inhumanly defile his Face with Spittle After the Horrid Pomp of this Solemnity was over they divested him of this Dignity and proceeded to treat him like a Slave and that his Death might appear more dreadful they usher it in with all its Terrors with Stripes and Scourges and all the Torments their malice could Inflict Thus bruised and wounded with the weight of our Transgression he ascends the last steps of his Passion and without the least Reluctance stretches out his Arms to be fix'd on the most painful instrument of Death where O my Soul behold the Son of Man lifted up O dearest God who wast Wounded Despised Crucified and Crowned with Thorns and for my sins wert Nailed to the Cross I beseech thee by the Merits of them all O sweetest Jesus to pardon my Offences His Death was now a hastning on and their Diversion near to a Conclusion they were resolved to make the best use of their time and make their ingratitude last as long as his life they rail on Him treat him with all the marks of Infamy and continue their Revilings to his dying Minute Their Madness Folly and Aggrevations reached Heaven put the World into disorder and turned the Day into Night but could not move his Soul he saw their Madness felt the weight of their Offences and only prayed for their Forgiveness he pittied their Misery and when they endeavor'd to pull the Vengenace of his Blood upon their Heads he was sheding it as Sacrifice for their Wickedness But when the Majesty of Heaven grew Angry and exerted his Fury and laid on him the iniquities of us all he trembled at his Wrath cou'd not bear the direction of the Deity and groan'd away his Soul when God with-drew his presence from his support yet neither the Frowns of his angry Father nor the Rage of Men or Devils could make him sink till all was fullfil'd which the Scriptures spake concerning him when that was finish'd he only tarried to recommend his Mother to the pious care of his beloved Disciple bowed his Head and gave up the Ghost O crucified Jesus let thy Blood wash my Scul I am not ashamed of thy Cross but adore thee in thy Passion and acknowledge thee to be God Let us now turn the Scene and think how we have offended this God and lived in a continual Rebellion and then of what punishment ought we to be thought worthy who have Slighted Contemned and abused such infinite Mercy Who have returned the Love of God with the basest ingratitude and had no other reason for our Wickedness but that God was Good What an inconceivable Mercy is it that we are not this minute in those unquenchable Flames where the exquisitness of the Torment should oblige us instead of crying for Mercy to breath out horrid Blasphemies And as we slighted his Government here Curse and Dam his severity thee still sinking our selves deeper in the intollerable Misery where will be no Mittigation of the Torment nor end to our sad Affliction Let us constrain all the forces of our Soul to praise God that we are alive entreating his Pardon Let us beg Pardon even for taking that liberty to praise him and withal that he would still help us to praise him more O let us reflect on every thing that may move us to confess our Wickedness and be sorry for our sins The thoughts of these things may well enough put us in a heat and when our Passions are throughly urged vent themselves in Sighs and earnest desires of Reconciliation that both of them may meet with success let us add alms to our Fasting and Prayer for when our Petitions are thus assisted the mercy of God will not deny us a suitable return therefore in the entrance to our Devotion let us set apart something for the Poor and humbly offer it up in the following form O God Blessed be thy Name all things come of thee and of thine own do I now give thee O let this Alms be as an Odour of a sweet smell and acceptable in thy sight Preparitory Prayers before the Communion ALmighty Eternal God thou art the comforter of all that call upon thee thou hast concluded all under sin that thou mightest have Mercy upon all Look upon me O God and have pitty on me lying in my Blood and Misery in my Shame and in my Sins in the fear and guilt of thy Wrath in the shadow of thy Death and in the Gates of Hell I confess to thee O God what thou knowest already but I confess it to glorifie thy Mercy who hast spared me so long I am guilty of the vilest and basest Follies which usually dishonour Fools and the worst of Men I have been Proud and Covetous Envious and Lustful Angry Indevout and Irreligious restless in my Passions Sensual hating wise Counsels and soon weary of the Offices of a Holy Religion I cannot give an account of my Time and I cannot reckon the Sins of my Tongue my Crimes are Intolerable my Imperfections Shameful and my Omissions Innumerable What shall I do O thou preserver of Men I 'm so Vile I cannot express it so Sinful that I 'm odious to my self and I 'm much more Abominable in thy sight I have sinned against thee without Necessity sometimes without Temptation only because I would Sin I have been so Ungreatful Foolish and Unreasonable that I have put out my own Eyes that I might with confidence and without fear sin against so good a God so mighty a Redeemer my sin is grown shameful and aggravated even to Amazement O God I 'm amazed and confounded in thy presence BUT yet O God thou art the healer of our Breaches and the litter up of our Head I must not despair I 'm sure thy gooness is infinite thou doest not delight in the Death of a Sinner my sins though very great are infinitely less than thy Mercies I 'm not worthy to look up to Heaven but be thou pleased to look down into the Dust let me not perish in my Folly or be consumed in thy Displeasure give me time to Repent give me the power of thy Spirit that as by thy Gift and Mercy I intend to amend what is amiss so I may indeed have Grace and Power faithfully to fullfil the same Inspire me with the Spirit of Repentance and Mortification that I may always fight against my sins till I be more than Conqueror Support me with a Holy Hope confirm me with an excellent Operative and unreprovable Faith enkindle a bright and burning Charity in my Soul and grant by the power of thy Spirit I may overcome all Carnal and Spiritual Wickedness be wholly delivered from sin preserved from thy Wrath and at last pass on to the Glories of thy Kingdom through Jesus Christ my Saviour A Meditation of St. Austin BEfore thy Eyes O Gracious Lord we bring our Crimes before thee we expose the Wounds of our bleeding Souls That which we suffer is but little that which we
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
frustrate thy Mercies to me and since thou hast appointed this Spiritual Feast for rich and famished Souls let my desires be answerable to my need of it and do thou qualifie me by thy Grace to receive the full benefits of it O Christ hear me and grant that I may approach thee with more sincere and fixed Reasolutions of an intire Reformation and let me receive such strength from thee as may enable me faithfully to perform them Lord there are many old Habitual Diseases my Soul groans under and though I lie never so long at the pool of Bethesda come never so often to thy Table unless thou be pleased to put forth thy healing Vertue they will still remain uncured O thou Blessed Physician of Souls heal me and grant I may so touch thee that there lothsome Issues may immediately stanch that these Sicknesses may not be unto Death but to the Glory of thy Mercy in pardoning so polluted a Wretch Lord have Mercy on me and grant I may approach thy Holy Table with such Humlity and Contrition Love and Devotion that thou mayest vouchsafe to come unto me and communicate to me thy self and all the Merits of thy Passion I acknowledge to my shame and sorrow that this Feast has often been prepared and I have with frivolous excuses absented my self or if I have come it has been rather to defy than adore thee I have brought such Troops of thy professed Enemies unrepented sins along with me as if I came not to commemorate but renew thy Passion of what punishment ought I to be thought worthy who have trampled under foot the Son of God counted the Blood of the Covenant an unholy thing by defiling my self with sensual pleasures and breaking my holy Vows since I received the blessed Sacrament and thereby have incurred the greatest danger by receiving that Unworthily which can take away the guilt of my Sin yet O merciful Jesus this Blood is my only refuge let this make my attonement or I perish Eternally Wherefore didst thou shed it but to save Sinners O let me find its saving Efficacy let not the price of thy Blood be utterly lost but Pardon that heap of sin which I bring to thy Cross to be forgiven that so I may be an acceptable Guest at thy Holy Table which I beg for thy Compassion Sake Jesus my God and Saviour BLessed and all sufficient Saviour I the unworthiest of thy Servants prostrate my self at thy Mercy Seat humbly imploring that Pardon and Forgiveness of my multiplied Transgressions which render me unfit to receive the least of thy multiplied Kindness much less of being made a partaker of the greatest in the participation of the Sacred Body and Blood in the Holy Communion Dear Redeemer let me approach this Divine Institution with a prepared Heart and a purified Soul O that infinite Justice of the Almighty in taking so full vengeance upon sin even upon thee his only beloved Son that we might fear and tremble at the sad Effects of sin O the infinite Mercy of the Almighty ever to think of such a remedy for miserable Man's Restoration O the equal Goodness of thee our dearest Lord who wast a willing Sacrifice who wast Content Ambitious Hungring and thirsting after our Salvation by thy dreadful Passion for which let me how my self at the Footstool of thy Cross and mourn for thy Sufferings as occasioned by my Sins O let the drops of thy Blood trickle down into my Bosom and wash out the stains of sin there let thy Thorns pierce me to the Heart and thy Nails fasten me to thee as much as ever they did thee to the Cross Thou that didst entertain Judas with Tranquility and sufferest him to kiss thy Cheek reject not me thy unworthy supplicant but kiss me with the Benediction of thy Lips and with the Affections of a Saviour thou that dist permit the Soldiers to bind thee to satisfie for my looseness and abused liberty bind me now unto thee with the Chains of Love let that Holy Union dissolve the Cords of Vanity and subdue my Passions and unruly Desires Dearest Lord as in my Body of sin there is no part free so in thy suffering Body there was no whole part nothing but Sores and Stripes Wounds and Bruises I have offended in all my parts thou wast tormented in all thine so that with shame and sorrow I confess that my sins inflicted the misery of thy Passion by the hands of thy barbarous Enemies O let the Spear that pierced thy Heart sweetest Jesus pierce mine with true Sorrow let me contemplate on thy Passion with infinite hatred of sin that occasioned it and with infinite gratitude to thy Love for performing the same I adore thee O Lord Blessed Jesus for instituting the Holy Sacrament strike an awe into my Soul when I approach it and create in me Heavenly dispositions to celebrate so Heavenly an institution let me verily believe that if with due preparation I come to thy Altar as certainly as I receive the outward sings so certainly shall I receive thy most blessed Body and Blood to receive which inestimable Blessing O merciful Lord do thou fit and prepare me for thy mercy sake in Christ Jesus our Lord. O All sufficient Saviour teach me by thy great good Examples Obedience and Submission to thy Divine Will I humbly beseech thee so to prepare my Soul to the due receiving of the Holy Sacrament worthily that I may thereby effectually feel tast and feed on thee my Saviour Christ that I may be thee have Eternal Life Pardon O Lord pardon my unpreparedness to come to so Holy and Divine a Mistery make thy Word and Sacrament always so powerful and effectual in my Heart that I may thereby be sanctified and renewed unto all Holy Obedience unto thy Will in the mortification of my sinful Corruptions renewing of thy perfect Image in me unto Holiness Righteousness Sobriety Truth Knowledge Faith Temperance and Chastity O Blessed Jesus by thee let me have access to thy Heavenly Father that by thee he may accept me who by thee is revealed to me let thy Innocence and Purity procure pardon for my uncleanness and disobedience let thy Humility extinguish my Pride and Vanity and thy Charity cover the multitude of my Faults and that thou wilt with the hands of thy Mercy immediately after this life receive my Soul into everlasting Joy and Felicity there to Reign with thee for ever A Concluding Prayer O Lord God into thy hands I commit my Body Soul and Spirit my Thoughts Words and Works desiring wholly to be thine O my God Gracious and Merciful accept me in thy beloved Jesus Christ for his sake let me not go from before thee without a Blessing a Blessing of Pardon and Peace a Blessing of thy Spirit and of thy Grace to come Holy to thy Table a Blessing of thy favour and of thy love in the Lord Jesus thus Lord say of me that thou hast Blessed me and I shall be
our Lights may shine before men and the world may see the love of God dwelleth in us by our readiness to perform his commands but what need we of Arguments to press us to that which is so reasonable in it self which the Law of Nature teaches we ought to do But a sad experience informs us that neither the law of God nor nature is sufficient to oblige some tempers to compassion but let all such remember however serviceable their Estates are to them in this World they will turn to their destruction in the other their full Barns that have been shut at the knocking 's of the Poor will then be of no advantage nor the multitude of their riches prevail for their security both of them will turn to their reproof the rust of the one and fullness of the other will sink them into despair and exclude them to Eternity from the Happiness of God We have been taught that no one must approach this sacred Feast in bitterness of Spirit we must have love towards the Brethren and if we are in charity with all men shall more especially have bowels of compassion to those who are in want therefore let us while we have opportunity impart of our abundance and bless God for enabling us to do good to the House-hold of Saints and this coming from us so readily will be the more acceptable sacrifice for God loves a chearful giver and that our Alms ascend not alone 't is necessary we accompany them with Prayers and though we have no Angel to assure us they come up before God yet we need not doubt their acceptance for God himself has assured us with such sacrifices he is well pleased therefore let us humbly say at the giving our Alms. Blessed be thou O Lord God for all things come of thee and of thy own do I now give thee O let this Alms be an Odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing in thy sight After the sentences are read we have nothing to do but devoutly compose our selves and joyn with Reverence to the Prayers of the Church if we consider the substance of this excellent Office we shall be freed from the interruptions which often occur in our devotions for when our minds are wholly taken up with the signification of the words we shall have less room for wandrings When the Prayer for the whole state of Christ's Church is begun let us interest our selves in that excellent form that when the Priest comes to beseech God to accept our Alms and Oblations let us in our minds humbly beg it for Jesus Christ his Sake and that together with them God would receive our Prayers for the Universal Church for we can't but enlarge our Passions and desire the good of all Mankind not only of those who confess Christ but that the Heathen may be brought into the Possession of our Saviour and agree in the Truth of his Holy Word we must desire the Well-fare of Princes because they are set over us by God for the punishment of Vice and the praise of them that do well and for the Pastors of the Church there is a great deal of reason for us to pray for them that they may duly administer this Holy Mystery and by their Example and Doctrine both save themselves and those who hear them they who are in Affliction call for our fellow-feeling and since we are all of one body we can't let any member be in disorder and neglect to procure its remedy we are passionately to desire the Health and Salvation not only of those we know want present relief but to all that are in any danger Sickness or other Distress considering it may be our condition and we must desire it with the same Ardour as if it was for our selves and since God has given us the example of good Men who are gone before us we ought to pray that we may follow their steps that so we may arrive to the same degree of Blessedness and to obtain all this more certainly we are to beg it in the name of Jesus Christ believing that God will never refuse any thing that is convenient for us when we call upon him in that most prevailing Name especially since he is our Advocate we have the assurance of his intercession and God can deny nothing to the Son of his Love After this excellent Prayer is over we are exhorted by the Minister to a more serious preparation to the Communion though 't is supposed that every one who approaches this Holy Table has considered before repented and got a competent understanding in this sacred Mystery yet it is very necessary we should attend this Exhortation and Re-examine our selves whether we are such as the Gospel requires The Church has taken care to instruct us in this Duty in such a manner that we can't easily deceive our selves she encourages us with rewards and sets before us the dreadful consequence of our carelesness or neglect We may be over aw'd in our private Examination by the Dominion of our Lusts or perhaps the love of our selves may incline us to think better than we are but when we hear God's Minister urging us to this Duty and powerfully representing those things we have prevailed with our selves to pass over and that God is immediately present to acquit or condemn us we are obliged to confess our Wickedness and be sorry for our sin this is the Repentance we shan't be ashamed of that will put us in a state to be reconciled with our Saviour and make us fit to receive the Body and Blood of Christ and the benefit of that is the becoming one with him and to be pertakers of his Everlasting Glory therefore when we hear the Priest exhort us Judge therefore your selves Brethren let us humbly say I confess my self a sinner and condemn my ingratitude Repent you truly of your sins past c. I repent O Lord and am sorry for my Wickedness Have a lively and steadfast Faith c. I believe O Lord help my unbelief Amend your lives c. O grant me thy Holy Spirit to amend my life Be in perfect Charity c. I forgive all Men their Trespasses Lord do thou forgive me So shall ye be meet partakers c. O make me a worthy Communicant Ye must give most humble and hearty thanks c. I adore thy infinit love to Mankind in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus who did humble thy self to the death upon the Cross c. By thy Cross and Passion sweetest Jesus deliver me He hath c. and ordained Holy Mysteries as pledges of his Love c. I remember thy exceeding Love to us miserable sinners and adore thy infinite compassion in dying for Mankind To thee therefore O Jesus with the Father and the Holy Ghost let us give as we are most bounden continual thanks submitting our selves wholy to thy holy Will and Pleasure studying to serve thee in true
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
waiting at his Altar to receive the Bread of Life let us earnestly pray that this Communion may be life to every one that all who are present may meet to Feast in life Everlasting O Thou Eternal Being vouchsafe to bless confirm and strengthen us all who are present before thee deliver us from the day of Condemnation and let us not be confounded when we shall appear before thee in the presence of thy Angels but grant that through the blood of the Cross we may all be cleansed from our sins and presented pure unblamable and irreprovable in thy sight that so we may be admitted into that place of purity where no unclean thing can enter to sing Eternal Hallelujahs to him that sets upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever May what we have now offer'd up to thee O Lord be accepted for the good of the universal World for all those for whom the Holy Jesus shed his most precious Blood for the Glory of thy Holy Name and for the coming of the Holy Ghost that he may please to visit and enlighten all our Hearts O Lord be propitious to the Holy Catholick Church and by the increase of Faith Hope and Charity inlarge its Limits be pleased to remember all that are Fallen all that are in Captivity the Infirm Sick Stranger Fatherless and Widow in great Mercy look upon them all restore heal comfort and relieve them for Jesus Christ his sake Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his Holy Name Amen As soon as the Congregation has communicated let us prepare to glorifie the Lord together in order to it let us reflect upon the Goodness of this God who has done so much for us and if we are attentive to the Prayers of the past Communion 't is impossible to behave our selves coldly or indifferently there is so much life in the expressions that we are forced to utter them with an affectionate concern and the greater our Zeal the greater is the Benefit we receive Each thought must give us an Idea beyond our Expression we shall be so wholly taken up with this wonderful love of Christ that we shall be angry our conceptions are so imperfect that we don't see more clearly this Beauty of Holiness O let us lose our selves in this boundless contemplation and be ravished with the loving kindness of the Lord and now that we are in earnest become the Sons of God we may with confidence lift up our hearts to Our Father which is in Heaven which is the first Prayer the Church has appointed to offer up to God we have been feasting at his Table renewing our Covenants and made pertakers of our Saviour and his Spirit therefore being so clothed 't is very proper our first address be made in his own word After we have repeated that with Reverence let us join in the next for 't is now high time that we make an offering to the God of our Salvation and there is nothing we can give more pleasing than our selves to be a reasonble sacrifice therefore let us intirely dedicate our Souls Body and Spirit to the service of God and be infinitly rejoyced that God is pleased to accept us therein and this will enable us more chearfully to joyn in the following Hymne When our Heavenly King sees us so hearty in his Service so desirous of Pardon that we with the greatest Earnestless cry to the only begotten Jesus Christ and with all so forward to return our humble thanks for his Mercy No doubt he will be near to our Assistance and reward us with more than we can ask or think even exalt us to that state of Glory with him that sits on the right hand of the Father and is most high in the Glory of God After we have thus affectionately joyn'd in the Prayers of the Church let us with Faith and Thankfulness receive the Blessing and then with humble Adoration once more magnifie the goodness of God for who can be weary in praising the noble acts of the Lord PRaise the Lord O my Soul and let all thy Powers be acted with such love and wonder that thou mayest break forth into all the expression of joy and gladness that admiration and gratitude can inspire thee with Glory be to thee O Lord most High Let us rise from our Knees and bow towards the Holy Table shewing our unwillingness to depart the place where his Honour dwells leave it with a reluctance and still say in our hearts 't is good for us to be here They who are arriv'd to such a habit must necessarily desire another opportunity to glorifie God in this manner and be very fond of frequenting his House till this blessed season returns for we are not to think our Duty done with our Prayers we must create a kind of a familiarity with God and no way so likely to do that as by the constant appearance in his House there it is he has promised to be and thither we must come if we would have our Prayers returned with success Though private Devotions be necessary yet the Publick are absolutely so there God is honoured by the company of his Saints and there we have the opportunity to acknowledge him to be the Lord. 'T is there we assemble with one accord to present our Petitions to the Throne of Grace and 't is most likely our Incense should pierce Heaven when it ascends thither in a thick cloud but sure there will be no occasion to use Arguments to those who have felt the Blessings of coming thus together they must see how pleasant it is to dwell in such Unity and prefer the door of the Tabernacle to the Palaces of Princes they who are so unhappy as to be Strangers there who have no taste nor are perswaded of the Truth of these things I could wish they would prevail with themselves to try the deliciousness of the Employment and I am sure they would be obliged to confess not one half has been told them A Meditation for the Communion at Christmas Welcome thrice blessed day the desire of all Nations whose distant glories made the Father of the Faithful to rejoice and whose approaches fill'd the World with wonder and expectation thou wert ushered in with Angelick Hymns and celebrated ever since with Anthems of praise because thou didst bring forth joy and a Redeemer to Mankind Happy am I that have a sacrifice of Thanksgiving in my hand to express the delight which my heart doth feel This Holy Table is the Altar upon which I offer my Acknowledgmets for all mercies And Oh how many how great are those which this day brings to my remembrance so Infinite it cannot be expressed and yet so excellent they must not be forgotten This day hath reconciled Heaven and Earth and Contradictions made freinds to find a way to help us as if nothing might disagree when Man was at peace with God O my Soul summon all thy powers to