Jacobs ladder, or, The devout souls ascention to Heaven, in prayers, thanksgivings, and praises in four parts ... : with graces and thanksgivings : illustrated with sculptures / by Jo. Hall.

A Prayer before the receiving of the Sacrament.

O Most gracious and merciful Lord God, thou hast called all those that are weary and heavy laden with their sins to come unto thee, and hast promised to ease and refresh them; thou hast invited all those that hun∣ger and thirst after thy Kingdom and the righteousness thereof to come to thy Table, to tast of thy Supper, and hast promised that thou wilt satisfy them; in assurance therefore of these promises I come to thee, blessed Lord Jesus, beseeching thee to ease me, to refresh me, to satisfy me with thy mercy, for my Soul hungers and thirsts after thee & thy Salvation. I confess and acknowledge that my dayly sins have made me unworthy of my dayly bread, much more of this Manna, this Bread of life that came down from Heaven.

I confess, O Lord, I am not pre∣pared according to thy preparation of thy Sanctuary, yet for as much as this day I have set my heart to seek to thee, thou, O God, be merciful unto me, and though I cannot bring with me a clean heart, (for who can say his heart is clean?) yet behold, O Lord, I bring with me a contrite heart and a broken spirit, despise not, O God, this Sacrifice. As for the sins that I have committed against thee, bind them up into one bundle, and cast them into the bottomless Sea of thy mercy, bury them in thy wounds, and wash them away in the blood of that immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus, and for the time to come sprinkle my Conscience with the same blood, that being cleansed from dead works I may serve thee the living God in righteousness and true holiness all the days of my life, that so this blessed Sacrament may be a means to quiet my Conscience, to increase my faith, to inflame my charity, to amend my

life, to save my Soul, and to assure me that I am of the number of those bles∣sed ones who shall eat at thy Table, and be called to the marriage Supper of the Lamb. Grant this, O Lord, for Jesus Christ his sake, in whose name and words I conclude these my imperfect prayers, saying as he him∣self hath taught me.

Our Father, &c.