Household Prayers, Prayer 10 – Prayer 11
The tenth Prayer, ¶ For the Communion in the holy Euchariſt.
Ieſus tooke bread, and when he had giuen thanks, he brake it, and gaue it to his diſciples and ſaid; Take, eate, this is my body. Then taking the cup, and giuing thankes, hee gaue it them, ſaying, Drinke yee all, for this is my blood, the blood of the Newe Teſtament, which is ſhed for many to the remiſsion of ſinnes.
Ma. 26.
ALmightie & euerlaſting god, according to thy louelove and infinite goodneſſe, it hath pleſaed thee, that not onelyonly to redeeme vsus from ſinne, from death, and from hell, and in all points to make vsus bleſſed, thy onelyonly ſonne (the brightneſſe and fulneſſe of thy glory) ſhould take vponupon him humane fleſh, and after hee had taught vsus the way to heauen, ſhould die vppon the croſſe, for the accompliſhment of his office, but alſo that this great benefite might ſtill bee preſent to our perpetuall duplicate page duplicate page comfort, and for the encreaſe and ſupport of our faith, that his body riſen againe in glory for our righteouſneſſe and perfection, aſcended into heauen, and ſitting at thy right hand, ſhould alſo bee communicated vntounto vsus here beneath in thy Church, in the myſtery of the Euchariſt, to bee our foode and nouriſhment vntounto holy and eternall life. Thus is there ſealed in our hearts that promiſe that hee hath made vntounto vsus in the goſpel, that hee will, at all times, make vsus partakers of his fleſh and of his blood, and in this Communion giuegive vntounto vsus the true and ſound foode of our ſoules, that in him (who is the liuing bread, diſcended from heauen) wee may obtaine our peace and felicitie. O mightie prouidence of the Lord, who called vsus to communicate in his body before his death, to the end to ſhew vsus, that by death he ſhould not be deſtroyed, and that he would neuer leaue his Church; O what a refreſhing is this, in this our earthly pilgrimage, and what a delicious banquet, in the bread and wine, conſecrated by the word of Chriſt, to eate his glorious fleſh, and to drinke his precious blood: when by faith in his promiſes, and by the vertue of his holy ſpirit, hauing our hearts cleanſed and lifted vp on high, his life, together with all his graces and bleſſings is made ours! O infinite bleſſed is that flocke that hath ſo liberal a ſhepheard, that will noriſh it with his bloud, to the end it may liue in him, and of him, free from all languiſhing and miſerie! O what a comfort is it in this vally of teares, to finde meanes to feede vponupon ſuch food as will not periſh, but reioyce all our ſences, and make vsus to liue eternally! For ſo and with ſuch efficacie (O Lord) doe wee communicate in the bodie of thy Sonne crucified and riſen againe, and in his bloud ſhed for the waſhing of our ſoules, when at his holie Table the ſacred ſignes are, by his ordinance, deliuered vntounto vsus, and that we doe receiue them as hee hath commanded, expecting that aboue in heauen without any exterior meanes, we may eate this bread of life, and drinke this ſweete drinke in the company of the Angels, & of all the bleſſed, then at the ful inioying of our vnion with thee, O great God, and the ioy of our beatitude accompliſhed. O moſt deſired daie, wherein we ſhall be fed and ſatisfied with this celeſtiall bread, that we may neuer die, nor thirſt againe in this newe life, where thou, O eternall God, ſhalt bee wholy in vsus. Oh happie are wee already, who already in Chriſt, in the communion of the faithfull, do taſte the ſweetnes of this celeſtiall banquet, wherin we ſhall ſee thee, and face to face contemplate [Father, Word, Spirit] one only and true God, beeing filled with thy glory in endleſſe peace. To the end therfore that according to thy Commaundement, O Lord, I may worthily preſent my ſelf to this holy banquet of ſacred foode, which the Angelles doe admire, and honour, which alſo thou doſt not communicate but to thy fleſh, I beſeech thee giuegive mee grace well to diſcerne the bodie of my Sauiour, in trying my ſelfe according to his word, ſo as my hart may be cleanſed from ſinne, and vncleaneneſſe, and repleniſhed with thy louelove, and with eueryevery other ſpirituall vertue, to the end, that euen this day, harbouring therein this great King of heauen, I may encreaſe in the faith and hope of my ſaluation, by his holines and righteouſneſſe. I hauehave repoſed al my confidence in thy mercy, I neither ſeeke nor hope for any good or grace, but from thee (my God) and in thy ſonne, and for his ſake, I doe deſire in my place, with ſimplicitie, to celebrate the remembrance of his death in the holy church to the glory of thy name, and the peace of my ſoule. I renounce the deadworkes of the fleſh, and the luſts thereof, I doe put off all enmitie and malice, with a good intent to embrace the liuely workes of the ſpirit, and to dwell in louelove and charitie with my neighbours, I do belieue in the promiſes that Chriſt (the infallible truth) hath pronounced with his owne mouth; That at his holy table, he will truely make me partaker of his body and blood, to the end I may poſſeſſe him wholy, and in ſuch ſorte, that being made fleſh of his fleſh, and bone of his bone, he may liue in mee, aad I in him for euer. Helpe O Lord the weakeneſſe of my faith, ſupport mee in my infirmity, and in that deſire which thou giueſt me, to profit in the ſound knowledge of thy myſteries, and in the practiſe of the pathes of thy kingdome, conioyne vntounto the ſame deſire, the performaunce of the deede. For it is onelyonly by the vertue of thy ſpirit, in ſinceritie of heart, that I ſhall this day receiue from the ſame Ieſus, the effect of his word, in participating truely in his new and eternall teſtament, the couenant of grace, ſo to perſeuer in this bleſſed ſocietie of his Bodie, that from him I may inceſſantly gather ſtrength and life, and vnited with him, I may alſo attaine to bee one with thee (my Creator.) Grant mee therefore, that in this maner I may, with thy Church, celebrate the moſt holy remembrance of our Lord, and of the worke of our redemption, to the end, that ſo receuing this great ſacrament of his body, with a newe augmentation in all heauenlie grace, with ſo much the greater confidence I may againe call vponupon thee my God, and my Father, and more & more glorifie my ſelfe in thy mercies. So be it.
The eleuenth Prayer, For thankſgiuing after the Communion.
And when they had ſung a Pſalme, they went out vntounto the Mount of Oliues.
Mat. 26.
O Lorde, my God, & my Father, euen from the bottome of my heart, and with all my ſoule, I yeelde thee praiſe and thankes, for that it hath pleaſed thee to enlarge ſo great a benefite to mee miſerable ſinner, as to hauehave drawn, and receiued mee into the ſacred Communion of thy ſon Ieſus Chriſt my ſauiour. The heauen of heauens are not able to comprehend him, yet doth he ſo farre honour vsus, as to vouchſafe to communicate with vsus, yea euen to enter into vsus (poore wormes of the earth.) For ſuch was thy good pleaſure, (O Lord) to deliuer him once to the death, for the redemption of thy elect; and as to eueryevery one of them, ſo doeſt thou this day giuegive him to mee, to be my foode and ſpirituall ſuſtenance, that I may liue of him, and in him, bleſſed both in body & ſoule eternally. I beſeech thee therefore, O mercifull Father, ſo to bleſſe in me, this holy and myſticall action, that my vnworthineſſe make it not vnprofitable vntounto me, & that the pretious bloud of thy ſonne, bee not in vaine ſhed for mee, and offered me to drinke: but that waſhed in the ſame, and cleanſed from my ſinnes, I may obtain that iuſtification, and holines, that beſeemeth thy children, who hauehave this moſt holy one to be their hoſte, and head, & thy ſpirit for their light. Let me not be ſo wretched, as to abuſe theſe ſacred meates, which thou doſt communicate to thy houſhold of faith onelyonly, the prouiſion whereof coſt thy welbeloued ſon Ieſus ſo deere. Rather (my God) grant that in true efficacie I may participate in this ſacrament of his body to encreaſe in faith & louelove, and all other thy gifts, that I may neuer abandon thy holy couenant. Alas! whither ſhould I go but to thee, the fountaine of eternall life, by Chriſt, who is the fulnes thereof, and by whom it runneth into vsus? Caſt from me all carnall cogitations and delights, and all theſe earthly baites, which turne to gall and corruption, becauſe I hauehave in my bowels an incorruptible foode, more ſweeter then honny, the bread of Angels, the bread of heauen, the bread of life, which with out any ſacrament wee ſhall feede on aboue, without ende; where Chriſt, according to his promiſe, ſhall, with vsus, drinke the fruite of the new vine, yeelding vppe vntounto thee, the kingdome, O eternal God, that thou maiſt be all in all. I doe therefore reſigne my ſelf into thy hands, and vnderunder thy conduct, that I may runne my race in ioy, and a good conſcience before thy face, and before men: And that I may departe in peace, when my houre is come becauſe Chriſt is my life. To thy name therefore, (O almighty Creator) to thee Redeemer of the elect, to thee Comforter of the faithfull, who by thy ſecret vertue doeſt worke this vnſpeakeable and miraculous coniunction of our ſoules with the body of the Lord. To thee Trinity (Father, Word, Spirit) one only and true God, be all honour and glory. Amen.