Puslapio vaizdai
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cg Not only for fear of the punishment, but for fo offending our

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Infinitely kind Father, and for being fo un thankful for his Infinite Mercy in giving his Only Son to Die for

us upon the cross, and

for all other his infinite mercies to us. All your fins, with the circumftances that do

increase their guilt, as far as you can remember; and earneftly beg of him to forgive you ments, 27. 24. e. Seek their pardon. If thou doft heartily thy part for a reconciliation, and thy offended neighbour will not be reconcil'd; the fault of being not reconcil'd is wholly in him: and his fault may not hinder thee from partak ing of the Communion. k See the Commandments, 75 2, and no tes. / If you do not earneftly repent, of fo great a fin. Such

See the Command

m

a one is he that hinders

any that belong to him

to learn God's Word, or does not take care to have them duly taught. One that commits any kind of whoredom. • Grief for another's good.

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or deed, there to bewail your own finfulness g, and to confefs your selves h to Almighty God, with full purpose of amend ment of life. And if ye shall perceive your offences to be fuck as are not only against God, but alfo against your neighbours; then ye shall reconcile your felves unto them i; being ready to make reftitution and fatisfaction ac cording to the uttermost of your powers, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other k; and being likewife ready to forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offences at God's band. For otherwife the receiving of the holy Communion doth nothing else but increafe your damnation 1. Therefore if any of you be a blafphemer of God, an binderer mor God, an binderer mor flanderer of his Word, an adulterer n, or be in malice, or envy O, or in any other grievous crime; Repent you of your fins, or elfe come not to that holy Table; left after the taking of that boly Sacrament the devil enter into you, as be entred into Judas p, and fill you full of all iniquities, and bring you to deftruction both of body and foul.

It is not here affirm'd that Judas did take this Sacrament.

I 4

For

For he did not take it. And this fhall be here fhew'd, to take away an excufe for giving it to known impenitent finners.

Altho' John 13. 2, our tranflation fays, fupper was ended before Judas went out; the words fupper being ended are in the original deve evoμéve, in fupter time, or when fupper was come. And fo the word for being ended, is rendred in the Gofpels of Matthew and Mark and Luke, upon the occafion of the fame fupper, in these words, when the even was come, in the evening, when the bour was come.

This fupper is faid ver. 1, to be before the feast of the palover: because it was the evening before, which was the beginning of the day of the Paffover. For Chrift then kept this Paffover, because he was to fuffer before the time appointed of the Paffover. Ch. 18. 28. Ch. 19. 14. Matth. 26. 18.

Luke writes immediately after Chrift's words of the cup, But behold the band of him that betrayeth me, is with me on the table. But this does not fhew that Chrift fpake these words after his words of the cup. For Matthew and Mark write the fame thing before their accounts of the Sacrament. Luke's abrupt writing those words, was proper to exprefs the horror of the treafon.

Compare Luke's words with Matth. 26. 20, 21. Mark 14. 17, 18. and John 13. 26. It will then appear that Judas his treafon was discover'd while they were eating the supper. And there was but one discovery of it. Matth. 26. 21 to 26. And Judas being gone out as foon as he was difcover'd, (John 13. 30) and the Sacrament being after supper, Judas could not receive it.

What Luke writes immediately after Chrift's words of the cup, John plainly fhews to be not then spoken, but with his difcourfe upon the occafion of his washing his disciples feet. For his washing their feet at fupper, fee Luke 7. 37, 38. John

12. 2, 3.

To Judas his going out before the Sacrament, it is no ob jection, that after the relation of his going out, John immediately writes Chrift's difcourfe after the Sacrament, with these words, Therefore when he was gone out Jefus faid, &c. For this proves no more than that he faid it not while Judas was prefent, but fome time after he was gone out. But if the words that Jefus faid ver. 31, 32, were faid immediately after Judas his going out, John might put them together with other words, that were faid fometime after upon the fame occafion.

And

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A full truft that God will have mercy on him for Chrift's fake.

Heb. 11.

6.

By examining your felves, and repenting, as is aforefaid. By the Minifters abfolving

him according to God's Word. The

And because it is requifite that no man fhould come to the boly Communion, but with a full trust in God's mercy q, and with a quiet confcience; therefore if there be any of you who by this means r cannot quiet bis own confcience berein, but requireth further comfort or counfel; let him come to me, or to Some other difcreet and learned Minister of God's Word, and open his grief, that by the miniftry of God's boly Word s, be may receive the benefit t of Abfolution u, together with Ghoftly v counfel and advice, to the quieting of bis confcience, and avoiding of all fcruple and doubtfulness.

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Seal, and comfortable
affurance of God's for-
giveness. See the
Lord's Supper, 22 2.
note*. That for
giveness which God
has given his Minifters
power to give.
the Lord's Supper, 22
2. For his foul.

See

Or in cafe he shall fee the people negligent to come to the holy Communion, instead of the former, he fhall ufe this Exhortation.

w That understand the Catechifm and the Communion Service, and live accordingly; and are Confirm'd, or ready and defirous to be Confirm'd. Here

Dearly beloved brethren, on --- I'intend, by God's grace, to celebrate the Lord's Supper: unto which in God's behalf Ibid you all that are here prefent w; &c.

cannot be meant fuch ignorant people, or fuch evil doers, as cannot be prepar'd for the present opportunity.

x In view of the holy Table, and that they may orderly come to it: as this Exhortation fays, ye that mind

At the time of the Celebration of the Communion, the Communicants being conveniently placed x for the receiving of the holy Sacrament, the

to come; and as they Prieft fhall fay this Exhortato tion.

are after invited

Draw near.

II.

y 1 John 3. 16. Ch. 4. 10, z Chriftians. Rom. 16. 7, 8, 11. a To be reverently receiv'd. Partaking or joyning with Chrift in his offering the Sacrifice of his Body and Blood, and by fo doing partaking alfo of the Benefits. See the Lord's Supper, 10 2. note b. Of the Sacrifice of

It is very indecent to have the holy Signs carried up and down, either in the Church, or in the Chancel. Therefore, whether there be rails or not before the holy Table, the Communicants ought to draw near to it in order; and where there are no rails, to Receive at such distances as the rails fhould be. Dearly beloved y in the Lord z, ye that mind to come to the holy a Communion b of the Body and Blood c of our Saviour Chrift, must confider how St. Paul exhorteth all perfons diligently to try and examine themselves, before they prefume to eat of that bread, and drink of that cup d. For as the benefit is great, if with a true penitent heart e, and lively faith f, we receive that holy Sacrament (for then we fpiritually geat the Flesh of Christ, and drink bis Blood h; then we dwell in Chrifti, and Christ in us k; we are one with Chrift 1, and Chrift with us m:) fo is the danger great, if we receive the fame unworthily. For then we are guilty of the Body and Blood n of Christ; we eat and with Chrift's Death. g In our fouls, with our penitent hearts and lively faith. Receive the forgiveness and grace, and all other anercies obtain'd by his crucified Flesh and Blood shed. Are true members of him, truly ferving him. k By his Word and grace, and other mercies. John 6. 56. As true members 1 of him. m Our head taking care of us. n 1 Cor. 11. 27. We abufe the Body and Blood of Chrift, by abusing the Signs and Remembrance of them.

the Death. d 1 Cor.
11. 28. e Earneftly
repenting of all our
fins, and giving up our
felves to obey all the
Commands of the New

Teftament feal'd with
Christ's Death. ƒSted-

faftly believing that
God will then give us
the forgiveness and

grace, and all other mercies promis'd in the New Teftament fear'd

• 1 Cor.

01 Cor. 11. 29. If we do not timely repent. Ver. 32. John 5. 29. p Not confidering the Respect that is due to it, and to the Infinite Mercy of his Dying for us. q 1 Cor. 11. 30.

Judge whether you are duly prepar'd; and if you are not, depart. Stedfaftly believe, that God will give you, that truly repent, the forgiveness and grace, and all other

and Blood fhed for the

drink our own damnationo, not confidering the Lord's Body p we kindle God's wrath against us; we provoke him to plague us with divers difeafes, and fundry kinds of death q.

Judge therefore your felves r brethren, that you be not judged of the Lord. Repent you truly for your fins fast, have a lively and stedfast faith in Christ our. Saviour s; amend your lives ; and be in perfett charity with all ment: fo fhall ye be meet partakers of those holy mifteries u. And above all things ye must give most bumble v and bearty thanks to God the Father w, the Son x, and the Holy Ghost y.. for the Redemption of the world by the Death and Paffion of our Saviour Chrift z, both God and mana: who did bumble himself even to the Death upon the cross, for us miferable finners, who lay in darkness, and the shadow of death b; that he might make us the children of God c, and exalt us to everlasting life d. And brought Chrift into the world to Die for us. Matth. . 18, 20, 21. z For Chrift's Dying for the forgiveness and falvati on of the world. Eph. 1. 7. Heb. 9. 12. a He Suffer'd and Died as he was Man. His being God made his Sufferings and Death of Infinite Value, and fufficient for the fins of the whole world. 1 John 2, 2. b Being born in fin, and ther children of wrath. John 1.1.2. d John 1o. 27, 28.

mercies promis'd in the New Teftament feal'd with Chrift's Death. t Matth. 5. 43 to the end. See the Lord's Supper, 262 Signs of fpiritual mercies, of Chrift's Body Broken forgiveness of our fins, and to feal the New Teftament. u Confeffing, our felves moft unworthy of fuch Infinite Mercy. w Who gave his only Son to Die for us. John 4. IO. x who laid down his life for us.

John 3. 16. y Who

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