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§. 2. A Meditation for the Communion on Christmas da and seven Days before, in Memory of Christ's Incarnation.

WELCOME thrice blessed Day! the defire of all Nations whose distant glories made the Father of the faithful to rejoyce; and whose approaches fill'd the World with wonder and expectation: thou wast Usher'd in with Angelick Hymns, and celebrated ever since with Anthems of Praise because thou didst bring forth Joy, and a Redeemer to Mankind. Happy am I, that I shall have a Sacrifice of Thanks giving in my hand, to express the delight which my heart doth feel. The holy Table is the Altar upon which I shall offer my acknowledgments for all Mercies, and oh how many, how great are those which this day brings to my remembrance! so infinite they cannot be expreff'd, and yet so excellent they must not be forgotten. This day has reconciled Heaven and Earth, and made contradictions friends, to find a way to help us; as if nothing might dilagree when Man was at Peace with God. O my foul, fummon all thy powers to admire and worship: for all is. Miracle, and the height of Wonder; Eternity begins to be; the Maker of all is made Himself; an infinite Majesty is shrunk into the dimensions of a span; the Word is made Flesh; and God becomes Man, yet remains God still; Here is a Mother who knew no Man; a Son that had no Father on Earth; a Child of Adam untainted with the Contagion that infects all his Posterity; an Infant honored with a new and glorious Star, adored by Kings, worshipped by Angels, yet born in the condition of the meanest fottune. All hail sweetest Savior, how lovely is thy condescention, how honorable thy abasement? Thou haft more splendor in the rags of thy Humility, than all the Grandeurs of this World could give Thee; Thou art more a King because Thou wouldst be like a flave for our fakes; and conquereft more hearts by thy stupendious Love, and unparellel'd Self denial: O how shall I celebrate this great Solemnity? Wherewithal shall I set forth my gratitude for this most aufpicious Day? I will receive the Cup of Salvation, and with Faith and ravishments of Delight feast upon that precious Body and Bloud which Jesus did this Day assume for me. It is not enough, dearest Lord, that Thou waft born for me, unless Thou art also born again in me, and (as it were) become incarnate in my heart. In thy

Birth Thou wast made one with us, Thou didst put on flesh, and wast a partaker of our humanity. And Thou haft appointed this holy Sacrament that Imight be one with Thee, be replenish'd with thy Spirit, and a partaker of thy Divine Nature. Nor is it any incongruity if I Remember thy Paffion, and praise Thee for thy Incarnation at once; for as foon as Thou wast born Thou didst begin to dy, and the life which was here begun (compared to that glorious Life which Thou didst leave) was it self a very Death; but therefore Thou wast born, that Thou mightest be capable to fuffer that death for us, which thy Divinity could not feel; and thy Nativity was the first Scene of thy Paffion; for it introduced thy Death, and that effected our Salvation; fo that I will remember both together: For in both Thou haft most admirably humbled thy felf to the depth of mifery; and yet I doubt not but Thou wouldst have stooped lower, if it had been either necessary or poffible: But there needs moretestimonies of thy Love. Bleffed Jefus! I am already overwhelmed with these, which are so strange and undeserv'd, so sweet and ravishing, that my Soul could not contain if it did not vent it felf in thy Praises. Therefore with Angels and Archangels,and with all the company of heaven. Ilaud and magnifie thy glorious Name, evermore praising Thee, and saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to Thee. O Lord most High. Amen,

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§. 3. On Easter-day, and seven daies before, in Memory of our Savior's Refurection. Note; If 1 shall not receive the Sacrament on Afcenfion day, nor Sunday, I add that following Meditation to this.

O My Soul, adorn thy self with the Garments of gladness, prepare thy most triumphant Hymns to go forth and meet this great returning Conqueror. Thou didst rejoyce when He was pleaf'd to undertake the Combat, and didst celebrate his entrance into the lifts with praises; how then will it ravish thee to behold Him come off with fuccefs and honor? His warfareis now accomplish'd, and He has pafi'd thro' the scorn and cruelty of Men, the malice and rage of devils, and the just but severe anger of God, yea the shadow of Death, and the Regions of Eternal horror'; and after all this thy Surety is fet at liberty, for He has paid all thy Debts, and cancell'd all those dismal Bonds, by which thou wast forfeited to eternal Ruine: Thy Cham pion is Victorious, aud as the Trophies of his Conquest He has the Keys of Death and Hell, and leads them bo in Triumph vanquished and disarm'd: Blessed is be that commeth in the Name of the Lord: S. Mat. 21. 9. I receive Thee, dearest Savior, as born to us a second time, and this shall be thy Birth-day also, the Nativity (tho' not of our Emperor, yet) of thy Empire, thy Restauration to a state of Immortality. Thy former Birth did show Thee to be the Sen of Man, but this declares Thee to be the Son of God, and now we know that our Redeemer liveth. He that loved us so infinitely as to dy for us, does now ever live to intercede on our behalf; He that expreff'd fuch kindness to us in his Paffion, has fo fully demonstrated his own power in his Refurrection, that we are fure He is as able as willing to deliver us: Let the Heavensrejoyce, and let the Earth be glad; Ps. 96, 11. for this is the Day that the Lord hath made, Ps. 118.24. a day to be had in everlasting Remembrance, a Timedestined to Jubilee and Rejoycing: Behold how Nature is raifing it felf from the grave of Winter, and feems annually to celebrate the memory of her Lord's Refurrection in her green and freshattire: A feafon chosen by God for Festival, Three thousand years ago; and observ'd ever fince by Jews, or Christians, or both, with the greatest folemnity. See how those blinded Jews rejoyce over their Pafchal Lamb (in the midst of all their Calamities) for the deliverance of their fathers. But we have a Nobler Pafsover for agreater Deliverance; Christ our Paffover is facrificed for us; therefore let us keep the Feast, and that upon the precious Body and Bloud of the Lamb of God who was flain, but is alive again, and behold He lives for evermore. Wherefore I will go to thy Altar with Joy, and tell out thy works with gladness, O most mighty Savior, Who haft not only died for my fins, but risen again for my Justification: And indeed what comfort could I have found in this memorial of thy Death, if it had not been for thy Refurrection? this Sacrament would have only remembred thy Sufferings, and renew'd my Sorrow to think that So excellent a Person had perish'd in th' attempt of my de liverance; but now 'tis become a Feast of Joy, because it 'is an affurance of thy Refurrection, as well as a commemoration of thy Paffion: And finee Thou livest, sweetest

Jesus, we live also; thy Resurrection raiseth our hearts from fad despair; it gives a new Life to our hopes; it makes our forrows light; our labors easy; our lives chearful; and our death advantage, because it hath lost its sting, and is become the gate into Immortality: we can charm all our fears and troubles with this one word. The Lordis risen y, ea, the Lord is risen indeed: S. Luk. 24. 34. for Thou hast washed us from our fins in thy own Bloud, and made us Kings and Priests to God Rev. 1. 5. 6. to offer up at thy Altar never ceafing Praifes. Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all &c as in §. 2.

§ 4. On Afcenfion-day or Sunday and 7 daies before. NB. If I receive not the communion this day, fuse this at Eafter.

I fee, O Merciful Jefus, Thou art content for our fakes to ftay here upon Earth, when Heaven longs for thy Return; Thou hast these Forty daies denied thy self the full fruition of thy Glories, to dispel the forrow, and confirm the Faith of thy Disciples, and yet at last their tears and imbraces show how loth they are to part with Thee: But behold the day of thy Triumph is come, and the holy Myriads are fent to wait upon Thee, the Heavenly Singers that go before, Cry, Open your selves ye everlasting doors. that the King of Glory may come in; to whom the Angels which come out to meet Thee, answer with extafies of amazement, Who is this King of Glory? and all the Chorus that follow after reply, Even the LORD of Hosts, He is the King of Glory; Pf. 24. and thus with Hymns and joyful acclamations, is Jefus welcomed to his ancient and moft glorious Throne: And now, O my foul, why standest thou gazing into Heaven? He is too high to be discerned, too bright to be seen with mortal Eyes, fince Cherubins are dazled at his splendor. He is gone to his proper place, and afcended thither whither thy defires carry Thee, and where e're long thou shalt see Him face to face. Thou staudest, like Elisha, looking after Him, and lamenting thy Master's departure, but He has left his Mantle behind Him, even the Mysteries of this holy Sacrament, which to thy Faith is the flesh which He was clothed wirhal, and is design'd to convey a double portion of his Spirit unto thee; so that it appears He has left his Love with us when his Person Was taken from us. Away then with these fighs and tears, lament no longer th' abfence of thy Lord, for He is in this blessed Feast; He is here in his comforts and Graces, here

in his Merits and his Love, and his Spirit can minifter the fame Benefits hereby, which his personal prefence would have given Thee. Go then with all poffible speed, and talte of this Heavenly Provision, delight in it above all the sweetnesses in the World, because it contains so many pledges and Emblems of thy glorions Redeemer's Love, when thou beholdest Him that is thy Head so advanced, make haste to unite thy felf nearer to Him by partaking of his Body and Bloud, that thou mayst finally Reign with Him. In the mean time raise up thy thoughts above this lower World, declare thy define to be with Jefus, send thy heart before, and proteft, it He had not left thee fome little tastes of his sweetness in the repast of this holy Table by the way, thou couldst not have indured so long without Him: There is nothing that He loves comparable with his Throne in Heaven, unless it be an humble and thankful heart, into which I am about to reecive Him, and las the Celestial quire welcomed Him thither, fo will I receive Him with joy into my poor foul. Therefore with Angels and Archangels, &c as in §. 2.

§. 5. On Whitsunday, and fix daies before, for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

I will go to thine Altar, O Lord, with a new Sacrifice of praise, because Thou hast given me a fresh instance of thy Love this day; Thou art flow to punish thy Enemies, bat speedy to Comfort thy servauts! For no fooner was thy Mifery changed into Glory, but we received the greatest demonftration of thy affection; no fooner didft Thou put on thy Crown in Heaven, but the Earth felt the bounty of thy Difpenfations: for it was not poffible for Thee, sweetest Jesus! to let thy promise remain long unperform'd, or the fad expectations of thy Difciples un fatisfied: Being affembled therefore this Day with one heart in one place, they are Suddenly surpriz'd with wonder, and inspired with a heavenly Power, such as they had never felt before; vigorous as a mighty wind, chearing as the morning light, inflaming their hearts with zeal, and filling their mouths with Anthems indited in the Languages of all the World: wonderful Change! their Ignorance is turn'd into Learning, their Mistakes into Infallibility. their Fear into Courage; their Weakness into Strength, their for row into Joy, and they in a moment made able

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