The Christian Sacrifice, Part 4 · November
November.
The Meditation before.
WIth what wonder and admiration do we entertain thoſe things which are ſtrange and unuſual? The very news of them carries great numbers to ſee them; and the ſight of them fixes their eyes on them, as if they could never have enough of them. Behold here the wonder of wonders, which thou art called to ſee, and ſeed thine eyes and heart withal. God is come to dwell in Fleſh. This fleſh is made a ſacrifice for the ſins of the world. And he invites thee now to a Feaſt upon that Sacrifice; that thou mayeſt dwell in him and he in thee. O marvellous love! what eyes ever ſaw ſuch a ſight as the Son of God dying on a Croſs? The only begotten of the Father bleeding as a malefactor? The glorious King of Heaven laying down his life freely for his own ſubjects: Rebels I ſhould have called them, and enemies to him? Where are all my thoughts? Where is my admiration? What is become of my love? Whither are all my deſires gone? It will be a new wonder if they do not all aſſemble themſelves together, at the commemoration of ſuch love: which doth me the grace to make me partaker of that Body and Bloud, which was ſo offered up to God. Strange! that my thoughts ſhould be ſo heavy, and my affections ſo cold! that my hunger and thirſt ſhould be no more excited, at the very motion to go to the houſe of God, to make a thankful remembrance of his death! We think the Angels lead an happy life, in their bleſſed employment of giving continual Praiſes to God: why do I not go then with a more forward joy into the Courts of the Lord to do this in remembrance of Chriſt, which thoſe Heavenly creatures do not do? For he hath not taken hold of the nature of Angels, Heb. 2.16.but of the ſeed of Abraham; for whom he hath prepared alſo this Sacred food, of which they never taſted. Ʋnto which of the Angels ſaid he at any time, thou art my Son, Heb. 1.5, 13this day have I begotten thee? or ſit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy foot-ſtool? Art thou not deſirous of honour and greedy of gainful preferment? Art thou not prone to ſeek great things for thy ſelf? What greater honour or dignity can there be, than to be ſo nearly related to the Lord of all; to be members of him that is Head of all Principalities and Powers? Behold the treaſures of grace and glory which he offers thee: and by theſe ſigns of his Body and Bloud would make over to thee. Is not Love the very life and Soul of the World? Is it not the …oy and ſatisfaction of hearts? Behold here the worthieſt object of it that ever was. See how he would fill and poſſeſs thy whole Soul with perfect contentment. And leſt thou ſhouldeſt be ſo unhappy, as not to dwell in love: ſee how he would engage thee by theſe bonds in which thou …rt going to tye thy ſelf, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, ſoul and ſtrength; and thy neighbour as thy ſelf. How doth he comply with thy moſt natural inclinations? How doth he ſtudy to gratifie thee in thy moſt noble deſires? Call up thy beſt and pureſt thoughts. Strain thy ſelf to the heighth of admiration. Endeavour to forget all other things, and only to look at preſent upon Jeſus. If any thing can make thee love God, it muſt be his love. If any thing can make thee hate ſin, it muſt be this Sacrifice for it. If any thing can make thee willing and obedient, …it muſt be his obedience to the death. Think then when thou comeſt into his preſence, that thou ſeeſt him hanging on his Croſs. Think thou ſeeſt him ſpreading out his arms, and reſigning himſelf to the will of God. That thou beholdeſt hi… gaping wounds, and the Bloud trick… ling down his Sacred body. That thou heareſt him cry unto thee; Did I not love thee, when I bled to death for thee? Did I not love thee, when I endured this pain… and ſorrow to redeem thee? Could I do more than give my ſelf, to deliver thee from death, and open the Kingdom of Heaven and Eternal life? And then what heart i… there, that need be taught what it ſhould ſay, and what it ſhould do on this occaſion? Who can refrain himſelf from giving bleſſing, and praiſe, and glory in the higheſt to him? Who can want thanks to render him, for ſuch invaluable benefits? O… find in his heart to deny him his ſervice… Nay, who would not rejoyce to think o… ſerving one that hath merited thus of him▪ and intends to reward his duty with that very glory which the Father hath given him Our Lord cannot but expect to ſee thy mind fraught with Heavenly thoughts, and a moſt high eſteem of him: thy hear… mighty full of love, and vows, and reſolutions, ready to be preſented to him: thy will bowing and ſubmitting it ſelf wholly to his diſpoſal. And to all ſuch he ſaith by his Miniſters, Come to my Supper, for all things are ready. Come, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort. Rejoyce with me and be exceeding glad; for I love you, and will love you to the end.
The Prayer before.
O Moſt holy Lord of Heaven and earth; the greateſt and moſt deſirable good; the only reſt and ſatisfaction of our ſouls. Whom to know is the beginning of life: whom to love purely is our perfection upon earth: whom to poſſeſs in an unchangeable wiſdom, charity and purity is heaven it ſelf. It was thy great goodneſs, to make us to know thee and …ove thee and be like unto thee. And a greater, to ſue unto us and intreat for our affections. But it is the greateſt of all, a miracle of thy love, that thou haſt ſent ſuch a perſon as thy Son Jeſus to beſeech us, and to add mighty importunities to his intreaties; that we would do that, which we ought to be deſirous to be admitted to do, as the greateſt happineſs we are capable of. Lord, what is man that thou art thus kind unto him? we are very little things; hugely below ſo much of thy notice. We are naturally infirm and crazed in our bodies. And our underſtandings are ſhort ſighted, our reaſonings weak and childiſh, our paſſions eaſily diſordered, our reſolutions inconſtant; and by ſin we have made our ſelves worſe, and turned theſe into greater miſchiefs. So that if thou hadſt been pleaſed, to ſhew but a little pitty and compaſſion to us, and not ſuffered us to become extreamly miſerable, what could we have expected more from thy goodneſs? But that thou ſhouldeſt deſign to advanc… ſuch piteous and wretched things a we are, who know not how to valu… and eſteem thy benefits, to the ſtat… and dignity of thy children; to mak… us like thy ſelf in righteouſneſs, goodneſs, and truth; and at laſt to give us a bleſſed immortality in ſoul and body; O how aſtoniſhing is this love! which thou haſt ſhewn to us in the Son of thy love the Lord Jeſus. I am aſhamed to think that this grace hath waited ſo long upon me, and been no better entertained and improved. That my apprehenſions of it are ſtill ſo dull; my reaſonings of ſo little force, to conſtrain my whole ſoul unmoveably to love thee, and delight in thee, and to live to thee for ever. I moſt humbly flee to that grace which hath abounded thus towards me, for the pardon which it hath promiſed to thoſe, who yield themſelves to be governed by it. O let not thy unwearied goodneſs be provoked yet to caſt off the care of me: But continue to hold before mine eyes thy love in Chriſt Jeſus, and the great glory which he hath purchaſed for us; till my heart be overcome and ſubdued perfectly to his obedience. That I may abandon every evil way, which is inconſiſtent with the enjoyment of his favour and happineſs; and it may be the very buſineſs of my life to purifie my ſelf as thou art pure: from all inordinate cares and fears; from ſenſual luſts and bruitiſh paſſions; from anger and hatred; envy and malice; pride and vanity; falſeneſs and diſſimulation; murmuring and diſcontent; and whatſoever is oppoſite to thy bleſſed Nature and Will declared by Chriſt Jeſus. O that the Faith of Chriſt, which thou haſt already planted in my heart, may take a deeper root; that as I believe him to be the Lord of all, who died for me and bought me with a price, and is riſen again to be the author of eternal Salvation to thoſe that obey him, and will come to judg the quick and the dead: ſo I may conſtantly reverence him, and religiouſly keep his holy Commands, and ſtedfaſtly truſt him, and make him my hope, and love his appearing; that I may be found of him then in peace. And now that I am going to make him my renewed acknowledgments, and devote my ſelf to his holy obedience; Lord, fill me with ſuch worthy thoughts, affections and reſolutions, that I may know that I love him, and may rejoyce in hope of his eternal love unto me. O that nothing may interpoſe when I am at thy Table, to hinder the effect of theſe holy deſires; that no cloud may ariſe in my mind to obſcure my ſight of his love; no vain thought to draw me aſide from meditating on his death and paſſion for my ſake: but I may be carried then and alwayes with a ſtrong and irreſiſtable inclination to do his will.
Let my prayer come before thee, Pſ. 141.2.as the incenſe; and the lifting up of my hands, as the evening Sacrifice. Hear me, O Lord, Pſal. 143.1, ….and give ear to the voice of my ſupplications: in thy faithfulneſs anſwer me, and in thy righteouſneſs. And enter not into judgment with thy ſervant: for in thy ſight ſhall no man living be juſtified.
Our Father, &c.
The Meditation afterward.
WHAT our Saviour ſaid to the people concerning John the Baptiſt, may be imitated by thee with a ſmall alteration.Luke 7.24. &c. What went you out for to ſee? a reed ſhaken with the wind? (a thing of no moment?) But what went you out for to ſee? a man clothed in ſoft raiment? [Some worldly pomp and bravery] behold, theſe are in kings Courts. But what went you out for to ſee? a Prophet? Yea, I ſay unto you, and much more than a Prophet? For among thoſe that are born of women, there is not a greater Prophet than John the Baptiſt.
Where haſt thou been? mayeſt thou ſay to thy ſelf. At an ordinary meal, or a common entertainment? What wenteſt … out to receive? a piece of bread and … cup of wine? that we have in our … houſes. Or what wenteſt thou from … to ſee? a dumb ſhew, a ſilent gray … company of ſerious faces? Thoſe w… … ſee in them that mourn for any dead friend. Or what wenteſt thou out for to ſee? Bread broken and wine poured out, in a ſolemn and holy manner by the appointment of Chriſt Jeſus? Yea, and much more than ſo. Chriſt himſelf, the Son of the bleſſed, under thoſe ſigns and figures of his death. This is he of whom it is written, behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the ſins of the world. Verily, there is none born of women like unto him, the only begotten Son of God, the heir of all things. And thou haſt been at his Table; thou haſt beheld the aſtoniſhing love of God in delivering him up to ſuffer for thee; thou haſt received the pledges of his deareſt love: and the earneſts of all thoſe goods that he poſſeſſes. Couldſt thou ſee no beauty in him, that thou ſhouldſt deſire him? Nor taſte no pleaſure in having friendſhip with him? Is it nothing to partake of the merits of his ſufferings? To be made the Son of the King of Heaven and the heir of his love, by being made partaker of his divine nature and diſpoſition? Where were thine eyes then? What were thy thoughts doing? None ever believed and conſidered this love that God bears to us; who was not moved and inflamed by it to love him above all things. For the Creator and Poſſeſſor of Heaven and earth to love thee: what a word is that? Who can hear it, and not be at once both amazed and tranſported? Eſpecially when he loves thee ſo much as to ſend his own Son unto thee, yea his only Son, the Son of his love: who hath ſo loved thee, as to ſpend his deareſt blood in thy ſervice; and all this freely, without any motive but his own love; and to procure us the greateſt bleſſings, no leſs in concluſion than immortal life. What heart can think of this and not be over-powered by it? And need he entreat thee, not to forget the love he hath ſhewn unto thee? to ſpend a few thoughts every day on ſuch a Friend, that hath deſerved ſo much of thee? A mean requeſt; which ſhould be granted, one would think, without the asking. And wilt thou be at no pains to preſerve his memory? Shall he ſlip out of thy mind, unleſs he force himſelf into thy company? It is eaſie to be warm by a fire ſide. It is almoſt impoſſible not to be moved, when the perſon we love is before our eyes. But when we are gone from the fire, we muſt exerciſe our ſelves, not to grow cold again. And when a friend is at a diſtance from us, we muſt look upon the tokens we have received of his kindneſs, or ſome other way bring him to our remembrance. Or rather our great love to him, will often preſent him before our imagination. Do but love … Saviour then in an hearty manner, and … canſt thou fail to love him more? … little thing is all that he deſires of … thou wouldſt love him beſt; and … do even what thou wilt.
For you may conſider, that it is the nature of all love, not to let our heart be joyned to any other object, which ſhall in any degree prejudice that which is principally loved. What never is eſteemed honoured and admi…ed by us above all others; will not permit any thing to be entertained, that ſhall any wayes …njure it in our thoughts and affections. We are naturally averſe to any ſuch objects, and reject them with diſdain; as thoſe which are inconſiſtent with our better deſires. If thy Redeemer therefore be advanced and ſeated in thy heart, by an unfeigned love to him above all things on earth: it will render every thing deſpicable, which wo ld draw thy heart from him, or in the leaſt abate thy devotion to him. Thou wilt look upon it as a baſe temptation and an unworthy offer; which is not only to be ſlighted and rejected, but hated and loathed. Thou wilt ſay, I am dead to ſin, I cannot live any longer therein. I have done with all your adulterate pleaſures. Jeſus is my joy, my life and my crown: what pleaſes him; pleaſes me. His love is a Law within my heart: and therefore I delight to do thy will, O God.
And the more to fortifie thy ſelf, thou mayeſt often meditate all this month, upon the COURAGE and CONSTANCY, the Fortitude and Magnanimity of Jeſus in aſſerting the truth of God. For this is particularly remembered by S. Paul as a part of his character, that he witneſſed before Pontius Pilate a good confeſſion. 1 Tim. 6.13.By which we ſhould excite our ſelves out of love to him,Ib. v. 11.12 to follow after righteouſneſs, godlineſs, faith, charity, patience and meekneſs, whatſoever it coſt us. Let the dangers be what they will, we ſhould ſtill fight the good fight of Faith, to lay hold on eternal life. For, herein is our love made perfect, that we have boldneſs in the day of judgment: 1 Joh. 4.17, 18.becauſe as he is, ſo are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love caſteth out fear: becauſe fear hath torment: he that feareth, is not made perfect in love.
The Thanksgiving and Prayer afterward.
I Humbly offer unto thee, O Lord, together with the whole company of Heaven, the ſacrifice of praiſe and thankſgiving; which is eternally due to thy moſt bounteous goodneſs. The whole world was made by thee out of nothing. The Heavens, the Earth, the Seas, and all that are therein, confeſs themſelves the work of thy infinite wiſdom and power. Out of the duſt thou haſt framed our comely Bodies: and inſpired into them immortal Spirits; on which thou haſt ingraven thy own image. Thou didſt put thine own Majeſty upon us, that all thy creatures here ſhould be obedient to us, and we be obedient only to thee, the great Lord and Governour of all. O how great was the honour which thou conferredſt upon us! And how much more wonderful the grace thou haſt given us in Chriſt Jeſus, after our diſloyalty and ſhameful diſobedience to thee? Thou haſt ſent him to redeem us from Hell and Death by his precious Bloud. And given thy Holy Spirit to ſanctifie our hearts, and a… … our duty: thy Goſpel to be ou… … thy ſelf to be our Example: thy … ſters to be our remembrancers: …y Sacraments to be the Signs and Seal of thy bleſſing. I have now taſted o… thy great and abundant love. Thou haſt feaſted me at thy Table: and ſatiſfied me with thy good will toward me: and filled me with joy and gladneſs in thy favour, more than if all th… riches on Earth had been encreaſed What ſhall I render unto thee, and d… for thee; who haſt done all this for me who am leſs than the leaſt of all th… mercies? My heart burns within m… …ll I have offered up my ſelf again unto thee: and reſolved to ſpend my …ays in praiſing, loving and ſerving …hee, to the beſt of my power. O that this holy ſenſe of thee, may never quite …aniſh out of my mind: But I may be …lways inclined to think of thee, to declare thy loving kindneſs, to approve my ſelf to thee, by ſtudying and doing thy will with chearfulneſs of heart. I have now knit my ſelf to thee, by new …onds and engagements, which I deſire may be never looſed. O that my …ows and promiſes may ſtand as faſt as …hine everlaſting Covenant. That nothing may make me break my Faith, which I have now and in my Baptiſm given to thee: but I may always, as I ſtand bound, moſt heartily continue to believe in thee, to fear thee, *The words of the Church Catechiſm, which excellently expreſſes the duty we owe to God and our Neighbour.to love thee with all my heart, with all my Soul, and with all my ſtrength; to worſhip thee, and give thee thanks; to put my whole truſt in thee, to call upon thee, and to honour thy holy Name and Word, and to ſerve thee truly all the days … my life. And aſſiſt me by thy Heavenly grace to do my duty alſo faithfull…g towards my Neighbour: to love him … my ſelf, and to do to all men as I would the… ſhould do unto me: To love, honour, and ſuccour my Father and Mother: to honour an… obey the King and all that are put in Authori… under him. To ſubmit my ſelf to all my G… vernours, Teachers, Spiritual Paſtors an… Maſters. To order my ſelf lowly and rev… rently to all my betters. To hurt no body … word or deed. To be true and juſt in all … dealing. To bear no malice nor hatred in … heart. To keep my hands from picking an… ſtealing, and my tongue from evil ſpeaking, lying and ſlandering. To keep my body in…e… perance, ſoberneſs and chaſtity. Not to co… nor deſire other mens goods; but to learn a… labour truly to get mine own living, and to … my duty in that ſtate of life, unto which it ſh… pleaſe God to call me.
I deſire alſo the good of all mankind that they may partake of the knowledge of the Lord, and enjoy the fruits of his Death and Reſurrection: eſpecially that all Chriſtian people may walk worthy of the Lord, who hath called them to his Heavenly Kingdom. And particularly all Kings, Princes and Governours may be as careful to obſerve his Laws, as they are deſirous others ſhould obſerve theirs. That they may remember the honour thou caſt done them in exalting them ſo …igh; to the end they may imitate thee, … doing good to all below them. Purge out of thy Church every thing …hat diſhonours the Religion of our Lord, and endangers Souls. Unite …ll the members of it in the profeſſion of the true Faith, and in ſincere Charity: that the poor may be relieved, the ſick comforted, the fatherleſs and widows viſited in their affliction, ſinners …eclaimed, the obſtinate ſoftned, and all that are in unbelief brought into the …ock of Jeſus Chriſt.
And grant unto us all that hav… Communicated together this day, tha… peace which paſſeth all underſtanding humility, meekneſs, obedience, fort… tude, contentedneſs, patience, longin… deſires after Heaven, and willingne… to die; that we may reſt in an ho… Hope, and have a bleſſed Reſurrectio… with the juſt. Amen.