God in the eternal life and happiness of my body and soul which consists in my union with and fruition of God in heaven for ever which is effected by the Spirit and grace of God through the merits of Jesus Christ drawing my soul through faith in the Son of God made Man to himself who by the evil of sin both original depravation and actual Commissions am removed at an infinite distance from the love of God the fountain of happiness and placed in a state of Guilt liable to the justice and wrath of God and by consequence to eternal misery and Damnation II. A State not more miserable in it self than unavoidable by me unless the free grace immense goodness of the Almighty which brings sinners to repentance had prevented both my desert and desire by an eternal purpose of offering pardon life and salvation to sinful mankind which good pleasure and purpose in himself God hath clearly revealed according to the divers dispensations of his wisdom and providence even from the first promise of Christ made to the first sinners to the personal coming of the Son of God into the World to bear the Name and Office of the Saviour of Sinners and hath fully accomplisht and clearly reveal'd unto Mankind this undeniable truth of the eternal purpose of God to give pardon life and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ his only Son who became Man and died for the sins of the World and so satisfied the Justice of God for them that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life III. That great saying and most comfortable Truth Preached by Christ witnessed by the Apostles Dictated by the Spirit of God written by the Evangelists Confirmed by many Miracles delivered by the Church by constant Tradition and believed on in all ages this God requires me to believe as a certain and infallible truth in it self and by faith it becomes to me saving and comfortable It brings my soul to see by the law it s own sinful and desperate estate it calls me off from my self and all Creatures and assures me of immortal happiness for ever by adhering and relying upon Christ and that free grace of God in him and through him bestowed upon my soul IV. This faith and trust in the free Grace through Jesus Christ as it is first wrought by the word of God and his holy Spirit in my soul which is the beginning of this spiritual and eternal life so that it may be further nourished and strengthened to a farther degree of comfort and assurance God hath out of a wonderful Indulgence to our weakness and difficulty of believing annexed to his word these holy Sacraments as visible and most manifest Seals of this Covenant of Grace and Mercy that the soul might in no sort doubt of it nor be discouraged at the sight of it 's own sin and unworthiness when it sees the love of God and its pardon confirmed and assured to it by all its senses and his Saviour the great worker and teacher of this salvation by these sensible means lively set forth in his death and sufferings and himself with all his merits personally offered and conveighed to its self in particulars V. This then is the End to which this holy Sacrament as other means of grace is especially directed that it may be to the souls spiritual life of such efficacy as Food is to the Temporal life of our Bodies a means to maintain life to encrease strength and inward comfort to enable holy actions and cheerful obedience to assure our hopes and affiance in the great truth of God for the pardon of sins and bestowing the Son of God Jesus Christ our great Redeemer who is the Fountain and conveigher of life through these Conduits of the outward means to the penitent and believing soul Secondly The Author by whom it was Instituted I. Was the Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World who being the Lord of power and the Jesus of Mercy is both able and wiling to make this holy Ordinance the means of that Mercy and Grace which he promiseth to us which means are effectual to this supernatural end not by any proportion of innate vertue or Physical efficacy of themselves as food hath to our temporal life by the common rule and ordination of Providence but by a Spiritual Divine and most Mysterious appointment Instituted by our God and Saviour himself whose Authority only could Institute and whose power only can make effectual his Institution by uniting earthly sensible so small and unproportionable means to so heavenly spiritual and excellent an End II. So that in this great mystery though reason assures us in the general assent that the Omnipotency of God can make effectual whatever means he pleaseth in his wisdom to ordain to an end though never so unproportionable yet for the particular demonstrating of the matter of efficiency whereby such means do certainly convey to us so great an end and benefit Reason is quite dazl'd and blind having no ground to fasten upon but devolving all the work of this holy mystery to faith which relies upon the truth power and love of the Institutor Jesus Christ who while he was yet on Earth by a Corporal and Natural presence conversing with men but chiefly with his choice and Domestick Company the Twelve Apostles a little before his death Instituted this Sacred Mystery after his last Supper which he made with them III. By the evidence of this Sacrament exhibiting himself to them and all beliving souls in such an extraordinary and eminent degree of comfort and personal assurance as might greatly establish their faith and hearts in the near and dismal Times of his sufferings shortly ensuing and after his Ascention might be a continual memorial and Seal of the Covenant of Grace established in the death of Christ a support of the faith of Belivers a lively token pledge of his spiritual presence with his Church during his bodily absence till his second coming as also a badge of the profession of the Christian Religion and that mutual love and charity of Believers who are all united by faith to one and the same Saviour of whom they are all partakers in this one Sacrament as well of the invisible Grace as the outward and visible signs the bread and wine Thirdly The outward Means suitable to this end I. The choice of which familiar signs made by our Saviour for the outward means discovered a wonderful wisdom and no less love and condescention to his Church while he made choice of such things for the Representation of his greatest Grace and our comfort as best sitting this staâ—e of Senses and Infirmity such as for the Community may be had of all Nations and in all Countries either by native Commodities as in most or by cheap and easy Commerce with others whose abundance may spare though where the proper species of bread and wine cannot be had those means of nourishment
wine but substantially flesh and blood besides innumerable monstrous and most absurd Consequences and Contradictions which follow that Opinion which all do infinitely perplex and torture the minds of Christians If the Opinion were granted and all these absurdities swallowed by a wide and enormous Faith yet were there no advantage of Efficacy or Comfort gained to the Receiver by a gross and Carnal Eating and Drinking the body and blood of Christ. III. If those which Crucified him had done so or they who then believed in him when he was slain yet would they not any way have furthered their souls good and life which can no more be fed with carnal and sensible Objects than the body with light and truth which are of a Spiritual nature nor doth this first violent act of faith which they require of a Receiver in believing the essential change of the Bread and Wine into the body and Blood of Christ make a worthy Receiver except his Soul by a further act of Faith apply the virtue and merits of Christ's Death and Passion which is done effectually without the thought of Transubstantiation by that Faith which we say is necessary for a worthy Receiver which doth as clearly perceive and as really receive its proper Objects the Truth and Merits of Christ's Death and Sufferings to which no distance of place or time can be any impediment as the Sence doth its sensible Objects which requires a fit time and distance for perception IV. As for the Sacramental words given in the name of the Body and Blood of Christ to the consecrated Bread and Wine I believe them to be most true in the sense and meaning of our Saviour which sense I do not only guess at or implicitely believe but easily and plainly gather and understand by the like expressions both of our Saviour himself and the stile and phrase of the whole Scripture which never make such substantial predications of one thing to be another by way of transmutation of one into the other but by allusion relation similitude proportion designation of use and Sacramental Union or application no more than the Paschal Lamb which was a Type and Sacrament of Christ and his Sufferings was the very substance of Christ or that Rock on which St. Paul affirms it was Christ or that Christ is to be thought a natural door way vine light c. all which he affirms to be himself by a like manner of speech or more nearer the Cup to be the New Testament c. So that Reason Religion and the Rule of Faith the Holy Scriptures teach Christians to give commodam interpretationem a fit and agreeable interpretation V. Nor can we have a truer interpreter of Christ's meaning than himself who tells us that the Flesh profiteth nothing that is in that carnal and gross acceptation but his words are spiritual and must have a spiritual sense which is suitable to the Nature and Capacity of the Soul the dignity of Chiristan Religion and the sacred Mystery the Propriety of the object of Faith and the stile and tenour of God's Word which never enjoyns us any carnal thing horrible or inhumane For though the Letter may sound so yet the Figure in the words doth relieve our Faith and accommodate a fit and true meaning to such words and expressions nothing being more usual than for the Spirit of God to set forth Spiritual things and duties by corporal notions VI. So that as the Bread and Wine by their natural qualities and vertues are fit to represent the spiritual efficacy of the Body and Blood of Christ yet by a natural power are no whit able to impart to a Communicant the Body and Blood of Christ with the benefits of them to the Soul so that our blessed Saviour hath made choice of them for the First and hath given to them a Sacramental Virtue and a supernatural efficacy for the Second which they truly do as Remembrancers as Signs and Seals really conveying to the believing and prepared Soul by the concurrent Spirit and Power of the Institutor Jesus Christ that which in their nature they do fitly represent VII Which is all that I conceive I need beleive of or expect from this Sacrament which is appointed only to strengthen and confirm that Faith in us by which we believe in Christ crucified for Life and Salvation which Faith grounded on the Word and wrought by the Spirit is first confirmed and sealed by Baptism and may be true and sufficient to save a Christian who never lives to come to the Supper of the Lord nor hath any thought or use of Transubstantiation in this no more than of the substantial change of the Water in Baptism into the Blood of Christ which was never yet dreamed of yet our Saviour tells us Joh. the 6th Except a man eat his Flesh and drink his Blood he cannot have Eternal Life which many have who never eat of the most holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper yet dye believers and by Faith have eaten and drank the Body and Blood of Christ spiritually yet really without which they could not be saved VIII Neither to secure children of Salvation in case they dye before years of discretion need we resume the antient but erroneous practice of the Church now long since abolished by all sides viz. to put the Eucharistical Bread and Wine into the mouths of Infants which Error sprang from the gross and corporeal interpretation of our Saviour's words not considering that every Believer either in the internal disposition which is secretly wrought by the Spirits sanctifying Power in Baptism according to the capacity of the Subject or in the real exercise and actuating of his Faith which comes by Hearing in his riper years must necessarily and doth effectually and really Eat and Drink the Body and Blood of Christ to Salvation though they never come to receive in the Holy Supper so that it is but one Christ his Body and Blood the same Crucified Saviour which is received in both Sacraments and but one Faith for the kind that layes hold and feeds on Christ in them all only it receives degrees and addition of strength in this of the Supper the Word beginning the Life of Faith and by it the Believer into Christ the other maintaining and encreasing it to a further strength and assurance IX We deny not a true and real presence and perception of Christ's Body and Blood in the Sacrament which reality even they of the other gross Opinion do not imagine is to Sence but to Faith which perceives its Objects as really according to the manner of Faiths perception as the senses do theirs after their manner I believe therefore that in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper there are both objects presented to and received by a Worthy Receiver first the Bread and Wine in their own nature and substances distinct do remain as well as their accidents which are the true objects of our sence and fit signs to represent
my misguided Conscience and further assure me of the pardon of my sins and interest in his love and favour by the renewed use of his sacred Ordinances XII To which he calls and invites me both by the outward overture of fit occasions and inward incitation of good and earnest desires to pertake of them as the pledges and conduits of my greatest comfort and happiness which happiness I esteem and seek after not only in a freedom from the punishment and misery of my sin but from the power of and the pleasure that seems to be in sin nor do I count it a less degree of Grace and Mercy which enables me to serve and love him than that which saves me from Hell Torments nor do I come to the Sacrament only to quit the score of my sins but to get strength and grace against them to deny mortify and overcome them which above all things that the World accounts will I most abhor and desire to avoid and am most grieved if I do not I make new and reinforced vows and resolutions between God and my Soul against my sinful self which although I have often failed to keep as I intended yet I am not quite overcome while I truly desire pray and endeavour to get the victory and am never more displeased than when I fail of it XIII Thus having tryed and renewed my repentance by my sighs sorrow and humiliation for sin my serious purpose and earnest prayer against sin my faith by my love of God dependence upon him submission to him desire to please him arising out of an apprehension and perswasion of his love to my Soul my love to God and my Saviour by my hatred of sin fear to and greif for offending by my love of his Servants delight in his word zeal for his truth and glory an earnest desire and stedfast hope to enjoy him and by my particular appetite and desires to this holy Sacrament as a special means of communion with my God and Saviour and pertaking of his Grace My charity and love to others by my care and endeavour by all means to further their Souls good by my affectionate prayes for them though they have deserved ill of me by my tenderness of giving offence my slowness to take offence by my grief when any arise by my proneness and joy in reconciling and though I find all these graces in me but in weak and small degrees with mixture of much infirmity and many imperfections nay a contrary power daily opposing and with much impatience striving to break the Cords of pious and solemn resolutions I am as well becomes me humbled and emptied of all opinions of my self XIV Yet am I not discouraged from coming since what did most deter me in it self from coming to Christ my sin and unworthiness is by the operation of faith made as the greatest incitement to provoke me to come being one whose great wants and unworthiness will afford a fit subject whereon to magnifie the Riches of that free Grace and infinite mercy which becomes the majesty of God and may answer the merits of our Saviour from whom as a principle of a new life I expect all the grace comfort strength and happiness which I want and to whom I give the glory of all that I enjoy who as the head derives to every part of his body the Church life motion health and whatever is in his own fullness and perfection whose love and compassion to my Soul to all Eternity will be too little to comprehend and magnify XV. Which that I may more fully discover I have a more lively assurance of be more thankfully affected and live more worthy of it I repeat again this sacred memorial and seal of his love and mercy having first sought by frequent earnest and humble prayer and in some measure obtained the assistance of his holy Spirit which by its preparatory Grace stirs up earnest and hungring desires to receive renew its habitual graces planted in my heart Knowledge Faith Repentance love of God charity to others and thankfulness by actuating a new before I receive assistance in receving by Sacred devout and pertinent Meditations seals and testifies to my Conscience my acceptance and efficacy of receiving by increase of holiness in my heart and care of better obedience in my life after the surest evidence and truest I can have or expect of my worthy receiving XVI Having thus faithfully discharg'd my Duty and Conscience in the way of preparation to the Sacrament though still conscious to and humbled in the consideration of my own unworthiness in any proportion to the great good I aim at yet I will not deprive my self of so neâ—r and inestimable a comfort by refraining nor dare l so far distrust the mercy of God and dignation of my Saviour who propounds not my personal worthiness in a strict sense as the object of my comfort and hopes in coming but his gracious acceptance and merciful indulgence such indeed as becomes the infinite goodness and honour of the Christians God and Saviour XVII The same holy frame and devout temper of Spirit I labour to continue in my receiving carrying my Faith by the visible Representations before me and given to me to behold its invisible but most credible object Jesus Christ crucified and dying for my sins whose love and merits I consider with as great an obligation of love thankfulness and obedience upon me as if he had laid down his life for me alone these meditations raise me to thankfulness to admiration to exaltation of the love of God my Saviour above all XVIII Finally so I endeavour to receive this blessed Sacrament as if each opportunity were my last as if I were to appear before God in Judgment that in the power of that grace I there receive I may live the remainder of my short life virtuously and holily in the hope of its reward and perfection in Heaven I may die willingly and chearfully in the Merit and Righteousness of it I may attain to the Resurrection of the just appear justified before God at the last and great day and obtain the Consummation of all in that glorious estate of Immortality with God and Christ in Heaven XIX The Duty of examining my self is by precept clearly enjoyning me by the Spirit of God let a Man therefore examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and Drink of that Cup 1. Cor. 11. Chap 28. verse which alone were enough to exact my performance but since all the commands of God who is the most perfect reason to rational Creatures are most reasonable though oft times ignorance or blindness doth not or will not discover it to the equity of this injunction my own reason must needs subscribe for knowing that every thing is received according to the capacity and disposition of the recipient and that a worldly sensual and meer humane mind is unapt to receive things intellectual Spiritual and Divine and perceive objects the
and favour of God detaining my mind in such degrees of ignorance as may render my sin less odious to me and make me less sensible of my misery and want of Mercy hardning and consirming my will against those Pious and Good motions by which the Spirit of God oftentimes attempts to soften it to an ingenuous submission to God and his Will disordering my affections and diverting them from those right Objects which Reason and Religion propound and my own Conscience cannot but approve VI. Which makes my sin out of measure sinful and dangerous so that in the shame and confusion which this sight of it self casts upon my Soul I have enough to do to see and weigh my own unworthiness and fill my Conscience with that fear of the Wrath of God and horror of Eternal Judgment which I confess might justly punish all my sins with despair and it as the greatest of all sins with Damnation And beyond these thoughts I could noâ— I durst not go in this gulfe of sin and the apprehensions of my misery should I sink not daring to send up the least thought to Heaven for a better Estate nor apply my self to the means of any Use or Happiness VII If I did not see by a Divine and Glorious Light of Truth a Hand of Mercy and means of recovery and Salvation stretched out to me and assuring me by the unerring and undeceiveable veracity of God and the infallibility of his Promises that his Thoughts are thoughts of Mercy and Pardon to sinful Mankind that he hath graciously found a way of satisfying his Justice and taking off the Guilt and Punishment of our sins from our Souls by the sufferings of Jesus Christ God and Man transferring the Guilt and punishment of our sins to him and imputing the Merits of his Righteousness to us upon condition we believe on him and cast our Souls how sinful soever they be into the Arms of his Mercy and by the serious apprehension of this infinite Love and Goodness be won from the Love of sin to Repentance and Amendment of Life Upon this Truth and Grace revealed by God to his Church and my Soul in particular I lay hold and cast my self with all the Guilt and Burden of my sins what aggravations soever for number or quality they admit being assured that they are infinitely less than the Mercies of God and Merits of Jesus Christ This wonderful Truth of God which I dare not I cannot deny this Mercy which above all things I need adds new Mercy to my dead and languishing Soul this represents God to me in the face of Jesus Christ as the highest Good most to be desired loved and admired VIII This shews me my sin in the true colours of ingratitude vileness end unworthiness against that Mercy which offers Pardon for my sin against a Saviour who hath died for me This stirs up a hatred and resolution against sin out of a principal love and apprehension of a wonderful desert and obligation of love and unspeakable Kindness to me that as I have the greatest cause that can be to be humbled in the sight of my sin and self so that the surest ground that can be whereon to settle my Faith and Comfort is the Truth and Mercy of God which by the Word Spirit and Son of God is assured to me that although by my sin I have highly displeased and dishonoured God Almighty yet by my trust and believing in his Truth and Promises of Pardon and Salvation through Jesus Christ I shall greatly please and honour him giving him the Glory of his Grace and Mercy by sealling to his Truth which to question or deny or not to believe is to make all my other sins unpardonable and add a sin of a higher nature than any I have yet committed that is unbelief or giving God the lye and its inseperable companion impenitency IX Won therefore and melted by this great certain and preventive Kindness and Love of God which in no sort I could deserve yet cannot deny or doubt of I grow dayly to see more clearly and embrace more firmly affectionately the Goodness of God to my Soul and from thence to a more tender sense and greater detestation of sin not so much now daring to sin as not willing to sin denying the motions and occasions to sin not so much out of fear of punishment as a love to please and an extream secret shame of returning evil to such wonderful Goodness abhorring sin not so much for the evil which follows it as for the evil which is in it and deformity and vileness of it which I see by the glymps of that Beauty and Loveliness which I discover in Holiness and Vertue the Image of God the highest Ornament and Happiness of the Creature X. Thus in some degrees freed from the Fear and Love of my sin Holy desires and good affections as followers of the Sun's Accession in the Spring begin to arise in my heart and though they suffer a great allay by the Earth of the Body in which the Soul is planted yet they assure me that the Spirit of God hath moved upon that Chaos the deadness and barrenness of my Soul and by a secret but most effectual influence hath made me a New Creature by ingrafting me into the Tree of Life Jesus Christ and washing me in that pure Fountain of his Blood which was shed for the Remission of my sins Thus now I desire nothing more than daily to attain a fuller Sight and Capacity of this admired Mercy that as my knowledge in the Greatness and Truth of it increaseth so my Faith in the applying of it may be strengthened my Affections in the thankful return of my self may be enflamed my Charity and Virtue towards others may be excited glad to have occasions really to express my Love Pity and Forgiveness of others that grateful Sense I have of God's Love to me in Christ XI And that the whole course of my Life may be so ordered as becomes one who is united to the Son of God not only by the Community of the humane Nature but by the efficacy of the same Holy Spirit and raised to the hopes of the same Glory and Happiness that now nothing is more acceptable to me than to meditate of this great Mystery of man's Salvation nothing more delightful than the thoughts of God reconciled to me in Jesus Christ nothing more welcom than the use of those means by which God doth further confirm and assure this Mercy and Truth to my Soul whose many failings though they often shake my confidence and obscure my comfort yet the sight of the Promises and the seals of the Sacrament annexed to them in which I behold Jesus Christ crucified does again establish my heart and assure me that the All-powerful Love and Grace of God will not be overcome by the sin and wickedness of man but will effectually repair the breaches of my dayly infirmities and satisfie the doubtings of
when you first awake lift up your Eyes to God and say I lift up mine Eyes to the Hills from whence cometh my help Open thou mine Eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy Law My voice shalt thou hear betimes O Lord Early in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up At your up-Rising In the name of God the Father who Created me God the Son who Redeemed me and God the Holy Ghost who Sanctifieth me Amen I arise from my Bed of rest to praise and glorifie him the Preserver of all the World He of his infinite mercy and goodness Bless and keep me this day and for ever Amen I laid me down and slept and rose up again for the Lord hath sustained me Then kneel down and say this Prayer Prevent me O Lord in all my doings with thy most gracious favour and further me with thy continual help that in all my works begun continued and ended in thee I may glorifie thy Holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting life through Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen O Lord my heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God who hast safely brought me to the beginning of this day defend me in the same with thy mighty power and grant that this day I fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger but that all my doings may be ordered by thy governance to do always that which is righteous in thy sight through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen O God who art the author of peace and lover of concord in knowledge of whom standeth my eternal life whose service is perfect freedom defend me thy humble Servant in all assaults of my Enemies that I surely trusting in thy defence may not fear the power of any adversaries through the might of Jesus Christ my Lord Amen Almighty God the Fountain of all Wisdom who knowest my necessity before I ask and my ignorance in asking I beseech thee to have compassion upon my infirmities and those things which for my unworthiness I dare not and for my blindness I cannot ask vouchsafe to give me for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen Almighty God who hast promised to hear the Petitions of them that ask in thy Son's name I beseech thee mercifully to incline thine Ears to me that have made now my Prayers and Supplications unto thee and grant that those things which I have faithfully asked according to thy will may effectually be obtained to the relief of my necessity and to the setting forth of thy Glory through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen O Almighty God behold me a wretched Sinner here prostrate before thee do with me as seems best in thine own Eyes only give me a penitent and a patient Spirit to expect thee and make this my service acceptable to thee while I live and my Soul ready for thee when I die Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with me and remain with me this day and for evermore Amen Read the Psalms appointed for the Morning Service and the First and Second Lesson Devotions for the Evening for every day in the week Evening Ejaculations O Lord let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the Incence And the lifting up of my hands as an evening Sacrifice My trust and hope hath been in thee all the day long and under the Shaddow of thy Wings shall be my Refuge day and night for ever Lighten mine eyes O Lord that I sleep not in death Almighty God who hast made the day for labouâ— and the night for rest let thy Sons blood cleanse me from this days Guilt that I may sleep in thy peace and rise again refreshed and preserved by thy favour through Jesus Christ my Crucified Saviour Amen O Eternal God who hast preserved me this day from many sins and dangers for which I humbly magnifie thy Holy Name for thy Grace and goodness towards me beseeching thee to forgive me all the Errors of this day whereof my Conscience doth or may accuse me and grant that those things which by my frailty I have committed may be by the help of thy Spirit more carefully avoided that I may ever walk in thy favour and under thy Protection and now rest and lye down in thy peace and at last come to thy heavenly Kingdom through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ Amen O God from whom all holy desires all good Councels and all just works do proceed give unto me thy Servant that peace wich the world cannot give that my whole heart may be set to obey thy Commandments and also that by thee I being defended from the fear of my Enemies I may pass my time in rest and quietness through the merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen Lighten my darkness I beseech thee O Lord and by thy great mercy defend me from all perills and dangers of this night for the love of thy only Son my only Lord and Saviour Our Father which art in Heaven c. The peace of God which passeth all understanding keep my heart and mind in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ my Lord and the blessing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be with me this Night and all the days of my life at the hour of my death and at the day of Judgment Amen When you lye down say I will lay down my head in peace and take my rest for thou only O Lord makest me to dwell in safety Into thy hands I commit my Soul and Body keep me for thy mercy sake Amen On Monday morning and every day in the Week use these Ejaculations Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou regardest him Thou madest him lower than the Angels to crown him with glory and worship Behold I was shapen in wickedness and in sin hath my Mother conceived me Thou shalt purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me O give me the comfort of thy help again and establish me with thy free spirit Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be now and evermore acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer A preparatory Meditation upon the most Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper I. O who will give to my head Water and to my eyes a fountain of Tears that I may weep day and night for my sins and ingratitude towards God my Creator Consider O my Soul the multitude of Gods benefits bestowed upon
thee and be thou confounded and ashamed of all thy iniquities consider who thy Creator is and who thou art how he hath behaved himself towards thee and what ungrateful returns thou hast made in requital to him Thou hast made me O Lord when I was not and that according to thy own Image and from the very instant of my being hast been my God my Father and my Deliverer and with the benefits of thy providence hast preserved my life even till this present moment II. But because these things O Heavenly Father cost thee nothing to bind me more fast to thee thou hast given me a present which cost thee dear thou didst come down from Heaven to seck me in all those ways in which I had lost my self by thy captivity thou hast loosed my bonds and by delivering thy self into the hands of sinners thou hast delivered me from the power of the Devil and by taking upon thee the form of a sinner thou hast destroyed my sin these things thou didst to allure and bind me unto thee and to strengthen my hope to make me detest and abhor sin by beholding what thou hast done and suffered to over throw the Kingdom of sin O how can I without tears call to remembrance how oft times thou mightest justly have bereaved me of my life how many thousand Souls now peradventure burn in Hell who have less sinned than I and yet I burn not there how then can I be so ungrateful as not to prize the large extent of that mercy which cannot be comprehended Monday morning a Preparatory Prayer to the Holy Sacrament O Almighty Lord God thou hast called me to thine holy Table and hast set out a part of consecrated Bread and Wine for me I acknowledge my Ignorance that I must be instructed by such means as thou in thy bounty hast appointed for me and I acknowledge thy divine goodness that thou vouchsafest me to be taught by those 〈…〉 of Grace whereby I may come to that of 〈…〉 I do hear thy word and thy dear Son is 〈…〉 my â—â—r I receive this Sacrament 〈…〉 ffered unto my eye in the testimony of these two witnesses this truth is established in my heart that my Saviour suffered death for my sins II. As it hath pleased thee thus to offer me thy favour so I beseech thee give me that grace whereby I may walk worthy of it Am I thus invited to the heavenly Banquet to the Table of the King of Kings O let me not go without my wedding Garment last the Bridegroom of this Feast say unto me how comest thou in hither without thy richest vestments which are suitable to this great solemnity thou hast now commanded me to examine my self and let me now try and examine my heart and be acquainted with it whereby I may find out all my spiritual wants and necessities and look how I stand in thy sight by making a severe scrutiny into my self The Jews would not eat with unwashed hands dare I eat with an unwashed heart they would not drink but their Vessels must be purified and dare I now drink and my soul not purified before the passover they sanctified themselves and before this Sacrament shall not I now prepare my self I desire to do it Lord help my desire lest eating and drinking unworthily I eat and drink my own damnation A Prayer before examination O Holy Jesus who art a merciful embracer of true penitents but yet a consuming fire to obstinate offenders I am now preparing my self to come to thy holy Table unfeignedly confessing my own unworthiness committed against thy divine Majesty I have sinned against thee many ways and that since I last received this most holy Sacrament I have not known thee in thy word beheld thee in thy works apprehended thee in thy Son served thee in the Spirit applyed thee by Faith fâ—â—râ—d thee for thy Justice nor admired thee as I ought for thy great mercies I have not frequented thine House heard thy word laid it up in my heart nor practiced it in my life as I ought to do 〈…〉 even I by the lusts of my eyes the lusts of thâ— flâ—sh and the pride of life have dishonoured thy great and glorious name and when thou hast forgiven me ten thousand Talents I would not forgive my Brother a hundred Pence II. As one deep calls upon another the depth of misery upon the depth of mercy what shall I say unto thee O thou Preserver of all men much more what shall I do to inherit eternal life I will arise and go unto God my Father and say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son but thou hast said that he which hideth his sins shall not prosper but he which confesseth them shall obtain mercy I confess and am truly sorrowful I have sinned Lord do pardon and forgive me all my sins and grant that in the whole course of my life hereafter I may live to the honour of thy great name and to the comfort and salvation of my own Soul III. O Lord give unto me now a broken heart a contrite spirit a sorrowful soul and a mind hungring and thirsting after Jesus Christ and his righteousness give me I beseech thee grace to know thee the only true God the Creator and preserver of all mankind O give me grace now to feel the burthen of all my sins and that thou wilt speak peace unto my soul and say unto it thou art my salvation O let me be eased of this lump of sin by washing it away with the Blood of thy dear Son I do believe Lord help my unbelief I am sorry for my sins make me to be heartily and unfeignedly sorrowful I promise to live nearer to thee than ever I have done give me power to perform my promise I forgive all that have wronged me even as thou for Christs sake hast forgiven me let this forgiveness of mine be without dâ—ssimulation and Lord grant that I may humble my self under the sense of my ignorance and dulness and weakness and wickedness and spiritual deadness of heart and having emptied my self of my self I may receive of thy fulness and grace for grace in whose name I put up these my imperfect prayers OVr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy name thy Kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven give us this day our daily Bread and forgive us our trepasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Amen Still upon your knees say ALmighty God unto whom all hearts be open all desires known and from whom no secrets are hid cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of thy holy Spirit that I may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy holy name through Christ our Lord. Amen Some heads of self examination by the X. Commandments to be expressed on
for the rich it is the staff of our life and signifies that body of thine which thou gavest for the life of the World thou hast by thy holy Mystery made this Bread and Wine spiritual food as well as temporal O Lord I beseech thee let the operation of it be such as to strengthen my soul that it may withstand all Temptations whatsoever and evermore serve thee in spirit and in truth Amen When the Minister breaks the Bread and pours out the Wine use these Meditations O Holy Jesus thy Blessed Body was torn with Nails upon the Cross and thy precious Blood was inhumanely spilt by the Crucifiers but I an unworthy Wretch by my manifold sins have occasioned more torments to thee they Crucified thee but once but I crucifie thee dayly they Crucified thee because they knew thee not but I have known thee what thou art in thy self the Lord of glory and what thou art to me a most tender and Merciful Father and yet I have still continued to Crucifie thee afresh O do thou work in me first a great sorrow for my sins past and then a great hatred and a firm resolution against them for the time to come When the Minister receives in both kinds himself say 1. Thou that hearest Prayers unto thee shall all flesh come 2. Blessed is the Man whom thou choosest and receivest unto thee he shall dwell in thy Court and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thy Holy Temple 3. Thou shalt guide me with thy council and after that receive me with glory 4. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Jacob defend thee 5. Send thee help from the Sanctuary and strengthen the out of Sion 6. The Lord remember all thy offerings and accept this thy Sacrifice 7. Grant thee thy hearts desire and fulfill all thy mind the Lord perform all thy petions which thou hast made at this time both for thy self for us and for all persons 8. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel World without end Amen When the Minister is drawing near thee with the Elements say I adore thee O must righteous Redeemer that thou art pleased to convey unto my soul thy precious Body and Blood with all the benefits of thy Death and Passion I am not worthy O Lord to receive thee but let thy Holy and Blessed Spirit with all his purities prepare for thee a lodging in my Soul where thou mayest unite me to thy self for ever Amen Ejaculations before the Bread This is that Bread which came down from Heaven whosoever eateth shall never hunger Thou dealest thy bread to those which hunger after righteousness O feed my fainting soul with this bread of life O strengthen my heart and hand by a lively faith and open my mouth with fervent desires that I may eat not for bodily sustenance but for spiritual relief and the refreshment of my soul O let my soul feel the spiritual efficacy of thy grace that I may not eat unworthily or to my condemnation O Lord I beseech thee enable and direct me by thy holy and blessed spirit to receive it worthily Amen When the Minister gives the holy bread say softly with him The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for me preserve my body and soul unto everlasting life Here take the bread with reverence then proceed I take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for me and will feed on him in my heart with faith and thanks-giving Then answer audibly Amen After the bread say I give thee hearty thanks O Lord most Holy that thou hast refreshed my soul at this time by my feeding upon thy Body which was broken for me If I had lived innocently and had kept all thy Commandments yet could I have had no proportion of merit to so transcendent a mercy but since I have so loved sin and added transgression to transgression thy mercy is so glorious and infinite that I stand amazed at the consideration of its immensity O let me not throw off this Wedding Garment or stain it with pollution of deadly sin but let me be wholly united to thee being transformed according to thy holy will and life who livest and reignest for ever Amen Or this O Blessed Jesus sanctifie this bread to me that it may be to my Soul the staff of strength whereby I may vanquish and overcome all the assaulis of the Devil the World and the Flesh and continue thy faithful Soldier and Servant to my lifes end Amen Ejaculations before the Cup. 1. The Lord himself is the portion of my Inheritance and of my Cup thou shalt maintain my lot 2. The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground yea I have a goodly heritage 3. I have set God always before me for he is on my right hand therefore I shall not fall 4. Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is merciful 5. What reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me 6. I will receive the Cup of Salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. 7. I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living When thou receivest the Cup say after the Minister softly The Blood of my Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for me preserve my body and soul unto everlasting life I drink this in remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for me and am thankful Amen After the Cup say O how delightful is this Cup to me Blessed Jesus which was so heavy to thee it was thy Agonies and Bloody sweat thy bitter Death and Passion which afforded me this Cup of chearfulness thou didst find it bitter when thou wast appeasing an angry Father but thou hast sweetned it by a reconciliation and hast wrought out my Redemption and Salvation Or this I praise thee I bless thee I glorifie thee O Lord most Holy that thou hast at this time so refreshed my soul and filled me with holy desires O let thy tender mercy always keep me in this happy temper that I may never err nor stray from thy Commandments but keep firm that Covenant which thou hast sealed with thy most precious Blood for my redemption and direct me O Lord and guide me so here that I may be a fit member for thy Heavenly Kingdom hereafter Amen Whilst others are Communicating say I. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name What greater gift O Lord couldst thou bestow upon me than to give me thy Body for meat thy Blood for drink and to lay down thy life for the price of my redemption What greater mercy than that thou shouldest now enter into me and dwell with me as thou hast promised II. I yield thee humble and hearty thanks most Merciful Father and desire to magnifie thy name for ever for the Holy Death and bitter Passion of thy Son and that great Redemption thou hast wrought for me in him and