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The Life of our Bleffed Lord and Sa- 
 viour JefusChrift. An Heroic Poem: 
 Dedicated to Her moil Sacred Ma- 
 jesty. In Ten Books. In Folio. 
 Each Book Illuftrated by neceflary 
 Notes: With Sixty Copper-Plates, 
 by the celebrated Hand of W.Faithorn. 
 The Second Edition, revifed and im- 
 proved with the Addition of a large 
 Map of the Holy-Land, and a Table 
 of the Principal Matters. Written 
 by the Author of this Manual on thei 
 Sacrament. Printed for C. Harper. 
 
THE 
 
 Pious Communicant 
 
 Rightly Prepar'd ; 
 
 OR, A 
 
 DISCOURSE 
 
 Concerning the 
 
 Bieffeo Sacrament: 
 
 Wherein the Nature of it is 
 Defcribed, our Obligation to frequent 
 Communion Enforced, and Directions 
 given for due Preparation for it, Behavi- 
 our at, and after it, and Profitingby it. 
 
 WITH 
 
 Prayers and Hymns, fuited 
 
 to the feveral Parts of that Holy Office. 
 
 To which is added, 
 
 A Short DISCOURSE of 
 
 g A C P T ISM. 
 
 fyS AMU E L JVESLEY, A.M 
 
 Chaplain to the moft Honourable JOHN Lord 
 Marquefs of Normanby, and Rector of Epworth 
 in the Diocefe of Lincoln. 
 
 LONDON, Printed for Charles Harper, at the 
 Flower-de-luce over-againft St. Dunftan's Church 
 in Fleetjlreet. MDCC. 
 
PR e f m:e 
 
 wy 
 
 **^r 
 
 
 WHEN formny excel- 
 lent Treatifes have al- 
 ready appeared on this 
 Subjett, it may well be wonder'd 
 why, after all, fo mean a Tzn 
 fliould attempt fo weighty an Jrgu- 
 ment \ fince 'tis almoft impoffible 
 to lay any thing New. upon it, and 
 the mildeft Qtteftion a Man mud 
 expe<5fc, who now handles it, Would 
 be of the fame Nature wich that 
 oi Job to his Friends : ~ . .. 
 
 ■ fob Xlla 2. 
 
 JT/;o knoweth not Juch 
 Things as theft ? But one that is 
 refohed to wrice a ©ooA, (eldom 
 wants an Excufe for doing it, and 
 will be ready to draw one, even 
 A 3 from 
 
V %E V A Q E. 
 
 „__ r , . . 
 
 from the Number of thofe which 
 have gone before him, fince this 
 might have hindered others as well 
 as him I And befides, there is a dif- 
 ferent Si%e of Writers, fuitable to 
 the different Capacities of Readers j 
 and Acquaintance, or Inclination, or 
 ibmetimes pure Accident, may be 
 tht occafion of fome Verfons 
 reading owe Book, when they would 
 mot have read another, and perhaps, 
 to (Profit more by it, than they 
 anight by another better written on 
 the fame SubjeB. What I have 
 ainid at in this Manual, is to be 
 as clear and methodical as I could, 
 both in the Vefcription of the Na- 
 ture of the Sacrament, and the Oc- 
 cafion and Ends of its Inflitution, 
 and in the Directions for our ©e- 
 kaVwur in relation to the (Reception 
 
 of 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 of it. I have endeavoured to 
 give a rational and diftihtt View 
 of it in all the Notions, wherein 
 Learned and Pious Men have repre- 
 fented it : To prefs home the 
 indifpenfible, tho* much neglettei 
 Duty of frequent Communion, which 
 I am perfuaded would highly con- 
 duce to a general Reformation of 
 Manners, and to repair the Decays 
 of Chriflian Piety amongft us a 
 To lay down fome plain Rides 
 for our Preparation, and Heads of 
 Examination, in order to our ipor- 
 lfc> d^cei"w7g, with Meditations or 
 (prayers Timed to every (FW of 
 the Office, and inferred in their 
 proper places* As to the double 
 Appendix j the former relating to 
 our Religious Societies, whole <l\pJes 
 and Orders have been published 
 
 and 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 and defended by Mr. Woodward, in 
 his late Book on that Subjett ; and 
 my Lord Bifibop of Bath and \ 
 Wells, in the Life of Dr. Horneck, j 
 and for whom, Her late Majefty j 
 of Bleffed Memory was fo much ] 
 concerned while She was living; 
 their whole Dejlgn appeared to me 
 (o highly ferviceable to Cbriftia- 
 nity, that I could not but take 
 this Opportunity to recommend it, 
 and (hall ft ill be of the fame 
 mind, till I can fee, what I have 
 here offered on that Head, fairly 
 anfwered. And the latter, which 
 relates to $aptifm } will be granted 
 not unnecejfary, when feveral (I 
 hope) well-meaning Wtrjons, e- 
 fpecially in thole Tarts where I 
 liye } are mfatisfitd about it ; And 
 'as the fame which has been done 
 
 before 
 
- 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 before by the Right Reverend and 
 Pious Bifhop of Ely, in his Aqua 
 Genitalis j after his Men/a My ft tea ; 
 and by others who have laboured 
 on the fame Subjefi. Like wife, 
 I have added the Great Hallel, or 
 *Pafchal Hymn, which was ufually 
 fung by the Jews at their (Pajfover, 
 and by our Saviour and his Jpoftles, 
 at the hjlitution of this Sacrament. 
 Nor am I unwilling to own that I 
 have thro' the whole, wrought in any 
 memorable Thoughts which I have 
 met with in fuch Authors, as have 
 handled the Jame Argument; ha- 
 ving done all as plainly and com- 
 fendioufly as I was able. To 
 conclude ; if the whole, or any 
 Part of this little Book, may any 
 ways tend to promote the Glory 
 of God, or the <Piety and Happi- 
 
 nefs 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 nefs of Mankind j efpecially of that 
 dear Flock, over which it has plea- 
 fed God to give me Charge, I (hall 
 not much regret my Compofing, 
 and Adventuring it abroad into the 
 World. 
 
 THE 
 
<v^ 
 
 - — — iU&%y < 
 
 T H E^ <ty %# 
 
 CONT E ]Sf^%|^ 
 
 I 
 
 NTR D UCTIO H. Pag. i. 
 
 Chap. I. Of the Nature of the Sa- 
 crament. 3. 
 
 Chap. II. Of the perpetual Obligation that 
 lies upon Chriftians of riper years to 
 communicate, and even to frequent Com* 
 munion. 42,. 
 
 Chap. III. Of Examination hefore the 
 Sacrament, and Preparation for it. 94. 
 
 A Confeffion when we are Preparing for 
 the Communion. 1 % 8. 
 
 A Collect for ? erf ever ante* i3^« 
 
 For Faith. 134. 
 
 A Thanksgiving hefore the Sacrament. 135*. 
 
 A Collett for Charity, j 3 7, 
 
 Chap. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Chap. IV. Of our Behaviour imme- 
 diately before the Communion, and 
 when vre receive it. 14 j. 
 
 An Aft of Penitence. 163. 
 
 An Aft of Faith. 165. 
 
 An Ac! of Humility immediately before 
 Receiving* 167: 
 
 'An Ait of Praife after Receiving; 169; 
 
 An Aft of Love. 170* 
 
 Chap.V. Of cur Behaviour dfter we have 
 
 received, and during the whole courfe 
 of our Lives, efpecially the Time be- 
 twixt different Celebrations. 173. 
 
 '^ueflions for the Evening. 1 86. 
 
 gueft ions for the Morning. 1 8 7. 
 
 Short Directions for thofe who are really 
 firaightned for Time, and cannot go 
 thro the larger Methods of Examina- 
 tion already given And a Prayer for 
 one in Affliftion and Want. % 187, &c 
 
 Of BAPTISM. 189. 
 
 The Great Hallel or Pafchal Hymn, 
 &c. %si? 
 
 THE 
 
 tf 
 
Worthy Gommuriicank^ 
 
 inr^oD uct ion. 
 
 TH E End of every Chrifiian Duty s 
 is to make us ftii) better and 
 Wer : The height of our Per- 
 fection, confifts m the Imitation 
 of God : unlefs we know God, we cannot be 
 like him ; and the cleareft Revelation of his 
 Nature, and of his WiU is left us v by rnsSoti, 
 in his Holy G off el : The Blejjed Sacrament of 
 the Body and Blood of the 
 Lord, is an Epitome of that The word s*- 
 
 r-> /i i*' j !•' ^1 . n A cr anient is often u» 
 Gofpel *, and a lively Refre ; fid in the ^ athers 
 
 Jwtation or our Saviours for thewhoUChri- 
 Sujferingi : He therefore Jlian Religion. 
 who frequently and devoutly 
 receives it^ cannot be an iU Man, but muft 
 needs make a mote than ordinary Frogrefs 
 
 B in 
 
a €ftc !©o?tl)p Communicant 
 
 in Virtue and Holmefs. For the promoting 
 whereof, I have undertaken to write this 
 little Manual^ wherein I lhall endeavour in 
 the 
 
 I. Chapter, to give a clear and ratio- 
 nal Account of the Nature of this Sacra- 
 ment, and the Occasion and Ends of its In- 
 flitution. As in the 
 
 II. Of the perpetual Obligation which lies 
 upon all adult Chrifiiam to communicate, 
 and even to frequent Communion, In the 
 
 III. Of our Examination before it, and 
 Preparation for it. The 
 
 IV. Our Behaviour in it. And in the 
 
 V. After we have received, and du- 
 ring the whole courfe of our Lives, efpe- 
 daily the Time betwixt different Celebra- 
 tions. 
 
 To which mail be added Frayers, Me- 
 ditationS) and Hymns fuited to the feveral 
 Parts of this Holy Office. 
 
 C H A P. 
 
€f)e 2©o?tf)p Communicant, 
 
 I*£. 
 
 CHAP. &X> 
 
 0/ tfe Nature 0/ tfe Sacrament. 
 
 $ L nr 1 H E Sacrament of the LorJ'i Suffer 
 X may be thus defcribed. * 5 Tis a 
 ' Memorial, and Reprefentation of theSacri- 
 'ficeofthe Death of Chnft, infhtuted by 
 'Chrift himfelf in the room of thejewiih. 
 ' f PaiTover; wherein, by the breaking of Bread, 
 lf and drinking of Wine, we renew our Cove- 
 
 * nant with God, praifing him for all his Good- 
 
 * nefs, and teftify our Union with all good 
 r Men ; and whereby the Benefits of our Sa- 
 c viour's Death are fealed and apply ed to every 
 c faithful Receiver. 
 
 $. II. [Tis a Memorial of the Sacrifice of 
 the Death of Chrift.] I confefs, the whole Sa- 
 cred Action has been filled by the Fathers, as 
 well as by fome Excellent Perfons of our own 
 Church, the Chrifiian Sacrifice, the unbloody 
 Sacrifice ; and is indeed fuch, mxhe fame Senfe 
 that Prayer and Praife, whereof it is in a great 
 meafure composed, are fyled under the Go- 
 B 2 fpeL 
 
4 €fje 5©o?tf>p Communicant* 
 
 fpel, fpiritual Sacrifices : Nay, it comes yet 
 nearer to the Nature of the old Euchariftical 9 
 and other Sacrifices, becaufe 'tis an Oblation 
 of fomething t vifible, namely, Bread and 
 Wine, to be con fun? d to God's Honor ; which 
 are then offer d when the Minifter places 
 them on the Ghriftian Altar, or Holy Tables 
 ( as was done more folemnly by lifting them 
 up in the antient Church ) immediately after 
 which, in the Vrayer for the Church Milt' 
 tant, he befeeches God to receive our Obla- 
 tions, ( as well as Alms and Vrayer s ) ; which 
 may relate to the Bread and Wine, newly of- 
 fered : Butlince it has no fiedding of Blood 
 therein, which has been 
 * Gvtrl a. a sJiV, thought effential to a proper 
 mafto: &'facio,'w Sacrifice*, and that the 
 ufed in the fame Redding of our Saviour's 
 Sen J e ' Blood, is only Sacrament ally 
 
 reprefented in it, and not a- 
 Bually and properly poured forth, as it was up- 
 on the Croft, whereon he was once offered, 
 to take away Sin ; and fince the Sacra- 
 ment is a Memorial of that one Oblation 
 of Chrift> and 'tis contrary to the Na- 
 ture of a Memorial or Remembrance of the 
 Sacrifice of the Death of Chtifb, to be the 
 fame with that Sacrifice it remembers ; for 
 thefe Reafons we cannot own any fuch 
 
 proper* 
 
Cfje t©o?tljp Communicant % 
 
 proper, propitiatory, attoning * Homily of the 
 
 Sacrifice * in the Sacra. £™T\ Pa ? 'i 
 i „ .,, We mult take heed 
 
 ment as the Romamfts do ^ ^/ Memo . 
 believe, any more than we r y it be madeaSz- 
 can think with them, that crifice, exatlfy as 
 'tis available both for quick Eufebiui, who fays 
 and dead; of neither of ^f Saviour l^m t 
 which we find any Fort- M '^' «"**«• 
 /«?/* in the Holy Scriptures. Suffice it there* 
 fore, that we believe it a Sacrifice iti the 
 higheft Senfe, that Prayer and Praife are 
 fo caii'd in the New Teftament, becaufe 
 it requiresj and is compos'd of the moft e$- 
 ahed Acts of both; that we believe it in Of- 
 fering, or Dedication of the Bread and Wine to 
 th^ fared u(e, as well as we therein offer our 
 /ff/zw anew to God ; and th.it we believe the 
 whole AcJion, a Memorial, a Commemora- 
 tion, and Reprejentation of the ineftima- 
 ble Sacrifice of the D<?^& of Chrift, where- 
 by alone we expeft Life and Salva- 
 tion. 
 
 § III, Fir ft," Tis a [ Memorial or Com- 
 memoration of ChrifVs Death, and of the 
 Sacrifice which he thereby offer'd for us. 1 , 
 That is, by this [acred Aclion^ we record^ 
 and keep it in mind, till he come again to 
 Judgment. And chat according to his own 
 B % Command -, 
 
6 Cftc !©mtfjp Communicant 
 
 * St. Luk. 22. Command, as St. L«& * re- 
 
 T 9- lates it of the £>W. and 
 
 i Cor. 11.14, 25. - St<pWboth of the Brgad 
 
 and Wine ; T/&/.* ^0 *?? remembrance of me. 
 As forget f;<hcfs of God's Goodnefs and In- 
 gratitude for kj muft net ds have been great 
 occafions of the /id? of Mai;, fo that very 
 fall renders us ftill more forgetful and ««- 
 grateful. Mankind will therefore have ah 
 ways need enough of Helps to thei Memory 
 in religious Matters : And fome of ttefe, God 
 has appointed wherever there has. been a re- 
 vealed Religion. Thus the Sacrifice of the P*/- 
 ^wr was inftituted for a Remembrance of what 
 the 1/raelites fujfered in Eg7?f> and of God's 
 wonderful Mercy in delivering them from 
 it, as well as to typify or fliadow forth unto 
 them Chrifi himfelf, our great Paffover. The 
 Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was in like 
 manner inftituted i That we might keep m 
 memory that which Ghx\& fujfered for osj and 
 delivered to us; fuch a fenfible Sign, and re- 
 markable folemn Aft ion. being much more 
 likely to preferve a lively imprejfion of it, 
 than if it had been only barely recorded in 
 Hiftory. Now this Commemoration may be 
 confidered either with refped to cur [elves, 
 or with refpect to God: as it relpe&s our 
 (elves, we not only therein commemorateGod's 
 
 Love 
 
€f)c J©ojtf*p Communicant. 
 
 Love in general to Mankind, in giving his 
 Son, and our Saviours Love, in giving him- 
 felf a Ranfom for all Men, to bring them 
 into a 1 Capacity of Salvation on their Faith 
 and Obedience ; but yet farther, the *#«*/ 
 Application of his meritorious Sacrifice to our 
 felves, on our performing the Conditions of 
 his Covenant, and his infinite Goodnefs in 
 making us partakers of his Holy Word and 
 Sacraments , and thereby calling us to this S/<tfe 
 of Salvation, and preserving us ' in it. As this 
 Commemoration relates to G<?J, we do alio, in 
 the Communion, prefent a Memorial of a 
 /W** Savour before him, and befeech him 
 for the fake of his </^r Son, and by his Ago- 
 mei t and bloody Sweat, by his O0/}, and Paf 
 fion, and precious Death, to have A/ercy upon 
 us, and grant us ths Remijfion of our Sins, 
 and all other Benefits of his Sufferings. Not 
 that God is either ignorant of our Wants, or 
 mwiUing to relieve us, or forgetful of us; 
 But we mull be fenfible of thefe things our 
 felves, and of God's p0?^r to help us, and 
 feek for Relief in thoie Ways he has appoin- 
 ted. And well may we more folemnly com- 
 memorate our Saviour's Sacrifice in this Sa- 
 crament, when we do the fame in fome de- 
 gree, even in our daily Prayers, and ask ail 
 for \\\s fake, and in a Senfe, offer himaww 
 to his Father, applying his Attornment, and 
 B 4 pleading 
 
8 €f)C 2©ojtf)p Communicant. 
 
 pleading his Merits, and truftmg in his In- 
 tercejjlcn and iMeditation. Nor ought we to 
 forget that the amicnt Li;«r£f>; 3 did not only 
 cctnmtmorate our Saviour's Death in the Sa- 
 crament, but likewife his Refurreclton and 
 Afcention into Heaven. 
 
 § IV. Secondly. But there is not only a 
 Commemoration i but a Representation too of our 
 Saviour's Death, in the Ho/y Communion, 'Tis 
 not a tar* Remembrance of it, 'tis a lively 
 ocbemeznd Figure of what he endurd : 'As 
 c eft as ye eat of this Bread ^ and drink of 
 r this Cup, fays the Apofile, ye do [hew 
 forth, or rather, by way of Command, [hew 
 yefortb^ the Lord's Death till he come. De- 
 clare it, proclaim it, c * tell the People what 
 great things he has done ! Whence 
 this Reprefentation of ChnfVs Death in the 
 Sacrament has a refpeel to others to whom 
 we are to declare it, as well as it relates, like 
 the Commemoration before-mention'd, to cur 
 felves and to God, We do by this proclaim 
 unto Men and Angels, the manifold V/ifdom 
 and Goodnefs of God, and the Kindnefs and 
 Condefcention of our ever bleiTed ILedeemer ; 
 and in a manner preach the G off el to every 
 Creature , while we here reprefent fb confi- 
 derable a part of it, as our Saviour's Death, 
 and own that we are not afljanid of his 
 Crofs, but rather Glc;y in it. ■ £ V. 
 
CJje i©o?rtjp Communicant. 
 
 § V. We reprefent it alfo to our felves: 
 that is, we do by this facred fignificant, and 
 lively ABion, fix k more deeply in our Af- 
 feclions and Memories. The Bread reprefent! 
 our Saviours Body, who is the true Bread of 
 Life chat came down from Heaven: The 
 Wme, his B/<W : The Breaking of the Bread, 
 the Torments he endur'd on the O0//, and 
 the Wounding of his /*<:?W B^ ; as the 
 pouring out of the Wine is a moft lively 
 Figure of the Redding his moft precious fi/00^. 
 But of this, more hereafter. 
 
 § VI. But in the lad place, we aifb re- 
 prefent our Saviour's Death, to Goi the Fa* 
 ther 3 in the £fa/p Communion : This we do 
 by thofe Attions which he himfelf has ap- 
 pointed, as means of fupplicating him, and 
 obtaining his Favour : c Befeeching our 
 c heavenlv Father, whojrf his tender Mercy, 
 c did give his only Son Jefas Chrift to fuf- 
 f fer Death upon the Crofs for our Redemp- 
 ' tion, that we duly receiving the Holy My- 
 f fieries, according to our Lord Jefus Ghrift's 
 c Holy Iniri'tution, in remembrance of his 
 ' Death and Paffion, may be Partakers of his 
 c moft bleffed Body and Blood. The Prieft 
 neither makes nor 0$?rj the real natural 
 Body of Chrift, in the Holy Communion, but 
 
 B 5 to 
 
»a> ®tje Wts^y Communicant. 
 
 -■ — — — 
 
 Be makes his Spiritual or facramental Body, 
 3B* therein repreftnts his natural Body as 
 wall, as > alfo reprefents what he really 
 Merd for us, in the verity or that Body; 
 tins he represents to G*/ as well as to us, 
 and every devout Communicant mould faith- 
 tuAy joyn in the Reprefentatiow. 
 
 $ 'Vll The next thing obfervable in our 
 Dcfcnption of the Holy Communion is, [That 
 cwas instituted by Chrift in the room of 
 tteJewfiPaffover:'] This as it gives great 
 Ltght mto the Nature of it, and the moil 
 weighcy Contrcverfies concerning it, (o the 
 Matter of Facl- it felf^ is too evident to be 
 doubted or denied, and of too great mo- 
 ment to be lightly pafs'd over: As will ap- 
 pear it we confider the Time, the Form, the 
 End of the Inftimtion of this Sacrament, 
 compared with that cf the PaiTover, and 
 the Expreffions of Jchn the Baptifi and the 
 Apoftles, relating to the Communion it ielf, 
 or to our Saviour, who ordained it. 
 
 The Time of its firfl Inftitution and Cele- 
 bration, was the Night of the Pafcbal Sup- 
 *. -d r . ? €r > immediately after Sup- 
 
 ds Pa/chat cole- ed Mcn > tnat the old Jews 
 
 brando. had a very antient Tra* . 
 
 f^iwi»Ejw4 <&*cw amongft them, that 
 s> ' the. 
 
€l)e 3©o?rt)p Communicant u 
 
 ———————— —————— ■ —————— — — — ~— 
 
 the Meffias mould come to redeem them 
 the very fame Night in which God ^roughc 
 them out of Egypt, the Night of the PaJJover, 
 wheieon they alfo -fay that God vouchsafed 
 to the old Patriarchs and holy Men, moft, 
 or all of thofe famous Blejfmgs and Delive- 
 rances which we read of in the f acred Y/ri- 
 tings j which* is no obfeure Indication, that 
 the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was to 
 fucceed the Pafchal Supper. 
 
 $ VIII. The manner of their celebrating 
 the Pafjover alfo proves the fame; For the 
 Mafier of the Houfe, ' took Bread, and brake 
 c if, and gave it to thofe about him, and 
 fain. This is the Bread of afflitfiox which our . 
 Fathers did eat in Egypt. * # R ' , . - 
 that is, the Memorial of that ( u p ra% uxt0> ^ 
 Bread, in the fame Senfe 
 that our Saviour faid, This is my Body ; after 
 he had taken Bread, and bleffed and brake 
 it, and gave to his Difciples, as the Jews 
 alfo call'd the Paflover, * The Body of the 
 Pafchal Lamb. 
 
 And in like manner, the Cup, The Ma* 
 fter of the Feajt took it after Supper, and 
 when he had given Thanks, gave it to the 
 reft* and faid, f This is the Fruit of the 
 c Vine, and the Blood of the Grape. This 
 was the third Cup which they drank at the 
 
 PaiTrwer, 
 
ii <©fte i©o?t^p Communicant. 
 
 » 1 — ' 
 
 PafTover, and cali'd it, The Cup of Buf- 
 fing. * All the Company 
 *LW«»,VoI. dranfc f j tj tne f lc k a s 
 
 V&* P- well as the healthy, t Thus 
 
 29 5 # our Saviour " alter Supper 
 
 took the Cup, this third 
 
 Cup, and when he had given Thanks, gave 
 
 it to his Difcipks, and faid, Drink ye All of 
 
 this, for this is my Blood of the New Tefia- 
 
 went [ New Covenant ] or this Cup is the 
 
 New Teftament [New Covenant] in my 
 
 Blood *. As Mofes faid, 
 
 *SuMat.i6.i& when he fprinkled all the 
 
 St.Luk. m> 20. p eop ] e wim B i 00 d t§ xhts 
 
 t £fe£. ^. 20. *"' *^ e B/W ^ the Ceve- 
 Exod. 24. 8. w^w? which God made with 
 . you ; it was not only the 
 &<*/ of the New Covenant, but Hkewife the 
 Sanclion of it: And 'tis remarkable that our 
 Saviour calls it the Fruit of the Vine, as did 
 the Mafter of the Feaft at the Pallbver. 
 And fo the Apoftle calls the Sacramental Cup y 
 the Cup of 'BUffing. 
 
 ■ £ 
 
 § IX. There's yet another thing re- 
 markable in the Fajjover, which our Savi. 
 our retaind m his Sacrament, and that is 
 the H/w», or great Hmlkl, which the Jewt 
 always /#ȣ at this Feftival, and ftill con- 
 tinue to ufe it in that (hadow of the Vafi 
 
 fover 3 ] 
 
€#e Kllo?tf(p Communicant i? 
 
 [over which tbev yee re- * Buxtorf. uki 
 tain.* Ic confided of fix .%• . . . 
 Pfarmi,fromtheiij to the p |^ lck w XI * 
 1 1 8. inciujiveiy ; wherein 
 were mentioned, as their Rabbins teach. 
 i. Their Deliverance from Egypt, i. The 
 Divifion of the Red- Sea. % . The Giving of 
 the Law. 4. The Refurreftion from the 
 Dead. And {. The Sor- , _ . _ „ t 
 rowsoftheA/#*/. t 'Tis n p.f ?^' 
 exprcfly faid, that our Sa- 
 viour and his Apoftles fung a Hymn after 
 they had eaten, t/^jWro, not ifyyfoa*; they 
 all doubtleft/^wW in ir, as was the Cuftom 
 of their Country- men, which they could 
 not have done, had it not been a Form well 
 known unto them : And what more proper 
 than thole Pfalms already mentioned ? 
 which mows the Lawfulnefs offinging in the 
 Chnftian Church, and of the whole Congre- 
 gations joyning in it, fome think Judas not 
 being here excepted [| , and „ uhtfoo ^ 
 mat in a fet Form % out of the * 
 
 Pfalms of David, which have made a great 
 part of the Liturgy of the Church, for near 
 Three Thoufand Years. Nor was this Sa- 
 crament ever celebrated without finging by 
 any regular Cbriftians : St. Chryfofiom on Heb; 
 10. fays of thofe of his Time, c That in 
 ' the Sacrament they did offer Tbankfgiving 
 
 for 
 
i4 €&ei©o?t& P Communicant ' 
 
 * for their Salvation, by devout Hymns and 
 
 Pn^r, to Gad. And before him S 
 
 famous Letter mentions the Ch ftians as 
 
 jointly fingmg Hymns toChriftl And V" 
 
 f fr ! » h « APofogy, has left t W Record 
 
 that ,t was the Cnftorn of ChriftSi, to 
 
 clofe their A g , f *, or Love-Feaft wi h 
 
 fi»P«g, either ion-., portion of Scripture, 
 
 * Brr«/i 4,,,/. ° r fomethihg of their own 
 
 «p. 3?. P io<. C-mpoiure. * JVe infilled 
 
 £</«. Ca«4*. the longer on thfs.Head, 
 
 y* i , , ■ "-' c ' U!,r ° £ here are (oma Par. 
 
 fons, who, I thinfe, very unreasonably, not 
 
 only negfca the Praffice of this Amrelical 
 
 Duty themlehes, but even cJWffS 
 
 r\Tr n ot r V : to l h ,°, m wema * an ^er, 
 
 04 *«*/«* 4 laudable Cuftom, and fo 
 
 *? ft^"^' of God had, in all PUcl 
 and ail Agto. 
 
 fX Yet farther, there is a remarkable 
 Analogy 3 or refemblance in the End of their 
 fefiitution, between the Pafover and the 
 topper of the Lord : God faid. concerning 
 the Paflover,to the Children oflfrael; < This 
 fBxod. hu ''fey' 1 "" Be to you for a 
 Ver.z 7 . t Memorial], and you ft all 
 
 t Keep it a Feaft to the Lord 
 throughout *tfyourG*»«vi- 
 11 £**/. la. j. rw»/, H Rtwmhr this day ■' 
 
 in. 
 
Cfje i©o:tlip Communicant rj 
 
 in which you came ouc of Egjpt, and thou 
 fhalt (hew thy Son, &c. *' ^ £ ~ g 
 And the ZW tfto which Lxx *V ^ 
 they made ule or therein,* 
 was to iignifie either the Blood of their Chil- 
 dren, died by Vharoah '•> or rather, the Death 
 of ? barotitis fr ft- born, as well as afterwards 
 of himfelf and the reft of the Egyptians, in 
 juft Vengeance for their Cruehy to the Ifrae- 
 Utes •, and of the Bleed which was on their 
 own Door-Pofts,whei eby they Werq prefei v\J 
 from thePeftilence. Thus in the hordes Supper, 
 our Saviour bmmands his Followers, to do 
 this in Retketnh once of him, and thereby to 
 {hew forth bis Death till he come, as the 
 Jfraelites were to keep the PafTover for ever, 
 or throughout all their Generations. Much 
 the fame word being here ufed by the Apo- 
 ftie, to exprefs onr Celebration, or Annun- 
 tiation of our Saviour's Death in the Sacra- 
 ment, that is ufed by the ancient GreeJ^ 
 Tranflatorsof the Bible,tofignifie that of the 
 Paflover enj'oynd to the 
 Jews |. In which facra- t K«7aJ>«A\*n. 
 mental Feaft we are to pre- 
 fer vj the Memory of our Deliverance from 
 ihz Jhvery q£ Sin, much worfe than that 
 of Egypt. 
 
 i XL 
 
t6 €fje 2©o?tf>p Communicant 
 
 £ XI. Laftly, There are feveral Expref- 
 fions in theNewTeftament which will not 
 fuffer us to doubt of the Analogy between 
 them. Thus the Baptift calls our Saviour, The 
 
 *$t.Joh.t.t 9 . i amb ^ G < od *> and St « 
 Peter (ays, c That we were 
 
 r not redeemed with corruptible things, but 
 
 c with the precious Blood of Ghrift, as of a 
 
 *.«fp**» ,a .« ' La ™b without Blemifhj. 
 
 * stp« :V .8,, 9 . And St> p ^ al!udes ^ 
 
 manifeftly unto it ; * Chrift our Paflbver 
 c is facrificed for us, therefore let us keep 
 
 II t Cnr < T ' tne Fea ^ n0t Witn tn « 
 
 lilC.r.5,7. , ok]Leaveivd ^ ( , 
 
 From all which it appears, that the Sa- 
 crament of the Lord's Supper was inftituted 
 in the room of the Vajjover, and that our 
 Saviour retained many of the Ceremonies 
 therein, as well fuch arGod , 
 
 ^ Cudworth, nimfeIf had i mme diately 
 
 rift, p. 6. Jswiih Church had added , 
 
 either for the more lively 
 Reprefentation of the thing, or elfe for 
 decency and order ; and from what has been 
 faiJ, we may have great Light into the Na- 
 ture of the Holy Communion, efpecially as 
 to the laft Head infifted on, that 'tis a Me- 
 morial and Reprefentation ofowSavioursDeatb, 
 
 of 
 
€J}e i$o?tf)p Communicant. t 7 
 
 of his Body which was broken, and his Blood 
 which was jhed for us. & 
 
 § XII. I proceed to the Matter of thi£ 
 Sacrament, the exterior Matter, or outward 
 Elements t the vifible and (enfible %w, name- 
 ly, BrW and JFS»« which the Lord has 
 commanded to be taken and received. 'Twas 
 from the Fruits of the Ground, that the firft 
 Offerings were made to the Lord *g Some 
 have been of Opinion that Noah- <m the 
 firft that offer'd Bread in Sacrifice, and tha? 
 thence he received a N<i7#* 
 
 n 
 
 nmong the Antisnis, * Mel" 
 chifedeck's bringing forth 
 Bread and Wine, has alfo 
 been thought an A&ofhis 
 facerdotal Office, and not 
 an Infiance of Hoffitality 
 only. We are fure that the 
 Mincha, Meat- offerings or 
 Bread offering So often men- 
 tion'd by Mofes, which was 
 to be offer 'd every Morn- 
 ing and Evening, and is 
 call'd the Moft Holy of all 
 the Offerings of the Lord, was com poled 
 of Fine- Flower ^ With a proportion of Wtne 
 added unto it f. Bread is the t Ejw </. 29 , 40j 
 moA. fimple and common i,w>. 2. 3. 
 
 2W 3 
 
 * Dfckenfon in 
 Delphi PhxniciJJl 
 p. 169- 
 
 And Dr. Spen- 
 cer *fe Sacrificits, 
 things that Noah 
 was called Ogyges, 
 from Ogh, pJ&fel 
 figmfies Panis fub- 
 cineritius, Br*<^ 
 £^<i «»^r the 
 Embers, and of- 
 fered in Sacrifice, 
 P. 6 59. 
 
1 8 €f)e Wc}tl)p Communicant 
 
 Food, the rnoft eafie to be obtained, and 
 yet the mod necej]ary, the Staff of Life: 
 Wine was a!fo as common in thofe Gountries, 
 as it is ufeful and refreshing, making gW 
 th^ Heart of Man, P/a/. [04. 15:. Nay, 
 r£«r/«^ God and Man, Judg.^ 13. That 
 is, Wine was acceptable to God in Sacrifices: 
 For feme, or all of which Reafbns was our 
 Saviour pleafed to make Choice of Bread 
 zn&F/me in the Celebration of thele My ft- 
 nes, as well as becaufe they were ufed by 
 the Jewtjh Church, in the PaJJover. And 
 thefe are in the Sacrament folemnly offer- 
 ed ^ to God , as an acknowledgment of his 
 being the Creator of all things, and Sove- 
 reign Lord of the World; according to the 
 
 * W.Mede of am ; em Dof Ip * « ^ 
 Cbriftian Sacri Henting of them on the 
 fice, p. 359. Lord's Table; which was 
 
 much the fame with that 
 in the Revelations, Thou art worthy, O Lord, 
 to receive Glory, and Honour, and Power, for 
 thou hafi created all things, and for thy fleafure, 
 they are, and were created, 
 
 § XIII. And Bread and Wine they are 
 ftill after the Confecration ; not cammon, 
 but Sacred and Sacramental. They are 
 changed in their Ufe, but not 'in their Sub- 
 fiance, They are not changed into the Sub- 
 
 fiance 
 
€&c i©ojt$p Communicant, 19 
 
 ftance of the Natural Body of Chnft, which 
 hung upon the Crofs, and his Blond which 
 was there [hed for us ; a monftrous and 
 novel Opinion, firft eftablifhed by the Con- 
 cil of Lateran, above twelve hundred Years 
 after Chnft ; and then by that of Trent, a- 
 mong other Articles of their New Creed ; no 
 where to be found in Scripture, fas fome 
 of the moft Learned Romanics have con- 
 fefledj but dire&ly contrary to it, as 'tis 
 to the Writings of ths Fathers ; not believed 
 at prefent by many Learned Men in the 
 Church of Rome * ; over- , m ^ 
 throwing tne very Nature t0 Dlfcourfe ofths 
 or a Sacrament, and leaving Eucharift. 
 nothing for an outward 
 Sign ; deftroying the Foundation of our 
 Faith, which is grounded on Miracles, which 
 imply the certainty of the Judgment of 
 our Senfes on their proper Obje&s i intro- 
 ducing the moft monftrous ahfurdities, which 
 if granted, would render the Chrifiian Reli- 
 gion, which is the only reafonable Religion in 
 the World, the moft abfurd, and moft un- 
 reafonable ; fuppofing a&ual length, without 
 any thing long, and the fame of whitenefs % 
 rednefs) folidtty, moifiure f breadth, and thick- 
 nefs ; involving the moft horrid, as well as 
 moft ridiculous Confequences ; Thar our Sa« 
 viour did eat his own Body 2 and gave it to 
 
 his 
 
io cfte 3®o?tI>p Co mmunicant 
 
 his Difciples to eat ; making Chriftians the 
 
 worft of Cannibals, to **f their G<?</a thou- 
 
 + fend times over* ; imply- 
 
 Ecquem tarn \ n » penetration of <//we». 
 
 **, *»' ,'/&/ L fi° m 5 contradicting the 
 
 w/m/w credat vei 7 -M**"™ Or a Body, 
 
 toeumejje? Tuiiy which cannot be in f^tf 
 «fe »^«r* Deo. places t at the fame timet, 
 rum ' much' Ms in Earth and 
 
 f Wrick after Heaven*, contradicting our 
 Communion, Saviour s own Words, that 
 
 we fbould not have him al- 
 ii St,M#.i6.i r. ways, || that is, his Body % 
 with us, tho' in his Divi* 
 mty, his Spirit, his Power, his Graces, he's 
 with the Ghurch to the End 
 f St.Mtf.28.10. of the World * ; contrary 
 to the End of the Inftitu- 
 tion, which was to be a Memorial of his 
 Body broken, and Blood died for us ; contrary 
 + t n +* to trie Words of the Apo- 
 
 a 7 ;i8 ftle f> who caIls ic Bread 
 
 and Wine, after Confecrati- 
 
 li Vide fiipra. on, thrice in one Ghapter If. 
 For which Reafons, and 
 many others that might be alledged, our 
 Church declares, in her Twenty Eighth Ar- 
 ticle, of the Lord s Supper, ' That Tran- 
 ' fubftantiation, or the Change of the Subfiance 
 t of the Bread and Wine in the Supper of 
 
 'the 
 
€fje t©o?tfjp Communicant* 1 1 
 
 * the Lord, cannot be proved in Holy Writ, 
 c but it is repugnant to the plain words of 
 i Scripture, overthroweth the Nature of a Sa- 
 1 crament, and hath given occafion to many 
 f Saprftitions. 
 
 § XIV. But how is it then called the 
 Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Chrift, 
 and in what Senfe is he prefent there, and 
 how are the faithful (aid therein, to eat his 
 Body and drink his Blood, both by the an- 
 tient Fathers, and by our 
 cum Church, and moft 0- ■■•,-. ^erans, 
 ther Trotefiants of all de- ^ *£j£ 
 nominations r great and left 9 
 
 Cranmer, Ridley ; 
 Communion Service Englifh, Tigur. Liturg. (3c 
 
 That this is true in fome Senfe is evi- 
 dent from Holy Scripture it fel£ as well 
 as from the Confent of all Chriftfan Chur- 
 ches* Our Saviour faid, * This is my Body t 
 r and this is my Blood. And 
 the Apoftle *, The Cup of * 1 Cor. 10.16. 
 Bleffing ; is it not the 
 Communion of the Blood of Chrift, the 
 Bread of the Body of Chrift ? And to the 
 lame purpofe in the next Chapter. 
 
 Thus our fore mentioned Article, That 
 the Bread which we break is a par- 
 taking 
 
n €fte f©o?tljp Cottittntiucaitt, v 
 
 taking of the Body of Chrift, and the Cup 
 of BleJJing a partaking of the Blood ~of Chrift. 
 And in the Catechiftn, that the inward part, 
 or thing fignified in the Sacrament is, The 
 Body and Blood of Chrift, which are verily, 
 and indeed taken and received [ by the 
 faithful"] in the Lord's Supper. And the like 
 in feveral places in the Communion-Office. 
 From all which it appears how little Rea- 
 fon our Adverfaries have to brand us for 
 Sacramentarians, or fuch as deny the Body 
 and Blood of Chrift, in a found Sen/e, to be 
 received in the Lord's Supper. 
 
 $ XV. But what Senfe that is, we come 
 now to enquire. 
 
 Firfi, The Symbols, the very Bread and 
 Wine, are in a figurative, typical, and facra- 
 mental Senfe, the Body and Blood of our Sa- 
 viour. They are more than a bare or ordi- 
 nary Figure » they do really and a&ually 
 from their Inftitution, represent and exhibit 
 GhriftV Death unto us, as did the Pafchal 
 Lamb, the delivery of the Jews out of Egypt. 
 This our Church affirms in her Homily of 
 the Sacrament, Parti. c That we muft be 
 
 * fiire to hold, that in the Supper of the 
 c Lord, there is no vain Ceremony, no un* 
 ' true Figure of a thing abfent, but the 
 
 * Bread and Cup of the Lord, the Memory 
 
 'of I 
 
Qfyi Wn}ft)v Communicant* ^l 
 
 ( cf Chrift, the Amwncmim or his Death, 
 
 r &c. 
 
 § XVI. But there's yet more m it; 
 
 for, 
 
 i. There is, in ^he Bleffed Sacrament, 
 a real fpiritual prejence of the Body and Blood 
 of our Saviour, to every faithful Receiver. 
 0inft 5 as to h\s Divinity, is every where , 
 and more effectually and gracioujly prefent 
 to his own Infticutions, and will make his 
 Vromife good, to be with his. Church to the 
 End of the World * ; and 
 doubtlefs is ib in this Sa- * St. M^. 28. io. 
 crament, as well as in the 
 other of Baptifm i and herein he conveys 
 all the real Benefits obtained by his Suf- 
 ferings, to every faithful Receiver. His Na- 
 tural Body is in Heaven, where it will re- 
 main till he comes to Judgment. He is fpi- 
 ritually prefent in the Sacrament, prefent by 
 Faith to our Spirits, The fore*mentioned 
 Homily tells us that in the Supper of the 
 Lord, we are not only ' to hold that there 
 
 * is a Memory of ChrifVs Death, but that 
 
 * there is like wife the Communion of his 
 f Body and Blood in a marvellous Incorpora- 
 c tion wrought in the Souls of the faithful. 
 And again > c If God hath purified our hearts 
 [ by Faith, we do at this Table receive, 
 
 ' not 
 
14 ^^ 3©o?tJ)p Communicant 
 
 c not only the outward Sacrament, but the 
 c fpiritual thing alfo, not the Figure,, bur the 
 
 * 7rnf£, not the Shadow only, but the £0^. 
 And to the lame purpofe, our Learned Bi- 
 (hop Jewell, c That not the naked Figure^ 
 r and bare Sign and Token only, but Chrift's 
 
 * Body and JBW are verily and indeed gi- 
 r ven unto us in the Sacrament ; we verily 
 
 * eat it, and drink it, and live by it, and 
 f [thereby] Chrift dwells in us, and we in 
 1 him. Yet, he goes on, c We fay not that 
 f the Subftance of Bread and Wine is done 
 ff away, or that Chrift's Body is flefhly pre- 
 c fent in the Sacrament, but we lift up our 
 r hearts to Heaven, there to feed on him. 
 Tho', by the way, What need would there 
 have been of the Surfum Corda, or Invita- 
 tion to the People in the Primitive Church, 
 to lift up their Hearts to Chrift in Heaven, 
 if whole Chrift, God and Man, were actually 
 frefent upon the Altar ? 
 
 £ XVH. But neither the Apoftles, nor 
 the Primitive Church, nor our Church of En- 
 gland, ever held that the Sacrament was ib 
 much as in this latter Senfe, the Body and 
 Blood of Chrift, to all that received, but 
 only to the faithful Receivers. For thofe 
 who received unworthily, the Apoftle tells 
 usj they were guilty of the Body and Blood 
 
 of 
 
 G 
 
€$e t©o?t|>p Communicant 1 5 
 
 of the Lord, therefore (urelv they did not 
 properly communicate of his Body and Blood, 
 which he that does has eternal Life ; nay, 
 they did eat and drink their own Judgment 
 or Condemnation , not dtjcernmg the £W/ 
 2W/. And to the fame purpole is that fa- 
 mous faying of one of the Fathers, f That 
 ' the Wicked do only prefs with their Teeth 
 f the Sacrament or outward Sign of the Lor^i 
 1 Body, but do not really communicate in ifi 
 Neither did the Fathers ever think that we 
 were to eat the Flejh of C£ny? in a grofs 
 carnal, Cafernaitical fenfe, whatever high 
 Expreffions they may have fometime ufed 
 concerning this Myftery, wherein they may 
 have been followed by devout modern Wri- 
 ters. Hear one for all : 'Tis St. Augufiine, 
 de Doclrind Chriftiand > Lib.% Cap. 16. wbere 3 
 in his Rules for interpreting Scripture, he 
 inflances in that Text, which has been fo 
 much controverted of late years, the 6th of 
 St. John Ver. 53. ' Except ye eat the Flefi 
 ' of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, ye 
 c have no Life in you : Si praceptiva locutio, 
 ' &c x If, lays he, the Expreflicn forbid any 
 % "wicked atl'ion, or command a good on$, then 
 * 'tis not fgurattve ; but if it appears to com* 
 f mand any Wickednefs, or forbid any Good, 
 ( it muft be figuraiive* Thus he goes on, 
 c that expreilion, 'Except ye eat the FUfh 
 
 C of 
 
1 6 <%%t Wo}tt)v Communicant 
 
 * of the Sen of Man, and drink his Bloody 
 
 * you have no Life in you, feems to com- 
 5 mand a very wicked thing ; it muft there- 
 
 * foi'Q be under flood in a Figure , and the 
 
 * meaning of it is, that we are to communi- 
 
 * cate in our Lords Offerings , and to lay it up 
 
 * in our Remembranse^ that his F/f/fc was rr«- 
 T c/yWand wounded for us. And when any 
 Xcmanij? fairly anfwers this, we may fefe* 
 ly promife them to M«v« Tranfubftantw- 
 
 $ XVIT. But tfChrift be nootherwife in 
 the Sacrament than figuratively in the Syw- 
 Mr, as they are a Commemoration of his 
 death, and fpritually and effectually prefenc 
 ■to the faithful Reeeiver; Where is then, it 
 may be asked, the My fiery, which all ac- 
 knowledge in this Sacrament, and which is 
 (o often called by ancient Writers, the ve- 
 ifjerable, the awful and the tremendous Ady fiery 
 or Myfieriesof cur Faith ? 
 
 lnanfwer, We do own, that as in genera! 
 great is the My fiery ofGodhnefs; fo there is 
 lomething, which far tranfeends our Reafon y 
 in this Sacrament, and in the manner of 
 our Saviours acling on our minds therein, 
 though the Fail it felf be clearly revealed 
 in Scripture, The manner, I fay, is ftill 
 ^yfierious, how it becomes to us the Body 
 
 and 
 
€$c 3©o?t5p Communicant* 
 
 *7 
 
 and Blood of Chrift : How the ineftimabie 
 Benefits of Chrift s Death are communicated 
 to us by the reception of the bumble Signs > 
 how we are thereby united to him, and he 
 % to us : this, as the Apoftle (ays, perhaps on 
 the fame occafwn, is indeed 
 a great My fiery *, and we * Bphe£ ?. \i 
 can no more give an ac- 
 count thereof than we can of c the Wind which 
 * bloweth where it liftech. We ought there- 
 fore firmlv to believe it, we ought to adore 
 the depth of the divine Wifdom in it, with- 
 out going about fo fruitless an attempt as 
 to fathom and comprehend it. But to go en 
 with our defcription of this Sacrament. 
 
 $ XVUl. By the eating this Bread and 
 drinking this Wine> continuing thus in their 
 proper fubftances, tho' Grace is added to 
 them by their being taken and blejjed, or fee 
 apart to this f acred u(e,we do moft folemnly 
 and Sacrament ally \_rentv? tyiix Covenant with 
 God.'] 
 
 God made a Covenant in Paradice with 
 all Mankind in our firft Parents,, which was 
 called, 7be Firfi Covenant , the Condition 
 whereof was, Vo this and live ; the Sancti- 
 on, c In the day thou eateft of the Tree of 
 v Knowledge thou fhalt furely dye i or become 
 obnoxious to Death t both Temporal and £- 
 
 C a HrnaL 
 
zb €£c 3Bo?tf)p Communicant. 
 
 umal : Adam broke this Covenant by his 
 Difcbedience ; and being the Head and Repre* 
 ft?stative of Mankind, by him Sin and 
 Death entied into the World; he loft his 
 original R:gh:eou[nefs, and became the Parent 
 of a fmful and a rmferable Offspring, and in 
 
 him all died f; or were ob- 
 f j Or. 15. 2:. noxious to the fame Car/e, 
 
 which he was to fuffen 
 
 § XIX. Yet God, who is rich in Mercy, 
 did not leave him to defpair, but immedi- 
 ately made another Covenant with him, cal- 
 led the Covenant of Grace, or the Second Co- 
 venant, eftablifhed on a better Security and 
 on better Promifes, which was briefly con- 
 tained in thofe Words, Gen* 3. 15. f The 
 s Seed of the Woman (hall bruife the Ser- 
 c pents Head\\ , that is, Chrifi, 
 
 I See the excel- the promifed Seed, fhoukl 
 lent Difcourfe of aeftrcy the Principality of 
 i*4fc tfro c™- f k 2> w i/, refcue loft Man- 
 
 nants w the Pre- . f » . 
 
 f«f r« /te whole **"<{ from his Sfcwfi and 
 
 Duty of Man. again reconcile us to God. 
 
 This was yet more clearly 
 
 reveal'd to Abraham, that in his Seed, that is, 
 
 in Chrifr, mould all the Nations of the Earth 
 
 be bleffed \ 'Twas farther 
 
 * Gen**-. 18. illuftrated in the Types and 
 
 Figures of the old Law ; 
 
 but 
 
€fjc 3©o?tf)p Communicant. 29 
 
 but the full and compleat difcovery thereof 
 was referved to the Times of the Gofpel, 
 which is called the New Covenant ; contain- 
 ing the mod perfeft Revelation of the Di- 
 vine-Will, the Promifss of God } and thofe Con- 
 ditions on which he accepts and forgives us ; 
 Which were on Chrifts part his Offering in 
 our room, as our Surety, and a Sacrifice for 
 us to attone his Fathers An. 
 ger * i as on our part, Fait bj * * Bebt 9- l2 - I0 ' 
 Repentance and not a Si»/*/5, I ^ Marf ^ l6l6 ^ 
 as in the Firfi Covenant, but 
 a y?»<r*re Obedience. \\ || 4#* 3. 1 9,25 ,26* 
 
 £ XX. This General Covenant is firil ap- 
 plyed to particular perfons by Baptifm^whttQ* 
 in we are wow admitted into it, as Abraham 
 and his Pofterity were by Circumcifcv into 
 the fame Evangelical Cove- 
 nant* and are thereby a&u- * G<*/. 3.17. 
 ally dedicated to Gods Ser- 
 Twe, and renounce the #W</, the Flefly &ni the 
 Devil* and becaufe there are none who come 
 to age without having been guilty of iome 
 Breaches of this Covenant, we do, after we 
 have taken it upon our felves -in Confirmation, 
 renew it again at the Holy Communion : Of 
 which we ihall ftill have a clearer notion, if 
 weconfider it as 'tis a Feafi i or as 'tis a/olemn 
 Oath, and on both accounts a federal Rite, 
 
 C 2 or 
 
3 o ۤt Woffyv - tf oimmtmcant. 
 
 or a Token, Pledge or tnftituted Sign of our 
 being a&ualiy in Covenant with God ; with* 
 out which whatr/g& had we to approach un- 
 to him, or how could we expect any Mercy 
 from him i 
 
 § XXI. Let us confider the H0/7 Commu- 
 men as a Pw/?, a (acred F<?^, which was ufed 
 among the Ancients at the Confirmation of 
 Covenants jn token of Amity &nd JPriendJhipbe- 
 tween the G«e/;.Thus in that noted inftance, 
 at the ratifying the League between Ifaac 
 and Abimelech) ' Ifaac made a Feaft, and they 
 
 * did eat and </r/«£ and/w/ar* 
 t Gen. i£. j o. * one to another, t But this 
 
 was more than an ordinary 
 Feafi 3 there was generally a Sacrifice added 
 to it , at which they believed God himfelf 
 prefent, a Partaker thereof, and a Witnefs of 
 r-heir Agreement.. Thus when Jacvb and 
 Laban nude a Covenant, ' Jacob offered £*• 
 1 cry/fa dpon the Mount, and called his Bre- 
 8 thren to eat Bread. Gen. 19 54. And the 
 PaiTover was borh a Feaft and a Sacrifice : and 
 'tis the Character which God himfelf gives of 
 his Saints, or tnofe that were relatively or 
 federally holy, that they had made a Cove- 
 vant with him with Sacrifice, Pfal. 52. f. 
 And the Apoftle (peaking, as 'cis very pro- 
 bable^, oi this Chriftian Banquet the. Hot? 
 
 Com* 
 
€fie i©o?tf)p Communicant* ft 
 
 Communion which conies in the room of the 
 PaJJover, exhorts the Corinthians to keep the 
 Feafl not with old Leaven, 
 &c. * Thus 'tis called the * i Cor. 7. 8. 
 Table of the t LorJ : and the 1 1 Cor. 10. 21. 
 Wine,theCupoftheLord % And 
 God voachfafes therein to come in unto us/ 
 and fup with us ; nay to kill ihs fat ted Calf Cot 
 us,and reafr. us with his own Sacramental Body 
 and Blood; and thereby allures us of his Favour 
 and Goodnefs to us, and renews h<s Covenant 
 with us, and gives us leave to do the fame 
 with him. 
 
 £ XXII. But we confirm this Covenant by 
 a moft folemn Oath, as well as a Feaft, m 
 this Holy Communion ; for it partakes of both. 
 The very Word Sacrament originally figni- 
 fied that Military Oath which Soldiers took to 
 their Generated bear Faith and true Allegiance 
 to him, to obey his Cawmands. In the 
 Lords Supper we fwear Fc?*/^ and Homage to 
 the great King of Earth and Heaven ; and, 
 as well as in Bzptifm^tng^g^ to be \\\s faith- 
 ful Servants and Soldiers to our Lives end* 
 Which Oath, as all others, does imply an 
 Imprecation t as did the ancient Sacrifices ufed 
 at the Ratification of Leagues, wherein the 
 Beaft being .cut in pieces, the Parties agree- 
 ing went between them, wifhing that their 
 
 C4 Blscd ■ 
 
3i €fte l©o?tf)p Communicant 
 
 _______________ __________^______ . . _ » 
 
 J5/W might be fo poured out, and they them- 
 felves cut in pieces, if they ever brake their 
 Vow and Covenant. To which the breaking 
 of the _?r<W, and pouring out of the W*»e 
 does aniwer in the Communion : as it may 
 farther fignifie, that we refolve to be faithful 
 even to the Death, to our great Lord and 
 Mafter; and if there be occafton are ready 
 to (hed our Blood for him, as he did for us. 
 The Commemoration whereof is indeed the 
 main End of the Sacrament, and the prin- 
 cipal Notion wherein we are to reprefent it 
 to our Minds ; but there ax subordinate Ends 
 and other uftful Notions, under which we 
 may confider it, in order to profit by if. A- 
 mong which is, 
 
 § XXIII. The next thing in our Defcrip- 
 don of this Sacrament [That we therein 
 fraife God for all his Goodnefs:'] As much as 
 this is included in that very ancient name 
 of it , the Eucharifti which is ufed in the 
 Scripture for giving of 
 \\ Eph. u 4. Thanks in general II, but ap- 
 plied to this mod folemn 
 Ail of Thanksgiving in the bleffed Sacra- 
 ment, not only by the earlieft Ecclefiaftical 
 Writers, but even by an ancient Verfion of 
 the New Teftament. For the Syriac retains 
 the Word Euchatifi, both in the zd of the 
 
 Acls 
 
€£e J©o?rtjp Communicant. %% 
 
 ABs 42. and in the zotb v. 7. In both of 
 which places, what we render breaking of 
 Bread is with them * break- 
 ing the Eucbarft. And a -T3WI *03TM* 
 Word of the fame Original N1 ° C 
 
 is ufed both by the Apoftle and the Evan- 
 gelifts in the Defcription 
 of its Inftit tit ion j; and where , + r c f' V ci 1 
 our Saviour is laid to £/<ue L/ ^ tz r ^ 
 t banks over the Bread, by St. 
 £»£* and St. Paul ; and to blefs \t> by 
 Matthew [J, the fame thing 
 is intended, for he bleft and II St; Atoi *6. 
 praifed God for his Gi/h v 
 and by that Thanksgiving did fanfitf.e \ 
 Bread ; both derive God's BUJJing upon it, an * 
 fee it apart to a jWjW n/e, to be the thank- 
 ful Memory of his own Death till he come 
 to Judgment.. And accordingly in this Sa- 
 crament the Church does render mofc 
 lemn Thanks and Praife to God the Father, 
 for his inert imable Love in the Redanptim 
 of the World by the Death and Pajjlon of 
 his dear Son; and to Cbnft hirafelf, who 
 gave his Body to be broken and his preci- 
 ous Blood to be /W for us 5 as well as for all 
 the Benefits of his Pajfion, efpecially the P; 
 don o£ out 5/»j.a-nd Eternal Life* 
 
 § XXIV. 
 
14 Cije ffityifyV Communicant* 
 
 £ XXIV. The next thing, to he taken 
 notice of in this Sacrament is, That we do 
 therein \_teftifie and exprefs our unfeigned 17- 
 mon with all our Cbriftian Brethren^ with all 
 thofe that bear the Image of the Heavenly* 
 This was doubtleis one great eW of its /*- 
 (tim'to'i) that thereby all the followers of our 
 Saviour might be, united together in the moft 
 fasred and indifloluble Bands, and that all 
 men might know them for his true Difci* 
 pies by their Loving one am- 
 * St*-3dmih$U tber*: and thus the Apoftle 
 argues, ' The Cup of BUf- 
 ? /i#£ which we kiefs, is it not the Communion 
 3 of. the Blood of Cbrifi, the Bread which we 
 ' £*•<?*&> is it not the Communion of the Body of 
 ? Chrift ? For we being many are one Body, for 
 ■ we are all Partakers of that one Bnad: where 
 he hints at the My ft teal Union between Chrifi 
 And his Churchy and of all the Members there- 
 of one with another ||. Feafi* 
 1 3 Or.te. 16,17, tng in common has been al- 
 ways efteerned both a Token 
 of yfwi^ and Friendship, and the way to 
 increase zndpreferve it. in the Holy Commu- 
 mon-wQ may be laid to re* 
 tPfiny^cow/*- *?2*> our Covenant with owe 
 derandam-dtfihlt- another, f as well as with GW, 
 •*«C** : ^ ^ f h 
 
 ¥£ft to imprecate bis Wrath 
 
GLfyt ffloityp Communicant. % * 
 
 upon our felves if we break fhat [acred Band a 
 And to the fame purpofe were the Agapa or 
 Leve-Feafts among the Chriftiansjboth m the 
 Apofties times and a Cen- 
 tury or two after * : And * Vid.Tertul. A- - 
 the frequent reception of pUz. & p.io? 
 the Communion mtift needs 
 render Chriftians more charitable and in- 
 creafe a holy Love among them, becaufs 
 without this Chanty they know they ought 
 not to communicate ; as the too genera! negleft 
 of this Sacrament may well be reckoned one 
 gneat caufe of the great decay of that Grace 
 amongft us. For the partaking of this Di- 
 rjine Feaft, and the confideracion ofChrifts 
 wonderful Love to us in laying down hi. 
 Ltfe for us, even when we were Enemies, 
 rauft needs conftrain us to forgive all thofe 
 that trefpafr againit us, and wuh a pure bean 
 fervently to love one another. 
 
 § XXV. Hitherto we have for the mofi . 
 part dsfcourled of whif we our ■■■- [el'vu are 
 to do in ■ the Reception of the Holy Sacra- 
 ment. To commemorate ana represent the Sa- 
 crifice of our Saviours** Death, according . 
 to his Inftitution, by -.eating of Bread and 
 drinking .of Wme ; therein renewing 'our 
 Covenant with G^, ffmfing him for his 
 Goodne(sj and ttftir our 
 
5 6 €f;e i©ojtf) p Communicant, 
 
 tfSwty and C4*ri//. towards all our Chriftian 
 Brethren. 
 
 , $ X ^ r - I Proceed, in the kft place, to 
 that which we are to r*«/w from God in the 
 conicientious difcharge of our Duty, and de- 
 vout Reception of this Holy Communion : Which 
 is contained in the laft part of our Defcrip- 
 tion, [That thereby all the Benefits of our 
 Saviours Death are feahd and apply ed to e- 
 v^ry faithful Receiver.'] 
 
 $ -XXVI I. The Sacraments are Seals cf 
 God s Covenant with us. The Apoftleex. 
 prefly affirms it of Cir- 
 * ; Rcm. 4 . si. cumctfion, * as it was a Sign 
 <W«M ? .M= of the Evangelical Cove- 
 
 nant made with Abraham 
 ^d all hs faithful Children, that is, all that 
 inould hfct* « God as he did. In the room 
 whereof Baptifm was introduced by our Sa- 
 viour as another Seal of the fame Covenant, 
 and means, our Imitation into it : And one Sa- 
 crament being a 5m/, it follows by />*r/>; rf 
 Rtajon that the *&? mnit be fo alfa The' 
 «?£ Sjmhh % when duly received, do ex- 
 hibit and convey, unto us divine Virtue and 
 aUiitance, and all the ineftimabje Benefit* 
 which were purcha:M for. us, and reached 
 P4it unco us by the Death of a Redeemer; 
 Pitioo or agn&l ParM of our Sms, ■- 
 
€f>e t©o?tf)p Communicant n 
 
 the reinftating us in God's Favour, and at 
 Turing us that he is reconciled to us,and that we 
 are accounted righteous before him ; as well 
 as Sanftificationpr actual Strength and Grace 
 to conquer our Sins and to obey his Commands* 
 'Tis true, the beginnings of thefe are conferred 
 in Baptifm; we are ib far regenerate therein, 
 as to be grafted into the Body ofChrifts Church, 
 and to partake of its Privileges by the ope- 
 ration of his Holy Spirit within us, who will 
 never be wanting to us or forfake us, unlefs 
 we our (elves do put a Bar to the Divine Af 
 jifiance by confirm'd ill Habits and by a wkked 
 Life. But fince the Divine Image, which 
 we there recovered, is very often obfcured a* 
 gain by the Temptations of the World and 
 the Devil, and the remains of-Sm within 
 us, there is need enough of our being re- 
 newed again by Repentance ; nor has Goi 
 here left us without Hope or Comfort, but 
 notwithftanding the Dream of the old Nova- 
 tians, has appointed a Remedy even for thofe 
 who (in after Bapufm, and that is this other Sa- 
 crament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, 
 wherein as we renew our Covenant with him, 
 we receive iiqw Strength to obey h\sCommands , 
 as hath been the conftant Faith of all good 
 Chnfiiarts m all Ages : we therein obtain not 
 only the ftrengtbning, but like-wife the rc- 
 * freeing of our Soulsj as- the Cacechifm ex- 
 
 preffes 
 
$8 €|>e H2o?tt)p Communicant 
 
 ; — : 
 
 preffes it, which includes Divine Confutation, 
 and Joy in believing, and fuch Peace as pafles 
 all Underjlanding. 
 
 $ XXVIII. But may fome here object, 
 
 Wher^is this BleJJednefs you [peak of> Where 
 are thefe Promifes in Holy Scripture, of fuch 
 wonderful ajjiflance in this Sacrament ? 
 
 In an(wer,This Holy Cemmunion is the Sub- 
 fiance of all other Chrifiian Duties, to which 
 fo many BleJJings are promifed throughout 
 the whole Gofpel (or eife why do we per. 
 form them ? ) of Faith, and P^epntance and 
 Thanksgiving, and Holy Vows, and Prayer, 
 and Praife, and Confeffion, and Adoration ; 
 and confequemly it muft foare in all their 
 BleJJings and Benefits. 'Tis a Memorial or 
 Commemoration of our Saviour's Love and 
 Sufferings; and if God has promifed in<*he 
 old Law that in every place where there 
 is a Memorial of his Name, he will meet 
 
 and blels his People,* much 
 * Exod. 10.14. more may we exped it 
 
 under the Gofpel. If our 
 Saviour has fa iolemnly promh'ed, 'that 
 ' where two or three are gathered together 
 * In his Name, there he will be in the midft 
 of 'em and blefs em, much more will he . 
 be- {o at this g^eat Synaxis, this more gene^ 
 ral and folemn /tjjwkty of Chnftians to • 
 
 cek- 
 
€fce CHio?tI»p Communicant- $9 
 
 celebrate his Name, and record his Prat- 
 fes.\ He has not com- 
 manded us to feek his Face JJf $gg 
 
 i» mm; nor is ic in vain iftheVrayerofene 
 
 to * do this in Remembrance or two be of fo 
 
 r of him. The fawing forth ^re** /ore*, /^f 
 
 the Lord's Death cannot " bnn gf Cbrifi a- 
 
 be without exceeding Com- ™f ^ em > .}»» 
 
 r , z 1 ° muca more will the 
 
 fort to thole who haye rea- „«»■„,„„ Pr4JW 
 
 fon to hope they have a f the Bijkvp and 
 
 (hare in it. 'Tis a % £*• *6 fl'^/e C/;«rc^ 
 
 'prefion [The Communion of 4fc»#»£ *> G*/,. 
 
 > r \ c \_ *° g'*nt all the* 
 
 cis furely far more than an ^ e j ire ? 
 *w/*jk Figure \ 'Tis not a 
 little matter to eat the Lords Supper, to par- 
 take of the Table of the Lord, wherein if 
 he that eats and drinks unworthily eats and 
 drinks Damnation ; furely he that does ic 
 worthily muft eat and drink Salvation. No 
 lefs can be intended in our Communion of 
 Cbriffs Body and Blood, than the eternal Son of 
 God's uniting himfeif by hrs Spirit to our 
 Souls in this Holy Sacrament ; and even by 
 his own Divine Nature, whereby he in a 
 fenfe, and in (ome degree, makes us Par- 
 takers thereof; and communicates unto us 
 all the BltJJings he has obtained for us, by 
 this Heavenly Food nounfoing up our 
 Smhlo evtrh/twgLtfe: Giving us herein 
 
 rife 
 
4° €&e i©o?t|)p Communicant. 
 
 the Earnefi and Pledge of our Immortality, as 
 well as the means of it ; and alluring us, that 
 becaufe he lives we (hall live alfo ; which 
 is the meaning of thofe Expreffions c Dwel- 
 ling in Chrift and Chrift in us, and be* 
 * ing one with Chrift and Chrift with us ; 
 and of the Minifters praying in the very de- 
 livery of the Elements, c That the Body and 
 *■ Blood of our Lord Jefus Chrift may pre- 
 ' ferve our Bodies and Souls to Everlafiing 
 c Life ; according to our Saviour's own 
 Words, ' He that eateth my Fle(h and drink* 
 c eth my Blood dwelleth in me, and I in 
 c him i he (hall live by me ; he (hall never 
 c die ; he hath Eternal Life, and I will raife 
 ' him. up at the laftday. And whether or no 
 thefe Expreffions were then precisely meant 
 of the Sacrament, which they might well 
 be by Anticipation and Prophefie, though 
 iurere not then actually infiituted; for he 
 Ipeaks in the fame place of his Death in the 
 fame manner * they are yet certainly true 
 of the partaking of Ch rifts Sacramental Bo* 
 dy and Blood,, 'and feeding on him in our 
 4 Hearts by faith with Thanksgiving. 
 
 $ XXIX. Which brings to the clofe 
 of ourDefcription, that all thefe Benefits are 
 conferred in the Sacrament, only on [the 
 faithful Receiver.'] For none but fuch. ire 
 
€f)c 3©o?tfjp Communicants 41 
 
 properly Partakers of the Body and Blood of 
 the Lord. If Judas did outwardly partake 
 of this Sacrament, as our Church feems 
 to have thought he didf» 
 Satan did but the fooner t See the Ex- 
 enter into hrrn, becaufe he hortation, Left of- 
 received with a Heart full |£ %ol facrl 
 of Treachery , Coyetoufnefs * m ' nf /f he oevh 
 and Malice. I take .F«/0 <? w /er into you, as 
 here in the larger! Senfe, heentred into Ju- 
 c for a practical a (lent to the das. 
 5 whole Scheme of the Gefpel, 
 ' and confequently a ready and firm Belief o£ 
 f its Revelations, Threatnings and Promifes, 
 f accompanied with fincere Refolutions and 
 r Endeavours to obey its Commands. Tho* 
 the more peculiar objed of Faith in this 
 Sacrament muft be t\\Q Merits of our Savi- 
 our, and that Pardon which he purchafed 
 for us by his own Blood. But of thefe here- 
 after more at large under thofe Qualificati- 
 ons which are requifite to thofe who would 
 partake worthily and profitably of this Holy 
 Communion. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
4i C&e J©o?tftp Communicant. 
 
 CHAP. IL 
 
 Of the ferpetual Obligation that lies 
 upon adult Chriftians to com- 
 municate , and eVen to frequent 
 Communion. 
 
 § L^Tr7Herein I {hall firft prove in ge- 
 VV neral, the indifpenfible Obliga- 
 tion which our Saviour has laid upon us to 
 receive this Sacrament, i. The Extent of 
 it, it reaches all adult Chriflians. ;. Its 
 Duration, 'tis perfetual, it lafts till the End 
 of the World. 4. That we ought to receive 
 it frequently ; And in the 5th and laft place, 
 1 (hall anfwer thofe Objections which are 
 brought eicher againft receiving the Commu- 
 nion m general, or againft frequently re- 
 ceiving it. 
 
 § II. }fi . Of the Obligation in general to 
 receive- And one would wonder how any, 
 who are called Cbrtjtians, and do but remem- 
 ber the Reafon of that Name, mould ever 
 think thernfelves dtfpenfed with from that 
 
 Obii. 
 
€fte t©o?tl)p Communicant. \% 
 
 Obligation ; fince there is fcarce any fo ig- 
 norant as not to know that 'tis the exprefs 
 Command of our Lord Cbrifi, ' Do this in re- 
 * membrance of me.* He +e „ . , 
 has the fitfresm Authority St ' Luk * lz * l * 
 over usy and we have profejfed an entire 
 Obedience unto his Laws, and have vowed 
 at Baptifm to keep Gods holy Will and 
 Commandments ; and there is not one Com- 
 mand in the Gofpel more exprefs than this 
 is. Every part of the Sacrament, every No- 
 tion wherein we can reprejent it to our 
 Minds, is an Argument for our receiving it. 
 TTis ^Remembrance of our Saviour's Death 5 
 and does not that deferve to be remembred fc 
 'Tis the lively Reprefentation thereof to our 
 Minds ; and do we not need this, for are we 
 not too apt to forget it ? 'Tis done by the 
 breaking of Bread and drinking of Wine, and 
 is this fo hard a thing that God requires of 
 us : Or if our Saviour had ask'd fbme 
 great thing, mould we not have done it ? 
 Much more when he requires fo eafie a Te- 
 stimony of our Gratitude and Obedience? We 
 think our fir ft Parents very inexcusable* who 
 could not keep cm Command, at\i refrain from 
 one Tree, to pieafe their Creator : 'Twas no 
 difficult task, but yet there is lefs difficulty in 
 what our Saviour requires of us, to eatoi 
 this Bread and drink of this .Cttpi He re- 
 quires 
 
44 ^8* 3©s?tjjp Communicant* 
 
 quires us not to abftain, but to feaft, in or- 
 der to obtain bis Favour* Have we not all 
 broken our Covenant with God, and ought it 
 not to be the moft welcome Tidings to us 
 in the World that we may again renew it ? ' 
 Have we nothing to thank him for, that 
 we are fb backward to render him this Sa- 
 crifice of Praife ? Or is it not to him we 
 owe our Life mi Breath, and Being, and yet 
 more, if it be not our own faults, our Re- 
 demption, our Salvation and our eternal Hap- 
 pinefs? Have we no Ingenuity, have we no 
 Gratitude left, or can we give God thanks 
 In a better way than in that which he him- 
 felf has appointed ; in the higheft and moft 
 folemn Ordinance of his Holy Gofpel ? *Is 
 Holy Friendfhipi is Chrifiian Unity and Love 
 fo frightful a thing, that we will not fb 
 much as endure this Symbol of it ? Is it 
 not a good and plea f ant thing for Brethren 
 to dwell together in Unity ? Is there any A- 
 ynity, any Endearment fb clofe fb intimate 
 among Men, as that which is profefled, 
 encreafed and exercifed among Chrifiians ac 
 this Holy Table} Is it not a defirable, a ne- 
 cefTary thing to be at Peace, to be Friends 
 with all Mankind, to forgive our Enemies, 
 to have the Love and the Prayers of ail Good 
 Men ? And muft not all this render the 
 
 Mind 
 
€l)t t©o?tfjp Communicant 45 
 
 Mind exceeding quiet and happy ? And is 
 not this happy Temper to be very much 
 heightened and firengthened by our coming 
 to the Lord's Table, and even by our Pre- 
 paration for it, as well as by our actually 
 partaking of it. 
 
 $ III. And if all this be not enough, if 
 it be not (ufficient to have Peace on Earth , 
 or we do not much regard it ; are we not 
 however defirous to be at Peace with Hea- 
 ven ? God reaches out to us in this Holy 
 Sacrament the Pledges of his Love, and far* 
 don and Friendjhip; He fends his Minifters 
 to allure us hereon nay, he fends his own 
 Son (furely we will reverence the Son\) as 
 an Hofiage, tofatisfie us of the kindnefs of 
 his Intentions : We entertained him not, 'tis 
 true, as we ought to have done : The Heir 
 was killed, he was fioned, he was caft out 
 of the Vineyard by ungrateful Husbandmen i 
 well, he only requires that we mould re- 
 member his Death, and not crucifie him anew 
 by our Sins, by ournegletfing this or other 
 Duties : and is this our Kindnefs to our 
 Friend, that we think this too much/0 do for 
 him, efffccially when he has done fo much 
 for us ? Surely he left us fuch a Legacy as 
 deferved that we mould think on him that left 
 it ; tho* 'tis true, the Payment thereof is email 
 
 tionai, 
 
46 €fje 3©o?tf)ii Communicants 
 
 — 
 
 tional, and among other Conditions on which 
 we expe& Life and Vardon, this is not the 
 leaft, that we mould receive this Holy Sa- 
 crament, which is the very Seal of that Par- 
 don fent down unto us from the offended 
 Majelfy of Heaven. Are we fo very ftrong 
 and fecure, fo rooted and grounded in Faith 
 and Love that we need no more affiflance> 
 no more help from God's Spirit, or his In- 
 fiitutiom ; tnat we thus rejeft the Counfel of 
 God, and that Gr^^ which he fb freely 0/"- 
 /iri : us ? Is it a /w*# *&ȣ to dwell in Chrift, 
 and Chrift in us, to be ene with Chrift, and 
 Chrift with us ? To be united to him i To 
 fee him whom our Souls ought to love ? 
 To rffeypi/i the World in comparifonof him? 
 To fit under his Shadow with unfpeakable 
 delight ? To have our Hearts pant after him, 
 and long for him, and be ravified with his 
 Perfections, and affur'd of his Love, and im- 
 patient to break through this Earthly Vrifon, 
 to fhake off this im fortunate Clog % this trou- 
 blefbme Companion, this weary Flefi) and 
 Blood which hangs about us ; and groan 
 earneftly to be delivered ; and cry out, 
 c Oh that I had the Wingi of a type, that 
 € I might fly away and be at reft, that 
 c I might reft for ever in the Bofime of my 
 f Redeemer, in whole prefer.ee is fulneft of 
 * Joy, and at whofe Right Hand are Flea- 
 
 \fwts. ; 
 
€fte Wottfyp Communicant* 47 
 
 c fures+unexbaufted Rivers of pleafure for ever- 
 
 more 
 
 $ IV. Is this Worth de firing ? Or are thefe 
 only Fancies, andthe fair, but fading Colours 
 of Rhetor ick and Imagination ? Ask any ve- 
 ry pious per fon, who comes with Humility and 
 Devotion to this Sacrament, whether they 
 are not as Jure of all this as that they 
 breath ? Whether Jefus has not been known 
 of 'em in breaking of Bread, and they have 
 not been often fill'd at his Holy Table with 
 Joy unfpeakable and lull of Glory i A ra- 
 tional, nay we may call it, a divine Joy 
 and Satisfa&ion, becaufe we know its Au- 
 thor, we know its Objett. Good Men (peak 
 what they know, and uftifie what they have 
 feen, and can almoft arife to that Tejfimony 
 of the Apoftle concerning Chrifts a&ual 
 Bodily pre fence here upon m „ ^ . 
 Earth, •* That which we ?*»•**" M- 
 f have £**r*/, which we have /*?* with our 
 
 * £y<?/, which we have looked upon and our 
 
 * Hands have handled of the Word of .Life;; 
 ' that which we have feen and beard declare 
 c we unto you,that ye alfo may havGFellGwfhip 
 
 * with us, and truly our Fellowship is with the 
 
 * Fat her ^ and with his Son Jefus Chrjfi, 
 
 5*V, 
 
48 €l)e 3©o?tI)p Communicant. 
 
 i 53 -- — 
 
 § V. Well, if we believe the Foreta(ts of 
 Heaven worth defer ing, worth thir fling after; 
 our blefled Immortality , our happy Re fur-. 
 reclion worth fecuring ; the **77«/2 thereof 
 worth enjoying \ we (hall think all thefe no 
 contemptible Arguments or weak Motives to 
 perfwade us to the Reception of this Holy 
 Communion: We mall not eafily flight our 
 Saviour's Command, or thofe great and in- 
 eftimable Benefits we mall all partake of, if 
 we are worthily prefent at it. 
 
 ( VI. But our Obligation to receive will 
 appear yet ftronger, if we confider the great 
 Sin we are guilty of in neglecting it, and 
 the heavy punishment we may expe<5fc for the 
 lame. Whatever our pretences are for it, we 
 do hereby in effect flight the Inviter and 
 Invitation ; as well as that divine Feaft, 
 that Heavenly Food which he has provided ; 
 faying in our Hearts, and by our AcJions, as 
 Jfrad of the Manna, Our Soul loaths this 
 light Bread, We feparate from our Bre- . 
 thren, and are guilty of a partial Schifm. 
 We are difobedient to the jufi Laws of our 
 Country, both Civ// and Ecclejiaftical. We 
 difcow age our Tabors by the thinnefs of the 
 Appearance on thefe occafions. We negled 
 the means which God has appointed to 
 
 ftrengthen 
 
 • 
 
€|)c Woityy Communicant* 49 
 
 ftrengthen us in Virtue*- We are unthankful 
 as well as difobedient ; and too like thofe in 
 the Gofpel, who flighted the repeated Invi- 
 tation* of the King, who lent out h;s Mef- 
 fengers to call 'em to the Marriage: but they 
 would not come, St. Matt, n.t, ^,&c. for 
 which he juftly declared., that thofe who were 
 bidden were rv)t worthy, v. 8 (theie are tm- 
 ivorth) Non-Ccr^municants, as we'll as unworthy 
 Communicants) and that none of them mould 
 taffeof his Feaft ; nor was this all, for he fenc 
 forth hit Armies and defiroyed thofe Murderers, 
 and burnt up their City.v.'j. Which Parable, 
 tho' it feems to relate more immediately to the 
 Jews, whole City and Nation were deftroy- 
 ed for rejecting the Gofpel; yet thofe muft 
 hkewife be included in it by parity of Rea- * 
 fin, who refufe to obey that Gofpel which 
 they pretend to receive, and w r ill not come 
 to this Marriage* Supper of the Lamb, tho' Co 
 often and (o kindly invited, but ^ neglect ir, 
 either for the mofl part, or even for ail 
 their Lives (upon how frivolyp tfcietices 
 we mall fes hereafter) and it is according- 
 ly applied to fuch by our Church, in the 
 Exhortation which is appointed to be 
 read when the Minifter perceives the 
 People backward to come to thz' Comma- 
 nim t 
 
 D ' * VII. 
 
<fo €fjc 3©c?tl)p Communicant 
 
 $ VII. [ Next as to the 'Extent of this 
 Obligation."] It reaches all adult Perfons who 
 have been baptifed. This was carried fo high 
 by the antient Church, that thev thought the 
 Communion was abfolutely neceflary to Salva* 
 tion % and therefore gave it to Infants as fbon as 
 baptifed, as do the Greeks to this day : wherein, 
 tho' I think 'em miftaken, it ihews their Opi- 
 nion, of the univerfality of its Obligation, and 
 the tucejjity of receiving it. The Apoftle fays 
 of the Jews in the Wilderneft, r Cor. 10. 
 3, 4. That they did all eat of the fame 
 fpntual Meat) and did all drink of the 
 iarne fptritual Drink ; and much more ought 
 all Cbrtftians to do fo, who have a much 
 more fpntual Religion. The Paffcuer was 
 enjoyn'd ro all the Congregation, and even 
 to every Allan's Servant that was c'ircumcifed\ 
 with this fevere Sanction, that the Man 
 who neglected it, without a lawful Excufe, 
 c That Soul flwuld be cut off from among his 
 * Kf^u * ta * Ptople.* Our Lord faid to 
 all his Difciples, Take eat', 
 and particularly or the Cup, Drink ye all 
 of this ; his infallible Spirit forefeewg that 
 fome would deny it to the Laity in after- 
 Ages : and it's faid in St. Mark, they all 
 drank of n. St. FWitilesit the Communion, 
 becaufe all Chnfiians did partake of it ; as 
 
 appears 
 
€f)e 2©o?tf)p Communicant* 5 1 
 
 appears from that Expref- 4 lCor Io , 
 iion, we are all parta- 
 kers of that one Bread; and in the next Chap- 
 ter, he fairly implys, that the main End of all 
 regular Chriftians meeting together in pub- 
 hck, was to c eat the Lord's Body. And 
 * all that believed, at the rhrjn TT „ _ 
 
 t r n 1 • c i_ r^ Chap. II. v. 20. 
 
 hrit planting of the Go- 
 4 (pel, continued ftedfaftly in the Apoftle's » 
 c Dodrine.and in the Com* ¥ ^ 
 ' munion * 3 (as it ought to be j 2 ' 42# 
 
 tranflatedj fwhofe ^f^ri ,J rl 3^/ 
 part coniiited in the break' crifice. 
 ing of Bread \ and drinking of 
 JF*»ej as the inward in Pr^er and Thankf 
 giving. To this agrees Antiquity : For the 
 Primitive Christians allowed no fuch thing as 
 coming to the fublick Ajjlmblies, and going a- 
 way without receiving, which none did, un- 
 tefs the Catechumens and Excommunicate, 
 there being a very antient 
 Canon I! among thofe which II Can. IX* 
 are called the Apftles, that 
 forbids any fuch di (orderly pr<2#/££ on pain of 
 Excommunication. Our own Church reckons 
 all Perfbns who are of years of Difcretion, as 
 Communicants, which has been alio the Opi- 
 nion of the wifeft and moft learned among 
 our diffenting Brethren. 4 ThzCovenant we all 
 enter'd into at Baptijm mud be rene-wedby us 
 
 D 1 1a 
 
5 ^ €fjt IBo?tl|p Communicant 
 
 in the Lord's Supper, unlefs there be any fuch 
 as do repent the making it, or as have never 
 broke it. And the fame might be made ap- 
 pear from the Nature of the Sacrament, mhti- 
 fid on at large in the fii ft Chapter. 
 
 § VIII. [ And its Duration is as perpetual 
 as its Obligation is univerfaL~] f The Paf- 
 * [over was to be kept by the Jews for a Me- 
 
 6 morial for ever, Exod. it, 14, throughout all 
 ' their Generations. This for ever lafted till 
 the end of thejewifn «^ge or World, and the 
 Chriftian Pa£over is to be obferved till the 
 
 £nd of the vifible World, the Confummation of 
 all things. The Injlimion it felf being with- 
 out any Term, and Chrift having com- 
 manded his Followers to 'do this in Re- 
 ' membrance of him, they muft ftill continue 
 doing it, unlefs he fixes a Term, or gives 
 them a difpenfation for the doing it. But 
 the Nature of it proves that it ftill re- 
 gains; for a Remembrance implys abfence, 
 and the Reajon of the Remembrance lafts 
 as long as the abjence continues ; and 
 lines Chrift will not be with us, as to 
 his corporeal prefence till the Time of the 
 Refticucion of all things, or the end of the 
 JVorld, we rnuft till then, remember him m 
 this Holy Sacrament. 
 
 § IX. 
 
€f)c iBojtJjp Communicant; 5 % 
 
 $ IX [Which is as evident from Scrip- 
 ture as 'tis From Reafon. 3 f As oft as ye eat 
 f of this Bread, (hew ye forth the Lord'? 
 f Death till be come, t Cor. 11.16. namely, 
 f till his fecond coming to judge the World ;. 
 in which fenle that Expreffion is generally 
 vAed m Scripture, efpscialiy by this Ap;> 
 ftle. Thus he tells us, 'That at the laft 
 c day, rhofe which are alive, and remain 
 c till the coming of the Lord, mall no: 
 
 * prevent thofe which arQ 
 
 * ajleep * ; which whole * 1 TfjeJJl 4« if. 
 Description evidently re- 
 lates to the laft Judgment. And our Saviour 
 ufes that Expreffion m the fame Senfe in re* 
 lation to St.Jcbn, who hirnfeif interprets that 
 Phrafe, c [ if I will that he tarry till I come,'] 
 by that other, € that that DifciplejhoM not die* 
 Now it's evident that what St. Paul here 
 declared, was by exprefs Command and Re- 
 velation, and that he committed no more 
 to Writing, than he had beforean the Name 
 of Chriff delivered to the Churches. For 
 thus, he himfelf aflures them; c I received 
 
 * of the Lord that which I alfo delivered 
 < unto you, &c. f whence f l Qor n 
 
 he goes on to give an 
 f exaci Account of the Institution of this Sa- 
 ' crament 
 
 d k • § x. 
 
54 €fje f©o?tt)p tftommumtMtt. 
 
 § X. But further r None will deny 
 that we mutt offer the Sacrifice of Prayer 
 and frail* unto God thro' Chrift, to 
 the End of the World : That we muft 
 commemorate, and reprelent our Saviour's 
 Death, in fuch manner as he has appointed. 
 That we may, and ought to nwiw our CV 
 'venant with God, and fblemnly to exprefs our 
 *»«» with all good Men, and dedicate our 
 felves to the moft High, and facrifice our 
 £i»j before him; and that ail this mall ne- 
 ver ceafe till Time {hall be no more : If 
 then we ought to perform all thefe things 
 fingly> why not altogether in this Sacrament, 
 as we are fure the Church of God has 
 done ever fince its hfiitution in all Placet 
 and all Ages? 
 
 $ XT. And as tlis Arguments for the 
 perpetual Obligations of our Saviour's Com- 
 mands in relation to this Sacrament, 
 are unanfwerable, fo the Objections a- 
 gainft it appear ib thin and contempti- 
 ble, that one would wonder how any 
 Men of Senfe mould ever (tumble upon 
 them. The chief pretences of thofe 
 who .oppofe the perpetuity of this Sacra- 
 ment 
 
— . — i > .i i 
 
 ment are, that the coming of the Lord men- 
 tioned by St. Paul, was only 
 
 his fpiritual coming, and * Anfwer to 
 
 that the Communion of his Snake in Grafs » 
 
 Body and *W is alfo fa * ^^ ^ t0 
 
 ritual, as opposd to any the ujl, 9 . 77 . 
 outward partaking of it. 
 
 § XII. Bat that the coming of Chrift 
 
 here mentioned, muft be underftood of 
 his lafi coming to . Judgment, has been al- 
 ready proved from St. Paul's ufe of that 
 Expreffion in other places : Nor does it ap» 
 pear that he ever ufes it in any ether 
 Scnfe. However, it cannot be taken here 
 for his appearance, or coming by his Spirit 
 only in the Hearts of Believers, becauls 
 that was already accomplifed in thole who 
 were baptijed, and had lincerely emhrac'd 
 the Gofpel. He was certainly come co die 
 Apojilc- himfelf, in a very high and mira- 
 culous degree and manner, far beyond what 
 any Chriilians can now exped, and yet I e 
 received the Sacrament; for he fay?, We &e 
 all partakers or that one Bread, that out- 
 ward literai Bread whereof he was *dif : 
 courfing. Nor was it only the My ft try 
 which he had received of , y .^ ^ 
 the Lord *, but directions 
 
 D 4 for 
 
56 €f)c ai3ojtfjp Communicant 
 
 for the whole outward adminifl ration % 
 which he defcribes at large in the place 
 
 formerly quoted f, which 
 f i Cor, ii. 13. we - do truly perform as 
 
 far as the outward cele* 
 bration 3 if we eat the Bread and */riw£ the 
 TP'mc, and there is far more than ,a /><?r- 
 mijjion for our doing it* fince we have a /><?• 
 fittve Command, 
 
 3 XIII. Nor therefore is it enough to 
 pretend that we receive inwardly and 
 Spiritually, uniefs we do it outwardly alfo, 
 fince Chrift has appointed fuch an out* 
 ward adminifirattim ? 'Tis true, the out- 
 -ward part/ without the inward \ is fo far 
 from being beneficial, that 'tis thro* his own 
 fault highly dangerous to the Receiver: But 
 God's Word enjoyns us both, and the latter 
 is conveyed by tlie former. Teaching all 
 Nations, as well as baptizing them, was to 
 continue to the End of the World ; but 
 yet all own, that neither the outward Teach- 
 ing, nor Baptifm can avail, without the tn- 
 ward Teaching and Baftifm of the Spirit* 
 and the fame may be faid of Prayer, and 
 other Chnftian Duties. I ihall conclude 
 this Head_with the ConceJJimt of the chief 
 Teachers of thofe. who deny the perpe- 
 tuity 
 
Cfje Woh§v Communicant 57 
 
 tmty of this Ordinance, one of whom 
 
 fays, * c That they do not 
 
 4 cenfare- thofe who are * Anjwer u 
 
 * confcientioufly tender in Snake, (sic p. *h. 
 c Obfervation of thefe 
 
 c things, and for practifing what they be- 
 c 'lieve is their Duty, either in breaking of 
 
 * Bread, or in Water- Baftifm. And ano- 
 ther before him t who pre- 
 tends a concern for thofe t Naylor.. 
 who were troubled in mind 
 
 about this Sacrament, owns, f That the 
 c Lord's Supfer is of great ufe and profit to 
 r weak Believers, for bringing them into one 
 ' Mind and Heart. For us therefore who 
 dare not pretend to perfeftion, but whofe 
 bed Plea mud be that of the Publican, 
 r God be merciful to me a Sinner ; let us 
 cry out with the Difcipfes, * Lord increale 
 c our Faith ; and make ufe of the fame- 
 ■means, the fame Uoly Sacraments which they 
 made ufe of, that we may obtain our de- 
 fires. Which we lhall be more careful to 
 do, if we iet* before our Eyes the dreadful 
 Examples of thofe who by flighting- and 
 for faking the Sacraments, and efpecially 
 this Memorial of ChriuVs Death, have ^\kn 
 into damnable H?refies, denying the Lord 
 that bought them ; either denying his Di- 
 vm'ftf) or even his very Exijfsnce without 
 D n . them- 
 
58 €fje tteo?t$p Communicant* 
 
 themfelves ; or elfe forfaking him by wicked 
 Works, and falling into ail manner of Liccn~ 
 tioufnefs and Lewdnefs ; all which might have 
 been prevented, had they been devoutly and 
 frequently prelent at this Holy Ordinance. 
 
 $ XiV". Nor is it lefs evident that we are 
 to receive the Communion frequently \ than 
 that the Obligation to receive it is perpetual \ 
 which will appear from the Nature of the 
 Sacrament ^nd from the Words of Inftitution. 
 From the Apoftle-'s Example, and that of 'the 
 Primitive Church, and the Commands and Ex- 
 ample of the Church of England, and of all 
 others who think themfelves at any time 
 obliged to receive it ; as well as from the 
 great Benefits to be obtained by frequent 
 and devout Communion. 
 
 § XV. i. The Nature of the Sacra- 
 ment, the very Form and Words of Insti- 
 tution, fufficiently prove, that we ought fre- 
 quently to communicate. 'Tis a Commemo- 
 ration of our Saviour's Death, a Renewing 
 of our Covenant with God, a folemn Frofef- 
 fion of cur Religion and Badge of our Chri- 
 stianity, a means to receive Divine Affiftance, 
 and how then can we be too frequently 
 prefent at it ? Our Lord has not, 'tis true, 
 preciftly determined how often we mould 
 
 come. 
 
C&e 3Bo?tl)p Communicant. 59 
 
 come, for he has left this to the Discretion of 
 the Chwch, and as a Tryal of oar Devotion: 
 But the very Words of Inftitution feem to re- 
 quire our prefence frequently i for if we are 
 to do this in Remembrance of our Saviour, 
 and the oftner we do it, the better and more 
 lively will be our Remembrance of him, if we 
 perform it with due Reverence and Devotion ; 
 if this be granted, we cannot, I think, be too 
 frequent at the Holy Table. May, the Apoftle 
 hints fbmething to this purpofe as our Savi- 
 our's own Command, who at the Indication, 
 when he (pike of the Cup, required his Difci- 
 ples to do this [as oft~] as they drank it: 
 whence th& Apoftle draws this Confe- 
 qaence. For [as often'] as you eat oi 
 this Bread and drink of this Cup, &c. which 
 Words, do at the leaft imply fbme frequen- 
 cy in the reception of the Hdy Sacrament , 
 both as commanded by our Saviour and pa* 
 'iifed by his Apoftles. 
 
 $ XVI. Whofe undoubted PraBice, as 
 j may be evinced from other places, is a 
 arther Argument' for frequent Commu- 
 lion. For the firft Christians, we read 5 
 continued daily with one accord, breaking 
 'Bread from . Houfe to Houfe* - And again, 
 continued ftedfaftly in the Apoftle's Do» 
 'ftrine and their Communion* in breaking 
 
 'of 
 
6o c&e J©d?tgp Communicant. 
 
 * 
 
 v&Mqn&v- ' of Bread and in Prayer 
 
 7* ?U Patrick, ^ J# 41 ^ 6 which ftw or 
 
 none deny to relate to the 
 Holy Sacrament : And it has been well ob- 
 served, that the Word which we tranflate 
 continuing ftedfaftly, does relate to the fre- 
 quency of their Receiving, as well as to their 
 Constancy m it, or not being tired with it. 
 And it appears from the Hiftory of thefe 
 Corinthians y that they did not ufe to come 
 Together into one place, or meet in pufa 
 lick ZPorfhipy without eating the Lord's Sup- 
 fer s 
 
 § XVI r.. And the Practice of the Pri- 
 mitive Chriftians, is a • good Proof of the 
 
 Pra&ice or the Apoftks, iince doubtlefs 
 
 they derived it from them. There are 
 
 Jearned Men who are of Opinion, that 
 
 fome of the Primitive Cbri* 
 
 t -Patrick,^ fl lam received mice a day t, 
 
 be gathers from tL/% ... 7 n j 
 
 TerttlW^Co- a * the Mincha or Bread- 
 
 rGa. Milit. cap. 3. °S mn Z In tne Old Law, 
 
 was offered Morning and 
 
 Evening. And if they met publickly twice 
 
 a day, there's no doubt but they received 
 
 as often, because they had no religious Af- 
 
 iemblies without the Communion, They 
 
 ght the whole /acred Aclicn imperfect 
 
 without u; and this was io well known 
 
 among 
 
 \ 
 
€fte Woffly Communicant 6 c 
 
 among them, that the word Synaxis, 
 which properly fignifies no more than a 
 Convention, or Congregation, was yet gene- 
 rally appropriated to the Holy Communion, 
 becaufe, as is (aid, they knew no fuch thing 
 as one without the other. For they thought 
 the Sacrament was appointed' by Chrift, 
 as a means of fupplicating and obtaining 
 God's Favour, nay, as the only means to 
 do it in publick Affem- • 
 
 Hies*. And therefore do C ^J^ C °{ f e 
 unanimoufly apply that fi ce * * n acti " 
 Prophecy in Malachi t> In f Malac i. u. 
 ex^ry p,W Incenfe Jhall be 
 offered unto me, and a pure offering ; to this 
 Chrifiian Sacrifice. And the Apoflolical 
 Canon before-mentioned, does exprefly ex- 
 communicate thofe as disorderly Livers, who 
 were prefent at Prayers > and went away 
 without the Communion; which the Antienrs 
 call, Juge Sacrificium, the continual or daily 
 Sacrifice : And the Penitents among them 
 who were excluded from it, did proftrate 
 themfelves on the Earth, at the Gates of 
 the Church, and earneftly entreat with 
 Tears and fad Lamentations all that went 
 in, to pray for them, that they'~ might be 
 again reconciled and admitted to the Lord's 
 Table. And 'twas to this their frequent 
 Communions, that we may in great meafure 
 
 attribute 
 
6t €fte I©o?t|)p Communicant 
 
 attribute their exemplary Piety, and fervent 
 Charity, and fiedfaftnefs in the Faith, and 
 ardor and &**/ for Martyrdom: And for this 
 laft Reafbn, in order to arm them againft 
 that fiery Try at, St. Cyprian fays they commu-- 
 nicated every day in the African Churches ; 
 and they did the fame in St. Jeromes time, 
 in thofe of Spain and Rome y and, the fame 
 feems to have been the praclice at Milan, 
 when St. Ambrofe was Bijhop there ; for he 
 fays, ' fThat this Sacramental Food was daily 
 * received for a Remedy againft daily lnfirmi- 
 ' ties,'] adding, ' that there's no Remedy more 
 ' effedual for refrcfomg and comforting the 
 ' Soul , and reftoring it to that Grace 
 f from whence it had fain, than the frequent 
 € partaking of this Sacrament with purity and 
 ' humility. 
 
 The Ethiopian Church does to this day ce- 
 lebrate the Communion every Sunday, and 
 that with the addition of thofe' antient 
 
 * t j , u / • ^^ J of Charity *. which. 
 
 * Ludo bhus hu ' , u >j • l 
 Hift. of Bthiop. Jff no L w dlfu5 L d [ n other 
 //£. 3 p. z$>8, zp9» Cnurches ; which ihews 
 
 that the Gofpel was plant* 
 ed amongft them very early, and before 
 thofe .Feafis. were abrogated. 
 
 § XVIIL 
 
€fjc CLQlojt^p Communicant. 6; 
 
 J XVIII. And indeed, one would won* 
 der how this Sacrament came to be ib rare- 
 ly received, and what mould be the Ori- 
 ginal of that inexcufable NeglecJ which we 
 find at prefent in the Weftern Churches, and 
 particularly amongft our own People, in re- 
 lation to that Holy Ordinance. Now upon 
 an impartial Enquiry, it will appear that 
 this is chiefly owing to two Caufes: 
 Firft, the great decay of Piety and degenera- 
 cy of Chrifiianity, when the Love of many 
 •waxed cold, and the great Ayoftacy broke in 
 upon the We 'fern Patriarchate, But there 
 feems to be a (econd Caufe of it, namely-, 
 the monflrous Doctrine of Tranfnbftantia- 
 tion, already mentioned and confuted; which 
 when the Romamfis had once (tumbled upon, 
 it feems they dared not truit the Laity with 
 frequent Communions, left if they often faw 
 the Bread, and touched and tafied it„ they 
 ihould be tempted, as many of their Pnefts 
 now are, from the fame Reafbn, at laft to 
 believe their Senfes, and to think it really 
 Bread * and not that natural Fle(h and Body 
 of Chrifi which hung upon the Crofs. To 
 prevent which, they took care to let the 
 Laity receivs but very rarely, tho' the Pneft 
 himfelf does it ew^ day, at leaft if the Mafs 
 be the Communion^ tho' how he can commu- 
 nicate 
 
64 «S* 3©&?rtJ? Communicant 
 
 nicate by bimfelf, is fbmething difficult to a 
 Proteftant under ft anding ; but fince 'tis a flat 
 Contradiction in Terms,we muft acknowledge 
 'tis the more like Tranfubftantiation. 
 
 $ XIX. And for our own Nation, 'tis 
 well if the fame Enemy which has fbwn io 
 many other Tares among us, has not had 
 a Hand in thefe alio ; for it had been im- 
 poffible to have form'd any Scbifin amongft 
 us, had we ftill pra&ifed frequent Commu- 
 nion. However, thus much we are fure of, 
 that the unwary Expreffions of fome who 
 had the Guidance of Confciences in the la ft 
 Age, and their infilling only on the terri- 
 ble danger of unworthy Receiving, but fel- 
 dom or never on that of refufing to receive 
 at all, or neglecting an Opportunity when 
 offer'd, was a great occafion of this Incon- 
 venience i which as it went fo high in thofe 
 days that in fome places they had never re- 
 ceived the Communion in five, fix or 
 (even* nay, not in fourteen 
 
 * Mr Jeans and y ears * fc we are affured, 
 
 Admonit. ****» mat the uje or the &a> 
 
 Lightfoot, Vofci. craments was m divers P»i» 
 
 ?- H*7- Fifhes at length hardly 
 
 knew or named. A nd t ho 3 
 
 this very ill Cuftomlias been fince ame»detl 
 
 • by 
 
€i)c f©o?tfjp Communicant 6* 
 
 by thole who began it, at leaft here in En- 
 gland, yet the Levtn of ic remains fo dif- 
 fus'd thro* a great part of the Nation,- that 
 it will not be eaiie to bring them to a 
 better mmd. 
 
 § XX. However, we have both the 
 Command, and the Praclice of the Church of 
 England, to engage us to frequent Commu- 
 nion. Three times a year, at the leaft, it was 
 brought to at the Reformation, His pre- 
 knt Majefly's Injunctions require the Cler- 
 gy to admiiiifter the Holy Sacrament fre- 
 quently \ and moft of the Epifcopal Charges, 
 and Articles do the fame. And the Kubrick, 
 that in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches., 
 they (hall ALL receive at leaft every Sunday. 
 And the Communion Service is frill continu- 
 ed on Sundays and Holidays in all our Chur- 
 ches, to put Perfons in mind of their Duty, 
 zn& there';; no doubt but the Church would 
 have the Ccnmmnivn actually celebrated vvhere- 
 ever there is a diffident , _,., _ . " . . 
 Number co receive- and ^&jfi8 
 there are now monthly Com- Parag. i , 1,3, 4. 
 wantons in many, and 'tis to 
 be hoped, moft of the considerable Towns 
 in England, and in London, in feveral Chur- 
 ches, every Lord's Day. 
 
 And 
 
66 Cfje i©o?tftp Communicants 
 
 And even our Dijjenting Brethren are fo 
 far convinced of their former mifcarriages 
 in this matter, that thev have now, gene- 
 rally, monthly Communion s; and if we have 
 followed them in their Errors, ought we 
 not much more to do fo in their Reftrma* 
 Hon I 
 
 § XXL The Advantages of frequent 
 Communion, to the great Ends of Chrf/lia- 
 nit j and Reformation, to all the parts of a 
 good Life, Ihall be the laft Argument to en- 
 gage to the" practice of it. How far the 
 Sacrament it felf conduces to thofe Ends has 
 been already declared, and the more fre- 
 quently we receive it, as we ought ; the 
 greater Benefit (hall we obtain by it. The 
 oftner the Vows of God are renewed upon 
 us, the fironger will the Cord be, and with 
 more difficulty to be broken. The oftner we 
 come to thefe Waters ef Life* the more 
 will our Souls be refrefht by them ; the more 
 frequently we partake of this Bread of Life, 
 the greater Strength ihall we receive in 
 the inward Man, and higher Degrees of 
 Grace and ajfiftance in God'i Service. And 
 as the great Zeal and Piety of the Primi- 
 tive Chrifiians already mention 'd, was very 
 much owing to their daily Communion ; fo 
 if we impartially confider thofe amongft 
 
 us 
 
€$e i^ojtftp Communicant, 67 
 
 ns who do moft frequently communicate, 
 I'm perfuaded we mould find them the 
 mod devout and rational Chnftians, and 
 generally the beft of Men \ whilft thofe are 
 the moft profligate Wretches who have no re- 
 gard at all to this blejjed Feaft, and thro' 
 the whole courfe of their Lives fcarce ever 
 receive it> 
 
 § XXH. But 'twill now be time to 
 coniider thofe Objections which are brought 
 againft receiving this Sacrament, or at leaft 
 againft frequent Communion. 
 
 For the Firft, Againft receiving in Gene' 
 ral, the moft common Objections may be re- 
 duc'd to the following Heads. Either a 
 bad Life, or multiplicity of Bufinefs^ or want 
 of preparation, or the danger of receiving 
 unworthily ; or elfe the manner of receiving, 
 and the ;// Characters, perhaps of fome of 
 the Communicants : The four former being 
 ufually brought by Perfons of all Perfuafi- 
 ons; the two latter, principally by thofe 
 who are diflatisfied with our way of Wor- 
 Jhip, 
 
 S XX III. As for the firft, and more 
 common rank of Excufes, before we come 
 to the particular Confederation of them, it 
 may deferve a Remark; that our Church 
 
 has 
 
68 €f)t t©o?tf)p 'Communicant. 
 
 has already fully anfwered therm and all 
 Perfons have • heard as much, as often as 
 they have heard the Minifter read the Ex- 
 hortations at the warning for the Celebra- 
 tion before the Communion ; and therefore 
 'tis neither fair nor modeft, it argues nei- 
 ther Ingenuity nor Conference, ftill to in- 
 fift upon them/ without any addition fo 
 their Strength, or taking notice of what 
 has been faid to fatisfy them. The two 
 former Objections, Bufinejs and a bad Life, 
 are anfwer'd in the iecond Exhortation, in 
 thefe words. f It's an eafie matter for a 
 r Man to fay, I will not communicate, be- 
 c caufe I am otherwife hinder'd by world- 
 5 ly Bufinefs. But fuch Excufes are not fo 
 
 * eafily accepted and allowed before God. 
 c They that refus'd the Feaft in the Go- 
 ' fpel, becaufe they had bought a Farm : &c. 
 1 were not fo excufed, but counted unwor- 
 
 * thy of the Heavenly Feaft. And as to 
 that which is taken from a had Life, 'cis 
 added, ' If any Man fay I am a grievous 
 
 * Sinner, and therefore am afraid to come, 
 r wherefore then do ye not repent and a- 
 r mend ? The. two latter, Unprepared- 
 nefs, and the Fear of eating and drinking 
 unworthily, are alfo fairly hinted at in the 
 End of the firft Exhortation, and a Re- 
 medy appointed for them. c If any Man 
 
 ' cannot 
 
€fte 3©ojtl)p Communicant 69 
 
 5 cannot quiet his Conference, but requires 
 f farther Comfort or Counjel, he is directed 
 f to go to the Minifter of his Patiih, or 
 ( fuch is the Church ? s Caution and In- 
 dulgence in (b tender an Affair) r to 
 ' any other Difcreet and Learned Mi- 
 ' nifter of God's Word, and open his 
 c Grief, that he may receive Ghoftly Coun- 
 c lei, or Spiritual Advice, fuitable to his 
 c Condition. And he who negle&s to 
 take this Method, it's evident that he ei- 
 ther does rot underfiand, or does not re- 
 gard the Churches Direction in thefe 
 Matters. 
 
 § XXIV. But to come to the more 
 particular Examination of thefe Objections. 
 The firft of which is taken from a •wicked 
 Ltfe 3 a Man's being a mod grievous Sinner, 
 and therefore he comes not to the Holy 
 Table. This is, indeed, a moft inexcufMe 
 Excufe, for tho* fbme have thought that a 
 Duty may attorn for a Sin, yet one would 
 think none fhould be fo wild to perfuade 
 themtelves that one Sin could ever atrone 
 for another ? But in anfvver to it, we muft 
 fay of this Sacrament, as Ananias did to 
 St. Paul of that of Bap- 
 tiim, * IfVuy tarriefi tbott> * A&,n. \6. 
 arife and be baptifed and 
 
 waft 
 
70 €tje 3©o?tf)p Communicant 
 
 wajh away thy Sins. The Sacraments are doubt- 
 Ie(s, Means to confer Grace on thofe that are 
 truly penitent, truly fenfible of their Sins, 
 and affii&ed for them ; as well as to -con- 
 firm and ftrengthen it in thofe who already 
 iead a holy Life. It's true, that the Lord's 
 Table is no place for a wicked Man who 
 refolves to continue in his wiekednefs, who 
 does not heartily refolve, by God's Grace, 
 to ftrive againft it, and actually and imme- 
 diately for fake it : For it is not meet to 
 caft the Children s Bread to Dogs, and the 
 Holy Sacrament is a Token and Pledge of 
 Pardon and Reconciliation, the Seal of a Co- 
 venant between God and Man : But what 
 has any to do with the Sign who has not 
 the Subftance? What has a ftubborn Rebel 
 to do with his Prince's Pardon? Yet after 
 all, we know that Chnft came into the 
 World to fave Sinners, tho' he fives them 
 no other way but by Repentance ; nor is it 
 while they remain fo, but upon a change of 
 their minds, that he actually juftifes the un- 
 godly. 3 Tis not the repenting Sinner, but the 
 obfiinate Sinner that is excluded from the 
 Lords Table, who is alfb, if he lives and 
 dyes fuch, as certainly as God is true, ex* 
 eluded out of Heaven. But for thofe who 
 are indeed defireus to do better , tho' their 
 Faith be yet but as a Grain of Muftard- 
 
 Seed, 
 
€l)e M£o?tf)p Communicant* 7 r 
 
 Seed, they (hall not be rejected, by that wer- 
 c;/k/ Redeemer who will not £re*£ the bruifed 
 Reed, nor <gr«w£ the fmoaking Flax: and 
 finely, the Sacrament cannot but have that 
 good effect on all who are not quite har- 
 den d, as to make them think on their ways, 
 and amend their Lives when they approach 
 unto it. And 'tis well if the great Reafon 
 which keeps many from it, be not, left 
 they fhould be thereby obliged to forfake 
 their Sins, ( which they are not yet willing 
 to doj and to the Exercife of an exa& Exa- 
 mination, and fevere Repentance. 
 
 § XXV. And as fome have raifed 
 Objections againft Receiving, becaufe of 
 Sins that are paft, or of which they may 
 be at that very time guilty, fb there are o- 
 thers who fay they dare not come to the 
 Sacrament, for fear of falling into Sin after, 
 they have received, as if that were unpar- 
 donable; an Error much of the fame Nature 
 with that which fome Perfons ran into in the 
 Primitive Church, who deferred their Baptifm 
 till the point of Death for the fame Reafon. 
 But in anfwer; as us granted that Sins after 
 Baptifm may be forgiven, on true Repentance, 
 fo d subtle fs they may after the other Sa- 
 crament; for not only the Corinthians, but 
 even the Apoftles themfelves were guilty 
 
 of 
 
7i €tje t©o?tl)p Communicant. 
 
 of' failings after the Communion. A con- 
 firm'd Habit, or inveterate Co«r/e of Sin is 
 damnable, as well £e/W the Sacrament as 
 after it : But the devout and frequent re- 
 ceiving of it, is the bed way to. prevent the 
 falling into fuch a defyerate Condition .« And 
 for lejjer failings^ from which none are free, 
 thofe will be forgiven if we are truly />£»*'- 
 ?e»f for them, and constantly ftrive againft 
 them. 
 
 § XXVI. Another Tretence, Something 
 allied to this laft, is, That Men are at 
 Variance with their Neighbours, and that 
 keeps them from the Sacrament. In an- 
 fwer, 'Tis own'd that we ought to come to 
 this Feaft of Love with true Charity , for- 
 giving all our Enemies, which if we do 
 not pra<5Hfe every day, we cannot (b much 
 as repeat the Lord's Prayer, without impre- 
 cating a heavy Curfe upon our ielves : But 
 in the prefent cafe, the matter may bt 
 brought to a Short liTue : Either you have 
 really offended your Neighbour, or he has 
 offended you, or as it often happens, you 
 are both to blame : If the former, you know 
 your Duty ; ' Leave thy Gift before the-; 
 8 Altar, and be reconciled to thy Brother, 
 * and then come and offer thy Gift : If 
 f . the Second, and he trefpafs againft thee, 
 
 f (even 
 
€1)0 l^cjtljp Communicant 7 ; 
 
 c feven times a day, and fay, I have offen* 
 c ded, forgive him, and receive together 
 e with him. If both are in fault, both muft 
 make fatis faction: If either refujes to be re- 
 conciled, the Fault is in the Rtfufer^ not in 
 him that is willing, who (hall not be pu~ 
 mfb'd for the other's Guilt ; tho' the uncha- 
 ritable Verfen, is by no means fit for this 
 Holy Table* while he continues in that un- 
 chriftian Temper. 
 
 § XXVII. [ Multiplicity of Bufimfs is a- 
 nother Excufe 3 or Objection againft ReceU 
 *ving.~\ The Cumber of worldly Affairs ,and be- 
 ing troubled, like Martha, about many things, 
 while this oȣ */&/ǣ, which is fo very needful, 
 is too often poftpon'd and negle&ed : exa&ly 
 the fame pretence with theirs in the Parable 
 already mention'd, who when the King 
 fent to invite them to the Marriage of his 
 Son, began with one con fent to make Ex- 
 cutes, and went their way, one to his Farm, 
 another to his Merchandife. One (aid,, 
 J have bought a piece of ground, and muft 
 needs go to .fee it ; which as indifferent an 
 Excufe as it was, was yet better than theirs 
 who abfenc themfelves from God's publick 
 Worfhip, only to go and fee their Ground, 
 when they long before have bought it. Ano- 
 ther, 1 have bought Jive Toke of Qxen, and 
 
 E Igo 
 
:4 <£ty *©o?tf)p Communicant 
 
 I go to prove them. He had his Stock to 
 look after, which he thought an unanjwer- 
 able Reafon for his abfence. As the third 
 did, who had.marnied a Wife and could 
 not come, but muft ftay at home to look 
 after the Affairs of his Family. "lis well 
 worthy our Confederation how open the 
 Holy Spirit has here laid the common Springs 
 of Mens neglect and indevoticn in the(e and 
 the like matters: All which Excufes are fo 
 contriv'd that they feem to infinuate, as if 
 the Sacrament were only for reclufe Pcr/ons y 
 fuch as are ab/tracled from the World, and 
 live like Monks and Hermits ; whereas # it's 
 evident that 'twas defigned for all Chriftians, 
 and one great End of it, was, to take off our 
 Hearts from the World, and fit us for Hea- 
 ven. But to be more particular, 'twill be 
 eafie to fhew, that this pretence of Bufinefs 
 to excufe Perfons from receiving the Sacra- 
 mint is almoft always either falfe, or vain, 
 or wicked, or altogether. 
 
 § XXVIII. i. It's often falfe in Fad, 
 and we are not really fo hindered by Bufi- 
 nefi, but we might be there, if we had any 
 regard either to the Feafi or to the Inviter : 
 iince that Bufmefs can only excufe us, which 
 could not poffibly be done before, which can- 
 aot be done after > and which muft of necef- 
 
 ■fit* 
 
€|>e t$o?tf)p Communicant 75 
 
 ./Sty be done at the very time when we fhould 
 receive : But if Men would' be ingenuous, 
 they would be forced to acknowledge rMt 
 they very rarely have any Bufinefs of this 
 nature. And indeed, what Bufinefs, unlefs 
 of fuch high necejfity and mercy has a Chri- 
 ftian to do on the Lord's Day; the very 
 Name whereof fhews the propriety; and that 
 'tis none of our own, but fee apart for a 
 Holy Reft, and Chriftian Sabbaib, and the 
 immediate Service of our bleiTed Redeemer ? 
 Nor is it at all probable, that thofe who can 
 find time, notwithftanding all this urgent 
 Bufinefs, for Vtfits, for the Entertainment 
 of their Friends , for idle and unprofitable 
 Difcourfe, ( both before the Lord's Day, and 
 even upon it ) and it's well, if not for their 
 Sins too, fhould yet be able to find no time 
 for their Saviour-, when he invites them to 
 his own Table. Judge then how wretched 
 an Excufe this is, when by a palpable Fal- 
 jhood Men would 'defend their -Difobe- 
 dience. 
 
 § XXIX. But fecondly. This Excufe is 
 weak and foolifa : For fiippofing we fhould 
 really find out fome little Bufinefs to em- 
 ploy our felves in, juft before, and during 
 the Celebration, vet what can be more foolijh 
 than to put off a greater Affair for a lefs ; 
 E 2 a matter 
 
76 €|)c tBo?tfjp Communicant 
 
 a matter of Life and Death y for what'i of 
 /i/r/c or no moment ? But what's the whole 
 World to my own Soul ; and what a refe- 
 rable exchange ihould I make, if thro' the 
 Cares of this World, and the deceitfulnefs 
 of Riches, I mould by gaining the one, e- 
 ternally lofe the other ? Befides, if Bufinefs 
 could defend a Perfbn for one negleft or o- 
 miflion, how immodefr, as well as foolifh, is 
 it to bring always the fame Excufe, and ftill 
 to pofipone our own Happinefs, included in 
 our Obedience? 
 
 § XXX. And fuch a pra&ice is as wick- 
 ed as 'tis foolifh. For 'tis a high affront 
 and Injury both to the King and the Kings 
 Sen ; and will they not both extremely and 
 juftly refent it ? 'Tis a Wrong and Injury 
 done unto them, as much as \\s in our 
 Tower to injure them : like him in the 
 Gofpel, rather to leave our Saviour than 
 to part with our Voffejfions, or fo much as 
 to fiep out of the World for a few moments. 
 To fay we*ll not come becaufe we are hufie % 
 is in eflfecl:, to fay we'll come when we have < 
 nothing elfe to do. To put it off till another 
 time, .is fairly to own, we think it a matter 
 of no great concern, for whatever we think 
 fb, we fee immediately about it, 
 
 $ XXXI; 
 
€f>e IBojtftp tfomimtmtaHt* 77 
 
 § XXXI. But there's oftentimes fome- 
 thing very bad at the bottom of this Ex? 
 cufe, and thofe who make it, would do 
 well ferioufly to ask themfelves whether by 
 Bufinejs thev mean nor fomething worfe ? 
 fbme appendage to it, which [lings their 
 Con faiences, and dares not let them come to 
 the Sacrament. Are they not guilty of J»- 
 temperance, or Injufiice in their Dealing* in 
 the #W*J ? If they are, they muft be re- 
 mitted to th^ Anfwer given to thofe un 
 the former Head, for no pretended necefe 
 fity can excufe their S'm 3 and elisy have 
 other way to efcape God's Anger, buc 
 pentance and Amendment. 
 
 § XXX i I. A fuperftitious Fear, and mi- 
 ftaken Reverence for this Ordinance, and 
 terrible apprehenfions concerning it, chief- 
 ly grounded on fome mifappiied Texts of 
 Scripture, do very' frequently keep Perlons 
 from the Lord's Table. But if we are but 
 as willing to know and to do our. Duty as 
 to make Excufes for the neglecting ir, 
 fuch a full Anfwer may be brought to thefe 
 Objections, . as would fcarce tail to give 
 Satisfaction. 
 
 E ; i XXXIII. 
 
73 €gc i©o?tl>p Ccrmmitmcattt 
 
 § XXXUI. The firft and chiefeft Text, 
 and which many have fo often in their 
 Mouths, as if c Do this in remembrance of me, 
 were never to be taken notice of; is that 
 in the I Cor. 11. 19. c He that eatetb and 
 
 * drinketh unworthily, eatetb and drinketh 
 
 * damnation to himfelf. And there are fe- 
 veral Expreffions (bunding much the fame 
 way in the firft Exhortation before the 
 Communron, that we ought to be very 
 careful when we come thither, c Left it 
 c encreaie our damnation, and left Satan 
 c enter into us as he did into Judas, and 
 
 * fill us full of all Iniquity, and bring us 
 c to deftru&ion both of Body and Soul: 
 which very fevere Sentences are here made 
 u(e of, to perfwade Men to true Repentance 
 before they come to the Sacrament ; but 
 they can mean no more than that of 
 St. Paul, whereon they are grounded, and 
 therefore nmft be interpreted by it. And 
 to underftand that aright, we muft enquire 
 into ' the meaning of thofe two Phrafes, 
 Receiving unworthily, and that Damnation 
 which is threaten'd upon it. 
 
 i XXXIV. And the context evidently (hews, 
 that the Receiving unworthily, for which the 
 Corinthians are here blamed, was receiving 
 
 with 
 
Cfjc J©o?tfjp Communicant. 79 
 
 with that inexcufable Diforder, whereof 
 they were guilty at the Sacrament : One 
 was hungry, and another drunken, at their 
 Feafts of Charity, which then accompanied 
 that Ordinance. There were Schifms and 
 Divisions among them, even at that Feaft % 
 one great End whereof was to promote 
 Chriftian Unity and Love. One came be- 
 fore another, and the Rich detpifed the Poor, 
 They did not difcern the Lord's Body. They 
 made no difference between that and com- 
 mon Food y at lead, confidetd it not as the 
 Spiritual Body of the Lord, 
 or, as fome think, * not * Lightfoot. 
 as a Chriftian Sacrament, 
 but as a ^Heathen Feafi, or a Jewifi Taf- 
 fover* 
 
 S XXXV. Whereby they did eat and 
 drink Damnation to themfeives. By which 
 cannot be immediately intended eternal Dam* 
 nation, but temporal Judgment, as xhs word 
 here undoubtedly fignifies, which we tran* 
 flate more harfnly by Damnation. For the 
 following words explain it ; * For this 
 c cau(e many are fick and weak,, and 
 1 mmy are fain afleep; that is, God's 
 heavy Judgments fell upon them in this 
 Life, fome think a Plague, or fbrne con- 
 tagious Difeafe, la order to bring them 
 E 4 to 
 
So €ge I©o?tfjp Communicant. 
 
 ro Repentance ; which Senfe is confirmed 
 hy the two following Verfes. f If we 
 
 would judge our ielves, or confider of 
 our Faults and repent and amend s we 
 * fhouJd not he judged, that i?, afflicted with 
 thefe temporal cvds. Tho', even thofe 
 were in order to amendment, and fuch Pu- 
 nilhments as were proper to a State of />ro- 
 £*?w»j for it follow? ; ' When we arejudg. 
 | ** we are daft end of the Lord, that we 
 
 fhould not be condemn d with the world ; 
 namely, at Gods Jaft dreadful Tribu- 
 nal 
 
 § XXXVI. Bat it may be asfct, is there 
 no other unworthy receiving, an? no other 
 damnation as a confequenc thereon, but 
 -what have been now defcrib'd ? Yes doubt- 
 iefs ; for we then receive unworthily, when 
 we continue in our Sins, notWKhftanding 
 our Obligations to leave them when we 
 come to the Sacrament : And if we do not 
 repent o£ this very bainow Sin and that in fome 
 proportion to the high Aggravations of it, 
 the confequence of Inch impenitence will be 
 no lefs than eternal mijery. But itill, it's e- 
 vident from the foregoing Confederations, 
 
 : neither of thefe are here in the Text 
 immediately intended ; and I think all fober 
 Divines are agreed herein. 
 
 § XXXVII, 
 
€$je H^o?tl)p Communicant* 81 
 
 f XXXVII. Add to this, that there is 
 not the leaft Ground in the Words, or in 
 the whole Chapter, or indeed in any o- 
 ther Scripture, to excufe any Perfon for 
 not receiving, or to deter them from doing 
 it, but rather quite the contrary. Becaufe 
 the Man who had not the Wedding Garment 
 was bound Hand and Foot and caft into 
 utter darknefs, did this excufe thofe who 
 would not come to the marriage ? No, 'twas 
 fo far from it, that the King fent forth bis 
 Armies and defrayed tbofe Murderers, and 
 burnt up their City. Chrift commandt us 
 to come, his Ministers invite us, 'tis our own 
 Faults, if we come unprepared, but nothing- 
 can excufe our Neglect and Refufal. Let 
 a man examine him/elf, and fo let him ( not 
 flay away and refufe to receive, bat) eat 
 of this Bread and drink of this Cup. 
 
 i XXXVIII. There's another Text 
 which has been widely rniftaken in the 
 iame manner, and on the fame occafion* 
 'Tis that of St. ?aul to the Romans, s He 
 ' that doubteth is dammd if he eat. But 
 nothing can be plainer, than that this place 
 has no manner of relation to the Sacra- 
 mmt% any more than to any other Food ; for 
 it's to be underftood of eating meats facri- 
 E -* feed 
 
8i €fte t©o?t§p Communicant* 
 
 feed to Idols, or of any of thofe Meats 
 which the Jews, from the ceremonial Law , 
 accounted an abomination; whereof the A- 
 poftle fays, that he who did it with a doubt- 
 ing Conscience, without being fatisfied of the 
 Lawfulnefs of it, he was damned or condemned, 
 namely, by his own Conscience , which accu- 
 fed and judged him for it : And this ap- 
 pears to be the immediate Senfe of the 
 words, by comparing them with the 14. v. 
 
 * J know, and am perfwaded by the Lord 
 
 * Jefus, that is, either by Chrift's words, that 
 
 * nothing which enters into the mouth defiles 
 
 * the man: or elfe, by immediate Infpiration, 
 as he received many other things. ' I know, 
 c fays he, that there's nothing unclean of it 
 
 * felf, but to him that efieemeth any thing 
 
 * unclean, to him it is unclean; which e- 
 vidently refers to thofe diftinclions of Meats, 
 which at that time made fo great a diftur- 
 lance in the Church of God. 
 
 § XXXIX. But fince it may be urged, 
 that acling with a doubting Confcience. is a 
 Sin, in what cafe fbever, and therefore 
 much more in relation to the Sacrament, 
 we mud in the laft place coniider the dif- 
 ferent d grses of doubting, which compared 
 wi h our Obligation to Duty, will quite re- 
 move this Obje&ion. 
 
 We 
 
€fje J©o?ti)p Communicant. % % 
 
 We may reckon three Degrees of Doubt- 
 ing, i. When Men have fbme (mail remain- 
 ing fcruples, and unreasonable unaccountable 
 Fears, after the ftri<5fceft Examination into 
 the Rules of their Duty, and all moral Sa- 
 tisfaction therein, concerning their Obligation 
 unto it, or of the Lawfulnefs of any A&i- 
 on. 
 
 2. When the mind is as it were in a Ba- 
 lance, unrefolved, whether a thing be lawful 
 or unlawful, a Duty.ov otherwife,and the Rea- 
 fons on neither fide do fenfibly and vifibly 
 preponderate, fo as to incline to aclwg or not 
 acling ; and this is the moil true and proper 
 doubt. Or elfe, 
 
 ;. When Men are abfolutely dtfjatufied, 
 by reafon of fbme miftaken Principles , or 
 the Temptation of the Devil, fo that they 
 directly queftion God's mercy, or ax lea ft 
 their own Fitnefs for it, and for the Seals 
 of it, and thence are on the very brink of 
 defpair, 
 
 § XL. As to the firft of thefe Cafes, 
 where there only remain fome unaccoun- 
 table Scruples, fo that a Perfbn fays, s I 
 
 * am afraid to do fuch or fuch a thing, tho' 
 
 * I know not why I am afraid ; and when 
 whatfoever bears the Face of an Objection, 
 has been fairly anfvvered ; the Rule is, we 
 
 may 
 
84 €§t 3©o?t!)p Communicant* 
 
 may perform any indifferent ABion, for that 
 very reafon, becaufe it is indifferent, and 
 there are no circuwfiances that alter its na- 
 ture ; we mufl perform what is a certain 
 Duty, as is in the cafe before us, recei- 
 ving the Sacrament, becaufe we are to 
 look on any unreasonable Scruples to the 
 contrary, as no other than the Temptati- 
 ons of the Enemy* If as in the fecond 
 place, we do properly doubt, and the Argu- 
 ments appear to us equal for the doing or 
 not doing fuch an Action, we mull omit 
 an indifferent Aclion, becaufe there can be 
 no hurt, in fuch omiffion, but there may be 
 in the doing it; as in the cafe of eating Flefh 
 lately mentioned ; we may not omit a cer- 
 tain Duty, as receiving the Sacrament, but 
 ought rather to fufpecl our own Reajoning 
 where our Duty is (6 clear by undoubted 
 Revelation > tho 5 we muft carefully ufe 
 thofe means which God has appointed for 
 removing that Scruple and Doubtful* efs. But 
 in the third place, where the degree of 
 doubting is fo high, as to reach even to 
 defpair of God's mercy, from which dreadful 
 Condition he evermore preferve us, and 
 which is often the effecVof iome grie- 
 vous Sin, continued in without Examina- 
 tion and Repentance ; this, I think, is the 
 only doubting which incapacitates us for 
 
 receiving. 
 
€fje l©o?tftp Communicant 8* 
 
 ~ — ■ ~ — ■ — - 
 
 waiving. And that this does fo, is inti* 
 mated in the firfl Exhortation before the 
 Communion, ' That 'tis requifite np Man 
 c ihould c6me to it, but with a full Truft 
 ' m God § mercy, and with a quiet Confci- 
 ' ence. But then due methods mud be ufed 
 to obtain this happy Temper, and ' he 
 c muft open his Grief to his fpiritual Phy- 
 ' fitian, that he may give his Advice and 
 4 Prayers againft the Tempter, and that he 
 ' may receive the benefit of Absolution, or 
 a folemn authoritative declaration of Par* 
 don on his fincere Repentance. To 
 which, if he adds his own Prayers a>nd En- 
 deavours, he may well hope that God will 
 reftore unto him the Joy of his Salvation^ 
 and that he ifiall be admitted to this blef- 
 fed Feaft : To the negletl of which for- 
 merly, he ought to examine if he does not 
 owe his prefeni Trouble. 
 
 i XLI. Want of Preparation is al Co of- 
 ten brought as an Excufe for not recei- 
 ving. Perfons have not had Ttme for 
 fuch ftrift Examination, as they think ne- 
 ceflary, and therefore, they lay, they dare 
 not come. Now to this common and po- 
 pular Objection, I mall di ft oppofe, both the 
 Authority and Reafon of a very excel- 
 lent Perfon, who clears the whole difficulty 
 
 in 
 
86 €&e J©o?t|)p Communicant 
 
 * Arch-Bijhof in a few words, * c It is, 
 Tillotfon of fre- c f h a jous and 
 
 ITe^TTu c commendable Cuftom in 
 
 284: ' c Chriftians before their 
 
 c coming to the Sacra- 
 ment, to let apart fome particular time 
 for the Work of Examination ; but how 
 much every Perfon {hould allot, is a mat- 
 ter of Prudence, fome have reafon to 
 fpend more time, becaufe their accounts 
 are heavier, and fome have more leifure 
 and freedom : But the End is to be prin- 
 cipally regarded, which is to under fi and 
 our Condition, and to reform what's amifs ; 
 and ir that be obferved, whether more or 
 lefs time be allowed, matters not much. 
 
 He goes on. c The heft preparation for the 
 Sacrament, is the general Care of a Good 
 Life, and he that is thus prepared, may 
 receive at all times, when opportunity 
 is offered, tho 5 he had no particular fore- 
 fight of that opportunity, and he fhall do 
 much better to receive than to refrain, be- 
 caufe he's habitually prepared, tho 3 he had 
 no time for a&ual preparation ; and ( to 
 quote no more ) we cannot imagine that 
 the FrimitiveChrifthnSfWho received Co con- 
 ftantly, could allot any more time for the 
 preparation for it, than for any other part of 
 
 ! divine Workup, Thus far the moft reverend 
 
 Author, 
 
€t)t aoio?tj)p Communicant 87 
 
 Author, wherein he fays nothing againft 
 either Preparation or Examination, which he 
 owns to be highly ufeful, but only againft 
 refilling to receive for want of aclual pre- 
 paration, or always allotting a confiderable 
 portion of time to this Exercife, even when 
 Perfons are before habitually prepared to re- 
 ceive, and have not time for fuch actual Pre- 
 paration. 
 
 § XLII. I cannot think of any other 
 Obje&ions made againft receiving the Sa- 
 crament by any Perfons who own them- 
 felves fatisfied with the publick way of Wor- 
 Jhip ; tho' there are two more, which have 
 been brought by fuch as differ from us there- 
 in* The firft from the pofittre of receiving. 
 The fecond from the Company. Our Sa- 
 viour and his Difciples, they fay, did at 
 the firft Inftitution, receive in a Table* 
 poftttre : and they dare not take it kneel- 
 ing, becaufe it looks fo like that Adoration 
 of the Sacrament, which we blame in the 
 Church of Rome : Nor can they, without 
 great Scandal, join with fuch a promifcw 
 om Society, fome of whom, perhaps, to 
 their own knowledge, may be very ill Men. 
 
 $ XLIII. In Anfwertotha firft. The 
 Sacrament being inftituted in the room of 
 
 the 
 
88 C&c 3©o?tf)p Commimiratik 
 
 the Pafcbal Feafr and during the Celebra- 
 tion of it , our Saviour made ufe of 
 the fame pofture wherein he and his Dif- 
 ciples were before placed, which being ac- 
 cording to the Cuftom of the Antients in 
 Feafting, a lort of recumbency or leaning 
 on one another's Bofbms, neither fitting 
 nor kneeling , it could not perhaps be 
 changed without disorder > tiH the whole 
 Ceremony was over. But from hence none 
 can juftly conclude, that the Gefture of 
 kneeling at the Sacrament, in order to ex- 
 prefs our deep Humility, is any ways un- 
 lawful : Kneeling is a fit pofture for ajl 
 &fts of Devotion. The Eucharifi is the 
 bighefi ad of Wormip, or rather, it con- 
 tains in it many other acts. Prayer, Praife, 
 Thankfgiving and Adoration-: And why 
 fbould we not then in the celebration there- 
 of, fall down and kneel before tbe Lord our 
 maker ? The Jewifh Church added the 
 Bread and the Cup to the Pa (lover ; thelc 
 our Saviour himfelf ufed in the adminiftra- 
 tion thereof ; and is not this a much great- 
 er alteration, than that of a fwgU Gefture ? 
 He retained the fecond Cup of Blejfing, u- 
 fed by the Jews," he received after Supper, 
 with feveral other Circumftances which are 
 not at prefent obfarved, even by thofe who 
 make thefe Objections againft jolh- Form* 
 
 for 
 
€f)e 3©o?tljp Communicant. 89 
 
 for much lefs confiderable alterations. The 
 main Reafbn why fome well-meaning Per- 
 sons might at firft fcruple kneeling at the 
 Sacrament, feems to have been the Fear left 
 this mould tend to the Adoration of the Ele- 
 ments, or of any fanfied corporal prejence of 
 Chi id's Body and Blood in them : But this 
 is entirely precluded by our Church, who 
 mull be allowed to know bed the meaning 
 of her own Injun fit ions and Practice ; and 
 m order to prevent any misinterpretation 
 of this innocent and decent Ceremony, 
 Tne has exprefly declared *, 
 
 c That thereby no Adora- n * *&?* a ^ r 
 
 t A j 1 1 Communion Ser« 
 
 tion is intended, or cughc viQCt 
 
 f to-be Jone either unto 
 
 * the facramental Bread and Wine, which 
 
 r is bodily received, or unto any corporal 
 
 ' prefence of Chrift's natural Flefli and 
 
 1 Blood. And this has fo far fatisfied all 
 
 Perfons who are not extreamly prejudic'd, 
 
 that the Members of Foreign Churches, 
 
 who have received the Communion here 
 
 in England, have willingly, and gladly done 
 
 it kneeling;, f And one 
 
 would think none of thole t Tigurin Li- 
 
 who differ from us mould twgy> p. 139- 
 
 any more objed againft 
 
 this practice, till they had ani wered what 
 
 one of their ow.n Opinion in other things, 
 
 has 
 
9 o €l)c l©o?tI)p Communicant 
 
 * Baxter*/ chri~ has offercl ' m tne defence : 
 pan Diredt'ory] of it. * Who acknowled- 
 Pirt 2. pag. j. ges, that ' for kneeling, he 
 c never heard any thing to 
 prove it unlawful : If there be any thing, 
 lays he, it muft be either fbme Word of 
 God, br the Nature of the Ordinance 
 which is fuppofed to be contradicted : 
 But i. There is no Word of God for, 
 or againft any Gefture : Chi ift's Example 
 can never be intended to oblige us more 
 in this, than in many other Circumftan- 
 ces that are confelTedly not obligatory, as 
 that he delivered it but to Mimfters, but 
 to a Family, &c. and his Gefture was not 
 fucb a fining as ours. 2. And for the Na- 
 ture of the Ordinance, it is mixed, and if 
 it be lawful to take a Pardon from a King 
 upon our Knees, I know not what can 
 make it unlawful to take a fealed Pardon 
 from Chrift by his Ambaflador, in the 
 fame manner. 
 
 § XLiV. To the fecond Objedion, 
 That Perfons cannot joyn with unworthy 
 Communicants ; we may firft ask, who 
 made any Man the Judge of Hearts^ and 
 how we are fnre any Perfbn is unworthy , 
 finee none is fo but the Impenitent ? When 
 our Saviour told his Dilciples at the Infti- 
 
 tution 
 
€&e J©o?ti)p Communicant* 9 1 
 
 tution of this Supper that one of them fhould 
 betray him, they did not ask him, Lord is 
 it my Neighbour ? But Lord is it I ? And 
 accordingly, we ought furely to be more 
 concerned for our f elves than for others. 
 And is it not fufpicious that there's Ibme- 
 'thing very much amifs in our felyes, when 
 we are fo ready to cenfure our Neighbours ? 
 Does it not look as if we were (olicitous 
 to take off Mens Eyes from our own Faults^ 
 tho' at the expence of another's Refuta- 
 tion ? Let any one confider the World, and 
 he'll loon acknowledge that the worfi of 
 Men are the mod uncharitable. But 
 farther, 'tis certain that the vifible 
 Church will always be made up of Good 
 and Bad, and the Tarn will never be en- 
 tirely feparated from the Wheat till the 
 End of the Y/orUl Our Saviour knew that 
 Judas was a Devil, and yet he did not re- 
 move him from tbe Sacrament, nor refufe 
 to receive with him. If other Men receive 
 unworthily, to their own Matter, they ft and 
 or fall, but that mall never injure me, if I 
 my felf am a worthy Receiver. But fuppo- 
 fing there ought to be more exaft Difci- 
 plme in any Church (and we know too 
 well who thofe are that have now render'd 
 that almoft impracticable among us) yet 
 this can be no juft Reafon for our not 
 
 comma- 
 
9i €f)e 3©o?tfjp Communicant 
 
 communicating with it : Since the Church of | 
 Corinth was more notorioufly corrupt in this \ 
 matter, than they can pretend ours to be: 
 There were not only Drunkards, but even 
 an inceftuom Perfon in their Communion ; 
 and yet St. Paul did never advife any to 
 fcparate from them, or to call a more pure 
 Church out of that Church, but only to 
 Try and Examine tbentfelves, and foto receive. 
 Befides, if any Perfon be publickiy Jctrnda- 
 losts, fo as to give Offence to the Congrega- 
 tion, we know our Kubrick permits him not 
 to receive, but orders the Minifter to put 
 him back from the Communion : Tho' 
 in large Parijhes, 'tis perhaps mpojfibh for 
 him to Jcnow every Perfon ; and if any be 
 really fcandalized at another's wicked Life, 
 he ought to make the Minifter acquainted 
 with it 3 if he has firft reproved him himfelf 
 without Succefs ; and till he ^as done 
 both thefe, he has not the leaft pretence 
 for an Obje&ion on that account againft 
 receivings And as this is agreeable to the 
 conftant practice of the Church of God, 
 fo 'tis alfo the Opinion of the moft kn- 
 fible of thofe who are diffatisfied with 
 
 + l> ,. r fome things in our Com- 
 
 Baxter uh fu- - ♦ & 
 
 pra. mumon, 
 
 $ XLV. 
 
($%z 3©ojtl)p Communicant 9 ; 
 
 § XLV. The Ohjeclions againft recei- 
 ving in general being thus, I hope, fully 
 anfwered, there remains only fomething 
 like one againft frequent Communion ; and 
 that is, that there's danger left, as in other 
 things, Familiarity breeds Contempt^ ib the 
 commonefs of this Sacrament mould take a- 
 way the Reverence due to it: But this is eafi- 
 ly anfwered, becaufe the fame might be 
 faid of Prayer and Preaching: Befides, if it 
 were a good Argument againft frequent 
 Communion now, it had been fo in the 
 Primitive times, when they received every 
 day ; but this rather encreafed than dimi- 
 nished their Reverence for the Sacrament, 
 and would do the fame by us if we.received 
 with that Care that we ought, and with a 
 juft Consideration of the Dignity of this ft- 
 end Qrdtnance, 
 
 CHAP. 
 
94 €&e J©o?tf)p Communicant 
 
 CHAP- III. 
 
 Of Examination before the Sacrament, 
 and: Preparation for it. 
 
 § I. VT 7 HAT has been (aid in the 
 VV former Chapter is by no means 
 intended to diffwade Perfons from a due Pre- 
 paration before they receive the Holy Sacra- 
 ment ; it being certain that none ought to 
 come thither without being habitually f repar'd '; 
 none, if it may be had, without lonae iuper- 
 added atlual Preparation. He that comes with- 
 out the firmer of thefe, is certainly without 
 the Wedding-Garmtnt, and in danger of be- 
 ing bound Hand and Foot, and ca(l into utter 
 darknefs : He that comes without the latter 
 where it may be had, will fall (hort of that 
 Comfort and Benefit which he might other- 
 wife have in this Holy Ordinance, It may 
 not therefore be unneceflary to enquire 
 more diftin&ly into each of thefe, and to 
 fhew wherein they confift. 
 
 § II. By habitual Preparation, is meant, 
 that which is tranfc&ed in the entire frame, 
 
 the 
 
ۤe JBojtlfjp Communicant* 95 
 
 the uniform courfe of a Religious Life. When 
 a Peribn has made it the main Bufimfs of 
 his Life to mortify all ill Habits, and to 
 introduce better in their room ; to cleanfc 
 himfelf from all Filthinefs of Flefh and 
 Spirit, to perform his Vow in Baptifm, to 
 be fanclified and renewed, to repent and 
 be converted, and Holy as God is Holy. 
 And he that is in this happy Condition, as 
 he is always fit to die, io is he always fit to 
 receive the Sacrament^ even tho' he mould 
 be hindered from any aclual Preparation. 
 
 $ III. Nor yet does it hence follow 
 that iuch aclual Preparation is to be ne- 
 glected where it may be had; nay, it is 
 undoubtedly highly ufeful, and tends very 
 much to the perfection of a Chrifiian Life. 
 This Preparation chiefly confifts in Exami- 
 nation, or the ftri<5r trial of our Lives and 
 Converfations by the Rule of God's Word. 
 A due knowledge of the Nature of this Sa- 
 crament, the (blemn Seal of Gods Cove- 
 nant with us, and of the Nature of that 
 Covenant, which he has made with us by 
 his Son, is prefuppofed in every Commu- 
 nicant : Tho' where any are ignorant of 
 thefe firft Principles, they may find fome 
 account of them in the firft Chapter of this 
 Manual : Nor ought any to prelume to re- 
 
 ceive 
 
96 €f)c i©o?tf)p Communicant. 
 
 
 ceive, .without they have fuch knowledge 
 however, an equal clcarneTs in thefe Mat- 
 ters cannot be expebled,, nor is it required 
 from all forts of People, but a Man mall 
 be accepted according to what he bath, if 
 he has made the beft of his Opportunities of 
 Knowledge. And after all, a Perfon that 
 is truely bumbled for feme degrees of igno- 
 rance in thefe and other spiritual Matters^ 
 is in a much fafer Condition, than thofe 
 whom Knowledge puffs up, without either 
 Humility or Charity. 
 
 § IV. A competent Knowledge being 
 prefuppofed, of the Nature of thefe Holy 
 Adyfterks, there will npt need much proof 
 that fbme actual Preparation is highly re- 
 quisite before we receive them. Tis true, 
 the Preparation of Man's Heart, in this, as 
 well as all other Cafes, is from the Lord : 
 But none are fo weak, as not to know their 
 own Endeavours, are alfo neceflary ; ' we 
 ' muft judge our felves if we would not be 
 r judged of the Lord.* We muft purify our 
 * felves before we eat the Paffover, for he 
 c that pre fumes, to eat it in his uncleannefs, 
 that is, c without repenting of his Sins, that 
 c Souljhall be cut off* from among his People. 
 We ought to be cleanfed according to the 
 purification of the Sanctuary, and if we have 
 
 clone 
 
<$%z 3Eo?tI)p Communicant 97 
 
 done our Endeavours, the good Lord will 
 pardon what is unavoidably wanting. Jo- 
 pah commanded the Levites to prepare and 
 fancltfy themfelves, and to prepare their Bre- 
 thren againft that famous Fafi'over which 
 was kept in his time. And if Preparation 
 was fo neceffary for the Jewifh Paflbver, we 
 cannot think it altogether neediefs when 
 we are to partake of this Chriftian Feaft ; 
 which we ought to keep neither with the 
 Old Leaven, of Judaifm or Heathenifm, or 
 an open notorious wicked Life; neither 
 with the as dangerous Leaven of malice and 
 hypocnfie ; but with the unleavened Bread 
 ot'finceriiy and truth. Without fuch prepa- 
 ration^ ' we may eat and drink unworthily, 
 r kindle God's Wrath againft us 3 and pro- 
 ' voice him to plague us with divers Difeaies 
 f and fundry kinds of Death. 
 
 § V. But a great part of this Prepara- 
 tion, as has been faid, confifts in Examine ■ 
 tton : For how can We know how Accounts 
 are between Heaven and us, unlefs we look 
 into them? What our Debts are? What 
 Mercies we receive ? What we ft ill want, 
 and which the beft way to obtain them ? 
 .What Sins we are to confefs, and to fight 
 againft ? Where we are to plant our Bat- 
 term i Where to expect an Ajjault ? What 
 
 F th$ 
 
98 €i)c §Bo?tf)p Communicant* 
 
 the beft methods of Defence ? What Auxi- 
 liaries we want, and where to obtain them? 
 This the Apodle ftriftly commands every 
 Man to do, to examine^ or prove himfelf, 
 and fo to come to the Holy Table ; not to 
 come without Examination* or to (lay a- 
 way on pretence of not being examined. 
 Something indeed of this Nature is ' the 
 Practice of every good Chriftian every Day 
 of his Life, ( 4 as it has been even of moral 
 Heathens) to examine his . Conscience before 
 he deeps, what Sins he has that day com- 
 mitted, and by what Steps he fell into 
 them, and penitently and earneftl.y to im- 
 plore Forgiveness for what's paft 3 and Grace 
 for the future, to do better : And 'tis not 
 eafie to imagine how anv Man fhould be 
 a very good Chriftian without it ; where- 
 as whoever does conftantly and carefully 
 practife it, ( for which he may find excel- 
 lent Rules and Direclions among the De- 
 votions annexed to the Whole Duty of Man % 
 and for want of that, there are fome Que- 
 ftions added at the End of this Treatife) 
 muft needs make a more than ordinary Pro- 
 grefs in Chriftianity, and will more efpe- 
 cially find a wonderful advantage there- 
 in, as to the eafinefs of his aclual Exami- 
 nation and Preparation for the Commu- 
 nion. 
 
 $ VI. 
 
€&e i©o?tf)p Communfouit 99 
 
 § VI. Which aciital Treparation and 
 Examination immediately before we re* 
 ceceive are highly requifite, becaufe they 
 may make up for defects in the habitual, as 
 being more exa£fc and more folemn than our 
 daily Inquijition into the State of our Minds. 
 And this may be done with very great Ad- 
 vantage, by fetting apart fome one day in 
 the Week before the Communion, where 
 a Perfon is at his own difpofal, and his ne- 
 cejfjary Affairs will permit him, entirely, 
 for this great Concern, in order to (earcb 
 and Cry our ways and turn again to the 
 Lord. This would be near the End of the 
 Week, becaufe otherwife the Impreffion made 
 by it, may be apt to wear away again be- 
 fore the Sacrament, or at leaft not to be ib 
 deep and lively as at leis diftance : Nor 
 might it be fo convenient to put it off to 
 the very I aft Day of the Week, left fbme- 
 thing or other mould intervene and hinder 
 it. But for thofe who have not really lei- 
 fare for fiich a folemn Preparation, or in the 
 cafe of an accidental Communion, which could 
 not be forefeen ; if they are before habitu- 
 ally prepared, we have already feen the O 
 pinion of our beft Divines, that they ought 
 not to rejed fuch an Opportunity, for want 
 of a more folemn aUual Preparation. How- 
 F ^ ever, 
 
too €fje t©o?tl)p Communicant* 
 
 ever, he who has but a little time, ought 
 to do his diligence to give of that Little. A 
 Servant or labouring Man, may at lead re- 
 deem an Hour or two, either in Mornings 
 or Evenings, for this great Work, which 
 they can do for their worldly Intereft , on 
 any extraordinary Occafion. Few have fo 
 much Bufinefs but they can find time for 
 their Diver/tons, many for their Sifts> and 
 are our Souls only not worth a few Hours, 
 which he who bought them fo dearly, af- 
 fures us, are more worth than all the World ? 
 Befides, moft of the following Directions 
 may be obferved while a Perfon is em- 
 ployed in many forts of JVwk, efpecially 
 in the Fields, and concerns of Husbandry : 
 And for many Tradefmen, they have yet 
 greater leifure, which one would think 
 mould be much better filled up this way, 
 than in a ftiameful Idlenefs, or in what is 
 yet worfe^the reading ill Books, and profane 
 and immoral Flays, which fcarce ever fail of 
 rendring the mmd,v\ot only weak and trivial, 
 but even averfe to Piety and unfit for all the 
 Offiees of a Holy Life. For thofe who are re- 
 ally ftraitned as to time, there will be parti- 
 cular Directions for Examination, and for their 
 Eafe, the following Rules are abbreviated. 
 But this is not the cafe of fo many Perjons I 
 as plead that Excufe, fince we (hall frequent- 
 
 iy j 
 
€&e 3©o?tf)p tfomtminicaHt* 101 
 
 ly hear Men complain, that their Time lies 
 upon their Hands, and they know not how 
 to employ it.: And for fuch as thefe, and 
 all thofe who can command fb much 
 time, as to go through them, the larger Di~ 
 rettiom which now follow, are chiefly in- 
 tended, 
 
 $ VII. When the Day approaches, 
 
 whereon we expe& one happy Opportu- 
 nity more to meet our Saviour at his own 
 Table, whofe Invitation, by his Minifters, 
 we are to receive with the greatefi Joy, 
 and the greateft Reverence ; the firft thing 
 we do, would, be to fequefter our felves 
 from the World, nay, even from all world- 
 ly Thoughts, and the troubleiome Cares of 
 Life* To do this with all poffible Inten- 
 tion, and with the whole force of our Minds, 
 wich firm Refolves and full purpofe of Heart, 
 not to admit any other Bufinefs, any other 
 Thoughts, unfuitable to this great Work. 
 Which having begun with defout Prayer 
 for the Divine AiUftance, lee us proceed 
 in the impartial Examen of our Consciences 
 on the following Heads, i. Of our Re- 
 pentance. 1. Holy Resolutions. $. Faith. 
 4. Tbankfulnefs. And 5. Charity. All which 
 if we find in fome good degree wrought 
 F 5 in 
 
1 02 €fje i©o?tf>p Communicant* 
 
 in us by God's Holy Spirit, we may ap- 
 proach with comfort to this Sacrament. 
 
 £ VIM. And firft : We are to examine 
 our felves concerning our Repentance ; where- 
 in the Nature of it. confifts, whether ha- 
 bitual or actual; and under a&ual Repen- 
 tance, may be included our particular Exa- 
 mination by the Rule of God's Commands, 
 before we approach the Sacrament. 
 
 The general Nature of' Repentance, con- 
 fifts in a thorough Change of Heart and 
 Life, fo as to bate aU Sin, and turn to God ; 
 to l&ve God more than the World, or our 
 Lu(ls,or even,than our own Lives, in the pre- 
 vailing bent, the fettled Choice of our Minds, 
 and to evidence this by keeping his Com- 
 tttatidmemps : To iive in the courfe of no 
 greater Sin, juch as Drunkennefs, Swear- 
 ing, Unclean nefs, neglect of Publick V/crflnp, 
 or the iikv^ : which wafie the Confcience, and 
 are a ps;iecfc Contradiction to true Repen- 
 tance, and muft be left immediately, as we 
 would • avoid eternal Mifery : not to *»- 
 dulge (6 much as Sins of Infirmity, nor to 
 fay, is it not a little one ? fuch as floth, paf- 
 fion, forgetfulnefs of our Duty in fbme 
 Inftances, wandring Thoughts, or the like: 
 for a Chriftian is to fight againft all Sin, 
 
 and 
 
€ftc l®o?Cf)p Communicant i o ; 
 
 and fuch as are at fir.fi comparatively little, 
 yet do all deferve God's Anger, and eter- 
 nal PanifhmentSj and will if chey are ne- 
 glected, grow bigger, and at lad perhaps, 
 irrefiftible. I (ay, true Repentance is. a 
 thorough .Change, of the whole- Man t t\\Q Prin- 
 ciples, Inclinations and Defires, as well as 
 outward AElions ; and hence it's call'd in 
 Scripture, the New- Man, the New > Heart , 
 the New-Creature, bscaufe we are all by 
 Nature the Children of Wrath, and guilty 
 of Original Sin*; nor is 
 there any who has. lived * Vid Difcourfs 
 to years of Discretion , kit -°f Baptijm.-. 
 what has made that fad 
 ufe of his Reafon, to fin againft his Maker, 
 ■and to commit many attual Tranfgreffion^ 
 if not to fail mto grofier habits of wickednefs; 
 from which God knows, very few car. 
 they are wholly innocent in this degene- 
 rate Age: Now there is no way to reco- 
 ver from this, and to efcape God's Anger, 
 but by forfaking Sin, with the greatefl ab- 
 horrence and detefiation. 'Tis .therefore 
 evident that thofe are niiferably and dan* 
 geroufly miftaken, who fanlie they repent, 
 becaufe they have fome Fear of Hell, rome 
 light checks of Confcience, and traniient Sor- 
 row for offending God, without effectually 
 F 4 * leaving 
 
io4 *®N i©0?tfjp Communicant 
 
 leaving all wickednefs, and coming to God 
 from whom they have wander'd, and leading 
 a Holy Life, Then have we this habitual Re- 
 pentance, when by God's Grace we do in 
 the main ccurje of our Lives, exprefs oar 
 Love to God, and hatred of Sin, and for- 
 row for it, and are become New Men, and 
 make it- our chief Bu fine fs to ftrive againft 
 our Corruptions, manfully to refi/t them, ef- 
 fectually to work out our own Salvation : To 
 have that Image of God renewed in us, which 
 we loft by the FaU. And thus much for ha- 
 bitual Repentance* 
 
 $ IX. Actual Repentance-, is that which 
 every good Man puts in practice on his 
 falling into any Sin ; and which he iaould 
 renew more particularly and exactly, be- 
 fore he comes to the Lord's Table ; where- 
 unto we are directed in the firft Exhortation 
 on the Sunday before the Communion, 
 which we would therefore do very well 
 ferioufly to perufe, in order to our Prepa- 
 ration for it. Wherein we are taught, 
 * That *cisour Duty to fearch and examine 
 t our own Confciences, and that not light- 
 r Iy and after the manner of Diflembiers 
 f with God, but fo as that we may come 
 1 Holy and Clean to this heavenly Feaft. 
 
 And 
 
€fje i©o?rtjp Communicant iof 
 
 And we are further directed to do this* 
 
 * by the Rule of God's Commands , and 
 
 * whereinfbever we mall perceive our felves 
 
 * to have offended, either by Will, Word 
 c or Deed, there to bewail our own fin- 
 
 * fulnefs, and to confefs our felves to Al- 
 c mighty God. And to affift us herein, 
 we may find large and exa& Catalogues of 
 Sins in feveral Books of Devotion, parti- 
 cularly thofe annexed to the Whole Duty of 
 Man ; which if you have not, you may if 
 you pleafe, make ufe of" this following and 
 examine your fcif concerning the particu- 
 lar breaches of God's Commands , either of 
 the firft or fecond Table. 
 
 § X. The Breaches of the firfi Com- 
 mand of the firft Table, are; r. Atheifm, 
 ©r at leaft, Atheiftical Thoughts or Dif- 
 courfe (too common among the foolifh Wit% 
 of the Age.) a. Polytheifm,or believing, 
 or worihipping more Gods than one, the 
 main thing forbidden in this Command ; 
 under which may be included Ditheifm, or 
 worfliipping two Gods, of which thofe can- 
 not clear them (elves who pay Divine i&. 
 noun to any, whom they believe not ej/eth 
 tially one with the Father; and Tr it heifm, if 
 any now are guilty of it, which is worihip* 
 ping three GW/, whereas there is but One 
 F j . Supreme 
 
106 €f>e 2©o?tl)p Communicant* 
 
 Supreme ; there can be but One God, (tho* 
 Tnree PerfonsJ who is over all, blejjed' 
 for ever. %. Covetoujnefs, which is Idola- 
 try. Immoderate Love of our (elves, or of 
 the World, that Carnal- mindednefs, which 
 is Death. A violent and unreafonable Paf- 
 /ion for any Perfon or Thing in this World. 
 4. Wilful Ignorance of God or of his Word ; 
 careleffnefs of our Souls, negle&ing or de- 
 fpifing Inftrudion. 5. Preemption upon 
 God's Mercy. A falfe Peace and Security 
 in Sin. As on the other (\dQ, diflrujling his 
 Power or Goodnefs, or murmuring againft 
 him, or dejpairing of his Mercy. 6. Wor- 
 ihipping Angels or Saints. 7, Witchcraft, 
 or doing interpretative Homage to the 
 Devil, by ufing Charms, confulting with 
 Wizards, cunning Men and the like ; 
 which is efteemed by our greateft Di- 
 vines, a degree of renoun- 
 * Bp, Hopkins, cing our Chnftianity. * 
 B/>. Andrews, w. & Unthankfulnefs, Luke- 
 l>. of Man, &c vvarmnefs , Indevotion , 
 Pride , Impenitence. 9. 
 Want of Love to God, Faith in him, De- 
 pendance on him, Subrmffion and Refig- 
 nation. 
 
 The Breaches of the feeond Com- 
 mand, are; 1. Idolatry, which is making 
 any Images with intent to bow down to 
 
 :hs;n, 
 
m ' €jje i©02tl)p Communicant, 1 07 
 
 them, or worlhip them ; or a&uallv pay- 
 ing fuch Worfbip to them, even tho' God 
 himfelf be reprefented by them ; any vifible 
 eorporeal Representation of God, being a con- 
 tradiction to his pure fpiritual Nature, and 
 a high Breach of this Com- 
 mand ;*as is even the form- * Dw*fa}%* 
 ing any corporeal Image of 
 him in our mind, much more believing "« 
 material God. 2. Sacrilege. Robbing or pro- 
 faning Churches, detaining tythes, or aqy 
 thing that is dedicated to God, (God forgive 
 all Nations, Families and Perfons that are guil- 
 ty of it!) ;. Loathing Manna ; neglecting, or 
 difefteemingt or ridiculing God's Word, or 
 not profiting by it ; contemning, abufing, 
 cauflefs grieving his Mm'tfiers. 4. Adding 
 to his Word; making any thing necejjary to 
 Salvation, which he has not made neceiTa- 
 ry ; coining and impofing New Articles of 
 Faith, not contained in Scripture. Super- 
 fluous [erupting what is lawful, ■ without en- 
 deavouring to have theConfcience better in- 
 formed. Irreverence or Undecency in God's 
 Worlhip, refuhng to glonfie God with our 
 Bodies as well as Souls, when both are his. 
 5. Want of inward fpiritual Worjhip, with- 
 out which, the outward is but like a dead 
 Carcafs ; (tho' this may be referred alfb to 
 the firft Command J 7 \ 
 
ao8 Cfje tfeo?t§p Communicant. 
 
 The Breaches of the third Command, 
 
 are ; I. Taking God's Name in vain ( which 
 
 thofe who do are particularly branded as 
 
 God's Enemies *, either by 
 
 * PfiL 139. 10. falfe or rafh Oaths ; or rafh 
 or impoffible Vows ; or by 
 Ireahng lawful or poffible Oaths or Vow* % 
 the Vow in Baptifm, or at the other Sacra- 
 toent ; or by mentioning that glorious and 
 fearful Name the Lord our God, without 
 znzdioi Reverence %.v\& Devotion. 1. Swear- 
 ing by any Creature. 3. Want of a juft 
 Concern for- God's Honour; encouraging, or 
 not difcouraging, or reproving, or punifh- 
 ing, where 'tis poffible and practicable, 
 thofe Monfters of Men, who hlajpheme^ or 
 profane God's Holy Name t ; 
 
 % Levit* 5. 1. or difcouraging, or not aP 
 filling to our Power thofe 
 who would do it, and who have more Zeal 
 for God's Glory : Or not heartily lamenting 
 thofe Sins, if we are where the Tide of 
 wickedne fi runs (b high, that we cannot 
 have them fumfhed. 
 
 The Breaches of the fourth Command^ 
 are; 1- The taking it quite away, andwor*- 
 ing. God in defiring him; ' to have wrrrjr 
 * upon us for our Offences againft it, and 
 9 to incline our Hearts to keep it, when 
 we believe it, fas fome do) purely Typi- 
 cal 
 
&£e t©o?tf)p Communicant 10* 
 
 cal and Judaical ; whereas a /ewirt* (w; 
 of Time is evidently of moral pofmve Obli- 
 gation, being enjoyned before rheF*//, and 
 there's /**/* doubt, was obferved by the P+ 
 tnarcbs before the Law, (for 'tis not rea- 
 fonable to fuppofe, that Religion could con- 
 tinue Sixteen Hundred Years in the World, 
 without a fiated time of pub- 
 
 jfonufince our Saviour, tno Bedc ; ' M 
 
 the pfecife /evcwfG Drfjr-Ot Councils, in Eng- 
 the J^e«& was indeed peculiar land *»i other pa- 
 to the 7*M>/. 2. All Pro- ces, our Book of 
 fanauonoj it, by weekly *ggffi 
 or workday .Labour, .or a- ^ B -fi /^ {U 
 ny Works, but of Necei- ii ng fl e et, fy. Pa- 
 fity or Charity. Unnecel- trick, B/. Hopkins* 
 fary, worldly, or vain Dif fc «** 
 courfe orVifits ; much more 
 l>y Playing, Dancing, or the like; which 
 make it indeed a Jewt[h t not a Chriftmn 
 Sabbath. ;. Neglecting to imploy the 
 whole Day, as far as our Strength and Ne* 
 eeffities permit, in publkk or private A#s 
 of Religious IVorJhip. 4. Suffering any to 
 profane it, who are under our Charge > and 
 whom we. can hinder from doing it, or not 
 giving them time for God's Service. 5, Not 
 permitting our Servants , or very Beajis to 
 re# on that Day, or any manner of Cruelty 
 
 towards 
 
i io €&e J©o?tJ)p Communicant 
 
 towards them. 6. Refufing to obferve any 
 other Days appointed by lawful Authority, 
 for God's publick Worfhip, either Fafis or 
 Feafis, (if our Occafions and Cir cum fiances 
 will permit.) 
 
 § XL As for the fecond Table, con- 
 taming our Duty to our Neighbour* as the 
 firft does our Duty to God. We offend a- 
 gainft the firfi Command of it, the fifth in 
 the Decalogue, by any ways dishonouring 
 our Parents, whether Natural, our Father 
 and Mother; or Civil, the Magiftrates, the 
 King, and thofe that are in Authority under 
 him ; or Ecclefiafiical, our Mmifters and 
 lawful Paftors » or any other Superiors, as 
 Mafters or Miftreffes, or our betters and 
 Elders. By being undutiful, ftubborn or" un» 
 natural to thofe to whom we are indebted 
 for our Birth and Education: By rebelling 
 againft our Prince, or being unthankful to 
 him, or reviling him, or lightly believing 
 ill of him, or of thofe commijfioned by him, 
 or oppofing them in the exerciie of that law- 
 ful Authority he has deputed unto them. 
 By contemning or defrauding our lawfnl 
 Minifiers, or for faking them, or difcouraging 
 them by neglecting publick Worfoip (of 
 which alfo under the third. ) By being un- 
 faithful to Mafizrs, or carelefs of their Co»- 
 
 cerns, 
 
€f)e Mlo?tf)p Communicant i n 
 
 cerns, or ftubborn and refractory and dif 
 obedient to their lawful Commands. By 
 incivility and rudenefs and want of due Re* 
 fpecl to our Superiors, rifing up before 
 the hoary Head ; Or in the reciprocal Duties 3 
 want of Kindnefs, Watchfulnefs, Support, 
 Inftru&ion, Provifion, from Superiors, and 
 doing what in them lies for the Souls 
 and Bodies of thofe committed to their 
 Charge. 
 
 For the fixth : i . The dire ft Breach of it is 
 • Murder , the old Verfion, Thou (halt do no 
 Murder, being better than the New, c thou 
 c male not Kill; for all know that all killing is 
 not murder 3 nov is it unlawful,as in a juft War, 
 or the like : But murder is killing without, 
 or againft Law, or by a wrefted pretence 
 ~of Law, worfe than all the reft. And un- 
 der Murder, are doubtlefs included Duels ,ror 
 fuch the. Laws have juft ly made them ; and 
 'tis little better to fight in an unjuft War ,or 
 without enquiring into the Juftice of it a 
 meeriy for Pay or Vim* 
 der.* i. The next Breach * Bifhop s in - 
 of this Command, is, by £erfonV Cafes of 
 Wounding or Hurting our Con J cteme - 
 Neighbour, or procuring 
 others to do it. ;. Procuring Abortion, 
 or Onan\ Sin. t 4. Ma- t Gen , j8> ^ 
 lice, or Envy, or Revenge 
 
 againft 
 
1 1 z €J>e i©o?tf)p Communicant. 
 
 againft our Neighbour, with which none 
 muft come to this Feafi of Love, j. Cauf- 
 lefs, rafli, immoderate, or implacable Anger 9 
 and any expreffions of it by Word or A- 
 #ion. 7. Murthering the Souls of any, by 
 ill Advice, or Command, or Temptation, 
 or Example. 6 Self-murder ; the higheft, 
 and moft unnatural Breach of this Com- 
 mand, which argues the heighth of Dif- 
 content and Defpair , and where it once 
 proceeds to Action, cuts off all Repentance; 
 and therefore the lead Inclinations to it, are 
 to be abhorred and repelled, as a moft 
 dangerous Tempiat on of the Devil, and 
 to be as feverely repented of, where they 
 have found any admiffion; 8. Want of 
 Meeknefs, and Forgivenefs* and Chari- 
 ty, and Compaffion towards our Neigh- 
 bour. 
 
 in the feventh, are forbidden ; 1. Ex- 
 prefiy, Adultery* 2. Fornication, and all 
 a&ual Impurity. 3. All incentives to this 
 odious Sin. Unchaft Looks, Drefles, Books, 
 Tlays, Songs, Poetry, Pi&ures, Convert 
 tion ; ldlenefs, Pampering the Body ; and 
 laftly, Drunkennefs , which is fa often 
 the occaiion of this, and alrnofr, all other 
 Sins. 
 
 The dired: Breach of the eighth Com- 
 mand is, Stealing^ either optn 2 and forcibly, 
 
 which 
 
€fje f©c?tfjp Commwmcant 1 1 % 
 
 which \% Robbery* ox private, which is Tbeft 
 and Pilfering ; and fb is injuring our Neigh- 
 bour by pretence of Law, by Extortion, by 
 Oppreffion, by unequal laying of Taxes, oro- 
 therwife. %. Cheating in Trade ; falfe Lights, 
 Weights, Coin, Meafures,Impofing on our 
 Neighbour in Buying or Selling, Lying, to 
 raife the Price of Goods. 4- Denying, detain- 
 ing, or delaying the Hire of the Labourer^ lef- 
 fening, or raifing it beyond a juft proportion. 
 5. Living extravagantly t not proportioning 
 Expencej to Incoms, thence running into un- 
 neceflary Debts without an bonefi Care, and 
 greateft Diligence to difcharge them. 6. Frau- 
 dulent Conveyances, Forgeries, Breach of 
 Trufi, removing Landmarks, extravagant or 
 covetous Gaming, neglecting to provide for 
 our awn. 7. Refuiing or delaying to 
 make Re flit ut ion to any we have injured by 
 any of thefe means, without which, no Re- 
 pentance^ no Forgivenefs, whenever we are 
 in a Capacity to do it ; or elfe giving it to 
 the Poor, or lo Religious Ufes, if we cannot 
 find the Perfon injured. 
 
 The Breaches of the »*'»/£, are ; i. Bear- 
 ing falfe Witne\ '< by direc* Perjury. 2. Plead- 
 * n g again ft our Conference ; or not (wearing the 
 whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, 
 when required in Coucs of Judicature, 
 3. Slandering our Neighbour, or lightly 
 
 taking 
 
1 1 4 €&e f©o?tf)p Communicant. 
 
 taking up an evil Report againft him, or 
 fpreading malicious Truth, or any vt ay [peak- 
 ing ill of him, unlefs when God's Glory, or our 
 own Reputation, or another's Welfare is con-* 
 cerned. 4. Uncharitable Cenfures, deriding 
 or expofing any one's Infirmities. 5. Tale- 
 bearing and whifpering, the Vice- of mean 
 and ignoble Souls. 6. Vijfembling^ Flatter- 
 ing, and Lying. 7. Neglecting to defend 
 our Neighbour's Reputaiim, where we can 
 do it with decency and honefty. • 
 
 In the tenth, are forbidden ; 1. The 
 defiring any thing that's my Neighbour's, 
 without a jujt Compenfation, or where he 
 is not 'willing to part with it. 2. Dtf> 
 content and repining at our own Con- 
 dition, or envying our Neighbours. 3. The 
 firft allowed pleafing motions to any Sm, 
 efpecially to Impurity^ or delightful Refleclions 
 on paft Wicked neft. 
 
 $ XII. Thus much for the chief 
 Breaches of God's Commands, upon all 
 of which, we would do well diftin&ly to 
 examine our felves in our Preparation for 
 the Sacrament, efpecially, as to thofe Sins 
 whereunto we have formerly found our^ 
 felves moil ftrongly inclined, and whereof 
 we have been moft frequently "guilty. We 
 ought alfo to reflect on all the Aggrava- 
 tions 
 
!%l)t l©ojtl)p Communicant. 1 1 $ 
 
 tiem of them, how frequently, how inex- 
 cufably, againft how much Goodnefs and 
 Patience of God, how many checks of our 
 own Gonfcience, and perhaps, advice of 
 Friends, againft how many Vows and Re* 
 folutions we Have committed them. Efpe- 
 Gially, if after we have vowed againft them 
 formerly at the Holy Sacrament, concern- 
 ing which we are to make an exaft Vtfyui- 
 fit'ion, for God certainly remembers all thofe 
 Vows, tho' we may have brohn them, and 
 forgot them. And if we do not yet find 
 our Hearts fufficiently affecled for it, if the 
 Love of Chrift and all his Sufferings for us, 
 cannot melt us into an ingenious Sorrow 
 for our Offences, let . us confider God's 
 dreadful Judgment, his terrible Indignation 
 againft impenitent Sinners, and earneftly 
 pray to God, for the fake of his dear Son, 
 to take away our flony Hearts, and give us 
 that godly Sorrow which works Repentance to 
 Salvation. And proportionable to our Sins/ 
 muft be our Sorrow and our Repentance, 
 tho 3 here it may be neceflary to interpofe 
 a Caution : There are fome pious Perfons 
 of fuch weak Judgments, and tender Con- 
 ferences, that they are,, it may be, ready to 
 accufe themfelves of many Sms, whereof they 
 were never guilty : But we muft not lie to 
 God, nor belie our (elves, nor charge our 
 
 felves 3 
 
1 1 6 €fje f©0? tf)p Commume an u 
 
 felves, any more than charge God, foolish- 
 ly : And where we find in our Examina- 
 tion, that God has preferved us from any 
 Sins, or given us more Strength againft any 
 which have formerly been too hard for us, 
 we ought not by any means to be unthank- 
 ful for his Goodnefs, but a fori be all to 
 him, and praife him for his Grace, and en- 
 deavour fo well to improve it, and thofe 
 Talents which we have, that he may ftill 
 lieftow more upon us, and make us perfect 
 in Repentance and all good Works. 
 
 § XIII. Having thus ftriftly examined 
 our (elves concerning our Breaches of God's 
 Commands^ and our ferious effectual Re- 
 pentance for them, we proceed in the next 
 place, to firm and Holy Refolves to do bet* 
 ter for the future ; to avoid thofe Evils we 
 have fain into, to perform thofe Duties we 
 have hitherto neglected. We are to ask our 
 felves in the presence of God, whether we 
 do indeed, ' ftedfaftly purpofe to lead a 
 r new Life, without which, 'tis the higheft 
 • prejumption to approach thefe dreadful My- 
 1 fieries : And accordingly, we are actually to 
 make mod folemn Vows^ as well as Refolu- 
 tionti of better Obedience : The force of 
 Refdution only, is not fmall, it gives new 
 Strength and Energy to the mind , and 
 
 helps 
 
€|je i©o?tf)p tfcttmumicant* 117 
 
 helps to perform what one would think at firft 
 fight almoft intpoffble : Bodily Difeafes, we are 
 told, have been cured by it, which have 
 been thought defperate, and why may not 
 alio Difeafes of the Mind. There is a Sp- 
 rit in Man, and 'tis the Breath of the Al- 
 mighty, and it has a noble Force, if we 
 will but ftir it up, and make ufe of it : 
 But when Vows are added to thefe Refolves % 
 when we refolve in God's Name, and in his 
 Sight, and thro 3 his Strength, and by the 
 Afliftance of his Grace, and fray earneftly 
 and faithfully for it, and confcientioufly 
 ufe the means to obtain it, to avoid Sin, to 
 encreafe in Goodnefs ; all thefe make fuch 
 a Cord as is not eafily broken. Nor are 
 we to be difcouraged from making New 
 Refolves, becaufe we may have broken fuch 
 as we have formerly made : No, we are 
 to be troubied for our Fall, but not to lie 
 ftill in the Dirt, but to rife immediately, 
 and endeavour to recover the Ground we 
 have loft, in our way towards Heaven: We 
 are to obferve what was the occajton of our 
 ftumbling, how we came to break our for- 
 mer Refolves againft our Sins. If it was ill 
 Company that led us into it, we are careful- 
 ly for the. future, as mtoch as poffible, to 
 avoid fuch Company, as we value the Fa- 
 vour of God, and our own eternal Happi- 
 
 nefs. 
 
1 18 €$e i©o?tf)p Communicant 
 
 nefs. And fo if Love of this World have 
 made us neglect our Duty to God, or our 
 Neighbour, we are to refolve againft that ; 
 actually* to draw ofF our Minds from theft 
 perishing Objects, and fix them on the un- 
 fading Treafures of a better World. . And 
 thus are we particularly to level our Holy 
 Refolutions a gain ft thofe Sins which do 
 mod eafily hefet us, moft frequently prevail 
 over us ; folemnly, upon our Knees., before 
 God, to Renounce thofe Works of the De- 
 vil, or to renew that Solemn Renunciation 
 of them, which we made in our Baptifm, 
 as well as to renew thofe Sacred Voivs which 
 we then made to keep God's Holy Will and 
 Commandment, and to walk in the fame all 
 the Days of our Lives. Which will not on- 
 ly have a very great Influence on our fu- 
 ture Actions, to preferve us from running 
 upon any Temptation to our former Sms, or 
 from the neglect of our Duty; but will 
 be alfb by God's Grace, a mighty Guard 
 upon us,even when we are actually tempted ; 
 the Impeffion of thole good Re fo Ives being 
 ftill deep and frem on our Minds, and gi- 
 ving them a ftrong tendency to Good, and 
 averfion to Efoil, and the horrid Guilt of 
 "Perjury appearing before our Eyes, if we 
 fhould again break God's Commands: Nor 
 had the Pfalrcuft himfelf any ftronger Guard 
 
 againft 
 
€fje 2©ojtfip Communicant* 1 i 9 
 
 againft Temptation than the Senfe of his - 
 Vows, and the awful pre fence of that God 
 to whom he had made them. Pfal. 16. 8, 
 ' I lave fet the Lord always before my Face, 
 c that I might not fin againft him. And, 
 Pfal. 119. 106. c I have /worn, and am ft ed- 
 c faftlypurpofedto keep thy righteous Judgments. 
 
 § XIV. The third thing concerning 
 which we are to examine our (elves be- 
 fore we approach this Holy Table, is, c Whe- 
 c ther we have a lively Faith in God's Mer- 
 c cy thro 5 Chrift. Not a dead, cold, and 
 una&ive, but a lively Faith ; for, 4 Faith 
 4 -without Works is dead : and fuch is the 
 ungrounded fatal Vrefumption of every im- 
 penitent Sinner ; for what is more common 
 than for bad Men, who live in direct con- 
 tradiction to our Saviour's Laws, in repea- 
 ted A&s of Intemperance, Injuftice, \Jn- 
 cleannefs, immoderate Love to this World, 
 and in the neglect of their Duty, of Pray- 
 ing, of God's Word and Sacrament ; What 
 is more common than to hear fuch mi- 
 flaken Wretches as thefe cry out, that God 
 is merciful, that Chrift has. died, and they 
 hope to be faved, tho' they bring forth no 
 Fruits meet for Faith or Repent awe ? They 
 believe the Promife of the Gofpel, tho 9 
 they never take care to perform the Con- 
 ditions 
 
no €t)e l©o?tl)p Communicant. 
 
 ditions of it : But they forget, or are wil- 
 lingly ignorant that it contains threatnings 
 too, and that very terrible ones again ft the 
 Impenitent and Difobedient ; and that Chrift 
 himfelf has told fuch, that he'll fay to 
 them at the laft day, * Depart from 
 1 me, I never knew you, becaufe Workers 
 
 * of Iniquity. But the true lively Faith here 
 required if, c Such a Belief of God's Word > 
 c and fuch a Truft in his Mercy, thro' his 
 4 Promifes by our Saviour, as produces a 
 ' conftant and ingenuous Obedience. Now 
 if we find this Faith weak and languijhing y 
 we muft pray .as the Difciples did, f Lord 
 
 * encreafe our Faith ! And to that End, we 
 muft confider the Promifes of God unto 
 us, for the fake of his dear Son our Lord, 
 in whom c all the Promifes are Tea and 
 
 * Amen, ratified and certain. In whom 
 alone the Father is well flea fed, by the 
 Merits, of whofe Obedience and Sufferings^ 
 his Satisfaction, his Interceffion and Me- 
 diation, he is reconciled to loft Mankind, 
 and offers Pardon to all that are penitent 
 and obedient. And this is c all our Salves- 
 
 * t'ton, and all our Defire ; the Hope of Holy 
 oouls, the Ground of their Confutation and 
 their Triumph, which are fixed fo firmly 
 upon that Rock of Ages, that they can ae* 
 ver be moved i who has told us, ' That 
 
 'if 
 
Cjje H5o?t!)p Communicant* 1 1 1 
 
 ' if we believe in G^i, we mud believe 
 c alfbin iwtf, as the means of conveying all 
 ' the Father's blejf/lngs; nay, as being him- 
 c (elf, as he is, God, the Author and Ftnifier 
 
 * of our F*tf £. Whence it follows, that he 
 himfelf, the fecond ? erf on of the glorious Tri- 
 nity, may, and ought to be the object o£ 
 our Truft, our Faith, and our Adoration, 
 both in this Life, and in the hour of 
 Death, as he was of blefled St. Stevens 
 who cried out in his lafi Agonies > ' Lord Je- 
 c fus ! receive my Spi- 
 
 * rit *. And thus in our f ^#. 7- 5& 
 preparation for the Holy 
 
 Sacrament, without the reception whereof, 
 1 lee not how any can live comfortably, 
 or die happily, we muft actually advert un- 
 to, deeply and ferioufly confider thofe Promifes 
 which God has made us by his. Son, of Grace 
 and Pardon, on our Repentance and Obe- 
 dience : r That thofe who come to the Fa- 
 
 * ther by him, he will in no wile caft out* 
 St. John 6. 37. ' That they ttull not fe 
 ' Death, but are paffsd from Death unto Life. 
 St.John%.yi. $• 24. * That there is no 
 ' condemnation for them 'which are in Chnft 
 r Jffai and who thofe are, we are imme- 
 x diately told, who walk not after the Flejh M 
 *' but after the Spirit; Rom. 8. 1. c That all 
 
 * who are weary and heavy laden with the 
 
 G 'Burthen 
 
in €f}e t©o?tf)p Communicant 
 
 T- 7 i 
 
 * Burthen of their &»j,if they come unto him, 
 
 r he mllrefre(h them ; St. Matt. 1 1 . 18. and fe- 
 veral others of the fame nature ; the fubftance 
 of the Gofpel being promifes of eternal Life to 
 thofe who yield a finceu, and impartial, 
 tho* not abfolutely /«/<?/* and perfecl obe- 
 dience to the Commands of it; all the threat- 
 mngs thereof, being 'only the unavoidable 
 Conferences of wilfully rejecting it. Now 
 the very Nature of the Sacrament ihows 
 the neceffity of Faith towards worthy Re- 
 ceiving ^ for how can we renew out. Cove-, 
 want with God, unlefi we believe he's real- 
 ly willing to be reconciled to us, and hare 
 afem.H in his Truth, his Tower and 
 his Goodnefs ? And how could we have any 
 well grounded hopes of Pardon, but from 
 .the Revelation of the Gofpel; .and by the me- 
 -rits of a Redeemer? And to the exercife 
 of this Grace, the Church alfo directs us 
 when we approach this Holy Table, requi- 
 ring us, ' to have a lively and ftedfail Faith 
 e in Chrift our Saviour; and fo in the Ex- 
 hortation, the Sunday before the Commu- 
 jnion, •* that 'tis requifue that thofe. who 
 
 * come thither, mould have a full Trufi in 
 e God's Mercy. Not that all are required 
 to have the fame degrees of Fahh\ for 
 there are doubtlsfs different meafures of it 
 o& in the Refurreclion, cne Star ihall differ 
 
 isom 
 
€%t 3©o?tl)p Communicant 12; 
 
 from another in Glory : i Cor. J j. 45. But our 
 Faith ought certainly to be fofirong as to over- 
 come our Infidelity, to overcome the World : [t 
 is to be fincere, and then it will not want ac- 
 ceptance > tho' it be but as a Grain of Muftard- 
 Seed^ov our gracious Lord has promifed that 
 he will not break the bruifed Reed, nor quench 
 the fmoaking Flax : St. Matt, ia. 20. Tho' we 
 are always to prefs forward, that this as well 
 as all other Graces may ftill be encreafed, to- 
 [Wards which, nothing can more highly con- 
 duce, than the frequent and devout reception 
 of this Sacrament. 
 
 § XV. The 4th. thing concerning which 
 we are to examine our (elves in our prepa- 
 ration, is, whether we have [a thankful Re- 
 membrance of Chri'[Fs Death;] whereunto 
 the Church dire&s us in fuch pathetical Ex* 
 preffions as were {carce ever .excelled, and I 
 queftion whether equalled in any other 
 Liturgy* tho' not only the antient Chur- 
 ches, but our Proteftanc Brethren, par- 
 :icularly the French , and . the Tigurim, 
 have excellent Forms on this occafion : I 
 mean that paflage where- 
 in ' we are exhorted * c a- *, Exho ^ a J^ 
 
 ;t 11 ^l • at tbe ttnte of the 
 
 'boveall things to give «ubr«Um/ 
 molt humble and hearty 
 r Thanks to God the Father, the Son, and 
 G % '«thi 
 
14 €Ije t©o?tt)p Communicant 
 
 c the Holv Ghoft, for the Redemption of 
 « the World by the Death and Pa (Eon of our 
 
 * Saviour Chnft,both GOD and Man; who 
 r did-humble himfelf even to the Death,upon 
 
 * the Crofs, for us referable Sinners ; who lay 
 g m darknefs and the {hadow of Death, that 
 
 * he might make us the Children of God, 
 
 * and exalt us to everlafting Life. This we 
 are to do {above all things'] becaufe this 
 true and unieigned Gratitude is the principal 
 Ornament of the Wedding- Garment. This; 
 feems to have been the chief and tmmedtatei 
 End of the frjlitution, c Do this in RememA 
 
 * trance of me ; and ' hereby ye fiiew forth 
 * the Lord's Death till he come : And how 
 is it poffible for any ingenuous mind to; re- 
 member, to refleft upon .our Saviour s iufter- 
 ings without the moft tender Resentments, 
 the'higheft Thankfulnefs and Loye? Foi 
 how can a Rebel be fit for Fardon, if h< 
 is not thankful when 'tis offered him ? Ti 
 therefore neceflary that we mould fo long 
 fo fenoufly remember the exceeding grea 
 Love of our Matter, and only Saviour tht 
 dyjng for us, even before we come to th 
 -Solemn Sacramental Commemoration of i: 
 m\\ our Hearts burn within us, as did th 
 
 two Difeiples, that we may . thereby be i ; 
 feme meafure fitted to meet our Savioui ; 
 and. -that he may make himfelf known unx ( 
 
 n 
 
 ! 
 
Cijc i©onftp Communitant* 1 1 < 
 
 us, as he did unto them, in breaking of Bread . 
 St. Luke 14.. ;i. But we muft take care thav 
 this'Remembrancehavea/a/ar* lafting influ- 
 ence on our Lives : 111 Men may remember 
 | thrift's Death, but it's certain that what- 
 ever they may pretend , they do it pre- 
 jumptuoufty , not thankfully , becaufe it is 
 not productive of a Holy Life. It makes 
 them nothing better^ bu* rather encourages 
 them to go on in their Sins ; whereas true 
 thankfttlneft will naturally produce unfeigned 
 Obedience: And to make us both obedient 
 and thankful, one would think there mould 
 need no more than to confider deeply from 
 what Evils Ghrift has faved us by his Death ; 
 no lefs than the Tower of Sin, the Wrath or 
 God, and everlafting Mifery : And what 
 Benefits he has obtained for us by it; the 
 Far don of Sin, the Favour of God, Grace 
 to ferve him, and eternal Happinefs ; ■ (ome 
 of which are actually conveyed, as all of them 
 are afjurd and feal'd in this blefTed • Sacra- 
 ment, to every penitent, faithful, grateful 
 Receiver. 
 
 § XV. The laft thing nece/Iary to 
 
 a worthy Communicant, is Charity. ['To be 
 
 in Charity witji all Aden,"] When we bring 
 
 our Gift to the Altar, we muft be firft 
 
 reconciled to our Brother : We muft offer 
 
 G i If, 
 
i26 €l(je i©o?tfjp Communicant 
 
 it, and fincerely <&/fr* and endeavour it ; and 
 if he refufet to be reconciled , the Fault is 
 on his fide, nor ought another's Crime to 
 keep us from our Duty and Hapfinefs. 
 This Charity muft alfo mow it felf in an 
 univerfal Love to Mankind, wishing, pray- 
 ing for, endeavouring, and as much as in 
 us lies, promoting their temporal and Jpiri' 
 tual Welfare. But efpecialiy, this Holy Love 
 is to be a&ed and exercifed towards all 
 Chnjlians, and particularly towards thofe 
 wuh whom we communicate ; not forgetting 
 xhz Poor, whom we are to relieve, as well 
 at the Offering, which ought not to be ne- 
 gle&ed at the Sacrament, as any other way 
 that lies in our Power. The exercife of 
 this Dtvine Grace, is more eminently ne- 
 cefTary when we approach to this bhjjed. 
 Feaft, [becaufe 'twas one great End of its 
 Initiation; it being deflgned to increafe 
 Cbnftian Unity, and Holy Love among the 
 Faithful, who herein communicate both in 
 temporal and fpiritual good things; who 
 Feaft and make a Covenant with each o- 
 ther, as well as witlj the great Inviter ;. c and 
 ' being many are hereby made one Body and 
 r one Bread, i Cor. 10. 17. 
 
 We are therefore carefully to examine 
 our felves before we come thither, whe- 
 ther we heartily forgive our Enemies, and 
 
 are 
 
 . 
 
€fje !©o?t)f)p Communicant i ii 
 
 are ready to render Good for 'Evil ? Whe-' 
 ther we feel this Divine Flame in our Hearts, 
 and dearly love all thofe that bear the Image 
 of the heavenly ? And in order to produce 
 in us both parts of this Grace, one would 
 think we iliould need do no more than con- 
 sider (erioufly how many Talents our Lord 
 • has forgiven us ; how much he has done and 
 fujferea for us, even while we were his Ene- 
 mies ; and that we are all Members of ens 
 Body, whereof Shrift is the Head. 
 
 $ XVII. And thus have we firuflied 
 
 what relates- to our Preparation for the Sa- 
 crament, and thole feveral Graces concer- 
 ning which we are to examine our [elves 
 before we approach unto it : Repentance, 
 attended by good Refolve^ Faith, Thank- 
 falnefs, and Charity. Not that we ihould 
 forbear to come thither, if we do not find 
 all thefe in the utmoft perfection ; but where 
 ; we find any cf them weak and languid, we 
 muft ftrengthen the things that remain, and 
 be humbled for our Imperfections , and endea- 
 vour earnestly after higher degrees of Grace, 
 and confidQc the means appointed to en- 
 create them, efpecially the Holy Sacrament^ 
 wherein they are to be all exercifed and re- 
 newed, as will appear in the next Chapter. 
 And in the mean time, moil humbly and 
 G 4 devoutly 
 
1 18 €&e 3©o?tfjp Communicant. 
 
 devoutly to fall upon our Knees, and in 
 
 i r . the following, or any bet- 
 
 * See the cx~ ~ r? * r n ^l 
 
 alien* Devotion* »«• Forms of Prayer, thus 
 
 added to theWhok add: els our lelves to the 
 
 Duty of Man, or G*1><?r of all good things, 
 
 *fy/r*n ^ Chri. for a Supply of our Ne- 
 ftian Sacrifice. ce flfaes. 
 
 ^ Confeffion, when we are Prepa- 
 ring for the Communion. 
 
 ALmighty and mod merciful Father ! 
 who may ft for my Sins be rnoft juft- 
 Iv difpleafed with me, for ever caft 
 me .off from thy prefence, and condemn 
 me to EvQi lading Mifery, I am afhamed, 
 O Lord, and blufh to lift up my Face un* 
 to thee, for all my miffleeds are before thee, 
 and my rnoft fecret Sins in the Light of 
 thy Countenance. I was (hapen in Ini- 
 quity, and conceived in Sin ; by Nature dead 
 in trefpafles and fins, averfe to Good, and 
 violently inclined to Evil ; ignorant of God, 
 and an Enemy to him, in a loft and un- 
 done Condition, and utterly unable to help 
 and to deliver my felf And I have ad- 
 ded to this Original Sin many hainous. 
 : a&ual 
 
€ffe i©ojt!ip Communicant* 119 
 
 aftual Trangreflions, [Here let the Penitent 
 repeat thofe Sins whereof, on the former Exa- 
 mination j be has found himfelf guilty. ~\ The 
 Remembrance of all which, 1 defire may 
 be moft grievous as their burden is moft 
 intolerable unto me ; for I have done all 
 thefe abominations, with many aggravating 
 Or cum fiances, which have highly; encreafed 
 the Guilt of them; without regard to thy ten- 
 der Mercies, or to thy terrible Judgments, or 
 to my own repeated Vows and Relolves of Re- 
 pentance and Obedience. O make me to ab- 
 hor them, and my felf for them, and to repent 
 in Duft and Alhes. I know that my farrow 
 for them is no [atisfaclion to thy offended 
 Juftice; yetjmce thou doft require it of me, 
 to render me capable of thy Mercy, work 
 in me, I befeech thee, by thy Holy Spirits 
 fuch a true and unfeigned Remorfe for 
 them, that I may entirely for fake them, and 
 come Pure and Holy to thy Heavenly Fea ft, 
 O God be merciful to me a Sinner, who 
 cry unto thee fn an acceptable Time, and 
 in the Day of Salvation ! O Holy, BleJJed 
 and Glorious trinity, Three Perfons and 
 One God, have mercy ufon* me a miferable 
 Sinner ! O God the Father of Heaven, who 
 didft fend thine Only Son out of thy Bo- 
 fom to taft Death for every Man, that we 
 mighr not die eternally ; accept his Attone- 
 G 5 menc. 
 
r;o €f)e f©o,:t£p Coninumicant* 
 
 roent, accept his Interceflton, and be record 
 died unco me thro' his Blond. In my Fa- 
 rrier's Houfe is Bread enough and to fpare:. 
 O lee me not perilh wirh Hunger." O Son 
 of David have mercy en me, and if thou 
 czhtt. do any thing, fince thou canft do 
 all things, help me. By thine Agony and 
 bloody Sweat, by thy Crofs and Tajfion, by 
 thy precious Death and Burial, Good L/>rd 
 deliver me ! I deftre not to be faved from 
 the Guilt of my Sins only, or from thofe 
 heavy Punijhments that are due unto thenr, 
 but from their Fewer and prevailing Influ. 
 ence on my Mind : from all my Sins, even 
 thole which have been mod dear unto me ; 
 and am willing to cut off my Right Hand, or 
 pluck out my Right Eye K [o I may but 
 
 - enter into the Kingdom 6f Heaven. My 
 Saviour came to take away a the Sins of the 
 World; He has born all cur Griefs, he has 
 carried our Sorrows; he was wounded for 
 our Tranfgreilions ; he was grieved for our 
 Iniquities; he has excepted none out of. that 
 General Pardon which *he has purchafed 
 for Mankind, and* offered to all thole, who 
 are qualified for receiving it. I prefent the 
 
 ' Merits of his 'ineftimable Sacrifice before 
 thee, O offended Majefty of Heaven ! I 
 h^a no Merits of my own ; / have no- 
 ibmgt I am nothing^ but vile Duft and. 
 
 S*n : 
 
€&e J©ojtl)p tf omtmtmeant.-- 1 3 1 
 
 Sin ; But he is worthy, for whbfe fake 1 beg 
 Mercy of thee, which I moft humbly im- 
 plore and cxped, only, in that way which 
 thou haft appointed, and on thofe Condi- 
 tions which thy Son has revealed in his 
 Holy Gofpel ; by an unfeigned Repentance^ 
 a firm Faith, a fincere, and an impar- 
 tial Obedience. O therefore take away 
 all mine Iniquities and receive me graci- 
 oufly, who like the Prodigal, deiire to re- 
 turn to my Fathers Houfe. And.fince 'tis 
 thou alone who doff both put into our/ 
 Minds good Defires, and canft alio give 
 us Grace to perform the fame, affift me 
 now and ever in thofe Holy Refolves which 
 I make of new and better Obedience. Vouch- 
 fafe me thy .Grace to avoid all thofe Occa- 
 fions and , Temptations , whereby I have 
 been too often drawn to Evil. Let thy 
 Blejjed Spirit evermore comfort and guide 
 me,- and lead me into all Truth, and all 
 Goodnefs. Let me henceforth Evidence my 
 unfeigned Love to my Saviour>- by keep- 
 ing his Commandments; and lee that and 
 all other Graces be excited and encreafed 
 in me at this Time in my approaches to- 
 his Holy Table. Pardon the frivolous -ami 
 fmful Excpfes which 1 have too often- made 
 for my Ab fence from k; my want of Pre- 
 paration for ic ; the Dsadnefs and Indevb- 
 
 tion 
 
\ ;i €fjc J©c?t$p Communicant. 
 
 non of my Soul in receiving it ; and my 
 fhameful Unprofitabknefs by it ! O that I 
 may now fit under my Saviour's fhadow 
 with great Delight , and that his Fruit may 
 be fweet unto my Tafte : That I may in 
 this Sacrament, receive greater Strength than 
 ever againft my Sins, and be thereby nourifti- 
 ed up unto Everlafting Life ; that (o after this 
 painful Life is ended, I may fit down with 
 Abraham, Ifaae and Jacob in the Kingdom of 
 Heaven ;. for the fake of Jefus Chrift, who e- 
 ver lives to make Interceffion for us,in whole 
 moft perfect Form of Word, I conclude my 
 unworthy and impeife& Prayers, faying. 
 
 Our Father, &c. 
 
 ColleSl for Terfeyerance, 
 
 OGOD of all Power, and all Love, 
 who art the fame yefterday, to day, 
 and for ever, and haft allured us in thy Holy 
 Word, that thou wile not bieak the bruifed 
 Reed, nor quench the fmoaking Fiax. Ac- 
 cept. I befeech thee, for the fake of thy 
 Dear Son, any weak beginnings of Good- 
 nefs which thou msyft have wrought in me 
 by thy Holy Spi.it, Defpife not the Day 
 cP fmali things. Help me to continue to 
 
 the 
 
€Ije 3©o?tl)p Communicant i ; ; 
 
 the End, that I may be (aved. And now that 
 I have put my Hand to the Plough, grant 
 1 may never look back, left I be accoun- 
 ted unworthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. 
 My Strength, O Lord ! I afcribe unto thee, 
 for my own Heart has often deceived me, 
 and I know that all my Strength is weak- 
 nefs,and my Wifdom folly. Affift me there- 
 fore by the mighty Aids of thy Holy Spirit, 
 and while I am to wreftle, not only againft 
 Flejh and Bloody but againft Vrincifalites 
 and Powers, let the ftrong Man be bound 
 by a ftronger than he, and the God of Love 
 bruife Satan under my Feet. Let me be 
 content to fuffer fhame for thy fake, and 
 never be drawn away by the Number or 
 Greatnefs of bad Examples. Lead me not 
 into Temptation, and let me never be fo har- 
 dy and prelum ptuous as to rujh into it. Keep 
 me always Jober and vigilant, temperate and 
 humble, ever upon my Guard, watching and 
 praying, that the Enemy may obtain no ad- 
 vantage againft me. Accept and confirm 
 all my Vows and Re/olutions of Obedience. 
 Let me have a conftant Refpecl unto the 
 bleffed Recompence of Reward^ and by pa- 
 tient continuance in well doing, feek for, 
 and at length o&tain Glory, Immortality, 
 and Eternal Life, thro' thy Mercies injefus 
 Chrift my Lord. Amen I Amen. 
 
 For 
 
i ; 4 fcfyt 2©o?tijp tftmttmnicant. 
 
 For Faith. 
 
 OL O R D, who haft faid that he who 
 has but Faith as a Grain of Muftard- 
 feed, may remove Mountains, and that with- 
 out Faith it is impoflible to pleafe thee, In- 
 creafe my Faith, and let me thereby overcome 
 the World and the Flelh, and quench all che 
 fiery Darts of the Devil. Let me firmly, 
 believe all thy Promtfes to the Penitent and 
 Obedient, and all thy Tbreatmngs againft 
 impenitent Sinners. Let me not reft in a 
 dead Faith, a prefumptuous Opinion, that I 
 (hall be pardoned or faved, without perform- 
 ing all thofe good Works which thou haft 
 prepared for me to walk in. Give me that 
 Faith which worketh by Love, and by an 
 impartial Obedience to. thy Commands. 
 Let me firmly believe in the Lord jefus-, 
 that 1 may be faved ; and not tn/fi in my 
 own Right eonfnefsy but in his Merits, who 
 is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Lee 
 me always hope in him for Pardon of what's 
 pafi, and Grace to ferve thee better for the 
 future. Let. me have a lively and ftedi 
 Faith in him, when I approach- to his Table, 
 that I may draw near and take the Holy 
 Sacrament to my Cc>mfm> and. that it may 
 
 power- 
 
€$e &flio?tl)p Communicant i ; 5 
 
 powerfully help me forward in the right 
 way which leads unto Everlafting Life^ To 
 the unfading Glories of that happy State, 
 where Faith mall be changed into fight : 
 where, with Holy Souls, who are departed 
 this Life in the true Faith and Fear of thy 
 Holy Name, I may enjoy the End of my 
 Faith, the Salvation of my Soul, and fee, 
 and love thee to all Eternity, thro' Jefus, 
 Amen. 
 
 A Thank/giving before the 
 Sacrament. 
 
 WHAT mall I render to thee, O 
 God of all Grace, for the Riches 
 of thy Goodnefs towards me a miferable 
 Sinner ! How utterly unworthy am I, even 
 of the common Bleflings of Life! And yet 
 art thou pleafed out of thy infinite Mercies 
 once more to permit me, to invite me to 
 tread thy Courts, to (it at thy Table, and 
 to Feaft on Angels Food. O that my Heart 
 could be fully pofleft with Thoughts of Gra- 
 titude and Love ! O let ray Mouth be fil- 
 led with Thanks, and my Lips with Praiie, 
 for thofe ineftimable Benefits ! God will in 
 very deed dwell with Man t tho 5 the Heaven of 
 
 Heavens 
 
i ; 6 €Jje J©o?tl)p Communicant. 
 
 Heavens cannot contain him. My Saviour 
 will fulfil his gracious Promife, and be pre- 
 fent with his Church in his own Instituti- 
 ons, till the End of the World. I have now 
 one happy Opportunity more offered me to 
 .renew that Covenant which I have fb often 
 broken; to obtain greaterStrength againft my 
 Sins, and to facrifice them all before God at 
 his Holy Altar, even after I have either fre- 
 quently flighted the like Invitations, or been 
 prefent at thy Holy Table without due Pre- 
 paration and Devotion, or have foon for- 
 gotten thofe Promifes which i there made, 
 and thole Vows of God which hav.e been 
 upon me. But, O Lord ! as my utter unwor- 
 . thine fs does more magnifie thy infinite Good- 
 nejs^ fo let the Senfe of the one produce in 
 my Mind more lively and lairing acknow- 
 ledgements of the other. For which, help me 
 to magnifie thee O God my King, and to 
 praife thy Name for ever and ever ! and grant 
 that I may now approach thy Table with 
 fuch devout Praifes, fuch true Gratitude, fuch 
 humbte Love, as may there be accepted of 
 thee; and being increafed and confirmed by 
 the renewed Pledges of thy Favours, I may 
 continue to {hew forth thy Praife in the (red- 
 o*y Courfe of a fruitful, thankful, and obedi- 
 ent Life, thro' JefusChnft our Lord. Amtn! 
 
<%$z 3©ojtf)p Communicant i n 
 
 •A ColleB for Charity. 
 
 OLORD, who haft told us, that all 
 our doings without Charity are nothing 
 •worth, pour into my Heart, I befeech thee, 
 the moft excellent Gift of Chanty, that I 
 may love thee above all things, and love my 
 Neighbour as my felf. lam now approach- 
 ing once more to that Feaft of Love which 
 my .Saviour has provided for me : O that my 
 Heart may be entirely penetrated with his 
 Love, and that the endearing Thoughts of 
 what he has done and fuffered for me even 
 while I was an Enemy, may wholly fiibdue in 
 me all Hatred and Wrath, arid Malice, and 
 Revenge, and crjminal Self-love, and Pee- 
 viflmefs, and immoderate Anger > and may 
 render it as delightful to me, as 'tis necef- 
 fary, to Forgive all that have offended me, 
 as I exped that God for Chrift's fake mould 
 forgive me. Give me a conftant Difpofi- 
 tion to love my Enemies, to blefs them that 
 curfe me, do good to them that hate me, 
 and pray for them that defpightfully ufe me, 
 and perfecute me, [Here, if you have any 
 Enemies, 'twould be well in particular to name 
 them, and ask Pardon for them, and then add,] 
 Forgive, O Lord I my Trefpaffes, as I defire 
 
 from 
 
1 58 €lje 3©o?tI)p Communicant. 
 
 from the bottom" of my Heart, to forgive al l 
 thofethat trefpafs againft me; and help rne 
 by a wife, a gentle, and a peaceable beha- 
 viour, and by all good Offices towards them, 
 to heap Coals of Fire upon their Heads ,and melt 
 them down into a better Temper. Grant that 
 I may more and more covet that beft Gift 
 of Charity, and may feel it daily encreafe 
 in my Heart towards ail my Chriftian Bre- 
 thren. Let my Love unto them be ad- 
 vanced in proportion to their Excellency in 
 Pietyyand nearer Refemblance to God. E- 
 fpecially, unite me in the mod fervent and 
 tender Affe&ion to ail thofe with whom, by 
 thy Grace, I fhall partake of the Bread of 
 Life at the approaching Communion. Let us 
 be all one Body and one Bread ; and grant 
 that I may heartily feekthe Welfare both of 
 their Souls and Bodies Blefs thy Holy Ca- 
 tholickChurch,efpecially that part of it plant- 
 ed in thefe Kingdoms : Reform her Profef- 
 fors, heal her Breaches, difappoint and con- 
 vert her Enemies; Pity aji that fufTer for 
 Righteoufnefs fake; [ Here add any particular 
 Church that is perfecuttd, as fuppofem France, 
 Scotland, &c>~\ Comfort the afflicted, fup- 
 port the miferable, help thofe that have no 
 helper,and in thy due time,deliver thine Ifraet 
 out of all their Trouble, for Chrift his fake. 
 Amen ! 
 
 £XVJIL 
 
€fje i©o?tf)p Communicant* i % 9* 
 
 § XVUL Having thus finifhed the Di- 
 rections concerning fuch a Mated Exami- 
 nation and • Preparation as is • neceflary or 
 highly- convenient to thofe who have Op- 
 fortunities for it, in the Week, before the 
 Communion, I ftxould- here add a Summary 
 of them for the ufe of fuch as have not 
 Tims ot Convenience for fuch a larger Pre- 
 paration : But think it more proper to re- 
 mit that to the End of this Tracl:, and 
 fhall add. a word or two in the Conclu- 
 fion of this Chapter, concerning our Be- 
 haviour betwixt this forementioned Prepa- 
 ration, and our actual approach to ^the Sa- 
 crament, efpecially in the Morning* of the 
 Communion, 
 
 § XIX. For the former ; as for the 
 Time that pafTes between our Preparation 
 and Reception, he who defires to be a Wor- 
 thy Communicant, can hardly be too care- 
 ful, or too much upon his Guard, left he 
 fhould build again thejhingt he had deflroy- 
 ed, and fall from his ftedfaftntfs* He can- 
 not therefore do better than to repeat his 
 Examen, not only every Evening, which has 
 been the Cuftom even of Heathens, and e- 
 very Evening arid Morning as many feri* 
 cm Chrifiians, but even oftner in the day, 
 
 if: 
 
140 €fte t©o?tfjp Communicant 
 
 if there be Opportunity, according to the 
 
 practice of devout Perfons of 
 
 * Marquis de other Communions* for, why 
 
 ^VeJS^ ffi ° uId We n0C foll ° W 3 g0 ° d 
 Example, whoever it be that 
 
 gives it ? And hereby we 
 fliaH preferve that good Frame which 'tis to 
 be hoped- we have already acquired by our 
 folemn Preparation,, and if any criminal 
 Thought, Word, or Ad ion mould efcape us, 
 may immediately wajh. it off again by a 
 fpeedy re col left ion and Repentance^ that our 
 Wedding Garment may be clean and unfpotted 
 when we enter into the Marriage. In order 
 whereunto, 'twould be advifable to avoid 
 mingling with worldly Bujinefs, as much as 
 poflible ; however, to fhun fuch Converfa* 
 tion and Diver fion as would be apt to efface, 
 or leffen thofe good Imprejjions which with 
 fo much Pains, may have lately been fix- 
 ed on our Minds. 
 
 $ XIX. In the Morning which imme- 
 diately precedes the * Communion, {hake off 
 Sloth betimes, remember who 'tis that calls,, 
 rife early to meet your Redeemer. And with 
 the Royal Pfalmift, Pfal. f . 3. in the morning 
 dire& your Prayer unto him, and look up 
 for his Grace and Affiftance : contrary to the 
 very, ill Cuftom of too many who make the 
 
 Lord** 
 
€fje Wotfyp Communicant. 1 4 1 
 
 Lord's bay as ftiort as they can, and indulge 
 their Sloth and ldlenefs on* that Day more 
 than on any other. But (o will not the 
 pious Cbriftian, efpecially when he defigns 
 and defires to be a Worthy Communicant ; 
 but confiders the great Advantages of being 
 early at his Devotions, before his Mirld be 
 filled or diverted by any other Objecl ; and 
 that wonderful Spirit and Life} which 
 it adds to his Mediations and Prayers, when 
 . his Mind is thus frejh and vigorous,, his Body 
 refreflit.by reft and. fleep> and his Spirits re- 
 created and revived ; when he fees and hears 
 all the Creation round him praifing God : 
 with whom he may joyn, and make it his 
 firft happy. Employment to fing his Praifes ; 
 either in the Lxiii Pfalm, O God my gracious 
 God, &c the five firft Verfes. Or (if he 
 pleafes ) in the Sacramental morning Hymn, 
 * Awake my heart, &c. annexed, among o- 
 thers to this Treatife. Then, after his Exa- 
 men, he may repeat the Devotions ufed at 
 the Preparation or any other from the Whole 
 Duty of Man, or other pious Books, or of 
 his own Compofing. As for eating, or not 
 eating any thing the Morning before we 
 receive, 'tis a thing in it felf indifferent, and 
 therefore muft be determined according to 
 the Conftitutwn of the Communicant. If a 
 Perfon be firong and .htalth/ s and finds no 
 
 inconve- 
 
i4* €I)e £©o?tfjp Communicant 
 
 - . 
 
 inconvenience from abfiinence, but rather 
 that his Mind 'is thereby more abfiracled 
 from che World, and more fixed and intent 
 on what he is going about, as well as he 
 gains more time to fit himfelf for it; in fuch 
 cafesit may be better to abfiain from any 
 FooJlas our Ancestors did formerly from 
 other lawful things, before 
 * Vide BedeV the Communion. * But on 
 Ecclefiaftical Hi- the other fide, if Perfim 
 fi° r >' be of a weak Confiitution,. 
 
 and find that fuch Fafting 
 the Morning before they receive, does real- 
 ly diforder them, and render them lefs fit 
 for God's Service, they may be aflured in fuch 
 cafes, as St. Paul fays of another, indifferent 
 Action, * they may do what they will, they 
 *fin not; or rather they would here do bet- 
 ter to eat than to forbear, becaufe Fafting 
 is no farther a Duty or acceptable, than as * 
 it tends to the better performance of other 
 "Duties. Befides, there is no fuch thing as 
 Fafting here enjoyned, or any Example of 
 it in the Scriptures ; and our Saviour infti- 
 tuted this Sacrament after Supper. Which I 
 mention, becaufe fome weak Perfons may 
 have brought this among other frivolous 
 pretences againft receiving, that when they 
 have tried to Fafi, as that morning, they have 
 been thereby thrown into great Diforder. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
<€\)t 3©o?tf)p Communicant. 1 43 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Of our Behaviour immediately before 
 the Communion, and when we 
 receive it. 
 
 § L 1 X7HEN the pious Communicant 
 YV * s S°f n £ t0 ^ e Houfe of God, 
 and more nearly approach- 
 ing to his Holy Table, he ought to keep bis 
 Heart with all Diligence ; fteddily to fix his 
 Thoughts, and Inttnfions, and Expectations, 
 and all little enough, confidering the fub- 
 tilt/ and vigilance of his A dverfary, who, as he 
 does all he can to hinder Men from coming to 
 this* Sacrament, fo doubtleft he will not be 
 wanting in his Endeavours to dsfiurb the-m 
 when they come, andobftrud their profiting 
 by it' and happinefs in it. If we-haye any Dif- 
 tourjt in our way thither, it ought to .be 
 only fuch as that in the ill Tjalm, which 
 is thought to have been repeated by the 
 fious Worflrippers of old, when going up to 
 offer at the Temple in Jerufalem. In the 
 nrft and fecond Ve; 1; I was glad when 
 thej [aid mto me t let us 1 mto tht Houfe of 
 
 the 
 
* 44 <®& c t©o?ti)p Communicant*. 
 
 the Lord. Our Feet (hall (tand in thy Gates 
 Jerufalem. Now as this accurate Care, 
 and (leady Intention of mind is highly neceP 
 fary when we approach the Houfe of God, Co 
 is it more particularly and eminently need- 
 ful when we draw near to the Holy Table: 
 If we fuffer our Words, our Eyes, or even 
 our Thoughts, to wander in our way thither, 
 we mall find it very difficult, and next to 
 impoffible to retain thofe good Dijpofitions, 
 which we brought with us from our private 
 Devotions, or even to retrieve them when we 
 are prefent at the place, and in the Acl of 
 Worjhip. And indeed, this feems to be the 
 very Reafbn why we .are fo often difturhed. 
 with wandring Thoughts in* God's Service, 
 and find fo little Cvmfort or Benefit fome- 
 times in the higheft Acls of it, becaufe we 
 are feldom upon our Guard in our ap- 
 proaches to it. A Vrudent Chrifiian will there- 
 fore be fo far from indulging himfelf in un- 
 profitable Vifcowrfe or wandring Thoughts, 
 when he is coming to this heavenly Banquet, 
 that as foon as he is entred the Houfe of 
 God, be will fall on his Knees, and acknow- 
 ledge his glorious Fre fence , who inhabits 
 therein, and humbly implore his AJfiftance 
 and Grace, and retire deeply into himfelf^ and 
 endeavour to compofe his Mind to fuch a 
 devout Frame as may fome way qualifie him 
 
 to 
 
Gfyz i©o?tf)p Communicant 145 
 
 to meet his Saviour and receive a BleJJing 
 from him. 
 
 $ IL Which leads to our Behaviour da- 
 ring the atlual Celebration of this Sacrament* 
 And after the mod ftrid and impartial En- 
 quiry into the ufeful iMors of -good Men on 
 this Subjed, one mull be forced to acknow- 
 ledge, that nothing can be found fo com* 
 pleat, fo rational, and fo moving, as thoie 
 Exhortations and Directions which the Church 
 has provided on this occafion, in her Com- 
 munion-Service \ containing the J£uinte fence 
 of all the ancient Offices, and carrying fo 
 much of the Primitive Simplicity, Gravity^ 
 and Piety through every part of it, that it 
 has been acknowledged to be very full and 
 excellent, even by thofe who are fa unhappy 
 as not to ufe it. 
 
 I ftull therefore take thofe Directions 
 which are neceffary to regulate our Beha- 
 viour at the time of receiving , from the 
 feveral Parts of the Churches Office, which 
 will be of great Advantage in order to fix 
 the enfuing Advices in our Memories, an<J 
 affift us in their Practice, when we fliall 
 meet with them all in order (except fbme 
 few things which relate to our private De- 
 votions) in the Churches excellent Form al- 
 ready mentioned * on every part whereof we 
 H ought 
 
1 46 Cfje i©o?tgp Communicant 
 
 onght therefore to bend our Minds with 
 the utmoft Intention, and go to along with e- 
 very Word which the Minifter pronounces ; 
 which if we are careful to do, and to ob- 
 ferve thofe Direcltons he therein gives us, 
 we cannot fail of bring worthy Receivers. 
 
 And we are therein dire&ed to mod of. 
 the fame things which were before men- 
 tioned, as neceflary to our Preparation, tho' 
 heje they are to be all exercifed and abled 
 anew, with the utmoft Intention of our 
 Minds. And they are, firft, Repentance. 
 2. Faith, %, Devotion. 4. Humility, 5. Thank f 
 giving, 6. Charity, And in the laft place, 
 a particular I aclual, and fclernn Remembrance 
 of our Saviour's Death, and the Ends of it, 
 Sitid of the Inftitution of this Sacrament, 
 
 § III. And firft, for Repentance, which 
 we muft renew and exerctfe at the Table 
 of the Lord, becaufe we are there to re- 
 new our Covenant with him, and muft con- 
 fequently with the deepeft Contrition, im- 
 plore his Tar don for our frequent Breaches 
 of it. I do not know whether ever there 
 were in any humane Writings, fo lively, full 
 and pathetick a Form of Confefjlon, as that 
 which the Church here ufes, in the Name 
 of all thofe which are minded to receive 
 the Holy Communion ; and one would think 
 
 if 
 
Cf)e t©o?ttjp Communicant 147 
 
 it were fcarce poffible for any,unlefs the mod 
 hardned Sinner, to repeat this Confeffion after 
 ths Minifter without being touched and mo- 
 ved by it, and without feeling fomething of 
 Contrition and Sorrow for his Offences. This 
 I dare affirm* that there's no good Man, 
 who has duly prepared himfelf for this Or- 
 dinance, but when he comes to this part of 
 the Office, will find himfelf mod fenfibly 
 and deeply affetted with it : For as the Church 
 has immediately before invited \ thole who 
 c do truly and earneftly repent of their 
 c Sins, to draw near and take this Holy Sa- 
 c crament \ fo it inftru&s them in this moft t 
 humble Confeffion to Almighty God, how to 
 exerafe that Repentance : In the firft part 
 whereof, we are taught, * to acknowledge 
 c and bewail our Sins. In the fecond, 
 ' actually to repent of them, to deteft and 
 1 abhor them. In the third, e to beg mercy 
 ' for Jefus Chrift's fake; and in the laft place, 
 1 to implore firengtb againft them. 
 
 £ IV i'To acknowledge them.and to bewail 
 our mamfcu Sins and Wickedneis, fince wc 
 can by no means hide them from the Eye. 
 of Heaven, and they are the trueft and jufteft 
 Caufes of Lamentation and Sorrow* Nor arc 
 we to reft in generals } but here again, to 
 call to mind the greateft and mbft hainous 
 Sins, whereof on our former Examination* 
 
 H 2 .we 
 
148 €Ijc H3o?t£p Communicant 
 
 we have found our (elves guilty, whether in 
 Thought, Word, or outward Atlton. Thefe 
 we are to acknowledge, we have molt 
 grievoufly committed ; which may imply the 
 hainous aggravation of them, for which we 
 muft own, that we have provoked moft juftly 
 Gqd's Wrath and Indignation againft us, that 
 •we have deferved his Anger, and all the 
 dreadful Conferences thereof, in the Punifh- 
 tnents both of this and another World. 
 
 § V. And having thus confefi and acknow- 
 ledged our Sins,their number, continuance, extent ', 
 and aggravation, we are directed to proceed 
 -to the formal Acl of Repentance for them ; 
 to profefs, c that we do earneftly repent, and 
 ' are heartily forry for thefe our mifdoings ; 
 and woe to him, who, tho' he joyns in this 
 rfolemn protefiation with all good Cbrifiians, 
 yet does not truly and earneftly repent of 
 his Sins, nor is heartily forry for them, which, 
 how can he be thought to be when he falls 
 into them again, on the next Temptation ? 
 whereas, if we do truly repent of them, c the 
 c Remembrance of them wiU be indeed grie- 
 y * vous unto w 9 and their Burthen intolerable : 
 We fhall know how evil and bitter a thing 
 it is to depart from the Living God, and 
 be weary and heavy laden, and fly to Chrift 
 to give us reft. Which Repentance and ah- 
 •horunce of our Sins, ought to be railed to 
 
 the 
 
€f)e f©o?tfjp Communicant* 1 49 
 
 the great eft height b } at the time of 'Confecration, 
 when we fee Chrift's Sacramental Body broken, 
 and his Blood poured out for us : and juft at 
 the time of receiving, when we ought with 
 an Holy Indignation to brins* our S#fc/, and 
 nail them to the Crofs of Chrift ;* co kill 
 thofe Murderers, as Benaiab did Joab, at the 
 Horns of the Altar ; to facrifice them there, 
 and Z>*2£> them in pieces before the Lord ; 
 in fhort, to be deeply afflitled for them, 
 and to- make firm Rejolves to forfake 
 them 
 
 5> YI. In order to which, we mull in the 
 third place, ask mercy for Chrift's fake, and 
 pardon for all our Sins ; as the Church teaches 
 us in thofe moving and tender Expreiiionsi 
 c Have mercy upon us ! Have mercy upon 
 c us moll merciful Father ! For thy Son our 
 * Lord Jefus Chrift's fake, forgive us all 
 f that is paft. And this we have need to 
 pray for, fince without Forgivenefs, the fafi 
 Guilt remains, as well as the Funijhment due 
 for our Sins* tho' we mould no more com- 
 mit them. But both are remitted in this Sa- 
 crament to the worthy Receiver , not by Vir- 
 tue of oar own Merits^ or any Preparation, 
 Examination, or Repentance, or even of the 
 very Act oi outward receiving, but merely 
 for Chrift's fake, on account of his Merits 
 and lnterce(Jion i and by the Virtue which 
 H 3 flows 
 
j 50 (€l<e JBojtfjp Communicant* 
 
 flows from his wounded Side, his fpiritual Fle(h 
 and Blood, inwardly received by the Faithful 
 in this Ordinance* 
 
 § VII. Now we are taught to conclude this 
 Ccnfejjien jWith prayingthatGod would 'grant 
 * bis that we may ever hereafter ferve and 
 t pleafe him in newnefs of Life, without 
 which, all that's pafi is in vain ; nor is there 
 any that's lo perfe&Iy renewed that he has 
 not ftill need to purge out fbmething of 
 the old Leaven. Ancl tho* God will give 
 fuch Grace to thofe who worthily partake of 
 this Sacrament^ yet has he apporntedJPr^/fr 
 as the means to obtain it, and of our per- 
 jeverance in well-doing, and daily encrea- 
 iing in Goodnefs; which Prayer does virtu* 
 ally contain a Promife to ufe our own ut- 
 moft endeavors to amend cur Lives ; that 
 RefoUtion of better Obedience, which feems 
 to be the very Acl wherein we renew our 
 Covenant with God, and engage to fulfil 
 cur part of it; which if we do faithfully 
 perform^ he will never be wanting to 
 his, 
 
 $ V I II. Thus much for Repentance. The 
 fecond Grace to be exercifed at the Sa- 
 crament is Faith, which we are to reduce 
 into Acl when the Minifter declares in the 
 Ab\ohtion ; ' That Almighty God has pro- , 
 
 4 mifed 
 
€fje J©ojtf)p Communicant 1 5 1 
 
 * mifed forgivennefs of Sins to all them that 
 ' with hearty Repentance, artel true Faith* 
 
 * turn unto him ; further praying, f That 
 c God would have mercy upon us, far* 
 
 * don and deliver us from all our Sins, con- 
 r firm and ftrengthen us in all Goodnefs^ 
 ' and bring us ro 'Everlafting Life. Which 
 Absolution we are humbly to receive up* 
 on our Knees , as an author native Declara- 
 tion, from one commijjkned by Chrift him- 
 felf to bind and loofe, and to remit and re- 
 tain Sins : to which, we are to add a hearty 
 and faithful Amen ; as being fully afjure'i' 
 that God will perform what he has pro- 
 mifed by his Son, if we neglecl not our parts- 
 in the Covenant. Faith is here more emi- 
 nently necejfary, as well with refped to ail 
 the Promifes of the Go/pel, as to the parti- 
 cular Benefits of this Sacrament, and the 
 application of them to our felves. For our 
 Lord has (aid, c He that eateth my Fleiri* 
 c anddrinketh my Blood, hath eternal Life, 
 
 * and I will raife him up at the laft Day. 
 The faithful Receiver eats and drinks Sal- 
 vation ; this Sacrament mail eminently con- 
 duce unto it. He is thereby united to 
 Chrift, one with Chrift and Chrift with 
 him, and by virtue of that indiffbluble union, 
 fealed in this Holy Ordinance, he receives a 
 Principle of Immortality, whereby he fhall 
 
 H 4 be 3 
 
isi €f)e l©ojtfjp Comttiumcam. 
 
 bz, not only raifed from the Death of fin 
 in this Worlds but at length raifed from the 
 Grave, and live in endlcfe Happmefs : which 
 alio feems to be the meaning oi the Frayer in 
 the very delivery of the • Elements, w The 
 1 Body and Blood of oar Lord Jefus Chrift 
 1 preferve thy Body, and Soul to Everlafting 
 * Life; ro which, moll devout Chriftians 
 add their private Amen, as being fully per- 
 Jwaded that it fhall have that happy effi- 
 cacy to every worthy Receiver. And the 
 lame Act of Faith they are to exert when 
 they hear the Minifter read thofe comfort- 
 eblc Words which our Saviour faith by him- 
 felf and his Apoftles, to all that truly turn 
 unto him, c Come unto me all that travel 
 c and are heavy ladem and I will refreflx 
 1 yjbii, &c. To which the devout Soul will 
 be ready to anfwer, ' Draw me, and we 
 ' will run after thee ! or with St. Peter, 
 4 To whom Diould we go but to thee ; 
 1 1 ft the Words of eternal Life. And 
 fo in the reft of the Sentences, applying them 
 to himfelf by a particular Aft of Faith, and 
 trying, ' Lord, I believe, help my unbelief 
 And this Faith will be mightily advanced 
 our a&uai advertence to ChrifPi fpiri- 
 tual prefence in this Holy Ordinance, more 
 effliiientiy,gracioufly and peculiarly, than in 
 any other.. And the higheft Ac! cf ir, is 
 
 to 
 
Cije Woztfyp Communicant 1 $ % 
 
 to be exercifed at the very inftant of recei- 
 ving, 
 
 § IX. Devotion is in the third place high- 
 ly necedary to a Worthy Communicant, at the 
 time of Celebration, and in all the parts of 
 that Holy Office. By which Devotion is meant, 
 c the interne abftraclion, or withdrawing 'of 
 ' the Mind from all wordly things, till it ac- 
 ' quires a contrary bent and inclination, and 
 c mounts freely and vigoroufly towards Hea- 
 ' ven, defpifing and trampling all the ridjcu- 
 c Awj trifles of this pen'hing World, and 
 * counting all things but Dung and Drofs, for 
 1 the Knowledge, for the Love of a crucified 
 c Redeemer ; which every very gW A/<*» expe- 
 riences in fome happier moments of his Life* 
 Now the way to obtain th«, is the vigo- 
 rous acting of Faith, Repentance, Humility j. 
 and Divine Love ; and trie Energy and in- 
 ward frQQ motion of the A4*W towards Hea- 
 ven. A nd to this, the Church invites in thoJ& 
 Words which were ufed on this occafion in 
 the Primitive times. Tbt jurfum cordal or, Lift 
 up your Hearts ! to which *he Congregation 
 replys, * We lift them up unto the Lo^d : 
 which we have the higheft reafon to do, wnen « 
 he confers -fuch ineftumble. Favours upon,^ 
 us, and when Chrift inftiruted this Fea(t> 
 as has been fa id principally for this Rea-i 
 H s , ion 3 
 
1*4 ®J* 3©o?tfjp Communicant 
 
 f>n, that we mould think upon him, our 
 abfent Friend ; give our (elves a little *<*/<? 
 and breathing from the amufements and c*r* 
 of Life; f/c^e from this World, and fix our 
 Hearts upon a ^tter, upon that happy plmce, 
 ( where Chrift fits at the right Hand of 
 God, and whither, if we are faithful to 
 him, we mall at length alfb arrive, feeing 
 he has prayed to his Father, c That all thole 
 ' whom he has given him, may be with 
 
 * him where he is, that they may behold 
 
 s his Glory. St. Jehn 1 7. 24. 
 
 i 
 
 _§.X A fourth Grace is Humility. This 
 is indeed included in Repentance, for a true 
 Fenitent muft be humble : But we muft be 
 more explicite in it, and are dire&ed by the 
 Churclf, to form a particular Aft thereof, 
 immediately before the Consecration ; when 
 the Pried kneeling at the Lord's Table, fays 
 in the name of all that communicate, * We 
 
 * do not prefume to come to this thy Table, 
 
 * O merciful Lord ! trufting in our own 
 
 * Righteoufnefs, but only in thy manifold 
 
 * and great Mercies, We are not worthy 
 c fo much as to gather up the Grumbs under 
 J thy Table. And indeed, one would wonder 
 that any Chriftian fhould think he could 
 exprefs too great Humility, either of Body 
 ar Mind, when becomes before the Throne 
 
€ije t©o?tl)p Communicant. 1 5 5 
 
 of God to receive his Par Jen. 3 Tis this 
 mod humble pr oft rat ion of Soul, this fbafe- 
 ment, and annihilation of our felves, and 
 utterly difclaiming our own merits, which 
 feems to be the bottom of that feraphical Di* 
 vinity, which has made fb much noife in 
 the World. If they make it more than 
 this, 'tis dangerous Enthufiafm, as has appear- 
 ed both in the Church of Rome and others. 
 If they reft it here, as is done in fome 
 part at lead, of San ft a Sophia, it is ac- 
 countable and rational, and may be of 
 great Advantage in the courfe of a Chrt- 
 fiian Life ; efpecially in the Sacrament , where 
 the lower we abafe our felves, the higher 
 will God raife us. And this we ought 
 particularly to exercife when we fee the 
 Minifter approaching to us, with the Bread 
 or Wme, and firmly to believe, that we 
 fhall receive our Saviour together with 
 them. 
 
 § XL But yet fifthly ; this ought not to 
 hinder, but rather to encreafe our Thankful- 
 nefs ; becaufe, as has been laid, the Senie of 
 God's Goodnefs muft needs be advanced by 
 the consideration of our own unwortbimfs, 
 To this the Church efpecially, direds us : * A* 
 * hove all things, ye muft render moHhumble 
 
 ' and 
 
1 5 6 €§t J©o?tf)p Communicant. 
 
 4 and hearty Thanks to God the Father, Son 
 
 * and Holy Ghcft, for the Redemption of 
 e thl World bv the Death and Paffion of 
 
 * our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. And 
 again, after the Surfum Cor 4a, we are invi- 
 ted, f To give Thanks co our Lord God, to 
 which the Congregation anfwers, % 9 Tis 
 r * meet and right Co Co do. On which fol- 
 lows that foiemn Aft of Thanks and Pratfe 
 which the Piieft alone pronounces, as 'tis 
 fold our Saviour did in St. Luk t ~ii. 19. and 
 in 1 Cc/, 1 r.24, * He took Bread, and when 
 *he had given Thanks , he broke it. From 
 which AVmns, the whole Sacrament obtain- 
 ed two Names ; the Eucharift, from giving 
 Thanks, as 'tis exprefly called in two or three 
 places of the New Teftarnent, in the Syriac 
 Verfion ; and breaking of Bread, as 'tis Ailed 
 in the Afts of the A f oft Us Now this fraifing 
 God, and acknowledging and. adming his in- 
 finite Goodnefs, ought to fpread it felf 
 thro 5 every part of the Office:. And even 
 our Rtfentanse and Humility would be fo 
 managed, as to encreafe our Praifes, But 
 we- fhould more efpecialiy, exercife our 
 Tbankfukefs , when the Mimfter fays, ' It 
 
 * is meet, right, and our, bounden Duty, 
 
 ' that we fhould at all 
 *-iTfoJf,$. 16, c times, * and in all places 
 f give Thanki unco God | 
 on 
 
/Cije t©o?rt)p Communicant 1 57 
 
 on which follows that Serapbical Anthem, re- 
 peated by Saints here below, and Angels a- 
 bove: ' Therefore with Angels and Arch- 
 € angels, &c. In which the pious Communi- 
 cant joins both in Heart and Voice^ as well as 
 in the particular Prefaces before ir, where- 
 in we are directed to praife God, either for 
 the Bkth of Chrift, or his ReJurreBion, or 
 Afcenfion, or for his fending the Holy Gboft ; or 
 elfe we adore the Divine Trinity in the Unity 
 of the Godhead : wfiich Prefaces feem to 
 have been added, becaufe the Church does 
 ^not doubt, but that fo often at leaft, as 
 thefe greater Feftivals return, there will be 
 a Communion. And after we have received, 
 f We entirely defire our heavenly Father, 
 6 mercifully to accept our Sacrifice of Praife 
 1 and Thank fgivwg ;. and we moil heard- 
 c ly thank him, that he has vouchfafed to 
 ' feed us, who have duly received thefe 
 
 * Holy Myfteries, with the fpiritual Food 
 
 * of the mod precious Body and Blood of 
 'his dear Son, and aflured us thereby, of 
 c his Favour and Goodnefi towards us : 
 And then we again break out into that 
 Hymn of Praife to the whole Blefled Tri- 
 nity -, part of which is the fame that was 
 fung by the Angels at the Birth of our Sa- 
 viour ; ' Glory to God on High, on Earth 
 
 * Peace, Good- will toward Men. But more 
 
 efpeeially 
 ♦ ■ 
 
1 58 €fje 2©o?ti)p Communicant 
 
 efpecially, are we to have our Hearts filled 
 with the mod exalted Praifes, in the very 
 Atl of Receivings to which the Minifter 
 exhorts us in the delivery both of the Bread 
 and Wine, Nothing but Faith t and Holy 
 jfy/,and bumble Praife, are then to be admit- 
 ted. Then, when the Holy Soul is in the 
 Mount with God, and (ays, 'tis good for 
 her to be here, and if any thing of diftur- 
 bance can find Entrance, 'tis becaufe fhe 
 mufr fo foon return again to a fordid, vexa- 
 tious, impertinent World, when fhe is now 
 already on the Wing for Heaven, is ad- 
 vanced fo far upward in that glorious 
 Road, and would fo gladly fly away and 
 be at reft in the Bofom of her Re- 
 deemer. 
 
 $ XII. The laft Grace is Charity 9 ta- 
 ken in the largeft Senfe, for Love to God 
 and to our Neighbour. 1. Love to God, 
 the Soul of all Piety s which quickens and 
 enlivens every Cbrtfiian Duty. This is here 
 encreafed by remembring God's Love to us, 
 in fending his Son, and our Saviour's Love, 
 in giving himfelf to die for us. This Sacra- 
 went is the deareft Tcken of his Love 3 and the 
 Church accordingly tells us, ' That tothe EW, 
 
 * we fhould always remember the exceeding 
 
 * great Law. of our Mafter, and only Saviour 
 
 ' Jefus 
 
€fje Mtytyp Communicant 1 59 
 
 ' Jefus Chrift in dying for us, he has infti- 
 c tuted and ordained Holy Myftenes as 
 c Pledges of it. And the a&ual and lively 
 Confederation hereof, of Ghrift's wonder- 
 ful Love towards us, miferable Sinners, fo 
 ungrateful, fo unworthy, fo oj^en guilty of 
 broken Faith, and broken Vows, who have 
 loved the World and our own Lulls, more 
 than him, who have grieved him, who have 
 wounded him, who have crucified him by 
 our Sins, and who continue to do fo 5 
 ( for there is no Man that lives and fins 
 not, ) and all this, to him who ftill loves 
 us, .and ftill offers us Peace, and Fardon, and 
 Grace, and Heaven, and even his own blejfed 
 Body and Blood in this heavenly Feajt : Shall 
 not all this prevail with us to give him 
 'our worthlefs Love again for the reft of 
 our Lives ? To give it him without excep- 
 tion, and without referve. It muft, it will, 
 it cannot fail of having this happy ejfecJ, if 
 we carefully regard every part of this /acred 
 Aclion, and intently confider our Saviour's 
 Death, as reprefented- therein ; efpecially 
 while the Minifter is conlecrating the Ele- 
 ments, the whole Prayer of Confecration be- 
 ing made up of a lively and thankful Re- 
 cognition of our Saviour's [offerings, and of 
 his inftituting the Sacrament in memory of 
 them. We are therefore, in order to the exer- 
 
 cifing 
 
1 60 Cfje Woptiv Communicant 
 
 cifing and encreafing of our Love to Chnft 
 diligently ac that time, to regard the Mini- 
 fter with our Eye, and Chrift with our 
 Hearts. When we fee rhe Bread broken, 
 and the Wine pcrured out, then to conlider 
 With all the Agonies of our Souls, and with . 
 Hearts pierdlfci and melted with the Love of 
 Jefus, what Agonies he himfelf endured for 
 us, both in his Body and Mind. Then to 
 look on him whom we have pierced, and 
 mourn for him, and delight in him, and hate 
 thofe Sins which were the caufe of this, 
 and which can only divide us from his 
 Love ; and efpecially when we aclually re- 
 ceive* Then are our Souls to be intimately 
 united to his Divine Perfon. Then are we 
 so embrace him as the chiefeft of Ten 
 Thousands, and fairer than all the Chil- # 
 dren of Men ; to adore his infinite Per- 
 flations, to be loft in the contemplation and 
 admiration of them, and to be wholly ra- 
 viflnd with his Love. 
 
 § XIII. Which will mightily afiift us in 
 the exercife cf the other branch oi Chanty, 
 Love to cur Neighbour, for this cannot but 
 be eaiie to us when our Minds are m 
 to tfrs happy Temper. The Love of Chi ift 
 will fubdue the Enmity of our Natures to- 
 wards each other, that Pride which is the 
 caufc of almoft all (fyarrels, that hftemfi 
 
 of 
 
€fje 3©o?t!)p Communicant, i 6 1 
 
 - 
 
 of Spirit, and Rancor, and Malice, and Re- 
 venge and Anger. Thofe obfcene Birds will 
 all fly away before the Beams of the bltjjed 
 Sun of Righteoufnefs, as did the Devils 
 of old from their Oraeles. All our Hatred 
 will be againft our Sins, all our indigna- 
 tion, our Refentments, our ^Revenge, (for 
 neither were thofe in vain implanted in 
 our Minds ) wiii be turned quite another 
 way. O how happy would the World be, 
 did but the Body of Chnftians frequently 
 and worthily receive the Communion. I am 
 confident, nothing could (boner heal the 
 wide Wounds of Chriftendom, as I believe 
 the negled of it has been the great Origi- 
 nal of them, as well as of all our own Fa- 
 ctions and Divifions. All good Men muft 
 love one another, if they often met at this 
 Holy Table. They could not, they dared not 
 there retain, or nourim any fiqsie againft 
 each other. They would Love much, both 
 Chrift and his Members^ becaufe they fo 
 often confidered that much was forgiven 
 them. And tho' this may feem a Digref- 
 fion, yet the Truth and Conferences there- 
 of appear (b plain, and fo confiderabie, 
 that I knew not how to omit it. But to 
 return ; Charity is here to be adually ex- 
 ercjfed towards all Chrilt's Members, e- 
 
 fpecjally 
 
1 62 €lje t©o?t!)p Communicant* 
 
 fpecially towards thole with whom we com" 
 municate. We are to knit our Hearts mod 
 clofely and intimately to them, with the 
 Bands of Holy Love. Poor and Rich, with- 
 out exception, only loving thofe mop that 
 love God moft. We are to pray for them 
 all, and not only in the Offertory, but on 
 other occafiotfs, to do them all theGWwe 
 can, by faithful Counfel, by tender and pru- 
 dent 'Reproof, and by all lawful and poffible 
 means, promoting the welfare of their Souls 
 and Bodies. And laftly, by devout Prayer 
 to God for them, as we are dire&ed : 
 c That all who are partakers of this Holy 
 
 * Communion , may be filled with his Grace 
 
 * and heavenly Benedi&ion. But tho' our 
 Charity is to begin there, we are not to con- 
 fine the Exercife thereof to thofe only 
 who then a&ually communicate with us, 
 for we are alfb dire&ed by the excellent 
 Spirit of our Church, (hewing it felf in 
 thofe Holy Confejfors and Martyrs who com- 
 pofed her Liturgy; ' humbly to befeech 
 r God to grant, by the Merits and Death 
 1 of his Son Jefus Chrift, and thro' Faith 
 4 in his Blood, that not only we s but alfo 
 r his whole Church may obtain Remiflion 
 c of our Sins, and all other Benefits of his 
 ! Paffion. Which may he grant who hasfo 
 
 dearly 
 
 
€f)e i©o?tf)p Communicant* 1 6 * 
 
 dearly purchafed it for us, to wnom with 
 the Father and Holy Ghoft, be all Glory, 
 Honour and Dominion, now, and to Eter- 
 nal Ages. Amen ! 
 
 If there be any time betwen the Confe- 
 cration and attual Receivings the Communi- 
 cant may make ufe of thefe following 
 Devotioas. 
 
 An AH of Penitence* 
 
 O Infinite offended Goodhefs ! who art a 
 confuming Fire to the obftinaw Sin- 
 ner ; but infinite to pardon thofe who con- 
 fers and forfake their Sins. I defire ear- 
 neftly to repent of all my Mifdeeds ! I will 
 acknowledge my Tranfgreffions before 
 thee, and mine Iniquities will I not hide. 
 I have finned! I have finned! O Father, 
 againft Heaven and before thee. Againft 
 thy Mercies and thy Judgments, the Thun- 
 der of thy Law, and the 11 ill (mail Voice 
 of thy Gofpel. Againft the cleareft Ma- 
 mfeftations of thy wonderful Love, in 
 fending thy Son to fhed his Blood as an. 
 attonement for the Sins of the whole 
 World ; which precious Blood of his, I 
 
 hav© 
 
*64 €fje 3©o?tfjp Communicant* 
 
 — 1 
 
 have too often trampled under Foot, and 
 crucified the Son of God afrefti by mv re- 
 peated Iniquities. Nor all his bitter Ago- 
 nies have been (o far able to pierce my hard 
 Heart, as to make me entirely forfake my 
 Sins which were the Caufe of them, 
 Tho' he Iweat Drops of Blood in the 
 Garden; tho' his Soul was exceedingly 
 forrowful even unto Death ; tho' he en- 
 dured the Contradictor of Sinners; tho' 
 he was mocked, and buffeted, and fpit 
 on, and crowned with Thorns, and fcour- 
 gedj and fainted under his Crofs, and 
 was nailed unto it, and railed in the Air 
 a fpe&acle to Men and Angels ; tho' he 
 there groaned under the weight of our Guilt, 
 and of cur Sins imputed unto him, tho* he 
 thirfted, tho' he fainted, tho' he cried out 
 ss if thou thy feJf could ft have forfaken 
 him; tho' he bowed his Head, and gave 
 up the Ghoft. O! ftiall all this nothing 
 move me ! mall my Heart be as hard as 
 the nether Miliione ! Cannot the Blood of 
 Jefus (often it, and -cleanie it; that Blood 
 of Iprinkling which fpeaks better things 
 than that or* Abel? Shall I not now at- 
 leaft deteft, abhor, forfake all thole Sins 
 which coft my Saviour fo dear ! mall 
 I again commit them ! (hall I any more 
 favour thole Judas which betrayed, thofe . 
 
 Herods 
 
€fte i©o?tf)p Communicant. 1 65 
 
 Herods which mocked, tho fePilates which cru- 
 cified the Lord of Glory ! O Lord, my Heart 
 is deceitful, and defperately wicked, ami 
 has often already deceived me, and my 
 Goodnefs is as the morning Cloud, and 
 early Dew which foon pafTeth away, and 
 without thy Grace I (hall again fall into 
 thofe very Sins which I now deteft and 
 abhor : which that I may never more "do, 
 imprint, I befeech thee, in my Mind, fo 
 lively a Senfe of my Saviour's Sufferings, 
 and let me receive, and carry away fo 
 lading an Jmpreffion of them from this 
 Sacrament, that I may henceforth die unto 
 Sin, and live unto Righteoufnefs ; that I may 
 fubdue and mortifie more and more all cri- 
 minal Defires, and the whole Body of Death, 
 thro 5 Jefus Chrift my Lord. Amen I 
 
 At Aci of Faith. 
 
 IDefTre to believe, Lord help my Un- 
 belief! I believe that thou canft do all 
 things, and if thou wilt, canft make me 
 clean. I chufe thee for my chief Good, I 
 depend upon thee, as my only Happinefs. 
 1 believe all thy Promifes are Yea, and 
 Amen, faithful and true in thy Son Jefus, 
 and that thole who come unto thee by 
 
 him 
 
1 66 €f)c 3©o?tf)p Communicant* 
 
 him, thou wilt in no wife caft off. He 
 is able to fave to the uttermoft ; he. is mighty 
 to fave and to forgive. In him alone thou 
 art well pleafed '<> thro' him, O God, art 
 thou reconciled to Mankind, and haft made 
 them capable of everlafting Happinefs ; from 
 whence none (hall be excluded who be- 
 lieve in the Name of the Lord Jefus, and 
 obey his Commands. On him therefore 
 do I caft my (elf, and on his Merits is all 
 my hope for Time and for Eternity ; be- 
 lieving that there is no other Name given 
 under Heaven, by whom I may receive 
 Health and Salvation. In this perfwafion 
 do I now approach to thy Holy Table, 
 humbly believing and expe&ing, that my 
 Saviour will be known unto me there, ani 
 will meet me and blefs me ; that his Body 
 and Blood mall preferve my Body and Soul 
 to everlafting Life ; that he will pardon my 
 Sins, and frrengthen me in Grace ; guide me 
 by his Gounfel, and bring me to bis Glory. 
 Amtn I 
 
 An 
 
€fje f©o?tf)p Communicant* 167 
 
 An AB of fiumility immediately 
 before ^eceiying. 
 
 W Hence is it, O Lord, that fuch a 
 Wretch as I, fo loathfbme and de- 
 formed with Sin, mould once more be ad- 
 mitted to thy prefence to tafte the Bread 
 of Life ! Whence is it that my Saviour 
 mould be Gueft to one that is fuch 
 a Sinner ? O Lord, I am not worthy that 
 thou fhouldft come under my Roof, tior 
 that I mould come under thine : I defire 
 to humble my felf before thee, with the 
 utmoft proft ration and adoration. I caft 
 my felf at the Feet of Jefus* and will not 
 let him go, except he|blefs me. ' lam no- 
 * thing, I have nothing, I defire nothing, 
 c but Jefus, and to be with him in Peace, in 
 r the heavenly Jerufalem. The loweft place 
 in Heaven will be infinitely above what I 
 can defer ve, who wonder why thou fhouldft 
 caft thine Eyes on fuch a nothing. A Co- 
 venant and League ufes to be made be- 
 tween thofe that are equals; but there is 
 an infinite diftance between God and me 
 by Nature, and if poflible, a yet greater 
 diftance by my Sins : Yet has that God 
 
 who, 
 
1 68 €$e i©o?tl)p Communicant. 
 
 who dwells in the High and Holy Place, 
 vouchfafed to promife that he will alfft dwell 
 with the humble and contrite Spirit, that 
 trembles at his Word. Come therefore, 
 O Lover of Souls! O ever blefle* Jefus ! 
 who, tho' thou filled Heayen and Earth 
 with the Majefty of thy Glory, didft yet 
 humble thy felf when thou cameft into 
 the World, to the inconveniences of a 
 Cave, a Stable, and a Manger : My 
 Heart is yet meaner than any of thefe, 
 but thou canft purifie and cleanfe it, and 
 make it a Temple fit for thy felf to 
 dwell in. Come and meet me in thy own 
 comfortable Ordinance, who haft promi- 
 fed, tho 5 thou wilt refill the proud, to 
 give Grace to the humble. I beg this, O 
 Father, for the fake of Jefus Chrift my 
 Saviour, who humbled himfelf to the Death 
 upon the Crofs, for me a miferable Sinner • 
 to whom with thee and the Holy Ghoft, 
 Three and One, be all Honour and Glory* 
 now and for ever. Amm i 
 
 'An 
 
€tje J©o?tfjp Communicant 1 69 
 
 An AH of Qraife after (Receiving. 
 
 AlfL Glory and Honour, and Praife, 
 to him who fits upon the Throne, 
 and to the Lamb for ever ! To him who 
 has loved us, and walhed us from our Sins 
 in his own Blood, and has now entertain- 
 ed us with that heavenly Food, which thofe 
 who tafte with Faith, fhall never die. I 
 have tafted that God is Good, and that 
 blefled are all thofe that truft in him; he 
 is not a barren Land, or a dry Wilder- 
 nefs. He has given me Meat to eat at his 
 own Table, which the World knows not 
 of: fuch Joy as no Man can give or take 
 from me. He has affured me of his Fa- 
 
 ' vour and Goodnefs towards me, and given 
 me the Seals of his Pardon, and the Pledges 
 of Everlafting Happinefs. Alas ! how- 
 poor am I of Thanks for fuch ineftimable 
 Benefits ! what have I to render to the 
 Lord of Life and Glory for thefe and all 
 his Favours! I devote and dedicate all 
 
 , my little all unto him ; my Soul and Body, 
 for Time and Eternity, without Excepti- 
 
 \ on, and without Referve. 'Tis but a mite % 
 
 but 'tis my All ! O give me more, that I 
 
 may reftore it to the Giver. Accept, O 
 
 I gracious 
 
1 70 Cfje 2©o?tf>p Communicant 
 
 gracious God, this my poor Sacrifice of 
 Praife, and help me alfo to order my Con- 
 versation aright, that I may fee thy Salva- 
 tion : that in Heaven, the place of Eternal 
 "Praifes, I may with Angels and-*,Arch- 
 angels, and all the glorious Company there, 
 adore, and magnifie, and blefs thee, and 
 iing Hallelujahs and Hymns of Praife unco 
 thee for ever and ever. Amen I 
 
 An Aft of Love. 
 
 O Infinite Goodnefs ! O amiable Jefu ! O 
 bleeding, dying, agonizing Love ! What 
 Man, what Angel in Heaven durft have ever 
 thought of (tich a way to appeafe God's An- 
 ger againft Sinners, as the Death of thee the 
 'Only begotten Son of God, had not thy Fa- 
 ther freely fent thee, hadft not thou thy felf 
 as freely defcended to Earth, and taken 
 our mortal Clay upon thee, to do, and to 
 fuffer the Will of God ? Who could have 
 believed this, hadft not thou thy felf re- 
 vealed it, and confirmed it by fb many j 
 Miracles ! Nay, as if it had not been fufc 
 ficient to die fortas, thou haft alfb given 
 ois the heavenly Food of thy blefled Body 
 and Blood, to be pur fpiritual Nourifhment 
 in this Holy Sacrament. Thou haft made 
 
 me 
 
€f>e t©o?tl)iJ Communicant 171 
 
 me partaker of thofe venerable Myfteries : 
 Thou haft renewed that Covenant with 
 me, which I truft (hall never be broken! 
 O! was there no other way to fave Man- 
 kind, but the Death of him that lives for 
 ever ! were all the Souls of the loft Sons, 
 of Adam worth one Groan, one Torment, 
 one Drop of the precious Blood of the Son 
 of God ! So thou didft think, who madeft 
 us out of nothing, who didft take this moft 
 endearing method to obtain our Love : 
 And wilt thou accept it ? may I offer it i 
 wilt thou receive a Magdalen, after me 
 has Co long wandred from thee ? wilt thou 
 dwell in fuch a Breaft, which has been fo 
 long a Cage of unclean Spirits ! yes, thou 
 thy felf haft (aid it, thou haft aflured me 
 of it, thou haft fealed my Pardon at thy 
 own Table, and requireft nothing of me 
 in return, but my worthlefs Love. I grieve* 
 I and I love, O my Redeemer, for all that 
 thou haft done for me, for all that I have 
 done againft thee. O when mall I love 
 thee without any Interruption, any Diftur- 
 bance from this intruding World ! when 
 fhall I be ever with thee, and be fatisfied 
 with thy Love ! My Heart beats towards 
 thee, my Soul defires, and pants, and longs 
 earneftly to be united with thee, never, 
 never more to be divided. I would fain 
 
 1 2 be 
 
1 71 €t>e H5o?tl)p Communicant 
 
 be more like thee, 1 would refufe nothing for 
 thee. O how (hall I exprefs my Love, and 
 what (hall I do for him who has done all for 
 me ! Gome, O thou whom my Soul defires to 
 Love ! thou chiefeft of Ten Thoufands, 
 and all together lovely, and fill my Heart 
 fe full with the Senfe of thy Goodnefs, and 
 with longing defires after thee, that I may 
 frequently, that 1 may conftantly prefent 
 my felf here at thy Table, to meet thee, 
 and blefs thee. That I may fliew I have 
 been with Jefus, by telling what great 
 things he has done for me, by endeavour- 
 ing to make all others admire and love 
 him ; that I may ftill afpire more earneftly 
 towards thofe blefled Regions of Peace and 
 Love, where he is entered before me to 
 prepare a place for me ; and in the mean 
 time, let all my A&ions be guided by the 
 Love of Jefus, that I may be made per fed 
 m his Love, and it may expel all o- 
 ther Loves from my Heart, that are incon- 
 fiftent with it. That fo when he (hall ap- 
 pear, I may be like him, and fee him no 
 longer in Types and Sacraments, but Fice 
 io Face ; fee him as he is, and be for ever 
 with the Lord. Make hafte my Beloved ! 
 and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon 
 .the Mountains of Spices ! Amen ! Amen I 
 
 GHAP. 
 
€lje J©o?tfjp Communicant i ?% 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 § I. rjAving already in the Firft Chap* 
 |Jj[ ter of this little Treatife, given 
 an Account of the Nature of the 
 Sacrament. In the Second ; Of the Obliga- 
 tion which lies on all adult Cbrifiians to rc- 
 eeive k 3 and even to frequent Communion ; 
 and anfWered the Objections which are com- 
 monly brought againft it. In the Third ; 
 Given ibme Rules for our Preparation for 
 it, and Heads of Examination in order there* 
 unto. In the Fourth ; Difcourfed of our Be- 
 haviour at the Tme of the Celebration, and 
 thofe Graces which are then in a particu- 
 lar manner to be exercifed. I proceed in 
 the Fifth and laft Chapter, to add foma 
 plain* Directions after we have received, and 
 what Influence this Holy Sacrament ought to 
 have upon us ; and how we ought to be- 
 have our felves in relation to it, both im- 
 mediately after, and between one Sacrament 
 and anocher, as well as through the whole 
 Courfe of our Lives. 
 
 V 
 
 $ II. Firft. Immediately after our Re- 
 ceiving. The fi r ft thing to be done at our 
 I 3, return 
 
1 74 €fjc f©o?tf)p Communicant- 
 
 return^ would be to retire from the World/ 
 and fall upon our Knees before our Father 
 which fees in fccret, and blefs and rf^re 
 him, with all the ardor of our Souls, for 
 his undeferved Mercy, in having admitted 
 us once more to his Holy Table> and for all 
 the good things which he has there be- 
 ftowed upon us. After this, to refteft on 
 the •whole Atlion, and carefully to examine 
 our (elves how we have performed every 
 part of it. Whether our Minds have been 
 deeply effected with the Senfe of our Sins, 
 and of our Saviour's Love in dying for us.' 
 Whether our Thoughts have been wandring % 
 or ^W on the engaging Objects before us ? 
 Whether the f acred Food of our Saviour's 
 Spiritual Body and #W has been fweet and 
 delightful to us, and we thereby find our 
 felves comfortably fetisfied of God's Fa* 
 vour and Goodnejs, and (lengthened in his 
 Fear and Low, and our Hearts more rat- 
 fed towards Heaven ? If we find the con- 
 trary, and that we have been cold or 
 wandringy and epprefi with that deadnefs, or 
 aridity of «9p/>tf ( as fome call it ) which 
 even good Men fbmetimes complain of) we 
 muft enquire into the Reafons thereof; 
 as*whether this was not for want of due 
 Freparation, or homjlotb or negligence in the 
 
 Mornirig t 
 
€f)e i©o?tf)p Communicant i y$ 
 
 Morning t or want of earneftnefs in our pri- 
 vate Devotions, or of taking a juft Care to 
 rai/e our £fe*rft towards Heaven, and to 
 fix them on th&~Ikaft and the Inviter ; of 
 from our unnecefTary mingling overmuch* 
 with the World fbon afterwards ; o^ not 
 keeping our Feet, our Thoughts and Affeffi- 
 ons^m good order/ when going to the 
 Houfe OT^God^or when prefent there, or 
 not bending and fixing them with the ut- 
 moft Intention to what we were employed 
 in ; or not confidering as we ought, ChriftY 
 Love, and God's Pre feme, and Goednefs y and 
 Majefy, and G/0/7 ; or coming in our own 
 Strength, and depending too much upon it, 
 not cafiing our felves entirely on God's 
 Mercy thro* Chrift; fome or more of which 
 mfcarriages may have been the caufe of 
 our want of Comfort or Advantage from 
 this Sacrament^ for which we therefore 
 ought to blame our [elves, and not to charge 
 God fooltjhly ; to be bumbled for them ; and 
 carefully to note them down, or remember 
 them againft the next Sacrament, that we 
 may be then more watchful againft them, 
 and avoid what has now been (o difad- 
 vantageom unto us. Nor are we to be un* 
 thankful^ if on Reflection we find that 
 God's Grace has preferred us from any fuch 
 Inconveniences ; that our Hearts have been 
 
 I 4 fixed. 
 
i7 6 €l)e 3SE>0?t^p Communicant 
 
 fixed, our Devotions enflam'd, our Affections 
 rsifed, our Love to God, and hatred of Sin, 
 heightened and augmented by what has 
 paft at that heavenly Feafi; and that it has 
 been fweeter to us than the Honey and the 
 Honey-Comb, and helpt us to dejpife the 
 World, and to long for Heaven. Thcfs~ 
 are Bhjfings which ought not to be forgot- 
 ten, but the Remembrance of them ftiould 
 be dear unto us ; we ought to revive the 
 Jmprejfion of them upon our Hearts, and to 
 fink them deeper there, that they may have 
 a future lafhng Influence on our Vra* 
 ft ice, 
 
 $ III. And here it may be neceffary to 
 interpofe a double caution as to thefe Mat- 
 ters. There are fome who are fb afraid 
 of Entbufiafm, that they almoft -forbid a 
 devout Chrifiian to expect or to defire any 
 more than ordinary Joy or Delight in God's 
 Service ; nay 5 to fufpecl it when ever he 
 finds it : while others fanfie that they have 
 no Communion with God in any Duty, nor 
 are indeed any thing the better for it, if 
 they have not always thefe fenfible tafis of his 
 Goodnefs. A rational Chrifttan ought to keep 
 the mean between thefe two Extreams, (b as 
 neither to defpife, far be it from him, that 
 heavenly Manna, that Angel's Food of Joy, 
 
 in 
 
€fje f©&?tljp Communicant 177 
 
 in Believing; the pleafures of God's Houft 
 and Table, the Fruits of the Tree of Lifc 
 the foretafis of Heaven ; for which he pants, 
 as the thirfty Hart does after the refrefhing 
 Streams; being fully perfwaded, by Reafon, 
 Experience, and Scripture, that Joy in the 
 Holy Ghoft, and Fellowjhip with the Fa- 
 ther and. the Son, are fomething more than 
 Entbufiaftical Fancies ; that God can commu- 
 nicate himfelf to his Creatures, in what mea- 
 fure y and by what means he pleafes ; and 
 that his ownlnfiitutions are thofe means where- 
 by he does thus communicate himfelf to 
 prepar'd and holy Minds ; and therefore he 
 cannot reft in the outward only, but prays 
 for the Light of God's Countenance, and the 
 Joy of his Salvation, which make up fo 
 great a part of the Happinefs of Heaven ; 
 and when he has thus tafted how good the 
 Lord is, he cannot but be entirely thankful 
 for it. But yet, neither does he eftimate his 
 Trofit in any religious Duty, or the prefencc 
 #f God in them by thsit fenfible Joys only : 
 He knows our weak Nature is neither able 
 long to bear them, nor is often fit for them. 
 He expe&s not all Canaan, while on this 
 fide Jordan, tho 5 he cannot but be delighted 
 with a tape, fometimes of the Fruits or that 
 happy Country. He believes he has then 
 Benefit by any Duty, and particularly by 
 
 I 5 this 
 
•178 €fjc 3©o?t!)p Communicant* 
 
 this Sacrament^ and that then God is prefent 
 with him in it, when he finds that he is 
 thereby more fettled in his Faith, his Hope, 
 and his Obedience ; more rooted and ground- 
 ed in Holy Love both to God and his Chri- 
 ftian Brother ; when he finds his will more 
 [ubmijjive, and entirely refigned to God's So- 
 vereign Will, and the Duties of Religion 
 growing gradually, more eafie, and as it were 
 natural, and delightful to him : And con- 
 fequently, he cannot be fo well fatisfied of 
 his profiting by a Sacrament immediately 
 after he has received, ( for he expe&s it 
 not all at once, ) as at iome diftance of 
 time, when the Grace ho then received, is as it 
 were digefted in his Mind, and fpreads it 
 felf thro' all the Parts and Offices of an 
 holy Life. 
 
 § IV. After examining the Frame of 
 our Minds at the pad Communion, we are, 
 in the next place, exa&ly to refled on thofe 
 Hdy Fcws and Refolves which we have 
 made at God's Altar^ whether, againft Paf- 
 fion, Impurity, Intemperance, immoderate 
 Love to the World, nsglecffc of Sacrament s, 
 or of publick, private, or Family- Devotion, 
 or of the Souls of thofe whom God's Pro- 
 vidence has committed to our Charge, or 
 any other failure whereof we found our 
 
 felres 
 
€f)e 3@o?tgp Communicant. 1 79 
 
 ; — , — . 
 
 felves guilty in our former Preparation and 
 Examination, and which we have anew 
 vowed againft at the Communion ; all which 
 Vows, if we did now again fblemnly renew, 
 and implore, and exped: the continuance of 
 Divine Strength to perform them, and con- 
 fider the means tjo obtain and preferve it, 
 we Ihould doubtlefs find great Advantage 
 by it ; efpecially if we renewed the fame 
 in our daily Examination ; which muft needs 
 prelerve both the fenfe of God's Goodne/s, 
 and of our own Obligations more frejh and 
 lively on our Minds, and have a good In* 
 fluence on our Pra&ice, tho' at greater d*\ 
 fiance from the Communion. 
 
 § V. And indeed, this is the main hinge 
 of the whole matter ; the great. »ea»i where- - 
 by we muft gain advantage by the Sacra*, 
 ment, and which, if we negled? we muft 
 at leaft, exped the loft of our Comfort^ if 
 not our Souls* Tis, to remember all is not 
 over as foon at we have received : No, nor 
 that Day, nor JVeek, nor indeed, while we 
 live ; for the Obligation is for ever. We 
 do in the Sacrament fliew forth the Lord's 
 Death, * Till be come, We engage our felves 
 by this Oath, as well as by that at Baptifm, , 
 to be c his faithful Soldiers and Servants to 
 
 I our Lives End, We are not to think the ; 
 
 Oath 
 
180 Clje J©o?tIjp Commumwm, 
 
 Oath it /**// is all, fince 'tis but a Security 
 to our future Faith, and true Allegiance: 
 'Tis not enough to K<m> ; nay, 'tis better not 
 to vow at all, than to vow and not to fay ; 
 tho' to do both is ftill better than either. 
 We cannot too often remember that thofe 
 Graces which we exercife at this Ordinance, 
 muft alfo be put in VracTtce thro' the whole 
 courfe of our Lives, and 'tis the reafbn of 
 its Institution, that they may by degrees be 
 reduced into holy Habits. We muft be in- 
 wardly better d by the Sacrament, as well as 
 by other Duties, or elfe, indeed, we are 
 not better at all, for as one well obferves, 
 f Religion is not a Road of Performances, 
 * but a New Nature, evidenced by a New 
 ! Life. 
 
 § VI. But more efpecially, are we to 
 call to mind thefe Promifes and Obligations, 
 when we find our (elves again attack'd by 
 any Temptation, either to thofe Sins which we 
 have formerly committed, or to any others* 
 Wo to him who after he has ef taped the 
 Pollutions of the World, and taftcd the good 
 Word ofGod, and the Powers of the World 
 to come in this Ordinance, (hall yet faU a- 
 way again, return like a Dog to bis Vomit, 
 fhamefully yield to the (ame Sin, which he 
 has before (o folemnly renounced, and pre- 
 tended 
 
€§£ l©o? flip Communicant. 1 8 1 
 
 tended to forfake, and thereby, in a great 
 meafure, trample under foot the Blood of 
 the Covenant, crucifie the Son of God a- 
 frefti, and put him to open jhame. I fpeak 
 not of leffer unavoidable Infirmities, fuch 
 as wandring Thoughts, the fir ft motions of 
 Paffion, or being ready to give way to the 
 violence of Temptation, tho' recovering a- 
 gain; but what I here intend, is the re- 
 lapfing into any grojjer Sins, fuch as £/»• 
 eleannefs, Injuftice, Drunkennefs, habitual 
 CarelefTnefs of Duty, and neglecl of God's 
 Word and Sacraments, and our private da- 
 ted Devotions ; which lad may juftly be 
 ranked among greater Sins, as being too 
 frequently the beginning of all the reft. 
 Not that even thefe are unpardonable on 
 true Repentance ; but that the Aggravations 
 of them are Co exceedingly heightned by 
 the addition of Ingratitude and Perjury. 
 An old Wound may poffibly be cured at 
 laft, even when 'tis badly healed; but then 
 there's a neceffity of its being laid open a- 
 gain, and the Pain will be more exqui- 
 fite than it was at the jirft. We ought 
 therefore, when attack'd by any old Temp- 
 tation, to oppofe immediately this power- 
 ful Armor againft it ; and whatever plea- 
 fure or profit it's baited with by the great 
 Dtctivtr, with Indignation to rejed it: 
 
 To 
 
i8i €f)e i©o?tfjp Communicant* 
 
 To re fled vigoroufly on our new Obliga- 
 tions to the contrary, both of Promifes, of 
 Inter eft i and of Gratitude. To fay within 
 our felves, c I have fworn, and am fled- 
 * faftly purpofed to keep God's righteous 
 f Judgments. And, ' Get thee behind me 
 c Satan, the God of Peace, whofe I am, 
 f and who has promifed to help me, {hall 
 f bruife thee under my Feet. And to this j 
 end we muft be always upon our Guard, 
 we muft be temperate and Jober, or elfe we 
 can never be vigilant. We muft avoid /// j 
 Company, the great Emiffaries of Satan, as ! 
 we would Satan himfelf A great End of 
 the Sacrament is to make us look forward, 
 and remember Chrift's laft coming as well j 
 as backward, in remembrance of his Death ; \ 
 and he who eats and drinks with the Drunken, 
 will foon be apt to fay, c My Lord delays 
 c bis coming ; tho' to fuch he him (elf has faid, 
 9 That he will come in a day when he looks 
 € not for him, and in an hour that he is 
 f not aware of, and will cut him in funder, 
 c and divide him his portion with the Hy- ] 
 f pocrites. The frequent Reflexion on 1 
 our latter End, will alfo mightily confirm 
 us in our holy Purpofes of Obedience; the 
 time of our own particular Judgment, or at 
 leaft of our paffing into our unchangeable 
 Eternity^ which we Ihould often meditate 
 
 upon, 
 
 
€$e d£tlojrl)p Communicant 18; 
 
 upon, and Difcourfe concerning it with our 
 Fellow ChriftianS) inftead of thofe impertinent 
 cies, and worfe, which make up fo great a 
 part of common Cmverfation. And thofe who 
 thus fpeak often one to another, and remind 
 each other of their Duty, need not be much 
 concerned, tho' they are defpifed for it by 
 ill Men, fince the Lord himfelf will hearken 
 and hear, and remember them for it when 
 he comes in Vengeance to deftroy the Un- 
 godly. Malac. ?. 1 6. 4. -> 2. 
 
 £ VII.' In the next place, we would do 
 well to confider that the Sacrament is ap- 
 pointed for our perfection in Grace, as well 
 as Conqueft over our Sins. 'Tis not enough 
 merely to efcape the Pollutions of the Worlds 
 but we muft alfo a/pire towards Perfection, to 
 be ftrong Men in Chrift. We are all called 
 to be Saints, to Glory, as well as to Vertue % 
 and why fhould we then be content with 
 the loweft meafures ? He that thinks he'll 
 be juft good enough to be faved, if he does 
 not mifs of that, muft not, however, ex* 
 pe& much Comfort. Nay, not to go for- 
 ward, is to go backward in the way to Hea- 
 ven. We are obliged by the Sacrament, to 
 do all we can for him who has done fo 
 much for us ; Always to abound in the work 
 of tbt Lord, fince when we have done our 
 
i84 ®$t i©o?tfjp ComAutmtant> 
 
 heft, we fhall be fo far from Supcrcrrogation. 
 However, as Health and Strength are infalli- 
 ble Signs of Life^ fo we (hall obtain this £ r*tf 
 Advantage by ftronger Degrees of Gnrce, that 
 we may be better fatisfied of the Truth and 
 Sincerity thereof Confider, that this would 
 render God's Service much more eafie and dc 
 Ughtful to us. But this muft coft us con- 
 ft ant Fains and Labour \ for £/<?;£ is the^ra** 
 e/? Obftruclion to our growing in Grace % and 
 in the knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift ; 
 and is commonly the laft Enemy in this 
 World that is deftroyed in a ChriflianJ Con- 
 quer that and all is done. Shake off that 
 Ague of the Soul ; remember your Vows* 
 call for Strength) believe and all things are 
 pojfible. Give Diligence to make pur Cal- 
 ling and Election fure, for he that does tbefe 
 things fljall never faU ; and the higher we 
 rife in Piety here, the fhorter Steps we (hall 
 have to Heaven, and it's very probable, the 
 higher Degrees of Glory among thofe many 
 different mansions in our Fathers Houje* 
 
 § VIII. In the laft place, when we are 
 called again by God's Providence to another 
 Sacrament, which happy Opportunity we will 
 be careful never to neglecJ ; let us, in our 
 Treparation and Examination, impartially eth 
 <\uvre how we have performed thofe Vov>$ 
 
 we 
 
€fje t©o?tfjp Communicant* 185 
 
 we made in the la ft, and how we have pro- 
 fited by it. To re Joyce and blefs God, if well, 
 to be bumbled if otherwife, and the greater 
 the DefeB, the deeper the Humiliation. I (peak 
 here, of lejjer Infirmities, rather than of f re- 
 fumptucus, fcandalous Sins, the Habits where- 
 of, while unreformed and unrepented, do ut- 
 terly exclude from the Sacrament, as well as 
 from Heaven. Nor ought we by any means 
 to be ungrateful, if we find that throMWx 
 Grace, preventing us that we might be willing, 
 and ajfifting us when we were willing, we 
 may have obtained any Advantage againft 
 our Spiritual Enemies : If any Sin be weaker, 
 any Vertue ftronger ; whether Patience, or 
 Humility, or Refignatiott, or Devotion; for 
 which we are again to approach full 
 of Gratitude to the Holy Table, to offer 
 the Sacrifice of Praife and take the Cup of 
 Salvation, and call upon the Name of the 
 Lord. 
 
 Thefe things if we obferve and do,thro'the 
 whole Courfe of our Lives, ' we Ihall neither 
 c be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge 
 c of our Lord and Saviour, but an abundant 
 * t Entrance fhall be rniniftred unto us into his 
 Everlafting Kingdom. To whom be Glory 
 in tbi Church throughout all Ages. Amen ! 
 
 Queftions 
 
1 86 €fje i©o?tl)p Communicant 
 
 <3peftion$ for the Evening. 
 
 I. TX7" HAT Mercies have I received 
 VV this "Day, Anfwers of Prayer, De- 
 liverance from Evil, common or extraordi- 
 nary Bleffings? 
 
 t. What Sin have I committed? What 
 Duty omitted? 
 
 ;. What have I done, endeavoured, or de* 
 figned for God's Glory, or the Good of my 
 Neighbour ; or have 1 loft any Opportunity 
 for either ? 
 
 4. With what Succefs havt I encounter d 
 thofe /Sins to which my Circumftances or 
 Conftitution moft incline me ; Paffion, Sloth, 
 Impurity, Intemperance, Vanity, &c. 
 
 5. How have I improved my Time this 
 Day ? Am I any wifer or better than I was 
 the fa/}? Have I thought of Death and 
 Judgment ? 
 
 6. Have I Pray 5 d ? ant How ? And the 
 fame of Meditation and Reading? 
 
 7. What Mercy do I want for Soul or 
 Body, my Self, or Relations, that 1 may now 
 oik it? 
 
 8. Have I remembred my Promifes made 
 at the laft Sacrament, and how have 1 per* 
 formed them ? 
 
 Qjaeftion* 
 
€f)e iEojtfjp Communicant 187 
 
 Queftions for the Morning. 
 
 1 T"\ ID I Read and Pray, Meditate and 
 jL-J Examine my felf lafi Night ; and tn 
 what manner ? 
 
 2. Did I think o/God, laft and fiift ? 
 
 ?. #^** Sin have I committed, in Thought^ 
 Word or Deed ? #^*f Duty owtftt^ fince 
 Evening ? 
 
 4. /^&<tf Occafions may I probably have 
 ibis Day of ferving God, or my Neighbour? 
 
 5. ' To what Temptations am 1 like to he 
 expo fed ? 
 
 6. What Mercies have I received ? What 
 do I want ? 
 
 Short Directions for thofe who. are (really) 
 flraightned for Time y and cannot go 
 through the larger Methods of Exami- 
 nation already given. 
 
 1. 13 E fure this be more than a preten- 
 13 ded Necejjity ; as in the cafe of in- 
 difpenfible and unavoidable Bufinefs or the 
 like ; fince the more conscientious and exaff 
 you are in your Preparation and Examma- 
 
 [ I ] tton 
 
 Note, That this Sheet is to be plan* d after Page 186. 
 
Cfje 2©o?t#p Communicant 
 
 tion, you may, generally fpeaking,. expeft 
 the greater Advantage by the Sacrament. 
 Turtle- Doves or young Pigeons, were not 
 accepted of Old, unleis where the Prefen- 
 ter could not reach a more coftly Sacrifice 
 
 2. This being taken Care of, never 
 indulge any ill grounded Scruples fo far 
 as to fuffer them to hinder you from 
 coming to this Divine Banquet. See what 
 has been already laid on this Head, both 
 from Authority and Reajon, in Anfwer to 
 the Objections againft Receiving, 
 
 ;. It can fcarce be fiippofed but you 
 may redeem fbme time on the Morning of 
 the Lord's Day, when you may retire from 
 the World ; and, I. \J& the Prayers here 
 at Preparation, or any other that is proper 
 for that Occafion. 
 
 z. Confider the Nature of the Sacra- 
 went, and your Happinefi in having one Op- 
 portunity more of partaking in it. 
 
 ;, Examine your Conscience, by the Ten 
 •Commandrmnts, as they are in our Commu- 
 mon- Service; and in the Verficle added to 
 every one of them, implore Pardon where I 
 you hnd zny Breach, and Grace for the fu- 
 ture to cbferve them better. And the fame j 
 of any other Sin, not fb eaiily reducible 
 
 er any particular Command, fuch as j 
 JDrmkenmfs, neglecV or abufe of the Sa- 
 mti and the like. 4. Fix. 
 
Cge HDo?tljp Communicant, 
 
 4. Fix your main Battery againft that 
 Sin which you find the ftror.gefl: ; whether 
 dtj content with YOU!' Condition^ bird Thoughts 
 of God, Intemperance i Paffion, Pride, Sloth, 
 Impurity, or what ever elie. Moft heartily 
 lament it, moft earneftly refofoe and implore 
 Strength againft it, and draw near to the 
 Holy Table , with Faith to obtain it, and 
 fear not but your Saviour will meet and 
 blefs you. 
 
 A Prayer for one in AffllB'im 
 and Want. 
 
 OGOD! who art Infinite in Power, 
 and Companion, and Goodnefs, and 
 Truth ! who haft promifcd in thy Holy 
 Word, That thou wilt hear the Prayer 
 of the poor deftitute, and wilt not de- 
 fpile his Defire. Look down I Sefi'eei thee 
 from Heaven^ the Habitation of thy Ho- 
 linefs and Glory upon me a mferable Sin* 
 net , now lying under thy Hand in great 
 Affliction and Sorrow, who fly to the a~ 
 lone for help and Comfort. I am weary 
 of my groaning, my Heart faileth me, the 
 [Li] Light 
 
Cfje H^ojtijp Communicant. 
 
 » ' 1 — • 
 
 ■Light of my Eyes is gone from me^ I 
 fink in the deep Waters, and there is 
 none to help we, jet I wait ft ill upon 
 thee my God. Tho all the World for- 
 fake me, let the Lord ft ill uphold me, 
 and in him let me always find the true ft 9 
 the kindeft, the mo ft companionate, unvrea* 
 ried Almighty Friendship ; to him let me 
 cafe my wearied Soul, and unbcftom all my 
 Sorrows ! 
 
 Help me, Lord I againft Hope, to 
 believe in Hope! Grant that 1 may not 
 le 'moved with all the Slights and Cen- 
 ftires of a miftaken World. L:t me look 
 hy Faith beyond this Vale cf Tears and 
 Miftry , to that happy place which 
 knows no Pain, cr Want, or Sorrows, as 
 being ajfu/d that there is an End, and 
 my Expectation Jball not be cut off. I know, 
 Lord ! that a Mans Life confifts not 
 in the abundance of Things that he poft- 
 ft$es, but that he who has the ?noft here, 
 iM he brought nothing with him into this 
 World, ft he fnall carry nothing cut. I 
 He ft thee that thou haft not given me 
 my Portion among theft who have received 
 
 all 
 
€f)c Jt^o^tftp Communicant 
 
 all their Confolation here, whofe Portion* 
 is in this Life only. Neither let me ex~ 
 peci thofe Blefjings which thou haft pro- 
 mifed to the Poor, unlefs I am really poor 
 in Spirit, and meek and humble. I know 
 nothing is impoffible with God, and that it is 
 thou alone who give ft Tower to get Riches, 
 and that thou canft ly thy good . Provi- , 
 dence, raife me from this^ mean Condition 
 whenever thou pleafeft, and wilt certain- 
 ly do it if it be be ft for me, and there- 
 fore humbly fubmit all unto thy wife and 
 kind DifpcfaL I defire not Wealth or 
 Greatnefs : Give me neither extreme Po- 
 verty, nor do I ask Riches of thee, but 
 only to he fed with Food convenient for me. 
 I defire earneftly to feci firft; the King- 
 dom of God and the t ighteoufnefs thereof, 
 well hoping that in thy good Time, Food 
 and Raiment, all other things that be need- 
 ful, (hall be added unto me. I believe, 
 Lord ! that thou who fee deft the Ravens, 
 and clotheft the Lilies, wilt not negleU 
 me {and mine,) That thou wilt make 
 good thy own unfailing Promifes, wilt give 
 Meat to them that fear thee, and be ever 
 [ I 3 J mindful 
 
€$e 3Bo?tftp Communicant. 
 
 mindful of thy Ccvwant. In the mean 
 time, let me not Is querulous or impatient, 
 cr envious At the Pro/parity of the wicked, 
 Mr judge uncharitably of thofe to whom thou 
 baft given a larger Portion of the Good 
 things of this Life, or be cruel to thofe 
 who are in the fame Qircumftances with my 
 felf Let me never fink or d:fp end under 
 my heavy preffures and continued Misfor- 
 tunes. J ho 3 1 fall let me rife again, becaufe 
 the Lord taketh me up. Let my Heart ne<~ 
 be funk fo low that I fhould be afraid 
 to own the Caufe tf defpifed Vtrtue. Give 
 me Diligence, and Prudence, and Indtftry, 
 and let me negleff nothing that lies in me 
 to provide hone ft ly for my oven Houfe, leaft 
 I be worfe than an Infidd. Help me 
 carefully to examine my Life paft, and if 
 by my own Qarekfnefs, or Imprudence, I 
 have reduced my felf into this lo r Co:idi~ 
 tion, let me be more deeply afflicJ d for 
 ■ it ; but yet fill hops in thy Goodnefs, a~ 
 voiding thofe Failures whereof I have been 
 formerly guilty. Or if for my Sins thou 
 ha(l brought this upon me, my unthankful* 
 mfs for thy Mercies or dufe of thsm> help 
 
 me 
 
€fte 3©o?tf){i Communicant* 
 
 me now with Suhmijjion and Patience, to 
 hear the Pnnifhment of my Iniquity : Or 
 if by thy Wife Providence thou art fleas' } d 
 thus to afflict- me for Tryal, and for the 
 Examples of others ; Thy Will. my God! 
 not mine, be done ! Help me, and any 
 who are in the fame Qircumftances, in 
 Patience to pojfefs onr Souls, and let all thy 
 Fatherly Chaftifements advance us flill 
 nearer towards Chriftian Perfection, teach 
 us the Emptin?fs of all things here be- 
 low, wean us more and more from a vain 
 World, fix our Hearts more .upon He a* 
 ven, and help us forward in the right 
 Way that leads to Ever Lifting Life ; Thro' 
 Jefus Chrift our Lord, to whom with 
 the Father and Holy Ghoft, be Glory, 
 Honour and Power, now and for ever. 
 Amen ! 
 
 [L4J APPEN- 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 A LETTER concerning 
 the Religious Societies. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 HAVING in Converfation acci- 
 dentally mentioned thofe Religious 
 Societies which have been for iome 
 time ere&ed in and about the Cities of 
 London and Weftminfler, and of late in fome 
 other places, you were pleafed to defire a 
 more particular Account concerning them, 
 of their Orders, and manner of Life, and 
 what my Thoughts were as to what we then 
 heard obje&ed againft them. 
 
 I muft confeis I have had the Curiofity 
 to make a particular Enquiry about them, 
 and the Informations I have received, have 
 been from fuch Perfons, as 1 think, I may 
 entirely depend upon for the Truth of them$ 
 and what I have from them, I here very 
 briefly give you, referring them for a larger 
 Account to h/lu Woodward little- Book- on 
 chacSubjed. U 5 1 * n 
 
A LETTER concerning 
 
 In the firft place, I find many Perfons 
 are in the fame miftake which you were 
 once in, and confound thefe Reltgicus Societies 
 With the Soc : ettes for Reformation, tho* they 
 are quite different as to their Inflitution and 
 immediate End*, and for the moft part, as to 
 the Per/cm whereof they are compofed. The 
 immediate Bufinefi of the Societies for Refer- 
 wation, is to adift the Civil Magiftrates in put- 
 ting the Laws in Execution againft Profanenefs 
 and Immorality, and confiih of Sober Per- 
 fons of any Perfuafion among Proteftants, 
 tho 5 moft of them, as far as I can obferve, 
 of the Church of England : But the Religious 
 Societies, as we call them for diftin&ion 
 from the other, are compofed of fuch as 
 meet together wholly upon a Religion Ac- 
 count, to promote true Piety in tnemfelves 
 and orh c s ; and are all of them ftnft Mem- 
 hers of me Church of England none being 
 admitted or fuffercd to continue, who are 
 not confiant Comn-.unicants : Many of thefe, 
 indeed, are hkewile engaged in the Bufinefs 
 of the Reformation , and fo on the oiher 
 fide, but this is only accidental, and thefe 
 two are diftintt Bodies of Men one from the 
 other. 
 
 I cannot tell, whether I can give you a 
 better Character or thole Perfons who com- 
 pole thefe Religions Societies^ and th*k De- 
 
the Religious Societies. 
 
 fign and Employment in them, than what 
 Tertullian and other antient Writers have left 
 us of the firft Chriftians, in the beft and pu- 
 reft Ages ofthe Church : I am (lire I cannot 
 (peak more Truth of them in fewer words. 
 1 They often meet together, fay the Anti- 
 ents of thofe firft Chriftians ; ad confcederan- 
 dam Difciplmam ; and to pray,and fingHjmns 
 toChrift as God. We aflemble our felves, 
 fays Tertulltan ,to the Repe:ition of the Holy 
 Scriptures, we fupport our Faith by Reli- 
 gious Difcourfe, we excite our Hope, we fix 
 our Confidence, we encreafe our Know- 
 ledge, by the Exhortations of our Tea* 
 chers; we gather a Stock for the Poor ac- 
 cording to every Man's ability, which ws 
 expend, not in riotous Feafting, but in* 
 helping the indigent, and Orphans, and 
 the Aged, and thofe who are perfected 
 for the Caufe of God. ■ 
 This is their Defign and Employment in their 
 Meetings, and for rhe Methods whereby they 
 regulate them, they appear to be chofen with 
 all Chnftian Prudence ; but they are too • 
 large to be here inferted, and therefore I muft 
 again refer you to Mr. Woodward\ Book for 
 a full Account of them- 
 
 The main thing for which I am concern* 
 ed, is to give you my ReaL>ns why I believe 
 fwch Societies as thefe^ if further propagated, 
 
 WOuld 
 
A LETTER concerning 
 
 would be fo far from being any Injury to the 
 Church, as may be the Opinion of fomePer- 
 fons who either may not fully understand 
 them, or are prejudiced againft them, that I 
 think, I can make it appear they would be 
 of great Advantage to it. 
 
 I know few good Men but lament that after 
 the DefiruBion of Monafteries, there were not 
 fome Societies founded in their ftead, but r&» 
 formed from their Errors, and reduced to the 
 Primitive Standard. None who has but lookt 
 into our own Church Hiftory, caa be igno- 
 rant how highly inftrumental fuch Bodies of 
 Men as thefe, were to the firft planting and 
 propagating Chnftfanity amongft our Fore- 
 fathers: 'Tis notorious that the firfi Monks 
 wrought honeftly for their Livings, and only 
 xnet together at the Hours of Prayer, and 
 sieceflary Refection, as do moftof thofe in 
 the *Eaftern Countries to this day : And thofe 
 who read the Exemplary Piety of the old 
 Britilh Monks, and what indefatigable Pains 
 they took, and what Hazards they ran in the 
 Converfion of our Heathen Anceftors, as 
 well as howftoutly they withftood the early 
 Encroachments of Rome, cannot but enter- 
 tain an extraordinary Opinion of them, and 
 will be apt to judge charitably of their great 
 Austerities and Afcetic way of Living, tho* 
 perhaps we may be in the right, when we 
 
 think 
 
the Religious Societies. 
 
 think they were in fbme things miftaken. 
 However, this is certain, that a great part of 
 the good Effects of that way of Life, may be 
 attained without many of the Inconvenkn- 
 cies of it, by fuch Societies as we are now 
 difcourfing of, which may be ere&ad in the 
 moft populous Towns and Cities, without 
 def riving the Commonwealth of the Service 
 and Support of fo many ufeful Members. 
 
 It will be owned a defirable thing that we 
 had among us (ome places wherein thole 
 who are religioufly difpofed might have the 
 Liberty, for a Time, of a voluntary retire- 
 ment; that they might efcape the World, 
 & vacate Deo, & fibimet ipfis.' This was 
 once pra#ifed with great Applaufe of all 
 good Men, by Mr. Farrar, of which we have 
 an account in M* . Herbert's Life, and a lar- 
 ger ( as I have heard ) in Bilhop Racket % 
 Life of Bifliop Williams ; and the fame has 
 
 been lately attempted by Mr. St . But 
 
 if this (hould not be practicable, at leaft ge- 
 nerally, by Men of Trade and Bufmafs, tho 3 
 of never jfb devout Inclinations, 1 fee no- 
 thing that could come nearer it, than thefe 
 Religious Societies. The Dcfign of that ex- 
 cellent Perfon, Archbiihop Cranmer to have 
 founded fo many ColUgtate Churches out of 
 the broken Monafte ies, to confift of fome 
 Laity i as well as Clergy feems to have had 
 
 fcrae- 
 
A LETTER concerning 
 
 fbmething in it of the fame Nature, ( tho' 
 in a higher degree) with that of thefe Cbri- 
 , ft tan Societies now trebled) namely, to make 
 a ftand for Religion and Virtue, fo many Re- 
 doubts againft an encroaching World, where 
 any might receive Gounfel, and Advice, 
 who addrefled themfelves unto them; but 
 fince we were not fo happy to have this 
 accomplifhed, Why may not thefe Societies 
 in fome meafure fupply the want of them ? 
 For if tfeey were once erected in the moft 
 confiderable Towns and fopulom Villages^ or 
 where one was not large enough, out of more 
 neighbouring Villages united, they might be 
 able notably toaffi ttr>e Rural Dews, where 
 there are any, and in fome meafure fupply 
 l\\zuWant where there are none ; and would 
 not this difarm that Objection againft DioceJ "an 
 Epij r copaey t which is brought from the extent 
 of its Jur'ifditfion ? 
 
 However, if this be ultra crepidam, it's cer- 
 tain that this would hold of Parijh Priefts> 
 a-nd they would, as fome have already done, 
 foon find extraordinary Advantages by it. 
 There are a great many Parifhes in this 
 Kingdom, which confift of fever a I Then- 
 fandsjom? ot f>me ^r/nads of So.Js: Now, 
 what one V4m> o two, or three, i> luffi- 
 cient fiw fuch a mukkude r What Strength 
 to vific shem? What Memory, unleis very 
 
 extcaor-. 
 
the Religious Societies. 
 
 extraordinary, to retain but their Names ? 
 Thofe who have but one or two thoufand, 
 will find their Cares heavy enough, efpecial* 
 ly now they have neither the Catecb'tfts of the 
 Antients to affift them, nor thofe Clerks 
 which are mentioned in the Rubrick, and 
 feem to have been defigned for that End , 
 at the Reformation : And may not we fay 
 of thefe great Numbers, as the Difciples 
 did to qur Saviour when they faw the mul- 
 titudes, from whence [hall we buy Bread, that 
 tbsfe may eat ? But would not thefe things 
 be rendred much more eafie to the careful 
 Paftor ; when fuch considerable Bodies fhould 
 act [in Subordination to him, and with t>tre- 
 tticn from him,] to promote thofe great 
 Ends, for which he rus Co (blemnly dedica- 
 ted himfelf to God ? They would be as fo 
 many Church- Warden: . o Overfeers, or al- 
 mofl Deacons under him, caiing for the 
 Sick and Poor, giving him an account of 
 the Spiritual Eft ate of thetnfelves and others; 
 perluading Parents and Sureties to Catechife 
 their Children, and n\eng them for Confir- 
 mation ; dilcourfing with thofe who have 
 already left the Church, to bring them back 
 to it, or who are tempted to leave it, in order 
 to preferve rhem in it ; the effect whereof 
 we may guefs oy che contrary, there being, 
 it's likely, Ten s who are perfuaded to leave 
 
 the 
 
A LETTER concerning 
 
 the Church by their Neighbours, to one, who 
 is immediately wrought upon by the Vijfent- 
 ing Teachers. This affiftance would in all 
 probability conduce as much to the Health 
 of the Minifler's Body, by eafing him of many 
 a weary ftep and fruitlefs Journey, as to the 
 great fatisfa&ion of his Mmd, in the vifible 
 Succefe of his Labours. In fhort, it feems a 
 neceflary Confluence, both from what 
 Succefs the Defign has already had, and from 
 the very Nature of it, that if it went forward 
 in fuch manner, and with fuch Limitations 
 as are propofed, it would be (o far from in- 
 juring the Church, that thefe federal Societies 
 would be fb many new Bulwarks againft its 
 Enemies, would give it daily more Strength, 
 and Beauty, and Reputation, and it may be 
 more than many wi[h to fee it ever have. 
 
 And for the State, th-y might alfo be not 
 inconfiderably fervieeab'e to lr, and highly 
 promote Loyalty and Obedience, as well as 
 all other Parts of Religion and Virtue. 
 
 There is hardly any considerable Defign, 
 but may be carried on with much greater 
 Succefs, by united Bodies of Men, than by 
 (Ingle Perfons- We fee it in Trades every 
 day ;and why fhould we not learn from thofe 
 who are wife $n their Generation ? We fee 
 what a wide Progels, Hetene and Infidelity 
 have made by their poilonous Clubi ana Lew 
 
 binations : 
 
the Religious Societies. 
 
 hnattons : The very Players are formed into 
 Companies, or they could not be half fo mif- 
 chievous to Religion and Morality : The 
 Church of Rome owes, perhaps, her very Sub- 
 fiftence, at leaft, moftof the Progrefs fhe has 
 made of late Years, to thofe feveral Societies 
 fhe nourifltfes in her Bofbm : Why may not 
 we learn from Enemies ; and what better 
 way than to fight with their own Weapons ? 
 At leaft, why may not we have Congregations 
 to propagate Good Manners, as they have 
 one to propagate their 111 Faith ? 
 
 Nay, it muft be owned there have been 
 fome devout Perfons among them, who by 
 this very method of forming lefTer Religious 
 Societies in Towns and Villages, as well as 
 the greater Cities^have done great Things to- 
 wards the Reformation of Manners, and pro- 
 moting Piety and Virtue, The Noble and 
 Pious Montieur de Renty t m France was of 
 this Number : He employed much of his 
 time in this happy Exercife, particularly at 
 Caen, where he fettled many Societies of de- 
 vout Perfons, to meet Weekly, and confult 
 about the Relief of the Poor, and prevent- 
 ing Offences againft God, which fucceeded 
 to admiration : He did the fame among 
 Tradefmen, both at Parts and Tolofe, whom 
 he brought conftantly to go to Prayers, fing 
 Pfalms, read Books of Devotion, and Dif- 
 
 courfe 
 
A LETTER concerning 
 
 courle of their fpiritual Concerns one with 
 another ; and ufed all his Intercfl with Gen- 
 tlemen of his acquaintance to ere& petty So- 
 cieties of the fame Nature, even in ieffer Vil- 
 lages, where they had any Influence over 
 
 the Inhabitants *. And why 
 
 * See his mould we not tranfpLnt any 
 
 Life, p. 149, excellent Fruit into our own 
 
 J55>i58, 159- Soil, and get all the good 
 
 we can from Perfons of 
 all Communions ? 
 
 Publick Aj[fmik,lies,in the Church, tho' con- 
 ftantly %r\c\ devoutly attended by the M 
 bers of thefe Societies, vet muft be owned to 
 be improper, on (everai Accounts, for thofe 
 excellent Ends which .Ley propofe in their 
 ftated meetings: 'lis not there proper to 
 difcourfe of many things which fall under 
 their Care, nor is there any room for Chri- 
 ftian Conversation s if it were decent to pra- 
 dife it. Thus Difcoxrfe miift be owned as 
 neceflary as it is a delightful Employment to 
 all good Chnftians, and yet what more ge- 
 nerally and fhamefully neglected, and even 
 by the accurfed Rules of Civility, exploded 
 out of the World. This Practice, that late ex- 
 cellent Perfon, Dr. Goodman 3 has endeavoured 
 to retrieve, and has recommended it in fo 
 charming a manner in his Winter -Evening 
 Conference, that he would not have failed of 
 
 making 
 
the Religious Societies. 
 
 making many Converts to it, had there been 
 Virtue enough left in the World to make ufe 
 of his Directions : Now if this Religions Dip 
 ccurfe be lawful and commendable where it 
 is accidental, or among a few Perfons only, 
 I would fain know how it fhould come to 
 be otherwiie when it is fiated and regulated, 
 and among a greater Number ? Is it any more 
 a Conventicle than any other Meetings ? Is 
 there any Law that it offends again ft ? Is it 
 any greater Crime to meet and fmg Pfalms 
 together, than to ting profane Songs, or wafte 
 Hours in impertinent C/W or Drinking ? In- 
 deed, one would almoft wonder how aDe- 
 fign of this Nature mould come to have any 
 Enemies, .iorcan I fee anv Reafon why good 
 Men fnould be difcou-aged from joyning in 
 R by thole hard words, Fatlivn, Singularity, 
 and tht like, when all poffible Care is taken 
 to give no juft Offence in the management 
 of it. 
 
 The Defign of thefe Societies^ as I am fa- 
 tisfied by confidering the fir ft Founder, and 
 the Eneouragers of them, and their Rules as 
 well as Pratt ice, is, by no means to gather 
 Churches out of Churches, to foment New 
 Schifms and Divifions, and to make Heathens 
 of all the reft of their Christian Brethren ; 
 which would be as indefenfible in it felf, as 
 dangerous and fatal in its Confequences both 
 
 to 
 
A LETTER concerning 
 
 to themfelves and others : So far are they 
 from this, that they have brought back feve- 
 ral to the Church who were divided from it ; 
 but their aim is purely, and only to promote, 
 in a regular manner, that which is the End 
 ofQVQryCbriftian, the Glory of God, included 
 in the Welfare and Salvation of themfelves _ 
 and their Neighbours; and if any rational 
 Method could be propofed, befides thole 
 they have already pitched upon, to guard a- 
 gainft thefe poffible hconveniencies, there is no 
 doubt but they would embrace it. Tho* 
 after all, how there can poffibly be any occa- 
 fion of Scbifm i any crevice for it to creep in 
 at, where nothing is done but in Subordina- 
 tion to the lawful Miniftry, and by Direction 
 from it, and where one of the very Bonds 
 of the Society is the confiant frequenting of 
 publck Prayers , and Communions , while on 
 the other fide, there is no vifible private In- 
 terefi to ferve, no Facjion to flatter or hu- 
 mour, I muft confefs lam not ftiarp-fighted 
 enough to difcern, and dare challenge any 
 Infiance of a Scbijm any where occafioned, 
 in fiich circumftances, ever fince the Birth 
 of Chriftianity. 
 
 It cannot be denied but that there may, 
 and will be fome Perfons in thefe Societies 
 of more Heat than Light > more Zeal and 
 Warmth, than Judgment and Difcretion ; but . 
 
 where 
 
the Religious Societies, 
 
 where was ever any Body of Men without 
 Pome of fuch a Character ? They are of like 
 Paffions with other Men, and why may not 
 they expeft the fame Allowances ? But fince 
 the very Rules of their Inftitution do ftrid- 
 ly oblige them to the Practice of Humility 
 and Charity, and to avoid Cenforioufnefs and 
 ffiritual Pride , the common Rocks ofthofe 
 who make a more than ordinary ProfeJJion rf 
 Religion. I fee not what humane Prudence 
 can provide any farther in this matter. 
 
 I had like to have forgot one confider- 
 able Advantage of thefe Religious Societies^ii 
 they ftiould once come to be more common 
 amongft us, and that is, that out of them it 
 would be eafic to form Societies for Reforma- 
 tion ; for Perfons muft be firft truly and deep- 
 ly concerned for Religion themfelves, before 
 they are likely toibc fo concerned for others, 
 as to be willing to facrifice all to make them 
 better. That there is need of a general Re- 
 formation of Manners, has not been denied 
 even by thofe who have had the moft need 
 of it themfelves : And that the Governoun 
 both in Church and State, do moft earneft- 
 ly defire it, we can no lefs doubt without 
 the higheft Affront to both, when they have 
 by fo many repeated Acls, folemnly declared 
 as much to the Nation. That a firm Combi- 
 nation of good Men, is the beft way to bring 
 
 this 
 
A LETTER concerning 
 
 this Defign to a good IfTue, we may more 
 than guefs by what has been already done 
 by fuch methods; And for all the Obje- 
 ctions which have been brought againft 
 thofe who have embarkt in this pious and 
 generous Undertaking, 1 believe there is no 
 unprejudiced Perfon who has read the Right 
 Reverend Bifhop of Gloceflers Defence of 
 them, but are fully fatisfied that they have 
 but very little weight, and are there fairly 
 anfwered. And as it is known that the late 
 Archbifhop was a hearty Friend of them, 
 and their Defign, fo his mod Reverend Suc- 
 ceflbr has given them a juft and noble Com- 
 mendation in his Letter to the Biihops of 
 his Province, wherein he requires them, ' To 
 * prefs the Clergy of their refpeclive Dio-j 
 4 cefes, to invite their Church- wardens and. 
 f other pious Perfons among the Laity, to 
 c ioyn with them in carrying on trre Refor* 
 e mation of Manners ; after which he adds, 
 f [We may very reafonably exped the hap, 
 e py Effs&s of fuch a Concurrence , from thai 
 c vifible Succefs of that noble Zeal wherewith 
 f (6 many about the g*eat Cities do promote 
 c true Piety and a Reformation of Manners.] 
 Thus far our mod Reverend Metiopclitan, 
 and fince that time, the fame Defign has 
 been publickly efpouled and recommended 
 by feveral others of tha highsfi Character. 
 
 Ana i 
 
the Religious Societies. 
 
 And indeed, if the General Reformation of 1 
 Mens Manners be ever efTe&ed by the Terror 
 of the Laws without Execution, or thofe Laws 
 be evsr effectually executed by the ftraggling 
 Endeavours of a few good Men, who charge 
 fingly againft fuch infernal Hofts of Infidelity 
 and Lewdnef ; if any thing considerable here- 
 in be accomplifhed, unlefs by iiich a Combi- 
 nation, I (hall own my felf happily miftaken ; 
 but whether I am or no, the Event will teach 
 Fofterity. I mall conclude this long Letter 
 with the remarkable words of the excellent 
 Author of the Whole Duty tf Man, in his 
 Caufes of the Decay of the Chriliian Piety, 
 the clofe of the Twentieth Chapter. 
 
 c That Scandal, fays he, which we have 
 c brought upon our Religion, as it was noc 
 c contracted by the Irregularities of one or 
 e two Perfons, but by officiated and common 
 c Crimes, fo neither will it be removed by* 
 c a few fingle and private Reformations. 
 c There muit be tfom&ittation^ and $U&; 
 
 * Mtk <£tmfc&Ct*acic£ in Virtue, to balance 
 
 * and counterpoife thofe of Vice, or they 
 
 * will never recover that Honour which Ihe 
 
 * acquired by the general Piety of her Pro- 
 c fefiors; He goes on ; c In thofe Primi- 
 c rive Days, there was fuch an abhorrence 
 c of all that was ill, that a vicious Perfon 
 c was lookt upon as a kind of a Monger or 
 
 Prodigy, 
 
i88 A LBTTER, &c. 
 
 1 Prodigy, and like a putrified Member cut 
 1 off, as being not only dangerous but noi- 
 c ibme to the Body : But, alas ! the Scene is 
 ' fb changed, that the Church is now made 
 c up of fuch as me would then have caft out, 
 1 and 'tis now as remarkable an Occurrent 
 ' to find a Good Cbrifiian, as it was then to 
 ? fee a Bad. 
 
 I mall add no more, but that it was well 
 the Worthy Author concealed his Name, 
 when he publifhed fuch difbbliging Truths : 
 At leaft, if he had been now living, he 
 would fcarce have efcaped the Cenfure of 
 Forwardnefs l and a Zeal not according to 
 Knowledge. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 I am 
 
 Tour obliged Friend ', 
 
 SAM WESLEY. 
 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
189 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Of <B AV Tl S M. 
 
 U/^ONCERNINGwhicMfliall 
 
 § briefly enquire what it is ; what 
 
 \^^ Benefits we receive by it ; what 
 are our Obligations from it > whether our 
 Saviour defigned it to remain always in his 
 Chmch ; and laftly, who are the proper 
 Sub] efts of 'it. 
 
 $ II. Firft, What it is; and Baptifm 
 may be thus defcribed. r 'Tis the firfiSacra- 
 
 * *»e»f of the New Teftament, initituted by 
 c our Saviour in the room of Circumcifion 3 
 
 * and the Jewsflj Baftifms, to continue to the 
 1 E»^ of the World, wherein by fprinkling, 
 c dippings or wafhmg with Water 9 w *£* »*7W 
 
 * of the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, the <&w- 
 "* ning Guilt of original Sin is walht away, 
 c we enter into Covenant with God^xQ taken 
 f into the Ci«rt b of Chnft, and made par- 
 
190 O/BAPTISM. 
 
 — — — — — — _————«. — _ 
 
 takers of all the Privileges thereof ; God's 
 Grace here, and evdlefs Blifs -hereafter, on 
 our performing the Conditions of the Cove* 
 nant. 
 
 k HI. 'Tis the/r/?, or initiatory Sacra- 
 ment, entring us into that Covenant^ which 
 we renew in the Lord's Suffer, 'Twas in- 
 ftituted by our Saviour ; who ' alone has 
 Power to inftitute a ^ro/ttr Sacrament or £/£», 
 &?*/, Pledge, and means of Grace, perpetually 
 obligatory on all Cbriftians* We know not 
 indeed the **/>re/} time of its Institution ; for 
 r jF^/k made and baftifed more Difciples 
 than jfo&», * long before 
 * Styo^»4. i. lie enlarged the Ccmmijftm 
 of his Apoftles, to c go and 
 f **;*& Difciples out of ail Nations by fcif « 
 • *//?»g them t- But we 
 t St. Mw. 28. know 'twas in the room of 
 19. fee below of circumcifion, for as that was 
 &3&2ST a F^,, 5^, II and W of 
 n Gods Covenant 9 and #?i?0j 
 
 llftw.4.11. of admiffion into the 
 Church % fo is this. It feems 
 alfo to have had refpeft to the way of ad» 
 witting Profelytes among the Jews, which 
 
 tius/Scc. Amman, ft" 1 I s D Y Baptifm m : and 
 £picleu perhaps alft) to the Lufira- 
 
 tiom 
 
Of BAPTISM. 191 
 
 tions or Purifications among the Heathen, 
 which Grottus thinks with great Reafon, 
 were the remains of a Patriarchal Tradition, 
 in memory of the univerfal Flood ; which the 
 Apofile alfo feems to intimate when he calls 
 Baptifm, c the Antityfe to 
 the Ark, or the Deluge.* *iStPet+to^u 
 
 $ IV. The matter of this Sacrament is 
 Water* which as it has a natural Power 
 of cleanfing, is in it felf more fit for 
 fuch a fymbolical and fact ament alUje. Some 
 of the ancients have thought that God gave 
 the fir ft Bleffing to the Waters , Gen. r. 10. 
 becaufe they were defigned for Baptifm. 
 Which is performed by Waging, Dipping or 
 Sprinkling the Perfon in the Name of the Fa- 
 ther* Son and Holy Gboft. That is, by this 
 Ceremony, the baptifed Perfon is obliged to be- 
 lieve in the Holy Trinity, and to receive and 
 obey the Go/pel. The Gentiles therefore were 
 generally baptifed in the Name of the whole 
 trinity, becaufe they did not before believe 
 aright of any of the Three Perfons : Tho* the 
 Jews and Profelytes who before did believe 
 aright of God, feem to have been Some- 
 times baptifed only in the 
 ifam of the Lord Jefus, t t Ails 10. 42. 
 
 19. 5- 
 
 * V, 
 
i9i 0/ BAPTIS M. 
 
 J. V. I (aid Wafting, Dipping, or S prink- 
 Tmgy ( according to our Catechifm ) was the 
 manner of Baptifm, tho' neither of them are, 
 I think, exprefiy determined in Scripture, either 
 by Vrecept, or fuch Example as clearly proves 
 it ; or by the force or meaning of the yvov&Bap- 
 tife* Nay, there are feveral places in the 
 Sacred Scripture which make it very proba- 
 ble they did waft, or fprinkle, as well as 
 dip or plunge the baptifed, and we have In. 
 fiances of it in the known Praftice of the 
 untient Churches, Johns Baptifm, in fome 
 things agreeing with our Saviour's, in others 
 differing from it, cannot certainly be proved 
 from Scripture, to have been performed by 
 
 Dipping, Not that* oiEnon 
 * St. John j. 13. near to Salim, where there 
 
 was much Water ; for this 
 might relate to Breadth rather than Depth, 
 fince a narrow place would not have been 
 fufficient for fo great a multitude, ' Jerufa- 
 
 ' lem and all Judea, &c t 
 } StMatt. 3. j. that is, a great fart, if not 
 
 the generality of them. Nor 
 any of our Saviour or his VifciplesBapti/ms, nor 
 
 even that of P&///> and the 
 J ^#/ 8- 38, $9« E^^^tho' they both went 
 
 down into the Water; for 
 that g <wg down^ may relate to the Eunuch's 
 
 Chariot, 
 
0/ B A P T I S M. 19; 
 
 Chariot, when they defcended, but implys no 
 determinate Vepth of Water : it might be to 
 their Knees, it might not reach their Ancles* 
 The words Baptije and Baptifm do not ne- 
 cefTariiy conclude for Dipping, becaufe they 
 are ufed in other Senfes in feveral places of 
 Scripture. Thus we read that the Jews 
 were all haptifed to Mofes in the Cloudy and 
 in the Sea * ; in neither of 
 which were they plunged \ * 1 Con 10. 2. 
 the Body of the Water not 
 touching them ( tho' the Egyptians were ifiw 
 indeed when they fank like ZW in the 
 mighty Waters f ) they could . _> . « 
 therefore be only fprinkled tE , 5 lw 
 by Dro/>j of the S*<* water, 
 and refrefhing D<?u>j from the C/W, while 
 in the Wildernefs; which feems not obfcure- 
 ly hinted in that of the Pfalrnift. ' Thou, 
 ( fentefi a gracious Rain upon thine Inbe* 
 * ritance , and refrcfoedft it 
 ' when it was weary, f| A- II ?f al - 6S - 9- 
 gain, Chrift faid to his two . 
 Difciples, f that they mould be haptifed with 
 f the Baptitm that he was 
 'haptifed with*, namely, *StMarkio. 38. 
 € the Baptifm of Blosd, or 
 c Martyrdom ; but neither he nor they were 
 dipt> but only fprinkled, or wafted with their 
 own Blood, Again, we read in the Go- 
 
 K fpcl, 
 
194 Of B A P T I S M. 
 
 '*$t.M»km- f pel u * ^^^'^ 
 #<r^ in tiie original Baptifms ot 
 
 Pots, and Cups, and brazen 
 Veflels and Tables, or Beds : Yet Pots and 
 Cups are not neceffarily dipt, when they are 
 wajht, but Water is often poured upon them. 
 
 Nay, the Pharifees wajht the 
 \ St.Lukeii.i?. m fides of them only t> and 
 
 as for Tables' or ZWj, none 
 will fuppofe they could be dipt, but only 
 fprinkled, or at moft au^/k over. Here is 
 the word Baptifm, not in a figurative, but 
 natural Senfe, taken otherwife than for <#p- 
 p/ȣ, namely for wafting or cleanfing, and 
 that this is the true meaning of the word 
 Baptife> is the Opinion of the greateft 
 
 Scholars, and moft proper 
 (| Hefichius.Ste- Judges in this matter. || 
 
 fbanus Scapula. > Tjs true we rea j f be- 
 
 ;^». * ** *ri with chrift in 
 
 Mtfirv*. Lavatio, £«p//*», but we cannot ar- 
 
 abiutio. Wafhing, gue with any certainty 
 
 which may be done f rom f uc h a figurative Ex- 
 
 without dipping. ^jjfa . which if Jt heI( j j 
 
 exa&ly, feems as much for | 
 JpYinkling as plunging, becaufe in Burials the 
 Earth is fprinkled on the Body, not the Body 
 plunged through the fblid Subftance of the 
 Earth ; and a Man is not buried, tho' he is put 
 into hisGr*w,tilI he is covered by thus cafling, 
 
 OS 
 
Of B A P T I S M. 195 
 
 or fprinkling the Earth upon him ; and on 
 the other fide, we read that 
 Baptifm is called * the waft- * T*>, 35- 
 ing of Regeneration. And 
 as there is no certain Proof of dipping from 
 [acred Scripture, Co there is very great proba- 
 bility from the Hifiory of the Apofiles, that 
 great Numbers were baptifed by the Apo- 
 ftles themfelves witjiout any ftich dippings 
 only by wafting, fprinkling, or pouring Water 
 upon them, or (ome pan of them, fufE- 
 cient to a ceremonial Waft- 
 ing |, and clearly repre- t St, John 11* 10; 
 fenting the inward pan of 
 the Sacrament, or cleanfing from Sin ; not the 
 quantity but the quality being chiefly cons- 
 iderable, as 'tis not much or link of the Bread 
 ■ and /^/we, but the Sub fiance of them only, 
 which with the Grace of God, makes the o- 
 ther Sacrament. c The Jaylor and all his 
 e Houfe were baptifed in 
 r the Prifon.H Cornelius and II ^#* *6-3l- 
 his Friends at Zwwe *, and * Alls 10.4?. 
 feveral Houfholds. But is 
 it likely they had all of them Vends % Tools] 
 or Rivers^ in, or near their Houfes, fuffi- 
 cient to plunge all thefe ? I think the con- 
 trary is far more probable. And the fame 
 evfti of the 5000 at one time, and 3000 
 at another, which were converted and bap* 
 ■ K. % tijed 
 
*9 6 °f B A P T I S M. 
 
 * Ails 1.41. 
 4. 5. 
 
 20. Fuller 747/, 
 £/?f re #er£ «<? £?<*- 
 tcr-Mills in Jeru- 
 salem, becaufe no 
 Streams large e- 
 mough to drive 
 them. Pifgah Sigh't. 
 
 tifed by Saint Feter in Je- 
 rujalem *, where they had 
 none but the gentle Waters 
 of Siloam, as fome think, 
 the fame with Gibon, which 
 were by Hez»ekiab brought 
 into the City f. 'Tis true, 
 it was an antient Cuftom 
 to dtp the baptifed, which 
 was rather refrefhing than 
 dangerous in the warm Ea- 
 stern and Southern Coun- 
 tries : But the cafe is otherwife in our cold 
 and frozen Climate, where oftentimes we 
 have no Ponds or Rivers unfrozen to dip \n, 
 and if we did, it would endanger the Health 
 or Life, both offick and weakly grown Per- 
 fons ( as fome of thofe who praftife it can* 
 not be ignorant ) and efpecialiy of tender In- 
 fants, and be more bard to them than Cir* 
 curnctfion it felf; and as the antients did un- 
 doubtedly bapttfe the Climes, or fick Perfons 
 on their Beds, by wafting or jpr inkling, not 
 dipping them, lo may we do with Children 
 or others in thefe Northern Parts, where the 
 danger feems much the fame, fince God 
 will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice: efpeci- 
 aliy when he has not determined any thing 
 concerning it in his Holy Word. Tho' where 
 adult Perjons are baptifed 3 or Children are 
 
 able 
 
Of BAPTISM. 197 
 
 able to bear it, our Church * Vid. Utihrkf^ 
 
 is not againft dipping*; *n fublickBapifa 
 
 nor can this therefore be 
 
 any valid Objection againft it, or juft Caufh 
 
 of Separation from it. I fhall clofe this 
 
 Head with an Observation concerning the 
 
 Hebrew word which figni-. 
 
 fies to baptife t, which a Re- •n*? 1 3H f 
 
 verend Perfbn who was as 
 
 well acquainted with that p Dr . Lightfoot°i 
 
 Language as mod inEurope ||, appendix to bis 
 
 has largely proved, to im- Life. Vo1.II./m6. 
 
 ply no more than [prink- 
 
 ling) not plunging^ or dipping; challenging 
 
 all thofe who are of a different Opinion, to 
 
 produce any place in the Old Teftament % 
 
 where the word when it is ufed in Sacreds, 
 
 and in a tranfient Aftion, is not taken for 
 
 fpr inkling only. 
 
 § VI. The firft of the Benefits we re- 
 ceive by Bapttfm, is the wafting away the 
 damning Gmlt of original Sin 3 by the applicati- 
 on of the merits of Chnft's Death.- That we 
 are all born under the Guilt of Adams Sin a 
 and that all Sin deferves eternal mifery > has 
 been the unanimous Senfe of the Primitive 
 Churchy as well as it is pofitively and ftrong- 
 ]y aflerted in the Ninth Article of the 
 Church of England i and even Heathens have 
 K 1 been 
 
198 Of B A P T I S M. 
 
 been fenfible of a Fall, though they have 
 been ignorant of the manner of it, and means 
 to recover from it (and yet, as before, they 
 generally ufed waging or 
 * I believe they fprinklmg for Purification.*) 
 had it from Or- And jt JS no ]ef$ certa j n 
 
 f^^iz ^r aI1 fee * thQ , Eff f s , 
 
 and they perhaps ot this original Guilt, tho 
 from Jacob. there may be difficulties in 
 
 the manner of its propagati- 
 on : For no modeft good Man can be infen- 
 iible of an inward ftrong propenfion to Evil : 
 And the Scripture plainly aflerts \ e That 
 
 * we were ihapen in Iniquity, and in Sin 
 
 e did our Mothers conceive 
 J Pfal. 5 1. 5. ' us f . f That we were all 
 
 * by nature Children of 
 £;/;<£ 2. 1,3. e wrath, and dead in tre- 
 
 r fpafles and fins. c That 
 Job 14. 4- and c nQne can bnng a ^^ 
 
 ' 4# c */&/>;£ out of an unclean. 
 
 j Cor. 13. 21. c That in v4^w all died. 
 
 ' That by one Man's difobe- 
 
 Horn, 5- io, 1 1. « J/ewce many ( that is all ) 
 
 ' were made Sinners. /By 
 
 i^w. 5,10,23. r one ^/^ 5iw entred'into 
 
 ' the world, and Detff£ by 
 
 * Sin, which came upon all Men, for that 
 
 * all have finned, and come ihort of the 
 ' Glory of God. Nay, this almoft in exprefs 
 
 Terms 
 
' Of B A P T I S M. 199 
 
 Terms as to Infants, who if they had not 
 any Sin at all, no original Sin, How come 
 they to die, and what need would they have 
 of a Saviour, fincc they have no aclual Sin ? 
 But, 'tis (aid, c That Death reigned from 
 c Adam to Mofes, even in thofe who had 
 ' not finned (atlually) according to the 
 r [imilitude of Adams tranfc 
 ff greftion *; which can re- * R° m - 5- *3> H« 
 late to Infants only : which 
 Texts are allowed by all bat Pelagians, to 
 be clear Proofs that the whole Race of man- 
 kind are obnoxious both to the Guilt and 
 Pumjhments o{ Adams Tranfgreffion : To 
 the Punishment as well as the Guilt of it, which 
 doubtlefs was not only temporal Death, but 
 extended likewife to fpiritual and eternal. 
 
 The Scripture having concluded all under 
 r Sin, as the Jews under Unbelief \ that God 
 * might have mercy upon 
 c all f: Which takes or? t G*/. 3. 12. 
 any miftaken Imputation on Rww ' Il# 3 2 * 
 GWj mercy, or his Juftice, 
 fines the Remedy is as wide as the Wound, 
 the Obedience and D<?dtf/6 of the fecond 
 ytf«**fl have repaired the Raw which were 
 occalioned by the Crime of the firft, and 
 brought mankind into a poffibility-, and c*/w* 
 ctf/ of Salvation : ' And as by the offence of 
 
 one, Judgment came upon all Men to 
 K 4 * C<WfJe*i~ 
 
loo ^BAPTISM.' 
 
 * Condemnation, fo by the Righteoufnefs of 
 one, the Free-Gift came upon all Men to 
 
 ' J tift ification of Life. * 
 
 * Hom. 5. x8. Which virtue of Chrift's 
 
 Death and Refurretlion are 
 
 applied to us in Baptifm : 
 
 t fyv. i. r. f ' For he /oW, us and 
 
 c wafted us from our Sw 
 
 c In his 0&;# £/W. ' He gave himfelf for 
 
 * the Church, that he might fanffifie and 
 
 f c/*tfw/i it with the wafying 
 || E/>/^y: 5. 251 ' of -water, by the Word I \ 
 l6 - namely, by Baptifm, as an 
 Instrument of our purifica- 
 tion, as oiir CiwcA fully afferts in the qS&e 
 t/ Baptifm., \ That all Men are conceived 
 c and for» in Sin, * in 
 
 * Firjl Exhor- ■ tne old -4^w, t in ori- 
 tatum before Bat- < gind ^ and in |he 
 
 IMnifters cer- ' Math of God; and prays, 
 
 *'#% after pri- c That thePerfon to be bap- 
 vat e Baftijm* ' tifed, may be wafted and 
 * fanclifyed with the H0/7 
 r Ghoft% and delivered from GoJV Wraths and 
 e by Baptifm, receive Remiffion of £*«/, and 
 ' enjoy the everlafiing Benediclion of God's 
 ' heavenly -wafting : and again, c That the 
 
 * Water may be fanclified to the myfttcal 
 
 ii p^,w. f "i^f awa ? ° f «nl 
 
 diaeeiy before Bap. and teaches us, \Thatthoie 
 
 tijm. \ Who 
 
Of B A P T I S M. lot 
 
 c who are born in original Sin, and in the 
 c Wrath of God, are by the Laver of fo£e- 
 ' iteration in Baptifm, received into the Num- 
 € her of God's Children, &c. And according- 
 ly, does upon good Ground affirm in the 
 Rubrick at the end of the Office, c That 
 f it is certain by God's Word, that Children 
 r which are baptifed, dying before they com' 
 ' rnit aclual Sin, are faved : and this is agree- 
 able to the unanimous Opt- * $ t Cyprian, 
 nion of the antient Fathers*, Tbeophytatt. La- 
 and of the Primitive Church, Bam. Greg. Na%. 
 which differ'd from the Pe- OrigenSt. Avguft. 
 
 lagian Heretkks in this very *}£"$'* * *" 
 
 i r rr • i rom, occ. 
 
 point ; thole Heretuks pre- 
 tending that Children were baptifed only 
 that they might be admitted into the King- 
 dom of Heaven, whereas the Orthodox held, 
 that they ought to be baptifed, efpecially in 
 cafe of danger, for the wafting away the 
 Guilt of original Sin* 
 
 $ VII. Another Benefit of Baptifm, is, 
 that we thereby enter into Covenant with 
 God, without which, as has been faid on 
 the other Sacrament, What has a (inful Crea- 
 ture to do with his offended Maker ? Into 
 that everlajhng Covenant, which he has com* 
 manded for ever t; that ^ pfaL t , 
 New Covenant, which he 
 
 K. ? has 
 
*oi 0/ B A P T I S M. 
 
 has promifed to make with the fpiritual 
 Ifrael. To give them a new Heart, and a 
 new Spirit, ( new Principles, new Inclinations ) 
 to fprinkle clean water upon them, that they 
 may be clean, and to remember their Sins 
 and iniquities no more. In ftiort, to be their 
 God, as he promifed to Abraham, in the 
 Evangelical Covenant which he made with 
 
 him, and all his fpiritual 
 * Giw.17.7,8. Offspring.* That Cir cum - 
 
 cifion was then the way of 
 admitting into Covenant with God, and that 
 Baptifm is the /**»<? now, I fuppofe none 
 deny, who own any Sacraments : Baptifm 
 being alfo ftiled in Scripture, the Stipula- 
 tisn, Contrast, or Covenant of a good Confer- 
 ence, as good Interpreters trandate that place 
 
 in St. Peter already men- 
 
 f §j, *£^- tioned. t Our part of the 
 
 ttf^ftipulatio,Lz/. Covenant, ( which includes 
 
 ther, Be^a, Gro- an Oath and a Vow, ) is to 
 
 uus, &c. renounce the Devil, to £e- 
 
 //*itf what God has reveal- 
 ed K :$o obferve what he has commanded ; God's 
 pall* to give us his Grace to perform what 
 wepromife, and unfpeakable Rewards for 
 ®ur imperfeft Obedience* 
 
 i VIII< 
 
Of BAPTISM. 20? 
 
 £ VIII. By Baptifm, we are admitted 
 into the Church ; and confequently made 
 Members of Cbrifi, the Churches Head. The 
 Jews were- admitted into the Church, or made 
 ProfelyteS) by Circumcifwn^ the Chrifiians by 
 Baptifm. ' For as many as are baptifei 
 1 into C£ri/£, have put on 
 r Chrifi*; that is, are wy- * GW. 3. 27. 
 (tically united to him, and 
 made owe with him. * For by ow^ Spin* we 
 f are all baptifed into owe 
 c £o</y |, namely, the t iCw.u.13, 
 • Church, which is called 
 ' /Ae flofy 0/ G&r*;/£ [| ; II fyke/. 4- 1* 
 whence the Fathers ftile 
 Baptifm , the Door of /£g Church, and the &*- 
 crament. of our initiation, or entrance into 
 Chrifianity. From which x>/^/, more than 
 political, becaufe spiritual , myftical and facra- 
 mental Union with Chnft, proceeds the /«- 
 fluence of his Gr^c* on thofe who are £<ap* 
 f//W ; the Honour and Exaltation of our iSfa- 
 f«re ; the Benefit of his V rot eel ion and iW*r- 
 <?$#&» for us with the Father; as from our 
 t/w'00 wkh the Church, a mare in its /«- 
 fruitions, in its Privileges, in all the Pro- 
 f»i/« Chrift has made to it, in ks fatercef- 
 fans and Supplications, and in the other &*- 
 crament of the ZW* $ upper ^ as foon as 
 
 we 
 
204 0/ BAPTISM. 
 
 we come to Age and Understanding to re- 
 ceive it. 
 
 £ IX. By Baptifm we are made the 
 Children of God, who were by Nature Chil- 
 dren of Wrath* 3 Tis the Sacrament of Adop- 
 tion, as our Church af- 
 
 * Thanksgiving firms • which feems to 
 tfitr Baptifm. mean thflfe mo th|ngs by 
 
 that Regeneration, which in 
 fo many places it afcribes to Baptifm, name- 
 ly, c The being grafted into the Body of 
 * Chnft's Church, and being made the Chil- 
 
 f dren of God by Adop- 
 
 t Thanksgiving « * fc» and Grace, t There 
 after B.i.ptijm. and . / ■ »■■ t • 
 
 W/eff/r Sunday 1S Something more in this 
 after Chriftmis. Bapnfmal Regeneration, than 
 
 barely being admitted into 
 the Church, or having the Guilt of original 
 Sin waflied away : 1c relates to fome a&ual 
 poftive Bevtfi: conferred on the Believers, 
 and is the effecl of our being engrafted into 
 the Churchy and therefore not the thing it 
 felf only. f Except a Man be born again 
 % of Water and of the Spirit 3 fays our Sa- 
 ?iour ; c he cannot enter into the Kingdom 
 
 c of God. ,1 By Water-then, 
 | St John j. 5. as a mam, the JFtor of 
 
 Baptifm, we are regenerated^ 
 or for» *£#>*, whence it is alfo called the 
 
 wafting 
 
Of B A P T I S M. 20J 
 
 ■ — 
 
 wafting of Regeneration. Our Church affirms 
 no more of Baptifm, afcribes no greater Fir* 
 tue to it, than Chrifl himfelf has done : Nor 
 does (he afcribe it to the outward wafting 
 only, but to the inward Grace, which is ad- 
 ded to the outward to make it a Sacrament. 
 We fay not that Regeneration is always com* 
 pleated in this Sacrament^ but that it is be- 
 gun in it : a Principle of Grace is infufed, 
 which we loft by the Fall, which (hall ne* 
 ver be wholly withdrawn, unlefs we quench 
 God's Holy Spirit by obftinate habits of 
 Wickednefs : There are Babes as well as 
 ftrong Men in Chrift. A Chriftian's Life is 
 frogrejjlve, as .is our natural Life ; and tho' 
 the Seeds of Grace, fhould like the reafonable 
 Soul, the Principle of Li/*, and of all Action t 
 be infufed in a Moment, yet there requ'res 
 fiwe to produce ftrong habits of Grace, as 
 well as of Reafon; as every one knows, 
 who is any thing acquainted with his own 
 Mind, or with the Word of God. And the 
 fame our Church affirms in her devout Col- 
 lect for the Nativity, where Jfo prays, * That 
 * we being (namely already in Bapiifm) 
 r regenerate, and made God's Children by A- 
 c doption and Grace^ mjy daily be renewed by 
 ' his Holy Spirit Which we learn from 
 St. Aufim, to have been alfo in Kis time, the 
 Judgment of the Catholick Church 3 who has 
 
 thefe 
 
2o6 0/ BAPTISM. 
 
 thefe Expreffions near the end of his Dif- 
 courfe, de morihus EccleJ. Cathol. ' In that 
 c moft holy Law 9 fays hz,thzRenovation of the 
 c new Mams begun, that by going en it may 
 c be perfected : in fbme indeed this is done 
 
 * fooner, in others later, but in many it pro- 
 r ceeds to a New Life, if any Man diligent- 
 f ly regard it. For thus faith the Apoftle, 
 c Tho 3 the outward Man perifheth , the in- 
 
 * ward Man is renewed day by day. He 
 c (ays, 'Tis renewed that it may be perfected. 
 Thus far he, and indeed 'tis evident that 
 this Renovation, tho' to be daily perfected in 
 the courfe of a Religious Life is yet begun in 
 Baptifjw. c That which is horn of the fleflj, 
 
 ' hfte(h } and that which is 
 
 * St. John j. 6. ' born of the fpirit is fpirit* 
 
 r The Holy Spirit of God 
 
 r defcended wy?A// on our Saviour at his 
 
 t'adtfmV* ' W*-* Ic descended 
 
 mtraculoujly on the nrit 
 Cbrijlians after they were baptifed ; on £/'«w» 
 ^i*g«j himfelf, there feems to be little doubt, . 
 AclM. i ;,I7. as well as on others, and doubt- 
 lefs 'twas his own Fault, that he loft it, becaufe 
 he did not improve it, but grieve and quench 
 it by wilful obfiinate Sin: And from hence it 
 is that the Apoftle fays, that the Bodies even 
 ef very bad Chriftians were the Temples of 
 the Holy Gboft) l Cor, 6. 19. And we are not 
 
 to 
 
Of B A P T I S M. 207 
 
 to doubt but this Holy Spirit defcends as 
 really ftill on thofe that are baptifed, tho' 
 not (b vifibly, fo rmraculoufly as he did for- 
 merly ; whence Chrifiians are in Baptifm 
 facramentally wafted, fantfifad, and jufitfied 
 in the name of our Lord Jefus, and by the 
 Spint of God. * Nor will 
 this Holy Spirit ever leave * 1 Cor. 6. u. 
 us, but ftrive with us to 
 perfecl what is now begun, unlefs we final- 
 ly leave him, and forfeit his Protection, by 
 negletlmg to perform our Engagement s in £*/>- 
 **/?». Now in confequence of this Baptif- 
 tnal Regeneration, and our being therein 
 made the Children of God, we are alfo i»Z>e- 
 nfarj of the Kingdom of Heaven. For by this 
 we enter into it : If Children, then Heirs, 
 Heirs with God, andjoynt Heirs with Chrift; 
 and Inheritors of that Kingdom which can- 
 not be moved]. Baptifm 
 doth now /*w us, if we t %$*fc 8. 17. 
 &i>e anfwerable thereunto, 
 repent, believe, and obey the Go//*/. 'Tis 
 that which admits us into the Church here, 
 and (#07 hereafter. And many have been 
 of Opinion, that by the Sea of Glafs like un- 
 to Cryftal, which is mem 
 tioned in the Revelation || , I! fyv. 4. 6. 
 before the 3l>rowe of God, / 
 was figured out oar Baptifm, through which 
 
 we 
 
2o8 Of B A P T I S M. 
 
 we muft fafs if we ever come to Hea. 
 ven. 
 
 § X. But all thefe "Privileges imply 0£- 
 ligations i Something to be done on our 
 parts for the obtaining them : a Contracl 
 or Covenant without Conditions, being little 
 better than &ContradiBion\ and the Conditi- 
 ons of this Covenant , are Repentance, Faith 
 and Obedience. Baptifm is but the way of 
 our Entrance into Covenant with God, in- 
 to the Church of God, but the Obligations 
 thereof remain as long as our Lives, as the 
 Benefits reach yet further. Faith only with- 
 out Repentance will never fave us. The 
 Doctrine of the Apoftles was ' Repent and 
 c be Bapttfed * for the Re- 
 
 * ABs 2. 38. miffion of Sins ; and Repent 
 
 and Believe the Gofpel : and 
 Truth itfelf has aflur'd us, that * except we 
 
 * Repent we (hall all perifh. But yet we are 
 indifpenfbly obliged by our Baptifm ; Firft, 
 To believe all Divine Revelation, efpecially the 
 Holy Gofpel ; to believe Chrijl the true Mef* 
 fiah, the eternal Son of God, the Saviour of 
 the World, and adually to trufi in him for 
 Remijfion of Sins, and eternal H-^ppinefL 
 And becaufe aft the Gofpel cannot be re- 
 peated at Baptifm, the Church has all along 
 made ufe of a Form of found words, com- 
 prehending 
 
Of B A P T I S M. 209 
 
 prehending the Subftance thereof; and for 
 many ages, that particular Form which is 
 called the Apoftles Cued, containing that 
 Doclrine which they preacht to all Nations : 
 And to this the Perfon to be Baptifed) is ob- 
 liged to teftify his affent, either by himfelf 
 or others. But tho' this be a good Step, yec 
 this alone will not fave him. For he mud 
 not only c believe Gods Word, but likewife 
 r obediently keep his Commandments. Thofe 
 who are buried with Chrifi in Baptifm, muft 
 remember they are to be Dead to Sin, to 
 walk in newnefi of Life, and to be careful 
 that they maintain Good 
 Works, * agreeable where- *A' W ' 6 - *'4 ; 
 unto is the excellent A J- Office of B^ 
 mce ot our Church to the tifm, Exhortation 
 Baptifed. f 4 That 'tis their at the End. 
 
 * Parts and Dutys being 
 
 c made the Children of God and of the Light 
 r by Faith in Jefus Chnft to walk anfwer- 
 c ably to their Chriftian Calling, and as be- 
 f comes the Children of the Light. Remern- 
 f bring always that Baptifm reprefents unto 
 
 * us our ProfeJ/ion x which is to follow the 
 c Example of our Saviour Chrifi, and to be 
 e made like unto him, that as he dyed and 
 1 rofe again for us ; fo mould we who are 
 c baptifed , dye from Sin , and rife again 
 
 * unto Rtghteoufnefs, continually mortifying 
 
 4 all 
 
2io of B A P T I 5 M. 
 
 c all our evil and corrupt Affctfions , and 
 c daily proceeding in all Venue and Godlinefs- 
 r of living. And would to God all who 
 are baptifed % would but a«Sfc according to 
 thefe Dire&ions, which would prevent the 
 unfpeakable Scandal which is given by the 
 bad Lives of Chrijlian^ the high Dishonour 
 of God, and their own eternal Ruine. 
 
 § XL And this Bapiifm is to be pefpe* 
 tual, to laft as long as the Cburcb, into which 
 it gives Entrance; to the end of the World. 
 It muft doubdefs be highly neceffary, hnce 
 without it, in an ordinary way there is no 
 Entrance into the Church or into Heaven, 
 The outward Baptijm is thus necejfary, as a 
 *»££«; to the inward ; as was outward Cir- 
 cumcifion to the Circumcifion of the Hl^r/ ; 
 nor would it have availed the Jews to plead 
 that they had the mward, and that was fuffi- 
 cient, becaule whoever had not the outward 
 too, that Soul wis to be cut off from among his 
 People ; he had defpifed, he had broken Gods 
 everlajfing Covenant ', by dejpifing and neglecting 
 the 5m/ of it. Gfw. 17. 14. A 5<W muft bs 
 (bmething viftble : a Sacrament muft confift of 
 fomething outward as well as inward. The 
 very nature of a 7/pg impiys the fame : 
 The Seal of Circumcifion was to laft among 
 the Jews . as lorig as the Ceremonial Law 
 
 . lafted, 
 
Of B A P T I S M. in 
 
 iafted, whereunto it obliged them, making 
 them Debtersxo the whole 
 Law, * and when that was * GaUt. 5. 3. 
 abolijhed, and Baptifm came 
 in its Room, that muft alio laft by Parity 
 of Reafcn, as long as the Cofpel Covenant, 
 into which it admits, and whereunto it ob- 
 liges all Nations. There is no doubt but 
 our Saviotn's Commiffion was to make Profe* 
 lytes by baptizing with Water, for (o the A- 
 poftles did , which they dared not have 
 done, had not it been contained in their 
 Commiffion: and this of Gentile* as well as 
 Jews, as is undeniably clear from the Acls 
 of the Apoftles; nay they did not only/w- 
 tnit but command and exhort to outward Bap* 
 tifm. Thus Ananias to St. Paul. * Arife 
 c and be baptifed, and wa/h 
 r away thy Sins f. Thus t ABsii. \6. 
 St. Peter to the Jews, c Re- 
 * pent and be baptifed. || And (1 -45s 2.38. 
 to the Gentiles , and that 
 with #^/er. ' Can any man forbid Water 
 c that thefe mould not be baptifeJ? And it 
 follows he commanded them to be baptifed 
 in the name of the Lord : which was cer- 
 tainly more than a bare Permifion or C<?»- 
 defcenfton *. And as long 
 as the Commiffion to the A- * ^# J i°« 47« 
 poftles lafied > as long as 
 
 Chrijt 
 
211 Of B A P T I S M. 
 
 Cbrifi promifed to be with them, in the E#r 
 cution of it, fb long dcubtlefs were they to 
 exercife it, and to baptife as well as to teach ; 
 for the Commiffion is to £0^ as the Promife 
 is to ^^: But Chrifi ruth promifed to be 
 a>/>£ them, that is by his Spirit, in their 
 lawful SucceJJors, till the £W of the World. 
 Which explains that Exprejjlon of the Apo- 
 ftle concerning the other Sacrament, that 
 therein Chrijitans were to (hew forth the 
 Lords Death until he come; that is till he 
 c»me at the /<*/? ^ to jW^e the awr/i, ^r- 
 jW#p and i/^/y, in like manner as hisD//- 
 d/>/f / few him bodily afcend 
 * AEts 1. 1 1. inco Heaven* : which can- 
 
 not therefore relate to his 
 coming at Tentecofi by his Spirit ; nor his 
 coming to </*/?r<?/ the Jewijh City and Nation, 
 which was by his ?o»?er, not his perfon. Nor 
 can the End of the world bz here reftrained 
 to the Definition of Jemfalem, becaufe that 
 was but about Forty Years after Cbnfis A* 
 fcenfion, and we are not to think the Com- 
 mijfion was then voided \ or that be hzsfor- 
 faken his Church ever fince : which was ra- 
 ther much confirmed by this terrible Defim* 
 Bion which he had foretold mould befal his 
 enemies and crucifiers. Befides that there's 
 another word added , c always ; Lo I am 
 
 with 
 
Of B A P T I S M. *n 
 
 with you always *; which 
 jlrengthens and explains that * St. M*/*. 28, 1 
 Expreffiofi) to the £»</ of the 20 * Helms 7ttf 
 JPorM. And accordingly *«*&*- 
 we are lure that as well 
 the Apoftles as their immediate Succeffors, 
 did receive all Nations into the Chriftian 
 Church by Baptifm, and none without it ; 
 and have continued to do the fame ever 
 fince, and doubtlefs will do fb to the End 
 of the World. Nor therefore are thofe to 
 be heard , who deny the necejfity or />£r/>e- 
 ?»/'// of outward Water-Baptism. 
 
 $ XII. But there's a yet greater Diffi- 
 culty concerning the Subjetls ofBaptifm, whe- 
 ther only adult Perfins, who can make a 
 perfonal, fublick frofeffion of their Faith and 
 Repentance \ or the Children alfo of Believers, 
 who are brought unto it on account of the 
 F**f& of their Parents, and Sponfors or S»r*- 
 f/ttj and may have the beginnings of F*/f£ 
 •and Holinefs wrought in them by Gods Spi* 
 
 § XIII. And here before I enter upon 
 this Argument, I think it may not be in- 
 convenient to declare, that I do it not for 
 Arguments fake only. I would have no 
 Controver/ie with any Chriftian but who 
 
 fliould 
 
214 Of B A P T I S M. 
 
 mould be mod charitable, nor would I wil-l 
 lingly provoke any, but to Love and to good\ 
 Works: But yet I am obliged to do what 
 I can to preferve any that are under my 
 Charge from what I my felfam convinced 
 is an Error, and fuch is, I am fatisfied, the | 
 denying of Baptifm to Infants, and I mall be 
 very glad if thefe mean Facers may be ufe- 
 ful to any others on the fame Occafion. 
 Wherein I mail firft lay down the Grounds 
 of Infant Baptifm, taken from Scripture, Rea* 
 fon, and Primitive, and univerfal Cuftom : 
 And fecondly , Endeavour to anfwer the 
 Objections againft it. 
 
 $ XIV. Our Grounds for Baptifing the 
 Infants, (at leaft) of believing Parents, are 
 fuch as thefe. i. Becaufe all Children are 
 guilty of original Sin, and confequently can- 
 not be faved in an ordinary way, unlefi 
 that be wajirt away in Baptifm. i. Becaufe 
 fuch Children are capable of making a Co- 
 venant, and were, and ftiii are under the" 
 Evangelical Covenant, and confequently "have 
 a right to Baptifm, which is the initiating 
 Seal thereof. 3. Becaufe they may, and 
 ought to come to Chrtfi, are capable of be- 
 ing admitted into the Church of God, and 
 of folemn facramental Dedication to him. 
 4. Becaufe the Jews did make Profdyus 
 
 of 
 
0/ BAPTISM. US 
 
 of Children by bapti/tng as well as by cir. 
 cumciflng chem ; and confequently, our Sa- 
 viour commanding his Dijciples to make 
 Trofelytes out of all Nations by Baptifm, 
 and not forbidding them*to receive Children, 
 they muft needs haft if e them alfo. 5. It is 
 very probable, if not pofitively certain, from 
 the Acts of the Apofiles, that the Apofiles did 
 haptife Infants. 6. As it is certain that the 
 firft Cbrijtians did fo, and the Church of God 
 have continued to do it, in all Places and 
 all Ages. 
 
 $ XV. The firft Argument for Infants 
 Baptifm, may be taken from their being 
 guilty of original Sin, and confequently, in 
 an ordinary way they cannot be faved, un- 
 lefs that be waflied away by Baptifm. That 
 there is iuch a thing as this original Guilt 
 or Stain of our Natures, fee Section VI. 
 where it is alfo proved, that it is in it felf 
 damnable, as \t muft certainly be, if it makes 
 us the Children of Wrath ; and if the Of- 
 fence of the firft Adam has rendted all Man- 
 kind obnoxious to Judgment, to Condemna- 
 tion, and to Veath, It is true, the fecond 
 Adam has found a Remedy by his own 
 Death, but the Merits thereof are only to be 
 applied in the uie of thole means he has ap- 
 pointed, the chief of which are the Sacra- 
 
 merits. 
 
fti6 0/ BAPTISM. 
 
 went s. All good Ghnftians believe one Bap- 
 tifm for the RemiJJion of Sins ; we being I 
 therein born again, not of corruptible Seed, 
 
 but of incorruptible. * Bap- 
 * i St. Pet. 1.13. ri/w is the ordinary way, to | 
 
 which God has tied us, 
 tho' he may not have tied himfelf. 
 Where it is not to be had indeed, the Cafe 
 is different, but what are extraordinary Cafes 
 againfta certain (landing Rule ? That origi- 
 nal Sin is really wajht away in Baptifm, has 
 been already proved ; and that the lame has 
 been the unanimous Opinion of the antient 
 Churches : And on that account, we think 
 we have great Reafbn to baptife Infants, as 
 did the Holy Fathers of old, that they may 
 thereby be made Inheritors of the Kingdom 
 of Heaven, 
 
 § XVI. A fecond Argument for the 
 Latvfulnefioi Infant's Baptifm, is, becaufe they 
 are capable of making a Covenant, and 
 were, and ftill are, under the Evangelical 
 Covenant, and confequently have a right 
 to Baptifm, which is the entring Seal there- 
 of. 
 
 That Infants are capable of entring into 
 a Covenant > I prove from God's own Words 
 to the People of Ifrael, Deut.29. 10, n, 12. 
 ' Ye (land this day all of you before the Lord 
 
 c your 
 
 1 
 
Of B A P T I S M. 117 
 
 c your God, your Captains, &c. with all the 
 1 Men of Ifrael Your Little Ones, your 
 c Wives, and thy Stranger, &c. That thou 
 * ihouldeft enter into Covenant with the Lord 
 e thy God. God wouid never have wj^ a 
 Covenant with Lzrr/e 0«e/, if they had not 
 been capable of it ; 'tis not fadChildren oniy 5 
 but £tf*/e 0»w ( fiich as Chnft particularly 
 orders his Dtfcipla co faffer to come to him^ 
 of which more below ) and is tranilated m 
 the Greek by a word that fig- 
 nifies Infants, or Innocents * * £#4 9» & 
 TheC«/ r of^n r and Nfe ^fJ,S 
 common Reason of Mankind, The Tame* or a Mat 
 does alio /wu* that Infants is ujed m thefe an- 
 may e»^r into a Covenant, ***** Conftttutions 
 and may be obliged by f^dt^Apo- 
 Compass made in their ^^^^. 
 JNuww by others, and may tije your infants. 
 receive Advantage by them. 
 The Apo/lle argues from a Mans Covenant, 
 which he fays cannot be dtfanulfd to 
 God's Covenant f ; and 
 furely, we may follow his t Galat. j. 15. 
 Example. Infants may be 
 fti'll, as they were of old in Circumclfion, 
 actually obliged- to perform that for the /#- 
 ture, which they cannot acltmlly perform at 
 the Tme of their entrtng into fuch Obli- 
 gation* 
 
 L The 
 
n8 Of BAPTISM. 
 
 The Infants of Believers, the true Children 
 of faithful Abraham, always were under the 
 Gofpel Covenant. They were included in it, 
 they had a r/£fo unto it, and to the Seal 
 of it ; as an Heir has right to an Eft ate, an 
 2»/rf«* Pr/»<re to a Crown, tho' there are fome 
 Solemnities required to give them Invefiiture, 
 and actual Vojjefjion of them. The Covenant 
 with Abraham was a G off el Covenant. The Co»- 
 *fo/08 the fame 3 namely ita/^which the Apoftle 
 tells us, was accounted un- 
 
 * Gal. 3. 15. to him for Righteoufnefs* ; 
 
 the infeparable Fruit of 
 which Faith was Obedience, for by F*tf£ he 
 
 left his Country, and offer- 
 - tJEfc^u.8,17. ed his Sm t, The fr»t/Sir# 
 
 were the fame, for God 
 promifes to be his God, and the God of his 
 
 Seed after him || ; and he 
 J Gen. 17. 8. can promife no more to 
 
 any Creature, for this in- 
 cludes all Bleffwgs of this Life and a better. 
 The Mediator the fame, for it was in his 
 
 Seed, that is, in Cbrifl * i 
 
 * Gen. 12. 18. that all the Nations of the 
 G*/. 3. '6. Earth were to be bleffed : 
 
 on which account the AA 
 
 fcftle fays, that the Gofpel was preached unto] 
 
 Abraham f. The fame ProA 
 
 t €ah 3. 8. mifc that was made to him A 
 
 thai 
 
Of BAPTISM. 219 
 
 the fame Covenant that was made with him, 
 was made wifh his Children after bim, for fo 
 it is exprefiy laid * ; and 
 upon that account it is *GD»r*r*fc, 
 called an Everlafting Cove- GaL *'7> 
 »^»f. In this Covenant, 
 Children were obliged to what they knew 
 not, to the fame Faith and Obedience which 
 Abraham performed, or elfe no Benefit by 
 it. Ic reaches beyond the Law ; for the 
 Apoftle exprefiy difiinguijhes 
 this from it t 'Tis true, t Gal. 3. 17. 
 there was fomething legal 
 that was a fort of ari appendage unto if, 
 namely, a temporal Promife of Canaan te 
 Abraham and his Pofieri- 
 f; II ; ' To thee and to thy li <?*». i7«*« 
 * S?ed after thee, will I 
 ff give the £<i»^ of Canaan. But this was 
 but like a Codicil annexed to a WM % not 
 the A/* or ww/'w part of it; for neither 
 Abraham nor the Patriarchs did actually in- 
 herit Canaan ; but as the Apoftle argues, 
 God had prepared better Bkjfings for them, 
 even Spiritual and Heavenly, for which 
 caufe he was not alhamed , . n 
 to be called their God*, jffi^ 
 Now, to Abraham and his i$. 
 
 fpiritual Offspring were the 
 Vromifa made in Cinj/?, and the fame which 
 
 L 2 are 
 
xto Of BAPTISM. 
 
 are of Faith, the fame are the Children of 
 Abraham, and blejjed toge- 
 * Gal. 3. 7- ther with him *. Circum- 
 Rom. 4- 13* rt/fr» was the Seal of that 
 Covenant, and therefore 'tis 
 , . R it (elf figuratively called 
 T iiffi 7. ». , fe Covenant f. The CM- 
 </re* of thofe who profefs'd 
 the true Religion were hereby admitted into 
 the Covenant which God then made with his 
 Teopk, and obliged to the Conditions of it, 
 as when the Law was added, to the Obferva- 
 tion of that alio ; for he that is circumcifed^ 
 faith the Apoftle, u Debtor to the whole Law ; 
 Gal. $.3. that is, was obliged to fulfil it when 
 ht came to age, as being thereby made a Mem- 
 ber of the Jewifl) Churcb^nd bound to obferve 
 all its political and ceremonial Conftiiutions, as 
 were the Profeljtes of Juftice, who were c/r- 
 £uwci[ed, whereas the Jewijh Writers tell us, 
 that the Profeljtes of the Gate, who were ad- 
 mitted by Bapttfm only, were only obliged to 
 the ftven Precepts if Noah : And this Sr. Paul 
 very well knew, having been bred a Pha- j 
 rifee, and well, acquainted with their Tra- 
 ditions. When therefore the old Seal of Cir- 1 
 cvmcifion was taken off] this of Bapttfm was 
 added by our Saviour in its room ; one pofi- 
 five Inftitution fucceeding another. A new 
 Seal to Abraham's Covenant ; the Seals dif- 
 fered, 
 
Of B A P T I S M. in 
 
 ferred, but the Deed was the fame, only that 
 part of it ftruck off, which was purely poli- 
 cal 3 relating to the Jewijh Nation and tem- 
 poral Canaan only. And that Baftifm did 
 really come in the room of Circumcifion, we 
 may'learn as well from the clear Reafm of 
 the thing;, as from she A- 
 poftie's Argument*) where *CoL i. 11,12,13, 
 after Circumcifion ) he men- , 
 tions Baptifm, as that wherein God has 
 forgiven us our trefpajjes ; to which he siftfe, 
 the blotting out the handwriting of 0r/&- 
 *&«w, relating plainly co Circumcifiw, and 
 other ufages among the 
 Jews]* which as fairly im- t Ths . **krs 
 die. that W„ came in SSESSl 
 the room or Circumctfton, f ^ Scripture. 
 as our Saviour's /tiling the now quoted, 
 ether Sacrament , the Paffb- 
 ver, does prove that it was inftituted inftead 
 of it, St. Luke x*. 1 f < Nor is it any more a 
 proof that Baptijm did not fucceed Circu-mcifi- 
 on, becaufe it differs in fome Circnrnfiances ( as 
 that they were generally (not always) circum- 
 cifed the %th. day, that the Males only were cir» 
 cumcifed for obvious Reafons of Decency } ^nd the 
 like, whereas both Sexes are baptifed) ,then the 
 fame Reafon would prove, that the Lord's 
 Supper did not fucceed the Pa£over ) which 
 we know did in many more Circumfiances 
 L 3 differ 
 
112 Of B A P T I S M. 
 
 differ from it, than Circumcifion did from 
 the other Sacrament* 
 
 § XVII. A Third Argument for the Bap- 
 fifing of Infants iSj becaufe they may t and 
 eugbt to be made Frofeljtts ; they ought to 
 come to Chrift, being capable of admiffion 
 into the Church of God, and confequently of 
 fchmn, facMmental Dedication to him. 
 
 That Infants ought to be made Vrofelytes, 
 or which is the fame, to come to Chnft^ is 
 evident from his own words, St. Mattb. 14. 
 13,14. * They brought little Children to 
 4 Chrift and the Difciples rebuked them. 
 
 * And Jefus faid, fuffer httk Children to come 
 
 * unto me, and forbid them not, for of fuch 
 8 is the Kingdom of Heaven. Which is 
 carried yet farther by St, Luke 14. 18. 
 
 * They brought unto him alfo ( it mould be 
 rendered even) c Infants^ that he mould 
 1 touch them, eK. And again, Sc. Matth. 
 
 >3. %. and onward. f He called a little 
 f Child, and faid, except ye be converted 
 
 * and become as little Children, ye mail not 
 
 * enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And 
 <ver. 5. * Whoioever mall receive one fuch 
 e hnle Child in my Name, receives me. 
 6* e But whofo mail offend one of ril 
 
 * lutle ones which bdieve in n;s, it v 
 
 * better for him that a 'Mill-ftons were , 
 
 ' hanged • 
 
Of BAPTISM. 2i ? 
 
 c hanged about his Neck, and that he were 
 ' drowned in the debth of the Sea. In 
 which place our Saviour having fpoken of 
 little Children, Infants. Children in Age, in 
 all the former part of his Difcourfe, and un- 
 doubtedly mentioned them four tmes one 
 after another, -it cannot be reafonably fup* 
 poled that he (h --mid all of the fudden change 
 the Senfe of the word, and (peak of little 
 Children in a metaphorical or figurative Senfe 
 in the fixth Verfe, when he ftys that they 
 believed in him. Thefe Children were io 
 little, that they were brought to him, wr 
 yet our Saviour fays, did come unto him; 
 to little, that he took them up in his Arms. 
 And yet he rebuked his Difciples for endea- 
 vouring to hinder their coming unto him. 
 Ch rift's Command refpe&ed the future as 
 well as prefent : his Difciples or Mmifiers -are 
 frill to fuffer Infants to come, that is, to be 
 brought untoChrift, They canaat now come 
 unto him, but by being brought unto the 
 Church, by being made Fro/elytes to Chri' 
 fiianity. They cannot do this but by Bap- 
 tifm, therefore they ought to be baptiftd. 
 ' For of fucb is the Kingdom of Heaven, or 
 of God; not of fuch only as were//£e thefe 
 Infants, but of thofe very Infants, for if they 
 themselves were not fit to be Suhjetls of 
 that Kingdom, How could others be Co, becaufe 
 
 L 4. they 
 
214 O/BAPTISM,' 
 
 they were like them ? s But except a Man 
 ' be born of Water and of rhe S/w/, . he 
 • cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. 
 Infants are therefore capable of being thus 
 born in Holy Bapttfm. They are capable of 
 being admitted into the Church, and have a 
 right unto it. They were in the Church of 
 God under the Old Te (lament; being admit- 
 ted by Circumcifion, nor are we to fuppofe 
 that they are in a worfe Condition under the 
 Go/pel, than they were under the Law ; 
 nor would our Saviour, fiirely, take away 
 any Privileges which they enjoyed, but fa- 
 ther make Additions to them. lie, indeed, 
 ■actually commands his Difciples to admit 
 Children as Profelytes, when he bids them 
 :r fitch to come unto him. The Children 
 of believing Tarents have a i*g£f to the Ktng^. 
 dorn of Heaven, therefore to admijjion into 
 the Church, and confequently to Baptifm, 
 there being no other way of admitting 
 thzm. Again, Cbrifl here exprefly ftiies 
 them Believers ; c one or *6*/ie little ones 
 .which hliive m me: Why therefore, fliould 
 not the Infants of Believers be thought Ca* 
 pable of the beginnings, of the firft P//«- 
 *?/>/** of Ftfifi as weil as o\ Reafcn ; and 
 therefore of Baptijm , according to our 
 Adversary's own Argument? They are laid 
 to have Holmefi as well as Iw/i ; * your 
 
 f Children 
 
0/ BAPTISM. 22$ 
 
 Children are Holy, fays the Apoftle to the 
 Corinthians *, c and that e- 
 c ven of one believing Pa- * i Ctri 7. M- 
 r rent, initially and federally 
 f Holy: and if they are fo, who can for- 
 bid Water, that they fliould be baptifed* 
 It has been the Cuftom of fome of the moft 
 fenfible Leaders of the Antipzdobaptifts them' 
 jfeives, fblemnly to dedicate Children to God 
 foon after their Births, with Prayer, and the 
 like : and if they are capable of this, why 
 not alfo of a facramental Dedication, which 
 I cannot imagine how any Perfon can op- 
 p*fe, who confiders the Need which Infants 
 have of it, the Capacity they have for it, 
 the great Benefits they receive by it, and the 
 terrible Danger of negle cling it. 
 
 § XVIH A fourth Argument for the 
 Baptifmg of Infants is, becaufe the Jews did 
 make Projelytes of Children by Bap'ifm^ as 
 well as by Circumcijion, an i confequently our 
 Saviour commanding his Dijciples to gather 
 Profelytes out of all Nations by Baptifing 
 them, and not forbidding them to receive 
 Children as well as others, they muft needs 
 bapnfe Children alio. 
 
 That the Jews dfd certainly admit Pr#- 
 
 felyies by Baftifa, as well as by Circumci- 
 
 fim, and that am/* fiafail'm together, C&i/- 
 
 L 5 drtn 
 
y& Of B A P T I S M. 
 
 dren, as well as their Parents ; we have th 
 unanimous Tefimony of their rnoft ancient 
 learned, and authentic Writers, as has bee 
 abundantly made good by Dr. Hammond 
 Dr. Ltghtfoot and others, who have laboure 
 on this Subject. The Males they receive 
 by Baptifm and Circumcifion ; the Women^ b 
 Baptifm only, which includes a frfficisn 
 Anfwer to a little Cavil againft the fuc 
 ceeding of Baptifm m the room of Circumcifion 
 That this is not a novel Cuficm, whicl 
 the j ews have learnt from the Cbriftians 
 we may be fatisfied by their inveterate hat tec 
 againft them, and efpecialiy againft then 
 Sacraments. Be/ides, they themfelves de- 
 duce this Fratlice from the Old Tefiament 
 from Jacob's commanding all his HouJhoU 
 to be clean, and change their Garments^ 
 wherein were included the Maid Servants^ 
 thofe Captives which his Sons took from 
 Secbem, and others*. And 
 * Gen. i4. *i« the hmzCuftom it's faid they 
 25. 2. continue to this day, and re- 
 ceive Vrofelytes by Baptifm, 
 as well as by Circumcifion. As for the Confe- 
 rence, it feems unavoidable, unlefs the 
 Matter of Facl could be difproved, on which 
 it is grounded Nay, it would hold firm, 
 were it from Circumcifion only, which has. 
 been proved to fucceed Baptifm. For if it was I 
 
 the' 
 
Of BAPTISM. 
 
 the Cuftom of the Jews, when they gather- 
 ed Vrofelytes out of all Nations, to admit 
 Children among others by Circumcipon^ tho' 
 they could not actually ngnify their Belief oi 
 the Law, nor promife Obedience to it ; then 
 the Apofkhs who were feat to make Vrofelytes 
 to Chrifiianity by Baptifm, could never think 
 of excluding Children, whom the Jews be* 
 fore admitted^ (feeing the Reafon for their ad- 
 miffion was the fame in both cafe,) unlefs 
 our Saviour had exprefly forbidden it. If 
 it be asked wherefore Infants are not as ca- 
 pable of receiving the Lords Supper as of 
 Baptifm, we anfwer, that the Reafon is plain, 
 becaufe the Lord's Supper is a confirming Seal s 
 Baptifm only the entring Seal of the Cove 
 nant^ by which Children may now be ad- 
 mitted into it, as they were of old by Cir- 
 cumcifion. But we may argue more ftrong- 
 ly, that the Apoflles did admit Children for 
 Vrofelytes by Baptifm, as well as we know 
 they admitted IVimen, tho' neither of them 
 actuajly mentioned in their Commiffim, be- 
 caufe it was the Cuftom of their Country to 
 do both, and neither was forbidden by our ' 
 Saviour : As if any of our Mmifiers goes a- 
 mong the Heathens, and converts them, he 
 would certainly bapttfe Infants, and give 
 the orher Sacrament m both kinds to the 
 
 adult^ 
 
40 0/ B A P T I S M. 
 
 adult, becaufe fuch was the praBice of thofe 
 Protefian; Churches whence he went. 
 
 $ XIX. A fifth Argument for the Bap- 
 fifing of Infant $j is becaufe it is very proba- 
 ble, if not pofitively certain, that the Apo- 
 files themfelves did baftife them. Sup- 
 poling thofe two Inftances of Baptijing 
 Women had not been recorded in the 
 ABs of the Ape/ties, yet we might fair- 
 ly have concluded, that when fo many 
 Tboufands, fb many entire Hou(hotds were 
 baptifed, Women were not excluded, efpe- 
 cialiy whsn it was the known Cuftom of 
 the Jews to admit them Profelytes by Bap- 
 tifm : and the fame holds of Children, nay, 
 more ftrongly, on the account of Circum* 
 eifim : ' three Thoufand were baptifed in one 
 c day by the Apoftles *, 
 * ABs i. 41. and it is likely five Thou- 
 t ABs 4. 4. fand in another t ; And 
 can it rationally be fup- 
 pofed that there were no Children among 
 fuch vafi Numbers ? Nay, does it not feem 
 highly probable there might be many fuch 
 there, fome in their Mothers Arms, others 
 in their Hands, as is ufual in fuch a publick 
 Concourfe, efpecially when there were Chil- 
 dren prefent at the Repetition of the Law 
 
 already . 
 
Of B A P T I S M. 119 
 
 already mentioned ; and likewife at our 
 Saviour's preaching, who in his miraculous 
 Feafl, is faid to have fed five Thoufand 
 Men befides Women and • 
 Children *. Again, the A- * St*' Matt. 14. 21. 
 pottles baptifed many Fa- 
 milies, or Houjholds ; nay, we hardly read of 
 the Majler of a Family who was made a 
 Convert, and baptifed, but his whole Family, 
 as was before the Cuftom among the Jews, 
 were converted, profelyted, and baptifed to- 
 gether with him! Thus the 
 J ay tor's. Houfold f, He and t ^8» i*.jj. 
 ALL his. The JEfw^W 
 of Gam, which was To />g*, that he is 
 called the Hoft of the -whole 
 Church [| , of Stephanus; and [| fym. 16. 23. 
 Cnfpus, the r&e/"- £a/*r of 
 the Synagogue, and vtfLL his H*»/2r. "Can 
 we, 1 fay, fuppofe, that in all thefe Hou- 
 (hold*, which we read, were without excep- 
 tion, baptifed, there ftiould not be fa much as 
 one Child or Infant, tvhen we may obferve 
 very few of our own little Families, taking 
 them one with another, that are wholly 
 without Children} But what if befides all 
 this we mould find fomerhing ftill more 
 cxprefs .for the Baptifing of Children in the 
 Acls of the Apoflks ? In St. Peters Sermon 
 
 already 
 
a?o Of B A P T I S M. 
 
 already mentioned, Afts i. 2<. thus he 
 exhorts, f Repent and be hapufed every. 
 ' one of you, in the Name of Jefus Chrift 
 c for the Remiffion of Sins, &c. For the 
 c Vromife is to you, and to your Children, 
 The Anfwer was indeed to thofe adult Per. 
 fons, who ask'd, What flial] we do ? Thefe 
 he bids Repent and be bapnfed\ but it reach: 
 further than to thole thit made the Que* 
 ftion ; and tho' Children could not actually 
 Repent, yet they might be baptifed ; and 
 there are two things in the words which 
 (hew they were here included, i. Be- 
 caufe the Apoftle addrefies himfslf to every \ 
 one of them, and among every one, Children! 
 muft be contained. . z. They are exprefiy 
 mentioned, c The Tromife is to you % and 
 f to your Children, without any exception, 
 € and to all that are afar off, even as 
 r many as the Lord your God fhall call. 
 That is, all Gentiles to whom the Apofilesl 
 or their Succeflors ftiould come to gather 
 Trofelytes from among them. 
 
 $ XX. The lad Argument for bapiA 
 fing or Infants, may be taken from the! 
 general Pracltce of the Cbrifiian ChurchX 
 in ail Flaces^ani sl\\ Ages fince the firft; 
 planting of Qbrifiianity* For the Truth 
 
 whereofii 
 
Of B A P T I S M. i?t 
 
 , 1 - „ ,, , V ■■ 
 
 whereof, we have unexceptionable Evi- 
 dence in antient Writers. 
 St. Aufiin * for the Latin * St. Auguft. de 
 Church, who flourifh^ be- G '"^ f '^flf <" 
 fore the Year four Hun- ™ m * L,b - x - Ca P> 
 cred, and Origen f for the \ Ongenonthe 
 Greek, who was horn in the 6th. of the Rom. 
 Second Century f and famous 
 about the middle or the 7£;>^, both affirm- 
 ing,, not only that the universal Church did 
 then Baptife hfants, but likewife that they 
 received this Cufiom of B*pifing them from 
 the Afofiles themfeives, as we know they 
 alio did the change of the Sabbat b 3 snd o- 
 ther things of like nature, not clearly af : 
 ferted m the Scriptures. St. Aufiin fpeaks of 
 it in the moft pofiive Expreffions, ' frocul- 
 € dubio, fays he, without doubt, it was de- 
 c livered down from our Lord and his Apo- 
 c files, St. Cyprian is likewife clear for it, 
 and a whole Council with him, as appears 
 in his Epiftje to Fidus, and other places. 
 So is Athanajtm, who flounftied Anno Three 
 Hundred Twenty Six, and he founds Infant. 
 Baptifrn on the fame places which we ftill 
 make ufe of to the lame purpole, c fuffer 
 4 little Children to come unto me. Now are 
 your Children Holy> &c. St. Chryjofiom is of. 
 the fame mind, and proves the Necefiity of 
 
 Childrens 
 
2^1 0/ BAPTIS M. 
 
 GhWAren'sBaptifm from their being guilty of 
 original Sin, And even Gregory Nazianzen 
 is for having them baptifed in mere Infancy , 
 in cafe of Danger, which he founds on the 
 Circumcifion on the eighth day ; and tho' in 
 no Danger, he would not have it deferred 
 till they were above three Year old. Tho' 
 even this was a fingular Opinion of his, but 
 fiich as does wo Service to the Caufe of the 
 Antipoedobaptifts* hnce they are for baptifing 
 adult Perfons only. Sirictus Biihop of Rome, 
 about the middle of the fourth Century 3 was 
 for the baptijing of Infants. So was St. Am- 
 brofe. And to go higher, tho'' Tertullian 
 feems to have been much of the fame mind 
 with Nazianzen, as to the delaying their 
 Baptifm, yet his very Advice in this matter, 
 fairly implys, that it was then the general 
 Cuftom to baptife Infants* And he in other 
 places affii ms that of Baptifm, which is a 
 found Argument for admitting Infants to it, 
 •--namely) that it is netejfary to Salvation, and 
 that without it, none can enter into Heaven. 
 Juftm Martyr, fays> that the outward Cir- 
 cumcifion which was to be performed on 
 the eighth day > was a Tjpe of the true Cir- 
 cumctfion ; that Qhnfitms received this true 
 ffiritual Circumctfim by Bapttfm, hro 3 God's 
 Mercy^ we having need of it, becaufe all 
 
 born. . 
 
Of BAPTISM. r%% 
 
 horn Sinners, and that it was free for all 
 Terfons to receive it * ; and •■■ 
 
 the efora he muft include . I ^f F"'' 
 Infants as well as others. „%^ m lUC : 
 Ana to the lame purpoie, ^, $ ww7* fyew 
 h emeus Bifhop of Lyons m qw'w K<t^Cdveiv, 
 France, who was partly co- 
 temporary with Jufitn Martyr > both of them 
 flounftiing near the middle of the Second Cen- 
 tury ; for he mentions, Infants t Children^ young 
 and old. a> born again unto God by Cbrift : Now 
 *tis notorious, that by being born again, or Re* 
 generation 3 the Fathers underftand Baptifm, 
 which is called in the Scriptures alfo, as has 
 been already obferved, T£<? L<awr of Regene- 
 ration. Nor is it any valid Objection^ that fe- 
 veral in the Primitive Church did delay their 
 Baptifm, and fbme of them to the Hour of 
 Death ; lince this proves more than the Obje- 
 ctors would have it, who are not for delaying it 
 till this time ; and beiides, they did this upon 
 pa;ticular Reafons f, fbme 
 becaufe they thought all i See this dabo- 
 Sins damnable which were ^3g&& 
 Committed after Baptifm;o- excellent Treat jfe 
 
 the^s, becaufe thev were of of Infant-Baptifm. 
 Opinion th it Baptifm purg'd • 
 away all Sin, original and attual ; and it may 
 ke more than either, becaufe they were unwiL 
 Ung to leave their Sins, and live a fmti and 
 
 an 
 
a$4 0/ B A P T I S M. 
 
 an holy Life ; but this no more ihows the de- 
 ferring of Baptifm to have been the received 
 DoUrine, of the Church,. than k is the Do- 
 flrine of the Church of England, that Peopie 
 may without Siwabfent themfelves from the 
 other Sacrawent> becaufe too many a&ual- 
 ]y do it, and 'tis to be feared for the fame 
 Reafon, namely, left they fhouid be ohUged\ 
 to ferfake their Sms 3 and lead a better Life. 
 But this, we affirm, that there is not one In- 
 ftance to be found in Antiquity of any Or- 
 thodox Chrtftian, who denied Baptijm to Cbd* 
 dren, when brought to be baptifed ; and be- 
 lieve we may be pofitive that not one of 
 the Fathers, or antient Writers, for the 
 firft Eight Hundred Years at leaft, ever 
 held it unlawful And that it has been the 
 Traclice of all the regular Churches ever fines, 
 is as clear and manifeft, whereas we know 
 that whenever the Popjjh Errors were brought 
 into the Church, they were nskher early, 
 nor univerfally received For, not only our 
 own Ana ft or $ when firft converted to Chri- 
 ftianity i not only ail our European Churches, 
 but the African cod, formerly did, and ft ill 
 do haptife their Children, both the Coptic in 
 %!, and the Abyffme$ in Ethiopia; as well 
 as the Churches of Afia, and even thofe 
 of St. Thomas, who had for many Ages, 
 fcarce any Correjpondence with our Parts 
 
 of 
 
Of BAPTISM. n* 
 
 — ..I.. . . . . ■ — — — 
 
 oi the World. The Matter of Facl being 
 thus cleared, we may reafonably conclude 
 from it, that fines Infant- B apt ifm has been 
 generally received And pratlifed by the Church 
 of God in all Places and Ages ; fiace we 
 can track it up as high as thole who lived 
 in the fureft Ages of the Church, and were 
 almoft cot em f or arte s with fome of the Apo- 
 ftleSj ( for Tolycarf, who was Iren&w his 
 Matter, lived in fome part of the Firfi Cen. 
 tury) for thefe Reafons we cannot think it 
 unlawful^ we mutt believe as St. Auftin fays, 
 that it was certainly handed down from 
 Cbrift and his Afofikt % and that as it has now 
 continued without interruption in thz Church 
 of God for near Seventeen Hundred Tears, 
 foit will by God's Grace continue therein, in 
 like manner j to the End of the World. Where- 
 as on the contrary, it would follow that if 
 Infant- B apt ifm were not true Bapt ifm > these 
 has be?n yet no t>ue Church fince our Sa- 
 viour, fmce there has been none which did 
 not baptife Infants ; no entire Church which 
 has thought it unlawful, though ioxn-z private 
 fer.fons fh 33 I i have had private Opinion's. Not 
 even thofe o^Pudmont, though it is true, they 
 often delatd Baptifm when they could not 
 have i: without the fuperfttthta Appendages 
 or the Romamfis ; and if there were any 
 
 ftielcered 
 
i;6 Of B A P T I S M. 
 
 flickered amongft them who did wholly 
 deny Baptifm to Infants, they alfo denied 
 Baptifm it felf, and the other Sacrament. I 
 iha!! clofe this Head, and the whole Argu- 
 ment for hfant- Baptifm, with this one &<?- 
 mark; That if there be no true Church but 
 that of the AntipoeJobaptifts, that Prow//* has 
 never yet been fulfilled, ' That Kings fhould 
 be nurjlng Fathers, and Queens nurfing Mo- 
 thers to the Church ; for they never had but 
 one King and Queen of their Opinion^ and 
 thofe they do not love to hear of : Now, 
 we are not to think that God has forgotten 
 this Promife for 1 700 Years together ; nor will 
 they a ffi; m it, there having been many excel- 
 lent Kwgs and Princes, Protectors of Churches, 
 whigh have baptifed Infants, and have been in 
 their Infancy themfeJves baptifed; whence it 
 it follows, that Infant- Bapttjm is true Baptifm, 
 and that thofe are true Churches who life it if 
 there ever yet were any fince our Saviour* 
 
 § XXI. To fiim up the Evidence for /«• 
 f ant- Baptifm: If outward Bapttjm be general- 
 ly, and in an ordinary way necejfary to Sal- I 
 i/ation; if Infants may be faved as well as I 
 others, and we ought to neglect no means to I 
 fave .them. If our Saviour commands fuch I 
 to come, to be brought unto him, and did 
 
 himfelf 
 
Of BAPTISM. 237 
 
 bimfelf put his Hands npon them, and blefs 
 them, and called them Believers, and (ays, 
 1 That of fucb is the Kingdom of Heaven, 
 and was <*»g?7 with thole that would have 
 kept them from him, and faid, c It was 
 1 better for any to have a Mill-ftone tied a- 
 f bout his Neck and be caft into the Sea, 
 c than to cffend them ; and it be the great- 
 eft O fence to keep them from Baftifm, which 
 is the Gate to the Church, and fo to Heaven ; 
 If the Children even of one believing Parent 
 have Holme fs^ federal Holmefs, by their Pa- 
 rents Charter, and may have the beginnings 
 of real actual Holinefs wrought in them by 
 the Holy Ghoft, becaufe they have had ex* 
 traordmarj Gifts, and are therefore much 
 more capable or the ordinary ; if they are 
 capable of making a Covenant, or having a 
 Covenant made for them by others, with Pri- 
 vileges and Obligations annexed ; if they have 
 right to be Members of a Church ; if they 
 were in the Jewifh Church, and even in Abra- 
 hams Covenant, which was a Covenant of 
 F<*tf£, an Evangelical Covenant, and were 
 never excluded by C^r/y?, who would rather 
 give them «ew/ Privileges, than leflen the <?/</; 
 if fuppofing our Saviour had defigned that 
 Children mould wo* be baptifed, he muft have 
 txprefly and formally excepted them from #*p- 
 
a;8 0/ B A P T I S M. 
 
 tifm, and have forbidden his Affiles to bap- 
 tife them, which otherwife they would cer 
 tainly have done, becaufe the Jews did ad 
 mk Children to be Profelytes by Baptifm, a* 
 well as grown Perfons ; and yet 'tis not fa 
 much as pretended that he ever did thus for 
 bid them ; nay, he commanded his Apoftles to 
 make Difciples out of all Nations by Baptifm J 
 as the Jews did before them ; if it is high 
 ly probable, even fiom the Letter of the 
 f acred Scripture , that the Apo files did baptift 
 Children, becaufe they frequently baptiftd 
 whole Heujlwlds, and it would be ftrange ifl 
 there fhould be no Children among them ; 
 and it was the way among the Jews, to 
 make Profelytes of whole Families, [mall and 
 great together ; if the whole Church of God J 
 has in all Places and Ages, for almoft Seven- 
 teen Hundred Years together, baptifed CbilA 
 dren, and continue it now, and were never 
 eppofed till the laft Century by fbme in Ger- 
 many, who were far from being of the beft 
 Characters, and if they were in the right t 
 and we mifiaken, it would follow, that there 
 has been no true Church fince our Saviour 
 and his Apoftles, and that all the old Fathers^ I 
 and Bijheps, and our firft Protefiant Refor- 
 mers, and Martyrs were either deceived them- 
 felves, after their mofi diligent [earch for the 
 
 Tmh 9 
 
 
0/ B A P T 1 S M. H9 
 
 Truth, or elfedid delude wilfully, &xk\ deceive 
 others: Laftly, if there are (b many high 
 and ine(limabk Benefits conferred in Baptifm, 
 no lefs than wa^mg away the damning Guilt 
 of original Sin, and weakning the Power of 
 it, by the application of our Saviour's merits^ 
 the engrafting us into Chrift, by making us 
 Members of his Churchy and thereby giving 
 us a rig&f to all the Gr*<*j and Fromifes of 
 the Gofpel, the beginning of Regeneration, the 
 folemn early facramental Dedication of us to 
 the Service of the #*^W Trinity, all which 
 Infants are capable of, as well as grew/a P*r- 
 /i»j : If all this be true, as I hope I have 
 made ic out from the #W of God, horn good 
 Reafon, and from the Judgment and Practice 
 of the univerfal Church ; theft furely it fol- 
 lows, that Infants may be baptifed, that they 
 ought to be baptifed, that our Church does 
 2^# in baptifing them, that the Univerfal 
 Church has done W/ in baptifing them; that 
 thofe do extremely ill who »*g/e# it, that thofe 
 are dangeroufly mifiaken who forjake the 
 Church, becaufe me continues in the true 
 Faith, Doctrine and Practice of the Afofilet^ 
 and yet <&«jp not to communicate with thofe 
 | who hold dangerous and damnable Herefies t 
 who fbme of them <&»/ the Lord that bought 
 them, by denying the Divinity of cur Saviour, 
 
 who 
 
14° 0/ BAPTIS M. 
 
 who many of them believe, affirm, and toe 
 many teach, that the Soul Jleeps till the Refur\ 
 reclion : As on the other fide, it will follow 
 that thofe are in a fafe and happy Condition} 
 who lead a Holy Life, and continue in the! 
 Fellowfhip of the regular eftablifhed Church 
 of this Nation, a found Member of the Uni- 
 verfal Church of Chrifi ; and therefore, tho 
 fome may leave it, tho' many live unworA 
 thy of it, yet we are affured Chrifi will not 
 forfake his own, he will ne>t forget his PromiA 
 fes, it is founded on the Rock of Ages, and 
 we truft, the Gates of Hell [hall never prevail 
 againft it. 
 
 § XXII. Having thus eftablifhed the] 
 Truth in Controverfie, I come to anfwer thofe] 
 Objections which are commonly brought a- 
 gainft it, tho' indeed they may be all, or 
 moft of them eafily anfwered from what 
 has been already faid, and an bone ft, and 
 well meaning Cbri/ttan, may be well efta- 
 blifhed in the Faith, and yet not fit for 
 doubtful Difputations, which are to be left to 
 thofe who have more Learning, Time and] 
 Ability to manage them. 
 
 i XXIII. 
 
0/ BAPTISM. 241 
 
 § XXIII. I think their main Objection, 
 and which they mod frequently make uie 
 of, is drawn from the miftaken Interpreta- 
 tion and application of our Saviour's words 
 to his Difciples, in the 28 of St. Matthew 
 and 19. c Go and teach all Nations, bapti- 
 s fing them in the Name of the Father,^. 
 Here, fay they, Teaching is put before Bapth* 
 fing whence they argue that all Perfons ought 
 to be taught before they are baptifed, and that 
 fince Infants are uncapable of being taught s 
 they are alfo uncapable of Baptifm. 
 
 In anfwer, \. The Order of Words is no 
 certain Rule for the Order of things, either 
 in common Speech , or in Scripture : We u- 
 fually fay, a Man was bred and born in fuch 
 a place ( and the Latins accordingly, nutrit % 
 peperitque ) by a common Figure : and many 
 Jnftances of the fame nature might be given 
 from the Scripture, which as the Rabbles tell 
 us, * fpeaks with the Tongue of the Sons of 
 Men. Inftances we have of this in the 
 firft of St. Mark, v. 4. e John did baptifc in 
 the Wilderness, and preach the Baptifm 
 of Repentance. Agaig, 1/. f . c They 
 were baptifed of him in Jordan^ confef- 
 fing their Sins. Now cither the Order of 
 Words in Scripture, does not always infer the 
 
 M fame 
 
*4* ■ Qf BAPTISM. 
 
 lame Order o£ Things, or elfe it follows that 
 St. John did baptife before he preached^ and 
 before his Hearers ConfeJJion and Repentance. 
 Again, it is faid in St. Mark i. 15. r Re- 
 
 * pent and believe the Gofpel. But Repen- 
 tance does not always go before Faith, for 
 Faith rather in order of Time as well as of 
 Nature, precedes Repentance, becaufe the Be- 
 lief of the Vromifes, and Threatningi of the 
 Gofpel, is that which induces Sinners to re- 
 pent. Laft of all ; the place is certainly 
 miftranjlated. For whereas we read, * Go 
 
 * and teach all Nations, baptifing them. 
 And again, Teaching them to obferve all 
 things, d^. which makes a plain Tautology s 
 or improper and undecent Repetition of 
 the fame Word in the fame Senfe ; it ought 
 to be render'd, c Go and make Difciples ol 
 € all Nations by Baptifing them. This 
 plain from the very Confhuclion of the Words; 
 
 6cc where cwtsvj muft agree with Met3*f-ms 
 
 included in the Verb Ma^imuWs; but if 1 
 had only been teach or preach to all Nati 
 ons, baptifing them, it might have agree< 
 with Wfw, ind muft have been ^V, not «wtt\> 
 Now that paSnnvw fignifies iuiS*n*{ mitiv, ti 
 frofelyte, or make Profelytes, Dtfaple, or mak 
 Difciples, has been Sufficiently proved bj 
 
 Learne 
 
0/ B A P T I S M. 245 
 
 Learned Men who have * 7P is t is nom 
 
 wrote on this Contrcverfie * ; °^^i££ 
 
 the word Vttttn.of the /^/ or D V Ruf- 
 
 fame ^{ignihcation, being f e i ,„ the late D/- 
 
 here ufed bv the Syriack 3 but fpute at Gofport, 
 
 the word >S7tf in the 20 V. renders the word, 
 
 which anfwers the Gretk gg* or make 
 Aitb&vKovTK, truly rendered 
 Teaching. But that Children are capable of 
 being made Frofeljtes. has been already prov- 
 ed, as chey are of being further taught , when 
 they are by Baptifm entred into the School of 
 Chnft. 
 
 § XXI Y. Their nzxtObjeclion is taken from 
 thofe Expreffions in Scripture, ' Repent and 
 * be baptifed ; believe and be baptifed. ' He that 
 c believes and is baptifed lhall be faved, and the 
 like ; whence they argue, as before, that Faith 
 and Repentance are to go befo e Baptifm. 
 
 In anfwer ; as to the order of the words, 
 we have already proved that there is no- 
 thing in ir, tho* it is not denied, but that 
 where a Perfbn is capable of making an 
 atlual Declaration oi Faith and Repentance, 
 I he is obliged to do it before Baptifm. And 
 fuch were thofe adult , or grown Perfons to 
 whom the G off el was at firft preached, as 
 \ Oral Profejjion was required by the Jews of 
 adult Vrofelytes ; and the lame does our 
 M 2 Church 
 
a 4 4 0/ BAP.TIS M 
 
 thurch require in the mod folemn manner of 
 thole who are baptifed when of riper Age. 
 But neither God or Man require more of 
 any than they are capable of performing : 
 Nor is therefore fuch an actual perfonal De- 
 claration of their Faith and Repentance re- 
 quired of Infants. Repentance, indeed, they 
 need none, for any actual Sin ; Faith they 
 may have in Principle, tho' they cannot 
 cutwardtf exprefs it. This is therefore done 
 by the Church in their Names, by the inter- 
 vention of Sureties, who may lawfully and 
 ufefully #*p«^" for tnem > and they remain 
 obliged bv fuch a ftipulation, Parents being 
 naturally, thefe voluntarily bound to fee to 
 the pious Education of fuch Children, towards 
 which they cannot have too many helps . 
 And would all who have undertaken thi: 
 fokmn zn&Mighty Charge, be but truly care 
 ful to perform it, which without grievou 
 Sin, they cannot negleB, would they do wha 
 they promifed for them, which furely is no 
 imvoBle or very A#c«& to be done; woul 
 ttrv c call upon thefe Children to hear Sri 
 * mons, fee that they learned their CatechiM 
 •« and do their beft to have them brougH 
 « up in the F^r of CW and fitted for Con 
 < frm*tm\ and brought unto it, when c 
 fufficient Age and Underftandwg, there t 
 diicharge their Stnties, and to take the M 
 
Of BAPTISM. 24* 
 
 tifmal Vow upon themfelve*, in order to re- 
 ceive the other Sacrament, we mould (bod 
 fee another Face of Chriftianity among us f 
 and I believe, few things would go further 
 in filencing the Objeclions which are brought 
 either againft baptifing Infants^ or againft our 
 peculiar Form of Baptifm. 
 
 $ XXV. Another Objection againft In- 
 fant- Baptifm is, that there is no Wprefs Com- 
 mand for it in Scripture ; one pofitive Text, 
 fay they, would End all the Vifpute. On 
 which they argue farther, that God was angry 
 with his^ own People becaufe they did that, 
 * which, fays he, I commanded them not, nei- 
 e ther came it not into my Heart ; and the 
 like in other places. Jer % 7. 2j. 
 
 In Anfwer, as to what they fo often affirm, 
 that one pofitive Text for Infant- Baptifm would 
 end the Controverfie, we have great Reafon to 
 queftion the Truth of it ; for it is as pofitively 
 commanded in the New Teftament ( tho 1 were 
 it only in the Old, and not a part of the cere- 
 monial or political Law, none but Manicheet 
 would deny it, or a fair Conference from it ) 
 it is, I fay, as pofitively commanded, that 
 Chrifiians fhould teach and admoni[h one ano- 
 ther in Pfalms and Hymns, and fpiritual 
 Songs, finging to the Lord with Grace in their 
 Hearts, Ephef. 5. 14. as it is to Honour 
 M 2 our 
 
346 0/ BAPTISM. 
 
 our Father and Mother : But yet, thefe Per- 
 Jons absolutely refufe to do it, and they 
 not only objecl againft our way of fingwg, 
 but they are againft any outward finging at 
 ail, and never pracltje it in Religious Worfinp 
 but are angry with us, and with fbme few of 
 their own, who full keep up that mod 
 heavenly part of God's Ser~ 
 * SecGrnrtfanfs vice *. So flrange a Tower 
 Wovkj^anfQxe to fas an inveterate Prejudice, 
 the %oot. whjch Wll ] neither yidd 
 
 to the Praclice of all the 
 ■C&urc&es of -God, nor to plain Scripture, Ex- 
 perience or Reafon, 
 
 But to let that pafs, as to their requi- 
 ring an exprefs Command for Infant* B apt ifm^ 
 we anfwer, it is mrtafcnabU to ask it, when 
 they themfelves do pratlife fome things for 
 which there is neither Command, nor fb 
 much as any clear Example in the Holy 
 Scripture ; as for Inftance, the change of 
 the Sabbath* the admitting Women to the 
 Lords Supper, and even to Baptifm, for 
 which laft, they have no express Command, 
 and, 1 think, but one Example. For Bapiifm, 
 they fay that Women are included under aU 
 Nations^ and we (ay the fame of Children^ 
 but neither are exprejly named. As for ad- 
 mitting Women to the Lord's Supper^ we are 
 not fure from exprefs Words of Scripture, that 
 
 . * ever 
 
Of B A P T I S M. 247 
 
 ever any Woman did receive it. They have in 
 vain attempted to bring one exprefs Text for itj 
 tho 5 there is no more doubt that they did re- 
 ceive, than that the Apoftles did baptife Infants. 
 Nor can they evince any Example of Women s 
 receiving from the firft and fecond Chapter* 
 of the Acts, where it is (aid, c That the Apo- 
 . files continued in Prayer and Supplication 
 with the Women; and afterwards, f That 
 - e chofe chat.W/'eW continued dail^with one 
 accord in the Temple > and peaking Bread 
 from £&«/* to Houfe. For that place where 
 the Women are exprefly mentioned relates 
 only to Prayer and Supplication 3 not to the 
 £wvft Supper; and for the latter place, where 
 thofe that believed are (aid to be together, 
 breaking Bread, its ail along fpoken of Mzn 
 in the original *; as St.Peter 
 when he preach'd that Ser- * See this Mat. 
 mon which converted fo ma- '5T Mycktfdin 
 
 himiejf to the A4n» only, ^ ,/ In f an J t . 
 , A&« <?/" jfrael. wr.22. and Baptifci. 
 c Men and Brethren, ver.29. 
 And if #W<?« and Sifters were included un- 
 der Men and Brethren, may not we as well ar- 
 gue that tome of the twelve Apoftles were Wo- 
 men, becaufe thole who were convinced by 
 St. Peter* Sermon, (aid to him and to the reft 
 of the Apoftles, ' Men and Brethren what flull 
 we-dor.wr, ;?.. M 4 Nor 
 
248 0/ BAPTISM. 
 
 Nor is there any more exprefs Command 
 for admitting Women to the Communion, 
 than there is Example. The place that is 
 pleaded for :t comes fhort of proof; c Let 
 % a Man examin himfelf, and fo let him 
 
 c eat of that Bread*. For 
 * i Cor. ii. 28. tho\the word Men does in 
 
 the original include both 
 Sexes, yej what follows, binds it to the Maf 
 
 culine only , the word 
 t 'Ecwriv- # Himfelf, being of the 
 
 Mafculine Gender |. 
 Since then they admit Women to the Com- 
 munion without any exprefs Command ox Ex- 
 ample^ but only by Conferences from Scrip- 
 ture, they can never mow any Reafon why 
 Infants mould not be admitted to Baptifm, 
 when there are fo many Scriptures which, as 
 has been proved, do by fair Conference, 
 mow they have a right onto it, and are ca- 
 pable of it. As for thofe places wherein 
 Cod reproves his People for doing what he 
 never- commanded them, it is evident that it 
 is only a 'way of Speech common to the He- 
 brews, which fignifies his exprefs forbidding 
 them to do fuch things, particularly that in 
 Jeremy^ as what goes before makes fully 
 evident. \ They have built the high places 
 * of Topheh to burn their Sons £nd their 
 c Daughters in the Fire, which 1 commanded 
 
 ( them 
 
Of B A P T I S M. 249 
 
 ' them not. Now God had txfrefly forbid 
 den them to do this, and 
 that on fain of Death* But * Lev. 18. n y 
 furely, there is a difference *9- and Dm. ;?« 
 between the Jews offering ? er tot% 
 their Sons and Daughters to 
 Devils, and Chriftians offering theirs to God % 
 which even thofe do, who will not Baptife 
 them, tho' they have no more exprefs Com-; 
 mand for it, than we have for their Baptifm, 
 or than they them (elves for admitting Women 
 to the Communion* 
 
 § XXVI. Having thus given a more 
 Account of the Nature ofBaptifm, laid down 
 the Grounds of the Churches Practice in bap-, 
 tifing Infants, and given, I hope, a fatisfa- 
 dory Anfwer to the moft plaufible Objections 
 againft this Practice, I mail conclude this 
 Imall Treatise with an earned Requeft to all 
 thofe who were baptifed \A their Infancy > that 
 they would always remember the fi^j of God 
 that are upon ?itfw,and evidence the fame by 
 thsiv Care, to fulfil what they have fo folemn- 
 ly premifed ; f To renounce the Devil, the 
 5 #W^, and the F/e/k, and ftedfaftly believe 
 ' God's Word, and obediently &?*/> his Com* 
 •* mandments. That they would continue 
 ftedfaftly in the Doclrme and Feliowfbip which 
 is io agreeable to the Apoftolical Praclic^ and 
 M 5 to 
 
ifo Of BAPTISM. 
 
 to the Word ef God. And laftly, That they 
 would by no means forget to fray earneftly 
 for their miftakm Brethren, 4 That God 
 
 * would pleafe to bring into the way of 
 € Truth, all fuch as have erred and are de* 
 
 * ceived. That he would take away all Pride^ 
 ' Uncharitablenefs, Prejudice and Blindnefs s 
 1 and whatever may hinder godly Union and 
 
 * Concord. That as we have but one Lord, 
 and one Faith, fo we may have but one Bap- 
 fcifrn, that fo we may come in the Unity of 
 the Faith, and the Knowledge of the Son of 
 God, to trueChrifiian ferfetlion, to the meafure 
 andflature ofthefulnefs of Chrifi. To whom 
 with the Father and Holy Ghoft, Three and 
 €ne x be Glory in the Church throughout 
 all Ages. Amen I Amen ! 
 
 The 
 
*?g 
 
 — — — — . 
 
 The Great Hallel or Pafchal Hymn, 
 which was fung by the Jews at the Paf- 
 fover, and by our Saviour and his 
 Apoftles at the Inftitution of the Lord's 
 Supper, confi fling of Pfahns 113,114, 
 115, 1 1 6, 117, 118. The two for- 
 mer were fung towards the Beginning 
 of the Feaft, the reft at the End of 
 it *. The firfl of thefe 
 Pfalms {the 113.) is v * L « htfoot :' 
 
 (I'll CJl w nr VoL II. /><g. 158.. 
 
 ///// ujed by the 1 igu- 2 6o. . 
 
 rine Churches at the . . 
 
 Communion f . And turgy, p^iT 
 any of them, <<s they 
 are here turned into Metre, may be 
 fung, either in Private, or by a Fa- 
 mily, before or after Sacrament. 
 
 PSALM CXIIL 
 
 the farm Tune with that in the old Verfion* 
 
 :. \T E Priefts of God, whofe happy Days 
 I Are (pent in your Creators Praife,- 
 Still Biore and more his Fame exprefs! ! 
 Ye pious Wo; ihippers, proclaim, 
 With Shouts of Joy his Holy Name, 
 Nor fatisfy'd with Praifing, blefs ! 
 
 Tii %. Let- 
 
■ ■■ : 
 
 afi HYMNS. 
 
 2. 3. Let God's high Praifes ay refound, 
 Beyond old Times too (canty Bound, 
 
 And thro' eternal Ages pierce ; 
 From where the Sun firft gilds the 
 
 (Streams, 
 To where he fets with purple Beams, 
 Thro' all the outftretcht Univerfe. 
 
 4. The various Tribes of Earth obey 
 
 God's awful and imperial Sway ; (fines : 
 Nor Earth his boundlefs Power con- 
 Above the Sun's all cheering Light, 
 Above the Stars, and far more bright 
 His pure effential Glory fhines. 
 
 5. 6. What Mortal, foritfd of Duft and Clay, 
 
 What Idol, even more weak than they, 
 
 Can with theGod of Heav'n compare! 
 
 Pure Angels round his glorious Throne 
 
 He ftoops to view, nor thofe alone, 
 
 Even Earth born Men hisGoodnefs 
 
 ((hare. 
 
 7. 8. The Poor he raifes from the Duft, 
 
 The Needy if on him they truft (raife ; 
 
 From fordid Want and Shame he'll 
 
 That they with mighty Princes plac d 
 
 With Wealth, and Power, and Honor 
 
 ( grac'd 
 May fing aloud their Saviour's praife. 
 
 9, The 
 
HYMNS. 25; 
 
 The Barren Womb, whofe Hopes were 
 His boundlefs Power unfeals at laft, fpaft 
 
 And faves her Memory and Fame: 
 He fills the Houfe with hopeful Boys 
 Who their glad Mothers Heart rejoyce £ 
 O therefore praife his Holy Name. 
 
 ■•-w 
 
 P S A M CXIV\ 
 Like the CXLV1IL 
 
 Hen ranfom'd Ifrael came 
 From faithlefs Egypt's bands 
 The Houfe of Jacob's Name 
 From hoftile foreign Lands ; 
 Judah alone 
 God's holy Place, 
 And IfraeVs Grace 
 Was his bright Throne. 
 
 $* 4. Amaz'd old Ocean faw, 
 
 And to its Chambers fled, 
 While Jordan's Streams withdraw^ 
 To feek their diftant Head : 
 . Tall Mountains bound 
 Like jocund Rams, 
 The Hills like Lambs 
 Skipt lightly round, 
 
 *. 6. What 
 
254 HYMNS. 
 
 5.6. What ail'd thee, O thou Sea 
 To leave thy antient Bed ? 
 Why did old Jordan flee 
 And feek its diftant Head ? 
 Ye Mountains why 
 Leapt ve like Rams 
 While "Hills like Lambs 
 Skipt lightly by i 
 
 7. 8. All Natures utmoft bound 
 The God of Jacob own I 
 Where Sea or Land is found 
 Fall trembling at his Throne » 
 At whofe Command, 
 Hard Rocks diftill 
 A Cryftal Rill, 
 
 And drench the Sand. 
 
 PSALM CXV. 
 Like the C 
 
 1. TWT O T unto us ! we all di (claim : 
 l\ Glory alone to God's bleft Name ! 
 Whofe Truth (hall ftand for ever faft, 
 Whofe Love to endlefs Ages laft. 
 
 %» Wl y fhou'd th 3 infulting Heathens Pride, 
 .Oux Hopes alike and him deride? 
 
 Where 
 
HYMNS. 255 
 
 Where is your God, why ihoud they ay 
 Ye Hebrew Slaves ! O Saviour, why ? 
 
 ;. Blafphemers know he reigns above, 
 And foon will your vain hopes remove: 
 He all Events difpofes ftill, 
 And all obey his Sovereign Will. 
 
 4. Not lb the Gods to whom they pray, 
 Of Silver and of Gold are they ; 
 
 To whom in vain their Vows are paid, 
 Adoring what their Hands have made. 
 
 5. Tho' Mouths they have, yet all their Art 
 Can neither Breath nor Speech impart; 
 Nor Can they turn their ufelefs Eyes 
 
 On thole who kneel and facrifice. 
 
 6. Tho' loud their Slaves for fuccour cry, 
 They neither hear nor make reply ; 
 Nor can their Noftrils ought receive, 
 Tho' they rich Clouds of Incenfe give. 
 
 7.8. The Bolts they wield they cannot throw, 
 Their Feet can neither move nor go : 
 With neither Breath nor Senfe, nor more 
 Who them ere&, and them adore. 
 
 9. The Rock of Ifrael is not fo 
 In whom we truft, and whom we know ; 
 
 Still 
 
256 HYMN S. 
 
 Still truft his watchful Providence 
 Who is our help and ftrong Defence. 
 
 10. Ye Priefts of God who daily bring 
 Incenfeand Praife to Heav'ns high King, 
 O truft in that Almighty Friend 
 Who ftill will help and ftill defend. 
 
 1 1. 12. He'll fuch whofe hope on him is ftaid 
 Againft all Fears and Dangers aid : 
 Still he'll his Love on Ifrael place, 
 Still (mile on Aaron's facred Race. 
 
 12. Thofe who from Regions wide away 
 Their Vows at his High Altar pay, 
 In vain they (hall not thither come, 
 But go with Bleffings loaden home. 
 
 14. Their pious Children too mali {hare, 
 Th! Almighty's Kindnefs and his Care ; 
 Whofe wondrous Bounty ftiall extend 
 To future Days, and know no end. 
 
 15. O happy Ifrael ! who partake 
 
 His Bleffings who the World did make: 
 
 16. Who o'rethe Heavens triumphant rides, 
 And Earth's wide Globe to Man divides. 
 
 17* 1 8. The 
 
HYMNS. 257 
 
 1 7-. 1 8. The filent Dead no Praifes give, 
 But we who by his Favour live, 
 While we have Breath will Offerings 
 And grateful Hallelujahs fing. ( bring, 
 
 PSALM CXVL 
 
 Like the XCV. 
 
 1. /~\ God, who when I did complain 
 v-/ DicUll my~Griefs remove ; * 
 O Saviour ! do not now difdain 
 
 My humble Praife and Love! 
 
 2. Since thou a gentle Ear didft give 
 
 And hear me when I pray'd, 
 Til call upon thee while I live 
 And never doubt thine Aid. 
 
 ;. Pale Death with all its ghaftly Train 
 My Soul encompaft round ; 
 Anguifli, and wo, and helliih Pain, 
 Too foon, alas ! I found. 
 
 4. Then to the Lord of Life I pray'd, 
 And did for fuccour flee : 
 O ^Q in my diftrefs, I find, 
 The Soul that trufts in thee ! 
 
 5.6. How 
 
*j8 HYM N S. 
 
 5.6. How good and j ft ! how large his 
 How eafie to forgive ! (Grace ! 
 
 The fimple he delights to raife, 
 And by his Love 1 live. 
 
 7. Then, O my Soul, be ftill, nor more 
 With anxious Thoughts diftreft ! 
 God's bounteous Love does thee reltore, 
 To wonted eafe and reft. 
 
 8.9. My Eyes no fonger drown'd in Tears, 
 My Feet from {tumbling free, 
 Redeenvd from Death and deadly Fears, 
 O Lord, I'll live to thee. 
 
 to When neareft prefs'd, I ftill believ'd, 
 h*- StHI glori'd in thy Aid; 
 Tho*wh j n by faithlefs Men deceived 
 All, all are falfe I laid. 
 
 12, To him wh it Offerings fhall I make. 
 Whence my Salvation came? 
 The Cup of Blfiffing * now I'll take, 
 15. And call upon his Name. 
 
 14. Thofe Vows which in my greateft ftraits 
 Unto the Lord I made, 
 Shall now be at his Temple Gates, 
 Before his People paid. 
 
 15. That 
 
HYMNS. 259 
 
 15. That Life which thou,0 Lord, didft fave. 
 
 From raging Tyrants free, 
 
 16. That ranforn cl Life thy Bounty gave, 
 
 I dedicate to thee. 
 
 17. My Heart and Voice at once i'il raife, 
 
 Thy Goodnefs to proclaim : 
 With loud and grateful Songs * of Prai(e 3 
 HI call upon thy Name. 
 * Qvaicf, auviffiW. 
 
 1 8. Yes, all thofe Vows which in my ftraics, 
 
 Unto the Lord I made ; 
 Shall now be at his Temple Gates, 
 Before his People paid. 
 
 19. His Priefls mall mix their Hymns with 
 
 His Goodnefs to record ; (mine^ 
 
 And all Jerpffalem ihall joyn 3 
 With me to praife the Lord. 
 
 PSALM CXVII. 
 
 YE Nations who the Globe divide, 
 Ye numerous People (catter'd wide, 
 To God your grateful Voices raife. 
 To all his boundlefs Mercy fhown, 
 His Truth to endlefs Ages known, 
 Require our endlefs Laud and Praife. 
 
 Doxology. 
 
160 HYMNS. 
 
 Doxology. 
 To him who reigns enthron'd on high, 
 To his dear Son who deign'd to die. 
 
 Our Guilt and Errors to remove : 
 To that biefs'd Spirit who, Grace imparts, 
 And rules in all believing Hearts, 
 
 Beendlefs Glory, Praife and Love. 
 
 PSALM CXVIII. 
 
 '. /^Lad Hvmns and Songs of Praife re- 
 VJ To th' Maker of theUniverfeXhearfe, 
 Whofe Goodnefs does fb far extend, 
 Whofe wondrous Mercy knows no End. 
 
 2. Let lfrael s now no moreopprefs'd, 
 With Quiet and with Plenty biefs'd, 
 Praife him who all their Blifs did fend 
 Whofe wondrous Mercy knows no End. 
 
 3. Let Aarons Sons who round his Throne, 
 In facred Hymns his Goodnefs own ; 
 While his biefs'd Service they attend, 
 Confefs his Mercy knows no End. 
 
 4: Let all who with Religious Fear, 
 Approach his Gates and every Year, 
 With Gifts fair Sions Hill afcend, 
 Confefs his Mercy knows no End. 
 
 5. With 
 
HYMNS. 261 
 
 5. With deep diftrefs encompaft round, 
 To him I cry'd, and fuccour found ; 
 He me from Exile did retrieve, 
 And (afe, and free as Air I live. 
 
 6. He's on my fide, and 1*11 defpife, 
 
 7. Th' Efforts of all my Enemies; 
 
 8. On him *cis fafer to rely, 
 
 9. Than Princes who may failordie. 
 
 10. Tho' Troops of Foes befieg'd me round, 
 
 1 1. As angry Infers fwarming found, 
 
 12. Their ftiort liv'd Mifchief I can fcorn, 
 Noife without Strength,like Fire inThorn. 
 
 13. At once they charg'd and preft me all, 
 Yet (raid by God, I could not fall. 
 
 14. My Saviour he, to whom belongs, 
 The Tribute of my grateful Songs. 
 
 15. Nor {hall my fingle Thanks be paid, 
 Lend me, ye Saints ! O lend your Aid ; 
 Let Health and Joy be fpread around, 
 With Praife let your glad Gates refound. 
 
 16. God's own Right Hand has Wonders 
 
 ( wrought, 
 And conquei *d thofe againft him foughc. 
 
 17. He fmiles, and grants me happier Days, 
 And here I now my Saviour praife. 
 
 18. Heavy 
 
i6i '* HYMNS. 
 
 1 8 Heavy his angry Strokes did fall, 
 But ah ! I well deferv'd ern all : 
 Yet in the Confines of Defpair 
 And Death,he found and fav'd me there. 
 
 19. Now to his Holy Houfe return'd, 
 Who late a helplefs Exile mourn'd 
 Thro' th' Everlafting Gates I'll go, 
 And pay him part of what I owe. 
 
 20. II. A pious Crowd Til with me bring, 
 And with glad Heart my Saviour fing : 
 
 22. That Stone the Builders once difplac'd, 
 Now to the Corner's Head is rais'd. 
 
 15. God's Hand the great Event has wrought, 
 Wondrous and paffing human Thought ; 
 
 &4» This is the Day the Lord has made, 
 Therein let all our Vows be paid. 
 
 2$. Still hear andfavel O ftill defend, 
 And heavenly Joy and Comfort fend. 
 
 26. Blefled be he who'll Bleffings bring, 
 Pardon and Grace from Heav'ns high 
 
 „ (King. 
 We who from his high Altar blels, 
 Will for his People ask Succefs ; 
 
 27. He from the Confines of Defpair, 
 Has rais'd us to the Lightfome Air. 
 
 Let 
 
H Y M JJ S. 26; 
 
 Lee ch^crownd Victims hafteawav, 
 And Thoufands after Thoufands flay : 
 Wafli the broad Courts with facred Gore, 
 Till Bajhans Fields can find no more. 
 
 28. And what thou valued far above, 
 Thee, O my God ! I'll Praife and Love; 
 
 29. Whofe Goodnefs does Co far extend, 
 Whofe wondrous Mercy knows no End. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
I 
 
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 TH E Life of our Blefled Lori and Saviour Jefus Chrift. An 
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 Books. Attempted by Samuel W.jhy, M. A. each Book illuftrared by 
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 Milton, &c. In the Uie of all which for greater Exa&nefs, recourfehas 
 always been had to the Authors them (elves. 
 
 Cole's Dictionary in Oirav*o, Eng. Lat, and Lat. and Eng. # 
 
 The Pantheon} reprefenring the Fabulous Hiftovies of the Hearhen 
 Gods, and moft Illuftrious Heroes, in a fhort.plain and familiar Method, 
 by way of Dialogue. Written by F. Vomty. For the Ufe of Schools. 
 The Second Edition ; wherein the Whole Translation is Revifed and 
 much amended, and the Work is illuftrated and adorned with elegant 
 Copper-Cuts of the feveral Deities, &c. 
 
 The Lives of the Roman Emperors from Domitian, where Suetoniw 
 ends, to Con Ft. mtine the Great. Containing thole of Nerva and Trajan 
 from Dion CaJJlut: A Tranflation of the Six Writers of the ^ia- 
 
 gpslesn Hiftory. And thofe of Dioclefian and his Aflbciates, from 
 E*feb&i and others, with the Heads of the Emperors in Copper- 
 Plates j dedicated to His moft. Sacred MAJESTY. In two Volumes. 
 By Jchn Bernard, A. M. 
 Englifh Examples to Lily's Grammar Ru'esfor Children's Latin Ex« 
 
 ercifes, with an Explanation to each Rule. For the Ufe of Eton 
 
 School. 
 
 Gratii Falifci Cynegeticon, cum Poematio Ccgnomine M. A. Olympii 
 
 Neraefiarli C ' arthaginenjh ; Nogs perpetuis variifque LeEHonibui ador- 
 
 navit Tho. johnfbn, M. *A. kAcc edunt Hier. Fracaftorii ^Alc on. Car- 
 
 meriPaftoritium: Jo. Caii deCanibus Libellus'. Vt & Opufiulum vcttti 
 
 Kvron!f<ov dul. fen de Cura Cannm incerto <Anttm, 
 
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