A Book for Beginners, Frontispiece – To the reader
A help to Communicants
Ingredere, ut Proficias
A BOOK FOR BEGINNERS, Or, a Help to Young Communicants; THAT They may be fitted for the Holy Communion, and receive it with profit.
By S. Patrick, D. P.
Printed for R. Royſton, Bookſeller to His moſt Sacred Majeſty. 1680.
To the READER.
THere is no Advice more wholeſome or more neceſſary, then that of Solomon, in the concluſion of his Meditations upon the Vanity of all things under the Sun; Remember thy CREATOR in the days of thy youth. Which may ſerve in ſtead of a Preface to this little Book; eſpecially if I change one word, and make it run thus, Remember thy SAVIOUR in the days of thy youth.
Be ſenſible, that is, how much thou art indebted to Him; and do not forget it, but carry this always in thy mind, that as thou didſt receive thy being from Him, ſo thou art bought with a great price; and therefore ought'ſt to glorify God with Body and Soul, which are His. 1 Cor. VI. 20.
And doe this betime, in thy beſt days; before thou art tainted and corrupted by Vice and wickedneſs. Into which dangerous ways if thou art ſo unhappy as to have entred, be adviſed, and leave them preſently. Betake thy ſelf without any delay to the ſervice of God: and let no buiſineſs, much leſs any vain pleaſure, hinder thee from acquainting thy ſelf with the Duty thou oweſt Him; or from performing it ſeriouſly: Particularly that duty which He hath commanded thee to doe in Remembrance of Him.
The Nature, the Neceſſity, and the Ends of which, together with the manner of doing it, I lay before thee in the following pages. Wherein I ſhall treat onelyonly of ſuch things as are moſt eaſy, and obvious to every capacity: hoping, by God's bleſſing, they will be uſefull to ſuch as will ſet themſelves to conſider them.
They that would have larger Inſtructions and Helps, may find them in the Chriſtian Sacrifice.