all our praise HYMN V. I. TO whom Lord should I sing but thee The maker of my Tongue Lo other Lords would seize on me But I to thee belong As thou Lord an immortal Soul Hast breathed into me So let my Soul be breathing forth Immortal thanks to thee II. Sing and triumph in boundless grace Which thus hath set thee free Extol with shouts my saved Soul Thy Saviour's love to thee Sweet Christ thou hast refresht our Souls With thine abundant grace For which we magnifie thy Name Longing to see thy face III. Down from above the blessed Dove Is come into my breast To witness God's Eternal Love This is my heavenly Feast This makes me Abba Father cry With confidence of Soul It makes me cry my Lord my God And that without controul IV. Thou art all power thou art all love And so thou art to me Blest be my God now and henceforth And to Eternity HYMN VI. I. LORD give me a believing heart Advance it more and more Rebuke those doubts and scruples that Are crowding at my door Lord let thy Word and Spirit guide Thy Servant in thy way May I walk closely with my God And run no more astray III. All they that sit down with thee must Be decked with thy Grace Thou smil'st on such Communicants And they behold thy face Come holy Spirit come and take My filthy Garments hence The guilt the stain the love of sin Will give my Lord offence III. Let nothing that is not divine Within thy presence move What e're would cause thee not to shine In tokens of thy Love Awake Repentance Faith and Love Awake O every Grace Come come attend this glorious King And how before his face IV. Let not my Jesus now be strange And hide himself from me O cause thy face to shine upon The Soul that longs for thee HYMN VII I. WE to our heavenly Father give The tribute praise we owe Who by his purifying Grace Prepares us here below Lo here 's the most amazing proof Of great and matchless Love Not that our Early love to God Did his prevent and move II. His motives all to pity us From his own bowels flow Thence came the richest gift of Heav'n To Guilty Men below That to his glorious grace all praise Might be intirely paid Who that he might forgive our sins Christ's Blood our Ransom made III. Let then this glorious gift of God Yet more our Souls refine That his pure Image may in us With greater glory shine Draw us dear Lord and towards thee We with swift wings will move Thou Object of our highest hopes And of our dearest Love IV. Thanksgiving is an heav'nly work It 's all in Heav'n they do To thank and praise the Lord most high On Earth is sweet work too O! blessed are the Saints above How active is your state You ever bless the Lord our God Not at our broken rate VI. But O! how weak are crawling Worms How short our Sabbath-days We die more hours by far in sleep Than we do live in praise O glorious God! accept our wills And weaknesses forgive We wish our Souls were like the Saints Unlike them as we live V. But O my God! reach down thy hand And take us up to thee That we about thy Throne may stand And all thy Glory see All glory to the sacred Three One Everlasting Lord As at the first still may he be Belov'd obey'd ador'd HYMN VIII I. COme let 's adore the King of Love The King of suff'rings too For love it was that brought him down And set him here below Love drew him from his Paradice Where Flowers that fade not grow And planted him in our poor dust Among us Weeds below II. O narrow thoughts and narrow speech Here your defects confess The life of God the death of Christ How faintly you express O thou who from a Virgin root Made'st this fair Flower to spring Help us to raise both heart and voice And with more spirit sing III. To Father Son and Holy Ghost One undivided Three All highest praise all humblest thanks Now and for ever be HYMN IX To the Tune of the 100 Psalm I. TUne now your selves my heart strings high Let us aloft our voices raise That our loud song may reach the Sky And there present to thee our praise To thee blest Jesus who came'st down From those bright Spheres of Joy above To purchase us a dear bought Crown And woe our Souls t'espouse thy Love Long had the World in darkness sat Till thou with thy all-glorious light Began to dawn from Heav'ns fair Gate And with thy beam dispell'd their night We too alas still here had stood As common slaves in this same shade But Jesus came and with his Blood Our general Ransom freely paid And now my Lord my God my All What shall I most in thee admire That pow'r which made the world shall The world again dissolve with Fire Oh no! thy strange humility Thy wounds thy pains thy Cross thy death These shall alone my wonder be My health my joy my staff my breath To thee great God to thee alone Three Persons in One Deity As former Ages still have done All Glory now and ever be HYMN X. I. THE Mighty Jesus fill'd with love Did these dark Regions leave The heav'nly Hosts all wandring stood King Jesus to receive The great Jehovah sets a Throne Installs our glorious King Both Heav'n and Earth must him adore And loud Hosannah's sing II. There sits the King of Peace and Love A Saviour is his name Mercy his Nature and delight And ever so the same Come all that fear come all that want And speedy succour find He n're denies a praying Soul He is soo good and kind III. Behold and wonder at his Love We are his daily care His ear his heart is always fixt To hear and answer prayer Be not afraid to bring your Suit Come with a chearful heart Weak crys mixt prayers cannot bar A grant to his own part IV. Satan it 's true presents his Plea And Justice brings its claim But all are silent when he pleads His Blood his Love his Name Let holy Souls then daily go To Jesus on his Throne And love that all-prevailing Friend Who says we are his own HYMN XI As the 67th Psalm I. O This ungrateful World To kill so kind a Friend That made the Lord of Glory die What might this act portend But wonder holy Souls God's thoughts all thoughts transcend Christ murder'd by a Rebel World And yet he is our Friend II. It 's true Christ left the Earth But is enthron'd above Not to revenge this cruel act But lives and reigns in love II. Sweet is his work on high Peace is the charming voice Let but a Soul embrace his Call The heav'nly Host rejoyce Behold he stands and calls Come Sinners come to me My Love my Kingdom shall be yours To all Eternity III. Believe my faithful Word All my designs are
maketh a closet or solitary wood or field to be kin to the Angelical Chore. The creature were dead if thou wert not its life and ugly if thou wert not its beauty and insignificant if thou wert not its sense The soul is deformed which is without thine Image and lifeless which liveth not in love to thee if love be not its pulse and prayer and praise its constant breath the Mind is unlearned which readeth not thy Name on all the World and seeth not HOLINESS TO THE LORD engraven upon the face of every creature He doteth that doubteth of thy Being or Perfections and he dreameth who doth not live to thee O let me have no other portion no reason no love no life but what is devoted to thee employed on thee and for thee here and shall be perfected in thee the only perfect final object for evermore Upon the holy Altar erected by thy Son and by his hands and his mediation I humbly devote and offer thee THIS HEART O that I could say with greater feeling This flaming loving longing-Heart But the sacred fire which must kindle on my sacrifice must come from thee it will not else ascend unto thee let it consume this dross so the nobler part may know its home All that I can say to commend it to thine acceptance is that I hope it 's wash'd in precious blood that there is something in it that is thine own it still looketh towards thee groaneth to thee followeth after thee and will be content with gold and mirth and honour and such inferiour fooleries no more it lieth at thy doors and will be entertain'd or perish Though alas it loves thee not as it would I boldly say it longs to love thee it loves to love thee it seeks it craves no greater blessedness than perfect endless mutual love it is vowed to thee even to thee alone and will never take up with shadows more but is resolved to lie down in sorrow and despair if thou wilt not be its REST and JOY It hateth it self for loving thee no more accounting no want deformity shame or pain so great and grievous a calamity For thee the Glorious blessed GOD it is that I come to Jesus Christ If he did not reconcile my guilty soul to thee and did not teach it the heavenly art and work of Love by the sweet communications of thy love he could be no Saviour for me Thou art my only ultimate end it is only a guide and way to thee that my anxious soul hath so much studied and none can teach me rightly to know thee to love thee and to live to thee but thy self it must be a Teacher sent from thee that must conduct me to thee I have long-looked round about me in the world to see if there were a more lucid Region from whence thy will and glory might be better seen than that in which my lot is fallen But no Traveller that I can speak with no Book which I have turn'd over no Creature which I can see doth tell me more than Jesus Christ I can find no way so suitable to my soul no medicine so fitted to my misery no bellows so fit to kindle love as faith in Christ the Glass and Messenger of thy love I see no doctrine so divine and heavenly as bearing the image and superscription of God nor any so fully confirmed and delivered by the attestation of thy own Omnipotency nor any which so purely pleads thy cause and calls the Soul from self and vanity and condemns its sin and purifieth it and leadeth it directly unto thee and though my former ignorance disabled me to look back to the Ages past and to see the methods of thy providence and when I look into thy Word disabled me from seeing the beauteous methods of thy Truth thou hast given me a glimpse of clearer light which hath discovered the reasons and methods of grace which I then discerned not and in the midst of my most hideous temptations and perplexed thoughts thou kepst alive the root of faith and kepst alive the love to thee and unto holiness which it had kindled Thou hast mercifully given me the witness in my self not an unreasonable perswasion in my mind but that renewed nature those holy and heavenly desires and delights which sure can come from none but thee And O how much more have I perceived in many of thy servants than in my self thou hast cast my lot among the Souls whom Christ hath healed I have daily conversed with those whom he hath raised from the dead I have seen the power of thy Gospel upon sinners All the love that ever I perceived kindled towards thee and all the true obedience that ever I saw performed to thee hath been effected by the word of Jesus Christ how oft hath his spirit helped me to pray and how often hast thou heard those prayers what pledges hast thou given to my staggering faith in the works which prayer hath procured both for my self and many others And if Confidence in Christ be yet deceit must I not say that thou hast deceived me who I know canst neither be deceived or by any falshood or seduction deceive On thee therefore O my dear Redeemer do I cast and trust this sinful soul with Thee and with thy holy Spirit I renew my Covenant I know no other I have no other I can have no other Saviour but thy self To thee I deliver up this soul which thou hast redeemed not to be advanced to the wealth and honours and pleasures of this world but to be delivered from them and to be healed of sin and brought to God and to be saved from this present evil world which is the portion of the ungodly and unbelievers to be washed in thy Blood and illuminated quickened and confirmed by thy SPIRIT and conducted in the ways of holiness and love and at last to be presented justified and spotless to the Father of spirits and possessed of the glory which thou hast promised O thou that hast prepared so dear a medicine for the cleansing of polluted guilty souls leave not this unworthy soul in its guilt or in its pollution O thou that knowest the Father and his Will and art nearest to him and most beloved of him cause me in my degree to know the Father acquaint me with so much of his will as concerneth my duty or my just encouragement leave not my soul to grope in darkness seeing thou art the Sun and Lord of Light O heal my estranged thoughts of God! is he my light and life and all my hope and must I dwell with him for ever and yet shall I know him no better than thus shall I learn no more that have such a Teacher and shall I get no nearer him while I have a Saviour and a Head so near O give my faith a clearer prospect into that better world and let me not be so much unacquainted with the place in which I
must abide for ever And as thou hast prepared a Heaven for holy souls prepare this too-unprepared soul for Heaven which hath not long to stay on earth And when at death I resign it into thy hands receive it as thine own and finish the Work which thou hast begun in placing it among the blessed Spirits who are filled with the sight and love of God I trust thee living let me trust thee dying and never be ashamed of my trust And unto Thee the Eternal Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son the Communicative LOVE who condescendest to make Perfect the Elect of God do I deliver up this dark imperfect soul to be further renewed confirmed and perfected according to the holy Covenant Refuse not to bless it with thine indwelling and operations quicken it with thy life irradiate it by thy light sanctifie it by thy love actuate it purely powerfully and constantly by thy holy motions And though the way of this thy sacred influx be beyond the reach of humane apprehension yet let me know the reality and saving power of it by the happy effects Thou art more to souls than souls to bodies than light to the eyes O leave not my soul as a carrion destitute of thy life nor its eyes as useless destitute of thy light nor leave it as a senseless block without thy motion The remembeance of what I was without thee doth make me fear lest thou shouldest with-hold thy grace Alas I feel I daily feel that I am dead to all good and all that 's good is dead to me if thou be not the life of all Teachings and reproofs mercies and corrections yea the Gospel it self and all the liveliest Books and Sermons are dead to me because I am dead to them yea God is as no God to me and Heaven as no Heaven and Christ as no Christ and the clearest evidences of Scripture verity are as no proofs at all if thou represent them not with light and power to my soul Even as all the glory of the world is as nothing to me without the light by which it 's seen O thou that hast begun and given me those heavenly intimations and desires which flesh and blood could never give me suffer not my folly to quench these sparks nor this brutish flesh to prevail against thee nor the powers of hell to stifle and kill such a heavenly seed O pardon that folly and wilfulness which hath too often too obdurately and too unthankfully striven against thy grace and depart not from an unkind and sinful soul I remember with grief and shame how I wilfully bore down thy motions punish it not with desertion and give me not over to my self Art thou not in Covenant with me as my Sanctifier and Confirmer and Comforter I never undertook to do these things for my self but I consent that thou shouldest work them on me As thou art the Agent and Advocate of Jesus my Lord O plead his cause effectually in my soul against the suggestions of Satan and my unbelief and finish his healing saving work and let not the flesh or world prevail Be in me the resident witness of my Lord the Author of my prayers the Spirit of Adoption the Seal of God and the earnest of mine inheritance Let not my nights be so long and my days so short nor sin eclipse those beams which have often illuminared my soul Without thee Books are senseless scrawls studies are dreams learning is a Glow-Worm and wit is but wantonness impertinency and folly Transcribe those sacred precepts on my heart which by thy dictates and inspiration are recorded in thy holy word I refuse not thy help for tears and groans but O shed abroad that love upon my heart which may keep it in a continual life of love And teach me the work which I must do in Heaven refresh my soul with the delights of holiness the joys which arise from the believing hopes of the everlasting joys Exercise my heart and tongue in the holy praises of my Lord. Strengthen me in sufferings and conquer the terrors of Death and Hell Make me the more heavenly by how much the faster I am hastening to Heaven and let my last thoughts words and works on earth be likest to those which shall be my first in the state of glorious immortality where the Kingdom is delivered up to the Father and GOD will for ever be All and In all of whom and through whom and to whom are all things To whom be glory for ever Amen A Pathetical Meditation on the Passion of Christ to be read by Communicants before their reception of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper Quest WHat is the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper Answ It consists of two visible signs Bread and Wine which by the Lords appointment was to represent to the receiver his bloody death that so his Disciples may keep it fresh in their memories Q. But is it only to remember that there was a Christ and that he was crucified and no more Answ Experience tells us that such a bare remembrance as that doth little move upon the heart and upon the affections and so will do little or no good It is not the remembrance of any mans death that doth of it self affect me but as I consider him as a Father or as a Husband or as a Friend with many other expressions of his love to me when living this will exceedingly work upon the heart so as to cause sorrow and grief and the like Quest What is it then that I must call to mind when I think upon a bleeding and dying Christ so as to affect my heart Answ The cruel and bloody nature of his Death here you may consider the whole story of his Arraignment his being betrayed by his own Apostle his being spit upon and crowned with thorns his being mocked and jeered by putting a reed into his hand instead of a scepter afterwards his bearing of a Cross and his being nailed to it in his hands and feet after that his being pierced through with a spâ—ar this Mat. 27. will fully acquaint you with Secondly the causes of his Death it was no natural disease neither was it for any evil done of his own but for us He bore our iniquities upon the cross Thirdly the effects of his death which was to obtain power of his Father to conquer the Devil and pull us out of his hands to break our hearts and to conquer us to himself to pardon our sins and to give unto us eternal life with himself in glory and this upon our faith and sincere repentance Now from all these things are your Meditations to be raised before you come to this Sacrament and when you are receiving of it An Example of Meditation I have here set you down as followeth Away these wanton wandering wordly thoughts you are clogs to my soul Away all trifling worldly business I cannot now attend your call my heart hath now something else
to do Adieu my Friends farewell my Husband Wife and Child I must go see my bleeding Lord that 's dearer to me than you all Come now my soul thou art alone thou knowest the way make hast and seed look yonder see how the people flock cross but this vale and climb but up this mount thou wilt soon arrive at bloody Golgotha where thou shalt see thy bleeding and dying Siviour to sigh and linger out a dying life on the Cross in love for thee This this might Oh my Soul have been thy day and thou might'st have been the prisoner this I say might have been the day in which thou might'st have drunk the bitter cup of the fierce anger of God But look yonder there he goes that must drink up the dregs and all for thee Look again there he goes that must lay down his life that thou maist be reprieved But come my soul draw up a little nearer thou canst not see him well at so great a distance stand here and thou wilt see him passing look there he goes with a train of Virgins following But see how cruelly these barbarous Jews do use him they make him bear his Cross himself and press his wearied fainting limbs above his strength see how they laugh and scoff and wag their heads as if he were their May-game Methinks my heart boils up with rage to see these cruelties revenged Oh! how could the blessed God forbear to see his blessed Son thus wronged Why did he not send twelve Legions of Angels for his rescue Why doth he not send down fire from Heaven upon the heads of these his Sons enemies and so consume them But stay my foolish heart thou knowest not what spirit thou art of this debt was owing and it must be paid God requires so much and it must be given or thou canst not be saved Thy Lord did know this well enough for this he came from Heaven and committed himself to the rage of men he knew he must endure all these revilings and doth it grieve thy soul to see him thus abased Stay but a while and thou shalt see him more look up my soul come tell me what thou seest Oh I cannot sorrow tyes my tongue I cannot speak I see and hear those things that I want a power to utter I see a troop of Virgins following him their weeping Eyes their blubbering lips their sighs and throbbings speak them mourners I see my Lord looks towards them and kindly chides their loving sorrow Why weep ye Oh ye Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me My Lord what need was there for that question Should not they weep when thou must bleed Would not their eyes have been flints if that then they should not drop tears for thee when as thou wert about to pour out thy life and blood for them Ah! could they chuse or do less than weep to see thine innocent self among a herd of Tygers what should a Lamb do there they saw thee in their ravenous jaws about to tear thy heart to suck out all thy blood and leave thee dead Have I not sat and read and read and wept viewing over the story and could they forbear that with their watry eyes saw this scene then acted But whither O whither O ye blinded Jews are ye dragging this my Lord My spirit begins to faint I now can look no longer my heart now begins to swell with grief it must now break or I must vent it at mine eyes in streams Look see the Hammer and Nails the Hammer lift up to strike Bloody man thou durst not sure surely thou dost not know whose hands and feet thou art now piercing it is the Prince and Saviour of the World Foolish heart see how thou art mistaken look see it 's done the nails are driven to the head see how the crimson tears run trickling down his hands and feet and see how hardened hearts be laughing at it Oh silly foolish blinded men what laugh you at This very Christ whom now you mock shall be your Judge this very man Jesus whom you have thus abused shall come attended with thousands of Angels with the sound of Trumpets and shall sit upon your life and death Him whom you now have nailed to a Cross hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour What then will you do when that great and terrible day of the Lord shall come How will you look him in the face whom you have spit on How will you dare to speak a word for your selves to him whom you have nailed to a tree and crucified His wounds in hands side and feet shall all bear witness against you and his innocent blood that you have spilt shall cry aloud about the throne for vengeance against you your flouts shall then be turned into tears and your taunts into lamentations And how will you then look and cry when God passeth sentence on you and thrusts you down to Hell to bear the punishment of your sins this is the Lord that came to spare your lives yet your wickedness spared not his and how at length can you think to escape with yours But once again look up my soul and see what is become of thy nailed and crucified Lord Ah me he is not quite dead look how he gasps and pants for life Oh how his looks are changed How pale and wan do I see his cheeks the blood and all the spirits are quite drawn from them Methinks he should be dead for see how weak his neck is grown that it is not able to support his head that lyes a dying on his bleeding breast What yet not dead see how he shakes and stirs his dying limbs what gasps and groans do I hear him fetch as if his soul were strugling to get out Hark hark he speaks Oh let me catch the least breath of my dying Saviour What saith my Lord Hark what dost thou not hear What My God my God why hast thou forsaken me I am amazed to hear these words How couldst thou suspect thy Fathers love How could he be far from thee who was one with thy self But Oh! this is but the voice of his Manhood and not of his Godhead It was the voice of the dying and bleeding Man Jesus not the voice of the God Jesus But Oh my Lord what are those pains and gripes thou feelest that brings forth these complainings But why do I ask this question hath he not been all this while a drinking up the cup his Father gave him the bitter and sowr and poysonous cup of his Fathers wrath which I and all the world had else drunk of he just now swallowed down the last mouthful of the dregs whose bitter noisom taste hath sent forth these doleful lamentations for mark he had no sooner spoke these words but he gasped his last The causes of his Death And must the Son of God be humbled thus must he that was from everlasting raised and advanced above every man in heaven
no life in us Whoso eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood hath eternal life and he will raise him up at the last day For his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed He that eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood dwelleth in Christ and Christ in him As the living Father hath sent the Son and he liveth by the Father so he that eateth him shall live by him This is that bread that came down from Heaven not as the Fathers did eat Manna and are dead he that eateth this bread shall live for ever I shall here only give you some brief Directions for your private duty herein Direct 1. Understand well the proper ends to which this Sacrament was instituted by Christ and take heed that you use it not to ends for which it never was appointed The true ends are these 1. To be a solemn Commemoration of the Death and passion of Jesus Christ Mat. 26. 28. Mar. 14. 24. Luke 22. 20. to keep it as it were in the eye of the Church in his bodily absence till he come 1 Cor. 11. 24 25 26. 2. To be a solemn renewing of the Holy Covenant which was first entred in Baptism between Christ and the Receiver and in that Covenant it is on Christ's part a solemn delivery of himself first and with himself the benefits of Pardon Reconciliation Adoption and right to Life eternal Heb. 9. 15 16 17 18. 1 Cor. 10. 16 24. And on mans part it is our solemn acceptance of Christ with his Benefits upon his terms and a delivering up our selves to him as his Redeemed ones even to the Father as our reconciled Father and to the Son as our Lord and Saviour and to the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier with Professed Thankfulness for so great a benefit 3. It is appointed to be a lively objective means by which the Spirit of Christ should work to stir up and exercise and increase the Repentance Faith Desire Love Hope Joy Thankfulness and New-Obedience of Believers by a lively Representation of the evil of sin the infinite love of God in Christ the firmness of the Covenant or Promise the greatness and sureness of the Mercy given and the Blessedness purchased and promised to us and the great obligations that are laid upon us And that herein believers might be solemnly called out to the most serious exercise of all these Graces 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29 31. 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 21. 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. 2 Cor. 6. 4. and might be provoked and assisted to stir up themselves to this Communion with God in Christ to pray for more as through a sacrificed Christ 4. It is appointed to be the solemn Profession of Believers of their Faith and Love and Gratitude and Obedience to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and of continuing firm in the Christian Religion And a Badge of the Church before the World Acts 2. 42 46. 20. 7. 5. And it is appointed to be a sign and means of the Unity Love and Communion of Saints and their readiness to Communicate to each other The false mistaken ends which you must avoid are these 1. You must not with the Papists think that the end of it is to turn Bread into no Bread and Wine into no Wine and to make them really the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ For if sense which telleth all Men that it is still Bread and Wine be not to be believed then we cannot believe that ever there was a Gospel or an Apostle or a Pope or a Man or any thing in the World And the Apostle expresly calleth it Bread three times in three Verses together after the Consecration 1 Cor. 11. 26 27 28. and he telleth us that the use of it is not to make the Lords Body really present but to shew the Lords Death till he come that is As a visible representing and commemorating sign to be instead of the Bodily presence till he come 2. Nor must you with the Papists use this Sacrament to sacrifice Christ again really unto the Father to propitiate him for the quick and dead and ease Souls in Purgatory and deliver them out of it For Christ having died once dieth no more and without killing him there is no sacrificing him By once offering up himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and now there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Having finished the sacrificing work on Earth he is now passed into the Heavens to appear before God for his Redeemed ones Ro. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Heb. 9. 26. and 10. 12 26. and 9. 24. 3. Nor is it any better than odious impiety to receive the Sacrament to confirm some Confederacies or Oaths of Secresie for rebellions or other unlawful designs as the Powder-Plotters in England did 4. Nor is it any other than impious prophanation of these sacred Mysteries for the Priest to constrain or suffer notoriously ignorant and ungodly persons to receive them either to make themselves believe that they are indeed the Children of God or to be a means which ungodly men should use to make them godly or which Infidels or Impenitent persons must use to help them to Repentance and Faith in Christ For though there is that in it which may become a means of their Conversion as a Thief that stealeth a Bible or Sermon Book may be converted by it yet is it not to be used by the Receiver to that end For that were to tell God a lie as the means of their Conversion for whosoever cometh to receive a setled pardon doth thereby profess repentance as also by the words adjoyned he must do And whosoever taketh and eateth and drinketh the Bread and Wine doth actually profess thereby that he taketh and applieth Christ himself by Faith And therefore if he do neither of these he lieth openly to God and lies and false Covenants are not the appointed means of Conversion Not that the Minister is a lier in his delivery of it For he doth but conditionally seal and deliver Gods Covenant and Benefits to the Receiver to be his if he truly Repent and Believe But the Receiver himself lieth if he do not actually Repent and Believe as he there professeth to do 5. Also it is an impious prophanation of the Sacrament if any Priest for the love of filthy lucre shall give it to those that ought not to receive it that he may have his Fees or Offerings or that the Priest may have so much money that is bequeathed for the saying a Mass for such or such a Soul 6. And it is odious prophanation of the Sacrament to use it as a League or Bond of Faction to gather persons in to the party and tie them fast to it that they may depend upon the Priest and his Faction and Inerest may thereby be strengthned and he may seem to have many followers 7. And it is a dangerous abuse of it to
the workers of iniquity shall I ever more slight such Love as this shall it not overcome my Rebelliousness and melt down my cold and hardned heart shall I be saved from Hell and not be thankful Angels are admiring these miracles of Love and shall not I admire them Their love to us doth cause them to rejoyce while they stand by and see our Heavenly feast And should it not be sweeter to us that are the guests that feed upon it My God how dearly hast thou purchased my Love How strangly hast thou deserved and sought it Nothing is so much my grief and shame as that I can answer such Love with no more fervent fruitful Love O what an addition would it be to all this pretious mercy if thou wouldst give me a Heart to answer these thine invitations That thy Love thus poured out might draw forth mine and my Soul might flame by its approaching unto these thy flames And that Love draw out by the sense of Love might be all my life O that I could Love thee as much as I would Love thee Yea as much as thou wouldest have me Love thee But this is too great a happiness for earth But thou hast shewed me the place where I may attain it My Lord is here in full possession who hath left me these pledges till he come and fetch us to himself and feast us there in our Masters Joy O blessed place O happy company that see his Glory and are filled with the streams of those Rivers of consolation yea happy we whom thou hast called from our dark and miserable state and made us Heirs of that felicity and passengers to it and expectants of it under the conduct of so sure a guide O then we shall Love thee without these sinful pauses and defects in another measure and another manner than now we do when thou shalt reveal and communicate thy attractive Love in another measure and manner than now Till then my God I am devoted to thee By right and Covenant I am thine My soul here beareth witness against my self that my defects of Love have no excuse Thou deservest all if I had the Love of all the Saints in Heaven and Earth to give thee VVhat hath this world to do with my affections And what is this sordid corruptible flesh that its desires and pleasures should call down my Soul and tempt it to neglect my God VVhat is there in all the sufferings that man can lay upon me that I should not joyfully accept them for his sake that hath Redeemed me from Hell by such unmatched voluntary sufferings Lord seeing thou regardest and so regardest so vile a worm my heart my tongue my hand confess that I am wholly thine O let me live to none but thee and to thy service and thy Saints on earth And O let me no more return unto iniquity nor venture on that sin that killed my Lord And now thou hast chosen so low a dwelling O be not strange to the Heart that thou hast so freely chosen O make it the daily residence of thy spirit Quicken it by thy grace adorn it with thy gifts employ it in thy Love delight in its attendance on thee refresh it with thy joys and the light of thy countenance and destroy this carnality selfishness and unbelief And let the VVorld see that God will make a Palace of the lowest heart when he chooseth it for the place of his own abode Direct 8. VVhen you come home review the mercy which you have received and the duty which you have done and the Covenant you have made And 1. Betake your selves to God in Praise and Prayer for the perfecting of his work And 2 Take heed to your hearts that they grow not cold and that worldly things or diverting trifles do not blot out the sacred impressions which Christ hath made and that they cool not quickly into their former dull and sleepy frame 3. And see that your Lives be actuated by the grace that you have here received that even they that you converse with may perceive that you have been with God Especially when Temptations would draw you again to sin and when the injuries of Friends or Enemies would provoke you and when you are called to testifie your Love to Christ by any costly work or suffering remember then what was so lately before your eyes and upon your heart and what you resolved on and what a Covenant you made with God Yet judge not of the fruit of your Receiving so much by feeling as by faith for more is promised than you yet possess Here follows the Authors solemn Resignation of himself to Father Son and Holy Ghost O My God I look to Thee I come to Thee to thee alone No man no worldly creature made me none of them did redeem me none of them did renew my soul none of them will justifie me at thy Bar nor forgive my sin nor save me from the penal Justice none of them will be a full or a perpetual felicity or portion for my soul I am not a stranger to their promises and performances I have trusted them too far and followed them too long O that it had been less though I must thankfully acknowledge that Mercy did early shew me their deceit and turn my enquiring thoughts to thee to thee I resign my self for I am thine own to thee I subject all powers of my Soul and body for thou art my Rightful Sovereign Governour from thee I thankfully accept of all the benefits and comforts of my life in thee I expect my true felicity and content to know thee and love thee and delight in thee must be my blessedness or I must have none The little tastes of this sweetness which my thirsty soul hath had do tell me that there is no other real joy I feel that thou hast made my mind to know thee and I feel thou hast made my heart to love thee my tongue to praise thee and all that I am and have to serve thee And even in the panting languishing desires and motions of my soul I find that thou and only thou art its resting place and though Love do now but search and pray and cry and weep and in reaching upward but cannot reach the glorious light the blessed knowledge the perfect love for which it longeth yet by its eye its aim its motions its moans its groans I know its meaning where it would be and I know its end My displaced soul will never be well till it come near to thee till it know thee better till it love thee more It loves it self and justifieth that self-love when it can love thee it loaths it self and is weary of it self as a lifeless burden when it feels no pantings after thee Wert thou to be found in the most solitary desart it would seek thee or in the uttermost parts of the earth it would make after thee thy presence makes a croud a Church thy converse
hear to my confusion Depart from me I know thee not thou worker of iniquity Thou mayest justly tell me thou hast no pleasure in me nor wilt receive an Offering at my hand But with thee there is abundant mercy And my Advocate Jesus Christ the Righteous is the Propitiation for my sins who bare them in his Body on the Cross and made himself an Offering for them that he might put them away by the Sacrifice of himself have mercy upon me and wash me in his blood cloath me with his Righteousness take away my iniquities and let them not be my ruine forgive them and remember them no more O thou that delightest not in the death of sinners heal my back-slidings love me freely and say unto my soul that thou art my salvation Thou wilt in no wise cast out them that come unto thee receive me graciously to the Feast thou hast prepared for me cause me to hunger and thirst after Christ and his Righteousness that I may be satisfied Let his flesh and blood be to me meat and drink indeed and his Spirit be in me a well of living water springing up to everlasting life Give me to know thy Love in Christ which passeth knowledge Though I have not seen him let me love him And though now I see him not yet believing let me rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory though I am unworthy of the crumbs that fall from thy Table yet feed me with the Bread of Life and speak and seal up Peace to my sinful wounded soul Soften my heart that is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin mortifie the flesh and strengthen me with might in the inward man that I may live and glorifie thy Grace through Jesus Christ our only Saviour In whose words I conclude saying Our Father c. A Prayer after the Receiving of the Holy Communion MOST Glorious God how wonderful is thy Power and Wisdom thy Holiness and Justice thy Love and Mercy in this work of our Redemption by the Incarnation Life Death Resurrection Intercession and Dominion of thy Son No power or wisdom in Heaven or Earth could have delivered me but thine The Angels desire to pry into this Mystery the Heavenly Host do celebrate it with praises saying Glory be to God in the Highest on Earth peace good will towards men The whole Creation shall proclaim thy praises blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and honour and glory for he haeth redeemed us to God by his blood and made us Kings and Priests unto our God Where sin abounded grace hath abounded much more And hast thou indeed forgiven me so great a debt by so precious a Ransom Wilt thou indeed give me to reign with Christ in Glory and see thy face and love thee and be beloved of thee for ever Yea Lord thou hast forgiven me and thou wilt glorifie me for thou art faithful that hast promised With the blood of thy Son with the Sacrament and with thy Spirit thou hast sealed up to me these precious promises And shall I not love thee that hast thus loved me Shall I not love thy Servants and forgive my Neighbours their little debt After all this shall I again forsake thee and deal falsly in thy Covenant God forbid O! set my affections on the things above where Christ sitteth at thy right hand Let me no more mind earthly things but let my Conversation be in Heaven from whence I expect my Saviour to come and change me into the likeness of his glory Teach me to do thy will O God! and to follow him who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that do obey him Order my stops by thy Word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Let me not hence-forth live unto my self but unto him who died for me and rose again Let me have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but reprove them And let my light so shine before men that they may glorifie thee In simplicity and godly sincerity and not in fleshly wisdom let me have my Conversation in the world O that my ways were so directed that I might keep thy Statutes Though Satan will be desirous again to sist me and seek as a roaring Lion to devour strengthen me to stand against his Wiles and shortly bruise him under my feet Accept me O Lord who resign my self unto thee as thine own and with my thanks and praise present my self a living Sacrifice to be acceptable through Christ. Useful for thine honour Being made free from sin and become thy Servant let me have my fruit unto holiness and the End Everlasting Life Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour In whose words I farther pray Our Father c. A Divine Soliloquy O My Soul thou hast been feasted with the Son of God at his Table upon his Flesh and Blood in preparation for the Feast of Endless Glory thou hast seen there represented what sin deserveth what Christ suffered what wonderful Love the God of infinite goodness hath exprest to thee Thou hast had Communion with the Saints thou hast renewed thy Covenant of Faith and thankful Obedience unto Christ Thou hast received his renewed Covenant of Pardon Grace and Glory to thee O carry hence the lively sense of these great and excellent things upon thy heart Remember O my Soul thou camest not to that holy Table only to injoy the mercy of an hour but that which may spring up to endless Joy Thou camest not only to do the duty of an hour but to promise that which thou must perform while thou livest on Earth Remember daily especially when Temptations to unbelief and sinful heaviness assault thee what pledges of Love thou hast received Remember daily especially when Flesh and Devil and World would draw thy heart again from God and temptations to sin are laid before thee what Bonds God and thy own Consent have laid upon thee Remember O my Soul if thou art a Penitent Believer thou art now forgiven and washed in the Blood of Christ O! go your way and sin no more no more thro' wilfulness and strive against your sins of weakness Wallow no more in the Mire and return not to thy Vomit Let the exceeding Love of Christ constrain thee having such Promises as 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. O cleanse thy self from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Amen Hymns suited to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper To be sung in the common Tunes A Hymn for the Sacrament HYMN I. I. A New and well composed Song With raptures fill'd of Love And extasies of Joy let 's tune Unto our Lord above Awake my drowsie sleepy Soul Awake dull heavy heart And all my faculties and powers Joyn in and bear a part II. Let judgment weigh the argument Let fancy it adorn Let memory
bring forth its store Thoughts offer your first-born God did assume the shape of Man With flesh his glory vail'd Himself he humbled unto death He to the Cross was nail'd III. Made sin us to acquit from sin Accursed us to bless Of Righteousness he wrought a Robe To hide our nakedness Darling of Heaven he was and is The Father 's chief delight Angels wonder the Saints above Are ravish'd at his sight IV. Array'd he is with Majesty Angels do him attend All pow'r is his in Heaven and Earth All to his Scepter bend A glorious Crown is on his head Most lovely is his face Treasures of wisdom are with him For us he 's stor'd with grace V. His Love doth pass dimensions His Love exceeds all thought Stronger than death this Love to us Salvation hath brought Hence all the Clouds away away Darken no more mine eye Fain would I see this lovely one Whose dwelling is on high VI. Open thine Eye here Jesus stands He looks he breathes he moves By Faith thou may'st discern him plain In this sweet Feast of Loves And art thou here indeed my Lord Draw nearer yet to me And nearer nearer my dear Lord Too near thou canst not be VII Come my Beloved let me view Thy beauteous lovely face Thee I would fold in arms of love Fain I would thee embrace I feel I feel a flame within Dear Lord I thee admire Thy sparkling beauty which I see Hath set me all on fire VIII Thy kind looks have me overcome The glances of thine Eye Sweetly my Soul transported have I feel an extasie Unutterable Joys I feel How sweet how sweet how sweet Is this taste of thy Love whilst I And my Beloved meet IX Sure this the Gate of Heaven is Methinks I'm entring in Where I shall always see thy face And no more grieve or sin Ten thousand praises let us give Unto our Lord on high Let heart and lip and life combine To make the melody HYMN II. I. O Come let us joyn all like one The Lord to magnifie Let us together lift his name In sweet sounds to the Sky Sweet Hymns of Love come let us sing Let Love us act and move Let Love our voices tune to praise Our God for God is Love II. God's Love the lofty Heav'ns above In height doth far transcend Its depth the Sea its breadth and length Is without bound or end God's Love to us is wonderful To us who Rebels were God gave his only Son to die That Rebels he might spare III. From guilt and reigning power of sin And Satan's slavery From fire of Hell us to redeem God gave his Son to die Christ suffer'd in our stead he was More harmless than the Dove That God should lay our sins on him This this indeed is Love IV. O come let us give God our Loves Let every heart take fire Let flames come forth and joyn in one And unto Heav'n aspire â—weet Spirit come like Southern Gales Within us breathe and move Blow up our spark into a flame That we may burn with love V. That we with all our hearts may love Our hearts Lord circumcise Of Love persum'd with sweet Incense Accept the Sacrifice VI. Draw near O God unvail thy self Our cloudiness remove O shine and smile on us that we may see thy face and love VII Dear Jesus come and visit us A stranger do not prove Heal wounds of sin speak peace that we Thy voice may hear and love VIII Our selves we offer with our hearts Our whole selves we resign To thee who art the God of Love We are and will be thine HYMN III. I. GOD hath us brought into his Courts And Chambers of his Love That he might feed and feast us here With dainties from above Heav'n opened is before our Eye The Vail is rent that we May upward look and his dear Son Crowned with Glory see II. This Jesus crowned was with Thorns Scourged with cruel hands His flesh was torn when to the Cross He tyed was with Bands Tears trickled from his mournful eyes Sweat dropped from his face Blood flowed from his hands and feet And side in streams apace III. His groans were strong his crys were loud Pressures of wrath did lye Upon his Soul with sense of which In anguish he did dye He harmless was and innocent No guilt upon him lay But as our Surety he our debts Did by his sufferings pay IV. Thus did he Justice satisfie By dying in our room That we might justified be By Faith that to him come The Bread we eat at this great Feast Christ's flesh is and his blood Is represented by the Wine This this indeed is food V. Here is the heavenly Manna which Our God to us doth give Who eateth other bread shall die In eating this we live A hidden life of Grace we have Breathing desires and love Christ is our Life the Author Spring By whom our Graces move VI. Come let us look unto our Lord This Glass will show his face Not veiled over with dark Types As heretofore it was God-man that name is wonderful So is his beauty so His love is full of wonders both Beyond our reach to go VII Yet where we cannot comprehend Looking let us admire Admiring love loving rejoyce And to enjoy aspire Our Lord is present at this Feast He looks let 's meet his Eye With ours sweet glances looks of love It may be we shall spy VIII Come Lord draw near we long we long Thy face to see thy love To taste thy voice to hear within To feel thy Spirit move Thou art all fair thou hast no spot Thy beauty is divine Thou art all love embrace us Lord In those sweet Arms of thine IX We look we wait we hope we trust We long we love we burn Ravish thou dost our hearts whilst thou To us thine Eye dost turn With all the powers of our Souls Dear Jesus we thee praise In songs of joy and thankfulness Our voices we do raise X. Hosanna's we Hosanna's we Do sing with one accord In Hallelujah's of triumph We joyn to praise the Lord. Ye Angels and triumphant Saints Praise ye our Lord above Whilst we his Servants here below Do sing his praise with love HYMN IV. I. THousands of thousands stand around Thy Throne O God most high Ten thousand times ten thousand sound Thy praise but who am I Thine arm of might most mighty King Both Rocks and hearts doth break My God thou canst do every thing But what would show thee weak II. Most pure and holy are thine Eyes Most holy is thy Name Thy Saints and Laws and Penalties Thy holiness proclaim Mercy is God's Memorial And in all Ages prais'd My God thine only Son did fall That Mercy might be rais'd III. Thy bright back-parts O God of Grace I humbly here adore Shew me thy glory and thy face That I may praise thee more Mysterious depths of endless love Our admirations raise My God thy Name exalted is Far above