"brother, he is a lyar; for he that loveth not his brother, “whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he "hath not feen? No man hath feen God at any Time. If "we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love " is perfected in us. Thus the beloved difciple, who under "fload the great mysteries of divine love, bath expreffed them to "us. And,

"Here (you fee) are no blind elevations of the will; no ex"tatic nor luscious expreffion; no, it is very plain that all fuch "myftical notions, and lufcious metaphors and expreffions "had another spring and a more impure fountain, than the "chriftian doctrine." For, as the faid devout and judicious prelate adds, "fuppofing that myftical way of perfection were poffible, I could fee no neceflity at all of Chrift's coming into "the world, nor of any influence his death, or fuffering, or "doctrine could have upon the bringing men to a state of Hap“piness."

For thefe reafons I thought it my duty, as a chriftian, to explade that fulfome and luscious method of the Old Week's Preparation, which has moft fcandalously put into the mouth of the devout reader fuch carnal expreffions as are mentioned above*: and in their flead I have endeavoured to fubftitute fuch prayers A 4 and

"The two great errors into which a mistaken devotion may betray us, are enthusiasm and fuperftition. There is not a more melancholy object than a man who has his head turned with religious enthusiasm. A perfon that is crazed, tho' with pride or malice, is a fight very mortifying to human nature; but when the diftemper arifes from any indifcreet fervours of devotion, or too intense an application of the mind to its mistaken duties, it deferves our compaffion in a more particular manner. We may however learn this leffon from it, that fince devotion itself (which one would be apt to think could not be too warm) may diforder the mind, unless its heats are tempered with caution and prudence, we should be particularly careful to keep our reafon as cool as poffible, and to guard ourfelves in all parts of life against the influence of paffion, imagination, and conflitution."

"Devotion, when it does not lye under the check of reafon, is very apt to degenerate into entbufiafm: when the mind finds herself very much

enflamed

and meditations, as may be warranted from the word of God: being thoroughly fenfible how well grounded that complaint of the pious bifhop FLEETWOOD is, that the devotions of the ignorant are generally fuperftitious and grofs, fixing themfelves commonly on fenfible objects; whereas in true religion all is intelligible and divine,-and God, who should be the only object of their devotion, buth hardly any share therein.

ནར་

Some account of this work.

As it has been my endeavour on the one hand not t to flatter fin-mers; fo on the other, I have been careful not to fill the minds of any with unneceffary fears, and fcruples, with respect to a duty, which ought to be the practice of their whole lives; as if no body ought to go to this facrament, but fuch as are as perfect as ever they can hope to be.

On the contrary; it is the judgment of the most orthodox divines, that (alftracting from particular circumftances) the re-cerving of the bleed facrament, is the most divine and folemn act of our religion; and it ought to be the zealous endeavour of every true chriftian, by God's affiftance, to prepare his foul with the most ferious, and most devout difpofitions he poffibly can, to approach the holy altar: a man cannot too often commemorate our Lord and his paffion, nor too often return devout thanks and praifes for the fame, nor too often repeat his refolutions of amendment, nor too often renew his folemn engagements, nor too often receive pardon of fins, and fresh fucccurs of divine grace: and if coming to the Lord's table (prepared or unprepared) were a fure and infallible way to answer thofe good and great ends, there could then be no question, but that it would be both our wisdom and our

duty

enflamed with her devotions, the is too much inclined to think they are not of her own kindling, but blown up with fomething divine within her. If the indulges this thought too far, and humours the growing paffion, the at laft flings herself into imaginary raptures and exftafies; and when once thef ancies herself under the Influence of a divine impulfe, it is no wonder if the flights human ordinances, and refufes to comply with any eftablifhed form of religion, as thinking herfelf directed by a much fuperior gride. See Mr. ADDISON's works.

duty to communicate as often as opportunities fhould invite, and health permit. But it is certain, on the other hand, that bare.communicating, is not the thing required, but communicating worthily. Here lies the main firefs of all, not to urge frequency of communion fo far as to render this holy facrament hurtful, or fruitlefs to parties concern'd; neither yet to abate fo far of the frequency, as to make a kind of dearth or famine of this fo falutary and neceffary food. For the clearer understanding of this matter, it may be neceffary to take notice, that fince it is allowed on all hands, that there can be no juft bar to frequency of communion, but the want of preparation, which is only fuch a bar as men may themfelves remove, if they pleafe; it concerns them highly to take off the impediment as foon as poffible, and not to trust to the vain hopes of alleviating one fault by committing another. The danger of mifperforming any religious duty, is an argument for fear and caution, but no excufe for neglect: God infifts upon the doing it, and the doing it well alfo. It was no fufficient plea for the flothful fervant, under the Gospel, that he thought his mafter hard to pleafe, and thereupon neglected his bounden duty: but on the contrary, the ufe he ought to have made of that confideration was, to have been fo much the more wakeful and diligent in his master's fervice. Therefore in the cafe of the holy communion, it is to very little purpofe to plead the ftrictness of the felf-examination or preparation by way of excufe either for a total, or for a frequent, or for a long neglect of it. A man may fay, that he comes not to the Lord's table, because he is not prepared, and fo far he affigns a good reafon; but if he should be further afked, why he is not prepared, when he may; then he can only make fome trifing, infufficient excufe, or remain fpeechless.

But to return: I have fpared no pains to render thefe meditations and prayers as generally ufeful, as can be expected in a book of this kind; yet, as the best performances have their imperfections, fo this (to be fure) is not without fome. However, I hope, there are none fo material, but what a Chriftian may over-look for the fake of that good which is intended by it. Again: that all these meditations and prayers are entirely new, is bv no

A 5

means pretended no, there will be found amongst them feveral collected from other books; but then thefe being fuch only as have been allowed to be excellent in their kind, it may reasonably be expected that the whole will be the more acceptable on that account.

Upon a review, fince the first publication of this Preparation, I have experienced that many communicants difiract themfelves with a multiplicity of private devotions, when in duty they fhould attend to the publick fervice of the church; and further prompted thereto by the advice of those whofe peculiar charge is to infpect and promote the welfare of the christian worship, and for whofe judgment the world upon many occafions have exprefed the greatest cfteem; I have interwove in this prefent edition fo much of the communion as is fufficient to prevent that growing evil; in which I have followed the example of the bishop of Man, Mr. King, and feveral others; but with this difference, that I have not burthened the communicant with much of the Office— No more than that part of it in which communicants only, are concerned; and which is really neceflary for their affiflance during the folemnity; whereas the bishop of Man, and fome others, have taken in the whole of that office from one end to the other; which I can't approve of upon feveral accounts too tedious to be rebated in fo foort a preface, and which I rather chufe to conclude with the following quotation of the late pious, learned and orthodox Dr. Waterland, against the folly and danger of laying. a fashionable firefs upon an habitual preparation, and in favour of fuch WEEKLY Treatifes of preparation before receiving the Lord's Supper.

The usefulness of actual preparation before receiving the LORD'S SUPPER.

"Our esteem or difefteem (of this holy facrament) will best be "feen by our preparing or not preparing for it as we ought.There is fomething of a preparation of heart, mind and ways, required for all religious offices, much more for this, which is the flower and perfection of all.

"As to the length of time to be taking in preparing, there " is no one certain rule to be given, which can fuit all cafes or "circumftances: only, when a man has competently adjusted his "accounts with God, (be it fooner or later) then he is fit to 66 come, and not till then.

"There is an habitual, and there is an actual preparation "The habitual preparation is a good life; and the farther we "are advanced in it, the lefs need there is of any actual prepa"ration befides: but, because men are too apt to flatter and de "ceive their own hearts, and to fpeak peace to themfelves with

out fufficient ground for fo doing; therefore fome actual prepa "ration, felf-examination, &c. is generally neceffary, even to thofe who may be habitually good, if it be only to give them a well-grounded affurance, that they really are fo.

"It were to be wished there were not many amongst us whe "have a deal to confider of before-hand; many offences to cor "rect, many diforders to fet right, much to do, and much to un"do, before they prefume to come to God's altar.

"Fault has been fometimes found with thefe little treatifes of "Weekly Preparation: I think without reafon. They are "exceeding useful in their kind.-It may be happy for them "who need none of thefe helps: but they that leaft need them, "are not the men, generally, who most defpile them. None of "us, perhaps, are fo perfect as not to want, at fome feafons, fome fuch hints for recollection or helps to devotion. It is well for common chriftians, that they are provided with useful "manuals of that kind. They that are well difpofed, will make ufe of them as often as they need them, and will at all times give "God thanks and praises for them..

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See the Directions on Page 134.

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The