hast been at so lately and He was Himself the Feast Jesus prepar'd it out of Love to Thee And because His great Love could not as we may easily imagine provide any thing better He provided Himself to be thy rich and costly Entertainment He has feasted thee with His Body and Blood He has in giving thee that Bread and Wine which was by the Minister according to his appointment consecrated and set apart to represent His broken Body and His Blood shed for Mankind made thee a partaker of the Spiritual Blessings and Benefits of His Death and Passion Oh how great Things has He then bestow'd on thee Where canst thou find again such Entertainment What Enjoyments of this poor World could afford it And if He has given thee never so much of this World He has herein given thee that which is of infinitely greater value And if He has given thee but little of this World thou hast no reason to complain of Him who has been so free so bounteous to thee in so much better things Say then to Him Oh how plenteous how rich is thy Goodness Lord which Thou hast in reserve for those that fear Thee and that hope in thy Mercy He has treated Thee with the Pardon of all thy Sins however numerous however heinous and guilty Canst thou forbear to admire and praise so great a Favour Is it not wondrous that so vast a Debt should be so freely forgiven thee Does not this Forgiveness restore thee to the Almighty Favour and Love of God And give thee leave to ask and ground to expect from Reconciled Heaven all that is good for thee and necessary to thy Salvation Oh say then Bless the Lord O my Soul All that is within me praise his Holy Name Who hath redeemed my Life from Destruction who forgiveth all my Sins Who crowneth me with Loving-kindness and tender Mercies Oh Blessed is the Man whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is cover'd Blessed O Lord Jesus is the Man that putteth his Trust in Thee He hath bestow'd on thee my Soul his Holy Spirit to dwell with and to sanctifie thee to fill thee with all Divine Graces To heal all the Distempers of thy Soul thy uneasie shamefull Distempers to make thee tolerable and pleasant to thy self and amiable and well-pleasing to Him Oh happy Souls that are the Temples of this Holy Spirit Where He dwells all things shall be in a beautifull Order all things composed and calm and peacefull all full of Joy There is a Peace which the World cannot give and a Joy unspeakable and full of Glory In them Heaven dwells already They shall be acquainted with its Incomparable Felicities here on Earth and they are seal'd hereby to the Day of Redemption Thy loving Lord then has given thee at this Feast too the Pledges and Earnests of Future Glory and Blessedness He has even united thee to Himself after a wonderfull manner He looks on thee as a Member of his own Body Has made thee Partaker in his Death and intends thee to partake in his Resurrection He will not leave thy Soul in Hell nor suffer thy Dead Body to lie always under Dissolution He will shew thee the Path of Life and thou shalt dwell at his right hand where are Pleasures for ever-more Thou shalt dwell in His presence where is fulness of Joy Oh how like a God has thy glorious and kind Saviour entertain'd thee None could ever bestow such things on thee but He. Thou hast been treated as a Favourite of Heaven who canst not chuse but acknowledge thy self a poor vile and contemptible Sinner All these Blessings and Favours He hath conferr'd upon thee and given thee in this Sacrament sensible Pledges and Tokens of them though thou art unworthy of the very meanest and the commonest of his Gifts to Mankind Assure thy self it was not for any Merit or Worthiness in thee that he has been so Bountifull but of his own free Motion There is nothing of Debt in his Love but thou must look upon it as altogether Obligation And now my Soul thou must consider too the mighty Obligation he has laid upon thee Thou art able to promise to do nothing in return for his Love but what he has infinitely oblig'd thee to Should such a Love as this ever be forgotten or rather should'st thou not resolve that thou wilt always retain a gratefull Sence of it And that such a Love shall be the greatest Joy and the sweetest Delight of thy Life That such a Love shall make an entire Conquest of thee and make thee subject to the pleasant Laws of it through the whole Course of thy Life Thou canst not sure for shame think of a less return than to give up thy self to Him To live to Him that died for thee To study and love what will please Him and do it in all things No thou canst not think of any thing less than of being His Servant who has bought thee with so great a Price Who has ransom'd thee from Hell and Everlasting Misery and that by his own cruel Sufferings and accursed Death And will it ever become thee thinkest thou after thou hast consider'd the cruel Sufferings of Jesus for thy sake to shrink or murmure at Sufferings or guiltily decline them Wilt thou pretend to be Follower a Disciple of Jesus and yet not be able to endure any thing grievous or inconvenient Has he suffer'd very grievous things for thee worse by far than thou art able or wilt ever be call'd to suffer for his sake And wilt thou suffer nothing for Him Was his way to Heaven encombred with sharp Thorns and will it become thee to murmure if thine be not strow'd with Roses Was the Great and Glorious Jesus despised in the World and must thou be mightily respected and honour'd Was Jesus the Son of David a rich and mighty King mean and poor and will nothing serve thee but to be vastly and superfluously rich For shame my Soul These Desires cannot become thee It is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and surely 't is an Honour that the Servant be as his Lord. If thou wilt be a Follower of Jesus thou must expect as the World hated Him saw no form nor comeliness in Him so it will hate and it will scorn thee It will not see any thing to admire in thee Consider the Sufferings of Jesus and harden thy self Learn from Him to despise the Inconveniences of this Life learn to despise its Allurements From his Indifferency towards it 't is thy Duty and thy Honour to be very Indifferent too And this as all thy Duty thou wilt find pleasant upon the trial of it and a reward to it self This will give thee an invincible composure and peace of Mind a happy Command and Enjoyment of thy self under all the Vicissitudes and Changes of this mutable uncertain World Consider further my Soul Has He blest thee with the Pardon of all thy Sins And
Sufferings of my Saviour thy mighty Displeasure against the Sins of Men and it terrifies me to think of it I plainly see how odious they are to the Divine Purity In that so worthy and great a Person He who is so well and so justly belov'd of the Father was sorely afflicted by the Father Himself when He bore the Sins of Mankind I see thy Hatred O Lord against my Sins I believe it very just and I cannot chuse but hate them too I will henceforth hate every false way but thy Law will I love I will love thy Righteousness and Holiness and utterly abhorr what is so contrary to it as my Sins I will account it my greatest Honour to conform to thee and will abandon and be asham'd to be found in the most creditable or the most applauded Sins in the World Henceforth will all Sin have a most deform'd and ugly Visage to my Eye I shall never think any one charming I shall never account any one worthy to be desired But when I consider O Lord the Course of my past Life when I look into thy Commands and compare with them my Thoughts and Words and Actions Oh what a mortifying View does this Examination present me Oh wretched Creature I am confounded I am fill'd with Indignation against my self when I see how much I have had to do with this vile this odious thing Wo is me how many are my Transgressions They are alas more in number than the Hairs of my Head and my Heart even fails me when I review them I have sinned in every Age of my Life ever since I could know or chuse my Actions Oh wretched Creature how early did I begin to sin against thee How many have been the unheeded Actions of my Life the most of which I must fear have been wicked since they have proceeded from one so prone to do Evil as I. And how many more must the Sins of my Words in all likelihood have been especially while I did not set any watch upon my Tongue nor keep the door of my Lips And when I think how easily and abundantly the light Mind multiplies Thoughts I tremble to think how much my vain foolish vicious Mind has multiplied Transgressions too Lord who can understand his Errours I am amazed at the Number of my Sins I have sinned alas against thee in every Circumstance and Condition of my Life I have sinned in every Relation towards Men Not doing that Honour not paying that Justice not exercising that Charity to my Neighbour which I ought I can view none of thy Commands but it calls to mind many Sins I have been guilty of Very often have I repeated the same Sins returning to them as the Dog to the filthiness of his vomit and as the Swine wallowing in the mire I have sinned against thy Law and against the Gospel Oh how cold a reception have I given to the Offers of thy Grace and Mercy How have I neglected the great Salvation Trampled upon the Blood of the Covenant and despised my Saviour's dying redeeming Love Oh how many of other men's Sins have I been guilty of By my ill Example by giving them needless and unjust Provocation by tempting and alluring them to Sins by assisting what I ought to have hindred by conniving where I ought to have bestow'd reproofs and by countenancing and abetting what I ought to have corrected and discouraged I cannot alas pretend to have done any good Action without a mixture of Evil in it My best Works need the Blood of Christ to cleanse them and make them fit to be presented unto thee and indeed I want that Blood to wash even the Tears of my Repentance What a mighty Charge am I able to draw up against my self Here thou mayest particularly mention those Sins thou art sensible of But thou O Lord knowest me better than I do my self And I dread to think how much more thou canst add to the heaviest Charge that I can bring against my self I have been so vile as to sin deliberately against thee to do Evil knowing that I did Evil. I have been easily induced to Sin the slightest Temptations have prevail'd with me I have been alas accustomed to do Evil. O Lord thou hast Exercised wonderfull Patience and Forbearance towards me in a long train and course of Sinning and I have been so base and ungratefull as to encourage my self to transgress by that Patience which should have led me to Repentance Oh wretched and vile Creature that I am I have greatly sinned I am become exceeding guilty What shall I say unto thee Oh thou preserver of Men. I will lay my self down in the Dust before thee I am at thy Mercy O Lord and must own that I have deserved the utmost severity of thy Wrath. In the sad Sufferings of Jesus I see what my Sins have deserved I see in his Contempt how I have deserv'd to be despised I see in his Thirst upon the Cross how I have deserved the want of all things comfortable I see in his Agony and by his Groans under the Divine Wrath what Displeasure and Punishment I have deserv'd to suffer I see in his accursed Death that I have deserv'd to die and be Eternally accursed and cast out of the Divine Favour O Lord I am unworthy utterly unworthy to breath in this Air of thine to inhabit this Earth to enjoy this chearfull Light I am less than the least of all thy Mercies I must judge I must condemn my self I must own thou wert Just and I should have but my deserts if I were now shut up in gloomy darkness if I were now wrapt in Everlasting Flames if I were feeling the Torments of the never-dying Worm and of Endless bitter Despair Lord I will punish I will take vengeance on my self for my Sins I will lead a Life of Mortification rather than Indulgence I will never allow again any high or admiring Thoughts of my self It shall always keep me humble to think how great disparagement and vileness I have contracted to consider my self a Sinner and that there is Imperfection and Sin mixed with the best of my Actions But O Lord I beseech thee do not thou enter into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified Oh deal not with me after my Sins neither reward me after mine Iniquities Blessed is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven whose Sin is covered Spare me good Lord spare thy Creature whom thou hast redeem'd with thy most precious Blood Oh spare the miserable Wretch that confesses his Faults restore thou Him that is Penitent Pity thou Him that is Contrite Revive the Spirit of the Humble chear the contrite Heart A broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Give me then the joy of thy Salvation uphold me with thy free spirit Then will I teach Transgressours thy ways and Sinners shall be converted unto thee Open thou my Lips O Lord and my Mouth
made to God even the great Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ and therefore must be attended with Faith or a reliance upon that Sacrifice to find favour with Him the Owning Him to be God and the binding our selves to Honour Love and Obey Him For this reason it is that the Apostle forbids in that Chapter those who would partake of this Sacrament the eating of any Feasts upon Sacrifices which had been offer'd to the Heathen Idols which Sacrifices he says were offer'd to Devils Ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's Table and of the Table of Devils says He v. 21. Ye cannot may mean 't is impossible you should sincerely intend what is signified by both these things that is the owning the true God as God and the owning those Devils as Gods for in owning one you do imply the renouncing of the other To be sure the True God requires if you own Him that you do renounce all other Or it must mean You ought not to do thus If you partake of the Cup and Table of the Lord you must sincerely intend thereby the owning of Him and then you must not so much as seem to own those filthy Devils in eating of the Sacrifices which have been offer'd to them Therefore he adds in the 22d Verse That in doing thus they did provoke the Lord to jealousie because they made a show and appearance of departing from and of renouncing of Him herein The Apostle then plainly teaches us that in receiving this Sacrament we do make a profession and show of Honouring and Covenanting with God and therefore that we ought really and sincerely to intend it I might show that the Name of Sacrament was given to this Ordinance by the first Christians because they reckon'd the Celebrating this Supper to signifie the Binding our selves to Serve and Honour Love and Obey and Trust in God to be His faithfull Subjects and Servants And so notorious was it that they used it as a Ceremony of Covenanting with God that even the Heathens knew this and therefore one of them speaking of the Christian Assemblies in his time for Worship at which they always Celebrated this Sacrament says They met together on a fixed Day before it was light this was for fear of their Enemies and did there bind themselves by an Oath or Sacrament not to commit any Thefts or Adulteries not to betray any Trust or deal deceitfully with their Neighbour and the like They then took this Sacrament as an Engagement to be of the Religion of Jesus and so to perform the Terms and Conditions of the New Covenant We therefore must when we receive it sincerely intend the Confirmation of that Covenant SECT XI An Earnest Persuasive to come to the Lord's Supper I Shall now insist a little upon an Earnest Persuasive to the frequent attendance upon this Sacrament which the wofull and deplorable Neglect of these times and the sad Consequences of that Neglect do make but too necessary Let all Men know then that when they are come to years and are capable to know and to renew their Vow and Covenant which they made in Baptism they are Commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ in this way to renew and confirm it They are indispensably bound to receive this Sacrament in Confirmation of that Covenant No Man is left at liberty whether he will receive this Sacrament or not but if the Providence of God affords him Means and Opportunity to do so he is bound to prepare himself for and receive it If a Man at any time neglects to prepare himself for it and is therefore unfit and absents himself because he is unfit in that Case he will be judg'd to have neglected the Sacrament it self He that does not endeavour to be prepar'd and to receive it as often as Opportunity is afforded him to do it in that Congregation of Christians which the Order of the Church and Obedience to the Governours of it does oblige him to join with He does so often neglect and refuse it as he thus absents himself from it But the neglect and refusal of this we must know is the neglect and refusal of the incomparable Blessings of the New Covenant of having the Pardon of our Sins renew'd and sealed the Blessed Influences of the Holy Spirit renew'd upon us and our Title confirm'd to Everlasting Blessedness and our Hopes of it encreased and strengthned 't is to neglect our own Interest and to provoke the Displeasure of God more than by any other Sins in neglecting the Offers of his Grace and Mercy Let all those who never mind this Sacrament nor do ever prepare themselves for it nor receive it know That they do therein intimate the renouncing of their Covenant with God and do cut themselves off from all hopes and expectations of the Favours and Blessings of the Covenant of Grace till they repent of this guilty Omission of their Duty and so come to this Sacrament prepar'd for it Oh wretched Creatures they chuse to remain in a state of Damnation To be sure a Man that has contradicted his Covenant since he was Baptized by living in any wilfull Sin if that Man does not resolve to forsake his Sin and come to this Sacrament and hereby bind himself to his Duty he will be in the sight of God accounted to renounce his Christianity to deny the Lord that bought him to trample upon the Blood of the Covenant the Blood of Christ and to despise his Dying Love And as such a Man must inevitably perish so he will fall under the heaviest and the sorest Perdition What-ever pretended Wishes a Man may have to forsake his Sins what-ever Regret and Remorse for them and what-ever Resolutions he makes to forsake them they will not be accepted with God nor bring him into a Title to the Favour of this Covenant if he has opportunity and means to partake of this Sacrament and refuses to do it Because 't is in and by this Sacrament that God expects and requires the renewal of this Covenant after we have broken it Our Repentance is not compleated according to the Will of God till this is done if he affords us means and opportunity to do this We are not allow'd to expect that He will accept our Resolutions and Vows in any other way presented to Him when He has appointed us this way of presenting them Besides Is it not a wonderfull thing that Men should forget that this Sacrament is appointed by God as the means to convey to them the strength to perform their good Vows and Resolutions And then he that neglects this Sacrament lays himself under the Power and Tyranny of his Sins and neglects the mighty Help which Heaven kindly affords Him against it And He binds upon Himself the guilt of all his Sins and as it were seals Himself to Damnation in refusing and neglecting this Ordinance whereby He might be sealed to
so great a Price beside this paid for any Creature I will live to my Love that died for me I will henceforth look upon my self as a devoted consecrated Thing and will ever endeavour to remain so and to carry my self as such I will never be willingly employed but as thou commandest and as thou allowest Lord for thy sake I will love thy Law and it shall be my Meditation all the day I will love thy Commandments above Gold and all false ways I will utterly abhorr Dearer shall thy Commandments be to Me than Thousands of Gold and Silver and sweeter than Honey from the Comb. I will love nothing but what thou lovest and will hate what-ever is displeasing to thee I am heartily griev'd O Lord that I have ever lov'd any thing but thee while I neglected to love thee I am heartily ashamed to think that I should place no Affection where all I could offer is but due and bestow all where little or none was due Especially does it vex and grieve me that I should be so monstrously ungratefull and mistaken as to love any thing more than the loving Jesus Hereafter dearest Lord I purpose to love nothing but far below thee and for thy sake what-ever I do love And what is most like thee or most serviceable to thy Honour and Glory shall have the most of my Love Henceforth it shall be my Honour that I am a Servant of Jesus It shall be my delight and pleasure to be a lover of Jesus it shall be my most valued Wealth that He is mine and I am His. Whom have I in Heaven but thee O Lord and there is none on Earth that I can desire in comparison to thee And therefore nothing can be so sweet to me nothing can afford me so much satisfaction and joy as to be able to say of thee My Beloved is mine and I am His For me to be thine O Jesu is my Honour my Security my Peace and Happiness everlasting For thee to be mine is health to my Soul strength to do thy Commandments it is Joy unspeakable and full of Glory it is Heaven on Earth and the Heaven of Heaven it is Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption to me O rich and bounteous Love I am thine O Lord with all my Soul that thou mayest be mine Oh how much shall I gain by giving my self to thee I shall gain my self and be saved from Everlasting Perdition and I shall gain Everlasting Happiness in the Enjoyment of thee I am thine O Jesu save me I have sought thy Precepts Lord sanctifie me wholly that in Body Soul and Spirit I may be thine Take a full possession of me for the future and let not any other Lords have Dominion over me O Lord I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments I purpose to be stedfast unmovable always abounding in the Work of the Lord as knowing that my Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. I am thine dispose of me as thou pleasest I will bear thy Yoke I will not decline thy Cross I will not despise thy shame The reproach of Christ shall be to me greater Riches than the Prosperity of this World Let but thy Grace be sufficient for me and then call me to what thou pleasest I can do all things through Christ strengthening me Lord I shall not I hope fear or decline to suffer for thy sake No though I should die with thee I purpose not to deny thee But alas it troubles me to think how weak and vain all my Resolutions are and how soon they will come to nothing without thy continual support and assistance This troubles me but it is my comfort that thy Grace is easily obtain'd it may be now had for asking of it O shield me by thy Grace against all Temptations Hold up my goings in thy Word that my footsteps slip not Guide thou me by thy Counsel till thou hast brought me to thy Glory SECT XVI An Exercise of Faith I Believe there is onely one true and living God who is the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost An Infinite Eternal Perfect Being the Maker and Preserver Owner and Governour of All things Who has right to the Homage Worship and Obedience of Mankind Who has laid upon us his Laws and takes notice of our Behaviour That his Eyes behold all the Dwellers upon Earth and try the Children of Men That He is always nigh to every one of us for it is in Him that we live move and have our Being I believe O Lord that thou art and art a Rewarder of those that diligently seek thee Thou hast appointed a Day wherein thou wilt Judge the World in Righteousness and render to every Man according to his Works That those who are found wicked in that Day shall go away into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal But I believe also that to the Lord our God belong Mercies and Forgivenesses though we have rebelled against Him if in the way of his appointment we seek his Pardoning-Mercy Thou hast O Lord Blessed be thy Name preclaim'd thy self a God forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin And declarest that thou desirest not the Death of a Sinner but had rather that he should turn from his Wickedness and live O wonderfull Condescension and Goodness Oh how sweet is thy Mercy How glorious and great The exceeding vileness and the unreasonableness of our Sins do magnifie thy Mercy beyond all Comprehension and Praise Favour and Forgiveness to a base Sinner is that the Sinner could not expect till thou hadst declar'd it should be obtain'd and didst graciously offer it When we were sunk into the most abject Misery by a vile Rebellion against thee had render'd our selves obnoxious to thy Eternal Hatred and Wrath and deserv'd to follow the Apostate Angels in their Fate and Damnation as we had follow'd them in Rebellion Then did thy Infinite Wisdom contrive how to show us Favour in a way consistent with thine own Honour Thou didst find out a way to spare Us and to punish our Sins to glorifie thy Justice in taking Vengeance on our Inventions and thy Mercy in saving the wretched Sinners And God so lov'd the World that He gave his onely-begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Thou gavest O Father thine Onely-begotten Son to the Condescension and Meanness of taking our Nature upon Him and to die a Sacrifice for our Sins and on him thy well-beloved Son didst thou lay the Iniquities of us all And in his Death thou hast receiv'd a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World Thou hast laid our Help on one that is Mighty and able to save to the uttermost all that come into God by Him We adore thy Incomprehensible Goodness and Compassion to Sinners Thou art abundant Oh God in Goodness and Truth Thy Mercy is over all
thy Works In Mercy thou hast great delight We remember the glorious Exercises of it We know O Lord thou canst pardon the greatest Offences For thou hast pardon'd very great Sinners David was forgiven his base Murder and Adultery Manasseh his horrid Idolatry and filling Jerusalem with innocent Blood The vile Adulteress Mary Magdalen The Apostle Peter who denied and disown'd thee with an Oath The Furious Saul who blasphem'd thee himself and being exceedingly mad against thee compell'd others to Blaspheme All these are Monuments of thy glorious forgiving Mercy Oh what comfortable what joyfull Hopes have we in such Goodness We know that having given us thy Son thou wilt not deny us any thing that is necessary to our Salvation But if we ask we shall receive if we seek we shall find if we knock it shall be opened to us On that Ransome which my Saviour has paid for me and on all thy gracious Promises which for his sake thou hast made I do wholly and firmly rely With an humble Confidence O Lord that we may find favour with thee we remember before thee in this Sacrament the bleeding Wounds of thy dear Son and his precious Death our rich Sacrifice for Sin We remember before thee and present unto thee Him whom thou hast set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood And in his Name relying upon the Value and Acceptance of his Sacrifice I thy poor unworthy Servant humbly present my self before the Throne of thy Grace to seek thy Favour begging leave that I may claim thy gracious Promises which in Him are Yea and in Him Amen and that I may now entertain and delight my self with the glorious Hopes which they afford I desire I hope that thou wilt fully forgive my manifold and great Transgressions I desire I hope thou wilt give me thy Holy Spirit which thou hast promised to give to them that ask Him Oh grant me that Spirit to cleanse me from all Unrighteousness to purifie my polluted Soul to take away all the filthy stains of my Sins to strengthen my weakness in Temptations to be my support and comfort me under Discouragements and Afflictions to assist me in all my Duties to guide my Way and secure my Perseverance to the End Thou O Lord who searchest the Hearts and triest the Reins of Men well knowest I had almost said too well wherein my greatest weakness lies Lord strengthen me in particular I beseech thee against mine own Iniquity I desire I hope thou wilt graciously keep me unspotted from the World keep me from following any of the Errours and Vices that shall ever be in vogue with the giddy and wicked Multitude I desire I hope thou wilt mercifully defend me against the Wiles and Devices of my Soul 's great Adversary the Devil I humbly commit my self to thy gracious keeping Oh faithfull Creatour I desire I hope O Lord that thou wilt bless me with Health and with a competent Provision of what is needfull for me of the good things of this World and defend me if it please thee from Poverty Dependance and Contempt Give me neither Poverty nor Riches but feed me with Food convenient for me I know O Lord Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward that Sin entring into this World has brought Misery and Affliction with it And that our folly and perverseness commonly needs such Discipline to make us wise and good I desire to submit to what-ever it shall please thee to order for me to say always after the Example of my Saviour Lord not my Will but thine be done I hope thou wilt deal with me according to thy Mercy and lay upon me no more than thou wilt inable me to bear I believe thou mayest do me great good by my Afflictions I pray thee sanctifie them all to the promoting my Soul's Health and my Everlasting Happiness And give me I pray thee an humble Resignation and an invincible Patience that I may neither despise the chastening of the Lord nor faint when I am rebuked of Him Let me always encourage my self with this Assurance That these light Afflictions which are but for a moment if they be patiently born shall work for me a far more exceeding and an eternal weight of Glory I desire I hope thou wilt direct and inable me so to pass through things Temporal as that I may not finally lose the things Eternal That by thy Conduct and Guidance I may at last arrive safely to that happy World where the Weary are at Rest where the Wicked cease from Troubling where Sorrow and Sighing and Pain and Vexation and Fear and Care shall all be banish'd all Tears shall be for ever wiped from our Eyes and we shall enjoy thee and all that we can desire in perfect Bliss and Eternal Safety and Quiet This is a true Saying and worthy of all Men to be received That Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners Lord I receive it Lord I believe help thou my unbelief I believe O Jesu thou art Christ the Son of the living God that should come into the World Oh tender and condescending Love how dear is that Blessed Name to me Jesus my Saviour Oh how full of sweetness is it as a rich Perfume Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth Oh be thou ever Jesus to me To thee O Lord I fly as a refuge from the just Wrath of God I have deserv'd as able to conquer all my spiritual Enemies as willing to receive into thy protection all that come unto thee Oh Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World have Mercy upon my poor Soul grant me thy Peace Thou invitest those that are weary and heavy laden to come into thee Behold Lord I come let me find Rest to my Soul I come to partake of the Happiness of being united to thee in this Sacrament I believe O Lord the Truth of all thy Promises and the Vertue and Power of all thine Ordinances And that the Bread we break and the Cup we drink in this Sacrament be not bare Signs but real Instruments of Conveyance and the Communications of thy Body and Blood I come then that I may receive thy Body and Blood may be interested in the Merits of thy Passion that I may partake of the Spirit and be intitled to the Heavenly Inheritance which thou hast purchased for poor lost Sinners I come to make a Thankfull Remembrance of thy Death which thou didst kindly submit to for the Advantage of Mankind And by thy Death I hope to have Life everlasting I gladly embrace O Lord the Offers of thy Gospel I desire thee to subdue in me all my rebellious Lusts and vile Affections and as a King to rule over me I will account it my Honour to be thy meannest Subject I desire thee to afford me thy Heavenly Instructions teach me as a Prophet and make me wise to my Salvation through Faith that is in thee I desire thee
Let thy Gospel of Holiness Peace and Love O Jesu run and be glorified from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same With great Trouble and Concern O Lord I consider how much of the wretched World lies in Wickedness O how sad a Thought is it that such a Saviour should be offer'd to Men and so few receive Him How sad is it to think that so many Thousands of Souls for whom Christ died are likely to go down into the dismal Caves of Hell that so many who might be Eternally happy and praise thee for ever will destroy and throw themselves into Everlasting Misery Rivers of Waters run down mine Eyes because Men make void thy Law A Law so rich in Love and so condescending in Grace I am troubled O Lord because they do not love thee and because they will destroy themselves Because they affront and rebell against thy most obliging Goodness and neglect so great Salvation as it offers them Oh that I could save many precious Souls from their Destruction Oh that I could pluck them as Brands out of the Burning As far as I am able and as becomes me to do in my place and station I will endeavour to cure the Epidemical Wickedness of the Times I live in I will earnestly endeavour to keep those Souls that are under my Authority and Power and that are of my Neighbourhood and Acquaintance and whom I can have any influence over from going down to Everlasting Perdition I will follow all that I may with Advice and Counsel and those that I may not pretend to advise I will endeavour to entreat that they would be saved And those whom I ought to do this to I will reprove and correct for any Wickedness that I observe in them I will propagate as well as I can the saving Knowledge and the Love of thee among the Ignorant and Careless and those whom their Poverty hinders from providing for themselves By giving among them according to my Ability such means of their Instruction and Reformation as thy Favour has afforded the Publick I am greatly troubled and concern'd at the Miseries and Calamities which I hear of or see in the World That thy Creatures whom thou didst make that thou mightest love them and that they might be happy should pull upon themselves so much Misery from thy just Wrath and deserved Vengeance Oh how sad is it to think of Thousands of People going down alive into the Pit swallow'd up by sudden Earthquakes and in a moment snatch'd hence into Eternity without any time to prepare for their Departure How it grieves me to think of the sad Effects of Pining Famine in some places of Infectious and Pestilential Diseases in others It wounds my Soul to consider the wofull Calamities and Desolations that attend Horrid Wars Oh how deplorable a thing is it that Men should seek to spill the Blood of Men and give the Carkasses of their own Kind for a Prey to Birds and Wild Beasts Lord rebuke the proud Disturbers of the World abate their Pride asswage their Malice and confound their Devices Grant that Wars may cease in all Lands and gentle Love and happy Peace abound Prosper good Lord those that Endeavour for a just and safe Peace that they may attain it and scatter thou the People that delight in War Oh that thy Judgments which are abroad in Earth might make the Inhabitants of the World to learn Righteousness and turn themselves to thee who hast smitten them that thou mayest head them As a Member of thy Blessed Church I am particularly concern'd for the Tranquillity and Peace and the true Spiritual Glory and Prosperity of that O Lord purge out of thy Church what-ever does displease thee and is destructive to the Souls of Men. Purge out of it what-ever is an Offence to those without Possess all Christians with this That they are oblig'd to Endeavour that their Carriage may adorn and recommend their Religion in the sight of the Infidels and to take care their Light may so shine before Men that they seeing their Good Works may Glorifie their Father which is in Heaven Purge thy Church we pray thee from all false Doctrines and Heresies from Prophaneness and Persecution from Superstition and Cruelty from Envy Hatred Malice and all Uncharitableness Bring into the Way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived Raise up them that are fallen confirm and strengthen those that stand in Piety and Vertue and Profession of the Truth Comfort those parts of thy Church that mourn and are oppress'd under a Barbarous Persecution And let thine own Right-hand and Holy Arm in thy due time give them a mighty Salvation O God of Love O Prince of Peace and God of Order we pray thee let thy Gospel abundantly promote these good things in thy Church Grant that there may be no hurting nor destroying in all thy Holy Mountain That all the Members of the Church as Members of the same Body and of one another may have a Cordial Affection to each other Carrying themselves with all lowliness and meekness to each other and with long-suffering forbearing one another in Love Grant that as there is but one Lord Jesus Christ whom we all pretend to Love and Reverence as there is but one true Faith one Baptism one God and Father of us all so we may all with one Mind and one Mouth glorifie thee our God Grant that every Member of the Church may so know and keep its preper place that there may be no Schism in the Body O Jesu King of Love fill with thy kind and gentle Spirit all Christian Kings Princes and Governours Let no proud Wrath no malicious Envy no greedy Covetousness no turbulent Ambition reign in any of them Grant that they all knowing whose Ministers they are may above all things seek thy Honour and Glory And that they may study to preserve the People committed to their Care in Wealth Peace and Godliness That they may truly and indifferently administer Justice to the Punishment of Wickedness and Vice and to the Maintenance of thy true Religion and Vertue Especially O Lord we intreat thee to regard with pecullar Favour thy Servants WILLIAM and MARY our most Gracious King and Queen Let thy Wisdom direct them in all their Administrations Thy Almighty Power promote their Good Designs that under them we may be Godly and Quietly Govern'd Let thy Bounteous Goodness shower upon them abundantly all Personal Blessings for their Bodies and for their Souls to their long Prosperity in this Life and their Everlasting Happiness in the next Since by their Wisdom and Care by their Love to Thee and Goodness to Us with thy Blessing upon their Endeavours we enjoy the happy Liberty of thy House and these thy Blessed Ordinances to the joy and comfort of our Souls we will never fail to remember them in all our Prayers and Supplications unto thee Pour down an Abundance of thy Spirit we pray thee
be so confirm'd by this renewal of them as that they may never be broken any more We renounce this wicked World our own corrupt Nature and thine Adversary the Devil We purpose not to suffer our selves to follow nor be led by them We will receive O Lord what Thou requirest us to believe And we devote our selves to keep and obey thy Holy Just and Good Commandments through the whole Course of our Lives To be always under the Influence and Power of Love to Thee and to our Neighbours To love Thee with all our Heart with all our Soul and with all our Might and our Neighbour as our selves O Father of Mercies graciously accept of our Repentance and return unto Thee Look upon the Death of thy Son and turn from us all thy Wrath Justifie us freely by thy Grace Pardon all our Sins upon the account of it take us into thy Service and grant that we may ever hereafter please Thee in Newness and Holiness of Life Jesus Thou Son of God have Mercy upon us O Christ hear us be Thou our Advocate with thy Father By thy Holy Nativity and Circumcision by thy Meritorious Cross and Passion by thy Precious Death and Burial by thy Glorious Resurrection and Ascension take us into thy Care and Protection Thou that hast done all these things for us have Mercy upon us O be Thou Jesus to us and save us from our Sins Give us according to thy promise to them that receive Thee the Glorious Priviledge to become the Sons of God We accept of Thee O Lord as a King to Rule us and will study to know and endeavour to Obey thy Commands We earnestly desire thy Teaching as our Great Prophet and will receive and comply with thy Divine Instructions however contrary they are to the corrupt Byass of our Nature and our Love of this World Lord we purpose to conform our selves to them by the Direction of thy Excellent Example and not to be conformed to this World And we will always acknowledge our utter unworthiness of the least Good and place all our Hopes in thy Merits and Intercession as our Great High Priest O let us find by the good success of all our Humble Addresses that Thou hast Compassion on our Miseries and dost ever live to make Intercession for us But alas we have promised and resolv'd more than we are able to perform without the Influence and Assistance of thy Good Spirit We therefore Address our selves to Thee O Blessed Spirit Come down we beseech Thee into our Hearts replenish us abundantly with thy Grace let us become thy Sacred Consecrated Temples and do thou evermore dwell in us Banish and purge out of us for ever all that is contrary and displeasing to Thee Teach us that denying all ungodliness and worldly Lusts we may live soberly and righteously and godly in this present World Write thy Law in our Hearts that we may never depart from it Increase and maintain our Faith Increase and continue our Love Cherish all Grace in us and cause us to persevere in Holiness and Vertue and Well-doing to the End of our Lives Keep us in the Knowledge and Love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. We purpose O Holy Spirit duly to wait for thy Blessed saving Influences in a diligent attendance on thy Sacred Ordinances the Word and Sacraments Oh let us be always in due fitness to attend them when the happy Opportunities of doing so are afforded us and let them be always blest to us and be effectual to promote our Sanctification and Salvation Insert this when this Prayer is used in the Morning We give Thanks to the God of all Mercies for the safe Protection the quiet and comfortable Rest of the last Night We devote this Day and all our Lives to thy Service in the Duties which Thou givest us to do Assist us mercifully O Lord in all and Accept us in Jesus Christ Insert this when this Prayer is used at Night Enlighten our dark Souls we beseech Thee O Lord with all the Knowledge that is necessary to our Salvation Fill us with Devout Affections and let thy Love always possess and rule us Be Thou we pray our Protection this Night from all the Perils and Dangers of it May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the Love of God the Father and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with us all henceforth for evermore Amen Our Father which c. FINIS Books printed for B. Aylmer SIX Sermons One of Stedfastness in Religion Two of Family Religion Three of the Education of Children and One of the Advantages of an Early Piety A Perswasive to Frequent Communion in the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper In Octavo Price 3 d. Both by his Grace John late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury The Four Last Things viz. Death Judgment Heaven and Hell Practically Consider'd and Apply'd in several Discourses By William Bates D. D. Recommended as proper to be given at Funerals Books Publisht by the Author of this Reform'd Devotions in Meditations Hymns and Petitions for Every day in the Week and every Holy-day in the Year The Excellent Woman describ'd by her True Characters and their Opposites being part of a Translation out of French Family Devotions for Sunday-Evenings throughout the Year being Practical Discourses with Suitable Prayers Vol. I. II. containing each Thirteen Sermons The other Two intended to make a Sett for the whole Year are almost finisht and design'd to be committed to the Press soon after Christmass to be Publisht together Printed for John Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard
shall shew forth thy Praise SECT XV. An Exercise of good Resolutions OH Crucified Jesus Great Martyr of Love I cannot chuse but acknowledge and admire and praise the exceeding Greatness of thy dying Love Much it is O Lord that I reckon my self beholden to thee And what Oh what shall I render unto the Lord for all his Kindness and Benefits Lord when I ransack my store I am asham'd I am utterly abasht to find how poor it is Oh what can a Creature return to his Maker What can I give that have nothing to give Who am nothing but what I have deriv'd from thee Thy Goodness indeed is such that thou requirest no more than we are able to render and with that thou art well-pleased But that O Lord is so little that I cannot be satisfied with it Oh let thy Fulness of all Excellent Grace thy Fulness of Love fill me with all true Excellency and Love that I may be the better and the worthier Gift to thee Dearest Jesu For the Love of thee I readily renounce all the flattering Vanities of this World all the most necessary Enjoyments of it that I may steadily Honour and Enjoy thee I account all things but Loss and Dung and will not count my Life dear that I may finish my Course of Duty with joy and may win Christ But especially O Lord for love of thee I do here utterly renounce abdicate and abhorr all my most darling Sins And it grieves me exceedingly that I should ever be so base as to entertain any Rivals of the Loving Jesus in my Heart O Lord I hate them so much the more now by how much the more I have formerly lov'd them I will utterly cast them out of my Heart no more shall they harbour there no longer will I entertain no longer cherish those thine Enemies What! Can I be kind to the bloody Crucifiers of my Lord See my Soul see these Murderers all daub'd with the Blood of thy Saviour Away from me ye hatefull Things We will now instantly part never I hope to meet again never to be acquainted more Begone without delay I will thrust you out of my Soul you have no right to abide here Jesus alone has right to possess and rule me Away vile Envy I cannot endure the sight of thee Begone my Covetousness My Malice I hate thee My Sensuality I will starve thee My Pride I will humble thee My Idleness thou hast made me so much work to do that I am resolved I see it absolutely necessary to banish thee for ever from me All my Lusts and vile Affections begone ye shall have no more kind usage here do not expect it Jesus has all my Love I have none for you I am all his I am no more for ye Begone ye hatefull Tyrants of my Soul Jesus a kind and gracious Master imposes gentle Tasks but you lay heavy Burdens upon me His Yoke is easie and his Burden light but your Commands are rigorous and intolerable Jesus has shown me great and wondrous Love Ye promise me much satisfaction and kindness but perform nothing No ye have cheated and deceiv'd me Ye have robb'd me of my Peace robb'd me of my Dignity and Glory and which is more ye have robb'd me of the Favour of my God What can you do for me if you should do all that you promise which is never to be expected that is comparable with what He can do for me what He is willing and has faithfully promised to do for me if I will but hate and forsake you or with what Jesus has already done to testifie his God-will and Kindness to me Jesus made Himself of no reputation for my sake and that He might advance me to the highest Honour But ye would expose me to the utmost Contempt of God Angels and Devils Jesus has died for me that I might live for ever but ye would kill me Jesus rules to save but you to destroy His Rewards are Eternal Life and Happiness but your Wages is Death and Misery everlasting When I come to die what fruit what comfort can I expect from you Alas all that you could ever gain will leave me then if it be not gone before and I must go a poor naked friendless Stranger into the Eternal World yea for your sakes I must if I do not cast you off appear a hated guilty Rebel before my Lord and Judge and be exposed to all the Terrours of Divine Wrath. But the Love of Jesus will not then forsake me Neither Tribulation Distress Persecution nor Death it self shall ever separate me from the Love of Jesus if I will but be divorced from you And Jesus is King of the other World and will send his kind Angels to receive my departing Soul out of the mean Tabernacle of my Body and to conduct it to a glorious Mansion To welcome it from the Miseries of this sinfull World to congratulate my happy Victory over you my Enemies and carry me in Triumph to a place of Bliss and to be with Christ Can I then so much abandon my Reason so much mistake my Interest as to have any more to do with you O Lord the Great Redeemer have Mercy upon me and deliver me from these tyrannous Masters Thy Service is perfect Freedom in keeping thy Commands there is great Reward Set my Soul I pray at liberty to run the Ways of thy Commandments As for these thine Enemies and mine bring them forth and let them be slain before thee Root them perfectly out of my Heart Let them from henceforth be in a decaying languishing Condition never thrive more and quickly die I will never be satisfied till I see them utterly deprived of all Motion Sence and Life O Jesu thy Cross thy Nails thy Spear are due to these Let them from thence receive many mortal Wounds that thou mayest never be displeased nor I troubled or disparaged with them any more for ever O Crucified Love thou hast prevented me by thy Love and infinitely exceeded all that I can return But I will learn of thee to Love and follow thee as well as I can Thou hast given thy self for me on the Cross and givest thy self to me in this Sacrament Behold O Lord I offer my self to thee my whole self I offer and bring thee all the Faculties of my Soul all the Members of my Body I offer my Sences and my Passions I offer all my Thoughts my Words and my Actions I offer all my Designs and Endeavours All the Labours of my worldly Calling all the Adoration of my Worship and Devotions I offer thee all my Possessions in the World all the Persons that I can command and influence to worship honour and serve thee I offer thee all the Days of my Life I offer thee my Death when thou wilt please to require it and both Living and Dying I desire to be thine I desire to be entirely thine Oh how dearly hast thou bought this poor Gift Never was