of a future State of Blessedness, and the miferable Condition of the Damned in Hell. Thele, and the like, as they offer themselves unto you, fhould be meditated upon until fome Sorrow of Mind, fome Ardour of Devotion, fome Act of Faith, fome Flame of Love and Charity, arise in your Souls.

Thus have I briefly reprefented to you both the Nature and Neceffity of a Sacramental Preparation, which in a great Measure contains the whole Duty of a Chriftian's Life, viz. Repentance towards God, Faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift, and Charity towards our Neighbour: And I alfo hope, whofoever among us will but endeavour to prepare themselves for the Holy Communion, according to the forementioned Directions, may, (by the Help of God) upon all Occasions, come to the Lord's Table without the leaft Fear or Danger of eating and drinking Damnation to themselves.

And now fome People may cenfure this Difcourfe, as giving too great Liberty and Encouragement to approach the Lord's Table with lefs Preparation than otherwife Men would venture to do: But I know no Ground or Reafon for any fuch Suggeftion, if they impartially confider the Excellency and Perfection of that Guide and Com

techifm.

Church Ca panion, I have followed throughout the whole : And to represent this Duty of frequent Communion otherwife than what the Church requires, is an Injury both to God and to ourselves: And I dare affirm, that no Part of Divine Worship has fuffered more on this Account, than that of the Holy Communion, Thousands of People not daring (in all their Lifetime, tho' very good Livers) to partake of the Lord's Supper, for fear of eating and drinking their own Damnation.

For further Inftructions, fee a Treatife of Sacramental Covenanting with Chrift: Shewing the Ungodly their Contempt of Chrift in their Contempt of the Sacramental Covenant. By John Rawlet, B. D. Author of the Chriftian Monitor.

PRAYERS

PRAYERS and MEDITATIONS

Preparative to a

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION,

According to

What the Church of England requires from her Communicants.

A Prayer to God for his gracious Affiftance and Direction in our Sacramental

H

Preparations.

OLY, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabboath, Heaven and Earth are full of thy Majefty, and of thy Glory: I, the unworthiest of all Creatures, do here, in all Humility of Soul and Body, proftrate myself before thee, acknowledging my own Weakness and Infufficiency to do any thing that is good or well-pleafing in thy Sight; and therefore humbly implore the fpecial Influence of thy Grace and Holy Spirit, to further thefe my Endeavours for a worthy Participation of this Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Chrift, which he has commanded me to do in Remembrance of him, and of those Benefits which we receive thereby. Teach me, O Lord, the right Way, and lead me in the Paths of holy Preparation, that I may be received as a worthy and welcome Guest at this thy heavenly Table. Poffefs my Mind with a true Senfe of the

Great

Greatnefs of this Mystery, and the Excellency of thy Mercy, in preparing this Table for our Spiritual Foo.. Inipne my Soul with pure and pious Difpofitions, and initeal of thofe filthy Rays of my Righteoutnefs, clathe me with the Righteoulness of thy Saints, that my Heart may be a clean, though homely, Receptacle for my Saviour, and fitted for the fociety of that Celestial Company, which are to be met with at this facred Solemnity, through Jefus Christ our Lord, Amen. Our Father, &c. See Pfal. 23. 26. 111.

A Prayer for the Gift and Grace of Repentance.

Almighty and Bernini qord God, who are of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity, and haft more especially enjoined all those who compafs thine Altar to wash their Hands in Innocency, vouchfafe me unfeigned Repentance for my past Sins, a hearty Sorrow and Contrition of Spirit to lament my Sinfulness, and moft firm and ftedfaft Purpofes to lead a new Life. It is the Voice of thy wondrous Goodness and Mercy, That if the Wicked will forfake his Ways, and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts, thou wilt have Mercy upon him, and abundantly pardon him. O let thy Goodness (whereof I have had fo great a Share and plentiful Experience) lead me to Repentance not to be repented of, that I may be a fit Guelt at thy Son's Table Have Mercy upon me, O Lord, and according to the Multitude of thy tender Mercies, blot out all my Tranfgreffion, for thy Mercies Sake in Chrift Jefus, the Son of thy Love, whom thou hast fet forth to be the Propitiation for our Sins. Grant this, O merciful Father, for the Sake of my bleffed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen. See Pfalms 6. 25. 32. 38.

A Prayer before Self-Examination.

Lord, thou that art the Searcher of all our Hearts, and

a Difcerner of the very Thoughts, and in whofe Sight all Things are naked and open, be pleased to impart a Ray of thy Heavenly Light, to difcoyer all the Sins and Infirmities of my paft Life, and whatfoever elfe thou knoweft wherein I have done amifs, that henceforward no fecret Sin may lie undifcovered and corrupted in my Soul, that by examining my

Life and Converfation by thy Law, the Rule and Measure of my Duty, I may understand the true State and Condition of my Soul, and from a just Sente and Sight of all my trani. greffions, through the Affittance of thy Grace and heavenly Benediction, I may be enabled to reform my Life, and to turn my Feet unto thy Teftimonies, fo faithfully to fearch and examine my own Contcience, that I may come holy and clean to that Heavenly Feaft, and be received as a worthy Partaker of that holy Table which thou haft called me to: Grant this for thy Mercies take in Chrift Jefus. Amen, See Pfal. 139.

Brief Heads of Self-Examination upon each Commandment,

TH

yet

COMMANDMENT I.

Hough I have not Atheistically denied the Being of a God, or wickedly renounced him by Apotlacy, have I not loved, defired and delighted in other Things more than in God? Or, have I not feared Man, and dreaded the Displeasure of the World more than God? Or, have I not trufted in Men, and relied upon the World, more than upon God? Have I not defpaired of God's • Mercy? Or, by prefuming too much upon it, encouraged myfelf in Sin? Have I not been unthankful for Mercies received? Or, have not afcribed the Glory and Honour of what I now enjoy, to myself, more than to God? (lay) God be merciful unto me a sinner, and lay not this (or thoje) Sins to my Charge. Repeat the fame at tire End of every Commandment.

II.

Though I have not worshipped God by Images, yeṭ have I not entertained grofs and falte Conceptions of him? Or, have I not wilfully omitted coming to Church or to the publick Prayers, when I had no juft Occafion to hinder me? Or, have I not rudely, irreverently or wantonly ↑ behaved myself during the Time of Divine Service? Or have I not wilfully refufed to come to the Lord's Supper, when I have been called to it? Or, have 1 not rafhly and

unad

unadvisedly received the Sacrament without a Preparation? Or, have I not broken my Vows and Refolutions which I then made?

III.

If I have not openly blafphemed the Name of God, ⚫ yet have I not lightly or irreverently spoken of him? Or, have I not profanely jefted upon, or abufed his holy Places or Perfons, or any Thing elfe dedicated to his Service? Or, have I not taken God's Name in vain, by common Swearing and Curfing? Or, have I not taken false and unlawful Oaths? Or, have I not broken my own Vows and Refolutions, efpecially my Baptifmal?

6

IV.

• Have I not neglected the Worship of God on his Sabbaths? Have I not spent part thereof in vain Sports, idle Difcourfes, Vifits, and many other unneceffary Bufineffes? Or, have I not fuffered others to prophane the Sabbath, when it was in my Power to restrain them ⚫ from fo doing?

V.

• Have I not been stubborn, irreverent, and undutiful towards my Parents, rejecting their Counfels, defpifing 'their Government, and coveting their Eftates before their Death? Or, have I not contributed towards their Necef, fities when they were in Want, and I had to help them? Or, have I not been difloyal to my Prince, ftubborn and unfaithful to my Mafter, refractory and unthankful to my Minifter, peevish and unkind to my Friend and Companion?

/ VI.

If I have not actually taken away the Life of any Perfon, yet have I not made my Neighbour's Life grievous by Oppreffion, Rage and Violence against him? Or, have I not, by Fighting or Quarreling, wounded his Perfon? Or, have I not tempted him, by any Vice or Intemperance, to destroy his Health, and fo fhorten his Days? Or, have I not, by falfe, and contumelious Speeches, wounded his good Name and Reputation? Or, have I not, by my own Luxury and Intemperance in Eating and Drinking, been acceffory to my own Death?