The Christian Sacrifice, Title page – Preface
THE CHRISTIAN SACRIFICE.
A TREATISE Shewing the Neceſsity, End, and Manner of Receiving the Holy COMMƲNION: TOGETHER With ſuitable Prayers and Meditations for every Month in the Year; and the Principal Feſtivals in Memory of our Bleſſed SAVIOUR.
In Four PARTS.
Ecclus. 14.20, 21.
Bleſſed is the Man that doth Meditate good things in wiſdom, and that reaſoneth of holy things by his underſtanding.
He that conſidereth her ways in his heart, ſhall alſo have underſtanding in her ſecrets.
LONDON, Printed by R. N. for R. Royſton, Bookſeller to His moſt Sacred Majeſty, in St. Pauls Church-yard, 1671.
MVNIFICENTIA REGIA. 1715.
GEORGIVS D.G. MAG. BR FR ET HIB. REX F.D.
J. Pine ſculp
TO THE READER.
THE Reaſons that moved me to write this Book, together with its deſign, I have declared in the beginning of it: and given Directions alſo, in their proper places, how to uſe it. I have little therefore here to adviſe the Reader of, but that I am much indebted for what I have writ, in the Second Part, about the Nature and End of this holy Sacrament, to a Treatiſe called MENSA MYSTICA: unto which I refer thoſe that deſire a larger diſcourſe on that ſubject. It is poſſible that I may not only have followed the ſenſe, but uſed alſo ſome of the expreſſions, which you find there. But if I have, it is more than I know: for I have not read it of many years; nor had either that or any other Book on this Argument by me, when I compoſed theſe Meditations. And to ſay the truth, ſince I comprehended, as I thought, what belonged to this matter; I was not willing to look into any: meerly leſt they ſhould hinder the free conceptions of my own mind; and their very words ſhould cleave too much to my Imagination.
I hope the Reader will think fit to bring the like free and unprejudiced mind to the peruſal of what I have writ; eſpecially an heart ſeriouſly deſirous to have holy Devotion wrought in it to our Creator and Redeemer: and then neither of our pains, I preſume, will prove unprofitable. But I do not mean by Devotion, only ſome tranſient thoughts and paſſions ariſing at certain ſeaſons; when we more ſolemnly addreſs our ſelves to God our Saviour: But a ſetled love to him, diſpoſing us to preſent him alway with an heart humble, pure, juſt and charitable; which is the oblation that all our other Sacrifices are to prepare for him, and the greateſt honour that we are capable to do him. For this expreſſes the high eſteem we have of him; that above all things we ſtudy to be like him, and conform our ſelves, whatſoever it coſt us, to his holy Nature and will. This indeed glorifies him before men; and all the praiſes we can beſtow upon him without this, are but words: which we revoke and unſay again when we croſs his Commands.
And for this end Chriſt inſtituted this Commemoration of the Sacrifice, which he made of himſelf to God; that we might be moved thereby to offer up our ſelves freely and chearfully, as he did, to do and ſuffer what our heavenly Father pleaſes. For it is rank hypocriſie to commend and praiſe his obedience to the death, whilſt we will not imitate it: but follow our own humours, rather than the will of God. And that is the ſcope of this Treatiſe, to excite thoſe that read it to worſhip the Lord with holy Worſhip, that is, ſaith one of the Ancients, by purged thoughts and reaſonings, right and true opinions; compoſed paſſions and quiet affections; and by likeneſs to God in vertue, to the utmoſt of our power. They are the words of Euſebius *L. 3. Praepar. Evang. cap. 13.: to which you may add theſe of Lactantius, There are two things that ought to be offered to God; a Gift and a Sacrifice: the Gift for ever, the Sacrifice for a time; and both the one and the other is incorporeal. The Gift is integrity of mind; the Sacrifice is praiſe and hymns. Therefore the moſt excellent manner of worſhipping God, is praiſe directed to him, out of the mouth of a juſt man ‖L. 6. Inſtit. Div. cap. 25.. The Euchariſt conſiſts of both, as you will find in this Book. The help of which if the Reader will be pleaſed to uſe, till he hath made himſelf ſuch a thankful oblation to God; he will not want a reaſon why I call it, The Chriſtian Sacrifice: nor fail to grow in wiſdom and ſpiritual underſtanding. For, as the Son of Syrach ſaith, The love of the Lord paſſeth all things for illumination: Ecclus. 25.11.he that holdeth it, whereto ſhall he be likened? The candor alſo of ſuch men, I know, is incomparable: which will make them charitably paſs by the defects, that they may eſpy in a work well intended. And if there be any that ſhall diſlike the deſign it ſelf, or ſlight my performance; I ſhall not concern my ſelf in their cenſures: but reſt in this, as well as other caſes, in the judgment of the ſame wiſe man; which they may do well to conſider:
Bleſſed is the man whoſe conſcience hath not condemned him; Ecclus. 14.2.and, who is not fallen from his hope in the Lord.
1.26.For it is an eaſy thing unto the Lord in the day of death, to reward a man according to his wayes.
THE CONTENTS
THe Firſt part treats briefly of the obligations we have to Communicate. Page. 1.
The Second ſhews the Ends and purpoſes of this Holy Action; and contains Meditations or Addreſſes to God ſuitable to each. p. 15.
You may find the firſt Meditation. p. 19.
The Second. p. 24.
The Third. p. 34.
The Fourth. p. 49.
The Fifth. p. 56.
The Sixth. p. 69.
The Seventh. p. 81.
The Laſt. p. 92.
Directions for the uſe of them. p. 95.
A more compendious form of Devotion after receiving the Bread. p. 96.
After the Cup. p. 99.
The Third part ſhews how to diſpoſe our ſelves to receive with profit and pleaſure. p. 105.
Several Meditations after the Conſecration of the bread and wine, and whilſt the reſt of the company is receiving, from p. 113, to p. 134.
A compendium of them. p. 135.
Directions how to uſe them. p. 136.
An Introduction to the laſt part of this Diſcourſe. p. 141.
Which contains Meditations and Prayers before and after the Communion
For January. p. 153.
For February. p. 175.
For March. p. 199.
For April. p. 219.
For May. p. 239.
For June. p. 259.
For July. p. 279.
For Auguſt. p. 299.
For September. p. 319.
For October. p. 341.
For November. p. 361.
For December. p. 381.
For Chriſtmas-day. p. 399.
For New years-day. p. 423.
For Eaſter-day. p. 437.
For Aſcenſion-day. p. 463.
For Whitſunday. p. 485.
Imprimatur,
Sam. Parker Rmo. in Chriſto Patri ac Domino, Dno. Gilberto Archiep. Cantuar. à ſac. Dom. Ex Aedib. Lambeth. Mart. 3. 1670/1
WHEN I conſider whence it is, that they who otherwiſe frequent the Chriſtian aſſemblies, are generally ſo negligent in Communicating at the Table of the Lord; the Reaſons ſeem to me to ariſe from one or other of theſe four Heads, It is either thought to be no neceſſary part of a Chriſtians Duty; at leaſt, not ſo neceſſary as others are: or elſe the Meaning, Uſe, and Benefit of it is not underſtood: or men are loth to be at the pains of diſpoſing themſelves to be worthy Communicants: or, laſtly, having ſometimes Communicated they found no good by it, and ſo left it of.
It is the deſign therefore of this ſmall Treatiſe, which a deſire to quicken and promote Chriſtian Piety hath brought forth, to ſhew as briefly and plainly as I can deviſe,
Firſt, that all thoſe who are called by the name of our Lord, have a ſtrong tye upon them to addreſs themſelves to his Holy Table; and
Secondly, that the ends and purpoſes for which it is prepared are ſuch, as both invite and ingage them to come thither:
Thirdly, to direct the Readers to an eaſy and familiar way of diſpoſing themſelves to do this duty with Profit and Pleaſure: and
Laſtly, to furniſh them with ſome Meditations and Devotions ſutable to the Action; for want of which, I conceive, many reap ſo little good from it.
Theſe are the Four parts of the inſuing Diſcourſe.