us with regard to this practice. And this brings me to the

II. Part which I propofed of this difcourfe; namely, to fhew what thofe duties are. And these are of three kinds; fuch as go before the use of it, fuch as accom→ pany it, and fuch as follow after it.

The duties expected of us BEFORE Wereceive the facrament, are fuch as thefe:

Before we addrefs ourselves to the partaking of this venerable mystery, we thould confider whither we are going, what is the nature and importance of the action we fet ourselves about; that we are approaching to the Lord's table, to come into his more immediate prefence, to be entertained by him with the dearest welcome, to receive the fulleft teftimonies of his mercy, and the fureft pledge of his favour towards us; that we are going to behold the representation of our Lord's tendereft love, in offering himself up a facrifice to God, therein undergoing the foreft pains, and the fouleft disgraces, for our

good

good and falvation; that we ought therefore to bring with us difpofitions of foul, fuitable to fuch an access unto, and such an intercourse with, our gracious Lord.

Had we the honour and favour to be invited to the table of a great prince, what efpecial care fhould we have to dress our bodies in a decent garb, to compose our minds in order to the expreffion of all due refpect to him, to bring nothing about us that is unfeemly, which might offend his fight, or difpleafe his mind: The like furely, and greater care thould we apply, when we thus being called, do go into God's prefence and communion.

We should, in preparation thereto, with all our power, endeavour to cleanse our fouls from all impurity of thought and defire; from all iniquity and perverseness; from all malice, envy, hatred, anger, and all fuch evil difpofitions, as are most offenfive to God's all-piercing fight, and unbeseeming his glorious prefence. We should drefs our fouls, with all thofe comely ornaments of grace (with purity, humility, meekness, and charity) which will render

us

us acceptable and well-pleafing to him. We should compofe our minds into a frame of reverence and awful regard to the majefty of God; into a lowly, calm, and tender difpofition of heart, apt to exprefs all refpect due to his prefence, fit to admit the gracious influences of his holy Spirit ; very fufceptive of all holy and heavenly affections, which are suitable to such a communion, or may fpring from it. We fhould therefore remove and abandon from us, not only all vicious inclinations, and evil purposes; but even all worldly cares, defires, and paffions, which may distract or difcompofe us, which may dull or deject us, which may caufe us to behave ourselves indecently or unworthily before God, and which may bereave us of the excellent fruits of fo bleffed an entertainment.

To these purposes we fhould, according to St. Paul's advice, examine and approve ourfelves; confidering our past actions, and our prefent inclinations; and accordingly, by ferious meditation, and fervent prayer to God for his gracious affiftance therein, working

working our fouls into a hearty remorse for, our past miscarriages, and a fincere refolution to amend for the future; forfaking all fin; endeavouring in all our actions to ferve and please God; purging out (as St. Paul again injoins us) the old leaven of malice and wickedness; fo that we may feaft, and celebrate this paffover, in which Chrift is mystically facrificed for us, with the unleavened difpofitions of fincerity and truth. -Such are the duties previous to our partaking of this facrament.

The duties which ACCOMPANY it, are fuch as thefe:

A reverend and devout affection of heart, with a fuitable behaviour therein: An awful fenfe of mind, befitting the majesty of that prefence wherein we do appear; an→ fwerable to the greatnefs, and goodness, and holiness of him with whom we converfe; and becoming the facredness of those mysteries which are exhibited to us A devotion of heart, confifting, in a fin cere abhorrence of our fins, which did expofe our Saviour to the enduring of fuch

pains; in a firm refolution to forsake the like hereafter, as injurious, dishonourable, and difpleafing to him; in fervent love of him, as full of fo wonderful goodness and charity towards us; in moft hearty thankfulness, for those unconceivably great expreffions of kindness towards us; in deepest humility, upon the fenfe of our unworthinefs to receive fuch teftimonies of grace and favour from him; in a pious joy, in confidering the excellent privileges herein imparted, and the bleffed fruits accruing to us from his gracious performances ; in a comfortable hope, of obtaining and enjoying the benefits of his obedience and paffion, by the affiftance of his grace; in a fteady faith, and full perfuafion of mind, that he is ready (if we be fit for them) to bestow upon us all the bleffings then exhibited; in attentively fixing the eyes of our mind, and all the powers of our foul upon him, as willingly pouring forth his life for our falvation; and laftly, in motions of enlarged goodness and charity towards all our brethren for his fake, in obedience to