The Pathway to Prayer and Piety, Prayer 11 – Prayer 12
A PRAYER BEFORE THE receiuing of the Communion.
MOſt gratious Father, thou haſt called mee now to thine holie Table, thou haſt ſet out a part of conſecrated bread and wine for mee. I acknowledge mine ignorance, that I muſt bee inſtructed by ſo many meanes: and I acknowledge the goodneſſe, that thou vouchſafeſt to teach me by ſo many meanes. I do heare thy word, and then is thy Son offered to mine eare: I receiue this Sacrament, and now he is offered vntounto mine eye. In the teſtimonie of theſe two witneſſes this truth is eſtabliſhed in mine heart, that my Sauiour ſuffered death for my ſinnes.
As it pleaſeth thée thus to offer mee thy fauour, ſo giuegive mee grace to accept this fauour.
Am I thus inuited to this bleſſed banket? GiueGive mee grace to put on my wedding garment, that the Bridegrome of this feaſt neuer ſay vntounto me; Frind how cameſt thou hither not hauing on thy wedding garment?
Haſt thou now commanded me to examin my ſelfe? let me now trie and examine mine heart, and looke how I ſtand in thy ſight: The Iewes would not eate with vnwaſhen hands, dare I eat with an vnwaſhen heart? they would not drink but their veſſels muſt be purified, and dare I now drinke and my ſoule not purified? Before the paſſeouer they ſanctified themſelues, and before this ſacrament ſhall not I now ſanctifie my ſelf? I deſire to doe it, Lord helpe my deſire; leſt eating and drinking vnworthily, I eate and drinke mine owne damnation. I therefore being now readie to come to thy Table, doe acknowledge and confeſſe mine owne vnworthineſſe; I hauehave ſinned againſt thée many waies, and that ſince I laſt receiued this Sacrament: I hauehave not knowne thée in thy word, beheld thée in thy workes, apprehended thée in thy Sonne, ſerued thée in the ſpirit, applied thee by faith, feared thée for thy iuſtice, nor admired thée as I ought for thy great mercies. I hauehave not frequented thine houſe, heard thy word, laid it vp in mine heart, nor practiſed it in my life as I ſhould. I, euen I, by the luſts of mine eyes, the luſts of my fleſh, and the pride of life, hauehave diſhonoured thy great and glorious name. And when thou haſt forgiuen me ten thouſand talents, I would not forgiue my brother and hundred pence.
What ſhall I ſay vntounto my ſelfe? I hauehave ſinned: I will doe ſo no more. I hauehave ſinned, Lord forgiue me all my ſins: and grant that in the whole courſe of my life hereafter, I may liue to the honour of thy great name.
GiueGive vntounto me now a broken heart, a contrite ſpirit, a ſorrowfull ſoule, and a minde hungring and thirſting after Chriſt, and his righteouſnes. GiueGive me now grace to know thée the only true God, the Creator and preſeruer of mankinde. GiueGive me grace now to féele the burden of my ſinnes, and that I am eaſed of them by the blood of Chriſt Ieſus.
I doe beléeue in him, helpe my vnbeléefe. I am ſorrie for my ſins, make me to be heartily and vnfainedly ſorrowfull. I promiſe now to liue neerer to thée then euer I hauehave done, giuegive mee power to performe my promiſe. I forgiue all that hauehave wronged me euen as thou for Chriſts ſake haſt forgiuen me. Let this forgiueneſſe of mine be without diſſimulation.
And becauſe I am now to taſte of bread and wine, make mee to conſider the vſe of them. I know O Lord that this ſacramentall bread is not the body of thy Son: this ſacramentall wine is not the blood of thy Sonne; but this I know out of thy holy word, that they are ſeales of his bodie and blood.
Teach me therefore now, moſt gracious God, that I, ſeeing bread and wine on the table, may behold Chriſt vponupon the croſſe; and obſeruing the bread broken to me, may conſider of Chriſts body crucified for mee: & looking vponupon the wine powred out of the veſſell, may thinke how Chriſts blood was powred out for my ſinnes. And as I receiue this bread & wine into my ſtomack, for bodily ſuſtenance: ſo cauſe me to féede on the body and blood of our Sauiour Chriſt, that it may be nouriſhment for my ſoule.
Grant, O Lord, that I may ſo now come to thy holy table, that hereafter I may bee partaker of thy heauenly Table, through Chriſt my Lord, and only Sauiour. Amen.
Our Father which art, &c.
A THANKESGIVING after the Communion.
ALL glorie, honour and praiſe be giuen to thée moſt glorious God, for all thy mercies beſtowed vponupon mee: for mine election in thy louelove, my redemption by thy Sonne, my ſanctification by thy ſpirit in this life, and hope of glorification in the life to come. I thank thée for thy word, in which I beare of thy goodneſſe: and I thanke thee for this Sacrament, in which I behold thy fauour.
I hauehave now béene partaker of bread and wine: Lord make mee partaker of Chriſts bodie and blood. Thoſe they will turne to the nouriſhment of my body: let theſe turne to the nouriſhment of my ſoule. By thoſe I féele ſome refreſhing for a while, by theſe let mee feele refreſhing for euer. O let not Chriſts blood be ſhed in vaine for me, but by it cleanſe me from all my ſinnes.
I hauehave now caſt vp all the poyſon of impietie: ſuffer me not hereafter to licke it vp againe. I hauehave now diſgorged my ſelfe of reuenge: let me neuer returne to my vomit againe. I am now waſhed from all my pollution: make me to remember that it is the part of a ſwine to wallow againe in mud or mire. I hauehave promiſed now to liue better than before: make the latter part of my life better than the former.
I am a liuing ſtone in thy building, knit me faſt to the corner ſtone. I am a branch of the vine, ſet mee faſt in that roote. I am a member of Chriſts body, kéepe mee that I neuer bee cut off. I hauehave renued this day my couenant with thée, grant that I may kéep it to my liues end. I hauehave this day béen put in mind of the benefit by Chriſts death: let me eueryevery day thinke often of his death, that therby I may learn to die vntounto ſin. And grant that euer hereafter I may ſo walk before thee, that all ſuch as know that I hauehave béen at thy table, may ſee that I am become a new creature.
As for the reſt of this day, in which thou haſt thus ſhewed thy ſelfe vntounto mee, grant that I may ſpend the ſame, not in ſurfetting and drunkenneſſe, not in chambring and wantonneſſe, not in ſporting and idleneſſe; but in hearing of thy word, calling on thy name, meditation of thy mercies, and in holy conference about heauenly things. VntoUnto thee O Father my Creator and preſeruer, vntounto thee O Chriſt my Redéemer and Iuſtifier, vntounto thee O Holy Ghoſt my Sanctifier, and Inſtructor, bee aſcribed of mee and thy whole Church, all praiſe and power, might and Maieſtie, glorie and dominion both now whileſt we doe liue, and for euer whileſt we ſhal liue. Amen. Our Father which art &c.
NOw the very God of peace ſanctifie me throughout: and, I pray God, that my whole ſpirit, and ſoule, and body may be kept blameleſſe vntounto the comming of our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt. Amen, Amen.