Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

2 Praise him in his noble acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him in the found of the trumpet: praise him upon the lute and harp.

4 Praise him in the cymbals and dances: praise him upon the ftrings and pipe.

5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals.

the well tuned cymbals: praise him upon

6 Let every thing that hath breath: praise the Lord.

tranfport, and seems to have been fenn'd on purpose to be a conclufion of the facred Songs, to fhew what is the

defign of them all, that is to affist us in praifing God, in which let us all unite now and for ever more.

FINI S.

A

Companion to the Altar.

SHEWING THE

NATURE and NECESSITY

OF A

Sacramental Preparation,

1 N ORDER

To our Worthy Receiving

THE

HOLY COMMUNION.

Wherein thofe FEARS and S CR UPLES

About Eating and Drinking Unworthily,

AND OF

Incurring our own DAMNATION thereby,

Are proved Groundless and Unwarrantable.
Whereunto are added

PRAYERS and MEDITATIONS

Preparotary to a SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION,

Agreeable to what

The Church of England requires from her COMMUNICANTS.

SHEFFIELD; Printed for W: WAR D.

THE

THE

PREFA CE

HE ufual Reafon which Men affign for their not coming fo often to the Holy Sacra ment as they would do, is their Fear of eating and drinking unworthily, and confequently, of, incurring their own Damnation thereby. The Defign then of this foort Difcourfe is, to bew what Sacramental Preparation is, which is abfolutely neceffary to qualify Men for a warthy Parti cipation of the Lord's Supper, that so Men may come without the leaft Fear of eating and drinking Damnation to themselves: For which purpose, I conceive no Rule, no Instruction more fafe, eafy and inftructive, than that of our Church Catechism, which I have endeavoured to explain, and to accomodate for the Uje and Benefit of the meanest Capacity

The concluding Part of this Difcourfe contains Frayers and Meditations preparative to a Eatramental Preparation; and though they be few in Number, yet I hope they fully answer all those feveral Parts of a Communicant's Duty, according to that Rule and Standard which our Church has fixed for our Guide and Companion to the boty Altar. By the Addition of thofe Palms, and proper Leffons annexed to each particular Prayer and Meditation, the Communicant may enlarge bis Devotions to what Degree or Length be pleaseth. By which Metbed you have as much Matter for actual Preparation in this little Book, as in any other Difcourfe of this Nature whatfoever.

[ocr errors]

A

COMPANION to the ALTAR.

A

LL thofe Eleffings which we now enjoy, and hope hereafter to refrom Almighty God, are purchafed for us, and must be obtained through the merits and interceffion of the holy JESUS, who has "inftituted and ordained Holy myfteries, as pledges of his love, and "for a continual remembrance of his death and paffion, to our great and endless comfort." Luke xxii. 19. 1 Cor. xi. 24. But then we must remember, that these benefits and bleifings, which the Son of God has purchased for us, are no where promised, but upon condition that we ourselves are firft duly qualified for them. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is a folemn ratification of our Baptifmal Covenant, where in God for his part hath faithfully promited pardon "and remiffion of fins to all true penitents," and we for our parts are therein folemnly bound to be faithful and obedient unto him, 2 Tim. ii. 19. Before then we can promise to ourselves any benefit or advantage from the participation of this i folemn Rite and Covenant between God and us, we muft endeavour (what in us lies) to poffefs our Souls with all thote divine qualifications which this Sacrament of the Lord's Supper requires to render us worthy partakers thereof.

And what thofe are, it is the defign of this difcourfe to enquire; wherein I fhall endeavour to fhew what that Preparation of heart and mind is, which muft difpofe us for a worthy participation of the bleffed Sacrament: and herein I hope to remove all those Fears and Scruples which arise in our minds, about “Eating and "Drinking unworthily, and of incurring our own Damnation thereby," as groundless and unwarrantable; and to do this I fhall take occafion to explain that part of our CHURCH CATECHISM, defignedly intended for our inftruction, with relation to this duty of a Sacramental Preparation; namely,

[ocr errors]

2 What is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper ???

A. "To examine themselves whether they repent them truly of their former "fins, ftedfaftly purpofing to lead a new life, have a lively faith in God's mercy "through Chrift, with a thankful remembrance of his death, and to be in chari (c ty with all men.' This is that Sacramental Preparation which our Church (in as few words as is poffible) hath provided for our Companion or Guide to the Holy Altar. The duty then of a devout Communicant confifteth in these fix following particulars 1 Self-Examination; to examine themselves. 2. Repentance towards God; whether they repent them truly of their former fins. 3. Holy purposes or refolutions of a new life; Stedfaftly purpofing to lead a new life. 4 Faith in God's Mercy through Chrift; to have a lively faith, &c. 5. A thankful remembrance of bis death. 6thly and laftly, Unfeigned love or charity for all mankind; and to be in charity with all men.

The firft Part then of a Communicant's Duty is Self-Examination: A duty not

only enjoined by human authority, but likewife commanded by St. Paul. But let a Man examine kimfelf, and fo let him eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cub 1 Cor. xi 28. Intimating, that no Man fhould prefume to eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup, without a previous Preparation, if he mean to escape that fame Judgement of Condemnation which thefe Corinthians brought upon themfelves for their irreverent, finful and diforderly Behaviour at this Sacrament; and this was the Occafion of St Paul's Caution and Repropf: He that eatetb and drinketh unworthily, fays, the Apoftle, eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself, not difcerning the Lord's Body, ver 29.

Put that our Preparation may be fo well performed by us as to prevent the like Danger, let us, as the wife man adviseth, Remember the End, and we shall ner do amifs, Eccl. vii. 16. First then, That we may come to this heavenly Feift holy, and adorned with the Wedding Garment, Matt. xxii. 1 1. we must search our hearts, and examine our Confciences, not only till we fee our Sins, but until we hate them; and instead of those filthy Rags of our Righteoufnefs, we must adorn our minds with pure and pious Difpofitions; even that clean Linen, the Righteousness of the Saints, Rev. xix. With these Ornaments are holy Souls fitted for the Society of that celeftial Company, which are to be met with at this Solemnity. 20ly, Another End or Defign of this ftrict Preparation, is, that we may be accepted by Gcd as worthy Communicants; that he who knoweth the Secrets of all our Hearts, neither is there any Creature that is not manifeft in his fight, lut all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do, Jer. xvii. 10. Heb. iv. 13. may approve of the Sincerity of our Repentance; and the King, who comes in to view the Guests, Matt. xxii. 11. may (though strictly speaking we are not fo) count us worthy of his Favour and Countenance. And how to attain fo great a Bleffing thefe following inftructions will help and affist us. Firl, we are directed to repent us truly of all our former Sins. This is that

[ocr errors]

Repentance

preparation which Chrift himtelf requires of us, Matt. iii. 2, 3. A Duty you know, which our finful Lives make always neceflary for our Confideration, if ever we expect eternal Happiness hereafter, Luke iii. 3. But more efpecially the Dignity of this Sacrament requires that it should be enquired into with more than ordinary Care and Circumpection, because without fincere Repentance, we cannot expect any Benefit or Advantage from the Death and Paffion of Chrift, which ia this Sacrament we commemorate, and have the Merits of it conveyed to us by this facred Memorial. Suppofing then that this is sufficient to convince you of the Neceflity and Importance of this Duty, that upon it depends

[*Note, This Word Damnation, does not fignify eternal Condemnation, but on the contrary fome temporal Punishment or Judgment, (as you have it in the Margin of your Bible) fuch as ticknefs or Death with which the City of Corinth was afflicted, for their great Abuse and Profanation of this lemn Inftitution; fo that the Sins here reproved, (namely, Gluttony, D.unkenness and Faction, ver. 18,

21, 22.) and the Damnation here threatened, hath no Relation to us, unless it could be proved, that any of us w.re ever guilty of the fame Wickednels with thete Corinthians; which I believe no Man ever was or would be fuffered to approach the Lord's Table afterfuch a diforderly manner as they did, if Men were fo lewd and profane.] -1

« AnteriorContinuar »