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CHA P. IX.

An Act of Self-Refignation.

Difciple.] TT is very meet, right, and my bounden Duty, that I fhould do as thou requi

reft: For this, O Lord, is but to give thee of thy own. Heaven and Earth are thine, and all that therein is. I defire with Singlenefs of Heart, to dedicate my felf to thee, never to retract the Gift, but continue thine for ever. Accept me therefore entirely devoted to thy Service from this Day forward, a Sacrifice of Praise and perpetual Thanksgiving. I call those bleffed Spirits to witnefs, who, tho' invisible to Human Eyes, conftantly affift at our Solemn Acts of Religious Worship: Humbly befeeching thee, that the Oblation of thy dear Son's Bleffed Body, reprefented in this Sacrament, may be effectual for the Salvation of Me, and of all thy faithful People.

I offer to thee, Lord, my manifold Sins and Trangreffions, my corrupt Inclinations and vicious Habits, which from my Youth up until now, have fo grievoufly provoked thy Wrath and juft Indignation, to be a whole Burnt-Sacrifice. Slay them, O Lord, before thy Altar, and confume them in the Fire of thy Love, that not any the leaft Spot of Guilt may remain be hind. Purge my Confcience from their Stain, and wipe out their very Remembrance. Reftore to me thy Grace, which my Sins and wilful Neglects have fo often forfeited. Give me the Comfort of thy Help again, and establish me with thy free, thy renewing Spirit; and, having fealed a full Pardon for what is paft, receive me to thy Fatherly Embraces, and affure me of thy Affection, by a Kifs of Reconciliation and Peace,

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What Satisfaction can I make for all my Injuries and bold Affronts to thy righteous Laws, but that alone of humble Confeffion, deep Sorrow, and hearty Prayers, for thy Acceptance of thy Son's Atonement? I do moft heartily bewail and deteft all my Wickedness, and, by thy Grace will never be guilty of the like any more. I do, and will to the laft Minute of my Life grieve for thefe Follies; and am defirous, by my future Carriage, to teftify the Truth of my Repentance, and make the best Reparation I am able, for the Scandal I have given formerly. O Lord, pardon; O Lord, forgive; defer not for thy own fake, O my God; but let thy Mercy be glorified in fparing the Soul of thy Servant, whom thou haft redeemed with thy most precious Blood. Behold, I commit my felf wholly to thy Mercy, and deposit my Spirit in thy Hands. O deal with me according to thy great Goodnefs, and not after my Sins and grievous Wickedness.

To thee I humbly offer all in me that is good. A very poor imperfect Offering, I with fhame confefs it , bus, worthlefs as it is, I beg thou wilt accept it. Supply my Defects, fanctify and exalt what is debased with Infirmity or impure Mixtures; difdain not my fincere, tho' weak, Endeavours; enable me daily to do better; and raise at laft this flothful, unprofitable Creature, to fuch degrees of Virtue and fuccessful Activity, as may, by the more diligent Ufe of thy Grace, end in a bless'd and bright Eternity.

I alfo offer up to thee the Prayers and good Wishes of all that have interceeded for me, or defired my Interceffions for Them: The Neceffities and Distresses of my Friends and Relations, and all that have done good to Me, or Others, for thy fake; imploring, that thou would'ft affift them by thy Grace, comfort them in their Troubles, protect them in all Dangers, deliver them from Punishment and Death Eternal; and fo refcue them from all Evil, that they may magnify thy

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good Providence, and with thankful Hearts rejoice in thy Mercy.

In a more particular manner, accept, I beseech thee, my most hearty Prayers, and Peace-offerings, for All, who have injured me in Word or Deed, created me any Disturbance by ill Treatment, flander'd or reviled me with ill Language, or given me any manner of Uneafiness, or angry Refentment. And likewife, for all, whom I have injured, grieved, or offended, by Word or Deed, knowingly or ignorantly, with, or without Defign: Intreating thy Forgiveness for all that hath been done, or taken amifs on either fide. Take away, Thou who lovedft and diedft for thy Enemies, all Ran cour and Malice, all Grudges and revengeful Thoughts, all Paffionate Remembrances and Difpofitions to Strife and Debate, all that may be inconfiftent with true Charity, or tend to the Decay of Brotherly Love. Have Mercy, Lord, on all, who fue for Mercy; fupply the Needs of all that want; and grant us all fuch Mea fures of thy Grace, and fo firm Perfeverance in it; that we may grow up to fuch Degrees, as this Mortal State is capable of here, and may receive our perfect Confummation and Blifs, both in Body and Soul, in thy Eternal and Everlasting Glory. Amen.

CHAP. X.

The Sin and Mischief of Absenting from the Lord's-Supper.

Chrift.]T is by no means fufficient, that Men do

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Once, or very Rarely, repair to this Holy Sacrament; but, as their Occafions and Neceffities are frequent, fo fhould their Care in feeking Supplies be. The Paffions of the Soul are daily in Commotion, and

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its Difeafes and evil Habits get ground by their malignant fpreading Quality. The Temptations of the Devil are feldom intermitted; Or, if they be, 'tis only out of wicked Subtilty, that even thofe Intervals of Quiet may contribute the more effectually to Mens Ruin. And if this be, as most affuredly it is thy Cafe ; think then, how urgent thy Wants are, and how frequent thy Returns ought to be to this Fountain of Divine Grace. That here thou may'ft drink living Water, and quench the raging Fevers of thy Soul; that here thou may'ft receive Balm into thy Wounds, and apply proper Remedies to thy feveral Indifpofitions ; that thou may'ft grow more wife and wary by such Recollections, more clearly understand thy own State, by thofe Examinations, which prepare thee for my Table; and by repeating this holy Meal, be strengthned against the Affaults of the Enemy, and more upon thy Guard against his Subtle Infinuations. And one of his Infinuations it certainly is, to hinder and draw Men off from communicating often; As being very fenfible how great and happy Advantages they reap by doing fo; and, that this is the very best Course they can poffibly take of fecuring themselves, and defeating his malicious Endeavours to debauch and deftroy theirSouls.

For this Reafon Men are not to think it ftrange, if they find the Devil then more especially bufy, when they fet themselves, with more than common Earneftnefs, to the Preparation for, or the Exercife of, the moft folemn and exalted Acts of Religion. For this wicked Spirit, as the Hiftory of Job intiFob i.

mates, is always induftrious to mingle himfelf with the Sons of God, when they appear before their Heavenly Father. He contrives then to give them great Difturbance, to damp their Joys, and break their holy Purposes, by fuggefting many Fears, and diftracting their Minds with unneceffary Scruples. He terrifies them with eating and drinking their own

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Damnation, and keeps them back by mistaken Notions of their Unworthinefs and Danger. If he can either thus prevail, for a total Neglect of thisSacrament, or contrive, that they fhall come full of Doubt, and Diffatiffaction, he gains his Point. But be not ignorant of his Devices; Inform thy felf rightly of thy Duty, and wherein Unworthiness does truly confift, that nothing but want of Sincerity and due Reverence, can bring thee into hazard; and then defpife his vain Attempts to difcompofe and evacuate thy good Intentions. Retort his wicked Craft back upon his own Head, by being more vigilant, more careful, more refolved; but by no means omit this Duty, nor fuffer thy felf to be drawn off from that Communion, which is the Sovereign Antidote, the best Prefervative, against Sin and Temptation.

If he labour to disguise his devilish Arts, under the fpecious Colour of Caution, and Humility, and want of more perfect Devotion; lay afide thy unprofitable and difquieting Anxieties, and flee for Succour and Advice to fome godly Paftor. Let his Prudence direct thy doubting Steps, and unbofom thy felf freely to him; that, by confeffing thy Sins, and opening thy Cafe to the Phyfician of Souls, thou may'ft receive the Benefit of Ghoftly Counfel, and the Comfort of Abfolution. Know, that no Sin can hurt thee, or render thee an unworthy Receiver, when once confefs'd, and seriously repented of: And that, when this is done, all thy Doubts and Perplexities hinder the Grace of God, and check thy Improvement in Piety and Devotion, Let not any ordinary Trouble or Affliction deter thee from coming to thy Lord for Relief; but make the greater Hafte to reconcile thy felf to God, and purge away thofe Offences, which may have provoked, and drawn down, the Affliction upon thee. Let not any Difference between thee and thy Brethren detain thee; for there is a fhort and ready way of removing this Obstruction, by forgiving and Praying

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