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
to me support me under the heaviest afflictions fit me for the most sudden or lingring departure out of this life and for whatsoever thy wise providence shall order for me while I stay in it and by all these means prepare me for everlasting glory And O that the nearer I approach unto it the brighter sense of it may shine in my heart chasing away the fears of death and the cares of life And that I may now begin it by praising thee in the company of thy Saints with joyful lips and every day praise thee better and long more for that happy state where we shall have nothing else to do but love and praise thee for ever The Lord Jesus Christ be with my Spirit 2 Tim. 4. ult in whose holy words I further recommend my self to thy wonted Mercies Our Father c. The Meditation afterward IS there any need after all that thou hast heard and thought and said of thy blessed Saviour that I should call upon thee and bid thee love him Need I entreat and earnestly beseech thee my Soul to preserve the memory of his most obliging kindness and exhort thee to go again and again to praise him in this manner Methinks we may turn our thoughts and our speech to him thanking and admiring the excess of his love that he will let us approach thus near unto him It is his love that he will at all regard us and receive the love we offer to him But it is a great marvel of his love that he hath entreated us so often and used so many arguments to us and laid so many obligations on us to love him What are we that he should seek after us on this fashion who had a mind to lose him It is strange that he will accommodate and address himself to our very senses that our dull flesh may not hinder us from loving him Good Lord that thy delight should be with the Sons of men Couldst thou not live unless we lived also Canst thou be at all the better for us Have we been kind unto thee since thou hast done all this for us Or do we use half so many entreaties to thee to do us good as thou hast done to us to be good to our selves O be astonished at the greatness of his mercy Do but throughly affect thy heart with the heighth and depth of his love and love will make more pathetical and moving exhortations to thee than any thought can invent I will leave thee under the power and constraint of thy love Cease to love him if thou canst if thou dost but think of his love But think withal what an hopeless condition that Soul is in which the love of God in Christ Jesus cannot move and prevail withal to love him And what may all thy Brethren expect from thee who are partakers of the common Salvation together with thy self Canst thou find in thy heart to offend him for whom Christ died Wilt thou not open thy bowels of compassion towards others when thou standest in so great need even of infinite mercies thy self Shall some small differences between you four thy heart or blunt the edge of that affection which is sharpned by the Divine love to us when we were strangers and enemies to him by evil works How canst thou chuse but be ready to do good and to forgive even those that have done evil to thee To bless them that curse thee Luke 6.28.35 36. and pray for them that despitefully use thee Remembring that thy reward then shall be great and thou shalt be the child of the Highest for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil Be thou therefore merciful as thy Heavenly Father also is merciful Here resolve to meditate all this Month very often upon that part of our Lords example which he left us when he died in PRAYING FOR HIS ENEMIES his bitter enemies his malitious and ungrateful enemies his enemies that with implacable wrath most Devilishly contrived the destruction of the most innocent loving obliging and bountiful person that ever walked upon the face of the Earth Remember also how sweetly and mildly he treated even that villanous Traitor his own Servant who betrayed him with a base hypocrisie saying no worse words than these to him Matt. 26.50 Luke 22.48 Friend wherefore art thou come betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss And let not either the greatness of mens malice or their barbarous requital of the benefits they have received from thee or their treacherous hypocrisie or their vile dissimulation or any other aggravation of their crime hinder thee from following thy Saviour and stifle thy love to thy enemies And particularly express thy love by praying most earnestly for them bewailing their folly and madness pitying the ungodly hellish state wherein they are and imitating the charity of Heaven to which thou recommendest them Open thy mouth with meekness of wisdom Prov. 31.26 and let the law of kindness be in thy tongue Speak to them graciously who have disobliged thee And if thine enemy hunger feed him Rom. 12.20 21. if he thirst give him drink heap coals of fire on his head that if it be possible he may be melted into better nature and his evil may be overcome with good The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward O Most holy and ever blessed Lord of Heaven and Earth who only hast immortality and dwellest in light unapproachable by mortal eyes shining in the glory of thy own perfections and not needing any reflections from thy Creatures Thou art full beyond our thoughts and ever communicating out of thy fulness abundantly beyond all that we can conceive We cannot comprehend the vast number of Creatures which thou hast made who all praise thee and declare thy magnificent goodness nor are we able to fathom the least part of that bounty which feeds them and provides for them and takes care of them every where Much less can we comprehend thee in whom they all live and move and have their being and from whom they are continually supplied without diminishing thy full goodness We the children of men have received a more liberal share in thy blessings than the rest of our fellow-Creatures and had most large experience of thy never ceasing love and kindness to us For after we had spent and wasted those great treasures wherewith thou didst endow our natures thou hast been pleased to grant us a new and better portion and to raise us up again with the addition of many Talents Having sent thy Son to redeem us and to be the Author of a supernatural birth to us to declare to us all the will of thee our Heavenly Father and to give us exceeding great and precious promises the expectation of which might incourage us to do all that thou requirest of us Thou hast sent him blessed be thy goodness to bring us Life and Spirit to strengthen us against all the powers of Hell and Earth to break
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
evil concupiscence and covetousness no anger wrath malice or evil speaking to be found any more within me And now that I am about to remember the death of Jesus help me to mortifie all these more perfectly and to hate them worse than death Behold O Lord I abandon all worldly lusts My soul is open and I have emptied my heart to receive the fulness of thy grace Take an absolute possession of me rule in me by thy laws guide me by thy counsels fill me with thy love satisfie me with the comfort of thy promises and refresh me with thy divine joys that I may have a great delight to be thy faithful and obedient servant O that I may feel at thy Table the liveliest apprehensions awakened in me of what thou hast done for my soul Hold my thoughts close unto thee inspire me with devout Meditations strengthen and increase in me all good resolutions and inable me to bring them to good effect I know thou never failest those that heartily seek thee Our Saviour hath bid us ask and we shall receive seek and we shall find knock and it shall be opened to us Fulfil then O Gracious Lord all my petitions so give unto thy servant what he humbly asks let him that seeks find open the gate to him that knocks that I may be made partaker of Christs most blessed body and blood And feeling the comforts of holy fellowship and friendship with him and studying to maintain it by a pure and blameless life I may now and ever triumph in thy Salvation and sing thy praises in thy Church on earth and among thy Saints and Angels in heaven giving honour blessing power and dominion unto thee O Father Almighty and unto thy Son Christ Jesus to all Eternity Amen Our Father which art c. A Meditation afterward DOst thou mind O my Soul whaâ— thou sayest when every day thou callest God Father thy Father which is in Heaven How happy art thou if thou art beloved of God Almighty So beloved that the Lord of Heaven and Earth is thy Father What is there that thou canst desire what canst thou long for beyond this How well satisfied and contented shouldst thou be in the poorest condition how well assured that all shall be well with thee if thou art sure of this one thing that he is thy Father And what should make thee doubt of it though so great an honour Where hast thou been now what hast thou been doing Hast thou not been with Jesus Hast thou not professed thy self a Christian â— Joh. 1.3 And truly their fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ He hath shown thee the love which God bears to thee He hath bidden thee by those tokens rest assured that he will never cease to love thee For he hath given himself to thee and thou hast given thy self to him The Covenant of friendship and eternal love hath been renewed between us Thou hast made oath again of fidelity to him and he hath sworn in his holiness that he will not take his loving kindness from thee nor suffer his faithfulness to fail O how rich is he that possesses God and is heir of his immortal glory How chary should we be of this inestimable wealth How void should we be of all other cares but only this to preserve the love of our heavenly Father What should covetousness do in that heart which enjoys such a Treasure What should ambition what should vain-glory do in him that can boast of the honour of having God for his Father Need he fear that he shall want who is so well provided Should he murmur or repine who hath such fulness Is there any cause of anger if our Father be not angry Shall we be uncharitable to any who partake of such great charity Watch O my Soul and walk circumspectly that thou lose not such exceeding abundant grace as this which is bestowed on thee Go forth in this new strength and comfort which thou hast received and perfect thy conquests over the world the flesh and the Devil and resolve that nothing shall separate thee from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Well mayest thou stand to this resolution if thou remembrest that he is thy Father For what is it that hath tempted thee and drawn thy heart at any time from him Nothing but a little short pleasure Nothing but a vain and many times foolish breath of a mortal man whose breath is in his nostrils and must shortly die and all his thoughts perish Nothing but that which the Moth can corrupt or the rust consume or a Thief despoil us of Nothing but a fading beauty which sickness or time will certainly bring to decay What are all these to the pleasure of pleasing God to the commendation and praise which comes from unerring and eternal wisdom to the durable riches honour and beauty which our heavenly Father will give us for our portion Our hopes in him now are infinitely better than any thing else The love of such a Father is more worth than all that the whole World can do for us Value thy self highly then upon this account and never call him Father more but with the greatest joy and contentment of heart Be careful for nothing Phil. 4.6 7 but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let thy requests be made known unto him Look often into thy heart and ask if he be there and say it is enough God is my Father in this will I rejoyce The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep my heart and mind through Christ Jesus And here you may resolve all this month to meditate often upon the great FAITH and confidence which he reposed in his heavenly Father and expressed when he died saying Father Luke 23.46 into thy hands I commend my Spirit He trusted himself with him that he should have a blessed resurrection His flesh rested in hope Acts 2.26.31 that he would not leave his soul in hell neither suffer his holy one to see corruption Though he was then scorned abused made the vilest of men and shamefully put to death upon a Gibbet yet he took Gods word for it that he should rise and reign and be glorified eternally triumphing over all his enemies Hell and Death it self Do thou labour to imitate him in this holy Faith both for all the things of this life and of that which is to come Form thy self to an habitual trust in Gods careful Providence and precious Promises and commit thy self unto him in well doing Take care of that only and leave all the rest with an assured confidence to him Let thy conversation be without covetousness be content with such things as thou hast Heb. 13.5 6. for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man can do unto me This is the
in being made exactly like unto thee Meet me graciously when I approach to thy Table and represent thy Son Jesus so feelingly to me that my mind may be more clearly illuminated to understand the beauteous perfections of his holiness and my will more strongly bent to cleave unto him and all the powers of my soul mightily inlivened to follow and imitate him to the end I go with a desire O Lord to learn of him that I may henceforth have low thoughts of my self as having received all I have from thy fulness and low thoughts of all enjoyments on earth as a small part of that happiness to which thou hast designed me and hateful thoughts of every sin as that which is opposite both to thee and to my own happiness O that the thoughts of thy goodness may ever hereafter make me partaker of more of thy holiness that thy mercy and indulgence may never tempt me in the least to offend thee but rather affright me into thy obedience that I may love thee so much as to feel it a satisfaction to cross my own desires to fulfil thy will and pleasure O that it may be a comfort to me to be able to deny them and that I may account it the greatest victory to overcome my self my highest triumph that thou Lord conquerest and makest me thy willing subject I hope to be subdued perfectly unto thee and enabled to maintain a soveraign dominion over all things here so that I may use them all soberly moderately and with due acknowledgments to thee and charity to men but be brought in subjection unto none Amen Lord Jesus who livest and reignest for ever with the Father and the holy Spirit in power and glory Heb. 10.13 from henceforth expecting till all thine enemies be made thy foot-stool In his most holy name and words I sue for mercy desiring to be heard according to the largest sense and meaning of them Our Father which art c. The Meditation afterward WHat makes thee sigh my Soul now that thou hast been with thy Saviour Is it because thou art departed from that holy place where thou sawest his glory and beheld how he loved thee Alas we cannot endure always to dwell in his house we are too weak while we are in this fleshly Tabernacle to remain in the heights of love Saint Paul came down again when he was caught up into Paradise and could not stay in the midst of those joys But thou art afraid thou shalt forget Him now that those sensible representations are removed from thine eyes And that thy love and thy joy will vanish now that thou art gone from his blessed presence Be of good Comfort for he is every where and will not absent himself if thou art so desirous of his company His word is nigh thee even in thy mouth Rom. 10. and in thy heart Look into his holy Gospel and read again and again the story of his love Look into thy self and see what he hath already done for thee and he will not fail to be ever doing more He hath given thee a well of living water Joh. 4 1â— springing up into everlasting life if thou believest the Gospel the word of his grace And thou mayest feed continually on the remembrances which he hath now given thee of himself He desires thou wouldst make him like thy daily bread and be ever drawing life and power and joy from him the fountain of life Doth not he love Holiness better than thou canst do thy self Is it not his own life his image his nature formed in thee Did he not live did he not die did he not rise again and is he not at Gods right hand and hath he not an unchangeable Priesthood 1 Pet. 3.18 Heb. 7.19 Tit. 2.14 that he may bring us to God and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Be confident of this very thing Phil. 1.6 that he which hath begun a good work in thee will finish it until the day of Jesus Christ Do but let him know every day that thou lovest righteousness and hatest iniquity Heb. 1.9 and he will crown thee with more of this grace For it is the character he hath given of himself and he will love to beautifie his own image and make it fairer and clearer wheresoever he finds it Do but work out thy salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12.15 lest thou shouldest neglect such great salvation Heb. 2.3 now that he worketh in thee to will and do of his good pleasure and thou needest not fear but that he will continue to work in thee for ever That little light which is in thee shall increase to a perfect day Thy love though but like a spark shall burn and flame and thou shalt shine as a light in the world 1 Thess 5.24 in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation holding forth the word of life Faithful is he that calleth thee who also will do it Phil. 4.4 And therefore Rejoyce in the Lord alway and again he saith Rejoyce Neh. 8.10 For the joy of the Lord is our strength and they that rejoyce greatly in his holy Comforts shall go from strength to strength every one of them shall in the high and holy place appear before God And here remember that the more thou canst forgo thy own will to satisfie his the more assured thou wilt grow that he delights in thee and will rejoyce over thee to do thee good and so thou canst never fail to find thy joy in him to be full Therefore resolve particularly all this Month to meditate often upon his absolute RESIGNATION to his Fathers will in all things of which he hath given such a perfect example from the beginning to the end of his life Heb. 10.5.7 When he came into the World he said Lo I come to do thy will O God When he preached among men he protested Joh. 5.30 saying I can of mine own self do nothing because I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which hath sent me And when he was an hungred he protested again Joh. 4.34 My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work And when he was in his bitterest Agony from which nature was passionately averse he submitted himself nevertheless with the greatest meekness Mark 14.36 Luke 22.42 saying Not what I will but what thou wilt Not my will but thine be done Labour thou to form thy self to the same mind and disposition both in doing and in suffering Remembring the word that he said unto his Apostles The Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord. Joh. 15.20 Matth. 10.24 Joh. 13.17 It is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord. If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them The Prayer and Thanksgiving afterward ALmighty and most
the same judgment Now the Lord of peace himself give us peace always by all means 2 Thess 3.16 Now the God of patience and consolation grant us to be like minded one towards another after the example of Christ Jesus Rom. 15.5 6. that we may with one heart and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ And the Lord make us to encrease and abound in love one towards another 1 Thess 3.12 13. and towards all men to the end he may stablish our hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints Amen Now what is there that will more certainly accomplish our wishes and make us love our Brethren do them good and forgive them than a grateful sense of all Gods benefits to us who are less than the least of them This will provoke us to love and to good works and make us not to be weary of well-doing It will press our hearts to render something both to him from whom we have received all and what he needs not himself to bestow on his Members who were as dear to him as his life And therefore S. Paul I observe after he had made a passionate exhortation to the Colossians to put on bowels of mercies kindness long-suffering forbearing and forgiving one another Coloss 3.12 13 14 15. if any man had a quarrel against any and above all to put on charity and to let the peace of God rule in their hearts to which they were called in one body immediately adds in the close of all AND BE YE THANKFVL As if he thought that this would secure all the other as they do the rest of our duty And for this very purpose hath our Saviour instituted this holy Feast that our hearts may be raised to Praise and give thanks to the Father of mercies with the devoutest affection not only when we are there but at all times and in all places This is a thing that cannot be omitted at this feast without spoiling the very nature of it It is not what our Lord appointed it to be if this be wanting With this we begin with this we continue and with this we conclude this holy Action Nay it is Thanksgiving with prayer to God by which the bread and wine are sanctified that they may become to us the body and blood of Jesus Christ And to say no more it is so much of the essence as we speak or being of this Action that it hath been the name of it for many if not for all Ages We find this Sacrament called the Eucharist that is Thanksgiving in the most ancient writers which would make one think this was the name belonging to it in the Apostles times And indeed S. Paul calls it the Cup of blessing which is the very same with Thanksgiving For if you observe it the Evangelists use these words indifferently when they speak of the institution of this holy Feast S. Matthew and S. Mark say that he took the bread and blessed and he took the Cup and gave thanks S. Luke and S. Paul only say he took bread and gave thanks and the Cup in like manner And thus they speak also in another matter concerning common food which will help to explain this business S. Luke saith Christ looked up to Heaven when he took the five loaves and two fishes to feed the multitude and blessed them Luke 9.16 S. Matthew and S. Mark say only that looking up to Heaven he blessed viz. his Father who is in Heaven Matth. 14.19 Mark 6.41 And S. Johns words are that he distributed them when he had given thanks Joh. 6.11 From whence we may conclude these two things First that blessing and giving thanks are the very same in their language or include one the other which may be further confirmed from 1 Cor. 14.16 Secondly that though this blessing or speaking good of his name and thanksgiving be directed immediately to God yet the Creatures for which we bless and thank him pertake of the blessing and become the better to us For so the loaves and fishes were blessed by our Saviours blessing God And so we say in common speech that before we eat we should bless the Table or those good creatures that are before us because by thanking God for them he grants them to our use with his good will and blessing * See 1 Tâ—â— 4. â— And in like manner at the last Supper of our Lord he blessed the bread and wine by giving thanks and blessing God to be to his Disciples the divinest blessings and pledges of his singular love And thus we are to conceive it is at this day by the blessing and thanksgiving of him that Ministers at this holy feast to which all the people say Amen and joyn their hearty consent those creatures of bread and wine are sanctified and blessed to those excellent uses which I have already named * Thence Justin Mart. calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in English Thanksgiving'd food or food hallowed by Thanksgivings Apol. 2. For thanksgiving and blessing sutable to this occasion if nothing else were added include the most powerful prayer to God that by receiving this bread and wine in remembrance of his Son Jesus he would make us pertakers of all the benefits which he procured by dying for us And therefore you ought to be very careful of this as a principal part of your duty here to lift up your hearts when the Minister calls upon you unto our Lord God and to give thanks and praise together with all the heavenly host to the Father Almighty who of his tender mercy gave his only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption c. And be sure to say Amen to that prayer which presently follows in our Service for the clearer understanding of the use to which the bread and wine are deputed and of the means whereby they come to be so which is the divine blessing That we receiving these thy Creatures of bread and wine according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christs holy institution in remembrance of his death and passion may be pertakers of his most blessed body and blood Nay all the time of this holy solemnity praise and thanksgiving are to be intermixed with every part of the Action to make it the more effectual to us We cannot commemorate him as I told you without extolling and magnifying his name and making our acknowledgments to him And how can we remember his making his Soul an offering for sin without special thanks unto him for so great a kindness We ought to profess our selves Christians with the height of joy and gladness of heart To bless him for the gracious Covenant into which he receives us To vow our selves unto him with the most solemn thanks that he will accept such poor things as we are to be his servants And to make a
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
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
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
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
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
the Prince of peace who hath loved us and given himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and left us such remembrances of himself and pretious pledges of his never failing love And thanks be to the holy spirit of grace the power of the divine love which draws us unto God and inflames us with his love and raises up our hearts towards Heaven Blessed for ever blessed be thine infinite wisdom power and goodness which all the world proclaims unto us and which thou hast more particularly manifested in Christ Jesus Psal 73.29 There is none in Heaven that we can desire but thee nor in earth besides thee that we may know thee and intirely love thee and be made like unto thee and be loved by thee and made meet to live for ever with thee O that the sight I have now had of thee may make all things here below seem mean and contemptible in mine eyes in compare with thy favour and good will towards me That no temptation in the whole world may be able to draw my heart from the obedience I have vowed to thee but I may ever think of thee and ever seek thee and ever speak of thy goodness and esteem my self happy in being beloved of thee the possessor of Heaven and earth It is the serious purpose of my heart to cleave to thee and to spend my days in humility and heavenly-mindedness in prayer and praises in temperance and chastity in works of justice and mercy in doing of good and forgiving evil in meekness and peaceableness contentedness and thankfulness patience and forbearance and in all other fruits of thy holy Spirit And therefore I humbly waite on thee O Father of mercies for the continued help and assistance thereof 1 Pet. 2.9.1.5 that I may be able to shew forth the virtues of thee who hast called me out of darkness into thy marvellous light Thou wilt preserve me I hope by thy mighty power through faith unto Salvation And so mightily assist me by thy grace that I may keep my self unspotted from the world and never do any thing to offend thee and cause thee to depart away or hide thy face from thy servant who is devoted to thee Coloss 3.12 13 c O that I may never forget to put on as the elect of God bowels of mercies kindness lowliness of mind meekness long suffering and above all those things charity which is the bond of perfectness without which whoever liveth is as dead before thee Pour into my heart more and more of this most excellent grace that according to my ability I may do good and be rich in good works 1 Tim. 6.18 ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for my self a good foundation against the time to come that I may lay hold on eternal life And as this Charity binds me I most heartily desire the good of all mankind especially of the Universal Church which Christ hath purchased by his blood That the devil may not devour his inheritance and Christians may not bite and devour one another by hatred and strife and bitter envyings but the peace of thee our God may rule in their hearts and all agree together in godly love It pitties thy servants to see her bleeding wounds her miserable rents and divisions O that the sweet and loving spirit of the Lord Jesus may inspire every part of thy Church O that all who call upon the name of Christ may be indued with uniting principles and listen to healing counsels and be filled with brotherly affections and dispositions Hear O Lord the daily prayers of every member thereof Relieve the poor pitty the groans of the sick support the infirmities of the weak take compassion upon the sighings of captives the cryes of the Fatherless and widdows the distresses of the strangers and friendless and the various needs of all those that have no helpers For which end fill the hearts of all Christian Kings and Rulers with abundance of wisdom and charity that they may have such a tender and merciful care of all their subjects as Parents have of their Children providing for their happiness and comfort to the utmost of their power Give thy grace also to all the Pastors of thy flock that they may stir up every one to do their duties by their holy exhortations and godly examples and the light of all Christians may so shine before men that they seeing their good works may glorifie thee our heavenly Father That the strangers to our Religion may come and submit themselves unto thee and at last there may be one fold as there is one shepherd and the whole world with one voice and one consent may praise and magnifie thy glorious name Now to him that is of power to establish me Rom. 16.25 26. according to the Gospel and preaching of Jesus Christ to God only wise be glory through Christ Jesus for ever Amen March Meditation before the Sacrament YOU may consider that when God intended to make a new Covenant with Man of more abundant grace and mercy than was ever known before he was pleased to do like a Man The word was made flesh and he came and dwelt among us He declared by the mouth of one taken from among our selves his great good will towards us He entred into all imaginable bonds to perform his part of that sacred Covenant He gave us his word and his oath two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie He gave us his Son for a pledg and his Son gave his blood for a seal and his holy Spirit for an earnest of his eternal love Adored be the goodness of God should you say within your selves who hath done so much to assure the hearts of trembling and unbelieving sinners Adored be his goodness who is so desirous we should be perswaded of it Is there no way for us also to ingage our selves and pass our word as solemnly to him Can we find no bonds that are sacred wherein to ty our selves strongly to his service Blessed be the Mercies of our God who hath appointed two Sacraments wherein we for our parts promise and seal to stand to the conditions of that Covenant of grace But so excessive is his love that he doth there again likewise ingage his fidelity to us and secures to us the blessings which he hath promised in his holy Gospel O how excellent is his loving kindness which hath given us such strong consolation And how long is it now since I was first devoted to him and received the first assurances of his love These * Reckon from the time of 〈◊〉 Baptism 20 30 40 c. years have I been called by his name and made pertaker of his grace In my baptism he began to shew his love to me and there I entred into Covenant with him and vowed to keep his Commandments What manner of person ought I to have been in all holy conversation
recommend my self unto thy merciful kindness saying Our Father c. The Meditation afterward WHen you have leisure to retire alone by your self you may say to your self as the people did when they beheld the sick man at our Saviours word take up his bed and walk Luke 5.26 I have seen strange things to day I have seen the marvellous love of Heaven to us sinful dust and ashes I have seen how the Son of God dyed for the love of us how the blessed Jesus was hanged and bled upon a Cross for our Salvation I have beheld him presenting himself unto me and offering to make me pertaker of all his benefits With what affections did I meet and receive his strange love Did not my heart burn within me when he opened the Counsels of his heart to me Did it not melt and dissolve into love when he shewed me how passionately he loved me Did I not offer my self both soul and body to him and promise to be his faithful servant Did I not remember that I was his already and renew my vows to cleave unto him in loyal obedience O what a transforming sight was it to behold Jesus who was made a little lower than Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour and promising by patient continuance in well doing to lift me up also at last unto glory Lord what is man that thou takest knowledg of him Psal 144. â— or the Son of man that thou makest account of him How is it possible to forget this love or my own ingagements For what pleasures shall I leave these of Communion with God and my gracious Master Christ Jesus You offer too little all ye flattering temptations upon earth that would draw my affections from so great an happiness There can be nothing comparable to being beloved of the undoubted Lord of Heaven and earth One thing have I desired of the Lord Psal 27.4 that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple This is sufficient to indear an holy life unto me that I may be always fit to be one of his guests to feast with him at his Table to be filled with his comforts and live in hope to live with him in endless joys And could 〈◊〉 but see what things he hath prepared for those that love him the height of his glory the attendance of his Ministers the pleasures that are at his right hand there would be more spirit in me This little that I have seen makes me say 1 King 10.8 Happy are those thy servants that stand continually before thee Psal 65.4.84.3 Blessed are they whom thou hast chosen and caused to approach unto thee that they may dwell in thy heavenly courts they will still be praising thee I will never foregoe the beginnings of this bliss For a day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness For the Lord God is a Sun and shield Psal 84.10 11 1â— the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly O Lord of Hosts blessed is the man that trusteth in thee And here it will be fit to remember how every deliberate sin after such fresh experiences of Gods goodness new obligations from him and new resolutions and vows to him will be of a more crimson die and a bloodier nature And therefore you must be sober and watch unto prayer And remember withal on the other side that every good action will be the more acceptable when it proceeds out of mere love to our Master Jesus who hath loved us so much And therefore always indeavor to quicken the one by reflecting upon the other More particularly you may resolve to meditate all the Month following upon the great MEEKNESS of the Lord Jesus Who was dumb as a sheep before the sheerers Isa 53.7 and as a Lamb that is brought to the slaughter He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth When he was reviled â— Pet. 2.23 he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously And so labour to tread in his steps and to imitate him in this lovely grace To speak evil of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness unto all men For we our selves also were sometimes foolish Tit. 3.3 2. and disobedient and deceived c. This vertue the Apostles there and in other places * 1 Pet. â— 15. require us to exercise especially toward Rulers and Governours And S. Peter recommends this to Wives as the most handsome and becoming attire even the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit 1 Pet. 3.4 which is in the sight of God of great price The Thanksgiving and Prayeâ— PRaised be God Let all â—â—â—â—tures in Heaven and Earth praise the name of the Lord. For his name alone is excellent his glory is above earth and heaven Glory be to thee O God most high the Creator of all the Father of mercies who openest thy hand and fillest every living thing with good Blessed be thy name O Son of the Father the ever blessed Jesus to whom I humbly bow my self as the Image of God the brightness of his glory the redeemer of our souls the Mediator of our peace and our intercessor at the right hand of the Majesty on high O thou holy Spirit of grace the Almighty power of God inspire my heart that I may know that I may acknowledg that I may love delight in obey and praise the Lord our God from henceforth and for ever Thanks be to the eternal goodness for the everlasting Gospel for the constant services of thy Ministers for the happy Communion of Saints for all the comforts of food and health and peace and friends above all for the death resurrection ascention and exaltation of our Lord Jesus for all the fruits of them and for the earnests and pledges I have received of forgiveness of sins and immortal life One day is too short to recount thy Mercies While I live I shall never be able to find out how much thou hast already loved me how many blessings thou hast loaded me withal since I came into this world And yet in the careful improvement of these thou intendest to bring me to higher and endless felicity O that the remembrance of what I have seen and felt of thy love may always cleave unto my mind and that I may every day see and be made sensible of more That the powerful operation of it in my heart may defend me against all the allurements of the world and the flesh and nothing may be able to intice me from my duty nor be hard and difficult to do for thy mighty love Incline
my heart O Lord continually towards thee that I may know I love thee by thinking often of thee and delighting to be with thee and studying in all things to conform my self to thy blessed nature and will That having thee always before mine eyes thy holiness and righteousness may move me to purifie my heart thoroughly from all worldly and fleshly lusts thy greatness may breed in me much reverence fear and humility and thy tender mercies incline me to pitifulness bowels of mercies and readiness to do all good Give me such apprehensions of thy truth and faithfulness that I may intirely trust thee and rely upon thy promises of thine unerring wisdom that I may resign my understanding to thee and be perfectly contented with whatsoever thou appointest Dispose my soul so that a serious sense of thine omniscience may on all occasions over-awe every thought of my mind and motion of my will into order and obedience and thy patient goodness suppress all angry affections in me and make me gentle long-suffering and forbearing others in love Represent thine infinite fulness O Lord continually unto me that it may ingage me in eternal thoughts of thee and make me rejoyce in the happiness of being one of thy children and an heir of thy glory There is nothing more my heart can desire but only that I may still receive more pledges of thy fatherly love and have grace to keep my soul so pure and undefiled that our Lord may delight to manifest himself to me and make his abode with me Reign in me O blessed Lord and in all the world Subdue all the enemies of thy Cross Advance it above all the crowns of the Kings of the earth that they may become thy obedient subjects O that those of them who call upon thy name may be nursing Fathers to thy Church and promote Christian piety by their high authority and great examples Illuminate all the Bishops and Pastors of thy flock that they may feed thy people with wisdom and understanding and lead them in the ways of righteousness Bless all my Friends pardon and change all my Enemies Comfort and relieve all sorts of miserable people And grant us seasonable weather that the earth may bring forth her increase Accept of my hearty thanks which I tender thee again for all thy mercies both to my soul and body which are more than thought can number Accept of the oblation of my whole self which I have devoutly consecrated unto thee desiring to render all praise thanksgiving love and hearty service to thee eternally Now the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus 1 Pet. 5.10 11. make us all perfect stablish strengthen settle us To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen April The Meditation before the Sacrament AMong the innumerable swarms of people that are upon the face of the earth how few are there that know the great love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord And among those few that know it alas how small a number are there that remember it and celebrate it constantly with those praises and thankful acknowledgments which it eternally deserves O what a grace is this which I am pertaker of Eph. 2.19 that I should be made a fellow-Citizen with the Saints and of the houshold of God! Coloss 1.27 That I should know what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery which is Christ among us the hope of glory I am infinitely indebted to the divine goodness which inclines my heart also to go and commemorate this love in the assembly of his Saints who all like a spiritual building fitly framed together Eph. 2.21 grow into an holy Temple in the Lord. There the Lords name is continually praised There he delights to dwell and hath chosen them for his habitation There is the voice of joy and gladness and there he showrs down the blessings of his goodness Psal 95.6 O come my soul let us worship and bow down Let us go and kneel before the Lord our Maker 66.8 Let us exalt the Lord our God 96.8 and make the voice of his praise to be heard Let us give him the honour due unto his name 100.5 and worship the Lord with holy worship For the Lord is gracious and his mercy is everlasting and his truth indureth from generation to generation Thy reverence thy faith thy love thy holy resolutions thy hunger and thirst are all I hope still alive wherewith we ought to approach into his presence Thou hast not forgot sure the meaning of this holy Feast the sweetness of which may well preserve a memory of the ends for which our Lord invites thee to it Let us go then with an humble confidence to admire and proclaim once more the infinite love of God our Saviour Let us openly declare that we are his friends and followers and bid defiance to all his enemies Yea let us bind our heart to his Altar with the cords of his love and make an oblation of all we have unto him It is but just and reasonable since we have received so much from him It is but right meet and our bounden duty to praise him continually to glorifie and serve him with body and soul which he hath redeemed Let us go and thank him therefore that he would come down from heaven to us that he will accept us for his servants and set any esteem upon our poor obedience and that he will still from heaven visit us and not leave us comfortless without his holy presence with us So may we rejoyce in his salvation and represent with gladsome hearts his sacrifice to God for our expâ—ation and fix our eyes upon that glory where he is inthroned hoping we shall one day sit down with him in the kingdom of the Father and keep a perpetual feast with him in heaven What should hinder us O my soul from going to begin to be so happy Search and try examine and prove thy self Hast thou not a mind to know and do the whole will of God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength Dost thou not chuse to be poor in spirit meek merciful pure in heart a peace-maker a patient sufferer for righteousness sake and art thou not desirous to make an increase of all these by going to his holy Table Be not discouraged then Psal 4.3 5 6. but know that the Lord hath chosen him that is godly for himself The Lord will hear when I call upon him Go and offer the Sacrifices of righteousness and put thy trust in the Lord. There be many that say who will shew us any good But let thy voice be Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me Open thou mine eyes Psal 119.18 that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Gospel Make me able to comprehend with all Saints Eph. 3.18 19. what is the breadth
and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledg This shall put gladness in my heart more than in the time when their corn and wine encreased For thine are riches and power and honour and pleasure and they whom thou lovest can want nothing that is good Psal 5.12 Thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield 22.26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied they shall praise the Lord that seek him your heart shall live for ever The Prayer O Lord who fillest all things and delightest to pour out thy blessings upon all thy works especially into humble spirits who empty themselves of all their own desires that they may be filled with thy holy truth Behold a poor soul that opens it self to thy bounteous goodness though with much shame and confusion of face when I remember how much of thy grace I have refused or in vain received Thou hast sent me I acknowledg unasked innumerable benefits and I have found thee in my very heart when I sought not after thee Often have I felt holy thoughts springing up in my mind and pious affections carrying my heart away from all these earthly vanities Many godly purposes hast thou wrought in me and made me to taste how happy a thing it is to love thee and be beloved of thee O God thou hast taught me from my youth Psa 71.17 and early instructed me in the knowledg of thy truth Thou hast prevented all my desires and secretly disposed my will to chuse the ways of vertue and piety Hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works and every day brings along with it new testimonies of thy most fatherly care and providence But all this only reproaches me for my shameful negligence ingratitude and unfruitfulness in the knowledg of the Lord Jesus and makes me despair of receiving any more of thy grace unless thou wilt magnifie the riches of it in thy patient and long-suffering charity towards me Thou hast required us to put on bowels of mercy kindness condescention Coloss 3. forbearing and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any And hast taught us such charity as is kind and suffereth long â— Cor. 13. and beareth all things And therefore I am incouraged to fly unto thee and to hope in thee who hast made thy self the pattern of tenderness and compassion to us in Christ Jesus There is something of thy self likewise still remaining in me I feel my heart inclining towards thee desiring to have a more lively knowledg of thee and to be made thoroughly good and perfectly like thee Which emboldens me the more to wait upon thee and to open my heart for new communications of thy holy spirit to me O thou who givest food to all flesh who satisfyest the cravings of every living thing deny not the desires of an immortal soul which hungers and thirsts to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit Ephes 5.9 in all goodness and righteousness and truth It is not thy pardon only which I crave and humbly hope for through thy mercy in Christ Jesus But a power from above continually to assist the holy resolutions thou hast wrought in me to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2.12 I have chosen O Lord the way of truth thy judgments have I laid before me Psal 119.30.10 â—â— 38 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee I have gone astray but now I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways I will delight my self in thy statutes Psal 17.5 I will not forget thy word With my whole heart do I seek thee O let me not wander from thy Commandments But stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear Hold up my goings in thy paths that my foosteps slip not And give me leave good Lord to approach to thy Table and there to dedicate my self again unto thee and receive fresh tokens of thy grace and favour towards me I am not worthy I confess to be seen in thy sacred presence But since thou hast wrought in me a will to please thee in all things I desire that I may humbly appear and profess it before thee and wait upon thee for a power to do according to the purposes of my heart O thou who searchest the hearts and knowest what is in man deal with me according to the sincerity of my soul And open mine eyes that I may see it if there be any evil way in me any pride any covetousness any impurity any hatred or uncharitableness For I renounce them all and unseignedly resolve to do justly and to love mercy Mic. 6.8 and to walk humbly with my God Ps 19.14 Let these words of my mouth and meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer And when I come to thy holy Table may I feel that thou hast accepted them by inspiring me with stronger purposes to continue in thy obedience and lifting me up to an higher degree of love to thee and my blessed Saviour Raise me O Lord so high that I may be out of the reach of the temptations of the world and the Devil or at least they may never be able to draw me down to follow any sinful lusts and desires Dan 9.19 O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do according to thy infinite mercies declared in Christ Jesus and the most comprehensive meaning of his own holy words in which he hath taught us to pray saying Our Father c. A Meditation afterward THE next time thou visitest thy soul ask it if it observed well that glorious person who feasted thee at his Table and marked the kind and gracious words which he spake unto thee by the representation of his broken body and blood that was shed for thy sake Alas wilt thou say I should not have been here if I had had a clear view of his glories He would have carried me to heaven with him if my heart had been possessed with the fulness of his love My eyes are too weak to behold his perfections my thoughts too narrow to comprehend the unsearchable riches of his grace But hast thou not seen something of him Did not many of his beauteous graces shine fairly in thine eyes Did he not even force upon thee some sense of his wondrous goodness and charity And hath he not put himself by sensible tokens into thy very hands nay entred into thine heart and told thee that he hath desired it for his habitation Where is he then what hast thou done with him are the thoughts of him vanished already out of thy mind Doth the love of him languish and die thus soon in thy breast Art thou content to let him go and see him
Christian Kings and Rulers may be employed to be a terror to all evil doers and to give praise and incouragement to all that do well That all the servants of the Lord in holy offices may be gentle unto all men apt to teach 2 Tim. 2.24 patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves And all those that are under their care 1 Thess 5.13 may have the grace to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and laying apart all filthiness Jam. 1.21 and superfluity of naughtiness receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save their souls I recommend to thy mercies all the poor the sick the fatherless and widdows and whosoever are in any distress that they may remember the words of the Lord Jesus Luk. 21.19 and in their patience possess their souls And the Lord deliver us all from every evil work and preserve us unto his heavenly kingdom 2 Tim. 4.18 to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen May. Meditation before the Sacrament CAst your eyes now on the beautiful face of the earth and see how all things smile upon you How God hath crowned the year with his goodness and cloathed the pastures with flocks the gardens with flowers and fruits and the vallies with corn How the little hills as the Psalmist speaks are girded with gladness Psal 6â— and every creature shouts for joy and sings And then think with thy self how uncomly it is that thou shouldst be the only dull and silent thing whom the Lord hath adorned with greater riches and honour and set over all the works of his hands Think what nobler beauties he hath made thee to behold and set before thy mind even himself in all his glory which shines upon thee in the face of Jesus Christ Think how he calls thee to a Paradise of delight now that he hath invited thee to his holy Table where he represents unto thee the Son of his love the express image of his person and all the happy fruits of his manifestation in our flesh Bid thy soul therefore awake and meditate on his humble descent from Heaven for our sake with the acclamations of all the heavenly host on all his miraculous works of charity his holy and useful life his bitter passion his bloody and shameful death his glorious resurrection and ascention his power at the right hand of God and all the benefits he hath by these means obtained to us and crowned our nature withal Bid it sing aloud and give praise and shout for joy Stir up all that is within thee to bless his holy name That while all things round about thee are fresh and spiritous and full of life thou mayest not remain the only dead and heartless creature but spring up together with the rest in all the acts of spiritual life Say to thy self what a new world do I see God dwelling here among men God in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them Friendship made between heaven and earth Death swallowed up in victory The gate of heaven set open to all believers Jesus our fore-runnner there already inthroned waiting for all his faithful followers and filling them now with good hope peace and joy in the holy Ghost O what a glorious sight is this which the Angels themselves admired what a new heaven and new earth should this have made wherein dwelleth righteousness what ailes us that we do not all become new creatures And beholding as in a glass the glory of our Lord are not changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord I am ashamed of my barrenness in the knowledge of Christ Jesus into whom I was ingrafted long ago It is high time to be more fruitful in all good works For he hath said that every branch in me that beareth not fruit John 1â— 2 8. my Father taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit And herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit so shall ye be my disciples I will go therefore and open my heart to him who is the root and fountain of life that I may derive new spirit vigour and strength from him I will go and declare that I believe in him that I have placed my hope my comfort and satisfaction in his love and value his favour and blessing more than all the world I will shew him how I long to be changed more and more into his divine image and am resolved to abide in him v. 7. and that his word shall abide in me I will give him all the assurance of it I am able by renewing my covenant with him and making a chearful oblation of all that I am and have and can do unto his service Then sure he will communicate more of himself unto me I shall feel his divine power and vertue quickning me and because he lives John 14.19 I shall live also The Sun when he returns to visit us with his warmth doth not more revive all things and renew the face of the earth than I shall find him inlivening and renewing me that I may have my fruit unto holiness Rom. 6.22 and the end everlasting life For he himself hath said Joh. 15.7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you Be it unto me O Lord according to thy word I ask nothing but that I may still have the grace to continue in thy love by keeping thy Commandments That I may grow and increase in wisdom and Holiness and be filled with all the fruits of the Spirit With love joy peace Gal. 5.22 long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance and that they may abound in me more and more to thy praise and glory Amen The Prayer before O Most blessed God who art most lovely in thy self and in all thy works and full of love and kindness to us whom thou hast made to understand thy glorious perfections Thou art beloved of all those that seriously fix their eyes on the beauties of thy holiness wisdom and goodness and observe thy bounty to all thy creatures Thousands of Angels and Saints thou hast whose hearts burn continually with love to thee and thou hast had many faithful servants that have dyed for the love of thee I am one of those fools and senseless wretches that have loved every thing better than thee my Creator and merciful Saviour While others have burnt in the fires for thee I have been unwilling sometimes to take the pains of a few serious thoughts about thee And my mind at best is apt to start away from that most heavenly employment it is hard to think even of thy surpassing kindness to me without interruption but for a few moments I am too unlike the ancient Disciples of the Lord Jesus being
prone to content my self with reading or hearing thy word with speaking of thee or praying to thee and all many times without any love or but with little affection to thee Yea while I make mention of thy love I am not so much in love with thee as it deserves I have beheld the Sun of righteousness shining upon me and received the dearest pledges of thy loving kindness without that warmth and heat of love which it might have excited The liveliest Truths have not penetrated so deep as they should into my heart But though thou hast been pleased to intreat so earnestly and promise so liberally as if thou shouldst be indebted to me for my love it hath many times but little stirred this dull soul towards thee Thou hast loved us so much as to purchase our love at any rate having redeemed us with thy Sons blood which is the greatest price and called us to thy kingdom and glory which is the greatest reward but alas how unconcern'd have I been too oft in all these wonders of thy love I am ashamed of my self I blush to think that after so long acquaintance with thee I should love thee and delight in thee to no higher a degree Which is the only thing next to thy grace which pitties our weaknesses that gives me hope I shall at last love thee far better Still make me more ashamed that after all thy care and pains thou shouldst see so little of thy self in me And assist me by the power of a mighty grace which I will endeavour to improve to fix mine eyes more stedfastly on thee and to stay my thoughts with thee till I love thee so much as to be changed into thy likeness Now that I am going to commemorate thy love in Christ Jesus let not my ingratitude provoke thee to absent thy self from me but according to the gracious Covenant thou hast made with us in his blood be merciful to my sins and remember not mine iniquities against me Make me know and feel that thou dost pardon me by exciting holy resolutions in me to purifie my heart more perfectly and disposing me intirely to love thy holy nature and will and conform my self unto it in all things O that all carnal affections may die in me and all things belonging to the spirit may live and grow in me That I may have power and strength to have victory and to triumph against the Devil the world and the flesh That I may utterly hate every thing that is evil and cleave most affectionately to that which is good Yea that I may hate even Father and mother and the dearest thing in this world rather than sin against thee and forsake thee That no relation no pleasure no profitable injoyment may ever turn my heart from thee but rather draw me to thee and make me more in love with thee All thy creatures may justly complain of me if I should not love thee above them all But how shall I answer it to our Lord Jesus if his love should not constrain me O that the spirit of thy ancient Saints may hereafter possess my heart That I may cry out after God Psa 131.6 even the living God That I may watch for thee more than they that watch for the morning And my soul may follow hard after thee 63.8 and even break for the longing it hath to thy judgments at all times 119.20 That I may be a diligent follower of their Doctrine 2 Tim. 3.10 manner of life purpose faith long suffering and patience Psal 119.103 O that the words of thy mouth may be sweeter to me than the honey and the honey comb Psal 119.47 That I may delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved And the light of thy countenance may be better to me than life it self Amen Confirm and strengthen good Lord all the holy desires and dispositions which thou hast wrought in my heart that they may ripen into all the fruits of righteousness which are by Christ Jesus to thy praise and glory In his holy words I further recommend my self to thine infinite mercies saying Our Father c. The Meditation afterward O Love what hast thou done said an holy man when he thought of the Mercies of God in Christ Jesus Thou broughtest the Son of God down from Heaven and made him appear in the likeness of man Thou broughtest him to his Cross and made him an offering of a sweet smelling savour unto God O Love what wouldest thou not do mayest thou say to thy self if thou didst but possess our hearts That which made him like to us and brought him down hither would make us like to God and carry us up to Heaven If I did but love God what could he demand of me which I should not immediately do How naturally should I study to please him How easie and delightful would it be to comply with his will And what a favour should I count it that I might know his will which I am o do None of his Commandments would be grievous to me but all his ways pleasantness and all his paths peace And will it not be very strange if I should not love him who hath loved me so much and is still demonstrating his kindness to me I must forget my belief if I should not love him and that he will not let me forget but calls me often to his holy Table and feeds me with the sweet remembrance of him There he represents to me that which I continually profess to believe That he is the Father Almighty of whom the whole family of Heaven and Earth is named That Jesus is his only Son our Lord that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified and put to death rose again ascended to Gods right hand and will come at last to judge the quick and dead This is my Faith May I never make confession of it Gal. 5.6.2.20 without feeling it excited to work by love May it alway call to mind the vows I have made to live by this Faith of the Son of God Acts 15.9 May it purifie my heart that when he shall appear again and come to judge the world 1 Pet. 1.7 my faith may be found to praise and honour and glory Amen This was the reason you may here consider that good men anciently advised all Christians to repeat the Creed every morning Not as a Prayer or a Preservative from sin meerly by the force of the words but to put them in mind that they were the followers of Jesus who had done and suffered so much for them and to quicken themselves to love and to good works which are the natural fruits of saith in Christ Resolve therefore to reflect on it for this end Shew that thou dost willingly remember the Lord Jesus and studiest to stir up his love in thy heart and hast not only some sudden flashes
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
the force of all temptations to sanctifie even our afflictions to us and the infirmities of our crazy bodies to take out the sting of death and to make it an entrance into an immortal life Thou hast advanced him to intercede for us at thy right hand to be our Advocate with thee when by our weakness we sin against thee or are afraid to approach thee to pardon us when we repent and return to thee and to bless us by giving us repentance and turning us from all our iniquities And to all other benefits thou hast added the comforts and refreshments of thy holy Table where I have now partaked of his most blessed Body and Bloud Thou hast shown me the greatness of my Saviours love and tied me in new resolutions to love and serve thee for ever and given me strong assurance of thine everlasting mercies in Christ Jesus These very acknowledgments will witness against me if I should carelesly throw away this new portion which thou hast given me in thy love The remembrance of them will be intolerable if I should not improve this extraordinary grace which I have now commemorated I flee unto thee therefore again O most merciful Father for the help of thy Holy Spirit to continue in me a perpetual memory of that love which thou hast bestowed on me and of the professions I have made of an unmovable love to thee O thou inspirer of all holy thoughts and desires O thou who delightest to incourage all those that seek after thee with thankful hearts stop not the currant of thy bounteous love but as thou hast drawn me to thee and moved me to devote my self to thy obedience so preserve and keep these thoughts and purposes in my heart for ever I believe thou hearest me and wilt be with me And filled with thy power and might and with constant hope in thee I will walk and not be weary and run the ways of thy Commandments and not faint To that Almighty goodness I commit my self of which I have had such long experience I will never doubt of thy readiness to assist and further me but always look up unto the Heavens from whence cometh my help My help cometh from the Lord which made Heaven and Earth The Lord shall preserve me from all evil Psal 122.2 7 8. he shall preserve my Soul The Lord shall preserve my going out and my coming in from this time forth and even for evermore O that all the ends of the Earth may see thy Salvation and worship thy Name for it is holy And especially all those to whom is given a Kingdom Dan. 5.18 Majesty Glory and Honour may evermore praise 4.37 and extol and honour the King of Heaven all whose works are truth and his ways judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase Psal 68.3 Let all the righteous be glad let them rejoyce before God yea let them exceedingly rejoyce 35.27 Let them say continually The Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his Servants O that all mankind would praise the Lord for his goodness Psal 107.8 9 13. and for his wonderful works to the Children of men For he satisfieth the longing Soul and filleth the hungry Soul with goodness They cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he saveth them out of their distresses Blessed be the Lord God Psal 41.13.68.19 even the God of our Salvation from everlasting to everlasting Amen and Amen October The Meditation before HOw long is it since thou thoughtest of the best friend thou hast in the whole world And what were thy last thoughts of him Didst thou not a very little while ago long for his company and wish the time would come wherein thou mightest again enjoy him Didst thou not count the days till that happy time when he promised to return or to send unto thee And suppose he be dead with what passion dost thou follow his memory How art thou moved with the mention of his dear name How glad to possess any relique of him though it be but his shadow Or how oft dost thou look upon the lively picture of him which is drawn in thy own imagination And dost thou think it could fail to put thee in mind of what he left thee in charge when he departed this world Couldst thou forget the legacies he left thee or the inheritance he bequeathed to thee as the heir of his love O how long then is it my soul since Jesus was in thy thoughts Canst thou not tell Was there ever such a Friend as he that dyed to save thee Can any one pretend so much to thy love or merit of thee so kind a remembrance Who is there that ever died for the sake of his enemies O how pretious how dear should the Name of Jesus be unto thee with what joy shouldst thou receive the news that he is coming to visit thee How welcome must this invitation be from thy blessed Saviour whom if thou lovest thou canst not but long to see It is the voice of thy well-beloved that calls unto thee and saith come and feast with me Come and see by these sensible signs which I have left to represent me how much my love hath made me suffer for thee Behold the lively figure of my Body and Blood which was broken and shed to redeem thee I have caused it to be made on purpose that thou mightest not forget me What dost thou answer to him Canst thou say thou hast looked for this day That thou thoughtest it long till thou mightest go to his house or at least wast desirous to go and see him set forth crucified before thine eyes Why What good did the last sight of him do thee What pangs of love didst thou feel in thy heart what pleasure what joy in the remembrance of his kindness Did it call all his Commands to mind and recommend them effectually to thy love Did it stir thee up to do his will and make thee more zealous ever since in working that which is pleasing in his sight What didst thou think of the inheritance he hath given thee An inheritance incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.4 and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for thee Didst thou believe his word Col. 3.24 and verily expect to receive the reward of this inheritance How did that faith then work in thy heart Did it give thee extreme content Having hope to see him did it make thee purifie thy self 1 Joh. 3.3 even as he is pure Go then now as a friend of his and do the same again Renew thy remembrance of him Shew him the belief thou hast in him the love thou bearest to his name and word how resolved thou art never to forget him and how happy thou thinkest thy self in the portion he hath given thee in his grace and love Profess to him that his Commandments are dearer to thee than thy life and that thou
pity us because thou art he who was dead And thou wilt never cease to pity and help us because thou art he that liveth â—â—m 6.9 and being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over thee Because thou wast dead and tempted in all things like unto us thou art sensible of our infirmities and able to succour us in all the trials of life and death And because thou livest thou canst make thy death become powerful and effectual to us thou canst make good all thy own promises and put us in possession of the purchased inheritance 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be God which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto such a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Death is swallowed up in victory O death where is thy sting O grave 1 Cor. 15.54 55. where is thy victory Thanks be to God who hath not appointed us to wrath 1 Thess 5.9 10. but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who dyed for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live with him Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus 2 Cor. 4.14 Jude 24. and shall present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy The Prayer before O Most mighty Lord of heaven and earth the Father of Spirits the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whose name is ever hallowed by an innumerable company of Holy ones that are always burning with love to thee and praising thy most beauteous perfections thy incomprehensible wisdom goodness righteousness and truth The Sun shineth not before the brightness of thy Majesty The Angels are unclean in compare with the purity of thy holiness What are we O Lord that thou wilt look down from the habitation of thy holiness upon us what manner of love is this wherewith thou hast loved us in sending thy Son down among us and designing to take us up unto thy self that we may joyn with that holy fellowship of Angels and Saints to love and praise thee for ever We are the off-spring of rebellious parents that have been transgressors from the beginning Who have dishonoured our nature despised or undervalued thy grace in the Lord Jesus resisted or coldly entertained thy holy Spirit and loved these little things here below more than that eternal happiness which Jesus hath revealed by his resurrection from the dead We are not worthy of the crumbs that fall from thy Table which thou hast spread for all creatures or of the least drop of thy mercies We are not worthy to lick the dust before thee because we deserve not to live and breath any longer in this world And yet thou lettest us live in hope that we shall live with thee and thou givest us leave to breath forth our souls towards thee and hast thy self spread a new Table for us and furnished it with the richest of thy blessings and invitest me most graciously among the rest to come now and feast with thee and eat of the bread of life which came down from heaven and is able to nourish me to eternal life I would fain O Lord approach into thy holy presence there and behold the wonders of thy love But I am covered with shame and blushing because of my ingratitude unto thee I cannot with any confidence open my eyes towards thee till I have some sense in my heart that thou art willing to cover my sins and hide thy face from mine iniquities Which I cannot reasonably hope for till I find them loathsome grievous and hateful to me more than death it self I ought to hang down my head in heaviness of spirit till a sense that my heart is throughly changed and renewed give me liberty to look up unto thee saying Thy will O Lord be done Possess thy self of my soul for I absolutely submit my thoughts desires and passions to be ruled and governed by thee in all things And what is it else O my God that I long for What doth my soul thirst after But that I may know thee more Ephes 1.19 20. and the greatness of thy power to us ward which wrought in Christ when it raised him from the dead and set him at thy right hand in heavenly places and that I may be overcome and perfectly subdued by this mighty love and that I may be transformed into thy image and live according to the sense I have of thy most adorable perfections O that I may wholly follow the guidance of thy wisdom and submit to thy soveraign Authority and be obedient to all thy righteous and good laws reverencing and fearing thy majesty approving my inward thoughts and desires to thine all-seeing eye depending on thy al-sufficiency hoping in thy omnipotent goodness trusting to thy true and faithful word delighting and rejoycing continually in thy Fatherly love and care of me who hast brought me into being and preserved me from ruin Eph. 3.6 and made me partaker of thy promise in Christ the beginning and first born from the dead in whom it pleased thee that all fulness should dwell Col. 1.18 19. I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord that I may be found in him and have the righteousness which is by Faith Ph l. 3.8 9 10. that I may know the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection of the dead Begin now good Lord to raise up my heart above all these perishing things to those joyes where thou art exalted Make me feel that thou art an high Priest after the power of an endless life still ready and able to assist and succour all those that come to God by thee O that my eyes might be so fixed on the high and holy place into which thou art entred that some little glimps of thy glory may breakforth upon me and I may see the treasures and riches of thy kingdom and what is the hope of my calling that so I may be confirmed in my resolutions grow strong in the Faith and be more fervent in my desires more vehement and earnest in my endeavours unwearied in my pains impregnable against all temptations chearful under all difficulties and discouragements Phil. 3.13 14. and that forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I may press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Into thy hands both now and ever Psal â—â— 5 I commit my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth I confide entirely in his Almighty and eternal love to whom thou hast given all power in heaven and in earth Matth. 28.18 I wait on thee who hast not thought thy immortality too much to bestow on us for
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
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
meanest of servants He humbled himself to be subject to the basest usage and to suffer the greatest despite and publick reproach Let us be assured then that he will not despise the poorest wretch now that he is in his glorious state And let us not think it strange if we be despised and reproached for righteousness sake But rejoyce in as much as we are partakers of the sufferings of Christ 1 Pet. 4.13 that when his glory shall be revealed we may be glad also with exceeding joy The Prayer before O Most blessed God who dwellest in the highest heavens and art adored by the highest creatures who blush before the brightness of thy majesty but dost not despise us poor worms that dwell upon the earth Who art happy in thy self and yet makest sute to us that we would love thee who commandest us to do good to our selves and entreatest that duty from us which thou mayst command who takest it kindly when we give thee thine own and rewardest us for that which by thy grace only we can perform and pardonest us also when we fall short in our performance and givest us repentance that thou mayest pardon us and receive us into favour and hast sent no less person than thine own Son to obtain a pardon for us and exalted him at thy own right hand that he might be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins Before thee O Lord most High I humbly prostrate my self desiring to be admitted to thy holy Table that I may adore the riches of thy grace and beg forgiveness for my unworthy returns to such great love Give me leave O Lord to come and make at least my acknowledgments to thee of the duty I owe thee Yea I would take thy yoke upon me with the greatest thankfulness and tye those bonds faster wherein I stand already engaged to thee and bless thee for such easie and gracious terms of reconciliation as thou hast propounded to us and express my hearty consent unto them and declare my belief of thy pretious promises and acknowledg thy goodness in making me so certain of their truth by the resurrection of Christ from the dead and his ascension to heaven that he might sit down at thy right hand to make good all that he hath said Blessed be the Lord who hath rewarded his obedience with such honour power dominion and authority that we might be incouraged to follow him and depend upon him and have a setled hope of immortality by him I rejoyce in the glory which thou hast with the Father of all O Lord Jesus whose throne is for ever and ever A Scepter of righteousness is the Scepter of thy kingdom thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity Hâ—b 1.8 9. therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows O God that I could forget all other things when I present my self before thee and ascend up in my thoughts and desires and resolutions to heaven where Jesus is that when I come down again to converse with these things here below I may look upon them as objects of my contempt or as proofs of my vertue or as incitements to praise thee the Creator of all and as occasions to manifest how much I love thee by quitting the dearest thing in this world if thou requirest it for thy sake who hast raised man to such an height or glory and honour above all O that I may hate every thing that would not let me love thee better than it That I may fear to offend thee and be very sollicitous to please thee and studious in all things to approve my self to him whom thou hast raised from the dead promoted unto glory so that he is able to prefer all his faithful servants to that glorious place where he is Shew me O Lord that he is not held by death but reigns with thy self for ever by the power of thy holy Spirit in my heart raising me above my self and enabling me to comply with those high and heavenly thoughts desires and designs which thou hast wrought in my heart O blessed Jesus who sittest at the right hand of the Father and hast said thou hast life in thy self and all power in heaven and in earth John 5.26 Matth. 28.18 that I and all others who prostrate themselves before the throne of thy grace might find thy power still to remain as great as ever chasing away the darkness of our minds warming and thawing our frozen affections melting and dissolving our wills into the will of God inspiring us with might and strength to do that which we cannot but desire lifting up our hearts to have our conversation in heaven and to live above the love of riches pleasures and honour a contented humble sober and thankful life O that we may ever demonstrate our belief of thy ascension up on high by our living and walking in the Spirit and no longer fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and by improving all the grace thou sendest down to us till we be fit to be translated from hence and come to see what we now believe and behold thee in the glory of the Father Amen Lord Jesus where thou art let us be also rejoycing with thee for ever and while we stay here I will alway say most heartily Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven c. The Meditation afterward O The height of that glory wherein my Saviour is inthroned 1 Pet. 3.22 Heb. 7.26 Eph. 4.8 Eph. 1.21 Who is gone into the heavens and made higher than the heavens nay is ascended up far above all heavens far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come What a comfort is it to dust and ashes to see their nature shining brighter than the highest stars of glory To behold their flesh the greatest beauty of the Paradise of God Where should my conversation be but in heaven Where should the members and the heart be but where their head and their treasure is What should I seek but those things above Coloss 3. where Christ is at Gods right hand O ye little vanities How contemptible are all your pleasures How â—ow are all your dignities and honours How base and vile the rest of your temptations when I look up to heaven where my Saviour sits in unmatchable glory and majesty Never speak to me any more never perswade me to follow worldly lusts thy thoughts are not now so mean I am dead to all those things and my life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is my life shall appear then shall I appear with him in glory But is that eternal life with Jesus the thing thou seekest Is thy heart indeed set on things above where he is at Gods
Soul only but most bountifully providest for my Body too not only thy Son but a great number of thy Creatures losing their lives continually to preserve mine There is all reason that I should serve thee with unwearied diligence who hast made so many things constantly to serve me And here I present my self again before thee to tender thee my hearty service to beseech thy acceptance of the vows and promises I have already made to thee and to express my hope in thy mercy for power from on high to assist and further my pious desires and resolutions I believe in thee O God through Christ Jesus who hast raised him up from the dead 1 Pet. 1.21 and given him glory that our faith and hope might be in thee our God I live in a full perswasion that thou designest to make me everlastingly happy and therefore humbly look to receive from thy Divine bounty the communication of thy Holy Spirit to help me to fit and prepare my self for such a glorious state with Christ in the Heavens That there my thoughts and my heart may be where my hopes are treasured up and all things may seem little and mean in compare with the glory to be revealed and I may think my self exceeding high and great in the humility meekness goodness patience and contentedness of the Lord Jesus and in the holy hope he hath given me of Eternal life Preserve in my mind a constant sense of that blessed hope as incomparably beyond all possessions on Earth that so I may walk worthy of my High and Heavenly calling chearfully doing and suffering thy will and believing that thou who hast done so much for us as to advance our nature to such glory in the Heavens will take care of us while we are here on Earth and conduct us by humble submission to thee and patient continuance in well-doing to that place whither Jesus the fore-runner is entred for us Psal 98.4 And let all the Earth make a joyful noise unto the Lord make a loud noise and rejoyce 97.1 and sing praise For the Lord Jesus reigneth 29.10 He sitteth King for ever Let them praise his great and holy name For the Kinds strength loveth judgment 99.3 4. he doth establish equity He executeth judgment and righteousness in the Earth Psal 5.11 And let all those that love him be joyful in him Rejoyce in the Lord 97.11 12. ye righteous and give thanks to the memorial of his holiness For light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself 2 Th ss 2.16 17. and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace Comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work Amen Whitsunday The Meditation before O Holy Spirit of grace what news is this that thou blessest our ears withall What glad tidings are these that thou art come to tell us What means the sound of so many various tongues the gifts of prophecy of wisdom of knowledge of faith and miracles with all the rest which thou dividedst severally to every man as thou wouldest Doth Jesus yet live hath he indeed conquered the grave and is he exalted at the right hand of God and invested with all power in Heaven and Earth It is enough I will go then and see him when I die That word is no longer dreadful to me I am not afraid of the King of terrors since Jesus lives and is the Lord and King of all Witness the Holy Ghost the Comforter which he hath sent down from the Throne of his glory to assure us that he not only lives but reigns in Majesty and Power and is mindful of us and of his promises Those fiery tongues that came with the noise as of a might rushing wind tell me that he is able to transport us when he pleases in fiery Chariots unto Heaven I hear them call my thoughts up thither Heb. 2.9 and bid me see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour and scattering his royal gifts among his servants I am thy servant O blessed Jesus Psal 119.125 135. make thy face to shine upon me Let thy mercies come also unto me O Lord even thy salvation according to thy word Ver. 41 49 Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope That WHERE I AM Joh. 12.26 THERE SHALL ALSO MY SERVANT BE. What words of grace and life are these It is enough O thou that dwellest in the Heavens that I be there where thou art Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel Psa 73.24 and afterward receive me to glory And till I go to see that glory which the Father hath given thee I will go and see the representations thou hast left us of thy self and receive the pawns and pledges of thy Eternal love I will go and remember thy obedience to the death for which cause thou art highly exalted and made most blessed for ever 21.6 And O that the Holy Spirit of grace which fell on the Apostles on the day of Pentecost would fill my heart with a sense of that love and swell my Soul with a full apprehension of all the blessings that it contains that so I may burst forth into thy praises as they did and speak the wondrous works of God Acts 2.11 Marvellous are thy works O Lord Ps 139.14 and that my Soul knows right well I see by the light of the Holy Ghost sent down on them that Jesus indeed was the Son of God holy and without fault that all the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth in him bodily Coloss 2.9 that he hath made peace by the bloud of his Cross and reconciled Heaven and Earth Coloss 1.20 that he is ascended up far above all Heavens Ephes 4.10 Ephes 2.6 that he might fill all things and that thou O Lord hast raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus I see what a powerful Advocate we have in the Court of Heaven Joh. 17.2 and that thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him I see that all thy promises in him are yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 22. by whom thou hast also sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit One tongue is too little to speak the praises of the Lord. I will go therefore into the Assemblies of thy people that they may magnifie the Lord with me Psal 34.3 and we may exalt his name together I will declare the exceeding greatness of his love and the superlative bounty of Heaven in sending him to die for us Yea My Soul shall make her boast in the Lord Psal 34.2 and glory in his
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
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