who approacheth to this divine banquet First that he examen well himselfe as S. Paul doth exhort that he come prepared and fittingly disposed on his part For which purpose these fowre dispositions are principally required The first a firme faith to beleeve Christs owne word and his Churches doctrine teaching that the words of consecration being pronounced what was bread before is changed by divine vertue into the true reall and substantiall body and blood of Jesus Christ and that although the colour figure taste and other accidents of breade remayne yet the substance is converted into the body of Jesus Christ which being now living glorious and immortall it can receive no division nor indignity but is united to his blood soule and divinity The second disposition required is a great purity principally from all mortall sin as also from all voluntary and deliberate affection to either mortall or venial And besides this purity of conscience purity also of intention is requisit for he would be greatly blamable who should approach to this divine table for vaine humaine respect to be esteemed devout or to gaine the good opinion of Men. But his intention must be purely to please God to be more closely united to him and to be made more capable therby to glorify to love and to serve his heavenly Majesty The third disposition is profound humility to which the Christian may strongly be mooved he well considering on the one side Gods greatnesse and infinit sanctity and his owne origen from nothing brought by sin to so despicable a state on the other Which very thought ought to give great confusion to a penitent sinner now ready to approach to this God of all glory and Majesty before whom the Angels Seraphins and Cherubins doe tremble with respect and feare Finally the fourth disposition is love and ardent charity towards this our divine Redeemer who gives himselfe to us with so excessive good nesse with graces and benedictions from the superabundant fountaine of this divine Sacrament flowing copiously into an open and loving hart And therfore undoubtedly the most excellent disposition which a Christian can bring to the holy Communion is to excite himselfe interiorly to the fervent acts of love towards Jesus Christ with strong resolutions wholy to consecrate himselfe to please and love him to serve and glorify him by his whole life and actions But although these dispositions regarding our soule be both the principall and most necessary yet such as concerne the body must not be neglected As first that the communicant present himselfe to this divine banquet with fitting decency in apparell With modest and reverent comportment yet all within the bounds of decent modesty and without all superfluous affectation He must also be fasting and have swallowed nothing from the midnight before his communion Who being now to approach to this heavenly table it must be with great modesty and devout humility saying the Confiteor with true harty sorrow for having offended so great and so good a God And the Priest saying Domine non sum dignus c. Let him humble his hart before God acknowledging his great unworthinesse to receive so divine a guifte The sacred Host being presented unto him he must receive it with all humble respect his eyes bending downwards and opning moderately his mouth without stirring his head or body or moving his lipps with words Let the tongue touch the side of the lipp not too much put fourth that it may conveniently receive the holy Host which there moistned with decent motion may be let downe into the stomack for it is not to be chewed with the teeth nor to be brought to the rouse of the mouth Let the whole body be erected and quiet without any motion sighing groning knocking of the breast exclamations vocall prayers or the like which would be unfitting and inconvenient Having communicated he must be carefull for one quarter of an houre not to spit but if forced to it be carefull it be with respect and where it be not trod upon or more decently to take it with his handkercher Let him retyre to some convenient place where for the space of a quarter of an houre at the least he ought to recollect his soule in thankes giving considering whom he hath received and with the eys of fervent faith there to behould within his breast his loving Saviour and God of all Majesty and with great attention and devout acknowledgment of humble thankes for that inestimable benefit received there offering sacrificing and intirely consecrating himselfe his soule his body and all the powers and actions of them both to his divine honour and glory for all Eternity When you actually receiue the sacred Hoste conceive your selfe as S. Theresia did as if behoulding with her corporal eyes Jesus Christ to enter into your poore habitation and stirr up thor at your faith laying aside all mortall objects whatsoever and as if entring in with him procure there to recollect all the powers of your soule to attend upon that so divine a guest to doe him all adoration and homage so that they neyther distract nor hinder your soule from a quiet and entire enjoyment of him There represent your selfe as at his feet deploring with repentant Magdalen your many sins And although we should have no other devotion but this alone yet faith would perswade us that we were both well and very happy there to speake with our divine and loving Saviour so present to give care to the propositions of all our necessities at least whilst the sacramentall species remaine uncorrupted with us And therfore we must not loose one moment of this so precious tyme of his true reall and substantiall presence with us but to spend it in all true fervent devotion with so mercifull and powerfull a Lord and guest For this is a most profitable practise after communion which that seraphical 8. Theresa did usually excercise with great comfort and profit to her soule And now finally that the vertuous soule may the better comply with her duty in this divine action as well before the holy communion as also after the same let her reade much rather with hart then with mouth these following prayers shee framing in her soule the interiour acts which are but exteriorly framed in words A prayer to be said before the holy Communion O MOST benigne Lord Jesus I a sinner presuming nothing on my owne merits but wholy trusting on thy mercy and goodnesse doe feare and tremble to have accesse unto the table of thy most sweet banquet For I have a hart and bodie spotted with many crymes a minde and tongue not warily gwarded Therefore o benigne Deity o dreadfull Majesty I a wretch holden in these streights have recourse unto thee the fountaine of mercy I hasten to thee to be healed I fly under thy protection and he whom I cannot endure a Judge I hope to have a Saviour To thee o Lord I shew my wounds to thee I
Ceremonies of the Church be neither the substance nor the perfection of Religion yet they preserve and doe also begett and stirr up in us the reverance and gratefull memory of the holy mysteries of our faith and are an excellent and needfull ornament to religion Yea S. Aug. against Faustus the Manichean heretick li. 19. saith that without externall Ceremonies it is impossible to preserve Religion This supposed and as I hope you will find truly verifi'd by what doth follow that now which in the next place I am to recommend to you is that you having payed due honour and homage to God by your morning prayer then apply your selfe to such employments as the obligation of your present calling and condition may require of you But if afterward good leasure and oportunity be permitted you to heare the divine sacrifice of the Masse omitt not to be present at that supreame act of our Christian religion wherby we give to God the highest honour of sacrifice which is proper to him alone there being offered to him that most gratefull Host of the law of grace which is the sacred body and blood of Jesus Christ that most pure and immaculate lambe of God which though but once only offered in a visible and bloody manner for us upon the Crosse as a sacrifice of Redemption for all the sins of the world yet that very self same sacred Host and victime now daily is offered upon the holy Altar by the hands of the Priest in an unbloody and invisible forme not as a new price or payment for our sins that being here only applyed in the Masse which was already payed upon the Crosse Like as it is also applyd unto our soules both by faith by Baptisme and the other Sacraments and therefore is here in the Masse but only as the reall true sacrifice of application of the very selfsame victime not in a bloody and visible manner but in an unbloody and invisible under the sacramentall formes of bread and wyne And how avayleable now it is to all who devoutly assist at this holy sacrifice much and vith great authority might here be said but my designe ayming at brevity take only what that divinely devout Thomas a Kempis tells us in his imitation of Christ chap. 7. lib. 4. There is no oblation more worthy saith he no satisfaction greater for the washing away of sin then to offer up our selves to God purely with the oblation of the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Masse and holy communion Now that this holy sacrifice of the Masse is a most true and lively representation of the life and death of Jesus Christ he who shall observe either the ornaments of the Priest or the ceremonies and holy mysteries in the Masse will be forced to confesse that to be most true as it will manifestly appeare to any who reade but our Catholick Authors that explicate the primitive institution of the same And to begin with the holy Altar of the Altar and vvhat it signifies he shall finde that it hath relation to sacrifice which must necessarily be offered to God in the Church where his true faith is professd And therfore this name of Altar is given to us by S. Paul Hebr. 13.10 we have an Altar whereof they have not power to cate whoserve the Tabernacle And 1. cor 9.24 and S. Math. 5.24 all which is abundantly sufficient warrant for us to use this name of Altar Which represents the table wheron our divine Redeemer did celebrate the last supper with his Disciples 〈…〉 the night before his bitter death and passion The linning for the altar or the altar cloathes are to bee very pure and white they representing the purity of our blessed Saviours humanity from all stayne of sin or disordered passion That linning is also to be blest to signify the great sanctity of Jesus Christ his life which we must endeavour of the lighted candles upon the altar the best we can to imitate The lighted candles upon the altar admonish us according to S. Luke to be ready in imitation of the wise Virgins with the oyle of good workes in our lampe of true faith and to expect at the pronouncing those sacred and operative words of consecration the reall and true substantiall presence of that our divine and heavenly spouse who requires the light of our good workes so to shine before men as therby they may be mooved to glorify their Father who is in Heaven The two candels signify the two testaments of holy scripture the old and new They also signify the light of fatih revealed to the Jew and Gentill And they advertise us of the great splendor both of faith of good life and workes required in the celebrating of so heigh and dreadfull a mystery of the Crosse and Crucifix The Crosse or Crucifix is the principall ornament upon the Altar which ought never to be wanting at the celebration of the Masse It betokens our B Redemers victory over death and is placed at the midst of the altar most in view to represent to our minde the death and passion of Jesus Christ which is there chiefly to be considered and piously meditated in that holy sacrifice The Chalice doth represent the cup wherin our B. saviour did consecrate his most precious blood Math. 26. of the chalice And it puts us in minde of his sacred passion our B. saviour himselfe so calling it the Chalice of his passion The Paten serveth for the use of the consecrated body of our Lord of the Paten as the Chalice doth for his most precious blood And as it doth cover the topp of the Chalice it represents the stone which was rouled against the dore of the holy sepulcher Mark 15. The white linnen corporall upon which is consecrated the most precious body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ of the corporall doth represent to us that white and pure syndon wherein Joseph ab Aremathia involued his most sacred corps before it was buried The cleane and bright purity wherof doth aptly admonish all such as by the holy communion receive and harbour within their breasts this sacred and most precious body of Jesus Christ to be chast and cleane both of body and soule and endued with true purity of intention The Vaile doth cover both Paten and Chalice all round about of the vaile And it represents to us the handkercher wherwith our saviour's most sacred head was covered when he was layd in the sepulcher Wherof mention is made Luke 24. S. Peter having discovered it in the sepulcher and he there beheld the linnen lying apart and the handkercher which had been wrapped about his head Of the severall colours which the Church useth for her ornaments and the meaning of them THe Propht Ezechiel in his 6. chap. speaking of the splendor of the Church seemes to place a great part of her glory in the various colours of her beutifull robes Which
faithful diligence and to keep defend and protect me this day from all evil visible and invisible Amen A Prayer in sicknesse LEt my request enter into thy fight O Lord and let thy hand stretch forth to make me whole Behould I am the Man that comming downe from Jerico was forely wounded by theeves and left halfe dead Doe thou assist me O merciful Samaritan I have grievously sinned in thy sight and so full is my soule of those deadly wounds as hadst thou not died for me my soule would have dwelt in Hell I am sweet Jesus a part of that deare purchace for me tho didst shed thy precious blood cast me not away I am the sheep that went astray seeke me O good shiphard and put me in thy flock that thou maist be justified in thy word for thou didst make me a promise that at what houre soever a sinner should repent him of his sins and turne to thee he should he pardoned I repent O Lord and bewaile my sins I acknowledge my iniquities I am not worthy to be cal'd thy sonne for I have sinned against Heaven and before thee But turne away O Lord thy face from my offences blot out my iniquities according to thy great mercy cast me not away from thy sight deale not with me according to my sins nor reward me after the desert of my iniquities but help me O Lord my God and Saviour and for the glory of thy name deliver me that I may prayse thee for ever more with all thy glorious elect in thy celestial kingdome of Beatitude for all Eternit A Prayer to obtayne a blessed ending O Blessed Jesu wel-spring of pitty and fountaine of endlesse mercy I humbly beseech thee to give me grace so to spend this my transitory life in vertuous and godly exercises that when the day of my death shall come though I feele paine in my body yet I may finde comfort in my soule and with faithful hope of thy mercy in due love towards thee and charity towards all others I may through thy grace depart hence out of this vaile of misery and hasten me to that glorious country wherin thou hast bought us an inheritance for ever with thy most precious blood there to praise and glorify thee with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one living God world without end Amen A Prayer when we begin our actions PRevent we beseech thee O Lord our actions by thy spirit assisting us and in helping forward prosecute them that all our prayers and workes may begin alwayes from thee and begun by thee may be ended through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen An Evening Prayer ALmighty and everlasting God I yeald thee most harty thankes for that thou hast vouchafed of thy great mercy and goodnes to preserve me this day from all evil and I doe also beseech thee for thy bitter death and passion most mercifully to forgive me wretched sinner all my offences that this day I have committed by thought word and deed and hereafter to preserve and keepe me from all danger both of body and soule to the end I may rise againe in health to praise thy glorious name and joyfully to serve thee in thankes giving with a chast body and a cleane hart and so for ever after behave my selfe according to thy blessed will by casting away the workes of darknesse and putting on the armour of light which Men behoulding may be provoked to glorify thee my heavenly Father who with thy only begotten sonne our only Saviour and the Holy Ghost livest and raygnest one true and everlasting God A Prayer for the sicke O Almighty and everlasting God the eternal health of them that beleeve in thee heare us for thy sicke servant for whom we humbly crave the help of thy mercy that health being restored unto him he may yeald thankes giving to thee in thy Church through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Prayers to obtayne the grace of the Holy Ghost O God to whom each hart is open and each will doth speake and from whom no fecret lyeth hid purify by the inspiration of the holy Ghost the agitations of our hart that we may deserve perfectly to love thee and worthily to praise thee through our Lord true God Amen To obtayne the same grace for our friends O God who hast powred the guifs of charity by the grace of the holy Ghost into the harts of thy faithfull grant unto thy servants for whom we crave thy clemency health of minde and body that they may love thee with all their strength and accomplish with all love what things are pleasing unto thee through Christ our Lord. Amen To obtayne the same grace for our enemies O God the lover and keeper of peace and charity give unto all our enemies peace and true charity and grant uto them remission of all their sins and powerfully deliver us from all their deceipts through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen A Prayer to repel wicked thoughts O Almighty and mild God mercifully regard our Prayers and deliver our harts from the temptations of evil thoughts that we may deserve to be made a worthy dwelling for the holy Ghost through the same Lord Jesus Amen A Prayer to require charity O God who maketh all things to profit them that love thee grant unto our harts an inviolable desire of thy charity that the desires conceived by thy inspirations may by no temptation be altered through the same Lord Jesus Amen A Prayer to begg Patience O God who hast broken the pride of the old enemy by the patience of thy only begotten Sonne grant unto us we beseech thee worthely to call to mind what he so meekely suffered for us and by his example quietly to endure the adverse changes falling upon us through Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer to require the suffrages of Saints WE beseech the O Lord defend us from all perils of body and mind and the glorious Virgin Mary mother of God praying for us togeather with the blessed Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul blessed S. Joseph Saint c. and all the glorious Saints and Angels thou being benigne grant unto us salvation and peace that adversities and all errours being destroyd thy Church may serve thee in secure liberty through Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer to require continency KIndle with the fire of the holy Ghost our raines and our harts O Lord that with chast bodies we may serve thee and with pure harts please thee through our Lord and only Saviour Jesus Amen A Prayer in tyme of warre O God who dissolveth warres and by the power of thy protection dost vanquish the impugners of them that trust in thee help thy servants earnestly craving thy mercy that the cruelty of all their enemies being depressed we may praise thee with incessant thankes-giving through our Lord Jesus Amen A Prayer for peace O God from whom are all holy desires rightfull counselles and just workes give unto thy servants that peace