MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS To be used before at and after the Receiving of the HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SUPPER LONDON Printed for N. W. Anno Dom. 1682. PRAYERS To be used at the HOLY SACRAMENT At your first kneeling down say O LORD I am not fit nor worthy thou shouldest come under that filthy Roof of the House of my Soul because it is wholly Desolate and Ruinous neither hast thou with me a fit place to lay thy Head but as thou didst vouchsafe to be laid in a Stable and Manger of Unreasonable Beasts as thou did'st not disdain to be entertain'd in the house of Simon the Leaper as thou did'st not reject the Harlot coming nor yet the Thief on the Cross confessing thee even so Vouchsafe to admit me also a miserable and out of measure sinful Creature to the Receiving of the most pure and saving Mysteries of thy Holy Body and precious Blood and the Good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his Heart to seek the Lord God of his Fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary O My God I know my own unworthiness yet in the multitude of thy Mercies I humbly approach thine Altar beseeching thee not to behold me with a severe but Gracious Eye thou knowest the earnest desire of my Soul be thou pleased to pass by the weakness of the Flesh and assist me with thy most Holy Spirit and grant that I may Receive this Sacrament to the Honour and glory of thy great Name and the good Comfort and Salvation of my own Soul Grant this Holy Father for the sake of thy Blessed Son my only Saviour in whose name and Words I beg this mercy and what else thou knowest needful for me OUR Father c. A Confession O Almighty God I thy poor sinful Creature full of Anguish Confusion for my Offences against thy Majesty do make bold to come to thee because thou art the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and for his sake inclinable to shew us Mercy Thou art the Maker of me and of all things and thou hatest nothing that thou hast made Thou hast pity on all the works of thy hands so that I am encouraged to make my Supplications unto thee O thou Judge of all men for it is in thy Power for ever to acquit or condemn me I tremble and am asham'd to be found a Sinner against so infinite Power and Goodness but I must not add Hypocricie to my Disobedience Therefore I acknowledge freely and bewail most bitterly my manifold offences of all kinds from the least of my Sins to the greatest of my Crimes and wickednesses all and every one of which I long and frequently from time to time with many provoking aggravations most grieviously have committed Lord who can tell how oft I have offended by Thoughts in vain and Evil Imaginations by Words in false and uncharitable Speeches In Deed by ungodly intemperate Actions For alas by all and every one of these ways I have daily Sin'd against thy Divine Majesty turning thereby thy loving kindness into displeasure and provoking thee to Anger I have given thee cause most Justly to let loose thy wrath and Indignation against me to my utter ruine If thy Mercy do not help me my Guilt is evident my Danger apparent and my estate is most deplorable wherefore I do most passionately and earnestly Repent that ever I did commit them and I am heartily sorry with all my Soul for these my so many and so abominable misdoings When I look upon the baseness and the presumption of these vile offences the remembrance of them does pierce my heart with shame and sorrow and is most grievous unto me when I behold thy Favour which I have forfeited and Eternal Damnation which I have deserved thereby the burthen of them presseth down my Soul with a load of terror and amazement that is intolerable yet since thou callest all who are heavy laden I must not despair of thy pity but in this great distress I do beseech thee to have Mercy upon me and since my necessity forceth me to be Importunate I will cry again have Mercy on me I know thou art a most Merciful Father though by my Sins I am much unworthy to be called thy Child yet I hope thy Bowels will yern upon me I Lye prostrate and helpless begging of thee for thy Dearly Beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ his sake and by the Merits of his Cross and Passion to forgive me freely and fully all that is past from the beginning of my Life till this very moment Lord make me an instance of thy Mercy and grant when I have received so excellent and so undeserved a favour that I may be so engaged thereby as that for ever hereafter I may beware of falling back into the like sin and misery Convert me I beseech thee as well as pardon me and enable me most obediently to serve and most intirely to please thee by spending the rest of my Life in newness of Life and all Holy conversation which through the help of thy Grace I do here Vow and Resolve upon That this mighty change may tend to the Honour and Glory of thy Name who hast so wonderfully delivered me all which I most heartily begg through Jesus Christ our Lord to whose intercession for me do thou say Amen and it shall be according to thy Word Amen The ADDRESS HOly God thou mightest justly wonder to see such a grievous sinner daring to come so near but I do not impudently rush upon these dreadful Misteries nor do I presume to come to this thy Table where Angels do attend as if I'deserved this honour O merciful Lord God I do not approach trusting in my own Righteousness for alas I have done nothing which can bear that name but that which drew me hither was my confidence in thy Manifold and Great Mercies which exceed my Manifold and Great Offences and now that I am before thee I must still confess what ever Favours thy Goodness heaps upon me that I am not worthy by reason of my sinfulness and backslidings so much as with the Doggs to gather up the Crumbs that fall under thy Table nor fit to receive the least Mercies or Measure of Grace from thee much less to sit as a Guest before thy Majesty at this Heavenly Feast but yet I make bold to do this because thou art not to be changed by our sins being ever the same Lord whose property is to be unwearied in well-doing and never wanting in Mercy Thou art wont always to have Mercy on those who confess their Offences grant unto me gracious Lord by the present assistance of thy holy Spirit so to Eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ Spiritually in this Sacrament and so to Drink his Blood as that I may receive all the benefit of his Cross and Passion even that my sinful and defiled Body may be made clean with his Holy and Immaculate Body
thee and the Holy Spirit ever one God World without end Amen BE pleased O God to accept this our bounden duty and service and command that the Prayers and Supplications together with the Remembrance of Christs Passion which we do now offer up unto thee may by the Ministry of the holy Angels be brought up into thy Heavenly Tabernacle and that thou not weighing our merits but looking upon the blessed Sacrifice of our Saviour which was once fully and perfectly made for us all mayest pardon our offences and replenish us with thy Grace and heavenly benediction through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmighty God the Fountain of all goodness from whom every good and perfect gift proceedeth and to whom all glory and honour should be returned I do desire most heartily to thank thee for that thou hast vouchsafed to feed me who have received these Holy mysteries with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ and dost assure me thereby of thy favour and goodness towards me and that I am a very member incorporate in the mystical Body of thy Son which is the blessed Company of all faithful people and am also an Heir through hope of thine everlasting Kingdom by the merits of the most precious Death and Passion of thy dear Son O the height and depth of that unspeakable mercy of thine who art pleased to admit me a sinful wretch to have any part in those inestimable benefits which I have so often despised and trampled under foot I am not worthy O Lord of that daily Bread which sustains the body But thou hast made me partaker of that living Bread which came down from Heaven which nourisheth the Soul and of which whosoever eateth shall live for ever O grant that my Soul may relish this Divine Food with Spiritual ravishments and love great as the flame of Cherubims and grant that what thou hast given me for the Remission of my sins may not by any fault become the increase of them that this Holy Communion prove not unto me unto Judgement and Condemnation but may support and preserve me in every Temptation rejoyce and quiet me in every trouble enlighten and strengthen me in every good word and Work Comfort and defend me in the hour of my death against all oppositions of the Spirit of Darkness and further me in the attainment of everlasting Salvation through Jesus Christ Amen MOst Holy God who art of purer eyes than to behold Iniquity grant I pray thee that no unclean thing may be in me who have now Received thee into my heart and soul but let this Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to thee purge my Conscience from dead works to serve thee the living God Give me Grace that from henceforth I put off concerning my former conversation the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of my mind and put on the New Man which after thee is created in Righteousness and true Holiness to which purpose be pleased to watch over me for good to keep me both outwardly in my Body and inwardly in my Soul O God thou seest I nave no power of my self to help my self thou knowest me also to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers that by reason of the frailty of my Nature I cannot always stand upright grant to me such strength and protection as may support me in all dangers and carry me through all Temptations through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen O Thou with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning let thy holy Spirit direct me in all things let thy Grace always always prevent and follow me and preserve me against all assaults of my Spiritual enemies Especially of my own treacherous heart which is deceitful above all things wicked desperately wicked O Lord thou knowest it how often hath it betrayed me to the breach of thy holy Laws to the violation of all these Vows and promises which I have made to thee How often have I turned my back in the day of battel O let me no more thus start aside like a broken bow but be stedfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord resisting the Devil that he may flee from me subduing my flesh and bringing it into subjection crucifying and overcoming the world And therefore let those solemn Vows which I have now made to forge my sins never depart from my mind but let the remembrance of them excite me to fight manfully under thy banner and continue thy faithful servant and Soulder unto my lives end Amen O Lord I do here humbly present unto thee my Soul and Body to be a living holy and reasonable Sacrifice unto thee I beseech thee sanctifie my Body that from a polluted Dunghil it may become the Temple of God Sanctifie my Soul and receive it for thy dwelling place the Seat of thy Spirit and an house of Prayer and holy Meditation Sanctifie me throughout that both my Body and Soul and Spirit may be preserved blameless unto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without end Amen FINIS
others Forgive my wanton and idle Sins forgive me my serious and deliberate sins forgive me those sins which I know and those sins which I know not the sins which I have laboured so long to hide from others that now I have even hid them from my own Memory Forgive me them O Lord forgive me them all of thy great mercy let me be Absolved from all my offences and of thy bountiful goodness let me be delivered from the bands of those sins which by my frailty I have committed Grant this O Heavenly Father for Jesus Christ his sake our Blessed Lord and Saviour Amen Prayers to be said after the receiving of the Holy Sacrament O Blessed Jesus who didst take upon thee our Nature and didst suffer Death upon the Cross for our Redemption and hast commanded us to continue the memory of this thy precious Death till thy Coming again Oh! let not the inestimable Benefits of it be frustrated by my Manifold and grievous sins but inspire my Soul with those Graces which may qualifie me to receive them tendered unto me in this Blessed Sacrament O Lord thou seest that I have no power of my self to help my self Oh Let the pitifulness of thy great Mercy loose me from the chains of those sins wherewitth I am tied and bound that being thus set at liberty I here with chearfulness run the ways of thy Commandements and hereafter enter into thy Joy O blessed Saviour and Redemer Amen 2. THou O God and Saviour ' knowest how vile I am and with what eagerness I have purchased the paths that lead unto everlasting Death How often hath this Feast been prepared and lovingly Bidden there to but have with frivolous excuses absented my self Or If I have come I have brought such troops of thy profeffed enemies unrepented Sins along with me as if I came not to adore but to defie thee not to commemorate but renew thy Passion I am not worthy O Lord I am not worthy to come into thy presence much less to eat the Flesh of the Sacrificed Lamb For my sins O Blessed Jesu went along with me in confederation with the High Priests in Treachery with Judas in Injustice with Pilate in Malice and Cruelty with the People Oh! what punishment then shall I be thought worthy of who have thus trampled under foot the Son of God and counted the Blood of the Covenant an unholy thing Where shall I vile Wretch appear who have put my Lord to Death who have crucified to my self the Son of God afresh and put thee to an open shame where should I appear but before a Saviour who hath loved and ed for me though I have hated and murthered him thy Blood O Jesu is my only Refuge Oh! Let the Cry of it speak on my behalf and may it speak better things than the Blood of Abel be merciful unto me O God be merciful unto me for my Soul trusteth in thee and in the Clefts of thy wounds shall be my Refuge until thy Fathers Indignation be over-past O Blessed Advocate and Mediator intercede for me with thy Father and Ours thy God and Ours and grant that by the Grace which thou hast found by the Prerogative which thou hast deserved by the Mercy which thou hast purchased for me as thou hast been partaker of my sufferings and Infirmities so I by thy Death and Resurrection and by thy infinite gracious Intercession may be made partaker of thy Holiness and thy Glory even for thy own Merits sake Amen 3. O Lord who hast promised that if I open my mouth wide Thou wilt fill it I pray thee to open it and not my mouth only but my heart also Oh! create in thy Servant a great hunger and thirst after the things of thy Kingdom and the Righteonsness of it after all the holy Graces and all the holy Ministeries of Grace that I may long for the Bread of Heaven thirst after the Fountain of Salvation and as the Hart panteth after the Water-brcoks so my Soul may desire thee O Lord Oh! kindle such an holy flame in my Soul that it may consume all my sins and cursed affections that I may never again defile the place which thou hast chosen for thy Temple Thou didst O dear Jesu to redeem me from iniquity Oh! let me not sell my self again to work wickedness I am a sinner a grievous one not worthy to look up to Heaven but be thou pleased to look down into the dust and lift up a sinner from the Dunghil let me not perish in my folly or be consumed in thy heavy displeasure Give me time and space to repent and give me power of Grace that as by thy holy Inspiration I do sincerely and fixedly resolve on an intire Reformation so by thy merciful guidance I may faithfully perform the same Amen 4. O Thou great Physician of Souls heal me of those many and foul Diseases which my Soul groans under Grant that I may now so touch thee that every one of those loathsom issues may immediately stanch that these sicknesses may not be unto Death but to the glory of thy mercy in pardoning to the glory of thy Grace in purifying so polluted a wretch O Christ hear me inspire me with an holy Zeal to mortifie my sins support me with an holy hope confirm me with an excellent and unreprovable Faith and inkindle in me a never-failing Charity Let me judge my self that I be not judged by thee condemn my self that I be not condemned with the world but receiving this Holy Sacrament with a penitent heart and a lively Faith I may partake the great benefits of it I may dwell in Christ and Christ in me I may be one with Christ and Christ with me the Lord be merciful unto me and grant this for his own Bowels and Compassion sake Amen ALmighty Lord who hast of thine infinite mercies vouchsafed to ordain this Sacrament for a perpetual memory of that Blessed Sacrifice which once thou madest for us upon the Cross grant me with such diligent remembrance and such due reverence do participate of this so holy and wonderful a mystery that I may be made worthy by thy Grace to obtain the virtue and fruits of the same with all the benefits of thy precious Death and Passion even the Remission of all my sins and the fulness of all thy Graces which I beg for thy only Saviour God from everlasting and world without end Amen O Lord our Heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God regard we beseech thee the devotions of thy humble Servants who do now celebrate the Memorial which thy Son and our Saviour hath commanded to be made in remembrance of his most blessed Passion and Sacrifice that by the merits and Power thereof now represented before thy Divine Majesty we and all thy whole Church may be made partakers of all other the Benefits of his most precious Death and Resurrection from the Earth and glorious Ascention into Heaven who liveth and reigneth with