The Communicants Guide, Part 1
THE COMMUNICANTS GUIDE, Directing The younger Sort, which have never yet Received, and the Elder, and ignorant ſort, which have hitherto Received unworthily; How they may Receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to their Souls comfort. Together With a Treatiſe of DIVINE Truths, Collected out of Ancient and Moderne DIVINES. By R: GOVE, Sometime Preacher of Gods Word, at Henton, St. George, in Sommerſet.
1 CORINTH. 11. 29.
Hee that Eateth and Drinketh unworthily, Eateth and Drinketh Damnation to himſelf.
LONDON, Printed by J. G. for Richard Royston, at the Angel in Ivie-lane, 1654.
To all thoſe that do deſire to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper worthily, and to their Souls comfort.
ESPECIALLY To the younger ſort, which have never yet received, and to the elder, and ignorant ſort, which have hitherunto received unworthily.
R: GOVE, Who can do very little, yet deſireth to doe very much for the good of their Souls,
DEDICATETH Theſe his Sacramentall inſtructions following.
A CATECHISME. Short for Memory, and plaine for Capacity, containing the Grounds, and Principles of the Chriſtian Religion in generall. Which every one ſhould know, that deſires to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper worthily, and to his Souls comfort.
QUESTION. OF what Religion are you?1 Pet. 3. 15.
Anſ. Of the Chriſtian Acts 11. 26Religion.
Q. What Religion is that?
Anſ. That which teacheth Acts 4. 1…a Man to looke for ſalvation, only by Jeſus Chriſt.
Q. Where is this Religion taught you?
Anſ. In the Holy Scriptures, which are Joh. 5. 39 Hoſ. 8. 12 2 Tim. 3. 15, 16, 17. Joh. 20. 13the written Word of God, and containe all things needfull for our ſalvation.
Q What are the principall things, and thoſe moſt neceſſary to ſalvation, which are taught us in the Scriptures?
A. They are two: the one is, what we Joh. 13. 17are bound to know; and the other is, what we are bound to practiſe.
Q. What are we bound to know?
A. God and our ſelves.Joh. 17. 3 2 Cor. 13. 5
Q. What muſt wee know concerning God?
A. We muſt know three thngs: 1. that there is a God▪ 2. What a one this God is; Heb. 11. 6 Joh. 17. 3 Pſal. 111. 2and 3. What he hath done.
Q. How doe you aſſure your ſelfe, there is a God?Joh. 5. 39 Rom. 1. 20 1 Joh. 3. 20 & 21. Joh. 4. 24 Ex. 33. 18. & 19. Ex. 34. 5. & 6. 1 Joh 5. 7 1 Cor. 8. 6 Acts 15. 18 Gen. 1. 1 Acts 17. 24 Heb. 1. 3 Pſal. 119. 91 Pſa. 103. 19.
A. 1. Gods Word reveales it; 2. Gods Workes confirme it; and 3. mine owne conſcience doth aſſure me of it.
Q. What a one is God?
A. God is a Spirit moſt glorious in Nature, three in Perſons, and one in Eſſence.
Q. What hath God done?
A. Hee hath decreed with himſelfe from all eternity, how all things ſhall be; he made all things in the beginning; and hee hath ever ſince ſuſtained them, and diſpoſed of them.
Q. Thus much of that, which we are to know concerning God, tell me now next, what we are to know concerning our ſelves?
A. We are to know three things 1. What we were; 2. What we are; and 3. What we ſhall be.
Q. What were we?
A. We were all in our firſt Creation Gen. i. 27 Eccleſ. 7. 31 Eph. 4. 24 Pſal. 51. 5 Eph. 2. 3, 4 & 5. Heb. 3. 1 1 Cor. 1. 2perfect, and happy.
Q. What are we?
A. We are all by nature ſinnefull, and miſerable: but by grace in Jeſus Chriſt, as many as God doth call, are made righteous, and happy.
Q. What ſhall we be?
A. Thoſe amongſt us that are good Mat. 25. 46 Dan. 12. 2 Joh. 5. 29 Mat. 5. 16 1 Pet. 2. 12 Tit. 2. 5 2 Pet. 1. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 1 Pet. 3. 1ſhall be everlaſtingly bleſſed in Heaven; and thoſe that are wicked ſhall be everlaſtingly tormented in Hell.
Q. And thus far touching our knowledge: tell me now next what is required concerning our practiſe?
A. There is required in us all a care ſo to lead our lives, as that thereby, God, and our Chriſtian profeſſion may have praiſe, we comfort, and others profit.
Q. How may we ſo leade our lives?
A. By ordering them according to the preſcript rule of Gods Word, ſet downe partly in the Law, and partly in the Goſſpell.Pſa 119. 9 Gal. 6. 16
Q. What doth the Lord require?
A. Piety towards God; Charity towards our Neighbours; Sobriety towards Tit. 2. 11. 12 Mat. 22. 36 37, 39. 1 Pet. 5. 8 Pro 12. 10our ſelves; and Mercy towards all other living Creatures.
Q. What doth the Goſpell require?
A. True faith, and unfeigned Repentance, as our only remedy for the breach Mar. 1. 15of the Law.
Q. How are theſe Graces to be begun, continued, and perfected in us?Mar. 9. 24 Luk 22. 23 Luke 11. 13 Jam. 5. 16 Rom 10. 17 Acts 20. 32 Rom. 4. 11 Acts 2. 38 41. Mat. 28. 19 1 Cor. 11. 23
A. By faithfull, and fervent Prayer; by a due hearing, and reading of the word; and by worthy receiving of the Sacraments.
Q. How many Sacraments hath Chriſt ordained in his Church, thus to be received of us?
A. Two onelyonly, Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper.
Q. What is the uſe of Baptiſme?
A. By Water waſhing the body, to aſſure us that the bloud of Chriſt, being applied 1 Pet. 3. 21 1 Cor. 6. 11 1 John 1. 7to the Soule of the believer, clenſeth him from all his ſins.
Q. What is the uſe of the Lords Supper?
A. To be a ſigne, a ſeale, and pledge unto us, that Chriſt Jeſus is given for us, and 1 Cor. 11. 24 Mat. 26. 28. John 6. 50, 51, & 54.to us for the nouriſhing, and preſerving of us unto eternall life.
JOH. 13. 17.
If ye know theſe things, bleſſed are ye, if ye do them.