my Wickedness and be sorry for my Sins I will pour out my Prayers in the bitterness of my Spirit and therefore now Lord call my Sins to my Remembrance and when thou hast so done blot them out of thy Remembrance and Pardon me A Confession of Sin O Thou great Judge of Heaven and Earth before whose glorious Majesty even the good Angels who never sinned fall prostrate and tremble with what debasement and dread ought I to appear before thy awful Presence who am but Dust and Ashes and which is infinitely worse a miserable Sinner Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity with the least approbation the way of the wicked and the sacrifice of the wicked is an Abomination unto thee Wo is me then O Lord Wo is me for I have inclined unto Wickedness but for the sake of thy well-beloved Son cast not out my prayer nor turn thy mercy from me Miserable wretch that I am I have gone astray from the very Womb I was shapen in Wickedness and in Sin did my Mother Conceive me Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean What is Man then O God that he should be Clean or he that is born of a Woman that he should be Righteous Thou Lord puttest no trust in thy Saints The Heavens are nor clean in thy sight and the very Angels thou chargest with folly How much more abominable than am I who daily drink iniquity like Water Lord Pity cleanse forgive and save me for thy mercies sake I know O God that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for when I would do Good Evil is present with me and I see a Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind bringing me into Captivity to the Law of Sin Lord have mercy on me and deliver me from this body of Death from this tyranny of Sin Alass my whole Nature is corrupt infinitely prone to all Evil and a verse to all that is Good my Understanding is full of Ignorance and error my will perverse my Memory tenacious of all things that may pollute me but forgetful of my Duty my Passions are inordinate my Senses the inlets to all impurity I have abused all my faculties and am unclean unclean Lord pity cleanse forgive and save me for thy mercies sake O Lord God how have I through my whole life violated the sollemn Vow I made to thee at Baptism by eagerly persuing the Vanities of this Wicked World by early yeilding to the Temptation of the Devil by greedily indulging my own carnal Desires and Lust by a fruitless and dead faith and by a disobedience to thy holy Will and Commandments Father I have Sin'd against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son I have Sin'd O Lord God I have Sin'd against Thee By c. Here make your confession of Sins against God and then add O Jesu Lamb of God Son of the Father let thy Blood cleanse me from these sins O pity forgive and save me for thy mercies sake I have sin'd O Lord God I have sin'd against thee and my own self By c. Here confess your sins against your Self and then add O Jesu Lamb of God c. I have sin'd O Lord God I have sin'd against thee and my Neighbor By c. Here confess your sins against your Neighbor and then add O Jesu Lamb of God c. O Lord God my wickedness is exceeding great and my iniquities are infinite they are more in number than the hairs of my head and my heart would fail me but that I know thy mercies are greater than my sins Have mercy upon me therefore O God according to the multitude of thy mercies do away my Offences Who alas can tell how oft he Offends Oh cleanse thou me from my secret faults from all my sins of Ignorance or Infirmity or Omission or which I have not observed or which I have forgot Lord lay none of them to my charge Father forgive me Lord Jesus have mercy upon me O remember not the sins and offences of my Youth but receive me O heavenly Father into the Arms of thy Fatherly compassion and forgive me all my Transgressions for the merits of Jesus thy Son and my Saviour Amen O Lord God of Mercy and Pardon give me a just remembrance and sad apprehension of my sins teach me to bewail them with as great indignation and bitterness as I have committed them with complacency and delight Let my Prayer and Confession come into thy presence and obtain mercy and pardon for me Let not thy Justice and Severity so remember my sins as to forget thy own mercy and though I deserve to be condemned yet thou canst not lose that glorious attribute whence flows comfort to us and hopes of being saved Spare me therefore O merciful God for to give pardon to a sinner that confesses his faults and begs remission is not impossible to thy Power nor disproportionate to thy Justice nor unusual to thy mercy Blessed Jesu acknowledge in me whatsoever is thine cleanse me from whatsoever is amiss Have pitty on me now in the time of mercy and condemn me not when thou comest to judgment for what profit is there in my Blood Thou delightest not in the death of a Sinner but in his Conversion is joy in Heaven and when thou hast delivered me from my sins and saved my Soul I shall praise and magnifie thy Name to all Eternity O Jesu God be merciful to me a miserable Sinner O Lord who art the God that hearest prayers and alone has power finally to forgive sin I beseech the mercifully hear and graciously answer these my Petitions for pardon I am a sinner and deserve punishment but O Lord remove my guilt and spare me who do now confess with shame and sorrow my sins unto thee that I whose Conscience by sin is accused so justly now before thee by thy merciful pardon may be absolved from my Guilt for the sake and through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. By thine Agony and bloody Sweat by thy Cross and Passion by thy precious Death and Burial Good Lord deliver O Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World Have mercy upon O Christ hear me Lord have mercy upon me Christ have c. Lord have mercy c. Our Father which art c. A Prayer O most gracious God who out of thy boundless Compassion to thy Creatures art never wanting in any means that may draw them to thy self I the unworthiest of thy Servants desire to give Glory to thee in a hearty acknowledgement that thou hast afforded me all the methods that might either force or allure me to Obedience but I have resisted that goodness of thine which should have lead me to Repentance Thy compassion has been affronted by my continuance in sin and thy forbearance only serv'd to harden me in Iniquity I have lived to provoke thy
O my Soul is expressed by thy Redeemer when our sins his treacherous Servants and enraged Enemies were contriving his Death he was designing an excellent benefit for us the stream of his affections was so strong that our baseness and ingratitude could not check it we might have expected that the horror of this dismal Night should have made him repent of his undertaking and have put him upon reversing all his former favours but lo he adds a greater than ever he had given before and appoints this as a seal to confirm and convey the rest to us Thy love was stronger than Death and when all the terrors of thy dreadful Passion were in view thy Soul was so calm as to be at leisure to institute this Feast of Joy and Gladness Surely I will entertain this Festival with the dearest regard I can express since it was one of the last and greatest Testimonies of the love of a dying Friend this blessed Legacy this parting Remembrance shall be in my heart for ever Having considered the exceeding great love of God in instituting this Sacrament that very Night he was betrayed and that he should be mindful of us when he was about to drink that Cup of which we were not able let us now contemplate the preparation our Lord then made for us and that we have already heard is Bread but don't let the meaness of the outward part be a disparagement to this mystery but let us adore the Humility of our Saviour who was content with so mean a Re-presentation A Meditation upon the Element of Bread O Blessed Jesus how lovely is thy Humility thou hast chosen to be represented by Bread and though some curious or costly preparation had been more agreeable to thy Dignity yet this best expresses thy condescension Bread is the poor Man's Food yet necessary for the Rich it springs from the Earth yet it is the staff of our Life and given to strengthen Man's heart and so it signifies that Body which thou didst take from the Earth and gavest for the life of the World O that I may receive thee by Faith and then I know I shall draw the most salutary nourishment from thee and thou wilt as effectually be united to my Soul as the Bread which is eaten is to my Body Let me eat this Holy Bread in Charity O do thou make it thy Body and it shall be the Bread of Life to my Soul O merciful Jesus thou hast taken Bread into thy bountiful hands and behold I faint for Hunger I languish for this Spiritual Food and since I am come so nigh thee on this blessed day of Distribution I beseech thee pass not by me as thou takest this Bread so didst thou take thy Body only to be broken in Sacrifice for us and in Sacrament to us let me not therefore want my part O Eternal Word of God by whose power all things were made I will not ask how thou canst give me thy Flesh to eat because I am abundantly satisfied in thy saying this is my Body since thou canst make it become to me whatsoever thou sayest it is I believe Lord help my unbelief what though my senses assure me the outward substances and its accidents still remain yet my Faith and experience tell me there is an Efficacy therein beyond the power of any other thing Alas the Flesh would profit me nothing for he that is joined to thee must be one Spirit O let these sacred Symbols therefore make me partaker of thy Nature and a partner in thy merits let them unite me to thee ingraft me in thee and make that Body mine which did suffer Death for me and then I shall need no further but be more happy than if I could understand all mysteries sure I am this is thy Body in Sacrament it communicates to us the blessings and benefit thereof and though presented with a Figure and by a Holy Right yet it is to all its purposes that which it doth represent I will therefore receive it as thy Body and esteem it infinitly above all other food that I may not be judged for not descerning thy Body O let it be unto me according to my Faith I Am a sinful Wretch O Lord and yet if I bid thee depart from me I banish all true happiness from my Soul I long for thy presence but how shall I entertain thee Thou wast born of a pure Virgin wraped in clean Linnen dwellest now where nothing defiled can enter but never was there so unworthy apartment prepared for thee as my polluted heart into which I durst not presume to bring thee but that I know thou canst make it clean however when by Faith I see that Body which all the Angels in Heaven worship I cannot but abhor my self in Dust and Ashes I am amazed to see such a Majesty come to visit a Sin-sick Soul in so poor a Cottage yea I cannot but tremble at thy presence O thou King of Glory because I am so overspread with the filth of sin but I will lament those corruptions which I cannot fully purge away and beseech thee not to dispise me though I deserve it I confess my self unworthy but thy condesention in stooping to me will be the more illustrious and if thou hast less delight in me for the present thou shalt have more Glory afterwards When thou hast changed my vile Body and made it like to thy glorious Body according to thy mighty Power O My Soul make hast behold thy gracious Master is dealing his Bread to those that hunger after Righteousness be not discouraged at thy unworthiness for he gives to all Men liberally and upbraideth not O dear Jesus give me a share thereof declare me to be thine by feeding me at this Table thou who wert content to be bruised and broken to satisfie my offended God O be pleased to give thy self and the merits of this thy Passion unto me Lord give me ever more of this Bread HOly Jesus I am not worthy to touch this blessed Body as 't is thine yet I presume to approach because thy love hath made it mine This is the sacrifice for my sins the price of my Redemption and that by which my Soul was ransomed from Hell and rescued from a dreadful destruction it was given for me and it shall now be given to me and hast thou made such a preparation for me and offer'd it unto me Lord I am transported at thy love dear Saviour I will love thee with all my powers and strive and pray that I may love thee more as fervently as ever any thy Saints have done I will give my self unto thee and dispise all other things in comparison of thee and when I have once tasted of this all-saving Sacrifice which was given for me I 'm perswaded that neither Life Death Pleasure or Pain things present or to come shall be able to seperate me from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Amen O My
Celestial Food the bread that came down from Heaven how does thy sweetness and my own necessities invite me My body is liable to Temporal my Soul to Eternal Death and behold here is the medicine of immortality which will remove the sting of the first and destroy the power of the second which will fill me with the Graces I want fit me for the Glory I desire and advance my Soul and Body above the Power of corruption I feel a mighty Hunger created in me which nothing but this Heavenly Manna can satisfie I despise the meat which perishes and feedeth for Destruction and long with impatience to taste of this Body of Christ of which I may eat and live for ever which will make the Grave unable to hold me and Hell not dare to shut its Mouth upon me O make no long tarrying but give me now and ever this Bread I desire nothing but Christ if I want this repast shall faint or die before I come to the Mount of God O My Soul behold how thou hast incensed the Majesty of Heaven see thy Saviour offered up for thy sins and submitting to the heavy Wrath of God and yet whatever he suffered was thy Portion Wretch that I am to live in such a manner that nothing else could satisfie or make my Peace but here I come this day to call my sins to remembrance I will look on thee whom I have pierced with a most tender and sympathizing Affection and while I break this Holy Bread with my Teeth will commemorate how thou wast bruised for our iniquities how our offences did torture thee with grief and pain Holy Saviour I 'm angry at my self and full of anguish to see what I have brought upon thee I 'm sorry with all my heart that I have given harbor to thy Murderers but I hope this dismal spectacle shall mortifie in me all desires after Evil and make me abhor all those desperate pleasures which must be so dearly paid for by thee or stand charged upon my account for ever A Meditation upon the Element of Wine O What preparation is our gracious Master making for us he thinks it not enough to give us his blessed Body with the merits of all those Torments which he suffered in the Flesh but he is pleased to pour out his Blood and Life together with it that we might drink thereof and so take as it were his very Soul into us miserable Wretches we are that nothing less will help us O how gracious a Redeemer have we that will not deny us this behold O Lord I Thirst and this Wine of joy makes me more impatient to taste of this Cup of Thanksgiving Thou that hast prepared it for me make it thy holy Blood unto me and then it shall cleanse my Soul and make me thine for ever O Lord I tremble at the apprehensions of all those Evils that stand between me and thy Glory the Grave gapeth for me and Satan is ready every moment to devour me wherefore I beseech thee sprinkle me with thy all-saving Blood that the destroying Angel may pass over me Let me drink of this Cup of Life and Death shall be Defeated the Grave Dismantled and Satan disappointed Let me drink of thy precious Blood that I may receive abundance of thy Spirit so shall my body be hallowed into a sacred Temple and my Soul replenished with such Graces that I can never perish O give me this Divine Cordial at present and make to me a preservation for Body and Soul to life everlasting I Dore thy unspeakable Goodness I delight in thy unmeasurable Mercy I desire to know nothing but the Lord Jesus and in him Crucified O let the Power of thy Cross prevail against all the Powers of Darkness let the Wisdom of thy Cross make me wise unto Salvation let the Peace of thy Cross reconcile me to thy Eternal Father and bring to me Peace of Conscience let the Victory of thy Cross mortifie all my evil and corrupt Affections let the triumph of thy Cross lead me on to a state of Holiness that I may sin no more but in all things please thee and in all things serve thee and in all things glorifie thee O my God assist me now and ever graciously and greatly grant that I may not receive Bread alone for man cannot live by that but that I may eat Christ and then I shall be thy servant for ever GReat Advocate of my Soul thou seest my desires to love thee I leave my self to thy Mannagement O enter into this frozen heart and erect thy Kingdom and Empire there let every desire of my Soul be subject to thee and make me willing to submit to any thing so I may but love thee O Compassionate Saviour whose Bowels yearn over the penìtent let my Soul rest in and contemplate thee enlarge my Mind loose me from my Bonds and let the effect of the offering up my Soul in the Holy Sacrament be that I may become a servant of Righteousness and may relish no wisdom but from above O Lord Jesus I am not worthy to come near so great a Mystery but thou can'st make me worthy and though I am a sinner I come to offer the sacrifice thou hast commanded O pardon my Offences and receive me graciously for thy Mercies sake I lament O God my detestable iniquities for having so long so often and so obstinately offended thee O most merciful Lord pardon me for Jesus Christ his sake O hear his dying Groans regard his Agony and Bloody Sweet by his Cross and Passion let my sins be blotted out by his glorious Resurrection and Ascention let every Evil affection and lust be crucified that I may arise to a newness of life Great Friend of my immortal Soul chuse I beseech thee my heart for thy dwelling place replenish it with thy Graces and make me to loath these transitory possessions O Lord what is there in Heaven or what upon Earth that I would have besides thee My heart is ready O God my heart is ready Lord what wouldst thou have to me do grant me to do what thou commandest and command what thou wilt O my sweet Saviour I long for thy Company and am miserable without thee yet dare scarce draw near unto thee because I have nothing pure enough to entertain thee Lord be merciful to me a sinner for I am grieved for my unworthiness and amazed at thy condescention in offering thy self to so vile a Creature O Holy Jesus I am utterly ashamed that ever I should put thee to such exceeding Smart and Torture I am ashamed to think of it and abhor my sins O light of mine Eyes my secure refuge O life of my Soul my Maker my Redeemer and my preserver into thy hands do I commit my Spirit O joy of my Soul when shall I love thee with all my Heart with all my Soul with all my Might When shall I enjoy thee When shall I come and appear before thee
Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Lord if thou wilt thou canst cleanse me O touch me and say I will be thou clean Oh let this Blood of thine purge my Conscience from dead Works to serve thee the ever living God It will not suffice me dearest Saviour to receive thee in part only for I must be wholly thine and blessed be thy Name that thou hast already given me thy holy Body to cleanse my Nature and now thou art preparing thy precious Blood to wash away my Guilt my sins have poured out every drop thereof wherefore thou presentest it to me by it self to shew how truly thou didst suffer Death for me and now O my Redeemer thou hast said this Cup is the Communion of thy Blood and thy truth is unquestionable thy power infinite and thy love was such as thou gavest thy hearts blood for me I will receive it therefore as the everlasting Covenant the Seal of all the promises of thy holy Gospel I have indeed drunk iniquity like Water and therefore am unfit to tast this Water of Life and yet shall perish without it for I 'me all over defiled and this is the fountain which thou hast opened to cleanse us I am scorched with the Flames of lust and unruly passion and this is the Cup which thou hast provided to cool and refresh us What value is sufficient for me to put upon this immortal Cordial How can I reverence it enough since the God of Heaven esteemed it a price sufficient for millions of perishing Mankind My Soul longeth after it Lord let me taste and my Soul shall live let me wash in this laver before I come to thy great Tribunal so shall I be whiter than snow Let us repeat after the Minister the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ c. After the Cup. IT is finished blessed be the Name of our gracious God Blessing Glory Praise and Honour Love Obedience Dominion and Thanksgiving be to thee O sacred Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost Amen Well come O my good Jesus now dismiss thy Servant in Peace for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation If we have time before we return to our Pews let us add HOw chearing is this Cup to me blessed Jesus which was so dreadful unto thee it was thy Agonies and thy Wounds which afforded me this Wine of Joy Thou didst find how bitter it was when thou wert appeasing an offended God but I taste how sweet it is now that thou hast made him a tender and reconciled Father I receive this Cup O Saviour as a new pledge of thy dearest Love and since thou doest here give me a right to that great Expiation which thou hast made I do most humbly commemorate the same before the Father of Heaven as the full satisfaction for my innumerable Debts and I will remember the dolors of thy Cross with a brisker sense than ever because thou hast made me drink of thy Blood and given me thy Soul thy Life and thy Spirit and since thou hast thus joyned me to thy self O let nothing seperate that which thou hast so graciously joyned together Amen They who have advanced thus far in their Duty and been refreshed at the Table of God will easily acknowledge Thanksgiving to be the least tribute they can pay and won't be satisfied that they have given praises at the Altar but are willing to offer this sacrifice every opportunity therefore let us at our return to our Seats be ready to acknowledge the loving kindness of the Lord. PRaise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name was it not enough that thou shouldst suffer so much for me but thou wilt also give all the purchase of those sufferings to me thy loving kindness is truly admirable thou hast taken my sins on thy self and communicated thy Righteousness to my Soul Lord while I believe and consider the benefits of thy Passion I am revived and fill'd with an unwonted Vigour my Conscience does accuse me of many and grievious sins but I do here most humbly and thankfully set forth this perfect sin offering before thy Divine Majesty I know thou cannot except against it I believe it is sufficient to attone thine Anger Blessed Jesus how is my Soul refreshed that is again restored to thy Father's love let Heaven and Earth praise thee for this glorious Sacrifice and I will bless thee while I have any being I have receiv'd thy immaculate Body and it shall cleanse my sinful Body and teach me by the vertue of so rare an Example to relieve my poor Brethren for whom thou hast died and to conquer my Enemies by charity for thus thou hast done to me and both my lips and life shall set forth thy praise for now I begin to find the Mercy Peace Comfort and Grace which flow from the Death of Christ wherefore I will love thee Holy Jesus more than I can express and since thou hast given thy self thy Merits and Graces to me and seal'd a new Covenant with me in thy Blood I here bind my self by this sacred Cup to be sincerely thine I have sworn and am steadfastly purposed to keep thy Righteous Judgments O let me never unhallow that Body or defile that Soul in which the Lord Jesus delights to dwell in let no Oaths or Lying prophane those Lips no Obscenity or Intemperance pollute that Mouth by which these holy Symbols have passed but let thy Mercy keep me in this happy Temper till I have accomplished all my Resolutions Amen Or This ALL is thine Dear Saviour dispose of all that is here of Body and Soul of life and lodging according to thy Divine Will and Pleasure I intend O Lord strengthen me in this very Hour I intend O sweet Saviour a Total Reformation of my Life and Manners an intire Mortification of my Corporal Senses an absolute change in my whole Man grant therefore O good Jesus that at each word of my Mouth at each glance of my Eye at each morsel I Eat at each member I Move at each action Inward or Outward I undertake I may perform all according to thy holy Will and Pleasure I will therefore expect from thee O Heavenly Father the exact Remembrance from thee my Redeemer the perfect Knowledge from thee O Holy Spirit a true Repentance from thee O Sacred Trinity the entire Absolution and Plenary indulgence from all my iniquities Amen We have been informed that this is the great Feast of Love and are now commemorating that inexpressible love of our Saviour and since his Blood was shed for the sins of the whole World let our Charity extend it self to the uttermost parts of the Earth but more especially the Holy Catholick Church therefore the time we spare from our Devotions let us bestow in good desires to those present sending up a hearty Amen to the Prayers for our Brethren let it rejoyce our Souls to see so many of the Servants of God
to do good But these were the least of thy sufferings thy Love to this World urged thee on to greater difficulties and for which the whole host of Heaven must praise and adore thee to Eternity After thou hadst declared thy intention of coming to save Sinners and notwithstanding the opposition of Men and Devils didst deliver the Doctrine of Salvation to compleat thy Father's Will and fullfill the Scriptures concerning thee thou proceedest to give thy self a Sacrifice to attone for those Sins from which neither Men nor Angels were able to set us free Thy Life indeed was an intire piece of sorrow and thou always didst suffer by the contradiction of Sinners Thy works of Charity were received as unkindnesses and thy Miracles supposed to be the works of the Devil tho' thou spakest as never Man spake yet they rejected both thee and thy doctrine Thus didst thou endure those Affronts and Injuries which were never offer'd to any but thy self and with much pains yet admirable patience go on not only to confirm thy former goodness but to add a mercy greater than them all and seal it by thy precious Blood Here all our Thoughts ought to be Silence Amazement Reverence and Admiration with Tears of Love and Contrition that the Eternal Son of God to cloath us with his Grace should cloath himself with our humble Nature and presently load himself with the Burthen of our sins take upon him their punishment and die upon the Cross for them too That the cleansing of us should make him be defiled with the spittings of Blasphemous Mouths that for the washing our Souls he should shed his precious Blood This is a business more proper for our Love than Meditation more to make us active in his Service than Contemplative in our Thoughts and to be expressed more by our wonder than our word BUT O thou God of Mercy thou didst not leave us comfortless thou sawest how much reason we should have to Mourn Fast and Pray when the Bride-groom should be taken hence and therefore didst send thy Holy Spirit to assist us till thy coming again accomplish therefore the number of thine Elect and hasten thy Kingdom that we with all that are departed in thy Faith may have our perfect Consummation in Bliss Jesus my God give me Grace to be ready when soever thou callest that I may meet thee with thy Saints at thy second coming and be fit to enter with thee into thy Glory O My Soul take yet a fuller view of the loving kindness of the Lord consider the infinite compassion of thy Redeemer how great a regard he had to thy Safety when he was in view of his dreadful Passion for that very Night in which he was betrayed into the hands of sinful Men he instituted the Holy Sacrament left us his Body and Blood to be a continual remembrance of him O Infinite Charity which contentedst not thy self with being our Redemption unless thou also becomest our Nourishment O infinit Charity which knowing that our Offences wou'd Nail thee to the Cross wert yet providing a remedy for those Offences Lord is it thy custom to repay Benefits for Injuries Come hither ye Devout Souls bewail with me so great a Sin come Love with me so great a Love come with a Spiritual Hunger and offer up your hearts to receive that Divine Nourishment and prepare your Souls for this beloved Lord to Enter NO sooner had he finished this Holy Mystery but he yielded to be encompassed with the Sorrows of Death having first kindly cautioned his Disciples of the approaching Tragedy the time of which he had often told them was at hand the Shepherd was to be smitten and the Flock scatter'd abroad They had hitherto reposed their confidence in his Protection and had all their safety from him but the time was coming when they too must drink of the Cup which was now preparing for him and that they might be encouraged to follow his blessed steps he first set them the Example of his patience that they might submit with the greater Resignation this was his time of Suffering for them and he only would have them see how willingly he would lay down his life for their Sakes they might surely resist unto Blood when he had trod the dreadful path before them but we find his Sufferings came on too fast and were too severe for them to behold That stout Champion who had formerly confessed him to be Christ and was for dying with him cou'd follow him now but a far off His Agony in the Garden was but the beginning of Sorrows he there saw his Passion but at a distance though that cast him upon his Knees and betrayed the Horrors his Soul laboured under Our sins were pressing upon him and he who knew no sin began to feel the weight of ours and the Wrath of God which was due to us for ever Where O my Soul behold him prostrate on the Ground his Nature racked with an insupportable Amazement and the stream of his Blood turned a contrary course forcing it self through the pores of his Body and his Humanity sunk by an extremity of Sorrow to the Gates of Death He had no sooner overcome this terrible Conflict but behold the fatal Messengers of his Afflictions ready to apprehend him his own familliar Friend who had eat of his Bread conducting them to the place where he was This was their hour and he was to suffer even for the ingratitude of his Murderers he finds himself now forsaken as well as betrayed by his Friends and they who could not watch for his safety could now fly for their own Thus desolate and helpless was the innocent Lamb of God exposed to the extravigance of a Blood Thirsty People who came upon him with Sword and Staves but there was little need of Guards to secure one who was so willing to obey their Summons tho' their strength and number cou'd not add Resolution to their Guilt for his own Confession that I am He aw'd them into a Reverence made them go Backward and fall to the Ground But now he lays aside his Majesty and submits to their Rage who with Infamy and Derision drag'd him to the Judgment Seat Where though their Malice was great enough to say any thing cou'd not make their accusations agree they laid to his Charge things that he never said nor did yet that with the Voices of the chief Priests must prevail and though the judge declared him Guiltless yet the People had among them a Law by which he ought to die Even to this he opened not his Mouth but submitted to all that their Revenge Impudence and Cruelty cou'd invent Since he had profest himself their King they were resolved not to lead him to Execution before they Cloathed him with Vestments of Derision Crown him with a Diadem of Affliction and put the Scepter of Weakness into his Hand they Bow the Knee before him Salute him King and to fill up their Ingratitude
we like his Disciples at the last Supper are waiting to be fed with the Bread from Heaven when we hear the Priest saying Who in the same Night he was betrayed took Bread c. Let us adore that inexpressible love of our Saviour which was working our Salvation when his cursed Enemies were contriving his Crucifixion let us bless the goodness of God and admire the Humillity of our Saviour that would be represented by no richer preparation than Bread Here is no costly sacrifice to exhault our Treasure That we may bestow upon those that want it the poor which we have always with us but for the representation of himself he chuses what is necessary for our sustinance to show us that his Body is as necessary to the strengthning of our Souls as Bread for the support of our Life And when he had given thanks he brea kt it c. O blessed Jesus doest thou give thanks for my Redemption behold I joyn my praises to thine and bless thee with all my Soul O shew thy acceptance of my praises by hallowing these Elements to the purposes they are designed Saying Take Eat this is my Body which is given for you c. Here let us reflect upon the passion of our Saviour and imagine we see him in that unspeakable Passion offering up his pious Soul upon the Cross Do this in remembrance of me O Jesus let me never be so ungrateful as to forget thee likewise also after Supper He took the Cup and when he had given thanks c. Our Saviour was not content to give us his Body alone but to pour out his Blood for us and has chosen Wine for the Commemoration of that inestimable mercy O let our Souls thirst after this Cup of Salvation and when the Minister holds it out to bless it let us call upon the Name of the Lord He gave it to them saying Drink ye all of this c. Do this in remembrance of me This is the time to Exercise our Faith and therefore let us believe they really are to us what they represent and say a hearty Amen for it is unto us according to our Faith if we believe 't is unto us the Blood of Christ indeed that no doubting nor infidelity may unhallow these sanctified Elements to any of our Souls Let us say A Prayer after Consecration LOrd it is done as thou hast commanded and I doubt not but the Mystery is rightly accomplished I am perswaded that here is that which my Soul longeth after a crucified Saviour communicating himself to poor penitent Sinners O let me be reckoned among that Number and then I shall assuredly receive thee Holy Jesus Amen O Holy Saviour I behold thee stretch'd upon the Cross with thy Arms spread ready to embrace all Mankind Glory be to thee O Lord Jesus Lamb of God Son of the Father who didst offer thy self a sacrifie to take away the sins of the whole World Lord have mercy upon me and take away mine also When the Minister is a Communicating let us humbly desire that God would hear his Prayer The Lord hear thee and remember all thy Offerings and Sacrifices grant thee thy Hearts desire and fullfil all thy mind The Lord perform all thy Petitions which thou hast made at this time for thy self for us and all Persons Amen We have nothing to do now but compose our selves for the acts of holy Communion remembering we are to feast with God by Silence and Heavenly Contemplation let us reflect upon the mercies of God in this Sacrament and when we have by Faith beheld the Glory of the Lord confess our unworthiness to appear before him and acknowledge his goodness which gives us the opportunity of adoring his inexpressible Love While others are Communicating O How dreadful is this place Seemeth it a small thing unto thee O my Soul to be feasted with God waited on by Angels fed with the Body of Jesus and refreshed with the Cup of that saving Blood which hath attoned for the Sins of the World What meaneth this secret that so poor a Wretch and sinful a Rebel should receive so mighty a Favour and be received to so near Embraces How can I approach to these terrible Mysteries till I have pulled back the Vail and worshipped him that feeds my Body to convey Grace to my Soul and make that stoop to the Eye of sence which Angels cannot behold with open Faces Here is represented the Almighty Love of an infinite Being here the God of Gods appears all Bloody to fright thee from thy sins here the All-merciful Saviour of the World is as it were crucified before thine Eyes that contemplating the horrid Aggonies of the Cross and remembring the cause of his cruel Sufferings thou mayst mourn for thy ingratitude that brought him to the torments of that inexpressible Passion here the Holy Jesus appears loaded with all the Blessings of Heaven here the everlasting Trinity seems to use his utmost endeavour to perswade thee into a Heavenly Conversation To thy Holy Altar O Dear Redeemer I am coming to renew my Baptizmal Vow to enter into a Solemn Covenant with God and faithfully to promise thee to resign my self intirely to thee to fall out with thee no more to be faithful to thee to vindicate thy Glory to live up to those Laws which thou hast sealed with thy own Blood To this end I eat of thy Bread and Drink of thy Wine and so seal my Covenant with thee Quicken me O Lord and make me more earnest and zealous in thy Service and as thou hast sent thy Son to bring me to thy self do thou likewise send thy Holy Spirit to sanctifie me for thy self and then I who of my self can scarce move unto thy Altar by the assistance of thy Grace may run the ways of thy Commandments Having declared the reasons of our approaching this Holy Table and beg'd God's blessing upon us let us Meditate after this manner Thou O my God hast prepared a Table for me and hast promised whosoever eateth thereof shall never Hunger and drinketh shall never Thirst This consideration alone is sufficient to furnish us with matter for Contemplation The mercy of God in preparing this Sacred Feast the benefits we receive from it and the time in which it was institued when he was surrounded with the Horrors of Death and began to feel the weight of our Transgressions are enough to put us in a confusion and constrain us at once to humble our selves even into our first nothing for abusing such goodness and then adore that amazing constancy of our Lord that in the greatest of his Agony could endure yet more for our sakes and resign himself to the Cross notwithstanding the contradiction of sinners O let us consider this price with which we were bought and glorifie God in our Bodies and Spirits which are his therefore bowing our bodies before the Lord let us consider the wonder of his love BEhold what kind of love
When shall I fully please thee O that I could always serve thee that I could perfectly obey thee Grant me O my only Love that I may continually reverence and adore thee Permit me not O Lord Jesus ever to be seperated from thee Teach me inlighten me direct me and assist me in all things but especially at this time that I may do or say nothing but what is agreeable to thy blessed Will Amen I Have made a large Collection of Meditations and Prayers because of the difference of Congregations some are very numerous and I esteem them pertinent to regulate our thoughts in that interval before we go up to the Altar the lesser Congregations and they who are desirous to be first at the Holy Table may have advantage of variety and make use of them as their inclinations and opportunity will give leave Our thoughts are not always upon the wing we require diversity of Arguments to press us to a forwardness besides they are not designed that our mind should be wholly taken up with them that we should read them all and then think we may safely go up to the Altar of God The best composure in the World will be insignificant if we don't offer it with Devotion Sincerity and Affection one of these Petitions rightly performed is of greater Efficacy than the whole repeated in a rambling disorder Lord have mercy upon me a miserable sinner said with humility was more prevalent than the long Prayer of the wordy Supplicant God knows our necessity before we ask and if we ask with Faith depending on the incercession of our Saviour he will grant our Petitions even before they are ended so that I would have some of them repeated with deliberation and between them call in our thoughts reconcile them to our reason and faith and then offer them up with earnest devotion and so shall we be prepared to receive the Lord of Glory When we have made an end of these Meditations and are ready to go to the Holy Table rising from our Knees with Reverence let us say GReat Captain of my Salvation I am going to learn to fight the good fight of faith in the blessed Sacrament of thy Love let thy great Example there encourage me to fight against all Ambition and Ostentation Censoriousness and Uncharitableness against coveteous lustfull and blasphemous Thoughts against guile and hypocrisie discontent and mistrust of thy providence against such enemies give me Grace to fight over these let me Triumph that having striven lawfully I may at last be admitted to the sight of thy sweet self and be charmed with thy Love for evermore Having thus began our Warfares and declared our chiefest Enemies let us approach the Holy Altar that there we may put on the Armor of God and being endued with Righteousness from above may walk more securely and be defended from the subtilty of Men and Devils therefore as we are going up let us turn our thoughts to God in the following manner As we go up to the Altar I Come Lord Jesus O take me to thee for thou lovest me and hast prepared a Table for me in the seat of thy Love in the multitude of thy mercies O Lord God do I now approach thy Altar O pardon my Sins and receive me graciously if thou shouldst be extream to mark what is amiss O Lord who may abide it but with the Lord is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption Lord hast thou set open this fountain and wilt thou let a wretched creature die for thirst in thy presence Hast thou prepared such Balm to heal me and shall I languish here before thee I know if thou wilt thou canst make me clean here is the very instrument Grant therefore holy Jesus that I may duly apply it and rightly use it and then it shall prepare me for thee and unite me to thee by such inseperable Bonds as shall never brake unless Eternity have an end Blessed are they who so eat thy Flesh and drink thy Blood so as thou requirest and so as thy Saints have done for they have been cleansed at this fountain and here there Union with thee first began O happy opportunity Lord let me do it well this once and I am thine for ever Let us now kneel before the Lord and say O Jesu Son of God everlasting King receive my Spirit O my Life take my Soul my Joy draw my heart unto thee thou that art my Head direct me Light of mine eyes enlighten me O my comfort rejoice me my sweet Food let me eat thee O Word of God refresh me O Light Eternal shine thou over me that I may understand know and love thee After we have thus dedicated our selves to God let us humbly represent to him the occasion which drew us hither and beg for his promise sake that we may not be sent Empty away O Lamb of God thou hast said he that eateth thy Flesh and drinketh thy Blood hath eternal Life behold thy Servant O Lord be it unto me according to thy Word O Lord God I desire to renew my Covenant with thee and to seal it now with this Sacrament Lord put thy Laws into my mind and write them in my heart and for the passion of thy dear Son which I now commemorate be merciful to my Unrighteousness my Sins and Iniquities do thou remember no more but be thou my God and I will be thy Servant The Minister now approaching us we ought with the Centurion in the Gospel to acknowledge our unworthiness to receive so glorious a guest and after such a Humilliation let us look up with confidence and represent to the Father of Heaven the prevailing sacrifice of his Son LOrd I am not worthy thou shouldst come under my roof but speak the word Lord and thy Servant shall be whole Behold O Lord the sacrifice of the everlasting Covenant the Lamb that takes away the sins of the World Oh let all the World feel the power of his Intercession hear good Lord the cry of his Wounds and deny me not since I bring thy Son with me let us all know that he lives that was dead and is a live for evermore O holy Bread which camest down from Heaven and givest life to the World come into my heart and cleanse me from all defilements of Flesh and Spirit enter into my Soul heal and sanctifie me within and without O my Soul taste now and see how gracious the Lord is Whence is it that my Lord himself should come to me Let us now with steadfast Faith repeat after the Minister bowing our Bodies The Body of our Lord Jesus c. After we have received the Bread let us lift up our Souls in thankfullness and say Hail Holy Lamb of God thrice welcome art thou to a poor perishing sinner Glory be to thee O Lord who feedest me with the Bread of Life let thy crucified Body deliver me from this body of death Before the Cup. I Will receive the