The Handmaid to Private Devotion, Part 5 – Part 8
Religious duties to be performed at the time of the receiuing the Communion.
1. Prepare thy body by a decent gesture.
2. Recollect thy mind, and fixe thy thoughts wholly vponupon this most sacred action stir vp in thee.
3. Stirre vp in thee.
1 An holy feare out of this consideration, that God is there present in a speciall manner, and his Angels attending on him, and obseruing thee. Say to thy selfe in the words of Iacoh. O how fearefull is this place; it is no other then the house of God, and gate of heauen.
2 An holy astonishment or admiration, out of this consideration that the Lord thy Maker and Redeemer, and the high possessour of heauen and earth, so farre humbles himselfe as to bee thy guest. Say to thy selfe in the words of Salomon. Is it true indeed that God will dwell on the earth? Behold the heauen, and heauen of heauens cannot containe him; how much lesse the narrow roome of my soule? 1. King 8. 27.
3 An holy abashment or confusion, out of this consideration, that so vile a worme, and sinfull wretch as thou art should hauehave so infinite a Maiestie, and holy God to come and sup with thee. Say to thy selfe in the words of the Centurion. Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnderunder my roofe: or with S. Peter, Depart from me, for I am a sinfull man.
4 An holy sorrow out of this consideration, y• thy sins did put thy Sauiour to these torments, which are signified, and liuely represented in this Sacrament. Say to thy selfe in the words of Ieremiah. O that mine eyes were a fountaine of teares to bewaile those sinnes which drew so much bloud from my Sauiour.
5 An holy ioy, out of this consideration, that the infinite debt of thy sins is discharged, and the acquittance deliuered into thy hands. Say to thy selfe in the words spoken of Zacheus. This day saluation is come into mine house.
6 An holy desire of expressing some kind of thankfulnesse to God, out of this consideration, that together with the Sacramēt thou receiuest Christ himselfe, and all the benefits of his passion. Say to thy selfe in the words of Dauid. What shall I render vntounto the Lord for all his benefits that he hath done vntounto me? I will take the cup of saluation, and call vponupon the name of the Lord.
4 Ioyne the signes with the things signified. Take Feede on
bodily
Bread
Wine
ghostly
Bodie.
Bloud.
5 Obserue & meditate vponupon the resemblances betweene them.
1 Bread and wine, true, and in substance, not in appearance onelyonly.
Christs bodie a true bodie; his bloud true bloud, not in shew onelyonly as some Hereticks hauehave imagined.
2 Bread one bodie or lumpe made of many graines: wine one liquor or drinke of many grapes.
Christ his body one of many members vnited together.
3 Bread and wine an entire repast.
Christs body and bloud the perfect refection of the soule.
4 Bread and wine strengthen and comfort the heart.
Christs body and bloud est ablisheth the heart and comforteth the conscience.
5 Bread and wine the common foode of men, not children.
Christs bodie and bloud in the Sacrament no foode for children, but men in riper yeares that can examine themselues.
6 Bread and wine are designed and set apart for the holy Communion.
Christs body and bloud designed and appointed by God for man his redemption, and satisfaction.
7 Bread and wine layed vponupon the Communion table.
Christs body and bloud layed vponupon the Altar of the crosse.
8 Bread and wine consecrated by the Priest, and exhibited to the Communicants.
Christs body and bloud consecrated by the eternall Spirit, and offered to his Father.
9 Bread broken, wine poured out.
Christs body bruised and torne, and his bloud poured out.
10 Bread and wine giuen by the Minister.
Christs body and bloud giuen by the Father.
11 Bread and wine taken into the hands of the faithfull Communicant.
Christs body and bloud receiued by faith, and applyed.
12 Bread and wine eaten and drunke with the mouth.
Christs body and bloud fed vponupon in the heart.
13 Bread and wine vnited to the substance of our body, and made one with vsus.
Christs body and bloud vnited to vsus & made one with vsus by an vnspeakable and inseparable coniunction.
14 Bread and wine sustaine and nourish the body to a temporall life.
Christs body and bloud nourish and preserue body and soule to eternall life.
15 Bread and wine increase the substance of one body.
Christs body and bloud worthily receiued, increase faith and all spirituall graces in the soule.
Short pravers to be vsed in the very act of receiuing, or a little before.
Lord make me a worthy partaker of these most holy mysteries:
Prepare me before
Assist me in
Comfort and confirme me after
the receiuing of this heauenly foode.
Lord
1 Renew my repentance.
2 Confirme my faith.
3 Perfect my charitie.
4 Increase my knowledge.
5 Fasten my intention.
6 Quicken my deuotion.
Lord giuegive me I humbly beseech thee;
1 Sorrow for my sin.
2 Thirst of thy grace.
3 Knowledge in thy mysteries.
4 Faith in thy promises.
5 LoueLove to thy members.
6 Thankfulnesse for this inestimable fauour thou vouchsafest me inbidding me to thine owne Table.
A short thanksgiuing after the Communion, to be vsed in the seate or at the Lords Table.
GRacious Redeemer, I most heartily thank thee for these pledges of thy louelove, and tokens of thy fauour, and seales of the generall pardon for all my sins. And I vow by the helpe of thy strengthening grace from henceforth euer to abstaine euen from all appearance of euill, & neuer willingly to offend thee in thought, word, or deed. How shou… sinne against thee who hast died for me, and washed my sinnes in thy bloud, which I hauehave now receiued to my vnspeakable comfort? Another.
Affect me with a taste of this heauenly food, and continue the rellish of it in the mouth of my soule; & make me for euer hereafter loath the worlds delicacies, the fleshes baites, and the diuels morsels; especially the forbidden fruite of, &c. Here name thy secret and bosome sinnes, which thou hast bene last or most ouertaken with. Another.
Welcome blessed and heauenly guest, my dearest Lord and bountifull Sauiour. I bow the knees of my heart vntounto thee; I put my hands vnderunder thy sacred feete pierced with nailes for me; I lay downe before thee the keyes of my euerlasting doore: Enter high Lord of heauen and earth; take possession of all my inner roomes: Com…nd and rule all the faculties of my soule, and members of my body, especially the hidden roome of my heart: Liue and dwell with me here below by faith, till I come to dwell with thee for euer aboue in heauen. So bee it.
How is it that my Lord is come himselfe to visite me. Vse also this forme.Can a sinfull man expect of God such grace? much lesse deserue it. Wilt thou conuerse with Publicans and such sinners as I am? Nay wilt thou not onelyonly eate with them, but suffer thy selfe to be eaten of them? I am astonished at this thy wonderfull humilitie, and vnconceiueable louelove, Lord make me for euer mindfull of it, & thankfull for it. Amen.
Glorie be to God on high,Or this. on earth peace, and eternall comfort in my conscience. I am fed now with thy body, and my heart is cheared with the cup of the new Testament in thy bloud Now I am incorporated into thy mysticall body, and am made flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone. Lord let nothing be euer able to separate me from this; but sith all things worke for the good of thy chosen, let all things more and more vnite me to thee, that I may grow from grace to grace, and strength to strength, till I come to the fuu measure of thy perfect age. Amen.
I hauehave now eaten of this bread and drunke of this cup, Or this.according to thine holy ordinance: Lord grant that I may feele in my soule the effect of this spirituall refection, by the confirming of my faith, assurance of my hope, enlargement of my louelove, and my increase in spirituall strength against all tentations.
At my conception and birth thou gauest me my selfe ô Lord,Or this. and now according to thy promise in the Sacrament thou hast giuen me thy selfe, and by faith I hauehave receiued thee. I can do no lesse, and I would I could do more then giuegive my selfe wholly vntounto thee. Refuse me not who hast giuen thy selfe for me, and vntounto me. Take me into thy fauour and seruice. Keepe mee in thy Church which is thy house continually, and protect me against all my bodily and ghostly enemies.
A larger forme of Thanksgiuing after thou returnest to thy house or chamber from receiuing the Communion.
I Yeeld vntounto thee, ô most bountifull, gracious, and euerliuing Lord and Sauiour, the greatest thanks my heart can conceiue, or tongue expresse, for this inestimable fauour, that thou vouchsafest to bid me to thine owne Table, and there hast feasted my soule with the true Manna that came downe from heauen, the foode of Angels, thine owne blessed body and bloud. O knit my heart, and affections for euer vntounto thee, who hast substantially and inseparably vnited thy selfe vntounto mankind, by taking flesh from vsus in thine incarnation, and giuing vsus thy flesh in this sacred institution. What shall be able to separate me from thee, or from thy members, who by thy Spirit and vertue of this Sacrament, am truly incorporated into thee, and made a member of thy mysticall body? How can I question thy louelove, who hast giuen me this pledge of thy fauour? How can I forget thy bitter death and passion, whereof thou hast instituted so liuely a memoriall? How can I doubt of thy promises, whereof thou hast giuen such a seale? How should I distrust my future inheritance, whereof thou hast giuen me this earnest? I know thou wilt denie me no good thing, who hast giuen me thy selfe. I know that I shall liue eternally and blessedly, because by thy faith working in and through this Sacrament, I receiue the seede of immortalitie; I am truly made partaker of thy naturall, yea and a liuely part of thy mysticall bodie; and when the head reigneth in eternall glorie, the members must needs participate of glorious eternitie. What shall I offer vntounto thee for these so singular benefits, which I receiue by the Sacrament? My body is vile, my soule sinfull, and worse then nothing in respect of thy glorious and sacred flesh and bloud. One drop of thy bloud is more to be valued, then a thousand worlds; which yet to testifie the aboundance of thy louelove, thou pouredst out, and offeredst plentifully for me vponupon the crosse, and now affordest to me in the cup. Shall I not spend my dearest hearts bloud in thy seruice, who hast shed thine for me? Shall I not willingly seale thy truth (if need bee) with my bloud, who hauehave now receiued the pardon of all my sinnes, signed with it? What shall I render to thee for all thy louing mercies contained in this conduit of thy grace? I will take this cup of saluation, and I will not refuse the cup of trembling for thy sake, by the helpe of thy grace I will more strictly keepe my holy vowes which I hauehave heretofore made, and now renew. I will seeke to carrie my selfe as a guest of so holy a table. Hauing eaten Angels meate, I will endeauour my selfe to leade an Angels life. Hauing supped with thee, I will rest with thee, & hauehave my conuersation in heauen, and dwell with thee for euer. Amen.