kind and indulgent father to me, yet alas! I have been an undutiful and difobedient child, and have made very ungrateful returns for thofe innumerable mercies and favours, which thou haft bestowed upon me. So that my conscience accuses me of having done many things contrary to thy bleffed will; of having acted foolishly and wickedly, contrary to my best and greateft intereft, which is to obey thy will, and adore thy majefty and goodness.

I willingly acknowledge, O Lord, that the greatest concernments of this world are as nothing when compared with eternity; and yet how apt am I to grow carelefs and remifs in the great and important work of my falvation, and to fuffer my affections to be carried away from thee after the things of this life; for which I cannot expect any other defert than death, the just punishment of my fin. But,

Thou art infinite in mercy, and willeft not the death of a finner; remember then, I beseech thee, thy tender mercies; and, for the fake and merits of my dear redeemer, have mercy upon me, and be not angry with me for ever. Accept, O Lord, of that full, perfect, and fufficient facrifice, which thy beloved fon offered upon the cross; and through the merits of his bitter death and paffion pardon all my fins; particularly [Here mention those fins you are most guilty of.] O

O Lord, give me an intereft in the blood of that immaculate lamb Jefus Chrift; and grant that I may never render thofe fufferings, which he underwent for finners, ineffectual to the falvation of my foul. And give me grace feriously to confider that it is my indifpenfable duty to forfake every evil way...

Poffefs my foul with just and lively apprehenfions of the infinite difproportion there is between this world and the next; and that I may make a right use and improvement of all thofe gracious opportunities which thou art pleased to give me, of working out my falvation, and fecuring an inheritance in that kingdom, which is to laft for ever. Let no temptations or allurements divert me from fecuring the interests of my precious foul.

Grant that I may fo pafs thro' things temporal that I finally lofe not the things that are eternal; and that in all the concernments of this life, I may govern myself by the rules of temperance and fobriety, juftice and honefty, prudence and moderation, and with an entire truft and dependance on thy fatherly care and good providence; that having always before my eyes that great account which I must one day give, I may never dare to do any thing that may dishonour thy name; nor befo wretched

ly

ly foolish, as to purchase any happiness in this world at the expence of thy favour.

Enable me to make thy laws the rule of all my actions; that I may approve myself to thee, as becometh thy fervant; by being zealous and devout in thy fervice, kind and charitable towards my neighbour; by being meek and patient, quiet and peaceable, humble and inoffenfive towards all men; and, as far as in me lies, useful and beneficial to the world; that fo glorifying thee here upon earth, I may at my departure hence enter into the joy of my Lord, and be for ever glorified in thy hea venly kingdom. To this end,

I pray thee give me grace to make a right ufe and improvement of all thy mercies, and vouchfafe, O Lord, to continue to me thy grace, favour, and protection. Be thou pleased in thy great goodness to take me, and all that belongs to me, this night, under the care of thy good providence; defend us from all perils and dangers; and, after the comfortable refreshments of reft and fleep, raise us up in health and fafety, with hearts full of love to thee, and zeal to thy fervice, that we may in the last day be raised to life immortal, through Jefus Chrift our Lord! in whofe words I pray unto thee, saying, Our Father, &c.

ORDERS

ORDERS relating to the Adminiftration of the LORD'S SUPPER, or HOLY COMMUNION : Extracted from the Rubrick, ARTICLES, and CANONS of the CHURCH of ENGLAND.

So many as intend to be partakers of the holy communion, fball fignify their names to the curate, at least sometime the day before.

And if any of thofe be an open and notorious evil liver, or have done any wrong to his neighbours by word or deed, fo that the congre gation be thereby offended; the curate, having knowledge thereof, Jhall call him and advertise him, that in any wife he prefume not to come to the Lord's table, until he hath openly declared himself to have truly repented, and amended bis former naughty life.

The fame order fhall the curate ufe with those betwixt whom be perceiveth malice and hatred to reign; not fuffering them to be partakers of the Lord's table, until he know them to be reconciled, and if one of the parties fo at variance be content to forgive from the bottom of his heart all that the other bath trefpaffed against him, and to make amends for that he himself hath offended; and the other party will not be perfuaded to a godly unity, but remain ftill in his frowardness and malice: the minifter in that cafe ought to admit the penitent per fon to the holy communion, and not him that is obftinate. Provided that every minifter fo repelling any, as is fpecified in this, or the next preceding paragraph of tbisrubrick, shall be obliged to give an account of the fame to the ordinary, within fourteen days after, at the fartheft. And the or dinary fhall proceed against the offending perfon according to the canon.

No minifter fhall in any wife admit to the receiving of the holy communion any of his cure or flock, which be openly known to live in fin notorious, without repentance; nor any who have malicioufly and openly contended with their neighbours, until they fhall be reconciled, 26 CANON.

No minifter, when he celebrateth the communion, fhall wittingly adminifter the fame to any but to fuch as kneel, under pain of fufpenfion; nor under the like pain to any that refuse to be prefent at publick prayers, according to the orders of the church of England; nor to any that are common and notorious depra

vers

vers of the book of common prayer, and administration of the facraments, and of the orders, rites, and ceremonies therein prefcribed, or of any thing that is contained in any of the articles agreed upon in the convocation, one thoufand five hundred fixty and two, or of any thing contained in the Book of ordering priests and bishops, or to any that have spoken against, and depraved his majefty's fovereign authority in caufes ecclefiaftical; except every fuch perfon fhall firft acknowledge to the minifter, before the church-wardens, his repentance for the fame, and promise by word (if he cannot write) that he will do so no more; and except (if he can write) he fhall firft do the fame under his hand-writing, to be delivered to the minifter, and by him fent to the bishop of the diocefe, or ordinary of the place. Provided, that every minifter, fo repelling any, as is specified either in this or in the next precedent conßitution, fhall, upon complaint, or being required by the ordinary, fignify the cause thereof unto him, and therein obey his order and direction. 27 CANON.

Neither fhall any perfon be admitted godfather or godmother to any child at christening or confirmation, before the faid perfon fo undertaking hath received the holy communion. 29 CANON.

¶And to take away all ocafion of diffenfion and fuperftition, which any perfon bath or might have concerning the bread and wine, it fhall fuffice, that the bread be fuch as is usual to be eaten ; but the best and purest wheat bread that conveniently may be gotten.

And if any of the bread and wine remain unconfecrated, the curate fhall have it to his own ufe; but if any remain of that which was confecrated, it shall not be carried out of the church,but the priest, and fuch other of the communicants as he shall then call unto him, fhall immediately after the bleffing, reverently eat and drink the fame.

The bread and wine for the communion fhall be provided by the curate and the church-wardens, at the charge of the parish, according to Canon.

Thechurch-wardens of every parish, against the time of every communion, fhall at the charge of the parih, with the advice and direction of the minifter, provide a fufficient quantity of fine white bread, and of good and wholfome wine, for the number of communicants, that fhall from time to time receive there, which wine we require to be brought to the communion table

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