Monthly preparations for the Holy Communion by R.B

Answ. Cease, fool, thy reasonings; he cannot love an enemy, because thou canst not; he cannot die, because thy cowardly heart will not suffer thee! Why should he fear the grave, that had power over it? And what though thou art unworthy of his love, if he will have thee and make thee worthy? Thy heart is base, and what of that, if he will mend it? thy filthy ⟨p. 101⟩rotten and polluted soul he intends to wash and cleanse it till it is without spot and wrinkle, or any such thing. Thy stubborn proud earthly and lustful heart, he can make humble, tender, soft and yielding. And when he hath made thee as he would, why may not he take thee to himself, and lay thee next his heart, and delight over thee everlastingly?

Object. But will his Father yield to this? I am too poor a match for the Son and heir of all things: But will he, can he suffer his Son to die to buy such a beggarly thing to himself as I am?

Answ. A way these silly simple childish thoughts; how like an inhabitant of this earthly sensual world dost thou reason? thou wilt not under-match, and therefore will not God his Son? Thou fool, thou wilt not because thou canst find another equal. But dost thou not know that God can find none equal to his Son; he must stoop, or else go without. It's true, he might have gone without, but what if he would not, why should not ⟨p. 102⟩Heaven have its will as well as thou? Thou hast no dowry, and he doth need none, and yet thou arguest as if Heaven would make traffic with his Son and his love, as we silly worms do here; but we are beggars, and so are Angels, and all the glorious Hosts above, they are his Creatures, hang and depend upon him, and cannot subsist one moment happy without supplies and helps of his Grace; and why may he not bring a beggarly man as near to himself, as a beggarly Angel, if so it pleaseth him?