spirits who neglect this Means appointed to convey spiritual strength and to furnish them with the Spirit of Grace Such must needs have lamentable cause to bewail the weakness of their Graces and the slow progress of their Holiness Well may they contract very deep stains that do not often wash themselves with the blood of the Lamb. Well may they that begin in the Spirit soon after end in the Flesh who do not often here renew their resolutions and receive fresh strength to hold on their race Those were times of vigorous and sound piety when Christians had a strong appetite to this Spiriual Food This Appetite discover'd their health and by often eating they maintain'd it When they could hardly be contented a Day without receiving one of these blessed meals When they never came together to worship but they also broke this holy Bread Then they were patient under the hardest sufferings and then they abounded in every good work Then did the love of Jesus burn hot in their breasts and the light of it shined bright before men Then they had great charity towards all men and much peace one with another It is a sad sign and may be reckon'd a cause that the Spiritual life greatly languishes in our daies When the proper Food of it is little relisht by many and a great many more never desire it Our sad dayes are likely still to languish in devotion to be over-run with impiety and profaneness Still will the base love of the world abound amongst us every one minding his own things and none the things of Christ Christians will be enemies to one another and more barbarous and cruel than wild-beasts They will go on to bite and devour their own kind and to consume and destroy the Christian Church If we do not oftner commemorate the Love of our Lord and solemnly bind our selves to love one another MEDITATION III. Does our gracious Lord make a Feast of himself for us and invite us poor Sinners to sit down at his Table And should we not readily obey his call and go to the Feast he has so kindly prepared Behold our Lord himself is willing to meet us and to bring a Heaven with him to entertain us O leave the trifles of this world ye reasonable Souls and go to partake of his substantial Joyes Suspend the pursuit of transitory goods ye immortal Creatures and seek of Christ his eternal Treasures O how ungrateful Dear Lord to thee are all they that neglect this thy incomparable Provision The Eternal Fathers Love is slighted by them who gave his beloved Son to dye for us The Love of our kind Redeemer is not duly valu'd while we have no esteem or desire for the blessings he has purchas'd The sweet and saving Influences of the Holy Spirit are set at nought while we decline the proper means to enjoy them Is it not a most unspeakable ingratitude in mankind to trample under foot the Blood of the Son of God to despise that precious Blood which was shed for our sakes which was shed for the remission of our sins should we forget that painful Death he underwent to excuse us from suffering an eternal death It was the particular charge that great Love left when he was just a going to be sacrificed for us That we should devoutly celebrate this holy Supper and often do it in remembrance of him Are we not under great Obligation from his Love to do any difficult or dangerous thing for his sake and much more to comply with his dying will when it requires so easie and so pleasant a duty Did our Saviour drink Vinegar and eat Gall for us and shall we refuse at his command to take these pleasant dainties He drank off the bitter Cup which the Father gave him to purchase for us a Cup of blessing O how well would it become the whole world to say We will take the Cup of Salvation and praise the name of the Lord We will remember thy Love more than Wine dear Lord and never forget thy most useful Benefits We will show that we love thee as we ought to do by keeping this and the rest of thy Commands Had we but ingenuous Souls we should be extreamly glad that he who has done so much for us has told us what will please him This Feast is appointed by our Lord to shew forth his Death 'till he come For he will come again in Glory and with Power to Judge both the quick and the dead When he will render to every man according to his works and severely Punish all those that obey not the Gospel What must become of all those in that dreadful day that do constantly neglect an undoubted Precept Men pretend to fear the incurring of damnation by unworthy receiving but do not fear to deserve it by neglecting to receive his Supper But since we disobey and offend our Lord in both of these it should be our labour and care to prepare our selves and draw nigh PETITIONS O Most Gracious and Merciful God who hast in kindness sent thy Son into the world O let the same kindness effectually draw us and we will run after him for none of us can come unto him except the Father that has sent him draw them Alas Lord we know not our true Interest 'till thou do effectually reveal it we certainly refuse our own mercies if thou do not incline us to pursue them O send forth a mighty power of thy Spirit upon the world and convince men of sin because they believe not in Jesus let him convince men of their guilty state by nature and of their further guilt in not obeying the Gospel Bring them in multitudes to Jesus Christ by making them sensible that there is no other name but his by which they can be saved Teach us how necessary to make atonement for our sins the great Sacrifice of himself was which he offer'd upon the Cross and make us all earnestly concern'd to partake of that Sacrifice and therefore forward to use the appointed means of it Convince us that we are poor without the riches of his grace and naked without the robes of his righteousness and in want of all things necessary to Salvation 'till we are possest of an interest in him O make us come to Jesus Christ that we may have life that our forfeited right to eternal Life may be restor'd and that he by his Spirit may quicken us to a spiritual and divine Life who are by nature dead in trespasses and sins Quicken us O thou who wast dead and art alive for thou alone hast the words of eternal Life Make us discern and seek and relish divine and spiritual things capable of the pleasures of devotion and desirous above all things of Communion with thy self Make us in retir'd Devotion and publick Worship often seek to have Communion with the Father and the Son through the Spirit And Lord whenever we draw nigh to thee by coming carefully prepar'd to
keeps alive in some the same Primitive Fire Still there are some Hearts full of the Holy Ghost full of the ravishing Wine of Divine Love Still there are some who renounce the World and readily take up the Cross and follow our Lord Still the Almighty Goodness is true to his Church and keeps it one and Holy and Universal Still the Holy Spirit thanks be to his unwearied goodness maintains in his Church some burning and shining Lights He that as a Wind breaths where he listeth and is the free Dispenser of his own Gifts is often found of those that seek him not and vouchfafes to strive with them that resist him Though the ungrateful World abuses his blessings yet he has not utterly withdrawn himself from the ungrateful World. Yet O ye Sons of Adam consider what your Maker has said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with Man. If this refining Fire does not purge you from your wickedness the slames of his wrath will devour your World and you PETITIONS O Kind and gracious Spirit who art often near to us when we are far from thee often ready to grant when we are unmindfull to ask Vouchsafe now to hear these few humble Petitions which thy Grace disposes me to present I pray O Lord for the good Estate of thy Catholick Church Fit and dispose thy Servants first to entertain thee then graciously vouchsafe to descend into our hearts Fill us O Holy Ghost and our little Vessels and as thou fillest us enlarge our Capacities Make us the more we receive of thee still grow in desire of receiving more till we ascend to those satisfying joyes above where all our Faculties shall be stretch'd to the utmost where they shall all be fill'd to the brim and overflow'd with a Torrent of Pleasure Make us fit to entertain thee and then possess us with the holy fire of Meekness and peace that all the World may know whose Disciples we are by seeing us love one another O deliver us from the contrary fire the fire of the false and evil Spirit that scorches without warming and smoaks without shining and consumes without enlightening Deliver us from Schism and Heresie and every the least uncharitable Passion Vouchsafe to give us the spirit of Fortitude the spirit of Temperance Justice and Prudence the spirit of Wisdom Understanding and Counsels the spirit of Knowledge Piety and the fear of thee the spirit of Patience and Benignity the spirit of Humility Sobriety and Chastity And bring we pray thee the whole World into thy one Flock that all may be so far of the same mind here as all to enjoy the same happiness hereafter Grant these things O Lord to the Merits of our only Mediator Jesus Christ Glory be to c. Amen For the Evening MEDITATION I. WE are not our own but the Temples of the Holy Ghost let us dedicate our selves intirely to his Service Come let us now again prepare our Hearts and humbly offer this our evening Sacrifice Who will give me this happy favour that I may now find my God alone that I may find him in the silence of retirement where the noise of this World can no way interrupt us but that my God may speak to me and I to him as dearest friends converse together That I may unfold before him all my wants and freely ask the Charity of his Counsel What shall I do O gracious Lord to be happy here what shall I do to be happy hereafter Nature already has thus far taught me that in all I undertake I seek mine own good Onely I have cause to fear I may mistake that good and set up a vain Idol instead of thee unless my God the Spirit of Truth vouchsafe to instruct me and shew my Soul its true Felicity Heark my Soul how the eternal Wisdom gives thee Advice and let every word sink deep into thee Seek with thy first endeavours the Kingdom of Heaven and all things else shall be added to thy wish Love with thy whole Affections the enjoyment of thy God and all things else shall conspire to thy Happiness All these my lips confess are excellent Truths but my Life O God is not so ready to confess them I cannot perfectly overcome my Passions nor guide them so as to tend steadily towards thee Often do they draw me into sin by setting me upon the pursuit of this World. While they are mine I cannot govern them behold dear Lord I offer them to thee to be subjected in all their Motions to thy Laws and entirely employ'd in thy Service That my fond heart may be wean'd from the follies of this World and its Appetites quicken'd to thy solid Joyes That I may hunger and thirst perpetually after thee and those glorious Promises thou hast made to thy Servants That my whole Soul may seek thee alone since thou alone O Lord art all my Heaven O glorious God my Life my Joy and the onely fit Center of all my Hopes were my too unsteady Soul once firmly united to thee and could I relish the true sweetness of thy presence how would all other Company seem dull and tedious and the whole World be even bitter to my taste How would my thoughts cleave fast to thee and gladly seal this everlasting Covenant If thou O Lord wilt dwell with me my Heart shall continually attend on thee Night and day will I sing thy Praises and all my life long adore thy Mercies MEDITATION II. WHen O my Soul shall thy God find thee alone free from those busie thoughts that fill thy head O with what ready Charity would he then instruct thee and let thee into his blessed Secrets Himself would become thy familiar guest and dwell with thee in perpetual joy Strive then to clear thy self of all other thoughts that fill thee at best with nothing but emptiness Remember thy God is a pure Spirit and delights to dwell in a clean Tabernacle He will not entertain a Soul that regards any Sin nor stay where he finds his grace neglected If he vouchsafe the blessing of a Visit and O how sweet and ravishing is his presence let us open wide our bosoms to receive him and summon all our powers to entertain him Say Come my Understanding and bring all thou knowest all that enlightens thee in the way to Felicity Come my Will and call in all thy Loves and contract them into one and settle them here for ever Come my Memory but lay aside thy swarm of Notions and forget them all but what concerns thy Eternity Come my whole Soul with these Faculties about thee and prostrate adore the Eternal Spirit Behold he now is nigh and sits in the devout heart as on the Throne he delights in In devout retirement and calm silence he will familiarly speak to us and teach us what shall be for our good Come then and with devoutest reverence attend my Soul to what now thy God will say Let thy Understanding be ready to assent to his
in resolution Call all the Pleasures of the world before Thee and ask if any of those transitory relishes are worthy our enduring for them such exceeding great and endless pains Enquire whether to satisfie some irregular passion can recompense with equal advantage the forfeiture of such Felicities Ask if the vain forbidden things thou lovest deserve thy affection better than thy Maker Are they more worthy in themselves or more beneficial to Thee that thou maiest justly prefer them before thy Redeemer Dost thou expect to be at rest and satisfied by enjoying them or everlastingly happy by their procurement Will they protect thee at the hour of thy death or plead thy cause at the day of Judgment O no they have little in them they do but deceive me with a smiling look which I have too often prov'd by dear experience 'T is Heaven alone that can yield a true content it is that alone that fills with eternal delight Say then my Soul Take away your flatteries false World leave me a mind free for the entertainment of better things If my Saviour turn but his Face towards me my Mind shall be fixt on him I will look continually on his glorious beauties and be ravisht for ever with the charms of his sweetness 'T is Thee chaste Spouse of Souls 't is Thee alone I choose and dedicate my self entirely to thy service Say these things and mean as thou speakest be thou hearty and sincere in choosing thus Did we clearly see what we say we believe it would make the most of men alter the vain course of their Lives Did we but see the Damned in their flames or hear them cry in the midst of their torments How should we be afraid to follow them in their sins which we know have plunged them into all those Miseries How should we strive against the next temptation and cast about to avoid the danger Did we but see on the other side the incomparable Glories of the Saints or hear the sweet harmonious Hymns which they continually sing how should we study to imitate those holy wayes in which we know they arrived at all their Happiness How should we seek all occasions of improvement and make it our business to work out our Salvation What should we account too much to be done for the attainment of those matchless joyes What should we not readily do to avoid those sorrows Yet all this is as sure as if we saw it and would move us as much if we could but seriously consider it PETITIONS DEar Lord it is only thou that canst make me consider these things so carefully as to resolve upon a wise choice If left to my self I am alas very likely to choose the vain goods of this world to neglect my Soul to forfeit thy eternal joyes and to incurre thy eternal punishments O Blessed Jesu do thou choose me and make my ignorant Soul so sensible of my true interest as to choose Thee for my portion and Inheritance for ever Make me choose to love Thee above all thy competitors here and till I come to see thee and then I am sure that from thenceforth I cannot choose but love thee for ever Pity O Lord the present frailty of thy Creature and suffer not my blindness to lead me into ruin Supply I pray thee my want of sight by a lively Faith of the glorious and terrible things that are unseen and do thou so confirm my Faith and inable it by thy Grace that I may be very sensible it is no matter of small importance to gain or lose the Kingdom of Heaven Make me Lord to pursue the good choice when I have made it to use fit Means industriously as well as desire the fit End. Direct and assist me my God I pray to prepare my self for these Felicities Having presented to me such giorious Hopes make me to purifie my felf as thou art pure Make me to labour diligently and continue stedfastly in doing well Make me patient in suffering of whatever Afflictions it shall please thy wisdom to lay upon me Help me Lord in all conditions to be carrying on the work of my Salvation So shalt thou have Glory by my eternal happiness the Glory which thou desirest Glory be to c. Amen For Wednesday Evening MEDITATION I. A Good Conscience is a contiual feast and a peaceful mind the Antipast of Heaven Lord how secure and quiet they live whom thy Grace preserves in Innocence The day goes smoothly over their heads and silent as the shadow of a Dial. The spirits of their Fancy run calm and even they ebb and flow according to the allegiance which they owe to reason All their delight is to think of Heaven and to reckon over the many tastful joyes which they shall one day possess The devout mind free from stormy passions is like a bright day of the Spring wherein the beauty of the Sun has no cloud to obscure it the sweet Air has no storms to ruffle it the glad Birds sing and all Nature puts on a pleasing look Such a mind is full of light and peace and joy and puts the countenance into a sedate and chearful composure Oh the happiness of such a state Oh how desirable is its eternal continuance But our Days on earth are mixt with Nights our calms with storms and fair weather with foul Some unruly passion presses to come in it is importunate and fawns at first to gain admittance It promises not to interrupt the Joy and Happiness but after a little time discovers its pernicious intent if it be not very quickly rejected Soon it grows bold to undermine our repose and open a door to all our enemies Just so at a little breach in the wall of a beleaguered City a whole Army pours in their numerous body and they enslave all that submit to their violence and destroy all those that make head against it Such alas is our confusion and hurt when once we have yeilded to the first Assault of any Passion Immediately a throng of tumultuating spirits croud into our heads and utterly consume the little remainder of our peace O the endless distraction of a life led by humour by blind will O the miserable thraldom of being subject to our passions What a boisterous sea every where beset with Rocks and Quick-sands is to a Mariner that is a Mind subject to violent passions such a mind is in continual danger of making Shipwrack of a good Conscience How often do our passions engage us to contend with others and imbitter all our daies with strife and envy How often do they quarrel even among themselves and raise a fierce war in our own bosoms If they by chance agree in one desire they many times vex us with their being disappointed And the vexation of disappointment is so much the greater by how much they were concern'd If they perhaps sometimes succeed they seldom produce the expected content If they delight our corrupted taste and we greedily
mind was born to know and love What this life ne're can see Malicious world how dost thou lay And cover thy false Baits Here those of pleasure there of gain Each for our ruine waits Unhappy we it is our fault 'T is we our Life abuse The world presents a furnisht Shop And we the tools misuse So have I seen a little Child If Nurse but turn her Eye In stead of haft take hold o' th' blade And cut it self and cry This little Child alas am I Self-will'd Self-wounded too But Lord turn not thy face away Lest I my self undoe O make me still so use this world That I the other gain O make me so the other love That this its end attain It s end to breed up Souls for Heave'n Then be it self new drest No more corruption no more change But one perpetual rest To Father Son and Holy Ghost The undivided Three One equal Glory one same Praise Now and for ever be Amen Devotions FOR THE Holy-dayes The First Part. FOR THE FEASTS OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR For the Morning MEDITATION I. BRing to our Lord all you his Servants bring to our Lord the Sacrifice of Praise Bring to our Lord all you Nations of the Earth bring Hymns of Glory to his great Name at the Name of Jesus let every knee bow of things in Heaven and things on Earth and let his whole Church Militant and Triumphant gladly adore our God that Redeem'd us Come now and hear you that fear our Lord and I will tell you what he has done for my Soul Hear and I will tell you what he has done for yours and the wonders of his bounty towards all the World. When we lay asleep in the shades of nothing his mighty hand awak'd us into Being Not that of Stones or Plants or Beasts o're which he has made us absolute Lords but an accomplisht Body he has given us and an immortal Spirit and has made us little inferiour to his glorious Angels He printed on our Souls his own similitude and promised to our Obedience that we should partake of his own felicity He endu'd us with Appetites to live well and happily and furnisht us with means to satisfie those Appetites Creating a World furnish'd with excellent Creatures to serve us while we abode on Earth and providing a Heaven of Bliss to glorifie us when we remov'd hence Thus didst thou favour us O Infinite Goodness But we what return did we make thee Blush O my Soul for shame at so strange a weakness and weep for grief at so extream an Ingratitude We childishly preferr'd a trivial Apple before the Law of our God and the safety of our own Lives We fondly embrac'd a little needless Satisfaction before the Pleasures of Paradise and the eternal Joyes of Heaven Behold the unhappy source of all our Miseries which still encreas'd its streams as they went farther on 'Till they exacted at last a deluge of Justice to drown their deluge of Iniquity And here alas had been an end of Man a sad and fatal end of the whole World had not our wise Creator foreseen the danger and in time prevented the extremity of the ruine reserving for himself a few choice Plants to replenish the Earth with more hopeful Fruit Yet they quickly grew wild and brought forth sour Grapes and their Childrens teeth were set on edge Quickly they aspir'd to an intollerable Pride of fortifying their wickedness against the power of Heaven Justice was now provok'd to a second deluge and to bring again a Cloud over the Earth but Mercy discover'd a bow in the Cloud and our faithful God remembred his Promise allaying their Punishment with a milder Sentence and only scattering them from the place of their Conspiracy which yet his Providence turn'd into a Blessing by making it an occasion of Peopling the World. Still their rebellious Nature disobey'd again and neither fear'd his Judgments nor valued his Mercies but with a graceless emulation they propagated sin as far as his Goodness propagated Mankind Then he selected a private Family and increas'd and govern'd them with a particular tenderness giving them a Law by the hands of Angels and engaging their Obedience by a thousand favours But they neglected too their God and Heaven and fell in love with the wayes of Death When thou hadst thus O dearest Lord used many Remedies and our Disease was beyond their power to cure when the light of Nature proved too weak a guide and the general Flood too mild a correction when the Miracles of Moses could not soften their Hearts nor the Law of Angels bring any to perfection when all was reduc'd to this desperate State and no imaginable hope was left to recover us Behold the Eternal Wisdom finds a strange Expedient the last and highest Instance of Almighty Love Himself he resolves to cloath with our Flesh and come down among us and dye to Redeem us Wonder O my Soul at the Mercies of our Lord how infinitely do they transcend even the utmost that we could have wished Wonder at the admirable Providence of his Councels that they are so exactly fitted to their great design Had our Saviour been less than God we could never have believed the sublime Mysteries of his Heavenly Doctrine Had he been other than Man we must needs have wanted the powerful motive of his holy Example Had he been only God he could never have suffer'd the least of those Afflictions which he so gloriously overcame Had he been meerly Man he could never have overcome those Infinite Afflictions which he so patiently endur'd In thee O blessed Saviour the two Natures of God and Man were so mysteriously united without either change or confusion that they made in thee but one Person one Mediator and Lord. Hymn 29. JEsu who from thy Fathers Throne To this low vale of Tears cam'st down In our poor nature humbly drest Oh may the charms of that sweet love Draw up our Souls to thee above And six them there on thee to rest Jesu who wert with Joy Conceiv'd With Joy wert born while no pain griev'd Thy Blessed Mothers Virgin-womb O may we breed and bring thee forth In our glad hearts for all is Mirth Where thou kind Lord art pleas'd to come Jesu whose high and humble Birth In Heaven the Angels and on Earth The faithful Shepherds gladly sing O may our Hymns which here run low Shoot up aloft and fruitful grow In that more warm Eternal Spring Jesu how soon didst thou begin To bleed and suffer for our sin Cut by the Circumcising Knife O may thy grace by making good Our Souls just cause ' gainst flesh and blood Cut off for us that dange'rous strife Jesu who took'st that heave'nly Name Thy blessed Purpose to proclaim Of saving self-destroy'd Mankind O may we bowe our Heart and knee Bright King of Names to Glorious thee And thy hid sweetness ever find Jesu who thus began'st our Bliss Thus carry'edst on our happiness To thee
Life confirming and encreasing that happy union with himself which is begun even while we live below on earth and shall be perfected when we come to Heaven PETITIONS O God the Father of mercies Father of our blessed Saviour Jesus the Christ We believe that having given us thy dear Son thou wilt with him also freely give us all things that whatever we ask of thee O Father in thy Sons name believing we shall receive it I humbly beceech thee therefore O Lord to have mercy upon me a poor miserable sinner And as thou hast sent thy Son into the World send him also to take possession of my Heart Let this great light of the world enlighten my dark mind with a saving knowledge of thee and of himself Direct me to discern my true happiness from the false flattering goods of this world that I may not spend my time here in worldly cares and pursuits but in seeking thee my End by him the only true Way to thee Let him teach and convince me of the great excellency of thy Laws and make me consider my wayes and turn my feet unto thy Testimonies Let the glad tidings of the Gospel O Lord by joyful tidings to me by thy giving me an assured interest in them Give me the pardon of all my sins by the Death of Christ and a right to Life and Happiness by his meritorious Life In me I pray that the mighty Redeemer may effectually destroy all the works of the Devil deface the ugly image of the Apostate spirit and restore the glorious likeness of thee my God. Make me Lord diligently and reverently to use thy appointed Means of Grace and let thy blessing alwaies make them means of grace to me And while I thankfully use them and am duly fruitful under them let me enjoy the means of Grace till thou hast brought me to glory Grant this O Father for the sake of thy beloved Son our compassionate Saviour Glory be to the Father c. Amen For Thursday Evening MEDITATION I. THe kind Master of this blessed Feast sends his Embassadors to make a general invitation He that is the divine Food puts the kindest words into their mouths that their invitation may not fail of good success He has said Come to me all ye that labour for Holiness and are oppress'd under the weight of your sins Come and I will give you the end of your Labour and will ease you of that intolerable burden Come you that hunger after Angels spiritual Food and thirst to drink at the fountain of bliss Come to me I will refresh you with the Wine of gladness and the bread of life Come you that are weak and you shall be strong come you that are strong lest you become weak Come you that have leisure and here entertain your time to your great advantage And you also that are busie and here sanctifie and devote your Employment Our glorious God did not only make a visit but is willing to dwell perpetually with us men upon earth He whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain will make his residence in our little Tabernacles He whom the Seraphims prostrate adore and fly with all their wings to perform his commands He who came down to die for us sinners and ascended again above the highest Heavens Himself is there with all his precious blessings to the Soul that does desire and believe To such a Soul this blessed Sacrament applies all the vertues and merits of our Saviours Death and Passion When he receives the consecrated Bread and Wine from the hands of Christs Minister in his stead he is made a partaker in the Satisfaction of his death and the Pardon of all his sins is seal'd and confirm'd By eating the Bread and drinking the Wine the good Soul is more firmly united to the Redeemer And as a member of his mystical body shall be quickned and guided by his good Spirit The indwelling Spirit shall teach him his duty and inable him to run in the way everlasting He shall communicate power to conquer difficulties and temptations and to persevere with patience till he reach the Crown By this is such a soul united also to that Jesus who rose again from the death he submitted to And as it is assuredly risen to a new life of Grace it shall hereafter rise to an eternal life of Glory It may look on these signs as certain pledges that it shall be advanced to the happy mansions above Thus as our Lord himself when on Earth contain'd under his outward poverty all the glorious fulness of the Godhead so these signs that represent him to us are but poor in themselves in comparison to the rich blessings they bring along with them Whatever faintness we feel if we hunger after Christ and come hither to receive him he can refresh us Whatever fears dwell in our guilty minds and trouble us this Wine of true Consolation will chase them away O How great is thy Love Dear Lord that invites us miserable sinners to partake of thee That invites our emptiness to be united to thy fulness and our weakness to be cured by thy al sufficient power O how should the sons of men flock in when he sends out his invitations to this Feast when he calls us to a Feast of peace and love A feast of joy and incomparable sweetness What should the Captive wish but Liberty and the weary Pilgrim but rest What should the Sick desire but health and the depending Creature but to be near its God All are welcome to this Feast that have but Desire to partake and Faith to receive MEDITATION II. LOrd who are we unworthy wretches that thou thus regardest our sinful dust what is all the world compar'd to Thee that thus thou seemest for our sakes to disregard thy self It is for our sakes and to make us rich in Grace that thou so graciously condescendest to come among us More unworthy yet do we make our selves if we neglect to come where thou wilt be present O how insensible of their own true interest are those that neglect to approach this Sacred Feast Is it a small matter with you O careless wretches to ly under a great load of guilt that you come not to receive the pardon of your sins Is the Great God willing to be reconcil'd to sinners and to give them sure pledges of his reconcilement And should not all Mankind then earnestly seek his favour and gladly receive the pledges of his love None of us can be assur'd that he will not turn us into Hell till we are assur'd of our title to Heaven Where are all they that have been baptized and pretend that they account themselves Christians Why do they not come and own the Covenant then made by renewing it again at this Supper They that neglect this do in effect renounce that Covenant and despise the incomparable blessings it promises Well may they be impotent towards all good and enslaved to the tyranny of evil