same Epistle acquaints us with it when he saith 1 Cor. 14. v. 16 17. When thou shalt bl-ss (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. with the spirit i. e. in an unknown tongue how shall he that is unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeing he knows not what thou sayest From these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shalt bless and giving thanks Beza thinks that he touches upon the Lords Supper So the L. Mr. Thorndike also for they are the very same words which are used concerning that action of our Saviour when he first celebrated this feast as you may see Mat. 26.26 27. And besides the Apostle seems in that Chapter to direct the Corinthians how to handle the whole divine service so that it might be to edification Now having spoken concerning Prayer and singing of Psalms ver 14.15 and instructing them afterward concerning teaching and interpreting of Scripture ver 19 26. in all likelihood he here tells them how to behave themselves to the same profiting of others in the Supper of the Lord at which there were many rudenesses committed by the people And that which he teacheth them So Juctâ—n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to give thanks in a known tongue that so all the people when the Minister comes to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever and ever as Chrysostome speaks might assent with their wishes and say Amen From whence we may collect that giving of thanks is so considerable a part of this service that in the Apostles stile it involves the whole of it VI. It may further be observed that all Churches in the world have always used divine praises in this commemoration and if we may believe ancient Records such as are very conformable to the Jewish benedictions at the Passeover 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Blessed art thou O Lord our God the King of the world who hast produced bread out of the earth and blessed art thou c. who hast created the fruit of the vine And afterward Let us bless him wâ—o hath fed us with his own and by whose goodness we live c. For so we reade in Justin Martyr and others Apolog 2. Constit Apost that in their times the Church used to praise God for all things and particularly for those gifts of bread and wine and so for Jesus Christ his Death Passion Resurrection and Ascension beseeching the Father of the whole world to accept of the offering they made to him And in after ages Cyril of Hierusalem saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We make mention of the Heaven the Earth the Sea and all the Creatures reasonable and unreasonable of the Angels Archangels and powers of Heaven praising God and saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabbath c. These do very much correspond with those Hebrew formes which perhaps they were willing in part to imitate for the greater satisfaction of the Jewish Christians who constituted part of their assemblies One thing more seems to be very clear that from the Hallel of the Jews it was that some ancient Christians used in the 50 days after Easter to sing and ingemminate Hallelujahs in their assemblies ut autem Halâ—iujah per illos solos quinquaâ— ginta dies in Ecclesia cantetur non usqucquaque observatur c. Epist 120. as a remembrance of that great Hymn which the Prince of the Church and his Apostles sung after this supper This St. Aug. takes notice of but saith that in his days those Hallelujahs used to be sung at other times also From all which we may discern a farther reason why they called this Sacrament by the name of a Sacrifice Ia isto autâ—m sacrificio gratiarum â—ctio commemoâ—atio est carnis Christi quam pro 〈◊〉 obtulit Fuâ—g de side 1 Pet. 2.5 because they did offer unto God thanksgiving as the Psalmist speaks Psal 50. â—4 which is one of the spiritual sacrifices which every Christian is consecrated to bring unto him It is confessedly true that there never was any festival instituted by any people of the world but one part of it was a reverend acknowledgment of God and a thanksgiving to him for his benefits And there never was any solemn feast either among Jews Persians Greeks Aegyptians or Romans without some sacrifice to their Gods Christians therefore are not without their sacrifice also when they keep this feast and such an one as is very befitting God and which no rational man can deny to deserve the name L. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Porphyry disputing against the eating or sacrificing of beasts unto God denies that thereupon any ill consequence could be grounded as if he denied all sacrifices to him No saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we likewise sacrifice as well as others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only we will sacrifice according as is most meet And there he assigns to every Deity its proper homage and acknowledgment belonging to it saying that to the great God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He above all we sacrifice nothing but pure thoughts and speak not so much as a word of him But to those that are the off-spring of God the coelestial inhabitants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we give Hymns and praises which are the conceptions and expresses of our mind and so he proceeds to the more petty tributes paid to lesser Gods According then to this Heathen Divine the praises of God may well pass for the most proper sacrifice and he makes account that there is none better but onely silent adorations A soul breathing forth it self out of an ardent affection in holy Hymns is more acceptable to God then the richest gumms or the sweetest wood that can fume upon his Altars But a whole soul full of pure thoughts too great to come out of the mouth and more clear then to be embodied in words is transcendent to all oblations But yet I would not be so mistaken as if I thought the Christian thanksgiving consisted only in inward thoughts and outward words For there are Eucharistical actions also whereby we perform a most delightsome sacrifice unto God We must not when we come to God appear before him empty but we are to consecrate and offer unto him some of our temporal goods for the relief of those that are in want which may cause many thanksgivings to be sent up by them to God 2 Cor. 9.11 12. It hath been said before that our whole selves ought to be offered as an holocaust to God and our love should be so great as to spend our souls and bodies in his service now in token that we mean so to do we must give something that is ours unto him for to be imployed to his uses We are to give God an earnest of our sincere and intire devotion to him by parting with something that we call ours and transferring it to him Of this the
himself that is a glutton so it is most certain that he perishes who fasts and never eats at all If it be a duty to do this then there is a punishment annexed to the neglect as well as to the ill-performance of it There is a danger in not coming as well as in coming unworthily God is angry at one sin as well as at another and if he shall be condemned that doth this ignorantly or in love to his sins or in a half hatred of them so shall he be that stays away and will not get knowledge nor leave his sins He that eats irreverently is guilty by prophaning of Christs Body and so is he that eats not at all by despising of it and preferring his lusts before him As the one eats damnation to himself so doth the other by not eating judge himself to be in a damnable condition For if we cannot partake of his Supper here how can we think our selves fit to feast with him hereafter Many think that they are safe if they venture not upon these holy things and it disquiets them to come in their fins but it never troubles them that they stay away and continue in their sins These mens Consciences are but half informed and I seriously wish them not to endure in that condition wherein they judge themselves unmeet society for Christ and the faithfull Remember that you not onely live in sin but add this sin to all the rest that you do not come to remember Christ and shew forth his Death He that breaks one of the least of his Commandments and lives in the known neglect of it shall be called least in the Kingdome of Heaven i. e. shall be deemed not to belong to it Away then with this supine negligence James 4.8 Cleanse your hearts ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded Purge your souls by hearty sorrow by humble confession by great contrition by a professed hatred and detestation of all your sins Col. 3.5 8 12 13. Mortifie your members that are on the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness Put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy Communication out of your mouth Lye not one unto another But put on as the Elect of God bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye c. And come hither to strengthen your resolutions and to confirm your purposes Come and renew your vows of holy living and protest in the sight of God and his holy Angels and before his faithfull people that you will be the followers of the Lord Jesus Do not weep and mourn and afflict your Souls for a day do not banish your sins for a little time that you may entertain them afterward with a greater kindness but give them an eternal divorce and bid them never return again Do not go a little back from your sins that you may take your rise and leap into them with a greater violence but fly from them as from the Devil and the mouth of the pit resolving never to cast a friendly look upon them any more And then come to Christ and cause joy in Heaven at the return of a repenting sinner And if thou takest upon thee his yoke why should there not be joy on earth too why shouldst thou not come and praise the Lord for his goodness to thee and make the faithfull rejoyce with thee that they have got more company at this holy Feast But I am very ignorant will some say and I dare not come for fear I understand not these mysteries I answer That it is very well if thou art sensible of thy ignorance for then there is hope thou wilt labour after knowledge And it is not hard to understand the meaning of these things but very easie for our Lord hath made his sufferings sensible to us in these signs that we might more easily remember them and be more quickly moved by them to due affections to him But I am affraid my heart is not right saith another and that I am cheated with the shadows of Faith and Repentance Let that man who speaks thus tell himself what he means by true faith which he would find in himself Is it a perswasion that God loves thee Is it a resting on Christ for salvation A thousand to one this is the mistake which troubles many But that Faith is another thing which the Gospel speaks of which will be soon understood if thou understandest what the Gospel is which thou art to believe The Gospel is to be considered either as a Narrative relation and report of what Christ Jesus was upon earth and of what he hath done and suffered of what he taught and what he now is in the Heavens It is an History of his Life and Death Resurrection and Ascention into Heaven there to sit at Gods right hand and it is a Sermon concerning Christs Doctrines of his commands promises and threatnings Or secondly it is to be considered as it is a call or proclamation an offer or tender of pardon grace and salvation to all that will accept of them on the conditions that they are propounded Now Faith is first an assent of the mind and heart to that report a firm perswasion that all is true that is said in the Gospel and secondly It is a consent to that offer an acceptance of that invitation an embracement of all that is there tendred by yielding up of our selves to obey the Lord Jesus in all things This is receiving of Christ this is believing in the Son of God And there are many acts of faith to be in thy heart before thou canst lay hold of the mercy of God And proportionably to thy sincere and hearty consent to obey him will be thy perswasion of an interest in that mercy If thy confident relying on him for salvation exceed other acts of a lively faith it is to be suspected of too sudden a growth and thou hadst best fear that it starts up too high But consider with thy self doest thou believe the Gospel doth thy heart submit to that way of salvation there proposed art thou devoted to the service of Jesus Then be of good comfort if not confident come and strengthen thy faith that thou maist still do as thou hast resolved This is one of the commands of the Gospel that thou dost believe and therefore if thy faith be true obey it But a third saith That he hath so much business that he cannot prepare himself But consider I pray you in the fear of God what greater business can there be than to work out our salvation Had not they business as they pretended of great import to whom the Lord said you shall not taste of my Supper Consider whether thou canst not bring thy business into a less compass or may it not be let
the fruits of his Sons death and the earnests we have of the eternal inheritance We should begin to praise him with the Heavenly host and to joyn our hearts and voices with the celestial Quire we should wish that we could make all the world ring with his praises and that we could make all men hear from the East to the West the sound of our thanksgivings We should sing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which all the Churches of Christ throughout all ages have sung saying Holy Holy Holy See the Learned Mr. Thorndike in his Relig. Assemb Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory And so we read that as soon as our Saviour had spoken those words that he would not any more drink with them till the Kingdom of his Father should come they sung an Hymne or Psalm of praise and so went forth And indeed who can sufficiently praise his divine Majesty The tongues of Angels stammer in uttering of his goodness and we become dumb the more we endeavour to speak of it The highest of our praises is humbly and affectionately to acknowledge that we cannot sufficiently praise him the greatest of our endeavours is daily to admire him the furthest we can strain our souls is to long for eternity wherein it may be our imployment to admire and praise him Call upon the Armies of Angels and wish them to praise him seeing thou canst not call upon all men and bid them praise him wish thou couldst awake all the world that all Creatures might praise him and make thine own soul hear more plainly call upon it more shrilly call upon it again and again call upon it every day to praise him Say as the Psalmist doth Psal 103. Bless the Lord ye his Angels which excell in strength that do his Commandements hearkning to the voice of his words Bless the Lord all ye hosts ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion Bless the Lord O my soul Mensa Mystica The Postcaenium or of our Deportment afterward CHAP. XV. ANd now that we have had a sight of them let us remember his love more than Wine Let his name be engraven upon our hearts and his Image remain fair and lively upon our souls Let us find a kind of unwillingness to admit of any other company and say in the secrets of our mind None but Christ none but Christ Yea when we do return to converse again with other things let us still be looking back towards him as one that hath got our hearts and say Lord evermore give us this Bread Let us labour that other objects may not come near our hearts nor make any strong impressions upon us but that they may be sealed up by him and so filled with him that all things else may look upon themselves as having nothing to do there Eusebius Pamphilus hath a pretty Observation on Cant. 5.12 where the eyes of the beloved are compared to the eyes of Doves by the Rivers of water washed with Milk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Milk saith he of all other moist things hath this singular property that it will not admit of the image or picture of any thing to be reflected in it and therefore it is a fit resemblance of his eyes in which nothing vain insubsistent deceiving doth cast its shadow but they do alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold the being that truly is Our souls should labour to imitate him as much as they can and to endeavour at least that the world may not deceive and cheat us with its shadowes and pictures of things but we may see through them all to that being which is true and substantial and on that our eyes may be fixed as our only good and happiness The Lord expects now that we should proceed to a greater strength by the higher food that he vouchsafes unto us that our knowledge should be more bright that our love should be more inflamed that by our actions we should shine like lights in the world holding forth the word of life Many of the Ancients upon those words V. Comment trium Patrum Cant. 6.10 do note that there are four degrees of Christians Some are but newly converted and they do but look forth as the morning with weak and trembling thoughts being as it were in the twilight and not far enlightned A second sort have made some progress and are fair as the Moon they are much enlightned but have abundance of spots still in them and some discernable darkness still remaining A third sort are clear as the Sun very full of light very pure unblameable and bright in their conversations The world can take notice of no common failings yet sometime there may be a partial eclipse and if they mark themselves they will observe many weaknesses as the modern Astronomers that have pried more narrowly have discerned spots in the body of the Sun A fourth sort are they that are become such strong Christians that they are as terrible as an Army with Banners and all their enemies flie before them Few temptations are able to worst them but they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the appearance of an Agnelical Host that are so strong in the Lord and in the power of his might that they overcome the world and tread Satan under their feet Now in which soever lower form and rank we be of these we should strive to advance to that which is higher and seeing we have more than Angels food we should labour to do the will of God on earth as they do in Heaven We should put on all the Armour of God and gird it closer to our loins and shew greater valour to the perfecting the conquests we have begun We should labour to be so full of Christ that the Devil may be afraid of us and run away when he sees us grown so stedfast in the faith For we must not judge of the state of our souls by our fervency in this duty but by the holiness of our lives which is the fruit and effect of it Unless our lives be better than they were before we our selves are not made better We are but like some of the Sect of Pythagoras who held that a man took a new soul when to receive Oracles he approached to the images of their Gods but it was such a new one as was lent him but for a time and then he returned to the same man he was before Such a new soul men seem to have some time when they come to the solemn duties of their Religion they are inspired with strange and unusuall affections and moved beyond themselves But it is a soul that lives but for a day and then they fall to their old dulness and as for their own soul it gives no sign of its amendment and further renewal after the Image of God It is fit therefore that I should next of all
of the soul grow too big for the mouth when it lifts up it self in speaking-thoughts and this is their language That they are not able to understand the Miracles of this Love it shall not be long before it perceive how much God is pleased with its saying nothing Let us therefore labour at the very entrance to put our selves into some degree of wonderment to think what manner of love this is wherewith he hath loved us Wonder that he should dye for thee when he was upon the earth and that he should nourish thee with himself now that he is in the Heavens Be astonished that Heaven should so condescend to Earth and Man should be so united unto God Lose thy thoughts in contemplation of the strangeness of this kindness that God should dwell in flesh and that this flesh should be our Food Let it amaze thee that Christ can never think that he hath given himself enough to thee but as the Apostle saith he gave himself to redeem us from our sinnes and now he gives himself to be the strength and health of our souls He gave himself when he was among men he gives himself now that he is with God and as Dionysius relates the story he told a pious man in a vision That if it were necessary he would come and die again for the sons of men This would be a rarely good beginning of this holy service and we should be fitter for all following actions if we could put our hearts into a kind of extasie or admiration at the stupendious greatness of this mystery If our thoughts were once got so high we should be out of the reach of other things that are apt to thrust themselves in and interrupt us If we had once climbed above our selves and were ascended into Heaven we should not be inticed while the Solemnity lasted to come down to the World again II. When we see the Bread broken and the Wine poured out it is a fit season to entertain our selves with these three Meditations which are big with a great number of other thoughts that they will bring forth 1. Remember the pains and dolours the shame and reproach which our Lord endured For which purpose imagine as if you were in Golgotha the place where he was crucified think that you behold him stretched forth upon a Cross that you see his precious Bloud trickling down his side and that you look into his gaping wounds think that you see the pits that they digged in his hands and his feet the furrows that they made in his back and how miserably the Thorns scratched and harrowed his holy head Think that you hear his dying groans that the mocks and flouts of the Jews sound in your ears Yea think that you hear the groans of the Earth under the weight of his Cross and that you see how the Sun shrunk in his head as ashamed to look on such a spectacle and affrighted with the horror of such a sight And when you have meditated a while upon these wonders it will be greater wonder if there be no passion made in your hearts Your own thoughts will teach you such resentments as befit so strange an object and you will begin to tremble and bleed and desire and rejoyce and be in such a mixture of passions as if you would imitate the confusion which was in the world at his Sufferings But when you have recovered your self a little think that it will be most agreeable in the second place 2. To remember with due affection the great love of our Lord in submitting himself to such pains and disgrace for our sakes Never did eyes behold such a strange thing that the only begotten of the Father should bleed like a Malefactor that the glorious King of Heaven should dye for his own Subjects Rebels I should rather call them and Traytors to their Soveraign Lord. Was there ever any kindness like to this Was there ever such a Furnace of Love burning in any heart Could he do more for us than dye for us Was there any likelihood that the remembrance of such a Love should dye That mens hearts should freeze over such a fire Lest such a thing should happen he hath left himself still among us in symboles and representations he sets before our eyes his bloody Death and Passion he makes himself present to our faith and as if he would do more than dye for us he desires to live for ever in us and be united to us How can we chuse then but fall into his arms Yea how can we withhold our selves from running into his heart Can any heart refrain it self from tears of sorrow to think of its unkindness and from tears of joy to think of his strange love how can we be but overwhelmed both with floods of grief and gladness Can we look upon him whom we have pierced and not mourn Can we see his bleeding wounds and not be troubled What heart can be so hard It cannot but pain us to think that we love him no more who put himself to such pains for us It cannot but trouble us to think that but hearts should be so cold when his was so hot with love as to send out its life bloud for our redemption And yet when we consider that in this stream of blood our souls are washed and that by his stripes we are healed who can chuse but rejoyce in his love and hope that he will accept of our poor acknowledgements And let us but look upon him again as I described him on the Cross and we shall find our love more large and vehement Think that you hear him saying to you as he hangs there Behold my friends how my flesh was torn and wounded for your sakes See how your sinnes have used me Look into my heart which was pierced first by love and then by a spear for you See how my hands and my feet were bored through look how my blood runs out to fetch you home to God Was there ever any sorrow like to my sorrow Hath any one loved you so as I have loved you Behold here I give my self unto you as once I gave my self for you By these tokens of Bread and Wine I conveigh unto you all that I have and make over to you all that Inheritance which I have purchased by my Blood My Self and all that I have I freely give unto you Need any one now that hath such Meditations be taught with what affections he should behave himself towards his Lord Needs there any piercing words of him that ministers to wound mens souls with sorrow and grief Is any artifice of speech required to wind and insinuate Christ into their hearts Is any perswasive Language necessary to make them accept of the greatest and richest Blessings that all Heaven can afford Me thinks I see the pricking and compunction that will be in a heart that thinks of these things Me thinks I see such a soul running forth to
but nothing methinks is more tempting and inviting than this heavenly Feast where pleasure is mixed with profit and physick with our food Where at once we may be both enriched and delighted both healed and nourished This Table if I may use the language of an holy Man is the very sinewes of our Soul S. Chrysost Hom. 24. in 1 Corinth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the ligament of our mindes the foundation of our confidence our hope our salvation our light our life This mystery makes the earth to be an Heaven and therefore if thou wilt come hither thou mayest open the Gate of Heaven and look down into it or rather not into Heaven but into the Heaven of Heavens For that which is the most precious of all things above I will shew thee lying upon the earth For as in Kings Palaces the chiefest and most precious things are not the fair Walls the gilded Roofs the costly Hangings but the body of the King that sits upon the Throne even so in the Heavens the most glorious thing is the Body of Christ the King of Heaven Now behold and thou shalt see it here upon the earth For I do not shew thee the Angels or the Archangels or the Heavens or the Heaven of Heavens but him that is the Lord and Master of them all and therefore must thou not needs say that thou seest that upon the Earth that is more excellent than them all yea thou not only seest but thou touchest and not only touchest but eatest also yea and carriest him home with thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. O then wipe thy soul very clean prepare thy mind to the receiving these Divine Mysteries Who would not be Religious that he may be thus happy who would not forsake all things for such a sight for such an embracement If thou mightest but have the priviledge to take up the Son of a King with his Purple and Diadem and other Ornaments into thy Arms wouldst thou not cast all other things to the ground to be so employed Tell me then why wilt thou not prepare thy self and reverently take the only begotten Son of God into thy hands Wilt thou not throw away the love of all earthly things for him Wilt thou not think thy self brave enough in the enjoying of him Dost thou still look to the earth and lovest money and admirest heaps of Gold Then what pity canst thou deserve What pardon canst thou hope for Or what excuse canst thou think of to make for thy self Thus he Homil. 27. in 1. ad Corinth When a man hath heard the sacred Hymns as he saith in another place and hath seen the spirituall Marriage and been feasted at the Royall Table and filled with the holy Ghost and hath been taken into the Quire of Seraphims and made partaker with the Heavenly Powers Who would throw away so great a Grace Who would spend so rich a Treasure Who would bring in drunkenness or the like Guest instead of such Divine Chear Drunkenness I say which is the Mother of Heaviness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the joy of none but the Devil and is big with a thousand evils What madness possesses a man that he should not rather chuse to feast with God than with the Devil If thou sayest that thou art merry and rejoycest and wonderfully pleased I answer And so I would have thee to be only let not thy laughter be like the crackling of Thornes under a Pot but a solid joy that will make thy heart to smile for ever God doth not envy to the Sonnes of men any happiness but he would have them to be sure they are happy and not please themselves in a phantasticall shadow of Happiness CHAP. XVIII BUT that I may proceed more distinctly and assault your souls with the stronger Reasons to deliver themselves up to a religious life one single piece of which hath such blessings in it I shall present you with the profit of worthy receiving in these three generall Heads which I shall borrow from a Devout Author We have most Princely Dishes saith St. Bernard served up to us in the Supper of the Lord prepared with the most curious and exquisite Art and they are Deliciosa multum ad saporem Serm. 2 de Caena Dom. very delicious and sweet to the taste solida ad nutrimentum strong and solid for our nourishment efficacia ad medicinam powerfull and working for the curing of our diseases Seeing this Sacrament is a Feast and is called the Table and the Supper of the Lord under these three heads I shall comprehend these benefits that may excite every man to the examination of himself and invite us all to this Heavenly Chear The things that are here set before us are 1. Most sweet pleasant and refreshing 2. They are solid strengthning and nourishing and 3. They are Medicinal and Healing I. First Deliciosa ad saporem To a well-prepared pallate they afford a most sweet and delightsome relish This holy Sacrament breeds a Divine pleasure an Heavenly Joy in a right tempered soul and overflowes it with sweetness more than the body is satisfied with marrow and fatness now this refreshment arises 1. From a great sense which is here given us of the love of Christ which as the song of songs saith is better than Wine Cant. 1.2 It is more chearing and exhilerating more cordial and reviveing to think of his dear love in shedding his Bloud for us than to drink the bloud of the richest Grape and therefore the Church saith ver 4. We will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more than Wine It is beyond a ravishment to remember that men are so beloved by the King of Heaven so embraced by the Lord of all the world and still it is the more transporting for to consider that they feed upon this Lord of Love and that he gives his very self unto them and by such secret and wonderfull wayes unites himself unto their souls And it is most of all affecting and but a little below Heaven to think that this is our Jesus and our Lord to say as the Spouse in the same Book My Beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 2.16 When God thus lifts up the light of his countenance upon a soul he puts gladness in its heart more than the joy of Harvest This is a Marriage-Feast and therefore full of pleasure Here the soul embraceth him and he folds it in his arms here they plight their truth mutually each to other here they engage themselves in unseparable unions to hold perpetuall entercourse and live eternally together in the greatest affection As the Bridegroom rejoyceth over his Bride so the Lord rejoyceth over it and he speaks not to it meerly by his servants but he kisses it with the kisses of his own mouth So one of the Greek Commentators prettily glosses upon those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let me not