Obftinate Fafting would not more certainly quench all my Vital Heat, and deftroy my Body; than too long Abftinence from this Spiritual Food will wafte and quite extinguifh the Soul, and all its Powers of Living well.

I find and heartily bewail, a fatal Tendency to Evil; and my Experience, from my very Cradle, fhews me, how ftrongly I incline to Sin, and fall from bad to worfe, except a Remedy from above check this Indifpofition, and fuccour and fupport me from plunging into Hell. This Holy Communion is that Remedy. It calls back my wandring Steps, prevents my falling by Relapfe or Neglect, and ftrengthens me in Grace and Goodness. And if, even in my ftudied and moft laboured Devotions, I am so often cold, fo lukewarm at the beft; how frozen should I be, how infenfible and dead, were these Helps laid afide, and no fuch Application used to warm and quicken me? Though therefore my Life be not fo perfect, that I am always in a fit Difpofition to communicate; yet it fhall be my Care, at folemn and proper Seafons, not to lofe the Benefit of thefe holy Myfteries, or ever to refuse my own Happiness. For this is the Sovereign Balm of wounded Confciences; the great Prefervative of decaying Souls, the chearing Comfort of the Faithful, mourning their prefent State of Banifhment, and groaning earnestly for a Release from the Afflictions and Infirmities of those Mortal Bodies, to which thy Providence hath for a Time confined them. And the oftener they thus remember their God, the greater is that Affliction, and humble Devotion, with which they court and embrace their beloved Spouse and Lord.

But oh! how amazing is thy Love? And what is Man whom thou vouchfafeft to vifit, when the great God, the Creator of the World, and Father of the Spirits of all Flesh, does not difdain to defcend

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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 Gueft, how pleasant a Companion, how faithful a Friend, how beautiful, how honourable, how charming a Hufband, does it entertain and embrace? Let Heaven and Earth, and all their boasted 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 Perfections 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.

CHA P. IV.

The Pleasures of Devout Communion.

Difciple. Preve

Revent me, I moft humbly befeech thee, my Lord and my God, with the Blef fings and Grace of thy Holy Spirit; that thy Servant may tafte thy Sweetnefs, and approach this precious Feaft, with fuch Reverence, and Zeal, and fervent Devotion, 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, contain'd in this Fountain open for Sin and for Uncleannefs. Enlighten the Eyes of my Mind, that I may see the wondrous Things of this thy Inftitution; and strengthen 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 comprehend 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 thefe Depths to the bottom were an Attempt impracticable, even to the refined Understanding of an Angel. Well then may poor fhort-fighted 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 Ashes, hope to discover, by my moft induftrious Search into these heavenly Mysteries?

Inftead therefore of nice Reasoning and unprofitable Disputes, I will approach with Singleness of Heart, with firm and holy Hope, with an undoubting Faith, and profound Reverence. Whatever the Vanity of Worldly Wisdom may fuggeft to the contrary, I will not queftion, but thou art prefent in the Sacrament, though I cannot fatisfy the captious Enquiries 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 pleased 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

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Refiner of Souls, the Health of the whole Man, the Restorative of Spiritual Decays, the Cure of Vice, the Curb of Paffions, the Antidote against Troubles and Temptations; the Conveyancer of greater Grace; the Increase of imperfect Virtue; the Stay of Hope; the Support of our Faith, and the mighty Incentive of our Charity.

Who can exprefs the manifold, the astonishing Benefits, 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 Lothnefs and Dulness, feel a new Warmth within, and by degrees are brought to frequent it with unfpeakable Relish and Delight. These 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 fstrengthened 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, chearful 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. For who can lie at the Fountain-head, and not receive fome Tincture from the Sweetness of the Spring? Who can ftand close to the Fire, and feel no Hurt? But thou art a Fountain

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ever full, ever overflowing. Thou art the Fire, whofe 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 fhould refine and brighten me to a degree equal with the Purity of the Cherubim and Seraphim; but yet I will not difpair 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 fupply. 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 Unworthiness must not be made a Pretence for detaining me from this Sacrament. For fure the moft 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, all ye that labour, and are beavy laden, and I will refresh you.

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

Gen. iii.

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