places Gal. 6.6 Phil. 4.15 of which we pertake by eating this bread and drinking this Cup in remembrance of his death for the remission of sin And so we beseech our merciful Father in the Prayer of Consecration which our Church prescribes that we receiving these his Creatures of bread and wine according to his Son our Saviours holy institution in remembrance of his death and Passion may be pertakers of his most blessed body and blood For after the bread and wine are deputed by holy prayer to God to be used for a Commemoration of Christs death though they do not cease to be what they were before yet they begin to be something which they were not before this Consecration That is they become now to us visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace and do not merely figure to us the breaking of Christs body and the shedding of his blood but are a pledg of that inward and spiritual grace which they represent What that grace is we are taught in our Catechism when it tells us that it is the body and blood of Christ which are verily and indeed received of the faithful in the Lords Supper That is they have a real part and portion given them in the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus whose body was broken and blood shed for remission of sins They truly and indeed pertake of the vertue of his bloody Sacrifice whereby he hath obtained an eternal redemption for us This is the meaning sure of pertaking of his body and blood which are here communicated Because this bread and wine do not become his body and blood by ceasing to be bread and wine but by tendring them to us as a spiritual grace Their efficacy therefore and vertue by the divine favour is made ours All the effects and benefits of his passion are imparted to us In short there is nothing which the body and blood of Christ can be to the spirits of men but by these tokens he exhibits it to us and gives us an interest in it This is spiritually to eat his flesh and drink his blood as both our Church and the ancient speak Our souls intertain and feast themselves upon his Sacrifice being really made pertakers of whatsoever his body and blood can do for them Which S. Gregory Nazianzen meant I should think when he saith that these oblations are the Communication of the Incarnation of God and of the sufferings of God * in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 2. Jamb 15. How doth he communicate to us his Incarnation but by giving us the fruits and benefits of it and so he communicates to us his broken body and his blood that was shed We pertake of both in the same manner We are admitted to participate of the secret of the sufferings of Christ as he speaks in another place ‡ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 40. and by means of this Sacrament are vested in the merit of them And thus indeed the bread and wine are changed not by abolishing their substance but by turning them to this divine use to which they are deputed by prayer according to Christs institution to tender to us the spiritual grace of the body and blood of our Saviour The principal part of which grace is remission of sin For sin being done away death the fruit of sin is abolished he graciously restores us to the priviledg of immortality which we had lost and in order to it assures us he will not fail to communicate the grace of his holy spirit to assist and further us in our way to everlasting bliss We may be satisfied that he will send a living vertue into our spirits to quicken excite and strengthen us to do according to our Vows and ingagements that so we may continue in his love as he continued in his Fathers love by keeping his Commandments For this is the nature and office of all Sacramental pledges to assure us of the good will of God and of his truth in fulfilling his gracious promises He ingages to be faithful to us by giving them as we ingage our selves to be faithful to him by receiving them God bids us believe that we shall be accepted in his beloved nay he puts us in possession of all that which the Gospel promises and the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross obtained to us mercy grace and peace remission of sin the power of the Holy Ghost and eternal life Thus the prayer of Consecration runs in the ancient Liturgies into which though many things are foisted sutable to the conceits of later times yet they contain sundry expressions of Christian devotion worthy of those who are called the Authors of them Bless this Bread and this wine saith that ascribed to S. Chrysostom make it to be the body and blood of thy Son c. that it may be to all that pertake of it for the washing of the Soul the forgiveness of sin the communication of the Holy Spirit c. And a little after Make us worthy to pertake of thy heavenly and dreadful mysteries of this holy and spiritual Table with a pure Conscience for the remission of sin the pardon of our offences the communication of the Holy Spirit the inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven and confidence before thee not for judgment or condemnation In that also which goes under the name of S. James to mention no more we find these words Be merciful to us O God according to thy great mercy and send upon us and upon these gifts thy Holy Spirit that it may sanctifie and make this bread the holy body of thy Christ and this Cup the pretious blood of thy Christ that they may be to all those who receive them for the remission of sin and for eternal life the sanctification of body and soul the bringing forth the fruit of good works and the establishing of thy holy Catholick and Apostolick Church which thou hast founded upon the ROCK OF FAITH that the gates of hell may not prevail against it c. The meaning of which words make this Bread the Body of thy Christ c. are so well expounded in the Service of the Roman Church by the addition only of these two words TO VS as if their forefathers had studied to prevent that gross conceit which now they have entertained * Our Writers have shewn often enough that the fancy of transubstantiation is not countenanced by the service of that Church which teaches it For the Prayer there concerning the Bread and wine is that they may become to us the body and blood of thy wel-beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ God doth not make them so in themselves by changing their substance but unto us by their change from the common to this Spiritual use Nor doth the prayer now mentioned for the Holy Spirit to come and sanctifie them and make them his body to us c. suggest any such thing as a change of their substance For the ancient writers
frequently say as much concerning the sanctifying of the Water in Baptism by the holy Spirit and yet it remains Water still though it serve to the mystical washing away of sin So do the bread and wine remain bread and wine after the sanctifying of them and their becoming the body and blood of Christ to us They are both bread and wine in their substance and the body and blood of Christ the Spiritual use to which they are appointed To that use when once they are consecrated we have no regard at all to the substance of bread and wine but only to the body and blood of Christ which by doing this are communicated to our souls in the remission of sin the sanctification of the Spirit and eternal life To conclude what Gregory Nyssen saith concerning Baptism * Tom. 2. in Bapt. Christi p. 802. Do not contemn the divine washing nor undervalue it as a common thing because of the Vse of the Water for that which it works is great and there are wonderful effects of it we may say concerning the Supper of the Lord Bread and Wine are but small things but in this holy use of them they are great and produce admirable effects Nay he himself immediately mentions this very thing among others for an example of the great benefit that may be received from common matters when they are applied to a divine use This Altar saith he at which we stand is in its Nature but ordinary stone nothing different from those you tread upon but being dedicated to God â—ervice it is an holy Table c. And this bread also is in the beginning but common bread but when the mystery hath offered it then it is called and it is the body of Christ So the mystical oyl and so the Wine which are little worth before the blessing after the sanctification of the Spirit have another kind of operation And thus a Priest who the other day was a vulgar person being separated by blessing becomes a guide a Governour a teacher of piety c. And these things he doth without any change at all in his body or form By these examples any man may see that he thought the bread and wine in the Sacrament become the body and blood of Christ with no more change in their substance than there is in the water with which we baptize or in the Priest who ministers there or at the Eucharist But that they are called the body and blood of Christ in regard of the Use to which they are sanctified and are his body and blood in regard of the wonderful effects which are communicated to the faithful in the use of them viz. remission of sin and all other benefits of his passion Now what greater favour can we desire at Gods hands than to be admitted to such fellowship with him and with his son Jesus Christ what is there of equal power with this to possess our hearts with the love of God was there ever any so treated by him as we are did the friends of God in ancient time receive such pledges of his grace and favour were they ever made thus one with him and joyned to him by pertaking of his Sons body and blood who would not give up himself soul and body eternally to him that thinks of these things who can think he makes a dear purchase if he give his life in exchange for such invaluable blessings we should go to the Table of the Lord and say How excellent is thy loving kindness O God! How pretious are thy thoughts towards us how great is the sum of them who would not fear thee who would not love thee and glorifie thy name For thou hast given us exceeding great and pretious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 that by them we might be pertakers of a divine Nature Thou hast sealed them with the blood of thy Son and hast made a new Covenant with us in that blood Heb. 10.16 17. to put thy laws in our hearts and write them in our minds and our sins and iniquities to remember no more Thou hast made him an high Priest for ever to make intercession for us and given him power and glory at thy right hand 1 Thess 5.24 that he may be able to perform all his promises Faithful is he that calleth us who also will do it For ever O Lord thy word is setled in Heaven Psal 119.89 90. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations But thou hast given likewise farther assurances of thy merâ—y and thy Truth by entertaining us at thy Table and making us pertake of that body and blood which was offered for our sins Enough Enough O most merciful Father We see the love thou bearest to us We cannot desire greater tokens and testimonies of it than these thou hast given us 2 Cor. 1.20 All thy promises in Christ we believe are Amen certain faithful and true We know and are sure 1 John 2.1 2. that we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is a propitiation for our sins I will never doubt any more of thy good will towards us for I taste and feel that the Lord is gracious Psal 111.4 5 9. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion he will ever be mindful of his Covenant He hath sent redemption unto his people he hath commanded his covenant for ever Holy and reverend is his Name Psal 103.17 18. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him To such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his Commandments to do them I wait therefore for thee O Lord Ps 130.5 my soul doth wait and in thy word do I hope Mine eyes shall be ever towards the Lord Jude 2. that Mercy and peace and love may be multiplied unto me that I may walk in the light as thou Lord art in the light for so shall we still have fellowship one with another 1 Joh. 1.7 and the blood of Jesus Christ thy son shall cleanse me from all sin Amen The natural consequence of what hath been said concerning the love of God towards us in sending his only begotten Son that we might live through him and he might be the propitiation for our sins is drawn to our hand by S. John 1 Epist 4.11 Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another This is so certain a fruit of an hearty sense of Gods merciful kindness to us that no man ought to think he loves him or hath any fellowship with him or with his son Jesus who doth not feel in himself an unfeigned affection and readiness to do good to all his Christian Brethren By this we know that we dwell in him and he in us which we pray for at the Lords Table because he hath given us of his spirit v. 13. That is indued us with his own kind and gracious Nature and disposition Of which that
if it were a thousand times larger to correspond with such a love How happy should I think my self if I could think of nothing and delight in nothing but only thee O that a perfect image of thee in all divine vertues may be formed in me and be ever dearer to me than life it self that I may live no longer but thou O blessed Jesus mayest live in me And the life which I now live in the flesh Cal. 2. â—â— I may live by the faith of thee the son of God who lovedst me and gavest thy self for me And then Feeling the flames of his love in your heart it will be a fit time to offer up your self intirely in the greatest devotion to his Service Pray him to accept of a poor Sacrifice now at your hand Though it be worth nothing at all yet intreat him to receive it since it is the oblation of the heartiest affection to him Say to him O sweet Saviour 1 Joh. 4.16 I have known and believed the love that thou hast to us I see here the excessive greatness of thy dying love No heart is able to hide it self from the heat thereof One cannot come near it and not be made like the whole burnt-offerings to the Lord. Never was any thing bought so dearly as this sinful soul Never was so great a price paid for any creature as thou hast laid down for my sake If I was as big as the highest Angel I should be an oblation too little for thee The flames of those heavenly fires are not strong enough wherewith to offer to thee But that I may be just for it is no more I humbly lay my self here at thy Altar and present thee with all I have I Sacrifice soul and body without any reserve to thy holy will and pleasure though I must be beholden to thy great love and not my own to procure acceptance for me I know how vile and unworthy I am that thou shouldst have any respect to my oblation All that I can say is that I offer my self for this end that I may be made better and so have every day more and more to return unto thee For that purpose ingage your selves in a covenant to him that you will never rob him any more of that which you have so solemnly offered to him I look O Lord may you say upon my self as an holy and devoted thing I have consecrated my self to thy service and so I will ever remain Never will I be so sacrilegious as to employ my self to any other uses but only thine Thou hast been pleased to make me thy Temple and therefore I will not willingly suffer thy holy place to be defiled I am sealed to thy self and have thy mark upon me I will never consent my soul should be broken up by any temptation and stoln away from thee I promise thee my faithful obedience I bind my self by these presents in a firm and everlasting tye of duty to thee I am not my own but bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 Therefore will I glorifie God in my body and in my Spirit which are Gods I will love the Lord my God with all my mind and with all my heart and with all my soul and all my strength And my Neighbour as my self And then Humbly beg leave of him that you may believe in his Name for the remission of sin Continue to say to him since thou hast so graciously dyed for me since thou hast invited me hither to represent thy death and sufferings to me and assure me of thy love since thou hast bidden me to commemorate it at this holy Feast be not angry if I call thee my Lord and my God Suffer me to claim an interest in the Merits of thy pretious blood which was shed to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world Look on me O thou that sittest at the right hand of God with the favour thou bearest to thy people Joyn thy powerful intercession with my humble suits to the Father of mercies that for thy sake I may be accepted with him I believe thou appearest in the presence of God for us and as we shew forth thy Sacrifice of thy self here on earth presentest it in the most high and holy place before the mercy seat Bless me O Lord from that throne of thy glory and raise up such a holy hope in thee as if I heard that voice founding from thence I am thy Salvation And here Beg of him his mighty grace to confirm you in your resolution that so you may alway maintain in your soul this hope of his pardoning love Since thou O Lord may you say to him art so forward to do us good to bestow thy blessings unasked to die for us when we desired it not to institute this feast which we never expected to send thy Ministers to call us to it let me take the boldness now to ask something of thee O do not deny me the continuance of thine almighty grace Take not thy holy Spirit from me but let it be my constant companion my guide my helper my comforter for ever Is it not the purchase of thy blood Is it not thy own promise hast thou not received it of the Father and art thou not possessed of it and of glory and power to bestow it on us Thou thy self hast told us that it shall be given to those that ask it and that because thou livest we shall live also O do not lose what thou hast done already for want of doing something more Psa 138.8 Perfect that which concerneth me and forsake not the work of thy own hands Hold me up and I shall be safe 119.117 133.58 and I will have respect to thy statutes continually Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquitie have dominion over me I intreat thy favour with my whole heart be merciful unto me according to thy word Now because there must alway be some mirth and joy at a feast conclude all in praises to our Lord and rejoyce in his holy Name As he said to his Disciples when he washed their feet Joh. 13.12 so think you hear him speaking to you now Know ye what I have done to you Are you sensible what grace it is that I have bestowed on you Do you know what I did for you upon the cross and what I have done unto you at my Table O dear Lord that a man could but understand and conceive what thou hast done for us It would melt and dissolve our hearts and make them burst out into the highest expressions of joy and gladness All that is within us would be roused up to bless thy holy Name We should be fill'd with triumph and exaltation of Spirit in thy love and the very furthermost parts of our soul would feel that it is a most blessed thing to be thy servants All the Musick and Songs and Melody that the feasts of sensual men are
attended withal are not worthy to be named with the joys of those that sing continually and say Blessed be the Lord our God for ever Neh. 9.4 5 c. blessed be thy glorious Name which is exalted above all blessing and praise Thou even thou art Lord alone thou hast made Heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their host the earth and all things that are therein the Seas and all that is in them and thou preservest all and the host of Heaven worshippeth thee Eph. 1.4 1 Pet. 1.21 Thou art the Lord the God and Father of Jesus Christ who hast chosen us in him before the foundation of the world and redeemed us by his blood raised him from the dead and given him glory that our faith and hope might be in thee our God Thine 2 Chron. 29.11 O blessed Jesus is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all In thy hand is power and might and in thy hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious Name Psal 115. ult We will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore Yea bless the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength that do his Commandments hearkning to the voice of his word Bless ye the Lord all ye his hosts ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion bless the Lord O my Soul Thus if we did converse with him and such holy communication did heartily pass between us it would be so pleasant and delightful that we should cry out with the Jews in another case Joh. 6.34 Lord evermore give us this bread We should long for such another repast and be desirous every day to wait on him at his Table At least we should greedily embrace the next invitation that he gives us to come unto it And because we cannot every day do this in remembrance of him we should secretly retire unto him in our own heart as into his holy Temple and there call to mind what he hath done unto us commemorate his love maintain our acquaintance preserve our friendship and renew to him our vows that by all these ways we may prepare our selves for his fellowship and society in the eternal world It may happen indeed that there may be but a few communicants at the Table of the Lord and so you may not have time there to do all this In which case you may use only some part of it or thus in brief open your heart to him when you see how he declares his love to you Adored be thy condescending love O merciful Saviour to thine unworthy servant who blushes to lift up his eyes towards thee even when thou invitest me unto thee For besides my other guiltiness this most gracious representation which now thou makest of thy self to me doth but little move my dull and heavy affections to love and rejoyce in thee I am heartily ashamed of my self only I desire and resolve to become better And here I prostrate my self before thee as a humble worshipper of thee presenting thee with a poor oblation of my soul and body which I dedicate again with the most dutiful affection I am able to excite unto thee Do thou O Lord excite a greater that when I shall appear before thee again I may present thee with a soul more pure humble meek merciful and improved in all other fruits of thy holy Spirit In thy mercies alone are all my hopes For as the Heaven is high above the earth so great is thy mercy toward them that fear thee As far as the East is from th West Psal 103.11 12. so far hast thou removed our transgressions from us O be merciful unto me be merciful unto me for my soul trusteth in thee 57.1 Looks thou upon me and be merciful to me as thou usest to do to those that love thy name 119.132 Thou art my portion O Lord I have said 57.173 that I would keep thy word Let thine hand help me Ephes 3.16 for I have chosen thy precepts Strengthen me with might by thy spirit in the inner man that denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 I may live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and thee our Saviour Jesus Christ Now unto him that is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty Jude 24 25. dominion and power both now and ever Amen But when there is time to do the whole you will not spend it I hope in any thing else but such Meditations as these Which that they may be disposed in such order as every one of them may come in its season you may make use of in this manner Think you hear our Saviour speaking to you by the Bread and the Wine when you see the one broken and the other poured out Then you may immediately imploy your thoughts in the four first together with the second Meditation set down in the second part while the Minister is Communicating himself and others with him The V. and the VI. will be seasonable after you have received the Bread and the VII and VIII after the Cup together with those mentioned before in the same place And the two last in like manner after you have withdrawn your self from the holy Table or before according as you can find room for them And if your spirit be not able to hold out in so many thoughts and expressions of the inward sense and affection of your heart you may single out those which you find to give you the most lively touch and lift up your heart highest toward the Lord. And at some opportunity the rest perhaps may be as acceptable or more welcome meditations nay you may feel your soul inlarged and run out in more pious thoughts and affections than I can suggest or excite by all that I am able to say on this subject But I desire you never to omit one meditation when you behold the rest of the company receiving which is that all those and the whole Church who pertake of this holy Communion are your Brethren To whom you must stir up as I directed you before the most fervent charity and the readiest disposition to relieve counsel assist comfort or admonish them as there shall be occasion And with whom you must resolve to live in the strictest Unity and peace as those who are Members of the very same body When you think therefore that our Lord tells you there is nothing he desires of you
man Purifie me from all remaining filthiness either of the flesh or of the Spirit Bring in all thy heavenly graces along with thee into my soul And be my perpetual defence by giving me a fuller communication of thy holy Spirit and more mighty aids to do my duty towards thee and towards all men And for that end compose mine unsetled thoughts before I approach to receive the holy Mysteries That I may attend thee with a full and clear conception of their meaning with an actual belief of thy whole Gospel with most sensible love to thee and desire to be more like thee with thy high praises in my mouth and joy unspeakable in mine heart May I presume most gracious Father to ask such tastes and rellishes of thy wondrous love that I may never be able to delight in any thing so much as in the remembrance of it But mine eyes may be ever towards the Lord and I may hunger and thirst perpetually after thy righteousness till I am perfectly made pertaker of thy divine nature and rendred meet to be translated to that high and holy place where I shall see thee not as now in mysterious representations but openly and face to face Amen Lord Jesus who art able to save to the uttermost all them that come to God by thee In thy most blessed name and words I continue my humble prayers Our Father c. A Meditation after the Sacrament WHen you come home or some time after ask your soul what wentest thou out to see where hast thou been and what hast thou been doing Bid it never forget that thou hast been with the Lord of life and that before God Angels and Men thou hast acknowledged him and devoted thy self to his obedience That he hath vouchsafed to represent unto thee his marvellous love the pains he hath taken for thy salvation and the great desire he hath to see thee with him in immortal glory Of which he hath given thee such earnests and pledges by making thee pertaker of his body and blood that thou mayst say of that place where he was pleased to meet thee This is no other than the gate of Heaven I have been in the porch of his dwelling place and begun to enter into the joy of my Lord Here you may read over again that which I said our Lord might be conceived to speak unto you there and then go on and say How shall I escape if I should neglect such great salvation God forbid that I should receive this grace in vain As I have received Christ Jesus the Lord Col. 2.6 so will I walk in him I will endeavour to keep my self holy and unblameable before him in love and to have my conversation as becomes the Gospel There are no joys like to the joys of God No pleasures comparable to those of Christian piety All his Commandments are sweeter than the hony and the hony-comb and in keeping of them there is great reward Shall I cease then to delight my self in the Lord and to do good Shall I leave off to do the rest of his will now that I have done this in remembrance of my Saviour Shall I go away from him now that I am gone from the place where his honour dwelleth Alas whither shall I go thou Joh. 6.68 Lord hast the words of eternal life Thou art the author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey thee Heb. 5.9 I will go in the strength of the Lord God Ps 71.16 I will make mention of thy goodness even of thine only 1 Thess 4.1 As I have received how I ought to walk and please God so I will abound more and more Ephes 4.15 24. I will grow up into him in all things who is the head till I perfectly resemble him in righteousness and holiness of truth Here you may meditate upon all the parts of his holy life and the compleat example he hath set us of all divine vertues more especially those which shone at his death And as I have known some do you may single out one or two for your daily meditation all this month that you may bring your self to an habitual imitation of him suppose in his great HUMILITY and tread in his steps who did no sin 1 Pet. 2.22 neither was guile found in his mouth And as you have begun the New year well so resolve you will continue it and become a new man by leading a more exactly holy course of life Mat. 26.41 Watch therefore and pray that you fall not into temptation And often represent to your self the great love of Christ that it may constrain you because you thus judg that if one died for all then were all dead 2 Cor. 5.14 15. And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again The Prayer O Most Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty Heaven and Earth are full of the glory of thy Majesty I most heartily joyn with all the Saints on earth with the Angels in Heaven and the holy ones that are above in giving blessing honour and praise unto thee Glory be unto thee O God most high thou great Creator and possessor of Heaven and Earth thou preserver of all things thou spring of an eternal Mercy who hast made Angels and men to know thee and acknowledg thee and praise thee and love thee and be beloved of thee for ever who hast so loved mankind that thou hast opened thy bosom and sent thy dear Son to convey thy charity to us All laud and praise and thanksgiving be to thee O Father of Mercies who hast now made me taste how gracious and good thou art And glory be to the Son of God who took on him the form of a servant who died for us upon the Cross who purged away our sins by his blood who hath left us so many remembrances of his love and given us his body and blood to preserve our souls and bodies to eternal life who lives for ever to make intercession for us and hath promised to come again and take us up unto himself And blessed be the holy Spirit the mighty power of God the Author of all good thoughts the inspirer of all heavenly desires the light and comfort of our minds the purifier of our hearts the guide and strength of our life who hath given us the earnest of the eternal inheritance Thus will I praise thee whilst I live Psal 63.4 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever Psalm 86.12.89.1.71.23.86.5 My lips shall greatly rejoyce when I sing unto thee and my soul which thou hast redeemed For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee I have now tasted of the abundance of thy grace and dearest love the savour of which O that it may remain fresh for ever in my heart
the flesh and the Devil and serve thee without fear in righteousness and holiness all the dayes of my life Hear my words O Lord consider my meditation Psal 5.1.17.1 Give ear unto my prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips And make me to know and feel that Jesus who dyed for me Rev. 1.18 is alive from the dead and liveth for evermore and that he is an eternal fountain of life and strength of comfort and refreshment to all those that by him believe in God 1 Pet. 1.21 who raised him from the dead and gave him glory that our faith and hope might be in God In his most powerful name I sue unto thee for all that is comprehended in his own holy words saying Our Father c. Meditation afterward SOmetime that day and as often as you can after reflect upon your own thoughts resolutions and vows and consider that there may be but a few dayes perhaps hours remaining before you must appear at the Tribunal of him who hath now entertained you at his Table The next sight you have of him may be upon his throne 1 Pet. 5.5 as one that is ready to judge the quick and the dead Put your soul in mind of the great account you must then give of all that you have done in the body and of your sacred actions no question as well as of the rest And therefore ask your self in the most serious manner and bid your soul tell you with what affection hath the death of the Lord been now remembred Hast thou as sincerely renounced all thy evil wayes and consecrated thy self to the life of Christ as thou hopest to be saved As God shall judge the world in righteousness art thou resolved and determined to become a new Creature and to pass the time of thy sojourning here in fear O how dreadful will he then appear to those who return with the dog to his vomit after they have eaten of this holy bread and drunk of this holy Cup who can stand before him that hath known and remembred his transcendent love and yet loved his ease his pleasure his money or any other thing better than him and his eternal life It concerns me nearly O my soul to keep him ever in my thoughts and to express him in my life That when he comes he may see himself in me and behold his own image in righteousness and true holiness fairly ingraven on my heart For many will say unto him at that day Lord Luke 13.26 27. We have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets But he will say I tell you I know you not whence you are depart from me all ye workers of iniquity Most dismal changeâ— now he invites now he saith come but then he will say depart if we come not to his Table with hearts to entertain him to suffer him to dwell in us and to be the sole disposer of all our actions God forbid that ever that terrible voice should sound in mine ears This one word DEPART from me how confounding will it be It must needs strike the stoutest soul into eternal sorrow The searcher of my heart knows that I went unfeignedly thither to give him possession of it and here again I confirm the gift Let him command what he pleases and I will obey it Let him bring his Cross along with him I will submit unto it Come poverty come reproaches come imprisonment come pains and torments come death it self rather than be so miserable as to depart from the living God Depart from me Psal 119.115 rather ye evil doers for I will keep the Commandments of my God Psal 101.2 3. I will walk within my house with a perfect heart No wicked thing will I set before mine eyes I hate the work of them that turn aside it shall not cleave to me All my delight shall be upon the Saints that are in the earth Psal 16.3 and upon such as excel in vertue And that you may preserve these good purposes let your heart be often there where they were conceived and made though your body cannot Look often back upon the Table of the Lord and say with the same holy Psalmist O when shall I come and appear again before thee 42.2 Early will I seek thee O my God Psal 63.1 2 c. my soul thirsteth for thee that I may see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my hands in thy name My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and with fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips And to furnish your soul with greater plenty of good thoughts you may often reflect upon the example which Christ hath set you in his death as well as in his life And perticularly resolve to spend this month in meditating every day upon his great CHARITY 2 Cor. 8.9 who though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor that by his poverty we might be rich In this God commended his love to us Rom. 5.8 that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends Joh. 15.13 But we when we were enemies were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5.10 and therefore shall much more be saved by his life Excite in your self hereby a great and compassionate love to all mankind especially to your Brethren with whom you are knit in one body That you may be strongly inclined to do good as occasion is offered to refresh the bowels of the poor and needy to comfort and support the feeble minded to live with all in unity and peace till your Christian friendship be perfected in endless love in the other world Remember that God is the God of peace and Christ is the Lord of peace Often meditate on the words of our Lord that it is better to give than to receive and upon these words of a good man that He is the best Merchant who layes out his time upon God and his money upon the poor The Thanksgiving and Prayer I Cast my self down before thee O Lord in the deepest humility of soul to worship and praise thee together with all the heavenly Host saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty Heaven and Earth are full of thy glorious goodness Thou art the joy of all those happy creatures above who continually behold the brightness of thy glory and thy presence and the light of thy countenance makes Heaven upon earth to us thy servants whom thou admittest thus near unto thee Glory be to God in the highest who to all other blessings hath added the gift of his dear Son and delivered him up for us all Glory be to the Son of God
him too But with what blushing should we look there upon that love which we have sometime slighted With what hatred upon those sins which murdered the Lord of life With what joy should we think of the hope there is that they may be pardoned And how should we stand admiring at that wise goodness which made that blood which sinners shed to be the expiation for their sins Sure we do not believe these things or else we shall begin already to feel our heart burn with love to him and ready to offer it self in Sacrifice before we come to his Altar Excite thy Faith that it may stir up thy Love and that may carry all the passions of thy heart along with it to him Shew him that the desire of thy heart is to the remembrance of his Name that thy care is to please him thy fear to offend him thy joy to do his will and thy sorrow that thou canst do no more for him Let it be a great comfort to thee that he knows thy sincerity and sees into the very secrets of thy heart how affectionately thou studiest to be like him what a pleasure it is when thou canst stedfastly think of him how it grieves thee when thy thoughts are broken thy affections heavy and dull and thy power falls so short of thy will and desires And be assured that he pitties thee that notwithstanding this he will kindly entertain thee and receive the poorest oblation thou art able to make him at his Table Eat and be satisfied and bless the name of the Lord. He hath invited thee he expects thee he loves to see thee there and will make thee know that he loves thee and delights to do thee good Let us go my soul and declare before Angels and men that we are Christians and mean to live and die in his holy Religion And let us now take shame to our selves that we have at any time contradicted our belief Let us acknowledg the breach of that Faith into which we were baptized and declare before we go how great a trouble it is to us that we love him no more and how desirous we are and fully resolved to love him better and better The Prayer before O Eternal God the Lord of life of grace peace and all our comforts It is of thy great mercies alone that I am not consumed or that I lie not now groaning on a bed of sickness but am invited to feast at thy holy Table I might have distasted and loathed even the ordinary food of my body and thou continuest an opportunity and some appetite to receive the pretious food of my soul The grave might have been my dwelling the worms my companions and I been turned into rottenness and corruption but now I am going to thy house to be the companion of thy people and to communicate with thee and my blessed Saviour that I may be nourished to a blessed immortality This is nothing else but thy marvellous Mercy and because thy compassions fail not For I have too many ways violated thy holy Laws broken thy covenant resisted thy grace and unvalued thy eternal life Thou hast adopted me early for thy child sown the immortal seed of thy word in my heart sent thy holy Spirit to further its growth and increase to that never dying happiness and bliss But how little have I recovered of thy image in wisdom righteousness and holiness which hath been miserably defaced How coldly have I sometimes entertained the motions of thy holy Spirit And been barren and unfruitful in the knowledg of Jesus Christ How often have I heard of that great and dreadful day of reckoning and been prone to follow the little pleasures of this life as if I lookt neither for joy nor misery in the other world That Faith which should save me might justly condemn me and Jesus my most compassionate Redeemer without infinite mercy become only a severe Judge towards me Adored be thy patience and long-suffering to sinners For ever magnified be that Grace which gives me the least hope in thee and presents me with another opportunity of humbling my self before thee of intreating thy favour of deprecating thy displeasure and vowing my self again to thy service which I have covenanted to pay thee O merciful God have mercy upon me have mercy upon me according to the multitude of thy mercies in Christ Jesus blot out all my iniquities I have not offended thee beyond the heighth and depth and length and breadth of thine incomprehensible love in him declared to us And there is still remaining in my heart some esteem of that love and an inclination to love thee above all things with an hearty desire to be purified and sanctified throughout both in body and in soul and spirit Though not by works of righteousness which I have done yet by thy mercy I hope to be saved through the washing of regeneration and more perfect renewing of the holy-Ghost That renewing vertue from above I most humbly wait for and earnestly desire to be more abundantly poured on me Deal with me according to my unfeigned resolutions to study to purifie my self even as thou art pure to walk before thee hereafter in all sobriety righteousness humility meekness peaceableness charity indeavouring to perfect holiness in thy fear Vouchsafe me some earnests of this grace when I present my self before thee to commemorate the death of thy Son Jesus who was wounded for our iniquities and bruised for our transgressions That my heart may be deeply wounded with a sense of sin and hate the very thought of every evil way and chuse to endure any misery rather than offend thy dearest love again O that I might then feel my thoughts carried away from this world that I could think then of nothing but thee and the dying love of my sweetest Saviour and the greatness of that love which I owe to him that died for me Replenish my soul with holy thoughts lift me up in heavenly meditations and fill me with a multitude of devout affections that I may be able hereafter to do and suffer all things for his sake and never forget how good he is and how good I have resolved to be Without thee I cannot ascend up unto thee and therefore I look for thy holy inspirations to accompany me in all my Meditations and prayers and praises and thanksgivings and resolutions That attending upon this sacred service with love and zeal and delight and devotion of spirit there may be an happy meeting between me and my Saviour and such an inseparable Union contracted as may be at last consummated in eternal Love and Joy in his heavenly Kingdom To which I humbly hope to be brought by thy infinite Mercies in him who hath taught me to call thee Father and to say when I pray Our Father which art in c. The Meditation afterward SEeing it hath pleased my Lord to tye me to himself by one bond more and I have added a new
inlarge them or that he would fill them to the heighth with his love Since he is content if he may but lodg and dwell in our breasts and have the government of us in his hands let us go and vow that he shall possess us solely to himself that no affection no desire shall dwell in us without his leave and all be ordered by him just as he pleases And let us shew him now that we have prepared no less gift than our whole selves to be bestowed on him that we are very desirous of the honour to be commanded by him and to do him service and that if he will make us more desirous more resolved and stedfast in these holy purposes we will never cease to thank him in this manner as long as we live And approaching thus with all humility to him may we not hope that he will accept us and receive us as his friends and embrace us with real love and inclose us as we desire unto himself Nay he will hold us fast tied in the bonds and cords of his love not to fetter and imprison us but to unlock and open our narrow hearts by the power of it that they be inlarged into the true liberty of love to him and to all the world We may hope at last that it will become as unnatural to offend him as it is to kill our selves or kick against the bowels of a most indulgent parent that obedience shall be our delight that all good things on earth which have been our hindrance shall prove our incouragement and provocation to an holy life and that our watchfulness over our selves shall be so strict and severe that we shall not be easily surprised but continually worship him by presenting him with a spirit like his own innocent harmless and delighting to do all good The Prayer before O Most mighty Lord the high and holy one who possessest eternity who dwellest in the purest light and whose Majesty is enthroned in the midst of all the heavenly host who are continually celebrating the praises of thy name which is most excellent throughout the world The light of thy countenance I believe is better than life and one day in thy courts better than a thousand If thou wilt graciously shine upon me when I enter into thy gates to go unto thy Table if thou wilt fill me with the joys of Faith and love and holy hope I shall account that day the beginning of the eternal life and remember as long as I live how gracious thou art But I have little reason to expect to be so highly favoured by thee who have forgotten oft-times that reverence and fear that I owe to thee my Creator and that love and dutiful affection which I owe to my Redeemer and been too disobedient to many good motions of the holy Spirit of grace I have thought so much how to please my self and so little of pleasing thee spent so much time in the affairs of my body and so little in those of my immortal soul that I may rather sink into dejection of spirit toward the place of darkness than hope to be lifted up toward heaven to behold the light of life I am apt to think that if I knew thee as the Angels do I should be filled with their love and readily disposed to thy obedience and spend my self in thy endless praises whereas now that thou hast revealed those things to us which the thoughts of Angels entred not into and hast sent thy dear Son in our nature and not iâ— the nature of Angels and given him to die for us and to open the kingdom of heaven to us I have not loved thee with the love of men I have felt sometime so little love to thee that I have been apt to doubt whether I love thee It hath been but a little spark in my heart scarce to be discerned and hath not shone as it ought to do in my life before men But thy gracious pardon O Lord of love I hope will make me admire thee and love thee exceedingly Some small tast and savour of thine extraordinary kindness will inkindle in me the most ardent affection towards thee And it is already the hearty desire and study of my soul thou knowest that I may love thee above all things and that all my love may run into ingenuous free and chearful obedience to every one of thy Commands They are all holy just and good they are most lovely and gracious in mine eyes I esteem thy precepts about all things to be most equal beneficial and highly conducing to the perfection and happiness of our natures and chuse most joyfully to submit my self to the Soveraign Authority of such tender love and good-will towards us O pitty and pardon an humble suitor to thee that his heart may ever be under the power of thy holy Commands and being captivated from all things here below may become a subject of thy love I wait on thee for the power of thy holy Spirit now to come upon me to fill me with thoughts desires and affections sutable to the duty which I am about to render to thee That when I think of those sins which killed the Lord of life I may vehemently abhor and utterly renounce them And when I think of thy love it may wonderfully raise and exalt my heart to love thee delight in thee and gratefully acknowledg thee And when I think of thy holy Commands my heart may humbly bow and gladly resign it self to be governed by them And the dying of the Lord Jesus set before my eyes may make me an offering holy and acceptable to thee for ever I am sensible how oft I fall short of my own desires and resolutions and therefore again look up unto thee with a humble Faith for thy powerful presence with me To inlighten my mind more clearly to settle my wandring and unstable thoughts to awaken the conscience of my duty toward thee and toward all men to compose and quiet all my turbulent passions and affections and to confirm and strengthen all the holy purposes which thou workest in me Vouchsafe most gracious Lord to accept and assist the faintest but honest indeavours of my soul to please thee to incourage and further every good inclination to possess and fortifie me against the most importunate temptations and to enable me to quell and bring under the strongest oppositions to thy divine will I deliver up my self absolutely with all my heart unto it desiring and purposing to live instedfast union and conformity with it to maintain an humble and reverend sense of thy greatness and goodness soberly to use all the good things thou indulgest to me to exercise righteousness charity meekness and gentleness to all men to possess my soul in patience to be contented with my portion to pray without ceasing and in every thing to give thanks which is thy will in Christ Jesus concerning me Sanctifie I beseech thee the greatest worldly blessings
countenance Thou hast given him power over all flesh Joh. 17.2 that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Adored be thine Eternal love which appeared in the sufferings of Christ and the glory that followed after Adored be thy love 1 Pet. 1.3.11 2 Tim. 1.10 1 Cor. 15.20 Joh. 11.25 which hath given us a lively hope through the Resurrection of Christ Jesus who hath brought life and immortality to light being the First-fruits of them that slept and the Resurrection and the Life I rejoyce in the consolation which thou has sent unto us and that we in this furthermost part of the Earth are become his inheritance I praise thee I bless thee I most heartily devote my self to the obedience of Jesus as is but just and meet For to this end Christ hath died Rom. 14.8 9. and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living I reverence his Soveraign authority I submit my self to his Laws and depend upon his care and good providence I refer my self to his wise will and pleasure in all things desiring nothing more but that whether I live or die I may be the Lords O that thy Spirit which raised up Jesus may dwell in me guide and govern me Rom. 8.11 that thou who raisedst up Christ from the dead mayest also quicken my mortal body by thy Spirit dwelling in me O that the rest of the World may become his possession too and all with one mind and one mouth glorifie thee the God and Father of Jesus Christ Who is the faithful witness and the first-begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Rev. 1.5 6 to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Ascension-day or Sunday The Meditation before AH how duskish are my thoughts in house of Clay How dull my affections under this load of flesh My Saviour is in Heaven crowned at Gods right hand with glory and honour Heb. 2.9 Ephes 4.10 1 Pet. 3.22 He is ascended up far above all Heavens Angels Authorities and Powers being made subject to him And I can scarce cast a look thither but am instantly pulled down to this Earth again Blessed be his goodness who hath left us a lively Image of himself to help our infirmities To represent his dying and departure from this World and to be a pledge likewise unto us that we shall one day ascend up to Heaven and be for ever with the Lord. O blessed news 1 Thess 4. ult the hope of it fills me with joy already and raises me up a little toward that high and holy place where Jesus dwells I will go and bless the Father of mercies for his great charity towards us that he would accept of an offering for sin and that he would be satisfied without demanding of us the debt That he would grant new and easie conditions of Salvation for us through the Bloud of his Son and seal a gracious Covenant in that same precious Bloud I will go and testifie my love to him even by my joy that he is gone unto the Father Joh. 14.28 and hath triumphed over his enemies Coloss 2.15 after he had overcome them and spoiled Principalities and Powers Ephes 4.8 He hath led captivity captive Acts 2.33 and received the promise of the Holy Ghost and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God Heb. 12.2 and made the Lord of all All the Angels of God worship him Acts 10.36 and in the Heavenly Sanctuary attend upon him where he is an High-Priest for ever Heb. 1.6.8.2 holy undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the Heavens 〈◊〉 6.10.13 There he makes intercession for us from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stool And we have boldness also by the Bloud of Jesus 10.19 6.20 Joh. 14.2 3. to enter into the holiest whither he the fore-runner is for us entred and gone to prepare a place for us and will come again to receive us unto himself that where he is there we may be also Psal 24.3 ◠5. But who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord And who shall stand in his holy place He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his Soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his Salvation I will go then and offer him my heart that it may be formed to his likeness Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth I will go and submit my self to him as the Lord of all and renew my Covenant of love and friendship with him I will vow again that I will fight valiantly under his banner who is the Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 made perfect through sufferings against sin the world and the Devil I will be faithful to him unto the death and no suffering shall deter me from following the Prince of life For I doubt not but the Sacrifice he made was most acceptable to God and that he by himself having purged our sins Heb. 1.3 H b. 2.13 sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high and will help and succour all his faithful followers 1.14.2.10 and send forth his Angels to minister unto them and bring them to glory Rev. 2.10 and reward them with a crown of life O lift up thy self my Soul when thou comest to the Table of the Lord. Now if ever listen to the Priest of God when he calls saying Lift up your hearts Now is the season above all others to answer with the whole Quire of pious Souls in that joyful voice We lift them up unto the Lord. Rear thy self aloft my Soul and look beyond these shadows Fix thine eyes on the splendor of that Majesty wherewith thy Saviour shines and think thou hearest him calling unto the whole company of believers saying Come come my beloved for whom I died Come and dwell with me It is still my will and desire that you may be where I am and that you may behold the glory Joh. 17.24 which my Father hath given me Come on therefore Whither I am gone you know 14.4 and the way you know Tread upon all the glittering temptations of the Countrey where you are as dirt and dung in compare with the Kingdom which I will give you Make haste unto me and let nothing hinder you for I expect you and long when you are meet for it to see you The travel of my Soul will not be satisfied till you be with me O my Soul why do we linger Why do we look after any thing so much as his Eternal life Why should we be discouraged or faint in our minds This Lord of glory came to his Throne out of as low a condition as we can possibly be in He was once a servant the
bounty in this invaluable blessing and make mention of this which his Son hath suffered for us as a compleat satisfaction for all our offences against him We must approach therefore to the Table of the Lord with affectionate acknowledgments of his infinite goodness extolling and praising his merciful kindness in bestowing on us so great a gift professing we will never forget the tender love of our Lord who laid down his life for us and beseeching the Father of Mercies to receive us into his grace and favour for the sake of his dear Son whose Death we shew unto him We should resolve to express the sense of our hearts in some such words as these Psal 92.1 2 3. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto thy name O thou most high To shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work I will triumph in the works of thy hand 66.16.86.13 Come and hear all ye people I will declare what the Lord hath done for our Souls For great is his mercy towards us and he hath delivered our souls from the lowest hell Glorious things are spoken of thee John 1.14 29. Colâ—ss 1.15 Joh. â— 12 O Jesus thou lover of Souls The word made flesh the Image of the invisible God the light of the world the Lamb of God that takes away its sin the first begotten from the dead the heir of all things Rev. 1.5 the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Heb. 1.3 Heb. 8.1.9.24.7 25. an high Priest who is set down on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens who appears in the presence of God and lives for ever to make intercession for us Psal 89.6 Who in the Heaven can be compared to the Lord who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord For thou Lord art highly exalted thou art exalted far above all Gods 9â— 9 In this most powerful name O Father Almighty we humbly cast down our selves before the Throne of thy Glory Give us leave to mention before thee the Death of him who said behold I come to do thy will O God Behold O Lord the bleeding wounds of thy well-beloved in whom thou hast testified by a voice from Heaven that thou art well pleased Remember how his Body was broken for us and his Blood poured out In him we believe thou art perfectly satisfied and therefore are bold to hope that thou art reconciled to us on that account O hear his dying groans regard his Agony and Bloody sweat by his Cross and Passion let our sins be blotted out and by his glorious Resurrection and Ascension let us feel every evil affection and lust perfectly killed and crucified We have nothing to plead if he have not done enough and fulfilled all thy will But since he hath laid down his life in obedience to thee O let us by vertue of that voluntary Sacrifice which now we represent before thee obtain thy mercy and grace We cannot be content to lose our share in so great a Love And since thou hast bid us to Commemorate it we hope we shall as certainly pertake of it as we do of this Feast to which thou hast invited us Ps 79.13.145.1 2. So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever We will shew forth thy praise from generation to generation We will extol thee our God O King we will bless thy name for ever and ever Every day will we bless thee and will praise thy name for ever and ever In such Meditations as these when we shew forth the inestimable value of Christs Sacrifice we do as it were offer it unto God or rather make before him a commemoration of his Offering And in this sense the Ancient Christians did call this Sacrament a Sacrifice and every Christian they lookt upon as a Priest and a Sacrificer when he came to the Table of the Lord. Because Christ not only bad his Apostles do this in remembrance of him but S. Paul requires every one of us to do the same and to shew forth his Death till he come There is none mentions this Sacrifice more frequently than S. Chrysostome but to explain himself after he had said we do not make another Sacrifice as the high Priests of old but always the very same he adds or rather we make a Commemoration of a Sacrifice * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Heb. 10. p. 523. edic Savil. And in the very same manner Eusebius writes in his first Book of his Evangelical Demonstration Christians cannot think fit saith he to return back again to the first and weak Elements he means the Mosaical Sacrifices which were but Symbols and Images not the Truth it self ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. cap. 10. p. 37. since they celebrate every day the Commemoration of his Body and Blood and are made worthy of a better Sacrifice and ministery than the Ancients were And a little after speaking of Christs wonderful oblation and most pretious bloody Sacrifice to the Father he adds that he delivered also to us a Remembrance instead of a Sacrifice to offer up continually unto God * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 38. By which words it is manifest he took the Remembrance or Commemoration of Christs death to be that Sacrifice which we make to God And again he saith in the very next page to celebrate the remembrance or commemoration of that Sacrifice upon the Table by the Symbols or representations both of his Body and saving Blood we have received according to the ordinances of the New Testament Hither he applies those places out of the Psalms offer to God Thanksgiving Let the lifting up of our hands be as an evening Sacrifice The Sacrifices of God are a contrite Spirit c. So that they thought of no other Sacrifice in those days but that of praise and Thanksgiving together with the offering of our selves our Souls and bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively Sacrifice unto him as it is admirably expressed in our Communion Service * Prayer after all have Communicated With which the Author now mentioned perfectly agrees and delivers his mind almost in the same words We Sacrifice ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ib. pag. 40. saith he a divine venerable and most holy Sacrifice We Sacrifice after a new manner according to the New Testament a pure Sacrifice c. we both Sacrifice and offer Incense too Celebrating the remembrance of that great Sacrifice according to the Mysteries delivered by him to us and offering Thanksgiving for our Salvation by godly Hymns and Prayers to God consecrating our selves also wholly to him and to our high Priest the word devoting to him both our Souls and Bodies It would be easy to add much more to the same purpose but
obey him renouncing all other Masters for ever Say in your hearts O Blessed Jesus I acknowledge thee to be the Lord Thou art the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Joh. 1.14 14.16 Thou only art the Way the Truth and the Life I humbly adore thee and here devote my self everlastingly to thee I believe thy blessed Gospel I own thy supreme Authority and submit my self to thy Soveraign Commands Truly I am thy servant I am thy servant I look for all blessings through thy hands alone who hast all power in Heaven and in Earth Let it be unto thy servant according to thy word Yea deal with me according as I unfeignedly acknowledg thee and heartily joyn my self in fellowship with thee to be thy Disciple and follower for ever I give thee possession of my heart intirely Do there what thou pleasest Be the sole governor and disposer of all my thoughts words desires and actions Psalm 119.128 I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way And according to our Sincerity in this devoting of our selves to him we shall find the powerful communication of his good spirit to us to unite us closer to himself When this outward action declares the inward devotion of our hearts to knit themselves to him and to become one spirit with him without all doubt he will make us feel that he dwells in us by the power of his Spirit to enliven help and strenghthen us in a Christian course of life For this Communion is mutual and the word properly signifies a Participation of something from him by our joyning our selves to him We dwell in Christ and Christ in us we are made one with Christ and Christ with us as the words are in our Communion Service and so may expect all those graces and favours which he hath received from God to impart to faithful souls perticularly it is a pledge of his Divine presence with us and that he will send his heavenly influences into our hearts Being knit and joyned to him as Members of his Body we may be assured he will take care of us as our Head He ingages himself to guide quicken refresh powerfully move and assist us in all well doing This we may humbly wait for by vertue of our Union with him As the evil spirit wrought in the children of disobedience who were joyned to devils by eating of their meat so will the Spirit of grace work in those that obey our Lord being joyned to him by pertaking of his holy Table And for that end we may come to it that being knit still faster to him we may have a more abundant communication of his holy spirit to us We may entreat him to be a constant Friend to us to make his abode with us so that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us He will say Amen to it as well as we if in the uprightness of our hearts we perform this holy Action the meaning of which I shall still further declare It is easy to gather from what hath been said that by pertaking of this Feast we make such a profession of Christianity and subjection to the Lord Jesus as to engage our selves hereby in a mutual Covenant with him So much I told you at the beginning that Sacraments are outward Rites and Solemnities to express our consent to the new Covenant and whereby we signifie our setled purpose and ingage our faith to perform the duties of Christians as ever we expect that Christ Jesus should be a Saviour to us But this Sacrament of the Lords Supper is more particularly designed for that end that by often doing this we may with repeated protestations of our fidelity renew our Baptismal Vow and Covenant wherein we stand ingaged and in the most sacred manner addict and devote our selves again and again to that Service which we promised when we entred into Christs Religion It is well known that eating and drinking together was ever reputed a token of friendship and brotherly accord between those persons who consent to such a meeting But this was more notorious when there was a Feast made on purpose to express this Friendship For this amounted to a Covenant and thereby they entred into a league to be at peace and Unity among themselves Thus you read that King Abimilech and his Courtiers came to Isaac and said Gen. 26.28 29. Let us make a Covenant with thee that thou wilt do us no hurt as we have not touched thee and as we have done unto thee nothing but good c. And then it follows immediately v. 30. that he made them a Feast and they did eat and drink That is he entred with them according to their desire into a league of love and friendship by making this solemn entertainment for them But then it is farther to be noted that when this Feast was upon a Sacrifice and they eat and drank of what had been offered to God it was still a more sacred way of covenanting and making compacts one with another So when Laban desired Jacob in these words Gen. 31.44 come now let us make a Covenant I and thou and let it be for a witness between me and thee we are told that this was the manner of it v. 54. Then Jacob offered Sacrifice upon the mount and called his Brethren to eat bread and they did eat bread and tarried all night in the mount that is they remained together in one and the same place as those that had now no emnity nor suspition of each other though they had been at difference before after they had covenanted to be Friends by eating all of the same Sacrifice By this it is apparent that it was then a common custom among the several Nations of the Earth to make contracts and agreements together by eating and drinking especially upon a Sacrifice Which continued I might shew you in after Ages among the Gentiles as well as Jewes But I shall only mention one memorable instance which we find in Quintius Curtius who tells us that when Alexander was so surprised with the beauty of Roxane that he presently determined to make her his wife he commanded Bread to be brought after his Country fashion For setting Bread before them was the most sacred pledg of Conjugal love among the Macedonians which being divided with a Sword each party tasted of * Hâ—c erat apud Macedones sanctissimum coâ—untium pignus quem divisum gladio uterque libabat Lib. 8. cap. 4. All that need be added to this is that there was an Oath frequently accompanied these holy Covenants which could never be more solemnly made than when they were in the presence of God at these Feasts upon his Sacrifices You have examples of it in the stories already mention'd Abimelech not only desired to make a Covenant with Isaac but said let there now be an Oath betwixt us And accordingly you read after they had
clearly discern that I may touch on this by the way that he did not believe the Wine in this Sacrament was turned in substance into the blood of Christ but only in representation and use For it begun to be his blood when it was offered to God just as the water begun to be the people and flock of Christ He uses the same words of both And therefore if we say he thought the wine was changed from its own nature into the very substance of Christs blood we may as well say he believed the water to be changed from being water and to be made the very substance of his Church or people In the like manner we may discourse concerning the bread which in his opinion is so made Christs body that it is also the body of the Church For that is represented he saith together with Christ by the flour and water made into one Bread But not to trouble our selves any further with disputes let us therefore when we pertake of the Table of the Lord think that as thereby we are made one with Christ so we are joyned in the closest Union one with another And let us remember when we are making our selves ready for this heavenly Feast that as we are going to commemorate the dearest love of our Lord and to profess our love to him so to engage our selves to the heartiest love towards all the members of the same body to enter into a Covenant one with another as well as with him by eating of the same bread and drinking of the same Cup that we will never fall out any more much less hate maligne or do despite and injuries one to another but live for ever in the peace of God in unity and godly love O that this holy use of this Sacrament were more seriously regarded and laid to heart It would make a marvellous change in the face of Christs Church if all that pertake of his Table did cordially embrace as loving friends and resolve to remain in an inseparable affection For Love or Brotherly charity is the fulfilling of the Law and would certainly secure all thoses duties which we owe to our Neighbour as S. Paul shews Rom. 13.8 9 10. If our hearts were filled with it we should not only be preserved from doing of him harm but it would make us do him good By giving and communicating to his necessities * Which is joyned with breakinâ— br◠〈…〉 us â—ship and by forgiving him and passing by his injuries trespasses and offences under which two heads are comprehended all the offices of brotherly charity We have our Saviours word for it that if this heavenly vertue were but planted in our breasts all other Christian vertues would presently shine in us and adorn our souls For he compares this loving and kind disposition free from all base selfishness and covetous desires which look only at their own particular profit to the eye in our head which when it is clear and pure the whole body is full of light Matth. 6.22 And therefore the oftner we come to the Lords Table with this end among other in our aim the better Christians we shall grow We shall preserve this light that is in us from growing dim and renewing our friendship at this feast to which the Lord invites both high and low rich and poor we shall neither despise nor envy nor bear ill will nor be hard hearted one to another any more Nay our light will so shine before men that they seeing our good works will glorify our Father which is in Heaven It is a maxim I observe among Politicians that a great person or Governor should Feast or entertain but seldom upon some special occasions because it is uncertain whether he shall procure by it favour or envy Some may think themselves neglected and others think themselves disparaged who are not able to give the same entertainment But our Lord upon the quite contrary reasons invites us frequently to his house and Table because he invites all and makes no difference upon account of mens outward estates and expects nothing at all again but that all his Guests would love one another with a sincere heart and unfeigned affection The great he would ingage not to scorn the meaner sort and the meaner sort not to envy the great He would oblige the rich to be merciful and liberal and the poor to be thankful and contented The weak in knowledge not to judg the strong and the strong not to despise the weak but all to live together as loving Brethren and members of the same body That so they may have the same care one for another And whether one member suffer all the members may suffer with it or one member rejoyce all the rest may rejoyce with it And whatsoever differences may arise he conjures them by all that is sacred and dear to them that they fall not out nor make any quarrels much less divide and separate themselves one from another or do any thing that may spoil the harmony and consent of their affections together with the comfort of their lives and the beauty of his Church O how good Psal 133.1 4. how pleasant it is should every one say when he is at this feast for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity Heaven and Earth are pleased with this happy agreement and sweet accord Here the Lord commandeth a blessing even life for evermore Never will I make any jars in this heavenly consort Nothing but love nothing but Love shall possess that heart in which thou O Lord of love art pleased to inhabit I willingly enter into these holy bonds of friendship and peace I ty my self here inseparably to all my Brethren I embrace them all in every place with an open and inlarged heart I will ever endeavour to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and will love not in word nor tongue but in deed and in truth And O that we could see that holy Spirit which gathered so many Nations and tongues and people of sundry sorts into one body of the Church descending once more to joyn together all Christian hearts Come holy Ghost and draw us all to unity concord and peace That as there is one Lord and one spirit and one Baptism Ephes 4.3.4 5. Act. 4.32 and one hope of our calling so the multitude of believers may be of one heart and of one soul O blessed Jesus who when thou ascendedst up on high gavest gifts to men yea to the rebellious also renew thy ancient bounty to thine Universal Church Visit our minds and inspire us with heavenly grace that we may be like minded Phil. 2.2 having the same love being of one accord and one mind That so at last there may be but one voice also that we may all speak the same thing 1 Cor. 1.20 and that there be no divisions among us but that we be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in
ever And hath redeemed us from our enemies for his mercy endureth for ever I will praise thee with my whole heart the high praises of God shall be in my mouth Who hath raised up a mighty Salvation for us Rom 8.32 and hath not spared his own Son but delivered him up for us all Heb. 9.12 Who hath obtained for us an eternal redemption 2 Pet. 1.3 and given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledg of him that hath called us by a glorious power Bless the Lord O my soul Psal 103.1 c. and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thy iniquities and healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies Psa 111.1 I will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the Congregation While I live will I praise the Lord 146.2 I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being 145.21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever Thus I am come to a conclusion of the second part of my Discourse concerning the Nature End and Use of this Holy Sacrament The sum of what hath been said is this It is an holy Feast in commemoration of our Lord Christ especially of his Death In which we for our part make a solemn profession of his Religion and tie our selves in the strictest Covenant to follow him unto the death and to live in love and charity with all our Christian Brethren And he for his part makes a representation of his dying love to us and confirms the continuance of it giving us pledges that he will make us heirs of all the blessings which were the purchase of his body broken and blood shed for us So that when the Minister gives the Bread and the Cup to us we should think that Christ by him gives us tokens and assurances of his continued and everlasting love and kindness And when we take eat and drink that which he gives us we should look upon it as expressing our consent to continue his faithful Disciples in hope of that eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised to us In short the whole Action is the renewing of a Covenant between Christ and us He by giving we by receiving ingage our selves to perform our mutual promises He his promises of giving us pardon power to do well and immortal bliss And we our promises of loving God with all our heart and soul and strength and our neighbor as our selves All which we are to reflect upon with the greatest love to God and our Saviour with thanksgiving blessing and praise and with an humble confidence that it shall be to us according to his word To promote which ends I have concluded every particular Head of this discourse with a brief Meditation which may be used in this manner The First of them may serve to excite our devout affections before we go to Church or when we have placed our selves conveniently just before the Communion begin or while the company are making their oblations to God The Second will be proper immediately after the Consecration while the Minister is receiving himself and giving the Communion to the other Ministers that may be there present with him The other Six half of them may be used after we have received the Bread and the other half after we have received the Cup. Or if any desire a more compendious form of Devotion wherein to lift up their Souls to God immediately after their receiving they may reserve those till they retire from the Holy Table to their seats again and in this manner address themselves to him just after the receiving of the Bread 2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Col. 1.22.13 14. Who hath reconciled us in the body of his flesh through death to present us holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight Blessed be God who hath delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of our sins I love thee O Lord I love thee I devote my self most unfeignedly unto thee I will ever cleave unto thee and unto all my Brethren with setled purpose of heart Search me O God and know my heart Psal 139.23 24. try me and know my thoughts See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Yea Psal 23 4 6. though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me Thy power and thy care of thy flock they comfort me Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life 34â— and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise to my God while I have my being My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. 67.3 And let all the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 107.21 22. Let them Sacrifice the Sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoycing 117.2 For his merciful kindness is ever more and more towards us and his truth endureth for ever Praise ye the Lord. Or thus Lord Psal 8.3 4. what is man that thou art so mindful of him or the son of man that thou thus visitest him Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels and crowned him with glory and with honour Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands and hast put all things under his feet Many O Lord my God Psal 40.5 are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not Heb. 10.5 But a body hast thou prepared for thy Son Jesus Who hath done thy will O God and made himself an offering for sin and made us one body with himself Blessing and honour and glory and power be unto thee O Lord God Almighty and unto thy Son for ever and ever I offer up my self intirely both Soul and body unto thee I consecrate my self here most faithfully to thy Service Psal
and work They do with this as S. James saith many do with the Gospel who like a man that beholds his natural face in a glass and taking but a short glance of himself goes away and straightway forgets what manner of man he was Whereas if he would not only look into the perfect Law of liberty but continue to look therein being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work he would be blessed in his deed Jam. 1.23 c. It is the design therefore of this last part of my discourse to furnish you with some apt matter for your Meditation and with sutable Prayers whereby you may both quicken your selves in your private closets when you are preparing to go to the Table of the Lord and likewise preserve alive those godly affections and resolutions which are excited there after you are come home again That so by continuing to look upon what you have done and what your Saviour hath done unto you and beholding as in a clear Mirror the great love of God in Christ Jesus and your great obligations to him you may never forget him nor the duty you owe him but be blessed in a faithful observance of both And that no man may have the excuse which the wanton Israelites pretended who were cloyed with the same thing repeated over and over again I have taken the pains to compose variety of Meditations and Prayers some longer some shorter for every Month in the year and the principal Festivals in remembrance of our Saviour Which you may either make use of if your infirmity require it or else stick constantly to such as you like best and find most apt to move your hearts No mans thoughts are alwayes alike neither his that writes nor his that reads and therefore sometimes one may be most agreeable to you sometimes another but there will be no time I hope wherein you may not be able among them all to fit your self with a Meditation and a Prayer that may stir up and further your Devotion towards God And he that will be at so much pains with himself as to follow some such method as this will never be able to say hereafter as too many wretched souls have done that they have frequented this holy Sacrament but were never the better for it January Meditation before the Sacrament COnsider with your self some time before you intend to Communicate that you are invited to come not only into the presence but unto the Table of God to be one of the guests of the Lord of the whole world What a grace what an honour is this Shall any business any pleasure on earth put by the thoughts of it It is impossible if you remember what the great God is who calls you to him and that he sets the body of his Son before you upon your Table and that your Cup is filled with his Blood That the Angels think it not below them to waite on you and minister to you and the divine Spirit will be ready to breath upon you and fill you with such holy love that you shall send up your soul in joyful hymns of Praise and Thanks to God our Saviour With what admiration should you receive the news of this invitation With what reverence ought you to approach him With what forwardness of love with what gladness of heart should you go to meet our blessed Lord Was there ever any kindness should you think with your selves like unto that of his Did there ever such a furnace of Love if I may so represent it burn in any heart could he do more than die the bloody and shameful death of the Cross for to save sinners How is it possible that the remembrance of this tender love and compassion should ever die or that any heart should freeze over such a fire unless we be willfully careless I see that he will have our love he will not suffer any thing to rob him of the purchase of his blood For lest we should prove so ungrateful as to let him slip out of our mind he hath left himself still among us in sensible signs and representations By these he shews us his bloody death and passion he makes himself present to our faith and we may see that he is desirous to do more than die for us having contrived a way to live for ever in us and be firmly united to us What manner of love is this that Heaven hath manifested unto us who can refrain from tears of grief and sorrow to think of his own ingratitude and from tears of joy to think of the wonderful kindness of the Lord can you look on him who was pierced for our sins and not lament and mourn can you see his bleeding wounds and not be troubled no pious heart can be so hard And yet when you consider that by those stripes you are healed that he hath washed us from our sins in this blood that faithful souls may take sanctuary in his wounds and be secure and safe you cannot chuse but rejoyce in the Lord and be glad in his Salvation Call to your Soul then and bid it awaken in it self the liveliest thoughts of him and the devoutest affections to him Call to it to put it self in tune to string as I may so speak the instruments of joy and praise and to stir up all the graces of the holy Spirit That so you may go with a deep humility a godly sorrow a perfect hatred of all sin both of the flesh and of the spirit a strong resolution against them with a lowly faith and in the heights of love with enlarged desires and great longings to this holy Feast Ask your Soul what dost thou think of what dost thou love what dost thou long for with what intentions art thou going to the Lords Table are the Treasures of Christian wisdom and knowledg more in thine account than thousands of gold and silver Dost thou heartily believe the holy Gospel of Christ Jesus and love him and his Religion in sincerity Is all sin already bleeding to death in thee and hadst thou rather die than willingly offend thy Saviour that died for thee Art thou going to hang all remaining affection to them upon his Cross that there they may be perfectly crucified and never taken down till by continued Meditation on it they be quite dead Resolve then to go and tell him as much to declare and shew to him that this is the sense of thine heart Only ask thy self again what appetite dost thou feel in thee Art thou going as a thirsty man to his drink or a hungry man to his food or a Bride to the marriage of a chosen soul dearer than all the world beside or dost thou feel something like these things in thine heart what is it that thou hungrest and thirstest after Is it the tasts of the love of God Is it his Divine Grace and holy Spirit Dost thou long to be more like him and made pertaker of his
that I may live for ever in thy love and be ready to die for thy love that I may delight to do thy will O God and be content to suffer it as the blessed Jesus did And O that I may never forget to feed on him daily by faith and love till he indeed live in me and I in him and all the powers of my soul and body be imployed by his counsels and not my own O that my life may be an exact imitation of him and express his perfections and shew forth his vertues and declare to all how much I love him Especially endue me with great humility and modesty of Spirit that I may live in a constant remembrance of thee my Creator and considering that thou art the author of every good gift may never be puffed up nor do any thing through strife and vain-glory Phil. 2.3 4 5. but in lowliness of mind esteem others better than my self O that the same mind may be in me which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and humbling himself became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross That so thou mayst exalt me in due time to glory and honour as thou hast highly exalted him and when thou shalt call me from this delightful imployment of worshipping praising and serving thee here on earth I may pass into the company of Angels and Saints whose work it is with eternal joy to glorifie thee our Creator and Redeemer Let thy way be known upon earth Psal 67.2 3. and thy saving health unto all nations Let the people praise thee O God Let all the people praise thee Let the earth rejoyce and the multitude of Isles be glad because the Lord Jesus reigneth and governs the world in righteousness and truth O that all the kingdoms of the earth may become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ That Turks Jews and all Infidels may be converted unto thee and that all who name the name of Christ in every place may depart from all iniquity Communicate especially to all Christian Kings Princes and Governors a large measure of wisdom justice and goodness That they may think it their greatest Crown and glory to be thy faithful Ministers and imitate the charity of our Lord Jesus by imploying their power in doing good to all that are under their charge O that thy Priests may be clothed with righteousness and thy Saints shout aloud for joy That the poor may be satisfied with bread the fatherless find mercy with thee the widdows be comforted and protected the disconsolate refreshed the sick eased and restored the prisoners delivered the captives redeemed the oppressed supported and relieved and all men in every estate and condition of life contented bettered and amended Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think Ephes 3.20 21. according to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen February The Meditation before the Sacrament THink with your self it is now a month since our Lord did me the honour to entertain me at his Table Where have I been ever since that happy time What have I been doing Have I never gone to return him thanks for that grace bestowed on me Have I been a perfect stranger to him who loves me so much who spake so kindly then unto me and gave me such assurances of his everlasting kindness O shameless ingratitude How shall I be able ever to look him in the face any more I shall sink and die under the load of such a fearful guilt But I hope the case is not altogether so bad with me Have I not sometimes reflected on his incomparable love Have I not endeavoured to preserve some memory of the benefits he hath done unto me Is there not still a little sense of them remaining in my heart I would fain incourage my self to wait again upon my Lord. Pardon me O God if I presume again to enter into thy gates with thanksgiving and into thy Courts with praise to eat of the bread which came down from Heaven to shew forth the Lords death to represent to my God the Sacrifice he made for the atonement of our sins and by vertue of it humbly to expect the continuance of his pardon to renew my Covenant with him and to receive new confirmations of the truth of his promises to me Awake Awake O my soul all thy holy thoughts thy Faith thy Love and every other grace till thou canst say with David My heart is fixed Psal 57.7 O God my heart is prepared I will sing and give praise Go and shew him how thy heart hath been wounded with the thoughts of his love how all thy sins have been bleeding to death how ready thou art to offer up thy self again in Sacrifice to him Shew him how resolved thou art to walk on still more steadily in his holy wayes to employ all the renewed strength thou shalt receive in his hearty service and to go forth in the joy of the Lord to do his will with greater freedom and cheerfulness of Spirit Then thou mayest think thou hearest that voice of wisdom which saith Prov. 9.5 Come eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mingled Or that of the divine Lover Eat O Friends drink yea Cam. 5.1 drink abundantly O beloved Let your soul be satisfied as with marrow and fatness Psal 63.5 and your mouth praise him with joyful lips For Christ himself saith Blessed are the poor in Spirit Matth. 5. for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Blessed are they which do hanger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the children of God Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven As he will one day say to such Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world So now he authorizes his ministers to say come ye blessed souls receive the tokens of his love some earnests of future bliss and rejoyce in hopes of his heavenly kingdom He hath not only prepared for you a kingdom but as the Psalmist speaks in another case he hath prepared a Table for you and anoints your head wish oyl that gladness where with our royal high-Priest is crowned and makes your Cup his coelestial blessings poured on us to run over Let us go then and humbly receive that Cup of blessing to which he invites us Let us bless the Lord and
speak good of his name desiring that all mankind may be blessed in him Psal 72.17 all nations may call him blessed Psal 50.16 17. To the wicked indeed God saith what hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy mouth Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Rom. 8.8 They that are in the flesh cannot please God And the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Gal. 5.19 c. Adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness Idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkenness revellings and such like For them that do such things there is a cup in the hand of the Lord and the wine of it saith the Psalmist is red but it is the cup of indignation 〈◊〉 16. â—â— and the wine of the fierceness of his wrath True my soul but let us go therefore and renounce all ungodliness and worldly lusts Let us crucifie the flesh with all the affections and appetites thereof Let us ingage our hearts in that Covenant which we have often taken into our mouths and protest and vow that we think it our happiness to be his most obedient servants Then make no doubt but that he will accept thee and send thee away with his blessing 1 Thess 1.10 and bid thee wait for his Son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come The Prayer before O Most holy and ever blessed God who art brighter than the Sun in its greatest strength and dwellest in that light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen or can see But in thine infinite goodness hast condiscended to shew us thy glory by manifesting thy self in our flesh so that our weakness may look upon thee and live I thy poor Creature incompassed with darkness adore as I am able that unspeakable love though I have just reason to tremble even at the presence of my humblest Saviour and to be afraid when I have before mine eyes the tokens of his dearest love For I have not duly weighed his infinite kindness nor rejoyced in the light of his blessed Gospel nor loved his Commandments nor feared his threatnings nor setled my hope and satisfaction in his pretious promises as I ought to have done A great part of my life I acknowledg hath held but little conformity with the faith which I profess I have not remembred so frequently as becomes me my dependance upon thee as my Creator and my subjection to thee as my Soveraign Lord. I have strangely forgot thy fatherly love in sending thy Son to dwell among us and his tender love to us in all his agonies and sweat and wounds and bitter passion for our sake O the folly I have been guilty of in listning to the inordinate desires of the flesh rather than to the motions of thy holy Spirit How many neglects if not injuries * Here you may mention that earning wrath conteâ—â—tâ—on â—â—â—â—ariâ—aâ—â—â— censuâ—â—â—â— c. 〈◊〉 ha◠〈◊〉 guilty of have my Brethren to accuse me of How little have I been concern'd for the honour of Religion and the good and inlargment of thy Church I have not glorified thee with body and spirit as if I believed the Resurrection of the dead and expected from Christ Jesus forgiveness of sins and everlasting life How shall I stand in that great day of judgment which I have so little thought of whither shall I go when the remembrance of my Saviour is now so astonishing and the remembrance of thy love so sad and afflicting It is some small comfort to me that I am something confounded and ashamed in my own thoughts Thou hast not taken I hope thy holy spirit from me Psa 138.8 Thou wilt not forsake the work of thine own hands but perfect that which concerneth me Phil. 1.6 As thou hast begun a good work in me so thou wilt finish it I humbly hope to the day of Jesus Christ Pierce my heart with a more mortifying sense of what I utter with my mouth Work in me a deeper sorrow for all my sins a godly sorrow that worketh repentance never to be repented of Turn my heart Good Lord turn me quite away from them that I may loath and abhor that which is evil Rom. 12.9 and cleave to that which is good I expose my soul here unto thee as an object of thy tenderest pitty and compassion I spread my wounds before thee that thou mayst cleanse and heal them It is not thy pardon alone which I desire but that I may be thoroughly renewed and chang'd in my mind will and affections I long for a strong and setled apprehension of thee to over-awe and rule me in every thought word desire and action of my whole life For a stedfast love to thee that may move me willingly and chearfully to obey thee And for an active hope in thee which may constantly excite me to purifie my self even as thou art pure Great O Lord is the levity of my mind and the fickleness of my thoughts which makes me afraid lest all these holy desires should presently vanish Wretch that I am how often have I started from my purposes and forsaken my own resolutions I am going 〈…〉 more unto thy Aâ—taâ— to â—â—â—er my soul and body to thee to renew my Covenant with thee and to put my self into thy hands that thou mayst preserve these thoughts and purposes in my heart for ever Accept most loving Father of these holy intentions Meet them there again and visit me from above with a more plentiful effusion of thy holy Spirit to confirm and strengthen me in all goodness I beseech thee by the pretious blood of Jesus Christ the price of our Salvation by thy wondrous and ineffable love which gave him for us to pour down upon me the abundance of thy grace that I may ever hereafter walk before thee with a perfect heart in newness of life As thou hast invited me to that holy feast in remembrance of him so dispose my soul to approach unto it with such reverence and holy fear with such pure devotion and fervent love with such spiritual gladness and joy that tasting the pleasures of thine house I may never thirst for any thing so much but delight my self alwayes in the Lord and do good Lord what wait I for truly my hope is in thee that I shall encrease in the faith and be rooted and grounded in love and stick unto thy testimonies with my whole heart and run the wayes of thy Commandments till I have finished my course with joy Come Lord Jesus and seat thy faith in my mind and will as in its throne Establish thy Laws and Government there raign and rule in me for ever That armed with thy power all thy enemies may flee before thee and no evil thing may dwell in thy sight but I may overcome the world
promise that he hath promised us 1 John 2.25 even eternal life And these things saith the AMEN the faithful and true witness the beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3.14 20 21. If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward I Return unto thee O most great and glorious God all praise and thanks for thine infinite unspeakable Mercies to us the children of men It is but just and reasonable that I should acknowledge thee with the heartiest affection and the greatest chearfulness or Spirit who hast made us and redeemed us and sent thy holy Spirit to sanctifie us and designed us to immortal glory All the host of Heaven is continually praising thee The Thrones the Dominions the Principalities and Powers the Apostles the Prophets the Martyrs and all the blessed rest not day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy Rev. 4.8 Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Thou ever wast and ever wilt be the fulness of wisdom power bounty holiness and truth and therefore it is not only my just duty but my happiness to unite my heart with all that glorious company and to bless thee O Father of Mercies who hast brought me forth out of Nothing and made me such an excellent Creature and sent thy Son to seek and to save me when I was lost and purchased me to thy self by his Bloud and washed me in the laver of regeneration adopted me for thy child instructed me in thy holy Gospel guided me hitherto by thy faithful Ministers admitted me to the Communion of Saints and fed me with the Body and Bloud of my dearest Saviour Blessed be that Goodness which hath sent the Holy Spirit so often to visit me to comfort assist and conduct me through the dangers of this world and which still continues its grace unto me though I have not always given that reverence attention and obedience to its heavenly motions which I ought Every day gives me new occasions to speak good of thy Name And now particularly I am bound to render thee my thanks for the sweet refreshments of that holy Feast of which I have been partaker for the new resolutions thou hast wrought in my heart for the fresh pledges of thy love for the assurances thou hast given me that thou art my Father who wilt ever take care of me * Here pause a little that your heart may be transported and overjoyed in the thoughts that God is your Father for the joys I feel in thy Fatherly love for the comforts of Brotherly kindness for all the pleasures of thy House the fore-tastes of Heaven and the hope of Everlasting life I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth yea Psal 109.30 I will praise him among the multitude 116.1 I will love the Lord because he hath inclined his ear unto me I will call upon him as long as I live 119.164 Seven times a day will I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments I will trust thee and commit my self entirely to thee I will always hope in thy mercy and depend on thy power and faithfulness and satisfie my self in thy kindness care and fatherly Providence and glory in this Jer. 9.24 that I know and understand that thou art the Lord which exercises loving kindness judgment and righteousness in the Earth for in these things are thy delight And therefore I wait on thee from whom cometh my help and my salvation for the constant supply of thy Holy Spirit which I believe thou wilt give to those that ask it to strengthen and enable me to pay thee my vows continually Maintain good Lord such a sensible remembrance in me of thee and of thy love that my heart may always be inclined to thy testimonies â—sa 119.36 and not unto covetousness That I may serve and please thee in all purity heavenly-mindedness simplicity charity humility contentedness of spirit faith hope and joy in the Holy Ghost 56.10 In the Lord will I praise his word 119.114.38 In thy word do I hope Stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear And I heartily desire the Salvation and welfare of all mankind especially that all Christian people may understand their happiness and walk worthy of the Lord 1 Thess 2.12 who hath called them to his Kingdom and Glory And as thou hast given Kings and Princes a Supream Authority over others so their spirits may be raised to a greater height of Christian wisdom that they may think it their truest glory to be like unto thee in doing much good to all their subjects Bless our Sovereign with a happy and prosperous reign that in his days the righteous may flourish and abundance of peace Psal 72.7.12 that the needy may be delivered when he crieth the poor also and him that hath no helper A Father of the fatherless and a judge of the widows is God in his holy habitation Psal 68.5 Thou O God hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor Thou givest food to the hungry and loosest the prisoners and preservest 〈◊〉 strangers and raisest them that are 〈◊〉 down I recommend them and 〈◊〉 â—serable people unto thy 〈…〉 and protection who reg◠〈…〉 all for ever and ever Let 〈…〉 seek thee rejoyce and be glad in the 〈…〉 such as love thy salvation say continua◠〈…〉 God be magnified Blessed be the 〈◊〉 the Lord from this time forth and for 〈◊〉 more Amen and Amen July The Meditation before HOW can I think that I love my Saviour so dearly as I ought And without love who can be welcome guests at his holy Table They are often in my thoughts whom I love with a sensible passion My mind is perpetually looking towards them I delight in their company and conversation and ever labour to recommend my self to their affections by conforming my self to their will and humour How do I study to please them And if they will tell me what will please them O how glad am I of the opportunity to serve them Nay I can cross my self and my own inclinations to follow theirs I love they should be honoured and esteemed by all I am much cast down if I have given them any disgust and not a little troubled that others have offended them or done them any wrong O that I felt but this little sign of a tender love and regard to my sweet Redeemer that my heart were wounded now that I am going to behold his wounds for the just offence I have at any time given him and the great forgetfulness and ingratitude of most of those that are called by his Name He may well be displeased if it be but for the defects
his dearest blood in thy service and all this freely without any motive but his own love and to procure us the greatest blessings no less in conclusion than immortal life What heart can think of this and not be over-powered by it And need he entreat thee not to forget the love he hath shewn unto thee to spend a few thoughts every day on such a Friend that hath deserved so much of thee A mean request which should be granted one would think without the asking And wilt thou be at no pains to preserve his memory Shall he slip out of thy mind unless he force himself into thy company It is easie to be warm by a fire side It is almost impossible not to be moved when the person we love is before our eyes But when we are gone from the fire we must exercise our selves not to grow cold again And when a friend is at a distance from us we must look upon the tokens we have received of his kindness or some other way bring him to our remembrance Or rather our great love to him will often present him before our imagination Do but love 〈◊〉 Saviour then in an hearty manner and 〈◊〉 canst thou fail to love him more 〈◊〉 little thing is all that he desires of 〈…〉 thou wouldst love him best and 〈◊〉 do even what thou wilt For you may consider that it is the nature of all love not to let our heart be joyned to any other object which shall in any degree prejudice that which is principally loved What never is esteemed honoured and admiâ—â—ed by us above all others will not permit any thing to be entertained that shall any wayes â—njure it in our thoughts and affections We are naturally averse to any such objects and reject them with disdain as those which are inconsistent with our better desires If thy Redeemer therefore be advanced and seated in thy heart by an unfeigned love to him above all things on earth it will render every thing despicable which wo ld draw thy heart from him or in the least abate thy devotion to him Thou wilt look upon it as a base temptation and an unworthy offer which is not only to be slighted and rejected but hated and loathed Thou wilt say I am dead to sin I cannot live any longer therein I have done with all your adulterate pleasures Jesus is my joy my life and my crown what pleases him pleases me His love is a Law within my heart and therefore I delight to do thy will O God And the more to fortifie thy self thou mayest often meditate all this month upon the COURAGE and CONSTANCY the Fortitude and Magnanimity of Jesus in asserting the truth of God For this is particularly remembered by S. Paul as a part of his character that he witnessed before Pontius Pilate a good confession 1 Tim. 6.13 By which we should excite our selves out of love to him Ib. v. 11.12 to follow after righteousness godliness faith charity patience and meekness whatsoever it cost us Let the dangers be what they will we should still fight the good fight of Faith to lay hold on eternal life For herein is our love made perfect that we have boldness in the day of judgment 1 Joh. 4.17 18. because as he is so are we in this world There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment he that feareth is not made perfect in love The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward I Humbly offer unto thee O Lord together with the whole company of Heaven the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving which is eternally due to thy most bounteous goodness The whole world was made by thee out of nothing The Heavens the Earth the Seas and all that are therein confess themselves the work of thy infinite wisdom and power Out of the dust thou hast framed our comely Bodies and inspired into them immortal Spirits on which thou hast ingraven thy own image Thou didst put thine own Majesty upon us that all thy creatures here should be obedient to us and we be obedient only to thee the great Lord and Governour of all O how great was the honour which thou conferredst upon us And how much more wonderful the grace thou hast given us in Christ Jesus after our disloyalty and shameful disobedience to thee Thou hast sent him to redeem us from Hell and Death by his precious Bloud And given thy Holy Spirit to sanctifie our hearts and aâ—◠〈◊〉 our duty thy Gospel to be ou◠〈◊〉 thy self to be our Example thy â—â—â—â—sters to be our remembrancers â—â—y Sacraments to be the Signs and Seal of thy blessing I have now tasted oâ— thy great and abundant love Thou hast feasted me at thy Table and satisfied me with thy good will toward me and filled me with joy and gladness in thy favour more than if all thâ— riches on Earth had been encreased What shall I render unto thee and dâ— for thee who hast done all this for me who am less than the least of all thâ— mercies My heart burns within mâ— â—ll I have offered up my self again unto thee and resolved to spend my â—ays in praising loving and serving â—hee to the best of my power O that this holy sense of thee may never quite â—anish out of my mind But I may be â—lways inclined to think of thee to declare thy loving kindness to approve my self to thee by studying and doing thy will with chearfulness of heart I have now knit my self to thee by new â—onds and engagements which I desire may be never loosed O that my â—ows and promises may stand as fast as â—hine everlasting Covenant That nothing may make me break my Faith which I have now and in my Baptism given to thee but I may always as I stand bound most heartily continue to believe in thee to fear thee * The words of the Church Catechism which excellently expresses the duty we owe to God and our Neighbour to love thee with all my heart with all my Soul and with all my strength to worship thee and give thee thanks to put my whole trust in thee to call upon thee and to honour thy holy Name and Word and to serve thee truly all the days 〈◊〉 my life And assist me by thy Heavenly grace to do my duty also faithfullâ—g towards my Neighbour to love him 〈◊〉 my self and to do to all men as I would theâ— should do unto me To love honour and succour my Father and Mother to honour anâ— obey the King and all that are put in Authoriâ— under him To submit my self to all my Gâ—vernours Teachers Spiritual Pastors anâ— Masters To order my self lowly and revâ—rently to all my betters To hurt no body 〈◊〉 word or deed To be true and just in all 〈◊〉 dealing To bear no malice nor hatred in 〈◊〉 heart To keep my hands from picking anâ— stealing and my tongue from evil speaking lying and slandering To
do but to shew forth the glorious perfections of righteousness mercy and truth which I behold in him and to declare the esteem I have of him and my satisfaction in my portion by modesty contentedness thankfulness faith patience hope joyful resignation of all my concernments with an equal mind to his wise disposal This is my will this is my resolution And I will declare from year to year that this I take to be my happiness And here it may be very fit to resolve often all this Month to reflect upon our Saviours CONTEMPT OF THE WORLD when he had chosen to come and do the will of God Riches honour glory and pleasure were nothing in his account in compare with the satisfaction of doing the pleasure of God though it were by sufferings He did not regard the esteem of men nor what they said of him Though he dyed an ignominious and disgraceful death as well as lived a poor and despicable life he was not ashamed nor dejected but rather gloried in both Because his business was not to please himself but as it is written Rom. 15.3 the reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me Let the same mind be in us that was in him Ib. v. 2. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to his edification But overlook the censures and vain opinion of this world with all the honours and preferments of it so we may but approve our selves to God and his will be fulfilled by us For it is a faithful saying 2 Tim. 2.11 12. if we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer we shall also reign with him The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward O Most high and holy Lord of Heaven and Earth the Author of every good and perfect gift Who art for ever to be humbly acknowledged worshipped loved and obeyed by me and by all that know thee I have often made thee my acknowledgments for my being and all the comforts of it for the hopes I have both in this life and hereafter And now I come to renew them that I may be more firmly united to thee in hearty love and entire affection I cast down my self before thee being even oppressed with the great load of thy mercies and benefits which will not suffer me to dispose of my heart other-ways than to thy obedience As I owe my very being to thee so all those good things which have made it not to be a burden and uneasie to me I have enjoyed a long measure of health and cannot tell that ever I wanted my daily bread yea plentiful provision both for my necessity and my pleasure The days of pain and sorrow which I have endured have been but few in compare with the many years of ease and joy which thou hast vouchsafed me I find now all my senses entire and perfect and I have a great many Friends and kind Neighbours and also a great deal of time to think of all this and to prepare my self for thy eternal favour How much am I indebted to thee for the continued use of my understanding reason and memory that I can take notice of all thy goodness whereby my heart may be excited to love thee which is the greatest happiness and pleasure of all * You may acknowledge what you may owe him also for good education civil breeding and that he hath perhaps enclined your heart early to be Religious whereby your Conscience hath been kept from many wounds and both Soul and Body from much dishonour c. This this O Lord is the greatest of thy mercies that thou hast given me the knowledge of thy love in Jesus Christ which cannot but constrain me to the greatest love of thee And that thy holy Spirit hath shone so often into my mind and breathed so often on my will and affections that thou hast pardoned so many faults and waited so long for my amendment and so earnestly importuned my return and afforded me so many helps and such a long time to perfect my repentance Thou hast added also now new pledges of thy love and earnest of that immortal life wherein I may compleat my praises and thanksgivings to thee in the company of the blessed O how precious are thy thoughts towards me how great is the summe of them If I would go about to number them they are moe than the sand I cannot count the least part of them nor ever see any end of thy goodness for even whilst I am thinking of it I receive new favours from thee Every moment is big with abundance of thy mercies both to my Soul and my Body for this life and that which is to come But I know enough to make me admire and love thy goodness and to make me ashamed of my forgetfulness and ingratitude enough to oblige me eternally to thee enough to make me fully contented and to rejoyce in thee as my portion Behold O Lord I here again sincerely devote my self to observe thy commands and keep thy holy word I have chosen it as the rule and the comfort of my life and I will ever cleave unto thy testimonies with my whole heart I would not abuse thy mercies nor grow careless wanton and secure under the abundance of thy goodness but look upon them as engagements and mighty arguments to love acknowledge and obey thee for ever Blessed be thy goodness that I have such thoughts and am so inclined Accept of my good desires purposes and vows which I have made and accompany me alway by thy gracious assistance that I may accomplish what I have begun and perfect holiness in thy fear To thee I recommend all mankind especially thy Church and chosen People all the Rulers and Governours of them that they may remember thou art higher than the highest the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who wilt judge all men without respect of persons Give pure zeal and knowledge to thy Ministers the grace of contentedness to the poor of the flock and of an open heart to the rich wisdom and discretion to those that are in their younger years and an holy hope to comfort the aged And endue them all with an humble meekness that laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil-speakings 1 Pet. 2.1 2 5. as new born Babes they may desire the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby and offer up continually spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to thee by Christ Jesus Amen On the Feast of the Nativity OR Christmas-Day The Meditation before WHat amazing News is this What an astonishing piece of love That the King of Kings who needed nothing and is able by his Omnipotent word to command more Creatures into being if he wanted any subjects than we can think of while we live should send a kind Embassage of peace to us vile worms sinful dust and ashes To us who were unworthy of a gracious look from him
whatsoever thou seest good and wholsome for me in this world referring my self wholly to thy wisdom and looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 in whose prevailing name I am emboldned to make these addresses to thee and still to offer up my desires in his holy words saying Our Father which art c. The Meditation afterward Psal 118.24 22. THis is the day which the Lord hath made I will rejoyce and be glad in it The stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner God hath raised up Jesus whom they slew and hanged on a tree Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour Act. 5.30 31. for to give repentance and remission of sins It is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes God is the Lord that hath shewed us light offer unto him the Sacrifice of righteousness Psal 118.23 27 28 29. Psal 4.5 and say thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God I will exalt thee O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Could I ever cease to rejoyce if I heard for certain that a dead friend the dearest in the world was alive again and not only alive but preferred to the highest dignity and honour O my dulness that I rejoyce no more in God my Saviour For that Jesus whom I have now seen crucified before mine eyes is alive from the dead That Jesus who was such a friend that he died and hung on a gibbet for me is revived again and sits on the throne of glory Without all doubt he lives and reigns for me also and being reconciled by his death Rom. 5.10 I shall much more be saved by his life For God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless us in turning every one of us from his iniquities Act. 3.20 And we wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead 1 Thess 1.10 even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come He is the first begotten from the dead and hath the keyes of the grave Rev. 1.5 He will change this vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself Phil. 3.21 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thess 4.14 Lord what a blessed hope is this seeing we look for these things what manner of persons ought we to be in holy conversation and godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 4. How diligent should we be that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless What can be more disagreeing than a crucified Christ and a carnal Christian What more contrary than a Saviour despising the world and one that professes friendship to him loving it above God himself A libeâ—al Saviour and a covetous disciple A Saviour that indured pain and anguish and â—orrow and a servant that will live in nothing but ease and pleasure A Saviour weeping and bleeding and a man acquainted with grief and a world that nothing but laughs and sports and maketh merry A Saviour that suffered all things and a world that will suffer nothing no not the mortifying of unreasonable lusts and desires A humble and lowly Saviour and a proud vain-glorious self-conceited people that profess him A meek and patient Saviour and a passionate angry and revengeful generation that pretend to be his followers A Saviour that was ever thinking of our good and men that call themselves his lovers who never to any purpose remember hiâ— love A gracious Lord that did us the mosâ— real courtesies and benefits and servantâ— that only complement with him and call him Lord Lord but do not that which he saith A master that never quarrelled with any oâ— Gods Commands no though it were to die and such schollars that count all his Commandments grievous murmur at all his lessons and say that it is impossible to obeâ— them O how unlike is a diffident distrustful Christian to a Saviour that laid dowâ— his very life in hope How il-favoured do these two sound together a conquering Christ and a Christian that is a slave Jesâ— that hath conquered death and a Christiaâ— that cannot conquer himself An head that is in heaven and a member of his that only looks at things on earth God forbid that having professed my self so often to be dead to sin I should live any longer therein I was buried with him by baptism into death Rom. 6.4 5 6. that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so I also should walk in newness of life And now I am again planted in the likeness of his death by partaking of his broken body and his blood that was shed and therefore shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin God be thanked that though I was the servant sin Ib. v. 17 18. yet now being made free from it I am become the servant of righteousness Henceforth I will serve no other master 1 Cor. 5.7 8. For even Christ our passover by whose blood we are redeemed from everlasting destruction is sacrificed for us And therefore I will keep the Feast not with malice and wickedness but with sincerity and truth Building up my self in our most holy Faith praying in the holy Ghost I will keep my self in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life The Thanksgiving and Prayer of afterward O Most mighty Lord the Creator and possessor of Heaven and Earth who art every where and canst not be excluded from any place no not from the closest thoughts of any of our hearts Who art always the same and canst no more change than thou canst cease to be what thou art unmoveably fixed in thy own eternal blessedness Thou needest not go out of thy self for any thing and I am sensible that I cannot possibly make thee greater or more happy than thou art But it is my bounden duty to admire and extol to laud and praise to worship love and honour thee and it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and praise is comely All the Host of Heaven delight to sing perpetual Hymns to the glory of thy infinite Majesty with whom I beseech thee to give me leave to joyn my poor and imperfect praises The whole world was made out of Nothing by thy Power and proclaims thy greatness wisdom and goodness in the multitude variety beauty comeliness and order of all thy works of wonder The Heavens are the work of thy
right hand Search and try dost thou in good earnest travel with high and heavenly designs Art thou ambitious of nothing so much as to be like to Jesus and by the most self denying wayes to obtain his glory Dost thou spare no pains to flatten thy too eager desires towards the things on earth to let out thy vain and aiery conceits to sharpen thy appetite after real righteousness to inflame thy love to heighten thy desire and hope to strengthen thy faith to excite thy watchfulness and ingage thy serious endeavours that thou mayest possess the things above Art thou sure taht the wisdom from above is the crown of thy glory Jam. 2.17 Humility thy honour To do good thy riches and treasure to be Religious thy business and to rejoyce in God thy highest pleasure Doth the peace of God which passeth all understanding keep thy mind and heart Pâ— 4.7 Art thou above the threats the contempt the hatred the oppression the enmities and affronts of this evil world Above thine own and other mens passions and peevish affections So that thou returnest good for evil kindness for injuries and prayers for curses Is that sweet thing that heavenly love to all thy Brethren the darling of thy bosome which is the very joy of Heaven Then the Angels give thee joy of an happy resurrection and ascension with Christ Jesus He hath made thee already to fit with him in heavenly places Eph. 2.6 The day star is risen in thy heart foretelling thy approaching glory Thou beholdest the morning of eternal joy the dawning of the day of recompences And thou mayest rest assured that God will not leave thee in the grave nor suffer thee for ever to see corruption but it shall deliver thee into the arms of thy Lord 1 Cor. 15.53 2 Cor. 5.4 and corruption shall put on incorruption and this mortality be swallowed up of life Nay thou mayst now triumph and say I am an heir an heir of God Rom. 8.17 and joynt-heir with Christ who hath also given me the earnest of the inheritance Eph. â— 14 For he hath formed already a model of the heavenly Sanctuary within thy breast where Christ Jesus himself is enthroned and the name of God is continually honoured and glorified And therefore thou mayst humbly conclude in the words of Jesus Joh. 12.32 If God be glorified in me God shall also glorifie me in himself And O that the Father of glory would be pleased more and more to enlighten the eyes of our understanding Ephes 1.17 18 19 20. that we may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in Heavenly places c. Amen The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward O Most Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty who art to be most humbly adored worshipped and admired but thy perfections no tongue can express and thou art above the thoughts of the highest and purest of all Creatures They all give glory to thee in their several kinds and declare thy power thy greatness thy wisdom and goodness which spreads it self throughout the world Psal 113.3 4. From the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same the Lords name is to be praised For the Lord is high above all Nations and his glory above the Heavens They sound continually with the praises which the holy Angels give thee who know thee better than we that are shut up in houses of clay and can see but little of thy glory And yet thou art pleased not only to admit but to invite us to lift up our hearts unto thee and unite them with that Heavenly company in rendring thee our poor praises and thanks which are infinitely below thee Accept Good Lord of such as I have to give and inspire me graciously from above with such a sense of thy goodness that I may offer thee an heart full of love which may be ever making grateful acknowledgments unto thee I bless thee that thou hast made man such a noble Creature capable to look back to thee the Author of his being and to be happy in loving thee and bearing a likeness to thee O how great was thy goodness that when he forgot thee that formed him and lightly esteemed thy love and favour thou wouldest not call him out of thy care but mercifully and speedily madest a promise of a Redeemer to him I thank thee O God that in the fulness of time thou hast sent him thy only begotten Son into the world not only to converse lovingly with us as our Friend and Brother but also to die for us and to die the accursed death of the Cross Who can understand the greatness of thy love O blessed Jesus that would hang in such shame and pain and bleed to death and lie in the Grave for us wretched sinners And the greatness of thy love O Father of mercies who hast raised him again from the dead and exalted him with thy right hand to the Throne of Glory in the Heavens and given him a name above every name Phil. 2.9 10 11. that at the name of Jesus every knee might bow both of things in Heaven and things on Earth and things under the Earth and that every tongue might confess that Jesus is the Lord to thy glory I confess his Sovereign power and authority whom the Angels worshipped and adored and I give glory to thee O Father of all who hast made him head of the Church Ephes 1.22 23. which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Glory be to thee O Lord most high who hast put all things under his feet and made Angels themselves to be ministring Spirits Heb. 1.14 sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation Glory be to thee Acts 3.26 who hast sent him to bless us in turning every one of from our iniquities 5.32 and hast made him a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins and made him able to save them to the uttermost that come unto thee by him Heb 7.25 27. seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them To thy eternal praise and glory be it remembred that we have such an High-Priest Heb. 8.1 who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens who needeth not daily to offer up Sacrifice but hath done it once when he offered up himself I bless thee that thou hast now admitted me to partake of that Sacrifice which is able to perfect for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 And that to the blessings of thy house thou hast added also those of my own Thou feedest not my
holy Name Let the wise man if he please glory in his wisdom and the rich man glory in his riches and the mighty man in his great strength But I will glory in this that I understand and know thee that thou art the Lord the God and Father of Jesus Christ Jer. 9.23 24. which exercises loving kindness judgment and righteousness in the Earth for in these things are thy delight I will glory in this that I am the Disciple and Heir of the crucified Jesus that I know the power of his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 and the fellowship of his Sufferings that he hath made a new Covenant with us of grace mercy and peace that we have received the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 whereby we call him Father and that I am taken into the fellowship of the Saints and have hope to be numbered with them in glory everlasting I will send up my heart to Heaven where he is in holy love and engage my self to be ever mindful of his Covenant especially of that new Commandment to love one another even as he hath loved us By this shall all men know that I am his Disciple because I love the Brethren Ephes 4.4 5 6 7 8 c. For there is one Body and one Spirit even as we are called in one hope of our calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in us all Who gave to every one grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men And he gave some Apostles blessed be his bounteous goodness and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the fulness of Christ From whom the whole body fitly joyned together and coâ—â—acted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh encrease of the body unto the edifying of it self in love The Prayer before O Lord who livest for ever and changest not Whose power made me and all the world before whom the whole world is as a little grain of a ballance Wis 11.22 or a drop of the morning dew that falleth on the Earth Whose wisdom governs and orders all things both in heaven and earth whose goodness and bounty provides constantly for their comfortable support under whose Soveraign and everlasting dominion we live and unto whom we owe all homage service and fidelity which ought most readily and heartily to be paid by every one of us I adore thee in the humblest reverence of my Soul and body I acknowledge my dependance on thee and subjection to thee I desire above all things to live in thy fear and in thy love and obedience as long as I have any being Blessed be thy goodness that I may love thee and that I am alive to worship and acknowledg thee Blessed be thy goodness that thou hast not been provoked to cut me off in my forgetfulness of thee nor now to open the gates of death for me and command me to dwell in silence but the doors of thy house that I may enter in and praise thy holy Name To thee belongs all blessing honour worship and service to me nothing but shame and confusion of face which ought to cover me when I approach thy presence I thank thee most humbly for the good news thou hast sent us that thou art in thy Son Christ 2 Cor. 5.19 reconciling the world to thy self I rejoyce in thy love who hast delivered him up for our offences Rom. 4.25 and raised him from the dead for our justification that we may know thou hast accepted of his death as a sufficient satisfaction for us and believe that all his words are faithful and true and that we shall be accepted in thy beloved I thank thee O God that thou hast exalted him to sit in thy throne of glory that he may be able to perform his own promises and enable us to obey his Commands That thou hast given us such good hope in thee by patient continuance in well doing to come to the resurrection of the dead and to be made partakers of life immortal Blessed be the Lord for the assurance we have of this that we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour by the descent of the Holy Ghost which is the earnest of that eternal bliss that thou hast sent thine Apostles to preach the Gospel to every creature and that when they went forth thou wroughtest with them Mark 16. ult confirming their word with signs following and that I my self have felt the effects of his royal power in the heavens by the breathings of thy holy Spirit in my heart perswading me to love thee and thy Son Jesus who hath shown all long-suffering towards me and waited with great patience upon me that I might return to thee and live I thank thee O Lord and desire to be admitted to thy holy Table that I may thank thee better and renew my acknowledgments to thee in the most solemn manner laying my self at thy feet to tender thee my hearty service resigning my self to thy will recommending Soul and body to thy wisdom submitting to thy government approving all thy laws and devoting my self to the constant observance of them I hope thou wilt mercifully accept and own me in all these acts and stand by me to guide assist and encourage me and to work in me whatsoever is well pleasing in thy sight That I may be such an one as thou canst love and delight in and reward and I desire nothing else in heaven or in earth I do most freely give my self up to the conduct of the Holy Ghost and stedfastly depend on thee for its continual presence with me to possess my mind with such a strong sense of these things which it hath revealed unto us that they may operate powerfully on my will and affections and make them conformable unto Christ O that by walking in love and shewing all meekness to all men by patience and peaceableness gentleness and goodness uprightness and fidelity temperance and moderation contentedness and joy in every state and condition and by all other fruits of the spirit I may so resemble my blessed Lord and Master Jesus that I may nothing doubt to bear the image of his glory in heaven as I bear the image of his holiness here on earth O that the eyes of my understanding may be opened more and more to see the wondrous things which thou hast written to us in thy Gospel that apprehending and believing and following the wisdom given to us by thine Apostles through the
inspiration of the holy Ghost I may have the comfort of knowing that I am still led and moved by it and living and walking in the Spirit may go on joyfully to the possession of that immortal inheritance which it hath sealed to us Now the God of hope fill us all with joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 14. Col. 1.28 that we may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost being full of all goodness and knowledg and able also to admonish one another till we come to be presented perfect in Christ Jesus By whom I am incouraged to make these addresses unto the throne of grace and to recommend my suits unto thee in his holy words saying as he hath bidden us Our Father which art c. The Meditation afterward THou hast now seen the completion of all the mystery of our redemption how that Jesus who learned obedience by the things which he suffered H b. 5.8 9. being made perfect became the author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him Canst thou doubt of it when thou remembrest the princely gifts which he hath already bestowed on his Church Did not the spirit poured out as on this day bear witness that all those who obediently believed on Jesus were the children of God Rom. 8.16 17 18. And if children then heirs heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ How couldst thou refrain my soul from rejoycing in these thoughts shouldst thou be in the midst of their tribulations For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Be not so dull then now that he giveth thee also a number of other good things so richly to enjoy But stir up thy self and be exceeding glad in the comfort of that light which shines from heaven upon us shewing us those things which in other ages were not made known to the sons of men 〈◊〉 2.5 as they are now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit And is it possible to know Jesus and not to learn obedience of him What was it that he designed from first to last but to form to himself an obedient holy people zealous of good works Dost thou not see how early he went himself about his Fathers business Luke 2.49.51 How dutiful and obedient he was to his earthly parents How humbly he condiscended to be baptized by a meaner person than himself because he would fulfil all righteousness Mat. 3.15 And what did he do immediately after he was baptized Mark 1.12 but enter into a combate with the Devil and vanquish those very temptations which foiled our first parents O how gloriously did he then triumph over pride ambition Matth. 4.1 2 c. eager appetite of meat and drink and all perswasions to presumption or distrust of God! Consider my soul what was the first thing he preached after this but that men should repent and believe the Gospel Mat. 4.17 Mar. 1 15. And his Sermon that presently followed on the Mountain what lessons doth it teach but poverty of spirit mourning meekness mercifulness purity peaceableness Matth. 5.3 4 c. and such like heavenly vertues without which he tells us in the conclusion of his discourse 7 26 27. we may as discreetly build an house upon the sand as hope to go to heaven And was not his whole life a continual comment upon this text Whither tended all his promises his exceeding great and pretious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 but that by these we might be made partakers of a divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust O God! that we should be no more moved by such promises to purifie our selvs what miracle will work upon those hearts whom these will not prevail withal to be obedient And yet his miracles I see also had the same design to win men to a better life I hear him admonishing the impotent man whom he had cured Joh. 5.14 Behold mark what I say thou art made whole Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee So had his death also for he gave himself for our sins Gal. 1.4 that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father that he might sanctifie and cleanse his Church with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself glorious Eph. 5.26 27. not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish For this cause likewise he rose again as well as died that we should not henceforth live unto our selves but unto him 2 Cor. 5.15 Act. 3.26 and that he might bless us in turning us from our iniquities For which end he ascended into heaven and was exalted with Gods right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour Acts 5.31 for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins This is the intent of his eternal Priesthood that we should be incouraged to draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith Heb. 10.21 22. having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water And for this purpose he sent the Holy Ghost to make the Gentiles obedient Rom. 15 18 19. by word and deed through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God With this commission he sent his Apostles that they should go to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26.18 that they might receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Christ And this they preached with the greatest fervency and testified in the Lord that they who believed in him should not henceforth walk as other Gentiles did in the vanity of their minds Eph. 4.17.5.6 c. for they pronounced the wrath of God would come upon the children of disobedience but to them Rom. 2.7 who by patient continuance in well-doing sought for glory and honour and immortality eternal life Of this the Holy Ghost was the Earnest the Advocate of Christ Jesus here as He is ours with the Father the Witness of his resurrection and glory the Proof and Demonstration of his Religion the Comforter of all those that live according to it It bids them hope that he who hath so advanced humane nature as was most apparent on this day in wisdom power and charity can and will change us into his glorious image and make us meet for the inheritance of the Saints in Light It bids us ask what we will in his name Joh. 16.23 Rom. 8.32 and it shall be given us for he that hath given us his Son and sent his holy Spirit how shall he not then give us all things What shall we ask O
my soul I only bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 3.14 15 c. of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named that he would grant me according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in my heart by faith that I being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledg that I may be filled with all the fulness of God Amen The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward O Lord the fullest and most bountiful good who art rich in mercy to all that call upon thee never weary of our importunities nor weary of importuning us to dispose our selves to receive thy blessings Eccluâ— 2. ult Thy power is the beginning of righteousness and is guided by the greatest wisdom and the greatest love As is thy Majesty Wisd 12.16 so is thy mercy and because thou art the Lord of all it maketh thee to be gracious unto all Thou lovest all things that are 11.24 25 26. and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made for never wouldest thou have made any thing if thou hadst hated it And how could any thing have endured if it had not been thy will or been preserved if not called by thee But thou sparest all for they are thine O Lord thou lover of Souls It is of thy mere goodness that I am not consumed Lam. 3.22 and because thy compassions fail not That I have so much liberty as to recount thy mercies which keep me in life and let it not be as wretched and miserable base and vile sickly and uneasie troublesome and tedious as it might have been according to my deservings is for ever to be remembred with most humble thankfulness I cannot forget unless I cast away all care and consideration of my self from how many dangers thou hast delivered me in what extremities thou hast succoured and relieved me and what friends lovers and kind acquaintances thou hast bestowed on me But the greatest of thy mercies are those which thou hast expressed to us in the Lord Jesus without which all the rest might have made our life in the next world to have proved more miserable and intolerable to us Thou hast sent him in the tenderest and most endearing manner in our own flesh with the most moving and compassionate entreaties and the strongest and most obliging arguments to surrender our selves to thy obedience to whom of right we belong And he hath laid down his life so great was his love the just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 that he might bring us to thee our God And thou hast rewarded his obedience to the death with a glorious Resurrection and set him at thine own right hand and given him the promise of the Holy Ghost Acts 2.33 which he hath shed abundantly on his Apostles to guide them into all truth Joh. 16.13 that they might go and Teach all Nations and Baptize them into his Religion Matth. 28.19 20. and teach them to observe all things that he hath commanded I remember with most grateful acknowledgments the manifold gifts which thou bestowedst on thy Church to confirm the faith of Christ and propagate it in the world till it came to these Regions where I live Blessed be thy goodness that I was born of Christian Parents and without my knowledge very early by their care dedicated unto thee Blessed be thy goodness that ever since I have been thy care and that thou hast brought me up to the knowledge of thy holy Gospel wherein I read this story of thy marvellous love and am instructed in my duty towards thee and towards men and encouraged by exceeding great and precious promises being put in hope of immortal life the pledges of which thou hast ordered and appointed thy Ministers to provide for me and give unto me I have now by thy goodness received them and tasted that the Lord is gracious full of compassion and of great pity not desiring the death of a sinner but that he should return and live This raises thy mercy to the greatest height that thou hast done all this for those who are so dull and insensible cold and careless inconstant and uncertain apt too soon to forget these benefits and great obligations which thou layest on them But thou hast done all this and continuest thy kindness to make us better Which is the thing O Lord that I most heartily desire and labour after and shall ever account it the greatest blessing when I am overcome by thy merciful kindness and am willing to part with my self and all my own desires to gain thee and thy love by being led and ruled in all things according to thy will To that I unfeignedly again submit my self and humbly vow all the powers of Soul and Body to thy obedience I own thy blessed Gospel for the rule and direction of my life and thy Son Christ Jesus for my pattern and example and thy good Spirit for my guide and governour in whose holy comforts I rejoyce more than in any thing in this world For ever magnified be thy love that thou hast exalted one mighty to save and hast sent him not only with a pardon but with the power of the Holy Ghost to renew sanctifie and advance our Nature by changing it into the likeness of thine own I hope in thee O Lord for the continued influences thereof to quicken my Faith and render it more and more effectual in all the actions of an holy life That I may have high and adoring thoughts of thee and humble thoughts of my self overlook the little things here below and labour for those above do good with what I have and lay up treasures in Heaven be contented with my portion and sober and discreet in the use of it live peaceably with all men but not be partaker in their sins and that it may alway be part of my employment in this World thus to worship thee and reflect upon thy goodness and the rest may be to live according to my prayers and acknowledgments Amen and Amen O that all Nations whom thou hast made would come and worship before thee Psal 86.9 10. in Spirit and in Truth Joh. 4.23 O that they would glorifie thy Name for thou art great and dost wondrous things thou art God alone But let all Christians especially 1 Cor. 12.13 who by one Spirit are all baptized into one Body and have been all made to drink into one Spirit glorifie the Name of their Lord Ephes 4.3 by keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and agreeing together in Godly love And do thou O Lord the God of Peace direct their hearts into the more excellent way that though tongues and prophecies and miracles are ceased yet that humble kind meek and long-suffering Charity may remain and abound more and more which will bring us all to live in endless love and peace and joy together in the Heavens The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 13. ult and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with me and with all my Friends and all thy Servants every where Amen THus by the help of God I have brought this Treatise to a Conclusion which I hope will not be unwelcome to those that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Ephes 6. ult And I most humbly beseech the Divine Majesty graciously to accept my weak endeavours therein to serve this Church and stir up every Member of it with hearty love to offer up themselves to him in its Publick Service Which so gravely and pathetically expresses the sense of pious hearts at the Holy Communion that these Private Prayers which I have composed to wait upon it can only serve to excite those who will make use of them to joyn with more fervour in the Common Devotions and to continue those holy dispositions which they declare to be in their hearts if they sincerely unite them with these words * In the Prayer after the Communion And here we offer and present unto thee O Lord our Selves our Souls and Bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively Sacrifice unto thee Which that we may ever be we cannot in a few words better implore the Divine assistance than in those of that incomparable Prayer at the end of our Communion-Service PRevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE END ERRATA PAge 53. line 19. read went away p. 179. l. 1. r. heart l. 2. r. mouth p. 320. l. 27. 1. have received p. 357 l. 12. r. Lord Jesus p. 362. l. ult r. a member p. 383. l. 10. r. and growth p. 396. l. 13. r. earnests