O Gracious Jesu upon all Bishops and Pastours of thy Church Replenish them all with right and sound Knowledge and a true Understanding of thy Word Oh let not their Hearts be govern'd or their Actions be guided by the Designs of Covetousness or Ambition But do thou possess and rule them by a great Zeal for thy Glory and for thy great Design the Salvation of Souls Grant that they may by their Holy Doctrine and Answerable Lives be mightily successfull in turning many to Righteousness and that they may save Themselves and many of those that are committed to their Charge Since my Goodness O Lord extends not to thee and thou art above the receiving of any Advantage by the best Returns that I can make for all thy Bounty to me It shall be my Charge and Care to requite thy kindness upon thy Servants to whom I may be profitable I will love them O Lord that love thee and do all the good I can to those especially that are of the Houshold of Faith I will gladly relieve the Necessities of thy Servants which are made known to me will Feed the Hungry Cloath the Naked Instruct the Ignorant Reduce the Wandering Visit the Sick and Imprisoned Comfort and Help the Weak-hearted and Vindicate and Assist the Fatherless and Widows in their Distress according as I have Opportunity and Power to do so And give me I beseech thee O loving Jesu a just and large Notion of the Houshold of Faith that I may not confine this my Charity within too narrow Bounds Let me be always afraid of restraining it within too narrow Limits never of extending it too far among Christians I love thee O Lord Jesus for making so sweet and pleasant a thing as Charity my Duty and do account even this an Instance of thy Charity to me If there be any other Exercise of this Divine Vertue O Lord which I have not thought of I desire Thee the great Fountain of Love to admonish me of it and always to dispose me to it Grant that in the pleasing Exercise of Love I may pass the time of my sojourning here in this Malicious Miserable World till I come at length to that Happy One where sincere abundant and unalterable Love and Joy and Glory dwell for ever SECT XVIII PRAYERS for Preparation I. O God of Love Father of all Mercies and Giver of every good and perfect Gift It is thy Command and I reckon it a kind and a just One That I should Celebrate this Sacrament in Remembrance of the Death and Sacrifice of thy dear Son our onely Saviour and Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ To make me Thankfull for his Love and for the Benefits of his Passion and Death and that I might be made a Partaker of those Incomparable Benefits Thou hast Commanded me in this way to renew my Covenant with Thee to declare my self thy Creature and Servant and bind my self to continue thy Faithfull Servant and to live as becomes one that had his Being from Thee O Lord I must acknowledge it is but too necessary for me to renew the Obligations which I am so apt to transgress I am therefore heartily willing I desire to strengthen the Bonds of Love that they may hold me the faster to my Duty I would never be exempted from the Yoke of thy Service Oh do not thou cast me out of it for the sake of Jesus Christ And I am willing to remember my dear Saviour's dying Love to be deeply Affected with it and therefore to use so lively a Representation of his Death as he has provided in this Sacrament I must indeed own my self Infinitely unworthy of so great Good but yet cannot chuse but be earnestly desirous O Lord to partake abundantly in the Merits and Benefits of my Saviour's Death There is nothing so dear to me as to have all mine Iniquities pardon'd to recover thy Favour To enjoy the excellent Graces of the Holy Spirit and be consecrated for a Sacred Temple to Him To receive Earnests and Pledges yea and Fore-tasts of my future Joy and Happiness All which are the matchless Blessings He has purchased for me and which Thou hast directed thy Church to seek and partake of in and by this Sacrament All this I humbly seek and crave through the Merits of Jesus Christ my Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without End Amen II. Almighty and most Mercifull God I bless Thee for this Sacrament and would come to it with a hungring and thirsting Soul But alas how shall I a poor mean Creature approach thy Majesty How shall I a guilty polluted Sinner dare to approach thy Purity and Holiness O Lord I am Infinitely unworthy to come so near Thee Yet it seems thou dost not regard my Unworthiness else Thou wouldest never have invited me Thou invitest poor sinfull Creatures in General to this Feast thy Guests can be none but such If all therefore that are unworthy to come should Absent themselves none of us would be there and thy vast and land Preparations would be in vain I come therefore most Gracious God in Obedience to thy Command and Invitation But I will come with the lowliest Reverence and Humility for thou hast regard unto the Lowly I will come as a returning Prodigal for Thou art willing to receive such I will come hoping in thy Infinite Mercy for there is Mercy with Thee through Jesus Christ My great Concern O Lord is that I may be in some good measure fit to approach Thee though I can never be worthy and that I may have and exercise those Qualifications in my attendance on Thee which are suitable to this Sacrament and which Thou requirest I have therefore earnestly endeavour'd to find or form those Qualifications in my self But alas O Lord I dare not trust to my own Examinations or Endeavours Do Thou the Heart-searching God examine and try me do Thou I pray Thee prepare me I fly to thy Grace and Blessed Influence Lord give me I pray what Thou requirest to be in me It is my great Encouragement to make this Request that I know I ask herein what Thou art willing to give Thou Lord art always more ready to Hear than we to Pray and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve Thou knowest I cannot have these Qualifications but from Thee Since therefore Thou hast commanded me to come possess'd with Them I am sure Thou art willing to give Them Thou art desirous we should come prepar'd and suitable Guests to this Heavenly Entertainment art desirous to see thy House fill'd with such Fill me then good Lord and many other Souls with those Graces which it becomes us to approach Thee with for the sake of Jesus Christ our Mediatour and Advocate Amen III. O Lord of Infinite Bounty and Power I humbly pray Thee give me a sincere and unfeigned Repentance for all my Sins Oh let the Remembrance of them
Let thy Gospel of Holiness Peace and Love O Jesu run and be glorified from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same With great Trouble and Concern O Lord I consider how much of the wretched World lies in Wickedness O how sad a Thought is it that such a Saviour should be offer'd to Men and so few receive Him How sad is it to think that so many Thousands of Souls for whom Christ died are likely to go down into the dismal Caves of Hell that so many who might be Eternally happy and praise thee for ever will destroy and throw themselves into Everlasting Misery Rivers of Waters run down mine Eyes because Men make void thy Law A Law so rich in Love and so condescending in Grace I am troubled O Lord because they do not love thee and because they will destroy themselves Because they affront and rebell against thy most obliging Goodness and neglect so great Salvation as it offers them Oh that I could save many precious Souls from their Destruction Oh that I could pluck them as Brands out of the Burning As far as I am able and as becomes me to do in my place and station I will endeavour to cure the Epidemical Wickedness of the Times I live in I will earnestly endeavour to keep those Souls that are under my Authority and Power and that are of my Neighbourhood and Acquaintance and whom I can have any influence over from going down to Everlasting Perdition I will follow all that I may with Advice and Counsel and those that I may not pretend to advise I will endeavour to entreat that they would be saved And those whom I ought to do this to I will reprove and correct for any Wickedness that I observe in them I will propagate as well as I can the saving Knowledge and the Love of thee among the Ignorant and Careless and those whom their Poverty hinders from providing for themselves By giving among them according to my Ability such means of their Instruction and Reformation as thy Favour has afforded the Publick I am greatly troubled and concern'd at the Miseries and Calamities which I hear of or see in the World That thy Creatures whom thou didst make that thou mightest love them and that they might be happy should pull upon themselves so much Misery from thy just Wrath and deserved Vengeance Oh how sad is it to think of Thousands of People going down alive into the Pit swallow'd up by sudden Earthquakes and in a moment snatch'd hence into Eternity without any time to prepare for their Departure How it grieves me to think of the sad Effects of Pining Famine in some places of Infectious and Pestilential Diseases in others It wounds my Soul to consider the wofull Calamities and Desolations that attend Horrid Wars Oh how deplorable a thing is it that Men should seek to spill the Blood of Men and give the Carkasses of their own Kind for a Prey to Birds and Wild Beasts Lord rebuke the proud Disturbers of the World abate their Pride asswage their Malice and confound their Devices Grant that Wars may cease in all Lands and gentle Love and happy Peace abound Prosper good Lord those that Endeavour for a just and safe Peace that they may attain it and scatter thou the People that delight in War Oh that thy Judgments which are abroad in Earth might make the Inhabitants of the World to learn Righteousness and turn themselves to thee who hast smitten them that thou mayest head them As a Member of thy Blessed Church I am particularly concern'd for the Tranquillity and Peace and the true Spiritual Glory and Prosperity of that O Lord purge out of thy Church what-ever does displease thee and is destructive to the Souls of Men. Purge out of it what-ever is an Offence to those without Possess all Christians with this That they are oblig'd to Endeavour that their Carriage may adorn and recommend their Religion in the sight of the Infidels and to take care their Light may so shine before Men that they seeing their Good Works may Glorifie their Father which is in Heaven Purge thy Church we pray thee from all false Doctrines and Heresies from Prophaneness and Persecution from Superstition and Cruelty from Envy Hatred Malice and all Uncharitableness Bring into the Way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived Raise up them that are fallen confirm and strengthen those that stand in Piety and Vertue and Profession of the Truth Comfort those parts of thy Church that mourn and are oppress'd under a Barbarous Persecution And let thine own Right-hand and Holy Arm in thy due time give them a mighty Salvation O God of Love O Prince of Peace and God of Order we pray thee let thy Gospel abundantly promote these good things in thy Church Grant that there may be no hurting nor destroying in all thy Holy Mountain That all the Members of the Church as Members of the same Body and of one another may have a Cordial Affection to each other Carrying themselves with all lowliness and meekness to each other and with long-suffering forbearing one another in Love Grant that as there is but one Lord Jesus Christ whom we all pretend to Love and Reverence as there is but one true Faith one Baptism one God and Father of us all so we may all with one Mind and one Mouth glorifie thee our God Grant that every Member of the Church may so know and keep its preper place that there may be no Schism in the Body O Jesu King of Love fill with thy kind and gentle Spirit all Christian Kings Princes and Governours Let no proud Wrath no malicious Envy no greedy Covetousness no turbulent Ambition reign in any of them Grant that they all knowing whose Ministers they are may above all things seek thy Honour and Glory And that they may study to preserve the People committed to their Care in Wealth Peace and Godliness That they may truly and indifferently administer Justice to the Punishment of Wickedness and Vice and to the Maintenance of thy true Religion and Vertue Especially O Lord we intreat thee to regard with pecullar Favour thy Servants WILLIAM and MARY our most Gracious King and Queen Let thy Wisdom direct them in all their Administrations Thy Almighty Power promote their Good Designs that under them we may be Godly and Quietly Govern'd Let thy Bounteous Goodness shower upon them abundantly all Personal Blessings for their Bodies and for their Souls to their long Prosperity in this Life and their Everlasting Happiness in the next Since by their Wisdom and Care by their Love to Thee and Goodness to Us with thy Blessing upon their Endeavours we enjoy the happy Liberty of thy House and these thy Blessed Ordinances to the joy and comfort of our Souls we will never fail to remember them in all our Prayers and Supplications unto thee Pour down an Abundance of thy Spirit we pray thee
be grievous unto me the Burden of their Influence and Power intolerable Possess me with a hearty Shame and Sorrow for that I have so basely and unworthily affronted thy Infinite Majesty and put my kind Saviour to so much grief and suffering to save me Possess me with an earnest Hatred of what is so displeasing to Thee as my Sins justly are that I may earnestly and steadily endeavour to cast them from me Turn Thou my foolish Heart from the Love of all Sin to the Love of Thee Do Thou O Lord who best knowest all the dark Corners of my Heart discover to me every lurking secret Evil which I have not been able by my Examination to observe and let it now be brought forth and slain before Thee Increase in me O good Lord I humbly pray a lively Faith in thy Mercy through the Merits and Mediation of Jeus Christ Help me firmly to believe thy readiness to receive and pardon Sinners that repent and return to Thee To rely with all Assurance on the Sacrifice and Attonement of thy Son 's precious Death Raise in me the comfortable Hopes of all Mercy and Favour upon that sure Foundation and grant me to rejoice in Hopes of seeing thy Glory Oh that my Heart may be all on a Flame of Divine Love even a whole Burnt-offering when I remember and consider my Saviour's dying Love to Sinners Especially when I see him in this Sacrament as it were evidentiy set forth Crucified before Me When I see there his broken Body and his Blood poured out and consider that all this He suffer'd for Me. Oh let such a sight affect me as it ought to do beyond all Expression Oh let it transform me into Love Let it make such strong and lasting Impressions upon me that I may ever afterwards be under the sweet and mighty Influences of Love always be guided by the Laws and aiming at the Ends of Love Let Love and Thankfulness to Him greatly employ my Soul when I am at this Sacrament and be from thenceforth the great Concern and Business the very form and Character of my whole Life for ever And since my Love cannot redound to his Advantage make it to flow abundantly upon those that love Him Give me a free Heart and Hand and power to do much good to them According to my power I purpose to Exercise my Charity towards them and towards all Men in Thought Word and Deed at this Sacrament I pray that the Memorial of my dear Saviour's Love may effectually inspire me to do so And I purpose and desire and pray that Thou wilt be pleased to inable me to abound in Love and Good Works towards all Men through the whole Course of my Life Put I beseech Thee O Lord my Soul in all respects into such a posture as becomes the Remembrance of a Crucified Saviour that I may be well-pleasing and accepted with Thee That thou mayest delight over me to do me good That I may have Communion with Thee to the Joy and Comfort of my Soul to the Encrease of Spiritual Strength to the securing of my Perseverance in Holiness and Righteousness all my days All which I humbly ask in the Name of Jesus Christ and further crave whatever is comprehended in his most Absolute Form of Prayer saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. Amen SECT XIX Directions for a Devout Behaviour at the Communion THanks be to God we have so good provision made by our Church for the Administration of this Blessed Sacrament That any good Soul may receive it with great Devotion and Comfort who will but seriously attend to what is appointed to be said and done in that Administration as indeed many such Souls accustomed to it have found by very comfortable Experience Upon which account it were much to be desired and very advisable That those who are wont to attend this way but once in a Year when they enter into an Office would persuade themselves to come more frequently to it That they might do so with the more comfort and advantage to their Souls when that Occasion requires them to do it For the whole Business is so order'd that 't is very Apt and Fit to stir up in us the lively and vigorous Exercise of all those Graces which are required to Attend it So that the best Advice which can be given for our due and profitable Behaviour at the Holy Communion is this That the Communicant do very closely Attend to what is order'd to be said and done by Him that Ministers or by the Communicant Himself while they are upon this Duty But because the Communicants especially where the Number is great as I wish it were every-where will have some Spaces wherein they may employ themselves in some private Ejaculations and Devotions I shall not think it contrary to the proposed Brevity of this Book to afford them some such Devout Prayers and Ejaculations as they may use and I shall put them in their proper Places But these must be commonly very short that they may not be diverted from joining with the Publick Office To begin then where we usually begin this Administration When He that Ministers is reading those Sentences of Holy Scripture which are design'd to Exhort and Encourage the making our Offerings to Almighty God While you have your Offering in your Hand or when you have given it say O Lord of Heaven and Earth Maker and Owner of all Things All that I have and am is from Thee and all is Thine Thou dost give and Thou hast right to take and use what Thou pleasest of it I humbly present This according to my Ability as an Acknowledgment of thy right in me and in all that I have and of thy Bounty in giving it I present and I humbly intreat Thee to accept This as a Token and Pledge of the Dedication of my self and all that I have to serve and honour Thee Sprinkle me O Lord Jesus and this my Duty with thy precious Blood and obtain for me by thy Merits a great Encrease of all Spiritual Gifts and Graces to thy Glory and my Salvation Amen When the Offerings are all receiv'd and set upon the Altar He that Ministers proceeds to make Intercessions to God for the Whole State of Christ's Church Militant here on Earth In which it becomes every Devout Soul as a Living Member of that Church to join with him with very hearty Affections After this He proceeds to an Exhortation which is design'd to deterr all those from drawing near to this Holy Ordinance who are conscious to Themselves that they have been negligent to prepare for it and who live in any known Sin And then it goes on to Encourage those Humble Penitents and Faithfull Souls who have been carefull to prepare Themselves and to excite in them those Dispositions with which they ought to come It will be very proper for the Communicant while the Minister is reading this to join with Him and to turn