Sacramental Symbols as a direct consignation of pardon not that it is them compleated for it is a work of time it is as long in doing as repentance is in perfecting it is the effect of that depending on its cause in a perpetual operation but it is then working and if we go on in duty God will proceed to finish the methods of his grace and snatch us from eternal death which we have deserved and bring us unto glory And this he is pleased by the Sacramental all the way to consigne God speaks not more articulately in any voice from Heaven than in such real indications of his love and favour 14. Lastly since the Sacrament is the great solemnity of prayer and imitation of Christs intercession in Heaven let us here be both charitable and religious in our prayers interceding for all states of men and women in the Christan Church and representing to God all the needs of our selves and of our Relatives For then we pray with all the advantages of the spirit when we pray in the faith of Christ crucified in the love of God and of our neighbour in the advantages of solemn piety in the communion of Saints in the imitation of Christs intercession and in the union with Christ himself Spiritual and Sacramental and to such prayers as these nothing can be added but that which will certainly come that is a blessed hearing and a gracious answer SECT III. Devotions preparatory to this Mystery Ejaculations I. 1. I Will praise thee with my whole heart before the Angels will I sing praise unto thee 2. I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy Name for thy loving kindnesse and for thy truth for thou hast magnified above all thy name the word of thy praise 3. In the day when I call upon thee thou shalt answer and shalt multiply strength in my soul. 4. How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me Thy mercy O Lord endureth for ever 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope 6. My soul doth wait for the Lord more than they that keep the morning watches that they may observe the time of offering the morning sacrifices 7. O let my soul hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption he shall redeem his people from all iniquitie II. 1. Our Lord is gentle and just our God is merciful 2. The Lord keepeth the simple I was humbled but the Lord looked after my redemption 3. O my soul return thou unto thy rest because the Lord hath restored his good things unto thee 4. He hath snatched my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling I will therefore walk before the Lord in the land of the living 5. I have believed therefore will I speak in the assemblies of just men I will greatly praise the Lord. 6. What shall I return unto the Lord all his retributions are repayed upon me 7. I will bear the chalice of redemptions in the Kingdom of God and in the name of the Lord I will call upon my God III. 1. I will pay my vows unto the Lord I will then shew forth his Sacraments unto all the people 2. Honourable before the Lord is the death of his holy one and thereby thou hast broken all my chains 3. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments 4. I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth yea I will praise him among the multitude 5. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from them that condemn his soul. 6. His work is honourable and glorious and his righteousnesse remaineth for ever He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred 7. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion he hath given meat unto them that fear him he will ever be mindful of his covenant he hath shewed his people the power of his works blessed be God The Prayers to be used in any day or time of preparation to the Holy Sacrament I. O Thou shepherd of Israel thou that feedest us like sheep thou makest us to lie down in pleasant pastures and leadest us by the still waters running from the clefts of the rock from the wounds of our Lord from the fountains of salvation thou preparest a table for us and anointest our heads with the unction from above and our cup runneth over let the blood of thy wounds and the water of thy side wash me clean that I may with a pure clean soul come to eat of the purest sacrifice the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world II. THou givest thy self to be the food of our souls in the wonders of the Sacrament in the faith of thy Word in the blessings and graces of thy Spirit Perform that in thy Servant which thou hast prepared and effected in thy Son strengthen my infirmities heal my sicknesses give me strength to subdue my passions to mortifie my inordinations to kill all my sin increase thy Graces in my soul enkindle a bright devotion extinguish all the fires of hell my lust and my pride my envy and all my spiritual wickednesses pardon all my sins and fill me with thy Spirit that by thy Spirit thou maist dwell in me and by obedience and love I may dwell in thee and live in the life of grace till it pasâ— on to glory and immensity by the power and the blessings by the passion and intercession of the Word incarnate whom I adore and whom I love and whom I will serve for ever and ever III. O Mysterious God ineffable and glorious Majesty what is this that thou hast done to the sons of men thou hast from thy bosom sent thy Son to take upon him our nature in him thou hast opened the fountains of thy mercy and hast invited all penitent sinners to come to be pardoned all the oppressed to be eased all the sorrowful to be comforted all the sick to be cured all the hungry to be filled and the thirsty to be refreshed with the waters of life and sustained with the wine of elect souls admit me O God to this great effusion of loving kindness that I may partake of the Lord Jesus that by him I may be comforted in all my griefs satisfied in all my doubts healed of all the wounds of my soul and the bruises of my spirit and being filled with the bread of heaven and armed with the strength of the Spirit I may begin continue and finish my journey thorow this valley of tears unto my portion of thy heavenly kingdom whither our Lord is gone before to prepare a place for every loving and obedient soul. Grant this O Eternal God for his sake who died for us and intercedes for us and gives himself daily to us our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Amen CHAP. II. Of
Religion as if they were things fit only to be talked on and to be the subject of Theological discourses but not the rule of our lives and the matter of our care It is expresly said by St. Paul He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself Now if we observe what crouds of people in great Cities come to the holy Communion good and bad penitent and impenitent the covetous and the proud the crafty Merchâ—nt from yesterdays fraud and the wanton fool from his last nights lust we may easily perceive that not many men believe these words He that sayes to me drink not this for it is poyson hath given me a law and an affrightment and I dare not disobey him if I believe him and if we did believe St. Paul I suppose we should as little dare to be damned as to be poyson'd Our Blessed Saviour told us that with what measure we mete to others it shall be measured to us again but who almost believes this and considers what it means Will you be content that God should despise you as you despise your brother that he should be as soon angry with you as you are with him that he should strike you as hastily and as seldom pardon you and never bare with your infirmities and as seldom interpret fairly what you say or do and be revenged as frequently as you would be And what think we of these sayings Into the heavenly Jerusalem there shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth or prophaneth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie Do men believe God and yet doing these things hope to be saved for all these terrible sayings Now the works of the flesh are manifest adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness c. of which I tell you before that they which do such thâ—ngs shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Certainly if we did believe that these things are spoken in earnest we should not account fornication such a decent crime so fashionable and harmless or make such a maygame of the fearful lectures of damnation For if these words be true will men leave their sins or are they resolved to suffer damnation as being lesse troublesome than to quit their vain Mistresses surely that 's not it but they have some little subterfuges and illusions to trust to They say they will relie upon Gods mercy Well they may if in well doing they commit their souls to him as to a faithful Creator but will they make God their enemy and then trust in him while he remains so That will prove an intollerable experiment for so said God when he caused his name to be proclaimed to the host of Israel The Lord God merciful and gracious he caused to be added and that will by no means quit the guilty By no means No by no means let us believe that as well as the other For the passion of our Redeemer the intercession of our high Priest the Sacraments of the Church the body and blood of Christ the mercies of God the saying Lord Lord the priviledges of Christians and the absolution of the Priest none of all this and all this together shall do him no good that remains guilty that is who is impenitent and does not forsake his sin If we had faith we should believe this and should not dare to come to the holy Communion with an actual guiltiness of many crimes and in confidence of pardon against all the truth of Divine relations and therefore without faith But then here we may consider that no man in this case can hope to be excused from the necessities of a holy life upon pretence of being saved by his faith For if the case be thus these men have it not For he that believes in God believes his words and they are very terrible to all evil persons For in Christ Jesus nothing can avail but a new creature nothing but keeping the Commandments of God nothing but faith working by charity they are the words of God Wicked men therefore can never hope to be saved by their faith or by their faith to be worthy Communicants for they have it not Who then can He only by his faith is worthily disposed to the Communion and by his faith can be saved who by his faith lives a life of grace whose faith is to him a magazine of holy principles whose faith endears obedience and is the nurse of a holy hope and the mother of a never failing charity He shall be saved by his faith who by his faith is more than conquerour who resists the Devil and makes him flie and gives laws to his passions and makes them obedient who by his faith overcomes the world and removes mountains the mountains of pride and vanity ambition and secular designs and whose faith casteth out Devils the Devil of lust and the Devil of intempeâ—ance the spirit that appears like a goat and the spirit that comes in the shape of a swine he whose faith opens the blind mans eyes and makes him to see the things of God and cures the lame hypocrite and makes him to walk uprightly For these signs shall follow them that believe said our blessed Saviour and by these as by the wedding garment we are fitted to this heavenly Supper of the King In short for what ever end faith is designed whatever propositions it intends to perswade to what duties soever it does engage to what state of things soever it ought to efform us and whithersoever the nature and intention of the grace does drive us thither we must go that we must do all those things we must believe and to that end we must direct all our actions and designs For â—he nature of faith discovers it self in the affairs of our Religion as in all things if we believe any thing to be good we shall labour for it if we think so we shall do so and if we run after the vanities of the world and neglect our interest of heaven there is no other account to be given of it but because we do not believe the threatnings and the Laws of God or that heaven is not so considerable as those sottish pleasures and tâ—ifling regards for which all pains is too much though we think all labour and all passion is too little Plutarâ—h tells that when poverty desired to have a childe she lay with the God Porus their God of plenâ—y and she proved with childe and brought forth Love by which they intended to represent the nature of the Divine love it is born of a rich Father and a poor mother that is it proceeds from a contempt of the world and a value of God an emptiness of secular affections and a great estimate of wisdom and Religion But therefore it is that God and the fruits of his garden and the wealth of his treasure and the meat of his Table and the graces of his spirit are not gustful and
sins frequently and repents frequently gives great reason to believe that his repentances are but pretended and that such repentances before God signifie nothing yet that is nothing to us it may be they are rendred ineffâ—ctual by the relapse and that they were good for the present as Ahabs was but whether they be or be not yet if he be not ashamed to repent so often we must think it no shame and no imprudence to forgive him and to forgive him so that he be restored intirely to his former state of good things that is there must be no let in thy charity if there be in prudence that 's another consideration But his second repentance must be accepted as well as his first and his tenth as well as his fifth And if any man think it hard so often to be tied to accept his repentance let him understand that it is because himself hath not yet been called to judgment he hath not heard the voice of the exactor he hath not yet been delivered to the tormentors nor summed up his own accounts nor beheld with amazement the vast number of his sins He that hath in deepest apprehension placed himself before the dreadful Tribunal of God or felt the smart of conscience or hath been affrighted with the fears of hell or remembers how often he hath been spared from an horrible damnation will not be ready to strangle his Brother and afflict him for a trifle because he considers his own dangers of perishing for a sum which can never be paid if it never be forgiven Question III. What indications and signs of repentance are we to require and to accept as sufficient I answer that for this circumstance there is as proper an use and exercise of our charity as in the direct forgiveness We are not to exact securities and demonstrations Mathematical nor to demand the extremity of things If thy enemy be willing to make an amends accept of his very willingnesse for some part and his amends for the other Let every good act be forwardly entertained and persuade you heartily that all is well within If you can reasonably think so you are bound to think so for after all the signs of repentance in the world he may deceive you and whether his heart be right or not you can never know but by the judgment of charity and that you may better use betimes For when ever your returning enemy saies he does repent that is gives humane and probable indications of his repentance you cannot tell but that he saies true and therefore you must forgive The words of Christ are plain if he returns saying I do repent then it is a duty and we can stay no longer for he that confesses his sin and praies for pardon hath done great violence and mortification to himself he hath punished his fault and then there is nothing left to be done by the offended party but to return to mercy and charity But in this affair it is remarkable what we are commanded by our blessed Lord Agree with thine adversary quickly c. lâ—ft thou be constrained to pay the utmost farthing Plainly intimating that in reconcilements and returns of friendship there is supposed alwaies something to be abated something clearly forgiven for if he pay thee to the utmost farthing thou hast forgiven nothing It is merchandise and not forgivenesse to restore him that does as much as you can require Be not over righteous saith Solomon that is let charity do something of thy work allow to her place and powers and opportunity It was an excellent saying of St. Bernard God is never called the God of revenges but the Father of mercies because the original of his revenges he takes from us and our sins but the original and the causes of his forgivenesse he takes from himself and so should we that we restore him that did us wrong to our love again let it not be wholly because he hath done all that can be required but something upon our own account let our mercy have a share in it that is let us accept him readily receive him quickly believe him easiy expound all things to the better sense take his word and receive his repentance and forgive him at the beginning of it not to interrupt his repentance but to incourage it and that 's the proper work of charity in the present Article Question IV. Whether after every relapse must the conditions of his pardon be harder than before I answer that I find no difference in the expression of our blessed Saviour It is all one after seven times and after seventy times and after seventy times seven times If he shall return saying I repent that 's all is here required But then because by saying I repent is not meant only the speaking it but also doing it must at least be probable that he does so as well as say so therefore although as soon as he does so so soon you must forgive him yet 1. After the first forgivenesse and at the second and third offence we are not obliged so readily to believe his saying as after the first offence at which time although he did violence to justice and charity yet he had not broken his faith as now he hath and therefore the oftner he hath relapsed the more significations he ought to give of the truth of his repentance He that is pardoned and sins again cannot expect so easily to be acquitted the third time as at the first saith S Basil. At the first fault we must believe his saying because we know nothing to the contrary but when he hath often said so and it is seen so often that he did not say true he that is forgiven and then relapses is obliged to do more the next time he pretends repentance 2. Altâ—ough we â—re bound to forgive him intirely even after a thousand injuries if he does truly repent yet this person cannot expect to be imployed or to be returned to all his former capacities of good because it is plain he hath not cured the evil principle the malicious heart or the evil eye the slanderous tongue or the unjust hand his covetous desire and his peevish anger and then though we must be ready in heart to receive him to all the degrees of his former condition when he shall be capable and is the same man that ought to be imployed yet till he be so or appears so in prudent and reasonable indications he must be pardoned heartily and prayed for charitably but he must be handled cautiously It must not be harder for thee to pardon him after ten thousand relapses and returns but after so much variety of folly and weak instances it will be much harder for him to say and prove he does repent But in this our charity must neither be credulous nor morose too easie nor too difficult but it is secure if it pardons him and prayes for him whether he repents or no. 3.
a capacity of doing this action For it is not Lent nor the Epiphany which makes us worthy to approach to the Son of God But the sincerity and purity of the soul with this come at any time but without this never In fine it is the general doctrine of the holy Fathers and the publick practice of the Primitive Church that no impenitent person should come to these divine Mysteries and they that are truly penitent should practice deep humility and undergo many humiliatioÌ„ns and live in a state of repentance till by little and little they have recover'd the holinesse they had lost and must for a long time live upon the word of God before they approach to the holy Table to be nourished by his body For so should every prodigal child cry unto his Lord Drive me not O Lord out of thy doors lest the enemy espying a wanderer and a vagabond take me for a slave I do not yet desire to approach to thy holy Table thy mystical and terrible Table for I have not confidence with my impure eyes to behold the holy of holies Only suffer me to enter into thy Church amongst the Catechumens that by beholding what is there celebrated I may by little and little enter again into the participation of them to the end that the Divine Waters of thy Word running upon me may purifie my ears from the impressions which have been made upon them by ungodly songs and from the filthinesse they have left behind and seeing how the righteous people partake by a holy violence of thy precious jewels I may conceive a burning desire to have hands worthy to receive the same excellencies I end this collection of the ancient Doctrine of the Church with recitation of the words of Gennadius I perswade and exhort Christians to receive the Communion every Lords day but so that if their mind be free from all affection of sinning For he who still hath will or desires of sin he is burdened and not purified by receiving the Eucharist And therefore although he be bitten or griev'd with sin let him for the future renounce all will to sin and before he communicate let him satisfie with prayers and tears and being confident of the mercy of our Lord who uses to pardon sins upon a pious confession let him come to the Eucharist without doubting But this I say of him who is not pressed with capital and deadly sins for such a person if he will not receive the Eucharist to judgment and condemnation let him make amends by publick penance and being reconcil'd by the Bishop or Priest let him communicate I doubt not also but such grievous sins may be extinguish'd by private satisfactions but this must be done by changing the course of his life by a professed study of Religion by a daily and perpetual mourning or contrition that through the mercy of God he may do things contrary to these whereof he does repent and then humbly and suppliant let him every Lords day communicate to the end of his life This advice of Gennadius declares the sentiment of the Church that none must communicate till they have worthily repented and in the way of piety and contrition made amends for their faults as well as they may and have put themselves into a state of vertue contrary to their state of sin that is have made progression in the reformation of their lives that they are really changed and become new men not in purpose only but actually and in the commencement of holy habits And therefore it is remarkable that he advises that these persons who do not stand in the place of publick penitents should upon the commission of grievous faults enter into Religion he means into solitude and retirement and renunciation of the world that by attending wholy to the severities and purities of a religious life they may by such strictnesses and constant piety be fitted for the communion Now whatever ends besides this the Divine Providence might have yet it is not to be neglected that when the ancient discipline of the Church of penances and satisfactions was gone into desuetude the Spirit of Religion entred more fully into the world and many religious orders and houses were instituted that at least there the world might practise that severity in private which the change of affairs in the face of the Church had taken from the publick ministeries Penance went from the Churches into desarts and into Monasteries but when these were corrupted and the manners of men were worse corrupted it is hard to say whither it is gone now It may be yet done in private and under the hand of a spiritual guide or by the spirit of penance in the heart of a good man and by the conduct of a wise counsellor but besides that the manners of men are corrupted the doctrines also are made so easie and the Communion given to sects and opinions or indifferently to all that it is very rare to see them who have sinn'd grievously repent worthily who therefore can never be worthy communicants for no impenitents can partake of Christ who as S. Hierom cals him is the prince of penance and the head of them who by repentance come unto salvation But this was his advice to them that commit grievous sins such which lay the conscience wast and whose every single action destroyes our being in the state of grace But as for them whose sins are but those of dayly incursion and of infirmity or imperfection such which a great diligence and a perpetual watchfulness might have prevented but an ordinary care would not these must be protested against they must not joyn with our consent our will must be against them and they must be confess'd and deplor'd and prayed against before we may communicate This is the sense of the Church of God Having established this great general measure of preparation it will not be very difficult to answer that great question often disputed amongst spiritual persons viz. Question I. Whether is it better to communicate seldom or frequently To this I answer That it is without peradventure very much better to receive it every day than every week and better every week then every month Christiani omni die carnes agni comedunt said Origen Christians every day eat of the flesh of the sacrificed lamb And St. Basil expresly affirms that to communicate every day and to partake of the body and blood of Christ is excellent and very profitable Christ himself having manifâ—stly said it he that eats my flesh and drinks my blood hath life eternal For if the Sacrament does no benefit to souls and produces no blessings then a man can institute a Sacrament for he may appoint any thing that shall be good for nothing But if it be an instrument in the hand of God to procure blessings to us and spiritual emolument if it be a means of union with Christ who would not willingly
they had zeal for the good of souls Let no man say I repent in private I repent before God in secret God who alone does pardon does know that I am contrite in heart For was it in vain was it said to no purpose whatsoever ye shall loose in earth shall be loosed in heaven we evacuate the Gospel of God we frustrate the words of Christ so S. Austin And therefore when a man hath spoken the sentence of the most severe medicine let him come to the Presidents of the Church who are to minister in the power of the Keyes to him and beginning now to be a good son keeping the order of his Mother let him receive the measure and manner of his repentances from the Presidents of the Sacraments Concerning this thing I shall never think it fit to dispute for there is nothing to inforce it but enough to perswade it but he that tries will find the benefit of it himself and will be best able to tell it to all the world SECT VII Penitential Soliloquies Ejaculations Exercises and preparatory Prayers to be us'd in all the days of preparation to the Holy Sacrament I. ALmighty and eternal God the fountain of all vertue the support of all holy hope the Author of pardon of life and of salvation thou art the comforter of all that call upon thee thou hast concluded all under sin that thou mightest have mercy upon all Look upon me O God and have pity on me lying in my blood and misery in my shame and in my sins in the fear and guilt of thy wrath in the shadow of death and in the gates of hell I confesse to thee O God what thou knowest already but I confesse it to manifest thy justice and to glorifie thy mercy who hast spared me so long â—hat I am guilty of the vilest and basest follies which usually dishonour the fools and the worst of the sons of men II. I have been proud and covetous envious and lustful angry and greedy indevout and irreligious restless in my passions sensual and secular but hating wise counsels and soon weary of the Offices of a holy Religion I cannot give an account of my time and I cannot reckon the sins of my tongue My crimes are intolerable and my imperfections shameful and my omissions innumerable and what shall I do O thou preserver of men I am so vile that I cannot express it so sinful that I am hateful to my self and much more abominable must I needs be in thy eyes I have sinn'd against thee without necessity sometimes without temptation only because I would sin and would not delight in the ways of peace I have been so ingrateful so foolish so unreasonable that I have put my own eyes out that I might with confidence and without fear sin against so good a God so gracious a Father so infinite a Power so glorious a Majesty so bountiful a Patron and so mighty a Redeemer that my sin is grown shameful and aggravated even to amazement I can say no more I am asham'd O God I am amaz'd I am confounded in thy presence III. But yet O God thou art the healer of our breaches and the lifter up of our head and I must not despair and I am sure thy goodness is infinite and thou dost not delight in the death of a sinner and my sins though very great are infinitely less than thy mercies which thou hast revealed to all penitent and returning sinners in Jesus Christ. I am not worthy to look up to heaven but be thou pleased to look down into the dust and lift up a sinner from the dunghil let me not perish in my folly or be consumed in thy heavy displeasure Give me time and space to repent and give me powers of Grace and aids of thy spirit that as by thy gift and mercy I intend to amend whatsoever is amiss so I may indeed have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same Inspire me with the spirit of repentance and mortification that I may always fight against my sins till I be more than conquerour Support me with a holy hope confirm me with an excellent operative and unreprovable faith and enkindle a bright and a burning charity in my soul Give me patience in suffering severity in judging and condemning my sin and in punishing the sinner that judging my self I may not be condemned by thee that mourning for my sins may rejoyce in thy pardon that killing my sin I may live in righteousness that denying my own will I may always perform thine and by the methods of thy Spirit I may overcome all carnal and spiritual wickednesses and walk in thy light and delight in thy service and perfect my obedience and be wholly delivered from my sin and for ever preserved from thy wrath and at last passe on from a certain expectation to an actual fruition of the glories of thy Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Amen Amen 1. I am in thy sight O Lord a polluted person sin like a crust of leprosie hath overspread me I am a scandal to others a shame to my self a reproach to my relations a burden to the earth a spot in the Church and deserve to be rejected and scorn'd by thee 2. But this O God I cannot bear It is just in thee to destroy me but thou delightest not in that I am guilty of death but thou lovest rather that I should live 3. O let the cry of thy Sons blood who offers an eternal Sacrifice to thee speak on my behalf and speak better things than the blood of Abel 4. My conscience does accuse me the Devils rejoyce in my fall and aggravate my crimes already too great and thy holy Spirit is grieved by me But my Saviour Jesus died for me and thou pittiest me and thy holy Spirit still calls upon me and I am willing to come but I cannot come unlesse thou drawest me with the cords of love 5. O draw me unto thee by the Arguments of charity by the endearments of thy mercies by the order of thy providence by the hope of thy promises by the sense of thy comforts by the conviction of my understanding by the zeal and passion of holy affections by an unreprovable faith and an humble hope by a religious fear and an increasing love by the obedience of precepts and efficacy of holy example by thy power and thy wisdom by the love of thy Son and the grace of thy Spirit Draw me O God and I will run after thee and the sweetnesses of thy precious ointments 6. I am not worthy O Lord I am not worthy to come into thy presence much less to eat the flesh of the Sacrificed Lamb For my sins O Blessed Saviour Jesus went along in confederation with the High Priests in treachery with Judas in injustice with Pilate in malice with the people 7. My sins and the Jews crucified thee my hypocrisie was the kiss that betrai'd thee my covetous
comfort us and he will judge us and he will save us and it can never be well with us till love that governs heaven it self be the Prince of all our actions and our passions By this we know we are translated from death to life by our love unto our brethren That 's the testimonial of our comfort I was hungry and ye fed me I was hungry and ye fed me not These are the Tables of our fiâ—al judgment If ye love me keep my Commandments That 's the measure of our obedience In that ye have done kindnesse to one of these little ones ye have done it unto me That is the installing of the Saints in their Thrones of Glory If thou bringest a gift to the altar leave it there go and be reconciled to thy brother That 's the great instrument of our being accepted No man can love God and hate his brother That 's the rule of our examination in this particular This is a new Commandment that ye love one another There 's thâ— great precept of the Gospel This is an old Commandment that ye love one another There is the very Law of Nature And to sum up all Love is the fulfilling of the Law that 's the excellency and perfection of a man and there is the expectation of all reward and the doing all our duâ—y and the sanctification of every action and the spirit of life It is the heart and the fire and the salt of every Sacrifice it is the crown of every Communion And all this mysterious excellency is perfectly represented by that divine exhortation made by Saint Paul Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleavened For even Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us Therefore let us keep the feast not with old leaven neither with the leaven of MALICE and wickednesse but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth Now concerning this grace if we will inquire after it in order to a worthy receiving the holy Communion we must inquire after the effects and offices of Charity and by the good we do or are ready to do take an account of our selves in this particular The offices and general duties are three 1. Doing good 2. Speaking good and 3. â—orgiving evil SECT II. Of doing good to our Neighbours HE that loves me does me good for until love be beneficial it is not my good but his fancy and pleasure that delights in me I do not examine this duty by our alms alone for although they are an excellent instrument of life for alms deliver from death said the Angel to old Tobit yet there are some who are bountiful to the poor and yet not charitable to their neighbour You can best tell whether you have charity to your brother by your willingnesse to oblige him and do him real benefit and keeping him from all harm we can Do you do good to all you can Will you willingly give friendly counsel Do you readily excuse your neighbours faults Do you rejoyce when he is made glad Do you delight in his honour and prosperity Do you stop his entry into folly and shame Do not you laugh at his miscarriages Do you stand ready in mind to do all good offices to all you can converse with For nothing makes Societies so fair and lasting as the mutual endearment of each other by good offices and never any man did a good turn to his brother but one time or other himself did eat the fruit of it The good man in the Greek Epigram that found a dead mans scul unburied in kindnesse digging a grave for it opened the inclosures of a Treasure And we read in the Annals of France that when Goutran King of Burgundy was sleeping by the murmurs of a little brook his Servant espied a Lizard coming from his Masters head and essayed to passe the water but seeming troubled because it could not he laid his sword over the brook and made an iron bridge for the little beast who passing entred into the earth and speedily returned back to the King and disturb'd him as it is supposed into a dream in which he saw an iron bridge which landed him at the foot of the mountain where if he did dig he should find a great heap of gold The servant expounded his Masters dream and shewed him the iron bridge and they digged where the Lizard had entred where they found indeed a Treasure and that the Servants piety was rewarded upon his Lords head and procured wealth to one and honour to the other There is in humane nature a strange kind of noblenesse and love to return and exchange good offices but because there are some dogs who bite your hand when you reach them bread God by the ministery of his little creatures tells that if we will not yet he will certainly recompence every act of piety and charity we do one to another * This the â—gyptians did well signifie in one of the new names of their Constellations For when the wife of Ptolomaeus Euergetes had vowed her hair to the Temple upon condition her husband might return in safety and she did consecrate the beauty of her head to the ornaments of Religion Comonus the Astronomer told her that the Gods had pâ—aced her hair among the Stars and to this day they call one knot of Stars by the name of Berenices hair For every such worthinesse like this will have an immortal name in some Record and it shall be written above the Stars and set by the names of the Sons of God who by doing worthy things have endeared Communions and Societies of mankind In all the Sacrifices of the Ancients they were hugely kind to one another they invited their friends to partake the Sacrifice and called them to a portion of the pardon that they might eat of that mercy and that forgivenesse which they expected from their God Then they sent portions to the absent then they renewed Leagues and re-established Peace and made marriages and joined Families and united hearts and knitted Interests by a thred and chain of mutual acts of kindness and endearment And so should we when we come to this holy Sacrifice we must keep our hearts entire to God and divide them amongst our Brethren and heartily love all them who feed upon the same Christ who live by the same faith who are entertained by the same hope and are confederate by the laws and the events and the causes by the acts and emanation of the same Charity * But this thing is plain no discourse here is useful but an exhortation all that can be said is this that it is decent and it is useful and it is necessary that we be very kind and very charitable to all the members of Christ with whom we are joyned by the ligatures of the same body and supported by the strength of the same nourishment and blessed by influences from the same Divine head
must follow Gods example for in this alone he else will follow ours In imitating him it is certain we are innocent and if in this he follows us though we be wicked yet he is holy because revenge is his and he alone is to pay it If therefore we will forgive he will if we will not neither will he for he makes his spear as long and his angers as lasting as we do ours But this duty and the great reasonableness and necessity I shall represent in the excellent words of the Talmudists recorded also by the famous Bensirach He that revengeth shall find vengeance of the Lord and he will surely keep his sins in remembrance Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest One man keepeth anger against another and doth he seek healing from the Lord He sheweth no mercy to a man that is like himself and doth he ask forgiveness for his own sins If he that is but flesh nourish hatred who will intreat for pardon of his sins The duty is plain and the reason urgent and the Commandment express and the threatning terrible and the promise excellent There is in this no more to be said but that we consider concerning the manner of reducing it to practice in order to our preparation to a worthy Communion and consider the special cases of conscience relating to this great duty 1. Therefore we are bound to forgive every man that offends us For concerning every one of our Brethren it is equally true that he is an excellent creation that he is thy brother that he is heir of the same hopes born to the same inheritance descended of the same Father nursed by the Church which is his Mother and thine that there is in him Gods Image drawn by the same hand described in the same lines that there are in him many good things for which he can be loved and many reasons in him for which he ought to be pardoned God hath made many decrees for him and the Angels minister to him and Christ died for him and his soul is very precious in the eyes of God and in Heaven it self the man whom thou hatest is very considerable and there there are great desires for his temporal and eternal happiness and why shouldest thou despise and why shouldest thou stand out against all this 2. Not only every man but every offence must be forgiven The Wise man saies That for some things there will be no returning again a blow indeed or an evil word may be pardoned but for upbraiding and pride and disclosing secrets and a treacherous wound every friend will depart and never return again But he only tells how it will be not what ought to be what it is likely to be in matter of fact not how it should be in case of conscience and he means this of societies and civil friendships but in Religion we go higher and even these also and greater than these must be pardoned unless we would prescribe a limit to Gods mercy in the remission of our sins He will pardon every sin of ours for the pardon of which we can rightly pray but yet we must pray for it and hope it upon no measures but those of our forgiveness O Jupiter said the distressed Prince hear our prayers according to our piety look upon us and as we do so give us help and there is no instance that can be considerable to the lessening or excusing of this duty We must forgive not only injuries in the matter of money but in all errours and crimes whatsoever in which any man can sin and thou canst be offended 3. Although in these things there is no difficulty yet in the intention and expressions of this duty there is some For if it be inquired what is meant by forgiving many men suppose it is nothing but saying I forgive him with all my heart and I pray God forgive him But this is but words and we must have more material significations of it then so because nothing can commute for the omission of the necessary parts of this duty It is therefore necessary that we observe these measures 1. Every man that hath received injuries be they never so great must have a mind perfectly free from all intentions of revenge in any instance whatsoever For when the question is concerning forgiving him that did the wrong every man can best answer his question by placing himself in the seat of him that did the offence and considering to what purposes and by what significations and in what degrees and to what event of things himself would fain be pardoned if he were in his case and did repent the injury and did desire pardon That 's the measure and the rule and we learn it from Chrysologus Thou art a sinful man and thou wouldst that God and man should alwaies forgive thee Do thou forgive alwaies so much so often so intirely as thou wouldest be pardoned thy self so much so often and so intirely give pardon to thy enemy and this together with the reason of it is well expressed in the Gospel of the Nazarens If thy Brother sins against thee in words and offers thee satisfaction seven times in a day receive him Simon his Disciple saith unto him seven times in a day The Lord answers yea I say unto you seventy times seven times For even amongst the Prophets also after they were annointed with the Holy Ghost there was found the word of sin that is they also offended in their tongues Against this there is no objection but what is made by the foolish discourses of young men fighters and malicious who by the evil manners of the world are taught to call revenge gallantry and the pardoning of injuries to be pusillanimity and cowardice for this Devil that dwells in tombs and and cannot be bound with chains prevailes infinitly upon this account amongst the more glorious part of mankind but as all other things are which oppose the wisdom of God is infinitely unreasonable there being nothing in the world a greater testimony of impotency and effiminacy of spirit than a desire of revenge Who are so cruel as Cowards and who so revengeful as the weakest and the most passionate women Wise Crysippus and gentle Thales and the good old man who being to drink his poyson refused to give any of it to his persecutor these men did not think revenge a pleasure or a worthy satisfaction Fot what man is so barbarous as to recover his leprosie by sucking the life blood from dying infants a good man would rather endure ten leprosies than one such remedie Such a thing is revenge it pretends to cure a wound but does it with an intolerable remedy It was the song of Cyclops to his sheep feed you upon the tender herbs I mean to feed upon the flesh and drink the blood of the Greeks this is a
violence not only to the laws and manners but even to the very nature of men Lions indeed and Tygres do with a strange curiosity eye and observe him that struck them and they fight with him above all the hunters to strike again is the return of beasts but to pardon him that smote me is the bravest amends and the noblest way of doing right unto our selves whilest in the wayes of a man and by the methods of God we have conquered our enemy into a friend But revenge is the disease of honour and is as contrary to the wisdom and bravery of men as dwelling in rivers and wallowing in fires is to their natural manner of living and he who out of pretence of valour pursues revenge is like to him who because fire is a glorious thing is willing to have a St. Anthonies fire in his face 2. He that is injured must so pardon as that he must not pray to God to take revenge of his enemy It was noted as a pitiful thing of Brutus that when his army was broken and himself exposed to the insolencies of his enemies and that he could not revenge himself he cryed out most passionately in the words of the Greek tragedy to Jupiter to take vengeance of young Octavius But nothing is more against the nobleness of a Christian spirit and the interest of a holy communion than when all meet together to pray for all and all for every one that any man should except his enemy that he who prayes for blessings to the whole mystical body of Christ should secretly desire that one member should perish If one prayes for thee and another prayes against thee who knows whether thou shalt be blessed or accursed 3. He that means to communicate worthily must so forgive his enemy as never to upbraid his crime any more For we must so forgive as that we forget it not in the sense of nature but perfectly in the sense of charity For to what good purpose can any man keep a record of a shrewd turn but to become a spie upon the actions of his enemy watchful to do him shame or by that to aggravate every new offence It was a malicious part of Darius when the Athenians had plundered Sardis he resolving to remember the evil turn till he had done them a mischief commanded one of his servants that every time he waited at supper he should thrice call upon him Sr. remember the Athenians The Devil is apt enough to do this office for any man and he that keeps in mind an injury needs no other tempter to uncharitableness but his own memory He that resolves to remember it never does forgive it perfectly but is the under officer of his own malice â—or as rivers that run under ground do infallibly fall into the sea and mingle with the salt waters so is the injury that is remembred it runs under ground indeed and the anger is head but it tends certainly to mischief and though it be sometimes lesse deadly for want of opportunity yet it is never lesse dangerous 4. He that would communicate worthily must so pardon his enemy that though he be certain the man is in the wrong and sinned against God in the cause yet he must not under pretence of righting God and Religion and the laws pursue his own anger and revenge and bring him to evil Every man is concerned that evil be to him that loves it but we cozen our selves by thinking that we have nothing to do to pardon Gods enemies and vile persons It is true we have not but neither hath any private man any thing to do to punish them but he that cannot pardon Gods enemy can pray to God that he would and it were better to let it all alone than to destroy charity upon pretence of justice or Religion For if this wicked man were thy friend it may very well be supposed that thou wouldest be very kind to him though he were Gods enemy and we are easie enough to think well of him that pleases us let him displease whom he list besides 5. He may worthily communicate that so pardons his enemy as that he endeavour to make him to be his friend Are you ready to do him good Can you relieve your enemy if he were in want Yes it may be you can and you wish it were come to that And some men will pursue their enemy with implacable prosecutions till they have got them under their feet and then they delight to lift them up and to speak kindly to the man and to forgive him with all the noblenesse and bravery in the world But let us take heed lest instead of shewing mercy we make a triumph Relieve his need and be troubled that he needs it Rescue him from the calamity which he hath brought upon himself or is fallen into by misadventure but never thrust him down that thou mayest be honoured and glorious by raising him from that calamity in which thou art secretly delighted that he is intangled Lycurgus of Sâ—arta in a tumult made against him by some Citizens lost an eye which fact the wiser part of the people infinitely detesting gave the villain that did it into their Princes power and he used it worthily he kept him in his house a year he taught him vertue and brought him forth to the people a worthy Citizen To pardon thy enemy as David pardoned Absalom that 's true charity and he that does so pardon needs no further inquiry into the case of conscience It was an excellent saying of Seneca When thou doest forgive thy enemy rather seem to acquit him than to pardon him rather excuse the fault than only forbear the punishment for no punishment is greater than so to order thy pardon that it shall glorifie thy kindness and upbraid and reproach his sin 6. He that would be truly charitable in his forgiveness and with just measures would communicate must so pardon his enemy that he restore him to the same state of love and friendship as before This is urged by St. Bernard as the great imitation of the Divine mercy God hath so freely so intirely pardoned our sins that he neither condemns by revenging nor confounds by upbraiding nor loves lesse by imputing He revenges not at all he never upbraides and when he hath once pardoned he never imputes it to any evil purposes any more And just so must our reconciliation be we must love him as we loved him before for if we love him lesse we punish him if our love was valuable then he is forgiven indeed when he hath lost nothing I should be thought severe if I should say that the true forgiveness and reconciliation does imply a greater kindness after than before but such is the effect of repentance and so is the nature of love There is more joy over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance and a
live with him and converse with him for ever It is good to be with Christ and S. Hierom said I would to God that we could alwayes receive with a pure conscience and without self-condemnation It is without dispute that it is better to be with Christ in all the wayes of being with him than to be away from him one hour this therefore ought to be no part of the question But because there is more required to the receiving Christ than eating the Symbols and a man may eat to his condemnation and increase his sins and swell his sad accounts and be guilty of Christs body and blood if he does not take heed therefore first men must be prepar'd and be in the state of holiness or else they may not receive at all and they that are so may receive it frequently the oftner the better So Hierom and St. Austin tell that even till their dayes the cuâ—tome of receiving every day remained in the Churches of Rome and Spain and all the Ancient Fathers exhort to a frequent communion but just as Physicians exhort men to eat the best and heartiest meats not the sickly and the infant but the strong man and the healthful And this we find thus determined by S. Chrysostom There are some living in desarts who receive but once in a year or it may be once in two years what then whom shall we account best of them that receive but once or that receive but seldome or that receive frequently Neither one nor the other But them that communicate with a sincere conscience with a pure heart and an unreprovable life They that are such let them alwayes communicate and they that are not so let them not approach so much as once because they do nothing but draw upon themselves the judgements of God and make themselves worthy of condemnation To which if we add the excellent discourse of S. Austin in this question the consequents of it may suffice to determine the whole inquiry Some will say that the Eucharist is not to be receiv'd every day If you ask why he tels you because some dayes are to be chosen in which a man may live more purely and continently that so he may come to so great a Sacrament more worthily because he that eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself On the other side another sayes if thou hast received so great a wound and contracted so violent a disease that such remedies are to be deferr'd every such man ought by the authority of the Bishop to be remov'd fâ—om the Altar and put to penance and by the same authority be reconcil'd For this is to receive unworthily then to receive when a man should be doing penance and not according to his own pleasure offer himself to or withdraw himself from the Communion But if his sins be not so great as to deserve excommunication he ought not to separate himself from the dayly medicine of the Lords Body Between these possibly a man may determine the question better if he admonishes that men should abide in the peace of Christ. But let every one do what according to his faith he piously believes ought to be done For neither of them dishonours the body and blood of the Lord if they in their several wayes contend who shall most honour the most holy Sacrament For Zachaeus and the Centurion did not prefer themselves before one another when the one received Christ into his house and the other said he was not worthy to receive him under his roof both of them honouring our Blessed Saviour by a divers and almost a contrary way both of them were miserable by sins and both of them obtain'd mercy Now from the words of these two Saints put together we may collect these resolutions 1. The question does no way concern evil men desperately or greatly wicked for they so remaining or committing such sins quae non committit omnis bonae fidei speique Christianus which exclude men from the Kingdom of heaven and cannot stand with the hopes of a good man are separate from the Spirit of the Lord and ought not to touch the body of our Lord. 2. Neither does it concern such imperfect persons and half Christians who endeavour to accord the rules of the Gospel with their irregular and ruling passions who would enter into heaven and yet keep their affections for earth and earthly interests who part stakes between God and the world and resolve to serve two Masters who commit oftentimes deliberate and great sins and repent and yet sin again when the temptation comes for they are yet very far from the Kingdom of God and therefore ought not to be admitted to the portion of sons and the bread of children 3. It concerns only such whose life does not dishonour their profession who pretend to be servants of Christ and indeed are so in great truth whose faith is strengthned with hope and their hope animated with charity who cannot pretend to be more perfect than men yet really contend to avoid all sin like the children of God who have right to be nourished by the body of the Lord Corpus Christi quod ipsi sunt because they are indeed members of his body and joyned in the same Spirit The question is not between the Publican and the Pharisee but between the converted Publican and the proselyte Centurion between two persons who are both true honour ours of Christ. and penitent sinners and humbled persons and have no affection for sin remaining the question then is which is more to be commended he that out of love receives Christ or he who out of humility and reverence abstains because he thinks himself not worthy enough To this St. Chrysostome answers 4. They that are such have a right to receive every day and because they are rightly disposed it is certain that a frequent Communion is of great advantage to them and therefore they that frequent it not are like to be losers For this is the daily bread the heavenly supersubstantial bread by which our souls are nourished to life eternal This is the medicine against our daily imperfections and intrudings of lesser crimes and sudden emigration of passions it is the great consignation of pardon and St. Ambrose argues well If Christs bloud is powred forth for the remission of sins then I ought as often as I can receive it when it is poured forth to me that because I sin often I may perpetually have my remedy Which discourse of his is only to be understood of those imperfections of our life which perpetually haunt those good men who are growing in grace untill they come to perfection and consummation in grace 5. They that in conscience of their past sins and apprehension of their repentance do abstain for fear of irreverence and the sentence of condemnation do very well as long as they find that their sin returns often or tempts strongly
life and the defensative against my sins for the increase of vertue and the perfection of my spirit Grant that I may from thee thus Sacramentally communicated derive prevailing grace for the amendment of my life spiritual wisdom for the discerning the waies of peace the spirit of love and the spirit of purity that in all my life I may walk worthy of thy gracious favours which thou givest to me unworthy that I may do all my works in holiness and right intention that I may resist every temptation with a never fainting courage and a caution never surprized and a prudence never deceived 7. Sweetest Saviour I come to thee upon thy invitation and thy commandment I could not come to thee but by thee O let me never go from thee any more but enter into my heart feed me with thy word sustain me with thy spirit refresh me with thy comforts and let me in this divine mystery receive thee my dearest Saviour and be thou my wisdom and my righteousness my sanctification and redemption let me receive this holy nutriment as the earnest of an eternal inheritance as a defensative against all spiritual danger for the eviction of all the powers of the enemy as an incentive of holy love and a strengthning of my faith for the increasing of a holy hope and the consummation of a heavenly love that thou being one with me and I with thee I may by thee be gracious in the eyes of thy heavenly Father and may receive my portion amongst the inheritance of Sons O eternal and most gracious Saviour and Redeemer Jesu Amen Amen CHAP. VII Of our Comportment in and after our Receiving the Blessed Sacrament SECT I. Of the Circumstances and Manner of Reception of the Divine Mysteries IT is the custom of the Church of great antiquity and proportionable regard that every Christian that is in health should receive the Blessed Sacrament fasting The Apostles and primitive Bishops at first gave it after Supper or together with it but that soon passed into inconvenience and some were drunken and some were empty and despis'd and the Holy Sacrament was dishonour'd and the Lords body was not discerned and God was provoked to anger and the sinners were smitten and died in their sin as appears in the sad narrative which St. Paul makes of the misdemeanours and the misfortunes in the Corinthian Churches Something like to which is that which Socrates tells of some Christians in Aegypt they celebrated the Holy Communion at evening but never till they had fillâ—d themselves with varities of choice meat Of some also in Africa that communicated at evening St. Austin speaks and of others who communicated both morning and evening At evening because S. Paul called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper and in the morning from the universal custom of the Church which in most places from the very days of the Apostles prevail'd that the holy Eucharist should be given to none but to them that were fasting which thing was also decreed in the third Council of Carthage and hath been observed ever since And in this the Church hath not without good reason taken up the custom For besides that the intemperance of them that fâ—asted before they communicated did not only give scandal to the Religion but did infinitely indispose them that came and dishonour the Divine Mysteries and such feastings would for ever be a temptation and a snare and therefore could not be cured so well as by taking the occasion away besides these things the Church observed that in the time of the Synagogue the Servants of God did religiously abstain from meat and drink upon all their solemn feast days till their great Offices of Religion were finish'd and that upon this account the Jews were scandaliz'd at the Disciples for eating the ears of corn early on their Sabbath and Christ excus'd them only upon the reason of their hunger that is upon necessity or charity and after all even by natural reason and experience we find that they pray and worship best who are not loaden with meat and drink and that therefore this solemnity being the greatest worship of God in the whole Religion consequently ought to be done with all advantages it was therefore very reasonable that the Church took up this custom and therefore they who causelesly do prevaricate it shall bear their own burden and are best reproved by St. Pauls words We have no such custom nor the Churches of God But sick people and the weak are as readily to be excused in this thing as the Apostles were by Christ in the case before mentioned For necessity and charity are to be preferr'd before such ceremonies and circumstances of address 1. When you awake in the morning of your Communion day give God thanks particularly that he hath blessed thee with so blessed an opportunity of receiving the Symbols of pardon the ministery of the Spirit the Sacrament of Christ himself the seed of immortality and the Antepast of heaven and hasten earlier out of your bed The cock crowing that morning is like the noise that is made of the coming of the Bridegroom and therefore go out to meet him but rise that you may trim your lamp When you are up presently address your self to do such things as you would willingly be found doing when the Bridegroom calls and you are to appear before him to hear your final sentence 2. Make a general confession of your sins and be very much humbled in the sense and apprehension of them Compare the state and union of all your evils with the state and grandeur of that favour which God intends that day to consign to you and then think what you are and what God is what you have done and what God intends to do how ill you have deserved and yet how graciously you are dealth with And consider what an infinite distance there is between that state which you have deserved and that good which you are to have by considering how intolerable your case would have been if God had dealt with you as you deserve and as he hath dealt with very many who sinn'd no more than you have done and yet in what felicities you are placed by the mercies of your good God that you are in the hopes and in the methods and in the participations of pardon and eternal life 3. The effect of this consideration ought to be that you make acts of general contrition for all your sins known and unknown That you renew your purposes and vows of better obedience That you exercise acts of special graces and that you give God most hearty and superexalted thanks with all the transports and ravishments of spirit for so unspeakable so unmeritable so unrewardable a loving kindness 4. Worship Jesus Love him dedicate thy self to him recollect what he hath done for thy soul what glories he laid aside with what meanness he was invested what pains he suffered what shame he endur'd
what excellencies he preach'd what wisdom he taught what life he liv'd what death he died what Mysteries he hath appointed by what ministeries he conveys himself to thee what rare arts he uses to save thee and after all that he intercedes for thee perpetually in heaven presenting to his heavenly Father that great Sacrifice of himself which he finished on the Cross and commands thee to imitate in this Divine and Mysterious Sacrament and in the midst of these thoughts and proportionable exercises and devotions address thy self to the solemnities and blessings of the day 5. Throw away with great diligence and severity all unholy and all earthly thoughts and think the thoughts of heaven for when Christ descends he comes attended with innumerable companies of Angels who all behold and wonder who love and worship Jesus and in this glorious imployment and society let thy thoughts be pure and thy mind celestial and thy work Angelical and thy spirit full of love and thy heart of wonder thy mouth all praises investing and incircling thy prayers as a bright cloud is adorned with fringes and margents of light 6. When thou seest the holy man minister dispute no more inquire no more doubt no more be divided no more but believe and behold with the eyes of faith and of the spirit that thou seest Christs body broken upon the Cross that thou seest him bleeding for thy sins that thou feedest upon the food of elect souls that thou puttest thy mouth to the hole of the rock that was smitten to the wound of the side of thy Lord which being pierced streamed forth Sacraments and life and holiness and pardon and purity and immortality upon thee 7. When the words of Institution are pronounced all the Christians us'd to say Amen giving their consent confesâ—ing that faith believing that word rejoicing in that Mystery which is told us when the Minister of the Sacrament in the person of Christ says This is my body This is my blood This body was broken for you and this blood was poured forth for you and all this for the remission of your sins And remember that the guilt of eternal damnation which we have all incurr'd was a great and an intolerable evil and unavoidable if such miracles of mercy had not been wrought to take it quite away and that it was a very great love which would work such glorious mercy rather than leave us in so intolerable a condition A greater love than this could not be and a less love than this could not have rescued us 8. When the holy Man reaches forth his hands upon the Symbols and prays over them and intercedes for the sins of the people and breaks the holy bread and pours forth the sacred calice place thy self by faith and meditation in heaven and see Christ doing in his glorious manner this very thing which thou seest ministred and imitated upon the Table of the Lord and then remember that it is impossible thou shouldest miss of eternal blessings which are so powerfully procur'd for thee by the Lord himself unless thou wilt despise all this and neglect so great salvation and chusest to eat with swine the dirty pleasures of the earth rather than thus to feast with Saints and Angels and to eat the body of thy Lord with a clean heart and humble affections 9. When the consecrating and ministring hand reaches forth to thee the holy Symbols say within thy heart as did the Centurion Lord I am not worthy but entertain thy Lord as the women did the news of the resurrection with fear and great joy or as the Apostles with rejoycing and singleness of heart that is clear certain and plain believing and with exultation and delight in the loving kindness of the Lord. 10. But place thy self upon thy knees in the humblest and devoutest posture of worshippers and think not much in the lowest manner to worship the King of Men and Angels the Lord of heaven and earth the great lover of souls and the Saviour of the body him whom all the Angels of God worship him whom thou confessest worthy of all and whom all the world shall adore and before whom they shall tremble at the day of judgment For if Christ be not there after a peculiar manner whom or whose body do we receive But if he be present to us not in mystery only but in blessing also why do we not worship But all the Christians always did so from time immemorial No man eats this flesh unless he first adores said S. Austin For the wise men and the Barbarians did worship this body in the manger with very much fear and reverence let us therefore who are Citizens of heaven at least not fall short of the Barbarians But thou seest him not in the Manger but on the Altar and thou beholdest him not in the Virgins arms but represented by the Priest and brought to thee in Sacrifice by the holy Spirit of God So. St. Chrysostome argues and accordingly this reverence is practised by the Churches of the East and West and South by the Christians of India by all the Greeks as appears in their answer to the Cardinal of Guise by all the Lutheran Churches by all the world saâ—es Erasmus only now of late some have excepted themselves But the Church of England chooses to follow the reason and the piety of the thing it self the example of the Primitive Church and the consenting voice of Christendome And if it be irreverent to sit in the sight and before the face of him whom you ought to revere how much more in the presence of the living God where the Angel the president of prayer does stand must it needs be a most irreligious thing to sit unless we shall upbraid to God that our prayers to him have wearied us It is the argument of Tertullian To which many of the Fathers add many other fair inducements but I think they cannot be necessary to be produced here because all Christians generally kneel when they say their prayers and when they bless God anâ— I suppose no man communicates but he does both and therefore needs no oâ—her inducement to perswade him to kneel especially since Christ himself and St. Stephen and â—he Apostle St. Paul used that posture in their devotions that or lower for St. Paul kneeled upon the shore and our Lord himself fell prostrate on the earth But to them that refuse I shall only use the words of Scripture which the Fathers of the Council of Turon applied to this particular Why art thou proud O dust and ashes And when Christ opens his heart and gives us all that we need or can desire it looks like an ill return if we shall dispute with him concerning the humility of a gesture and a circumstance 11. When thou dost receive thy Lord do thou also receive thy Brother into thy heart and into thy bowels Thy Lord relieves thee