A Brief EXPLANATION Of several Mysteries of the HOLY MASS, And of the Actions of the PRIEST Celebrating. Very Necessary for all Roman CATHOLICS For the better Understanding thereof. Together with Certain Reflections upon the APOSTLES CREED, Touching the Blessed SACRAMENT. AND ALSO, Divers Meditations and Prayers both before, and after Communion. By T.G. Heretofore Fellow of New-Colledge in Oxon, deceased. LONDON, Printed by Nat. Thompson For the Brother of the said T.G. 1686. THE THOUGHTS Wherewith Generally I use to Hear, and to Assist AT MASS. ✚ THe true end of the Mass, is that which Christ set For his Remembrance; And, methinks, the whole Body of Ceremonies, (consisting in several Actions, Words, Postures and Ornaments, which make up the External Parts of the Mass,) do Represent to me (as in a kind of Perspective) not only, the Several Things which Jesus Christ did, and Suffered, whilst he was here upon Earth * Durand's l. 4. c. 1. * 20 Acts 27. ; but also, The whole Council of God touching man's Salvation by him. All what he hath already done; or shall yet farther do, (to that purpose,) even from the beginning of the World, to the very last day of Judgement, is here set before me, in Shorthand. Whereby, I am put in mind (in the very entrance to my Devotions) that That One great propitiatory Sacrifice, made Once upon the Altar of the Cross, was offered up, as for all Mankind in general, so particularly for every single Person that has been, is, or shall be, from the World's beginning, to its end, according to that Expression in the Revelation, 13 Revel. 8.1 Pet. 1.19, 20. Of the Lambs being slain from the beginning of the World. And (consequently) that this Sacrifice in the Mass is the Commemorative one, of that Perpetual Sacrifice; which never hath, nor ever shall cease to be Offered (in some kind,) since the Fall of Adam. For the Virtue of that Sacrifice on the Cross is diffused throughout All Times, both preceding and following the … on of Jesus Christ. And by I● are saved, all that have or shall be saved. In which sense, it is called, the General Perpetual Sacrifice of the whole Church. ✚ Upon the Priest 's Recess from the Altar, and standing at a distunce on the lowest degree thereof. BEing thus Disposed and Figured by this Fundamental Notion: I no sooner see the Priest in his Sacerdotal Habit, or Vestment, Ascending up to the Altar first, and suddenly Descending again to the very lowest degree; But it remembers me instantly, of Man's Propinquity to God in Adam whilst he stood Innocent; and then of his being thrust out of his Presence again quickly, upon Adam's sin; of which, by being derived from him, we are every one Guilty, and so, not only driven out of Paradise, but even debased down to the lowest degree that such a Creature could fall. DEVOTION. O My God I am sensible of my present Condition; that, during This Life I am in a Banishment from Paradise; caused by that sin, which I committed in my first Parent Adam; and that, by That Original, and many more Personal Transgressions, (whereof I stand Guilty before Thee,) I am fallen into the Lowest State, that a poor Creature can (likely) be brought unto. And I feel, that (by thy Grace, which Thou art pleased to Afford me, even in this miserable Condition of mine) I do thereof Repent me, and therefore Ought to range myself, (as I do,) among the Lowest of any that can pretend to be Thy Servants, (that is,) among the Penitents. 'Tis also by the same Grace, that Thou puttest me in the Humble Posture of a Stranger and Wayfaring-man only in This World; by causing me to Turn again (by Little and Little, as the Motions and Conduct of Thy Holy Spirit Guide me) toward That Paradise, out of which, for my sins I was driven. O keep me Thus Humbled, I beseech Thee, and never suffer me to forget either of these Low Conditions, which are so proper to the state of a Sinner, and so proper to the state of a Convert too: Nor let me swell higher by the least proud Conceit; That being It, that ruin'd me at First. Take out of my Spirit all Inclinations to Things of Greatness or Port, and give Me a Holy Affection to Meanness, as being most suitable, to what, indeed, I am; to the Example of my Saviour Jesus Christ, as He lived here; and especially, to this present Cendescention of His, in the Sacrament, Humbling himself to be, in such Ordinary and Despicable Elements, and this, at the Word of a poor frail Man. The Confiteor. THe Priest standing Thus, at a distance, yet still between Hope and Despair; bethinking himself what to do. 1. Bowing. 2. Advancing the Cross of Christ. 3. Calling on the Trinity. In Nomine, etc. * supra. and encouraging himself towards God. 4. By a Psalm of David's, Judica, etc. 5. At last in an Humble Posture; he acknowledgeth, and Confesseth, That he is unworthy to approach nearer to Him, or so much as to His Altar: And that Thus 'tis with him, most deservedly; (as for that Original sin, wherein he was Conceived, and to which he Implicitly Assented; so likewise) for many other committed by him, with a more express Will, throughout the whole course of his Life. And here, I conceive, that surely, he maketh not this Confession for Himself only, but for Every one Present; yea, for the whole Church; (for in Her Name he comes now to Offer the Sacrifice.) And hence it is, that the Minister who represents the People, makes a Confession with him in the same Words. By It, is the whole Assembly, and every one of us in particular, (for whom he therefore speaks in the Singular Number) Invited to put himself, together with him, in the Posture and State of a Penitent; and to acknowledge before God, our own unworthy Condition. DEVOTION. VOuchsafe me, O my God The Grace of Tenderness of Heart; Seriously and deeply to resent my own vile and dangerous Condition, so far at least, that Presently (without any longer delay) I may lay open the worst of my Self, and Confess to Thee, (together with the Priest;) and Own in Thy sight, All my Faults; by a Repentance so True and Real, as may last, and make itself, ever hereafter, appear to be so, more and more in All the Actions of my Life to come. Imprint in my Soul a Restless desire of Returning to Thee for Good and All: Eternally to serve Thee: Beginning this Service now in this World, as I mean to continue it hereafter in the next, without Interruption or Relaxation; at least, carrying it on, so Evenly, from this my last Penitence; that so, I may make Reparation (in some sort) for my Failings and Recidivations, and Breaches of Faith and Promise, since my First Conversion; which I should have taken care, not to have proved so false unto, nor ever once to have violated. Upon the Priest's Reascending to the Altar and Kissing It. Deus tu Conversus, etc. AFter this Confession; and that the Priest and Minister have openly avowed their Faults and Indignities, both severally and jointly Praying for each other: They further Animate and Encourage one another, by Reflection on God's Mercy, expressed in Words of a Holy Boldness and Confidence, as they find them in the Scriptures * Psal. 85. of the Messiah. Deus tu Conversus, etc. ostend nobis Domine, etc. So proclaiming (alternately) that, though from themselves they can hope for Nothing, yet they cannot but grow most Confident in their God, considering what he hath given his Word for, to perform. With such Holy Cheerfulness; and yet still checked by a private Awe, occasioned by his particular sins (secretly (than also) Prayed against;) The Priest adventures up again to the Altar, and Kisses It. In token (say I) of a New Reconciliation to Christ Jesus, and all His Church-Triumphant: for by the Altar is represented Christ Crucify'd, and by the Relics of some Saints enchased in It. The whole Body of that Triumphant Society, now more nearly joined to their Head, and becoming even one with Him. DEVOTION. I Adore, O Lord, this Infinite Mercy of Thine; which is now brought into my Mind by the Priests going up again unto Thy Altar, and Kissing of It, in Token that Thou art again Reconciled to us. So early was Thy Goodness to us, that no sooner had We Offended Thee, but instantly Thou hadst projected a Way, by which we might come to be Pardoned. As appears by thy Calling after, and searching out, our first Parent in Paradise, immediately after he had fled from Thee, and lost himself. In that so Ancient, and indeed Eternal project and design it is, that Thou hast already (in effect) Pardoned us, so long before We were Born; and extended Thy Grace even to Us, in Jesus Christ, before all Ages, as one of Thy Apostles hath computed it. And now, Thy Mercifulness, still equally willing to make good that Design, and to appear as Great and as Ready to save in Time, as it was to Project, in Eternity; doth here Receive Us into Favour again, as soon as ever We but Acknowledge, and Confess our Faults, as that Prophet of thine hath Noted, and as Thou publicly declarest to Thy whole Church, in admitting the Priest thus to Kiss thy Altar (which is an Image, and stands in stead of thyself) suddenly after he hath ended His and Our Confession: Thereby to show, that Perform we but our Duty once in a true Confession of our Faults, and there's no doubt to be made, but Thou, in the same moment art Reconciled unto Us. I most Earnestly beseech Thee to give me the Grace to value, and entertain, this Immense Bounty of Thine, with a Respect due to it; and to enable me, in some degree to imitate it: That is, that, (First, never, never willingly Offending Thee, never so; next) for those Involuntary Lapses, and Delinquencies, which my surprised infirmity so often stands guilty of (and in this frail Life, are utterly unavoidable,) I may so take all diligent Care, to discharge myself of Them, as soon as ever I perceive them committed, as Thy Goodness is ready to Pardon them, as soon as ever, in a true Penitence and Detestation, I acknowledge them before Thee. At the Introit. THis which is called the Introit * Vide Durand. l. 4. c. 5. Goar. p. 124. of the Mass, signifies, That great Declaration Evangelical, which God made to Mankind presently upon Adam's Fall, Of his good Pleasure and Will to deliver them from that Misery, wherein they lay; and to restore them to Grace and Favour again, by giving them a Saviour This seems so to me; because every Introit in particular, either Prays, or gives Thanks for, or Celebrates with some Joy, some special Execution of that Will of God, suitable to the Feast or Mystery, for which the Mass is said. DEVOTION. I Thank Thee, O my God, for that, ever since that first Inclination and Good Will of Thine: To be again Reconciled to Mankind; Thou hast taken care, (all along) to make it evidently Appear to men, by some real effect thereof; and by some particular Grace and way of Dispensation, suitable to each Age, hast gone on, advancing and Accomplishing by little and little, that thy Great Design of Redeeming and Saving the World, even to the very Fullness of Time, wherein it was to be, Entirely perfected. O that the Resolutions which I, too, have already taken; or shall, farther yet, take to do Thee Service towards this End, might have something in them also, of the Stability and Immutableness of that, Thy unchangeable and everlasting Purpose. And that (though sometimes I be not able to Execute them fully according to my Intention, yet (even then) they may discover themselves in some (partial yet seasonable) Effects, enough to testify, that I have not forgot them, or am Unfaithful to Thee; but only do expect, (with some Passion) the Time wherein I may, according to my little Abilities, most completely acquit myself. Kyrie Eleison, Kyrie Eleison, Kyrie Eleison, etc. WHat are these, but ardent Aspirations and Sighs of the Saints for the fulfilling of that Promise of the Father in the sending his Son; addressed to the Son himself, whom they Invoke as a Saviour, and would incline Him to come quickly? They are Thrice repeated in Honour of the Holy Trinity, from whom they beg the accomplishment of that Mystery. Christ Eleison, Is said in the second place to show 'twas the second Person, they demanded to be their Saviour. And every person is Invoked thrice, to show the numerous multitude of these Desires which they put up to the Trinity before the attaining them. The number of Three, signifying (Often, or many times) in Scripture: So St. Paul is said to Pray Thrice, etc. (1.) Often, to have his Temptation removed. DEVOTION. INcrease in me, O Lord, my Faith Of the Holy Trinity, and of Thy Incarnation, by which means thou art become the Saviour of the whole World; and kindle in my Heart a lasting, longing Desire of Thy second Coming; no way Inferior to What the Ancient Patriarches had to See Thy First. As the chief Point of Their Piety and Devotion consisted in This, Of a Strong Faith and Passionate (yet Patiented) Attendance for the Day of Thy Incarnation and Resurrection; So, (by thy Grace and Favour) Let It be the scope of Mine; still to be, in an Earnest Expectation and Waiting for the Great Day of thy Triumph; when Thou shalt appear so Gloriously to All Men, and to All Angels. And let me Live (in This Interim,) with the Eye of my Intention, so uncessantly fixed, Upon Thy Divine Person; as thou thyself Livest, by having Thine perpetually placed, on That of Thy Father: And may my Heart ever and anon breath out her Wishes, in these words, Veni, veni Domine & Noli tardare; Even Come, Come Lord Jesus, and tarry no longer! Gloria in Excelsis. NOw is Represented the Performance of That Promise of the (so much desired, and so long expected) Messiah coming; together with the Joy of Men and Angels immediately upon It. This being the Hymn Sung at His Nativity. Very properly therefore is This Angelical Hymn of Joy, omitted upon days of Sadness and Penitence; such as are days of Commemorations of the Dead and Ordinary Feria's which (in going before Sunday, the day of the Resurrection) fitly shadow out to us the Time of this Life to be a Time of Repentance and preparing ourselves for that Great Lordsday at the General Resurrection. And so this Hymn of Glory is Sung still on every Lordsday, and the days of the Blessed Virgin, and the other Saints now Regnant in the Glory of Christ their Lord. DEVOTION. I Humbly Thank Thee, my God That thou hast been pleased, to give Me my Being; Now, after thy Incarnation and Nativity; Under the New-Law, and In Thy Holy Church; Thus separating me, from so many Infidels; so many Heretics and Schismatics, as be without: and (if I be not Treacherous to myself, from) so many False Christians, that Live, even in the midst of It, as if they had as little Faith as those. I beseech Thee, that, As the Reflection upon this Transcendent Good, is deservedly the Cause of so Great Joy and Jubilation, common, to All the Angels in Heaven; and on Earth, to All Men, of good Will; so It may ever Affect my Soul, more sensible and more piercingly, than All the Pleasures, or then All the Pains that can befall It in this World. Make me count it, my chiefest Felicity, to be One, in the Number by'r of those Men of Peace and , that the Angels Saluted and gave the Joy to at Thy Nativity. Give me that Peace which the World cannot give, and That Good Will, which alone gives me back again to Thee. There's no good, Good Will, but in a True Love of Thee; O, give me That! Dominus Vobiscum. HEre the Priest turning about to the People and Blessing Them, seems to Communicate to them the Benedictions of Christ Jesus, now born in the Flesh, for this very purpose to Bless Mankind. And therefore his Blessing in particular, is, That God may continue amongst Us: Expressed in those very words which unfold That Name, which the Scripture gives to Christ in order to his Incarnation, that is, Emanuel, as much as to say. A God with Us. But before he pronounceth This Blessing, He Kisses the Altar, as It were taking It in his Mouth, first from Jesus Christ himself, (in whose stead stands the Altar,) as from whom, being an in-exhaustible Spring, opened by God for our refreshment: All manner of Blessings, Favours and Graces are derived upon Us. DEVOTION. VOuchsaefe me the Grace to lead, (in this Blessed Time of the New-Law, and in the Communion of thy Holy Church, where thou art still Present with Us, after a special manner) such a Life, as may render me capable of all thy Blessings; that thou mayst still Turn thy Face towards Me, and lift up the Light of Thy Countenance upon Me, to secure Me, and to impart unto Me, every day more and more of that Rich Treasure which thou hast provided for Me. V; upon the Priest's turning back again, and Praying. Oratio. HAving breathed forth this Benediction over the People; He turns him to Jesus Christ again, (1. to the Altar) to present to Him some Prayers (as the time requires, one, or more) for Confirmation of That Blessing, and humbly to testify his Dependence on him, as not being any thing, but his Instrument; nor able to confer on others the least good, but only by way of Humble Petition to his Divine Majesty. DEVOTION. ENable me to Pray, without Ceasing, as thy Scriptures Command me; since, in this Life thou bestowest Nothing upon Us for our good, but by being Petitioned first. Let me then still be putting up Requests unto Thee; often reinforcing the Old; and Multiplying (as Thy Priest at the Altar does) New, upon every important occasion. At the Reading the Epistle. NExt is read The Epistle, taken sometimes out of the New Testament: Sometimes out of the Old: This puts me in mind of that Notice which was all along given To the Jews of the Coming of their Messiah; first by the Prophet's foretell; and then exhibited to them by St. John, and the Apostles. And for this reason (I think) 'tis read on that Corner of the Altar which is on the Priest's Right-hand; because the Jews were a Nation chief Beloved of God, and at first his chosen People, to whom he entrusted his Oracles. DEVOTION. I Do not a little Wonder at Thy Constant and Untired Love to the Jews; who were the Only People, whom Thy Prophets were sent to Save, to whom Thou thyself cam'st and Preached'st the Gospel: And (though not the Only, yet) the First, to whom Thy Apostles declared Thy Resurrection. Thy Resurrection; A point of such moment, that to Represent It the more Lively; The Priest, (who sustains the Person of Thee Risen) throughout the Whole Mass, even in the Act of Sacrificing and Oblation, Celebrates all Standing. O, my God, Permit not Me, to 'Slight Thy Holy Word; or to Undervalue its Preachers, who come to Us in Thy Name, and on thy Errand: As that Stiffnecked, Hardhearted and Rebellious People have rejected the Addresses of the Prophets and Apostles Thy Servants, nay, of Thy Son Christ Jesus himself. Let not thy Holy Commands be a New Occasion and Aggravation of Sin to Me, as to Them It was; but Improve them to Me into True Gospel, and Words of Salvation; by Inspiriting me to do That which Thy Law enjoineth; and not suffering my Sinful Inclinations, to Quench this Spirit, and Evacuate Thy Grace. Gradual and Alleluja, or Tractus. Immediately after the Epistle read, succeeds the Gradual, with either Alleluja or the Tractus. IF with the Alleluja, I apprehend that thereby Priest and People join in Acclamations of Praise and Thanks to God; as It were in lieu and Supplement for the Jews Ingratitude, Infidelity, and great neglect of the Gospel, as if therefore by way of Reparation we would show ourselves the more zealous, and by certain Degrees of Versicles and Benedictions raise ourselves to be more Attentive to what they slighted. Or, if in the place of Alleluja, a Tractus be annexed; (which being a Mournful Ditty, therefore appointed for days of Penitence and Sorrow; and to be read more Gravely, and drawn out more leisurely, and Sadly,) We are admonished thereby to compose ourselves to ask Pardon of God, for Those Sins, which we also, (no less than the Jews) have committed, in our Great Neglect of the Gospel; and to look on ourselves as partakers of their Gild, and to be Penitent for It. DEVOTION. LEt Thy Goodness prevent me from such Jewish Ingratitude, and more; Now I have received from thee, so many more and Greater Favours than They. As, particularly, The Light of the Gospel, the Grace of Baptism; and then a greater Portion of Thy Holy Spirit Confirming Me, and Even Thine Own Body and Blood for Nourishment. Be It the Business, to take up All my Thoughts All my Life long, To weigh the Greatness, and Variety of Thy Mercies: And may Nothing in the World have such Power, as to make me pass by inconsiderately, much less to forget, the least. The Tractus. DEVOTION. I Fall down before Thee, O dear Father with Shame, and great Confusion of Face; calling to Mind Those Sins which I have committed, particularly, against the Precepts of thy Gospel; which Gospel, I (though I refused not with the Jews, but entertained it with Protestation to Live according to it; and if need were, to Die for It, yet) have violated frequently by Great and Enormous Crimes; being so much less excusable than They, into how much stricter an Oblation I entered into. I have Cause enough to fear, O my God, that Thou shouldst Abandon Me too, at last, as Thou hast forsaken Them; because, having contracted a deeper Gild than They, 'tis but Reason I should be more severely punished. To provide against such a mischief in Time; I now beg of Thee, The Spirit of Repentance; which I beseech Thee to Give and continue to Me, to my last gasp; whereby, to Expiate my grievous Faults, and to put me again into the Quality of a True Christian. For the Spirit of Repentance It is, which is the very Beginning of Christianity; and most Proper Condition of the New Law; delivering us from the Sins, and consequently from the sad Effects of the Old; (which is, according to the Apostle, the Law of Wrath and Death) and working out of us by degrees, still more, what yet it finds in us as Relics of the Flests, of Judaisme, or of base Earthliness. Upon the removing the Book. UPon this Action, my Consideration is; That The Jews (refusing to Hear and understand aright the Prophets and Apostles) were at length Neglected; and the Apostles turned unto the Gentiles, bringing The Gospel and the News of a Saviour to Them; which is now represented, by changing the place of the Book, from the Right Hand of the Priest, to the Left; denoting that Christ, had now left the Jews, who before were the people of His Right-Hand; and that (in their stead) The Heathens at His Left (that is, abandoned heretofore to the Curse of God, and not His people) were now made his people, and dearly Beloved; and That among Us it is that Jesus Christ now keeps Residence and Establishes His Church. Here is made indeed No intimation at all, that the Gospel was ever Preached to the Jews, (though to them it was Preached first;) and here is something betokening; as if Christ had Preached It to the Gentiles (which yet he never did:) But the Reason of Both is, First, That That is omitted; because that Preaching of it to the Jews was so In-effectual and Fruitless, as not considerable; especially in respect what Glorious Entertainment It had afterward, among the Gentiles, in the full Explication and vigour of It, as of a New Law. And Secondly, That This is solely insisted on, Because, though Christ Preached not Himself in person to the Gentiles, but only by his Apostles & Ministers, yet was It, in so wonderful Success and Communication of Grace, and Benediction, and Reformation of Manners (the True Fruits of the Gospel) that Now only, among these, seems He to have fully Exercised his Office of an Evangelical Preacher; now only, indeed, to have promulgated the Law of Grace in the quickening Spirit, as opposed to That of the Jews in the Killing Letter. DEVOTION. NEver, O Lord, take away, The Grace thou hast Given, from Me, to Confer It on Another, as, in thy Justice Thou hast removed Thy Gospel from the Jew to the Gentile. Let Thy Gifts in me be without Repentance, as Thy Scripture speaks. Make me ever Remember That saying of St. John * 3 Apoc. 11 (a Figure of Thy Elect!) Take heed, Hold fast That which Thou hast, that no man take Thy Crown. Let me not be Tempted to prise myself as more Worthy than such Offenders, whom thou hast not favoured, as Thou hast done Me; lest I come under that Curse and Malediction wherewith Thy Apostle Threatens the Gentiles, 11 Rom. 20, 21, 22. if they arrogantly insult over the Jews, whom Thou hast rejected. Transplant Me, Out of those Countries of the World, where Thou art not duly Worshipped, into some Holy Land, Exempt from its Malignity and Corruption; where I may serve Thee more freely, and more Faithfully. Make me comprehend the force of those words of the Apostle, Exhorting Us to follow Thee, On the Right-hand, and on the Left; that at all turns, Of Adversity and Prosperity, Health and Sickness, Life and Death; I may cleave to Thee unseparably. The Gospel. THe Book being removed to the Lefthand of the Priest, To show (as I have said) the publication of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, now to those on his Lefthand, That were his Enemies, the Gentiles; After some preparation, by, 1. Particular Prayers for Assistance. 2. And Benediction. 3. He Crosses the Book and Himself. 4. And Names the part he intends to Read. 5. The People stand up, and Answer, Gloria tibi Domine; and in that posture, (continue during the Reading) 6. Testify, not only their readiness to Hear, but also to put in Execution, whatever is therein proposed. 7. The Gospel being read, the people give again their Approbation. 8. With Laus tibi Christ, and the Priest saying. 9 Per Evangelica Dicta, etc. Kisseth It. All testifying a high respect to the Gospel. The Book continues in that same place almost to the end of the Mass: Intimating thereby, the continuation of the Gospel among the Gentiles only, to almost the end of the World. DEVOTION. GIve me the Grace to understand, and take the Words of Thy H. Gospel, as one of thy Faithful Ones; that is, As a Man ready to do, as It says, and to practise suitably to what he Professes to Believe. Make Me Stand always firm, and Erected above All, that (otherwise) might be Impediments to my Ready Obedience; Hearing thy Voice as a Friend of the Bridegrooms, and joying in nothing so much, as rightly to Understand Thy Will, and fully to Accomplish It. Let My Spirit Kiss Thee, (as at the End of the Gospel, the Priest does the Book,) thereby, in all Holy Reverence to Adore Thee, after I have gotten a glimpse of Thee, by that Light, which thou hast Now been pleased to dart into Me, from Thy Words. Make me always keep thus, Close unto Thee; and continue in this Union with Thee, which certainly I Own unto Thee, as to One that hath the Words of Eternal Life, and Art the very Soul of the Gospel. O, whither should I go from Thee? Never let any Occurrence in this Life, never any danger that any Enemy of mine may engage me in, be able to separate Me from my Obedience to Thee. It is in This preparation of Heart, for whatsoever Thou shalt Command Me, (be the Consequencce what It will,) that I desire to lay the Foundation of all my Piety and Devotion. At the Credo. THe saying of the Creed, is a Protestation of our Faith and Obedience to the Gospel coming to Us from God through the Lips of the Priest. DEVOTION. But let me not Content myself only with this Inward Preparation of Heart To Believe, and Serve Thee so; but give me Courage to profess before all the World the Sincerity of an Unfeigned Faith in Thee, and Constant Love to Thee; by which, I pretend to Honour and Observe Thee in all things, without ever being ashamed of the Truths and Maxims of Thy Gospel. Of every one of which; as well the least as the greatest, let me still have an equal undispensable esteem; and be ready to maintain all in General; nay, each one in particular, (though with the certain loss of whatever belongs to me beside; even of my Life itself, and Salvation too, if That were possible) in All the Occasions and Encounters that the Conduct of Thy Providence, for Trial, shall engage Me In. In special, O my Saviour, I Believe that Thou art the Son of the Eternal Father; That You both, Produce the Holy Spirit from everlasting; and that You, all Three, Reside after a most signal manner in The Church; which is so the House of the Faithful, as that out of It, There is no Faith at all to be found; or, at most none such, as shall any thing avail, towards Salvation. I am resolved to Believe, as Truth, all that is delivered to Me as from You; and to confirm and justify my Belief by my Words; and my Words, by good Works of all sorts; and my Works, by all the Variety of Sufferings, that You shall think fit to send me. The Second Dominus Vobiscum. AFter this Profession of Faith, or (if that be omitted,) immediately after the Gospel, the Priest, having first Kissed the Altar, turns to the people, to Bless them in Christ's Name for so Respectful a Reception of the Gospel, and public profession thereof. DEVOTION. HElp me, O Lord, to receive with Pious Affections This Blessing which Thy Priest now Dispenseth, (in turning Himself toward Thy Faithful) as from Thee; Now, that we have Assented to Try Word, and thereof made a public Profession. And Bless me thereby more Internally Thyself, that this Thy Grace may cleave to, and continue in my Heart, enabling It to Persevere in Thriving and Growing up thereby to a Holy Life, and constant practice of Obedience to all Thy Commandments. The Offering and Offertory. HEre was brought in (Antienly) Immediately after The Benediction, the people's Offerings, as an Effect (as it were) of that Benediction. Then before these Offerings laid on the Altar, Sung both Priest and People certain Praises to God, (which, were called the Offertorium, or That, with which They presented their Offerings,) to terstifie the Sincerity and Joy of Heart wherewith they brought their Gifts, and appeared before Him. Anciently (before Things came to be set in better Order by the Church) These Offerings were Numerous, and had their good Use, and Edification too. For every particular Christian presented Bread to the Priest, both for Materials to be Consecrated for the Sacrifice, and withal, for a Token of his Union to the Body of Christ Jesus, and Communion with the Church; The whole Congregation uniting itself (by This means) and putting Itself (as it were) between the Hands of the Priest, to be Offerred up with the Body of Christ Consecrated, and made, in that Bread which they Contributed. The Priest, indeed, Consecrated not all that was brought, but took only One or Two, (as occasion was) in the lieu of all; that, so as the many Breads, offered severally, (by each of the Faithful Ones) represented the divers Members of the Church; the Paucity of the Breads chosen out of all for Consecration might likewise Typify the Unity of those Members amongst themselves, and with the One Body of Christ, where all by Participation were United together. DEVOTION. I Here Offer up unto Thee, my God, All that I have, oram; in Acknowledgement and Return, for That Light of Truth, which Thou hast imparted to Me by Thy Gospel at this Time; being convinced, that, in respect of It, All other things are but as dross, or nothing; and that Thy Merciful Favour and Love, is incomparably more worth, than this Life itself; Nay, than the Lives of all the Persons now in the World put together, and Offered up to Thee all in one Great Sacrifice. I strip myself of all that can any ways be called mine before Thee, and here put it into Thy Hands; that there may be nothing about me, to hinder me from entering into that close and perfect Union, that aught to be between Thee and me, and Me, and every Member belonging to the Body of Thy Church; being well assured, that nothing causes a Division between Thee and those Members, or amongst Ourselves between one anoother; nor slackens the Bond of Charity more, than an Adhaesion to the Things of this World. The Oblation or Suscipe. The Priest having received the Offerings, presents them to God, by heaving them up towards Heaven upon the Paten. For that Bread which He offers up on the Paten, is instead of all that was brought to Him by the people, either effectually and really, or Spiritually and Intentionally only; and so represents the whole people to be Incorporated, and Offered up with the Body of Jesns Christ, in that Holy Sacrisice. Hence It is, that the P●iest declares, that He makes this Obiation for, and in the Name of, All the Faithful, Living and Dead, and particularly for All (Circumstantibus) there present. For the present, brought their Offerings, not only for themselves, but for the Dead also, as Owning their Communion with the Body of Jesus Christ, and with His Church; and this is still the Intention Comprehensive, and secret meaning of the Charity of every Faithful Christian, though It be not then Actually in his Mind or Thought And it is to be Noted, that the Priest professeth He makes this Oblation, for the Numberless Sins, not only of Others, but of His Own, [Meis] Because the sins committed every day by the best amongst Us, are in every deed innumerable; and 'tis impossible to know their Multitude and variety; our Infirmity and Concupiscence vitiating those Actions, in some degree, which seem to be most Holy, to let pass others. DEVOTION. I Beseech Thee, that, As the Priest presents to Thee upon the Paten, That Offering which He is to Consecrate for all the People; so, This Oblation that I have Now made of all that I have, and am, may likewise be received and accepted by our Lord Jesus Christ, as tendered together with It: That the same Priest may Offer, and Consecrate it also to Thee for Me, that so it may please Thy Divine Majesty; who hast set such Order to things, as not to receive any thing from us, but by Him. And may this Oblation dispose Me, by little and little to Immolate and Sacrifice myself wholly to Thy Glory, in what manner It shall best please Thee to require It. That it may conduce toward the Expiation of All my Sins, known and unknown; and what other Obliquities are hourly occasioned by my frail and Infirm Nature. And, since I cannot be totally exempt from These, unless by death, which is the only sure-End of all Offending; Grant, that (to Cancel their account as fast as It grows upon me) I may offer up, and Consecrate to Thee, sincerely All the short Remainder of this Life; and then pass so much the more Joyfully into the next, as where I shall be secured from discontenting thou any longer. Of the Mixture of Water and Wine. THis puts me in mind of the Union of the Divinty and Humanity in the Person of Jesus Christ; and then of the Unity of all the Faithful (well denoted by Water, a Symbol of Weakness) which Jesus Christ (well typifyed by Wine, an Emblem of strength.) And as the Priest Offered up The Bread before, so now he makes 1. Oblation of the Wine and Water; and in Them again of the People, to God. The Suscipiamur. 2. And lastly, Oblation Generalis ● He makes the First General Oblation of All, Bread, Wine, Himself and People altogether, jointly, with Humility and Contrition, into the Hands of God, and thereby Sanctifies and Prepares the whole matter of this Sacrifice. DEVOTION. O Strengthen my Weakness (represented by this Water) with a new Force and Virtue of Thy Spirit, which is the Must or New Wine of the Law of Grace. Make me depend on Nothing, nor cleave to any Thing but Thee; since Thou alone art the Power of God, and Vigorous Life of the Soul; in whose Absence, the strongest Activity in Man, is but miserable Infirmity. And, as now, The Priest presents to Thee the Chalice, thereby to Sanctify It before He proceed to Its Consecration; so help Me, O Lord, to Offer up myself to Thee, Fortified and Heightened by Thy Blessing and Grace; by which I may be Encouraged and Inflamed, and so make myself every time more and more capable to be Offered up in Sacrifice to Thee, and even to Die for Thee. Which is really the Greatest Favour that thou canst do any Mau, during His Abode here. Washing of the Priest's Hands. THis meaneth Repentance for the daily Pollutions we incur by our Frailty; For there's no approaching This Holy Sacrifice, without renouncing and quitting as much as is possible, such Impurities by a sincere Grief for, and loathing of them; though but Sins of Infirmity. Hence It is that the Priest Washeth only the Tops of his Fingers: To signify, that when one comes to Offer this Sacrifice; 'tis no time then to set about Repentance for Mortal Sins (such, one should have been freed and purged from, before;) but all that is to be done, is only to Wash off (yet by unfeigned Grief and true Compunction) those lesser Impurities and Defilements, which in the course of this Life, and by Conversation with things of this World, we cannot avoid, but that they will be sticking, at least to the Outward parts, (as it were) of our Souls; and to the Works of our Hands. But those that willingly neglect to Purify themselves from these, though never so small Imperfections, are unworthy of this Sacrament, saith St. Denis; as, on the contrary, The greatest Sins and Abominations that be, cannot render those unworthy of approaching to It, who have disengaged their Wills from them, and truly detest them in their Hearts. DEVOTION. Suffer not, O my God, the Pollutions of this World, so to Defile My Hands, (that is, My Actions) as that they should contract any store of Filth from It; but (since 'tis impossible to Converse here, in this Earthly Habitation, cleanly, without All Sullying;) Grant, that, at most, The Spots, may but arrive to the outmost and lesser parts of Them, as It were to the very Tops of the Fingers only. (A Petition suggested to me, by the Priests Washing His.) First, Possess my Heart, entirely, and at all times; and then let my Actions regard Thee too, as their Principal Object; and if secondarily in their Outsides, and parts farthest off, They touch the fouling Earth; Let me never cease Washing them with Tears of True Repentance, and in the Water and Grace of Thy Holy Spirit, till They be again Purified. Especially, as often as I come before Thee, to partake of the Communion of Thy Blessed Body, and to assist at That most Holy Sacrifice, to which it would become Us to approach, in the greatest Purity, Man in this Life can be capable of. Because It is a darker Vision of God; and some Representation of our Employment in Heaven, whither no Unclean Thing can Enter. Upon the Suscipe Sancta Trinitas, The Kissing the Alar, and Orate Fratres, and the Secreta. Suscipe Sancta Trinitas. THe Priest having put himself into This Purity of Body and Mind, with most profound Humility makes a Second General Oblation of all. Oblation Generalis 2 1. Directing it to the proper Object of Worship, The Holy and Blessed Trinity; And 2. Applying it to the right End. Of Commemoration of the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ, Of Honour to all the Glorified Saints; in the Church Triumphant, and of Salvation to all yet in the Militant, by their Intercession implored. 3. Kisses the Altar. Orate Fratres. THe Priest having already implored the Intercession of the Glorious Saints above, for the things specified, and particularly for that Acceptance of This Oblation and Sacrifice; Now turns himself to the People desiring them to Join their Prayers to the same End. DEVOTION. DErive into me, O Lord, That Grace which the Priest Receives, upon the Kissing of the Altar that stands in stead of Thee; that assisted by It, I may bear a part in That Common Prayer, which He now Exhorts all the Faithful to join in with Him; To Supplicate Thee, favourably to Receive The Sacrifice He is here going to Offer unto Thee, in the Behalf of the whole Church. And do it the rather, for the Honour of those Great Mysteries, and Those Holy Saints, which he hath just now made particular Commemoration of; on purpose to teach us, the Value of this Extraordinary Act of Grace, by the Greatness of the Means employed to obtain It. Agitate now, in the Strictest Closet of my Soul, by the means of this other Prayer, which the Church calls Secret; and produce therein the proper Effects of those good Thoughts, which Thou hast been pleased to form in Me, to Prepare me the better for this Sacrifice. The Preface. SO called; because 'tis the Entry to the Canon of the Mass, and the last Immediate Preparation-general to the Sacrifice. For, here, the Priest endeavours to prepare the People, by putting them in mind, 1. Of raising up their Heart in Devotion to God, and taking It off from all Thoughts or Inclinations to any thing here below. That they begin this Sacrifice of Offering up Christ to His Father, by first Offering up their own Hearts, which must be still the Anti-Sacrifice to all others, or else they will be of no profit. 2. And when the People Answer, that They have their Hearts so Elevated and disposed, and set upon God, as he desires them to have. 3. The Priest rests not therewith Content, unless They make present Reflection upon This, and Consider that it is not They themselves, but God that hath raised their Hearts, and drawn them towards Himself; and therefore that they ought Instantly to make their Acknowledgement thereof by public Thanks, before they go any further. 4. Gratias Agamus, etc. 5. To which they Reply, that this is very fitting and just; and so they proceed to do it by the Priest, in public and in private by their own particular Resentments; moving their Hearts according to the Words which they hear from him. For so now he gins here, in a Louder Tone. 6. To acknowledge the Mercies and Blessings, that God showers down on Men, at all Times and in all places; and in particular, those which at that very occasion, the Church's Order recommends to be Commemorated. 7. But then She, by great Modesty, Conscious to herself how mean a Thing Her Laudes and Praises are, to be tendered to God's Supreme Majesty, she makes haste to join her Self in this Action to her Lord and Spouse Jesus Christ, and by Him to present her Praises, and Thanks to the Father; Offering up withal (jointly) those Infinite and Eternal Benedictions, that he uses to give him. 8. And not t● omit any Hymns of this Nature, she endeavours to make one too, in the Consort of Angels, Cherubims and Seraphims, that Magnify, Adore and tremblingly Reverence (through Jesus Christ) The Majesty of God. Hence It is, that she joins herself to Them under Him, as under the common Patron of Men and Angels; That so, All together by their chief Head, may Worship and glorify the Deity. And therefore now useth she here, upon Earth; That very Ditty, which the Scripture hath revealed to be used by the Angels in Heaven, in their Honouring of God; Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus. 9 And to It adjoins another, Triumphantly Sung by Men of Jerusalem to Jesus Christ, Benedictus qui venit, etc. Testifying hereby, the Unity of Spirit moving Angels and Men to Praise the Divine Majesty, for the Approach and Coming of his Son. DEVOTION. Raise up my Spirit, at this Instant, Great God, far above all the things of this World; to fasten It upon, and make It Conceive, both the Variety and Greatness of Thy Blessings; especially those conferred upon us, by Thy Son Jesus Christ his Assuming and Uniting our Nature into Himself. I must needs acknowledge that my single Abilities are much too Weak to perform this as I ought, and therefore cannot Thank and Praise Thee as I should: Vouchsafe to permit and help Me to join the very best I have, to those of the Choir of Angels above; borrowing from, and using with them, those Transcendent Acclamations wherewith they Adore Thee to all Eternity; that so I may begin to Honour Thee here on Earth, as they do in Heaven; and imping my Wings with Theirs, mount not according to My feebleness but Their force. every me also, with a Part of the Innocence, and (almost Angelical) Purity of those Souls, who Sung to Thee, that Triumphant Jubilee at thy Entrance into this lower Jerusalem; that so the Song, that I would now take Thee with, might be more perfectly, made up of all its parts; especially that Canterelle of Angels, and This Base of Men. Why not prepare myself, in this Solemn manner? To, (certainly) the greatest Action upon Earth, The Sacrificing of Thy Son: By, (as much as I can procure) The Holiest Hosanna 's and highest Ravishments of Spirit that Mortality can bear up with. In this Elevation and Ecstasy, (such as 'tis) Thee I adore My Saviour Jesus Christ, sitting at the Right Hand of Thy Father. To Thee, as Highpriest, and prime Sacrificer, I join, this Wretch, myself (though Infinite, Infinitely unworthy, to be, not only in thy Company, but here, among the Angels and Blessed Saints now Assembled at this Sacrifice of a God. O amaze me, with that Confusion, that belongs to me, for not being, such as I ought, at this Solemnity!) For the Entrance into the Canon. The Canon. NExt succeeds the Canon of the Mass, so termed because 'tis the Rule, and Constant Order which the Church observes in the Celebration of this Sacrifice; This is alone never to be altered, as the other parts of the Mass are, which use to be varied according to the diversity of several Mysteries, and the Feasts by which they are Celebrated: But this being the chief part, becomes, as the Sacrifice itself, Immutable. Te igitur, etc. ANd 'tis considerable, That it gins with an Address to the Father, presenting to Him the Sacrifice, as being the Prime Principle and Beginning not only of all Creatures, but also of the Divine Persons in the Holy Trinity. We Offer up this Sacrifice to Him, by, and through Jesus Christ, His Son our Lord. That is, By Jesus Christ, as our Only Mediator, taking part of the Father, in being His Son, and so God, from all Eternity; and taking part with Us in being made Man, by his Humanity; wherein, He hath received the Power and Dominion over Heaven, and Earth; and always Offers up A Sacrifice to His Father, as the only Highpriest, to whom all other Priests here in the Church are but subservient Officers and Ministers, Offering up the same with Him. For, That which the Son of God in Heaven, and This which the Priest here below, Offers, however it differ in the manner, is in Reality and Substance but One and the same Sacrifice. And it is Offered here principally for the Whole Catholic Church, in whose Name, the Priest presents himself, before God, to do Homage. For though this here, and that Sacrifice there (as 'tis said) differ not in the Substance of the Thing, yet in the manner of Offering, it does; and accordingly this is offered, but for the Church Only, and all the Faithful within its Communion, though the other of which (This, yet, is Commemorative,) be for the whole World, as the Scripture testifies. DEVOTION. O God the Father! 1. I Here Worship, and pay Homage to Thee, as to the prime Principle of all Things, both in Earth and Heaven too; of all Sanctity in Men and Angels, of all the Persons in the Godhead, of the whole Trinity, and of all the Deity itself also; as far as Thy Church, taught by Thee, can, and doth (though but Lispingly) speak it. It is to Thee. (I acknowledge) in this quality of prime Principle that this Sacrifice is due; and so to Thee is It Now Offered by Thy Church, and by Thine own Son, who is prime Priest, as Thou art the prime Principle. 2. I Worship Thee also, as the chiefest and last End of all Creatures, recurring and Ebbing into Thee, as They flowed from Thee. 3. Vouchsafe me the Grace to Reflect upon Thee always after this manner; as well by the Motions of my Will too, as I do still by the Tendencies of my Nature, which rests, only and un-interruptedly, upon Thee, as Its Author and support. 4. Let me account it a Happiness, that I can Perish for Thee, and not Be; as well as I have received from Thee, to be: And that in some forward Disposition to This, I may now present myself to Thee at this Sacrifice of Thy Son, To be Offered up with Him, and to die every day Thus beforehand, to make myself readier to be Sacrificed to Thee, Once, really, and indeed; To yield up this Life, for Thee, (which Thou hast given me) in any such Occurrences, as it shall please Thee to fit for Me, and Me for it. 5. Lastly, I Worship Thee in the Foresight of that Last Sacrifice, which, at the End of the World, Thy Son shall make to Thee of all other Creatures, before He Offer up his Elect to Thee, (as a Sacrifice too, but) after a far more Admirable manner. For He shall first Consume by Fire all visible Things; to make men see, by the Light thereof; That Thou alone art a fit Object for their Love, as Thou alone art He, that hast a Being, firm, and Incorruptible. The first Memento. COnsequently the Priest descends to some Particulars in the Church, yet living, Commemorating, First Those for whom especially he Intends the Offering of this Sacrifice; And being thus United to the Living here, in Charity in, Honour and Reverence (growing too from the same Charity) he next aspires to join with the principal Saints Living in Paradise, as the Glorious and Blessed Virgin, The Apostles, and chief Prelates of the See Apostolic together with other Great Saints in several Conditions: Imploring God's protection to be granted through their Prayers: Thereby, in this Mystical Bond of Mutual Love testifying the Communion and inseparable Conjunction of the Church-Militant and Triumphant. DEVOTION. I Offer unto Thee, O my Lord, Thy whole Church all Thy Chosen, and especially Those, whom thou (in a manner) hast given me; uniting them to Me by a particular tye, that in This little number I may represent to myself Those few which Thy Father hath Chosen out of all the World, and Given to Thee, from all Eternity; that I may Love Them, and Serve Them, as Thou dost uncessantly Love, and Assist all Thine. Have in mind, O Lord, Them and Me, by the Intercession of All Thy Saints; and particularly of the Blessed Virgin; of the Apostles and Bishops of the Apostolic See; who are now made by Thee the chief in Heaven, as They were First the Chief in Thy Church, here on Earth. I desire to make one among These, in the Offering up myself together with them, This Sacrifice. Upon the Priest's holding over his Hands, and saying, Hanc Oblationem. Hanc igitur Oblationem. AFter all, the Priest makes the Third General Oblation of the whole matter of the Sacrifice, Oblatio Generalis 3 putting his Hands over both the Host and Chalice together. By this putting His Hands over them, He joins Himself and the whole Congregation, & Church to this matter of the Sacrifice, protesting then to God, That He Offers and Sacrificeth all this to him; and substitutes in the place, this to be Sacrificed for Himself, and Them, since it is not permitted that they should Sacrifice so as to destroy themselves. Such a thing, just did God Ordain in the Old Testament, where he commanded the Jews to lay their Hands upon the Head of the Sacrifice, which they Offered to Him; to show that they were One with It, and that in their stead it was Sacrificed. DEVOTION. STretch forth Thy Divine Power Over me, as now the Priest Extends his Hands over That Bread and Wine which He is about to Consecrate; that I also, with those Elements may in some sense be Converted into the Body and Blood of Thy Son, and consequently in Him be Offered up as an Acceptable Sacrifice and Holocaust, which thou canst not Despise. The Consecration and Elevation. THis Protestation made, the Priest proceeds to the Prayer of Consecration, including a Commemoration of what Jesus Christ, did, and said when He Instituted This Holy Mystery; and Imitating Him, Blesses and Consecrates the Bread and Wine in the same manner, and with the same Words as He used. And immediately after Consecration, and profound Adoration of Each, (to give Example to the People in all Piety,) He Elevates each aloft; both to show that He Offers them up to God the Father, above in Heaven; and also to make the People more Visibly behold Jesus Christ, and so to bow down and Worship Him. DEVOTION. BRing now fresh into my Memory, and fill my Fancy with all that Thou didst for Us, that Night before Thy Death; when Thou Institutedst the Blessed Sacrament of thy Body and Blood, as the last, and most incomparable Pledge of Thy Love to Us, and a Memorandum indelible of our Obligation to Thee. Assist Me with Thy Grace, O my Saviour, and I will Imitate Thee, and give myself to Thee, (even as thou gavest Thyself to Me) without any reserve. Change my Heart, as Thou Changest This Bread! Create a new Heart in Me, by this new Body! Transubstantiate in Me, that seeming Life and Strength, (which yet is (indeed) but a dying feebleness,) into a True and Divine Spirit; as Thou changest the Wine, which is but the Blood of the Grape, a Terrestrial juice, into the Vigour and Blood of God. Grant that this present Elevation of Thy Body and Blood in mine Eye, may produce another like It in my Heart and Spirit; as to Crucify my Flesh, (that is) my Passions, and to deliver me from all Affections to this World; so also to inflame me with a desire of that Life above, and always to keep my Conversation in Heaven, with Saints, with Angels; and with thine Own Dear Self, sweet Jesus. I Adore Thee, O my Saviour in all Thy Elevations. Thy Elevation on the Cross, the Day of Thy Passion, Thy Elevation in the Air, at the great Day of the Last Judgement; Thy Elevation to the Right-hand of Thy Father, in that never-ending Day of Eternity! Immediately upon the Priest's reposing the Body and Blood upon the Altar. DEVOTION. SAnctify me here now by Thy Presence, Renew me again by Thy Nativity, Purify me, by the Memory of Thy Passion, by which Thou hast Obliterated in Thyself the Memory of those Sins, which lay so heavy upon Thee, to the very last Gasp of Thy Life here. Vnde & Memores Domine, etc. THen immediately to express that by Words, which he (just now did in Action,) the Priest makes a Solemn and more distinct Oblation to God the Father, Avowing that He Offers this (now Holy, Pure, and Immaculate Sacrifice; as for the whole Church, so in the Person of Jesus Christ, whose room he supplied in the Mystery of the Consecration. And he says he does it in the Honourable Memory of the three great Mysteries of the Son of God, His Passion, Resurrection and Ascension. In the word Passion, including whatsoever the Son of God Suffered for Us, from the first Moment of his Conception to the very last of his Death: All which space, was one continual Suffering for the Redemption of the World. By these Three, methinks, the Church in this Sacrament, (which she calls Mysterium Fidei) would represent unto our Thoughts the very principal and most necessary Objects of our Faith, without which we cannot be saved: Which are (in St. Augustin's Judgement,) the Passion and Resurrection (of which the Ascension is the accomplishment) of Jesus Christ. And for this very Reason (perhaps) is the number of Three so often observed in the Benedictions, Crosses and Orisons; to intimate to Us; the Holy Trinity, the Capital Object of our Faith, and withal this Blessed Sacrament, which is Offered up to all Three Persons therein, though attributed more particularly to the Father. This may here be Noted by way; that the Crosses made by the Priest on the Host after Consecration, are not (as others) Benedictions, but only marks of Crucifying of the Host, intimating the particular manner of its Immolation. DEVOTION. BLess me, O my God, by frequent Impressions made upon my Soul, of Thy Death and Passion; as the Priest makes Tokens thereof, by so often Signing the Cross ✚, upon Thy Body and Blood, after he hath Offered them up unto Thy Father. Multiply upon Me, Thy Graces in abundance; Now that thou hast vouchsafed to Consecrate and make Me Thy Son by Baptism, and to Feed me in the Fucharist with thine own Substance, the same with That of the Son of God; That my Whole Life may be suitable to so Divine a Birth and Aliment. Accord me the Grace, I Pray Thee, that in all Occurences of This Life, Good or Bad, I may still draw Comfort from Thy Cross to support me; that I may Ever and anon, renew in my mind the Memory thereof so effectually, as thereby to sweeten to myself, my Sufferings, and to learn Moderation in Happier Success; and throughout the whole course of my Time, to find still, in That History, seasonable Applications to all my Necessities. At the Supra Quae. NExt He Prays God Graciously to accept from Us, This Sacrifice, remembering how well he was pleased with That of Abel, that of Abraham, and that of Melchizedech; that so, having so kindly taken from those Holy Men (the most Famous Sacrificers in all Antiquities,) such remarkable Types and Figures of This; he would not less favourably receive from Us The Substance itself; but endue us with some of that Grace and Purity, wherewith They accompanied the Offering up of what was indeed but the shadow of This. DEVOTION. I Beseech Thee, O my God, That as This Sacrifice is altogether Spiritual and Divine; having nothing in It of Sensible or Earthly, but only the Outward Appearance, and Shell as it were; so I may Offer it up to Thee, together with the Priest, by a Motive and Inspiration wholly Spiritual and Divine; in such manner, as That, the very External Actions themselves flowing from; and governed by it, may have Nothing of Flesh or Corporealness in them, except the bare Appearance, and Outside only: And that all the Works and Services which I pay to Thee, during my whole Life, may be One Continual Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving, Internal and from the Heart: That being (according to the Scriptures) the Chief Sacrifice that thou likest and Callest for. Thus let me Imitate the Devotion of those Holy Patriarches, Abel, Melchizedech, and Abraham; who Sacrificed to Thee after the same manner long before the Evangelical Law of Grace by Voluntary Affection, and not by Command, in the Spirit, not Letter; and became thereby the most Notable Figures, of the Sacrificing that Thou performd'st afterward, more perfectly, to Thy Father; and that all Thy Faithful are obliged to perform, together with Thee, all their Life long. Let me not Rest in, or Content myself with, the bare Outward Actions and Ceremonies how Solemn and Pompous, and truly Great soever they are themselves; but Worship Thee, chief by a Movement that comes into my Heart (like that Fire of Old) from Thee thyself, in that Spirit; and in That Truth, which alone Sovereignly Ingratiate to Thee whatever is Offered; Even this very Oblation of Thyself. Supplices te Rogamus. HE proceeds higher, and Prays that this Sacrifice, may now be Offered, rather upon that High-Altar of Gods in Heaven by his most Holy Angel. For touched with a Consciousness of his own great unfitness to Offer a Sacrifice so transcendently Holy, he falls back, to Re-substitute Jesus Christ in his own room, that He, himself (who is The Angel of the Great Council,) would Offer It up to the Divine Majesty. By this employing, that as Jesus Christ is the only Highpriest for this Sacrifice, so He alone is fit to be the Presenter of It to His Father, and to hear the Name of Angel, (however it be in some sense Communicated to other Priests also,) and that no man is worthy to be, in this; no, not so much as His Deputy. DEVOTION. YEt, (after all) 'tis not Me, O my God, 'tis not Me, nor any one else here Offering Sacrifice to Thee, that I desire Thee to Regard in this Action; Regard Jesus Christ; who is That Angel, That Mediator between God and Men, That Sacrificer for the whole Church, Regard Him. Be He the Person, that now Presents to Thee this most Holy Host; and be We merely and barely His Instruments; not stirring in this Heavenly Operation, in the least guise as we are Animated, and Moved by His Spirit. And whatsoever we have about us, Impure and Unclean, let It all shall off, and be quite removed from us by the Cleansing power of Thy Grace! That, As, in very deed, It is not We that Live, but He that Lives in Us; so It may truly be said, It is not We now that Offer up to Thee this Sacrifice, but It is He that Offers it in Us; as who alone hath the Faculty and Power to do It. But keep Us, (all the while This is doing) in a Trembling Posture, looking at this Sacrifice and Mystery, as that which the Church hath thought and styled Terrible; that, all our Confidence in a Business of this High Nature (so infinitely beyond the Port of our low and despicable Condition) may be raised, and support Itself solely upon Jesus Christ; and we be no more than the visible Hands of that other Invi●sible one, by which he presents It to Thee above, upon that Celestial Altar. The Second Memento. THis Sacrifice now fully perfected, He designs it, First for the Dead; Offering It up for Them in a particular Commemoration; (following here in the custom, ever practised in the Church. 2. And then for the Living; and more earnestly and (intimated by a Thump on the Breast, and a more Audible Tone) for such as are Present; that we may all be joined to the Society of Those in Glory; not for our Merits; but for those of Jesus Christ; since we have none of our own, but what He pleases to Impart to Us, and account Ours. DEVOTION. DO not forget, O Lord, Those Souls whom, (though gone out of this World;) Thou hast yet a Favour for; because they are better disposed for the receiving the Effects of Thy Mercy, in That Condition, than those, who are still joined to this Body of Clay. Haste, so much the more to help Them, as They do more Humbly, and more Patiently wait for Thy help; desiring no other Happiness than to fulfil thy Will, and good Pleasure; and therefore, finding (so far as That is done upon them) even in Purgatory, and in the midst of extreme pains (which they suffer) a kind of Paradise. I would, I had as much Purity as They; to be the more capable of Interceding for Them! But since I come far short of That; I interpose, and present Thee with that of those Saints, who now reign with Thee, (which is the best that can be found among Creatures,) but especially with that of the King of Saints Thy Son; from whom, as from the Fountain and Head flow all those Graces and Merits which Thou hast Communicated to Thy Servants; and to whom, thou canst not deny the farther Perfecting, and Final Accomplishment of Thine Elect; since Thou hast already begun to work Righteousness and Holiness in Them. Add then, and Finish the Rest of what is to be done in Them; and Unite both the Living and the Dead to Thy Son; as to the proper Head of Their Body, and only Source of their Virtue and Victory; that, together with Him, they may Sing to Thee Triumphant laud's to all Eternity, after they have Laboured, and Suffered, as He, and in Him, to Thy Glory, in this World. At the Nobis quoque Peccatoribus. DEVOTION. O That these Words, now spoken out, by the Priest, might Humble me Effectually, to make me Cry to Thee for Mercy; for myself and all Thy Faithful upon Earth; who all, with me now, appear before Thee, but as One and the same sinner, and one and the same Penitent. Work in me the Flexibleness, and Humble dejection of that Publican, whom Thou hast Justified, in the Temple and under the Law; that smiting my Breast, like Him, I may obtain the same Grace, which Thou accorded'st to Him, at the same time that Thou didst blast the Pride of the Pharisee. Per quem Haec Omnia, etc. ANd from this Acknowledgement of our own Worthlessness, the Priest goes on, to another much Greater; Confessing to God the Father, that also This Sacrifice (now upon the Altar,) and all its worth and Virtue, or what ever else contained in it, comes only from Him by Jesus Christ, by whom He Creates It, to be a Source of Sanctity and Life, and all Blessings; and so Gives It to Us. Not, but that Jesus Christ was all this before; But because by the same Act by which He produceth Him in this Sacrament, He likewise Communicates to Him all those Graces and Virtues which he hath; as, by that Act by which He begot Him from all Eternity, He also endowed Him with all those Excellencies and Perfections proper to the Son of God; and so, is the production of this Sacrament, a lively Image of that Eternal Generation. Nor is this yet all, that is acknowledged; but farther, That the same God the Father thus producing & qualifying this Sacrament, also Gives it to Us, (Praestas Nobis) and by it derives into Us a Participation of all the Excellencies it contains; so that this Sacrament, becomes not only an Image of that Eternal Generation of Jesus Christ before all time, but also of that Incarnation of Him, by which, in time, the Father gives Him to Us, and with Him all His Perfections by a New Production; as in many Places Holy Scripture testifies. DEVOTION. THee, O God the Father, thou I Adore, as the Prime and Original Author of this Sacrifice, and wonderful Mystery. The Holy Ghost makes It by the Priest; Jesus Christ makes It by the Holy Ghost, but Thou makest It by Jesus Christ; and 'tis from Thee, as from its Fountain, that all the Graces, all the Perfections, all the Great things contained in this Sacrament are derived; and It again becomes another Fountain of them to Us. I Admire and Celebrate, from the bottom of my Heart this Miracle; and more yet that Bounty, which (after it hath wrought it) so Applies it to Men; thereby to Feed them; thereby to Save them; just as, (for Thy Works have no Parallels, but Thy works,) just as, Thou gavest Thy only Son to Men by another Miracle of Incarnation in the fullness of time after Thou hadst first begotten Him in Thy bosom before all Time, by (which transcends all Miracles) an Eternal Generation. O let this account of Thy goodness debase and cast me down as low, as doth mine own Illness; since, in the midst of all these Fountains and Sluices of Graces, so super-abundantly deluging from forth this Mystery; wretched I, shall still remain, parched, and barren, and dry, and Withered I, unless thou stream into me from thence, (and that uncessantly) another new Grace, by which I may suck in the Benefit of all the rest. Per Ipsum, & cum Ipso, & in Ipso, etc. NExt to these Two Acknowledgements; the Priest here makes a Third; That That Honour and Glory that ariseth to God the Father from this His Infinite Bounty, comes not to Him, but By, and With, and In Jesus Christ. By Jesus Christ, as through the Hands of a Mediator, for God receives nothing from Us immediately, nor we from Him; but Jesus Christ standing in the middle between, Hands all things from the Father to Us, and so back again from Us to the Father. With Jesus Christ, Because the Son being in all things equal to the Father, receives too equally with Him, the Glory that men render unto Him, and all in the Union of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus Christ, Because He is the Vine, and all men but the Branches in Him, and only by being in Him can they bear any Fruit to His Father, the Husbandman. DEVOTION. EStrange me, O my God, from from all Humane Inventions, and ways of Worshipping Thee, of what sort soever, though never so specious and Holy in Appearance! In things of Thy Service, let me never be Acted by my own private Spring; by my own proper Spirit; nor upon any Motive, tending to give myself Satisfaction: That I may do nothing, but at the Call, and in submission to the Conduct, and by the Spirit of Thy Son; since Thou Receivest not any thing from Us, but what we Offer unto Thee by Him, as being the Mediator; nay, as being the First Mover and Author of all the Good we do; nor received'st it so, neither, but in the same Act by which He receives It, together with Him, because both are one and the same Nature, One and the same God; and therefore are both equally concerned, and Honoured by the Homages we pay. Lastly, Thou receivedest nothing but in Him also; (that is,) but from Those, who are so in Him, as that He, and They are but One; living in the Unity of His Body consisting of such Members, and Co-integrated with Him, (in a True, though not Ordinary sense) In one person. May I never be persuaded to acknowledge any other manner of Honouring and Serving Thee, or of Performing Acts and Exercises of Holy Religion to Thee, but This, wherein are comprised, and to which tend, all that be good and True, so that (in Effect) The Eucharist, and Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Thy Son, may be to Me not only a Lively Representation and Continual Memorial of His Passion; but also a complete and moving Model of all the Actions and good Works that belong to a Christian Life. O, Holy Body of my Saviour! Let Virtue Issue out from Thee to Bless me; Now that the Priest Lifts Thee, and the Chalice a little up from the Altar into the Air, and presently re-placeth you there again. It is, even so O Lord, that thou usest to give Us sudden and short Glympses of Thyself, in this Life, by certain quick Gleams of Light, which dure not like those Thou displayest in Heaven, permanently, and Eternally! But 'tis enough to make me Thine for ever; that but once, thou vouchsafe to pass before the Eyes of my Soul, though but like a flash of Lightning, as heretofore thou didst to Elias. Humble my Soul lowly with the Priest, still as He bows so oft before thee at Thine Altar, and Adores Thee in Silence. Let the Eyes thereof show their Modest Submission, in Closing themselves to All the Objects of this World, and They shall quickly discern Thee upon the Altar of my Heart within, when I am Thus become Thy True Temple. At the Pater Noster. NOw these acknowledgements (or Acts of Faith) being thus Solemnly made; that whatsoever Good we receive from, or whatsoever Service or Worship, or Glory we thereupon pay to God, do all pass through Jesus Christ; the Priest proceeds to desire that this devout Spiritual Commerce between Heaven and Us may be put in Execution; and he begs It, not only in the Name of Jesus Christ, joining himself to Him, as a Brother, imploring one common Father; but in Those very words which Jesus Christ taught Us to say; Testifying thereby, that, not only the External Vocal Prayer (which he recites) is His; but the Internal, Mental one too; and that It is He, and His Spirit that Prays in Us, and makes Us Pray, and say so. But because, in the very first words of this Lord's Prayer, we are to call God Our Father; The Priest reflecting upon the greatness of the Honour we receive by being permitted the Use of That Title; because of God's Infinite Eminency and Grandeur above Us, vile and abject Creatures, Infinite unworthy to take such a Term into our Mouths, He excuses this Presumption in Himself, and Us; declaring, that if we dare to call God Our Father, It is, not only by the command of Jesus Christ; but also by the very Express form of words so drawn by Himself, for Us to do It by; which we much less dare to alter, or omit. Wherefore he proceeds to say it; as with some Confidence (shown by a louder Tone) so, with Earnest and flagrant Desire, that what is contained in this Prayer, may be accomplished, and stand Ratified for ever; To which Vote the People give their most Hearty Assent, by their subjoyning the last Clause (as it were Subscribing and Sealing it with) Et Libera nos a Malo. And thus is the Canon of the Mass closed with the same Joint desire of Priest, and People; and with the same Elevation of Hearts, and Aspiration towards God, as its Preface began with. DEVOTION. 'tIs most properly Now, (Certainly) Now at the Holy Mass, that Thou Obligest Us to believe Thee to be Our Father; Now that Thou here dispencest to Us Thy children's Bread, ●●eding Us, with the Body and Blood of thine only Son, with His very Substance, Humane and Divine, to make Us Gods too, and Children of the most High. This Largess and Honour is so Great, that, though our Faith permits not to doubt of It, yet an Humble Estimate of ourselves and true Acknowledgement of our great vility and unworthiness makes it (almost) incredible; at least suffers us not to receive any assurance thereof, but in the single & bare contemplation of thy Mercy only. Imprint, (we beseech thee,) This Resentment so deep in our Souls, that we (growing as little in our own esteem, as we are designed to be Great in Thine) may, therefore be made the more certain of this Great Favour, and Incomprehensible Dignity; and by this means be in a better disposition and preparation to receive the precious Earnest thereof, in the Communion of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, which is but the Typical Pledge of that Other Infinitely Higher and more August, which thou reserv'st for us in Heaven. Only, take such Care of Us, in the mean time, that we no way degenerate from this Divine quality of being Children of Thine; nor render Ourselves unworthy of having Thee for Our Father, by some Ungracious deed, that may argue Us to Be, no less than thy professed Enemies. O, (if the frailty of this Present Life, is not Compatible with an absolute Freedom from all sorts of Faults, as (we are sure) the Felilicities of the Next will be; yet) Guard Us, at least, that we incur none but such, as are altogether Inseparable from this Frailty; and so ruin not that Dignity, which Thou hast given us, of being Thy Children, for all This: Only take we good heed still, of Explating them again, as soon as ever committed; and of Procuring from Thee our Own Pardon, by Pardoning in like manner, freely and from the Heart, whosoever have Offended Us; since this is that most Equitable Condition, which thou hast so wisely cautioned in this Admirable Prayer, and wilt surely Observe, so as not to Pardon the Trespasses, against Thee Our Father; unless we first forgive those that our Brethren commit against Us. I cannot say, that I would desire such Exact Purity, or so Perfect an Absolution from all my Sins, for any other reason, but that I may be so able more Holily to Serve and Glorify Thee; having no desire of any one thing in this World so much, as to see Thy Name Hallowed, Thy Kingdom come and Established in the total Ruin of Thine Enemies; Thy Will be done in the utmost Latitude, as well by good Men as Bad, These fulfulling It, though against their Own Will, but those in perfect Love, and True Obedience. Libera Nos quaesumus Domine, & Da Propitius Pacem. THe Canon ended; the Priest now gins to prepare Himself to the Participation and Communion of this Sacrifice. Which he does First, by Imploring Peace from God. 2. And then wishing and deriving It to the People; (still showing that he can impart to them, nothing of Himself, but must first receive it Himself from God.) Now Peace is the chiefest and prime qualification or disposition toward the Receiving of this Sacrament, which is a Sacrament of Union and Love: And therefore, as this Sacrament is the most Powerful means to work it in them, who partake thereof Worthily; so doth It prae-require It in Them (as far as they by other means can procure It) that they may Worthily partake thereof by express Precept of the Son of God so often repeated; and especially in that famous Text which Commands us to go, 5 Mat. 24. and be Reconciled to our Brother, before we Offer up our Gift at God's Altar. DEVOTION. I Now supplicate Thee, O Lord, for this First Preparatory Peace, which is the necessary and best Disposition toward the receiving of that other, which Thou desir'st to confer on Us by this Holy Sacrament and Sacrifice; for in the Gospel we learn, Luc. 10.6. that Thy Peace cannot rest upon any but such as are First the Sons of Peace. This Peace, then, not finding how to Repose Itself upon me here, in a perfect Aboliton of All Passions, (as It shall do hereafter in Heaven,) may It, at least, Possess me in a perfect Absolution from all my past Sins; which let me Hate and Abolish perfectly, by a True and Vnintermitted Penitence: That so, I may begin to receive now, in the Communion of this Sacrament That Peace, which consists in a total Ruin and Extirpation of Passions; which are Calmed and Cured more effectually by the Blessed Eucharist, than by any other Remedy whatsoever! Upon the Fraction of the Host. IT is worth the Noting here; That, after the Priest hath made Supplication for This Peace of God, before He derive It, by way of Blessing, to the Church, He first divides the Host into three parts, representing the 3 several Estates and Portions of the Church, for which He hath implored Peace. And the part representing this Portion of the Church Now Militant here on Earth, He lay down upon the Altar; that, which is for That other Portion Now Expectant in Purgatory, He holds still in his Hand; after he hath severed from It, a third Part, which he puts into the Chalice, to signify, both that third Portion of the Church, Now Regnant, and Triumphant (and as it were imbibed and absorbed into the Deity) in Heaven: And also Jesus Christ Himself, as the First Born from the Dead, and reuniting His Body and Blood, and so entering into the Glory of God, as the Head and Elder Brother of all the Saints. Pax Domini. ANd hence, in the very joining of this third part of the Host to the Chalice, he wisheth the Peace to the People, informing Us thereby, that Jesus Christ raised again, and Entered into Glory, gives Peace to his Church; and that This Peace is nothing else, but an overflowing of that Complaisant Tranquillity, which in His Glory, himself infinitely abounds with, and fully satisfies the Blessed in Heaven. DEVOTION. INcrease in me, O my Father, Faith and Charity; That I may Believe, as this Sacrament now lying upon the Altar, is but one Bread only (that came down from Heaven) so, That the whole Church together with Jesus Christ make but one Body; and that the distinction and separation of Persons in It by distant places, do no more hinder Its Unity, than if They were all, and always visibly to the Eye, closely compact and joined together, even as this Host upon the Altar, is still, (after its division into parts here, representing the divers Members in the Church) as truly and precisely one, as it was before. I beseech Thee, Enable me to Love and Embrace Jesus Christ in Heaven; and his Members wherever dispersed throughout the World, with an Affection as True, and with an Enamouredness, as Great and Constant as if they were perpetually by me, and I enjoyed their Personal Corporal Presence; Thy Grace Uniting Me to those, from whom I am absent; and severing me (in a Holy Abstraction) even from, those to whom I am most Present; my very self, and all to whom Thou hast any way joined me in this World. The Agnus Dei. TO Jesus Christ therefore in particular, is this Address made for that Peace; Praying Him three several times to vouchsafe It. Now to that part of his Church, here, yet remaining; as at His Ascension he gave it there to them he left behind; and as He Himself now enjoys It. and makes others enjoy It too; His Fellow-Citizens in that Jerusalem above, that City of Peace. And all this enforced, not only by an Ardent Affection (employed in the Repetition) but also by a Choice and most pertinent Compellation of of Him, as of the Lamb of God, just now lying upon the Altar to take away our Sins, (the Impediments) and so making our full Reconciliation and Peace with the Father. DEVOTION. I Presume, O God, to Petition Thee for Thy Peace, though it be, indeed, The greatest of all Thy Gifts, since, but the day before Thy Death; thou left'st to Us this Legacy, in the Persons of Thy Apostles, as the Close and Accomplishment of all the Rest; and wert pleased to style Us Children of Peace. But let It be Thy Peace; not that of the World: The Inward Peace of Thy Holy Spirit to at subsists unimpaired, in the midst of all pains and outward Conflicts to be sustained by Us for Thy Service. Let it be a Peace, wholly proceeding from Thy Mercy: The Result of a Conscience undefiled, and of Remission of all Sins; The Crown of a Perfect Righteousness, obtainable only by Thee, who art That Lamb of God, Sacrificed to Reconcile Us unto Thy Father, and to make Peace between Heaven and Earth, which the Sin and Rebellion of Men and Angels had set at so great an Enmity. I beg of Thee, then, That Peace, which is settled upon the Full Forgiveness of Sin, which caused that division between Thy Father and Us; that the Peace which I ought to have with Men, may be the Natural Issue of what I have with God First; and so be no Humane but a Divine Peace. For, as the Wisdom of men, with Thee is but Folly, so neither is Humane Peace, any thing else than a War, displeasing to Thee; in so much that Thou hast professed to Persecute all those, and disperse their Bones, who so Combine together. I am transported with a particular Joy, and Consolation; to hear it now Thrice Asserted, that Thou art He who takest away Our Sins; I were undone, but for That Mercy, and but for that farther Assurance which Faith gives me, that Thou in bearing our Sins in Thy Body, dost also Extinguish them; The Lost Sheep upon Thy Shoulders, being both Carried, and Cured. The Pax Tecum. THen he gives the Pax to all present, immediately after he hath asked It of Jesus Christ, by the peculiar Prayer to Him for that purpose, Domine Jesus Christ: And after he hath (as it were) taken It from the Altar submissively by a Holy Kiss, a Symbol of Peace. But in the Mass for the Dead, all this is omitted and only Their Rest Prayed for; because the Giving of the Pax among the Faithful Assembled together, (which was Anciently by a Kiss Oral, as now by Kissing an Instrument, as a Crucifix, etc. for that use) was held as a Pledge of the Joy and Tranquillity in Paradise; and so thought less proper for the days of Sadness and Mourning for those who yet by their Sins were detained from Entrance into That Joy. DEVOTION. SO Cured, I will take, and Kiss the Pax which is given to Me on the Priest's part, or rather, in truth, on Thine; since He himself, before He derives It to the People, takes It from Thee, in That Kiss given to the Altar, which is in stead of Thee. O, make me keep always This Peace, this Sacred Peace; and let me never care for other, as I am not taken with any thing called good, unless it come from Thee. And in this Preparation let me Approach to the Communion of Thy Blessed Body, which (as is said,) is the Earnest and beginning of That more Perfect Peace, that we Hope to enjoy in Heaven, intimated by Thy Prophet, promising on Thy part, A Peace that transcends all other Peace. The Communion. NExt, the Priest having disposed Himself: to Communicate, by those two Prayers, Domine Jesu Christi, Fili Dei, etc. and Preceptio Corporis; and protested His own great Unworthiness, in those Words of the Centurion, Domine non sum dignus, etc. thrice re-doubled; after a little pause, (or Humble Examination,) Eats the Body, and then Drinks the Blood in the Chalice: After each, adding a short Rapture or Meditation. Then he proceeds to Communicate the Others that are disposed thereunto. Showing, hereby, that both Priest and People do partake of the same Sacrifice, are fed with the same Spiritual Food, from the same Table, admitted to the same Pasture, all in quality of being the Sheep of the same Shepherd. And in this the Priest seems to Acknowledge: First, In Humility, that in that Respect of being a Sheep of Christ's, and to be fed by Him, He is nothing at all different from the People. Secondly, In Charity, that the dispensing the things of God to the People, aught to proceed from the fullness which He hath received from God Himself; and that He is to feed the Faithful out of his Store, and that which remains over and above. DEVOTION. LOrd, I am not worthy of the least of all Thy Mercies, much less of the Greatest, as is this Communion of Thine own Body and Blood, by which, Thou interest into Me, and (in a most ineffable manner) minglest Thyself with my very Substance; transplanting into Me, Thy Humanity, Thy Divinity, Thy Person; nay, (together with It,) The whole Trinity; so that I am, not only their Temple, as before, but in some kind, even one, with Thee and It. This is a Favour so great, and so incomprehensible, that I may well look on myself as most unworthy of it; not only because I no way deserve It, but because I can no way Understand It, since it surpasses all thoughts of Men or Angels. Grant me, that, after a Communion and Union so Miraculous, I be never any thing but Thine, never any thing but Thee: And that nothing be ever able to separate me, in the least kind, from Thee: But that I may see all Creatures far removed from, and Infinitely below Me, who am in Thee; and that, as I am not to Live, but In Thee, so I may have no Affection neither, No sense, but for Thee; Not coucerned in any thing, but so far as thou wilt have Me, or as thou esteemest Thyself concerned in It. Let this Food be my Everlasting Nourishment, and let me so Relish It, that it may make me lose the Taste of all things else, and the gust of Myself especially. That remaining unaltered, and Incorruptible in my Heart; it may Consume all the Corruption in my Body and Soul, and Sublimate them to a Being totally Spiritual and Incorruptible too; partly, Now; but Perfectly, at the Great Resurrection. May it be within me, a Head and Fountain of Life; perpetually running into Actions, and Increasing, toward that Life wholly Divine and Immortal; and retarding and putting off farther and farther the Encroachments of a Death, (which I still carry about Me;) In like manner, as the Corporal Food, which I take, respites me from the Assaults of Death, and helps to lengthen and prolong this Mortal Life of my Body. let it be always at Hand, since It ought always to be in my Heart. And let the Remembrance and Respect wherewith I shall every Moment, (in a kind of Mastication and Chewing) Honour and Adore: It Innure me to Taste and Comprehend the Excellency thereof, as far surpassing All Manna, or other most Delicate Dainties, which can never free Us quite, from Perishing, but Perish themselves; whereas This on the contrary hath an undecayable Life in Itself, and makes Us to live everlastingly. Let It be to me instead of all other! Affecting me with all the Pleasures and Gusts that any Spiritual Refection is capable of, as That Manna is said to give the Jews, all the Delicious Relishes that were to be sound in any other repast of the Body. Let is fully satisfy me; and make me so Reflect upon this great Happiness of being fed, now in this Life, with the same Bread which so abundantly blesseth with all Felicities Men and Angels, that I never Covet more. Let this Sacred Body, be the Soul of my Soul, as my Soul is the Soul of my Body; and let all my Thoughts and Affections, all Energies, Motions and Actions, whatever I feel or do, proceed from It; as all my Natural Movement and Operations come from my Soul. Let it be in me A Spring of all Graces, streaming them out unto me every moment suitably to my Necessities; That Well of Living Waters flowing up to Everlasting Life, which it hath pleased God to open, not only in the midst of His Church, as in the middle of Paradise: But also in the Middle and Heart of every Faithful Soul, which is to Him, no less a Paradise, and a Church, than the whole Universal. Let this Divine Source, quench the Thirst of my Soul; Alloy my Heats, and Irregular Desires, by Nourishing another Supernatural Heat of Grace and Divine Love, which Dissipates those strange Inflammations, and Carnal Fevers of Concupiscence; and may that Love consume in me the very Seed of Sin, as it Cherishes and makes take root that other Seed of Life and Immortality. Let this Admirable Spring float my Soul, higher and higher above all Creatures Visible and Invisible, till it bring it up into my God, from whom itself is fed; it being natural to all Waters to raise themselves as high as their Beginnings, and to Advance thither too, whatever they carry. Let this Food, as soon as I have taken It, give Proof of its Efficacy; in making me Strong and Potent against those occasions of Sinning, which before abused my Feebleness, and were too prevalent over Me. Let it give me New Spirits and Light, First to discover and discern; and then to Crush and destroy the least Relics and Remains of any Sin, into whatever part it is Retired, or under what disguise soever It lurks and hides: These being, indeed, the True Idols and Abominations which God hath commanded to put from Us and utterly to annihilate, if we mean to Receive and Conserve His Grace. Lastly, It is My Saviour Himself that is in This Sacrament: O, that I might Love (according to His Example here,) Retirement, Re-collection, Abstraction and Separation from all Creatures, as He continues still unmixed with any, (now, no less, in, within me; than in the whole Church) always, In a Profound Silence? under a Wonderful Humility, leading, here, a Life perfectly Internal, and absorbed in a Contemplation, and Adoration perpetual, of the Greatness and Incomprehensible Majesty of God his Father! Upon the Priest's gathering up the Crumbs and lesser particles of the Host, and sucking in the rest in the Chalice. DEVOTION. THe Fragments, O Lord! The lest Crum that jalls from Thy Table, the least Drop of Thy Wine, no Remainder of Thy Honey Comb, is so little, but is enough for me, as well as for that modest Canaanite; and for Thy Apostles, at that miraculous Entertainment in the Desert, or at That Collation upon Thy Resurrection. Indeed all the Graces, that we are capable of in This Life, are but Crumbs falling from That Thy Table above; but few drops of that Inexhaustible Fountain, with which, Thy Blessed in Heaven, are so abundantly Refreshed, but on Us here, are but sprinkled, a little to relieve our Necessities, and sustain Us from fainting in our Passage through the Desert of This World. Yet; (as Thou art, no less whole and Entire, in the pettyest Particle and Attom of these Symbols, than in the biggest Portion; so) I avouch, that there is force enough to Nourish me, and to Strengthen me too, against all mine Enemies; in the Lightest Grain of Thy Grace; because Thou art always All in It; and With, and By It dost uncessantly derive Thy Spirit into Our Hearts. Which, well considered, should Oblige Us, everyone, to live Contented in This Life, (as we shall do in the Next) be the Gifts Great or Small that we receive from Thy Mercy. Upon the bringing back again of the Book to the Right-Hand. IT is to show, that the Gospel which was removed from the Jews, at first, shall return to them again, and be received, towards the end of the World. And then, (the whole Church, consisting both of Jew and Gentile, being United together,) The Priest Blesseth God for all the Favours shown to it in order thereunto; and particularly for the Present Communion, by which he hath reunited so many; beseeching Him that this Receiving of Him at this time may tend to His everlasting Honour. DEVOTION. I Admire and Adore, O my God, Thy Goodness and infinite Patience; who, having been so long Opposed and Vilified by the Jews, wilt yet, at last, before the end of the World receive them again for all that, and restore to them the Light of the Gospel, before taken from them: as is signified by bringing back the Book, before the Mass ends, to the place It had at the beginning. God forbidden, I should ever Despair, of any Sinner, how Great, or Wretched and Hardened soever he be, as long as He yet Lives! No, let me rather, in all Humility wait, till Thy Mercy or Thy Justice declare itself toward Him, in the Season that Thou hast appointed; and the mean while Pray for Him: Wishing Him Thy Grace, with the same Charity, wherewith Thy Church still implored It for the Jews her Enemies and first Persecutors, though receive it they should not till after many Ages; and at present, are Hardened, and even Abandoned by Thee, after a manner most notoriously Hideous. O let me so Intercede for a Mercy, and a true Repentance, for the worst of mine Enemies! make me carry them always in my Heart, though they little deserve It, and have turned me out of theirs; as Thou lodgest and bearest me in Thine, without considering my unworthiness; and wert willing to receive me, even when I hated Thee, and ran from Thee as fast, and as far as I was able. Sweeten me into a Benignity! that as I have received Thy Grace without all merit; so I may keep it without all Envy, and be an earnest Suitor unto Thee, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe it also to those, who (I am sure,) cannot less deserve it than I. Nay, let it be to me a particular delight and joy, when ever Thou shalt be pleased to indulge it to them in a greater abundance than Thou hast done to me; that so, even their abundance may be as truly mine, and the ●●ches of them supply what is wanting in me, as Thy Apostle says. At the last Benediction. AFter this tender of Thanks; in Conclusion of all, the Priest turns to the People, to Bless them; as was used to be done in the Old Law, after the Sacrifice, and shall be more fully done hereafter by our Saviour Himself, in that General Benediction, of all the Elect, at the end of the World. Hence is it that he reads the Gospel of St. John, treating particularly of the Eternal Generation of the Word, and the Highest Mysteries of that His Deity; To show, that, immemediately after that Last Benediction, we shall pass into Heaven; there to be better acquainted with, and Eternally Admire and Praise these Mysteries: And that Jesus Christ, having gathered together all His chosen, shall lead them in, and place them in the Bosom of His Father, where He is from all Eternity His Only Son; and where He shall admit Us as His Brethren, that where He is, We may be also; and this without any prejudice of His being still the Only, because He shall make Us One with Him. Amen. DEVOTION. I Beseech Thee, O my God, to make me so partaker of Thy Body and Blood, and so to Order the rest of my Life; that I may receive That great Benediction which Thou shalt give to Thy Servants at the Last day; The which, is now Represented unto Me by This, which the Priest gives to the People, in the end of the Mass. In the Hope of This let me live, and grow Invincibly strong, against the rudest Assaults of the Enemy. In the expectation of so great Comfort, let my Heart be so Established as to Dread nothing; nor can the greatest Beauties or Pleasures in This World seem any thing to the sight of That last Glory, or to the perception of That Blessing accumulative of all Blessings, which then shall be received, in the presence of Millions of Angels, and of all Men, which ever were, or shall be. The Blessing, and St. John's Gospel. DEVOTION. ANd, after that Solemn Benediction, take me, O my God, with Thee into Heaven; that Heaven of Heavens! Where I may enjoy Thee in Thy Majesty, in thy Beatitude, and Life so Glorious! A Scantling of which seems to be Represented to Us, by that Beginning of St. John 's Gospel, which is said after the Mass. Wherein those two Sublime Points of Our Faith, the Trinity, and the Incarnation, are Insisted on, to show that Our Eternal Happiness shall consist in the Clear Vision of That, which here we have humbly acknowledged and embraced though but in the obscure and Imperfect Light of Faith; and that We shall Live Eternally, By Contemplation of the Essence, and Trinity of the Persons in the Godhead, as Thou Thyself livest in it, by Comprehension. Remove, O Lord, out of my mind any other Thought, and out of my Heart all other Delight or Pleasure! Let me now in Time, take full Contentment in This Object, which (and no other,) must make me Happy in Eternity. NOw by what hath been Intimated throughout this short Reflection of my Thoughts, it may be inferred, perhaps not Impertinently, (what was said in the beginning,) That the Whole Mass is a Review, and Commemoration, of the being Driven out of Paradise, for the Sin of Adam; and of Our Return again into Paradise, By the Blood and Grace of Jesus Christ. Certain Reflections upon the CREED, thereby to prepare the Heart the better for being more Confirmed in another Article of the Catholic Faith, touching the Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. PREFACE. I Believe. O My Saviour and my God When I consider that this Heavenly Manna, thy most Holy Body, (so miraculously contrived to be our Nourishment, as we pass through the Desert of this World) is affirmed to be truly and Substantially present upon the Altar, immediately after the Words of Consecration; I am struck with wonder and amazement, and have not a word left me to say, but this, (which is a plain confession of my ignorance, and all that those Israelites could reply upon the first view of that other Manna) * Man hu, Man hu. What's this! What's this! Lord have pity on me! My best natural understanding, my Judgement, as rational and humane, all my Senses set themselves in opposition to it, and frame a thousand objections to the contrary, to deter me away: (say they,) How can it possibly be that Christ should give us his very Flesh to eat? This is the hardest saying of all, never to be conceived, never to be Believed. But it is by thy Grace, O my God, that these Seducers in my own Bosom have not yet prevailed upon me; I have done still, as those two great Servants of thine Counceled me, St. Ambrose and St. Austin: I have fled presently to my Creed; and opposed to all their contradictions, that Symbol, that short Lesson, which thy Apostles took care to teach thy servants heretofore. In the first place, I Arm myself with that, as with a sure Cart of thy protection: with It I close and shut up my Heart as with a Signet, that none of all these suggestions can find the way in; and like a well-stored Quiver, it hath afforded me a thousand and a thousand good Shafts, by which I am enabled to keep them off, and ruin them all. What? (say I;) if all other Arguments were nothing; doth not this one word alone, that stands in the very Front of my Creed, (I Believe) suffice to defeat the forces of all such Rebellious Thoughts, and make them fall backward? I Believe, 'Tis the word that was given me at my first entrance and Enrolment in this sacred Militia, and was pronounced by me then, at my Baptism, by the mouth of those who there undertook for me; and I must still make it good. I am therefore, not one that pretends to be an understander of the Mysteries of my Salvation; not a Disputer, not one of the Intelligent; but my Profession is to be one of the Faithful, a Believer. And therefore, by how much hard and incomprehensible this Sacrament is made appear to me, by so much the more is it likely to be one of the Articles I am to believe, and so rendered by its proposal more venerably credible; For Faith There, comes to its true Lustre, and is seated, as it were on its Throne; where the Understanding is most humbled by Obscurities. ARTICLE I. In God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth. etc. God is God in all his works, God. but his Deity appears to us most in his Greatest: And because this Sacrament is confessed to be one of them (if not the very Greatest of all) what surer Testimony can it bring with it, to make me believe it to be so, (the work of the Almighty,) than its being wonderful, and un-intelligible? Are there not Three distinct Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in one and the same single Essence? A complete Trinity in a most simple Unity? That Faith which hath swallowed and digested this transcendent difficulty; how comes it now to stick, and make scruple of Believing One and the same Body to be in divers places at once? God defend me from the temper of those Rebellious Children, The Father. that came to question his Omnipotent Arm; and say, can he prepare a Table for us in the Wilderness? (And could all their projecting thoughts ever have pitched upon such a way as that of Manna?) Well, whatever part of this Paschal Lamb I cannot Chew by my Reason, I will cast it into, as it were, the Fire of the unlimited power of this Father, Almighty. whom I believe to be Almighty; These little Clouds of Difficulties, that so intercept, and put this Sacrament out of the sight of our Natural Eye, how easily do they vanish in the clear Sunshine of God's Omnipotency? What so hard, that this Fire consumes not? The bare Word God hath had such Virtue, Maker of Heaven, etc. as to give a Being to such things as were not at all; How much more is it able to give a different Being to what already is? and how? and in as many places as he pleaseth? He hath made that which was Not at all any where, to be Somewhere; why can he not as well make That which is but Some where, to be every where. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord. Whilst I am assured, O my Saviour, His Son. that thy Father so loved the World, as to give Thee, (his only Son) to be its Feeder, and Physician; What wonder is it, (say I within myself,) if this Son, of equal Love and Bounty with his Father, do (further) give himself to be its very Food, and Physic too; thereby to make himself more intrinsically, a Saviour, and King, Our Lord. and Lord over All, and through All. Which was conceived of the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary. So wert thou Conceived O my God, in the Womb of a Virgin, without any use of Man! And why then do we look for Natural Conditions and Properties in That Body, Conceived. which was made at first; not according to the Order of Nature? and Born of a Virgin. Since thy Body took up no place then, when it came forth through the unopened and Virginal Womb of thy Mother, (for, otherwise, Born. it had forced the Seal of her Virginity) piercing it only as the Sunbeams do the Crystal; How should it seem incredible, that in the Sacrament, it needs as little Locality. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was Crucify'd, Dead and Buried. He that Loved Thee so dearly, O my Soul, that, (when he could have saved thee with shedding but one drop of his Blood only; nay, by the least of his Sufferings; yet) was so willing to expose all his Body to such Torments, and Passion, and to a most bitter Death too, that thou mightest have Life; Ah! He it is; the very same He, who, (that This life might be preserved and maintained in thee) gives thee That Body to Nourish it too! Or is this only so hard to be believed, from his Love? whilst every Mother's Love, contents not itself, to have brought forth an Infant, partaking of the same substance with themselves, unless with the same substance they proceed to Feed and Nourish it too? The truth is; After so many divers Shadows, and Representations of that Passion of His, wherewith his Servants were once sustained; as the Paschal Lamb, Manna, and many others; It had been a very lean and hungry Commemoration, a cold Entertainment of it for his Children; If, to that purpose there had been set before them, nothing, but mere Bread and Wine. He descended into Hell, the third day He risen again from the Dead. Again, if he, that would have Visited his Friends, Descent. lodged in the Bosom of Abraham many other ways; yet had rather Descend in Person, and visit them by the Real Presence of His Soul: Why should it seem strange, if, in like manner, tho' he could have found out infinite other means to Nourish Us by, yet he made choice of This as the most endearing, most Admirable, most Amorous, even to give his Own Flesh to Us for Food If by his Raising It from the Dead, Resurrection. he hath quite freed His Body from those grosser Properties of Passibility or suffering violence, of Weight, of Thickness, of Opacousness and the like; so that with It he penetrated the Stone of his Sepulchre, passed through Doors that were shut, (which could never be done but by causing two Bodies to be so in one place, that the One should take up no room) made it invisible, Vnpalpable, Imperceptible, and to take up no place at all; why can he not make It so in this Sacrament, though never so excluded from Room or Sense; since he hath affirmed It to be there? Why should we tie him still to the conditions of a mortal and Corruptible Body? He Ascended into Heaven; Sitteth on the right Hand of God the Father Almighty. Can it seem strange to us that This Body of his, should come into Our Bodies Really and substantially, though supernaturally; when as mounting lighter and swifter than any Bird, Ascent. beyond all the Laws of a Humane Body, It soared above all the Spheres, and sat Itself down at the right Hand of God his Either, far beyond the highest Heavens, out of all Place and Where? (for what Superficies can environ That Body, which is above all Bodies?) And then, what hinders but that It may be present here too, after the same manner, without filling any Place or Vbi. And from thence He shall come to Judge the Quick and the Dead. And so, no longer confined to Place or Vbi, His coming. nor subject to Weightiness; He shall appear at the last day with His Saints in the Air, made Visible to all Men, wherever they are (though to divers effects,) as Miraculously as he is now Invisible to them in the Sacrament. And then shall He Judge as Guilty of His Body and Blood, those that have participated of this precious and adorable Sacrament unworthily, because they discerned not the Body of their Lord. Of what kind of Meat was it ever said, but this; that He that eat It unworthily, became Guilty of the Blood of Jesus Christ? because it being Really the Body of Jesus Christ, It makes them too really guilty of It, who abuse It, and discern it not. No such severe Sentence is given about Manna, or the Paschal Lamb, though that in Eating Them, Christ was to be Fed on too, Spiritually, and by Faith. I Believe in the Holy Ghost. As all that God has done heretofore he hath done it by Holy Ghost. the Operation of the Holy Ghost; so doth he now by the same Holy Ghost, work these Supernatural Things, which none but Faith conceives. How shall this thing be, said (the Blessed Virgin) since I know not Man? The Angel Gabriel replied, The Holy Ghost shall come upon Thee, and the Power of the most High shall overshaddow Thee. So now, thou demandest the like; How shall the Bread be made the Body of Josus Christ? and I, I answer then just so, The Holy Ghost overshadows and works these things inneffably, un-conceivably. That Holy Ghost that dictated the Sacred Text, would he have ever put in these words there, so plain and punctual, as are, This is my Body, were it not the true Body of our Lord? would He not have added there some declaration of his meaning, had it been other than what those words do bear in their principal and proper acception? He that was sent to teach the Church all Truth, would He have let it follow an error and a Lie, in an Article of such importance? and so long together? The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints. And (in good earnest) how could one call the Church Holy (which is never but One, H. Cath. Church. in all times and places, where, and when it is,) if it did not maintain the Truth, as well in this point as in others, in all times, in all places, and amongst all Nations, which it hath not done, if the True Body of our Lord be not in the Sacrament? Again, Communion of Saints. is there any more perfect Communion of Sts. than this? whereby we are One Bread and One Body, for as much as we are all partakers of the same One Bread that came down from Heaven, living in Itself, and also giving life? And how can it be (precisely) understood, that we should all Eat of One and the same Bread, if this Bread were not the Body of Jesus Christ? otherwise, look how many places, nay, how many Persons; so many Breads (in strictness of speech,) there would be. And if you understand it so, that we Eat all One and the same Spiritual Food by Faith only, what greater Communion hereby, Saints, Christians. hath one Christian now with all other Christians than He hath done with those Jews of Old, who Fed on Jesus Christ by Faith, and consequently on One and the same Spiritual Food? The forgiveness of Sins. Lord, thou hast said that Thy Body and thy Blood in this Sacrament was Given, Broken, and Shed for many, for the Remission of Sins. Ah, neverlet it enter into my thoughts to Believe, that any Other Blood was spilt, any Other Body given for the Remission of my Sins, than what was proper, and naturally Thine! And what? A simple Figure and Commemoration only of That, can it ever have such a Power? The Blood of the Heifer sprinkled, (though the true and near Figure of that Blood shed upon the Cross, yet) served only to the Purification of the Flesh: No, 'tis the Proper Blood of God alone, that purges Our Consciences from dead works, to serve the Living God. The Resurrection of the Body. O Gracious Jesus! When shall It be, that in a moment, in the twinkling of an Eye, at the last Trump, the Dead shall arise; and the same Flesh of every One now crumbled into Dust, and scattered a thousand ways, shall be re-compacted again into an Incorruptible, Immortal Consistency? Good God, the Miracle of Miracles This! And yet I am contemplating one (well nigh) Equal That in a Moment too, in the twinkling of an Eye, at the Trumpet of thy Word, that very Body of Thine, Seated at the right Hand of thy Father in Heaven is in a certain manner Reproduced in this Sacrament, in all places wherever the Mystery of It, is duly Celebrated. But, O my wonderful Saviour! If a little Leaven can Leaven a great Lump of Doughty: If one Spark of Fire be enough to Inflame a whole House; if one Grain of Corn put into the Earth, there works so, as out of that Earth to cause so many more to grow, and shoot up; How may I hope that Thy Blessed Body entering into mine, will, Greg. Nyssen, cap. 37. in its due time, ferment it so, as to make It rise; warm and heat, and Inflame It so as to make It like Thy Glorious Body, and cause it to come up, Immortal, Impassable, Subtle, Nimble, Clear and Shineing with all the Radiant Qualities that belong to Its perfection, and may be expected from so Divine a Seed. This Efficacy, I confess can never be in the Figures of thy Body: It comes only from the true and Real Presence of thy Precious Body Itself being There. The Life Everlasting. And indeed what other Nourishment, Blessed Saviour, but thy dear Body alone, can possibly give A Life Everlasting? It must be Bread that Lives Itself, or it cannot give Life, Bread that comes down from Heaven to give a Heavenly Life; Bread, that is no other than Thine Own Self my Lord and my God, to give an Immortal, Eternal, Everlasting Life. The Manna which was a true Type and Figure of thy Body, yet could not do That, there is need of some Food to be had more Substantial, and Solid, and Spiritual for such a Life, and what can that be, but Thyself who hast Life in Thyself, and Livest now, and for evermore, World without End, Amen. This you see (if you have Read and Weighed it well) that the Articles of Our CREED, cannot be considered in that full height, (wherein they ought to be literally and expressly believed, and professed by every good Christian;) but that withal, they dispose the Soul to a Firm Faith of the Real Presence of the true Body and Blood of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament; which Article, (thereby) seems to carry a very Natural and congenious proportion to all the rest, at least as the possibility, I may add, and probability of it; which is enough for the first step. The next step shall be to weigh the several Testimonies of the Fathers, and Their various Expressions; wherein they seem to Labour, so to set down what they believed in this High Mystery, as that it might not be mistaken by Others; wherefore from Them it will further appear, that the Faith of the greatest part of the Church in all Ages, was, (as it is now,) of the Real Presence. Lastly, Shall the particular Exceptions, Answers, Limitations, Distinctions, Subterfuges, of latter Dissenters, as to those Testimonies be produced and brought into the Light, One by One. All this, if you receive not Satisfaction before; and if not after, I have no other way left to help you with, but Prayer. Jam hoc qui dicit, Non meis Disputationibus Refellendus sed Sanctorum Orationibus Revocandus est. Aug. Preparatory Prayers toward the due Receiving of the Blessed Sacrament; Authorised by the Church. Ad Mensam Dulcissimi Convivii, etc. TO Thy Table, O most Bountiful Lord Jesus Christ, where, with such Delicious and Heavenly Food, Thou usest to Entertain and Feast Pure Souls; I a sinner, though not presuming on any Merit or Desert of Mine, but solely, on Thy Goodness, and Gracious Invitation; do (yet) Tremble and Fear to approach. For, I have a Heart still prone to evil; and Treacherous eune to the deceiving of myself: A Mind unconstant in all good Purposes. A Body enslaved to sin, and which hath been Tainted, and rendered loathsome by Corruption Original, and many Crimes committed in it: Senses wholly deprived, and by long Custom disposed, to admit any sort of Temptation. Members, all retained for the Service of some Vice or other. A Tongue especially, an unruly Evil, and under no Guard or Discipline; Itself a very World of Iniquity. And therefore now, in this Misery and great Perplexity, (what to do, and how to carry myself (in this Conjuncture of Thy Call, and my own Wretchedness,) towards Thee, a God of so much Benignity, but of such a frightening Majesty too,) I nevertheless, am here come unto Thee. But To Thee, as the Fountain of Mercy: To Thee, as the sole Curer of all my Maladies and Distempers, at Present; and the best Preserver against all Ills to come: And whom I dare not appear before, as my Judge; I humbly Sue to have for my Saviour. To Thee, O Lord, as such I here unbind, and lay open my Wounds and Sores: To Thee I discover my shame. I know my Sins are great, and many; and they cause this Fear in me; but I hope in Thy Mercies, which are without number or stint. Look upon me, Then, with those tender Eyes of Thy Compassion, O Merciful Jesus, Eternal and most Munificent Saviour, God and Man; Crucify'd for Man! Hail Saving Sacrifice, Offered up on the Altar of the Cross, for Me, and all Mankind! Hail, Precious, and Royal Blood, poured forth of the Wounds of my Crucify'd Lord; and Cleansing a whole World from Sin. Remember Lord, this Creature of Thine, for whom Thou hast spilt that Blood. I am sorry that I have Offended Thee, I desire to Amend what is Amiss. Take from me, O most Indulgent Saviour, all my Iniquities and Transgressions, that so beset me, and cleave so close to me; that being Purged and Sanctified throughout, in Spirit, Soul, and Body, I may come Worthily to feed at Thy Table; on the Holiest of all Things And Grant, that this Sacred prae-libation and fore-taste of Thy Body and Blood, which I now intent to take, though most unworthy, may be to me, A full Remission of my sins: A perfect Evacuation of all vitiated and peccant Humours. A chasing out of my Mind all unseemly Cogitations: A producing therein a Series of better Thoughts and Sentiments: An Effectual and Active Principle of doing, ever hereafter, Things pleasing to Thee: An Impregnable Defence, both of Soul and Body against all Assaults or Treacheries of mine Enemies. A Token of present Grace; and a sure Pledge and Earnest of future Glory. Amen. Another. ALmighty and Immortal Father! Behold I come to this Sacrament of Thy only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I come, As an Infirm and Languishing Person, to the Physician that gives Life and Health. As one Defiled and Unclean, to the pure Spring of Grace and Mercy. As the Blind, to a Light of never failing Clearness. As a Poor and Indigent Creature to the Lord of Heaven and Earth. I humbly supplicate, and beseech Thee, therefore, in such Abundance, and so copious overflowing of Plenty of Favours, To deign me A Cure of mine Infirmity, A Cleansing from my Defilements, A Recovery from Blindness, An Enriching of my Poverty, A Nuptial Garment, for hiding my Shame and Nakedness. That, being admitted a Guest at Thy Table, and Feeding on the Bread of Angels, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; I may demean myself, with So great Reverence and Humility, So true Contrition and Devotion. So much Purity and Faith, That purpose and Intention, As may most conduce to the Salvation of my Soul. Grant me now, (I pray Thee) to Receive, not only the Sacrament of our Lord's Body and Blood, but the Virtue also, and real Effect of the Sacrament. O most Merciful God, Grant me in such manner to Receive This Body of Thy only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ, which he took from the Virgin Mary; that I may thereby become Incorporated into His Mystical Body, and be one of its Living and Sound Members. O most Indulgent Father! Vouchsafe, that this Thy Beloved Son, whom now I intent to Receive, as here He comes Masqued and under these Veils; So I may hereafter be admitted to Enjoy, with open Face, in full Vision, as with Thee, and the Holy Spirit, he Lives and and Reigns, one God, World without End, Amen. Prayers after Communion. I Give Thee Infinite Thanks from the very bottom of my Heart, and with all the Powers and Faculties of my Soul and Body, Holy Lord, Omnipotent Father, Eternal God Who hast now Vouchsafed Me, a Sinner, a most unworthy Servant, upon no account of any Merit in me, but in mere condescension of Thy Mercy; to have an Interest in this Inestimable Sacrifice, and Holy Communion, of the Precious Body and Blood of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Which I have now Offered, and fed upon, In Honourable memory of His Death and Passion; In Gratitude for all Benefits Received, etc. For Reconcilement, and Remission of my Sins, etc. For increase of Grace; to, etc. In Memory and Veneration of such and such Servant or Saint of Thine, etc. And I humbly beseech Thee, that these Acts of Devotion and Worship of Thee, may not be to me any new Gild of Sin, to be Punished; but an Effectual Intercession rather, and Procurement of Pardon! An Armoury of Faith, and Shield of Good Will; A clean riddance of all Vices in me. A total quenching of Lust and Concupiscence. An Increase of Divine Love and Patience; of Humility, Obedience, and all other Virtues. A Fortress against all the Machinations of my Enemies, Visible and Invisible: A perfect Calming of all Commotions from Flesh or Spirit. A close adhaesion to Thee, the only True God; and the Happy Conclusion of my Life. And after this Viaticum, Conduct, I beseech Thee, Thy Servant, to that inexpressible, never-ending Feast where Thou, together with Thy Son, and Holy Spirit, Indivisible Trinity; art to Thy Saints, Their true Light, Their full Satisfaction, Their everlasting Joy, Their complete Delight, and Their Every perfect Happiness. Through Jesus Christ. Amen. Another. O My Lord Jesus! Sweet above all Sweets! Infuse into my Heart, my Bowels, and inmost Entrails of my Spirit; such a strong Passion for Thee; so True, Clear, Apostolic, and most Sanctify'd Affection to Thee; that my Soul may languish and be always melting with a Love of Thee only! Long for Thee; pant after Thy presence in these Thy Courts, the places of Thy particular Residence and Worship; wish to be quite dissolved, to be with Thee, yet nearer. Make my Soul Hunger after Thee, The Food of Angels, The Refreshment of Sanctify'd Spirits, Or daily Super-substantial Bread, full of all Delightful Relishes and Suavities, Savouring of the Varieties of all-pleasing Tastes and Gusts. After Thee, whom the Angels so much Covet to pry into, let my Heart always have an Appetite, and feed on Thee; Let it ever Thirst for Thee; The Spring of Life, The Fountain of Wisdom and Knowledge, The Source of Eternal Light. The Torrent of Pleasures, The Plenty of God's House, Court Thee; seek Thee; find Thee; run after Thee; overtake Thee: Muse on Thee, Talk of Thee, do all things to the Praise and Glory of Thy Name. With Humility, With Discretion, With Delight, With Felicity, With Affection, With Perseverance. And be Thou only at all times, my Hope, my Confidence, my Riches, my Pleasure, my Divertisement, my Joy, my Rest, my Peace, my Delight, my sweet Perfume, my Meat, my Sauce, my Meal, my Retirement, my Aid, my Wisdom, my Portion, my Possession, my Treasure; on which my Mind may still run, my Heart be ever set, fixed, and unchangeably Established. Amen. FINIS. BOOKS Printed for Nathaniel Thompson at the Entrance into Old-Spring-Garden near Charing-Cross. A Brief Discourse of Confession to a Lawful Priest, wherein is treated of the last Judgement, By P Manby Dean of London-Dery, A Manual of Controversies, clearly proving the Truth of Catholic Faith, by Texts of Holy Scripture, Counsels of all Ages, Fathers of the first 500 years, Common Sense and Reason, and fully Ansering all the Principal Objections of Protestants, and all manner of Sectaries By H. T. A most Excellent way of Hearing Mass with Profit and Devotion. Containing the whole Maze in Latin and English; with divers Select Prayers before and after Confession and Communion; and an Examen of Conscience, etc. A Manual of Devout Prayers, fitted for all persons, and all occasions. To which is added the Rosary in Latin and English. Prayers to the B. V The Prayers of St. Bridget, etc. with the Vespers or Even-Song.