the Day of Redemption Let all Men know that the wilfull neglect and refusal of this Sacrament is a damnable Sin of Omission and puts every Man that is guilty of it out of a state of Grace and Salvation And they that neglect to come to this Ordinance when 't is prepar'd for them may very justly fear that God will not bless any other to them For what ground have they to think he will bless one of his Ordinances to them while they neglect another or let them obtain by Prayer and Hearing the Word what he has Commanded them to use this Sacrament for too that they might obtain it And then they that live in neglect of this are in great danger never to be saved by any other means of Salvation Men may perhaps think themselves very good if they keep their Church attend the publick Prayers and sometimes hear sometimes sleep away a Sermon But if they neglect this Sacrament they must expect God will reject all their other performances He that breaks the Law in one point the Scripture says is guilty of all And then he that neglects his Obedience to any one of God's Commands knowingly and wilfully will be lookt upon and treated by Almighty God as if he fulfill'd none of them Oh that Men would seriously lay these things to Heart and consider the terrible Danger which they put themselves into by this Neglect Let us be assur'd that what-ever it is that hinders us from preparing our selves and coming to this Sacrament it is a Snare and Temptation of the Devil the great Adversary of our Souls Who knows the great and saving Efficacy of this Sacrament and therefore would not have Men use it Who knows that if we seriously and frequently attend upon this Means of our Salvation he must despair of ever accomplishing our Destruction Oh let us defeat the malicious design of our Enemy and resist all Suggestions that would beat us off from this practice Let us consider how kindly and lovingly the Lord Jesus the great Lover of Souls invites us to it Come unto me says he all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Let us not give him cause to complain of us and say Ye will not come unto me that ye might have Life Let us consider what noble and inviting Entertainment he has provided for us at this Heavenly Feast He designs to entertain us with assurances of his Love with the Divine Influences of his Holy Spirit with the joyfull pledges and fore-tasts of Heaven and is this what is but fit to be despised Consider at what a costly rate and price He has provided us this Entertainment Even at the price of his own cruel Sufferings and bitter Death and of his most precious Blood If we love our Souls then and have any concern for their Salvation let us prepare our selves and come to this Sacrament as often as we can If we have any true Love to the Lord Jesus our best Friend our kind Saviour who lov'd us and laid down his Life for us Let us earnestly desire and seek the Purchases of his Blood and seek to be made partakers of them in that way in which he has appointed us to do so as we shall certainly do if we really and sincerely desire them I must not insist too long upon this matter If what I have said cannot persuade any unwilling Soul to prepare and come to this Sacrament I would wish that I could but obtain so much of such an one as to read and consider a short Discourse to this purpose written by His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury call'd A Persuasive to frequent Communion There he should see the most subtle Insinuations which the Adversary can suggest to with-hold him from his Interest and Duty in this Case utterly baffled and confuted And as there is reason to believe that Discourse has prevail'd upon many so there is reason to expect both from that success and from the strength of it that none can consider it well but it must prevail with him SECT XII Of Fitness to come to this Sacrament BUT the common pretence and excuse that hinders Men from coming to this Sacrament is That they are not fit for it And they are afraid of Eating and Drinking unworthily and of incurring their own Damnation thereby It is therefore the design of this little Book to show what Fitness is requisite for a worthy and profitable Receiving of this Sacrament and to help Men to that Fitness by the Blessing of God which they shall not fail to obtain of Him by Earnest Prayer and the serious and frequent perusal of what is here presented And since in Celebrating this Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ we are to renew and confirm this Covenant which we have been speaking of between God and us This will abundantly direct us what Preparation and Fitness is requisite that we may be meet Partakers of it to our profit and comfort And it is necessary that we know what the Terms and Conditions of it are which God requires to be perform'd on our parts and what it offers and promises on God's part This matter therefore has been already for that reason distinctly and somewhat particularly represented In the next place we must unfeignedly and sincerely chuse and lay hold on this Covenant It must be the hearty desire the sincere purpose of our Souls to be engag'd in it To be bound in these happy Bonds which set our Souls at liberty from the Bonds of Sin and Death We must desire the Blessings and seek the Favours of it and readily accept and submit to the Terms and Conditions and declare that we will expect our Salvation upon those Terms And also we must certainly be very thankfull to the Son of God at this Memorial of his Death since He became the Mediatour of this Covenant and has by his Death procur'd the favour of new Terms of Salvation and the Offer of Peace and Reconcilement with God upon so gentle and easie terms And he who has that Knowledge of this Covenant and this good disposition of Mind thereupon that Man is fit for this Sacrament and if he comes he shall be a welcome Guest at the Lord's Table Now as I have represented the Knowledge necessary to this I shall go on to represent also more particularly the good Disposition of Mind which we ought to come with And I shall represent this in such a way as will be fit to form it in Men where it is not or to excite and actuate it and set it into Exercise where it is I shall represent it in the following Acts or Exercises of it Which you may take notice are a lively Description of a very meet Receiver of this Sacrament So that he who would become fit for this Sacrament must read and meditate on those things till he finds those Dispositions and Affections rais'd in him which are therein
this which afflicted his Body was the least part of the Sufferings He felt He suffer'd more abundantly more than all this in the Sufferings of his Soul For I must consider further that this Death of His was an Accursed one in the account of the Jewish Law that is in the account of God Himself for it was He that had order'd and taught them to account it so on purpose that it might fore-tell and signifie before-hand That the Redeemer of the World should bear in his Death the Curse and Punishment which the Divine Law had justly threatned against the Sins of Men. This then must call to thy Mind the mighty Sufferings of His Soul He was made a Curse for us and God laid on Him the Iniquities of us all By Men was He treated as a Malefactour and by God too The Light of his Father's Countenance and the pleasing Aspects of his Love which had been always the Joy of his Soul and the Reward of all his Labours in his Service and till now had been constantly enjoy'd was now when He wanted it most withdrawn when He was under His sharp outward Sufferings and when He was at the point of Death And in making his Soul an Offering for Sin He was afficted and terrified with God's Almighty Wrath and Displeasure This made Him cry out who was silent before My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He felt the Wrath which our Sins had deserved Oh terrible thing Who can conceive what He endur'd We may believe no Torments can exceed those He felt in his Soul except it be those of Hell if they do Oh wounding Thought This stabs and pierces my Soul This tells me It was not so much the Cruel Jew or Barbarous Roman Souldier that tormented and kill'd the loving Jesus as the vile Sinner It was I among the rest of Sinners that gave Him his cruellest Wounds his sharpest Sorrows It was I that wounded that kill'd my Saviour and Friend I shed his Life's most precious Blood Was there ever such a thing known besides this O Jesu there was never any Love like thine and there is nothing so vile so base as a Sinner Greater Love than this hath no Man that one lay down his Life for his Friend But thou hast laid down thine for Enemies for those that hated thee yea for those that kill'd thee Thou art there on the Cross despised that I might be honour'd Thou art there in pain that I might be at ease Thou art there hungry and thirsty that I might be supplied with all good things Thou art there accursed that I might be blest Thou art there deserted by the Father's Favour and Love that I might enjoy the Everlasting delights of it Thou art there dying that I might live an Everlasting life in Joy and Glory unspeakable and Eternal Oh Jesu Was I more dear to thee than thine own Life Was I to be rather indulg'd than thine own Ease and more to be respected than thine own Honour What am I Lord Oh what is Man that thou art thus mindfull of him There was never Love like thine None but a God could love thus Oh Adorable Mystery Oh Wonder of Wonders Thy Greatness is unsearchable thy Love is incomprehensible and thy Ways are past finding out With profoundest Reverence I Adore thy Incomprehensible Love I leave off to fathom what I can never reach and will give up my self to Praise and Admire for ever SECT XIV An Exercise of Repentance HAve I indeed given my kind and compassionate Saviour so much Grief by my Sins and shall they give me none Oh that my Head were Waters and my Eyes a Fountain of Tears to drench my filthy polluted Soul But alas it is not all the Tears that I am able to shed which could ever make me clean or wash out the stain of any the least of my Sins Oh I am become it seems so exceeding foul and have contracted stains of such a nature that nothing but this precious stream my Saviour's life's Blood can cleanse me How am I fallen from the Dignity and Honour of my Creation I was made little lower than the Angels by my Bounteous Creatour but I have made my self more vile than the Beasts that perish I was made subject to no Creature not bound to pay any Homage or Service towards the Glorious Angels though made lower than them but alas I have made my self a slave to the abject Devil I have refused to serve God my Maker and Friend and have drudg'd for my mortal Enemy Oh wretched Man that I am I have sought his Service while I have declin'd thine and run after his Temptations while I have endeavour'd to evade thy Commands Oh I have been forward to do Evil and backward to all that is Good I have combin'd with my Soul 's great Enemy to hasten and encrease my Damnation Infinite Goodness How unjustly how basely art thou requited for all thy bounteous Love to Mankind Who can conceive or express the Vileness the Enormity of Sin Which is a Contempt of thy infinite Majesty a Rebellion against thy unquestionable Authority an Abuse of thy free Goodness a Defiance of thy Almighty Power a Denial of thy incomparable Wisdom and an Affront to all thy glorious Attributes Which is contrary to that Honour and Homage which I owe thee as thy Creature Wo is me that I should ever offend my Maker so liberal and so gracious a Father Wo is me that I should slight and affront the Love of Jesus my Redeemer as I have done it in cherishing those vile Sins that He came to destroy O Jesu at what a costly rate hast thou lov'd me and merited my Love And how loth how slow am I to entertain the Love of thee Thou hast Loved where thy Hatred has been deserv'd and I vile wretch have hated Him that has infinitely deserv'd my Love Thy Love to me has been a vast Condescension and has caused thy Humility and Abasement yet wouldest thou love the Unworthy But my Love to thee would have been my Honour and Glory my Everlasting Advancement yet have I been unwilling to love thee Wo is me I have been obstinate in Wickedness Oh how have I griev'd the Holy Spirit in neglecting resisting and opposing his good and kind Motions in my Soul turning a deaf Ear to his gentle Admonitions and refusing to be converted and healed Oh my God in our Sins we despise thy Will and do our own We disown thee and make Gods of our selves In our Sins we believe the great Deceiver before the God of Truth and follow his delusive Temptations rather than thy rich and faithfull Promises In our Sins we preferr Earth before Heaven the Creature before the Creatour and reckon there is more Happiness in the Enjoying some of them than in the Enjoyment of Thee the Infinite Fountain of Good Oh how vile how enormous a thing is Sin Who can sufficiently hate it I see O Lord in the terrible
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
of God He will give us Spiritual strength to perform our Duty so far as that we shall be accepted through the Mediation of Jesus Christ If we will not undertake we shall not be able to perform but if we will undertake and bind our selves to do our Duty He will inable us to perform it It might seem a strange thing that God should require of us to bind our selves and undertake to do that which we cannot do of our selves as we do in obliging our selves to all those things fore-mentioned if it were not that the very binding our selves to this does entitle us by the Tenour of this Covenant to Grace sufficient for us In all the Exhortations of the Gospel to any Instance of Duty we may reckon there is comprehended also the Offer of Divine Assistance which shall be afforded to Him who yields in the purpose and desire of his Soul to comply with those Exhortations No Man therefore shall have ground to complain that he would leave his known Sins and do the Duties which he knows he omits but cannot do so For if a Man sincerely desires to leave his Sins devotes himself to his Duty and diligently uses the Means that may inable him to do it That is If he waits on God for this Grace in earnest and persevering Prayer and a due attendance on the Preaching of the Word and the Sacraments that Man shall infallibly come to be able to do what he thus wills and desires For He that hungers and thirsts after Righteousness shall be filled as our Saviour says And God will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him It is the Favour of this New Covenant to help us to do what it requires us to do The last Favour and Blessing of this Covenant is an Everlasting Happiness both of Body and Soul in Heaven We are left by it indeed subject to a natural Death to mind us of our guilty Rebellion against God That we may not forget we are Sinners and do deserve an Eternal Death On purpose that the sence of this might quicken our desire and concern to recover the Divine Favour and make us the more ready and willing to submit to the Terms of recovering it But Death shall not long have Dominion over us God will not leave the Soul in Hell that is it shall not be always separated from the Body nor shall the Body be always subject to the Ignominy and Punishment of its Dissolution Since the Sins are pardon'd which did deserve Death the Creature shall be released from it And our Saviour's Resurrection from the Dead does especially assure the Resurrection of those that believe on Him He has also promised that he will give them Eternal life and raise them up again at the last day The Body then however scatter'd and dispers'd and lost to all knowledge of Men shall be gather'd together by the Wisdom of God and be raised to Life by his Almighty Power And it shall be raised with great advantage It was sown a Natural Body it shall be raised a Spiritual Body It was sown in Corruption but it shall be raised Immortal And the Soul shall be again united to it never to be separated more But both shall be taken up to dwell in a glorious happy place where is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore To live in the Fellowship and Communion of kind happy and glorious Angels To dwell in the Presence of God and contemplate and praise and love Him and rejoice in his Love for ever This is now the whole Tenour of the New Covenant which was procur'd for us by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ our kind and powerfull Advocate SECT IX The Sacraments of This Covenant AND this Covenant also hath its Sacraments God has appointed sensible Actions and Signs in and by which it is to be made between Him and us In the use of these Sacraments we must testifie our Consent to this Covenant and signifie that we own our selves engag'd in it And in the use of these must we wait for and expect the Blessings and Favours on God's part to be afforded us It is by these that He has determin'd to convey those Favours which we can at present receive which are the Pardon of our Sins and the Sanctification of our Natures and also to assure that which we are to hope for our Everlasting Happiness and Glory These we must necessarily use then if Means and Opportunity be afforded us to do so that we may be partakers of his Favours And in using them we must sincerely purpose and bind our selves to the performance of our Duty The Sacraments appointed to be as we may say The Instruments of this Covenant since the coming of Christ which are all that nearly concern us are Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. These and these only are now generally necessary to Salvation By Baptism we are admitted into this Covenant and make our first solemn acceptance of it By the Lord's Supper we renew it if it has been broken on our part by any wilfull Sin committed since we were Baptized Or else we therein testifie and declare our continuance still in it and our purpose and desire to do so If any of us have liv'd so happily since we were Baptized as never to violate or break this Covenant by any wilfull known Sin It is true when we are Baptized in our Infancy we are not capable expressly to intend and design the performance of our part in this Covenant because we cannot then understand or know it But this Sacrament is in the purpose of God design'd for the Sacrament of our admission into this Covenant since the Appearance of Jesus Christ in the World And as that which was the Sacrament of this admission under the Jewish Dispensation was by God's appointment administred to Children at Eight days old so the Christian Church has been wont even from the Apostles times to administer Baptism to Infants from whence it is not to be doubted but they learnt to do this from the Apostles themselves And our Saviour gives a plain Encouragement to the practice when he says Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God Our Church therefore as without doubt it ought to do administers Baptism to Infants that they may partake of the Blessings of the New Covenant to their Salvation But because there is an engagement on the part of the Baptized person implied in his receiving Baptism the Wisdom and Piety of the Church has thought fit that it should be express'd too That so the Baptized person may be the better convinced afterwards that he did thus engage himself at his Baptism And because the Infant it self cannot express this the Church has provided that some Christian Friends should do it for us who are also Witnesses that the thing is done And they are bound to take care that as we grow up to the Use of our
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
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
so great a Price beside this paid for any Creature I will live to my Love that died for me I will henceforth look upon my self as a devoted consecrated Thing and will ever endeavour to remain so and to carry my self as such I will never be willingly employed but as thou commandest and as thou allowest Lord for thy sake I will love thy Law and it shall be my Meditation all the day I will love thy Commandments above Gold and all false ways I will utterly abhorr Dearer shall thy Commandments be to Me than Thousands of Gold and Silver and sweeter than Honey from the Comb. I will love nothing but what thou lovest and will hate what-ever is displeasing to thee I am heartily griev'd O Lord that I have ever lov'd any thing but thee while I neglected to love thee I am heartily ashamed to think that I should place no Affection where all I could offer is but due and bestow all where little or none was due Especially does it vex and grieve me that I should be so monstrously ungratefull and mistaken as to love any thing more than the loving Jesus Hereafter dearest Lord I purpose to love nothing but far below thee and for thy sake what-ever I do love And what is most like thee or most serviceable to thy Honour and Glory shall have the most of my Love Henceforth it shall be my Honour that I am a Servant of Jesus It shall be my delight and pleasure to be a lover of Jesus it shall be my most valued Wealth that He is mine and I am His. Whom have I in Heaven but thee O Lord and there is none on Earth that I can desire in comparison to thee And therefore nothing can be so sweet to me nothing can afford me so much satisfaction and joy as to be able to say of thee My Beloved is mine and I am His For me to be thine O Jesu is my Honour my Security my Peace and Happiness everlasting For thee to be mine is health to my Soul strength to do thy Commandments it is Joy unspeakable and full of Glory it is Heaven on Earth and the Heaven of Heaven it is Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption to me O rich and bounteous Love I am thine O Lord with all my Soul that thou mayest be mine Oh how much shall I gain by giving my self to thee I shall gain my self and be saved from Everlasting Perdition and I shall gain Everlasting Happiness in the Enjoyment of thee I am thine O Jesu save me I have sought thy Precepts Lord sanctifie me wholly that in Body Soul and Spirit I may be thine Take a full possession of me for the future and let not any other Lords have Dominion over me O Lord I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments I purpose to be stedfast unmovable always abounding in the Work of the Lord as knowing that my Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. I am thine dispose of me as thou pleasest I will bear thy Yoke I will not decline thy Cross I will not despise thy shame The reproach of Christ shall be to me greater Riches than the Prosperity of this World Let but thy Grace be sufficient for me and then call me to what thou pleasest I can do all things through Christ strengthening me Lord I shall not I hope fear or decline to suffer for thy sake No though I should die with thee I purpose not to deny thee But alas it troubles me to think how weak and vain all my Resolutions are and how soon they will come to nothing without thy continual support and assistance This troubles me but it is my comfort that thy Grace is easily obtain'd it may be now had for asking of it O shield me by thy Grace against all Temptations Hold up my goings in thy Word that my footsteps slip not Guide thou me by thy Counsel till thou hast brought me to thy Glory SECT XVI An Exercise of Faith I Believe there is onely one true and living God who is the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost An Infinite Eternal Perfect Being the Maker and Preserver Owner and Governour of All things Who has right to the Homage Worship and Obedience of Mankind Who has laid upon us his Laws and takes notice of our Behaviour That his Eyes behold all the Dwellers upon Earth and try the Children of Men That He is always nigh to every one of us for it is in Him that we live move and have our Being I believe O Lord that thou art and art a Rewarder of those that diligently seek thee Thou hast appointed a Day wherein thou wilt Judge the World in Righteousness and render to every Man according to his Works That those who are found wicked in that Day shall go away into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal But I believe also that to the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgivenesses though we have rebelled against Him if in the way of his appointment we seek his Pardoning-Mercy Thou hast O Lord Blessed be thy Name preclaim'd thy self a God forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin And declarest that thou desirest not the Death of a Sinner but had rather that he should turn from his Wickedness and live O wonderfull Condescension and Goodness Oh how sweet is thy Mercy How glorious and great The exceeding vileness and the unreasonableness of our Sins do magnifie thy Mercy beyond all Comprehension and Praise Favour and Forgiveness to a base Sinner is that the Sinner could not expect till thou hadst declar'd it should be obtain'd and didst graciously offer it When we were sunk into the most abject Misery by a vile Rebellion against thee had render'd our selves obnoxious to thy Eternal Hatred and Wrath and deserv'd to follow the Apostate Angels in their Fate and Damnation as we had follow'd them in Rebellion Then did thy Infinite Wisdom contrive how to show us Favour in a way consistent with thine own Honour Thou didst find out a way to spare Us and to punish our Sins to glorifie thy Justice in taking Vengeance on our Inventions and thy Mercy in saving the wretched Sinners And God so lov'd the World that He gave his onely-begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Thou gavest O Father thine Onely-begotten Son to the Condescension and Meanness of taking our Nature upon Him and to die a Sacrifice for our Sins and on him thy well-beloved Son didst thou lay the Iniquities of us all And in his Death thou hast receiv'd a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World Thou hast laid our Help on one that is Mighty and able to save to the uttermost all that come into God by Him We adore thy Incomprehensible Goodness and Compassion to Sinners Thou art abundant Oh God in Goodness and Truth Thy Mercy is over all
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
Let thy Gospel of Holiness Peace and Love O Jesu run and be glorified from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same With great Trouble and Concern O Lord I consider how much of the wretched World lies in Wickedness O how sad a Thought is it that such a Saviour should be offer'd to Men and so few receive Him How sad is it to think that so many Thousands of Souls for whom Christ died are likely to go down into the dismal Caves of Hell that so many who might be Eternally happy and praise thee for ever will destroy and throw themselves into Everlasting Misery Rivers of Waters run down mine Eyes because Men make void thy Law A Law so rich in Love and so condescending in Grace I am troubled O Lord because they do not love thee and because they will destroy themselves Because they affront and rebell against thy most obliging Goodness and neglect so great Salvation as it offers them Oh that I could save many precious Souls from their Destruction Oh that I could pluck them as Brands out of the Burning As far as I am able and as becomes me to do in my place and station I will endeavour to cure the Epidemical Wickedness of the Times I live in I will earnestly endeavour to keep those Souls that are under my Authority and Power and that are of my Neighbourhood and Acquaintance and whom I can have any influence over from going down to Everlasting Perdition I will follow all that I may with Advice and Counsel and those that I may not pretend to advise I will endeavour to entreat that they would be saved And those whom I ought to do this to I will reprove and correct for any Wickedness that I observe in them I will propagate as well as I can the saving Knowledge and the Love of thee among the Ignorant and Careless and those whom their Poverty hinders from providing for themselves By giving among them according to my Ability such means of their Instruction and Reformation as thy Favour has afforded the Publick I am greatly troubled and concern'd at the Miseries and Calamities which I hear of or see in the World That thy Creatures whom thou didst make that thou mightest love them and that they might be happy should pull upon themselves so much Misery from thy just Wrath and deserved Vengeance Oh how sad is it to think of Thousands of People going down alive into the Pit swallow'd up by sudden Earthquakes and in a moment snatch'd hence into Eternity without any time to prepare for their Departure How it grieves me to think of the sad Effects of Pining Famine in some places of Infectious and Pestilential Diseases in others It wounds my Soul to consider the wofull Calamities and Desolations that attend Horrid Wars Oh how deplorable a thing is it that Men should seek to spill the Blood of Men and give the Carkasses of their own Kind for a Prey to Birds and Wild Beasts Lord rebuke the proud Disturbers of the World abate their Pride asswage their Malice and confound their Devices Grant that Wars may cease in all Lands and gentle Love and happy Peace abound Prosper good Lord those that Endeavour for a just and safe Peace that they may attain it and scatter thou the People that delight in War Oh that thy Judgments which are abroad in Earth might make the Inhabitants of the World to learn Righteousness and turn themselves to thee who hast smitten them that thou mayest head them As a Member of thy Blessed Church I am particularly concern'd for the Tranquillity and Peace and the true Spiritual Glory and Prosperity of that O Lord purge out of thy Church what-ever does displease thee and is destructive to the Souls of Men. Purge out of it what-ever is an Offence to those without Possess all Christians with this That they are oblig'd to Endeavour that their Carriage may adorn and recommend their Religion in the sight of the Infidels and to take care their Light may so shine before Men that they seeing their Good Works may Glorifie their Father which is in Heaven Purge thy Church we pray thee from all false Doctrines and Heresies from Prophaneness and Persecution from Superstition and Cruelty from Envy Hatred Malice and all Uncharitableness Bring into the Way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived Raise up them that are fallen confirm and strengthen those that stand in Piety and Vertue and Profession of the Truth Comfort those parts of thy Church that mourn and are oppress'd under a Barbarous Persecution And let thine own Right-hand and Holy Arm in thy due time give them a mighty Salvation O God of Love O Prince of Peace and God of Order we pray thee let thy Gospel abundantly promote these good things in thy Church Grant that there may be no hurting nor destroying in all thy Holy Mountain That all the Members of the Church as Members of the same Body and of one another may have a Cordial Affection to each other Carrying themselves with all lowliness and meekness to each other and with long-suffering forbearing one another in Love Grant that as there is but one Lord Jesus Christ whom we all pretend to Love and Reverence as there is but one true Faith one Baptism one God and Father of us all so we may all with one Mind and one Mouth glorifie thee our God Grant that every Member of the Church may so know and keep its preper place that there may be no Schism in the Body O Jesu King of Love fill with thy kind and gentle Spirit all Christian Kings Princes and Governours Let no proud Wrath no malicious Envy no greedy Covetousness no turbulent Ambition reign in any of them Grant that they all knowing whose Ministers they are may above all things seek thy Honour and Glory And that they may study to preserve the People committed to their Care in Wealth Peace and Godliness That they may truly and indifferently administer Justice to the Punishment of Wickedness and Vice and to the Maintenance of thy true Religion and Vertue Especially O Lord we intreat thee to regard with pecullar Favour thy Servants WILLIAM and MARY our most Gracious King and Queen Let thy Wisdom direct them in all their Administrations Thy Almighty Power promote their Good Designs that under them we may be Godly and Quietly Govern'd Let thy Bounteous Goodness shower upon them abundantly all Personal Blessings for their Bodies and for their Souls to their long Prosperity in this Life and their Everlasting Happiness in the next Since by their Wisdom and Care by their Love to Thee and Goodness to Us with thy Blessing upon their Endeavours we enjoy the happy Liberty of thy House and these thy Blessed Ordinances to the joy and comfort of our Souls we will never fail to remember them in all our Prayers and Supplications unto thee Pour down an Abundance of thy Spirit we pray thee
does not this oblige thee to take the utmost care that thou Sin no more Know he that has had much forgiven him should love much and Love will not let thee do any thing willingly that is so displeasing and hatefull to the Kind and Holy Jesus as the least Sin would be Consider Thy Sins were pardon'd to oblige thee to forsake them for ever and this does greatly oblige thee to it It were horrid and monstrous Ingratitude then if the Pardon of what is past should encourage thee to begin a new score Oh abhorr the Thoughts of this and reckon thou art oblig'd to live with great Care of thy self to take great Heed to thy Ways to shun even the Appearances of Evil to abhorr and avoid as much as thou canst all Temptations to Wickedness Consider my Soul the Holy Spirit is come to dwell with Thee to Consecrate Thee to be a Sacred Temple to Himself Oh Divine Guest Oh how great is thy Honour and thy Happiness Wilt thou not let Him know that thou dost account it both Wilt thou not study to be easie to such a Guest To show him the greatest respects Know then that he must Rule in thy Heart He must be not in Complement only but in Reality Master of the House He is Honourable enough surely to have such Respect done Him And it will be thy Advantage to give it Him He will order all things better there than ever thou could'st do without Him And thou must take care that thou never admit thy Lusts or vile Affections again He will not dwell with such vile Company If thou would'st retain the Happiness of his Presence they must be for ever banish'd from thy Soul And sure it should be very easie for thee to see 't is not fit that they should be allow'd so much as a Competition with Him Consider too how it becomes a Soul to live that is design'd an Inhabitant of Heaven that is already made free of the New Jerusalem which is above Should you not now conform your Manners to that bright Company Should you not consider what a kind of Life they liv'd when they were here on Earth and set your self to follow Them as they were Followers of Jesus The Vertues which were so eminent in their Lives must also shine in yours They were not many of them Emperours and Kings and Queens on Earth because that Fortune shall I say or rather that Burden falls to the shares of but few among Mankind Neither were they it may be many of them vastly rich and more than they needed to be But which is better and of more Advantage to themselves than either of these They were poor in Spirit They were humble and meek They were temperate and sober They were very good and mercifull All their Zeal and Concern was to Advance the Glory of God These are the steps thou must tread in This the Way thou must follow to follow them to Bliss Thou canst not come to their End in any contrary Way Thou must not be conform'd to this World but be transformed by the Renewing of thy Mind Thou must not eagerly hunt after the Pleasures the Wealth and the Preferments of this World It would become thee to be ever very Indifferent towards them as having already tasted and enjoy'd far better Things than they What is capable to afford thee incomparably more pleasure and satisfaction And especially would this become thee as being entitled to far better things To more durable and usefull Riches more solid and lasting Pleasures and to far higher Dignities and Preferments These thy Saviour and Friend has given thee Pledges and Assurances of at this Sacrament and these He will bestow at the Last Day to those that Love and Fear Him For thou mayest expect that this Jesus whose humble Sufferings and Death thou hast now Commemorated will come again in Glory with the Hosts of Glorious Angels attending Him to Judge both the Quick and the Dead He will come to take Vengeance in Flames of Fire on them that Obey not his Gospel And will come to reward all his faithfull Servants to be glorified and admired for his Bounty and Rewards to all them that Believe Oh consider well my Soul that Awfull Certain Day And such as thou would'st then be found endeavour now to be If this Life be diligently employ'd in thy Master's Work the performance of those Duties which belong to thy Station and Calling and Relations He will then say to thee Well done good and faithfull Servant enter thou into thy Master's joy It will be more to thy advantage then to have denied thy self now for thy Master's Honour and Service than to have indulg'd and pleas'd thy self in all things It will be of greatest advantage to thee then to be found to have been Sober and Temperate and Good and Righteous and Religious When all the Honours and all the Favour and Applause of that Day will be given to such And no other Differences among Men shall be regarded but their Differences in these things Be sure my Soul it will not then repent thee what-ever it does now cost to gain the Rewards and Honour of that Day Resolve firmly then for a Good and Holy Life Be never a-weary of Well-doing for there is an Everlasting Rest which shall receive thee at the End of it and the time before thou wilt reach it is but short Be not discouraged by any Difficulties thou mayest meet with If thou wilt boldly strive thou shalt overcome them all through Christ strengthening thee To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost One Ever-blessed God be all Honour and Glory World without End Amen SECT XXI PRAYERS for a Suitable Conversation I. OGod the Strength of all them that put their Trust in Thee Mercifully accept my Prayers and because through the Weakness of our Mortal Nature we can do no good Thing without Thee grant me the Help of thy Grace that in keeping thy Commandments I may please Thee both in Will and Deed through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen II. OLord the Fountain of all Power and Might grant I beseech Thee to me thy Servant Grace to withstand the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil And with a pure Heart and Mind to follow and serve Thee the Onely true and living God And let me be accepted with Thee in all my Service through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen III. OAlmighty God who alone canst Order the unruly Wills and Affections of sinfull Men Grant unto me thy Servant that I may love the Things which Thou Commandest and desire those Glorious Things which Thou dost promise That so among the sundry and manifold Changes of this World my Heart may surely there be fixed where true Joys are to be found through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen IV. LOrd of all Power and Might who art the Authour and Giver of all Good Things Graft in my Heart the Love of thy Name Encrease in me true Religion
be so confirm'd by this renewal of them as that they may never be broken any more We renounce this wicked World our own corrupt Nature and thine Adversary the Devil We purpose not to suffer our selves to follow nor be led by them We will receive O Lord what Thou requirest us to believe And we devote our selves to keep and obey thy Holy Just and Good Commandments through the whole Course of our Lives To be always under the Influence and Power of Love to Thee and to our Neighbours To love Thee with all our Heart with all our Soul and with all our Might and our Neighbour as our selves O Father of Mercies graciously accept of our Repentance and return unto Thee Look upon the Death of thy Son and turn from us all thy Wrath Justifie us freely by thy Grace Pardon all our Sins upon the account of it take us into thy Service and grant that we may ever hereafter please Thee in Newness and Holiness of Life Jesus Thou Son of God have Mercy upon us O Christ hear us be Thou our Advocate with thy Father By thy Holy Nativity and Circumcision by thy Meritorious Cross and Passion by thy Precious Death and Burial by thy Glorious Resurrection and Ascension take us into thy Care and Protection Thou that hast done all these things for us have Mercy upon us O be Thou Jesus to us and save us from our Sins Give us according to thy promise to them that receive Thee the Glorious Priviledge to become the Sons of God We accept of Thee O Lord as a King to Rule us and will study to know and endeavour to Obey thy Commands We earnestly desire thy Teaching as our Great Prophet and will receive and comply with thy Divine Instructions however contrary they are to the corrupt Byass of our Nature and our Love of this World Lord we purpose to conform our selves to them by the Direction of thy Excellent Example and not to be conformed to this World And we will always acknowledge our utter unworthiness of the least Good and place all our Hopes in thy Merits and Intercession as our Great High Priest O let us find by the good success of all our Humble Addresses that Thou hast Compassion on our Miseries and dost ever live to make Intercession for us But alas we have promised and resolv'd more than we are able to perform without the Influence and Assistance of thy Good Spirit We therefore Address our selves to Thee O Blessed Spirit Come down we beseech Thee into our Hearts replenish us abundantly with thy Grace let us become thy Sacred Consecrated Temples and do thou evermore dwell in us Banish and purge out of us for ever all that is contrary and displeasing to Thee Teach us that denying all ungodliness and worldly Lusts we may live soberly and righteously and godly in this present World Write thy Law in our Hearts that we may never depart from it Increase and maintain our Faith Increase and continue our Love Cherish all Grace in us and cause us to persevere in Holiness and Vertue and Well-doing to the End of our Lives Keep us in the Knowledge and Love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. We purpose O Holy Spirit duly to wait for thy Blessed saving Influences in a diligent attendance on thy Sacred Ordinances the Word and Sacraments Oh let us be always in due fitness to attend them when the happy Opportunities of doing so are afforded us and let them be always blest to us and be effectual to promote our Sanctification and Salvation Insert this when this Prayer is used in the Morning We give Thanks to the God of all Mercies for the safe Protection the quiet and comfortable Rest of the last Night We devote this Day and all our Lives to thy Service in the Duties which Thou givest us to do Assist us mercifully O Lord in all and Accept us in Jesus Christ Insert this when this Prayer is used at Night Enlighten our dark Souls we beseech Thee O Lord with all the Knowledge that is necessary to our Salvation Fill us with Devout Affections and let thy Love always possess and rule us Be Thou we pray our Protection this Night from all the Perils and Dangers of it May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the Love of God the Father and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with us all henceforth for evermore Amen Our Father which c. FINIS Books printed for B. Aylmer SIX Sermons One of Stedfastness in Religion Two of Family Religion Three of the Education of Children and One of the Advantages of an Early Piety A Perswasive to Frequent Communion in the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper In Octavo Price 3 d. Both by his Grace John late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury The Four Last Things viz. Death Judgment Heaven and Hell Practically Consider'd and Apply'd in several Discourses By William Bates D. D. Recommended as proper to be given at Funerals Books Publisht by the Author of this Reform'd Devotions in Meditations Hymns and Petitions for Every day in the Week and every Holy-day in the Year The Excellent Woman describ'd by her True Characters and their Opposites being part of a Translation out of French Family Devotions for Sunday-Evenings throughout the Year being Practical Discourses with Suitable Prayers Vol. I. II. containing each Thirteen Sermons The other Two intended to make a Sett for the whole Year are almost finisht and design'd to be committed to the Press soon after Christmass to be Publisht together Printed for John Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard
hast been at so lately and He was Himself the Feast Jesus prepar'd it out of Love to Thee And because His great Love could not as we may easily imagine provide any thing better He provided Himself to be thy rich and costly Entertainment He has feasted thee with His Body and Blood He has in giving thee that Bread and Wine which was by the Minister according to his appointment consecrated and set apart to represent His broken Body and His Blood shed for Mankind made thee a partaker of the Spiritual Blessings and Benefits of His Death and Passion Oh how great Things has He then bestow'd on thee Where canst thou find again such Entertainment What Enjoyments of this poor World could afford it And if He has given thee never so much of this World He has herein given thee that which is of infinitely greater value And if He has given thee but little of this World thou hast no reason to complain of Him who has been so free so bounteous to thee in so much better things Say then to Him Oh how plenteous how rich is thy Goodness Lord which Thou hast in reserve for those that fear Thee and that hope in thy Mercy He has treated Thee with the Pardon of all thy Sins however numerous however heinous and guilty Canst thou forbear to admire and praise so great a Favour Is it not wondrous that so vast a Debt should be so freely forgiven thee Does not this Forgiveness restore thee to the Almighty Favour and Love of God And give thee leave to ask and ground to expect from Reconciled Heaven all that is good for thee and necessary to thy Salvation Oh say then Bless the Lord O my Soul All that is within me praise his Holy Name Who hath redeemed my Life from Destruction who forgiveth all my Sins Who crowneth me with Loving-kindness and tender Mercies Oh Blessed is the Man whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is cover'd Blessed O Lord Jesus is the Man that putteth his Trust in Thee He hath bestow'd on thee my Soul his Holy Spirit to dwell with and to sanctifie thee to fill thee with all Divine Graces To heal all the Distempers of thy Soul thy uneasie shamefull Distempers to make thee tolerable and pleasant to thy self and amiable and well-pleasing to Him Oh happy Souls that are the Temples of this Holy Spirit Where He dwells all things shall be in a beautifull Order all things composed and calm and peacefull all full of Joy There is a Peace which the World cannot give and a Joy unspeakable and full of Glory In them Heaven dwells already They shall be acquainted with its Incomparable Felicities here on Earth and they are seal'd hereby to the Day of Redemption Thy loving Lord then has given thee at this Feast too the Pledges and Earnests of Future Glory and Blessedness He has even united thee to Himself after a wonderfull manner He looks on thee as a Member of his own Body Has made thee Partaker in his Death and intends thee to partake in his Resurrection He will not leave thy Soul in Hell nor suffer thy Dead Body to lie always under Dissolution He will shew thee the Path of Life and thou shalt dwell at his right hand where are Pleasures for ever-more Thou shalt dwell in His presence where is fulness of Joy Oh how like a God has thy glorious and kind Saviour entertain'd thee None could ever bestow such things on thee but He. Thou hast been treated as a Favourite of Heaven who canst not chuse but acknowledge thy self a poor vile and contemptible Sinner All these Blessings and Favours He hath conferr'd upon thee and given thee in this Sacrament sensible Pledges and Tokens of them though thou art unworthy of the very meanest and the commonest of his Gifts to Mankind Assure thy self it was not for any Merit or Worthiness in thee that he has been so Bountifull but of his own free Motion There is nothing of Debt in his Love but thou must look upon it as altogether Obligation And now my Soul thou must consider too the mighty Obligation he has laid upon thee Thou art able to promise to do nothing in return for his Love but what he has infinitely oblig'd thee to Should such a Love as this ever be forgotten or rather should'st thou not resolve that thou wilt always retain a gratefull Sence of it And that such a Love shall be the greatest Joy and the sweetest Delight of thy Life That such a Love shall make an entire Conquest of thee and make thee subject to the pleasant Laws of it through the whole Course of thy Life Thou canst not sure for shame think of a less return than to give up thy self to Him To live to Him that died for thee To study and love what will please Him and do it in all things No thou canst not think of any thing less than of being His Servant who has bought thee with so great a Price Who has ransom'd thee from Hell and Everlasting Misery and that by his own cruel Sufferings and accursed Death And will it ever become thee thinkest thou after thou hast consider'd the cruel Sufferings of Jesus for thy sake to shrink or murmure at Sufferings or guiltily decline them Wilt thou pretend to be Follower a Disciple of Jesus and yet not be able to endure any thing grievous or inconvenient Has he suffer'd very grievous things for thee worse by far than thou art able or wilt ever be call'd to suffer for his sake And wilt thou suffer nothing for Him Was his way to Heaven encombred with sharp Thorns and will it become thee to murmure if thine be not strow'd with Roses Was the Great and Glorious Jesus despised in the World and must thou be mightily respected and honour'd Was Jesus the Son of David a rich and mighty King mean and poor and will nothing serve thee but to be vastly and superfluously rich For shame my Soul These Desires cannot become thee It is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and surely 't is an Honour that the Servant be as his Lord. If thou wilt be a Follower of Jesus thou must expect as the World hated Him saw no form nor comeliness in Him so it will hate and it will scorn thee It will not see any thing to admire in thee Consider the Sufferings of Jesus and harden thy self Learn from Him to despise the Inconveniences of this Life learn to despise its Allurements From his Indifferency towards it 't is thy Duty and thy Honour to be very Indifferent too And this as all thy Duty thou wilt find pleasant upon the trial of it and a reward to it self This will give thee an invincible composure and peace of Mind a happy Command and Enjoyment of thy self under all the Vicissitudes and Changes of this mutable uncertain World Consider further my Soul Has He blest thee with the Pardon of all thy Sins And
Nourish me in all Goodness and of thy Great Mercy keep me in the same through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen V. O Lord who hast taught us that all our Doings without Charity are nothing worth Send thy Holy Spirit I beseech Thee and pour into my Heart that most Excellent Gift of Charity the very Bond of Peace and of all Vertues without which whosoever liveth is Dead before Thee Grant this for thy Onely Son Jesus Christ's sake Amen VI. ALmighty God who hast given thy Onely Son to be unto us both a Sacrifice for Sin and also an Example of Godly Life Give me Grace that I may always most Thankfully accept that his Inestimable Benefit and also daily endeavour my self to follow the Blessed Steps of his most Holy Life through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen VII GRant I beseech Thee Almighty God that like as I do believe thy Onely-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have Ascended into the Heavens so I may also in Heart and Mind thither ascend and with Him continually dwell who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost One God World without End Amen VIII MAy the Peace of God which passeth all Understanding keep my Heart and Mind in the Knowledge and Love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord And the Blessing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be upon me and remain with me always Amen IX GLory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the Beginning is now and ever shall be World without End Amen SECT XXII A PRAYER of Recollection THIS contains the Sum of this Book and is made fit to be used after the reading any parts of it in the Family or Closet O Most Great and Glorious God! Lord of Heaven and Earth Infinite in Majesty and Glory and in thy Greatness unsearchable All things that are do derive from Thee the Fountain of Beings all their Excellency and all their Power Thou art worthy of the greatest Reverence from the Highest Angels worthy of our Godly Fear and most Awfull Adorations art Exalted in thy Greatness above all our Blessing and Praise And as thy Greatness is Infinite so is also thy Goodness which Thou hast exercised in a manner suitable to thy Excellent Greatness For Thou art in all things like thy self and there is none besides Thee like unto Thee In wondrous Wisdom and Goodness hast Thou made the World bounteously communicating Being and Happiness among thy Creatures But thy Goodness has peculiarly shown it self in thy dealing with Mankind and appear'd in amazing Glories It appears within us and in all things that are round about us Thou hast made Man a Noble Creature little lower than the Angels Thou didst Endow Him with thy Glorious Image in Righteousness and true Holiness Thou Crowned'st Him with Honour and Dignity giving Him Dominion over the Works of thy Hands Thou hast built this Beautious World for his Habitation and plentifully furnish'd it with all things necessary and delightfull to Him All our Sences present us with many Instances of thy Goodness to us the Earth is full of it Day unto Day uttereth Speech and Night unto Night sheweth the Knowledge of This. We cannot without the greatest and the most wilfull Blindness fail to see it nor without the most unworthy and disingenuous Ingratitude forget or neglect to Acknowledge it But this O Lord is that which we must with Shame and Self-abhorrence accuse our selves of All thy Goodness and the Obligations of it were soon forgotten by our First Parents and they rebell'd against Thee And we are their true and vile Off-spring going astray from the Womb living in Enmity against Thee and despising thy Commandments All the Wickedness of the World and the Affronts Thou hast receiv'd from it Thou didst foresee and yet of thy great Patience and Forbearance didst spare our First Parents and permit Them to propagate their base and corrupt Nature And this gives us occasion O Lord to reflect upon the greatest and most glorious Exercise of thy Goodness to Mankind When we were all guilty before Thee and Obnoxious to thy Eternal Wrath And thy Honour and thy Justice did require our utter Rejection and Perdition Yet even then did thy Wisdom and Goodness contrive and afford us a Way and Means of Salvation And thy Infinite Greatness though so exceedingly Affronted did condescend to a Concern to save us And a way was found out suitable to thy Greatness and our Necessity Even then did God the Father so love the World that He gave his Onely-begotten Son that whosoever Believes in Him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life And then did God the Son in his Infinite Compassion to Mankind offer Himself to be our Mediatour And He undertook to purchase for us the Divine Favour which we had lost at the Cost of his own Abasement in taking our Nature and of dying a Sacrifice for the Sins of Men. Oh how unwearied Lord has thy Kindness and Mercy been towards us And how odious and detestable are all our Transgressions against Thee When we consider Thee O Lord and the Obligations which Thou hast laid upon us we are even confounded to think of the exceeding Vileness and Enormity of our Sins We are therefore forced O Lord to abhorr our selves We humble we abase our selves before Thee We acknowledge thy greatest Displeasure against us to be Just and Righteous and must own that we have deserv'd Thou should'st throw us into the Everlasting Fire which is prepar'd for the Devil and his Angels But Blessed be thy Name there is Mercy with Thee and Thou art through the Undertaking of our Blessed Mediatour a God forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin We praise Thee we magnifie Thee O Lord for thine Inestimable Love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost for this wonderfull Favour and Relief in our low and desperate Condition Encouraged O Father by the Sacrifice of thy Son and relying upon the Merits of it we return unto Thee We desire to return to our Duty We gladly and thankfully accept of the new Offers of Grace and Favour with Thee which Thou art pleased to make us We submit to the gentle and easie Terms thou requirest of us and we humbly seek thy Favour upon those Conditions We were O Lord by the kind Dispensation of thy Providence in our early Infancy dedicated to Thee and engag'd in that Happy Covenant which Thou affordest us as the Way of our Salvation But we must with shame confess that we have broken this Covenant and liv'd in too great Neglect of it and have added to the other Heinousness and Wickedness of our vile Sins the great Guilt of breaking our Vows and Promises to Thee As sensible of our unworthy Behaviour again O Lord we desire to renew those Bonds and we earnestly desire they may