conveyances of sense are the thickest to the unspeakable torment of thine innocent body The sorrows and sufferings of thy Soul were far greater The sufferings of his Soul being like melting wax molten in the fiery furnace of God's wrath for the sins of the world till the fulness of thy sufferings being accomplished thou commendedst thy spirit into the hands of God All this Sorrow and Suffering Grief and Torment of thine I believe verily was for me and for my sins there being nothing in thee the spotless Son of a spotless Virgin to grieve or sorrow or suffer for O sweetest Saviour save and deliver me from all my sins whether of knowledge or ignorance of wilfulness or negligence of omission or commission of thought desire word or deed confessed or not confessed before thee wash them all away in thy precious bloud shed for me nail them to thy Cross which were the cause of thy Crucifixion hide them in thy wounds who wast wounded for my transgressions and write those wounds of thine in my heart not with ink but with the bloud which was shed forme that in and by those characters of bloud I may reade and learn to die unto sin and live onely unto thee who diedst for me cleaving stedfastly unto thee whose whole self wast so fast nailed to the Cross for me By thy Cross and Passion both in Soul and Body cleanse me from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit crucifie this corruptible flesh of mine with all the inordinate affections and unruly lusts thereof that being conformed to thy Death I may be partaker of thy Resurrection that suffering with thee here I may reign with thee hereafter where thou livest THE SECOND PART OF THE PRACTICAL Christian Being Considerations Meditations and Prayers in order to the worthy Receiving the HOLY COMMUNION of the Body and Bloud of CHRIST The Second Edition revised and augmented Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Luk. 12.43 LONDON Printed for R. Royston 1677. A TABLE of the Chapters CHAP. I. Of the two general Christian Duties required in order to the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ CHAP. II. Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Holy Communion the Week before CHAP. III. Meditations and Praiers for the Friday especially before the Communion CHAP. IV. Saint Augustine 's Recommendation of the Passion of Christ unto God the Father CHAP. V. Saint Ambrose 's Commemâ—ration of our Saviour's Passion CHAP. VI. Saint Gregory 's Praiers upon the Passion of Christ CHAP. VII The Form of Praier used by our Lord upon the Cross viz. the XXII Psalm paraphrased CHAP. VIII Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday-night or Sunday-morning before CHAP. IX Meditations upon your going to Church with some short Directions for your demeanour in the House and in the Service of God CHAP. X. Meditations and Praiers at the Blessed Sacrament CHAP. XI Psalms of praise and thanksgiving after the Holy Communion THE PRACTICAL Christian PART II. CHAP. I. Of the two general Christian Duties required in order to the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of CHRIST 1. THE Blessed Eucharist or Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is of all the Mysteries of godliness the most comprehensive and applicatory to the Soul 's eternall Happiness 'T is amongst all Christian Duties of highest dignity and greatest concern 'T is both the Food and the Medicine the Life and the Health the Strength and Defence the Peace Joy and Delight of the truly Religious Soul 'T is the most effectual means of the nearest Union and Communion with Christ in this life attainable 'T is expresly so called the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Communion of the Bloud of Christ a 1 Cor. 10.16 which Doctrine we are taught as one of the Principles of our Religion The Body and Bloud of Christ is verily and indeed taken and received of the faithfull in the Lord's Supper b Church Catech. 2. In the right and reverent Administration with the devout and worthy Participation of this Sacramental Body of Christ we are incorporated into his holy Mystical Body So saith our Lord himself He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him c Joh. 6.56 And such is also the Doctrine of the Church of Christ If with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive the Holy Sacrament we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ and drink his bloud we dwell in Christ and Christ in us we be one with Christ and Christ with us we obtain remission of our Sins and all other the Benfits of his Passion d Comm. office 3. Hence then it follows that whoever owns the name of a Christian and understands aright what it is to be truly so and not in vain so called must acknowledge these two general Duties to be incumbent upon him 1. Not to neglect any opportunity of Receiving this Blessed Sacrament 2. To use all possible means with his utmost endeavours to receive the same worthily I. As to the First whoso slights or neglects to come being invited to the Holy Communion either 1. He rightly understands not the Holy Religion he professeth or 2. His Religion is no other but a bare Profession something that perhaps employs his Tongue and strikes upon his Ears to hear and talk about it but never entred the deep of his Heart truly to believe and practise it * Matt. 15.8 There be too many such persons God wot that talk much of Religion yea many that talk loudly of Communion with Christ and are seemingly zealous in the external performance of several Christian Duties especially in the frequency of long and loud Praiers but if the many wild extravagancies of such performances did not lay them open yet their general neglect of this Sacrament which is the life and quintessence of all Christian offices and the infallible witness of true Christianity discovers the hypocrisy of such seeming Zelots that with the old Pharisees they draw nigh unto God with their mouth and honour him with their lips but their heart is not whole with him neither are they stedfast in his covenant f Isa 29.13 Psal 78.36 37. Which is farther evident in that 3. Such persons make no conscience of Sin which is the transgression of the Law of Christ He commands saying Take eat Drink ye all of this Doe this in remembrance of me Shew forth the Lord's death till he come Come unto me all ye that are weary Ho every one that thirsteth come g Matt. 26.27 28. Luk. 22.19 1 Cor. 11.24 25 26. Matt. 11.28 Isa 55.1 Not to come to that Blessed Sacrament being invited is to disobey all these and several more positive commands of God which being also frequently read heard preached and pressed upon the consciences of men by their consciencious Ministers and yet still slighted and disobeyed will undoubtedly incur if not prevented
Sinners we are all less or more q Jam 3 2. but God in great mercy has ordained and commanded Repentance as the great antidote against the poison of Sin and preservative from death r Matth. 3 7 8. And that Repentance which is thus salutary consists of 2 generall parts 1. to confess with sorrow our sins past 2. for ever to abjure and forsake them And to such a true Penitent onely is mercy promised †Prov. 28.13 Joh. 8.11 1 Joh. 1.9 10. To both these generall heads of true Repentance a full knowlege and deep sense of all hainous sins even punctually and particularly is absolutely necessary For no man can confess his Sins who knows them not nor forsake them who is not feelingly sensible of the guilt and danger contracted by them t Psal 51.3 Isa 59.12 Self-examination is therefore commanded as a previous duty necessarily conducing to a true Conversion v Psal 4.4 Lam. 3.40 or which is the same to a true Repentance both in respect of all its integral parts and also of the fruits meet for Repentance which are no other but the Good works of a new Obedience x Col. 1.10 11. The just man falleth seven times y Prov. 24.16 and upon consideration of his seven times daily failings he hath seven times daily confessions z Psal 119.164 to the praise of God a â—es 7.19 with frequent laments in the night also b Psal 6.6 and 77.6 At least twice aday morning and evening he takes a view of his miscarriages the by-past day and night confessing and bewailing his frequent backslidings and in all holy humility imploring with tears of godly sorrow the pardon of his daily offences with firm resolution of more care and caution more zeal of innocence and purity both in heart and life for the time to come 12. 'T is a great imprudence even madness in the hearts of men to put off from day to day this Self-examination or reckoning with our selves Since 't is difficult to account strictly for the misdemeanours of one day how much more hard then to set straight and even the accounts of a long sinfull life whereas he who daily accounts with himself and his offended God for his daily transgressions shall have but one day's sins to account for upon his dying day c Luk. 12.42 43. 13. We reade of Moyses that his leprous hand was made whole and recovered its native whiteness by thrusting it into his bosome d Exod. 4.7 And thus is the Soul cleansed from the leprosy of Sin by thrusting the hand which is the instrument of action into the bosom of thine own Conscience to enter and strictly to search into the inner man to ransack all the corners of the deceitfull heart to examine what affections lurk there and what excursions they have thence made into any extravagant and sinfull actions that they may be thence ejected and abandoned This is the way both to keep the heart pure and the hands clean hence comes both the knowledge of thy self and the fear of God hence comes Sense of sin holy Compunction godly Sorrow Humiliation and true Repentance in all its branches and worthy fruits Hence the Soul becomes inflamed with the ardent heats of holy Devotion and fervent Prayers for pardon and peace mercy and grace Sanctification and Redemption Hence arise in the heart holy Resolves of new Obedience with holy breathings after God and his Salvation Therefore is this Duty of Self-examination called the Magazine or Store-house of all Christian Vertue 14. And because to receive worthily the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ is the chiefest of all Christian performances and requires the practice of all Christian Vertues therefore after an especial manner is Self-examination commanded as a necessary Preparative to that Sacramentall Feast which from the doctrine of S. Paul we are taught in the Principles of our Religion where in the last Question of the Catechism it is demanded What is required of them that come to the Lord's Supper and 't is answered To examine themselves whether they truly repent them of their former sins CHAP. II. The Rule of Self-examination by the Vow in Baptism 1. SInce Self-examination is a Duty of so great so high so generall concernment as hath appeared it will be necessary that it be sincerely and throughly performed not slightly partially and deceitfully not by any false rules and erring opinions but by such a Rule as will not deceive us when we shall come to our great Examination and Triall at the Last day 2. There be too many who do flatter and deceive themselves by a bare and naked Faith in Christ by virtue whereof they conceit themselves to be justified and of the number of God's elect and assured of Salvation But these are groundless presumptions except thy Faith do purify thy heart a Act. 15.9 from all inordinate affections and cleanse thy hands from all sinfull actions b 2 Cor. 7.1 Jam. 4.8 and be also fruitfull in all good works c Jam. 2.26 3. The Rule according to which we shall be tried when we shall all stand before the Judgment-seat of Christ is not that of Faith alone under that notion whereby 't is too frequently misunderstood but that of an universall Obedience to the Gospell of Christ d 2 Thess 1.8 whereof Christian Charity is the Compendium and completion * Matt. 25.35 36 c. 4. The summe of Evangelicall Obedience is exprest in that Vow which every true Christian hath made when he was baptized or Christened And by this as S. Gregory observes f Greg. Hom. 19. every man may try the truth of his Faith in Christ For as no man can be said to be faithfull who keeps not his promise so neither can any Christian be said to have any true Faith towards God if he performs not the promise he hath made unto him especially considering that hereupon righteousness and everlasting happiness doth depend For 5. This Baptismall Vow is the condition upon which we are admitted into the Covenant of Grace and made members of Christ children of God and heirs of the Kingdome of Heaven And therefore they who perform not this condition but slight neglect or negligently observe the same do uncovenant themselves and return again to their naturall state of Sin and Misery viz. become children of wrath enemies of God and heirs of eternall damnation g Heb. 10.23 26 27 28 29. 6. The holy Christian Religion we all profess is no other but God's Will and Testament wherein a goodly inheritance is promis'd and bequeath'd but not to be obtained as S. Augustine observes h Aug. Ser. de Tem. 167. except as in all other Testaments we observe the will of the Testatour nor is there any thing more clearly exprest in the revealed will of God then this That the benefits of the Covenant of Grace belong onely to them who keep the
thing that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them c. Examination by the Second Commandment 1. Deut. 4.15 c. HAve you not in your phantasie misrepresented the most pure and spiritual God under any bodily shape or visible being whatsoever 2. Have you not served the creature more then the Creatour making a God of the World by Ambition Rom. 1.25 Col. 3.5 Phil. 3.19 and Cavetousness which is Idolatry or a God of your Belly by Luxury and the too much indulging of carnal delights 3. Ezek. 14.4 Ps 81.9.12 2 Cor. 10.5 Deut. 4.2 Heb. 13. â— Have you not set up your idols in your own heart idolized your own imaginations by believing and worshipping God otherwise then himself hath prescribed either immediately in his Holy Word or mediately by the Ministry of his holy and true Church 4. Have you worshipped God as with all internal devotion of Soul so also with all external humble and low prostration of Body Ps 95.6 1 Cor. 6.20 For in being forbidden to fall down to serve Idols or any false gods you are thereby bidden to fall down in serving the Lord. 5. If you abhor Idols Rom. 2.22 examine if you have not been guilty of Sacrilege which is to rob God in Tiths and Offerings Mal. 3.8 or of whatsoever is devoted to his Service Both of which sins are equally condemned by this Law for as by Idolatrie God is robbed in his service so by Sacrilege in the support and maintenance of his service The Third Commandment Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain c. Examination by the Third Commandment HAve you not profaned the Name of God either 1. In your Thoughts by entertaining any misbecoming apprehensions of God's Majesty and such as are vain and mean and far below the Name of God Ps 99 3. which is great wonderful and holy Or 2. Jam 2.7 In your Words by any scurrilous and irreverent discourses of God or impertinent and unseemly addresses unto him Or 3. In your Actions by the ungodliness and injustice of your conversation 2 Sam. 12 14. Rom. 2.23 24. giving occasion to others to blaspheme his Name 4. Have you taken no * Lev. 19.12 Matt. 5.34 Jam. 5.12 false and unlawful Oaths nor yet been guilty of too ordinary customary swearing in discourse Ps 109.17 Jam. 3.10 or cursing by the dreadful Name of God which is onely to be mentioned for adoration and blessing 5. Ezek. 17.18 19. Zach. 8.17 Have you carefully observed those lawful Oaths you have taken in order to subjection to higher powers nor yet have taken any that have been contrary thereunto 6. Have you to the utmost of your power observed all just promises made unto others Psal 15.4 though to your prejudice in your outward affairs And because the Name of God is to be honoured in all things that have his Name enstamped thereupon Lev. 21.6 Deut. 28.58 â—er 34.15 16. you may therefore upon this Commandment examine as to the duties you owe first to the Word secondly to the Sacraments thirdly to the House of God As to the Word of God 1. Have you a far more venerable esteem for the Word of God 1 Thess 2.13 then for the word of man though spoken in the Pulpit wisely distinguishing betwixt the divine inspiration of the one and the humane invention of the other 2. Do you believe unfeignedly all that God hath spoken in his Holy Word Psal 19.7 c. whether by doctrine or example promises or threatnings and have the promises of God's Word allured you to obey its precepts and the threats confirmed by examples deterred you from doing what is therein prohibited Ps 90.11 3. Have you not placed your Religion in the bare reading of Holy Scriptures and hearing of Sermons without due consideration of the weight and true meaning of what you have heard or read Mar. 4.24 and without the careful practice thereof in your life Jam. 2.22 4. 2 Pet. 1.20 2 Pet. 3.16 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. Tit. 3.9 Have you not made your own private interpretation of Scriptures nor wrested any Text to another sense then the Holy Spirit of God intended therein either to please your own fancy or maintain some private opinion or to minister to contention and dispute 5. Have you not used the Word of God in ordinary and common talk either to excite to merriment and laughter or to shew your own wit and secretly boast of your reading and readiness therein As to the Sacraments which Christ hath ordained in his Church 1. In general Have you a very high and holy esteem for those blessed means of Grace and mysteries of Salvation Joh. 3.5 and 6.53 believing unfeignedly the great necessity and efficacy both of Baptism and the Lord's Supper and not upon any pretexts or pretences neglecting the devout and reverend use of either as occasion and opportunitie hath been offered 2. Have you not profaned the consecrated Elements of either Sacrament Act. 10.14 15. by esteeming and using them as common things 3. As to Baptism in particular your grand dutie is to examine your self frequently by that solemn Vow you made when Christened confessing and bewailing your manifold transgressions thereof and daily renewing your Covenant with God resolving and promising daily to forsake the Devil the World and the Flesh and devoting your self to the sacred service of God by a true and lively Faith and Obedience to his Commandments The breach of which Vow unto God is a greater offence then that of ordinary Swearing because in the one God is but call'd upon as a witness but in the other he is a party concerned Concerning the Sacrament of the holy Body and Bloud of Christ examine 1. How often you have neglected to come Is 55.1 2 3. being invited to that blessed Feast And here consider the causes of this sin which are 1. ignorance of your Duty Isa 5.13 joyned with a slothful and careless neglect to take pains for instruction or apply your self to your Pastour for direction 2. 1 Cor. 11.28 29. Isa 55.7 the terrour of unworthy receiving considered but the duty to receive not remembred 3. impenitence and continuance in sin preferr'd before the Sacred Religious actions of a due preparation and devout participation of that Bread of life 2. Notwithstanding which impediments examine have you not presumed to come to that Sacred Feast being ignorant of the nature of the ends and benefits thereof and so received the same unworthily 1 Cor. 11.27 29. not discerning the Lord's body Or having knowledge 3. Have you accordingly prepared your self aright to come unto that celestial banquet and that 1. by a through examination of your self 1 Sam. 7.6 Jam. 4.8 9 10. Act. 3.19 to find out your sins and failings 2.
and throughly transacted except your Prayers be joyned with Fasting That great day of expiation commanded by God for the putting away of Sin was a Fasting-day and for this corporall mortification Lev. 16.29 30. Isa 58 3 5. Joel 2.12 Matt. 17.21 Luk. 2.37 as well as for the spiritual compunction 't was called a day wherein to afflict the Soul The many admonitions and examples of Fasting both in the Old and New Testament and its frequent conjunction with Praier may sufficiently convince us of the necessity of this Duty when we implore the pardon of our Sins as also of other acts of Mortification for the taming and subduing of the flesh 1 Cor. 9.27 Gal. 5.17 which hath so shamefully rebelled against the spirit as in the through Confession of Sins is acknowledged 13. That you may be both humbled for your Sins and yet not despair of mercy and forgiveness meditate upon the bitter Sorrows and Sufferings of our Blessed Redeemer Behold him with the eye of Faith and devout Meditation expanded on the Cross as on a Tormenting-rack see him naked and racked and wounded and bleeding for thy Sins no part of his Body untormented no power of his Soul unsacrific'd no drop of his Bloud unshed for thine offences His tender Skin and delicate Flesh was torn and rent and razed by cruell lashes with forked whips his Head crowned with thorns the curse of the earth his Sinews crackt his Veins burst his Joynts disparted and all his Bones started aside whilst in the midst of these torments he offered up his Soul a Sacrifice for thy Sins And 't is this precious Bloud thus shed and applied to thy heart if any thing will mollify its hardness and melt thee into tears of Compunction for thy Sins the cause of thy Saviour's Sufferings into tears of Compassion with thy Redeemer in his Passion for thee into tears of Devotion in the dedication of thy whole self unto the service of his Majesty who gave himself wholly to redeem and save thee And because Meditations upon this subject are of all others most effectuall to excite Compunction and Devotion in the heart and to obtain mercy I have therefore annexed some short Meditations on the severall Mysteries of our Redemption and our Saviour's Passion wherein every one may enlarge himself as his Devotion shall suggest 14. In the Confession of your Sins as in every of your set solemn constant Praiers unto God 't will be very imprudent and too presumptuous to trust to your own extempore expressions and boldly say onely what at present comes into your mind for this is to be as one of them that tempt the Lord. Ecclus. 18.23 Eccles. 5.1 2. And by such rash inconsiderate addresses you offer to the All-wise God the sacrifice of fools There 's no Malefactour that petitions his Judge for the pardon of his crime but will pen his Petition and study to doe it in such words as are pertinent and not superfluous that he offend not by any tedious prolix or unnecessary expressions And we cannot surely be less considerate and carefull when we petition the Great Judge of the world for the pardon of our Sins which would otherwise sink our Souls to eternall honour For the right performance therefore of a Duty of so high concernment Dan. 9.4 c. Hos 14.2 3. Baruc. 1.15 c. Luke 15.18 21. we have many Forms of Confession upon record in the Book of God and other books of practicall Devotion both ancient and modern But because such generalls reach not punctually to the particulars of Self-examination proposed I have hereunto added for the greater ease of the Reader a Form of Confession whereunto every man may adde or diminish as his Conscience tells him he is guilty or not guilty also as he finds himself more or less guilty remembring to enlarge upon every general head of Confession the enumeration of all such particular Sins as relate thereunto And because there be few devout orthodox good Christians but are affected with what is ancient and primitive more then with the modes of new and modern Devotion I have therefore added one Form of Confession out of the Bibliotheca Patrum for its antiquity and the generall extent thereof 15. After the Confession of your Sins the most effectuall Praiers you can use for the Pardon of them are next to the Lord's Praier the Penitentiall Psalmes the praying whereof with understanding and devotion is truly and indeed to pray by the Holy Spirit of God Eph. 5.18 19. for such are undeniably the dictates of God's Holy Spirit I have therefore added the said Psalms with the Lord's Praier paraphrased that in the devout use thereof you may pray by the Spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 and pray with understanding also CHAP. VIII A Form of Confession of Sin fitted to the Rules of Self-examination whereunto every one may adde or substract as he finds himself guilty or not guilty In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen BUT I am unworthy O Lord to take thy Holy Name in my mouth ashamed to lift up mine eyes to Heaven for I have sinned against Heaven and before thee in that I have daily broken my Vow and Promise made unto the God of Heaven Sins against the Baptismal Vow in general To renounce the Devil and all his works I am unworthy to be called thy Son having obeyed the suggestions and done the works of the Devil and I do therefore justly deserve as a child of the Devil to have my portion with him and his Angels for with those Apostate spirits I have not kept to my first estate of Regeneration in Baptism but have transgressed all the particulars of that Covenant which I made with my God therein God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have suffered my foolish heart to be deceived with the Pomps and Vanities of this transitory life The Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and have been more enamour'd with the empty gaudy flattering felicities of this present World then with those never-fading joys and unspeakable glories of the World to come God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner The Pride of life hath ensnared me more to affect the praise of men then the praise of God and the Lust of the eyes hath bewitched me to prefer the love and service of Mammon before the love and fear and service of my Maker God be mercifull to me a sinner I have more readily obeyed the sinful lusts of the flesh And all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh then the godly motions of the Spirit and carnal Concupiscence hath reigned in my heart and prevailed in the actions of my life against the dictates both of right Reason and holy Religion Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences through Jesus Christ Amen I have not been so careful as
whither Blessed Lord whither should a defiled Soul go to be cleansed but unto that Fountain which is opened in the house of Israel for sin and for uncleanness In this inexhaustible Fountain of Divine grace my sinfull Soul longs to be washed and through the effusion of the precious Bloud of my Redeemer to be purified and my whole self for the future to be sincerely devoted to serve thee in holiness and righteousness before thee all the days of my life Amen III. Assist me Blessed Lord in the Triall and impartial Examination of my heart and of all the actions of my life in the full Confession of all my Sins with the tears of true Penitence and godly Sorrow for them in my Praiers for mercy and pardon of them and for grace to be sanctified against them O hear in Heaven and be mercifull unto me forgive me my Sins and heal my Soul through the merits and mediation of my dearest Saviour Jesus Christ Amen A short preparatory Meditation to the Sacrament out of S. Ambrose O with what great contrition of heart with what a floud of tears with what reverence fear and trembling with what purity of mind and chastity of body is that Divine celestial Mystery to be celebrated where thy Flesh O Lord is truly received and thy Bloud is truly drunk where things most high and low Divine and humane are mysteriously intermingled where the Angels of Heaven are invisibly present beholding and assisting in the celebration and where thou O Lord art inconceivably present both as the Priest and the Sacrifice O who can worthily either administer or receive such grand tremend celestial Mysteries except Thou the Omnipotent God make him worthy of thy Grace Even so come Lord Jesus The XXIII Psalm paraphrased Verse 1. THE Lord who hath created redeemed and sanctified me is my Shepherd to feed guide and defend me from the ravening of my ghostly foes therefore I can lack nothing that is needfull or convenient either for Soul or body 2. He shall feed me in a green pasture My Soul doth he feed with the verdant refreshing Indoctrinations of his Holy Word and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort Such are the influences of the Holy Ghost the Comforter and such are the Sacraments of his Church which as waters do quench the fire of Concupiscence wash off the pollution of Sin cleanse the heart from all vain and impure thoughts and desires satisfy the spiritual thirst of the Soul and feed the same to life eternal and these be Comforts both great and glorious 3. He shall convert my soul from the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and from the sinfull Lusts of the Flesh and bring me forth into the paths of righteousness to keep God's holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of my life and this he will doe for his Name 's sake that his Name which is great wonderfull and holy may be glorified in me and by me 4. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death be conversant amidst continual Temptations and Tribulations which are the miseries of mortality and the shadows of death in this valley of tears I will fear none evill neither the evil of Sin nor Death the wages of Sin for thou art with me dwelling in my heart by Faith in this mortal life that after the shadow of death is vanished I may dwell with thee by Vision in life immortal Aug. thy rod and thy staff comfort me thy rod to correct me thy staff to support me thy rod to punish me when I doe evill thy staff to sustain me in my sufferings for my Sins Both are great comforts to the devout Soul as being signs of Adoption and Grace purchased by the mystical Rod and Staff of my Saviour's Sufferings on the wood of his Cross This was the rod of the Lord's indignation for our Sins and the rod wherewithall our Lord beat the Devil out of his strong holds this was the staff also or stay of fallen Man the merits whereof I humbly beg to be applied to my Soul in the Sacrament of his Passion For 5. Thou shalt prepare a table before me The Table of the Lord is spred before all true Believers where is prepared the Bread of Heaven the food of Angels the Body and Bloud of Christ for the strengthning and refreshing of my Soul against them that trouble me and these are chiefly home-bred Enemies even all those sinful Lusts of the flesh which war against the Soul But that I may be prepared for the conflict with them thou hast anointed my head with oil The Unction of the Holy one are the Graces of the Holy Spirit which from Christ the Head do flow down upon his Members in the devout use of his Sacraments and my cup shall be full That Cup of blessing which is the Communion of the Bloud of Christ is full of grace and heavenly benediction And this in all humility I call my cup because I am invited nay commanded to take and drink thereof And if I receive it worthily I may then rejoycing say The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup and as it follows 6. Thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life 'T was thy loving-kindness and mercy preventing me whereby I was called unto the state of Grace and Salvation and I believe and humbly pray that thy Grace may also follow me to continue in the same to my life's end and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever This is the end and the perfection of all the Lord's Blessings upon me He is therefore my Shepherd and doth feed and guide me protect and defend me correct and support me and with his precious Body and Bloud doth nourish me in his house of praier here below that I may hereafter dwell in his house of praise above and with his holy Angels and Saints for ever sing Glory be to God the Father As it was in the beginning Other Psalms seasonable for Meditation and relating to this Divine subject in several Verses are the XLII XLIII LXXXI LXXXIV Psalms the which I have not paraphrased or explained that this Volume might not swell into too great a bulk CHAP. III. Meditations and Praiers for the Friday especially before the Communion 1. AMongst all the days of the Week Friday is the most seasonable and fittest for the performance of those Religious Duties the which though never out of season are yet then most practical when commanded as necessary Preparatives for the worthy receiving of the Sacrament viz. the grand Duty of Self-examination of Confession of sins with Contrition Humiliation and Fasting as also for Meditations and Praiers upon the Passion of our Lord since it was upon this day of the week he was crucified and died for our Sins 2. 'T is upon this account that our Church enjoyns this day to be observed through the whole
shalt make his Soul an offering for Sin he shall see his seed k Isa 53.10 even the fruits of his Passion devout Believers who shall serve him or keep his holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of their life they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation being regenerated by Water and the Holy Ghost in Baptism whereby they are made Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven 32. They shall come being admitted into the glorious Communion of his blessed Saints and the Heavens both above and below both the Church Triumphant and Militant shall declare his righteousness His Mercies promised and performed in the Redemption of the world shall be proclaimed to all succeeding generations to a people that shall be born new born in and through all the Ages of the Church whom the Lord hath made his own peculiar people whose mouths are filled with his praise for ever saying Glory be to God the Father As it was in the beginning In the Greek Liturgy the people pray in the words of the Thief upon the Cross Lord remember us in thy Kingdom The Priest answers God be mindful of every one of us in his Kingdom both now and always for ever and ever Amen In the Mozarabick Liturgy I. By the wood of a Tree was Adam banished out of Paradise and from the Tree of wood the Cross the Thief that was crucified with our Lord ascended into Paradise The one by eating the forbidden Fruit transgrest the Law of his Maker the other confessed Christ in his Crucifixion to be the Lord of Heaven saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom II. Grant unto us O Lord the Repentance of the Thief upon the Cross and grant that we may with the like Faith call upon thee our Lord of great and much mercy saying Lord remember us in thy Kingdom III. Lord thou hast made us in the image of thine ineffable Glory which we have much defaced by the black marks of our many Falls have mercy upon the work of thine hands sanctify us of thy great goodness and restore us to our much-desired Country the celestial Paradise Lord remember us in thy Kingdom CHAP. VIII Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday-night or Sunday-morning before I. THOU art now invited O my Soul to such a Banquet as Heaven and Earth affords not the like 'T is the precious Body and Bloud of thy dear Redeemer which he first gave to be the price of thy Redemption and now gives again to be thy food and nourishment Teach me O Lord by thy Holy Spirit Out of St. Ambrose to understand and believe and ever to conceive and speak of those great and wonderful Mysteries and this day to receive the same with that Faith and Esteem Humility and Contrition holy Desires and Resolutions Reverence and Devotion as may please thee and conduce to my Soul's Salvation Empty my heart of all vain idle wandring Thoughts and of all filthy and unfruitfull Lusts Take from me this Heart of stone and give me an heart of flesh a soft and melting heart to fear thee love thee honour thee delight in thee and so to follow thee that I may be for ever happy in the enjoyment of thee II. O Holy crucified Jesus Out of St. Aug. Man ca. 11. I humbly beg by that sacred effusion of thy most precious Blead give unto thy Servant the effusion of Tears with compunction of spirit when I approach thine Altar to partake of that celestial Sacrament worthy of all Reverence and the most inflamed Devotion which thou O Lord God didst institute and command to be received in commemoration of thine infinite Love in dying for us and for the reparations of our manifold infirmities and daily failings Grant me Blessed Lord Out of T. Aquin. not onely to receive that Sacrament in the outward Elements but in the virtue and power thereof not Bread and Wine alone but the Body and Bloud of my Jesus to the Remission of all my Sins and to all other the Benefits of his Death and Passion for me III. The whole need not a Physician Out of T. Aquin. but they that are sick And such am I a diseased sin-sick Soul and as sick I now go to my Physician as a Sinner to the Redeemer of fallen Man as miserable to the Father of Mercy as unclean to the fountain of Purity as poor and needy to the Lord of all Bounty as blind and ignorant to the Brightness and splendour of Spirits as infirm and weak to the Strength of Israel And oh that it may please thee to enlighten my Darkness to heal all my Infirmities to inrich my Poverty to strengthen my Weakness to wash away all my Uncleanness and by the Communion of thy precious Body and Bloud to cleanse me from all Filthiness both of flesh and spirit that I may perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. IV. Thou didst offer up thy self Out of Tho. a Kempis Blessed Jesus even thy whole self upon the Altar of the Cross a Sacrifice for my Sins no Member of thy Body not tormented no Power of thy Soul not sacrificed no Drop of thy Bloud not shed for me a miserable Sinner 'T is therefore most just and meet and my bounden Duty that I should offer up my self my whole self to thee and to thy service for I am not mine own being bought with a price and such a price as transcends the value of all that the whole Heavens and Earth afford beside Whatever I offer unto thee O Lord though it be all that I do enjoy in the world with my Praiers for all it will not be accepted without the offering of my self for 't is not mine but me not all that is without me but all that is within me thou requirest as the price of thy self to be enjoyed Receive me O Lord in the devout Participation of thy most holy Body and Bloud whereunto I am now invited Guard me O Lord with the pious custody and strong defence of thy holy Angels invisibly present and assistent in the transaction of those tremend Mysteries of Godliness and Salvation that the enemies of all that is holy and good may be thence driven back with shame and confusion In all the holy Actions of that sacred celestial Service make me sensible of the sweetness of thy presence with me that I may taste and see how gracious the Lord is a Psal 34.8 be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house and drink of thy pleasures as out of a river For with thee is the Well of life and in thy light shall we see light b Psal 36.8 9. O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling and that I may goe unto the Altar of God even the God of my joy and gladness and upon the
THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN Divided into FOUR PARTS I. The Practice of Self-examination and a Form of Confession fitted thereunto the Lord's Praier and Penitential Psalms paraphrased with Meditations and Praiers to be made partakers of Christ's Merits II. Directions Meditations and Praiers in order to the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ III. Meditations with Psalms for the Hours of Praier the ordinary Actions of Day and Night with other Religious Considerations and Concerns IV. Meditations with Psalms upon the Four 〈◊〉 things 1. Death 2. Judgment 3. Hell 4. Heaâ—â—â— The Third and Fourth Parts make the Second Volume formerly called the Second Part. By R. SHERLOCK D. D. Rector of Winwick Omne tempus in quo de Deo non cogitas hoc te computa perdidisse LONDON Printed by E. Flesher for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty at the Angel in Amen-corner MDCLXXVII To the Parishioners of Winwick in Lancashire Good People THE Cure of your Souls being by 〈◊〉 Divine Providence incumbent upon Me very unfit to undergoe so great a Chaâ— especially considering the Liberty which 〈◊〉 men do now assume in the way of Religion In the discharge of my Duty though 〈◊〉 not say I have been so prudent and diâ—â—gent as the high and holy nature of my Funâ—â—â—â— requires yet you know I have not omitteâ— frequently to put you in mind which is on principal part of my Office of the whoâ— Will of God in the carefull observancâ— whereof the Health of your Souls consisteth The Contents of God's revealed Will being delivered and disporsed through thâ— whole Body of Holy Scriptures are collected and summed up into general Heads by the Church of Christ in her Catechism thâ— which though by a strange Fanatick humouâ— it be slighted and even derided yet contains all things both of Faith and Fact necessary to Salvation being rightly clearly â—nd fully understood Did you therefore rightly understand â—nd seriously consider wherein your Soul's Health and Edification chiefly consists you â—ould be better pleased with the frequency â—f Catechizing and be more versed in those â—ssentials of Religion then in the hearing 〈◊〉 many Sermons which are of less concernâ—â—â— have not spared my Pains in Preaching â—or my Purse in the maintenance of others â— assist me herein But by long experience it is evident that Sermons what through â—he Variety severall Modes and Methods on â—he one hand and what through the great abuse thereof on the other have not that â—nfluence upon the minds of men as becometh â—ound Doctrine but have too much sway with men of itching ears who heap to â—hemselves Teachers after their own â—usts who upon Pretence of going on to â—erfection goe off the Foundation wax â—ain in their imaginations and their fooâ—â—sh hearts are darkned whilst they conceit â—hemselves enlightned And therefore for your more ready easy and constant instruction I have committed to writing and made publick the Summary of Christian Doctrine in the Church-Catechism paraphrased And because Doctrine without Practice is but a Body of Religion without a Soul to quicken it I have here added a Summary of Christian Practice in the insuing Rules of Self-examination which will equally discover unto you your Sins and Miscarriages past and serve for a Guide to direct you in the future ordering of all the Actions of your lives in the ways of Godliness In both which Summaries I have endeavoured to be both brief and plain delivering onely what I conceive generally necessary to Salvation and expressing the same in the most easy way to be understood as knowing that multitude of words various acute and quaint affected expressions especially in the Essentials of Religion though they may more please do not so much profit nay they do really rather distract then instruct the minds of most For it is not the rattling of the Leaves but the Fruits of the Tree of knowledge that feed the Soul to life eternall The Praiers prescribed upon any the insuing considerations are not by way of one long continued Oration without intermission but divided into severall shorter Praiers and this because 1. The heat of holy Zeal is hereby better maintained and kept flaming in the Soul whilst the ending of one Praier and beginning another adds new fervour to the Soul's Devotion 2. Long Praiers do tire the spirits clog the memory distract the mind and damp that celestiall fervour which is the life of all holy and acceptable Praiers 3. Such are all those Praiers which are truly the Praiers of God's Holy Spirit and stand upon record in Holy Writ they are all divided and cut short into so many distinct Verses as into so many several shorter Praiers 4. Thus Christ has commanded us to pray Matt. 6.7 8 9. And according to this patern the Praiers of Christ's Church even for the length thereof are generally framed My primary intention in the insuing Discourse was chiefly to direct you for the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ whereunto a through Self-examination is absolutely necessary And being desired to inlarge my Meditations upon that Blessed Sacrament I have therefore now divided the former Edition into Two Parts the First of Self-examination and the Second of the Holy Communion Wherein I must necessarily tell you that since the Danger of unworthy Receiving is equivalent with the Benefit of the worthy it therefore concerns every one of you that hath any sense and sincere care of his Soul's health as strictly to examine himself before he eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup as he believes he shall be examined before the great Tribunal of Heaven and accordingly to purge and purify his Soul by Confession Contrition and all the sacred Acts and Offices of true Repentance the practice whereof is in the following Leaves delivered Of the other Two Parts of the Practical Christian mentioned in the general Title-page you will have a farther account in the Preface thereunto I shall not farther enlarge this Epistle more then to pray that God may be pleased to assist you by his Divine grace carefully to observe such useful Instructions as be herein given you not vainly jangling and talking of Religion but according to the Covenant you have made with your God to keep his holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of your life remembring who it is that has said it If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Matt. 19.17 And that you may observe the one as the way to the other is and shall be the constant Praier of Your respective Pastour Ric. Sherlock A TABLE of the Chapters CHAP. I. Of the great necessity of Self-examination CHAP. II. The Rule of Self-examination by the Vow in Baptism CHAP. III. The Rule of Self-examination by the Creed or by the Second part of the Vow in Baptism To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith CHAP. IV. The Rule of
been rude and unworthy of thee Irreligious Worship so has my Worship also been far misbeseeming so great so holy so pure a Majesty I have not worshipt thee either with that humble low prostration of Body or yet with that sincere intense devotion of Soul as was meet I should I have drawn near to thee with my lips when often my heart has been far from thee God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have made a God of the World by Pride and Covetousness Idolatry which is Idolatry and a God of my Belly by Luxury and Wantonness wherein and in many more respects I have served the Creature more then the Creatour God over all blessed for ever I have too much idolized my own Imaginations both by believing and worshipping God otherwise then himself in his Holy Word and by the Ministry of his Holy and true Church hath commanded God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have too often sacrilegiously robbed my God in Tithes and offerings usurping and withholding what hath been consecrated to holy use diminishing and defrauding in the dues of the Church Remember not Lord our iniquities nor the iniquities of our fore-fathers but spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious bloud That Name of Heaven Sins against the Third Commandment which is great wonderful and holy I have too slightly regarded and too often used to promote vanities and maintain lies I have not onely my self too often profaned Rash Swearing and Cursing but without regret in my self or reproof of others have heard thy holy Name blasphemed by rash Oaths and irreligious Execrations cursing the creatures my neighbours nay my self by that ever-blessed Name which is onely to be mentioned for adoration and blessing God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have taken many solemn Oaths Perjury in publick without a right understanding of the respective contents thereof and the obligation of my Conscience thereunto and what I have understood I have not conscienciously kept and observed being guilty of Perjury both in general Oaths and in many particular I have seen the reverend Name and Oath of God imposed upon the Consciences of men out of Tyranny as a covert of oppression and injustice and I also partly for fear partly for favour and affection to unjust defigns have wickedly taken the same Oaths and Engagements and though because of such unlawful Oaths the Land sadly mourned yet have not I been humbled for the sins and Perjuries of this sinful Nation Those holy and just Promises I have made both to God and man Breach of Promise I have not justly performed but have preferred sometimes my sinful pleasure sometimes my sordid gain and worldly advantage before the obligations of my Conscience both by oath and promise I have not given occasion to others to sanctifie thy Name by my discreet Scandal sober edifying speech and demeanour but have rather caused the same to be profaned by my idle light foolish sinful words and works For thy Name 's sake Blessed Jesus thy sweet and saving Name of JESVS be merciful unto my sin for it is great I have too slightly and negligently both read and heard the Sacred Word of God Against the Word of God through carelesness not understanding and through precipitancy and self-interest misunderstanding and wresting the contents thereof and what I have rightly understood I have not conscienciously put in practice God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have too much slighted and the Sacraments and too often profaned those Holy Sacraments Christ hath ordained in his Church as the blessed means of Grace and Salvation I have not seriously enough weighed Of Baptism and carefully observed the Covenant I made with my God in Baptism nor yet informed those committed to my charge of their obligation to perform the same I have not been so reverent and devout at the administration of that Holy Sacrament of Baptism as becometh so great a Mystery of Godliness and the holy offices of its Celebration God be merciful unto me and heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee When I have been invited to that Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ Of the Lord's Supper I have often slighted such invitations chusing rather to continue in my ignorance and neglect of so great a duty then to take pains to be informed and to practise the Religious acts and offices of due preparation thereunto I have pretended scruples of Conscience about harmless Ceremonies to neglect the Service of God it self and remembred the danger of unworthy receiving to keep me back but forgot the duty that is incumbent on me to eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. Many excuses and pretences I have fansied to my self and made to others to detain me from that Sacrament when the true cause has been want of Devotion in my heart and of a full purpose to leave my Sins and to turn unto the Lord sincerely from all the errours of my ways God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I am much afraid that I have received that Blessed Sacrament unworthily by not discerning the Lord's Body being ignorant of the nature ends and benefits thereof and of what is required of them that come thereunto and by not observing strictly in my Preparation and Participation what I have known thereof As to Preparation I have not so duly and truly examined my heart and life confessed and bewailed my Sins humbly implored pardon fully resolved amendment carefully renewed my Vow and Covenant in Baptism as becometh a devout Communicant Thine infinite mercy O God in giving us thine onely Son to be both the price of our Redemption and the food of our Souls hath not sunk so deep into my heart as to be inflamed with Divine love and affection with a spiritual joy in the Lord and a through devoting of my self to thy service and to praise thee therefore both with heart and voice and through all the actions of my whole life God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have not performed my promises nor put into practice my resolutions I undertook upon my approach to thine Altar but have again returned to my old sins as the dog to his vomit I have sinned wo unto me that I have sinned O Father against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy son Thy Holy Temple have I profaned by my often irreverent approaches thereunto and my careless The profanation of what is holy slovenly and indevout demeanour therein as if there were no difference betwixt the House of God and the houses of men betwixt a Church and a Barn I have too much undervalued the Ministers of thy Holy Word and Sacraments slighted and contemned holy persons profaned many holy actions and holy things which have thy mark enstamped on them and have been dedicated to the
any hazard to defend the same as becomes a true souldier of Jesus Christ I have not set a watch over my mouth Lies and guarded the door of my lips but I have suffered my unruly licencious tongue to be the instrument of manifold Lies of all kinds and conditions officious lies bragging boasting lies scurrilous lies flattering lies professing more love to such and such then has been in my heart towards them I have offended by detracting Censures defaming censuring and condemning others being my self far more worthy to be condemned by others I have talk'd of the moat in my brother's eye to his disgrace but have been blind and would not see mine own sins and infinite misdemeanours Enter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord as I have entered into judgment with others O deal not with me after my sins neither reward me after mine iniquities but according to the multitude of thy mercies think upon me O God for thy goodness I have sinfully coveted to enjoy the wife or the maid Sins against the Tenth Commandment or the servant of such and such coveted such a man's lands and possessions such a man's offices preferments credit honour such a man's conveniencies and seeming contentments in the world maligning envying other mens wealth fair house great estate but too too much dissatisfied with my own estate and condition though far beyond my desert God be merciful to me a miserable sinner Having both food and raiment and all things necessary for my support in this life Covetousness I have not been therewith content but have been over-disquieted and solicitous in my mind for more more wealth more land more and higher preferments though founded and settled not in the loss onely but even in the death of others I have not accounted Godliness the chiefest gain Earthly-mindedness nor delighted my self in the Lord and in the ways of his service nor set my affections on things above but have roved in my wild desires after the exteriour enjoyments of the creature which being empty and unsatisfying have deprived me of true peace and contentment of mind Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy son but reject me not from amongst the number of thy servants though I be both an unprofitable and disobedient one And to my sins The sins of Repentance for sin I have been guilty of many sinful defects in my Repentance for my sins I have but too slightly not strictly and throughly examined my heart and my life to find out my sins which lurk in the dark to hurry my soul to blackness of darkness for ever those sins which I have known and found my self guilty of I have not bewailed with that godly sorrow as the greatness and grievousness thereof require With my lips have I often confessed my sins when my heart has not been truly humbled within me under the deep sense of their pollution stain and danger so as to loath and abhor my sins and my self too in dust and ashes I have too often made a mock of the Almighty in the Confession of my sins by returning back to the sins confessed as the dog to his vomit Thus have I sinned and I have done wickedly and I have committed iniquity and I have rebelled against thee by departing from all thy most holy Laws and Judgments To thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgiveness but to me shame and confusion of face for I have rebelled against thee God be merciful I have been guilty of many secular and sensual ends in the performance of holy actions The Sins of Religious actions minding more my own advantage and the pleasing my own fancy then the advancement of thy service loving more the praise of men then the praise of God I have entertained many vain wandering worldly and sometimes wicked imaginations in the times of thy Service have been dull inconsiderate and indevout in my Praiers very much defective in Fasting and too vain-glorious in the little good I have done to others I have secretly applauded my own fancy wit wisedom elocution and dextrous management of Religious discourses even the best and most holy of all my Religious performances are not without their manifold sinful defects and deformities Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou me from these and from all my secret faults My secret sins are innumerable Secret Sins sins secret through ignorance through forgetfulness through negligence and a negligent Self-examination through wilful misperswasion sins which a watchful and diligent spirit might have prevented but I would not sins secret to the world committed before thee onely and under the witness of mine own Conscience I am confounded with the multitude of them and the horrour of their remembrance the remembrance of them is grievous unto me the burthen of them is intolerable Have mercy upon me have mercy upon me most merciful Father for thy Son my Lord Jesus Christ's sake forgive me all that is past and grant that ever hereafter I may serve thee in newness of life to the honour and glory of thy name and the eternal Salvation of my Soul through Jesus Christ Grant merciful Lord I beseech thee not to me onely but to all thy faithful people pardon and peace that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve thee with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ CHAP. IX An ancient Form of Confession extant Biblioth Patrum tom 8. p. 409. I Confess unto thee O Lord the Father of Heaven and earth and to thee O sweet and benign Jesu with the Holy and Blessed Spirit before all thy holy Angels and Saints before thy Altar and thy Priest standing there I was conceived and born in Sin and since my Baptism wherein I was washed from Sin originall I have been conversant in actual Sins all the days of my life untill this very hour I confess I have sinned in Pride and Vain-glory in the vanity of my Apparell in the lifting up of mine eyes and the swelling of my heart and Pride hath stained all my actions I have been in Envy Hatred Malice and immoderate Anger in Ignorance and Negligence in Slothfulness and Sullenness in the greedy Covetousness both of worldly wealth and of the praise of men I have sinned in the Greediness of the belly even to Gluttony and Drunkenness and Sodomiticall Luxury in wanton kisses unchast embraces in Fornication and Adultery and every kind of shamefull Uncleanness I have sinned in Theft and Couzenage in Rapine and Sacrilege in Lying and idle tales in Swearing and forswearing in the loss sickness disgrace and death of others which I have too often desired and wherewith I have been too well pleased I have sinned in the defects of Faith Hope and Charity in the unworthy participation of the Body and Bloud of Christ in the neglect of Hospitality and Alms-giving frequently denying to relieve and often exasperating the poor by
by a timely true Repentance and Amendment that sad and dismall sentence at the last Day Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire h Matt. 25.41 4. Disobedience to these commands of our Lord in the neglect of this Blessed Sacrament doth declare every such person so neglecting whatever his excuses may be 1. in generall that he is more in love with his Sins then with his Saviour with the errours of his ways then with the Truth that is in Jesus i Eph. 4.21 or 2. more particularly that he prefers either his sloth and negligence or his enmity and maliciousness or his temporall concerns and covetousness or in a word some secular or sensual lust before the purification of his Soul in the Bloud of Christ and its nourishment to life eternall 5. He disobeys the commands slights the orders contemns the discipline of Christ's Church makes no conscience of conforming to the practice of and of holding communion with all sound and orthodox Members of Christ but rather implies nay openly declares that he is none of Christ's number but separate and divided from Christ's mysticall Body which is the Church k Col. 1.24 and consequently not quickened with his Spirit for these two are inseparable one Body the Church and one Spirit l Eph. 4.4 viz. of truth and holiness which quickeneth this one Body and this alone The guilt of any which particulars is so inconsistent with the state of true Christianity that there is no person who reads and seriously considers them can reasonably call himself a Member of Christ or acceptably call upon God as such and yet still continue his neglect of this Blessed Sacrament 6. And this amongst others is one of the greatest causes of so great a decay of Piety of so much dulness and deadness of heart in all Religious performances of so much averseness from the publick Worship of God in his House of prayer and of so much irreverence and profaneness therein 'T is the cause of so many spiritual diseases in the Souls of men of so much weakness against Temptations of so much wavering in opinion of so many Errours Schisms Factions even because the Souls of all such are not fed nourished strengthned and refreshed quickned and confirmed with the precious Body and Bloud of Christ the which being rightly and reverently received illuminates the Understanding purifies the Will cleanses the Heart rectifies the Affections and renders the whole Man apt and active to every good work of the Lord. II. The Second general Duty in order to this Holy Sacrament is To use all possible means and endeavours to receive the same worthily There will need no other Reasons to enforce this Duty then the terrour of those known words of the Apostle He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself And this Unworthiness consists in not discerning the Lord's Body as it immediately follows m 1 Cor. 11.29 Here then every man that hath any care of his Soul will desire to know what it is not to discern the Lord's Body which makes a man liable to Damnation by being an unworthy Communicant at the Lord's Table To understand this fully and clearly we must use the light of a distinction For there is a threefold Body of Christ abstracted from that of his personal subsistence as Man of a reasonable Soul and humane Flesh subsisting viz. 1. Mystical 2. Doctrinal 3. Sacramental And not to discern the Lord's Body in any of these three meanings thereof makes unworthie Receivers 1. The Mystical Body of Christ is his Church n Eph. 1.22 23. Col. 1.24 And he discerns not this Body of Christ who rightly believes not the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints 'T is one of the names whereby this Holy Sacrament is called The Holy Communion excluding thence as unworthy all that are not within the Pale and Communion of Christ's Church both Unbelievers and Misbelievers Hereticks and Schismaticks all disobedient factious contentious spirits with all sorts of Separatists from the Church of Christ whether in Faith or Charity Doctrine or Worship For all worthy Communicants being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another o Rom. 12.5 1 Cor. 12.12 13. 2. The Doctrinal Body of Christ is the Doctrine of Christianity or the Body of Faith wherein all found orthodox Christians do agree and are united as Members of the foresaid Mystical Body of Christ the Church which is therefore called the common Faith p Tit. 1.4 and 't is that Faith which was once given to or rather by the Saints q Jude v. 3. the holy Apostles of our Lord. He discerns not this Body of the Lord who understands not the Principles of his Religion which are summed up in the Vow or Covenant which every person rightly Christned hath made with God in his Baptism the positive parts whereof besides the negative are 1. the Apostles Creed 2. the Ten Commandments with what is implied therein and depends thereupon viz. 3. the Lord's Praier and 4. the Doctrine of the Sacraments Not to know these general Heads of Religion which be plainly and fully delivered in the Church-Catechism or having learned them by heart when Children not frequently to remember and consider them when come to age so as to understand and hold them fast as the Essentials of Christianity is the second general kind of Unworthiness of the Lord's Supper from whence all ignorant and careless foolish and sottish persons are excluded r Jer. 24.7 Heb. 8.11 with all such as hold not fast the first Principles of the Oracles of God †Heb. 5.12 3. The Sacramental Body of Christ is the consecrated Elements of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament This is expresly affirmed by our Lord saying This is my Body This is my Bloud Who then dare say as the Fathers frequently observe This is not his Body but a Figure of his Body onely He discerns not this Body of our Lord 1. who sees not with the eye of Faith Christ really present under the Species of Bread and Wine though he conceive not the manner thereof who doth not with all gratefull acknowledgment and divine love and with the greatest humility and devotion adore the infinite wisedom power mercy goodness and condescension of this Presence of our Lord not curiously questioning much less pragmatically defining the way and manner of his Presence as being deeply mysterious and inconceivable Those old Verses expressing the Faith of the wifest of our first Reformers may satisfy every modest humble and sober-minded good Christian in his great Mystery of godliness It was the Lord that spake it He took the Bread and brake it And what the Word did make it So I believe and take it 2. He discerns not this Sacramental Body of the Lord who knows not in some measure the nature ends uses and benefits of this Sacrament with what is required of them that come thereunto All
which being plainly fully and yet very briefly taught in our Church-Catechism to be therefore ignorant of these things which every Child is bound to learn and say is another Species of an unworthy Communicant 3. He discerns not this Sacramental Body of the Lord who prepares not himself to receive the same with all reverence and godly fear t Heb. 12.28 with hands washed in innocency v Psal 26.6 and into a pure and clean heart x Isa 1.16 Psal 24.4 into a Soul cleansed from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit y 2 Cor. 7.1 and perfumed as was our Lord's crucified Body with the sweet odours of Humility and Compunction of Love and Devotion of Obedience and Charity And hereunto all the parts and kinds of true Repentance do necessarily concur for there can be no cleanness of hands no purity of heart if the naturally stiff and proud heart be not first humbled and its stifness broken with godly sorrow for sin and its filthiness washed off with the devout tears of true Penitence through Faith in the bloud of Christ And he that receives Christ's Holy Body and Bloud into his Soul not first emptied of all his Sins by holy Faith and all the sacred offices of true Repentance doth with Judas betray his Master into the hands of his enemies even those very enemies which crucified him for those were our Sins And therefore 't is said of such unworthy Receivers that they are guilty of the Body and Bloud of Christ To avoid such a horrid Sin 1 Cor. 11.27 and Damnation following the same v. 29. betwixt both Verses 't is commanded v. 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat Self-examination as 't is in the former Leaves prescribed to be practised is the first and the greatest Duty and requires the most of spiritual labour care and industry of all that is required to the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion And this because 't is not onely necessary in it self but necessarily conducing to the sincere performance of all the other Religious Duties commanded Our Repentance in all its parts our Humiliation and godly Sorrow for sin our holy Purposes and Resolves of amendment our Faith our Hope our Charity must be examined that they be sincere and without hypocrisy And therefore it is that this Duty is commanded by the Apostle as if it were alone sufficient when sincerely performed to make us acceptable Guests at the Lord's Table saying Let a man examine himself and so let him eat And indeed this so great so necessary a Duty is as greatly extolled and withall pretended unto by most men especially such as talk much of their Religion but practise little 'T is generally the pretence and the plea of such who cry up Self-examination to cry down the Sacerdotal power and function to withdraw themselves from under the guidance and examination of their respective Pastours whose Instructions being not received or observed but so far forth as to every man seemeth good in his own eyes is the great reason why this grand Duty is so generally neglected or negligently performed The which is manifest 1. From the numerous company of those who make no conscience of coming to the Holy Communion when invited 'T is not possible that men otherwise prudent as to their worldly concerns should yet be so sottish so retchless so stupidly careless of their eternal health and happiness did they ever seriously examine and consider the state and condition of their Souls But whilst they know not themselves in their spiritual wants weakness and wickedness how can they have any desire much lesse a delight to come to the fountain of mercy truth and holiness z Wisedom 2 21 22. Matt. 5.6 'T is the reason 2. Why many persons having received the Sacrament but feeling no virtue no efficacy no power of grace no consolation flowing from these celestral Mysteries of Salvation have therefore afterwards slighted and neglected the same For whilst their ignorances and errours whether in opinion or practice for want of due Examination appeared not unto them that Sun of Righteousness shined not into their hearts who appears not but through the windows and the openings of broken hearts and displayed consciences a Wised 5.6 And besides such is the corrupt nature of all finfulness and vice that if the leaven thereof be not narrowly searched out and abandoned it will sour the Bread of life and make it without any tast of sweetness to the Soul b 1 Cor. 5.7 8. 'T is the reason 3. Why many persons have by the receiving of that Blessed Sacrament been more hardened in their sins and in the errours of their ways For errours in judgment and offences in conversation which are the soars and diseases of the Soul being not searched to the bottom and salved by Repentance and the acknowledgement of the Truth c 2 Tim. 2.25 do change the spiritual food and nourishment of the Soul into the poison thereof whereby what was ordained unto life is found unto death d Rom. 7.10 CHAP. II. Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Holy Communion the Week before THE truly sincere good Christian whose Faith is not in Fancy or Opinion or Presumption or consisting in word and tongue alone but in deed and in truth who desires truly to serve God and to honour and obey him with his whole heart and through his whole life every such qualified Christian will as soon as he hath notice given by his Pastour of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to be administred seriously apply himself to the great work of fitting preparing and ordering his Soul for the joyfull and devout entertainment of his Blessed Redeemer thereinto In order to such a Blessed work 't will be very usefull and advantageous the whole Week foregoing to adde to your daily Praiers and Meditations these or the like following Collects with the Psalms ensuing I. Almighty God our heavenly Father who of thy tender mercy didst give thine onely Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption and hast commanded us to continue a perpetual memory of that his precious Death untill his comiong again Hear me O mercifull Father I most humbly beseech thee and grant that I may with that right Understandingâ— true Faith sincere Repentance deep Humility and fervent Charity receive the Sacrament of my dear Saviour's Death accoridng to his institution and command that I may be made partaker of all the benefits of his Passion to the justification sanctification and eternal Salvation of my Soul through the same Jesus Christ II. I will not presume to approach thine Altar O Lord trusting in mine own Righteousness but in thy manifold and great Mercies I am not worthy to gather up the crums that fall from thy Table for I am an unclean creature to whom the Childrens bread belongs not having too often returned to my old Sins as the dog to his vomit But
thy Cross my Crown and thy Death my Life for ever God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the world is crucified to me and I unto the world b Gal. 6.14 III. Meditations out of the Prophet Jeremy IS it nothing to you Lam. 1.12 all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Ob that mine head were waters Jer. 9.1 and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the Sufferings of my Saviour Shall I not weep for him who both wept and bled for me yea wept out every drop of his most precious Bloud to deliver me from weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever In the natural Body if one Member suffer all suffer with it and 't is thus in the Body mysticall also If I be a lively Member of Christ his Afflictions will afflict and pierce my heart his Passion will excite both compassion and compunction in my Soul so as to bewail not my Saviour onely but my self and my Sins also to bewail my self and the hardness of my heart that I cannot even with a floud of tears bewail my Saviour in his Sufferings nor yet sufficiently lament and abhor my Sins the causes thereof Upon the Passion of our Lord the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom That Temple mystically represents the Heart of man which signifies by its triangular form that 't is framed to be a Temple consecrated to the thrice-blessed Trinity But woe and alas my Heart is harder then the stones of that material Temple and receives not any deep impressions of that honour and happiness whereunto it was created Yet if any thing will mollify its stifness it must be the precious Bloud of my dear Redeemer which was for this very end shed upon the Cross There he bled whilst he had one drop to shed and there together with his precious Bloud he poured forth his righteous Soul with strong cryings and tears to melt the stony hearts of the sons of men into tears of Penitence and Devotion of divine Love and Obedience The gaping Wounds of my dear Lord are as so many Mouths opened to shew forth the bowels of his Compassion and through the hollow of his pierced Side may the devout Soul behold with the eye of faith his broken Heart flaming with the love of Man and dying for love O senseless ingratefull Soul who art not wounded with the Wounds of thy Saviour who art not throughly pierced with the dart of his Love who was pierced to the heart for the love of thee whose mouth is not continually opened in the praise of him all whose Wounds were as so many mouths praising the Lord for thy Redemption I am surely bound deeply engaged to love to honour to obey and wholly to live unto him who died for me even to give up my self my whole self all that I am and all that I have to his service who gave up his whole self every member of his Body every power of his Soul every drop of his Bloud a Sacrifice for my Sins And the very God of peace sanctify me wholly to his service And I pray God my whole spirit and Soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. IV. Saint Augustine 's Recommendation of the Passion of Christ unto God the Father BEhold Holy Father thy Blessed Son suffering for me great and grievous things Regard most glorious King who it was that suffered and remember in mercy for whom he suffered Is not this He my Lord even that Innocent one whom to redeem a Servant thou offeredst up being a Son Is not this He even that Authour and Giver of Life who was led as an innocent Lamb to the slaughter and became obedient unto thee even unto death and feared not to undergo the most bitter of all deaths Is not this He whom thou the dispenser of all Salvation didst beget from all eternity but in fulness of time wouldst have him partaker of my infirmity This is truly thy Deity who hath put on my mortality who was lifted up on the Cross and in my flesh suffered that sad punishment of a cursed death Look back O Lord my God with the eyes of thy Majesty upon this unspeakable work of mercy Behold thy sweet Son in all the parts of his Body extended and rackt See his innocent Hands flowing with his precious bloud and pardon in great mercy the iniquities which my wicked hands have committed Consider his naked Side pierced with a cruel spear and renew me in the sacred Font which I believe to have issued thence Behold those immaculate Feet which never stood in the way of sinners but alway walked in the Law of the Lord cruelly bored and transfixed with nails remove far from me the way of iniquity and make me to chuse the way of truth to hate and decline the ways of the ungodly and to walk in the paths of thy Commandments O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not I beseech thee O King of Saints by him who is the chief of Saints my Blessed Redeemer make me to run the way of thy Commandments that I may be united unto him who abhorred not to be cloathed with my flesh Behold most merciful Creatour the Humanity of thy beloved Son and have mercy upon the infirmity of thy frail creature His naked Breast is white and wan his pierced Side red and bloudy his distorted Bowels wither his splendid Eyes do languish his majestick Countenance is pale his procerous Arms are stiff and cold his marble Thighs hang down whilst his precious Bloud like water bedews his Feet Behold the punishment of God made Man and relax the misery of created man consider the sufferings of the Redeemer and forgive the sins of the redeemed This is He my Lord whom thou hast stricken for the sins of thy people although he be thy beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased This is He who knew no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth and yet he was numbred amongst the Transgressours and bore the sins of many CHAP. V. Saint Ambrose 's Commemoration of our Saviour's Passion O Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God the Creatour and Redeemer of all mankind we give thee thanks unworthy though they be yet desire they may be devout and acceptable to thee who for us miserable sinners camest down from Heaven and tookest flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary of her thou vouchsafedst to be born to be wrapt in swadling-cloaths and laid in a manger to suck the breasts to be circumcised in thy tender flesh to be manifested to the Wise men and adored by them to be presented in the Temple to be carried
into Egypt to return into thy countrey to be subject to thy parents to be baptized by John to be afflicted with a forty days fast and thrice to be tempted of the Devil to be wearied with journeys and macerated by hunger and thirst and watchings to be tired with preaching to weep for compassion to be rejected of the Jews and frequently abused by them Thy Passion approaching thou vouchsafedst to be heavy and exceeding sorrowful to pray not onely with bended knees but thrice to fall upon thy face to be in a bitter Agony and to sweat drops of bloud to be betrayed by Judas with a deceitful kiss to be apprehended by the Jews and bound as a thief to be left desolate and alone for all thy Disciples forsook thee and fled To be led to Annas the High-priest first and there to be buffeted to be sent by him bound to Caiaphas and there to be many ways derided to be brought before the council of the Jews and there to be falsely accused and condemned to have thy face polluted with spittings to be provok'd by manifold reproâ—ches to be scorned and blasphemed and again smitten on the face and buffeted to be delivered bound unto Pilate and before him vehemently accused unto death and by him to be sent unto Herod and there to be calumniated and set at nought by him and his men of war to be arrayed in white and sent back unto Pilate by his command to be bound to a pillar and cruelly scourged unto bloud to be by him condemned and delivered up to the souldiers to be crucified by whom thou wast mockt with a purple garment and pierced with a Crown of thorns derided with a Reed in stead of a Regal sceptre and with bowing of knees named in contempt The King of the Jews again the third time bespatter'd with spittle and buffeted and beaten with a Reed on thy head laden with the weight of thy Cross and led away to the place of thy Passion there again stript naked of thy garments and profered to drink Gall mingled with Myrrh At last thou wast extended on the Cross thy hands and feet transfixed with nails crucified amongst thieves numbred amongst transgressours blasphemed both by them that stood by and by them that passed by and in the extremity of thy sufferings criedst out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thy head bowed down thou didst give up the ghost and thy Side was pierced by a Souldier whence issued both water and bloud Taken down from the Cross and buried by Joseph the third day thou didst rise again and appear to thy disciples The fortieth day thou ascendedst into Heaven and sitting on the right hand of God the Father thou didst send down the promise of the Holy Ghost upon thy blessed Apostles and Disciples and shalt come again to Judgment to render to all men according to their works done in the body whether they be good or whether they be evil O Blessed Lord Jesus by all these thy most sacred Sufferings by thy bitter death and most precious bloud shed for us and by all things foretold of thee and fulfill'd by thee vouchsafe in great mercy to deliver me a sordid sinner with all my friends and enemies parents brothers sisters all that are poor and desolate tempted and afflicted bound and imprison'd with all Christian people From all our tribulations and distresses from the snares of the Devil from the bonds and chains of our Sins and from all evils both of Soul and body good Lord deliver save and defend us All our imaginations and actions vouchsafe so to dispose and order that they may be acceptable unto thee fill us with thy grace and with holy peace and with all vertue and grant us herein to persevere even unto death that making a good end of this present life thou mayst bring us to eternal life in thy celestial Kingdom where thou livest and reignest CHAP. VI. Saint Gregorie 's Praiers upon the Passion of Christ I. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus hanging upon the Cross and bearing on thy venerable head a Crown of Thorns and I humbly beg by thy Cross to be delivered from the destroying Angel II. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus Christ expanded on the Cross with five great wounds in thy nailed hands and feet and pierced side and I humbly beg that thy dire and gastly wounds may be a healing remedy to my sin-sick Soul III. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus panting under the sad weight of the sins of the world and I humbly beg by that unconceivable bitterness of sorrow thy innocent Soul suffered in that moment when it left the body have mercy upon my Soul in the memert of her departure hence IV. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus laid in the Sepulchre and anointed with Myrrh and Aloes and I humbly beg that thy death may be the life of my Soul V. O Save Holy Jesus the good Shepherd who laid down his life for his Sheep save and preserve the righteous call home the wicked justifie the penitent have mercy upon all true believers and upon me a miserable sinner Amen CHAP. VII The Form of Praier used by our Lord upon the Cross viz. the XXII Psalm paraphrased Verse 1. MY God my God So prayed my dear Redeemer hanging upon the Cross the gemination of his words expressing both the great Devotion and also the bitter Anguish of his Soul look upon me imploring divine commiseration and assistence in the sufferings of his humane nature why hast thou forsaken me That 's the height of sorrow and suffering to be therein forsaken as if the personall union of his divine and humane nature were dissolved and art so far from my health not affording the least mitigation of my tormenting pains or consolation therein and from the words of my complaint or the voice of my roaring for with strong crying and tears I offer up my prayers and supplications a Heb. 5.7 2. O my God I will never cease to call thee so though now thine indignation for the sins of the world lieth heavy upon me so that though I cry in the day-time in the which I suffer the torments of crucifixion yet thou hearest not so as to deliver me from them and in the night-season also when I was in a bitter agony sweating drops of bloud under the pressure of the Sins of men and thy wrath for them in both seasons and sad sufferings I take no rest no ease of my Soul's sorrows no cessation of my bodily torments 3. And thou continuest holy just and faithfull in all thy promises of mercy to the miserable or thou dwellest in thy holy one in this holy and innocent body of mine though nailed to the cross So we reade God was in Christ reconciling the world b 2 Cor. 5.19 O thou worship of Israel who hast so often delivered thy people and been made both the subject matter of their prayers and praises and onely object of
their divine adoration and worship 4. Our fathers after the flesh the Patriarchs and Prophets of old hoped in thee and when they did so when sincerely and without hypocrisie they trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them as from the Egyptian bondage and Babylonian captivity and from all their enemies on every side figuring thereby the great deliverance and redemption of mankind by my present Sufferings for their Sins 5. They called upon thee as the onely anchour of their hope amidst the raging waves of worldly tribulations and were holpen either supported in their distresses or delivered from them they put their trust in thee and were not confounded or frustrated in their expectation of a sure and seasonable succour and defence 6. But as for me who now call upon thee in distress I am a worm framed of the dunghill nature of Adam by the supernaturall operation of the Holy Ghost upon my Virgin-Mother without any carnall lust or copulation as the worm hath its being out of the dung of the earth without any mutuall coition by the sole heat of the Sun and no man not made man after the same manner with others and as a worm that is trodden on and despised so am I a very scorn of men who have spitten on me reviled reproached derided whipped buffeted and in all respects used me as the outcast of the people who have judged me more unfit to live then Barabbas a thief a rebell and a murtherer 7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn they shoot out their lips and shake their heads So we reade And they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads saying He saved others himself he cannot save c Matt. 27.39 42. saying in derision 8. He trusted in God that he would deliver him let him deliver him if he will have him So saith the sad story of our Saviour's suffering d Matt. 27.43 Thus have they rewarded me evill for good and hatred for my good will But though I be thus evill intreated by sinfull men yet thou Lord 9. Thou art he that took me out of my mother's womb 'T was by thee alone for none but a supernaturall Divine power could effect it that I was both made man and born of a woman thou wast my hope when I hanged yet upon my mother's breasts my refuge my support in my infancy as Man who art my Father from all eternity as God 10. I have been left unto thee ever since I was born my Humane nature being united unto the Person of the Son of God from the first moment of my conception thou art my God even from my mother's womb when I was conceived without any other father but thy power sanctifying the Virgin-womb of my mother and have ever since lived and am now ready to die in obedience to thy most holy will 11. O goe not from me by withdrawing thy Divine assistence for trouble is hard at hand the inveterate malice of my persecuting enemies and my tormenting pains bespeak my near-approaching death and there is none to help me in that bitter agonie besides thee O Lord for vain is the help of man and the nearest of my friends and followers have also now forsaken me and fled in whose room 12. Many oxen are come about me people who have cast off the yoke of Obedience to God's most holy Laws being luxuriant in their opinions and licencious in their conversation by such I was apprehended hurried away hooted at and reviled falsly accused and cried down by their loud clamours against me fat bulls of Basan the High-priests rich and fat men of the world swoln with their pomp and wealth armed with power like unto horned bulls close me in on every side By their counsels and conspiracies votes and suffrages they have so enfettered me that there was no way left to escape their rage and malice 13. They gape upon me with their mouths some falsely accusing some ironically deriding some maliciously reproaching some unjustly censuring and condemning me and all crying out Crucify him crucify him as it were a ramping and a roaring lion greedily and fiercely yelling over his prey so eagerly do they thirst after the bloud of my Soul and that now is in their power for 14. I am poured out like water so is my Bloud poured out of all my veins flowing from my nailed Hands and Feet pierced Side and from my Head crowned with thorns which eat into my temples And may this precious bloud like water wash off the pollutions of my Soul soften the hardness moisten the driness and make fertil the barren ground of my Heart to be capable of the great benefits my dear Redeemer purchased with his Bloud all my bones are out of joint through the violent distension of my Members on the Cross and yet far greater are the sufferings of my Soul for my heart also in the midst of my body is even like melting wax even molten in the fiery furnace of God's wrath for the Sins of the world whose indignation like fire consumes and eats up all consolation within me 15. My strength is dried up like a potsheard That radicall humour which supplies the strength of the body is exhausted through the effusion of my Bloud and dislocation of my bodily Members and my tongue cleaveth to my gums through the drought pain and weakness of my tortured Body and thou shalt bring me into the dust of death By my Death and Buriall in the dust of the earth my Sufferings will be compleated And this cannot be avoided 16. For many dogs persons who bark and devour not out of conscience or love of the Truth but out of custom and malice such are come about me they encompass me to rend and tear in pieces both my good name liberty and life it self the councill of the wicked layeth siege against me So we reade The chief priests and elders took counsell against Jesus to put him to death * Matt. 27.1 and this both shamefull and painfull for 17. They pierced my hands and my feet Through the palms of my Hands and the plants of my Feet places fullest of nerves and most capable of sense have they nailed me to the Cross but first with the greatest violence and to the utmost extent my Arms and Legs were expanded so that I may tell all my bones for they start through my flesh through the violent distension thereof and this to the great astonishment of all that behold my torments for they stand staring and looking upon me The tormenting punishment renders me so misshapen distorted and deformed as makes all the spectatours gaze and wonder But 't is more with bodily then spirituall eyes They see not neither do they understand me aright though I thus suffer for their sins 18. They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture So did the Souldiers with the garment of our Lord 's naturall Body and so do Hereticks and Schismaticks with his mysticall
Body the Church 19. But be not thou far from me O Lord so as to leave me altogether destitute of consolation in my present distresses nor yet to leave me buried in the grave to see corruption with other men and not to rise again till 〈◊〉 generall Resurrection thou art 〈◊〉 succour 'T is thy promise of succour I rely upon haste thee to help me finishing my Sufferings by Death and the Redemption of the world by my Resurrection from death to life 20. Deliver my soul from the sword from that death which by the sword and violence of wicked men is inflicted and my darling or dear and onely one Such was the Soul of Christ dear because innocent and free from Sin and the onely one that is absolutely so such is the Church of Christ dear unto him without spot and onely one as united in its Members from the power of the dog from such who without reason bark and devour August or from the power of Hell which greedily devours like a dog all that descend into it Lyra. 21. Save me from the lion's mouth out of the jaws of the Devill which are open ever to swallow up all departing Souls into death eternall But by thy assistence I shall overcome the tyrant and swallow up Death in victory thou hast heard me also answered my prayers by thy deliverance of me from amongst the horns of the unicorns such as lifted up the horn of pride and fierceness against me and extolled themselves August as if there were none like them And thus far saith Cassiodore our Lord expostulates his Sufferings by way of Prayer The fruit of his Passion followeth which is in generall the Glory of God's name 22. I will declare thy name thy might and thy Majesty thy greatness and thy goodness in my Passion and Resurrection especially manifested unto my brethren to my Apostle and Disciples and they to others Fâ—â— the word was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them theâ— heard him f Heb. 2.2 3. in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee publickly and in the Temple of the Lord where every man speaks of his honour 23. O praise the Lord ye that fear him Ye that have any respect to thâ— worship of the Lord lift up you voice in the congregation and both with Priest and people praise the Lord magnify him all ye of the seed of Jacob and fear him all ye of the seed of Israel even all whom he hath chosen to be his people whether Jews or Gentiles So they are distinguished Ye men of Israel and ye that fear the Lord i. e. from amongst the Gentiles g Act. 13.16 To both even to all you it appertains to praise the Lord for the Redemption of the world by his Son Jesus Christ who although he was despicable in the eyes of men yet is far otherwise in the eyes of the Lord for 24. He hath not despised nor abhorred the low estate of the poor Though born in a poor condition lived a poor life more poor yet in his death being stripped naked of all even to a little linen to cover his nakedness destitute of what the poorest enjoy a buriall-place for he was buried in a stranger's sepul chre yet not despised but highly exalted having a Name given above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow Nor hath He ever despised his brethren the Members of his body who conform to his poverty by being poor in spirit humble and meek he hath not hid his face from him either through neglect or scorn as too usually men doe to the poor but when he called unto him he heard him as not presuming in himself but depending upon God 25. My praise is of thee or in thee For God the Son is praised in the Father and the Father in the Son in the great congregation both of the Church militant here below and triumphant above And that thy praise may be perfected in and by me my vows will I perform The vows of our Blessed Lord were to offer up his Soul a Sacrifice for Sin and to give his holy Body and Bloud to be the food of devout Souls in the Blessed Eucharist and this to be publickly performed even in the sight of them that fear him And onely for such is that Blessed Feast prepared not for the proud stubborn and disobedient but for 26. The poor The humble and penitent Souls and such as have abjured the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked world such shall eat and be satisfied because they hungred and thirsted after righteousness they that seek after the Lord in all humility and devotion shall praise him because he is found of them that seek him and sheweth himself to such as distrust him not your heart shall live for ever The life of your heart is the joy thereof which is both begot and maintained unto perpetuity by the Bread of life He that eateth this bread shall live for ever h Jeh 6.51 27. All the ends of the world The inhabitants of the utmost corners of the earth shall remember themselves in the remembrance and adoration of their Creatour and Redeemer and be turned unto the Lord from the service of the creature to the worship of God over all Blessed for ever Such so great and unspeakable is the efficacy of our Saviour's Passion as that thereby the sacred beams of Grace and Truth are displayed over all the world insomuch that all the kindreds of the nations of what tribe family nation sect or condition soever shall worship before him fall down before his footstool and adore him as the great Redeemer of the world and Prince of the holy Catholick Church 28. For the Kingdom is the Lord's Or Dominion over all the people of the earth is given to the Lord Christ who hath a Name written on his vesture and on his thigh King of kings and Lord of lords i Rev. 19.16 and he is the Governour among the people even all true Christian people among whom and over whom he sways his Scepter of righteousness by his Holy Word and by his Holy Spirit 29. All such as be fat upon earth spiritually fat or grown in Grace and Holiness temporally fat abounding in wealth and power the Princes and Potentates of the earth saith the Chaldee Paraphr have eaten and worshipped adoring the Lord for that he feeds them with his Divine Gifts and Graces 30. All they who goe down into the dust whose bodies are buried in the grave shall kneel before him prostrate themselves unto him who vouchsafed to give himself both Soul and Body a Ransom for their Sins for being all dead in Sin no man hath quickened his own soul That was and is effected onely by the meritorious Death of the Lord of Life And such as are quickened even 31. My seed whose Life in grace is the fruit and issue of my Death of which seed it is said When thou
harp with my heart will I give thanks unto thee O God my God c Psal 43.3 4. The CXI Psalm Verse 1. I Will give thanks unto thee O Lord with my whole heart a God must be worshipped not with the lips alone nor alone in the closet but both with heart and voice both secretly and in the Congregation secretly among the faithfull and in the congregation b not in the Conventicles of Hereticks and Schismaticks but in the Congregation of the faithfull 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein c whose delight it is to study and meditate upon the greatness of God apparent in his works 3. His work is worthy to be praised and had in honour and his righteousness endureth for ever d wherein to the honour of God his righteousness is as himself unchangeable and everlasting 4. The merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous works that they ought to be had in remembrance * Though the Lord be marvellous in all his works yet of his grace and mercy he hath therein observed such an excellent order that we might remember and recount them to his praise and glory 5. He hath given meat to them that fear him he shall ever be mindfull of his covenant f In remembrance of the Covenant of grace he has made with his people he feeds them with celestial meat even the Sacrament of his Holy Body and Bloud 6. He hath shewed his people the power of his works that he may give them the heritage of the heathen g by the power and virtue whereof we who were heathens are entitled to the heritage of Heaven 7. The works of his hands are verity and judgment all his Commandments are true h Christ is Truth to them who worthily receive him but Judgment to the unworthy 8. They stand fast for ever and ever and are done in truth and equity i And this being true and equitable shall never fail of its due accomplishment 9. He hath sent Redemption to his people he hath commanded his Covenant for ever Holy and reverend is his Name k God's holy and reverend Name is to be for ever magnified for the Redemption of his people in the Bloud of his Son which is sealed and applied in the Blessed Eucharist to stand as an everlasting Covenant betwixt God and man 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisedom l The first part of this Covenant is the beginning of Wisedom viz. to fear the Lord and to depart from evill or to renounce the Devil and all his works the Pomps a good understanding have all they that doe thereafter the praise of it endureth for ever m They are truly wise who frame both their hearts and lives by this rule of Divine fear the praise whereof is everlasting Glory be to the Father and As it was in the beginning The Praiers I. THou art worthy O Lord to be praised and had in honour for all thy marvellous works but most to be admired for thy grace and mercy in the Redemption of thy people by the Bloud of thine own dear Son whom thou hast also given to be meat unto them that fear thee Be ever mindfull O Lord of this thy Covenant of grace and grant that I may ever receive the Blessed Sacrament which is the Seal thereof in verity and not unto judgment nor to my condemnation but unto the attainment of the heritage of Heaven through Jesus Christ II. Vouchsafe O Lord to pierce my heart with such an awfull fear of thy Name which is holy and reverend that I may not dare to offend thee by transgressing the least of thy Commandments but carefully conscienciously and constantly doe thereafter that I may be admitted into the blissful Society of those happy Souls the praise of whose innocence and holiness endureth for ever through Jesus Christ Praefatio ad Orationem Dominicam ex Liturgia S. Basilii ante Communionem Corporis That we may worthily receive the Body and Bloud of our Lord to the confirming and strengthning of our Souls let us worthily say that Praier which the onely-begotten Son of God hath taught us crying unto heaven with a pure heart Our Father which art in Heaven You may if you desire to enlarge your Praiers upon this divine subject adde Psal CXVI verse 10. to the end and CXXVIII and CXLVII verse 12. to the end CHAP. IX Meditations upon your going to Church with some short Directions for your demeanour in the House and in the Service of God UPON your going to Church three things will be necessary for you to consider 1. the condition of the Place whither you are going 2. the great End of your going thither and 3. how there you are to demean your self All this you would consider if you were going to the Palace of an earthly Prince who is but a mortall man like your self and you surely have much more reason to consider these particulars now that you are going unto the Courts of the Lord's House First then as to the House whither you are going 't is indeed as to its Fabrick but like other houses made of wood and stone even as the Lord's Day is but like other days as to the air and light of Heaven But the relative Holiness of this House and its eminency above other houses will appear by the Names whereby it is called both in the Book and by the People of God Under the Law it was called the Tabernacle of the congregation i. e. the place of God's meeting with his people the Temple of the Lord where he presents himself to the view of his people sitting betwixt the Cherubims as on his Throne of state 'T is also called the Sanctuary of the Lord the House of God the Habitation of his Holiness and the place where his Honour dwelleth All which Names do explain each other and need no interpretation Under the Gospell 't is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's House 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King's Palace and Oratorium the house of Praier Any of which Names much more all of them together considered will oblige any man who hath any sense of Religion to obey that command of God himself which is not merely ceremonial and typical but moral and perpetual Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord a Lev. 19.30 Secondly as to the great End of your going to Church it is to present your self before the Lord and there to adore the great Majesty of Heaven from whom you have your life and breath and all things It is not to serve your self by hearing this or tother fine-gifted Minister tickling your itching ears by his taking discourses agreeable to your fancy but to serve the Lord is your errand to his House viz. there to joyn
every part and passage of Divine Service considering that this is the great End of your coming to Church and your business there is to serve the Lord with your Christian brethren in publick 1. Therefore when the Minister exhorts you out of the Word of God to confess and acknowledge your sins and wickedness harden not your heart but with all possible humility both of Body and Soul say after the Minister in the Confession of sin and to this and to every Praier or other act of Divine Worship where 't is prescribed neglect not to say Amen for that is as it were the seal to confirm to your Soul the Benefits thereof And the Hebrews have a saying that Whosoever says Amen with all his might opens the doors of Paradise 2. After the Confession when the Minister comes to the words of Absolution bow down your head and say softly in your heart Lord let this pardon pronounced by thy Minister fall upon my Soul and seal thereunto the forgiveness of all my sins 3. The Psalms and Hymns are to be answered verse for verse with the Minister that so all may joyn and bear a part in the Service of God for in his Temple doth every man speak of his honour v Psal 29.9 And 〈◊〉 although you cannot reade yet your heart may joyn with them that do reade and your mouth also may shew forth the praise of God by saying after every Psalm Glory be to the Father and to or else if it fall in course As it was in the beginning is now Adding always Amen to express how affectionately you desire the glory of God 4. Be not silent nor ashamed publickly and audibly to make confession of the holy Christian Faith when you are thereunto called by the Minister For this is a Duty you owe both to God and Man it is an act of God's Worship and a declaration that you hold the same Faith with all true Christians And therefore 't is required of you not onely with the heart to believe unto righteousness but that with the mouth also Confession be made unto salvation x Rom. 10.10 And when the Confession of Faith is publickly pronounced do not you sit or loll as if it concerned you not but stand up with the rest of the Congregation to signify and declare that you will stand to this Faith and earnestly contend for it as being the same which was once given to or by the Saints the holy Apostles 5. Be not so cold and careless in giving honour to God as not to bow at the name of Jesus for 't is a Duty positively commanded and universally practised by the Church and people of God in all Ages And therefore give no ear to those deceivable Criticisms corrupt Glosses and false Inferences which are too frequently but profanely urged to make void the commandment of God in the omission of this Religious practice If you hear any such allegations out of the Pulpit detest them the rather that any act of Religious worship should be spoken against in the place where whatever tends to the honour of God should be magnified and advanced 6. That you may not be tired with the length of the Divine Service consider 1. the great variety of its severall parts as consisting of Praiers and Praises Confessions Thanksgivings Invitations Lessons Admonitions all of which are with most admirable prudence and Religious wisedom so ordered and contrived to follow each other that so the ending of one and beginning of another may renew and re-enquicken your Devotion chearfully to joyn in all Remember 2. whose service it is you are a-doing and continue therein from the beginning to the end that you may reap the benefit of the whole Office both of the Absolution in the beginning and of the Blessing in the end and of the Amen's throughout CHAP. X. Meditations and Praiers at the Blessed Sacrament When you goe up to communicate COme unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will refresh you a Matt. 11.28 Thus calleth my Saviour upon Sinners whereunto my heart answereth I come Blessed Jesus in all humility and deeply sensible of my Sins I now come unto thee to be eased of the burthen of them and to be refreshed with the sense of thy Mercy and the truth of thy Salvation My heart hath talked of thee and of thy gracious command Seek ye my face Thy face Lord do I now seek O hide not thou thy face from me b Psal 27.8 9. under the clouds of my Sins neither let the thick clouds of my transgressions hinder the light of thy countenance from shining upon thy servant When you kneel down before the Altar Thou art worthy O Lord to receive blessing and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created c Rev. 4.11 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisedom and strength and honour and glory and blessing d Rev. 5.12 Out of S. Chrysost Liturgy But I am unworthy his praise should come within my polluted lips and much more unworthy his precious Body and Bloud should be received into my Soul and unclean mouth But since he disdained not to be born in a Stable and to be laid in a Manger amongst Beasts * Luk. 2.7 since he vouchsafed to enter into the house of a Leper f Matt. 26.6 and of a Publican g Luk. 5.29 and to admit the kisses of an unclean Sinner such as I am washing his delicate Feet with her penitent Tears h Luk. 7.38 O vouchsafe most benign Jesus to receive me also reject me not though a Sinner yet thy Servant though unclean yet penitent and now humbling my self under thy most mighty hand That it may please thee to remit to release to pardon all my Sins whether of knowledge or ignorance whether by thought word or deed committed that with a pure and clean Soul I may receive thy most precious Body and Bloud Prayers out of several other Liturgies that the devout Reader may have the more choice and fix upon the use of such as he feels most enquickening his Devotion Out of S. James's Liturgy I. O Lord God the Bread of Heaven and Life of the World I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to partake of thy most holy Mysteries yet vouchsafe mercifull Lord to make me worthy by thy grace that I may not receive thy Holy Body and Bloud to my condemnation but unto the remission of my Sins and everlasting life Amen II. I beseech thee O Lord Out of the R. B. that I may so worthily receive those sacred Mysteries of Salvation as to have Christ dwelling in my heart and that it may become the Temple of the Holy Ghost III. In the spirit of Humility and with a contrite heart receive me O Lord and may the Sacrifice which this day I offer up unto thee be
accepted and please thee O Lord my God IV. Let not the Participation of thy Body Lord Jesus which I too much unworthy presume to receive be unto me for judgment but effectual through thy great mercy for the safeguard both of my Mind and Body and for the healing of my sin-sick Soul who livest and reignest with the Father Out of the Greek Ritual I. May what we now offer up unto thee O Lord be accepted for the mercy of the universal World for all them for whom Christ offered up himself a Sacrifice upon the Altar of the Cross for the glory of thy Name and for the coming of the Holy Ghost that he may please to visit and enlighten my heart Amen II. As the Offering of righteous Abel as the Sacrifice of Noah of Abraham of Isaac so let this our Sacrifice be acceptable unto thee O Lord and may the same be so worthily offered by us and mercifully received by thee as when 't was performed by thy holy Apostles Amen III. O God the King of all give me I beseech thee true Compunction the Redemption of my Sins and the Amendment of my life who am deeply immers'd in bodily Affections estranged from thee and without hopes but in thy great goodness and saving mercies Omnipotent Jesus Saviour and Redeemer Amen Out of the Mozarabick Liturgy I. May the Sacrifice we now offer up unto thy Divine Majesty be effectual for the Pardon of all our offences for the Establishment of the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Faith and for all who religiously profess the same through Jesus Christ II. Bearing in mind continually the Holy Catholick Church we pray that the Lord may be pleased to be propitious hereunto and by the increase of Faith Hope and Charity to enlarge its limits We likewise remember all them that are fallen all that be in captivity the infirm and sick the stranger the fatherless and widow that the Lord would in mercy look upon them restore redeem heal comfort and relieve them all through Jesus Christ III. O Holy Trinity the Store-house of blessings vouchsafe to bless confirm and strengthen us all here present before thee deliver us from the day of condemnation and let us not be confounded when we shall appear before thee and in the presence of thy holy Angels but make us joyfull in thy Resurrection Blessed Jesus Keep the Soul of thy Servant the King and let Grace and Peace Charity and Humility flourish in his days through Jesus Christ IV. Grant O Lord our God that we may receive the Body and Bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ to obtain the Remission of all our Sins and to be replenished with thy Holy Spirit who livest and reignest Father Son and Holy Ghost one God over all Blessed for ever Out of the Aethiopick Liturgy I. Holy Holy Holy thrice Blessed ineffable Lord grant me to receive the Blessed Body of my Redeemer not unto judgment but to all fruitfulness in Good works according unto thy will and that such fruits may remain to thy glory Quicken us in thee to doe thy will In faith we call thee Father and pray Thy Kingdom come Hallowed be thy Name in us and by us for thou art most powerfull praise-worthy and glorious To thee be glory for ever Amen II. O God the Governour of Souls the Guide of the holy and the Crown of the just open mine Eyes now to see thee mine Ears always to hear thee and mine Heart to receive thee O give me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me And after of thy great grace thou hast satiated my Soul with thy Blessed Body and Bloud give me to understand both thy Greatness and thy Goodness and grant that thy holy will may ever be done in my Soul for thine is the Kingdom O Lord. Glory and Blessing be to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for ever Amen III. Grant me Blessed Lord Out of the English Lit. so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his Bloud that my sinfull Body may be made clean by his most Holy Body and my Soul washed in his most precious Bloud that I may evermore dwell in him and he in me Amen which is the great benefit of the Communion of Saints After you have received the consecrated Bread The Bread which I have now taken is the Bread which came down from Heaven and giveth life unto the world Oh that I may now feel its efficacy enquickening and inflaming my Soul with the heavenly ardours of divine love having all my Affections set upon things above and not upon things below May this Bread be to my Soul the staff of strength whereby I may vanquish all the assaults of the Devil the World and the Flesh and continue my Lord 's faithfull Servant and Souldier to my life's end Amen After the Cup received O that this precious Bloud of my dear Redeemer may be now both the Purification and Nourishment of my Soul the seal of my Pardon and Peace with God and the pledge of mine Inheritance in Heaven After both Grant Holy Jesus that as I have now received in faith thy precious Body and Bloud veiled under the Species of Bread and Wine I may hereafter behold thy blessed Face reveiled in Heaven to eat and drink with thy holy Angels and Saints in their mansions of blisse where they are satisfied with the fulness of the most ravishing delights in the Beatificall vision of the thrice-blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost of whom and through whom and in whom are all things and to whom be all glory for ever Amen Out of the Greek Ritual We give thee thanks good Lord the Benefactour of our Souls that thou hast this day made us worthy of thy celestial and immortall Mysteries Vouchsafe O Lord to confirm us in thy fear to preserve our life to secure our paths and to guide our feet in the way of peace Amen The Song of Simeon 1. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word 2. For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation 3. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 4. To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning Meditations whilst others are communicated The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary i 2 Chron. 30.18 19. Blessed are they who dwell in the House of the Lord and are fed though it be but with the crums that fall from his Table The XXXIV Psalm is in the Apostolical Constitutions and in S. Chrysostom 's Liturgy appointed to be at this time devoutly praied Verse 1. I Will alway give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth 2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the
humble shall hear thereof and be glad 3. O praise the Lord with me and let us magnify his Name together 4. I sought the Lord and he heard me yea he delivered me out of all my fear 5. They had an eye unto him and were lightned and their faces were not ashamed 6. Lo the poor crieth and the Lord heareth him yea and saveth him out of all his troubles 7. The Angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him and delivereth them 8. O taste and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him 9. O fear the Lord ye that be his Saints for they that fear him do lack nothing 10. The lions do lack and suffer hunger but they who seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good 11. Come ye children and hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12. What man is he that lusteth to live and would fain see good days 13. Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips that they speak no guile 14. Eschew evil and doe good seek peace and ensue it 15. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their praiers 16. The countenance of the Lord is against them that doe evil to root out the remembrance of them from off the earth 17. The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their troubles 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that are of a contrite heart and will save such as be of an humble spirit 19. Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of all 20. He keepeth all his bones so that not one of them is broken 21. But misfortune shall slay the ungodly and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate 22. The Lord delivereth the souls of his servants and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning The Prayer May the praise of the Lord be ever in my mouth and let us all magnify his Name together who do now tast and see how gracious the Lord is for he hath heard our praiers enlightned our minds delivered us from all our fears and from all those troubles whereunto our Sins had made us liable And oh that the sweet tast of our gracious Lord in this Blessed Sacrament of his Body and Bloud may have its proper influence upon all the Affections of our hearts and Actions of our lives that we may henceforth and for ever eschew evil and doe good being fruitfull in all the good works of Righteousness and true Holiness from whence ensue eternal Peace and Happiness through Jesus Christ I have sworn vowed in my Baptism and now again renewed the same Vow and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous judgments k Psal 119.106 I am thine even now solemnly devoted thine stedfastly resolved thine O save me for I have sought thy Commandments l Vers 94. O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not m Psal 17.5 O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that I may daily perform my vows n Psal 61.8 CHAP. XI Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving after the Holy Communion The CIII Psalm Verse 1. PRaise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name 2. Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits 3. Who forgiveth all thy sins and healeth all thy infirmities 4. Who saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things making thee young and lusty as the eagle 6. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all them that are oppressed with wrong 7. He shewed his ways unto Moyses his works unto the children of Israel 8. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy long-suffering and of great goodness 9. He will not alway be chiding neither keepeth he his anger for ever 10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our wickedness 11. But look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth so great is his mercy also towards them that fear him 12. Look how wide also the East is from the West so far hath he set our sins from us 13. Yea like as a father pitieth his own children even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him 14. For he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust 15. The days of man are but as grass for he flourisheth as a flower of the field 16. For as soon as the wind goeth over it it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more 17. But the mercifull loving-kindness of the Lord endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him and his righteousness upon childrens children 18. Even upon such as keep his covenant and think upon his commandments to doe them 19. The Lord hath prepared his seat in heaven and his Kingdom ruleth over all 20. O praise the Lord ye Angels of his ye that excell in strength ye that fulfill his commandment and hearken unto the voice of his words 21. O praise the Lord all ye his hosts ye servants of his that doe his pleasure 22. O praise the Lord all ye works of his in all places of his dominion Praise thou the Lord O my Soul Glory be to the Father c. I. 'T is not within the power of all the Faculties of my Soul worthily to praise the Lord for that he hath now satisfied my mouth with the good things of Heaven he hath forgiven me all my sins and healed the diseases of my Soul he hath renewed my strength as an Eagle to mount my Soul unto Heaven upon the sacred wings of holy Faith firm Hope fervent Charity and by the virtue of that celestiall Food I have now received II. How great is the goodness and how great is the mercy of the Lord who hath not dealt with me after my Sins nor rewarded me according to my wickedness But as a father pitieth his own children so mercifull is the Lord and hath compassion upon the work of his own hands and whom he hath framed after his own Image frail and sinfull though we be III. But since through the weakness and frailties of my mortal nature I cannot praise the Lord as becometh his eminent grace and greatness may my defects herein be supplied with the Hallelujahs of Angels and Archangels and all the company of Heaven And 't is the exultation and joy of my heart that these celestiall Spirits cease not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory Glory be to God on high Amen Blessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel who onely doeth wondrous things And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever and all