Directions for a Godly Life, Chapter 11
Chap. XI. Of Meditation at the Lord's Table.
Having thus fitted ourſelues by examination of our eſtate, ſtate premeditation of the benefits, & prayer for a bleſſing, wee may aſſure our ſelues that wee hauehave prepared our ſelues for the receiuing of the holy Communion (though by reaſō of our weakeneſſe, not in that meaſure, yet) in that right mā ner as wee ought: and ſo hauehave performed the firſt duty required of vsus, namely diligent preparation; wherevpon wee may boldly & chearefully (otherwiſe not) preſēt our ſelues vntounto the Lord's Table: where wee are to bee excerciſed in a ſecond duty, namely, a ſeaſonable Meditation.
This Meditation muſt bee threefold. 1 Before. 2 In the time of the Conſecration. 3 After the ſame, or, in the time of Receiuing.
Before the Conſecration, whē the Miniſter is going towards the Table, Meditate on theſe 2. things. 1 Seing the table ſpread, & the Elements ſet thereon, we are to conſider, what place we are come vntounto; namely the Table of the great King of Heaven & Earth; & that therefore we ought moſt carefully & reverently, to behaue our ſelues, both in body by a reverent & ſeemly geſture: & alſo in mind, laying aſide all earthly cogitations whatſoever: and that in a twofold reſpect. 1 Becauſe the place it ſelfe is holy and therefore ought not to bee prophaned by any vnſeemely behaviour; for theſe muſt bee layd aſide, as GOD commanded Moſes. Exod. 3.5. Put off thy ſhoes from off thy feete, for the place whereon thou ſtandeſt, is holy ground. 2 Becauſe as the place is holy, ſo alſo God himſelfe is there amongſt vsus, as he ſayth Matth. 18.20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midſt of them: Hee is in the midſt of vsus, beholding not only our outward geſture but our very hearts & affections; and ready both to reward thoſe that honour him by reverencing; & to puniſh all ſuch as diſhonour him by prophaning and abuſing his holy ordinance: which we ſhall doe if our carriage be not with feare and reverence.
2. When we heare the Miniſter ſay, Drawe neere and take this Sacrament; wee muſt conſider that God by his Miniſter freely inviteth vsus to his Table; then let every one lift vp his heart by this or the like ejaculation.
Lord, I am not worthy by reaſon of my ſinnes to approach before thee; but ſeeing it hath pleaſed thee in mercy to call mee, behold, in humility & obedience I come.
Then joyne in prayer with the Miniſter. In the time of the Conſecration wee ought ſeriouſly to ſettle our mindes on the Elements, & the Actions about thē, for the better ſtirring vp of our devotion: & ſo meditate thus. 1. When we heare the Miniſter read the words of Chriſt's Inſtitution, & ſee him take the Bread & Wine; wee ought joyfully and thankfully to meditate on the great louelove of God in ſetting apart his Son for the Redemption of vsus his enemies; which is repreſented in the taking of theſe Elemēts, & ſetting thē apart to be diſtributed vntounto vsus, as ſeales and pledges of the ſame: joyfully (I ſay) in reſpect of the benefit, which doth thereby come vntounto vsus, & thankfully in reſpect of God's louelove, which is greater thā all the harts of men joyn'd in one are able to expreſſe.
2. When wee ſee the Bread broken and the Wine powred out, we ought to be exerciſed in a twofold meditation. 1 Of comfort; conſidering that the Bread is broken and the Wine powred out, not onelyonly to be the more diviſible to the Communicants, but chiefely to repreſent vntounto vsus the crucifying of Chriſts Body, and the ſhedding of his Blood for our ſinnes: for hee was broken for our iniquities. Iſai: 53.5. By which is not meant that any bone of him was broken, but that hee was crucified: whence wee ſhould every one of vsus gather this comfort, ſaying to our ſoules: Chriſt Ieſus was broken on the Croſſe, and ſuffred an accurſed death for mee; by whoſe merits, I truſt, I ſhall eſcape the curſe of that death, which is due for my ſinnes vntounto mee. And here by the way wee may take notice how the Papiſts doe erre in delivering whole cakes vntounto the Communicants, which repreſēt Chriſt whole not crucified, and ſo afford the leſſe comfort.
2. Of ſorrow, & that for our ſins; the grievouſneſſe of which was ſuch that they could not bee ſatisfied for, without the pretious Blood of Chriſt Ieſus: theſe were the ſpeares that pierced him to the Soule; that was that, which drew his pretious Blood from his ſide: and the conſideration of this ſhould breed in vsus a harty ſorrow, that we ſo vile wretches, as wee are, ſhould thus wound ſo loving a Redeemer: and certainly if wee doe not grieue for thoſe ſins, for which hee hath ſo much ſmarted, wee may juſtly feare that the ſtupid Earth, the hard rockes, and the darke graues, which trembled, rent, and opened at his death, ſhall one day riſe vp in judgement againſt vsus & condemne vsus. When therefore we ſee the Bread broken &c: let every one thus meditate; O vile wretch that I am, that I by my ſinnes ſhould thus wound my mercifull and loving Redeemer.
After the Conſecration, when the Miniſter is receiving himſelfe (conſidering that wee are in the preſence of God, who ſeeth our very hearts) wee ſhould power out our ſoules vntounto him in this or the like ſoliloquie.
O Sweete Ieſu, I doe humbly acknowledge with the Centurion that I am not worthy, that thou ſhouldeſt enter vnderunder my roofe, much leſſe to come and ſuppe and dwell with mee: but ſeeing it is thy good pleaſure to vouchſafe mee this favour, cleanſe mee, I beſeech thee, from my ſinnes, that I may entertaine thee in a pure and ſanctified heart, ſtrenthen my faith that I may fully rely on thy merciemercy; comfort mee with thy bleſſed ſpirit & ſo dwell with mee for ever. grant this, O bleſſed Redeemer, for thy mercies ſake, Amen.
Againe, before wee receiue, when the Miniſter is comming to diſtribute, and offers the Elements vntounto vsus (conſidering that Chriſt with all his benefits is offered vntounto vsus by GOD, as well as the Elements by the Miniſter) let every one meditate thus with himſelfe: Chriſt with the benefits of his Death doth now come to ſanctifie and comfort my ſinfull Soule, in full aſſurance whereof I am to receiue theſe ſignes and Seales at the hand of his Miniſter; And ſo as he ſtretcheth out his hand to receiue theſe, let him lift vp his ſoule in faith with this or the like ejaculation. Come, Lord Ieſu vntounto thy humble ſervant, as my truſt is thou wilt. This wee are to doe after the Conſecration, before wee receiue.
After this in the act of receiuing wee are to performe theſe two things.
1 While wee eate the bread, meditate every one thus.
Bleſſed Ieſu, I doe heartily beleeue that thou waſt crucified on the Croſſe, and that for mee as well as for any other, and, as I hauehave now receiued this Bread broken, whereby my Body ſhall bee nouriſhed: So I beleeue that I hauehave alſo receiued ſpiritually thy Body crucified with all the benefits thereof; the full pardon of all my ſinnes; and the ſtrengthening and refreſhing of my ſinfull ſoule; this I beleeue, Lord, helpe my vnbeleife for thy mercies ſake. Amen.
2. When wee drinke the wine, and while wee feele it in our ſtomake, wee ſhould thus meditate.
Moſt bleſſed Redeemer, I do truly beleeue that thy Blood was ſhed out of thy Body, as verily as I hauehave receiued this wine apart from the bread; and that for the remiſſion of my ſinnes, as well as any others: & I do alſo beleeue that with this wine I hauehave received thy precious Blood, whereby my ſins are fully waſhed away & my ſoule purified: & that according to thy promiſe, I ſhall neuer hunger nor thirſt any more; becauſe with this Bread & Wine I hauehave receiued thy fleſh, which is meat indeed, & thy Blood which is drinke indeed; with which I hūbly pray thee to cheriſh & nouriſh my poore ſoule, & to encreaſe in me hearty louelove to theſe my fellow-members, who hauehave now participated with mee, that ſo we may ſerue thee as we ought, and that nothing may bee able to ſeparate vsus from thy louelove; which I humbly beſeech thee to grant for thy mercies ſake. Amen.