powder For my going aside from thee and defiling my self the wine that comforts and makes worthy Receivers fruitful in grace may be unto me as the water of Jealousie bitter within my bowels causing my belly to swell and my thigh to rot nd I may be a curse among the people His blood might be lay'd to my charge for my condemnation sealing up all my other fins instead of being sprinkled upon my Conscience to humble me for and cleanse me from all sin Behold I am vile viler then the earth but look upon me in thy Son and thou wilt love me and be well pleased with me mine only hope is in that grace and mercy made known in and thorow him I have broken thy commands but he hath fulfil'd them affronted thy Justice but he hath satisfied it deserved thy wrath but he hath endur'd it the chastisement of my peace was upon him let the merit of his righteousness be upon me and by his stripes let me be healed His Blood is my onely refuge oh let it be my Attonement or I perish eternally Wherefore didst thou shed it but to save sinners Remember not what I have done against thee but what he hath done and suffered for me Oh when I consider thy greatness and my unworthiness thy purity and my uncleanness thy glorie and my shame I am confounded and discouraged but when I consider thy mercy and wisdom bountie and goodness readiness to forgive and desire to impart thy self unto thy servants then I am encouraged to come with boldness unto thee Thou never despis'd him that call'd upon thee or forsook any that abode in thy fear It was never known that any who trusted in thee were ever confounded Oh respect not the greatness of my offences but of thy goodness though I have so often broken my part of that Covenant the Sacrament Seals yet be thou pleased to make good thine to be merciful to my unrighteousness and to remember my sins my iniquities no more Thou knowest how intolerable a thing it is to lie under thy wrath to all eternitie and therefore lovest to do miracles of mercie because thou lovest not that a sinner should perish Have mercie upon me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me throughly from mine iniquities and cleanse me from all my defilements with the merit and virtue of that Blood which thou hast so abundantly shed for penitent sinners that I may with an undefiled soul eat of the purest sacrifice the Lamb slain from the beginning so I shall have no spot in me for which thou wilt judge me at thy Table or condemn me at thy Tribunal Being in Christ reconciled unto me oh give further evidences of thy fatherly affection by bestowing a double portion of thy grace upon me now thou callest me to this Ordinance and who is sufficient for these things I have neither a meet Sacrifice to offer nor a meet vessel to receive thee I know not what to say or do how to pray or receive prepare or behave my self not sufficient of my self to think any thing as of my self but my sufficiency is of thee the preparation of the heart and answer of the tongue is from thee the God the promiser the Giver of grace as well as glory that invites all to come unto thee with assurance of finding with and receiving from thee whatsoever is requisite for their refreshment support and comfort ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without monie and without price Thou preparest a table for us in this wilderness where we eat of thy own Bread and drink of thy own Cup omittest no expression of tender love to treat us as a most indulgent Father But shall the time of receiving come before thou come into my soul to stir up thy graces in me Ganst thou that so loved me who was of no worth while yet in my sins as to die for me neglect me in thee shall I whose only hope is to be saved by Christ be sent away with the guilt instead of the comfort of his Blood Oh of his fulness let me receive and grace for grace let thy Spirit help mine infirmities thy grace be sufficient for me thy strength be made perfect more eminently manifest in weakness Array me with the righteousness of the Saints put upon me the Lord Jesus let me be found having on the Wedding-garment at the Wedding-supper such a preparation of Soul as may qualifie me for it such a degree of reverence and humility saving knowledge godly sorrow renewed repentance new obedience lively faith unfeigned love joy and thankefulness holy desires self-denial sutable solemn heavenly meditations as becomes a worthy Communicant Oh thou true food of my Soul receive me who am to receive thee quicken me with thy Spirit feed me with thy Flesh satisfie me with thy Blood vouchsafe me thy Grace communicate to me thy Nature let me receive life from thee to act and live unto thee who measurest not thy gifts by our petitions or desertss but our wants and thy own mercy Earnest Supplication for Requisite Qualifications TO go to that Ordinance which requires all imaginable liveliness and activity with dull and cloudy affections will be my sin and an aggravation of it if through want of diligent endeavour to get my Soul affected and inflam'd by stirring up the graces of God in me and whither shall I go for this but unto thee the author and finisher of them how shall I do it but by thee Oh do it for me Holy Reveronce and Humility Affect my heart with an awful reverence and selfbasement upon my so near approach unto thee in this solemn Ordinance towards the greatness of thy Majestie with whom I there come to renew my Covenant towards the excellencie of thy Son whom I come to receive into my Soul towards the holiness of thy Spirit whose assiance I hope for and by whom I come there to be establisht in my Union and Communion with Christ and his Members Oh how durst I who am nothing but folly and infirmitie misery and sin shame and death presume to come so nigh for behold the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee unless thou hadst invited and commanded it If so much Sanctity Reverence and Devotion was requisite as to the Ark the Temple the receiving thy Law Oh how shall I behave my self now I go to receive thy very self or Communicate with thee that deserves not to come before thee Oh how Humble should I be who am to receive a gift of Free Grace Was he Humble that was all Purity and shall I be proud who am so defiled The high and lofty One dwells not in a haughty heart but with him that is of a contrite humble spirit not will he that humbled himself to the death be taken into a proud Soul Oh that I
so cause me to feed on digest improve his body and blood having the same expectation of Spiritual and Eternal life from him that I have of temporal life from my food Let me eat not only the Bread of the Lord but the Bread which the Lord that as by my senses I receive â—he Elements to my Corporal so by faith 〈◊〉 may receive and apply him to my Spiriâ—â—al nourishment Let the Ordinance be a â—â—vely resemblance remembrance and â—pplication of the sufferings and earnest of the Supper of the Lamb. Let Christ be 〈◊〉 lively set forth as if Crucified before by eyes dying for me that beholding â—mbracing and even putting my fingers â—nto the print of his nails and feet and â—hrusting my hand into his side so fully â—erswaded of his suffering for me that I â—â—ay not be faithless but believing saying â—y Lord and my God he loved me and â—ave himself for me my beloved is mine â—nd I am his O that I may so touch him â—s may find and feel strength peace virâ—ue come from him and be healed of all â—â—y uncleanness that they may not be â—nto death but unto the glory of thy â—ercyâ— in pardoning and grace in purifying 〈◊〉 polluted a Wretch That it may be he food the feast of my graces the poiâ—â—on the funeral of my corruptions Let â—â—e so feed on his blessed Bodie and bathe â—â—y soul in his pretious Blood that my Soul may magnifie the Lord and mâ—â— Spirit rejoyce in God my Saviour whoâ—â— having not seen I may love in whâ—â— though now I see him not yet believing 〈◊〉 may rejoyce with joy unspeakable and fuâ—â— of glory Circumcise my Heart to loâ—â— thee with all my Soul Love and witâ— all my strength Let my hearâ— be ravisht with this infinite merciâ—â— in thee to sinful miserable man in cotriving and giving so glorious a Reddeemer and Redemption to save him and now in presenting us with such special Seals of his love and admitting uâ—â—â— into so near so holy a Communion 〈◊〉 For this let me be dissolv'd into lovâ— to thee and thy Son and to man foâ— his sake and into a steadfast vow of lifâ— and death to thy service that I will give and forgive do and suffer any thing foâ— thee Let me be fill'd with holy raptures joys and hopes in so great a goodness who having done this will deâ—â— me nothing and maugre the rage and malice of hell not see my soul lost foâ— whom all this is done Oh let me meet with strong endearments of Affections melting and flowing over toâ—ards thee languishing with desires enjoy thee even turn'd into made 〈◊〉 of love for thee that I may be the â—isciple whom thou lovest and laid in â—y bosom Oh deal with me as thou â—ften dost with those that draw near to â—â—ee though I burn not with so hot a â—ame yet through thy grace I crave it â—f thee that I may participate with â—nd be numbred among such fervent â—overs If I cannot say I am sick of Love â—et am sick that I cannot love thee â—here wilt thou give me thy love â—dmission to more familiar fellowship â—earâ—r manifestation sensible feeling â—nd assurance of thy love and affectiâ—n unto me that I am beloved of â—hee Give me grace to love the Lord â—esus in sincerity let him dwell in my â—eart by Faith and Love that being â—â—oted and grounded in Love I may be â—ble to comprehend with all Saints â—hat is the breadth and length and â—epth and heighth and to know the â—ove of Christ which passes knowledge â—hat the remembrance of him may pierce â—e with grief transport me with love captivate my will engage all my affections to him and for him And let me knoâ— I am passed from death to life because love the Brethren Shed abroad thâ— love in my cold frozen heart and inflaâ—â— it with fervent affection to thee and thing While my love is burning towards thâ— self oh how can it chuse but be imparâ—â— to thy Friends who sincerely love theâ— and on whom thou hast set thy heart arâ—shed thy love thy spirit whereby the are made like unto thee They mâ—â— needs be lovely in my eyes to whoâ— Christ is pretious Oh let me not conâ—â— to this Love-feast with a bitter but chanâ—â— table spirit Purge out therefore tâ—â— old leven of malice which will sow the Ordinance to me Oh that our Fâ—ther in Heaven may look down upon 〈◊〉 children feasting together in mutual loâ—â— and delight in the remembrance of 〈◊〉 that love he hath shewn us and joyâ—â— expectation of what further he hath pâ—â—mised to us Let me not sit sad aâ— dejected Joy and Thanksgiving as if I liked 〈◊〉 the provision or though my self not welcom Maâ—â— this real magnificent solemn sumptuous Feast these Celestial Viands wherewith thou feedest thy people by thy gracious comfortable discoveries of thy self a spiritual banquet unto my soul a feast of fat things a feast of wine on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wine on the lees well refin'd Do not onely stand and knocks but open the door of my heart vouchsafe to come in and abide with me that there may be a chearful comfortable converse sup with me and let me sup with thee that I may be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house feel and find abundance of soul-satisfaction reached out to me in the Ordinance and do thou make me drink of the River of thy pleasure quench my thirst after carnal and let me be fill'd with Divine pleasures ravishments and contentments flowing from the inexhaustible fountain of Divine plentie Let my soul be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth praise thee with joyful lips Let me come before thee with thanksgiving and praise thee with my whole heart Let there be Angels work at Angels food make me joyful in thy house of prayer By and for him let me offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God the fruit of my lips giving thanks unto his Name in the great Congregation and Praise thee among much People Thou art ready to give bread to the hungry to fill them with good things Spiritual Thirst and the water of life to him that is athirst Thou art not straitned in thy self but I am straitned in my own bowels the desire and the meat the necessity and relief are all from thee Oh thou that providest Food give also a stomach bid and make me welcom say eat oh Friend drink yea drink abundantly oh Beloved Oh create and stir up in me earnest longings and a Spiritual appetite that I may come to be made partaker of the good things thou hast prepared for me with enlarged affections and longing desires after answerable to my need of the Ordinance and Christ offered in it as full nourishment for my Soul under the forms of Bread and Wine and with strong expectations to receive him and his benefits with desire let me desire to eat this Passeover
among worse as well as died among â—hieves Blessedness is made not earth â—nely but wo to bring earth from wo to â—lessedness Behold him now O my soul hanging â—pon the Cross and thy sins putting him â—nto that gore saying Weep not for me â—hat endures it but weep for your selves â—hat causes it read in me the cruelty of â—our sins see how barbarously they have â—sed me how miserably I am torn and wounded by you how many thorns in this Crown of thorns are your sins how my blood with my warmest love runs out to fetch you home to God Oh my head my side my hands and my feet Look through these gaping wounds into my heart pierc'd first by love and then by a spear for you Was ever any sorrow or love like unto mine Can I do more then die for you Will you not be perswaded what an evil and bitter thing sin is unto me Do you not see how it rakes into my side and tears my very heart how greedily it sucks my blood Behold the pits it diggeth the very print of its nails see the very place where it hath thrust its spear Canst thou hug and embrace bloody Parricides shew any kindness to so deadly an enemy harbour them that have used me thus You say You are my friends will you not take my part against them Have not all these wounds mouths enough to persvvade you to fall out vvith sin Would you have me used thus again Could you find in your heart to see me once more upon a Gibbet Will you tear open my wounds crucifie me afresh Else why can you not be prevail'd with by this sight Why do you not spit in the face of your sins do all the despight you can unto revenge me perfectly upon them â—ail them unto my Cross if you would have me embrace you O how ought my Adamantine heart to rend in pieces when all thy tortures and grones are for are from us And yet as if once were not sufficient how often do we joyn with those that crucifie thee afresh By hypocrisie we bend the knee with ludibrious devotion saying Hail King of the Jews By presumption we put a Reed in thy hand We smite and buffet thee with the works of darkness saying Prophesie who smote thee By Prophaneness we spit in thy face the filth of our rotten hearts By Sacriledge we cast lots for thy garments By Schism we divide thy seamless Coat which the rude Soldiers did not By popularity we wash our hands as innocent and to please men condemn thee By unhallowed cups we give thee gall to drink By Superstition betray thee vvith a kiss and despise thee vvith seeming honour By Apostacy deny forswear thee By Heresie rack and disjoynt thee By the roareâ— laughs and scoffs oaths and blasphemies tear and rend thee By any common sin we prefer Barabba before thee O weâ—â— thy pains so light that we must every day redouble them Is this the kindness the entertainment thou deservest the recompence of thine inestimable love thus cruelly to vex and wound thee O how can we hope to find Redemption by thy Blood while we continue by our horrid crimes to make new gashes in thy side to rub thy wounds afresh and cause them to stream anew that were even closed up before an act more Jewish then the Jews Oh! I sigh unto thee for want of grief for thy grievous sufferings Oh that I could turn my self into tears that I might wash the wounds I have made seeing thou diedst for my sins how ought I to despise my self who have so cruelly offended and tormented thee the very party whose offences have brought those miserable torments and death upon thee Oh how must this needs irreconcile and engage me to pursue them to death that in the eye of all the world brought so great shame and pain and amazement on the Lord of Life and Glory Come along with me Oh ye vile ye sinful passions and corrupt affections into his presence if ye dare live so long and there receive your mortal wound from him Methinks you should begin to die at the very thoughts of a dying Redeemer and swoun away at the sight of yonder Blood and not stay till you come to his Cross but give up the Ghost before you see but the image his death do you not feel the power of it afar off doth not his pierced side pierce your heart before you behold it Oh ye bloody things what have ye done what wounds have you made in the Bodie of my Lord lay your necks quietly on the block prepare your selves for death which is approaching nay never struggle nor resist think not to live any longer for I have vow'd you in sacrifice to him And now what remains Ends in going but that I renew a quick and lively sense of the ends of this Rite and of mine in going and what lies hid under the Ceremonie Oh my Soul whither art thou going What is that Table which I see yonder spread for us and what is thy chief design in going to it what means that broken bread that is provided for vvhat end vvas that body Crucified do men use to drink a cup of Blood Oh let me knovv the bottom of this mysterie let me enter into this secret and my ovvn heart's Renouncing my own Righteousness and Preparation in his name merits mediation strength and righteousness in obedience to thy command and thy follovvers practice to renevv my Covenant vvith thee to commemorate and be affected vvith his death to ovvn and encrease my Spiritual Union and Communion vvith him and his members to further my joy in the Holy Ghost peace of Conscience and hopes of Eternal Life for the nourishment of my Soul to get povver against my sins to act and excite and strengthen my graces to make fresh applications of his blood to have the Covenant of Grace vvith all its blessings sealed unto me I go unto thy Table O stir up in me thirsting desires after strong expectations to receive these blessed ends and benefits and do thou make them good unto me Oh how weak To strengthen my Inner man how imperfect are my Graces I see and know but in part so love obey believe but in part Oh how many temptations adversaries difficulties assault me How seldom have I a will to do good and when I would do good evil is present with me All I have â—an or am is from thee so due unto thee but all still unworthy of thee yet how heart-bound is that little all of service I do thee I pray as if afraid to be heard bear as if unwilling to be saved communicate as if loth to receive thee serve thee as if I would not please thee To that end I go to the Lords Supper sutable and sufficient to nourish my inner man where â—re rendred most familiarly and effectually his Flesh and Blood meat and drink indeed Oh that I may have such â—xpectations of
The DEVOUT COMMUNICANT Exemplified in his Behaviour Before At and After The SACRAMENT Of the LORDS SUPPER More Practical Vseful and Sutable to all the parts of that Solemn Ordinance than any yet extant In this Impression is added a Prayer before and another after the Sacrament together with more particular Directions and Meditations for the Time of Receiving But they made light of it Matth. 22 5. London Printed for Thomas Dring at the Harrow next Chancery Lane in Fleetstreet 1675. TO THE TRVLY NOBLE Sir K. L. Baronet SIR AMong the Multitude of Practical Divine Treatises are none more numerous than on the Lords Supper nor more diversly handled Not a few well-disposed persons yet complain they are at a loss not so much which to make use of variety here distracting as that they know not how to form Directions into apposite Meditations they sequester they sit they seem to reflect as others but know not what to say in themselves to their great discomfort and discouragement The ensuing Manual is so methodically digested for their assistance and presented to your self not as one that needs it but the Composer a better evidence of his great esteem of a person so constant so devout a Communicant so eminently Charitable so rarely Tempered so truly Honourable If it displease any I borrow of so many to discharge one great debt methinks my Honesty in owing it may satisfie their allowing me also to make the best use of theirs I were able And if this be a bad one 't is a right hand error I hope they 'l not condemn but pity and pardon me I was no better advis'd my ambition being not to appear in publik but to be publickly useful and to let the World know how much I am SIR Your great Admirer and Humble Servant A PREMONITION To The READER ALthough the ensuing Treatise was design'd to be ushered into publick view without any other Epistle than that Dedicatory to one who is for no other witnesses of his eminent Piety then those two which are more than ten thousand yet it is found requisite to advertise those who are willing to make use of it 1. As to that part of Preparation which respects Humiliation for sin Matter enough for which every one may find there by examining his manifold breaches of the Law and Gospel yet the Communicant in an especial manner is to reflect upon and be deeply humbled for his own iniquities and particular failings since the foregoing Communion but no exact example could be given of what himself is only conscious 2. For Prayers the Week before and Morning of the Communion they refer for Memory-sake to the requisite Graces and Ends in going to the Ordinance 3. More matter is provided than I doubt will be spent at the time of Receiving in this Frozen Age so deviated from the Primitive when all Christians still partook of that one Cup yet those that notwithstanding all endeavours have Memories so unfaithful as they dare not trust may for ought I know by Book make use of so much of that they judge most pertinent as the spaces of joyning with the Minister will admit 4. A Prayer before and another after the Sacrament with more particular directions and meditations for the time of Receiving is added in this Edition to satisfie those who thought them wanting though the Author did not in the first 5. If any thing be judged unsutable because not usual there is matter enough besides They are left to their liberty that are not of my mind Some Books printed for Thomas Dring at the White Lion next Chancery Lane end in Fleetstreet ☞ Englands Imminent Danger and onely Remedy faithfully considered and represented By an Impartial Hand Necessary to be read by all people in these times Titles of Honour by the late famous and learned Antiquary John Selden of the Inner Temple Esq The third Edition with Additions and Amendments by the Author Folio The History of Romish Treasons and Usurpations together with a particular account of many gross Corruptions and Impostures in the Church of Rome highly dishonourable and injurious to the Christian Religion to which is prefixed a large Preface to the Romanists by Heâ— Fowlis B. D. Folio A Relation of a Conference between Bishop Laud and Mr. Fisher the Jesuiâ—â— The third Edition Folio The Consecration of Places for Gods publick Service Worship and the Reverence due unto them vindicated by Thâ— wemys M. A. in 〈◊〉 The Devout COMMUNICANT Frequent Celebration DO this in remembrance of me is a permission and an injunction 't is our Duty as well as our Benefit to reâ—eive Christ so not to receive him both our â—n and misery 'T is more then a command charge of a dying Testator and Saviour As the benefit is of infinite merit so should he acknowledgment be an Eternal Memoâ—ial His death should always live in our â—earts and we so careful in doing this â—â—at when he comes again he may find us 〈◊〉 doing Doth he not now thus bespeak â—s Can the King of Kings take it kindly 〈◊〉 your hands when he hath kill'd the fatâ—d Calf furnished his Table sent forth his Servants saying Behold I have prepared my Supper come eat of my Bread and drink of my Wine which I have mingled all things are ready come unto the Marriage and you make light of it so mean are your thoughts of his fare and company or desire to be excus'd because you are not drest when indeed you never went about to make you ready Do you not provoke him to leave you to let you go sorrowing to your graves to say None of those that were bidden though they see the plenty shall taste the sweetness fatness goodness of my Supper was there ever any so dear so precious cost it not the Master of it his own life to make it If out of courtesie you invite a poor man to the best that can be had and he saucily ungratefully find fault with your meat ask you why you troubled him to come to so poor Provision or send word you have nothing worth coming for he can provide for himself hath better at home and better company would you think he deserv'd the worst bit of it or another invitation 't is a sign you value not you slight Com 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with me If you loved me you would â—till â—e seeing looking upon desiring to be with me where I am wont to walk to manifest my self to sit at my Table to sup with my Disciples and never be at rest without a renewed sense of my love unto you you are they I live and dye for for whom I do and suffer so much of whom I will always think upon in whose Thoughts I love to live and because my departure is at hand and I must go away from you this memorial I leave with you to put you always in remembrance when you see it think of me who in the very night I was betrayed when taking that doleful farewel
of an ungrateful world was so mindful of your good and comfort to arm establish and refresh you and will you neglect dis-esteem contemn it doth not the benefit of my passion without your desert plead for the constant meditation of it without your scandal The frequent faithful remembrance of what I did and suffered for you is my chief request and your only requital and yet do you distaste what I â—mbraced and endure not to think of what I refused not to endure loath you the cup of Salvation that cost me a cup of Astonishment Have I left the Glory of my Father to be cloathed with and dwell in flesh Led a life of suffering undergone a shameful painful accursed death rose again ascended prepared mansions taken possession for you where I plead your cause and will come ere long to absolve you before all the world and with whom you shall be for ever Have I given such costly evidences of my love unto you and love you not to do this in remembrance of me Do But for thee dear Saviour I had been for ever undone for thee then and for thy sake what is it that I should not do Thy desires are my Injunctions there 's Authority enough in thy love to do thy pleasure Since thou would have no nature but mine I will have no will but thine When once signified by command upon my obligation I should upon my Fealty to thee the King of the Church and Soveraign as well as Saviour of my Soul I ought I may I must not dispute nor delay I dare not but must Do else how must I be look'd upon when the King commands all his loving Subjects to take the Oath of Allegiance and I stay away and refuse Do I not publickly disown him for my Soveraign who hath enjoyn'd the Celebration of this as an evidence and symbol of my Relation to and communion with him Is not this appointed for a memorial of his death whereby he delivered his people and destroyed their enemies transcendently to us what the Passeover was to the Jews and the neglect of it more provoking yet the man that is unclean and is not in a journey and forbeareth to keep the Passeover at the time appointed when he might and ought eat it even the same soul shall be cut off from his people because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season that man shall bear his sin There 's a punishment annexed to the neglect as well as ill performance of it he that eats irreverently is guilty of prophaning the Lords Body and he that eats not of despising it and of preferring his lusts before him the one eats damnation to himself and the other by not eating judges himself to be in a damnable State 'T is dangerous staying in that condition wherein we judge our selves unmeet society for Christ if I cannot partake of his Supper here how can I think my self fit to feast with him in Heaven or hope to look on his face with comfort there and take no pleasure to behold remember come near have any thing to do with him here will not his presence be most terrible then to whom his memory is no way delightful now Am I troubled for neglect of other duties and not of this when Christs Items at the last day are made up of sins of omission Dare I pick and chuse when whosoever shall keep the whole Law yet offend in one point is guilty of all This Not to climb a Cross or undergo a bitter passion for thy sake I should not think much to do that who hast done so much more for me Not to be had to a Scaffold but to come to thy Table not to go to Slaughter but a Feast not to Bleed or Burn but to Eat and Drink and that not Bread of Affliction or Water of Adversity which flags the Spirit but such Bread and Wine as confirms and comforts my Heart Not a Mourners Bread Tears or a Martyrs Cup Blood but a Saviours fare Blessed Wine and Bread yea in them what both is and makes blessed his body and blood meat and drink bread of life and well of life that both joys my heart and saves my soul Didst thou on the Cross drink Vinegar made infinitely more tart by my sins for me and shall not I at thy Table drink Wine for my self made infinitely sweeter with the blood it conveys Didst thou drink a Cup of wrath and shall not I drink the cup of Blessing Eat the bread of affliction and shall not I eat the bread of life suffer thy passion and shall not I enjoy it Didst thou stretch out thy hands on the Cross and shall mine be withered and shrunk towards thy Table Hadst thou bid me do some great thing for procuring so great a good that there had been between the service and reward no disproportion should I not endeavour'd to do it how much more when thou bidst me eat and live I am not saved but by thy Body I shall be damned without thy Blood Didst thou offer them for me on the Cross and shall I not take the pledge from thee at thy Supper Dost thou give me a Title to them and shall I bar my self of possession rob my self of thy mercy and my right of no less then the price of my Redemption Dost thou give me the purchase in thy Blood and shall I deny my self the Seal in thy Church Dare I be guilty of so great a Robbery and Rebellion to violate thy will and seal to steal at once thy Bread and Cup and Scepter against thy express Will and Testament to take the Bread and Cup out of my own hand and the Scepter out of thine to deprive my soul of thy Body and Blood and thee of thy Authority by thy grace I will never but observe as thou appointest If this be thy command O Saviour I am a Rebel as much to my good as thy Law a damned Rebel if I do not this In Remembrance I blush Lord to see my self need thy memento Have I a room for the trash of the world and none for thee memory for what I list and none for what I should O thou that hast so done thy marvellous works that they ought to be had in everlasting remembrance whose name is wonderful and all thy works as thy name and this above all thy works can I ever forget thee can I forget my self so much that breaths not a moment on Earth or out of Hell without thee If I forget thee O Saviour let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth If I remember not thee let my right hand forget her cunning Sure that harp had never known the tune of joy nor hand to do with harp hadst not thou put a world all out in order again and set all in tune And is that all when I owe a thousand lives unto thee to require not my Body but my Mind to say Remember not to Dye
solemnly to search purifie cleanse and cast out all the leaven to pray with greater appetite praise his Name with a more delightful relish To distaste all oher things to disburthen my self to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets me to get as near Heaven as possible to render my mind more sensible of God and more fit to receive a deeper impression from his hand To excite the strongest acts of Faith the vehementest flames of love and longings after Christ and his blessings which prepares for the enjoyment Holy desires joy and thankfulness at the approach of so blessed an opportunitie To renew my resolutions and vows of holy obedience to mortifie my lesser irregularities and to bind the obligations faster that are upon my Soul To have a lively sense of the ends for which I go in what estate my Graces stand what I am to ask and for what I ought to plead the Blood of Christ voluntarily to offer more of my time and thoughts to Religious Exercises and to do that over again with a greater fervour which I have been doing since the last Communion To recover my self to the same or rather higher degrees of Zeal fervour and sublime admirations to apparel trim and dress up my mind with braver notions and brighter ornaments To get my manners carriage and behaviour rightly formed and handsomely composed for this Feast with die great King He that understands the excellencie and holiness of the mystery the glorie of the Guest the infinite benefit then designed and the increase of degrees by the exercise of those previous acts of Holiness the manner so contrarie as worthy and unworthy the effect of the Ordinance so much depending on the manner of receiving the advantage so great of Communion with Christs Bodie the danger no less then Damnation that it will set one forward and contribute very much to an happie or an unhappie eternitie a man cannot at all be supposed in any state wherein this thing will be indifferent to him will not be inquisitive into the just measure but do it heartilie devoutlie reverentlie and as much as he can put himself in to a meet disposition tobe so familiar with God Solemn Sequestration A Journey an unfixed Heart undischarg'd of earthly thoughts travelling up and down afar off unfits as well as a dead body or gross sins Earthly thoughts in the Temple if not driven away before will be buzzing pestring vexing me and corrupt the Sacrifice If I go with a loose ungirt spirit I cannot instantly entertain my Lord his work must stay untill I be ready I must be girding when I should be working or do it fumblingly and awakedly not with dexterity and activity Let your loins therefore be girt and you your selves like men that wait for their Lord that when he comes and knocks you may open to him immediately It concerns me now to put my self into that order and state of good things as if to morrow I were to dye to suppose my self seated before Gods Tribunal and to see whether I can reasonably hope my state is changed my sins pardoned and mortified to consider that unless I dare dye that day if God should call me there 's little reason I should dare to receive the Sacrament of â—ife or Minister of death If I be mistaken about the truth of Grace now I am undone for ever without true Repentance by my unworthy going I bind the guilt of all my other sins upon my Soul and add this to all the rest guiltiness of the blood of Christ He that communicates worthily is justified from his sins and to him death can have no sting to whom the Sacrament brings life and health And if I judge Righteous Judgement I shall soon find what pinches most what makes me most afraid what most criminal and least mortified so shall learn to make provision accordingly Enter then my Soul into thy chamber solemnly sequester thy self from all other Avocations that we may tend upon the Lord without distraction Shut up set a watch at the gates of thy heart let it not be open till that solemn day be over If other thoughts be hankering and hanging about for entrance testifie against them rebuke and threaten them let thy spirit in a holy indignation rise up against them the only means that from that time forth they come no more in such a season Farewell my Wife and Children Friends and secular concerns abide you here at the foot of the Mount be husht and laid deadned and mortified all irregular earthly passions and affections I have something else to do you are a clog unto my soul tread not nor whisper in this solemn place where is no room but for God alone trouble me not the door is now shut I am about a great work I will not cannot open to you And Oh thou that lookest from Heaven that fashionest the hearts of men and considerest all their works enlighten enliven and convince me affect assist and prosper me own accept and bless me call in and restrain the loosness and wandrings of my thoughts Fix unite and fill my heart with an awe a dread and reverence of thee with suitable thoughts apprehensions and meditations to the present occasion and let my meditations be attended with sutable affections Let all flesh be silent before thee let thy spirit rest upon me let this season be improved not carelesly sloathfully or negligently but sincerely uprightly with my whole soul heart and strength to thy praise and my great advantage at thy Table and in the day when thou shalt judge the secrets of mens hearts by Jesus Christ Strict examination I Am about to sit at the Lords Table among his own Children I know before-hand the King attended with his glorious Angels will come in to see his guests Christ's garment covers only Christ's members he is too just to be bribed too great to be slighted too wise to be deceived too jealous to be provoked too good to be forfeited Oh what solemn provision shall I make for so sacred a presence but a serious diligent deep enquiry into with a full and awfull discussion of the particular present estate of my Soul whether I be such as may be assured he will bid me welcome being reconciled to him and endued with those vital qualifications which pre-dispose me for an Ordinance that supposes me within the Covenant it seals and to have spiritual life it sustains and nourishes by conveying that true food of life Christ Crucified I must be born before I can eat Vncircumcised persons were not to eat the Passeover The inward of Ordinances are only enjoyed by them that are inwardly Christians Those only that bring true Graces receive real Comforts we take Christ and then eat him none find any nourishment relish or sweetness in his blood but those who have receiv'd him and so have a propriety in a little to him and the nearer the Interest the greater sweetness He must be
Spiritual life from him that I have of Temporal life from my â—ood and so eat his Body and drink his Blood receive digest and improve â—eed upon and Spiritually apply Christ â—s incarnate and in his sufferings that 〈◊〉 may find refreshment and sweetness â—uickening strength and life from him and may live by him and in him and he in me Oh that by the power of thy spirit accompanying the Ordinance I may partake yet more and more of a new and divine nature that I may find strength and vigour diffused through my whole man and receive some communication of that light and life which Christ came into the world that his People might have and that they might have it more abundantly Oh that his Death and Resurrection may have their power and efficacie upon me crucifying my lusts and passions and raising me up to all the acts of the Spiritual life Oh that something may be done this day against my pride and passion worldliness and carnalitie hipocrisie and uncharitableness doubtings and unbelief distrustful fears and discontents backwardness and indisposition to listlesness dulness and distraction in Dutie Oh that I may find my heart thereby drawn nearer to and carried out with more unweariedness and chearfulness in thy Service Let me come from thence with my pardon sealed my corruptions subdued my graces quickened strengthened and confirmed my heart enlarged my soul refreshed and encouraged to run the waies of thy Commandments and so inseparablie united to thee that no Temptation may be ever able to dissolve the â—union but that being begun here in grace â—it may be perfected in glorie How painful and intoâ—â—erable is the obscuring and interrupting of our Vnion and Communion with Christ our Heaven upon Earth To maintain and increase evidence and enjoy Union and Communion with Christ and him crucified Therein we enjoy his person and all sweet Relations to it his death and all the saving fruits priviledges and influences of it To maintain and encrease evidence and enjoy it I receive the Cup of Blessing which we bless the Communion of the Blood of Christ and the Bread which we break the Communion of the Bodie of Christ to my soul my Faith yea even to my outward Senses signifies seals and instrumentally exhibits my Spiritual Communion with Christ and his Death Thereby I partake of and am strengthned in this Fellowship with him as really as I partake of that Bread and Cup. Oh that he being united to me in these holy Mysteries may comfort rule and direct me in all my ways and his Spirit turn me into the same quality and likeliness Oh that I may there find him whom my soul loveth There are the signs but where the body and blood of my Saviour the Lamb for a sacrifice I go not for the bread and wine but to see Jesus What are the Elements without thy presence Oh what wilt thoâ— give me if I go from thy Table Christless Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth afford expressions of his tender affection and reconciliation to my soul for thy love is better then wine If we forsake Communion with our Fellow-members To maintain and increase Spiritual Union and Communion with Christs Members how can we maintain it with ouâ— Head What need theâ— have I especially noâ— when so many divisions and disagreements of and to that end I come to the Ordinance which tends so much to uniâ—â— and knit together the disjoynted Members of Christ for we being many aâ—â— one Bread and one Body for we aâ—â— partakers of that one Bread and hereby profess to be one and to walk as Fellow-members in Christ with all christian love and tenderness towards one another Oh let my heart be enlarged towards them my delight in them for their relation to thee and thy Image upon them sympathize with have a fellow-feeling of interest my self in their several states and occasions rejoycing with those that rejoyce and weeping with those that weep Seeing thou hast so loved us let me be perfectly reconciled to every man and every spark of anger envy and malice be utterly extinguished remembering he that comes in hatred is a Judas to Christ and a Cain to his Brother Through the death of Christ my sins are pardoned To Commemorate Christs death my reconciliation with God obtained his curse removed the Enemies of my Salvation subdued my eternal Salvation and Inheritance my deliverance from worse then Egyptian Bondage procured the new Covenant established all my mercies purchased conveyed and sanctified yet how unthankful for insensible forgetful of it am I so greatly ungrateful as to burie in oblivion the greatest expression of his infinite love in honour of him to make a solemn rehearsal of his famous Acts to speak of the glorious honour oâ— His Majestie and to talk of his Power I come unto this lasting Monument and Memorial to shew forth his death till he come Oh let me celebrate it with an affectionate fiducial thankful obediential remembrance with a ravished heart filled with a gracious composition of joy and sorrow love and admiration with such resentments as befit so strange an object that I may desire rejoyce mourn and tremble be in such a mixture of passions as may even imitate the confusion that was in the world at his sufferings make such deep and lasting impressions thereof on my soul as if this was the very day he suffered Let me not conclude I have received Christ till I have remembred him so as to affect my heart with love to him desire after him faith and joy in him sorrow for my sins the cause of his suffering Let me think of it as an history to beget my knowledge as a Gospel to beget my Faith as an example to provoke my patience as a benefit to procure my happiness Oh that I may so remember him at his Table on his Cross that he may not forget me on his Throne in his Kingdom Lift up my mind from the contemplation of him as he hung upon the Tree to him as he sits now in Glorie at thy right hand making intercession for me presenting to thee the invaluable merits of his death to appease thee for the sins I commit daily against thee Oh set me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thy arm that I may be never forgotten always remembred preserved kept safely by thee and let me set thee as a seal upon my heart as a seal on my arm receive thy image and impression of thy love keep it thankfully continually on my heart and testifie it in my life By reason of my infirmities carelesness sins To have my personal claim and title to the new Covenant cleared how apt am I to doubt the pardon of them and my interest in thy love The streams of corruption rising up in me interrupt the light and lustre of my future possession and suggest matter of diffidence and anxietie that my hopes hitherto have been
passing by so many offences and requirinâ— no satisfaction from us for such insufferable wrongs but transferring the punishment from us unto his own Son whoâ— love also was so great that he woulâ— bear our iniquities that we might be saved Oh how could he chuse a moâ—â— â—â—liging way of Redeeming us that hath â—us displayed the severest Justice and â—ghest Mercy the greatest hatred of sin â—â—e greatest love to sinners since by those â—equalled and unvaluable sufferings to â—hich he delivered up for us that Son â—ho is so near unto him that he is one â—ith him at once manifesting both how â—uch he hated sin which he so heavily â—nished in the person he most loved â—â—d how much he loved sinners by giâ—â—ng up what he so loved for a ransom 〈◊〉 those that were guilty of what he so â—â—ted And oh the miracle the amazing â—odigic of this Love that Heaven â—ould so condescend to Earth and that â—an should be so united to God! that â—â—od should dwell in flesh and that this â—sh should be our food That the Son of â—od should love us better then his life and 〈◊〉 the meat of Worms of Sinners of Eneâ—es that he should make himself preâ—nt to our Faith and as if he would do â—â—re then die for us desires to live for â—â—er in us and to be united to us Was â—â—er kindness like unto this was ever â—â—ch a furnace of love burning in any â—east can any heart freeze over such a fire Oh! who can abide the heat of thâ— love who can dwell in such flames aâ—â— not be consumed who can abide in 〈◊〉 great sense of this love and abide in thâ— body what instances can parallel whâ— words can be expressive what apprâ—hensions can commemorate what râ—ptures can be sufficient for the admiratioâ— of this so infinite love Be thou swâ—â— lowed up O my Soul in this depth 〈◊〉 Divine love and hate to spend thy though any more upon other things that hast suâ—â— a Saviour to take them up Oh! I shake I tremble am altogether confounded 〈◊〉 the approach of so great guest The Minister coming towards him Lord I am not wâ—â— thy that thou shouldest come under 〈◊〉 roof or to eat the crums that fall froâ— my own much less thy Table Oh wâ—â— am I that I should dare with my orignally actually desiled hands to receiâ—â— those high those holy Mysteries thâ— thou desirest to to come unto me be eâ—tertained by me what findest thou 〈◊〉 me that so much delights and invites thâ— to me art thou ignorant of my mâ—â—vile beginning and original I am not â—heruhim Seraphim or of the number of â—hat Celestial Hierarchy but dust and shes polluted dust and ashes Lord â—â—adst thou rather be at another mans â—cuse with dishonour then at thy own â—ith honour or if thou hast no respect â—o thine own honour if thou castest under â—ot all praise and renown if thou takest â—nto thee every vile sinner yet hast thou â—o regard to thy Greatness and Majesty Thou knowest my poverty my need my â—mpurity this poor place is a far unâ—eet habitation for thee Whence is this 〈◊〉 me that my Maker my Redeemer â—hould come unto mee thus favour thus â—ignifie me that thou shouldest be so â—elow thy self as to look upon so low so â—ain so miserable a thing as Man such a â—ead Dog as I am Why have I found grace in thy sight that thou shouldest take knowledge of me seeing I am a stranger Lord what am I that thou shouldest remember me be mindful of me visit me â—ast thine eye set thine heart upon me â—ome to marry thy self with me Whence â—omes it that thou who art in Heaven â—mongst them that know so well how to â—ove and serve thee shouldest vouchsafe to descend to me who know little eâ—â—â— but how to offend thee Canst thou 〈◊〉 be content to be without me Did 〈◊〉 meer love draw thee from Heaven 〈◊〉 my sake and give thy self for me to 〈◊〉 deem me from my sins and dost thou sâ—â— give thy self to me to be the strength anâ— health of my Soul As if thou couldâ— never give thy self enough or be neâ—â—â— enough mine Oh how am I astonishâ—â— at this inconceivable love oh that I weâ— able to comprehend it Oh that I had 〈◊〉 thousand hearts to correspond with iâ— oh stay my gracious Lord for the â—â—mcasure of my love till thou hast maâ—â— me able to do nothing else but love theâ— But since thou art pleased to come anâ— offer thy self to me my soul thirsteth 〈◊〉 thee I humbly stretch out my hands uâ—to thee my longing gasping desires aâ— after thee I open my heart with aâ— humble thankfulness to receive thee nâ—ver to be separated from thee for ever 〈◊〉 adhere unto thee Oh enter in and stâ—â— with me satisfie my soul with thy selâ— say This day is Salvation come unto tâ— house Oh be not now offended at thâ— loathsom sights in a soul so sick and dieaâ—eâ— â—ased so full of filth of rottenness and â—orruption into which thou art entering Do not disdain me for those many Malaâ—ies but come and cure me The Bread SEE my soul thy Saviour in the Minister and the benefits that come by â—im in the Bread and Wine believing â—hose with himself are given thee by him â—â—s really as the Elements by his Embassaâ—our saying Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you by Faith reâ—eive apply appropriate me unto thy â—elf This Bread consecrated by me is â—he Sacrament of my Body offered as an Expiatory Sacrifice for you Hereby I â—mpute my righteousness impart my loâ—ing kindness make over and give unâ—o you my whole self God and Man as Mediator in my Blood and Merits Graâ—es and Spirit Virtue and Benefits Obeâ—ience Satisfaction Expiation Doings â—nd Sufferings in all I have am or have â—urchased for you I make yours by gift â—nd you by Faith as truly as if put into your very hand and mouth Mine were the pains the sufferings of Death yours the benefit mine the stripes yours the balm mine the thorns yours the Crown These are the holes in my hands and side the blood that issued from them yours the price mine yours the purchase See here in my wounds your safety in my stripes your healing in my anguish your peace in my Cross your Triumph I came out of my Fathers bosom that thou mightest lie in Abrahams Own me for thy Lord who have thus bought thee out of slavery accept me for thy Redeemer who have paid so dearly for thee follow me in the way I have shewen thee that I may bring thee to him I have reconciled to thee Do this in and for a remembrance of me who what for whom why for what end with what mind I suffered what I have done for yon and am unto you Dear Saviour biddest thou me Remember thee How should I forget thee how can I but remember but celebrate thee But oh that I could more affectionately
more constantly more effectually remember thee With all the passionate affections of a Heart full of love to wholly in love with thee with all zealous desires to glorifie thee with all fervent longings after thee always to remember thee never to forget thee Oh that the fire of love would now kindle and burn in my Soul boil up even run over with love unto thee Oh that I had the flames of a Seraphim the voice of an Angel to sing thy praise Oh that I could go out of my self when I remember thee and never think of thee without an Extasie forget and quit all the world to live upon thee The thoughts of what thou hast done is able to break an heart of Marble with love to turn a Rock into a Fountain of tears to unloose the tongue of the dumb that they may sound forth thy loving kindness Oh after all his foregoing sufferings feest thou him not my Soul fastened to the Cross conflicting with his Fathers wrath groaning under the weight and burthen of our Sins Look how his whole Body is stretched and tentered his Hands and Feet bored through his precious Blood trickles down and how miserably the Thorns pierce his holy Head See how his Looks are changed his Cheeks pale his Bloud going his Neck too weak to support his Head which lies a dying on his bleeding Breast Look how he shakes and stirs his dying Limbs what gasps and sighs he fetches as if his Soul was strugling to get out Hear you not his dying groans the taunts of the Jews yea the groans of the Earth under the weight of his Cross See the Sun blushing under a veil of darkness to behold the Son of Righteousness under an Eclipse Can oh can my bosom hold now I see the innocent Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world a bleeding Victim on the purple Alter of Death This this my Soul might have been the day that thou mightest have been the Malefactor and have drunk the cup of the fierceness of Gods wrath but there is he that hath done it for thee He harboured no grief of his own but is acquainted with the just and deadly griefs of others he takes our sorrows on him to bestow upon us his joy he sorrows for us that hath neither cause nor likelihood to sorrow for himself What but Gods implacable vengeance could inflict What but his all-sufficient patience could endure What but mans heinous sins deserve such his sad and wrathfull dolors Ah sinful wretches 't is our doings that he suffers our evil but his smart our trespass his punishment His breast is made a large receptable for our cares his back a common prop unto our load he was delivered for our offences he was slain but not for himself he bore our grief and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our trangressions bruised for our iniquities for the transgressions of his people was he smitten Why then are we angry with rail against the Jews and complain not of find no fault with our selves greatlier guilty they were the instruments we the procurers of his sufferings their sins practis'd ours provoked his death we pity his abus'd innocency but think not of our unworthiness and desert bewail the event and redress not the cause we have as great enmity against his Image as they against his Person they grieved him in his Body we in his Spirit and make his wounds bleed afresh he takes it as heinously we should despise him now as that they persecuted him then they were but our Executioners to inflict these punishments our sins deserved and Gods justice imposed on him 'T was thy Sins O my Soul were the associates to crucifie him thy hypocrisie was the kiss that betrayed him thy pride and covetousness the Thorns that crowned him thy oppression and cruelty the nails that pierced him thy unbelief and apostacy the spear that gored him thy Idolatry superstition Juke warmness the knee that mockt him thy contempt of Religion the spittle that defiled him thy anger and bitterness the vinegar and gall that distasted him thy scarlet sins the crimson that dishonoured him my drinking iniquity like water made him drink a Cup of wrath my forsaking my Father made him forsaken of his all the members of his body were objects of such cruelty because mine instruments of iniquity Oh I am the merit of thy sorrow I am the stroke of thy grief I am the fault of thy killing I am the desert of thy death I am the offence of thy revenge I am the grievousness of thy passion I am the cause of thy torment Oh wonderful condition of censure Oh ineffable disposition of the misery the unjust sins and the just is punished the guilty transgresses and the guiltless is stricken the impious offends and the pious condemn'd what the bad deserves the good suffers what the servant perpetrates the Lord pays what man commits God undergoes Whither oh Son of God whither descends thy Humility Whither flameth thy Charity whither proceedeth thy Pity whither encreaseth thy Benignity whither reacheth thy Love whither cometh thy Compassâ—on I have been proud thou hast been humbled I have done unjustly thou art punished I have dealt heinously thou art revengefully smitten I have committed the fault thou art tortured How much do I owe thee most Blessed Redeemer how great is the price thou hast paid for me miserable Sinner Oh I blush to see my Soul so foul and loathsom that nothing less then thy precious blood serves to wash and cleanse it I am confounded to see thee in such a case for us who cared not how vile how base how miserable we were Oh how was that justice injured that could not rest appeased in Punishment but rigour how odious and intolerable is every sin which required no cheaper blood for a Sacrifice then that of the Son of God and which not suffering only but extremity must expiate how heinous was the commission since even the remission was so grievous That made such a breach between God and us as requir'd such sufferings of the Lord of Glory wretch that I am to cost my God so dear I am not worthy for which he should have suffered the least care or trouble much less the torments of Soul and Body And yet what mean I to be so treacherous unto him How have I broken his commands and my vows even since the last Communion Oh can I Kiss the nails hug the spear desire that which is the blood of him that lost his life Can I account that light which made his Soul heavy unto death Can that be my joy which made him a wan of sorrow sweet to me which was so bitter to him shall those sins not be forsaken by me that made him forsaken of God or live in me that would not suffer him to live in the world Oh can I endure my Lord should be evermore disgusted and affronted oh how is my heart provoked and incens'd against ye my
sins oh that none of you might escape here that ye may all lye bleeding as so many Sacrifices at the Altar of my Lord oh let them now feel the weight and sharpness of thy Cross here let them be slain at thy foot that I may not carry away one of them alive How can my Heart refrain from tears of sorrow and joy to think of its unkindness and of his strange love what heart can be so hard as without pain to think we love him no more who put himself to such pains for us Oh how am I troubled that my heart should be so cold when his was so hot with love as to send forth its life-life-blood for my Redemption and yet when I consider that in this stream of blood my sinful Soul is washed and that by his stripes I am healed that instead of sin and death and Hell deserved Righteousness and life and Heaven is purchased how can I chuse but rejoyce in his love and hope he will accept of my poor acknowledgement who so pardons as might even melt the hardest heart and for ever silence and satisfie it by the love of God and sufficiency of the Sacrifice Oh how am I ravished therewith I am justified by Faith and at peace with God the flames of Hell shall never touch me Death is swallowed up in victory I am consigned to a blessed immortality But oh my Lord I take the boldness to complain unto thee and expostulate with thee how sayest thou that thou lovest me if thou discover thy self no more unto me if I have no more love unto thee no more life from thee if I be so barren and unfruitful towards thee so dull and cold in thy service so unwilling to execute thy commands so weak and unable against assaults if thou be with me who can be against me what can be too hard for me what cannot be done by me through thee O! since it is thy pleasure to be so familiar with me if thou lovest me so much fulfil in me all the good pleasure of thy will and the work of Faith with power Oh let the merit of Christ's death free me from the guilt upon me and his Spirit cleanse me from the stains within me Let holiness to the Lord be written upon my whole Soul and Body that they may be a delectable habitation for thee unite my heart unto thee transform me altogether in thee I put my self out of my own power I accept of and close with thee as my Maker and Preserver Lord and Sovereign Priest and Prophet King and Captain Head and Husband to be ordered disposed provided for by thee I give my hearty consent that thou shouldest dwell within me as the alone Prince of my soul the possession of it I for ever surrender up unto thee I cease to be my own I renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh I profess my acceptance of submission to to place my happiness in and to resign my self wholly unto thee to be provided for disposed of led saved by theē Oh how am I pleased with my choice that I have parted with my self and am become thine How am I beholden to thee that I may give my self unto thee that thou hast brought me into the Bond of the Covenant Oh come dear Redeemer to the price of thy own blood cease thine own and save me assist and strengthen me feed and preserve me never leave me nor forsake me The Cup. COme my beloved now I have drunk thy Cup of wrath pledge me in this Cup of Salvation for which I pierc'd my side I drew this wine on purpose for thee when I trod the wine-press of my Fathers wrath alone This Cup is the New Testament in my blood is a pledge of signifies and represents by representation is my bloud in which the New Testament between God and Man is founded and established confirmed and ratified and by which remission of sins and all other consequent blessings of the New Covenant are purchased It s glorious liberties and immunities I hereby sign and seal unto you a full release and discharge from all your debts from the house of bondage sin the grave and hell Here I deliver yon your Protection from all your Enemies will I save you from the Arrests of the Law from the powers of darkness from the victory of the world from the curse of the Cross none shall prove too hard for you all shall work good unto you I hereby confer upon and instate you in all its royal priviledges and prerogatives behold I give my self to you to be your God and instead of all relations I will be a Friend and Physician a Shepherd Sovereign and Husband unto you to espouse your interest to counsel and heal you to feed and comfort you to watch over and defend you Lo I make over my self to you in all my Essential perfections mine omnipotency shall be your guard my omnisciency your overseer my omnipresence your companion my mercy your store my wisdom your counsellor my justice your revenger and rewarder my holiness a fountain of grace unto you my sovereignty to be commanded by you my infiniteness and all-sufficiency the lot and extent of your inheritance my Faithfulness unchangeableness the rock of your rest and security my eternity the date of your happiness I will be yours in all my personal relations a Father unto you what would my Children have of your Fathers instruction and probation protection and provision care and ear bread and rod heart and house pity and compassion I here assure you my Son and Spirit I give you to cloath and teach you assist and comfort you intercede in and for you sanctifie and save you with my self I give you all things mine Angels for your guardians and attendants my Word and Ordinances Ministers and providences for your guide and good Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours And that you may know I am in earnest lo I establish my Covenant with yon ordered in all things and sure written in the blood founded in the all-sufficient merits of your surety in whom I am well-pleased whose death made this Testament unchangeable for ever so that your name can never be blotted out nor your inheritance alienated nor your legacies diminished nothing can be altered I here solemnly deliver it to you as my Act and Deed sealed with the Oath and Blood of God who engages here his own Body for security Come ye blessed fear not the donation is free and full I have received a ransom and expect only you believe know and accept of your own blessedness Here are the conveyances see the seals take the writings behold the blood of the Covenant receive the instruments of your salvation This I give you as a pledge of my love and of the truth of all I have promised I hereby plight you my troth and set to my hand
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
wedding Garment stain it by any pollution or seek after other lovers eat his Bread and lift up the heel against him take the Cup and betray my interest in him after I have receiv'd him cast him out of my heart live in that for which he died As the Sacrament is a memorial of Christ Crucifyed for sin let it be a remembrance to me of abhorring crucifying abstaining from it Else I hold on Satan's side seek to keep him on his throne do those things which Christ is more unwilling I should then he was to suffer all the indignities and torments the Jews inflicted he was willing to dye by their hands rather then any inconveniency should fall upon me then sin and Satan should reign over and keep possession in me he was not troubled so much to dye as he was to see me live in sin for he dyed that I might cease from sin And do I dispute when a temptation is presented whether Christ or Barrabbas shall be preferred my lusts denyed or my Lord Crucifyed that which would murther my Soul deserve to be spared or he that suffered to save it Oh how sad that he who seems to deifie Christ in the Eucharist should vilifie him in his members that such who pretend to eat and drink Christ's Body and Blood at the Church should eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence in their own houses that they should be so devout at the Sacrament as if they believed God to be in the Bread and in their lives so prophane as if they believed not God to be in Heaven Abandon and Crucifie all sin more then ever I have put off my coate of corruption how shall I put it on I have washed my feet in the blood of the Lamb how shall I defile them the Lord hath spoken peace unto me let me not return again to folly Hath he taken off my former burthen and cast it on the back of his dear Son and shall I lay more load upon him hath he loved me and washed me from my sins in his own blood and shall I with the dog return to the vomit with the sow that is washed to her wallowing in mire shall I take poyson after Physick make the Table of the Lord contemptible Hath he been so gracious to me as to vouchsafe and seal me a pardon of all my sins and shall I so abuse his goodness so turn his grace into wantonness as to run afresh on his score is not this to account the blood of the Covenant wherewith I am sanctified an unholy thing may I not fear his anger will kindle against me and that he will no more have mercy on me Oh let not those hands that were reach'd forth to receive Christ be stretched out to oppression and violence but be hence forth sacred and do no deed that may offend thee nor those lips that have touched those holy Mysteries be defiled with the Devils drivel filthy communication but be hallow'd from all words that may displease thee Oh let my Soul which by thy Sacrament is made so happy as to be so near to be never so wretched as to think any thing too dear for such a Saviour Let nothing make me leave my first love who for love of me left his Father and country Heaven and glory to espouse me Frequently consider the engagement thou hast hereby laid upon thy self No space of time can wear it off to the same strictness all our days as this though we had but this one opportunity to receive The Bonds my Soul is entered into will never be cancell'd God forgets not his promises nor my breaches though I may the matter is now out of my hands I cannot revoke this gift of my self to God indeed I have given nothing but what was his own before after these vows there is no enquiry to be made whether they should be kept This day I have avouched the Lord to be my God to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes and he hath avouched me to be one of his people I have taken Christ for my Lord and Husband to live in love and obedience to him as I hope to be saved by him Tempt me not therefore from my loyalty and allegeance the vows of God are upon me seald at the Sacrament and recorded in Heaven not one of my Fellow Communicants but are witnesses with and to God that they saw me personally publickly own and renew my Covenant with him for my Oath sake and those that sat with me I will not do this evill and sin against God Shall I alienate and pollute the heart so solemnly devoted to him break those bands asunder and fetch the Sacrifice away from the Altar tyed with such strong cords of Oaths and Covenants must I not expect to bring fire along with it to provoke God to a severe revenge of the mocks and scorns I put upon him shall I so horribly prophane his name and make my self such a forsworn perjur'd wretch Is it a light thing to break an Oath made solemnly with God shall he escape that doth such things or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord surely my Oath which he hath despised and my Covenant which he hath broken even it I will recompense on his own head I am sure he will be true to his promises and shall I fall under his threatnings by being false to mine If a good man keep his Oaths and promises with men to his own hurt much more ought be those to God for his own good Walk on in the strength of this spiritual Food till thou comest to perfection Oh that I may still drink of the Spiritual Rock find the efficacy vertue and benefit of the Sacrament follow and stream after me while I travel in this Wilderness O that I may be stronger and stronger in all Graces more active and exacter in all Spiritual Duties hear more heedfully pray more fervently receive more believingly keep the Sabbath more exactly watch over my heart and ways more diligently be more humble and pious towards God more just and righteous to man more sober and temperate towards my self that I may walk worthy of Christ of the Covenant of the Sacrament Kingdom Gospel and Grace of God of my Birth and Breeding oh that my present deportment may be answerable to my future preferment that there may be some proportion between my frequent receiving and growing in Grace that I may shew forth his death till he come in respect of its influence on my Soul Delight in Spiritual fellowship with Christ's Members Oh that I may now bury all envy malice hatred uncharitableness and as Christ love my enemies but especially those that are partakers of the same benefits with me O that that sentence may still run in my mind If God so loved us we ought also to love one another Oh that I may shake off all ungodly society have my heart linked
may therefore have grace whereby I may serve thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear and be cloathed not only with the Righteousness but Humility of Christ be low and mean base and vile in my own eyes I am not worthy to be called thy Son make me as thy meanest servants the lowest room at thy Table give my sins thy pardon my soul thy grace my person and service thy acceptance in thy beloved and what thou dost convey seal to me by what I am to receive Without Knowledge the Heart Saving Knowledge the duty cannot be good but the Covenant thou hast made with thy people is they shall all know thee from the least to the greatest Oh let me come with knowledge of the nature necessity use and ends of the Ordinance Direct me how to behave my self at and meditate upon those Divine Mysteries that I may not be a blind offerer nor bring a blind offering but offer unto thee a living sacrifice holy acceptable reasonable service that I may receive with understanding discern the Lords Body look into the Mysteries of the Sacrament lest not knowing the meaning Ifeel not the comfort of it but be alienated estranged from thee through the ignorance that is in me That I may eat the Passeover with bitter herbs Godly Sorrow give me a deep sense of my own vileness and unworthiness take away this heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh that I may loath my self in my own sight for mine iniquities and for mine abominations be filled with shame and sorrow hatred and indignation against my self for my offending so good and gracious so loving and bountiful a Father Redeemer and Sanctifier That I may look upon him whom I have pierced and mourn for him with detestation and holy revenge against those my sins that cost him so dear were the cause as well as any other mens of his death and would have cost me damnation abominating them as the scourges and thorns nails and spear thar Afflicted Crucified my dearest Saviour the Lord of Glory The day of mourning for him is at hand oh that I may then slay my most beloved lusts be revenged on them for it and for their endeavouring to rob me of my spiritual Birth-right my eternal Blessedness Let me call to mind and be truly sensible of every sin and of the evil of it and of thine and my Saviour's love manifested to me in his sufferings There where he appears most Bloody let Sin oppear most deadly that I may receive abroken bleeding Christ with a broken contrite Heart a Sacrifice thou wilt not â—espise O God prepare in me that being weary and heavy laden I may be capable of his refreshment being supled in my own tears I may be fitter to be washt in his blood And seeing thou givest thy self only to thy Disciples and Friends New Obedience work in me fresh purposes of amendment that being willing and obedient I may eat the good of the Ordinance Let there be conformity that there may be Communion let me not put that new wine into an old impure but new Heart I cannot Eat the Passeover and stay in Egypt still let me do it with my loyns girt ready to march toward the Promised Land Thou confirmest thy Covenant and expectest I restipulate with thee that I cast out and execrate the old leaven Seeing the Covenant of Grace sealed let me seal a Covenant of Obedience seeing by the merit of Christs death I am purchas'd to be thine by the power of it let me be dead to sin and both receive life and change my life let me bring a wounded heart to and carry wounded sins from thy Table dye to sin seeing Christ dyed for sin let me take him by way of surety and give up my self to him by way of surrender receive him as a Saviour and submit to him as a Prince set my self apart for thee on that Feast of Dedication Let me approach with the most sincere fixed resolutions of an intire resignation and receive such grace and strength from thee as may inable me faithfully to perform them that I may find my self in the number of those to whom my Saviour allows such special manifestations of himself by lifting up the light of his countenance upon them by intimating his good will and love unto them his fulness and righteousness for them as Shows his constant abode with them Let no prophane or unseasonable Thoughts enter into my mind while I am about that Holy Solemnity Purity let me lay aside leave behind me and be kept from all carnal earthly vain Imaginations drive away all drowsiness carelesness slothfulness idle apprehensions that I may wholly contemplate upon and give up my self unto him who sacrific'd his Soul and Body for me and come before thee with such Reverential Hungering Holy Affections as is due to the hand that reacheth to the seal that secureth to the food that strengthneth that spiritual life in us without which we can never be happy O thou that callest me unto thee let thy compassion pitty my vileness let thy mercy pardon my sinfulness let thy grace cleanse my filthiness let thy wisdom enlighten my darkness let thy strength support my weakness adorn me with the wedding garment the righteousness of thy Son and holiness of thy Spirit that all my nakedness may be covered and my great deformities hid from thine eyes pardon me by thy mercy that I may receive thy grace and fit me by thy grace that I may receive thy mercy help me so to accuse my self that thou may'st acquit me so to judge and condemn my self that thou may'st absolve me so to exercise a holy revenge upon my self that thou may'st spare me Let thy Spirit be thy Harbinger to provide entertainment for thy Son in my Soul that he may find â—t swept of sin and garnisht with grace make it day in my Soul by hopes and desires before I there receive the Sun of Righteousness Faith is thy own gift as well as Christ Faith I believe Lord help my unbelief that I may besprinkle my soul and Conscience with his blood not only look upon and remember but close in with and receive him there tendred Eat his flesh and drink his blood apply him as taking on him our nature and giving it as a ransom for sin That I may not stagger at the promise through unbelief but be strong in faith giving Glory to God being fully perswaded that what thou hast promised thou wilt perform When I see Bread and Wine upon the Table let me see Christ there as a feast in token of my reconciliation with thee and on the Cross as a Sacrifice offering up his Body and blood to thee observing the Bread broken let me see Chrirst crucified for and offering himself unto me upon the Wine pouring out let me behold how his blood was poured forth for my sins As I receive Bread and Wine for bodily sustenance