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
should we have besought his favour to us that had highly affronted his Sovereign Authority and Sacred Laws he hath dispatched a glorious Message as if we were the greatest persons and so many little Gods And had it not been too great an honour for us to think of if he had sent one of his meanest servants in the Heavenly Court to visit us Or if he had bidden an illustrious Seraphim to come and comfort and chear us by his bright appearance or one of the Cherubims to flye all over the Earth and make proclamation in their ears that the King of Heaven would be reconciled to his rebellious subjects Would it not have filled the whole world with wonder and made all mankind stand at a gaze to see themselves so highly favoured O what a grace then was it that God should send his Son his only begotten Son the Prince and Sovereign Lord of all that Heavenly host upon this business of reconciliation See my Soul that which astonishes not men only but Angels themselves who proclamed the birth of this Prince of life with the loudest shouts of joy saying Glory be to God on high Luke 2.14 and on Earth peace good will towards men Towards men do they say Lord what are they that thou shouldest put this honour on them What are the greatest and noblest men on Earth What is their excellency and worth that such addresses should be made unto them O joyn thy self my Soul as well as thou art able with those bright morning-Stars that sang for joy when the foundation of the new world was laid and say Glory be to the eternal majesty of Heaven and Earth who possesses all things and can suffer nothing that he would deign to send to us his poor subjects Glory be to his Almighty love who so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish Joh. 3.17 but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved O blessed Jesus how ardent how powerful was that love which brought thee down from the Heavenly company above to us here on Earth yea Ephes 4.9 Psal 139 15. to the lower-most parts of the Earth To be cloathed with our rags to dwell in our mortal flesh in the likeness of sinful flesh Mightest thou not at least have been apparelled like the best of men and been found in the habit and fashion of the noblest of us but thou wouldest also condescend to the form of a servant that the most despicable of all mankind might never suspect they should be despised by the King of glory O what an humble love was this to us most wretched sinners What heart can conceive the infinite force of it How infinitely is it above all words We do but declare that we know little of it if we are able to talk much about it It is fit for our wonder and silent admiration for adoring thoughts and devout exstasies of love Only I will go and declare in the assemblies of his people these wonderful works of the Lord and publish his goodness with the voice of thanksgiving and praise Lord what new wonder is that which there I behold This glorious person murdered by his subjects The new born Prince of the world the Heir of all things caught Matth. 21.39 and cast out and slain by those to whom he was sent to demand their obedience O the miraculous wisdom of this love That he should be born and come among us to die for us and take our flesh that he might offer it on the Cross and make peace and reconciliation by being slain and shedding his bloud Go my Soul and shew forth his death to Angels and Men. For this is the up-shot of his love that while we were yet sinners Christ would die for us By this he hath made an atonement for us by this he hath obtained an Eternal Redemption with this offering God is well satisfied and by this he hath exalted our Nature to the right hand of God that he may always appear in his presence for us With what love and joy and zeal should we commemorate this never to be forgotten love With what hearty affection should we offer our selves to him How glad should we be of this new opportunity to vow to him our obedience With what tender love should we embrace all our Brethren who are flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone as he is And how comfortably may we hope that God will be gracious to us who hath not only sent his Son to make his abode among us but also to lay down his life for us Let us go and bless his name that to us a Son is born to us a Child is given even Christ the Lord that he hath â—aised up a mighty Salvation for us and hath redeemed us out of the hands of all our enemies that we might serve him without fear all the days of our life And let us receive these earnests and pledges of his good will as hopeful assurances that he will never end his love till he hath conveyed us thither where Jesus is But how shall we come there unless it be in those steps whereby he ascended from Earth to Heaven Go therefore and offer to him an heart of flesh to be moulded and framed into what figure he pleases Desire him to form his own image in thee to subdue thee perfectly to his will that it may be thy meat and drink to do it and to finish the work he hath for thee in the world Think thou hearest him say as Abimelech to the men of Schechem to move them to elect him for their King Remember that I am your bone and your flesh Judg. 9.2 Behold my body which I took for your sake See here how dear you were to me and how nearly related I stand to every Soul of you Will you not suffer me to rule over you Such a Lord as is so much concerned for you Will you not be governed by me that am your Brother as well as your Lord And then me-thinks we should all answer with one accord other Lords have reigned over us but now none but thou O Christ none but thou O Christ Rule and reign over us for ever for we are thy Servants The Prayer before O Eternal God the Soveraign Lord of all creatures both in heaven and earth who art before all things and on whom they all depend To whom we owe all honour and homage all love and dutiful affection all praise and thanks service and obedience throughout our whole life I acknowledg O Lord that I am never more unjust than when I do not render all this most freely and chearfully unto thee I cannot deny the debt wherein I stand engaged though I have too often denyed to pay it For thou hast raised me out of the dust and preserved me from
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
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
40.8 11. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Withhold not thy tender mercies from me O Lord let thy loving kindness and thy truth continually preserve me Vnite my heart to fear thy name Fill me with all thy fulness O God and above all things with fervent charity This I pray that my love may abound yet more and more in knowledg and in all judgment that I may approve things that are excellent Phil. 1.9 10 11. that I may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto thy glory and praise I am thine save me Multiply grace mercy and peace upon me unto eternal life For it is thou O God Psal 68. ult that givest strength and power unto thy people Blessed be God Immediately after the receiving of the Cup they may lift up their hearts and say Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 1.3 7 8. who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence O Lord how manifold are thy works Psal 104 24 c. in wisdom hast thou made them all The earth is full of thy riches and so is the great and wide sea wherein are creatures innumerable These wait all upon thee that thou mayest give them their meat in due season Thou openest thine hand and they are filled with Good But eye had not seen 1 Cor. 2 9 10. Eph. 3.5.11 nor ear heard neither did enter into the heart of man the things which thou hadst prepared for them that love thee and hast now revealed to thy holy Apostles and Prophets by the spirit according to thy eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord. Who for us men and for our Salvation came down from Heaven and was manifested in flesh to destroy the works of the devil 1 Joh. 3.8 and dyed for our sins Rom. 4.25 rose again for our justification ascended up on high to give gifts unto men Eph. 4.8 and is at the right hand of God to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 1 P i. 3. ult Heb. 1. ult Angels authorities and powers being made subject unto him and sent forth to Minister for them who shall he heirs of Salvation Eph. 3.8 Col. 2.3 O the unsearchable riches of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg I submit my self unto thee O thou Prince of life and Lord of glory unto thee I will live henceforth and not unto my self and if for thee I must die the will of my Lord be done Ps 16. ult Thy favour is better than life in thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Luk. 17.5 Lord increase my faith strengthen my hope raise my love to a greater height and make patience to have its perfect work that I may not love my life unto the death But the trial of my faith Rev. 12.11 though it be tried by fire 1 Pet. 1.7 Col. 2.2 may be found unto praise and honour and glory at thy appearing And O that our hearts may be comforted being knit together in love Eph. 4. ult that we may be ever kind tender-hearted forgiving one another as thou O God for Christ's sake hast forgiven us That so with united minds and affections we may be still praising thee and saying Blessed be the Lord of Heaven and Earth who only doth wondrous things Psalm 72.18 19. And blessed be his glorious name for ever and let the whole earth be filled with his glory Amen and Amen Or thus O the breadth and length Eph. 3.18 19. and depth and heighth O the love of Christ Jesus our Lord which passes knowledge Phil 2.7 8. who made himself of no reputation but took upon him the form of a Servant and humbling himself became obedient unto death even the death of the cross for us miserable sinners Rev. 5.12 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing Re. 1.5 6. 1 Pet. 2.5 For he hath washed us from our sins in his blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Christ Jesus Behold O Lord an heart that offers up it self unto thee in love unfeigned I absolutely resign my will to thy holy will and pleasure Not my will but thy will be done And praised be God who hath made a new covenant with us in the blood of Jesus Col. 1.20 who hath by him reconciled all things to himself both in heaven and in earth and hath now renewed unto us the assurance of his continued love Psal 75.1 Vnto thee O God do we give thanks unto thee do we give thanks for that thou art near unto us thy wondrous works declare Psal 20.3 4. The Lord remember all our offerings and accept our Sacrifices Grant us according to our hearts desire and fulfil all our petitions Col. 1.9 10 11. That we may be filled with the knowledg of his will in all wisdom and Spiritual understanding and may walk worthy of him unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in knowledg strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness giving thanks continually to the Father of mercies who hath made us meet to be pertakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light 1 Tim. 1.17 Psal 106. ult Now unto the King eternal immortal invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever And let all the people say Amen But when you have eased your hearts a little in these expressions of faith love and grateful remembrance of our Saviours kindness you will still find room for more devout effusions of your soul in some holy passion or other while you are at this feast Either before or after you have been at the Table of the Lord while the rest of the company is communicating there will be time to entertain your selves with sundry pious thoughts and meditations which I shall briefly suggest unto you in the next part of this Treatise that now follows The intention of which I told you in the beginning should be to instruct you in a plain and easy method how to pertake of this holy food with the greater fruit and delight also PART III. Containing a familiar way of disposing our selves to Communicate with Profit and Pleasure HAVING shewn you what is the Nature and Use of this Feast you will expect perhaps that I should tell you who are the persons whom our Lord invites and calls unto
it Which is a question so easy to be resolved from what hath been said that I have assigned no part of this discourse for the discussing of it If you are baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus and seriously believe his Religion if you take upon your selves to make good that promise vow and Covenant which was made in your name when you were baptized if you understand the ends of this holy Communion which I have named and are willing and desirous to perform them if you lie not under the censures of the Church for any violation of those sacred vows which you have made to our Saviour You are the persons whose company he waits for and would gladly see at his Table Nay he will take it ill and account it a neglect of him and of your duty a breach of your promise to obey all his holy commands if you accept not of his kindness in inviting you thither because this is one of his Commands as I have proved that you should do this in remembrance of him Do not intangle your selves therefore in endless doubts and scruples about the qualifications that are required in those that come to this Supper of the Lord but only examine your hearts by this plain and certain rule Do you believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be the truth of God Do you consent to be governed by his Laws Do you remember and will you stand to the Vow that was made in your name when you were baptized Are you desirous to renew that Covenant in the manner that I have described Do you value his favour and grace declared in his pretious promises above all earthly things Would you pertake of this holy Communion that you may commemorate your Saviours dying love that you may own and acknowledg him to be your Lord that you may devote and unite your heart unto him in stricter friendship that you may bind your self in the bond of peace to all your brethren and that you may receive more of his grace and greater assurance of his love as the most invaluable blessing Then lay aside all your fears and humbly approach unto him to render him the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and to receive fresh tokens and pledges of his unchangeable good will and affection to you I shall make no more words of this matter but only add that you may know sufficiently by the invitation which the Minister makes to you at the Communion in Christs name according to the order of our Church who are persons qualified for this feast And it is expressed in such plain and pregnant words that better cannot be devised for your direction and satisfaction They are these Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins and are in love and charity with your neighbours and intend to lead a new life following the Commandments of God and walking from henceforth in his holy ways draw near with faith and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort Which that you may be able to do I shall now proceed according to the method I have propounded in my endeavours to put you into such a temper of mind when you are at this holy Sacrament that you may perform all that which hath been said with more ease and edification also to your selves And that I may the better raise those affections in you which are sutable to this action it will not be amiss to remember you a little of the excellency and dignity of the feast to which you are invited To make a true Feast these four things in the opinion of the most learned of all the ancient Romans must conspire and meet together Varro lectis viris lecto loco lecto tempore lecto apparatu Chosen and select persons a choice and delicate place a choise time and season and choise provision proportionable to the quality both of him that makes it and of those that are invited to it Now in all these regards if we reflect a while on them this Supper of the Lord which he makes for us will be found to be incomparably beyond the noblest entertainment which the world ever saw For as concerning the persons that here meet together they are our blessed Lord the Master of the feast and those that believe on his name to whom he hath given the right or priviledg to become the sons of God Joh. 1.12 A company of souls that are larger than the world heirs of a Kingdom rich in faith as full as they can hold of love and charity towards each other and towards all men So that there cannot be either more honourable or more sweet society found under heaven Then for the place you see it is prepared in the house of God where we give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name and shew forth his salvation from day to day where we pay our vows unto him in the presence of all his people and make a joyful noise unto him by singing of his praises where the Angels as I may say are waiters and the heavenly host are glad to attend upon us according to those words of the Apostle in that very chapter where he treats of this Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.10 the woman ought to have a covering on her head because of the Angels As for the time you see likewise it is commonly the Lords-day on the day when he rose from the dead when he trampled under his feet the great enemy of mankind when the Angels not so glistering as he brought news that he had accomplished our redemption when the host of heaven was at a gaze to see mortal man made immortal and restored to the state of paradise again when we have nothing else to do but to rest and rejoyce to declare the works of the Lord to give thanks unto his holy name and triumph in his praise And lastly for the provision it self I have told you already what it is the body and blood of the Lord of life bread that excells the Angels food a cup of blessing of which those sons of glory never tasted To these our Lord calls us nay beseeches and intreats us to come that we may feast our selves on his Sacrifice of himself and be filled with his love and satisfie our selves with his joyes and everlasting consolation Now what soul is there that can be willing to lose his share in such divine food that would be shut out from such society or absent from such a place or desire to spend his day better than in near communion with our Lord Either men do not believe these things or they do not reflect on them and lay them to their hearts for otherwise there is none that reads this writing but will be moved to make one at this holy feast But then as you cannot chuse if you seriously consider but judg it very desirable to be admitted to it so you cannot but think in what manner it becomes you to be adorned and how
and work They do with this as S. James saith many do with the Gospel who like a man that beholds his natural face in a glass and taking but a short glance of himself goes away and straightway forgets what manner of man he was Whereas if he would not only look into the perfect Law of liberty but continue to look therein being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work he would be blessed in his deed Jam. 1.23 c. It is the design therefore of this last part of my discourse to furnish you with some apt matter for your Meditation and with sutable Prayers whereby you may both quicken your selves in your private closets when you are preparing to go to the Table of the Lord and likewise preserve alive those godly affections and resolutions which are excited there after you are come home again That so by continuing to look upon what you have done and what your Saviour hath done unto you and beholding as in a clear Mirror the great love of God in Christ Jesus and your great obligations to him you may never forget him nor the duty you owe him but be blessed in a faithful observance of both And that no man may have the excuse which the wanton Israelites pretended who were cloyed with the same thing repeated over and over again I have taken the pains to compose variety of Meditations and Prayers some longer some shorter for every Month in the year and the principal Festivals in remembrance of our Saviour Which you may either make use of if your infirmity require it or else stick constantly to such as you like best and find most apt to move your hearts No mans thoughts are alwayes alike neither his that writes nor his that reads and therefore sometimes one may be most agreeable to you sometimes another but there will be no time I hope wherein you may not be able among them all to fit your self with a Meditation and a Prayer that may stir up and further your Devotion towards God And he that will be at so much pains with himself as to follow some such method as this will never be able to say hereafter as too many wretched souls have done that they have frequented this holy Sacrament but were never the better for it January Meditation before the Sacrament COnsider with your self some time before you intend to Communicate that you are invited to come not only into the presence but unto the Table of God to be one of the guests of the Lord of the whole world What a grace what an honour is this Shall any business any pleasure on earth put by the thoughts of it It is impossible if you remember what the great God is who calls you to him and that he sets the body of his Son before you upon your Table and that your Cup is filled with his Blood That the Angels think it not below them to waite on you and minister to you and the divine Spirit will be ready to breath upon you and fill you with such holy love that you shall send up your soul in joyful hymns of Praise and Thanks to God our Saviour With what admiration should you receive the news of this invitation With what reverence ought you to approach him With what forwardness of love with what gladness of heart should you go to meet our blessed Lord Was there ever any kindness should you think with your selves like unto that of his Did there ever such a furnace of Love if I may so represent it burn in any heart could he do more than die the bloody and shameful death of the Cross for to save sinners How is it possible that the remembrance of this tender love and compassion should ever die or that any heart should freeze over such a fire unless we be willfully careless I see that he will have our love he will not suffer any thing to rob him of the purchase of his blood For lest we should prove so ungrateful as to let him slip out of our mind he hath left himself still among us in sensible signs and representations By these he shews us his bloody death and passion he makes himself present to our faith and we may see that he is desirous to do more than die for us having contrived a way to live for ever in us and be firmly united to us What manner of love is this that Heaven hath manifested unto us who can refrain from tears of grief and sorrow to think of his own ingratitude and from tears of joy to think of the wonderful kindness of the Lord can you look on him who was pierced for our sins and not lament and mourn can you see his bleeding wounds and not be troubled no pious heart can be so hard And yet when you consider that by those stripes you are healed that he hath washed us from our sins in this blood that faithful souls may take sanctuary in his wounds and be secure and safe you cannot chuse but rejoyce in the Lord and be glad in his Salvation Call to your Soul then and bid it awaken in it self the liveliest thoughts of him and the devoutest affections to him Call to it to put it self in tune to string as I may so speak the instruments of joy and praise and to stir up all the graces of the holy Spirit That so you may go with a deep humility a godly sorrow a perfect hatred of all sin both of the flesh and of the spirit a strong resolution against them with a lowly faith and in the heights of love with enlarged desires and great longings to this holy Feast Ask your Soul what dost thou think of what dost thou love what dost thou long for with what intentions art thou going to the Lords Table are the Treasures of Christian wisdom and knowledg more in thine account than thousands of gold and silver Dost thou heartily believe the holy Gospel of Christ Jesus and love him and his Religion in sincerity Is all sin already bleeding to death in thee and hadst thou rather die than willingly offend thy Saviour that died for thee Art thou going to hang all remaining affection to them upon his Cross that there they may be perfectly crucified and never taken down till by continued Meditation on it they be quite dead Resolve then to go and tell him as much to declare and shew to him that this is the sense of thine heart Only ask thy self again what appetite dost thou feel in thee Art thou going as a thirsty man to his drink or a hungry man to his food or a Bride to the marriage of a chosen soul dearer than all the world beside or dost thou feel something like these things in thine heart what is it that thou hungrest and thirstest after Is it the tasts of the love of God Is it his Divine Grace and holy Spirit Dost thou long to be more like him and made pertaker of his
and godliness who am so deeply indebted to him who have lived so long in his family and been often likewise entertained at his Table and received there the renewed tokens of his dearest love O how unwearied is his goodness which calls me once more to pertake of that great favour Canst thou find in thy heart O my soul to admire any thing to love any thing like unto him Let us go with the forwardest affection to testifie how much we value his kindness to profess the sincerity of our faith in him and most dutiful love unto him Let us go and confirm the agreement that is between us and make a new choice of him for our only Master and Saviour and take upon us to be eternally his Servants Nay render him our most hearty thanks that he will admit us to that honour and with the most passionate admiration make him our acknowledgments that he would do so much to deserve our Service Is not this thy mind and intention in approaching to his Table Doth it not grieve thee that thou hast at any time offended so great love Hadst thou not rather die and be crucified as he was than willingly break the least of his Commands Dost thou not in heart and resolution forsake every thing that would hinder thee from doing his will Art thou not purposed to follow Jesus in all the actions of an holy humble and mortified life Let us go then and wait upon him and shew him the love that we bear unto him Let us give him thanks even for this good mind which he hath put into us and for all the hopes we have that he will continue it to eternal life Be not discouraged for when the wicked forsakes his way Isa 55.7 and the unrighteous man his thoughts he himself hath said that he will have mercy upon him and multiply to pardon He will pour more abundantly of his holy spirit on us to strengthen our resolutions He will make us grow in grace and bring forth all the fruits of righteousness He will abundantly satisfie us with the fatness of his house Psal 36.8 9 10. and make us to drink of the River of his pleasures For with him is the fountain of life in his light shall we see light He will continue his loving kindness unto them that know him and his righteousness to the upright in heart The Prayer O Most holy and ever blessed God the fountain of good the highest object of our love the rest and satisfaction of all rational desires infinitely greater than all we can see and all we can conceive I bow my self before thee and humbly worship thy incomprehensible Majesty It was thy goodness which brought me into being and thy patience which hath continued me in it unto this time and a greater mercy which hath not suffered my being to be miserable to me but heaped on me innumerable good things But I have no fit name for that superabundant love which thought of making mankind so very happy by thy Son Jesus It is a wonder O Lord that thou wouldest be at such expense about those who had chosen to be any thing rather than such as thou madest them None but infinite compassion could be so tender of those who despised thy Image and loved to live like the beasts that perish None but thou O merciful God could think of bestowing greater benefits on such brutish sinners And nothing but a stupid negligence and unaccountable inconsiderateness could ever refuse to be made pertakers of such endless happiness as thou designest to us I am one of those strange things that have forsaken thee and know not why Who was long insensible of thy grace and unmoveable under thy greatest importunities to return to thee And since thou hast prevailed with me am too much inclined to content my self with a small degree of likeness to thee and apt to find out little pretences and excuses for the doing of my own will rather than thine And that though I am so solemnly consecrated to thee and have been instructed in thy blessed Gospel and put in hopes of such glorious rewards and received such incouragements at thy Table where I have frequently promised chearful obedience in all things Blessed be thy inconceivable love O most gracious Lord who hast shed thy blood for those who sin against that love if with all their hearts and all their souls they return unto thee For ever magnified be thy mercy who hast given us so many assurances of the truth of thy love to us and so many opportunities to testifie the truth of ours towards thee Thou art pleased not only by thy word thy promise and oath to give us ground of hope but even by outward and sensible signs to incourage our weak and justly fearful faith For who can but tremble to think that he hath at any time offended the majesty of Heaven and earth and yet who can but hope that hears the voice of thy Son inviting us to come unto thee and promising a pardon to returning sinners O thou who callest me now again to thy holy Table and there hast made such rich provision for us assist I most humbly beseech thee all the Meditations desires and resolutions of my soul in that holy action That I may remember all that the Lord Jesus hath done and suffered for me with such an humble admiration a lively faith and a thankful love that I may feel my heart tied faster to him with the cords of his love and sent up to Heaven as the whole burnt offerings to the Lord. Draw me O God of love more powerfully to thee and fill me more with wisdom and goodness that my mind may more clearly discern between things that differ my will may become more easy to all that is good and more obstinate against all that is evil and that every affection and passion may be more gentle and submissive to the government of thy holy Laws Possess my heart against all the force of temptations by a never dying sense of thy goodness and a remembrance of those joys which thou hast prepared for those that love thee O that all my graces may receive increase of nourishment that I may more perfectly imitate the humility the meekness the patience the charity the resignation and absolute obedience of my Lord and Master Jesus Christ He hath bidden us believe that thou wilt give thy holy Spirit to those that ask it as readily as an earthly parent gives bread to his children O let the power of that attend upon me to fix my wandring thoughts to raise up my heavy and dull affections and to form all my holy purposes into a setled disposition and temper of heart to comply with thy blessed will in every thing I am not worthy I confess of the smallest crumb of thy mercy but thou hast made me to hope for these great blessings through thy grace declared unto us in Christ Jesus In whose words I further
resolution to all the rest and made choice of him again for my only Master how careful ought I to be that I prove not a false Disciple Hast thou never read or heard of an holy man who never used the name of Jesus but he immediately added not without the appearance of singular pleasure MY MASTER This was his glory this he thought the highest honour on Earth that he served such a Master Let this be one of thy thoughts every day Let it work in thy mind till the sense of these words be ingraven on thy heart My Master JESVS Consider that when thou wast baptized thou wast dedicated to his holy service That if thou hast owned confirmed that Sacred Covenant thou hast renounced all other Masters the Devil the World and the Flesh and professed thou wouldst be a Servant of Jesus And every time thou hast been at his Table thou hast done this over again and protested thou wilt have no other Master but only him Is there any cause dost thou think to repent of thy choice of following his service Is it not a great preferment to be one of his family who is Lord of Heaven and Earth the Heir of all things the Prince of all the Kings of the Earth the Lord of Life and the King of Glory Dost thou not profess in thy daily Prayers that his service is perfect freedom Can any reward their servants like to the blessed and only Potentate who only hath immortality Do any servants in the world serve in such hopes or enjoy such promises or receive such earnests as he is pleased to bestow on his Is not death the wages of sin but the gift of God eternal life What servants are admitted to such familiarity with their Lord as thou art at his Table Who are entertained with such a Feast or live upon such delights as they that receive his Body and Bloud And yet how zealous how diligent how forward are they to do their Masters will who serve only for the wages of unrighteousness How proud is a man of the honour to follow the Court of an Earthly Prince But if he should be advanced to eat continually at his Table the world would envy his too great happiness What a shame will it prove then if thou art not fervent in spirit serving the Lord If thou dost not think thy self honoured enough and art not well contented in any condition who followest such a glorious Master Thou wilt not pardon thy self if thou art unfaithful to him or disgracest his service by murmuring repining dejection of spirit or any other unworthy behaviour toward him For what Master ever merited so much at his Servants hands We have heard of Servants that have died for their Masters but where did we ever read or hear of a Master that freely died even for his rebellious Servants The business was Jesus would purchase us to himself by his own Bloud and make us if we have but any good nature in us to be most entirely devoted to his chearful obedience Ask thy self therefore every morning whose Servant am I What did I promise my Master such a day If I call him Lord and Master why do not I do the things that he saith And shall I go about my Masters business with a drooping countenance and an heavy heart Shall I sigh when I hear his voice though he bid me deny my self and take up my Cross and follow him Shall any of his Commandments seem grievous to me after so many so solemn professions of love to him God forbid that I should cast such reproach upon him I have not so learned Christ Jesus whose I am and whom I serve who hath said Joh. 12.26 If any man serve me him will my Father honour Can there be words of greater grace than these God be thanked Rom. 6.17 18. that I was the servant of sin but have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered me It is a favour to be the servant of righteousness I ought to account it an honour to receive his commands and to study to do his will on Earth as it is done in Heaven How comfortably then shall I live how comfortably shall I die How will it make my heart leap for joy to hear that voice of his Matth. 25.21 Well done thou good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Here you may resolve to meditate all this Month how our Lord and Master himself took upon him the form of a SERVANT and being found in fashion like one of us became obedient unto Death Phil. 2.7 8. even the Death of the Cross That absolute OBEDIENCE of his you should set always before your eyes for a pattern that you may not live as if you were ashamed of his service or thought any thing below you or too mean to submit unto which he requires at your hands Never suffer your reputation your ease your wealth no nor life it self to stand in competition with his commands But presently remember that though he were a Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5.8 9. And being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him And remember again that The Disciple is not above his Master Luk. 6.40 but every one that is perfect shall be as his Master The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward FOr ever hallowed be thy great Name O Father of mercies the God of love the fountain of all good and blessedness All the heavenly host delight continually to praise thee They never cease to ascribe wisdom power dominion riches honour and glory unto thee who livest for ever O how great is thy goodness who invitest us that dwell in houses of clay to bear them company in their praises and thanksgivings They can add nothing at all unto thy fulness but it is our happiness to spend our days here in loving thee in speaking good of thy Name in doing thee honour and service and to pass the life of the other world in the perfection of admiration love thanksgiving and obedience to thee Psal 126.3 who hast done such great things for us of which we are glad Blessed be the Name of God our Father who hath raised us out of Nothing and hath not appointed us unto wrath 1 Thess 5.9 but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ And of God our Saviour who hath redeemed us from the hands of all our enemies and purchased us with a great price unto himself And of God our Sanctifier strength and assister the God of our Salvation who keeps us every moment from ruine and destruction I thank thee O Lord of Heaven and Earth for that liberal portion which thou hast given me thine unworthy servant in thy grace and favour For the knowledge of thy holy Gospel which hath brought life and immortality to light For all the good instructions I have received
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
keep my body inâ—eâ—perance soberness and chastity Not to coâ—â— nor desire other mens goods but to learn aâ—â— labour truly to get mine own living and to 〈◊〉 my duty in that state of life unto which it shâ—â— please God to call me I desire also the good of all mankind that they may partake of the knowledge of the Lord and enjoy the fruits of his Death and Resurrection especially that all Christian people may walk worthy of the Lord who hath called them to his Heavenly Kingdom And particularly all Kings Princes and Governours may be as careful to observe his Laws as they are desirous others should observe theirs That they may remember the honour thou cast done them in exalting them so â—igh to the end they may imitate thee 〈◊〉 doing good to all below them Purge out of thy Church every thing â—hat dishonours the Religion of our Lord and endangers Souls Unite â—ll the members of it in the profession of the true Faith and in sincere Charity that the poor may be relieved the sick comforted the fatherless and widows visited in their affliction sinners â—eclaimed the obstinate softned and all that are in unbelief brought into the â—â—ock of Jesus Christ And grant unto us all that havâ— Communicated together this day thaâ— peace which passeth all understanding humility meekness obedience fortâ—tude contentedness patience longinâ— desires after Heaven and willingneâ—â— to die that we may rest in an hoâ—â— Hope and have a blessed Resurrectioâ— with the just Amen December The Meditation before the Sacrament NEed I be told after a whole years service at least of my blessed Master Jesus what that duty is I am now going to perform unto him Am I not preparing my self according to his command to make a solemn commemoration before God Angels and Men of his unheard of love in dying for us To make a profession of my sincere love and affection to him To engage to him my fidelity To renew the Covenant that is between us To open my heart to him and to confirm to him the most absolute possession of my Soul and Body To wait on him for his continued grace and that I may feel the â—ower of his Death and Resurrection To â—â—ow him my willingness even to take up â—is Cross and to be his Disciple and follower to the very death To testifie the â—ove I bear unto and the Communion I desire to hold with all the Christians that â—re throughout the world To exalt the â—ame of the Lord and to speak his praises who would give his Son for us and who hath condescended to a treaty of peace with us and upon such easie terms to become friends with us yea reward us and do great things for us O how sweet is the remembrance of these blessings How happy am I that he will not let me forget them But with a continued kindness invites me again to this delightful employment I will go and give him thanks for all his benefits and for this among the rest that he hath made me so often partaker of his blessed Body and Bloud and now gives me a new opportunity to celebrate in this manner the memory of his love And O that my heart were lifted higher than ever after so long acquaintance with him in admiration of his grace in faith in love in joy in praise and thanksgiving in strong and vehement desires and in cordial resolutions to be his devout and faithful Disciple O that the hearts of all men else who shall approach his Table may be disposed to the like zeal and fervent affection to his service and so many Souls as there are then present so many living Sacrifices there may be to God so many wills resigned into his hands with ardent love That so those holy Spirits which the Apostle tells us were present in their Christian assemblies may be invited to come into ours And beholding nothing but what is reverend serious pure and full of true devotion they may be excited to rejoyce and praise God together with us for our sincere affection to his Religion And they may make report among their Heavenly company above that Christian piety is still remaining in the world and that we have made a great increase in growth in it this year by our frequent remembrance of the Lord Jesus which may stir them up all to bless the great and glorious name of our God which is exalted above all blessing and praise The Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all Psal 103. Bless the Lord ye Angels of his Bless him all his hosts Bless him all ye works of his in all places of his dominion Bless the Lord O my Soul Stir up thy self to bless the name of God our Saviour who hath not cast us out of his sight when we threw off our obedience to him but sent his Son to gather us again to him to invite us by precious promises to endear himself to us by shedding his heart bloud for us to open the gate of Paradise again and restore us to immortality to make us equal with the Angels and rank us among the eldest sons of glory Let us go and if it be possible excite a greater love in our heart toward him than ever we felt before Let us offer up our selves to him with a stronger flame of devotion which may always burn and rise up higher and higher till it touch heaven and lift us up thither where our Saviour is in the high and holy place God blessed for ever Amen The Prayer before ETernal God whose omnipotent word brought me and this whole world of creatures into being Out of the fulness of whose goodness we are all fed and maintained and by whose rich and abundant grace it is that our souls are not in a desperate and forsaken condition but may approach with some confidence to thee our Maker who in thy Son hast revealed thy self unto us a most merciful Father I fall down before thee in an humble reverence to perform that Religious duty which I owe thee as thy creature and much more as thy redeemed one through the purchase thou hast made of us by the blood of Jesus I admire adore and love all that I know of thee I extol and praise thy wisdom thy bounty thy holiness and truth which endureth for ever I acknowledg my self beholden to thee beyond all my words or conceptions either I reproach my self for my base ingratitude and all the wrongs I have done thee I confess the justice of thy proceedings shouldst thou strip me of all those good things thou hast bestowed on me I give thee the glory of thy ineffable and never enough to be valued love in thy Son Christ I disclaim all opposition to thy will as base unjust and unaccountable I vow to thee my intire service and obedience and approve all thy Commandments as righteous wise and good I lay new bonds upon my self to keep and
hast done such great things for me bear still mercifully with me exercise more of thy patience and show thy self exceeding great in forbearance and long suffering towards me Thou who hast given thy Son unto me vouchsafe to send thy Holy Spirit to over-shadow my Soul and form Christ Jesus within me That conceiving him in my heart by a lively faith and belief of his Gospel I may be made partaker of a Divine nature and express him in his holiness meekness humility patience charity contentedness and simplicity in perfect innocence in doing good and entire satisfaction in thy fatherly love O that the new life to which I am born by the incorruptible seed of thy Word which liveth and abideth for ever 1 P t. 1.23 and for the nourishment of which thou hast provided this holy Feast of which I have now partaked may encrease unto a perfect age to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that so at last I may be begotten again from the dead and be a child of the resurrection to live for ever with the Lord. And for that end dispose my heart as a new born babe to desire the sincere milk of thy Word that I may grow thereby That since thou hast caused thy Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning I may in such wise hear them read mark learn and inwardly digest them that I may obey from the heart that form of Doctrine Rom. 6.17 whereunto I have been delivered and by patience and comfort of thy Word embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ Vouchsafe good Lord so to direct and govern me that I may never profane this Body which thou hast so sanctified honoured and exalted by intemperance or any impurity nor this Soul which is so dear to thee by pride or envy hatred or malice wrath or revenge covetousness or discontent But I may repose a perfect trust and confidence in thee for what I want seeing thou hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son from us and be thankful for what I enjoy and live in the love of thee my God and of all my Brethren and possess my body in sanctification and in honour that I may humbly wait for thy mercy in Christ Jesus to eternal life Help me this very day to begin to use all bodily good things with holy fear with thanksgiving with pity to the poor and needy with a sense of spiritual delights and hungerings after righteousness and with most earnest longings after that feast of joy and gladness which we hope to keep with thee in the Heavens O that all the world may hear the glad tidings of a Saviour that there may be great joy among all people Let all the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Let them lift up their hands unto thee in his name and bow their knees unto him and let every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father And O that all they who do confess him may have their conversation as becomes the Gospel and be continually offering up the Sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving and be communicating and doing good Kings of the Earth and all People Psal 148.11 12 13. Princes and all Judges of the Earth Both young men and maidens old men and children Let them praise the Name of the Lord that God in all things may be glorified through Christ Jesus to whom be praise and dominion 1 Pâ—t 4.11 for ever and ever Amen On Newyears-day if there be a Communion may be added this short Meditation LEt us consider my Soul before we go to the Holy Table for what ends we go thither and with what hearts we ought to go Is it not to admire the greatness of Gods love in giving his Son to us and the greatness of Christs love in giving himself for us Is it not to render our highest thanks and praise to the Father and the Son for this inestimable love in giving his bloud a ransom for us and then to offer up our selves wholly to his love Is it not to renew our Baptismal Covenant wherein we promised to forsake all his enemies and to lead a mortified life in all obedience to his will To represent to God what his Son hath done for us and humbly to hope in him for all the benefits of his passion To receive encrease of power to overcome the world and further testimonies of his love and stronger desires after the consummation of it in Heavenly bliss To unite our heart in Brotherly affection to all the faithful servants of Jesus and to rejoyce in the holy Communion of Christ and his Saints O blessed Jesus who can have hearts disposed to do all this without thee I come to thee therefore that thou wilt represent thy self most lively to me If I could have seen thee hanging on the Cross or if thou wouldest appear to me as thou didst to Saul if the Heavens were opened and I could behold thee as did St. Steven what strange passions what holy affections would it raise up in my heart Open thine eyes my Soul heartily and strongly believe and thy joy shall be full He will be in the midst of us when we are assembled together in his Name according as he promised He presents himself before us in these Signs of his Body and Bloud Behold how the Word was made flesh how he was Circumcised and fulfilled the Law under which he was born that he might be a pure and unspotted offering to God See how he was whipt and scourged for thy sake See how he suffered upon the Cross how his Body was broken and his heart-Bloud poured out to reconcile us unto God And then thou canst not but come with a thankful heart and with an humble reverent and devout affection present thy self unto him bitterly bewailing thy offences chearfully resigning thy self to his will and joyfully hoping for his mercy When he saith by his Minister Take eat drink this what is the meaning but as if he should say I am thy Salvation And when thou stretchest out thy hand and dost this what is it but to say My Lord and my God Joh. 20.28 And happy are they who not only call him Lord but do the things that he saith Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.14.12.20 and enter into the City of God Behold he cometh and his reward is with him and he will give to every man according as his work shall be Rev. 21 7. And he that overcometh saith he shall inherit all things I will be his God and he shall be my Son Amen Even so come Lord Jesus And this short Prayer O Lord of heaven and earth who knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising Psal 139.2 3. c. and understandest my thoughts a far
off Who compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my wayes ever since I was born There is not a word in my tongue Psa 19.12 but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether Such knowledg is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain unto it Who can understand the errors of his whole life And with what trembling ought I to approach thee though I knew nothing by my self But alas my own heart condemns me and thou art greater than my heart and knowest all things I am ashamed to think that I lived so many years before I seriously thought of all my duty to thee And that since I have known thy will and devoted my self to thy service I have made such small improvement in wisdom and virtue Many years are passed and innumerable blessings in them have been received but alas the God in whose hand my breath is Dan. 5.23 and whose are all my wayes how little have I glorified I have reason to blush that now I have brought an heart before thee with so little sense of that love which I have so often remembered and praised and acknowledged with the largest expressions of devotion to thee But it is some comfort O Lord that thy all-searching eye which pierces to the bottom of my soul sees a sincere desire there to become better and a stedfast resolution to endeavour to grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ It is in my heart to renew my covenant with thee to ingage my fidelity once more to thee trusting that I have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13.18 I hope thou wilt graciously accept and encourage whatsoever thou beholdest of thy self in me and when I go to offer my self again most solemnly to thee at thy Altar make me feel thy divine presence with me enlightning my mind with a clear sense of thee raising in me worthy thoughts and affections towards my dear Saviour ingaging my will more firmly to thine confirming all my pious resolutions exciting my Faith love hope and joy that this holy Communion may be to the continuance of a holy life in greater care diligence zeal and fervency in all well doing Assist me I beseech thee in every part of this duty that I may remember the sufferings of the Lord Jesus so as to be crucified with him and his great love so as to love him with all my soul and my neighbour as my self and the new covenant he hath made in his blood so as to have his laws written on my heart and all the the pretious promises he hath thereby sealed to us so as to place my entire contentment and satisfaction in them till I come to possess that perfect happiness which I wait for through thy mercies in Christ Jesus Amen Our Father c. A short Meditation after WHat hast thou now received from our Lord Are they not the most sacred pledges of his love And what doth the Lord require of thee but only love But how great a thing is love Love brought him down hither to us and love will carry us up to God Love made him like to man and love is able to make thee like to God O the power of heavenly love How shall we get it planted in our heart How But by love The frequent meditation of this admirable love of God in his Son Jesus will not suffer us not to love him with all our heart and soul and strength Let us resolve then that the remembrance of his love shall lie perpetually in our heart As we have begun the year with the thoughts of his love so let us continue it What more welcome thought can there be to thee every morning when thou awakest than this I am the beloved of the King of Glory With what canst thou open thy soul more chearfully What will brighten it and chase away the darkness of melancholly sorrow sadness cares and fears like to this If thou hast not lost an hour and wasted this pretious time which thou hast spent at the Table of the Lord thou canst not but feel the mighty force of his infinite love Let us try my soul what it will be able to do in a whole years thoughts upon it Let the morning light bring Jesus ever along with it to thy mind and enkindle in thee a new devotion to him And let us take all occasions to celebrate his memory that so our holy resolutions may be more quickned and strengthned and when the flame begins to burn dimm we may blow it up again and add more fewel to it If a friend had left thee a token of his love whereby to keep him in mind wouldst thou throw it into some blind corner and never look upon it But suppose he was a dying friend nay a friend that dyed for thee to save thee from death could he ever go out of thy mind or wouldst thou let the thing he left to remember him by be long out of thine eye Let us not deal more unkindly with our Saviour Did he think when he went to heaven that those whom he hath so obliged would remember his love so seldom and so coldly That they need be so much entreated to come and have communion with him Is it not a grief to him now if he be capable of any to see that he hath so few lovers And that they who profess love to him testifie it so rarely and in so poor a manner Let us vow my soul again that we will henceforth shew our selves his hearty friends by keeping his holy Commands and never forget that this is one Do this in remembrance of me I will remember thee O Lord and in this manner lift up my hands in thy name till I have finished my dayes and come to see thee as thou art in all thy Majesty and Glory And this Thanksgiving and Prayer may be added afterward O Lord I thine unworthy servant whom thou art pleased to call thy child most devoutly humble my self before thee in new adorations of that love which I can never fully understand The highest of our praises is most heartily to acknowledge that thou art exalted above all blessing and praise And our most grateful acknowledgments to be very sensible of the weakness of our love when it is advanced to its greatest and strongest pitch Thy love is like to thy self and we cannot search it out to perfection It is higher than the Heavens Job 11. what can we do It is broader than the Sea what can we know I have enjoyed many years of mercies and thou hast been loading me with a multitude of inestimable benefits both for Soul and Body ever since I came into this world Every day brings me fresh tokens of thy goodness and this day the dearest of all the tokens of thine everlasting love Psal 139. O how precious are thy thoughts towards us how great is the summe
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
hands the Earth stands fast by thy appointment and every thing keeps the course wherein thou hast set it with admirable constancy Thou governest all things without any trouble because at once thou knowest and canst do what thou pleasest and thou dost all things with the greatest reason justice mercy and pleasure to thy self Man was raised by thee out of the dust of Earth and thou didst inspire him with a wise and understanding Spirit and placedst him in a Paradise surrounded with thy blessings and Lord over the work of thy hands And when he had degraded himself and forfeited by his disobedience his garden of pleasure thou didst not leave him without a remedy but openedst the way for him into the Paradise above Thou didst send thy holy Prophets and messengers in all ages to thy people and in the fulness of time thine own dear Son the brightness of thy glory whom thou hast made Heir of all things and to whom thou hast graciously committed the care of us Blessed be thy unspeakable goodness who hast made him in all things like unto us sin only excepted so that we know and are sure that he will take care of us and pity us and relieve us I adore thy unparalell'd love in giving him to die that he might make expiation for our sins and that he hath overcome death by his rising again and is set down at thy right hand because he was obedient to the death From thence we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost thanks be to thy Grace to confirm us in the belief of his Resurrection and of all his promises by signs and wonders and mighty deeds and to give us power to perform our duty towards thee and towards all men Thou hast spread this Gospel of Salvation into the furthermost parts of the Earth and the light of it hath long shone upon this Kingdom where I live I was born into this light as well as into the light of the Sun and had early assurances given me of thy love In my very infancy I was devoted to thee and all the engagements I was capable of laid upon me to be happy by being a faithful Disciple of Christ Jesus Thou hast not failed since to breath on me by thy Holy Spirit and to move me to my duty that I might be able to make the answer of a good Conscience towards thee 1 Pet. 3 21. and so be saved by his his Resurrection from the dead Many happy opportunities hast thou put into my hands to improve my self in Christian wisdom and vertue and engaged me to thee in many solemn vows only to seek the glory honour and immortality which Christ hath brought to light by patient continuance in well-doing I have now received the pledges of it and commemorated his love in dying for us and thy love in raising him to life again that he might perfect our Salvation and assure us he hath obtained an eternal redemption and comfort us against the fears of death and take care of us for ever and receive the power and glory thou promisedst him that he may be able to bless us and do us all good O how hath thy love abounded in Christ Jesus Besides a world of outward blessings which thy bounteous hand hath poured on me and still continues merely out of thy goodness and liberality How can I praise thee for all thy mercies to all mankind who cannot comprehend all those which thou hast bestowed on my self alone None can understand how much we are beholden to thee but those that know what thy Son Jesus was and what the blessing of the Holy Ghost and what the Resurrection of the dead and the unsearchable riches of thy Kingdom and Glory are Accept blessed Lord of such acknowledgments as I am able to make thee Accept of my whole self which I yield up unto thee with love unfeigned Thou whose infinite understanding pierceth into the greatest depths and secrets knowest that I love thee Do even what thou pleasest with me for it is but just and reasonable that I should not live unto my self henceforth but unto him that died for me and rose again I am twice thy Creature Thou hast given me life a second time by Christ Jesus through whom thou hast created me to good works in hope of a blessed Resurrection from the dead Inspire me good Lord with such a strong and lasting sense of thy love that I may alway live in sincere obedience to him and never forfeit the new title thou hast given me to life immortal But believing the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead I may most heartily acknowledg him to be the Lord and stedfastly believe his Doctrine obeying his commands hoping in his promises and fearing his threatnings and endeavouring thereby to prepare my self in all purity and holiness of life for the joys of the World to come And * The words of the Church Catechism explaining the Lords Prayer I desire my Lord God our Heavenly Father who is the giver of all goodness to send his grace unto me and to all people that we may worship him serve him and obey him as we ought to do And that he will send us all things that be needful both for our Souls and Bodies and be merciful to us and forgive us our sins and that it will please him to save and defend us in all dangers ghostly and bodily and that he will keep us from all sin and wickedness and from our ghostly enemy and from everlasting death Which I trust he will do of his mercy and goodness through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Now the God of peace Heb 13.20 21. that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Bloud of the everlasting Covenant Make us perfect in every good work to do his will working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen This short acknowledgment may be used sometime that Week Acts 4.24 25. LOrd thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all that in them is who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said Psal 2.7 8. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy possession Thy word is true from the beginning Psal 119.160.89.90 For ever O Lord thy word is setled in Heaven Thy faithfulness is unto all generations For thou hast sent thy holy Child Jesus Rom. 1.4 and declared him to be the Son of God with power by the Resurrection from the dead Though he was Crucified through weakness 2 Cor. 13.4 yet he liveth by the power of God Thou wouldest not let thy holy one see corruption Acts 2.27 28. But hast made known to him the ways of life and made him full of joy with thy
right hand Search and try dost thou in good earnest travel with high and heavenly designs Art thou ambitious of nothing so much as to be like to Jesus and by the most self denying wayes to obtain his glory Dost thou spare no pains to flatten thy too eager desires towards the things on earth to let out thy vain and aiery conceits to sharpen thy appetite after real righteousness to inflame thy love to heighten thy desire and hope to strengthen thy faith to excite thy watchfulness and ingage thy serious endeavours that thou mayest possess the things above Art thou sure taht the wisdom from above is the crown of thy glory Jam. 2.17 Humility thy honour To do good thy riches and treasure to be Religious thy business and to rejoyce in God thy highest pleasure Doth the peace of God which passeth all understanding keep thy mind and heart Pâ— 4.7 Art thou above the threats the contempt the hatred the oppression the enmities and affronts of this evil world Above thine own and other mens passions and peevish affections So that thou returnest good for evil kindness for injuries and prayers for curses Is that sweet thing that heavenly love to all thy Brethren the darling of thy bosome which is the very joy of Heaven Then the Angels give thee joy of an happy resurrection and ascension with Christ Jesus He hath made thee already to fit with him in heavenly places Eph. 2.6 The day star is risen in thy heart foretelling thy approaching glory Thou beholdest the morning of eternal joy the dawning of the day of recompences And thou mayest rest assured that God will not leave thee in the grave nor suffer thee for ever to see corruption but it shall deliver thee into the arms of thy Lord 1 Cor. 15.53 2 Cor. 5.4 and corruption shall put on incorruption and this mortality be swallowed up of life Nay thou mayst now triumph and say I am an heir an heir of God Rom. 8.17 and joynt-heir with Christ who hath also given me the earnest of the inheritance Eph. â— 14 For he hath formed already a model of the heavenly Sanctuary within thy breast where Christ Jesus himself is enthroned and the name of God is continually honoured and glorified And therefore thou mayst humbly conclude in the words of Jesus Joh. 12.32 If God be glorified in me God shall also glorifie me in himself And O that the Father of glory would be pleased more and more to enlighten the eyes of our understanding Ephes 1.17 18 19 20. that we may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in Heavenly places c. Amen The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward O Most Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty who art to be most humbly adored worshipped and admired but thy perfections no tongue can express and thou art above the thoughts of the highest and purest of all Creatures They all give glory to thee in their several kinds and declare thy power thy greatness thy wisdom and goodness which spreads it self throughout the world Psal 113.3 4. From the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same the Lords name is to be praised For the Lord is high above all Nations and his glory above the Heavens They sound continually with the praises which the holy Angels give thee who know thee better than we that are shut up in houses of clay and can see but little of thy glory And yet thou art pleased not only to admit but to invite us to lift up our hearts unto thee and unite them with that Heavenly company in rendring thee our poor praises and thanks which are infinitely below thee Accept Good Lord of such as I have to give and inspire me graciously from above with such a sense of thy goodness that I may offer thee an heart full of love which may be ever making grateful acknowledgments unto thee I bless thee that thou hast made man such a noble Creature capable to look back to thee the Author of his being and to be happy in loving thee and bearing a likeness to thee O how great was thy goodness that when he forgot thee that formed him and lightly esteemed thy love and favour thou wouldest not call him out of thy care but mercifully and speedily madest a promise of a Redeemer to him I thank thee O God that in the fulness of time thou hast sent him thy only begotten Son into the world not only to converse lovingly with us as our Friend and Brother but also to die for us and to die the accursed death of the Cross Who can understand the greatness of thy love O blessed Jesus that would hang in such shame and pain and bleed to death and lie in the Grave for us wretched sinners And the greatness of thy love O Father of mercies who hast raised him again from the dead and exalted him with thy right hand to the Throne of Glory in the Heavens and given him a name above every name Phil. 2.9 10 11. that at the name of Jesus every knee might bow both of things in Heaven and things on Earth and things under the Earth and that every tongue might confess that Jesus is the Lord to thy glory I confess his Sovereign power and authority whom the Angels worshipped and adored and I give glory to thee O Father of all who hast made him head of the Church Ephes 1.22 23. which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Glory be to thee O Lord most high who hast put all things under his feet and made Angels themselves to be ministring Spirits Heb. 1.14 sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation Glory be to thee Acts 3.26 who hast sent him to bless us in turning every one of from our iniquities 5.32 and hast made him a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins and made him able to save them to the uttermost that come unto thee by him Heb 7.25 27. seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them To thy eternal praise and glory be it remembred that we have such an High-Priest Heb. 8.1 who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens who needeth not daily to offer up Sacrifice but hath done it once when he offered up himself I bless thee that thou hast now admitted me to partake of that Sacrifice which is able to perfect for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 And that to the blessings of thy house thou hast added also those of my own Thou feedest not my
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
seem to me to arise from one or other of these four Heads It is either thought to be no necessary part of a Christians Duty at least not so necessary as others are or else the Meaning Use and Benefit of it is not understood or men are loth to be at the pains of disposing themselves to be worthy Communicants or lastly having sometimes Communicated they found no good by it and so left it of It is the design therefore of this small Treatise which a desire to quicken and promote Christian Piety hath brought forth to shew as briefly and plainly as I can devise First that all those who are called by the name of our Lord have a strong tye upon them to address themselves to his Holy Table and Secondly that the ends and purposes for which it is prepared are such as both invite and ingage them to come thither Thirdly to direct the Readers to an easy and familiar way of disposing themselves to do this duty with Profit and Pleasure and Lastly to furnish them with some Meditations and Devotions sutable to the Action for want of which I conceive many reap so little good from it These are the Four parts of the insuing Discourse PART I. Of the Obligations we have to Communicate For the First of these to make you sensible of the necessity and weight of this Duty there are these Six things to be considered THAT we have an express Command for it from our Lord and Master to whose service we were solemnly devoted when we were Baptized And lest there should be any room for shifting and excuses this Command is so ordered that it hath respect both to the Officers and Ministers in his Church and also to the People under their Care to the former that they might prepare this Holy Table to the other that they might come to pertake of it First he requires his Apostles Luke 22.19 to do this in remembrance of him Which words it is plain refer to what our Saviour then did who took Bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave it unto them saying this is my body which is given for you thiâ— do in remembrance of me And therefore it is as much as if he had said Do you take bread give thanks break it and give it to all my family hereafter Now if they were bound to give it then all Christians no doubt must be bound though there had been nothing more said to receive and eat it But the more to inforce the Duty they are requirâ—d so to do according as S. Paul hath declared the mind and intention of our Lord in this business and he is the only person beside S. Luke who makes mention of these words Do this in remembrance of me though two other Evangelists mention the Institution of this Sacrament He tells us 1 Cor. 11.24 that when our Lord had given thanks he brake the Bread and said take eat this is my body which is broken for you Do this in remembrance of me Here these words DO THIS immediately refer to take eat which are not in S. Luke And therefore DO THIS in his Gospel immediately refers as I said to taking bread giving thanks breaking it and giving it to them In that the Apostles and their Successors were more peculiarly concerned and none can Do this i. e. take bread give thanks break it and give it but they But in the other taking eating and drinking all Christians are concerned and are bound to do this as long as the world lasts Which appears sufficiently from the whole discourse of S. Paul to the Corinthians who were as he tells them v. 26. to shew forth the Lords death as often as they did eat that bread and drink of that Cup which the Ministers of our Lord gave to them As they were not to neglect their duty in making ready this holy food inviting the Lords people to pertake of it offering it and giving it to them so it behoved them who were called to be careful not to neglect theirs but to come and eat and drink at the Table of the Lord that by the whole action performed by both the Lords death might be declared and solemnly commemorated with Thanksgiving and Praise And to make this Command appear more weighty let me cast in two or three considerations more before I proceed any further 1. That our Lord not only gave it to the Twelve Apostles but to S. Paul also after he was added to the number From which we may clearly gather his intention of having this duty every where performed not only by the Jews but all others For when he appeared to this person and revealed his whole mind to him that he might be an Apostle and preach to the Heathen world he left not out this precept but gave him particular instructions about it For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you that the Lord Jesus the night in which he was betrayed took bread c. v. 23. 1 Cor. 11. He had not this from the Apostles nor was taught it by man but Christ himself delivered it to him as he had done to the rest of his Apostles that he might teach men to do this if they had any regard to the express Command of their dearest Lord. And it is very hard if they have not a great reverence to it considering 2. That it is the very last Commandment which he gave before his Death When he was parting with his Disciples and taking his farewel of them till he should see them again after his resurrection he left this charge with them that they should do as they had seen him do just before he went away Read the verses going before those now mentioned out of S. Luke ch 22. v. 16 17 18 c. and you will find the sense of our Saviours whole discourse to be this This is the last Supper we shall eat together in this world I shall keep no more Feasts with you till we meet in Heaven But I would have you meet often and Feast together upon my broken Body and my Blood shed for you according to the pattern which now I set before you As you see me take bread give thanks break it and give it to you so do ye This is my Will and Testament if you have any respect to the words of a dying Master and Saviour if you love me and bear me in mind when I am gone from you Do not forget to do this in remembrance of me And what he said to them we are to take as said to us for 3. S. Paul saith this is to be done till his coming again 1 Cor. 11.26 It is not a Temporary Command like those given to Moses but layes a perpetual obligation upon us till Christ who appeared to put away sin by this Sacrifice of himself which we commemorate shall appear the second time without sin unto Salvation From whence it necessarily follows that not only the
attended withal are not worthy to be named with the joys of those that sing continually and say Blessed be the Lord our God for ever Neh. 9.4 5 c. blessed be thy glorious Name which is exalted above all blessing and praise Thou even thou art Lord alone thou hast made Heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their host the earth and all things that are therein the Seas and all that is in them and thou preservest all and the host of Heaven worshippeth thee Eph. 1.4 1 Pet. 1.21 Thou art the Lord the God and Father of Jesus Christ who hast chosen us in him before the foundation of the world and redeemed us by his blood raised him from the dead and given him glory that our faith and hope might be in thee our God Thine 2 Chron. 29.11 O blessed Jesus is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all In thy hand is power and might and in thy hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious Name Psal 115. ult We will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore Yea bless the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength that do his Commandments hearkning to the voice of his word Bless ye the Lord all ye his hosts ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion bless the Lord O my Soul Thus if we did converse with him and such holy communication did heartily pass between us it would be so pleasant and delightful that we should cry out with the Jews in another case Joh. 6.34 Lord evermore give us this bread We should long for such another repast and be desirous every day to wait on him at his Table At least we should greedily embrace the next invitation that he gives us to come unto it And because we cannot every day do this in remembrance of him we should secretly retire unto him in our own heart as into his holy Temple and there call to mind what he hath done unto us commemorate his love maintain our acquaintance preserve our friendship and renew to him our vows that by all these ways we may prepare our selves for his fellowship and society in the eternal world It may happen indeed that there may be but a few communicants at the Table of the Lord and so you may not have time there to do all this In which case you may use only some part of it or thus in brief open your heart to him when you see how he declares his love to you Adored be thy condescending love O merciful Saviour to thine unworthy servant who blushes to lift up his eyes towards thee even when thou invitest me unto thee For besides my other guiltiness this most gracious representation which now thou makest of thy self to me doth but little move my dull and heavy affections to love and rejoyce in thee I am heartily ashamed of my self only I desire and resolve to become better And here I prostrate my self before thee as a humble worshipper of thee presenting thee with a poor oblation of my soul and body which I dedicate again with the most dutiful affection I am able to excite unto thee Do thou O Lord excite a greater that when I shall appear before thee again I may present thee with a soul more pure humble meek merciful and improved in all other fruits of thy holy Spirit In thy mercies alone are all my hopes For as the Heaven is high above the earth so great is thy mercy toward them that fear thee As far as the East is from th West Psal 103.11 12. so far hast thou removed our transgressions from us O be merciful unto me be merciful unto me for my soul trusteth in thee 57.1 Looks thou upon me and be merciful to me as thou usest to do to those that love thy name 119.132 Thou art my portion O Lord I have said 57.173 that I would keep thy word Let thine hand help me Ephes 3.16 for I have chosen thy precepts Strengthen me with might by thy spirit in the inner man that denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 I may live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and thee our Saviour Jesus Christ Now unto him that is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty Jude 24 25. dominion and power both now and ever Amen But when there is time to do the whole you will not spend it I hope in any thing else but such Meditations as these Which that they may be disposed in such order as every one of them may come in its season you may make use of in this manner Think you hear our Saviour speaking to you by the Bread and the Wine when you see the one broken and the other poured out Then you may immediately imploy your thoughts in the four first together with the second Meditation set down in the second part while the Minister is Communicating himself and others with him The V. and the VI. will be seasonable after you have received the Bread and the VII and VIII after the Cup together with those mentioned before in the same place And the two last in like manner after you have withdrawn your self from the holy Table or before according as you can find room for them And if your spirit be not able to hold out in so many thoughts and expressions of the inward sense and affection of your heart you may single out those which you find to give you the most lively touch and lift up your heart highest toward the Lord. And at some opportunity the rest perhaps may be as acceptable or more welcome meditations nay you may feel your soul inlarged and run out in more pious thoughts and affections than I can suggest or excite by all that I am able to say on this subject But I desire you never to omit one meditation when you behold the rest of the company receiving which is that all those and the whole Church who pertake of this holy Communion are your Brethren To whom you must stir up as I directed you before the most fervent charity and the readiest disposition to relieve counsel assist comfort or admonish them as there shall be occasion And with whom you must resolve to live in the strictest Unity and peace as those who are Members of the very same body When you think therefore that our Lord tells you there is nothing he desires of you
but that you would continue in his love and friendship by keeping his Commandments as he said to his Disciples Joh. 15.9 10. c. remember that he adds presently This is my Commandment that you love one another as I have loved you v. 12. which he repeats again v. 17. These things I command you that ye love one another And so take them all into your heart with as much affection as if the embracing each other in our arms and giving the holy kiss of charity were still in use among us And let the Memory of Christs death for his Enemies and of this divine feast together with him and your Brethren ever kill all your Enmities extinguish your anger compose your differences sweeten the harshness of your Spirits c. and make you live together as loving Friends that hope to live in endless love and immortal joys in the highest heavens Of which you may also look upon this Feast as an earnest and begin those joys in such thoughts as these at the holy Communion that one day you shall keep an eternal Feast with our Saviour in the happy company of the Saints and Angels who will all joyn in the chearful praises of the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 16. who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see to whom be honor and power everlasting Amen PART IV. Containing several other Meditations together with Prayers sutable to this Action BY this time I hope you see that it is good for you to draw near to God at his holy Table if you have any desire to be good Christians or any savour of spiritual pleasures You must wholly cast away all remembrance of your duty and be lost to all sense of rational satisfaction or else be strongly inclined considering what hath been said to take the pains to prepare your selves or rather to keep your selves in a constant preparation for frequent Communion there with our blessed Saviour An innocent holy and useful life cannot but commend it self to you if it be but on this score that you may be intertained with such a comfort as to know the love of God in Christ to you and be fit to be feasted continually with such delightful pledges of it How is it possible for any considerate persons to despise or neglect such means of their contentment The Table of the Lord methinks should be more acceptable to them than a stage and they should run more greedily to this Divine feast than they do to the Theatres He should have more guests and a greater croud to attend upon him than those so much frequented places For what do they see represented there but some of the follies of mankind the passions and misfortunes of a miserable lover the wiles and subtle contrivances of some ingenious person or such like things some of which never were But here is represented the great wisdom of Almighty God the manifold wisdom of our Creator into which the Angels desired to look and of which they are gladsome spectators The incomparable kindness of our blessed Saviour that ardent love which offered him up to God upon the Cross and which he still continues now that he is in the Heavens as we see by these remembrances which he hath left us of it The rare method of our Salvation the wonderful way which Heaven hath contrived to bring lost souls again thither the glorious conquest which the Saviour of the world hath made over sin the grave and Hell All which we here behold his Captives and our selves the prize which he desires to win by all his labours Do not men then extreamly betray their infidelity is it not plain that Christian piety lies languishing and dying when such numbers will spend a great deal of time to prepare and dress themselves to be seen in the Theatre and we cannot prevail in some places with any considerable company to meet us at this glorious representation which we make at the Table of the Lord They that will be at the pains to go to the former every day content themselves nay think it a great trouble to put their souls in a posture to come to this holy place once in a whole year And God knows how many there are that will not put themselves to that pains neither who rarely appear before God at this holy Solemnity and whose faces are scarce ever seen in the presence of our Saviour O shameful ingratitude which you that read these things if you are believers can never endure I should think to be guilty of If you give any credit to this history of the love of God in Christ Jesus recorded in the Gospel you will spend some time sure to dispose your selves to make frequent acknowledgments to him by receiving these holy Mysteries You will be ashamed that so much time should be consumed in trimming up your selves to see and to be seen in other places and little or none that you may come before God and behold the great things that he hath done for your souls For the love of God consider at what charge he hath furnished this Table for you how often he hath invited you to it how desirous he is that you would shew him so much love as not to refuse him your company there Think how ill he must needs take it if you will not accept of his singular kindness nay that you your selves will not be pleased when you reflect and consider of how much joy you have deprived your souls by denying him so much of your duty For there is no compare between all the jollities in the world and this one single pleasure of giving hearty thanks to God for his unspeakable mercy to us in Christ Jesus Do but come and see Satisfie your selves by waiting on him at his Table with such thoughts as become his presence If you have the least spark of goodness you will find it shine and glow and spread it self to your infinite joy and contentment of heart Among all the various degrees and conditions of Christian people there will none be found that come hither with sincere affection to do this in remembrance of their Saviour but may go away rejoycing loaded with many divine benefits For we may apply to this heavenly nourishment what the Jews say of their Manna sent down by God from Heaven to them which contained in it as their tradition affirms all the tasts that any man desired and longed for it being so suted to every pallate and constitution that none could fail to be both fed and pleased though they were of never so different tempers This is not only a common story in the Books of the later Hebrew Doctors but we meet with it in one of the Apocryphal writings which is very ancient Thou feddest thine own people with Angels food saith the Author of the Book of Wisdom chap.
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 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
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
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
resurrection These are the beauties of Jesus which I admire This is the Image of him which I have vowed to carry always in my heart This is the glory of humane nature the honour and dignity to which I would be preferred I desire to be great in nothing but his humility to be rich only in contentedness patience and good works to be glorified in meekness and sweet condiscention to have the pleasure only of pleasing God and my Brethren to their edification to rejoyce that Gods will is done though mine be crossed And it is no small joy to see the beginnings of this beauteous image drawn upon my heart He that did not despise the Virgins womb will not despise the humble oblation I have made of my self to him nor that little likeness he sees in me of himself Dost thou not see my soul what great things come from mean beginnings How a poor Babe that lay in a manger came to be the King of glory Hope in God then that thou shalt grow to a greater stature and more exactly resemble thy dearest Saviour He hath given thee assurance that he will not over-look thee now that he sits on the Throne of his glory It is a Throne of grace too unto which thou mayst address thy self and find grace to help in time of need Do but let him see how much thou honourest him how pretious his memory is unto thee how thou art in love with his purity and he that was manifested in our flesh will manifest himself in thee He will adorn thee with all his graces and make thee shine as a light in the world in humble charity in meekness of wisdom in chearful patience and devout obedience Blessed be God for this hope I have no cause to envy the greatest persons No not her that carried him in her womb and then in her arms if there had been nothing more For though we are apt to say as the woman among the multitude did Blessed is the womb that bare thee Luke 11.27 28. and the paps that thou hast sucked yet Jesus saith yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it They that hear or believe his word conceive him in their heart and they that do it bring him forth in their life Blessed be Jesus for the least share I have in this blessedness I will spend this holy day in praising him for the hope I have to partake of more of it What can there be more delightful to those who know what it is to believe in him and obey him And in what shall we spend the rest of this time wherein we commemorate his coming into the world Shall we be so uncivil to our Lord as to go more willingly to feast with our neighbours than to feast again with him Shall we go to their houses with more chear than unto his I will never so dishonour him God forbid that I should feast my body more than my Soul I will rather imitate the ancient Christians who could find in their heart to meet every day before the morning light to sing Hymns to our Saviour I will at least be able to say with David O that all others may bear me company in it I have gone with the multitude Psal 42.4 I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with a multitude that kept Holy-day The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward O Eternal Majesty of Heaven and Earth the Father of mercies by whom all things were made out of nothing whose Almighty hand supports them from falling back into nothing again and whose good providence keeps them from being miserable Thy Wisdom is past finding out thy Power is irresistable thy Love and Goodness is unmeasurable and thy tender mercies over all thy Works O how great are thy tender mercies to us O Lord How large a portion hast thou given us in thy love Thou hast not dealt so with any Creature as thou hast done with Man on whom thou didst instamp thine own image and cloathed him with immortality and made him Lord over the works of thy hands And so great is thy goodness that when he had lost himself by departing from his obedience to thee thou wouldest not so lose thy sinful Creature but chose rather to do wonders that he might not perish Thou hast sent thy Son to seek after him and restore him to thy self Thou hast not abhorred our Nature but loved us so much as to manifest thy self in our flesh and honour us with the glorious title of thy Sons the Brethren of the Son of thy love Christ Jesus I have remembred with all thankfulness this day his humble and loving descent from Heaven that he might be born and dwell among us to comfort us in this sinful and troublesome world with his Divine presence to assure us of thy good will to us and invite us friendly to return to thee to instruct and encourage us in our duty to put us in hope of endless felicity and at last to die and give himself a ransom for us that he might be touched with a sense of our infirmities being in all points tempted like as we are without sin I again adore O Lord thy most glorious Majesty I reverence thy Power and greatness I wonder at thy wisdom and am astonished at thy goodness I have neither words nor thoughts befitting the inestimable benefits thou hast bestowed on us O that the Holy Spirit which was in our Saviour would inspire my heart with devout affections towards thee O God of all grace that I may love thee more than I can express more than now my heart can think and I may joyn chearfully with all the Heavenly Host above that are still giving honour blessing glory power and dominion to thee for ever and ever For unto us a Child is born Isa 9.6 7. unto us a Son is given the mighty God the Prince of peace of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end In him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily And we are members of his body Coloss 2.9 10. of his flesh and of his bones Ephes 5.30 In him we are compleat which is the head of all Principality and Power and hath redeemed us by his bloud Rev. 5.9 and made us Kings and Priests unto God to offer unto him Spiritual Sacrifices 1 Pet. 2.5 and we shall reign with him for ever Amen I confess O Lord that I am less than the least of all thy mercies And though I have been ungrateful even for the greatest yet thou continuest the course of thy goodness and hast now newly admitted me to the Communion of Christs precious Body and Bloud Thou pitiest also my weak and childish thoughts my heavy and dull affections and all the wandrings of my foolish imagination and dost not estrange thy self from me though I am so little moved by thy miraculous love O thou who
of them I hope to give thee eternal praises O Father of mercies and God of all comfort who hast made us after thy own image and in the fulness of time sent thy Son born of a woman made under the Law to redeem us from the curse and hast adopted us to be thy children promised to make us heirs with thy only begotten and for that end to give us a new birth from the Grave into an immortal Life Have patience with me O Lord till that time when I shall more fully comprehend and better acknowledge the greatness of thy love for which I will endeavour to prepare my self by an innocent harmless and unblamable life as becomes the Gospel of Christ To him I have now dedicated my self again in all holy obedience I have professed my self his servant that admires him and loves him and glories in being his faithful Disciple O that the good thoughts and pious inclinations which I have now felt in my heart may remain and abide there for ever that as I grow in years so I may grow as my Saviour did in grace and favour with thee my God and with all good men Endue me with a more solid knowledge of thy will with a stronger love and affection to it and with power to do my duty towards thee and towards all men That I may behave my self in an humble and godly fear before thee in all justice mercy and charity to my Neighbours and possess my Body and Soul in sobriety chastity and patience Make me loving to my inferiours respectful to my betters friendly to my equals kind to all mine enemies thankful for thy mercies contented with my own state and condition of life fearful of my self in prosperity and confident in thee in adversity that all temptations may only present me with something to overcome and give me new occasions of victory over the world and produce for me at last a greater crown of glory For thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my trust from my youth Psal 7â— 5 6 8 9. By thee have I been holden up from the womb thou art he that took me out of my mothers bowels my praise shall be continually of thee Cast me not off in the time of old age 73.24 forsake me not when my strength faileth But let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy hâ—nour all the day Guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory through Christ Jesus to whom with thy self in the unity of the Holy Ghost be all honour thanksgiving love and obedience rendred by me and all Angels and Men both now and eternally Amen Easter-day The Meditation before O Blessed day which brought glad tidings of great joy Our Saviours second birth-day to a more glorious life The day of the first fruits of those that slept The day that brought life and immortality to light and gave us assured hope in God that it shall be to us according to Jesus his Word Why do we dream thus my Soul about these things Awake awake and stir up in thy self the most piercing belief and sense of them Thy Saviour is risen and calls unto thee with a mighty voice saying Rev. 1 1â— I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the keys of Hell and of Death Need there any more words to perswade thee to go and rejoyce in his love which made him give himself to die for thee And in the love of God which accepted of his oblation and rewarded his sufferings with a glorious Resurrection to an endless Life And in that power might and majesty wherewith he is crown'd So that at the Name of Jesus all things in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth do bow and obey It is too little to say that I will go and thank him at this holy Feast for what he hath done for me and for what I hope he will still do I will go and offer my self absolutely to him I will make a vow of love to him and charity to all the world I will triumph in his praise and glory in the service of the Prince of life I will dedicate my self to be an everlasting monument both of his Death and of his Resurrection from the dead I will so remember his death as to die my self to sin And so remember his Resurrection as to rise again to walk before him in newness of life And his dying no more so that sin shall have no more dominion over me Rom. 6.12 14. nor reign in my mortal body that I should obey it in the lusts thereof His Humility shall be remembred so as to kill my Pride and his Charity so as to kill my Covetousness I will remember his pains so as to mortifie all inordinate desires of pleasure and his patience so as to subdue my anger passion and peevishness His love to his Enemies shall make me forgive others and do good to those who do evil to me And his absolute obedience make me take up my Cross and be obedient to the very death Dost thou not begin already to feel the remembrance of his free giving himself for thee animate thee to a chearfulness and forwardness in well doing Doth not his full trust in God when he laid down his life that he should receive it again raise in thee a strong confidence in his Almighty word Is not the power he hath over Hell and Death of mighty force to encourage thy hopes and make thee victorious over all thy enemies How doth thy heart beat within thy breast What thoughts and passions doth it travel withal Doth it not begin to send up admiring thoughts towards Heaven where Jesus is Doth it not burn with strong desires Is it not ready to burst forth into the highest expressions of love and joy Art thou not enraged against all those sins which murdered the Lord of life Are they not all condemned to be crucified and slain Dost thou not resolve to live like one that believes in Jesus and professes himself to be his faithful follower Then think when thou goest to celebrate the memory of his Death that Jesus stands in the midst of you as he did among his Disciples when he was newly risen from the Grave saying Peace be unto you Joh. 20.19 Eat O my Friends rejoyce and be exceeding glad As my Father hath loved me so I have loved you Joh. 15.9 continue ye in my love Behold here the sensible Signs and Seals of my love By these I give my self to you as once I gave my self for you By these tokens I convey to you all that I have I make over to you that inheritance which I have purchased by my Bloud and that is eternal life in the Heavenly places For I am alive again and behold I live for evermore Amen Lord Jesus 14.19 live live for ever Because thâ—â— livest I shall live also Thou knowest how to