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<DATE>2013-09-02</DATE>
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<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
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<VID>180424</VID>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>ADVICE To tho&s;e who never Receiv'd the SACRAMENT: OR, THE <HI>True PENITENT</HI> INSTRUCTED, Before, At, and After The Receiving the <HI>Lord's Supper.</HI> WITH Meditations &s;uited to the &s;everal parts of that &s;olemn Ordinance, particularly with re&s;pect to <HI>Ea&s;ter, Whit&s;untide</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;tma&s;s.</HI> The Whole written in a different Method from any thing publi&s;hed on this Subject. <HI>By a Per&s;on of Honour.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed, Sold by <HI>E. Whitlock</HI> near <HI>Statio|ners-Hall,</HI> 1697.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
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<HEAD>THE PREFACE.</HEAD>
<P>WHatever Apologies the World may ex|pect for Books of another Nature, I think they ought not to be gratified in Books of this, for whatever tends to <HI>regu|late our conver&s;ation,</HI> and advance a happi|ne&s;s in another World when our hopes fail us here, is &s;ufficient to recommend it &s;elf.</P>
<P>Its unaccountable, that &s;ince Religion, in &s;pight of all de&s;igns to undermine and make it look lit|tle, a&s;&s;erts its own Authority and make men confe&s;s its beauties, that they &s;hould be &s;uch fools as not to be charm'd by them. Since <HI>Athei&s;m</HI> and <HI>Infi|delity</HI> are become meer Name, and Men are obliged to own a Being, which they have the Impudence to di&s;obey: It may become a Que&s;tion, Whether they had not better have continued in their Opinion <HI>that there was no God,</HI> if there were ever any &s;uch, than pretend to own a Be|ing, and pay &s;o little re&s;pect to it: How Men came to di&s;tru&s;t the God who made them, or not carefully ob&s;erve him whom they own to be the Maker of the World, are things equally un|accountable; that Man, who is endued with Rea&s;on, and capable to convince him&s;elf, <HI>that he is not of him&s;elf,</HI> and that whatever was the Cau&s;e of him, mu&s;t have a Cau&s;e, or that that
<PB REF="6">Cau&s;e mu&s;t be Eternal, and the Maker of all things, who is forced from Natural Principles, and common Arguments, to allow a fir&s;t Cau&s;e, and that he cou'd not have had this Knowledge if this Cau&s;e, had not revealed it &s;elf: That the &s;ame rea&s;on, which inclines him to take any thing for truth of which he han't demon&s;tration, or to give credit to any thing, obliges him to believe the Account of God, of Religion, and Him&s;elf, which is delivered in the Scriptures, and for the truth of which there is the be&s;t Te&s;timony in the world. For their Antiquity, there is nothing &s;o ancient, and for their Credit, they have the general Con|&s;ent of all Ages, <HI>Jewi&s;h</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;tian.</HI> So that if they be true, we ought to give our entire A&s;|&s;ent to all that is declared, and they te&s;tifie of One whom God was to &s;end to redeem this &s;in|ful World: For Man fell from what he was created, and &s;tood in need of an Attonement; that this Per&s;on in the fulne&s;s of time was ma|nife&s;ted to the World, being conceived by the Spi|rit of God, and born of a Virgin; that he wrought Miracles; taught us an exact Rule of <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Obedience,</HI> and then laid down his life as a Ran&s;om for all that &s;hould believe on him; that after his death, he rai&s;ed him&s;elf from the dead, and in the &s;ight of his Di&s;ciples a&s;cended into Heaven, and there remains, till he &s;hall come to judge the World: That he appointed Apo&s;tles, and gave them power to make Bi&s;hops, Prie&s;ts and Deacons, that by &s;uch an Order of Men, the Laws which he Commanded might be taught to us, and the Rites of that Religion which he
<PB REF="6" MS="y">planted, duly performed. Of this we are infal|libly a&s;&s;ured, and though we have the witne&s;s of Men, yet the witne&s;s of God is greater, and he that can no more deceive than be deceived, has po&s;itively confirmed. We have had a con&s;tant &s;uc|ce&s;&s;ion of men in the Prie&s;tly Office, even to this time, what then is the cau&s;e of our Di&s;&s;en&s;ions, of our Unbelief and Misbelief, but that they who polluted our Manners, wou'd betray our Faith, and make us altogether uncapable of tho&s;e Ble&s;|&s;ings which the&s;e Scriptures promi&s;e us to en|joy; why &s;uch indu&s;try to bear down Revealed Religion, but that Men hate the light which wou'd expo&s;e their Deeds that are Evil. Why are they &s;o laborious to defame that Doctrine which has increa&s;ed again&s;t Oppo&s;ition, and the malice of Hell, and will be pre&s;erved to the end of the World: 'Tis impo&s;&s;ible to know a God reconciled without revelation, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> has revealed him&s;elf it mu&s;t be by &s;ome <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o|dy, and is there any that they can prefer to our Saviour, who has the witne&s;s of the Father and the Holy Gho&s;t concerning him. He was pro|phe&s;y'd of <HI>3000</HI> Years before, and exactly an&s;wer|ed the Character of him that was to come: What Excu&s;e then can Men have for their Ob&s;tinacy, who pretend to own a God, and yet won't be|lieve the words of his Mouth? Is there any Law, any Precept, any Character misbecoming the <HI>Dignity and Wi&s;dom of the Son of God?</HI> Has our Saviour &s;aid any thing to be the Will of his Father which is not rational, and mo&s;t becoming the Almighty Governor of Hea|ven and Earth? If not, Why &s;hou'd the hearts
<PB REF="7">of the Sons of Men be lifted up, and di&s;pi&s;e the D ctates of this <HI>preacher of Righteou&s;ne&s;s?</HI> If they own a God, can they &s;erve him in a more acceptable manner? Can they propo&s;e better Rules of Conver&s;ation, be govern'd by better Laws, be better Men than the Scripture can make them? If there is nothing in the Scrip|ture misbecoming an infinite Wi&s;dom, and they declare to us the Will of God, which is, that we &s;hou'd believe and obey his Son, why &s;hou'd we refu&s;e to &s;erve him, as he him&s;elf thinks fit? So little rea&s;on has the <HI>Dei&s;t</HI> for his Opinion, that 'tis impo&s;&s;ible to e&s;tabli&s;h it, unle&s;s we de&s;troy that by which we came to know there is a God, which no Man cou'd have done without Origi|nal Impre&s;&s;ions upon his Soul, or explicit Reve|lation. So that it is to live unaccountably, to believe they know not why, but do what &s;eems Good in their own Eyes, and every man to wor|&s;hip a Being which he reveals to him&s;elf, which being impo&s;&s;ible is to live in the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of <HI>ab|&s;urd Principles,</HI> and which are not an&s;werable to the common Rea&s;on of Mankind.</P>
<P>But the&s;e are not the only Per&s;ons who are pre|judicial to Religion, for that &s;uffers like our &s;elves, mo&s;t by tho&s;e who pretend to be our Friends; the Wi&s;dom of God &s;o far conde&s;cended to our weakne&s;s, as to make him&s;elf known in a won|derful manner. When <HI>our fir&s;t Parents fell,</HI> &s;in entred into the World, and Death by &s;in, for in them all Men were made &s;inners; if our Pa|rents transgre&s;&s;ed, we mu&s;t derive a contagion from their Loins, for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean, and if we are conceived and
<PB REF="7">born in Sin, what is Man that he &s;hould be clean or he that is born of a Woman, that he &s;hould be Righteous: God &s;aw this, and knew our in&s;uf|ficiency, that we &s;hould incline to Evil, and cou'd have no merit to attone his Ju&s;tice, for what cou'd the Sons of Violence offer that was clean, or Man, mi&s;erable Man, propo&s;e to re|&s;tore him&s;elf to the favour of God. But God was plea&s;ed to propo&s;e a &s;acrifice, to take away the &s;ins of the World, and this he declared as &s;oon as Man had &s;in'd, and continued to inculeate this Goodne&s;s in the minds of Men by his <HI>Prophets,</HI> who continually declare the mercy of God which &s;hould appear to bring <HI>Salvation;</HI> this is what <HI>Abraham</HI> believed, and 'twas imputed unto him for <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> for he <HI>&s;aw the Day, and was Glad:</HI> This was it that was typifyed by the Ceremonies of the <HI>Law,</HI> that every time they Sacrificed and Wor&s;hipped in the <HI>Temple,</HI> they might have &s;omething to put them in mind of their <HI>Me&s;&s;ia,</HI> whom they expected, and who was called the <HI>Wonderful Coun&s;el, or the mighty God, the everla&s;ting Father, the Prince of Peace;</HI> that his Office was to vi&s;it and redeem his <HI>People.</HI> Thus did God prepare the way for his <HI>Son,</HI> that we might reverence him, and though his Dignity was thus great, yet he was to be rejected and di&s;pi&s;ed by <HI>Men,</HI> &s;mitten of <HI>God,</HI> that the Cha&s;ti&s;ement of our Peace might be upon him, and by his <HI>Stripes</HI> we might be Healed. This indeed was wonderfull, and what proved <HI>a &s;tumbling block to the</HI> Jews, <HI>and fooli&s;hne&s;s to the</HI> Gentiles, and what they who in this Age continue to deny the
<PB REF="8">Lord who bought them, think very Ridiculous: But however merry the&s;e Gentlemen of that Per|&s;wa&s;ion are with the <HI>price of their Salvation.</HI> I believe it would &s;tartle them to have it &s;eri|ou&s;ly put to them, whether they renounce the me|rits of that <HI>Cro&s;s</HI> which they di&s;pi&s;e, or <HI>the Name into which they were Baptized;</HI> we are certain it can be no je&s;ting matter, if the <HI>Scriptures</HI> don't err concerning Him, for they tell us, he died for our &s;ins, and ro&s;e again for our ju&s;tification, and that without him, we have no life in us; that he is our <HI>Advocate,</HI> and was made a propitiation for our Sins, and yet that he was from <HI>Eternity;</HI> for he came down from <HI>Heaven,</HI> and was in the <HI>Beginning,</HI> and was with <HI>God,</HI> and was <HI>God,</HI> and yet became <HI>Fle&s;h,</HI> and dwelt among us, that even in this State, he was worthy of Divine Honour, by virtue of that <HI>Union</HI> in him, of the Divine and Humane Nature that he was <HI>Alpha</HI> and <HI>Omega;</HI> that in the beginning he laid the Foundations of the <HI>Earth,</HI> and all the Sons of <HI>God</HI> &s;houted for joy; therefore let us take heed to the things which we have heard, lea&s;t at any time we let them &s;lip, and then, <HI>How &s;hall we e&s;cape if we neglect &s;o great Salvation?</HI> And who then can deny that this <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> as the <HI>Scriptures</HI> explain it, is <HI>God manife&s;t in the Fle&s;h,</HI> to whom be Glory for ever. And yet there are a &s;ort of Men, who &s;et up them&s;elves in contradiction to this My&s;te|ry of Godline&s;s, and fancy by &s;earching, they can find out the Almighty to perfection, who pride them&s;elves in Rea&s;on, and think it a di&s;parage|ment for any thing to be above their Knowledge.
<PB REF="8">They are &s;o refin'd in their Notions, that they can &s;ee no difference between a thing, being a|bove their rea&s;on, and being contrary to it: They are &s;o great Ma&s;ters, that not to under&s;tand a thing, or its being repugnant in its &s;elf are the &s;ame thing, for with them all is Non-&s;cence and contradiction, which they don't comprehend; when at the &s;ame time they can't give an <HI>account of them&s;elves,</HI> and yet would be thought to under|&s;tand every thing el&s;e. The <HI>Scripture</HI> more per|ticularly is their Talent, and if we can believe them, there is nothing <HI>like a My&s;tery in it,</HI> but they can ea&s;ily comprehend all, or as ea&s;ily de|ny: That our Saviour was conceived by the <HI>Ho|ly Gho&s;t,</HI> and Born of a <HI>Virgin</HI> is po&s;&s;itive in the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> but what they never yet made ea&s;ie to our conceptions, but in &s;uch a manner as gives the lie to the Prediction, and wretchedly perverts the Sen&s;e of the Scripture, by leaving it more perplex'd and above our reach than 'tis of it &s;elf. That he was the expre&s;s Image of the <HI>Fa|ther,</HI> and therefore to him every <HI>Knee &s;hould bow,</HI> that all Power in Heaven and Earth was given unto him, and therefore if we do not believe in him <HI>&s;hall be Damn'd.</HI> That he came out from God, and that he and the Father are one, and therefore is able to hear our Prayers, and has promi&s;ed if we ask of him he will give us, and yet that took upon him the form of a Servant, is what God has Te&s;tified, and what he thought was not too much for our &s;ake, though in him|&s;elf he thought it not Robery to be equal with God, and of this there are three that bear Record in <HI>Heaven,</HI> the <HI>Father,</HI> the <HI>Word,</HI> and the <HI>Ho|ly
<PB REF="9">Gho&s;t,</HI> and that the&s;e three are one; and in|to this truth are we commanded to be <HI>Baptized,</HI> for 'twas his will that all Nations &s;hould be Taught and Bapti&s;ed in the Name of the <HI>Father, Son</HI> and <HI>Holy Gho&s;t;</HI> the&s;e are all infallible Truths, whether they under&s;tand them or not, if they cannot, then there are My&s;teries, and what they mu&s;t believe without knowing any more than that <HI>God</HI> with whom all things are po&s;&s;ible has &s;aid it, and if we would be &s;aved mu&s;t be|lieve, that we have all &s;in'd and &s;tand in need of a <HI>Saviour,</HI> is what our Rea&s;on and Scripture informs us; the Per&s;on and Dignity of this <HI>Sa|viour,</HI> the Scripture po&s;&s;itively a&s;&s;erts, and if that be true, he could not be le&s;s than God that undertook our Redemption, and that had tho&s;e peculiar attributes belonging to him; but how he the <HI>God-head</HI> and <HI>Man-hood</HI> was united in him, is not what his Wi&s;dom has thought fit to reveal, and what our finite under&s;tanding is not capable of, and what is not nece&s;&s;ary to our Sal|vation that we &s;hould know, but believe: So that the Controver&s;ie &s;eems to be this, whether <HI>God can oblige us to believe what we can't comprehend?</HI> And whether he has not obliged us already to a Faith which mu&s;t be obedient to his word, till they can prove to our rea&s;on, that either of the&s;e are untrue or impo&s;&s;ible? Let it &s;uffice us to h ld fa&s;t the Faith in which we are bred up, and only believe as much as God has been plea&s;ed to reveal, and have regard to what the <HI>Scripture</HI> &s;ay concerning him, through whom are are to have <HI>everla&s;ting Life.</HI> Thus much is certain, and what I think to be an unan&s;wer|able
<PB REF="9">Argument, and a ju&s;t account of the <HI>Chri|&s;tian Belief,</HI> which a Great <HI>Divine</HI> of our Church has lately offer'd. That the Foundation of the Doctrine of the Trinity is this; Fir&s;t, That <HI>there can be but one God;</HI> Secondly, <HI>That there is nothing in God, but what is God;</HI> Thirdly, <HI>That there can be no compo&s;ition in the Deity with any &s;uch po&s;itive real Being di&s;tinct from the Deity it &s;elf. But the Church finding in Scripture mention of three to whom di&s;tinctly the God-head be|longs, expre&s;&s;ed the&s;e three by the Name of Per&s;ons, and &s;tated their Per&s;onallity up|on three di&s;tinct Modes of &s;ub&s;i&s;tance al|lotted to one and the &s;ame God-head, and the&s;e al&s;o di&s;tingui&s;hed from one another by three di&s;tinct Relations.</HI></P>
<P>And now what de&s;igns the&s;e Traducers of the Lord of Glory can intend, by puzelling them&s;elves and every Body el&s;e with their pretentions to <HI>more Rea&s;on</HI> than God has given them, I can't imagine, unle&s;s under the di&s;gui&s;e of Charity to our Rea&s;on, they would &s;ubvert our Religion, and by pretending to bring the &s;ublime Truths of God's Word to our under&s;tanding, they would Ridicule the hidden things of God, and &s;o open a way for <HI>Athei&s;m</HI> and <HI>In&s;idellity,</HI> by denying fir&s;t that there is any thing which our rea&s;on can't comprehend, and then that there is nothing in the <HI>Scripture,</HI> but what can ea&s;ily be under&s;tood. This is to make <HI>our Rea&s;on,</HI> not the <HI>Scripture</HI> a rule of Salvation, and when once our &s;en&s;e is to judge of the&s;e Divine Truths, all of them that we can give a Mathematical Account of,
<PB REF="10" MS="y">mu&s;t be rejected: And yet that there are &s;uch truths of which they can have no Idea is certain, and after all, they mu&s;t own, that either they are not to be under&s;tood, and yet believed, or el&s;e that they are Non-&s;ence and contradiction, which is an impudence they dare not publickly own, and what would be fatal to their de&s;igns; for the <HI>Socinian</HI> needs only appear in his proper Colour, to make him abhor'd and rejected by all, and lookt upon as an Enemy to God, Religion and the common &s;ence of Mankind.</P>
<P>But there is yet another &s;ort, who pretend an Obedience to the <HI>Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t,</HI> and yet make that ea&s;ie rule of <HI>Salvation</HI> &s;o confu&s;ed and perplex'd, that either they dare not, or cannot give an account of their <HI>Faith.</HI> Their principles, if they have any, are as unaccountable to them|&s;elves as to the World, and they agree in nothing &s;o much as to oppo&s;e the plain &s;en&s;e of the <HI>Scrip|ture;</HI> that <HI>Bapti&s;m</HI> and the <HI>Lord's Supper</HI> are po&s;itive In&s;titutions, the one to be perform'd by <HI>Water</HI> in the <HI>Name of the Father, Son and Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> and the other by <HI>Bread and Wine,</HI> in remembrance of our Saviour's Death and Sufferings, are as plainly and po&s;itively commanded, as any one thing in the Scripture. That the <HI>Apo&s;tles and primitive Chri&s;tians</HI> made it their Practi&s;e, is capable of the &s;ame proof as the Scriptures them&s;elves; they went a|bout Preaching the Lord Je&s;us, and Bapti&s;ing all that believed in his Name, and the condition of Salvation in tho&s;e days, was <HI>Faith, Repen|tance</HI> and <HI>Bapti&s;m;</HI> that to &s;trengthen People
<PB REF="10">in their Faith, they meet on the fir&s;t day in the Week to break Bread, and St. <HI>Paul</HI> is very care|ful to in&s;truct our Behaviour, that we might receive the Bread of the Lord worthily.</P>
<P>Yet notwith&s;tanding this, as if an aukerd Gravity, and &s;ullenne&s;s of Behaviour were to pa&s;s for Authority, they pretend by a <HI>New Light</HI> to another under&s;tanding of the Scripture, and impudently prevert that Sen&s;e which the <HI>Chri|&s;tian Church</HI> for <HI>1600</HI> Years and more &s;ubmit|ted too. So unwilling are they to go to Heaven in the &s;teps of their Fathers, that they prefer eve|ry wild <HI>Enthu&s;ia&s;tick Notion</HI> to the written Word of God, and &s;o fearful of following the Examples of Tradition that each Man &s;ets up for a Rule to him&s;elf; they have no <HI>Prie&s;ts as well as no Sacraments,</HI> no &s;ettled con&s;titution of a Church, and are &s;o little ob&s;ervers of St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Command, to do all things <HI>with Decen|cy and Order,</HI> as if he did not &s;peak it by the Spirit, but to gratifie his own Super&s;tition; they live as if the Go&s;pel was all Privilege, and no Duty, are Enemies to a form in Divine Wor&s;hip, and in &s;pight of the Scripture which commands Women to be in &s;ilence, will needs have them for Speakers among them; thus do they play at <HI>cro&s;s purpo&s;es with the Word of God,</HI> and by their Ob&s;tinancy and Fanta&s;ticalne&s;s, make it of none effect. But there is an Argument again&s;t them, which they never thought fit to an&s;wer, and till they can, mu&s;t be thought Enemies to the <HI>Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t:</HI> An Ordinance once enjoyn'd and never repeal'd, is &s;till in force; but <HI>Bapti&s;m</HI>
<PB REF="11">by <HI>Water</HI> was once enjoyn'd, but never repeal'd: <HI>Ergo,</HI> and &s;o of the <HI>Lord</HI>'s <HI>Supper,</HI> and what ever el&s;e is accounted an Ordinance in the Church of God, and all that lies upon us to prove, is, That what we a&s;&s;ert is an Ordinance, and was enjoyn'd by lawful Authority; and this is what the <HI>Scriptures</HI> prove them&s;elves, and what has been &s;trengthen'd by the Arguments and Practi&s;e of the Church down to this day. So that if there is any &s;uch thing as <HI>Unbelievers,</HI> fal&s;e <HI>Teach|ers,</HI> and denyers of the <HI>Doctrine of Chri&s;t</HI> and his Apo&s;tles, we may find them in this wretched Sect of pretenders to Chri&s;tianity.</P>
<P>But now among the&s;e who have no knowledge of the <HI>Truth,</HI> or hold it in Unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>or put Godline&s;s into a Form</HI> to draw the ridi|cule and &s;corn of the World, its no wonder to meet with them Debauch'd, or fill'd with Pride, Conceit and Devilli&s;hne&s;s, or Deceitful, tru&s;ting in them&s;elves <HI>Hypocrites,</HI> turning the truth of God into a lie. But that we who are Born in a Nation, where the <HI>true Religion is E&s;tabli&s;hed by Law,</HI> and have all the Advantages which God can give us to make us Happy. Our Church teaching us the form of &s;ound Words once deli|ver'd to the Saints, and makes <HI>the Word of God her Rule of Faith,</HI> the Example of the <HI>Apo&s;tles and Primitive Fathers her Guide,</HI> and her con&s;titution &s;uch as Decency directs, that we in the mid&s;t of &s;uch a&s;&s;i&s;tances &s;hould fail of the end of Creation, and in the &s;pight of God's Grace and Mercy, deprive our &s;elves of ever|la&s;ting Happine&s;s, by living in Di&s;obedience to this Church, in contradiction to the word of God,
<PB REF="11">and in defiance of what our rea&s;on tells us is both our intere&s;t and duty. Whence is this hard|ne&s;s of heart, that Men forget they were <HI>Bap|ti&s;ed,</HI> and live as if they never heard of <HI>Religi|on?</HI> Let us all put the Que&s;tion to our &s;elves, and &s;ee whether one Rea&s;on of this Stupidity and Wickedne&s;s is not from our Neglect, in the Edu|cation of tho&s;e committed to our Charge.</P>
<P><HI>We are dedicated to God and Religion as &s;oon as Born,</HI> according to the command of our Saviour; but &s;ince mo&s;t of us are borought to the Church, when through our tender Years we are not capable to judge nor perform what is requi|red of us. The Church according to an Ancient Pre&s;cription has appointed <HI>Sureties</HI> in our behalf; they &s;olemnly Engage for us till we come to an Age that we are able to take care of our &s;elves. Whence is it then, that notwith&s;tanding this Prudent care of the Church, &s;o few are bred up to tho&s;e Pious Rules pre&s;cribed in our <HI>Bapti&s;m,</HI> and how many le&s;s when they come to Age, think them&s;elves bound to perform what was vow'd in their Names. Do they who are <HI>God-fathers</HI> perform their part? Do they endeavor early to in&s;truct their Children, and inform them to what advantages they are Born, that they promi&s;ed by them who are their <HI>Sureties</HI> to perform their duty to God and their Neighbour; that now they are able, they are to be accountable for their own Actions, and take upon them that Solemn Engagement to <HI>Fight un|der Chri&s;t's Banner, and to re&s;i&s;t the World, the Fle&s;h, and the Devil, and to believe all the Articles of the Chri&s;tian Faith.</HI> Thus much is certainly incumbent upon &s;uch as under|take
<PB REF="12">for <HI>Infants</HI> at lea&s;t, that they put the Pa|rents in mind to do it for them, &s;o that there is no &s;uch difficulty that &s;hould di&s;courage any from &s;o charitable a Work, but there is danger for tho&s;e who take it upon them with no de&s;ign, but to comply with the cu&s;tom, but not to inform them of good and Evil; and, Oh, how happy &s;hould we be, if when we fir&s;t come to the knowledge of Good and Evil, that we could &s;o per&s;ue the Good, that God may not deny us the privilege of ta&s;ting of the Tree of Life al&s;o.</P>
<P>Do they who are Parents perform their part by confirming the <HI>Advice of the God-fathers</HI> to their Children, in adding both their Precept and Example. The Church has appointed <HI>God-fa|thers</HI> to be as Monitors, but 'tis they that will be accountable for the mi&s;management of their Children, for they have a con&s;tant Eye over them, and their Authority la&s;t as long as their lives, and if thro' their Negligence, their Children are lo&s;t, their Blood will be required at their hands. 'Twas a &s;evere Judgment upon Old <HI>Eli,</HI> for not main|taining the right of a Parent in the correction of his Sons, tho' he was not altogether &s;ilent at their wickedne&s;s, but mild in his reproof, and yet God removed from him the Prie&s;t-hood for ever. But how many are there that don't &s;ay &s;o much as he did? My Sons, ye do not well to make the Lords's People to Tran&s;gre&s;s, but are rather en|couraging them in their Vices, or &s;ilent at their Wickedne&s;s. <HI>Good God, that Men &s;hould de&s;ire Children to make them mi&s;erable!</HI> Surely it concerns us as much as it did the <HI>Jews,</HI> to bring them up in the fear and Nature of the
<PB REF="12">Lord. Why &s;hould we be cautious in our Admoni|tions, when 'tis our Duty, and their Intere&s;t, to hear and to obey, and we have this for our Encourage|ment, if they are di&s;obedient, the Laws of the Land are ready to our a&s;&s;i&s;tance in the puni&s;hment of Wick|edne&s;s and Vice, and we have this Negative Pow|er, to re&s;train them from being very bad, if we can't make them very Good.</P>
<P>We are born into a World full of Temptations and Mi&s;eries, and tho' God has pronounced it good, as the work of his hands, yet we are &s;o prone to do ami&s;s, that we &s;carce arrive to the power of acting, but we incline to pervert that Ble&s;&s;ing, and make that our Cur&s;e, which was de&s;ign'd our Happine&s;s. 'Tis the Goodne&s;s and Mercy of God that we are crea|ted with a power to Will, and he has placed in us &s;uch an inclination to good, as may be infinitly im|proved by getting in us the upper-hand of <HI>Evil,</HI> and a power to overcome the &s;ubtilties of the <HI>World, the Fle&s;h, and the Devil;</HI> let us then make u&s;e of this <HI>Power</HI> which God has given us, and they who are Young, look up to God to pre&s;erve their <HI>Innocence;</HI> and they who are &s;o unhappy as to have been over taken by the Enemy of Mankind, let them now at length call their ways to remembrance, and turn their face unto God's Te&s;timonies; to this end, let them according to the Direction of a great Man:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Con&s;ider what they have done ami&s;s,</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>What is fitting for them now to do.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, <HI>If they do it not, what the end of their neglect will be.</HI></P>
<P>This Examination con&s;i&s;ts in a review of their pa&s;t life, as to their <HI>Actions,</HI> all that they have left un|done,
<PB REF="13">as well as done; as to their <HI>Faith,</HI> whatever they disbelieved that is true, or believed that is a|mi&s;s; and this is no ea&s;ie task, it requires <HI>Time</HI> and <HI>Pains, Zeal</HI> and <HI>Con&s;tancy,</HI> if their own Educa|tion has not given them the advantage of directing them&s;elves, let them addre&s;s them&s;elves to &s;ome <HI>di&s;|creet Mini&s;ter;</HI> let us fir&s;t con&s;ider the nece&s;&s;ity of Repentance, and then the difficulties, and they are more than we can pre&s;ently imagin. <HI>Our lu&s;ts are not to be conquer'd by a Sigh, a Tear, or a Re&s;olution, when we are in a fit of Devotion;</HI> but let the difficulty be greater than our imaginati|on, we mu&s;t re&s;olve to undertake the Combate, and root out every habit and di&s;po&s;ition to &s;in: In order to it, let us <HI>fir&s;t know what is fitting for us to be|lieve, and then what is fit for our practice;</HI> for if we build upon a true Foundation, our Faith will direct us to work out our Salvation by a true <HI>Repen|tance;</HI> if we &s;uffer our &s;elves to be deceiv'd by any <HI>known &s;in,</HI> we are not in &s;afty, and 'tis not Re|pentance when we repeat our Wickedne&s;s, and we have not conquer'd our lu&s;ts till we are able to re&s;i&s;t them; he who thinks he may go to Heaven, becau&s;e he is <HI>Hone&s;t</HI> in the main, or is one the world calls a <HI>Moral Man,</HI> is in danger of Eternal Ruin; the <HI>Young Man in the Go&s;pel had kept all the Commandments from his Youth, and yet lack|ed one thing needfull to make him perfect;</HI> and the rea&s;on of this purity is plain, for the &s;ame di&s;po&s;itions which we have when we leave this World, will follow us to the next; we are mi&s;taken if we &s;uppo&s;e that with this Body we &s;hall put off the bo|dy of &s;in; or, becau&s;e we die in a fit of Devotion, that
<PB REF="13">God will accept of this la&s;t part of our life, and not account for the re&s;t. Our Souls will have the &s;ame affections in the other World, as here, for there can be no alteration, <HI>as the Tree falls &s;o it lies,</HI> and if we re&s;olve not to endeavour a change till Death ap|proach us, and think that our Reflections upon a Sick|bed are &s;ufficient to attone a mi&s;pent life, we &s;hall be mi&s;erably deceived: It is certain indeed <HI>that a true Repentance, though never &s;o late will be accepted,</HI> but who can be certain that he &s;hall tru|ly repent at a time when he is not fit for the ordinary Offices of life, when his Soul is upon the Wing, and ready to take its flight into another World. <HI>Re|pentance includes more then can be done in &s;uch a dreadful Extremity;</HI> it implies not only that part which many endeavour at that time to act, by moving all about them with their Tears and Re|&s;olutions, but an ab&s;olute change in their whole Man. Who can &s;atisfie him&s;elf that his heart is right towards God, when he has not an opportunity to <HI>try and examine his &s;incerity?</HI> Can any Man be &s;ecure that if he &s;hould live, that his Vices would not return with his Health, &s;ince 'twas nece&s;&s;ity, not choice, that drove him to the&s;e <HI>new Re&s;oluti|ons;</HI> and if he cannot, what unan&s;werable folly is it to defer what rea&s;on and every Man's Con&s;cience &s;ugge&s;t ought pre&s;ently to be done; <HI>let us then not tru&s;t to uncertainty,</HI> but &s;ince God gives an op|portunity to be happy, not make our &s;elves mi&s;era|ble; let us ca&s;t off the Old Man with his Deeds, and betake our &s;elves to a <HI>newne&s;s of life;</HI> and to en|able us in this work, let us &s;et our Faces <HI>towards the Altar of God,</HI> for 'tis there we are to receive &s;trength and comfort, and every good thing. This
<PB REF="14">is what we obliged our &s;elves to at our <HI>Bapti&s;m,</HI> and &s;ince we have lived unworthy of the Fir&s;t <HI>Sa|crament,</HI> let us in <HI>Humiliation and Repentance</HI> approach the Second, that our &s;ins may be blotted out, and we may be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in Light; and now if any ask what preparation we ought to make, I an&s;wer: I know of no other than what I have endeavoured to per&s;wade, and what is nece&s;&s;ary and rea&s;onable, even a true <HI>Faith and Repentance;</HI> that the Sa|crament is a Duty, is generally acknowledg'd, yet through mi&s;takes there are abundance neglect it. Our Saviour was very particular in this Order to his Di&s;|ciples, and his Apo&s;tles devoutly pre&s;s it in all their Writings, and the Ancients received it as an ine&s;ti|mable Ble&s;&s;ing. We are told, that unle&s;s we <HI>Eat Chri&s;t's Body, and drink his Blood, we have no life in us,</HI> and that this is to be done by Bread and Wine in the <HI>Holy Communion,</HI> is what the Apo&s;tles and generality of Mankind down to this Age have believed. Chri&s;t, when he gave it them, told them, it was his Body, and St. <HI>Paul</HI> directs our Behaviour, that we might not receive it un|worthily, but di&s;cern it as the Lord's body, and therefore fir&s;t, <HI>to Examine our &s;elves, and then Eat of that Bread, and Drink of that Cup,</HI> what then &s;hould hinder our approaches to this <HI>Holy Ban|quet; that we are wicked</HI> is no excu&s;e, for why are we not otherwi&s;e; <HI>that we are affraid, becau&s;e of our unworthine&s;s;</HI> if there is no other rea&s;on but our fear, is no Excu&s;e. For 'tis not the &s;en&s;e of our unworthine&s;s that &s;hould hinder us, but our <HI>re&s;olution, or unwillingne&s;s, to be otherwi&s;e,</HI> and that indeed will make us unworthy for ever;
<PB REF="14">for, where &s;hall we be wa&s;hed, if not in this Fountain which is opened for Sin and Uncleanne&s;s? If none but &s;uch as are <HI>perfect</HI> could approach this Holy Table, who then would venture to come near? And what can we think of our Saviour, that could propo&s;e a Snare to endanger our Ruin? No, it was ordain'd for &s;uch as had <HI>a &s;en&s;e of their Unworthine&s;s,</HI> and were &s;en&s;ible of their load, but de&s;ired to be ea&s;ed of their heavy burthen; <HI>Well, but they who come to the Sacrament are obliged to live &s;tricter lives than other Men, and &s;ome are affraid they can't conform to an exactne&s;s of Conver&s;ation.</HI> Why are they not as well affraid, that becau&s;e they don't lead &s;uch lives, that they &s;hall be puni&s;hed, which would be an argument to put them upon that Tryal, and when once they &s;aw the plea&s;antne&s;s of the paths of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, they would endeavour to per&s;e|vere in them? Be&s;ides, they are not obliged, but to lead &s;uch lives as is nece&s;&s;ary to Salvation, and how dares any Man that believes another World do le&s;s? There is danger indeed in <HI>unworthy Receiving,</HI> and there is as great <HI>a danger in &s;taying away,</HI> both of them are a contempt of the Lord's Body, and will receive their reward; in &s;hort, whatever our <HI>Scruples</HI> are that hinder us from this Ordinance, let us with all &s;peed endeavour to remove them, for there is no excu&s;e for <HI>our Ab&s;cence,</HI> nor any obje|ction, but what may ea&s;ily be an&s;wered, if we are &s;incere in our inquiries; 'tis the <HI>neglect of this Sa|crament</HI> that is the cau&s;e of our coldne&s;s in Religion, and I can't tell how it comes to pa&s;s, that tho' the <HI>Church and State</HI> requires all that are at the Age of Sixteen to communicate at lea&s;t three times in the Year, that there is not one in a Thou&s;and ob&s;erve the
<PB REF="15">order; there are a great many con&s;iderate per&s;ons that <HI>never &s;eem to have a de&s;ire after it,</HI> till they come upon their Death-bed, and then are willing to have it to conduct them to Heaven. The <HI>Ancient Church</HI> refu&s;ed to Admini&s;ter to any that had not received it before, and if the di&s;cipline was maintained, it would make us more circum&s;pect; for a great many think if they can have the <HI>Mini&s;ter to pray by them, and give them the Sacrament, all will be well:</HI> But if they who refu&s;ed it in their Health, were deny'd it upon their Death-bed, it would be a dreadful warning to others not to neglect it, and tho&s;e Mini&s;ters who venture now to Admin&s;ter it, tran&s;gre&s;s the <HI>Rubrick</HI> in this ca&s;e; but 'tis as in|di&s;creet to tru&s;t to This now, as to depend upon a Re|pentance, begun at &s;uch a time which is hardly po&s;|&s;ible to be &s;incere, and if not, they are lo&s;t for ever; there are the &s;ame Arguments to bring Men to the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> as there are to per&s;wade them to a new|ne&s;s of life, without both we are not a&s;&s;ured of Sal|vation, and he that pretends to lead a life accord|ing to God's Holy Word, and yet refu&s;es to eat of the Bread which came down from Heaven, how can he hope to be rai&s;ed up at the la&s;t day? <HI>The truth on't is, Men are not willing to part with their Lu&s;ts,</HI> and as long as they are in that mind, they do well to &s;tay away, but do very ill to continue in &s;uch a re&s;olution; but what &s;hall we &s;ay, if neither <HI>Pro|mi&s;e, or Threats, Rewards or Puni&s;hments, Heaven or Hell,</HI> will per&s;wade Men to for&s;ake their &s;ins, nothing will; however we mu&s;t never be weary in well doing, and 'tis our Duty to exhort one ano|ther daily, which was the chief inducement of this, <HI>Advice to tho&s;e which never Receiv'd the Sa|crament,</HI>
<PB REF="15">and this I thought I cou'd not do in a better manner than by &s;hewing, Fir&s;t, <HI>the unrea|&s;onablene&s;s of Sin, and then,</HI> Secondly, <HI>the ne|ce&s;&s;ity of Repentance;</HI> to this end I have collect|ed a form of Devotion which may be u&s;eful in our Conver&s;ion, and when we are &s;o happy as to be &s;en&s;ible of the folly of our ways, that we can &s;et before us the <HI>difficulty of returning,</HI> and yet dare venture thro' all hard&s;hips to attain Salvation. I thought it nece&s;&s;ary to add <HI>&s;ome Arguments to oblige us to that Duty,</HI> which is our intere&s;t to comply with, and which will &s;trengthen our re&s;olutions in Piety; to the&s;e <HI>Directions,</HI> I have collected another form of preparitory Devotions to be u&s;ed at any time before we <HI>approach the Sacrament,</HI> and left it to the <HI>Rea|der's</HI> Di&s;cretion to u&s;e as much of it, and as often as he plea&s;es. That our <HI>behaviour in the Church</HI> might be an&s;werable to the Solemnity, there is ap|pointed a large Form of Devotion, and I have en|deavoured to <HI>range them in a &s;uitable Order,</HI> that every Prayer having a particular relation to what we are then a doing, our Minds might be more mo|ved, and our Souls thus a&s;cending with our Devo|tions, we may pray by the Spirit, and the under|&s;tanding al&s;o. I'm very willing to believe, that all who come to this Holy Table, endeavour to be as de|vout as they can, and 'tis po&s;&s;ible, fancy them&s;elves very Zealous, if they pre&s;cribe their thoughts to that which is <HI>good in general,</HI> and no doubt 'tis very well if they have &s;o much victory over them&s;elves, as to curb their thoughts and de&s;ires; but if by any other helps they can arrive yet farther, and not only when they <HI>enter the Church, leave the thoughts of the World behind,</HI> but can place &s;uch as are &s;uitable
<PB REF="16">in their room, 'tis not only their vertue, but duty; we are to con&s;ider that we are come to remember Chri&s;t, and that all our Thoughts ought to bend them&s;elves to &s;uch holy Meditations; we &s;hould as much as po&s;|&s;ible <HI>pry into the&s;e My&s;teries which the An|gels de&s;ire to look into,</HI> and thus by not only ta|king words with us when we enter the Hou&s;e of God, but directions for our Thoughts too, we might not be in danger to offer up the &s;acrifice of Fools. To the&s;e <HI>Devotions in the Church</HI> I have added &s;ome for our behaviour at Home, for 'tis nece&s;&s;ary to keep our affections <HI>in a heat afterwards, as to kindle them before;</HI> be&s;ides, I had this de|&s;ign in it, to inform &s;ome, who by their <HI>practi&s;e</HI> don't &s;eem to know any more, than that we are to be &s;erious while we are about this Solemnity, and as &s;oon as 'tis over, forget their Re&s;olutions and the Obligations they have put upon them&s;elves, by <HI>Eat|ing and Drinking before the Lord.</HI> We come there to receive Grace to help up to perform our Re|&s;olutions of amendment, as well as to receive pardon for our pa&s;t Offences, and unle&s;s we come with this de&s;ign, we can have no <HI>Ab&s;olution,</HI> and I would to God, that we all did approach this Table with &s;uch Re&s;olutions: In order to it this <HI>Collection of Devotions</HI> is humbly offer'd, and if it &s;hall plea&s;e God to make it an in&s;trument, but to <HI>convert one &s;inner,</HI> or add a zeal to any &s;incere Chri&s;tian, it will abundantly recompence my trouble, and to God alone be the Prai&s;e.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<PB N="1" REF="16">
<HEAD>ADVICE To tho&s;e who never Receiv'd the <HI>Sacrament.</HI> &amp;c.</HEAD>
<P>OUR Saviour has propo&s;ed <HI>Two Sacraments,</HI> as nece&s;&s;ary to Salvation, and the Church of <HI>England</HI> has taken care in her Chatechi&s;m to in&s;truct tho&s;e bred in her Communion to perform both, accor|ding to the Command of her great Law|giver: So that as &s;oon as we are taught to Read, we may learn our Duty to God, our Neighbor, and our&s;elves, and this for a very wi&s;e rea&s;on, that Reli|gion may grow up with us, that we mayn't be to learn our Duty when we &s;hould practi&s;e it. But 'tis the unhap|pine&s;s of a great many People, that they could give a better account of their Faith when they were Children, than at the Age of Di&s;cretion. They invert the Example of the Apo&s;tle, when they are become men, begin to take upon
<PB N="2" REF="17">them the Childi&s;h things; they think what was taught them in their Youth was only fitting for Children to know, and don't become the &s;tu|dy of their graver years, till their neglect brings them almon&s;t to that nece&s;&s;ity, of going to School to learn Wi&s;dom from Babes, and get under|&s;tanding from them that have hardly any knowledge: They have not only forgot what is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper, but are ig|norant of the meaning of it too. This is owing in great mea&s;ure to the gene|ral neglect of Religion; we live with|out concern, have no other Thoughts but for the pre&s;ent, &s;uffer our &s;elves to be hurried on by our perverted Incli|nations, and are without God in the World. So mi&s;erably do we expo&s;e our &s;elves by folly, and incon&s;iderati|on that we neither think of our condi|tion here nor hereafter; and becau&s;e we are &s;o Mad to live like Brutes, to fancy we &s;hall peri&s;h like them that have no Under&s;tanding, but let us not deceive our Souls, Religion is no <HI>Chimera,</HI> and Heaven is worth thinking on. For this end we came into the World, and what is &s;o manife&s;tly our Duty, ought to
<PB N="3" REF="17">be the bu&s;ine&s;s of our lives. <HI>They who have neglected, or are ignorant of it, ought to inform them&s;elves, and be con|vinced of their Sin and Di&s;obedience.</HI> No man ought to think him&s;elf too Old, or Wi&s;e, to be in&s;tructed; e&s;pecially in Religion we may always be improving, and when intere&s;t joins with our Duty it &s;hould be no hard matter to per|&s;wade us into a compliance. There are very few but are per&s;waded in them|&s;elves of the rea&s;onablene&s;s of Religion, and intend at one time or other to be|come Religious; they hope they &s;hall live to a good Old Age, and then grow weary of the World, and its Vices to|gether; but can they think when they are fit for nothing el&s;e, they are capa|ble to do God good Service: So unrea|&s;onable are &s;ome Mens expectations, though they come in at the la&s;t hour, and are pa&s;t their labor too, yet hope to &s;tand upon the &s;ame Terms with tho&s;e that have born the heat of the day, and think God a hard Ma&s;ter, if he &s;hould di&s;count for their Idlene&s;s. Though they can't complain with the Servant in the Go&s;pel, that God reaps where he does not &s;ow, for they tacitly confe&s;s 'tis in their own power to im|prove
<PB N="4" REF="18">their Talent, but are unwilling God &s;hould have too much intere&s;t: They are &s;en&s;ible their time is given them to work out their Salvation, but &s;uppo&s;e a &s;mall part will &s;uffice for that, therefore re&s;erve it for the la&s;t thing, that at lea&s;t they may conclude well; but if the night &s;hould come on before they have fini&s;hed, they mu&s;t not be angry at that di&s;mal &s;urpri&s;e; they knew their Ma&s;ter's will, and mu&s;t &s;ubmit to be puni&s;h'd for their neglect with weeping and gna&s;hing of Teeth.</P>
<P>We all have an inclination to be Happy, and accordingly per&s;ue what|ever we think leads to Satisfaction; the only Unhappine&s;s is, we are apt to be mi&s;taken, and place our Felicity in things which profit nothing; we na|turally adhere to a &s;en&s;ible good, fancy that Religion ties us up from tho&s;e Delights, and therefore de&s;ire to be ex|cu&s;ed, and left to our own Enjoyments. There is little hopes of Mens growing wi&s;er, till they are better reconciled to <HI>Religion;</HI> 'tis the Devil's &s;ubtilty to repre&s;ent its Precepts impracticable, and in &s;o loo&s;e an Age, when Men give them&s;elves up to Ea&s;e and Luxu|ry. Nothing appears &s;o terrible as the
<PB N="5" REF="18" MS="y">taking up the Cro&s;s, but if Men could be per&s;waded to &s;u&s;pend their Opini|on, till they become capable of giving judgment, we might hope to &s;ee no|thing bear &s;o great a Character, as the <HI>Beauties of Religion:</HI> We are required to deny our &s;elves nothing that is fit for wi&s;e Men to do, and are generally &s;o fond of that Epithet, its wonder we don't endeavour to de&s;erve it. None &s;o really can lay claim to it, as they who have the fear of God before their Eyes; for <HI>the fear of the Lord, that is, Wi&s;dom, and to depart from Evil, Un|der&s;tanding.</HI> They have the greate&s;t &s;hare of Knowledge, who&s;e conver&s;a|tion is in Heaven, and &s;tudy in the Go&s;|pel of Chri&s;t: There we learn tho&s;e wondrous Truths which puts Philo&s;o|phy to a &s;tand, and renders the Wi&s;|dom of this World fooli&s;hne&s;s. There we may learn what God has done for us, and what we ought to do for our &s;elves, could we be &s;o happy as to be govern'd by our Rea&s;on, to let our thoughts have there proper place, we &s;hould in a little time perceive that we were not &s;ent hither to gaze about us, that we have immortal Souls to be taken care of, that the greate&s;t Age is
<PB N="6" REF="19">but a few days, and all the Plea&s;ures of this World momentary and deceit|ful, that if we all could rejoice in the days of our Youth, yet we mu&s;t be brought to Judgment; could we but think of the&s;e things, we &s;hould find enough to do, to &s;ecure our intere&s;t in Heaven, and may conveniently di&s;|pence with the Vanities of this World; for be&s;ides the evil of them, they take us off of the contemplation of much bet|ter things. He that has God and E|ternity upon his Mind, has infinite va|riety to employ his Thoughts. The mo&s;t exqui&s;ite Wits have &s;ubject for their Fancies, and the ignorant may be improving in true Wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>'Tis our misfortune to &s;uffer the love of this World to prevail upon us, and till we have &s;omething more love|ly to remove our Affections, can't ea&s;i|ly give a Bill of Divorce. Our Pa&s;|&s;ions are &s;trong, and when we have habituated our &s;elves to the love of a|ny one thing, can't quickly put a curb to our de&s;ires; we talk of Hea|ven but at a di&s;tance, think it &s;uffici|ent to take up with tho&s;e plea&s;ures, when we can enjoy the&s;e no longer we are &s;ure of the pre&s;ent, and have a
<PB N="7" REF="19">mi&s;tru&s;t either that the future will not come, or that they are not worth the exchange, that we &s;hould deny our &s;elves a familliar &s;atisfaction for un|certain expectations. 'Tis from &s;uch rea&s;ons we are deluded, and though we dare not &s;peak out, are &s;uch fools as to mi&s;tru&s;t in our hearts the truth of the&s;e things. In &s;hort, 'tis the want of Faith, we are not fully convinced of the exi&s;tence of a Deity, or that there is a Providence in the World. This proceeds from the want of con&s;i|deration, we dont allow our &s;elves time to think, but take it upon tru&s;t, we don't endeavour to reconcile it to our Rea&s;on, and having no conviction in our minds grow indifferent, at la&s;t come to that degree of wickedne&s;s as to ca&s;t off all thoughts of God and Religion.</P>
<P>This is certainly the Ca&s;e of too ma|ny: And even among tho&s;e who are more fully per&s;uaded of the&s;e things; that believe there is a God, and a Judg|ment to come, we find a prodigious Neglect; and have nothing but their Words, to incline us to believe they ever heard of the <HI>Chri&s;tian Religion.</HI> In|deed, they come to Church once a a Week, hear <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> preach'd, and
<PB N="8" REF="20">that they mu&s;t depend upon his Merits to be &s;aved. This they are willing to be|lieve, if God will accept them upon that Condition; for they do not care to be concern'd in the <HI>Working out their Sal|vation;</HI> but are free to let our <HI>Saviour</HI> have the Honour of Conducting them to <HI>Heaven,</HI> if they may be exempt from the Severity of <HI>Fear and Trembling:</HI> They can heartily believe any thing that favours their Intere&s;t, and are ve|ry de&s;irous of getting into <HI>Paradi&s;e</HI> by <HI>Faith,</HI> if God will excufe them from <HI>Good Works.</HI> But this we mu&s;t not be|lieve; for we are as certain as there is a God, that <HI>no unrighteous Man &s;hall &s;ee his Face;</HI> nor any Man, without <HI>Re|pentance,</HI> and a <HI>true Faith</HI> in <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t. Except we repent, we &s;hall all likewi&s;e pe|ri&s;h:</HI> And <HI>unle&s;s we believe that</HI> Je&s;us <HI>is the</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>&s;hall be damned.</HI> True <HI>Re|pentance</HI> is a hearty Sorrow for Sin pa&s;t, and a &s;erious Re&s;olution to amend our Lives for the future. <HI>True Faith will be &s;hewn by our Works; for if we believe in him, we &s;hall keep his Commandments.</HI> We cannot think that God made us for nothing; and was at the Expence of &s;o great a Miracle, only to furni&s;h witty Men with Matter for a &s;trange Story.
<PB N="9" REF="20">There mu&s;t be &s;omething more in Sin, than we imagine; and the Provocations of the Wicked mu&s;t be exceeding abo|minable. It mu&s;t be of a prodigious Nature, that could &s;o incen&s;e a merci|ful God, that nothing le&s;s than the Sa|crifice of his Son could expiate. Can we think the <HI>Work of our Redemption</HI> of &s;o little value, that it is not to be con&s;i|dered? Oh! let the Con&s;ideration of this move us to be grateful to the <HI>ex|ceeding Love</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> Let us glorifie God in our Lives; and let not the <HI>Price of his Blood</HI> be utterly lo&s;t: Let the Time pa&s;t of our Lives &s;uffice for the <HI>Works of Iniquity;</HI> and let us <HI>break off our Sins by Repentance, and turn to the Lord our God.</HI> To which End, let us call our &s;elves to a &s;evere Account, and examine the Errour of our Ways; let us humble our &s;elves in Fa&s;ting and Prayer, beg Pardon for our Offences, and Strength to with&s;tand the A&s;&s;aults of the Devil, and our Inclinations; for <HI>till we are thus purified, we expect the Grace of God in vain. Chri&s;t</HI> will not come into a filthy Habitation; and while our Bodies are unclean, the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t</HI> will not erect his Temple there. How nece&s;&s;ary is it then to begin our <HI>Repen|tance</HI>
<PB N="10" REF="21">&s;peedily; <HI>to day, while it is called to day, le&s;t any of us be harden'd through the Deceitfulne&s;s of Sin?</HI> Sin is very bewitching; and when it has got the Ma&s;tery, is not ea&s;ily re&s;i&s;ted. Habits require a great deal of Pains to un|learn; e&s;pecially, when they are &s;uch as cau&s;e us not only to take plea&s;ure in them our &s;elves, but delight in tho&s;e who do the &s;ame thing: They are then become mighty <HI>Dallila's,</HI> dearer to us than our Eyes or Limbs; we can much rather part with either than our Lu&s;ts: Of &s;uch mighty force are they, that we not only loo&s;e our Strength, but Rea&s;on; and are led Captives where&s;oever they will. A Man thus overcome, is mi&s;e|rable indeed; for he is not only under the Power of the Devil, and his own unruly Lu&s;ts; but has God for his Ene|my: And where can he then flee for Succour? How dreadfully mu&s;t his Soul be &s;haken, when his Con&s;cience begins to &s;ugge&s;t all things are not well within, that there is a Nece&s;&s;ity of a &s;peedy Alteration; that his Impieties are daring, and grown to &s;uch a heighth as cannot be thought on without Hor|rour and Confu&s;ion; when he can nei|ther put off the&s;e Reflections, or bear
<PB N="11" REF="21">the Trial of the Pro&s;pect! The fir&s;t Sight renders him mon&s;trous; and the Continuance, exceeding frightful! It ca&s;ts him into a thoughtle&s;s, yet ama|zing Condition, and leaves him under the Pre&s;&s;ure of a wounded Spirit! Such are generally the Conflicts of tho&s;e that have &s;ubmitted to the Yoke of <HI>Satan,</HI> when they fir&s;t come to them&s;elves: And no Man that believ'd the Torture of this Condition, would put him|&s;elf under &s;o dreadful a Nece&s;&s;ity. Alas! the&s;e are but the Beginning of Sorrows; there is <HI>Eternity</HI> behind, and <HI>Hell,</HI> the <HI>Habitation of the Wicked for ever,</HI> unle&s;s this Sen&s;e of Sin drives us to <HI>Repentance</HI> and <HI>Reformation.</HI> But 'tis uncertain whether we &s;hall come thus to our &s;elves, till <HI>Death</HI> overtake us; or, &s;ince we re&s;olv'd to &s;in till we could &s;in no longer, whether there will be Place found for our Tears. Therefore let every Man call his Ways to remem|brance: But they who are thus en&s;lav'd in Sin, let them make ha&s;te to deliver them&s;elves from the <HI>Wrath to come;</HI> their Ca&s;e is very dangerous, they &s;eem to be de&s;tin'd to De&s;truction; for they have &s;o long &s;uffer'd their Lu&s;ts to have Dominion over them, that they know
<PB N="12" REF="22">not how to free them&s;elves from this <HI>Tyranny of Sin.</HI> But ble&s;&s;ed be God, who has provided <HI>a Lamb for the Sacri|fice,</HI> there is yet a Way for our <HI>Redem|ption;</HI> God has not wholly left us with|out Help in this World. Though <HI>the Prayers of the Wicked are an Abomina|tion,</HI> yet tho&s;e of the Penitent are not &s;o. If we are &s;o happy as to &s;top in this Career, have but &s;o much Re&s;olu|tion to begin a <HI>Reformation,</HI> God is &s;o merciful as to add his Grace to help us forward to <HI>Repentance:</HI> But 'tis only when God &s;ees us &s;et about it in earne&s;t, for he knows our Hearts and Thoughts long before.</P>
<P>Therefore let us embrace the fir&s;t Thoughts of <HI>Repentance,</HI> and carry them on to a &s;incere Reformation: Let us re|tire from the World, and humble our &s;elves in <HI>Fa&s;ting;</HI> and this not once or twice, but often; for we have need to <HI>cry mightily to God,</HI> Day and Night, to be <HI>redeem'd</HI> from this wor&s;e than <HI>Egy|ptian Bondage.</HI> On the Day of our <HI>Hu|miliation,</HI> that the Mi&s;ery of our Con|dition may oblige us to the greater <HI>Pe|nitence,</HI> let us fir&s;t con&s;ider the Odiou&s;|ne&s;s of Sin, that we may learn to dete&s;t it; the Aggravation of it, by being
<PB N="13" REF="22">committed frequently, pre&s;umptuou&s;ly, and again&s;t Knowledge; that we may abhor our &s;elves for our <HI>Folly</HI> and <HI>Ingra|titude.</HI> Then let us reflect upon the Number of them; which being infi|nite, ought to lay us in the Du&s;t, and confe&s;s our &s;elves to be wor&s;e than no|thing.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="reflections">
<HEAD>Reflections of a true Penitent upon his fir&s;t Conviction.</HEAD>
<P><Q>O God! to what an amazing, and mi|&s;erable Condition have I brought my &s;elf! I &s;tand expo&s;ed to thy <HI>Severe&s;t Judgment</HI> here; and am liable to thy <HI>Indignation</HI> hereafter. I know, I am not in a <HI>State of Salvation,</HI> and yet can't lament my <HI>Mi&s;ery.</HI> I am a <HI>Sinner,</HI> and reflect upon the evil Con&s;equence of <HI>Sin;</HI> yet am neither <HI>Terrified,</HI> or <HI>Sor|rowfull.</HI> What a heap of Contradiction and Wickedne&s;s am I made up of, that believe the <HI>Plea&s;ures</HI> of thy <HI>Law,</HI> and yet depart from thy <HI>Commandments;</HI> that fear the <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> of thy <HI>Anger,</HI> and yet can't be per&s;waded to for&s;ake the <HI>Evil</HI> of my <HI>Ways.</HI> Thus mi&s;erable, O God, do I behold my &s;elf; but thou
<PB N="14" REF="23">&s;ee&s;t, that I am infinitly more vile than I can imagine; Though my Crimes ap|pear to me beyond my expre&s;&s;ion, and my Heart thus condemns me, <HI>thou art greater than my Heart, and knowe&s;t all things.</HI> Thou knowe&s;t how often each Sin has been repeated, and the vilene&s;s of that Sin; and how much more heinous, by the habitual Repetition, when my <HI>Depraved Nature</HI> will neither let me know the <HI>Ba&s;ene&s;s</HI> of the one, or the <HI>Ingratitude</HI> of the other. I am in|&s;en&s;ible how much thou art offended by one Sin, and am forgetfull how often I have repeated that Offence; and can only tell that Sin in me is above mea&s;ure &s;inful. O! that there was a Heart in me even to apprehend this! that I cou'd &s;ay with a &s;incere Heart, and pen&s;ive Soul, <HI>Lord, I am a mi&s;erable Sinner.</HI> But this is not in my power; I can only reflect upon my Sins at a di&s;tance, as if they did not concern me, and my poor Soul was not to an&s;wer for them at thy <HI>Tribunal.</HI> O God, thy Hand is heavy upon me, I know my Sins are abominable in thy Sight, and that thy <HI>Judgment</HI> inflicts this <HI>Hardne&s;s of Heart,</HI> and that thou art re&s;olved to try me no longer. Thou &s;ee&s;t that I am Ground|ed
<PB N="15" REF="23">in Wickedne&s;s, that evil is continually with me, that if thou &s;hou'd&s;t forgive, I &s;hall revolt again, and wherefore &s;houd&s;t thou withhold thine Hand. O my God, I have nothing to offer to put a Stop to thy <HI>Vindictive Ju&s;tice;</HI> but confe&s;s, I de&s;erve <HI>Eternal Damnation:</HI> But who can be content to dwell in <HI>Everla&s;ting Burnings?</HI> Is there then no Way to e&s;cape thy <HI>Vengeance?</HI> Wilt thou be angry for ever? Yes, O God; un|le&s;s I <HI>repent,</HI> thou wilt bring me to wor&s;e than nothing; for thou wilt condemn me to <HI>Eternal Torment.</HI> How can I re|pent, unle&s;s thou change my Nature, and give me a Heart to be &s;orry, and abhor the <HI>Evil of my Ways?</HI> But why &s;hould I expect this Mercy, that have abus'd all others. I can't look up to thee with any Confidence, to beg thee to have Patience with me; for my <HI>Prayers</HI> mu&s;t be an Abomination, and my <HI>Devotions</HI> no way plea&s;ing in thy Sight: Oh! the <HI>Mi&s;ery</HI> that I have brought my &s;elf into, God has with|drawn him&s;elf, and taken his <HI>Holy Spi|rit</HI> from me; there remains only, that I be re&s;erv'd again&s;t the <HI>Revelation</HI> of that Day, in which the <HI>Righteous Judg|ments</HI> of God will appear, to condemn
<PB N="16" REF="24">me, and all &s;uch <HI>ungrateful Souls,</HI> to the <HI>Torments</HI> of <HI>Hell.</HI> Righteous art thou, O Lord; and in the mid&s;t of <HI>Flames</HI> will I confe&s;s thy <HI>Ju&s;tice. Fear</HI> is come up|on me; and thy <HI>Judgment</HI> is the &s;everer, in that I am not &s;en&s;ible of the <HI>Danger.</HI> Wilt thou laugh at this my <HI>Calami|ty?</HI> And &s;hall not mine Eyes be open, till the <HI>Flames</HI> of <HI>Hell</HI> terrifie them? Wilt thou &s;uffer me thus to &s;ink down into <HI>Torment;</HI> and de&s;pi&s;e the <HI>Groans</HI> of a <HI>Soul</HI> in an Aby&s;s of <HI>Mi&s;ery?</HI> Oh, I cou'd be content to yield to thy &s;evere&s;t Inflictions here, if I cou'd be brought to the favour of God: But I dare not ask of <HI>Thee</HI> to correct me, lea&s;t thou do it in <HI>Judgment;</HI> and yet I dread thy Rod that it will come, and how can I bear to fall into the Hands <HI>of the Living God.</HI> Who can deliver me from thy Power, Oh, thou <HI>Omnipotent God?</HI> What can I do when <HI>Mi&s;ery</HI> thus abounds, and each Reflection pre&s;ents Damnation to my view? Surely, if I was truly affected with my Condition, it would work upon my Spirit, and when my Soul was &s;en&s;ible of Sin, and how bitter a thing it is to depart from God, it would cau&s;e &s;uch <HI>Relentings</HI> and <HI>Tremblings,</HI> &s;uch <HI>Contrition</HI> and <HI>Hu|miliation,</HI>
<PB N="17" REF="24">as becomes a Soul loaded with my <HI>Crimes.</HI> Oh, that my <HI>Con&s;ci|ence</HI> wou'd ri&s;e up again&s;t me, and call me to the &s;tricte&s;t Account, that my Soul was wounded within me. That I had the fear of an angry God deeply imprinted upon my Soul; Oh, that I was a &s;orrowful <HI>Sinner.</HI> Oh, that I could grieve as never Man griev'd; but alas, 'tis not in my power thus to afflict my &s;elf, and what would it avail me if I could wrack my <HI>Soul,</HI> and put my Nature into terrible <HI>Con|flicts.</HI> Can the <HI>Sighs</HI> and <HI>Groans,</HI> and torturing <HI>Convul&s;ions</HI> of &s;uch a Sinner, move Compa&s;&s;ion in the <HI>Mo&s;t High;</HI> will not God be Deaf to my <HI>Complaint,</HI> and regardle&s;s of my Cries? Is there then no Help, and mu&s;t I peri&s;h for Ever, <HI>wherefore ha&s;t thou made all Men for Naught?</HI> Why did thy Exuburant love expre&s;s it &s;elf to lo&s;t <HI>Mankind</HI> by &s;uch a woundrous <HI>Miracle?</HI> Why di&s;t thou empty thy &s;elf, and come down among us, become <HI>Poor,</HI> endure <HI>Hard&s;hip, Cold</HI> and <HI>Hun|ger,</HI> and run through a <HI>Sea</HI> of <HI>Blood?</HI> But to attone tho&s;e <HI>Crimes,</HI> from which Men nor Angels were able to &s;et us Free, to afford us that Mercy
<PB N="18" REF="25">which the ju&s;tice of God would not allow of. Oh, my God, ha&s;t thou only excepted me, wilt thou be &s;o &s;evere with me who have mo&s;t need of the &s;atisfaction of my <HI>Saviour</HI> which was offer'd for a <HI>Sinful World.</HI> I am inexpre&s;&s;ibly Mi&s;erable, and want to be &s;en&s;ible of my <HI>Condition,</HI> and will infinite Mercy refu&s;e what the love of God came on purpo&s;e to do. Can my <HI>Sins</HI> come near the dimen&s;ions of thy Mercy? I own to my Confu&s;ion, I am as great a <HI>Sinner</HI> as a mortal Man can be; but 'tis neither beyond thy <HI>Power,</HI> nor un&s;ual to thy <HI>Mercy</HI> to relieve &s;uch a matchle&s;s Object of Di&s;tre&s;s. I confe&s;s I'm not a penitent <HI>Sinner,</HI> but thou can&s;t make me one, and though I want an humble and contrite <HI>Spirit,</HI> yet thou can&s;t ena|ble me to offer up a <HI>Sacrifice</HI> that thou wilt not De&s;pi&s;e. Oh, my abu&s;ed <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> I fly to thee, thou may&s;t in|deed cen&s;ure the Approach, but 'tis thy <HI>Love,</HI> thy <HI>Mercy,</HI> and my own <HI>Un|worthine&s;s</HI> which drives me to thee; thou knowe&s;t I'm more unworthy then I think my &s;elf, but was I yet wor&s;e, I firmly believe thy <HI>Blood</HI> can clean&s;e me, and that the merit of thy
<PB N="19" REF="25"><HI>Cro&s;s</HI> and <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion</HI> can cover my imper|fections. Oh, Holy Spirit of God, in|&s;pire me with the humble&s;t Soul and devoute&s;t Affections, that I may ap|ply my &s;elf to the Father of Mercies, and be made a fit Object for the God of comfort to relieve.</Q> <HI>O God the Father, O God the Son, O God the Holy Gho&s;t; O Ble&s;&s;ed Trinity have mercy up|on me, a mi&s;erable Sinner.</HI></P>
<P>We may rea&s;onably &s;uppo&s;e that a Man who has devoted him&s;elf to <HI>Wickedne&s;s,</HI> at the unburthening his <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> mu&s;t entertain &s;ome &s;uch thoughts as the&s;e. 'Tis natural he &s;hould be devi|ded betwixt <HI>Hope</HI> and <HI>Fear;</HI> the more he is &s;en&s;ible of his <HI>Sins,</HI> the greater his A&s;toni&s;hment. His <HI>Humiliation</HI> and mean Opinion of him&s;elf can't be two &s;evere, if he keeps from <HI>De&s;paire;</HI> for after all, we can neither &s;ufficiently know the evil of <HI>Sin,</HI> nor lament for committing it. The more we con&s;ider, the greater will be our Aver&s;ion, and when we have arriv'd to &s;uch a &s;en&s;e of <HI>Sin,</HI> as will beget in us a hatred to it, we may with more &s;ecurity promi&s;e an Amendment. But before we pro|ceed to that, let us by the help of &s;ome
<PB N="20" REF="26" MS="y"><HI>Catalogue,</HI> of <HI>Sin</HI> examine our Conditi|on more fully, for the <HI>Heart is deceit|ful,</HI> and the <HI>Memory</HI> willing to forget what it is affraid to con&s;ider. Having laid before us &s;uch a Scheme, let us then beg of God to enable us in this work, that we main't deceive our <HI>Souls.</HI> Let us upon our Knees con&s;ider that we are now to Examine our &s;elves of tho&s;e things which we are to An&s;wer at the <HI>Day of Judgment,</HI> if we don't Confe&s;s and Repent &s;hall be mi&s;erable for ever, and that 'tis much better that we con|demn our &s;elves, than leave it to the Tribunal of a <HI>ju&s;t God;</HI> therefore be|lieving we are in the pre&s;ence of God, as we certainly are at all times, but God is more e&s;pecially pre&s;ent, when we are upon <HI>Religious Duties;</HI> let us &s;ay.</P>
<P><HI>Oh, my God!</HI> hear the Voice of my humble <HI>Petition</HI> now I cry unto thee, and lift up my Hands to thy <HI>mercy Seat.</HI> Behold, <HI>Lord,</HI> now I am about to &s;earch into my own Heart, but ala&s;s, my Heart is <HI>Deceitful</HI> and de&s;perately <HI>Wick|ed,</HI> how can I know it? Thou there|fore that &s;earche&s;t the Heart and trie&s;t the Reins, di&s;cover to me all the evil and deceits of my own Heart, that I
<PB N="21" REF="26" MS="y">may Confe&s;s, Bewail and for&s;ake them, and obtain mercy. <HI>Lord hear me, Lord help me, for the merits of Je|&s;us my Saviour,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P><HI>Oh, my Soul!</HI> Thou art now in the pre&s;ence of the <HI>Great Judge of Heaven and Earth,</HI> before who&s;e dreadful <HI>Tri|bunal</HI> thou mu&s;t certainly appear at the day of <HI>Judgment,</HI> to give a &s;trict Ac|count of all thy Actions, of every idle <HI>Word,</HI> and every evil <HI>Thought,</HI> and thy own <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> will then be thine <HI>Ac|cu&s;er.</HI></P>
<P>Think, <HI>O my Soul,</HI> think if thou can&s;t, what unimaginable Horrors will &s;eize an impenitent <HI>Sinner,</HI> when the la&s;t <HI>Trump</HI> calls him out of his <HI>Grave,</HI> and Devils begin to drag him to God's <HI>Judgment Seat!</HI> What wou'd &s;uch a Wretch give to purcha&s;e one &s;uch op|portunity of <HI>Repentance,</HI> as God now in great mercy gives thee; if ever thou hope&s;t to e&s;cape tho&s;e Horrors. <HI>O my Soul,</HI> make thy Peace with God, judge thy &s;elf here, lea&s;t thou be Con|demned hereafter.</P>
<P>Let us now proceed to ask our &s;elves whether we are Guilty or not; when we find our &s;elves Guilty, let us &s;et it down upon a Paper, and &s;ay.</P>
<PB N="22" REF="27">
<P><HI>Lord have Mercy on me, and forgive me this &s;in.</HI></P>
<P>To tho&s;e we have not con&s;ented, let us humbly prai&s;e God, and &s;ay.</P>
<P>Glory be to thee, <HI>O Lord,</HI> for pre|&s;erving me from this Sin. O continue thy Goodne&s;s, and give me Grace to re&s;i&s;t it to my lives end.</P>
<P>After we have ran&s;lak'd our <HI>Brea&s;t,</HI> and laid before us the di&s;mal &s;cene of our <HI>Folly,</HI> we &s;hall certainly be moved at our <HI>Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions,</HI> and our <HI>Repentance</HI> will be u&s;her'd in with <HI>Sighs</HI> and <HI>Groans,</HI> to te&s;tifie our Abhorrence, or <HI>Tears</HI> to &s;how our Trouble. It is po&s;&s;ible with both together, and when God &s;ees us thus <HI>Relenting</HI> and <HI>Trembling, Weeping</HI> and <HI>Blu&s;hing</HI> for our <HI>Offences;</HI> he may be moved through the interce&s;&s;ion of our Saviour, to hear our humble Petitions, for &s;uch a <HI>Sacrifice</HI> he is plea&s;ed with, and a Heart thus broken <HI>God will not di&s;|pi&s;e.</HI> Therefore let us now humble our &s;elves and with all po&s;&s;ible <HI>Penitence,</HI> con|fe&s;s our &s;elves to God in the following form.</P>
<P>Righteou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>O Lord,</HI> belongs unto thee, but unto me confu&s;ion of <HI>Face,</HI> the <HI>Vaine&s;t,</HI> the <HI>Vile&s;t,</HI> the &s;infulle&s;t of all the Children of Men.</P>
<PB N="23" REF="27">
<P>Lord, I am vile in my own Eyes, and de&s;ire to be more vile, becau&s;e my &s;ins have made me vile in thine.</P>
<P>I am not worthy of the <HI>Air</HI> I breath, of the <HI>Earth</HI> I tread upon, or the <HI>Sun</HI> that &s;hines upon me; much le&s;s wor|thy to lift up Hands or Eyes to Hea|ven, for thou ha&s;t &s;aid that no unclean thing &s;hall come within thy &s;ight, how then &s;hall I appear who am &s;o mi&s;era|bly defil'd?</P>
<P>If the Man, according to thine own Heart, cou'd &s;ay that he was a Worm, and no Man, <HI>Lord what am I?</HI></P>
<P>If <HI>Abraham,</HI> who had the Honour to be called thy Friend, cou'd &s;ay that he was but Du&s;t and A&s;hes, <HI>O God, what am I?</HI></P>
<P>O my God, thou maid&s;t me of no|thing; and thou &s;ee&s;t how I have &s;poil|ed this Work of thine: I have made my &s;elf wor&s;e than nothing, for I am &s;till in my Sins, and know not what to do, but this I will do.</P>
<P>I will confe&s;s my <HI>Wickedne&s;s,</HI> and be &s;orry for my <HI>Sins.</HI> I will pour out my <HI>Prayers</HI> in the bitterne&s;s of my <HI>Spirit;</HI> and therefore now Lord call my Sins to my <HI>Remembrance,</HI> and when thou ha&s;t &s;o done, blot them out of thy Remem|brance, and Pardon me.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="confession of sin">
<PB N="24" REF="28">
<HEAD>A Confe&s;&s;ion of Sin.</HEAD>
<P>O Thou great Judge of Heaven and Earth, before who&s;e glorious Maje|&s;ty, even the good Angels who never &s;in|ned, fall pro&s;trate and tremble; with what deba&s;ement and dread ought I to appear before thy awful Pre&s;ence, who am but Du&s;t and A&s;hes, and which is infinitely wor&s;e <HI>a mi&s;erable Sinner.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord, God Almigh|ty,</HI> thou art of purer eyes than to be|hold iniquity, with the lea&s;t approba|tion, the way of the wicked and the &s;acrifice of the wicked is an <HI>Abomina|tion unto thee:</HI> Wo is me then, <HI>O Lord,</HI> Wo is me, for I have inclined unto <HI>Wick|edne&s;s,</HI> but for the &s;ake of thy well-beloved <HI>Son,</HI> ca&s;t not out my prayer, nor turn thy mercy from me.</P>
<P>Mi&s;erable wretch that I am, I have gone a&s;tray from the very <HI>Womb,</HI> I was &s;hapen in <HI>Wickedne&s;s,</HI> and in <HI>Sin</HI> did my Mother <HI>Conceive me.</HI> Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean, What is Man then, <HI>O God,</HI> that he &s;hould be <HI>Clean,</HI> or he that is born of a Woman, that he &s;hould be <HI>Righteous?</HI> Thou, Lord, putte&s;t no tru&s;t in thy Saints, The Heavens are nor clean in thy &s;ight, and the very Angels thou charge&s;t with folly.</P>
<PB N="25" REF="28">
<P>How much more abominable than am I, who daily drink iniquity like Water. Lord Pity, clean&s;e, forgive and &s;ave me, for thy mercies &s;ake. I know, <HI>O God,</HI> that in my fle&s;h dwell|eth no good thing, for when I would do <HI>Good, Evil</HI> is pre&s;ent with me, and I &s;ee a Law in my Members warring a|gain&s;t the Law of my Mind, bringing me into Captivity to the Law of Sin: <HI>Lord have mercy on me,</HI> and deliver me from this body of Death, from this ty|ranny of Sin.</P>
<P>Ala&s;s, my whole Nature is corrupt, infinitely prone to all <HI>Evil,</HI> and a ver&s;e to all that is <HI>Good;</HI> my Under&s;tanding is full of Ignorance and error, my will perver&s;e, my Memory tenacious of all things that may pollute me, but for|getful of my Duty; my Pa&s;&s;ions are in|ordinate, my Sen&s;es the inlets to all impurity; I have abu&s;ed all my facul|ties, and am unclean, unclean.</P>
<P>Lord pity, clean&s;e, forgive, and &s;ave me, for thy mercies &s;ake.</P>
<P><HI>O Lord God,</HI> how have I through my whole life violated the &s;ollemn Vow I made to thee at Bapti&s;m, by eagerly per&s;uing the Vanities of this Wicked <HI>World;</HI> by early yeilding to the Temp|tation
<PB N="26" REF="29">of the <HI>Devil,</HI> by greedily indul|ging my own carnal De&s;ires and Lu&s;t, by a fruitle&s;s and dead faith, and by a di&s;obedience to thy holy Will and Com|mandments.</P>
<P><HI>Father,</HI> I have Sin'd again&s;t <HI>Heaven,</HI> and in thy &s;ight, and am no more wor|thy to be called thy <HI>Son;</HI> I have Sin'd, <HI>O Lord God,</HI> I have Sin'd again&s;t Thee. By, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>[Here make your confe&s;&s;ion of Sins again&s;t God, and then add,</HI></P>
<P>O Je&s;u, Lamb of God, Son of the Fa|ther, let thy Blood clean&s;e me from the&s;e &s;ins: O pity, forgive, and &s;ave me for thy mercies &s;ake.</P>
<P>I have &s;in'd, O Lord God, I have &s;in'd again&s;t thee, and my own &s;elf. By, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>[Here confe&s;s your &s;ins again&s;t your Self, and then add,</HI></P>
<P>O Je&s;u, Lamb of God, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>I have &s;in'd, O Lord God, I have &s;in'd again&s;t thee, and my Neighbor. By, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>[Here confe&s;s your &s;ins again&s;t your Neighbor, and then add,</HI></P>
<P>O Je&s;u, Lamb of God, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>O Lord God, my wickedne&s;s is ex|ceeding great, and my iniquities are in|finite;
<PB N="27" REF="29">they are more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart would fail me, but that I know thy mercies are greater than my &s;ins. Have mercy upon me therefore, O God, ac|cording to the multitude of thy mer|cies do away my Offences.</P>
<P>Who, alas, can tell how oft he Of|fends? Oh, clean&s;e thou me from my &s;ecret faults; from all my &s;ins of <HI>Igno|rance,</HI> or <HI>Infirmity,</HI> or <HI>Omi&s;&s;ion,</HI> or which I have not ob&s;erved, or which I have forgot, Lord, lay none of them to my charge: Father, forgive me, Lord Je&s;us have mercy upon me. O remember not the &s;ins and offences of my Youth, but receive me, O heavenly Father, in|to the Arms of thy Fatherly compa&s;&s;i|on, and forgive me all my Tran&s;gre&s;&s;i|ons for the merits of Je&s;us, thy Son, and my Saviour, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P>O Lord God of Mercy and Pardon, give me a ju&s;t remembrance and &s;ad apprehen&s;ion of my &s;ins; teach me to, bewail them with as great indignation and bitterne&s;s, as I have committed them with complacency and delight: Let my Prayer and Confe&s;&s;ion come into thy pre&s;ence, and obtain mercy and pardon for me. Let not thy Ju&s;tice and
<PB N="28" REF="30">Severity &s;o remember my &s;ins as to forget thy own mercy, and though I de&s;erve to be condemned, yet thou can&s;t not lo&s;e that glorious attribute whence flows comfort to us, and hopes of being &s;aved. Spare me therefore, O merciful God; for to give pardon to a &s;inner that confe&s;&s;es his faults, and begs remi&s;&s;ion, is not impo&s;&s;ible to thy Power, nor di&s;proportionate to thy Ju|&s;tice, nor unu&s;ual to thy mercy. Ble&s;|&s;ed Je&s;u, acknowledge in me what&s;oe|ver is thine; clean&s;e me from what&s;o|ever is ami&s;s: Have pitty on me, now in the time of mercy, and condemn me not when thou come&s;t to judgment, for what profit is there in my Blood. Thou delighte&s;t not in the death of a Sinner, but in his Conver&s;ion is joy in Hea|ven; and when thou ha&s;t delivered me from my &s;ins, and &s;aved my Soul, I &s;hall prai&s;e and magnifie thy Name to all Eternity, <HI>O Je&s;u, God be merciful to me a mi&s;erable Sinner.</HI></P>
<P>O Lord, who art the God that hear|e&s;t prayers, and alone has power final|ly to forgive &s;in, I be&s;eech the merci|fully hear, and graciou&s;ly an&s;wer the&s;e my Petitions for pardon. I am a &s;in|ner, and de&s;erve puni&s;hment, but, O
<PB N="29" REF="30">Lord, remove my guilt, and &s;pare me, who do now confe&s;s with &s;hame and &s;orrow, my &s;ins unto thee, that I who&s;e Con&s;cience by &s;in is accu&s;ed &s;o ju&s;tly now before thee, by thy merciful par|don may be ab&s;olved from my Guilt, for the &s;ake and through the merits of Je&s;us Chri&s;t our Lord.</P>
<P><HI>By thine Agony and bloody Sweat, by thy Cro&s;s and Pa&s;&s;ion, by thy precious Death and Burial,</HI> Good Lord deliver.</P>
<P>O Lamb of God that take&s;t away the Sins of the World, <HI>Have mercy upon</HI></P>
<P>O Chri&s;t hear me,</P>
<P>Lord have mercy upon me,</P>
<P>Chri&s;t have, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Lord, have mercy, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Our Father which art, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<PB N="30" REF="31">
<HEAD>A Prayer.</HEAD>
<Q>O mo&s;t gracious God, who out of thy boundle&s;s Compa&s;&s;ion to thy Creatures, art never wanting in any means that may draw them to thy &s;elf. I the unworthie&s;t of thy Servants, de&s;ire to give Glory to thee in a hearty acknowledgement, that thou ha&s;t afforded me all the methods that might either force or allure me to Obedience; but I have re&s;i&s;ted that goodne&s;s of thine which &s;hould have lead me to Repentance: Thy compa&s;&s;ion has been affronted by my continuance in &s;in, and thy forbear|ance only &s;erv'd to harden me in Ini|quity. I have lived to provoke thy Mercies, by endeavouring to out-vye them with my Sins; what can I ex|pect but to find a Judgment worthy of God, &s;uch an irrever&s;ible ruine as might render me an a&s;toni&s;hing in|&s;tance of thy &s;everity to the whole Earth. Thou ha&s;t atte&s;ted thy &s;elf to be indeed a Father of Mercies, and
<PB N="31" REF="31">yet I who enjoy the benefit of them, neither con&s;ider them as Ble&s;&s;ings, nor thee as a God; but Athei&s;tically defie that providence by which I &s;ub|&s;i&s;t. (Thou give&s;t me a time for Re|pentance, but I'm unwilling to throw off this Bondage of Sin, and think it a hard&s;hip to &s;ubmit to that Yoak whieh is ea&s;ie and delightful, and if I cou'd &s;tifle the Terrors of my Con|&s;cience, wou'd glady proclaim Licence to my Lu&s;ts. The&s;e are the ba&s;e re|turns I have made; thus have I re|quited the Lord, and incur'd his Di&s;|plea&s;ure, yet I am fearle&s;s of his Wrath, and can't repent me of my ways, nor con&s;ider the Evil I have done. Surely my Heart is heardned; and I am nigh unto Cur&s;ing: O Lord, what can I plead to avert the &s;entence, who am as far from Peni|tence as Innocence? How can I pray again&s;t that Vengeance which I make it my bu&s;ine&s;s to pull down? if thou, O Lord, &s;hou'd&s;t &s;pare me, what wou'd it avail if it &s;erve but to &s;et me at a greater Ho&s;tillity with thee? O mer|ciful Saviour, who gave&s;t thy &s;elf a ran&s;om for Sinners, look again with compa&s;&s;ionate Eyes on me, who
<PB N="32" REF="32">needs now a &s;econd Redemption, e|ven a re&s;cue from my &s;elf; Lord, thou &s;ee&s;t the mi&s;erable &s;tate to which I am reduced, Where is thy Pitty, and the &s;ounding of thy Bowels towards the Afflicted? Oh! bow thy Heaven and come down, hear the Prayer of a di&s;tre&s;&s;ed Sinner, deliver me from that mi&s;ery I have involved my &s;elf, put thy Laws a new into my Heart, and write them in my Mind. O ble&s;&s;ed Mediator, who prayed&s;t for thy Crucifiers, interceed al&s;o for me, who have under the name of a Di&s;|ciple crucified thee afre&s;h; and tho' I have nothing to &s;ay for my &s;elf, cannot pretend that I knew not what I did; yet let thy Stripes and Wounds, thy Cro&s;s and Pa&s;&s;ion, plead for me: Oh! let thy Ble&s;&s;ed Spirit breath again upon me, that even the&s;e dry Bones may live in thy &s;ight. Let him &s;o effectually con|vince and reprove, illuminate and ex|cite me, that I may clean&s;e my &s;elf from all filthine&s;s of Fle&s;h and Spirit, walk worthy of the holy Vocation whereto I am called, and evidence my relation to the Prince of Peace. Oh, that my ways were thus direct, but
<PB N="33" REF="32">alas, how little Di&s;po&s;ition have I to|wards it: This change, mu&s;t be on|ly the work of that mighty Power, which is able to &s;ubdue all things to it &s;elf; and yet, O Lord, with what face can I beg of thee to force me to that happine&s;s which I &s;till re&s;olve to re&s;i&s;t. What can I &s;ay to thee, <HI>O thou pre&s;erver, thou redeemer of men,</HI> who have put my &s;elf beyond all the ordi|nary means of thy grace: I can only lay my &s;elf at thy Feet, di&s;play my mi&s;ery, and leave thee to con&s;ider thine own compa&s;&s;ion. Oh, let that move thee to do for me, whatever my wretched &s;tate is in need off. O Lord, Hear, O Lord, forgive, con&s;ider, and do it, for thy name &s;ake: Thou art Je&s;us, a Saviour, &s;ave thy &s;ervant from his &s;in, and let me not &s;lide back by a perpetual back&s;liding. Oh, a|bandon not thy poor creature, Lord, care&s;t thou not that I peri&s;h. Turn thee again, O Lord, &s;anctifie and clean&s;e me for I am exceeding &s;infull, create a new Spirit within me, melt my obdurate heart into contrition, and if it cannot be done without the rigour of thy Laws, Lord do that, or
<PB N="34" REF="33">any thing with me, &s;o that I may be|come a Ve&s;&s;el of honour meet for thy Service. But, O Lord, if thy gentler method may have any effect, be plea&s;|ed to continue thy <HI>Long-&s;uffering,</HI> and though I have no pretence to mercy, yet do thou a&s;&s;ert thine own work; be merciful becau&s;e thou ha&s;t been &s;o, di&s;pence to me whatever thou &s;ee&s;t mo&s;t apt to reduce me, and that thy outward applications may be no longer in vain, enforce and enli|ven them with thy free Spirit, &s;ubdue my ob&s;tinate perver&s;ne&s;s, and give me at la&s;t &s;uch Grace as I may not turn into wantonne&s;s. Oh, thou, to whom all things are po&s;&s;ible, who ha&s;t been &s;o merciful to me, work again greater miracles in me; and of a prophane un|grateful wretch, make me a penitent and obedient &s;ervant, that I may &s;tudy as much to plea&s;e as I have to provoke thee, &amp; by a continuance in well doing, may obtain the Crown which thou ha&s;t laid up for tho&s;e that &s;erve thee, and po&s;&s;e&s;s eternal joys in the Kingdom of thy Father, which thou, O ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, ha&s;t purcha&s;ed with thy blood, and &s;ealed by thy Spirit; To which
<PB N="35" REF="33" MS="y">ble&s;&s;ed Trinity be a&s;cribed all prai&s;e, honour, Glory, now, and to eternity, <HI>Amen.</HI></Q>
<P>O Lord God, I am A&s;hamed, and Blu&s;h to lift up my Face to thee, for my iniquities are increa&s;ed over my Head, and my Tre&s;pa&s;&s;es grown up unto Heaven.</P>
<P><HI>O my Soul,</HI> what Fruit have I reapt from all the plea&s;ures of <HI>Sin,</HI> but <HI>Vani|ty and Vexation of Spirit.</HI> Lord, I am a&s;hamed of my own Folly, Madne&s;s, and Di&s;ingenuity; when I call to mind how greedily I have &s;ucked in my own Pollution; how treacherou&s;ly I have betrayed my own <HI>Soul</HI> to <HI>Temptations;</HI> and combined with the <HI>Devils</HI> to ha|&s;ten and increa&s;e my own <HI>Damnation;</HI> how ob&s;tinately I have fled from thee, when thy Mercy per&s;ued me with pro|mi&s;es of <HI>Pardon;</HI> how unworthily I have abu&s;ed thy Goodne&s;s, and For|bearance, and Long-&s;ufferings which &s;hould have led me to <HI>Repentance.</HI></P>
<P>Son of <HI>David,</HI> Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Redeemer,</HI> Lamb of <HI>God,</HI> that take&s;t away the &s;ins of the World, have Mercy upon me;
<PB N="36" REF="34" MS="y"><HI>O Je&s;u, be a Je&s;us unto me!</HI> Thou that &s;pared&s;t thy Servant <HI>Peter</HI> that deni|ed thee thrice; thou that did&s;t ca&s;t &s;e|ven Devils out of <HI>Mary Magdalen,</HI> and forgavi&s;t the Woman taken in Adulte|ry, and did&s;t bear the convert <HI>Thief</HI> from the Cro&s;s to the joys of <HI>Paradi&s;e, have Mercy upon me al&s;o.</HI> Though my Offences are greater than the&s;e, yet not their Sins, nor mine, nor the Sins of the <HI>whole World,</HI> can equal thy Glorious Mercy which is Infinite and Eternal as thy Self. I acknowledge, O Lord, that I am <HI>Vile,</HI> but yet re|deemed with thy precious <HI>Blood;</HI> thou, O Lord, love&s;t to &s;hew Mercy, be|hold then a fit Object for thy pitty. My &s;ins are &s;o great and many, that to forgive me, will be a glorious act of mercy: Di&s;pi&s;e me not, O Lord, for I am thy <HI>Creature,</HI> di&s;pi&s;e me not, for thou did&s;t die for me; ca&s;t me not a|way in thine <HI>Anger,</HI> for thou came&s;t to &s;eek and &s;ave me: Say unto my <HI>Soul,</HI> I am thy Salvation, let thy <HI>Holy Spi|rit</HI> lead me from the Error of my ways, into the paths of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, to great degrees of <HI>Repentance,</HI> and thro' all the parts of a <HI>Holy Life,</HI> to a God|ly and <HI>Holy Death.</HI> Grant this, O
<PB N="37" REF="34" MS="y">Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;u for thy <HI>Mercies,</HI> and for thy pitty &s;ake, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P>Mo&s;t merciful and indulgent Je&s;us, hear the complaint of a &s;ad and mi&s;e|rable <HI>Sinner.</HI> I have &s;earched into the &s;ecret rece&s;&s;es of my <HI>Soul,</HI> there I find nothing but <HI>Horror</HI> and a barren <HI>Wil|derne&s;s,</HI> a neglected <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> over|grown with <HI>Sins,</HI> and cares be&s;et with fears and &s;ore <HI>Amazement.</HI> I tremble when I remember that &s;ad Truth, <HI>If the Righteous &s;carcely be &s;aved, where &s;hall the Wicked and Ungodly appear?</HI> I know, O Lord, that all my &s;ecret im|purities &s;hall be laid open at thy <HI>dread|full Judgment.</HI> O ju&s;t and dear God! how &s;hall I appear, who &s;hall plead for me, who am loaden with <HI>Impurities, Vanity, Ingratitude, Malice</HI> and the <HI>Terrors</HI> of an affrightning <HI>Con&s;cience?</HI> Wilt not thou an&s;wer for me, O Je&s;us, thou art my <HI>Judge</HI> and my <HI>Advocate,</HI> thou art to pa&s;s Sentence upon me for tho&s;e Sins for which thou die&s;t. O re|&s;erve not my Sins to be puni&s;hed in the life to come, for then I die Eternally, but bring me in this World to a &s;evere <HI>Repentance.</HI> Behold, I am in thy hand, grant I may &s;o <HI>Weep</HI> and be contrite for my Sins, that in the hour of my <HI>Death,</HI>
<PB N="38" REF="35" MS="y">I may find <HI>Mercy,</HI> and in the day of <HI>Judgment</HI> be freed from the Terrors of thy <HI>Wrath,</HI> and the Sentence of the <HI>Wicked.</HI> Thou ha&s;t &s;pared me all this while, and not taken me off in the mid&s;t of my Sins, which is an un&s;peak|able Mercy, for if thou had dealt with me according to my <HI>De&s;erts,</HI> I had been now at this in&s;tant &s;ealed up to an Eternity of <HI>Torments</HI> hopele&s;ly mi|&s;erably, fearing the Revelation of thy day with an in&s;upportable Amazement. But now under the &s;weet influences of thy mercy, I am praying to thee, con|fe&s;&s;ing my &s;ins with <HI>Sorrow</HI> for my in|gratitude, but with a full hope in thy Mercy. O my dear God, let thy Grace &s;peedily work that in me, for which thou &s;o long ha&s;t &s;pared me, even a true <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Holy Life;</HI> e&s;ta|bli&s;h in me a great contrition for my <HI>Sins,</HI> lead me on to an humble <HI>Confe&s;|&s;ion,</HI> and let thy Grace make me bring forth Fruits meet for <HI>Repentance,</HI> O Ble&s;|&s;ed Je&s;u, <HI>who liveth and reigns, ever one God, world without end,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P>I hate all evil ways, O Lord, <HI>But thy Law will I Love:</HI> O God, with &s;hame I confe&s;s that other Lords be&s;ides
<PB N="39" REF="35" MS="y">thee have hitherto had Dominion over me. Mi&s;erable Wretch that I am, that I &s;hould begin &s;o early to offend my <HI>Creator</HI> and &s;in &s;o much in &s;o &s;hort a time. Lord, I fear I never yet through|ly con&s;idered how evil and bitter a thing it is to depart from thee; O make me every day more and more &s;en&s;ible of the <HI>Error of my ways,</HI> and of my own infinit <HI>Vilene&s;s.</HI> Mi&s;erable Wretch that I am, that ever I &s;hould commit tho&s;e &s;ins which expo&s;e me to all the vials of thy <HI>Wrath,</HI> to all the cur&s;es of thy <HI>Law,</HI> to all thy judg|ments <HI>Temporal</HI> or <HI>Spiritual</HI> in this life, and to all the <HI>Horrors</HI> and <HI>De&s;pair</HI> and <HI>Torments</HI> of the <HI>Damned</HI> in the life to come.</P>
<P>Mi&s;erable wretch that I am, that e|ver I &s;hould tran&s;gre&s;s that <HI>Law</HI> of thine; O God which is &s;o Ju&s;t, Holy and Good, perfect and &s;o conde&s;cend|ing to my Infirmities, and in keeping of which there are &s;o great, &s;o uncon|ceivable rewards.</P>
<P><HI>O Ble&s;&s;ed Saviour,</HI> how can I ever &s;ufficiently lament the guilt of my Sins which was &s;o great, that nothing but thy own ine&s;timable <HI>Blood</HI> could expiate.</P>
<PB N="40" REF="36" MS="y">
<P><HI>O Ble&s;&s;ed Spirit,</HI> in&s;til true peniten|tial &s;orrow into my <HI>Soul;</HI> make my Head <HI>Waters,</HI> and my Eyes <HI>Fountains of Tears,</HI> or do thou &s;upply the want of them with <HI>Sighs</HI> and <HI>Groans</HI> unutter|able. But ala&s;s, I know all the <HI>Tears</HI> I can po&s;&s;ibly &s;hed, can never wa&s;h a|way the lea&s;t of my Sins, 'tis thy <HI>Blood</HI> only, Lord, that can do it.</P>
<P>O Heavenly Father, in the defect of my own Tears I offer thee, the Blood of thy own well beloved Son, <HI>for his &s;ake have mercy upon me.</HI></P>
<P>I have been in the &s;nare of the De|vil, and been led Captive by him, and &s;in hath reigned in my <HI>Mortal Body,</HI> and I have obeyed it in the lu&s;t there|of, but from henceforth I re&s;olve to &s;erve none but thee, and from this ve|ry moment I utterly for&s;ake all my &s;ins and turn to thee. I do from my heart renew my <HI>Bapti&s;mal Vow;</HI> I do for e|ver renounce the <HI>Devil and all his Works,</HI> and the Vanities of this World which may pervert me from thy Service, <HI>and all the &s;infull Lu&s;t of the Fle&s;h.</HI> O my God, I do &s;teadfa&s;tly believe all the Articles of the <HI>Chri&s;tian Faith,</HI> I will keep thy Holy Will and <HI>Commandments,</HI> and walk in the &s;ame all the days of
<PB N="41" REF="36">my life. All this I am bound to do and believe, and by thy help &s;o I will; and I heartily thank thee, O Father, who ha&s;t called me to this &s;tate of <HI>Salvation,</HI> through Je&s;us Chri&s;t my <HI>Saviour,</HI> and I humbly pray thee for his &s;ake to give me <HI>Grace</HI> to continue in the &s;ame to my lives end.</P>
<P>O Lord God I have Sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy <HI>Righteous Judgments;</HI> but ala&s;s, I'm not able of my &s;elf to do nothing that is Good, not &s;o much as to think one good thought, and I no &s;ooner &s;hall ri&s;e from my <HI>Knees,</HI> but I fear I &s;hall be tempted to tho&s;e very &s;ins I have now &s;o &s;olemnly renounced, and tho&s;e <HI>Temp|tations</HI> will certainly overcome me, un|le&s;s thou, Lord, do'&s;t rea&s;onably inter|po&s;e thy <HI>Grace</HI> to with-hold me, but I can do all things through the &s;trength|ning me; do thou then, O Ble&s;&s;ed Sa|viour, perfect thy &s;trength in my weak|ne&s;s, <HI>for in thee only is my tru&s;t.</HI> O my God, thou ha&s;t promi&s;ed to give thy Holy Spirit to tho&s;e that ask it. Be|hold, Lord, I do Humbly, I do Ear|ne&s;tly ask thy <HI>Holy Spirit</HI> now of thee. O fullfil thy gracious Promi&s;es to
<PB N="42" REF="37">me! O vouch&s;afe me that <HI>Holy Spirit</HI> I pray for, to purifie my <HI>corrupt Nature,</HI> to &s;trengthen my <HI>Weakne&s;s,</HI> to comfort me in <HI>Troubles,</HI> to &s;upport me in <HI>Di&s;|couragements,</HI> to &s;uccor me in <HI>Tempta|tions,</HI> and to a&s;i&s;t me in all the part of my <HI>Duty.</HI> Thou, O &s;earcher of hearts, knowe&s;t the &s;ins I'm mo&s;t inclined to; <HI>[here name them]</HI> herein will lie my greate&s;t danger of Back-&s;liding; but, O my God, I beg a double portion of thy Spirit, and invi&s;ible aid again&s;t them; hold thou up my goings in thy paths, <HI>that my Foot-&s;teps &s;lip not.</HI> O work in me that victorious Faith by which I may overcome the World, the Devil, and my own corrupt Nature.</P>
<P>My help &s;tandeth in thee, O great <HI>Creator</HI> of Heaven and Earth, and I commit my <HI>Soul</HI> to thy keeping. O thou that art Faithful as well as Al|mighty, keep that &s;afe which is com|mitted to thy Tru&s;t, watch over me that I may not be beguiled by the de|ceitfulne&s;s of Sin, or betrayed by my own treacherous heart, or &s;urpri&s;ed by my <HI>Gho&s;tly Enemies,</HI> and give me grace to Watch and Pray ince&s;&s;antly my &s;elf, <HI>lea&s;t I enter into Temptation.</HI></P>
<PB N="43" REF="37">
<P>O Heavenly Father, for thine own infinit Mercy &s;ake, for thy Truth and Promi&s;e &s;ake, for all the Merits and Sufferings of the Son of thy Love in whom thou art always well plea&s;ed; pardon all my Sins and Failings, and receive me into thy favour for the &s;ake of him who has taught me to call the Father, and when I pray to &s;ay,</P>
<P><HI>Our Father which art,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>The following Form to be added when we have &s;ome a&s;&s;urances, that our Hearts are &s;teadfa&s;t towards God.</HEAD>
<P>O the God of my life, and the un|exhau&s;ted Fountain of mercy, which can never be drawn dry. I have now by the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of thy <HI>Holy Spirit,</HI> gone through, though with weak and trembling &s;teps, the whole exerci&s;e of <HI>Repentance;</HI> for I have confe&s;&s;ed my Sins, and thou ha&s;t promi&s;ed, upon my Confe&s;&s;ion of them, not to impute them to me; I have gone one &s;tep farther, I have repented of my Sins, and thou ha&s;t promi&s;ed upon my <HI>Repentance,
<PB N="44" REF="38">thou wilt remember them no more;</HI> and becau&s;e thy Holy Word hath taught me, that a new life is the only <HI>Repen|tance,</HI> I have this day in thy &s;ight, and in the pre&s;ence of all the Angels, that attend thee in the conver&s;ion of a &s;in|ner, made my firm re&s;olution never to fall again into the Sins I have repented of, and now</P>
<P>O God the Father of Heaven, who can&s;t not be thought &s;o cruel as to make me only to de&s;troy me,</P>
<P><HI>[Have mercy upon me.</HI></P>
<P>O God the Son, who knowing thy Father's Will, did&s;t make it thy bu&s;i|ne&s;s to come into the World to &s;ave me,</P>
<P><HI>[Have Mercy,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>O God the Holy Gho&s;t, who to the &s;ame end did&s;t &s;anctifie me in my Bap|ti&s;m, and ha&s;t &s;o often &s;ince breathed Holy thoughts into my Soul,</P>
<P><HI>[Have mercy,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>O Holy Ble&s;&s;ed and Glorious Trintiy, whom in three per&s;ons I adore as my one and only true God.</P>
<P><HI>[Have mercy on me.</HI></P>
<L>Hear me, O Lord.</L>
<L>Help me, O Lord.</L>
<L>Save me, or el&s;e I peri&s;h.</L>
<PB N="45" REF="38">
<P>Lord, care&s;t thou not that I peri&s;h.</P>
<P>Thou that woulde&s;t have all men to be &s;aved.</P>
<P>Thou who woulde&s;t have none to peri&s;h.</P>
<P>And wilt thou now &s;hew thine anger again&s;t a <HI>Worm,</HI> again&s;t a <HI>Vapour</HI> that vani&s;hes before thee? O remember how &s;hort my time is, and deliver not my <HI>Soul</HI> into the power of <HI>Hell,</HI> for what profit is there in my <HI>Blood;</HI> no, let me live in thy &s;ight, let me live, O my God, that my Soul may prai&s;e thee: O remember for who&s;e &s;ake it was that thou came&s;t from the Bo&s;om of thy Father: Remember for whom it was that thou endured&s;t the agony of the Cro&s;s, and &s;hed thy precious Blood. Was it not for the Sins of the whole World, and ha&s;t thou particularly ex|cepted me? Can I imagine thou die&s;t for <HI>Sinners</HI> of a lower kind, and left &s;uch as I without Remedy: O how ea|&s;ie is it to thee to forgive, for 'tis thy Nature; how proper is it for thee to &s;ave, for it is thy Name; how &s;uita|ble is it to thy only end of coming in|to the World, for it was thy bu&s;ine&s;s; and when I con&s;ider that I am chief of Sinners, may I not urge the Father
<PB N="46" REF="39">and &s;ay, &s;hall the very chief of thy bu&s;i|ne&s;s be left undone.</P>
<P><HI>[Mercy, Mercy, Good Lord.</HI></P>
<P>I ask not of thee any longer the things of this World, but thy pardoning <HI>Mer|cy.</HI> O that I could hear thee &s;ay, as thou did&s;t to him in the Go&s;pel, <HI>My Son be of good chear, thy &s;ins are forgi|ven thee.</HI></P>
<P>O that I could never &s;in again&s;t thee more, never purpo&s;ely, deliberately, willfully &s;in again&s;t thee more, and for tho&s;e &s;ins of daily Incur&s;ion, tho&s;e o|ver familiar corruptions of my Nature which thou ha&s;t not yet given me &s;trength enough to conquer, Lord, ei|ther &s;ubdue them by degrees, or lay them not to my Charge; but wherein &s;oever my Con&s;cience mo&s;t accu&s;eth me, therein, O my God, be thou mo&s;t merciful unto me.</P>
<P><HI>[Save me, O Lord, as a brand &s;natch out of the Fire.</HI></P>
<P>Receive me, <HI>O my Je&s;us,</HI> as a &s;heep that has wandred, but now is return'd to the Great <HI>Shepherd</HI> and Bi&s;hop of my Soul.</P>
<P>Let this day, <HI>O my God,</HI> be noted in thy Book, do not thou forget my <HI>Pray|ers,</HI> nor &s;uffer me to forget my <HI>Re&s;olu|tions;</HI>
<PB N="47" REF="39">though I am weak, though I am unworthy, though I am unprofitable, yet I am thy Servant, and here upon my bended Knees, I humbly beg of thee that I may live and die &s;o.</P>
<P><HI>Lord hear my Prayers, and let my cry come unto thee.</HI> Lord pardon my Pray|ers, and let not my coldne&s;s, and wan|drings, and infinite unworthine&s;s turn them into Sin. <HI>Lord hear my Prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.</HI></P>
<P>O Lord Je&s;u Chri&s;t, Son of the Eter|nal God, interpo&s;e thy holy Death, thy Cro&s;s and Pa&s;&s;ion between thy Judgment and my Soul now, and in the hour of my death, granting unto me Grace and Mercy; to all faithfull people, pardon and peace; to the Church, unity and amity; to all Sinners, e&s;pe|cially tho&s;e I have led into Sin, Repen|tance and Amendment; to us all, life and Glory everla&s;ting, who live&s;t and reigne&s;t ever one God World without end. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P>O Lord, ble&s;s me, and keep me, O Lord, Make thy face to &s;hine upon me, O Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon me, and give me peace for ever. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<PB N="48" REF="40">
<P>Having performed this Office with due &s;incerity, let us reflect upon what we have been doing; 'tis po&s;&s;ible the re&s;ult of our Thoughts may terminate in a mixture of fear and joy: But we ought not to let either pa&s;&s;ion prevail more than is ju&s;tly nece&s;&s;ary; don't let our fear depre&s;s, and ca&s;t us into &s;uch a Melancholy, as may &s;ugge&s;t, God won't be reconciled, and if we have been dull in the performance of the&s;e things, that God has rejected us. The <HI>Devil</HI> knows how fatal this cour&s;e is, to redeem us from his Power; he is very bu&s;ie to prevent our repentance, and abu&s;e our imaginations with allu|&s;ions; perhaps our own di&s;u&s;e of prayer has rendred us uncapable of a due at|tention; 'tis impo&s;&s;ible to become im|mediately good from being very wick|ed; or that we &s;hould pray with the &s;ame &s;teadfa&s;tne&s;s, as they who are accu&s;tomed to this duty: We are there|fore to &s;trive to the uttermo&s;t; where we fail to be &s;orry, ask God's Pardon and Grace to do better for the future, and in a little time we &s;hall prevail to our &s;atisfaction: On the other &s;ide, don't let our joy puff us up, and be|cau&s;e we have &s;hed a few Tears, &s;aid &s;o
<PB N="49" REF="40">many Prayers, Fa&s;ted and given Alms, that we are now become perfect, and need no more Repentance; we have but &s;et the fir&s;t &s;tep to this great work of our Salvation, were we &s;ure we had fully conquered &s;in, and &s;hou'd not &s;uffer our &s;elves to be deceived a|ny more: Yet this negative part of Chri&s;tianity is not &s;ufficient, 'tis not enough that we cea&s;e to do Evil, but learn to do Well; we are now to begin our cour&s;e, and as we have many things to unlearn, &s;o there are abundance to learn, <HI>without which we &s;hall never &s;ee the Face of God.</HI> What they are the Scripture will inform us, 'tis from thence we are to learn our perfection, for he hath &s;hewed thee, <HI>O man what is Good,</HI> to do Ju&s;tice, to love Mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God; we are to attend the <HI>Hou&s;e of Prayer,</HI> frequent the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> and be holy in all manner of <HI>Conver&s;ation.</HI> If we want to be informed in any thing, let us have recour&s;e to our Pa&s;tor, that he may &s;atisfie our <HI>Con&s;ciences.</HI> I would advice that our Confe&s;&s;ion be made to &s;ome di&s;creet Mini&s;ter; for 'tis a great &s;ign of our <HI>Repentance,</HI> when we are thus willing to take &s;hame to our &s;elves;
<PB N="50" REF="41">be&s;ides 'twill be a greater re&s;traint-upon us. We &s;hall be affraid to join in the next <HI>Temptation,</HI> when we know we mu&s;t confe&s;s it; 'tis the de|pravedne&s;s of our Nature to be affraid, rather of Men than God. We are not &s;crupulous to do tho&s;e things in pri|vate, which we cou'd not do before Men; 'tis &s;eldom that Companions in Wickedne&s;s will &s;uffer one another to be Witne&s;&s;es of their &s;hame, &s;o ea&s;ie is it to be affraid to confe&s;s what we don't blu&s;h to commit; but this I leave to every Man's Con&s;cience, but let him have a care he don't deceive his own Soul. We &s;hall be tortured to little purpo&s;e to put our &s;elves upon mock <HI>Repentances,</HI> and when our Confe&s;&s;ions come willfully &s;hort of our &s;ins, we willfully exclude our &s;elves from the Favour and Mercy of God; 'twill be a &s;ad remembrance at the la&s;t day, to think 'twas in our power to be Happy, that we were not far from the <HI>Kingdom of Heaven,</HI> and yet mu&s;t fall &s;hort of the <HI>Glory of God.</HI> To prevent which, let us deal Faithfully with our <HI>Souls,</HI> when we think we &s;tand, be careful we don't fall, and having begun our cour&s;e to continue to our lives end, that we may be &s;aved.</P>
<PB N="51" REF="41">
<P>When we come abroad into the World, there is a nece&s;&s;ity we &s;et a watch over our&s;elves, we mu&s;t expect to be attack'd, if we can bear the fir&s;t a&s;&s;ault, the re&s;t will fall by degrees, and every <HI>Tempta|tion</HI> be le&s;s powerful; when we are fir&s;t tempted let us remember, that this is the very thing that has co&s;t us &s;o much trouble, which we vow'd to re&s;i&s;t, which is our mortal Enemy, and which will &s;et us at a greater variance with God. How can we do this thing, and &s;in again&s;t Heaven? Let us Remember this is the fir&s;t Tryal, if we &s;ubmit, how can we think to prevail another time? the next <HI>Temptation</HI> may have a better appearance. There may be a Thou&s;and things to render it more ta|king, and &s;o by degrees we &s;hall be brought to our old &s;tate, and the la&s;t condition will be wor&s;e than the fir&s;t. We mu&s;t not allow our &s;elves in the Commi&s;&s;ion of any one known &s;in, we mu&s;t re&s;i&s;t the beginning, we mu&s;t not &s;uffer our &s;elves to think upon old Ha|bits, but with abhorrence; for 'tis not only a &s;in, but will endanger us to fall back. If we take plea&s;ure in their re|membrance, the Devil wont fail to ex|cite our delight, by adding &s;ome new
<PB N="52" REF="42">reli&s;h to make them more acceptable; if we would &s;hun the danger, we mu&s;t a|void the occa&s;ion, and then need not fear being led into <HI>Temptation.</HI> But there is a greater motive yet; we mu&s;t remember we are but beginning, and to look back at the fir&s;t &s;tep is &s;uch a piece of folly, that every body mu&s;t be a&s;hamed of. Sure none can be &s;o unrea&s;onable to de|&s;ire it &s;hould be reckoned among their good Deeds, that they only thought of <HI>Repentance;</HI> if we are truly &s;en&s;ible of our &s;ins, we &s;hall be very de&s;irous to get rid of them: We are taught there is no way, but by coming to Chri&s;t, <HI>they that come unto him mu&s;t do the Will of his Father,</HI> to tho&s;e he gives power to become the Sons of God, the Chil|dren of God are manife&s;t; they that do wickedne&s;s are not of God. Let us endeavour therefore to add to our <HI>Re|pentance,</HI> Obedience, that acceptable Sa|crifice, and be forward in all the duties of Chri&s;tianity; that &s;o we may ap|prove our &s;elves in well doing, for 'tis the will of the Lord that we add to our Faith, Vertue; and when we have tryed our &s;elves, that we can re&s;i&s;t Tempta|tion, and are ready to Good Works; let us then prepare to meet the Lord at
<PB N="53" REF="42">his Holy Table, that we may receive Grace and Strength, <HI>to walk in the &s;ame all the days of our lives.</HI> This is the great duty of the <HI>New Law,</HI> and there needs no arguments to bring tho&s;e to the Sacrifice, who are &s;en&s;ible of their nece&s;&s;ities, or are de&s;irous of growing better. Our Church has taken care to in&s;truct every Chri&s;tian how he may become a worthy Receiver, by telling him fir&s;t what he ought to Believe and then what he ought to Practice. I &s;hall content my &s;elf with the method of the Church in both the&s;e Ca&s;es, and re|commend it to tho&s;e who are de&s;irous to be inform'd. Bread and Wine is what the Lord has commanded to be re|ceived, and the Church has told us, that they &s;ignifie the Body and Blood of Chri&s;t, which are verily and indeed taken by the Faithful, and the benefits are the &s;trengthning and refre&s;h|ing of our Souls. This is what we are po&s;itively to believe, and when we can give our intire a&s;&s;ent, let us according to the Direction of the Church examine our &s;elves, whether we repent truly of our former &s;ins, <HI>&s;teadfa&s;tly purpo&s;ing to lead a new Life, have a lively Faith in God's mercy through Je&s;us Chri&s;t, with a
<PB N="54" REF="43">thankful Remembrance of his Death, and be in Charity with all Men.</HI> This is in &s;hort the Duty of every <HI>Communicant,</HI> and no Man who would come to the Lord's Supper worthily, can leave out any of the&s;e things; in&s;tead of a great many Arguments, I mu&s;t pre&s;s the ob|&s;ervance of them. 'Tis the misfortune of a great many to think they have di&s;|charged their Duty, if they can u&s;e &s;o much Self-denial as to refrain from their u&s;ual exce&s;s a week before the Sacra|ment; &s;ay the Morning and Evening Devotion, and bring them&s;elves to con|fe&s;s they are &s;orry, for what upon a little Examination, they find a mi&s;s. This they think is <HI>Repentance</HI> enough, and becau&s;e their Book finds no more work for them, &s;et down well &s;atisfied with their performance. They &s;eem willing to compound the matter with God Almighty, confe&s;s them&s;elves Bank-rupt, and de&s;ire to be &s;et free for paying half Tribute. They have their &s;et times for <HI>Devotion,</HI> are content to be Fools for three Weeks, and then &s;et down to make up the Month the other week, and confe&s;s their Folly: Thus for one weeks <HI>Pennance</HI> think God is obliged to be reconciled, and becau&s;e
<PB N="55" REF="43">they have the impudence to wipe their Mouth, conclude God will think they have done no ill; but we can't deceive God, where 'tis to be had, he will ex|act the uttermo&s;t Farthing; <HI>let our Con|&s;ciences be our Judges, and our Guides:</HI> U&s;e Books only as helps to <HI>Devotion,</HI> for 'tis impo&s;&s;ible for a Book to be writ to &s;uit every Man's occa&s;ion, there is &s;omething particular to every one of us, that another perhaps never thought of, and 'tis not likely &s;uch a one is ca|pable to pre&s;cribe a Remedy before hand; wherefore when we are arrived &s;o far in our way to <HI>Happine&s;s,</HI> as the for&s;aking our old Habits, and placing better in their room, we may venture to draw nigh to that <HI>Holy Ordinance,</HI> of which who&s;oever is a worthy partaker &s;hall live for ever. A good Life is the be&s;t preparitive to this Fea&s;t, 'tis not enough we &s;hake hands with our Vices for a time, and return to our Folly when the Ceremony is over; if we are not qualified before we come, we are in danger to receive this <HI>Sacrament Un|worthily,</HI> and the con&s;equence of that is &s;o terrible, that the thoughts of it mu&s;t amaze us: No Man is qualified that does not &s;incerely <HI>Repent,</HI> it can't be
<PB N="56" REF="44">&s;uppo&s;ed that God has allotted ju&s;t &s;o much time to mortifie our&s;elves, or that a week is &s;ufficient to prepare us for <HI>Heaven.</HI> They who have lived in a cour&s;e of &s;in, and never approached this <HI>Holy Communion,</HI> mu&s;t not think the fir&s;t fit of Sorrow &s;ufficient to Denounce them true <HI>Penitents.</HI> It requires time, and pains to conquer their <HI>Lu&s;ts,</HI> the old Man mu&s;t be ca&s;t off, and they mu&s;t give a &s;ignal of their Loyalty before they be accepted Subjects of the <HI>Mo&s;t High;</HI> in &s;hort, if upon Examination we find our Faith firm, our Purpo&s;es &s;tead|fa&s;t, and our De&s;ires after Chri&s;t &s;trong, we may come to the Altar of God, and if we appear there with Charity; our Prayers &s;hall be convey'd from thence to the pre&s;ence of God. 'Tis upon no other terms we can come with &s;ecurity, for there is no concord between Chri&s;t and <HI>Beliai:</HI> They who frequent the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> and &s;uffer them&s;elves in the Commi&s;&s;ion of any known &s;in, are re|conciling of contradictions, and will find their mi&s;take to their confu&s;ion.</P>
<P>'Tis very certain, as long as we are upon Earth, we are in a &s;tate of Trial; no man mu&s;t expect to be exempt from Temptation: But we &s;hould make it
<PB N="57" REF="44">our bu&s;ine&s;s to &s;trive and re&s;i&s;t the <HI>World, Fle&s;h</HI> and the <HI>Devil.</HI> If by &s;ur|pri&s;e, or other accident, we are be|trayed into &s;in, we know our duty to be &s;orry, and arm our &s;elves again&s;t it for the future: We may rea&s;onably expect pardon upon this humiliation, if we dont join our good Will, and commit the evil with approbation. This we certainly do, if we &s;uffer our &s;elves to be often over come by the &s;ame Temptation; &s;uch a one ought to &s;u&s;|pect the &s;incerity of his re&s;olution, and not approach the holy communion, till he is &s;atisfied his heart is perfect in the Commandments of God: But after all, men mu&s;t be left to them&s;elves in this matter: 'Tis certain, no man can be a Hipocrite again&s;t his knowledge, and what pretences men have for Hi|pocri&s;y in other ca&s;es, they are rea&s;ons of a prodigious nature, which &s;hall in|duce a man to play the cheat upon him|&s;elf: For no man is forced to the Sa|crament, and if he was, 'tis very &s;ad it &s;hould be accounted criminal to Oblige them to be good: However men trifle in other ca&s;es, let them be &s;erious in this; if they are really &s;incere, God will pardon a multitude of Faults; no
<PB N="58" REF="45" MS="y">Man that knows his own &s;incerity need be affraid to approach the table of the Lord.</P>
<P>When the Mini&s;ter declares the time of the next Communion, and invites all &s;uch as &s;hall religiou&s;ly be di&s;po&s;ed, let us lift up our Souls to God, and beg of him that we may become wor|thy Partakers of his <HI>Body</HI> and <HI>Blood:</HI> In order to it, let us remember, the nearer we draw to God in his <HI>Holy Or|dinances,</HI> the greater mu&s;t be our care in the Management of our &s;elves; tho', (as I have already premi&s;ed) a <HI>Good Life</HI> is the be&s;t preparative to a worthy Reception of the <HI>Lord's Supper,</HI> yet when we approach the Pre&s;ence of the Lord, we ought to be more than ordi|nary circum&s;pect. 'Twas <HI>David's</HI> re&s;o|lution, <HI>To wa&s;h his hands in Innocency,</HI> before he approacht the Altar of God. God him&s;elf commanded <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> to pull off his &s;hooes when he was upon the holy Ground; and then &s;urely 'tis our duty, to become &s;uch as the Lord may be we well plea&s;ed with: Let us as much as po&s;&s;ible this week, have our conver&s;ation with God: Don't let it &s;uffice that we have formerly call'd our &s;elves to account, but go over all again,
<PB N="59" REF="45">there may be &s;omething pa&s;t over in our la&s;t <HI>Examination,</HI> or &s;omething new to add to our <HI>Affliction;</HI> however the &s;ight of our late <HI>Iniquity</HI> will &s;ufficiently affect us, and beholding our mi&s;ery afre&s;h, we &s;hall be the more de&s;irous of coming to Chri&s;t; for our Sins when we are &s;en&s;ible of them, will be a bur|then too heavy for us to bear: But to increa&s;e our <HI>De&s;ires, Humiliation</HI> and <HI>Love,</HI> let us reflect on the Goodne&s;s of God, in &s;ending Our Saviour Je&s;us to be a &s;acrifice for our Sins, that as the Terrors of the Lord fir&s;t brought us to our &s;elves, &s;o now the <HI>Wonders</HI> of his Love may effectually per&s;wade us to turn to the Lord our God, that he may have mercy upon us.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<HEAD>A Meditation Preparitory to the Communion.</HEAD>
<P>LOrd, what is Man, that thou ha&s;t re&s;pect unto him, and the Son of Man that thou &s;o regarde&s;t him? When we had forfeied thy <HI>Favour,</HI> by a cur&s;ed <HI>Di&s;obedience</HI> to thy Command, and de|&s;erved
<PB N="60" REF="46">to feel the reward of our <HI>Folly</HI> to Eternal ages; if thou had&s;t only &s;pared us from thy <HI>Wrath,</HI> and delivered our <HI>Soul</HI> from the neithermo&s;t <HI>Hell,</HI> that Mercy had called for our greate&s;t De|votion, and employed us to eternity in &s;inging Prai&s;es; but thy infinite Love would not debar us the priviledge of <HI>Creation;</HI> &s;ince thou made&s;t us for thy &s;elf, thou re&s;olved&s;t to try all means to bring us to the enjoyment of that <HI>Happine&s;s.</HI> When we were &s;unk into <HI>Mi&s;ery,</HI> almo&s;t beyond recovery, what manner of Love did&s;t thou extend to the dropping World which lay in <HI>Dark|ne&s;s,</HI> and in the &s;haddow of <HI>Death;</HI> thou emptied&s;t thy &s;elf, and communicated&s;t to us of thy fullne&s;s, by &s;ending thy <HI>Eternal Son</HI> out of thy Bo&s;om to make us thy Children, and exalt us to ever|la&s;ting life.</P>
<P><HI>HOly, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sa|boath, Heaven and Earth are full of the Maje&s;ty of thy Glory,</HI> Glory be to thee O God. Glory be to thee for this in|comprehen&s;ible My&s;tery: O thou God, who wa&s;t manife&s;ted in the fle&s;h, <HI>Glory be to thee;</HI> in&s;pire the univer&s;al World to a greatfull acknowledgment
<PB N="61" REF="46">of thy Love &s;urpa&s;&s;ing knowledge: That we may all acknowledge thee to be the Lord, for on Earth there is none like thee, and among the Gods there is none can do as thou ha&s;t done; <HI>When thou tooke&s;t upon thee to deliver Man, thou did&s;t not abhor the Virgins Womb,</HI> but &s;ubmitted to our fle&s;h, that thou mighte&s;t open the <HI>Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.</HI></P>
<P>O Thou Word of God, how did&s;t thou &s;trip thy &s;elf of thy <HI>Glory,</HI> and de&s;cend from the felicities of thy <HI>Throne,</HI> to take upon thee the form of a Servant? Thou wert born of poor <HI>Pa|rents,</HI> and laid in a <HI>Manger;</HI> thou in|dured&s;t <HI>Hunger</HI> and <HI>Thir&s;t,</HI> and had&s;t no place to lay thine head, yet did it not di&s;courage thee from going about to do good. But the&s;e were the lea&s;t of thy &s;ufferings, thy Love to this World urged thee on to greater difficulties, and for which the whole ho&s;t of Heaven mu&s;t prai&s;e and adore thee to Eternity. After thou had&s;t declared thy inten|tion of coming to &s;ave <HI>Sinners,</HI> and notwith&s;tanding the oppo&s;ition of Men and <HI>Devils,</HI> did&s;t deliver the Doctrine of Salvation to compleat thy Father's
<PB N="62" REF="47">Will, and fullfill the Scriptures con|cerning thee; thou proceede&s;t to give thy &s;elf a Sacrifice, to attone for tho&s;e Sins from which neither Men nor Angels were able to &s;et us free. Thy Life in|deed was an intire piece of &s;orrow, and thou always did&s;t &s;uffer by the contra|diction of Sinners: Thy works of Cha|rity were received as unkindne&s;&s;es, and thy Miracles &s;uppo&s;ed to be the works of the <HI>Devil,</HI> tho' thou &s;pake&s;t as ne|ver Man &s;pake, yet they rejected both thee, and thy doctrine: Thus did&s;t thou endure tho&s;e Affronts and Injuries, which were never offer'd to any but thy &s;elf, and with much pains, yet ad|mirable patience, go on not only to confirm thy former goodne&s;s, but to add a mercy greater than them all, and &s;eal it by thy precious Blood.</P>
<P><HI>Here all our Thoughts ought to be Silence, Amazement, Reverence and Ad|miration, with Tears of Love and Contri|tion; that the Eternal Son of God to cloath us with his Grace &s;hould cloath him|&s;elf with our humble Nature, and pre&s;ent|ly load him&s;elf with the Burthen of our &s;ins, take upon him their puni&s;hment, and die upon the Cro&s;s for them too. That the clean&s;ing of us &s;hould make him be de|filed,
<PB N="63" REF="47">with the &s;pittings of Bla&s;phemous Mouths; that for, the wa&s;hing our Souls, he &s;hould &s;hed his precious Blood. This is a bu&s;ine&s;s more proper for our Love than Meditation, more to make us active in his Service, than Contemplative in our Thoughts, and to be expre&s;&s;ed more by our wonder than our word.</HI></P>
<P>BUT, O thou God of Mercy, thou did&s;t not leave us comfortle&s;s, thou &s;awe&s;t how much rea&s;on we &s;hould have to <HI>Mourn, Fa&s;t</HI> and <HI>Pray,</HI> when the Bride-groom &s;hould be taken hence, and therefore did&s;t &s;end thy <HI>Holy Spi|rit</HI> to a&s;&s;i&s;t us till thy coming again; accompli&s;h therefore the number of thine Elect, and ha&s;ten thy Kingdom, that we, with all that are departed in thy Faith, may have our perfect Con|&s;ummation in Bli&s;s. Je&s;us, my God, give me Grace to be ready when &s;oever thou calle&s;t, that I may meet thee with thy Saints at thy &s;econd coming, and be fit to enter with thee into thy Glory.</P>
<PB N="64" REF="48">
<P>O My Soul take yet a fuller view of the loving kindne&s;s of the Lord; con&s;ider the infinite compa&s;&s;ion of thy <HI>Redeemer,</HI> how great a regard he had to thy Safety when he was in view of his dreadful Pa&s;&s;ion; for that very Night in which he was betrayed into the hands of &s;inful Men, he in&s;ti|tuted the <HI>Holy Sacrament,</HI> left us his Body and Blood to be a continual re|membrance of him.</P>
<P>O Infinite Charity, which conten|ted&s;t not thy &s;elf with being our Redemption, unle&s;s thou al&s;o become&s;t our Nouri&s;hment. O infinit Charity, which knowing that our <HI>Offences</HI> wou'd Nail thee to the <HI>Cro&s;s,</HI> wert yet provi|ding a remedy for tho&s;e <HI>Offences.</HI> Lord, is it thy cu&s;tom to repay Benefits for Injuries? Come hither ye <HI>Devout Souls,</HI> bewail with me &s;o great a <HI>Sin;</HI> come <HI>Love</HI> with me &s;o great a <HI>Love;</HI> come with a <HI>Spiritual Hunger,</HI> and offer up your hearts to receive that <HI>Divine Nou|ri&s;hment,</HI> and prepare your <HI>Souls</HI> for this beloved Lord to Enter.</P>
<PB N="65" REF="48">
<P>NO &s;ooner had he fini&s;hed this <HI>Ho|ly My&s;tery,</HI> but he yielded to be encompa&s;&s;ed with the Sorrows of <HI>Death;</HI> having fir&s;t kindly cautioned his Di&s;ci|ples of the approaching Tragedy, the time of which he had often told them was at hand, the Shepherd was to be &s;mitten, and the Flock &s;catter'd a|broad: They had hitherto repo&s;ed their confidence in his Protection, and had all their &s;afety from him, but the time was coming when they too mu&s;t drink of the Cup which was now pre|paring for him; and that they might be encouraged to follow his ble&s;&s;ed &s;teps he fir&s;t &s;et them the Example of his patience, that they might &s;ubmit with the greater Re&s;ignation; this was his time of <HI>Suffering</HI> for them, and he only would have them &s;ee how wil|lingly he would lay down his life for their Sakes; they might &s;urely re&s;i&s;t unto Blood when he had trod the dread|ful path before them, but we find his Sufferings came on too fa&s;t, and were too &s;evere for them to behold. That &s;tout Champion who had formerly con|fe&s;&s;ed him to be Chri&s;t, and was for dying with him, cou'd follow him now
<PB N="66" REF="49">but a far off: His <HI>Agony</HI> in the <HI>Garden</HI> was but the beginning of <HI>Sorrows;</HI> he there &s;aw his <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion</HI> but at a di&s;tance, though that ca&s;t him upon his Knees, and betrayed the Horrors his Soul la|boured under. Our &s;ins were pre&s;&s;ing upon him, and he who knew no &s;in began to feel the weight of ours, and the <HI>Wrath of God</HI> which was due to us for ever.</P>
<P>Where, O my Soul, behold him pro|&s;trate on the Ground, his Nature racked with an in&s;upportable Amazement, and the &s;tream of his Blood turned a con|trary cour&s;e, forcing it &s;elf through the pores of his Body, and his Humanity &s;unk by an extremity of Sorrow to the Gates of Death.</P>
<P>He had no &s;ooner overcome this ter|rible Conflict, but behold the fatal Me&s;&s;engers of his Afflictions ready to apprehend him; his own familliar Friend, who had eat of his Bread, con|ducting them to the place where he was. This was their hour, and he was to &s;uffer even for the ingratitude of his Murderers; he finds him&s;elf now for|&s;aken, as well as betrayed by his Friends, and they who could not watch for his &s;afety, could now fly for their
<PB N="67" REF="49">own. Thus de&s;olate and helple&s;s was the innocent <HI>Lamb of God,</HI> expo&s;ed to the extravigance of a Blood Thir&s;ty People, who came upon him with <HI>Sword</HI> and <HI>Staves,</HI> but there was little need of <HI>Guards</HI> to &s;ecure one, who was &s;o willing to obey their <HI>Summons;</HI> tho' their &s;trength and number cou'd not add Re&s;olution to their <HI>Guilt,</HI> for his own Confe&s;&s;ion, <HI>that I am He,</HI> aw'd them into a Reverence, made them go Backward, and fall to the Ground. But now he lays a&s;ide his Maje&s;ty, and &s;ub|mits to their Rage, who with Infamy and Deri&s;ion drag'd him to the Judg|ment Seat. Where, though their Ma|lice was great enough to &s;ay any thing, cou'd not make their accu&s;ations agree; they laid to his Charge things that he never <HI>&s;aid nor did,</HI> yet that with the Voices of the chief <HI>Prie&s;ts</HI> mu&s;t prevail; and though the judge declared him Guiltle&s;s, yet the People had among them a Law, by which he ought to die: Even to this, he opened not his <HI>Mouth,</HI> but &s;ubmitted to all that their <HI>Revenge, Impudence</HI> and <HI>Cruelty</HI> cou'd invent. Since he had profe&s;t him&s;elf their King, they were re&s;olved not to lead him to <HI>Exe|cution,</HI> before they Cloathed him with
<PB N="68" REF="50"><HI>Ve&s;tments of Deri&s;ion,</HI> Crown him with a Diadem of <HI>Affliction,</HI> and put the Scepter of <HI>Weakne&s;s</HI> into his <HI>Hand;</HI> they Bow the Knee before him, Salute him King, and to fill up their <HI>Ingrati|tude,</HI> inhumanly defile his Face with <HI>Spittle.</HI> After the Horrid Pomp of this Solemnity was over, they dive&s;ted him of this Dignity, and proceeded to treat him like a Slave, and that his Death might appear more dreadful; they u&s;her it in with all its <HI>Terrors,</HI> with <HI>Stripes</HI> and <HI>Scourges,</HI> and all the <HI>Tor|ments</HI> their malice could Inflict. Thus brui&s;ed and wounded with the weight of our Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, he a&s;cends the la&s;t &s;teps of his <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion,</HI> and without the lea&s;t Reluctance, &s;tretches out his Arms to be fix'd on the mo&s;t painful in&s;tru|ment of Death, where, O my Soul, behold the Son of Man lifted up! O deare&s;t God, who wa&s;t <HI>Wounded, De&s;|pi&s;ed, Crucified,</HI> and <HI>Crowned</HI> with <HI>Thorns,</HI> and for my &s;ins wert <HI>Nailed</HI> to the <HI>Cro&s;s,</HI> I be&s;eech thee by the Merits of them all, O &s;weete&s;t Je&s;us, to pardon my Of|fences.</P>
<P>His Death was now a ha&s;tning on, and their Diver&s;ion near to a Conclu|&s;ion; they were re&s;olved to make the
<PB N="69" REF="50">be&s;t u&s;e of their time, and make their in|gratitude la&s;t as long as his life; they rail on Him, treat him with all the marks of <HI>Infamy,</HI> and continue their <HI>Revilings</HI> to his dying <HI>Minute.</HI> Their <HI>Madne&s;s, Fol|ly,</HI> and <HI>Aggrevations</HI> reached Heaven, put the World into di&s;order, and turn|ed the <HI>Day</HI> into <HI>Night,</HI> but could not move his <HI>Soul;</HI> he &s;aw their <HI>Madne&s;s,</HI> felt the weight of their <HI>Offences,</HI> and on|ly prayed for their Forgivene&s;s; he pit|tied their <HI>Mi&s;ery,</HI> and when they en|deavor'd to pull the Vengenace of his <HI>Blood</HI> upon their Heads, he was &s;hed|ing it as Sacrifice for their <HI>Wickedne&s;s.</HI> But when the Maje&s;ty of Heaven grew <HI>Angry,</HI> and exerted his <HI>Fury,</HI> and laid on him the iniquities of us all, he trem|bled at his <HI>Wrath,</HI> cou'd not bear the direction of the <HI>Deity,</HI> and groan'd a|way his Soul, when God with-drew his pre&s;ence from his &s;upport; yet, nei|ther the <HI>Frowns</HI> of his angry Father, nor the <HI>Rage</HI> of Men or Devils could make him &s;ink, till all was fullfil'd, which the Scriptures &s;pake concerning him; when that was fini&s;h'd he only tarried to recommend his Mother to the pious care of his beloved Di&s;ciple, bowed his Head, and gave up the Gho&s;t.</P>
<PB N="70" REF="51">
<P><HI>O crucified Je&s;us, let thy Blood wa&s;h my Scul, I am not a&s;hamed of thy Cro&s;s, but adore thee in thy Pa&s;&s;ion, and acknow|ledge thee to be God.</HI></P>
<P>Let us now turn the Scene, and think how we have offended this God, and lived in a continual <HI>Rebellion,</HI> and then of what puni&s;hment ought we to be thought worthy, who have Slighted, Contem|ned, and abu&s;ed &s;uch infinite Mercy; Who have returned the Love of God with the ba&s;e&s;t ingratitude, and had no other rea&s;on for our Wickedne&s;s, but that God was Good? What an incon|ceivable Mercy is it that we are not this minute in tho&s;e unquenchable Flames, where the exqui&s;itne&s;s of the Torment &s;hould oblige us in&s;tead of crying for Mercy to breath out horrid Bla&s;phemies? And as we &s;lighted his Government here, Cur&s;e and Dam his &s;everity thee, &s;till &s;inking our &s;elves deeper in the intollerable Mi&s;ery, where will be no Mittigation of the <HI>Torment,</HI> nor end to our &s;ad <HI>Affliction.</HI> Let us con&s;train all the forces of our <HI>Soul</HI> to prai&s;e God that we are alive, entreating his Pardon: Let us beg Pardon even for taking that liberty to prai&s;e him, and withal, that he would &s;till help us
<PB N="71" REF="51">to prai&s;e him more. O let us reflect on every thing that may move us to con|fe&s;s our <HI>Wickedne&s;s,</HI> and be &s;orry for our &s;ins.</P>
<P>The thoughts of the&s;e things may well enough put us in a heat, and when our Pa&s;&s;ions are throughly urged, vent them&s;elves in Sighs, and earne&s;t de&s;ires of <HI>Reconciliation,</HI> that both of them may meet with &s;ucce&s;s; let us add alms to our <HI>Fa&s;ting</HI> and <HI>Prayer,</HI> for when our Pe|titions are thus a&s;&s;i&s;ted, the mercy of God will not deny us a &s;uitable return; therefore in the entrance to our Devo|tion, let us &s;et apart &s;omething for the Poor, and humbly offer it up in the fol|lowing form.</P>
<P><HI>O God, Ble&s;&s;ed be thy Name, all things come of thee, and of thine own do I now give thee; O let this Alms be as an Odour of a &s;weet &s;mell, and acceptable in thy &s;ight.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayers">
<PB N="72" REF="52">
<HEAD>Preparitory Prayers before the Com|munion.</HEAD>
<P>ALmighty Eternal God, thou art the comforter of all that call up|on thee, thou ha&s;t concluded all under &s;in, that thou mighte&s;t have Mercy upon all. Look upon me, O God, and have pitty on me, lying in my <HI>Blood</HI> and <HI>Mi&s;ery</HI> in my <HI>Shame</HI> and in my <HI>Sins,</HI> in the fear and guilt of thy <HI>Wrath,</HI> in the &s;hadow of thy <HI>Death,</HI> and in the Gates of <HI>Hell.</HI> I confe&s;s to thee, O God, what thou knowe&s;t already, but I confe&s;s it to glorifie thy <HI>Mercy,</HI> who ha&s;t &s;pared me &s;o long; I am guilty of the vile&s;t and ba&s;e&s;t <HI>Follies,</HI> which u&s;u|ally di&s;honour <HI>Fools,</HI> and the wor&s;t of Men; I have been Proud and Cove|tous, Envious and Lu&s;tful, Angry, In|devout and Irreligious, re&s;tle&s;s in my Pa&s;&s;ions, Sen&s;ual, hating wi&s;e Coun|&s;els, and &s;oon weary of the Offices of a <HI>Holy Religion.</HI> I cannot give an ac|count of my Time, and I cannot reckon the Sins of my Tongue; my Crimes are
<PB N="73" REF="52">Intolerable, my Imperfections Shame|ful, and my Omi&s;&s;ions Innumerable: What &s;hall I do, O thou pre&s;erver of Men? I'm &s;o Vile I cannot expre&s;s it, &s;o Sinful that I'm odious to my &s;elf, and I'm much more Abominable in thy &s;ight. I have &s;inned again&s;t thee with|out Nece&s;&s;ity, &s;ometimes without Temp|tation, only becau&s;e I would Sin. I have been &s;o Ungreatful, Fooli&s;h and Unrea&s;onable, that I have put out my own Eyes, that I might with confidence and without fear, &s;in again&s;t &s;o good a God, &s;o mighty a Redeemer; my &s;in is grown &s;hameful, and aggravated even to Amazement. O God, I'm amazed and confounded in thy pre&s;ence.</P>
<P>BUT yet, O God, thou art the healer of our Breaches, and the litter up of our Head. I mu&s;t not de|&s;pair, I'm &s;ure thy goone&s;s is infinite, thou doe&s;t not delight in the Death of a Sinner, my &s;ins, though very great, are infinitely le&s;s than thy Mercies; I'm not worthy to look up to Heaven, but be thou plea&s;ed to look down into the Du&s;t; let me not peri&s;h in my Folly, or be con&s;umed in thy Di&s;plea&s;ure; give me time to Repent, give me the
<PB N="74" REF="53">power of thy Spirit, that as by thy Gift and Mercy I intend to amend what is ami&s;s, &s;o I may indeed have Grace and Power faithfully to fullfil the &s;ame. In&s;pire me with the Spirit of Repen|tance and Mortification, that I may al|ways fight again&s;t my &s;ins, till I be more than Conqueror. Support me with a Holy Hope, confirm me with an excellent Operative, and unrepro|vable Faith, enkindle a bright and burning Charity in my Soul, and grant by the power of thy Spirit, I may o|vercome all Carnal and Spiritual Wick|edne&s;s, be wholly delivered from &s;in, pre&s;erved from thy Wrath, and at la&s;t pa&s;s on to the Glories of thy Kingdom, through Je&s;us Chri&s;t my Saviour.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<HEAD>A Meditation of St. <HI>Au&s;tin.</HI></HEAD>
<P>BEfore thy Eyes, O Gracious Lord, we bring our <HI>Crimes;</HI> before thee we expo&s;e the <HI>Wounds</HI> of our <HI>bleeding Souls:</HI> That which we &s;uffer, is but lit|tle; that which we de&s;erve, is <HI>intole|rable.</HI> We fear the <HI>Puni&s;hment</HI> of our
<PB N="75" REF="53"><HI>Sins,</HI> but cea&s;e not pertinaciou&s;ly to proceed in <HI>&s;inning.</HI> Our <HI>Weakne&s;s</HI> is &s;ometimes &s;mitten with thy <HI>Rod;</HI> but our <HI>Iniquity</HI> is not changed. When thou &s;mite&s;t us, then we confe&s;s our <HI>Sins;</HI> but when thy <HI>Vi&s;itation</HI> is pa&s;t, then we forget that we have wept. When thou &s;tretche&s;t forth thine <HI>Hand,</HI> then we promi&s;e to do our <HI>Duty;</HI> but when thou take&s;t it away, we perform no <HI>Promi&s;es.</HI> If thou &s;trike&s;t, we cry to thee to &s;pare us; but when thou &s;pa|re&s;t, we provoke thee again to <HI>Anger.</HI> Thus, O God, the <HI>Guilty</HI> confe&s;s be|fore thee: Unle&s;s thou give&s;t us <HI>Par|don,</HI> it is but ju&s;t we peri&s;h. But, O Almighty God, our Father, grant to us what we ask, even though we de&s;erve it not. Pardon us, O Gracious Father; and take away all our <HI>Sin:</HI> De&s;troy the <HI>Work of the Devil,</HI> let the <HI>Enemy</HI> have no part in us: Acknowledge the <HI>Work of thine own Hand,</HI> the <HI>Price of thine own Blood,</HI> and the <HI>Purcha&s;e of thine own In|heritance;</HI> and bring us to the <HI>Place</HI> which thou ha&s;t de&s;ign'd for us by the <HI>Blood of the Everla&s;ting Covenant,</HI> by the <HI>Pains of thy Cro&s;s,</HI> and the <HI>Glories of thy Re&s;urrection,</HI> O Holy and Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> our <HI>Redeemer.</HI></P>
<PB N="76" REF="54">
<P>MO&s;t merciful God and Father! I thine <HI>unworthy Servant,</HI> render my <HI>humble&s;t Thanks</HI> to thy <HI>Divine Maje|&s;ty,</HI> that it has pleas'd thee, notwith|&s;tanding my <HI>Unworthine&s;s,</HI> to give me a <HI>Heart</HI> to approach thy <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed Sacrament.</HI> Give me thy <HI>Grace,</HI> that I may be a <HI>cu|rious Spender</HI> of my <HI>Time</HI> this <HI>Week,</HI> &s;o as I may be&s;t re&s;i&s;t or prevent all <HI>Temp|tation.</HI> Let thy <HI>Grace</HI> &s;o perpetually a&s;&s;i&s;t and encourage my <HI>Endeavours,</HI> conduct my <HI>Will,</HI> and fortifie my <HI>Inten|tions,</HI> that I may per&s;evere in that <HI>holy Condition</HI> which thou ha&s;t put me in by the <HI>Grace</HI> of the <HI>Covenant,</HI> and the <HI>Mer|cies</HI> of the <HI>Holy Je&s;us.</HI> Oh, let me ne|ver fall into tho&s;e <HI>Sins,</HI> and retire to that vain <HI>Conver&s;ation,</HI> from which the <HI>Eter|nal</HI> and <HI>Merciful Saviour</HI> of the <HI>World</HI> hath <HI>redeemed</HI> me. Let thy <HI>Preventing Grace</HI> da&s;h all <HI>Temptations</HI> in their Ap|proach, that my <HI>Hopes</HI> be never di&s;|compos'd, my <HI>Faith</HI> weaken'd, my <HI>Con|fidence</HI> made remi&s;s, nor my <HI>Portion</HI> be le&s;&s;en'd in the <HI>Covenant.</HI> Give me <HI>Grace</HI> to put on the <HI>Wedding-Garment:</HI> And &s;ince thou ha&s;t commanded me to <HI>examine my &s;elf,</HI> let me &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;ider and re|view my <HI>Life</HI> and <HI>Actions;</HI> and how I
<PB N="77" REF="54">am prepar'd for &s;o weighty an Action. I de&s;ire to do this, O Lord, help my <HI>weak De&s;ires.</HI> Give me <HI>Power</HI> to live more exactly than I have done. I con|fe&s;s, O Lord, I am by <HI>Nature</HI> a <HI>Child of Wrath;</HI> give me therefore <HI>a True and Lively Faith,</HI> that I may be &s;piritually join'd to thee by the Vi&s;ible Signs of <HI>Bread and Wine:</HI> And &s;o clean&s;e my <HI>Soul,</HI> that thou maye&s;t take up thy <HI>Ha|bitation</HI> within me. I know, O Lord, I am unworthy of this <HI>Ble&s;&s;ing;</HI> yet for thy Name &s;ake, be&s;tow it upon me: And when I pre&s;ent my &s;elf before thee, at thy <HI>Table,</HI> re&s;train my <HI>Wandring</HI> and <HI>Idle Thoughts;</HI> let them be &s;eriou&s;ly fix'd on the <HI>Death</HI> of my <HI>Saviour:</HI> And as I receive this <HI>Bread and Wine</HI> for Bodily Su&s;tenance, &s;o cau&s;e me to feed on the <HI>Body and Blood</HI> of my <HI>Saviour,</HI> that it may be real Nouri&s;hment to my <HI>Soul:</HI> Which I beg for the &s;ake of him who offer'd both his <HI>Body and Blood</HI> for my <HI>Salvation; Je&s;us,</HI> thy Son, and my Re|deemer. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P>O Mo&s;t Good and Gracious <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> how excellent was thy <HI>Love</HI> to|wards us; thou leave&s;t thy <HI>Body</HI> and <HI>Blood</HI> to be our Food to Nouri&s;h us.
<PB N="78" REF="55">O thou true Food of my <HI>Soul,</HI> receive me who am to receive thee, quicken me with thy <HI>Spirit,</HI> feed me with thy <HI>Fle&s;h,</HI> &s;atisfie me with thy <HI>Blood,</HI> and let me receive Life from thee, to act and live unto thee. O, my Lord, give me a <HI>Heart</HI> that I may think on thee, a <HI>Soul</HI> that I may love thee, and a <HI>Mind</HI> to remember thee. Let me find thee, O my hearts de&s;ire, let me hold thee, O thou whom my <HI>Soul</HI> doth love; O my life, for whom all things live, by which I live, without which I die. O, my <HI>Lord,</HI> let me renew this life of mine, by com|ing to thy <HI>Holy Sacrament:</HI> Where may I find thee but here? O that I may faint in my &s;elf, and depend on thee. O <HI>Lord,</HI> let me love thee, becau&s;e thou did&s;t fir&s;t love me: Where &s;hall I get words to ex|pre&s;s the &s;igns of thy particular great love towards me? I ble&s;s thee for my <HI>Creation, Pre&s;ervation,</HI> and all the Ble&s;|&s;ings of this life, but mo&s;t of all for my <HI>Redemption,</HI> and the benefits convey'd to us in the <HI>Holy Sacrament.</HI> O let me go to thy <HI>Holy Table,</HI> to receive <HI>Life</HI> and <HI>Salvation.</HI> O that I may cry after God, even the living God; that I may watch for thee more than they who watch for the Morning, and that my delight may be in thy Commandments, O God.</P>
<PB N="79" REF="55">
<P>I Dare not pre&s;ume to come to thine <HI>Altar,</HI> Mo&s;t Holy Lord God, be|fore I have clean&s;ed my Mouth, by con|fe&s;&s;ion of my <HI>Sins,</HI> wa&s;hed my Hands in <HI>Innocency,</HI> and purified my heart by profe&s;&s;ion of my Faith in my <HI>Redeemers Blood;</HI> for thy &s;acred Word teaches me that Holy Thing mu&s;t not be given to Dogs, nor Pearls ca&s;t before Swine: with loathing of my &s;elf, and greate&s;t dete&s;tation of my rebellious corruption, I confe&s;s that never Dog &s;o oft returned to his Vomit, nor Sow to wallowing in the Mire, as I have to &s;in and &s;en&s;uality. I was at fir&s;t conceived in <HI>Lu&s;t,</HI> and &s;ince <HI>Lu&s;t</HI> has conceived in me, and brought forth &s;in, and &s;in had long ago brought forth <HI>Death,</HI> if thy Grace and Mercy had not prevented it. I am not able to conceive, what &s;in I have con|ceived in my heart, or uttered with my tongue, my be&s;t actions are tainted, how much more my defects; my <HI>Pray|ers</HI> again&s;t &s;in are, through their many imperfections unle&s;s thou cover them, abominable in thy &s;ight, how much more the &s;ins them&s;elves, again&s;t which I pray: All the remedies which thou ha&s;t pre&s;cribed in thy Law again&s;t the mala|dies
<PB N="80" REF="56">of my Soul have increas'd them, and &s;o improv'd my <HI>&s;in,</HI> that <HI>&s;in</HI> is be|come above mea&s;ure <HI>&s;inful.</HI> O Lord, thy Commandments are exceeding Broad, and extends not only to our Words and Actions, but to our Thoughts, De&s;ires and Affection; the &s;malle&s;t de|&s;ire of <HI>&s;in,</HI> is <HI>&s;in,</HI> the very inclination to <HI>&s;in</HI> without con&s;ent of the will, the delight in <HI>&s;in</HI> again&s;t the con&s;ent of the will, our vain fancies by Day, and dreams by Night, though not in our power to prevent, are pollutions in thy Eyes, who are purity it &s;elf. Who then can &s;ay his Heart is clean, or who knoweth how oft he offendeth? O clean&s;e thou me from my &s;ecret Faults, Pardon all my known and unknown <HI>Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions,</HI> whether they be Omi&s;&s;i|ons of any duty Commanded by thee, or Commi&s;&s;ions of any thing forbidden. O loo&s;e me from tho&s;e Bonds where|with <HI>Satan</HI> and my own <HI>Lu&s;t</HI> have bound me; thou &s;ee&s;t I have abundant need of thee, but am &s;o cloged with <HI>Guilt,</HI> that I am not able to move towards thee. O let not my <HI>impenitence</HI> and <HI>unworthine&s;s</HI> fru&s;trate thy Mercies to me, and &s;ince thou ha&s;t appointed this <HI>Spiritual Fea&s;t</HI> for rich and fami&s;hed <HI>Souls,</HI> let my de|&s;ires
<PB N="81" REF="56">be an&s;werable to my need of it, and do thou qualifie me by thy Grace to receive the full benefits of it. O <HI>Chri&s;t hear me,</HI> and grant that I may ap|proach thee, with more &s;incere and fix|ed Rea&s;olutions of an intire Reformati|on; and let me receive &s;uch &s;trength from thee, as may enable me <HI>faithfully</HI> to perform them. Lord, there are ma|ny old Habitual Di&s;ea&s;es my <HI>Soul</HI> groans under, and though I lie never &s;o long at the pool of <HI>Bethe&s;da,</HI> come never &s;o often to thy Table, unle&s;s thou be plea&s;ed to put forth thy healing Vertue, they will &s;till remain uncured. O thou Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Phy&s;ician</HI> of <HI>Souls,</HI> heal me, and grant I may &s;o touch thee, that there loth&s;ome I&s;&s;ues may immediately &s;tanch, that the&s;e <HI>Sickne&s;&s;es</HI> may not be unto <HI>Death,</HI> but to the Glory of thy Mercy in pardoning &s;o polluted a <HI>Wretch.</HI> Lord, have Mercy on me, and grant I may ap|proach thy <HI>Holy Table</HI> with &s;uch <HI>Hum|lity</HI> and <HI>Contrition, Love</HI> and <HI>Devotion,</HI> that thou maye&s;t vouch&s;afe to come un|to me, and communicate to me thy &s;elf, and all the Merits of thy <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion.</HI> I ac|knowledge to my &s;hame and &s;orrow, that this <HI>Fea&s;t</HI> has often been prepared, and I have with frivolous excu&s;es ab&s;ented
<PB N="82" REF="57">my &s;elf, or if I have come, it has been rather to defy than adore thee; I have brought &s;uch Troops of thy profe&s;&s;ed Enemies, unrepented <HI>&s;ins,</HI> along with me, as if I came not to commemorate, but renew thy Pa&s;&s;ion of what puni&s;h|ment ought I to be thought worthy, who have trampled under foot the Son of God, counted the <HI>Blood</HI> of the Co|venant an unholy thing; by defiling my &s;elf with &s;en&s;ual plea&s;ures, and break|ing my <HI>holy Vows</HI> &s;ince I received the <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Sacrament,</HI> and thereby have in|curred the greate&s;t danger by receiving that <HI>Unworthily,</HI> which can take away the guilt of my <HI>Sin;</HI> yet, O merciful Je&s;us, this <HI>Blood</HI> is my only refuge, let this make my attonement, or I <HI>peri&s;h E|ternally;</HI> Wherefore did&s;t thou &s;hed it, but to &s;ave Sinners? O let me find its &s;aving Efficacy, let not the price of thy <HI>Blood</HI> be utterly lo&s;t, but Pardon that heap of <HI>&s;in</HI> which I bring to thy <HI>Cro&s;s</HI> to be forgiven, that &s;o I may be an acceptable Gue&s;t at thy <HI>Holy Table,</HI> which I beg for thy Compa&s;&s;ion Sake, <HI>Je&s;us my God and Saviour.</HI></P>
<P>BLe&s;&s;ed and all &s;ufficient <HI>Saviour,</HI> I, the unworthie&s;t of thy Servants,
<PB N="83" REF="57">pro&s;trate my &s;elf at thy Mercy Seat, humbly imploring that Pardon and For|givene&s;s of my multiplied <HI>Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions,</HI> which render me unfit to receive the lea&s;t of thy multiplied Kindne&s;s, much le&s;s of being made a partaker of the greate&s;t in the participation of the <HI>Sa|cred Body</HI> and <HI>Blood</HI> in the <HI>Holy Com|munion.</HI> Dear Redeemer, let me ap|proach this <HI>Divine In&s;titution,</HI> with a prepared <HI>Heart,</HI> and a purified <HI>Soul.</HI> O that infinite Ju&s;tice of the Almighty, in taking &s;o full vengeance upon <HI>&s;in,</HI> even upon thee his only beloved <HI>Son,</HI> that we might fear and tremble at the &s;ad Effects of <HI>&s;in.</HI> O the infinite Mercy of the Al|mighty, ever to think of &s;uch a reme|dy for mi&s;erable Man's Re&s;toration. O the equal Goodne&s;s of thee our deare&s;t Lord, who wa&s;t a willing Sacrifice, who wa&s;t <HI>Content, Ambitious, Hungring</HI> and <HI>thir&s;ting</HI> after our <HI>Salvation</HI> by thy dread|ful <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion,</HI> for which let me how my &s;elf at the Foot&s;tool of thy <HI>Cro&s;s,</HI> and mourn for thy Sufferings, as occa&s;ioned by my <HI>Sins.</HI> O let the drops of thy <HI>Blood</HI> trickle down into my Bo&s;om, and wa&s;h out the &s;tains of <HI>&s;in</HI> there; let thy <HI>Thorns</HI> pierce me to the <HI>Heart,</HI> and thy <HI>Nails</HI> fa&s;ten me to thee, as much as e|ver
<PB N="84" REF="58">they did thee to the <HI>Cro&s;s:</HI> Thou that did&s;t entertain <HI>Judas</HI> with Tran|quility, and &s;uffere&s;t him to ki&s;s thy Cheek, reject not me thy unworthy &s;up|plicant, but ki&s;s me with the Benedicti|on of thy Lips, and with the Affecti|ons of a <HI>Saviour;</HI> thou that di&s;t permit the Soldiers to bind thee, to &s;atisfie for my loo&s;ene&s;s and abu&s;ed liberty, bind me now unto thee with the Chains of <HI>Love,</HI> let that <HI>Holy Union</HI> di&s;&s;olve the Cords of <HI>Vanity,</HI> and &s;ubdue my Pa&s;|&s;ions and unruly De&s;ires. Deare&s;t Lord, as in my Body of <HI>&s;in</HI> there is no part free, &s;o in thy &s;uffering Body there was no whole part; nothing but <HI>Sores</HI> and <HI>Stripes, Wounds</HI> and <HI>Brui&s;es:</HI> I have of|fended in all my parts, thou wa&s;t tor|mented in all thine, &s;o that with &s;hame and &s;orrow, I confe&s;s that my &s;ins in|flicted the mi&s;ery of thy <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion</HI> by the hands of thy <HI>barbarous Enemies.</HI> O let the <HI>Spear</HI> that pierced thy <HI>Heart,</HI> &s;weet|e&s;t Je&s;us, pierce mine with true <HI>Sorrow;</HI> let me contemplate on thy <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion,</HI> with infinite hatred of <HI>&s;in</HI> that occa&s;ioned it, and with infinite gratitude to thy <HI>Love</HI> for performing the &s;ame. I adore thee, O Lord, Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, for in&s;tituting the <HI>Holy Sacrament,</HI> &s;trike an awe into my
<PB N="85" REF="58">Soul when I approach it, and create in me Heavenly di&s;po&s;itions to celebrate &s;o Heavenly an in&s;titution; let me ve|rily believe, that if with due preparation I come to thy Altar, as certainly as I receive the outward &s;ings, &s;o certainly &s;hall I receive thy mo&s;t ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Body</HI> and <HI>Blood;</HI> to receive which ine&s;timable Ble&s;&s;ing, O merciful Lord, do thou fit and prepare me for thy mercy &s;ake in Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Lord.</P>
<P>O All &s;ufficient Saviour, teach me by thy great good Examples, O|bedience and Submi&s;&s;ion to thy Di|vine Will. I humbly be&s;eech thee &s;o to prepare my Soul to the due receiving of the <HI>Holy Sacrament</HI> worthily, that I may thereby effectually feel, ta&s;t and feed on thee my Saviour Chri&s;t, that I may be thee have <HI>Eternal Life.</HI> Par|don, O Lord, pardon my unprepared|ne&s;s to come to &s;o <HI>Holy</HI> and <HI>Divine</HI> a <HI>Mi&s;tery,</HI> make thy <HI>Word</HI> and <HI>Sacrament</HI> always &s;o powerful and effectual in my Heart, that I may thereby be &s;anctified and renewed unto all Holy Obedience, unto thy Will, in the mortification of my &s;inful Corruptions, renewing of thy perfect Image in me unto <HI>Holine&s;s,
<PB N="86" REF="59">Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Sobriety, Truth, Know|ledge, Faith, Temperance</HI> and <HI>Cha&s;tity.</HI> O Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, by thee let me have ac|ce&s;s to thy <HI>Heavenly Father,</HI> that by thee he may accept me, who by thee is revealed to me; let thy <HI>Innocence</HI> and <HI>Purity</HI> procure pardon for my unclean|ne&s;s and di&s;obedience, let thy Humili|ty extingui&s;h my <HI>Pride</HI> and <HI>Vanity,</HI> and thy Charity cover the multitude of my Faults, and that thou wilt with the hands of thy Mercy, immediately after this life, receive my Soul into everla&s;t|ing Joy and Felicity, there to Reign with thee for ever.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>A Concluding Prayer.</HEAD>
<P>O Lord God, into thy hands I com|mit my <HI>Body, Soul,</HI> and <HI>Spirit,</HI> my <HI>Thoughts, Words</HI> and <HI>Works,</HI> de&s;i|ring wholly to be thine. O my God, Gracious and Merciful accept me in thy beloved Je&s;us Chri&s;t; for his &s;ake let me not go from before thee without a Ble&s;&s;ing, a Ble&s;&s;ing of <HI>Pardon</HI> and <HI>Peace,</HI> a Ble&s;&s;ing of thy <HI>Spirit</HI> and of thy <HI>Grace</HI> to come Holy to thy <HI>Table,</HI> a Ble&s;&s;ing
<PB N="87" REF="59">of thy favour and of thy love in the <HI>Lord Je&s;us;</HI> thus Lord, &s;ay of me that thou ha&s;t Ble&s;&s;ed me, and I &s;hall be thy Ble&s;&s;ed for ever; pardon the defect of Prayers, my Coldne&s;s and Wandring in my Devotions, and deal with me ac|cording to thy Mercies in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who in compa&s;&s;ion to my infirmatives has taught me to call thee Father, and when I pray, to &s;ay,</P>
<P><HI>Our Father,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>The Grace of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Having performed the&s;e Devotions faithfully, let us wait for the Ble&s;&s;ing of the Lord; if we would have a &s;peedy an&s;wer to our <HI>Prayers,</HI> let us have re|&s;pect in all our Conver&s;ation to what we have been doing. 'Tis not &s;uffici|ent that we pa&s;&s;ionately beg God's Fa|vour, we mu&s;t endeavour to de&s;erve it by performing his will, and when God &s;ees that we choo&s;e him, he will not de|ny us the Ble&s;&s;ings that are needful for us. 'Tis not to be &s;uppo&s;ed, that Man is &s;erious who can be earne&s;t and zea|lous in his Clo&s;e&s;t, but loo&s;e and in|temperate in the World, or that he is heartily de&s;irous to be ea&s;ed of his bur|then, who makes no other attempts to
<PB N="88" REF="60">acquit him&s;elf, but when he is upon his Knees. Can we think God will hear the Prayer of a Man who only asks to be freed from his Infirmities? <HI>When the wicked Man turns from his Wickedne&s;s, and does that which is Lawful and Right, be &s;hall &s;ave his Soul, and not before.</HI> If a Man that is an <HI>Adulterer, La&s;civious</HI> or <HI>Unclean,</HI> would have his <HI>Vices</HI> rout|ed out, he mu&s;t fir&s;t &s;et him&s;elf again&s;t the <HI>Sin,</HI> endeavour to mortifie the <HI>Lu&s;t,</HI> and avoid the occa&s;ion of his Folly, and then he may expect God's Pardon for the pa&s;t, and a&s;&s;i&s;tance for the fu|ture: He ought during the time of his Tryal to beg God's Grace to help him in the conque&s;t of this <HI>Enemy,</HI> and if he is &s;incere, may be &s;ure in a little time, that he will be more than Conqueror; but don't let us fly to God to &s;ave us from tho&s;e <HI>Evils</HI> we voluntary run in|to, which we don't care to avoid, and which are no longer unea&s;ie than they &s;en&s;ibly affect us. We &s;hall but mock God, and provoke him to give us up to the deceits of our own Heart; but 'tis hoped they who are arrived &s;o far in <HI>Vertue,</HI> as to &s;et their Re&s;olutions to approach the <HI>Altar of God,</HI> have no &s;uch cu&s;tom that they truly are &s;orry for
<PB N="89" REF="60">their <HI>Offences,</HI> and intend to lead a new life, that their Faith is &s;uch as over|comes the World, that they have brought under their unruly Appetites, and are zealous of <HI>good Works.</HI> The&s;e are the things about which we ought to Examine our &s;elves, let this be our &s;tudy, the nearer we approach this So|lemnity that &s;o we may &s;earch every Corner of our Hearts, and when we have &s;et our ways before our Eyes, there is no doubt but we &s;hall bewail the ini|quity of them, and rai&s;e in our Souls an ardent love to Chri&s;t who is &s;o rea|dy to relieve us, and has done &s;o much to bring us into Favour with God. Our <HI>unworthine&s;s</HI> and his Mercy are &s;ufficient to exerci&s;e our thoughts our whole lives, we are a&s;toni&s;hed at the one, and con|founded at the other; but when we con|&s;ider his mercy extends to the other World, even to the making us happy for ever, we know not what to &s;ay are de&s;irous, our Eternity &s;hould be pa&s;&s;ed away in his Prai&s;es, and even wi&s;h for the order of a Seraphim to expre&s;s our grateful acknowledgments in <HI>Joyful Ha|lelujahs;</HI> they who con&s;ider the dignity of this Sacrament, will be de&s;irous of approaching thither with all po&s;&s;ible
<PB N="90" REF="61">purity, and endeavour to clean&s;e them|&s;elves according to the Purification of the Sanctuary. In &s;hort, let us but get a true under&s;tanding of the Sacra|ment, and that will teach us our Duty.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="devotions">
<HEAD>Let us add the following Form to our Devotions on <HI>Saturday</HI> Evening.</HEAD>
<P>O What &s;hall I do to have my Soul wholly po&s;&s;e&s;t with thee, but by coming to thy <HI>Holy Communion,</HI> there to &s;eal the promi&s;es I have made to thee this Week, for the future to live more Godly? Suffer me (thy ju|&s;tice laid a&s;ide) to &s;peak unto thy mer|cy, me Du&s;t and A&s;hes, yet &s;uffer me to &s;peak, being 'tis to the mercies of God; &s;ay unto my Soul, <HI>I am thy Sal|vation, and hide not thy face from me,</HI> let me &s;ee it, though I die, lea&s;t other|wi&s;e I die, &s;o as never to &s;ee it; the man&s;ion of my Soul is to marrow to en|tertain thee. O let it be enlarged by thee, by my coming to thy Table, it is very ruinous, be thou plea&s;ed to re|pair it; clean&s;e me, O Lord, from my &s;ecret &s;ins, from my pre&s;umptuous
<PB N="91" REF="61">wickedne&s;s deliver thy Servant. I have confe&s;&s;ed the&s;e my &s;ins unto thee, and hope thou ha&s;t forgiven the iniqui|ty of them. I do not contend in judg|ment with thee, for thou art the Truth: If thou, Lord, &s;hould&s;t mark iniqui|ties, who may abide? But we have confidence in thy mercy through the merits of our Saviour and Mediator, who was al&s;o made known to the Saints of Old, that they by the Faith of his <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion</HI> to come, as we by the Faith of it pa&s;t, might obtain Salvation. As he was <HI>Man,</HI> he was <HI>Mediator,</HI> but as he was the <HI>Word,</HI> &s;o he was no midling Per&s;on, becau&s;e equal to God, and God with God, together with the Ho|ly Gho&s;t, one God. How far ha&s;t thou loved us, O thou good Father, who &s;pared&s;t not thine only Son, but de|livered him up for us ungodly? How far ha&s;t thou loved us, for whom he who thought it no Robery to be equal to thee, was made &s;ubject even to Death upon the Cro&s;s? Therefore do I ju&s;tly repo&s;e &s;trong hope in thee, that thou wilt heal all my Di&s;ea&s;es which are very great, but much greater is the cure which thou ha&s;t provided. This is my great delight, and &s;o often as I can be
<PB N="92" REF="62">relea&s;ed from nece&s;&s;ary affairs, I will repair to this plea&s;ure of coming to thy <HI>Table,</HI> neither find I in all the&s;e things which I run through any &s;ettlement for my Soul, &s;ave only in thee. Behold, <HI>O Lord,</HI> I ca&s;t all my care upon thee, let me live, and I will con&s;ider the wonderful things of thy Law; thou knowe&s;t my <HI>Ignorance,</HI> my <HI>Infirmities,</HI> teach me, heal me, O Je&s;us, in whom are hid all the Trea&s;ures of Wi&s;dom. Redeem me with thine own <HI>Blood,</HI> for I meditate on it; I Eat and Drink at thy Table, and de&s;ire to be &s;atisfied there|with, among&s;t tho&s;e who Eat, and are &s;atisfied.</P>
<P>Oh! Lord, thou &s;ee&s;t how much I have left behind after all my dilligence to clean&s;e and purifie my <HI>Soul.</HI> Alas! all my thoughts of thee are but <HI>Dreams,</HI> my De&s;ires but a <HI>Vapour,</HI> my love but a <HI>Fla&s;h,</HI> my Prayers are but a <HI>Breath,</HI> and my Tears will &s;carce fill a <HI>Buble;</HI> my Sorrow is no bigger than a <HI>Sigh,</HI> all that I do, I am a&s;hamed of it my &s;elf, and thou maye&s;t much more loath and di&s;pi&s;e it. Come thou, O Lord, therefore and &s;earch my <HI>heart,</HI> try <HI>me,</HI> and know my <HI>toughts,</HI> &s;ee if there be any way of <HI>wickedne&s;s</HI> in <HI>me,</HI> and lead
<PB N="93" REF="62"><HI>me</HI> in the way Everla&s;ting. Do thou a|waken in me mo&s;t lively thoughts, do thou inkindle a burning affection, open thou the Flood-gates of my Eyes, and open thou my Lips that my Mouth may &s;hew forth thy prai&s;e. O my gracious God, unle&s;s thou interpo&s;e thy power, I am very much affraid I &s;hall not keep this little goodne&s;s till the next morn|ing, which now &s;eems to be in me. The&s;e weak Thoughts, the&s;e faint De|&s;ires and &s;ickly Affections that are in my Soul, I doubt will not live a Night, unle&s;s thou find ways to pre&s;erve and cheri&s;h them; my inveterate Habits of Evil will &s;mother and choak the&s;e new Re&s;olutions, I am in fear that all the&s;e Meditations will be flown away, while I am a &s;leep, and my Hou&s;e be foul a|gain, unle&s;s thou keep me. Ah! my dear God, &s;eeing I have be&s;towed &s;ome &s;mall pains upon my heart, and have conceived &s;ome little hopes, &s;uffer them not to be da&s;h'd to pieces in a Night, &s;pread the Wings of thy goodne&s;s over me, and maintain that, which not I, but thou thy &s;elf ha&s;t wrought. Lord, let me find when I awake, that my af|flections and de&s;ires are grown beyond the &s;trength of Man, and that thy pow|er
<PB N="94" REF="63">re&s;t upon me. Oh! let me find a greater fervor than ever in thy Service, let that &s;park which I fear would go out, be blown into a Flame that will ne|ver expire; &s;o &s;halt thou draw mine Eyes towards thy &s;elf alone, who work|e&s;t &s;uch wonders, and my Lips &s;hall e|ver flow with thy Prai&s;es. Lord, if I may beg this <HI>Grace</HI> of thee, I am veri|ly per&s;waded I &s;hall langui&s;h after none but thee; therefore my good Lord, I leave my &s;elf in thy hands, hoping that either I am, or would be, &s;uch as thou de&s;ire&s;t, and if I am arrived but as far as a Will and De&s;ire to be thine, that Will is thine, and therefore &s;eeing the Will is mine too, and we both con&s;pire together, I take the boldne&s;s to &s;ay, <HI>Lord, let thy will be done.</HI> Oh! &s;weet Saviour, I was going to &s;ay, I am &s;ick of Love, that I cannot love except thou love me, and make me better, but I cor|rect my &s;elf, and 'tis enough if I be &s;ick, becau&s;e I cannot love thee. Do thou make me &s;ick, or rather do thou make me well with love unto thee, &s;o &s;hall I come to thy Table with Joy and Glad|ne&s;s, hoping that thou wilt ki&s;s me with the Benediction of thy Lips, for thy love is better than Wine; draw me, and
<PB N="95" REF="63">I will run after thee, yea, we will run after thee, for I will proclaim to others the loving kindne&s;s of the Lord, <HI>A|men.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="devotions">
<HEAD>Devotions for the Day we intend to Communicate.</HEAD>
<P>IT well becomes a Chri&s;tian's Piety to welcome the day which brings our Saviour &s;o near to us, with acts of Joy and Thnaksgiving, for the approach of &s;o great a Ble&s;&s;ing. And &s;ince one Night may breed too great a damp, and chil|ne&s;s upon our Spirits, it will be very whole&s;ome to renew tho&s;e Thoughts and Affections that we left there when we went to Bed, and &s;o go to the hou&s;e of God, in a &s;en&s;e of our unworthine&s;s, to entertain &s;o glorious a Per&s;on; and in a &s;en&s;e of &s;in which is the cau&s;e of that unworthine&s;s, together with a joy in our Souls, and Prai&s;es upon our Tongues that he will forgive them, humbly de&s;iring of the Lord that he will accept of us for his Habitation, and that he will come and enlarge our
<PB N="96" REF="64">Souls by a holy Love to him, and long|ing after him, that there may be room for his Sacred Maje&s;ty, and a place clean and dre&s;&s;ed to receive him. In order hereunto, as &s;oon as we awake, let us adore that Sacred Maje&s;ty of Heaven in the following Ejaculation.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>A Prayer.</HEAD>
<P>O Merciful God, as thou ha&s;t a|wakened my Body from &s;leep, &s;o by thy Grace awaken my <HI>Soul</HI> from &s;in, that I may appear before thee this day at thy <HI>Holy Altar,</HI> with a pure and undefiled Soul. O Je&s;us cloth me with the Wedding Garments of Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, and true Holine&s;s, that being a worthy Receiver of thy <HI>Body</HI> and <HI>Blood,</HI> I may continue &s;teadfa&s;t to my lives end, and at the la&s;t Trump, accor|ding to thy Ble&s;&s;ed Promi&s;e, be made a pertaker of thy Heavenly Kingdom, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;olemnity of this day requires a mo&s;t exact attendance in the &s;ervice of God, all our affections &s;hould be &s;o imployed, that even the nece&s;&s;aries of this life, ought not to incumber our
<PB N="97" REF="64">Souls, or take off tho&s;e Holy Medita|tions which &s;hould be in&s;eperate to our Minds, much more &s;hould we di&s;pence with things of le&s;s moment, and there|fore however we indulge our &s;elves at other times; let us now take leave of our Bed, and prepare to meet our God with humble Addre&s;&s;es, and ri&s;ing with a thinkful acknowledgment for the Mercies of the Night pa&s;t, let us &s;ay,</P>
<P><HI>Glory be to thee, O Lord, for watching over me this Night.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Lord, rai&s;e me up at the la&s;t day to life everla&s;ting.</HI></P>
<P><HI>In the name of our Lord Je&s;us, Chri&s;t, who was crucified for me, I ari&s;e; he by his cro&s;s and Pa&s;&s;ion, &s;ave ble&s;s and pre|&s;erve me this day and for ever,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P>As &s;oon as we are Dre&s;&s;ed, let us retire unto our Clo&s;et, and before we pro&s;trate our &s;elves at the Throne of Grace, exerci&s;e our Thoughts a little upon the approaching Solemnity, and reflect upon our ba&s;e ingratitude, con|&s;ider how infinitly unworthy we are of &s;uch an ine&s;timable benefit, and then let us adore that inexpre&s;&s;ible Good|ne&s;s which gives us &s;o glorious an op|portunity of waiting on our loving Lord at his Holy Altar, after &s;uch a
<PB N="98" REF="65">religious confu&s;ion of Soul, let us hum|ble our &s;elves, and &s;ay.</P>
<P><HI>Good Lord pardon thy &s;ervant why en|deavours to prepare his heart to &s;eek thee, though I be not clean&s;ed according to the Purification of the Sanctuary.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>A Prayer.</HEAD>
<P><HI>O</HI> Lord, I do not pre&s;ume to come to that great Fea&s;t of thy Body and Blood, upon the lea&s;t opinion of my own worthine&s;s; for when I look upon my &s;elf, I dare not come lea&s;t I &s;hould Eat and Drink my own Damnation; but when I con&s;ider thy infinite Mercies unto us, and thy own words calling all men without ex|ception, and knowing that thy crucified Body is not only food to nouri&s;h, but Phy|&s;ick to cure: I beg leave that am but Du&s;t and A&s;hes to come to thy Holy Table, and with my weak Faith, to feed upon &s;ome Crumbs of the Bread of Life. I confe&s;s, O Lord, I have no Wedding Garments on me, but I come to &s;eek them at thy Cro&s;s, from thy bitter &s;orrows to derive into my Soul a Godly &s;orrow working an unfeigned Repentance, from the broken Body, a bro|ken
<PB N="99" REF="65">Heart, from thy warm Blood flowing from thy wounded &s;ide, Zeal and ferven|cy, that I may love and admire thee my God as I ought to do. I come, O Dear Je&s;us, to fetch Humility and Temperance, Cha&s;tity and Charity, and whatever thou &s;ee&s;t needful for me. O bury all my &s;ins in thy Grave, my &s;tony Heart, my na|tural Corruptions, and vile Affections; I come, O Lord, to fetch a new life from thy Holy and Ble&s;&s;ed Re&s;urrection, for I &s;tand in amazement when I con&s;ider my own vilene&s;s, and how mi&s;erable my end mu&s;t be when the Heavens are not pure in thy &s;ight, and the very Angels are charg|ed with folly; there is no Holine&s;s, O Lord, if thou with-draw thy Hand, no Wi&s;dom profits if thy Government cea&s;es, when thou leave&s;t us we peri&s;h, we are un|&s;table and un&s;ecure unle&s;s &s;ecured and con|firmed by thee, we fly to thee for help, and yet depart from thy Commandments. O how meanly do I de&s;erve to be thought of, how little and incon&s;iderable is the good I do; how innumerable, how intollerable are the Evils I have done, many good things have I received from thee, but I have a|bus'd them; thou ha&s;t given me Grace, but I have turned it into Wantonne&s;s, thou did&s;t create in me a hope of Glory, but I
<PB N="100" REF="66">have lo&s;t my Confidence. Wherefore be|hold, O Lord, I come unto thee, thou mighte&s;t indeed ju&s;tly cen&s;ure the approach of &s;uch a polluted Creature to be a daring pre&s;umption, but I be&s;eech the condemn not the action, but behold the motives which drew me hither, even my own mi&s;eries and thy mercies. I increa&s;e the number of my &s;ins, what &s;hall I do to thee, O thou pre|&s;erver of Men? Who &s;hall rai&s;e me up when I &s;hall fall before thy dreadful Judgment Seat? I will lay my Face in the Du&s;t, and confe&s;s my &s;elf to be nothing. Pitty my Shame, O God, bind up my Wounds, re|move tho&s;e &s;ins that &s;o ea&s;ily overcome me, and unite me to my Saviour Je&s;us. O help me to &s;upply in Humility what I want in worthine&s;s, let my mean and ju&s;t opi|nion of my &s;elf, my bended Knees, and broken Heart, &s;hew that I dur&s;t not have adventured &s;o nigh, if thy mercy had not held out the Golden Scepter; O then dear Je&s;us, be a Je&s;us to me, and let this Sa|crament be a &s;avor of life, and thy Body the Bread of life, thy Blood the purifier of my &s;inful life: O &s;end me not empty away, for I &s;hall faint and die, I cannot live without thee; O let vertue come from thee and heal my Sickne&s;s, do thou appear to my Soul in the&s;e holy My&s;teries, enlighten
<PB N="101" REF="66">my Darkne&s;s, turn me from all vain im|aginations and illu&s;ions of the Enemy, all perver&s;ne&s;s of Will, all Violence and In|ordinate Pa&s;&s;ions, &s;en&s;ual De&s;ires, Lu&s;t and Malice, Gluttony, Pride, Envy and Detraction; let not &s;in reign in my mortal Body, nor the Divel lead my Will captive, nor the World abu&s;e my under&s;tanding, nor debauch my Conver&s;ation. O grant I may receive the&s;e Divine My&s;teries, for the a|mendment of my Life, and for a defen&s;a|tive again&s;t all my &s;ins, for the increa&s;e of Vertue, and the perfection of the Spirit; this I beg, O merciful God, for the &s;ake of thy Eternal Son, my crucified Saviour and Redeemer Je&s;us, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Here ri&s;ing up, read as Follows.</HI></P>
<P>AND as they were Eating, Je&s;us took Bread and gave thanks and ble&s;&s;ed it, and breakt it, and gave it to his Di&s;ciples, and &s;aid, <HI>Take, Eat this is my Body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of me;</HI> likewi&s;e al&s;o, he took the Cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, &s;aying, <HI>Drink ye all of it,</HI> for this Cup is the New Te&s;tament in my Blood which is &s;hed for you, and for many, for the Re|mi&s;&s;ion
<PB N="102" REF="67">of &s;ins, and they all drank of it. Verily I &s;ay unto you, <HI>I will not drink henceforth of the Fruit of the Vine, until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God my Father.</HI></P>
<P>I adore thee, O Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, for in|&s;tituting this Holy Sacrament; O let thy Divinity thus &s;tampt on it, &s;trike into my Soul a holy awe in approach|ing it; O create in me a Heaven di&s;|po&s;ition to celebrate &s;o Heavenly an In&s;titution, and for thy Mercies &s;ake, pardon all my &s;tupid forgetfulne&s;s, and ingratitude hitherto; do now create in me &s;uch a thankful and lively remem|brance of thy dying love, that may ex|cite me to give up my &s;elf intirely to thee, as thou did&s;t give up thy &s;elf on the Cro&s;s for me.</P>
<P><HI>[Kneeling &s;ay,</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>A Prayer.</HEAD>
<P><HI>BEhold, O &s;acred and undivided Tri|nity, an unworthy, wretched, weak, and wounded Soul, oppre&s;&s;ed with an intol|lerable weight of Mi&s;ery, terrified with the con&s;ideration of thy in&s;crutable Judgments, confounded with the memory of her ba&s;e in|gratitude,
<PB N="103" REF="67" MS="y">and encompa&s;&s;ed with &s;orrow. I have with the prodigal wa&s;ted that por|tion of Grace thou did&s;t be&s;tow upon me, and therefore do infinitly want a &s;upply out of thy Trea&s;ury; but, O Lord, how &s;hall &s;uch a wretch as I dare to approach this Holy Table, how &s;hall this &s;piritual Manna, this Food of Angels be given to one: Who has cho&s;en to feed on Hu&s;cks with Wine? nay, to one who has &s;o often trampled upon the&s;e precious things, either carele&s;ly neglecting or unworthily receiving the&s;e holy My&s;te|ries. O LOrd, my horrible guiltine&s;s makes me not dare to &s;tay away, for where &s;hall my polluted Soul be wa&s;hed, if not in this Fountain which thou ha&s;t opened for &s;in and uncleanne&s;s, hither therefore I come, and thou ha&s;t promi&s;ed him that cometh thou wilt in no wi&s;e ca&s;t out; this is, O Lord, the Blood of the New Te&s;tament, grant me &s;o to receive it, that it may be for the re|mi&s;&s;ion of my &s;ins, and though I have &s;o of|ten, and &s;o wretchedly broken my part of that Covenant whereof the Sacrament is a &s;eal, yet be thou graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to make good thine; be merciful to my unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s, and remember my &s;ins no more, and not only &s;o, but place thy Laws in my Mind, and write them in my Heart, and by the power of thy Grace. di&s;po&s;e my Soul
<PB N="104" REF="68">to &s;uch a &s;incere and con&s;tant Obedience that I may never again provoke thee. Lord grant that in the&s;e holy My&s;teries, I may not only commemorate, but effectually re|ceive my ble&s;&s;ed Saviour, and all the bene|fits of his Pa&s;&s;ion; and to that end, give me &s;uch a preparation of Soul as may quali|fie me for it; give me a deep &s;en&s;e of my &s;ins and unworthine&s;s, that being weary and heavy leaden, I may be capable of his refre&s;hings. Rai&s;e up my dull and earth|ly mind from groveling here below, and in|&s;pire it with holy Zeal, that I may with &s;piritual affections approach this &s;piritual Fea&s;t; and let, O Lord, that infinite love of Chri&s;t in dying for &s;o wretched a &s;inner, inflame my frozen and benumed Soul, and kindle in me that &s;acred fire of love to him, and that &s;o vehement, that no water may quench, no floods drown it, &s;uch as may burn up all my dro&s;s, and not leave one unmortified Lu&s;t within me, and &s;uch as may al&s;o extend it &s;elf to all whom thou ha&s;t given me command to love, even my Enemies as well as Friends. O Lord, I be&s;eech thee cloath me with the Wedding Garment, and make me though of my &s;elf a mo&s;t unworthy, yet by thy mercy an ac|ceptable gue&s;t at thy Holy Table, that I may not eat and drink my own Condemna|tion,
<PB N="105" REF="68">but may have my Pardon &s;ealed, my Weakne&s;s repair'd, my Corruptions &s;ubdu|ed, and my Soul &s;o in&s;eperably united to thee, that no temptation may be ever a|ble to di&s;&s;olve the Union, but that being begun here, in grace it be con&s;ummated in Glory. Grant this, O merciful Father, for thy dear Sons &s;ake, Je&s;us Chri&s;t our Lord.</HI></P>
<P>ONce more, O my Soul, con|template that thou art now a pre|paring thy &s;elf for that Divine Banquet, which thy loving Lord in&s;tituted a lit|tle before tho&s;e Sufferings and that Death, before the breaking of his Bo|dy, and the &s;heding of his Precious, Sacred, and Royal Blood, which he declared to be &s;ignified by the breaking of the Bread, and the pouring out of the Wine, for he went that very Night into the Garden, where his pious Soul, apprehen&s;ive of Divine Wrath, humbly addre&s;&s;ed with reiterated &s;upplications for Relief, and being &s;en&s;ible of the mi&s;eries of Mankind pre&s;&s;ing hard upon his &s;potle&s;s Soul, the Torments of the approaching Cro&s;s, the executing Ter|rors of the Powers of Darkne&s;s, and the whole Artillery of an incen&s;ed God,
<PB N="106" REF="69">which he was in little time to graple with; they &s;hook his very Nature, melted him into &s;treams of Blood, and &s;o ca&s;t down his Spirits, that nothing le&s;s than an Angel of the pre&s;ence, was able to mittigate the conflicts of this o|therwi&s;e in&s;upportable Agony. The&s;e are but the beginning of Sorrows, for no &s;ooner then Mercy overcame the afflicting convul&s;ion of his Soul, who was &s;orrowful to Death, but he began to fortifie his kind intentions to poor Man, by that inexpre&s;&s;ibly loving, and unparallel'd Re&s;ignation to the will of his Heavenly Father, he chearfully pro|ceeded to offer up that Sacrifice which was to appea&s;e the Divine Ju&s;tice for the iniquities of an impious World; when after a mo&s;t exemplary &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to the affronts and injuries of implaca|ble Spirits, the ingrateful Malice, and &s;upercillious Envy of tho&s;e who thir&s;t|ed for his Blood, being de&s;pitefully a|bu&s;ed, afflicted and tormented, denied by &s;ome, for&s;aken by others, de&s;olate and comfortle&s;s in every &s;en&s;e, truly a Man of &s;orrows was forced to add weight to his pa&s;t Sufferings, and bear the Cro&s;s of his own Crucifixion.</P>
<PB N="107" REF="69">
<P>Where, O my Soul, behold by Faith the Lamb of God lifted up for the &s;ins of the World. O humble thy &s;elf into the center of thy own nothing, for of what puni&s;hment oughte&s;t thou to be thought worthy, that ha&s;t &s;o in&s;en&s;ed the Maje&s;ty of Heaven, to give up the innocent and mo&s;t Holy Je&s;us, thy be&s;t, thy only Friend, and his dear Son to be Tortured and Tormented for thy &s;ins. O how cruelly was he &s;courged with Wips, wounded with Thorns, loaden with the Cro&s;s, torn with Nails, pier|ced with a Spear, and racked on the mo&s;t painful in&s;trument of Death, his lovely Face defiled with Blood and Spitting, his Ears fill'd with Upbraid|ings and Cur&s;es, his Eyes drenched in Tears for the ruine of his Enemies, and his Soul amazed at the Terrors of an angry God; 'till at length all wounded, broken and bloody with many groans, yet with admirable patience he breaths out his Soul with infinite Charity and Forgivene&s;s.</P>
<P>O holy Je&s;u! how excellent is thy Goodne&s;s? O ye ble&s;&s;ed Ho&s;t of Hea|ven, who rejoice at the conver&s;ion of a &s;inner, adore and prai&s;e that unknown &s;orrow, which ye your &s;elves contem|plate with awful admiration.</P>
<PB N="108" REF="70">
<P>I cannot doubt thy power to ea&s;e me, becau&s;e of the&s;e Suffrings of thy Love; I mu&s;t not que&s;tion thy willing|ne&s;s, who calle&s;t me of thy own accord, nor dare I &s;u&s;pect thy &s;incerity, who art Truth it &s;elf, and always in earne&s;t with poor &s;inners; my Guilt has made me think to fly from thee, but thy mel|ting Voice has eneouraged me to turn to thee, and laid me pro&s;trate at thy feet, groaning under my Offences; but if thou wilt pitty me, I am &s;afe; it thou art plea&s;ed, I am ea&s;ed; if thou pardon me, my burden is gone; and if thou wilt take away this intollerable Lord, I will then venture to draw nearer e|ven to thy Altar, O holy Je&s;u, there to receive more refre&s;hment from thy mercy. <HI>Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy leaden, and I will give you re&s;t.</HI> The&s;e are thy words, <HI>O Chri&s;t,</HI> for you ha&s;t &s;poken them, and they are mine, becau&s;e &s;poken for my &s;al|vation. O &s;weet and amiable words in the ear of a poor &s;inner, by which thou invite&s;t an indigent, &s;tarv'd wretch to pertake of thy Body: But who am I, O Lord, that I &s;hould come? The Angels and Archangels reverence thee, thy Saints and holy Ones fear before
<PB N="109" REF="70">thee, and yet thou &s;aye&s;t unto me, come: Unle&s;s thou ha&s;t &s;aid it, who could have believed it to be true? Unle&s;s thou had&s;t commanded it, who dur&s;t have attempted this approach?</P>
<P>Does my Saviour invite? and &s;hall I go? Shall a &s;inner dare to &s;it down at his Table? Does he invite, and &s;hall I not go? Shall a Wretch pre&s;ume to refu&s;e his Call? Ri&s;e then, my Soul, and take thy &s;wifte&s;t wings, and fly to the pre&s;ence of this great My&s;tery.</P>
<P>A Fea&s;t of Holy Bread and Holy Wine, in repre&s;entation of thy &s;acred Body and blood, where thy all glo|rious &s;elf is freely to the meane&s;t gue&s;t a fea&s;t of peace and love, and incom|parable &s;weetne&s;s, to which thy own ble&s;t mouth thus kindly calle&s;t us.</P>
<P>But &s;tay, am I dre&s;&s;ed like a friend of the Bridegroom, that I &s;afely may come to the Marriage Supper; have I con&s;idered how cha&s;t tho&s;e eyes &s;hould be which go to behold the God of purity; have I con&s;idered how clean that mouth &s;hould be, which pre&s;umes to eat that Bread of Heaven, but mo&s;t, how all caele&s;tial that Soul &s;hould be which a&s;pires to a union with the Body of Chri&s;t.</P>
<PB N="110" REF="71">
<P>Oh! how poor, and dull, and empty am I, how infinitly unworthy of &s;o di|vine a Sacrament; yet am I call'd by him that can Command, by him that &s;ees and pitties my mi&s;ery; he bids me come, he &s;urely will receive me, and with his bounteous fullne&s;s &s;upply my defects.</P>
<P>Go then, my Soul, to that &s;acred Ta|ble, and take thy part of that delicious banquet; go all inflamed with Love and joy, and hope, and quench thy holy Thir&s;t with that &s;pring of bli&s;s, when thou ha&s;t ta&s;ted his everla&s;ting &s;weetne&s;s, and feele&s;t his heavenly &s;treams flow gently on thee; open thy happy brea&s;t, and &s;uck tho&s;e Waters in, and let them freely run over all thy powers.</P>
<P>Let them &s;oak deep to the root of thy heart, and turn thy barren heath into a fruitful &s;oil; fruitful in holy thoughts, and pious words; fruitful in good, ju&s;t and charitable Deeds, fruitful in good examples; and God of his infinite good|ne&s;s confirm all this, that my Soul may ble&s;s his holy Name here, and with the whole ho&s;t of Heaven &s;ing <HI>Hallelujah</HI> to him that &s;its upon the Throne, and to the Lamb for over hereafter, <HI>A|men.</HI></P>
<P><HI>[Our Father,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="111" REF="71">
<P>O Lord, ble&s;s me and keep me, this day.</P>
<P>O Lord make thy Face to &s;hine upon me, and be gracious unto me.</P>
<P>O Lord, lift up the light of thy coun|tenance upon me, and give me peace this day, and for ever. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P>The Ble&s;&s;ings to be obtained, and the &s;en&s;e of our Unworthine&s;s, which &s;ure|ly by this time is ingrafted in our hearts, will inform us, that each mo|ment of this day ought to be carefully employed, and therefore in every in|terval when we can't be upon our knees, let our holy Meditations carry us a|bove the contemplations of this world; and as this is a day of rejoicing, in which our Souls are to be &s;olaced with the ravi&s;hing &s;weet of &s;o divine a re|pa&s;t, let our Actions atte&s;t this inward &s;atisfaction, and &s;hew in &s;ome &s;ort by their humble demeanor, that they are touched with a &s;en&s;e of tho&s;e incom|parable delights, and can relinqui&s;h their &s;en&s;ual Enjoyments to attend the Devotions of their better part. After we have thus di&s;charged our Duties in private, let us prepare for our more &s;o|lemn Devotions in the Hou&s;e of God. In our way thither, let us endeavour
<PB N="112" REF="72">to get &s;tronger apprehen&s;ions of God, and the invi&s;ible Maje&s;ty that dwells there: Let us &s;trengthen our Faith by a po&s;itive belief of the pre&s;ence of the Mo&s;t High, and this will occa&s;ion a holy Awe and Reverence when we en|ter the Church, and cau&s;e us to &s;ay with humility: Surely, the Lord is in this place: How dreadful is this place? This is none other but God's hou&s;e. This is the Gate of Heaven.</P>
<P>As &s;oon as we are placed in our &s;eats, it will become us to bow our &s;elves before the Lord, and in humili|ty of Soul to offer up our Petitions to the Father of Heaven.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>A Prayer.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Mo&s;t gracious and merciful Lord, thou ha&s;t call'd all tho&s;e that are weary and heavy laden with the burthen of their &s;ins to come to thee, and ha&s;t pro|mi&s;ed to ea&s;e and refre&s;h them; thou ha&s;t invited all tho&s;e that hunger and thir&s;t af|ter Righteou&s;ne&s;s to come to thy Table and ta&s;t of thy Supper, and has promi&s;ed that thou wilt &s;atisfie them in a&s;&s;urance of the&s;e
<PB N="113" REF="72">promi&s;es; I come to the Lord Je&s;us, be|&s;eeching thee to ea&s;e and refre&s;h me, and to &s;atisfie me with thy Mercy, for I hun|ger and thir&s;t after thee, and thy Salva|tion. I confe&s;s that my daily &s;ins have made me unworthy of my daily Bread, much more of this heavenly Banquet. O make my Soul a&s;cend to thee in an humble &s;upplication, and let my Saviour's interce&s;|&s;ion procure thine acceptance, and give me &s;uch a faith as may take po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of all I pray for; be&s;prinkle my polluted Soul in the Blood of thy dear Son Je&s;us, O let the Blood of his Wounds, and the Water of his Side make me clean, that I may come to the ble&s;&s;ed Fea&s;t of the &s;potle&s;s Lamb. I confe&s;s, O God, that when I con&s;ider thy greatne&s;s, and my nothing, thy purity and my uncleanne&s;s, I &s;ee it infinitly unrea&s;on|able and pre&s;umptious in me to approach thy &s;acred pre&s;cence, and de&s;ire to pertake of thy Sacrament, or hope for a part of thy Glory; but when I con&s;ider thy Mercy and thy Wi&s;dom, thy Bounty and Good|ne&s;s, thy readine&s;s to forgive, and willing|ne&s;s to impart thy &s;elf unto thy &s;ervants, then am I lifted up with hopes, then I come with boldne&s;s to the Throne of Grace, even &s;o, O Lord, becau&s;e thou ha&s;t com|manded and love&s;t it &s;hould be &s;o. It was
<PB N="114" REF="73">never heard from the beginning of the World, that thou ever did&s;t di&s;pi&s;e him that call'd upon thee, or for&s;ake any that did abide in thy fear, or that any that tru|&s;ted in thee was ever confounded; but if I come to thee, I bring an unworthy per&s;on to be joyned to thee; and if I come not, I &s;hall remain unworthy for ever; if I &s;tay away, I fear to lo&s;e thee; if I come, I fear to offend thee, and that will lo&s;e thee more: I know, O God, my &s;ins have &s;epe|rated between me and thee, but thy love, O Je&s;us, and thy Pa&s;&s;ion, Holine&s;s and Obedience has reconciled us, and though my &s;ins deter me, they make it nece&s;&s;ary I &s;hould come, and though thy Greatne&s;s a|mazes, yet it is &s;o full of goodne&s;s, that it invites and incourages me to approach the&s;e holy My&s;teries this day. O mighty God, rebuke</HI> Satan, <HI>re&s;train all Earthly and Carnal affections, that they do not once dare to whi&s;per a temptation to my Soul, a di&s;traction to my Thoughts, while I am in Communion with thee at thy Holy Altar; do thou, O Lord, rule me by thy Grace, govern me by thy Spirit, and defend me by thy Power, and crown me with thy Sal|vation, which I humbly beg in the Name and Merits of my Redeemer Je&s;us, whom with thee, O Father, and the Holy Spirit,
<PB N="115" REF="73">I will Wor&s;hip as one God to all Eternity,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P>Let us now employ our Thoughts as becoming the Sons of God, and all the vacant time before the &s;ervice of the Church, let us employ in holy Medi|tation. Let us remember not only that we are in his pre&s;ence, but that this is his day, on which we are met to glorifie his Name; for the good things we have received, to ask &s;uch things as are nece&s;&s;ary for our future well-fare, and to hear his Holy Word, to direct us in the way to Salvation. Let us beg of him to open our Hearts, that we may receive with meekne&s;s the word we are to hear; that for the Merits of Je&s;us he will receive our Prayers, and no doubt when God &s;ees us earne&s;tly and hum|bly challenging his Word, he will for his Truth and promi&s;e &s;ake grant us all tho&s;e good things which he knows need|ful for us; and this &s;hould mightily en|courage us to be &s;incere at all times when we enter the place where his ho|nour dwells. Certainly every Chri&s;tian that is &s;en&s;ible of the greatne&s;s of God, won't dare to di&s;&s;emble or behave him|&s;elf irreverently there, e&s;pecially at &s;uch
<PB N="116" REF="74">a time when our &s;tricke&s;t attention is re|quired, and even that not enough, to contemplate the mo&s;t High.</P>
<P>When the Service begins, we are to lay a&s;ide the&s;e Meditations, and imme|diately apply our &s;elves to that, if we devoutly attend to every part, &s;hall need no Paraphra&s;e to heighten tho&s;e expre&s;|&s;ions, or make us more in love with that incomparable compo&s;ure; 'tis the &s;ingular excellence of the Common Prayer, that they who frequent it al|ways find out &s;omething that de&s;erves to be more admired than they can ex|pre&s;s. I dare affirm no one ever found any flatne&s;s or defect that came with|out prejudice, or was piou&s;ly inclined, for it contains all that may occa&s;ion a &s;en&s;ible plea&s;ure to a good Man. The Sentences and Exhortations are excellent motives to pre&s;s us to our Duty; the confe&s;&s;ion full of Pathetical expre&s;&s;ions, and &s;uted to the conditions of all men; the Ab&s;olution mo&s;t comfortable to a penitent Soul that wants to be ea&s;ed from its weary Burthen. The Hymns, and P&s;alms very proper to &s;tir up our Souls to a holy rejoycing in the Lord; the Scripture has its place that we may receive comfort from tho&s;e lively Ora|cles
<PB N="117" REF="74">of Truth. After the profe&s;&s;ion of our Faith, we &s;upplicate our God ac|cording to the Apo&s;tle, not only for our &s;elves, but for tho&s;e who are in authority over us, nay, our Charity reaches further, to all Chri&s;tian Kings and Princes; and to &s;hew we are not forgetful of tho&s;e of le&s;&s;er degree, we extend it to all &s;orts and conditions of men; What can be more agreeable to a devout Soul, than thus to exerci&s;e it &s;elf in the Law of God? What can be more moving than to &s;ee, and hear a devout Prie&s;t offering up Prayers and Supplications, and others joining in his Petitions by Ecchoing a hearty <HI>Amen?</HI> How does it con&s;train us to out-vie in Zeal, and cau&s;e a Holy Emulation, when we hear our Mini&s;ter with fer|vency, crying to the Father of Heaven to have Mercy upon us, and we with equal earne&s;tle&s;s invocating the Son and Holy Gho&s;t mercifully to hear us? Let others mock, and call them vain re|petitions, while we endeavour to expre&s;s the de&s;ires of our Souls in tho&s;e Pathe|tical &s;upplications, <HI>Lord have mercy up|on us,</HI> We are not &s;o vain but to con|fe&s;s our want of that Mercy, nor a|&s;hamed of the Repetition when we find
<PB N="118" REF="75">the benefit, even the favour of the Lord, which is better than life it &s;elf; wherefore I mu&s;t be earne&s;t with every Chri&s;tian to attend this &s;ervice; don't let our thoughts be roving, but cor|rect the wandrings of our minds, the whole Service is in order to prepare us to a worthy reception of the Holy Sa|crament; when once we have got the ma&s;try of our &s;elves, and can go along with all the parts of the Church, we &s;hall have le&s;s occa&s;ions for the&s;e helps to Devotion; we &s;hall find &s;o much contained in the Prayers and Exhorta|tions, as will take up all the vacant time in Holy Meditation; and this will make Holine&s;s become exceeding delightful, when we can turn our Souls towards God, and &s;olace them without interruption; when we can leave the thoughts of this World, and look &s;tead|fa&s;tly to God. But this is to be done by degrees, when we have conquer'd the love of this World, and wearied our &s;elves from its Alurements, and this only to be performed by a con|&s;tant watch over our words and actions, and per&s;everance in the ways of good|ne&s;s.</P>
<PB N="119" REF="75">
<P>When the Prayers of the Church are over, let us humbly ask God to par|don our defects in his Service, and &s;ay,</P>
<P><HI>O Lord Pardon the wandrings and cold|ne&s;s of my Petitions, deal not with me ac|cording to my Prayers or De&s;erts, but ac|cording to my needs, and thy infinit mercy in Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P>Having di&s;charged our duty in Pray|er to God, let us prepare our &s;elves to hear what he will &s;ay to us out of his Holy Word; we ought to look upon the Mini&s;ter as an Amba&s;&s;ador of Chri&s;t, and hearken with reverence to his Do|ctrine at the end of it, to beg that we may bring forth the Fruit of it in our Lives and Conver&s;ation, and this we can't do in better words, than in one of the Collects after the Communion.</P>
<P><HI>[Grant we be&s;eech thee Almighty God, that the Words which we have heard this day,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>While the People are going out, let us devoutly turn towards the Table of the Lord, and endeavour with admira|tion and reverence, to contemplate the approaching Ordinance; let us enter|tain
<PB N="120" REF="76">thoughts of our unworthine&s;s, and then humble our &s;elves before the Lord, and &s;ay,</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>A Prayer.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Almighty God who art infinite in Compa&s;&s;ion, and art able to pardon more &s;ins than I can commit; the &s;tretcht out Arms of my dear Saviour upon the Cro&s;s, can encompa&s;s the large&s;t extention of my &s;ins, and his Pa&s;&s;ion affords an ever flow|ing Red Sea to cover them, that they may not become my confu&s;ion: O then let his Blood be my Bath, purge me with Hy|&s;op and I &s;hall be clean, wa&s;h me and I &s;hall be whiter than Snow, and to capaci|tate me for the&s;e Mercies, let the deepe&s;t &s;orrow wound my Soul; Oh! let it grieve my Spirit that I have lived &s;o long to the grief of thine, and let me grieve &s;o long that I can grieve no more, make my Soul to a&s;cend in an humble &s;upplication, and let my Saviour's interce&s;&s;ion procure thine acceptance, and give me &s;uch a Faith as may take po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of all I pray for; and lea&s;t my own tru&s;t &s;hould deceive me when I have &s;aid</HI> Amen <HI>to my Prayers, do thou
<PB N="121" REF="76">&s;ay</HI> Amen <HI>to my</HI> Amen, <HI>that &s;o an E&s;ta|bli&s;hment of Ble&s;&s;ings may be the crown of my Soul, which I beg through the merits and mediation of Je&s;us Chri&s;t. Extingui&s;h, O Lord, all the Fires of Hell, my Lu&s;t, Pride, Envy, Malice and Uncharitable|ne&s;s; create in me, O God, a great long|ing after the Bread of Heaven, and a thir&s;t after the fountain of Salvation, that as the Heart panteth after the water brooks, &s;o my Soul may long after thee, my Savi|our and Redeemer,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P>When the Mini&s;ter goes up to the Holy Table, letus rai&s;e our Affections, and prepare our &s;elves to accompany him in this great work, and fixing our &s;elves in a devout po&s;ture when he be|gins the Exhortation to Charity, let our thoughts carry us beyond the lit|teral Expre&s;&s;ion of tho&s;e Sentences; and whil&s;t he Reads, con&s;ider the ne|ce&s;&s;ities of the Poor. Let us enlarge our de&s;ires, and wi&s;h we were able to &s;atisfie the complaints of tho&s;e who are in want, at lea&s;t let us re&s;olve to do according as God has put it in our pow|er, not Grudgingly, and of nece&s;&s;ity, becau&s;e 'tis the cu&s;tom, and the Church requires it at &s;uch Sea&s;ons. Here we
<PB N="122" REF="77">have an opportunity of examining our &s;elves whether we have fulfill'd the will of God in this manner. 'Tis not to be &s;uppo&s;ed that we de&s;erve the name of charitable per&s;ons, who take no time to di&s;tribute of this World good, but when we can't help it; therefore let us ask our Souls at every Sentence, Ha&s;t thou followed this Advice, or obeyed this Command? Ha&s;t thou performed that great duty of the Law, doing as thou would&s;t be done by? Ha&s;t thou re&s;tored with intere&s;t, whatever thou ha&s;t unju&s;tly detained from any Man? And fir&s;t, have we taken care that they who have &s;own unto us Spiritual things, &s;hould reap of our Temporal; for 'tis meet, tho&s;e who wait at the Altar, &s;hould be partakers with the Altar, for we mu&s;t know, that even &s;o, God hath ordained, that they who Preach &s;hould live of the Go&s;pel? Therefore if we have fail'd to do this, let us ask God's Pardon, and don't let us, becau&s;e the Mini&s;ter can't exact it, take that ad|vantage, and pay nothing? Secondly, have we &s;hew'd our compa&s;&s;ion to the poor, by giving Alms? Have we not turned away our Face from our Brother who was in need, but been merciful after our
<PB N="123" REF="77">power? If our Hearts condemn us not, we have confidence in God that he is Righteous, and will not forget, but re|ward us in the day of nece&s;&s;ity; thus may we turn the&s;e excellent Admoniti|ons into heads of Examination, and hap|py are we if we have offer'd up &s;uch Sacrifices as are acceptable. The Church has taken care to tell us what they are, and has placed them at the beginning of this excellent Office to exhort us to Good Works. We are about to remem|ber that exceeding love of Chri&s;t, and the wonderful charity of our Saviour, therefore 'tis very proper in the entrance to this Holy Ordinance, to exhort us to be like minded, that our Lights may &s;hine before men, and the world may &s;ee the love of God dwelleth in us, by our readine&s;s to perform his commands; but what need we of Arguments to pre&s;s us to that which is &s;o rea&s;onable in it &s;elf, which the Law of Nature teaches we ought to do. But a &s;ad experience informs us, that neither the law of God nor nature is &s;ufficient to oblige &s;ome tempers to compa&s;&s;ion; but let all &s;uch remember, however &s;erviceable their E|&s;tates are to them in this World, they will turn to their de&s;truction in the o|ther;
<PB N="124" REF="78">their full Barns that have been &s;hut at the knockings of the Poor, will then be of no advantage, nor the mul|titude of their riches prevail for their &s;ecurity, both of them will turn to their reproof, the ru&s;t of the one, and full|ne&s;s of the other will &s;ink them into de&s;pair, and exclude them to Eternity from the Happine&s;s of God.</P>
<P>We have been taught that no one mu&s;t approach this &s;acred Fea&s;t in bit|terne&s;s of Spirit, we mu&s;t have love to|wards the Brethren, and if we are in charity with all men, &s;hall more e&s;pe|cially have bowels of compa&s;&s;ion to tho&s;e who are in want; therefore let us while we have opportunity, impart of our a|bundance, and ble&s;s God for enabling us to do good to the Hou&s;e-hold of Saints; and this coming from us &s;o rea|dily, will be the more acceptable &s;a|crifice, for God loves a chearful giver, and that our Alms a&s;cend not alone; 'tis nece&s;&s;ary we accompany them with Prayers, and though we have no An|gel to a&s;&s;ure us they come up before God, yet we need not doubt their ac|ceptance, for God him&s;elf has a&s;&s;ured us with &s;uch &s;acrifices he is well plea|&s;ed, therefore let us humbly &s;ay, <HI>[at the giving our Alms.</HI></P>
<PB N="125" REF="78">
<P><HI>[Ble&s;&s;ed be thou, O Lord God, for all things come of thee, and of thy own, do I now give thee; O let this Alms be an Odour of a &s;weet &s;mell, a &s;acri|fice acceptable, and well plea&s;ing in thy &s;ight.</HI></P>
<P>After the &s;entences are read, we have nothing to do, but devoutly compo&s;e our &s;elves, and joyn with Reverence to the Prayers of the Church; if we con|&s;ider the &s;ub&s;tance of this excellent Of|fice, we &s;hall be freed from the inter|ruptions which often occur in our de|votions; for when our minds are whol|ly taken up with the &s;ignification of the words, we &s;hall have le&s;s room for wandrings. When the Prayer for the whole &s;tate of Chri&s;t's Church is begun, let us intere&s;t our &s;elves in that excel|lent form, that when the Prie&s;t comes to be&s;eech God to accept our Alms and Oblations, let us in our minds humbly beg it for Je&s;us Chri&s;t his Sake, and that together with them, God would receive our Prayers for the Univer&s;al Church; for we can't but enlarge our Pa&s;&s;ions, and de&s;ire the good of all Mankind, not only of tho&s;e who con|fe&s;s Chri&s;t, but that the Heathen may be
<PB N="126" REF="79">brought into the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of our Sa|viour, and agree in the Truth of his Holy Word; we mu&s;t de&s;ire the Well-fare of Princes, becau&s;e they are &s;et o|ver us by God, for the puni&s;hment of Vice, and the prai&s;e of them that do well; and for the Pa&s;tors of the Church, there is a great deal of rea&s;on for us to pray for them, that they may duly ad|mini&s;ter this Holy My&s;tery, and by their Example and Doctrine, both &s;ave them&s;elves and tho&s;e who hear them; they who are in Affliction call for our fellow-feeling, and &s;ince we are all of one body, we can't let any member be in di&s;order, and neglect to procure its remedy; we are pa&s;&s;ionately to de&s;ire the Health and Salvation, not only of tho&s;e we know want pre&s;ent relief, but to all that are in any danger, Sickne&s;s, or other Di&s;tre&s;s, con&s;idering it may be our condition, and we mu&s;t de&s;ire it with the &s;ame Ardour, as if it was for our &s;elves; and &s;ince God has given us the example of good Men, who are gone before us, we ought to pray that we may follow their &s;teps, that &s;o we may arrive to the &s;ame degree of Ble&s;|&s;edne&s;s, and to obtain all this more cer|tainly; we are to beg it in the name of
<PB N="127" REF="79">Je&s;us Chri&s;t, believing that God will never refu&s;e any thing that is conveni|ent for us, when we call upon him in that mo&s;t prevailing Name, e&s;pecially &s;ince he is our Advocate, we have the a&s;&s;u|rance of his interce&s;&s;ion, and God can deny nothing to the Son of his Love.</P>
<P>After this excellent Prayer is over, we are exhorted by the Mini&s;ter to a more &s;erious preparation to the Communion, though 'tis &s;uppo&s;ed that every one who approaches this Holy Table, has con&s;idered before, repented and got a competent under&s;tanding in this &s;acred My&s;tery, yet it is very nece&s;&s;ary we &s;hould attend this Exhortation, and Re|examine our &s;elves whether we are &s;uch as the Go&s;pel requires. The Church has taken care to in&s;truct us in this Du|ty in &s;uch a manner, that we can't ea&s;i|ly deceive our &s;elves; &s;he encourages us with rewards, and &s;ets before us the dreadful con&s;equence of our carele&s;ne&s;s or neglect. We may be over aw'd in our private Examination, by the Do|minion of our Lu&s;ts, or perhaps the love of our &s;elves may incline us to think better than we are; but when we hear God's Mini&s;ter urging us to this Duty, and powerfully repre&s;enting tho&s;e things
<PB N="128" REF="80">we have prevailed with our &s;elves to pa&s;s over, and that God is immediately pre&s;ent to acquit or condemn us, we are obliged to confe&s;s our Wickedne&s;s and be &s;orry for our &s;in; this is the Re|pentance we &s;han't be a&s;hamed of, that will put us in a &s;tate to be reconciled with our Saviour, and make us fit to receive the Body and Blood of Chri&s;t, and the benefit of that is, the becoming one with him, and to be pertakers of his Everla&s;ting Glory; therefore when we hear the Prie&s;t exhort us, <HI>Judge therefore your &s;elves Brethren,</HI> let us humbly &s;ay, I confe&s;s my &s;elf a &s;inner, and condemn my ingratitude.</P>
<P><HI>[Repent you truly of your &s;ins pa&s;t,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>I repent, O Lord, and am &s;orry for my Wickedne&s;s; <HI>Have a lively and &s;teadfa&s;t Faith,</HI> &amp;c. I believe, O Lord, help my unbelief; <HI>Amend your lives,</HI> &amp;c. O grant me thy Holy Spirit to a|mend my life; <HI>Be in perfect Charity,</HI> &amp;c. I forgive all Men their Tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, Lord, do thou forgive me; <HI>So &s;hall ye be meet partakers,</HI> &amp;c. O make me a wor|thy Communicant; <HI>Ye mu&s;t give mo&s;t humble and hearty thanks,</HI> &amp;c. I adore thy infinit love to Mankind in the Re|demption of the World by our Lord
<PB N="129" REF="80">Je&s;us; <HI>who did humble thy &s;elf to the death upon the Cro&s;s,</HI> &amp;c. By thy Cro&s;s and Pa&s;&s;ion, &s;weete&s;t Je&s;us deliver me; <HI>He hath,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>and ordained Holy My&s;teries as pledges of his Love,</HI> &amp;c. I remember thy exceeding Love to us, mi&s;erable &s;inners, and adore thy infinite compa&s;|&s;ion in dying for Mankind; <HI>To thee therefore, O Je&s;us, with the Father and the Holy Gho&s;t; let us give, as we are mo&s;t bounden; continual thanks, &s;ubmitting our &s;elves wholy to thy holy Will and Plea&s;ure; &s;tudying to &s;erve thee in true Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s all the days of our Life;</HI> A|men.</P>
<P>The Prie&s;t proceeds now to a more immediate invitation, and to &s;how us that we ought to think highly of the&s;e things, calls only tho&s;e who have &s;uch quallifications as he ju&s;t before told us was ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary, and that we might not come ra&s;hly, puts it to us a|gain, <HI>ye that do truly Repent,</HI> &amp;c. But to heighten our e&s;teem, and make us more in earne&s;t with our &s;elves; let us imagine we hear Chri&s;t him&s;elf invi|ting us, for 'tis the Mini&s;ter in his &s;tead, calling us to Repentance, Con|fe&s;&s;ion and Humility of Soul; the&s;e are the Garments wherewith we ought to be
<PB N="130" REF="81">cloathed, and he that comes without them, does but mock God, and we have heard the dreadful effect of that pre&s;umption; 'tis provoking him to plague us with Di&s;ea&s;es, and &s;undry kinds of Death; we kindle God's wrath again&s;t us, and his indignation will la&s;t to Eternity. But that the Terrors of the Lord might fright away none but the impenitent, the Church a&s;&s;ures us all, they who come with Faith and Re|pentance, may take the Holy Sacra|ment to their comfort, and according|ly exhorts them to draw near to te&s;tifie their &s;incerity by an humble Confe&s;|&s;ion, and to remove all &s;u&s;picion of Hy|pocri&s;y, commands, that it be done up|on our <HI>Knees</HI> with contrition. They who hope for Pardon can expect it up|on no other Terms, therefore we ought to be very circum&s;pect, that we don't call upon God with our Lips, when our Hearts is far from him; <HI>the Sacrifice of &s;uch Fools only work their De&s;truction.</HI> Don't let us look upon it as matter of form only, that we are to tell God Al|mighty a &s;ad &s;tory of our &s;elves, and yet in &s;uch a manner, as if we were not concern'd for the Sin, nor God for the puni&s;hment of it. But when we come
<PB N="131" REF="81">to that part of the Confe&s;&s;ion, acknow|ledging our Offences, by <HI>Thought, Word and Deed,</HI> let us reflect on &s;ome of tho&s;e Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions we have repeated mo&s;t, and have mo&s;t cau&s;e to repent of; let us think of them with &s;orrow, and de|te&s;tation, with a re&s;olution to for&s;ake them, and a pa&s;&s;ionate de&s;ire to be freed from the Evil of them; let our Hearts go along with our Prayers, and they are &s;uch as will inform us of our con|dition, and being affectionately repeat|ed, will teach us to be humble and con|trite, and that will render us capable of the pardon which follows to be pro|nounced by the Prie&s;t.</P>
<P>'Tis impo&s;&s;ible to pre&s;cribe Rules for our thoughts in the time of Ab&s;olution, we have a hundred Idea's at once in our Minds, the Soul is full with Tran&s;port, Rejoycing and Humilliation; we have &s;o much to &s;ay that we are confounded in our &s;elves, we know not how to ble&s;s God enough, are affraid of our wickedne&s;s, and a&s;toni&s;hed at his good|ne&s;s; there is no re-pre&s;enting the Pa&s;|&s;ions of a Soul in this Religious Ago|ny, nor how prevailing the confu&s;ed &s;ighs of a ravi&s;h'd &s;inner are to our merciful God. They who are mo&s;t &s;en|&s;ible
<PB N="132" REF="82">of their &s;ins, can be&s;t tell what a boundle&s;s joy ari&s;es at the thoughts of their forgivene&s;s.</P>
<P>But le&s;t we &s;hould have any mi&s;tru&s;t, becau&s;e of our &s;ins, the Church has col|lected &s;ome comfortable a&s;&s;urances from the Go&s;pel, for 'tis no wonder we re|ceive our Pardon doubting and trem|bling; we have need of infallible Au|thority to per&s;wade us of the truth of the&s;e things, when our fear had &s;o ca&s;t us down, that we almo&s;t were brought to believe that God had utterly for&s;aken us; we can now cry with chearfulne&s;s, ble&s;|&s;ed be God, that has not &s;o turned his mercy from us, but has &s;ent his Son Je|&s;us Chri&s;t to call us to Repentance, therefore when we hear the Prie&s;t &s;ay, <HI>Come unto me,</HI> &amp;c. Let us humbly &s;ay, I come unto thee, O Je&s;us, ea&s;e me of my Burthen; <HI>&s;o God loved the World,</HI> &amp;c. I believe, Lord &s;ave me, or I pe|ri&s;h; <HI>this is a true &s;aying,</HI> &amp;c. Mercy, &s;weet Je&s;us, I am a mi&s;erable &s;inner; <HI>If any man &s;in.</HI> O thou great advocate of my Soul, <HI>I ble&s;s thee, and all that is within me, &s;hall prai&s;e thy Holy Name.</HI></P>
<P>Certainly our affections are &s;o mo|ved, that we &s;hall be zealous to lift up our hearts with joy and gladne&s;s, and
<PB N="133" REF="82">now confe&s;s 'tis <HI>meet and right</HI> to give thanks; to which purpo&s;e let us &s;um|mons our &s;tronge&s;t affections, that we may with Angels and Arch-angels mag|nifie the glorious Name of God <HI>mo&s;t High;</HI> If it be upon any particular Fea&s;t, as <HI>Chri&s;tmas,</HI> or <HI>Ea&s;ter,</HI> there is grea|ter rea&s;on to &s;train our &s;elves to the highe&s;t Note, to give thanks for tho&s;e particular Ble&s;&s;ings.</P>
<P>We are now approaching nearer to the&s;e Holy My&s;teries, and mu&s;t ex|pre&s;s the greater Reverence, and before we ta&s;t how gracious the Lord is, con|fe&s;s our unworthine&s;s to receive him in|to our Habitation. This we can't do in better Words than the Church has provided for us; therefore we are to joyn heartily in the following form, and beg that our <HI>&s;inful Bodies may be made clean by his Body, that being &s;o prepared, our Souls may be made fit to receive the Lord of Glory.</HI></P>
<P>After this excellent Prayer is over, let us look towards the Holy Table, and whil&s;t the Prie&s;t is ordering the E|lements, <HI>Meditate and be a&s;toni&s;hed at the tran&s;cending love of Chri&s;t; let us lo&s;e our &s;elves in contemplation of that Di|vine My&s;tery, that Heaven &s;hould &s;o con|de&s;cend
<PB N="134" REF="83">to Earth, and Man be united to God; that God &s;hould take upon him our Fle&s;h, die for us upon Earth, and nouri&s;h us now he is in Heaven. Let us repre&s;ent to our Faith the intollerable &s;ufferings of our dying Lord, his whole Pa&s;&s;ion upon Mount</HI> Calvary, <HI>and the Agonies of that unknown Sorrow there. Imagine we be|hold him &s;tretch'd upon the Cro&s;s, and &s;ee the Blood i&s;&s;uing from his wounded &s;ide. Behold him grapling with the fury of an incen&s;ed God, and all the furies of the Powers of Darkne&s;s; and this to redeem us from the Horrors of Hell, which were due to us for Sin and Wickedne&s;s. Sure the con&s;ideration of the&s;e things will create an odiou&s;ne&s;s of &s;in, which was &s;o great, that nothing but the Blood of God could ex|piate; we &s;hall be &s;en&s;ible of our unworthi|ne&s;s, and adore withall, the forces of our Soul that love &s;urpa&s;&s;ing knowledge, and beg of our crucified Redeemer, to in&s;pire us with holy Zeal, that our now &s;oftned Souls may Eccho Hallelujahs, and all that is within us may &s;ing Eternally to God the Father, who contrived this glorious Re|demption, to God the Son who effected it, and to God the Holy Gho&s;t, who gives us the benefit thereof.</HI></P>
<PB N="135" REF="83">
<P>Let us now return with the Prie&s;t, and earne&s;tly beg of our merciful God, that the Elements may really become what they repre&s;ent. After we have performed that with Devotion, let us leave the re&s;t to God and the Prie&s;t, and ri&s;ing from our <HI>Knees</HI> at the Con&s;ecra|tion, look toward the Holy Table de|voutly, attending every Word and Acti|on, for all is My&s;tery, and de&s;erves a particular Meditation; let us imagine we hear our Saviour con&s;ecrating, and that we like his Di&s;ciples at the la&s;t Sup|per, are waiting to be fed with the Bread from Heaven, when we hear the Prie&s;t, &s;aying, <HI>Who in the &s;ame Night he was be|trayed, took Bread,</HI> &amp;c. Let us adore that inexpre&s;&s;ible love of our Saviour, which was working our Salvation when his cur&s;ed Enemies were contriving his Crucifixion; let us ble&s;s the goodne&s;s of God, and admire the Humillity of our Saviour that would be repre&s;ented by no richer preparation than Bread. Here is no co&s;tly &s;acrifice to exhault our Trea&s;ure, That, we may be&s;tow up|on tho&s;e that want it, the poor which we have always with us; but for the re|pre&s;entation of him&s;elf, he chu&s;es what is nece&s;&s;ary for our &s;u&s;tinance, to
<PB N="136" REF="84">&s;how us that his Body is as nece&s;&s;ary to the &s;trengthning of our Souls, as Bread for the &s;upport of our Life; <HI>And when he had given thanks, he breakt it,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>O ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, doe&s;t thou give thanks for my Redemption, behold I joyn my prai&s;es to thine, and ble&s;s thee with all my Soul; O &s;hew thy acceptance of my prai&s;es, by hal|lowing the&s;e Elements to the purpo&s;es they are de&s;igned.</HI> Saying, <HI>Take, Eat, this is my Body which is given for you,</HI> &amp;c. Here let us reflect upon the pa&s;&s;ion of our Saviour, and imagine we &s;ee him in that un&s;peakable Pa&s;&s;ion, offering up his pious Soul upon the Cro&s;s. <HI>Do this in remembrance of me.</HI></P>
<P>O Je&s;us, let me never be &s;o ungrate|ful as to forget thee, likewi&s;e al&s;o, af|ter Supper, <HI>He took the Cup, and when he had given thanks,</HI> &amp;c. Our Saviour was not content to give us his Body alone, but to pour out his Blood for us, and has cho&s;en Wine for the Com|memoration of that ine&s;timable mercy. O let our Souls thir&s;t after this Cup of Salvation, and when the Mini&s;ter holds it out to ble&s;s it, let us call upon the Name of the Lord; <HI>He gave it to them,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>Drink ye all of this,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Do this in remembrance of me.</HI> This is the time
<PB N="137" REF="84">to Exerci&s;e our Faith, and therefore, let us believe they really are to us what they repre&s;ent, and &s;ay a hearty <HI>Amen;</HI> for it is unto us, according to our Faith, if we believe, 'tis unto us the Blood of Chri&s;t indeed; that no doubting nor infidelity may unhallow the&s;e &s;anctifi|ed Elements to any of our Souls. Let us &s;ay.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>A Prayer after Con&s;ecration.</HEAD>
<P><HI>LOrd, it is done as thou ha&s;t command|ed, and I doubt not but the My&s;te|ry is rightly accompli&s;hed; I am per&s;wa|ded that here is that which my Soul long|eth after, a crucified Saviour, communica|ting him&s;elf to poor penitent Sinners. O let me be reckoned among that Number, and then I &s;hall a&s;&s;uredly receive thee, Holy Je&s;us,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P>O Holy Saviour, I behold thee &s;tretch'd upon the Cro&s;s, with thy Arms &s;pread ready to embrace all Man|kind; Glory be to thee, O Lord Je&s;us, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who did&s;t offer thy &s;elf a &s;acrifie to take a|way
<PB N="138" REF="85">the &s;ins of the whole World, <HI>Lord have mercy upon me,</HI> and take away mine al&s;o.</P>
<P>When the Mini&s;ter is a Communica|ting, let us humbly de&s;ire that God would hear his Prayer.</P>
<P><HI>The Lord hear thee, and remember all thy Offerings and Sacrifices; grant thee thy Hearts de&s;ire, and fullfil all thy mind. The Lord perform all thy Petitions which thou ha&s;t made at this time for thy &s;elf, for us, and all Per&s;ons,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P>We have nothing to do now, but compo&s;e our &s;elves for the acts of holy Communion, remembering we are to fea&s;t with God by Silence and Heaven|ly Contemplation; let us reflect upon the mercies of God in this Sacrament, and when we have by Faith beheld the Glory of the Lord, confe&s;s our unwor|thine&s;s to appear before him, and ac|knowledge his goodne&s;s, which gives us the opportunity of adoring his inex|pre&s;&s;ible Love.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>While others are Communicating.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>How dreadful is this place? Seem|eth it a &s;mall thing unto thee, O my Soul, to be fea&s;ted with God, waited
<PB N="139" REF="85">on by Angels, fed with the Body of Je&s;us, and refre&s;hed with the Cup of that &s;aving Blood, which hath attoned for the Sins of the World? What meaneth this &s;ecret, that &s;o poor a Wretch, and &s;inful a Rebel, &s;hould receive &s;o mighty a Favour, and be received to &s;o near Embraces? How can I approach to the&s;e terrible My&s;teries, till I have pulled back the Vail, and wor&s;hip|ped him that feeds my Body to convey Grace to my Soul, and make that &s;toop to the Eye of &s;ence, which Angels cannot be|hold with open Faces? Here is repre&s;ented the Almighty Love of an infinite Being; here the God of Gods appears all Bloody to fright thee from thy &s;ins; here the All-merciful Saviour of the World, is as it were crucified before thine Eyes, that con|templating the horrid Aggonies of the Cro&s;s, and remembring the cau&s;e of his cruel Sufferings, thou may&s;t mourn for thy ingratitude that brought him to the tor|ments of that inexpre&s;&s;ible Pa&s;&s;ion; here the Holy Je&s;us appears loaded with all the Ble&s;&s;ings of Heaven; here the everla&s;ting Trinity &s;eems to u&s;e his utmo&s;t endeavour, to per&s;wade thee into a Heavenly Conver|&s;ation. To thy Holy Altar, O Dear Re|deemer, I am coming to renew my Baptiz|mal Vow, to enter into a Solemn Covenant
<PB N="140" REF="86">with God, and faithfully to promi&s;e thee to re&s;ign my &s;elf intirely to thee, to fall out with thee no more, to be faithful to thee, to vindicate thy Glory, to live up to tho&s;e Laws which thou ha&s;t &s;ealed with thy own Blood. To this end, I eat of thy Bread, and Drink of thy Wine, and &s;o &s;eal my Covenant with thee. Quicken me, O Lord, and make me more earne&s;t and zea|lous in thy Service, and as thou ha&s;t &s;ent thy Son to bring me to thy &s;elf, do thou likewi&s;e &s;end thy Holy Spirit to &s;anctifie me for thy &s;elf, and then I, who of my &s;elf can &s;carce move unto thy Altar, by the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of thy Grace, may run the ways of thy Commandments.</HI></P>
<P>Having declared the rea&s;ons of our approaching this Holy Table, and beg'd God's ble&s;&s;ing upon us, let us Meditate after this manner.</P>
<P><HI>Thou, O my God, ha&s;t prepared a Table for me, and ha&s;t promi&s;ed, who&s;oever eat|eth thereof, &s;hall never Hunger, and drinketh, &s;hall never Thir&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>This con&s;ideration alone is &s;ufficient to furni&s;h us with matter for Contem|plation. The mercy of God in pre|paring this Sacred Fea&s;t, the benefits we receive from it, and the time in which
<PB N="141" REF="86">it was in&s;titued when he was &s;urround|ed with the Horrors of Death, and be|gan to feel the weight of our Tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ions, are enough to put us in a confu&s;ion, and con&s;train us at once to humble our &s;elves even into our fir&s;t nothing; for abu&s;ing &s;uch goodne&s;s, and then adore that amazing con&s;tancy of our Lord, that in the greate&s;t of his Agony, could endure yet more for our &s;akes, and re&s;ign him&s;elf to the Cro&s;s, notwith&s;tanding the contradiction of &s;inners. O let us con&s;ider this price with which we were bought, and glo|rifie God in our Bodies and Spirits which are his; therefore bowing our bodies before the Lord, let us con&s;ider the wonder of his love.</P>
<P>BEhold what kind of love, O my Soul, is expre&s;&s;ed by thy Redeemer, when our &s;ins, his treacherous Servants, and enraged Enemies were contriving his Death; he was de&s;igning an excel|lent benefit for us, the &s;tream of his affections was &s;o &s;trong, that our ba&s;ene&s;s and ingratitude could not check it; we might have expected that the horror of this di&s;mal Night &s;hould have made him repent of his undertaking, and
<PB N="142" REF="87">have put him upon rever&s;ing all his for|mer favours; but lo, he adds a greater than ever he had given before, and ap|points this as a &s;eal to confirm and con|vey the re&s;t to us. Thy love was &s;tronger than Death, and when all the terrors of thy dreadful Pa&s;&s;ion were in view, thy Soul was &s;o calm, as to be at lei&s;ure to in&s;titute this Fea&s;t of Joy and Gladne&s;s. Surely, I will enter|tain this Fe&s;tival with the deare&s;t re|gard I can expre&s;s, &s;ince it was one of the la&s;t and greate&s;t Te&s;timonies of the love of a dying Friend; this ble&s;&s;ed Legacy, this parting Remembrance, &s;hall be in my heart for ever.</P>
<P>Having con&s;idered the exceeding great love of God, in in&s;tituting this Sacrament that very Night he was be|trayed, and that he &s;hould be mindful of us, when he was about to drink that Cup of which we were not able; let us now contemplate the preparation our Lord then made for us, and that we have already heard, is Bread, but don't let the meane&s;s of the outward part be a di&s;paragement to this my&s;te|ry, but let us adore the Humility of our Saviour, who was content with &s;o mean a Re-pre&s;entation.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="143" REF="87">
<HEAD>A Meditation upon the Element of Bread.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, how lovely is thy Humility thou ha&s;t cho&s;en to be re|pre&s;ented by Bread, and though &s;ome cu|rious or co&s;tly preparation had been more agreeable to thy Dignity, yet this be&s;t ex|pre&s;&s;es thy conde&s;cen&s;ion. Bread is the poor Man's Food, yet nece&s;&s;ary for the Rich; it &s;prings from the Earth, yet it is the &s;taff of our Life, and given to &s;trengthen Man's heart, and &s;o it &s;ignifies, that Body which thou did&s;t take from the Earth, and gave&s;t for the life of the World. O that I may receive thee by Faith, and then I know I &s;hall draw the mo&s;t &s;alutary nou|ri&s;hment from thee, and thou wilt as ef|fectually be united to my Soul, as the Bread which is eaten is to my Body. Let me eat this Holy Bread in Charity, O do thou make it thy Body, and it &s;hall be the Bread of Life to my Soul. O merciful Je&s;us, thou ha&s;t taken Bread into thy bountiful hands, and behold I faint for Hunger, I langui&s;h for this Spiritual Food, and &s;ince I am come &s;o nigh thee, on this ble&s;&s;ed day of Di&s;tribution, I be&s;eech thee
<PB N="144" REF="88">pa&s;s not by me; as thou take&s;t this Bread, &s;o did&s;t thou take thy Body only to be bro|ken in Sacrifice for us, and in Sacrament to us; let me not therefore want my part.</HI></P>
<P>O Eternal Word of God, by who&s;e power all things were made, I will not ask how thou can&s;t give me thy Fle&s;h to eat, becau&s;e, I am abundantly &s;a|tisfied in thy &s;aying, <HI>this is my Body,</HI> &s;ince thou can&s;t make it become to me, what&s;oever thou &s;aye&s;t it is. I believe Lord, help my unbelief; what though my &s;en&s;es a&s;&s;ure me the outward &s;ub|&s;tances, and its accidents &s;till remain, yet, my Faith and experience tell me, there is an Efficacy therein beyond the power of any other thing. Alas! the Fle&s;h would profit me nothing, for he that is joined to thee mu&s;t be one Spi|rit. O let the&s;e &s;acred Symbols there|fore make me partaker of thy Nature, and a partner in thy merits; let them unite me to thee, ingraft me in thee, and make that Body mine which did &s;uffer Death for me, and then I &s;hall need no further, but be more happy than if I could under&s;tand all my&s;teries; &s;ure I am, this is thy Body in Sacrament, it communicates to us the ble&s;&s;ings and
<PB N="145" REF="88">benefit thereof, and though pre&s;ented with a Figure, and by a Holy Right, yet it is to all its purpo&s;es, that which it doth repre&s;ent; I will therefore re|ceive it as thy Body, and e&s;teem it in|finitly above all other food, that I may not be judged for not de&s;cerning thy Body: O let it be unto me according to my Faith.</P>
<P>I Am a &s;inful Wretch, O Lord, and yet if I bid thee depart from me, I bani&s;h all true happine&s;s from my Soul; I long for thy pre&s;ence, but how &s;hall I en|tertain thee? Thou wa&s;t born of a pure Virgin, wraped in clean Linnen, dwell|e&s;t now where nothing defiled can en|ter, but never was there &s;o unworthy a+partment prepared for thee, as my pol|luted heart, into which I dur&s;t not pre|&s;ume to bring thee, but that I know thou can&s;t make it clean; however, when by Faith I &s;ee that Body which all the Angels in Heaven wor&s;hip, I cannot but abhor my &s;elf in Du&s;t and A&s;hes, I am amazed to &s;ee &s;uch a Ma|je&s;ty come to vi&s;it a Sin-&s;ick Soul in &s;o poor a Cottage, yea, I cannot but trem|ble at thy pre&s;ence, O thou King of Glory, becau&s;e I am &s;o over&s;pread with the filth of &s;in, but I will lament tho&s;e
<PB N="146" REF="89">corruptions which I cannot fully purge away, and be&s;eech thee not to di&s;pi&s;e me though I de&s;erve it. I confe&s;s my &s;elf unworthy, but thy conde&s;ention in &s;tooping to me will be the more illu&s;tri|ous, and if thou ha&s;t le&s;s delight in me for the pre&s;ent, thou &s;halt have more Glory afterwards; <HI>When thou ha&s;t chang|ed my vile Body, and made it like to thy glorious Body, according to thy mighty Power.</HI></P>
<P>O My Soul, make ha&s;t, behold thy gracious Ma&s;ter is dealing his Bread to tho&s;e that hunger after Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s; be not di&s;couraged at thy un|worthine&s;s, for he gives to all Men libe|rally, and upbraideth not. O dear Je&s;us, give me a &s;hare thereof, declare me to be thine, by feeding me at this Table, thou, who wert content to be brui&s;ed and broken to &s;atisfie my offended God. O be plea&s;ed to give thy &s;elf, and the merits of this thy Pa&s;&s;ion unto me; Lord, give me ever more of this Bread.</P>
<P>HOly Je&s;us, I am not worthy to touch this <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Body,</HI> as 'tis thine yet I pre&s;ume to approach, becau&s;e thy love hath made it mine. This is the &s;acrifice for my &s;ins, the price of my
<PB N="147" REF="89">Redemption, and that by which my Soul was ran&s;omed from Hell, and re&s;cued from a dreadful de&s;truction (it was given for me) and it &s;hall now be given to me, and ha&s;t thou made &s;uch a preparation for me, and offer'd it unto me. Lord, I am tran&s;|ported at thy love, dear Saviour, I will love thee with all my powers, and &s;trive and pray that I may love thee more, as fervently as ever any thy Saints have done; I will give my &s;elf unto thee, and di&s;pi&s;e all other things in compari&s;on of thee, and when I have once ta&s;ted of this all-&s;aving Sacrifice, which was gi|ven for me, I'm per&s;waded that neither Life, Death, Plea&s;ure or Pain, things pre&s;ent or to come, &s;hall be able to &s;e|perate me from the Love of God which is in Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Lord, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P>O My Cele&s;tial Food, the bread that came down from <HI>Heaven,</HI> how does thy &s;weetne&s;s and my own nece&s;&s;ities invite me? My body is liable to Tem|poral, my Soul to Eternal Death; and behold here is the medicine of immor|tality, which will remove the &s;ting of the fir&s;t, and de&s;troy the power of the &s;econd, which will fill me with the Graces I want, fit me for the Glory I
<PB N="148" REF="90">de&s;ire, and advance my Soul and Body above the Power of corruption; I feel a mighty Hunger created in me, which nothing but this Heavenly Manna can &s;atisfie. I de&s;pi&s;e the meat which pe|ri&s;hes and feedeth for De&s;truction, and long with impatience to ta&s;te of this Body of Chri&s;t, of which I may eat and live for ever, which will make the Grave unable to hold me, and Hell not dare to &s;hut its Mouth upon me. O make no long tarrying, but give me now and ever this Bread; I de&s;ire nothing but Chri&s;t, if I want this repa&s;t, &s;hall faint or die before I come to the Mount of God.</P>
<P>O My Soul, behold how thou ha&s;t incen&s;ed the Maje&s;ty of Heaven; &s;ee thy Saviour offered up for thy &s;ins, and &s;ubmitting to the heavy Wrath of God, and yet whatever he &s;uffered was thy Portion; Wretch that I am to live in &s;uch a manner, that nothing el&s;e could &s;atisfie or make my Peace, but here I come this day to call my &s;ins to re|membrance; I will look on thee whom I have pierced with a mo&s;t tender and &s;ympathizing Affection, and while I break this Holy Bread with my Teeth, will commemorate how thou wa&s;t brui|&s;ed
<PB N="149" REF="90">for our iniquities, how our offences did torture thee with grief and pain. Holy Saviour, I'm angry at my &s;elf, and full of angui&s;h to &s;ee what I have brought upon thee; I'm &s;orry with all my heart, that I have given harbor to thy Murderers, but I hope this di&s;mal &s;pectacle &s;hall mortifie in me all de&s;ires after Evil, and make me abhor all tho&s;e de&s;perate plea&s;ures which mu&s;t be &s;o dearly paid for by thee, or &s;tand charg|ed upon my account for ever.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<HEAD>A Meditation upon the Element of Wine.</HEAD>
<P>O <HI>What preparation is our gracious Ma&s;ter making for us, he thinks it not enough to give us his ble&s;&s;ed Body with the merits of all tho&s;e Torments which he &s;uffered in the Fle&s;h; but he is plea&s;ed to pour out his Blood and Life, together with it, that we might drink thereof, and &s;o take as it were his very Soul into us; mi|&s;erable Wretches we are, that nothing le&s;s will help us: O how gracious a Redeemer have we, that will not deny us this; be|hold, O Lord, I Thir&s;t, and this Wine of joy makes me more impatient to ta&s;te of
<PB N="150" REF="91" MS="y">this Cup of Thanksgiving. Thou that ha&s;t prepared it for me, make it thy holy Blood unto me, and then it &s;hall clean&s;e my Soul, and make me thine for ever.</HI></P>
<P>O Lord, I tremble at the apprehen|&s;ions of all tho&s;e Evils that &s;tand between me and thy Glory; the Grave gapeth for me, and Satan is ready eve|ry moment to devour me, wherefore I be&s;eech thee, &s;prinkle me with thy all-&s;aving Blood, that the de&s;troying An|gel may pa&s;s over me. Let me drink of this Cup of Life, and Death &s;hall be Defeated, the Grave Di&s;mantled, and <HI>Satan</HI> di&s;appointed: Let me drink of thy precious Blood, that I may receive abundance of thy Spirit, &s;o &s;hall my body be hallowed into a &s;acred Tem|ple, and my Soul repleni&s;hed with &s;uch Graces, that I can never peri&s;h. O give me this Divine Cordial at pre&s;ent, and make to me a pre&s;ervation for Bo|dy and Soul to life everla&s;ting.</P>
<P>I Dore thy un&s;peakable Goodne&s;s, I delight in thy unmea&s;urable Mercy, I de&s;ire to know nothing but the Lord Je&s;us, and in him Crucified: O let the Power of thy Cro&s;s prevail again&s;t all the Powers of Darkne&s;s; let the Wi&s;|dom
<PB N="151" REF="91">of thy Cro&s;s make me wi&s;e unto Salvation; let the Peace of thy Cro&s;s reconcile me to thy Eternal Father, and bring to me Peace of Con&s;cience; let the Victory of thy Cro&s;s mortifie all my evil and corrupt Affections; let the triumph of thy Cro&s;s lead me on to a &s;tate of Holine&s;s, that I may &s;in no more, but in all things plea&s;e thee, and in all things &s;erve thee, and in all things glorifie thee. O my God, a&s;&s;i&s;t me now and ever, graciou&s;ly and greatly grant that I may not receive Bread a|lone, for man cannot live by that, but that I may eat Chri&s;t, and then I &s;hall be thy &s;ervant for ever.</P>
<P><HI>GReat Advocate of my Soul, thou &s;ee&s;t my de&s;ires to love thee, I leave my &s;elf to thy Mannagement; O enter in|to this frozen heart, and erect thy King|dom and Empire there, let every de&s;ire of my Soul be &s;ubject to thee, and make me willing to &s;ubmit to any thing, &s;o I may but love thee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>O Compa&s;&s;ionate Saviour, who&s;e Bowels yearn over the pen&igrave;tent, let my Soul re&s;t in and contemplate thee; enlarge my Mind, loo&s;e me from my Bonds, and let the effect of the offering up my Soul in the Holy Sa|crament,
<PB N="152" REF="92">be, that I may become a &s;ervant of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and may reli&s;h no wi&s;|dom, but from above.</HI></P>
<P><HI>O Lord Je&s;us, I am not worthy to come near &s;o great a My&s;tery, but thou can'&s;t make me worthy; and though I am a &s;in|ner, I come to offer the &s;acrifice thou ha&s;t commanded. O pardon my Offences, and receive me graciou&s;ly for thy Mercies &s;ake.</HI></P>
<P><HI>I lament, O God, my dete&s;table iniqui|ties, for having &s;o long, &s;o often, and &s;o ob&s;tinately offended thee. O mo&s;t merci|ful Lord, pardon me for Je&s;us Chri&s;t his &s;ake. O hear his dying Groans, regard his Agony and Bloody Sweet by his Cro&s;s and Pa&s;&s;ion, let my &s;ins be blotted out by his glorious Re&s;urrection and A&s;cention, let every Evil affection and lu&s;t be cruci|fied, that I may ari&s;e to a newne&s;s of life.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Great Friend of my immortal Soul, chu&s;e I be&s;eech thee my heart for thy dwelling place, repleni&s;h it with thy Graces, and make me to loath the&s;e tran&s;itory po&s;&s;e&s;&s;i|ons.</HI></P>
<P><HI>O Lord, what is there in Heaven, or what upon Earth that I would have be&s;ides thee?</HI></P>
<P><HI>My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.</HI></P>
<PB N="153" REF="92">
<P><HI>Lord, what would&s;t thou have to me do, grant me to do what thou commande&s;t, and command what thou wilt.</HI></P>
<P><HI>O my &s;weet Saviour, I long for thy Com|pany, and am mi&s;erable without thee, yet dare &s;carce draw near unto thee, becau&s;e I have nothing pure enough to entertain thee; Lord, be merciful to me a &s;inner, for I am grieved for my unworthine&s;s, and amazed at thy conde&s;cention in offer|ing thy &s;elf to &s;o vile a Creature.</HI></P>
<P><HI>O Holy Je&s;us, I am utterly a&s;hamed that ever I &s;hould put thee to &s;uch exceed|ing Smart and Torture, I am a&s;hamed to think of it, and abhor my &s;ins.</HI></P>
<P><HI>O light of mine Eyes, my &s;ecure refuge; O life of my Soul, my Maker, my Redeem|er and my pre&s;erver; into thy hands do I commit my Spirit.</HI></P>
<P><HI>O joy of my Soul, when &s;hall I love thee with all my Heart, with all my Soul, with all my Might? When &s;hall I enjoy thee? When &s;hall I come and appear before thee? When &s;hall I fully plea&s;e thee?</HI></P>
<P><HI>O that I could always &s;erve thee, that I could perfectly obey thee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Grant me, O my only Love, that I may continually reverence and adore thee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Permit me not, O Lord Je&s;us, ever to be &s;eperated from thee.</HI></P>
<PB N="154" REF="93">
<P><HI>Teach me, inlighten me, direct me, and a&s;&s;i&s;t me in all things, but e&s;pecially at this time, that I may do, or &s;ay nothing, but what is agreeable to thy ble&s;&s;ed Will,</HI> A|men.</P>
<P>I Have made a large Collection of Meditations and Prayers, becau&s;e of the difference of Congregations; &s;ome are very numerous, and I e&s;teem them pertinent to regulate our thoughts in that interval before we go up to the Altar; the le&s;&s;er Congregations, and they who are de&s;irous to be fir&s;t at the Holy Table, may have advantage of variety, and make u&s;e of them as their inclinations and opportunity will give leave. Our thoughts are not always upon the wing, we require diver&s;ity of Arguments to pre&s;s us to a forward|ne&s;s, be&s;ides they are not de&s;igned that our mind &s;hould be wholly taken up with them, that we &s;hould read them all, and then think we may &s;afely go up to the Altar of God. The be&s;t com|po&s;ure in the World will be in&s;ignifi|cant, if we don't offer it with Devoti|on, Sincerity and Affection; one of the&s;e Petitions rightly performed, is of greater Efficacy than the whole repea|ted
<PB N="155" REF="93">in a rambling di&s;order. Lord, have mercy upon me a mi&s;erable &s;inner, &s;aid with humility, was more prevalent than the long Prayer of the wordy Suppli|cant. God knows our nece&s;&s;ity before we ask, and if we ask with Faith, de|pending on the incerce&s;&s;ion of our Sa|viour, he will grant our Petitions even before they are ended; &s;o that I would have &s;ome of them repeated with deli|beration, and between them call in our thoughts reconcile them to our rea&s;on and faith, and then offer them up with earne&s;t devotion, and &s;o &s;hall we be prepared to receive the Lord of Glory.</P>
<P>When we have made an end of the&s;e Meditations, and are ready to go to the Holy Table, ri&s;ing from our Knees with Reverence; let us &s;ay,</P>
<P><HI>GReat Captain of my Salvation, I am going to learn to fight the good fight of faith in the ble&s;&s;ed Sacrament of thy Love, let thy great Example there, encourage me to fight again&s;t all Ambition and O&s;tenta|tion, Cen&s;oriou&s;ne&s;s and Uncharitablene&s;s, again&s;t coveteous, lu&s;tfull and bla&s;phemous Thoughts, again&s;t guile and hypocri&s;ie, di&s;content and mi&s;tru&s;t of thy providence; again&s;t &s;uch enemies, give me Grace to
<PB N="156" REF="94">fight, over the&s;e let me Triumph, that having &s;triven lawfully, I may at la&s;t be admitted to the &s;ight of thy &s;weet &s;elf, and be charmed with thy. Love for ever|more.</HI></P>
<P>Having thus began our Warfares, and declared our chiefe&s;t Enemies, let us approach the Holy Altar, that there we may put on the Armor of God, and being endued with Righteou&s;ne&s;s from above, may walk more &s;ecurely, and be defended from the &s;ubtilty of Men and Devils; therefore as we are going up, let us turn our thoughts to God in the following manner.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<P>As we go up to the Altar;</P>
<P>I <HI>Come, Lord Je&s;us, O take me to thee, for thou love&s;t me, and ha&s;t prepared a Table for me in the &s;eat of thy Love; in the multitude of thy mercies, O Lord God, do I now approach thy Altar: O pardon my Sins, and receive me graciou&s;ly; if thou &s;hould&s;t be extream to mark what is ami&s;s, O Lord, who may abide it, but with the Lord is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Lord, ha&s;t thou &s;et open this fountain, and wilt thou let a wretched creature die
<PB N="157" REF="94">for thir&s;t in thy pre&s;ence? Ha&s;t thou pre|pared &s;uch Balm to heal me, and &s;hall I langui&s;h here before thee? I know if thou wilt, thou can&s;t make me clean, here is the very in&s;trument: Grant therefore, holy Je&s;us, that I may duly apply it, and rightly u&s;e it, and then it &s;hall prepare me for thee, and unite me to thee by &s;uch in&s;epe|rable Bonds, as &s;hall never brake, unle&s;s Eternity have an end: Ble&s;&s;ed are they who &s;o eat thy Fle&s;h, and drink thy Blood, &s;o as thou require&s;t, and &s;o as thy Saints have done, for they have been clean&s;ed at this fountain, and here there Union with thee fir&s;t began. O happy opportunity! Lord, let me do it well this once, and I am thine for ever.</HI></P>
<P>Let us now kneel before the Lord, and &s;ay,</P>
<P>O <HI>Je&s;u, Son of God, everla&s;ting King, receive my Spirit, O my Life, take my Soul, my Joy, draw my heart unto thee, thou that art my Head, direct me: Light of mine eyes, enlighten me: O my comfort, rejoice me; my &s;weet Food, let me eat thee. O Word of God, refre&s;h me: O Light E|ternal &s;hine thou over me, that I may un|der&s;tand, know, and love thee.</HI></P>
<PB N="158" REF="95">
<P>After we have thus dedicated our &s;elves to God, let us humbly repre&s;ent to him the occa&s;ion which drew us hi|ther, and beg for his promi&s;e &s;ake, that we may not be &s;ent Empty away.</P>
<P>O <HI>Lamb of God, thou ha&s;t &s;aid, he that eateth thy Fle&s;h, and drinketh thy Blood, hath eternal Life; behold thy Servant, O Lord, be it unto me according to thy Word.</HI></P>
<P><HI>O Lord God, I de&s;ire to renew my Co|venant with thee, and to &s;eal it now with this Sacrament: Lord, put thy Laws in|to my mind, and write them in my heart; and for the pa&s;&s;ion of thy dear Son, which I now commemorate, be merciful to my Un|righteou&s;ne&s;s; my Sins and Iniquities do thou remember no more, but be thou my God, and I will be thy Servant.</HI></P>
<P>The Mini&s;ter now approaching us, we ought with the Centurion in the Go&s;pel to acknowledge our unworthi|ne&s;s, to receive &s;o glorious a gue&s;t, and after &s;uch a Humilliation, let us look up with confidence and repre&s;ent to the Father of Heaven, the prevailing &s;acri|fice of his Son.</P>
<PB N="159" REF="95">
<P><HI>LOrd, I am not worthy thou &s;hould&s;t come under my roof, but &s;peak the word, Lord, and thy Servant &s;hall be whole.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Behold, O Lord, the &s;acrifice of the e|verla&s;ting Covenant, the Lamb that takes away the &s;ins of the World: Oh, let all the World feel the power of his Interce&s;|&s;ion; hear, good Lord, the cry of his Wounds, and deny me not &s;ince I bring thy Son with me; let us all know that he lives that was dead, and is a live for ever|more.</HI></P>
<P><HI>O holy Bread, which came&s;t down from Heaven, and give&s;t life to the World, come into my heart, and clean&s;e me from all defilements of Fle&s;h and Spirit; enter into my Soul, heal and &s;anctifie me within and without. O my Soul, ta&s;te now, and &s;ee how gracious the Lord is: Whence is it that my Lord him&s;elf &s;hould come to me.</HI></P>
<P>Let us now with &s;teadfa&s;t Faith re|peat after the Mini&s;ter, bowing our Bodies, <HI>The Body of our Lord Je&s;us,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>After we have received the Bread, let us lift up our Souls in thankfullne&s;s, and &s;ay.</P>
<PB N="160" REF="96">
<P><HI>Hail! Holy Lamb of God, thrice wel|come art thou to a poor peri&s;hing &s;inner. Glory be to thee, O Lord, who feede&s;t me with the Bread of Life; let thy crucified Body deliver me from this body of death.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>Before the Cup.</HEAD>
<P><HI>I</HI> Will receive the Cup of Salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord. Lord, if thou wilt, thou can&s;t clean&s;e me; O touch me, and &s;ay, I will be thou clean: Oh, let this Blood of thine purge my Con&s;cience from dead Works to &s;erve thee, the ever living God.</P>
<P>It will not &s;uffice me, deare&s;t Saviour, to receive thee in part only, for I mu&s;t be wholly thine, and ble&s;&s;ed be thy Name, that thou ha&s;t already given me thy holy Body to clean&s;e my Nature; and now thou art preparing thy precious Blood to wa&s;h away my Guilt, my &s;ins have poured out every drop thereof, wherefore thou pre&s;en|te&s;t it to me by it &s;elf, to &s;hew how truly thou did&s;t &s;uffer Death for me, and now, O my Redeemer, thou ha&s;t &s;aid this Cup is the Communion of thy Blood, and thy truth is unque&s;tionable, thy power infinite, and thy love was &s;uch, as thou gave&s;t thy hearts blood for me; I will receive it there|fore
<PB N="161" REF="96">as the everla&s;ting Covenant, the Seal of all the promi&s;es of thy holy Go&s;pel: I have indeed drunk iniquity like Water, and therefore am unfit to ta&s;t this Water of Life, and yet &s;hall peri&s;h without it, for I'me all over defiled, and this is the fountain which thou ha&s;t opened to clean&s;e us. I am &s;corched with the Flames of lu&s;t and unruly pa&s;&s;ion, and this is the Cup which thou ha&s;t provided to cool and re|fre&s;h us: What value is &s;ufficient for me to put upon this immortal Cordial? How can I reverence it enough, &s;ince the God of Heaven e&s;teemed it a price &s;ufficient for millions of peri&s;hing Mankind: My Soul longeth after it, Lord, let me ta&s;te, and my Soul &s;hall live; let me wa&s;h in this laver before I come to thy great Tribunal, &s;o &s;hall I be whiter than &s;now.</P>
<P><HI>Let us repeat after the Mini&s;ter, the Blood of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>After the Cup.</HEAD>
<P>IT is fini&s;hed, ble&s;&s;ed be the Name of our gracious God. Ble&s;&s;ing, Glory, Prai&s;e and Honour, Love, Obedience, Do|minion and Thanksgiving be to thee, O &s;acred Trinity, Father, Son and Holy
<PB N="162" REF="97">Gho&s;t, <HI>Amen.</HI> Well come, O my good Je&s;us, now di&s;mi&s;s thy Servant in Peace, <HI>for mine Eyes have &s;een thy Salvation.</HI></P>
<P><HI>If we have time before we return to our Pews, let us add.</HI></P>
<P>HOw chearing is this Cup to me, ble&s;|&s;ed Je&s;us, which was &s;o dreadful unto thee; it was thy Agonies and thy Wounds which afforded me this Wine of Joy. Thou did&s;t find how bitter it was, when thou wert appea&s;ing an offended God, but I ta&s;te how &s;weet it is now, that thou ha&s;t made him a tender and reconciled Fa|ther. I receive this Cup, O Saviour, as a new pledge of thy deare&s;t Love, and &s;ince thou doe&s;t here give me a right to that great Expiation, which thou ha&s;t made, I do mo&s;t humbly commemorate the &s;ame before the Father of Heaven, as the full &s;atis|faction for my innumerable Debts, and I will remember the dolors of thy Cro&s;s, with a brisker &s;en&s;e than ever; becau&s;e thou ha&s;t made me drink of thy Blood, and given me thy Soul, thy Life, and thy Spirit; and &s;ince thou ha&s;t thus joyned me, to thy &s;elf, O let nothing &s;eperate that which thou ha&s;t &s;o graciou&s;ly joyned together, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<PB N="163" REF="97">
<P><HI>They who have advanced thus far in their Duty, and been refre&s;hed at the Table of God, will ea&s;ily acknowledge Thanksgiving to be the lea&s;t tribute they can pay, and won't be &s;atisfied, that they have given prai&s;es at the Al|tar, but are willing to offer this &s;acri|fice every opportunity, therefore let us at our return to our Seats, be ready to acknowledge the loving kindne&s;s of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>PRai&s;e the Lord, O my Soul; and all that is within me ble&s;s his Holy Name; was it not enough that thou &s;hould&s;t &s;uffer &s;o much for me, but thou wilt al&s;o give all the purcha&s;e of tho&s;e &s;ufferings to me; thy loving kindne&s;s is truly admira|ble, thou ha&s;t taken my &s;ins on thy &s;elf, and communicated thy Righteou&s;ne&s;s to my Soul; Lord, while I believe and con&s;ider the benefits of thy Pa&s;&s;ion, I am revived and fill'd with an unwonted Vigour, my Con&s;cience does accu&s;e me of many and grievious &s;ins, but I do here mo&s;t humbly and thankfully &s;et forth this perfect &s;in, offering before thy Divine Maje&s;ty, I know thou cannot except again&s;t it, I believe it is &s;ufficient to attone thine Anger. Ble&s;|&s;ed Je&s;us, how is my Soul refre&s;hed, that
<PB N="164" REF="98">is again re&s;tored to thy Father's love; let Heaven and Earth prai&s;e thee for this glo|rious Sacrifice, and I will ble&s;s thee while I have any being. I have receiv'd thy immaculate Body, and it &s;hall clean&s;e my &s;inful Body, and teach me by the vertue of &s;o rare an Example, to relieve my poor Brethren for whom thou ha&s;t died, and to conquer my Enemies by charity; for thus thou ha&s;t done to me, and both my lips and life &s;hall &s;et forth thy prai&s;e, for now I be|gin to find the Mercy, Peace, Comfort and Grace which flow from the Death of Chri&s;t; wherefore I will love thee, Holy Je&s;us, more than I can expre&s;s; and &s;ince thou ha&s;t given thy &s;elf, thy Merits and Graces to me, and &s;eal'd a new Covenant with me in thy Blood, I here bind my &s;elf by this &s;acred Cup to be &s;incerely thine. I have &s;worn, and am &s;teadfa&s;tly purpo&s;ed to keep thy Righteous Judgments; O let me never unhallow that Body, or defile that Soul in which the Lord Je&s;us delights to dwell in; let no Oaths, or Lying, prophane tho&s;e Lips, no Ob&s;cenity or Intemperance pollute that Mouth by which the&s;e holy Symbols have pa&s;&s;ed; but let thy Mercy keep me in this happy Temper till I have accompli&s;hed all my Re&s;olutions, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<PB N="165" REF="98">
<P>Or This:</P>
<P><HI>ALL is thine, Dear Saviour, di&s;|po&s;e of all that is here of Body and Soul, of life and lodging, according to thy Divine Will and Plea&s;ure; I intend, O Lord, &s;trengthen me in this very Hour: I intend, O &s;weet Saviour, a Total Refor|mation of my Life and Manners, an intire Mortification of my Corporal Sen&s;es, an ab&s;olute change in my whole Man; grant therefore, O good Je&s;us, that at each word of my Mouth, at each glance of my Eye, at each mor&s;el I Eat, at each member I Move, at each action Inward or Outward I undertake, I may perform all according to thy holy Will and Plea&s;ure. I will therefore expect from thee, O Heavenly Father, the exact Remembrance; from thee, my Redeemer, the perfect Knowledge; from thee, O Holy Spirit, a true Repen|tance; from thee, O Sacred Trinity, the entire Ab&s;olution and Plenary indulgence from all my iniquities,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P>We have been informed that this is the great Fea&s;t of Love, and are now commemorating that inexpre&s;&s;ible love of our Saviour, and &s;ince his Blood was &s;hed for the &s;ins of the whole World,
<PB N="166" REF="99">let our Charity extend it &s;elf to the ut|termo&s;t parts of the Earth, but more e|&s;pecially, the Holy Catholick Church; therefore the time we &s;pare from our Devotions, let us be&s;tow in good de|&s;ires to tho&s;e pre&s;ent, &s;ending up a hearty <HI>Amen</HI> to the Prayers for our Brethren; let it rejoyce our Souls, to &s;ee &s;o many of the Servants of God waiting at his Altar to receive the Bread of Life; let us earne&s;tly pray that this Communion may be life to e|very one, that all who are pre&s;ent, may meet to Fea&s;t in life Everla&s;ting.</P>
<P>O <HI>Thou Eternal Being, vouch&s;afe to ble&s;s, confirm and &s;trengthen us all who are pre&s;ent before thee, deliver us from the day of Condemnation, and let us not be confounded when we &s;hall appear be|fore thee in the pre&s;ence of thy Angels, but grant that through the blood of the Cro&s;s, we may all be clean&s;ed from our &s;ins, and pre&s;ented pure unblamable, and ir|reprovable in thy &s;ight, that &s;o we may be admitted into that place of purity, where no unclean thing can enter, to &s;ing Eternal Hallelujahs to him that &s;ets upon the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever.</HI></P>
<PB N="167" REF="99">
<P><HI>May what we have now offer'd up to thee, O Lord, be accepted for the good of the univer&s;al World, for all tho&s;e for whom the Holy Je&s;us &s;hed his mo&s;t precious Blood, for the Glory of thy Holy Name, and for the coming of the Holy Gho&s;t, that he may plea&s;e to vi&s;it and enlighten all our Hearts. O Lord, be propitious to the Holy Catho|lick Church, and by the increa&s;e of Faith, Hope and Charity, inlarge its Limits; be plea&s;ed to remember all that are Fallen, all that are in Captivity, the Infirm, Sick, Stranger, Fatherle&s;s and Widow; in great Mercy look upon them all, re&s;tore, heal, comfort, and relieve them, for Je|&s;us Chri&s;t his &s;ake.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prai&s;e the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, prai&s;e his Holy Name,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P>As &s;oon as the Congregation has communicated, let us prepare to glo|rifie the Lord together, in order to it, let us reflect upon the Goodne&s;s of this God, who has done &s;o much for us, and if we are attentive to the Prayers of the pa&s;t Communion, 'tis impo&s;&s;ible to behave our &s;elves coldly, or indiffe|rently; there is &s;o much life in the ex|pre&s;&s;ions,
<PB N="168" REF="100">that we are forced to utter them with an affectionate concern, and the greater our Zeal, the greater is the Benefit we receive. Each thought mu&s;t give us an Idea beyond our Expre&s;&s;ion, we &s;hall be &s;o wholly taken up with this wonderful love of Chri&s;t, that we &s;hall be angry our conceptions are &s;o imperfect, that we don't &s;ee more clear|ly this Beauty of Holine&s;s. O let us lo&s;e our &s;elves in this boundle&s;s con|templation, and be ravi&s;hed with the loving kindne&s;s of the Lord; and now that we are in earne&s;t become the Sons of God, we may with confidence lift up our hearts to <HI>Our Father which is in Heaven,</HI> which is the fir&s;t Prayer the Church has appointed to offer up to God; we have been fea&s;ting at his Ta|ble, renewing our Covenants, and made pertakers of our Saviour and his Spirit; therefore being &s;o clothed, 'tis very pro|per our fir&s;t addre&s;s be made in his own word. After we have repeated that with Reverence, let us join in the next, for 'tis now high time that we make an offering to the God of our Salvation, and there is nothing we can give more plea&s;ing than our &s;elves to be a rea&s;on|ble &s;acrifice; therefore let us intirely
<PB N="169" REF="100">dedicate our Souls, Body and Spirit to the &s;ervice of God, and be infinitly re|joyced, that God is plea&s;ed to accept us therein, and this will enable us more chearfully to joyn in the following Hymne. When our Heavenly King &s;ees us &s;o hearty in his Service, &s;o de&s;irous of Pardon, that we with the greate&s;t Earne&s;tle&s;s, cry to the only begotten Je&s;us Chri&s;t; and with all, &s;o forward to return our humble thanks for his Mercy: No doubt he will be near to our A&s;&s;i&s;tance, and reward us with more than we can ask or think, even exalt us to that &s;tate of Glory with him that &s;its on the right hand of the Fa|ther, and is mo&s;t high in the Glory of God.</P>
<P>After we have thus affectionately joyn'd in the Prayers of the Church, let us with Faith and Thankfulne&s;s re|ceive the Ble&s;&s;ing, and then with humble Adoration once more magnifie the good|ne&s;s of God, for who can be weary in prai&s;ing the noble acts of the Lord?</P>
<P><HI>PRai&s;e the Lord, O my Soul, and let all thy Powers be acted with &s;uch love and wonder, that thou maye&s;t break forth into all the expre&s;&s;ion of joy and glad|ne&s;s,
<PB N="170" REF="101">that admiration and gratitude can in&s;pire thee with; Glory be to thee, O Lord, mo&s;t High.</HI></P>
<P>Let us ri&s;e from our Knees and bow towards the Holy Table, &s;hewing our unwillingne&s;s to depart the place where his Honour dwells, leave it with a re|luctance, and &s;till &s;ay in our hearts, 'tis good for us to be here. They who are arriv'd to &s;uch a habit, mu&s;t nece&s;&s;ari|ly de&s;ire another opportunity to glori|fie God in this manner, and be very fond of frequenting his Hou&s;e till this ble&s;&s;ed &s;ea&s;on returns; for we are not to think our Duty done with our Prayers, we mu&s;t create a kind of a familiarity with God, and no way &s;o likely to do that, as by the con&s;tant ap|pearance in his Hou&s;e; there it is he has promi&s;ed to be, and thither we mu&s;t come if we would have our Pray|ers returned with &s;ucce&s;s. Though private Devotions be nece&s;&s;ary, yet the Publick are ab&s;olutely &s;o; there God is honoured by the company of his Saints, and there we have the oppor|tunity to acknowledge him to be the Lord. 'Tis there we a&s;&s;emble with one accord to pre&s;ent our Petitions to
<PB N="171" REF="101">the Throne of Grace, and 'tis mo&s;t likely our Incen&s;e &s;hould pierce Hea|ven, when it a&s;cends thither in a thick cloud, but &s;ure there will be no occa&s;ion to u&s;e Arguments to tho&s;e who have felt the Ble&s;&s;ings of coming thus together; they mu&s;t &s;ee how plea&s;ant it is to dwell in &s;uch Unity, and prefer the door of the Tabernacle, to the Pa|laces of Princes; they who are &s;o unhappy as to be Strangers there, who have no ta&s;te, nor are per&s;wad|ed of the Truth of the&s;e things, I could wi&s;h they would prevail with them&s;elves to try the deliciou&s;ne&s;s of the Employment, and I am &s;ure they would be obliged to confe&s;s not one half has been told them.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="172" REF="102">
<HEAD>A Meditation for the Communi|on at <HI>Chri&s;tmas.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Welcome thrice ble&s;&s;ed day, the de&s;ire of all Nations, who&s;e di&s;tant glories made the Father of the Faithful to rejoice, and who&s;e approaches fill'd the World with wonder and ex|pectation; thou wert u&s;hered in with Angelick Hymns, and celebrated ever &s;ince with Anthems of prai&s;e, becau&s;e thou did&s;t bring forth joy, and a Redeemer to Mankind. Happy am I that have a &s;acrifice of Thank&s;giving in my hand, to ex|pre&s;s the delight which my heart doth feel: This Holy Table is the Altar, upon which I offer my Acknowledgmets for all mercies; And Oh, how many, how great are tho&s;e which this day brings to my remembrance, &s;o Infinite it cannot be expre&s;&s;ed, and yet &s;o excellent they mu&s;t not be forgotten: This day hath reconciled Heaven and Earth, and Contradictions made freinds; to find a way to help us, as if nothing might di&s;agree when Man was at peace with God: O my Soul, &s;ummon all thy powers to admire and wor&s;hip, for all is Miracle, and the Height of wonder, eternity begins to be; the maker of all is made him&s;elf; an infinite Maje&s;ty is &s;hrunk into the dimen&s;ions of a Span; the Word is made Fle&s;h, and God becomes Man, yet remains God &s;till: Here is a Mother who knew no Man, a Son that had no Father on Earth; a Child of <HI>Adam,</HI> untainted with the contagion that infects all his po&s;terity; an Infant honored with a new gloriou,
<PB N="173" REF="102">Star; adored by Kings; wor&s;hipped by Angels, yet born in the condition of the meane&s;t Fortune: All Hail, &s;weete&s;t Saviour, How lovely is thy conde&s;cention? How honourable thy aba&s;ement? Thou ha&s;t more &s;plender in the raggs of humility, than all the Grandeurs of this world could give thee; thou art more of a King, becau&s;e thou woulde&s;t be like a Slave for our &s;akes, and conquers more hearts by thy &s;tupendious Love, and unparalleled &s;elf-Denial: O how &s;hall I celebrate this great &s;olemnity, where withall &s;hall I &s;et forth my gratitude for this mo&s;t au&s;picious Day; I will receive the Cup of Sal|vation, and with faith and ravi&s;hments of de|light, fea&s;t upon that precious Body and Blood, which Je&s;us did this day a&s;&s;ume for me: It is not enough, deare&s;t Lord, that thou wa&s;t born for me, unle&s;s that al&s;o thou wert born again in me, and as it were become incarnate in my heart: In thy birth thou wa&s;t made one with us, thou did&s;t put Fle&s;h; and wert a partaker of our Humanity, and thou ha&s;t appointed this Sacra|ment, that I might be one with thee, be re|pleni&s;hed with thy Spirit, and a partaker of Divine Nature: Nor is it any incongruity, if I remember thy pa&s;&s;ion, and prai&s;e thee for thine Incarnation at once; for as &s;oon as thou wa&s;t born thou did&s;t begin to die, and the life which was here begun, compared to that glorious Life which thou did&s;t leave, was it &s;elf a very death for us, which thy Divinity could not feel, and thy Nativity was the fir&s;t Scene of thy pa&s;&s;ion, for it introduced thy Death, and that effected our Salvation, &s;o that I will remember both together;
<PB N="174" REF="103">in both thou ha&s;t mo&s;t admirably humbled thy &s;elf to the depth of mi&s;eries, and yet I doubt not but thou would have &s;tupid lower, if it had been either nece&s;&s;ary or po&s;&s;ible, but there needs no more Te&s;timonies of thy love, ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, I am already over-whelmed with the&s;e that are &s;o &s;trange and undever&s;ed, &s;o &s;weet and ravi&s;hing, that my Soul cou'd not contain, if it did not vent it &s;elf in thy prai&s;es therefore with Angels.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<HEAD>A Meditation for the Commu|nion at <HI>Ea&s;ter.</HI></HEAD>
<P>O My Soul, adorn thy &s;elf with the Gar|ments of Gladne&s;s, prepare thy mo&s;t triumphant Hymns to go forth, and meet this great returning Conqueror; thou did&s;t rejoice when he was plea&s;ed to undertake the combat, and did&s;t celebrate his entrance into the Li&s;ts with prai&s;es: How then will it ravi&s;h thee to behold him come off with &s;ucce&s;s and Honour, his war|fare is now accompli&s;h'd, and he hath pa&s;&s;ed through the Scorn and Cruelty of Men, the ma|lice and rage of Devils, the ju&s;t, but &s;evere anger of God, yea, the &s;hadow of death, and regions of eternal horror; and after all this thy &s;urety is &s;et at liberty, for he hath paid his debts, and cancelled all tho&s;e di&s;mal Bonds, by which thou art forfeited to eternal ruin, thy Champion is victorious, and as the Trophies of his Conque&s;t, he hath the Keys of Death and Hell, and leads
<PB N="175" REF="103">them both in Triumph vanqi&s;hed and di&s;arm'd. Ble&s;&s;ed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord, we receive thee, deare&s;t Saviour, as born to us a &s;econd time, and this &s;hall be thy Birth-day, al&s;o the Nativity thought not of our Emperor, yet of thy Empire, thy Re&s;toration to a Sate of Im|mortality. Thy former Birth &s;hew'd thee to be the Son of Man, but this declares thee to be the Son of God, and now that our Redeemer liveth, he that loved us &s;o infinitely as to die for us doth now ever live to intercede on our hehalf, he that expre&s;&s;ed &s;uch kindne&s;s to us in his pa&s;&s;ion, hath &s;o fully demon&s;trated his own Power in his re&s;urrection, that we are &s;ure he is able as willing to deliver us: Let the Heavens rejoice and the Earth be glad, for this is the day that the Lord hath made, a day to be had in everla&s;t|ing Remembrance, a Time de&s;tined to Jubilee and rejoycing: Behold how nature is rai&s;ing it &s;elf from the grave of Winter, and &s;eems annu|ally to celebrate the memory of our Lord's re&s;ur|rection, in her green and fre&s;h attire, a &s;ea&s;on cho&s;en by God, a Fe&s;tival three Thou&s;and years ago, and Ob&s;erved ever &s;ince by <HI>Jews</HI> or <HI>Chri&s;ti|ans,</HI> or both, with the greate&s;t Solemnity; &s;ee how tho&s;e blinded <HI>Jews</HI> rejoyced over their <HI>Pa&s;cal Lamb</HI> in the mid&s;t of all their calami|ties, for the deliverance of their Fathers: But we have a nobler Pa&s;s-over, for a greater deli|verance, Chri&s;t, our Pa&s;s-over is &s;acrific'd for us, therefore let us keep the Fea&s;t, and that upon the precious Body and Blood of the Lamb of God, who is &s;lain, but is alive again; be|hold
<PB N="176" REF="104">he lives for evermore, wherefore I will go to thy Alter with joy, and tell out thy works with gladne&s;s. O mo&s;t mighty Saviour, who ha&s;t not only died for my Sins, but ri&s;en again for my ju&s;tification, and indeed what comfort could I have found in this memorial of thy death, if it had not been for thy re&s;urrection, this Sacrament would have only remembred thy &s;ufferings, and renewed my &s;orrow, to think that &s;o excellent a per&s;on had peri&s;hed in the attempt; but it is be|come a fea&s;t of joy, becau&s;e it is an a&s;&s;urance of thy re&s;urrection, as well as a commemoration of thy Pa&s;&s;ion; and &s;ince thou live&s;t, &s;weet Je&s;us, we live al&s;o, thy re&s;urrection rai&s;ed our hearts from &s;ad de&s;pair, it gives a new life to our hopes, it makes our &s;orrows light, our labours ea&s;ie, our lives chearful, and our death advan|tage, becau&s;e it hath lo&s;t its &s;ting, and is be|come the Gate into Immortality; we can charm all our fears and Troubles with this one word, the Lord is ri&s;en, yea, the Lord is ri&s;en indeed, for thou ha&s;t wa&s;hed us in thy own blood, and made us Kings and Prei&s;ts to God, to Offer up at this Altar never cea&s;ing Prai&s;es.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<HEAD>A Meditation for the Commu|nion on <HI>Whit-Sunday.</HI></HEAD>
<P>I Will go to thy Altar, O Lord, with a new &s;acrifice of prai&s;e, becau&s;e thou ha&s;t given me a fre&s;h In&s;tance of thy Love this day; thou art
<PB N="177" REF="104">&s;low to puni&s;h thy enemies, but &s;peedy to com|fort thy &s;ervants, for no &s;ooner was thy mi&s;ery changed into glory, but we received the greate&s;t demon&s;tration of thy affections; no &s;ooner did&s;t thou put on thy Crown in Heaven, but the earth felt the bounty of thy di&s;pen&s;ations; for it was not po&s;&s;ible for thee, &s;weet Je&s;us, for thy promi&s;e to remain long unperformed, or the &s;ad expecta|tions of thy Di&s;ciples un&s;atisfied: Being a&s;&s;embled therefore this day, with one heart in one place, they are &s;uddainly &s;urprized with wonder, and in&s;pired with a Heavenly power, &s;uch as they had never felt before, vigorous as a mighty wind, chearing as the morning light, inflaming their hearts with zeal, and filling their mouths with Anthems, indited with the Languages of all the World: O wonderfull Change, their Ignorance is turned into Learning, their mi&s;takes into in|fallibility, their fear into courage, their weak|ne&s;s into &s;trength, their &s;orrow into joy, and they in a moment made able to confound the Arts, and conquer the Oppo&s;itions of the Heathen world, and maugre all the divices of Satan, to &s;et up the Kingdom of the Lord Chri&s;t; and &s;hall we not prai&s;e thee, for the&s;e miraculous di&s;pen&s;ations by which the go&s;pel was made known, even to us in the mo&s;t utmo&s;t corners, and la&s;t of times; yes, Holy Je&s;us, we will al&s;o meet thee with one accord at thy table, not doubting but thou would give us the mea&s;ures of thy Spirit there, if our duty, or our nece&s;&s;ity, did require it; it is enough to us that thou knowe&s;t our need more than will &s;upply them; we dare not ask, le&s;t
<PB N="178" REF="105">thou wilt not give; thou ha&s;t given us thy &s;elf, wherefore we believe thou wilt not deny us thy Spirit, without which we can have no Intre&s;t in thee, nor benefit from thee: We come not, gracious Lord, with the carnal Jews to devour thy Fle&s;h, but to partake of thy Spirit, which only giveth life, the fle&s;h profiteth nothing; behold thy Spirit hath converted Millions: Let me therefore, together with thy precious Body, receive here &s;uch proportions of thy holy Spirit, as may &s;uppre&s;s my evil Affections, revive my dead heart, comfort my dejected mind, and turn my ignorance into knowledge, my knowledge in|to practice, and make that practice &s;o &s;weet and ea&s;ie, that this may be a day of joy to me al&s;o, &s;olemnized in the white Garments of Sanctifica|tion and rejoycing; and finally, let not this Heavenly In&s;piration be only expre&s;&s;ed in Ec&s;ta&s;ies, and only fervours this day, but let thy Spirit re&s;t upon me, and dwell in me for ever, &s;o &s;hall I always have cau&s;e to ble&s;s thee for &s;o incom|parable a gift: Methinks I feel already the force thereof, bearing down my corruptions, and the bright beams driving the mi&s;ts of Sin and Error. I find its flames warming my heart with Zeal and charity, and its quickning power opening my &s;ealed lips to &s;hew forth thy prai&s;e.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="179" REF="105">
<HEAD>A Meditation for the Commu|nion on <HI>Trinity Sunday.</HI></HEAD>
<P>O Admirable my&s;tery! to be adored in the profounde&s;t &s;ilence, by the contemplation thereof; when I am &s;truck with amazement I can learn humility, and di&s;cover mine own Ig|norance, and I have the opportunity of exerci&s;ing a Nobler faith than if I could comprehend it with my &s;hallow rea&s;onings, and imperfect de|mon&s;trations, the Trinity in Unity, and the Unity in Trinity hath been derided by the <HI>Hea|thens,</HI> and endeavoured to be perplexed by the Wits of all kind of <HI>Hereticks,</HI> but it &s;ufficeth me, Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, that thou ha&s;t revealed it, and thy Holy Church, divided into many other things, hath univer&s;ally agreed in thy great Truth, and I am the more confirmed in it becau&s;e I learn by it to wor&s;hip with a regular devotion, from hence I am the more confirmed: I am taught to pray to the Father in the Name of the Son, through the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the Holy Gho&s;t, and as long as I live will I prai&s;e thee, and magnife thee in this manner; I will ble&s;s thee particular|ly at this Holy Fea&s;t for &s;o excellent a revelation, for this Ordinance it &s;elf contains many things above my under&s;tanding, and its all my&s;tery; the Trinity is the Article, and thy Sacrament the Rite which do di&s;tingui&s;h thy true Riligion from all the &s;ects in the World; wherefore, by ob|&s;erving
<PB N="180" REF="106">this Rite, I do embrace this Faith, and upon the repre&s;entation of thy death, I do profe&s;s to live in it, and die for it, re&s;olving never to have other Lords; when I find the Father giving, the Son giving, and the Holy Gho&s;t di&s;pen&s;ing that Gift unto my Soul in this &s;acred Communion, it &s;hall be a greater confirmation to my faith in divine My&s;tery, than can be acquired from the mo&s;t curious &s;earch into it: However I am re&s;olved my Rea&s;on &s;hall vail to thy word, and I will be content to &s;tay for a full apprehen&s;ion of this &s;ublime truth, till I am advanced to a State of Angelick perfection, and come to hehold the glories of the true God; till then I will ble&s;s thee for what I know, and believe more than I can conceive, and I will wor&s;hip the &s;ame Ma|je&s;ty which the Heavenly Choir doth, in the&s;e Addre&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>THE Church has now done her part, and leaves us to di&s;charge the re&s;t, &s;he has told us the benefits, and forewarned us of the danger, let it be upon our own Heads if we have drunk Chri&s;t's Blood unworthily; therefore let us as &s;oon as po&s;&s;ible re|tire and examine our behaviour during the Celebration of the&s;e Holy My&s;te|ries. How our thoughts were employ|ed, and how earne&s;t our longings were after this Bread of Heaven; whether we had duly examined our &s;elves be|fore,
<PB N="181" REF="106">and repented as we ought, in what part &s;oever of the&s;e things we have done ami&s;s; let us ask pardon and endeavour to come more prepared the next time. This will &s;how that we are &s;incere with God, and don't come out of cu&s;tom, but for his Grace and Mercy; and let us take every op|portunity to ask that, for Chri&s;t is now come very near us, therefore let us lay before him all our wants, that &s;o we may be fill'd with his Heavenly Be|nediction; let us not lo&s;e a minute on this day, but be earne&s;t in all manner of &s;upplication, for we mu&s;t not leave our Devotions with the Church, that would be &s;etting open the door indeed, that <HI>Satan</HI> might enter into us; but I hardly believe, they who have had their hearts kindled at the Altar, can &s;uffer them to grow cold before they get home; therefore let us retire, before Dinner, and after we have thus &s;eri|ou&s;ly reflected upon what we have been doing, let us add to our thoughts the following Meditation.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="meditation">
<PB N="182" REF="107" MS="y">
<HEAD>A Meditation before Dinner.</HEAD>
<P>WHen I compare thy acts with mine, Holy Je&s;us, I am exceedingly a&s;hamed to behold &s;o a va&s;t a di&s;proporti|on thou give&s;t me, thy Merits and Graces, thy Life and Love at pre&s;ent, and ha&s;t promi&s;ed to me thy Kingdom in rever&s;ion, and I have &s;carce return'd this with the intire devotion of one half hour. O how little is my obdurate Heart affected with the &s;ence of my own Guilt, the fears of thy Divine Wrath, or apprehen&s;ions of thy &s;uf|ferings, yet, Lord, I de&s;ire, and did en|deavour to prai&s;e thee, &s;o that I hope thou wilt con&s;ider my infirmities with much com|pa&s;&s;ion and mea&s;ure, my &s;ervices not by the exactne&s;s of my performance, but by the &s;incerity of my wi&s;hes, &s;o &s;hall I be accep|ted before thy Heavenly Father, and by the mercy of that acceptance, be obliged to thee for ever.</P>
<P><HI>O Mo&s;t merciful Lord God, I am a|mazed at the mighty favours which thou ha&s;t &s;hew'd to me a &s;inful wretched Creature; I cannot but acknowledge thy goodne&s;s, though I can make no Retributi|on,
<PB N="183" REF="107">had I all the World at my di&s;po&s;al, I could freely give it all to thee as a Te|&s;timony of my unfeigned gratitude, but I hear thy gracious voice, &s;aying unto me,</HI> My Son, give me thine heart, <HI>it is not mine, but me thou &s;eeke&s;t; &s;inful and mi&s;|rable though I am, yet I am the purcha&s;e for which Je&s;us has left his Glory, laid down his Life, done and &s;uffered all the&s;e things. O marvelous Conde&s;cen&s;ion! I am nothing, I have nothing, I am void of all Good, full of Evil, and de&s;erving thy Wrath, &s;o that I abhor my &s;elf; and can&s;t thou dwell in me! Be it &s;o then, I will di&s;pute no more with un&s;earchable mercy, I believe, O my God, and wonder, I can no longer re|&s;i&s;t thy conde&s;cending and almighty love, I will with all the joy imaginable give my felf unto thee, who ha&s;t but lately re&s;tored me to my &s;elf; I have been a pri&s;oner to</HI> Sa|tan, <HI>a Slave to Sin, and marked out for De&s;tructioon; but thou ha&s;t procured my Pardon, Liberty and Life, requiring no more for &s;o inexpre&s;&s;ible a bounty, but that I become entirely thine; had I the life of an Angel, the under&s;tanding of a Che|rubim, or the power of one of thy Heaven|ly Ho&s;t, thou de&s;erve&s;t it all. I'm &s;orry I'm no better, yet &s;uch as I am, I do mo&s;t freely &s;urrender my &s;elf unto thee, my Bo|dy
<PB N="184" REF="108">and Soul, avowing I will be no more my own, but thy &s;ervant: O be thou plea|&s;ed to come and reign over me, take po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ion of this unworthy heart, I hope I &s;hall never be &s;o unju&s;t, perjured and &s;acrelegi|ous, as to rob thee of my &s;elf hereafter; it is indeed a mi&s;erable gift that I offer, a defiled Body, and a &s;tained Soul, but 'tis all I have to give, all that thou require&s;t, and 'twill be the better for being thine; let me never have another Ma&s;ter, let me never &s;ully, that which the Blood of Chri&s;t hath wa&s;hed, nor &s;ell that to</HI> Satan <HI>which Je&s;us hath bought for God. Grant me therefore, gracious Lord, that I may find by the workings of thy Spirit within me, that thou ha&s;t accepted me; give me &s;uch help from thee, to confirm my hope, that I may always perform my vows, and ne|ver rob thee of that which I have dedicated in the &s;incerity of my Soul: I am thine, O &s;ave me for thy mercies &s;ake,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P>Our Father, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>From the ri&s;ing of the Sun unto the going down of the &s;ame, the Name of the Lord &s;hall be great among the Gentiles in every place; incen&s;e &s;hall be offer'd unto his Name, and a pure offering for his Name &s;hall be great among all Nations.</HI></P>
<P>Glory be to the, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> As it was, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<PB N="185" REF="108">
<P>This Day is appointed to be ob&s;erv'd as a <HI>Fe&s;tival;</HI> and I would have no <HI>Chri|&s;tian</HI> &s;o mi&s;take him&s;elf, as to keep it o|therwi&s;e: But &s;ince it is likewi&s;e a Day to be kept holy to the Lord, we mu&s;t not indulge our &s;elves over-much, le&s;t we run into another Errour, and make us uncapable of &s;erving God, or our &s;elves as we ought, by turning our rea|fonable Service into &s;leepy Devotions. And &s;ince I'm &s;peaking of the <HI>Sabbath,</HI> it can't be unnece&s;&s;ary to lay down &s;ome Rules for our Ob&s;ervation of it. There is no <HI>Chri&s;tian,</HI> but mu&s;t lament the ge|neral Neglect of it; for one &s;ort &s;pends it in unnece&s;&s;ary Bu&s;ine&s;s; the other, in impertinent Recreations; and even they who are more re&s;erv'd, and &s;eem to have a greater Sen&s;e of Religion, are apt to make large Allowances, that except the Time &s;pent in the Church, there is lit|tle be&s;tow'd on any Act of Religion. The <HI>Church</HI> requires our Belief of the <HI>Morality of the Sabbath;</HI> and if we were per&s;uaded that 'tis a Day &s;et a part by God him&s;elf, for his own Service, we &s;hould have le&s;s Inclinations to lay out &s;o much of it in our own: We mu&s;t po|&s;itively believe our Obligations to God on this Day, and re&s;olve, that the Time
<PB N="186" REF="109">we don't &s;pend in the Church, &s;hould devoutly be employ'd at home. We &s;hould &s;eparate our Thoughts from the Concern of this World: In the Morn|ing, earne&s;tly beg of God that we may &s;anctifie the <HI>Sabbath:</HI> After Church, re|flect upon what we heard; if it was pra|ctical Matter, re&s;olve to make u&s;e of it in our Conver&s;ation; if Matter of Faith, examine whether we can give our po&s;i|tive A&s;&s;ent to it; if we don't ju&s;tly com|prehend it, let us endeavour to be bet|ter inform'd: Let us call to Mind the Benefit of our Creation, Redemption, and whatever el&s;e may beget in us holy Thoughts, and a fervent Love to God: Let us turn our Thoughts into our &s;elves, that we may the better under&s;tand our Condition towards God; for how is it po&s;&s;ible to be &s;en&s;ible of our Affairs, if we don't &s;uffer our Souls to contemplate for their Safety? There are many that can't accu&s;e them&s;elves of notorious Crimes, that can an&s;wer to the po&s;itive Prohibitions of the Law, <HI>All the&s;e have I kept from my Youth;</HI> yet if they &s;uffer them&s;elves to go further in their Exa|mination, will find Rea&s;on, with the young Man in the Go&s;pel, to be exceed|ing &s;orrowful, though upon another Ac|count;
<PB N="187" REF="109">they will find a di&s;mal Account of other things to an&s;wer, and which are as nece&s;&s;ary to be repented of, as they are to be ob&s;erv'd for the future. Be|&s;ides, Contemplation is the be&s;t Way to improve our Under&s;tanding in the Ways of Goodne&s;s; there is infinite Variety for our Thoughts to work upon, and all of them exceeding plea&s;ant: 'Tis this that will make us in love with Piety; and then we &s;hall &s;oon turn our Specu|lation into Practice. They who are us'd to meditate, find the Satisfaction of their Con&s;ideration: Though 'tis no ea&s;ie mat|ter for a Man that has wholly bent his Affection to an immoderate Love of this World, to bring under his unruly De|&s;ire; he &s;hall hardly begin to think what he is, why he was &s;ent hither, and whi|ther he is ha&s;t'ning, but he &s;hall &s;top in the middle, and the very Thoughts of the pre&s;ent, put him upon enjoying it in another manner. So vain and trifling are we when we have given up our &s;elves to be mi&s;taken for a while, that 'tis hard to bring us to our Sen&s;es, and per&s;uade us we are our &s;elves when we become Rational Creatures. I'm unwilling to pre&s;cribe our <HI>Chri&s;tian Liberty</HI> on this Day; 'tis certain we may extend it to
<PB N="188" REF="110">all Things of Nece&s;&s;ity, but then we &s;hould be cautious; for we are general|ly &s;uch <HI>Latitudinarians</HI> in things that concern our &s;elves, that we are not wil|ling to lo&s;e an Inch of our Liberty; and are apt to think our Time lo&s;t, which is be&s;tow'd in the Service of God: Our Trade is not then going on, and we are backwarder by one Day in our Affairs of this World, never con&s;idering we have another Merchandize to care for; but if we can &s;ecure Wealth enough here, have no great Affection to lay up Trea|&s;ure el&s;ewhere; as if we were afraid our Riches would corrupt there, or our Venture come &s;hort of our Expectations. It was the Ob&s;ervation of a great Man, That the more exact he was in keeping the <HI>Sabbath,</HI> his Affairs met with the greater Succe&s;s in the following Week. Whether every Body would be thus hap|py, I can't re&s;olve, but am &s;ure there can be no Danger in the Trial; and if we fail once, it may &s;ucceed the next: However, there is &s;ufficient Reward in it &s;elf, for we &s;hall have the Satisfaction of doing our Duty; and that we can't effect more exactly, than by a devout Meditation when alone, and a &s;erious Attention when at Church. They who
<PB N="189" REF="110">have Families, are to in&s;truct their Hou&s;|hold in their Duty, and &s;ee they di&s;|charge it; by giving good Examples and In&s;tructions, and &s;eeing they follow them; for when all is done, the effectual Preachers are Parents and Ma&s;ters: Mi|ni&s;ters may give the be&s;t Coun&s;el, and preach the greate&s;t Truths; but 'tis they mu&s;t &s;ee it has its proper Effect in their own Lives and Conver&s;ations, and in tho&s;e that belong to them.</P>
<P>If this were indu&s;triou&s;ly practi&s;ed, what Encouragement would it be to the Mini&s;ters to labour more abundantly for the Salvation of their Flock? And how &s;hould we all rejoice in the Day of the Lord, that they had neither run, nor labour'd in vain. In &s;hort, Our Communion on this Day ought to be free from Lightne&s;s or Vanity; not in Worldly Affairs, nor Relations of fooli&s;h Stories, and as little as po&s;&s;ible in com|mon Talk, no unnece&s;&s;ary Vi&s;it, nor a|ny where but when we have an Oppor|tunity of doing good. This ought to be our con&s;tant Care, to apply our &s;elves wholly to God and Religion, and avoid every thing as much as po&s;&s;ible that would take up our Thoughts on any thing el&s;e. This is truly to &s;anctifie the
<PB N="190" REF="111"><HI>Sabbath:</HI> And they who can thus ob|&s;erve it, will find the Benefit, even an Everla&s;ting Re&s;t to their Souls in Heaven.</P>
<P>After we have dined, let us retire a|gain; and when we have rais'd our Af|fections by a &s;erious Contemplation, let us &s;ay,</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>A Prayer after Dinner.</HEAD>
<P>O Thou All-&s;eeing, and mo&s;t holy God! I have been admitted to make my Oblation of Prai&s;es, and my &s;elf, unto thee; and am infinitely concern'd that thou &s;hould&s;t accept me therein; not for any Merit in me, but for thine own Mercy &s;ake. O my God, thou knowe&s;t I have been polluted with Sin, undutiful to thy Commands, unfaithful to my Promi&s;es, and confederate with thine Enemies; yea, even in the time of the&s;e holy My&s;teries, &s;o obdurate and confu&s;ed, that I might ju&s;tly fear, le&s;t my Wretch|edne&s;s &s;hould make my Sacrifice an Abomi|nation: I blu&s;h that I am not fitter: I la|ment that I &s;hould bring &s;o many Defile|ments, where the Purity of an Angel is &s;carce &s;ufficient: But I take Sanctuary in thy more obliging Conde&s;centions; and becau&s;e I am &s;o unworthy, will endeavour to e&s;teem my &s;elf as vile as really I am in thy &s;ight. Oh, do not look upon the Defects of a wretched Sinner; but remember thine own Mercies,
<PB N="191" REF="111">and accept what thou ha&s;t required of me; and &s;o &s;hall thy Favour be more illu&s;trious, becau&s;e it is be&s;tow'd upon &s;o evil and un|de&s;erving a Creature; and the Sen&s;e of my Unworthine&s;s &s;hall enlarge my Thankfulne&s;s, and make me prai&s;e thee more than if I had approached thee with all Perfections.</P>
<P>It is a mighty Favour to me, O God, that thou ha&s;t made Bread to grow out of the Earth, to nouri&s;h my mortal Body: But, Oh! how far ha&s;t thou tran&s;cended that Mercy, in giving me the Bread of Life from Heaven, to feed my immortal Soul! Whom was there in Heaven or Earth that I could have wi&s;h'd for, in compari&s;on of Je&s;us Chri&s;t! O my Soul, ble&s;s thou the Lord: I went not to gaze, or ta&s;te of the outward part; but to &s;atisfie my Soul, by laying hold of the Merits of my Crucified Saviour; yet I have receiv'd the Elements, and thou ha&s;t made them to me that which I needed, and de&s;ired, even the Body and Blood of thy Son. Oh, how it fills my Soul with Joy to &s;ee thy Sacred Maje&s;ty appeas'd! But, O merciful God; I tremble in Expecta|tion of tho&s;e furious A&s;&s;aults which will be made upon me by my Enemies, from whom I am withdrawn. O God, thou knowe&s;t how often I have return'd to Folly: But if thou plea&s;e&s;t to plant thy Grace within me, and
<PB N="192" REF="112">&s;end thy Ble&s;&s;ing upon me, I will not fear the Powers of Darkne&s;s. I have receiv'd that Heavenly Food, which is the Means of con|veying this Grace unto me. I know by this Coele&s;tial Remedy, many of thy Servants have been dreadful to the Powers of Dark|ne&s;s! and thou did&s;t never ca&s;t off an hum|ble Soul. Oh, ble&s;s then this Life-giving My&s;tery unto me, that I may find &s;uch Power, Strength and Re&s;olution flowing from thence, that I may &s;tand firm to the Purpo&s;es I have made. Sweete&s;t Saviour, I am now thy Servant; Oh, deliver me from Anger, Malice and Intemperance; from Pride, Lu&s;t and Covetou&s;ne&s;s, and all the Furies which u&s;e to torture me. O mark me for thine own; and deny me not that Grace which is nece&s;&s;ary to make me thine. I'm &s;ure in thee all Fulne&s;s of Grace dwells, and let it now overflow, that I may receive of thy Fulne&s;s; and then &s;hall I always perform my Vows.</P>
<P>Gracious God, I have beheld the Effica|cious Sacrifice which thy Son hath offered for us; I have remembred it, ble&s;&s;ed be thy Name for it, though not &s;o highly as I am oblig'd, for the Benefits are ine&s;timable: There is no Want of Merit in Je&s;us to de|&s;erve, nor of Mercy in thee to be&s;tow Re|mi&s;&s;ion: Oh, let there not want in me, nor
<PB N="193" REF="112">in any for whom Chri&s;t died, grace to ac|cept this Pardon, Behold, Lord, how I &s;truggle under a load of guilt, but I have receiv'd that which is an effectual remedy, who was ever reconciled to thee, but by Je&s;us, or who was ever &s;o much thy Ene|my, but this Holy Sacrifice has made their Peace, and &s;hall it be ineffectual only to me; Dear Father, let me find the Effeca|cy thereof in my &s;elf, and then I &s;hall be engaged to prai&s;e thee more and more for this great Salvation through Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Our Father,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>The Grace of our Lord Je&s;us,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>HAving thus renewed our de&s;ires, and fired Souls with an ardent love of Chri&s;t, let us prepare again to meet the a&s;&s;embly of Saints, that we may wor&s;hip God together, and give thanks to his Name, that we may re|ceive new in&s;tructions for the amend|ment of our Lives, and the confirma|tion of our Faith, that we may inlarge our de&s;ires after Heaven, and &s;ee the plea&s;ures of the Habitation of the Lord. At our return home, 'twill be nece&s;&s;ary that we give up our &s;elves to a &s;erious Meditation of our actions this day, if our heart condemn us not, then have
<PB N="194" REF="113">we confidence towards God; if other|wi&s;e, let us humbly beg Pardon: Let us be earne&s;t in this Examination, for 'tis of great moment to be very circum|&s;pect now; don't let us cry Peace when 'tis far from us, and fancy we are reconciled to God, when we are in league with the Devil; for &s;o every one is, that has not been heartily &s;orry for his &s;ins, and &s;eriou&s;ly intended a refor|mation of his Life; we mu&s;t not think our &s;elves perfect becau&s;e our affections are rai&s;ed, and we &s;eem to have a zeal for the Glory of God, for no one can approach this &s;olemnity without tran&s;|port; if we examined our &s;elves before entertained Re&s;olutions of Repentance, and come with Faith and Humility, though during the Celebration of the&s;e My&s;teries, we had Wandrings, evil Thoughts and Di&s;turbances; yet if we &s;truggled with them then, and are &s;orry for them now, God will receive us in|to his favour; therefore 'tis very nece&s;|&s;ary we &s;hould now call our &s;elves to an account, be &s;orry for the ill, and ble&s;s God for the good, which may pro|perly be done in the following form.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<PB N="195" REF="113">
<HEAD>A Prayer at Night.</HEAD>
<P>BLe&s;&s;ed be thy glorious Name, O Lord; for all thy un&s;peakable Mercies to me, and all the World; I adore and mag|nifie thee for thy great goodne&s;s, in giving thy Son to die for me, and making me par|taker of his ble&s;&s;ed Body and Blood. O Lord, what is Man that thou regarde&s;t him? Or what am I a vile and wretched &s;inner, that thou &s;houlde&s;t be thus favour|able to me, thou ha&s;t been plea&s;ed to ad|mit me to renew that Covenant with thee, which I had broken, and to give me a&s;&s;ur|ance of thy readine&s;s to pardon &s;o vile and great a Sinner as I have been. I have received the pledges of thy love, and been admitted to thy Holy Table; I have there devoted my &s;elf again unto thee; I have vowed Obedience, and after the mo&s;t &s;o|lemn manner, con&s;ecrated my &s;elf to thy &s;ervice. Thou art a God that knowe&s;t the heart, and art not to be mocked; I trem|ble when I con&s;ider thy infinit Power, Wi&s;|dom, and Holine&s;s; let the&s;e thoughts be|get in my Soul a great fear of thy Name, and care to perform thy Will. Grant I may not turn the Grace of thee, my God, in|to wantonne&s;s, and that I may not receive
<PB N="196" REF="114">thy grace in vain. O Lord, help thy Ser|vant, keep the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of my Soul which I have unfeignedly &s;urrendred up to thee. O pardon the defect I have been guilty of in the performance of the duties of this day, and unite my heart, O'Lord, to &s;ear thy Name, grant that I may &s;pend the remainder of my time in obedience to thee, and in acts of Charity to my Brethren, create a clean heart, O Lord, and renew a right Spirit within me; guide me by thy Coun&s;el, and at la&s;t receive me to thy Glory. I do great|ly de&s;ire the Salvation of Mankind, and humbly repre&s;ent to thy Divine Maje&s;ty the glorious &s;acrifice which our deare&s;t Je&s;us made of him&s;elf upon the Cro&s;s, and by a never cea&s;ing interce&s;&s;ion now exhibits to thee in Heaven in the Office of an Eter|nal Prie&s;thood, in behalf of all that have communicated this day in the divine My|&s;teries in all the Congregations of the Chri&s;tian World, in behalf of them that de&s;ire to communicate, and are hindred by any accident, &s;ear, or the &s;entence of their own Con&s;ciences.</P>
<P>Give unto me, O God, and unto them a portion of all good Prayers, which are made in Heaven and Earth, the interce&s;&s;ion of our Lord, and the &s;upplications of all thy &s;ervants, unite us in the band of the com|mon Faith, and a holy Charity.</P>
<PB N="197" REF="114">
<P>I humbly commend to thee this Church and Kingdom, all our &s;uperiors in Church or State; have mercy upon all &s;tates of Men and Women, give thy grace &s;peedily to all wicked per&s;ons, e&s;pecially tho&s;e that I have tempted to &s;in, that they may repent, live well, and be &s;aved; to all good people give an increa&s;e of Gifts and Holine&s;s; to all Sci&s;maticks and Hereticks grant conver|&s;ion; and to all that have erred from the Truth, bring thou into the right way. O merciful God, I humbly pray unto thee in vertue of our Holy Saviour, to grant un|to us all the graces of an excellent and per|fect Repentance, an irreconcilable hatred of &s;in, a love of thee, an exact imitation of the Holine&s;s of the Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us; fox the &s;ake of the Sacrifice of thy Eternal Son, O Heavenly Father, let it be, becau&s;e it is be&s;t, and becau&s;e thou love&s;t it &s;hould be &s;o, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P>O God the Father of Heaven who&s;e mer|cy is over all the World, I am infinitly pleas'd to behold thy Glory, and to hear the prai&s;es which thou ha&s;t gotten by thy mercy to poor &s;inners, and I could even pour out my Soul in the manife&s;tation of that joy which my heart conceives at thy univer|&s;al Honour; wherefore I will prai&s;e thee by Acknowledgments, ble&s;s thee with
<PB N="198" REF="115">Hymns, wor&s;hip thee with the lowe&s;t Re|verence, and glorifie thee to the utmo&s;t of my Power. I will give thanks unto thee with all my Soul, for thy Pitty, Patience, and Mercy towards thy unworthy and mi|&s;erable Creatures. How &s;hall I expre&s;s thy welcome into my Soul, ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us? Or how &s;hall I celebrate thy Prai&s;es? I will remember what thou art in thy &s;elf, and what thou ha&s;t done for us: O thou Eternal and only begotten Son of God, e|qual to the Father, who art thy &s;elf both Lord and God. How lovely art thou, O thou innocent Lamb of God, encircled with Millions of redeemed Souls, whom thou ha&s;t wa&s;hed in thy Blood? O how il|lu&s;trious a Brightne&s;s &s;hines round thee, whil&s;t thou art in the mid&s;t of all thy hap|pine&s;s interceeding for poor Sinners. I adore thee, and long to do thee Honour, my Lord and my God; hear then my im|portunate &s;upplications, and enable me to proclaim the goodne&s;s of the Lord.</P>
<P>BLe&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, the Author and fini&s;her of our Faith, who art the &s;ame Ye|&s;terday as to Day, and for ever; thou ha&s;t given Spiritual means to tho&s;e that fear thee, and wilt ever be mindful of thy covenant, but my goodne&s;s is as a morn|ing
<PB N="199" REF="115">Cloud which &s;oon pa&s;&s;eth away; my Devotion fleeth like a &s;hadow, and ne|ver continueth in one &s;tay; Oh, do thou e&s;ta|bli&s;h me with thy free Spirit, that I may not &s;o ea&s;ily forfeit my Comfort, forget my Duty, and break my Vows; how unweari|ed art thou deare&s;t Saviour, in doing well unto me? How con&s;tant is thy Love, and &s;hall I be &s;o ungrateful to thee, &s;o cruel to my &s;elf, as to for&s;ake thee, and my own Happine&s;s? I fear the Power and Policy of mine Enemies, I do with &s;hame and &s;orrow call to mind my former returns to folly. I mo&s;t pa&s;&s;ionately entreat thee not to leave me to my &s;elf, I have, through thy goodne&s;s, now obtained &s;ome mea&s;ure of Peace; my Eyes are enlightned, my Heart revived, and my purpo&s;es &s;eem to be &s;incere; give me thy grace therefore that I may be able to perform what&s;oever I have promi&s;ed, that I may be &s;teadfa&s;t, unmovable, always abounding in thy work; O Lord, let me hold fa&s;t that which I have, and daily &s;trive to gain more; make me faithful to Death, that thou maye&s;t give me a Crown of Life.</P>
<P>Now the God of Peace which brought a|gain from the dead our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, that great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the Blood of the everla&s;ting Covenant;
<PB N="200" REF="116">make me perfect in all good Works, work|ing always that which is well-plea&s;ing in his &s;ight, and the Ble&s;&s;ing of God Al|mighty, the Father, Son, and Holy Gho&s;t be with me for ever, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Our Father,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Prai&s;e the Lord, O my Soul,</HI> Amen.</P>
<P><HI>There is no occa&s;ion to pre&s;cribe a|ny Rules for our Behaviour between the Evening Service, and the time of re&s;t; we have already been informed, that no part of this day when we don't communicate, ought to be &s;pent in our own inventions; then &s;urely it re|quires our &s;tricke&s;t ob&s;ervation when we have had &s;o great an honour con|fer'd upon us, to be adopted the Chil|dren of God; the thought of this will continually run in our mind, and we &s;hall have &s;ufficient rea&s;on to be always prai&s;ing God, till Nature puts us in mind of our Nece&s;&s;ities, and that its time to commit our Souls and Bodies into his keeping, when we &s;hall be un|able to take care of our &s;elves.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="conclusion">
<PB N="201" REF="116">
<HEAD>THE CONCLUSION</HEAD>
<P>HAving thus begun our Cour&s;e, <HI>Let us run with dilligence the race that is &s;et before us;</HI> 'Tis now that we are begun to be Chri&s;tians, and let us be very cautious how we di&s;credit the holy Name by which we are call'd: 'Tis not &s;ufficient to a&s;&s;ume the Title, with|out departing from Iniquity to compleat the Character: Therefore at our return to the World, let us have the mercies of God in continual remembrance; let that good|ne&s;s which has &s;o far led us on to repen|tance, move us to be zealous in his &s;ervice, and prevent our ingratitude, by keeping our &s;elves from every evil work.</P>
<P>Let us con&s;ider, that we are bought with the price of the Blood of Je&s;us, and looking upon our &s;elves &s;o redeem'd, let us not &s;ell our &s;elves any more to work wicked|ne&s;s.</P>
<P>Let us con&s;ider the dignity of our Nature; that God has made us but a little lower than the Angels; that we only came into this World in order for a better; that we were born on purpo&s;e to be eternally happy; Why then &s;hould we do any thing to de|ba&s;e
<PB N="202" REF="117">our &s;elves, and make us uncapable of that ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, which the Wi&s;dom and Goodne&s;s of Heaven has prepared for us? The con&s;ideration of this will lead us to prai&s;e God for our Creation, which we ought &s;incerely to do, and &s;hall want no motives to offer up our Thank&s;givings, if we con&s;ider the ine&s;timable benefits we may receive by it.</P>
<P>Let us con&s;ider we are but begun in our way to Glory; that to falter in our purpo&s;es wou'd endanger our ruin; and to return, wou'd be to lo&s;e the glorious pains we have been at in our conver&s;ion: All tho&s;e Prayers and Tears, Fa&s;ting and Alms-givings, which enter'd Heaven in our behalf, and by the interce&s;&s;ion of our Saviour, done &s;o great things for us, will turn to our con|fu&s;ion; be a terrible accu&s;ation of our hypocri&s;y, and bani&s;h us to eternity from the pre&s;ence of God; be&s;ides, how can we expect to attone Heaven, if we &s;hould at|tempt a &s;econd Repentance, when all our former Vows prove fal&s;e? Won't God be deaf to our complaints, when they are u&s;her'd in by &s;uch treacherous Advocates? Can feigned tears move compa&s;&s;ion from that God, who is a lover of truth? What form of Prayer will &s;erve our turn, when we have made u&s;e of the be&s;t compo&s;ures as a mock to the Judge of Heaven? Oh, Chri&s;tian! &s;ince thou ha&s;t approach'd the Altar of God, and there vow'd a perpetual Obedience to his Will, as thou hope&s;t
<PB N="203" REF="117">Heaven has heard thy petitions, and &s;ign'd thy relea&s;e; as thou believe&s;t thou ha&s;t eat the Fle&s;h, and drunk that Blood of Chri&s;t, and by that incomprehen&s;ible My&s;tery art united to our Saviour Je&s;us; as thou hope&s;t from this wonderful mercy to be rai&s;ed at the la&s;t day to Eternal life, live worthy of thy Calling, by a perfect &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to the Will of God, and a holy per&s;everance in his ways, make thy Election &s;ure. Since thou ha&s;t thus put on the Armour of God, and taken to thy &s;elf the &s;heild of faith; re&s;i&s;t the World, the Fle&s;h, and Devil, and thou &s;halt at la&s;t reap that reward which is laid up for tho&s;e who have continued in well doing, and by their con&s;tancy in &s;ome &s;ort merited, that eternal Gift of God, which is a Crown of Glory in endle&s;s in|conceivable joys.</P>
<P>Let us endeavour to fill our Souls with all vertues, and when we are &s;o happy as to have our inclinations after goodne&s;s, that we have a fondne&s;s for the Glory of God, and habituated our &s;elves in his &s;ervice, we &s;hall find the advantage of our conver&s;ion; for be&s;ides the inward peace and &s;atisfaction, which is the re&s;ult of a pious mind, we may enjoy with more plea&s;ure the Goods of this World, than when we gave a loo&s;e to our de&s;ires, and were led captive by our lu&s;ts; when we &s;o indu&s;triou&s;ly per&s;ue our happine&s;s, we &s;hall arrive to that degree of goodne&s;s which will make it as unea&s;ie and difficult to commit wicked actions,
<PB N="204" REF="118">as 'twas at fir&s;t hard to refrain them. We &s;hall have an aver&s;ion to Vice, and &s;ee our weakne&s;s and folly that cou'd be &s;ubject to its embraces; it will then lo&s;e all its charms, and we &s;hall yield to that divine Truth, that God is only to be loved; that Religion is our wi&s;e&s;t choice; that to be happy is to under&s;tand her, for her ways are ways of plea&s;antne&s;s, and all her paths are peace. This indeed is what very few believe, Men generally frame an au&s;tere Notion of Religion, think it ties them up from the bu&s;ine&s;s and plea&s;ure of this World; they have an inclination to &s;erve God, but think he requires &s;o much of their time, that they have but little for them|&s;elves, or Families: This may be one rea|&s;on why &s;ome are &s;o religious by fits, they are mighty zealous again&s;t an <HI>Ea&s;ter,</HI> or any particular time of Devotion, but as &s;oon as the Sea&s;on is over return to their former habit of indifference, and can give no other rea&s;on, but that their Bu&s;ine&s;s calls them off, as if Devotion con&s;i&s;ted in &s;aying ju&s;t &s;o many prayers; at &s;uch an Hour to be in their Clo&s;&s;et; to fa&s;t &s;uch a day in the week, and to neglect the Affairs of this World, becau&s;e we can't &s;erve <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Ma|mon.</HI> Such a Notion of Duty is certainly very prejudicial to the practi&s;e of Religion: God created this World for our convenience, and did not de&s;ign we &s;hou'd be pre&s;erved like the Lillies, which toil not, neither do they Spin, but commanded man to get his
<PB N="205" REF="118">bread with the &s;weat of his brow, and can we think his labour &s;hall be turn'd to his reproof; that whil&s;t he hone&s;tly per&s;ues the nece&s;&s;ary Duties of his Calling that he &s;hou'd be accu&s;ed for not imploying that time upon his knees. Providence has ordered very differing circum&s;tances among men, and to di&s;charge with fidelity the Po&s;t in which he has placed us, is part of our Reli|gion, and when ju&s;tly perform'd, as accept|able as our Devotion; we may enjoy a great deal of this world, and yet be very good Men; nay, by being vertuous, we may make a freer u&s;e of it; for Vertue teaches a right u&s;e of every thing, and God has deny'd us nothing that is u&s;eful, for all things were created for the u&s;e of man: In &s;hort, 'tis not the u&s;e, but abu&s;e of this World, that renders us obnoxious to God: We may endeavour after Riches, but not to &s;et our hearts upon them. They are given us to do good with, and when we cro&s;s the intent of them, by making them a u&s;ele&s;s Trea&s;ure, the ru&s;t of them will make them to con&s;ume.</P>
<P>Religion don't tie men up from the Affairs of this World, it only teaches them how to behave them&s;elvs in it, by pre&s;cribing &s;uch Rules which are nece&s;&s;ary for the quiet or|der of the World in general, and for a ju&s;t management in particular between men; for the general Government of the World, it teaches us that we &s;ubmit our &s;elves to every Ordinance of Man; that we be not
<PB N="206" REF="119">unruly, &s;tiring up &s;edition by &s;peaking evil of Dignities; and it comprehends the Church Government, as well as State, by con&s;titu|ing an Order of Men who are to watch for our Souls, and for that rea&s;on we are to Obey them that have the rule over us in the Lord. Thus, by obeying Our Spiritul Pa&s;tors, and Temporal Ma&s;ters, we &s;hall at la&s;t receive the Reward of our Obedience; but they who re&s;i&s;t, &s;hall receive to them&s;elves Damnation: For the particular management of our &s;elves among&s;t our Neighbours, we are, if po&s;&s;ible, to live peaceably with all Men; to be ju&s;t, and Charitable, and in every thing to do as we wou'd be done by; to be dilligent in our Calling, and by an hone&s;t indu&s;try provide for our Families. We are not to be &s;olicitous for the Morrow, nor by a carping care after this World neg|lect the other: If we are &s;ucce&s;sful, let's look up to him who is the giver of all good things, for his is the hand that &s;ows the &s;eed, and his the hand that gives the Ble&s;&s;ing. If we have lo&s;&s;es, and become poor, let us &s;ubmit with Patience, and re&s;ign our &s;elves to his Wi&s;dom, &s;till relying upon his Pro|vidence. Such a Contentment may move the compa&s;&s;ion of Heaven to rai&s;e us again in this Worlds e&s;teem, or what's infinitly better, remove us from the pre&s;ent Evils, to the Joys of his Kingdom. Let us re|member that we ought to receive Evil as well as good from the hand of God, that he knows what is be&s;t for us, and why
<PB N="207" REF="119">then &s;hou'd we be angry that God does that which is wi&s;e&s;t, and mo&s;t fit to be done. Let us ca&s;t all our care upon him, and whatever condition we are in &s;hall have mo&s;t &s;atisfaction; this is as much a duty, as 'tis pious in it &s;elf, and incumbent on the whole race of Mankind. The Rich ought more particularly to have re&s;pect to it, lea&s;t they &s;uffer by their confidence, and tru&s;ting in the Multitude of their riches be con|founded: The Mighty, that they mayn't be brought low; and thee Poor, lea&s;t God forget their Cry. <Q REND="inline">Oh, how happy are they who can with confidence look up to God, that can u&s;e this World, neither abu&s;ing it, nor them&s;elves; by making it a hindrance to their Religion, and by an unaccountable extravigance, make that mi&s;erable change of their Souls for their Vanity.</Q></P>
<P>Let us fir&s;t &s;eek the Kingdom of God, and his Rightou&s;ne&s;s; looking upon our &s;elves as born for another World, and that we are only in our Pa&s;&s;age thither. Cou'd we but per&s;wade our &s;elves of this truth, we &s;hou'd remove our affection, and make u&s;e of this World, but as it &s;erves to con|duct us to a better. To what purpo&s;e &s;hou'd we &s;trive to heap up riches, when we know not who &s;hall gather them? Why &s;hou'd we be coveteous to e&s;tabli&s;h a Name, when the Glory of this World &s;o &s;oon pa&s;&s;es away? Let us do all po&s;&s;ible good in our Station, endeavouring to be exemplary to the pre&s;ent Age, and not be &s;olicitous
<PB N="208" REF="120">for the &s;ounding of our fame to the future: That can't affect us, for we &s;han't be &s;en|&s;ible of it; or if we were, can it add to our happine&s;s in Heaven, or &s;hall we have lei&s;ure to be plea&s;ed with our own Cha|racter, when we &s;hall be in veiw of him, in who&s;e Pre&s;ence is fullne&s;s of joy, and at who&s;e right hand are plea&s;ures for ever|more: But after all, our Vertuous Actions mu&s;t have another motive than Popular applau&s;e; for if we do our good Deeds to be &s;een of Men, we have our reward; we can have no retribution of our good works that are not with a de&s;ign to the Glory of God; we mu&s;t do them, becau&s;e God re|quires them, and is be&s;t plea&s;ed when &s;uch Devotions are offer'd up for his &s;ake: It &s;hows our conformity to his Will, when our obedience proceeds from a &s;en&s;e of our Obligations to him, and then he that gives a Cup of cold water in his Name, &s;han't lo&s;e his reward. The Mercy of God ap|pear'd in this, nor that we loved him, but that he loved us; and can we be too grate|full to the inexpre&s;&s;ible love of the Father? Can we propo&s;e a greater advantage than we &s;hall receive at his Hands, or &s;uppo&s;e 'tis not honourable to be ju&s;t, for we rob him of his tribute, and make our Vanity the occa&s;ion of the Good. The folly of this is too gro&s;s to have any Advocates, for tho' Men love to blow the Trumpet that have it found in the Name of God: There|fore let us be good, becau&s;e God is &s;o, and
<PB N="209" REF="120">this will put us upon every opportunity to plea&s;e him, that we may by a con&s;tant pra|cti&s;e of Vertues, mould our &s;elves more and more into the likene&s;s of him, in whom God was &s;o well plea&s;ed, becau&s;e he went about doing good.</P>
<P>It concerns us who have gone thus far in the way of Holine&s;s, that have cea&s;ed to do Evil, and began the plea&s;ant exerci&s;e of doing Good, to endeavour the performing it in the mo&s;t acceptable manner. The Ho|ly Scripture gives us direction, and our Sa|viour's Example to encourage us; let us therefore look up to that pattern of Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, that we may as much as po&s;&s;ible be Holy, as he is Holy, and we &s;hall find him &s;umming up all in this one word, <HI>Love.</HI> 'Tis Love, that is the great Duty of the New Law, and ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary to be &s;tuddied by all who intend to be &s;aved: We &s;hall have no excu&s;e for our Ignorance, or neglect of that Duty, which God came on purpo&s;e to in&s;truct and enjoyn. We ought to have it perpetually in our Minds, and never proceed to any action without it. In our Retirements we ought to be thinking of it, becau&s;e that will prompt us to &s;eek &s;ome new occa&s;ion of our Love, and in our Bu&s;ine&s;s, becau&s;e then we &s;hall ne|ver act ami&s;s; for how can he be guilty of an inju&s;tice, who has love in all his thoughts, that not only &s;tudies to do as he would be done by, but is always con&s;idering to do the good in his power, without the mean con|&s;ideration
<PB N="210" REF="121">of return; for to arrive to the utmo&s;t of this Duty, we mu&s;t not only con|&s;ider what we would have done to our &s;elves, but what is fitting for us to do to o|thers. This indeed mu&s;t be left to our Con|&s;ciences, but let's have a care of deceiving our &s;elves, for our Con&s;ciences are to be our accu&s;ers. Let us remember that we are to &s;hew our &s;elves Di&s;ciples of our great Ma|&s;ter, by loving one another, and if we truly do &s;o, God will reward us according to our Love; we can't evidence our Relation to him more than by our compa&s;&s;ions to the ne|ce&s;&s;itous, and we are a&s;&s;ur'd that unle&s;s we put on bowels of compa&s;&s;ion, we have no right to his promi&s;e, for if a man &s;ees his Brother in want, and relieves him not, how dwelleth the love of God in him. Let us con&s;ider that we are all of the &s;ame Body, that Chri&s;t died for us all, and therefore 'tis not fitting any one member &s;hould pe|ri&s;h. Chri&s;t came to procure to him&s;elf a peculiar People, <HI>Zealous of good Works,</HI> and we mu&s;t not reckon our &s;elves as his Ser|vants, till we can &s;ubmit to his Command|ment. Great Men have it in their Power, to relieve the Di&s;tre&s;&s;ed, to be merciful to the Poor, and to be a Friend to the Father|le&s;s and Widow; the Poor mu&s;t not be want|ing in their part, by being grateful to their Benefactors, and faithful in their Tru&s;t, by being humble, obedient and contented, for Love teaches us all things; if we could but po&s;&s;e&s;s our minds of this excellent Virtue, it
<PB N="211" REF="121">would abate the &s;welling of our Ambitions, it would inform the Proud that 'tis nothing but his conceit which advances him above his Neighbour, and inform the indigent, that nothing but an inward peace and &s;a|tisfaction is to be de&s;ired by tho&s;e who have any under&s;tanding, for <HI>Love's the generous Vertue of the Mind.</HI> If Men believed this, they would not &s;o much labour after a great Name as a Good, nor de&s;ire riches &s;o much to advance their Families, as to benefit the Nece&s;&s;itous. They would not covet to be Great for the &s;ake of Honour, and a gaw|dy Retinue, but to have it in their power to be Ju&s;t, to advance Merit, and give re|ward to De&s;ert. Great Men, tho' they have no Employment, have lea&s;t occa&s;ion to be Idle; if their Country don't require their Immediate &s;ervice, they have the more time to attend their better part; let God receive their lei&s;ure, and the publick be the better by their Piety. If God has Ble&s;&s;ed them with great E&s;tates, and rai&s;ed them to great Dignity, they have the more rea&s;on to be diligent, in employing their Honour and Fortune to his Service; it con|cerns them to manage with caution, and not turn the bounty of God into Licenti|ou&s;ne&s;s; they are to give an account of their Steward&s;hip, and where much is gi|ven, much will be required; it was given them that they might have an opportunity to do good, and they have the ble&s;&s;ing of God here and hereafter for their Encourage|ment.
<PB N="212" REF="122">How ought they then to adore the goodne&s;s of God, that has put it &s;o much in their power to be Happy, by giving them a valuable ble&s;&s;ing here, as an earne&s;t of a future Reward. But we are not to think that Charity belongs only to great Men, 'tis true, they have it in their power to excell Men of le&s;s condition, but we are all to di&s;|tribute of this world's good, as God has put in our power; and tho' we can't do great things, let us do what we are able; there is an obligation even upon the poor them&s;elves, to afford what help they can to a&s;&s;i&s;t their Brother in Di&s;tre&s;s; in &s;hort, if we have Love, that will teach us all that is owing to our &s;elves or Neighbour, that &s;o we may live as becomes tho&s;e who profe&s;s that Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t in all manner of Holy Conver&s;ation; to let the love of God dwell in us richly, and endeavour to a &s;imilitude of him, who is the expre&s;s image of his Fa|ther, who is Love.</P>
<P>Having con&s;idered that 'tis both our Du|ty and intere&s;t now we are arrived thus far, to per&s;evere to the end, that we may be &s;aved; that in order to it we mu&s;t fill our &s;elves with all Vertues, and that the chief|e&s;t of them is Love; let us re&s;olve with all our Souls to pro&s;ecute the&s;e con&s;iderations to purpo&s;e; let us not think we &s;tand too &s;ecure to be &s;haken, but reflect upon our former weakne&s;s, and &s;till &s;u&s;pect our frail|ty, wherein we mo&s;t fear by earne&s;t &s;up|plication; let us make known our reque&s;t
<PB N="213" REF="122">to God, that he may &s;upport us in the day of Danger, and cover us from the a&s;&s;aults of our Enemies; we are always to lament our old Mi&s;carriages, and their remem|brance ought to be grevious. To this end let us continue &s;teadfa&s;t in our Addre&s;&s;es to God, and beg that he would &s;till give us a &s;en&s;e of the odiou&s;ne&s;s of &s;in, that &s;o we may be deterr'd from committing it. Let us, as much as po&s;&s;ible, frequent the Church, if our nece&s;&s;ary Bu&s;ine&s;s will not give us leave to attend her daily Devotions Morn|ing and Evening, let us not fail of offering up our private Sacrifice. No Bu&s;ine&s;s mu&s;t intrench upon that, 'tis a right which be|longs to God, and if we value our &s;afety, we mu&s;t not omit it: Let no Man be di&s;|couraged, becau&s;e he can't attend the &s;er|vice of the Church &s;o con&s;tantly as he would, if we do it but as often as we can, God is no &s;uch Task-ma&s;ter, but he accepts of our Will and Endeavours. But God knows, People are very apt to take up with Excu&s;es, and becau&s;e they hant a mind, will make their bu&s;ine&s;s to prevent their Duty, and they who have lei&s;ure prefer their Idle|ne&s;s to Devotions; and what I admire at mo&s;t, &s;ome people who frequent the Sacra|ment, very &s;eldom approach the Hou&s;e of God but when they go up to the Altar, as if the Church doors were never open but on <HI>Sundays,</HI> or once a Month. How can the&s;e Men's Religions be &s;incere, who have no de|&s;ires to give God thanks in the A&s;&s;emblies of
<PB N="214" REF="123">his People, and confe&s;s their &s;ins among the Congregation of the Lord? How do they live in obedience to the Church, that don't appear at Morning and Evening Pray|er, unle&s;s unavoidably hindred? And how do they deceive them&s;elves when they make a lying Excu&s;e? Let us all, to whom God gives an opportunity, wait on him con|&s;tantly in his Hou&s;e; let us ob&s;erve the Fa&s;ts, and the Fea&s;ts of the Church, with Reverence and true Devotion, and not bring a &s;can|dal upon the Church by our ridiculous mi|&s;takes about them; let our Fa&s;ts be as &s;he directs, and as God has appointed, and let our Fea&s;ts be kept Holy to the Lord. On Saints-Days, let us commemorate the Ble&s;|&s;ings conveyed to us by that Saint we have in Remembrance, at <HI>Ea&s;ter, Whit&s;unday</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;tmas,</HI> the wondrous My&s;teries which the Church commends to our Devotion, and not turn them into Jollitry and Pro|phanne&s;s Let our <HI>Lent</HI> and <HI>Ember Days</HI> be held in Veneration, and if we can't &s;trictly Fa&s;t, let us do all we can for Mortification; let the poor Man and Labourer nor take the opportunity of the&s;e Sea&s;ons, to &s;pend them in his Diver&s;ion; there is no &s;uch plea|&s;ure as in the Service of God, which is per|fect freedom; and &s;ince Providence has de|nied them other opportunities, let them take the&s;e to watch for their Souls, and improve them in true knowledge; let not the Rich feed them&s;elves in Luxury, and make the&s;e Holy Sea&s;ons an occa&s;ion of greater De|bauch,
<PB N="215" REF="123">for that will make God as much di&s;plea&s;ed with our appointed times and fea&s;ons, as the <HI>Jewi&s;h</HI> New Moons and Sab|baths; but let us all, according to the true intent of them, improve them in true De|votion, and if we continue in the ob&s;ervance of the&s;e things, time will &s;hew us the beau|ty of Holine&s;s. We &s;hall then behold this World with plea&s;ure, and be glad that we were born to this delicious Employment.</P>
<P>Let they who have Families and Chil|dren take care to give Examples of Piety, and have &s;o much Charity as not to deny them all opportunities of attending the Church, let them have recour&s;e to God as often as they can, and &s;ee that publick Pray|ers at lea&s;t once a day be performed in their Hou&s;es; in&s;truct them in Religion, and of the Church; teach them the excel|lency of the Prayers, and to perform them with Devotion; we had need do all we can to bring Religion into Vouge, and pray that God would E&s;tabli&s;h his Church in Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s.</P>
<P>Let us &s;how our Zeal for the Glory of God, by promoting of Holine&s;s among Men, and take care that our Conver&s;ation be void of Offence, and give up our time as much as po&s;&s;ible to Devotion, that by our con&s;tant Addre&s;&s;es, we may be fill'd with God's Grace, and Heavenly Benediction; 'tis to all our Advantages to be upon our Knees, or in Meditation; as frequent as we can; they who know the Plea&s;ure of Con|ver&s;ing
<PB N="216" REF="124">with God, need no Arguments to bring them to their Clo&s;et. The Saints of Old were very Zealous in this Duty; they had their &s;et Hours of Prayer, and if we followed their Piety, we might a&s;&s;ure our &s;elves of the like Succe&s;s. It was <HI>David</HI>'s con&s;tant practi&s;e to prai&s;e God in the Even|ing, Morning, and at Noon-day; and I'm &s;ure our nece&s;&s;ities are as urgent as his, and if they who have mo&s;t lei&s;ure would dou|ble their Devotion, and offer up their Sa|crifices &s;ix times a day, their labour would not be in vain; be&s;ides, when we are accu|&s;tomed to this frequent Communion with God, we &s;hall be convinc'd with Holy <HI>Da|vid, That the ways of God are exceeding plea|&s;ant,</HI> and be ready upon our Solemn days of Devotion to &s;tretch our Zeal to an Equa|lity with his, who took up the holy Re&s;o|lution of prai&s;ing God &s;even times a day, becau&s;e of his Righteous Judgments.</P>
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<PB REF="124">
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