that the Meffage delivered is from the King of all the World; that through the great Uncertainty of Life, it is doubtful whether we fhall enjoy fuch another Opportunity of being inftructed in our Duty; that if we trifle away the prefent Seafon of God's gracious Invita tion, we may in vain lament the Lofs of it to all Eternity. These Confiderations should difcharge our Minds of all vain and wandering Thoughts; we fhould not be careless or negligent when Matters of fuch great Importance are laid before us; for what can be able to provoke us to ferious Attention, if Things that relate to our eternal Happiness or Mifery, have not Power to prevail upon us to liften to them?

II. *Beg the Affiftance of God's Grace to make the Word preached effectual to you. All Ordinances for our fpiritual Improvement, receive their Power and Efficacy from the Co-operation of God's Holy Spirit; we may hear the Words, and comprehend the Senfe of the Arguments; but it is the Grace of God that touches our Minds with the Weight and Moment of them. But we have no Reason to expect this fupernatural Influence, if we neglect to defire it; and it is no Wonder Men hear Sermons fo frequently, to very little or no Purpofe, when they miscarry in this preparative Work; when they go out in their own Strength, and apprehend no Want of that Affiftance which is neceffary for their Illumination.

2

Illumination. Say therefore with David, the Royal Prophet, Lord, open thou mine Eyes, that I may fee the wondrous Things of thy Law make me to understand the Way of thy Precepts.

;

III. Endeavour to remember what you hear. It is not to be imagined that all People have Memories good enough to carry away the entire Difcourfe that is made; but if they hear attentively, it is impoffible but that fomething that is delivered will stick with them, efpecially if they endeavour to carry fomething away with them. It is not enough that we are affected with the Sermon, our greatest Duty is still behind, which is, to put those good Inftructions into practice. Now, how is it poffible to perform any Thing, if we remember nothing? Our Care therefore muft be, to ftore our Memory, at leaft, with the great End and Design of the Discourse; and we muft carry away with us what the Preacher chiefly aimed at : Something will affect us, and that we must make our own. therefore follow St. Paul's Advice. To give the more earneft Heed to thofe Things that are spoken, left at any Time we should let them flip.

Let us

IV. Apply what you hear to your own Soul. If we do not think ourselves particularly concerned in what is delivered by the Minif ter, we fhall neither attend nor remember what may redound to our Profit and Advantage; and except we apply Inftructions to our L 6

we believe Chrift to be our Lord and Mafter, we shall honour and obey Him: If we believe him to be our great Benefactor, we fhall take all Occafions to exprefs our Love and Gratitude: If we believe that his Death procured for us the Pardon of our Sins, we fhall heartily repent of them: if we believe that it purchased the Affiftances of God's Holy Spirit, we fhall endeavour after them; if we believe that it gave us Title to eternal Life, we fhall do whatever he has commanded. The fure Method of fixing a lively Faith, of receiving the happy Effects of God's Mercy through Chrift, muft be founded in the Sincerity of our Endeavours in performing those Conditions, upon which our Saviour has promifed fuch great Salvation. We are happy, O Lord, upon any Terms to obtain thy Favour: If thou hadft commanded fome great Thing, Should we not have done it? How much more when thou only requireft us to wash and be clean?

IX. Relieve the Wants of your FellowChriftians. When we go to commemorate fo much Bounty and Liberality exercised towards us, can we refrain from making the Poor and Neceffitous fhare in the good Things we enjoy? We must be ready to do Good to all Men, because they are God's Creatures; but neceffitous Christians muft partake of our Beneficence, because they are Members of the fame Body, and are parti

cular

cular Objects of the Mercy and Tenderness of our bleffed Saviour. Besides, this is made one of the great Signs and Marks of the Sincerity of our Love to God; for whofo hath this World's Goods, and feeth his Brother have Need, and hutteth up his Bowels from him how dwelleth the Love of God in Him? And when fhall we be concerned to evidence the Sincerity of our Love to God, if not when divine Love displays itself to us, in the bleeding Wounds of the fuffering JESUS?

X. Spiritualize your Affections by fervent Prayer. In our Preparatory Exercises for the Holy Sacrament, Prayer ought to have its due Proportion, because it helps us to that Temper of Mind which makes us welcome Guefts at God's Table, and fills our Thoughts with fuch spiritual Objects as are proper to entertain them upon fuch Occafions. We muft lay afide, as much as we can, our Thoughts of Bufinefs and Affairs, when we folemnly approach God's Prefence; and fhould apply our Minds entirely to such spiritual Subjects as the Chriftian Sacrifice naturally fuggefts to us. Now Prayer, in its own Nature, takes off our Thoughts from the Things of the World, and all fenfible Entertainments, and raises them to the Confideration of God, and thofe good Things that concern our eternal Salvation. It by Degrees mafters our evil Habits, by impreffing a lively Senfe of our Duty, and fortifies

us against Temptation, by the Strength it communicates to us. And therefore when we defign to approach the holy Table, we fhould prepare the Way by Devotions that particularly relate to that Subject, and by being more exact in attending the public Prayers of the Church. We muft take Care not to prefcribe fuch a burdenfome Method to ourselves, as to make it grievous to us to go through it; nor fo long a one, as should make us neglect receiving, when we are by any unforeseen Accident prevented in going through with it. It is our Duty to communicate; and provided we are serious and fober in our Lives, we muft not neglect an Opportunity, though we have not Leisure for all that actual Preparation which we fometimes, to our great Edification, make use of; because in fuch Cafes, when we have not Time, that actual Preparation ceases to be a Duty: And therefore the want of it muft never be pleaded as an Apology for our not receiving the Holy Communion.

CHAP.