into a poor Soul? and fill the hungry Wretch with all his Fatnefs? Happy that Breaft, which is thus honoured, and unfpeakable the Joy with which it overflows! How glorious a Mafter, how agreeable a Guest, how pleafant a Companion, how faithful a Friend, how beautiful, how honourable, how charming a Huf band does it entertain and embrace? Let Heaven and Earth, and all their boafted Excellencies keep filence before him; for if I have my Jefus, I have All; For I have him from whom all other things derive their Excellence; And Their borrowed precarious Perfetions can minifter no Joy, can make no Happiness, without this great Original. They in themselves are nothing, they are but what he made them, and He alone is more, incomparably more and better, than all that ever was, or could be made.

Difciple.]

CHAP.
HA P. IV.

The Pleasures of Devout Communion.

PR

Revent me, I moft humbly befeech thee my Lord and my God, with the Bleffings and Graces of thy holy Spirit, that thy Servant may taste thy Sweetnefs, and approach this precious Feaft, with fuch Reverence and Zeal, and fervent De votion, as thou wilt be pleased to accept. O vifit me with thy Salvation, and awaken me from Spiritual Sloth and Slumber; that I now may vigorously apply my felf to draw and drink the living Water contained in this Fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleannefs. Enlighten the Eyes of my Mind, that I may fee the wondrous things of this thy Inftitution; and ftrengthen my Faith, that I may firmly and without fcruple believe and expect thofe Operations, which my Rea

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fon is not able to account for! And why indeed fhould I make any difficulty to believe what I cannot com prehend and trace the dark Footsteps of, when I remember, that it is not the Act of finite feeble Man, but the Work of an Almighty God; not an Invention or Project of Human Reason, but the Inftitution and Promife of Him, who worketh all things according to the wife and wonderful Counsel of his own unbounded Will? To fathom these Depths to the bottom were an Attempt impracticable, even to the refined Underftanding of an Angel; Well then may poor fhortfighted Man turn giddy at the fight of this Abyss, and confefs the Well too deep, and the Cordage too fhort. Such and no better is the Condition of the most exalted Saints, and what can I, the feebleft even of Men, vile finful Duft and Afhes, hope to discover by my most induftrious Search into these heavenly Myfteries?

Inftead therefore of nice Reafoning and unprofitable Difputes, I will approach with fingleness of heart, with firm and holy hope, with an undoubting Faith, and profound Reverence; And, whatever the Vanity of Worldly Wisdom may fuggeft to the contrary, will not question but thou art prefent in the Sacrament, though I cannot fatisfy the captious Enquirers after the particular manner of that Prefence. Thy Human and Divine Nature are infeparable, thus much I know; and no more but this, that thou art fo prefent as God, as not to contradict thy being Man. Tis upon this account, that thou art pleafed to command my receiving thee, and haft engaged to make me One with thy felf, by the ftricteft Union of a holy Love. Shed therefore, I pray thee, thy fpecial Grace into my Heart, that I may diffolve in this holy Fire, and become entirely thine; Purge off my Dross, and let me no more endure the Allay of any bafer Mixtures. For this Sacrament is the pureft, the nobleft

Refiner of Souls, the health of the whole Man, the Reftorative of Spiritual Decays, the Cure of Vice, the Curb of Pallions, the Antidote againft Troubles and Temptations; the Conveyance of greater Grace; the Increase of imperfect Virtue; the Stay of Hope; the Support of our Faith, and the mighty Incentive of our Charity v 1 0110

Who can exprefs the manifold, the aftonishing Be nefits, which thou frequently imparteft to thy beloved and Religious Servants, by communicating in this bleffed Supper? Even thou, my God, the Cherifher of my Soul, the Repairer of my Breaches by Infirmity and Sin, and Reftorer of my inward Comfort and Peace. By this thou fuftaineft them in Sadness and Affliction, and enableft them to walk upon the Waves of a troublesome World; by this thou cheereft their Melancholy and Diftruft, and raifeft up their finking Spirits with Affurance of thy Gracious Protection and Affiftance; by This thou reneweft their Nature, and purifieft their Affections, that They, who came at first to this Table, with great lothness and dulnefs, feel a new Warmth within, and by degrees are brought to frequent it with unspeakable Relish and Delight. Thefe happy and glorious Effects thou produceft by fuch uncommon, unlikely Means, that Men may find experimentally their own Infirmities; how little they are able to do of themselves, and how much, when ftrengthened by Thee. That they are cold, infenfible, ftupid and dead to all Religious Duties, is from their own Difpofition that they are zealous in good Works, cheerful in thy Service, devout in thy Worfhip, is purely thy Gift. And fure none can come hither with tolerable Attention, but he must return with fome Improvement. Fore who can lies at the Fountain-head, and not receive fome Tincture from the Sweetness of the Spring? Who can ftand clofe to the Fire, and feel no Heat? But thou art a Fountain

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ever full, ever overflowing; Thou art the Fire, whose Flames are conftantly expanding themselves to kindle holy Affections in all thofe, who are careful to approach, and put themselves in the way of their Activity.

It may be, I am not worthy to drink at the Head of this Spring, or to take my fill of its refreshing Streams; but yet at leaft I will apply my Mouth to fome of its diftant Pipes, and spreading Rills, to catch a few of the Drops, as they flide by, that I be not utterly barren, nor die with Drought and Thirft. I may not be able to approach this Flame fo near, that it should refine and brighten me to a degree equal with the Purity of the Cherubim and Seraphim; but yet I will not defpair of being fo far cherished and warmed by it, that my Zeal may be exalted according to the brightness of Human Virtues; And my enlivened Heart fhall feel fome Glowings, if it do not flame out heavenly clear. Defects and Infirmities, I know, I cannot be exempted from: But what is wanting, I beg my merciful Jefus would supply. His Kindnefs will not fail to make all equitable Allowances, and his Wisdom knows where they are proper to be made. Forgiven and made up they may be, and I, unworthy as I am, may be accepted. But that Un worthiness muft not be made a Pretence for detaining me from this Sacrament. For fure the most unworthy are comprehended, and they who fee, and lament, that they are fuch, can leaft of all be excluded, when he pronounces that general Invitation, Come unto Me, ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh

all ye

you.

The oftner I defcend into my felf, the more I am convinced, that this Defcription exactly fuits my State. I fulfil the Primitive Sentence upon fallen Man, and labour in the Sweat of my Face; The Sorrows of my Heart perplex and

Gen. iii.

diftract me, the Burthen of my Sins preffes me down, the Multitude of my Temptations are a perpetual Torment and Vexation, the Variety and Exorbitance of my corrupt Affections entangle, and confound, and over-power my Reafon: And in the midft of thefe Calamities and Dangers, I have no Succour, no Defence, no Supporter or Deliverer, but only thee, my God; and therefore into thy Hands, my merciful Maker and Saviour, I commit my felf, and all my Affairs; and beg that thou would'ft keep what is thus depofited with thee, fafe unto Life Eternal. O take me therefore into thy Cuftody; and, as thou haft ordained thy Body and Blood to be the Food of Immortality, fa grant, that it may have its proper Efficacy upon my Soul in particular, to the Glory of thy Name, and the Honour of fo bleffed an Inftitution. And, that no Neglect or Unfruitfulness of mine may obftruct its kindly and powerful Operations, Grant, I befeech thee, my God and Saviour, that I may never be guilty of fuch Difrefpect, as wilfully to turn my Back upon thy Table; but may earneftly long for, heartily rejoice in, and diligently comply with every Oppor tunity of receiving this mighty Bleffing; and may fo frequent, and fo improve under thy merciful Difpenfation, that I may conftantly return, with greater Care and Zeal, more fettled Refolutions, more irreconcilable Hatred againft Sin, and more fervent Love for God and Goodness, than before. So fhall I approach nearer to thee indeed, and each Sacrament prove a fresh Advance toward Heaven; So fhall my Soul be filled with the Treafures of thy Mercy, the Delights of thy Secret Ones, and the ravishing Foretaftes of that Blifs, which fhall be always growing, till it be confummated at laft in that Eternal Feast above, the Marriage-fupper of the Lamb in thy Kingdom. Amen.