the Reception of fo pure, fo glorious a Majefty. I will therefore most humbly confefs my own Vilenefs, and thy unfpeakable Goodnefs; I will moft thankfully praife, 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 Goodnefs, 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 Sinfulness may not render me odious in thy fight, nor fruftrate thefe ineftimable Mercies to me.

O fweetest, kindest Saviour, What humble Reverence, what devout Thankfulnefs can be great enough? What Praife 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 worthily 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 Soul and all its Faculties, thirst and pant most impatiently after Thee and thy Righteoufnefs. When Thou art the Subject of my Meditations, the Matter is too vast for regular Thought; the Idea too dazzling bright for a finite Understanding; and I quickly feel my felf loft in Wonder and Astonishment. I will therefore turn my Eyes inward, and entertain my felf with the lefs pleafing indeed, but no lefs profitable, Prospect

of

of my own Unworthiness; Laying my Soul low before thee, and from the Senfe, how little, how mere a nothing, how much worse than nothing I am, will take the Measure of thy Greatnefs, and form Idea's of thy infinite Goodness. I praise thee, O my God, from the bottom of my Heart; and extol thy Name for evermore. I defpife and deteft my felf; and with the deepest Humility put my Soul into thy Hands, that thy Favour and Grace may exalt me, and make this defpicable Wretch fomething, who, without thy Mercy, is less than nothing.

O the wide Extremes! O the unmeasurable Distance! between God, the Effence and Perfection of Holinefs, and Man, the very Abftract of Filth and Sin! Yet does this God extend Compaffion, and look down with Pity on those who are not worthy fo much as to lift up their Eyes to Him. Yet does he come to Us, delight to be with Us, promife to dwell with Us; call, and intreat, and importune Us, to sit and eat delicioufly with him. He invites the Naked

and Hungry, the Beggars and Vagabonds, Pfal.lxxviii. to his own Table; feeds them with Angels Food, Feafts them with the Bread of HeaJohn vi. ven, even that living Bread which came down from Heaven, on purpose to give Life

unto the World.

Oh! Whence could all this mighty Love proceed; What Account can be given of fuch wonderful Condefcenfion, fuch tender Regards, to loft unworthy Creatures? What Thanks, what Praise, what humble Adoration do those fo highly obliged, fo particularly favoured Creatures owe in return for them? How Wife, how Saving, was thy Defign in the first Inftitution of this Holy Supper? How rich, how delightful a Banquet haft thou prepared for thy Guests, by ordering thy own Body and Blood for the myftical Entertainment of the Faithful? How aftonishing

are

are the Operations of thy Grace and Power! How incomprehenfible the Methods of fulfilling thy moft true Promife! Thou fpakeft the Word in the Beginning, and all things were created; and, by the fame Almighty Word, thou commandeft Bread and Wine, and they nourish Souls to Life Eternal.

This is indeed a Subject, contrived for the Exercife, not fo much of our Reason as of our Faith. We are not able to account for the mighty Efficacy of Elements, in their own Nature Contemptible and Weak. We know not how that God, whom the whole Heavens cannot contain, fhould dwell in the Hearts of Men: But this we know, that thou haft promifed, by and with this Sacrament, to enter into, and abide in, all worthy Receivers; and thy Truth is fufficient to filence and vanquish all thofe imaginary Difficulties, which Cavilling and Curious Men form to themselves about it. Come then, and enter, and live, and Reign in me for ever; cleanfe and adorn with thy Grace the Place of thy peculiar Refidence; Preferve my Heart and Body free from all Impurity, and remove far away whatever may be offenfive to thy holy Eyes; let this Veffel of mine be conftantly poffeffed in SanEtification and Honour; that, with a peaceful and fpotlefs Conscience, I may frequently approach, and eagerly receive these adorable Myfteries, which thou haft appointed, for the Comfort and Salvation of thofe, whom the King of Heaven delights to Honour; and for devout and lively Commemorations of thy own most bitter, but most meritorious and precious Death.

And Thou, my Soul, rejoice and be exceeding glad for fo noble a Favour, fo heavenly a Refreshment, fa rich a Confolation, to fupport and sweeten thy Paf fage through this Vale of Tears and Mifery. For, every time thou attendeft these holy Myfteries, thou doft fpiritully eat the Flesh of Chrift,and drink bis Blood;

thou

thou dost act as it were over again the Work of thy Redemption, and with great Effect partake of thy Sas viour's Merit and Sufferings. For his Love continues always the fame, and the Excellence and Worth of his Propitiation is an inexhaustible Spring of Mercy. Come therefore hither with new exalted Zeal, enlarge thy Heart and its Defires, and doubt not, but thou fhalt, at every Approach, return with fresh and plentiful Acceffions of Grace. Let not the Frequency abate thy Devotion; for this Favour fhould always feem great, this Feaft always honourable, and the Delights of it always new. And, by the Force of Pious Meditation, the Mystery will affect thy wondring Mind at every Repetition, as if the Son of God were juft that Moment born from the Womb of his Immaculate Mother; as if thy Suffering Redeemer were in that Inftant labouring under all his Agonies; and thy own Eyes beheld him hanging, and bleeding, and dying, on the Cross,

CHA P. III.

The Benefit of Communicating often.

Difciple.]

·Behold, I come to thee, O Lord, defirous

to partake of thy Promife, to be enriched with thy Gifts, and feafted with that Heavenly Banquet, which thy Compaffion hath prepared for hungry and drooping Souls. I know, O Lord, in Thee is all I need, all I can defire; my Health and Safety, my Hope and Strength, my Honour and Glory. Quicken therefore and Cherish the Soul of thy Servant, for unto Thee, O bleffed Jefus, do I lift up my Soul. It is my earnest longing to receive thee with a becoming Reverence and Devotion. The height of

my

Houfe

;

my Ambition is to bring thee Home to my and, with Zacheus of old, to be bleffed, and reckoned by thee among the true Spiritual Sons of Abraham. My Soul defires to be fed and ftrengthened by thy Body, and my Heart to be entirely knit, infeparably

united to Thee.

Give me but thy felf, and whatever else thou withholdeft, I am fatisfied. For all Things befides are miferable Comforters, and rather aggravate than abate my Wretchedness. Without thy Confolations I am not able to fubfift: And therefore I feel an abfolute neceffity of coming to thee often for fresh Supplies of Grace and Strength. My Spirits languifh and fink, and, if I faft too long, I perifh for want of feafonable Recruits from this heavenly Suftenance. Thy Bowels heretofore yearned over the Multitudes, who came from far to hear thy Saving Doctrine, and to be healed of their Bodily Diftempers. Thou would'ft not fend them away empty, but wer't pleafed to feede them by a Miracle, left they fhould faint Mat. xv. by the way. Extend the fame Compaffion towards Me, and let this Sacrament fuftain my fainting Soul, in this Wildernefs, barren and remote from any true Comfort. For thou art the fweet, the reviving Food of finking and weary Spirits; and they, who worthily partake of this Repaft, are nourished unto Life Eternal. I am fadly fenfible of my Infirmities, and frequent Relapfes into Sin, and how urgent my Occafions are for thefe repeated Refreshments. I quickly cool after my warmeft Refolutions; my Purposes of Goodness ficken and languifh apace; and thefe Decays muft end in Spiritual Death, did not my Prayers, my Self-examinations, my Confeffions and Holy Sorrows, preparatory to this holy Feaft, often return: Did not this Divine Suftenance cleanfe and renew my Affections; confirm my Purposes of doing well, excite and inflame my Zeal and Love for God and Good Works. U

Ob