for me but to forbid thy Memory to Dye in me O thou loving and Blessed above all Beloveds when thy passion is engraven by thy own hand in an Holy Mysterie for my mind to wear shall not I keep this memorial Shall I not wear thy Ring who am so ready to wear a Death's-head to preserve alive the memory of a dead Friend O that I may ever keep this Manna that came down from Heaven not in a Leaden but Golden pot not in a dull barren bareley contemplative but humble tender active pretious memory which moves all good affections to thee and promoves all good abilities for thee Such a memory will mind and do all Duty admire and love thee obey endure do and suffer for thee establish Faith excite Repentance inflame Love maintain Constancy I cannot but repent believe and love to the end if thou be in my mind If I fail payment of any duty to thee or man it is because I do not remember thee Of me Of my Death and your redemption by it This Sacrament then is an obelisk to the eternal memory of thy passion so oft as I neglect it what do I but pull down this Pyramid of everlasting date set up in the Church for a solemn memorial of thy death and bury thee and thy Merits as the Jews did thy Body but in a worser grave not in a Garden but Desart a grave of Oblivion Wretch am I that have need of such an help to my memory and spur to my Duty as both a Command and a Sacrament it casts reproach on me O Saviour that thou shouldst give thy Body for me and I scarce give my mind to thee that I should have so great a room in thy heart and thou so hardly get any in mine that thou shouldst be more ready to bleed for me then I to think of thee Dear Jesus thou didst empty all thy veins for me shall not I find a vessel to preserve thy precious Blood Do I not spill what thou shed if I let it run out of my memory yet art thou put to it to find me both blood and mind and when thou hast done all that out of remembrance of me lest it should be forgotten ordain'st a Sanction and Sacrament saying Do this in remembrance of me But more wretch I if I do not so do for Lord if I do thee honour dost thou not do me favour for it If I give thee glory is it more my duty then felicity to do it If thy Sacrament is it not my benefit Receive I not great honour in it Reap I not good benefits by it conveys it not the Blood Royal of Heaven into me Am I not related to Brother of Christ Heir and Prince of Heaven by vertue of that Blood Is not the Godhead bodily in him and is not this Body mystically in me and I near allyed to God by the Communion of that Body And can he want Demeans that is such a Prince Is not the Earth thy gift and Heaven in thy power O thou Son and Heir of all And have I not thy Spirit thy flesh to pledge for all the conveyance sealed in thy Blood and thy Merits made over and assured in thy Body O Lord I am so much concern'd in honour and estate to do what thou commandest that if I consider my self I shall do it to thy memory in remembrance of me as well as thee Wherever God hath bestow'd a vital principle Faith whereby the Just live he affords nourishment to sustain it and an inclination and attractive faculty towards it Christ Crucified is as the cause of our new birth so the food which sustains and preserves us in it unto whose Body and Blood there must needs be as proportionable an appetite in a new Christian as to Milk in an Infant that being more nourishable then milk and Faith more vital to desire it then Nature Oh! I know not what grace and comfort I have lost that others have found in the Consciencious use of this If there be any thing in the lively discoveries of the evil and desert of sin the wrath and love of God the cordials of the Gospel by frequenting it might it not have been much better with me in my Spiritual condition is not this great Hypecrisie and Dissimulation to complain of the hardness of my heart and not apply the Blood of Christ to soften it of the prevalencie of corruptions and not bring them to his Cross to subdue them of my timerous spirit and not come where God secures me and gives evidence for the discharge of his covenant and promise that God is departing when I stand at a distance and will not come nigh him is withdrawn from my Soul when I withdraw from my Dutie that I am a stranger to spiritual joy when I will not come to draw water out of the wells of Salvation of die weakness of grace and not use of all means of strengthening it can I refuse my food yet be nourished grow in grace and neglect the means not grow and be guiltless live in a known sin by neglecting a plain commanded Dutie and expect the rewards of obedience may not partial obedience to Gods commands well increase my doubts of his favour Is not this to slight and disesteem a firm conveyance of all Christs purchased benefits here offered and assured to Believers and then think not much Soul if thou go without them for ever who art also so unwilling to bind thy self to thankfulness and obedience for them Meals which are for nourishment must be often 't is not told me how often I should eat or drink the sense and feeling of the wants of my food directs me to makes me do it often Am I not apt to grow dull lukewarm cold to and in duty to contract guilt blot my evidences disturb my peace to forget him and his matchless love Is he so much in my serious thoughts as he deserves Is it enough to have some accasional thoughts of him Do I not complain that I love and think of him no more can apply him no better have so little of him am so insenble of his kindness and affection to his members Is it not a sin and shame I no more solemnly dwell in meditation upon him am no more in praising of rejoycing in him Do I not often need so great an help to soften my heart to renew my repentance to strengthen and confirm my Faith Hope and Resolutions to increase inflame my love and thankfulness fix my thoughts more solemnly upon him apply him get and maintain more intimate communion with him closer knit my soul to him and his members Is it not a sad sign I perform no Duties as and to those ends I ought but out of custom without expecting therefore without finding any great advantage from them Are the consolations of God small unto me is it not a sign when I was there I miss'd of the benefit Have I not cause to repent of
holes in his side Oh what fight a fire a flame of love did I see in his blessed Heart and my self pourtray'd upon it my name among the rest oh with what joy and comfort to my Soul he hath set me as a Seal upon his Heart love is strong as death many waters of affliction cannot quench it nor the floods of trouble or persecution drown it might all the pleasures profits honours of the world be given for it it would be utterly despised Oh how easie find I his yoke how light his burthen methinks I could watch or pray do or suffer more believingly more couragiously than ever It was the voice of my Beloved that knocked saying open unto me my Sister my Love my Dove my Undefiled he put in his hands by the holes of the door and my bowels were moved for him my Soul failed when he spake I sought him in every part of the Ordinance and he was found of me I called him and he gave me answer I sate under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste He brought me to the Banqueting house and his Banner over me was Love His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me A bundle of Myrrh is my Beloved unto me he shall lye all night betwixt my Breasts he shall be still in my heart by affection and Faith I will make him my continual joy comfort and refreshment and solace my self in him in all estates Oh that his name may be graven upon my heart and his Image remain fair and lively upon my Soul Oh that I may find a kind of unwillingness to admit of any other company when I come to converse with other things let me still be looking towards him as my only desire good and happiness let my heart be so filled with him that other objects may not come near or make any strong impression on me Oh that some lively coles of that holy fire kindled at the Ordinances may be still glowing in my Soul that the savour and tincture of it may be never done away Oh how can any other pleasure seem any more pleasant to me Can I desire the husks the Swine do eat when there is such Bread in my Fathers house no man having drunk old wine straightway desireth new for he saith the old is better Sure he hath been little affected nor had any taste of Gods sweetness presently to relish worldly things to wash off his palate the savour of spiritual with sensual or secular thoughts Abrupt chopings off from Holy Duties is such a quenching of the spirit as tends much to hardning the heart such sudden quenchings of spiritual heat got in an Ordinance cannot be without much danger to the Soul motions so quite opposite are as prejudicial as unbecoming Is it fit or seemly to leave the company of our Lord so soon as we have let him in and divert to other occasions associate our selves to other persons now we have newly given him our Faith and taken him as the Bridegroom of our Souls and not rather delight in the presence of our new love and keep our heart from cooling by laying on new fuel turning the remainder of this day into an after supper a second Communion In reviewing and being humbled for our coldness distractions miscarriages In blessing God for the liberty and opportunity of a Sacrament and the priviledges thereby confer'd upon us in ruminating on and retaining the savor of those pleasant things we have been entertained with exceedingly gladded in the sense of that love we have been tasting and celebrating in the belief of that pardon we have received in the hopes of that Grace and Glory that hath been assured to us In considering the obligations we have laid on our selves In heavenly discourses with our beloved in expressions of our love and affection towards him acts of desire after inseparable union with and greater likeness unto him in vows and promises we will alwayes be faithful and loyal to him in entertaining him with acts of love and delight thanks and praise with the best chear we are able to make our new our beloved guest in commending his beauty praising him for his kindness and favours extolling his riches admiring his perfections and graces talking with him about the affairs of our Soul in opening to him every room in it leading him into the most private recesses of our heart shewing him all the secrets of it acquainting him with all our wants and weaknesses spreading before him all our desires and fears hopes and griefs In praying for help and assistance to be steadfast in his Covenant interceding with him for all mankind especiall our Fellow Communicants In telling him again all we have is his in tying a new knot upon the band of the Covenant between us craving him pardon for our follies desiring him not to be offended at the dark and noisome hole into which we have brought him entreating him with all loves that he will not take exception at his poor entertainment even charming him to stay and dwell with us by all the songs of praise and thankfulness we can devise Subsequent Duties after the Sacrament AND now my utmost care and diligence is required to express the power and efficacy of the Ordinance in living more fruitfully religiously watchfully in making good my vows and promises at the Sacrament That heart and life therefore may be sutable to my Sacramentall obligations and may witness the good received in and by it oh my Soul Make a solemn reflection on thy self and entertainment How was my heart and behaviour before God what welcom did he give me Reflection is necessary after every duty what good have I got what warmth of affection what more love to desire after delight and confidence in God what greater ability and love to discharge duty to bear affliction to resist temptation to walk in Gods ways so especially after the Sacrament was my Heart hard dull indisposed I must then suspect my miscarriage in preparation or performance and labour to find out be truely sensible of greatly bewaile and humble judge and condemn my self and beg pardon for the cause earnestly importune him that he would now help me by Prayer and Humiliation to recover the benefit of the Ordinance that I may by an after act do that which I should have done before Sorrow for and sense of our senslesness is one fruit of Christs death we undoubtedly receiv'd in the Ordinance We may not judge of our gain by and profit in duty by our present feeling or that the only evidences of Communion and acceptance with God are our Souls lifted up and ravished with sensible joys our uprightness and sincerity in the performance of our duties and in our covenanting with God and continuing stedfast therein may administer most ground of comfort when we reflect upon it for we were then really acceptable to him that look'd down upon us and received from
love and kindness towards one another Let there be no strife or differences between us or any of Thy people for we are Brethren Supply all the necessities of our Souls and Bodies Provide for us as Thou knowest best for us Let us be still fully satisfied and delighted under all thy Dispensations towards us and let all be in love and mercy unto us Mortifie all our inordinate affections and desires Draw thine Image more and more lively upon our Souls Let our chiefest pleasure consist in serving and pleasing of Thee Let nothing disturb or displease us but Thy dishonour Send Thy Gospel where it is not preached make it very successful where it is Let all who enjoy it walk worthy of it and let them be taken care of preserved and defended by Thee Forgive unto us whatever Thou hast seen amiss in us what is ours graciously pardon what is Thine own graciously accept Bless this Ordinance Thou hast ordained for Thy Church accompany it with the Influences of that Spirit which Thou hast promised to powre upon all Flesh That thereby the World Thy Church our Souls and Bodies may glorifie Thee now and ever Father Son and Holy Ghost Amen A Thanksgiving and Prayer at home after the Sacrament I Adore and magnifie thee most gracious God and merciful Father for what thou art in thy self and unto all thy Creatures for thy infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness and for any discoveries of the same in and by thy Word and Works that thou hast so wonderfully made so plentifully provided for every Creature especially Man their Lord thy Image and Glory But how can we sufficiently admire thy inexpressible Condescention and Love in taking notice of us except to punish us in becoming so nigh unto us when we lay in our blood and had made our selves worse then the Beasts that perish And dost thou open thine eye upon such an one and bringest me into fellowship with thee Is it pleasing to thee to look upon abominable filthy Man or gain unto thee to serve me to give thy self to and for me to purchase such a clod of Earth and Sin with thy own Blood Oh when I consider the Rock whence I was hewen and that on which thou hast set me from what I was fallen and to what thou hast exalted me where I had been and where I shall be I am amazed at thy Love I am confounded at my ingratitude VVhat shall I return unto thee that humblest thy self to behold the things that are in Heaven and Earth for the innumerable instances of thy peculiar care and special love for chusing me out of the World that I might not be condemned with it for making a Child of VVrath the Object of thy Love for opening to me a door of Mercy whilst I was shutting it against my self thinking towards me thoughts of peace whilst mine were only evil and enmity against Thee for so many occasions and opportunities of praising thee and that I have not sinn'd away all into an incapacity of praising thee for striking a Conjugal Covenant with me whose Person is ugliness and deformity whose Parentage base and beggarly whose portion nothing but Diseases and Miserie for feeding me this day with thy Word and Sacrament with thy own Flesh and Blood who mightest long ago shook off the hand of thy Providence such a Viper as I into fire unquenchable and made me there sadly experience what it is to abuse Grace by the loss of Glory for any heart endeavours or assistance any signs of thy acceptance any liveliness of affection in commemorating the All-sufficient Sacrifice of my ever-prevailing Mediator in stead of being made a Sacrifice to thy Justice for ever and ever That I have been pledging thee in a Cup of Love while others drink the Dregs of thy Wrath in any measure discharging my duty whilest others are suffering the insupportable punishment of their neglects that thou hast assured me of forgiveness and all other benefits purchased by thy Passion while so many millions are sealed up under wrath in the prison of thy Furie Not unto me O Lord not unto me but unto thy Name be the praise O my God to these and all thy mercies deny not this A thankful heart for all thy mercies and grace to make them incentives to more chearful and sincere Obedience Mind me alwaies of and enable me faithfully to perform the Vows and Promises now upon me confirm and strengthen them that they may stand as fast as thy everlasting Covenant Let me not falsifie with thee or depart from thee or defile that place thou hast chosen for thy Temple but dedicate it wholly to thee Let the fruit of the Ordinance be found to the praise of thy Grace the support and encouragement comfort and advantage of my own Soul Let me always remember thee and my duty unto thee let nothing separate me from the love of thee let me rather die then deny or dishonour thee Make me sensible how much my Saviour loved me by his ardent desire to be an offering for me and remembred by me Let me not spare my darling sins for thy sake who sparedst not thy beloved Son for mine Let me alwayes look upon that with horror and hatred which procured to him so much ignominy and torment Let not those lusts please and delight my Phansie which were nailes and thorns in his hands and side Seeing I now profess to abide in him enable me to walk even as he walked in lowliness and humility meekness and patience contempt of the World heavenliness and zeal for thy Glory temperance and moderation tenderness and compassion love and charity innocency and usefulness obedience resignation and submission to thee Charge not upon me my unpreparedness for unaffectedness wanderings unbelief at that solemn ordinance this dayes iniquity of my holy things but upon our great high Priest who offered up himself to hear our sins And Oh that we who have now been celebrating his Love and Passion may with all thy people love one another as he hath loved us have strength to resist and overcome constancy to suffer and persevere may breath earnestly after thee be pardoned and accepted supplied owned blessed by thee keep close unto thee and reign with thee to all eternity through our ever blessed Redeemer who was delivered for our Offences and raised again for our Justification in whose holy Name and words I further pray unto thee saying Our Father c FINIS
let the Altar smoke with the sacrifice of a loving heart inflamed with the holy fire of Gods love to me Flame oh Love come ye warm Desires and break with longing Let Fear with all veneration do its obeisance Come up ye Daughters of Musick and all that is within me bless his holy Name Now the wax is warm Oh let the seal be stamped fair that I may see the impression ever after Now that God shews forth to me the death of his Son for me let me shew it forth to God again as that which I stick unto and abide by for my Righteousness and Peace with him Having liberty and access with boldness unto the Throne of Grace by the Blood of Jesus the High Priest of our Profession let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water O thou that providest food for all creatures and hast given all creatures to be food for Mans body and for his soul not only thy holy Word but the blessed Body and Bloud of thy Son cause all our hearts to burn with desires after thee who art so full of love to us Prepare every one by a full digestion of thy heavenly word to receive likewise this Divine nourishment Make it through the lively operation of thy Holy Spirit the Bread of Spiritual life and Wine of Spritual comfort to all our Souls Cause us to long after relish and savour the things of God Let this be the constant language of our Souls Lord ever more give us this Bread Call in compose and spiritualize all our thoughts at this solemn Ordinance Pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek thee though he be not cleansed according to the Purification of the Sanctuarie And O thou that made us upright pitie the degeneracy of mankind despise not the price of thy Sons blood let it not be as water spilt upon the ground convert direct unite provide for take care of support and comfort all of them let us take a mutual charge of one another make us all up more and more into the mystical bodie of thy Son that we may keep the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Afford us thy Gospel in its power and puritie libertie and efficacie so long as the Sun and Moon endureth Let us never want Magistrates and Pastors after thy own heart which shall protect encourage thy people and feed them with knowledge and understanding See my Soul thy Saviour set down with what a handful of his Disciples On the Communicants separated from the Congregation that lay in common with the rest of the world by nature children of wrath even as others born in the same state of distance from thee and with the same principles of enmitie against thee Oh! what is this that is come to pass how is it that thou manifestest thy self to us and not unto the world what moved thee to make a difference where thou foundest none Why â—vere we not made a Prey of Divine revenge and perished not in our enmitie against thee Why wert thou not provoked by our obstinacie malice and unbelief beyond the possibilitie of an Attonement Why hast thou so long suffered our injurious disrespects and unkind repulses of a merciful Saviour and perswaded till thou overcame and made â—us yield Why hast thou not cut off all our hopes of a blessed immortalitie who have paid so great bountie with contempt so manie benefits with ingratitude so inexpressible love with oblivion neglect and hatred Oh what hast thou done What hast thou not done and suffered for us why wouldest thou buy sinful dust with thy own blood Redeem our shame by the shameful death of Glorie and immortalitie it self put thy self that got nothing by making the world to more charge then all of it is worth to redeem the worst part of it fallen man Who can conceive whether we had precipitated our selves and to what thou haft exalted us to be spectacles even grateful to God who were monsters of horrour laid in his bosom who were in the arms of the Devil worthy his imbracements who were unworthy of his eye crowned Kings of Heaven who were slaves condemned to the Prison of Hell He not onely pardons our sins but relinquished his Throne lost his life to inthrone us in his Kingdom bestows on us his greatest mercies unworthy of the least sets us down as sons at his Table with his children who are unworthy as dogs do creep under it courts us to obedience who might not onely command us to it but instantly punish our disobedience promises a reward to such who are so far from deserving it that they are still provoking him glory to such who are more apt to be ashamed of their duties then offences Oh! how ought we to be transported with love and thankfulness considering who hath chosen us when why whom from and to what how long and how few his peculiar care of and kindness unto us How should the remembrance of this dear love of our Lord make us â—urn with ardent affections towards one â—nother How shall we offend one of â—hose for whom Christ dyed or deny â—ur selves to them to whom he hath giâ—en himself Shall we hate be envious â—nd uncharitable where thou art so loâ—ing so liberal condemn or despise the â—eanest when thou distributest thy self â—o all Oh now we see thy love to â—nemies let all ours find us friends Let â—o malice heart-burning or uncharitableâ—ess enter in or any more rancour my â—oul With all thy prople let me interâ—st my self and own them in all their conterments pity them in all their miseries â—e ready to relieve them in all their â—ants to comfort them in all their diâ—tresses to counsel them in all their doubts to delight in their society bear their infirmities pardon all their miscarâ—iages study their welfare do all the good 〈◊〉 can to Soul and Body Now I see the Minister at the Table to consecrate the Bread and Wine by Prayer â—nd the words of Christs Instiâ—ution The Minister at the Table with joy and admiration think my Soul how Christ was ordained and accomplished for the Office of a Mediator whom the Father sanctified and senâ— into the world and for this cause he sanctified himself as Priest Altar and Sacrifice for our Redemption Spiritual nourishment and Eternal salvation The Eternal Wisdom of God Incarnate tâ—â— reveal and communicate his Will hiâ— Love his Spirit his Glory to sinful miserable Man Oh the immensitie of his Mercy and unutterable treasures of hiâ— Grace which neither the provocation of our sins nor the infinite exactness oâ— his own Justice could any way overcomâ— or restrain to despise the works of his owâ— hand or not to compassionate the wretchedness of his Creatures though it coâ—â— the Humiliation and Exinanition of thâ— Son of God! Oh how great how amiable appears his Love and goodness iâ—
mollifie the most obdurate sinner Oh that I could feel the vertue and power of it dissolving this rock into a fountain of tears a relenting frame a heart of flesh My lusts and Corruptions are many and mighty too strong for me but not for thy self As in the first Adam's sin man died legally so in the second Adam's death sin died virtually He suffered to save his people from their sins that himself and not sin should have dominion over us Shall not that blood mortifie my pride worldliness inordinate affections which shall subdue the whole body of sin shall I reproach or make void his death unto my own Soul or by continuance in sin that brought so great a punishment on so great a person be a greater enemy to him then the Jews were How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein 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 Oh that I may henceforth find and reckon my self to be dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Oh how am I tempted and assaulted that I am sometimes ready to say I shall one day fall by my spiritual enemies but Faith gives us a share in the victories of Christ having spoyled all Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them as our enemies in on the Cross his triumphant Chariot took away from them all possibility to hurt though they assault us still we are assured of an absolute victory The accuser of the Brethren is cast down which accused them before God day and night and they overcome by the Blood of the Lamb that hath quenched the flames of divine fury and all our enemies are reconciled or subdued Ah my Lord how often doth sin and the world deadden my heart and affections towards thee O how dull how indisposed that I cannot pray with life nor be lively in thy service but this blood was shed to set Prisoners free and is the life of all our duties graces and comforts Oh that its power and efficacy may quicken and enliven me may put vivacity and activity in me that I may pray and hear receive meditate and discourse of spiritual things with freedom and liberty liveliness and chearfulness Oh that I may no more as I have too too often disbelieve or question the promises of this life or that to come For this Blood ratifies and confirms the Covenant of grace not only purchased but assures us of all good things Christ's Will and Testament wherein he hath bequeathed such precious legacies to his people is now of force for a Testament is of force after the Testator is dead Oh how ought it to affect me for the betraying of innocent Blood he was holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners in his hands no wickedness in his heart no sin no guile found in his mouth I and my brethren are guilty but for this spotless Lamb what hath he done and where there is no sin thou inflictest no punishment But he was numbred with the Transgressors surely then the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all for the transgression of my people was he smitten by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Oh! I take thee at thy word and do believe all my sins with all thine Elects were imputed to our surety and the wages of sin inflicted on him that we might be fully acquitted and discharged I am guilty of many aggravated sins and am the greatest of sinners but with thee is plenteous redemption through Christ Jesus who shed his Blood not because we were Righteous but to make us So of infinite vertue and merit as sufficient for me as if none else were justified or saved by it He is able to save to the utmost all that come unto thee by him Oh how small how imperfect are my Graces how cold my Love how weak my Faith How faint my desires after thee but the least degree of Grace is the fruit of this Blood Oh that I may find it's efficacy perfecting that good work thou hast begun in me from strengh to strength till grace be consummated â—n Glory Through the Blood of the Eternal Covenant make me perfect in every good work to do thy will working in me that which is well-pleasing in thy sight Oh what trifles disturb my charitable affections how interrupted and inconstant my love to those who by one spirit are all baptized into one body but Christ hath reconciled us in one body by the Cross having slain the enmity thereby Oh that henceforth I may be of one heart with his Disciples and love them as he hath loved us Our God is a Consuming Fire which I cannot but dread having so much fuel about me and within me but in thy Son I see flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone who gave himself for us And shall the sentence of thy judgment disannul the merit of his sufferings of his satisfaction Didst thou not punish him that thou mightest spare us is it not as great a necessity of thy Satisfied Justice to spare the sinner as it was of thy offended Justice to punish the sin Thou art not only reconcilable but desirous to become our friend Oh how comfortable are those words of thine to my guilty Soul the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Son his first coming was in the flesh when he took on him our nature his second in the spirit when he imparted unto us of his spirit his third will be in power when he shall communicate to us his glory his first was to redeem his second to comfort his third will be to reward us If we be careful not to offend he will not be extreme to mark what we do amiss He will proceed not according to the Law which requires an absolute obedience without sin and will condemn all that have been guilty of any sin but according to the Gospel which admits of repentance for the forgiveness of sin and will condemn none but the unbelieving and impenitent sinner Damnation is denounced not for breaking the Law but rejecting the Gospel He is faithful because he hath promised and just because his Son hath purchas'd forgiveness The same sentence shall be pronounced as is past already in the Gospel Whosoever be-believes in him shall not perish but have ever-everlasting life Sin hath shut us out of paradise but â—e blood of Christ hath opened the Kingâ—om of Heaven to all believers It gives us â—ere a right and hereafter an admission â—â—rough this Red Sea we enter into the â—eavenly Canaan and for this cause he 〈◊〉 the Mediator of the New Testament â—hat by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under â—he first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance And he that
him a seal to the promise of pardon and eternal life though he did not testifie it by giving in extraordinary joys He looks not so much at fits of passion as at the steady bent and tenour of the Soul The truest Communion with God is to enjoy the Communication of his Graces whereby we are made conformable to him we may enjoy the saving influences of his Spirit when we cannot feel his more abundant consolations Though this Ordinance be not at present joyous yet may afterwards yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness to those that are conversant therein It cannot be well known what Grace we have received further measures of which are the holy Spirits accompanying those means being the great benefit we are apt to expect till we come to the exercise of it in duty and against temptation But oh how much cause have I to rejoyce in his love and goodness to render him hearty thanks who might have left me as well as others to my self for his quickning and refreshment for his satisfying me so abundantly with the fatness of his house and making me drink of the river of his pleasure especially now I find and oh that I could more and more such real benefit received by it my soul more deeply broken and humbled under the sense of sin and that become more loathsom hateful burdensom to me My heart truely thankful for what I have enjoyed and sorrowful I have enjoyed no more more strongly engaged and resolved to inward and universal holiness my Faith in Christ more encreased and setled my love to him more inflamed my Soul strengthned and emboldned to undergo any thing for him my spiritual delight and joy in him raised and lessened to other things my esteem and valuation of the Ordinance heightned my Graces in it exercised my desires after full enjoyment of God and Christ in Glory more enlarged If he were pleased to kill me he would not have received a burnt-offering and a Meat-offering at my hands neither would he have shewed me all these things nor as at this time have given me to experience such things as these Oh that I may always retain a thankful sense of all his benefits Oh how much am I beholden to thee my God I have been praising of thee but nothing to what I ought or what thou deserv'st Oh how can I cease to magnifie thee for what I am and have for the use of thy creatures and thy blessing with them for every crum much more for Christ that foundation mercy that hath all mercies folded up in him and entail'd unto him that sweetens and sanctifies every mercy for this Feast on his Body and Blood for the joys of thy house and the viands of heaven for any measure of life and affection raisedness and comfort grace and goodness Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name While I live I will praise thee I will sing praise unto my God while I have a being and what is here wanting in thy due praise I will pay hereafter in everlasting Hallelujahs Rest not in the work done though done never so well Beware lest by spiritual pride and future negligence thou lose the things thou hast wrought Had I done all as well as was commanded me I would say I am an unprofitable servant I had done but my duty but O how short come I of it Oh let not the Lord lay to my charge my want of due preparation my coldness and indifferency distraction and unbelief my so many failings before and at the Ordinance that my heart was in no better frame that I took no more paines with it to fit it for thy self that it was no more broken for my sins when the Minister broke the Bread that when I took it I was so dull so dead and did no better reach forth the hand of Faith to lay hold on and apply Christ and his benefits so play'd the hypocrite before thee and my fellow Communicants that when the Wine was poured forth and I saw how Christ shed his Blood for sinners I scarce dropt a tear for the cause from a heart sensible of my sins and his love unto my Soul when I took and drank the Cup I did not remember him as I ought that my heart was not so seriously intent and reverent so deeply affected sutable to the importance and excellency of the duty and the Majesty of him with whom I had to do Spend some time in strengthning and confirming thy holy purposes and resolutions O that some fruit may be seen of this day till the solemnity return that the thoughts and meditations I had there may be so strongly so deeply fixed and rooted in the bottom of my heart that nothing may be able to pluck them up that I may be so sensibly possest with the perswasions that Christ is in and united to me that when a Temptation comes and knocks for enterance I may readily naturally say I am not he that I was before the property of the house is quite changed I live yet not I but Christ in me I was indeed a common Inne to entertain all-Comers but now I am become the sole Habitation of the High and Holy One he expects to be honourably treated like unto himself he will have no competitors or unclean thing in his house I cannot arise and open to you Oh how shall I treat him who hath taken up his abode with me shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot defile that body wherein he hath chosen to reside force him out of his habitation by any impurity offend him by any noysom thoughts or unsavoury breath out of my mouth shall those hands that have received the sacred Elements work deceit those Eyes that have been filled with tears at the Lords Table be fill'd with envy those teeth that have eaten Holy Bread â—grind the face of the poor those lips that have touched the Sacramental Cup salute an Harlot the mouth that hath drunk consecrated wine be full of rotten discourse shall I be so greedy of the World as to forget to retire to converse with my Saviour shall I so perplex my self in business as to omit to pray to meditate to sing praises unto thee No I am not at my own dispose I have sworn and I will perform that I will keep thy righteous judgments and often consider how deeply I am obliged to him that hath paid my debt Oh I can never parallel his love yet let me shew my self thankful I can do nothing satisfactory but let me do something gratulatory He gave himself a sin-offering for me let me give my self a thank-offering to him offer up my self a living facrifice unto my Redeemer who offered up himself a dying Sacrifice for my Redemption Beware of Crucifying Christ afresh To them that believe he is precious now I have begun to celebrate the Marriage oh let me never throw off the