Directions for the Lord's Day. A Good Chriftian, Philotheus, that takes care to spend every Day well, will take more than ordinary Care to fanctify the Lord's Day, it being the proper Employment of that Day, to attend God's Worship, and to provide for our Souls; and therefore tis fit you fhould add fome Petitions to your Morning and Evening Prayer, relating to the folemn Duties of the Day, fuch as these are which follow. Before Church-time. My God, I humbly befeech thee to prepare my Soul to worship Thee this Day acceptably, with Reverence and godly Fear; fill me with that Fear which works by Love; purify my Heart from all vain, and worldly, or finful Thoughts; fix my Affections on Things above, all the Day long; and, O Lord, give me Grace to receive thy Word, which I fhall hear this Day, into an honeft and good Heart, and to bring forth Fruit with Patience, Luke viii. 15. Hear Hear me, O God, for the fake of Jefus my Saviour. Amen, Amen. When you come into the Church, or Chapel, not only on the Lord's Day, but on any other Day, ufe this short Preparatory Prayer at your firft kneeling down. In the Church. Lord, I humbly beg thy Holy Spirit to help my Infirmities at this Time, and to difpofe my Heart to Devotion, that my Prayers and Praifes may be acceptable in thy Sight, thro' Jefus Chrift my Saviour. After Church-time. GLory be to Thee, O Lord God Almighty, Glory be to Thee, who haft permitted me to appear before Thee this Day, and to tread thy Courts. Lord, pardon all my Failings in thy Service this Day paft, the Wanderings, and Coldnefs, and Indevotion of my Prayers; for the Sake of my Bleffed Saviour, have Mercy upon me. Lord, Lord, make me a Doer of thy Word, and not a Hearer only, left I deceive my own Soul, Jam. i. 22. When you are called to Repetition at Night, remember, Philotheus, to make fome Amends for your negligent Hearing at the Church; and treasure up in your Memory fome little Portion of thofe Inftructions you have heard, to direct your Practice. Directions for the Receiving the Holy Eucharift. T HE Receiving of the Bleffed the most divine and folemn Act of our Religion; and it ought to be the zealous Endeavour of every true Christian, by God's Affiftance, to prepare his Soul with the most ferious, and moft devout Difpofitions he poffibly can, to approach the Holy Altar: You are therefore to confider what you are to do before Receiving, what in the time of Receiving, and what after Re ceiving. C Before ΤΗ Before Receiving. HE Duties you are to perform before Receiving, are all comprehended in that one Rule which St. Paul gives us, 1 Cor. xi. 28. Let à Man examine himself, and fo let him eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup; which are in a manner commented on by the Church, in the Exhortation before the Sacrament, which I advise you to read over in your Common-Prayer Book. To put this Rule in Practice, 'tis your best way, Philotheus, at fome convenient Time, to withdraw your-. felf into your Chamber, or into the Chapel, and there to begin to commune with your own Heart, and to call your Sins to Remembrance: But first pray heartily to God for his Grace to affift you. A Prayer before Examination. HEar the Voice of my humble Petition, O Lord, now I cry unto Thee, and lift up my Hands toward thy Mercy-feat. Behold, Lord, now I am about to fearch fearch into my own Heart; but, alas, alas! my Heart is deceitful, and defperately wicked; how can I know it? Jer. xvii. 9. Thou therefore, that fearcheft the Heart, and trieft the Reins, difcover to me all the Evil and Deceits of my own Heart, that I may confefs, bewail, and forfake them, and obtain Mercy. Lord, hear me, Lord, help me, for the Merits of Jefus, my Saviour. Amen, Amen. Rules to be observed in Examination. H Aving prayed for God's Affiftance, doubt not, Philotheus, but he will vouchsafe it you; and to guide you in your Examination the better, observe thefe following Directions: When you examine yourfelf, either by the following Catalogue, or by that in the Whole Duty of Man, or by any other, pause a while on every Particular; and if you find yourfelf Not guilty, then say, Glory be to Thee, O Lord, for preferving me from this Sin; and fo go on. When your Confcience answers Guilty, then it will be your best way, having faid, Lord, have Mercy upon C 2 me, |