Wages of Sin for which I have so long labour'd How many and foul are the Sins which thou hast now enabled me to discover in my self even the least of this black number is enough to condemn me to endless Torments and whither then would not such a multitude of foulest Transgressions sink me if thy Mercies were not infinite and thy Patience truly wonderful Yet alas how few are all these in comparison of those which have escaped my Observation but cannot be hid from thine all-seeing Eye And if I appear so vile in my own Eyes how loathsome and abominable a thing must I needs be in thine My Sins O God are not a few but many no small Offences but very heinous Transgressions few of them rare with me but most of them very often repeated long continued in and become even familiar customary and habitual Yea O Lord with shame and confusion of Face I confess that I have had so little regard to thy Will that I have even sinned as I eat and drink with all greediness and delight Though thou hast never been wanting to me in any help to enable me or any Remembrancer to mind me or any Motive to invite me or any Bounty or Promise to encourage me yet have I made a very bad use of all thy Goodness and by that very Patience and Forbearance which should have led me to Repentance I have encouraged my self to sin the more freely even without fear and I may justly fear to the great hardening of my Heart Tho I have lived long under the bright Light of thy Gospel and have thy Word sounding in my Ears daily and have thy Ministers ready at hand to instruct me yet am I very ignorant and have even hated Knowledge and despised Instruction and cast thy Words behind Though I have had many seasonable Monitors of my Duty and felt many motions of thy good Spirit and suffered many Checks from my own Conscience yet have I turned my Back upon thee and done almost none of thy Commandments Nay after the most solemn Engagements Covenants and Vows I have treacherously revolted from thee rebelled against thee and set at naught all thy Goodness to me I have a false and treacherous Heart which hath never yet kept Faith with thee I find to the great discomfort of my Soul that I have dissembled with thee and gone about to mock thee by feigned Professions counterseit Repentances and hypocritical Devotions Even now O Lord I feel not that deep Humiliation that piercing Grief that Anger and Hatred and Indignation against my Sins and my self for cherishing them that I ought to have neither do I find in my Heart that servent Love of thee that true Zeal for thy Honour that hungring desire of Righteousness and Holiness that should be in me And now O my God what can I have to say for my self after all this Why should'st thou not deal with me as I have justly deserved and reward me with Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish If thou should'st even now instead of accepting my Confession throw me in thy just Fury into unquenchable Flames with the Devil and his Angels thou wert most just in so doing and even merciful in taking Vengeance of me so late when I had so often and long provoked thy Wrath before O Lord I have nothing to plead in my own Excuse I have nothing to fly unto but that Mercy of my good God which I have so long abused O hide not thy Face away from me but humble my Soul yet more for my Unworthiness break my Heart into true Contrition that it may yet be an acceptable Sacrifice unto thee give me not over unto vile Affections nor a reprobate Mind break the dominion Sin hath got over me for the earnest desire of my Soul is to be thy Servant and only thine for ever O gracious God we have an Advocate at thy right hand even Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins him thou sentest into the World to be the Saviour of lost Sinners and hast promised that no Man shall perish or be rejected that cometh unto thee by him for his sake pardon me for his sake have Mercy upon me by the bitter Death and Passion of thy dearly beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased I beseech thee O holy Father to look graciously upon me and blot out all my Transgressions and restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation Cleanse and purifie my sinnful Soul in his Blood receive me graciously into the number of thine adopted Children rid me and set me free from the power of Sin and slavery of my Lusts let thy holy Spirit rule for ever in my Heart and deliver me from the Law of Sin and Death in my Members O speak Peace unto thy Servant and let me yet live to praise thy Name let me not return any more with the Dog to his Vomit nor with the Sow to her wallowing in the Mire but work in me a perfect Hatred of all that thou hatest and a true Love to all that thou lovest Strengthen me by thy Grace to withstand all Temptations and to persevere and grow in Faith and Love and all Goodness to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to live henceforward righteously soberly and godly in this present World patiently and comfortably looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearance of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works In his blessed Name and perfect Prayer I here commend unto thee all the Desires and Needs of my poor Soul and of thy whole Church Our Father c. A Prayer before the blessed Sacrament O Most merciful God and Father in Iesus Christ who of thine infinite Love and Goodness to our poor perishing Souls hast provided for us all things that be needful to us in our polluted and miserable Condition whereinto we have brought our selves by Sin and shew'st Mercy unto us even when we would have no Mercy on our selves I am here O Lord prostrate at thy Foot-stool a vile Wretch that have again and again deserved to be punished with everlasting Destruction from thy presence And will the great God of Heaven and Earth vouchsafe to look upon such a Dog as I Shall the so often offended dishonoured provoked Majesty of the glorious God condescend even to invite and beseech so traiterous a Rebel as I have been to accept of Pardon and Salvation And shall I yet despise thy loving-kindness O my gracious God and neglect so great Salvation as this that thou daily tenderst unto us in the Son of thy Love and our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ When we were gone astray from thee the God of our Life and were going head-long to Destruction thou wert pleased to open unto us a new and living way by the Death of thy only begotten
there hath been occasion Am I a Father to the Fatherless a Husband to the Widow a Deliverer to the Oppressed a Reliever of the Poor Do I weep with those that weep and rejoyce with those that rejoyce with a fellow-feeling of their Joys or Afflictions Am I more especially thus affected towards those of the Houshold of Faith mourning for the Calamities of the Church and praying for the peace and flourishing of it Have I married no such as is forbidden by God nor for unlawful ends nor against my Parents Will Do I use the Marriage-bed soberly and religiously Do I love and live quietly and kindly with my Husband or Wife and faithfully using his or her Bed only Do we bear with each others Infirmities advising assisting comforting praying for and with each other promote each others spiritual Welfare agree in governing the Family and well-educating our Children Have I not used my Servants hardly or cruelly but gently as Christian Brethren or Sisters giving them their due instructing and allowing time to serve God Have I diligently done my Master's Commands studied his Profit not wasted his Goods or wrong'd him of my time or service by Idleness or any other way Have I concealed his Secrets or Infirmities born his Rebukes and Corrections without answering again Have I done him Service as in the Sight of God Have I murder'd no man hurt no man's Body tempted no man to Intemperance or any thing which hath impaired his Health or occasion'd his Sickness or Death raised no Quarrels or Dissentions among men been angry causlesly or immoderately Have I labour'd to promote the bodily Welfare of others as my own Have I defiled no man's Wife nor lusted after her committed no Fornication or Uncleanness Have I checkt all lustful thoughts forborn all lascivious words and Actions not occasioning Lust in my self or others by Idleness pampering the Body using immodest Dresses amorous Gestures obscene Songs or Stories unseasonable Familiarity and private Opportunities Do I use all means of preserving my own and others Chastity Have I stol'n nor spoiled no man's Goods nor by force or fraud or colour of Law injured him in any part of his Estate Have I not begged without need nor borrow'd without punctually paying again nor over-reached others in buying or selling by concealment of faults or taking advantage of another's Ignorance or Necessity nor oppressed any by Usury or Exaction Have I laboured honestly for my own Living and freely given and neighbourly lent as there was cause Do I make satisfaction for all Trespasses pay all Dues and do what I can to better another man's Estate as mine own Have I no way injured any one 's good Name or Credit by false-witness railing slandering backbiting busie prating of his Behaviour Infirmities or Concerns causless suspicions rash censuring and judging misconstruing and wresting his Words or Actions not checking or willingly hearing others do so gibing scoffing playing upon him or not righting and defending him as much as we can with Truth Have I not been too selfish so that I could be content to thrive by another's Loss or value not much the Publick or my Neighbours Welfare so I may please my self Have I so learn'd to deny my self that I can be heartily contented with and thankful for my present Condition be it better or worse and rejoyce to see others in a better Condition than I am in that I can bear Poverty and Shame and Injuries and love pray for and do good to Enemies Am I so little in love with the World that nothing therein can tempt me to dishonour God or wrong my Neighbour or bear Malice or Hatred against any man or break the Bond of Love and Charity or to neglect the care of my Soul These are the chief Branches of our Christian Duty whereby we may also know our Sins and what we have more especially to repent of And here we are to note some things very needful to be observed 1. That though we are to aim at the Perfection of Duty in all we do and not to satisfie our selves with low degrees of Holiness but to be greatly humbled by the sense of our Failings and restlesly to strive after better things yet it is not a perfect Obedience without Sin but a sincere Obedience without feigning and hypocrisie that is the Gospel-condition of our Salvation through Christ Iesus It is not our duty to be perfectly innocent but it is our duty to labour after Perfection Tho then we find that we offend in many things and do all that we do very weakly and imperfectly we are not to discourage our selves thereby so long as we can find our hearts sincerely bent to keep Covenant with God and to honour and serve him more perfectly 2. That we are therefore narrowly to search our hearts to see that we are sincere in our obedience We are to see that all our obedience flow from a true Love of God in our hearts and a sense of his Right to command and our Obligations to obey that our great design in all things be to please God and to enjoy his Love and not any of those low ends of pleasing men or securing our own Reputation or our worldly Peace Profit or Safety And if our Obedience be thus sincere then do we make a Conscience of those which men account little Duties as well as of greater of shunning little Sins as well as grosser Sins of governing our Thoughts and Desires as well as Words and outward Actions we are as religious in private as in publick where it is costly as where it is cheap where 't is painful as where it is easie where it is against our natural Inclinations as where it suits with our natural Temper where it is discountenanced derided or persecuted as where it is countenanced commended and rewarded by men 3. That having discovered our Sins we seek not any Excuses or Pretences to cloak or lessen them but endeavour to view them in their ugliest and most affrighting Shapes as contrary to the Purity of God and the very Nature of man as well as his Happiness against so much goodness long-suffering and patient Forbearance of God against so many Encouragements of his present Bounty and rich Promises of Reward so many gracious Warnings and Threatnings so many fatherly Chastisements and Corrections so much Light and Knowledge so many means helps and opportunities so many vows and engagements so many admonitions by Friends and checks by our own Consciences after all this so long continued in so much time strength estate wasted thereby so little of all this left to serve God with c. By such Considerations must we labour to humble our proud Hearts and bring them to a perfect Hatred of Sin 4. That
and are not sufficiently instructed cannot examine themselves and therefore may not eat and they who either because they are afraid to awaken their Consciences and not be able to sin in Quietness or because they are loath to be at the Pains or take so much time from their worldly Business or Pleasures will not examine themselves may not presume to eat What then must such Persons do for if they eat not they die The ignorant must be Catechised and learn if they be ashamed of this they are ashamed of Christ and must perish for hating Instruction They that will not examine themselves must consider how they can dwell with everlasting Burnings Eat or Die Examine or eat not that 's all the Choice our Sins have left us Yet Examination is not a thing commanded for it self but in order to something else Counterfeit Gold is of no more worth than it was before for being examined or tryed by the Touch-stone We must examine our selves that we may know what we are Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves Know you not your own selves how that Iesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. We might know whether we be Christians or no would we try our selves and not be content like false Gold to make a shew only And to this end must we by Examination learn to know our selves that we may be able to approve of our selves in our own Consciences before God that we are sincere Christians that we may not think our selves to be something when we are nothing and so deceive our selves let every Man prove his own Work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself Gal. 6. 4. In short we are to examine what Graces God hath given us and be truly thankful what is yet amiss in us and amend it what we yet want and endeavour to obtain it The difficulty of this Duty affrighteth many from this Sacrament and indeed considering how most of us live it is no wonder that it seemeth difficult But we should remember first That this Self-Examination is a Duty necessary not only now and then before a Sacrament but at all times that we may understand how far we are Christians indeed and therefore the Difficulty may as well affright us from being Christians as from this Sacrament and so I fear it doth too many who therefore abstain from the Lord's Table because they have no mind to be Christians any farther than in Name only And then secondly We must remember that whatever Difficulty there is in this Duty it is of our own making and we may make the Duty more easie if we will For 1. We continue willingly ignorant of the Word of God and its use and it must needs be hard for us to examine our selves by a Rule which we understand not But let us take pains to learn perfectly the particulars of our Christian Faith and Duty gathered from the Sacred Scriptures and explained in easie Catechisms and often beg the Minister's help for the right understanding and due applying thereof to our selves opening freely to him all our Ignorances and Doubts and this part of the Difficulty will be removed 2. We live loosly and carelesly not observing well our own Tempers and Actions and having let them slip without any notice of them we cannot recall to mind and examine what we never regarded Let us but once every day take a little time to consider what Inclinations in us have that day shewn themselves and what have been our Thoughts Words and Actions and comparing them with the Rule of Life observe how they agree or disagree with it and heartily blessing God for any Good that by his help we have done humbly bewailing confessing and begging Pardon for all our Failings of Omission or Commission praying devoutly and seriously for more Strength and Grace to live better resolve to do our utmost Endeavour to amend and improve daily we shall soon find all the Difficulty over especially if we would as often as we find cause to doubt of any thing open our Souls freely to our Spiritual Guides God's Ministers for their Assistance Which course till i be taken we shall every where find too few Christians but if we would do thus we should learn to know our selves so well that it would be a very easie matter to examine our selveâ— against a Communion Now that we may be worthy Communicants we must examine our selve both whether we be sound Christianâ— or no and whether we be rightly disposed for this particular Christian Duty 1. We must be of Christ's Family as Christians before we may feast at Christ's Table as Communicants Wâ— are solemnly admitted into the Family or Church of Christ by Baptism wherein we are dedicated to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and admitted into the Bond of a sacred Covenant with the ever Blessed and Glorious Trinity So long as we continue faithful in this Covenant so long are we Christians and therefore this is first to be enquired into Whether or no we faithfully stand to this Baptismal Covenant 2. Then are we duely disposed for this Duty of Communicating when understanding the Nature Ends and Benefits of this Sacrament we find the Affections of our Hearts in some measure suitable thereunto And to this purpose it is that we are more especially before our Approaches to the Lord's Table to examine our selves CHAP. III. How to examine our Selves about our Baptismal Covenant THE faithful keeping of our Baptismal Covenant is our Christianity We are therefore impartially to enquire both how we understand it how we have kept it and how we resolve to keep it 1. To help us to understand it we must know four things viz. 1. That our Good God having made man a rational Creature in his own Image and given him an immortal Soul void of any Inclination to Evil with sufficient Knowledge to understand his Duty and Power enough to do it did command him to live in perfect Obedience to God his Maker whereby he and his might live for ever happy in the Love of God 2. That Adam the first Man and common Father of us all by the Temptation of the Devil disobey'd this Command and thereby brought us all into a state of Weakness Sin and Death And now in such a Condition we come into the World that left unto our selves we would do nothing but sin against God and run upon our own Destruction 3. That our gracious God when he might justly have cut off at once the whole Race of Mankind in Adam and Eve or have left all their Posterity to perish by their own Doings of his wonderful Goodness and Mercy took pity on Sinners and opened â— to us a new way to Salvation by providing for us a Saviour even GOD the SON the only begotten of the FATHER who in our Flesh having taught us what God now requireth of us if we will be saved
laid down his Life for us to satisfie for our Sins and free us from Vengeance and offereth us a full Pardon on Condition that we will believe in him and be baptized so signifying our Consent to the new Covenant which God is pleased to make with us in him 4. The meaning of which Covenant is this That though we cannot now be innocent and so can never hope for Life by obeying and fulfilling the Law of Innocence given to Adam yet if we will first truly repent and secondly believe the Gospel of CHRIST and thirdly sincerely obey his Commands God will yet be our God and take us for his People and for his beloved Son Iesus Christ's sake pardon our Sins and sanctifie us by his holy Spirit and finally glorisie us with himself in Heaven II. Next we must examine how we have kept this Covenant And here seeing we were baptized in our Infancy and what was promised on our parts was promised by others in our Name we are to examine 1. Whether we have since we came to Understanding at any time own'd and confirmed this Engagement and taken upon our selves the Performance of it Our Church hath well provided that no Person shall be admitted to the LORD's Supper till he be Confirmed or have declared his willingness to be confirmed that is till he have satisfied the Church that he understands the Covenant of Baptism and declareth his Resolution to keep it 2. If we have thus own'd our Baptismal Engagement we must diligently examine how we have hitherto performed it in all the Parts of it viz. Repentance Faith and sincer◠Obedience And this we are to do by posing our selves in the several Articles of our Christian Faith and in the Commandments of God If we find that we have not been faithful to God in this Covenant we must not come to this Sacrament till we have unfeignedly repented of our unfaithfulness and seriously renewed our Engagement to keep it henceforward Therefore III. We must examine how we resolve to keep it for the time to come And here we are to see to these things 1. That it be a serious deliberate and well grounded Resolution not taken up dissemblingly nor rashly nor for weak Reasons But being clearly convinced and become sensible of God's absolute Right in and to us and all our Services his sovereign Authority to govern us and command us and his wonderful Goodness and Love to us more especially declared in his Son Iesus Christ this Sense and Conviction of God's being our Maker our Governour and our Benefactor should be the reason and ground of our Resolution to be wholly his to be ruled by him and love and honour him above all 2. That it be a full and compleat Resolution that we use no Ifs or And 's or rest in some faint Purposings but we must be throughly determined and fixed upon it That whatever we may lose or suffer by it in this World we will by God's help go through with it without any Exception or Limitation whatsoever doing the whole Will of God from the Heart 3. That it be a humble and pious Resolution without any proud Trust or Confidence in our own natural Strength to make it good but yet with all Trust and Confidence in the Goodness of God that if we conscientiously use the means of Grace and Strength which he hath ordained as he hath wrought in us to will so he will strengthen us to do his good Will and finally reward us according to his infinite Mercy When we have thus considered our Covenant of Baptism and are thus resolved by God's help to keep it we should earnestly pray unto God for his Assistance and if we are not already Confirmed it is fit that we humbly offer our selves to Confirmation so soon as we can The very sense of Shame to break a Covenant after this solemn Engagement in the Face of the Church to keep it and the Fear of drawing a greater guilt upon our Souls by breaking a Covenant so renewed must needs be some Restraint upon us to keep us from breaking it And besides this we have good Cause to hope that the Prayers of the Church and the Blessing of God's Minister the Bishop who by his Office blesseth in God's Name shall very much conduce to our greater Strength and growth in Christianity CHAP. IV. An help for the Examination of our Faith WE promised in Baptism to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith These Articles are briefly laid together in the Creed To examine our selves how we keep this part of our Covenant let us in the presence of God the Searcher of Hearts ask our selves these Questions Have the Word and Works of God convinced me that there is an eternal invisible living Spirit every where present throughout the World infinite in all Perfections of Power Wisdom and Goodness called GOD Do I believe that there is but one only true and living God even the FATHER the SON and the HOLY GHOST which being three are yet all three but one GOD blessed for ever Do I believe That the Books of the Old and New Testament do contain the very Word of God and that therein God hath revealed unto us all things that are needful to our eternal Happiness and that he is a God of Truth and cannot lie and that all his Words are true Do I believe That God is the Maker Preserver and Governor of all things that I and all things are his and at his Disposal that our Life Motion and Being are from him and all our Happiness depends upon his Love and Blessing Do I believe That Man was made in the Image of God very good with an immortal Soul with Knowledge and Power enough to understand and do God's Will Do I believe God made many Spirits called Angels and that some of these by Sin fell from their first State and these are the Devil and his Angels for whom Hell was prepared and that the Devil tempting Man to sin in disobeying God all Evil came thereby into the World that we are all naturally Sinners and the Children of Wrath and cannot be happy without being pardoned and cleansed but must be tormented for ever in Hell Do I believe That God of his own free Grace and Goodness hath made us a new way to Happiness through his only begotten SON IESVS CHRIST our Lord and that there is Salvation in none other Do I believe That the SON being the true God and eternal Life became also the Man CHRIST IESVS being conceived by the power of the HOLY GHOST and born of a pure Virgin and being thus God manifested in the Flesh 〈◊〉 an holy Life on Earth in perfect Obedience to his FATHER's Will Do I believe That this is the promised
begotten Son as the most powerful Argument and all indeed that we have to prevail with him for Pardon and Grace and Glory offering our Persons and our Services to the Father as acceptable unto him in the Vertue of this Sacrifice only 3. The Benefits of this Sacrament must needs be many seeing herein our blessed IESUS giveth himself unto us to be the food of our Souls His Body which was broken for us he here bids us take and eat His Blood which was shed for us he here bids us drink The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion or Communication of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communication of the Body of Christ Christ and all the Benefits of his Passion are freely communicated to the worthy Partakers of this Bread and this Cup. The Cup of which we drink is the New Testament in his Blood Covenants were of old made and confirmed with Sacrificings and Feastings the new Covenant of Grace and Salvation was established with us through the bloody Sacrifice of Iesus Christ and is renew'd and confirm'd by our feasting before God on this Sacrifice 1. This Blood was shed for the Remission of Sins and by our worthy drinking of it we receive an Assurance That our Sins and our Iniquities God will remember no more Hebrews 8. 12. 2. God by admitting us to his Table to feast on this Sacrifice owns us as Members of his proper Family and will accordingly provide for us and protect us He will be to us a God and we shall be to him a People Hebrews 8. 10. 3. The Promise of the Covenant was this I will put my Laws saith God into their Minds and write them in their Hearts God will give the light of Knowledge and the life of Grace not only teach us but incline our Hearts to love and delight in his Laws Here is Life and strength of Grace promised but all through Iesus Christ he is the bread of God which giveth Life unto the World and this bread is his Flesh which he gave for the Life of the World and he that eateth this bread shall never hunger nor die John 6. 33. 51. 35. 4. The Bond of Vnion betwixt Christ our Head and us his Members is hereby strengthned He saith he that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him Joh. 6. 56. 5. The Communion of Saints is hereby preserved and maintain'd by this we declare that we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all Partakers of that one Bread 1 Corinth 10. 17. 6. Our Faith of the Resurrection is hereby confirm'd Whoso eateth my Flesh saith Christ and drinketh my Blood hath eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6. 54. So many and inestimable are the Benefits of the New Testament in Christ's Blood by this Sacrament confirmed unto every worthy Communicant CHAP. VII What Affections of Soul are suitable to this Sacrament HE eateth and drinketh unworthily who discerneth not the Lord's Body To discern the Lord's Body is to put a sufficient Difference between this Divine Feast and other common Feasts both in our Iudgment Affection and Behaviour How we are to judge of it hath been already shewn We are next to see what Affections it calls for We come not here to feast with Men only but with God nor to feed our Bodies with a little Bread and Wine but our Souls on the Body and Blood of Christ. Let us then enquire 1. Are we deeply sensible of our spiritual Wants and our great need of this divine Food Except we eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Son of Man we have no Life in us John 6. 53. 2. Are we highly sensible of God's wonderful Goodness in providing so graciously for our Wants God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever belâ—eveth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life All things saith he are now ready come ye to the Marriage John 3. 16. Mat. 22. 4. 3. Do we verily believe that whosoever cometh preparedly shall be kindly welcome Him that cometh to me saith Christ I will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. 4. Have we longing Appetites and ardent Desires to this food of our Souls Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Matt. 5. 6. 5. Do we empty our Souls of carnal and worldly Thoughts and Cares and Desires Labour not for the Meat which perisheth but for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting Life which the Son of Man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed John 6. 27. 6. Are we not ready to lay hold on vain Excuses borrow'd from our worldly Businesses of Pleasures None of those Men saith God shall taste of my Supper Luke 14. 24. 7. Do we labour to put our selves into a fit habit and posture of Soul for so divine a Feast He that came without his Wedding-garment was bound hand and foot and cast into outer Darkness Matt. 22. 13. Now therefore we are as it were to new trim up all our Graces and appear with them before God in their greatest Brightness having our Souls adorned and adorning the Gospel of Christ. 1. Let the Consideration of the Odiousness of Sin to God which he would not pardon without the Death of his only begotten Son and of the astonishing Love of God to Sinners Souls so that he would send his Son to die rather than they should perish give Life to our Repentance 2. Let this Consideration that Christ hath not only left us the History of his Life Death and Resurrection in his Gospel confirmed by many Miracles but hath also instituted a solemn festival Commemoration of himself which hath been constantly celebrated in his Church in all Ages wherein what by the Word is preached to our Ears is lively represented to our Eyes even Iesus Christ evidently set forth crucified among us set our Faith on work 3. Let the wonderful Love of the Father in giving his only Son of the Son in shedding his precious Blood for us ungodly Sinners rebellious Enemies hopeless Wretches demonstrated in this Feast of Love enflame our Hearts with the Love of God in Iesus Christ. 4. Let the Promises of God that cannot lie first sealed in the Blood of the everlasting Covenant now renewed and confirmed in this Sacrament feed and nourish our Hope 5. Let the numerous Benefits of Christ's Death thus signally exhibited and assured unto us fill our Hearts with Thankfulness remembring that this Sacrament is the Eucharist a thankful Commemoration of Christ and this Cup the Cup of Blessing Praise or Thanksgiving 6. Let our Deliverance from the Vassalage of Sin and Torments of Hell and our new Title to the Kingdom of Heaven fill our Hearts with spiritual Joy Let us take the Cup of Sâ—lvation and call upon the Name of the Lord
that his Name may be glorified his Church may flourish in Truth and Purity and Peace and Love may abound amongst Christians Some short Directions and Prayers WHen you go to examine your Faith by the help I have herein given you or some other fall humbly before God on your Knees and heartily say O most glorious God who madest me that I might know thee and knowing thee might love thee and loving thee might be for ever happy in thy Love I poor Sinner do here most humbly bewail and confess my great and alas too willful Ignorance of thee O! for his sake whom thou hast sent to call us out of Darkness into Light by his Gospel even JESUS CHRIST in whom dwell all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge enlighten my dark Soul by thy Word and holy Spirit with the saving Knowledge of the Truth and incline my Heart firmly to believe it even to the end Remove from me all prejudice and blindness of Heart let not the God of this World any longer darken the Eyes of my Understanding or delude my poor Soul to believe a Lye or possess me with a desire of vain Knowledge which profiteth not unto Godliness but enable me daily to grow in all Grace and the Knowledge of thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Help me at this time to discern my Errors and the Imperfections in my Knowledge and Faith and to correct them Strengthen me to hold fast without wavering the form of sound Words which thou teachest and not Man that persevering stedfast in the same unto the Death I may receive the end of my Faith even the Salvation of my Soul through Iesus Christ my blessed Lord and Saviour Amen At the end of every Question consider well and if you find you so believe say For ever blessed be God who hath enlighten'd my Soul with the Knowledge of this sacred Truth and Faith in him O Lord encrease this Knowledge and confirm this Faith in me unto the end If you doubt in any point note it well and say O Lord pardon thy Servant I am weak and blind open mine Eyes what I know not teach thou me by thy holy Spirit guide me into all the Truth for Iesus Christ his sake Having noted all your Doubts take a fit opportunity to consult your Pastor for better Instruction At the end of this Examination thus pray O most blessed God if my Heart deceive me not I firmly believe all that I know of thy sacred Truth Thou know'st O Lord the scantness of my Knowledge and weakness of my Faith I most heartily beseech thee to pardon my Imperfections to keep me from Heresie and Error and to strengthen me daily in the true Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ. Let me not rest in an idle and dead Faith but make it lively and active in me purifying my Heart from all Hypocrisie and Uncleanness kindling in me a fervent Love to thee and to thy Laws working in me by Love an universal Obedience to thy blessed Will enabling me to overcome the World subdue the Flesh with the Lusts thereof to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil to resist all his Temptations unto Victory to be conformed daily more and more to the Image of Christ to be strong against all Sufferings and the Terrors of Death and finally to lay hold on eternal Life through thy Mercy and the Merits of my blessed Saviour Iesus Christ. Amen When you are to examine your Repentance and Obedience pray to this sense Most great and good Good the searcher of Hearts and trier of the Reins who art every where present and from whom no Darkness can hide us thou compassest my Path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways there is not a word in my Tongue nor a thought in my Heart but thou know'st it altogether My heart O God is deceitful above all things and I cannot find it out neither understand the errors of my ways nor the sincerity of my Purposes without the help of thy holy Spirit Help me O my God help me I beseech thee to know my self and the true frame and temper of my Soul shew thou me wherein I have offended thee in Thought Word or Deed grant me a true and a humbling sight and sense of all my Sins let not my Ignorance blind me nor self-self-love beguile me nor the common practice of the World delude me into a false Opinion of my self and my own Righteousness but enable me I humbly beseech thee to find out all my Sins together with all the Aggravations of my Guilt make me truly vile in mine own Eyes and heartily sorry for all my Failings enable me to hate and forsake every evil way and to turn unto thee by an unfeigned Repentance and a sincere Obedience to all thy holy and good Laws that I may have my fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life through Iesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen After every Question pause a while and impartially judge your self and where you think you have done any part of your Duty say Blessed be my good God through Iesus Christ who by his holy Spirit hath enabled me either to will or to do any good thing in his Sight O Lord I have done all very weakly and imperfectly and most humbly beg thy pardon If I have done any thing well not unto me O Lord not unto me thy very unprofitable Servant but unto thy Name be the Glory through Iesus Christ my Lord. Where you see your sin lay it in earnest to your Heart and say O Lord I have herein sinned most grievously against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Child God be merciful to me poor Sinner who deserve nothing but Hell and Damnation O grant me Repentance unto Life and enter not into Judgment with thy Servant but pardon my Sin and lead me in the ways of thy Commandments to eternal life through Iesus Christ. If you have offended or injured any man note it well and take some sit time to confess it to him satisfie him and beg his Pardon If your Sin be publick and scandalous think not you have done enough till you have publickly testified your Repentance as the Church shall require it of you When you are in any doubt resort again to the Minister confess your Sin freely to him and crave his Iudgment and Directions After Examination pray earnestly to this effect O most holy and just God who perfectly hatest all Iniquity and will not have Mercy on any impenitent Sinner how should so vile and polluted a Wretch as I am dare so much as to take thy holy Name into my defiled Mouth O Lord I am a most grievous and abominable Sinner and do altogether deserve thy fierce Wrath and heavy Indignation It is a very great wonder of Mercy that thou sufferest me yet to live and hast not long since cast me into Hell and given me the