Blessed Saviour But our remembrance of it must be 1. Affectionate and vigorous as we remember the death of a dear friend that died and died in our quarrel and defence who at once shed his blood for us and for the truth How passionately can we rehearse the praises and preserve the memory of such an one as this 'T was thus with our dearest Lord he fell a Sacrifice at once for the testimony of the truth and for the sake of our precious Souls He died that he might rescue us from eternal misery and death And this we must remember when we do remember the death of our Blessed Lord. 2. With all thankfulness to God for so unspeakable a mercy Let us awaken our Psaltery and Harp all our powers and faculties and all that is within us to praise his holy name Let us have our hymn of praise Matth. 26.30 'T is an heavenly feast we are going to and who goes to a feast with a sad countenance or heart Let us be filled with the spirit Speaking to our selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs and making melody in our hearts to the Lord Ephes 5.18 19. We are Gods guests at this time and God loves we should be chearful and rejoyce He would have the Jews so in their Festivals Deut. 16.11 14. And certainly we have more reason to be so than they God having provided some better thing for us Heb. 11.40 This Sacrament is an Eucharist or service of praise and as such was observed by the first Christians Who breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the people Act. 2.46 47. 3. It must be such a remembrance as works in us a detestation against our sins which put our Blessed Saviour to death Coâ—â—â—â—ve you saw him hang upon the Cross and saw the nails pierce his hands and feet that you heard him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And that you saw the blood he sweat and the thorns he wore That you saw the Sun darkened the Dead arise and the rocky Earth rend in pieces certainly if your hearts were not more hard than the rocks you would relent especially when you consider that all this was for your sins and that he died that you might live 'T was thy Covetousness that betrayed him Thy Iust that made him bleed Thy unbelief and wickedness that loaded Him with the Cross that crowned Him with thorns that nailed his hands and pierced his side and filled his Soul with horror and amazement This should work in us a great indignation against our Sins as that which crucified our dearest Lord. Should a tender Mother lose a Child by a knife or some other instrument that is but the occasion of its death Surely she would not endure to see that instrument in her sight If we loved our Saviour we should hate our sins which made him bleed and bow his head Since 't is a most certain truth that he that commits sin does more displease i. e. does that which is more against the mind and will of Christ than Judas that betrayed him and those that hanged him upon his Cross And therefore as you pity your Saviour add not to his sorrows as you have any compassion to Him add not to the bitterness of his Soul Bring not with you instruments of crâ—â—lty when you pretend to remember his love â—e shewed in his death But think thâ—◠〈◊〉 that if God did not spare his Son that 〈◊〉 might not go unpunished that he will mucâ— less spare you who go on in your sins and love them III. Another great end of this Sacrament is that Christians might by it be united together in the strictest bond of love and charity It is indeed a feast of love and that which does not only joyn us to God but firmly cements us also to one another This indeed is the great Commandement of our Blessed Saviour that we should love one another as He hath loved us John 15.12 Nay he hath made this the mark by which his followers shall be known from the rest of the World By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Joh. 13.35 And in the early days of Christianity the Heathen World took notice how the Christians loved one another Nay the Holy Scriptures tell us that in the beginning of Christianity The multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul Act. 4.32 And they shewed their love to one another by making all things common that there might be no lack and wants among them Acts 2.44 45. But then 't is added when it was that they loved one another thus greatly viz. While they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart verse 46. Whiles there were frequent Communions in the Church of God there did remain a fervent Charity among Christians But when they were but seldome celebrated Charity also grew cold For indeed this Sacrament was appointed for the keeping up a fervent charity among the followers of Jesus And very plain methinks are the words of the Apostle to this purpose We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 i. e. We that partake of this Heavenly feast are by that made one we are of one kind and 〈◊〉 just as Bread and Wine though they be made up of several grains and grapes yet are made up together into one similar body all whose parts are homogeneous and of the same sort or kind so we that are Christians tho as men we differ from one another and have our several affections and designs distinct from each other yet for all this by the death of our Saviour and by the participation of the Sacrament of our Lords Supper we are made one we are reconciled to the same designs and interests acted by the same Spirit and by this Sacrament united into one Spiritual body However we are other wise divided it is the intention of this Sacrament to make us One. And therefore the Ancients called the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a Collection or gathering together into one those who were otherwise divided The partaking of this Feast makes the partakers of one mind and heart where they do receive it worthily What is said of Pilate and Herod when our Saviour was about to suffer That they were the same day made friends together who before had been at enmity between themselves Luke 23.12 The same is true of all true Christians that do aright partake of this Sacrament of the death of Christ they are now united and reconciled and made of one heart and mind And this seems to be the great design of the Eucharist to unite Christians together in the closest bond of unity and
our offences if we do not from our hearts forgive our brother his Our hearts must be perfectly cleared of all the leaven of malice before we can as we ought keep this Feast CHAP. XII I Come now to shew how we must behave our selves after we have been partakers of this Table of our Lord. And that I shall do in the following Severals 1. Let us out of gratitude for so great a favour from Gods hands shew mercy to the poor This the Jews did upon a festival Jom Toff c. 1 and they give particular rules about it It well becomes us when God hath vouchsafed to entertain us at his Table to entertain the poor at ours We can make no amends to God for his mercy to us but yet we may shew our gratitude by shewing mercy to our poor brethren who bear his image God hath substituted them to receive our grateful acknowledgements This we shall cheerfully do if we have upon our minds a lively sense of the mercies of God to us and of our unworthiness of the least of them We read to this purpose what the first Christians did That they brake their bread i. e. received the Lords Supper from house to house and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart or liberality praising God and having favour with all the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Dr. Hammond in loc or as it hath been thought those words do import exercising mercy and shewing kindness to those that wanted We shall do well to imitate this example and when God shews us so much mercy let us not be without compassion to one another For verily if our hearts be hardened against our poor brother we have great reason to think our selves void of the love of God 2. Let us use an after examination Let us presently reflect and consider what was amiss in us when we were waiting upon our Lord and humble our selves for it forthwith Otherwise it is to be feared we shall soon relapse to our wonts and be so far from being better that we shall be much worse If we do not rebuke our selves quickly we shall soon return to our vain Conversation again 3. Let us by all means sequester our selves from our worldly divertisements and concerns and employ our time in prayer and praises It is very advisable that we should be alone that we should for some time separate our selves from our worldly employments and spend our time in our private devotions Our Saviour after he had kept this Supper with his Disciples and sung an Hymn or Psalm of Praise after it with-draws from his Disciples and betakes himself to prayer unto God And this he does three several times The world will be very ready to thrust in upon us and to make us forget our vows and good resolutions we shall be in great danger if we be not very cautelous And therefore we must pertinaciously resolve to watch over our hearts and when our Souls are clean we must be greatly careful that we be not defiled again We must do here as Physicians advise us to do when we use their prescriptions we must also take care that we use them cum regimine we must not take cold nor commit any other error which will make their rules become ineffectual When our house is swept and garnished we must take care that an unclean Spirit do not re-enter lest our latter end be worse than our be ginning 4. Let us be very careful that we do not relapse and fall back into an evil course of life Certain it is that it stands us in hand to use our utmost care to this purpose We must do as the Spouse did when she had found him whom her Soul loved she held him and would not let him go Cant. 3.4 We must not only receive our Lord Jesus but we must also walk in him We must for the time to come devote our selves to the service of our Lord. We must set our selves upon the obedience of all his precepts and upon the mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections We must inure our selves to the works of Religion and the labours of a pious life We must use our selves to bear the Cross to forgive injuries to bridle our anger to cross our carnal desires and appetites and contradict the cravings of the Animal life If we presently return to our sins again we shew that we have but played the part of hypocrites and dissemblers and shall pay dear for our hypocrisie Our condition will be very sad if we now return to our vomit Let us therefore renew our purposes of a new life and be greatly careful that we return no more to folly We may reason thus with our selves when we are retired into our Closets I have now once more renewed my Covenant with God I have promised him solemnly that I will be his servant I have to bind my self the faster taken the body and blood of my Lord. I am now fast bound to be constant and faithful to him Sure I am that God with whom I have had to do is a God that will not be mocked I may deceive others him I cannot deceive What a wretched creature shall I be if I should now prove false What cords will hold me if I break this How can I think that God will ever trust me or how can I ever trust my self if I now relapse The blood of Christ will call for vengeance against me if I now run on in my former courses My sins were great before but now they will be aggravated Wo is me if I now run on in my excess of folly Shall I suffer any corrupt speech to proceed out of that mouth which hath received my Lord Shall I abuse my body to intemperance which my Lord hath entered into How shall I ever look my Lord in the face if I should now betray him or deny him Good God look upon thy servant and whatever plagues I meet with in this world suffer me not to forsake thee Have pity upon me O God and let me not start aside from thy precepts Let me die rather than I should deny thee Suffer me not so far to dishonour thy name and wrong my own Soul Let thy grace be sufficient for me do thou give me power that I may keep thy statutes at all times Thus may we reason with our selves when we come to our Closets after we have received the Body and Blood of our Lord. And we shall find it very needful to awaken our selves to a new obedience as we would avoid the greatest indignation of Heaven For certain it is if we willfully return to our follies again we shall bring great wrath upon our selves And though perhaps we may not be punished with sickness and sudden death as the Corinthians were for the abuse of this Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.30 yet are there more dismal plagues than these which will overtake us such are hardness of heart blindness of mind
every evil way and purifie my self as thou art pure Keep me O Lord for the time to come from every thing that is hurtful to me and displeasing to thee From the excesses both of care and fear from snares and great perplexities from carnal desires and brutish inclinations from covetousness and hatred from envy and pride from vanity and dissimulation murmuring and discontent And make me stedfast in justice and charity in humility and meekness in purity of heart and heavenly mindedness and sincere devotion And to these Holy ends vouch safe me the presence of thy Spirit and power of thy grace and endue me with heavenly Wisdom and all this I beg for the sake and in the Mediation of Jesus Christ Our Father which art c. Ejaculations to be used at the Lords Supper THE Lord hath done great things for me whereof I am glad If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life At the Receiving of the Bread THou hast said O Blessed Jesus I am the living Bread which came down from heaven If any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever Be it unto thy Servant according to thy Word in which thou hast caused me to trust Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my Life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us ward They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee If I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred I am thine O Lord I devote my self to thee O save thy Servant who trusteth in thee I have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alway even unto the end Depart from me ye evil doers for I will keep the Commandments of my God At the Receiving of the Cup. O Blessed Saviour let thy Blood purge my Conscience from dead works to serve the living God Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood I will not henceforth live unto my self but unto him who dyed for me and rose again Blessed be the Lord my God who only doeth wondrous things And blessed be his glorious name for ever and let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory Amen and Amen After Receiving BLessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead To an inheritance uncorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Perfect that which concerneth me and forsake not the work of thine own hands I intreat thy favour with my whole heart Be merciful unto me according to thy word I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Judgements O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not A Prayer after the Receiving the Sacrament BLessed be thy glorious name O Lord for all thy unspeakable mercies to me and to all the World I adore and magnifie thee for thy great goodness in giving thy Son to dye for me and making me partaker of his most pretious Body and Blood O Lord what is man that thou thus regardest him And what am I a vile and wretched sinner that thou shouldst be thus favourable to me Thou hast been pleased to admit me to renew that Covenant with thee which I had broken and to give me assurance of thy readiness to pardon so vile and great a sinner as I have been I have received the pledges of thy love and been admitted to thy holy Table I have there devoted my self again unto thee my Soul and Body all my powers and faculties I have vowed obedience to thee and after the most solemn manner consecrated my self to thy service Thou art a God that knowest the heart and art not to be mocked I tremble when I consider thy infinite power wisdom and holiness Let these thoughts beget in my Soul a great fear of thy Holy name a great care to do thy will Grant I may not for the future turn the grace of thee my God into wantonness and that I may not receive the Grace of God in vain There is nothing hid from thee Thou knowest my weakness and infirmities and the temptations with which I am assaulted and to which I have too often yielded I am surrounded with snares and my spiritual Enemies are powerful and active O Lord help thy Servant and grant that I may both resist and vanquish them by the aid of thy Holy Spirit Keep the possession of my Soul which I have unfeignedly surrendred up unto thee Unite my heart O Lord to fear thy name and grant that I may spend the remainder of my time in obedience to thee and in acts of Charity to my brethren Create a clean heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me Forsake me not O Lord if thou leave me I perish Guide me by thy Counsel and at last receive me to thy glory I do greatly desire the Salvation of mankind and humbly commend to thee this Church and Kingdom the Kings Majesty and all our Superiors in Church and State humbly intreating thee to direct and guide them all into those holy wayes that are pleasing to thee and beneficial to those who are under their charge and influence And work in the minds of all Christians an unfeigned Charity a peaceable temper patience and exemplary meekness and all the other fruits of thy Holy Spirit And grant me thy heavenly grace that I may so use things temporal that I may not miss of thy Eternal Bliss for the sake of Jesus Christ my onely Mediator and Advocate Amen A Morning Prayer for a Family O Almighty and Eternal Lord God the great Creator of Heaven and Earth and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ look down from Heaven with pity and compassion upon thy servants who humbly cast ourselves down before thee in a great sense of thy mercies and our own misery There is an infinite distance between Thy Glorious