cating the influences of his grace, which he has purchased for us by his death; fupport us under all temptations, by a lively reprefentation of thofe great things Chrift has fuffered for us; reftore that peace and quiet to our confcience, which fin robs us of, by ratifying our pardon, and making our fincere repentance acceptable to God; and fubdue the violence of our paffions, by fpiritualizing our affections, and by placing them upon God and virtue. Another Meditation for Tuesday Evening. Upon the true repentance of a worthy communicant. Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your fins may be blotted out. Acts ii. 9. 1. I Know, my foul! that we ought always to live, as we hope to die, as becomes good Chriftians, conftantly endeavouring to lead a new life; but then remember, that to guard against all prefumptuous fecurity in matters of eternal welfare, we should never prefume to eat of that bread and drink of that cup, without a previous preparation, if we mean to efcape that judgment or condemnation, which the Corinthians brought upon themfelves for their irreverent, finful, and diforderly behaviour at this facrament; who were accused of being guilty of the body and blood of Chrift our Saviour-of eat ing ing and drinking their own damnation, not confidering the Lord's body-of kindling God's wrath against them-of provoking him to plague them with di vers difeafes, and fundry kinds of death; which we fhall avoid and escape by coming worthily, by faith and repentance, to the Lord's fupper; if we would call ourfelves to account, and judge and condemn what is evil in ourfelves, fo effectually as to forfake it; we should not then be condemned or punished by God. Let not then these terrible expreffions trouble us or detain us from the holy communion*: but let us repent and believe, and we are fafe and fecure from falling into any of thofe dangers which thefe fentences may feem to threaten us with. And when we fee fuch afflictions among us, we ought, before it be too late, to confider them as chastisements from the hand of God, in order to our present amendment; and defigned for this good end, that we should not be finally condemned with the wicked part of the world in the day of judgment. 2. There is nothing dreadful in this facrament, but to the wilful, impenitent, and perfevering finner, whofe condition is dreadful; but to the penitent and humble foul See the Note on page 47. foul, nothing is difmal or affrighting in this holy feaft. And the fureft way to prevent our damnation, is to receive the facrament more frequently than men ufually do; that by a conftant participation of this fpiritual food of the living bread, which comes down from heaven, our fouls may be nourished in all goodnefs, and new fupplies of God's grace and Holy Spirit may be continually derived to us from our purification, and to enable us to run the ways of God's commandments with more conftancy and delight than we have done before: it being certain that God will never caft any man into eternal flames, for ftriving to do his duty as well as he can. If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. And confequently, fuch as account themfelves moft unworthy, are those very perfons who are deeply fenfible of their own unworthinefs. They that are whole have no need of a phyfician, but they that are fick. 3. This being the cafe of all mankind, with refpect to their fpiritual life, there is, my foul, no other way to free ourfelves from this death of fin, but speedily to apply ourselves to this heavenly phyfician, who came into the world to feek and to Part II. G fave fave those that are loft and ready to perish. And let us truft in God, that as often as we come to the holy communion with fuch a honeft and true heart, as to exercise our repentance toward God, our faith and hope of his mercy thro' Chrift, for the forgiveness of our fins, and our love and charity for all mankind, that fuch a temper and resolution of mind will doubtlefs render us worthy partakers of these holy myfteries, and prevent our eating and drinking damnation to ourselves. 4. But that our preparation may be well performed, let us remember the end, and we fhall never do amifs; let us fearch our heart and examine our conscience; not only till we fee our fins, but until. we hate them; and instead of those filthy rags of our own righteoufnefs, let us adorn our mind with pure and pious difpofitions to fear God and to keep his commandments: let us endeavour to be accepted of by God, as worthy communicants; that he who knoweth all the fecrets of the heart, may approve of the fincerity of our repentance; and the King, who comes in to view the guefts, may count us worthy of his favour and countenance; which never can be hoped for with without he finds us clothed with the marriage garment of fincere repentance. The Hymn on Tuesday Evening. The true penitent's confession and petition. Are not thy mercies large and free ? · My crimes are great, but not surpass The |