be done in remembrance of thee, we bless thy holy name for this gracious appointment, and for its continued observance to this day. O Lord, may those of us who hope to go on the next Sabbath to thy table, be assisted by thy grace in giving time to selfexamination and prayer. Do thou impart to us a lively feeling of our own sinfulness and unprofitableness and a simple dependence on thy merits. Do thou give us to hunger for the bread of life. Do thou enable us to discern thy body and to feed on thy flesh in our hearts, by faith, with thanksgiving. O prepare us, by thy grace, that we may with a true penitent heart and lively faith, receive that holy sacrament, so that we may spiritually eat thy flesh and drink thy blood; that we may dwell in thee and thou in us, and that we may be one with Christ and Christ with us. Grant us these inestimable benefits, for thy great name's sake.

CXXXVI.

AFTER COMMUNION.

(To be added to the other prayers.)

O Lord our God and Saviour, who hast admitted some of us, unworthy and sinful as we are, to that heavenly feast of love in which we feed on Christ the true bread of life, keep alive in our hearts a lively remembrance of so great a token and pledge of thy favour and goodness towards us. May we ever keep in mind with what we have had commu

nion, even the body and blood of Christ, and that we are united to the people of the Lord as one bread and one body. May we therefore come out from the world, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, may we do all to thy glory. May we give no offence or cause of stumbling to any one, but please all men in all things, not seeking our own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. May we especially love the brotherhood, and feel our union and oneness with all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Hear us, for his sake. Amen.

CXXXVII.

LORD'S DAY MORNING.

BEFORE COMMUNION.

Our heavenly Father, in whose house there is bread enough and to spare, receive us thy sinful children, returning unto thee in the name of Jesus Christ. O give unto us the spirit of prayer, and show us our weakness and wants and sinfulness, and thy power and riches and willingness to assist us, and let the Holy Spirit himself help our infirmities, that we may offer unto thee acceptable worship.

Thou hast appointed this holy day for thine own service; write thy gracious law in our hearts, and enable us to lay aside all worldly thoughts and cares,

and without coldness and distraction to wait upon thee all the day in a spiritual and heavenly mind, and with all fervent and holy affections.

Our divine Redeemer having called us in his church to celebrate this day the memorial of his death, we entreat thee to look with thy special grace upon those of us who hope to go to his holy table. O heavenly Father, we bless thee that thou hast indeed. commended thy love to us in sending thy Son to be the propitiation for our sins, that we might live through him. In not sparing him, we thank thee thou hast assured us thou wilt freely give us all things, and that he who died for us must be full of love to us. Enable us by this love to discern our sinfulness and perverseness, our vile ingratitude and base returns unto thee; and in the spirit of deep contrition and true repentance, as well as in the spirit of filial confidence and holy love, to go to this holy communion. We beseech thee to enable us to discern, by faith, the Lord's body given and broken for us, and his blood shed for us. O may our souls be raised, by the Holy Ghost dwelling in us, to that true and saving faith which this ordinance is so especially designed to aid us in attaining. May we discern Christ as the bread that came down from heaven, which gives life unto the world. O Lord Jesus, may we come to thee for this bread, that we may never hunger, and believe on thee, that we may never thirst. O may we eat thy flesh and drink thy

blood, and so have eternal life and be raised up at the last day. And may the eating of this bread and the drinking of this cup, be an effectual means of thy grace to give us this communion of thy body and thy blood. O heavenly Father, may Christ crucified be set forth among us evidently before our eyes. May he manifest himself to our souls in the breaking of bread, so that we may have a lively, quickening, soul-affecting and reviving view of his death for us, and true fellowship with his sufferings. May we also know the power of his resurrection, and that he is now seated at thy right hand; and by faith may we behold our risen Saviour appearing in heaven in thy presence for us, as the Lamb slain in the midst of the throne, and as the true High Priest of his people, ever living to make intercession for

us.

Give us also, by the Lord's supper, to gain a full assurance of his return in thy glory. Seeing that as oft as we eat this bread and drink this cup we show forth his death till he come, may each ordinance show us the passing away of the days of darkness and the quick return of our heavenly Lord. May we be helped by this solemn memorial to be found watching, praying, and all ready for his coming.

We farther ask of thee a great increase of love, both to our Lord Jesus Christ and to each other. May we see that we, being many, are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread; and so may love to each other be enkindled and

greatly quickened and strengthened. May we sympathize more with each others' wants and joys, and by our love to the brethren know that we belong to the household of faith.

Strengthen us hereby also for all the sacrifices, self-denial, labours, firmness, love, patience, forbearance, and persevering zeal of the Christian life, that having partaken of this heavenly food, we may go to all our duties refreshed and invigorated for all our appointed work.

We pray for a full blessing on the ministers appointed over us and all thy people, and on all the congregations that gather together in thy name. May great grace be upon them all, and the Lord Jesus be magnified this day in the conversion and edification of a countless multitude who shall be his in the day when he makes up his jewels. Hear us for his name's sake.

CXXXVIII.

LORD'S DAY EVENING.

AFTER COMMUNION.

O thou that dwellest in the highest heavens, before whom the heavenly hosts are worshipping, and with devout adoration crying out, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing: we too would join our feeble praises to them. We would now