thoughts as Abraham did unto his servants, Gen. xxii. 5. "Abide ye here below, whilst I go and worship the Lord yonder." 3. The better to keep all impertinent and improper thoughts out of thy mind, entertain thyself with a frequent remembrance of the death of Christ. At the sight of the bread broken, and wine poured out, call to mind at once the passion of the Son of God and thy sins, which exposed him to such a painful, shameful, and accursed death: Represent to the. eye of your mind your dear Redeemer as hanging upon the cross, bleeding, sighing, groaning, dying, under the insupportable burden of thy sins, and his father's wrath. 4. When thou perceivest the minister minister approach with the elements towards thee, put thyself into the lowliest posture of reverence, and say thus betwixt God and thy soul, "How beautiful are the feet of him that publisheth salvation," and brings the proffer of a Saviour to me: I am unworthy of Christ, but he is worthy of me and my faith: I do therefore, O Lord, with all humility accept thee for my king, priest, and prophet, for my sanctifier and Saviour. 5. When thou hast received

cr

the bread, say to this or the like effect: "Lord, I receive this broken bread in remembrance of thy broken body; O strengthen me with thy heavenly grace, that I may continue thine for ever, and daily increase in thy holy spirit, more and more, till I come to thine everlasting kingdom. Amen." In like manner, after thou hast received the cup, pray to this purpose; "O my God! Let my soul go forth as a giant refreshed with this spiritual wine; and let all thy enemies. of my salvation fall before me. May I walk in the strength of this spiritual meal all my days, and in the end of my days enjoy the full manifestation of thy love (which is better than wine) in thine everlasting kingdom. Amen." 6. Employ your time, whilst others are receiving, in meditation and

prayer; in meditating upon the love of the Father in sending, and upon the love of the Son in coming upon this great errand, to accomplish the work of redemption for us. Also in praying unto God for all mankind in general, for the whole church of God in special, for that part of it planted in these nations in particular; for all christan kings, princes, and governors, especi ally our own; for all our friends and benefactors, that God would requite the kindnesses they have shewn us; for all our enemies, that would pardon the wrongs and injuries done to him, to us, and to their own souls. This being a feast of love, in which we commemorate the highest instance of love that ever the world was acquainted with, a greater expression of our love we cannot shew to our offending brother, than in our readiness to forgive him, and interceding earnestly, for his soul. Lastly, as an expression of thy thankfulness to Christ for his mercy and compassion towards thee, lay hold upon this occasion to shew thy charity to his members, that thy prayers and thine alms may be hal in remembrance of God; and as thou refreshest the bowels of the poor, so mayest thou find mercy of the Lord in the needful day.

7. It only now remains to shew how we ought to behave ourselves after we have waited, upon Christ at his holy table. 1. Decline, if possible, all company immediately after the action; and retire instantly into some secret place, and there upon your knees offer up your thanksgiving to Almighty God for his rich mercy and invaluable goodness vouchsafed to you in that ordinance; intreating him to pardon all the defects of the whole service and imploring the gracious assistance of his holy and good spirit, whereby you may be enabled to work in the strength of that grace, as becometh those who have received such great pledges of salvation. 2. When you are returned into company,

take heed that the spiritual heat which was enkindled in your souls by and under the ordinance, be not quenched by a sudden falling into worldly conferences and fruitless discourses; but labour to cherish and keep alive that holy fire upon the altar of your hearts, and endeavour by prayer, meditation, and holy conference, to improve it into a holy flame. 3. Spend the sacrament day in public, private, and secret duties of religious worship, particularly in prayer and praises, in and after examination of yourselves; what faith, what love, what humility, what sincerity was found with you, while waiting upon our Saviour at his holy table: Take notice also of any deadness of heart, and indisposition of spirit, which thou labouredst under; bewail it, and beg pardon for it for Christ's sake, who bears the iniquities of our holy things. 4. Conclude the sacrament-day with prayer and an hymn of praise. Thus did our Saviour, after he had kept the supper with his disciples," he sung an hymn," St. Matt. xxvi. 30. and betook himself to God in prayer; and the Jews at their passover did sing the 113th Psalm, with the five following Psalms, which they called the great Hallelujah. A christian should every day of his life give thanks and pray, but especially on a sacramenat-day; then should we "bless the Lord with our whole souls, and call upon all that is within us to bless his holy name."

CHAP. XIV.

Containing an earnest Exhortation to the Love and Practice of universal Holiness.

THE

HE consideration of our baptismal vow, renewed and ratified by many sacramental engagements at the holy table, is certainly one of the strongest ties that Christianity lays upon us, to oblige us to the love and practice of universal holiness: For most certain it is, if we relapse and fall back into an evil course of life, if we wilfully return again to folly, "we kindle God's wrath against us, we provoke him to plague us with divers diseases, and sundry kinds of death:" But if we escape these, there are more dismal plagues than these that will overtake us, such as hardness of heart, blindness of mind, and a seared conscience: These are indeed invisble strokes, which make not a noise, and strike not our senses; but verily, if we consider the effects and consequences of them, they are more formidable and dismal than the raging pestilence and the loudest claps of thunder. Let us then piously resolve, as we fear the wrath of God, and love our own souls, after we have renewed our covenant with God at his holy table, to oblige ourselves to an eminent and exemplary piety of conversation: let us live as those that are redeemed by the blood of Jesus, as those that are sanctified and sealed by the spirit of Jesus, as those that expect an eternal fellowship

and communion with Jesus in his heavenly kingdom. To this end it may be advisable, 1. The next mornning after thou hast been at the sacrament, as soon as thou art up, enter into thy closet, and before the Lord, piously and profitably resolve and vow to maintain a strict watchfulness and care over thy heart, words, and ways, for the time to come. Such a resolution as this made in the strength of God will work wonders, because God will assist and bless it: It will fortify thee against temptations, and the strongest solicitations to return to the love and practice of sin and wickedness. Suppose thy dearest friends and familiars, suppose thy indulgent inother that bore thee, nay, suppose the wife of thy bosom, the delight of thine eyes, should all set upon thee, yea, intreat and importune thee to omit some known duty, or to commit some wicked act; such a resolution as thou hast now made for a holy life, will antidote thy soul against the poison of such a temptation and put the same reply into thy mouth, as was found in holy Joseph's, Gen. xxxix. 9. "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

2. Having made this solemn vow betwixt God and thy own soul, for a holy life, for a life suitable to a sacramental engagement, you will find it very advantageous to write it down, and keep it by you thus:

At such a time, and on such day, having renewed my covenant with God at his holy table, I did, with all the devotion of my heart and soul, entirely surrender up myself, and all that is mine, to the service and glory of Almignty God: vowing all fidelity and obedience to him, and resolving that he shall have the full guiding, governing, and disposing of me

and mine."

And after every sacrament, look upon it, and consider seriously of it, saying thus to thyself: "Behold,