! towards all Men: By this we fhall keep up our "Love to our Saviour, and be alway prepared to prefent ourselves at his Table, whenfoever we have an Opportunity; and in the mean while we fhall comfort ourselves, that whilft "we do truly repent of our Sins, and ftedfastly believe that Jefus Chrift hath fuffered Death upon the Crofs for us, and fhed his Blood "for our Redemption, earneftly remembering "the Benefits we have thereby, and giving him hearty Thanks therefore, we do eat and drink the Body and Blood of our Saviour profitably to our Soul's Health, altho' we <do not receive the Sacrament with our "Mouth *.". Nay, the fpiritual Communion may be of good Ufe to thofe fcrupulous Perfons who are afraid to partake of the Lord's Supper unless they I have had a great deal of Time beforehand for actual Preparation. I do not praife them for their over Nicety (if I may fo exprefs it ;) nay, ! I think them. blameable therein, as I have fhewed in the foregoing Tract; but yet fuch a fpiritual Communion will be ufeful to them, to bring to their Minds a Remembrance of what otherwife they would not have thought of; and by thus keeping themselves in a continual Preparation, they may in Time be brought to a Refolution of Partaking of the bleffed Sacracrament whenever they have Opportunity. 1 As to the Devotions fit to be used on fuch Occafions, most of the foregoing ones may ferve without any Alteration, and the others with very little. The penitent Confeffion of Sins, Communion of the Sick. 1 Advice concerning Spiritual Communion. 75 p. 11; The Prayer for the Grace of Thankfulnefs, p. 14; The commemorative Meditation on our Saviour's Sufferings, p. 25; The Scripture Paffages, p. 38; The Meditations on our Saviour's Offices, p. 36--55, may be used without any Alteration. The Prayer for Charity, p. 15; at the Offer ing of our Alms, p. 18; the Meditation on the Words, do this in Remembrance of me, p. 20; the Ejaculations at the Lord's Table, p. 31, 32, may also ferve with fome flight Variation: The Communion Service too, may be very properly ufed, making the neceffary Alterations t. You may begin your Devotions by fome fuch Almighty God and moft merciful Father, who art every where, and more efpecially nigh unto all that call upon thee in Truth, I proftrate myfelf before thy divine Majefty with the deepeft Humility of Soul and Body, to implore thy Grace at this Time, that by it I may be enabled to perform an acceptable Sacrifice unto thee. It is a great Comfort to me to think that "unto thee all Hearts be open, all Defires known, and from thee no Secrets are hid;" for thou knoweft the Defire of my Heart to be to the facramental Bread and Cup, to commemorate in an especial Manner the Salvation of God, in the Congregation of thy People. I lament This is already done in fome Measure by Bishop Patrick, in a private Prayer for the Ufe of those who want the Opportunity of receiving the holy Communion, or are any Ways difabled from going to it, at the ufual Times of its publick Adminiftration, printed fingly, and in his Advice to a Friend, p. 188. Allo in Hele's felect Offices of private Devotion, p. 410. my re my want of Opportunity, acknowledging it my bounden Duty to join in this folemn Act of public Worfhip whenfoever proper Opportunity is afforded me: Pardon, good Lord, all my carelefs Omiffions of this Duty; my Want of Devotion when I performed it, and my Want of Improvement by it. Accept, O Lord, of my Will and Defire, at this Time that I cannot outwardly communicate; let thy gracious Prefence be with me, fince tho' I am abfent from thy chofen People, who now joyfully attend on thy holy Ordinances, yet I am prefent in Spirit, and heartily join with them in magnifying "thine ineftimable Love in the Redemption of the World by 66 our Lord Jefus Chrift," and in pleading the Merits of his all-fufficient Sacrifice for the Pardon of my Sins, and thofe of all fincere Penitents; and for the obtaining of all fuch Graces as are neceffary to further thine Elect in the Way to eternal Life.----O whilft I am deprived of the external Elements of this bleffed Sacrament, be thou pleased to grant me the fpiritual Comforts and unfpeakable Advantages they were intended to convey to all true Believers, which I moft humbly beg to be made Partaker of, thro' the Mediation of thy bleffed Son my Redeemer. Amen. MVSEVM |