our Saviour's Body was on Earth Locally though a Medicinal Vertue went out of it so that they who did but touch the borders of his Garment were Healed of their Diseases yet it did not operate effectually without some previous Preparation of Faith In Matth. 15. 28. He told the Woman of Canaan that would not be put off before he had taken Compassion upon her Child O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt And when the Woman with a Bloody Issue had but touched his Cloaths though she was afraid for her Presumption being at last discovered yet received she this Gracious Answer Daughter be of good Comfort thy Faith hath made thee whole Matth. 9. 22. On the contrary you shall find that the Incredulity of People did as it were bind up the Hands of his Omnipotence and shut up the Bowels of Compassion so that his Miracles were very few where their Faith was very rare A clear instance we have in Matth. 13. in his own Country at Nazareth he did not many Mighty Works because of their Vnbelief v. 58. some indeed he did for he Healed a few Sick Persons who had Faith to be Healed but St. Mark tells us that many mighty works he could not do there Marc. 6. 5. Now to bring down this Consideration to our present Business The Body of Christ doth still cast like Influences and Virtues from Heaven and his Spirit doth Dispense them at this Sacrament but he Dispenseth them according to his good Pleasure and he is not pleased to work Miracles on such as do not Believe but every one Receiveth it according as he is Prepared by Faith We see the Sun darteth his Beams into the bowels of the Earth insensibly and maketh every Plant to Bud and Germinate and Shoot forth but yet his Rays have no Power over Roots that are Dead and Rotten And yet there is a Natural and Irresistible power over things below whereas the Influences which flow down from the Man Christ Jesus do not act Physically and after an uncontroulable manner neither is there that intrinsick Power in the Sacrament or such Virtues of the Spirit going along with it as to work upon Hearts that are not opened to its Operations by a Lively Faith No the Sacrament is the outward and Ritual Means but Faith is the Moral and inward Instrument of bringing Christ to the Soul and every Man's Receipts are according as he Believes And therefore among other things which we are to search and enquire into we must be careful to look well into our Creed and in the first place Examine our selves whether we be indeed in the Faith as St. Paul speaks 2 Corinth 13. 1. Meaning that we must approve our Faith unto God and our Consciences and see that it be such as the Gospel requires and our Hearts must bear us Witness that we Believe as we should do before we presume to Eat of this Bread and to Drink of this Cup. 2. NOW because no Man is able to approve his Faith or to make any Judgment of it at all unless he doth first know what his Faith ought to be and how far it is required to extend therefore I shall proceed to the second thing I promised to shew viz. What it is that every Communicant is obliged to Believe that you may be satisfied in your Minds whether you are sufficiently Prepared for the Communion in this respect And this I shall do the rather because many have spoken very loosely and extravagantly upon this Theme as if none could be a Worthy Receiver except he be perswaded in his Mind that God Elected him to Salvation from all Eternity and except he be assured that all his Sins are certainly Pardoned and that he shall be Absolutely and Infallibly Saved in the day of the Lord. Which Conceits I am confident have served to deter thousands from this Admirable and Heavenly Ordinance who though they had never such good Meanings and honest Purposes and were as we may believe Sincere in their Hearts yet because they could not find themselves thus perswaded have refrained coming to the Lord's Table to the great disquiet and prejudice of their Souls Therefore to remove this rub out of the way be pleased to take notice that it is not absolutely necessary for a Man before he goes to the Sacrament to be confidently assured of his present Forgiveness or his Future Felicity We do not deny but all Men must be assured of the Truth of God's Promise in the general Nor do we deny but that every one is to believe in particular that he himself may be Pardoned and shall be Happy on Condition that he Sincerely and Honestly endeavours to observe the Precepts of the Christian Religion We do not deny neither but a strong assurance there may be in some Eminent Members of the Church especially when they come to Dye But that every one is bound before he doth Communicate to be Absolutely and Peremptorily assured of his Happiness is a very Extravagant and groundless Conceit And that for these two Reasons 1. BECAUSE the Scripture saith nothing of this or that Man 's particular Condition God hath not made any such Revelations in his Word and therefore we are not bound to be assured of the thing For the Word of God written is the Adequate Rule of our Faith So we rightly affirm against the Romanists with respect to their Traditions and so we are to affirm against all Enthusiasts too with reference to their Airy and Confident Opinions The Holy Scriptures are our Guide and what they do not say is not necessary for any of us to Believe Quod de Scripturis non habet autoritatem eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur as St. Jerom said meaning that whatsoever cannot be proved by the Authority of the Scriptures ought not to be Believed as a Necessary Article of Faith Now look into the Bible and see if you can find your Names written there or in the Book of Life if you can any where find it said that your Sins are Pardoned or if you can discover any Absolute Decree that you shall Infallibly be Saved 'T is true the Word of God gives us all many Excellent Promises many great and comfortable Hopes but still it speaks in General that they who Believe shall not Perish that they who Repent shall be Forgiven and that they who persevere in well-doing unto the end shall be Saved But it saith not in particular that I am such or that I shall fare so Onely indeed I may draw Particulars out of Generals by way of Argumentation and Rational Discourse and I may Judge of my self by measuring my self with the Rule and by comparing my Condition and State with the Gospel-terms and so I may have very comfortable and strong Hopes enough to quiet my Mind and Spirit that I am in a State of Grace and that God will shew Mercy unto me in that day but to go farther and to
Use PURSUANT to this Design I have formerly discoursed at large of the Nature of the Ends of the Dignity and Usefulness of this weighty Ordinance which things if Men would but seriously consider and carry in their Thoughts they could not easily neglect a matter of such importance without offering violence to their Judgments and acting against their own Reason BUT there is a great deal of matter yet behind which immediately and directly serveth to engage all of us to discharge our Duty in this particular and also to govern us in the discharging of it And the first thing that offers it self to our Consideration is touching that Necessity which lyeth upon us to eat of this Bread and to drink of this Cup. NOW in order to our better proceeding upon this Subject we must note that there is a Twofold Necessity which relateth to the matter in hand 1. First Some things are Absolutely and Indispensably Necessary because they are the fixt and immovable Conditions of the New Covenant without the performance whereof Salvation cannot be expected by us So to Believe in Christ to Mortifie our Lusts to have a Sanctified Spirit to be Humble Charitable and the like these things are Absolutely Necessary for without Faith and Repentance and entire Holiness of heart none of us can see the Lord. 2. Secondly Some things are Necessary Respectively and upon Supposition that is supposing that there is some Command for them though they be not necessary in their own Nature but are required chiefly to try and Exercise Mens Obedience Or supposing that they are appointed as certain and effectual Means in order to some great and Necessary End and as Instruments to bring us those Mercies which our Souls stand in need of Now when we say 't is Necessary to receive the Sacraments of Christs Body and Blood the meaning is not that it is absolutely simply indispensably and universally necessary so that no Man can possibly be saved without it For no Rites whatsoever are to be accounted of equal moment with substantial Morality and things of Positive Institution though they be necessary in their Kind and Quality yet they are not necessary in that degree as those things are which are good in themselves and which carry an eternal Reason and Obligation along with them In some cases a Ritual Ordinance may be omitted and it is not the bare Omission but the wilful Neglect and Contempt of it that is Criminal in God's account This is evident from the case of Circumcision which was of old a Seal of the Covenant between God and the Jews We find in the fourth of Exodus that when Moses wilfully forbore to Circumcise his Son the anger of the Lord was so kindled against him that he met him in his Journey and sought to kill him and as some Hebrew Doctors tell us did actually smite him with a sudden Disease and yet we find in the 5th of Joshua that afterwards the Jews omitted Circumcision for many years together in the Wilderness whether it was because they were then upon their Travel as some think or because they were not yet mingled with the Heathens and so needed not as yet to be Circumcised as others are of opinion this is certain that we do not read that God was displeased with them for not having been Circumcised though he was often displeased with them for their Infidelity THE same thing is observed of the Passover Vid. Selden de Synedr Lib. 2. Cap. 2. it self that it was omitted in the Wilderness for about forty years together because the Celebration of it depended upon the use of Circumcision For in order to the due Celebration of the Passover it was necessary not only for the Fathers of Families to be Circumcised themselves but moreover for all the Males in their Housholds to be Circumcised too Exod. 12. 48 49. So that Circumcision being pretermitted for so many years the Celebration of the Passover did also of course cease for that time HENCE we may easily collect that things of Positive Institution are not equally necessary with those Duties which are naturally and eternally good In like manner when the Jews were in Captivity and could not Solemnly present themselves before God in his Sanctuary the Law was not executed upon them As long as they were in those sad Circumstances it was their Unhappiness and Punishment that they could not go with their Lambs to the Temple but 't was not their sin that they did it not THUS it was with the Jews under the Law as to things of this Nature and thus it is too with People under the Gospel as to matters of the like Condition Baptism now is necessary yet not so necessary as Faith and Regeneration nor must we presume to say that all Persons who die Unbaptized are everlastingly miserable For though it be said St. Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved yet in the next words Damnation is the Punishment of Unbelief only it is not said He that is not Baptized shall be Damned Baptism is indeed the standing and ordinary Means which we are tied to use but it doth not follow that God so tieth up his own hands that he cannot by Virtue of his unlimited Prerogative dispense with a Rite and shew his Mercy at his Pleasure 'T is even thus in the case concerning the receiving of this blessed Sacrament It is an Ordinance of Divine Institution and so it is communiter ordinariè in its Kind and in a general construction necessary to Eternal Happiness But yet some Persons are not capable nor in a condition to prepare themselves for it as Children and Lunaticks and the like Now in such a case the Rule is that no man is obliged to act nisi positis omnibus ad agendum requisitis unless there be a sufficient presence of all Qualifications that are necessary for the Action Or some inevitable cross Accident may unexpectedly happen so that a Man cannot eat that Bread with his Mouth which his Soul longeth after And in this case the Rule is that no man is bound to Impossibilities nor shall any one be condemned for not performing that which is out of his reach and power Ones case may be such that it may not be in his Power to receive and therefore to communicate of the outward Symbols is not so absolutely necessary as it is to Believe and Repent HOWEVER out of these two Cases it is very highly necessary to receive the Sacramental Bread and Wine that is supposing a Man be capable of Receiving so that he cannot plead want of Vnderstanding or want of due Information at least cannot pretend that he wants Means of being instructed And supposing that he hath Occasions and Opportunities of Receiving so that he cannot plead want of Time or Power and I am sure this cannot be our Plea who have been bred up under the Instructions of a most indulgent and provident Church in this case I say
all such as at any time met together in the House of God to hear the Scriptures should be Excommunicated if they stayed not to Receive the Holy Communion Devotion which now is as it were vanish'd into Smoak in those times shined in a mighty Flame The Hearts of Men were on fire and their Zeal was Active and Sprightly in this particular because they reckoned it a necessary piece of Religion I confess the Practice of the Church is not that which maketh a thing Necessary Yet 't is a fair and strong Argument of its Necessity as being a good Comment upon our Lord's Command The continued Practice of the Church from the Apostles downward doth shew that the Wisest and most Learned among them did look upon themselves greatly obliged by the Law of Christ to a frequent Participation of this Mystery Because he said Do this as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me they concluded themselves bound to do it often and lest they should not do it often enough they did it daily BUT I will not urge the Necessity of a daily Communion Yet this we must affirm indefinitely and in general that 't is necessary to Communicate often so that if nothing be wanting but a willing and ready Mind to omit it is a Sin a Violation of Christ's Law And if we think the Primitive Christians did it too often they are infinitely more to be followed yet than many now a days who either do it not at all or at most but once or twice a year and even then it may be questioned whether it be not something else besides the Love of Christ that doth constrain them 2. THUS much may suffice to be spoken of that Necessity which is grounded upon our Lord's Command But besides this we are to consider that the neglect of this Sacrament is Evil not in it self only but in respect of a very Evil Cause whence this shameful Neglect cometh for that cannot well be supposed to be any other than some lurking Sin and Wickedness in Mens Hearts which makes this Sacrament so formidable in their Eyes Since at this Ordinance God offereth to Men all the Mercies of the Gospel and nothing can hinder the conveyance but an Impenitent and Wicked Heart on the Recipient's part Hardly would any Man refuse so great Salvation did not his Conscience tell him that by Reason of his Love of Sin he may take Poyson into his Mouth instead of the Bread of Life It must needs be that the great Contempt of this Sacrament is caused mostly by some root of Bitterness that is in Men's Breasts which renders the Cup of Blessing very unsavoury and loathsome unto them The World generally is Evil and many Love to be so and for that Reason they dare not come to the Lord's Table How else comes it to pass that they croud many times into the Church in Throngs and Multitudes to Prayer and especially with itching Ears after a Sermon when yet we see a very slender appearance especially in some places at the Sacrament Certainly we must conclude or mistrust at least that People are Conscious to themselves of many Vices which they are fond of and willingly allow and indulge themselves in and rather than they will forsake those Vices they forbear this Ordinance because they cannot live Wickedly and Participate too without Eating and Drinking their own Damnation And is not this a most horrible Crime to value a few paltry Lusts above the Body and Blood of Christ And to prefer some Sensual and Bruitish Enjoyments before those Admirable and Astonishing Blessings which are tendred at the Lord's Table It was the Sin of the Jews and that which greatly kindled the Anger of the Lord against them that they slighted the Manna which David called the Food of Angels and lusted after the Fleshpots of Egypt the Cucumbers the Melons the Leeks the Onions and the Garlick Num. 11. Much more will it be lookt upon as an intolerable Crime in us if we make light of the greatest Blessings that Heav'n can bestow as the Comforts of the Holy Spirit the Fellowship of Christ the Pardon of our Sins the Peace of our Consciences an Assurance of a Glorious Immortality and whatsoever is the Felicity of Blessed Souls I say if we slight and reject all these out of favour to our Sensitive Appetites that we may still pursue the Unprofitable Works of Darkness and Enjoy the Pleasures of Sin which are both Beastly in their Nature and very short for their continuance As Maximus Max. Tyr. Ser. 20. Tyrius an Heathen Philosopher argued Who is so Mad so Bewitched so Byassed by his Affections that for the love of small and Transitory Pleasures of uncertain Enjoyments of doubtful Hopes and questionable Prosperities would not change his Life for a Better and betake himself to that which is Solid and Vnquestionable Happiness Yet of such corrupt and object Spirits are they who neither Love nor dare to partake of this Covenant Feast Men of such Debaucht Minds and Impure Consciences that they prize the most fordid Considerations above the Love of God and a Blessed Eternity like unclean Swine that contemn the sweetest Repose in comparison of a Dunghill and a Bed of Mire Were not Men Earthly and Sensual every one wou'd strive to be a Companion at the Altar 'T is a Polluted Heart that hindreth Men's approaches because they that are Wicked will be Wicked still and that is a great Reason why the Neglect of this Sacrament is Sinful forasmuch as it proceedeth from a sinful Cause an Evil and a Rotten Heart 3. I Heartily wish that all Persons who are concern'd would seriously consider these things and be so Provident too as to look upon the sad Consequence of this Neglect and see what an immediate and irreparable Injury they are like to do to their own Souls by it which is the Third and last Consideration For the words of Christ are plain Joh. 6. Except ye Eat the Flesh of the Son of man and drink his Blood ye have no life in you This place of Scripture all the Ancients do with one a Illud in primis animadvertendum occurrit quoties apud veteres agitur de hoc Sacramento verba Domini nostri quae Joan. cap. 6. referuntur caro mea verè est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est Et nisi ederitis carnem silii hominis c. ad hoc Sacramentum omnes applicant Nec audiendi sunt qui tanta nube testium refragante negant illud caput Joannis huc referendum Diallacticon Edit Londin 1688. p. 15. 9. v. consent and mouth apply to this Blessed Sacrament and St. Austin himself urged it to prove the necessity even of Infant Communion which was then a Custom in the Church That indeed was an Error that proceeded from the abundant Piety of those times and the Reason upon which that Custom was grounded was not strong
and gone 2. We undertake to live Godly Lives for the future meaning as near as we can by the help of God's Grace considering the Imperfections of our Depraved Nature And if we do not Profess and undertake these things at other times we are not so much indeed as Christians and if we do them sincerely now we are fit to be Communicants So that I confess I do not see what Reason any Conscientious and Good Hearted Man hath to be afraid of this Ordinance rather it should be his Comfort and Joy that he hath liberty to use it because it is the Seal of those Promises of Pardon and Mercy which God hath made to every broken Heart No scruples therefore are sufficient to beat off any Pious and Penitent Souls for if Men do not Repent and Reform they are not the Disciples of Christ and if they do they are in a good Condition to be Guests at Christ's Table I have more to say concerning this matter when I come to treat of the Nature of that Preparation which is necessary but this I hope is sufficient for the present CHAP. III. Of the Necessity of Preparation THE Necessity of Receiving the Holy Sacrament being thus proved it is time now to consider those Disposititions and Preparations wherewith all People are bound to come to the Lord's Table that they may Eat and Drink aftr a worthy manner AND here two things are to be enquired into for the full satisfaction of Mens Consciences 1. First concerning the Necessity of Preparing our selves before hand how that doth appear 2. Secondly concerning the Nature of this Preparation wherein that doth consist 1. FIRST touching the Necessity of Preparing our selves before we presume to eat of this Bread and to drink of this Cup. It is observable That our Blessed Saviour himself gave his Disciples no particular Instructions about this matter when he Instituted this Solemnity He commanded them indeed to do this and to Celebrate this Mystery in Remembrance of him but we do not Read of any express Directions he gave touching Preparation thereunto However that no Man may be emboldened to use this Ordinance after an Irreligious or rash manner the Necessity of Preparing our selves will evidently appear from these following Considerations 1. From the consideration of that Analogy which this Mystery bears to those Ancient Sacrfical Feasts that were Celebrated by all Mankind These I have treated of at large because the full Knowledge thereof is very serviceable in helping us to understand both the Nature of this Feast and our own Duty too in the use of it which probably might be the Reason of our Lord's Silence in this point Because it was not so very necessary for him to give particular Instructions in a matter which was so obvious to all that Men could easily be led to a Sense of their Duty by those common Notions and Apprehensions which both Heathens and Jews had of Banquets of this Nature AS for the Heathen part of the world they saw by the Light of Nature that Holy things ought to be used with a great deal of Reverence and by Men of Holiness and Purity And for this Reason their constant Custom was before they went to their Sacrifical Banquets to Prepare themselves with many previous Rites and Ceremonies supposing that thereby they did Sanctifie and fit themselves for the Service of their Deities Thus the Pagan Priests were wont to forbear the very touching of Farinam fermento imbutam attingere ei fas non est Aul. Gell. de Flam. Dial. Noct. Attic. lib. 10. c. 15. Of these Preparatory Rites See Stuckius in Sacror Sacrificior descrip pag. 79. c. Gyrald Hist Diorum Syntag. 17. p. 497. Natal Mythol lib. 1. c. 9. 14. Alex. ab Alex. Gen. dier l. 4. c. 17. any Bread that was Leavened lest they should be polluted They used many sorts of Lustrations and Washings cleansing as well their Cloathes as their Bodies especially their Hands with the Purest Water that was appropriated to that purpose They abstained for many days before hand from Eating of Flesh and from Drinking of Wine They refrained from the Nuptial Bed and from all Carnal Pleasures using many Artificial Methods to subdue and Mortifie their Sensual Appetites And when the time for Sacrificing was come they arrayed themselves with clean and spotless Garments which they called their Holy and Religious Dress Nor was this the Practice of the Priests only For all the People that were to Eat and Drink before their Deities were required also to Prepare and Purifie themselves throughly after their way believing that the outward Sanctifications of their Bodies did serve to Sanctifie and Cleanse their very Souls and Spirits Thus they were wont to wash themselves often to give themselves to Fastings and much Abstinence to deny themselves those Fleshly Satisfactions which at other times were lawful Their Custom too was to make solemn acknowledgments of the Sins of their Lives Praying to their Gods not to take Vengeance upon them If any Man had his Hands Defiled with Blood or was polluted and stained with any gross Wickedness he was not to come to the Altar And when their Services were See the Authors above mentioned beginning Proclamation was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who are here Whereunto they Answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Many and Good Men And if any was found there that was known to be otherwise or to be in a State of Guilt he was turned out of the Company of the Rest the very Heathens believing that none were fit to meddle with things In Sacrificiis rite celebrandis majorem nullam ceremoniam fuisse videmus quam nihil sibi conscire bonos ac pios esse Gyrald Syntag. 17. pag. 492. Sacrificed but such as were Vpright in Mind and void of an Evil Conscience AND as touching the Jews every one knows how strictly they were commanded to Cleanse and Purifie themselves according to the Sanctifications of the Law before they presumed to Eat and Drink before the Holy One of Israel especially at the Paschal Supper in lieu whereof this Christian Solemnity is substituted and appointed No Man was permitted to partake of the Passover that was not duly Prepared for it by the Rite of Circumcision No Proselyte was suffered to come that was not first Sanctified and fitted for it according as the Law directed in that case None that were in their Uncleanness or in any respect legally Impure whether Men or Women were to be admitted till they were cleansed from their Pollutions Nay not the People themselves only but their very Houses also were to be free from all defilements And hence it was that some days before the Feast they purged all manner of Leaven out of their Rooms and for fear any ferment should remain in any part of their dwellings they were wont the Night before the Passover to search with a Candle into every hole in their walls and into every chink
manner in that Country fall down before his Feet so that St. Peter himself did it upon the miraculous Draught of Fish Luke 5. And why might not all the Disciples do this at his institution of the Blessed Sacrament which he told them was the representation of his own Flesh and Blood especially after he himself had Preached unto them a Lecture of Humility when he had washed their Feet Indeed the Sacred Story gives us no Authority to affirm this positively and dogmatically but yet there are probable Arguments for Mens Conjecture this way And as far as I can see all other Opinions are but Conjectures and I hope we may have leave to opine as well as other Men. BUT we cannot be so confident as to determine this matter in regard that we want the Testimony of Scripture though Reason may be on our side And herein we would give a Pattern to our Dissenting Brethren to be modest in Opinions for which they have no solid Foundation where I pray is the ground they go upon touching the unlawfulness of Kneeling as a thing repugnant to the Example of the Apostles since it cannot be proved what that Example was It might be a posture of Kneeling and Adoration for ought they know Sitting it was not I dare confidently affirm In all probability 't was not a standing posture neither perhaps it was the posture which we customarily use if not it was a leaning posture upon Pallets And no body now insisteth upon that for an Example to us 3. AND yet Thirdly were the Examples both of Christ's Disciples and of Christ himself apparently such as some Men conjecture they would not yet be leading and Authoritative Precedents to us in this point For 't is generally agreed by all Christian Divines that the Example of Christ is not universally to be followed much less the Example of his Disciples In some things 't is not possible in other things 't is not proper in many things 't is not necessary for us to follow that Copy Where we have the Example and the Precept too there indeed we are bound and I wish Men would consider of those weighty things rather than of Matters of slender importance But where we have no Command there to take an Example for our Rule is to make our selves guilty in some instances of Folly and in some of Superstition and Presumption The Practice of our Lord and his Disciples is no Rule for us in Circumstantials and Rites unless they are made necessarily Practical by some Positive Direction and Command Now we have no Command in this Case the one way or the other no not evident Example to direct us and therefore they talk vainly and impertinently who Condemn Kneeling at the Sacrament as an unlawful Posture since no Law can be derived either from Christ's Precept or from His or his Disciples Practice that doth evidently rise up in Judgment against it THE Church then being left to her Liberty what posture to use thought fit to chuse that of Kneeling for these three Reasons chiefly 1. TO testifie our belief of our Saviour's Godhead Had he been a meer Creature as all other Men are we might have had some encouragement to present our selves at his Table as his Fellows and in a common Table-Gesture as those are wont to do who deny the Doctrine of his Divinity But being the Eternal Son of God and equal to the Father he hath a Right and Claim to the humblest Services we can think of to express in some measure the sense we should have of his Infinite Greatness and Majesty especially at an Ordinance which was instituted in Honour to him 2. AS a Posture that is most suitable to the Nature of the Mystery it self Here we Commemorate the Lord's Infinite Goodness and Love his unexpressible Sufferings for us and his humbling of himself to Death even the Death of the Cross Here we feed upon the Symbols of his Body and Blood for the Pardon of all our Sins Here we Seal anew unto God our Covenant of Faith Mortification and Obedience and God reneweth unto us his Covenant of Grace and Morcy Here all that we do is Divine Worship the Mystery is a most Solemn Encharist or Thanksgiving a real and lively Form of praising God as Psalms and Hymns are at other times And all this is attended with devout Prayer from the beginning to the end the whole Congregation praying for all Estates and Conditions of Men the Minister praying for every particular Communicant and each particular Communicant consenting to the Prayer joyning his own suffrage and praying in his own person for the preservation of his Soul and Body So that Adoration and Worship being our whole work at this time it ought to be performed in an adoring posture not only with Eyes and Hands lifted up but with bended Knees too which all Nations have ever thought the most solemn and suitable posture of Adoration 3. THE Church hath chosen it as a Posture that is most expressive of our Gratitude to God for the astonishing Mercies which all Worthy Communicants receive at this Great Solemnity Forgiveness of Sin Peace with God the Increase of the Holy Spirit Divine Influences from above from the Man Christ Jesus with an Earnest and Pledge of a Happy Resurrection and a Glorious Immortality FROM all which Considerations every Pious and Humble Soul may argue after this manner Since this is the Symbol of the blood of God which was shed for me and for many for the Remission of all our Sins shall I not receive it upon my Knees Since Heaven is his Throne and the Earth his Footstool what place can be too vile or what gesture too lowly for Sinful dust and ashes Since we are now admitted to the presence of the Lamb and to the Gate of Heaven O come let us Worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker and Redeemer If the Blessed Jesus in his Agony fell down with his Knees placed on the bare ground how can I now begrudge the bowing of mine Since the Praises of God are now to be in my mouth what better Example can I follow than those Elders in Heaven who fell down before Him that sat on the Throne and Worshipt Him that liveth for ever and ever saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Since my Blessed Redeemer was pleased to humble himself even to the Death of the Cross what humility can be great enough for Me who am now to gather up my Life and Happiness at his feet Since I am now to beg for a Blessed Eternity and to offer up my whole self a Reasonable Holy and Living Sacrifice what more reasonable for me than to beg God's acceptance of my Prayers and Oblation upon my bended Knees And since my Eating and Drinking at the Lord's Table is a Pledge of so many stupendious Mercies to come how can I chuse but kneel when I take the Seals of his
will be the better able to exercise those Virtues which relate immediately to the ever-blessed God The Original whereof is Love according to that in Matth. 22. Love 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind Whereby are understood the Three Faculties of a Man's Spirit the Will the Affections and the Understanding And with these we are said to love God when they are vigorously employ'd about him when out of a deep sense of the Glory of his Nature and of his wonderful Goodness to his Creatures especially to Mankind we give up our selves entirely unto him obeying his Pleasure desiring and rejecting as he directs us still having him in our Thoughts and entertaining our Minds with ravishing Contemplations of his Divine Perfections And this is that which in the Scripture-Language we call The submitting unto God Jam. 4. 7. The yielding of our selves unto God Rom. 6. 13. Not the doing ones own Will but the Will of God Jo. 6. 38. The serving of him with Reverence and Godly fear Heb. 12. 28. Delighting our selves in the Lord Psal 37. 4. And in one general Expression our walking with God as it is said of Enoch Gen. 5. 22. UPON full Convictions of his Infinite Devotion Greatness and his All-sufficiency and Readiness to help us there ariseth another Virtue viz. Devotion That we offer up daily unto him the sacrifice of our lips and the more valuable Oblation of a broken spirit Psal 51. That we pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5. 17. That we offer up the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is that we pretermit no good Opportunities of making our Supplications and Addresses unto him CONSEQUENT hereunto is a Trust in him a Dependance upon him Resignation and an entire Resignation of our selves to his Care and Providence That we cast not our confidence away Heb. 10. 35. That we cast all our care on him who careth for us 1 Pet. 5. 7. That we commit the keeping of our Souls to him in well-doing 1 Pet. 4. 19. That we put our Trust in him as the holy Psalmist speaks over and over and that even against hope we believe in hope as it is said of Abraham the Father of the Faithful Rom. 4. 18. THE Contemplation of those amiable Imitation Perfections in God upon which these Virtues are grounded is naturally apt to produce in us a most earnest Desire to Resemble him as far as it is possible that we be Holy as he is Holy 1 Pet. 1. 15. That we be merciful as he is merciful Luc. 6. 36. And that we be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5. 48. AND because the Nature of God is Vniversal Obedience the measure and Rule of all Moral Perfection and the Laws he hath given to Mankind from the beginning are so many Revelations of himself therefore it is necessary for us Uniformly and Universally to observe those Laws whether we find them written in our Nature or in his Word And this is the utmost Perfection that a Man is capable of in this Life to shew our Love to him our Dependance upon him our profound Adoration and Imitation of him viz. Our keeping his Commandments Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole matter saith Solomon Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole Duty of Man Eccles 12. 13. I HAVE now done with all that I thought needful for you to Understand concerning this Sacrament And whether it be the Necessity of Receiving it or the Necessity of due Preparation or the Quality of the Things preparatory to the Communion or the Tendency of the Ordinance it self or the Care to be taken after the Solemnity is over you see what they all drive at in the End viz. a Sober Righteous and Godly Life And though in enumerating the several Particulars thereof some Virtues may have escaped me yet there are none I think untouched but what are fairly reducible to some of those things which I have mentioned Things which you cannot but say are suitable to Humane Reason Things which are highly Perfective of Humane Nature Things which are Good Lovely and of Infinite Satisfaction to our Minds Things which are Easie too if we will but heartily Apply our Minds to the Practice of them and make Use of that Divine Assistance which God giveth unto all that need it I dare say if you do these things you shall never fall And the very God of Peace Sanctifie you wholly that your whole Spirit Soul and Body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen FINIS BOOKS Printed for and Sold by W. 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