who couldst give thy Fleshy thy sacred Blood By Faith to be my Soul 's Immortal Food O let thy Arms embrace Me Lord while I Here prostrate at thy sacred Footstool lie Till my Devouter Soul approach the peaceful Sky V. Who is able to describe his Glory Christ WOuldst Thou be worthy to participate To eat my Body and to drink my Blood Wouldst thou attain a sinless State Be wholly pure be wholly good Great was the Baptist's Honour who before My self the Gospel-Standard bore Pure are those Angels who on constant Wing Before my Throne Immortal Anthems sing Yet John yet Angels will submisly own Their Lord is kind but their Deservings none What then can Sinners plead or whence can they Pretend to Merits or to Favours due Would they alas their Souls survey Or to Themselves themselves be true They'd to the Dust before my Footstool bow No Merit then but Grace allow They'd all my condescensive Acts adore Their own unfit defective State deplore And with Amazement view that wondrous Love Which at my Table could such Guests approve Thou at my Altars as a Priest canst wait Approach my Presence and my Gifts dispense And Bread and Wine canst consecrate With mighty Words of Mystick Sense What Miracles my Language once could do Those Miracles thy Words renew Mean Matter thence proves a substantial Sign Of Grace Celestial and of Food Divine And by those Ways which heavenly Wisdom trod Sense sees the Matter Faith discerns the God Thou speak'st the Matter still the same remains Yet Strength invisible to all conveys The Mind sublimely entertains And Light thro humble Souls displays Thou seest the Sign couldst thou my Word believe thou 'dst then the inward Part receive Think then what Grace those sacred Hands confer When they imprint the Priestly Character Think what a glorious weight thy Shoulders bear When thou canst in thy Saviour's Room appear A Priest should always bring the Sacrifice Of Holy Converse and an Humble Mind In Him their Pattern vulgar Eyes Of Piety and Love should find With Angels or Angelick Saints below He should his holy Hours bestow When e're He robes himself his Thoughts should be How He may reconcile the World to Me How in his Saviour's Name he 'll intercede And how for Sinners with their Maker plead Think then think how thy Lord was crucifi'd O let his Sufferings melt thy yielding Heart Think how by cruel Hands he di'd That He to all might Love impart Think o're his Love his Life his Innocence From his Example Love commence Mourn o're thy murdering Sins with Sighs Tears Expunge the Follies of thy careless Years Give oft and oft receive that Food design'd To rouze the Sinner and refresh the Mind Mourn too for others Sins and O advise They'd oft remember their expiring Lord And with a grateful Sacrifice For Them his bleeding Wounds record When Thou shalt at my Board devoutly stand And raise thy Consecrating Hand God shall be honour'd Angels shall rejoice My Church adore Me with a chearful Voice New Grace shall every weary Soul revive And we 'll for ever in a blest Communion live VI. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord Bel. MY dearest Lord my surest Guide My God whose Help was ne'r deny'd What shall I do O teach Me Lord I 'm Terror all Confusion all When I my Vileness Lord recal And thy Majestick Height record I die if I abstain and I If I approach unworthy die Shew Me Dear Lord the perfect way Some Exercise before Me lay To fit Me for that sacred Feast It 's good it 's wondrous good to know What Reverence my Soul should show To Thee to be a welcome Guest To taste thy Banquet worthily And sacrifice a Heart to Thee VII Let a Mam examine Himself Christ THE Priest the Private Christian when they dare Approach my Table should with utmost care Their sinful Hearts survey They should with Reverence and Humility Firm Faith and just Resolves to honour Me Their Thoughts in order lay Discourse Receive and Consecrate And in my House with all their best Devotions wait Search thro' thy Conscience where some Taint appears With meek Confession and with mournful Tears O make thy Conscience pure Then when Thou com'st from all Convulsions free Of private griping Guilt thou may'st on Me Rely with Faith secure Hate all thy Sins but hate them more Which by their swift Returns advance thy daily Score Count o're the Bead-roll of thy sinful Deeds Mourn o're that Lust from whence thy Guilt proceeds As from a Poisonous Root O sigh to see thy Thoughts to Earth confin'd Enslav'd to Passions and to Lusts resign'd And all their baleful Fruit Think how thou' rt lost in outward Sense And how thy Phantosms vain from vain Delights commence Think how thou slightst thy Soul 's Internal State How worldly Joys thy holy Flames rebate How hard to Sighs and Tears How swift thou to a loose Debauch canst fly How slow to Rigours and Severity How fond of itching Ears To hear what 's new to see what 's fair And mean and humble things pass with a scornful Air. Mourn o're thy griping Hand thy stingy Heart How wild thy Talk how vain thy silent Part How loose thy Manners are Ill-tim'd thy Actions vast thy Appetite Deaf to thy God but fond of lazy Night And still averse to Care Fond of a Fable Drowsy all When thy poor Soul's Decays for constant Vigils call How Restless till my Holy Days are past How loth to taste of my Immortal Feast How all distracted there Thy Thoughts unhing'd thy Passions quickly rais'd Pointed thy Words thy Censures loudly blaz'd And all thy Dooms severe In Blessings mad in Suffering low Swift in thy boasting Tongue in thy Performance slow These and thy other Sins with Grief confest In this Resolve let all thy Sorrows rest Thy faulty Life to mend Then to my Honour all thy Self resign And let thy Body let thy Soul be Mine To Me thy Thoughts ascend So shall thy Sacrifice be sweet And in his Supper Thou thy Dearest Saviour meet Give but thy Self in this no Sacrifice Can please me more no purer Incense rise From Altars here below If thus a Man with all his Might repent My Grace shall then his Future Woes prevent And Life on him bestow I 'll straight expunge his fatal Score Bless Him with endiess Smiles and mark his Sins no more VIII He endur'd the Cross Christ THUS on the Cross I stretch'd my bleeding Arms And thus my naked Limbs expos'd Thus I dissolv'd dark Hell's malignant Charms And thus thy Wars with Heav'n compos'd I gave my Self a Sacrifice And bore what else thy Soul had born O on my Wounds then turn thy Eyes See how my Brows the sanguine Drops adorn Offer O offer then thy Self to Me A Sacrifice sublim'd and pure O be thy Strength thy best Affections free O may I but thy Self procure Give Me thy Self the Gift I 'll prize But All without thy Self despise
Thy Longings nothing could on Earth suffice Should'st thou but miss thy Maker there Thro Me alone in Price thy Blessings rise I all the noblest Gifts endear And canst thou dream large Hecatombs Should satisfy what God requires Think'st Thou I feed on what consumes With noisom Stench and in material Fires No I thy Self Dear Soul thy All command Give then O give thy Self to Me I leave my Body in thy faithful Hand I offer'd all my Self for Thee Dearly I 'm sure I purchas'd Thee Give then O give thy Self to Me But give it freely or the Gift will be A poor unworthy Sacrifice If I must only have a Part in Thee No happy Union thence can rise A Free-Will-Offering finds a place With God and to thy Self assures Vast Liberty and wondrous Grace Which none while of himself too fond procures I 've said Vnless a Man his All forsake He 's no Disciple fit for Me And wouldst thou one of my Attendants make From all inferiour Service free Wouldst Thou my blest Disciple be Give then O give thy Self to Me IX Offer unto God Thanksgiving and pay thy Vows unto the Most High Believer WHAT e're this Lower World contains Dear Lord is Thine And since a Free-Will-Offering Favour gains I here to Thee my Self resign Lord with a Heart sincere I freely offer up my Self to Thee My faithful Service and obsequious Fear A Sacrifice of Praise to be When I thy Self Dear Lord receive And round thy Table smiling Angels wait O don't my glorious Hopes deceive But let it be New Life to Me Let Me thy heavenly Grace thy Loves participate My Sins Dear Lord for Love of Thee I sacrifice Those Sins with which from early Infancy I durst offend thy sacred Eyes Lo at thy Altars here I cast them all O let thy burning Love Consume them Lord my sinful Conscience clear And all the Stains of Sin remove That Grace which Sin had lost before That Grace of which my Self my Self bereav'd O to my Soul Dear God restore Smile Lord on Me And let Me be To thy immortal Kiss thy boundless Peace receiv'd I 've sinn'd I 'm lost Lord what shall I For Pardon do I 'll at thy Feet with deep Confession lie And all my Tears for Guilt renew Atone my God for Me To Thee I 'll offer up unceasing Cries I 'll offer up unceasing Prayers to Thee Look down O look with gracious Eyes I hate my Sins I hate them All Lord I repent indeed I mourn and grieve O save Me from a future Fall My Sins pass o're Wash out my Score My Soul with Blood redeem'd with precious Blood relieve I here for Mercy Lord resign My Self to Thee O don't repay those black Deserts of Mine But in thy Goodness deal with Me My fairest Actions here Poor weak alas I offer up to Thee O let 'um grateful in thy Sight appear Adorn'd with Life and Sanctity My Soul for nobler Actions wing And Me a senseless Brute a worthless Slave By thy all-prudent Conduct bring To that blest Place Where well-us'd Grace Shall all the bright Rewards of full Perfection have Lord at thy Feet I humbly lay My just Desire For Friends Relations Benefactors pray And all who my Relief require For them thy Aids dispose From Pains from Dangers from Afflictions free Let them thy dear reviving Smiles disclose And sing their grateful Hymns to Thee Where others Lord have injur'd Me Where I have injur'd others O forgive O let our numerous Failures be All gently past And we at last In mutual Charity and God's Embraces live Lord let our doubtful Hearts be free From Jealousy From Wrath from Malice all those Crimes which we Oft in each others Tempers see And let thy Grace remove What e're Distrust in Christian Souls can raise Or Charity confound or murder Love Or Nature's crasy State betrays Mercy we Mercy Lord implore On needy Souls thy Mercy Lord bestow And Grace from thy unbounded Store Till happy we May live with Thee Where endless Mercy reigns and boundless Pleasures flow X. Not forsaking the Assembling of your selves together as the Manner of some is Christ WOuldst Thou thy Passions utmost Rage command Wouldst Thou against infernal Malice stand More watchful yet and stronger grow Here the Springs of Mercy flow Here I every Grace bestow Here my Servants kindly know Oft at my Altars oft prepar'd appear And oft thou 'lt meet thy mighty Saviour there Hell knows what Strength my Flesh and Blood can give And tries a thousand Means and Ways And all his subtle Art displays To make the doubtful Soul in pinching Hunger live When for my Supper pious Souls are drest They 'r oft by Hell's delusive Wiles distrest He 'll still among my Sons appear Scatter Care and sensless Fear And tho I my self am near Try to make Disturbance there Scorn then his Terrors tho deform'd and foul And let Himself beneath the Burden howl Let neither Sloth nor Coldness ravish Thee Hell's Malice nor imposing Art Enslave or turn thy yielding Heart When it on joyful Wings should fly to feast with Me. He 'll tell Thee Holy Cheat He 'll tell Thee there Thy Preparations should be more severe But Thou hast ne'r confest thy Sin Never let Repentance in Never cleans'd thy self within And wouldst now in vain begin If this be true fly dearest Soul O fly And at my Feet with deep Contrition lie Before my Priest thy Follies humbly lay He bears my sacred Character And his absolving Hands confer True Life on contrite Souls and Comforts cloudless Day Throw off Hell's Poison from thy fainting Soul Sins Burden from thy drooping Conscience roll Fly then dear Soul O fly to Me I 'll thy happy Shelter be Set Thee soon from Bondage free Fly dear Soul O fly to Me Name not to Morrow that 's a tedious Day Now now thy own Internal State survey Don't with some stupid Brutes my Feast forbear Lest They more firmly ty'd should be To save themselves and honour Me But let those Vows renew'd my sacred Feast endear How low's their Love's and their Devotion 's Tide Who can so soon from their Engagements slide How dear how truly welcom 's He Who preserves his Conscience free Lives in Faith and Purity And is always fit for Me Sometimes thy Soul 's touch'd with an awful Fear Or may for some important Cause forbear But if encroaching Sloth thy Heart detain O shake it quickly off and I Will to thy fervent Bosom fly And thou shalt Loves renew'd and glowing Fervours gain If justly absent let thy chearful Will Thy eager Thoughts approach my Altars still Live so adorn'd with Innocence Lively Faith and heavenly Sense As may leave Thee no pretence With Attendance to dispense But when the Son of God assum'd the Man When his dear bloody Death thy Life began When He shook off Death's Chains and climb'd the Skies When He the glorious Spirit sent New Loves for Loves renew'd present And let Devotion 's Flames with
unfit Thee more to feast with Me Than to be far in Worldly Fancies lost What can a greater mischief be Than a Vain Heart by carnal Joys engross'd O fly the World's alluring Cheat And to enjoy thy God from Crowds retreat Of Me thy dearest Lord possest No crafty Thief can rob thy Breast Lo I am He who all thy Bosom claim I can't endure a Rival's Name Put off thy self then hide thy Life in me And live from every Care and every Torment free XIII With my Whole Heart have I sought Thee O let Me not wander Believer WHO Lord will give that Grace to Me That I may close with None but Thee And to enjoy my Soul 's Dear Object may My Bosom and my faithful Arms display Then shall I all inferiour Things despise No Creature shall distract my Eyes My Words with Thee my Life and Thine with Me Shall soft as whispering Lovers be Or Friends when they with Friends agree This Lord my utmost Wish shall be To live and to be One with Thee That I withdrawn from all the World below May fonder of Eternal Glories grow Swiftly to thy ador'd Communion fly And oft to Thee my Heart apply Ah when shall I Dear God! engulph'd in Thee Forget my self and only be Ever in Thee and Thou in Me Thou art my best Belov'd my Dear In whom my Soul's Delights appear Search thro the World view all the Wise the Fair None None can with my God my Life compare Thou lay'st those rugged Storms which rend my Heart Thy Smiles unfading Peace impart Thy Counsels Dearest Lord are dark but wise Thy Way obscur'd to Impious Eyes Yet plain to th' Meek and Humble lies Lord how thy Spirit gently blows How sweet thy charming Kindness flows That to thy Own thou mightst thy Love declare thou 'dst with Celestial Food their Strength repair None Lord like Vs can boast of God so near None to their Maker seem so Dear To make our Souls on Wings of Comfort rise Thy Flesh thy Blood our Want supplies And lifts us high above the Skies No Tribes e're gain'd so bright a Fame As those who bear their Saviour's Name What Creature e're was to his Lord so near As He whom pure Devotion 's Flames endear Man whom his Maker enters whom He feeds Whose Life from Mystic Flesh proceeds O condescending Grace O Love Immense Beyond our Words beyond our Sense Beyond all Dreams of Recompence What shall I render Lord to Thee For all thy wondrous Loves to Me A Heart a humble Heart is all my Store I 'll give Thee That nor can I give Thee more Vnite my Heart with Thee and all within Shall Hymns of Holy Praise begin Call then My Heart shall Eccho Lord to Thee I 'm Thine O live My God in Me That Prayer of all my Hopes the Central Point shall be XIV Whose Faith follow considering the End of their Conversation Believer O How deep the Treasures are Dear Lord of thy Immortal Sweets How inexhaustible the Share Which There thy happy Servant meets When I on that Prodigious Flame reflect Which fill'd thy happy Saints of old When I their Grace their Love their Zeal respect Their Acts in Starry Books enroll'd I die with One Eternal Blush confus'd By my Own luke-warm Heart accus'd Which had thy Loves so oft thy sacred Feasts abus'd Lord I blush to think how dry How unaffected there I came My Soul untouch'd by Sympathy Unmov'd by any purer Flame Others by vast Desires and Loves possest To Tears unsluc'd their Joyful Eyes The Floods the Flames with equal violence prest Would both with equal Fulness rise They 'd pant for Drops from Life's pure Springs distill'd Nor would their sacred Longings yield Till with Immortal Food and endless Pleasures fill'd O how soon their Faith could pierce The Shell of that Mysterious Feast How broken Bread to Longings fierce Their wounded dying Lord exprest But Lord how oft my cold Affections fail What Damps my Infant-Heats o'reflow Jesus for Pity let my Sighs prevail Some Cordial on a Wretch bestow O let my Faith my Hope my Love renew'd With more extensive Strength endu'd Only for Manna long and loath inferiour Food But thy Mercies Lord are great And can the Graces beg'd bestow And fill me with Superiour Heat And make my Passions fiercely glow Tho short of Heroes yet thy Grace may find Some Seeds in my unmanag'd Heart Tho short of Heroes my aspiring Mind Grasps at the better nobler Part. O let my Failures be by Mercy past Till with thy happy Heirs at last I may Eternal Sweets Eternal Glories taste XV. I dwell also with Him who is of a Contrite and Humble Spirit Christ WOuldst Thou Devotion 's Grace obtain Or inward holy Ardour gain O seek it Early seek it Late Let thy Petitions prove Importunate With Patience and with Faith expect the Dole Embrace it closely in a lowly Soul Improve it when it 's gain'd but leave God to appoint the Time when thou shalt Grace receive If Thou no Heat within canst find No lively Flames enlarge thy Mind O let that Thought abate thy Pride Yet not between thy Soul and Hopes divide One happy Moment oft that Gift bestows Which many tedious Years could ne're disclose God answers oft the Prayer at last Which seem'd refus'd before ere half the Suit was past Should Flames rush in at once the Soul Could ne're their rapid Force controul O then with Hopeful Patience wait If Sins obstruct or Sins thy Zeal rebate Small Sins may oft obscure or hinder Grace If those be small which mighty Gifts deface But Small or Great when once subdu'd Grace may be new infus'd or Grace decay'd renew'd To God submit thy Self thy All And ne're thy lingring Lusts recal Then Calms will soon o'respread thy Mind In Vnion with thy mighty Lord combin'd God's Will shall then thy utmost Longings move 'T will Sapid all and all Delightful prove He 's only fit for Heavenly Fires Who to his God resign'd subdues his Vain Desires A Heart from Earthly Passions free Empty of Creature-Vanity A Heart all Clean a Soul all Bright Will all the Blessings of its Lord invite The Man who these inferiour Things defies The more He to Himself corrupted dies Grace Fuller Swifter Stronger gains And his unfetter'd Soul to endless Glory strains He 'll see and Heaven's vast Stores admire And glowing with Etherial Fire He 'll to his Father's Hand resign And His to God's Eternal Will confine That happy Man who with a single Heart Seeks God and won't from Heavenly Reason start That Happy Man must sure be blest Of God so warmly sought and Godlike Grace possest When He before my Table kneels He Extasy and Rapture feels And from above swift Flames Divine With his bright Soul 's internal Glories twine And since his Master's Praise He values more Than his own Comforts or his private Store To be for ever One with Me Of His Self-Conquests all the great Reward shall be XVI He