us from ruin, but the death of Thy Son! I see by this, how hateful sin is to Thee. Make it so to me, I beseech Thee. May I never flatter myself that Thy mercy will spare me, if I continue in sin, when Thou sparedst not Thine own Son when He put Himself in the place of sinners! May I never 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 also will deny us."

How many deny Thee, O thought, and without dread!

Jesus, without
Do they know

what they do, who lightly turn their backs upon this ordinance; 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 judg

ment.

Matt. xxvi. 35. "Peter said, Though I should 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 word of the Lord;-and went out, and 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.

Luke xxii. 3-5.

"Then 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 what wickedness I am capable of. Lord God, abandon me not to my own choices. Shut my heart against that covetousness which 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

66

sake.

(1) Psalm xix. 13.

Deut. xvi. 16, 17.

before the Lord empty.

rr

They shall not appear 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 Jew? 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 me, and as I expect Thy blessing upon myself and substance.

1 Pet. iv. 10. "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards."

O God, who 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.

THE

ORDER FOR ADMINISTRATION

OF

The Lord's Supper.

INTRODUCTION.

THAT you may profit by the following assist

ances, be advised to read the Communion Service, with the Directions and Meditations, some time before you go to the Sacrament, that you may attend to every part of the Public Service without distraction.

Whenever you have time for your private devotions, let them be so secret that nobody may be disturbed by you.

And if, instead of repeating the Prayers and other parts of the Service, after the Minister, as the manner of too many is, to the disturbance of such as are near them ;-if, instead of doing so, you would secretly say, AMEN, at the end of every petition, you will find this the very best