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/2j0lD g. <^^

, * • I

I

^<l

V.

\

1 i

I

f^

^ THF.

RETIRED CHRISTIAN

\

y EXERCISED IN

\

\

DIVINE THOUHTS

AND

HEAVENLY MEDITATIONS-
By THOMAS KEN, D.D.

BISHOP OF BATH AND WILLS.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR HAMILTON, ADAMS AND CQ.
33, PATERNOSTER ROW.

MDCCCXXXI.

\
\

A. K. BINNf, PKlNTIBi CHIAT ITIilKT, BATH.

CONTENTS.

ThB CONTEMPIiATION,

Of Solitude 1

Of our Saviour's love to us 19

Of the Joys of Heaven 3$

Of the Contempt of the World 6]

Of the holy Eucharist 9

Of the 8u£ferings of Hell 11

-' «««r^nrinfir Strictly

tit:

'^^^e^)

^//^

fr»«v °: '■"■■

Vv

th,

> C;>

C^ Of

OF SOLITUDE.

iiiig sent Iiither, which was nottht^^.
igerly to look after the comfor^-^
id enjoyments of the world, and
t up my rest and habitation here,
it to fit myself for a life of glory,
id to prepare for the eternal enjoy-
cnt of my God.

When I take a serious view of my
'e past, I cannot but wish (instead
luxury and vain delights) it had
'.en all laid out in the sincere prac-
:e of piety and devotion. How-
'cr 9 since 1 have been hitherto care-
ss in the duties of religion , and too
lamefuUy negligent of that happi-
iss above for which I was originally
isignedy I will now, before it be too
te, endeavour, if possible, to ratrieve
e )oBB, and try if I can bid adieu to
se 5ei79ual pleasures andwoAiSX^

OF HOMTtlDG. li

triRes, wliicli of themscWes ifill very
shortly bid adieu lo me.

Retire therefore, O my souU from
the busy world, and employ thyiHilf
^QDt that for wliich tliou vrert crr-
mted, viz., the coiitem plat ion of thy
God. I will haBten to my closet, or
yonder solitary walk, and there, se-
questered from the vexatious world, I
wilt not suffer a single thought of it
to approocii me, unless by way of
pity and contemjit. The world and
I are fallen out, and parted; and mc-
tbinks this solitary place becomes a
iHtnished man, whose company is in
no wise suitable to the greatest part
of mankind, and such whose bamoxr
and gaiety agree not with tiie de^th
of meditation, and tbe mnX&'os^f^'^
prospect ot another voiVA.

OF SOLITUDE.

low delightful is it, O my soul
thee to enjoy this sweet comniL?-
n with thy God, and thus to dwell
»n divine objects ! I am here safe

at rest in this dear place of quiet,

earnestly pity all the men of
iness and hurry, whose heads are

of perplexing contrivances, to
cure a little happiness in a world
ire there is no such thing.
) ye kings and emperors ! did ye
conceive the spiritual sweetness
his devout privacy, and theravish-
delights of these serene hours of
templation, you would quickly
aside your troublesome greatness,

exchange your grandeur for the
D delights of this retired silence ;

jDHtead of an ambitious pursuit
'£r/orf hertf and the eiAvrgttat^x

OF SOLITUDE. 5

of your crowns 9 you would choose to
meditate on the greatness of a hea>
venly kingdom, and the glories of an
immortal crown.

How pleasant, O God 1 is this re-
tirement, where thou vouchsafest thy
presence to crown the delight, and
reward my banishment from the
world ! Farewell, then, ye nauseous
and deceitful pleasures ; farewell, ye
riches, and all your alluring tri6es,
ye shall no longer hold me, for I will
break the chains of my slavery, and
fly to my Redeemer, whose invita-
tions I can no longer resist, and
whose embracing arms are spread
wide open to receive me. O blessed
freedom I O charming solitude ! I
will grasp you, I wiW \vo\Sl^wjl\^sX>
tbe deUghtB of Bilence wi^ x^x«."«^\ ^

ji

6 OF 80LITUDB.

will no more leave this my Caiiiuiti
for the flesh-pots of Egypt : I am
DOW happily escaped from three cruel
task-masters, the world, the devil,
and the flesh ; and shall I return and
he a slave again ? Didst thou ever,
() my soul ! find that calmness in the
midst of husiness and hurry ; that
freedom in quarrels and vexation ;
that complacency in disputes and
wranglings ; that peace in passions
and disturbances; and, in a word,
that quiet and senerity in the noisy
world, which, in this close retreat,
and in these ravishing contempla-
tions, do now entertain my delighted
tboaghts t Here I can unburtben
my soul, uid pour it out before my
God. Here I can wrestle with Uw
powers of beaven, and not VeX^^nm

OF SOLITUDE. /

go till I have obtained a blcssinp;.
Here I can confess my sins, and with
hopes of comfort, lay open my trou-
bled breast beforethe merciful Hearer
of my prayers. Here I can with tlic
deepest humility implore his pity,
with my cries call down his mercy,
and with my penitent tears disarm
him, and dispel the storms of that
anger, which would otherwise con-
sume me. Here I can clearly ])cr-
ceive the poverty of the rich and
honourable, who are busv in exchan-
ging tlieir salvation for a tri6e. I can
here divest myself of the errors and
false lights that lead the worlding
into wrong conceptions of a life of
piety and humiliations, and can easily
now perceive the real ha^^iue^s v\^
ike despised followers o^ xNv^ v;^-

» OP SOLITUDE.

fcniigf JcBiis : I can now discover y-
more beauty and loveliness in pioi^^
rags, then 1 could ever find in all the
glittering follies of the proud.

O ye blessed, ye retired hours !
why fly ye so swift away ? Why so
hasty to be gone ? x\re ye then, like
other pleasures, short and transient?
O that ye were eternal, that I might
have my fill of quietness, and be per-
petually thus sequestered from the
vain converse of busy men ! But
since these happy hours, and my
life itself is so very short, I will mnke
the best of it, and employ it all in
the pleasures of thinking and doing
well.

O my Lord ! what need was there

that thou shouldest command me to

enter into my closet? The de\\|;Vi\.%

OTf SOLITl/DE. 9

which attend the enjoyment of thee,
my God, in private, and the contem-
plations of thy beauty, are surely
inviting enough to oblige me not
only to enter into my closet, but to
stay me there 6xed and unmoved,
and wholly taken up with thy glories.
O ye mighty men, ye rich, ye honour-
able, ye worldings ! all come hither
and taste but one hour s enjoyment
of a solitary communion with the
Almighty, and you will soon forsake
your glories, your titles, and all your
earthly interests, and quickly be
enamoured with the lives of the re-
tired Baints, who have wisely left the
chase after riches and pleasures here,
to pursue immortal crowns of glory
ready for them at the ew^ ol ^€\x
/Amt and Aappy race \

.■i...W «••■«■• •««

meut io the wilderneRs: He n
tempted, indeed, but he overcaii
and bow glorious was the triump
the angels came and ministered ui
liim. It was a great appcaranc
but he that forsakes the conversati
of the world, is a companion only
fur angels, whose time is, like b
employed in the contemplation
their great Creator. Think up
thy Saviour, O my soul ! when
went up into a mountain by himst
to pray, and continued all night

OF SOLITUDK. 1 1

high devotion inspired his heavenly
Houl in his retirement, where, se-
cure from the officious crowd of ad-
mirers, and the disturbing world, he
could more freely enjoy the blessed
presence of the Deity, and an uiiin>
terrnpted converse with his Father
and the blessed Spirit ?

What lively and sensible enjoy-
ments of God's presence, O my soul !
have blessed the solitudes of retired
saints ! Thus devout and heavenly
Daniel ; thus fervent Peter ; thus
John, the beloved disciple of my
Lord ; thus all the inspired prophets,
apostles, and blessed saints and her-
nitB, were taken up with visions of
glory, and scenes of their future hap-
pioess, even before they put on im-
mortality.

OF SOLITUDE.

How delightful and ardent were
the raptures ! How blessed, how
comfortable, were the communica-
tions of Grod, which entertained their
heavenly souls in their private medi-
tations, and retired prayers ! How
distant were they from the Spirit of
the world, whilst they neglected and
despised the grandeur of it, to medi-
tate and converse with their God in
private ! But their labour was not
loss ; for no sooner had they aban-
doned the world, but God requited
them with foretastes of the joys
above, and sent them an earnest of
those unutterable glories which they
now enjoy. O great reward of soli-
tude ! may I be ever thus secluded
from the world, and pretended hap-
piness of it, so I might enjoy a elose

OF SOLITUDE. 13

and vigorous communion with my
dear Redeemer !

What is there upon earth, O my
soul ! that may tempt thee to foregfo
this welcome privacy, and the happi-
ness which 1 here enjoy, retired from
the conversation of the world? What-
ever company I come into, the usual
subject of the discourse is triflinjif
and empty. The time is thrown away
about news, and idle surmises of men;
about the state, or about a dull dis-
course of improving wealth, and all
the sordid maxims of heaping^ up,
and becoming* rich here, and for ever
miserable hereafter. The men of
pleasure shall have a long harangue
about the sport to which they are
most addicted, and please themselves
with a description of the pleasure

14 OF 80LITUDB.

which takes up most of that tir^
that, God knows, was given themfj//
another end. Our ladies and men
of gallantry shall talk very eagerly of
the newest fashions, and loudly hoast
of their own impertinencies. Alas !
they are all out of the way : None of
all this, O my soul ! will bring thee
nearer to thy God: "Come not then
into their secret, unto their assembly,
mine honour, be not thou united.'*

Now, can men that have anv
thought of heaven, and the blessed
mansions there, that have souls great
and noble enough to converse with
angles and God himself, can they
stoop to such conversation, such
company, such discourse as this ?
And yet this is generally such as the
world affords. Take U, t\\^T\, i«

OP SOLITUDE

worldings, and hold itl
rob you of none of it, b
moment I retire to my
my God, jind thence I
all ye earthly thoughts,
ye not to disturb my soul
converse, in her contei
the saints aboye, and t\
the madness of the world
Dear Saviour, how d
the truth are men*s cot
the retired followers of t
of thy cross, as if they le
and insig^ficant life, ;
away their time without
to the world ? But are
and daily intercessions oi
▼enly recluses no ways b
avert the judgments of
conBuming the careless n

16 OP SOLITUDR.

iuiquties? Take them out of the^//.
cells and oratories, and see if tli^^^
are not disposed to the practice of
the severest and the most heroic
virtues of the Christian life. None
triumph over afflictions with a nohler
courai^^e; none despise the crosses
and hardships of the severest trials,
or undergfo the miseries of poverty,
and all the difficulties of the cross,
with a more primitive zeal, than
these coQUtant followers of their suf-
fering Lord. Great saints on earth !
how happy are the lives ye lead !
How dear in the sight of God are
your tears of penitence, and the
solitary sighs with which you pierce
the merciful ears of that Saviour
whose steps ye follow, and wiUi
whom ye dmly con?erBQ \ O \)ii%x I

OF SOLITUDE. 17

might be admitted a partner in your
holy solitude ! that I might have
grace to reach the celestial contem-
plations that entertain your aspiring
souls ! How glad, O God, should I
be to be inspired, if not with their
profound piety and happy employ-
ments, yet at least with a due reve-
rence to these blessed saints ! If I
cannot soar up to their perfections,
let me, however, with the humble
woman in sacred writ, be a servant
to wash the feet of the servauts of
the Lord.

THB PRATBR.

O MT God ! let the consideration
the emptiness of plca^vit^.^- ^ vW.
mblcB and misery o^ tvv\\^.^^ \v\n^

c

18 OP SOFilTUDE.

the shortness and vanity of ^j
things in the world, inspire me \f^rith^
due contempt of all enjoyments herc^
below ; and make me ever fly theses
hinderances to a life of holiness ancT
virtue, that I may with the greater
freedom enjoy thee, O my God ! in
meditating on thy perfections, and
thy glories : Let me, dearest Jesus,
have those influences of thy blessed
Spirit in my retirements, that I may
at last grow wholly weary of the
world, and then fix my thoughts
upon that heavenly kingdom, where
true pleasures, fulness of riches, and
lasting honours, are only to be met
withal ; whither let thy mercy speed-
ily bring me, that I may be satisfied
with the fulness of thy presence, and
medkhie for ever on thy gt^ifc V^-

OP OUR saviour's lovb, btc. 19

fections, joining; with all the glorious
attendants on thy throne in endless
songs of thy eternal praises. Amen.

OF OUR saviour's LOVB TO Ui.

SiNCB, then, my soul, thou hast
left this world, and settled thy de-
light upon the heavenly solitude, let
us now contemplate on thy Saviour,
and consider the wonders of his
adorable love. For what can be more
apt to raise my aspiring thoughts
above the world, or add to the de«
lights of this dear retirement, than
the contemplation of divine charity,
and the immense love b>] ^V\^X
AMfe been redeemed, «itvA Vvq^^ Vex^.-

20 OF UUR SAVIOURS

aft or to be saved? Sure such l«.»fY;
as {\\\a is wurtli tliiiikiii^ on, i^uf/
s:ratilu(Ie as well as pleasure should
inflame my soul with a desire to me-
ditate on the astonishing love of the
8nviour of the world. But where
shall I begin ? I doubt I have under-
taken a task too mighty for me, for
his love was from eternitv, and had
no beginning. However, I will ven-
ture to contemplate the dear affec-
tion of my Lord, who will pardon the
defects of mj grovelling thoughts;
for they can never reach the least
ivct, much less the eternity, of his
love.

See, O my soul ! the fatal effect of
the tempters malice ! JiO, the for-
bidden fruit is down, it is eaten,
^'Modwcarephst recovery V St^Wvt,

LOVB TO US. 21

pale, tbe ghastly look of thy undone
parents, how the guilty rebels fly the
face of their offended Maker I What
hast thou done ? says their angry
God, and then denounced their dis-
mal sentence, which condemns them
first to banishment, and then to death.
Bat Is there not a remedy, is there
not a repricTe ? must the doom be
irreversible, and the death eternal?
Is there no favourite in the court of
heaven to intercede and stave off the
anger of their offended Lord ? Must
our blood, must our lives, pay for this
offence ! And must the justice of God
be satisfied for this contempt and
violation of his great command?
There must, I see there must, be a
bloody sacrifice ; but tbetv ^\\^\^ v&
t&e Umb for a buriit«oSmtv%*^ ^^^

22 OF OUR SAVIOURS

yonder, O my soul ! turn thy eyes ^
the great court of heaven, see the re
the Deity itself suinpf out thy pardon !
" Behold the Lamb iherei^MX, taketh
away the sins of the whole world !'*
The very King himself whom thou
hast contemned, the King whose
command was violated, will not only
seal thy pardon, but, to redeem thee,
and satisfy offended justice, will sub-
ject himself to sufferings and death.
It is determined, O my soul, that the
second Person In the glorious God-
head should leave his throne and
kingdom, to take upon him both the
guilt and dreadful punishment of
thy sins. O my God ! O sacred
Trinity ! O mercy itself, unbounded
mercy ! will God himself come down
sad die ? WiW no meaner an olSe^ii^

be accepted? Will not on angel's, nut
thebeloTed Gabriel's blood, (should
he take our nature on this great
DCcaBioa,)yea, will not theiucarnatioii
and death of the whole host of heaven,
atone for this ? But must God bim-
aelf come doim and bleed? Ye
angdf, ye blessed seraphim, and all
the glorious spirits above, why do ye
not offer to redeem the Kedeenier of
the world ? Why do ye not alt desire
to become flesh and blood, and then
pour it out on so many crosses, ra-
ther than to suffer Ood to become a
sacrifice to himself? O my soul I it
must not be; an an^l, yea, all the
heavenly choir are too mean for this
mighty work, they are scarcely able
ao much as to peneinXfe mW **»»
gnad myitery o£ I'h'j ieAMa\J&a**

vhole we ^^^ ^g,

do\t»g ««<"*' '• How ft

• »<>« °^ ^° *e fir«t •
charity w»« ^. je -,« p»

of »"»'•'" ItW, »*^*'
,15 sleepy «"'^'*'

LOYB TO US. 25

it from its approaching ruin, was the
first and main concern of my Lord,
and was the tenderest instance of a
God-like love; *' Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand." O
dead, O stupid world! I have left
yonder high regions of bliss on pur-
pose to warn you, and to turn away
the impending vengeance of my of-
fended Father. Slight not, then, my
kindness, but repent, if not from fear
of his displeasure, yet at least in re-
quital of my love.

Tlie next account of thy Lord, O
my soul I is his preaching on the
Mount: where we find him busy in
instructing his followers in the prac-
tiae of divine love, with which he
cencludes his holy sermou t]l3L«^t^\
''Lorn yoar enemies \ Olo ^e^sA v»

26 OP OUR saviour's

them that hate you.*' lliis was th^
true spirit of love indeed ; and w^
mav well obey this holy precept, O
my Lord ! since thou hast set such
an example, and hast been so exact
a pattern in the highest acts of love
to thy most bitter enemies.

Thou didst cure diseases ; thou
didst cast out devils ; thou didst ex-
hort and with the greatest earnestness
entreat sinners to be saved; thou
didst call down blessings, aud avert
judgments, aud all this for thy mur-
derers ! This was such love, as thou
thyself art the only example of since
the world beg^n : To give sight to
the blind , hearing to the deaf, strength
and soundness to the diseased, and
comfort to the afflicted, were the
daily ucts of liis boundle%% \ot«\

This, my soul, was the life of God ;
thus was his love manifested before
the great aud dreadful instance of it
at his death, which thou art now to
reflect upon, for it is near.

Wliat tender rhetoric does the
hearenly Jesus use to persuade his
diBclples to a mutual loye, from the
consideration of his own ? ** Love one
another, as I loved you. As the
Father loved me, so have I loved
you ; continue ye in my love." And
again, "This is my commandment,
that ye love one another, as I have
loved you :'* Thus earnest was my
dear Redeemer to remind his fol-
lowers of the greatness of his love,
before he left them, and finished his
mighty work upon the cross.

Come then, my soul, draw near,

TivuA a lUTCy wnon Ii6 eoMM
weight of his fathers asfffA
death 9 to purchase for thee a
of life.

ISehuId, Judas approaches f
kiss of treachery to betray his
certainly, my Lord, thou catic
but resent this, as an unnatural
ness in thine own disciple, thi
murder thee with a kiss : yes
soul, see how the Lord resents
horrid affront to his sacred Per
<<and Jesus said unto him, Fri
wherefore art thou come ?" O.

I.OTK TO VS. 29

ployed in so black a piece of tri;a-
chery ? After this, heaveDly Peter,
uncouraged by n hasty zeal, wounded
one of those tliat curnc to scixc hid
Lord ; but the love of Jesus was as
great as Peter's zeal, and ([uiekly
healed the wound. Such an esaniple
of divine pity might have stopt the
fury of the crowd : But these are
only preliminaries to the great and
drendfol scene of love which follows.
For my Lord ia hurried away to
to the court, and there, amidstall the
indignitJea of an insolent rabble, his
tender love and meekness were as
conspicuous as their malice ; for he
■nffsred himself to be led "aa a
lamb to the elaug^bter ; and as a sheep
before the shearers is dumb, bo opened

30 OF ouK saviour's

Ascend, O ray soul! to Golgotha,
the fatal mount of love ; go thither
with thy condemned Lord; for be-
hold they now lead him to the dismal
place, to try if the prospect of a cruel
death can wear away his patience,
and tire out his love. O my Grod !
whither will thy love carry thee?
Hast thou not then already given
sufficient tokens of thy endearing
kindness to the sons of men? But
must thou still go on to suffer the
tortures of a bitter death, to connnce
us of it?

The farther I ascend in tMs amaz-
ing consideration of thy love to the
ungrateful world, the more does the
wonder crowd in upon my full charged
thoughts. O the burden of thy love !
Give, OGod, give. a BuUabVt q%^«.«

LOTB TO UB. 31

city to my labouring' thouf^hts, or I
ithall be overvbelraed and quickly
luEt in the contemplation of tliy lore,
in tby dolorous paBsion. See, my
revifihed sout, thy Lord is even nov
appeaBiDg the dreadful anger of the
Deity, and reconciling' his offended
Father to the sinful vorld ! See, bis
very posture on the cross is a lively
representation of his love ; hi« arms
are there extended forth, if the fast-
ening nails would but suffer him, and
give scope to the fervour of hie love 1
Behold the streams of love trickle
down tbe precious wounds, and lie iti
now bleeding out bis lore at his
bands and bis pierced feet ! The
sluices of God's love are open ; stick
fut, Btick close, my thirsty sout, to
thKM deep wounds of attractive love !

32 OF OTR RAVI OU US

Take in flic prcciuus juice, und le t
none full asitli' ! Einbracr, embrace ,
thy bleeding fiurd, and expire with
liim in an act of love I Ye scarlet
ilrops of my Lledcemcr's love, distil
upon my soul ! Let me here be fixed
under these dear wounds, O my
God ! for the contemplation of this
love is heaven, it is heaven, and I will
bave no other ! Retreat, O my soul !
in time retreat, aiui trust thyself no
longper to tiie heat with which thiB
wonder doth inspire thee. A deep
contemplation of God's love upon the
cross, will end in a passionate ferment
of amazing tlioughts. A too near
approach to his flaming love, will
(with the zeal of fervent David) burn
thee up. Since, then, my Lord and
/"jr Urod, thy love in thcBC tV^ wi-

LOVE TO US. 33

feriiigs is so great, that I iluibt not,
presume to reach it by expression,
let me ever admire it with a due
terror and a sileut reverence. O
blesBed thief upon the cross, who
didst partake of the bounty of his
dying love, ** This day shalt thou be
with me in Paradise l* The bitter
pains he felt ; the reproaches and
disturbances of the clamorous multi-
tude ; the shame of his ignominious
sufferings, and all the dismal circum-
stances of horror that did surround
his dejected soul, could not stop the
force of his love to this blessed con-
vert ; ^'Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do."

How diffused is the love of Jesus !
For us to forgive an Vn^ut^ , iVv^w^
done by chance, ia accoutiUOi ^^^^.^"^

i

34 OF OUR SAVIOURS

and jB^enerous ; but to forgiri
which 18 done out of spite and n
18 the top of perfection, and b
do reach it. But these mur
were such as had before tasted
love of Christ, and yet they r
him with a cruel and infamous c
but neither the thoughts of thi
the smart of his wounded bodi
nor yet the continuance of thei
lice, could hinder his amazing
from entreating his Father in be
these bloody wretches. Hence
my soul, to imitate this hig^h p
of thy SaTiour*8 love, in forgivi
utmost injuries of thy bitter em
But DOW behold my Lord ex]
but is his lifis fimshed ? Yes,
sou) ! the life Indeed of thy Lc
£aiahed, but nol hit love : O >

lie asBureu lus uiBcipies*, luaL " iie
would not leave them comfortless ;'*
and he seems in haste to perform it;
in the midst of a sorrowful assembly
he appears, and immediately blesses
them with a tender salutation of his
love ; ** Peace be unto you ; as my-
Father bath sent, me so send 1 you;"
and then he breathed on them, and
said unto them, ** Receive ye the
Holy Ghost ; whose sins ye remit,
they are remitted,'* &c. O blessed
aposUes of the Son of God, who had
iike spirit of his love thus shed abroad

■#

I

36

OF OUR SAVIOURS

on their enlarged hearts ! O happy
Christian world I happy indeed, if
not ungrateful : how great was this
love of your Redeemer, to leave this
power with the ministers of his love,
to absolve their penitent souls from
the burden of those sins which would
render you objects of eternal suf-
ferings I

THE PRATER.

I

O God, my Saviour and my Lord,
Grant, I beseech thee, that the con-
templations of thy dear love may ever
inspire my inflamed heart with the
most zealous return of love to thee,
my God, and with the most fervent
chMrhy to all the members of thy
AoJjr cLurcb, whether tVie^ w* \fti

LOVE TO US. 37

friends or my causeless enemies. O
let me never, by the coldness of my
affection to my neighbours and fellow-
cliristians,make me unworthy of that
love of thine which has nowemployed
my meditations ; and since without
charity, no other virtue or religfious
duty is acceptable in thy sight, let it
be my daily exercise to attain it, that
at length I may be a perfect proficient
in the school of love« and my humble
soul may breathe out nothing else,
that no provocation or affronts of
the most wilful malice may ever stir
up in me the spirit of revenge, or
abate my charity ; but let this celes-
tial fire of heavenly love ever burn in
my fervent breast upon earth, till it
is perfected at last in the VA«%««\ x^-
f^0D8 of eternal love . KiueiW*

38

TUB JOTS OF HBAYBN.

Why art thou so timoroas, O my
soul ? Why thus fearful to approach
the darling glories that are above ?
I know thou canst never, with the
utmost elevation of thy thoughts,
reach the least of those joys which
** it never entered into the heart of
man to conceive \* An inspired apos-
tle lias confessed his incapacity to
describe them ; much less can it ever
be expected that I, with this earthly
tabernacle about me, should raise my
meditation so high, as to shadow out
the smallest enjoyment of that king-
dom of eternal glory. I will enter-
tdn myself, however, (tliough at this
^/jfAty diaUnce,) with a ptOB^^t. ol

THE JOTS OF HKAVEN. «

the heavenly Canaan ; and as far
my shallow capacity gives me leav
will enjoy the promised laud b
fore my entrance thither. Mou
then, my soul, and, winged with tl
most aspiring thoughts, take tl
flight to the borders of glory, ai
thence look down with pity on tl
rich and honourable worms below !
Where am I, O my soul? In
what paradise hast thou brought mc
Surely this is none other than tl
house, even the palace of God !
the brightness, the glorious lustre
this place ! this is doubtless tl
heavenly city, into which the divii
and beloved apostle was taken, ai
which he saw, and has described
his great vision of revealed glorie
Wliat he mysticaW^ ^^olV;.^ ^1 ^

40 THE JOYS OP HBAVEN.

flourishing church on earth, hclon^s
to this glorious place without a figure;
here needs no candle, nor the light
of the sun ; for the least of all these
numerous spirits here is bright
enough to enlighten a whole world of
£gyptian darkness. If the spacious
skv were covered, from one end to the
other, with the brighter stars, and
every star were a thousand times big-
ger, more clear and sparkling, than
ever yet was seen, this would indeed
be a glorious sight ; but yet it all
comes, beyond expression, short of
the beauties of the lowest mansion
in this heavenly kingdom. Be-
hold the splendour of the llirone
of God !

But retreat, my soul, to the con-
temphtion of the other g\om%Vv«t^>

TAG JDTS OP HEAVEN. 41

more suitable to thj weak &nd dazzled
faculties. PreBUuie lA too far, nor
dwell too long upon this tremen-
dous object. Thoii wilt be quickly
lost here ; retire, tlierefore, and ap-
proacli not too nenr this awful seat
of glory, about ^vllich thou seest there
the distant Rn|;elB lie prostrate in
the humblest postures of respect and
fear.

O my soul I what blessed company
is this ? Here are millions of aogel-
■ilu spirits, no less bright and glori-
ons than the sun. Seraphim, arch-
aB^Ifl) patriarchs ! O glorious host
ofhe»enl bow ramhing is this great
society ! how spleudid each angel-
like look appears ! What acute and
piercing rays of glory dart from eaetv
taming countenance \iv \\\\* *^c.x*\

JOTS OP HBAYBN.

illustrious kin^, crowned
»f ||ory, how dazzling is

! how high and inexpres-
I celestial grandeur !
ble army of martyrs ! I
e your sufferings here,
nmortal crowns, the great
blood knd tortures. There
oul ! behold the illustrious
martyrdom on the sacred
leavenly Stephen, their
rtyr! How happy wert
)mit that encircled head
to he here bruised and
Y the sharp and bloody
iehold, there stands^ there

glorified Isaiah, shining
first and highest order of
its. Great prophet ! thou
rueUy sawn atander^ ^fX^

I

TUB JOTS OF HBAYBN. 43

not tkou, bat thy body only; and lo !
now thy abasement and bloody suf-
fering's are tarned into triumphs of
the highest splendour. Thou didst
purchase that eternal diadem at the
easy price of a holy life, and a few
hours of torture at thy death. O
happy exchange ! O easy purchase
of everlasting life ! How welcome
would my sufferings be, if men
should take niiy body too, this sinful
carcass, away t.o flames, racks, tor-
tures, any thing, so I might at length
enter these heavenly mansions of
endless happiness, and be admitted
to the great society of this army of
God I O life, how tedious, how
long and burthensome art thou to
me* that seriously think upon the
joys of heaven ! WeW tkv^x. '^x-

44 THB JOTS OF HBAVBN.

Paul, after his rapture into the third
heaven, breathe out his passionate
desire to depart, and be with Christ
for ever.

O ye glorious company of apos-
tles ! you who here spent both your
time and yourselves in the divine
labours of converting souls to God ;
how great is your reward in heaven,
where ye now enjoy the company of
so many blessed converts, whom yon
preached into these regions of bliss
and endless happiness ! How well
have you finished your coarse, and
kept the faith ! And how well are
you rewarded with the promised
crown of righteousness, before IM
up for you, and now enjoyed by yoa I
Holy Peter, how noble and god-like
f thin gremt recompence o{ t\i^ i»iX

TRB JOYS OF HEAVEN. 45

in the service of thy dear Iiord,
whose praises thou art now setting
forth in unutterable songs of joy and
gladness ! Thou didst deny him in-
deed, but thou didst also weep bit-
terly, and now thou art secure both
from sinning and weeping for ever.

O ye goodly fellowship of the
prophets ! mysterious, awful, and ma-
jestic, are the sacred volumes which
you left behind you ! but how much
greater and more excellent do these
inspired songs of praises and halle-
lajahs seem to be, which now employ
your happy eternity ? You were on
earth blessed with heavenly visions of
God, but now you see him as he is.
If the antepast of these joys were so
divine and ravishing, how lueoik^'H-
MUe are the delights oi V\i« ^^^^^

46

THE JOTS OF BSAtCK.

\f

f

itself ! Thy dungeon, great Jeremy,
is here turned into a glorious palace,
and thy lamentations into pruses,
songs of the highest ardour, and hea-
yenly gusts of inexpressible delight.

O ye sacred priests of God 1 you
who here lired up to the rules of
your great and holy function, bow
great are these wages for your un-
wearied labours in your master's vine*
yard ! How happy for you were the
contempt and reproaches of the sen-
sual world ! How dearly Icind and
friendly was the scorn and insolencies
with which you were treated here
below ! For they haye occasioned
these great rewards of their pains and
sufferings, that glory, which you
iberBeajoy with the eternal priest,
from whom you received bot\k ^v«

THB JOYf OF

gifts and sacred or
might have this car
the true embassador
might thus be made
by being exercised
contempts and abuse
and haughty world.
O ye primitive s
followers of the cross
and constancy in tl
the tide of the most
whose zeal resisted
bravely triumphed o
cruelties of heathei
the most bloody tyra
now are your devout
uid your sharpest
quited there with th
encouraged you to ai
^rermnce in youT p

48 TUB JOYS OF BBAVBN.

were iuspired with constaucy to your
holy principles, by the hopes of that
yery reward which now crowns all
your sufferings with victory and e?er-
lasting triumphs.

O ye blessed poor ! and ye that
were contemptible in the world ! O
happy Lazarus, whose sores and
ulcers here were loathed and scorned
by the rich and wealthy ! Thy con-
dition was despised here below, for
thy coffers were empty of money,

. and thou didst want homely crumbs
to satisfy thy craving stomach : But
O Grod, what a change is there!
Hail, thou great sunt of eternal riches
and crown of glory ! great favourite
of heaven in Abraham's bosom ! how
jua I £J]ed witii the deepest respect of

^jrgloriea ! Not more ennie^t ^m

THB JOYS OF HEAVBK. 49

the rich man's damned soul in its
cries for a drop of mercy to relieve
him in his huming miseries, than 1
am to think of thy eternal splendour,
with the most ardent wishes, that I
illay underg:o thy despised condition
here, and feel all the misery of thy
smarting^ sores, to be at length re*
warded with the least part of that
happiness wherein thou triumphest
there beyond the reach of malice or
contempt.

Haily all the despised followers of
the poverty of Jesus! he had no
estate, he had no purchase on earth,
uot *'a hole wherein to lay his sacred
head*** In this you were like your
suffering Lord ; for your treasures
were iu heaven, where yoa now «.wy^^
tiiem witii an assuT^iv^t o\ ^w "stn^^-

B

f>0 THB JOYS OP HBAYBN.

lasting possession ; you are now no
longer heirs, bat actual inheritors of
that kingdom of inexpressible wealth,
from whence he himself has utterly
debarred all that are encumbered with
riches here, and place their secu-
rity and reliance on them. What
divine melody is this, O my soul,
which thus charms my ravished
thoughts ! What yigorous echos of
joy inexpressible are these I hear ?
These can be none other than the
voices of angels. O the fervour of
this joy ! as if their heavenly breast
were unable to contain the flaming
zeal within. Lo, how they break
forth into the most ardent exprM-
BioDB, and pathetic hallelojahs to your
Creator • glory ! Hark ! what hea-
Tenly lODg is Mn T hear? " Holy^

■n

THB JOYS OF HEAVRN.

51

holy, holy, Lord God Almighty !
which was, which is, and is to come.
Blessing, honour, power, and glory
be unto him that sitteth upon the
throne, and to the Lamb for ever and
ever!

Glorious psalmists ! how inexpres-
sibly glad should I be to bear a part
in your celestial concert ! O ray
ravished senses ! T cannot, I cannot
bear the delights and transports of
these eternal hymns, even in a distant
contemplation ! This continual sing-
ing and endless praises fill the joy-
ful place, and the whole celestial
palace resounds with the lauds and
glories of its King, whose enlight-
ning presence adds to the divine
harmony of singing angels ; the tune-
fill feryours of each single spirit here.

52 THE JOTS OF HSAVElf.

are far beyond the highest attempts
of the most skilful artists in this
world. How sweet, then, O how
dear and ravishing^, must so many
thousands of these seraphic voices be,
all joined together, and conspiring
in their united praises and thanks-
givings to the ever sacred Trinity,
the adorable Godhead on the throne !
But tliat, O my soul ! which crowns
all my happiness is, that it it all
eternal, and shall last for ever and
ever. Let me consider what eternity
is; it is forever. Here I must stop,
for I am already puzzled, and can go
no farther. Cone and help me then,
all ye arithmeticians tliat are through-
out the world. Bfeet all together*
and reckon up the years, the agee
of eternity. Continue the work, and

THE JOYS OF HBAVBN. 53

ply it with the utmost diligence, till
ye all die, and there be not a man of
you left to number any more. Now
let your innumerable figures (if pos-
sible) be all joined together, and cast
up by the succeeding age : nay, it
cannot be done, there is no casting
up this immense sum. But if it
could be done, and all their figures
were put together, and the total sum
cast up, yet they have been all this
while labouring in rain, and have not
advanced one step to eternity ; eter-
nity will not be one moment nearer
to an 6Dd after all these years were
past and gone. Ye angles of God,
your capacities are large, and your
apprehensions wide and capacious ;
besides, you are in the actual pos-
session of this blessed eternity ; tell

54 THB JOTS OF UBAVBN.

me, therefore, what it is ; let your
happy experience prompt you to a
ready ans wer to this abstruse question ,
what is eternity ? and how long^ shall
it last ? Alas ! they all stand silent;
the question is beyond their reach ;
they cannot perform impossibilities,
therefore they can never assign any
end to eternity, because it has none.
O eternity I mysterious eternity ! How
great and beyond all apprehension
art thou! How dearly welcome to
the blessed saints in glory ! How
desirable art thou, and yet how little
thought of 1 Well mayest thou, O
my soul, despise the dying pleasures
here, and breathe after the joys
mbove» joys so desirable as to know
no end, never to be at a conclusion,
Aue be always beginning, a\w«^« cov

TUB JOrS OP HBITEN. 55

tinuing, even for ever &ad ever I So
liftppj indeed is this life of glory, that
a whole age of torments here would
lie well employed in the purcliasin^;
the enjoyment of one day, one hour,
in those blessed regloos. How well)
then, is a life of the strictest punty
laid out in the pursuit of this happi-
ness, not for a day, uor an hour, bat
for an endless eternity P I mi^bt
endeavour, O my soul ! to shadow
forth the excellency of thin life
et«mal, by considering what it is to
live thns happy for ten thousand mil-
lions of ages, or some such trifle.
But think what I can ; add never
Ml many millions to the heap, it all
signifies nothing ; for there is no oum-
parison, oo proportioa, n(^u«.U.i&.
In M word, it baa no ttni\\ cwv'i^^''^

i

^ .. « «3uuia attempt m

arther description of iti infinite Mer-

lity, I Bhonld but wander in tlie darlc

ill T lost myself.

Thus blessed, and thus long^, shall

le happy reign in gflory ! Why art

10U, then, O my soul ! constrained

''dwell herein M[esech,and to have

y habitations amongst the tents of

dar ?'' Why must this sinful clogr,

9 earthly tabernacle, keep back my

iring* soul, when it would fain be

e, and fly to the eternal mansions

gned for its abode? Well- a5«—

^ L

THE JOYS OF HE

Jhtv. 57

hearen for a time, yet it shall never
have so great a portion of my heart,
as to shut me out for ever. I will
wait till my change comes ; and al-
though my journey may seem long,
as well as difficult, yet the glories of
the continuing city at the end of it
shall support me by the way, and
inspire me with an unwearied resolu-
tion in my race, till I win the prize,
the glorious prize above, the immortal
crown which I there behold laid up
ready for me against I have finished
my course.

Go on then, O my soul! and cou-
rageously perform all the duties of
thy severe and holy calling, how diffi-
eolt soever to flesh and blood : and
whensoever thou art discouraged from
m strict obedience to God*s com-

58

THE JOYS OF HEAVEN.

maiids, and the strictest rules of thy
great profession, then hring all those
glories hack again to thy contempla-
tion, and renew thy meditations on
this great and endless reward, that
will at last requite thy care, and
crown thy victory : for neither all
the approaches and censures of the
careless world, nor all the seeming
irksomcncss of a perpetual devotion,
nor the utmost -self-denial in the vo-
luntary loss of all worldly pleasure,
will be able to deter thee from a
vigorous exercise of piety and holi<
ness, if thou hast a due respect to
this glorious recompence of reward.

1 -«,*,»

THE JOYS OF HEAYBN. 59

THE PRATER.

O adorable and ever blessed Tri-
nity ! whose presence fills the king-
dom of heaven with ineffable joy and
everlasting happiness, make me so ^
sensible, I beseech thee, of the vanity
of all things here below, and the
greatness of the joys above, that T

may freely yield to exchange all the
transitory comforts of this frail life,
for the great enjoyments of that which

18 eternal : So help me in this my
pilgrimage, that I may not miss the
way to life, though it be narrow, nor
at leaat be denied an entrance into
thy kingdom, though the gate be
•trait : and since the deepest suf-
ferings of this life are not to be com-

feZb

be thankful for mil mj affictteni
triumph iu my sorrows here. G
O my God ! that the certidnt
another life, ami a due respec
thoHe joys into which but fev
enter, may encourage me to
such a life here as too few do 1
Let Die be evor ready for the <
ing of my Lord, the Bridegrooi
my soul ; and have my oil in
lamp ; that when he comes, 1

TUE CONTEMPT, ETC. 61

Ghosty and sing eternal songs of
thanksgiving to thee, for ever and

ever. Amen.

THE CONTEMPT OF TUB WORLD.

I CANNOT but contragulate thee,

my soul ! and exceedingly rejoice
for the happy change thou hast made,
in parting with the foolish pleasures,
and despising the riches of the per-
plexed world, to have thy whole con-
versation in heaven, and with the
greater freedom enjoy thy God ; and, '
by a life of virtue here, to prepare for
m life of endless glory hereafter. And

1 now find that delight and ««AiVbl^!^
Hon In the heavenly couy%^ \>k«%^

62

THE CONTEMPT

begun, that I am resolved to be no
more entangled with these affairs be-
low, so as to neglect the sure and
most lasting joys above. No ; mil-
lions of wealth, and full ages of mirth
and sensual pleasures joined together,
shall never allure or draw me back to
the busy world again : For what didst
thou ever find, O my soul ! in all thy
converse in it, that could either
satisfy thy desires, or defend thee
from the just anger of thy offended
God ? or from the temptations of thy
spiritual and most bitter enemy ? I
have indeed been earnest in the par-
suit of whatever the world calls great
or pleasant ; I have sought for it in
mirth and jollity, amongst the cele-
brated companionB of humour and
briskness, but I quickly found myself

OF THE WORLD. 013

deceived ; for instead of real satisfac-
tion, I met with little else but empty
noise, and downright folly. This
made me look out elsewhere, and
seek for contentment in what mis-
taken men call grave and solid, which
T thought was easy to be met withal
in the society of men of age and
experience: But, indeed, I quickly
found, that the subtile spirit of the
world was mistaken for prudence, and
that haughty reservedness passed for
wisdom ; and I really perceived that
the man, who, by the cunning man-
agement of a large estate, and an
a£fected air of greatness, makes the
world take him for a prudent man, is
indeed but a busy trifler, that vainly
spends his time in seeking that which
is of no continaance, and may (with

64 THB CONTEMPT

out severity or abuse) be compared t. ^
a child flying bladders in the air, or
hunting butterflies.

Leaving, therefore, these objects of
pity (without envying their reputed
prudence), I took myself to another
course, and sought for that content
in learning and disputes, which I had
in vain sought for in heaping up
wealth, or mirth and pleasure. I
knew the soul of man was uaturally
inquisitive and greedy after know-
ledge, as well for the satisfaction as
the credit of it ; but here I was dis-
appointed too. I found such un-
christian heats in controversies, such
indecent sallies of reproach and pas-
sion, so much disingenuous artifice
io cover nnd eytkde the truth, rather
^Amo undergo the shame of coiAt%^v&%

09 T1

aa error, that

loan was enga|

niucb tlie truth

tation ; so tha

confusion, wlie

language, whil

love, common

itself, were aij

and passion. '■

1 found no re

ark of God, a

where thou ai

secure in the
lights and sa<
knows nothii
miserahly fru
tion in ^^ '

1 1

future state,) but what was TanI
and infimtely beneath the eoneen
our immortal sonls.

O foolish and distracted wor
why all this hurry, noise, and bi
ness? Whither is it that ye ri
what mighty concern are ye all w
so much earnestness in the pursuit <
Alas ! my soul, they are busy, I s
about their own ruin, and cage
exchanging away eternity for te

^/«««i

OF Tne WORLD. 67

tages, advising, plotting, and contriv-
ing, till at last he has gathered up
vast heaps of wealth, and then dies,
and loses it all. Thus, just thus, O
my soul! is the world employed.
This is their mortifying the deeds of
the body ; this is their being crucified
to the world ; this is their using the
world as though they used it not ;
this is the way they take to have their
conversation in heaven; and thus,
just thus, was the mao employed io
the dismal parable ; he had bags
enough, and those well filled with
money ; he had land in abundance ;
his plenteous harvest had yielded him
Ipreat stores of com, which was all
secure in his bams ; nay, his greedy
heart was satisfied, and confessed he
had enough ; so that he gave over all

THB CONTEMPT

^hts of any further purchase or
ion to the heap, and resolved
to enjoy himself, and li?e mer-
nth his plenty : ^^ Soul, take thy
eat, drink, and be merry ;" cast
all care and fears of poverty ;
uture misery ; for thou art now
e from want, and all the meagre (
of hardships that attend it* O
3ul I how happy did this man's
hours and poor tenants account
What respect and reverence
ley pay him ! How they cringed
) gulden cftlf, and flattered and
)d the condnct of his affairs !
1 an honest mui, pays all their
las managed all to the best ad-
g€, ^nth a greafe deal of care
rudeoM. Alas ! all this could
unie him in (be sight of that

OF THE WORM). 69

God, who judgeth not as man jadg-
eth. His being honest would not
save him, or make amends for placing
his happiness in his wealth ; that one
fatal error of valuing himself for his
riches, and encumbering himself with
them, plunged him into endless mise-
ries, and deprived him of those trea-
sures in heaven, which few rich men
seek after. His heart was fixed and
settled upon the world, his security
was in his estate, and not in his
God ; and so quite forgetting that he
was but a steward, he began to call
his master's goods his own, and to
lay out those silver talents on him-
self, which vrere given him to traffic
with in deeds of charity : ** Thou
hast goods," &c. The man little
thought that he must give an account

70

THE CONTEMPT

of what he had, and so, (like other
rich men) fell to purchasing and set-
ting up for himself. Now, in the
midst of this, his Master called him
hence : There came a terrible voice,
that startled the secure wretch, and
quite dashed his jollity beyond the
help of his friends and admirers, and
above the reach of all his wealth :
''Thou fool, this night shall thy
soul be required of thee ; then whose
shall these things be ?"

How miserable, O God, was this
slave to riches and worldly glory !
Fool he was indeed, to be thus busy
in providing for himself in this world,
till he was called out of it, and sum-
moned unexpectedly to the other ; to
be all his life-time contriving how to
find the way to eternal misery. But

/ OF THE WORLD. J I

insult not over him, O my soul ! nor
over those rich brethren with whom I
daily converse in the world ; but
though thou mayest despise their
wealth, commiserate their condition,
and shed, if possible, tears of blood,
in pity, to think of the misery they
are hastening to : Be earnest at the
throne of mercy for their repentance,
that they may learn at length to put
a less value upon what they have so
eagerly pursued ; that they may not«
with this miserable soul, be at last
despised, and sent to the place of the
unprofitable servant, where there
shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth. Now, these are the men of

.prudence and caution ! these are they
whom the world calls great and wise !

.Shortsighted foolish world ! for the

72 THE CONTEMPT

sake of uneless bags of money here,
to forfeit the enjoyment of God ami
a kin<srdom of ^lorleH without end ;
and not only so, but gravely and de-
liberately to walk into everlasting
flames ! Is that prudence ? Is that
policy? Ijook down, ye worldlings,
into the gnlph of horror, and there
see thousands of souls, who here
lived in splendour and greatness, now
condemned to eternal want, and in
Tain exclaiming agakist their own
folly, in spending that time about
business here, which was given them
to work out their salvation in. Let
the thoughts of this, O my soul ! ever
keep thee from the pursuit of riches,

and make thee fearful of thy condi-
tion, if thou shouldest ever abound

In Jthtit the world calla wealth ; lest.

•.« % •

OF THB WORLD. 73

when at last I expect the reward of
diligence in the life of glory, God
should say to me (as he did to an-
other), *• Thou hast already received
thy good things.'*

No less miserable, O my soul ! are

they that run after the pleasures of
the world. See and bewail the vo-
luptuous man taking his fill of lux-
ury and sensual delights, busy in
contriving how to pass away the
time in laughter and briskness, study-
ing out recreations for the next day,
in what company, in what sport to
appear; when the man knows not
before the next day comes he may be
cited to God's tribunal, who, instead
of the merry company he intended,
will send him, perhaps, indeed, to his
companions that are dead, where all

»

74 TH£ CONTEMPT

their former mirth is turned into
cries and everlasting sighs of bitter
anguish and despair. What excuses,
O my soul ! do men usually make for
their many hours thrown away after
immoderate sports and continual re-
creations ! It preserves health, it pro-
motes mirth and cheerfulness, and
drives away melancholy, is allowed
of, and practised by the generality
of those who are accounted great
and prudent men, and is the peculiar
mark and distinguishing character of
a gentleman. Thus, O my God ! is
the strictness and severe piety of the
primitive Christians (those who so
well knew and considered how diffi-
cult it was to secure the happiness
above,) forgot, and utterly neglected.
Thus is Cbrisdaoity itself (whose

OF THB WORLD. 75

character is self-denial and the cross)
laid aside, to make way for immode-
rate pleasures and gross delights.
How soUcituous, O blessed apostle !
are men to fulfil this dismal prophecy
of those evil times, when men should
be '' lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God ?" O ye madmen I have
ye ever read the parable of the glut-
ton in the flames ? And is his con-
dition there so amiable as to invite
you to his su£fe rings ? And yet, God
knows, if we read his story, we shall
find but little di£ference betwixt him
and voluptuous Christians nowa-days.
He was rich, and fared sumptuously
every day ; had his table covered with
variety of dishes, and laden with
whatever might please his own palate,
or appear noble and splendid to his

^1^^

.ft^s ;

a,t\(

wuot^*

t\\e

oi

le**

oti

\

^»^* "-4*^«- lAieWc^'

.\0**

CO'

■otow

l»A

*w^*'

ttet

co*'

\\te

i»o7'

V»»

.,.-^'

, ISWWWa- •

his genxact ^<
companions of his pleasures,
hearken to the importunity of
common bepf^ar : tliis would h
been contrary to good-breeding
the fashion. In short, as we say n
a-days,he passed away the time n
rily; he enjoyed himself ; made
of the blessings which God had g
him; lived like a gentleman;
where is the hurt of all this? 1
speaks, thus lives the foolish wo
But the next words will tell yoi
hurt of all this, from the sad e

— '^ . I

iiu, -- ratner AonQam, nate me^vf
n me, and send Lazarus, that he
lay dip the tip of his Onger in water,
nd cool my tongue, for I am tor-
lented in this flame." This, O God,
dismal ! this is sad indeed ! O
retched man ! have thy pleasures
nought thee to this at last? Can
ly great birth and quality, can
ly high and towering spirit, thus
oop to beg? Can it stoop to cry

lUS bitterlv for so mAAn an nima oa

OP THE WORLD. 7^

thy land, thy great possessions, pro-
cure this small request ? Summon
all thy tenants, command thy numer-
ous attendants, entreat the jolly com-
panions of thy sports ; conjure and
beseech them all to requite thy wont-
ed favours, by reaching a small drop
of water to thee in thy miseries,
Alas ! they will not, they cannot help
thee. Thy servants have changed
their master, and will not come at
thy command ; thy tenants now be-
long to thy five brethren, the heirs
of thy wealth, thy pleasures, and,
perhaps, thy torments too ; and as for
thy pleasant companions, they are
many of them with thee : turn aside
thy flaming eyes, and thou mayest
see them burning, scorching, and cry-
ing out, like thee* for mercy and a

80

THB CONTEMPT

drop of water ! O my troubled soul !
this scene is very terrible ; and it ia
yet more terrible to think, that many
of thy acquaintance, who are ac-
counted happy men, live just like
this voluptuous man, and are like to
suffer with him when they die. How
full of grief is the end of this mirth 1
how bitter the consequence of these
pleasures ! Who but madmen would
go down the smooth and easy way to
certain torments and everlasting aii-
gniish? Is it worth the while to
suffer without end for pleasures that
will end so soon, and leave such
things behind them, betwixt few
years of worldly joys, and an eter-
nity of unspeakable sorrows ? la there
any compariflon ? Is there any pro-
portion? Yet these are fiiiat men

)

f

OF THB WORLD. 81

I . are so greedy after, that self-denial
is accounted, at best, but a melan-
choly doctrine, and beneath their
notice. Thus we see that the two

^ main pillars of worldly happiness,
riches and pleasures, stand always tot-
tering, and expose the man to ruin
that leans upon them, and appear to
be unsatisfying, and, in plain terms,
contemptible. And no less trifling,
O my soul ! is honour, beauty, and
the fashions of the world. As for
honour, the mighty Nebuchadnezzar
had great titles in abundance : He
was stiled '' the king of all nations ;*'
and all people, nations, and Jan-
guages, trembled and feared before
him. This haughty prince walked
. in his palace of Babylon, and look-
k ing round about his stately buildings,

82 THE CONTBMPT

hegttn to be transported at his own
grandeur : Is not this gfreat Babylon
that I have built for tlie honour of
the kingdom, by the might of my
power, and for the glory of my
majesty? Surely the man took him-
self to be of a finer stem than other
mortals ; and, indeed, the event
shewed there was soon a great deal of
difference betwixt him and the rest of
the people; for he was turned out
from the society of men, and sent to
eat grass with his brethren, the beasts
of the field, being whipt and driven
ahout by the poor herdsmen, to learn
humility among creatures as dull and
stupid as himself ; and there he fsd
among other brutes, till his hdn
were grown like eagle's feathers, aw
hii naUi like bird'i dawi.

Afl for the rest of those tbhige, O
my Roul ! that the world is bo gntdj
after thej are utterly unable to yield
any true or lasting satiafiction to tbem
that have, or do enjoy them. Scanty
Is subject to a thousand diaeaMB, and
at death tarns all to loathsomeneea
and contempt. The proudest beauty
now alive will very shortly be abhor-
red and shuDned by the poorest and
mnt homely beggar.

As for pride, and the fashiooi of
the world, they are more vain and
trifling than any of the rest of its
transient follies. Wliere is the ad-
Tantagv of my being richer cloathed
than any of my neighbours f Will
the wearing of mora colours, or more
Mstiy stuffs than they, either make
mj loul more exccUent, or my tfody

■ «#• «/ Mvw .

hould I be so earneit to ezpoM mm^
elf to the anger of God, aiid tM
iODSure of all sober and pious (%ris^
:ian8, by aping all the silly modes
of fantastic people ? These fashiooi
change almost as often as the moon,
and altar so fast, that there is as mud
trouble as there is pride in folio win;
them ; and who would be at as muc
pains to purchase damnation ? Wl|
would strive to enter in at the brof
gate, where the passage is so eas
and where admittance is daily giv
'- '"iwt were never at h

OP THE WORLD. 85

usually tends to no other end than
to gratify a vain and childish humour
of being admired and gazed at by
inferiors? They tell us, that pride lies
in the heart, and not in the clothes ;
but this is as if a man should revile
his neighbour, and express the great-
est hatred of him ; and when he is
accused of the malice, should say,
that malrce does not lie in the tongue,
but in the heart. So that although
the chief seat of prijte is in the heart,
yet we can only tell when it is there
by the outward behaviour and attire.
But does pride lie only in the heart,
and not at all in outward ornaments ?
Certainly, either they that say so, or
the prophets, are in a very great mis-
take, who are so severe only against
the pride of finery in apparel, that it

doum of the Jewish ladies for so cry-«
io; a sin. ** The Lord suth, Be-^.
cause the daughters of Zion are
haughty, and walk with their necka
stretched out ; therefore it shall come
to pass, that instead of perfumes,
there shall be a stink ; and instead
of a girdle, a rent ; and instead of
well- set hair, baldness ; and instead
of a stomacher, a girding of sack-
cloth ; and burning inst-eadof beauty.*'

•AT-

OV THB WORLD. 87

ceitful and thus danj^erous, O my
soul ! are the enjoyments of this
despicable world. Every thing that
we call pleasant is sure to leave us
at the hour of death, when we shall
have the greatest need of help ; and
then all that we have here placed our
happiness in (expect the duties of
religion) will forsake us forever;, and
that, too, in the midst of terrors and
distractions. Farewell, then base
and sordid world : adieu to all thy
pleasures, thy heaps of trash called
wealth, and all thy despised and glit*
tering follies. Away, ye worldly
trifles all ; I find no satisfaction in
the enjoyment of you ; nothing but
the fears and disquietudes of a tor-
mented conscience here, and the lost
of joys infinitely beyond you here-

r;

:■;!
Hi
.1

i

if; 88'

I.":

THB CONTEMPT

after, besides the sad experience of
future sufferings when my life and
you are at an end. I will hencefor-
ward banish you my thoughts, and
employ my invaluable time in the
contemplation and search of plea-
sures that are confessed on all hands
to be satisfactory, true, and lasting,
even the joys of that eternal kingdom
which never fades away. Since, then,
my Koul, this world, in its fairest pre-
tences to what is valuable, is thus
false and contemptible, what do I
here ? Why am I thus busily grovel-
ling here below in dust and ashes ?
Why did I ever let it possess the
least portion of my heart, or take up
a single thought in that breast, which
wkSy I am flure, at first desigfned for'
a more noble guest, and made to be*

OP THB WORLD. 89'

the temple of the Holy Ghost? Haste,
then, O my soul ! and be gone from
this trash, these husks that are below,
and fly away to thy '* Father's house,
where there are many glorious man-
sions," worthy of thy contempla-
tions.

THE PRATER.

Grant, therefore, O God my Sa-
viour, that I may never Imitate the
busy world in hunting after shadows,
and for their sakes lose the dear trea-
sures of eternity. Suffer me, O Lord !
to beg my bread here, to be the scorn
of ail men, and undergo the sharpest
efllBCts of a life of want and misery,
so I may at last be sure to enter into
the -fulness of joy, the rivers of plea--

90 THB COMTBMPT

surcB at thy ri^ht hand for cvcrmoT^ ^
Let me grasp and aspire after bigYk^r
things than this contemptible place
could ever yet a£Ford. Grant, I be-
seech thee, that I may find that
peace and contentment out of the
noise of the disturbing world, which
I have in yain sought after in its
transient pleasures and enjoyments.
And since thou hast fully assured
me, O blessed Spirit! that it is a sad
exchange '' to gain the whole world,
and lose my own soul," let thy sacred
influences assist and direct me how
I may rather lose the whole world,
and SKve that immortal soul. Help
me, O Crod 1 to get an absolute con-
queat over all the temptations of
things temiioral that are Been^ lest
tbey should cool the fervour of my

I

f

; weuuinf^-gannenv, tMA m ha^
out to meet the bridegroom of mj
il. Take care that thou appear
B a guest, lest the Lord of the
St should look upon thee as an
ruder. But come away, ali things

ready ; fly to meet thy Bride-
•om, thy beloved, who not only
ites thee with all the soft expres-
IS of his love, but is so earnest for

company, that he bids his mes«
gers *' compel them to come in.**
ely thou dost not stand doubtful
;ther thou shalt en nr «««• «"••

THE HOLT BUOHARIS'i

Master of the feast, who does
passionately desire it, art the
to be accepted another time ?
not these delays provoke the si
King to cry out in his anger.
*' thou which wert in Tain hi
shalt not taste of my supper ?*'

Rise up thy faculties, there
O my soul ! and consider the i
obligations thou art under of ha
ing to the banquet of thy I
Think . but upon the condescei
of the Almighty : He created i
. and all things, out of nothing.
• 18 a God omnipotent, and can s
thee, and all the sinful. ions of
into the neth««'^'"''

lis Dounty to
rified beings^ withoot tokiof muj ^^
tice of a worm; and yety behold I
thou art invited, amongst ^e first,
and thy company so much desired,
that he makes every things stay for
thy comings ; so great is the conde-
scension of my God ! Can I add to
his happiness by partaking of his
bounty ? Is it not for my own sake
that he is thus pressing and earnest
for my appearance at his heavenly
table? and yet he stoops to solicit
-*-«apnce, and even entreats m(

mKiii/ wiiiii an auceiis ui jvy*

Here is that which conveys grace
to the soul, and nourishes my faith,
and all other virtues, to that degree,
as to make me a new creature, and
fit me for the real presence of my
Lord in his eternal kingdom. Here
18 that which ratifies the promises of
Grod, applies the merits of my Re-
deemers death to my soul ; and, in
a word, seals the pardon of my sins.
Here is that which will make me in
a manner the receptacle of my God*
for he will come unto me, and make

96 THE HOLY EUCHARIST.

light of angels. Reflect again upon
the honour, O my soul ! that is con-
ferred upon thee : wliere thou art
called to sit down, whilst the angels
do hut stand by and silently admire
at those sacred mysteries which thou
art actually to partake of. These
heavenly spirits cannot penetrate into
the wonderful and spiritual conver-
sion of bread and wine into the body
and blood of thy dying Saviour ;
and yet this is certainly done for
thee, if thou receivest it with a lively
faith, and dost apply the benefits of
it to thyself, by a life of piety and
devotion. I am here called to eat
and drink in the presence of the
great God, who does really convert
himself, in the merits of his death
M«d passion, into my bou\, 1\\to>\^\

/

I'y compassion, td ""^ *» »4e

not enough fl *'" '•""our ? t '"
from »/.„ , ^°'' t/iee to » ^"^ 't

great n,a„. "le pon,. ^

"«" here !,.„. „ ""• ^"Xur^ .

TUB HOLY EUCHARIST.

li^her quality, even the saints of
ind God himself,
^els do attend whilst I sit down!
, my Lord ! what a grand favour,
^n unspeakable honour, is this to
shful servant ? But here must
compliments. Accept it, there-
3 my soul ! and approach this
f of thy Lord with all the thank-
^erence of au humble guest.
\y soul ! how am I oblij^ed, in
ide to my Saviour's love upon
9SS, to be frequent in the corn-
nation of it ? He there suffered
f to be stabbed, and pierced
:h the most tender parts, for my
He there trod she wine*press
Father's displeasure, and in the
angnith of his departing soul,
at, he had foT««\Ltik\\vm» T^«

THB. HOLT EUCHARIST.

isgrace, as well as the tormenti
is cruel death, together with
willingness to endure all this for .
redemption, are such instances of Ic
even in this invitation, too, as call 1
the highest expression of gratitud
and a thankful acceptance of the pro
fer. Shall the great Judge of heave
and earth come down from the bend
and sue to the malefactor, both to I
released from his chains and to b<
come his guest? And shall I, t\
malefactor, boldly thrust him froi
me, and not rather accept th^ ^'-^
favour on m^ **'

100 THE HOLY BUCIIARIST.

my polluted soul, bids me come to the
fountain of life, and there wash and
be clean. If, then, I reject this tender
instance of his care for my welfare,
shall I not indeed be a monster of
ingratitude? Shall I ever deserve
another offer of his love ? But, above
all, consider, O my soul ! it is thy
Lord and Master's positive command,
that that shouldst frequent his table,
and there join in the commemoration
of his death. '* This do in remem-
brance of me,'' is as positive an order
as '* Honour thy father and mother;'*
and can I ever expect to reach heaven
by the violation of God's commands ?
Tliese dyingc words of my Lord's are
80 very express, that here is no colour
for the least evasion, I must, there-
fbre, either do thiR, or Tetio\iivc« Vi\^

THE HOLY EUCHARIST* 101

favour by living lu a wilful contempt
of his law : and if, notwithstanding
his divine order, I refuse *' to eat his
body, and drink his blood," I must
expect no benefit from his piercing
the one, and spilling of the other ;
but all the dear merits of his love,
and effects of his passion, are lost to
me.

Why then so backward, O my soul !
why so fearful to go to meet thy Sa-
viour ? Thou art not prepared, hasten
others, and prepare thyself, for this
must be no pretence to keep thee'
away ; since they who sent their ex-
cuses, and made light of it, had as
severe a doom as he that had not on

the wedding-garment. 'Us crue, who-
ever does his Lord's commands slight-
ly, and without heed, must expect

102 THB BOLT BUCHARIST.

pnoishment ; and wilt thou therefore
cbooae wholly to neglect it, and be the
serrant who " knew his Master's will,
but did it not ?" I may be prepared,
if I will ; I must therefore expect a
double punishment, both for my want
of preparation, and niy absence too.

If an earthly prince orders me a
speedy embassy, and at the time of
my espected returu comen in haste,
and demaude an account of it, will it
be enough (u tell Mm that 1 was not
yet set out, because 1 had not yet put
tin my trarelliug garb ? Much less will
euch trivial pretencea afford me any
just excuses when I appear before the
^^reat God, who will take a severe ao-
count of my absence, and then, like
(/at that would not prepare to come,
nhall stand BpeeohleiB.

THB HOLT BUCHARI8T. 103

Put on thy garments, therefore, O
my soul ! and haste away ; for my
Lord is importunate, and stays expec-
ting thee : wilt thou send the King
word, that thou art neither ready,
nor wilt prepare to be so ? That will
be such an affront indeed, as will
make him for ever abhor thee, and
stop all future invitations to his feast.
Up then, O my soul ! and call up all
thy graces, and forthwith adorn thy-
self; for nothing will excuse thee in
his sight, if bis proffer be thus abused
and slighted, since himself and the
guests are waiting with impatience
for thy coming.

O my Lord ! I come, I accept the
offer, I can no longer resist so kind
an invitation ; and, that 1 may not
come unprepared, I here give up my

104 THE HOLT EUCHARIST.

^vliole self, both soul aud body, to tlx
service : Aud tlms I now approaei^
tby heavenly temple, in order to pre-
sent myself at thine altar.

O my soul ! we are now in the
house of God. Behold the sermon is
ended, and the devout guests are now
flocking to celebrate the feast, and
commemorate the death and passion
of the crucified Jesus : turn thyself,
therefore, to the heavenly table ; for
behold there stands the priest of the
living God, and the messenger of the
great King is sent out to call them
that are bidden. Hark ! he is now
proclaiming the feast, and publishing
the invitation: **Ye that do truly
and earnestly repent you of your sins,
draff' near with faith, and take this
Jjo// sHcramcnt to your couA^tX..'

TUB HOLY BIJCHARIST. 105

IIuw solemn, O my goul ! is the cele-
bration of this holy ordinance ! AH
things here are in a profound silence,
which well suits the representation of
80 mysterious a tragedy as the death
and passion of the Sod of God. "lis
fit, indeed, that our first approaches
to that awful mystery should be taken
up with a silent contemplation of its
wonders.

Fall down, O my soul and body !
and amidst these prostrate guests,
present yourselves before the altar of
God with the deepest humility, and
there, in the lowest postures of fear
and reverence, admire for a while the
divine goodnesss, in calling thee, a
wretched sinner, to a lively represen-
tation uf his death, and conferring
upon thee all the benefits of it in the

tlie geuerul cuafeiiflion, to ickDOw-
ledge tho8a cruel aiaa that cauucd this
bitter paBsion of m; Lord : with re-
doubled uries for loercy solicit his
pardon, and with an humility iuitable
to the guilt, cry out," We ilo c anient -
ly repent ; have mercy ujmn us, UtLvti
luercy upon us, most merciful Father !
^'urtli^ Son, our Lord JeRus ChriBt's
saAe, forgive as nil thM* \«i6V,w\4

THE HOLY EUCHARIST. 107

grantthatwe may ever hereafter serve
and please thee in newness of life.*'
Lift up your hearts ! yes, J will lift it
up unto the Jjord, that I may join
with the rest in crying^ out with a
seraphic fervour, '* It is very meet
and right, and our bounden duty,
that we should at all times, and in
all places, jcrive thanks unto thee, O
Lord, hearenly Father, almighty and
everlasting God ! Therefore, with an-
gels and archangels, and all the com-
pany of heaven, we laud and magnify
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." See the minister,
O my soul ! is now consecrating the
iietvenly elements ! Look on with

TUB HOLY BUCHARl*'*-"''

rence, then, and let my hear %y^ji,
.18 most solemn and essent\a7/Mut
e sacred institution, that so what
ills the creatures of God, bread
wine, may be to me bis most
ed body and blood.
ire, O my soul ! I may very fitly
tate on the amazing g^oodness of
ledeemer, in suffering his body

broken, like that bread, and his
ous blood, like the wine, to be
3d out upon the painful cross.
f here contemplate the mighty
its of his death to me, and the

torments of it to himself: I
lere consider the strange debase-
it of the Almighty, in coming
from heaven to be here wounded
nth, only that such sinners as
If might not feel the eternal

._ • >- ^«

THE HOLT EUCHARIST. 109

sufferinsrs we had deserved. "Hs
time that thou now draw nigfh unto the
holy altar, O my soul ! and there ac-
tually perform what has hitherto been
onlythe subject of thy meditation. See,
the minister reaches out to thee the
broken body of thy Lord! "the body
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was
given for thee," &c. With the deep-
est humility of my soul, and with the
highest adoration of thy goodness,
do I now receive thee, Omy crucified
Lord ! I feed on thee, dear Savioarr.-
in my heart, for I am now resolvod it-
shall be ever thine, and thine alone,
by faith (for no other feeding on thee
will avail me.) I believe the doleful
history of thy passion, and will here-
after live as though 1 did believe it : I .

1\0 THE HOLY B«CBA»1ST .

will receive it with thanVagiv'in ^_
I sliall be ungrateful ini\eed\ 7
dead body of ti friend, who has la
hia life in his friend's quarrel, will st
up a thankful remembrance in tl
most barbarous tuGdel. Sball not
Christian, then, raise up bis inflamt
Eoul to the highest pitch of thankfu
nesE, when he sees the broken bodji
hie God, who died to save that no
from hell ? But, lo ! the nmbassadi
comes again with another divini: me
aa^ as heavenly as tlie former: mei
it then, my soul, with all the joy ol
heart ravished at the repeated gooi
ness of a bounteousGod. "Tliebloi
of our Lord JeBUa Christ, nhich wi
ahed for thee," &c. O my bleedii
Jesua I I take this symbol at once <

TRB HOLT BrCHARIST. Ill

the blood, and tiiy tore, witb a heart
overcbarged with admiration of thy
ineffable goodness.

1 am now urgent to find out full
expressions of my thankfulness ; but
1 am overpowered, and can only
breathe out my desires, that thou
vouldat accept the imperfect fervours
of my Bspiriug soul : my enlarged
heart is full of praises. O God of
loTe I I burn, 1 burn with a desire of
meetang thy lore with equal flames '
*'My heart is fixed, my heart is fixed,
I will sing and gire pruae." O that I
' could bat now exceed ye, O ye angels
of God t and ling a hymn of praise
to God my Saviour, of his own com-
posing 1 For nothing less than that is
worthy to express this ^rewt^ tlsA^
[ «ct of \&t Voift, ■«\Mo. -Bfil

112 THE DOLT EUCHARIST.

labouring soul is now striving in vain
to reach. But since I cannot praise
thee, O my God ! with an inspired
song, I will raise up all my thoughts,
1 will call up all that is within me,
and summon each affection of my soul,
that they may all join into one united
act of fervour, to praise thee in the
devout language of the holy church ;
<' Glory be to God on high ! We
praise thee, we bless thee, we worship
thee ! we give thanks unto thee for
thy great glory, O Lord God, hea-
venly King, God the Father Al-
mighty ! l^rd, the only-begotten
Son Jesus Christ! O Lord God,
Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that
takest away the sins of the world, re-
ceive our prayer ! Thou that sittest
at the right hand oi Go^ W^ ^«>\\^v ^

THE HOLT EUCHARIST. 113

have mercy upon us ! For thou on]y
art holy, thou only art the Lord :
^ thou only, O Christ, with the Holy
Ghost, art most higfh, in the glory of
God the Father." Thus sing, thus
feast, thus live the angels ! Thus,
my soul, will I continue singing to
my God, till I am from hence trans-
lated to a more intense enjoyment of
his divine presence, in the kingdom
of praise and endless hallelujahs.

THE PRATER.

uiaj uB acoepfWDM Uittay Aft^t /I
in thine own nimei snd for the lake i
tbj precious blood, that blood whk
my thirsty soul has now been drinl
iiig : my desire, O God, is, that
may be ever mindful of what I hay
now being doing, and remember, tha
I have here given up myself to thj
service ; that I have ratified my bap*
tismal vow, and renewed my solemn
oath, to renounce the pomps and va^
nities of this wicked world ; and that,
if I should hereafter live in any wilful
sin, it would be to account-. thU ki^**j

TH

not, by
barbarous
tear open
make ther
how rich
table !
life with '
fiedmyhu;
give me t
known th<
quet, I ha
ger there,
thy innta
assistance

116 THB SUFFERINGS OF HELL

tills solemn resignation of myself, do
thou mercifully accept the offer, and
so direct the whole course of my life,
that I may at length enjoy for ever
thy divine presence, there to under-
stand this great mystery of thy body
and blood, and celebrate the mar-
riage-supper of the Lamb with an an-
gelic fervour and devotion. Amen.

THE SUFFERINGS OF HELL.

Descend, O my soul ! into the
chambers of eternal death : go and
visit for a while the tormented spirits
in the burning lake : ransack all the
corners of that sulphureous kingdom,
Mnd survey the misefie^ ol x\v^ ^^vkwA

r-TTAA ^ -^^/PBRINflS OP HELL. ] 17

Gody what do I see ? My
mjTjp "^^ Boul starts at yonder sight
. _ .wAor and amazement ! Is not
that the rich glutton who despised
the beggar ? Surely it must be he !
see there he lies weltering in floods
of fire and boiling brimstone ! How
does he gasp for a drop, a single drop
of water to cool his parched tongue !
See how his scalded eyes look up for
pity, and his scorching tongue would
fain roar out its hideous cries for help,
or the least refreshment ! Lord, wilt
thou not look down in mercy on the
burning wretch ? Are not such insuf-
ferable torments as these too great a
punishment for the highest crimes ?
O let me live tike begging Laxarus in
in the world; nay, let me li?e in per-
petual misery ; and may my whole

'!/'#''»

118 THB SUFFERINGS OF HELL.

life be one continued torment ; let |
me live my age of threescore years
and ten, without one day's freedom
from my tortures, in the midst of Ne-
buchadnezzar's burning: fiery furnace,
rather than come into this place of
torment, or endure these miseries for
a single hour.

O miserable Dives ! my soul is
amazed at thy sufferings. Though 1
ought to hate thee for thy blasphemies
and thy rage agunst the just God
that sent thee thither, yet 1 am not
able to see thee plunged into this
gulph of misery, and fastened to
such flames as these, without shedding
a tear at the thoughts of thy incon-
ceivable sorrows, and thy unspeak-
able UOjf iu brin^n^ thyself hither
for the sake of tYioae mV^^isA^^

THE BVFFBRINAR OP IlEMi. 119

Bures in the world, which cranot
now afford thee the least help or
comfort in tbiH thy sad condition.
And yet rich men would be ralued
for their wealth ! Pitied, indeed,
the; shall be, for pity sarely belongs
to them, who, much like thee, give
so severe an account of those riches,
which here, with so tittle concern,
they lay out in luxury and sensnal
pleasures.

How g'ladly now, O burning soul !
wouldst thou return to earth again,
and there lead a life of the strictest
piety ! How quickly woaldest thou
rid thyself of whatever may hinder a
holy life, and throw away thy great
estate, rather than let it tempt thee
Bgun to live in seasu«V «&«& «s&
aofiiKsa here ! W\»«\.\it«^jft ••*i"fii*«'

120 THE SUFFERINGS OF HELL.

thou make to fly the society of the
^reat, and employ all thy time in
dressing the putrid sores of such
bejfgars as that very Lazarus, for
whose help you now cry out in vain!
How soon wouldst thou lay aside thy
purple and g^orgeous apparel, and
cloath thyself with the humblest garb
of poverty ! How freely wouldst thou
cease thy faring sumptuously every
day, reject thy costly dishes, and
correct thy pampered flesh, like the
hermits of old, with herbs and roots,
and what the barren desserts afford !
How earnest wouldst thou be to turn
thy beds of down, and all thy luxury,
into the strictest exercises of fasting,
watching, and prayer ! How gladly,
wretched Dives ! wouldst thou per-
form all thi§^ and infiniteV^ mote^ ^^^

..g,.itc8t be freed, but ti
death, from these burninp^ mi si
though thou wort sure then to r<
to them again, and be for ever
fmed to this thy scorching bee
flames ! But indeed it must not
thy time is past and gone for evt
thou art now entered into a state
eternity that admits no alt-eratic^
Thou hadst thy task appointed th(
in the world, and time allotted th(
for the doing it ; that time is gou
no more to be recalled : after deal
thou wert to receive th" -

123 t

undone for ever. O my trembli ^.^^
soul! this is a scene of horror >>w^
amazement. O ;e desperate B'V^
merry wurldlin^s ! look ttown a lit^^
into this hottomlesB pit of eternal
misery, and then tremble and look
pale at your condition.

You may live merrily for a few '
years ; you may, indeed, in a despe*
rate fit of bravery, throw off the me- '
lancholy prospect of your approach-
ing end ; you may look with contempt
upon the frigphtful stories of another
world, and the cant of Hcripturs and
the priests ; jou may ima^ne it be-
neath your quality and reputed pru-
dence, to be dejected at the fears of
that which, if true, is at a distance ;
therefore you he,ve time enough to I
escape them. But ie^ v\\tm^ii «»&,

IBLL, 123

O my Bonl ! in their merry pfttlis, till
they sport themselves into those tor-
ments, which they will not till then
believe. Leave them, though with
pity, in the broad way, and pursue
thy meditatioas on this horrid Inng-
dom of eternal sufferings.

What piercing cries and dismal

groans are here '. Hare you no pity,

O ye torturing fiends P Are ye not

moved at these lamentable shrieks of

tormented wretches? But, alas! Hell

is no place for pity, and you yonr-

elves are in the same condition, and

our bitter cries increase the fearful

)iu. O terrible regions of bitter-

■a and despurl how severe are the

bes of raving guilt and conscience

■a I How cruet iauLV.1 ^ ^^&% ^^ra;*-

I of thia n«vev-4y\ni -wtttro.*. ^

124 THE SUFFERINGS OF HELL.

extort such crying compluDts^ and
such deplorable voices of distress and
misery ! What raging accents of
grief are here ! How deep and
mornful are these sighs ! How swift
these scalding tears 1 How earnest
are these bitter pangs ! Cruel stings
of eteraal repentance and endless
sorrows! ''Who,*' indeed, ''candwel'
with everlasting burnings ?" Who ca*
bear the racks of torture and insuf
portable agonies, under which the
wretched spirits groan and labor
-Mt: one moment's respite, o

■»» T 1-

TQE SUFFERINGS OF HELL. 125

Cain*s punishmenty in his despair-
ing condition, was too heary for him,
but truly *tis now much heavier : see
where he lies there overwhelmed with
hellish anger at his folly. How pale
and ghastly are his affrighted looks !
What fretting pangs of anguish prey
upon his guilty soul! Now, indeed,
he may cry out, *^ My punishment is
greater than I can bear.*' O God !
they are all here deprived of thy
presence. These immortal souls
were all made to enjoy their Creator,
and to be to all eternity employed in
the ravishing contemplatioDS of thy
glorious Being, and thy divine pre-
sence. But they are now for ever ba-
nished from thee, and must never see
the joyful light of thy countenance.
Thou art the source of all the happi-

I

nesB above, and millions of x^da^
saints Diid sng'eltt crowd ti^^oii -^
throne, eager to enjoy thy s^^
presence, and are transported
hallelujuliB of praise and thanksgivi
for their admission toit. Hownretc
ed, then, are these miserable soul
who, contrary to their own natu
and creation, are utterly exclud
from their God; and instead of beii
blessed with the happy contemplatl
of thy divine goodness, are sure nev
to think of thee, but with the utma
degree of dread and terror! Heav
itself would be void of comfort, we
it not that thou art tliere. Htl
destitute of all enjoyment, then, mu
be the hellish state, where all a
f:iiles, and shall ever continue in :
eternal banishment ftom \.W\: G<

THB BUFFBRIMGS OF HELL. 127

** in whose presence there is fulness
of joy !" How fearful are the thoughts
of this separation from God, to a
soul that truly loves him ! ^* My
soul panteth after thee, O Jesus, my
dear God ! let me not then be ever
torn from thee." How are these
damned spirits, O my soul ! torment-
ed not only for the loss of God, but
of all the unspeakable happiness of
his kingdom I They know they might
have reigned with him as kings of
glory ; whereas they are now slaves
of misery, and vassals of the prince
of darkness : they are now sensible,
that they might have shone more bright
than the meridian sun, in tlie bright-
est mansions of eternal splendour; but
now they find themselves wretched
prisonerB in chains of darkness, even

128 THE SUFFERINGS OF HELL.

darkness that may be left. Tliej
know they might hare been now
refreshing themselves in the calm
streams of heavenly pleasures at the
right hand of God; but instead of
that, they are now covered over with
scorching floods of fiery sulphur.

This is a sad exchange, and how
painful are the thoughts of it ! What
raving expressions of a hellish fury
does the remembrance of these things
extort from these angry souls, in vain
cursing their own madness and des-
perate folly ! How empty, and des-
titute of all enjoyments and worldly
comforts, is this dreadful place !
Tell me, O ye tortured souls ! are any
of all those pleasures to be found
here, which you once delighted in ?
Do you notsad\7 fkiA»V\v^v.i^>^^\A

THB 8UPFBRINGS OF H

those delights and recrei
now for ever parted, to y
were so much addicted in i
that you did not so much
of this eternal separation ft

Ood ! I do not find an;
sensual mirth and hriskn
which was their chief empi
the world : here are no
after the chase, nor mus
well-scented hounds, whic
counted a genteel way of
away that time which was ]
«' to work your salvation * ir
stead of that, these Tales *
echo only their own groans
shrill howlings of pun am

1 cannot here see any of i
glasses and merry cups w
-Xo entertain their carousii

130 THB SnPFBRIKGS OF HBLL.

and served to pass awaj the tedions
time. Here is nothing but parchinj^
thirst, and crying out for drops of
any thing to slake the scalding lory
of unquenchable flames. Though ye
would not be persuaded to belieye it,
yet you may, by sad experience, truly
cry, *' The end of our mirth is hea^-
ness." O my soul ! what black society
is this ? These are frightful shapes
indeed ! Here are devils and heltish
fiends at once to torture and affright.
Can you, O ye damned souls of qua-
lity that are here, can ye brook such
company as this ? What I can you
stoop to lie down with the -scorned
and despieable beggars of a drop of
water? Is tUs company for gentle-
HM ? Alas i dhw ! you yourselves
are these beggtrs now« There is no

/

THE SUFFERINGS OF HELL. 131

distinction, no difference in the cries
of rich and poor ; you are all alike
condemned to perish in eternal want,
and your mixed howlings of the
extremest poverty are united, but to
no purpose ; you are joined in the
common cry after help or pity, though
utterly in vain ; for God, angels, and
men, are deaf to your loud com-
plaints. There are your companions
with you, with whom you used to
converse in familiar mirth and brisk-
ness ; you have none else to go to for
relief, though it will be to little pur-
pose to expect succour at their hands^
who are in the same condemnation,
and can only (and in vain too) cry
back again to you, and curse you for
helping to bring them to those suffer-
ingf , in which you can now afford

132 THE SUFFBRIHflS OF BILL.

neither pity nor relief. But i
bleeding heart, cnvered with omai
ments of their horrid Buffering
makes me afrnid to insult over the
in their inconceivable miseries,
my soul ! cangt thou think of dwc
ing far ever with auch^ocietyas thii
Canst thou be content not only
hear, but to join in these ragii
curses against God and one anothe
these horrid blasphemies and ravii
. yells of madness and hellish fury
Truly were there no other, yet thei
would be torments enough to creU
m hell of insupportable horror. O do
sodI! thus barn, thnshowl, thus wee|
and thus rage the damned spiril
the dark inhabitants of hell; u
yet, alas ! the greatest misery ia sti
beUnd : for were there any tb« leu

THE SUFFERINGS OF HELL* 133

expectation of coming out from hence
it would be some ease, even in their
present sufferings.

But here they burn, and burn they
nust for ever : here is no hope of free-
lom, no end of torments, no redemp-
ion, none at ail ; for it is an irrevoca-
le decree, and irreversible maxim in
le laws of divine vengeance, ' Once
hell, and there for ever.* O ye
fferiug reprobates ! it is a sad thing
t ye must continue in this hot
f of pain for a whole day ; but
much more sad and dreadful is
hat ye must lie here fixed and
«?eable for a year? It is then very
fal to be covered with these fires
age ; for who can bear an age of
wking torments ? But, farther,
ost remain here, and not

134 TRB SUFFBRINGB OP OBLI.,

8tir from hence, till a thousand
tedious years are quite expired.
O thia ie hetiT; and insupportalile !
who would tie thus long in flames,
for the sake of a short life of pleasure
and sensual satisfaction ? But hark
ye! this is not all, you must be here
in these torments, not for a day, a
year, an age, or an hundred years,
but alirays, even forever and ever.
When you hare lain here as many
miliionH of ages as there are drops of
water in the sea, it will be the same I
thing as it is now, and their eternity ]
will not be a moment nearer to an ',
end than now ; for it nerer will have j
&n end at all. O ead, O restless '
eternity I into what a maxe and unac-
couotsblt labjnntVt w^ xWv entered I .
My thougbta ite fcW iwV.wA. s.^a-''

THE SUFFERINGS OF HELL. 135

fused in this vain search after the
duration of eternity. I am busied
with heaping up millions of years to
reach it; and when I can add no
more, I suppose the rest : but all my
innumerable figures are but trifles,
and my supposals vain and frivolous ;
for I must at last throw all my num-
bers and my pen away, since instead
of reaching the end, I am not now,
nor ever shall be, any farther than
the beginning of the first moment of
eternity, as if it had a second, as if
the first should ever end. Alas ! it
h{i8 no moments, it has no measures
of time ; it has no time at all, for
eternity is when time shall be no
more. I see I must go no farther, I
cannot attempt a description of eter-
nity, for it is beyond my capacity to

i

«i

136 THE SUFFERINGS OP HELL.

think how long that is which hat no
lenfi^th, no end at all : break off
abruptly therefore, O my soul, from
this amazing contemplation, for truly
I am overwhelmed in the mysterious
depth of eternity.

THE PKATER.

O God of terror, who art, to the
wilful despisersof thyjust commands,
a consuming fire, grant that I may
use my utmost diligence to obserTe
those commands, and escape that fire.
Jjet me never think thy punishments
unequal, since thy laws are so just
and righteous, and since thou art
pleased to make me continual offers
of tliy grace to assist me in the obser-
vance of them* If the astonishing
instances of thy love cannot allure

THE SUFFERINGS OF HELL. 137

me to a return of gratitude ; if the
pleasure and satisfaction of having
done my duty cannot invite me to
set about i];; if the eternal glories of
thy kingdom are not of force enough
to oblige me to direct my course
thither, yet, at1east,may 'Hhe terrors
of the Lord persuade me/' Let the
fears of thy everlasting displeasure,
and the fearful torments of thine
anger, drive and force me to a life of
holiness and piety, lest I run upon
these dismal effects of thy wrath, and
feel the insupportable load of thy
burning vengeance. Make me sen-
sible, O God, how unable I am to
bear the least of all those insuffer-
able torments, which are prepared
for tbem that live lives of careless
ease and pleasures here. O let me

.JrM«MiV2>^ ^»._^,^ , , ^^ -. . „-.. ^ 1 '■<.

1^ kV^kC^..^.

138 TUB SUPPSRIKCB OF HELL.

not, I beseecb thee, "receive my^ood
things of this life ;" but let my daysand
nigflits be full of mourDlng, and my
years of trouble, no that I may escape
the sad afflictions of eternity. May
1 hare my cup brim full of sorrows
here., and lie under the heavy pres-
Hui'es even of a wounded spirit, rather
than groan beneath the terrors of
despair in hell, aod the guawing
worm that uerer dies. Thou, O Suu
of Righteousness, art my light and
my life ; haw dreadful then will be m
perpetual separation from thy dear
and comfortable presence ! Grant
therefore that I may so walk here in
this life, that when it is at an end, I
may not be banighed from thy sight
for ever, but may live and reign with
thee in life everlaatiDg. Amen.

THE BBAHB, ETC.

TUB SHAME OP ArPBARIKO

T is a and reflection, O my soul, to

hink that there sliould be such a

reature ia the world as a Christian

shHmed of Christ ; yet there sre

reat iiambers of such wretches,

rgetful of the holy name by which

tj are called. One would thiok

teed, that since they are so shy in

nin^ the strictneBS and piety of

Ir Christian profession, they should

generously and bare-faced, and

dy disovT their baptism, as well

ord SH deed ; especially consi-

g how tittle it will avsilthen).

■ioce they are ishamed to

re their baptismal vow, that

140 THE SHAMR OF

holy sacrament will be so far from
furthering their salvation, that Sodom
and Gomorrah will find mercy in the
day of judgment sooner than they.
They read in the sacred writ, that
they must not pray in the corners of
the streets, nor perform any religious
duty, from a vain desire to be seen
of men ; and from hence they take
refuge to excuse themselves from
discourses, or public acts of charity;
little considering, that it is the same
thing whether they go to hell as
hypocrites, or as despisers of the
simplicity of their holy faith. Surely
those that blush at the holy example
of their Saviour, will find as little
mercy at his hands, and feel the
burning tophet as hot as he that
professes him out of vain glory!

^ . ■ .fi<.-w^*S^V.

APPEARING STRICTLY PIOUS.

For it is certain, that to do on
duty (though not from any exa
principle of good) is far better thi
wholly to neglect and despise it. (
my soul, what extreme weakness an(
folly are these bashful professors, or
rather contemners of the Christian
faith, guilty of! They are, indeed
generally such as the mistaken world
sets a value on for their prudence :
but this is like the false and flattering
world, to judge a Christian prudent
by that lofty reservedness of his
carriage, which is so far from the
simplicity of the Christian temper, by
vhich indeed we ought wholly to
bsfract the man from all his out-
ard grandeur and accomplishments,
fore we can pass a right judgment
him ; for nothing is more certain.

142 THB SHAME OF

than that these very men, whose
haug^hty and affected prudence can-
not stoop to the severe rules of piety,
for fear of being reputed low-spirited,
are very short-sighted, and act no
otherwise than pitied idiots. Like
children, they are afraid of bugbears,
and yet run into the fire ; for they
are such cowards, as '' to fear them
that can kill the body, and then can
do no more ;" but they are ashamed
**to fear Him that can cast both soul
and body into hell." But consider,
O my loul, that the base ingratitude
of disowning thy Saviour, is even
greater than the folly of it. Shall I
ever be ashamed to assert and vindi-
cate his honour among the briskest
companions of vice and wickedness
iplien he was not. «a\a.\sv^^^ Vst \k

1PP8ARIM« STRICTLT PIOUB. 143

sake, to be born in a dirty stable,
and of the meanest parents ; to
undergo infinite contempt and re-
proaches in the woild ; to be appre-
hended as a thief ; to be tried and
condemned as a ^ilty felon ; to be
sbamefullj and openly whipped and
scourged in the view both of bia
friends and enemies ; and then, after
innumerable mocks and taunts, to be
hanged up and executed as a male-
factor ? Shall my Lord and my
Redeemer, who was God, thus bear
the cross, and despise the shame,
aad all this for a worm ? And shall
that worm be ashamed of his glorious
goipel, and flcomto imitate his great
example of the strictest innocence,
humility, and derotion ? Bat the
world will deride me : let it, for

f

Lord has assnnd me (ind i ii

belieTe him) that if I am i

'* ashamed to confess Uhi ben

men,*' he <' will certainly confess ■

own .me befere the Angels of Goi

This same contempt of men for (

sake of Christ, ought to be

strange thing to a Christian ; for

was one of the conditions on wh

his holy disciples were to recf

their crowns, " Whosever will

*-- "*•* i»i« t»%

APPEARING STRICTLY PIOUS. 145

then shftll I be, if I am scorned for
the strictness of my life» with the
afflicted apostle, and become a fool
for Christ ! O that I might have
this certain character of a disciple of
the blessed Jesus ! how would I
triumph in the shame ! how would I
exult in the reproach, and even
glory in the cross of Christ !

O my soul! shall I be ashamed
of the life of angels ? Their happy
eternity is employed in praising and
adoring their Creator ; shall I then
be afraid to be devout, or discourse
before men on his goodness and
divine perfeetions ? Shall I be
ashamed of that for which I was born,
and made a happy member of the
church of God ? Shall my soul
shrink back, and think that bc%.

/

like nature, and for whiea atto.^
wa8 created ? Let the world laugh

at the folly of the cross ; it will weep
ere long, and tlien it will be my turn
to sing and triumph, and my mirth
will then be eternal, as their fears :
I can cheerfully suffer the derision of
wicked men, whilst the angels in
heaven rejoice, and applaud my
courage : and certainly I shall not
be so mad as to let fools laugh me
out of heaven and everlasting hap-
piness ! for if I cowardly shrink back
at the childish censures of men, and
am ashamed of Christ and his truti
before them, he has positively threat
cned *' to be ashamed of me, whe
he conies in the glory of his Father

^,.- uu then, ye mighty m
stateliness and worldly repute,
not beneath my quality to be
<rious, and submit to the lov
offices of my Christian calling ; i
will I run upon this fearful doooiy 1
fear of lessening my repute with yo\
or being ridiculed by the little ccl
sures of the wits. I can be con
tented to obey my Saviour's direc
tions, and enter into heaven with thi
simplicity of a child, and you ma]
walk on merrily, and like men o
parts, another way. ''•'

1 A. -4.

into a pUee of eternal 1
■od eonfiiiion.

** Let your light so el
men," is a poBitiye commi
God and Saviour ; and si
ture to trample upon his c
Shall I holdly rush on ii
disobedience, and desperi
a divine law so express as
candle was not g^ven i
i under a bushel, nor my 1

APPEARING STRICTLY PIOUS. 149

faithful servant ; Enter thou into the
joy of thy Lord."

There is no sort of sin or wicked-
ness in the world, that ever ruined so
many souls, as the ill example of
men. The carlessness of those with
whom we daily converse, who are
men of repute in the world for
honesty and prudent behaviour,
makes us think, that if we come to
their life, we are secure enough ; at
least as secure as most men, and we
think we may venture our souls as
well as they.

Thus, when we see men are not drunk-
ards or gluttons, swearers, profaners
of the Lord*8 day, or the like, if they
avoid adultery, covetousness, and
notorious sius, ni^ Tt^<5ycL ^x^m^. ^^
patterns for ua to io\Vi^ % ^\s^'^^

150 TBB SHAMB OP

we can but live as ther io, foothlily
promise ourselTes the glories of tliat
kingdom into nhich, if we stop here,
we tihall never enter. Since then,
my §oul, thia general i!l example of
the careless world is the cauae of its
own ruin, and makes good the truth
of that severe sentence, that few sliatt
enter into heaven, I must not help
to make the number fewer, by being
cold in my Christian calling, or
ssbamed to make a more zealous
profession of it than the lukewarm
pretenders to it. I will rather endea-
vour, with my utmost zeal, to repair
tiie fatal mischief, and by diligeoce
and courage in mj great Master's
■errice, will not be ashumed to shew
wen that I am '* euWvn; v> c^tict in
*t the strait g«te C \ -w'A «tN«. «a

APPEARING STRICTLY PIOUS. 151

circumspectly before God and men,
and let my light so shine before
them, as, if possible, to allure them
to be my fellow-traTellers to a con-
tinual city. For thy support then,
O my soul, in the performance of
this holy resolution of standing up
for thy Redeemer's honour, notwith-
standing the silly censures of men,
take along with thee the great ex-
amples of this holy courage, which
the book of God has laid befdre thee
for thy imitation.

How fervent an example of this
was the holy psalmist, that devout
and humble pattern of courage, in
setting forth the glory of God, even
to the abasement of his own ! I
blush at my own baftk^^T^xN««^ "'w^
shewing my zcaA ior ^oA-* '^Xsrxv ^^

152

THE 6lii*B ^^

roiis'uler tlie high esnmp^e ^ '^ hig ij*
tile lut'St ]iubVic and e\a\tt^ manner.^
til at the most ardent zral coutc^
prom])t you tu. 'I'lie Rik of Gotj
WHS lironght to tile city uf David,
which tilkfi his royal heaiC with bucIi
a measure of devuut ^ladiiees, that
to welcome it, he laid by his kingly
rubes, put on a surplice, and, to
testify hiy pious joy, fell t(> dancinj;
before the ark with all his might,
and that in the si^'ht of all his cour-
tiers and the people. The Iiltisliin;
queen saw it, and thought it so much
lieiieath hiE royal dignity, as to scorn
and ridicule him for it, with all the
contempt and passion of a haughty
spirit, too great to brook the low
debasement of her husbaud'ii majesty.
" And Mioiial, Saul's daughter.

APFSARlKa BTRICTLT PIOUS, 153

looked through a window, and s&w
king David dancing before the IjUrd ;
and she despised him. And she
came out to meet him, and scorn-
fully said, How glorious was the
king of Israel to day, who uncovered
himself in the eyes of the handmaids
of his servants, as one of the vain
fellows shdinetully uncovereth him-
self!" Here was an open contempt,
enough to put him out of counte-
uanee ; and would certainly have
made him btush at the forwanlness
of bis truisported zeal, had he not
had a true relish of piety and fervour.
But his answer shewed how for h«
was from being ashamed ; " And
David said unto Michal, it was
before the Lord, which c\\wk. -v&c
before thy father, m\4 \tefetft ^ '^■•'*'

house, to upf€iuk% me raler u*w.
people of the Lord. And I iHU i
yet more Wle than this, tnd irftt- 1
base in my own sigfht, &e." O n
soul ! how very glorious and hero
was this action of the ropal prophe
How great and honourable was
at this instant in the eyes of G
though the abjects had him in d
sion ! The blessed angels af
' ' -"i-ftlv emulate such a zer

APPEARING STRICTLT PIOUS. 155

him ; and yet hia grandeur could ,
not make him ashamed to lay aside
all bis honour, and stoop to the
meauest instances of a true piety, by
which he might advance to the glory
of a greater king. Surely then such a
zeal for the honour of my Redeemer,
will not be beneath me, whose rile-
nesB makes me unworthy to speak
or even think of this holy monarch,
without rising up at his sacred me-
mory, and celebrating the devout
and hearenly ardour of his roysl
heart. Consider, O my soul t tlie
apostles, those high patrons of cou-
rage, in the midst of public scorn,
when tbey were had before kings
and princes for hi* name's sake ;
and after they haA \«eT» Aiwa.*^'*
beatea and dismissed ^ox ^^tft^^^t.^^

156 THE SHAMB OP

the name of Jesus, and planting his
lioly doctrine, they departed from
the presence of the council, rejoicing
that they were counted worthy to
suffer shame for his name ; and
notwithstanding the abases of the
great, and reproaches of the rulers,
yet daily in the temple, and in every
house, they ceased not to preach
Jesus Christ.

How great, my soul, was St. Paul's
desire of glorifying God, without
respect to outward repute, or the
esteem of the censuring world ! How
burning was his earnest zeal aftf
the conversion of souls, and *
honour of his great Master !• ^
a divine example of despising
Faiii Judgments and re\itoach of i
does he shew him^eVi \o Vv&

• I

•* I hope that I s
in nothing be ashamed, but that \^
all boldness, as always, so now a!
shall Christ be magnified in i
body, whether it be by life or I
death. Being reviled, we bless
being defamed, we entreat. We ar
made as the filth of the world, anc
are the off-scouring of all things to
his day : therefore I take pleasure
1 reproaches, in necessities, in per-
meations for Christ's sake ; for when
am weak, then am I strong. We
9 fools for Christ*B "•*•

*'V"^m catted, »»*
hU goodness.

APPEARING STRICTLY PIOUS. 159

trary to good breeding, to correct an
honourable and wealthy wretch, who
makes bold with God himself, and
has no more manners than to affront
the great Majesty which made the
bold and haughty worm out of dust
and ashes? No, my soul, let his
barns be full, and his bags too : let
his titles swell to never so large a
catalogue; let him fetch his long-
winded pedigree from the ancient
emperors ; let his crouching tenants
and liveries fill a city ; let him, with
his brother in the gospel, wear pur-
ple, go fine, fare sumptuously every
day ; yet will I never suffbr him,
without a severe reproof, to abuse
piety and religion, or any ways to
affront my dear Lord and Ma&tex.
Sooner shall my tow^e^ ^\^w^ ^» '^'^

roof of my mouth, then lie still
cease to assert the greatness of
»ucred name, ng'siiist the migl
cttntemnerB of it: thatnnme whic
very powere of darkness dread
in whom they believe and trembi

O Eternal and Almi^lity
who hss snid, that those that hi
thee, thou wilt hoDour ; but
that despise thee, shall he li
esteemed ; suffer me not at any
to be disheartened from prodai
thy goodness nmoDg the wickei
spisers of it, nor fear what ma
do unto me. Let me ever g)(
thy holy name, wen in ibe mil
those that swew \j^ '* \ *xA^'

APPBARIHG STRICTLY FIOUS. 11)1

))laces as reftdy to assert my Christian
professioi), as others are to dibowii it.
Grant th&t 1 may never be ashamed
to ehew the greatest earaestiieBS and
Goura^eininy Christian warfare, since
I shall not be ashamed to expect my
crown of reward lud up for me nC
the end of it. And since the servniit
in not above bis Lord, may the
insolent crowd, to my despised iSn-
viour, wlieii tiiey Jaughed him to
scorn, make me expect no better
usa^, and excite me to pass by the
mocks and reproach of men, as
beneath the notice and couragpe of a
soldier of Christ, the Captain of my
salvsljon. O let me never be hard'
eiied into such a foi^tfulness uf mjr
bapljflmal vow, by my backwiiT&.'a^tA
ill the defence of Xhy W\"j wk«v«.,»*

world. leBt thon. the J«lp» J^ •"

before God, and the holy m«^
esty, bu thy dmne g ^^^^

Credtoeo^es^h.^^^^^^^
letmecver, with the hoiy^^^^

^" ''^ f fie thvgreaUribttual with
awpear before thy gr«^^ _^ ^_^^ ^^

...13 lite ; and tliat
honour and repute which I may 1
here hy a forward zeal to thy jjlo
will be fully made up in the futi
enjoyment of an eternal crown
honour : and it is sure a happy ba.
gain to suffer a little shame on eartl
and be made an heir of hea?en ; U
forego the reputation of the work
for the glorious titles of the sons oi
Grod, is a good exchange : and let
he thoughts of this, I beseech thee,
ispire me with courage enough to
reak through all the diff--''*

OF. DBATH.

Mbtoinkb I here li?e merrily in
the world, pass away my time in
careless ease and briskness. They
talk that this world is full of troubles,
but I am sure I want for nothing^ ;
for whilst many others eat the bread
of carefulness, I live at ease and
pleasure, free from sickness, and
secure from want. But let me stop

and subject t
sent them to
a sad medita
and enjoy th.
must part ^
glnce a sen
departure oc
useful to a
another, 1 ^
cloBet, or yc
there mediti
my death.

As certa
art now thi

I

left tills worlil, and Bhall iicvct n
turn to it ni,'aiti. Myaiicetftora, v\
have inherited these lands, and iiil
blted ttiia bouae, arc all dead ; hn
taken an eternal leave of this e><ti
uf theirs : and as sure as tliey left
me, Eo shall I shortly leave it t
other, and hid adien to this lian
f-ome scat, and all my wealth besidt
Uidiappy man I Why then do I ta
all tliia care, and am solicitous
Increase those riches which will
suddenly be none of mine? W
do I thus concern myself with utli
mens' business, and neglect the gra
affair of eternal life ? I am at pi
sent called master of the house ; I
I shall soon be carried out of it
helpless corpse, shunned by the mei
est uf my scrrants, and be remoi

OF DEATH. 167

to another house, tlie house of mourn-
ing^, not above six feet long, and a
yard high : thus will the body be
disposed of. But I have another
part about me that will never die, an
immortal soul, that must be for ever
in another world. Now which of
these two is the greatest concern, and
requires the greater care ? Why do
I not think oftener of death, then,
since it will so certainly seize upon
me ? My father, not many years
since as healthy as myself, is dead,
and lies yonder a coffinful of dust.
Now, it is impossible for a mortal
father to beget an immortal son ; it
is certain therefore that my coffin
will shortly be with his, and then the
estate which he once called his, and

fi-e world tl.i« is to set one' "l
•«1 ! .0 i. i, ,„, ,,,„ ° ")

' snail at last say, thaf U « * -n ^'
iliif if T I , . ^* ^ '® * *"fle ton

OF DBATH. 160

morrow : and shall I not at that time
think it true, that death is hasty, and
my life short ?

I now vainly propose to myself
many years to come, (no question
but my father thought so too,) and
yet those promised years are nothing
now, but are all vanished, and, like
him, gone for ever. I think twenty
years a long time ; but if I look back
upon twenty years that are past, it
will shew me my mistake, for they
appear but as yesterday; and it is
certain, that the years to come will
be no longer than the years past.

Consider, O my soul ! in time
consider, that this death will put an
end to all my greatness here. All
my money and my purch«A«%^ ^V&sdOb^

170 r.PDEATEI.

now iiistGHd <if M'utuliiii!;;, niiil
duties of holiness, eiti[>luy my C
will tlieii be torn awny from nic,
tinBS to others. It will then apjn
linve been labouring to make f
body else rich ; and will it nnt
be a. sad reflection, to tliiiik tl
liarc s]ietit tny tirau to be dan
for another man, and must en
endlesH torments for I know
whom ? All my Raiety, and t
fine cloths, will then be turned ii
bhroud, and not any thing of
finery will remain, but the prii
it to be answered for, Perha
have now a title of respect be;
the lower rank of men ; but all
I shall then be called, will be a
nrps; and the raivHstci- will ru

OF DEATH. 171

forget my title of distinction, and
cry, ** Earth to earth, ashes to ashes,
dust to dust.**

To be satisfied of the truth of this,
let us step a little, O my soul ! to
yonder vault, where my kindered lie
interred, and there see what the
greatness of this world comes to, and
take a more sensible view of what I
myself must quickly be. How dark
and silent is this horrid place ! Here
is no living creature but myself and
worms. My candle burns dim, and
I am frighted ; my blood chills for
fear of those who were once my
dearest friends : but I am resolved to
▼entre forward ; and to make my
meditations on this doleful subject
more exact, I will rau&aAk^\%tS«»aBik»
ber of death •, aii^ wvt.^ vavw^ ^^^

172 OP DBATH.

here to keep me company, 1 v%^j//
converse with the dead, and discour»&
a while to them that cannot hear
nic ; I will go and open that coffin
there, whose inscription tells me that
my mother lies within. All the
tender instances of her love come
now afresh into my memory, and I
am resolved once more to see her,
and requite her affection, by shedding
a iilial tear over those dear remains
of her s. I long to see that smiling
face again- with which she died ; for
methought her countenance looked
sadly amiable, as she cast her dying
eyes upon us, and departed from us in
a smile of love. O God ! what do 1
see ? Lying epitaph ! is this my
mother ? Was I bovn of this putrid
^iiift ? Did I proceed itom ^ Na^^

\^

and all these noisomo •«._
it true, then, that these clai
pieces of corrupted flesh were (
the well-proportioned body of
thai bare me ? Where then an
tenier breaiti that ncNirifhed n
fiuie^, and tiie amit widi ividol
used to elasp me. Akal hf
nothing left bat erawlinf loir
llltik' and putrefution. How
and fearful looln the naked
Are these the smiles ! Is ^
ealniness of her eoantesav
-^*Afthii! Here are the fa

174 OF DEATH.

expression of her love to me. Where
are the lips which, as she blessed me,
trembled and turned pale, as tlie sad
forerunner of her charge ? Here is
nothing but the orifice of her mouth,
all full of clammy dust, with a
frightful appearance of an imperfect
row of teeth, which only serve to
make the meager sight more dismal,
and add liveliness to the horror.

O loathsome state of all men in the
grave ! I knew it was ill enough ;
but at my opening the coffin, I little
thought of such a disappointment :
for instead of pale and ghastly looks,
which I expected, I find no face at
all, nor any thing else but an amtzing
object of grief and wonder. Haste
away, then, O my soul! from this
(ilent room of dread and horror, aud

OFDBATR. 175

approach not the rest of these hrokei
coffins here : thou haBt already seea
enough to diBcouragv any farther
search unong the filthy relicks of
the dead. J will return to the soli-
tary walk from whence I came, and
there pursue my reflectiona on this
melancholy adrenture, and take a
farther prospect on the day of my
death. O my soul I what hast thou
now beeu seeing ! how fearful were
all the ghastly appearances of yonder
corpse [ How damp and earthy was
the smell 1 What deadly mists of
corrupted sweat exhaled from the
■cn^>s of the deronred corpse I How
full was the vault of cold and per-
nicious steams, from each rotting
carcaBB tliere 1 Now indeed I heliere
tlic relation wUch t have rwd of a

OF DEATH.

nit, *'who was passionately
a lady that soon after died ;
Id not disengage his fancy
lioughts of her, till at last
ately to her vault, after a
burial, he takes a full view
ghastly deformities, and
)at wipes off the corrupted
from the carcass ; and so
passion returned, he looked
, and said, * Behold the
the woman 1 did so mucli
i^hich at last cured him of
r fancies." Go, then, ye
ate lovers of the world,
chcs, and secure estates ;
this, that at last the utmost
all your wealth shall be a
ioffin with gilt hinges. A
haac to t\\Tv>\« v^.'wj V\w\\i

OF DEATH. 177

and ail immortal soul U|)un ! lu
follow all the glittering fulliee uf the
agC) tbat ye may at last be (^lutla'il
with a little flanupl and a great dcid
of corruption ! To gratify your luxu-
rious appetites a while witli the
pleasures of the most InsciouH faie
that is, that you may prejiarc a
carcass ready pampert;d fur the
worms 1 Go, proud woman, if you
can endure it, to an unliuried corpiii!
of quality, that has lain hut a week
above ground, and there see what all
your perfumes will xt last come to,
when your friends will keep from you
to avoid the stench of your tainted
hody. Be ambitious after worldly
glory, and numerous titles of ap-
plauded honour, and then take .St.

w

nncouiit lie tliere jfivos of (
Uiiricd body, the Kkull of wl
found witli H toad in the mouth
perhajiE, in the stme place.
little did the emperor think c
in the heiirht of his corquest
the top of all his glory ! Sinci
my Koul, death i^ so certain, m
and i:j the ruin of worldly gra
EQrely I am plainly distrnctei
lipend cither my time or my thi
about these worldly tiling's, th
leave me eo certainly, and so
I $ee, then, I must hetake myst
mure earnest consideration c
great concern. And since 1 si
cnterei) upon this mournful Bi
I will ^o through with it,
jvv/ucc my mcilitation into pn
that it ninv WA be \n ^un.

OPBBATH. 179

And that my tlioughts may be tlic
nivre exact in this great affair, that
they may not procfied only from fears
and melancholy reflections, bnt bo
guided by a rational inquiry, I irill
go and rieit a friend of mine, who
lived in great repute, bnt now lies
upon bin dying bed, and I will ask
him what he thinks of this world,
and another P It is true, I doubt he
had been bat little acqnunted with
the other ; but 1 am sure he can
give me an exact acconnt of this.
Come then, my soul, let us pay «
visit, which it is likely may be the
last. I will nut be afr^d, for my
late converse irith the dead will
harden me beyond the reach of fear,
nt the sight uf my dc^a^tuv^ 'w^vj:^-
hour: and be6ide», \Mi\3ft.\ft* op.'^^i

180 OFDMTH.

and our near acquaintance see
require the civility of a visit, w
I aui rcEolved, if jiossiblc, to be s
tied of a dying worldling's la^t
ceptioiis of the world : for d
men's thoughts of these things i
aeedij he the clearest, since
cease to be partial, and have
truest ideas of wliat ia past, am
most Bcoeible prospect of what

What bitter groans are thei
bear ! what fears of a dejected s
have seizeil upon my friend ! Si
this is not the usual temper of
whom 1 have always known so j'
and coura(!;eous 1 Why stand ye
about hlni) ye lielpless muun
Slid do not turn your iuBigni£
tearsnud mouinfuVVQuVs uAm v

una consolatory advice in this si
juncture of fears and terrors? I se
here is no room for questions, no
any opportunity of conversing witl
him about mj intended sobleet : bat
hark^ 1 hear him complain otwmtp
Ahladetalce he has committed,'1|i
e^lgiif his heart upon Hit wldeh wilt
now be no longer his.

O carsed estate ! that has onAlhse

ne. Te base deeeitfol riches ! will

ye leave me then at this Utter hoar

>f distress ? Ungratefal world ! thlm

mat had my hft*«^ '

182 OF DEATH.

HOW falling into torments, never to
come back again? O cruel, gnawing
worm ! ^^ art thou come to torment
me before my time?'' I was told
indeed, by Him that might haye been
my Saviour, of the never-dying rage
of conscience in the burning lake :
but I never feared it before my
entrance thither ; and I questioned
not to escape it there, by a timely
repentance before my death : and
behold now the intended time of my
repentance is come, 1 have not now
grace enough to offer up a devout
prayer to that God whose service
never used to be my business. Fain
would I now repent, and cannot : all
I can now do, is to curso my folly,
and be sorry for the ensuing punish-
ment of my sins ; and thus far the

OF DBATU. 183

tormented spirits do repent. I did
intend, before this fatal hour came,
to baye been very bountiful to the
poor, and have purchased my peace
with God at the price of a good part
of my estate, fiut, O God ! 1 now
perceive I must suffer for that very
intention, in having such low thoughts
of an Almighty God, as to expect he
would be satisfied with money for the
violation of his commands, and my
distrust of his providence.

O vain, bewitching pleasures ! will
ye leave me thus ? When I was of
late so eager in the chase of you, how
little did I expect this dreadful hour,
and these fears of hell, whicli now
damp and embitter all my former
sports and sensual pleasures ! O
Ms is a sad hour, that puts an end

r-

^

^.

,.,r «\uc>^ * * 1 tfw^e^* L not
(..rsotten- * to *»*« "

"^ ^' «\e9 of d'^'P' "ve of be«

• tl4-\r

OF DEATH.

185

fur Ikis wretched soul. No, did these
desires of mine proceed from a
true sense of the goodness of th^
God whom I have offended, they
would argue my condition not so
desperate : but I must confess, they
are caused only by the fears of
that dreadful punishment I am
hastening to. How little did I once
expect this deadness of heart, and
these distractions in my sickness,
when I designed it for the time of
my repentance, and foolishly resolved
to reconcile myself then to my
slighted God ! Farewell then, all ye
mourning friends about me, ye Job*8
comforters, that cannot help me in
my deplorable condition ! farewell
for ever ! and remember the dying
condition of a despairing sinner now

m::

•••'>i.," '

LmAM

18ft

p DSilB-

goinK to Odd'ft tri\iui«li*^**^«>
comlemncJ for not ^* VOiVw^ o
Ralvation with fear and tremblin
But see, my soul, deatli now t
to put a stop to his imperfect s|]
and hinders tlic continuance i
Had complaints : lo ! bis bitte
cents end in coufused and un
ligible cries, nhich seem to spei
terrors that are within. Wl
dismal combat is here betwis
dismayed and fearful soul, am
etrue^lin^ body ! 'JTliis dei
terrible indeed ! I am now sai
uf the opinion which careless
hare of the world when they co
die, and i^ive an impartial judj
of it. It is true, many wre
worldin^s (whose condition is ei
des|>erat« vitii this coraplaintn

^ ^.w wicnoutany of these '
disturbances, because they are st
and not so sensible as he of
approaching;;' miseries : but the
dition of all who have lived like
must needs be alike hopeless , th<
they may seem to smother 1
inward fears and sad dejectioi
spirit. If, then, I do not take i
to prevent the like cause of comph
at my last hour, by a timely bidd
adieu to all the hindrances of pie
I shall then deserve those miseri
the apprehensions of wi»5«»-

amends for those sma for-'wUdl
shall there receiye my doom. Could
that indeed be obtained, the folly of ■
careless life would be the more ezca-
sable : but once dead, and I am saved,
or lost fur ever. I have but one tLf^e
I to live, and shall I squander it away,

IJ. and employ it about the trifles of an

estate? Could that estate indeed
purchase me those treasures in hea-
ven, which God sent me hither to
secure, it were worth my while to
value it : but, instead of that, to
forfeit those very treasures for the
sake of it, and exchange away eter-
nal happiness for the sake of a fen
years* enjoyment here, is that n
()arirain f^ir a wise man ? " O thai
rich men wore wise, that they under

OF DEATH.

180

Stood tikis, thsit they would consider
their latter end !"

What hinders then, O my soul! but
that I may put these resolutions of pre-
paring for death, even now, intoexecu-
tion? It will make me melancholy, or
at least disturb my pleasures. It will
80, or else where is the benefit ? But
after a little time, when piety is by a
constant course become more familiar
to me, the thoughts of death will then
be sweet, and itself welcome. When
I know myself prepared to enter into
my Master's joy, I shall daily pant
after my change^ and be ever ready
to say, ** Lord, now lettest thou thy
servant depart in peace, that mine
c yes may see thy salvation!*' What
then can hinder me ? It is time
mough : but am I sure of that ?

^ ■ —

190 OF DEATH.

and if not, is it the part of a wis^
man to venture the Iohs of heavei:
upon uncertainties ? I have now
time, but shall I always have it ?
God calls me now, shall I trifle with
him, and boldly tell him, since he has
given me time enough, I will come
at my leisure? God knows, the
question is not, when shall I die? but,
if it happen now, even whilst I am
reading, am I now ready for it ? The
wretch whom but now I visited, was
undone (I heard him say so) by
intending to repent. He had, he
knew, a part to act, and he put it off
till his taper was expiring, and then,
Lord ! what a sad epilogue did he
make ! Oh ! how he went trembling
off the stage !

OP DEATH. 191

THE PRATER.

O God, thou great Redeemer of
the world I who hy thy resurrection
didst triumph over death, suffer it
not to arrest me unawares ; but
grant that I may live in a continual
expectation of it, and so be prepared,
not only to meet it, but even to bid it
welcome, and receive it as a joyful
messenger, sent to let me into thy
palace, and crown me with life eter-
nal. 1 am now, O God! resolved
upon a daily contemplation of my
last hour, and humbly implore thy
grace to enable me to live as I shall
then wish 1 had done. Thoa hast
thought fit to conceal the hour from
mc ; let me live then as if it were

7

O. B'^^-^*-

not tca«V ^ uv tVve i»8 ^^t
::Teare* evc»^j,^,, ^yJ«V^^,

^d -e^^-g ig oC ^f^, .error;
8*^vat\o« •.;",„ delay ^t*;„«a«e

OF DEATH. 193

fix my habitation in the world, since
I know that I am hasteuin;^ away,
and that the end of my journey will
likewise put an end to all my designs.
I am travelling to Canaan : O let
me not set my heart so much upon
the wilderness, as to forget the pro-
mised land, and lose my hopes of
entering into thy rest. But grant,
thmt through the holiness of my life*
Mid a daily prospect of my death, I
may passionately wish for that happy
hour, and meet it at last with the
earnest prayer of thy beloved apostle,
** Gome, Lord Jesus, come quickly.'*
Amen. ^^,,_ ^

/. '

J. "

I

o

PBNtTBMTIAL
IIITATION UPOK TRB MBRtTt
cubist's eUFFBRINGS. TR

I.ATEU FROM THE LATIN OP
(iBKAItD.

Tub reproach of the crosB is
glory of the Olirbtian ; and the
of the humble soul conBists in
hieediiig; wounds of a crucified
viour. Our truest life depends ii
hU death, and our highest honov
his exaltation. lieavenly Fat
O God omnipotent, how infinit
thy mercy ! how tnuDScendent
goodnesB ! It was owing to myi
tiint I have offended thee ; i
oiving to thysB)f,that thou wilt ki
of nil atoneiueut, »»& tAmt <

MEDITATION, &C. 195

reconciliation, by the mediational sa-
tisfaction of my Saviour.

Vouchsafe therefore, O God ! to
cast thine eyes upon the sacrifice of
his flesh, that so thou mayest remid
the guilt that proceeds from the de->
pravity of my own. Regard, I be-
seech thee, the sufferings of thy
beloved Son, and forget the miscar-
riages of me, thy unworthy servant.
My stubborn flesh has indeed pro-
voked thine anger ! but oh ! let
the expiatory sacrifice of thy Son's
blood melt thee into pity. Much, I
confess, my iniquities have deserved;
but much more has my Redeemer's
righteousness merited for me, and
the innocence of his life satisfied for
the guilt of mine. For by horn
much greater is God iViMkTEaxk^V) %^

Ibulk of wiCBea.,„
it of my being is tUae by right 4
f ation, grant that it mmy hm
also by rigbt of affection. Thoi
|ij ]: allowed me the privilege of ai
give me also the benefit of recc
Thou hast commanded me to
grant that I may find. Thi
{jlj rectest me to knock, open
that now do. For thee I i
the will to desire ; permit
beseech thee, to obtain tlie b
I ask. O righteous God ! <
at Jiidire ! if I conceal m]

I

tni

MBDITATIONy &C. 197

fill me with fear, when I consider
their end : but do not, I beseech tiiee
restrain thy mercy, where the misery
is confessed to be so inexpressibly
^reat ; and by how much the sorer
the burden of my sins is, by so much
the more let me feel the refreshments
of thy grace ; that so the greatness
of thy supplies may be answerable to
the greatness of my wants. Holy
Father, let me not, I pray thee, feel
the weight of thy wrath, since thou
hast smitten thy Son for my transgres*
sions : Holy Jesus, free me from the
mnger of an incensed God, since thou
thyself hast bonie that very anger in
thy suflFerings on the cross : blessed
Spirit, shield me, by the inyisible aid
of thy ghostly consolation, against
the displeasure of my God, since

o2

I

i

mercj to the pemi
the weary and heafj-laden ^^alai
Holy God 9 and my most rights
Judge, I have no place to fly
where 1 may avoid thy presenee»
shelter myself from the reach of
vengpeance. ^* If I go up into hemf
thou art there : if I go down into 1
thou art there also: if I take
wings of the morning, and rema'
the uttermost parts of the seap
there shall thy hand lead mr
*^^hv right hand shall hold me.*'

" *lip.n will I flv- ttni

MEDITATION, &C. 199

me. Let thy Son's blood cleanse
me from all unrighteousness, and
vouchsafe, I beseech thee, to look
upon me through that very Son of thy
love: regard those passionate prayers
he poured out upon the cross, and ac-
cept those powerful intercessions that
he offered up for all penitent sinners.
Most holy Lord ! most omnipotent
Judge I when I reflect upon my life,
J am terrified with the reflection : for
when I view it all over, I find, upon
the strictest search I am able to
make, that it is nothing but corrup-
tion, or, at best, but a void and un-
profitable waste ; or if there be any
appearance of fruitfulness in it, it is
either so counterfeit or defective, or
one way or other attended with
such a sensible mixture of the cor-

in thy sight: in that I
forced ta conclude, that m
lire is sinful; knd, upon that
siiljjcct tu n, state of domnt
dxe uiijirofitabic, nnd eu n
vnlucd at the bcBt. Nnj, '
sejMriito the unprofitable i
damnable? since ifitbethi
untiiiut escape tbe rigour of
it being so peremptorily de
the Gospel, "Thateyeryti
bringeth not forth good frui
into the fire;" and not i

MBD1TATI0K» &C. 201

at the left hand of the Jadge, fills me
with terror, when I consider they
underwent thai doom, not merely
because they had done wickedly, but
because they neglected to do good.
It was because they neither fed the
hungry, nor satisfied the thirsty;
neither clothed the naked, nor visited
the sick : and therefore, when from
hence I proceed to look into myself,
what sad reproach and self-condem-
nation must I be filled with, and
take upon myself this just complaint!
O thou dry and barren wood, fit only
for the fuel of unquenchable fire,
what wilt thou answer for thyself in
that day, when every minute part of
thy life shall be weighed in the
balance of an impartial justice, and a
strict enquiry made how it has been

o3

202 A CONSOLATORY, PBNll-irJVTl^j^

spent? when *' not a hair of your
head shall fall to the ground,*' nor m
moment of thy time be unaccounCec/
for ? O dreadful strait ! O anguish
insupportable f On the one hand,
my sins accusing ; on the other,
justice terrifying ! Beneath, a gaping
hell, an infernal lake, ready to devour
me ! Above me, an angry Grod,
ready to pass sentence ! Within me
the hidden remorse of a self-accusing
conscience! Round about me, the
material world melting into a liquid
conflagration ! And in these cir-
cumstances, if the righteous shall
scarcely be saved, where shall the
sinner, taken unprepared and laden
with guilt, be able to appear ? It
will be impossible to be concealed ;
and yet to appear, will be altogether

HBDITATION, 5cC. 203

intolerable. And now, in these great
exigencies and extremities of nature,
where can I look for help ? or what
salvation can I expect for my sinking
soul ? What counsel shall I take ?
what direction shall I follow ? Who,
or where is he, that is by way of
eminence and distinction stiled the
Guardian Angel, the Almighty Sa-
viour ? It is Jesus, my Judge, even
within whose arms I tremble.

But take heart, O my soul ! and do
not quite despair: hope in him whom
thou fearest ; fly to him from whom
thou hast fled; and whilst thou art
yet in the way, be reconciled to thy
dear Redeemer. Blessed Jesu ! ac-
cording to thy name, so be thy
mercy. Jjook upon me, a miserable
supplicant at the throne of thy grace,

.Ml not m"""

fO«l"*. " Ir

P TBB BBNKFITi, &C. 205

As often as I Gs my coDtemplaUoBH
upon the Bufferings of our Lord, so
often do I entertidn great things,
both witii reaiiect to the lore of my
God, Bud the pudon of my Bins.
Nay, the very circumstances of my
Saviour's death, are lively emblems
of his mercy; iusomucb, thatwhen I
behold his bead reclining od the
cross, methiuks I see him ready to
salute me. When I view his wide
expanded arms, they seems to me as
in a posture to embrace me. His
open hands are representations of
the benefits he is ready to bestow
upon me ; ami Ma ^k^aixi^ A&ss\w^j\

'ITS

,s love. H^ jg

high, that he
\ himself; nnd
ut with blood,
partake of the
er. They look
ruish, but tliey

and through
ounds \vc have

of liis heart ;
,d gore plainly

him there is
As the grape

OF OUR lord's passion. 207

offentled justice. Wiien Abrahtm
WKB about to offer up h's son iu
tacrifice to the Lord, the I^ord said,
" Now know I that thou lovest me,
seeio^ thou hast not withheld thy sun,
thine only son, from me." And thou
in like manner, O my soul I must for
ever ac1<nowledge the unspealcBhle
tove of thy eternal Father, since he
has not spared his own Son, but
freely gave him up for us all : so tbkt
while we were yet sinners, we were
reconciled unto Gud by the death of
his Son. Is it possible then that lie
should ever forg:et us, while he looks
upon us through the Son of his love?
Nay, can he ever forget that precious
pledge of his Son's love, the ransom
of bis blood, when be tells us. that
" he puts our t«»iT* \vi.'wi\i«.>swS»«-,

• vrr can uam»|

woridy be e?er unmindftil
for whom he liTes for erei
interceBsion, and for whoi
vouchsafe to die? Can h(
forgetful of those in hea
whose sake he endured 8u
pressible tortures upon eart
Consider then, O mj m
great variety of ineffable Mi
that accrue to thee upon
score of thy Saviour's si
Ghristour compassionate Hij
sweat crreat drons of blood

OF OUR L0RD*8 PASSION. 209

death, that he might save us from
the unexpressible miseries of eternal
death, when we are contending with
the last agonies of a temporal one.
** His soul was exceeding sorrowful,
even unto death,*' that we might live
with him in heaven, and be crowned
with ^* joy unspeakable, and full of
glory." Ho suffered himself to be
betrayed by a kiss, which is the
pledge of love, and the token of
affection, that he might cancel that
guilt which the devil had brought
upon our first parents, under the
shew of officious counsel, and the
specious appearance of a singular
kindness. He submitted himself to
be taken and bound, and led away as
a malefactor, on purpose to release us
from the chains of Satan, and free us

210

OP THB BBNBFIT8

from the misery of an everlastinf^

captivity. He chose to enter upoii.
his passion in the garden, that ho

might expiate that original sin that
was contracted in the garden. He
was strengthed by an angel, that
he might make us angelical, and rank
us among the number of the sons of
God. He was forsaken by his disci-
ples, that we might, even after our
shameful relapse into sin, be again
reconciled to God. He was ac-
cused by false witnesses, before the
Jewish Sanhedrim, to prevent Satan*s
accusing us before Cud's tribunal.
He was condemned on earth, that we
might be acquitted in heaven ; when
he was accused before Pontius Pilate
as guilty, who never knew sin, he was
jilent, and opened not his mouth, to

OF OUR L0RD*8 PASSION. 211

the intent that we might not be
found dumb and speechless, and
utterly inexcusable, by reason of our
sins, when we also shall be summoned
to appear before the bar of God*8
justice. He was buffetted by the
rude rabble, and underwent cruel
mockings, that we might be acquitted
from the lashea of conscience and
the buffettings of Satan, and so
disappoint the malice of that subtle
adversary, that lies in wait to deceive.
His face was covered and blindfolded,
that he might take away the veil of
sin, which intercepts the sight of God
from us, and is the fatal cause of that
inexcusable ignorance which leads to
a state of eternal darkness. He was
clothed with external vestments, that
we might be clothed with that robe of

,.^^*^'

212 OF THN BBNBPITl

righteousnesB, and inward purity^
which we had lost by our traoB-
gressions. He was torn with thonrs
and cruel scourges, that he might
heal our griefs and carry our sorrows.
He bore the dolorous weight of the
cross, that he might take off the heavy
burden of that eternal punishment,
which was the desert of our sin. He
thirsted on the cross, that we might
be cheered with the refreshing dew
of divine grace, and be kept from
coming into that place of torments,
where we shall in vain call for a drop
of water to cool our parched tongues.
He endured the incensed wrath of an
angry God, that he might rescue us
from those devouring flames which
cannot be quenched. He cried out for
grief and very bitterness of soul , on

OF OUR lord's passion* 213

purpose to save us from eternal weep-
ingt wailing, and gnashing of teeth,
fie shed plenty of tears, that he might
wipe off all tears from our eyes ; and
at last closed his eyes in death, that
we might awake to righteousness,
and enjoy the light of everlasting life.
Take courage, then, O my soul !
and do not either forget the benefits,
or cast off thy humble confidence in
thy adorable Redeemer : for though
thou hast offended against an infinite
goodness, yet remember, that an
infinite price is paid down for the
offenee. Thou art, indeed to be
judged for thy iniquities, but he that
bore the iniquities of us all, has
himself already been judged. If
then thy sins deserve punishment,
remember that God has punished

214 OF THB BENEFITS 9 &C.

them in his Son. If thy wouuds
great and many, yet they are not ^^
numerous and incurable, but that thd/'
may be cancelled and healed by the
precious balsam of the blood of
Christ. Moses, indeed, has pro-
nounced a curse upon thee, for not
observing all things that were written
in the book of the law ; but Christ is
become a curse for thee, and the
hand-writing that was agunst thee, is
nailed to the cross, and blotted out
by the laver of thy Saviour s blood.
Most justly therefore, sweet Jesus !
may I look upon thy passion and
death, as the last best refuge of my
depending soul. Gloria Deo.

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