preserve and cherish the good dispositions Thou hast raised in my heart.

With these godly resolutions of a sincere and uniform obedience for the future, I desire to approach Thy holy table, in an humble assurance through faith in my crucified Saviour to receive the comfortable pledges of my pardon for all that is past. O Thou, Who art a God ready to pardon and abundant in mercy, blot out, I beseech Thee, all my known and wilful transgressions; and cleanse me also from my secret faults.

And that I may faithfully keep and perform these holy purposes and resolutions, and continue Thine obedient servant unto my life's end; vouchsafe to me in these holy mysteries such a portion of Thy good Spirit, as Thou shalt see necessary to guide me in all my ways, and preserve me against all temptations, and to keep up in me a true christian temper of soul: that so, being justified by faith, and strengthened with might by Thy Spirit in the inner man, I may be renewed after Thy likeness in righteousness and true holiness, and continually live to Him Who died for me, Thy Son and my alone Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

2. Unfeigned love and charity towards all mankind.

BELOVED, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His Only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another1.

1 1 John iv. 7-11.

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour1.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you'.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body 3.

For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread *.

For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another ".

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me".

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 7.

Let love be without dissimulation.

1 Eph. v. 1, 2.
41 Cor. x. 17.
7 Ibid. ver. 5, 6.

2 Ibid. iv. 31, 32.
5 Rom. xii. 4, 5.
8 Ibid. xii. 9.

3 Col. iii. 12-15.

6 Ibid. xv. 1-3.

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another 1.

Distributing to the necessity of saints: given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him: if he thirst, give him drink : for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good 2.

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth 3.

But love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

And your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom: for with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again 3.

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against

1 Rom. xii. 10.

+ Luke vi. 27, 28.

3 Prov. xxiv. 17.

2 Ibid. ver. 13-21.

5 Ibid. ver. 36-38.

thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift'.

Prayer for the grace of Charity.

ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, Who hast abundantly manifested Thy love towards us in sending Thy Son to be the propitiation for our sins, and hast commanded us to be followers of Thee, as dear children, in being merciful as Thou our heavenly Father art merciful; and to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us; grant me Thy grace, I beseech Thee, that I may seriously lay to heart the indispensable obligations I lie under to the practice of a duty, so powerfully recommended, and so strictly enjoined in Thy holy word.

I do now more particularly pray for that most excellent gift of charity, as it is a necessary disposition to my worthily receiving that holy sacrament, which was instituted by our blessed Master and only Saviour Jesus Christ, as well to be a means of engaging all His disciples to love one another, as to be a standing memorial and visible pledge of His love to us.

Grant, therefore, O gracious Lord, that I may carefully put away from me all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, with all malice; and that I may also put on, as becomes the elect of God, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and long-suffering; that I may love with a sincere and cordial affection; and be always ready to do good, and glad to communicate; and as much as in me lies, promote the present and future happiness of all men, and especially of them that are of the household of faith.

1 Matt. v. 23, 24.

O let the peace of God rule in my heart, and dispose me evermore to follow after the things that make for peace, and things wherewith I may edify others. Lord, give me grace to love even my enemies, to do good to them that hate me, to bless them that curse me, and to pray for them that despitefully use me, that so I may be indeed Thy child, Who art kind to the unthankful and to the evil, and a true disciple of my blessed Saviour, Who died for His enemies, and prayed for His persecutors even when He was suffering the most bitter effects of their malice and cruelty. Grant this, O Heavenly Father, for the sake of the Same my blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, Thine only Son our Lord. Amen.

4. Lively faith in God's mercy through Christ; intending thereby not only that whatever God has promised to penitent sinners through Christ shall be effectually made good to them, but also an assured persuasion that, if we come duly prepared to this Holy Sacrament, the general promises of God in Scripture, concerning His pardoning mercy and grace, shall be immediately applied and made good to our persons in particular.

THIS is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1.

And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses 2.

To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His Name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins 3.

The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all 3 Ibid. x. 43.

11 Tim. i. 15.

2 Acts xiii. 39.