[These meditations proceed as follows. First, he notes an aspect of the Savior’s life. Second, he composes a prayer. The whole makes one meditation.]

THE Soul’s Communion WITH HER SAVIOR.

The First Book,

Containing so much of the Gospel History as relates to the Infancy of the Savior Jesus, and that time of his private life which passed before He entered on his public ministry.

Cap. I. Of His Incarnation.

 §. 1.

O holy and ever-blessed Jesus, eternal Son of the eternal God[1], who didst descend from thy Father’s Bosom[2]; from the highest Heavens, thy Royal Throne[3], to this Vale of Misery; that by taking my nature upon Thee[4], Thou mightest not only suffer and satisfy for Me, but also impart Thy Nature unto Me[5].

I praise and magnify thy Name[6],

For this thine unspeakable[7] Love[8].

I adore thee for thine infinite[9] wisdom[10] and goodness[11]:

I am astonished at thy stupendous humility and condescension

to lost and undeserving man[12].

Bow the Heavens,

O Lord, once more, and come down,

touch my heart with thine Almighty Power; and,

having cast out whatsoever may be offensive to thy Sacred Majesty,

fill it with thy blessed presence forever.

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[1] This meditation tracks closely with the article of the Nicene Creed concerning the Son: “And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man.”

Historic Creeds and Confessions. Electronic ed., Lexham Press, 1997.

[2] John 1:14–18 (KJV)  “¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. ¹⁶ And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

[3] Hebrews 1:1–3 (KJV) “¹ God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, ² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; ³ Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

[4] Hebrews 2:14–17 (KJV) “¹⁴ Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; ¹⁵ And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. ¹⁶ For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. ¹⁷ Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

[5] 1 Corinthians 15:47–49 (KJV) “⁴⁷ The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸ As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. “

[6] 2 Samuel 7:26 (KJV) “And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.” Psalm 138:2 (KJV) “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”

[7] 2 Corinthians 9:15 (KJV) “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

[8] 1 John 4:7–10 (KJV) “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. ⁸ He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. ⁹ In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. ¹⁰ Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

[9] Psalm 147:5 (KJV) “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”

[10] Ephesians 3:10 (KJV) “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God”

[11] Romans 2:4 (KJV) “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

[12] Philippians 2:5–11 (KJV)  “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”