The Practice of Christian Graces, Part 8 – Part 11
EjACULATIONS to be used at the LORDS TABLE.
LOrd I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof.
I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men.
[Here recollect some of thy greatest sins]
If thou Lord shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord who may abide it?
But with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous Redemption.
Behold, O Lord, thy beloved Son, in whom thou art well pleased.
Hearken to the cry of his blood, which speaketh better things then that of Abel.
By his Agony, and bloody Sweat, by his Cross, and Passion good Lord deliver me.
O Lamb of God which takest away the sins of the world, grant me thy Peace.
O Lamb of God which takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon me.
Immediately before Receiving.
THou hast said that he that eateth thy flesh and drinketh thy blood hath eternal life.
Behold the servant of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word.
At the Receiving of the Bread.
BY thy Crucified Body deliver me from this body of death.
At the Receiving of the Cup.
O let this blood of thine purge my conscience from dead works, to serve the living God.
Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.
O touch me, and say, I will, be thou clean.
After Receiving.
WHat shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me?
I will take the Cup of Salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Therefore blessing, honour, glory, and power be to him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb, for ever and ever, Amen.
I have sworn▪ and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous judgments.
O hold thou up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
A Thanksgiving after the Receiving of the Sacrament.
OThou Fountain of all goodness, from whom every good and perfect gift cometh, and to whom all honour and glory should be returned, I desire with all the most fervent and inflamed affections of a grateful heart, to blesse and praise thee for those inestimable mercies thou hast vouchsafed me; Lord what is man that thou shouldst so regard him, as to send thy beloved Son to suffer such bitter things for him? But Lord, what am I, the worst of men, that I should have any part in this atonement, who have so oft despised him and his sufferings, O the height, and depth of this mercy of thine, that art pleased to admit me to the renewing of that Covenant with thee, which I have so often & so perversly broken, that I who am not worthy of that daily bread, which sustains the body, should be made partaker of this bread of life, which nourishes the Soul, and that the God of all purity should vouchsafe to unite himself to so polluted a wretch: O my God, suffer me no more, I beseech thee, to turn thy grace into wantonness, to make thy mercy an occasion of security, but let this unspeakable love of thine constrain me to obedience, that since my blessed Lord hath died for me, I may no longer live unto my self but to him; O Lord, I know there is no concord between Christ and Belial, therefore since he hath now been pleased to enter my heart, O let me never permit any lust to chace him thence, but let him that hath so dearly bought me, still keep possession of me, and let nothing ever take me out of his hand. To this end be thou graciously pleased to watch over me, and defend me from all assaults of my spiritual enemies, but especially deliver me from my self, from the treachery of my own heart, which is too willing to yield it self a prey. And where thou seest I am either by nature or custome most weak, there do thou, I beseech thee, magnify thy power in my preservation. [Here name thy most dangerous temptations] And Lord let my Saviours sufferings for my sins, and the vowes I have now made against them, never depart from my mind, but let the remembrance of the one enable me to perform the other, that I may never make truce with those lusts, which nailed his hands, pierced his side, and made his Soul heavy to the death. But that having now a new listed my self under his banner, I may fight manfully, and follow the Captain of my Salvation even through a Sea of blood. Lord, lift up my hands that hang down, and my feeble knees, that I faint not in this warfare, O be thou my strength, who am not able of my self to struggle with the slightest temptations. How often have I turned my back in the day of battel? How many of these sacramental vowes have I violated? And Lord I have still the sa…e unconstant deceitful heart, to betray me to the breach of this. O thou who art Yea and Amen, in whom there is no shadow of change, communicate to me, I beseech thee, such a stability of mind, that I may no more thus start aside, like a broken bow, but that having my heart whole with thee, I may continue stedfast in thy Covenant; That not one good purpose which thy Spirit hath raised in me this day, may vanish, as so many have formerly done, but that they may bring f…rth fruit unto life eternal. Grant this, O merciful Father, through the merits, and Mediation of my Crucified Saviour.
A Prayer of Intercession to be used either before or after the receiving of the Sacrament.
O MOST Gracious Lord, who so tenderly lovedst mankind, as to give thy dear Son out of thy bosom, to become a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, grant that the effect of this Redemption may be as Universal, as the design of it, that it may be to the Salvation of all. O let no person by impenitence and wilful sin forfeit his part in it, but by the power of thy grace bring all, even the most obstinate sinners to Repentance. Inlighten all that sit in darkness, all Jewes, Turks, Infidels, and Hereticks, take from them all blindness, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word, and so fetch them home, blessed Lord, unto thy fold, that they may be saved among the number of the true Israelites. And for all those upon whom the Name of thy Son is called, grant, O Lord, that their conversations may be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ, that his Name be no longer Blasphemed among the Heathen through us. O blessed Lord, how long shall Christendom continue the vilest part of the world, a sink of all those abominable pollutions, which even Barbarians detest. O let not our profession, and our practice be alwayes at so wide a distance. Let not the Disciples of the Holy and Immaculate Jesus, be of all others the most profane and impure. Let not the subjects of the Prince of Peace be of all others the most contentious, and bloody, but make us Christians indeed, as well as in name, that we may walk worthy of that Holy Vocation, wherewith we are called, and may all with one mind and one mouth glorify thee, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Have mercy on this languishing Church, look down from Heaven the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy glory, where is thy Zeal, and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards us? Are they restrained? Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever, but though our backslidings are many, and we have grievously rebelled, yet according to all thy goodness, let thy anger & thy sury be turned away, & cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary, which is desolate, for the Lords sake; and so separate between us and our sins, that they may no longer separate between us & our God. Save and defend all Christian Kings, Princes, & Governours, especially those to whom we owe subjection, plead thou their cause, O Lord, against those that strive with them, and fight thou against those that fight against them, and so guide and assist them in the discharge of that office whereunto thou hast appointed them, that under them we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty▪ Bless them that wait at thine Altar, open thou their lips that their mouth may shew forth thy praise, O let not the lights of the world be put under bushels, but place them in their candlesticks, that they may give light to all that are in the house. Let not Jeroboams Priests profane thy service, but let the seed of Aaron still minister before thee. And O thou Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, succour and relieve all that are in affliction, deliver the out-cast and poor, help them to right that suffer wrong, let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee, and according to the greatness of thy power, preserve thou those that are appointed to dye; grant ease to those that are in pain, supplies to those that suffer want, give to all presumptuous sinners a sense of their sins, and to all dispa…ring, a sight of thy mercies, and do thou, O Lord, for every one abundantly above what they can ask or think. Forgive my enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and turn their hearts. Powre down thy blessings on all my friends, and benefactors, all who have commended themselves to my Prayer. [Here thou maist name particular persons.] And grant, O merciful father, that through this blood of the crosse, we may all be presented pure and unblameable, and unreprovable in thy sight; That so we may be admitted into that place of purity, where no unclean thing can enter, there to sing eternal praises to Father, Son, and holy Ghost, for ever.
A Prayer in times of common Persecution.
O BLESSED Saviour, who hast made the crosse the badg of thy Disciples, enable me, I beseech thee, willingly and cheerfully to embrace it; thou seest, O Lord, I am fallen into dayes, wherein he that departeth from evil maketh himself a Prey, O make me so readily to expose all my outward concernments, when my obedience to thee requireth it, that what falls as a prey to men, may by thee be accepted as a sacrifice to God: Lord preserve me so by thy grace that I never suffer as an evil doer, and then, O Lord, if it be my lot to suffer as a Christian, let me not be ashamed, but rejoyce that I am counted worthy to suffer for thy name: O thou who for my sake enduredst the cross, and despisedst the shame, let the example of that love and patience prevail against all the tremblings of my corrupt heart, that no terrors may ever be able to shake my constancy, but that how long soever thou shalt permit the rod of the wicked to lye on my back, I may never put my hand unto wickedness: Lord, thou knowest whereof I am made, thou remembrest that I am but flesh, and flesh, O Lord, shrinks at the approach of any thing grievous. It is thy Spirit thy Spirit alone, that can uphold me, O stablish me with thy free Spirit, that I be not weary & faint in my mind. And by how much the greater thou discernest my weakness, so much the more do thou shew forth thy power in me, and make me, O Lord, in all temptations stedfastly to look to thee, the author and finisher of my faith, that so I may run the race, which is set before me, and resist even unto blood, striving against sin: O dear Jesus, hear me, and though Satan desire to have me, that he may winnow me as wheat, yet do thou, O blessed Mediator, pray for me that my faith fail not, but that though it be tryed with fire, it may be found unto praise and glory and honour at thy appearing. And O Lord, I beseech thee, grant that I may preserve not only constancy towards God, but charity also towards men, even those whom thou shalt permit to be the instruments of my sufferings, Lord, let me not fail to imitate that admirable meekness of thine, in loving and praying for my greatest persecutors, and do thou, O Lord, overcome all their evil with thy infinite goodness, turn their hearts, and draw them powerfully to thy self▪ and at last receive both me and mine enemies into those mansions of peace and rest, where thou reignest with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever.
A Prayer in time of Affliction.
O JUST and holy Lord, who with rebukes doest chasten man for sin, I desire unfeignedly to humble my self under thy mighty hand, which now lyes heavy upon me, I heartily acknowledg, O Lord, that all I do, all I can suffer, is but the due reward of my deeds, and therefore in thy severest infl…ctions I must still say, Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments. But, O Lord, I beseech thee in judgment remember mercy, & though my sins have enforced thee to strike, yet consider my weakness, and let not thy stripes be more heavy, or more lasting then thou seest profitable for my soul; correct me but with the Chastisement of a father, not with the wounds of an enemy, and though thou take not off thy rod, yet take away thine anger: Lord do not abhor my soul, nor cast thy servant away in displeasure, but pardon my sins, I beseech thee, and if yet in thy fatherly wisdome, thou see fit to prolong thy corrections, thy blessed will be done, I cast my self, O Lord, at thy feet, do with me what thou pleasest. Trye me as silver is tryed so thou bring me out purified. And Lord make even my flesh also to subscribe to this resignation, that there may be nothing in me, that may rebel against thy hand, but that having perfectly supprest all repining thoughts, I may cheerfully drink of this cup. And how little soever thou shalt please to make it, Lord, let it p…ove medicinal, and cure all the diseases of my soul, that it may bring forth in me the peaceable fruit of righteousness. That so these light afflictions which are but for a moment, may work for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, through Jesus Christ.
A Thanksgiving for Deliverance.
O BLESSED Lord, who art gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil, I thankfully acknowledg before thee, that thou hast not dealt with me after my sins, nor rewarded me according to my iniquities. My rebellions O Lord, deserved to be scourged with scorpions, and thou hast corrected them only with a gentle and fatherly rod, neither hast thou suffered me to l…e long under that, but hast given me a timely and a gracious issue out of my late distress: O Lord, I will be glad and rejoyce in thy mercy for thou hast considered my trouble and hast known my soul in adversity. Thou hast smitten and thou hast healed me, O let these various methods of thine have their proper effects upon my soul; That I who have felt the smart of thy chastisements, may stand in awe, and not sin, and that I who have likewise felt the sweet refreshings of thy mercy, may have my heart ravished with it, and knit to thee in the firmest bands of love, and that by both I may be preserved in a constant entire obedience to Thee all my dayes, through Jesus Christ.