With humble confidence then, O Lord! I lift up my foul unto thee, befeeching thee, in thy great mercy, to look upon me, and to eafe me of the burthen of my corrupt and finfulinclinations: Oh! caft me not awayfrom thyprefence, but, for the fake of my dear redeemer, receive me graciously to thy mercy; and let the merit of his bitter death and paffion atone for all the follies and mifcarriages of my life past, forgive, I meekly befeech thee, whatever I have done amifs this day and all my life past, either against thee, my neighbour, or myself.

Oh! what am I, that I should presume to fpeak unto thee, or to lift up mine eyes, to that place ofpurity where thinebonour dwelleth.*Oh! cleanfe me from all my fecret and unknown tranfgreffions: And, most merciful father, who upholdeft all things by the power of thy word,† grant that I may feriously confider and reflect upon the foulness and deformity of my fin, and what dreadful threatnings thou haft denounced against it; that may become a true and fincere mourner for my paft fins; and, as far as is poffible, redeem my miípent time, by employing the remainder of my days in thy fervice and to thy glory. O Lord! give me a new heart, new affections, and new defires, that

that I may love thee with more fincerity and Terve thee with greater faithfulness, than I have ever yet done; convince me of the vanity and uncertainty of all things here below; and grant that I may make thee, who art the Creator of heaven and earth and of all things therein, my only joy and my delight, my stay and my trust, my guide and my counfellor; and be fo de-. lighted with the ways of thy commandments, that one day in thy fervice may be dearer, than a thousand spent in vanity and folly.

Grant that in the days of health and profperity I may confider iny latter end, and remember and provide for that great account, which I must one day give before the judgment-feat of Chrift; that, when the hour of my departure shall come, I may meet death without fear and amazement, and with a well-grounded hope of thy mercy and goodnefs, (tendered to me in this holy facrament) I may chearfully refign up my foul into thy hands; and may be willing, and even, defirous, to leave this world, when thou, my God, fhalt please in thy gracious goodness to call me hence unto thy glory.

thofe you intend

Take me and all* that belongs Here mention to me this night under the care to pray for. and protection of thy good p ovidence; pre

PART II.

serve us from all perils and dangers, and all apprehenfions or dread of any; give us fuch refreshing reft and fleep, as may fit us for the duties of the day following; and, if thou art pleased to add another day to our lives, grant that we make a right use and improvement of it, to thy glory and the benefit of our immortal fouls, thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord, who, in compaffion to our infirmities, hath taught us when we pray to fay,

Our Father, &c.

The Meditation on Tuesday Morning. Upon the manner of preparing ourselves to receive the holy facrament.

If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembereft that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, firft be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Mait. v. 23, 24.

Onfider, O my foul, that this neceffary knowledge, when it is once attained, and which may be compaffed without great difficulty, is a standing qualification for all our future communions: and as for all other pious difpofitions of mind, which make us fit guests at the Lord's table, they are the fame we are obliged to by our baptifmal vow, and are neceffary in the courfe of a chriftian life, and in the ufe

of

of all other means of grace; for except we confefs our fins with an humble, penitent, and obedient heart, and are ready to forgive those that have offended us, and afk with faith, even our prayers and praifes will find no acceptance at the throne of grace.

2. Let me then tell thee: the best preparation for the facrament is a conflant endeavour to live as becomes a chriftian; [and thus thou haft made a good beginning in the courfe of thy laft week's preparation] for, they, who really believe the chriftian religion, and fincerely govern their lives by the doctrines and precepts of the gofpel, have all that fubftantial preparation that qualifies men to partake of this holy ordinance; and ought to receive it, at any time when there is an opportunity, tho' they were not beforehand acquainted with it, as thou haft been particularly inftructed in the former part of this treatife.

3. None can fuppofe that they must be perfect and ftrong grown chriftians before they partake of thefe divine myfteries; 'tis enough we fincerely defire to be fuch, and if fo, we fhall find the frequent ufe of the boly communion to bethe most effectual means to that end. Where fhould we seek for comfort in this vale of tears, D 2 but

but from the fource of all joy and comfort; where shall we find ftrength to refist the temptations that crowd about us, but in this divine armour? when we are loaded with fo many imperfections, and fometimes, by negligence or furprize, fall a prey to the tempter; what so proper to wash away our fins, as that precious ineftimable blood, which was fhed for our falvation? therefore the very fenfe of our unworthiness, if rightly applied, fhould quicken our zeal in approaching the Lord's table frequently, as the beft means to make us better.

fo

4. Indeed, when we have a forefight of our communicating, it is very advifeable we fhould trim our lamps; examine the state of our minds; renew our repentance; exercife our charity; enlarge our devotions; fpiritualize our affections; and, in order to this purpofe, fhould retire from bufinefs and pleasure; that by prayer, fafting, and alms-deeds, our minds may be raised to relish fpiritual enjoy

ments.

5. On the contrary: the living in the conftant habitual practice of any known fin without repentance, will make our approach to the holy table a mocking of God, a great contempt

*Matt. xxv. 7.

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