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1. Prayer properly fo called, or petition. 2. Confeffion of our fins.

3. Thankfgiving for mercies.

FIRST, Prayer properly fo called, or petition. Here I fhall fhew,

ed.

1, Wherein the formal nature of prayer confifts. 2. To whom we are to pray.

3. In whofe name we are to pray.

4. By whofe affiftance acceptable prayer is perform.

5. For whom we must pray.

6. For what we are to pray.

7. How we are to pray, if we would pray rightly and acceptably.

&c.

8. Whether all fuch prayers are accepted, heard,

FIRST, Wherein does the formal nature of prayer confift? It lies precifely in offering up our defires to God, for things that we need. It is a motion of our hearts towards God, to move him as it were to look favourably on us, Pfal. Ixii. 8. a pouring out our heart before the Lord; a lifting our foul to him, Pfal. XXV. I.; a prefenting our fupplications to him, as petitioners, Dan. ix. 18.

We command our inferiors, we demand of our equals; we may by fome deed of our own lay an obli gation on, and tome way excite an inclination in, any man, even our fuperior, to help us: but none of thefe ways can work with God. What then remains but a religious and fubmiffive offering of our defires to God, for his help, who knows our hearts? And this is what we call prayer. Hence,

1. There may be prayer made to God without words. The defires of the heart offered to God, though not clothed with words, are prayer, truly and properly fo called, Exod. xiv. 15. Words are not neceffary from the nature of pray but on the account of ourfelves to affect us the more, and to honour God with our bodies as well as our fouls.

doubteth is damned if he eat. What though ye be moft unworthy? he ftands not on that. Though your fins be many, the fea of his blood can drain. them all, If. i. 18. Mic. vii. 18. If the devil get in thus far on you, it will be an error in the first concoction; and till ye get over it, it is impoffible to communicate aright, or get good of the facrament.

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2. Who taking the elements, yet do not take Chrift by faith. Then it may be faid, as John i. 11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Is the bread or cup offered to you then? by that Chrift says, Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlafting doors, and the King of glory fhall come in, Pfal. xxiv. 7. Therefore we ought to fet our hearts wide open, clafp him in the arms of faith, embrace and welcome him into our fouls. To take the bread in your mouths, and yet to hold Chrift out of your hearts, is to put a folemn cheat upon the King of glory, which will bring upon you the curfe of the deceiver, Mal. i. 14. which hath in his flock a male, and voweth and facrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing; and the cheat will be difcovered, if ye repent not, before the whole affembled world at the great day, to your everlasting confufion. This is to betray Chrift with a witnefs. Either then meddle not with thefe facramental fymbols, or take him by faith. And if ye take him, ye muft let your lufts go.

Fifthly, Confider this ordinance is a feal of the new covenant, I Cor. xi. 25. This cup is the new teftament in my blood. Chrift has covenanted and left in his teftament to his people all things neceffary for them. His word in itfelf is fufficient fecurity; but guilt is a fountain of fears; and we are guilty, and therefore fearful fouls. And therefore that it may be more fure to us, he has appended this feal. It is meet then, 1. That they be in the covenant who partake. 2. That we take the facrament as a feal of God's cove

pant to us. 3. That we believe more firmly

1. They are unworthy communicants who are not in covenant with God, and yet come to his table. It is a profaning of God's feal to set it to a blank. It is a feaft for friends, not for enemies, Cant. v. 1.; and if ye come in a state of enmity, ye can expect no kind entertainment; For can two walk together except they be agreed? Amos iii. 3. ; yea ye will get a fad welcome, fuch as the man got who wanted the wedding garment, Mat. xxii. 11. 12. If there be not a mutual confent, it is no marriage; and if there be no marriage, ye have nothing ado with the marriagefeaft.

2. They that use it as a feal of their covenant with God, and not of God's covenant with them. Surely the facrament is an obligatory ordinance to obedience; but this is not the principal end of it, but rather to be a feal of God's covenant with us. The reason why fo many afterwards appear to have been unworthy communicants is, that they go to that ordinance rather to oblige themselves to obedience, than to get a full covenant fealed to them for obedience. All our ftrength lies in Chrift; and worthy communicants go to Chrift in the facrament to get influences of grace fecured to them under his own feal, that they may in time of need afterwards know what quarter to betake themselves to for fupply.

3. They whofe faith of the benefits of the covenant is not more confirmed. This is to fit down at the table, but not to tafte of the meat that is fet thereon. Why does the Lord give us fuch encouragement, and yet we grow never a whit ftronger in faith; and though he give us new confirmations, yet we have never a whit more confidence in him? Would not a man think himfelf affronted to be thus treated?

Sixthly, Confider this ordinance is appointed for ftrengthening of our fouls, for the nourishing of the Lord's people, and their growth in grace. It is a fupper, a feaft where Chrift is both maker and matter, whofe flesh is meat indeed, and whofe blood is drink

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indeed, The Lord's people must needs have food to nourish the new man, and grace will decay unless it be recruited. If this be fo, then it is meet, 1. That

communicants be fpiritually alive. 2. That they ac tually feed fpiritually at this, holy table.

1. Gracelefs fouls muft needs communicate unworthily. Where there is no grace, there can be no ftrengethning of it. There can be no communion betwixt a holy God and an unholy finner, Prov. xv. 8. God will not make Nebuchadnezzar's image of myfti cal Chrift. We must be born from above ere we can be capable to feed on heaven's dainties. It was the cuftom of Egypt, not of Canaan, to bring dead men to feafts. They are rather to be buried out of God's fight. An unregenerate foul at the Lord's table is a monfter that hath not a hand to take his meat, nor a mouth to eat it, nor a ftomach to digeft it, Heb. xi. 6.; and all that can be expected is, that he will come away twice dead. Therefore examine yourfelves, whe ther ye be in the faith; prove your own felves: know ye not your own felves, how that Jefus Chrift is in you, except ye be reprobates? 2 Cor. xiii. 5.

2. They that do not actually feed at this table; for which caufe grace in exercife is neceffary. He is an unworthy gueft that does not eat his meat. It is dan gerous to be in a spiritual fleep at the Lord's table; therefore the church prays, Píal. lxxx. 18. Quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Now the food fet before us there is Chrift's body and blood, John vi. 55. that is, Chrift himfelf as crucified for our fins. By faith we feed upon him; faith realizeth the fufferings of Chrift; it looks upon Christ as the common treafury of all grace, as the principle of life, and root of holiness. It eyes the promife for the conveyance of grace into our fouls; looks on the facrament as the golden pipes conveying the golden oil, and thus applies Chrift his merits and benefits to the foul, getting into his wounds, the clefts of that rock that was imitten to give nourishment.

Seventhly, It is appointed for the remembrance of Chrift. Chrift is gone to heaven; and his people are apt to forget him. This ordinance is a memorial of his death, and herein he is to be remembered. If fo, then it is meet, 1. That they who fit down at his table know him; for there can be no remembering without knowledge of and acquaintance with him. 2. That he be remembred gratefully.

1. Thofe partake unworthily who are ignorant perfons, and are unacquainted with Chrift. Thofe that have been always blind, cannot remember the light. Ignorant fouls will as blind men deal blows at the Lord's table, making themselves guilty of the body and blood of Chrift. It is not only neceffary that we have the knowledge of the principles of religion, but that we be taught the fame by the Spirit, and in converfion be acquainted with the mafter of this feaft. Ignorant people cannot difcern the Lord's body.

2. Who do not remember him affectionately. To remember his dying love is our great work; to remember how feafonably he undertook the work of faving finners, Pfal. xl. 7. how faithfully he performed all, how willingly and conftantly he obeyed and fuffered. What do men fit down at the Lord's table for, if they neglect this? And this cannot be done aright, but the foul will be fuitably affected.

Lastly, It is appointed to be a fign and token of the communion of faints, to fignify not only our communion with Chrift, but with one another; not only our union with Chrift by faith, but with one another by love, 1 Cor. x. 17. It is meet then that we fit down at this 'table in love.

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They partake then unworthily who fit down at this table with malice and envy in their heart against others, Matth. v. 24. 25. If we forgive not others their injuries to us, God will not forgive us. leaven inuft be purged out, if we would be a holylump. Some will make a fafhion of reconciliation be fore the facrament; and when that is over, they are

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