Imatges de pàgina
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this feaft always honourable, and the delights of it always new. And by the force of pious meditation, the mystery will affect thy wondering mind at every repetition, as if the fon of God were just that moment born from the womb of his mother; as if thy fuffering redeemer were in that inftant labouring under all his agonies; and thine own eyes beheld him hanging and bleeding, and dying on the cross.

A prayer on Sunday morning, before the communion. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. John vi. 53.

Almighty God, and merciful father, who haft given thy only fon Jefus Chrift to die for us, who didinftitute a holy feaft in commemoration of that his moft precious death, thereby to preferve in our minds a constant remembrance of his great love, in laying down his life for our fakes: I thy unworthy fervant, who am now invited to thy holy table, do humbly adore thy divine majefty, acknowledging that I am not worthy of my daily bread, much lefs of that which came down from heaven, and which thou haft given to be the food and nourishment of our fouls.

I confefs, O Lord, my fins may justly cause me to tremble, when I appear before thee; but,

but, O moft merciful father, encouraged by thy wonderful goodness and love, in giving thy fon to die for all penitent and returning finners, I prefent myself before thee at this time; befeeching thee, in great humility to continue to me that love, and admit me to thy holy table, that I may tafte and fee how gracious thou art, and how wonderful in thy doings towards the fons of men.

O make my longings and defires after this divine food, fome way anfwerable to my great need of it; that my foul being fenfible of all its wants, it may no longer feek for relief from the unfatisfying objects of this world; but coming to thy holy table with a true fpiritual hunger and thirft, may there find a full fupply of all thofe graces and bleffings that it ftands in fo much need of:

And to this end, O Lord, fit and prepare my heart to partake of fo great a mercy, by giving me a juft abhorrence of my own unworthinefs, and an unfeigned repentance of all my fin. Root out of my heart all finful and corrupt affections, all prejudice, hatred, and ill-will; and plant all thofe devout and pious, charitable and humble difpofitions, that become the worshippers of the holy Jefus; that when I prefume to appear before

thee,

thee, I may bring with me a heart raifed above the corruptions that are in the world, and full of the ftrongeft defires and refolutions of loving and ferving thee.

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Deliver me, O my God, from all coldness and formality, when I attend upon thee in holy and religious duties; and grant that by going to this holy feaft, I may have my pardon fealed, my weaknesses repaired, all my evil inclinations fubdued, my faith ftrengthened, my hopes enlarged, my charity encreased, and my foul fo entirely and infeparably united unto thee, that nothing may be ever able to diffolve the union; but that being begun here in grace, it may hereafter be confummated in glory, through the merits of him that died for me, even the son of thy eternal love, Jefus Chrift the righteous; to whom with thee, O father, and the holy fpirit, be afcribed, as is moft due, all honour, glory, power, thanksgiving, and praise, both now and for evermore. Amen.

This laft prayer may be added to our other devotions the morning we receive, and may be frequently used in the week preceding the facrament. See also the directions on page 57.

Ejaculations when you first come into church.

Wamiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hofts!

How

Bleffed

Bleffed are they that dwell in thy houfe, they will be always praifing thee.iq pod My foul longeth, yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flefh cry out for the living God.

For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand years; I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness...i.

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A prayer to be faid before or after the prayers of the Church, as time fhall admit.

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T is but too apparent, blessed Lord, how apt we are to forget thy dear love to us, and thy bitter fufferings for us; our continual tranfgreffions publish it, and our former stupidity and indevotion do plainly declare it. Praised therefore be thy goodnets for the lively emblems thou haft given us of thy most meritorious crofs and paffion,

O that the characters of thy love may be fo deeply imprinted upon my heart, that no time nor temptation may wear them out! may I now most affectionately call to mind the humility of thine incarnation the merits of thy death, the power of thy refurrection, and the glories of thine afcenfion.

O how much do we owe thee, moft bleffed redeemer!

redeemer! how great is the price, which thou haft paid for the ransom of us miferable finners! what fhall I render unto thee for the incomprehenfible benefits thou haft bestowed upon me? Alas! I have no return to make but ca broken and contrite heart, which thou wilt not defpife; and this is yet a further inftance of thy goodness, that thou expectest no other teftimony of gratitude, but my fincere affections in ferving thee, the only true God, thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

A prayer to be used as foon as fermon is ended.

O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnefs, and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men.. Pfalm cvii. 20, 21.

O Eternal and almighty God, by whose bounty and goodness, I have now an opportunity offered me of approaching thy table, and of pleading before thee the prevailing merits of the death and paffion of thy fon Jefus Chrift; I am fenfible, O Lord, of my great unworthinefs; but the pofitive command of my bleffed Saviour, when he was about to lay down his life for my fake, has made it abfolutely neceffary; and the many fpiritual wants I labour under, oblige me to apply to this fovereign remedy, for the repair of those breaches my finful follies have made in my foul.

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