The Christian Sacrifice, Part 4 · February
February.
The Meditation before the Sacrament.
THink with your ſelf, it is now a month ſince our Lord did me the honour to entertain me at his Table. Where have I been ever ſince that happy time? What have I been doing? Have I never gone to return him thanks for that grace beſtowed on me? Have I been a perfect ſtranger to him, who loves me ſo much, who ſpake ſo kindly then unto me, and gave me ſuch aſſurances of his everlaſting kindneſs? O ſhameleſs ingratitude! How ſhall I be able ever to look him in the face any more? I ſhall ſink and die under the load of ſuch a fearful guilt.
But I hope the caſe is not altogether ſo bad with me. Have I not ſometimes reflected on his incomparable love? Have I not endeavoured to preſerve ſome memory of the benefits he hath done unto me? Is there not ſtill a little ſenſe of them remaining in my heart? I would fain incourage my ſelf to wait again upon my Lord. Pardon me, O God, if I preſume again to enter into thy gates with thankſgiving, and into thy Courts with praiſe: to eat of the bread which came down from Heaven; to ſhew forth the Lords death; to repreſent to my God the Sacrifice he made for the atonement of our ſins; and by vertue of it humbly to expect the continuance of his pardon; to renew my Covenant with him, and to receive new confirmations of the truth of his promiſes to me. Awake, Awake, O my ſoul, all thy holy thoughts, thy Faith, thy Love, and every other grace, till thou canſt ſay with David, My heart is fixed, Pſal. 57.7.O God, my heart is prepared, I will ſing and give praiſe. Go, and ſhew him how thy heart hath been wounded with the thoughts of his love; how all thy ſins have been bleeding to death; how ready thou art to offer up thy ſelf again in Sacrifice to him. Shew him how reſolved thou art to walk on ſtill more ſteadily in his holy wayes; to employ all the renewed ſtrength thou ſhalt receive in his hearty ſervice; and to go forth in the joy of the Lord to do his will with greater freedom and cheerfulneſs of Spirit.
Then thou mayeſt think thou heareſt that voice of wiſdom which ſaith,Prov. 9.5. Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Or that of the divine Lover; Eat, O Friends, drink, yea, Cam. 5.1.drink abundantly, O beloved. Let your ſoul be ſatisfied as with marrow and fatneſs, Pſal. 63.5.and your mouth praiſe him with joyful lips. For Chriſt himſelf ſaith, Bleſſed are the poor in Spirit: Matth. 5.for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Bleſſed are they that mourn: for they ſhall be comforted. Bleſſed are the meek: for they ſhall inherit the earth. Bleſſed are they which do hanger and thirſt after righteouſneſs: for they ſhall be filled. Bleſſed are the merciful: for they ſhall obtain mercy. Bleſſed are the pure in heart: for they ſhall ſee God. Bleſſed are the peace makers: for they ſhall be called the children of God. Bleſſed are they which are perſecuted for righteouſneſs ſake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. As he will one day ſay to ſuch, Come ye bleſſed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world: So now he authorizes his miniſters to ſay, come ye bleſſed ſouls, receive the tokens of his love, ſome earneſts of future bliſs; and rejoyce in hopes of his heavenly kingdom. He hath not only prepared for you a kingdom, but, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks in another caſe, he hath prepared a Table for you, and anoints your head wiſh oyl (that gladneſs where with our royal high-Prieſt is crowned) and makes your Cup (his coeleſtial bleſſings poured on us) to run over. Let us go then and humbly receive that Cup of bleſſing, to which he invites us. Let us bleſs the Lord and ſpeak good of his name: deſiring that all mankind may be bleſſed in him: Pſal. 72.17all nations may call him bleſſed.
Pſal. 50.16, 17.To the wicked indeed God ſaith, what haſt thou to do to declare my ſtatutes, or that thou ſhouldſt take my Covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hateſt inſtruction, and caſteſt my words behind thee. Rom. 8.8.They that are in the fleſh, cannot pleaſe God. And the works of the fleſh are manifeſt which are theſe, Gal. 5.19. &c.Adultery, fornication, uncleanneſs, laſciviouſneſs, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, ſtrife, ſeditions, hereſies, envyings, murders, drunkenneſs, revellings and ſuch like. For them that do ſuch things there is a cup in the hand of the Lord, and the wine of it, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, is red, but it is the cup of indignation, …. 16.….and the wine of the fierceneſs of his wrath.
True, my ſoul; but let us go therefore and renounce all ungodlineſs, and worldly luſts. Let us crucifie the fleſh with all the affections and appetites thereof. Let us ingage our hearts in that Covenant, which we have often taken into our mouths: and proteſt and vow that we think it our happineſs to be his moſt obedient ſervants. Then make no doubt, but that he will accept thee, and ſend thee away with his bleſſing;1 Theſſ. 1.10. and bid thee wait for his Son from Heaven, whom he raiſed from the dead, even Jeſus which delivered us from the wrath to come.
The Prayer before.
O Moſt holy and ever bleſſed God, who art brighter than the Sun in its greateſt ſtrength; and dwelleſt in that light, which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath ſeen, or can ſee. But in thine infinite goodneſs haſt condiſcended to ſhew us thy glory by manifeſting thy ſelf in our fleſh; ſo that our weakneſs may look upon thee and live. I thy poor Creature, incompaſſed with darkneſs, adore as I am able, that unſpeakable love: though I have juſt reaſon to tremble even at the preſence of my humbleſt Saviour, and to be afraid when I have before mine eyes the tokens of his deareſt love. For I have not duly weighed his infinite kindneſs, nor rejoyced in the light of his bleſſed Goſpel, nor loved his Commandments, nor feared his threatnings, nor ſetled my hope and ſatisfaction in his pretious promiſes, as I ought to have done. A great part of my life, I acknowledg, hath held but little conformity with the faith which I profeſs. I have not remembred ſo frequently as becomes me, my dependance upon thee as my Creator, and my ſubjection to thee as my Soveraign Lord. I have ſtrangely forgot thy fatherly love in ſending thy Son to dwell among us: and his tender love to us in all his agonies and ſweat and wounds, and bitter paſſion for our ſake. O the folly I have been guilty of in liſtning to the inordinate deſires of the fleſh, rather than to the motions of thy holy Spirit. How many neglects [if not injuries *Here you may mention, that earning, wrath, conte…t…on, …ari…a… cenſu…. &c. … ha… … guilty of.have my Brethren to accuſe me of? How little have I been concern'd for the honour of Religion, and the good and inlargment of thy Church. I have not glorified thee with body and ſpirit, as if I believed the Reſurrection of the dead, and expected from Chriſt Jeſus forgiveneſs of ſins and everlaſting life. How ſhall I ſtand in that great day of judgment, which I have ſo little thought of? whither ſhall I go, when the remembrance of my Saviour is now ſo aſtoniſhing, and the remembrance of thy love ſo ſad and afflicting? It is ſome ſmall comfort to me, that I am ſomething confounded and aſhamed in my own thoughts. Thou haſt not taken, I hope, thy holy ſpirit from me.Pſa. 138.8. Thou wilt not forſake the work of thine own hands, but perfect that which concerneth me. Phil. 1.6.As thou haſt begun a good work in me, ſo thou wilt finiſh it, I humbly hope, to the day of Jeſus Chriſt. Pierce my heart with a more mortifying ſenſe of what I utter with my mouth. Work in me a deeper ſorrow for all my ſins, a godly ſorrow that worketh repentance, never to be repented of. Turn my heart, Good Lord, turn me quite away from them: that I may loath and abhor that which is evil, Rom. 12.9and cleave to that which is good. I expoſe my ſoul here unto thee, as an object of thy tendereſt pitty and compaſſion. I ſpread my wounds before thee, that thou mayſt cleanſe and heal them. It is not thy pardon alone which I deſire; but that I may be thoroughly renewed and chang'd in my mind, will and affections. I long for a ſtrong and ſetled apprehenſion of thee, to over-awe and rule me in every thought, word, deſire and action of my whole life. For a ſtedfaſt love to thee, that may move me willingly and chearfully to obey thee. And for an active hope in thee, which may conſtantly excite me to purifie my ſelf, even as thou art pure. Great, O Lord, is the levity of my mind, and the fickleneſs of my thoughts; which makes me afraid leſt all theſe holy deſires ſhould preſently vaniſh. Wretch that I am, how often have I ſtarted from my purpoſes, and forſaken my own reſolutions? I am going … more unto thy A…ta… to …er my ſoul and body to thee▪ to renew my Covenant with thee; and to put my ſelf into thy hands, that thou mayſt preſerve theſe thoughts and purpoſes in my heart for ever. Accept, moſt loving Father, of theſe holy intentions. Meet them there again; and viſit me from above with a more plentiful effuſion of thy holy Spirit, to confirm and ſtrengthen me in all goodneſs. I beſeech thee by the pretious blood of Jeſus Chriſt, the price of our Salvation; by thy wondrous and ineffable love which gave him for us; to pour down upon me the abundance of thy grace, that I may ever hereafter walk before thee with a perfect heart in newneſs of life. As thou haſt invited me to that holy feaſt in remembrance of him, ſo diſpoſe my ſoul to approach unto it with ſuch reverence and holy fear; with ſuch pure devotion and fervent love; with ſuch ſpiritual gladneſs and joy; that taſting the pleaſures of thine houſe, I may never thirſt for any thing ſo much: but delight my ſelf alwayes in the Lord, and do good. Lord, what wait I for? truly, my hope is in thee: that I ſhall encreaſe in the faith, and be rooted and grounded in love, and ſtick unto thy teſtimonies with my whole heart, and run the wayes of thy Commandments till I have finiſhed my courſe with joy.
Come, Lord Jeſus, and ſeat thy faith in my mind and will, as in its throne. Eſtabliſh thy Laws and Government there: raign and rule in me for ever. That armed with thy power, all thy enemies may flee before thee, and no evil thing may dwell in thy ſight: but I may overcome the world, the fleſh, and the Devil, and ſerve thee without fear in righteouſneſs and holineſs all the dayes of my life. Hear my words, O Lord, conſider my meditation. Pſal. 5.1.17.1.Give ear unto my prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips. And make me to know and feel that Jeſus who dyed for me,Rev. 1.18. is alive from the dead and liveth for evermore: and that he is an eternal fountain of life and ſtrength, of comfort and refreſhment, to all thoſe that by him believe in God, 1 Pet. 1.21.who raiſed him from the dead and gave him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God. In his moſt powerful name I ſue unto thee, for all that is comprehended in his own holy words; ſaying, Our Father, &c.
Meditation afterward.
SOmetime that day, and as often as you can after, reflect upon your own thoughts, reſolutions and vows: and conſider, that there may be but a few dayes, perhaps hours, remaining; before you muſt appear at the Tribunal of him, who hath now entertained you at his Table. The next ſight you have of him, may be upon his throne,1 Pet. 5.5. as one that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. Put your ſoul in mind of the great account you muſt then give, of all that you have done in the body; and of your ſacred actions, no queſtion, as well as of the reſt. And therefore ask your ſelf in the moſt ſerious manner, and bid your ſoul tell you, with what affection hath the death of the Lord been now remembred? Haſt thou as ſincerely renounced all thy evil wayes and conſecrated thy ſelf to the life of Chriſt, as thou hopeſt to be ſaved? As God ſhall judge the world in righteouſneſs, art thou reſolved and determined to become a new Creature, and to paſs the time of thy ſojourning here in fear? O how dreadful will he then appear, to thoſe who return with the dog to his vomit, after they have eaten of this holy bread, and drunk of this holy Cup? who can ſtand before him that hath known and remembred his tranſcendent love, and yet loved his eaſe, his pleaſure, his money or any other thing, better than him and his eternal life? It concerns me nearly, O my ſoul, to keep him ever in my thoughts, and to expreſs him in my life. That when he comes he may ſee himſelf in me, and behold his own image, in righteouſneſs and true holineſs, fairly ingraven on my heart. For many will ſay unto him at that day, Lord,Luke 13.26, 27. We have eaten and drunk in thy preſence, and thou haſt taught in our ſtreets. But he will ſay, I tell you I know you not whence you are; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. Moſt diſmal change… now he invites, now he ſaith come; but then he will ſay depart: if we come not to his Table with hearts to entertain him, to ſuffer him to dwell in us, and to be the ſole diſpoſer of all our actions. God forbid that ever that terrible voice ſhould ſound in mine ears. This one word DEPART from me; how confounding will it be! It muſt needs ſtrike the ſtouteſt ſoul into eternal ſorrow.
The ſearcher of my heart knows that I went unfeignedly thither, to give him poſſeſſion of it: and here again I confirm the gift. Let him command what he pleaſes, and I will obey it. Let him bring his Croſs along with him; I will ſubmit unto it. Come poverty, come reproaches, come impriſonment, come pains and torments, come death it ſelf: rather than be ſo miſerable as to depart from the living God. Depart from me, Pſal. 119.115.rather, ye evil doers; for I will keep the Commandments of my God. Pſal. 101.2, 3.I will walk within my houſe with a perfect heart. No wicked thing will I ſet before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aſide, it ſhall not cleave to me. All my delight ſhall be upon the Saints, that are in the earth; Pſal. 16.3.and upon ſuch as excel in vertue.
And that you may preſerve theſe good purpoſes, let your heart be often there, where they were conceived and made; though your body cannot. Look often back upon the Table of the Lord, and ſay with the ſame holy Pſalmiſt, O when ſhall I come and appear again before thee. 42.2.Early will I ſeek thee, O my God: Pſal. 63.1, 2, &c.my ſoul thirſteth for thee; that I may ſee thy power and thy glory, ſo as I have ſeen thee in the Sanctuary. Becauſe thy loving kindneſs is better than life: my lips ſhall praiſe thee. Thus will I bleſs thee, while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My ſoul ſhall be ſatisfied as with marrow and with fatneſs: and my mouth ſhall praiſe thee with joyful lips.
And to furniſh your ſoul with greater plenty of good thoughts, you may often reflect upon the example which Chriſt hath ſet you in his death as well as in his life. And perticularly reſolve to ſpend this month in meditating every day upon his great CHARITY,2 Cor. 8.9. who though he was rich, yet for our ſakes he became poor, that by his poverty we might be rich. In this God commended his love to us, Rom. 5.8.that while we were yet ſinners, Chriſt dyed for us. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Joh. 15.13But we when we were enemies, were reconciled to God by the death of his Son: Rom. 5.10.and therefore ſhall much more be ſaved by his life. Excite in your ſelf hereby, a great and compaſſionate love to all mankind: eſpecially to your Brethren, with whom you are knit in one body. That you may be ſtrongly inclined to do good, as occaſion is offered; to refreſh the bowels of the poor and needy; to comfort and ſupport the feeble minded; to live with all in unity and peace: till your Chriſtian friendſhip be perfected in endleſs love, in the other world. Remember that God is the God of peace, and Chriſt is the Lord of peace. Often meditate on the words of our Lord, that it is better to give than to receive: and upon theſe words of a good man, that He is the beſt Merchant who layes out his time upon God, and his money upon the poor.
The Thanksgiving and Prayer.
I Caſt my ſelf down before thee, O Lord, in the deepeſt humility of ſoul; to worſhip and praiſe thee together with all the heavenly Hoſt, ſaying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God, Almighty; Heaven and Earth are full of thy glorious goodneſs. Thou art the joy of all thoſe happy creatures above, who continually behold the brightneſs of thy glory: and thy preſence, and the light of thy countenance makes Heaven upon earth to us thy ſervants, whom thou admitteſt thus near unto thee. Glory be to God in the higheſt, who to all other bleſſings hath added the gift of his dear Son; and delivered him up for us all. Glory be to the Son of God, the Prince of peace; who hath loved us and given himſelf for us, to redeem us from all iniquity: and left us ſuch remembrances of himſelf, and pretious pledges of his never failing love. And thanks be to the holy ſpirit of grace, the power of the divine love; which draws us unto God, and inflames us with his love, and raiſes up our hearts towards Heaven. Bleſſed, for ever bleſſed, be thine infinite wiſdom, power, and goodneſs, which all the world proclaims unto us, and which thou haſt more particularly manifeſted in Chriſt Jeſus.Pſal. 73.29 There is none in Heaven that we can deſire, but thee; nor in earth beſides thee: that we may know thee, and intirely love thee, and be made like unto thee, and be loved by thee, and made meet to live for ever with thee. O that the ſight I have now had of thee, may make all things here below ſeem mean and contemptible in mine eyes, in compare with thy favour and good will towards me. That no temptation in the whole world may be able to draw my heart from the obedience I have vowed to thee: but I may ever think of thee, and ever ſeek thee, and ever ſpeak of thy goodneſs, and eſteem my ſelf happy in being beloved of thee, the poſſeſſor of Heaven and earth. It is the ſerious purpoſe of my heart to cleave to thee; and to ſpend my days in humility and heavenly-mindedneſs, in prayer and praiſes, in temperance and chaſtity, in works of juſtice and mercy, in doing of good and forgiving evil, in meekneſs and peaceableneſs, contentedneſs and thankfulneſs, patience and forbearance, and in all other fruits of thy holy Spirit. And therefore I humbly waite on thee, O Father of mercies, for the continued help and aſſiſtance thereof,1 Pet. 2.9.1.5. that I may be able to ſhew forth the virtues of thee, who haſt called me out of darkneſs into thy marvellous light. Thou wilt preſerve me, I hope, by thy mighty power through faith unto Salvation: And ſo mightily aſſiſt me by thy grace, that I may keep my ſelf unſpotted from the world; and never do any thing to offend thee, and cauſe thee to depart away, or hide thy face from thy ſervant who is devoted to thee.Coloſſ. 3.12, 13, &c, O that I may never forget to put on, as the elect of God, bowels of mercies, kindneſs, lowlineſs of mind, meekneſs, long ſuffering; and above all thoſe things charity, which is the bond of perfectneſs: without which whoever liveth, is as dead before thee. Pour into my heart more and more of this moſt excellent grace; that according to my ability I may do good, and be rich in good works, 1 Tim. 6.18.ready to diſtribute, willing to communicate; laying up in ſtore for my ſelf a good foundation againſt the time to come, that I may lay hold on eternal life.
And, as this Charity binds me, I moſt heartily deſire the good of all mankind: eſpecially of the Univerſal Church, which Chriſt hath purchaſed by his blood. That the devil may not devour his inheritance; and Chriſtians may not bite and devour one another, by hatred and ſtrife and bitter envyings: but the peace of thee our God may rule in their hearts, and all agree together in godly love. It pitties thy ſervants to ſee her bleeding wounds; her miſerable rents and diviſions. O that the ſweet and loving ſpirit of the Lord Jeſus may inſpire every part of thy Church. O that all who call upon the name of Chriſt may be indued with uniting principles, and liſten to healing counſels, and be filled with brotherly affections and diſpoſitions. Hear, O Lord, the daily prayers of every member thereof. Relieve the poor; pitty the groans of the ſick; ſupport the infirmities of the weak; take compaſſion upon the ſighings of captives, the cryes of the Fatherleſs and widdows, the diſtreſſes of the ſtrangers and friendleſs; and the various needs of all thoſe that have no helpers. For which end, fill the hearts of all Chriſtian Kings and Rulers with abundance of wiſdom and charity; that they may have ſuch a tender and merciful care of all their ſubjects, as Parents have of their Children: providing for their happineſs and comfort to the utmoſt of their power. Give thy grace alſo to all the Paſtors of thy flock, that they may ſtir up every one to do their duties; by their holy exhortations and godly examples: and the light of all Chriſtians may ſo ſhine before men, that they ſeeing their good works may glorifie thee our heavenly Father. That the ſtrangers to our Religion may come and ſubmit themſelves unto thee: and at laſt there may be one fold, as there is one ſhepherd; and the whole world with one voice and one conſent may praiſe and magnifie thy glorious name. Now to him that is of power to eſtabliſh me, Rom. 16.25, 26.according to the Goſpel and preaching of Jeſus Chriſt; to God only wiſe be glory through Chriſt Jeſus for ever. Amen.