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in the same manner as you would do if you were now at the eve of this great festival, as if you saw already the dawning of this most happy day. Entertain now the same affection and joy, as if you heard the voice of God, and the trumpet of the arch-angel, as if the earth was already in a flame, and as if Jesus Christ himself was coming in the clouds of heaven. And as no impure thing shall enter into the heavenly and holy Jerusalem, and that without holiness no man shall see the face of God, cleanse yourselves, Christians, from all filthiness of the flesh, and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Forsake all manner of vice; give yourselves over to virtue, and to the practice of good works; imitate the diligence of that faithful servant, that you may not be ashamed at the coming of your great Master. Take heed that ye be not like the wise virgins, that slept as well as the foolish; but watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation; for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Redeem the time, for the days are evil; and make haste to put on the garments of righteousness and innocence; fill your hearts with the holy oil of faith, of hope, and charity. Take your lamps in your hands, and let your souls shine with a divine light.

In this blessed disposition, let us go and meet our heavenly bridegroom, and hasten his coming, by our prayers and groans. Let our souls be full of love; let them sigh for our divine Jesus; and being moved with the same affections as St. John, let us say to him with an earnest desire, Come Lord Jesus; and if he answers, For certain I come quickly, let the longing of our souls increase more and more, that we may be able to pray more fervently; and let this cry reach up to heaven, Come, Lord Jesus, even come, Lord come quickly. Amen.

PRAYER AND MEDITATION,

For a Believing Soul, that rejoiceth and comforts itself in looking upon death's destruction, and the everlasting and blessed life which we hope to enjoy, both in soul and body, after the resurrection.

O GREAT Judge of the world, author of life and happiness, thy grace hath bestowed upon me the seeds of immortality, the first-fruits of glory, and the foretastes of everlasting delight. By faith I have a prospect of those joys and felicities of paradise, into which my soul shall enter at its departure out of this wicked world, and into that glory prepared for my body at thy appearing. O raise my mind to eye continually that complete and unspeakable felicity and glory promised to both soul and body, when thou shalt be revealed from heaven with flames of fire, to take vengeance of unbelievers, and to glorify the saints. Let me not be unmindful of that magnificent throne where thou shalt sit to judge the quick and the dead, before which the greatest princes and monarchs, as well as their meanest subjects and slaves, must appear, to hear the just sentence of their doom, and receive the rewards of their deeds. Grant that I may now rejoice in expectation of that happy day, in which all the enemies of thy glory, and our salvation, shall be destroyed, in which Satan, his angels, and wicked agents, and instruments of his kingdom, shall be bound in chains, and cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, from whence they shall never be released; in which death shall be no more; all the living shall become immortal, and thy church be crowned, and enter in triumph into that magnificent city, built with gold, pearls, and precious stones, where thy glory shall continue for ever to enlighten it, and accomplish our happiness. O that I may now expect with comfort and joy, that blessed state where we shall never hunger nor thirst, but be advanced to the condition and perfection of an

gels, be clothed with light and glory, and being crowned with an eternal felicity, rejoice with the celestial societies of patriarchs, prophets, apostles, confessors, and martyrs, and with all the princes and monarchs, who have lived and are departed, in thy fear and favour, and where we shall be admitted to the vision of God, and be changed and satisfied with his divine likeness. O Lord grant that I may always have this glorious and happy day in my thoughts, when all thy promises shall be fulfilled. all thy works finished, and our desires and expectations fully accomplished. And because this time and day is unknown to us, give us grace to live always waiting for it, as if we were at the eve of this eternal Sabbath, that our lamps may be trimmed, provided, and burn with the oil of faith, hope, and charity, and be ready and awake at thy glorious appearing, clothed with a wedding garment, fit to enter with thee into eternal blessedness. Grant us grace to desire and look for this promised redemption, long to hear the sound of the last trumpet, and behold thy coming in the clouds of heaven, O divine Saviour! that we may ascend to meet thee, and welcome thy glorious appearance! O Lord, forgive our impatient wishes, and hasten that day for the elect's sake. Come with thy powerful angels, and the ministers of thy heavenly court, to execute justice on thine enemies, and deliver thy servants. Come and put an end to this wicked world, infested with sin, and subject to corruption and vanity, and purge the heavens and the earth from all pollution. Come and take vengeance for the innocent blood of thy martyrs, shed by Antichrist and his cruel agents; bind the devils in chains of darkness, and shut them up with death for ever in the bottomless pit. Lord Jesus, have pity on the cries and sufferings of thy distressed people. Come and deliver them out of this cruel Egypt, out of this abominable Babylon, where they continue in captivity. Omerciful Lord! is it not time that thou shouldst bring us to thy celestial Canaan? Give us to taste of the milk and

honey of the most refined joys and comfort, and introduce us into thine holy Jerusalem, the city of peace and everlasting rest. Come therefore, and wipe away the tears, and stop the crying of thine afflicted people. Take them out of this infamous prison, open to them the gates of thy magnificent palace, clothe them with light, and perfect thy salvation, and their happiness. We have been a long while contending with our spiritual and temporal enemies, in our tedious and troublesome journey through the world, and at a distance from thee; we now long to be nearer to thee, O wonderful Redeemer! who hast accomplished all thy works, and that of our redemption, by thy blood and sufferings. Perfect also, we beseech thee, that of our glorification; receive us, and thy church into that complete felicity prepared for us from the beginning of the world, and purchased with thy precious blood and sufferings. O merciful God! admit us to that state where we have nothing to fear, nothing to desire, and nothing to wish for, but be always employed in praising thine infinite bounty and mercy. Join our voices with the anthems of the holy angels, that, with the blessed saints, we may be able to say, Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for death is swallowed up in victory, and the grand accuser of our brethren is shut up in the bottomless pit, which accused them before our God day and night; and they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and have not loved their own lives unto death. Unto him, who hath loved and washed us from all our sins in his blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God his Father, to him, I say as to the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be glory, power, and dominion, for ever. Amen.

THE END.

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