so great a Price beside this paid for any Creature I will live to my Love that died for me I will henceforth look upon my self as a devoted consecrated Thing and will ever endeavour to remain so and to carry my self as such I will never be willingly employed but as thou commandest and as thou allowest Lord for thy sake I will love thy Law and it shall be my Meditation all the day I will love thy Commandments above Gold and all false ways I will utterly abhorr Dearer shall thy Commandments be to Me than Thousands of Gold and Silver and sweeter than Honey from the Comb. I will love nothing but what thou lovest and will hate what-ever is displeasing to thee I am heartily griev'd O Lord that I have ever lov'd any thing but thee while I neglected to love thee I am heartily ashamed to think that I should place no Affection where all I could offer is but due and bestow all where little or none was due Especially does it vex and grieve me that I should be so monstrously ungratefull and mistaken as to love any thing more than the loving Jesus Hereafter dearest Lord I purpose to love nothing but far below thee and for thy sake what-ever I do love And what is most like thee or most serviceable to thy Honour and Glory shall have the most of my Love Henceforth it shall be my Honour that I am a Servant of Jesus It shall be my delight and pleasure to be a lover of Jesus it shall be my most valued Wealth that He is mine and I am His. Whom have I in Heaven but thee O Lord and there is none on Earth that I can desire in comparison to thee And therefore nothing can be so sweet to me nothing can afford me so much satisfaction and joy as to be able to say of thee My Beloved is mine and I am His For me to be thine O Jesu is my Honour my Security my Peace and Happiness everlasting For thee to be mine is health to my Soul strength to do thy Commandments it is Joy unspeakable and full of Glory it is Heaven on Earth and the Heaven of Heaven it is Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption to me O rich and bounteous Love I am thine O Lord with all my Soul that thou mayest be mine Oh how much shall I gain by giving my self to thee I shall gain my self and be saved from Everlasting Perdition and I shall gain Everlasting Happiness in the Enjoyment of thee I am thine O Jesu save me I have sought thy Precepts Lord sanctifie me wholly that in Body Soul and Spirit I may be thine Take a full possession of me for the future and let not any other Lords have Dominion over me O Lord I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments I purpose to be stedfast unmovable always abounding in the Work of the Lord as knowing that my Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. I am thine dispose of me as thou pleasest I will bear thy Yoke I will not decline thy Cross I will not despise thy shame The reproach of Christ shall be to me greater Riches than the Prosperity of this World Let but thy Grace be sufficient for me and then call me to what thou pleasest I can do all things through Christ strengthening me Lord I shall not I hope fear or decline to suffer for thy sake No though I should die with thee I purpose not to deny thee But alas it troubles me to think how weak and vain all my Resolutions are and how soon they will come to nothing without thy continual support and assistance This troubles me but it is my comfort that thy Grace is easily obtain'd it may be now had for asking of it O shield me by thy Grace against all Temptations Hold up my goings in thy Word that my footsteps slip not Guide thou me by thy Counsel till thou hast brought me to thy Glory SECT XVI An Exercise of Faith I Believe there is onely one true and living God who is the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost An Infinite Eternal Perfect Being the Maker and Preserver Owner and Governour of All things Who has right to the Homage Worship and Obedience of Mankind Who has laid upon us his Laws and takes notice of our Behaviour That his Eyes behold all the Dwellers upon Earth and try the Children of Men That He is always nigh to every one of us for it is in Him that we live move and have our Being I believe O Lord that thou art and art a Rewarder of those that diligently seek thee Thou hast appointed a Day wherein thou wilt Judge the World in Righteousness and render to every Man according to his Works That those who are found wicked in that Day shall go away into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal But I believe also that to the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgivenesses though we have rebelled against Him if in the way of his appointment we seek his Pardoning-Mercy Thou hast O Lord Blessed be thy Name preclaim'd thy self a God forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin And declarest that thou desirest not the Death of a Sinner but had rather that he should turn from his Wickedness and live O wonderfull Condescension and Goodness Oh how sweet is thy Mercy How glorious and great The exceeding vileness and the unreasonableness of our Sins do magnifie thy Mercy beyond all Comprehension and Praise Favour and Forgiveness to a base Sinner is that the Sinner could not expect till thou hadst declar'd it should be obtain'd and didst graciously offer it When we were sunk into the most abject Misery by a vile Rebellion against thee had render'd our selves obnoxious to thy Eternal Hatred and Wrath and deserv'd to follow the Apostate Angels in their Fate and Damnation as we had follow'd them in Rebellion Then did thy Infinite Wisdom contrive how to show us Favour in a way consistent with thine own Honour Thou didst find out a way to spare Us and to punish our Sins to glorifie thy Justice in taking Vengeance on our Inventions and thy Mercy in saving the wretched Sinners And God so lov'd the World that He gave his onely-begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Thou gavest O Father thine Onely-begotten Son to the Condescension and Meanness of taking our Nature upon Him and to die a Sacrifice for our Sins and on him thy well-beloved Son didst thou lay the Iniquities of us all And in his Death thou hast receiv'd a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World Thou hast laid our Help on one that is Mighty and able to save to the uttermost all that come into God by Him We adore thy Incomprehensible Goodness and Compassion to Sinners Thou art abundant Oh God in Goodness and Truth Thy Mercy is over all
O Gracious Jesu upon all Bishops and Pastours of thy Church Replenish them all with right and sound Knowledge and a true Understanding of thy Word Oh let not their Hearts be govern'd or their Actions be guided by the Designs of Covetousness or Ambition But do thou possess and rule them by a great Zeal for thy Glory and for thy great Design the Salvation of Souls Grant that they may by their Holy Doctrine and Answerable Lives be mightily successfull in turning many to Righteousness and that they may save Themselves and many of those that are committed to their Charge Since my Goodness O Lord extends not to thee and thou art above the receiving of any Advantage by the best Returns that I can make for all thy Bounty to me It shall be my Charge and Care to requite thy kindness upon thy Servants to whom I may be profitable I will love them O Lord that love thee and do all the good I can to those especially that are of the Houshold of Faith I will gladly relieve the Necessities of thy Servants which are made known to me will Feed the Hungry Cloath the Naked Instruct the Ignorant Reduce the Wandering Visit the Sick and Imprisoned Comfort and Help the Weak-hearted and Vindicate and Assist the Fatherless and Widows in their Distress according as I have Opportunity and Power to do so And give me I beseech thee O loving Jesu a just and large Notion of the Houshold of Faith that I may not confine this my Charity within too narrow Bounds Let me be always afraid of restraining it within too narrow Limits never of extending it too far among Christians I love thee O Lord Jesus for making so sweet and pleasant a thing as Charity my Duty and do account even this an Instance of thy Charity to me If there be any other Exercise of this Divine Vertue O Lord which I have not thought of I desire Thee the great Fountain of Love to admonish me of it and always to dispose me to it Grant that in the pleasing Exercise of Love I may pass the time of my sojourning here in this Malicious Miserable World till I come at length to that Happy One where sincere abundant and unalterable Love and Joy and Glory dwell for ever SECT XVIII PRAYERS for Preparation I. O God of Love Father of all Mercies and Giver of every good and perfect Gift It is thy Command and I reckon it a kind and a just One That I should Celebrate this Sacrament in Remembrance of the Death and Sacrifice of thy dear Son our onely Saviour and Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ To make me Thankfull for his Love and for the Benefits of his Passion and Death and that I might be made a Partaker of those Incomparable Benefits Thou hast Commanded me in this way to renew my Covenant with Thee to declare my self thy Creature and Servant and bind my self to continue thy Faithfull Servant and to live as becomes one that had his Being from Thee O Lord I must acknowledge it is but too necessary for me to renew the Obligations which I am so apt to transgress I am therefore heartily willing I desire to strengthen the Bonds of Love that they may hold me the faster to my Duty I would never be exempted from the Yoke of thy Service Oh do not thou cast me out of it for the sake of Jesus Christ And I am willing to remember my dear Saviour's dying Love to be deeply Affected with it and therefore to use so lively a Representation of his Death as he has provided in this Sacrament I must indeed own my self Infinitely unworthy of so great Good but yet cannot chuse but be earnestly desirous O Lord to partake abundantly in the Merits and Benefits of my Saviour's Death There is nothing so dear to me as to have all mine Iniquities pardon'd to recover thy Favour To enjoy the excellent Graces of the Holy Spirit and be consecrated for a Sacred Temple to Him To receive Earnests and Pledges yea and Fore-tasts of my future Joy and Happiness All which are the matchless Blessings He has purchased for me and which Thou hast directed thy Church to seek and partake of in and by this Sacrament All this I humbly seek and crave through the Merits of Jesus Christ my Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without End Amen II. Almighty and most Mercifull God I bless Thee for this Sacrament and would come to it with a hungring and thirsting Soul But alas how shall I a poor mean Creature approach thy Majesty How shall I a guilty polluted Sinner dare to approach thy Purity and Holiness O Lord I am Infinitely unworthy to come so near Thee Yet it seems thou dost not regard my Unworthiness else Thou wouldest never have invited me Thou invitest poor sinfull Creatures in General to this Feast thy Guests can be none but such If all therefore that are unworthy to come should Absent themselves none of us would be there and thy vast and land Preparations would be in vain I come therefore most Gracious God in Obedience to thy Command and Invitation But I will come with the lowliest Reverence and Humility for thou hast regard unto the Lowly I will come as a returning Prodigal for Thou art willing to receive such I will come hoping in thy Infinite Mercy for there is Mercy with Thee through Jesus Christ My great Concern O Lord is that I may be in some good measure fit to approach Thee though I can never be worthy and that I may have and exercise those Qualifications in my attendance on Thee which are suitable to this Sacrament and which Thou requirest I have therefore earnestly endeavour'd to find or form those Qualifications in my self But alas O Lord I dare not trust to my own Examinations or Endeavours Do Thou the Heart-searching God examine and try me do Thou I pray Thee prepare me I fly to thy Grace and Blessed Influence Lord give me I pray what Thou requirest to be in me It is my great Encouragement to make this Request that I know I ask herein what Thou art willing to give Thou Lord art always more ready to Hear than we to Pray and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve Thou knowest I cannot have these Qualifications but from Thee Since therefore Thou hast commanded me to come possess'd with Them I am sure Thou art willing to give Them Thou art desirous we should come prepar'd and suitable Guests to this Heavenly Entertainment art desirous to see thy House fill'd with such Fill me then good Lord and many other Souls with those Graces which it becomes us to approach Thee with for the sake of Jesus Christ our Mediatour and Advocate Amen III. O Lord of Infinite Bounty and Power I humbly pray Thee give me a sincere and unfeigned Repentance for all my Sins Oh let the Remembrance of them
it into a Prayer thus O God that searchest the Hearts and triest the Reins of Men and who hast commanded us to come to the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ Thou knowest I have diligently Examin'd my self before I would presume to eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup and have endeavour'd that I might with a true penitent Heart and lively Faith receive this Holy Sacrament that so I may to my great Benefit and Consolation spiritually eat the Flesh of Christ herein and drink his Blood that I may be one with Christ and Christ with Me And that I might not receive the same unworthily nor which I dread to speak be guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ my Saviour and so eat and drink my own Damnation not considering the Lord's Body That I might not kindle thy Wrath against me but find favour in thy sight That I might not provoke Thee to plague me with Temporal Afflictions but obtain the continuance of such Comforts as I enjoy and the bestowing of such as Thou seest most convenient for me That I might not provoke Thee to cut me off by an untimely Death I have according to the direction of thy Apostle seriously judg'd my self Do not thou enter into Judgment with thy Servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified I have repented my past Sins and do repent of them I have endeavour'd to be possest of a lively and stedfast Faith in Christ my Saviour Lord encrease my Faith I resolve to amend by the Assistance of thy Grace what-ever Evil I shall be convinced of in my Life And I heartily seek thy Favour upon this just and reasonable Condition of being in Charity with all Men. O Lord I forgive let me be forgiven And after all I most humbly pray Thee who alone canst do it to make me a meet partaker of these Holy Mysteries Above all I give most humble and hearty Thanks to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for the Redemption of the World by the Death and Passion of our Saviour Christ both God and Man Who did humble Himself even to the Death upon the Cross for us miserable Sinners Who lay in Darkness and the shadow of Death that He might make us the Children of God and Exalt us to Everlasting Life I desire at this time with all Thankfulness to remember the Exceeding great Love of our Master and only Saviour in his thus Dying for us and the Innumerable Benefits which by his precious Blood-shedding He hath obtain'd to us I heartily give Him thanks too for that He hath further shown his Love to wretched Sinners in his Instituting and Ordaining Holy Mysteries for Pledges of his Love that we might have the move full Assurance of it and for a continual Remembrance of his Death to our Great and Endless Comfort To Him therefore with the Father and the Holy Ghost I gave as I am most bounden continual Thanks submitting my self wholly to his Holy will and Pleasure and purposing that I will study to serve Him in true Holiness and Righteousness all the Days of my Life Amen In the next place you are to join with the Minister with all Humility and true Godly Sorrow in a Confession of Sins and to receive by Him God's Absolution To the Sentences of Holy Scripture which He next recites to encourage our Faith and Hope in God it may be proper to make in your Hearts some such Answers as these To those Words of our Saviour Come unto me c. Answer Behold O Lord I come Jesus thou Son of David have Mercy upon me To those Words God so loved the World c. Answer O Father of Mercies have Mercy upon me and give me that Faith in thy Son that I may not Perish but have Everlasting Life To the Words of St. Paul This is a true Saying c. Answer Lord I believe the Truth of this and thankfully embrace so Important a Truth O Christ save me one of the chiefest of Sinners To the Words of St. John If any Man sin c. Answer Be Thou O Jesus the Righteous my Powerfull Advocate with the Father O Father accept of his Death as a Propitiation for my Sins To what the Minister says next you are to make the Answers directed and to join with Him in the Praises and Prayers following After that the Bread and Wine is by the Prayer of Consecration set apart to represent the Body and Blood of Christ and while the Ministers are receiving you must look upon the Elements with an Holy Awfull Reverence and sadly call to Mind the Scourging the Buffetings the Crown of Thorns the cruel Nails and Spear which wounded and bruised which tore and kill'd the Loving Jesus You may remember the more terrible Sufferings and sharp Agonies of his Soul which He endur'd especially when He made his Life an Offering for Sin And you should call to mind it was your Sins that gave Him all these Sufferings and Griefs that yet He endur'd them for your Advantage And He was Scourg'd that by His stripes you might be healed He shed His Blood to ransome you from Hell and Misery and died that He might obtain for you Everlasting Life and Happiness And while the rest of the Company are receiving if they are a good Number you will have leisure and may very profitably entertain your self with reading over the foregoing Exercises of Thankfull Remembrance Faith c. And in reading them you may Exercise those Graces as you ought to do If there will not be time to repeat them all you may do well to chuse some such a one or more of them as is most suitable to the present State and disposition of your Mind For the Devout Soul may be at one time more taken up in Admiration and Praise of the Dying Love of Jesus Christ At another time it may be especially possest with a deep Humiliation and Repentance at another time it may be elevated with the Hopes and Joys of Believing Or engag'd in making Earnest Resolutions of Love Obedience and Gratitude to the Great Redeemer Or in Exercises of Charity to the miserable and sinfull World And your Entertainment at this spare time may be chosen accordingly Only this must be advised in relation to this matter That you should make Observation of your self whether you do not too commonly fix your Meditations upon one and the same of these Exercises and so neglect the rest For this must not be allow'd But you must constrain your self if need be to use sometimes one and sometimes another of these that so you may at times Exercise every Grace and by the Exercise encrease in all When you go to Receive and see the Minister approaching with the Sacred Bread which represents the broken Body of our Lord look on it and say Behold my Soul the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World Worthy is the Lamb that
was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Oh come Lord Jesus take possession of my Soul and dwell Thou for ever with me that I may be the more fit for such a Happiness transform me into thy Likeness by the renewing of my Mind Open ye everlasting Doors of my Heart that the King of Glory may come in When He delivers it to you join with Him and say The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for me preserve my Body and Soul unto Everlasting Life And as you are eating it say within your self O Jesu Thou art the Living and Life giving Bread which cometh down from Heaven which whosoever eateth he shall live for ever Thy Flesh is Meat indeed and thy Blood is Drink indeed On Thee my hungry Soul shall feed by my Faith with hearty Thankfulness Let me tast and find that Thou Lord art Gracious Thou that fillest the Hungry with good things replenish me abundantly with thy Grace Oh let this Divine and Spiritual Food afford me much Spiritual Strength and Refreshment When He delivers the Cup join with Him and say The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for me preserve my Body and Soul unto Everlasting Life And when you have drank it say Thy Love O King of Saints is better than Wine As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons We will remember thy Love more than Wine The Remembrance of thy wondrous Love shall be the frequent and the most pleasant Entertainment of my Life Thy Love O Jesu shall comfort me in my Sorrows shall strengthen me in my Weakness shall quicken and cure my Sloth and Backwardness to my Duty Oh let thy Love even transform me into Love Amen O Father of Mercies and of our Lord Jesus Christ whom thou hast set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood behold I beseech Thee this precious Sacrifice of thy Son Behold it I pray Thee and turn away from me thy poor feeble Creature all the Wrath and Vengeance which my Sins have deserv'd This is that on which I firmly and solely rely to find favour with Thee and this is that in which I know Thou art well-pleased Oh Father of Mercies have Mercy upon me Deal always with thy Servant according to thy Mercy And teach me thy Statutes that I may hereafter serve and please Thee in Newness of Life And I humbly hope and desire to be accepted with Thee through the Merits and Mediation of thy beloved Son who died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification is now set down at thy right hand and ever lives to make Intercession for us Amen Taking notice of the Sacrament deliver'd to others you may thus improve it Jesus the rich and bounteous Lover has good things in store for as many as come unto Him Jesus is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him Of his Fulness do all we receive and Grace for Grace See my Soul see here thy Master's Bounty and Love See Him here giving even Himself to His Friends My Soul if Jesus so lov'd us all we ought also to love one another This Commandment has He left us that He who loves God should love his Brother also Study then what Offices of Love and Kindness it may lie in thy Power to do to any of these thy fellow Communicants and resolve upon it for the Kind Jesus will take it as even done to Him If thou love Him truly thou must needs love those whom He loves Thou must pity them in all their Distresses Spiritual and Temporal whom He has pitied in their Misery at so costly a Rate Thou must learn to forgive those whom He forgives Thou must be liberal according to thy Power and their Necessities to those whom thou seest the Objects of his Bounteous Love And especially thou must charge thy self not to Hate not to do any Despite or Injury to any of these for even that too would He take as done to Himself Thou must not despise any of these for their mean Condition in this World He may have made the poor of this World rich in Faith Thou must not envy nor grudge at any of them whom the Providence of God has favour'd more than He has done Thee in the Blessings of this World Thou must take heed always that thy Carriage be not a Scandal and Occasion of Sin to any of these that thou destroy not Him whom Christ died for And blessed be thy Name O Lord for these sweet and pleasant Laws I willingly bind my self O Jesu to Observe these thy Laws of Love Oh thou great Pattern of Love learn me to Love O Kindest Jesu thy Body was broken and is divided amongst us to unite us to Thee and to one another Let it be amongst us a Common Incentive of Mutual Charity Let it be in its Effects Unity of Spirit among us a Bond of Peace and all Righteousness of Life in our Carriage one towards another O Thou the Great Fountain of Love pour it abundantly into my Heart and into the Hearts of all thy Faithfull People That we may abound in Love one towards another and by thus bearing thy Glorious Character and Likeness in Love may show to all Men that we are indeed thy Disciples Amen When all have Communicated and the Minister begins the Prayers that remain you are to leave off all private Devotions and to join with Him and the Congregation to the End After He has pronounced the Blessing you may privately say To Him that loved us and wash'd us from our Sins in his own Blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father To Him with the Father and the Holy Ghost be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Then rising from your Knees kindly and courteously salute your Fellow Communicants at the parting of the Congregation Some Private Devotions at Home after the Communion SECT XX. A Meditation on the Communion OH my Soul seriously consider how thou hast been honour'd how thou hast been entertain'd in the House of God this Day Thou hast been a Guest to the King of Saints the Lord of Life and Glory Divine Love has been thy Heavenly Entertainment and Man did eat Angel's Food Thy Saviour thy Friend has brought Thee into his Banqueting-House his Banner over Thee was Love Thou canst not surely very soon forget the Pleasures of this Feast Has it not left behind it a very pleasing relish Has it not put thy Mouth quite out of tast towards the things of this World It is very fit that it should do so It would become Thee for some time after this to account this World's best Delights to be but four and infipid and certainly if thou meditate upon the good Entertainment thou hast had it will be so Jesus the Glorious Son of God was Master of the Feast thou
does not this oblige thee to take the utmost care that thou Sin no more Know he that has had much forgiven him should love much and Love will not let thee do any thing willingly that is so displeasing and hatefull to the Kind and Holy Jesus as the least Sin would be Consider Thy Sins were pardon'd to oblige thee to forsake them for ever and this does greatly oblige thee to it It were horrid and monstrous Ingratitude then if the Pardon of what is past should encourage thee to begin a new score Oh abhorr the Thoughts of this and reckon thou art oblig'd to live with great Care of thy self to take great Heed to thy Ways to shun even the Appearances of Evil to abhorr and avoid as much as thou canst all Temptations to Wickedness Consider my Soul the Holy Spirit is come to dwell with Thee to Consecrate Thee to be a Sacred Temple to Himself Oh Divine Guest Oh how great is thy Honour and thy Happiness Wilt thou not let Him know that thou dost account it both Wilt thou not study to be easie to such a Guest To show him the greatest respects Know then that he must Rule in thy Heart He must be not in Complement only but in Reality Master of the House He is Honourable enough surely to have such Respect done Him And it will be thy Advantage to give it Him He will order all things better there than ever thou could'st do without Him And thou must take care that thou never admit thy Lusts or vile Affections again He will not dwell with such vile Company If thou would'st retain the Happiness of his Presence they must be for ever banish'd from thy Soul And sure it should be very easie for thee to see 't is not fit that they should be allow'd so much as a Competition with Him Consider too how it becomes a Soul to live that is design'd an Inhabitant of Heaven that is already made free of the New Jerusalem which is above Should you not now conform your Manners to that bright Company Should you not consider what a kind of Life they liv'd when they were here on Earth and set your self to follow Them as they were Followers of Jesus The Vertues which were so eminent in their Lives must also shine in yours They were not many of them Emperours and Kings and Queens on Earth because that Fortune shall I say or rather that Burden falls to the shares of but few among Mankind Neither were they it may be many of them vastly rich and more than they needed to be But which is better and of more Advantage to themselves than either of these They were poor in Spirit They were humble and meek They were temperate and sober They were very good and mercifull All their Zeal and Concern was to Advance the Glory of God These are the steps thou must tread in This the Way thou must follow to follow them to Bliss Thou canst not come to their End in any contrary Way Thou must not be conform'd to this World but be transformed by the Renewing of thy Mind Thou must not eagerly hunt after the Pleasures the Wealth and the Preferments of this World It would become thee to be ever very Indifferent towards them as having already tasted and enjoy'd far better Things than they What is capable to afford thee incomparably more pleasure and satisfaction And especially would this become thee as being entitled to far better things To more durable and usefull Riches more solid and lasting Pleasures and to far higher Dignities and Preferments These thy Saviour and Friend has given thee Pledges and Assurances of at this Sacrament and these He will bestow at the Last Day to those that Love and Fear Him For thou mayest expect that this Jesus whose humble Sufferings and Death thou hast now Commemorated will come again in Glory with the Hosts of Glorious Angels attending Him to Judge both the Quick and the Dead He will come to take Vengeance in Flames of Fire on them that Obey not his Gospel And will come to reward all his faithfull Servants to be glorified and admired for his Bounty and Rewards to all them that Believe Oh consider well my Soul that Awfull Certain Day And such as thou would'st then be found endeavour now to be If this Life be diligently employ'd in thy Master's Work the performance of those Duties which belong to thy Station and Calling and Relations He will then say to thee Well done good and faithfull Servant enter thou into thy Master's joy It will be more to thy advantage then to have denied thy self now for thy Master's Honour and Service than to have indulg'd and pleas'd thy self in all things It will be of greatest advantage to thee then to be found to have been Sober and Temperate and Good and Righteous and Religious When all the Honours and all the Favour and Applause of that Day will be given to such And no other Differences among Men shall be regarded but their Differences in these things Be sure my Soul it will not then repent thee what-ever it does now cost to gain the Rewards and Honour of that Day Resolve firmly then for a Good and Holy Life Be never a-weary of Well-doing for there is an Everlasting Rest which shall receive thee at the End of it and the time before thou wilt reach it is but short Be not discouraged by any Difficulties thou mayest meet with If thou wilt boldly strive thou shalt overcome them all through Christ strengthening thee To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost One Ever-blessed God be all Honour and Glory World without End Amen SECT XXI PRAYERS for a Suitable Conversation I. OGod the Strength of all them that put their Trust in Thee Mercifully accept my Prayers and because through the Weakness of our Mortal Nature we can do no good Thing without Thee grant me the Help of thy Grace that in keeping thy Commandments I may please Thee both in Will and Deed through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen II. OLord the Fountain of all Power and Might grant I beseech Thee to me thy Servant Grace to withstand the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil And with a pure Heart and Mind to follow and serve Thee the Onely true and living God And let me be accepted with Thee in all my Service through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen III. OAlmighty God who alone canst Order the unruly Wills and Affections of sinfull Men Grant unto me thy Servant that I may love the Things which Thou Commandest and desire those Glorious Things which Thou dost promise That so among the sundry and manifold Changes of this World my Heart may surely there be fixed where true Joys are to be found through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen IV. LOrd of all Power and Might who art the Authour and Giver of all Good Things Graft in my Heart the Love of thy Name Encrease in me true Religion
Nourish me in all Goodness and of thy Great Mercy keep me in the same through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen V. O Lord who hast taught us that all our Doings without Charity are nothing worth Send thy Holy Spirit I beseech Thee and pour into my Heart that most Excellent Gift of Charity the very Bond of Peace and of all Vertues without which whosoever liveth is Dead before Thee Grant this for thy Onely Son Jesus Christ's sake Amen VI. ALmighty God who hast given thy Onely Son to be unto us both a Sacrifice for Sin and also an Example of Godly Life Give me Grace that I may always most Thankfully accept that his Inestimable Benefit and also daily endeavour my self to follow the Blessed Steps of his most Holy Life through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen VII GRant I beseech Thee Almighty God that like as I do believe thy Onely-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have Ascended into the Heavens so I may also in Heart and Mind thither ascend and with Him continually dwell who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost One God World without End Amen VIII MAy the Peace of God which passeth all Understanding keep my Heart and Mind in the Knowledge and Love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord And the Blessing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be upon me and remain with me always Amen IX GLory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the Beginning is now and ever shall be World without End Amen SECT XXII A PRAYER of Recollection THIS contains the Sum of this Book and is made fit to be used after the reading any parts of it in the Family or Closet O Most Great and Glorious God! Lord of Heaven and Earth Infinite in Majesty and Glory and in thy Greatness unsearchable All things that are do derive from Thee the Fountain of Beings all their Excellency and all their Power Thou art worthy of the greatest Reverence from the Highest Angels worthy of our Godly Fear and most Awfull Adorations art Exalted in thy Greatness above all our Blessing and Praise And as thy Greatness is Infinite so is also thy Goodness which Thou hast exercised in a manner suitable to thy Excellent Greatness For Thou art in all things like thy self and there is none besides Thee like unto Thee In wondrous Wisdom and Goodness hast Thou made the World bounteously communicating Being and Happiness among thy Creatures But thy Goodness has peculiarly shown it self in thy dealing with Mankind and appear'd in amazing Glories It appears within us and in all things that are round about us Thou hast made Man a Noble Creature little lower than the Angels Thou didst Endow Him with thy Glorious Image in Righteousness and true Holiness Thou Crowned'st Him with Honour and Dignity giving Him Dominion over the Works of thy Hands Thou hast built this Beautious World for his Habitation and plentifully furnish'd it with all things necessary and delightfull to Him All our Sences present us with many Instances of thy Goodness to us the Earth is full of it Day unto Day uttereth Speech and Night unto Night sheweth the Knowledge of This. We cannot without the greatest and the most wilfull Blindness fail to see it nor without the most unworthy and disingenuous Ingratitude forget or neglect to Acknowledge it But this O Lord is that which we must with Shame and Self-abhorrence accuse our selves of All thy Goodness and the Obligations of it were soon forgotten by our First Parents and they rebell'd against Thee And we are their true and vile Off-spring going astray from the Womb living in Enmity against Thee and despising thy Commandments All the Wickedness of the World and the Affronts Thou hast receiv'd from it Thou didst foresee and yet of thy great Patience and Forbearance didst spare our First Parents and permit Them to propagate their base and corrupt Nature And this gives us occasion O Lord to reflect upon the greatest and most glorious Exercise of thy Goodness to Mankind When we were all guilty before Thee and Obnoxious to thy Eternal Wrath And thy Honour and thy Justice did require our utter Rejection and Perdition Yet even then did thy Wisdom and Goodness contrive and afford us a Way and Means of Salvation And thy Infinite Greatness though so exceedingly Affronted did condescend to a Concern to save us And a way was found out suitable to thy Greatness and our Necessity Even then did God the Father so love the World that He gave his Onely-begotten Son that whosoever Believes in Him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life And then did God the Son in his Infinite Compassion to Mankind offer Himself to be our Mediatour And He undertook to purchase for us the Divine Favour which we had lost at the Cost of his own Abasement in taking our Nature and of dying a Sacrifice for the Sins of Men. Oh how unwearied Lord has thy Kindness and Mercy been towards us And how odious and detestable are all our Transgressions against Thee When we consider Thee O Lord and the Obligations which Thou hast laid upon us we are even confounded to think of the exceeding Vileness and Enormity of our Sins We are therefore forced O Lord to abhorr our selves We humble we abase our selves before Thee We acknowledge thy greatest Displeasure against us to be Just and Righteous and must own that we have deserv'd Thou should'st throw us into the Everlasting Fire which is prepar'd for the Devil and his Angels But Blessed be thy Name there is Mercy with Thee and Thou art through the Undertaking of our Blessed Mediatour a God forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin We praise Thee we magnifie Thee O Lord for thine Inestimable Love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost for this wonderfull Favour and Relief in our low and desperate Condition Encouraged O Father by the Sacrifice of thy Son and relying upon the Merits of it we return unto Thee We desire to return to our Duty We gladly and thankfully accept of the new Offers of Grace and Favour with Thee which Thou art pleased to make us We submit to the gentle and easie Terms thou requirest of us and we humbly seek thy Favour upon those Conditions We were O Lord by the kind Dispensation of thy Providence in our early Infancy dedicated to Thee and engag'd in that Happy Covenant which Thou affordest us as the Way of our Salvation But we must with shame confess that we have broken this Covenant and liv'd in too great Neglect of it and have added to the other Heinousness and Wickedness of our vile Sins the great Guilt of breaking our Vows and Promises to Thee As sensible of our unworthy Behaviour again O Lord we desire to renew those Bonds and we earnestly desire they may
be so confirm'd by this renewal of them as that they may never be broken any more We renounce this wicked World our own corrupt Nature and thine Adversary the Devil We purpose not to suffer our selves to follow nor be led by them We will receive O Lord what Thou requirest us to believe And we devote our selves to keep and obey thy Holy Just and Good Commandments through the whole Course of our Lives To be always under the Influence and Power of Love to Thee and to our Neighbours To love Thee with all our Heart with all our Soul and with all our Might and our Neighbour as our selves O Father of Mercies graciously accept of our Repentance and return unto Thee Look upon the Death of thy Son and turn from us all thy Wrath Justifie us freely by thy Grace Pardon all our Sins upon the account of it take us into thy Service and grant that we may ever hereafter please Thee in Newness and Holiness of Life Jesus Thou Son of God have Mercy upon us O Christ hear us be Thou our Advocate with thy Father By thy Holy Nativity and Circumcision by thy Meritorious Cross and Passion by thy Precious Death and Burial by thy Glorious Resurrection and Ascension take us into thy Care and Protection Thou that hast done all these things for us have Mercy upon us O be Thou Jesus to us and save us from our Sins Give us according to thy promise to them that receive Thee the Glorious Priviledge to become the Sons of God We accept of Thee O Lord as a King to Rule us and will study to know and endeavour to Obey thy Commands We earnestly desire thy Teaching as our Great Prophet and will receive and comply with thy Divine Instructions however contrary they are to the corrupt Byass of our Nature and our Love of this World Lord we purpose to conform our selves to them by the Direction of thy Excellent Example and not to be conformed to this World And we will always acknowledge our utter unworthiness of the least Good and place all our Hopes in thy Merits and Intercession as our Great High Priest O let us find by the good success of all our Humble Addresses that Thou hast Compassion on our Miseries and dost ever live to make Intercession for us But alas we have promised and resolv'd more than we are able to perform without the Influence and Assistance of thy Good Spirit We therefore Address our selves to Thee O Blessed Spirit Come down we beseech Thee into our Hearts replenish us abundantly with thy Grace let us become thy Sacred Consecrated Temples and do thou evermore dwell in us Banish and purge out of us for ever all that is contrary and displeasing to Thee Teach us that denying all ungodliness and worldly Lusts we may live soberly and righteously and godly in this present World Write thy Law in our Hearts that we may never depart from it Increase and maintain our Faith Increase and continue our Love Cherish all Grace in us and cause us to persevere in Holiness and Vertue and Well-doing to the End of our Lives Keep us in the Knowledge and Love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. We purpose O Holy Spirit duly to wait for thy Blessed saving Influences in a diligent attendance on thy Sacred Ordinances the Word and Sacraments Oh let us be always in due fitness to attend them when the happy Opportunities of doing so are afforded us and let them be always blest to us and be effectual to promote our Sanctification and Salvation Insert this when this Prayer is used in the Morning We give Thanks to the God of all Mercies for the safe Protection the quiet and comfortable Rest of the last Night We devote this Day and all our Lives to thy Service in the Duties which Thou givest us to do Assist us mercifully O Lord in all and Accept us in Jesus Christ Insert this when this Prayer is used at Night Enlighten our dark Souls we beseech Thee O Lord with all the Knowledge that is necessary to our Salvation Fill us with Devout Affections and let thy Love always possess and rule us Be Thou we pray our Protection this Night from all the Perils and Dangers of it May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the Love of God the Father and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with us all henceforth for evermore Amen Our Father which c. FINIS Books printed for B. Aylmer SIX Sermons One of Stedfastness in Religion Two of Family Religion Three of the Education of Children and One of the Advantages of an Early Piety A Perswasive to Frequent Communion in the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper In Octavo Price 3 d. Both by his Grace John late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury The Four Last Things viz. Death Judgment Heaven and Hell Practically Consider'd and Apply'd in several Discourses By William Bates D. D. Recommended as proper to be given at Funerals Books Publisht by the Author of this Reform'd Devotions in Meditations Hymns and Petitions for Every day in the Week and every Holy-day in the Year The Excellent Woman describ'd by her True Characters and their Opposites being part of a Translation out of French Family Devotions for Sunday-Evenings throughout the Year being Practical Discourses with Suitable Prayers Vol. I. II. containing each Thirteen Sermons The other Two intended to make a Sett for the whole Year are almost finisht and design'd to be committed to the Press soon after Christmass to be Publisht together Printed for John Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard
That He would unite Himself to the Humane Nature and would become Man In that Nature He would perform a perfect Obedience to God the Father that He might merit for Mankind the Happiness which was setled to be the Reward of perfect Obedience And to excuse Man from the Eternal Death which He had deserved by his Sin He undertook to suffer Death in his stead and so to make his Death a Sacrifice for the Sins of Mankind Thus much did He very kindly and of his own accord undertake to do for us and he was accepted of the Father and assur'd that He should by doing thus obtain the Favour for us which He desir'd So He procur'd for Man that he should not be utterly cast off and thrown into endless Misery but have other terms of Favour appointed him And this Dispensation or Appointment is that which is called the New Covenant And it is call'd the New Covenant in his Blood because it was procur'd by his Undertaking to shed his Blood in the Humane Nature as a Sacrifice for Sin Upon this our First Parents were permitted to live to enjoy in some measure the Good things of this World for a while and had space allow'd them to make their Peace with God to recover his Favour and their own Happiness We must know that since it was a setled Law before the Fall of Man that He should propagate such as Himself and his Posterity should be reckon'd in the same state and relation towards God with their Father who begat them Therefore when the First Parents of Mankind thus became polluted by their Sin and were fallen into the state of guilty Rebels against God All their Posterity must needs come polluted into this World as unclean things out of unclean and must be born Children of Wrath as the Scripture speaks We therefore have the same task upon us which our First Parents had that is To recover the Favour of God and our Everlasting Happiness by performing now the Terms and Conditions of this Second Covenant Let us see then what the Tenour of this New Covenant is What are the Duties which it requires to be perform'd on our part And what are the Promises of it on God's part the Blessings which it offers to make us partakers of upon the Condition of performing those Duties SECT VII On Our Part. FIrst let us take notice of our own part of this Covenant and observe what it is that God requires of us to whom the Gospel is preached which we must do to be saved And because all Mankind are now consider'd by God as guilty and polluted Creatures as having sinned and being disposed to do wickedly There is first required of us That we repent and turn from Sin In the next place because we must return to God it is required That we do believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And lastly That we engage our selves and endeavour to keep God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the Days of our Life But because the Heart of Man is deceitfull and wicked and we are so backward to do our Duty that we are unwilling to know it Therefore it will be requisite to mention somewhat particularly the Things contain'd under these three General Heads The First main Branch of our Duty is That we repent and turn from Sin To which purpose we must stand at a defiance with all the Causes of Sin and resolve they shall not govern us Therefore has the Church been wont to express this Branch of our Duty thus We must Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomp and Vanities of this wicked World with all the covetous Desires of the same And all the sinfull Desires of the Flesh so as that we will not follow nor be led by them We must Renounce the Devil and all his Works It was by the Craft and Instigation of this Apostate Spirit the Enemy of our Happiness that Mankind were at first drawn into Disobedience against God We must resolve therefore never to have any Correspondence with him to abhorr and abstain from all those guilty ways of consulting him or seeking his Assistance which the ungodly World have ever practised We must never knowingly or willingly obey any of his Commands nor comply with his Temptations We must resolve to fight against all those Spiritual Wickednesses in our selves which he infects the Humane Nature with such as Pride Anger Envy Treachery Lying Malice and Cruelty Must abhorr to imitate or follow him in the tempting of others to Wickedness or in the Hatred and Persecution of Good Men for the sake of their Goodness We must also Renounce the Pomp and Vanities of this wicked World and all covetous Desires of the same That is We must resolve and engage that we will not let the Love of the World rule in our Hearts which is opposite to the Love of God We will not let our Hearts fix on the Wealth the Pleasures or the Dignities and Honours here below Nor will make the getting of them the Aim and Scope of our chief Endeavour and Care nor let the Enjoyment of them be our chiefest Delight and Satisfaction That we will not be guided by the Customs of the World nor follow a Multitude to do Evil That our dearest Relations or our most necessary and most usefull Friends and Benefactours shall not be able to Influence us against the Will of God and the Dictates of our Conscience That we will be ready to part with all that is dear all that is necessary to us and which we might otherwise lawfully keep and enjoy when they stand in Competition with our Love and Duty to God And we will submit to any Inconveniences in the want even of necessary things rather than do any thing to gain them which is contrary to the Laws of Divine Love We must further renounce mortifie and abandon all sinfull Desires of the Flesh All the irregular and disobedient Inclinations of our corrupt Nature must be mortified and subdued We must chace away those fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul the Love of slothfull Ease and Idleness all Intemperance and Lasciviousness We must forsake and abstain from all those Sensual Sins which abuse and prodigally waste God's good Creatures which enslave the Thoughts and Faculties of the Soul to the Appetites of the Body and which render the Soul unfit for the due Exercises and Operations of its Faculties and which tend to clog and encumber the Body with Diseases We must renounce all these three Sources of Evil the Devil the World and the Flesh and must resolve we will not follow nor be led by them And this is the First main Branch of our Duty under the New Covenant The Second is this That we must believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And this requires of us to promise and perform the Things following That we will seriously apply our selves as our leisure and opportunity will allow us
to make the best Improvement that we can of the Means of Divine Knowledge which the Providence of God affords us that so we may gain as much of that inestimable Treasure as we can That we will not through Negligence or Hatred of the Truth be ignorant of any important revealed Truth That what-ever does appear to us to be revealed from God concerning Himself and our Way to Happiness we will receive it as certain truth Because it comes from Him who is Infinite Wisdom and cannot be deceived and is a God of Truth and therefore cannot deceive These Articles of our Faith are summarily comprehended in that Form of sound Doctrine which is commonly call'd the Apostle's Creed among which these are chief ones That we believe in God the Father who hath made us and all the World That we believe in God the Son who hath redeemed us and all Mankind which implies these things We must believe that all Mankind are guilty before God and obnoxious to his Eternal Wrath and Punishment That Jesus Christ the Son of God died as a Sacrifice for the Sins of Men That He submitted to an accursed Death as the Punishment of Sin in our stead and to excuse us from suffering it for ever That his Death is accepted with the Father as an Attonement for Sin and shall redound to the advantage of all those who repent and believe on Him Who being heartily sorry for their Sins and fallen out with them do forsake them and turn to God and do expect and rely upon the Merit of his Death to find favour with God We must believe that as Jesus Christ died for our Sins so He rose again for our Justification Having made a full Attonement He was released from the Bonds of Death and is ascended into Heaven and that He ever lives there to make Intercession for us that is to obtain and bestow upon wretched Mankind all the Blessed Benefits which his Death has purchased for them And we must believe in God the Holy Ghost who graciously applies all those Blessings to us and who sanctifies us and all the Elect People of God Further we also are bound and required to make our open profession of the Religion contain'd in these Articles and to own it to the World that we are and will be the Worshippers of the one onely true and living God by one Mediatour between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus And we must chuse rather to suffer any loss or to die than to renounce or deny our Faith And we are bound also to lead a Life suitable to these Articles of Faith to let them govern our Conversations as they ought to do And our Faith must work or operate in the Exercises of Love This is the Second main Branch of our Duty under the New Covenant The Third is this That we must Engage and Endeavour to keep God's Holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the Days of our Life And this obliges us to the Things following That we will diligently study and learn the Will of God as it is express'd in the Laws which He has given us will not cavil nor dispute against our Duty when we should perform it will endeavour to know our Duty that we may do it That we will love his Law and it shall be our constant Aim and Endeavour to conform to it in all things We absolutely bind our selves and are bound to live in no wilfull known and presumptuous Sin That we will not deliberately and knowingly trespass against any Law of God This Covenant indeed does not require of us to perform a perfect Obedience for that is a thing now above our Power But it binds us to endeavour a perfect Obedience that is Not to be willingly guilty of any known Sin There is alas no meer Man now that can constantly and perfectly keep the whole Law of God but in many Things we offend all And 't is one Blessing of the New Covenant that it pardons Sins as we shall see presently which supposes defects in our best Obedience Therefore also our Saviour has taught us to pray as daily for the Pardon of Sin as for our daily Bread But this Covenant bears with none but involuntary Sins such as we commit through Ignorance or Surprise and for want of Consideration on a sudden when our Ignorance and Inconsideration are not wilfull nor due to the neglect of our selves And as for known wilfull and presumptuous Sins and such as are deliberately committed They put us out of this Covenant and lose us all right to the Favours and Blessings of it till they are bitterly repented of and utterly forsaken Thus much we must heartily and sincerely bind and engage our selves to do and this is our part of the New Covenant This is also called the Covenant of Grace or Favour And we may see that it has justly that Name in that it admits of Repentance for Sin and accepts of that poor imperfect Obedience which is all that we can now perform And we shall see that Name further justified in that it will appear to be one of the Blessings and Favours of it that it affords us strength to perform our Duty SECT VIII On God's Part. AND now I come to represent and show what are the Favours and Blessings or God's Part of this New Covenant What He offers and promises and will bestow upon our Performance of the Duties and Conditions required of us And these may be comprehended under these Three rich and important Heads The First is a full and free Pardon of all our Sins God will blot our Iniquities as it were out of his Remembrance will forget that we were Sinners and will treat us as Righteous Will lay aside his most just Wrath against us and embrace us with Arms of Mercy and Love He that might most Righteously have destroy'd us with an Everlasting Destruction will rejoice over us to do us good He will pardon our most numerous Sins will pardon the greatest Offences will pardon even our known wilfull and deliberate Sins and our customs of Sinning upon our repentance and forsaking of them And a general Repentance and a humble Behaviour towards God will obtain the Pardon of those Infirmities and Involuntary Sins which we do not observe our selves to be guilty of and cannot be perfectly free from And having thus pardon'd our Sins the Course of Mercy is free all Obstruction of it is remov'd and we may address to God with Boldness in the Name of Jesus Christ as to a reconciled Father and believe Him ready to afford us all that is necessary to our Salvation The next Favour and Blessing of this Covenant is The restoring of the Divine Image in us in our Sanctification If upon the proposal of this Covenant to us we do accept of it and are willing to yield to the Conditions it requires and to give up our selves to a Life of Holiness and Righteousness according to the Laws
what Heaven is Think of a bright and glorious Place where this Sun would be ashamed and even disappear as now the Stars do at his rising Think of an innumerable Company of glorious Creatures each of them more bright than He. Think thou seest them all in Joy all ravisht and transported with Pleasure and thy self among them partaking of that Joy and Pleasure Think thou wert now in the Presence of the Fountain-Good receiving immediately from Himself the Testimonies and Communications of Infinite Love That thou wert there where no Fear or Sorrow can ever come Where the Joy is pure without allay Where the Pleasure is solid and abiding not likely to leave thee in discontent and distast Where the Joy and Pleasure shall never End Oh how glad would'st thou be to find thy self there Thou mayest believe it is not possible for thy Heart now to conceive the mighty Joy which would possess thee And to this Happiness even to this does the Redeemer's Love design to bring thee He would have thee attain this Happiness He offers it thee on gentle terms He offers to guide and help thee thither if thou wilt but give up thy self to his kind and gracious Conduct And is not this amazing and obliging Love All the Joy and Happiness of Heaven may be my Eternal Portion if I will and shall be so if I am not wanting to my self Jesus has not been nor will be wanting to do all that in Him lies to bring me to it He does not grudge me the highest Bliss that my Nature is capable to attain or that my own kindest Wishes to my self can desire He loves me then as much as I can love my self and is willing to make me as Happy as I can desire to be and more Happy than I can conceive or imagine Such is the Love of Jesus to a Wretch that deserves only his Hatred and Contempt But dost thou know my Soul Canst thou think who the Person is that has done these great Things for thee I am sure if thou hadst not been told thou could'st never have imagin'd it Infinite Love indeed might be supposed to be in the Son of God but He has Infinite Greatness Majesty and Glory too He is exalted so far above us that it were even Infinite Condescension for him to regard or concern himself about the Misery which such low things as we had pull'd upon our selves Besides He is infinitely pure and Holy too and has an Eternal Hatred of all Sin and Wickedness and we became miserable by our Sin And He loves the Father with an Infinite Love and He made Mankind to Love and Honour and Praise the Father but they have forsaken the End of their Being and turn'd to Hate and despise even the Good and Glorious God And could it be imagin'd that ever such Persons should be Redeem'd then by the Son of God But be astonisht Oh ye Heavens Sing Praises Oh ye glorious Hosts of Angels Produce your loftiest Hymns and help Oh help poor feeble Mortals to praise the Son of God! For it was He that became our Mediatour He took upon Him the kind Office of being our Saviour It was the Son of God that did us this kindness The Eternal the Onely-begotten Son of God Who is the express Image of the Father's Person and the brightness of his Glory This Person my Soul whom thou must own to be the true and eternal God by whom the Worlds were made who sustains all things who is the Glory of Heaven and the Stability of Earth who is Incomprehensible in his Greatness and to be sure Mighty to save is He who regarded us in our vile Misery and most despicable Condition Who pitied us in the Misery which we had madly pull'd upon our selves which we had deeply deserv'd Who lov'd Sinners the most hatefull things that are Oh the wonder that He should retain Kindness and think Thoughts of Love towards us after the abuse of great Creating Love To us who are altogether unprofitable to Him Whose Happiness is not at all necessary nor can make any addition to his He had been Eternally happy if all we had been for ever lost and miserable yet he would not see us lost He afforded his Help when all other help utterly fail'd us and we must have perish'd if He had not helped us But go on my Soul for the Way is still pleasant and strow'd with new and various Delights and consider too in what Way and Method this Glorious Person the Son of God accomplisht this great Salvation What He undertook to do and what to suffer that He might save thee Thou must know then that this Excellent Person meditated and design'd no less Condescension when He undertook to save thee than to become Man for thy sake He intended it then and in the fulness of time submitted to it The Word was made Flesh The Son of God took a Humane Nature and became the Son of David For he was born of a Virgin who was of the House and Family of David A Royal Family indeed but in this branch of it at least sunk into Poverty and Contempt He who made the Worlds condescended to be made of a Woman He who is Lord of Life and Glory became subject to the Law that obliges Creatures He whom the Angels account it their Honour to attend and worship made Himself of no Reputation took upon Him the form of a Servant and exposed Himself to the Contempt and Scorn of Men. Oh Son of God how could'st thou endure to live upon this Earth so defil'd with Sin To converse with odious Sinners We must needs wonder that when thou wert in our guilty World thou didst not show thy terrible Hatred and Resentment of the Sins of Men in sending Plagues and Desolations about the Rebellious World It is an amazement that thou shouldest here go about doing good But this was thy constant practice It was glorious Love Oh adorable Son of God which brought thee down among us and Love spake in every Word of thine Love attended all thy steps Love to Mankind was exercised in all thy Actions What exceeding Honour Gracious Lord hast thou done our mean Nature in taking it into a Personal Union with thy self Thus hast thou exalted it above the Angels and abundantly vindicated it from the contempt of Devils Who first defil'd and then utterly despised it So low and mean is thy Condescension and so glorious our Exaltation Behold my Soul the Son of God become our Brother And as He is our Brother He does exalt us to become Sons of God together with Him and his Father becomes our Father Oh what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Sons of God! But this is not all the Condescension of the Son of God to save Mankind That He took to Himself the Humane Nature No though this was much yet He did more much more than this He undertook to die a Sacrifice for the Sins of Men