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<DATE>2014-11-21</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<P><HI>Sacramental Preparation</HI> FOR THE Holy Communion IN SHORT. Wherein are <HI>Directions</HI> and <HI>Meditations,</HI> Containing the Sub&s;tance of what is <HI>Needful</HI> and <HI>&V;&s;eful</HI> Before, In, and After the Admini&s;tration of the <HI>LORD</HI>'s <HI>S&V;PPER.</HI></P>
<P>To which is added Plain and Practical DIRECTIONS FOR THE <HI>Profitable Reading</HI> OF THE Sacred Scriptures.</P>
<P>By a Reverend Divine of the Church of <HI>England.</HI></P>
<P><HI>London:</HI> Printed for <HI>Tho. Parkhur&s;t</HI> at the <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ble</HI> and <HI>Three Crowns</HI> in <HI>Cheap&s;ide,</HI> 1698.</P>
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<HEAD><HI>Sacramental Preparation</HI> FOR THE HOLY COMMUNION IN SHORT.</HEAD>
<P>Direct. I. <HI>UNder&s;tand well the proper Ends to which this Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Chri&s;t was in&s;tituted by him:</HI> And take heed you u&s;e it not to o|ther Ends for which it was never appointed. The <HI>True Ends</HI> are the&s;e. 1. To be a <HI>Solemn Commemo|ration of the Death and Pa&s;&s;ion of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> to keep it as it were in the Eye of the Church, in his bodi|ly ab&s;ence till he come, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.24, 25, 26. 2. To be a <HI>Solemn Renewing of the Holy Covenant,</HI> which was fir&s;t entred in Bapti&s;m between Chri&s;t and the Receiver: And in that Covenant it is on Chri&s;t's Part, a &s;olemn Delivery of <HI>Him&s;elf first,</HI> and with <HI>Him&s;elf</HI> the Benefits of <HI>Pardon, Reconciliation. Adoption,</HI> and Right to Life Eternal: And on <HI>Man</HI>'s Part it is our &s;olemn Acceptance of Chri&s;t with his Benefits, upon his Terms, and a delivering up our &s;elves to Him as his Redeemed ones; even to the <HI>Father</HI> as our Reconciled Father, and to the <HI>Son</HI> as our Lord and Saviour, and to the <HI>Holy Spirit</HI> as our Sanctifier; with profe&s;&s;ed thankfulne&s;s for &s;o great a Benefit. 3. It is appointed to be a lively <HI>objective Means,</HI> by which the Spirit of Chri&s;t &s;hould work,
<PB N="4" REF="4">to &s;tir up, and exerci&s;e, and encrea&s;e the Repen|tance, <HI>Faith, De&s;ire, Hope, Love, Joy, Thankfulne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>new Obedience</HI> of Believers; by a lively Repre|&s;entation of the <HI>Evil of Sin,</HI> the <HI>infinite Love of God in Chri&s;t,</HI> the firmne&s;s of the <HI>Covenant</HI> or <HI>Promi&s;e,</HI> the <HI>Greatne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Surene&s;s</HI> of the Mercy given, and the <HI>Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s</HI> purchas'd and promis'd to us, and the great <HI>Obligations</HI> that are laid upon us. And that herein <HI>Believers</HI> might be &s;olemnly called out to the mo&s;t &s;erious exerci&s;e of all the&s;e Graces, and might be provoked and a&s;&s;i&s;ted to &s;tir up them&s;elves to this Communion with God in Chri&s;t, and to pray for more as through a Sacrificed Chri&s;t. 4. It is appointed to be the &s;olemn <HI>Profe&s;&s;ion</HI> of Believers of their Faith, and Love, and Gratitude, and Obedi|ence to God the Father, Son and Holy Gho&s;t, and of continuing firm in the Chri&s;tian Religion. And a Badge of the Church before the World. 5. It is appointed to be a <HI>Sign</HI> and <HI>Means</HI> of the <HI>&V;nity, Love</HI> and <HI>Communion</HI> of Saints, and their readine&s;s to communicate to each other.</P>
<P>Direct. II. <HI>Look upon the Mini&s;ter as the Agent or Officer of Chri&s;t, who is commi&s;&s;ion'd by him to Seal and Deliver to you the Covenant and its Benefits; and take the Bread and Wine, as if you heard Chri&s;t him&s;elf &s;ay|ing to you, Take my Body and Blood, and the Pardon, and Grace which is thereby purchas'd.</HI> It is a great Help in the Application, to have Mercy and Par|don brought us by the hand of a <HI>Commi&s;&s;ion'd Officer</HI> of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Direct. III. <HI>In your Preparation before hand, take beed of the&s;e two extreams.</HI> 1. <HI>That you come not pro|phanely and carele&s;ly, with common Hearts, as to a com|mon Work:</HI> For God will be &s;anctified in them that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">raw hear him, <HI>Lev.</HI> 10.3. And they that Eat and Drink <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">worthily, not di&s;cerning the Lord's Body from common Bread, but Eating <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">f it were a com|mon Meal, do Eat <HI>Death</HI> to them&s;elves in&s;tead of
<PB N="5" REF="4">Life. 2. <HI>Take heed your mi&s;takes of the Nature of this Sacrament, &s;hould po&s;&s;e&s;s you with &s;uch fears of un|worthy Receiving, and the following Dangers as may quite di&s;compo&s;e and unfit your Souls for the joyful ex|erci&s;es of Faith, and Love, and Prai&s;e, and Thank&s;gi|ving, to which you are invited.</HI> It &s;hould be receiv|ed in a <HI>Fea&s;ting</HI> frame of Mind.</P>
<P>Direct. IV. <HI>Let your Preparation to this Sacrament con&s;i&s;t of the&s;e Particulars following.</HI> 1. <HI>In your Duty with your own Con&s;ciences and Hearts.</HI> 2. <HI>In your Duty towards God.</HI> 3. <HI>And in your Duty towards your Neighbour.</HI></P>
<P N="1">I. Your Duty with your <HI>Hearts,</HI> con&s;i&s;ts in the&s;e Particulars,</P>
<P N="1">1. That you do your be&s;t in the clo&s;e <HI>Examinati|on</HI> of your Hearts about your State, and the <HI>Since|rity</HI> of your <HI>Faith, Repentance,</HI> and <HI>Obedience:</HI> To know whether your Hearts are true to God in the Covenant, which you are to Renew and Seal: Which may be done by the&s;e Enquiries, and di&s;|cern'd by the&s;e Signs. (1.) Enquire, Whether you truly <HI>Loath</HI> your &s;elves for all the Sins of your Hearts and Lives, and are a greater Offence and Burden to your &s;elves becau&s;e of your Imperfections and Cor|ruptions, than all the World be&s;ides is, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 6.9. and 20.43. and 36.31. <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.24. (2.) En|quire, Whether you have no Sin, but what you are truly de&s;irous to <HI>know;</HI> and no Sin known, but what you are truly de&s;irous to be rid of: And &s;o de&s;irous, as that you had rather be perfectly freed from Sin, than from any Affliction in the World, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.22, 18, 24. and 8.18. (3.) Enquire, Whether you love the &s;earching and reforming Light, even the mo&s;t &s;earching Parts of the Word of God, and the mo&s;t &s;earching Books, and &s;earching Sermons, tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> by them you may be brought to know your &s;elves in order to your &s;etled Peace and Reformation <HI>John</HI> 3.19, 20, 21. (4.) Enquire, Whether you<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="6" REF="5">truly Love that degree of <HI>Holine&s;s</HI> in others, which you have not yet attained your &s;elves, and Love Chri&s;t in his Children with &s;uch an unfeigned Love, as will cau&s;e you to releive them according to your Ability, and &s;uffer for their &s;akes when it is your Duty, 1 <HI>John</HI> 3.14, 16. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.22. and 3.8. <HI>James</HI> 2.12, 13, 14, 15. <HI>Mat.</HI> 25.40, &amp;c. (5.) En|quire, Whether you can truly &s;ay, That there is no de|gree of Holine&s;s &s;o high but you de&s;ire it, and had rather be perfect in the Love of God, and Obedi|ence to his Will, than have all the Riches and Plea|&s;ures of this World, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.18, 21, 24. <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 119.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">5. <HI>Mat.</HI> 5.6. And had rather be one of the <HI>Ho|lie&s;t Saints,</HI> than of the mo&s;t renowned, pro&s;perous Princes upon Earth, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 15.4. and 16.2. and 84.20. and 65.4. (6.) Enquire, Whether you have &s;o far laid up your Trea&s;ure, and your Hopes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n Heaven, as that you are re&s;olved to take that only for <HI>your Portion;</HI> and that the Hopes of Heaven <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nd Intere&s;t of your Souls has the <HI>Preheminence</HI> in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">our <HI>Hearts</HI> again&s;t all that &s;tands in Competition <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ith it, <HI>Col.</HI> 3.1, 3, 4. <HI>Mat.</HI> 6.20, 21. (7.) En|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uire, Whether the chiefe&s;t Care of your Hearts, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nd endeavour of your Lives be to &s;erve and plea&s;e God, and to enjoy him for ever, rather than for any worldly thing, <HI>Mat.</HI> 6.33. <HI>John</HI> 5.26. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, 6, 7, 8, 9. (8.) Enquire, Whether it be your <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aily de&s;ire and endeavour to <HI>mortifie</HI> the <HI>Fle&s;h,</HI> and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;ter it's rebellious Oppo&s;ition to the <HI>Spirit;</HI> and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ou &s;o far prevail, as not to <HI>Live,</HI> and <HI>Walk,</HI> and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e <HI>Led</HI> by the Fle&s;h, but that the cour&s;e and drift of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">our Life is Spiritual, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">al.</HI> 5.17, 21, 22. (9.) Enquire, Whether the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">orld and all its Honour, Wealth and Plea&s;ure ap|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ar to you &s;o &s;mall and contemptible a thing, as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">at you e&s;teem it as Dung, and nothing in Com|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ri&s;on of Chri&s;t, and the Love of God, and Glory; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d are re&s;olved, that you will rather let go all than
<PB N="7" REF="5">your Part in Chri&s;t; and which u&s;es to carry it in the Time of Trial in your deliberate choice, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20. 1 <HI>John</HI> 2.15. <HI>Luke</HI> 14.26, 30, 33. <HI>Mat.</HI> 13.19, 21. (10.) Enquire, Whether you are <HI>re&s;olved</HI> upon a cour&s;e of Holine&s;s and Obedience, and to u&s;e tho&s;e Means which God doth make known to you to be the way to plea&s;e him, and to &s;ubdue your Corruption: And yet, feel|ing the frailties of your Hearts, and the burden of your Sins, do tru&s;t in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> as your Righteou&s;ne&s;s before God, and in the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> who&s;e Grace a|lone can illuminate, &s;anctifie and confirm you, <HI>Acts</HI> 11.23. <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 119.57, 63, 69, 106 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.30. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.9. <HI>John</HI> 15.5. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.9. By the&s;e Signs you may &s;afely try your <HI>States.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. When this is done, you are al&s;o to try the <HI>Strength,</HI> and <HI>Mea&s;ure</HI> of your Grace; that you may perceive your weakne&s;s, and know for what help you &s;hould &s;eek to Chri&s;t; and to find out what in|ward <HI>Corruptions,</HI> and <HI>&s;inful Inclinations</HI> are yet <HI>&s;tronge&s;t</HI> in you, that you may know what to lament, and to a&s;k forgivene&s;s of, and help again&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. You are al&s;o to take a &s;trict account of your <HI>Lives;</HI> and to look over your dealings with God and Men, in Secret and Publick, e&s;pecially of late &s;ince the la&s;t renewal of your Covenant with God, and to hear what God and Con&s;cience have to &s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> about your Sins, and all their Aggravations, <HI>P&s;aln</HI> 139.23. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.28.</P>
<P N="4">4. And you mu&s;t labour to get your Heart affect|ed with your Condition as you do di&s;cover it: T<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> be humbled for what is &s;inful, and to be de&s;irous o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> help again&s;t your weakne&s;s, and thankful for th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Grace you Di&s;cern.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>La&s;tly,</HI> You mu&s;t con&s;ider of all the Work yo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> go to do, and all the Mercies you are going to re|ceive, and what Graces are nece&s;&s;ary to all this and how they mu&s;t be u&s;ed: And accordingly loo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="8" REF="6">up all the&s;e Graces, and prepare them for the exer|ci&s;e to which they are to be called out.</P>
<P N="2">II. Your Duty towards God in your Preparation for this Sacrament is,</P>
<P N="1">1. To ca&s;t down your &s;elves before him in hum|ble Penitent Confe&s;&s;ion, and Lamentation of all the Sins which you di&s;cover; and to beg his Pardon in Secret, before you come to have it publickly Sealed and Delivered. 2. To look up to him with that <HI>Thankfulne&s;s, Joy,</HI> and <HI>Love,</HI> as becomes one that is going to receive &s;o great a Mercy from him: And humbly to beg that Grace which may prepare you, and quicken you to and in the Work.</P>
<P N="3">III. Your Duty towards <HI>others</HI> in this your Pre|paration is,</P>
<P N="1">1. To Forgive tho&s;e that have done you wrong, and to confe&s;s your Fault to tho&s;e whom you have wronged, and a&s;k them forgivene&s;s, and make them Amends and Re&s;titution, &s;o far as is in your Power: And to be reconciled to tho&s;e with whom you are fallen out; and to &s;ee that you love your Neigh|bours as your &s;elves, <HI>Mat.</HI> 5.23, 24, 25, 26, 44. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ames</HI> 5.16. 2. That you &s;eek Advice of your Pa&s;tors, or &s;ome fit Per&s;ons, in Ca&s;es that are too <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ard for your &s;elves to Re&s;olve, and where you need <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">heir &s;pecial help. 3. That you lovingly admoni&s;h <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hem that you know do intend to Communicate un|worthily, and to come thither in their Ungodline&s;s, and gro&s;s Sin unrepented of: That you &s;how not <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ch hatred of your Brother, as to &s;uffer Sin upon him, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ev.</HI> 19.17. but tell him his Faults as Chri&s;t has <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">irected you, <HI>Mat.</HI> 18.15, 16, 17. and do your <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">arts to promote Chri&s;t's Di&s;cipline, and keep pure <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e Church. See 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. throughout.</P>
<P>Direct. V. <HI>In the Time of the Admini&s;tration go a|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">g with the Mini&s;ter throughout the Work, and keep <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ur Hearts clo&s;e to Je&s;us Chri&s;t in the exerci&s;e of all <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o&s;e Graces, which are &s;uited to the &s;everal Parts of
<PB N="9" REF="6">the Admini&s;tration.</HI> Think not, that all the Work mu&s;t be the Mini&s;ters: It &s;hould be a bu&s;ie Day with you, and your <HI>Hearts</HI> &s;hould be taken up with as much Diligence, as your <HI>Hands</HI> be in your com|mon Labour; but not in a <HI>toil&s;ome weary</HI> Diligence, but in &s;uch <HI>delightful</HI> bu&s;ine&s;s as becomes the Gue&s;ts of the God of Heaven at &s;o &s;weet a Fea&s;t, and in the receiving of &s;uch invaluable Gifts.</P>
<P>Here I &s;hall di&s;tinctly &s;how. 1. What <HI>Graces</HI> they be that you mu&s;t there Exerci&s;e. 2. At what <HI>Sea&s;ons</HI> in the Admini&s;tration, each of the&s;e inward Works are to be done.</P>
<P N="1">I. The <HI>Graces</HI> to be exercis'd are the&s;e (be&s;ides that Holy Fear and Reverence, which is common to all Wor&s;hip.) 1. An humble Sen&s;e of the <HI>odi|ou&s;ne&s;s of Sin,</HI> and of our <HI>undone Condition</HI> as in our &s;elves, and a di&s;plea&s;ure again&s;t our &s;elves, and loath|ing of our &s;elves, and melting <HI>Repentance</HI> for the Sins we have committed; as again&s;t our <HI>Creator,</HI> and as again&s;t the Love and Mercy of a <HI>Redeemer,</HI> and again&s;t the Holy <HI>Spirit</HI> of Grace. 2. A <HI>hun|gring</HI> and <HI>Thir&s;ting De&s;ire</HI> after the Lord Je&s;us and his Grace, and the Favour of God, and Communi|on with him, which are there repre&s;ented and offer|ed to the Soul. 3. A <HI>lively Faith</HI> in our Redeemer, his Death, Re&s;urrection, and Interce&s;&s;ion: And a <HI>tru&s;ting</HI> our mi&s;erable Souls upon him, as our &s;uffi|cient Saviour and Help: And a <HI>Hearty Acceptance</HI> of him and his Benefits upon his offer'd Terms. 4. A <HI>Joy</HI> and <HI>Gladne&s;s</HI> in the Sen&s;e of that un&s;peakable Mercy that is here offer'd us. 5. A <HI>Thankful Heart</HI> towards him from whom we do receive it. 6. A <HI>fervent Love</HI> to him, that by &s;uch Love doth &s;eek our Love. 7. A <HI>Triumphant Hope of Life Eternal,</HI> which is purchas'd for us, and Sealed to us. 8. A <HI>Willingne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Re&s;olution</HI> to deny our &s;elves, and all this World, and &s;uffer for him that has &s;uf|fer'd for our Redemption. 9. A <HI>Love to our Bre|thren,</HI>
<PB N="10" REF="7">our Neighbours and our Enemies, with a rea|dine&s;s to relieve them, and to forgive them when they do us wrong. 10. And a <HI>firm Re&s;olution</HI> for future Obedience to our Creator, and Redeemer and Sanctifier, according to our Covenant.</P>
<P N="2">II. That you may be the readier, when it comes to Practice. I &s;hall, as it were, lead you, by the Hand, through all the Parts of the Admini&s;tration, and tell you <HI>When</HI> and <HI>How</HI> to exerci&s;e every Grace, and tho&s;e that are to be joyned together, I will take together.</P>
<P N="1">1. When you are <HI>called</HI> up, or <HI>going</HI> to the Ta|ble of the Lord, exerci&s;e youe <HI>Humility, De&s;ire</HI> and <HI>Thankfulne&s;s,</HI> and &s;ay in your Hearts, <Q>What, Lord, do&s;t thou call &s;uch a Wretch as I? What! me that have &s;o oft de&s;pi&s;ed thy Mercy, and willfully of|fended Thee, and preferred the filth of this World, and the Plea&s;ures of the Fle&s;h before Thee? Alas, it is thy Wrath in Hell that is my due: But if Love will choo&s;e &s;uch an unworthy Gue&s;t, and Mercy will be honour'd upon &s;uch Sin and Mi&s;ery, I come Lord at thy call; I gladly come: Let thy Will be done; and let that Mercy which invites me, make me acceptable, and graciou&s;ly entertain me; and let me not come without the Wedding Garment, nor unreverently ru&s;h on Holy Things, nor turn thy Mercies to my Bane.</Q></P>
<P N="2">2. When the Mini&s;ter is confe&s;&s;ing Sin, pro&s;trate your very Souls in the Sen&s;e of your unworthine&s;s, and let your <HI>Particular Sins</HI> be in your Eye, with their heinous Aggravations: <HI>The Whole need not the Phy&s;ician, but the Sick.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. When the Words of In&s;titution are read, and the Bread and Wine are &s;olemnly Con&s;ecrated, by &s;eparating them to that &s;acred u&s;e, and the Accep|tance and Ble&s;&s;ing of God is de&s;ired, admire the Mercy that prepared us a Redeemer and &s;ay, <Q>O God how wonderful is thy Wi&s;dom, and thy Love?
<PB N="11" REF="7">How &s;trangely do&s;t thou glorifie thy Mercy over tho&s;e Sins, that gave Thee advantage to glorifie thy Ju&s;tice? Even thou our God whom we have offend|ed, ha&s;t out of thy own Trea&s;ury &s;atisfied thy own Ju&s;tice, and given us a Saviour by &s;uch a Miracle of Wi&s;dom, Love and Conde&s;cen&s;ion, as Men or Angels &s;hall never be able fully to comprehend. So did&s;t thou Love the &s;inful World, as to give thy Son, that who&s;oever believes in him &s;hould not peri&s;h, but have Everla&s;ting Life. O thou that ha&s;t prepared us &s;o full a Remedy, and &s;o pre|cious a Gift, &s;anctifie the&s;e Creatures to be the Repre&s;entative Body and Blood of Chri&s;t, and prepare my Heart for &s;o great a Gift, and &s;o high, and holy, and honourable a Work.</Q></P>
<P N="4">4. When you &s;ee the <HI>Breaking</HI> of the <HI>Bread,</HI> and <HI>Pouring</HI> out of the <HI>Wine,</HI> let <HI>Repentance,</HI> and <HI>Love,</HI> and <HI>De&s;ire,</HI> and <HI>Thankfulne&s;s</HI> thus Work within you, <Q>O wondrous Love! O hateful Sin! How merciful, Lord, ha&s;t thou been to Sinners? And how cruel have we been to our Selves and Thee? Could Love &s;toop lower? Could God be merciful at a dearer Rate? Could my Sin have done a more hor|rid Deed, than to put to Death the Son of God? How &s;mall a Matter has tempted me to that, which mu&s;t co&s;t &s;o dear before it was forgiven? How dear paid my Saviour for that, which I might have avoided at a very cheap Rate? At how low a Price have I valued his Blood, when I have &s;in|ned and &s;inned again for nothing? This is my do|ing, my Sins were the Thorns, the Nails, the Spear, can a Murderer of Chri&s;t be a &s;mall Offen|der? O dreadful Ju&s;tice! It was I and &s;uch other Sinners that de&s;erved to bear the Puni&s;hment who were guilty of the Sin, and to have been fewel for the unquenchable Flames for ever. O precious Sacrifice! O hateful Sin! O Gracious Saviour! How can Man's dull and narrow Heart be duly
<PB N="12" REF="8">affected with &s;uch tran&s;cendant things? Or Heaven make its due Impre&s;&s;ion upon an Inch of Fle&s;h? Shall I ever again have a dull Apprehen&s;ion of &s;uch Love? Or ever have a favourable Thought of Sin? Or ever have a fearle&s;s Thought of Ju&s;tice? O break or melt this hardned Heart, that it may be &s;omewhat conformed to my Crucified Lord! The Tears of Love and true Repentance are ea&s;ier than the Flames from which I am redeemed. O hide me in the&s;e Wounds, and wa&s;h me in this precious Blood. This is the Sacrifice in which I tru&s;t: This is the Righteou&s;ne&s;s by which I mu&s;t be ju|&s;tified, and &s;aved from the Cur&s;e of thy violated Law. As thou ha&s;t accepted this, O Father, for the World, upon the Cro&s;s, behold it &s;till on the behalf of Sinners, and hear his Blood that cries unto Thee for Mercy to the mi&s;erable, and Pardon us, and accept us as thy reconciled Children for the &s;ake of this Crucified Chri&s;t alone. We can offer Thee no other Sacrifice for Sin, and we need no other.</Q></P>
<P N="5">5. When the Mini&s;ter applies him&s;elf to God by <HI>Prayer,</HI> for the Efficacy of this Sacrament, that in it he will give us Chri&s;t and his Benefits, and Par|don, and Ju&s;tifie us, and Accept us as his reconci|led Children, join heartily and earne&s;tly in the&s;e Reque&s;ts, as one that knows the <HI>Need</HI> and <HI>Worth</HI> of &s;uch a Mercy.</P>
<P N="6">6. When the Mini&s;ter delivers you the Con&s;e|crated <HI>Bread</HI> and <HI>Wine,</HI> look upon him as the Me&s;|&s;enger of Chri&s;t, and hear him as if Chri&s;t by him &s;aid to you, <Q>Take this my broken Body and Blood, and feed on it to Everla&s;ting Life: And take with it my Sealed Covenant, and therein the Sealed Te|&s;timony of my Love, and the Sealed Pardon of your Sins, and a Sealed Gift of Life Eternal; &s;o be it you unfeignedly Con&s;ent unto my Covenant, and give up your &s;elves to me as my Redeemed
<PB N="13" REF="8">ones.</Q> Here the Mini&s;ter by Chri&s;t's Authority de|livers you Chri&s;t, and Pardon, and Title to Eternal Life. Let your Hearts therefore &s;ay with <HI>Joy</HI> and <HI>Thankfulne&s;s,</HI> with <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Love,</HI> <Q>O matchle&s;s Bounty of the Eternal God! What a Gift is this! And unto what unworthy Sinners! And will God &s;toop &s;o low to Man? And come &s;o near him? And thus reconcile his worthle&s;s Enemies? Will he freely Pardon all that I have done? And take me into his Family, and Love; and feed me with the Fle&s;h and Blood of Chri&s;t? I believe; Lord, help my unbelief. I humbly and thankfully accept thy Gifts. Open thou my Heart that I may yet more joyfully and thankfully accept them. Seeing God will glorifie his Love and Mercy by &s;uch in|comprehen&s;ible Gifts as the&s;e, behold Lord, a Wretch that needs all this Mercy. And &s;eeing it is the offer of thy Grace and Covenant, my Soul doth gladly take Thee for my God and Father; for my Saviour and my Sanctifier. And here I give up my &s;elf unto Thee, as thy Created, Re|deemed, and (I hope) Regenerated one: As thy Own, thy Subject, and thy Child, to be &s;aved, and &s;anctified by Thee, to be beloved by Thee, and to Love Thee to Everla&s;ting. O Seal up this Covenant and Pardon by thy Spirit, which thou &s;eale&s;t and delivere&s;t to me in thy Sacrament; that without re&s;erve I may be intirely and for ever thine.</Q></P>
<P N="7">7. When you &s;ee the Communicants receiving with you, let your very Hearts be united to the Saints in Love; and &s;ay, <Q>How goodly are thy Tents, O <HI>Jacob!</HI> How amiable is the Family of the Lord! Though they have yet all their Spots and Weakne&s;&s;es, which he Pardons, and &s;o mu&s;t We. My Goodne&s;s, O Lord, extends not unto Thee, but unto thy Saints the excellent ones on Earth, in whom is my delight. What Portion of
<PB N="14" REF="9">my E&s;tate thou require&s;t, I willingly give unto the Poor, and if I have wronged any Man, I am wil|ling to re&s;tore it: And &s;eeing thou ha&s;t Loved me an Enemy, and forgiven me &s;o great a Debt, I heartily forgive tho&s;e that have done me wrong, and Love my Enemies. O keep me in thy Fami|ly all my Days; for a Day in thy Courts is better than a thou&s;and, and the Door-keepers in thy Hou&s;e are happier than the mo&s;t pro&s;perous of the Wicked.</Q></P>
<P N="8">8. When the Mini&s;ter returns <HI>Thanks</HI> and <HI>Prai&s;e</HI> to God, &s;tir up your Souls to the greate&s;t Chear|fulne&s;s: And &s;uppo&s;e you &s;aw the heavenly Ho&s;ts of Saints and Angels, prai&s;ing the &s;ame God in the pre&s;ence of his Glory; and think with your &s;elves that you belong to the &s;ame Family and Society as they, and are Learning their Work, and mu&s;t &s;hort|ly arrive at their Perfection: Strive therefore to imitate them in Love and Joy: And let your very Souls be poured out in <HI>Prai&s;es</HI> and <HI>Thank&s;giving:</HI> And when you have the next lei&s;ure for your Pri|vate Thoughts (as when the Mini&s;ter is exhorting you to your Duty) exerci&s;e your Love and <HI>Thanks,</HI> and <HI>Faith,</HI> and <HI>Hope,</HI> and <HI>Self-denial,</HI> and <HI>Re&s;olution for Future Obedience,</HI> in &s;ome &s;uch Breathings of your Souls as the&s;e; <Q>O my Gracious God, thou ha&s;t &s;urpa&s;&s;ed all Humane Comprehen&s;ion in thy Love! Is this thy u&s;age of unworthy Prodigals? I feared lea&s;t thy Wrath, as a con&s;uming Fire, would have devoured &s;uch a guilty Soul, and thou would&s;t have charged upon me all my Folly: But while I condemned my Self, thou ha&s;t forgiven and ju&s;tified me; and &s;urprized me with the &s;weete&s;t Embracements of thy Love. I &s;ee now that thy Thoughts are above our Thoughts, and thy Ways above our Ways, and thy Love excels the Love of Man, even more than the Heavens are above the Earth. With how dear a price ha&s;t Thou redeemed a Wretch that de&s;erved thy Ever|la&s;ting
<PB N="15" REF="9">Vengeance! With how precious and &s;weet a Fea&s;t ha&s;t Thou entertained me, who de&s;erved to be ca&s;t out with the Workers of Iniquity! Shall I ever again &s;light &s;uch a Love as this? Shall it not overcome my rebelliou&s;ne&s;s, and melt down my cold and hardned Heart? Shall I be &s;a|ved from Hell and not be Thankful? Angels are ad|miring the&s;e Miracles of Love, and &s;hall not I ad|mire them? Their Love to us does cau&s;e them to rejoyce, while they &s;tand by and &s;ee our Hea|venly Fea&s;t; and &s;hould it not be &s;weeter to us that are the Gue&s;ts that feed upon it? My God how dearly ha&s;t Thou purcha&s;ed my Love? How &s;trangely ha&s;t Thou de&s;erved and &s;ought it? No|thing is &s;o much my Grief and Shame, as that I can an&s;wer &s;uch Love with no more fervent, fruitful Love. O what an addition would it be to all this precious Mercy, if Thou would&s;t give me a Heart to an&s;wer the&s;e thine Invitations? That thy Love thus poured out might draw forth mine, and my Soul might flame by approaching unto the&s;e thy Flames? And that Love drawn out by the Sen&s;e of Love might be all my Life? O that I could Love Thee as much as I would Love Thee; yea, as much as Thou would&s;t have me Love Thee! But this is too great a Happine&s;s for Earth: But Thou ha&s;t &s;hewed me the Place where I may attain it: My Lord is there in full Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;i|on, who hath left me the&s;e Pledges till he come and fetch us to him&s;elf, and Fea&s;t us there in our Ma&s;ter's Joy. O ble&s;&s;ed Place! O happy Com|pany that &s;ee his Glory, and are filled with the Streams of the&s;e Rizers of Con&s;olation! Yea, happy We whom Thou ha&s;t called from our dark and mi&s;erable State, and made us Heirs of that Felicity, and Pa&s;&s;engers to it, and Expectants of it under the Conduct of &s;o &s;ure a Guide! O then we &s;hall Love Thee without the&s;e &s;inful Pau&s;es and
<PB N="16" REF="10">defects! In another Mea&s;ure and another Manner than now we do: When Thou &s;halt reveal and communicate thy attractive Love in another Mea|&s;ure and Manner than now! Till then, my God, I am devoted to Thee. By Right and Covenant I am thine. My Soul here beareth Witne&s;s a|gain&s;t my Self, that my defects of Love have no Excu&s;e. Thou de&s;erve&s;t all, if I had the Love of all the Saints in Heaven and Earth to give Thee. What hath this World to do with my Affections? And what is this &s;ordid, corruptible Fle&s;h, that it's De&s;ires and Plea&s;ures &s;hould call down my Soul, and tempt it to neglect my God? What is there in all the Sufferings that Man can lay upon me, that I &s;hould not joyfully accept them for his Sake that has Redeemed me from Hell, by &s;uch unmatched, voluntary Sufferings? Lord, &s;eeing Thou regarde&s;t, and &s;o regarde&s;t, &s;o vile a Worm, my Heart, my Tongue, my Hand Confe&s;s, that I am wholly Thine. O let me live to none but Thee, and to thy Service, and thy Saints on Earth! And O let me no more return unto Iniquity! Nor venture on that Sin which killed my Lord! And now Thou ha&s;t cho&s;en &s;o low a dwelling, O be not &s;trange to the Heart that Thou ha&s;t &s;o freely cho&s;en! O make it the daily re&s;idence of thy Spirit! Quicken it by thy Grace: Adorn it with thy Gifts: Employ it in thy Love: Delight it in it's Attendance on Thee: Refre&s;h it with thy Joys, and the Light of thy Countenance: And de&s;troy this Carnality, Selfi&s;hne&s;s, and Unbelief: And let the World &s;ee that God will make a Palace in the lowe&s;t Heart, when he choo&s;es it for the Place of his own abode.</Q></P>
<P>Direct. VI. <HI>When you come home Review the Mer|cy you have received, and the Duty which you have done, and the Covenant you have made:</HI> And 1. Be|take your &s;elves to God in Prai&s;e and Prayer for
<PB N="17" REF="10">the perfecting of his Work: And 2. Take heed to your Hearts that they grow not Cold, and that worldly Things, or diverting Trifles don't blot out the &s;acred Impre&s;&s;ions which Chri&s;t has made, and that they cool not quickly into their former dull and &s;leepy Frame. 3. And &s;ee that your Lives be actuated by the Grace that you have re|ceived, that even they that you Conver&s;e with may perceive that you have been with God. E&s;pe|cially when Temptations would draw you again to Sin, and when the injuries of Friends or Enemies would provoke you, and when you are called to te&s;tifie your Love to Chri&s;t by any co&s;tly Work or Suffering, remember then what was &s;o lately before your Eyes, and upon your Heart, and what you re&s;olved on, and what a Covenant you made with God. Yet judge not of the Fruit of your Receiving &s;o much by Feeling, as by Faith: For more is promis'd, then you yet po&s;&s;e&s;s. <HI>Baxter</HI>'s <HI>Chri|&s;tians Directory,</HI> Tome II. <HI>Chap.</HI> XXIV.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="part">
<PB N="18" REF="11">
<HEAD>Plain and Practical DIRECTIONS FOR THE Profitable Reading OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.</HEAD>
<P><HI>BEgin with Prayer</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">We mu&s;t Plow with God's Hei|fer, if we would under&s;tand his Riddle.</NOTE>. What the Apo&s;tle &s;aith concern|ing every Creature of God. that <HI>it is &s;anctified,</HI> and made fit for a Free and Holy U&s;e, <HI>By the Word of God and Prayer,</HI> 1 Tim. 4.5. may be applied to <HI>Reading the Holy Scriptures,</HI> and to every other &s;olemn Action of our Lives, that it is &s;anctified and made a Means of &s;piritual Good, <HI>viz.</HI> increa&s;e in Knowledge and Holine&s;s by Prayer: And therefore when we enter upon this Duty of Reading. We mu&s;t lift up our Hearts to God, that He, who is the <HI>Author</HI> and <HI>In|diter</HI> of the Holy Scriptures, would be the <HI>Interpre|ter</HI> of 'em to us; That he would <HI>open our &V;nder|&s;tandings,</HI> as he did the Under&s;tandings of the Apo|&s;tles,
<PB N="19" REF="11">(<HI>Luke</HI> 24.45.) to under&s;tand the Scriptures, <HI>i. e.</HI> that we may under&s;tand the &s;piritual Sen&s;e and meaning of 'em. There's the <HI>Litteral Sen&s;e,</HI> which we may under&s;tand in a great Mea&s;ure, by our na|tural Abilities of Rea&s;on, Con&s;ideration, and the like, and by help of Humane Learning, as &s;tudying the Originals, Reading of Commentators, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And there's al&s;o a <HI>Spiritual Sen&s;e,</HI> which is &s;piritually di&s;|cerned, which God <HI>reveals unto us by his Spirit,</HI> 1 Cor. 2.9, 14. Hence <HI>David</HI> Praies &s;o often for this Illumination of the Spirit upon this occa&s;ion, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 119.18, 27, 33. <HI>Paul</HI> while a <HI>Phari&s;ee,</HI> was ignorant of this &s;piritual Sen&s;e of the Law, notwith|&s;tanding all his natural and acquired Abilities, till he was made to under&s;tand it by the Spirit, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.9. This is the <HI>&V;nction from the Holy One,</HI> which enables us to <HI>Know all Things,</HI> 1 John 2.20. And to <HI>Judge of all Things,</HI> 1 Cor. 2.15. And this we have Encouragement to beg, from that Promi&s;e, <HI>James</HI> 1.5. <HI>If any Man wants Wi&s;dom, let him ask it of God, who gives liberally, and upbraids not.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Be fill'd with a Sen&s;e of thy own Emptine&s;s and Ignorance.</HI> They that are full of them&s;elves have no room to receive any more; and therefore they are &s;ent empty away, (<HI>Luke</HI> 1.53.) Empty of Knowledge; for, <HI>He that thinks he knows any thing, knows nothing yet as he ought to know,</HI> 1 Cor. 8.2. VVhereas <HI>Solomon</HI> a&s;&s;ures us (<HI>Prov.</HI> 11.2.) that <HI>with the lowly is Wi&s;dom.</HI> For the Promi&s;e is made to &s;uch, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 25.9. <HI>The Meek,</HI> (the <HI>Lowly,</HI> or <HI>Humble;</HI> as it is Tran&s;lated, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 9.12. and 10.17. and &s;o frequently) <HI>Will he guide in Judge|ment, and the Lowly will he teach his Way.</HI> This Di&s;pen&s;ation and VVay of God's dealing in this re|&s;pect, our Saviour Chri&s;t takes Notice of and ble&s;|&s;es him for, <HI>Mat.</HI> 11.25. <HI>I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, becau&s;e thou ha&s;t hid th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e things from the Wi&s;e and Prudent, (i. e.</HI> &s;uch as
<PB N="20" REF="12">thought them&s;elves &s;o: That were highly Conceited of them&s;elves, and of their own VVi&s;dom and Un|der&s;tanding: As the <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> were, <HI>John</HI> 9.41. <HI>Ye &s;ay, We &s;ee.</HI> As Chri&s;t calls tho&s;e <HI>Whole</HI> and <HI>Righteous,</HI> which were &s;o in their own Conceit, <HI>Mark</HI> 2.17. So he calls them <HI>Wi&s;e and Prudent,</HI> that look'd upon them&s;elves as &s;uch; tho' really it was otherwi&s;e with 'em, and therefore el&s;e|where he calls 'em <HI>Fools and Blind,</HI> (Mat. 23.17.) <HI>and ha&s;t revealed 'em unto Babes;</HI> i. e. (ha&s;t opened the Under&s;tandings of my Di&s;ciples and Followers, who have mean Thoughts of them&s;elves) to per|ceive, receive, and embrace the My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel. It's a great help to Knowledge, to be ac|quainted with our own Ignorance. Therefore &s;aid <HI>Deo meo gratias ago, quod ignorantiam meam non ig|noro. I Thank my God, that I am not ignorant of my Ignorance.</HI></P>
<P>Empty thy Self then of all Self-conceit, that thou may&s;t be in a Capacity to be fill'd by God. Come with an humble, lowly Mind to the Reading of the Scripture: For <HI>God gives Grace</HI> (the Grace of Knowledge and Under&s;tanding as well as other Graces) to &s;uch. Don't impo&s;e thy Sen&s;e upon Scripture, but receive thy Sen&s;e from the Scripture. Frame thy Notions and Apprehen&s;ions according to the Model, and <HI>Form of &s;ound Words</HI> contain'd there|in. Humbly deliver up thy Mind and Under&s;tand|ing to be ca&s;t into the Mold thereof, (<HI>Rom.</HI> 6.17.) to receive Impre&s;&s;ions <HI>from</HI> it, and not to make Im|pre&s;&s;ions upon it. <Q>Tho&s;e Men are to be abhorr'd, that &s;ubmit not their Thoughts and Conceptions to this &s;acred Standard; who compel the Scripture to &s;erve their private Opinions; who make no Con&s;cience of putting a Text upon the Rack to make it &s;peak what it intended not; of mi&s;erably torturing it that they may force it to confe&s;s what it never meant. The&s;e Per&s;ons &s;hould be remind|ed
<PB REF="12">how great a Sin it is to di&s;tort and deprave th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Holy VVrit, and de&s;ignedly to draw it to ano|ther Sen&s;e than it naturally bears: And the Pe|nalty is as grievous as the Crime; for as the Apo&s;tle St. <HI>Peter</HI> informs us; This Generation of Men, wre&s;t the Scriptures to their own De|&s;truction.</Q> <HI>Edwards</HI> of the Excellency and Per|fection of the Holy Scriptures, <HI>Part</HI> 3. p. 585.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Be frequent and diligent in the Reading and Study of the Scriptures.</HI> VVe are commanded by our Saviour Chri&s;t, <HI>John</HI> 5.39. To <HI>Search the Scrip|tures.</HI> Not barely to read 'em, but to &s;ift 'em nar|rowly, thereby to find out the full Force and true Meaning of every Sentence; yea, of every VVord and Syllable. VVe mu&s;t dig into the Bowels of the Scripture, as Miners do into the Bowels of the Earth for Silver and Gold, and precious Stones. The Scriptures are able to make us <HI>Wi&s;e unto Sal|vation,</HI> 2 Tim. 3.15. To endue with &s;aving VVi&s;|dom: This VVi&s;dom is to be &s;ought for as Silver, and &s;earched after as hid Trea&s;ures, <HI>Prov.</HI> 2.4. Silver and Trea&s;ures are not gathered by every Lazy Pa&s;&s;enger on the &s;urface of the Earth: but Men mu&s;t with indefatigable Pains and Indu&s;try, pierce into the Bowels of the Earth in que&s;t of tho&s;e hid Trea&s;ures that lye buried in it: So mu&s;t we for the&s;e Trea&s;ures of Heavenly VVi&s;dom. There are Things contain'd in the Scriptures which the Prophets of Old, notwith&s;tanding the Advantage of their own &s;pecial Revelations, enqui|red diligently after; yea, which even the Angels them&s;elves de&s;ire to bow down, and look into, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.11, 12. Much more then &s;hould they be &s;tudied by us, who are of &s;uch narrow Capacities, and &s;hallow Under&s;tandings.</P>
<P>The Scripture is the be&s;t Interpreter of it &s;elf under God: Therefore the more thou art Con|ver&s;ant in it, the greater Acquaintance thou wilt
<PB REF="13"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t with its Phra&s;e and Manner of Speech. What <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> expre&s;t in one Place more doubtfully and ob|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rely, is many Times expre&s;t in another more <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ainly and intelligibly. Therefore compare Place <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ith Place, and the &s;cope of one Place, with the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ope of another; for which purpo&s;e the Parallel <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">criptures in <HI>Clark</HI>'s <HI>Annotations</HI> may be of good <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e.</P>
<P>Again, we are commanded al&s;o to have the <HI>Word <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Chri&s;t dwelling in us richly,</HI> Col. 3.16. It mu&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ot only be without us, but <HI>within us;</HI> not only in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ur <HI>Hou&s;es,</HI> but in our <HI>Hearts;</HI> and that not only as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Stranger</HI> and Sojourner, but as a <HI>Dweller</HI> and A|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ider; not for a Day or Two, but for continuance, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o take up its fixed re&s;idence there, &s;o as to make <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t our Meditation Day and Night: To have it <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eady by us for our u&s;e upon all Occa&s;ions: And <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">his not in a &s;canty Degree; not &s;paringly and pe|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">uriou&s;ly, but plentiou&s;ly and <HI>richly;</HI> that we may <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e throughly furni&s;ht to every good Work, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.17. And for this end.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Read it deliberately, with due Attention, Ob&s;er|vation and Con&s;ideration.</HI> This is the Apo&s;tle's Direction, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.13. <HI>Give attendance to Read|ing.</HI> Ob&s;erve carefully what you read: Be intent upon it: Apply your Mind wholely to it. Let not your Thoughts run wa&s;te, go a&s;tray, play the Truants and ramble after other Things; but keep 'em clo&s;e to Work; fix 'em upon the bu&s;ine&s;s in Hand: And then read with De|liberation, &s;o as that nothing may pa&s;s unob&s;erved. Run it not over ha&s;tily, like a Ta&s;k, but <HI>con&s;ider what is &s;aid</HI> (2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.7.) e&s;pecially when you meet with any thing that does more nearly con|cern you, and is &s;uited to your Ca&s;e. Water pour|ed ha&s;tily upon a narrow-mouth'd Ve&s;&s;el will mo&s;t of it run be&s;ide, and but little will run in: We are narrow-mouth'd Ve&s;&s;els, and apt to let things
<PB N="23" REF="13">&s;lip: Therefore <HI>we mu&s;t give the more earne&s;t heed to the things we read</HI> (Heb. 2.1.) <HI>least we let Things run be&s;ide:</HI> That is the force of the Word, according to that Learned Critick <HI>H. Stephens. E&acirc; &s;ignificatione qu&acirc; dicitur fluvius, aut aqua quae|piam praeter fluere locum aliquem. Steph. in The|&s;auro.</HI> We &s;ay, <HI>Ha&s;te makes Wa&s;te:</HI> And cer|tainly by reading ha&s;tily, we lo&s;e abundance of that excellent Matter, which, by Delibe|ration, we might gain; as every one may find by Experience. The <HI>Rabbins</HI> have a Saying, That up|on every Letter of the Law, there hang Mountains of Sen&s;e; <HI>Non e&s;t in lege vel litera una a qu&acirc; non pendent Montes magni.</HI> Picke. Avoth. <HI>ch.</HI> 2. And our Saviour Chri&s;t tells us, (<HI>Mat.</HI> 5.18.) That <HI>one Jot, or one Tittle &s;hall in no wi&s;e pa&s;s from the Law:</HI> So, we &s;hould not &s;uffer one Jot or Tittle to pa&s;s unob&s;erved; &s;ince a little Word may contain a great deal of Matter, and many excellent Le&s;&s;ons may be learned from the very Coherence, Occa&s;i|on and the like. It is a Pa&s;&s;age of Holy, Laborious Mr. <HI>Stockton, That the ob&s;erving and pondering every Word and Circum&s;tance in a Promi&s;e is of great &V;&s;e. Stockton</HI>'s <HI>Life,</HI> p. 96. of which you may find many Examples in tho&s;e Memorials he left of him&s;elf, and Publi&s;ht in his Life by my worthy Friend, and Academical Acquaintance Mr. <HI>John Fairfax.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Come to the Word with earne&s;t De&s;ires to profit by it.</HI> The U&s;efulne&s;s and Profitablene&s;s of the Scrip|ture in &s;everal Particulars, the Apo&s;tle acquaints us with, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. <HI>Rom.</HI> 15.4. (1.) It is profitable <HI>for Doctrine;</HI> to Teach us what we are to <HI>Know, Believe,</HI> and <HI>Practice,</HI> in order to our E|verla&s;ting Happine&s;s. (2.) <HI>For Reproof;</HI> to enable us to convince Gain-&s;ayers, (<HI>Tit.</HI> 1.9.) and con|fute Errors. (3.) <HI>For Correction;</HI> to reform the Life, and free it from all corrupt Manners, unwar|rantable Practi&s;es and vicious Cour&s;es. (4.) <HI>For
<PB N="24" REF="14">In&s;truction to Righteou&s;ne&s;s;</HI> to teach us how to make further progre&s;s in the way to Heaven, and to walk on in the right way to true Happine&s;s. (5.) It is profitable to teach us how to exerci&s;e <HI>Patience</HI> un|der all the hard&s;hips we mu&s;t undergo, and the Trials we may meet with in our Pilgrimage: (6.) It holds forth manifold <HI>Comforts</HI> to us, to ena|ble us to run with chearfulne&s;s the Race that is &s;et afore us. (7.) It &s;erves to the Breeding, Encrea|&s;ing and Confirming our <HI>Hope</HI> and Expectation of Everla&s;ting Life. In which re&s;pects it has many glorious Titles and high Commendations given it by Authors, both Ancient and Modern. It is cal|led both the Food and Phy&s;ick of the Soul, an A|pothecaries Shop where &s;piritual Medicines for all the Di&s;ea&s;es and Ailes of the Soul are to be found; where there's a Salve for every Sore, a Remedy for every Malady. But I can't better expre&s;s my &s;elf upon this Head, nor di&s;play the excellent U&s;eful|ne&s;s of the Holy Scriptures, than in the Words of the Reverend Dr. <HI>Roberts,</HI> in the <HI>Introduction to his Clavis Bibliorum.</HI> <Q>Here are unfolded the Cove|nant of Grace, wholly made up of heavenly Cor|dials: The Promi&s;es of the Life that now is, and that which is to come, exceeding great and pre|cious. The Comforts of God, able to Counter|poi&s;e the deepe&s;t Di&s;con&s;olations. Here are di&s;|covered the Mi&s;eries of all that are in the fir&s;t <HI>Adam,</HI> the Felicities of all that are in the &s;econd <HI>Adam,</HI> and the Way how Poor Souls are Tran&s;la|ted from tho&s;e Mi&s;eries to tho&s;e Felicities. In a Word, VVhat is there not in Holy Scriptures? Are we afflicted? Here's our Solace. Are we per|&s;ecuted? Here's our Protection. Are we de&s;ert|ed? Here's our Recovery. Are we tempted? Here's our <HI>Sword</HI> and Victory. VVhile&s;t we Live, here's the Rule of our Conver&s;ation; when we dye, here's the Hope of our Glorification. So
<PB N="25" REF="14">that I may &s;ay with <HI>Tertullian, I adore the fulne&s;s of the Scripture.</HI></Q></P>
<P>Since then it is &s;o exceeding Profitable, if we don't bring along with us &s;incere and hearty De&s;ires to partake of this Profit, what do we &s;pend our Time about it for? Come we then to it with a Mind and De&s;ire to Profit by it: To have our Minds more enlightned with the &s;aving Knowledge of his Will, and all other Graces encrea&s;ed, that we may abound in the Fruits of Holine&s;s and Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s, and become more flouri&s;hing in the Courts of our God.</P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Exerci&s;e Faith on the &s;everal Parts of the Scrip|ture.</HI> I don't mean barely to A&s;&s;ent to the Truth of 'em with an Hi&s;torical Faith; that's no great Matter to do: Generally, all that call them&s;elves Chri&s;tians pretend to this: But to imploy an Ope|rative Faith about 'em, <HI>i. e.</HI> &s;uch a Faith as &s;hows it &s;elf in the Life. <HI>Believe the Precepts &s;o as to obey 'em; Believe the Promi&s;es &s;o as to Suck Comfort from 'em,</HI> and &s;o as to be encouraged thereby in the Way of Holine&s;s: And <HI>Believe the Threatnings &s;o as to be deterr'd thereby from Sin.</HI> And thus to believe the Scripture is no ea&s;ie Matter: For it is ea|&s;ie to prove, that few of tho&s;e who pretend to believe 'em, nay, perhaps are po&s;&s;e&s;t with true and &s;aving Faith, do yet firmly believe 'em with &s;uch an inward, hearty Per&s;wa&s;ion, and Operative Faith, as I have mention'd. I &s;hall prove it plain|ly and undeniably to you, by this convi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters"> Illu|&s;tration. If &s;ome King or Nobleman, who h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s always been found true and faithful to his Word, without any one in&s;tance to the contrary, &s;hall Declare and give Notice, That who&s;oever comes to him by &s;uch a Time, and will go over with him beyond Sea to &s;uch a Place, when he comes there he'll give him a hundred Pound, and &s;o many A|cres
<PB N="26" REF="15">of Land, and make him a great Man; &s;o that he &s;hall much Advantage him&s;elf in all Re&s;pects, and it &s;hall be better with him than it is now, if Per&s;ons do believe him (e&s;pecially they who are Poor and Needy) they will certainly come and ac|cept of his Offer: And if &s;uch Per&s;ons do not come, it's a certain Sign that they do not believe him. (I might put many &s;uch Ca&s;es.) So when God hath &s;aid, <HI>If ye live after the Fle&s;h ye &s;hall dye: It is a People of no &V;nder&s;tanding, therefore he that made them will not have Mercy on them, and he that formed them, will &s;how 'em no Favour,</HI> I&s;a. 27.11. <HI>He will not be merciful to any wicked Tran&s;gre&s;&s;or,</HI> P&s;alm 59.5. If fle&s;hly Livers, ignorant Per&s;ons, wicked Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, notwith&s;tanding this Declaration of God's Will, will yet per&s;uade them&s;elves that they &s;hall live in Eternal Happine&s;s, and that God will be merciful to 'em, this evidently proves that they don't believe tho&s;e Scripture-Threatnings. Again, when Scripture &s;aith, <HI>He that Sowes &s;paringly &s;hall Reap &s;paringly,</HI> though Per&s;ons do Sow, yet if they do it in a penurious, &s;canty, &s;paring Manner, and not Liberally and Bountifully, it's a certain Evi|dence. That they don't believe that Scripture-Pro|mi&s;e: For I never knew any Man &s;o covetous as to be &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ring of his Seed. How many &s;uch In|&s;tances might be given? So that I &s;ay, it's no &s;uch ea&s;ie and common Matter, as many think it, to believe the Scripture; and therefore, I give you <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> Direction, when you come to read the Scripture, to bring along with you a firm Per&s;wa|&s;ion of the Truth of every thing contain'd there|in.</P>
<P>And that this is the Way to profit thereby, is plain from that Pa&s;&s;age of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Heb.</HI> 4.1. <HI>the Word Preached</HI> (or Read) <HI>did not profit them, not being mixed with Faith in them that Heard</HI> (or
<PB N="27" REF="15">Read) <HI>it:</HI> Implying, That the Way to profit by the Word is to receive it by Faith, whereby it is received into, dige&s;ted and incorporated into the Soul, and &s;o the Soul is nouri&s;ht thereby, as the Body is by it's Food.</P>
<P N="7">7. <HI>Select &s;uch Places in Reading as may be of &s;pe|cial u&s;e to you.</HI> Here I &s;hall only Tran&s;cribe, what was written long ago by Mr. <HI>N. B.</HI> in the <HI>Preface</HI> to his Directions for Reading the Scripture. <Q>He that comes to Read the Scripture &s;hould e&s;pecially &s;et him&s;elf to ob&s;erve, the mo&s;t needful Places to enlarge his own Knowledge, and further his own growth in the true Grace of God. As for Exam|ple.</Q></P>
<Q><P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> It were a Thing of admirable U&s;e all my Life long, if I did &s;et down all the Places of Scripture, that in the Reading I find &s;en&s;ible Comfort, and ravi&s;hing of Heart in. It may be in the whole Bible, I may find Twenty, Forty, Fifty, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> of &s;uch Places, as I was &s;ure in the Reading, did wonderfully fill my Heart with &s;e|cret Refre&s;hing, and &s;en&s;ibly Joy: Now the&s;e Pla|ces &s;o noted, not only &s;erve for pre&s;ent u&s;e, but while I Live in any Di&s;tre&s;s I may have recour&s;e to the&s;e, as &s;o many Wells of Joy: And if in my Grief one or two, or ten of 'em did not Comfort me, yet a thou&s;and to one but &s;ome of 'em, will have Spirit and Life in 'em to refre&s;h me again in my Sorrows. Be&s;ides, it marvellou&s;ly e&s;tabli&s;hes my Faith, when I remember in how many di&s;tinct Places of Scripture, the Lord was plea&s;ed to Comfort me in Particular. This is one Thing we &s;hould ob&s;erve.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> Would it not be exceeding profitable, if I did Note all the Places of Scripture, which in Reading of 'em did &s;en&s;ibly &s;mite my Heart, and reprove &s;ome Fault in me, &s;o as I felt my
<PB N="28" REF="16">Heart troubled within me? Certainly by that time I had gone through the Scriptures, I &s;hould &s;ee the Anatomy of my Corruptions, and plainly perceive, what things there were in my Nature, that God had a quarrel again&s;t: And &s;o might be guided by the very Finger of God, to know the Faults I &s;hould &s;et my Self mo&s;t again&s;t in Mor|tification.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> In Reading, one &s;hall find &s;ometimes certain Rules or Coun&s;els given, which one &s;en|&s;ibly is affected withal, and has an inward De&s;ire O that I could but remember this Coun&s;el of the Holy Gho&s;t! Now I would Note all tho&s;e Places, that the Holy Gho&s;t has made me in Love withal in the Reading, that might concern my own particular Direction, either at Home or Abroad.</P></Q>
<P>And then in the End of the Book he &s;ets down the&s;e.</P>
<Q><P><HI>Rules or Titles of Things to be ob&s;erved in Read|ing.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Places that in Reading I found &s;en&s;ible Comfort in.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Places that I found did rebuke Corruption in my Nature or Practi&s;e.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Places that &s;how the Priviledges of the Godly above all other Men.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Places that &s;how the Affection I &s;hould bear to God.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Places that &s;how me how to carry my Self in the Church.</HI></P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>Places that &s;how me how to carry my Self in my Family.</HI></P>
<P N="7">7. <HI>Promi&s;es that may Comfort me again&s;t my daily Infirmities.</HI></P>
<P N="8"><PB N="29" REF="16"> 8. <HI>Comforts again&s;t inward Temptations and Affli|ctions of Spirit.</HI></P>
<P N="9">9. <HI>Promi&s;es to e&s;tabli&s;h me, again&s;t the Fear of fal|ling away.</HI></P>
<P N="10">10. <HI>Promi&s;es that may Comfort me again&s;t outward Cro&s;&s;es.</HI></P>
<P N="11">11. Grounds or <HI>Places that &s;how me divers Points of Religion,</HI> that I could infallibly re&s;t upon, and Live and Dye in the A&s;&s;urance of 'em.</P>
<P N="12">12. <HI>Hard Places,</HI> that I would be re&s;olved in the meaning of 'em.</P>
<P N="13">13. <HI>Comfortable Places concerning Prayer.</HI></P>
<P N="14">14. <HI>Places</HI> that direct me in my particular Cal|ling.</P>
<P N="15">15. <HI>Places</HI> that &s;how me how to carry my Self towards the Wicked, e&s;pecially when I mu&s;t needs be in their Company.</P>
<P N="16">16. <HI>Comforts again&s;t Death.</HI></P>
<P N="17">17. <HI>Places that &s;how the Glory of Heaven.</HI></P>
<P N="18">18. <HI>Places that &s;et out the Terror of Hell.</HI></P>
<P N="19">19. <HI>Choice Sentences,</HI> to be learned without Book.</P>
<P N="20">20. <HI>Sentences</HI> for Children to Learn, briefly ex|pre&s;&s;ing the chief Points of Religion.</P>
<P N="21">21. <HI>Places again&s;t Hypocri&s;ie.</HI></P>
<P N="22">22. The mo&s;t Memorable <HI>Sayings</HI> of the Godly in their &s;everal E&s;tates.</P>
<P N="23">23. <HI>Mi&s;cellanea,</HI> or Places I would remember, but know not what Head to refer 'em to.</P></Q>
<P>Each of the&s;e Heads, or &s;o many of 'em as one &s;hall judge mo&s;t &s;uitable for him&s;elf, may be writ|ten on the Top of the Pages, in a Paper-book made for that End.</P>
<P N="8">8. And La&s;tly, <HI>Be careful to Practi&s;e what you know, and you &s;hall know what to Practi&s;e.</HI> Chri&s;t's Promi&s;e to &s;uch is expre&s;s to this Purpo&s;e. <HI>John</HI> 7.17,
<PB N="30" REF="17"><HI>If any Man will do his Will, he &s;hall know of the Doctrine, whether it be of God.</HI> And <HI>David</HI> found the Truth of it by Experience. <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 119.98, 100. <HI>Thou through thy Commandments ha&s;t made me wi&s;er than mine Enemies: For they are ever with me. I have more &V;nder&s;tanding than all my Teachers; for thy Te&s;timonies are my Meditation, I under&s;tand more than the Ancients, becau&s;e I keep thy Precepts.</HI></P>
<P>Practi&s;e is the Life and Soul of Knowledge, without which it is but a dead Carka&s;s. Hereby the <HI>Tree of Knowledge</HI> will become a <HI>Tree of Life</HI> to us. This is the End therefore that we &s;hould propound unto our &s;elves, <HI>viz.</HI> to refer all to Practi&s;e; by performing the Duties enjoyn'd, and avoiding the Sins forbidden in the Word. This <HI>David</HI> promi&s;ed to do, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 119.33. <HI>Teach me O Lord the Way of thy Judgments, and I will keep them unto the End.</HI> Without this our Know|ledge will but aggravate our Condemnation, <HI>Luke</HI> 12.47. <HI>The Servant that knew his Lord's Will, and prepared not him&s;elf, neither did according to his Will &s;hall be beaten with many Stripes.</HI> How &s;hould we expect that God &s;hould inligh|ten our Under&s;tandings with the Knowledge of his Will, or give us more, if we don't make u&s;e of that we have? Yea, we may rather ex|pect, that he &s;hould take away that Talent from us, which we hide unprofitably in a Nap|kin: As he threaten'd to do, <HI>Luke</HI> 19.24. I &s;hall conclude the&s;e Directions with that Pa&s;&s;age of <HI>Jerom</HI> to <HI>Celantius, Sint ergo Divinae Scriptu|rae &s;emper in manibus tuis,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Let therefore the Holy Scriptures be always in thy Hands, and me|ditate on 'em in thy Mind; yet don't think it &s;uf|ficient to have God's Laws in thy Memory, if thou forget them in thy Works, but therefore
<PB N="31" REF="17">know them, that thou may&s;t do what thou knowe&s;t. for not the Hearers of the Law are Ju&s;t before God, but the Doers of it are ju&s;tified.</HI> The&s;e are the Per&s;ons who are pronounced Happy by Chri&s;t, <HI>John</HI> 13.17. <HI>If ye know the&s;e Things, Hap|py are ye if ye do them.</HI> Let us <HI>Do</HI> &s;o, that we may <HI>Be</HI> &s;o. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<PB REF="18">
<HEAD>BOOKS Printed for <HI>Tho. Parkhur&s;t</HI> at the <HI>Bi|ble</HI> and <HI>Three Crowns</HI> in <HI>Cheap&s;ide.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A Treati&s;e of the In&s;titution, right Admini|&s;tration and receiving of the Sacrament of the Lord's up per, By Mr. <HI>Richard Vines.</HI></P>
<P>A True Touch-&s;tone of Grace and Nature, or a Di&s;cour&s;e concerning Self-examination, with Medi|tations relating to the Lord's Supper. By Mr. <HI>N. Vincent,</HI> late Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>A Communicant In&s;tructed, or Practical Dire|ctions for worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper. By <HI>Fran. Roberts,</HI> M. A.</P>
<P><HI>Convivium Coele&s;te,</HI> or a Di&s;cour&s;e concerning the Lord's Supper, &s;hewing at once the Nature of that acrament, as al&s;o the right Way of preparing our &s;elves for the receiving of it, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> by the Right Re|verend Father in God, <HI>Richard</HI> Lord Bi&s;hop of <HI>Bath</HI> and <HI>Wells.</HI></P>
<P>Sacramental Di&s;cour&s;es on &s;everal Texts before, and after the Lord's Supper. By <HI>John Shower.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
