to intercede for me as Priest in the Vertue of thy most valuable Sacrifice and to bestow upon me the large Blessings which thou hast purchased for Sinners I believe O Lord thou hast died for our Sins and art risen again for our Justification I desire thy Death may utterly crucifie and till all my Sins and that thy Resurrection may revive my Hopes By thy Resurrection I desire I hope for mine By thy Ascension into Heaven I desire thee to draw my Heart and Affections from this vain empty World to the hearty Love and earnest Desire of Heavenly Things And I hope thou wilt raise me up at the Last Day and bring me to be where thou art and give me an Everlasting Life I take this Sacrament as a Pledge of thy Everlasting Love as the Evidence of great Love already shown me and the Earnest and Assurance of yet greater Communications to come My Soul thirsts for God even for the Living God Oh when shall I come and appear before God! When shall I see thy Face O dearest Jesu without a Veil be kiss'd with the Kisses of thy Mouth enjoy thy self immediately When shall these short and faint Glimpses of thy Glory be exchang'd for a full abiding sight of thee When shall I have leave not onely to visit but to dwell with thee and to receive not transient Tasts but drink large Draughts of Delight and Joy from an Infinite Fountain of Bliss and Joy For in thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Oh how I long that this my weary Pilgrimage were done That I were absent from the Body that I might be present with the Lord That I might have no necessary diversion dearest Jesu from perpetual contemplating praising loving and enjoying thee For this however I do wait This I do through thy Merits and from thy Infinite Love expect and that Expectation shall encourage me to labour in thy Service to bear thy Cross and to follow thee whithersoever thou shalt call me SECT XVII An Exercise of Charity O Jesu thou art Infinite Love I cannot but with great delight and wonder Contemplate thee and when I do so I feel a pleasing Constraint upon me to Love I must account this a most excellent and divine Qualification which is so eminently in thee I must reckon it my greatest Honour to be conform'd to the Son of God and therefore I must utterly dislike and hate my self for any defect of Love I find in my self Besides When I think how much I am lov'd How much thy free and bounteous Love has given and how much it has forgiven to me I am forced to account my self basely and extreamly unworthy of this if I do not love much I will put on then the most extensive Charity that I can I will wish well and do good to all Men as far as I have power and as oft as I have opportunity to do it I will love my Neighbour as my self and account him my Neighbour who has any need of my kindness and to whom I have it in my power to do any Office of kindness whosoever he be Thou O Blessed Jesu hast lov'd the most unworthy Wretches I then will account none unworthy of my Love and Good-will Thou hast lov'd those that were infinitely below thee and hast mightily condescended to do them kindness I will never account it below me therefore to do an Office of Kindness to my meanest Neighbour but rather the greater the Condescension is in the doing it the more I will value the opportunity of showing therein the greater Likeness and Gratitude to thee Thou Lord hast lov'd those that are altogether unprofitable to thee and from whom thou canst never receive a parallel return of Love I will be asham'd then as I most justly may to bestow no Benefits but where I have receiv'd or expect to receive some Thou O Jesu hast lov'd even thine Enemies and pray'd for those that despitefully used and persecuted thee And this is a glorious Pattern which I intend by the Assistance of thy Grace to imitate As for all that have injur'd me by Word or Deed O Lord I forgive them and I pray thee to forgive them I am more sorry for their Errour and Sin than I am for any Loss and Damage which is come or may come to me by their Injury Lord have Mercy upon their Souls Forgive my Enemies Persecutours and Slanderers and turn their Hearts I desire no harm to any that are my Enemies if any be so Nor will I rejoice over them when they fall but rather grieve to see it much less will I ever seek their harm and mischief And I purpose on the contrary notwithstanding all their unkindness to do them all the good Offices which I can consistently with a due care of my own safety and with other Obligations and Duties to thee or to others of my Neighbours I purpose to study and seek to do them good To return Blessing for Cursing Respect for Contempt and Good for Evil That I may if it be possible overcome Evil with Good As it is the Character of Charity not to be forward to think Evil I will take care that no uncharitable Jealousies or Suspicions of my Neighbour may represent him my Enemy who is not so I will take care not to interpret a mistake into a malicious design or that which is intended as a kindness into an injury But will always endeavour to take all his Words and Actions in the best Sence and to put the best Interpretation upon them all that I can Especially will I do thus by the Magistrate as being bound to it by the Obligation to Reverence and Honour him as well as by the Laws of Charity and because it is necessary and usefull to the Publick Peace and Welfare and so is in its Effects a Charity to others of my Neighbours too I thank thee O Lord for all the kindness of my Friends and for those that have done me any good I pray thee O bounteous Love abundantly to requite them in this World and the next in Temporal and Eternal Blessings Continue or encrease their Store and Worldly Prosperity if it may be good for them and especially Bless them with Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Things I will endeavour as far as lies in my power in what I can do for their outward Estate or for their Souls always to express a most gratefull Sence of their kindness I will not despise the Love of the meanest person much rather will I thankfully resent the condescending Favours of those that are above me I make my humble Supplications to thee now O Lord at a good time for all Mankind I recommend to thy Infinite Mercy all Jews Turks and Infidels Oh let them that sit in Darkness see thy marvellous Light and be turned from the Power of Satan unto God That the Earth might be filled with Knowledge of the Lord as Waters cover the Sea
was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Oh come Lord Jesus take possession of my Soul and dwell Thou for ever with me that I may be the more fit for such a Happiness transform me into thy Likeness by the renewing of my Mind Open ye everlasting Doors of my Heart that the King of Glory may come in When He delivers it to you join with Him and say The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for me preserve my Body and Soul unto Everlasting Life And as you are eating it say within your self O Jesu Thou art the Living and Life giving Bread which cometh down from Heaven which whosoever eateth he shall live for ever Thy Flesh is Meat indeed and thy Blood is Drink indeed On Thee my hungry Soul shall feed by my Faith with hearty Thankfulness Let me tast and find that Thou Lord art Gracious Thou that fillest the Hungry with good things replenish me abundantly with thy Grace Oh let this Divine and Spiritual Food afford me much Spiritual Strength and Refreshment When He delivers the Cup join with Him and say The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for me preserve my Body and Soul unto Everlasting Life And when you have drank it say Thy Love O King of Saints is better than Wine As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons We will remember thy Love more than Wine The Remembrance of thy wondrous Love shall be the frequent and the most pleasant Entertainment of my Life Thy Love O Jesu shall comfort me in my Sorrows shall strengthen me in my Weakness shall quicken and cure my Sloth and Backwardness to my Duty Oh let thy Love even transform me into Love Amen O Father of Mercies and of our Lord Jesus Christ whom thou hast set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood behold I beseech Thee this precious Sacrifice of thy Son Behold it I pray Thee and turn away from me thy poor feeble Creature all the Wrath and Vengeance which my Sins have deserv'd This is that on which I firmly and solely rely to find favour with Thee and this is that in which I know Thou art well-pleased Oh Father of Mercies have Mercy upon me Deal always with thy Servant according to thy Mercy And teach me thy Statutes that I may hereafter serve and please Thee in Newness of Life And I humbly hope and desire to be accepted with Thee through the Merits and Mediation of thy beloved Son who died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification is now set down at thy right hand and ever lives to make Intercession for us Amen Taking notice of the Sacrament deliver'd to others you may thus improve it Jesus the rich and bounteous Lover has good things in store for as many as come unto Him Jesus is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him Of his Fulness do all we receive and Grace for Grace See my Soul see here thy Master's Bounty and Love See Him here giving even Himself to His Friends My Soul if Jesus so lov'd us all we ought also to love one another This Commandment has He left us that He who loves God should love his Brother also Study then what Offices of Love and Kindness it may lie in thy Power to do to any of these thy fellow Communicants and resolve upon it for the Kind Jesus will take it as even done to Him If thou love Him truly thou must needs love those whom He loves Thou must pity them in all their Distresses Spiritual and Temporal whom He has pitied in their Misery at so costly a Rate Thou must learn to forgive those whom He forgives Thou must be liberal according to thy Power and their Necessities to those whom thou seest the Objects of his Bounteous Love And especially thou must charge thy self not to Hate not to do any Despite or Injury to any of these for even that too would He take as done to Himself Thou must not despise any of these for their mean Condition in this World He may have made the poor of this World rich in Faith Thou must not envy nor grudge at any of them whom the Providence of God has favour'd more than He has done Thee in the Blessings of this World Thou must take heed always that thy Carriage be not a Scandal and Occasion of Sin to any of these that thou destroy not Him whom Christ died for And blessed be thy Name O Lord for these sweet and pleasant Laws I willingly bind my self O Jesu to Observe these thy Laws of Love Oh thou great Pattern of Love learn me to Love O Kindest Jesu thy Body was broken and is divided amongst us to unite us to Thee and to one another Let it be amongst us a Common Incentive of Mutual Charity Let it be in its Effects Unity of Spirit among us a Bond of Peace and all Righteousness of Life in our Carriage one towards another O Thou the Great Fountain of Love pour it abundantly into my Heart and into the Hearts of all thy Faithfull People That we may abound in Love one towards another and by thus bearing thy Glorious Character and Likeness in Love may show to all Men that we are indeed thy Disciples Amen When all have Communicated and the Minister begins the Prayers that remain you are to leave off all private Devotions and to join with Him and the Congregation to the End After He has pronounced the Blessing you may privately say To Him that loved us and wash'd us from our Sins in his own Blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father To Him with the Father and the Holy Ghost be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Then rising from your Knees kindly and courteously salute your Fellow Communicants at the parting of the Congregation Some Private Devotions at Home after the Communion SECT XX. A Meditation on the Communion OH my Soul seriously consider how thou hast been honour'd how thou hast been entertain'd in the House of God this Day Thou hast been a Guest to the King of Saints the Lord of Life and Glory Divine Love has been thy Heavenly Entertainment and Man did eat Angel's Food Thy Saviour thy Friend has brought Thee into his Banqueting-House his Banner over Thee was Love Thou canst not surely very soon forget the Pleasures of this Feast Has it not left behind it a very pleasing relish Has it not put thy Mouth quite out of tast towards the things of this World It is very fit that it should do so It would become Thee for some time after this to account this World's best Delights to be but four and infipid and certainly if thou meditate upon the good Entertainment thou hast had it will be so Jesus the Glorious Son of God was Master of the Feast thou
what Heaven is Think of a bright and glorious Place where this Sun would be ashamed and even disappear as now the Stars do at his rising Think of an innumerable Company of glorious Creatures each of them more bright than He. Think thou seest them all in Joy all ravisht and transported with Pleasure and thy self among them partaking of that Joy and Pleasure Think thou wert now in the Presence of the Fountain-Good receiving immediately from Himself the Testimonies and Communications of Infinite Love That thou wert there where no Fear or Sorrow can ever come Where the Joy is pure without allay Where the Pleasure is solid and abiding not likely to leave thee in discontent and distast Where the Joy and Pleasure shall never End Oh how glad would'st thou be to find thy self there Thou mayest believe it is not possible for thy Heart now to conceive the mighty Joy which would possess thee And to this Happiness even to this does the Redeemer's Love design to bring thee He would have thee attain this Happiness He offers it thee on gentle terms He offers to guide and help thee thither if thou wilt but give up thy self to his kind and gracious Conduct And is not this amazing and obliging Love All the Joy and Happiness of Heaven may be my Eternal Portion if I will and shall be so if I am not wanting to my self Jesus has not been nor will be wanting to do all that in Him lies to bring me to it He does not grudge me the highest Bliss that my Nature is capable to attain or that my own kindest Wishes to my self can desire He loves me then as much as I can love my self and is willing to make me as Happy as I can desire to be and more Happy than I can conceive or imagine Such is the Love of Jesus to a Wretch that deserves only his Hatred and Contempt But dost thou know my Soul Canst thou think who the Person is that has done these great Things for thee I am sure if thou hadst not been told thou could'st never have imagin'd it Infinite Love indeed might be supposed to be in the Son of God but He has Infinite Greatness Majesty and Glory too He is exalted so far above us that it were even Infinite Condescension for him to regard or concern himself about the Misery which such low things as we had pull'd upon our selves Besides He is infinitely pure and Holy too and has an Eternal Hatred of all Sin and Wickedness and we became miserable by our Sin And He loves the Father with an Infinite Love and He made Mankind to Love and Honour and Praise the Father but they have forsaken the End of their Being and turn'd to Hate and despise even the Good and Glorious God And could it be imagin'd that ever such Persons should be Redeem'd then by the Son of God But be astonisht Oh ye Heavens Sing Praises Oh ye glorious Hosts of Angels Produce your loftiest Hymns and help Oh help poor feeble Mortals to praise the Son of God! For it was He that became our Mediatour He took upon Him the kind Office of being our Saviour It was the Son of God that did us this kindness The Eternal the Onely-begotten Son of God Who is the express Image of the Father's Person and the brightness of his Glory This Person my Soul whom thou must own to be the true and eternal God by whom the Worlds were made who sustains all things who is the Glory of Heaven and the Stability of Earth who is Incomprehensible in his Greatness and to be sure Mighty to save is He who regarded us in our vile Misery and most despicable Condition Who pitied us in the Misery which we had madly pull'd upon our selves which we had deeply deserv'd Who lov'd Sinners the most hatefull things that are Oh the wonder that He should retain Kindness and think Thoughts of Love towards us after the abuse of great Creating Love To us who are altogether unprofitable to Him Whose Happiness is not at all necessary nor can make any addition to his He had been Eternally happy if all we had been for ever lost and miserable yet he would not see us lost He afforded his Help when all other help utterly fail'd us and we must have perish'd if He had not helped us But go on my Soul for the Way is still pleasant and strow'd with new and various Delights and consider too in what Way and Method this Glorious Person the Son of God accomplisht this great Salvation What He undertook to do and what to suffer that He might save thee Thou must know then that this Excellent Person meditated and design'd no less Condescension when He undertook to save thee than to become Man for thy sake He intended it then and in the fulness of time submitted to it The Word was made Flesh The Son of God took a Humane Nature and became the Son of David For he was born of a Virgin who was of the House and Family of David A Royal Family indeed but in this branch of it at least sunk into Poverty and Contempt He who made the Worlds condescended to be made of a Woman He who is Lord of Life and Glory became subject to the Law that obliges Creatures He whom the Angels account it their Honour to attend and worship made Himself of no Reputation took upon Him the form of a Servant and exposed Himself to the Contempt and Scorn of Men. Oh Son of God how could'st thou endure to live upon this Earth so defil'd with Sin To converse with odious Sinners We must needs wonder that when thou wert in our guilty World thou didst not show thy terrible Hatred and Resentment of the Sins of Men in sending Plagues and Desolations about the Rebellious World It is an amazement that thou shouldest here go about doing good But this was thy constant practice It was glorious Love Oh adorable Son of God which brought thee down among us and Love spake in every Word of thine Love attended all thy steps Love to Mankind was exercised in all thy Actions What exceeding Honour Gracious Lord hast thou done our mean Nature in taking it into a Personal Union with thy self Thus hast thou exalted it above the Angels and abundantly vindicated it from the contempt of Devils Who first defil'd and then utterly despised it So low and mean is thy Condescension and so glorious our Exaltation Behold my Soul the Son of God become our Brother And as He is our Brother He does exalt us to become Sons of God together with Him and his Father becomes our Father Oh what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Sons of God! But this is not all the Condescension of the Son of God to save Mankind That He took to Himself the Humane Nature No though this was much yet He did more much more than this He undertook to die a Sacrifice for the Sins of Men
it And for those who Communicate every Lord's Day as I wish all Christians did it may suffice commonly to retire sometime on the Day before or get up the sooner on the Sacrament-Day and seriously Meditate on the Exercises herein proposed which are design'd to excite him that has an habitual fitness for this Sacrament into an actual one and are usefull for that purpose I say commonly this may be enough for such but yet even they also may find it necessary and usefull sometimes when leisure allows to read the whole To make it as short as I could and yet as comprehensive too I have ventur'd to leave out what might have been said to justifie the Method and Parts of it presuming also that this will not be necessary Because what is requisite to render a Man a meet Receiver of this Sacrament is also necessary and is sufficient to constitute a good Christian and to bring him to Heaven Therefore I have said in the Title that the whole Method and Way of our Salvation is herein plainly declar'd So that if any Soul be solicitous about that Grand and most Concerning Question What must I do to be saved he may find it herein resolv'd And whether this Holy Sacrament may be accounted and used as a Means of Conversion to a Good Life or not yet I hope that by the Blessing of God this little Book may be such a Means to many if Men will but think it worth their while to do so much towards their own Everlasting Happiness as to read and consider so small a Treatise That another Book should be publish'd on this Subject after so many which have gone before it will not seem strange to any one who knows the Incomparable Pleasure of Devout Thoughts and the peculiar aptness of this Subject to afford them together with the Inclination both of Grace and Nature to endeavour to possess others with what-ever has made a great Impression on our selves And I believe when this Book is well consider'd it may appear after all the rest to have its Necessity and Usefulness The Prayer MAY the God of all Grace Lover of Souls to whom the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind is so very dear and who invites us to this Sacrament as the way to Heaven and that he may herein give us the happy fore-tasts of it Bless this my weak Endeavour and give it a success according to the Greatness of his Power and Love to the promoting in many Hearts the Love of this Sacrament and their frequent and comfortable Attendance upon it and to the bringing many Souls to happiness and glory for the sake of Jesus Christ our Mediatour and Advocate Amen SECT II. The Creation of Man WHEN it is said in the first Chapter of Genesis that God saw every thing that He had made and behold it was very good This means that the Creatour upon the review of his Works was pleased and delighted in them and that He hated nothing that He had made For what we Hate we wish that it were not especially not such as it is If therefore the Creatour had hated any thing that He had made He had made it to be such as He would not have it to be Which is not to be supposed of Infinite Wisdom and Goodness and of such Power as is able to make every thing what He pleases it shall be Mankind therefore among the other Works of God were made very good and were pleasing to our Maker Indeed He made Man a very Noble and Excellent sort of Creature such as must be peculiarly pleasing to Himself above all things in this lower World As we may judge by those words in Gen. 1. 27. God created Man in his Own Image This was the peculiar Glory of Man and that which chiefly advanced Him above the Creatures about Him And it did principally consist in these things following That as He had Faculties capable of knowing loving and obeying God He was disposed to do so He knew God to be the most Excellent Being and did accordingly Reverence and Esteem Him He knew Him to be the Fountain Good and His chief Good and did accordingly fix the choice of his Will upon Him and valued His Favour and Love by which we enjoy God as his greatest and only Felicity There was then no Errour nor false Reasoning in his Understanding no perverse Choice in his Will no Inordinacy in any of his Appetites no Motions in them contrary to His Reason In nothing was Man enclin'd to contradict his Duty to God or any of the Eternal Laws of Righteousness Upon this account it was that Man was very good and belov'd of His Maker And being so belov'd He liv'd in perfect Peace and Happiness He was not encombred with any Evil He wanted nothing that He had occasion for It appears His kind Creatour would not cease doing for Him till He had provided for all His Necessities and Desires that so He might be compleatly Happy Man then enjoy'd the willing and ready Service of all the Creatures about Him He enjoy'd Himself and could with pleasure consider and praise God for the Noble and Excellent Nature which his Maker had given Him He had an easie and a quiet Mind had no conflicts within himself had no occasion to rebuke or fall out with himself He enjoy'd then his God too being assur'd of his Favour and receiving the constant Communications of it He could with great delight contemplate and praise the glorious Attributes of God And the Divine Wisdom Power Righteousness Goodness and Truth were very pleasant to Him while he was assur'd that all these were friendly and would be favourable to Him This was Man's first Condition a very Excellent and Happy one but alas through his own default it did not last long SECT III. The First Covenant between God and Man IT is very probable that all the Particular dealings of God with Man in this condition are not told us in that short account which Moses gives us of the Beginnings of the World It being enough for us to know in General what is the Spring and Source of all that Sin and Misery which is now found among Mankind The knowledge of which is of some Use and Importance towards our getting free from both But what is told us of the Transactions between God and Man in that state we may think we shall most truly Understand and most rightly Interpret if we guide our selves herein by the Tenour of his dealing with Mankind since that From what is told us then of that time and from what appears since we may learn That it pleased the Creatour when He had made Man and had so highly oblig'd Him to take upon himself the Relation of a Governour to his Creature as He had the undoubted Right of one and he very justly thought fit to exercise a Dominion over him for his Good It was therefore we may suppose promised to Man that He should enjoy the Favour
express'd And he that would know or find himself fit for this Sacrament must examine himself by them and see whether they represent the state and disposition of his Mind or not And if a Man be habitually possess'd with such a good state of Mind as these things will be I believe very agreeable to him so they will be of use to stir up that disposition into Exercise and to an actual Fitness for this Sacrament As Fire is wont to kindle Fire in matter that is apt and disposed to receive it Further He that would behave himself rightly and duly at the Sacrament to his Comfort and Benefit as he must have his Mind then fill'd with such Thoughts and Affections as are here represented so the reading of these things there if he has leisure will be usefull to possess him with such Thoughts and Affections And lastly He that would maintain the good disposition of Mind which he has at the Sacrament may very profitably for that purpose read and meditate on these things afterwards Which will be as usefull to cherish and maintain yea and to improve in us this disposition of Mind as they are to form it All this use I dare pretend may be made of these Exercises following SECT XIII An Exercise of Thankfull Remembrance of the Death of Jesus Christ LOrd I am not worthy to live if I do not always remember the exceeding great Love of my Lord and only Saviour Jesus Christ in dying for me and if I do not most affectionately consider and observe the many incomparable Benefits which by his precious Blood shed he hath obtain'd for Sinners My Soul That thou mayest know in some measure the wondrous heighth the breadth the depth the length of the Love of God in Christ Jesus That thou mayest entertain the larger Apprehensions of that Love which exceeds all finite Knowledge Thou must enlarge thy Thoughts and take in all thou canst of these Dimensions of it Consider what a Depth of Wretchedness and Misery Jesus rescues poor lost Mankind from Consider what a glorious Height of Honour and Happiness he designs to advance them to Consider who the Excellent Person is that has done all this for us Consider what it cost Him to procure for us such a Redemption Behold the most amazing but the most pleasing Prospect in the World Redeeming Love Dwell in the Contemplation of this for surely it is good to be here As for the Condition into which thou wert sunk It was the vilest and the most miserable that a Creature could fall into It was perfectly miserable for thou hadst utterly lost the Favour of thy Maker the Fountain-Good and forfeited all Right and lost all Hopes of ever being Happy Thou wert become a vile Sinner odious to the Pure and Holy God and wert as contemptible as miserable Thou wert obnoxious to the Eternal Wrath and just Vengeance of the Almighty Thou didst deserve to be thrown into the deep Lake of Fire and Brimstone where is Eternal Woe and Sorrow Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth where the Wrath of God burns for ever and the Fire will never be quenched from whence there shall be no returning Where wretched Creatures are Furies to themselves and more than double all the Torments of Hell with this tormenting Thought that they must all endure for ever They will know no intermission or respite they will never come to an End This is the sad portion of Sinners And this must all Mankind after a few complaining days spent in this low mortal Life have been thrown into And there was no Creature in Heaven or Earth could possibly have prevented this Doom no it could never have been avoided if Jesus had not concern'd himself to help us And he has taken away the necessity of our Destruction has render'd this Woe and Misery now an avoidable Thing Is not this a glorious Benefit Look down my Soul in serious Thoughts into that horrid Dungeon and Lake of Fire Imagine as thou mayest well that many wretched Souls are already plung'd into it who squander'd away the day of Life the precious time allow'd them of making their peace with God and to avoid these Miseries Think thou seest them wallowing in Flames pierced through with Fire and in all parts themselves on a Flame And be sure if thou could'st hear them thou should'st hear the most dismal Howlings bitter Complaints some cursing the day that ever they were born and all at times cursing themselves as causes of their own ruine And think now if one of these despairing Souls should have an Angel sent to it that should open the Prison-doors and let him out and send him into this World again to be in a condition and possibility of avoiding all this misery would he not account this a wonderfull Favour Such as he could never praise enough Such as could never be worthily requited It is in truth not less than this that thou art beholden to the Love of Jesus for It is not a less favour to be kept from this misery than to be deliver'd from it into the state wherein now thou art And thou art kept from this by the tender compassionate and most patient Love of Jesus Long ago if thou hadst suffer'd thy deserts thou hadst been thrown into this misery Long ago have thy Sins deserv'd it It is of the Lord's Mercy that thou art not consumed Jesus has repriev'd thee by His powerfull Intercession He has procur'd that thou art hitherto spared yea he has procur'd that thou mayest if thou wilt be pardon'd and mayest for ever be exempted from enduring these intolerable Miseries Oh how much art thou oblig'd Say how usefull how necessary how great is your Redeemer's Love Oh what Love what Praise can reach it Oh compassionate Love how shall I find Expressions suitable to thy kindness Why was my Life so dear to thee Why hast thou not suffer'd me to perish Me who am as unworthy of thy Favour as I am in distress and the need of it And does this engage thy Wonder so much my Soul It may indeed well do so but this alone must not detain it There are yet more Occasions for thy admiration and praise in the Redeemer's Love And this thou wilt see if thou consider what a glorious Height of Honour and Happiness He designs to advance poor vile contemptible Sinners to Those that have render'd themselves unworthy of this Earth and even of this low mortal Life he intends to advance them to Heaven and give them an Eternal Life Those that are unworthy of any thing that is good and comfortable He intends to make them perfectly Happy Those that deserve the utmost contempt of their Maker that are fallen under the Insults and Scorn of the abject Devils He intends for the Honour of seeing God and dwelling in His blissfull Presence for ever Oh rich and bounteous Love Nothing less will serve him but that where He is we also should be Think my Soul if thou canst
which as God he could not do and therefore He became Man that He might be capable of Dying And in Humbling He humbled Himself and became obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross And here if ever my Soul thou wilt be lost in Astonishment In considering thy Saviour's Love to Mankind Thou wilt surely despise all things beside Thou wilt like his Great Apostle and Lover be forced to value no Knowledge but that of Christ and Him Crucified and to account all things but dross and dung that thou mayest gain an Interest in this Love That it may thus engage thee consider now the Death which Jesus underwent for thee Was it the Death of the Cross Was my Saviour crucified And what a kind of Death was this His Enemies the Unbelieving Jews chose it for Him and the Heathenish Roman Souldiers executed it And this Death was the vilest and the most ignominious one in the account of the Romans such as they put none to but the most contemptible Abjects and the bafest Malefactours And this Death was in the account of the Jewish Law an Accursed one He was reckon'd accursed of God that was hanged on a Tree But let me consider the Indignities the Contemptuous usage which attended my Saviour's Death and how painfull and afflicting it must needs have been to Him As soon as the Blessed Jesus was condemn'd to die He was committed to rude Souldiers who made it their sport to injure and abuse Him They stript Him of his Cloaths tied Him to a Pillar and cruelly scourged Him on his naked Back Oh Jesu I love and adore Thee whom these Wretches thus vilely abused I grieve for thy Injuries and am afflicted with thy Pain After this they platted a Crown of Thorns and forced it to make it sit fast upon his Head wounding and tearing thereby his Sacred Temples And then my Soul had I been there I might have seen his own Blood running down and disguising his Blessed Face Oh what a disguise of that Majesty and Meekness of that venerable sweetness that awfull Goodness which had always dwelt there They then found out some contemptible purple Garment and put it on Him and put a Reed in his Hand to imitate a Scepter and then mockt Him with bowing the Knee before Him and crying Hail King of the Jews And to show how little Honour or Reverence they intended Him in this they most disdainfully spit in his Face and buffeted Him about among them from one to another And without doubt he thought himself the wittiest of the Company who could devise the greatest Affront Thus was He injur'd and abus'd who came into this World on the kind design of saving lost Sinners Thus was the King of Glory the King not of the Jews only but of Heaven and Earth mockt and despised by the vilest of Men. When they had tired themselves with this Barbarous sport and how much rather Him They put his own Cloaths on Him again and led Him away to Crucifie Him And on Him they laid the heavy and ignominious Burden of his Cross and he must carry a long way the Instrument of his Shame and Death to the place of Execution But they had used him too ill before to leave him still able to carry so heavy a Load and after He had hardly carried it a little way He fell under it I see O Son of God in this thy fainting under the Cross a manifest proof that thou didst really take our Nature upon Thee with the innocent Infirmities of it And I cannot chuse but admire and praise so wondrous a Condescension of the Almighty for our sakes They who used Him so cruelly before I must needs imagine did not exercise any Compassion to Him upon this occasion I abhorr to think how inhumanely 't is probable they used Him now But they laid at last the burden upon other Shoulders for now their Malice was in haste to be rid of Him When He was come to the place of Crucifixion they stript Him of all his Cloaths and exposed the fresh Wounds which the rude Scourge had given Him to the cold Air. They laid Him upon his Cross and violently stretched out his Arms and then drove a great Nail through each Hand Thus fastening to the Transverse Beam of the Cross those blessed Hands which had been used in the working many a kind Miracle but had never done any harm and certainly deserv'd a better Usage Then they drove one or two great Nails through his Feet and fastened them to the Upright Beam of the Cross Those Feet which had carried Him diligently about upon his kind business in the World which was to seek and to save lost Sinners This being done they set the Cross upright that He might hang upon those Nails drove through those very sensible parts of his Body in exquisite Pain and Torture and exposed to the view and scorn of the Spectatours And many of these revil'd insulted over him and derided him here It would even wound a Heart that has any tenderness to think that any one should be used so cruelly And one could scarce forbear to feel some pity and trouble at seeing even the most odious Malefactour in such a condition But this was not a Malefactour my Soul but as thy Sins had made Him one This was the Innocent Jesus who had done no Iniquity neither was guile found in his Mouth This was thy Lover thy Saviour thy Friend that hung here and all this he endur'd for thee My Soul if thou hadst seen the Loving Jesus thus hanging upon these Nails and bleeding from his Head and from his Hands and from his Feet and heard his Enemies reviling Him there what Resentments would'st thou have felt Would not so sad an Object have made thy Tears keep pace at least with the drops of his most precious Blood Would it not have made thee also smite thy Breast as some of the Spectatours did Could'st thou see this and not feel those Wounds and sympathize with those Pains he endur'd When every Wound might be understood to say Sinner behold how I love thee All this I endure for thee How then should this Sacrament affect thee which is a lively Memorial of his Death What a deep sence of thy Saviour's Love and Sufferings should this create in thee When he is here as it were evidently set forth Crucified before thee I see here his pale wounded bloodless broken Body I see his Blood poured out and separated from it Canst thou see this and say my Love is Crucified and think thou seest Him crown'd with Thorns all over daub'd with Dirt and his Enemies filthy Spittle and his own Blood and not be fadly griev'd to think He was put to endure all this by His Love of thee Oh Crucified Jesus there was never Grief there was never Love like thine All this endur'd for me This commands and deserves Oh let it cause my great Grief for and my ardent Love to thee But all
be grievous unto me the Burden of their Influence and Power intolerable Possess me with a hearty Shame and Sorrow for that I have so basely and unworthily affronted thy Infinite Majesty and put my kind Saviour to so much grief and suffering to save me Possess me with an earnest Hatred of what is so displeasing to Thee as my Sins justly are that I may earnestly and steadily endeavour to cast them from me Turn Thou my foolish Heart from the Love of all Sin to the Love of Thee Do Thou O Lord who best knowest all the dark Corners of my Heart discover to me every lurking secret Evil which I have not been able by my Examination to observe and let it now be brought forth and slain before Thee Increase in me O good Lord I humbly pray a lively Faith in thy Mercy through the Merits and Mediation of Jeus Christ Help me firmly to believe thy readiness to receive and pardon Sinners that repent and return to Thee To rely with all Assurance on the Sacrifice and Attonement of thy Son 's precious Death Raise in me the comfortable Hopes of all Mercy and Favour upon that sure Foundation and grant me to rejoice in Hopes of seeing thy Glory Oh that my Heart may be all on a Flame of Divine Love even a whole Burnt-offering when I remember and consider my Saviour's dying Love to Sinners Especially when I see him in this Sacrament as it were evidentiy set forth Crucified before Me When I see there his broken Body and his Blood poured out and consider that all this He suffer'd for Me. Oh let such a sight affect me as it ought to do beyond all Expression Oh let it transform me into Love Let it make such strong and lasting Impressions upon me that I may ever afterwards be under the sweet and mighty Influences of Love always be guided by the Laws and aiming at the Ends of Love Let Love and Thankfulness to Him greatly employ my Soul when I am at this Sacrament and be from thenceforth the great Concern and Business the very form and Character of my whole Life for ever And since my Love cannot redound to his Advantage make it to flow abundantly upon those that love Him Give me a free Heart and Hand and power to do much good to them According to my power I purpose to Exercise my Charity towards them and towards all Men in Thought Word and Deed at this Sacrament I pray that the Memorial of my dear Saviour's Love may effectually inspire me to do so And I purpose and desire and pray that Thou wilt be pleased to inable me to abound in Love and Good Works towards all Men through the whole Course of my Life Put I beseech Thee O Lord my Soul in all respects into such a posture as becomes the Remembrance of a Crucified Saviour that I may be well-pleasing and accepted with Thee That thou mayest delight over me to do me good That I may have Communion with Thee to the Joy and Comfort of my Soul to the Encrease of Spiritual Strength to the securing of my Perseverance in Holiness and Righteousness all my days All which I humbly ask in the Name of Jesus Christ and further crave whatever is comprehended in his most Absolute Form of Prayer saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. Amen SECT XIX Directions for a Devout Behaviour at the Communion THanks be to God we have so good provision made by our Church for the Administration of this Blessed Sacrament That any good Soul may receive it with great Devotion and Comfort who will but seriously attend to what is appointed to be said and done in that Administration as indeed many such Souls accustomed to it have found by very comfortable Experience Upon which account it were much to be desired and very advisable That those who are wont to attend this way but once in a Year when they enter into an Office would persuade themselves to come more frequently to it That they might do so with the more comfort and advantage to their Souls when that Occasion requires them to do it For the whole Business is so order'd that 't is very Apt and Fit to stir up in us the lively and vigorous Exercise of all those Graces which are required to Attend it So that the best Advice which can be given for our due and profitable Behaviour at the Holy Communion is this That the Communicant do very closely Attend to what is order'd to be said and done by Him that Ministers or by the Communicant Himself while they are upon this Duty But because the Communicants especially where the Number is great as I wish it were every-where will have some Spaces wherein they may employ themselves in some private Ejaculations and Devotions I shall not think it contrary to the proposed Brevity of this Book to afford them some such Devout Prayers and Ejaculations as they may use and I shall put them in their proper Places But these must be commonly very short that they may not be diverted from joining with the Publick Office To begin then where we usually begin this Administration When He that Ministers is reading those Sentences of Holy Scripture which are design'd to Exhort and Encourage the making our Offerings to Almighty God While you have your Offering in your Hand or when you have given it say O Lord of Heaven and Earth Maker and Owner of all Things All that I have and am is from Thee and all is Thine Thou dost give and Thou hast right to take and use what Thou pleasest of it I humbly present This according to my Ability as an Acknowledgment of thy right in me and in all that I have and of thy Bounty in giving it I present and I humbly intreat Thee to accept This as a Token and Pledge of the Dedication of my self and all that I have to serve and honour Thee Sprinkle me O Lord Jesus and this my Duty with thy precious Blood and obtain for me by thy Merits a great Encrease of all Spiritual Gifts and Graces to thy Glory and my Salvation Amen When the Offerings are all receiv'd and set upon the Altar He that Ministers proceeds to make Intercessions to God for the Whole State of Christ's Church Militant here on Earth In which it becomes every Devout Soul as a Living Member of that Church to join with him with very hearty Affections After this He proceeds to an Exhortation which is design'd to deterr all those from drawing near to this Holy Ordinance who are conscious to Themselves that they have been negligent to prepare for it and who live in any known Sin And then it goes on to Encourage those Humble Penitents and Faithfull Souls who have been carefull to prepare Themselves and to excite in them those Dispositions with which they ought to come It will be very proper for the Communicant while the Minister is reading this to join with Him and to turn