CHAP. I.
Three sorts of dueties are to be perfor­med of euery worthy Communicant: and three things especially are to be looked vnto.

THere must be an antecedent dis­position in the receiuer, and 1 a performance of such duties as may prepare him.

There must bee a right behauiour in 2 the performance of this holy action.

There are duties to be performed 3 after.

CHAP. II.
Of such graces as are needfull in euery worthy Communicant.

THis Sacrament, being a most holy ordinance of God, belongs not of right indifferently to all, but to such one­ly as God doth accept and account as worthy in his Sonne Iesus Christ.

We are all of vs in our selues, and by our corrupt nature, altogether vnworthy to partake of any mercy, and especially of that grace which is both offered and sealed vnto vs in the Sacrament.

Yet God in his Sonne Christ our Sa­uiour is ready to accept vs, if we come clothed with the wedding garment of his righteousnesse, putting it on vs by faith.

Faith then of necessitie is required in euery worthy Communicant.

Now true Faith, as it is grounded vpon sound and sauing Knowledge; so it is, and must be accompanied with true Repentance, and with the fruits thereof, especially Charitie.

[Page]These foure graces then are necessary in euery worthy Communicant.

• 1 Knowledge.
• 2 Faith.
• 3 Repentance.
• 4 Charitie.

Neither must we onely haue them, but we must know so much: which know­ledge is got by examination.

CHAP. III.
Of Knowledge.

GOd would haue vs offer vp to him reasonable seruice as an acceptable sacrifice, Rom. 12.1. And not like shéep each follow other without knowledge and consideration what we doe. Know­ledge is the beginning of all grace, Prou. 19. 2. Acts 26.18. 1 Tim. 2.4. And Ig­norance is highly displeasing vnto God. In this Sacrament knowledge is requi­red, that we may examine our selues, 1 Cor. 11.28.

The Rule of examination is partly the Law of God, by which we are to examine [Page] our selues, our repentance, and obedi­ence; and partly the Gospell, by which we must examine our faith.

These two, as being the rules of our triall, must therefore first be knowne.

We must then know (what the Law will tell vs) that howsoeuer we were made at the first, in our first parents, A­dam and Eue, in righteousnesse and holi­nesse, according to Gods image, yet now we are all of vs by our first birth corrupt children, ouer-spred with the leprosie and leauen of sinne, vnapt to conceiue or doe any thing truly good; prone and readie to doe all euill; and that accordingly we dayly bring forth and multiply the bitter fruits of Sinne by our actuall trangres­sions, not doing what good we should doe, and doing the euill we should not doe: and that therefore in this regard, we are all naturally as the slaues of Satan, who rules in our hearts by Sinne; so the chil­dren of death, and heires of damnation. The iust reward of our sinne being the wrath and curse of God, and death of bo­dy and soule euerlastingly.

Yet we must further know (what the [Page] Gospell reueales, namely) that Gods will is not (such is his loue) that we all should perish, (as we most iustly deserue) but that we should be saued, and come vnto the knowledge of the truth, 1. Tim. 2.4. That is, that all, of all sorts belée­uing the Gospell, should be saued: the te­nour and substance of the Gospell being comprised in these words, Iohn 3.16. God so loued the world, that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue life euerlasting. For the confirma­tion of which promise to vs, wee must further know, that God hath annexed and added seales, which we call Sacra­ments, whereof it is fit also, we should haue some generall knowledge.

Sacraments therefore are outward and visible signes and seales of some in­ward inuisible grace. Or, they are holy signes ordained of God, whereby the co­uenant of grace betweene God and the partie receiuing these signes, is solemne­ly sealed, confirmed, and ratified.

This couenant of grace is that, where­by 1 God on his part, First, promiseth to [Page] be our God, that is, all in all vnto vs, Gen. 17.7. and that we shall not perish, as we had deserued, but haue euerlasting life, through and by Christ Iesus, which none of vs deserues. But withall (as in 2 couenants) he, secondly, requireth on our part, faith, Ioh. 3.16. with repen­tance and newnesse of life, according to the tenour of the Gospell, Repent and be­leeue, Mat. 3.2. Mark. 1.15. This being the couenant faire drawne, and largely 3 written in the word of God, God, third­ly, annexeth his Seale hereunto, to ratifie what he hath promised, and to confirme and strengthen our faith in his promise; as also he enioyneth vnto vs the vse of the Sacraments, whereby we for our 1 parts, first, shewing our selues needfull of his mercies, both promise to to per­forme what he requires: that is, to repent 2 and beléeue: and also, by taking the Sacra­ment, binde our selues in seruice God, 3 that we will, forsaking all others, and re­nouncing the deuill, the world, and the flesh (Gods and our maine enemies) be­léeue his promises, depend on his mer­cies, and serue him constantly to our [Page] liues end, in all holy obedience.

This is, first, done in Baptisme, by which wee haue our admission into the true Church of God sealed vnto vs, and where first this couenant is confirmed and sealed on both parts, Gods and ours.

This same couenant is renued in the Lords Supper, so often as we partake of it: for God thereby nourisheth and pre­serueth vs in the true Church after our admission into it by Baptisme, confirms and seales vnto vs the same promise of the Gospell, and requires like conditi­ons of faith and repentance from vs. And that we may better know the nature of this Sacrament, we must consider that (each Sacrament being a signe) each thing, action, and circumstance is ap­pointed, to signifie and bring to our mind some other spirituall thing or action.

As therefore in Baptisme the water signifieth the bloud and spirit of Christ, whereby our sinnes are washed and pur­ged; so in the Lords Supper;

1 The Bread and the Wine are now 1 set apart from the common vse of fée­ding our bodies, to represent and signi­fie [Page] vnto vs the body and blood of our Sa­uiour Christ.

2 Secondly, The Minister, setting these apart to this vse, and consecrating them; signifies, how God the Father, in his eternall Decree, hath set apart Christ our Sauiour, for the worke of our redemption, and consecrated Him there­vnto. 3 Thirdly, The breaking of the Bread, and powring out of the Wine, sig­nifie the death of our Sauiour, whereby his Body was broken, and a separation made, for a while, of the soule from the body, and the sheading of His precious blood; by which he satisfied Gods wrath for beleeuers, and paid our debt, which was death.

4 When the Minister offers and giues the Bread and Wine, we must conceiue, that God, to vs that beleeue, doth offer and giue (as hee promised in his Word) Christ his Sonne, with all the benefits of his death and Passion, which are for­giuenesse of sinne, reconciliation with God, and life eternall.

5 Our receiuing of these from his hands, and feeding on them, signifie our Faith, [Page] which is as the hand, mouth, and sto­macke of our soules, whereby wee re­ceiue Christ, and all these benefits now offered vnto vs; and feed on him spiri­tually, to life eternall: all which beeing done with others, put vs in mind of cha­rity.

Now, all these we must well know & vnderstand, before we come to the Lords Table.

CHAP. 4.
Of Faith.

BVt moreouer, it will not auaile vs onely to know these things, but wee must also bring Faith with vs, and be­leeue the promise of the Gospell: the ne­cessity whereof appeares from that which hath beene said. The promise is made onely to them that beleeue, Ioh. 3.16. Now this Sacrament is a seale of that promise, and of the Couenant of Grace: and therefore can seale vnto vs no more, nor no otherwise than is promised. Thee is nothing promised in the Word, to the vnfaithfull and vnbeleeuers, and there­fore [Page] there is nothing sealed to them in this Sacrament. Such then receiuing this Sacrament, receiue onely a Seale set to a blancke, or piece of white paper, wherein there is nothing written or pro­mised: and such men receiue the Sacra­ment to their hurt, and not to their good, because they prophane the holy ordinance of God.

CHAP. 5.
Of Repentance.

GOD, besides our faith, doth also looke for our repentance, and new­nesse of life: For in this Sacrament we professe our selues, to forsake our sinnes and lusts, and the Deuill, and to become new men, and that wee will hereafter walke with God in new obedience: all our seruice and sacrifices else will not be accepted of God: the Lord reiecteth all outward seruice and ceremonies (though they were ordained by himselfe) when they are not accompanied with the con­uersion of the heart, and innocency of life. [Page] See Esa, 1.13, 14, 15, 16. & 66.3. Therefore the Lord biddeth, when wee appeare before him, saying, Esa. 1.16, 17. Wash you, make you cleane, take away the euill of your wayes, cease to do euill, learne to doe well, &c And Dauid saith, Psal. 26.6. I will wash mine hands in in­nocencie, & so I will compasse thine Al­tar. This is especially necessary in this Sacrament, wherein we shew forth the Lords death till he come. 1 Cor. 11.26. which we can doe no better, then by dy­ing vnto sinne our selues, which is cal­led mortification, which belongs to the first part of repentance; and must bee se­conded with viuification, or newnesse of life, which belongs to the second part of repentance.

The dueties then heere to be perfor­med, are; First, diligently and serious­ly to examine our owne consciences, and to find out our sinnes, both originall and actuall; against both Law and Gospell, that so we may returne to God by repen­tance: Psal. 119.59. Lam. 3.39, 40. Without this sight of sinne, wee cannot repent, as seeing nothing that hath tur­ned [Page] vs from God; and repenting, wee shall not be accepted, without this tur­ning first into our own hearts, Deut. 30.1, 2. 1 King. 8.47. especially we must labour to find out our speciall sinnes, vnto which we are most of all inclined, and which most of all wound our consciences; to this end, we are carefully, First, to obserue the checks of conscience; Se­condly, to obserue our thoughts, on what especially they runne most: Thirdly, to make vse of some faithfull friend, who may faithfully tell vs, wherein they ob­serue vs to offend, seeing wee our selues are naturally blinded with selfe-loue: to this end, obserue what sinnes GODS Word preached or read condemnes: yea, obserue (because malice is quick-sighted) what thine enemies obserue in thee, and do cast in thy teeth. But aboue all, fourth­ly, looke thy selfe and thy face, in the Glasse of Gods Law, and bring thy selfe to the Ballance and Touch-stone of Gods Word, both Law and Gospell: ex­amine thy selfe by each Article of thy Créede, and by each Commandement a­part, according to the true meaning of [Page] each Commandement, which binds the inward man, and thine affections, as well as thy words and workes, and so thou maist find thy sinne: (to this end) make vse of that direction which is set downe in Master Perkins Booke of Repentance, and in the Booke called, the True Watch, first Part, and also the second.

The second duetie is, when wee see our sin, to consider how hatefull a thing it is in it selfe, how abominable to God & all good men; that so wee may know it, with a féeling of the burthen of it, and with true sorrow, that thereby wee should offend, and shew our selues vnthankfull, to so louing a Father, and bountifull a GOD.

Then must wee humble our selues in hearty and earnest Prayer vnto GOD, confessing vnto him our sinnes: our vn­knowne sinnes generally, our knowne sinnes particularly, and that fréely, with­out any excuse, defence, or hiding the least of them. So did Dauid, Psal. 32. & Psal. 51. and withall, wée must make earnest intreaty, and deprecation to God, in the Name and mediation of Christ Iesus, [Page] who died for our sinnes, that God would in mercy pardon them all, and seale vn­to vs the pardon of them by his Spirit: and héere euery one must frame his con­fession according to his owne néede, at the least, in sighes and sobs of the heart, and the secret desires thereof. To this end, (where & whiles men cannot in priuate so well pray of themselues) may bee vsed such formes of prayer, as may bee found in the Leitargie of the Church and in ri­uers godly Bookes, framed for this par­ticular occasion.

Lastly, there must be in our repentance, an holy and full purpose of heart, and in­tendment of new obedience for time to come, and a resolution with Gods helpe to withstand all sinnes, and to vse care to preuent all occasions thereof.

CHAP. 6.
Of Charity.

BEsides all these, (which respect God) wee must also bee in loue and perfect charity with our neighboures; If they [Page] haue offended vs, wee must bee ready to forgiue them, especially vpon their re­quest and acknowledgement, euen as God for Christs sake forgaue vs, who had offended him, and as wée our selues in the Lords Prayer desire to be forgiuen as wee our selues forgiue others.

And if we haue iustly offended others, wee must seeke peace with them, & their loue, and not be ashamed to acknowledge our faults: This is so necessary, that God will haue his seruice stay till it bee performed, and without it will not accept our seruice and sacrifice: He would haue vs leaue our offering; Goe thy way, and first bee reconciled to thy brother, &c. Math. 5.24.

CHAP. VII.
Of Examination.

ALl the fore-named things are neces­sary in euery Christian at all times: but especially when wee are to come to the holy Communion, wee are to practise these dueties, and to renew our faith and our repentance, & to examine our selues, [Page] whether these graces bee in vs in truth and synserity, or no; according to 2. Cor. 13.5. & 1. Cor. 11.28. especially our Faith, and Repentance.

Our Faith is true, when, first, it is grounded namely on Gods Word, and not on traditions or authority of men: When wee find that Gods Word hath beene effectuall in vs and our selues al­tered thereby, so that we remaine not still the same we were long since: and if ther­fore we haue a loue and desire to Gods Word, that by it our Faith may bee in­creased.

If our Faith be set on a right Obiect, that is, if it beleeue the same Word of God, as well the threatnings of it, as the promises: especially, if it truely rely vp­on the mercy of GOD, and merits of CHRIST.

By the fruites of it wee may know it, if our Faith purifie our heart, Act. 15 9. and if it work in vs an endeuour is please God in all things: if wee can beleeue God and his Trueth, euen before expe­rience, as did the Woman of Canaan, Math. 15.22. and when wee feele not [Page] his presence; yea, if with Iob, wée can trust in God though hee seeme to kill vs, and bee our enemie. These may suffice for the present.

Our repentance is then true, First, when wee are sorry, not so much for pu­nishment or shame of our sinne, as that thereby we haue offended and displeased our louing God and Father. Secondly, when we are sorry and repent of all sin, and doe not secretly desire to liue in, or to inioy still, any one pleasant sinne, but resolue to leaue euery sinne for the loue we owe to God. Lastly, when wee pre­sently and without delay, so soone as wée see and know our sinne, doe repent: Sée Psal. 119.59, 60. I made haste, and de­layed not to keep thy Commandements.

Our Charity and loue to our brethren is then good and sound, when wee loue them, not in by respects, for feare or pro­fit and delight, but as they are Christi­ans, and because God loues them, they being his friends; yea, because we loue God: so, when wee wish them the best things, as that they were partakers with vs, of Christ, and of life euerlasting: [Page] when we can forget and forgiue priuate iniuries, and hate not their persons, but their sinnes, &c.

☞ Note, If after examination wee finde these graces in vs, though but weake, yet wée may bée comforted, and wée must come: If we feele our selues vnworthy; knowe, that this sense and feeling of sin, (where there is no purpose to liue in sin) is an argument of grace: by our corrupt nature, wee cannot discerne of our cor­ruptions, but by grace onely. This Sup­per is a remedy for our weaknes and cor­ruption, Christ calling the weary, hum­ble and contrite vnto him, Matth. 11.28. Luke 4.18. Wée must not looke so much to come perfect, as to goe from it perfect, that is, more perfect and better then wée came. If thou canst but desire that grace which thou wantest, assure thy selfe of it, God will giue it; nay, He accepts the de­sire for the grace it selfe: For, if lustfull desire after a woman, be in Gods account adultery, and the sinne it selfe, Mat. 5.28. much more is the desire of any Grace, in Gods acceptance, the Grace it selfe desi­red: God inclining as much to mercy, [Page] as to iustice, and as ready to take in good worth our good desires, as to take the ad­uantage of our euill desires.

CHAP. VIII.
Of dueties to be performed in this holy Action.

OVr behauiour, during the time of the celebration of this holy Action, must be decent, with all reuerence to the high Maiestie and presence of God, and to his diuine Ordinance. Now, whereas the benefits and grace we receiue in this Sacrament, are conuayed vnto vs, as on Gods part, by His Spirit, so on our part, by a kind of reasoning in the mind, and an inference and vse-making from the colla­tion, or comparing & conferring the out­ward signes with the things signified thereby: Wee are therefore, when wee come to the Table of the Lord, not to suffer our minds to wander after imper­tinent matters, but to apply our hearts to diligent attention and consideration, reasoning with our selues, and making [Page] vse of euery thing in this Sacrament which we behold: as thus:

1 When we behold and sée bread and wine to be set apart, to signifie vnto vs the body and bloud of Christ, then must we further meditate and consider:

That this Sacrament is ordained for 1 our spirituall nourishment, and increase in grace, thus differing from Baptisme, which is the Sacrament of our first birth or regeneration: as bread therefore is for the sustenance of man, and preseruation of naturall life in him, so is Christs body and bloud spiritually, for the encrease and nourishing of our faith, and of Gods gra­ces in vs. For thus in decay of grace, we come to get assurance and féeling of it a­gaine. Christ is therefore called the bread of life, Iohn 6.35.51. herein differing from common bread, that it onely pre­serues life where life is once begun; but Christ begins life in vs, being set before vs in the preaching of the Gospel, & called the childrēs bread, Mat. 15.26. And he is eaten by faith spiritually, Ioh. 6.56. He also continues and preserues life in vs, as bread, eaten by the same faith, sacramen­tally.

[Page]Consider, bread and wine are also for 2 our comfort, and to make glad the heart of man, Psalm. 104.14, 15. so also this Sacrament, and therefore in our fain­tings, and in our afflictions, we are to haue recourse hither: this bread being like that meale which Elisha cast into the pot to make the pottage wholesome, whereof it was said before, death is in the pot, 2. Kings 4.40. and 41.

When we sée both bread and wine, 3 consider that Christ is our perfect Saui­our and Redéemer, both bread and water of life vnto vs, so that we néed not salua­tion in whole or in part of any other.

4 Consider hence also the necessitie of this Sacrament, especially of the thing signified by this bread and wine: for as without bread and wine (or other moy­sture) we could not possibly liue (where­as we may well spare many vnnecessary dainties) so, without this body and blood of Christ, and the merits thereon depen­ding, it is impossible for any either to liue the life of grace here, or of glory here­after.

When we sée the Minister set apart by 4 [Page] prayer and consecration, these Elements from a common to an holy vse, which sig­nifies Gods eternall decrée in sealing Christ to the worke of our redemption and saluation, Iohn 6.27. Then further consider and meditate on God the Fa­thers excéeding great loue, Who so loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten Sonne Christ, to redeeme it, Ioh. 3.16. Which loue God setteth forth, séeing that 1(first) of himselfe vnsought to, (Second­ly) 2 he the partie offended should prouide 3 a Sauiour, and giue (thirdly) his onely 4 beloued Sonne for vs (Fourthly) before 5 we were, (Fifthly) whom he foresaw to 6 be vnable to helpe our selues, yea (Sixt­ly) to be enemies vnto him, Rom. 5.8. Oh wonderfull loue of God! how did A­braham loue God, when for his sake he was ready to offer in sacrifice his onely sonne Isaak? yet that was his duty, God so requiring it. How much more doth God loue vs, that fréely, yea contrary to our deseruings, giues to death his onely Sonne Christ, one, ten thousand times better then Isaack? And thinke, if God so loued me, how ought I to loue him a­gaine? [Page] how ought I for his sake to part with my dearest and darling sinnes? &c.

When we sée the bread broken, and the 3 wine powred out, then thinke on the death and passion of Christ, and on those intolerable paines which he suffered both in body, and also much more in soule, not for himselfe but for vs: and here also more specially meditate: First, on Christs spe­ciall Loue to vs, who would so willing­ly become our suretie, and pay our debt to God, which is death, which we were ne­uer able to haue endured: For greater loue then this hath no man, when any man bestowes his life on his friends, Ioh. 15.13. But Christ is that good shep­heard, who giueth his life for (vs) his sheepe, Ioh. 10.11. How then (must I meditate) should this inflame my heart with the loue of this my Sauiour? &c. And how may I now rest assured, that I shall be vndoubtedly saued? for if when I was a sinner Christ died for me, much more then being now iustified by his blood, shal I be saued from wrath throgh him, &c. Rom. 5.8.9.10.

Secondly, considering his grieuous 2 [Page] suffering and pangs for vs, his hands and his féet boared, his side pearced with a speare, himselfe mocked, and now sus­taining in soule the wrath of his Father due to our sinnes; meditate, Didst thou, swéet Sauiour, suffer such torments for me, and shall not I endure an euill word for thée, and for the profession of thy Name? Diddest thou on the Crosse taste Vineger and Gall for me; and shall I liue in pleasure and delicacies, faring deliciously euery day, and so please my palate with excesse in delicious meates and wines? Diddest thou die for me; and shall not I die to sinne, and thus shew forth in my selfe thy death? Yea, diddest thou die for me, and shall not I be ready to lay downe my life for thy Names sake? &c.

3 Thirdly, consider also the cause of all this his suffering, which was not any sinne of his, but our sinne, 2. Cor. 5.21. and thinke and say, Lord when I looke vpon thée whom my sinnes haue pierced, how should I lament for thée? as one that mourneth for his onely Sonne, and bee sorry for thée, as one is sorry for his first [Page] borne, Zach. 12.10. Nay how should I rather mourne for mine owne sinnes, and hate them with a deadly hatred, whereby I crucifie thée againe, so louing a Sauiour: my sinnes being the speare that pierced thee, and the nailes that la­stened thée to the Crosse? How weighty are my sinnes, and how great the desert thereof, which could not be borne by me, nor satisfied for by any thing I am able either to doe or suffer? but onely by thy precious death and bloud-shed of thée my deare Sauiour and my God blessed for euer. Shall I now henceforth account any sinne light or little, which deserued such infinite punishment? Oh my Sa­uiour, possesse my heart with thy loue, teach mee to loue thee perfectly, and to hate all sinne which cost thee so deare, &c.

When the Minister (representing the 4: person of God the Father) comes to­wards thée to offer and giue to each the signes, this Bread and Wine; then first 1 meditate, and pray and say with the Centurion, Lord I am not worthy thou shouldest come vnder my roofe, and as Elizabeth said to Mary, whence com­meth [Page] this to me, that (not the mother of the Lord, but) the Lord himselfe should come to me? Luk. 1.14. And with the blessed Virgin, Luk. 1.38. Behold the seruant of the Lord, be it vnto thee ac­cording 2 to thy word; and here second­ly, assure thy selfe of Gods especiall loue to thée in particular, and take these signes as speciall seales, and pledges of Gods speciall loue towards thee; and here raise vp thy thoughts with this or the like meditation: Lord, whereas in thy Word thou offerest Christ to all belee­uers, though thou namest none, now I see thou meanest euen me, poore sinner, as well as any: thou appliest and assurest vnto me thy generall promise, as if my name were recorded in thy Word, and written in that deede of gift, whereby thou giuest and sealest vnto all beleeuers eternall life; O Lord, now I may see, (and that without doubting) that indeed my name is written in the Lambs booke of life.

5 When wee take and apply the Bread and Wine to our selues, then must wee stir vp our selues to take hold on Christ, [Page] (Esa. 64.7.) and be put in minde of the speciall act of faith, which is, to apply and bring Christ home, to the inmost closet of our hearts, relying our selues, and putting our whole affiance, wholly and onely on him for saluation, stirring vp our faith, and by it féeding on our Sa­uiour more and more; crying also, Lord, I beleeue, helpe my vnbeleefe.

When we eat and drinke, then also 6 must we meditate, first, on our strait vni­on 1 with Christ, whereby we become one with him, and he with vs, euen as the Bread and Wine turne to our nourish­ment, and become one substance with vs, one flesh and one bone; and what straigh­ter vnion can there bee then this? Then rouze vp thy spirit & say; ‘O my blessed Sauiour, be thou vnto mee Bread and water of life for euermore: let this vni­on once made by thy Spirit & my faith, neuer again be dissolued,’ but fasten me vnto thée by the bond of my faith, and fa­sten and vnite thy selfe vnto me by the bond of thy Spirit, and that for euer­more. Let nothing dissolue this knot, let not my sinnes euer hereafter separate [Page] betweene thee and me Esa. 59.2. But O Lord, let thy most precious, and pure, and holy body and blood, clense and san­ctifie my body and my soule, and either keepe them that they sinne not against thee at any time presumptuously, or if they sinne, that by thy precious bloud they may be forthwith purged from sin, 1. Ioh. 1.7. Yea O Lord, let me walke on in the strength of this spirituall foode, this liuing Bread and Water of life, euen to eternall life, according to thy gracious promise and Word, whereby thou hast said; Whosoeuer eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Bloud hath eternall life, and if any man eat of this Bread, he shall liue for euer, Ioh. 6.51, 54. Let mee therefore hence be assured, that neither death nor life nor any thing else shall bee able to seperate me from this loue of thy Father, which is in thee his sonne, my Sauiour Iesus Christ, Rom. 8.38, 39. Heere also must we thinke of our parti­cipation of all the benefits of Christ, both by imputation concerning our iustifica­tion, and also by infusion concerning our sanctification, seeing Christ neuer comes [Page] alone: but as the married wise, though she marry with the man himselfe, and not with his lands or goods, yet being par­taker of him, she partakes of them too. Why then, O Lord, need I distrust thy goodnesse for any blessing, spirituall or temporall, seeing thou hast giuen me thy Sonne Christ, and in him interest in all things, 1. Cor. 3.22, 23. If thou spa­redst not thy Sonne, but gauest him for me to death, and now giuest and appliest him spiritually vnto me, how shalt thou not with him giue mee all things also? Rom. 8.32. I will henceforth therefore neuer distrust thy goodnesse.

Lastly, when thou seest in this holy 7 action, others also rich and poore, of all sorts without difference eat of the same Bread, and drinke of the fame Cup, bee put in minde of loue and charity to all: wee see where men familiarly conuerse one with another, and liue together in one house, sitting and feeding at the same table, there is mutuall loue, know­ledge, and familiarity: else, it is very vnusuall and vnnaturall: yea very beasts by drawing together in the same Yoke, [Page] grow familiar one with another, and shew loue in their kinde; what louing respect therefore owe I, euen to the mea­nest of my fellowes and brethren, and to the least of the Saints of God, seeing wee all that are many, are one bread and one body, because we all are partakers of one Bread? 1. Cor. 10.17. and wee all haue beene made to drinke into one Spirit, 1. Cor. 12.13. Surely then because I see there is one body (and but one) one Spirit, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptisme (yea one onely communion of Saints) one God and Father of all, I will therefore endeuour to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and with all humblenesse of minde, and meeknesse with long suffering, support others through loue, as the Apostle ex­horts me, Ephesians 4.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. And because I here see, my Sauiour makes no difference, and hath no respect of per­sons, so they feare God, Act. 10.34, 35. but alike admits all to his Table, of all sorts, rich and poore, noble and ignoble, &c. and communicates himselfe to all, I will henceforth despise none of GODS [Page] Saints, not the least member of Gods Church, whom God and Christ so loues, and hath done so much for, 1. Cor. 11.22. Mat. 18.10. With these or such like meditations should our thoughts be taken vp, during the time of the cele­bration of the blessed Sacrament, at which time especially wee are to make conscience of our thoughts.

CHAP. 9.
Of duties to be performed after this action is ended.

AS before we should presume to this Table, we must set our selues and our thoughts by meditations a part by times, some two or thrée daies, that we may come prepared (after the exam­ple of the Passeouer, Exod. 12.3, 6.) So after this Sacrament is solemnly celebra­ted in the Church, each man and woman particularly, should doe well to set a­part, some fit and conuenient time; to consider well what is done, what God hath done for them, and what they haue promised, and ought to doe for God.

1 And here, First, each one for himselfe must in particular be thankfull for the high fauour vouchsafed him, that God would admit him to his Table, being in himselfe vnworthy so much as to gather vp the crums that fall from it. (The forme of thanks may either be performed, as it shall please God by his Spirit to [Page] helpe our infirmities, Rom 8.26. or helpe may be had from the order of the Church and from diuers good bookes of deuotion in this kinde.)

Now to this end, each for himselfe must well remember what he hath made promise and profession of. Here we haue renued our promise and vow made in Baptisme, to forsake the deuill, and haue taken the Sacrament vpon it, and recei­ued as it were presse-money from God, to fight valiantly, constantly, and faith­fully vnder his banner, against all his and our enemies, (after which, it is high trea­son against his Maiestie to reuolt or giue ouer) resolue therefore now of constan­cie to hold out to the end, whatsoeuer come of it, whatsoeuer opposition wée finde, from our traiterous and rebellious flesh, from the scoffes of the world, from the assaults and slie suggestions of Satan. And as thou lookest that God should make good, what he in his word hath promised, and in this Sacrament hath sealed vnto thée, so looke that thou performe all thy vowes to God, else this Sacrament which thou hast so often receiued, will be [Page] a witnesse against thée, and helpe to seale thy damnation.

2 After all is performed, each must ex­amine himselfe what comfort, what ioy, what encrease of grace he hath reaped by 1 this Sacrament. If we féele none, then must we either accuse our selues, for want of sufficient preparation before, 2 and then fly to God for pardon, &c. Or if we haue in some measure endeuoured to examine and prepare our selues, then must we not be dismayed, but trust in the mercy of our good and gracious God for acceptation of our endeuours: Sée 2. Chron. 30.18, 19. and depend on him for a blessing, séeing God hath not tyed his grace to the very time of receiuing: Light may be sowne for the righteous, and ioy for the vpright in heart, as it is, Psal. 97.11. and yet the haruest of that comfort not reaped till afterwaad. So, the sickman féeleth not for the present, the strength and nourishment of the meate he hath taken, and yet is nourished: the Word preached euen by our Sauiour, doth not alwayes take effect for the pre­sent, see Act. 11.16. Ioh. 12.16. And in [Page] Baptisme we receiue not the comforta­ble assurance there made and sealed vnto vs, till afterwards.

If we haue felt any comfort, or God 2 more graciously present with vs in this Sacrament: Then, First, let vs be more 2 specially thankfull to him for it, not by our words, but by our déeds, by our liues and holy conuersation, according to our purposes and promises here made and renued; and therefore,

First, pray with Dauid (after he and his people had offered willingly for the buil­ding of the Temple) Keepe this, O Lord, for euer, in the purpose and in the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their hearts vnto thee, 1. Chron. 29.18. And then hauing fed on this heauenly food, shew forth the goodnesse and strength of this thy food receiued, by yéelding a plentifull fléece in new obedience, like the Shéepe which shewes (not by her bleating, but) by her fléece, how much, how well, how heartily she hath eaten.

Otherwise this were both for the shame of our Master Christ, at whose [Page] table wee are so often and bountifully fed, if still like Pharaohes seuen leane kine, wee remaine leane and ill fauou­red. Genes. 41.19, 20, 21. And also, doth argue some spirituall disease in vs, which like a consumption hinders our growth and increase, or that in­déede for all the séeming comfort wee found, wee haue not truely receiued Christ, and haue him not abiding in vs, for hee hath sayd, Iohn 15.5. I am the Vine, ye are the Branches: hee that abideth in mee and I in him, the 2 same bringeth forth much fruit. If wee haue feltt any comfort, then let vs hence bee moued, the oftner to fre­quent this Table. As good men oft­ner frequent those tables where their friends consort.

Lastly, in case of temptation doub­ting, and vnbeléefe, flie hither for thy comfort, and for the conssimation and strengthning of thy faith: remember what thou hast once and often recei­ued: namely, signes and seales of the couenant of grace, as certaine tokens of Gods loue in Christ, and particular [Page] assurances thereof: therefore [...] Sa­tan off to Christ, shew him Gods gene­rall promise, Iohn 3.16. Sealed vn­to thee in particular, both in Bap­tisme and in the Eucharist, and let that be thy secu­ritie and comfort.