towards men; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. To which let him add this short prayer. Most merciful God, who hast given thine only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins: grant me thy grace, I humbly beseech thee, that I may never be unmindful, but always truly thankful for that inestimable benefit vouchsafed unto me by his death and sufferings ; and so fit and prepare me, O Lord, by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit, that both at this, and all other times, I may be rightly qualified to commemorate the passion of my blessed Redeemer, in that Holy Ordinance which he has appointed: and also thereby effectually to partake of that redemption E which he has wrought for all mankind, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Of behaviour at, and after the 1. At the Holy Communion, and at all other times in the worship of God, let every man strive, as much as he can, to keep his mind intent and fixed upon what he is about, and to lay aside not only all wicked thoughts, but also all such as are impertinent to the present business. 2. Let him also take care to behave himself with that outward decency and composedness, as may be a sufficient token of that inward devotion and reverence which he bears in his heart, without gazing about, or any way un :8 necessarily moving his body, or whispering to any one that is near him, or the like. 3. While the service is performing, let him all along join with the minister and congregation, with his heart and thoughts lifted up to God; and with his tongue too, where the liturgy requires that any thing should be spoken aloud by the people; as in the responses, the confession, the Lord's prayer, and the doxology. 4. But let him take care, likewise, to avoid all manner of affectation, and not to behave himself in such a manner, as if he had a mind to be taken notice of for a person of extraordinary devotion. For which reason, whatever private prayers or meditations he may have to offer up to God, let him put them up in his thoughts alone, and let not his voice be heard, but when the public office requires it. 5. When he has received the bread, let him offer up this, or some such short ejaculation, to God. O good God! grant that by the sufferings of my dear Saviour, who was crucified for me, I may escape eternal sufferings, and be made a partaker of everlasting glory. And when he has received the cup, let him in his heart thus say, O gracious God! grant that by the shedding of the blood of thy dear Son, I may obtain the remission of all my sins. 6. While the bread and wine are distributing to the rest of the congregation, let him entertain himself with such sort of meditations and prayers as these: 1. Let him again bethink himself what those sins are, to which he has been most inclined; and let him, in the presence of God, seriously and stedfastly renew his resolutions of being careful to abstain from them for the time to come. 2. Let him also consider, what opportunities he ordinarily has for the doing of any good works, and let him stedfastly purpose, ever hereafter to be diligent in making use of them. 3. And let him hereunto add the following short prayer: Merciful God, assist me with thy |