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by the elements of bread and wine, the very body and blood of Christ, with all the benefits of the new covenant, of which you receive indeed livery and seizin in the act of receiving by faith, whereby you also grow into a nearer union with Christ your head, and communion with all his members your brethren. Besides, there must be a special preparation by examining yourself, and renewing your peace with God before you receive, according to the directions before given, Chap. V. sect. 2. Also make your peace, at least be at peace, and in charity with your neighbour, by a hearty acknowledging your fault so far as is fit, and making recompense, if you have done him wrong; and by forgiving, and forbearing revenge, if he hath done you wrong.

In the act of administering and receiving, join in confession and prayers, and attend to the actions of the minister when he breaketh the bread, poureth out the wine, and by blessing setteth it apart for holy use; by faith behold Christ, in representation, wounded, bleeding, and crucified before your eyes for you; looking upon him whom your sins condemned and pierced to the death, rather than his accusers, and those which nailed him to the cross; who, though malicious, were but instruments of that punishment which God, with other tokens of his wrath, did execute upon him (though in himself a Lamb without spot) justly for your sin, he being your surety.

This looking upon him, whom you have pierced, should partly dissolve you into a holy grief for sin : but chiefly (considering that by this his passion he hath made full satisfaction for you, and also seeing

what blessings God and Christ himself, by the hand of his minister, giving Christ's body and blood sacramentally, do signify and seal unto you,) it should raise your heart to a holy admiration of the love of God and of Christ, and it should excite you, in the very act of taking the bread and wine, to a reverend and thankful receiving of this his body and blood by faith, discerning the Lord's body; gathering assurance hereby that now all enmity between God and you is done away, if you are believers indeed; and that you by this, as by spiritual food for life, shall grow up in him, with the rest of his mystical body, unto everlasting life.

1. After that you have received (until you be to join in public praise and prayers) affect your heart with joy and thankfulness in the assurance of the pardon of all your sins, and of salvation by Christ; and that more than if you, being a bankrupt, should receive an acquittance sealed of the release of all your debts, and with it a will and testament wherein you should have a legacy of no less than a kingdom, sealed with such a seal as giveth clear proof of the fidelity, ability, and death of the testator; or than if, having been a traitor, you shall receive a free and full pardon from the king, sealed with his own seal, together with an assurance that he hath adopted you to be his child, to be married to his son, the heir of the crown. This is your case, when by faith you receive the bread and wine, the body and blood of the Lord. Think thus, therefore, with joy and rejoicing in God: Oh! how happy am I in Christ my Saviour! God, who hath given him to death for me, and also given him to me, how shall he not with

him freely give me all things? Even whatsoever may pertain to life, godliness, and glory? Who shall lay any thing to my charge? Who, or what can separate me from the love of Christ? &c.

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2. Resolve withal upou a constant and an feigned endeavour to perform all duties becoming one thus acquitted, thus redeemed, pardoned, and advanced; and this in token of thankfulness; even to keep the covenant required to be performed on your part; undoubtedly expecting whatever God hath covenanted and sealed on his part.

3. Join in public praise and prayer heartily, and in a liberal contribution to the poor, if there be a collection.

4. After the sacrament, if you feel your faith strengthened, and your soul comforted, nourish it with all thankfulness.

If not, yet, if your conscience can witness that you endeavoured to prepare as you ought, and to receive as you ought, be not discouraged, but wait for strength and comfort in due time. We do not always feel the benefit of bodily food presently, but stirring of humours and sense of disease is sometimes rather occasioned; yet in the end being well digested, it strengtheneth; so it is often with spiritual food, corruption may stir, and temptations may arise, more upon the receiving than before; especially since Satan, if it be but to vex a tender-hearted Christian, will hereupon take occasion to tempt with more violence: but if you resist these, and stand resolved to obey, and to rely upon God's mercy in Christ, this is rather a sign of receiving worthily; so long as your desires and resolutions are strengthened,

and you thereby are made more carefully to stand upon your watch. Endeavour in this case to digest this spiritual food by farther meditation, improving that strength you have, praying for more strength, remembering the commandment, which biddeth you to be strong; and you shall be strengthened.

5. If you find yourself worse indeed, or do feel God's heavy hand in a special manner upon you, following upon your receiving, and your conscience can witness truly that you came not prepared, or that you did wilfully and carelessly fail in such or such a particular in receiving, it is evident you did receive unworthily. In which case you must heartily bewail your sin, confess it to God; ask, and believe that he will pardon it, through Christ Jesus, upon your sincere faith and repentance, and take heed that you offend not in that kind another time.

(3.) Upon the Lord's day you must likewise be ready to visit and relieve the distressed.

Take some time this day to look into your past life, and chiefly to your walking with God the last week, as being freshest in memory, and be sure to let no old scores of sin remain between God and you.

Last of all, on every opportunity, take good time. to consider God's works; what they are in themselves, what they are against the wicked, what they are to the church, and to yourself and to yours. And, in particular, take occasion from the day itself, to think fruitfully of the creation, of your redemption, sanctification, and of your eternal rest and glory to come. For God, in his holy wisdom, hath set such a divine mark upon this our Lord's day, that at once it doth mind us of the greatest works of God, which either

conduce to his glory, or his church's good. As, of the creation of the world in six days, he rested the seventh, which specially is attributed to the Father. And of man's redemption by Christ, of whose resurrection this day is a remembrance, which is specially attributed to the Son. Also of our sanctification by the Spirit, for that the observance of the sabbath is a sign and means of holiness, which work is specially attributed to the Holy Ghost. Lastly, of your and the church's glorification, which shall be the joint work of the blessed Trinity, when we shall cease from all our works, and shall rest, and be glorious with the same glory which our head Christ hath with the Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen. Do all these with delight; raising up yourself hereby to a greater measure of holiness and heavenly mindedness.

(4.) Motives to keep holy the Lord's day.

Do all this the rather, because there is not a clearer sign to distinguish you from one that is profane, than this, of conscientiously keeping holy the Lord's day. Neither is there any ordinary means of gaining strength and growth of grace in the inward man like this, of due observing the sabbath. For this is God's great mart or fair-day for the soul, on which you may buy of Christ wine, milk, bread, marrow and fatness, gold, white raiment, eye salve, even all things which are necessary, and which will satisfy, and cause the soul to live. It is the special day of proclaiming and sealing of pardons to penitent sinners. It is God's special day of publishing and sealing your patent of eternal life. It is a blessed day, sanctified for all these blessed purposes.

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