his dearest blood in thy service and all this freely without any motive but his own love and to procure us the greatest blessings no less in conclusion than immortal life What heart can think of this and not be over-powered by it And need he entreat thee not to forget the love he hath shewn unto thee to spend a few thoughts every day on such a Friend that hath deserved so much of thee A mean request which should be granted one would think without the asking And wilt thou be at no pains to preserve his memory Shall he slip out of thy mind unless he force himself into thy company It is easie to be warm by a fire side It is almost impossible not to be moved when the person we love is before our eyes But when we are gone from the fire we must exercise our selves not to grow cold again And when a friend is at a distance from us we must look upon the tokens we have received of his kindness or some other way bring him to our remembrance Or rather our great love to him will often present him before our imagination Do but love 〈◊〉 Saviour then in an hearty manner and 〈◊〉 canst thou fail to love him more 〈◊〉 little thing is all that he desires of 〈…〉 thou wouldst love him best and 〈◊〉 do even what thou wilt For you may consider that it is the nature of all love not to let our heart be joyned to any other object which shall in any degree prejudice that which is principally loved What never is esteemed honoured and admiâ—â—ed by us above all others will not permit any thing to be entertained that shall any wayes â—njure it in our thoughts and affections We are naturally averse to any such objects and reject them with disdain as those which are inconsistent with our better desires If thy Redeemer therefore be advanced and seated in thy heart by an unfeigned love to him above all things on earth it will render every thing despicable which wo ld draw thy heart from him or in the least abate thy devotion to him Thou wilt look upon it as a base temptation and an unworthy offer which is not only to be slighted and rejected but hated and loathed Thou wilt say I am dead to sin I cannot live any longer therein I have done with all your adulterate pleasures Jesus is my joy my life and my crown what pleases him pleases me His love is a Law within my heart and therefore I delight to do thy will O God And the more to fortifie thy self thou mayest often meditate all this month upon the COURAGE and CONSTANCY the Fortitude and Magnanimity of Jesus in asserting the truth of God For this is particularly remembered by S. Paul as a part of his character that he witnessed before Pontius Pilate a good confession 1 Tim. 6.13 By which we should excite our selves out of love to him Ib. v. 11.12 to follow after righteousness godliness faith charity patience and meekness whatsoever it cost us Let the dangers be what they will we should still fight the good fight of Faith to lay hold on eternal life For herein is our love made perfect that we have boldness in the day of judgment 1 Joh. 4.17 18. because as he is so are we in this world There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment he that feareth is not made perfect in love The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward I Humbly offer unto thee O Lord together with the whole company of Heaven the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving which is eternally due to thy most bounteous goodness The whole world was made by thee out of nothing The Heavens the Earth the Seas and all that are therein confess themselves the work of thy infinite wisdom and power Out of the dust thou hast framed our comely Bodies and inspired into them immortal Spirits on which thou hast ingraven thy own image Thou didst put thine own Majesty upon us that all thy creatures here should be obedient to us and we be obedient only to thee the great Lord and Governour of all O how great was the honour which thou conferredst upon us And how much more wonderful the grace thou hast given us in Christ Jesus after our disloyalty and shameful disobedience to thee Thou hast sent him to redeem us from Hell and Death by his precious Bloud And given thy Holy Spirit to sanctifie our hearts and aâ—◠〈◊〉 our duty thy Gospel to be ou◠〈◊〉 thy self to be our Example thy â—â—â—â—sters to be our remembrancers â—â—y Sacraments to be the Signs and Seal of thy blessing I have now tasted oâ— thy great and abundant love Thou hast feasted me at thy Table and satisfied me with thy good will toward me and filled me with joy and gladness in thy favour more than if all thâ— riches on Earth had been encreased What shall I render unto thee and dâ— for thee who hast done all this for me who am less than the least of all thâ— mercies My heart burns within mâ— â—ll I have offered up my self again unto thee and resolved to spend my â—ays in praising loving and serving â—hee to the best of my power O that this holy sense of thee may never quite â—anish out of my mind But I may be â—lways inclined to think of thee to declare thy loving kindness to approve my self to thee by studying and doing thy will with chearfulness of heart I have now knit my self to thee by new â—onds and engagements which I desire may be never loosed O that my â—ows and promises may stand as fast as â—hine everlasting Covenant That nothing may make me break my Faith which I have now and in my Baptism given to thee but I may always as I stand bound most heartily continue to believe in thee to fear thee * The words of the Church Catechism which excellently expresses the duty we owe to God and our Neighbour to love thee with all my heart with all my Soul and with all my strength to worship thee and give thee thanks to put my whole trust in thee to call upon thee and to honour thy holy Name and Word and to serve thee truly all the days 〈◊〉 my life And assist me by thy Heavenly grace to do my duty also faithfullâ—g towards my Neighbour to love him 〈◊〉 my self and to do to all men as I would theâ— should do unto me To love honour and succour my Father and Mother to honour anâ— obey the King and all that are put in Authoriâ— under him To submit my self to all my Gâ—vernours Teachers Spiritual Pastors anâ— Masters To order my self lowly and revâ—rently to all my betters To hurt no body 〈◊〉 word or deed To be true and just in all 〈◊〉 dealing To bear no malice nor hatred in 〈◊〉 heart To keep my hands from picking anâ— stealing and my tongue from evil speaking lying and slandering To
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
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
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
wilt sooner part with it than not perform his holy will in every thing Vow to him again that thou wilt be true and faithful to him Embrace all thy Brethren there assembled with a kind affection because they are his friends and followers Desire that all the world should know him and be acquainted with him and that a perpetual memory of him may be preserved by doing this as long as the Sun and Moon endure And canst thou do it without those passions which the thoughts of a Friend are wont to raise up in thy heart None of them sure will be absent upon this occasion They will all attend thee in this holy action and thou wilt feel the greatest gratitude to thy Saviour who hath done so much to deserve thy love which is so little worth to him Then thou wilt hear him as good as say unto thee Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee All that I have is thine I will be an everlasting friend to thee and make thee inherit all things It is my Fathers good pleasure to give thee a kingdom and here I give thee the earnest of that purchased possession What reason hast thou to doubt of the injoyment if thou art my friend by doing whatsoever I command thee Do not friends partake in each others goods My power which I have over all things in Heaven and earth shall assist thee My Angels shall be thy guardians My spirit shall be thy guide and director My comforts shall incourage and support thee Because I live Joh. 14.19.10.10 thou shalt live also For I came that my sheep might have life and that they might have it more abundantly The Prayer before O Most holy and eternal God who art good and dost good the whole earth is full of thy goodness Thy mercy reacheth unto the Heavens and thy faithfulness unto the Clouds Thou art great in power wisdom and all other perfections and therefore greatly to be feared honoured and loved by all understanding creatures When I consider how much thou hast done for me or how much I have often promised to do for thee I am on both hands confounded and ashamed in my own thoughts Thou art my Creator my Father my Saviour deliverer and constant Benefactor the God of my life of my health of all my present comforts and future hopes I have promised often to be thy faithful servant and thy dutiful child to honour and glorifie thee both with body and soul and all the good things thou hast bestowed on me In my Baptism I was dedicated unto thee and have many times confirmed that gift and renewed my engagements to continue in thy obedience In my promises protestations and vows I have been very liberal but how sparing in performance thou who art acquainted with all my ways knowest And I my self know so much of my negligence that I may justly wonder thou still retainest me in thy family and lettest me enjoy the priviledg of thy children Adored be thy great long suffering and patience towards me and all mankind Thanks be to the name of the Lord who after our abuse of so many blessings hath added the gift of his dear Son and sent him to pay a ransome for us O the unconceivable greatness of that love which hath so much befriended the most ungrateful enemies I humbly mention the blood of his Cross as a sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction not only for my sins but the sins of the whole world I lift up my hands unto thee in his name to receive that gracious pardon which he hath purchased for me hopeing thorough him that thou wilt still continue thy love unto me who am stedfastly resolved to love thee above all things Far be it from me to think that the love of our Lord should maintain me in any rebellion against thee or countenance my contempt of thy holy Laws No love me so much good Lord as to change my will and renew my nature into thy own likeness that I may be truly a friend of God I wish for no greater happiness than to feel my soul at peace and friendship with thee by an intire and unchangeable love to all righteousness goodness and truth And I am going to remember his dying love that with the heartiest affection I may devote my self wholly to thy love and service I do as unfeignedly desire that all my sins may die as I am glad that Christ died to be a propitiation for them And I as sincerely offer up my self my understanding my will my desires and passions and all that I have unto thee as I really believe that he offered up himself for me O that the power of the holy Ghost may accompany me and unite my thoughts and affections to make a most thankful commemoration of his loving kindness Represent unto my mind most feelingly all that Jesus hath done and endured for our sake Fix my mind and heart upon the inestimable benefits he hath obtained to me That I may not only behold the outward figures of him but receive those pledges of his love with the humblest reverence with such a lively faith and vehement love and ready submission of my will to him that Christ Jesus may be inwardly formed in me I long for the happiness of knowing assuredly that I am a friend of his by my delighting greatly in his Commandments and trusting my self and all my concerns intirely in his hands and contenting my self in his love and good will toward me and rejoycing in the Soveraign Dominion power and glory which thou hast given him with most earnest desires that all the world may love and obey him Amen Our Father which art c. The Meditation afterward WIth what unwillingness are we wont to leave the company of a Friend in whom we delight How doth the remembrance of him stick unto our mind How often do we think of the kind words we heard from his mouth and view the tokens he hath left with us of his love Do we not use to cast our eyes behind us when we go from him and look after him as long as he is in sight Are we not glad to see but his back when we cannot behold his face O sweet Jesus then shouldst thou say to thy self who can be content to part with the thoughts of thee when he sees the love thou bearest to us and all the blessings thou impartest to thy friends and followers What heart can endure to lose the sight of such happiness or suffer thy remembrance to die out of its mind I should look as far as heaven rather than suffer thee to go out of my thoughts and always be casting mine eyes to thy dwelling place that I may behold at this distance though never so little of thy most excellent glory So one would think in reason But this dull flesh begins to complain that it is tired and cannot thus follow thee any further It makes me sigh to think that I must lose
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
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
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
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
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
inlarge them or that he would fill them to the heighth with his love Since he is content if he may but lodg and dwell in our breasts and have the government of us in his hands let us go and vow that he shall possess us solely to himself that no affection no desire shall dwell in us without his leave and all be ordered by him just as he pleases And let us shew him now that we have prepared no less gift than our whole selves to be bestowed on him that we are very desirous of the honour to be commanded by him and to do him service and that if he will make us more desirous more resolved and stedfast in these holy purposes we will never cease to thank him in this manner as long as we live And approaching thus with all humility to him may we not hope that he will accept us and receive us as his friends and embrace us with real love and inclose us as we desire unto himself Nay he will hold us fast tied in the bonds and cords of his love not to fetter and imprison us but to unlock and open our narrow hearts by the power of it that they be inlarged into the true liberty of love to him and to all the world We may hope at last that it will become as unnatural to offend him as it is to kill our selves or kick against the bowels of a most indulgent parent that obedience shall be our delight that all good things on earth which have been our hindrance shall prove our incouragement and provocation to an holy life and that our watchfulness over our selves shall be so strict and severe that we shall not be easily surprised but continually worship him by presenting him with a spirit like his own innocent harmless and delighting to do all good The Prayer before O Most mighty Lord the high and holy one who possessest eternity who dwellest in the purest light and whose Majesty is enthroned in the midst of all the heavenly host who are continually celebrating the praises of thy name which is most excellent throughout the world The light of thy countenance I believe is better than life and one day in thy courts better than a thousand If thou wilt graciously shine upon me when I enter into thy gates to go unto thy Table if thou wilt fill me with the joys of Faith and love and holy hope I shall account that day the beginning of the eternal life and remember as long as I live how gracious thou art But I have little reason to expect to be so highly favoured by thee who have forgotten oft-times that reverence and fear that I owe to thee my Creator and that love and dutiful affection which I owe to my Redeemer and been too disobedient to many good motions of the holy Spirit of grace I have thought so much how to please my self and so little of pleasing thee spent so much time in the affairs of my body and so little in those of my immortal soul that I may rather sink into dejection of spirit toward the place of darkness than hope to be lifted up toward heaven to behold the light of life I am apt to think that if I knew thee as the Angels do I should be filled with their love and readily disposed to thy obedience and spend my self in thy endless praises whereas now that thou hast revealed those things to us which the thoughts of Angels entred not into and hast sent thy dear Son in our nature and not iâ— the nature of Angels and given him to die for us and to open the kingdom of heaven to us I have not loved thee with the love of men I have felt sometime so little love to thee that I have been apt to doubt whether I love thee It hath been but a little spark in my heart scarce to be discerned and hath not shone as it ought to do in my life before men But thy gracious pardon O Lord of love I hope will make me admire thee and love thee exceedingly Some small tast and savour of thine extraordinary kindness will inkindle in me the most ardent affection towards thee And it is already the hearty desire and study of my soul thou knowest that I may love thee above all things and that all my love may run into ingenuous free and chearful obedience to every one of thy Commands They are all holy just and good they are most lovely and gracious in mine eyes I esteem thy precepts about all things to be most equal beneficial and highly conducing to the perfection and happiness of our natures and chuse most joyfully to submit my self to the Soveraign Authority of such tender love and good-will towards us O pitty and pardon an humble suitor to thee that his heart may ever be under the power of thy holy Commands and being captivated from all things here below may become a subject of thy love I wait on thee for the power of thy holy Spirit now to come upon me to fill me with thoughts desires and affections sutable to the duty which I am about to render to thee That when I think of those sins which killed the Lord of life I may vehemently abhor and utterly renounce them And when I think of thy love it may wonderfully raise and exalt my heart to love thee delight in thee and gratefully acknowledg thee And when I think of thy holy Commands my heart may humbly bow and gladly resign it self to be governed by them And the dying of the Lord Jesus set before my eyes may make me an offering holy and acceptable to thee for ever I am sensible how oft I fall short of my own desires and resolutions and therefore again look up unto thee with a humble Faith for thy powerful presence with me To inlighten my mind more clearly to settle my wandring and unstable thoughts to awaken the conscience of my duty toward thee and toward all men to compose and quiet all my turbulent passions and affections and to confirm and strengthen all the holy purposes which thou workest in me Vouchsafe most gracious Lord to accept and assist the faintest but honest indeavours of my soul to please thee to incourage and further every good inclination to possess and fortifie me against the most importunate temptations and to enable me to quell and bring under the strongest oppositions to thy divine will I deliver up my self absolutely with all my heart unto it desiring and purposing to live instedfast union and conformity with it to maintain an humble and reverend sense of thy greatness and goodness soberly to use all the good things thou indulgest to me to exercise righteousness charity meekness and gentleness to all men to possess my soul in patience to be contented with my portion to pray without ceasing and in every thing to give thanks which is thy will in Christ Jesus concerning me Sanctifie I beseech thee the greatest worldly blessings
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
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