A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

and much less for the bringing of them home to our hearts and consciences, that in them we might have sound peace and comfort in the assurance of thy love and our own salvation. Our faith hath been exceeding weak in apprehending and applying Christ and thy gracious promises made in him; and we too too negligent in using those blessed means which thou hast graciously afforded us, for the strengthening of it. For we have not only been exceeding negligent in hearing, reading, and meditating in thy Word, the great Charter of our peace, which containeth in it all our spiritual and heavenly privileges; but also in making right use of thy Seals, the Sacraments, annexed unto it, especially this of our Lords Supper, which thou hast ordained for the spiritual food of our souls, to nourish them unto everlasting life. We ⟨p. 921⟩have not highly esteemed of this holy banquet, but have often pretended excuses, and absented our selves, when as thou hast graciously invited us unto it. We have not hungered and thirsted after this heavenly Manna and waters of life; but with cloyed appetites have carelessly neglected them, when as they have been set before us. And when we have presented our selves at this holy feast, we have come to thy Table, after a cold, careless and formal manner, without all due preparation, and have performed this holy action with profane and unwashen hands, more for custom then for conscience sake. We have come in much ignorance of thee and thy truth, thy gracious Covenant, and the Seals annexed unto it; and that little knowledge we have had, hath been more in our heads, then in our hearts and affections, in idle speculation, then in use and practice. We have not rightly discerned the body of our Lord, nor put that difference which we ought, between these elements consecrated to this holy service, and those which are for common use. We have not duly considered, as became us, the relation between the signs and the things signified, but have too much stuck in the outward elements and actions, not looking to the spiritual graces signified and sealed by them. We have not approved our selves as worthy guests, by renewing carefully and conscionably our faith and repentance, but have presented our selves before thee with much infidelity and great impenitency;

and much lesse for the bringing of them home to our hearts and consciences, that in them we might haue sound peace and comfort in the assurance of thy loue and our owne saluation. Our faith hath beene exceeding weake in apprehending and applying Christ and thy gracious promises made in him; and wee too too negligent in vsing those blessed meanes which thou hast graciously affoorded vs, for the strengthening of it. For we haue not onely beene exceeding negligent in hearing, reading, and meditating in thy Word, the great Charter of our peace, which containeth in it all our spirituall and heauenly priuiledges; but also in making right vse of thy Seales, the Sacraments, annexed vnto it, especially this of our Lords Supper, which thou hast ordained for the spirituall food of our soules, to nourish them vnto euerlasting life. Wee