Father most wise Son most holy Spirit O three Persons truely distinct and one most pure simple Deitie O thou that art the Author of nature giuer of grace the first and vniuersall cause of all things and the most in deficient fountaine of all goodnesse here O Lord I know thou art present after a most heauenly spirituall true comfortable and most effectuall and powerfull manner to the soule of the worthy receiuer I worship thee as my God with my whole heart and with al my strēgth humbly praying thee in the merites of my Sauiour Christ that all my thoughts my desires words and workes may be now euer acceptable vnto thee that thou will heare my praiers and for thy mercies sake not without comfort dispatch them from thee I thank thee O foūtain of goodnesse for the innumerable great benefits which frō the very momēt of my conception vntill this instant houre I haue receiued of thy boūty for the infinit benefits which euē now at this very time I receiue from thee for those infinit benefits which euen vnto the ende of my life and for all eternity I shall receiue out of the treasures of thy immense goodnesse and bounty For I am O Lord without all comparison lesse then least of thy mercies vnworthy altogether whom thou shouldest remember susteine or comfort with the least of thy benefits But now especially most deere Father and mercifull God I giue thee thanks frō the bottome of my heart First for the most infinit riches which thou hast placed in the humanity of thy onely begotten Sonne my Lord Iesus Christ and because thou hast giuen him vnto mee for a Father a Teacher a Guide and a Redeemer Secondly for that great plenty of benefits wherewith thou hast not onely inriched me but also all those whom by thy effectuall grace through the whole Church thou callest to sanctification and newnesse of life and admittest to thy most sweete familiarity Thirdly also I thanke the most deere Father euen with all the strength of my minde for this thy great merey in taking me from the miseries of this world wherein many of thy seruants farre more worthy then I are plunged in calling mee to the knowledge of thy great name and graunting mee so many helps to serue thee as I haue Fourthly for all the talents and guifts both Naturall Spirituall and Temporall bestowed on mee that by them I might profitably spend my time helpe others according to my calling and power and dispose my selfe by thy mercy to attaine eternall felicity Fifthly for this vicissitude and change of consolations and desolations of prosperities and aduersities wherewith thou hast wonderfully wouen and seasoned my life that neither through continuall aduersity I should bee cast downe nor yet by assiduity of prosperity I should be made drunke Sixthly for this inestimable benefit of calling and admitting mee this day to the most heauenly participation of all the rich treasures that are hidden in the life death resurrection ascention glorification of thy onely begotten Sonne and most sweet Sauiour And now O my Lord God being animated with these and other thy innumerable benefits I presume humbly to sue for more Giue mee Lord and all that now are prepared for this heauenly feast Matth. 15 this day our dayly bread It is not good O my God to take the childrens bread and giue it vnto dogs but though this be so yet sometimes the whelps doe eate of the crummes which fall from their Masters table Therefore albeit I am in thy house like a despicable whelpe yet this day by thy mercy let mee feed on the bread of thy children and furnish my soule with all graces which may make me worthily to taste of thy supper Giue me thy most abundant grace that I may come to this my Redeemers bāquet with such assured faith profound humility due reuerence humble feare feruent charity constant hope and thirsting affections that I may there appeare to bee welcome vnto thee and may receiue into my soule all the fruits of this thy most heauenly Sacrament And because O my sweete Father Sauiour and Sanctifier this is a seruice wherewith thou art well pleased and by which thou conueiest vnto vs the bottomlesse Ocean of all thy mercies and graces I will now powre out my heart further in thy sight and because thy Sonne my Sauiour is omnipotent I will for his infinit merits sake pray vnto thee for all men Be mercifull therfore O Father of al mercies to the whole world and replenish it with thy faith and knowledge turning the Nations which are voide of faith to the knowledge of the truth in thy Sonne Christ Iesus Turkes Barbarians Heretiques Schismatiques Idolaters and the perfidious Iewes compell them now at length to enter into the house of the Church Let not so many millions created in thy image perish Let not that most pretious bloud of thy Sonne be shed for them in vaine I lament O Lord before thee these my brethren thus estranged from thee and the miserable condition wherein they lie intangled and if I could I would beleeue in thee with all the vnderstandings of these people I would loue thee with all their willes and I would perpetually serue thee with all their strengths But alas I can doe nothing but desire and lament and powre out my laments and desires before thy great Maiesty Haue mercy O Lord vpon thy whole Church increase in it the purity of faith and cleannesse of sanctification and extend it by the labour of thy good and painfull seruants to the ends of the whole world Behold with the eye of thy mercy thy righteous ones those that labour more and more for a further measure of sanctification preserue and increase in them true righteousnesse Behold all miserable sinners lying and stinking in the puddle of their sinnes draw them vnto thee and take them by a mighty hand out of that so miserable an estate Helpe Lord all those pastours of thy flocke and giue them grace that both by word and example they may shine vnto all men and their light may guide and direct others to saluation O Lord make them the salt of the earth the light of this cloudy world the cities placed vpon a high hill and giue them grace not onely to aspire vnto but to attaine that purity of life that zeale of thy glory which their place and dignity requires O Lord poure out thy mercies vpon our King and all other Kings and gouerours nobles plebeians and all the whole ranke of secular men that call vpon thy name deliuer them from their aduersaries ioyn them together in the peace of thy Gospell inrich them with a zeale and care of obseruing thy commandements that they may liue as it becommeth Christians and may obtaine that eternall saluation to which they were created Forget not the kingdoms principalities of thy Church but make thē more potēt then their enemies giue victory to their armies against the
Ensigne put all his Troupes to the sword themselues being such as illustrate many with the light of God and stirre them vp to emulation it cannot bee but such as are deuoted to this most fruitfull exercise must needs prosperously succeed And not without cause for there the mindes besieged with all kind of euils do gather new forces and are made more puissant both to tame the vnruly passions and also to acquire more vertues For albeit they enter vn-armed yet they go out armed and more valiant to fight of which that our Sauiours most couragious confronting of his aduersaries after his prayer in the Garden was a sure argument For Prayer establisheth the heart with magnanimity it is conceiued as if it were with the fortitude and strength of God instilled into it And what can so encourage the heart of man as the hand of the Creator stretched out to helpe And how can hee want the Hand that hath the Heart of his Creator Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them What shall I speake of those hidden comforts the knowledge of God the contempt of the world the peace of conscience and many other true tokens of the sonnes of God which are imprinted in the mindes of such as vse this holy exercise Beleeue it whatsoeuer by the most wise and eloquent men and Orators of the world can in this kinde bee spoken is lesse then these Orators of God by thus exercising themselues doe obtaine What then ought wee to doe seeing God requires this incessant duety of ours but that so much of our short time heere as may be taken from the necessary employment about things of this present life and our ordinary Callings should bee consecrated vnto prayer For this is as it were the very spirit of life which lifteth vp man from the dregges of this world into the fellowship and vnspeakeble fruition of the most hidden things of God There are but three sorts of good things in this life wherewith mans heart is rauished and all these are most richly attained vnto in this heauenly exercise That which is profitable is hereby by obtained euen vnto a certaine kinde of immunity from indigence and need of the profitable good things for it is plaine that men addicted vnto prayer are lesse vexed with hunger thirst heate cold and such like and therefore they vse both meate and cloathing most sparingly That which is honest they obtaine euen to the most high familiarity with God And that which is pleasant they obtaine euen to the most in-effable and most chaste delights and pleasures of heauen which in this world they most happily take a taste of That I may therefore giue a right farewell to this point the drift of all men prayers is to bee so grounded on the vnmoueable rocke of faith that there bee no haesitation in him that prayes but that hee assuredly trusts by Christ to obtaine the good things hee demands which assurance must be deriued from these 3. reasons which are so strong against all the incursions of sins passions and all temptations and so able to affect the heart as that they can moue euen the stones 1 Reason God albeit hee had not prouided for mans helpe neither the Incarnation Passion and Death of his onely begotten Sonne nor the holy vse of the Word and Sacraments nor any other thing yet of his owne goodnesse and naturall propensity vnto mercy hee is most mercifull nor can hee manifest his goodnesse and mercy in so high a degree to his other workes as in sparing for it is the highest degree of goodnesse and mercy to do good to such of whom hee is iniuried Seeing therefore God hath made all his workes to manifest his goodnesse and nothing makes so much to the end of his glory and manifestation as to haue mercy on men most miserable sinners certaine hope may be conceiued that hee will grant pardon to them that faithfully aske it and giue them both grace and glory God is more propense to doe good then the fire is to burne if therefore the fire as often as nothing hinders it burnes and consumes all that is put vpon it Surely nor will God so long as nothing with-stands him but haue mercy but nothing hinders God nor can as long as man doth seriously will and desire God to haue mercy on him therefore euen the most wicked may hope if they seriously desire it that God will forgiue their sinnes and giue them all necessaries Theee was neuer any man liuing from the worlds beginning so wickedly giuen to wine or intemperancy that was so much delighted with the pleasures thereof as God is delighted in hauing mercy If therefore the Drunkard and intemperate man doe not onely willingly take his pleasures but is violently carried away with the streame of them Surely God without any disgrace of so great Maiesty nay with much honour and dignity doth as it were hastily runne to take those pleasures of shewing mercy The euent proues it true hee therefore sent his Word into the world his Sonne because hee is delighted in quickenesse of mercy for his Word runneth very swiftly Seeing then that God when hee sheweth mercy doth a thing to himselfe honourable first to the glory of his great Name agreeable to his Palate and Disposition and therefore pleasant to him yea let mee say also profitable for so many seruants hee gaines as there be men on whom hee shewes mercy Who can be so mad and barbarous as not to conceiue most vn-controuleable hope and assure himselfe that the most munificent Lord will giue him whatsoeuer hee penitently and seriously asketh 2 Reason The most mercifull God from euerlasting when there was none to entreate him nor as yet the world was created being most propense vnto goodnesse fore-seeing Adams fall decreed that Iesus Christ our Redeemer should be incarnate and when the fulnesse of time came hee was incarnate of the blessed Virgine was borne and for the space of thirty three yeares suffered all kinds of discommodities and at last dying the most shamefull death of the Crosse purchased my saluation with his pretious bloud and by this price of his bloud so offered himselfe to the Father for me being but one as if hee had thought of redeeming none but mee so that his bloud all of it was no lesse shed for mee then if Christ had shed it for none else which the Apostle seemeth to haue thought saying I liue in the faith of the Son of God who loued mee and gaue himselfe for mee where hee speaketh more particularly then when hee saith Who gaue himselfe for vs and loued vs. If then Christ shed euery drop of his bloud for mee being but one If all his labours and bloudy sweate in the Garden were for mee being but one If hee cryed vnto the Father with strong cries and teares for mee being but one as if the matter had onely concerned the forgiuenesse of the
thy Maiesty Let all the guifts of thy holy Spirit rest vpon me O Lord the spirit of Wisdome and Vnderstanding the spirit of Counsaile Strength the spirit of Knowledge and Piety and let the spirit of thy Feare fill my heart that by these guifts I may bee made immoueable from thee and may grow vp to be a perfect creature in Iesus Christ Of other guifts graces which do not belong vnto sanctification giue mee so much onely as may serue to the saluation of my soule and performance of thy will And grant that I may bee imploied all my life in such businesse as may bee to the glorie of thy name my owne saluation Giue me O my God this grace that in all the talents and guifts which thou hast giuen mee I may neuer seeke my selfe but thy praise glory giue mee of thy goodnesse the guift of perseuerance that by no sin I may euer be separated from thee but vntil death and for euer may perseuer in thy grace Giue me by thy immortality and the most blessed death of my Redeemer a happie end of my daies in him and that after a good life in thee I may die the death of the Righteous take from mee the too much loue of this life and the immoderate feare of death graunt that I may so liue that I may say with the Apostle Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolued and to bee with Christ Giue me an inward light of the houre of death that I may flee the flattering inâ—icements of the world giue me an inward sauour of blessed eternity that I may ioyfully forsake all transitory things Giue me a true resignation in thy most holy will that I may willingly depart hence when how thou shalt dispose receiue my spirit cloathed with thy grace loue that for euer it may cleaue vnto thee To conclude take from me whatsoeuer may keepe me from thee giue me O Lord my Redeemer most potent helps to liue holily and die happily These are my petitions O my God these are the desires of my heart which I pray beg by all thy mercies the infinit merits of thy Son may be fulfilled not onely in me but in all my brethren vnto the worlds end that we may euer please thee in this life and inioy thy blessed presence in the life to come Amen Being thus prepared for some good time before the communion it followeth that comming into the Temple thou shouldest cast downe thy selfe vpon thy knees and prepare thy selfe further inuocating the name of God thus O blessed Trinity my God and my Lord I doe now come to be partaker of all those heauenly riches of my Sauiours life death and resurrection 1. In confession of that supreme dominion which thou hast ouer all creatures and of all manner of subiection which wee haue towards thee 2 In commemoration of the most bitter passion and death of Iesus Christ thy Sonne and my Sauiour according to his commandement saying As often as you doe this doe it in remembrance of mee 3 In thankfulnesse for all those infinit riches conferred vpon vs by his most precious death 4 In thankfulnesse for all his benefits wherewith he hath in this world magnified his Saints and mee his most vnworthy seruant O most omnipotent Father I come to this thy true refreshment of soules confirme in mee by thy grace all things which may make me worthily receiue the same I come vnto thee that thou who art life it selfe may by thy grace quicken mee thou which art the light may illighten me thou which art the fire may inflame me thou which art the rest may quiet mee thou which art the purity may purifie mee and thou which art ioy it selfe may reioice me I humbly pray by thy wisdome illuminate me that I may worthily vse these holy mysteries adorne my soule with those seauen fold graces of the blessed spirit that by thy infinit charity I may bee inflamed to receiue it worthily O my God I come vnto thee as smalnesse vnto greatnes as darkenesse vnto light as vncleannesse to holinesse as infirmity to power as the creature to God his Creator O make mee great in thy eies turne my darkenes into light my vncleannes to holines my infirmity to power shew thy selfe in mee as a most wise and potent Creator so a most wise and louing Recreator Redeemer I am most vnworthy to receiue so great fauours I confesse altogether vnworthy because I haue euer offended thee and past by al thy coÌ„mandements vnworthy because I haue euer coldly negligeÌ„tly serued thee vnworthy because I neuer fully with all my heart loued thee vnworthy because I am but dust and ashes nay very filth if any thing be worse worse then that I come vnto thee whom the heauen of heauens is not capable of how much lesse this house I come vnto thee who art the coÌ„mon Father of Men and Angels and who will not reuerence his Father I come vnto thee who art the Lord of all creatures who will not doe homage to such a Lord I come vnto thee as to the Father and Lord whose honour I haue contemned whose sonnes and brethren I haue not once but often both by word and example smitten and who will not tremble to stand before him so offended I come vnto thee my Lord whose seruant I haue smitten vnto thee my Father whose Sonne I haue slaine I smit him by word I slew him by example and shall I not feare such a Lord and reuerence such a Father Yes surely but yet as I come with feare so will I come with hope as I come with reuerence so will I come with confidence For thou hast appointed thy Sonnes bloud whom I haue slaine to be the only soueragin antidote heauenly remedie to heale my wounds and this thy blessed Sacrament to be the Cabinet out of which I must take that sacred plaister for it is the bloud of Iesus Christ thy Sonne 1. Io. 1. that clenseth vs from all sinne He is the bread of life Io 6. hee that cateth of it shall neuer die These words indeed are Spirit and Life they giue Spirit vnto my wounded spirit and life vnto my dead soule O looke vpon thy seruant that I may liue O blesse mee with the guift of such a faith as that out of my belly may flow riuers of water of life Amen 6 How to giue thanke after the Lord Supper is receiued IT were very absurde to receiue so vnspeakable a gift and not to returne thankes if after dinner rest from businesse and imployment be necessary for the health of man that the naturall heate may concoct the meate turne it into the nourishment of the body much more necessary is rest this feast being ended from distractions and businesse that the benefit of this Sacrament may come vnto vs and that it may diffuse his vertue strength into our soules But who will be so