a Steward of thofe good Things which thou haft given me. And O let me behave myself as one that must give Account, and of whom it is required that he be found faithful. Grant that what I difpofe of to charitable Ufes may be ever given with a right Intention and fingle Eye, with an open Hand and chearful thankful Heart, in a due Proportion to my Substance and Fortune in the World.---And do thou blefs my Subftance and my Store, and bless me, Lord, in the temperate Ufe and prudent Enjoyment of them.---Accept my Thanks and Praise that thou haft enabled me to relieve the Wants of others, and haft gracioufly inclined me fo to do, and to give with a dutiful Regard to thee:--- that my Alms, and the Alms of all thy Servants here affembled, together with our Prayers, may come up for a Memorial before thee!--O that the Lord may be pleased to accept of what we do for his Sake, and for the Relief of his poor Members, as done unto himself ".---Bleffed Jefu! thou didst not difdain the humble Offering of the poor Widow; nay, thou didst prefer it above all the coftly Offerings of the Rich.---O purify our Hearts, and accept the Offerings of our Hands, not for any Worthinefs in us or them, but for thy own Righteoufnefs Sake, for thou alone art worthy!

DIRECTIONS.

The Exhortation and Sentences after the Abfo-lution might be eafily applied to a devotional Ufe, turning them into Prayers, if they be read (as the

[1] Acts x, 4. [n] Rev. xvi, 6.

Bishop of Sodor and Man advises they should be) with great Deliberation, "that the People may "have Time to reflect upon them,---and to apply "them every one to the Comfort of his own Soul, "and to prevent all unreasonable Fears and Doubts 66 of God's gracious Pardon and Acceptance."

IN

At our Approach to the Lord's Table. N the Multitude of thy Mercies will I go unto the Altar of God, even unto the God of my Foy and Gladness.---If thou, Lord, shouldft be extreme to mark what is done amifs, who may abide it? but with the Lord there is Mercy and plenteous Redemption.---Cloath me, O Lord, in the Wedding Garment, and grant that Jefus Christ (whofe Death I do now thankfully commemorate) may be unto me Wisdom, and Righ teoufnefs, and Sanctification, and Redemption.

After the Confecration.

A Meditation on thefe Words: Do this in Remembrance of me.

AN

N'D is it likely, is it poffible, O bleffed Lord, that I fhould forget thee? Thee, fo great a Benefactor to Mankind? Thee, fo affectionate a Friend and Lover of Souls? Is it poffible that I fhould ever forget thee; I, who receive all the Benefits of thine Agony and bloody Sweat, of thy Crofs and Paffion, of thy precious Death and Burial, of thy most glorious Refurrection and Afcenfion, and moft-prevalent Interceffion?...It is, alas, too poffible; my continual Tranfgreffions too fadly publish it, and [a] Pfal. v, 7. [b] Ibid. xliii, 4. [c] Ibid. cxxx, 7: [d] Mat. xxii, 11. [e] 1 Cor. i, 30.

my

m

my present Stupidity and Indevotion do too evidently declare it! Yet, praised be thy Wisdom, who haft taken Care to bring thy great Goodnefs often to our Remembrance by the Returns of this heavenly Feaft; that Length of Time, which is the great Confumer of all Things, fhould not obliterate the Memory of thy wonderful Charity to us miferable Sinners. Thou ftill doft prefent_thyself before us hanging upon the Crofs, thy Body torn and rent with Wounds, and thy precious Blood gufhing out plentifully from thy Side, to put us in Mind how much thou haft fuffered for us; that thou who art not present to our Senses, mightst always be so to our Understanding.----Thus thou art evidently fet forth before our Eyes as crucified among us : 0: that I could behold these lively Emblems withthe fame Affection with which I fhould have been moved, had I been a mournful Spectator of the difmal Tragedy itself !---When thou didst fuffer, the Rocks were rent in funder; and fhall not the Confideration of these Sufferings be effectual to break my moft ftony and obdurate Heart?

II.

If those who out of an heroick Principle of Patriotism, have exposed themselves to all the Miferies, and Hardships, and Adverfities of human Life, and have redeemed the Lives of Thousands with the generous Lofs of their own, deserve to have their Names mentioned with Honour, and their Memories held dear by their Countrymen; furely thine, O bleffed Jefus,

(n) Gal. iii, 1. (0) Matth. xxvii, 51.

(m) Pf. cvi, 7. aught

ought to be had in everlafting Remembrance? For how short are the greatest Services of the best Men, compared with the amazing Advantages we receive from thee? As much Difference as between Earth and Heaven; between a fhort Space of Time and Eternity !---The greatest Heroes could only defend their Country from fome temporal Evil, and perhaps fufpend it for a while, nay, thro' the manifold Changes and Chances of this World, in a few Generations the Advantages arifing therefrom quite vanish and disappear; but, O bleffed Saviour, thou haft wrought eternal Redemption for us : The happier Effects of thy Death are always fresh, always prevailing and are not limited to the Time of thy Sufferings, but extend to all Generations.

III.

Bleffed God, and Saviour of Mankind, what fhall I render under unto thee, for fuch mighty Love, for fuch ineftimable Benefits as thou haft purchased for, and art ready to confer upon me? What fhall I fay unto thee, O thou preferver of Men', O thou Lover of Souls, now that I am going to approach thy holy Table, there to commemorate this great Love of thine to us, and to partake of thofe invaluable Bleffings, which by thy precious Blood-fhedding thou haft obtained for us. How wonderful are thy Doings towards the Children of Men? Thou wert pkafed to be made miferable, that we might be made happy; poor, that we might be enrich'd!

(p) Pfal. cxii, 6, (f) Wifd, xi, 26.

(q) Heb. ix, 12. (r) Job vii, 20. (t) Pfał, lxvi, 4.

--Thou

de

---Thou felteft the Smart, but we receive the Eafe; Thou the Sufferings, but we the Mercy; Thou the Stripes, but we the Comfort; Thou the Thorns, but we fhall have the Crown: Thou paidft the Price, but we get the Purchafe. By thy Death we live! By thy Blood we are cleanfed.---I lose myself in fuch a sweet and comfortable Meditation: What shall I render unto thee, my Lord, for all thy Benefits towards me"?---I am not worthy of the leaft of all thy Mercies*.

IV.

Worthy art thou, O bleffed Jefus, to be obey'd in all that thou commandeft us! worthy art thou, for whofe Sake we should do this xx! When thy own bitter Agony was juft aproaching, thou wert even forgetful of thyself to think of us; and in the very Night wherein thou waft betrayed, didft contrive to appoint this moft powerful Means of Grace, thefe facred Pledges of thy Love, to be the perpetual Food and Nourishment, the ftrengthening and refreshing of our Souls: Oh! how earneftly were thy Thoughts engag'd, how wert thou_wholly taken up with this great and important Defign; and therefore, waiting and wifhing for that last Paffover, when thou hadst formed that mighty Purpofe of inftituting this bleffed Ordinance of thy holy Supper; and therefore with the most affecting Tenderness of the ftrongest Love didst profefs---with Defire---with the warmeft Paffion ---have I defired to eat this Passover with you

(u) Pfal. cxvi, 12. (x) Gen, xxxii, 10. [xx] Luke vii, 4. (y) 1 Cor. xi, 23.

before