World, only to gain a fight of the Boafted Reliques of fome celebrated Saint; to be entertained with long Accounts of Miracles, to kiis a Silken Rag, or proftrate themselves before a Bone fet in Gold! But alas! were all the Legends these fond Men give credit to, moft true, yet what is here that can deferve their mighty Pains, or tedious Journeys? What Shrine can pretend to fanctifie, or command Veneration in any degree, comparable to that faving and myftical Prefence of God himself upon the Altar? The poor ef

fects of fuch mistaken Zeal are but too manifeft. Men generally go for Curiofity and Diverfion, not for the Improvement of their Minds; and they return accordingly. Better in no refpect, except in having seen a thing much talk'd of,which they had never seen before. 'Tis to be hoped but few are fo blind, fo wretchedly deluded, to imagine, that fuch Penances and Painful Travels can do them fervice, without true Contrition, and serious Reformation of Life. And where these are, much more fubftantial Advantages may be had a great deal nearer home. For lo! the King of Saints invites us, He gives the fure and bleffed Fruits of Righteousness and Salvation to all who worthily receive him: An Invitation, in compliance with which, Levity and Senfuality, a Roving Head,or a Gadding Humour have no part, but all is done by the wife and well-weighed Grace of a fted faft Faith; the comfortable Affurances of a Devout Hope; and the Affectionate Zeal of a Sincere and Holy Love.

Oh, mighty Maker of the World! whom, though we plainly fee in all thy Works of Wonder, yet Thou thy felf remaineft invisible; how astonishing are thy Difpenfations to the Sons of Men? How fweet, how comfortable, how full of Efficacy, yet ftill how unaccountable to Senfe and Reafon are the Methods by which thou art pleased to communicate thy felf to the Faithful in this Bleffed Sacrament? Where thy

cho

chofen and worthy Servants partake of that heavenly Food, which nourishes their Souls to Life immortal; while Reprobates and bold Intruders take empty Elements, void of Spiritual Subftance and Saving Power. This is a Mystery above our Comprehenfion. This kindles in us holy Zeal, and engages our devoutest Affections. And by receiving Creatures, in themselves of mean and common Efficacy, we find our Weaknesses ftrengthned, our Decays recruited, and our Love of Thee and Virtue ftrangely heightned and confirmed. Who can exprefs, who can conceive that hidden, that amazing Diftinction made in this Holy Supper; whose Graces and good Effects are fo liberally diftributed to the Faithful; and yet Unbelievers and Impenitent Men have no Portion, no Experience at all of them? Who can discover thofe mystical Methods, by which Spiritual Grace is conveyed with Bodily Suftenance ? How Bread and Wine fhould be made Inftruments of ftrengthning the Soul; of purging away the Blemishes and Reproaches of Nature; healing her Deformities and Diseases; taking out the Stains of Sin and vicious Habits, contracted by converfing with a naughty World; fubduing furious Paffions; rectifying and moderating irregular Defires; and invigorating both the Body and Mind of feeble Sinners at once.

Such is the new Life, and Health, and fprightly Vigour, which good and godly Men experimentally find upon thefe Occafions. And who then can fufficiently lament the general Lukewarmness, the cold Neglect, the fenflefs Stupidity of Mankind upon this Occafion? How regardlefs are They of Chrift? How hardly prevailed upon to accept their own Mercy, their Sanctification, their Redemption, in the Ways prescribed by himself for imparting thefe glorious Advantages? How rudely do they turn their Backs upon that Feaft which creates Joy in Heaven,and preferves Earth and its Inhabitants from Mifery and Ruin?

Oh!

Oh! the wretched Blindness, the inflexible Obstinacy and Hardness of Mens Hearts, which will not fee, or feeing, will not value fo ineftimable Benefits; but turn their very Happiness into an Occafion of Deftruction, by fuffering the frequent Opportunities, and the very Eafinefs of attaining thefe precious Privileges, to bring them into generalDifefteem; which make the Greatness of their Master's Love, the abundant Provifion for their Health and Support, a Pretence for Starving in the midst of Plenty.

For I can scarce perfuade my felf, but that, if this holy Sacrament could be had in one Place, and from one fingle Hand only, Men would with eager Zeal repair thither, and vaft Crowds of People ftrive to partake of fo rare a Bleffing. But now, when every Church, and every Festival, when every Prieft, and almost every Lord's Day exhibits this Delicious Food, brings it home to ourDoors, and offers it to as many as are religiously and devoutly difpofed to accept the gracious Tenders; when every Sermon exhorts, entreats, conjures us to be thus happy; we turn our Backs, and flight the cheap, the eafie Favour. Yet manifeft it is, that the Kindness of our Lord is not the lefs, but much the greater, for putting the Terms of our Salvation within our own Power, and leaving the whole Blame and Condemnation at our own Doors, if we refufe to take what without our Fault we can never want. And fhall we then proceed to naufeate and disdain our greatest Bleffings? to think them lefs valuable for being more common? No, bleffed Jefus! We will acknowledge thy unfpeakable Bounty; wè will most thankfully confefs thee the good Shepherd, who haft provided fuch rich Suftenance for thy Sheep, and leadeft them out into Fat Paftures. Bleffed be thy Eternal Mercy, who vouchfafeft to give thy Body, not only for, but to thy poor Servants in this dif confolate State; Who, not content to facrifice, it

once

once upon the Crofs, offereft it daily in the Sacrament; and haft filenced all the Fears and Melancholy Mifgivings of our own Guilt and Unworthiness, by that most tender and compaffionate, that moit extenfive and univerfal Invitation; Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden with the Burthens of your Sins, and I will refresh you.

CHA P. II.

The Love of God to the Soul manifested in this

Difciple.]

BE

Sacrament.

Ehold, Lord, thus encouraged, thus invited, I come; but I do not prefume to do so, trusting in my own Righteousness, but in thy manifold and great Mercies. I feel, alas! my Weaknesses and Wants; and betake my self to Thee for Relief: fick and diseased I fly to the Physician of Souls; hungry and thirsty to this Fountain of Living Water and Bread of Life; poor and needy to the Bountiful King of Heaven; a Servant to his kind Master; a Creature to his compaffionate Creator, who hateth nothing that he hath made; and a forlorn difconfolate Wretch, to Thee, the Holy, the Eternal, the only Comforter. But whence is this to me, that my God fhould vouchfafe to come unto me? Or who am I, that thou fhould'ft communicate to me thy own felf? How fhall a wicked Sinner dare to appear before thee? Or how canft Thou, who art of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity, endure to make fuch condefcending Approaches, to a Soul polluted with Sin and with Uncleannefs? Thou feeft my very Inward Parts, and knoweft I have nothing in me that is good, nothing to invite fuch Mercy, nothing fit for

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the reception of fo pure, fo glorious a Majefty; I will therefore moft humbly confefs my own Vilenefs, and Thy unfpeakable Goodnefs; I will moft thankfully praise, and admire, and adore thy marvellous Love, and exceeding abundant Grace. For this is purely thy own Act. Nothing on my part could deferve, nothing could move thee to it. The more unworthy I am, the more confpicuous is thy Goodness, the more amazing thy Mercy and Condefcenfion. Since therefore thou art pleased to stoop fo low, be it unto me according to thy Word: Since thou haft thought fit to command my Approach, I will moft gladly teftify my ready. Obedience; and only beg, that my, own finfulness may not render me odious in thy fight, nor fruftrate these ineftimable Mercies to me.

Ofweeteft, kindeft Saviour! What humble Reverence, what devout Thankfulness can be great enough? What Praise can be fufficiently expreffive of that Love, which admits fo poor, fo miferable a Wretch, to the Participation of thofe Divine Myfteries, the Dignity whereof no Tongue of Men or Angels can wor thily fet forth? But when I thus addrefs to my Lord, and am allowed fuch intimate Familiarities with him, what fort of Reflections ought to fill my Breaft? To approach thee with all the profound Refpect due upon fuch Occafions, is impoffible; I will therefore fupply my want of Ability by the earneftnefs of my Zeal; and most humbly befeech thee to accept thofe hearty Defires of the ineftimable Benefit, by which my Sout and all its Faculties thirft and pant moft impatiently after Thee and thy Righteoufnefs. When Thou art the Subject of my Meditations, the Matter is too vaft for regular Thought; the Idea's too dazling bright for a finite Understanding; and I quickly feel my felf loft in Wonder and Aftonishment. I will therefore turn my Eyes inward, and entertain my felf with the lefs pleafing indeed, but not lefs profitable, Profpect

of