sobich was offered in facrifice to idols, (ver. 19, 2.1) was a par-
taking with the heathen of their facrificing to idols, (ver. 14. 20.)
a joyning with them in their facrificing; and fo that whereby
Chriftians made themfelves of one lump and company with the
heathen: as by our partaking all of that one bread, we fhew
our felves to be one bread, and one body, that is of one kind
and company.

The meaning therefore of The cup of bleffing, &c. is as is aforefaid. And if this our partaking or joyning with Chrift in his Offering for us his Body and Blood, be done as it ought to be; then it is also our partaking of the Benefits of his Body broken, and Blood fhed for us, that is the means whereby we are partakers of the fame Benefits.

We are made partakers of thofe Benefits, not by eating and drinking the holy Signs, but by the right Remembrance, which the Signs eaten and drank do ftir up in us; by our remembring to do as 33, 34 Qu. As 1 Pet. 3. 21. it is not the outward washing of Baptifm that faves us, but the answer of a good Confeience towards God, fignified by the outward Washing.

So in Baptifm we are washed from our fins with the Blood of Chrift; which is the fame with eating his Flefh, and drinking his Blood, that is, receiving the Benefits of his Death.

And this is fufficient for us, without the other Sacrament, until we can be capable of Remembring his Death as we ought to do, in his holy Supper. For there is no Commandment, nor any Word rightly understood, that implies a Commandment for us to partake of that holy Supper before, Lev. 10. 1, 2.

XXXVI. Q. What must you do before you come to the Lord's Supper?

A. I must fee a that I truly repent of my Sins b; a. 1 Cor. and am refolv'd to live a new Life with all 11. 28. my b. As 16, Power c.

17 Qu.

Then I must believe that God will forgive me. As 34 all my fins, and give me his grace and other blef 2. 3. fings for the fake of Chrift's Dying for us d.

d. As 34

I must be heartily thankful for Chrift's Dying 2. 1. for us, and for all the Bleffings we have by his As 34

Qu. 2.

Death e.

And I must love and forgive ever body f

f. As 34

These

These are the neceffary Duties of every Christian; and therefore they must be done, not only to fit us for the Lord's Supper, but to make us fit for any Service of God.

:

Let the Catechifm of the Church be perfectly learnt before the following Expofition.

If thou valueft Heavenly wisdom as thou oughtest, (Matth. 13. 44, 45, 46.) thou needest not be difcourag'd from learning or teaching the Expofition. For by fhort daily leffons, and often not long repetitions, as is aforefaid, all the Answers with the chief of their proofs, and the few Prayers, with their expofition, may in early years be perfectly in the memory of an ordinary learner, and without binderance to other business. And by the fame means fo much of the Expofition of the Orders of Confirmation and the Communion, as is neceffary for young beginners, will be speedily learnt. And then they may, and must go on with Diligence to understand the rest of the Common-Prayer. See the Divine Inftitution of Confirmation, Part III. Chap. VI. They who are in their ignorance come to years of difcretion, must begin their learning, with learning and doing as well as they can, the Duties of Repentance and Faith. If they be children, or the weaker fort of others, they may do this according to the 16, 17, 18, 19 Questions of this Catechifm. If they be elder perfons of common capacities, they may do the fame according to the 27, 28, 29 Questions of the Commandments in the following Expofition. Next, they are to learn to understand, and fay beartily their Prayers. And then they must learn with all Diligence, all the rest that they ought to know for their Soul's health.

Let

Let not the ignorant of what Age foever, be fo foolish as to think they need not learn the Catechism, or an Expofition of it, because it is to be learnt by children. For the Catechifm, and a good Expoftion of it, is the very Marrow of the Bible, what all must learn for their Souls health, and the Foundation upon which all other Chriftian Knowledge must be built. Therefore to the learning of this Foundation, by all elder Perfons that have not learnt it, or have forgot it, Chrift's Words, Mat. 18. 3. are to be applied, Verily I fay unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye fhall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

ΑΝ

EXPOSITION

OF THE

Church-Catechifm,

Made Plain to Vulgar CAPACITIES:

AND

PRAYERS

Taken out of the

COMMON-PRAYER, and explain'd.

Alfo a Plain

EXPOSITION

OF THE

ORDERS of Confirmation,

AND THE

Holy Communion.

PSA L. i. 2.

His delight is in the law of the Lord: and in his law doth he meditate day and night.