this is sufficient to shew what the Sacrifice is which we make when we do this and that our Church now doth that which the Ancient did By feasting upon this Sacrifice we not only commemorate that oblation of himself with the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving but likewise offer up our selves to him to be intirely his As will appear more fully in the next consideration which is this By this Action we make a solemn Profession of the Christian Religion and declare our selves to be the Disciples and followers of Jesus to whom we joyn our selves in fellowship So much is the rational consequence of what hath been said For by eating of the Sacrifices offered at the Altar both Jews and Gentiles professed themselves to be the Worshippers and Servants of that God to whom the oblation was made And secondly it may be rationally drawn from that discourse of our Saviours with the Jews in the Sixth of S. Johns Gospel Where eating his flesh and drinking his blood v. 51 53 54 c. signify nothing else but believing * See v. 29 35.47 the word and keeping the Precepts which Christ published in our flesh and sealed with his Blood This is honestly acknowledged by a Learned Person in the Church of Rome who gives the sense of those verses in these two lines They are nourished with the flesh of Christ to eternal life who keep the sayings of Christ incarnate ‖ Carne Christi nutriuntur in vitam aeternam qui Sermones Christi incarnati servant Rigaltius in Cypr. Epist 1. Which he expresses more largely in another place The words of eternal life which Peter acknowledged our Saviour had are the Commands saith he which he gave when he was in Flesh among men For therefore he was made Flesh that in the Flesh or Body of man he might procure their Salvation and form them to eternal life Therefore the words which Christ spake in flesh the Gospel of Christ is the flesh of Christ These words this flesh this meat Christ would have us eat ruminate and digest that being nourished thereby we may profit to eternal life * Idem in Epist 55. Annot. a. Thus S. Peter understood our Lord when he answered at the end of that discourse to his Question will ye go away To whom should we go thou hast the words of eternal life v. 68. And thus Christ explains himself v. 63. where he saith his discourse was not to be understood so grosly as the Jews apprehended it but in a more spiritual and divine manner His meaning was to be conceived as if he had said unless you really receive me notwithstanding my being crucified as God speaking to you in flesh and so conform your selves to my Doctrine you cannot be saved And indeed this eating and drinking which now he call'd them unto could be nothing else but receiving him and his Doctrine for the Sacrament of his Body and Blood was not yet instituted But when it was then I make account they who did eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup in Commemoration of Christ were to look upon it as a devout Profession of that Faith in him and Obedience to him without which we cannot inherit eternal life We declare by this Action the intire assent of our minds to the Truth of all that he preached when he was in our flesh and the unfeigned consent of our Wills to be ordered and governed according to it Hence perhaps it was that this Action came to be called the Sacrament which was the ancient name for our whole Religion * As may be seen in S. Cyprian Lactanâ—ius c. in innumerable places because here we make the most solemn Profession of the Christian Religion as the Jews did of the Mosaical when they did eat before God of the Sacrifices offered on his Altar Thus much I am sure of in the third place that the whole discourse of S. Paul is to this sense when he calls the Cup of blessing which we bless the Communion of the Blood of Christ and the Bread which we break the Communion of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 That is an Holy Action whereby we declare our Society and fellowship with Christ and that we are of his Religion in opposition to all others Which we shall easily discern to be the Apostles meaning if we take but the pains to consider what it is that he goes about to prove in those eight verses from v. 14. to 22. It is nothing but this That if they did Communicate with Christ in the Cup of Blessing and Breaking of Bread then they must flee from all Idolatrous Services and not pertake in them The consequence saith he is manifest to any understanding person as I take you to be For to Communicate with him in that manner is as much as to acknowledg Jesus only to be the Lord to honour and worship him to profess that you belong to him and to joyn your selves in fellowship with him Which he proves first from the intention of the Feasts upon the Jewish Sacrifices of which whosoever did eat he thereby became of that Religion and professed to worship that God at whose Altar which Malachi calls his Table Mal. 1.7 that meat was offered in honour of him And secondly from the Religious Feasts among the Gentiles whose Sacrifices being offered to Daemons whosoever did eat of them thereby he made an acknowledgment of their Deity and that he was one of their Servants and Worshippers Which instances carry in them this general reason that the eating continually of any ones meat signifies us to be of his Family or his Friends and familiar acquaintance and so this Religious eating at their Tables and of their meat was a token and a declaration of Friendship and Society with God or with Daemons and by consequence this must be the meaning of our pertaking of the Table of the Lord. From which premisses the Apostle concluds with the greatest force of reason that all those who made this profession of being Members of Christs Body and belonging to the Christian Society or Corporation v. 17. by pertaking of Christs Table and eating of his Meat must have nothing to do with the Tables of Daemons For this would be to jumble the most contrary and inconsistent things together to worship God and Baal too to be the servants of Christ and the servants of the Devil Whereas in truth by honouring them in eating of their Sacrifices they did in effect renounce Christ And by Communicating with Christ at his Table they did re-renounce them For he came to destroy the works of the devil 1 Joh. 3.8 and Idolatry in the first place wherein that worship and service was paid to the devil which was due to God alone You must address your selves then to the Table of the Lord as the friends of Jesus Christ on purpose to profess that you believe on him and are of his Religion and mean to cleave unto him and
we may not fail to be pertakers he hath ordained this Sacrament to be a bond of Vnion between all Christians who believe in one common Saviour and all pertake of his Sacrifice There is no doubt but this is one of the ends for which he invites us to this Feast that we may profess charity to all our Brethren and joyn our selves in a league of Friendship with them as well as with himself This was the intention of publick feasts in all Cities of the world Athenaeus mentions such among the Athenians Lacedaemonians and Cretians * L. 5. Deipnosoph cap. 1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whose Law-givers had appointed common entertainments at which the Citizens met in one place that they might be more firmly linked together and not espouse any private interest Many other besides these he there remembers at which they thought it of great import that all should appear and present themselves For he immediately adds the saying of an ancient Poet who admonished them that Friends and companions should not long abstain from these Feasts because this was a most lovely Commemoration ‡ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word used by our Saviour at the institution of this Feast of his They commemorated I suppose the common benefits that had been bestowed on them the famous Acts of their ancestors and the marvellous victorieâ— and deliverances which they had obtained whereby they were ingaged to love and unity without which they could never hope to remain so happy Such meetings besides those ordained by the Law there were among the Jewes that lived in the same neighbourhood who maintained society and friendship by eating of the same food in the evening of the Sabbath Which was as much as to say as Maimonides his words are * Mentioned by Dr. Lightfoot in 1 Cor. 10 we are mingled together or associated there is one food for us all no man intrenches on his neighbours property But as there is one equal right to us all in this common place so there is a several right to every one in the place which is peculiar and proper to himself Thus our Companies and Fraternities have their Common Halls and Feasts also which were appointed for nothing else but that they might the better maintain love and kindness among the Brethren of the society In like manner this Divine Feast of our Saviours institution was attended with that of charity in which the poor were entertained as Christian Brethren together with the rich for the continuing and promoting of friendship Unity and peace among them all Nay this Feast it self was designed without all question for this purpose as well as others that all those who met at the same Communion might be joyned together in the strictest bond of holy friendship by pertaking all of one bread and drinking of one Cup. So S. Paul teaches us 1 Cor. 10.17 For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all pertakers of that one bread As the bread was broken to commemorate the sufferings of Christ whose body was broken for our sins so it was broken also to be distributed among all the Communicants in token that they were but one body members of the same Christ and members one of another As it was a Feast their eating at the same Table declared their friendship and charity but their eating there of one and the same loaf which represented the body of Christ more effectually declared it and ingaged the holy Brotherhood to greater Unity and intireness of affection It is well observed by S. Chrysostom * Hâ—mil 18. in 2. Cor. p. 647. that it was not lawful for the people among the Jews to pertake of that part of the Sacrifice which was given to the Priests But they had their portion to themselves and the Sacrificer with his Friends another portion different from the Priests But now it is not so saith he one and the same body and one and the same cup is given to all To teach us that we are one body differing no more one from another than member doth from member in the same body And therefore we are not to throw all upon the Priests but every one is to take care of another and contrive as much as he is able the good of the whole Church I will only add the words of S. Cyprian * Epist ad Magnum p. 151. Edit Regal who saith the Lords Sacrifices declare the Christian Vnanimity knit together in a firm and inseparable charity For when our Lord called the bread which is kneaded together and made up by the union of many corns his body he denoted Christian people And when he calls the wine which is pressed out of many grapes and gathered together in one his blood he signifies also our flock coupled by the mingling together of an united multitude From whence it is manifest to all that will not shut their eyes that he took the bread to be Christs body not only as it represents Christ but all the faithful together with him Which appears more fully from the long discourse he makes in another place ‖ Epist ad Coecilium 63. p. 103. concerning the mixing of water together with wine in the Cup of the Lord as the custome then was Waters saith he in the holy Scripture signifie many people and Nations which we behold also contained in the Sacrament of the Cup. For since Christ bare us all who likewise bare our sins we see the people to be understood by water as the wine shews us the blood of Christ Now when the water in the Cup is mingled with the wine the people is made one with Christ and the multitude of believers is coupled and joyned together with him in whom they believe Which conjunction of water and wine is so mingled in the Cup of the Lord that they cannot be separated one from the other c. So that in Sacrificing the Cup of the Lord the water alone cannot be offered * He is disputing against those who used only water in this Sacrament no more than the wine alone For if one offer wine alone it begins to be the blood of Christ without the people if water alone it begins to be the people without Christ But when both are mingled and joyned together by such an union that they cannot be known one from the other then the spiritual and heavenly Sacrament is perfected It is just so likewise in the other part the body of the Lord cannot be meal alone or water alone but both must be made one and coupled together and make up one solid loaf By which Sacrament also our people is shewn to be made one That as many corns being gathered together in one and kneaded and mixed together make one loaf so in Christ who is the bread from Heaven we may know there is one body to which our number is joyned and united From which words we may
it Which is a question so easy to be resolved from what hath been said that I have assigned no part of this discourse for the discussing of it If you are baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus and seriously believe his Religion if you take upon your selves to make good that promise vow and Covenant which was made in your name when you were baptized if you understand the ends of this holy Communion which I have named and are willing and desirous to perform them if you lie not under the censures of the Church for any violation of those sacred vows which you have made to our Saviour You are the persons whose company he waits for and would gladly see at his Table Nay he will take it ill and account it a neglect of him and of your duty a breach of your promise to obey all his holy commands if you accept not of his kindness in inviting you thither because this is one of his Commands as I have proved that you should do this in remembrance of him Do not intangle your selves therefore in endless doubts and scruples about the qualifications that are required in those that come to this Supper of the Lord but only examine your hearts by this plain and certain rule Do you believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be the truth of God Do you consent to be governed by his Laws Do you remember and will you stand to the Vow that was made in your name when you were baptized Are you desirous to renew that Covenant in the manner that I have described Do you value his favour and grace declared in his pretious promises above all earthly things Would you pertake of this holy Communion that you may commemorate your Saviours dying love that you may own and acknowledg him to be your Lord that you may devote and unite your heart unto him in stricter friendship that you may bind your self in the bond of peace to all your brethren and that you may receive more of his grace and greater assurance of his love as the most invaluable blessing Then lay aside all your fears and humbly approach unto him to render him the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and to receive fresh tokens and pledges of his unchangeable good will and affection to you I shall make no more words of this matter but only add that you may know sufficiently by the invitation which the Minister makes to you at the Communion in Christs name according to the order of our Church who are persons qualified for this feast And it is expressed in such plain and pregnant words that better cannot be devised for your direction and satisfaction They are these Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins and are in love and charity with your neighbours and intend to lead a new life following the Commandments of God and walking from henceforth in his holy ways draw near with faith and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort Which that you may be able to do I shall now proceed according to the method I have propounded in my endeavours to put you into such a temper of mind when you are at this holy Sacrament that you may perform all that which hath been said with more ease and edification also to your selves And that I may the better raise those affections in you which are sutable to this action it will not be amiss to remember you a little of the excellency and dignity of the feast to which you are invited To make a true Feast these four things in the opinion of the most learned of all the ancient Romans must conspire and meet together Varro lectis viris lecto loco lecto tempore lecto apparatu Chosen and select persons a choice and delicate place a choise time and season and choise provision proportionable to the quality both of him that makes it and of those that are invited to it Now in all these regards if we reflect a while on them this Supper of the Lord which he makes for us will be found to be incomparably beyond the noblest entertainment which the world ever saw For as concerning the persons that here meet together they are our blessed Lord the Master of the feast and those that believe on his name to whom he hath given the right or priviledg to become the sons of God Joh. 1.12 A company of souls that are larger than the world heirs of a Kingdom rich in faith as full as they can hold of love and charity towards each other and towards all men So that there cannot be either more honourable or more sweet society found under heaven Then for the place you see it is prepared in the house of God where we give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name and shew forth his salvation from day to day where we pay our vows unto him in the presence of all his people and make a joyful noise unto him by singing of his praises where the Angels as I may say are waiters and the heavenly host are glad to attend upon us according to those words of the Apostle in that very chapter where he treats of this Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.10 the woman ought to have a covering on her head because of the Angels As for the time you see likewise it is commonly the Lords-day on the day when he rose from the dead when he trampled under his feet the great enemy of mankind when the Angels not so glistering as he brought news that he had accomplished our redemption when the host of heaven was at a gaze to see mortal man made immortal and restored to the state of paradise again when we have nothing else to do but to rest and rejoyce to declare the works of the Lord to give thanks unto his holy name and triumph in his praise And lastly for the provision it self I have told you already what it is the body and blood of the Lord of life bread that excells the Angels food a cup of blessing of which those sons of glory never tasted To these our Lord calls us nay beseeches and intreats us to come that we may feast our selves on his Sacrifice of himself and be filled with his love and satisfie our selves with his joyes and everlasting consolation Now what soul is there that can be willing to lose his share in such divine food that would be shut out from such society or absent from such a place or desire to spend his day better than in near communion with our Lord Either men do not believe these things or they do not reflect on them and lay them to their hearts for otherwise there is none that reads this writing but will be moved to make one at this holy feast But then as you cannot chuse if you seriously consider but judg it very desirable to be admitted to it so you cannot but think in what manner it becomes you to be adorned and how
he gives us the Wine of joy and gladness when the same Cup is put into our hand which our blessed Saviour drank of This is the very height of Christianity to which noble pitch we should earnestly strive by all means to arrive Every drop of our blood should be ready to be poured out for that Religion which Christ sealed with his own And indeed what better use can we make of our life than to give it for him from whom we received it and who gave his life for us And how much better is it not to live at all than to live with the mark and brand of cowards and fugitives from the Prince of life and the Lord of glory Let us say therefore when we come to the Table of the Lord O how much do we owe thee most blessed Redeemer How great is the price which thou hast paid for the ransom of us miserable sinners Tongue cannot express it nor thought conceive it What shall I render unto thee for the incomprehensible benefits thou hast bestowed upon me I can give thee no less than my self which here I resign intirely into thy hands Do thou dispose of me according to thy pleasure It is but reasonable I should follow thee whithersoever thou leadest me Though it be to thy Cross I refuse not to obey thy orders Though I should die with thee I hope I shall not in any wise deny thee For there is no better use I can make of my life than to spend it for thee I esteem all things but loss for the excellence of thy knowledg I account not my life dear unto my self Act. 20.24 so that I may finish my course with joy It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also makes intercession for us Rom. 8.34 35 c. Who shall separate me from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword as it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Psal 44.17 18. Though all this should come upon me yet will I not forget thee nor will I deal falsly in thy Covenant My heart shall not be turned back neither shall my steps decline from thy way Nay in all these things I shall be more than a Conqueror through him that loved me For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And great reason there is that we should cleave to him to the very death if we consider the inestimable benefits which he by his death hath purchased for us and by this Commemoration of it confirms unto us Especially that of remission of sins through his blood which he for his part covenants to grant us if we for our part be faithful to the death For We are not to consider this Action merely as a Feast or only as a Feast upon a Sacrifice but as a Feast upon a Sacrifice for Sin Wherein we agreeing as I said to be his constant Disciples profess our belief that God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood and he gives us a part in that propitiation and promises to be merciful to our unrighteousness and to remember our sins and iniquities no more It was not permitted to the Jews you know no not to the Priests themselves to taste of the blood of any Beast that was slain in their Sacrifices to God but it was to be poured out at the foot of the Altar after some part of it had been sprinkled thereon And as for the flesh of the Sacrifice if it was an offering for sin that was to be wholly burnt also and they were not allowed the least portion of it at any of their Feasts This is a priviledg belonging to Christians alone at the Table of the Lord where they not only eat of the Bread which represents the body or flesh of Christ but drink of the Cup which represents his Blood We have an Altar i. e. a Sacrifice whereof they had no right to eat that served the Tabernacle that is Heb. 13.10 which the Jewish Priests themselves who ministred at the Altar could not pertake of We are admitted to the injoyment of more singular priviledges than they were invested withal As we are pertakers of a better Sacrifice which is of greater efficacy and vertue than any of theirs were so God receives us into a nearer familiarity with himself and by setting before us not only the body of that Sacrifice which was offered to him but the blood also which was his own proper food plainly tells us that he intends to make us pertakers of the highest blessings even of his own joy and happiness Of which he gives us strong assurance in that he lets us pertake not only of the blood of the Sacrifice in this figure and representation but of the blood of that Sacrifice which was offered for the sins of the world This bids us rest assured of his abundant grace and not doubt of our acceptance with him to a participation of his highest favour There is nothing now to hinder it nor to make us call in question his merciful kindness toward us For we have such a token and pledg of forgiveness of our sins by this Sacrifice as the ancient people of God had not of the forgivness of their offences by the blood that was offered at Gods Altar They were not admitted to taste of that blood as we are of the blood of Jesus and so could not have that boldness and access with confidence to God which we have through the faith of him Luk. 22.20 1 Cor. 11.25 compared with Mat. 26.28 This seems to be one great secret of this Sacrament as appears from the words of S. Luke and S. Paul who tell us that this Cup which we drink of is the New Covenant in Christs blood which was shed for the remission of sins We are received by doing this into that gracious Covenant which assures us of forgiveness through his blood He gives us a right to those benefits of which that is the first which he obtained by his obedience to the death Which is the import also of the word Communion used by S. Paul to express the effect of this Sacrament 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ In its full signification that phrase denotes not merely our being made of his Society but our having a Communication of his body and his blood unto us * So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred in other
places Gal. 6.6 Phil. 4.15 of which we pertake by eating this bread and drinking this Cup in remembrance of his death for the remission of sin And so we beseech our merciful Father in the Prayer of Consecration which our Church prescribes that we receiving these his Creatures of bread and wine according to his Son our Saviours holy institution in remembrance of his death and Passion may be pertakers of his most blessed body and blood For after the bread and wine are deputed by holy prayer to God to be used for a Commemoration of Christs death though they do not cease to be what they were before yet they begin to be something which they were not before this Consecration That is they become now to us visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace and do not merely figure to us the breaking of Christs body and the shedding of his blood but are a pledg of that inward and spiritual grace which they represent What that grace is we are taught in our Catechism when it tells us that it is the body and blood of Christ which are verily and indeed received of the faithful in the Lords Supper That is they have a real part and portion given them in the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus whose body was broken and blood shed for remission of sins They truly and indeed pertake of the vertue of his bloody Sacrifice whereby he hath obtained an eternal redemption for us This is the meaning sure of pertaking of his body and blood which are here communicated Because this bread and wine do not become his body and blood by ceasing to be bread and wine but by tendring them to us as a spiritual grace Their efficacy therefore and vertue by the divine favour is made ours All the effects and benefits of his passion are imparted to us In short there is nothing which the body and blood of Christ can be to the spirits of men but by these tokens he exhibits it to us and gives us an interest in it This is spiritually to eat his flesh and drink his blood as both our Church and the ancient speak Our souls intertain and feast themselves upon his Sacrifice being really made pertakers of whatsoever his body and blood can do for them Which S. Gregory Nazianzen meant I should think when he saith that these oblations are the Communication of the Incarnation of God and of the sufferings of God * in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 2. Jamb 15. How doth he communicate to us his Incarnation but by giving us the fruits and benefits of it and so he communicates to us his broken body and his blood that was shed We pertake of both in the same manner We are admitted to participate of the secret of the sufferings of Christ as he speaks in another place ‡ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 40. and by means of this Sacrament are vested in the merit of them And thus indeed the bread and wine are changed not by abolishing their substance but by turning them to this divine use to which they are deputed by prayer according to Christs institution to tender to us the spiritual grace of the body and blood of our Saviour The principal part of which grace is remission of sin For sin being done away death the fruit of sin is abolished he graciously restores us to the priviledg of immortality which we had lost and in order to it assures us he will not fail to communicate the grace of his holy spirit to assist and further us in our way to everlasting bliss We may be satisfied that he will send a living vertue into our spirits to quicken excite and strengthen us to do according to our Vows and ingagements that so we may continue in his love as he continued in his Fathers love by keeping his Commandments For this is the nature and office of all Sacramental pledges to assure us of the good will of God and of his truth in fulfilling his gracious promises He ingages to be faithful to us by giving them as we ingage our selves to be faithful to him by receiving them God bids us believe that we shall be accepted in his beloved nay he puts us in possession of all that which the Gospel promises and the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross obtained to us mercy grace and peace remission of sin the power of the Holy Ghost and eternal life Thus the prayer of Consecration runs in the ancient Liturgies into which though many things are foisted sutable to the conceits of later times yet they contain sundry expressions of Christian devotion worthy of those who are called the Authors of them Bless this Bread and this wine saith that ascribed to S. Chrysostom make it to be the body and blood of thy Son c. that it may be to all that pertake of it for the washing of the Soul the forgiveness of sin the communication of the Holy Spirit c. And a little after Make us worthy to pertake of thy heavenly and dreadful mysteries of this holy and spiritual Table with a pure Conscience for the remission of sin the pardon of our offences the communication of the Holy Spirit the inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven and confidence before thee not for judgment or condemnation In that also which goes under the name of S. James to mention no more we find these words Be merciful to us O God according to thy great mercy and send upon us and upon these gifts thy Holy Spirit that it may sanctifie and make this bread the holy body of thy Christ and this Cup the pretious blood of thy Christ that they may be to all those who receive them for the remission of sin and for eternal life the sanctification of body and soul the bringing forth the fruit of good works and the establishing of thy holy Catholick and Apostolick Church which thou hast founded upon the ROCK OF FAITH that the gates of hell may not prevail against it c. The meaning of which words make this Bread the Body of thy Christ c. are so well expounded in the Service of the Roman Church by the addition only of these two words TO VS as if their forefathers had studied to prevent that gross conceit which now they have entertained * Our Writers have shewn often enough that the fancy of transubstantiation is not countenanced by the service of that Church which teaches it For the Prayer there concerning the Bread and wine is that they may become to us the body and blood of thy wel-beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ God doth not make them so in themselves by changing their substance but unto us by their change from the common to this Spiritual use Nor doth the prayer now mentioned for the Holy Spirit to come and sanctifie them and make them his body to us c. suggest any such thing as a change of their substance For the ancient writers
frequently say as much concerning the sanctifying of the Water in Baptism by the holy Spirit and yet it remains Water still though it serve to the mystical washing away of sin So do the bread and wine remain bread and wine after the sanctifying of them and their becoming the body and blood of Christ to us They are both bread and wine in their substance and the body and blood of Christ the Spiritual use to which they are appointed To that use when once they are consecrated we have no regard at all to the substance of bread and wine but only to the body and blood of Christ which by doing this are communicated to our souls in the remission of sin the sanctification of the Spirit and eternal life To conclude what Gregory Nyssen saith concerning Baptism * Tom. 2. in Bapt. Christi p. 802. Do not contemn the divine washing nor undervalue it as a common thing because of the Vse of the Water for that which it works is great and there are wonderful effects of it we may say concerning the Supper of the Lord Bread and Wine are but small things but in this holy use of them they are great and produce admirable effects Nay he himself immediately mentions this very thing among others for an example of the great benefit that may be received from common matters when they are applied to a divine use This Altar saith he at which we stand is in its Nature but ordinary stone nothing different from those you tread upon but being dedicated to God â—ervice it is an holy Table c. And this bread also is in the beginning but common bread but when the mystery hath offered it then it is called and it is the body of Christ So the mystical oyl and so the Wine which are little worth before the blessing after the sanctification of the Spirit have another kind of operation And thus a Priest who the other day was a vulgar person being separated by blessing becomes a guide a Governour a teacher of piety c. And these things he doth without any change at all in his body or form By these examples any man may see that he thought the bread and wine in the Sacrament become the body and blood of Christ with no more change in their substance than there is in the water with which we baptize or in the Priest who ministers there or at the Eucharist But that they are called the body and blood of Christ in regard of the Use to which they are sanctified and are his body and blood in regard of the wonderful effects which are communicated to the faithful in the use of them viz. remission of sin and all other benefits of his passion Now what greater favour can we desire at Gods hands than to be admitted to such fellowship with him and with his son Jesus Christ what is there of equal power with this to possess our hearts with the love of God was there ever any so treated by him as we are did the friends of God in ancient time receive such pledges of his grace and favour were they ever made thus one with him and joyned to him by pertaking of his Sons body and blood who would not give up himself soul and body eternally to him that thinks of these things who can think he makes a dear purchase if he give his life in exchange for such invaluable blessings we should go to the Table of the Lord and say How excellent is thy loving kindness O God! How pretious are thy thoughts towards us how great is the sum of them who would not fear thee who would not love thee and glorifie thy name For thou hast given us exceeding great and pretious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 that by them we might be pertakers of a divine Nature Thou hast sealed them with the blood of thy Son and hast made a new Covenant with us in that blood Heb. 10.16 17. to put thy laws in our hearts and write them in our minds and our sins and iniquities to remember no more Thou hast made him an high Priest for ever to make intercession for us and given him power and glory at thy right hand 1 Thess 5.24 that he may be able to perform all his promises Faithful is he that calleth us who also will do it For ever O Lord thy word is setled in Heaven Psal 119.89 90. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations But thou hast given likewise farther assurances of thy merâ—y and thy Truth by entertaining us at thy Table and making us pertake of that body and blood which was offered for our sins Enough Enough O most merciful Father We see the love thou bearest to us We cannot desire greater tokens and testimonies of it than these thou hast given us 2 Cor. 1.20 All thy promises in Christ we believe are Amen certain faithful and true We know and are sure 1 John 2.1 2. that we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is a propitiation for our sins I will never doubt any more of thy good will towards us for I taste and feel that the Lord is gracious Psal 111.4 5 9. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion he will ever be mindful of his Covenant He hath sent redemption unto his people he hath commanded his covenant for ever Holy and reverend is his Name Psal 103.17 18. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him To such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his Commandments to do them I wait therefore for thee O Lord Ps 130.5 my soul doth wait and in thy word do I hope Mine eyes shall be ever towards the Lord Jude 2. that Mercy and peace and love may be multiplied unto me that I may walk in the light as thou Lord art in the light for so shall we still have fellowship one with another 1 Joh. 1.7 and the blood of Jesus Christ thy son shall cleanse me from all sin Amen The natural consequence of what hath been said concerning the love of God towards us in sending his only begotten Son that we might live through him and he might be the propitiation for our sins is drawn to our hand by S. John 1 Epist 4.11 Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another This is so certain a fruit of an hearty sense of Gods merciful kindness to us that no man ought to think he loves him or hath any fellowship with him or with his son Jesus who doth not feel in himself an unfeigned affection and readiness to do good to all his Christian Brethren By this we know that we dwell in him and he in us which we pray for at the Lords Table because he hath given us of his spirit v. 13. That is indued us with his own kind and gracious Nature and disposition Of which that
clearly discern that I may touch on this by the way that he did not believe the Wine in this Sacrament was turned in substance into the blood of Christ but only in representation and use For it begun to be his blood when it was offered to God just as the water begun to be the people and flock of Christ He uses the same words of both And therefore if we say he thought the wine was changed from its own nature into the very substance of Christs blood we may as well say he believed the water to be changed from being water and to be made the very substance of his Church or people In the like manner we may discourse concerning the bread which in his opinion is so made Christs body that it is also the body of the Church For that is represented he saith together with Christ by the flour and water made into one Bread But not to trouble our selves any further with disputes let us therefore when we pertake of the Table of the Lord think that as thereby we are made one with Christ so we are joyned in the closest Union one with another And let us remember when we are making our selves ready for this heavenly Feast that as we are going to commemorate the dearest love of our Lord and to profess our love to him so to engage our selves to the heartiest love towards all the members of the same body to enter into a Covenant one with another as well as with him by eating of the same bread and drinking of the same Cup that we will never fall out any more much less hate maligne or do despite and injuries one to another but live for ever in the peace of God in unity and godly love O that this holy use of this Sacrament were more seriously regarded and laid to heart It would make a marvellous change in the face of Christs Church if all that pertake of his Table did cordially embrace as loving friends and resolve to remain in an inseparable affection For Love or Brotherly charity is the fulfilling of the Law and would certainly secure all thoses duties which we owe to our Neighbour as S. Paul shews Rom. 13.8 9 10. If our hearts were filled with it we should not only be preserved from doing of him harm but it would make us do him good By giving and communicating to his necessities * Which is joyned with breakinâ— br◠〈…〉 us â—ship and by forgiving him and passing by his injuries trespasses and offences under which two heads are comprehended all the offices of brotherly charity We have our Saviours word for it that if this heavenly vertue were but planted in our breasts all other Christian vertues would presently shine in us and adorn our souls For he compares this loving and kind disposition free from all base selfishness and covetous desires which look only at their own particular profit to the eye in our head which when it is clear and pure the whole body is full of light Matth. 6.22 And therefore the oftner we come to the Lords Table with this end among other in our aim the better Christians we shall grow We shall preserve this light that is in us from growing dim and renewing our friendship at this feast to which the Lord invites both high and low rich and poor we shall neither despise nor envy nor bear ill will nor be hard hearted one to another any more Nay our light will so shine before men that they seeing our good works will glorify our Father which is in Heaven It is a maxim I observe among Politicians that a great person or Governor should Feast or entertain but seldom upon some special occasions because it is uncertain whether he shall procure by it favour or envy Some may think themselves neglected and others think themselves disparaged who are not able to give the same entertainment But our Lord upon the quite contrary reasons invites us frequently to his house and Table because he invites all and makes no difference upon account of mens outward estates and expects nothing at all again but that all his Guests would love one another with a sincere heart and unfeigned affection The great he would ingage not to scorn the meaner sort and the meaner sort not to envy the great He would oblige the rich to be merciful and liberal and the poor to be thankful and contented The weak in knowledge not to judg the strong and the strong not to despise the weak but all to live together as loving Brethren and members of the same body That so they may have the same care one for another And whether one member suffer all the members may suffer with it or one member rejoyce all the rest may rejoyce with it And whatsoever differences may arise he conjures them by all that is sacred and dear to them that they fall not out nor make any quarrels much less divide and separate themselves one from another or do any thing that may spoil the harmony and consent of their affections together with the comfort of their lives and the beauty of his Church O how good Psal 133.1 4. how pleasant it is should every one say when he is at this feast for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity Heaven and Earth are pleased with this happy agreement and sweet accord Here the Lord commandeth a blessing even life for evermore Never will I make any jars in this heavenly consort Nothing but love nothing but Love shall possess that heart in which thou O Lord of love art pleased to inhabit I willingly enter into these holy bonds of friendship and peace I ty my self here inseparably to all my Brethren I embrace them all in every place with an open and inlarged heart I will ever endeavour to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and will love not in word nor tongue but in deed and in truth And O that we could see that holy Spirit which gathered so many Nations and tongues and people of sundry sorts into one body of the Church descending once more to joyn together all Christian hearts Come holy Ghost and draw us all to unity concord and peace That as there is one Lord and one spirit and one Baptism Ephes 4.3.4 5. Act. 4.32 and one hope of our calling so the multitude of believers may be of one heart and of one soul O blessed Jesus who when thou ascendedst up on high gavest gifts to men yea to the rebellious also renew thy ancient bounty to thine Universal Church Visit our minds and inspire us with heavenly grace that we may be like minded Phil. 2.2 having the same love being of one accord and one mind That so at last there may be but one voice also that we may all speak the same thing 1 Cor. 1.20 and that there be no divisions among us but that we be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in
ever And hath redeemed us from our enemies for his mercy endureth for ever I will praise thee with my whole heart the high praises of God shall be in my mouth Who hath raised up a mighty Salvation for us Rom 8.32 and hath not spared his own Son but delivered him up for us all Heb. 9.12 Who hath obtained for us an eternal redemption 2 Pet. 1.3 and given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledg of him that hath called us by a glorious power Bless the Lord O my soul Psal 103.1 c. and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thy iniquities and healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies Psa 111.1 I will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the Congregation While I live will I praise the Lord 146.2 I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being 145.21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever Thus I am come to a conclusion of the second part of my Discourse concerning the Nature End and Use of this Holy Sacrament The sum of what hath been said is this It is an holy Feast in commemoration of our Lord Christ especially of his Death In which we for our part make a solemn profession of his Religion and tie our selves in the strictest Covenant to follow him unto the death and to live in love and charity with all our Christian Brethren And he for his part makes a representation of his dying love to us and confirms the continuance of it giving us pledges that he will make us heirs of all the blessings which were the purchase of his body broken and blood shed for us So that when the Minister gives the Bread and the Cup to us we should think that Christ by him gives us tokens and assurances of his continued and everlasting love and kindness And when we take eat and drink that which he gives us we should look upon it as expressing our consent to continue his faithful Disciples in hope of that eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised to us In short the whole Action is the renewing of a Covenant between Christ and us He by giving we by receiving ingage our selves to perform our mutual promises He his promises of giving us pardon power to do well and immortal bliss And we our promises of loving God with all our heart and soul and strength and our neighbor as our selves All which we are to reflect upon with the greatest love to God and our Saviour with thanksgiving blessing and praise and with an humble confidence that it shall be to us according to his word To promote which ends I have concluded every particular Head of this discourse with a brief Meditation which may be used in this manner The First of them may serve to excite our devout affections before we go to Church or when we have placed our selves conveniently just before the Communion begin or while the company are making their oblations to God The Second will be proper immediately after the Consecration while the Minister is receiving himself and giving the Communion to the other Ministers that may be there present with him The other Six half of them may be used after we have received the Bread and the other half after we have received the Cup. Or if any desire a more compendious form of Devotion wherein to lift up their Souls to God immediately after their receiving they may reserve those till they retire from the Holy Table to their seats again and in this manner address themselves to him just after the receiving of the Bread 2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Col. 1.22.13 14. Who hath reconciled us in the body of his flesh through death to present us holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight Blessed be God who hath delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of our sins I love thee O Lord I love thee I devote my self most unfeignedly unto thee I will ever cleave unto thee and unto all my Brethren with setled purpose of heart Search me O God and know my heart Psal 139.23 24. try me and know my thoughts See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Yea Psal 23 4 6. though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me Thy power and thy care of thy flock they comfort me Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life 34â— and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise to my God while I have my being My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. 67.3 And let all the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 107.21 22. Let them Sacrifice the Sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoycing 117.2 For his merciful kindness is ever more and more towards us and his truth endureth for ever Praise ye the Lord. Or thus Lord Psal 8.3 4. what is man that thou art so mindful of him or the son of man that thou thus visitest him Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels and crowned him with glory and with honour Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands and hast put all things under his feet Many O Lord my God Psal 40.5 are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not Heb. 10.5 But a body hast thou prepared for thy Son Jesus Who hath done thy will O God and made himself an offering for sin and made us one body with himself Blessing and honour and glory and power be unto thee O Lord God Almighty and unto thy Son for ever and ever I offer up my self intirely both Soul and body unto thee I consecrate my self here most faithfully to thy Service Psal
and work They do with this as S. James saith many do with the Gospel who like a man that beholds his natural face in a glass and taking but a short glance of himself goes away and straightway forgets what manner of man he was Whereas if he would not only look into the perfect Law of liberty but continue to look therein being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work he would be blessed in his deed Jam. 1.23 c. It is the design therefore of this last part of my discourse to furnish you with some apt matter for your Meditation and with sutable Prayers whereby you may both quicken your selves in your private closets when you are preparing to go to the Table of the Lord and likewise preserve alive those godly affections and resolutions which are excited there after you are come home again That so by continuing to look upon what you have done and what your Saviour hath done unto you and beholding as in a clear Mirror the great love of God in Christ Jesus and your great obligations to him you may never forget him nor the duty you owe him but be blessed in a faithful observance of both And that no man may have the excuse which the wanton Israelites pretended who were cloyed with the same thing repeated over and over again I have taken the pains to compose variety of Meditations and Prayers some longer some shorter for every Month in the year and the principal Festivals in remembrance of our Saviour Which you may either make use of if your infirmity require it or else stick constantly to such as you like best and find most apt to move your hearts No mans thoughts are alwayes alike neither his that writes nor his that reads and therefore sometimes one may be most agreeable to you sometimes another but there will be no time I hope wherein you may not be able among them all to fit your self with a Meditation and a Prayer that may stir up and further your Devotion towards God And he that will be at so much pains with himself as to follow some such method as this will never be able to say hereafter as too many wretched souls have done that they have frequented this holy Sacrament but were never the better for it January Meditation before the Sacrament COnsider with your self some time before you intend to Communicate that you are invited to come not only into the presence but unto the Table of God to be one of the guests of the Lord of the whole world What a grace what an honour is this Shall any business any pleasure on earth put by the thoughts of it It is impossible if you remember what the great God is who calls you to him and that he sets the body of his Son before you upon your Table and that your Cup is filled with his Blood That the Angels think it not below them to waite on you and minister to you and the divine Spirit will be ready to breath upon you and fill you with such holy love that you shall send up your soul in joyful hymns of Praise and Thanks to God our Saviour With what admiration should you receive the news of this invitation With what reverence ought you to approach him With what forwardness of love with what gladness of heart should you go to meet our blessed Lord Was there ever any kindness should you think with your selves like unto that of his Did there ever such a furnace of Love if I may so represent it burn in any heart could he do more than die the bloody and shameful death of the Cross for to save sinners How is it possible that the remembrance of this tender love and compassion should ever die or that any heart should freeze over such a fire unless we be willfully careless I see that he will have our love he will not suffer any thing to rob him of the purchase of his blood For lest we should prove so ungrateful as to let him slip out of our mind he hath left himself still among us in sensible signs and representations By these he shews us his bloody death and passion he makes himself present to our faith and we may see that he is desirous to do more than die for us having contrived a way to live for ever in us and be firmly united to us What manner of love is this that Heaven hath manifested unto us who can refrain from tears of grief and sorrow to think of his own ingratitude and from tears of joy to think of the wonderful kindness of the Lord can you look on him who was pierced for our sins and not lament and mourn can you see his bleeding wounds and not be troubled no pious heart can be so hard And yet when you consider that by those stripes you are healed that he hath washed us from our sins in this blood that faithful souls may take sanctuary in his wounds and be secure and safe you cannot chuse but rejoyce in the Lord and be glad in his Salvation Call to your Soul then and bid it awaken in it self the liveliest thoughts of him and the devoutest affections to him Call to it to put it self in tune to string as I may so speak the instruments of joy and praise and to stir up all the graces of the holy Spirit That so you may go with a deep humility a godly sorrow a perfect hatred of all sin both of the flesh and of the spirit a strong resolution against them with a lowly faith and in the heights of love with enlarged desires and great longings to this holy Feast Ask your Soul what dost thou think of what dost thou love what dost thou long for with what intentions art thou going to the Lords Table are the Treasures of Christian wisdom and knowledg more in thine account than thousands of gold and silver Dost thou heartily believe the holy Gospel of Christ Jesus and love him and his Religion in sincerity Is all sin already bleeding to death in thee and hadst thou rather die than willingly offend thy Saviour that died for thee Art thou going to hang all remaining affection to them upon his Cross that there they may be perfectly crucified and never taken down till by continued Meditation on it they be quite dead Resolve then to go and tell him as much to declare and shew to him that this is the sense of thine heart Only ask thy self again what appetite dost thou feel in thee Art thou going as a thirsty man to his drink or a hungry man to his food or a Bride to the marriage of a chosen soul dearer than all the world beside or dost thou feel something like these things in thine heart what is it that thou hungrest and thirstest after Is it the tasts of the love of God Is it his Divine Grace and holy Spirit Dost thou long to be more like him and made pertaker of his
man Purifie me from all remaining filthiness either of the flesh or of the Spirit Bring in all thy heavenly graces along with thee into my soul And be my perpetual defence by giving me a fuller communication of thy holy Spirit and more mighty aids to do my duty towards thee and towards all men And for that end compose mine unsetled thoughts before I approach to receive the holy Mysteries That I may attend thee with a full and clear conception of their meaning with an actual belief of thy whole Gospel with most sensible love to thee and desire to be more like thee with thy high praises in my mouth and joy unspeakable in mine heart May I presume most gracious Father to ask such tastes and rellishes of thy wondrous love that I may never be able to delight in any thing so much as in the remembrance of it But mine eyes may be ever towards the Lord and I may hunger and thirst perpetually after thy righteousness till I am perfectly made pertaker of thy divine nature and rendred meet to be translated to that high and holy place where I shall see thee not as now in mysterious representations but openly and face to face Amen Lord Jesus who art able to save to the uttermost all them that come to God by thee In thy most blessed name and words I continue my humble prayers Our Father c. A Meditation after the Sacrament WHen you come home or some time after ask your soul what wentest thou out to see where hast thou been and what hast thou been doing Bid it never forget that thou hast been with the Lord of life and that before God Angels and Men thou hast acknowledged him and devoted thy self to his obedience That he hath vouchsafed to represent unto thee his marvellous love the pains he hath taken for thy salvation and the great desire he hath to see thee with him in immortal glory Of which he hath given thee such earnests and pledges by making thee pertaker of his body and blood that thou mayst say of that place where he was pleased to meet thee This is no other than the gate of Heaven I have been in the porch of his dwelling place and begun to enter into the joy of my Lord Here you may read over again that which I said our Lord might be conceived to speak unto you there and then go on and say How shall I escape if I should neglect such great salvation God forbid that I should receive this grace in vain As I have received Christ Jesus the Lord Col. 2.6 so will I walk in him I will endeavour to keep my self holy and unblameable before him in love and to have my conversation as becomes the Gospel There are no joys like to the joys of God No pleasures comparable to those of Christian piety All his Commandments are sweeter than the hony and the hony-comb and in keeping of them there is great reward Shall I cease then to delight my self in the Lord and to do good Shall I leave off to do the rest of his will now that I have done this in remembrance of my Saviour Shall I go away from him now that I am gone from the place where his honour dwelleth Alas whither shall I go thou Joh. 6.68 Lord hast the words of eternal life Thou art the author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey thee Heb. 5.9 I will go in the strength of the Lord God Ps 71.16 I will make mention of thy goodness even of thine only 1 Thess 4.1 As I have received how I ought to walk and please God so I will abound more and more Ephes 4.15 24. I will grow up into him in all things who is the head till I perfectly resemble him in righteousness and holiness of truth Here you may meditate upon all the parts of his holy life and the compleat example he hath set us of all divine vertues more especially those which shone at his death And as I have known some do you may single out one or two for your daily meditation all this month that you may bring your self to an habitual imitation of him suppose in his great HUMILITY and tread in his steps who did no sin 1 Pet. 2.22 neither was guile found in his mouth And as you have begun the New year well so resolve you will continue it and become a new man by leading a more exactly holy course of life Mat. 26.41 Watch therefore and pray that you fall not into temptation And often represent to your self the great love of Christ that it may constrain you because you thus judg that if one died for all then were all dead 2 Cor. 5.14 15. And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again The Prayer O Most Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty Heaven and Earth are full of the glory of thy Majesty I most heartily joyn with all the Saints on earth with the Angels in Heaven and the holy ones that are above in giving blessing honour and praise unto thee Glory be unto thee O God most high thou great Creator and possessor of Heaven and Earth thou preserver of all things thou spring of an eternal Mercy who hast made Angels and men to know thee and acknowledg thee and praise thee and love thee and be beloved of thee for ever who hast so loved mankind that thou hast opened thy bosom and sent thy dear Son to convey thy charity to us All laud and praise and thanksgiving be to thee O Father of Mercies who hast now made me taste how gracious and good thou art And glory be to the Son of God who took on him the form of a servant who died for us upon the Cross who purged away our sins by his blood who hath left us so many remembrances of his love and given us his body and blood to preserve our souls and bodies to eternal life who lives for ever to make intercession for us and hath promised to come again and take us up unto himself And blessed be the holy Spirit the mighty power of God the Author of all good thoughts the inspirer of all heavenly desires the light and comfort of our minds the purifier of our hearts the guide and strength of our life who hath given us the earnest of the eternal inheritance Thus will I praise thee whilst I live Psal 63.4 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever Psalm 86.12.89.1.71.23.86.5 My lips shall greatly rejoyce when I sing unto thee and my soul which thou hast redeemed For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee I have now tasted of the abundance of thy grace and dearest love the savour of which O that it may remain fresh for ever in my heart
no more till the same solemnity come about again How wilt thou be able then to appear before him at that time with what face wilt thou look upon him whom thou slightest so much as to love any company better than his Will it not confound thee to think that thou art but a stranger to him though thou hast been so often with him and that he can find nothing of himself in thee no not after so many professions of the greatest love and friendship to him O let him see that he hath not bestowed himself on one that knows not how to value so divine a guest Preserve an everlasting memory of his dying love Never fail to thank him for it every day with the greatest passion thou art able to excite Look on him seriously and study to be like him Never take off thine eyes from his beauties till all his lovely qualities be imprinted on thy heart Imitate his humility and great condescention to us of low estate Learn of him to be meek and lowly in heart â—atch 11.20 〈◊〉 5.2 â— Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Purifie thy self 1 Joh. 3.3 even as he is pure Heb. 13.5 Let thy conversation be without covetousness Psal 37.3 and be content with such things as thou hast Trust in the Lord and do good make him thy hope and thy portion That as long as thou livest Christ Jesus may be seen among men O what a goodly sight would it be to behold our Lord still walking up and down in the world To see the loving the peaceable the meek the merciful the holy Jesus again upon the earth Do thou resolve to be that blessed man in whom he shall appear Let not his Image and likeness be lost whilst thou art in being and labour to leave it upon others when thou art dead and gone Particularly thou mayst resolve all this month to meditate often on the PATIENCE of our Lord under ah the rude affronts and cruel pains he endured from his enemies and the great dulness untowardness and slowness to believe which he found in his Disciples That so Patience may have its perfect work in thee to the end thou mayst be perfect and entire Jam. 1.4 wanting nothing For we have need of Patience Heb. 10.36 that after we have done the will of God we may receive the promise Rest in the Lord therefore and wait patiently for him Psal 37.7 fret not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass Resolve not to be discouraged in thy Christian course whatsoever it be that thou art to do or suffer Warn them that are unruly â— Tâ—â—ss 5.14 comfort the feeble minded support the weak be patient toward all men Remembring that this is the character of those who received the heavenly seed with honest and good hearts Luke 8.15 that they brought forth fruit with patience And we know that the fruit of patience is experience Rom. 5.3 4. and experience worketh hope and hope maketh not ashamed The Thanksgiving and Prayer ALL thy works praise thee O Lord they proclaim thy greatness thy wisdom thy power and goodness throughout the world There is no place in heaven or earth where their voice is not heard But the mouths of rational creatures ought most to be filled with thy praises whom thou hast made to understand the wisdome and majesty of all thy works We our selves O Lord are fearfully and wonderfully made Thou hast adorned mankind with most noble perfections and given us dominion over the works of thy hands And after we had despised this honour which thou didst us chusing to become like the beasts that perish thou wast pleased to do us a greater and to demonstrate an infinite wisdom power and charity in our recovery by Christ Jesus I bless thee O God for that abundant grace and for that part and portion which thou hast given me in it That thou wast pleased to come so lovingly and dwell among us and appear in the likeness of sinful flesh to what can I ascribe it but thine incomprehensible love and readiness to do us good I most heartily thank thee that thou wouldt so mercifully comfort us by thy divine presence among us and incourage us to hope in thee that wouldst not destroy us And that thou hast proclaimed as much by thine eternal Word and bidden us to hope in thy mercy Above all that thou hast assured us by his Death and Passion that thou wilt pardon our sins and by his Resurrection that thou wilt bestow on us eternal life There is no end O Lord of thy loving kindness For thou continuest to give us new assurances and tokens of thy good will towards us and hast now entertained me at thine own Table with his most pretious body and blood It is too little O God of all grace to give thee my self if I had any more to give All that I can do is again and again to give my self to thee And as I have at thine Altar offered my whole soul and body to be employed according to thy holy will and pleasure so I continue here to renew my devotion to thee and to oblige my self by repeated vows to be thy servant I hope I shall never suffer thy love to slip out of my mind nor forget the promises wherein I stand ingaged to thee Yea that thou in thine abundant goodness wilt always accompany me by thy holy spirit which our Lord hath bid me expect from thee to preserve alive his memory in my heart that I may ever be a follower of him in poverty of Spirit in meekness in mercifulness in purity of heart in peaceableness and studying to be quiet 2 Thess 3.5 And the Lord direct my heart to the love of God and the patient waiting for Christ That I may endure all the troubles of this life with a composed constant spirit and never repine at any thing that befalls me That I may chearfully suffer for righteousness sake and taking up my Cross Heb. 12.1 2. run with patience the race that is set before me looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of thy throne of glory Rom. 15.5 6 7. Now the God of patience and consolatiâ—â— grant us all to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus That aâ—â— Christian people may with one mind aâ—â— one mouth glorifie thee our God and receivâ—â— one another as Christ also received us unâ—â— thy glory Unite our hearts in love and charity and give us grace to follow afteâ— those things which make for peace Rom. 14. â—â— and thing wherewith one may edifie another O that the power of all
promise that he hath promised us 1 John 2.25 even eternal life And these things saith the AMEN the faithful and true witness the beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3.14 20 21. If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward I Return unto thee O most great and glorious God all praise and thanks for thine infinite unspeakable Mercies to us the children of men It is but just and reasonable that I should acknowledge thee with the heartiest affection and the greatest chearfulness or Spirit who hast made us and redeemed us and sent thy holy Spirit to sanctifie us and designed us to immortal glory All the host of Heaven is continually praising thee The Thrones the Dominions the Principalities and Powers the Apostles the Prophets the Martyrs and all the blessed rest not day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy Rev. 4.8 Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Thou ever wast and ever wilt be the fulness of wisdom power bounty holiness and truth and therefore it is not only my just duty but my happiness to unite my heart with all that glorious company and to bless thee O Father of Mercies who hast brought me forth out of Nothing and made me such an excellent Creature and sent thy Son to seek and to save me when I was lost and purchased me to thy self by his Bloud and washed me in the laver of regeneration adopted me for thy child instructed me in thy holy Gospel guided me hitherto by thy faithful Ministers admitted me to the Communion of Saints and fed me with the Body and Bloud of my dearest Saviour Blessed be that Goodness which hath sent the Holy Spirit so often to visit me to comfort assist and conduct me through the dangers of this world and which still continues its grace unto me though I have not always given that reverence attention and obedience to its heavenly motions which I ought Every day gives me new occasions to speak good of thy Name And now particularly I am bound to render thee my thanks for the sweet refreshments of that holy Feast of which I have been partaker for the new resolutions thou hast wrought in my heart for the fresh pledges of thy love for the assurances thou hast given me that thou art my Father who wilt ever take care of me * Here pause a little that your heart may be transported and overjoyed in the thoughts that God is your Father for the joys I feel in thy Fatherly love for the comforts of Brotherly kindness for all the pleasures of thy House the fore-tastes of Heaven and the hope of Everlasting life I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth yea Psal 109.30 I will praise him among the multitude 116.1 I will love the Lord because he hath inclined his ear unto me I will call upon him as long as I live 119.164 Seven times a day will I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments I will trust thee and commit my self entirely to thee I will always hope in thy mercy and depend on thy power and faithfulness and satisfie my self in thy kindness care and fatherly Providence and glory in this Jer. 9.24 that I know and understand that thou art the Lord which exercises loving kindness judgment and righteousness in the Earth for in these things are thy delight And therefore I wait on thee from whom cometh my help and my salvation for the constant supply of thy Holy Spirit which I believe thou wilt give to those that ask it to strengthen and enable me to pay thee my vows continually Maintain good Lord such a sensible remembrance in me of thee and of thy love that my heart may always be inclined to thy testimonies â—sa 119.36 and not unto covetousness That I may serve and please thee in all purity heavenly-mindedness simplicity charity humility contentedness of spirit faith hope and joy in the Holy Ghost 56.10 In the Lord will I praise his word 119.114.38 In thy word do I hope Stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear And I heartily desire the Salvation and welfare of all mankind especially that all Christian people may understand their happiness and walk worthy of the Lord 1 Thess 2.12 who hath called them to his Kingdom and Glory And as thou hast given Kings and Princes a Supream Authority over others so their spirits may be raised to a greater height of Christian wisdom that they may think it their truest glory to be like unto thee in doing much good to all their subjects Bless our Sovereign with a happy and prosperous reign that in his days the righteous may flourish and abundance of peace Psal 72.7.12 that the needy may be delivered when he crieth the poor also and him that hath no helper A Father of the fatherless and a judge of the widows is God in his holy habitation Psal 68.5 Thou O God hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor Thou givest food to the hungry and loosest the prisoners and preservest 〈◊〉 strangers and raisest them that are 〈◊〉 down I recommend them and 〈◊〉 â—serable people unto thy 〈…〉 and protection who reg◠〈…〉 all for ever and ever Let 〈…〉 seek thee rejoyce and be glad in the 〈…〉 such as love thy salvation say continua◠〈…〉 God be magnified Blessed be the 〈◊〉 the Lord from this time forth and for 〈◊〉 more Amen and Amen July The Meditation before HOW can I think that I love my Saviour so dearly as I ought And without love who can be welcome guests at his holy Table They are often in my thoughts whom I love with a sensible passion My mind is perpetually looking towards them I delight in their company and conversation and ever labour to recommend my self to their affections by conforming my self to their will and humour How do I study to please them And if they will tell me what will please them O how glad am I of the opportunity to serve them Nay I can cross my self and my own inclinations to follow theirs I love they should be honoured and esteemed by all I am much cast down if I have given them any disgust and not a little troubled that others have offended them or done them any wrong O that I felt but this little sign of a tender love and regard to my sweet Redeemer that my heart were wounded now that I am going to behold his wounds for the just offence I have at any time given him and the great forgetfulness and ingratitude of most of those that are called by his Name He may well be displeased if it be but for the defects
preserved pure and undefiled as the Temples of the Holy Ghost it may be my constant guide strength and comfort and lead me safely through all the difficulties and dangers of this world the enticements of the flesh and the crafts and subtilties of the Devil to a place of peace and safety in the regions above where I may for ever dwell in thy love and sing thy praise O that all the people did praise thee O God that all the people did praise thee That the whole Earth were filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea and all those that know thee did walk worthy of thee as children of the light and of the day having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness Bless thy Church planted in these Islands that we may not receive in vain that grace bringing Salvation 2 Cor. 6.1 Tit. 2.11 12. which hath appeared to us teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world But from the highest to the lowest have grace Heb. 12.28 whereby we may serve thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear Comfort all my Friends forgive all my Enemies relieve those that are in any misery draw all sinners to repentance and help all good men to perfect holiness in thy fear that at last with one consent we may all unite our hearts and tongues in thy everlasting praises Now the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God 2 Cor. 13. ult and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with us all Amen November The Meditation before WIth what wonder and admiration do we entertain those things which are strange and unusual The very news of them carries great numbers to see them and the sight of them fixes their eyes on them as if they could never have enough of them Behold here the wonder of wonders which thou art called to see and seed thine eyes and heart withal God is come to dwell in Flesh This flesh is made a sacrifice for the sins of the world And he invites thee now to a Feast upon that Sacrifice that thou mayest dwell in him and he in thee O marvellous love what eyes ever saw such a sight as the Son of God dying on a Cross The only begotten of the Father bleeding as a malefactor The glorious King of Heaven laying down his life freely for his own subjects Rebels I should have called them and enemies to him Where are all my thoughts Where is my admiration What is become of my love Whither are all my desires gone It will be a new wonder if they do not all assemble themselves together at the commemoration of such love which doth me the grace to make me partaker of that Body and Bloud which was so offered up to God Strange that my thoughts should be so heavy and my affections so cold that my hunger and thirst should be no more excited at the very motion to go to the house of God to make a thankful remembrance of his death We think the Angels lead an happy life in their blessed employment of giving continual Praises to God why do I not go then with a more forward joy into the Courts of the Lord to do this in remembrance of Christ which those Heavenly creatures do not do For he hath not taken hold of the nature of Angels Heb. 2.16 but of the seed of Abraham for whom he hath prepared also this Sacred food of which they never tasted Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son Heb. 1.5 13 this day have I begotten thee or sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy foot-stool Art thou not desirous of honour and greedy of gainful preferment Art thou not prone to seek great things for thy self What greater honour or dignity can there be than to be so nearly related to the Lord of all to be members of him that is Head of all Principalities and Powers Behold the treasures of grace and glory which he offers thee and by these signs of his Body and Bloud would make over to thee Is not Love the very life and Soul of the World Is it not the â—oy and satisfaction of hearts Behold here the worthiest object of it that ever was See how he would fill and possess thy whole Soul with perfect contentment And lest thou shouldest be so unhappy as not to dwell in love see how he would engage thee by these bonds in which thou â—rt going to tye thy self to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart soul and strength and thy neighbour as thy self How doth he comply with thy most natural inclinations How doth he study to gratifie thee in thy most noble desires Call up thy best and purest thoughts Strain thy self to the heighth of admiration Endeavour to forget all other things and only to look at present upon Jesus If any thing can make thee love God it must be his love If any thing can make thee hate sin it must be this Sacrifice for it If any thing can make thee willing and obedient â—it must be his obedience to the death Think then when thou comest into his presence that thou seest him hanging on his Cross Think thou seest him spreading out his arms and resigning himself to the will of God That thou beholdest hiâ— gaping wounds and the Bloud trickâ—ling down his Sacred body That thou hearest him cry unto thee Did I not love thee when I bled to death for thee Did I not love thee when I endured this painâ— and sorrow to redeem thee Could I do more than give my self to deliver thee from death and open the Kingdom of Heaven and Eternal life And then what heart iâ— there that need be taught what it should say and what it should do on this occasion Who can refrain himself from giving blessing and praise and glory in the highest to him Who can want thanks to render him for such invaluable benefits Oâ— find in his heart to deny him his serviceâ— Nay who would not rejoyce to think oâ— serving one that hath merited thus of him and intends to reward his duty with that very glory which the Father hath given him Our Lord cannot but expect to see thy mind fraught with Heavenly thoughts and a most high esteem of him thy hearâ— mighty full of love and vows and resolutions ready to be presented to him thy will bowing and submitting it self wholly to his disposal And to all such he saith by his Ministers Come to my Supper for all things are ready Come and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort Rejoyce with me and be exceeding glad for I love you and will love you to the end The Prayer before O Most holy Lord of Heaven and earth the greatest and most desirable good the only rest and satisfaction of our souls Whom to know is the beginning of life whom
hast done such great things for me bear still mercifully with me exercise more of thy patience and show thy self exceeding great in forbearance and long suffering towards me Thou who hast given thy Son unto me vouchsafe to send thy Holy Spirit to over-shadow my Soul and form Christ Jesus within me That conceiving him in my heart by a lively faith and belief of his Gospel I may be made partaker of a Divine nature and express him in his holiness meekness humility patience charity contentedness and simplicity in perfect innocence in doing good and entire satisfaction in thy fatherly love O that the new life to which I am born by the incorruptible seed of thy Word which liveth and abideth for ever 1 P t. 1.23 and for the nourishment of which thou hast provided this holy Feast of which I have now partaked may encrease unto a perfect age to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that so at last I may be begotten again from the dead and be a child of the resurrection to live for ever with the Lord. And for that end dispose my heart as a new born babe to desire the sincere milk of thy Word that I may grow thereby That since thou hast caused thy Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning I may in such wise hear them read mark learn and inwardly digest them that I may obey from the heart that form of Doctrine Rom. 6.17 whereunto I have been delivered and by patience and comfort of thy Word embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ Vouchsafe good Lord so to direct and govern me that I may never profane this Body which thou hast so sanctified honoured and exalted by intemperance or any impurity nor this Soul which is so dear to thee by pride or envy hatred or malice wrath or revenge covetousness or discontent But I may repose a perfect trust and confidence in thee for what I want seeing thou hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son from us and be thankful for what I enjoy and live in the love of thee my God and of all my Brethren and possess my body in sanctification and in honour that I may humbly wait for thy mercy in Christ Jesus to eternal life Help me this very day to begin to use all bodily good things with holy fear with thanksgiving with pity to the poor and needy with a sense of spiritual delights and hungerings after righteousness and with most earnest longings after that feast of joy and gladness which we hope to keep with thee in the Heavens O that all the world may hear the glad tidings of a Saviour that there may be great joy among all people Let all the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee Let them lift up their hands unto thee in his name and bow their knees unto him and let every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father And O that all they who do confess him may have their conversation as becomes the Gospel and be continually offering up the Sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving and be communicating and doing good Kings of the Earth and all People Psal 148.11 12 13. Princes and all Judges of the Earth Both young men and maidens old men and children Let them praise the Name of the Lord that God in all things may be glorified through Christ Jesus to whom be praise and dominion 1 Pâ—t 4.11 for ever and ever Amen On Newyears-day if there be a Communion may be added this short Meditation LEt us consider my Soul before we go to the Holy Table for what ends we go thither and with what hearts we ought to go Is it not to admire the greatness of Gods love in giving his Son to us and the greatness of Christs love in giving himself for us Is it not to render our highest thanks and praise to the Father and the Son for this inestimable love in giving his bloud a ransom for us and then to offer up our selves wholly to his love Is it not to renew our Baptismal Covenant wherein we promised to forsake all his enemies and to lead a mortified life in all obedience to his will To represent to God what his Son hath done for us and humbly to hope in him for all the benefits of his passion To receive encrease of power to overcome the world and further testimonies of his love and stronger desires after the consummation of it in Heavenly bliss To unite our heart in Brotherly affection to all the faithful servants of Jesus and to rejoyce in the holy Communion of Christ and his Saints O blessed Jesus who can have hearts disposed to do all this without thee I come to thee therefore that thou wilt represent thy self most lively to me If I could have seen thee hanging on the Cross or if thou wouldest appear to me as thou didst to Saul if the Heavens were opened and I could behold thee as did St. Steven what strange passions what holy affections would it raise up in my heart Open thine eyes my Soul heartily and strongly believe and thy joy shall be full He will be in the midst of us when we are assembled together in his Name according as he promised He presents himself before us in these Signs of his Body and Bloud Behold how the Word was made flesh how he was Circumcised and fulfilled the Law under which he was born that he might be a pure and unspotted offering to God See how he was whipt and scourged for thy sake See how he suffered upon the Cross how his Body was broken and his heart-Bloud poured out to reconcile us unto God And then thou canst not but come with a thankful heart and with an humble reverent and devout affection present thy self unto him bitterly bewailing thy offences chearfully resigning thy self to his will and joyfully hoping for his mercy When he saith by his Minister Take eat drink this what is the meaning but as if he should say I am thy Salvation And when thou stretchest out thy hand and dost this what is it but to say My Lord and my God Joh. 20.28 And happy are they who not only call him Lord but do the things that he saith Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.14.12.20 and enter into the City of God Behold he cometh and his reward is with him and he will give to every man according as his work shall be Rev. 21 7. And he that overcometh saith he shall inherit all things I will be his God and he shall be my Son Amen Even so come Lord Jesus And this short Prayer O Lord of heaven and earth who knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising Psal 139.2 3. c. and understandest my thoughts a far
whatsoever thou seest good and wholsome for me in this world referring my self wholly to thy wisdom and looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 in whose prevailing name I am emboldned to make these addresses to thee and still to offer up my desires in his holy words saying Our Father which art c. The Meditation afterward Psal 118.24 22. THis is the day which the Lord hath made I will rejoyce and be glad in it The stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner God hath raised up Jesus whom they slew and hanged on a tree Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour Act. 5.30 31. for to give repentance and remission of sins It is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes God is the Lord that hath shewed us light offer unto him the Sacrifice of righteousness Psal 118.23 27 28 29. Psal 4.5 and say thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God I will exalt thee O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Could I ever cease to rejoyce if I heard for certain that a dead friend the dearest in the world was alive again and not only alive but preferred to the highest dignity and honour O my dulness that I rejoyce no more in God my Saviour For that Jesus whom I have now seen crucified before mine eyes is alive from the dead That Jesus who was such a friend that he died and hung on a gibbet for me is revived again and sits on the throne of glory Without all doubt he lives and reigns for me also and being reconciled by his death Rom. 5.10 I shall much more be saved by his life For God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless us in turning every one of us from his iniquities Act. 3.20 And we wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead 1 Thess 1.10 even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come He is the first begotten from the dead and hath the keyes of the grave Rev. 1.5 He will change this vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself Phil. 3.21 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thess 4.14 Lord what a blessed hope is this seeing we look for these things what manner of persons ought we to be in holy conversation and godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 4. How diligent should we be that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless What can be more disagreeing than a crucified Christ and a carnal Christian What more contrary than a Saviour despising the world and one that professes friendship to him loving it above God himself A libeâ—al Saviour and a covetous disciple A Saviour that indured pain and anguish and â—orrow and a servant that will live in nothing but ease and pleasure A Saviour weeping and bleeding and a man acquainted with grief and a world that nothing but laughs and sports and maketh merry A Saviour that suffered all things and a world that will suffer nothing no not the mortifying of unreasonable lusts and desires A humble and lowly Saviour and a proud vain-glorious self-conceited people that profess him A meek and patient Saviour and a passionate angry and revengeful generation that pretend to be his followers A Saviour that was ever thinking of our good and men that call themselves his lovers who never to any purpose remember hiâ— love A gracious Lord that did us the mosâ— real courtesies and benefits and servantâ— that only complement with him and call him Lord Lord but do not that which he saith A master that never quarrelled with any oâ— Gods Commands no though it were to die and such schollars that count all his Commandments grievous murmur at all his lessons and say that it is impossible to obeâ— them O how unlike is a diffident distrustful Christian to a Saviour that laid dowâ— his very life in hope How il-favoured do these two sound together a conquering Christ and a Christian that is a slave Jesâ— that hath conquered death and a Christiaâ— that cannot conquer himself An head that is in heaven and a member of his that only looks at things on earth God forbid that having professed my self so often to be dead to sin I should live any longer therein I was buried with him by baptism into death Rom. 6.4 5 6. that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so I also should walk in newness of life And now I am again planted in the likeness of his death by partaking of his broken body and his blood that was shed and therefore shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin God be thanked that though I was the servant sin Ib. v. 17 18. yet now being made free from it I am become the servant of righteousness Henceforth I will serve no other master 1 Cor. 5.7 8. For even Christ our passover by whose blood we are redeemed from everlasting destruction is sacrificed for us And therefore I will keep the Feast not with malice and wickedness but with sincerity and truth Building up my self in our most holy Faith praying in the holy Ghost I will keep my self in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life The Thanksgiving and Prayer of afterward O Most mighty Lord the Creator and possessor of Heaven and Earth who art every where and canst not be excluded from any place no not from the closest thoughts of any of our hearts Who art always the same and canst no more change than thou canst cease to be what thou art unmoveably fixed in thy own eternal blessedness Thou needest not go out of thy self for any thing and I am sensible that I cannot possibly make thee greater or more happy than thou art But it is my bounden duty to admire and extol to laud and praise to worship love and honour thee and it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and praise is comely All the Host of Heaven delight to sing perpetual Hymns to the glory of thy infinite Majesty with whom I beseech thee to give me leave to joyn my poor and imperfect praises The whole world was made out of Nothing by thy Power and proclaims thy greatness wisdom and goodness in the multitude variety beauty comeliness and order of all thy works of wonder The Heavens are the work of thy