provoke Thy justice! May I never forget Thy mercies, and what Thy Son has done for me!

Tit. ii. 14. He gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity; and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Blessed be God, that I am united to this people by Baptism! Grant that I may never disgrace Thee, or my Christian profession, by an ungodly life. O thou who hast redeemed us from sin and death, cause me to understand, to value, and ever remember Thy great love; and to show that I do so, by a life consecrated to Thy service.

2 Tim. ii. 12. If we deny Him, He will also deny us.

How many deny Thee, O Jesus, without thought and without dread! Do they know what they do, who lightly turn their backs upon this Ordi

nance?

Who make a mock of sin, which cost Thee Thy life? Who are ashamed of Thee, and of Thy Gospel, out of regard to men? Who by their unchristian lives do renounce Thy service? Do they consider what it is to be denied by Thee? That it is to have no interest in Thy death, Thy merits, and mediation? Gracious God, deliver me from this dreadful sin and judgment!

Matt. xxvi. 35. Peter said, Though I shall die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee.

Preserve me, gracious Lord, from a presumptuous opinion, and dependence on my own strength, without the aids of Thy grace. Let me see, in this sad instance, my weakness without Thy assistance, and my ruin without Thy help.

Luke xxii. 61, 62. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter; and Peter remembered the words of

wept bitterly.

O Jesus, look upon me with the same eye of compassion, whenever I shall do amiss, that I may see my fault, and forthwith return to my duty: let this instance of Thy mercy be our comfort, since so great and repeated a crime did not exclude this penitent from Thy mercy: but let not this make us fearless of offending Thee, lest we never repent.

Then

Luke xxii. 3-5. entered Satan into Judas, and he communed with the chief priests, how he might betray Him unto them: And they covenanted to give him money, &&c.

If I should provoke Thee, O God, by resisting Thy Holy Spirit, to leave me to my own natural corruption, and to the power of Satan, I see in this wretched man that wickedness I am capable of. Lord God, abandon me not to my own choices. Shut my heart against

was the root of so great a sin. Keep me from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me: and secure me under the conduct of Thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus Christ's sake.

Deut. xvi. 16, 17. They shall not appear before the Lord empty. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God, which He hath given thee.

Shall I appear before Thee, O God, worse than a few? Can I give any thing to Thy poor, but what I have received from Thee? How can I say that I love Thee much, if I give sparingly to them whom Thou hast appointed in Thy place to receive our alms? Give me an heart, O God, to give according to Thy blessing upon myself and sub

stance.

1 Pet. iv. 10. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same

one to another, as good stewards.

O God, Thou hast taught us that we are all but Thy stewards: keep me, I beseech Thee, from that great injustice of defrauding Thy poor of their right: give me grace to moderate all my vain desires and expenses, that I may have to give to them that need: and that the measure of Thy blessings to me may be the measure of my charity to others.

I Cor. xi. 28. Let a man examine himself,

and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

Enable me, O Lord, so to examine and to judge myself, before I go to this Holy Sacrament, that I may not be condemned by Thee when Thou comest to judge the world in righteousness. And pardon, O Lord, the many times in my life past that I have gone to this ordinance without that care and devotion required of all worthy communicants, for Thy mercy's sake. Amen.