sudden death which haue presumed vnworthily to bee partakers of his holy mysteries euen as the Apostle saith For this cause many among you are sicke and some are fallen asleepe by which temporall punishments if the residue can beware and learne to iudge themselues they shall escape the iudgement of God but if neither by Gods threatning nor example of punishment they will be taught to amend this great grosse contempt of Gods lenitie mercie they shall heape vpon thēselues vengeance in the day of wrath from which our most mercifull GOD for Christ his sake vouchsafe to deliuer vs. ⧠A prayer to be truely penitent for our sins before wee receiue the Sacrament of the Lord. O Eternall and most mercifull Father we most vile and wretched sinners and yet thy children through thy singular grace and mercie fall downe before thee most humbly acknowledging and confessing our owne vilenesse and vnworthinesse through our infinite sinnes and wickednesse to come into the presence of thy maiestie or stande before thy face whom wee haue so grieuously offended dishonoured thy glorious name by which we are called O Lord we are ashamed to present our selues into thy sight who seeest and knowest all our wickednesse much more clearely then wee our selues and yet such is our miserable estate that when wee looke backe to our former life that is past we see nothing in a maner but a monstrous heape of ignorāce error sinne wickednesse and vngodlinesse for which O Lorde GOD we are so farre off from making any satisfaction or amendes that we are not sufficiētly displeased with our selues for so great vnworthinesse nor sorowfull inough for so great wickednesse Therefore most mercifull Father wee flie vnto thy onely grace and bountifull mercie which art the onely fountaine of all good giftes most humbly beseeching thee to mollifie our stony heartes with the deawe of thy holy Spirite to subdue the pride of our nature with the terror of thy iustice to graunt vs true repentance that we may be truely turned vnto thee Conuert vs O Lorde God then shall we be conuerted yea turne vnto vs the light of thy countenance and then shall wee bee saued And for as much as thou hast giuen the holy Sacrament of the body and blood of thy sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ to bee a seale of thy promised mercies and our redemption to bee a confirmation of our faith and medicine of our infirmitie we heartily beseeche thee most mercifull Father that as wee humbly present our selues to celebrate this thy holy institution not in presumption of our worthines but imboldned by thy heauenly voyce commanding vs so wee may be partakers of thy holy mysteries to our comfort that we may feele the fruite and effect ofthy promise adioined vnto them liuely working in vs. Preuent by thy grace O Lorde God least through our negligence default the same bee not onely made vnfruitfull vnto vs but also hurtfull which thou hast ordeined and graciously giuen for our profite and comfort but graunt that thy grace and goodnes assisting vs in all things wee may enioy thy benefites to thy glory and our euerlasting felicitie through our Lorde and onely Sauiour Iesus Christ to whom with thee and the holy Ghost bee all glory praise and dominion both nowe and for euer AMEN A praier to be said immediatly before the receiuing of the holy Communion in the time of the celebration thereof O Most gratious bountifull Sauiour of mankinde Iesu Christ our onely redeemer which for our sake diddest abase thy selfe to come downe from thy eternall throne of Maiestie in which thou art equall with God the Father and the holy Ghost to take vpon thee the shape of a seruant that thou mightest be strickē of God the Father for our sinnes and buffeted for our iniquities that through thy stripes we might be healed which diddest become obedient to satisfie for our disobedience vnto the most shameful cursed death of the crosse that thy shame might be our glory thy curse our blessing and thy death our life euerlasting We most humbly beseeche thee that as we present our selues at thy holy Table to celebrate an holy memoriall of these thine inestimable benefites according to thy gratious institution and ordinance so it may please thee all lettes and hinderances which our vnworthinesse may obiect before thy righteousnesse being taken away through thy onely goodnesse wee may receiue to our comfort that which thou of thy mercie doest offer vnto vs euen thy most precious body and blood to bee a spirituall foode and nourishment to feede vs vnto immortalitie both of body and soule that we may glorifie thee with the Father and the holy Ghost one eternall God world without ende Amen A thankesgiuing after the receiuing of the holy Communion O Almightie and most mercifull Father what thankes are we able to yeelde vnto thee sufficient for so many and so great benefites of which wee are dayly partakers without all merite or desert of ours thorough thy onely goodnes and mercie And nowe O Lorde God that thou hast refreshed our soules with the heauenly foode of the body and blood of our Sauiour Christ in this holy mysterie and Sacrament of thine institution whereby wee call to remembrance our whole and perfect redemption by the bitter passion and shedding of the blood of thy immaculate lambe our Sauiour Iesus Christ who offered himselfe to bee a sacrifice of sweete sauour and full reconciliation once for all to thy Maiestie for our sinnes howe are wee able to testifie our thankfulnesse for so wonderfull mercie and goodnes The consideration of the greatnes whereof swalloweth vp all our cogitations and thoughts so that wee finde nothing but eternall and infinite prayse to be due vnto thee for so infinite and eternall mercie Which because O Lord wee are neither able nor worthie to expresse and set foorth we humbly beseeche thee as well for this want and imperfection as for all other our weakenes and vnsufficiencie to accept the satisfaction of our Lorde and Redeemer Iesus Christ who hath washed vs and made vs Kinges and Priestes to offer vp spirituall sacrifice of prayse and thankesgiuing acceptable vnto thee In whom O Lord we yeeld vnto thee that which we cannot of our selues perpetuall and worthie thankes honour and glory worlde without ende AMEN An excellēt Psalme of King Dauid MY soule prayse thou the Lorde all that is within mee prayse his holy Name 2 My soule prayse thou the Lorde and forget not all his benefites 3 Which forgiueth all thine iniquitie and healeth all thine infirmities 4 Which redeemeth thy life from the graue and crowneth thee with mercie and compassions 5 Which satisfieth thy mouth with good thinges and thy youth is renued like the egles 6 The Lord executeth righteousnesse and iudgement to all that are oppressed 7 Hee made his wayes knowen vnto Moses his workes vnto the children of Israel 8 The Lorde is full of compassion and mercie slowe
sinne and wickednes in whose sight no vncleane or filthie person may abide to stand but such as are holy righteous cleane and pure in heart are acceptable before him The place whereunto a Christian man is called when he is required to be partaker of the holy Sacrament is the Lordes Table whereof this earthly corruptible table is but a figure shadowe for euen as he that calleth vs which is God our Father and that whereunto we are called which is the body and blood of Christ is in heauen at the right hand of God in glory maiestie euē so the Lords Table on which we shall be partakers of the same is lifted vp aboue all height of the visible skies into that place of Gods eternall glory and maiestie where Iesus Christ is resident in the throne of his magnificence The holy feast banquet whereunto a Christian man is called consisteth not of earthly dainties prepared by the arte of man to please the bodily taste which as soone as they are receiued into the body tende to putrifaction and corruption but of that liuely bread which came downe frō heauen and giueth life to the world euen the flesh blood of our Sauiour Christ the immaculat lambe of God which gaue himselfe an holy and vndefiled sacrifice vnto God his Father once for all and found thereby euerlasting redemption of which most holy and heauenly meate and drinke whosoeuer is partaker shall liue for euer The ende wherefore a Christian man is called to be partaker of this holy Sacrament is that hee might be assured that hee is regenerate and borne againe by the holy Ghost to be the child of God and inheriter of the kingdom of heauen notwithstanding that hee remaineth still as yet subiect vnto death of his body and that which is more to be feared through infirmitie falleth often times into sinne the reward whereof by the iustice of God is death both of body and soule yet being nourished and fedde with the foode of immortalitie and euerlasting life which is the flesh blood of our Sauiour Christ as hee him selfe testifyeth in the sixt Chapter of Iohn hee shall by the diuine vertue and quickening spirite of our Sauiour Christ be raysed vp in the last day vnto euerlasting felicitie These thinges if a Christian man doe duely consider before hee presume to come to the Lordes Table he will not thrust forwarde himselfe rashly vnaduisedly contemptuously but with such reuerence preparation and examination as is meete for him that is called by so great a person vnto so high a place to be partaker of so holy and so fearefull mysteries for so waighty and necessarie an ende and purpose For in respect of him that calleth which is most holy and righteous he will remember that it is his part to cleanse his soule from all vncleannesse of sinne and wickednesse by true and hearty repētance he dare not appeare in his presence which seeth and knoweth the secrets of his heart with an outward shewe of fained holinesse and counterfet sorowfulnesse for his sinnes which he purposeth not to leaue and forsake but to continue in thē after the receite of the Sacrament and to delight in them as much as euer he did before He will not presume to deride and mocke the Iudge of al the worlde with a faigned countenance of modestie taken vpon him for a few houres while he is in the Church and laide aside againe almost assone as he steppeth ouer the threshholde of the Church doore to returne no lesse to his former lightnes vanitie pride lust couetousnesse and other vngodlines then to his priuate house and lodging And when hee considereth that hee is called into heauē where no vncleannesse or corruption can abide where holinesse righteousnesse doth dwel he will call to mind the answere which God maketh to Dauid in the 15. Psalme where hee inquireth who shall dwell in his Tabernacle and rest in his holy hill Euen hee that leadeth an vncorrupt life without hypocrisie without fraude and guile couetousnes or oppressiō that dealeth iustly faithfully and mercifully with all men such a one shall neuer be remoued Hee that is called into heauen where Christ is sitting at the right hand of GOD and willingly obeyeth his calling acknowlegeth that he must forsake the earth with all earthly affections and set his minde vpon heauenly thinges vpon those thinges that are aboue and not vpon the earth as S. Paul exhorteth Colossians the 3. Chap. hee must mortifie his mēbers that are on earth fornication and all vncleannesse couetousnesse and deceitfulnesse wrath malice blasphemie and filthie speaking and putting off the olde man with his workes he must put on the newe man which is renewed according to the image of him that created him in holinesse and righteousnesse in mercifulnesse humilitie meekenesse long suffering and forgiuenes of all them that haue offended vs euen as God hath forgiuen vs in Christ Iesus And for as much as the distance betwene the earth where we are strangers and the Heauen whereunto wee are called as to the place of our inheritance is so great that it is not possible for our heauy lumpish bodies to ascende thither before they be made conformable like to the glorious bodie of our Sauiour Christ which is gone thither before vs to prepare a place a Christian man will consider that as yet he can no otherwise bee lifted vp into heauen but in heart and soule by the winges of faith And therefore he wil seeke to confirme and strengthen his faith by the often and diligent meditation of the most comfortable promises of God conteined in the holy Scriptures and by earnest and feruent prayer vnto God for Christ his sake to increase his faith by the vertue of his holy Spirit as well in this time of his participation of the heauenly mysteries as at all other times vnto the ende of his life Yea that spirituall foode of the body blood of Christ whereof he is called to be a partaker wil admonish put a Christian man in minde as well of repentance purpose of amēdment reuerēce humilitie with which hee ought to bee prepared that shall receiue the Sacrament worthily as also that faith and constant beliefe in the promises of God is necessarily required of him that shal be nourished with so wonderfull heauenly foode For were it not that the sonne of God which is trueth it selfe hath promised by his holye worde to giue vs his body and blood to bee meate in deede and drinke in deede to feede vs vnto euerlasting life and for assurance of this his promise doth giue vs his seale in bread and wine which therefore hee calleth by the name of his body and blood because they do truely and not vainely represent vnto vs the trueth of his promise and effectuall performance of the same howe should we differ from the vnbeleuing Iewes which vnderstanding carnally that which our Sauiour Christ spake
spiritually demaunded howe it were possible to giue his flesh to be eaten and his blood to be drunken But being instructed by faith although the mysterie farre passe the reache of any mans vnderstanding yet doe we nothing doubt but according to his holy word and promise after a heauenly and spiritual maner he giueth to al them that are worthily partakers of that holy Sacrament his very body and blood to be spirituall meate and drinke whereby they are fed nourished vnto that life which is immortall and incorruptible Which faith of ours receiueth strength and increase by worthie participation of this holy mysterie for which ende and purpose it was instituted and ordeined to our comfort In consideration whereof and of all euery the respects before mentioned a Christian man is compelled to fall down before the throne of Gods grace and from the bottome of his heart to yeelde most humble and vnfeigned thanks to God the Father with the sonne our Lord Iesus Christ the holy Ghost by whose infinit mercy and goodnesse without al merite and desert of himselfe hee is called to so high honor and dignitie that he is admitted to be a ghest at the Lords Table in which hee is made partaker of the flesh and blood of the sonne of GOD who so loued the worlde that hee gaue his only begotten sonne to suffer most cruell shamefull death for the redemption of mankinde to satisfie the wrath of God to reconcile vs againe into his fauour of his enimies to make vs his children and of his children to make vs ioynt heyres with his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour Last of all a Christian man thus assured that hee is made partaker of the body blood of Christ his head of whom hee is nowe made a liuing member must acknowledge purpose with himself that it is his bound duetie not onely to be more circumspect watchful of himselfe that he bee not forgetfull for so high and incomparable a benefite nor vnthankfull to so mercifull a Lord that hath thus loued saued him But also to shewe all loue tender affection towardes all them which by the same meanes are made fellow mēbers with him of the same mysticall body and as occasion and abilitie shall serue like a liuing member to feele ioye and comfort at the prosperitie of his fellowe members and to be so grieued at the hurt or affliction of any of them that he be redie to relicue comfort them to ayde and assist them as we see by the example of the members and partes of our naturall bodye Hee therefore that examineth him selfe after these rules shall be rightly prepared to receiue the Sacrament worthily to his euerlasting comfort ¶ Howe dangerous a thing it is to come vnwor thily or vnaduisedly to the holy Communion VNworthily they come to the holy Cōmunion not whosoeuer are vnworthy of that high honour which GOD vouchsafeth them whom hee calleth to his holy Table for then should all men euen the most righteous come vnworthily For no man is worthy to stand in the Lordes presence much lesse to sitte as a bidden gheste at the mariage of his Sonne or rather as a childe at the high Table of Almightie God the Father but that hee of his infinite mercie whereby hee accepteth them to bee his children vouchsafeth also to giue them this heauenly nourishment But all they come vnworthily not onely which come like hypocrites with fained hearts and contemptuous mindes against the Lord whō they pretende to worship but also euen as many as presume rashly negligently and vnaduisedly to receiue the holy Sacrament without due examination of themselues and consideration of the excellent benefite whereof they come to be partakers Of them S. Paul writeth that they eate and drinke not the body of Christ whom they despise in his holy mysteries but their own damnation because they discerne not the Lordes body from other bodily meates drinkes For seeing our Sauiour Christ hath adorned these holy mysteries with the name of his most precious body blood whosoeuer contēneth or lightly regardeth the fame must needes deserue such punishment and condemnation as they which abuse not only the name of GOD of whom hee protesteth that he wil not hold thē guiltles but also the seale of God whereby hee offereth thē assurance of their redemption and euen the very bodie and blood of Christ whereof this Sacrament is a true and liuely representation Wherefore the Apostle sayth Whosoeuer eateth this Bread and drinketh of this Cuppe of the Lord vnworthily shall not be guiltie of abusing of bread and wine and other such like creatures the abusing whereof is neuerthelesse vnanswerable before GOD but he shal be guiltie of the body and blood of Christ Which sinne howe horrible and gricuous it is in the sight of God to be guiltie of the body blood of Christ we may easely perceiue if we call to remembrance the example of those who moste cruelly and despitefully betraied condemned scourged and crucified his most holy and innocent bodie when hee liued vpon the earth The guiltinesse of whose treason false witnessing vniust condēning cruel scourging and crowning with thornes most dispitefull crucifiyng and shedding of his most precious blood beside spitting scorning and reuiling the guiltinesse I say of all which iniuries and villenies they do most iustly heape vpon themselues which vnworthily vnaduisedly rashly or negligently presume to come to the Lords Table and so become guiltie of the body blood of our Sauiour Christ whereby they procure vnto themselues if GOD should deale with thē in iustice such punishment as was deserued by Iudas Iscarioth the false suborned witnesses Annas and Caiaphas with the rest of the high Priestes and Pharises Pilate with his souldiers and the people that cryed out vpon him Crucifie him Crucifie him And more worthily deserue they such punishment then many of these before named for of them the holy Ghost testifieth that they did it ignorantly for if they had knowen him they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory But these men contemne and despise him whom they knowe and confesse to be the Lord of glory and the eternal Sonne of God the other despised him in the estate of his humilitie when his Godhead was couered with the shape of a seruant but these men set light by him and contemne him nowe hee sitteth in his throne of magnificence and maiestie Therfore much greater is their guiltinesse more grieuous is their condemnation if the Lorde shoulde deale with them according to their desertes But although hee be ready to pardon and forgiue such as haue so despised him vpon their heartie and earnest repentance euen as hee was ready to pardon them which crucified him yet doth he not suffer his children to bee altogether without chastisement but that they may more deeply consider howe grieuously they haue trespassed against him hee punisheth them oftentimes with sharpe sicknes and
our great comfort her honour and immortal fame yea to the discharge of her owne conscience and kingly duetie and euermore rewarde these thine owne good giftes in her O Lorde not for the worke sake but for Iesus Christ his sake And when thou shalt to our great sorowe and losse but to her great ioy and profite take her from vs crowne her O most mercifull God with a crowne of euerlasting glorie and giue her the full possession of that eternall kyngdome purchased by the blood of that immaculate lambe thine only sonne our Sauiour and redeemer Iesus Christ to whome with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one immortall and euerlasting GOD be all honour dominion prayse and thankesgiuing for euer and euer AMEN Places sentences of holy Scripture wherein the mindes of the godly may be occupied at the Communion if the time giue occasiō A prophecie of Christ Esai CHAP. LIII 1 Of Christ and his kingdome whose worde fewe will beleeue 6 All men are sinners 11 Christ is our righteousnesse 12 And is dead for our sinnes WHo will beleeue our report and to whō is the arme of the Lorde reueiled 2 But hee shall grow vp before him as a branche and as a roote out of a drie grounde he hath neither forme nor beautie when wee shall see him there shall bee no forme that wee shoulde desire him 3 Hee is despised and reiected of men he is a man full of sorowes and hath experience of infirmities we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not 4 Surely hee hath borne our infirmities and caried our sorowes yet we did iudge him as plagued smitten of God and humbled 5 But hee was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastifement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes wee are healed 6 All wee like sheepe haue gone astray wee haue turned euery one to his owne way the Lorde hath layd vpon him the iniquitie of vs all 7 He was oppressed and hee was afflicted yet did hee not open his mouth he is brought as a sheepe to the slaughter as a sheepe before her shearer is dumme so hee openeth not his mouth 8 Hee was taken out from prison and from iudgement and who shall declare his age for he was cut out of the lande of the liuing for the transgression of my people was he plagued 9 And hee made his graue with the wicked and with the riche in his death though hee had doone no wickednesse neither was any deceite in his mouth 10 Yet the Lorde woulde breake him make him subiect to infirmities when hee shall make his soule an offring for sinne he shall see his seede and shall prolong his dayes the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand 11 Hee shall see of the trauaile of his soule and shal be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for he shall beare their iniquities 12 Therefore wil I giue him a portion with the great and he shal deuide the spoyle with the strong because hee hath powred out his soule vnto death and hee was counted with the transgressers and hee bare the sinne of many and prayed for the trespassers COLOS. Chap. 3. 1 IF yee then bee risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hande of God 2 Set your affections on thinges which are aboue and not on thinges which are on the earth 3 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God 4 When Christ which is our life shal appeare then shal ye also appeare with him in glorie 5 Mortifie therefore your members which are on the earth fornication vncleannes the inordinate affection euill concupiscence and couetousnesse which is idolatrie 6 For the which thinges sakes the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience 7 Wherein ye also walked once when ye liued in them 8 But nowe put ye awaye euen all these thinges wrath anger maliciousnesse cursed speaking filthie speaking out of your mouth GALA Chap. 5. 15 IF yee bite and deuoure one another take heede lest ye bee consumed one of another 16 Then I say walke in the Spirite and ye shall not fulfill the lustes of the flesh 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye can not doe the same things that ye would 18 And if ye be led by the spirit ye are not vnder the law 19 Moreouer the workes of the flesh are manifest which are adulterie fornication vncleannesse wantonnesse 20 Idolatrie witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies 21 Enuie murders drunkennes gluttonie such like whereof I tell you before as I also haue tolde you before that they which doe suche thinges shall not inherite the kingdome of God 22 But the fruite of the Spirite is loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith 23 Meekenes temperācie against such there is no Lawe BLessed is the man whom the Lorde chuseth and receiueth vnto him he shal dwel in his court and shal be satisfied with the pleasures of his holy Temple Psalme 65. 4. BLessed are they that are called vnto the Lambes supper Reuela 19. 9. FINIS