Book IV. OfjBSUSCHRIST. 295-

into a poor Soul, and fill the hungry Wretch with all his Fatnefs ? Happy that Breaft, which is thus ho- noured, and unfpeakable the Joy with which ic over- flows I How glorious a iMafter^how agreeable a Gueft, how pleafant a Companion, how faithful a Friend, how beautiful, how honourable^how charming aHuf- band does it entertain and embrace? Let Fleaven and Earth, and all their boafied Excellencies keep filence before him; for if I have my Jefus, I have All. For I have him from whom all other things derive their Excellence ; And Their borrowed precarious Perfe- c5tions can minifter no Joy, can make no Happinefs, without this great Original. They in themfelvcs are nothing, they are but what he made them ; and He alone is more, incomparably more and better, than all that ever was, or could be made.
Chap. IV.
The Pleafures of Devout Communion,
Di/c//>/^.]T)Revent me, Imofl humbly befeech thee, Xr ^y Lord and my God, with the Blef- fings and Graces of thy Holy Spirit ; that thy Servant may tafte thy Sweetnefs, and approach this precious Feaft,with fuch Reverence and Zeal, and fervent De- votion, as thou wilt be pleafed to accept. O viht me with thy Salvation , and awaken me from Spiritual Sloth and Slumber ^ that I now may vigorouHy apply my felf to draw and drink the living Water contain'd in this Fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleannefs. Enlighten the Eyes of my Mind, that I may fee the wondrous things of this thy Inititution ; and llreng- then my Faith, that I may firm.ly and without fcruple believe and exped thofe Operations, which my Rea-
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fon is not able to account for. And why indeed fhould I make any difficulty to believe what I cannot com- prehend and trace the dark Footfteps of, v/hen I re- member, that it is not the Ad: of finite feeble Man, but the Work of an Almighty God ; not an invention or Proic(5l of Human Reafon, but the Inftitution and Pfomife of Him. who worketh all things according to the wife and wonaerful Counfelof his own unbounded Will ? To fathom chefe Depths to the bottom were an Attempt impradicable, even to the refined Under- Handing of an Angel ; Well then may poor fhort- lighted Man turn giddy 'at the fight of this Abyfs, and confefs the Well too deep, and the Cordage toofhort. Such and no better is the Condition cf the moft ex- alted Saints ; and what can I, the feebleft even of Men, vile fmful Duft and Afhes^ hope to difcover by my moft induftrious Search into thefe heavenly My- fteries ?
Inftead therefore of nice Rcafoning and unprofi- table Difputes, I will approach with finglenefs of Heart, with firm and holy Hope, with an undoubting Faith, and profound Reverence ,* And, whatever the Vanity of Worldly Wifdom may fuggeft to the con- trary, will not queftion, but thou art prefent in the Sacrament, though I cannot fatisfy the captious En- quirers after the particular manner of that Prefence. Thy Human and Divine Nature are infeparable • thus much I know, and no more but this; that thou art fo prefent as Cod, as not to contradict thy being Man, 'Tis upon this account, that thou art pleafed to com- mand my receiving thee, and haft engaged to make me One with thy felf, by the ftrideftUnionof a ho- ly Love. Shed therefore, I pray thee, thy fpeciai Grace into my Heart, that I may diffolve in this holy Fire, and become entirely thine. Purge off my Drofs, and let me no more endure the Allay of any bafer Mix- tures. For this Sacrament is the pureft, the nobleft
Refi-