Industry of the Husband-man The End must ever be procured by the Means and they only betray their Folly and Simplicity that talk of adding to their Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Godliness and to Godliness Patience that have not escaped the Pollutions of the World through Lust 2 Pet. 1. 4 5. This is to invert the Method of Grace and to expect that a Tree should begin to grow at the Top before it hath a Root or that Bread should be baked before the Oven be heated These Pollutions must first be removed and the Ground being cleared of the Rubbish you may go and superstruct the intended Edifice 4. To eat and drink unworthily is to eat and drink without sincere Resolutions of Obedience This is consequent to the former Article for Obedience is a necessary Concomitant of Repentance and when the Repentance ends not in Obedience the Repentance is a Cheat. A Man may by some Reasons and Arguments be prevail'd with to part with Sins that are of the bigger sort when he thinks of coming to this Sacrament but except he at the same time seriously resolves to obey Christ in every thing he commands him and particularly in things which are levell'd against his Worldly Interest and is heartily willing to endeavour after those Vertues which are the proper Characteristicks of his Disciples he certainly deceives his own Soul To shake Hands with scandalous Sins and to think that now the Work is done without an holy Readiness to venture on those Graces which render'd the Apostles and the Primitive Believers what they were i. e. amiable in the Sight of God such as Humility Meekness Overcoming the Evil with Good c. In a Word to lop the most luxuriant Branches of the evil Tree and not to take care that it may bring forth good Fruit is to do the Work by halves and the Way to eat and drink unworthily For 1. Such Persons continue in Rebellion against God What is Rebellion but not to obey when we know his Will and have all possible Opportunities to know it If God will have me do a thing and I pass it by as if I heard him not and when it is often inculcated and pressed upon me in Sermons and my Memory refreshed with the Duty and yet still I look upon it as needless or a thing which doth not concern me what is this but Obstinacy And I need not tell you that Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft 1 Sam. 15. 22. Thus Samuel tells Saul upon his Disobedience to the Command of God of extirpating the Amalekites 'T is probable Saul had his Excuses and thought God might not mean it in that rigid Sense that the Prophet's Words imported or that if he executed part of the Order it would be sufficient But these are not things that avail much with God notwithstanding all this the Prophet calls his Neglect Rebellion I know and am sensible that a very worthy Communicant may sometimes ignorantly neglect a Duty and yet preserve an Interest in God's Love because as soon as he comes to know his Errour he doth not encourage it in himself but reforms it But this differs very much from Disobedience to things peremptorily commanded and which every Day that we hear or read the Word are represented to us as necessary Here not to resolve to do those things is opposing our Wills to God's Will and though we do not do it openly yet in effect we do it and whereas God thinks such a Vertue necessary to Salvation we will not think it so and notwithstanding his assuring us that without such Accomplishments we cannot inherit Eternal Life we fancy we may And what is this but crossing the Will of God And how much does this want of Rebellion and thinking our selves wiser than God And surely these are not very good Qualities to dispose a Man to eat and drink worthily at this holy Table 2. Such Persons discover their Desires to be their own still their own Masters their own Governors and at their own dispose contrary to the express Assertion of the Holy Ghost That they who pretend an Interest in Christ's Blood are their own no more And the Reason is exceeding strong for saith he ye are bought with a Price 1 Cor. 6. 19. 20. He that redeems a Slave out of Turkish Captivity redeems him with this Intent That for the future he shall not do his own Will but his Master 's that hath ransom'd him The same we must think of the Son of God who we may suppose would never have freed us from the Devil's Yoak by a voluntary Death to give us leave to do what we list but that we might be at his beck and act like Persons that have in a manner nothing to do with our selves but are to mind only what our Master who bought us would have us do Now he that comes to this Sacrament without sincere Resolutions to obey Christ in those commanded Virtues which may cross or go against his Interest discovers his Regret at the Mystery of Redemption dislikes Christ's redeeming him for this End that he might not be his own betrays his Wishes and could have been contented that he had redeemed him upon softer and more favourable Terms and in a manner declares and expresses his Desire that he would be his own still after that wonderful Price that was paid for him which though unthinking Men do take no notice of yet he that searcheth the inward parts of the Belly doth and cannot look upon such a Person as a worthy Receiver 5. To eat and drink unworthily is to eat and drink without a Speculative Esteem of Christ Jesus Where Men are not satisfied or not persuaded that his Love deserves sacrificing all to his Interest and in case Times of Trouble and Persecution should come are unresolved to hate Father and Mother Wife and Children Lands and Houses even Life it self for Christ and with this Irresoluteness come to this holy Sacrament they certainly want that which must make them worthy Receivers For 1. He hath expresly told us that he that loves Father or Mother more than him is not worthy of him Matth. 10. 37. And if such a Person be not worthy of him how can be worthily receive him in the Sacrament Not to be worthy of him is to have no part in the Inheritance incorruptible undefiled and reserved in Heaven for his faithful Servants It is to have no Share in his Intercession no Right to his Comforts no Right to the Act of Indemnity he hath published for the Benefit of those who adhere to him in all Dangers no Right to his Promises no Right to the Privileges he communicates to those that continue with him in his Temptations no Right to the exceeding Greatness of his Power towards them that believe And how can Christ dwell in such a Person that looks upon the Pelf of this World and his outward Accommodations as greater
to you in the Spirit for they had received this Spirit already and he was already come to them in the Spirit and what sense would it have been to say Ye that have received the Spirit of Christ must shew forth his death till he come to you in the Spirit just as good sense as if a Man should say Ye that are in London must do such a thing till you come to London so that if this were the sense the Apostle must have contradicted himself or spoken that which no body knew what to make of It follows therefore that since by his coming in Scripture is frequently meant his coming to Judge the World as Rev. 22. 20. 1 Cor. 4. 5. Luc. 18. 8. That here it hath the same sense because without it the words will not bear a reasonable construction 4. The design of the Apostle in this 11th Chapter is to rectify several mistakes and errors and abuses that were crept in among the Corinthians in their administration and eating of the Lord's Supper and this is intimated v. 17 18. So that his intent in writing to them must be to inform them how they were to behave themselves in the use of this Ordinance what exorbitancies they were to abandon what evil customs they were to retrench what vulgar errors they were to beware of and consequently his intent could not be to abolish this Sacrament or to teach them to use it no longer than Christ should come to them in the Spirit He that gives a Man directions about a good work in what manner he is to perform it what he is to take heed of in the practice of it what Rocks and Stumbling-blocks he is to shun doth not perswade him to leave the good work undone or to neglect it but chalks out to him only the way he may walk in with safety doth still allow the work to be of Eternal Obligation only that it may be acceptable to God bids him beware of the Shelves and Sands he may run upon in the prosecution of it and though in reformation of abuses the thing it self which gave occasion to the abuse is very often cancell'd and taken away yet that Rule holds only in things indifferent In Duties and things Commanded such as the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is this could not be practised for if Ten thousand abuses were committed about Prayer yet Prayer would still be a Duty and therefore the Apostle reforming the errors of the Corintâ—ians in the administration of this Sacrament cannot be supposed to abrogate the Sacrament it self for as he saith v. 20. He had received it of the Lord i. e. by way of a commanded Duty which therefore could not be abolished 5. Let us admit of this odd expression of Christ's coming to them in the Spirit if a Man have received the Spirit of Christ that 's so far from being a sufficient reason to justifie his staying away from this Sacrament that it is a powerful motive to come to it not only because he that hath the Spirit of Christ will be sure to do what Christ Commands him but because the Spirit of Christ must be cherished preserved kept warm and made much of which is not to be done but by frequent contemplation of God's Love and Charity and compassion to our immortal Souls whereof this Sacrament doth not only put us in mind but gives us a faithful representation The Spirit of God within us must be preserv'd by the use of such means God hath appointed and since this Sacrament is one of these means he that neglects it cannot promise himself a long continuance of that Spirit in his Soul and what if Men that have frequented this Ordinance have found no good by it for that must be their own fault and because they come to it like Swine no wonder if they come away from it in no better condition 6. Though it is readily granted that true Believers in their first conversion receive the Spirit of Christ yet that puts no stop to their receiving larger and greater influences of it by the use of this Sacrament As Grace is begun in their first conversion so it is increased by a conscientious use of this Ordinance The coming to it doth not abate the power of this Spirit but advances it This Ordinance being a Spiritual Ordinance the Spirit of Christ is the more likely to exert its virtue in a sincere Believer that frequents it The Cross of Christ which is Foolishness to the Greek is Wisdom to the Spiritual Man and the more he looks upon it with suitable Devotion the greater courage and strength he will receive from it to fight the Battels of the Lord. The Spirit of Christ that works in a true Believer works by rational Arguments by Arguments that are most apt to prevail with rational Men and since nothing can be a more effectual Argument than the Love of Christ manifested on the Cross and particularly in the Sacrament of the Cross it must follow that the first operations of Christ's Spirit in the Soul are no hindrance to his farther operations in this Holy Sacrament 7. It 's true in this Sacrament external Symbols and Elements are made use of but that 's not at all improper or inconsistent with a Gospel state nor do these Symbols hinder any Man from worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth but rather promote it If under the Gospel Men may make no use of external tokens to put them in mind of Spiritual things the Apostle was out in his Divinity when he tells us That the invisible things of God are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made even his eternal Power and Godhead Rom. 1. 20. Christ indeed abolished the burthensome Symbols of the Ceremonial Law but did no where tell us that he would leave no Symbols at all in his Church to remember him by And though we grant what the Apostle saith Col. 2. 20. 21. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as though living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances touch not taste not handle not Yet it plainly appears from his discourse that he reprehended no other but Judaizing Christians who having embraced the Christian Religion were still observant of the Ancient Ceremonies which Moses while the Church was in its Minority had given to the Jewish People such as were distinctions of Meats and Drinks touching dead Bodies or any thing that was defiled with Leprosie touching any thing unclean whether Man or Beast c. whereof a large account is given in Levit. 7. 21. So that this Saying doth not reverse the Symbols used in the Holy Sacrament they being of another nature and instituted upon a different design and so far from evacuating a Spiritual Worship that those become most Spiritual persons that frequently exercise themselves in a devout use of it and therefore what arrogance must it be for Men to think themselves wiser than Christ himself and
Temptations were stronger than my Purposes and when they came I fell This Sickness Lord I am still apt to fall into and though by thy Grace I act sometimes according to my good Intentions and Resolutions yet how often do I miscarry in this point Lord give me not only good Inclinations but Courage to perform them too Oh let me not think it enough to entertain good Wishes in my Soul but make them so strong that the Good I intend and purpose may break forth like the Sun from a Cloud into a perfect Day 17. For of necessity he must release one unto them at the Feast VVHen the Paschal Lamb was to be killed the Jews had a Prisoner released to confirm the Memory of their Deliverance from the House of Bondage O Lamb of God! When thou diedst thou openedst the Prison-door for all Mankind to come out Thou didst proclaim Liberty to all Men captivated by Sin and the Devil O wonderful Release This makes me admire how Men after this Liberty procured for them by thy Death should yet be fond of their Prisons still and delight in Slavery and the Bondage of Iniquity Oh Bring my Soul out of Prison that I may praise thy Name The Righteous shall compass me about when thou shalt deal bountifully with me 18. And they cried out all at once saying Away with this Man and release unto us Barabbas A Monstrous Choice To prefer a Man before God a Son of Death before the Lord of Life a Malefactor before Innocence it self a Murtherer before the Saviour of the World Darkness before Light a Villain before the Son of God! Yet blessed Jesu such a sad Choice I have made too often when I have preferred the Cares of the World before the better part and while I have condemned these wicked Men and been in a kind of Passion to see and hear of their Impiety have unawares sunk into this Sin my self by preferring a Trifle before thy Will and a foolish Satisfaction before Rest in thy Bosom and an Interest in thy Favour and the Things of this World before a more glorious Reversion in another Life Pardon my desperate Choice And let me henceforward prefer thee who art fairer than the Children of Men before all that my Flesh doth promise or the World give For one thing is needful even thy Love of Complacency and if I have that it shall not be taken away from me 19. Who for a certain Sedition made in the City and for Murther was cast in Prison PRisons are fit Places for Malefactors not only upon the Account of securing Humane Societies from Enemies but also because such Sinners being removed from Temptations and Objects that enticed them to do ill and under pressure may think of God and reflect upon their wicked Lives and come to a sincere Repentance Yet when they are delivered out of their Durance their Lives very often are the same that formerly they were O my dear Redeemer Thou hast made me a Prisoner sometimes by Sickness and other Disasters in hopes that the Affliction might work upon me and the Fire I was in would make me a new Man yet when thou hast freed me from this Prison I have re-assumed my former Liberty in sinning Oh let it be so no more And seeing I am made whole let me take heed and sin no more lest worse things happen unto me 20. Pilate therefore willing to release Jesus spake again to them HEre I see greater Charity and Tenderness in an Heathen than in those who had the lively Oracles of God What a strange Sight is this to see Uncircumcision which is by Nature fulfilling the Law judge them who by the Letter and Circumcision do transgress the Law How many excellent Acts of Vertue do I see and read of in mere Pagans that had nothing but the Light of Nature to direct them Acts which I do not come up to that have the Light of Heaven to shine upon me O Jesu make me ashamed of my Backwardness and let my Righteousness exceed that of Men which do not call upon thy Name lest it be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in that Day than for me 21. But they cried saying Crucifie him crucifie him THis was the most infamous Punishment that any Man could be condemned to Ah Wretches Did not your Hearts smite you when you said so Will nothing serve you but the most ignominious Death a Death which none but Slaves were destin'd to What a brutish thing is Wrath and Anger It stops its Ears against all common Ingenuity and Reason It doth things in haste which must be repented of by leisure Lord Jesu I remember what unreasonable things I have done when my Passion hath been up things I am ashamed of now Oh leave me not to these Winds and Tempests Oh let me learn of thee for thou art meek and lowly in Heart that I may find Rest for my Soul 22. And he said unto them the third time Why what Evil hath he done I have found no Cause of Death in him I will therefore chastise him and let him go O Jesu 'T is very true thou hast done no Evil neither was Guile found in thy Mouth When thou wast reviled thou didst not revile again when thou sufferedst thou threatnedst not Thou wentest about doing good no Man could convince thee of any Sin Thou wast good and didst good even to those that now cried Crucifie him Thou camest to discourage Men from Evil it was thy Province to destroy the Works of the Devil and to make Men Partakers of the Divine Nature Goodness was in thy Nature and all thy Actions breathed of it Thou wast tender of Men's Good of the Good of their Souls and Bodies Oh make me conformable to thy Goodness Let me abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good Let thy Goodness be my Pattern and let me ever rejoyce in thy Goodness Make me steadily and invincibly good good unto Death that I may receive a Crown of Life Thy Goodness endures for ever Give mine the same Duration Oh touch it with thy Light and it shall burn bright for ever 23. And they were instant with loud Voices requiring that he might be crucified and the Voices of them and the Chief Priests prevailed THE Devil was let loose in these Sinners and see how he rages He makes them leap Bogs and Ditches and a Thousand Precipices to get their Wills accomplished The Damned in Hell were not more outragious than these Men. Lord Jesu What are we when left to our selves or to the Power of the Enemy Thou camest to redeem me from this Power Oh let me come under it no more Once I dwelt under that Tyranny I now serve a gentler Master Oh let me serve thee not with Eye-service as a Man-pleaser but as a Servant of God doing the Will of God from the Heart 24. And Pilate gave Sentence that it should be as they required THese Brutes threaten to accuse him
be thy bane and therefore wisely takes it away from thee why then dost thou grumble Thou think'st much of parting with a Child with such a Revenue with such an Advantage with such a Friend but God sees if thou enjoyest it it will certainly tempt thee to dote upon it and seduce thee from setting thine Affections on nobler Objects and therefore makes thee lose it Why then dost thou find fault with his Providence who certainly sees best what is most proper and convenient for thee and gives thee that which is most wholsome though not always what is most pleasing and palatable How often hast thou thought that God did thee wrong in depriving thee of what thou lovedst most when it was certain that in doing so he did thee a singular kindness for he saw the hurt it would do thee and therefore like a tender Father took away the knife the unhappy Instrument of thy ruine 35. And he said unto them When I sent you without purse or scrip or shoes did you lack any thing They said Nothing WHere Men trust God's Providence entirely and without wavering Providence is engaged not to see them want yet how basely hast thou diffided this Providence O my Soul Though thou hast seen even miraculous Dispensations yet when thou hast been in danger again how hath thy Faith failed again What anxious cares and carkings have gnaw'd thy Breast when Ravens and dumb Creatures have committed themselves to God's Wisdom aâ—d Goodness How hath God assured thee by the various Mercies and Favours he hath conferred upon thee that he would not leave thee nor forsake thee yet how little hast thou trusted to his Promises When God hath withdrawn his hand of Bounty from thee only to try thee whether thou wouldst stay thy self upon him and when the Fig-tree hath not blossom'd how hast thou presently begun to sink O thou of little Faith What great things would God have done for thee if it had not been for thy unbelief which stops his hand and will not suffer him to do any mighty work for thee 36. Then said he unto them But now he that hath a Purse let him take it and likewise his scrip and he that hath no sword let him sell his garment and buy one HOW like a Father doth Christ forewarn his Disciples of their approaching danger and of the mighty change of their quiet into a very dismal and calamitous Estate and Condition that they may not think much of it when it comes How often doth the Ministers of the Gospel forewarn thee O my Soul of the change of thy Prosperity into Adversity of the change of thy Health into Sickness of the change of thy Life into Death yet thou wilt take no warning How apt art thou to flatter thy self that thy Mountain shall never be shaken that thy Prosperity shall never be moved that here thou art to continue many years that thy health will be vigorous to the last How grievous and how irksome will that change be which foresight did not qualifie And how much heavier will be the burthen at last which thou didst not believe would come upon thee How soft and easie would thy fall be if thou thought'st of it aforehand The more unexpected thy sorrows are the more they will gall and that which will add to the misery will be the remembrance of thy former dangerous security 37. For I say unto you That this that is written must yet be accomplish'd in me And he was reckon'd among the Transgressors for the things concerning me have an end HOW rudely and how barbarously doth this blind World handle the best of Men and use them like Transgressors Wonder not at it O my Soul if this be thy Lot and Portion neither think the worse of God because he suffers it How can it be otherwise where Men are strangers to Goodness and cannot prize it Providence in the mean while doth no wrong for the enemies of God shall want no Plagues in the other Life and the Lovers of God no Recompence Matter not what Men call or count thee here The Great Day will bring forth thy Innocence as the Light and thy Righteousness as the Noon-day What if Men call thee Fool for being conscientious as long as thy God doth count thee Wise thou losest nothing of thy reputation How much better is it to be one of Christ's Fools than of the number of the Wise Men of this World The Children of this World are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light but then the Children of Light will be found wiser in their Generation too than the other when this life is ended Both have their time one here the other hereafter Be content O my Soul to be reproach'd and mis-represented here for thy Father that sees in secret will reward thee openly 38. And they said unto him Lord behold here are two Swords And he said unto them It is enough WHere the Roads are unsafe there Men carry Swords and Weapons about them to defend themselves against the Enemy so is the way to Heaven abundance of Murtherers lye in wait to snatch the unwary Passenger Yet O my Soul how loth hast thou been to arm thy self against the Powers and Principalities and Spiritual Wickednesses in high places that have too often beset thee as thou hast been travelling towards the Land of Promise How hast thou exposed thy self to their rage and fury What advantages hast thou given them and how often upon that account hast thou been hurled into By-ways and dangerous Pits Though God hath offered thee the whole Armour of the Spirit yet how unwilling hast thou been to put on the Helmet of Salvation and the Breast-plate of Righteousness and to take the Shield of Faith whereby thou mightest have quenched the fiery Darts of the Devil 39. And he came out and went as he was wont to the Mount of Olives and his Disciples also followed him THis Mount of Olives in the days of the Kings of Judah was defiled with Idolatry and therefore called the Mount of Corruption Christ goes up to that Mount to purge it by his Tears and Prayers O my Soul What hath thy Heart been but the Seat of corruption Yet how backward hast thou been to purge that fulsome Stable What filth and nastiness hast thou suffered to gather there and yet taken no care to remove it How little hast thou considered of thy Saviour's Promise Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God! What pains hast thou taken to keep thy Body clean But O how careless of a conscience sprinkled from evil Works And is not this to be of the Pharisees Religion who made clean the outside of the Cup and Platter but within were strangers to Faith Judgment and Mercy and the weightier matters of the Law 40. And when he was come to the place he said to them Pray lest ye enter into temptation PRayer certainly is the best Antidote against Temptations yet how averse
that thou didst the humble Publican But the Questions no doubt were mean and ridiculous and such as Men put to Fortune-tellers They deserved no Answer By thy Silence O my Lord thou teachest me how to behave my self upon the like Occasions when Men ask impertinent Questions about Religion with an Intent rather to cavil than to be edified In such Cases let me keep my Mouth as with a Bridle but let my Lips be ever open and ready to give an Answer to every Man that doth ask me a Reason of the Hope that is in me with Meekness and Fear 10. And the Chief Priests and Scribes stood and vehemently accused him VVHat could they accuse thee of O thou King of Saints All that they could charge thee with was That thou hadst healed their Sick and cured their Blind and dispossessed their Demoniacs and taught them the Way to Eternal Happiness And was this a Crime which Men of Ingenuity would have thought the greatest Mercy But Envy draws the Goodness it sees in others with a very black and soure Face and because it self springs from Hell derives the sweetest Actions of its Neighbours from the same Original O my Lord do but in my Soul what thou hast done in Judea and I will own thee as the Author and Fountain of my Happiness Let Envy and Strife die in my Soul that Confusion and every Evil Work may die there too and my Heart may become an Habitation of Peace for the Prince of Peace to rest in for ever 11. And Herod with his Men of War set him at nought and mocked him and arrayed him in a gorgeous Robe and sent him again to Pilate GReat Indignity To dress him like a Fool and then to send him with the Noise and Hissings of the People about him through the Streets back again to Pilate What Patience was here Who among the Children of Men that had Power in his Hand to be revenged on such Contempt would have born this with Equanimity For there goes nothing nearer the Heart than Contempt especially in Persons innocent and great But not the least Discontent is seen or heard in thee under all this Mockery my dearest Lord. It was to shew me an Example and to let me see that there is no walking to Heaven on Carpets and a Foot-cloth It was an Act great and heroic and Heaven that judged of thy Patience and Contentedness saw greater Valour in that Act than in all the Martial Enterprizes of Herod and his Soldiers Lord make me ambitious of the same Conquest And let me never think my self to be like thee till my Passions be subdued to Faith and Reason 12. And the same Day Pilate and Herod were made Friends together for before they were at Enmity between themselves A Strange Friendship which is made by dishonouring God and hath Sin and Impiety for its Foundation Such Friendship the World is acquainted with and Men become Friends one to another because they agree in committing Sins much of the same nature and size This makes Drunkards kind And one ill Man takes the other to be his Friend because he wills and nills the same Two Carnal Humours are alike gratified each counts Vertue needless or burthensome but Sin and Extravagance is the Diversion and Business of both O my Soul come not thou into their Secret Unto their Assembly mine Honour be not thou united But thy Friendship sweet Jesu is that my Soul longs for If thou be my Friend I need no more Thou art more than all the Friends I have in the World Where-ever I am be thou my Friend while I live when I die when I leave this World and when my Soul must appear before thy Tribunal and I shall never be confounded 13. And Pilate when he had called together the Chief Priests and the Rulers and the People HE calls both Priests and People together because they were of one Mind Men agree more in Sin than in Goodness and Wickedness unites them more than Religion O Jesu If all Men would tread in thy Steps and follow thy Precepts what an happy World would there be Yet even those that pretend to be of thy Religion hate one another and are divided more than Jews and Infidels Oh when shall that happy Day come that we shall all be of one Heart and of one Soul No Religion gives greater or better Rules for Charity and Union than that which thou hast taught Mankind Oh give me that Charity which bears all things and endureth all things Unite my Heart unto thee that I may fear thy Name Plant thine own sweet Temper in me that I may reign with thee for ever 14. Said unto them Ye have brought this Man unto me as one that perverts the People And behold I have examined him before you and have found no fault in this Man touching those things whereof ye accuse him HOW doth this Man labour to convince the wicked Jews of their Errour O my blessed Master What pains hast thou taken with me to convince me of my Faults and I have notwithstanding been loth to know them What Checks hast thou given me for my Pride and Passion and I have drown'd them and passed them by without taking notice of them When I have neglected a Duty how hast thou by Suggestions and setting the Examples of thy Saints before me endeavoured to withdraw me from my Omission Oh let me frustrate thy Pains no more Let it not be said that I was deaf to thy Admonitions When thou drawest me let me follow thee When thou leadest me let me walk in the Way thou chusest for me that I may come at last to enjoy thee with thy Saints and those who through Patience have inherited thy Promises 15. No nor yet Herod for I sent you to him and lo nothing worthy of Death is done of him O Blessed Saviour Even thine Enemies must justifie thee Thy Innocence was so bright and illustrious that Impiety it self could not charge thee with any Errour And when even thy Foes do vindicate thy Cause I that pretend to be thy Friend must not be backward to assert thy Honour and Glory Let me justifie thee by mine Actions and believe that I cannot honour thee more than by adorning thy Doctrine in all things Let my good Works bear witness that I honour thee and in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation let me sanctifie thee in my Heart and Life that whereas Men speak evil of me as of an Evil-doer they may be ashamed that falsely accuse my good Conversation in Christ Jesus 16. I will therefore chastise him and release him HE had not deserved so much as Chastisement yet the Judge being desirous to save him from the creator Danger inflicts this upon him for a Shew rather 〈◊〉 out of Malice Even wicked Men sometimes have good Desires and Purposes so had I before I knew thee my dearest Lord but those Purposes came to nothing I purposed often to mend my Life but
that Kingdom that the Kingdoms and Glories of this World may not beguile or tempt me to love the World If I love the World the Love of the Father cannot be in me Represent the Beauty of thy future Kingdom to my Mind in lively Characters that my Admiration of this present World may decay and I may be content to sell all for the Pearl of Price that is before me 52. This Man went unto Pilate and begged the Body of Jesus IT is base to forsake a Friend when he is under a Cloud Then to shew our Respect to him when he lies unjustly under Contempt and Disgrace is true Affection It was bold and great and like a Friend to beg the Body of Jesus when it was counted a Disgrace to be any way concern'd for him How hast thou deviated from this admirable Example O my Soul when a Person whom thou hast courted and admired in the Day of his Prosperity hath through the Venom of malicious Tongues and more malicious Practices fallen from his Glory and Respect How hast thou withdrawn thy self from him been afraid to speak the Truth of him and to give him that good Character which thou knewest he deserved As thou dealest with Man so it is to be feared thou wilt deal with thy God and Religion when it becomes dangerous to own them Up and be earnest with thy God to give thee invincible Integrity which may mock all Storms and be the same to God and to thy Neighbour in all Conditions Stick close to God and to thy Friend and rejoyce in a good Conscience for that will bring thee Peace at last 53. And he took it down and wrapped it in Linen and laid it in a Sepulchre that was hewn in Stone wherein never Man before was laid REligion is an insignificant thing if it cost us nothing Good Men love to be at Charges for their God and the Good of their own Souls O my Soul How loth hast thou been to let those Persons reap thy Carnal Things which have sown unto thee Spiritual Things When thou hast thought nothing too much for thy Luxury and Pride and Ease how hath it gone against the Grain to be expensive for Religion Thou hast loved to serve thy God cheaply How loth hast thou been to express thy Gratitude to God by being liberal to his distressed Members and thy Spiritual Guids Oh learn by this Example to prize thy Spiritual Good more and let thy bountiful Actions shew that thou hast the highest Value for the Concerns of Eternity 54. And that Day was the Preparation and the Sabbath drew on O My Soul How little Preparation hast thou made for the Everlasting Sabbath and thine Eternal Rest Dost thou hope to rest for ever among the Flowers of Paradise and is it not high time to prepare for it Dost thou think to rest at last under the Wings of thy Everlasting Father and is it not time to rise and work as it were for thy Life that thou may'st find Repose in the Everlasting Tabernacles Was ever any admitted there that would not sweat and labour here Oh labour against thy Corruptions wrestle with Temptations fight with thy Spiritual Enemies live in Contemplation of the highest Good embrace thy Saviour with the warmest Love strive to do much Good in thy Generation and thy Rest will be sweet 55. And the Women also which came with him from Galilee followed after and beheld the Sepulchre and how his Body was laid TRue Goodness is never weary of following Christ It follows him to the very Grave It may meet with Stops and Rubs in its Way but it gets up again and is not tired with Running the Race which is set before it O Blessed Jesu Thou hast not been weary of working and suffering for me Let me never be weary of loving thee When my Flesh would make me give over running after thee assist me with new Strength and Courage that I may hold out to the End And since none shall sit at thy Table in thy Kingdom but those that have continued with thee in thy Temptations Oh let my Soul feel the Power of thy Spirit which may lift me up that I may mount up with Wings as Eagles may run and not be weary walk and not faint till I am within the Gates of Heaven 56. And they returned and prepared Spices and Ointments and rested the Sabbath-day according to the Commandment MY dearest Lord though I have no opportunity to prepare Spices and Ointments for thy Burial yet thou hast shewn me how I may offer an Odor of a sweet Smell a Sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to God This is a life fruitful in good Works No Incense smells sweeter in thy Nostrils No Persume casts a nobler scent in Heaven than this Enrich the ground of my Heart fatten it with thy Blood water the Furrows thereof with thy Heavenly Dew and shine upon it with thy Gracious Beams and bid the Tree of my Life advance and Bud and Blossom and bear fruit even the Fruit of Charity of Meekness of Humility of Patience of Goodness of Faith of Love of Temperance of Sobriety of Watchfulness and of contempt of the World that I may have my Fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life The Preceding Considerations reduced to Practice I. HOw justly after this prospect may God say What could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it St. Bernard hath an Elegant Discourse upon this Subject to shew what force the serious consideration of Christ's Incarnation and of what he hath done for us and particularly of his Sufferings and Death hath to kindle the Fire of reciprocal Love in our Hearts God being desirous saith he to restore Man who had lost himself and to rescue him from the clutches of the Devil said within himself If I should force this wretched Creature against his Will and Choice to the Duties he is to discharge and perform I should make a Beast or an Ass of him instead of a rational Man nor would he come to me voluntarily of his own accord and with a good Will nor would he be able to say I will freely sacrifice unto thee Therefore to make his coming to me a matter of choice and rational freedom I will terrifie and fright him to see whether that will drive him to Repentance and accordingly he threatened him with misery which no Mortal is able to express with everlasting Darkness and a never dying Worm and unquenchable Fire But stubborn Man nothing terrified with all these Thunders God was resolv'd to try what Promises would do and since naturally he is desirous of Riches and Honour and Pleasures and long Life God accordingly promis'd him infinite Treasures of Glory unexpressible Dignities in Heaven and such Pleasures as the Heart of Man is not able to conceive they are so big and large and overflowing and a life free not only from all evil but from any end or period and abounding