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our's Love; that he cou'd not allow himfelf to want it, whenever it might be had; fo that at laft, he Receiv'd every Lord'sDay.

Tho' his Life was a conftant Preparation for the Holy Communion, yet he had very strict and particular Retirements in order to put his Mind into that Divine Frame, which he judg'd so necessary, for that near and folemn Approach to God: And these happy Retirements, were employ'd in strict Examinations of his Life, and a fevere enquiry after his fmalleft Failings; and the warmeft Meditations upon the Love of God, and bitter Paffion of our Bieffed Saviour. And in his latter Years, he Lamented nothing more, than that his Time was fo taken up with Bufinefs, that his Retirements were interrupted; and confequently, his Thoughts not fo much his own, as they us'd to be And particularly, it troubled him, that he was often forc'd to be late at his Office upon Saturdays; left his going to the Sacrament next Day, might have an ill Effect upon his Servants; and tempt them to prefume too far, and approach the Lord's Table, without fufficient Preparation: For tho' (as he wou'd fometimes fay) I fteal Minutes at my Office; they are not enough to fatisfie my Self, much less to give good Example to

Others.

As it was his great Study, to Prepare himfelf aright, for the Holy Sacrament, that fo he might come to it, with a truly Penitent

Heart,

Heart, a lively Faith, and inflam'd. Affections; fo during the whole Adminiftration, fo intense were his Thoughts, fo earnest were his Prayers, that those who were near, and obferv'd him, hardly ever beheld him without Tears which he conceal'd as much as he ; cou'd, by keeping clofe in the most private Corner of the Seat; and he was forc'd to take fome time, to make his Face fit to appear before the Congregation. For though a forrowful Conntenance does very well become every Devout Communicant; yet his Principle and Conftant Practice was, to avoid every thing, that might make him obferv'd by others, or any way raise the Character of his Piety among Men; referving that chiefly to the Eye of God.

When he return'd from Church, he immediately retir'd into his Clofet, and spent a confiderable Time in his own Private Prayers and Praises: And as his Wife was ftill his Fellow Communicant; fo with her, he Pray'd before Dinner, Bleffing God for that happy Opportunity, given them both, of Commemorating our Saviour's Sufferings, and receiving the Pledges of his reconciled Favour; and Praying for all those who had been Partakers with them, that Day, or at any other time, of thofe bleffed means of Grace, which they had then

receiv'd.

That unhappy Controverfy, which Difturbs our Church, about the Pofture in Receiving the Holy Sacrament, was a great Trouble to him: His great Humility did M 3 then

then, in a particular manner, prompt him to fall low on his Knees: And in one place fpeaking of the Sacrament, he thus delivers his Senfe of that Difpute.

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What need thefe Nice Difputes, about Pofture in this Holy Exercife? We fit at God's Table, tho' we Kneel in the Church. The Favour and the Privilege he grants us, is that of acceptable Guests, who have leave to fit in his Prefence, and at Meat with him. It is our Souls that Sit! well may our Bodies be, as they that Serve. The Table, which we call the Holy Altar, is but a Shelf of Wood: God's Table is a Spiritual thing; it implies Privilege, and Favour, and Honour, and Freedom: And those that are admitted to this Divine Feaft, fit at his Table, whatever Posture their Bodies be in. Were Chrift indeed on Earth, the Table he fat at, we shou'd expect (if we were favour'd) to fit at too; becaufe Equality in Posture, is Honour; but now He Sits not at this Outward Table, which is before us; why then fhou'd We? The Food which we receive, comes not from Thence to us, but from Heaven. We fit at the Table from whence our Food comes. 'Tis true on our Table, the Holy Elements are Impregnated with the Materials of Life; like the first framing of a Living Creature, or Embryo, before it is Quickned: But they are Quickned with Spiritual Life, only upon the Faith of each Receiver, which God hath appointed to

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be the concurring Inftrument, or means of this Divine Quickning. Then they beC come to us the Seeds of Glory, and the affured Conveyances of Spiritual NourishC ment, and Immortal Happiness. And as fuch, they come to us from a Higher TaC ble: And while we are admitted to fit at that Table, well may we be content, and 'well does it become us, to Kneel outwardly in the Church. While we fit 'with the Church Triumphant, well may we ' be content to Kneel with the Church Mili

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O Lord, while my Body kneels outwardly in thy House, and my Soul fits at thy Mystical Table, in thy Prefence, thro' thy great Favour; (for it is Thou, O my ⚫ most merciful Saviour, haft been pleas'd to ' bring me, and feat me there, else how fhou'd 'I have dar'd to have appear'd) What is the

Food, thou wilt give me from this thy Ta• ble? It is Immortal Love, wrapt up in 'Bread. Surely then this is glorious Bread, ' which contains fo infinite a Treasure, and may well be call'd Thy Body and the Pledge of thy Love. And is Immortal Love, the Mystical Food of our Souls? O most Loving Saviour, who wert content to have thy Body Broken, that thou mightest Nourish and Suftain us with this precious Food; give us ever of this Bread, and be it unto us according to thy Gracious Intentions. ? Amen.

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His Meditations upon the Sacrament, are very numerous, as I have already faid; fo that, instead of being inferted in a Life, they wou'd make almost a Volume themselves. A Spirit of Primitive Piety runs through them: And it plainly appears, that the Author of them, fpoke from his Heart; and was deeply affected with the Subject, about which he Wrote. I fhall here give the Reader a Tafte of them; and by these Few that here follow, he may make a Judgment of the Rest.

We pray to God, and our Saviour, for Pardon by his Agony and bitter Sufferings; how does this oblige God to Pardon us? What Right have we, to infift on these and represent them before God? Women indeed Expoftulate with their Husbands, by the Common Pledges of their Love: Their Children, by their mutual Endearments: And fometimes one Friend with another, by their common Sufferings, in the fame Caufe. And it is an Argument prevailing upon Humane Nature, to yield to what is fo defir'd. But ftill there must be fomething Common. We must have a Share, and Intereft our felves, in what we fo plead by; if we hope to prevail. When therefore we ufe this fort of Expoftulation with God, as the strongest and highest Argument to ' obtain what we defire; there must be Something common in what we plead by, or the Argument lofeth its Force. Becaufe the Son of God endur'd bitter Sufferings, what then? What is that to us if we are

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