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amazing a condescension! that God should vouchsafe to become man, to reconcile man to God! that he should assume our vile and frail and mortal nature, that he might clothe us with glory, and honour, and immortality! that he should suffer death, and shed his blood, to purchase redemption for us!

Blessed God and Saviour of mankind, what shall we render to thee for such mighty love, for such inestimable benefits as thou hast purchased for us! what affections should these thoughts raise in us! what vows and resolutions should they engage us in of perpetual love, and gratitude, and obedience to thee, thou most gracious and glorious Redeemer of mankind!

IV.

BISHOP PATRICK.

What tongue or mind is able to give thee sufficient thanks, O Lord Jesu, for thy ineffable love towards us, who to redeem man didst become man! Thou tookest upon thee all the injuries of our condition; and, last of all, as a Lamb without spot, wast offered upon the altar of the cross, to reconcile us to thy Father. And not content with this thy bounty towards us, but lest the memory of so great love should decay, thou, sitting in heaven, dost by thy holy mysteries refresh our souls here upon earth.

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David, to shew his love to Jonathan, did honour his son by receiving him unto his kingly table; but how hast thou honoured us, who hast made us partakers of thy heavenly table! for which thy holy name be praised, now and evermore. Amen.

DR. SUTTON.

V.

Honour and praise is due to thee, O infinite God! This is the universal voice of all the blessed spirits on high, and all the saints on earth. Worthy art thou, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, because thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are. We, with united hearts and affections, offer thee as we can the sacrifice of gratitude, love, and praise. How much are we indebted to thee for ourselves, and all that we possess! for in thee we live, move, and have our being. Thou hast redeemed us from our sins, having given the Son of thy love as a sacrifice and ransom for our souls: "the chastisement of our peace fell upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.' On this consideration we acknowledge we are no longer at our own disposal, since we are bought with a price, and so very great a price, that we may glorify thee, O Father, and thy Son, in our souls and our bodies, which are so justly

thine. May we devote ourselves to thee through the whole remaining part of our life, and disdain the impure and ignoble slavery of sin, the world, and the flesh, that in all things we may demean ourselves as becomes the sons of God and the heirs of the celestial kingdom, and make daily greater progress in our journey towards the happy possession thereof, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Meditations

ON

SELECT PASSAGES

OF

Holy Scripture.

WHEN we be planted in CHRIST, then may we come to this Holy Supper as often as we will, that, by this ghostly (spiritual] food, we may daily more and more wax stronger in our faith, that CHRIST was given to be the ransom for our sins, and that he dwelleth in us, and we in him. For, seeing that we are planted in CHRIST by baptism, and are bound to grow and increase in him, and be made like unto him, it is not convenient that we should only have a wavering opinion that we dwell in CHRIST, and grow in faith and charity; but we must have a sure word and work of God, to the which we may lean in all temptations, and thereby be assured that we grow and increase in CHRIST. And this word and work of GOD is set before our eyes in the Lord's Supper. For, seeing our Saviour CHRIST doth give us his body to be our meat, and his blood to be our drink, and thereby doth declare that he will effectually dwell in us, strengthen and preserve us to everlasting life, we may stedfastly believe that CHRIST doth work in us, and that he will give us ghostly strength and stedfastness, that we, like green branches, may continue in the vine, and so be full of sap, and bring forth good fruit.-ABP. CRANMER (Catechismus, 1548)

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