The practise of the faithfull containing many godly praiers both of morning and euening and other necessarie occasions. Whereunto are added diuers profitable and comfortable meditations necessarie to be remembered and practised of euery Christian.

A Praier before the recei∣uing of the Lords Supper.

MOst mercifull father, I thy vnworthy ser∣uant, do héere render to thy Maiestie humble thankes, for that it hath pleased thée, notwithstanding al my for∣mer sins & vnworthinesse, to inuite me to this blessed banquet which thou hast or∣dained for the strengthning of my wea••e faith, and for the preseruation of the me∣morie of Christs death. O Lord I beséech thée giue me grace to put on the wed∣ding garment, and séeing thou hast commanded that I should examine my selfe,

grant that I may not pre∣sume to thrust my self into thy holy presence, without a due examination of mine owne estate, both how I haue liued, and also how I am prepared for so weigh∣tie a seruice: I desire to do it O Lord, help my desire: I promise to liue more ho∣ly than I haue done, giue me power I pray thée to performe my promise. O Lord I confesse I am by nature a childe of wrath as well as others, giue me a true and liuely faith, wher∣with, as with a spirituall hand, I may be spiritually ioined vnto thée, that in this outward pledge, wher∣by it hath pleased thée to stoope to my sences, by vi∣sible

signes of bread and wine, setting forth thereby inuisible graces, so grant good Lord I may wholly rest in thy death and passi∣on, which is the matter of both thy Sacraments, cleanse mee O Lord that thou maiest enter into me, and maiest vouchsafe to take vp thy habitation within me, I know O Lord that I am most vn∣worthy of this excellent mercy: but it is thou that for thine own names sake, hast shewed vnto me this great saluation, not spa∣ring thine only begotten son, whom when the ful∣nesse of time was come, thou diddest send into the World, made of a woman,

that in him thou mightest receiue a full satisfaction for my sinnes, committed both in body and soule, re∣moue far from me O Lord all swelling, disdainefull and vncharitable affecti∣ons, for this is a feast of loue, therefore to it a mali∣cious and reuengeful heart cannot be a welcome guest, and when I present my self before thée at thy table O Lord I beséech thée restrain wy wandring and idle thoughts, and let them bée seriously fixed on that which is the Sacrament namely the death of my sa∣uiour, quicken me vp to de∣uote and consecrate my self for euer, vnto his seruice, who hath vouchsafed him∣selfe

to be a sacrifice for me, and grant that when I sée bread and wine on the ta∣ble with my bodily eie, I may with the eie of my soule behold Christ on the Crosse, and when I looke vpon the wine powred out of the vessell, I may consi∣der how Christs blood was powred out for my sinnes, and as I receiue this bread and wine into my stomack for bodily sustenance, so cause me I beséech thée to féede on the body and blood of our Lord and Sauiour Christ that it may be nou∣rishment for my soule,

A∣men.