Imatges de pàgina
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to deny to their firft Requests, for the Petitioners mighty advantage.

Should Mens earliest Expectations be answered, or prevented, the mighty Bleffing would be too exquifite for frail Nature to bear. And therefore holy Rapand exalted Virtue, are wifely made the flow Fruit of long Time, and much Patience. But, when thy Defires are not fulfilled, when thou receivefl no Increase, or when the Grace thou once enjoyed'ft is infenfibly withdrawn; charge not God foolishly, but lament thy fins, as the Occasion of this Unhappiness. A fmall Provocation may fometimes be a Bar to great Advantages. Tho'nothing indeed ought to be reputed fmall, which intercepts and hinders fo valuable Bleffings. But be it little or great, let it be thy care to vanquish and remove this Obftruction, and then thy Heart's Defire fhall be performed.

When once corrupt Self-love is fubdued, and thy Soul entirely fubmitted and refigned to God, Peace and Satisfaction will flow in apace upon thy Mind. For nothing can be grievous or unpalatable, to one, who hath renounced all Interefts of his own, and hath no Inclinations or Defires left, but only, that he may be made an Inftrument of God's Glory, and have all the Counsel of the Divine Will, which is always beft fulfilled in and upon him. This Man fo weaned from private Respects and all created Comforts, is in a proper Pofture for receiving Grace, and tafting the fpiritual Delights of Contemplation and Devotion. The Veffel must be empty, before Grace can be poured in ; and when it is perfectly fo, God delights to fill it up to the Brim. The more a Man is dead to the World and himfelf, the more heavenly-minded, the more mortified and humble: the fwifter are the Motions of heavenly Grace towards him, the more liberal are its Diftributions, the more fenfible, and delightful, and wonderful, its Comforts and Effects upon his Heart.

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Then fhall he fee the loving Kindness of the Lord, then shall he feel his Soul and all its Powers enlarged, and even ftand amazed at the happy Change. Lo! thus fhall the Man be bleffed that feareth, and feeketh the Lord with all his Strength, and fuffereth not his Heart to wander after Vanity. This Man fhall receive the Bleffed Sacrament with wondrous Efficacy, He fhall as truly be united to Chrift in his Soul, as the Bread and Wine, which reprefent him, are incorporated with the Subftance of his Body. And that which inclines God to be fo particularly Propitious and Bountiful to fuch a one, is that refigned Temper of Mind, which proposes the Advancement of God's Honour and Glory, rather than his own Profit; and comes, more out of a Senfe of Duty and juft Homage to his Saviour, than with a Profpect of Comfort and Satiffaction to himself.

CHAP.

XVI.

A Prayer for Relief in our Wants and Spiritual

Diftrelles.

Difciple. whom I now approach, with most hearty defires of receiving thee into my Soul. But how can I expect, that thou wilt not defpife a Place fo unfit to entertain thy pure, thy glorious Majefty? Thou knoweft, Lord, my Weakneffes and my Wants; how great my Sufferings, and how black my Sins; how I am oppreffed and afflicted, tempted and overpower'd; difordered with Paffion, and ftained with Pollution. To Thee I fly for Succour against my Infirmities, for Phyfick against my Difeafes, for Support under my Calamities and Diftreffes. I cannot diffemble my Condition,

'H' Ear me, O fweetest, kindeft Jefus,

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dition, I need not publish it; when addreffing to One who knows all things, to whom my very inward Parts are naked and open; To Him, who alone can give effectual Relief to my Sorrows, and fupply my crying Neceffities. Thy Wisdom knows what Succours are most seasonable and proper for my Circumftances, and how very flender and low my Stock of Virtue is.

Behold, I ftand before thee, a helpless Creature; Rev. iii. Miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked, and weak, imploring thy Grace, or at least fome Fragments of it, to this hungry ftarving Beggar. Olet me not be famished, but revive this finking Wretch with fome Crumbs of heavenly Suftenance. Let me not perifh with Cold, but warm me with thy Love; Let me not fall into the Pit, but enlighten my blind Eyes with the Shine of thy gracious Prefence. Give me a fettled Difrelish of worldly Pleasures, and make all here below infipid and bitter to me. Reconcile me to Croffes and Afflictions by Submiffion and fteady Patience; and leffen every thing in this World, whether Enjoyment or Suffering, by teaching me to defpife and forget it. Raife my ftupid Heart up to Heaven, and fettle my Affections there, that they may no longer wildly rove after the trifling Objects of Flesh and Seafe. Let me henceforth tafte Delight in ncthing but Thee, nor Spend my Money and Ifa. iv. Labour for that which is not Bread; for thou alone art Meat indeed, and Drink indeed, my Love and Joy, my Delight, and exceeding great Reward, my perfect and fole Good.

O that, now I am approaching the Throne of Grace, thou would'ft command thy Divine Fire to defcend from Heaven into my Soul! O that my Sins and corrupt Difpofitions might be the Burnt-offering confumed by it! that it might flame, and burn, and melt me down, purge away all my Drofs, and by the violence of its powerful Heat refine, and change, and

incorporate me with thy felf. Let me not, I befeech thee, be fent empty away, let me not return hungry and thirfty from fo fplendid an Entertainment; but work in me mightily, and deal bountifully with thy Servant, as thou useft to do unto those that love thy Name. I hope to find a wondrous Alteration, and cannot think it strange, if I feel my benummed Heart all fublimated, when I come to that Fire which ever burns without consuming; Or if I find an entire Separation of all my worldly and grofs Affections, when heated throughly with that Love, whofe Excellence it is, to purifie the Heart by the Activity, and to enlighten blind Understandings by the brightness of its Flame

Difciple.]

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Ook down, O Lord, with Favour and good Acceptance upon thy poor unworthy, but fincere Servant, now proftrating himself before thine Altar, with a moft devout Zeal, and all the paffionate and tender Refentment of which my Heart is capable: Wishing ftill, that thefe good Affections were greater and worthy of thee, and that I might meet and embrace my Lord, with all that Perfection of Holiness and eager Joy, by which thy best and deareft Saints recommended their Prayers and Praifes, and fo eminently fignalized themselves in the Celebration of this Bleffed Sacrament O God! my Love and Life, my only and eternal Blifs, Were but -my Power proportioned to my Will, None of those excellent Patterns ever exprefs'd more awful Reverence, more ardent Devotion, more cager Love, more

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humble Gratitude, than I at this time am difpofed, and moft carneftly wish to exprefs.

I know, O Lord, how far I am from being worthy to receive at thy Hand fuch plentiful Effufions of Grace, fuch diftinguishing Marks of thy Kindness, as enabled them to be fo pious and exemplary in all their Addreffes to thee: But yet my Heart, and all its Affections, fuch as they are, I dedicate to thy Service. The utmost a devout Mind can conceive or defire, I offer in thy Prefence with all poffible Refpect, with Sincerity as unfeigned, as if my Zeal were much more bright and fierce. I do it without the leaft Referve; All I have and am, is entirely thine; moft freely confecrated to thy ufe, my God and Lord, my Almighty Creator, and moft merciful Redeemer: Take then a full Poffeffion of One, upon fo many Accounts thy own. Enter, and dwell, and reign in me, absolute, and for ever. Behold, I open my Arms wide to embrace my Lord, and Spoufe; I defire at this time to receive thee into my Heart, with the fame Reverence and Humility, the fame refpectful Gratitude and Love, the fame Faith and Hope, and chafte Defire, with which thy holy Mother received thee into her Virgin-womb; when the returned that pious Answer to the Angel who brought the glad Tidings of thy myfterious Incarnation, Behold the Handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy Word.

Luke i.

Luke i.

And, as thy Servant John Baptift, that greateft among them that are born of Women, thy Meffenger fent to prepare thy Way before thee, felt the powerful Influence of the Divine Prefence, and confefs'd it, by leaping in his Mother's Womb for Joy; As He, afcribing nothing to himself,

did afterwards declare himself the BrideJohn iii. groom's Friend, whofe Foy was full in bearing the Bridegroom's Voice; So do I defire to offer my felf with

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