Monthly preparations for the Holy Communion by R.B

8. When the Minister delivereth you the consecrated Bread and Wine, look upon him as the messenger of Christ, and hear him as if Christ by him said to you, Take this my broken body and blood, and feed •• it to everlasting life: and take with it no sealed Covenant, and therein the sealed testimony of my love, and the sealed pardon o• your sins, and a sealed gift of life eternal so be it, you unfeignedly consent unto my Covenant, and give up your selves to me •• my redeemed ones. Even as in delivering ⟨p. 49⟩the possession of House or Lands, the deliverer giveth a Key, and a Twig and a Turf, and saith, I deliver you this house, and I deliver you this Land: So doth the Minister by Christ's Authority deliver you Christ and pardon and title to eternal life. Here is an Image of a sacrificed Christ of Gods own appointing, which you may lawfully use: And more than an Image; even an investing Instrument, by which these highest mercies are solemnly delivered to you in the name of Christ. Let your hearts therefore say with Joy and Thankfulness, with Faith and Love, O matchless bounty of the eternal God! what a gift is this! and unto what unworthy sinners! and will God stoop so low to man? and come so near him? and thus reconcile his worthless enemies? Will he freely pardon all that I have done? and take me into his family and love, and feed me with the flesh and blood of Christ? I believe; Lord help mine unbelief. I humbly and thankfully accept thy gifts! Open thou my heart, that I may yet more joyfully and thankfully accept them: Seeing God will glorify his Love and mercy by such incomprehensible ⟨p. 50⟩gifts as these, behold, Lord, a wretch that needeth all this mercy! And seeing it is the offer of thy Grace and Covenant, my Soul doth gladly take thee for my God and Father, for my Saviour and my Sanctifier: And here I give my up self unto thee, as thy Created, Redeemed and (I hope) Regenerate one; as thy Own, thy Subject and thy Child, to be saved and Sanctified by thee, to be beloved by thee and to Love thee to everlasting: O seal up this Covenant and pardon, by the Spirit, which thou sealest and deliverest to me in thy Sacrament: that, without reserve, I may be entirely and for ever thine!