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be condemned or punished by God. Let not then thefe terrible expreffions trouble us or detain us from the holy communion *: but let us repent and believe, and we are safe and secure f om falling into any of thofe dangers which these sentences may feem to threaten us with. And when we fee fuch afflictions among us, we ought, before it be too late, to confider thern as chaftifements from the hand of God, in order to our prefent amendment; and defigned for this good end, that we shoul not finally be 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 perfe vering finner, whofe condition is dreadful; but to the penitent and humble foul, nothing is difmal or affrighting in this holy feast. And the furest 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 goodness, and new fupplies of God's grace and holy ípirit may be continually derived to us from our purification, and to enable

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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 striving to do his duty as well as he can. If there be firft 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 themselves most unworthy, are thofe very perfons who are deeply fenfible of their own unworthiness. They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are fick.

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3. This being the cafe of all mankind, with refpect to their spiritual life, there is, my foul, way to free ourselves from this death of fin, but speedily to apply ourselves to this heavenly physician, who came into the world to feek and to 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 through Chrift, for the forgivenefs of our fins, and our love and charity for all mankind, that fuch a temper and refolution of mind will doubtless render us worthy

partakers

art kers of thefe holy myfteries, and prevent our eating and drinking damnation to ourCelves.

4. But that our preparation may be well performed, let us remember the end, and we hall never do amifs; let us search our heart and examine our confcience; not only till we See our fins, but until we hate them; and intead of thofe 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 guests, may count us worthy of his favour and countenance; which never can be hoped for without he finds us cloathed with the marriage garment of fincere repentance.

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The Hymn, on Tuesday Evening.

The true penitent's confeffion and petition.

O Lord! fhew pity; Lord! forgive
Let a repenting rebel live.

Are not thy mercies large and free?
May not a finner trust in thee?

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My crimes are great, but not surpass
The pow'r and mercy of thy grace:
Great God! thy nature hath no bound,
So let thy pard'ning love be found.

Oh! wash my foul from ev'ry fin,
And make my guilty conscience clean.
Here on my heart the burthen lies :
And past offences pain my eyes.
My lips with fhame my fins confefs
Against thy law, against thy grace:
Lord, fhould thy judgment grow fevere,
I am condemn'd, but thou art clear.
Should fudden vengeance feize my breath,
I must pronounce thee just in death;
And if my foul was fent to hell,
Thy righteous law approv'd it well.

Yet fave a trembling finner, Lord!
Whofe hope, ftill bov'ring round thy word,
Would light on fome sweet promise there,
Some fure jupport against defpair.

The Prayer, on Tuesday Evening.

For a true and fincere repentance.
Thou

O great and glorious God! father of

all mercies and comforts, who takest pleasure in thofe that come unto thee with faith, and willeft not the death of a finner, but rather that he fhould be converted and live;

look

look down, I beseech thee, with pity and compaffion upon me, who fall low on my knees before thee, confeffing that I have provcked thy divine majesty, in divers inftances of my finful life. But now I flee unto the arms of

thy mercy, for pardon and forgiveness. O let the infinite merits of my dear redeemer make fatisfaction for me, in the pardon and forgiveness of all my fins.

Lay not to my charge, O Lord, the fins that I have thisday been guilty of; but let those and all the other follies of my life paft be for ever blotted out of thy remembrance; and receive me, I beseech thee, into thy favour, which I value above all the happiness of this world. Oh ! grant me a lively fenfe of the folly and danger of fin, that I may truly and fincerely abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good, and with an unwearied diligence follow after the things which make for my everlafting peace. But, O Lord! because I am a weak and frail creature, and encompaffed about with many temptations, vouchfafe to ftrengthen and affift me with thy grace, that through thy moft mighty power I may be enabled to withstand all the allurements of the world, the flesh, and the devil: particularly, [here mention the fins you are most guilty of.] Let thy holy D 2

fpirit

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