“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psa. 51:10).
After you have received the Lord’s Supper, the several duties which you must perform from your own soul:—First, you must be careful that forasmuch as Christ now dwells in you, therefore, to entertain him in a clean heart, and with pure affections (Psa. 18:26),
Nathaniel Ranew said, “Those most holy will be holy with the Holy.”
If Joseph of Arimathea, when he had begged Pilate for Christ’s dead body to bury it, wrapped it in sweet odors and fine linen, and laid it in a new tomb, how much more should you lodge Christ in a new heart, and perfume his rooms with the odoriferous incense of prayers, and all pure affections? If God required Moses to provide a pot of pure gold to keep the manna that fell in the wilderness, what a pure heart should you provide to receive this divine manna that is come down from heaven? And as you earnestly sorrow, like Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:46), to seek Christ in the temple, so now having there found him in the midst of his word and sacraments, be careful with joy to carry him home you thee as they did. And if the man that found but his lost sheep rejoiced so much (Luke 15:6), how can you, having found the Savior of the world, will you rejoice much more?
How do you rejoice daily in God? How does your personal devotional life demonstrate that God is enthroned in your praises?
You must also offer the sacrifice of a private thanksgiving to God for this inestimable grace and mercy; for as this action is common to the whole church, so is it applied particularly to every one of the faithful in the church; and for this particular mercy every soul must joyfully offer up a particular sacrifice of thanksgiving. For if the wise men rejoiced so much when they saw the star which conducted them to Christ, and worshipped him so devoutly when he lay a babe in the manger, and offered to him their gold, myrrh, and frankincense, how much more should you rejoice, now that you have both seen and received this sacrament which guides your soul to him where he sits at the right hand of his Father in glory? And there, lifting up your heart, adore him, and offer up to him the gold of a pure faith, the myrrh of a mortified heart, and the sweet incense of prayer and thanksgiving. Lewis Bayly, The Practice of Piety.
Contemplation:
It is my fault and my infirmity, that I confess in Your sight, O Lord my God. I do not consider Your ways and Your works. I often do not think seriously on that duty and obligation which I owe to You, Lord.
Your ways, O Lord, are unsearchable, for who is there that has known the mind of the “Lord, or who has been His counselor?” I cannot fathom this depth of Your working, for it is a boundless and bottomless deep. How have my praises been raised up to you? Are they acceptable to You? You, O Lord, are wonderful in goodness, mercy, patience, yes, in all your attributes.Help me to praise you as you require.
Lord, it has pleased You to come near to me, very near, and I wonder at it, and I cannot wonder enough. What has moved You to do so, except it is to magnify the greatness of Your mercy in Jesus Christ, in showing Yourself merciful to such a miserable and sinful person as I am. I bring you praise to magnify Christ, for whatever is done to me, it is to be ascribed to Your free grace and favor in Christ.
I am thankful you have not dealt with me in wrath. I would have been consumed long ago. Therefore, from my inward parts of my heart I bless and praise You, the Lord, for Your goodness that You has manifested to me. Help me to know that Christ and his righteousness belongs to me; and through him my prayers may ascend to You, and Your blessings may descend on me.
