Imatges de pàgina
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A Prayer as foon as we are retired from the Lord's Table.

BLESSING and Honour, Glory and Power be unto him that fitteth on the Throne, and unto the Lamb that was flain, for ever and ever.

I give thee most humble and hearty Thanks, O Lord, that thou hast been pleafed to admit me to renew my Baptifmal Covenant with thee, in this holy Sa

crament.

That thou haft vouchfafed to feed me with the fpiritual Nourishment of the Body and Blood of thy Son Jefus Chrift; and this not for any Merits of my own, but for the Sake of thy infinite Goodness and Mercy..

Unworthy though I am, yet thy Bounty, O Lord, never fails; the Love of my Saviour is not diminished, and the Virtue of his Propitiation is never exhausted; grant therefore, I befeech thee, that this holy Sa-crament may never turn to my Judgment and Condemnation.

But that it may be Health and Recovery under all my Weakneffes and Infirmities ;:

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Safety and Defence against all the Attacks of my fpiritual Enemies;

Vigour and Strength to all my holy Purposes and Resolutions;

Comfort and Support under all the Afflictions and Calamities of Life;

Affiftance and Direction under all Difficulties and Doubts;

Courage and Conftancy under all Dangers and Perfecutions, efpecially in Times of Sickness, and at the Hour of Death;

Finally, let it procure for me Pardon and Forgivenefs in this Life, Mercy and Favour at the Day of Judgment, and a never-fading Crown of Glory in thy Heavenly Kingdom, where with thy Son Jefus Chrift, and the bleffed Spirit, thou liveft and reigneft one God, World without End. Amen.

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Here, or before we receive, if there is Time, and the devout Communicant is difpofed fo to employ himself, may be used • the Petitions for the Virtues of a Chriftian Life, or the Prayer for the Whole State of Markind, or the Thanksgiving for God's Mercies, fpiritual and temporal, in the Second Part.

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When all have communicated, and the • Prieft

• Priest returns to the remaining Part of the Communion Office, we must leave our private Devotions, and accompany ' him with our devouteft Affections.'

A fhort Prayer when the Communion Service is ended.

PARDON, O God, all thofe Imperfections that have accompanied me at this Time, in my Attendance at thy Altar; forgive the Deadnefs and Dulnefs of my Affections, the Wanderings of my Thoughts, and the Distractions of my Mind.

Let the Sincerity of my holy Purposes and Refolutions be accepted, notwithstanding my Weakness and Frailty.

Oh! let this Commemoration of my crucified Saviour, influence all my Thoughts, Words, and Actions, that my Converfation may be as becometh the Gospel of Chrift.

Reward me not according to my Deferts, but according to my great Neceffities, and thy own rich Mercy in Jefus Chrift; to whom with thee, O God the Father, and God the Holy Ghoft, be all Honour and Glory, World without End. Amen.

"Where Communions are large, we may

want fome Exercifes for the employing our devout Affections; and the Office for ⚫ the Adminiftration of the Holy Communion 'contains fuch a Variety of excellent • Matter for Meditation, that it may not be

improper to entertain our Minds, while ' others are receiving, with the Confidera⚫tion of fome particular Parts of it. This may poffibly be fometimes more useful than either thefe or any other Prayers; more especially to fuch as complain of • Coldness and Dulness in their Devotions; for Meditation naturally tends to warm • our Affections, and raife in our Minds a Spirit of Devotion.

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For Example: Suppofe I had determined to meditate on fome Part or Parts of the Confeffion, which begins thus: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jefus • Chrift, Maker of all Things, Judge of all • Men: Here I would stop, and confider well the Import of these Words: They ⚫ contain four of God's most comprehenfive Titles. Firft, he is here faid to be l mighty Secondly, The Father of our Lord • Jefus Chrift: Thirdly, The Maker and Creator of all Things: Fourthly, The Judge of all Men. The Confideration of the firft and laft will provoke us to godly

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• Sorrow,

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'Sorrow, and the fecond and third will excite our Hope in his Mercy. So that from hence we may take Occafion to exercise • Acts of Sorrow and Humiliation, of Hope and Love, &c. thus: I confider, O my God, that I have offended thee, who art Almighty, and therefore able to punish; • but I confider too, that thou art the Father • of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and therefore I cannot doubt of thy Love to me, and of thy Readiness to forgive me, who repent • and turn to thee. Such Ejaculations might be formed from each of these Particulars, or from any other Parts of the Communion-Office or we may medi⚫tate on fuch of the following Texts of Scripture, or others, as may most excite our Devotion, or further us in the Way • of Piety.

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If ye therefore be rifen with Chrift, feek thofe Things which are above, where • Chrift fitteth at the Right-Hand of God.. Set your Affections on Things above, .not on Things on the Earth, Col. iii. 1, 2.

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• Love not the Worid, nor the Things that are in the World. If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the World, the • Luft

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