call to my remembrance his blood shed for to acquire for me life eternal By the receiving the bread and the wine I enter by faith into a community into the society of the body and blood of the Son of God I draw life I draw absolution and am clothed again with his innocence and with his Justice By the vissible receiving which I performe of the bread and of the wine I am assured that I am spiritually united to Christ and made a Citizen of the Kingdome of heaven that he hath bequeath'd me and possessor of eternal life which he hath given me and in eating and drinking the bread and the wine at thy holy Table I am assured my God that I Participate of the body and of the blood of thy Son which I truely receive by faith and by which I participate of the Treasures and Heritage which he hath acquired by his death and which he hath bestowed on his faithful servants When I receive the bread and the wine I receive not only the Elements which are the figures and sacred signs of his body and of his blood but I receive by faith and in spirit the things themselves which are signified and represented Not that the bread and the wine of the Eucharist communicate to me his body and blood but thy goodnesse my God Thy truth Thy majesty Thy vertue and the efficacy of thy holy Spirit communicate and reach forth this body and blood to my understanding and my soul to be spiritually eaten and drank by faith The bread and wine serving to this purpose being sacred signes of his Body and of his blood which should be eaten by the operation of his holy Spirit without understanding any thing therein of sensual any thing corporeal ☜ any thing carnal and without searching here below and in our corporal mouths His true body with it's proper essentials with it's inseparable accidents with it's quantity and dimentions which is ascended to the heavens and set at the right hand of God where 't is requisite that the heavens contain him even until the restauration of all things Thus Lord I seek the body of Christ in heaven Acts 3.21 by faith I celebrate in the holy Supper the memory of his Death and of his Passion I declare it I esteem it and magnifie it even untill he come and I receive it not with a carnal mouth and corporal throat but after a Divine manner Sacramentally under a signifficant mystery with the mouth of my heart and spiritually by faith By faith which is the substance of things hoped for By faith whereby I really embrace his Body and blood and which bring to passe that in the holy Eucharist I am made partaker of it By faith which is the vessel and the hand whereby I receive thy Graces And as Lord 't is by faith that the Lamb was slaine from the beginning of the world 't is by faith that Abraham saw the day of the Lord 't is by faith that the Galatians have had Christ crucified before their eyes 'T is by faith that the Gospel gives me at this present eternal life Also Lord 't is by faith that in the celebration of thy holy Supper His body and his blood are present and subsistent in my heart in my spirit and in my soul 'T is by faith that I embrace his body and suck his blood which distilleth from his wounds And by means of this Sacramental eating and feeding on the body of the Saviour of the world and this spiritual drinking of his blood I am made bone of his bone flesh of his flesh I am incorporated in him I draw by faith eternal life from his flesh broken for me and from his blood shed for me I live of Christ and in Christ I live of his Justice instead that I should dye of my sinne I am justified by him sanctified in him to be eniivened and glorified in him By this holy Sacrament I am also admonished of my duty toward my Neighbour in regard as we are ransomed with the same blood made members of the same body and Dependants of one and the same Head and consequently one among our selves and by the Commandment of God and natural duty We all draw life from one and the same death nourishment from one and the same food and the self same cup. Up then my soul 't is here where thou oughts to Anchor and fix thy cogitations stay thy course and cast thy eyes upon the love of thy God 'T is here that thou oughtest to supplicate that Divine heavenly heart who onely bestowes motion upon men That only pulse and life of thy being 'T is the only base whereon thou foundest thy hope to inspire in thee the ardent flames of his Spirit and turn into thy heart the generous boylings of zeale heate and ardour toward him to the intent that thou mayest be a worthy partaker of that holy Sacrament which is the most singular consolation the most effectual remedy and greatest guift which he hath communicated to his upon the earth It 's the entyre Summe and Soveraign abridgment of his benefits it 's the certaine token of his infinite love the true treasure of his bounty Lord Eph. 1.7 thou hast ransomed me by the blood of thy Sonne according to the rickes of thy grace which thou causest plentifully to abound over me Instructing me in the secret of thy pleasure Thou hast informed me that 't is the bread of life by the which my soul is sustained That 't is the true Vine whereof I am a branch The gate of Honour and the rich assent which conducts me to the mount of Glory Thou hast called me to the communication of his body Hast applyed his merits to me made me his Co-heritor partaker of his Riches enjoying his celestial heritage In time-past I was not of thy people but now am I of the chosen generation of the Royal Priest-hood of the holy Nation of thy purchased people To th' intent I should set forth and magnifie thy grace and vertue my God who hast called me out of darknesse into thy merveilous light Thy Sonne is my only sacrifice my only oblation my onely Holocost by the vertue and merit whereof the heavens and all the treasures of heaven are open to me 'T is the onely remedy of my sin the onely spunge capable to efface my crimes 'T is the Sanctuary the Assillum of my salvation my heritage the joy and the Divine chaine sufficient to rayse me from these miserable places 'T is the tongue of succour who undertaketh my defence 'T is the sacred Anchor which stayeth my vessel and secureth it from ship-wrack and the prosperous Gale which freeth and delivereth me from the depths and Gulfes of the world If the food Lord which will sustaine me but one day obligeth me to praise thy Fatherly goodnesse how much more ought to be excited and enflamed my Devoyre to render thee thanks for the bread of life and for
without the desolution of the whole Body But then when our well-fare requires that so it must be it 's better to perish in part then entyrely to lose one than both our eyes of't-times a member spar'd costs the life If we be alwayes heated with Prosperity if we ever live at our ease what a multitude of designs would take up our thoughts and interpose that we lift not up our soules to that which is on high with how little difficultie will we permit our selves to slip into vices and to be partakers of all the vanities of the word That little interval we have enjoyed gives us full assurance the example of very many removes all doubt We are slothful to our safety we must be prest to it we are slack and advance not but by constraint The Eagle hovers round about her young to teach them to rayse themselves from the earth he lets some dayes passe without feeding them to the intent that hunger may compell them to seek out their food and for the utmost remedy He beats them he corrects their sloth with strokes both with his beak and wings Even so the great God delivers his Ordinances into our hands to observe them He commands us to obey them he summons he threatens us and in conclusion when bare words makes no impression in our hardned hearts He puts us forward and constraines us through sundry afflictions He deals by us as a Father who hastily snatches the Knife out of the hand of his childe fearing he should hurt himself and forbeares not for his crying As the Father who retyres his sonne from the brinck of the River and in with-drawing him corrects him to the end he should not return again He chastiseth us to the intent we should resent our offences he leads us off beating us and ever addes some surcharge to our afflictions thereby to humble us During our prosperity we pride our selves beholding every thing with a scorneful eye we value none but our selves and think not of ought but our content and felicity And as bodies that are fatted languish under their proper weight and stoop beneath the burthen and charge of themselves in like manner our overmuch and continual repose drowns us in pleasures and lessons in delights the first glances men observe to blaze of our zeal and ardure to pursue the path of the children of God The skilful Physician sometimes breaths a veine not for present necessity but to prevent and remove the cause of that malady he judges approaching In like manner God afflicts us to turn us from vices which we are ready to embrace And so he prunes off many branches of a plant to the intent it may become more fruitful we undergo afflictions to the intent we may fructifie the more and that we may increase our zeal That we may preserve our selves dextrous and strong we accustome our selves to Justs Turneys we counterfeit war in a full absolute peace and to preserve our soules ever amiable alwayes healthy do we refuse adversity afflictions and tryals we conceive not of our felicity but by the same measure that we recent evil ☞ we joy not in heaven but so far as earth torments us we embrace not God but in the same degree that men afflict us Men distinguish the children of God by their scars their songs are sighths their garments sable mourning and gloomy their Edifices Prisons and the Grave Men send the stout Souldier to the assault they plant him in the midst of the breach they place him in the mouth of the Cannon the Loyal in battel against difficulties losses and vexations The Courage of the Souldier softens and relents during the truce his generosity abates if he be long absent from the Field of battel In like-sort the zeal of Gods Children languisheth and consumeth it self in time of prosperity He there signalizeth himself by the scars in his front and by the wounds received for default of his Armes This here by afflictions proceeding from the hand of the Omnipotent God All his adversities are advertisements these rubarbs are healthful nourishments and bitternesses tending to pleasantnesse we may not imitate the Caterpiller converting flowers into poyson the Anvil which hardens it self against the Hammer The sonnes of earth who sinke in despaire The valiant brow searches the glory of Lawrels and Palms for testimonies of their courage the true believers suffer the honour of crosses of griefs and tryals for signes of their faith Let 's then quit the Field to these Panick these feeble amasements overthrowing them under our weapons enduring them with a cheareful aspect since 't is the pleasure of God that afflictions as pointed arrowes should be fixt in our bodies Suffering with constancy if his heavy hand presseth us on abates us dismembers us and hence forward being rather apt to penance than plaints Being of good courage he is ever a spectatour of his own who strugle and contest against calamity He is ever at hand to yield them courage by their sides to aid and assist them He was by Job stretcht out on the Dunghill He accompanied the three Children in the Furnace He descended with Daniel into the innermost crannies of the Den of Lyons He was near Elias in the Desart with Saint Peter in the Prisons with such a multitude of Martyrs in the midst of the flames This labour is an exercise of true Courage in the sweat whereof men finde felicity The end the aime whereunto we are call'd is so excellent and admirable that we are oblidg'd to embrace all enterprises which may conduct us thither Then let these Ignominies these faded withered things these dolours be our Lawrels our Palmes our Crowns let them be the marks of our vertue engraven on our bodies Let us chearefully receive these Presents from the hand of God let 's relish these wholsome medicines let 's embrace if it be the pleasure of God wounds Martyrdome and Death What then If for his honour and glory if the more to publish the Name and Merit of the Saviour of the World He delivers us into the hands of these Barbarians who oppose publick afflictions and the horrour of death to check the progresse of the Name of Christ who seek not their glory but by the measure and proportion of their cruelty against persevering Christians if he deliver us into the power of these Butchers who imagine the heavenly Field is husbanded as ours by the labour and assistance of the Iron who persecute us by publick punishments by the astonishment of flames by the horrour of Gibbets and of Pillaries surfeting of blood and carcasses and by the dread of Butchers prepared to death and destruction What Shall we not conserve this precious earnest this holy gage this divine faith planted in our hearts by the powerful operation of the Omnipotent Spirit Shall we not inviolably observe this sacred oath of fidelity given to Jesus Christ at our birth What Shall we not freely lavish out our blood
which shall Harp before the Saviour of the world who shall gloriously descend from the vaults of heaven all those whom the Sea hath overwhelm'd or the earth received to the intent that being clothed with their bodyes before the great Judge they may receive their definitive sentence of life or death O Lord that I may be of their number who shall arise to their glory and not of them who shall arise to their infamy that I may be of them who shall rejoyce with perpetual Triumph and not of those who shall for ever remain slaves of that horrible Monster That I may be of that number that may be borne into the brightnesse of heaven and not of those that shall be tumbled down into gloomy places and to eternal night That I may be a Citizen of thy heavenly habitation that I may inherit thy Paradice that my seat may be near my Saviour that my place may be there designed that I may not be of those victims prepar'd for Hell that I may not be of that number that shall be precipated into the abism of death which shall have their abode in darknesse and their habitation in the grave O good God suffer not my Barke to fall into so cruel so sad and dismal a storme It should be more expedient for me never to have been born than be ranck't in the number of them who were created to their destruction Bring to passe then at that great day that my rotten cossin may be listed up enlighten this extinguish't carcase cause it to live and shine with my soul make them to flourish together for ever and ever I am nothing Lord but a lump of mud yet never the lesse thy hands have compast me I am nothing but corruption but I bear on my brow thine Image drawn to the life I am all vice all sinne all abomination in thy sight Thy love makes no impression farther than my lips Thy Divine flame pierces not within my soul But Lord I have been washed with the water of holy Baptism I have participated of thy Sacraments I have received a seal a token a sacred testimony of my pardon I have sucked that powerful antidote that immortal Ambrosia that heavenly nourishment which shall concerve me against the poyson and venome of my sinnes and against the power of Satan Lord A lively Description of the last Judgment it seems to me that I already behold thee descending from on high set on thy Throne of Glory filling all with astonishment environed with a Million of Angels holding the sword of vengeance in thy hand It appears to me that I now behold an infinite company of scatter'd men delving the earth to hide themselves not daring ot sustain the bring flames of thy countenance that I behold the flock of thy chosen postrate at thy feet crying out that the squadrons of thy holy Angels dare not appears in reverence of thy just severity crying out that their souls were purchase by the precious blood of thy body That their sinnes are surmounted by thy grace that the honour of thy goodnesse is manifest in their salvation that thou wilt not cut and prune off thy members and reject those whose names are written in thy book of life It seems that I behold thy countenance turn'd toward them standing at thy right hand and thy mouth pronouncing their absolution and saying to them Come ye blessed of my Father possesse for heritage the Kingdome which was prepared for you from the foundation of the World Methinks I behold them rejoycing and filling themselves with splendour while thou art speaking beholding them transported by a sweet and delightful ravishment by an ardure full of zeal for thee and for thy glory to remain there for ever O good God 't is thither that we must direct all our vowes and confine all the desires of our soules 'T is the lustre of that glorious and holy day that should dazle our eyes and not the riches of this world 'T is the remembrance of these extream bright and perfect beauties which should ever entertain our thoughts and not the dark shadowes of our cares Bestir thee then let 's not longer stay on these earthly cares which are so many spiritual Divorces and Adulteries My Soul entertain not other discourse my heart have no other wishes my mouth pronounce no other name than that of our Saviour and thy salvation Let 's up and anchor here our bark in these fair desires let 's perfect this man finish this body let 's forbear to corrupt and ulcerate our wounds to encrease our woes to open again our miseries that our dolors that our convulsions that our fleames if it seem good to them hail us quick and drag us alive to the Tomb that our carcasses be consum'd with wormes that our bones may be reduc't to dust it matters not seeing that the Saviour of the world renders as possessors of the fruit of so signaland happy a victory that he bestowes on us our share and lot in his land that he covers us with Lawrels and with Palmes O God this Crown is very high 't is above this aspiring rock whose way is narrow and uneven incumber'd with thornes and bryars I lye tumbling on my Bed I cannot pull up my feet not raise my head above my bolster my carcasse is nothing but dung and my Soul then corruption I am laden with a counter-wait which ever presseth me down my offences are bolts and shackles on my feet which makes me ever stumble The Devil places them near the avenues to close up the passage to render the way dreadful and to drive me to despair of my salvation But what shall I say good God! I must not require the endeavours of my attenuated legs and my carcasse half benum'd to climb this Mountain to pierce the thicknesse of the clouds and raise my self even to the heighth 'T is onely requisite that I dive into the contrition of my heart the confession of my month I need but lift up my eyes and taise up my cogitations toward the great Saviour of the World who openeth his armes to transport me O my Rock thou art not then any longer hard for me to prevail with Christ the object of my faith Christ the only medicine who can close and consolidate my wounds Christ in whom I establish all my present and future felicity Christ my guide and my Bare star who must conduct me to the light of his ensign he shall open to me the way shall make my faith to surmount all despaires he shall deliver me from these hindrances he shall raise me up free and conduct me even into heaven making me mount by his divine degrees and shall guide by the might of his holy Spirit my blessed and happy soul into his high place where the seasons passe eternally I will leave to him this Triumph I will leave to him the accomplishment of this great work the honour shall be to his blood to his blood
vanity of our Cogitations are but two apparent and their end cannot be hid The covetous wretch hath but a little gold and land this Mallady is not folly 't is Rage all to him is too little and a little to him is nothing The Ambitious knoweth no Serene dayes the ferver of his desire causes him every moment passe his life in renewing deaths And in conclusion he enjoyes nothing but winde The voluptuous man has but little pleasure which glides vanishes away and forsakes him sooner than thought or instant leaving him nought but a Boysing ☞ but a sad Repentance and all three are so inchain'd so fastned to the world and yet have secret Vultures which without intermission gnaw and tyre on their Hearts Let us not then like them Establish our hopes on Humane things which are leaves moved with every blast Let us not pursue these vaine Grandures neither plunge our selves in these Delights followed with so sad so miserable a conclusion Let us steere our vessels out of Perill and not linger till the Tempest by force cause us make Port after ship-wrack Let us not longer be slack to our good considering that all is vanity which the heavens encompasse defacing and razing one of our hearts all the Tracks of the world establishing our assurance on the force and right hand of him whose firme support shall no way be able to frustrate our expectation Our Ornament shall be quite different to theirs and the fruit of our labour shall far surpasse them They heap up these earthly vapors and exhalations which as suddenly vanish They fill the ayre with their clamours and wishes they sow to the winde and reap nought but vanity and emptinesse They Build on the sand and their edifices fall to ruine They paint on the floods and the Traits of their Pensill disappears They are carefull of nothing but their fraile Bodyes and permit their souls the immortal seed of heaven to lye neglected They wallow in Mud and Dirt and come forth desil'd ☞ They search for Paradise in Honours in Riches in the world and find nought but Passions but paine and sorrows Instead of meditating of and assuring the life after these ashes they close up against themselves the passage of heaven In the course of their vanity they are cleere seeing Owles and of that which is above blind Molds They suffocate their Reason in their Delights and live as creatures that have not other care but for their bellyes Instead of transforming themselves to Angels they degenerate into Beasts They abase instead of exalting themselves in lieu of elevating continually their hearts on high they pronounce not the Name of God but with Blasphemies In stead of dreading the powerful effects of his puissant arme they have nought but their desires for Law And if they sometimes talk of God 't is not but like Paretts with their lips without understanding what themselves say and are deafe to their own proper voyces Let us not then follow this path by the which men march retrograde but contrarily not give rest to our eyes till we have discovered the true path walking by the way that tends to our Original Neither let us aspire to any thing but our felicity being still mindfull of our salvation Let us build on the Rock and on the Free-boord to the end that we may remaine firme as the Mount of Syon Let 's oppose our spirits to our flesh by a solemn Protestation consecrating our hearts our voyce and our hands to the Glory of the Chief Universal and the Principal cause of all beings Let our desires terminate in him that his fear may be a Curb to our follyes That in his love these springing passions may be extinguisht To the intent that we may hold in chief of Heaven and not so much as relish of earth Joyning our voyces to the sweet and melodious accents of those Divine spirits and beautifull soules which glitter in the midst of our Darknesse as stars in the night And ever be mindfull that our other chiefest agitations proceed from artificial and ridiculous causes but that our prime and universal obligation is that of God in which consideration we ought freely to engage all the estate and our lives Casting behind us the Idolatry of perishing beauties being obliged to trample under foot that lustre we so blindly adored It 's expedient to be effected that the delights of the world should be despleasant to us it behoveth us not like mad men to weave the web of our proper destruction and building our felicity on a basse of so short a duration and which resembles a flash of fire which is extinguish't as soon as kindled The riches of men are fleeting and subiect to be lost James 1.10 there is no assurance in their favours the rich with their enterprizes will fade as the flower of the grasse having great designs yet know not what shall fall out to morrow their life is nothing but vapour and smoke He lives in pleasure upon earth James 5.2 he abounds and satisfies his heart but his Riches shall corrupt his garments shall be moth-eaten his money shall rust and it's rust shall be a testimony against him and shall gnaw his flesh like fire His fields shall yield a plentifull encrease he shall gather goods for many yeares but in the following night God shall require his soul Let 's not then more labour after the food that perisheth Luke 12.20 but after that which endureth to life eternal John 6.27 Let 's follow the steps of Jesus Christ and push from us with detestation the enchanting voyce of the world leaving our nets in the Sea after the example of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew quitting the ship and Zebede in imitation of St. James and St. John following the Saviour of the world who summons us The graces of the Omnipotent are the greatest happinesse we can attain to Tim 6.7 He forewarnes us that we set not our hearts on the uncertainty of riches but on him who bestoweth all things plentifully He hath advertis'd us Tim. 6.7 that covetousnesse is the root of all evil makes men wander from the faith and envolves them in many sorrowes Go to them ☞ let 's call to mind that there 's no felicity but in him and that none but his love is Permanent He hath caus'd the earth to yield fruits to nourish our Fathers he by its dayly productions releeves us after them and will effect it by his goodnesse that it shall still bring forth to sustain our Posterity He who hath satisfied five thousand mē with five loavs two little fishes Mat. 14.19 will ever supply us with means sufficient to pass the rest of our time which he will have us to live upon the earth The men of the world have their Heritage in this life their bellies are satisfi'd with food their children are glutted and leave the over-plus to their little ones They imagin themselves rich
transgression upon transgression thou multipliest the acts of clemency Be not then My God inexorable to my fault pursue me not unto extremity The Nurse forbears not to give the breast to her child because it disturbs her repose and sleep Thou art to me more than a Fosterer be not then deaf to my plaints and deny not the milk and the sweetnesse of thy grace to thy infant whom thou hast imbellish't for an high designe and whom thou hast redeem'd with the life of thy onely Son I have forfeited thy grace my God but thou never losest thy goodnesse behold me in thy clemency not in thy justice my hopes survives in thee alone swallow my transgressions in thy compassions and the fruit shall remain to thy glory Lord my braines dissolve into teares my haires are full of ashes my visage heavy my eyes are hollow sunk and dull But Lord if my teares can render thee more gentle if they can move thee to extinguish the flames of my crimes set open the Fountaines of my weeping and cause me to bathe in the waters of my penitence untill that by the merits of the Saviour of the world thou hast overturned my transgression and impure desires under the power of thy compassion Lord I am nothing but Rottennesse and Corruption But the very ashes of a rich substance want not their value I am ransom'd by the stripes of thy Sonne I am cleansed by his blood I speak to thee by hismouth be mindful then of that sweet smelling sacrifice which Jesus Christ offered on the Crosse and do me the honour I may participate in the Triumph of his perfect and compleat Ministry Thou promisedst to Abraham not to destroy Sodom if so be that there thou couldst finde ten just persons and I Lord Gen. 15.36 I am holy I am enclosed I am a member of the just one without spot of one just justifying who hath swallowed my transgressions in the Ocean of his merits of one Just who is the light from whence I borrow the rayes of splendor Of one Just who hath cherish't me in his bosome and who makes me to draw the breath of his mouth Accept then the offerings my God of my humble acknowledgment which I bring to thy Altars with all the zeal and devotion whereof I am capable Psal 51. I beseech thee with the Psalmist David O God have pity upon me according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions efface my offences wash me from mine iniquity and purge me from my sinne I acknowledge my transgressions and my faults are ever before thee I have sinned against thee purge me with bysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Turn thy face away from mine iniquities O God create in me a clean heart and a stedfast spirit east me not away from thy presence neither take from me the Spirit of thy holinesse Restore me to the gladnesse of thy salvation open may lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Lord cause thy graces to abide with me conduct and lead me in thy wholsom paths by a divine inspiration touch to the quick my spirit and my sense and fill me with an ardure to thy service Open my lips which my transgressions have closed make to spring in me piety integrity the love of my neighbours modesty and that my vices after having so long time abused thy creature may in conclusion quit and surrender the place to a blessed to a reformed estate Effect it that my very countenance may answer for me that one may read in my eyes and voice the integrity of my intentions Enable me that I may fructifie as Trees planted by the streames of waters Enable me to walk worthily as it is requisite before thee increasing in all sweet savour and declaring that I am a member of thy Church instructed in thy Gospel and that thy Word dwelleth in me Lord thou hast unto this day conserved me thou hast born me upon thy wings Enable me then to be obedient to thy Voice that I may keep thy Covenant and that I may be of the Kingdome of thy Priests and of thy holy Nation Engrave thy holy Ordinances in my spirit cause my eares to resound the sweet and gratious ayres of thy Word Bring to passe that my tongue may sing a perperual song and be an eccho to thy heavenly voice and for the time to come I may ever addresse most ardent supplications not idle drowsy words unto thee then when as carried away with a Designe or Slumber and that I speak and understand not my self Establish my heart in thy fear retain my inclinations in obedience to thine fill my soul with charity which is the Complement of the Law the establishment of grace the preparative to glory which as the influence of the Sunne enables me with a vertue to fructifie and increase Lord receive me into thy favours wholly blot out my sinne temper and aslwage the scaldings of my wounds Encamp thy Angels round about me dispel and scatter all evil farre from me Be thou my Guide through the perisous straights of the World and the turbulent stormes of the violence of my passions suffer me not to daâ—h against the rocks of this Sea of the world and under the conduct of thy Holy Spirit cause me to arive at the Port of thy salvarion and cast anchor in the midst of thine Love me my God to the intent I may love thee that I may seek thee serve thee pray to thee that I may give thee glory and honour for ever A Meditation upon the Holy Supper UP then my Soul continue not longer buried in the delights and vanities of the World Arise awake thee rouze thy self and lend an attentive ear to the sacred voice of the well-beloved Sonne of God who invites thee to take place at his feast to sit down to the Banquet of eternal life Arise recollect all thy strength and lift thy self up toward this Fountain of light who by his Sunne illustrates all the Starres of heaven and illuminates all the parts and corners of the earth He is the only Physician on whom depends all thy deliverance He is the onely Authour of grace who can conserve thee against darknesse against hell he onely is Omnipotent who can carry thee for ever into heaven Up then my Soul prostrate thy self before him fortifie thy zeal follow thy God who calleth thee to participate of that great divine mystery which he hath instituted and ordained in his Church which is the Sacrament of his body of which one must take part to obtain eternal life The Sacrament of his body by the which he is united unto thee to convey thee into his glory whereby he removeth he abolisheth he effaceth all that is in thee of sin of cursing and of death and there replanteth his grace his life and his felicity All whatever he has brought from heaven all the grace which is
we shall blesse our lives and magnifie our miseries Fear not then the wolves who have power but over the wooll but fear God who hath puissance over our â—ouls Let 's fear God who saith that he â—ho taketh not his Crosse and cometh â—ot after him is not worthy of him who foretold Mat. 13.13 Mat. 10.33 that we shall be hated for â—is Names sake but he who shall ensure to the end he shall be saved who saith that he who shall deny me before â—â—en him shall I deny before my heavenly Father If after having received the cognizance of the truth we abandon Christ there remaines no other sacrifice for our sinnes but a horrible expectation of the judgment of God and a servent and violent fire that must devoure his adversaries if any man had contemn'd the Law of Moses he died without mercy upon the testimony of two or three Deut. 19.15 how much more rigorously shall he be punisht who hath abandon'd the Sonne of God and the Blood of his Covenant to him belongeth vengeance It is a terrible thing to fall into the hand of the living God Go to then let 's take felicity as St. Paul in our infirmities rendering our bonds celebrous and manifest let 's rejoyce for that our names are written in the heavens let 's watch let 's be firm in the Faith fortifying our selves 2 Cor. 12.10 that our light may shine before men Phil. 1. and 13. to the intent that they may glorifie the mighty God of Jacob 1 Cor. 16.13 who is our strength and our retreat Declaring that oppression that persecution Mat. 5.16 that the perill and the sword cannot separate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8.54 shewing that neither death nor life nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come can separate us from the love of the Saviour of the world who hath given his life for all 2 Cor. 5.15 to the intent that they who live may not longer live to themselves but to him who is dead and who is risen again for them Let 's be without reproach and harmlesse children of God Irreprehensible in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation among whom we shine as lights who hold forth before them the word of life Phil. 2.15 we are the children of God Heires of God Co-heires with Christ let 's endure then with him let 's dye for him to the intent we may be glorified with him And esteem with St. Paul that the sufferings of this present life are not comparable to the glory to come Mat. 7.25 After that we have built on the Rock if the Rain descend the torrents encrease and the winds bluster we shall not fail to abide firm and stedfast as the mountaine of Syon let 's persist in one same spirit let 's strive together all with the same courage for the faith of the Gospel Phil. 1.27 without being at all dismayed by our adversaties and not being never so little removed from the love of Christ whom God hath Soveraignly raised up to whom he hath given a name Phil. 2.9 which is above every name to the end that at the name of Jesus every knee might bow of them who are in heaven and in the earth and under the earth and that every tongue shall confesse that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father The Kingdome of heaven is that Precious Pearle to acquire which the Merchant sold all his substance it 's his rich stone for the which we ought â—o cast our selves hood-winck't into the Jawes of death for the which we must alwayes direct our countenance right toward heaven and contemn and neglect the sultery heatâ— and the stormes the sword and thâ— fire and for the which men must trample underfoot the Pride of alâ— the thunderings of men Not regarding then things visible which are for a time but the invisible 2 Cor. 4.17 which are eternal Our light affliction which doth passe away produceâ— in us an eternal weight of excellent glory 2 Cor. 5.1 If our earthly habitations are destroyed we have a heavenly dwelling which is not of humane structure How many of the faithful oâ— whom the earth is not worthy have wandred in Desarts and Cavernes 〈◊〉 cloathed with skins of sheep or of Goats afflicted tormented Heb. 11.37 and in conclusion are stoned sawed scorch't and burnt at a gentle fire not regarding to be extended with torments to thâ— intent to obtain a better life The request made to God by Elias 〈◊〉 is it not enough Rom. 11.3 Lord they have slain thy Prophets Demolisht thinâ— Altars I onely remain and they hunt to take away my life Saint Paul foretold what should befall him saith he not I am ready not onely to be bound but also to dye in Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Act. 21.13 It 's then most certain that all they who will live according to piety in Jesus Christ shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 It is certain that the faithful shall have afflictions in great number Psal 34. but the Lord shall deliver them We are in the Furnace 1 Pet. 4.12 2 Cor. 1.5 but the Spirit of God shall rest upon us The sufferings of Christ shall abound in us and so also shall his consolation Men augment our torments and he will multiplie his graces and at the end of the race our afflictions shall determine and our souls shall dance with perpetual consolations These are the promises of God this is his Word The Holy and the Just the Omnipotent and Eternal appearing to Saint John having his aspect like the Sun when he shineth in his full strength Rev. 1.16 holding the seaven stars in his hand and his voice was like the noise of mighty waters hath pronounced it with his mouth you shall have sufferings the Devil shall cast you into prison to the intent you may be terrified but be thou faithful even unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life He who overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death Rev. 2.10 To him who overcometh I will give him to eat of the Tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God To him who overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and to him will I give a white stone Rev. 2.7 and on the stone a new name written which name none shall know Rev. 2.17 Rev. 2.26 but him who receives it To him who overcometh and shall keep my sayings even to the end to him will I give puissance over the Nations and will give him the morning star Who overcometh shall be cloathed with white vestments and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life Rev. 3.5 but will confesse it before my Father and before his Angels Rev 3.10 Who overcometh him will I ordain a Columb in the