our Sauiour we should receaue this B. Sacrament VVHEN thou hast O my soule by the considerations alleadged in the former meditation stirred vp thy selfe to a filiall feare and reuerence thou must also endeauour to moue thy selfe to a feruent loue and charitie towards thy Sauiour whoÌ„ thou art to receaue To this all thy former meditations will conduce for that by them is shewed what a good house keeper how liberall an Hoste what a Father what a Mother what a Friend Spouse Phisitian and Pastour all which are titles of loue Christ hath shewed himself vnto the in this B. Sacrament Saye then vnto him thou hast shewed they self in this B. Sacrament a noble house keeper giue me the loue belonging to one of thy familie thou hast shewed thy selfe a bountifull Hoste giue me the loue of a louing guest thou hast shewed thy selfe a Father and Mother make me a louing and obedieÌ„t childe Thou hast shewed thyselfe a louinge friend make me loue thee reciprocallie yea a Spouse make me a louing spouse yea a Phisitian make me a louing patient yea a Pastour inflame my heart with the loue of a louing sheepe Thou neuer shewedst more loue to mee then in this B. Sacrament by which out of a great loue thou giuest to me and after so admirable a manner as loue is ingenious thy bodie bloud soule and diuinitie By Incarnation thou impartedst thy self onlie to that nature which thou tookest of the B. Virgin But by this Sacrament thou bestowest thyself on all in particular who receaue it VVith what loue shall I paye this loue Thou giuest thy All vnto me and can I giue lesse then my All to thee and yet so shall I not rendre like for like because my All is nothing to thy All nothing somuch as if a begger should giue his raggs for the Kinges purple robe crowne scepter and kingdome I vse to take kindelie all which a freind giueth be it but a ring or Image because I imagine that he giueth his loue in his guift yea and himself also in his guift though not in person with what loue then should I answer to thy loue who giuest thy selfe vnto me not onelie in thy guifts and effects as thou giuest by creation iustification and glorification but also by this B. Sacrament in thine owne person Children loue their parents and nurces because they feed and nourish them brute beasts loue them who giue them meate be it but crustes and bones hay or strawe how then should I loue thee O Lord who feedest me with thy owne flesh bloud seasoned and sauced with the Diuinitie O my heart to shew thy self that thou art not made of flint marble or steele but of soft flesh resolue thy self into loue for thy Sauiours loue shewed in this B. Sacrament and being so resolued and transformed imploy thy selfe and all thou are for his loue and honour If thou thus prepare thy selfe by a great reuerence and loue to this B. Sacrament in which the Sonne of God resideth as in his cabinet not onely he but his Father also the first person in Trinitie and their holy Spirit the Holie Ghost the third person who procedeth from them both consubstantiall and coequall vnto them will all three come vnto thee not onely to visit thee but also to dwell with thee for this God the SoÌ„ne promiseth saying If any loue me he will keepe my word Ioa. 14. and my Father will loue him and we will come to him and will make abode with him And because thou art notable of thyself to furnish thy howse so as it may be fitt for the entertainement of so great personages they will bring with theÌ„ their tapistrie and ornaments of grace and vertues by which thou shalt be adorned to their liking And because thou canst not prepare a feast worthie such guests though thou shouldest seeke sea and Land for it they will bring their feast with them to witt this Blessed Sacrament the Manna which conteineth all that can delight thy spirit and with it they will bring aboundaÌ„ce of all grace by which they will feast thee and will be feasted of thee THE 13. MEDITATION To be made immediatlie after Communion How thanâ—kefull the Receauer should bee VVHen thou hast receaued this B. Sacrament pause awhile and think what thou hast receaued Thou hast receaued more then the worth of Heauen and earth the Sonne of God in whom be all the treasures of wisedom and knowledge hidden Coloss 2. in whom dwelle the fulnesse of the God head corporallie who is the head of all principalitie and power thou hast receaued him who is worth so much that he is inestimable no price caÌ„ be sett on him Antonius and Cleopatra did on a time vainlie striue who should make the greatest feast And Antonius prepared all that Sea and Land could affoard Cleopatra not sollicitous for any such fare tooke an vnion which hung at her eare and resoluing it drank it at a draft and putting her finger to the other eare to take another vnion he who was elected arbiter and Iudge betwixt them bad Cleopatra hold her hand for that she had alreadie surpassed Antonius his feast hauing drunk alreadie the price of all Egypt But thou O my soule by receauing this B. Sacrament eatest and drinkest at once the bodie and bloud of Christ for with his bodie his bloud alwayes is by concomitance and inseparable vnioÌ„ which is more then the price of Egypt yea theÌ„ a thousand worlds And therefore if thou shouldest resolue thy heart into gratitude and thankes giuing thou coulds not shew sufficient gratitude for this so great benefit Say then to thy bountifull Iesus with gratefull Dauid Psa 115. Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi what shall I render to our Lord for all things that he hath rendred to me nay what shall I render to my Lord for this onlie thing which he hath bestowed on mee thou hast ô Lord not onlie bestowed on mee great benefites and this the greatiest of allâ— but thou hast also rendred good for euill mercie and grace for my sinnes what can I render thee for this Psa 115. I will follow King Dauids counsell I will take the chalice of saluation and I will inuocate the name of our Lord I will take the chalice of thy Passion which thou didst drink on the Crosse I will offer that sacrifice for this and both for all thy benefites and by them I will inuocate and praise thy name for euer If I could speake at once with all the tongues of men and Angels I could not ô Lord giue thee sufficient thanks for this so great a benefit which conteineth thy sacred self and thy holie flesh and blood Deifyed by thy Diuinitie VVherefore in an astonishment at this great benefit and thy great liberalitie I will be silent and by my silence I will testifie and confesse that thou hast bestowed on me in this B. Sacrament more then
Io. 13. and period of thy life in bestowing this B. Sacrament on me so giue me the grace by which I may loue thee all the time of my life and especiallie at the end of it that then especiallie I may quite withdraw my loue from the world and all it can afford and then giue it onlie to thee who at the end of thy life in this B. Sacrament hast so kindlie loued me that I may dye louing thee and so ceasing to liue may neuer cease to loue because although faith Hope dye with vs saiths obscuritie yeelding to the light of glorie and Hope not consisting with the possession of that we hoped for yet Charitie neuer falleth away 1 Cor. 12. or fayleth and therefore if I die with it I shall liue with it eternallie THE II. MEDITATION VVhat Charitie and humilitie Christe shewed before he satte down to his last supper OVR B. Sauiour hauing eaten with his disciples the Paschall lambe and vsed allso the ceremonies prescribed for the eating of it so to shew himselfe an obedient obseruer and ful filler of the old lawe he riseth from that Typicall Feast of the Paschall Lambe murteth them to the eating of the true lambe of God to witt himselfe who taketh a way the sinnes of the world Io. 1◠who was the veritie of that figure a feast as farre surpassing that feast of the iewes as the veritie excelleth the figure the bodie the shadowe And before he sitteth downe to this Heauenlie Feast behold what preparation he maketh what ceremonies he vseth to shew his disciples with what reuerence and humilitie with what loue and charitie they and all Christians should approch vnto this feast Thus S. Iohn describeth it And when supper was done c. Io. 13. he riseth frō supper to witt of the Paschal Lambe and laieth aside his garments and hauing taken a Towell girded himselfe after that he putt water into a bason and begane to wash the feete of the disciples and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded He laied aside his vpper garment that he may with more conuenience wash his disciples feete as allso to signifie that in this humble act he laieth aside in outward apparance his vestments of glorie to wit the maiestie splendour and light of his diuinitie and guirdeth himself with a towell to signifie that he inuested himself in the towel of our humaine nature that by it he might wipe aware al the filth and ordure of our sinnes and thus prepared he kneeleth downe to wash his disciples feete Behold o my soule a rare example of humilitie and if thow consider it well thou caust not but stand amazed at it Behold God kneeling at his creatures feete washing wiping them Behold what preparation to this sacred Feaste he maketh what a ceremonie he vseth to shew to his disciples with what reuerence and humilitie with what loue and charitie with what puritie they and all christians should approach to this dread Sacrifice to this Holy Sacrament which then he was to institute to distribute vnto them and to offer to his father for them O sweete Iesus how dost thou humiliate and euen debase thy selfe to controle our pride and to set vs an example of humilitie euer to be vsed and especiallie when we come to this holy Sacrament and dread Sacrifice Abraham washed the feete of three Pilgrims Gen. 18. or at least fetched water for them to wash whom after he found to be Angels but they were but Angels and he but a Patriarch Christe is the God of Patriarchs whom Abraham serued he washed not Angels feete but poore fishermens feete whose Lord Master whose God and Creatour he was Luc. 7. Marie Magdalen washed Christs feete with her teares and wiped them with her haires but Christ was her God and she a sinner who had offended and so there was more humilitie in Christ in permitting her to wash and wipe his feete then in her in washing and wiping them But thou O Sauiour of the world God and man washedst the feete of thy creatures and euen of fishermen which are commonlie fowle euen of Iudas who had betraied thee Math. 26. and euen then had sold thee to the Iewes But O Peeter for to thee he offereth first this seruice wilt thou permit thy so louing master thy God and Creatour to wash thy feete wilt thou accept this honour to be done to thee with so much dishonour redounding vnto him No saith he Io. 13. thou shalt not wash my feete for euer yet Christe threatneth Peeter that vnles he wash him he shall haue noe parte with him Heere Peeter was troubled with cōtrarie repugnāt thoughts To permitte Christ to wash his feete was much repugnant to the humble conceit he made of himself and to the high esteeme he had of Christ not to permite him was now after a commandement disobedience and after a threatning was losse of the heauenlie glorie for which he had left all and of which he had seene a glimse in the Transfiguration of his master I ame loath saith Peeter to himself to suffer my Lord God so to debase himself as to wash my feete I ame loath allso to disobey him who hath soueraigne authoritie but rather then I will be disobedient to such a Lord and master or loose my parte with him that is the blisse of heauen for which I haue left my nettes and hooks and al I hadd wash O Lord saith he since thou wilt haue it so not onlie my feete but my hands allso and head A contemplatiue soule will heere take delight to behold the holie contention betuixt the masters the seruants humilitie But the humilitie of the Master as being the greater in the ende ouercommeth and so the master and God man kneeling at Peeters feete washeth them and wipeth them peraduentur kisseth them And hauing done this humble office to Peeter he doth the same to the rest of the disciples euen to the traitour Iudas O yee Angels who serue this your God and attend and waite on him in Heauen with all reuerence behold your Lord and God Esa 4◠Philip. 2. to whom euerie knee of the celestials terrestrials and Infernals boweth kneeling at the feete of fishermen girded with a towel washing and wiping their fowle feete o humilitie and washing wiping Iudas his feete who had traiterouslie sold him for thirtie pence o Charitie O yee heauenlie Spirits you descended at this your Masters natiuitie admiring to see the Sonne of glorie borne in a stable layed in a manger but then he was worshipped by the shepheardes then great troups of you did sing your Christmas Carolle of Gloria in Altissimis Deo Luc. 2. glorie in the highest to God and then an vnwonted starre shined at this solemnitie and soone after that three Kings came frō the East to adore him present him on theire knees with kinglie guifts but if you descende
of Christs â—loud which springeth Virgins â—ebriateth the spirit and reioi â—eth the hearte Let worldlings â—ragge of their noble bloud exâ—action and noble descent thou art more noblie descended to wit from Christe the Sonne of God who in this B. Sacrament is thy Father and more then a Father thou art of a more noble bloud because by this B. Sacrament thou art flesh and bloud of Christs flesh bloud who was conceaued born of a Virgin-mother by no other seed then the Holy Ghost THE SIXT MEDITATION How Christ hath shewed himselfe in the B. Sacrament a Mother and more then a Mother THe loue of a Mother towards her childe is so greate that none can imagin it but mothers themselues It is greater then the loue of the Father because the Mother suffereth more for it then the Father doth she bearing it in her womb nine monthes with great paine bringing it to light with farre greater she giuing it her milke swadling it rocking it carying it in her armes And so as wee loue that best which wee gett with most difficultie so she loueth the child most because she most endureth for it in performing the former officies and her most familiaritie with it from i'ts birth engendreth the greatest loue and affection Hence it is that when holy Scripture would expresse great loue it compareth it to the loue of a mother 2. Reg. 1. As the mother saith Dauid loueth her onlie sonne so did I loue thee Ionathas yea God himself explicateth his loue to vs by the loue of a Mother as by the greatest loue VVhy saith he can a woeman forget her Infant c. and if she should forget yet will not I forget thee Isa 49. Isa 66. And againe As if the mother should speake one faire so will I comfort thee And yet againe Io. 16. A woeman when she trauaileth hath sorrow but when she hath brought forth the child now she remembreth not the anguish for ioye that a man is borne into the world and this the great ioy of the mother is grounded on her great loue and this her great loue on her great sorrow and paines which she suffered and on her great familiaritie with her child from its birth If the loue of a mother be so tender towards her child how great must we thinke was the loue of Christ towards vs in the B. Sacrament where he hath shewed himselfe a mother and more then a mother The mother by her pappes giueth her childe her milke and so nourisheth it so our B. Sauiour by his sacred pappe of this B. Sacrament giueth vs to sucke his owne bloud and that which as S. Chryl serm admon de Euchar in Encenijs c hom 24 in 1. ad Cor. 11. hom â—1 in cap. Io. 19. Chrisostome affirmeth issued out of his sacred fide and with his bloud the milke also of his sanctifying grace and therewith nourisheth our soules Mothers vse to chew the meate which they giue to their litle Infants so to make it fit for their eating our B. Sauiour in the First in stitution of this B. Sacrament did eate and as it were chew his owne flesh and did drinke to vs all in a draft of his owne bloud to make it fitt for our eating and drinking and as nature in the mother conuerteth her bloud into milke and so couereth it with the white colour of milke least the childe should abhorre to take it in the colour of bloud so our B. Sauiour hath couered his Sacred flesh bloud which he giueth vs to eate and drinke vnder the vsuall colour of bread wine knowing that we would abhorre to eate his flesh drinke his bloud in their owne shape and forme And to shew himselfe not onlie as a mother but more then a mother he giueth vs to eate of his owne flelsh to drinck his owne bloud which Mothers do not They giue their milke which aboundeth in them not their flesh or bloud Christ shed for vs on the crosse not his superfluous bloud but euen that bloud which was necessarie to keepe life and this bloud he giueth vs by the dugge pappe and teate of this B. Sacrament O mother and more then any mother for as S. Chrysostome saith mothers do often tymes giue ouer their children to be nursed by others but our B. Sauiour to make vs generous as he is to make vs sucke with his bloud his diuine conditions would not out of his loue permite this but he nourisheth vs which no mother will doe with his owne flesh bloud Chrys hom 60. ad pop An tâ—och O loue aboue the loue of Mothers ô loue aboue the loue of all creatures proper onlie to God and the louer of mankind VVith what spirituall greedines then and hunger should we come to this B. Sacrament to sucke out of this dugge the bloud of Christe and the milke of grace Nonne videtis saith S. Hom. 60. ad pop An tioch Chrysostome quanta promptitudine paruuli papillas capiunt quanto impetu labia vberibus insigunt accedamus â—nm tanta nos quoque alacritate ad hanc meusam quiuimo cum longe maiori trahamus tanquam infantes lactanei Spiritus gratiam vnus sit nobis dolor hac escapriuari Do you not see with what promptitude and greedines little Infants take their Mothers pappes with what a violence they fasten their lippes on the pappes lett vs also come with the like alacritie yea with a farre greater let vs like sucking Infants suckr the spirite of grace and let it be our onlie greefe to be depriued of this foode O my fweet sauiour ô my deare Father and Mother for so thow hast shewed thyself in this holie Sacrament be vnto me a Father and Mother prouide for me all necessaries for a fpirituall life prouide for me an inheritance in the next for that it pertaineth to Fathers and Mothers to laie vp treasures for their children O my deare Father and Mother bestow for euer thy loue on me for that it is naturall for parents to loue their children and loue me not for a while but for euer The more perfect parents are the longer they loue their young ones The beasts of the Earthe and the fowles of the ayre do loue and care and prouide for their young ones onlie for a time that is till they be able to shift for themselues and after that they make no distinctioÌ„ betwixt them and others but the Father and Mother amongest men because they are more perfect parents do loue their children euen to death and prouide an Inheritance for them to liue on after the parents death God almightie therefore who is our Father not onlie by creation but also by grace and Sanctification and a most perfect Father also loueth his Elected children for all eternitie euen before they were as he loued Iacob before he was borne and as Hieremie saith in an euerlasting charitie he loued his chosen people
mariaage betwixt man and wife because carnall mariage is dissolued by death of both or one of the parties but the mariage of Incarnation betwixt God man is absolulie indissoluble insomuch that death which separated Christ his soule from his bodie could separate neither soule nor bodie from the diuinitie to which they were vnited and so so long as God shall be God he shall be man and man shall be God and the mariage shall be eternall and whereas by mariage all things are common betwixt man and wife by Incarnation God imparted to our humaine nature all his Goods and diuine attributes for that after Incarnation man became God and consequentlie eternall omnipotent immense c. by a certain communication which diuines call communicatio idiomatum and man gaue to God all his riches or rather pouerties for that after Incarnation God became man and consequentlie was borne in tyme of a Virgin-mother who was borne of a Virgin Father before all worlds and so became hungrie and thirstie hoat and cold passible and mortall as other men are and as by carnall mariage man and wife are vna caro one flesh Ephes 5. so by this mariage God and man is one flesh yea one person The Church in which this mariage was made was the sacred wombe of the Virgin the Brides God and man the Priest that maried them the Holy Ghost the words by the which the mariage was contracted were Ecce Ancilla Domini siat mihi secundum verbum tuum Luc. 1. Behold the handmaid of our Lorde be it done to me according to thy word the paranimphe was S. Iohn Baptiste But this mariage was made immediatlie onlie betwixt the second person in Trinitie God the Sonne and that humain nature which he tooke of the B. Virgins wombe yet this mariage is the ground of the two ensuing mariages The second mariage betwixt God and man is contracted by grace charitie Of which speaketh the Prophet Osee Osee cap. 2. in the name of God I will despouse thee to me for euer and I will despouse thee to me in Iustice c. and of this th' Apostle also speaking saith I haue despoused you to one man 1. Cor. 11. to present you a chast Virgin vnto Christ. By this mariage we are so despoused and linked to God that as man and wife are one flesh so wee and God are one spirit because as S. 1. Cor. 6. Paul saith Qui adhaeret Domino vnus spiritus est he that cleaneth to our Lord by charitie is one spirit with him Man and wife by their bond of mariage are to liue and vse to liue in one howse but by this mariage God dwelleth in vs and we in him according to those our sauiours wordes Io. 14 If any loue me he will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come to him and will make abode with him and that this dwelling and abiding is not onlie with vs but in vs it appeareth by other his words Io. 14. In that day you shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you and his disciple S. Iohn saith 1. Io. 4. God is charitie and he that abideth in charitie abideth in God and God in him So that by this mariage God dwellâ—th in vs as in his Temple and mansion place we in him yea by this mariage we are as S. Sâ—pra 1. Cor. 6.10.17 Paule saith one spirit with God And Christ himself prayeth that his Apostles and they that beleeued their preaching may be one in spirit of Charitie as he and his Father are one in substance VVhereupon the deuout S. Bern. ser 17. in cant Beanard saith Quid ergo dicit Fi lius c. VVhat doth the Sonne of God say I am in the Father and the Father in me and we are one Man saith I ame in God and God is in me and we are one spirit And in the same place none but a mad man will vsurpe that voice of the onlie begotten I and the Father are one Bern. ibid. yet I though I be but duste will not be afraid to say this I am one spirit with God He addeth that man was in God from all eternitie because God loued man from al eternitie but God began in time to be in man when man began to loue him O how should we loue this Spouse of our soules who is by Charitie so wedded vnto vs as he is not onlie with vs but also in vs because as man and wife are vna caro one flesh so is he one Spirit with vs. who would forsake the loue of such a Spouse as God is who is our Creatour and Sauiour for the loue of any creature though neuer so deare The thirde mariage betwixt Christ and vs is by meanes of the B. Sacrament by which Christ to vs and we to him are vnited not onlie in mutual loue but also in substance because by this B. Sacrament we receaue his body bloud soule yea and diuinitie our substance is vnited to his in that his is vnited to ours And as in carnall mariage all goods are common euen bodies because as S. 1. Cor. 7. Paule saith the woman hath not power of her own body but her husbaÌ„d and the man also hath not power of his bodie but the woman So by this Sacrament Christ communicateth more aboundantlie his graceâ— then by any other his substance that is his bodie and bloud soule diuinitie are ours by communioÌ„ he as it were taketh possession of our bodie soule when by communion he dwelleth in vs. And as by carnall mariage the man and wife are vna caro one flesh Hom. 61 Cyrill Alex li. 4. in Ioa. c. 17. so doth he in a manner by our receiuing of him mingle his substance as S. Chrisostome saith with ours and of two maketh one and as S. Cyrill saith our substance is made one with his as waxe vnited to waxe And so as carnal marriage betwixt man and wife is contracted by mutual consent expressed by their words but is consummated by vnion of their bodies so a spiritual mariage is contracted betwixt vs Christ by charitie but is not consummated but by vnion of our substance with his by meanes of this B. Sacr. O my soule what an honour is it to bee married to such a spouse more certes theÌ„ for a poore maid to be married to aÌ„ Emperour because there is a greater distance disparitie betwixt Christ thee then betwixt the poorest begget and the richest Emperour ô how didst thou loue me sweete Sauiour who vouchsafest to take me thy poore creature for thy spouse And if I consider what thou suffredst to pourchase me for thy Spouse thy loue will more appeare If an Emperour should hazard his life to winne the loue of a poore maide how amorous should he be thought to be of her Thou ô Lord sheddest thy bloud to winne
him who intendeth to receaue this B. Sacrament and either immediatlie or some daye or dayes before communion But these which follow are to be read either immediatlie before or immediatlie after communion THE 11. MEDITATION VVith what feare and reuerence and acknowledgment of vnworthines the deuout receauer is to come to this Blessed Sacrament NOw therefore ô my soule seeing thou perceiuest what a Good man of the house what an Hoste what a Father Mother friend spouse Physitian and Pastour thy B. Sauiour hath shewed himself to thee in this B. Sacrament what he bestoweth on thee by it and in it to witt his owne flesh and bloud himself God and man infinite in all perfection and the fountaine of all grace endeuour as much as thou canst by his grace to dispose thyself to come vnto him and to receaue him in this Holie Sacrament as worthilie as humain frailtie and pouertie will permit And first thou must come to him with a great filiall feare and reuerence his Maiestie though vailed with the formes of bread and wine requiring it Dauid in spirit forseeing this great and wonderous mysterie of the B. Sacrament saith memoriam fecit mirabilium suorum Psa 110. misericors miserator dominus escam dedit timentibus se He hath made a memorie of his marueilous works a mercifull and pitifull Lord he hath giuen meat to them that feare him This memorie of his marueilous works is this feast of the B. Sacrament where is nothing but marueills wonders which also consist not in folding vp of napkins in many fashions but in the cookerie and art shewed in this feast in which bread by the force of Christs owne words is conuerted into his bodie wine into his bloud in which the accidents and externall forines of bread and wine stand alone without bread and wine which were their subiects in which Christs bodie extended in it selfe is wholie contained in a litle hoste and in euerie parte of it in which one body is on diuers Altars and in diuerse places in which Christs bodie is dailie eaten his bloud dailie drunke yet neuer consumed in which the same Christ is conuiua conuinium the feast maker guest and feast in which the same Christ is the Priest the sacrifice and the God to whom this sacrifice is offered and therefore Dauid explicating what the memorie of these marueils is saith Escam dedit timentibusse Psa 110. he hath giuen meate to them that feare him as if he had said he hath made a memorie of marueilles in the meate which he hath giuen and this meat he giueth to them that feare him who only can frutefullie receaue it O my soule thou beleeuest that Christ God and man is as trulie in this B. Sacrament which thou intendest to receaue as he was in his Virgin Mothers wōbe as he was here on earth and as he is now in Heauē though in an other manner and thou beleeuest that there is no more betwixt him and thee when thou approachest tereceaue him then the thinne courtaines of the accidents and formes of bread and wine drawne betwixt him and thy sight And if thou wouldst stand with great reuerence in the presence of a mortall Emperour or King though a man as thou art and though there were a thinne courtaine drawne betwixt him and thee especiallie if the courtaine were so thinne as he might see thee through it with what reuerēce shouldst thou stand or kneele in the presence of Christ Iesus God and man and King and Emperour of heauen and earth there being no more betwixt him and thee then the courtaines of the formes of bread and wine which are thinner then the thinnest taffeta or cypres because in those though neuer so thinne there is matter and substance whereas in the accidents of bread wine there is no substance at all of bread and wine and through the which Christ God Man seeth thee and all thy actions both interiour and exteriour VVith what reuerence I say shouldst thou come to this B. Sacrament in which thou beleeuest to be the King of glorie though with corporall sight thou canst not see him O consider my soule that when thou receiuest this dreadfull sacrifice and Sacrament thou hast on thy tongue more then tongue can explicate in thy mouth more then heauen earth containe in thy heart more then heart can conceaue Thou receauest him whō the Angels adore and tremble to behold his Maiestie In the old law the Iewes were commaunded not so much as to touch the mountaine on which the law of God was giuen Exod. 29. and shalt thou thinke thyselfe worthie to touch the Altar where the law giuer is resident yea to touch himself to receaue him into thy mouth and stomake If the Bethsamites to the number of seauentie men of the people 1 Reg. 6. and fiftie thousand of the common people for curious he gazing at the Ark which was but a figure of this B Sacrament 2 Reg. 6. if Oza for touching it irreuerentlie were stricken with sodaine death shalt thou ô my soule if irreuerentlie or vnworthilie thou receaue this B. Sacrament the Ark of the new law thinke to goe scotfree Noe Noe. S. Paule assureth thee 1. Cor. 11. that he that eateth and drinketh vnworthilie the bodie and bloud of Christ eateth and drinketh iudgment to himself not discerning the bodie of our Lord. Yea saith he because you eate and drinke this B. Sacrament vnworthilie there are among you weake and feeble and many sleepe that is dye How then oughtst thou to prepare thy selfe Knowing that this B. Sacrament as it giueth spirituall health life nourriture to them that receaue it worthilie so it alwaies bringeth death of the soule to them that receaue it vnworthilie sometimes death of the bodie also yea and eternall death of soule and body vnles they repent in time O my soule the Angels compasse the Altar when the Priest offereth this dread sacrifice and they compasse thee also when thou receiuest it and they waite at this Table and vpon this King of glorie with great feare and reuerence and goest thou to this Table as boldie as to an ordinarie 1 Cor. 11. not discerning the bodie of our Lord not putting a difference betwixt it and other meates O Lord when I thinke of these things to wit of myne owne vnworthines and thy worth and Maiestie I am affraid to approach so neere vnto thee and if thou didst not inuite me to come I should neuer dare to come in thy presence much lesse to receaue thee into my breast I should saye with S. Luc. 5. Peeter Goe forth from me because I am a sinfull man o Lord. 2. Cor. 6. I should saie with S. Paule what participation hath Iustice with iniquitie Or what societie is there betwixt light and darknes what proportion betwixt thy light and my darknes my basenes and thy Maiestie thy sanctitie and my sinnes But what