by our Sin yet the wilfull neglect of it is no less than a damning Sin unless there be no such thing as Damnation and the Gospel be a Fable from which blasphemous thought Good God preserve us all CHAP. II. The Necessity and Way to Receive worthily HE that eateth not at the Lord's Table must dye and he that eateth unworthily is in danger of Death so St. Paul assures us Whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 27. and again v. 29. He eateth and drinketh Damnation or Judgment to himself If this seem hard to us it is only because we are unreasonable and had rather not do any Duty at all than be at the Pains to do it as we ought As the Duty is necessary and yet very reasonable and not burdensome so to do it worthily is as necessary and no less reasonable or easie if we have a Mind to be Christians The Direction how to communicate worthily we have in these words Let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup 1 Cor. 11. 28. They who are ignorant
at the Lord's Table whither they are not admitted but only Professors of Christianity Though we are to withdraw from such wicked and disorderly Persons so far as not to countenance them but endeavour to make them ashamed o◠their Sins yet must we be careful to do this orderly and as becometh Christians And this you do not if you study not to be quiet and to do your own Business but delight to be busie-bodies in other mens matters If you suffer for that you have the just Reward of your busie-boldness Qu. But must wicked men be admitted to this Sacrament Ans. No not if they be notorious and have not declared their Repentance They ought to be admonished and if stubborn cast out of the Church by those to whom it belongs to do it Leave that to your Governours and do you the Duty of private Christians Remember Charity thinketh no evil but believeth all things it judgeth not rashly but hath as good an Opinion as may be had of all men Be sure then that you have sufficient ground for it when you judge any one wicked Take heed also of spiritual Pride in your self and that your unreasonable swelling with self-conceit cause not 〈◊〉 Brother to seem little and vile in your Eyes See that you count not any man a wicked man only because he is not of your Opinion or because he is not of your Party or dares not separate from the Church as you do or censure other men as boldly as you do or have as high an Opinion of his own Godliness as you have it is no good sign of that Purity which some pretend to that they scruple at a Form or Ceremony but not at being drunk or being unjust in not paying every man his due or reviling their Governours or uncharitably censuring the whole Church or that they dare not come to the Lord's Table with wicked men but dare go to the Ale-house with them See that you have discharged a good Conscience towards your Brethren before you abandon their Communion Have you friendly reproved and admonished them privately Talk not to others of their Wickedness till you have first told them of it If this have done no good upon them have 〈◊〉 admonished them again before two or three Witnesses If this prevail not have you told the Minister and desired his help to reform these Sinners If he cannot reclaim them have you endeavour'd to have them cast out of the Church by Excommunication If you have not done this where 's your Charity to your Brother where 's your Obedience to God Where 's your Zeal for the Church's Purity You have more cause to be afraid of your own Sins than of other mens nay you become by this neglect Partakers of other mens Sins which you pretend to be the very thing you are so greatly afraid of Obj. You say perhaps you have done all this and yet these Sinners are not excluded but admitted If it be so it is not well yet it is not your Fault that they are admitted but it is your Fault if you will not do your Duty because other men will not do theirs Obj. But I shall so profess Communion with the wicked Ans. By the course you have taken you have done what was your Duty to avoid their Communion You come not to communicate with the Wicked but with sincere Christians Obj. But by so doing I shall countenance them and seem to own them as good Christians Ans. By what you have done to amend them and by what you may still do in continuing to reprove them you prevent that danger There were very wicked Persons in the Church of Corinth such as the Apostle orders to be cast out and delivered to Sitan yea at the Sacrament there were Divisions and Factions and some were drunk These things St. Paul reproves them for but you no where hear him bid others abstain from the Sacrament because of such men but he bids them examine themselves and eat IV. But you say you dare not receive this Sacrament at the hand of a wicked Minister and you take yours to 〈◊〉 such It is not well if he be such indeed and if he be openly such and not removed some others are to blame as well as he Have you admonished him Have you again admonish'd him If that would not do have you complained of him and used all the means in your power to have him either reformed or turn'd out If this be not done you have not done your Duty either to him or your own Soul or the Church of God Complain not then of his Wickedness but your own Have you used all these means in vain to reform or remove him Then if you can conveniently you may remove to some place where you have a better If you cannot you are to be content and receive the Food of your Soul from a dirty hand rather than want it You would not refuse the King's Pardon though a Drunkard or a Swearer brought it you This Meat nourisheth not by vertue of the hand of him that ministreth it unto you but by the Blessing of God that giveth it Take it as from the hand of Christ himself and have Faith in him and when you have done what legally you can to get a good Minister you shall fare no worse for a bad one in the end Obj. But though I can find no great Fault otherwise with the Minister yet this I like not that he admits scandalous Sinners to the Communion He is indeed to charge all such to abstain from this Sacrament till they declare their Repentance He is not to admit such if he know them till they have declared their Repentance and made such Satisfaction as the Church requireth Do you certainly know then that he doth otherwise and have you acquainted him who they are and satisfied him that they are so indeed Usually such men keep most out of his way and he is least acquainted with them and hath at most but an uncertain Report of their Vices and they that bring him this Report refuse to prove the Truth of it and when he enquires of the Persons themselves they deny it and he dare not deny them the Priviledges of Christians till he have better grounds to go upon Or if you are sure the Minister was not ignorant of their wicked Life are you sure also that they have not before they were admitted given him all the Satisfaction he could in reason demand in such a case You ought to be sure of these things before you censure him so hardly And if you be sure he is guilty complain of him after due Admonition and I am confident this Fault will be amended But if unfit Persons be admitted by him ignorantly and you know of it and do not inform him better it is your selves on whom this Guilt will lye The good Lord grant that we may all more conscientiously do our Duties in our several Stations
Wages of Sin for which I have so long labour'd How many and foul are the Sins which thou hast now enabled me to discover in my self even the least of this black number is enough to condemn me to endless Torments and whither then would not such a multitude of foulest Transgressions sink me if thy Mercies were not infinite and thy Patience truly wonderful Yet alas how few are all these in comparison of those which have escaped my Observation but cannot be hid from thine all-seeing Eye And if I appear so vile in my own Eyes how loathsome and abominable a thing must I needs be in thine My Sins O God are not a few but many no small Offences but very heinous Transgressions few of them rare with me but most of them very often repeated long continued in and become even familiar customary and habitual Yea O Lord with shame and confusion of Face I confess that I have had so little regard to thy Will that I have even sinned as I eat and drink with all greediness and delight Though thou hast never been wanting to me in any help to enable me or any Remembrancer to mind me or any Motive to invite me or any Bounty or Promise to encourage me yet have I made a very bad use of all thy Goodness and by that very Patience and Forbearance which should have led me to Repentance I have encouraged my self to sin the more freely even without fear and I may justly fear to the great hardening of my Heart Tho I have lived long under the bright Light of thy Gospel and have thy Word sounding in my Ears daily and have thy Ministers ready at hand to instruct me yet am I very ignorant and have even hated Knowledge and despised Instruction and cast thy Words behind Though I have had many seasonable Monitors of my Duty and felt many motions of thy good Spirit and suffered many Checks from my own Conscience yet have I turned my Back upon thee and done almost none of thy Commandments Nay after the most solemn Engagements Covenants and Vows I have treacherously revolted from thee rebelled against thee and set at naught all thy Goodness to me I have a false and treacherous Heart which hath never yet kept Faith with thee I find to the great discomfort of my Soul that I have dissembled with thee and gone about to mock thee by feigned Professions counterseit Repentances and hypocritical Devotions Even now O Lord I feel not that deep Humiliation that piercing Grief that Anger and Hatred and Indignation against my Sins and my self for cherishing them that I ought to have neither do I find in my Heart that servent Love of thee that true Zeal for thy Honour that hungring desire of Righteousness and Holiness that should be in me And now O my God what can I have to say for my self after all this Why should'st thou not deal with me as I have justly deserved and reward me with Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish If thou should'st even now instead of accepting my Confession throw me in thy just Fury into unquenchable Flames with the Devil and his Angels thou wert most just in so doing and even merciful in taking Vengeance of me so late when I had so often and long provoked thy Wrath before O Lord I have nothing to plead in my own Excuse I have nothing to fly unto but that Mercy of my good God which I have so long abused O hide not thy Face away from me but humble my Soul yet more for my Unworthiness break my Heart into true Contrition that it may yet be an acceptable Sacrifice unto thee give me not over unto vile Affections nor a reprobate Mind break the dominion Sin hath got over me for the earnest desire of my Soul is to be thy Servant and only thine for ever O gracious God we have an Advocate at thy right hand even Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins him thou sentest into the World to be the Saviour of lost Sinners and hast promised that no Man shall perish or be rejected that cometh unto thee by him for his sake pardon me for his sake have Mercy upon me by the bitter Death and Passion of thy dearly beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased I beseech thee O holy Father to look graciously upon me and blot out all my Transgressions and restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation Cleanse and purifie my sinnful Soul in his Blood receive me graciously into the number of thine adopted Children rid me and set me free from the power of Sin and slavery of my Lusts let thy holy Spirit rule for ever in my Heart and deliver me from the Law of Sin and Death in my Members O speak Peace unto thy Servant and let me yet live to praise thy Name let me not return any more with the Dog to his Vomit nor with the Sow to her wallowing in the Mire but work in me a perfect Hatred of all that thou hatest and a true Love to all that thou lovest Strengthen me by thy Grace to withstand all Temptations and to persevere and grow in Faith and Love and all Goodness to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to live henceforward righteously soberly and godly in this present World patiently and comfortably looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearance of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works In his blessed Name and perfect Prayer I here commend unto thee all the Desires and Needs of my poor Soul and of thy whole Church Our Father c. A Prayer before the blessed Sacrament O Most merciful God and Father in Iesus Christ who of thine infinite Love and Goodness to our poor perishing Souls hast provided for us all things that be needful to us in our polluted and miserable Condition whereinto we have brought our selves by Sin and shew'st Mercy unto us even when we would have no Mercy on our selves I am here O Lord prostrate at thy Foot-stool a vile Wretch that have again and again deserved to be punished with everlasting Destruction from thy presence And will the great God of Heaven and Earth vouchsafe to look upon such a Dog as I Shall the so often offended dishonoured provoked Majesty of the glorious God condescend even to invite and beseech so traiterous a Rebel as I have been to accept of Pardon and Salvation And shall I yet despise thy loving-kindness O my gracious God and neglect so great Salvation as this that thou daily tenderst unto us in the Son of thy Love and our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ When we were gone astray from thee the God of our Life and were going head-long to Destruction thou wert pleased to open unto us a new and living way by the Death of thy only begotten