entirely to him; to fall out with him no more, to defile thy garments no more; to dishonour, to betray him no more; to be faithful to him to vindicate his glory, to esteem his friends as thy friends, and his enemies as thy enemies ; and to live up to thofe Laws which he hath fealed with his own blood: to this end, thou eatest of his Bread, and drinkest of his Wine; and thus thou fealeft the Covenant. Doft not thou remember, O my Soul, how the world was lòft by eating of the forbidden Tree? Behold, by eating of this Tree of Life, thou shalt be faved for ever; in the breaking of the Confecrated Bread, thou feeft, how Chrift's Body was broke for thee; in pouring out of the Hallow'd Wine, thou seeft, how Chrift's Blood was fpilt for thee: when the holy Bread is reach'd out to thee, thou feest Christ reaching out his crucified Body to thee, that thou may'ft fee in his hands the print of the nails, and put thy finger into the print of his nails, and thrust thine hand into his fide, and shelter thy felf under that wounded and mangled Body, against the wrath and indignation of God. When the Sacred Wine is given thee, thou seeft how Chrift offers thee his Blood for the remiffion of thy fins. Canft thou behold fo great a love, and not lose thy reason in the admiration of its greatness? when thou seest fuch condefcenfion, fuch kindness, fuch compaffion, O canft thou forbear crying out, O my Lord! what do I fee? what mean these longings of Almighty God after my happiness ? what

means

means this induftry of that incomprehenfible Being, to be at all this charge and pains to make me bleffed? God, that might sport himself with my everlasting groans, what need he have cared whether I were faved or no? God, who can be happy without company, and needs no fociety but his own; whence is it, that this mighty God bumbles himself thus to duft and afhes, lays afide his Robes of Glory, and wooes me to be content to lie for ever in his Arms and Bofom? would no other remedy ferve turn to recover me, but the death of the Son of God? God, on whofe Laws I have trampled, whofe Authority I have flighted, whofe promises and threatnings I have undervalued, that he should be thus concern'd for my welfare, and contrive how to advance me unto Glory, and contrive it by tuch stupendous means too! Will God fuffer, that I may not? will the Eternal die, that I may not fall a prey to the second death? will God be crown'd with thorns, that I may wear an incorruptible Crown of glory? will God be affronted, abus'd, and scorn'd, that I may inherit glory,and honour, and immortality? what manner of love is this? where is the fpring of it? what's the impulfive caufe of it? how full of miracles is every circumftance here? how pleasant is this contemplation? What! God love a little flime and earth? O my God! how wonderful is thy love? it is all Ocean here is nothore to fet 3 my feet on! Be aftonished at it,Q ye Heavens and tremble, thou Earth: the Eternal,the Iminenfe

Creator

Creator of Heaven and Earth, ftoops to a miferable Creature! the God, who fills Heaven and Earth with his Prefence, bows down to a poor inconfiderable Worm! he that fits on the Circle of the Earth, and before whom all the Inhabitants of the Earth are as Grafhoppers, humbles himself to take notice of a poor forlorn Wretch; Here is love indeed. Stay me with flaggons, comfort me with apples ; my head grows giddy with the Precipice: here is an abyfs of love, which I cannot fathom; my head swims at the fight of it; Senfe can furnish me with nothing like it, I am filenc'd; here is a love answers all arguments that are brought for going on in fin. Help me, O thou blessed Spirit; help me, O thou who art fairer than the Children of Men; help me, thou who art all Love and Life; help me to admire thy love, In this love are a thousand charms; in this love are omnipotent enforcives to love God above all the world. Run, O my Soul, run into this Banqueting-house, the Banner whereof is love. Is it fo, and muft thou have perish'd, and been undone for ever, if the Son of God had not come in the Flesh, and expiated thy crimes, and doth not Almighty love deferve thy love? fee how the ambitious love the applause of men, and wilt not thou love him who is brighter than the Sun? See how the rich man is enamour'd with his ftately Palace, and canst not thou love him, who hath done that for thee, which no Friend, no Money, no Gold, no Silver could

have

have purchas'd, viz. reconciled thee to an-offended God wilt thou flight this love, and hope to go unpunish'd? wilt thou make this love a refuge for wilful fins, and hope for the light of Chrift's countenance? will not he, who loved thee beyond all precedents and examples, 'double and treble his indignation upon thee; if this love cannot melt thee into a truly Spiritual life? Could the Devils but have fuch an offer, of being partakers of the love of Christ, how would they rejoyce and triumph, and love, and honour, and obey their God again, as once they did when they were inhabitants of Heaven! and wilt thou be worse than a Devil, and spurn at that Love which Angels stand astonish'd at? Were it thine own cafe, O my Soul, would'st not thou revenge fuch ingratitude with all the feverity imaginable, and doom the Wretch that fhould affront fuch condefcenfion, to the direst flames? Be wife, O my Soul, and provoke not that God to fwear in his wrath, that thou fhalt never enter into his reft, who flees unto thee on the wings of mercy to embrace thee; thou canst never have a more glorious fight of God's love, on this fide Heaven than is discover'd to thee in this Sacrament; and if ever thou wouldst be perfwaded to refign thy felf entirely to thy Bleffed Redeemer, make his Will thy Will, and defire what he defires, and hate what he hates, and love what he loves. O come hither to the Crofs, and fee the Son of God weeping for thy fins; come hither, and fee him fweat drops of

blood

blood for thy iniquities, and offering thee pardon and reconciliation, and peace with God, and access to the Throne of Grace, and union and communion with him; and if this be not enough, a Title to eternal happiness, or a Right to that Throne himself doth fit on.

But why fo backward, O my Soul, to come to the Table of thy Lord, where thou may'st drink Wine and Milk without money, and without price; where thou may'st be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and eat of the living Bread, whereof whoever eats, fhall live for ever? Haft thou forgot the peremptory command of Chrift, Do this in remembrance of me? Is this remembring thy dearest Friend, to think of him folemnly but once or twice a year? Shouldst not thou remember him as often as thou haft an opportunity? Should thy Saviour remember thee no oftner, than thou doft his death and paffion, how fearful would thy condition be? Canft thou represent his love too often to thy mind and affections? Canft thou remember thy fins that brought him to the Cross, too often? Art thou afraid of thinking too much of this Love, and confequently of being too religious? Art thou afraid of being too much enamour'd with this Jefus? Art thou afraid that the fight of his broken Body will break thy heart too much? Art thou afraid that the fight of his effufed Blood, will make thee pour out too many Tears, and Prayers, and Praises of his love? Confidering how dull, how Cc dead