Book IV. OfjESusCHRTsT. 33 r

Then fliall -he fee the loving Kindnefs of the Lord, then fliall he feel his Soul and all its Powers enlaigcd, and even fland amazed at the happy Change. Lo / Thus fhall the Man be bleffed that feareth, and feek- cth the Lord with all his Strength^ and fuffercth not his Heart to wander afterVanity. This A4an fiiall re- ceive the Bleffed Sacrament with wondrous Efficacy. He fhall as truly be united to Chrifl: in his Soul,asthe Bread and Wine^ which reprefent him^ are incorpo- rated with the Subftanceof hisBody. And that^which inclines God to be fo particularly Propitious and Bountiful to fuch a one, is that religned Temper of Alind, which propofes the Advancement of God s Honour and Glory, rather than his own Profit • and comes^more out of aS^nfe of Dutyandjuflllomage to his Saviour^ than with a Profped Of Comfort and Sa- tisfadipn to himfelf
CHAP. XVI.
A Prayer for Relief in our Wants and Spiritual Dijlrejjh.
Dlfciple.'] TTE^^ n^e.O fweeteft kindeft Jerus,whcm 171 I now approach, with moit 'hearty defires of receiving thee into my Soul. But how can 1 exped, that thou wilt not defpife a Place fb unfit to entertain thy pure, thy glorious Majefly ^ Thou knowefl, Lord, my Weakneflcs and my Wants • how great my Sufferings, and how black mi'y Sins • how f amopprefTed and afiiided, tempted and overpower'd,- difordered with PafTion, and ffained with Pollution. ToThee I fly for Succour againftniy Lifirmities, for Phyfick againitmy Difeafes, for ^Support under my Calamities andDiftrefTes. I cannot diflemblcmvCon-
Y 4 dition.
332- €)f tlje gimitatton Book iv^
dition, I need not publifli it ; when addrefpng to One who knows all Things, to whom my very inward Parts are naked and open^ To Him^ who alone can give ef^ fedcal Relief to my Sorrows^ and fapply my crying Neceffiries. Thy Wifdom knows, what Succours are moftfeaibnable c.nd proper for myCircumftances^ and how very (lender and low my Stock of Virtue is.
Beholdj I ftand before thee^ a helplefs Creature ; Miferahle^ and poor y and blind ^ and naked ^ Rev. 111. ^.^^/ 5^^^j^^ imploring thy Grace^ or at
leaf!" fome Fragments of it, to this hungry ftarving "Beggar. O let me notbefamifh'd, but revive thisfink- iiig '//fetch with feme Crumbs of heavenly Suftenance. h^t me not perilh 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 Difrelifh of Worldly* Pleafures, and make all here below infipid and bitter to me. Recon- cile me to Croffcs and AfHidions by Submiffion and fteady Patience; and leffen every thing in this World, v^hether Enjoyment or Suffering, by teaching me to defpife and forget ir. Raife my Itupid Heart up to Heaven, and fettle myAfFedions there, that they may no longer wildly rove after the trifling Objeds of Flefli andSenfe. Let me henceforth tafle delight in nothing but Thee, nov jpend my Money and Labour ifa. IV. y^^, ^^^^ -which is not Bread 'y 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 •ferace, thou would fl; command thy Divine Fire to defcend from Heaven into my Soul I O that my Sins and corrupt DifpofitfcxHs might be the Burnt-offering confumed by it! that it might flame, and burn, and mek me down, purge away all my Drofs, and, by the violence of its powerful Eleat^ refine^ and change, and
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