A Book for Beginners, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII Meditations and Prayers afterward.
IF there be more time left, before all have communicated, (as there is generally on theſe great Feſtivals, and where many receive upon other days) you may ſpend it in Meditating, as well as you are able, upon the Ends for which this Sacrament was ordained. Turn to the Third Chapter of this Book, and there reade them in order;
I. Saying to your ſelf, when you think that you have now ſolemnly owned your ſelf to be a Chriſtian, &c.
O Lord, truly I am thy Servant, I am thy Servant; I am ſenſible that I am not my own; for I am bought with a great price, and therefore ought to glorify God in my body and in my ſpirit, which are God's.
And, Good Lord, aſſiſt me (as becomes one who names the Name of Chriſt) to depart from all iniquity.
II. And when you think of the next thing, (how thankfull you ought to be to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt,) you may eaſily turn thoſe words you reade there into a Thanksgiving: or have ſome ſuch ſhort Ejaculation as this:
What ſhall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me? eſpecially for this, that He hath not ſpared his own Son, but delivered him up for us all?
III. To which you may give an Anſwer, when you think of the Third thing, [your Fidelity to him] ſaying,
I have ſworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous Judgments.
I have inclined my heart to perform thy Statutes always, even unto the end. CXIX. Pſal. 106.112.
It is reaſonable that whatſoever I doe in word or deed, I ſhould doe all in the Name of the Lord Jeſus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. III. Coloſſ. 17.
IV. And when you think (laſtly) of having Communion with Him, ſay,
What greater Happineſs can I wiſh, then to be one with Chriſt? and to be made partaker with Him in the Merits of his Death? whereby I am ſure that I ſhall partake with Him in the glory of his Reſurrection.
By this I know that I dwell in Him, and He in me, becauſe He hath given me of his Spirit.
O make me, Bleſſed Lord, more and more one with Thee, by making me more perfectly of the ſame mind, ſpirit and diſpoſition with Thee.
A Prayer at home on that day.
If you be by ſuch means as theſe duly affected with our Saviour's Love towards you, the remembrance of it will not preſently ſlip out of your mind; nor will you be willing to part with it. And while it continues there, it will make all your Chriſtian Duty eaſy and delightfull; and it will be a hard matter to perſuade you to offend Him. Do not fail therefore to endeavour to preſerve it, by affecting your heart again with ſuch thoughts as theſe; repeating ſome time or other on that day the foregoing Meditations, and adding this Prayer.
I can never thank Thee enough, O Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, for the innumerable benefits I have received from thy bounty: And therefore ought to take all opportunities to bleſs Thee, and to ſpeak good of thy Name; eſpecially now that I have newly taſted how gracious Thou art, in giving thy onelyonly Son, our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, not onelyonly to die for us, but alſo to be our ſpiritual food and ſuſtenance, in that Sacrament which I have this day received.
When I think onelyonly what a kindneſs it is, that I have my daily bread, and never want things convenient for the ſupport and comfort of this preſent life; I find that I am indebted to Thee upon that account, exceedingly above all that I can expreſs: But that Thou art pleaſed to admit me to thy own Table, and there entertain me with the bleſſed hope of being with my Saviour where He is, and rejoycing with Him for ever; Lord, how much doth it ſurpaſs the higheſt of my thoughts? and with what delight and ſatisfaction ought it to fill my heart?
Poſſeſs me, I beſeech Thee, moſt mercifull Father, with ſuch a lively ſenſe of this Love, that I may never forget how happy I am, in being ſo nearly related to Chriſt Jeſus: But always account it ſuch an honour to be one of his Servants, that I may conſtantly and chearfully obey Him; and delight in this, and all other Duties of a Chriſtian life.
It is a great favour, I ought to be ſenſible, that I may have the liberty alway to reſort unto Him, as my moſt gracious Lord and Maſter; and enjoy Him not onelyonly in the publick Offices of Religion, but here at home in theſe private addreſſes unto Him. 0 that by all ſuch means I may grow more like Him! and carry away ſuch a reſemblance of his Holineſs, Goodneſs, Humility, Meekneſs and Patience, that every body may ſee I have been with Jeſus!
O that there may be ſuch a pious ſenſe of his Love, and ſuch devout affections towards Him! left in my heart; that I may not content my ſelf merely with my daily Prayers, much leſs with theſe preſent expreſſions of Love to Him: but it may he my conſtant care every day to approve my ſelf unto Him ſo faithfully in all well-doing, that I may not be afraid to appear again before Him, at the next invitation I have to his Table!
And let the hearts of all thoſe who have this day devoutly attended on thy ſervice be joyfull and glad in Thee. Help us all to keep our ſelves pure and undefiled, and to walk ſo ſteddily in the fear of God, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghoſt; that others, ſeeing our good converſation in Chriſt, may be in love with Religion, and glorify Thee our heavenly Father.
Have mercy alſo (as we have this day moſt humbly prayed) upon the whole Church. And ſo rule the heart of thy choſen Servant CHARLES our King and Governour; that in all his thoughts, words, and works, he may ever ſeek thy honour and glory; and ſtudy to preſerve thy people committed to his charge, in wealth, peace, and godlineſs. And grant alſo unto all them that are admitted into the fellowſhip of Chriſt's Religion, that they may eſchew thoſe things that are contrary to their Profeſſion, and follow all ſuch things as are agreeable to the ſame, for thy dear Sons ſake Jeſus Chriſt, our Lord. Amen.
If this ſeem too long, here follows a ſhorter.
I proſtrate my ſelf here again before Thee, O Lord of Heaven and Earth, to bleſs and praiſe Thee for all thy Mercies towards me; eſpecially for thoſe which Thou haſt this day beſtowed on me.
I would not be ſo ungratefull as preſently to forget ſuch a wonderfull Grace as Thou haſt vouchſafed me: but deſire moſt earneſtly to have a laſting remembrance of it in my heart, provoking me to love and to good works.
And for that end I now renew my humble ſupplications unto Thee, that Thou wilt conſtantly excite and aſſiſt me by thy Holy Spirit, to walk worthy of my high and heavenly calling in Chriſt Jeſus; by ſuch a ſober, righteous and godly life, adorning his Doctrine in all things, that He may own me for his good and faithfull Servant at that great Day, when we ſhall ſee Him not in theſe ſhadows and figures of Him, but face to face.
And have mercy upon thy whole Church. Whoſe Prayers I beſeech Thee to hear for every Member of the ſame: more eſpecially for our Sovereign, and all that are in authority under him; that by their pious care and watchfulneſs thy Church may joyfully ſerve Thee in all godly quietneſs, through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. Amen.