A Prayer and Meditation for a Believing Soul, who arms it felf against the Fears of Death, by meditating on the Glorious Afcenfion of Jefus Chrift into Heaven, and his Sitting at the Right Hand of God.

Holy and Divine Saviour, I bave often looked upon thy Generous Behaviour and Glorious Victories, to Strengthen my felf against all Apprehenfions of Death; but if thou wilt render my Fay most perfect and accomplished, grant me Grace to mediate upon thy Divine Triumph. As thou baft been engaged in many Encounters for my fake, and baft vouchsafed to me a Share in thy Victory, grant me alfo a Share in thy glorious Afcenfion, and Triumph. As thou baft suffered for my Sins, and art rifen again for my Fuftification, thou art alfo afcended up into Heaven to prepare a Place for me. Thou art willing that I should be admitted into thy Noble and Divine Palace that I should be where thou art, that I may bebeld thy Glory, which thou hast enjoyed with God the Fa ther before the Creation of the World. O Sweet and Merci ful Lord, what Cause have I to fear to go to Heaven, fince thou art there feated in the Highest Glory and Felicity, and stretchefs out thy merciful Hand to receive me? Have I not goodReason to expect to be glorified in thy Kingdom, fince thou thy felf doft bestow upon those that ferve thee, Immortal Crowns and Scepters? O great God and Saviour, thy Throne is furrounded with Glory and Splendor; nevertheless I will draw near unto it with Boldness, for 'tis a Throne of Love, and a Throne of Mercy, unto which every Penitent Sinner may come. Round about this Glorious Throne, I fee a Rainbow of an Emerald Colour, that certifies me that my Covenant is Everlasting. When thy Glory and Majefty increased, thy Love for me was not diminished, and thy Compaffion and Goodness were always alike. Thou art the fame Yesterday, and to Day, and thou shalt always be the fame for ever. Thon baft been pleafed for my Salvation to lie in a Manger,

and

and to be nailed to a Crofs. Thou haft given thy Soul for my Ransom, and haft fpilt thy precious Blood to wash and cleanfe me from my Sins, and to mark me a Way, that I might en ter into thine holy Sanctuary. In the midst of all that Glory and Light with which thoa art now cloathed, thou bast not thought it a Scorn to acknowledge me for thy Brother, and for a Member of thy Mystical Body. 'Tis for my fake that thou appeareft before thine heavenly Father; and 'tis for me that thou offereft up unto him Prayers and Supplications. O wonderful Lord, 'tis in thy Power to give me the things which thou haft merited by thy Sufferings, and which thou defireft for me by thy Prayers and Interceffion; for all· Power is given unto thee in Heaven and in Earth. O Sovereign Monarch of the whole World, haft thou not made us this great and gracious Promife. When I fhall be lifted up from the Earth, I fhall draw all Men after me? And is it not for us, that thou haft prayed in this excellent manner, Father, I will that they alfo, whom thou haft given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my Glory which thou haft given me? Since therefore thou haft left this wretched Earth, to go and reign above in Heaven, take unto thee my Soul, O wonderful Redeemer, and deliver it from this Valley of Tears and Mifery. Caufe it to understand at the time of its departure thefe Words of Joy and eternal Comfort, Verily I fay unto thee, this day fhalt thou be with me in Paradife. Lord Jefus, draw me with the Cords of thy Mercy and Grace, and I shall run after thee. And in regard I must of neceffity pass through Death to come to thee the Prince of Life and Immortality, give me Grace to confider it in the fame manner as the Prophet Elias did the fiery Chariot that lifted him up to Heaven; or as Jacob did the Wagon that carried him into Egypt, to his Son that reigned there. This Holy Father in a transport of Foy cried out, Let me fee my Son Jofeph again, and then let me die. But when I fhall be ravish'd with an unfpeakable and glorious Joy, I fhall Speak in another man

ner.

Let me die that I may behold my true Jofeph, the

Soul

Soul of my Soul, the Light of Life, the Author of my Glory and Happiness. O Sweet Jefus, I shall freely and willingly leave this wretched and infirm Dwelling, to enter into the Heavenly Palace, to behold thy Glory and Magnificence. O King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, when Shall I hear that Divine Wisdom that drops from thy Lips? When Shall I fee thee feated upon the Throne of thy Glorious Majefty, where a thousand thousands wait upon thee, and ten Millions worship thee? When fhall I enter into the Glorious Company of Saints and blessed Spirits, that fing forth thy Praifes, and caft at thy Feet their Precious Crowns? O Victorious Monarch, who art now in thy Kingdom, enjoying a Perfect Happiness; forget not thy poor Servant; be not unmindful of thy Son, or Daughter, who am now overwhelmed with the Sorrow of this miferable Life, and the Anguish of Death. Let not the Songs of the Holy Angels, and the Applaufes of all the Glorified Spirits, binder thee from Liftning to my Sighs and Groans. O Almighty and Merciful Lord, look upon me with the Eyes of thy Love, and reach unto me thine Helping Hand. Send to me thine Angels of Light to receive my Soul, and protect me from the Angels of Darkness that endeavour to destroy me and to drag me headlong into Hell. Let fome of thofe Glorious Spirits, that wait for thine Orders, and fly at thy Command, deliver me from Death, and carry me upon their Wings into thy Bofom. I fee the Heavens open, and Jefus Chrift fitting at the right Hand of God the Father. Jefus receive my Spirit. Amen.

Lord

СНАР.

CHAP. XIX.

The Seventh Confolation against the Fears of Death, is our strict and infeparable Union with Jefus Chrift, by the means of his Holy Spirit, and the firft Fruits of our Bleffed Immortality.

Ο
OU

UR Lord Jefus Chrift is not only alive, and triumphs in Heaven, but 'tis from thence our Life, our Glory, and our Bleffed Immortality proceed. For as the Father hath Life in himself, he hath also given to the Son to have Life in himfelf; and as the Father raiseth and quickneth the Dead, likewife the Son quickneth whomfoever he will. So that we may not only fay to him as St. Peter, Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life, John 6. but we may juftly speak to him in David's Language, With thee is the Fountain of Life; in thy Light fhall we fee Light, Pfal. 36. Therefore all thofe that are united and incorporated into this Prince of Life, participate of the Fulness of his Holy Spirit, and by that means they become Partakers of Immor tality and Happiness. Now by the Virtue of Chrift's Death and Paffion, we are not only made Partakers of the Fruits of his Sufferings, but we are united to, and incorporated in him; fo that by that means we have obtain❜d not only the Great and Precious Promifes of Glory and Immortality, which he hath purchafed for us by the Infinite Merits of his Sufferings, but we receive the First-Fruits and Fore-Taftes of our future Bleffedness.

He that is lifted up and dwells on high, quickens the Spirits of the Humble, Ifa. 57. he dwells in our Hearts by Faith, Ephef. 3. 1. He pours into our Souls his Holy and Quickning Spirit: For because we are the Children of God, he hath fent the Spirit of his Son

into our Hearts to cry Abba Father, Gal. 4. Whofoever hath not this Spirit of the Lord Jefus, he is none of his. By the means of this Spirit he dwells in us, and we in him; we become Members of his Body; and we may boaft, that we are his Flefh and his Bones.

All things that are moft ftrictly united by Nature or Art, are employ'd to reprefent this admirable Union, John 6. which we enjoy with Jefus Chrift, by the means of his Spirit that quickens us, Rom. 13.From hence are derived thefe Expreffions of the holy Apoftle, We have put on the Lord Jefus Christ, Gal. 3. And that when we draw near to him who is the living Stone, rejected of Men, but lifted up, and of great price with God, 1 Pet. 2. We, like for many living Stones, are built up together to make a fpiritual Houfe: For the fame Reafon our Saviour informs us, John 15. that he is the Tree, and that we are the Branches. And St. Paul affures us, that if we are become one Plant with him, by the Conformity of his Death, we fhall also be one by the Refemblance of his Refurrection, Rom. 6.

To exprefs to us, that this facred Union contains many ties of Love, our Lord Jefus Chrift is reprefented as our Brother, our Father, and our Bridegroom, therefore the Apoftle tells us, that he thinks it no Difgrace to own us for his Brethren, in faying, Heb. 1. I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren; and alfo where he informs us, Rom. 8. that God hath predestinated us to be conformed to the Image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many Brethren. And after his Refurretion, he fpeaks thus to Mary Magdalen, Joh. 20. Touch me not, for I am not yet afcended to my Father; but go to my Brethren and fay unto them, I afcend unto my Father, and to your Father, aud to my God, and to your God, Heb. 2. Therefore this Glorious Redeemer, fhewing himself unto God with all the Elect, faith, Here I am, and the Children which thou hast given me, Hof. 2. And by the Mouth of Hofea he fpeaks to his Church, and makes this Promife to her, Iwill betroth thee unto me for ever;

yea,