takest away the sins of the World Have mercy upon me Grant me Gracious Lord so to eat the Flesh of thy Son and to drink his Blood that my sinful Body may be made clean by his Body and my Soul washed through his most precious Blood Amen O Lord I am not worthy not fit that thou should'st come under the filthy Roofe of the house of my Soul because it is wholly desolate and ruinous neither hast thou with me a fit place where to lay thy head But as thou did'st vouchsafe to be laid in a Stable and Manger of unreasonable Beasts as thou did'st not disdain to be entertain'd even in the house of SIMON the Leper As thou did'st not reject the Harlot a sinner like unto me coming unto thee and touching thee As thou did'st not abhor her foul and prophane mouth Nor yet the Thief on the Cross confessing thee Even so vouchsafe to admit me also an overwor'n miserable and out of measure sinful Creature to the Receiving and Communicating of the most pure quick'ning and saving mysteries of thy most holy Body and precious Blood Amen O Lord God how I received the Body and Blood of my most blessed Saviour Jesus Christ the price of my Redemption is the very wonder of my Soul yet my most firm and constant belief upon the words of my Saviour At this time they are graciously rend'red to me and my Faith Lord make me a worthy Receiver and a Partaker of all the benefits of this B. Sacrament Amen Thou hast said that he that eateth thy Flesh and drinketh thy Blood hath Eternal Life Behold the Servant of the Lord be it unto me according to thy Word Whilst you eat it say By thy Crucified Body deliver me from this Body of Death After Receiving By thine Agony and Bloody sweat by thy Cross and Passion Good Lord deliver me I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy Righteous Judgments O hold thou up my goings in thy Paths that my footsteps slip not At the Receiving of the Cup say What reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done unto me I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. After you have Received it say O my God thou art true and holy O my Soul thou art blessed and happy Oh the depth of the Wisdom and Knowledg of God! how incomprehensible are his judgments and his ways past finding out Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his Holy Name who saveth thy Life from Destruction and feedeth thee with the Bread of Heaven Glory be to God on high and on Earth Peace good Will towards Men. I worshiâ— thee O Lord and I magnifie thy Name 〈◊〉 ever who hast vouchsafed to fill my Soul wiâ—… gladness and to seed me with the Heavenly Mysteries of Christ's sacred Body and Bloud humbly beseeching thee that from henceforth I may walk in good Works and serve thee in Holiness and Pureness of Living to the Honour of thy Name Amen MOst Blessed Redeemer I do truly believe that thy Body was crucified and thy Bloud was shed out of thy Body as verily as I have received this Bread and this Wine set apart from the Bread and that for the Remission of my sins as well as any others And I do also believe that with this Bread and Wine I have really and spiritually received thy precious Body and Bloud whereby my sins are fully washed away and my Soul purified and refresh'd This O Lord I believe help thou my Vnbelief Amen Whilst others are Communicating Meditate and Say HAppy are those Servants whom when their Lord cometh he shall find thus doing Know yee not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you If any one defile the Temple of God him will God destroy Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing happen unto thee The hour cometh and now it is that the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth Be we followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice of a sweet savour unto God for us At the end of the Communion say To the King Eternal the Immortal Invisible and only Wife God the ever blessed Trinity be all honour and glory now and for evermore Amen Arising and making your Reverence towards the Altar you depart with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance preserve good thoughts in your mind yet be not sullen or morose but salute any of your Christian Brethren you meet with As soon as you come home retire into your Closet and bless God with these Collects of Thanksgiving ALmighty God the Fountain of all goodness from whom every good and perfect gift proceedeth and to whom all glory and honour should be returned I do desire most heartily to thank thee for that thou hast vouchsafed to feed me who have received these holy mysteries with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and do'st assure me thereby of thy favour and goodness towards me and that I am a very member incorporate in the mystical Body of thy Son which is the blessed Company of all Faithful people and am also an Heir through hope of thine everlasting Kingdom by the merits of the most precious Death and Passion of thy dear Son Oh the height and depth of that unspeakable mercy of thine who art pleased to admit me a sinful wretch to have any part in those inestimable benefits which I have so often despis'd and trampled under foot I am not worthy O Lord of that daily Bread whiâ—h sustains the body but thou hast made me partaket of that living Bread which came down from Heaven which nourisheth the Soul and of which whosoever eateth shall live for ever O grant that my Soul may rellish this divine food with spiritual ravishments and love great as the flame of Cherubims and grant that what thou hast given me for the Remission of my sins may not by any fault become the increase of them that this holy Communion prove not unto me unto Judgment and Condemnation but may support and preserve me in every temptation rejoyce and quiet me in every trouble in lighten and strengthen me in every good word and work comfort and defend me in the hour of my death against all oppositions of the Spirits of darkness and further me in the attainment of everlasting Salvation through Jesus Christ Amen MOst holy God who art of purer eyes then to behold iniquity grant I pray thee that no unclean thing may be in me who have now Received Thee into my heart and soul but let this Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to thee purge my Conscience from dead works to serve thee the living God give me grace that from
Officium Eucharisticum A PREPARATORY SERVICE To a DEVOUT and WORTHY RECEPTION OF THE LORDS SUPPER Designed for a person of Quality and now made Publick for Common Use St. Luke xxiv 36. He was known to them in Breaking of Bread London Printed by T. Milbouâ—… 〈◊〉 Christopher Wilkinson at the Bâ—… 〈◊〉 over against St. Dunstans ' Churâ—… 〈◊〉 street 1673. Good Reader THis little Manual of Directions and Prayers for the Holy Communion First designed for a Private use now shews it self in Publique on presumption it may help thee in thy Closet-retirements towards a Pious preparation thereto and a worthy Reception thereof I omit to Preface it because I cannot call it Mine 'T is a Collection and recommends it self unto thee cloathed in the Language not of any Private Conception of such the world is already full But of Primitive Liturgies of that of our Holy Church and some of the most Devout Fathers of it Bishop Andrâ—… Bishop Cosins and that Great and 〈◊〉 Man Arch-Bishop LAUD who 〈◊〉 a Patron and dyed a Martyr of 〈◊〉 The Authour who e're he 〈◊〉 curious or Sollicitous to think How it may go down with a sort of People whose unweildy zeal hath transported them under a pretence of Spuing out Popery to disrellish and traduce any thing that is Primitive But the Sober and Devout Christian who lives in the Communion of This Church He is secure of And that it may further thee in the Attainment of our Common Salvation is his sincere and hearty desire in return to which he beggs thee nothing but to Recommend him now and then in these thy Private Addresses to the Throne of Grace A Preparatory Office For the H. COMMUNION THe nearest and most solemn Intimacy and Communion we have with God in this World is exhibited to us in the Blessed Eucharist that is to say the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper wherein according to our Church-Catechism the Body and Bloud of Christ are verily and indeed taken and received by the Faithful and hence it is called by St. Paul 1 Cor. 10.16 The Communion of his Body and the Comâ—…nion of his Bloud so that by a duâ—… 〈◊〉 worthy Participation hereof we are reâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…corporated into Christ we dwell in Châ—… 〈◊〉 Christ in us we are made One wiâ—… 〈◊〉 and Christ with us In regard of 〈◊〉 liable Priviledge as well as the great danger which attends the contrary now especially we are to heed our selves in our Addresses to it being careful to perform all Devotional Acts of Worship and Piety which may conduce to a good acceptable Celebration of so Divine a Mystery St. Paul hath comprehended them all under this One Word and Duty of Examination 1 Cor. 11.28 which includes more than we can readily conceive I shall not inlarge upon those Graces of Faith Repentance and Charity about which it should be chiefly conversant but do immediately proceed to those Preparatory Acts of Devotion which should be exercised in order to a due Reception of this Blessed Sacrament I begin then as you should in this and all other Duties of Religion In the Name of God and Exhort that having received Notice from God's Priest of a Communion to be Celebrated the next Sunday you forthwith set your self to â—…is great Work of fitting your self for a right â—…cipation thereof Whatever you do let 〈◊〉 â—…er and anon be uppermost in your 〈◊〉 â—…ts that whole Week reflecting on your 〈◊〉 Estate and specially on that Time 〈◊〉 hath lent you from your last Reâ—… 〈◊〉 â—hat Graces you have Improved 〈◊〉 omitted What Sins committed And out of a hearty Resentment of them breath forth these or the like pious Ejaculations I have sinned What shall I do unto Thee O Thou Preserver of Man Lord I am not worthy to come under thy Roof But speak the Word onely and thy Servant shall be Healed Adding these two Collects to your Private Devotions both at Morning and Evening that whole Week ALmighty God who of thy tender Mercy didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer Death upon the Cross for our Redemption and didst institute and in thy Holy Gospel command us to continue a perpetual Memory of that his precious Death until his Coming again Hear me most merciful Saviour I most humbly beseech Thee and make my Groanings my Desires after this Holy Sacrament answerable to my needs of it But oh Lord How shall such a Wretch as I daâ—… to approach thy Holy Table I am a 〈◊〉 How shall I presume to take the Câ—… 〈◊〉 Bread I have often trampled those 〈◊〉 things under foot either carelesly neâ—… or unworthily receiving those Hâ—…â—…ries O Lord my horrible Guilâ—… 〈◊〉 me tremble to come and yet makes me not dare to stay away for Where shall this polluted Soul be washed but in this Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness Hither then I come and Thou hast promised that him that cometh to Thee Thou wilt in no wise cast out Grant me therefore Gracious Lord so to eat the Flesh of thy Dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his Bloud that my sinful Body may be made clean by his Body and my Soul washed through his most Precious Bloud Amen I Will not presume to come to thy Table O Merciful Lord trusting in my own Righteousness but in thy manifold and great Mercies declared unto Mankind in our Lord Jesus Christ for whose sake give me I pray Thee such a Preparation of Soul as may qualifie me for a worthy Approach thereunto To this end make me heartily sensible of my Sins and Unworthiness raise up my dull and earthy Mind from groveling here below and inspire 〈◊〉 with a Holy Zeal to seek those things that 〈◊〉 â—bove Let that infinite Love of Christ in 〈◊〉 for so wretched a Sinner inflame my 〈◊〉 â—nd kindle in me that Sacred fire of Love 〈◊〉 â—…ain and to all those whom He hath 〈◊〉 Command and Example to Love 〈◊〉 well as Friends and that for his sake Cloath me O Lord in the Wedding Garment and make me though of my self a most unworthy yet by thy Mercy an acceptable Guest at Thy Table that I may not eat or drink my own Damnation but Salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Having thus recommended your self unto God in your private Retirements I do earnestly exhort you to frequent the publique Prayers of the Church nothing but a charitable or some very urgent occasion can now or indeed should at any time excuse you and to attend them with all possible Devotion Heed your self this Week especially your Thoughts Words and Actions that they be not wicked nor vain or if at any time they should that you forthwith recall and check your self thus Lord have Mercy upon me Christ have Mercy upon me Lord have Mercy upon me I Said I will take heed to my ways that I offend not in my Tongue O God who knowest us to be set in the midst of so maâ—… and great Dangers that by reason
henceforth I put off concerning my former Conversation the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and be renewed in the spirit of my mind And that I put on the New Man which after thee is created in Righteousness and true Holiness to which purpose be pleased to watch over me for good to keep me both outwardly in my Body and inwardly in my Soul O God thou seest that I have no power of my self to help my self thou knowest me also to be set in the mid'st of so many and great dangers that by reason of the frailty of my Nature I cannot always stand upright grant to me such strength and protection as may support me in all dangers and carry me through all temptations through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Thou with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning let thy holy Spirit direct me in all things let thy grace always prevent and follow me and preserve me against all assaults of my spiritual enemys especially of my own treacherous heart which is deceitful above all things wicked desperately wicked O Lord thou knowest it how often hath it betray'd me to the breach of thy holy Laws to the violation of all these Vows and Promises which I have made to thee How often have I turned my back in the day of battle O let me no more thus start aside like a broken bow but be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord resisting the Devill that he may flee from me subduing my flesh and bringing it into subjection Crufying and overcoming the World And therefore let those solemn Vows which I have now made to forsake my sins never depart from my mind but let the remembranee of them excite me to fight manfully under thy Banner and continue thy faithful Servant and Souldier unto my Life's end Amen O Lord I do here humbly present unto thee my Soul and Body to be a living holy and reasonable Sacrifice unto thee I beseech thee sanctifie my Body that from a polluted Dunghil it may become the Temple of God Sanctify my Soul and receive it for thy dwelling place the seat of thy Spirit and an house of Prayer and Holy Meditations Sanctifie me throughout that both my Body Soul and Spirit may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end Amen THus have you closed your Communion-Devotions It only remains that you bestow the greatest part of the Afternoon in Reading Praying Meditating good Conferences and the like and when your Condition calls you to your usual Converses you are still to remember you have a great business which lies upon your hands which is the performance of those promises you have now made to God to which purpose frequently recollect them to mind and let the remembrance of them be your refuge against all temptations to your old sins whenever they assault you knowing what a grievous thing it is to break that Vow which you have seal'd in your Saviours Blood to have that Blood through which only you can have pardon to witness against you which God forbid To your Evening Prayers that Sunday night immediately before the Blessing subjoyn this Collect. O Blessed JESUS who hast this day made me a Partaker of thy blessed Body and Blood thy Mercy hath given it and my Faith hath received it into my Soul O let me ever feel the happy virtue and effects of it Put thy fear into my heart to keep those Vows and Promises which I have on this solemnity tendred unto thee in my mind that I may not sin against thee enrich me with all those graces which come from this precious Body and Blood and hereafter bring me to thy everlasting glory for thy merits and mercies sake Amen THus not to detain you longer I have recommended to you the aforesaid Devotions to be us'd on the Friday in every moneth which precedes a Communion especially the Fridays before the three solemn times which our Church hath Consecrated to this Blessed purpose Christmas Easter and Whit-Sunday supposing that your health and important occasions will permit it otherwise you are not tyed to the strictness of them though you are oblig'd to receive this Sacrament whensoever an opportunity offers it self To capacitate you for a worthy Communication thereof at all times I do lastly and heartily advise you to maintain a constant course of daily Prayers at Morning and Evening throughout the year every Night recalling the Actions of the past-day and repenting for the sins of it the practice whereof will fit you for the Communion at any time when 't is occasionally tendered to you I mean when you are suddenly call'd to Communicate with a dying person or come accidentally into a Congregation where 't is to be received and all fit Guests are invited to it in those cases you are by no means to turn your back upon it but bestowing that little time which is before you in Recollecting Repenting Exerting your Faith Love Thankfulness c. Omiting nothing of the strictness which is required in the Act of Receiving and performing afterwards to your power what you secretly promis'd receive it with the rest in the name of God beginning with the Prayers afore mentioned page 68. which are to be said whil'st the Priest is preparing to read the Sentences Almighty God who hast of thine infinite mercies vouchsaf'd c. But this I advise on supposal you carry about with you such an habitual preparation which is acquired by keeping a strict course of daily private Devotions otherwise you sin sadly However be careful to Communicate whenever you are solemnly invited to it i. e. every moneth or oftner and with due remembrance of him whose death you do hereby shew forth till he come God Almighty make you a worthy participant of his Body and Blood here that you may for ever enjoy Him hereafter Amen Collects for particular Graces For Faith ALmighty God whom without Faith it is impossible to please grant me I beseech thee so perfectly to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ that my Faith in thy sight may never be reproved and being called to the knowledg of thy Grace and Faith in thee and admitted into the fellowship of Christs Religion I may eschew those things which are contrary to my Profession and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen For Hope BLessed Lord who hast caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning grant that I may in such wise hear them read mark learn and inwardly digest them that by Patience and Comfort of thy Holy Word I may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ and that I may therefore purifie my self even as he is pure that when he shall appear again with power
presence much less to eat the Flesh of the Sacrificed Lamb For my sins O Blessed Jesu went along in Confederation with the High Priests in Treachery with Judas in Injustice with Pilate in Malice and Cruelty with the People Oh! what punishment then shall I be thought worthy of who have thus trampled under foot the Son of God and counted the Bloud of the Covenant an Unholy Thing Where shall I vile Wretch appear who have put my LORD to Death Who have crucified to my self the SON of GOD afresh and put thee to an open shame Where should I appear but before my Saviour who hath loved and dyed for me though I have hated and Murthered him Thy Bloud O Jesu is my only Refuge Oh! Let the Cry of it speak on my Behalf and may it speak better things than the Bloud of Abel Be merciful unto me O God be merciful unto me for my Soul trusteth in Thee and in the clefts of thy Wounds shall be my Refuge until thy Father's Indignation be overpast Oh Blessed Advocate and Mediatour Intercede for me with thy Father and ours thy God and ours and grant that by the Grace which thou hast found by the prerogative which thou hast deserved by the mercy which thou hast purchased for me as thou hast been partaker of my sufferings and Infirmities so I by thy Death and Resurrection and by thy infinite gracious Intercession may be made partaker of thy Holyness and thy glory even for thy own Merits sake Amen 3. O Lord who hast promised that if I open my mouth wide Thou wilt fill it I pray thee to open it and not my mouth only but my heart also Oh! Create in thy servant a great hunger and thirst after the things of thy Kingdom and the righteousness of it after all thy holy graces and all the holy ministerys of Grace that I may long for the Bread of Heaven thirst after the fountain of Salvation and as the Hart panteth after the water-Brooks so my soul may desire Thee O Lord Oh! Kindle such an holy flame in my Soul that it may consume all my sins and cursed affections that I may never again desile the place which thou hast chosen for thy Temple Thou diedst O Dear Jesu to redeem me from all iniquity Oh! let me not again sell my self to work wickedness I am a sinner a Greivous one 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 that as by thy Holy Inspiration I doe Sincerely fixedly resolve on an intire Reformation So by thy mercifull Guidance I may faithfully perform the same Amen 4. O Thou Great Physitian of Souls Heal me of those many and foul Diseases which my Soul groans under Grant that I may now so Touch thee that every one of those loath-some issues may immediately stanch that these sicknesses may not be unto Death but to the Glory of thy mercy in pardoning to the glory of thy Grace in purifying so polluted a wretch Oh Christ hear me Inspire me with an holy Zeal to mortifie my sins support me with an Holy Hope confirm me with an excellent and unreproveable â—aith and inkindle in me a never failing â—…arity Let me judg my self that I be not judged by thee condemn my self that I be not condemned with the world But Receiving this Holy Sacrament with a penitent heart and a lively Faith I may partake the great benefits of it I may dwell in Christ and Christ in me I may be one with Christ and Christ with me The Lord be mercifull unto me and grant this for his own Bowells and Compassions sake Amen Then these Collects of Intercession MErcifull God who hast made all men and wouldst not the Death of a sinner but rather that he should Turn from his wickedness and live to which purpose Thou hast sent thy Son out of thy Bosome to suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption look down in mercy and pity upon Poor Mankind whose portion is folly and misery shame and Death Bring all sinners to Repentance enlighten all that sit in darkness all Jewes Turks Infidels Hereticks and Schismaticks Take from them all blindness hardness of heart and contempt of thy word and Commandment so fetch them home blessed Lord unto thy fold that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites and be made One Fold under one Shepherd Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen GRracious Lord I doe more especially humbly present to thy divine Majesty this Glorious sacrifice which thy blessed Son made upon the Cross in the behalf of all Christans throughout the World give unto them all O God a portion of all the good Prayers which are made in heaven and earth the Intercession of our Lord and the supplications of all thy servants Oh! Let us walk worthy of that Holy vocation wherewith we are called let us who name the name of Christ depart from iniquity and Unite us in the bonds of the Common Faith and an holy Charity that no interests or partialitys no sects or opinions may keep us any longer in darkness and division But that we may with one mind and one mouth Glorify thee the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen O Father of Mercys Be mercifull to this Miserably Divided Church in which we live according to all thy righteousness let thine anger be turned away from us let Religion and virtue season all sorts of men therein Forgive us all our sins Turn thee unto us and bless us that the world may say Blessed is this people whose God is the Lord Jehovah and Blessed are the solk whom he hath chosen to him to be his Inheritance Oh! Lord Hear and cause thy Face to shine upon this thy Sanctuary which is thus Sadly desolate for the Lords sake Amen O King of Kings and Lord of Lords give I Pray thee the Spirit of Government and Holiness to all Christian Kings Princes and Governors especially to thy Servant CHARLES our King Grant that his people may obey him and he may obey thee and live in honesty and peace justice and holy Religion being a Nursing Father to the Church an Advocate for the oppressed a Patron for the Widdows and a Sanctuary for the miserable and Fatherless that he may Raign with thee forever in the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen O Thou Fountain of all Gooâ—ness be pleased to bless and protect our Gracious Queen CATHERINE JAMES Duke of York and all the Royal Family endue them with all Heavenly Graces answerable to their Births make them Instruments of thy Glory here and partakers of thy Glory hereafter Amen O God who alone doest great wonders Be Gracious unto all those who wait at thine Altar the Bishops and all the Clergy Open thou their Lips that their