as the Son or from the Father and the Son as the holy Ghost The Son is the second Person of the glorious Trinity and the only begotten Son of his Faâ—â—â— not by Grace but by Nature having his being of the Father alone and the whole being of his Father by an eternal and incomprehensible generation and with the Father sendeth forth the holy Ghost In respect of his absolute Essence he is of himself but in respect of his Person he is by an eternal generation of his Father For the Essence doth not be get an Essence but the Person of the Fathâ— begetteth the Person of the Son and 〈◊〉 he is God of God and hath from his Fâ—â—ther the beginning of his Person and Oâ—â—der but not of Essence and Time The Holy Ghost is the third Person of 〈◊〉 blessed Trinity proceeding and sent fortâ— equally from both the Father and the Swordâ— by an eternal and incomprehensible spirâ—â—tion For as the Son receiveth the who divine Essence by generation so the hâ— Ghost receiveth it wholly by spiration This Order betwixt the three Persoâ— appears in that the Father begetting muâ— in order be before the Son begotten anâ— the Father and Son before the holy Ghâ— proceeding from both This Order serves to set forth unto two things First the manner how tâ— Trinity worketh in their external acâ—â—ons as that the Father worketh of hiâ—self by the Son and the holy Ghost tâ— Son from the Father by the holy Ghosâ— and holy Ghost from the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Son Secondly To distinguish the 〈◊〉 and immediate beginning from whiâ— those external and common actions flow Hence it is that forasmuch the Father is the fountain and original the Trinity the beginning of all extâ—â—nal working the Name of God in reâ—tion and the title of Creator in â— Creed are given in a special manner to the Father our Redemption to the Son and our Sanctification to the Person of the Holy Ghost as the immediate Agents of those actions And this also is the cause why the Son as he is Mediator referreth all things to the Father not to the Holy Ghost and that the Scripture so often saith that we are reconciled to the Father This divine Order or Oeconomy excepted there is neither first nor last neither superiority nor inferiority among the Three Persons but for nature they are co-essential for dignity co-equal for time co-eternal The whole divine Essence is in every one of the Three Persons but it was incarnaâ—ed only in the Second Person of the Word and not in the Person of the Father or of the holy Ghost for Three Reasons First That God the Father might the rather set forth the greatness of his love to Mankind in giving his first and only begotten Son to be incarnated and to suffer death or Man's salvation Secondly That he who was in his Diâ—inity the Son of God should be in his Humanity the Son of Man lest the Name â—f Son should pass unto another who by â—is Eternal Nativity was not the Son Thirdly because it was meetest that that person who is the substantial Image of his eternal Father should restore in us the spiritual Image of God which we had lost In the Incarnation the God-head was not turned into the Manhood nor the Manhood into the God-head but the God-head as it is the second Person or Word assumed unto it the Manhood that is the whole nature of man body and soul and all the natural properties and infirmities thereof sin excepted The second person took not upon him the person of man but the nature of man So that the humane nature hath no personal subsistence of its own for then there should be two Persons in Christ but it subsisteth in the Word the second Person For as the soul and body make but one person of Man so the God-head and Manhood make but one Person of Christ. The two Natures of the God-head and Manhood are so really united by a personal union that as they can never be separated asunder so are they never confounded but remain still distinguished by their several and essential properties which they had before they were united As for example the infiniteness of the divine is not communicated to the humane Nature nor the finiteness of the humane to the divine nature Yet by reason of this personal union there is such a communion of the properties of both Natures that that which is proper to the one is sometimes attributed to the other Nature As that God purchased the Church with his own blood And that he will judge the world by that Man whom he hath appointed Hence also it is that tho' the humanity of Christ be a created and therefore a finite and limited Nature and cannot be every where present by actual position or local extension according to his natural being yet because it hath communicated unto it the personal subsistence of the Son of God which is infinite and without limitation and so is united with God that it is no where severed from God the body of Christ in respect of his personal being may rightly be said to be every where 3. The Actions by which the Three Persons be distinguished THe actions are of Two sorts either External respecting the creatures and those are after a sort common to everyone of the three persons or internal respecting the persons only amongst themselves and are altogether incommunicable The External and commuâ—icable Actions of the Three Persons are these The creation of the World peculiarly belonging to God the Father The redemption of the Church to God the Son And the sanctification of the Elect to God the holy Ghost But because the Father created and still governeth the world by the Son in the holy Ghost therefore these external actions are indifferently in Scripture oftentimes ascribed to each of the Three Persons and therefore called communicable and divided Actions The internal and incommunicable Actions or Properties of the Three Persons are these 1. To beget and that belongeth only to the Father who is neither made created nor begotten of any 2. To be begotten and that belongeth only to the Son who is of the Father alone not made nor created but begotten 3. To proceed from both and that belongeth only to the holy Ghost who is of the Father and the Son neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeding So that when we say that the Divine Essence is in the Father unbegotten in the Son begotten and in the holy Ghost proceeding we make not Three Essences but only shew the divers manners of subsisting by which the same most simple eternal and unbegotten Essence subsisteth in each Person namely that it is not in the Father by generation that it is in the Son communicated from the Father by generation and in the holy Ghost communicated from both the â—ather
Physick 375 30. Meditations for one that is recover'd from sickness 386. And a Thanksgiving 390 31. Meditations for the sick taken from the end of God's chastisements 394. 32. Meditations for one that is like to die 396 33. A Prayer to be said of one that is like to die 399 34. Comfortable Meditations against despair 402 35. Directions for those who come to visit the sick 415 36. A Prayer to be said for the sick by those who visit him 418 And choice Scriptures to be read unto him 421 422 37. Consolations against impatiency in sickness ibid. 38. Consolations against the fear of death 425 39. Seven sanctified Thoughts and so many spiritual Sighs fit for a sick Man that is like to die 429 40. Of the comfortable use of true Absolution and receiving of the Lord's Supper to the faithful and penitent before they depart this Life if they may conveniently be had 435 41. The last speech of a godly Man dying 444 42. Meditations of Martyrdom wherein is proved that those who die for Popery cannot be Christ's Martyrs 445 43. A Divine Colloquy betwixt Christ and the Soul concerning the virtue and efficacy of his dolorous Passion 452 44. The Soul's Soliloquy unto Christ her Saviour 461 THE PRACTICE OF PIETY Directing a Christian how to walk that he may please God WHo ever thou art that lookest into this Book never undertake to read it unless thou first resolvest to become from thine heart an unfeigned Practitioner of Piety Yet read it and that speedily lest before thou hast read it over God by some unexpected death cut thee off for thine inveterate Impiety The Practice of Piety consists 1. In knowing 1. The Essence of God that in respect of 1. The diverse manner of being therein which are three Persons 1 The Father 2. The Son 3. Holy Ghost 2. The Attributes thereof which are either Nominal or 1. Absolute 1. Simpleness 2. Infiniteness 2. Relative 1. Life 2. Understanding 3. Will. 4. Power 5. Majesty Real 2. Thy own self in respect of thy state of 1. Corruption 2. Renovation 2. In glorifying God aright 1. By thy life in dedicating thy self devoutly to serve him Ordinarily 1. Privately in thine own Person 2. Publickly 1. With thy Family every day 2. With the Church on the Sabbath day Extraordinarily by Fasting Feasting 2. By thy death in dying 1. In the Lord. 2. For the Lord. Unless that a Man doth truly know God he neither can nor will worship him aright for how can a Man love him whom he knoweth not and who will worship him whose help a Man thinks he needeth not and how shall a Man seek remedy by Grace who never understood his misery by Nature Therefore saith the Apostle He that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him And for as much as there can be no true Piety without the knowledge of God nor any good practice without the knowledge of a Man 's own self we will therefore lay down the knowledge of God's Majesty and Man's Misery as the first and chiefest grounds of the Practice of Piety A PLAIN DESCRIPTION OF THE Essence and Attributes of GOD out of the Holy Scripture so far forth as every Christian must competently know and necessarily believe that will be saved ALthough no Creature can define what God is because he is incomprehensible and dwelling in inaccessible light yet it hath pleased his Majesty to reveal himself in his Word unto us so far as our weak capacity can best conceive him Thus God is that one spiritual and infinitely perfect Essence whose Being is of himself eternally In the Divine Essence we are to consider two things First the diverse manner of being therein Secondly the Attributes thereof The diverse manner of being therein are called Persons A person is a distinct subsistence of the whole God-head There are three Divine Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost these Three Persons are not Three several Substances bâ—t Three distinct Subsistences or Three divers manner of Beings of one and the same substance and Divine Essence So that a Person in the God-head is an individual understanding and incommunicable Subsistence living of it self and not sustained by another In the unity of the God-head there is a plurality which is not accidental for God is a most pure act and admits no accidents nor essential for God is one Essence only but personally The Persons in this one Essence are but three In this Mystery there is alius alius another and another But not aliud aliud another thing and another thing The Divine Essence in it self is neither divided nor distinguished But the Three Persons in the Divine Essence are distinguished among themselves Three manner of ways 1. By their Names 2. By their Order 3. By their Actions 1. By their Names thus THE first Person is named the Father first in respect of his natural Son Christ secondly in respect of the Elect his adopted sons that is those who being not his sons by Nature are made his sons by Grace The second Person is named the Son because he is begotten of his Father's substance or nature and he is called the Word First because the conception of a word in man's mind is the nearest thing that in some sort can shadow unto us the manner how he is eternally begotten of his Father's substance and in this respect he is also called the wisdom of his Father Prov. 8. 12. Secondly because that by him the Father hath from the beginning declared his will for our salvation hence he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Person speaking with or by the Father Thirdly because he is the chief argument of all the Word of God or that Word whereof God spake when he promised the blessed Seeâ— to the Fathers under the Old Testament The Third Person is named the Holy Ghost First because he is spiritual without a body secondly because he is spired and as it were breathed from both the Father and the Son that is proproceedeth from them both And he is called holy both because he is holy in his own nature and also the immediate sanctifier of all God's Elect people 2. By their Order thus THe Persons of the God-head are either the Father or those which are of the Father The Father is the first Person in the glorious Trinity having neither his being nor beginning of any other but of himself begetting his Son and together with his Son sending forth the Holy Ghost from everlasting The Persons which are of the Father are those who in respect of their personal existence have the whole Divine Essence eternally communicated unto them from the Father And those are either from the Father alone
tecum what have we to do with thee â—O Son of the most high God but by virtue of this Communion the peâ—itent Soâ—l may boldly go and say unto Christ as Ruth unto Boaz Spread O Christ the wing of the garment of thy mercy over thine handmaid for thou art my kinsman This Communion God promised Abraham when he gave him himself for his great reward And Christ prayeth for his whole Church to obtain it This Communion Saint Paul expresseth in one word saying That God shall be all in all unto us Indeed God is now all in all unto us but by means and in a smâ—ll measureâ— But in â—eaven God himself immediately in fulness of measure without all 〈◊〉 will be unto us all the good things 〈◊〉 souâ— and bodies can with or desire He 〈◊〉 self will be salvation and joy to our souls life and health to our bodies beauty to our eyes musick to our ears honey to our mouths perfume to our nostrils meat to our bellies light to our understanding contentment to our wills and delight to our hearts And what can be lacking where God himself will be the soul of our souls Yea all the strength wit pleasures vertues colours beauties harmony and goodness that are in men beasts fishes fowls trees herbs and all creatures are nothing but sparkles of those things which are in infinite perfection in God And in him we shall enjoy them in a far more perfect and blessed manner He himself will then supply their use nay the best creatures which serve us now shall not have the honour to serve us then There will be no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in that City for the glory of God doth light it No more will there be any need or use of any Creature when we shall enjoy the Creator himself When therefore we behold any thing that is excellent in any creatures let us say to our selves how much more excellent is he who gave them this excellency when we behold the wisdom of men who over-rule creatures stronger than themselves out-run the Sun and Moon in dâ—scourse prescribing many years before in what courses they shall be eclipsed let us say to our selves How admirable is the wisdom of God who made men so wise when we consider the strength of Whales and Elephants the tempest of Winds and terrour of Thunder let us say to our selves how strong how mighty how terrible is that God that makes these mighty and fearful Creatures when we taste things that are delicately sweet let us say to our selves O how sweet is that God from whom all these creatures have received their sweetness when we behold the admirable colours which are in Flowers and Birds and the lovely beauty of Women let us say how fair is that God that made these so fair And if our loving God hath thus provided us so many excellent delights for our passage through this Bâ—chiâ— or valley of tears what are thâ—se pâ—easures which he hath prepared for us when we shall enter into the palace of our Master's jâ—y How shall our souls be there raâ—â—shed with the love of so lovely a God! So glorious is the object of heavenly Saints so amiable is the sight of our gracious Saviâ—ur 3. Of the Prerogatives which the Elect shall enjoy in heaven BY reason of this Communion wiâ—h God the Elect in heaven shall have four super excellâ—nt prerogatives 1. They shall have the â—â—â—gdom of Heaven for their inhâ—râ—tance and they 〈◊〉 be free Deâ—izons of the heavenlâ— Jerusalem S. Paul by being a free Câ—tizen of Rome escaped whipping but they who are once free Citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem shall ever be freed from the whips of eternal torments For this freedom was bought for us not with a great sum of money but with the precious blood of the Son of God 2. They shall be all Kings and Priests spiritual Kings to reign with CHRIST and to triumph over Satan the World and Reprobates and spiritual Priests to offer unto God the spiritual sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for evermore And therefore they are said to wear both Crowns and Robes Oh what a comfort is this to poor Parents that have many Children if they breed them up in the fear of God and to be true Christians then are they Parents to so many Kings and Priests 3. Their bodies shall shine as the brightness of the Sun in the Firmament like the glorious body of Christ which shined brighter than the Sun at Noon when it appeared to Saint Paul A glimpse of which glorious brightness appeared in the bodies of Mâ—ses and Elias transâ—â—ured with the Lord in the holy Mount Therefore saith the Apostle iâ— shall rise a glorious body yea a spiritual body not in substance but in quality preserved by spiritual means and hâ—ving as an Angel agility to ascend or descend O what an honour is it that our bodies falling more vile than a carrion should thus arise in glory like unto the body of the Son of God! 4. Lastly they together with all the holy Angels there keep without any labour to distract them a perpetual Sabbath to the glory honour and praise of the ever blessed Trinity for the creating redeeming and sanctifying of the Church And for his Power Wisdom Justice Mercy and Goodness in the Government of Heaven and Earth When thou hearest a sweet Consort of Musick meditate how happy thou shalt be when with the Choire of heavenly Angels and Saints thou shalt sing a part in that spiritual Hallelujah in that eternal blessed Sabbath where there shall be such variety of Pleasures and satiety of Joys as neither know tediousness in doing nor end in delighting 4. Of the Effects of these Prerogatives From these Prerogatives there will arise to the Elect in Heaven five notable Effects 1. THey shall know God with a perfect knowledge of far as Creatures can possibly comprehend the Creator For there we shall see the Word the Creator and in the Word all Creatures that â—by the Word were created so that we shall not need to learn of the thingâ— which were roade the knowledge of him by whom all things were made The excellentest Creatures in this life are but as a dark veil drawn betwixt God and us but when this veil shall be drawn aside then shall we see God face to face and know him as we are known We shall know the Power of the Father the Wisdom of the Son the Grace of the Holy Ghost and the indivisible Nature of the blessed Trinity And in him we shall know not only all our friends who died in the faith of Christ but also all the faithful that ever were or shall be For 1. Christ tells the Jews that they shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophetâ— in the kingdom of God therefore we
him do what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3. 18. The fifth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God 600 times used in the New Testament and of prophane Wriâ—ers commonly It is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he runs thorow and compasseth all things or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to burn and kindle for God is Light and the Author both of Heat Light and Life in all Creatures either immediately of himself or mediately by secondary causes This name iâ— used either improperly or properly Improperly when it is given either figuratively to Magistrates or falsely to Idols But when it is properly and absolutely taken it signifieth the Eternal Essence of God being above all things and through all things giving life and light to all creatures and preserving and governing them in their wonderful frame and order God seeth all in all places Let us therefore every where take heed what we do in his sight Thus far of the names which signifie God's Essence The name which signifieth the Persons in the Essence is chiefly one Elohim Elohim signifieth the mighty Judges it is a name of the plural number to express the Trinity of Persons in Vnity of Essence And to this purpose the holy Ghost beginneth the holy Bible with this plural Name of God joyned with a Verb of the singular number as Elohim Bara Dii creavit The mighty Gods or all the three Persons in the God-head created The Jews also note in the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bara consisting of three Letters the mystery of the Trinity by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth Ben the Son by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resh Ruach the Spirit by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aleph Ab the Father But this holy mystery is more clearly taught by Moses Gen. 3. 23 And Jehovah Elohim said Behold the Man is become as one of us And Gen. 19. 24. Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrha bâ—imstone and fire from Jehovah out of Heaven that is God the Son from God the Father who hath committed all judgment unto the Son John 5. 22. See Psal. 33. 6. Isa. 6. 8 9 10. The singular number of Elohim is Eloah derived of Alah he swore because that in all weighty causes when necessity requireth an Oath to decide the Truth we are only to swear by the Name of God which is the great and righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth This Name Eloah is but seldom used as Hab. 3. 3. Job 4. 9. Job 12. 4. and 15. 8. 36. 2. Psal. 18. 32. Psal. 114. 7. Once it hath a Noun plural joyned to it Job 35. 10. None saith Where is Eloah Gosai the Almighty my Maker to note the mystery of the eternal Trinity Many times also Elohim the plural number is joyned with a Verb singular to express more emphatically this Mystery Gen. 35. 7. 2. Sam. 7. 23. Josh. 24. 19. Jer. 10. 10. Elohim is also sometime Tropically given to Magistrates because they are God's Vice-gerents as to Moses Exod. 7. 1. Jehovah said unto Moses I have made thee Elohim to Pharoah that is I have appointed thee an Ambassador to represent the person of the true three one God and to deliver his message and will unto Pharoah As oft therefore as we read or hear this name Elohim it should put us in mind to consider that in one divine Essence there are three distinct Persons and that God is Jehovah Elohim Now follow the Names which signifie God's Essential Works which are these five especially 1. EL which is as much as the strong God and reacheth us that God is not only most strong and fortitude it self in his own Essence but also that it is he that giveth all strength and power to all other Creatures Therefore Christ is called Isai. 9. 6. El Gibbor The strong most mighty God Let not God's Children fear the power of enemies for El our God is more strong than they 2. Shaddai That is Omnipotent By this Name God usually stiled himself to the Patriarchs I am El Shaddai the strong God Almighty Because he is perfectly able to defend his servants from all evil to bless them with all spiritual and temporal blessings and to perform all his promises which he hath made unto them for this life and that which is to come This name belongeth only to the Godhead and to no creature no not to the humanity of Christ. This may teach us with the Patriarchs to put our whole confidence in God and not to doubt of the true performance of his promises 3. Adonâ—i My Lord. This name as the Masorets note is found 134 times in the Old Testament Analogically it is given to Creatures but properly it belongeth to God alone It is used Malach. 1. 6. in the plural number to note the mystery of the holy Trinity If I be Adonim Lords where is my fear Adoni the singular Adonim the plural number This Name is given to Christ Dan 9. 16. Cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate for Adoni the Lord Christ his sake The hearing of this Holy Mame may teach every Man to obey God's Commandments to fear him alone to suffer none besides him to reign in his Conscience to lay hold by a particular hand of faith upon his Word and Promise and to challenge God in Christ to be his God that he may say with Thomas Thou art my Lord and my God 4. Helion that is most high Psal. 9. 2. Psal 91. 9. and 92. 9. Dan. 4. 17 24 25 34. Act 7. 48. This Name Gabriel giveth unto God telling the virgin Mary that the child which should be born of her should be the Son of the most High Luke 1. 32. This teacheth that God in his Essence and glory exceedeth infinitely all creatures in Heaven and Earth Secondly that no Man should be proud of any earthly honour or greatness Thirdly if we desire true dignity to labour to have communion with God in grace and glory 5. Abba a Syriack Name signifying Father Rom. 8. 15. This is sometimes used Essentially as in the Lord's Prayer Secondly Personally as Mat. 11. 25. For God is Christ's Father by Nature and Christians by Adoption and Grace Christ is called the everlasting Father Isa. 9. 6. because he regenerates us under the New Testament God is also called the Father of lights Jam. 1. 17. because God dwelleth in inaccessible light 1 Tim. 6. 16. and is the Author not only of the Son 's light but also of all the light both of natural reason and supernatural grace Which lighteneth every Man that cometh into the World This name teacheth us that all the gifts which we receive from God proceed from his mere Fatherly Love Secondly that we should love him again as dear Children Thirdly That we may in all our needs and troubles be bold to call upon him as a Father for his help and succour Thus should we not hear
pretence of my Calling and Office robbed and purloined from my fellow Christians yea I have received and suffered Christ where I was trusted many a time in his poor members to stand hungry cold and naked at my Door and hungry cold and naked to go away succourless as he came and when the leanness of his checks pleaded pity the hardness of my heart would shew no compassion Where I should have made conscience to speak the truth in simplicity without any falsehood prudently imaging aright and charitably conâ—â—â—ing all things in the best part and should have defended the good name and credit of my Neighbour alas vile wretch that I am I have belyed and slandered my fellow-brother and as soon as I heard an ill report I made my tongue the Instrument of the Devil to blazon that abroad unto others before I knew the truth of it my self I was so far from speaking a good word in defence of his good name that it tickled my heart in secret to hear one that I envied to be taxed with such a blemish tho' I knew that otherwise the graces of God shined in him in abundant measure I made jests of officious and advantage of pernicious lies herein shewing my self a right Certain rather than an upright Christian And lastly O Lord where I should have rested fully contented with that portion which thy Majesty thought mâ—â—râ—st to bestow upon me in this Pilgrimage and rejoyced in anothers good as in mine own alas my life hath been nothing else but a greedy lusting after this Neighbours house and that Neighbours land yea secretly wishing such a man dead that I might have his living or office covâ—â—iâ—g rather those things which thou hast bestowed on another rather than being thankful for that which thou hast given unto my self Thus I O Lord who am a carnal sinner and sold under sin have transgressed all thy holy and spiritual Commandments from the first to the last from the greatest unto the least and hear I stand guilty before thy Judgment-seat of all the breaches of all thy laws and therefore liable to thy curse and to all the miseries that Justice can pour forth upon so cursed a creature And whether shall I go for deliverance from this misery Angels blush at my Rebellion and will not help me Men are guilty of the like transgression and cannot help themselves Shall I then despair with Cain or make away my self with Judas No Lord for that were but to end the miseries of this life and to begin the endless torments of hell I will rather appeal to thy Throne of Grace where mercy reigns to pardon abounding sins and out of the depth of my miseries I will cry with David for the depth of thy mercies Though thou shouldest kill me with afflictions yet will I like Job put my trust in thee Though thou shouldest drown me in the Sea of thy displeasure with Jonas yet will I catch such hold on thy Mercy that I will be taken up dead clasping her with both my hands And though thou shouldest cast me into the bowels of Hell as Jonas into the belly of the Whale yet from thence would I cry unto thee O God the Father of heaven O Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the World O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier three Persons and one eternal God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner And seeing the goodness of thine own Nature first moved thee to send thine only begotten Son to die for my sins that by his Death I might be reconciled to thy Majesty O reject not now my penitent Soul who being displeased with her self for sin desireth to return to serve and please thee in newness of life and reach from Heaven thy helping hand to save me thy poor servant who am like Peter ready to sink in the Sea of my sins and misery Wash away the multitude of my sins with the merits of that Blood which I believe that thou hast so abundantly shed for penitent sinners And now that I am to receive this day the blessed Sacrament of thy precious Body and Blood O Lord I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit by thy Sacrament seal unto my soul that by the merits of thy Death and Passion all my sins are so freely and fully remitted and forgiven that the curses and judgments which my sins have deserved may never have power either to confound me in this life or to condemn me in the world which is to come For my stedfast faith is that thou hast died for my sins and risen again for my justification This I believe O Lord help mine unbelief Work in me likewise I beseech thee an unfeigned repentance that I may hearâ—ily bewail my former sins and loath them and serve thee henceforth in newness of life and greater measure of holy devotion And let my soul never forget the infinite love of so sweet a Saviour that hath laid down his life to redeem so vile a sinner And grant Lord that having received these seals and pledges of my Communion with thee thou maiest henceforth so dwell by the Spirit in me and I so live by faith in thee that I may carefully walk all the days of my liâ—e in godliness and piety towards thee and in Christian love and charity towards all my Neighbours that living in thy fear I may die in thy favour and after death he made partaker of eternal life through Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen 3. Of the means whereby thou maiest become a worthy Receiver THese means are duties of Two sorts the former respecting God the latter our Neighbour Those which respect God are Three First sound Knowledge Secondly true Faith Thirdly unfeigned Repentance That which respecteth our Neighbour is but one sincere Charity 1. of sound Knowledge requisite in a worthy Communicant Sound Knowledge is a sanctified understanding of the first Principles of Religion As first Of the Trinity of Persons in the unity of the God-head Secondly Of the creation of Man and his Fall Thirdly Of the curse and misery due to sin Fourthly Of the Natures and Offices of Christ and redemption by faith in his death especially of the doctrine of the Sacraments sealing the same unto us For as an house cannot be built unless the foundation he first laid so no more can Religion stand unless it be first grounded upon the certain knowledge of God's Word Secondly If we know not God's Will we can neither believe nor do the same For as worldly businesses cannot be done but by them who have skill therein so without knowledge must men be much more ignorant in divine and spiritual matters And yet in temporal things a Man may do much by the light of nature but in religious misteries the more we rely upon natural reason the further we are from comprehending spiritual Truth Which discovers the fearful estate of those who receive without knowledge and the more