The penitent Christian,: fitted with meditations and prayers, for a the devout receiving of the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper, / by Lewis Southcomb, rector of Rose-Ash in the county of Devon. ; For the benefit of the people under his charge, and others.

A Prayer and Thanksgiving after the holy Sacrament, to be used only by such, as had never received it be∣fore.

O Holy and merciful Jesus! by whom the mercies of Eterni∣ty are conveyed to mankind; I bless and praise and thank thee, with my whole heart, and all the powers of my Soul, for this first admittance of me to the mercy and the privi∣ledges of the Holy Sacrament of thy Body and Blood; for my having lately partaked of some of these joyes and comforts that are alone to be found with thee and in thy Service, and till now were unknown to me.

O that having had the mercy and advantage of renewing my Cove∣nant with thee, I may now at least begin to spend my days, (as far as ever the necessary business of this present life will permit me) in thy Service, in all the parts of piety and

virtue; in works of Mercy and Cha∣rity and Devotion, in meekness and humility, in self-denial and Repen∣tance, in Chastity and Temperance, in all that's holy just and good. O my Lord! 'tis the serious desire and resolution of my Soul thus to do; that so early beginning to lay up my treasure in Heaven, I may (by thy Grace) have a good account there in the Records of Eternity, at the end of my sixty or seventy years. O my Jesu! whatever thou pleasest else to deny me here, deny me not a grant of this my request I beseech thee; that those desires and reso∣lutions of mine, may in some good measure be accomplished and effect∣ed. Let not the allurements and perswasions of my Companions, ever entice me from my Duty, or the jeers or reproaches of any man what∣ever, fright me from my Innocence. O let me never suffer my self to be laught out of my Religion, or be ashamed or affraid to perform my

holy Duties before the face of any man, but be ever looking unto Je∣sus; and let me in view of him be content to endure the Cross and de∣spise the shame, or whatever else shall befal me for the sake of Piety and Virtue, or obedience to any one Command of thine: Let my youth∣ful heart be never much inflam'd with any Loves, or passions or de∣sires, but those of thee and thy holy Religion. O my Lord, grant, that I may be perswaded to understand and consider, what a great advan∣tage I have, of devoting and giving up my first and best dayes to Reli∣gion and Piety; and that now is my time to shew, that I am lead to Re∣ligion by Love, and by my choice, and not driven to it only by the fears and horrors of an approaching Grave: and that I may often and betimes consider, with how much greater comfort I shall leave Morta∣lity, if I may be able then to remem∣ber an early Love and Obedience to

thee O Jesu. Let me who have liv'd in thy family ever since I was baptized, now at least begin to feel my self more powerfully drawn to thee than ever. O make me in the beginning of my dayes, to be true∣ly serious and considerate; to begin to withdraw from the World be∣times, and to love to be sometime alone, to look into the state of my Soul, and provide for a joyful Re∣surrection. Make me to think it the greatest happiness in this World to choose thee O blessed Jesu, be∣times for my Lord and Master, and to look on Religion as the Rest and Delight, and Satisfaction of my Soul. O fill my Soul with such a Love to thee, and to those holy Mysteries in which I commemorate a dying Lord, that I may be able to think it long, before I have an opportunity to come to feast upon thy Body and Blood again; and that as I grow in years, I may in some measure grow in Grace, and in the Divine favour.

To this end, O that I may pass safe∣ly through this dangerous state of life, freed from the Intemperance and Lusts, the folly and vanity, the heedlesness and inconsideration, that often attends it: and that I may the better be able thus to do, Lord I now deliver up to thee, all my Affections and Desires, to be guided and direct∣ed by thy Holy Spirit; I am willing to submit them all to thee, that so as I have lately begun for Eternity, I may go on, and prosper, and in an ac∣ceptable measure, now keep up to the purity and Innocence of my first san∣ctification, and never more give out, till I come to the end of my hopes, and the beginning of my joyes, and be presented to my Father, pure and spotless, in the great day of Rewards and Punishments, by thee O holy and merciful Jesus, Amen.