Book IV. of J E S U S C H R I s T. 2.83

of Sinners and Meanelt of Men ? How fimll I pretend to invite thee my God into my Houfe, who am fo far from fpending a number of Years or Days , that I can very hardly afford one poor Half hour,. Nay, would to God that wretched Remnant of one poor Half hour were but employed, as attentively, as de- voutly as it ought to be, to provide thee a clear and acceptable Apartment in this homely Cottage of my Heart. How eager, O my God, how perfevering was the Zeal of thofe Ancient Worthies ? how cold, how fhort is mine, when J fet my felf to prepare for meet- ing and receiving thee ? My Thoughts, alas! are very rarely confiftent, but thoufand Wandrings and imper- tinent Diftracftions intrude upon me ,• and hardly can I colled the Powers of my Soul into fo compofed a frame, as becomes our more immediate Addreffes to Thee. lam not unmindful of thy Prefence, then more peculiar than at other times ; I refleil upon the Inde- cency and Sin of fuffering my Heart to divide it felf; I know, that when an Honour fo great is intended me, as that of Receiving the Lord of Men and An- gels, it ought to enlarge and devote its whole Capa- city to thee ; and yet I cannot fix and fill it with this one Objed ; but, in defpight of all my Endeavours, and Self-reproaches, Frailty will prevail.
Nay, the fame Care and Reverence were much too little, where the Dignity of the Thing is fo much greater. For what Comp:4rifon can there be, between an Ark with its Ceremonial Symbols, and theMyflical Body of my Blelfed Saviour, with all the wondrous EfFeftsof his Paffion ^ Hovs^ poor and defpicable were thofe Legal Sacrifices, whofe greateft Excellence and Commendation vv^as, that fhey typified and foretold That One only perfed aad fufiicient Sacrifice upon the Crofs, which in this Sacrament we at once conime- morate, and apply the Virtue of to our felves? li then the Patriarchs and Prophets heretofore expreft
X 4 their
284 €>i ttft imitation Book iv>
their Zeal and Devotion, by all the Marks of Reve- rence and profound Refpe^l:, to thofe Figures of theDi- vine Prefence, and Shadows ofGood Things to come; fhall I be negligent in my Preparations to meet my God himfclfj Shall I not indeed, as much exceed their great Solicitude and pious Affe(3:ion,which Kings and Peafants, Rich and Poor,univerfally exprefs'd ; as the fpiritual Participation of my Lord's Body and Blood, and the moit precious Pledges of his Love and my Salvation, excel the Carnal Difpenfation of a figura- tive Tabernacle, and the very diftant and dark Signifi- cations of future Bleflings ? They adored the Repre- fentation ; and (hall I difregard the Subftance,theEnd, thePerfedionof all theLevitical Inftitution, the Sum ofall God's Mercies, and Man's Hope's ? If even David thought it no Difparagement to his Royal Charader, to lay out his Time, his Study, his Strength, in the Ser- vice of the Tabernacle ; to compofe Pfalms for the Wor- fliip of God, to firing his own Harp, and himfelf join and prefide in the Confort ; Nay, even to dance be- fore the Ark, when brought up to its Place, and by his own Example teach his Subjeds to exert their ut^ mod Alight, and employ every Faculty of Body. and Soul, in expreffing their Zeal and Joy : What holy GLidnefs then is due, what enfiamed Devotion, to Him, whom David^n Spirit called Lord ? What Songs of Praife and Thanks fliculd adorn that Solemn Feaft, where Chrift exhibits to us the heavenly Manna, the Food of Souls ? How fhculd we labour to omit noTe- Itimony of our Reverence, no fign cf a hearty Wel- come.and an humble Senfe of the unfpeakable honour this King of Heaven does us, vvhen he vouchfafes to come home, and dwell in our Hearts ; and, by the confecrated Elemencs, verily and indeed to give and unite himfelf to every Faithful Soul ?
See with what eager 2^eal vain Men make long Pilgrimages^ and fly to the remotelt Comers of the
Worlds
BooklV. of J fi s u $ Christ. 2.8^
World, only to gain a fight of the Boafted Reliques of fome celebrated Saint ,• to be entertained with long Accounts of Miracles, to kifs a Silken Rag, or pro- ftrate themfelves before a Bone fet in Gold ! But alas ! were all the Legends thefe fond Men give credit to, moft true , yet what is here that can deferve their mighty Pains, or tedious Journeys ? What Shrine can pretend to fandify, or command Veneration, in any degree comparable to that faving and myftical Pre- fence of God himfelf upon the Altar ? The poor ef- fects of fuch miftaken Zeal are but too manifelt. Men generally go for Curiolity and Diverfion, not for the Improvement of their Minds ; and they return accord- ingly. Better in no refped, except in having ken a thing much talk'd of, which they had never feen before. 'Tis to be hoped, but few are fo blind, fo v/retchedjy deluded, to imagine, that fuch Penances and Painful Travels can do them fervice, without true Contriti- on, and ferious Reformation of Life. And where thefe are, much more fubftantial Advantages may be had a great deal nearer home. For lo .' the King of Saints invites us, He gives the lure and blelTed Fruits cf Righ- teoufnefs and Salvation to all who worthily receive him : An Invitation, in compliance with which^ Le- vity and Senfuality, a Roving Head, or a Gadding Humour have no part,- but all is done by the wile and well' weighed Grace of a fledfaft Faith, the com^ fortable AfTurances of a Devout Hope , and the Af- fedionate Zeal of a Sincere and Holy Love.
Oh, mighty Maker of the World i whom, though we plainly fee in all thy Works of Wonder, yet Thou thy felf remained invillble • howaftonifhingare thy Difpenfations to the Sons of Men ^ How fweet, how comfortable, how full of Efficacy, yet ftill how unaccountable toSenfe and Reafon, are the Methods, by which thou arc pleafed to communicate thy felf to rhe Faithful in this Bleffed Sacrament ^ Here thy
2.86 Of ttit imitation Book IV.
chr.fen and worthy Servants partake of that heavenly Food^ which nourifhes their Souls to Life immortal j while Reprobates and bold Intruders take empty Ele- ments, void of Spiritual Subilance and Saving Power. This is a Myi^ery above our Comprehenfion. This Hndles in us holy Zeal^ and engages our devouteft Af- fedions. And by receiving Creatures^ in themfelves of mean and common Efficacy, we find our Weakneffes Itrengthned, our Decays recruited, and our Love of Thee and Virtue ilrangely heightned and confirmed. Who can exprefs, who can conceive, that hidden, that amazing DiiHndionmadeinthis Holy Supper ,• whofe Graces and good Efft^s are fo liberally diltributed to the Faithful; and yet Unbelievers and Impenitent Men have no Portion, no Experience at all of them? ^Vho can difcover thofe myftical Methods,, by which Spiritual Grace is conveyed with Bodily Suftenance.'* How Bread and Wine fhould be made Inftruments of flrengthning theSoiil ; of purging away the Blemiflies and Reproaches of Nature ,* healing her Deformities and Difeafes ; taking out the Stains of Sin and vici- ous Habits, contraded by converfmg with a naughty World ; fubduing furious Paffions ; re6lifying and moderating irregular Defires; and invigorating both the Body and Mind of feeble Sinners at once.
Such is the new Life , and Health, and fprightly Vigour, which good and godly Men experimentally find upon thefe Occallons. And who then can fuffi- ciently lament the general Lukewarmnefs , the cold Negled, the fenflefs Stupidity of Mankind upon this Occafion ? How regardlefs are They of Chrift ? How hardly prevailed upon to accept their own Mercy, their Sandification, their Redem.ption, in the Ways prefcribed by himfelf for imparting thefe glorious Advantages ? How rudely do thf.y turn their Backs upon that Feafl:, which createsjoy in Heaven, and pre- ferves Earth and its Inhabitants from Mifery and Ruin ?
Oh !