The Christian Sacrifice, Part 4 · May
May.
Meditation before the Sacrament.
CAſt your eyes now on the beautiful face of the earth, and ſee how all things ſmile upon you. How God hath crowned the year with his goodneſs, and cloathed the paſtures with flocks, the gardens with flowers and fruits, and the vallies with corn. How the little hills, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks, are girded with gladneſs;Pſal. 6…. and every creature ſhouts for joy and ſings. And then think with thy ſelf, how uncomly it is that thou ſhouldſt be the only dull and ſilent thing: whom the Lord hath adorned with greater riches and honour; and ſet over all the works of his hands. Think what nobler beauties he hath made thee to behold, and ſet before thy mind even himſelf in all his glory, which ſhines upon thee in the face of Jeſus Chriſt. Think how he calls thee to a Paradiſe of delight, now that he hath invited thee to his holy Table: where he repreſents unto thee the Son of his love, the expreſs image of his perſon; and all the happy fruits of his manifeſtation in our fleſh. Bid thy ſoul therefore awake, and meditate on his humble deſcent from Heaven for our ſake, with the acclamations of all the heavenly hoſt; on all his miraculous works of charity; his holy and uſeful life; his bitter paſſion; his bloody and ſhameful death; his glorious reſurrection and aſcention; his power at the right hand of God; and all the benefits he hath by theſe means obtained to us, and crowned our nature withal. Bid it ſing aloud, and give praiſe, and ſhout for joy. Stir up all that is within thee, to bleſs his holy name. That while all things round about thee are freſh and ſpiritous and full of life; thou mayeſt not remain the only dead and heartleſs creature: but ſpring up together with the reſt, in all the acts of ſpiritual life. Say to thy ſelf, what a new world do I ſee? God dwelling here among men. God in Chriſt reconciling the world to himſelf, not imputing their treſpaſſes unto them. Friendſhip made between heaven and earth. Death ſwallowed up in victory. The gate of heaven ſet open to all believers. Jeſus our fore-runnner, there already inthroned: waiting for all his faithful followers; and filling them now with good hope, peace, and joy in the holy Ghoſt.
O what a glorious ſight is this: which the Angels themſelves admired! what a new heaven and new earth ſhould this have made, wherein dwelleth righteouſneſs? what ailes us, that we do not all become new creatures? And beholding as in a glaſs the glory of our Lord, are not changed into the ſame image, from glory to glory; even as by the ſpirit of the Lord? I am aſhamed of my barrenneſs in the knowledge of Chriſt Jeſus: into whom I was ingrafted long ago. It is high time to be more fruitful in all good works. For he hath ſaid that, every branch in me that beareth not fruit, John 1….2, 8.my Father taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. And herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, ſo ſhall ye be my diſciples. I will go therefore and open my heart to him who is the root and fountain of life; that I may derive new ſpirit, vigour, and ſtrength from him. I will go and declare that I believe in him: that I have placed my hope, my comfort and ſatisfaction in his love; and value his favour and bleſſing more than all the world. I will ſhew him how I long to be changed more and more, into his divine image: and am reſolved to abide in him, v. 7.and that his word ſhall abide in me. I will give him all the aſſurance of it, I am able: by renewing my covenant with him; and making a chearful oblation of all that I am, and have, and can do, unto his ſervice. Then ſure he will communicate more of himſelf unto me. I ſhall feel his divine power and vertue quickning me: and becauſe he lives, John 14.19.I ſhall live alſo. The Sun when he returns to viſit us with his warmth, doth not more revive all things, and renew the face of the earth, than I ſhall find him inlivening and renewing me; that I may have my fruit unto holineſs, Rom. 6.22and the end everlaſting life. For he himſelf hath ſaid,Joh. 15.7. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye ſhall ask what ye will, and it ſhall be done unto you. Be it unto me, O Lord, according to thy word. I ask nothing, but that I may ſtill have the grace to continue in thy love, by keeping thy Commandments. That I may grow and increaſe in wiſdom and Holineſs; and be filled with all the fruits of the Spirit. With love, joy, peace, Gal. 5.22.long-ſuffering, gentleneſs, goodneſs, faith, meekneſs, temperance: and that they may abound in me more and more, to thy praiſe and glory. Amen.
The Prayer before.
O Moſt bleſſed God, who art moſt lovely in thy ſelf and in all thy works: and full of love and kindneſs to us whom thou haſt made to underſtand thy glorious perfections. Thou art beloved of all thoſe that ſeriouſly fix their eyes on the beauties of thy holineſs, wiſdom and goodneſs; and obſerve thy bounty to all thy creatures. Thouſands of Angels and Saints thou haſt, whoſe hearts burn continually with love to thee: and thou haſt had many faithful ſervants that have dyed for the love of thee. I am one of thoſe fools and ſenſeleſs wretches, that have loved every thing better than thee, my Creator, and merciful Saviour. While others have burnt in the fires for thee, I have been unwilling ſometimes to take the pains of a few ſerious thoughts about thee. And my mind at beſt, is apt to ſtart away from that moſt heavenly employment: it is hard to think, even of thy ſurpaſſing kindneſs to me, without interruption, but for a few moments. I am too unlike the ancient Diſciples of the Lord Jeſus: being prone to content my ſelf with reading or hearing thy word, with ſpeaking of thee, or praying to thee: and all many times without any love, or but with little affection to thee. Yea, while I make mention of thy love, I am not ſo much in love with thee, as it deſerves. I have beheld the Sun of righteouſneſs ſhining upon me, and received the deareſt pledges of thy loving kindneſs; without that warmth and heat of love which it might have excited. The livelieſt Truths have not penetrated ſo deep, as they ſhould, into my heart. But though thou haſt been pleaſed to intreat ſo earneſtly, and promiſe ſo liberally, as if thou ſhouldſt be indebted to me for my love; it hath many times but little ſtirred this dull ſoul towards thee. Thou haſt loved us ſo much as to purchaſe our love at any rate: having redeemed us with thy Sons blood, which is the greateſt price; and called us to thy kingdom and glory, which is the greateſt reward: but alas! how unconcern'd have I been, too oft, in all theſe wonders of thy love?
I am aſhamed of my ſelf. I bluſh to think that after ſo long acquaintance with thee, I ſhould love thee and delight in thee to no higher a degree. Which is the only thing, next to thy grace which pitties our weakneſſes, that gives me hope I ſhall at laſt love thee far better. Still make me more aſhamed, that after all thy care and pains thou ſhouldſt ſee ſo little of thy ſelf in me. And aſſiſt me by the power of a mighty grace, which I will endeavour to improve, to fix mine eyes more ſtedfaſtly on thee, and to ſtay my thoughts with thee; till I love thee ſo much as to be changed into thy likeneſs. Now that I am going to commemorate thy love in Chriſt Jeſus, let not my ingratitude provoke thee to abſent thy ſelf from me: but according to the gracious Covenant thou haſt made with us in his blood, be merciful to my ſins, and remember not mine iniquities againſt me. Make me know and feel that thou doſt pardon me, by exciting holy reſolutions in me to purifie my heart more perfectly; and diſpoſing me intirely to love thy holy nature and will, and conform my ſelf unto it in all things. O that all carnal affections may die in me, and all things belonging to the ſpirit may live and grow in me. That I may have power and ſtrength to have victory and to triumph againſt the Devil, the world and the fleſh. That I may utterly hate every thing that is evil; and cleave moſt affectionately to that which is good. Yea, that I may hate even Father and mother, and the deareſt thing in this world, rather than ſin againſt thee and forſake thee. That no relation, no pleaſure, no profitable injoyment, may ever turn my heart from thee, but rather draw me to thee, and make me more in love with thee. All thy creatures may juſtly complain of me, if I ſhould not love thee above them all. But how ſhall I anſwer it to our Lord Jeſus, if his love ſhould not conſtrain me? O that the ſpirit of thy ancient Saints may hereafter poſſeſs my heart. That I may cry out after God, Pſa. 131.6.even the living God. That I may watch for thee, more than they that watch for the morning: And my ſoul may follow hard after thee: 63.8.and even break for the longing it hath to thy judgments at all times. 119.20.That I may be a diligent follower of their Doctrine, 2 Tim. 3.10.manner of life, purpoſe, faith, long ſuffering, and patience. Pſal. 119.103.O that the words of thy mouth may be ſweeter to me than the honey and the honey comb. Pſal. 119.47.That I may delight my ſelf in thy Commandments which I have loved. And the light of thy countenance may be better to me than life it ſelf. Amen.
Confirm and ſtrengthen, good Lord, all the holy deſires and diſpoſitions which thou haſt wrought in my heart; that they may ripen into all the fruits of righteouſneſs, which are by Chriſt Jeſus to thy praiſe and glory. In his holy words I further recommend my ſelf to thine infinite mercies, ſaying, Our Father, &c.
The Meditation afterward.
O Love, what haſt thou done? ſaid an holy man, when he thought of the Mercies of God in Chriſt Jeſus. Thou broughteſt the Son of God down from Heaven, and made him appear in the likeneſs of man. Thou broughteſt him to his Croſs, and made him an offering of a ſweet ſmelling ſavour unto God. O Love, what wouldeſt thou not do (mayeſt thou ſay to thy ſelf) if thou didſt but poſſeſs our hearts? That which made him like to us, and brought him down hither, would make us like to God and carry us up to Heaven. If I did but love God, what could he demand of me which I ſhould not immediately do? How naturally ſhould I ſtudy to pleaſe him? How eaſie and delightful would it be to comply with his will? And what a favour ſhould I count it, that I might know his will which I am o do? None of his Commandments would be grievous to me; but all his ways pleaſantneſs, and all his paths peace. And will it not be very ſtrange, if I ſhould not love him, who hath loved me ſo much, and is ſtill demonſtrating his kindneſs to me? I muſt forget my belief if I ſhould not love him: and that he will not let me forget; but calls me often to his holy Table, and feeds me with the ſweet remembrance of him. There he repreſents to me, that which I continually profeſs to believe. That he is the Father Almighty, of whom the whole family of Heaven and Earth is named. That Jeſus is his only Son our Lord; that he was conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, born of the Virgin Mary, ſuffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified and put to death, roſe again, aſcended to Gods right hand, and will come at laſt to judge the quick and dead. This is my Faith. May I never make confeſſion of it,Gal. 5.6.2.20. without feeling it excited to work by love. May it alway call to mind the vows I have made to live by this Faith of the Son of God. Acts 15.9.May it purifie my heart; that when he ſhall appear again and come to judge the world,1 Pet. 1.7. my faith may be found to praiſe, and honour, and glory. Amen.
This was the reaſon, you may here conſider, that good men anciently adviſed all Chriſtians to repeat the Creed every morning. Not as a Prayer, or a Preſervative from ſin, meerly by the force of the words: but to put them in mind that they were the followers of Jeſus, who had done and ſuffered ſo much for them; and to quicken themſelves to love and to good works, which are the natural fruits of ſaith in Chriſt. Reſolve therefore to reflect on it, for this end. Shew that thou doſt willingly remember the Lord Jeſus, and ſtudieſt to ſtir up his love in thy heart: and haſt not only ſome ſudden flaſhes of it forced upon thee, by the meer greatneſs and power of his love. Think that thy love to him will grow faint and cold without theſe endeavours: ſo that it will be a doubt to thy ſelf (O how uncomfortable is that!) whether thou loveſt him or no.
And the better to preſerve it, thou mayeſt reſolve particularly to Meditate often, all this month, upon this piece of Chriſts love, in inſtituting and ordaining, juſt before he died, theſe HOLY MYSTERIES at this Divine feaſt, as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endleſs comfort. O what a kindneſs was this, mayeſt thou think with thy ſelf! what wonder of love, which is here fairly repreſented to us and ſet before our eyes! what a pleaſure is it to ſee our ſelves thus beloved of the Sovereign of the world! to behold our ſelves in the arms of the Almighty, the only wiſe, and all-ſufficient good! who will never fail to take care of us, provide for us, direct, ſupport, aſſiſt, comfort and protect us; yea, and eternally bleſs us. This is love indeed, that we have ſuch pledges given us of his everlaſting kindneſs; that we ſhall ſee him in the other world, where we ſhall know him and love him as much as we can deſire. Nay, what an happineſs is it, that we can love him at all? And that he will take ſuch care to excite our love to ſo great an height in this world? O what pleaſures have I felt in loving him; and offering my heart with ſincere affection to him? How doth my will ſweetly melt into his; when I think how good he is, and how much I am obliged to him? We ſhould never have praiſed him ſo much, if he had not thus repreſented his love to us: And that, together with intire friendſhip and concord (to which he alſo here ingages us) is the happineſs of Angels and glorified Spirits. I will never ceaſe to think of theſe pleaſures, that I may never ceaſe to injoy them: but be ſtill more and more praiſing thee, till I come to praiſe thee in the company of the Bleſſed.
The Prayer and Thanksgiving afterward.
O Moſt holy and ever bleſſed God; Thy name alone is excellent; thy glory is above the Earth and Heaven. All the heavenly powers continually proclaim thy greatneſs; and raiſe themſelves, not thee, by admiring, loving and praiſing thy eternal Majeſty. I moſt humbly adore and extol thy unſearchable Wiſdom, thy uncontroulable Power, thy boundleſs Goodneſs, and thy unſpotted Holineſs and Truth. It is a ſhame, I acknowledge, that ever I ſhould think of eſteeming or loving any thing like to thee, who art ſo infinitely above all the world; and it being ſo impoſſible for me to be ſafe or happy, but in thy love. And it is no leſs ſhame to make mention of thy Name, without the greateſt joy and ſatisfaction of heart in thy love and favour. For thy wiſdom is the ſureſt guide and moſt certain director: thy Power is our ſtrength and ſafeguard: thy good Providence is our all-ſufficient treaſure: thy holineſs and truth is our ſecurity: thy goodneſs is our hope and comfort: thy unerring will is our ſatisfaction, in all events that here befall us. I cannot wiſh, when I ſeriouſly recollect my ſelf, to live in a world without thee. It would be better not to be at all, than to be forſaken of thee, and left to the conduct of my own childiſh thoughts and deſires; and to the protection and proviſion of my own weakneſs. How much do I owe thee, even for this knowledge of thee? And I have had daily, yea minutely experience of thy loving kindneſs, ever ſince I had a being. A great number of thy creatures ſerve me, and miniſter unto my content and comfort, by thy command. And thy own Son is become a Servant to me, and ſubmitted himſelf to the vileſt ſtate and condition for my happineſs. I deſerve not to live, if I ſhould not love thee intirely. For thou art every day adding new fuel to my love, and taking care that it may never go out. What tokens of thy love hath this day brought along with it to my Soul? Thou haſt given me leave to wait upon thee, and feaſt with thee at thy own Table: To ſee the love that the Lord Jeſus bare and ſtill continues to me; that I may be ſtill more induced to love thee, and ſtrongly ingaged to be ſo happy, as to continue in thy love by cordial obedience to thee. Who can look on thee, O bleſſed Lord, and not love thee? Who can think of what thou haſt done unto us, and not devote himſelf eternally to thy love and ſervice? But alas! our eyes are weak; our thoughts are ſhort and tranſient; we are ſoon weary of beholding, and thinking even on thy love. Direct my thoughts therefore by thy mighty power, more ſtrongly towards thee. Faſten in my mind a more lively remembrance of thee: that I may, at leaſt, be often looking back unto thee, and delight to reflect upon thy wondrous love.Pſal. 119.37. Turn mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way. And, O that all my love may be changed into obedience; that I may be ever very fearful to diſpleaſe thee; and careful to omit no part of the duty I owe thee: but I may ſpend my days in acts of holy love towards thee and towards all men.1 Theſſ. 5.15, 16, 17, &c. That I may rejoyce evermore: pray without ceaſing: in every thing give thanks: prove all things; and hold faſt that which is good: never rendring to any man evil for evil: but ever following that which is good, both among our ſelves, and to all men.
And I deſire the happineſs of all mankind: eſpecially that the Faith of all Chriſtian people may grow exceedingly, 2 Theſſ. 1.3.and the Charity of every one towards each other may abound. That ſo they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things: Tit. 2.10.and recommend his Religion effectually, by their good and innocent lives, to all the world. Give the King thy judgments, O God: Pſal. 72.1, 2, &c.that he may judge thy people with righteouſneſs, and thy poor with judgment. That the greater powers may bring peace to thy people, and the leſſer alſo, by righteouſneſs. That they may judge the poor of the people, and ſave the children of the needy, and break in pieces the oppreſſor. That we may all fear thee, as long as the Sun and Moon endure, throughout all generations.
Now unto him that hath choſen us t… Salvation, 2 Theſſ. ….13.1….…through Sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth: whereunto he hath called us by the Goſpel, to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, be thanks and praiſe, and love and obedience rendred, world without end. Amen.