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like Dathan's family, into the bottomless pit of hell. This pift Day which Thou haft commanded us to keep Holy to thy Fraife and Worfhip, we have not fo Religionfly kept and ob ferv'd, nor prepared our fouls in that hoiincfs and Chastity of heart as was fit to meet thy Bleffed Majesty in the holy Affembly of the faints. We have not attended to the Divine Service and Preaching,with that hamility, reverence and devotion that we thou'd: for tho'we were prefent at thofe Exercifes in our bodies, yet, Lord, our minds were fo distracted and carried away with drowfinefs, or dulnefs, or vain, or worldly. thoughts, that our fouls feem'd to be abfent, and out of the Church fometimes. We have not fo duly as we fhou'd, meditated wi h our felves upon thofe good inftructions which we have heard and receiv'd out of thy holy Word by the Publick Miniftry: for default whereof Satan has ftolen the most part of 'em cut of our hearts, and we, wretched creatures, have forgotten moft of em as tho' they had never been heard. And for thefe and our innumerable other fias, Original and Actual, of Omiffion and Commiffion, of Knowledge and Ignorance, of Wilfulness and of Weaknefs, and that both in Thought, Word, and Deed, our Confciences cry guilty, thy Law condemns us, and we are in thy hand to receive the Sentence and Curfe that is due to the breach of thy holy Commandments: but tho' we are by the Law condemn'd, yet, Lord, thy Gofpetalfares us that thy Mercy is above all thy Works, that thy grace tranfcends thy Law, and thy Goodnefs delights there to Reign where fins do most abound: in the multitude therefore of thy Mercies and the Merits of Jefus Christ our favior, we befcech Thee, O Lord, who defpifeft not the fighings of a contrite heart, nor defireft the death of a penitent framer, to pardon and forgive us all these our fins, and all th' errors of this Day and of our whole Lives; and free our fouls from that Curfe and ladgment which is due unto us for'em, Thou didft juftify the contrite Publican, and received ft the Prodigal child, when he had fpent all the ftock of grace, into favor upon his Repentance; pardon our fins likewife, O Lord, and fuffer us not to perifh for our Transgreffions;O fpare us, and receive us into thy favor again. Wilt Thou, O Lord, reject us, who haft receiv'd all Publicans, Harlots and Sinners that upon Repentance fued to Thee for Grace.Shall we alone be excluded from thy Mercy? far be it from us to think So: for Thou art the fame God of Mercy unto us that Thou waft unto them, and B 4 thy

thy Compaffions never fail. Wherefore, O Lord, deal not with us after our Merits, but according to thy great Mercy. Execute not thy fevere Juftice against us miferable finners, but execute thy Long fuffering in forbearing thine own creatures. We have nothing to prefent unto Thee for a fatisfaction, but only thofe bloudy Wounds, bitter Death and Paffion which thy Bleffed Son, our only Savior, has fuffer'd for us. Him, in whom Thou art well pleas'd,we offer unto Thee for all our Sins wherewith Thou art displeafed; Him our Mediator, the requeft of whofe Bloud fpeaks better things than that of Abel, thy Mercy can never gainfay: forhis fake therefore we beg the Pardon of our Sins, the Sanctification ofour Natures, the JuAtification of our Perfons, th' Aids of thy Spirit, Peace of confcience, Joy in the Holy Ghoft, Affurance of thy Love and Favor, the prefent good Hopes, and the final happy Injoyment of Eternal Bleffednefs. Grant that our Minister may be defended from the malice and ill will of bad men, and may have the countenance and protection of the great and powerful; and that his zealons labors in God's vineyard may be attended with fuccefs,that he may turn many to Righteoufnefs. Illuminate our understandings, and bring to our Remembrance all thofe gool and profitable Leffons which this Day and at other times have been taught us out of thy Word, that we may Remember thy Commandments to do them, they Judgments to avoid'em, and thy fweet Promises to rely upon'em in time of mifery and diftrefs. And now, O Lord, we Resign our felves to thy most holy Will, O receive us into thy Favor; and fo draw us by thy grace unto thy felf, that we may as well be thine by Love and Imitation, as by Calling and Creation. And give us grace so to keep holy thy Sabbaths in this Life, as that, when this life is ended, we may, with all thy Saints and Angels, celebrate an eternal Sabbath of Ioy and Praife,to th' honor of thy most holy Name, in thy heavenly Kingdom for evermore And all we beg upon th' account, and for the fake alone of the Lord Jefus the Righteons, thy dear fon, our only Redeemer and Advocate, in whofe bleffed Name and words we conclude thefe our imperfect prayers.

Our Father

give us day by day.

The Bleffing as §. 13. The Conclufion as §. 17. or as §. 14. or 35, turning the Singuler into the plural number.

§. 38. AFTER having devoutly perform'd; and joyn'd in all the Secret Duties in our Clofets, Private Duties in the

Fam

Family, and Publick Duties in the Church, for the Day,we retire to our Beds.

§. 39. The Soliloquy in undressing, always. AT Night lie down prepared to have Thy fleep thy Death, thy Bed thy Grave. §. 40. An Ejaculation abed before we fleep, for fundays or Holy-days.

I Ly me down to fleep in the Name of the Father, and of the fon, and of the Holy Ghoft. Lord give charge to thy holy Angels to pitch their Tents round about me, to guard me from all Dangers, that fleeping with Thee, I may in the Morning be wakened by Thee; and fo being refresh'd with moderate fleep, I may be the fitter to fet forth thy Glory in the conscionable Duties of my Calling, for Jefus Chrift his fake Amen.

6. 41. The Meditation and Prayer when we ly waking in the Night. Always,

"

WE may fay with the Royal Prophet David, Psalm 91.12. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to fing praifes unto thy Nante, O most Highest; to tell of thy Loving kindness in the Morning, and of thy Truth in the Night feafon. and Pfal. 119. 62. At Midnight will I rife to give thanks unto Thee O LORD, because of thy righteous Iudgments. Thanks be to God for preferving me thus far in the Night, Lord keep me the remainder in Safety, and raife me to the Light of another Day in health, if it be thy Will; and make me truly thankful and obedient, for Jefus Christ his fake. Amen.

S. 42. WE may Learn by Heart the foregoing 2 Soliloquies, to be used when we are about to Rife, and Going to bed; and the Meditations and Prayers Going to Church and Entring in, and in the Night; and fome or all of the foregoing (in this Introduction) and following (in the first and fecond Parts,)7 Ejac ulations in Rifing, and 7 before we Sleep; and 3 when we come to our Seats, and 3 when leaving them, and one for both; because in all thefe Cafes we can't Read'em: and the foregoing 3 Prefaces, and 3 Conclufions and the Blessing, for our Prayers, because we can't always conveniendly turn to'em.

§. 43. I Have been the more large, plain, and particular about a conftant Sanctifying the Whole Lord's Day, becaufe it is an abfolutely Neceffary Foundation of a Right preparation for a Worthy Participation of this Heavenly Feaft whereof I'm now to Treat. See fome hints more Part 2, ch.1. S.2. Part 3, ch. 3. §.4. B S

PART

PART I.

Sacramental Devotions for Seven Days Before th' Adminis tration of the Memorial of our Lord's Paffion.

CHAPTER I,

SUNDAY, or the 7th. Day Before that Holy Supper. PHEPAKE to meet thy God, OIfrael, Amos 4. 12. Sect. 1. OUR Church has prudently order'd timely Notice to be given, (viz. on the Sunday or fome Holy Day before) that None might pretend to ftay away out of Ignorance of the Time, or Unfitness for the Duty; but that all may come, and come Prepared alfo.

§. 2. An Argument for Frequent Communion: FROM the Perpetuity of this Inftitution, implied in thefe words, For as often as ye eat this Bread, and drink this Cup, ye do fhow the Lord's death till He come. 1. Cor. 11. 26. that is, untill the time of his Second coming, which will be at th' End of the World Confequently th' Obligation that lies upon Chriftians to th' obfervation of it is perpetual, and shall never ceafe till then. As Watching and Prayer will always be a Duty upon Chriftians, because we are particularly exhort. ed to it by our Savior with regard to the day of ludgment, as one of the best ways of preparation for it, and in confidederation of th' uncertainty of the time when it fhall be. Asalfo outward Teaching and Baptifm were intended to be perpetual, becaufe Chrift has exprefly promised to be with the Teachers of his Church in the Houfe of thefe Ordinances to the End of the World: So this Solemn Remembrance of the Death and fufferings of our Lord, being left as a Memorial of Himfelf during his Abfence from us, till He come to translate his Church into Heaven, and as a fure Pledge that He will come again and invest us in that Glory which He is now gone before to prepare for us, will never be out of date till his Second coming, that is, till his coming to Judgment. Nor (2) is there the leaft hint or fyllable given us in all the NewTeftament that this Sacrament, after it was once instituted, was ever to be abolished. (3) The Means of Grace are the fame and unalterable to th' End of the World, and ifthe Gofpel (which is the Means, and is call'd in Bevel 14.6. th' Everlasting Gospel,.) be to laft to th' end of the World, this Ordinance

mult

all

mult needs last as long, for that which is moft properly call'd the Gospel, or Glad-tidings, is the Mystery of God's Reconciling the World to Himself in Chrift fefus, and that is in an eminent manner expreff'd in this Sacrament; and S. Paul determined not to know any thing fave Jefus Chrift and Himcrucified. 1. Cor. 2. 2. which is the very purport and fcope of this Ordinance, and fo a principal part of it. (4) By this Sacrament we become one with Chrift Jefus, and the Comforts being to attend fincere Chriftians whilft Chriftians are in the world, by vertue of Christ's Pontificial Prayer, S. John. 17.20/21. Neither pray I for thefe alone, but for them alfo which (hall believe on me through their word: That they may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us.) the Means whereby that Union is made muft neceffarily laft as long, that is to the Day of Judgment. (5) Lo, I am with you alway, faith Christ, even unto the end of the world. S. Mat. 28. 20. that is, as Mediator, or Head of the Church, by his Spirit and vertue, and Influence in their obferving all things whatsoever He commanded them, of which the Lord's Supper was one, fo muft alfo be neceffary, and muft needs be kept up to the end of the world. (6) Christ's Church is to laft to the end of the world. S. Mat. 16. 18. The gates of hell fhall not prevail against it; tho' the devil will indeavor it to the very last moment of the World's duration and 1 Ches. 4. 17. Then we [fincere Christians] which are alive and remain [at Chrift's coming to Judgment, ] fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. therefore the Church muft ftand, and laft till then, and by confequence the Marks of that Church, of which this is one, must laft as long. (7) As often denotes that tho' it be a Duty, yet we have not always oportunity for it, but, as to all other affirmative Laws, we are bound to it at all times when we have a fit occafion offered for the fame: As the lems were to be cut off from Ifrael when at any fit time they omitted to eat the Paffover. Numbers 9. 13,

§. 3. A Sacrament is

A Holy fignificative Rite of Chrift's immediate Inftitution, fet to denote difcernibly fome fpecial favors and gifts of God bestowed upon me, and confecrated by Him to two great Ends: Fir, As a Means of Conveyance, and by the

B 6

ight