great reuerence and deuotion before any attempt against his enemie his wont was to receiue the holy Eucharist Euseb. in vita Constantin By the force of this Sacrament the force of the diuell is rebated Ignatius ad Ephes. Saint Cyprian calleth this blessed Sacrament a ioyfull solemnitie Cypria de caena Dom. Of the olde Christians it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an assembly of loue Charitie it selfe A prayer of thanksgiuing after the receiuing of the most holy Communion I Giue thee thankes O most louing Iesus Christ who hast vouchsafed to admit me a sinfull creature to the magniâ—â—cent and quickning feast of thy sacred table Thou wouldst that I shuld bee as the Arke of Couenant where thou thy selfe vouchsafest to abide Thou wouldest that in this Arke Mâ—nna should bee kept wherewith thou didst feede thy people vntill they entred into the Land of Promise Cause I beseech thee that this Manna nowe receiued wherof that was but a figure may bee preserued in my Soule that I may feele the effectual fruit of thy passion for the remission of my sinnes the merit of righteousnes and reward of euerlasting glorie Cause also that like as in the Arke the Tables of the Lawe were kept so a desire of fulfilling thy will may bee contained in my Soule Graunt that I may honour loue and obey thee that I be seperated from this loue by no allurement whatsoeuer of my ghostly enemie Tarrie with mee O blessed Iesu vntill the euening of my age and when the night of death approacheth I will not let thee goe till thou hast blessed mee and yeelded to this petition of my sobbing soule O Lord fulfill her desire neuer depart from her What blessing shal I giue vnto thee O my deere Sauiour where shall I beginne to expresse by loue and duetie towardes thee which hast sayd Behold I am with you euen vnto the end My soule desireth to be satisfied in the beholding of thy countenance euen as the Hart longeth for the fountains of water Turne thee O my soule into thy rest for the Lorde hath done well for thee hee hath shewed thee maruailous great kindnes in the land of the liuing Fâ—r this cause also shall my flesh rest in hope Blesse thou the Lord O my Soule Another forme of thanksgiuing OMnipotent most louing father I cannot giue thee thaÌ„ks worthy inogh according to the desire of my minde for the treasure of this heauenly foode which thou hast now giuen mee in this heauenlie mysterie ineffable that is to say the true bread of heaueÌ„ that euerlasting meat that aabideth for euer thy blessed Sonne our Lord and Sauior Christ Iesus in whom I haue obtained by the gift of this hâ—ly Communion a pledge of an inheritance to come Grant O Lord that I may daily profit in vertue godlines that this sacred vnion with Christ may bee of such force in me that reiecting al euill waies I may goe forward in pietie towards God instruction towards my selfe charitie towards my neighbour to thy good pleasure through the same our Lord sauior Iesus Christ Amen The Soloquie AWake O my â—oule and behold the new â—â—uor wherewith louing 〈…〉 prosecute thee Thou hast good cause to reioyce that the Lord of Maiestie vouchsafeth to come vnto thee to comfort thee Continue onely a good will for all this bountie Bee not as the nine vnthankfull Leapers who forgat their cuâ—ing Cast all thy care vpon him who careth for thee cease not to magnifie him O my soule for he that is mightie hath magnified thee and done great things for thee Thou knowest how the son of God loued thee when departing out of this world vnto the Father hee left so comfortable a remembrance and seale of all his mercyes O loue without measure returne O my soule vnto thy rest for the Lord hath blessed thee Returne vnto thy gracious Sauiour of whome thou mayst say Here will I rest here will I dwell foreuer Can it bee O Lord that thou wouldest follow man with such loue as to vnite thy selfe vnto him Reioyce O yee sonnes of Adam for no longer shall that of the Prophet be applyed against you My teares haue beene my meate day and night whilst they yet daily sayd where is nowe thy God Teares are now no longer your meare but the gladsome foode of Angels your God is with you euen vnto the end The poore do eate and are satisfied O Lord graunt mee the grace of Deuotion and thankfulnes that I may aske it instantly expect it patiently receiue it gratefully conserue it humbly vse it diligently to the glorie and honor of thy holy and blessed name Amen I desire to offer my selfe my soule and body a sacrifice vnto thee nay I offer vp all my sinnes both originall and actuall vpon the acceptable Altar of thy mercy consume them with the sacred fire of thy loue and let this offering as Abels offering be well pleasing in thy sight but to returne vnto this heauenly foode now offered Ah hard and peruerse hart of mine how canst thou continue earthly when as thou art fed with the bread of heauen When at length wilt thou become heauenlie Howe is it that thou dost remaine sensuall and alienated from the spirit which art spiritually conserued Is it because thou dost consist of earth O Iesus remember here what thou hast else wher sayd I come to send a fire and what is my desire but that it bee kindled Let it be kindled in mee that I may be carried vpward and seek the things where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God that though my body conuerse here in earth my affections may bee in heauen that from henceforth not so much I liue as thy grace may bee sayde to liue in mee The eleuenth generall Meditation to bee vsed aftâ—r the receiuing of the blessed Sacrament COnsider with what labours teares Adam after hee was cast out of Paradise did eate the bread of carefulnesse all the dayes of his life But now man receiued into the state of grace is come to feede on the bread of life it selfe 2 Consider that as the Israelites when they had eaten the Pascall Lambe were deliuered froÌ„ Pharaoes bondage made no stay in the darknes of Egipt but set forward forth with towardes the Land of Promise So after this our Passeouer wherein a mighty deliuerance from the hands of our spirituall Pharo is signified were to depart from the works of darknes to go forward without delay fâ—oÌ„ grace to grace froÌ„ vertue to vertue vntill we come to our heauenly Canaan 3 Consider how the wisemen when they had seene Christ at Bethlem and there done their humble reuereÌ„ce Math. 2.12 they returned not by ambitious and cruell Herod nor by troublesome Ierusalem but Per aliam vtam another waye So wee hauing visited Christ at our Bethlem which signifieth the house of bread and there offered our Soules and bodyes a sacrifice vnto him should returne towards our owne countrey which is
vnto vs which is proper to them that loue ardentlâ— heere Sampsous ridle is solued de comedeÌ„te exiâ—uit cibus de forti egressa est dulcedo out of the strong come sweetnes what is stronger then the Lion what sweeter then hony Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Iuda hony the sweetnes of the holy Eucharist The fourth Meditation of the wonderfull thinges of this Sacrament LEt vs beehoulde with the eies of our faith one of the greatest workes oâ— God vnder heauen and for this inestimable misterie laud and praise his holy name 2 Let vs with thankfull hartes wonder at the loue of God who after hee receiued vs into his familie there placed vs not as seruantes but as sonnes and that he might shew the part of a carefull father doth prouide a meane to nourish vs and not conteÌ„t with that would haue his owne sonne to institute that meane by the spirituall participation of himselfe 3 Consider the diuine wisedome of the sonne of God who respecting our weaknesse hath conuaied vnto vs his bodie and blood after a diuine spiritual manner vnder the forms of bread and wine 4 Consider how by this misticall Communion occasion is giuen to exercise our faith and to prepare our soules which liue by grace as our bodies doe by foode 5 Consider the high and worthy effect of this heauenly foode which is not so much changed into the substance of the eater as it doth rather chang vs to a diuine essence the meate being diuine doth make vs also diuine O the omnipotent wisdome and power loue of God The Fruite The fruite of this meditation is to lift vp our selues aboue our selues and blesse God for this wonderfull benefit without curious searching and needlesse questioning after the manner how but to giue God thankes and bee ashamed rather at our selues that neither the wonderfullnes of his power nor the greatnes of his benefites can make vs no more to loue him then wee doe The spirituall Soloquie O my soule thou art happie which hast prepared for thee so wonderfull and so high a repast as there can bee found none either in heauen or earth more for in it is coÌ„tained that which the Apostle in the 1 3. to the Hebr. calleth the brightnes of the glory of God but hidden that he might heap on thee the more benefits thou knowst Moyses descending from the mount Sinah on which hee had talked with God the children of Israell could not talke with him for the brightnes of his face wherefore as the Scripture saieth he put a couering before his face Exodus 34.16 that all might speake with him in like sort our heauenly Moyses hath done who not content with thy deliuerance from the hard seruitude oâ— Egipt and spirituall Pharoe but that thou shouldest not bee terrified with the greate brightnes of his glorie after an ineffable manner doth come vnto thee and commune with thee Iacob said surely God was in this place I was not aware of it Gen. 28 16. O wonderfull loue how farre hast thou gon with my Lord Iust cause hast thou O my soule to reioice and in reioicinge to admire the goodnes of thy blessed Saviour cease to measure the greatnesse of this worke by the weaknes of thine owne vnderstanding say rather with the Prophet Psalme 111 Memoriam facit mirabilium suorum The mercifull Lord hath made a memoriall of his wonders he hath giuen meate to them that feare him When the sonne of God clothed himselfe with our nature it was a worke verie admirable for therein he assumed humane nature mortall and passible but when the faithfull receiue the holy Eucharist man doth participate a diuine nature immortal heauenly Hence was it said of God Psal. 86.9 Tu es magnus faciens mirabilia Lord thou art great and doing wonderfull things The manifold effectes and fruites of this holy Sacrament WEe may remember which we cannot forget that as man consisteth of soule and bodie so doth he also leade a twofold life the one temporall readie to fall into a thousand dangers and casualties The other spirituall subiect to as many and more The life of the body consisteth of the vnion of the Soule with the body The life of the soule consisteth of another vnion with grace in Christ. Both these as they haue their defects and casualties so haue they also their remedies and sustentations For the life naturall God hath ordained naturall sustenance for the life supernaturall supernaturall nourishment which is this most holy Sacrament But that which at all times is most to bee lamented is whereas the spirituall life is farre more excellent then the temporall notwithstanding is more regarded and preferred For what thing doth not a sicke body doe to recouer his health hee neglecteth all charges and griefes he esteemeth nothing of the bitternesse of Medecines he contemneth the sharpnesse of paines the most experienced Phisitions the best preseruatiues are sought for and all for bodily health which endureth for a little time And are wee so carefull for the health of our Soule would to God we were then would we repaire with more deuotion vnto this most holy Sacrament where our spirituall life is preserued and strengthened Three things there are sayth one necessarie for the life of man the mother which brings him forth the meate which sustaineth him and the Phisition that cures him when hee is sicke The same three are necessarie for the life spirituall The mother is Baptisme the meate is the holy Eucharist the Phisition to cure is repentance Now then as the body without meats cannot endure labours and liue no more can the Soule without this spirituall repast sustaine the labours of this Pilgrimage the assaults of her enemies and liue The ayre being corrupted when we goe forth of doores wee fortefie vs with some preseruatiue This world is corrupted our preseruatiue against temptations is this holy Eucharist Men entring a way possessed by the enemie arme themselues with weapons get them good companie seeing we haue in all the way of our life many enemies visible and inuisible shall we not arme our selues take vnto vs Christ our Captaine Of the most principall effects of this Sacrament THe first is as wee may so speak to Deifie that is to make man diuine or like vnto God himselfe heere in the state of grace and hereafter in the state of glory and for this cause it is instituted in forme of nourishments For as nourishments and the body nourished become one so Christ and the faythfull receiuers Other meates receiue life of the body this giueth life to the Soule 2 A second effect is that with Christ are giuen vs all his merites and rewards which hee hath purchased here the hiue is giuen vs with the honey 3 The third effect of this Sacrament is that hereby a continuall and constant remembrance of Christ Iesus our Sauiour is continued whereby we shew his death vntill he come and therefore he sayth
vs. What greater loue saith Saint Iohn then for one to giue his life for his friende yet greater was Christes loue who gaue his life for vs that were his enemies we haue some reason to helpe the distressed to relieue the poore needie for the verie beholding of their necessitie doeth often moue compassion but to loue our enemies wee haue no reason in the world but onely for his sake who hath commanded all those who professe his name and expect his kingdome saying Diligite inimices loue your enemies We forgiue and why Christ hath forgiuen vs wee shewe mercie and why Christ Iesus hath shewed mercy vnto vs. Quid contra nos proximus saith an ancient father shall wee see what our neighbour hath done against vs and shal we not see what Christ hath done for vs God forbid All that we do or can forgiue are pence only Christ he forgiues tallentes wee some few hee ten thousand wee shew loue but Christ shewed loue in deed loue without example Were we as readie to remember benefites as wee are iniuries wee would bee more charitable then we often are But being readie to reuenge doe wee know how soone wee may stande in need of God our selues no verily and therefore we had need to shewe compassion to others When as now Iacob their father was dead Iosephs brethren thought Ioseph would reuenge all the wrong they before vniustly offered their brother they were deceyued Ioseph telles them he meant nothing lesse Am not I saith he vnder God as if hee shoulde haue sayde my selfe am reedie to aske forgiuenesse of God and should I not from â—y heart forgiue you my brethren I doe I doe Wherefore one saith Qualem erga te Deum habere vis talem te erga proximum ostendas as thou wouldest haue God bee vnto thee so bee thou to thy neighbour that hath offended thee To moue Christians to this loue Christ our Sauiour goeth further and sayeth forgiue that you may bee children of your father which is in heauen for he causeth the Sunne to arise on the iust and on the vniust It was a token that Dauid was of the stocke of Iesse when hee would not onely not huâ—t King Saule his enemie when hee was aliue but woulde euen shewe mercie vnto his ofspring when he was dead they giue testimonie that that they are his followers who prayed for his enemies father forgiue them who shew themselues ready to remit and can finde in their hearts to forgiue offences offered S. Amâ—rose told a great Emperor of the world how Christians did auenge themselues our weapons saith he are our prayers our teares we weep for our persecutors wee pray for them Neither shal our forgiuing go away emptie for this actiue mercy shewed vnto men shall be rewarded with passiue mercy by him who hath said Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtaine mercy Hence it commeth to passe that our enemies may doe vs as much good as the best friends we haue in the world whereas in forgiuing them wee receiue forgiuenesse of God but for one drop of water giuen wee receiue by a gainefull interest a whole ocean sea for our two mytes the whole treasure of the temple We giue and forgiue some small benefites trespasses but with God there is no depth of his bountie no number of his mercies If at any time we are iustly moued as we often are to vse that Quid rependam as of the Prophet Psal. 116.11 what shall wee doe vnto the Lord for all the benefites hee hath done vnto vs then most especially approaching to these holy misterie which the old Christians in the Primitiue Church well remembring gaue euident testimonie at this solemne occasion by their liberalitie to the poore their visiting the sicke and other like works of mâ—rcie And besides their charitable reliefe of the needie it is wonderfull to consider and it may do a good mans hart good to call to mind the vâ—iforme peace and peaceable vnion they retained amongst themselues all assembled in one communion of Saints to worship him in earth with whom they hoped shortlie to reioyce in heauen They forgat not that charge left by Christ at his departure from the worlde by this shall men know that you are my Disciples that you loue one another nor that louing entreatie of Abraham had with Lot Gen. 13 11. Let there bee no strife betweene thee and me betweene thy heardmen and my heardmen for we are brethren Bee of one mind saith the Apostle 2. Corinth 13. liue in peace and the God of loue and peace shall be with you and to the Ephesians he saith let all bitternesse and anger and wrath bee put away from you with all maliciousnesse bee courteous one to another forgiuing one another euen as God for Christes sake forgaue you There is but one bodie one spirit on faith one baptisme one God which is aboue all through all and in vs all In this misterie as the faithfull find wrought tranquillitie of conscience within So also finde that the spreading of charitie towardes men abroade which charitie thinketh no euill beleeueth all thinges hopeth all thinges endureth all things When as Christ our Sauiour was now to celebrate his last supper he washeth himselfe his disciples feet wypeth them with a towell giueth a precedent of humility loue admitteth Iudas that bare an euill mind towardes him to his owne-dish giueth him a soppe speakes mildly vnto him which all were tokens of loue should we not take example by our Lorde and master When may we more fitly vse that hymne of the Angels respecting the common cause of ioy wee haue Glorie be to God on high in earth peace towardes men good will and not good will in shewe but euen in singlenes of heart Wherefore to conclude with that of the Apostle Philip. 3.1 If there be any consolation in Christ any comfort of loue any fellowship of the spirite be we of one accord let the same mind be in vs that was in Christ who humbled himselfe wherefore God hath highly exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee shold bow Philip. 2.10 A Prayer before the holy Communion O Lorde Iesus Christ which art the onelie Sonne of God the most high king of kinges Lorde of Lords the image of the Father the brightnesse of eternall light whom the Angels do only desire to behold who after all thy suffering praying for thine enemies now sittest at the throne of glorie who am I that doe presume not onely to beholde thee my God but also to take and receiue thy bodie into the lodging of my bodie and house of my soule contaminated sinner O miserable that I am and most vnhappie of all men which doe this so exceeding great iniurie to thee my God and Sauiour for when a thousand yeares of teares are not sufficient to receiue at the least but once worthily this reuerent and most precious Sacrament so high