delight to do thy Will O my God. O Ineffable and amazing Love to Mankind who deserved nothing but an Eternal Curse AS it was in the Blood of Lambs that GOD made a Covenant with the People of Israel so the Eucharist representing to us in the fifth Place that the Blood of CHRIST is the Ground and Foundation of the New Covenant which GOD has made with Christians we cannot look upon the Sacrament as the Pledge and Seal of this Covenant without being filled with an Excess of Joy and Consolation For indeed what greater Glory can be imagined than for Man to be admitted to a Treaty with GOD And what an inconceivable Advantage is this that GOD should vouchsafe to enter into Covenant with us There are none but are sensible of the Happiness of the Israelites in this regard To be convinc'd of which we need only hear them even at this day speaking with the greatest Comfort of the Honour GOD therein has done them notwithstanding their total dispersion and groaning under the Burthen of that Curse which pursues and overtakes them every where Now that ancient Covenant GOD has abolished as being imperfect but this which we commemorate is to endure for ever The Design of the former was only to give the Jews a lively Sense of Sin or at the best to administer a Typical Expiation whereas the latter viz. the New according to the Prophet Jeremy makes a true Atonement for Sin and affords a Remission rightly and properly so call'd That had no promises but what concern'd a Happiness here on Earth whereas This does promise a Resurrection and Eternal Glory THE greatest Honour the Old Covenant did confer upon the Jews was this That the MESSIAS should be born of their Blood but the Advantage of the New is That the MESSIAS partaking of Flesh and Blood with the rest of Mankind has given his own Blood to raise them to the Glory of Adoption who shall believe in Him. O how happy is the People whose God is the Lord And what does this Expression to be the God of any one import but this viz. To be his Great and Soveraign Benefactor Of old He was the GOD of Abraham but not of Loth and his Posterity Of Isaac but not of Ismael and his Off-spring Of Jacob but not of Esau and the Edomites Now He is the GOD of all the Earth But he has not made this Covenant with all the Nations of the World save only by virtue and on the Sole Account of the Blood of CHRIST And can we with any attention reflect on this Truth represented to us in the Holy Eucharist without feeling a Joy unspreakable and full of Glory GOD had promised to enter into such a Covenant as this and Jeremy describes it in the 31. Chap. of his Prophecies Yet the Old lasted till John the Baptist and so long the Ceremonies of it were in use But then comes CHRIST and instead of continuing the Celebration of the Old Covenant which was made in the Blood of the Paschal Lamb He abrogates it and in its room substitutes the New Covenant made in his own Blood. Do this says He in remembrance of me Not That which was done before but This For this Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for the Remission of your Sins TO conclude 't is to be considered and this is the last Vein of Comfort hid in the Eucharist that this Holy Sacrament inviting us to take a View of CHRIST'S second Coming as well as of his Dispensation in the Flesh 't is impossible but it must fill our Souls with surpassing Joy and Comfort The full Salvation of Believers does as yet only consist in Hope GOD indeed pardons their Sins but they are still subject to all the Miseries Sin has brought into the World. They hope for Eternal Life and yet dye like other Men. Their Bodies are laid in the Grave and become the food of Worms So that their Expectation seems to be quite frustrated And as the Jews and Gentiles find Matter of Scandal and Derision in the Death of the Son of GOD so according to all outward appearance they have the same reason to insult over the Faith and Hope of his Followers when they compare these with their present Condition which to the Eye differs not from that of other Men. But all these dark Clouds shall at last be scatter'd these Shadows vanish and the Glory of our Lord and his Faithful be revealed He shall appear from Heaven in the Glory of his Father and every Eye shall see Him even they who have pierced Him. And as He will thus display his Majesty in the Sight of all the World so will He at the same time unvail the Life and Glory of his Children who at present are ready to sink under the burthen of Sin the Violence of CHRIST's Adversaries the deceits of the World and the Devil and the Power of Death which is the last Enemy of CHRIST and his Church He that eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has Eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day Whosoever eats of this Bread shall live for ever These are our Saviour's Promises wherein as He terms the Embracing of Him by Faith an Eating of his Flesh in opposition to the Type of Manna So this Eating may be as truly ascribed to them who by Faith consider Him as the Sacrifice that has taken away the Punishment due to Sin. O what comforts do arise to the Faithful from the Expectation of this his Return What exulting Joys will they be filled with at his Coming What Delights flow in upon them as they mediate hereon What ravishing Pleasures does it afford us amidst the greatest Evils of this Life What quiet in the sharpest Trials And what Confidence even at the time when Death stares us in the Face CHAP. VI. Of the Duties prescribed to us in the Holy Eucharist I SUPPOSE I have very clearly made out that it is impossible attentively to consider the Truths which the Lord's Supper discovers to us without reaping the unspreakable Comforts which so naturally spring from it And it may with as much Ease be demonstrated that these Truths indispensably engage us to the most Essential Duties of our Religion and that GOD having comprehended what is most capable to administer the sweetest Consolations to our Souls in this Mystery it cannot but at the same time be very influential towards Sanctification and a Godly Life To the making out of which I design the Conclusion of this Treatise where I intend to represent these Duties as the necessary and natural Consequents of what I have before laid down It behooves every Communicant seriously to consider of these Engagements And the rather because this is a sure way for them to know whether they have worthily receiv'd the Sacrament or to amend the faults by them committed in any preceding Communion for want of discharging these Religious performances as they ought FIRST then
of those that were concern'd therein A Fifth Reflection upon the Paschal Lamb is this that it was to be consider'd as a Publick Pledge and Token of the Covenant GOD had made with the People of Israel by preferring them before the Ismaelites and Edomites who were descended the former from Abraham and the latter from Isaac The Sign of Circumcision did sufficiently acquaint the Jews that by this distinguishing Character GOD had chosen them from among all other Nations of the Earth to accomplish in the midst of them the Promise He had made to Abraham namely that of his Seed the Messias was to be born in whom all Nations should be blessed But this sign of Circumcision being common to the Jews with the Ismaelites and Edomites the pretences of both these to the Priviledges of the Covenant which GOD had first made with Abraham and afterwards renew'd with Isaac was still kept up It was therefore requisite there should be a Religious Ceremony that might demonstrate that this Covenant was particularly confin'd within the Family of Jacob Which was done by the Paschal Lamb. For this represented to them that according to what was foretold Gen. 15. Affliction and that in this State they had receiv'd a particular Relief and Deliverance from GOD which forasmuch as it could not be said of the Ismaelites or Edomites did most strongly refute all their Pretensions to a Right in God's Covenant with Abraham This likewise most clearly set forth to them that God by virtue of his Covenant had out of his Mercy preserved them at a time when the Egyptians felt the Effects of his Curse and Vengeance and that accordingly He would not fail of fulfilling that Great Promise in order to the accomplishment of which He had so miraculously preserved Isaac and after him their Fathers also from the Sword of the Destroying Angel. LASTLY It is to be observed that as this Ceremony reminded them of GOD'S Love for their Nation of his Faithfulness in making good his Promises of the Expiation of their Iniquities and of his Covenant with them A Covenant by which He had engaged to be their God that is their Benefactor and Protector and one day to give them the Messias who was to be born of their Nation so it naturally led them also to look upon themselves as the People of GOD and to obey Him faithfully In a word to answer by a Holy Life and all the marks of true Gratitude the Honour GOD had conferr'd upon them by his making out of his meer Good Will a Covenant with them and calling them to so great Hopes as those were which He had set before them CHAP. IV. Of the Truths which the Holy Communion represents to us THESE are the Principal Truths great Comforts and just Obligations to serve GOD religiously which so manifestly were imply'd in the Celebration of the Paschal Lamb. But how much more important is the thing our Saviour has made to supply the place of it in his Institution of the Eucharist That which he exhibits to us in this Sacred Mystery whether with respect to the Truths Comforts or our Obligations to Piety it contains is infinitely more Sublime great and real To be assured of this we need only to resume and attentively consider the forementioned three Points I begin with the Truths the Eucharist represents to us THE first of these Truths respects the Purpose and Design of our Lord when He instituted the Sacrament of his Supper Certainly it was as all Christians agree to establish a publick Monument of his Death as being the greatest Event that could ever be commemorated First He brake the Bread and then to express what He meant by this breaking of the Bread He said that it was his Body broken i. e. torn by the cruelty of his Tormenters He presented afterwards the Cup to his Disciples and to unfold the Mystery thereof added that it was the New Testament in his Blood which had a natural reference to his Death This He explains more clearly in his command Do this in remembrance of me that is in commemoration of my Sufferings Which made St. Paul say As often as you shall Eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup you shew or according to our way of speaking you must shew or declare the Lord's Death i. e. you are to call to mind and solemnly commemorate this wonderful effect of the Love of God. Indeed we see the Evangelists have so exactly described the Death of Christ with all the Circumstances thereof to us that we may aver they have as it were presented us with the very Picture and Lively Image of it So that had we been Eye-witnesses of the same our selves and in company with them upon Mount Calvary we should hardly have been so well acquainted therewith as now we are But besides this it was our Saviour's will that by a Religious Ceremony which should be solemnized to the World's End his Death might continually be placed before our Eyes And notwithstanding this ignomious Death was to prove a Stumbling-block to the Jews and at first be look'd upon as meer Foolishness by the Gentiles yet would He have the Remembrance thereof to be dearly preserv'd in his Church by his instituting of the Eucharist much after the same manner as God the Father had instituted the Ceremony of the Paschal Lamb which did yearly refresh the Memory of the Jews about their Deliverance out of Egypt as the most remarkable Event that had ever happened to their Nation THE second Truth which the Eucharist offers to us is That JESVS CHRIST is the true MESSIAS promised by God and that we have in Him the Accomplishment of the ancient Prophecies which among the diverse Characters that the MESSIAS was to be known by and are exactly found in Our Lord expresly foretold that He was to suffer Death Psal 22. Is 53. Dan. 9.26 And here it is well worth our while to consider First That GOD had stampt the mark of his Curse upon the Punishment of the Cross Cursed is every one that hangs on a Tree Deut. 21.23 Gal. 3.13 Secondly That though GOD had described the MESSIAS as One who was to be the Fountain of Blessings to all Nations Tribes and Families of the Earth yet at the same time He had given forth many Oracles concerning his Death upon the Cross and the several Circumstances of it Thirdly That GOD was pleased to dictate a greater Number of Oracles relating to this matter than to any other of those Glorious and wonderful Events whereby the MESSIAS was to be distinguish'd during his Life here The Prophecies mentioning his Birth and the place of his Nativity are but few whereas GOD presignifi'd by the Prophets and represented by manifold Lively Types and Figures 1. That both Jews and Gentiles were to joyn together in the Destroying of the MESSIAS Psal 2.1 2. That his own Disciple and one that ate Bread with him should betray him Psal 41.9 3. That He should
participating of the Sacrifice offer'd up by our Lord. INDEED if this Sacrament had been instituted by CHRIST after his Resurrection which wholly effaced the Pourtraiture of his Shame and Sufferings it would have been much more difficult to have thence inculcated to us this important Truth of the Christian Religion But Our Lord did expresly choose the time immediately before his Death that so the Ceremony which was to preserve the Memory of it might so fill us with the sense of the Shame and Punishment he endured that it might lead us to make a continual Reflection upon these Truths viz. That when JESUS CHRIST dy'd He dy'd for Sinners That when He was nail'd to the Cross He bore their Sins in his Body on the Tree That when He was wounded it was for our Transgressions and that by his Stripes we are healed THE fifth Truth which our Saviour was willing continually to set before our Eyes by the Celebration of the Eucharist is That this Bloody Death of his was the Blessed Means by which GOD entred into Covenant with Mankind Moses had said of the Blood he sprinkled upon the People Behold the Blood of the Covenant which the Lord has made with you concerning all these words Exod. 24.8 And Our Saviour plainly opposing his Blood to that says concerning the Cup This Cup is the New Covenant or Testament in my Blood which is shed for the remission of your Sins This Covenant is the greatest and most important Truth of our Religion By it GOD delivers Men from Hell and restores them to his Favour and Protection It is this also displays before us the whole Mystery of our Redemption as 1. That Man being created Innocent fell into Rebellion against GOD by list'ning to the insinuations of the Devil 2. That though Man deserved to be not only reduc'd to nothing from whence the Hand of GOD had raised him at the first but to be cast into Hell there to undergo the punishment due to his Disobedience yet GOD being mov'd with pity resolv'd to forgive all and make a New Covenant with him 3. That it was the Will of GOD that his Own Son taking in due time Human Nature upon Him should be the Person in whose Blood this Covenant was to be Established 4. That JESUS CHRIST having really shed his Blood this Covenant was fully ratify'd and confirmed and Remission of Sins offer'd to all that would repent For that is the thing which is meant by the New Covenant according as GOD expresses it in Jeremy 31.34 saying I will forgive their Iniquity and remember their Sin no more THE sixth considerable Truth is That our Saviour would have us always to bear in mind his Last Coming to judge the World and consummate the Work of Our Redemption Accordingly this Sacrament contains solemn Marks and Instances of the fulfilling of the Promises God had made to send the Messias into the World. It sets forth in what manner He began to act and suffer for Mankind But He being to continue but a little while here upon Earth and to be taken up to Heaven there to remain to the End of the World this Ceremony acquaints us that He is then to come again from thence in order to fulfil our Hopes by causing us to reap the last Fruits of his Expiation of Our Sins that is in destroying Death by a glorious Resurrection and making us to live for ever with GOD a Life that neither Sin nor Death which Sin has brought into the World can ever disturb And it may be said that as the first Coming of the Messias was the great Object of the Religion Desires and Hopes of the Jews Art thou say they He that should come or do we look for another Mat. 11.3 as likewise of the Promises of Blessings which GOD had made to the Gentiles themselves He being called the Expectation and desire of all Nations Hag. 2.7 so is his second Coming the great Object of the Christian Religion This same JESVS said the Angels to his Disciples gazing up to Heaven who is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into Heaven Act. 1.11 On this account also the Church is represented to us Rev. 22.17 calling for her Bridegroom And the Spirit and the Bride say Come And let him that hears say Come And indeed as the Prophets describe these two Comings of the Messias under the notion of one single Object so we see that according to the mind of St. Paul who assigns for the continuance of this Holy Ordinance the whole Interval of time to the end of the World and Christ's Return Our Saviour has in this Sacrament united this his two Comings as being the greatest Objects of our Religion CHAP. V. Of the Comforts the Holy Eucharist administers to us THUS having explain'd the important Truths which the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper engages us to meditate upon it is very Evident that Our Participation of this Sacrament furnishes us with most lively and refreshing Comforts which I now come to propose in order with reference to the foregoing Truths FIRST then What joy must we needs feel when we reflect upon this great Event viz. the Death of Our Saviour Let us but compare our Happiness with the Condition of the Patriarchs and we shall easily perceive how high a pitch our Joy ought to be raised to St. Peter tells us that the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently what or what manner of time the Spirit of CHRIST which was in them did signifie when it testifi'd before-hand the Sufferings of CHRIST and the Glory that should follow 1 Pet 1.10 11. The Promises of GOD did fill their Hearts with gladness even before they came to pass yea tho' it was revealed to them that it was not to themselves but to us that they ministred those things which have been declar'd to us by the Preachers of the Gospel 1 Pet. 1.12 They rejoyced to see the Faithfulness of GOD in the future accomplishment of his Promises And to this purpose St. Paul informs us that the Patriarchs and Holy Men of old dy'd in the Faith not having receiv'd the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them Heb. 11.13 Yet all this at a distance Thus Balaam Numb 24.17 I see Him but not now I behold Him but not nigh But 't is our happiness that we are come to that Blessed State which Our Saviour appropriates to his Disciples We see those things which so many Kings and Righteous Persons desired to see and did not see them John the Baptist who Baptized Him bore Witness of Him and foretold his Death yet never saw it This was an Advantage reserved for us His Death is now in most lively Colours presented to our View It is Matter of Fact certain and indubitably attested He is come down from Heaven He has taken our Flesh upon Him discharged the Functions of his Ministery
us believe GOD'S Decisions concerning these rather than the Suggestions of Sensuality MAXIM XXIII That we ought to resist our Passions THIS Life is a Scene of Combate where though we are not always fighting with our Enemies or wild Beasts yet must ever be contending against our Passions that endeavour to usurp the Dominion of our Hearts IF we suffer any one of these to be the Mistress of our Soul then Farewell Reason and Tranquillity Then will both our Soul and Body be expos'd to inevitable Dangers An Eternal Death to both must be the portion of such as shall be subjected to this Tyranny BUT while we courageously oppose their assaults we secure our quiet and are in the sure way to Glory whereof we have foretasts even in this Life at least a certain Hope shall crown the Conflict MAXIM XXIV That we ought to bridle that Pride which is apt to reign in us THERE is nothing more difficult than the freeing our selves from Pride Men are naturally in love with their own Worth and proud of what they possess They love to be esteem'd of others delight to make a shew of their Perfections In a word their ambition is to be thought and consider'd as wise skilful and honest Men. BUT nothing is more necessary than to oppose a Passion which is the Mother of Boasting Vain-Glory Obstinacy Presumption and Hypocrisy What safety can these hope for when GOD has declar'd he resists the Proud and gives Grace to the humble LET us consider the Cause of this Passion The Devil who is King of the Children of Pride has infused it into us Its Effects here below fill Human Societies with Troubles and Debate and its Eternal Effects hereafter are the uniting us to him and separating us from our LORD who is Humility it self MAXIM XXV That we ought to suppress all desires of becoming great EVERY Condition has its Comforts and Distasts The reason why we desire to rise in the World is because we have no mind to know this Truth viz. That no State is happy but that of the Virtuous be their Condition what it will. LET us not think so much of rising and becoming great as of collecting Comfort from a troublesome Life and extracting Pleasure from Calamity Let us free our selves from disquiets the Place we may aim at is no better than that we are in GOD has appointed every one of us his Place and Bounds These he has determin'd for us by our Birth Wealth and Capacity Let us not presume to quit or go beyond them since we cannot do it without violating the Decrees of his Providence and exposing our selves to manifold Temptations MAXIM XXVI That Humility ought to be the Badge of our Profession THERE is no true Christianity without Humility It was this CHRIST taught us by his Life and Doctrine How dare we assume the Name of Christians while we neglect to practise his Precepts WE ought therefore ingenuously to acknowledge our weakness and instead of making a shew of our Parts or other Advantages and seeking the praise of Men embrace all occasions which may abate and mortify our Pride TO do this we need no more than reflect on what we are We come from nothing and are Sinners into the bargain The Advantages we possess are the fruit of the Divine Bounty and we must one day give an account for them MAXIM XXVII That we ought to beware of Covetousness HOW properly is Covetousness call'd by St. Paul the Root of all Evil Love of Riches makes us deal unjustly with our Neighbour It stifles all sense of natural Affection and changes an Apostle of CHRIST into a Minister of the Devil A SOUL that is eagerly inclin'd to the love of Riches exposes it self to a certain danger for an uncertain gain it fears not Eternal Destruction so it may but satisfy its greediness Behold here the Quintessence of Blindness and Folly. LET us dread to be possess'd of so vile a Passion which will not stick to prompt us to betray our LORD himself Judas did not betray Him for fear of Persecution but through love of Mony and the same will make CHRIST to destroy us without remedy for having so sottishly sought for Happiness in heaping up a little shining Dust MAXIM XXVIII That we ought to restrain the motions of Anger ANGER disfigures a Man by dethroning his Reason It is the rise of Quarrels Cursings and Blasphemies It begets Hatred and Revenge without considering Reason Justice or the Divine Laws HOW dangerous is it to give up our selves to this Passion and follow the motions of it VVhat an horrible thing to be transported upon every slight occasion or charge GOD with our disasters and murmur against him or brandish our fury against our Neighbour LET us betimes resist the Motions of Anger Let us learn to look upon our Miseries as Chastisements and upon Injuries as Trials GOD lays upon us If our Heart at any time rises in spight of us let us presently recall our selves and not suffer the Sun according to the Law of CHRIST to go down upon our Wrath. MAXIM XXIX That we must root Envy out of our Hearts WHAT greater Madness than to be griev'd at our Neighbour's Welfare as if his Happiness must needs make us Miserable VVhat Injustice to rejoyce at his Misfortunes and insult over him or take delight in his being cast down This Passion cannot possess a Heart that is not given up to the Devil IF we will not abhor Envy because it consumes the Envious and tears him inwardly or for its delighting in and feeding it self with Filth and Ordure Let us at least hate it as being the Source of that detestable Crime the Jews commited in delivering up Our LORD to Death O LET us strangle this Monster and acquiesce in GOD'S VVay of dispensing his Favours Let us freely impart the Prosperity he has given us or beg of Him to supply our want of power by granting our desires for the good of our Neighbour MAXIM XXX That we ought to bear Injuries with Patience SOCRATES being struck would not revenge himself This Example of Patience several Heathens have imitated Yea they have made it their Endeavour to conquer the malice of their Enemies with kindness ALAS How many Christians may justly fear that the Benignity of a Heathen will aggravate their Condemnation VVe are Christians and as such should own this for a Maxim That he who does the injury is the Wretch not he who suffers by it VVe are the Disciples of GOD who forbids us all Self-revenge and yet we are ready every minute to thunder out our resentments against others LET us in a word wisely consider that we are Criminals who sue for Pardon that we are at the foot of the Throne and under the Eyes of a GOD who has proclaimed to us that Vengeance is his Let us not set light by his Presence his Voice and Dreadful Judgments MAXIM XXXI That we must abhor all Impurity VVE cannot justly pretend to
here upon Earth Sanctify'd Himself for our sakes suffer'd Death and ordained a Memorial of it as of a thing past and done They of old had no distinct knowledge of the Death of the MESSIAS nor of the kind and manner of it All which is clearly manifested to us at this Day And though the Jew meets with Matter of Scandal and the Gentile and occasion of Reproach yet the Christian finds subject of the most exalted Joy and Comfort in the Celebration of these Holy Mysteries THE Second Comfort the Eucharist administers to the Faithful is exceeding sweet and ravishing We can no sooner in our Meditations reflect upon the fulfilling of the ancient Types of the Paschal Lamb and the Oracles of old concerning the Coming of the MESSIAS but we find the support of our Faith and a solid ground for our Hope to rest on Who can conceive the least doubt of GOD'S performing those Promises the Execution of which seems as yet very difficult and at a great distance since He has already fulfilled that of sending the MESSIAS who had been so long looked for during the Course of so many Ages He sills us with good hopes for things to come says an ancient Father For He who has given Himself to us here will much rather do so hereafter Chrys H. 6. ad Pop. And indeed who sees not that this Dispensation of his being manifested in our Flesh and his Death in particular must fill us with strong and lively Hopes when we address our Prayers to Him Christian 'T is true thou must appear before GOD but GOD has left all Judgment to the Son and He by partaking of Flesh and Blood is become thy Brother He shed his Blood and laid down his Life to redeem thee He dy'd to deliver thee from that Misery and Curse to which thou hadst doom'd thy self to all Eternity Wouldst thou be as fully convinc'd of his tender Love and Compassion as thou art of his Power Consider He feeds thee with his own Blood and is set forth in the Holy Supper as the Lamb of God. is it possible that this Consideration should not remind us of that Excess of Love which prompted Him to die for us We see here not a Sheep but the Shepheard giving his Life for the Salvation of his Sheep Where will you meet with a Shepheard that feeds his Sheep with his own Blood Yet JESUS CHRIST the Great Shepheard feeds us with his What may not we expect from so punctual a Faithfulness supported by a Goodness and Compassion that is beyond all Example THE third Comfort which we may reap hence is this That being deliver'd from the Curse we lay under every one of us may now say to his Soul Return unto thy Rest O my Soul for the Lord has dealt bountifully with thee And with St. Paul triumphantly cry out There is now no condemnation to them who are in CHRIST JESVS 'T is He has deliver'd us from the fear of Death by means of which we were all our Life's time subjects to Bondage Before we are convinc'd of this Truth we are in a State of Misery Terrour and Despair But since CHRIST has alter'd our Condition by removing the Curse that was against us What Peace Joy and Comfort ought not to possess our Consciences If we consider David's Condition before Nathan had assur'd him of GOD'S Pardon we have a lively Emblem of the lamentable Circumstances in which the Sinner is whose Ears always ring with the Sound of this dreadful Sentence Cursed is he that continues not in all the Words of this Law to do them Deut. 27.26 He sees the Sword of the Destroying Angel ready to strike him But now this Sacrament tells him that God has put away his Iniquities and removed the Curse he had so justly drawn down upon himself This Religious Ceremony which CHRIST has annexed to the Declaration of his Gospel is a Publick Monument that GOD henceforth is not only become placable but throughly appeased and reconciled to Man. He cryes to us that our Iniquities are pardon'd but says the Sinner what shall I offer to GOD to make atonement for my offences Shall I offer him as Abraham did Isaac my First-born for my Transgressions And the Eucharist points him as the Angel did Abraham at the Victim prepar'd by GOD or rather bespeaks him in the Words of St. John the Baptist Behold the Lamb of GOD that takes away the Sin of the World. And then the Sinner with Joy and Exultation breaks forth He is He is indeed come into the World He has suffer'd Death to save Sinners whereof I am chief NOW if these Reflections on the Eucharist afford such Comforts to Christians in general they will more sensibly affect us when we come to consider these Comforts more distinctly The Holy Sacrament by preserving the Remembrance of CHRIST'S Death obliges us more particularly to meditate upon this wonder of the Wisdom and Love of GOD whereby He has deliver'd us from our Sins by charging them upon our Lord who like a Sacrifice was slain in the room of Sinners as the Ram was in the stead of Isaac and as the Lambs which were killed to redeem the First-born of the Israelites from the Sword of the Destroyer Now as there is nothing more stupendous than this Substitution so nothing yields Consolation like it For here we see 1. The Love of the Father who withheld the stroke of his Vengeance from Mankind whereas He destroy'd the Apostate Angels without remedy 2. The Charity of the Son who is become our Surety Herein is the Love of GOD not that we loved Him first but that He loved us No man has greater love than this that he lays down his Life not for his Friend but his Enemy And yet thus far did our Saviour's Love carry Him. He presented Himself a Sacrifice to GOD the Father He received the stroke that was to wound us neither the horror of those Crimes we had committed nor the dreadful Punishments that were due to us for them being able to deter Him from taking upon him our Nature and Sufferings GOD gave him to us that He might be the High Priest of his Church But He was not invested in this Dignity nor is represented as making Intercession in Heaven for us neither set forth as Blessing of us but because He has expiated our Sins by offering up Himself a Sacrifice to free us from Death Moses's Wife seeing her Husband threat'ned with Death by the Angel for her Son 's not being circumcis'd thought it expedient to hazard the Child's Life by an hasty and venturous Circumcision that she might secure her Husband from the danger that hung over him GOD in this Case does something far more great and wonderful for us He gives the Life of his own Son to redeem his Enemies and behold the Son readily consents and yields himself as Isaac did Lo I come says He in the Volume of thy Book it is wriiten of me I
shedding Tears of a true Repentance And what may then be expected from a Sinner who in the Sacrament of the Eucharist has all the Ideas of his Agony Sufferings and Death most lively delineated to Him What an irreconcilable Aversion ought not he to conceive for his Sins What Resolutions ought not he to take of leaving and forsaking them for ever AND to this we find our selves still more indispensably oblig'd by the Nature of this Sacrament For in the fifth Place it is as I have said before the Memorial of CHRIST'S Blood by virtue whereof GOD has made a New Covenant with Sinners In which He has assured us that He will forgive us our Sins and bestow the Glory of his Kingdom upon us But the Condition without which we cannot be made Partakers either of the Remission of Sins or of the Glory of Heaven is the Repenting of our Iniquities and applying our selves to the Study of Sanctification to our Life's End. The Benesit of this New Covenant is That God remembers our Transgressions no more but the Condition He requires of us is That whereas the Jews laid up his Laws in the Ark without having them in their Hearts we must always have them written in ours in order to a continual Religious Observance of them Now as it is his Will that we should daily beg of Him the Pardon of Our Sins which plainly shews He is ready to grant it us so the Only Command He lays upon us is That for the time to come we sin no more lest a worse thing befall us And indeed is it not exceedingly unaccountable that Men who would pass for Children of GOD should live the life of Devils That they who look upon themselves as Confederates with CHRIST should continually violate the Conditions of this Covenant GOD reminded the Jews of their Obligation to Holiness upon the account of his being their GOD. Moses implies thus much in the 24. Chap. of Exodus where the People having accepted of the Laws which he had propounded to them from GOD after he had wrote them in a Book and read the same in the Audience of the Congregation they answer'd All that the Lord has said will we do and be obedient Whereupon Moses sprinkled the Blood on the People and said Behold the Blood of the Covenant which the Lord has made with you concerning all these Words And shall Christians believe that GOD will own them for his People while they remain in their Bondage to Sin The Meaning of the Covenant we have made with GOD has been clearly expressed by a Pagan viz. Pliny who in his Epistle to the Emperour Trajan Lib. 10. Ep. 97. thus explains the Notion Christians had of this Glorious Covenant they were enter'd into with GOD They bind themselves says he by a Sacrament or Oath not to commit any such Crimes as are falsly reported of them but to abstain from Robbery Theft and Adultery to be as good as their Word and Faithful to their Trust c. He plainly shews that Believers looking upon themselves as Confederates and Parties in the same Covenant with GOD banished all manner of Divisions from the midst of them And further intimates that as they did all eat of the same Bread so they were of one Heart and Mind and united to GOD by their resemblance of Him and imitation of his Holiness Now since that time the Gospel is not alter'd for its Maxims are unchangable Neither is it only with respect to the Prophecies or Promises therein contained that it abides to Eternity without any possibility that so much as one tittle of it should ever fall to the Ground but the same must be understood of it as it is the Rule of our Life and Manners prescribed to us by our Lord and Master LAST of all Since JESUS CHRIST has in this Sacrament united the Memorial of his Coming in Glory to the Remembrance of his Humiliation even unto Death will not this Consideration most naturally inspire us with powerful Encouragements to Piety and an indefatigable Perseverance in that Fidelity we owe to Him In commemorating our Saviour's Passion we are oblig'd to deny our selves and to be ready to lay down our Lives whensoever it shall please God to require it in order to the advancement of his Glory JESUS CHRIST tells us that he is unworthy of Him who is not willing to leave all to follow Him. He has given his own Life for us and calls us to a like Abnegation of our selves They who seek their own Pleasures desire to be Rich But CHRIST chose a Voluntary Poverty They are Ambitious of Honours whereas He refused to be made a King. They fear Death but He freely submitted Himself to it They abhor the Cross that ignominious and painful way of Dying whereas He declined not to be Crucified We can commit no Sin but so far as we desire the things which He despised or endeavour to avoid those He so willingly underwent Certainly the sight of this Example ought powerfully to oblige us to an imitation of it It was a Saying of St. Cyprian's Epist 30. That Men are not fitted for Martyrdom when they are not furnished for the Fight out of the Church's Magazine and that the Soul is apt to faint when it is not strength'ned by a frequent Communion This Father was in the right and his Reason for it is the more Solid because the Eucharist immediately after it has exhibited to us the Representation of our Lord's Death which arms us with constancy shews us the Reward of Believers by setting before our Eyes his Coming again from Heaven to glorify them 'T is this Return of our Lord that will prove the great Comfort of the Righteous and at the same time a dread and trouble to the Wicked JESUS CHRIST by thus reminding us of his Glory while we are meditating upon his Sufferings does much the same thing He did upon the Cross where he accepted of the Repentance of the Converted Thief approved of the Acts of his Faith the Marks of his Love and Tokens of his Zeal for the Innocence and Glory of this JESUS whom he now look'd upon as his Saviour CHRIST kindly received and rewarded the evident Expressions of his Hopes But on the other hand punished the Unbelief and Impenitence of his Companion He assured the former that he would admit Him into his Kingdom because He saw in his Heart the Character of a sincere Believer and all the generous Inclinations of a Martyr but left the latter to the just deserts of his Iniquities A true Penitent meets with the greatest Comforts imaginable in the Eucharist where the Impenitent who treads under foot the Blood of the Covenant and discerns not the Lord's Body receives his own Damnation 'T is absolutely impossible this Sacrament should not have such different Effects upon these two sorts of Communicants For from it proceeds a Voice that proclaims Pardon to penitent Sinners and in it we plainly see the Solid
preserve me is the same who has redeemed me It is neither Man nor Angel but the Only Son of GOD JESUS CHRIST Himself who was willing to become my Surety and appease the Wrath of his Almighty Father in dying for me WHAT Outrages what Torments did not he suffer He was crucified like a Slave and underwent a Punishment that GOD Himself had call'd a Curse Not only the World and Hell insulted over Him but He complain'd of his being forsaken even of his Father O WHAT a strange and horrible thing is Sin that JESUS CHRIST must shed his Blood to deliver me from it What Profaneness What Sacriledge is it to trample under Foot that Precious Blood with which we are redeem'd How hellishly wicked must we be not to love a SAVIOUR who so dearly lov'd us MAXIM VII That we must follow the Divine Call. 'T IS GOD draws us that we may come to Him without which we could not have the least thought or desire thitherward We must obey his Voice while He is pleas'd to direct it to us For else Life and Redemption procur'd by Him will be unprofitable to us HOW many Heathens have been without the Advantages we injoy How many Infidels and Idolaters have been depriv'd of this Grace of Vocation without which a Man can never be converted Shall we make them rise up in Judgment against us O THE wonderful Patience and Forbearance of GOD who after a thousand Contempts of his Grace receives us to Repentance After many obstinate resistings of the Heavenly Inspirations of his Spirit is yet pleas'd to continue his Gracious Call to us Follow we then his Voice which invites us to the Supremest Good. MAXIM VIII That we must Study God's Conduct towards us WE lose the Benefit of the Mercies and Chastisements GOD dispenses to us while we are unacquainted with the Conduct He observes towards his Children Through our ignorance of this we afflict our selves with that which is Matter of Comfort and make merry in the midst of Temptations HAD Joseph understood GOD'S Leading he would have wept when he found himself his Master's Favourite and rejoyced when the accusation of his lustful Mistress cast him into that Prison which advanc'd him to little less than Pharaoh's Throne THE Devil prompts us to judge of GOD'S Conduct according to outward appearance This is one of his most dangerous Delusions It is therefore our Duty to meditate upon those Maxims GOD has revealed to us and upon the Examples of his Providence towards the Saints who have been before us MAXIM IX That we ought daily to examine our Conscience NOT to reflect upon our Behaviour is to live without Reason and not to remind our selves every day of the State of our Hearts is to live without Grace We ought to take daily notice what good we have omitted and what evil we have done WE cannot be saved without the sorrows of Repentance without a through resolution to amend what 's amiss and an anxious seeking after those Remedies that can heal us VVhich is not attainable but by a constant Review of our Thoughts Words and Actions WE daily behold our selves in our Glass and yet are careless of consulting the Law of GOD. 'T is to undervalue the Study of Perfection thus to neglect our own Hearts and bring our selves to that pass as not to pray any more out of a sense of our needs but out of meer Custom MAXIM X. That we ought to avoid too much Business A SOUL taken up with the Cares of Salvation does not cumber her self with the things of this present Life The retirement which she consecrates to to God by devoting it to Pious Reflections is much dearer to her than all the Employments in the World. LET us remember the Parable of Our Lord which assures us that the Word falling into the Heart of a Man distracted with worldly Cares is like Seed that falls among Thorns which growing up choak it at last MY GOD How much more advantageous is it by means of a calm and composed temper of Mind to resemble that good Ground which brings forth Thirty Sixty yea even an Hundred Fold than to have our Hearts crouded with a thousand vain Solicitudes how innocent soever they may appear to us MAXIM XI That we must often recollect our selves to think of our Salvation THE greatest part of our Life is spent in a guilty kind of Slumber Time flies away and the Glass of Life hastens to wards Death We come we go we talk and act and this almost continually without having the least regard to what concerns Salvation IF we judge aright we shall find that either we do that which is altogether evil or at least very remote from the Principal End of Life or else we Squander our time in idleness and do nothing at all Which neglect though it be least criminal yet is not quite faultless WE can make no better use of our Life than when by frequent retirement we renew the Pious Resolutions we have formerly taken We must examine very narrowly whether our Life and Actions are answerable to that Model we have set before us MAXIM XII That we ought carefully to consider the Vanity of this Life THERE is nothing more miserable than Life's inconstancy It s longest Date is but a Span. It is obnoxious to many thousand accidents that snatch it away when we least think on 't It is more brittle than Glass and at best but our way to Death AND can we thus reflect upon the Vanity of this Life and not be disgusted Can we help despising the pleasures of it and lifting our Hearts above Time fix them on the Life Eternal THE World passes away and we in it Its Delusions that have so often surprized us scatter and vanish proportionably to the growth of our Experience They only have attain'd a six'd and setled State who have resign'd themselves to GOD and the Contemplation of Eternity MAXIM XIII That we ought frequently to think of Death WE cannot avoid Death But the time place manner and circumstances of it we know not How great would be our Unhappiness should it surprize us in Sin and Impenitence and come to execute the dreadful Decree of our Everlasting Damnation THE very image of Death affrights us though we suppose it afar off What will it do when it shall stare us in the Face and set before our Eyes our great and innumerable Sins in opposition to GOD'S Favours and sill our Souls with Remorse and Terrour GOD makes use of this Prospect of the Grave to affright us to him It awakens our Consciences fortifies our Faith and animates our Hopes But Good GOD VVhat would become of us should we descend to Death without having once thought of or consider'd it and without being made wiser by the Instructions it affords MAXIM XIV That we ought to consider every Day as if it were our last JESUS CHRIST has commanded us to watch constantly for his Coming to judge the