would to God it might be as surprizing to see one Christian fall out with the other 5. He broke the Bread to hint to us with what Hearts we ought to come to the Table of our Lord and to the Altar of the Cross even with humble broken contrite Hearts Such Hearts we might get if it were not for our Pride It was therefore prohibited in the Old Law to use Leaven in God's Sacrifices and Offerings Leaven was the Emblem of Pride which makes us unfit to appear before the humble Jesus I am broken with their whorish Heart which hath departed from me saith God Ezech. 9. 6. This was literally fulfilled in Christ And shall not we share in the Depth of that Sorrow Shall we see him bow his Head under the Weight of our Offences and shall not the Burthen appear heavy and insupportable to our Spirits Shall we see the innocent Lamb weep for our Stubbornness and be unconcerned at the Spectacle 6. He broke the Bread to let us see how ready he is to comfort the Contrite and Broken Heart Christian as great as the Agonies were thy Sins did put him to as great as the Torments were he felt upon thy Account as bitter as the Death was he suffered and tasted for thee yet if thy Soul relents and if that which made him die becomes loathsome and abominable in thy Sight if a deep Sense of thy Unworthiness fills the Chanels of thy Heart if the Fountain of thy Head runs with Water if thine Eyes gush out in Tears if the Weight of thy Sins presses thy Soul into an holy Self-abhorrency if his Passion can fright thy Sins into a languishing Condition abate their Courage and break their sturdy Necks and his broken Body proves a Motive strong enough and obliges thee to break loose from the Government of Hell behold those very Wounds thou madest shall be thy Balsam and the Blood thy Sinns did spill shall turn into Oyl to supple thy broken Bones with that precious Liquor thy Soul shall be washed and that which was his Death shall be thy Life and Antidote with that Offering of himself once made he will expiate thy Filth and perfume thy Services render them acceptable to God give thee a Right to Heaven comfort thee in all thy Tribulations and call to thy Soul Be of good chear thy Sins are forgiven thee 7. He broke the Bread to let us know that his Death would break the Wrath of God allay his Anger pacifie his Justice and satisfie for the Affront his Holiness had suffered from the Sins of Men and make way for the Penitent's Admission to God's Bosom This is St. Bernard's Observation and the Mystery is rational for by his Death he broke the Power of him who had the Power of Death Heb. 2. 14. This was the Devil who got that Power by Man's Apostacy which provoked the Almighty's Wrath and moved him to permit the Enemy to exercise that Power over Mankind who was therefore not only the Cause of Adam's Death but of all the Deaths that followed that for which Cause Christ called him a Murtherer from the Beginning Joh. 8. 44. And the Jews stile him the Angel of Death and if any extraordinary Judgments were inflicted on Men at any time he was still the Executioner Besides all this he had Power given him to fright Men with Death either violent or natural and the dreadful Consequences of it of all which Man's Apostacy was the Cause This Power given him by the Justice and Wrath of God against the Sins of Man was broken by the Death of Jesus who thereby gave all true Believers Power and Courage to undervalue these Fears and Terrours to look upon them as Bugbears and Things to fright Slaves withal since this wonderful Death brings Life and Pardon and Salvation to their Souls and makes their own Death a Passage to the full Possession of the Joys to come 8. He broke the Bread prophetically to fore-tell what Miracles would happen at his Death how the Veil of the Temple would rend the Rocks break and the Graves burst their Bonds and open even then when Men's Hearts would be harder than Flints more impenetrable than Stones more insensible than Adamants less tractable than the Earth more rigid than the Grave and less relenting than inanimate Creatures 9. He broke the Bread Why may not we think that hereby he signified the Breaches and Divisions that through the Passions and various Interests of Men would happen in future Ages in the Church upon the Account of this Sacrament What Strife what Bitterness what Contentions hath this Ordinance occasion'd betwixt the Eastern and Western Churches and in the Western betwixt the Papists and Protestants and among the Protestants betwixt the Lutherans and those that call themselves of the Reformed Religion Upon which Account I cannot but think of the bitter Language that both Luther and his Followers have given to the Zwinglians and Calvinists that differ'd from them in Opinion about the Supper of the Lord. Nor did the Fury stop here but in many Places where any of the Zwinglians were they were turned out imprisoned harrassed expelled driven into Exile and forced away to Sea in a severe Winter in Frost and Snow when the Winds blew hard and the Weather was exceeding tempestuous and all because they would not abjure these Six Propositions 1. That these Words Take eat this is my Body and Take drink this is my Blood must not be understood literally but typically and figuratively 2. That the Elements in the Lord's Supper are only Signs and Symbols and that Christ's Body is as far removed from the Bread in the Sacrament as Heaven is from Earth 3. That Christ is present in this Sacrament by his Virtue and Power and not with his Body as the Sun with his Light and Operation assists and refreshes the Creatures of God in this lower World 4. That the Bread in the Sacrament is the Emblem and Figure of Christ's Body and signifies and represents only 5. That Christ's Body is eaten only by Faith mounting up into Heaven not with the Mouth 6. That only true Believers do properly eat Christ's Body but wicked Men who have no lively Faith receive nothing but the bare Bread and Wine Those that would not abjure these Doctrines were used like Hereticks Fanaticks and Vagabonds By their usage one would have taken them to have been guilty of Sacrilege Murther Robbery Sedition Rebellion c. but the chief Crime it seems was because having imbibed Zwinglius and Calvin's Doctrine about the Eucharist they could not conform to the Lutheran Persuasion in that Point Wonderful Barbarity which one would scarce have expected from Heathens much less from Christians and Fellow-Protestants who together with them protested against the Corruptions of the Church of Rome Into such an unseemly Behaviour do Men precipitate themselves when they let loose the Reins of their Passions instead of becoming Repairers of Breaches they make them wider and
Repentance What Danger in doing the Will of God What Danger in performing our Duty What Danger in serious Endeavours to cleanse our selves that we may be pure even as God is pure What Danger in eating and drinking with a Lively Faith in the Promises of the Gospel What Danger in making the Love of God and the serious Contemplation of it a Motive and Occasion to grow in Grace If there be any Danger it is in the Unworthy Eating and Drinking at this holy Table and in that indeed there is as much Danger as there is in cutting our selves with Knives and Lances or in running a Sword into our Bowels And who but a Mad-man will do so There is nothing so good nothing so safe nothing so sound nothing so innocent but Men may corrupt it by their evil Inclinations So they may abuse God's Name and Day and Word and Ordinances and the Duty of Prayer and the Ministry and what not Unworthy Eating and Drinking is a sinful Eating and Drinking Let Men separate the Sinfulness from the Duty let them pare away that poysonous Rind and there is no Danger and you may eat and drink at this Table with as little Danger as you eat and drink at home there is no Danger here but what you make your selves The Danger rises not from the Eucharist but from your Hearts That which makes it dangerous is your Love to Forbidden Fruit while you eat and drink here This you harbour this you cherish and that makes your feeding dangerous But cast out that old Leaven and you may feed as peaceably as contentedly as securely as Children under their Father's Wings as People that sit under their own Vine and under their own Fig-tree The PRAYER O Jesu whom I see coming toward me in this Sacrament not with Balm and Myrrhe and Spices hut with that which is infinitely better even with the Balsom of thy Blood to anoint me to wash me and to make me whole to make this blind Creature see and this lame Man to walk this Dumb to speak this Deaf to hear and to dignifie this Beggar even me the weakest in thy Flock the poorest in thy House the meanest person in thy Spiritual Kingdom What shall I say of this Mercy What can I think of it Thou art both the Giver and the Gift the Feeder and the Food the Guest and the Feast the Offerer and the Oblation O deal with me after thine infinite Goodness I have deserved to be left to be forsaken to be rejected to be cast away from thy Presence But O! let not this miserable Beggar go away from thy Door without an Alms scatter thy Bounty and let me gather it The poorer I am the greater Object I am of thy Pity I bring my Heart to thee to reform it I come to offer my Soul to thee be thou intreated to renew it by thy Holy Spirit Bring me to a more lively and nearer conjunction with thy self that I may become a living Member incorporated into thy Mystical Body and may live not longer by mine own Spirit but by Thine which is the Spirit of my Spirit the Soul of my Soul and the very Life of my Life Thou art my Sun from whose Beams I must receive the Light of Grace Thou art my Fountain from which I must draw Living Water Thou art the Root from which I must receive Sap of increase Thou art my Head from which I must receive Life and Being O! let me feel the force of this Sacrament in my Soul Power against Sin and Satan and ability to serve thee Corroborate my Spirit that I may obtain Victory put off the anxious Cares of the World and put on Joy flowing from Remission and pardon of my Sins I am sensible that Thy Table is the strength of my Soul the Sinews of my Mind the Band of my Confidence my Health my Light and my Recovery Being sprinkled with thy Blood I shall be able to turn to fight the Armies of Aliens the Armies of my Spiritual Enemies and prevail against them and go on from Virtue to Virtue till I shall Hunger and Thirst no more in thy Everlasting Kingdom Amen Amen CHAP. XIX Of Bodily Sickness Weakness and untimely Death which is sometimes by way of Judgment inflicted on Unworthy Receivers of this Blessed Sacrament The CONTENTS Sickness and Weakness and Death are either Corporal or Spiritual Some Reasons laid down why God makes use of Sickness and Weakness of Body to Chastize the Unworthy Receiver How a Person may know whether the Sickness and Weakness of Body that is upon him comes upon him for his Unworthy Receiving How Sickness and Weakness of Body and an untimely Death can be said to be inflicted for Unworthy Receiving when we see that even the most worthy Receivers sicken and dye and sometimes suddenly and before their time and when it is evident that these are effects of Natural Causes The time of Adversity a time of serious Consideration The Soul that loves the Lord Jesus in sincerity hath no reason to be troubled when Sickness or Affliction comes as if it came for Unworthy Receiving Worthy Receiving the best Preparative for Death Those that neglect coming have reason to fear that all the Miseries which befal them come upon them for their neglect The Prayer I. HAving told you in the foregoing Chapter that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Judgment doth import both Temporal Judgment and Damnation and shewn how the unworthy Receiver makes himself liable to exemplary Temporal Judgments in general it 's fit I should in the next place in imitation of St. Paul speak of the particular Temporal Judgments the unworthy Communicant pulls upon himself whereof one is Bodily Sicckness Weakness and untimely Death for thus we read 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause i.e. upon the account of this unworthy Eating and Drinking many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep as if he had said This your unworthy Receiving brings Sickness Weakness and a preternatural and unusual Sleep upon you This must needs be meant here for ordinary Sleep or the usual Rest of the Body can be no punishment and to tell you that by Sleep in Scripture is frequently understood Death or separation of the Soul from the Body or dissolution of this natural Life were to tell you what all Men know that have but look'd into the Bible nor can any be ignorant that these Phrases are often used in a Spiritual Sense for Spiritual Weakness and Sickness and Death which will oblige me to take both significations into consideration And that God did in the Primitive Ages of Christianity inflict and visit unworthy Communicants with weakness and sickness of Body and with an untimely Death sometimes especially if they continued impenitent thereby to put them in mind of their Offences and to exhort them to amendment of Life all Interpreters agree and the same Temporal Judgments an unworthy Receiver hath reason to fear and look for at this
Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 2 3 4. weak and sickly Persons have need of Milk we use it in Bodily Diseases when they have weaken'd the Body and it seems it 's necessary also for the recovery of Souls weaken'd by Sin but then the Milk is not such as Cows and Sheep and Goats do give but it is the Word of the Lord which endures for ever and to apply our selves to pondering and meditating in it and to make it the rule of our life and manners is drinking of that Milk 2. To pull out the Right Eye and to cut off the Right Hand Matth. 5. 29 30. i. e. To shun those Looks and Actions which are Provocations to Sin As he that means to recover of Bodily sickness must avoid all things that would irritate the morbifick matter so he whose Soul is sick and would be cured must carefully avoid the occasions of those sins which have made him sick and he that would be drunk no more must avoid the Company that used to perswade him to intemperance and he that would be tempted no more by the Harlot that drew him in must not come near her house Prov. 5. 8. 3. Not to repine at the bitter draughts Christ gives you to drink of but to say as he in his Agonies The Cup which my Father hath given me shall not I drink it Joh. 18. 11. Whether this bitter Cup be the Cup of Mortification of Fasting of Severities of being reveng'd upon thy self and of deep Humiliation or the Cup of Bodily affliction if he bids you drink of it it must be thankfully taken else expect no cure and that which ought to encourage us to drink of it is this that this bitterness will end at last in sweetness unspeakable and ineffable Consolations 4. To sell all with the Merchant in the Gospel to get the Pearl of Price i. e. God's love and favour Matth. 13. 45 46. The meaning is nothing must come in competition with the great concern of your Salvation nothing must be suffered to be laid in the Ballance with Eternal Happiness whatever would prejudice that must be rejected and left to those that know not how to prize it To secure that all must be ventur'd and if even Father and Mother should be the tempters to discourage us from it even their Friendship must be lost and all that we expected from them counted unworthy to be compared with the Glory which ere long shall be revealed in us The PRAYER MOST Glorious God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Heaven is thy Throne and the Earth is thy Foot-stool Where is the House that Man can build unto thee And where is the Place of thy Rest Thou dwellest not in Temples made with Hands yet in an humble sound sincere and pure Heart thou hast promised to fix thy Habitation Oh that my Heart were so When shall I be rid of my vain foolish wicked and dangerous Thoughts Oh! When wilt thou purge and cleanse this House from the Rubbish which annoys it When wilt thou adorn my Soul with profound Humility which may be an Invitation of thy Gracious Presence How apt am I to look off from Thee How apt to mind poor transitory Things How little am I acquainted with that Fervency of Spirit which I see in others Great Physician Heal thou me Thou hast healed Thousands Oh let me be one of that Number It may be of all that Multitude there was none so miserable as I am yet no Spots no Stains are too hard for Thee to wash out I have delighted in my Filthiness and with the Swine taken pleasure in the Mire Oh Let me consider how nobly I am born and hate that mean and servile Spirit I am born of God So thy Apostle tells me Oh Let my God be ever in my Heart and let me do God-like Things even Things that savour of Heaven and a Super-natural Temper Touch my Soul sweet Jesu Touch it with the Rays of thy Favour in this Sacrament that I may seek after Thee alone think on Thee alone and love Thee alone Chase away all sinful Sickness from me and make me sick of Love that joyfully without Tediousness I may continue in Well-doing Thou art a Saviour Be thou so to me and save me from my Sins Give me an healthful Soul a good Conscience and a sound Mind and Purity of Heart and with that Purity frequent Rejoycing in thy Name Tranquility of Spirit Multitude of holy Thoughts Innocence of Life ardent Love and Everlasting Charity Let no Temptations defile me but let these rather purge and joyn and unite me to Thee Give me a constant Zeal for thy Honour and Glory and let me be for ever delighted with thy Praises Amen Amen CHAP. XXI Of Damnation which the Unworthy Receiver Eats and Drinks to himself The CONTENTS The Word made use of by St. Paul in threatning Unworthy Receivers ambiguous on purpose to fright them from the Sin How Men eat and drink their Damnation in this holy Sacrament The Justice of God in inflicting Damnation on Unworthy Receivers vindicated The Threatning of Damnation being denounced by St. Paul to the prophane Corinthians that came drunk to this holy Ordinance how that can be applied to sinful Men in this Age who are not in a possibility of coming drunk to the Lord's Table since the Eucharist is with us administred and received in the Morning and most of those who come do come with some Preparation Whence it comes that Damnation doth not fright Men more it being the greatest Misery Man is capable of The Severity of this Threatning puts Communicants in mind what a Value and Esteem they are to have for the Death of Christ. Yet it is no just Discouragement from Approaching with sincere Desires and Resolutions to become conformable to Christ Jesus The Prayer I. THE Judgment the unworthy Receiver pulls upon himself is not only Temporal but Eternal too To this End I have already told you that the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle in his Threatning denounced against unworthy Receivers signifies not only Judgment in general but also Damnation And indeed the Holy Ghost doth purposely make use sometimes of ambiguous Words especially in Threatnings to rouze Men the more from their Slumber and to give them notice that if the lesser Punishment threatned in the Expression is either delayed or cannot prevail that then the greater included in the same Word shall take place Thus the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sheol in the Old Testament used much in Threatnings import both the Grave and Hell and in Comminations against wicked Men it doth not only signifie an untimely Grave but a far greater Punishment beyond it even Eternal Darkness and Everlasting Howlings to shew that if the former Danger cannot fright the later shall when it is too late to repent And so here the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 including both Temporal Judgment and Damnation we must believe the Apostle hath
I might be advanc'd to bliss I see what a costly thing my Salvation is since to purchase it the Son of God did die Yet how light do I make of Heaven O God what moved thee to love me thus And shall I think any thing to dear to part with for thy sake Into what Labyrinths do I run my self while I am mine own Keeper Thou hast paid dear for thy right to rule and govern me and shall I after all be loath to be govern'd by so Gracious a Master Here I make an offering of my Heart if thou wilt but vouchsafe to accept of it it is a Present unworthy of thy Greatness and Majesty yet thou art pleased to require no other sacrifice Hence forward speak Lord and thy Servant will hear and when the Characters of thy Mercy wear out or decay in my unconstant Soul Lord write them there afresh write them with the Blood of Christ that they may be everlasting and may be an Eternal fence to me against the suggestions and persuasions of thine Enemies 3. Conversing with the Holy Angels after we have eaten requires imitation of them in their Praises and Obedience Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his commandments hearken to the voice of his word saith the Psalmist Psal. 103. 20. Praise and Obedience are inseparable Virtues the one without the other makes dull Musick in the Ears of God Let no Man think that because Angels are invisible Spirits and afar off there is no conversing with them He that doth their work is their Companion their Brother and their Familiar with such they love to be such persons they love to visit and he that doth so may be as confident they are on his right hand as if he saw them for God hath said so Psal. 34. 7. and therefore it must be true whether our carnal eyes behold them or no. Praising is not only to offer up a Psalm or Hymn after we have eaten but living in a sense of the love of God and he that doth so cannot but be obedient and faithful to him that hath so signally manifested his mercy in his Misery The PRAYER O Thon who art the Bread of Life who canst feed Souls and nourish Spirits into Immortal Life who hast food the World knows not of and by secret influences canst enrich and enlighten those that wait at the Pool for the stirring of the Waters O bring my mind in frame O teach me to eat in this Sacrament of thy Love to the satisfying my Soul Make the food of sin odious and bitter to me I have fed too long on that stolen Bread Open mine Eyes that I may see how miserable I am if I do not relish what thou hast set before me Thou hast given me a Soul and thou would'st have it thrive In this Sacrament is that which shall strengthen my Heart I want only a mighty hunger and thirst O thou who hast given me an Appetite after the meat which perishes give me a Holy greediness after that which endures to everlasting life O let the Benefits of thy death prove life to my Spirit Raise it above this dull and Corruptible Flesh that it may triumph over its base desires Bring thou back my Captivity and let my Chains fall off Let the Liberty of thy Children which consists in a chearful going on from virtue to virtue be my delight and ornament so shall the King take pleasure in my Beauty and my Soul shall rejoyce in Thee for ever Amen CHAP V. Of the various abuses of this Holy Sacrament The CONTENTS The most Sacred things in all ages have been abused Instances drawn from the brazen Serpent Gideon's Ephod and the Love-Feasts of the Primitive Christians Abuses of Holy things rise from several causes The Lords Supper hath undergone the same fate The Holier any thing is that is abused the greater is the Crime A great abuse of this Holy Sacrament is to fancy that like a spell it will Charm sin out of our Souls without strong endeavours The abuses committed in this Sacrament no just Temptation to neglect the use of it The Prayer I. THere is nothing so sacred or holy but hath been and may still be abused by sensual Men. Moses Numb 21. 8. by God's special Appointment erects a fiery Serpent or a Serpent of Polished Brass shining bright as Fire a symbol of God's Presence and Power to heal the tormented Israelites who had been stung by fiery Serpents insomuch that if any of the persons thus stung look'd upon the Figure he actually recovered So remarkable a History depending upon this brazen Serpent it was laid up for a Monument yet in process of time this became an object of Idolatry which moved Hezekiah to break it in pieces and call it Nehushtan 2 Kings 18. 4. The very same happen'd to Gideon's Ephod Judg. 8. 27. a thing innocently enough contrived and in all probability piously intended as a standing testimony to future Ages what a signal Victory God had given his People over the barbarous Midianites yet after his Death when with his Life his Power and Authority over the bruitish People were gone they went a whoring after it i. e. fell to worship it an accident which proved the ruine of Gideon's Family and of thousands besides in Israel What could be more innocent than the Love-Feasts in the Primitive Church Mention is made of them Jud. vers 12. They were Feasts made in the Oratories or places where the Primitive Christians used to assemble for the Celebration of Divine Worship and at the charge of such as were well to pass or richer than the rest to these the poorer sort were invited and sat down at the Table with the rich ate with them and carried the Leavings or Fragments home and this being done with great expressions of Love and managed with singular Meekness Charity and Humility with brotherly Familiarity and with holy Discourses without Excess or Intemperance and all sanctified by Prayers and Psalms and reading the Holy Scriptures the Apostles both permitted and encouraged these pious Collations and after them their Hearts being thus impregnated with Charity they applied themselves to the Use and Celebration of the Eucharist That which gave occasion to these Love-Feasts was either Christ's eating the Passover with his Disciples immediately before the Communion or the custom of the Jews who used to eat and drink together in some Chamber or Building adjoyning to the Temple when they offered their Sacrifices or which is more probable from the antient custom of the Grecians who having brought rich Guifts they intended for their Gods to the Temple converted them into Feasts of Charity to which the Poor as well as the Rich sat down and all ate together no respect of Persons being observed at that time which Practice not a few Christians being lately crept out of the darkness of Heathenism it 's like retained changing only the Object of their Worship and doing that to
The Preceding Considerations reduced to Practice I. WE may take notice here of the strange decay of Christianity especially with respect to Fasting a piece of Devotion whereby the Primitive Believers effected very great things And it 's to be feared that the over-tenderness of Men to their Bodies in this Age and a fancy that every thing is necessary which their Appetite craves is no small hinderance to their eminency in Virtue and Goodness It 's granted that Men may be very vicious and yet great Fasters too as one John Scot in Scotland in the year 1539. a man of no Learning and no good Qualities neither who was able to abstain thirty or forty days together from all manner of Meat and Drink whereof the King willing to make tryal shut him up in a Room within the Castle of Edinburgh suffering no creature to come at him A little Bread and Water indeed was set before him at his first coming into the room but upon examination it was found that he had not so much as tasted of it in the space of 32 days And going afterwards to Rome the like proof of his fasting was given to Pope Clement VII and some time after preaching against King Henry the Eighth's Divorce at London he was shut up in Prison where he fasted 50 days yet continued still a dissolute man But it is not the bare abstinence that makes a Man a Christian but the spending a Fast religiously and to good ends works the Miracle of Holiness and such were the Fasts of the Primitive Believers who by such frequent Mortifications made their Graces tower and climb and culminate to the admiration of the unbelieving World when they would conquer any Corruption when they had a mind to arrive to any excellency in Vertue when they wanted a signal spiritual Blessing nay when their Friends and Relations or any eminent Servant of God lay sick they presently applied themselves to this piece of Mortification and found great success And it stands to reason that where the Soul gets thus above the Body slights the Pleasures of the flesh determines to converse with God and entertains herself with the thoughts of his Greatness and her own Vileness God who ever loves an humble Spirit will look down and satisfie the longing Soul and fill the thirsty Soul with Goodness Yet II. Let 's not think we have discharged our duty when we have received the Lord's Supper fasting that will signifie but little if after receiving we do not fast from sin This is the acceptable Lent and must be observed more religiously than the Mahometan doth his month Ramasan This is the Fast which the Lord hath chosen and except our Abstinence from Food be in order to this Fast God regards it no more than the lowing of Oxen or the bleating of Sheep To fast from sin is both a Preparative for the Lord's Supper and must be the consequence of it This Fast must be the very end of our coming to the holy Table and we eat and drink there that we may be out of love with this dangerous Meat Nor is this Fast from sin a thing impossible if by sin as we ought to do we understand wilful and habitual sin and the Motives to this perpetual Fast are very cogent He that believes that sin is the Food of Devils and the Meat of Hell and the Festival of Fallen Angels can have no great Stomach to it Nothing starves the Soul sooner than sin and as pleasant as it may be to the Palate the Soul suffers extreamly by it and falls into Palsies and Apoplexies It makes it not only lean but miserable too it shuts her out from the care and tenderness of a Gracious God and in its pernicious effects goes beyond the Apples of Sodom for whereas these upon touching of them fall and shatter only into Ashes that ends in eternal Fire The Ears must be stopt therefore against its Charms the Eyes shut against its alluring Dresses and thus we may wean our selves from any affection to this forbidden fruit The PRAYER O My God! Thou art the most Charming Object and though the sensual World will not be persuaded to believe it yet it is because their eyes are blinded The enlightned Soul discovers such Beauty in thee as transcends the fairest Pictures that mortal hands can make Thou who art the Creator of all Excellencies must needs be more excellent than all thy Creatures O how have I been mistaken in my choice How greedy have I been after the Meat which perisheth To fast and abstain from that I have thought death and misery while I could be content to live without thee and to be deprived of the Communications of thy Goodness hath not so much as caused the least solicitude in my Breast The want of thy favour hath troubled me no more than the want of things which are contrary to my Nature and Constitution I see now where my Happiness lies and to feed on thee I perceive is to feed on that which is incorruptible O kiss me with the kisses of thy Lips and my Soul shall leap for joy Make sin odious to me and make me as averse from it 〈◊〉 my nature is from Poison Let my desires be after thee alone and let me feel that when I enjoy thee I have the best Meat and Drink and that which will nourish me into everlasting Life Let nothing satisfie me but to live for ever Let that be my Ambition Let that be my Resolution Let that be my Endeavour My Soul hath been precious in thy sight thou hast not yet condemn'd me with the World Thy patience hath long waited for me while others have been sent into Darkness thou hast spared me and suffered me to enjoy the Light of the Living I will trespass upon thy Goodness no more I feel the workings of thy Spirit in my Soul I feel desires and propensities to Goodness I will cherish them O help thou me Let those drops of Goodness in me swell into Floods and the riâ—ulets of Grace that run through my Soul into larger streams Let thy voice be heard in my Soul thy convincing thy converting thy pardoning thy sanctifying voice At thy Word I will let down the Net O let me enclose a multitude of Virtues Goodness hath been meat I have had an aversion from now let it become my daily Bread Teach me the art of Abstinence perswade me to abstain from that which will certainly be my ruine Give me a Holy greediness after thy Word let mine ears delight to hear it and mine eyes delight to see it and my feet delight to walk in the way of it Lead me to the Rock that is stronger than I let me freely-Sacrifice unto thee Let my great endeavour be to please my Redeemer who hath saved my Life from the Nethermost Hell He bids me follow him O blessed Jesu I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest Only give me alitority and readiness to make haste after thee who
on in the Imagination of their Hearts but Sinners who are ambitious of a clean Heart and of a new Spirit not Sinners that will keep their Sins but Sinners that are weary of them not Sinners who still find Sweetness in their Sins but Sinners who are sensible of the Bitterness of them not Sinners who make a Mock of Sin but Sinners to whom Sin is a Grief and Burthen not Sinners that make a Covenant with Hell but Sinners that break that Covenant to be the Lord's Free-men So that not to be free from Sin is not to eat and drink unworthily Nor 3. Doth all Dulness in holy Duties make a Man an unworthy Receiver There is a Dulness indeed which proceeds from an Aversion to the holy Commands of the Gospel from a voluntary Stupidity of Mind and want of Relish of Spiritual Things and this without all peradventure is very prejudicial to the Soul and a bad Preparative for the Communion and no small Impediment to the Grace of God But there is a Dulness which is the Result of Faintness when the Spirits are spent and the first Intenseness of the Mind is worn out In such Cases a Dulness and Deadness may easily rise but much against our Wills and to be sure without our Approbation Nor is this Dulness to be seen only in Temporal Concerns but even in Spiritual Duties and Devotions When the first Heat of Devotion in the Morning is over and the Spirits of the Blood which were the Porters that serv'd to carry up our Prayers on high are in some measure tired the Soul that after this applies her self to the holy Communion in the publick Congregation may want that Liveliness and Briskness of Thought Desire and Affection because the first Flames which were strongest in the Morning when we rose are spent Now This Dulness doth not make a Person an unworthy Receiver And the same Judgment we are to make of that Dulness which rises from natural Imperfections and Sicknesses incident to good Men as well as bad such as Lethargies Dropsies Scurvy Consumption and other Distempers which are either beginning or are come to a considerable Strength Neither the one nor the other if they seize us at the Communion do make us unworthy Receivers 1. Because God doth not judge of us so much by the present Liveliness and Activity of our Spirits as by the Sincerity of our Souls Where the Soul is bent to please God doth not regard Iniquity in her Heart and preserves so much of Fear upon her Mind as makes her that she would not offend God wilfully though it were to gain the Kingdoms of the World is willing to be better inform'd to have her Errours discovered to her is desirous to be strengthen'd in the Inward Man is still ready to embrace any Good suggested to her from the Word of God or the Ministers of his Ordinances there the Soul hath reason to bless God for the Sincerity that is in her and to believe that notwithstanding her present accidental or involuntary Dulness he will meet her in this Sacrament with a favourable Aspect bid her welcome and give her the glorious Blessings she expects in the Holy Communion For if there be first a willing Mind it is accepted according to what a Man hath and not according to what he hath not saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 8. 12. If that Soul finds a present Dulness is willing to be rid of it is so far from being pleased with it that it is her Burthen would be more lively in her Desires if she could there God will certainly spread open his Arms to her and receive her 2. Because God rejects no Person for what he cannot help I know this is the common Plea of all unconverted Sinners When they are exhorted to close with God and to cashier their known Sins or are reproved for continuing in them the String they harp upon is this That they cannot help it But not to mention that by thinking or saying so they make God a Lyar who saith they can help it if they will use the Means the Holy Ghost prescribes 't is evident to all wise and considerate Men that this pretence of Impossibility is nothing but Resolution and Obstinacy to continue in the State they are in And therefore when I say that God rejects none for what they cannot help the meaning is for what he sees and knows they cannot help As a Christian who upon the account of his Conscientiousness is cast into a Prison or Dungeon God will not reject him for not frequenting the publick Ordinances so here for the Dulness that seizes upon pious Christians in their holy Performances God will not withdraw his Kindness especially where he sees that either the faintness of their Spirits or the prevailing Distempers in their Bodies baffle all their repeated and reiterated strivings to be lively and affectionate in their Addresses to God and particularly in the holy Communion In this case God regards rather the brave Intention of the honest Believer and his swimming against the Stream than the Want of what he desires Nor will he condemn him for not doing that which he would do and cannot And the same is to be said of those blasphemous Suggestions I mention'd and gave an Account of Chap. 14. Sect. 7. ¶ 4. They being things which no Man can help for Who can hinder the Devil from tempting him if detested they cannot make the Person that resists and abhors them an unworthy Receiver though they should fly or dart into his Mind in the Act of Receiving All that can be done to them is to abominate them when they come in and though they may be the Devil's Sin who frames these fiery Darts and shapes them on his Anvil yet they are not Sin to the assaulted Person who saith I renounce the Devil and all his Works There is no fighting of them with Swords and Spears they are not to be cut in pieces with Knives or Axes are not to be expelled by Forks and Weapons Resistance and Detestation and Prayer and Declarations of our contrary Belief is all the Force that can be used and while this is done the Soul is safe under all those Skirmishes of the Enemy Nay Who can promise themselves a greater Welcome to this Table than those that resist Temptation Resistance is a Vertue and a Sign the Soul is touched with a Sense of God 'T is a Character of Grace and Abhorrency of Evil a Fruit of the Spirit and those that are led by the Spirit cannot but be worthy Communicants Whatever Temptation we meet withal while we consent not we preserve the Safety of our Souls And though it is true that these blasphemous Suggestions come in sometimes so thick and so fast and make those strange Impressions on the Mind that the Patient cannot well tell whether he consents to them or not yet it being in a manner impossible we should consent to things our very Nature abhors and which we
Perfections but to have thy Imperfections supplied Thou comest not hither to boast of thy Cleanness but to be washed from their Sins Thou comest not hither to glory in thy Merits but to receive an Alms at thy great Master's Hands his Grace his Love his Compassion will make thee worthy Thou comest not to give him an Account of thy Riches but as an hungry Beggar that wants Bread to feed on the hidden Manna All that is required of thee is to look upon thy Redeemer as thy greatest Friend and to use him like a Friend to make his Friendship an Enforcive to love him and so to love him as to hearken to his Counsels to be govern'd by his Directions to bid farewel to all things that will destroy that Friendship to repent of thy Unkindnesses to him and to prefer his Advice before that of Flesh and Blood to hearken to his Instructions more than to the false Suggestions of the World and so to remember that thy Sins have contributed to his Crucifixion as to punish them with Frowns and Mortifications If thou art willing to this he will supply thy Defects he will satisfie thy hungry Soul he will feed thee from his Storehouse and make thy Soul Partaker of his purchased Possession Let not thy Unworthiness discourage thee 'T is confessed thou art a poor vile Worm a Sinner a wretched Creature not worthy of the least of all his Mercies not worthy to be taken notice of not worthy of the least Glimpse of his Favour but still if he is pleased to count and esteem thee worthy it is Contempt of his Love if thou dost not accept of this gracious Offer and come and liâ—t up thine Hands towards his holy Oracle If thou wilt but look upon thy Sins as Enemies and if they do assault thee wilt vigorously oppose thy self against their Attempts and if they do surprize thee once or twice wilt renew thy Courage against them and do any thing rather than yield to them and set up this Resolution in thy Heart that the Lord shall be thy God thou shalt be worthy he will give thee Grace which shall make thee worthy His Flesh shall nourish thy Soul his Blood shall enrich the Ground of thy Heart his Presence shall give thee Life his Assistance will make thee spiritual his Spirit will enable thee to rejoyce in him that made thee make thee a worthy Conqueror worthy of the Tree of Life and worthy of that Pardon he hath purchased for thee on the Cross when in his own Body he bore thy Sins upon the Tree that thou being dead to Sin mightest live unto God III. Among the various sorts of Persons that are loth to come to this holy Sacrament those betray strange Imprudence as well as Obstinacy that are loth to part with their Sins and therefore are loth to come for fear they should eat and drink unworthily and make themselves guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and eat and drink their won Damnation But O Generation of Vipers Who hath told you that this is the way to escape the Wrath to come Who hath been so wise as to inform you that this way you may flee from the Indignation of the Lord In what Scripture have you read that your not coming to this Sacrament because you are loth to prophane it by your Sins will save you from Perdition 'T is very true and you are in the right when you suppose that your Refractoriness to Reformation and Amendment makes you unworthy Receivers But can you imagine that you are ever a whit the safer for not coming Will not the Sins you live and continue in do your Work for you and make you Heirs of Damnation The wilful Neglect of this Sacrament is a damnable Sin And can you think that your not coming will make your Condition more easie and tolerable 'T is true you pretend you will not prophane it and therefore do not come You are sensible it requires Reformation and because your Circumstances will not permit you to lead better Lives you are loth to add to your Danger by eating and drinking unworthily But when your not coming to this Sacrament makes you miserable as well as your coming and receiving unworthily 't is strange that the Point of adding some Grains to the Bulk of your Misery should make you afraid of coming I will not deny but Eating and Drinking unworthily doth in some measure aggravate the Evil a Man lives in because he adds Scorn to his Impiety but as long as his Impenitence without coming and his coming unworthily do both involve him in the Danger of Damnation it is a foolish Plea to preted you dare not come for fear of aggravating your Condemnation as if Damnation were tolerable and the Degrees of it only intolerable But we see what you drive at You hope some time before you die and when you will not have those Opportunities of sinning that now you have you may receive it and save your Souls at last But to hear Men talk of what they shall do hereafter when they have not one Minute of their Lives at their Command is so ridiculous that it needs no Answer This is certain your Sins are sweet and your evil Lives make you fit to live in the World and therefore you will not come But will this Argument hold Water do you think when God shall plead with you Surely your Sins are very precious things that you dare refuse coming to this holy Ordinance for them The Scripture calls them Filth and Poyson for so they are in the Eyes of an holy God And are they dearer to you than the Love of God They are perfect Leprosie And had had you rather be full of Sores and Boyls than come hither to be made clean They crucified your Saviour And will you keep that which murther'd him They are the Disgrace and Reproach of your Souls And will you delight in your Infamy They are the things that separate betwixt a glorious God and you And will you uphold that fatal Distance and Separation They exclude you from the Kingdom of Heaven And will you be content with that Exclusion Are you wise and understanding Men And will you not open your Eyes and see your Danger What do you call Contempt of God if this be not it What do you call slighting of Incomprensible Mercy if this do not deserve that Name Can you hope for God's Pardon at last that refuse to accept of it in this Ordinance Do you believe you have Souls and that it is your Interest to secure them against Mischief And will you prefer a few airy volatile Joys before their Safety Sinner When is it that thou dost intend to reform Is it when an angry God looks thee in the Face and an evil Conscience upon thy Death-bed presages thy future Torments Is it possible that an offended God will then fly into thy Embraces whom thou didst not care for all thy Days Behold in this
quiet their unruly and tumultuous Consciences O my Soul Dread these things as Hell-fire and let not Sin reign in thy mortal Body lest thou be tempted to stand in it and to think well of it and defend it and by that means make thy Case desperate and thy Disease remediless and irrecoverable 36. And the Soldiers also mocked him coming to him and offering him Vinegar TO give a dying Man Vinegar is to increase his Torments and mocking of his Misery To add Affliction to Affliction hath been counted inhumane by most Nations How like Beasts and Brutes doth Want of Religion make Men Nothing makes them act more rationally than Religion Religion is the Image of God and he that practiseth it cannot but be like God O my Jesus Give me such a Sense of it that it may shine through my Actions and People may see whose Child I am Oh when shall my brutish my beastly Affections die When shall I imitate my Father which is in Heaven and act like a Person who hath a Soul infused from above the Gift of the Father of Lights with whom there is no Variableness nor Shadow of Turning 37. And saying If thou be the King of the Jews save thy self A Frothy Humour to what Inconveniences doth it lead Men It makes them speak ill of God before they are aware and while they give way to their Jests they very often affront Religion and Holiness that is its individual Companion O my Saviour Give me a serious Temper Gravity of Behaviour Sobriety of Speech Discretion in my Words and Considerateness in my Carriage Let me not dare to offend thee to please Men nor attempt to make the Company I am in merry with breaking Jests upon things at which the holy Angels tremble 38. And a Superscription also was written over him in Letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew This is the King of the Jews HOW doth God concur with the Actions of sinful Men contrary to their Designs and Purposes Pilate when he writ this Title over the Cross in all these Languages perhaps did it only to gratifie his Humour but God so directed it that all Nations intimated by those Languages might read there that this Jesus was the Saviour of all the World and that no Nation was excluded from a Title to the Merits of his Cross and Passion O Jesu Thou art no Respecter of Persons But in every Nation whosoever serves thee and works Righteousness is accepted of thee As poor as mean as inconsiderable as I am yet if my Heart be upright toward thee thou wilt receive me and love me Oh give me such an Heart as thou delightest to dwell in And if thou art in me I shall possess a Treasure which the Moth cannot corrupt and Thieves cannot steal away 39. And one of the Malefactors which were hanged railed on him saying If thou be Christ save thy self WHat Rudeness was this Strange That his Misery should not make the Wretch more modest But his Concern was only for this present Life All that he desired was to be free from his present Pain that he might pursue his Sensual Inclinations as formerly How may a Man's Sensuality be known by his Talk O my Soul look well to thy Words and Discourses If thy Heart be touched with a Sense of a future glorious Life thy Tongue will delight to speak of it If thou have an Aversion from such Discourses all thy Professions of Eternal Life will be mere Wind and Air From the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaks If Heaven and a glorious Eternity hath possessed thy Heart thou wilt find Opportunities to utter thy inward Feelings of those things with thy Tongue 40. But the other answering rebuked him saying Dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same Condemnation FRiendly Reproof is a great Duty Yet O my Soul how loth hast thou been to give it and how loth hast thou been to take it when this precious Balm hath been poured out upon thy Head by a charitable Neighbour How hast thou looked upon it as Gall and Wormwood And what hard Thoughts hast thou entertained of the kind Monitor calling him either faucy or medling with things that did not concern him And how often hast thou let thy Neighbour sleep and rest in his Sin when thy Fraternal Correption might have rouzed him from his Slumber Oh be humbled for this great Omission And when a Malefactor on the Cross thinks himself obliged not to suffer Sin upon his Neighbour be not thou backward to save a Soul from Death 41. And we indeed justly for we receive the due Reward of our Deeds But this Man hath done nothing amiss AN humble Acknowledgment of our Sins and Demerits is the Way to God's Bosom This is the first Discovery of this poor Man's Repentance and he begins with the noblest Act of it which is seeking to draw others to a Sense of better things In this O my Soul thou hast been very remiss and neglectful even in propagating Religion and exhorting others to seek God's Face Henceforth be more diligent in gaining Proselytes to Christ Jesus And what if thy Admonition prevails not thou hast discharged a Duty and may'st rejoyce in having acted according to the Will of God 42. And he said unto Jesus Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom HEre is a Mind set upon Heaven and despising the World than which nothing is more acceptable to God He is content to endure Shame Pain Tortures Prickings Aches and all the Indignities that Man can offer to him so Christ will but remember him in his Kingdom O Jesu Son of God! give me such a Mind and Temper which may be content with any thing so I may but obtain a Share in the Pleasures at thy Right Hand Let even Sword and Famine and Hunger and Thirst and Nakedness seem nothing to me so I may but enjoy thy Embraces in the End Asure me and convince me that the Afflictions of this present Life though never so great never so painful never so lasting never so bitter or piercing are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which e'er long shall be revealed in me 43. And Jesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise HOW ready is Christ to cherish the Penitent that abhors himself for his Deformity and sees greater Beauty and Excellency and Satisfaction in the Ways of Holiness and a Spiritual Life than in all the Comforts of this World Blessed Saviour How ready art thou to stretch forth thine Arms to such humble and contrite Spirits Thou art readier to grant than they to ask and even before they cry thou hearest them Oh let this be an Encouragement to me to deplore my Sins and to bewail mine Offences to detest what I have been doing against thee and to seek first thy Kingdom and its Righteousness that now that thou art in thy Kingdom thou may'st remember me and when I leave
love thee feel XI O Saviour Gentle as the Spirit that in the shape of a Dove lighted on thy Sacred Head Teach me that Meekness which look'd so amiable in thy Life Expel the evil Spirits of Wrath Anger and Pride and Envy out of my Soul Speak the word and these Winds and Waves will obey thee Let thy gentleness make me great When I shall have overcome my wrathful and proud Inclinations and O! let the Sacrament I am going to help me in the Conquest then shall I be great and glorious in thy sight XII Great Shepherd of my Soul whose Wounds are full of Sweetness full of Mercy full of Charity Let thy Wounds prove the most powerful Remedies to rid me of my Corruptions When any impure Thoughts rise in me let thinking of thy Wounds crush them when sluggishness in Religion assaults me let thy Wounds and the remembrance of them make me vigilant in thy service and when in the Holy Sacrament I think of thy Wounds let all my vain imaginations expire XIII Great Friend of my immortal Soul Such a friend is not to be found in all the World as thou hast been to me for thou hast laid down thy Life for me O let me make much of thy friendship and cherish it by being meek and humble and merciful and patient as thou wert that thou mayest be my Friend when I dye and after Death receive me to thy self O confirm and seal thy Friendship to my Soul in the Blessed Sacrament and let the same Spirit move in me which raised thee from the dead XIV O Thou who hast wash'd me from my Sins with thine own Blood chuse I beseech thee my Heart for thy Dwelling place adorn and replenish it with thy Gifts and Graces make me to loath all transitory things make me poor in Spirit cure in me the itch of Self-love throw down all pride and eagerness after the Riches of this World and make the Holy Sacrament I am going to a mean to adore thee in Spirit and in Truth and to persevere in Goodness to the end XV. Great Comforter of all weary and laden Souls Circumcise my Heart from all evil Thoughts and Words and Actions and Comunicate thy self unto me that I may never be separated from thee or ever be deprived of thy Comfort Draw my Soul after thee in the Holy Sacrament and let that Blessed Ordinance powerfully stir up my Heart to love thee XVI O Thou who art the door of thy Sheepfold By thee let me have access to thy Father's Love And as in the Holy Sacrament thou openest thy Bosom to me so let me run and seek shelter there Chain me to thy self by Bands of Love and let no Temptation defile me O keep me that I may never cowardly faint at any adversity XVII Thou who hast endured contradictions of Sinners against thy self Be thou ever in my mind and teach me to bear Calumnies and Reproaches with great tranquility of Mind Let me refer all difficulties to thee and with silence expect thy Grace and Comfort and let the Blessed Sacrament so influence my Soul that I may fear none but thee XVIII Great Captain of my Salvation I am going to learn to fight the good fight in the Blessed Sacrament of thy Love Let thy great example there encourage me to fight against all Ambition and Ostentation against Censoriousness and Uncharitableness against all Intemperance and Gluttony against all proud and covetous Thoughts against Guile and Hypocrisie against discontentedness and misitrinst of thy Providence Against such Enemies give me grace to fight over these let me triumph that having striven lawfully I may at last be admitted to the Glorious sight of thy Sweet Self and be charm'd with thy Love for ever CHAP. XXVII Of the proper Acts of Devotion when we come to the Holy Table The CONTENTS Private Acts of Devotion must be forborn while the Congregation joyns in common Addresses to Almighty God General Acts of Devotion relating to the wonderful Love of Christ and our Love to him Particular Acts of Devotion at the Consecration and Receiving of the holy Symbols I. THE following Acts are fittest to be used before the Prayers of the Church usual at the Communion do begin or before the Minister of the Ordinance comes to us with the sacred Symbols and while others are Communicating II. While the Minister of the Ordinance is engaged in the Prayers of the Church these Ejaculations must be forborn our Duty during the publick Devotions being to joyn with the Congregation in their common Addresses to God These Acts of Devotion are either General or Particular The General I call those which respect the Love of the Lord Jesus The Particular those which are to be exercised at the Consecration and Receiving of the Consecrated Bread and Wine General Acts of Devotion at the Lord's Table I. GReat Saviour of the World Thou art infinitely amiable worthy to be loved by all to whose Ears the joyful Message of thy Love doth come I rejoyce in the Knowledge of thy Love I count my self happy that I am born under the Shadow of thy Gospel in which thy wonderful Love to the Children of Men is manifested I desire no other Knowledge 'T is enough that I know thou hast loved me beyond Example I desire to count all things Dross and Dung for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ. II. O my Jesus I am not worthy to love thee Yet because thou biddest me love thee and hast told me that my Soul was created on purpose to love thee I chearfully resign my Love and Affection to thee I desire to love thee I wish for nothing more than that I may passionately love thee Whom have I in Heaven to love but thee And there is none on Earth that I desire to love more than thy self For thou art altogether lovely and thy Love surpasses all the Love of Friends and the dearest Relations I have III. O my blessed Redeemer I desire to love thee with all my Heart and with all my Strength Thou gavest me this Heart and this Strength And on whom can I bestow it better than on thee the Author of it Oh that all that is within me might be turned into Desires and Inclinations and Sighs and Languishings and Breathings after thee For I cannot express what thou hast done for me What thou hast done for me is beyond all the Kindness that the greatest Men ever did or can do for the meanest and poorest Creatures IV. Great Advocate of my Soul Thou seest my Desire to love thee Make it strong and powerful Take a Coal from the Altar and give it Fire that nothing may hinder the Flame from mounting up that nothing may weaken this Desire nothing may break it nothing may tire it nothing may mingle with it that is unclean or contrary to thy Love V. Great Object of my Desires Make me a Martyr of thy Love Make me willing even to die for love of thee Raise a
mighty Hunger and Thirst after thy Love in my Soul Such an Hunger and Thirst that I may be unsatisfied with any thing but thy Love Let thy Love work upon me with that Efficacy that I may think my self afflicted and poor and miserable till I love thee fervently VI. Blessed Jesu Who would not love thee Who would not wish to be enamour'd with such Charity as thine is to the Sons and Daughters of Men If we love thee not it is because we do not know the Vehemency and Power of thy Love Had we a clear Sight of it our Souls would run after thee and nothing could stop them from clinging to so amiable an Object Lord give me that lively View of thy Love that nothing may charm me more than thy Love VII Great King of Saints pity me I would love thee but thou seest what Impediments come between thy Love and my blockish Heart Innumerable Temptations my perverse Will my Self-love my Passions and my other Imperfections Oh how these hinder me from loving thee O my Gracious Master Let me detest and abhor all these Enemies that would hinder me from loving thee Stretch forth thy mighty Arm and destroy these Foes that I may entirely love thee VIII O Jesu Thou art all Love all Goodness all Charity And Oh what Opposition do I find in my self to love thee O Love Divine Where is thy Strength thy Force and thy uncontrollable Power O my Lord Why dost not thou shew it Why dost not thou exert it for my Help Why do not thy Celestial Flames consume in me all that is contrary to thy Love Oh! When wilt thou establish the Life of Love even that Divine Life in my Soul IX O Omnipotent Love I leave my self to thy Management Enter enter into this frozen Heart and erect thy Kingdom and thy Empire there Undo what thou pleasest and build up what thou pleasest Let every Desire of my Soul become subject to thee Subdue every Imagination that would refuse to be at thy Command And make me willing to submit to any thing so I may but love thee X. Most lovely Saviour Shall any thing hinder me from loving thee Shall my Body I will subdue that Beast Shall my Sins I will drown them in thy Blood Shall the World or the Creatures here below No no I will renounce my Love to them I will despise them all They have too long excommunicated thee from my Soul I will make no more Account of my Praises of my Pleasures of my Vanities I will look upon them all as Dreams and Smoak and I will hate them as much as they have hated thee Great Centre of my Soul XI Great Sovereign of my Love Thou hast sent me into the World on purpose to love thee What a noble what an excellent what an holy End is this Think of the Honour think of the Favour think of the Dignity O my Soul that God hath laid upon thee That he that could have eternally enjoyed himself in his own Love should speak a Creature into Being and ordain that Creature to love him Oh how happy am I that God hath given me an Heart to love him O my Jesus Let me die a Thousand Deaths rather than lose thy Love XII O Love Divine Be thou the Life of my Life the Soul of my Soul the Spirit of my Spirit Let me think of thy Love and speak of thy Love and do Acts worthy of thy Love and let all my Conversation savour of the Love of Jesus Whatever I do let me do it for thy sake Let thy Love put me upon Acts of Charity and let every Vertue I exercise be the Product of thy Love XIII O Jesu Thou art my All All other things are nothing in comparison of thee And I would love nothing but in thee and for thee I would see thee in all things and love thee in every thing I do Thou art my greatest Friend my only Friend Thou art my Brother my Father my Husband and my Chief Thou art All in All to me And Oh that my All might be consecrated to thy Service XIV My dearest Saviour There is nothing in Heaven or in Earth so worthy to be loved as thou Oh how amiable art thou Yet the World doth not so much as think of thee They think of nothing but offending thee They hope to be saved by thee and yet do what they can to dishonour thee Let this very Consideration inflame my Love to thee Oh that I could love thee as the whole World ought to love thee XV. Great Son of God! I was bound to love thee as soon as I came to the Use of my Reason Yet how long hath it been before I thought of loving thee O my Lord how late do I begin to love thee How long have I hated thee How many Years together have I despised thy Love When I think of this I have reason to wish for a Sea of Tears nay for Tears of Blood to wash away my monstrous Ingratitude XVI O Beauty Eternal and Infinite If I were to live eternally here on Earth I were bound eternally to love thee How much more then during my short Stay here on Earth O my Lord consecrate my Life to thy Love Let every Day and Hour of my Life be employed in thy Love and make me ambitious of nothing more than to love thee to all Eternity XVII O thou Everlasting King At the Price of thy precious Blood thou hast bought every Moment of my Time that I might employ it in loving thee How much of that Time have I employed in loving the World and the Creatures How much of that Time have I lost in loving things I should not love 'T is time that I begin to employ my Hours about that for which they were designed And since they were given me to love thee Oh transform all my Desires into Aspirations and Breathings after thee XVIII O my Jesus Thou art so perfect and so lovely that if all Creatures in Heaven and in Earth should joyn their Forces together to love thee they could not love thee sufficiently and if I had a Thousand Hearts they would all be little enough to sacrifice to thy Love O then how am I oblig'd to employ that little Strength I have to love thee Oh that all Mankind might love thee Oh fill them all with a Sense of thy Love Draw them attract them unite their Hearts that they may love thy Name XIX O God of my Life Thou hast been always employ'd in loving me Thou didst create Heaven and Earth to testifie thy Love to me All that thou ever didst in this World for me was to shew how thou lovest me All the Spiritual and Temporal Blessings thou hast sent upon me tell me that thou lovest me But what greater Testimony of thy Love can there be than thy Dying for me As thy Love is perpetually exercised towards me so let mine be continually exercised towards thee And let me glory and
THE Crucified Jesus OR A full ACCOUNT OF THE Nature End Design and Benefits OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SUPPER With Necessary DIRECTIONS PRAYERS Praises and Meditations To be used by Persons who come to the HOLY COMMUNION By ANTHONY HORNECK D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to Their Majesties The Third Edition Corrected and Amended In the SAVOY Printed for Samuel Lowndes over-against Exeter-Change in the Strand 1695. ΑΓÎΩΣΤΩ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΗ TO THE Unknown Benefactor SIR THE following Discourse being the substance of several Sermons Preach'd at your desire and incouragement before the Monthly Sacraments though I am ignorant who you are and what part of the City or Country you live in yet I thought it my Duty to let the Publick know that there is such a Man in the World who is desirous to do good and loves not to be known This Treatise you have a proper Title too not only as one whose Hearts desire is to see the Church of England flourish but as a Benefactor too and to have Dedicated it to any other Person had been injurious to your Character You were sensible how backward the generality are to come to the Holy Communion how much ground the Church and Christianity it self loses by this stupid negligence of it's pretended Votaries and how not a few absent themselves for want of understanding the true nature and design of this Blessed Sacrament and therefore justly thought that if by a previous Monthly Sermon Mens Hearts were warm'd into consideration of the Use and Necessity of this Ordinance the Mists which hitherto have clouded their Vnderstandings would be dispell'd and they become acquainted with their Duâ—y which was the cause of your exciting me to this Publick Service Your Judgment hath not fail'd you for since these Religious Exercises have been among us abundance of Persons who before look'd upon their coming to the Holy Table either as indifferent or unnecessary or unseasonable have through the Blessing of God bethought themselves considered the Obligations that the mighty Work of Redemption lays upon them and conscientiously applyed themselves to the frequent Use of this Universal Medicine And all I can tell you for your incouragement is this That as we owe the beginning and progress of these Monthly Sermons to your Zeal and Influence so you will have a share both in the good that 's done by them and in the Rewards of those who are thereby brought to a serious sense of the wonderful Love of God in Christ Jesus It was a publick good you design'd by your munificence and that which makes the Pious Work the greater is that you do not care your left hand should know what your right hand doth The Almighty hath enrich'd your Heart with the Noblest Charity even with that to the Souls of Men an Emplâ—yment which God himself disdains not to travel in and what are all the Angels of Heaven but Ministring Spirits sent forth to be helpful unto those that shall be Heirs of Salvation Nothing is more pleasing to God than to be instrumental in bringing many Sons unto Glory and though you are no publick Orator yet you help towards Mens Conversion and in employing others to rouze them from their Spiritual slumber your Self have a hand in their Reformation And by that means Preach though you be not in Orders yet without offence to the Law and at the same time observe the Canons of the Church and win Souls without being engaged in the Sacred Function Some Criticks think that S. Paul in his Address to the Athenians doth not find fault with but commends them for Erecting an Altar To the unknown God and if so I hope none will blame me for raising this Monument To an unknown Benefactor Good Works are the sweetest Incense that can be laid upon God's Altar and though some that have concealed their Names have been discover'd by the Charitable Deeds done by them yet yours are so order'd that though for some time you have thus generously employ'd part of your means to advance this publick Good yet still you are a stranger to me and in that happier than the Roman Senator who hiding himself in the time of Proscription his Perfumes betrayed him May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath already touch'd your Heart with a sense of his Glory enrich you with all Spiritual Blessings and make you to abound more and more in Faith in Love and in all Goodness May that Great Shepherd of Souls enlighten your Understanding with greater brightness raise your Soul above this transitory World teach you to despise the things that are seen and fill you with earnest longings after those which are not seen that after having serv'd your Generation here your Immortal part may be admitted to the Enjoyment and Embraces of the Holy Trinity the Festivals of Seraphim to Mount Sion to the City of the Living God to the innumerable Company of Angels to the general Assembly of the First-born which are written in Heaven to the Spirits of Men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament whose Blood speaks better things than that of Abel So wishes SIR Your Affectionate Friend And Servant ANTH. HORNECK THE PREFACE THE vast number of Books about the Sacrament of the Eucharist as it shews the richness of the Subject so it discovers the Zeal and Industry of good Men to uphold the power of Religion in these perilous times as they are call'd by the Apostle of the Gentiles And indeed if we consider the influence this Ordinance hath yet on Men who have not altogether sold themselves to do Evil and are not gone so far as to make a mock of Religion it is no small motive to busie our selves in recommending and pressing the frequent use of it I look upon it as a special Providence of God that in this Iron Age wherein Men have made a shift to baffle all the Rules of Discipline they have yet some Reverence for this Ordinance insomuch that if we can oblige them to make use of it we may entertain great hopes of their future sobriety and seriousness The generality shun it because they are loth to shake hands with their looser lives and they are sensible that the use of this Ordinance and a disorderly Conversation are things inconsistent and incompatible and therefore could we perswade them to come we might promise our selves a rich and plentiful Harvest there being nothing more likely than the fruitfulness of that Ground which is water'd with the Blood of Jesus What I publish here is in order to make good my promise in a lesser Piece call'd The Fire of the Altar and when a Man hath once either rashly or premeditately made himself a Debtor to the Publick I think it is Justice and good Manners if he be able to discharge the Obligation I do not hereby discourage the Reader from perusing other Mens Labours He 'll possibly think there is no danger but desire only to
of it and in so doing have higher thoughts and reflect upon all the instances of his Love to their Immortal Souls and teach their Successors to do so too This Jesus who by wicked hands was Crucified and whom God hath made both Lord and Christ was the Master and Author of this Feast and from him it justly derives its Name 2. Because the end of this Eating and Drinking is to Commemorate the Death of the Lord Jesus As the end of the Passover under the Law was to remember the great Deliverance from the Egyptian Bondage and that of the Feast of Tabernacles their being guided through the Wilderness by a Cloud and their Ancestors dwelin Booths and Tents As the Feast of Trumpets was instituted either by way of Anticipation that they might remember afterwards how the Walls of Jericho fell or to refresh their Minds with Isaac's Sacrifice an Emblem of the Messiah's Death and the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost was ordained as a Testimony of their Gratitude for a Plentiful Harvest and to put them in mind of the Liberty they gain'd when God gave them the Law and entred into a Covenant with them and that of Purim to bring into their Memories how they were rescued from the cruelty of Haman the Amalekite and that of the Dedication to suggest to them the Rebuilding of the Temple So the Lord Jesus enjoyn'd and recommended the keeping of this Feast to his Followers that they might remember how their Master loved them and made his Death a demonstration of Love how he died to make them happy and denied himself in all the Contents of Life to make theirs blessed and glorious for ever how he submitted to the Power of the Grave to purchase their comfortable Resurrection and fell a Sacrifice that they might have hopes of Pardon through his Blood a Remembrance so just that if this Charity deserves not frequent Commemoration no Mercy no Benefit no Favour no Providence can deserve it for this goes beyond all that the Word of God calls glorious and beneficial to Mankind 3. It s the Lord's Supper because the Lord Jesus is Meat and Drink in this Feast Meat indeed and Drink indeed as the expression is John 6. 11. for though that Chapter speaks not directly of this Supper yet the Phrases and modes of speech used there may very piously be applied to what is represented by the Elements in this Feast for the Benefits Advantages and Emoluments of Christs Death are Food so proper to a Religious Soul and a gracious Mind feeds so savourly upon these that nothing deserves the name of Spiritual Meat and Drink so much as these and indeed these nourish and feed the Soul make her strong and lively these are her Cordials and Restoratives and in the nature of David's Oyl Psal. 104. 15. which make her Face to shine 4. It 's the Lords Supper because the nourishment and strength it affords or yields is by the influence of the Lord Jesus He sends his Spirit into the Soul that comes to his Feast hungry and thirsty and longing after the Riches of Gods Love whereby the Soul is inflamed to love him who bought her at this dear rate and that love produces Peaceableness and Gentleness and Faith and Purity and Sincerity and Delight in good Works which are excellent signs of the Souls growing strong in the use of the Spiritual Food The Holy Spirit of Christ destroys the reigning Power of Sin in her and the government of the Flesh for the leaner this grows and the more the authority of it is diminished the better the Soul thrives and the more vigorous and active it becomes in all its faculties III. Though to call this Feast The Lord's Supper when it is in most Churches Celebrated in the Morning seems to be improper yet the reason why it still bears the name is Because the same substantial Actions are still observed in the Celebration of it that were used by Christ and his Disciples at his first institution in the night and not only the same Actions but the same end and design is kept on foot which we find in its first foundation and whenever it is celebrated it 's still in imitation of that Supper and that Supper is still remembred in it The reason why Christ in instituting of it made use of the night which gave it the name of a Supper was because it was to be succedaneous to the Passover which according to custom was eaten at night as the Deliverance which the Jews remembred then was performed by the Angel at night and as the Passover represented the Old Covenant or Testament and this Feast the New so it was fit that the later should be instituted immediately after the Celebration of the former that both being set together their different signification might more plainly appear and Men might see what Mercies they might expect from the bringing in of a better Covenant This being the occasion of Christ Celebrating this Feast at night and consequently the reason ceasing with the Typical Passover the Christian Churches in process of time took the liberty of Celebrating it at all seasons as they saw it either necessary or expedient And though what I have said about the Passover is the Principal reason why Christ made choice of the night for this Institution yet for ought we know it might be with an intent also to hint to us how by this Sacrament the night of Ignorance which sat heavy on the minds of most Men would be dispell'd that by night is sometimes understood the night of Ignorance in Scripture is evident from Matth. 4. 16. Es. 9. 1 2. Rom. 13. 12. and that by the devout and religious use of this Sacrament our Ignorance is in a great measure cured experience is a sufficient testimony Hereby certainly our minds are signally enlightned and we behold the Wisdom Love and Goodness of God discover the methods and ways of Salvation get clear Apprehensions of the Mysteries of our Faith and see how inconsistent the Works of Darkness are with this solemn remembrance of the Death of Christ hereby we come to feel the Power of God toward them that Believe and find out the Secret of the Union that is betwixt Christ and his true Followers and learn to know that what is said in the Word of God concerning the tender regard of Christ to his Church and Friends is no Fable Add to all this that Christ made choice of the night possibly to put us in mind of his sudden coming to Judgment which is frequently expressed in Scripture by his coming in the night Mark 13. 35 36. Luke 12. 38 39. 1 Thessal 5 2. Rev. 3. 3. nor is this an unsuitable Reflection in this Sacrament to contemplate his coming to judge the World for though that coming may strike terror into Men that put the evil day far from them and prepare not for their Lord 's coming yet to a Soul enlightned and Sanctified it cannot but
with the multitude to the House of God with the voice of Joy and Praise O let me consider it is the All-seeing God in whose Presence I stand and that the Holy Angels are sent to observe my Devotion Give me sober Thoughts holy Affections devout postures steddiness of Mind ardent Desires modest Looks a grave Behaviour especially when I am going to contemplate the precious Sacrifice offered by the Son of God for the Sins of the World let all that is within me turn into holy breathings represent that comfortable Object in lively Characters to my Understanding that I may think nothing unworthy of my Saviour banish from me all undecent Thoughts or if thou dost not think fit to free me from Temptations encourage me however to resist them vigorously that I may discover my Zeal for thy Glory by my abhorrency of all Imaginations that exalt themselves against the Obedience of Christ Jesus Amen CHAP. IV. Of Eating the Lord's Supper The Nature of it and how it is to be Eaten The CONTENTS A great difference betwixt coming to the Lord's Supper and Eating the Lord's Supper Several Reasons why Men come though they do not Eat as they ought to do What Eating the Lord's Supper is viz. To Eat it with a relish of the Benefits of Christ's Death with longings to be conformable to Christ in his Graces and to Eat it with unfeigned Resolutions to resist Temptations Much depends upon the manner of any Religious Performance Conversation with God with our selves and with the Holy Angels a great means to Eat as we ought to Eat The Prayer I. THat there are many who come to the Lord's Supper and yet Eat not the Lord's Supper as they ought to do is evident from Experience and will appear more fully in the sequel of this Discourse when we shall tell you what it is to Eat and Drink unworthily When some of the looser sort of the Corinthian Christians 1 Cor. 11. 20. came drunk to this Sacrament it 's certain they only eat the Bread of the Lord but not the Bread the Lord as the Fathers speak and if Simon Magus Acts 8. 13. came to this Feast as I am apt to believe he did for in those days they that were baptized were soon after admitted to the Lord's Supper as appears from Act. 2. 41 42. this must necessarily have been his case and who can doubt of this Truth that in the Age we live in sees so many come to this Royal Supper and go away unreformed untouch'd and unconcerned than which there cannot be a greater sign that they do not eat the Supper of the Lord though they approach and feed upon the External Elements And Men may very easily know it by such Marks as these 1. If they come without any sense of the designs Christ had in Instituting this Sacrament one of which certainly was to engage us to the generous contempt of the World in imitation of him who for the Glory set before him not only undervalued the Pomp and Grandeur of the World but endured the Cross and despised the shame as we are told Heb. 12. 2. And when we see Men and women approach the Table of the Lord with all the Gaudes and Gayeties their vain desires prompt them to like Ranters rather than Penitents more like soft Sybarites than frighted Disciples dressed to allure Mens eyes more than to invite the Crucified Jesus into their Souls like players rather than like Christians And when we see how the very next day after this Feast if they stay so long they quarrel fight contend and fall out about the trifles of the World run to Theatres and Play-houses and with as great greediness as ever pursue the Riches and Glories and Fashions of the World how can we imagine that such Persons came with the sense of the aforementioned design of Christ in instituting this Sacred Feast 2. If they come without any sense of the love of God of which there is so curious a Picture drawn in this Sacrament as is enough to make even the most hard hearted Heathen weep And what sense of this Love can we suppose to have been in Men when after their Receiving they do not so much as look into a Bible to see what Precepts and Commands of Christ they mean for the future to be more observant of Is it possible such Men had sense of the Love of God upon their Spirits that day they receiv'd the Holy Elements when the next day they offend him as boldly as ever and hug the same sins they entertained several years before and are now as little concerned to please God as they were some Months ago and consequently such Persons come to the Lord's Supper yet do not eat as they ought to do for none eat it truly but such as eat with this sense and where this sense is it will make the Soul cautious of offending God II. Yet such Guests are very common at this Table which would make a wise Man wonder why they will come at all when their coming signifies so little and as will appear afterward doth them more harm than good Yet the Reasons may easily be guess'd at For 1. Conviction brings them to it They are convinced that coming is a commanded Duty not a thing indifferent and that they may not seem dispisers and contemners of so great a Law they come though they put strange Fire in their Censers Conviction hath great power even upon unregenerate Men It made Felix tremble Acts 24 25. and Judas throw down the Thirty Pieces of Silver the reward of his Treason in the Temple Matth. 27. 4. and Simon embrace Christian Baptism Act. 8. 13. And where a Man is teazed and haunted by his Conscience he 'll do something to stop his mouth and though he doth it but slovenly yet he 'll bribe Conscience with this trifle as we do Children that cry for a Jewel with a Rattle and in this manner Conviction Works upon some Men and Women and that force puts several upon coming to the Lord's Table 2. Their Office and Employment obliges them to receive and that makes not a few appear at this Table The Law of the Land excluding Men from publick Offices and Charges that receive not the Communion we may very justly believe that abundance come to satisfie the Statute more than their Conscience and fear of losing or missing of the Office they are ambitious of hath a stronger influence upon them than the fear of losing God's Favour not but that a man may Eat the Lord's Supper to his great comfort and edification because an Act of Parliament commands it at his entrance upon an Office for a man who fears God may make use of any occasion to receive and consequently may make his present Office an opportunity of coming to the Sacrament But I speak my just fears that many receive on this account whom neither Love to God nor to their own Souls could have obliged to come had it
gives Alms makes no pleasing Musick in Heaven but the poor Widow that without making a Shew throws in her Two Mites even all her Living into the Treasury is the acceptable Votary Therefore grieve not Christian because thou canst not bring a Thousand Rivers of Oyl or Ten Thousand Rams into the Temple of God Bring but an humble Heart and he will take more notice of it than of all the Pomp and Retinue of Bernice and Agrippa II. Since the Bread in this Holy Sacrament is to represent our spiritual Nourishment it must needs be worth our enquiring whether we find that spiritual Strength and Nourishment in our Souls which is promised and commanded in this Ordinance And there can be no better Sign of our thriving upon this spiritual Food than if 1. Our Corruptions do signally abate As in the Body if the ill Humours begin to be qualified and the Sharpness of the Blood be taken off and the Pains and Aches decay it is a Sign the Body advances in Health and Strength returns It is so in the Soul if our Envy or Pride or watchful Temper or our Laziness in God's Service or our Indifferency in Devotion or our Backwardness to Duties c. decays and dwindles away it is a certain Sign our Souls begin to be in an excellent Temper for these are the Worms that hinder our Trees from growing which if they faint and die away the Trees are like to come to their full Growth and Heighth and the Fruit of them to perfect Maturity 2. If our Delight in the Things of God doth increase our Delight in the Ordinances of God our Delight in Meditation our Delight in speaking and thinking of God our Delight in Obedience our Delight in doing good and being helpful to others it is as great a Sign the Soul thrives upon this spiritual Food as it is in the Body when a Man begins to look with a chearful Countenance and the muddy Complexion clears up and the once sickly Person goes about his Business with Alacrity 3. If we loath any thing that is offensive to our Blessed Redeemer As an healthy Stomach doth loath any thing that is prejudicial to the Body so the Soul is then in a good plight when that which is contrary to the Interest of the Cross becomes odious to her when it goes against her to do that which must needs be displeasing to him that died for her when it is a Grief to her to see the Sensualities Men wallow in and to hear God dishonoured and his Name profaned is to her as if a Sword were run into her as it was to David Psal. 42. 10. 4. If we do not content our selves with such Things in Matters of Religion as the Vulgar are satisfied withal but set the Examples of the greatest Saints before us resolving to come up to their Excellency and Zeal and Love If we do so our very Enemies must be Witnesses that we thrive and grow strong upon this spiritual Diet and make Preparation for Eating and Drinking with Christ at his Table in his Kingdom Luc. 22. 29 30. The PRAYER SWeet Jesu Who art Life to my Soul Balm to my Spirit and in the greatest Misery canst give Eâ—se I have fed too long upon bitter Herbs Sin that hath been sweet to my Taste hath proved very bitter to me in the End and what Fruit had I then of those Things whereof I am now ashamed No Fruit but Poison aud Darkness and Aversion from Goodness I have been led away by my sensual Appetite look'd up to the evil Tree beheld the Fruit that it was fair but without Consideration of the dangerous Effects of it and have eaten of it This hath made my Soul look pale and wan lovely indeed in the Eyes of Devils but deformed and homely in thy Sight I see I must change my Food else I perish And O my Lord What shall I feed on that I may recover Strength Thy Table affords the wholsomest Meat and Drink Vouchsafe me a gracious Look and bid me come Pass by my former Aversion from these Delicates Bid me sit down and feed on Thee Thou Lord I am the River of Paradise from whence Living Waters flow Oh let this Stream enrich my Soul that I may be like a Tree planted by the Rivers of Water which may bring forth Fruit in due Season no such Fruit as once it was black and shrievel'd and wither'd but which may be amiable in the Eyes of God and Man Fruit whereby thy Glory may be advanced Fruit whereby others that see and know me may reap Benefit Fruit wherein my Soul may rejoyce Fruit which may end in Peace in Peace of Conscience in Everlasting Peace Henceforward when I remember thee O dearest Saviour let me find such Vigour and Nourishment within that I may look like Thee altogether lovely Favour is deceitful and Beauty is vain but to be like Thee is Glory and Life and Bliss and Happiness I therefore eat at thy Table that I may be like Thee Oh speak thy Blessing upon that Meat and it will change me into thy Image from Glory to Glory even by the Spirit of our God Amen Come Lord Jesu Come quickly CHAP. VIII Of Consecration and what Consecration Christ used Of his Thanksgiving before he broke the Bread and our Imitation of him in that Particular The CONTENTS Of the Word Consecration what it imports and what Things were consecrated in Ancient Times Consecration anciently performed with Prayer and Thanksgiving The Virtue of Consecration wherein it consists Consecration of the Elements in this Ordinance performed sometimes only by the Lord's Prayer The Church of Rome deviates from that Rule Christ placed Consecration in Giving of Thanks Several Particulars we may suppose Christ gave Thanks for mention'd What Christ intended by Thanksgiving with respect to our Instruction specified Praise and Thanksgiving essential in this Ordinance The Way to arrive to holy Thoughts Why this Sacrament is by the Ancient Church called Eucharist The Prayer I. THE Word Consecration answers to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caddâ—sh and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chanach and to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to set a thing apart for holy Uses and in this respect it is the same with Dedication though Criticks make some difference betwixt Consecration and Dedication meaning that in the former Things profane and vulgar are set apart for an holy Use in general in the later vowed and assigned to a certain God a thing common among the Heathens while they continued in Idolatry In the Old Testament Consecration was used about Persons Things Times and Places 1. Persons Which is the Reason why Aaron and his Sons are said to be consecrated to God i. e. set apart and ordained to minister in the publick Service and Worship of God Exod. 28. 3. And upon this Account Moses Exod. 32. 29. bids the Levites consecrate themselves i. e. set themselves apart to
call his Friends the Angels together saying Rejoyce with me for I have found him that was lost He saw what it was for God to humble himself and take upon him the Nature of Man a Thing infinitely below him and to advance it above all Heavens above Angels Powers Ceraphim and Cherubim and place it at the Right Hand of God He saw what it was for Infinite Majesty to fall in love with Misery and for him that was adored by all the Host of Heaven to make himself of no Reputation on purpose to magnifie his Mercy in the greatest Misery He saw the happy Strife and Contention that was betwixt God's Justice and Mercy He saw how these Twins struggled in the Womb of Eternity and Mercy got the better and triumph'd over the Almighty's Rods and Axes He saw the Beginning Progress Order and Beauty of that Love He could measure the vast Distance betwixt Heaven and Earth betwixt God and Man betwixt the Judge and the Malefactor betwixt Infinite Purity and extream Wretchedness betwixt Righteousness and Sin betwixt perfect Innocence and perfect Misery And what a Paradox it must be to the holy Angels to see that Light which lights every Man that comes into the World submit to the Darkness of the Grave that some of Adam's Posterity might be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light This he saw and as a Man who was to shew his Church an Example he gave Thanks VI. Christ's Actions as they were intended for our Instruction so we cannot think that his Giving of Thanks was only to express his own Devotion as Mediator but that it was designed to teach us 1. Never to sit down at our common or ordinary Meals without praising God for the Blessings his bountiful Hand hath vouchsafed unto us This it seems is so necessary that the Holy Ghost reckons those Men among the Workers of Iniquity that sit down to Meat and praise not the Creator for the Provision he hath made for them Psal. 14. 4. Have the Workers of Iniquity no Knowledge who eat Bread and call not upon the Lord We render the Words As they eat Bread our Translators thinking the Expression to be a Similitude to express the Greediness of Persecutors who make a Prey of God's Servants but the Particle As being left out in the Original the Words denote another Sin of those Men that do eat Bread and call not upon the Lord at their Eating 'T is true the Duty seems to be observed by most People and there are few so profane as not to say Grace at their Meals but it is for the most part done so slovenly and so carelesly without any Sense of the Greatness of the Duty and of the Goodness of God that it is made a mere Formality which is as bad as the total Omission of it The Giving of Thanks before and after Meals must be performed with a Sense of our Unworthiness and God's Charity This is to be thought and taken notice of as much as the Meat that is set before us and Admiration of God's Compassion in feeding us will add to the Relish of the Victuals set upon the Table and that is to eat to the Glory of God as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10. 32. 2. It was also to teach us Gratitude to our Benefactors here on Earth Though Men are but the Instruments whereby the Almighty's Blessings are conveyed to us yet there is a Gratitude due to them and such Gratitude as is expressed in kind Offices and Readiness to assist and help them when they stand in need of our Services But then this Gratitude must not be stretched to assisting of them in their Sins or complying with them in their Viciousness and Debaucheries or flattering them in their sickly Passions Man must not be pleased to the Dishonour of God And where Dust and Ashes is loved more than he he protests we are not worthy of him But to pray for them to honour them to study and embrace all lawful Opportunities to express our Respect and Esteem of them to requite their Kindnesses with equal Civilities or spiritual Advice and Counsel and Consolation is to act like Persons prompted by Christ's Example to be thankful 3. It was more particularly to direct us in our Praises and Thanksgivings when we come to the Table of our dearest Lord Here certainly if any where our Hearts ought to be fixed and ready to sing and give Praise 1. For putting us in a Way of being pardon'd and happy for ever We were all concern'd in Adam's Fall had all forfeited our Right to God's Favour and the Happiness we might have expected at his Hands God might have lock'd up the Gate of Mercy and made the Access to it impossible Having desperately turned our Backs upon him he might have let the Rebels sink deeper and deeper till they had come into the bottomless Gulf of Eternal Misery and no doubt all the Host of Heaven would have applauded his Justice And for him who was cloathed with Majesty and Honour unexpectedly and of his own accord to turn the Stream and to promise a Saviour and instead of making a Way to his Anger shew Men a Way to his Bosom and in the midst of all this Confusion and Perplexity to proclaim the acceptable Year to the poor Prisoners How can this be thought of in the holy Sacrament without Praise and Admiration 2 For revealing this wonderful Love to us A Favour Thousands of Heathens and Infidels enjoy not at this Day nay are wholly ignorant of A Love which is a Mystery that puzzles the Understandings of the wisest Men. How God intends to deal with Heathens and Mahometant is hard to determine only in general we are told that those who have sinned without Law shall be judged without Law Rom. 2. 12. Nor can we assign a just and satisfactory Reason why he makes not these Nations Partakers of the glad Tidings of the Gospel much less why he continues these Revelations to the Christian World though corrupt and debauched to a Prodigy But this we know That if any Thing in the World deserves our Praises this that we have such a Treasure communicated to us deserves it and more especially in this Sacrament where this Mystery of Reconciliation is a most proper Object of our Meditation 3. For passing by the Apostate Spirits and offering the Mercy of Reconciliation to the Children of Men. The evil Angels sinned as well as we yet the Son of God took not upon him the Nature of Angels â—ut took the Seed of Abraham 'T is true there was more to be said for Adam's Fall than that of Lucifer That Son of the Morning was all Spirit and Understanding and Man had a Body of Earth about him which though not troublesom in Paradise yet was the apter to receive Impressions of Sin from external Objects The rebellious Angels were the first that made a Breach betwixt God and the Creature and Man was seduced by them
yet still these Spirits as bright as they were were Creatures and as Creatures mutable and as mutable subject to falling and falling might expect Mercy and Compassion from an All-merciful Master yet in the great Work of Redemption no Regard is had to them but to Man only and he alone with his Race and Posterity is put in a Possibility of being saved and pardon'd a Mercy fit to be remembred in this Sacrament but not to be remembred without Thanksgiving and Praises 4. For the Opportunity we have of remembring Christ's Death in the holy Sacrament That we have Liberty to meet in the House of God to behold his Power and Glory to speak of his Love and Compassion and to come to his Table and to come of often and so freely without Disturbance or Molestation without Fear of Danger from the Tabernacles of Edom or from the Ishmaelites from Moab or the Hagarens Though these are Things which seem to be no great matter to an Eye that looks on Things superficially yet to a Person that knows how in the Greek Church the holy Sacrament is consecrated but once a Year how in Heathenish Countries where Ministers of the Word are scarce this Ordinance is used but seldom and how great an Hindrance to Goodness the celebrating it but rarely is how apt the Inward Man in such Cases is to faint and languish and grow sick for want of it will think himself obliged to open his Heart and Mouth in Praises at this holy Table and adore the Divine Bounty which hath given him Will and Strength and Opportunity to come to this comfortable Ordinance 5. For feeling our Hearts affected with the Mystery of Reconciliation or finding in our selves those happy Qualifications which make us worthy Receivers at this Table To feel in our Hearts a lively Faith a Faith which with Moses sees him that is invisible a Faith that overcomes the World a Faith that purifies the Heart a Faith that with Abraham moves us to sacrifice and offer that to God which is most dear to us a Faith that makes us patient under Reproaches and Injuries a Faith that is fruitful in good Works To find in our selves an Hope that makes not ashamed an Hope that makes us wait for the Kingdom of God as the Husbandman waits for the Fruit of the Earth an Hope that upholds our Hearts in Afflictions an Hope that makes us look upon that within the Vail into the Sanctuary of Heaven and counts the Troubles of this present Life not worthy to be compared with the Glory which ere long shall be revealed in us To find in our selves an holy Charity which believes the best of our Neighbours and thinks no Evil except there be very great Cause for it a Charity which suppresses Revenge and Malice and not only suppresses it for the present but labours to destroy it too a Charity which moves us to Kindness and Compassion not only verbal but actual a Charity which makes us tender-hearted forgiving one another and forbearing one another To find all this in some measure must needs fill our Hearts with strong Desires and Endeavours to be thankful VII This Praise and Thanksgiving cannot but be essential to this holy Sacrament not a mere Ornamental Thing without which the blessed Effects may be perceived and felt For 1. Is it possible to behold God's bleeding Love and not cry Praise the Lord O Jerusalem Praise thy God O Zion Is it possible to see the surprizing Humiliation of the Son of God and not to say Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Is it possible to see God offer himself for his Enemies and not to sâ—ng Lord what is Man that thou so regardest him and the Sons and Daughters of Men that thou hast such Respect to them Is it possible to see Innocence nailed to the fatal Cross not for any Sins of its own but for our Transgressions and not to break forth into Admiration with St. John Behold what manner of Love the Father hath shewn to us that we should be called the Sons of God The Heart must be of Stone that can survey these Wonders and be silent or dumb to joyful Praises 2. What Comfort or Consolation can be supposed to flow into the Soul without it Praise is the Gate of Mercy The Soul that praises the Divine Love much will have a greater Sense of his Love and feel the Power of it and feel how it melts the Heart supples the Spirit softens the Inward Man and makes it fit for the Impress of the Image of the Son of God As the Jews say of the Spirit of Prophesse That it rests on valiant and chearful Men so it may be said of the Divine Love Where the Soul is much and often engaged in Praises of it there it loves to dwell there it is ready to build Tabernacles and take up its Residence The Preceeding Considerations reduced to Practice I. EVen the meanest Capacities from hence learn the Way to arrive to holy Thoughts viz. by making the most ordinary Blessings Occasions of Praise and Thanksgiving Nothing is more common than Bread yet for this the Son of Man gave Thanks and in doing so bid us imitate his Practice when the like familiar Mercies come before us or present themselves to our View About the Time of the Council at Constance two Cardinals as they were travelling upon the Road not far from the City saw a poor Shepherd weeping and thinking that some sad Accident might have befallen him either his Dog lost or some of his Sheep stolen had the Curiosity to ask him the Reason of his Tears who answer'd I am looking here upon a Toad and cannot but weep to think what an ungrateful Beast I have been to my God to whom I never before in all my Life gave Thanks that he â—e did not make me so homely and so odious a Creature The Truth is you and I can hardly walk the Street but we meet with Men either ragged or lame or maim'd or blind or dumb or some other way deform'd and extreamly miserable Can we look on such Objects and not think with our selves what a Favour and Mercy it was in our great and gracious God not to plunge us into that wretched State but to give us Necessaries and Conveniencies a right Shape and Soundness of Limbs c. These 't is true are but very ordinary Blessings yet if we consider how many Thousands want them and that God who can do all Things and whose Hand is to be seen in all Things might as easily have reduced us to such a miserable Condition as he hath done others and that it is nothing but his Infinite Goodness and Wisdom that hath made this Distinction this cannot but quicken our Understandings And if so none of us can complain that we have no Faculty of furnishing our Minds with holy Thoughts To this purpose certainly was our Reason given us that we might
look on such Mercies with spiritual Reflections and Praises and these Praises are holy Thoughts Nay the Task is very easie and there is nothing lies more in our power than by taking a View of such Blessings to think This God hath done this is part of his Charity this is a Character of his Bounty What am I and what is my Father's House that God hath brought me thus far And as it is easie so it is profitable too for this will fill our Minds with humble Thoughts and teach us to have a low Opinion of our selves it being impossible to think our selves very unworthy of God's Favours and not to despise our selves II. I told you in the first Chapter of this Discourse that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper among the Ancients was frequently called the Eucharist Here we see the Reason of it for as the Word Eucharist imports Praise so Thanksgiving is one of the principal Actions and Offices in this Sacrament The Church of Rome will have it called a Sacrifice because in the Primitive Church it went by that Name We deny it not but then they meant by it a Sacrifice of Praise and this Sacrifice we exhort every one of you to offer when you remember your Great Master's Funeral Give Thanks for that Death when you are preparing your selves for this spiritual Feast Give Thanks when you feed at this holy Table Give Thanks when you depart from that Banqueting-house Give Thanks unto the Lamb that was slain bless him for his Wounds bless him for his Cross bless him for his Bloody Sweat bless him for all his Sighs and Groans bless him for his Merits for through these your Souls must triumph over Hell and Sin and Devils But then take heed of praising him at Church and affronting him at home These Praises must be uniform and equal and constant not that you are obliged in all Places to speak of his Glory whatever Business you have or that you must do nothing but sing Psalms to him where-ever you are but your upright and Christian Behaviour in all Places is a Glorification of his Mercy For you are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2. 9. The PRAYER O Thou who inhabitest the Praises of Israel our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them they cried unto thee and they were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded Praise waits for thee in Sion Thou deservest my devoutest Praises my most hearty Thanks my loudest Celebrations Can I think of what thou hast done for me and be loath to praise thee What should I do but praise thee All that I see within me or about me is Mercy my Meat my Drink my Clothes are Mercies But Oh! what a Mercy is that Spiritual Food thou settest before me at thy Table Oh let my Mouth be filled with thy Praise all the Day long I am sensible not only of the Necessity but the Comeliness of it too It sets a Lustre on my Soul it is an Ornament to my better Part it makes me glorious in thy Sight Oh teach me the Art of praising thee Let me but love thee and I cannot but praise thee My Love will dictate Words and suggest Meditations and I shall speak of all thy wondrous Works Let this be my greatest Delight my greatest Joy my greatest Pleasure that I may praise thee at last with all the Saints and Angels to Eternal Ages through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen CHAP. IX Of Breaking the Bread and the Mysteries of it The CONTENTS The Action of Breaking Bread borowed from the Jews used by Christ to put us in mind of his Crucifixion Of the broken State of Mankind Of his going to break down the Partition Wall betwixt the Jews and Gentiles Of the Communion of the Body of Christ Of our Coming to his Table with Broken Contrite Hearts Of his Readiness to comfort the Bruised and Broken Spirit Of the Vertue and Power of his Death in breaking the Force of God's Wrath against us Of the Miracle that was to happen at his Death in the Earth and Rocks c. And of the strange Divisions that would rise about this Sacrament The Action of Breaking the Holy-Bread doth not interfere with the Canon in the Rule of the Passover that not a Bone of the Lamb should be broken The Church of Rome is to blame for not Breaking the Bread Christ as well as the Disciples received the Communion Reflections to be made by Christians when they see the Bread broken The Prayer I. AMong the Jews as no Man durst eat Bread without consecrating it by Thanksgiving so no Man gave Thanks for the Bread but he broke part of it did eat of it and gave of it to the rest that were with him at the Table and the Master of the House if present was usually the Person that did all this gave Thanks and dealt the Bread about To this End the Loaves among the Jews were made with divers Cuts or Incisions that when they were brought to Table they might be broken with greater Ease by the Head of the Family and distributed to those that did eat with him Among the ancient Romans it was otherwise for though they had Cuts and Divisions upon their Loaves yet those Cuts were but four in all in the Shape of a Cross to the End that when they came to reach it to their Guests they might easily break it into four Parts Which was the Reason why they called the Portion that fell to one Man's Share Quadra or the fourth Part of a Loaf If Christ imitated any Custom in Breaking of Bread 't is most probable he followed that of the Jews from whose manner of living he used not to vary if their Actions and Customs had nothing of Sin in them shewing thereby how loath we should be Quieta movere to change or alter Things in a Church or Nation which through a long Succession of Time have been received provided there be nothing of Immodesty Superstition or Indecency or Irregularity in it The Unleaven'd Cakes of the Jews they use at this Day in the Celebration of their Passover are in all probability Relicks of that ancient Way among their Country-men of ordering their Loaves and making them with many Cuts and Divisions in them whereby the Master of the House took occasion to break off a just and convenient Piece for each Member of his Family But though Christ in breaking the Sacramental Bread might borrow that Right and Action from the Jews yet we must not suppofe that therefore he had no farther Design in it but rather sanctified it into a Mystery as he did the Washing of the Feet received among the Jews Joh. 13. 14 15. II. As Breaking the Sacramental Bread was an Action design'd to represent several Things of great Importance so
Cup and drinks like a thirsty Man with a thirst after Righteousness drinks Salvation drinks everlasting Mercy drinks to the content and satisfaction of his Soul and out of his belly shall flow fountains of living waters i. e streams of Grace and Goodness shall flow from his Heart to the watering and enriching of those that are round about him John 7. 38. And this must needs make it a Cup of Consolation for what greater comfort can there be than to drink the rich draught of Pardon of Peace and Mercy and Joy in the Holy Ghost as every Soul is supposed to do that comes to this Ordinance with unfeigned Resolutions to have her conversation in Heaven 4. A Cup he took to put us in mind how necessary God's Goodness Favour and Providence is to us for this was expressed in the Law by making God the Portion of their Cup as we see Psal. 16. 5. The Lord is the Portion of my Inheritance and of my Cup a phrase much used among the Jews of the devouter sort when they would declare not only their interest in God's special Providence but the necessity of having a Right and Title to it A Cup is a necessary Utensil in a Family and there is scarce any person so poor and needy as to want a Cup so hereby they expressed both the absolute necessity of having a special interest in God's Love and the possibility the poorest body was in to arrive to this Priviledge A Man may be happy without Lands and Houses and happy without an Estate without Father and Mother without Children without a Prince's Favour but he cannot be happy without an interest in God's Gracious inclinations and Complacency Even an Idolatrous Laban Gen. 31. 30. was in some measure sensible of this Truth for when Rachel had stollen her Father's Images he seem'd to be much concern'd for them If thou wouldst needs be gone wherefore hast thou stollen my gods As if he had said I could have been content with thy taking away my Daughters my Grand-children my Cattle and my Sheep but to steal my gods than which nothing is more dear or more necessary to me this I cannot brook A Cup therefore Christ made use of in this Sacrament to tell us of what concernment it is to have God for our Friend and if he be our Portion we need no more if he be the portion of our Cup we have Wealth and Bliss enough and may defie all the Powers of Hell who in this case may assault but cannot prevail against us Indeed if Christ be ours and will vouchsafe to intercede for us we are more than Conquerors O Jesu Thou art our All our Crown our Glory if thou be for us we need not fear who is against us Let thy Wounds be ours and our wounded Spirits will be at rest O tell us that thine Agonies are ours and we will triumph over death and sing O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory 5. A Cup he took to bid us mind what he had so often told the Pharisees and to hint to us that whenever we see this Cup in the Sacrament we ought to ask our Hearts whether we make clean the inside of the Cup and Platter as the expression is Matth. 23. 27. i. e. Whether we purifie our inward Man our Souls and Spirits from those covetous disorderly unclean Desires Thoughts and Imaginations which are so apt to harbor there True Religion is no outside business but must be rooted in us and a Sense of the Love of God must be riveted into our Spirits that there God may become truly amiable to us and what we feel within may force as it were the outward Man into a suitable Fruitfulness Most Mens Religion like their Cloaths adorns only the ovtward Man and saying their Prayers going to Church and doing such little things as are no trouble to their Lusts or sinful Appetite are the principal Ingredients of their Divinity but this is not the Light which Christ's Religion gives for that strikes the Understanding works upon the Will and puts all that is within us into Fermentation This cleanses the Heart from filthiness the Thoughts from vanity the Mind from prejudice the Affections from love of the World from malice hatred and supercilious contempt of our Neighbors and the desires from revenge and greediness after the Shells and Husks of outward Comforts so that true Religion is a new Principle which produces a new Creature and newness of Life 2 Cor. 5 17. 6. And why may not we piously believe that his making use of a Cup was also to encourage our Charity and Hospitality expressed sometimes by giving a Cup of cold water to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple Matth. 10. 42. He that knows any thing of this Holy Sacrament knows it is a Feast of Charity a Feast at which we remember our Spiritual Poverty and lying at the Gate of Heaven fuller of Sores than the famous Beggar before the Palace of Dives and can the undeserved unexpected and inexpressible Charity of God to our Souls shine in our Faces and not warm our Hearts and Bowels into compassion and commiseration to the poor and needy such especially as are of the Houshold of Faith If we are so low in the world and Providence hath put us in so mean a condition that we can give no more than a Cup of cold water and do but run to the next Well or River and fill the Cup and bring it to a distress'd and fainting Christian a good Man and a Disciple of our Lord even that shall be interpreted favourably and God will find out a recompence for it a recompence which shall make the Giver sensible that it was for that Cup he gave that he receives that Mercy provided still that this Charity proceeds from a sense of the Love of God and tenderness to the necessities of the Humble Man This consideration one would think should be baulked by none that comes to the Lord's Table where the Lame and Blind and Maim'd are entertain'd for such abasing Thoughts of our selves we are to entertain here and if so How easie how natural is the Inference If so miserable a Creature as I am feasted here and God gives Bread of Life to my hungry Soul How can I express my Gratitude better than by casting my Bread upon the Water especially when I am promis'd to find it again after many days floating on the Rivers of Pleasure which are at the Right Hand of God for evermore VII Both the Evangelists and St. Paul taking notice that Christ took this Cup after he had done with the Cup in the celebration of the Passover we must not pass it by without making some Remarks upon it And 1. It was to teach us Order in our Duties and to avoid confusion in our Holy performances God is the God of Order and 't is fit his Servants should resemble him in this particular Greater Duties must ever be
yet surely it will transform a Soul sick to death into a lively and healthful constitution though with the Woman in the Gospel she hath lain under her distemper a considerable time II. Among the Scythyans as Herodotus tells us there was a custom for the Princes of the Country to meet once a year at a certain Feast where a Cup was set upon the Table a Cup of Honour which none durst presume to drink of but such as had signaliz'd their Valour in Battel and kill'd more or less of their publick Enemies Though this Sacramental Cup is too High too Sacred and too Lofty a thing to be compared with Cups used at the Feast of Barbarians yet I may take occasion from hence to tell you that this Holy Cup is fit for none to drink of but such as have either shewn or are at least resolved to shew their Valour against their Spiritual Enemies Christian if thou hast fought with the Old Serpent encountred the Hellish Dragon wrestled with Powers and Principalities exprest thy Courage against Temptations defied Goliah the Lion and the Bear the World the Devil and the Flesh or art resolv'd to be a Champion for thy God and fight the Battels of the Lord Thou art that valiant Man that may drink of this Cup Thy God will give thee leave to drink of it with other Hero's with the greatest Worthies with Men of whom the World was not worthy with Men whose Faith hath advanced them above the Stars and who are to shine as the Sun in the Firmament in their Father's Kingdom Let no despairing Thoughts no suggestion of the Devil no slavish Fear no pretence of Unworthiness discourage thee from touching this Cup or drinking of it It 's mingled for thee for thee it is prepared The King expects thee at this Feast thou art called to this Banquet Thus shall it be done to the Man whom the King of Heaven intends to Honour What If thou hast not slain thy Thousands with Saul nor thy Ten thousands with David What if thou hast not brought thy Two hundred Foreskins of the Philistins to thy Lord and Master thou dost a greater act in conquering thy Thoughts thy Desires thy Passions thy Appetite thy vain Imaginations than if thou hadst laid Countries waste ruin'd Kingdoms or bound their Kings in Chains and their Nobles with Fetters of Iron Such Honour have all all his Saints III. Hear this thou fainting Soul that groanest under the burthen of thy Sins goest heavy laden with Sorrow and like Rachel wilt not be comforted Behold thy Lord and Master touched with the feeling of thy infirmities and afflicted in all thy afflictions who waits to be Gracious and loves to converse more with a weeping Publican than with a jovial Herod he reaches forth a Cup to thee a Cup of Joy a Cup of Gladness a Cup of Comfort It is this Sacramental Cup. Drink of it thou thirsty Soul Why shouldst thou fear This Cup is design'd for labouring Souls they that have born the heat and burthen of the day are to taste of it It is design'd to recreate design'd to refresh desing'd to revive design'd to support their Spirits Dost thou believe this Christian Dare to believe it Take thy Saviours word for it and triumph in the Promise The Mercy may be too big for thee to ask but not too big for him to grant Thou hast a Master to deal withal who gives like himself like a King like a Prince whose Stores are inexhaustible Let no Senacharib deceive thee regard not what such a Rabshakeh says Hearken not to the frightful Stories of thine enemies who rejoyce to see thee discourag'd are glad to see thee forbear drinking of this Cup and think it their interest to keep thee from that which may and will give thee everlasting health I have read of a precious Stone of considerable value that dropt no Man knew how into the Holy Cup while the Priest was administring the Sacrament There needs no precious Stone to drop into this Cup to make it of greater value That which is in it is of greater worth than Ten thousand Worlds It represents that which neither Pearls nor Rubies nor Diamonds can counter-balance The Papists boast much of the Gifts of their Popes how Sylvester gave three Golden Cups to be used in the celebration of the Eucharist How John the Second gave a Cup of Gold weighing Twenty pound How Gregory the Second and Leo the Third presented their respective Churches with Cups all beset with precious Stones What if thou canst bring no such Presents to God thou bringest a better when thou bringest a Spirit a Heart a Soul lamenting and mourning because thou hast departed from him contented thy self with a form of Godliness and under the profession of Religion hast denied him in thy actions A Heart toucht with the sense of the unreasonableness odiousness and loathsomness of all this and finding a relish in the things of God and of Salvation qualifies a Man more for comfortable drinking of this Cup than if with the Wise Man he had offer'd Gold and Myrrh and Frankincense to Christ Jesus Is not this the Cup whereby my Lord divineth saith Joseph's Steward Gen. 44. 5. Christian by drinking of this Sacramental Cup thou may'st divine thy future happiness guess at what will become of thee hereafter make conjectures of thy Glory and conclude that thou shalt feel the comfort of drinking the Cordials of a Blessed Eternity The PRAYER O Jesu Great Fountain of all Goodness who didst drink of the bitter Cup which my Sins had mingled I am sensible there was no sorrow like thy sorrow which was done unto thee and wherewith the Lord afflicted thee in the day of his fierce anger How was thy Spirit disturb'd How sore amaz'd was thy Soul How dismay'd thy Mind To such an exceeding heighth of Grief and Sorrow did the Sense of the incumbent load of my sins and the prospect of calamities hanging over my head together with the reflexion on my wretched condition skrew up thy Affections innumerable evils encompass'd thee thou sawest the wrath of God flaming out against my Sin and trembledst Thou stoodst before the mouth of Hell which I had deserv'd and wast astonish'd Thou with thine own Heart Blood didst quench the wrath of Heaven O how am I obliged to adore thy Love O everlasting Father What Charity was it not to spare thine own Son but to deliver him up for us all What pity and compassion was it O thou Eternal Son of God thus to pour forth thy Blood What Affection what tenderness to my Soul O thou Eternal Spirit hast thou express'd in inspiring my Blessed Redeemer with Charity more than Human and in supporting him to undergo all pressures with invincible patience If I forget thy Love sweet Jesu let my right hand forget her cunning What an encouragement is here to believe thy Word which I see so punctually accomplish'd The antient Prophets foretold that Christ should
will upon that return let the still streams of his Promises flow in and Water his Soul again so that if this opportunity be neglected we know not the Treasures of Wrath we heap up against our selves for it looks like resolution to die and to be miserable VII That God consents to this Covenant unfeignedly we need not doubt and that what he promises he intends to fulfil we may be confident of since we have his Word for it and his Nature is such that he cannot lye The great danger lies on our side who are very mutable Creatures and apt either to equivocate in our consent or to consent only by halves or to forget the Terms we have consented to It 's fit therefore I should explain the Nature of that consent we give or are to give in this Covenant especially at the Table of our Lord where the Sacred Cup fill'd with the Blood of Christ at once represents Gods willingness to enter into a Covenant with us and invites us to accept of the Offer and our Drinking of it shews we actually consent to all the Terms of this Covenant Therefore to prevent Hypocrisie in this consent I must tell you that this consent must be 1. Deliberate and the effect of Consultation Sometimes a melancholy Humour seizes upon our Spirits and not knowing how to ease our selves we try whether Religion will not qualifie our trouble and then we are consenting to this Covenant though we cannot tell why or how whence it comes to pass that if Religion doth not presently cure our Melancholy we grow weary and throw it off again Most Men have sometimes a Religious Fit upon them and when either something hath cross'd their designs or a disaster hath put them into discontent they are during that Paroxysm resolv'd to consent But as it was a sudden Motion without a good Foundation so it soon withers and comes to nothing It's necessary therefore we should take pains to understand what this Covenant means what consent God requires how reasonable and just that consent is what a priviledge it is that God will admit us into such a Compact what the things are he requires on our part and how necessary it is he should require such at our Hands and after we have counted the cost and seen and thought and consulted what this unfeigned consent will stand us in and weigh'd both the Advantages and Inconveniencies then in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ freely and chearfully to agree to the Conditions requir'd in this Covenant this is a consent which in imitation of the great Planet of the Day is like to go on to a perfect Day 2. This consent must be hearty the intent strong and the desire vigorous to perform the Conditions of this Covenant such a consent as he gives that for a considerable Reward promises to do what we put him upon He fully designs it he knows nothing that should hinder him his Heart his Mind his Affections are bent upon the doing of it for the Reward presses upon his Understanding and the greatness of that gives force and resolution to his Will and Desire Here must be used no underhand dealings God is not to be put off with Complements The Young Man that said I go Sir but went not Math. 21. 28. stands branded for a Hypocrite A full purpose of Heart is requisite in this case as serious a purpose as Men have when under great hopes or fears which are most likely to make their purpose invincible To consent to walk as Sons of God to embrace the Lord Jesus as our King to prefer the Motions of Gods Spirit before the Suggestions of the Flesh I say to consent to all this and not to intend very seriously to act accordingly is to impose upon God at least to act as if we would do so and to slight his Omniscience or to carry our selves as if he did not know our down-sitting and our up-rising or did not understand our Thoughts afar off which is impious 3. This consent ought to be impartial and entire even to all the parts of the Conditions express'd or understood in this Covenant Here must be no accepting of Christ by halves but our Affections must embrace him both as a Ruler and a Friend To accept of the Sweets of his Sufferings and to refuse his Yoak to rejoyce in his Mercies and to reject his Law or to be willing to submit to some of his Laws and to take liberty as to others is to divide Christ and to part his Offices or to hold both with Christ and with the Devil A King had as good have no Subjects as disobedient Subjects and to what purpose had all that costly Method of the Son of God to purchase a People to himself been if the intent had not been to make them subject to his Will and Power That there might be no dispute about this point the Apostle hath left it upon record Heb. 5. 9. That he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him And there needs no great Logick to infer from hence That no Man hath a Right or Title to Salvation till he actually and sincerely obeys him and obeys him in all that he requires For he that obeys partially doth not obey in a Scripture sense We our selves do not much affect Servants that are only for what they can get and care not how little Work they do and God to be sure hath no Reason to look upon those as true Confederates that consent only to be made happy by the Death of Christ but are loath to die to the Vanities of this World or to admit his Kingdom and Empire into their Souls So that he that truly consents to this Covenant must consent not only to enjoy the Comforts of a Saviour but that Christ shall be Master of his Will Desires and Affections that these shall be at his Beck move by his Order and be manag'd according to his Direction 4. This consent must not only respect our future Seriousness and Conscientiousness but express our present Designs and Inclinations As in Marriage so in this Covenant it must be a present consent that ratifies the Contract and as in the former I take thee for my Wedded Wife and I take thee for my Wedded Husband makes the Matrimonial Compact valid so in this present agreeing to the Terms propos'd and required makes a Man a welcome Confederate and unites and knits him to that God who enters into solemn Engagements in this Covenant to discharge the Offices of a kind Husband to us And O God the Father of Heaven I do here most humbly offer and tender unto thee my filial Affection O God the Son Redeemer of the World I am content to be thy Loyal Sabject and to be governed and ruled by thy Holy Laws O God the Holy Ghost preceeding from the Father and the Son I take thee for my Guide and my Counsellor by whose advice I mean to steer my course
a just cause lascivious desires and appetites and revengeful actions c. have so severe a Sanction annexed to them if they be cherished and lov'd is this because the less they are the sooner and the more easily they are avoided and therefore it must argue strange aversion from God not to oblige him in so small a thing and that Men after they have enter'd into this solemn Covenant at the Table of the Lord may be allur'd and enticed by Temptations and perswaded to allow themselves in known Sins both great and small and thereby null the Covenant we have no reason to question since Experience is beyond all Witnesses in the World 7. The only Plank left us after the Covenant is thus broken and null'd to swim out of the Gulph of perdition and to regain God's favour is confess'd on all hands to be true and deep repentance and particularly a Repentance attended with Fasting Alms and great future Self-denials In the stricter Ages of Christianity especially in the Second and Third Centuries it was very much question'd whether a Person who had solemnly and deliberately entr'd into a Covenant with God either in Baptism or in the Lord's Supper if afterwards he fell into some of these three Sins Adultery Murther or Idolatry was capable of regaining the favour of God promis'd in this Covenant The African Churches especially were very stiff in this point yet the more moderate allow'd of a Second Repentance reckoning the first to be that which had been made by adult Persons in either of these Sacraments and the second if after a new fall or wilful precipitation into any of these crimes he rose again with very great purposes and resolutions but if a Man fell again into any of these Sins after the Second Repentance they look'd upon the Third as impossible Others though they did not exclude the Persons thus fallen totally from the possibility of God's favour and Salvation in case he repented either the Second or third time yet did not think fit to receive him again into the Communion of the Church and this which the African Fathers look'd upon only as a thing convenient Novatus enrag'd it 's like because he could not be made a Bishop improved into absolute necessity which made his followers exclude all such Persons as were fallen after their first Repentance into any of these Sins from their Communion That which gave occasion to this Doctrine was their too rigid interpretation of some places in Scripture particularly that of Heb. 6. 4 5 6. and the other 1 Joh. 5. 16. which places are to be understood rather of a malicious denying the Faith and forsaking the very Profession of Christianity and turning Jew Heathen or Infidel than of the aforesaid acts of Sin The Roman Church was the first that receiv'd such sinners after a tedious and laborious Repentance into their Communion again for which Tertullian expostulates with the Bishop of Rome and accuses him of Rashness imprudence and breach of the ancient Canons However since the Apostle himself 2. Cor. 2. 7. received the incestuous Person into the Communion of the Church of Corinth and desired the Corinthians to do the like after a sufficient demonstration of his Repentance after such falls into wilful and habitual Sins be sincere and true exemplary and laborious that there is just hopes such a person may renew his Covenant get a Title again to the promises of it and be readmitted to God's Favour and Complacency But then 1. This Repentance ought to be speedy To live long in such Sins after the first wilful breach of this Covenant is dangerous hardens the Heart gives the Devil greater power over the Soul and the Person thus sining knows not but he may be given up to hardness of Heart and to reprobate mind in which condition he may be snatcht away by Death and haled to the great Tribunal 2. Such a Person must not make a trade of Repenting and sinning for if he fall often into the same Sin and still pretends to repent it s a sign the Repentance is counterfeit his love to God fickle and unsincere his resistances of God's Spirit strong and the inward Man left without a Guard to secure it against the assaults of the Devil 3. Upon this new Repentance greater watchfulness than ordinary must be used and the Penitent must become a gainer by his Sins i. e. the dreadfulness of his fall must help toward the great exemplariness of his Life and the Sins he hath lived in must make them dread them more than ever A very signal growth in Grace must succeed his Fall and the Ball having been struck against the ground must now rebound the higher His time must now be redeem'd and he that hath been so careless must now double his diligence He must therefore love much now because he expects much should be forgiven him and his greater fervor in Religion is the best demonstration of his unfeigned return from his Apostacy The Preceding Considerations reduced to Practice I. IT must needs be great presumption for Men and Women to enter into a solemn Covenant with God in this Sacrament and not to consider the weight and importance of it Christian when thou enter'st into this Covenant with the Holy Trinity thou solemnly obligest thy self that as thou hopest for Heaven and Happiness as thou hopest for Pardon and Salvation as thou hopest to have thy Sins wash'd away with the precious Blood of Christ thou wilt take Christ's Yoke upon thee endeavour to be humble and meek as he was learn of him and die to the World crucifie thy Lusts and Affections fight against the vanities of the World and labour to conâ—orm to the great example of that Saviour that spilt his dearest Blood for thee Either thou understandest what this engagement means or thou dost not If not how darest thou touch the Sacred Elements with polluted Hands If thou understandest it and art not firmly resolv'd to take care to perform what thou promisest so solemnly how dost thou think to escape the Judgement of God Art thou afraid of breaking a solemn promise made to a Prince and great Man whose Smile or Frown can either help or prejudice thee much and art thou not afraid of violating thy Engagements to the great God of Heaven What dost thou make of God Dost thou take him to be some Heathen Deity that hath Eyes and sees not Ears and hears not Dost thou oblige thy self to be his Subject and dost thou turn Rebel His Child and become a Prodigal His Confederate and conspire against him with his Enemies Dost thou take him for thy Lord and wilt not thou do what he saith If these thy unfaithful dealings with thy Lord and Master be enter'd into Gods Book of Accounts as certainly they are and the black Roll shall at last be open'd and read in thine Ears dost not thou think what Terror Amazement and Confusion thou wilt be in O Sinner There is no jesting with
persons and that to all Eternity All this is represented to us in this Sacrament a Saviour groaning and weeping and sighing under the burthen of our Sins and thereby giving notice that if we grow not weary of Sin we shall weep and groan and sigh for ever and shall not the dreadful Spectacle fill my Soul with abhorrency and detestation of what I see so signally punished Shall not I run away from it and say to it Get thee hence thou evil and unclean Spirit touch me not what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols And if this Holy Sacrament be so great a preservative against Sin surely we cannot too often make use of it especially since we see how easily Sin doth beset us how often we are tempted to it and how we are daily encompassed with suggestions and provocations to it 2. This frequent Communicating cannot but be a mighty engagement to a pious emulation of the Virtuous and Gracious Life of the Ever-Blessed Jesus There is none but knows how frequent going into company that is of such a Temper and seeing their Manners and way of Acting is apt to produce assimulation of Disposition in the persons that frequent it That Society a Man frequently resorts to gives a tincture to his Nature and Inclination and consequently the frequent seeing and conversing with the Holy and Gracious Jesus in this Sacrament is very likely to have the same effect For in this Ordinance we do not only come to see him Bleeding and Dying for his Enemies but to look upon his eminent Virtues too his wonderful Meekness his deep Humility his unparalell'd Patience his chearful Submission to the Will of God his admirable Self-resignation his unshaken Contentedness his generous contempt of the World and his steady living in the thoughts of future Bliss and Glory Can I see these Virtues shine in his noble Soul and remember that they are set before me to raise my desires of being like him and believe that God expects and requires of me to transcribe them on my Temper Can I see how lovely how amiable and how beautiful these Graces are how in the midst of all his troubles they proclaim him to be the Son of God and in despight of all the contempt and scorn of Men and Devils speak him to be a favourite of Heaven Can I see how in the midst of all the Affronts and Derisions and Indignities he endured these Graces still made him amiable glorious in a Storm bright in that dismal Night-dress Illustrious in Misery Magnificent in Poverty Can I see how these Diamonds glister in the black Jet in which they are placed and notwithstanding the dull matter that doth encompass them are Diamonds still of an infinite value prized by God esteemed by Angels magnified by all good Men agreeable to Reason conformable to Gods Nature Can I see all this and continue stubborn and obstinate and an enemy to these Virtues Is not this enough to make me enamour'd with them to oblige me to long for them and to cause a disquiet in my Soul till it be possess'd of these inestimable Treasures And if this Sacrament be such an engagement to this pious Emulation and endeavour after the same gracious Qualifications is it not fit is it not expedient is it not reasonable is it not necessary that I should communicate frequently and Eat often and Drink often at this Table except I am afraid of being too lively too good or too serious 3. This Sacrament is a mighty promoter of fervent Charity and since the frequent exercise of this Charity is necessary frequent Comunicating must be so too this being the cause or incentive to the other That in an eminent manner it promotes and encourages Charity and Love to our Fellow Christians Concord and Unity Peace and Amity readiness of Mind to do good and bowels of Kindness to our Brethren none can doubt that 's sensible what Charity is represented in this Ordinance Here I see how the Great Commander of Heaven and Earth offers Reconciliation to a desperate Offender and whereas the Offender should be the first that should seek and implore God's Pardon God prevents him and with his Royal hands unask'd bestows upon him a Patent of Grace and Mercy Here I see how the Supream Judge who hath absolute power over our Life and Death is willing to be friends with a wretch that owes him Ten thousand Talents and willing frankly to forgive him all to discharge him of all his Debts and to supersede all Actions against him Here I see how the Everlasting Father is ready to receive the Prodigal into his House again to admit him to his Table who had spent all his Substance in riotous living ready to kill the fatted Calfe for him to put a Ring on his Finger and to betroth him to himself in Righteousness Here I see how he before whom all Nations are as Grashoppers offers to embrace the Worm that hath resisted him spoken ill of him prostituted his Glory expos'd Religion and studied and contrived ways to dishonour him Here I see the Son of God ready with the Balsom of his Blood to anoint the Wretch that made the Wounds and dying for the Men the multitude of whose Offences hath seemed to vye with the number of God's Mercies Here I see how infinite Light offers to twist its Rays with loathsome Darkness and how the greatest Prince proceeds to those excesses of Humility as to give the greatest Sinners room and entertainment in his Banqueting-House to call them Brethren and Friends and sheep of his Flock than which there are scarce more endearing Titles All this I behold here and shall not such a wonderful Scene of Charity blow those little sparks of Affection I find within into greater flames Can I see here what God hath done for me who have acted more treacherously against him than my greatest Enemy ever did against me and shall not this raise Compassion in me to my Fellow-servants and move me to lay down all Wrath and Enmity to them whose Injuries are but Fleabites in comparison of those I have offered to the Best of Beings And if this Sacrament be so strong an engagement to this Charity it stands to reason that frequent Communicating must be necessary too the rather because we are so often in danger of breaking the bond of Peace and dissolving the cement which must hold and knit Christians together So that 4. This frequent Cammunicating cannot but be acceptable to God and this he declared in the example of the Primitive Believers whose frequent receiving did so incline the Favour of God toward them that the Evangelist takes notice Acts 2. 47. The Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved In this the Divine Bounty expressed its liking of their frequent repairing to the Table of the Lord This was not only a reward of their frequent Communion but God made that frequency a motive to others to embrace the true Religion Nothing
or suffer my self to be enticed by it Every Man's Sin is a personal thing except in case of Scandal and the Offender only shall feel the Smart of it He that is free from the other's Offence shall be freed also from the Penalty due to the Offence and then what hurt do I receive by an ill Man's communicating in my Company I may eat with a Leprous with a diseased with a Gouty Man at a common Table and yet not participate of his Distemper And why should I share in his Guilt at the Lord's Table when I both abhor it and keep my self from the Infection The Soul that sins shall die is God's standing Rule Ezek. 18. 20. The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father neither shall the Father bear the Iniquity of the Son the Righteousness of the Righteous shall be upon him and the Wickedness of the Wicked shall be upon him If therefore I approach with a practical Faith and another with Unbelief or which is all one with a Faith without Works shall his Unbelief make the Faith of God of no effect Rom. 3. 3. 2. What Hurt did the Guests receive at the Wedding-Feast Matth. 22. 11 12. by eating with the Man who had no Wedding-Garment Were they rejected by the Master of the Feast because they feasted in his Company No All that came adorn'd with a suitable Temper and in whose Spirit there was no Guile received the Caresses of the King and none but the profane Wretch felt the Thunder of the Prince's Anger of him alone 't is said Bind him Hand and Foot and take him away and cast him into Outer Darkness there shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth As he was singular in his Sin so he was singular in his Punishment His coming unprepared did not divest others of their Garments nor did his Misery reach those that sate down with him Their own Faith saved them while the other's Infidelity condemned him The Master doth not so much as frown upon the rest doth not so much as give them an angry Word nor doth he expostulate with them why they would bear him Company They charitably believed he was a good Man because he was invited with them and their Charity made their own Sacrifice acceptable while the other's was Abomination to the Lord. 3. If I see another Man whom I know to be or to have been a notorious Sinner kneel down by me at this holy Table he must not therefore be an Object of my Scorn but of my Pity and Compassion I can make an excellent Use of seeing him in my Company for I can pray for him and beg of God that he would over-awe his Spirit with a Sense of the Death of Christ and strike him into Repentance and Humiliation I can intreat my Heavenly Father to give him a Sight of the Errours of his Ways and Resolutions never to profane that Cross again on which the great Redeemer of the World suffered I can pray that his Sight of the Bleeding Jesus may work upon his Soul and fill his Heart with holy Compunctions and his Eyes with Tears I can pray that after this Communion he may take heed and sin no more that the Solemnity may leavâ— such a Fear upon his Spirit that he may dread to offend God more than putting his Hand in the Fire And where I do so I do at once exercise my Pity and raise mine own Devotion I imitate Christ on the Cross praying for his Murtherers and with him become a Sollicitor for those that have derided and spit upon him And this sure cannot make me an unworthy Receiver 4. Who hath given me a Key to other Men's Hearts whereby I can judge at the Receiving of the Eucharist that my Neighbour receives unworthily How do I know but that he who was vicious a Week ago may become a Penitent that Day Or Who assures me that he who did cast God's Laws behind him Yesterday may not this Day cry out O wretched Man that I am Who bids me trouble my Head about another's Receiving when I have enough to do with mine own Heart And while I give my self liberty to judge another is it not a very great Sign that I am not very sensible of mine own Vileness If I am truly concern'd about mine own spiritual Welfare I shall not be at leisure to dive into other Men's Lives and Consciences My own Sins will be Burthen enough to me that I shall not need to concern my self about another's Business If I give my self to Censoriousness at such times I lose my Charity and Humility And if the Rule be to esteem others better than our selves I do not very heartily obey that Precept while I suffer my Mind to dwell upon other Men's Faults and Errours Christianity bids me to have humble Thoughts of my self and if I think that all that receive with me may be for ought I know better than my self I assuredly prepare for God's Favour who ever gives Grace to the Humble 5. If Judas the Traytor was present at this Sacrament as well as the other Apostles and his being present did not make the rest unworthy Receivers why should I think that a wicked Man's coming with me to this Table should make me one That Judas was present at this Sacrament we have the concurrent Testimony of three Evangelists for they all confess that Jesus sate down with the Twelve to the Eating of the Passover and while they were eating Jesus administred the holy Sacrament to them So St. Matth. 26. 26. As they were eating Jesus took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body So St. Mark 14. 22. And as they did eat Jesus took Bread and blessed and brake it and gave to them and said Take eat this is my Body Nay St. Luke is more express 22. 19 20 21. And he took Bread and gave Thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my Body c. But behold the Hand of him which betrays me is with me on the Table c. St. John indeed tells us that Judas having received the Sop in the Passover he went immediately out Joh. 13. 30. But since the Evangelist mentions nothing of the Sacrament his Silence about Judas's being present at the Sacrament can be no Argument and his Words may justly be construed thus Having received the Sop in the Passover and stay'd till the Sacrament was administred to him and the rest of the Disciples he immediately went out For the Sacrament being administred by Christ while they were eating the Passover by the Sop St. John must needs be supposed to understand both the Passover and that which was without Delay subjoyned to it i. e. the Sacrament And whereas it is objected that the Sacrament could not have been conveniently administred if the Traytor had been present that is a Supposition which contradicts the Matter of Fact recorded by the Evangelists And who
Receiver for this Sacrament as hath been often hinted in the Premises is to increase our Practice to augment our Love to Holiness to strengthen our Resolutions to follow Christ to cleanse us from that filthines which naturally besets us and to enlarge our Graces and since that Knowledge I have mentioned is a sufficient Preparative for all this it must be a sufficient Preparative for the Holy Sacrament 2. Much Knowledge very often hinders Men from the Practical part of Religion It need not do it and it ought not to do it but we see it frequently doth for Men are apt to be taken with fine Notions and while their Delight runs all that way they forget too often to delight greatly in God's Commandments This is too evident in many Men who are great Scholars who satisfie themselves with this that they know more than the Vulgar and neglect those severer Parts of Practical Religion which many of the Vulgar do conscientiously observe and many an ordinay Man that knows little more than his Creed but makes that Creed an inforcive to Obedience is in a happier condition than the greater Literati who trouble their Heads so much about Controversies and Criticisms that they bestow little time upon Mortification In the Primitive Ages when Men knew not much they practis'd more as since Knowledge hath increas'd Men's practices have much degenerated from the simplicity of the Gospel Not that I commend Ignorance in the Laity as they do in the Church of Rome but I think a little knowledge improv'd into great severity of Life is safer and more beneficial than great skill in Divinity without suitable Fruits of Righteousness So that upon a review of the whole I may safely conclude that want of great Knowledge doth not make a Man an unworthy Receiver III. From what we have said it will be easie to guess in the next place what it is to Eat and Drink unworthily For from Negatives Affirmatives may be inferred without any great difficulty and tho' after this Discourse I might spare my pains in setting down the particulars yet to assist the Weak and to conform my self to the meanest capacity I shall explain the Nature of this unworthy Eating and Drinking in the following Observations 1. To Eat and Drink unworthily is to Eat and Drink by force By Eating and Drinking by force I mean coming to this Sacrament either because the Law of the Land Commands it or because our Superiors under whose Command we are or from whom we expect some Gain and Benefit or in case of neglect of their Orders apprehend some danger or injury to our Temporal Concerns will not be satisfied without it Not but that a Servant or whoever is under a Command of others ought to give heed to the Pious Counsel and Advice of those that are above him take it into consideration and make advantage of that opportunity to apply himself to the serious practice of it and thereupon consuâ—t with Divines and with his own Conscience how to make his Calling and Election sure but where a Person is altogether passive in the thing regards more what his Superiors say than what his Conscience feels and comes more to please those which are above him than to discharge his Duty where his chief motive is to give content to those whose Favour he is loth to lose where he would certainly neglect coming were it not for the danger of prejudicing what is very dear to him in the World there I say he Eats and Drinks unworthily For 1. Such a Person stands more in awe of Man than of God God's Command cannot make him do that which Human Injunctions can Dust and Ashes prevail more with him than the Holy One of Israel Man's Anger and Displeasure moves and affects him more than the Indignation of a jealous God and with what Eyes can the Almighty look upon that Wretch whom he sees more concern'd to please a poor Grashopper so Man is call'd Es. 4. 22. than him that sits upon the Circles of the Earth How can he but set his Face against that Communicant whose slavish temper he spies at his Table whose Heart sticks close to the Earth and makes no great account of him who daily courts him by his Favours How can he but frown upon that Creature whom no Charms of an Almighty Love can melt and the threatning of Man can affright into any thing Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a Man that shall dye and of the Son of Man that shall be made as Grass And forgettest the Lord thy Maker that hath stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth saith God Isa. 51. 12 13. 2. Such a Person his outward Man only receives the Holy Sacrament His Soul for which this Feast is chiefly prepared receives nothing The Brute only appears at the Table the Angel stays away God expects the Master at this Banquet not the Slave The Body is not capable of this Sacred Food the Soul is the proper Guest This is it that can expect refreshment at this Board and he that comes to feed his Body only knows not yet what this Ordinance was intended for where a Man brings nothing but his Body to this Love-Feast leaving his Soul enslaved to the Profits of the World or to the Will of Mortal Men he must needs receive unworthily for God's enemy which is the World engrosses that part which should appear before God and behold and be ravish'd with his excellent Greatness and Goodness and with the admirable designs in spreading the Royal Table for him To what purpose is the Carkase while that which should animate it is engaged another way Can the Shell please God who hath so often declared that he will be satisfied with nothing but the Kernel And in vain doth he require the Heart if the outward frame were Sacrifice sufficient So that what Christ saith Joh. 6. 63. may justly be applied here tho' with some variation of the Sense It 's the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profits nothing 2. To Eat and Drink unworthily is to make this receiving a matter of custom only Where Men approach because it 's fashionable to observe the decorum of their being Members of a Church more than to grow in a Spiritual Life and know no other enforcive or can give no account of any other but this Because it is usual for Men who are Baptized and profess themselves Christians and go to the Publick to do so there they must needs Eat and Drink 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 undecently or unworthily And this is the case of many ignorant People both in City and Country who come for company-sake and because their Neighbors use to do so who think it not a Province belonging to them to know or dive into the mysteries of Salvation but trust to it that God is merciful and will save them though they know not why or how whose Affections are bound up with the Earth and will be
sensible of no higher Felicity than what a good Crop and a full Purse affords Now that to receive with no higher Aims or from no better Principles is to receive unworthily will appear from hence 1. Because such Persons receive without being affected and touched with the Riches and Treasures opened revealed discovered and offered in this Sacrament Treasures greater than those the Wise Men laid down at the Feet of the Infant Saviour Treasures beyond all Gold and Myrrh and Frankincense and all the Gums the Happy Arabia yields Treasures of higher value than those the Queen of Sheba brought to Solomon the Great Treasures richer than those the King of Judah shewed to the Babylonian Ambassadors To shew their Excellency above all Earthly Treasures were to prove that Light is better than Darkness and a Ball of Diamond than a piece of Turf or that the Wisdom of a Minister of State exceeds that of a Sucking Babe For if it be true as without doubt it is that God was crucified or that he who was God humbled himself to an ignominious Death for our sakes and that this Love with all its Benefits is proclaimed in our Ears and tender'd to our Souls in this Sacrament there is not a Child but must grant that all that this World affords must be mere Pebles to it And as this Treasure of the World's Redemption is the rich Mine discovered in this Sacrament so he whom Custom and Company only brings to it must needs receive unworthily because he sees not he feels not he is sensible of no such Treasure which if he were he would go to it as a poor Beggar almost starved goes to a rich Man's House there to receive a vast Sum of Money beyond his Expectation and come wondering at the Honour that God intends him wondering at the Favour God designs him wondering at the Riches he shall be presented with wondering at himself what God should see in him to be thus liberal and bountiful to him wondering to see what God hath provided for him 2. Such a Man eats and drinks in this Sacrament as if it were common Bread and Wine that is set before him he approaches and makes no more of it than if it were a private or ordinary Table he considers not what this Bread and Wine represent and as the Apostle's Phrase is discerns not the Lord's Body discerns not that the Body of him who was the Creator of Heaven and Earth is pointed at in these Elements 'T is true materially considered it is the same with the Bread and Wine set upon our Tables at home but the signification of it makes it Celestial Food separates it from common Use raises it above vulgar Diet and the Stamp God sets upon it makes it truly the Bread of the Lord and the Cup of the Lord. He whom Custom only carries to the House of God distinguishes not the Mysteriousness and Holiness of this Food which if he did he would touch it with the same Awe and Reverence that the Woman troubled with a Bloody Issue touch'd the He◠of Christ's Garment Quaking and Trembling Mar. 5. 33. 3. To eat and drink unworthily is to receive without true Repentance Where Men either do not think it requisite to leave their Sins or pretend that they do part with them when they do not where they mistake the present Damp that is upon their Spirits for a Change of Life or the melancholy and sullen Humour that hath surprized them for the new Nature Religion is to give them or forbear the external Acts of their Sins they have formerly hugg'd and run out into but are not resolved to mortifie their secret Desires after him where they mistake their Act of Preparation for the Act of pulling down the Strong Holds of Iniquity so that their Lusts and Love to Sin remain where they give the Devil leave to retire a while but are loth to take their Everlasting Farewel of him and therefore after the House is swept and garnished even after Receiving open the Door to him again Where it is so there Men eat and drink unworthily For 1. Such Persons instead of doing Honour to Christ affront him are still in League with that which killed him pretend Sorrow for their Sins yet secretly espouse them give out they have sent them a Bill of Divorce but still keep close Correspondence with them would make God and Men believe that they are Christ's Servants when they are still his Enemies would persuade others that they have brought their Necks under his Yoak when the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that which bears rule in their Souls is their Carnality and Sensuality In this Sacrament a most solemn Profession is made and ought to be made of our Weariness of a sinful Life which is the reason why the Church in her Publick Office doth particularly address her self to such Persons as find it and to such that comfortable place of St. John is usually applied If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous 1 Joh. 2. 1. that is If any Man sin so as to be truly weary of it or if he hath sinned and feels such a Remorse that he detests himself for having done so and thereupon bids Defiance to the Works of Darkness We have an Advocate that will plead for us prevail with God not to cast us away because we have forsaken him and by his Merits make our Repentance valuable that it shall prove a Propitiation for our Sins But he that professes Weariness yet is not tired with his sinful Course not only mocks God but gives himself the Lye and seems to fancy that he who dwelleth on high sees not the secret Intrigues and Intentions of his Soul Which is Profanation of Religion 2. Such a Person destroys the End for which he pretends to come to this holy Sacrament for that End is Growth in Grace And how shall he grow in Grace that is unresolved to part from those Sins which do so easily beset him These things are and cannot but be Obstacles and Impediments to that Growth And Worms and Caterpillars are not more noxious to young Trees than these unrepented Sins are to this Growth and a Man may as well hope that an Elm in his Ground will within a few Years be tall enough to over-shadow his whole House when there is nothing but Rock at the bottom Unrepented Sins make the Heart mere Stony Ground Goodness may peep forth but having no Earth it must necessarily wither and come to nothing People may pull and hale a Ship with their Arms long enough before they can make it move while the Anchors are not taken up Their unrepented Sins are the Anchors that keep the Soul fixed to Earth and Hell and to think Grace will move or advance while that Anchor holds it is to imagine that an House will be built without Materials or a Field bring forth Corn that was never sown or never felt the Labour and
assert God's just Anger against Sin and keep off the fatal blow from Man at once defend God'ds Right and establish Man's Felicity and thereby put the poor miserable Worm in a capacity of becoming Heir to the Riches of God who was an Heir of the Treasures of Wrath and a companion of Blessed Spirits who had deserv'd to howl with Apostate Spirits a Child of Light who was a Son of Darkness and a Servant of Righteousness who was a Slave of Sin I say the Holy Ghost supposes that he that seriously believes all this will think nothing too good for God will not stand out against so great a Mercy will fight no more against so great and so good a Master but will submit to him be ready to run at his Commands give himself up to the Will of so great a Benefactor and will be hearty and sincere in serving him Now the unworthy Receiver being so far from doing this so far from turning to God with all his heart and with all his mind that he refuses the Dominion of God will be a Slave to his Sin still and had rather obey the Devil than this most bountiful Master who hath done so much for him by doing so denies that Christ's Body and Blood was sacrific'd for him for if he believ'd it he could not do as he doth and tho' he may protest by all that 's Good and Sacred that he believes it yet Words and Compliments will not absolve him and if talking were believing no Man that professes Christianity would ever be damn'd What doth a Malefactor's pleading at the Bar that he is not guilty signifie when the Evidences are strong and the Matter of Fact is prov'd against him Belief that doth not touch the Heart or renew the Mind or spiritualize the Affections is mere Infidelity and where this Belief is not to be found the Sinner is accused of denying the Mercy he pretends to believe And to this purpose saith the Apostle They profess that they know God but in their works they deny him Tit. 1. 16. So that the unworthy Receiver i. e. He that receives and yet will not reform whatever his Profession may be in his Actions he denies that Christ was Sacrific'd for him and therefore makes himself guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. 2. He Eats and Drinks unworthily makes himself guilty of jesting with the Body and Blood of Christ As the Fathers of the Council of Eliberis speak He plays with the most tremendous things for in coming he seems to confess that by the Death of the Son of God his miserable Soul was redeem'd and a Pardon purchas'd for him and the Heavens made to bow to him and the good Will of God procur'd to save him for ever and yet he doth not think all this worth forsaking a sinful Lust or shaking a pleasing Dalilah from his Bosom and what is this but playing with the Body and Blood of Christ Should a Man make a very curious Harangue in commendation of his Neighbour compare him with Salomon for Wisdom with David for Sincerity with Jonathan for Faithfulness with Josiah for Piety for Generosity with Moses for Chastity with Joseph for Patience with Job with St. Paul for Courage with St. Peter for Zeal with Absolom for Beauty with Zacheus for Charity with Abraham for Hospitality nay with Angels for clearness of Understanding and for Purity of Life with Seraphim And when he hath done abuse and reproach him or do that which he cannot but know must be offensive and irksome or prejudicial to him gives the Spectator just occasion to think that all that flanting Panegyric was only a jocular thing design'd rather as an essay of Wit than as any real affection to the Virtues of the commended Party The unworthy Receiver doth in effect the same for his coming to this Sament is a tacit Commendation of Christ's Crucified Body and Blood whereby he seems to applaud the wonderful Works that Christ hath done for him and to proclaim to all the standers by what an Obligation that Death is to mortifie the body of Sin and to be true and faithful to him that did not count his Life dear to do him good and yet having no real purpose within whatever external Declaration he may make to become a new Man but after he hath been at this Table when temptations assault him temptations to his former sins yields to them as easily as ever plainly declares he was in jest when he seem'd to magnifie this Munificence of his Saviour and from hence it must follow that he is guilty of playing with the Body and Blood of Christ. 3 He that Eats and Drinks unworthily seems to wish that Christ may dye again and upon that account is guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord for in that Christ's Death is not efficacious to pull down the strong holds of Sin in him or rather in that he will not let that death prevail with him to the mortifying of his sinful Lusts he seems to wish for an iteration of that Death which may be more powerful and have a greater influence upon the destruction of his Sin It is a Declaration as it were that the Death of Christ as the case stands doth no good upon him and therefore since the Death of the Son of God must be the means to break the power of Sin in him he stands in need of another death of that Saviour which may do greater miracles upon his Soul or sinful Temper Christ's Death indeed must break the reigning power of Sin but then a Person in whom this effect is to be wrought must apply that Death think upon it warm his Heart with the Consideration of it ruminate upon the Motives of it and upon the greatness of his own Sin that occasioned it and upon the vast Advantages that flow from that Death and be restless with God to make it effectual to his Soul For to think that this Death will do the work without our Labour or Industry or pondering the weight and moment of it is to imagine that God will deal with us as with Brutes that have no understanding As Christ died once in the end of the World so his Death spreads his Virtue to all Penitents from the beginning to the end of the World But wherever it works a serious Reformation it must be improv'd by Faith and Thoughts and Prayer and Contemplation and should Christ dye a thousand times if these means be neglected his dying so often would signifie little to the inconsiderate Spectator This is the monstrous Fancy of some Men that they hope the Mysteries of Religion will or must change their Hearts without any trouble of their own which Conceit must needs make them contemptible in the sight of an All-wise God who sees them neglect the Powers and Faculties he hath given them The unworthy Receiver therefore finding no good by this Death of the Lord Jesus for it makes no alteration in his
of the Old Testament did all eat the same spiritual Meat and did all drink the same spiritual Drink for they drank of the Spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10. 3 4. we must conclude that since under the New Testament Expiation of Sin is not allowed of without Repentance the Fathers under the Law could have no other Apprehensions of Expiation And though they mention the Removal of the Temporal Judgment as an External Sign of the Expiation of their Sin yet the Internal Mark of it and the principal was their Repentance and while they name the one they do not exclude the other The Jews at this Day lay the Stress of Pardon upon the Removal of the Judgment whether they repent of the Sin that caused it or not â—ay they go so far as to make their Death an Expiation for all their Sins By which Rule no Jew can be damned And this comes in a great measure from their mis-understanding of that Passage Isa. 22. 14. And it was revealed in mine Ears by the Lord of Hosts Surely this Iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die saith the Lord of Hosts Which Words import no more than this That God with the Death of those wicked Men will put an end to the Scandal they have given to others by their Iniquities and that by their Death God will purge the City or the Land from such Abominations but not that their Death shall be an Atonement for their Sins And therefore 2. Nothing doth properly expiate Sin but the Blood of Christ and as without shedding of Blood there is no Remission so by the shedding of Christ's Blood Men are put in a Possibility of being pardon'd But Repentance is the Preparative for the Application of that Blood Till a Man repents he hath no Title to that Blood or the Benefits of it And though God may remove the Temporal Judgment yet if it works no Repentance the Sin shall be produced against the Offender in the last Day All Temporal Judgments though they speak God's Displeasure at Sin yet they are intended withal for the Offender's Reformation And to this purpose Elihu speaks excellently well Job 33. 19 20 27. He is chasten'd also with Pain upon his Bed and the Multitude of his Bones with strong Pain so that his Life abhors Bread and his Soul dainty Meat his Flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen and his Bones that were not seen stick out He looks upon Men and if any say I have â—inned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not he will deliver his Soul from going to the Pit and his Life shall see the Light And therefore if this Judgment which falls upon an unworthy Receiver instead of softening and melting his Heart doth but harden him there the Judgment is so far from expiating his Offence that it hastens and aggravates his Everlasting Condemnation and this very Sin will be remembred in Hell and double his Shrieks and Agonies And this is rational to believe for when God by that Temporal Judgment cannot reclaim him the last Remedy that God makes use of to bring him to a better Mind is lost his Folly is incorrigible and as that Judgment was a Talent he should have improved into Repentance so dis-regarding it and making no other use of it than Pharaoh of his Plagues and becoming more setled upon his Lees he justifies God's Proceedings against him in the last Day which though they seem â—evere to the Sufferer who is loth to feel the pain yet they are reasonable and he whom Temporal Judgments could not reclaim must know at last to his Cost there is no jesting with the Anger of an Infinite Majesty The Preceding Considerations reduced to farther Practice I. THE Apostle is in the right when he tells us Heb. 12. 29. Our God is a Consuming Fire Indeed to the Tractable and Docile who consider his Providences and take notice of his Loving-kindness who see the Vanity and Uncertainty of the World and build their Nest among the Stars of Heaven who are sensible of the Danger of walking after the Flesh and deliberately chuse to walk after the Spirit who run away from Sodom get themselves out of Babylon will not be infected by the Sins of the World and earnestly desire to be strengthen'd in the Inward Man with all Might To such he is all Kindness all Love all Mercy all Light all Compassion all Charity as we see in the Parable of the Prodigal where the Father's Acts towards the penitent Sinner are so full of Sweetness so full of Affection and Tenderness that nothing can be imagined more kind or loving or favourable But Men who undervalue the Methods of Salvation will be happy their own Way make light of that which they ought to prize above their Lives are unconcern'd about the Sins that cost the Eternal Son of God his Life will needs dream of God's Mercy while they obstruct it by their Ingratitude and hope to enter into Heaven notwithstanding their Neglect of purifying their Hearts and Lives nay can come to this Sacrament and will not be divorced from those Sins which here they profess an unfeigned Sorrow for Such Persons shall know and feel that God is Jealous and that the Lord revenges that the Lord revenges and is furious that the Lord will take Vengeance of his Adversaries and reserves Wrath for his Enemies Nah. 1. 2. He is indeed slow to Anger and doth not wllfully afflict the Children of Men but Boldness in Impenitence wakens his Vengeance and where his Patience tempts them to greater Wantonness there is no dallying with their Errours These things hast thou done saith God and I kept silence and thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine Eyes Psal. 50. 21. II. Because it is so dangerous to eat and drink unworthily yet that ought not to discourage any Person from eating and drinking in this Sacrament Worthy Eating and Drinking here is not dangerous at all so far from being dangerous that it is a Duty and beneficial and a Key to the choicest Mercies And if it were dangerous why should it fright any Soul from coming 'T is dangerous to go to Sea Yet doth the Seaâ—man therefore forbear his Voyage 'T is dangerous to climb a Tree Yet doth the Husband-man therefore let his better Fruit drop down without getting up to gather it 'T is dangerous to fight against a numerous Enemy But is the Soldier therefore dis-hearten'd from venturing into the Battel Danger helps us to look to our Steps and if there be Difficulty in an Attempt it whets our Courage and makes us fall on with the greater Force and Earnestness So that if worthy Eating and Drinking were dangerous it were an Invitation to an ingenuous Temper to apply himself to it But in this there is no Danger What Danger can there be in
Darkness Neither Treasures nor Attendants can keep out a Revenging Arm And it is but a childish Attempt to get a strong Guard about us that God's Rods and Axes may not reach us 53. When I was daily with you in the Temple you stretched forth no hands against me but this is your hour and the power of darkness DArkness indeed must have very great Power where it can encourage Men to fight against God And O my Soul hast not thou found such a thing as Darkness in thy Understanding and such Darkness as hath made thee resist God's Holy Spirit and sin against God with a stiff Neck and with an high â—and What gross Conceits hast thou harboured of Almighty God! How hast thou sometimes thought him to be altogether such a one as thy self And when thou hast obstinately continued in walking after thine own heart in despite of all that could be alledged to the contrary hast not thou sought against thy great Creator and blessed Redeemer How ignorant hast thou been of the ways and nature of God! Nay how pleasing hath that Ignorance been to thee How hast thou rejoyced in it and thought thy self wise for talking at random of Almighty God as blind Men do of Colours If this was not to be under the Empire of Darkness what could deserve that name 54. Then took they him and led him and brought him unto the High Priest's House and Peter follow'd afar off PEter follows asar off loth to run himself into danger Such hath been thy following of Christ O my Soul Cowardly afar off tremblingly with fear and pusillanimity If Christ deserves not thy venturing All even Life it self what dost thou profess thy self a Christian for He that hath promised to give thee everlasting Life doth not he deserve the voluntary Loss of thy temporal life O how hast thou been afraid when thy conscientiousness hath drawn thee into any inconvenience How afraid hast thou been of doing things he hath commanded when they have seemed to be prejudicial to thy Interest So far as thou couldst safely profess and practice the Rules of Goodness so far thou hast ventured but when any trouble hath been like to arise upon the account of that Goodness O how hast thou drawn back or served thy God by halves and with reserves And is this a just ground for thy hopes of Heaven Is this a foundation firm enough to build thy expectations of a future Kingdom on O be ashamed of thy Cowardice and take heed that no Man take thy Crown 55. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the Hall and were set down together Peter sate among them UNhappy Peter to sit down with ill company which were like to draw him into sin O my Soul how often hast thou imitated this unwary Apostle How hast thou thrust thy self into loose company and what hast thou got by it but Death and Ruin How safe mightest thou have been hadst thou withheld thy Foot from such society These have made thee vain in thy Talk frothy in thy Thoughts uncircumspect in thy Actions How have thy holy Heats been cool'd by such Companions thy Piety stabb'd thy Conscientiousness turn'd out of doors thy Seriousness lessen'd thy Boldness increased thy Modesty chang'd into Confidence and thy former watchfulness into sinful Security This thou hast felt this thou hast seen and yet hast hanker'd after such Familiars and thought thy self undone if thou couldest not enjoy their Friendship This hath made holy Discourses tedious to thee and the conversation of self denying Men irksom This hath made thee impatient of better Society and wish thou mightest not meet them for fear their Sobriety should be a secret Reproof of thy looser Carriage 56. But a certain Maid beheld him as he sate by the Fire and earnestly looked upon him and said This Man was also with him THis Maiden looks upon Peter and knows him and proclaims it in her Discourse What injuries do we do to our Neighbours by giving our selves liberty to censure their Actions and Behaviour Hath not this been thy Sin O my Soul how hast thou spent thy time in talking of thy Neighbors Actions and while thou hast found fault with this and that particular which thy Neighbour did and hast proclaimed his Infirmities reviled his Weakness to the Company thou hast been in and hast found nothing to discourse of but what this or the other body did How hast thou wronged thy Neighbor's Reputation and sometimes hindred Men from doing good to him And how often hast thou told lies of him either aggravated his Faults or misreported his Behaviour or put a wrong construction on his words And O my Soul How little hast thou regarded the Omnipresence of God and how mightest thou have prevented all this by Pious Conferences Had thy Mind been set upon Spiritual Things how couldst thou have run out into this licentiousness And O how careless hast thou been of that Rule of Equity What you would have other men do to you do ye even so to them 57. And he denied him saying Woman I know him not WHat Peter said falsely of his Master hath been verified too often in thee O my Soul For whatever thou hast pretended thou hast not truly known him and that which makes thy ignorance more heinous is that it hath been wilful How shouldst thou know him when thou hast been loth to read his Word to pray fervently and to converse with those who would have brought thee to a right knowledge of him Thou hast contented thy self with a Superficial Knowledge but hast not so known him as to know the power of his Resurrection Hadst thou known him aright thou wouldst have felt his Operations in thy Breast and long'd to be at Peace with him Is it possible to know his Beauty and not to be enamour'd with him Or his Perfection and not to love him Or the fulness of Joy at his right hand and not to cry Lord for ever give me to drink of this water 58. And after a little while another saw him and said Thou art also of them And Peter said Man I am not SEE how when one Temptation is off another comes And is not this an Emblem of thy Warfare O my Soul when a Temptation to Uncharitableness hath taken its leave another to Pride hath risen when that hath seemed to be withdrawn another to sinful security hath appeared and when this hath retired another to mistrust God's Providence hath discovered it self when this hath been taken away another to envy hath succeeded or if this hath made no impression another to neglect of thy Duty hath follow'd and yet how safe hast thou thought thy self when one storm was past How hast thou suffered the next suggestion to prevail with thee after thou hadst couragiously resisted the former How hast thou sunk under the Second and Third Assault when in the first thou seemedst to be invincible How mightest thou have shamed the Devil by a continual
resolvedness whereas now he can boast of his Triumph over thee and thou art left to bewail thy inconsiderateness 59. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed saying Of a truth this fellow also was with him for he is a Galilean HOw peremptory and confident is Malice How doth it turn mere Probabilities into certainties and surmises into Realities And O my Soul hast thou never dealt so with thy Neighbour When thou hast cherished a grudge against him how quickly hast thou spied faults in his Actions And if thou hast seen but the shadow of an Error in him how hast thou presently aggravated it and of a Mole-hill made a Mountain and improved a likelihood into strong asseverations How hast thou discovered thy ill Nature in such Actions And though other Men perhaps have taken no notice of thy sinister aims yet hath not thy God seen thy Heart and noted thy secret sin in his Book And having set it down will he not produce it in the last day if thy return be not speedy and serious to thy everlasting confusion there being nothing secret but what will be made manifest in that day when God shall judge the secrets of Men's Hearts by the Gospel 60. And Peter said Man I know not what thou sayest And immediately while he spake the Cock crew WHat excellent Teachers are dumb Creatures The Cock here teaches Peter and puts him in mind of his unwatchfulness How often hast thou been instructed O my Soul by such Creatures and yet thou hast not been the better for it The Lamb hath taught thee meekness yet thou hast been angry and cholerick The Serpent hath taught thee Wisdom yet thou hast continued foolish and imprudent The Ox knows his Owner and the Ass his Master's Crib yet thou hast not considered what vast Mercies thy great Master hath poured out upon thee The Stork the Crane and the Swallow return at their appointed time yet thou hast not returned to thy God at a time when he hath earnestly waited for thy conversion The Bee and Ant teach thee industry yet how lazy hast thou been in the work of thy Salvation The Dog teaches thee Fidelity yet how unfaithful hast thou been to God and to thy Conscience The Snail teaches thee slowness to wrath yet how hast thou broke forth into unruly Passions How many ways hath God taught thee and yet how loth hast thou been to be instructed 61. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter remembred the Word of the Lord how he had said unto him before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice O My Soul how often hath Christ looked upon thee and thou hast turned away thine Eyes from him He hath looked upon thee in his Word and yet thou hast not minded him He hath looked upon thee in the Holy Sacrament yet thou hast taken no notice of it He hath looked upon thee in thy Afflictions and yet thou hast not seen him Hadst thou observed his Looks thou wouldst have remembred his Sayings and his Precepts and done them Perhaps thou hast remembred his Words but thou hast not considered the Sense of them or if thou hast considered the Sense thou hast thought it did not belong to thee O how willing hast thou been to transfer thy Sin from thy self to others What would not the damned in Hell give for such a gracious Look of the Lord Jesus as thou hast had sometimes And canst thou make light of that which those unhappy Spirits would prize at a mighty rate 62. And Peter went out and wept bitterly WHat a blessed Sight is this to see a penitent Sinner weep How hard-hearted hast thou been under thy Sins O my Soul Not a Drop hath distilled from the Rock of thy Heart even after presumptuous Sins While other Saints have water'd their Couches with their Tears thine hath been dry Thou hast wept upon the reading of a Romance and canst not thou weep at the true History of thy Saviour's Passion Thou canst weep for the Loss of a Father and canst not thou weep at the Remembrance that thy Father and Redeemer died for thee Thou canst weep under a great Burthen and cannot the great Load of thy Transgressions make thee weep Thy Sins are as great as other Men's why shouldst not thou weep as other Men Shouldst thou be so unhappy as to drop into Hell thou wouldst weep Day and Night and shouldst not thou weep now to prevent those vain and unprofitable Tears Alas my Soul Thou hast made thy self merry with thy Sins how is it possible thou shouldst weep for them Oh think what thy Master hath said Blessed are they that weep and mourn now for they shall laugh at last 63. And the Men that held Jesus mocked him and smote him AND dost thou think that those were the only Men that ever mocked the Lord Jesus O my Soul What thinkest thou of thy Mock-Fasts and of thy Mock-Prayers When thou hast fasted sometimes hast not thou pretended Sorrow for thy Sins when at the same time thou hast been loth to part with them Hast not thou professed Grief for thy Lusts when at the same time thou hast hugged them as thy Darlings Hast not thou given God the Shell of thy Duties without the Kernel And hast not thou prayed sometimes to be rid of secret Corruptions while thou hast hoped God would not hear thee What Vows hast thou made in Trouble and how forgetful hast thou been to pay them Thou hast promsed Hecatombs and at last like that foolish Merchant in the Fable laid a few Dates upon God's Altar And is not this mocking of God and in a very high degree 64. And when they had blindfolded him they stroke him on the Face and asked him saying Prophesie who is it that smote thee WHat dreadful Sins doth brutish Ignorance put Men upon Sins that were their Eyes open would make their Hair stand an end Had these Wretches known who it was they abused thus it would have precipitated them into the Gulph of Sorrow and Despair O my Soul how is it that thou dost not quake to think of the Sins thou didst commit in thy Ignorance How didst thou laugh at Sins which have made other good Men weep Rivers of Tears How bold hast thou been in the Affronts of the Divine Majesty Affronts at the Thoughts of which some Saints have swoon'd and yet thou canst think of them at this time without Indignation Thou wouldst indeed commit them no more 't is like but how should the very Remembrance of them strike Terrour into thy Mind and make thee wish for Fountains of Water to bewail them 65. And many other things blasphemously they spake against him HOW restless is Sin It cannot stop it must roll on from one Precipice to another One would think these desperate Men had done enough when they had mocked him but they cannot hold the Master they serve leaves them not but prompt them on to greater
Villanies and Abuses And dost not thou remember something like this in thy self O my Soul When thou hast engaged in a Sin that hath been heinous and dreadful hath not that Sin wanted Support from other Sins And hath it not forced thee to call in other Follies to maintain it How hast thou defended thy Theft or Uncleanness with a Lye and that Lye with another Lye and the second Lye with an Imprecation and that Imprecation with a constant Asseveration of the same Falshood How hath one ill Word brought in another And how hath the Neglect of Charity provoked thee at last to Malice and Injuriousness 66. And as soon as it was Day the Elders of the People and the Chief Priests and the Scribes came together and led him into their Council WHat Haste do these Men make to ruin their immortal Souls For fear they should not dye their Souls with a Guilt deep enough they get up early And do not these Men's Proceedings put thee in mind O my Soul of the Haste thou hast made to Everlasting Destruction How early hast thou got up to offend thy God! How often hast thou begun the Day with vain and sinful Thoughts How often hath the first Word thou hast spoken in the Morning been an ill Name or an angry Expression How often hast thou made it thy first Contrivance in the Morning how to be revenged on such a Person and as soon as it hath been Day hast gone and executed thy premeditated Malice And hast not thou done so as to other Sins How early in a Morning have thy Lusts ingrossed thy Thoughts as if thy first Thoughts and Actions had been the Devil's Due and that God were to have his Leavings 67. Saying Art thou the Christ Tell us And he said unto them If I tell you you will not believe AND hath not this been thy Temper O my Soul How often hath God told thee that thou art in danger and yet thou wouldst not believe How often hath he assured thee that thou canst have no Share no Benefit in Christ's Merits except thou repentest and yet thou wouldst not believe How often hast thou been told that Christ died that thou mightest die to Sin and yet thou wouldst not believe How often hath the Spirit of God endeavoured to convince thee that except thou dost examine thy self whether thou art in the Faith or no thou canst not be sure of Salvation and yet thou wouldst not believe him Oh how often hath it been proclaimed in thine Ears that thou canst not love God except thou prefer his Will before thy Gain or Pleasure and yet thou wouldst not believe And whom couldst thou blame if God should condemn thee as an Unbeliever who hast resisted the known Truths of his most holy Oracles 68. And if I also ask you you will not answer me nor let me go THus hast thou dealt with thy Conscience O my Soul Thou hast neither permitted it to censure thy Actions nor suffer'd it to ask thee any Question When thou hast done something amiss and it hath checked thee how hast thou dashed its Reprehensions When it hath condemned thy Pride and Censoriousness how hast thou bid it meddle with its own Business How often would it have asked thee which way thou hopest to be saved and thou hast turned away from the Motion How often hath it been ready to demand of thee whether the Courses thou takest are agreeable to the Rules of the Gospel and thou hast presently diverted the Suggestion Nay how often hath it actually expostulated with thee why no Warning no Threatning could prevail with thee and thou hast put it off like Felix to come and discourse with thee another Day when thou art more at leisure 69. Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the Right Hand of the Power of God O My Soul Thou hast been in a manner as confident of thy sitting at the Right Hand of God as Christ himself yet without any solid Ground Oh how ready hast thou been to apply the Promises of the Gospel without regarding whether thou didst fulfil the required Conditions How often hast thou flatter'd thy self that thou shalt see God in Glory when at the same time thou hast lived in Sins which exclude Men from the Kingdom of Heaven See through what Sufferings the Son of God enters into his Glory And canst thou think thou shalt reign with him except thou suffer with him Before he took possession of his Kingdom he fought his Way through all Opposition And canst thou hope to be conformable to him in Bliss except thou art content to be conformable to him in his Work and Labour of Love 70. Then said they all Art thou then the Son of God And he said unto them Ye say that I am THis Question which the Priests and Elders among the Jews put captiously to our Master the Lord Jesus I have reason O my Soul to put to thee in good earnest Art thou a Child of God or not If thou art what mean the Vanities thou doatest upon What means that Fondness of the World that fills the Chanels of thy Heart What means thy Averseness from imitating the Primitive Saints in their Self-denials If thou art a Child of God why wilt not thou be governed by the Spirit of God Why hath thy sensual Appetite so much power over thee And why art thou so loth to be holy as thy Father in Heaven is holy If the Actions of a Child of God are no part of thy Life how dwells thy Heavenly Father's Nature in thee And when all the Children of God must strive to have the same Mind in them which was in the Son of God how comes thy Mind to be so carnal and so wedded to Things below 71. And they said What need we any farther Witness For we our selves have heard it of his own Mouth VVHat these Men say maliciously of Christ God may too truly say of thee O my Soul What need is there of any farther Witness when thine own Mouth bears witness against thee Wert thou to appear before the great Tribunal at this Instant how justly might God condemn thee by thine own Confessions How justly might he say to thee Thou didst confess that Heaven is not to be got with a Wish Why then wouldst not thou bestow more Care and Pains about it Thou didst confess that thou canst do any thing in the World for Profit sake sit up at Night work hard go tedious Journeys put thy self to a great deal of Trouble for a Sum of Money Why then wouldst not thou bestir thy self for far greater Profit even an Eternity of Joy and Glory Thou didst confess that he that would not work deserved not to eat And how then canst thou expect to enjoy the Bread of Life even my Everlasting Kingdom when thou didst not care for working and couldst do more for Twenty or Forty Shillings than for the Everlasting Riches The XXIII Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel Paraphrased
this World may'st bid me enter into my Master's Joy 44. And it was about the Sixth Hour and there was a Darkness over all the Earth until the Ninth Hour THE Sun loses his Splendour at Noon The Deed was black and Heaven draws a Curtain over it Yet notwithstanding the Miracle the greatest part of the Spectators continue obstinate When Men's Hearts are set upon Sin and the World how little do even Miracles prevail O my Soul How many strange Providences hast thou seen and yet thou hast not mended thy Life upon it Thou hast seen Miracles of Judgment and Mercy yet thy Heart hath been hard Oh learn to take more notice of God's Dispensations and believe that the strange things that happen to thee and others are Calls from Heaven to the Inhabitants of the World to learn Righteousness 45. And the Sun was darken'd and the Veil of the Temple was rent in the midst WHat a Motive was this to Men to rend their Hearts This was a Sign that God would lay the Inclosure open and that Christ was to break down the Partition-Wall and make both Jews and Gentiles one To this Rent thou art beholden O my Soul Thy Father was an Amorite and thy Mother an Hittite thy Ancestors were Heathens and Idolaters by this Rent they were brought to the Light of the Gospel and upon that Account thou enjoyest the Gospel now Remember how unworthy of this Favour thou hast walked many Years and how thou hast dishonoured this Gospel with thy Life Oh learn to bring forth Fruits as become the Doctrine which is according unto Godliness and let thy Conversation be such as may promote God's Glory and thine Eternal Happiness 46. And when Jesus had cried with a loud Voice he said Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit And having said thus he gave up the Ghost NOW the Sacrifice is offered and this Death reconciles God to the sinful World This Death which had been so often foretold both by the Prophets and Christ himself is at last accomplished and Pardon of Sin and the Possibility of Men's arriving to Eternal Life by a true Repentance is hereby purchased This Death puts an End to the Curse of the Law And from this Death O my Soul date thy Happiness Though wicked Men who had an Hand in it were the Means whereby it was effected yet the Son of God would die and his voluntary Death is the meritorious Cause of thy Eternal Life Oh look upon it with Wonder and Admiration And while thou standest amazed at it see withal how thou thy self may'st end thy Days If thou livest like a Child of God thy Father in Heaven will receive thee when thou diest Thy Father will not send thee to Hell but being a Father he will stretch forth his Almighty Arms and receive thee to himself like a faithful Creator 47. Now when the Centurion saw what was done he glorified God saying Certainly this was a righteous Man TO make a right Construction of Things is the Way to Spiritual Wisdom This Man justly concluded that Heaven could not possibly shew it self so much concern'd about a Person if he were not an extraordinary Favourite He judged rationally and this brought him to a true Knowledge of Christ and to an open Confession and Declaration of the Sufferer's Innocence O my Soul Consider by what Miracles and Testimonies that Truth thou professest hath been confirmed and conclude it is Divine No Religion hath those Evidences of its Divinity and Celestial Original that the Christian hath and coming from God thou hast the greatest Reason to believe that all its Promises and Threatnings will be fulfilled and seeing that all these shall be fulfilled what manner of Person oughtest thou to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 48. And all the People that came together to that Sight beholding the things which were done smote their Breasts and returned SMiting their Breasts was a Sign of their Grief and Anger of their Grief because so excellent a Person had been so inhumanely butcher'd and of their Anger against those bloody Men that had condemned and executed him See here O my Soul what Entertainment thou art to give thy Sins In looking upon them divide thy Affections betwixt Grief and Anger Grieve that thou hast offered so many Indignities to thy Blessed Master Be angry with thy self for being so base and ungrateful Grieve that thou hast forgotten the End for which thou wast created and be revenged upon the Sins that caused it And the best Revenge is this to see and take care that thy Degrees of Sin be truly answered by thy Degrees of Sanctification and Heavenly-mindedness 49. And all his Acquaintance and the Woman that followed him from Galilee stood afar off beholding these things THough it is some Ages since Christ was crucified yet in imitation of these Religious Women thou may'st stand afar off O my Soul and behold the Spectacle still When the Circumstances of it are left thee in Writing and the doleful Story stands upon Record thou canst ascend Mount Calvary and see those things acted as if thou hadst been present And Oh little dost thou think how much this Sight will edifie thee Look often upon the Cross and thou wilt find what a Damp it will strike upon all thy sinful Pleasures and how little reason thou hast to hancker after those things whereof so many good Men after they have been sensible of their Errours have been ashamed 50. And behold there was a Man named Joseph a Councillor and he was a good Man and a just IN the midst of Temptations God preserves this Man though his Riches Greatness Reputation and Friendship of the Grandes did strongly entice him to consent to the Death of the Lord Jesus yet he would not and was resolved rather to hazard all than have an hand in the Condemnation This was an Argument of a generous Spirit to bear up under the strongest Assaults and Enticements in the World and to keep an uncorrupt Soul in the midst of Dirt and Filthiness Thou livest in a very evil Generation O my Soul Dare to preserve thine Integrity in the midst of all the Floods of Ungodliness that surround thee And the more thou art discouraged from Goodness and Righteousness the more vigorously stand up for it and maintain it and thy God will be with thee 51. The same had not consented to the Counsel and Deed of them He was of Arimathea 4 City of the Jews who also himself waited for the Kingdom of God TO wait for the Kingdom of God is the Way to resist and to overcome Temptations He that is resolved not to lose his Share in God's Kingdom hereafter will not stand upon his Losses and Crosses here for he knows that the future Kingdom will recompense all No Nan will venture so much for Christ as he that firmly believes the Kingdom of God and fixes his Eye of Faith upon it O my Jesus Give me a clearer Sight of
overcome the Evil with Good Rom. 12. 21. 54. To bear with the infirmities of the Weak Rom. 15. 1. 55. To avoid familiarity with Sectaries and such as disturb the Peace of the Church Rom. 16. 17 18. 56. To practise the Rules of that Charity which are set down 1 Gor. 13. 4 5 6 7. 57. To bring forth those Fruits of the Spirit which we find specified Gal. 5. 22 23. 58. To learn to be wise unto Salvation 1 Cor. 3. 18. 59. If a Man be overtaken in a fault to restore him in the Spirit of Meekness Gal. 6. 1. 60. To redeem the Time we have lost by our greater diligence in God's Service Eph. 5. 6. 61. To resist Temptations to Sin with all our might Eph. 6. 13 14 15. 62. To study Modesty and Decency in all our Actions 1 Thess. 4. 3 4 5. 63. To esteem the faithful Teachers of the Word very highly for their Works sake 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. 64. To comfort the feeble-minded to support the weak to be patient towards all Men 1 Thess. 5. 14. 65. To rejoyce in the Lord always Phil. 4. 4. 66. To use and shew Moderation to all Men Phil. 4. 5. 67. To give Thanks in every thing and to give God the Glory whether we Eat or Drink or whatever we do 1 Cor. 10. 31. 1 Thess. 5. 18. 68. To abstain from appearances of Evil 1. Thess. 5. 22. 69. To prove and try things by the Word of God and to hold fast that which is good 1 Thess. 5. 21. 70. To be conteut with Food and Rayment if God doth not think fit to give us more 1 Tim. 6. 6 7 8. 71. To be steady and constant in our Duties without fainting Rev. 2. 20. 72. To study great sincerity and simplicity in our Actions 2 Cor. 1. 12. 73. To be rich in good Works where God â—aâ—h blessed us with Riches in this World 1 Tim. 6. 17 18. 74. To use great Temperance in Eating and Drinking 1 Cor. 9. 25. 75. To use great modesty in our Apparel 1 Tim. 2. 9. 76. To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions Jam. 1. 27. 77. To bridle our Tongues Jam. 1. 26. 78. To be easie intreated to that which is good Jam. 3. 17. 79. To say of things we intend to do If the Lord will and we shall live Jam. 4. 15. 80. To call for the Elders or Ministers of the Church when we are sick and to let them pray over us Jam. 5. 14. 81. If we are chearful to sing Psalms Jam. 5. 13. 82 If we have done any thing prejudicial to our Neighbours to confess our faults to them Jam. 5. 16. 83. To endeavour to convert others to the love of God Luke 32. 32. 84. To have our Conversation in Heaven and to look more at the things which are not seen than at those which are seen Phil. 3. 20. 2 Cor. 4. 18. 85. To be sober and vigilant over our Actions 1 Pet. 5. 8. 86. To grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. 18. 87. To use Hospitality and to be kind and obliging to Strangers Heb. 13. 2. 88. To lay down even our Lives for our Brethren if it be for the good of the Church 1 Joh. 3. 16. 89. To use the World as if we used it not 1 Cor. 7. 31. 90. To give diligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 7. 10. 91. To imitate the good Examples we see before us Heb. 13. 7. Phil. 3. 17. 92. To be courteous and affable in our Discourses and Behaviour 1 Pet. 3. 8. 93. To repent of the Sins we have fallen into and to forsake them 2 Cor. 12. 21. These are the Duties we find Commanded in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and by looking over these two Catalogues we may soon perceive what we have been doing against God our Neighbor and our selves and wherein we have been defective But then 3. This Self-Examination will not be compleat except we consider these Sins and Duties with respect to our present temper and inclination and therefore 1. As to the Sins which upon a survey of the Catalogue we find our selves guilty of or prone to our hearts must be ask'd whether we have an aversion from them whether we are resolved to shew our dislike and hatred to them for the future whether we do think it worth our pains to exercise our selves in the mortification of them whether our real purpose is whenever we are tempted to any of them to oppose the Temptation and to keep our selves unspotted from the insection whether the bent of our Soul is wittingly and wilfully to allow our selves in the Commission of them no more whether we do in good earnest intend to enquire and take advice and to use the proper remedies to be rid of them whether we are resolv'd to shun the apparent occasions of them and whether in case we do through incogitancy run into any of these errors to get up again presently and endeavour to bring our selves to an habit of cautiousness of offending God and whether we will pray much and work hard to shake these Vipers from our bosoms 2. As to the Duties which upon a view of the aforesaid list we find we have neglected enquiry must be made whether we see and taste the sweetness of them whether we do heartily believe that the perfection of our nature consists in them whether we do earnestly resolve whatever comes of it to be possessors of them whether they ingross the desires of our hearts whether we have any ardent longings after these Spiritual accomplishments whether we prefer an holy fruitsulness in these Virtues before Temporal felicities whether we have a sense of the great necessity beauty and excellency of them whether we do not content our selves with bare wishes after them but are fully purposed to take the way whereby we may obtain them whether we are resolved to improve the single and accidental Acts into a lasting habit and disposition and whether we will be earnest with God for the assistance of his holy Spirit that they may take root in us and solicit the Grace of God to prosper our endeavours whether we think them worth having and will act like persons that do think so whether if we have done them imperfectly the purpose of our Souls is to perform them with greater sincerity whether if foiled at any time in the pursuit of them we mean to take fresh courage and to fall on again till we arrive to a facility in the practice and if gentler means will not prevail whether we will use the severer and more rigorous ways of mortification and offer even violence to our desires rather than go without them If our hearts can and dare answer in the affirmative and say Yea to these Queries we are safe and may believe God hath mighty blessings in store for us and will bestow them upon us in the use of this Holy
Confessions specifies the particular Acts wherein he hath walk'd contrary to God discovers an earnest desire to grow in Grace and in this St. Paul shews us an example 1 Tim. 1. 13. where he doth not say I have been a great Sinner but a Blasphemer spoke ill of the way to Life a Persecuter afflicted oppressed and made havock of the Churches of God injurious done great injuries to St. Stephen and to abundance of other Christians In a word such a person by his particular Confession deals faithfully with his own Soul and by mentioning the particular Diseases that annoy him manifests his earnest desire of a Cure whereas General Confessions leave the Soul ignorant dull careless and unaffected with the great Concerns of Salvation And tho' a person every time he accuses himself or confesses his Errors is not bound to enumerate all the particular Sins of his Life he can charge his Memory with yet if he never did it before it 's fit he should do it at least when first he receives the Holy Sacrament and at other times confess such fins as he finds himself most inclin'd to and most apt to harbor in his Bosom 2. These Confessions must be accompanied especially the Confessions before the Sacrament with aggravations of our Offences and with shame and confusion of Face I joyn these two together because aggravating of them is the cause of that confusion and he that reflects in his Confessions what light what knowledge what checks of Conscience what motions of God's Spirit what goodness of God what mercy what patience what promises what threatnings he hath sinn'd against what time he hathlost what opportunities he hath neglected what a gracious what a merciful God he hath offended even love it self and sweetness and beauty it self and what blessings what priviledges what advantages what offers he hath slighted will find himself obliged to have very low and mean thoughts of himself This was the Publican's case Luke 18. 13. Who standing afar off would not lift up so much as his Eyes to Heaven but smote upon his Breast saying God be merciful to me a Sinner He was ashamed and confounded His Conscience told him how unworthily he had dealt with his Creator how strangely he had carried himself to God his best and greatest Friend how unthankful and how base he had been to his most gracious Benefactor and how strangely he had carried himself to the best of Beings He was confounded with the thoughts of his vileness and conscious of his guilt he â—ast his eyes to the ground unable to look his offended Father in the Face His Heart was full of grief Sorrow fate heavy on his Soul and though his Tongue could not express his particular acts of injustice oppression pride anger and greediness after the World yet his Mind confess'd them thought of them his Heart was ready to break at the dismal sight and this was a very acceptable Confession 3. These Confessions must be joyned with invincible purposes to endeavour after a better and more Spiritu-Temper So the wise Man tells us He that confesses his Sins and forsakes theâ— shall find mercy Prov. 28. 13. Without this Qualification our Confessions are mere Lip-services and rceive not one gracious Look from above nay are accounted no better than Israel's Devotion Hos. 10. 1. Israel is an empty Vine He brings forth fruit unto himself Why unto himself The reason is because in that fruit he aim'd not so much at God's Glory as his own Profit Nor was any Person the better for it the design was selfish it was just to satisfie the present terror within no love of God lay at the bottom the ground of all was self-love and God had nothing to do with it The same may justly be said of him that confesses but is not concern'd whether his Flesh be subdued to the Spirit or not Such a Confession is his own invention it is not that Confession which God requires If he confesses it must not be to himself for God regards it not and indeed till this actual endeavour to forsake them is added to the Confession our Sins continue still in God's Books of Accompt look still as black as ever not one of them is blotted out for the enmity against God is still maintained and whilst that lasts it naturally follows that God and we cannot be friends III. The second act of judging our selves is upon this Confession to condemn our selves And indeed if the Soul be truly awake and the Heart sincerely sensible of its errors and miscarriages the Penitent cannot but condemn himself and acknowledge that the Judgments threatned in the word of God are due to him and cry Ah! my God and my Lord Who shall deliver me from the Body of this death from this confluence of Misery I have deserv'd with Adam to be thrown out of Paradise and to be for ever forbid eating of the Tree of Life I have deserv'd to drown'd with the first World or to be consumed for ever as Sodom and Gomorrah I have deserved the sudden and unnatural death of Nadab and Abihu to be stoned with Achan to be struck with Leprosie as Miriam to be swallowed up â—live by the Earth as Dathan and Abiram I have deserv'd Manasseh's Prison and Zedekiah's Chains and what is worse the everlasting Chains of Darkness I acknowledge that I have deserved it should be more tolerable for Infidels in the Great Day than for me for I have seen the mighty works of God and continu'd a stranger to Repentance I have deserved to be called upon at Midnight as that careless Man Thou Fool this Night thy Soul shall be required of thee and whose shall be which thou hast provided To this Wretch that is before thee belongs nothing but Wrath and Indignation On this Head of mine thou mightest justly discharge the Ordinance of Justice and pour out the Vials of thy Wrath On me thou mightest justly rain snares and Fire and Brimstone I have deserv'd to be plagued with Diseases tormented with grievous Pain haunted by panick Terrors If any of these Judgments do not fall upon mee it is thy Patience not my Goodness and I may wonder I have escaped them all this while I have deserved to be made a Prey to that Devil whose Temptations I have swallow'd with Greediness Instead of rejoycing over me to build me up thou mightest justly rejoyce over me to destroy me Justly O Lord thou mightest send upon me trembling of Heart and fainting of Eyes and sorrow of Mind I have deserv'd that my Life should hang in doubt before me that I should fear day and night that in the Morning I should say Would God it were Even and at Even Would God it were Morning Mercy Lord I have deserved none The Crums that fall from thy Table are Blessings too good for me if I deserve any thing it is thy Rod thy Scourges thy Waves thy Billows and a horrible Tempest To condemn is the proper act of a