of Leaning, or Lying on one Side, in the Ufe of this Holy Sacrament; which they would not have prefumed to do, if this Pofture had been Effential to the Receiving of the Sacrament. And whereas it is commonly faid, that this was a Table-pofture, to which Sitting fucceeded ; ftill this fhews, that Men have varied from the Pofture Chrift ufed: And fince he hath commanded no Pofture, all Churches are at their liberty to order what Posture they think fit; and he is a contentious Man that oppofes it. What Posture the Primitive Church ufed at the Receiving of the Sacrament, Antiquity hath not left upon Record: That they stood at their Publick Prayers on Sundays, and on other Days too, from Eafter to Whitfontide, we know, but whether they obferv'd the fame Pofture at the Sacrament, is uncertain; though if they ufed Standing, ftill it was their Pofture of Worship and Adoration. St. Chryfoftom, indeed, tells us, that the Priefts in his Time ftood at the Altar, waiting for Communicants; but how they received the Symbols, he doth not mention. Dionyfius of Alexandria, speaking of a Person unlawfully baptized, tells us, that he ftood at the Table of the Lord when he was to Receive: But Ruffinus interprets that, of the A&t, not Gefture of Receiving; it being common among the Ancients, to express their Publick Worship, by Standing, or Stations. 'Tis like, that when the Apoftle had reprov'd the Corinthians, for not distinguishing the Lord's Table from their common Suppers, in point of reverence and ferioufnefs, the Chriftians bethought themselves of a more humble and fuitable Posture, than they used at their common Meals. There is no Man, I hope, fo wicked, as to exclude Prayers and Praises at the Receiving of the Holy Symbols: And what can be a more proper Pofture for thefe Devotions, than Kneeling? Kneeling hath in all Ages been accounted the proper Pofture of Prayers and Praises: And who can think of the Love of God, reprefented to us in this Sacrament, without them?

And

And if thefe be proper and neceffary here, why should the humble Pofture, in which they are offered, be counted Superftitious? The Heathens themselves have condemn'd Irreverence in the External Performance of God's Service: And fhall Pagans and Infidels out-do us in humility of Worship? Whenever Sacrifices were offer'd heretofore, the Officer bow'd himself to his God. And fhail we offer the Sacrifice of Prayer and Thankf giving to our crucified Redeemer, in this Sacrament, without bowing? We come before God in this Sacrament, as Beggars, as Sinners, as indigent Worms: And what can be more fuitable to Perfons under those Cir. cumstances, than the humblest Postures? Here we come to receive a Pardon from the Great King of Heaven: and doth a Man receive a Pardon of a Temporal King upon his Knees, and fhall he refufe to receive a Pardon of far greater confequence, and of a greater Prince too, in that Posture? We believe that at fuch Times we receive Chrift into our Souls: And fhall our External Humility be lefs than the Centurion's, who did not think himself worthy that Christ should come under his Roof? Or, if we have the fame Apprehenfions of our own Unworthiness; fhall not we exprefs them by proper External Poftures? Where the Soul hath a great fenfe of the Love and gracious Prefence of God, it will even force the Body into humble Poftures: And it is to be fear'd, where People are loth to Kneel, they are Strangers to this fenfe in the Holy Sacrament. What is urg'd, that Pope Honorius in the Thirteenth Century did first bring in Kneeling at the Sacrament, is evidently falfe; for, all that he order'd, was, that the Body fhould be decently bowed, when the Holy Symbols were lifted up by the Prieft; which is nothing to our Kneeling at the Sacrament. The Primitive Church, tho' they do not mention Kneeling at the Sacrament, yet they exhort their Hearers to Grief and Sorrow, and Confeffions, and an humble fenfe of Sin, in the Act of Receiving; and we may rationally infer, that they did not do this without Kneeling, or Proftration. And

fince the Ancient Writers make frequent mention of the Word Adoration in receiving, we cannot but conclude, that they ufed a Pofture proper, and expreffive of that Adoration. And why fhould we fcruple to exprefs our Adoration of God, by Kneeling in this Sacrament, when we fee the Church Triumphant in Heaven, at their finging the Praises of the Lamb that was flain, fall down before the Lamb, and fay, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive Power, and Riches, and Wisdom, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Bleffing; as St. John informs us, Rev. 5. 8, 12.

The PRAYER.

Thou Eternal Wisdom of the Father! Who being in the Form of God, thoughteft it no Robbery to be equal with God, but madeft thy felf of no Reputation, and tookeft upon thee the form of a Servant, and waft made in the Likenefs of Men; and being found in fashion as a Man, didst humble thy felf, and becamest obedient unto Death, even the Death of the Crofs: Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted thee, and given thee a Name, which is above every Name; that at the Name of Jefus every Knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in Earth, and things under the Earth, and that every Tongue should confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father. O Lord of Glory, Over-awe both my Outward and Inward Man, with a fenfe of thy astonishing Mercies, that both may bow, and both may express their Gratitude. Let my Body as well as Soul, worship thee, love thee, admire thee, and bumble themselves before thee, who art the Image of the Invifible God, the First-born of every Creature; for by thee were all things created that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth; vifible and invisible; whether they be Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers; all things were created by thee, and for thee. To thee be Glory for ever and ever. Amen

A

562

A

TABLE

OF THE

CHAPTERS

OF

Contained in this BOOK.

Chap. I.

F the Name of this Ordination, and why Distribution
and Participation of Bread and Wine ufual in Chri-
Stian Affemblies, is called the Lord's Supper,

Chap. II.

Page 1
Of the Mystery of Christ's instituting the Sacrament, that
very Night in which he was Betrayed,

Chap. III.

13

Of the place where the Lord's Supper is to be eaten, the Church,
and of private Communion.

Chap. IV.

24

Of eating the Lord's Supper, the nature of it, and how it is

to

be

Of the various abuses of this Holy Sacrament,

36

48

Of receiving the Lord's Supper Fasting, and how far it is
neceffary,

60

Chap.

Chap. VII.

Of the Elements in this Sacrament; and firft of the Bread
Chrift made ufe of, and of the nature and defign of it,
Chap. VIII.

Of Confecration, and what Confecration Christ nfed. Of his
Thanksgiving before he broke the Bread, and our imitation
of him in that particular,

Chap. IX.

Of breaking the Bread, and the Mysteries of it,

Chap. X.

85

102

Of taking the Confecrated Bread with our Hands, and the

Mystery of it,

Chap. XI.

116

Of thefe Words, This is my Body, whether they import a
Tranfubstantiation: and how the Bread is Chrift's Body
and how Christ's Body may, and is to be eaten,

Chap. XII.

126

Of remembring Chrift in this Sacrament, or doing what we
do here, in remembrance of him,

XIII.

148

Of the other Element, or part of this Holy Sacrament, viz.
The Wine and the Cup, Christ made use of in the institu-
tion of the Eucharist,

Chap. XIV.

168

Of the Covenant reprefented by the Cup in this Holy Sacra-

ment,

Chap. XV.

198

Of frequent receiving the Holy Communion, and the neceffity
of it.

Chap. XVI.

228

Of the perpetuity of this Ordinance, and the neceffity of its
continuance to the World's end,

Of eating and drinking unworthily in this Ordinance, and the
Guilt the unworthy Receiver incurs thereby,

Of the fad Effects and Confequences of unworthy eating and
drinking, in this Holy Sacrament; and first of Temporal
Judgments,

343

Chap.