The Communicants Guide, Part
Some short Directions and Prayers.
WHen you go to examine your Faith by the help I have herein given you, or some other, fall humbly before God on your Knees, and heartily say;
O most glorious God, who madest me that I might know thee, and knowing thee might love thee, and loving thee might be for ever happy in thy Love; I poor Sinner do here most humbly bewail and confess my great, and alas, too willful Ignorance of thee: O! for his sake whom thou hast sent to call us out of Darkness into Light by his Gospel, even JESUS CHRIST, in whom dwell all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge; enlighten my dark Soul by thy Word and holy Spirit, with the saving Knowledge of the Truth, and incline my Heart firmly to believe it even to the end. Remove from me all prejudice and blindness of Heart; let not the God of this World any longer darken the Eyes of my Understanding, or delude my poor Soul to believe a Lye, or possess me with a desire of vain Knowledge which profiteth not unto Godliness, but enable me daily to grow in all Grace and the Knowledge of thee the only true God, and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Help me at this time to discern my Errors, and the Imperfections in my Knowledge and Faith, and to correct them. Strengthen me to hold fast without wavering the form of sound Words, which thou teachest and not Man; that persevering stedfast in the same unto the Death, I may receive the end of my Faith, even the Salvation of my Soul, through Iesus Christ my blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
At the end of every Question, consider well; and if you find you so believe, say:
For ever blessed be God, who hath enlighten'd my Soul with the Knowledge of this sacred Truth, and Faith in him: O Lord, encrease this Knowledge, and confirm this Faith in me unto the end.
If you doubt in any point, note it well, and say;
O Lord, pardon thy Servant, I am weak and blind; open mine Eyes, what I know not teach thou me, by thy holy Spirit guide me into all the Truth, for Iesus Christ his sake.
Having noted all your Doubts, take a fit opportunity to consult your Pastor for better Instruction.
At the end of this Examination, thus pray:
O most blessed God, if my Heart deceive me not I firmly believe all that I know of thy sacred Truth. Thou know'st, O Lord, the scantness of my Knowledge and weakness of my Faith, I most heartily beseech thee to pardon my Imperfections, to keep me from Heresie and Error, and to strengthen me daily in the true Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ. Let me not rest in an idle and dead Faith, but make it lively and active in me, purifying my Heart from all Hypocrisie and Uncleanness, kindling in me a fervent Love to thee and to thy Laws, working in me by Love an universal Obedience to thy blessed Will, enabling me to overcome the World, subdue the Flesh with the Lusts thereof, to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil, to resist all his Temptations unto Victory, to be conformed daily more and more to the Image of Christ, to be strong against all Sufferings and the Terrors of Death, and finally to lay hold on eternal Life, through thy Mercy, and the Merits of my blessed Saviour Iesus Christ. Amen.
When you are to examine your Repentance and Obedience, pray to this sense.
Most great and good Good, the searcher of Hearts and trier of the Reins, who art every where present, and from whom no Darkness can hide us; thou compassest my Path, and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways: there is not a word in my Tongue, nor a thought in my Heart, but thou know'st it altogether. My heart, O God, is deceitful above all things, and I cannot find it out, neither understand the errors of my ways, nor the sincerity of my Purposes, without the help of thy holy Spirit. Help me, O my God, help me, I beseech thee, to know my self and the true frame and temper of my Soul; shew thou me wherein I have offended thee in Thought, Word, or Deed; grant me a true and a humbling sight and sense of all my Sins; let not my Ignorance blind me, nor self-love beguile me, nor the common practice of the World delude me into a false Opinion of my self and my own Righteousness: but enable me, I humbly beseech thee, to find out all my Sins, together with all the Aggravations of my Guilt; make me truly vile in mine own Eyes, and heartily sorry for all my Failings; enable me to hate and forsake every evil way, and to turn unto thee by an unfeigned Repentance, and a sincere Obedience to all thy holy and good Laws; that I may have my fruit unto Holiness, and the end everlasting Life, through Iesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour. Amen.
After every Question pause a while, and impartially judge your self; and where you think you have done any part of your Duty, say;
Blessed be my good God through Iesus Christ, who by his holy Spirit hath enabled me either to will or to do any good thing in his Sight. O Lord, I have done all very weakly and imperfectly, and most humbly beg thy pardon. If I have done any thing well, not unto me, O Lord, not unto me, thy very unprofitable Servant, but unto thy Name, be the Glory, through Iesus Christ my Lord.
Where you see your sin, lay it in earnest to your Heart, and say;
O Lord, I have herein sinned most grievously against Heaven and before thee, and am not worthy to be called thy Child: God be merciful to me poor Sinner who deserve nothing but Hell and Damnation: O grant me Repentance unto Life, and enter not into Judgment with thy Servant, but pardon my Sin, and lead me in the ways of thy Commandments to eternal life, through Iesus Christ.
If you have offended or injured any man, note it well, and take some sit time to confess it to him, satisfie him, and beg his Pardon.
If your Sin be publick and scandalous, think not you have done enough till you have publickly testified your Repentance, as the Church shall require it of you.
When you are in any doubt, resort again to the Minister, confess your Sin freely to him, and crave his Iudgment and Directions.
After Examination, pray earnestly to this effect:
O most holy and just God, who perfectly hatest all Iniquity, and will not have Mercy on any impenitent Sinner, how should so vile and polluted a Wretch as I am dare so much as to take thy holy Name into my defiled Mouth. O Lord, I am a most grievous and abominable Sinner, and do altogether deserve thy fierce Wrath and heavy Indignation. It is a very great wonder of Mercy, that thou sufferest me yet to live, and hast not long since cast me into Hell, and given me the Wages of Sin for which I have so long labour'd. How many and foul are the Sins which thou hast now enabled me to discover in my self! even the least of this black number is enough to condemn me to endless Torments; and whither then would not such a multitude of foulest Transgressions sink me, if thy Mercies were not infinite, and thy Patience truly wonderful! Yet alas! how few are all these in comparison of those which have escaped my Observation, but cannot be hid from thine all-seeing Eye? And if I appear so vile in my own Eyes, how loathsome and abominable a thing must I needs be in thine? My Sins (O God) are not a few but many, no small Offences, but very heinous Transgressions, few of them rare with me, but most of them very often repeated, long continued in, and become even familiar, customary, and habitual. Yea, O Lord, with shame and confusion of Face I confess, that I have had so little regard to thy Will, that I have even sinned, as I eat and drink, with all greediness and delight. Though thou hast never been wanting to me in any help to enable me, or any Remembrancer to mind me, or any Motive to invite me, or any Bounty or Promise to encourage me; yet have I made a very bad use of all thy Goodness: and by that very Patience and Forbearance which should have led me to Repentance, I have encouraged my self to sin the more freely, even without fear, and I may justly fear, to the great hardening of my Heart. Tho I have lived long under the bright Light of thy Gospel, and have thy Word sounding in my Ears daily, and have thy Ministers ready at hand to instruct me; yet am I very ignorant, and have even hated Knowledge and despised Instruction, and cast thy Words behind. Though I have had many seasonable Monitors of my Duty, and felt many motions of thy good Spirit, and suffered many Checks from my own Conscience; yet have I turned my Back upon thee, and done almost none of thy Commandments. Nay, after the most solemn Engagements, Covenants, and Vows, I have treacherously revolted from thee, rebelled against thee, and set at naught all thy Goodness to me. I have a false and treacherous Heart, which hath never yet kept Faith with thee. I find, to the great discomfort of my Soul, that I have dissembled with thee, and gone about to mock thee by feigned Professions, counterseit Repentances, and hypocritical Devotions. Even now, O Lord, I feel not that deep Humiliation, that piercing Grief, that Anger, and Hatred, and Indignation, against my Sins, and my self for cherishing them, that I ought to have: neither do I find in my Heart, that servent Love of thee, that true Zeal for thy Honour, that hungring desire of Righteousness and Holiness that should be in me. And now, O my God, what can I have to say for my self after all this? Why should'st thou not deal with me as I have justly deserved, and reward me with Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguish? If thou should'st even now instead of accepting my Confession, throw me, in thy just Fury, into unquenchable Flames with the Devil and his Angels, thou wert most just in so doing, and even merciful in taking Vengeance of me so late, when I had so often and long provoked thy Wrath before. O Lord, I have nothing to plead in my own Excuse, I have nothing to fly unto, but that Mercy of my good God which I have so long abused. O hide not thy Face away from me, but humble my Soul yet more for my Unworthiness; break my Heart into true Contrition▪ that it may yet be an acceptable Sacrifice unto thee; give me not over unto vile Affections, nor a reprobate Mind; break the dominion Sin hath got over me, for the earnest desire of my Soul is to be thy Servant, and only thine for ever. O gracious God, we have an Advocate at thy right hand, even Iesus Christ the righteous, and he is the Propitiation for our Sins; him thou sentest into the World to be the Saviour of lost Sinners, and hast promised, that no Man shall perish or be rejected that cometh unto thee by him: for his sake pardon me, for his sake have Mercy upon me; by the bitter Death and Passion of thy dearly beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased, I beseech thee, O holy Father, to look graciously upon me, and blot out all my Transgressions, and restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation. Cleanse and purifie my sinnful Soul in his Blood, receive me graciously into the number of thine adopted Children, rid me and set me free from the power of Sin, and slavery of my Lusts; let thy holy Spirit rule for ever in my Heart, and deliver me from the Law of Sin and Death in my Members. O speak Peace unto thy Servant, and let me yet live to praise thy Name; let me not return any more with the Dog to his Vomit, nor with the Sow to her wallowing in the Mire; but work in me a perfect Hatred of all that thou hatest, and a true Love to all that thou lovest. Strengthen me by thy Grace to withstand all Temptations, and to persevere and grow in Faith and Love, and all Goodness, to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts, and to live henceforward righteously, soberly, and godly in this present World; patiently and comfortably looking for that blessed Hope, and the glorious Appearance of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works. In his blessed Name and perfect Prayer, I here commend unto thee all the Desires and Needs of my poor Soul, and of thy whole Church. Our Father, &c.
A Prayer before the blessed Sacrament.
O Most merciful God and Father in Iesus Christ, who of thine infinite Love and Goodness to our poor perishing Souls, hast provided for us all things that be needful to us in our polluted and miserable Condition, whereinto we have brought our selves by Sin and shew'st Mercy unto us even when we would have no Mercy on our selves: I am here, O Lord, prostrate at thy Foot-stool, a vile Wretch, that have again and again deserved to be punished with everlasting Destruction from thy presence. And will the great God of Heaven and Earth vouchsafe to look upon such a Dog as I? Shall the so often offended, dishonoured, provoked Majesty of the glorious God, condescend even to invite and beseech so traiterous a Rebel as I have been, to accept of Pardon and Salvation? And shall I yet despise thy loving-kindness, O my gracious God, and neglect so great Salvation as this that thou daily tenderst unto us in the Son of thy Love and our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ? When we were gone astray from thee the God of our Life, and were going head-long to Destruction, thou wert pleased to open unto us a new and living way by the Death of thy only begotten Son. When we lay polluted in our Filth, and odious to thy pure Eyes, thou opened'st for us, in his precious Blood, a Fountain for Sin and for Uncleanness. Thou hast not disdain'd to admit me poor Sinner into thy holy Church and Family by Baptism, and into a sacred Covenant of Grace and Peace with thy self through the Blood of the blessed Mediator. And even now after so many careless and even willful Violations of this holy Covenant, thy Mercy follows me with fresh Offers of Reconciliation, and thou hast invited me to a Feast of Love in thy House, and at thy own Table, and on the Body and Blood of thine own dear Son and my blessed Redeemer. O my most bountiful God, how long have I plaid the ed Prodigal, and pleased my self in Sin and Vanity, and delighted in disobeying thy Commandments? How often have I set light by the Bread of Life in the House of my Father, and preferred the Trash of this World before it? How often have I boldly and presumptuously, without due Preparation, approached unto thy holy Table? And how often have I return'd thence with the same unclean Heart and unmortified Lusts which I carried thither? When I consider this, I tremble to think what Entertainment such a monstrous Sinner as I have been, might expect from thee. O let me not any longer, through Impenitence and Negligence, lose the Benefits of thy rich Mercy in Iesus Christ. For his sake pardon all my former Neglects, Misbehaviours, and Breaches of Covenant with thee, and grant me now, good God I beseech thee, such a measure of thy Grace as may fit me for this sacred Ordinance. Once more most blessed God, I am preparing to come at thy gracious Call, but what can I do without thy Help? I am clogged with Sin and Corruption, I have suffered my Lusts to get the upper hand, and to lead me Captive; O! shew thy Strength in my weakness, pull down every proud and unruly thing in me that exalteth it self against thy holy Spirit; strengthen me henceforward for ever to do thy Will. Awaken and stir up my dull Affections to love thee, and praise thee for thy wonderful love in redeeming us by the Sacrifice of thy beloved Son. O Lord, I do now renew most heartily my so often broken Vows and Promises to be wholly thine, O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for evermore. Accept of me, O my God, and let not my great Unworthiness provoke thee to reject thy poor Servant whose Soul panteth after thee. Enable me, amongst those that keep Holyday in thy House, worthily to shew forth the Death of our blessed Iesus, even as he hath commanded us, in a joyful and truly thankful Remembrance of his inestimable Love, in an absolute and entire Dedication of our selves to his Service and Government, in a total Reliance upon thy Mercy through his Merits, in a cordial Love to him our Head, to all his Members, yea to all Mankind, and even our Enemies for his sake. And do thou, O merciful Father, for thy dear Son's sake, herein seal unto our Souls the Pardon of all our Sins, confirm and strengthen us in all Grace and Goodness, and bring us by the constant and conscientious use of this and all other Instruments of Grace, to everlasting Life, through Iesus Christ our Lord, in whose holy Words I farther beg whatever is needful for my self and for thy whole Church. Our Father, &c.
A Prayer after receiving this Sacrament.
O Father of Mercies, and God of all Comforts, I have this day tasted and seen that thou art good, and that thy Mercy endureth for ever. It is well seen, O God, that thou delightest not in the Death of a Sinner, seeing thou vouchsafest so vile a Sinner as I am to feast my hungry Soul at thy Table, and to drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures. For ever blessed be thy Goodness, and praised for evermore be thy Mercies to us poor Sinners in the Lord Christ Iesus. O let the deep sense of this thy wonderful Love ever rest upon my Heart. Let the spiritual Relish of this heavenly Feast so delight my Soul, as to render all Sin and Vanity unsavoury and loathsome to it for ever. Let this great Grace and Favour of admitting me this day to renew my Covenant with thee after so many Breakings of it, oblige me to constant Thankfulness, and continual Obedience, to the greatest watchfulness over my Heart… and Circumspection in all my ways. And as I have been shewing the Death of Christ in this holy Sacrament in the midst of the Congregation; so give me Grace and Strength to shew it daily in a Christian Life and Conversation, and in the continual mortifying and crucifying of my sinful Affections and Lusts. Enable me to resist and vanquish all those Temptations to Sin whereby I have been formerly conquered. O holy Iesus, I have given my Heart to thee this day, take, I beseech thee, such a full Possession of it by thy holy Spirit, that neither the Devil, the World, nor Sin, may ever again have any part or interest in it, nor let me ever desire to be any otherwise my own, than that I may continue wholly thine, at thy sole Command and Disposal. O good God, pardon all the Infirmities and Failings whereof I have been guilty in the performance of this great Duty. And bless, I beseech thee, this sacred Ordinance to thy whole Church, so that Truth, and Holiness, and Christian Love, may ever flourish and abound therein. As we have one Faith, one Baptism, one Lord, one Hope, and profess our selves one Body by partaking this one Bread; so grant us to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace, till we come to the Church triumphant in Heaven, through him who loved us, and hath wash'd us in his Blood, even IESUS CHRIST, our only Lord and Saviour. Amen.
FINIS.
Books printed for and sold by, John Baker at the Three Pidgeons in Saint Paul's Church-yard.
THE right Foundation of Quietness, Obedience, and Concord: by Clement Elis.
Lately published by Dr. Parker, Arch-deacon of Canterbury; An Account of Church—Government, for the first six hundred Years.
Religion and Loyalty; or, a Demonstration of the Christian Church, within it self. octavo. in two Volumes.
The Service-Book, in folio, in …, fit for Churches and Chapls.
Duport in Psalmos. quarto. Gr. Lat.—idem in Homerum. 4o.—idem 4o. Graece separatim.
An earnest Invitation to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 12o. by Ioseph Glanvil.
A Sermon before the Artillery-Company, by Dr. Calamy, lately published.
FINIS.
End of the text · Clement Ellis, The Communicants Guide (1685)