our redemption and his blessed Sacrament to seal up unto us our redemption thus wrought and purchased And with souls thus thankfully elevated unto God we approach with all reverence to that heavenly table where God is both the Feast-master and the Feast What intention of holy thoughts what fervour of spirit what depth of Devotion must we now finde in our selves Doubtlesse out of heaven no object can be so worthy to take up our hearts What a clear representation is here of the great work of our Redemption How is my Saviour by all my senses here brought home to my soul How is his passion lively acted before mine eyes For lo my bodily eye doth not more truly see bread and wine then the eye of my faith sees the body and bloud of my dear Redeemer Thus was his sacred body torn and broken Thus was his precious bloud poured out for me My sins wretched man that I am helped thus to crucifie my Saviour and for the discharge of my sins would he be thus crucified Neither did he onely give himself for me upon the crosse but lo he both offers and gives himself to me in this his blessed institution what had his generall gift been without this application now my hand doth not more sensibly take nor my mouth more really eat this bread then my soul doth spiritually receive and feed on the bread of life O Saviour thou art the living bread that came down from heaven Thy flesh is meat indeed and thy bloud is drink indeed Oh that I may so eat of this bread that I may live for ever He that commeth to thee shall never hunger he that beleeveth in thee shall never thirst Oh that I could now so hunger and so thirst for thee that my soul could be for ever satisfied with thee Thy people of old were fed with Manna in the wildernesse yet they died that food of Angels could not keep them from perishing but oh for the hidden Manna which giveth life to the world even thy blessed self give me ever of this bread and my soul shall not die but live Oh the precious juice of the fruit of the Vine wherewith thou refreshest my soul Is this the bloud of the grape Is it not rather thy bloud of the New testament that is poured out for me Thou speakest O Saviour of new wine that thou wouldest drink with thy Disciples in thy Fathers kingdome can there be any more precious and pleasant then this wherewith thou chearest the beleeving soul our palate is now dull and earthly which shall then be exquisite and celestiall but surely no liquor can be of equall price or soveraignty with thy bloud Oh how unsavoury are all earthly delicacies to this heavenly draught O God let not the sweet taste of this spirituall Nectar ever goe out of the mouth of my soul Let the comfortable warmth of this blessed Cordiall ever work upon my soul even till and in the last moment of my dissolution Doest thou bid me O Saviour doe this in remembrance of thee Oh how can I forget thee How can I enough celebrate thee for this thy unspeakable mercy Can I see thee thus crucified before my eies for my sake thus crucified and not remember thee Can I finde my sins accessary to this thy death and thy death meritoriously expiating all these my grievous sins and not remember thee Can I hear thee freely offering thy self to me and feel thee graciously conveighing thy self into my soul and not remember thee I doe remember thee O Saviour but oh that I could yet more effectually remember thee with all the passionate affections of a soul sick of thy love with all zealous desires to glorifie thee with all fervent longings after thee and thy salvation I remember thee in thy sufferings Oh doe thou remember me in thy glory SECT XXIX HAving thus busied it self with holy thoughts in the time of the celebration the devout soul breaks not off in an abrupt unmannerlinesse without taking leave of the great Master of this heavenly feast but with a secret adoration humbly blesseth God for so great a mercy and heartily resolves and desires to walk worthy of the Lord Jesus whom it hath received and to consecreate it self wholly to the service of him that hath so dearly bought it and hath given it these pledges of it's eternall union with him The devout soul hath thus sup't in heaven and returnes home yet the work is not thus done after the elements are out of eye and use there remains a digestion of this celestial food by holy meditation and now it thinks Oh what a blessing have I received to day no lesse then my Lord Jesus with all his merits and in and with him the assurance of the remission of all my sins and everlasting salvation How happy am I if I be not wanting to God and my self How unworthy shall I be if I doe not strive to answer this love of my God and Saviour in all hearty affection and in all holy obedience And now after this heavenly repast how doe I feel my self what strength what advantage hath my faith gotten how much am I neerer to heaven then before how much faster hold have I taken of my blessed Redeemer how much more firm sensible is my interest in him Neither are these thoughts this examination the work of the next instant onely but they are such as must dwell upon the heart and must often solicite our memory and excite our practise that by this means we may frequently renue the efficacy of this blessed Sacrament and our souls may batten more and more with this spirituall nourishment and may be fed up to eternall life SECT XXX THese are the generalities of our Devotion which are of common use to all Christians There are besides these certain specialties of it appliable to severall occasions times places persons For there are morning and evening Devotions Devotions proper to our board to our closet to our bed to Gods day to our own to health to sicknesse to severall callings to recreations to the way to the field to the Church to our home to the student to the souldier to the Magistrate to the Minister to the husband wife child servant to our own persons to our families The severalties whereof as they are scarce finite for number so are most fit to be left to the judgement and holy managing of every Christian neither is it to be imagined that any soul which is taught of God and hath any acquaintance with heaven can be to seek in the particular application of common rules to his own necessity or expedience The result of all is A devout man is he that ever sees the invisible and ever trembleth before that God he sees that walks ever here on earth with the God of heaven and still adores that Majesty with whom he converses that confers hourely with the God of spirits in his own language yet so as no
the evidence of things not seen In our extremities we hope for Gods gracious deliverance faith gives a subsistence to that deliverance before it be The mercies that God hath reserved for us doe not yet show themselves faith is the evidence of them though yet unseen It was the Motto of the learned and godly Divine Master Perkins Fidei vita vera vita The true life is the life of faith a word which that worthy servant of God did both write and live neither indeed is any other life truly vitall but this for hereby we enjoy God in all whatsoever occurrences Are we abridged of means we feed upon the cordiall Promises of our God Doe we sigh and groan under varieties of grievous persecutions out of the worst of them we can pick out comforts whiles we can hear our Saviour say Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of Heaven Are we deserted and abandoned of friends we see him by us who hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Doe we droop under spirituall desertions we hear the God of truth say For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Are we driven from home If wee take the wings of the morning and remain in the uttermost parts of the Sea even there also shall thine hand lead us and thy right hand shall hold us Are we dungeon'd up from the sight of the Sun Peradventure the darknesse shall cover us but then shall our night be turned into day yea the darknesse is no darknesse with thee Are we cast down upon the bed of sicknesse He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death It cannot bee spoken hovv injurious those men are to themselves that will be managing their owne cares and plotting the prevention of their fears and projecting their own both indemnity and advantages for as they lay an unnecessary load upon their own shoulders so they draw upon themselves the miseries of an unremediable disappointment Alas how can their weaknesse make good those events which they vainly promise to themselves or avert those judgements they would escape or uphold them in those evils they must undergoe Whereas if wee put all this upon a gracious God hee contrives it with ease looking for nothing from us but our trust and thankfulnesse SECT XXI Of true inward riches IN the third place it will be most requisite to furnish the foul with true inward riches I mean not of meer morall vertues which yet are truly precious when they are found in a good heart but of a wealth as much above them as gold is above drosse Yea as the thing which is most precious is above nothing And this shall be done if we bring Christ home to the soul if we can possesse our selves of him who is God al-sufficient For such infinite contentment there is in the Son of God made ours that whosoever hath tasted of the sweetnesse of this comfort is indifferent to all earthly things and insensible of those extream differences of events wherewith others are perplexed How can he be dejected with the want of any thing who is possessed of him that possesseth all things How can he be over-affected with triviall profits or pleasures who is taken up with the God of all comfort Is Christ mine therefore How can I fail of all contentment How can he complain to want light that dwels in the midst of the Sun How can he complain of thirst out of whose belly flow rivers of living water What can I wish that my Christ is not to me Would I have meat and drink My flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drink indeed Would I have clothing But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ saith the Apostle Would I have medicine He is the Tree of life the leaves whereof are for the healing of the Nations Would I have safety and protection He truly is my strength and my salvation he is my defence so as I shall not fall In God is my health and my glory the Rock of my might and in God is my trust Would I have direction I am the way and the truth Would I have life Christ is to me to live I am the resurrection and the life Would I have all spirituall things We are in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdome and Righteousnesse and Sanctification and Redemption Oh the happy condition of the man that is in Christ and hath Christ in him Shall I account him rich that hath store of Oxen and Sheep and Horses and Camels that hath heaps of metals and some spots of ground and shall I not account him infinitely more rich that ownes and enjoyes him whose the earth is and the fulnesse of it whose Heaven is and the glory of it Shall I justly account that man great whom the King will honour and place near to himselfe and shall I not esteeme that man more honourable whom the King of Heaven is pleased to admit unto such partnership of glory as to professe To him that overcommeth will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set downe with my Father in his Throne It is a true word of Saint Augustine that every soul is either Christs Spouse or the Devils Harlot Now if we be matched to Christ the Lord of glory what a blessed union is here What can he withhold from us that hath given us himself I could envie the devotion of that man though otherwise mis-placed whom Saint Bernard heard to spend the night in no other words then Deus meus omnia My God and all things Certainly he who hath that God hath more then all things he that wants him what ever else he seemes to possesse hath lesse then nothing SECT XXII Holy resolutions 1. That our present estate is best for us AFter these serious considerations and meet dispositions shall in the last follow certain firme resolutions for the full actuating our contentment And first we must resolve out of the unfailable grounds of divine Providence formerly spoken of that the present estate wherein we are is certainly the best for us and therefore wee must herein absolutely captivate our understanding and will to that of the Highest How unmeet Judges are flesh and blood of the best fitnesse of a condition for us As some palates which are none of the wholsomest like nothing but sweet meats so our nature would be fed up with the only delicacies of pleasures and prosperity according to the false principle of Aristippus that he onely is happy which is delighted but the all-wise God knowes another diet more fit for our health and
as they are brittle yet vvhat comfort could they yeeld for the soul to rest in Alas their efficacy is too short to reach unto a true Contentation yea if the best of them vvere perpetuated unto us upon the fairest conditions that this Earth can allow hovv intolerable tedious would it prove in the fruition Say that God were pleased to protract my life to the length of the age of the first founders of Mankinde and should in this state of body adde hundreds of years to the days of my pilgrimage Woe is me how vveary should I be of my self and of the World I that now complain of the load of seventy one yeers how should I be tyred out ere I could arrive at the age of Parre but before I could climb up to the third Century of Johannes de Temporibus hovv often should I call for death not to take up but to take off my burthen and with it my self But if any or all these earthly blessings could be freed from those grievances wherewith they are commonly tempered yet how little satisfaction could the soul finde in them What are these outward things but very luggage which may load our backs but cannot lighten our hearts Great and vvise Solomon that had the full command of them all cries out Vanity of Vanities and a greater Monarch then hee shuts up the Scene with I have been all things and am never the better All these are of too narrow an extent to fill the capacious soul of Man the desires vvhereof are enlarged with enjoying so as the more it hath the lesse it is satisfyed neither indeed can it bee otherwise The Eye and the Eare are but the Purveyours for the Heart if therefore the eye be not satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing how shall the heart say It is enough Now vvho vvould suffer himself to be too much disquieted vvith the losse of that vvhich may vex him but cannot content him We doe justly smile at the folly of that vain Lord of vvhom Petrarch speakes who vvhen an Horse vvhich hee dearely loved was sick laid that Steed of his on a silken bed vvith a vvrought pillovv under his head and caused himselfe then afflicted vvith the Gout to be carried on his servants shoulders to visit that dear patient and upon his decease mourned solemnly for him as if it had been his Son We have laught at the fashion of the Girles of Holland vvho having made to themselves gay and large Babies and laid them in a curious cradle fain them to sicken and dye and celebrate their funerall vvith much passion So fond are we if having framed to our selves imaginary contentments here in the World vve give vvay to immoderate grief in their miscarriage SECT VII The danger of the love of these earthly comforts NEither are these earthlie comforts more defective in yeelding full satisfaction to the soul then dangerous in their over-dear fruition For too much delight in them robs us of more solid contentments The World is a cheating gamester suffering us to win at the first that at last he may goe away with all Our very Table may be made our snare and those things vvhich should have been for our vvealth may bee unto us an occasion of falling Leo the fourth Emperour of Constantinople delighted extreamly in precious stones with these he embellishes his Crown which being worn close to his Temples strikes such a cold into his head that causeth his bane yea how many vvith the too much love of these outward things have lost not their lives onely but their souls No man can be at once the Favourite of God and the World as that Father said truly or as our Saviour in fuller tearms No man can serve two Masters GOD and Mammon Shortly the World may be a dangerous enemy a sure friend it cannot bee If therefore we shall like wise men value things at their due prices since we are convinced in our selves that all these earthly comforts are so transitory in their nature so unsatisfying in their use and so dangerous in their enjoying hovv little reason have we to be too much affected with forgoing them Our bloud is dear to us as that wherein our life is yet if we finde that it is either infected or distempered vve doe willingly part vvith it in hope of better health How much more vvith those things which are farther from us and lesse concerning us SECT VIII Consideration of the Divine Providence ordering all events THe second Consideration is of that All-wise Providence which ordereth all events both in Heaven and Earth allotting to every Creature his due proportion so over-ruling all things to the best that we could not want if he knew it better for us to abound This Station he hath set us in this measure he hath shared out to us whose will is the rule of good what we have therefore cannot but be best for us The World is a large Chesse-board every man hath his place assigned him one is a King another a Knight another a Pawn and each hath his severall motion vvithout this variety there could be no game played A skilfull Player will not stirre one of these Chips but vvith intention of an advantage neither should any of his men either stand or move if in any other part of that Checker it might bee in more hope to win There is no estate in this World vvhich can be universally good for all one mans meat may be another mans medicine and a third mans poyson A Turk findes health and temper in that Opium vvhich would put one of us into our last sleep Should the Plow-man be set to the Gentlemans fare this Chicken that Partridge or Phesant would as over-slight food bee too soon turned over and leave his empty stomach to quarrell for stronger provision Beef is for his diet and if any sawce needs besides his hunger Garlick Every man hath as a body so a minde of his own vvhat one loves is abhorred of another the great House-keeper of the world knows how to fit every palate with that which either is or should be agreeable to it for salubrity if not for pleasure Lay before a Childe a Knife and a Rod and bid him take his choice his hand will be straight upon that edge tool especially if it be a little guilded and glittering but the Parent knows the Rod to be more safe for him and more beneficiall We are ill carvers for our selves he that made us knows what is fit for us either for time or measure without his Providence not an hair can fall from our heads We would have bodily health I cannot blame us what is the vvorld to us without it He whose wee are knows sicknesse to bee for the health of the soul whether should we in true judgement desire We vvish to live who can blame us life is sweet but if our Maker have ordained that nothing but Death can render us glorious what madnesse