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
in joyful Songs and Hymns of Praise 7. As God whom we have so often provoked to Wrath and Indignation doth graciously condescend in Christ Iesus to renew his Covenant of Mercy to us so let us most heartily come to renew through the same blessed Iesus our Engagements to him and do that which may correspond with what Christ hath done for us Did he deny himself veiled his God-head in mortal Flesh taking on him the form of a Servant humbling himself to the Death of the Cross Let us deny our selves take up the Cross forsake all and follow him Was he Crucified for us Let the Old-man be cruciâ—â—ed in us with the Affections and Lusts let the World be crucified to us and we unto the World let us make no more Provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof Did he give himself a Sacrifice for our Sins Let us offer to God the Sacrifices of broken and contrite Hearts the Sacrifice of Prayer and Supplication of Praise and Thansgiving of Almsgiving and Mercy and in a word our Bodies a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God 8. Let this Feast of Love and holy Communion oblige us to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace to purge out the old leaven of Malice and Envy to forgive as God for Christ his sake hath forgiven us to do good to all men as we have opportunity especially to them that are of the Houshold of Faith to love our Enemies bless our Persecutors pray for our Haters render good for evil overcome evil with good and if going to the Altar we remember that our Brother hath ought against us go first and be reconciled unto him When we are thus disposed we may with an holy Boldness come to the Lord's Table and need not fear but we shall have the Benefits thereof conferred upon us CHAP. VIII How we are to behave our selves at this Sacrament ¶ AS thou goest to the Church meditate all the way or discourse with thy Company of the Goodness of God in inviting poor Sinners to his own Table Say thus with thy self O my sinful Soul taste and see that the Lord is good O what a Love and Goodness is this that such wicked Prodigals as we who have so long abused all the good Gifts which our heavenly Father hath bestowed upon us in a vain foolish and sinful way of living should have such Encouragements as these to return to our offended God and Father I will go unto him and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son or to appear and feed amongst thy Children O Lord not considering what thou hast made me a rational Creature to know love and honour thee my great and good God I have used my self like a Beast and have fed with Greediness and Delight amongst swinish Sinners upon empty Husks and Vanities O blessed be thy Name who hast brought me to my self again to see and lament and hate my past Folly I am now in all Humility coming to feast my Soul with thee in thy House where there is ever bread enough and to spare even the Bread of Life my ever blessed JESUS O send out thy Light and thy Truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles then will I go unto the Altar of God unto God my exceeding Joy and with all my Soul will I praise thee O God my God I will enter into thy Gates with Thanksgiving and into thy Courts with Praise I will be thankful unto thee and bless thy Name For the Lord is good his Mercy is everlasting and his Truth endureth to all Generations ¶ Entring into the Church have such Thoughts as these before the Service begin O how dreadful is this place This is no other but the House of God and the Gate of Heaven Holiness O God becometh thine House for ever One day in thy House is better than a thousand Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts I come O Lord into thy House in the multitude of thy Mercy and in thy Fear will I worship thee in thy holy Temple I have loved the Habitation of thy House and the place where thine honour dwelleth O let me be abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of thy House and make me drink of the River of thy Pleasures ¶ Ioyn devoutly with the Congregation in the Prayers of the Church and attend diligently to God's Word read and preached And when the Minister is going to the Table say thus Blessed be God for affording us Pastors and Teachers O how beautiful are the Feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad tidings of good things O Lord bless and assist this thy Servant in this holy Ministration Thou O Lord art our Shepherd we can want nothing thou preparest a Table before us surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow us all the days of our Life ¶ When the Bread and Wine are placed upon the Table and thou art preparing thine Offering say thus O gracious Lord what a miracle of Divine Love do we here behold We have sinned against thee and yet thou callest not upon us for Sacrifices and burnt Offerings but hast prepared a Body for thy eternal Son that he in that might do thy Will live among us and die a Sacrifice for us and here feed us on that Sacrifice of himself to eternal Life I have abundantly deserved to be at this time in Hell amongst the Devils and dost thou yet vouchsafe to feast me at thy Table amongst thy Children on the Body and Blood of thy dearest Son O astonishing Love Let this thy love O God pierce my Heart and do thou O blessed JESUS dwell therein for ever The Earth is thine O Lord and the fullness thereof What can I render unto thee for all thine inestimable Benefits My Goodness extendeth not unto thee but to the Saints that are in the Earth Thou O God of thy Goodness hast prepared for the poor Accept I beseech thee of my poor Mite receive this my humble Acknowledgment of thy Bounty to me poor Sinner whereby I confess and declare my self and all that I have to be at thy Command and Service accept of me for Iesus Christ his sake ¶ When the Exhortation is read mind it well and observe whether you come so duely prepared as is therein said you ought to be Then say Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Who can understand his Errors Cleanse thou me from my secret Faults ¶ When you are bid to draw near do so both with Body and Soul saying My Heart is ready O God my Heart is ready I will wash my hands in Innocency and
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.