THE Ladies Preparation To the Monthly SACRAMENT Consissing of Prayers Meditations and Ejaculations before at and after Receiving the Lords Supper After the Warning is given in the Church for the Celebration of the Holy Communion COMPOSED For the Private Use of a Devout Lady And at the Request of Friends made Publick LONDON Printed by W. B. for Simon Neale in the Long-Walk near Little Brittain 1691. Licensed February 10th 1691. THE WARNING On the Sunday Before the COMMUNION DEARLY Beloved on Sunday I and purpose through Gods Assistance to Administer to all such as shall be Religiously and Devoutly disposed the most Comfortable Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ to be by them received in Remembrance of his Meritorious Cross and Passion whereby alone we obtain Remission of our Sins and are made partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven c. A Soliloquy on the Warning BLESSED for ever be thy Name O Lord who pittying our Ignorance hast Revealed to us this Heavenly Mystery of thy pretious Body and Blood and foreseeing our weakness hast built our Faith on so firm a Certainty Justly O my God! Dost thou require our absolute assent to thy word since thou graciously providest such grounds to assure us Thy self with thine own blest Mouth hast taught it thy Apostles with their dearest Blod have confirmed it and thy Churches in all Ages have faithfully delivered it II. HOW Beautiful O Lord are the Feet of thy Holy Messengers Who brings us Peace and Reconcilement with thee who teaches us the way to Eternal happiness and by their pious Offices help us to go thither if they teach us Spiritual things 't is just we should give them Temporal make us O Lord entertain them as Workmen sent by thee with respect to their Persons and Obedience to their words and according to our power with a free supply of their necessities III. THUS does our gracious Lord send forth his Ministring Spirits to invite us to a Heavenly Banquet Their spiritual means Conveys our Prayers up to him and brings his Blessings down to us in all our ways they direct us and bear us in their Hands lest at any time we dash our Foot against a Stone When we labour they Assist us when we repose they implore for us the Divine Protection when we are tempted they Encourage us to stand fast and when we Conquer they Crown us with their Prayers and Praises When you first awake use these Ejaculations as a Key to Open the Morning LIghten mine Eyes O Lord that I Sleep not in Death Psal 13.3 IT is high time to Awake our of our Sleep of Sin for now since we have received the Light of the Gospel our Salvation is nearer then when we first Believed THE Night is now spent and the day is approached let me therefore cast off the works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light GIVE me Grace O Lord to walk Honestly as in the day net in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in Strife and Envying BUT put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13.11 12 13 14. At Up-rising IN the Name of the Father who hath Created me and of the Son who hath Redeemed me and of the Holy Ghost whh hath Sanctified me be Ascribed all Glory and Power BLESSED be the Holy and Undivided Trinity now and for Evermore Amen I laid me down and Slept and rose again for the Lord hath Sustained me Then Humbly on your Knees lift up thy Heart unto God and say HOLY Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come I Worship him that liveth for Ever and cast my Self before his Throne thou art worthy O Lord my God to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast Created all things and for thy Wills-Sake they are and were Created II. INTO the Hands of thy Blessed Protection and unspeakable Mercy O Lord I this Day Commend my Soul and Body with all the Faculties Powers and Actions of them both beseeching thee to be Ever with me to direct Sanctifie and Govern me in the ways of thy Law and in the Works of thy Commandments that through thy most Mighty Protection both here and Ever I may be preserved in Body and Soul to serve thee the only true God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then use the Morning Prayer c. Which is Annexed to these Devotions Meditations for Monday Morning COME My Soul let us begin our appointed Task and dilligently mind our own Employment Let us not lose one day in Idleness nor Distract our thoughts with Repining at the advantages of others God is our absolute Lord and may do with his own as he pleases If we began our Repentance late our delay was dangerous but we ought not to Despair If we have laboured long in his Service our Wages are safe but we must not presume on our own Endeavours II. THY Holy Mysteries O Lord I believe O help my unbelief Let not any difficulties make me doubt thy Truth nor too long a doubting provoke thy Wrath Every word of thine shall be fulfiled in their Season Sometime thou Visitest thy Children with the Chastisement of a Rod sometimes thou favourest them with the Smiles of Prosperity But all at last shall Co-operate to their Good III. NO matter at all for the Favour of Men happy are they who find Grace with God They shall Conceive in their Hearts the Blessed Jesus and bring him forth in their Holy Lives and Reign with him in his Kingdom and of his Kingdom there shall be no End Here we perhaps may weep for a time and be poor and Afflicted in this troublesome World But hereafter our Lord will Plant us about the Throne of his Father and make us sit down with him in his own Kingdom if we heartily Love him and keep his Commandments IV. GIVE me O Lord thy Holy Grace to Love with Charity the Defects of others perhaps mistaken by me and rely on thee for Defence of my self most sure of Relief if I wait thy Providence for thy Mercy forsakes not the Innocent for Ever Sometimes thou sufferest thy Servants to be tryed but wilt always at last either Deliver their Patience or Crown their Perseverance The PRAYER O Most Glorious Lord God in thy Son Jesus Christ my most Merciful and Loving Father I Miserable and Wretched Sinner Dust and Ashes do here in all Humility of Soul Prostrate my self before thy Glorious Majesty Humbly acknowledging and Confessing against my own Soul that I am laden with Iniquity and by my Sins have defiled myself defiled my Habitation defiled this good Land wherein I Sojourn II. O Lord Righteousness belongeth hnto thee but unto me Confusion of Face I have Sinned against thee and done amiss and dealt very wickedly and have added to the Number of my Fore Fathers Numberless Transgressions * Here Name the Particulars notwithstanding thou hast
by thy Spirit assure my Spirit that I am thy Child and that thou art Reconciled unto me in the Blood of Jesus and to this end work into me a Detestation of all my former Wickedness help me in the Mortification of all my Vile and Corrupt Affections Crucifie in me the Old Man the whole Body of sin that I may Die unto Sin and live unto Righteousness and be made a fit Partaker at thy Holy Table Read Psal 22.40.54 1 Less Gen. 22. to v. 20. 2 Less St. John 18. Friday Evenings Meditations On the Passion and Death of the Holy Jesus His Arraignment and Condemnation BLESSED Jesu thou wast Seized and Led as an Innocent Lamb to the Slaughter thou wast Reviled falsly Accused and Unjustly Condemned by unjust Earthly Judges who was thy self the most just Judge of Heaven and Earth O Lord be not a Severe and Angry Judge when I shall stand before thy Tribunal but be thou my Mediator and Advocate to answer for me and I humbly beseech thee to Deliver from the Accusations of the Devil and his Angels from the Accusations of all those who have been Conscious of my many sinful Pollutions and from the Accusations of my own Conscience in the day of Judgment Spitted Vpon II. Blessed Jesu whose Face was fairer than the Children of Men â—â—d briâ—hter than the Sun in its 〈…〉 ory was Spit upon by f 〈…〉 and Ignominuos Persons Oh! turn thy Face away from my sins whereby I have Polluted my Soul and Prophaned thy Name But hide not thy Face from me who for my sins didst not turn thy Face from being Spit upon by the Barbarous Jews Buffeted III. Blessed Jesu who wast Cruelly Treated by the Soldiers with their Intolerable Rude Cuffs and hard Injurious Buffets Grant Lord that though I may feel yet let me not be Vanquished by the Buffets of Satan Forsaken of his Friends Blessed Jesu thou wast Content to be forsaken of all thy friends and dearest Disciples and to be left in the hands of Cruel Men who Thirsted after thy precious Blood O leave me not destitute of thy Divine Presence when I am Assaulted by my Ghostly Adversaries but be for ever with me and defend me from all their Malice and protect my Soul in all dangers Denied by Peter Blessed Jesu thou with infinite goodness and meekness lookedst back on St. Peter when he denied and forswore thee and by thy gracious look didst call him back both to himself and thee by true Repentance Oh look thus upon all Back-sliders from thee for their sincere Conversion and look upon me also and be merciful unto me Scourged Blessed Jesu thou was Whipped by a merciless Crue of Soldiers and thy Delicate skin was Torn and redoubled with their Lashes that the Blood Streamed down thy Innocent Sides but since O merciful Lord thou was wounded for my Transgressions and Bruised for mine Iniquities O let thy Chastisement procure my peace with Heaven and grant that by thy Stripes my Soul may be healed Crowned with Thorns Blessed Jesu thy Head was Crowned with Thorns and those beaten into thy Temple with much Rage and Fury Pardon O Lord all those sins my Eyes Ears and Tongue those Instruments of my Head have been guilty of Break not the Bruised Reed my broken Heart with the pressure of thy heavy Wrath but let thy Thorns the Fruits of the Curse which we Contracted and thou sustainedst deliver me from the Curse due for my sins Renouncing the World Blessed Jesu who art the King of Glory yet wast Content with a Cross for thy Throne a Wreath of Thorns for thy Crown and a Reed for thy Scepter thy Entertainment was Gaul and Vinegar and for thy Robes only a little Linnen to cover thy Nakedness O that I were so wise as from thy example to despise all the Guilded Glories and Vanities of this Life and to choose with Moses to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the Pleasures of sin for a Season Bearing his Cross Blessed Jesu who did with Patience bear thy Cross till it sunck thy Body to the Earth O let me not sink under thy Cross nor shrink from it but rather chearfully to take it up whatever it be and carefully to under go all the Sacred Acts of true Repentance following thee O Lord who sufferedst for me leaving me an Example that I should follow thy steps Crucified Blessed Jesu who didst Hang on a Cursed Tree to Abolish the Curse contracted by Eating the Fruit of the Forbidden Tree thou wast numbred with the transgressors and Crucified among Thieves O draw my hard and Stony Heart unto thee and deliver me from that Curse which my sins have Contracted and rank me not among the Goats on the Left but among the Sheep on thy Right Hand in the great day of Judgment His Body Tormented Blessed Jesu all the parts Members of thy Body were stretched on the Cross thy blessed Arms and Leggs were by such violence distended that the Joynts were disparted the Veins burst the Sinews Crackt the Skin Rent the Flesh Tore and all the Bones Started a side thy Innocent Hands and Feet were Nailed for the sinful works of my Head Heart Hands and Feet but I beseech thee Nail them to thy Cross which were the cause of thy Crucifixion hide in thy Wounds who wast Wounded for my transgression and write those Wounds of thine in my Heart not with Ink but with thy Blood which was shed for me The Sufferings of his Soul Blessed Jesu the Sufferings of thy Soul was exceeding great being like melted Wax in the Furnace of God's Wrath for the sins of the World when the fulness of thy sufferings being accomplished thou Commendedst thy Spirit into the Hands of God Grant O Lord that I may Die unto sin and Live only unto thee and by thy bitter Cross and Passion Cleanse me from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit that I may perfect Holiness in thy Fear The PRAYER O Lord without thee I am not able to do any thing much less any thing that is good come therefore Oh thou Father of Lights dispel and scatter from my Soul the Foggy Mists of sins and Ignorance that in thy Light I may see Light come O thou Power of God and set up thy Throne in my Soul and sway thy Scepter there and bring into subjection every high thought and every high imagination that exalteth it self against thee Come O thou Wisdom of God and discover to my Soul the Folly of Sin the Vanity of the World and the deceitfulness of my own Heart II. TEACH me I humbly beseech thee to Eschew Evil and Cleave to that which is good Come O thou goodness of God and shed abroad the love of God in my Heart that I may love thee my God above all things and my Neighbour for thy sake Yea my very Enemies for Jesus Christ his sake and after his Example who Died for me while I was yet his Enemy fit me
with thee for ever hereafter in thy Kingdom of Glory Amen Read Plal. 6.32.38 1 Lesson Ezek. 16. 2 Lesson St. Mat. 7. Meditations for Wednesday Evening LORD not the meanest Circumstance of my Life but is known to thee not the least Assistance I need but thou kindly providest a particular supply let me but do what thou hast appointed and I am sure to find true all thou hast promised thy Commands are sweet and easie O give me Grace to Obey them Thy Directions are clear and safe O guide me still to follow them II. BEHOLD dear Lord to thee I come and open before thee all my Infirmities my mind is Sick of the Palsie and my Faculties be numb'd with a Dead Sluggishness I am apt to censure the good Works of others but slow to the performance of any my self heal me O thou Heavenly Physitian whose Mercy both Cures the Sick and Pardons the Penitent O make me quickly rise from the sins wherein I have lain too long and strengthen me to Conquer my Corrupted Nature that I may walk towards thee my Eternal home and praise thy Name for ever more III. Whether alass Do my Passions lead me How desperately does one Darling Sin engage into others Deliver me O Lord in the first beginnings and suffer not my Faults to become strong Customary lest I grow at length to despise reproof and hate my reprover Herod knew John to be just yet kept him in Prison he heard him gladly yet Cut off his Head nothing so imbroyl'd as a vicious Life nothing so full of Contradiction as a wicked Conscience IV. CLEANSE thou my Heart O Lord from all Vain and unlawful thoughts my Mouth from all Foolish and Idle words and my whole Life from all Wicked and unprofitable Deeds for in that great and terrible day by what I am I shall be justified and by what I am be Condemned how many in that day will rise up against me How will my own Conscience Reproach and Confound me If I neglect such motives to repentance if I refuse the wisdom of the Son of God who came down from the highest Heavens himself to teach me The PRAYER O Lord God whose Power is Infinite and Purity such that it cannot endure the beholding any thing that is unclean how should I that am Forlorn Dust and Ashes very sinful Flesh presume or dare to present my self before thee When I look on the vileness of my Nature and the sinfulness of my Life I cannot choose but Cry out and say woe unto me I am undone I am one of Vnclean Lips The very Prayers I make to crave Pardon for my Sins are stained in the uttering and must needs add to my Transgressions if in Judgment or Justice though shouldest weigh or examine them II. BVT O Lord thou art a God of Infinite Compassion Pardoning Iniquity Transgression and Sin that wouldest not the Death of a sinner but that he be convered and live thou hast not only Allowed me but Commanded me to call upon thee in all my troubles and distresses thou hast promised that at what time soever a sinner doth Repent him of his sins thou wilt put away all his Iniquities out of thy Remembrance III. IN Obedience therefore to this thy Command and in Confidence of this thy Promise I am Emboldoned at this time to appear before thee Renouncing all merit and trust all Confidence and Affiance in my self and relying only on thy Mercy and the Soveraign Mediation of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in whom only thou art well pleased and through whom thou canst not be offended with me IV. O Lord hear thine own Son for me O Lord hear thine own self in me that Blessed Spirit of thine which makes Intercession for me with Groans and Sighs that cannot be expressed Pardon and Forgive all my sins both Original and Actual of Omission or Commission of Thought Word and Deed of Ignorance Infirmity or Presumption * Here Name the Particulars which I have at any time Committed against thee Nail them to the Cross of Christ that they may never rise up in judgment against me either to shame me in this World or Condemn me in the World to come V. BVRY them in the Bottomless Sea of thy Mercy and forgetfulness that they may never appear before thee to hinder thy Favours unto me Seal the Remission of them to my Soul and Conscience that they may not Distract or Disturb me in my Devotion and Crush and Subdue the Rebellions of my Nature that they may no longer Reign in my Mortal Body and having Cleansed and Purified me from all Spots and Stains of Sin I beseech thee O Lord to pour thy Grace and Holy Spirit into me that may enable me to walk before thee in Holiness and Righteousness and in Sobriety all the days of my Life Read Psalm 51.102.130.140 1 Lesson Ezek. 18. 2 Lesson Rom. 12. Meditations for Thursday Morning O My Soul we are very inconstant sometimes we endeavour to heartily Repent and after a while miscarry again often we pretendedly resolve to amend and yet sometimes forget our good purposes Bewail thy Infirmities Renew thy Intentions and be of good Comfort our Lord has overcome the World He overcame it with his own strong Arm and left thee Rules and Grace and Sacraments to help thee that if thou canst not have Peace with thy Enemies thou mayst at least have Victory over them II. Often O Lord thou invitest us to thy Holy Table and often do we neglect and refuse to come thou invitest us to the Pleasures of a Virtuous Life and the continual Feast of a good Conscience thou providest a Heavenly Banquet and makest thy Son himself our Delicious Entertainment O Cloath us Gracious Lord with the Wedding Garment of Charity to thee and one another that we may Enter with Joy into the Marriage Chamber and Sit down as happy Guests in thy Kingdom for Ever Let us not Trifle away our time in Wandering up and down nor prefer a Petty Interest before thy Glorious Rewards least we be Confounded when our King shall come in Majesty and Command the unprepared into Chains of Darkness III. THOU art O Jesu the true Coelestial Manna of which whoever Eats shall Live Eternally thou art the Bread of God that Descended from Heaven of which who ever Feeds shall never Hunger Cast me not out O Lord whom thy Mercy has Adopted into thy own Family but give me this Bread of thy Children for Ever Thou who camest down to do thy Fathers Will and has taught me 't is thy Father's Will that of those he has given thee none be lost IV. Murmur no more among your selves unhappy Atheistical Dis-believers of the Mysterries of Heaven be no more Incredulous but submit your Reason to him whom you know to be Infallible The Bread I will give is my Flesh for the Life of the World which Received by Faith is the Souls Nourishment Draw them O Heavenly Father that
they may come to thee receive them O Gracious Jesus and Teach their Hearts to believe what thine own Blest Mouth has so clearly taught them The PRAYER OH Most Glorious and most Power ful Lord God whose dwelling is above the Heavens in Light in Accessible and thine Eyes run to and fro to behold the things which are in Heaven and in Earth neither is there any thing which is not Naked and open unto thee for thine Eyes are Ten Thousand times brighter than the Sun beholding all the Ways of Men. II. LOOK upon me O Lord who am the unworthiest of all thy Servants thou hast made me a Member O Lord of that Mystical Body whereof thy Son Christ Jesus is the Head make me therefore sensible of the necessities of the Catholick Church I beseech thee to be merciful unto it and to every Member of the same wheresoever Dispersed howsoever Distressed or by Whomsoever Dispised throughout this Vniversal World III. Oh Lord call them that are yet Strangers and have not yet heard of thy Name reduce and bring home those that are gone astray and wander raise up all that are fallen and confirm and strengthen such as do stand bind up all that are Broken and heal all that are Bruised Vnite us all in soundness of Doctrine by the Spirit of Truth in holiness of Life by the Spirit of Sanctification and in Brotherly Compassion and Christian Affection by the Spirit of Love IV. O Lord I beseech thee to open the Bowels of thy Mercy and to pour out thy tenderest Compassion upon all such as mourn under the weight of their Afflictions many are the troubles of thy poor Servants and thou only knowest how to deliver them out of all their troubles whether therefore any be inwardly distressed in Soul Mind or Conscience or outwardly Afflicted in Body Estate or good Name I beseech thee give them speedy case out of their misery or Patience to endure what thou shalt be pleased to lay upon them V. I beseech thee to open the Eyes of those that lie on their Beds of Sickness Oh! thou that art the God of Health and sender of Sickness Sanctifie thy Visitation unto them make their Beds in their Sickness lay no more upon them than thou wilt give them strength and Patience to bear and if it may stand with thy Gracious Will grant that they may recover their former Health to do thee Service hereafter VI. BVT if thou that knowest what is best needful for them hast determined at this time to take any of them unto thy self O Lord I beseech thee to fit and prepare them for the hour of Death give them a true feeling of their sins and a lively apprehension of thy mercy in Christ Jesus that so surely Repenting of thee one and chearfully laying hold on the other they may with Confidence and Comfort resign up their Souls into the Hand of thee their most merciful Creator and Redeemer Amen Read the Psalms and Lessons for the Day Meditations for Thursday Evening PREPARE my Heart O God to receive thee whom my Soul loveth for thou hast the Words of Eternal Life Blessed O gracious Jesu be the sweetness of thy Spirit which so kindly invitest me to refresh my weariness I know and thine own sure word has told me If I Labour for thee here I shall rest with thee hereafter Lord make me follow thee wherever thou goest and strive and run to be first in thy Presence there I shall meet a Mercy that will regard and pity me there I shall find a goodness that will teach and relieve me II. WRITE all thy Holy Truths in my Soul O Lord and Print thy Love in the Center of them all there let it sit as Soveraign Governour and absolutely dispose of all my interests Let it command my Tongue to confess thee and no fear of Danger make me ever deny thee let it command all my Powers to serve thee and nothing but thy Love find place in my Heart III. O when shall I come to thy Holy Table to tast of thy most delicious Banquent to hear those Sweet and Ravishing Words He dwells in me and I in him sweet in excess to the Soul that loves and Tasts the joys of this heavenly Converse and feeds on the wonders of this admirable Union He dwells in me and I in Him O Blest and Glorious Words What can be said more full of Grace and Strength and Supernatural Mystery Here they alone are my Heaven on Earth and will hereafter be my Heaven in Heaven IV. To thee my great Creator I humbly Sacrifice the Noblest faculty thou hast given me to thee and to the Obedience of thy Truth I entirely Resign and Captivate my understanding Thy Words O Lord in thy Holy Sacrament are Spirit and Life unto me O make my Faith be quick and Active to thee in receiving so great a Salvation Shall I go back and forsake my God because he humbles himself to approach towards me Shall I refuse to Learn of my Master because his Lessons exalt me above my Nature The PRAYER O Lord I am too weak to serve thee in my Natural Power and not careful to improve the Aids of thy Spirit I am full of inconsideration and carelesness desirous to be accounted Holy of Men but careless of being so to thee my God I am unstedfast O Lord in all my ways * Here Name the Particulars but enable me to confess my Faith in despight of all the Oppositions of Satan to Publish thy Laws submit to thy dispensations and to Glorifie thy Holy Name by Holy living and dying II. BLESS me O Lord with all the Blessings and Assistance of thy Spirit and Providence let the Daily Sacrifice of Prayer and Eucharist in thy Church never cease but for ever be presented unto thee Vnited to the intercession of our Lord and for ever prevail for the obtaining to all her Sons and Daughters Grace and Blessing Pardon and Holiness Perservance and Glory Vnite my Heart and Tongue take away the Spirit of Error and Division from me that my Religion and Devotion may increase whereby thy Truth may be promoted and thy Name Glorified and me thy unworthy Servant Instructed and Comforted let thy Spirit Rule and all Interest Stoop and Obey Publish and Advance the Intorest of the Lord Jesus III. EXTEND thine Accustomâ—d goodness to all thy People to Old Men Prudence and Liberality to Young Men Obedience Temperance Health and Diligence to Merchants Justice and Faithfulness to Mechanicks and Artisans Truth and Honesty to all Married Pairs Faith and Holiness Charity and sweet Compliances to all Christian Women the Ornament of a meek and a quiet Spirit Chastity and Charity Patience and Obedience a Zeal of Duty and Religion IV. TO all that are Sick and Afflicted distressed in Conscience or Persecuted for it give Patience and Comfort a sincere Repentance and a perfect Resignation a love of God and a Perseverance in Duty proportionable Comfort in this