thee on purpose for it after his own image; that upon thy conformity to him, might grow thy communion with him, and from the likenefs might arife the dearnefs. And though thy fins might be a just bar and wall of feparation to intercept all the correfpondence; yet has he made a new and living way, even for guilty finners to come to him, through the holy Son of his love. My foul, thou canft not go to the Father but by him: nor canft thou mifs of good welcome and acceptance, when found in him. Indeed thou art alienated from the life of God, till he fpeak new life to thee, and raise up the life of grace in thee; and even change thy nature, to make thee of a heavenly difpofition, fitted for the heavenly communion. For O! what communion has light with darkness? and how can a dead clod converse with the living God? or that which is nothing but filth agree with him that is all purity? though men and brutes live on the fame turf together, yet they have no communion with one another, because of their different natures. And thou art an out-lier, a ftranger, and foreigner, till regeneration has made thee a fellow-citizen with the faints, and of the houfhold of God. Then he remembers thee with the favour which he bears to his people, when thou art incorporate as one of the number. Then he ftands in all the relations that may invite thee to him, and embolden thee to come and find the kind entertainment with him, as he is a Friend, thy best Friend and Father, thy God and Saviour, thy Husband and Comforter. All which titles carry nothing but dearness in themselves, and encouragement to my foul. O what may not I expect from fuch a one? where can I go to be used better? with whom can I be taken up more to my fatisfaction? Wretched creatures! that prefer other fellow. fhips, and use themselves to fuch haunts, as quite take take them off all communion with the God infinitely good. For where tempers and manners are fo oppofite, alas! what hearty friendship? when perfons look two ways, and what the one moft loves, the other cannot abide; what fweet union then is like to be? fuch as cannot fkill of the holy Lord, and have no liking for his ways, keep off from him, and care not for having any thing to do with him. The loofe ungodly gang fancy none but fuch as are of the fame ftrain; and it fhews what they are but to fee where they love to be; for all their intimacy arises from their iniquity: and therefore they hang fo together, because they are even as bad one as another. Such brethren in evil, do father themfelves upon the great ringleader of all the wicked, nefs and betray their membership to that head, their derivation from him, and their concerns with him; how far they are departed from the living God, and what a vile difmal life they lead without God in the world; and fo are the children of this world only for their own party, and all higher fellowship, and the converfation in heaven, is above their comprehenfion, and paffes with them but for a mere whim and imagination. But, my foul, better remember thy God and thyfelf, than to confort and strike in with fuch. Defpife both their leagues and their joys, and follow hard after him, whom thou haft the greatest reason above all to regard and love. If he will vouchfafe to impart himself to thee, never fhew thyfelf backward to draw nigh and clofe in with him; nor think it much to forget thy own people and father's houfe on earth; that thou mayeft be dear and amiable to thy Lord and Father which is in heaven, but count it the moft gainful exchange to leave all for him, who is fo much better than all. O! let that which is the daily fearch of all holy fouls in the world be allo thine to feek after God, and to keep up the good understanding with him: remove the the offences, which thou knoweft will exafperate or disoblige him; and be not wanting in any offices of correfpondence and endearment, to ingratiate thyfelf still more and more with him. For what mean all the ordinances of worship, and duties of religion, but to take off the ftrangeness, and to increase the acquaintance between God and the foul? that in efpecial manner, particularly called the communion, is to be used as the bleffed means of the gracious Lord's own appointing, to ftrengthen thy interest in him, and renew thy friendship, and even to incorporate thyself with him. O let the experience, which thou haft had of fuch approximation to God, and walking with him, make thee in love with all the opportunities of appearing before him. If thou remembereft how the Lord of love first revealed himself to thee, and brought thee into the banqueting-house, and overcame thy heart, and drew up thy affections, and opened heaven, and fealed thy hopes of his everlafting love, fo as to take thee off, not only thy darling lufts, but even thy worldly comforts; O! canft thou not wish that fuch times might ever laft? and, (as lovers fpy and catch the opportunities of coming together) defire the free accefs to him, and thofe heavenly entertainments with him, which the world knows not of. O what pleasure in the world, or fatisfaction fo fweet, as for dear friends to come and affociate together, and enjoy one another? How ready am I to unbofom myself, and tell all to my friend? and count it the ease of my forrows, and the multiplication of my joys, to communicate them to such a one. My foul, thou haft the fame liberty to go and pour out thy heart, and open thy mind to thy God. Though thou must never think to converse as hailfellow with him, upon equal terms; yet there may be as free and fweet correfpondence between fupe rior and inferior, as between any equals; if there be but fimilitude of qualities, and engagement of affections; then there will be (the idem velle et nolle) one heart and one foul, and love will shape itself to all the figures and motions of the Beloved. It will make the one ftoop down, and the other ftretch up: that there may be the meeting half way, or any way, to get into the fruition of each other's converfation. O! may this be thy holy ambition, and thy hourly care, my foul, to feek, and find, and receive, and entertain thy God, with whom thou haft greater concerns, and more to do, than with all the world befides; he does not need thee, he can be never the better for thee; yet he is pleased to seek to thee, and comes and ftands at the door, and knocks to be admitted by thee; but extreme is the need that thou haft of him ; thou canft never do well; thou canst not live without him. O then ftretch upon the wing to come at him, and never refufe the offer that is made by him: observe with the narrowest inspection his way, his motions? and know the afpect and voice of thy Beloved. If he gives a kind look, or but the least hint; O take it and improve it, to make all thy advantage of it; and let thy eyes be ever towards thy Lord, and thy heart running out after him; and have fomewhat ever and anon to fay to him, and negotiate with him; to keep the correfpondence tight and warm; for never will he be weary of thy hanging fo much upon him, nor be offended at thy coming fo often to him, or ftaying fo long with him; no, but the more thou art thus concerned, the more ftill fhalt thou be favoured. Catch hold therefore of the happy privilege, and prize it, and use it, and make thy beft and utmost of it; rejoice in it, and value thyself upon it, and be thankful to thy God for it; nor ever seek to quiet thyfelf in any thing elfe whatever thou thou haft out or fhort of God, but let it be him, and him alone, that thou art for above all, faying with St. Bernard, (Domine, tua non fatiant, nifi tecum.) Nothing, Lord, that thou giveft me will content me without thee; all is infipid and unfavoury, (if I have not thyfelf; be thou ever with me, O my God, till thou haft brought me to be ever with the Lord. In fhort, my foul, heaven hereafter will not be the beginning of quite another life, but the perfecting of what was here begun. Do not then look upon this communion with God as a mere reserve for the future ftate, but prefs after it, and now accuftom thyself to it, as ever thou hopest elsewhere to be for ever happy in it. 66 THE PRAYER. Lord, my God, thou haft made me for thyfelf; and it is my duty, and also my felicity, to draw nigh to thee, to keep in with "thee, and to obtain the bleffed enjoyment of thee. "But O! how wickedly have I turned my back upon thee, and been eftranged from thee, and "ftruck into other fellowships, where I have lived "in the world without thee: for which thou "mighteft juftly caft me off, as a hateful object, "no more fit to be looked upon by thee. Yet, "where thou canst not behold me with delight, "Lord, of pity, look upon me in compaffion; and purge and difcharge me from every thing that "provokes thy indignation. O bring me nearer, "and make me liker to my Lord; fitter to receive "thee, and to enjoy the bleffed fellowship with "thee, coveting and prizing it above all defirable "things in the world. And then be pleafed fur"ther to impart thyself to me, and come and abide * |