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in this world, that they be reado to give, and glad to diftribute, laying up in ftore for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may attain eternal life. 1 Tim. 6. 17, 18, 19.

poor, and other Devotions of the people, in a decent bafon,to be provided by the Parish, for that purpose; and reverently bring it to the Priest, who fhall humbly present and place it upon the holy Table.

God is not unrighteous, that¶And when there is a Commu

he will forget your works and labour that proceedeth of love; which love ye have fhewed for his Names fake, who have miniftred unto the faints, and yet do minifter. Heb. 6. 10.

To do good, and to diftribute, forget not; for with fuch facrifices God is pleafed. Heb. 13.16.

nion, the Priest shall then place upon the Table so much Bread and Wine as he shall think fufficient. After which done, the Priest shall say, Let us pray for the whole ftate of Chrifts Church militant here in earth.

A God, who by thy holy

Lmighty and everliving

Whofo hath this worlds good, and feeth his brother have Apoftle haft taught us to make need, and fhutteth up his compaffion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 1 S. John 3. 17.

Give alms of thy goods, and never turn thy face from any poor man, and then the face of the Lord fhall not be turned away from thee. Tob. 4.7.

Be merciful after thy power. If thou haft much, give plenteoufly. If thou hatt little, do thy diligence gladly to give of that little: for fo gathereft thou thy felf a good reward in the day of neceffity. Tob. 4. 8, 9.

If there be no alms or oblationss [of accepting our be left out unfaia.

then fould the words alms and oblations)

prayers and fupplications, and to give thanks for all men We humbly befeech thee moft mercifully [to accept our alms and oblations, and] to receive these our prayers which we offer unto thy Divine Majefty, befeeching thee to infpire continually the univerfal Church with the fpirit of truth,unity and concord: and grant that all they that do confefs thy holy Name, may. agree in the truth of thy holy He that hath pity upon the Word, and live in unity and poor,lendeth unto the Lord and godly love. We befeech thee look what he layeth out, it fhall alfo to fave and defend all be paid him again. Prov. 19. 17. Chriftian Kings, Princes and Bleffed be the man that pro- Governors; and especially thy videth for the fick and needy: fervant GEORGE our King, the Lord fhall deliver him in that under him we may be godthe time of trouble. Pfal. 41. 1. ly and quietly governed and Whilft thefe Sentences are in grant unto his whole Council, reading, the Deacons, Church- and to all that are put in auwardens, or other fit Perfon thority under him, that they appointed for that purpose, may truly and indifferently hall receive the Alms for the minifter juftice, to the punish

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ment of wickedness and vice, oufly and devoutly difpofed, and to the maintenance of thy the most comfortable Sacratrue religion and virtue. Give ment of the Body and Blood grace, O heavenly Father, to of Chrift, to be by them reall Bifhops and Curates, that ceived in remembrance of his they may both by their life and meritorious cross and paffion, doctrine fet forth thy true and whereby alone we obtain relively Word, and rightly and miffion of our fins, and are duly adminifter thy holy Sa- made partakers of the kingdom craments: And to all thy peo- of heaven. Wherefore it is our ple give thy heavenly grace; duty to render moft humble and especially to this congrega- and hearty thanks to Almighty tion here prefent, that with God our heavenly Father, for meek heart and due reverence that he hath given his Son our they may hear and receive thy Saviour Jefus Chrift, not only holy Word, truly ferving thee to die for us, but also to be our in holiness and righteoufnefsall fpiritual food and fuftenance the days of their life. And we in that holy Sacrament. Which moft humbly befeech thee of being fo divine and comfortathy goodness, O Lord, to com- ble a thing to them who refort and fuccour all them, who ceive it worthily, and fo danin this tranfitory life are in gerous to them that will pretrouble, forrow, need, fickness, fume to receive it unworthily, or any other adverfity. And my duty is to exhort you in we alfo blefs thy holy Name, the mean feafon to confider the for all thy fervants departed dignity of that holy mystery, this life in thy faith and fear; and the great peril of the unbefeeching thee to give us worthy receiving thereof, and grace fo to follow their good fo to fearch and examine your examples, that with them we own confciences, (and that not may be partakers of thy hea- lightly, and after the manner venly Kingdom. Grant this, O of diffemblers with God; but Father, for Jefus Chrifts fake, fo) that ye may come holy our only Mediator and Advo- and clean to fuch a heavencate. Amen. ly feaft, in the marriage-garWhen the Minifter giveth ment required by God in holy warning for the Celebration of Scripture, and be received as the holy Communion, (which worthy partakers of that holy be shall always do upon the Table.

Sunday, or fome Holy-day The way and means thereto immediately preceding after is: First, to examine your lives the Sermon or Homily ended, and converfations by the rule he hall read this Exhortation of Gods commandments; and following. wherein foever ye fhall perceive Early beloved, on----day your felves to have offended, Dnext, I purpofe, through either by will, word, or deed, Gods affiftance, to adminifter there to bewail your own finto all fuch as fhall be religi- fulness, and to confess your

felves to Almighty God, with folution, together with ghoftly full purpose of amendment of counsel and advice, to the qui life. And if ye fhall perceive eting of his confcience, and your offences to be fuch as are avoiding of all scruple and not only against God, but also doubtfulness. against your neighbours, then ye fhall reconcile your felves unto them, being ready to make reftitution and satisfaction, according to the uttermoft

of your powers, for all injuries

Or in cafe he shall fee the Peo ple negligent to come to the holy Communion, instead of the former, he shall use this Exhortation.

Dan----I intend by Gods

Early beloved brethren,

and wrongs done by you to any other; and being likewife grace to celebrate the Lords ready to forgive others that Supper: unto whith in Gods have offended you, as ye would behalf I bid you all that are have forgiveness of your offen- here prefent, and befeech you ces at Gods hand: for other- for the Lord Jefus Chrifts fake, wife the receiving of the holy that ye will not refufe to come Communion doth nothing else thereto, being fo lovingly callbut increase your damnation. ed and bidden by God himTherefore if any of you be a felf. Ye know how grievous blafphemer of God, an hinder- and unkind a thing it is, when er or flanderer of his Word, a man hath prepared a rich an adulterer, or be in malice, feaft, decked his Table with or envy, or in any other grie- all kind of provifion, fo that vous crime; repent you of your there lacketh nothing but the: fins, or elfe come not to that guests to fit down, and yet they holy Table, left after the taking who are called (without any of that holy Sacrament, the de- caufe) moft unthankfully revil enter into you, as he entred fufe to come. Which of you into Judas,and fill you full of all in fuch a cafe would not be. iniquities, and bring you to de- moved? Who would not think ftruction both of body and foul. a great injury and wrong done And because it is requifite, unto him? Wherefore, most that no man fhould come to the dearly beloved in Christ, take holy Communion, but with a ye good heed, left ye with full truft in Gods mercy, and drawing your felves from this with a quiet confcience; there- holy Supper, provoke Gods fore if there be any of you, who indignation against you. It is by this means cannot quiet his an eafie matter for å man to own confcience herein, but re- fay, I will not communicate, quireth further comfort or because I am otherwife hin counfel; let him come to me, or dred with worldly business. But to fome other difcreet andlearn- fuch excufes are not fo eafily ed Minifter of Gods Word, and accepted and allowed before open his grief, that by the mi- God. If any man fay, I am a niftry of Gods holy Word he grievous finner, and therefore may receive the benefit of Ab- am afraid to come : wherefore ༦ད་

then

then do ye not repent and amend? When God calleth you, are ye not ashamed to fay you will not come? When ye should return to God, will ye excufe your felves, and say ye are not ready? Confider earnestly with your felves, how little fuch feigned excufes will avail be

At the time of the Celebration of the Communion, the Communicants being conveniently placed for the receiving of the holy Sacrament, the Prieft fhall Say this Exhortation.

fore God. They that refufed Darly beloved in the Lord, ye that mind to come to the feaft in the Gospel, because the holy Communion of the bothy had bought a farm, or dy and blood of our Saviour would try their yokes of oxen, Chrift,must confider how Saint or becaufe they were married, Paul exhorteth all persons diwere not fo excused, but count- ligently to try and examine ed unworthy of the heavenly themselves, before they prefeaft. I for my part fhall be fume to eat of that bread, and ready; and according to mine drink of that cup. For as the office, I bid you in the Name of benefit is great, if with a true God, I call you in Chrifts be- penitent heart and lively faith half, I exhort you as you love we receive that holy Sacrament your own falvation, that ye (for then we fpiritually eat the will be partakers of this holy flesh of Chrift, and drink his Communion. And as the Son blood; then we dwell inChrist, of God did vouchfafe to yield and Chrift in us; we are one up his foul by death upon the with Chrift, and Chrift with crofs for your falvation: fo it is us :) So is the danger great, if your duty to receive the Com- we receive the fame unwor munion, in remembrance of thily. For then we are guilty of the facrifice of his death, as he the body and blood of Chrift himfeif hath commanded our Saviour; we eat and drink Which if ye fhall neglect to our own damnation, not confi do, confider with your felves dering the Lords body; we kinhow great injury ye do unto dle Gods wrath against us, we God, and how fore punishment provoke him to plague us with hangeth over your heads for divers diseases,and fundry kinds the fame; when ye wilfully ab- of death. Judge therefore your ftain from the Lords Table, felves, brethren, that ye be not and feparate from your bre. judged of the Lord; repent you thren who come to feed on the truly for your fins paft: havea banquet of that moft heavenly lively and ftedfaft faith in food. These things, if ye ear- Chrift ourSaviour; amend your neftly confider, ye will by Gods lives, and be in perfect charity grace return to a better mind: with all men,fo fhall ye be meet for the obtaining whereof, we partakers of those holy myftefhall not ceafe to make our ries. And above all things ye humble petitions unto Almigh- must give moft humble and ty God our heavenly Father. hearty thanks to God the Fa

ther,

ther, the Son, and the Holy feffion to Almighty God, meekGhoft, for the redemption of ly kneeling upon your knees. the world by the death and paffion of our Saviour Christ, both God and man, who did humble himfelf even to the death upon the Cross, for us miferable finners, who lay in darkness, and the fhadow of death, that he might make us

the children of God, and exalt

Then shall thisgeneral Confeffi on be made, in the name of all· those thatare minded to receive the holy Communion,by one of the Minifters, both he and all the People kneeling humbly upon their knees, and faying,

Almighty God, Father of

our Lord Jefus Chrift, us to everlasting life. And to Maker of all things, Judge of the end that we fhould alway all men ; We acknowledge and remember the exceeding great bewail our manifold fins and love of our Mafter, and only wickedness, Which we from Saviour Jefus Chrift thus dy- time to time moft grievously ing for us, and the innumera- have committed, By thought, ble benefits which by his pre- word and deed, Against thy cious blood-fhedding he hath divine Majefty, Provoking most obtained to us; he hath infti- juftly thy wrath and indigna tuted and ordained holy myfte- tion against us. We do carneftries, as pledges of his love, and ly repent, and are heartily forfor a continual remembrance ry for these our misdoings; of his death, to our great and endless comfort. To him therefore with the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, let us give (as we are most bounden) continual thanks, fubmitting our felves wholly to his holy will and pleasure, and ftudying to ferve him in true holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. Amen.

Then fhall the Prieft fay to them that come to receive the holy Communion,

that do truly and ear

Yneftly repent you of your

fins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, fol

lowing the commandments of

The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; The burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, moft merciful Father; For thy Son our Lord Jefus Chrifts fake, Forgive us all that is paft, And grant that we may ever hereafter Serve and please thee in newness of life, To the honour and glory of thy Name, Through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then fhall the Priest (or the Bishop being prefent) stand up, and turning himself to the People, pronounce this Abfolution. Amighty God-our heaven

ly Father, who of his God, and walking from hence- great mercy hath promised forforth in his holy ways; Draw giveness of fins to all them that near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort and make your humble con

with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him; Have mercy upon you, pardon and G6 deliver

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