Book IV. 279

» ■ ■ "■ ' "* — ~^
OF THE
IMITATION
O F
Jefus Chrift.
Of the Lords Supper,
Chap. I.
The Reverence due to this Holy Sacramenf.
The Invitation.
COM
Mat. ii. 28.
C5ri/?.]" ^ ^OME unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refrefh you. ^^ The Bread that I will give, is myFlefh,- ^^;^„ ^j ^^^ ^^ which I will give for the Life of the ^^ World. Take, eat, this is my Body , ^^^ ^^ ^ " which is given for you ; This do in re- ^^ membrance of me. He that eateth my ^^j^^ ^j ^ *^ Flefii, and drinketh my Blood, dvvel-
[^ leth in Me, and I in Him. Thg Words 6^
T z " which
^8q flPf tf)t Sjmttatton Book w.
'' which I fpeak unto you^ they are Spirit, and they ^^ are Life.
.. Difciple^ Thefe, Blefled Jefas, are thy Words, on which my Soul fecurely refts it felf, becaufe my Sa- viour who is Eternal Truth, hath fpokenthem. Thefe the gracious and condefcending Invitations, which I find fcattered in Holy Scripture, as Occafions offer- ed for making them. Thefe therefore I will receive with holy Gratitude, with humble but entire Confi- dence y and grave them upon my Soul in deep and in- delible Characters. For tho* they be thine, as the Au- thor ^ yet do I claim a Property in them, and juflly call them Mine too, as a Perfon , for whofe Benefit and Salvation thou wert pleafed to utter them. Moft gladly therefore will I receive them at thy Mouth, that the Authority of the Divine Speaker may make the more EfFedual Impreffion. And ftupid I muft be beyond Imagination, if Encouragements fo fweet, fo kind, do not awaken, and very fenfibly afFed me. But, alas ! at the fame time, that thy Call inclines me to come, my own grievous Tranfgreflions fly in my Face , and the Terrors of a Guilty Confcience keep me away. Thy Goodnefs, I own, imps my Wings, and bids me boldly attempt the raifing my Soul to Heaven and Happinefs ^ but I feel the bitter Remem- brance of my Sins checking thofe Flights, laying me proftrate upon Earth, reproaching my better Hopes, and nobler Intentions, with Prefumption ; and ever weighing down my Mind, with the intolerable Bur- then of heinous numberlefs Offences , which render me unworthy the leaft of all thy Mercies.
In this Perplexity of Thought thou haft moft fea- fonably interpofed with thy reviving Comforts , haft made th.^t Faith andTruft a Virtue and a Duty, which I fliould have fhunned as a Crime, and, confcious of my own Vii^nefs, durft not have entertained. Thou bidft me raife my dejeded Looks, and diredmy Steps
to