A41637:832
Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…
Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of Sepulchres parish / by Tho. Gouge ...Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of Sepulchres parish / by Tho. Gouge ...
London: printed by R. Ibbitson and M. Wright, 1661
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And having confessed thy sins, pour out thy soul in hearty prayer unto God for the pardon and forgiveness of them all. And then be earnest with him to make the Sacrament effectual to thy comfort, effectual to the mortifying of thy lusts, to the strengthening ⟨p. 120⟩of thy graces, especially to the confirming of thy Faith in the assurance of the pardon and forgiveness of thy sins, &c.
III. Having showed the duties Antecedent, come we now to the duties Concomitant, i. e. such as must accompany the action of receiving.
III. Having shewed the duties Antecedent, come we now to the duties Concomitant, i. e. such as must accompany the action of receiving.
But first I shall premise some few Directions touching the Manner of thine approaching to the Lords Table.
1 Having thus prepared thy self, go not in the strength of thy preparations, but only in the strength of Jesus Christ, looking for acceptance only in and through his merits and mediation. For though thou hast prepared thy self after the best manner that thou canst, yet if with an impartial eye thou shalt look back upon thy preparations, how full of weaknesses, infirmities and imperfections wilt thou find them? So that if Christ do not cover both thy person and thy preparation, with the Robe of his Righteousness, and sprinkle them with his blood, neither thy person, nor thy preparation will find acceptance with God. Cast therefore all thy preparations at the feet of Jesus Christ, and say, Lord, I come not in the strength of my preparations, but only in thy strength; I come in thine alone name and mediation, to partake of thy body, and of the benefits of thy death and passion. And thou mayest then be confident that God will over-look thy manifold weaknesses and imperfections in the work of preparation, and accept of thee and of thy services in and through his beloved Son Jesus Christ.