Imatges de pàgina
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Part II. may fit us for the duties of the day fol lowing; and, if thou art pleased to add another day to our lives, grant that we may make a right use and improvement of it, to thy glory and the benefit of our immortal fouls, through Jefus Chrift our Lord, who, in compaffion to our infirmi ties, have taught us when we pray to say, Our Father, &c.

The Meditation for Tuesday Morning. Upon the manner of preparing ourselves to receive the holy Sacrament.

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If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way; firft be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Mat. v. 23, 24. I. Onfider, O my foul, that this neceffary knowledge, when it is once attained, and which may be compaffed without great difficulty, is a standing qualification for all our future communions: and as for all other pious difpofitions of mind, which make us fit guefts at the Lord's table, they are the fame we are obliged to by our baptifmal vow, and are neceffary in the courfe of a Christian life, and in the ufe of all other means of grace: for except we confels our fins with a humble, penitent, and obedient heart, and are ready to forgive thofe that have offended us, and ask with faith, even our

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prayers and praises will find no acceptance at the throne of grace.

2. Let me then tell thee: the best preparation for the facrament is a conftant endeavour to live as becomes a Chriftian; [and thus thou haft made a good beginning in the course of thy laft week's preparation;] for they who really believe the Chriftian religion, and fincerely govern their lives by the doctrines and precepts of the gofpel, have all that fubftantial preparation that qualifies men to partake of this holy ordinance; and ought to receive it at any time when there is an opportunity, though they were not before-hand acquainted with it, as thou haft been particularly inftructed in the former part of this treatise.

3. None can fuppofe that they must be perfect and strong grown Chriftians before they partake of thefe divine myfteries; it is enough we fincerely defire to be fuch, and if fo, we fhall find the frequent ufe of the holy communion to be the most effectual means to that end. Where fhould we feek for comfort in this vale of tears, but from the fource of all joy and comfort? where fhall we find ftrength to refift the temptations that crowd about us, but in this divine armour?.when we are loaded with fo many imperfections,

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and fometimes, by negligence or surprise, fall a prey to the tempter; what fo proper to wash away our fins, as that precious ineftimable blood, which was fhed for our falvation? therefore the very fenfe of our unworthiness, if rightly applied, fhould quicken our zeal in approaching the Lord's table frequently, as the best means to make us better.

4. Indeed, when we have a forefight of our communicating, it is very advifable we should trim our lamps; examine the ftate of our minds; renew our repentance; exercife our charity; enlarge our devotions; fpiritualize our affections; and, in order to this purpofe, fhould retire from bufinefs and pleafure; that by prayer, fafting, and alms-deeds, our minds may be raifed to relifh fpiritual enjoyments.

5. On the contrary: the living in the conftant habitual practice of any known fin without repentance, will make our approach to the holy table a mocking of God, a great contempt of his authority, and our prayers alfo an abomination to the Lord; for to profefs ourselves forry for our fins, and refolve to førfake them, when we have no fenfe of the one, nor are determined to do the other, is the greatest affront imaginable to our Maker, by fuppofing either that he doth not know

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our hearts, or, that he will be pleafed when we offer to him the facrifice if fools, in a multitude of words only.

6. Nor doth the danger of unworthy receiving make it fafeft to abstain from receiving at all, or at least to come to receive but feldom; becaufe the danger of neglecting and contemning a plain command of our Saviour is more hazardous to our falvation, than performing it without fome due qualification. The duty therefore being neceffary to be performed, (as hath already been fhown on page 49,) the true confequence we should draw from the danger of performing it unworthily, fhould be to excite ourselves to great care and diligence in preparing ourfelves for the due difcharge of it; but never to delude ourfelves by falfe reafons to fuch a neglect as will certainly increase our condemnation. 7. Though our bùfinefs be lawful in its own nature, yet if it be profecuted to fuch degree as to take men off from the care of their fouls, it ought to be put off, when it interferes with this duty; because the falvation of our fouls is of much greater confequence than any affair that relates to this world wife men proportion their care of a thing according to its worth; no prudent perfon will spend his time upon trifles, and neglect what may be of the

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greateft confequence to his foul. It must be owned that our fouls are of greater worth than our bodies, and that we must certainly find a time to die, however care. lefs and negligent we may be in making a due preparation for death. Befides, the care of temporal concerns and our duty to God are no ways inconfiftent, provided we govern our affairs by Chriftian principles. A great deal of businefs and the duties of religion may ftand together. Though men of bufinefs have not leifure for much actual preparation, yet they may have all that habitual preparation upon which the great ftrefs ought to be laid in this duty.

8. We are affured that the conscientious difcharge of our bufinefs is an admirable qualification for receiving the Lord's fupper. We serve God when we follow our callings with diligence, and obferve juftice and equity in all our dealings, when we manage the affairs of the public with fidelity and honefty; without felling juftice, without oppreffion, and without facrificing them to our private intereft and paffions. Befides, the greater dangers and temptations we are expofed to, the greater need we have of God's grace and affiftance, which is abundantly communicated in this holy inftitution. It is not pru

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