Page images
PDF
EPUB

24 right and due ufe thereof to make me capable of receiving them; And Secondly, as a Pawn, as it were, from God, by the hand of the Minifter, to give me ground of confidence and acquiefcence, that thote Graces and Favors are now fo made over to me that I fhall not fail of 'em. Of this kind, to which all Chriftians are ftrictly obliged, there be only Two, first Baptifm;and fecondly The Supper of the Lord. §. 3. The Lord's Supper is

THE fetting apart, and bleffing of Bread and Wine, breaking the Bread, and dividing That and the Cup among thofe which are prefent, in Imitation of that which Christ did after his last Supper; and by way of Commemoration of that Death of His for us, which immediately followed that Supper; and which (as a special part of His Office in working our Redemption) I ought frequently to Recount and to prefent it before His Father, to whofe Favor I have no claim but thro' thofe fufferings; and thereby I publickly Own Chrift, Profefs his Religion, Renew my Baptifmal Vow, and Confirm the New Covenant with Almighty God.

S. 5. IT is not unfitly call'd the Lord's Supper ftill, bei caufe the fame fubftantial Actions, and effential Things are ftill obferv'd in the celebration of it, that were used by Chrift and his Difciples at his firft Inftitution in the Night; and not only the fame Actions, but the fame End, scope, drift, and defign of all is ftill preserv'd and kept on foot, which we find in its first Foundation; and whenever it is Celebrated, it's ftill in Imitation of that Supper; and that Supper is ftill religiously remembred in it: So that if any Man feems to be contentious about the Name, we have no fuch Custom, neither the Churches of God. 1 Cor. 11. 16. See Part 2. ch. 1, §. 12.

$.6. My Vow in Baptifm was (as in that Office,)

I, TO Renounce the devil and all his works; the vain pomp and glory of the World, with all covetous defires of the fame; and the carnal defires of the Flesh, fo as not to follow nor be led by them. 2, To Believe all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith. 3, Obediently to keep God's holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the fame all the Days of my Life.

FOR the Doctrine of this Sacrament,See the 4 Questions and Answers before the last 5 in our Church. Catechum.

25 §.7. EVERY Man fees they are valt multitudes that have entred the Baptifmal Vow; and I fear no fmall number of 'em that 'weigh it as little when they fhou'd perform it, as they did when thy made it; have no other Notion of Baptifm, but as a Cuftom of the place, or a time of Feftivity; confider no farther Significancy in the fpiritual Bands, than they do in the Swadling clothes of their Infancy; and can give no better Account why they took on 'em Christ's Livery, than why they wear fuch Garments as the common Fashion of their Country prefcribes 'em.

§. 8. The new Covenant is, (infhort,)

A Mutual Contract and Ingagement between God and me,' wherein He moft graciously Promises to me, if I truly Believe, and accordingly I moft humbly Accept it, that He will forgive me all my fins when I fincerely Repent of 'em ; and help me to any Graces when I carefully Concur with Him, and Indeavor after them; and give me Eternal Life after I have intirely Obey'd Him. This is the New Covenant, and this Christ's Bloudy Death has purchased and procured

for me.

§. 9. The Warning for the Celebration of the Holy Com munion, is, as in that Office, (which as the Minifter is reading it, I may turn into Praifes, Prayers, and Refolutions; and and the fame again now I read it here.)

DEAGLY beloved, on day next, 1 purpose, through God's affiftance, to adminifter to all fuch as shall be religiously and devoutly difpofed, the most comfortable Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ, to be by them received in remembrance of his meritorious Crofs and Paffion, whereby alone we obtain remiffion of our fins, and are made partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven. Wherefore it is our duty to render most humble and hearty thanks to Almighty God our heavenly Father, for that He hath given his fon our Savior Jefus Chrift, not only to dy for us, but alfo to be our fpiritual food and fuftenance in that holy Sacrament. Which being fo divine and comfortable a thing to them who receive it worthily, and fo dangerous to them that will prefume to receive it unworthily; my duty is to exhort you in the mean feafon to confider the dignity of that holy Mystery, and the great peri! of unworthly re ceiving thereof, and fo to fearch and examine your own Confciences, (and that not lightly, and after the manner of

diffembler's with God; but fo) that ye may come holy an clean to fuch a heavenly feaft, in the marriage garme required by God in holy Scripture; and be received worthy partakers of that holy Table. The way and mea za thereto is First to examine your lives and converfation by the rule of God's Commandments; and wherein foeve ye fhall perceive your felves to have offended, either by will, word. or deed, there to bewail your own finfulness and to confefs your felves to Almighty God, with full purpofe of amendment of life. And if ye fhall perceive your offences to be fuch as are not only against God, but alfo against your neighbors, then ye fhall reconcile your felves unto them, being ready to make reftitution and fatisfaction according to the uttermost of your powers, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other; And being likewife ready to forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offences at God's hands, for otherwife the receiving of the holy Communion doth nothing elfe but increase your damnation. Therefore if any of you be a blafphemer of God, an hinderer or flanderer of his Word, an Adulterer, or be in malice, or envy, or any other grievous crime; Repent you of your fins, or elfe come not to that holy Table, left after the taking of that holy Sacrament, the devil enter into you, as he entred into Judas, and fill you full of all iniquities, and bring you to deftruction both of body and foul. And because it is requifite, that no man fhould come to the holy Communion, but with a full trust in Gods mercy, and with a quiet Confcience; Therefore if there be any of you, who by this means cannot quiet his Confcience herein, but requireth further comfort or counfel; let him come to me, or to fome other difcreet and learned Minifter of God's Word, and open his grief, that by the miniftry of God's holy Word he may receive the benefit of abfolution, together with ghoftly counfel and advice, to the quieting of his Confcience, and avoiding of all fcruple and doubtfulness.

§. 10. WHEN I come home I must deliberately read, duly weigh, and carefully improve the above Warning; which will exceedingly help towards my Preparation.

§. 11. THO' no Man living is of himself worthy to be a Guest at fo holy a Banquet, yet it pleases God to accept him for worthy receiver, who indeavors to receive that

Holy

Holy Mystery with that competent measure of Knowledge, and reverence, and other qualifications that He hath prescribed in his Word. i Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. Ala: 1:55. Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and be that bath no money; comeye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your la bor for tha which fatisfieth not? bearken diligently unto Me, and eat that which is good, and let your foul delight it felf in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto Me, bear, and your foul fhall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the fure mercies of David. Behold, I have given Him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, Thou shalt call a Nation that Thou knoweft not, and Nations that knew not Thee shall run unto Thee, because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy one of Israel; for He hath glorified Thee. Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked for fake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways faith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, fo are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the fnow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give feed to the fower, and bread to the eater: fo shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I fent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth. before you into finging, and all the trees of the field shall clap. their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree and it shall be to the LORD for a Name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

§. 12. Pfalm 50. As in our Common Prayer-book,Mr. TINDALL'S, the Martyr, and Mr. COVERDALE'S Tranflation, [WHO, 'twixt 1927, and 1536 Anno, tranflated the whole Bible into Engli.h, Which was fet forth and used in the time

of

of K. HENRY, viii, W O came to the Crown Ao. 1509, and died 28 January 1547. The first that was honored with the Title of Defender of the Faith. He shook off the Pope's Au thority, and begun the Reformation. And in his Reign was WALES incorporated into England; and IRELAND made a Kingdom.]

:

[ocr errors]

THE LORD, even the most mighty God hath spoken : and called the World, trom the rifing up of the fun, unto the going down thereof. Out of Sion hath God appeared: in perfect beauty. Our God fhall come, and fhall not keep filence: there fhall go before Him a confuming fire, and a mighty tempeft shall be stirred up round about Him. He fhall call the heaven from above and the earth that He may judge his people. Gather my faints together unto Me: thofe that have made a covenant with Me with facrifice. And the heavens fhall declare his righteousness: for God is Judge Himself. Hear, O my people, and I will fpeak: I my felf wil teftifie against, O Ifrael; for I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee becaufe of thy facrifices, or for thy burnt offerings: because they were not alway before me. I will take no bullock out of thine houfe: nor he-goat out of thy folds. For all the beafts of the foreft are nine and fo are the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are in my fight. If I be hungry, I will not tell thee for the whole world is mine, and all that is therein. Thinkeft thou that I will eat bulls flesh and drink the bloud of goats? offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most Higheft. And cal lupon Me in the time of trouble: fo will I hear thee, and thou fhalt praise Me. But unto the ungodly faid God why dost thou preach my laws, and takest my covenant in thy mouth; Whereas thou hateft to be reformed: and haft caft my words behind thee? When thou fawest a thief, thou confentedft unto him: and haft been partaker with the adulterers. Thou haft let thy mouth fpeak wickednefs and with thy tongue thou haft fet forth deceit. Thou fatelt and fpakeft again aft thy brother: ye and haft flandered thine own mothers fon. Thefe things haft thou done, and I held my tongue, and thou thoughteft wickedly, that I am even fuch a one as thy felf; but I will reprove thee, and fet before thee the things that thou haft done. O confider this ye that forget God left I pluck you away, and there

:

:

be

« PreviousContinue »