gers; that I may at laft fafely arrive at eternal glory. C is my bounden duty that I fhould give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, Holy Father, Almighty, everlasting God, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord; according to whose most true promife, the Holy Ghoft came down as at this time, from heaven with a Sudden great found, as it had been a mighty wind, in the likeness of fiery Tongues, lighting upon th' Apoftles, to teach them, and to lead them to all truth, giving them both the Gift of divers Languages, and alfo boldness with fervent zeal Conftantly to preach the Gospel unto all Nations, Whereby we have been brought out of darkuefs, and error, into the clear light and true kwowledge of Thee, and of thy Son Jesus. Chrift. Therefore with Angels &c as at the end of S. 3.

S. 5. Upon the Feast of Trinity only. Or I may add it to the former, if I receive not on this Day.

Adored be th' incomprehenfible Majefty of th' Eternal undivided Trinity in whofe Name I was Baptized; and whom I humbly worship with praifes and thanksgivings, faying, Bleffed be thy Name, O God the Father Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth; in whom we all live and move and have our Being. And Bleffed be the Eter nal Son of the Father, our Savior and Redeemer, the Prince of Peace, who has purchased an Eternal Redemption for us. And Bleffed be the Holy Ghost the Comforter, who infpires me with good thoughts, pious defires, and godly Refolutions, and will conduct me, I hope unto everlafting life.

IT is very meet, right and my bonnden duty, that I fhould at all times, and in all places give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, Almighty, Everlasting God, who art one God, one LORD; not one only Perfon, but three Perfons in one fubftance.For that which I believe of the glory of the Father, the fame I believe of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, without any difference, or inequality. There fore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the com pany of heaven, Ilaud and magnify thy glorious Name, evermore praifing Thee, and faying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God of hofts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory, Glory be to Thee, O LORD most high. Amen.}

CHAP

CHAP. V.

Seventeen Meditations after the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, to be read in the Family, two or more at a time, fo as to read them all, once at leaft, yearly, on the Evenings of Receiving.

Section 1. NEW YEAR'S DAY.

WHAT have we now receiv'd from our Lord? are they not the most facred pledges of his Love? and what does the Lord require of us, but only Love? but how great a thing is Love? Love brought Him down hither to us: and love will carry us up to God. Love made Him like to Man; and love is able to make us like to God. O the power of heavenly love! how fhall we get it planted in our hearts? how? but by love. The frequent Meditation of this admirable Love of God in his Son Jefus, will not fuffer us not to love Him with all our heart, foul, and strength. Let us refolve then that the remembrance of his love fhall ly perpetually in our hearts. A's we have begun the Year with the thoughts of his Love: folet us continue in it. What more welcome thought can there be to us every Morning when we awake, than this, We are the beloved of the King of Glory? with what can we open our fouls more chearfully, what will brighten 'em, and chafe away the darkness of Melancholy, forrow, fadnefs, cares and fears, like to this? If we have not loft an hour, and waited this precious time which we have spent at the Table of the Lord, we can't but feel the mighty force of his infinite Love. Let us try what it will be able to do in a whole years thoughts upon it. Let the morning light bring Jefus ever along with it to our minds, and inkındle in us a new Devotion to him. And let us take all occafions to celebrate his Memory; that fo our holy Refolutions may be more quickned, and ftreng hned, and when the flame begins to burn din, we may blow it up again, and add more fewel to it. If a Friend had left us a token of his love, where by to keep him in mind, would we throw it into fome blind corner, and never look upon it? But fuppofe he was a dying friend, nay, a friend that died for us, to fave us from death; could he ever go out of our minds, or would we lett he thing he left to remember him by, be long out of our eyes. Let us not deal more unkindly with our Savior. Did He think when He went to Heaven, that those whom He has to obliged, would

emember his love fo feldomand fo coldly? that they need be o much intreated to come, and have communion with Him? sit not a grief to Him now (if He be capable of any,) to fee that He has fo few lovers? and that they who profefs love to Him, eftify it to rarely and in fo poor a manner? Let us vow again, that we will hence-forth fhow our felves his hearty friends, by keeping his holy Commands, and never forget that this is one, Bo,this in Hemembrance of me. We will Remember Thee, O Lord, and in this manner lift up our hands in thy Namet,ill we have finished our days, and come to see Thee as Thou art, in all thy Majefty and Glory.

§. 2. JANUARY.

LET us now ask our Souls, what went ye out to fee? where have we been, and what have we been doing? We must never forget that we have been with the Lord of Life, and that be fore God, Angels and Men, we have acknowledged Him,and devoted our felves to his obedience. That He has vouchfated to Reprefent unto us his marvellous Love, the pains He has taken for our Salvation, and the great defire He has to fee us with Him in immortal Glory: of which He has given us fuch earnefts and pledges, by making us partakers of his Body and Bloud, that we may fay of that place where He was pleafed to meet us, This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. Gen. 28. 17. We have been in the Porch of his dwelling place, and begun to enter into the joy of our Lord. How shall we efcape if we neglect fo great Salvation? Heb. 2. 3. God forbid that we fhould receive this Grace in vain. As we have received Christ Jefus the Lord, so we will walk in him. Col.2.6. We will indeavor to keep our felves holy and umblameable before Him in love, jaud to have our Converfation as becomes the Gospel. There are no joys like to the Joys of God, no Pleafures comparable to thofe of Chriftian piety. All his com mandments are fmeeter than the honey and the bony comb: and in keeping of them there is grat Reward.Pf.19.10, I 1.Shall we cease then to delight our felves in the Lord,and to do good? fhall we leave off to do the rest of his Will. nowthat we have done this in Remembrance of our Savior? fhal we go away from Him, now that we are gone from the place where his honor dwells? Alas! to whom shall we go? Thou, Lord, haft the words of eternal life. S.John. 6.68. He became the author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey Him Heb 5,9. We will go forth in the strength of the LORD GOD, and will make mention of thy righteousness

only

Part II. only. Pfal.71, 14. As we have received how we ought to walk, and to pleafe God, so we will abonnd more and more. 1 Thef.4.1. That we may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Chrift. Eph.4, 15. Till we perfectly refemble Him in righteousness, and true holiness.

HERE we may Meditate upon all the parts of his holy Life, and the compleat example He has fet us of all divine vertues: more especially thofe which fhone at his Death; of which we may fingle out one ortwo for our daily Meditation all this Month:that we maybring ourselves to an habitualImitation of Him, [fuppofe now in his great HUMILITY, because He fufered for us, leaving usan example, that we fhould follow his steps: Who did no fin,neither was guile found in his mouth. 1 S. Pet. 2, 21, 22. Saying to ourselves often; Was there ever any creature so hum. ble and lowly in heart,as our blessed Savior?how reverently and thankfully does He acknowledge God in every thing,affuming nothing to Himfelf, but giving all the glory to his heavenly Father? how eafily does He condefcend to the poorest condition, and the meaneft offices, for the Divine honor, and the welfare of the world! O how contented was He to be despised by fome, and how little concern'd in the praises and applaufes of others! how defirous to exalt us by debafing Himself, and to wave his own esteem on earth, fo He might but bring us into the favor of heaven! We admire th'evennefs and equality of his Spirit: in his conftant devotion and submission to God; and in his ftooping fo low to minister unto and serve the good of men. What other ambition can we reasonably have, than to be made thus like to Jefus? We will always live in a Senfe of our Creator, and humbly acknowledge Him in all our ways; to Him we will give the glory of all we have, or can ever do; and refolve most gladly to do all we can to serve our Neighbors; there is nothing we will think below us to fubmit unto for their greater good. It is honor enough to be truly humble. It is fufficient glory to be the followers of fuch a Mafter as the Son ofthe Bleised. No other praife and com mendation will we feek like that, which He the Judge of all the World fhall give at the day of his appearing.

And thus having begun the New-Year well, we must refolve fo to continue it, and every one of us become a new Man, by leading a more exactly holy courfe of Life. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. S. Mat. 26.41. And of• ten represent to our felves the great love of Christ which

con

201 Constraineth us, because we thus judge. that if one died for all, hen were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rofe again. 2 Cor. 5, 14, 15.

§. 3. FEBRUARY.

WE must now refl &t upon our own Vows, Refolutions, and Thoughts: and confider, that there may be but a few days, perhaps hours remaining, before we must appear before the Tribunal of Him, who has now entertained us at his Table; The next fight we have of Him may be upon his Throne, where we shall give account to Him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 1.S. Pet. 4. 5. Let us put our Souls in mind of the great account we must then give of all that we have done in the Body and of our facred Actions, no question, as well as of the reft; and, therefore, ask our felves in the moft ferious manner, and bid our Souls tell us, With what affection has the death of the Lord been now Remembred? Have we as fincerely renounced all evil ways, and confecrated our felves to the Life of Chrift, as we hope to be faved? As F God fhall judge the world in righteousness, are we refolved and determined to become new creatures, and to pass the time of our fojourning here in fear? O how dreadful will He then appear to thofe who return with the dog to his vomit, after they have eaten of this holy Bread, and drunk of this holy Cup! Who can ftand before Him, that has known and remembred his transcendent Love, and yet lov'd his cafe, his pleafure, his money, or any other thing better than Him and his eternal Life? It concerns us nearly to keep Him ever in our thoughts, and to exprefs Him in our lives, that when He comes He may fee Himself in us, and behold his own Image, in righteousness and true holiness fairly ingraven on our hearts. For many will fay unto Him at that day, Lord, We have eaten and drunk in thy prefence, and Thou hast taught in our streets. But He shall fay, I tell you, Iknow you not whence you are, depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. S. Luke 13. 26. 27. Most dismal change! Now He invites, now He fays, Come, but then He will fay, Depart; if we come not to his Table with hearts to entertain Him, to fuffer Him to dwell in us, and to be the fole difpoter of all our Actions. God forbid that ever that terrible voice fhould found in our ears, This one word Depart, how confounding will it be? it must needs ftrike the ftouteft foul into eternal forrow.The fearcher of hearts knows

that