Book IV. What Satisfaction can I make for all my Injuries and bold Affronts to thy righteous Laws, but that alone of humble Confeffion, deep Sorrow, and hearty Prayers for thy Acceptance of thy Son's Atonement? I do moft heartily bewail and deteft all my Wickedness, and, by thy Grace, will never be guilty of the like any more; I do, and will to the laft Minute of my Life, grieve for thefe Follies, and am defirous by my future Carriage, to teftify the Truth of my Repentance, and make the beft Reparation I am able for the Scandal I have given formerly. O Lord, pardon; O Lord, forgive; defer not for thy own fake, O my God; but let thy Mercy be glorified in fparing the Soul of thy Servant, whom thou haft redeemed with thy moft precious Blood. Behold, I commit my felf wholly to thy Mercy, and depofite my Spirit in thy Hands. Ŏ deal with me according to thy great Goodness, and not after my Sins and grievous Wickedness.

To thee I humbly offer all in me that is good. A very poor imperfect Offering I with fhame confefs it; but, worthlefs as it is, I beg thou wilt accept it; Supply my Defects, fanctifie and exalt what is debafed with Infirmity or impure Mixtures; difdain not my fincere, tho' weak, Endeavours; and enable me daily to do better; and raise at laft this flothful, unprofitable Creature to fuch degrees of Virtue and fuccefsful Activity, as may, by the more diligent ufe of thy Grace, end in a blefs'd and bright Eternity.

I alfo offer up to thee, the Prayers and good Wifhes of all that have interceeded for me, or defired my Interceffions for them: The Neceffities and Diftreffes of my Friends and Relations, and all that have done good to Me, or Others, for thy fake; imploring that thou wouldst affift them by thy Grace, comfort them in their Troubles, protect them in all Dangers, deliver them from Punishment and Death Eternal; and fo refcue them from all Evil, that they may magnifie thy good

good Providence, and with thankful Hearts rejoice in thy Mercy.

In a more particular manner, accept, I beseech thee, of my moft hearty Prayers, and Peace-offerings, for All, who have injured me in Word or Deed, created me any Disturbance by ill Treatment, flander'd or reviled me with ill Language, or given me any manner of Uneafinefs, or angry Refentment. And likewife, for all whom I have injured, grieved or offended by Word or Deed, knowingly or ignorantly, with, or without defign: Intreating thy Forgiveness for all that hath been done or taken amifs on either side. Take away, thou who lovedft and diedft for thy Enemies all Rancour and Malice, all Grudges and revengeful Thoughts, all paffionate Remembrances and Difpofition to Strife and Debate, all that may be inconsistent with true Charity, or tend to the decay of Brotherly Love. Have Mercy, Lord, on all, who fue for Mercy; fupply the Needs of all that want; and grant us all fuch Measures of thy Grace, and fo firm Perseverance in it, that we may grow up to fuch Degrees as this Mortal State is capable of here, and receive our perfect Confummation and Blifs,both in Body and Soul, in thy Eternal and Everlasting Glory. Amen.

CHA P. X.

The Sin and Mischief of Abfenting from the Lord's Supper.

Chrift.]TT is by no means fufficient, that Men do Once, or very Rarely, repair to this Holy Sacrament; but, as their Occafions and Neceffities are frequent, fo fhould their Care in feeking Supplies be. The Paffions of the Soul are daily in commotion, and

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its Diseases and evil Habits get ground by their malignant fpreading Quality; The Temptations of the Devil are feldom intermitted, or, if they be,'tis only out of wicked Subtilty, that even thofe intervals of Quiet may contribute the more effectually to Mens ruin; And if this be, as moft affuredly it is, thy Cafe, think then, how urgent thy Wants are, and how frequent thy Returns ought to be to this Fountain of Divine Grace. That here thou may'ft drink living Water, and quench the raging Fevers of thy Soul, that here thou may'ft receive Balm into thy Wounds, and apply proper Remedies to thy feveral Indifpofitions; that thou may'ft grow more wife and wary by fuch Recollections, more clearly understand thy own State, by those Examinations which prepare thee for my Table, and, by repeating this holy Meal, be ftrengthned against the Affaults of the Enemy, and more upon thy Guard against his Subtle Infinuations. And one of his Infinuations it certainly is, to hinder and draw men off from communicating often; As being very fenfible how great and happy Advantages they reap by doing fo; And that this is the very beft Courfe they can poffibly take,of fecuring themfelves,and defeating his malicious Endeavours to debauch and deftroy their Souls.

For this Reafon Men are not to think it ftrange, if they find the Devil then more especially bufie, when they fet themselves with more than common Earneftnefs to the Preparation for, or the Exercise of, the most folemn and exalted Acts of Religion. For this Wicked Spirit, as the Hiftory of Job inti

Job i.

mates, is always induftrious to mingle himfelf with the Sons of God, when they appear before their Heavenly Father. He contrives then to give them great Disturbance, to damp their Joys, and break their holy Purpofes, by fuggefting many Fears, and diftracting their Minds with unneceffary Scruples: He terrifies them with eating and drinking their own.

Damna

Damnation, and keeps them back by mistaken Notions of their Unworthiness and Danger. If he can thus prevail, either for a total Neglect of this Sacrament, or contrive, that they fhall come full of Doubts and Diffatisfaction, he gains his Point. But be not ignorant of his Devices; Inform thy felf rightly of thy Duty, wherein Unworthinefs does truly confift; that nothing but want of Sincerity and due Reverence can bring thee into hazard, and then despise his vain Attempts to discompofe and evacuate thy good Intentions. Retort his wicked Craft back upon his own Head, by being more vigilant, more careful,more refolved; but by no means omit this Duty, nor fuffer thy felf to be drawn off from that Communion, which is the Sovereign Antidote, the best Preservative against Sin and Temptation.

If he labour to disguise his devilish Arts, under the fpecious colour of Caution and Humility, and want of more perfect Devotion, Lay afide thy unprofitable and difquieting Anxieties, and flee for Succour and Advice to fome godly Paftor. Let his Prudence direct thy doubting Steps; and unbofom thy felf freely to him, that by confeffing thy Sins, and opening thy Cafe to the Phyfician of Souls, thou may'ft receive the Benefit of Ghoftly Counfel, and the Comfort of Abfolution. Know, that no Sin can hurt thee, or render thee an unworthy Receiver, when once confefs'd, and feriously repented of: And that, when this is done, all thy Doubts and Perplexities hinder the Grace of God, and check thy Improvement in Piety and Devotion. Let not any ordinary Trouble or Affliction deter thee from coming to thy Lord for Relief; but make the greater hafte to reconcile thy felf to God, and purge away thofe Offences, which may have ргоvoked, and drawn, down the Affliction upon thee. Let not any Difference between thee and thy Brethren detain thee; for there is a fhort and ready way of removing this Obftruction, by forgiving and Praying

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for

for those who have grieved or injured thee; and by reconciling thy felf, and asking Pardon of those whom thou haft offended. And, if they ftill be fo perverse, as not to be reconciled upon a due Submiffion; Yet confider, that their Obftinacy and Wickedness ought to be no obftruction to the performance of thy Duty; Thou haft done thy part, and God will be fure to forgive and accept thy Perfon, though Men do not.

What benefit can a Man poffibly propose to himself from the putting off Examination and Repentance and forbearing to come to the Holy Communion Moft certainly,when one is diseased, the greatest Wifdom is to get well again as foon as poffibly he can : To expel the Malignity, and difcharge the Venom immediately; Thus will the Cure be eafier, more fpeedy, more fuccefsful. For every delay adds to the Diftemper, and gathers fresh and more obftinate Matter. If you omit the prefent Opportunity upon One Pretence, Another and more prevailing may interpofe, and deprive you of the next. And thus by degrees you will be wrought upon to excufe your felf again and again,and by longer Abftinence becomes lefs fit, as well as lefs willing, to return to your Duty. Whatever Burthen then you find upon your Mind, get quit of it betimes; do not indulge your Sloth and Backwardness a Moment; for there can never come any good of prolonging your Cares and Troubles,and making the common Hindrances of Worldly Business, a Reafon for neglecting your great, your eternal Intereft. This is moft manifeft, and Experience will prove the truth of it, when it is too late; that the longer you defer Communicating, the lefs you will find your felf difpofed to it, and a ftrange Carelefness and Difregard for holy Exercifes will infenfibly creep upon your Mind, and get a mighty head. But, which is a moft lamentable thing to confider, many loofe

and