The rule and exercises of holy living. In which are described the means and instruments of obtaining every vertue, and the remedies against every vice, and considerations serving to the resisting all temptations. Together with prayers containing the whole duty of a Christian, and the parts of devotion fitted to all occasions, and furnish'd for all necessities.

SECT. X. Of preparation to, and the manner how to receive the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper.

THe celebration of the holy Sacrament is the great mysteriousnesse of the Christian religion, and succeeds to the most solemn rite of natural and Judaical religion, the Law of sacrificing. For God spared mankinde, and took the sacrifie of beasts together with our solemn prayers for an instrument of expiation. But these could not purifie the soul from sin, but were typical of the sacrifice of something that could. But nothing could do this, but either the offering of all that sinned, that every man should be the anathema or devo••ed thing, or else by some one of the same capacity, who by some superadded excellency might in his own personal sufferings have a value great e∣nough to satisfie for all the whole kinde of sin∣ning persons. This the Son of God JESUS CHRIST, God and Man undertook, and finished by a Sacrifice of himself upon the Altar of the Crosse.

2. This Sacrifice, because it was perfect, could be but one, and that once; but because the needs of the world should last as long as the world self, it was neces••ary that there should be a perpe••ual ministery established, whereby this one sufficient sacrifice should be made eternally effectual to the several new a••i••ing needs of all

the world who should desire it, or in any sence be capable of it.

3. To this end Christ was made a Priest for ever: he was initiated or consecrated on the crosse, and there began his Priesthood, which was to last till his coming to judgement. It be∣gan on earth, but was to last and be officiated in Heaven, where he sits perpetually, repre∣senting and exhibiting to the Father that great effective sacrifice (which he of••ered on the crosse) to eternal and never failing purposes.

4. As Christ is pleased to represent to his Father that great Sacrifice as a means of atone∣ment and expiation for all mankinde, and with special purposes and intendment for all the elect, all that serve him in holinesse: so he hath appointed that the same ministery shall be done upon earth too, in our manner, and ac∣cording to our proportion; and therefore hath constituted and separated an order of men, who by shewing forth the Lords death by Sacra∣mental representation may pray unto God after the same manner that our Lord and high ••riest does, that is, offer to God and repres••nt in this solemn prayer and Sacrament, Christ as already offered, so sending up a gracious instrument whereby our prayers may for his sake and in the same manner of intercession be offered up to God in our behalf, and for all them for whom we pray to all those purposes for which Christ dyed.

5. As the Ministers of the Sacrament do in a Sacramental manner present to God the sacrifice of the crosse, by being imitators of Christs intercession; so the people are sacrificers too in their manner; for besides that, by saying Amen, they joyn in the act of him that ministers,

and make it also to be their own: so when they eat and drink the consecrated and blessed Ele∣lements worthily, they receive Christ within them, and therefore may also offer him to God, while in their sacrifice of obedience & thanks∣giving they present themselves to God with Christ whom they have spiritually received, that is, themselves with that which will make them gracious and acceptable. The offering their bodies and souls and services to God in him, and by him, and with him, who is his Fathers well-beloved, and in whom he is well pleased, can∣not but be accepted to all the purposes of bles∣sing, grace, and glory.

6. This is the sum of the greatest mystery of our Religion: it is the copy of the passion, and the ministration of the great mystery of our Redemption; and therefore whatsoever intitles us to the general priviledges of Christs passion, all that is necessary by way of disposi∣tion to the celebration of the Sacrament of his passion: because this celebration is our man∣ner of applying or using it. The particulars of which preparation are represented in the fol∣lowing rules.

1. No Man must dare to approach to the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper if he be in a state of any one sin, that is,* 1.1 unlesse he have entred into the state of repentance, that is, of sorrow and amendment▪ lest it be said concerning him, as it was concerning Iudas, the hand of him that betraieth me is with me on the Table: and he that receiveth Christ in∣to an impure soul or body, first turns his most excellent nourishment into poyson, and then ••eeds upon it.

2. Every communicant must first have ex∣amined

himself, that is, tried the condition and state of his soul, searched out the secret Ulcers, enquired out its weaknesses and indis∣cretions, and all those aptnesses where it is ex∣posed to temptation, that by finding out its diseases he may finde a cure, and by discove∣ring its aptnesses he may secure his present purposes of future amendment, and may be arm'd against dangers and temptations.

3. This examination must be a Mans own act, and inquisition into his life; but then also it should leade a Man on to run to those whom the Great Physician of our souls Christ Jesus hath appointed to minister physick to our dis∣eases; that in all dangers and great accidents we may be assisted for comfort and remedy, for medicine and caution.

4. In this affair let no Man deceive himself, and against such a time which publick Autho∣rity hath appointed for us to receive the Sa∣crament, weep for his sins by way of solemnity and ceremony, and still retain the affection: but he that comes to this feast must have on the Wedding garment▪ that is, he must have put on Iesus Christ▪ and he must have put off the old man with his affections and lusts, and he must be wholly conformed to Christ in the image of his minde: For then we have put on Christ, when our souls are clothed with his righteousnesse, when every faculty of our foul is proportioned and vested according to the patern of Christs life. And therefore a Man must not leape from his last nights Surfet, and Bath, and then communicate: but when he hath be∣gun the work of God effectually, and made some progresse in repentance, and hath walked some stages and periods in the wayes of godli∣nesse,

then let him come to him that is to mi∣nister it, and having made known the state of his soul, he is to be admitted: but to receive it into an unhallowed soul and body, is to re∣ceive the dust of the Tabernacle in the water•• of jealousie; it will make the belly to swell, and the thigh to rot: it will not convey Christ to us, but the Devil will enter and dwell there, till with it he returns to his dwelling of torment. Remember alwayes that after a great sin or after a habit of sins, a Man is not soon made clean; and no unclean thing must come to this Feast. It is not th•• preparation of two or three dayes that can render a per∣son capable of this banque••: For in this seast, all Christ, and Christs passion, and all his graces, the blessings and effects of his suffe∣rings are conveyed: nothing can fit us for this, but what can unite us to Christ, and obtain of him to present our needs to his hea∣venly Father: this Sacrament can no other∣wise be celebrated but upon the same terms on which we may hope for pardon and Hea∣ven it self.

5. When we have this general and indis∣pensably necessary preparation, we are to make our souls more adorn'd and trimm'd up with circumstances of pious actions, and special de∣votions, setting apart some portion of our time immediately before the day of solemnity according as our great occasions will permit▪ and this time is specially to be spent in actions of repentance, confession of our sins, renewing our purposes of holy living, praying for par∣don of our failings, and for those graces which may prevent the like sadnesses for the time to come; meditation upon the passion, upon

the infinite love of God expressed in so great mysterious manners of redemption; and in∣definitely in all acts of vertue which may build our soules up into a Temple fit for the recep∣tion of Christ himself and the inhabitation of the holy Spirit.

6. The celebration of the holy Sacrament being the most solemne prayer, joyned with the most effectual instrument of its accept∣ance, must suppose us in the love of God, and in charity with all the World: and therefore we must before every Communion especially, remember what differences or jea∣lousies are between us and any one else; and recompose all disunions, and cause right un∣derstandings betweene each other; offering to satisfie whom we have injur'd, and to for∣give them who have injur'd us, without thoughts of resuming the quarrel when the solemnity is over; for that is but to rake the embers in light and phantastick ashes: it must be quenched, and a holy flame en∣kindled: no fires must be at all, but the fires of love and zeal; and the altar of incense will send up a sweet perfume, and make atone∣ment for us.

7. When the day of the feast is come, lay aside all cares and impertinencies of the World, and remember that this is thy Souls day; a day of traffique and entercourse with Heaven. Arise early in the morning. 1. Give God thanks for the approach of so great a blessing. 2. Confesse thy own unworthinesse to admit so Divine a Guest. 3. Then remem∣ber and deplore thy sinnes which have made thee so unworthy. 4. Then confesse Gods goodnesse and take sanctuary there, and upon

him place thy hopes. 5. And invite him to thee with renewed acts of love, of holy desire, of hatred of his enemy, sin. 6. Make oblation of thy self wholly to be disposed by him, to the obedience of him, to his providence and pos∣session, and pray him to enter, and dwell there for ever: And after this, with joy and holy fear, and the forwardness of love, addresse thy self to the receiving of him, to whom and by whom, and for whom, all faith, and all hope, and all love in the whole Catholick Church, both in Heaven & Earth is design'd; him, whom Kings and Queens, and whole Kingdoms are in love with, and count it the greatest honour in the World, that their Crowns and Scepters are laid at his holy feet.

8. When the holy Man stands at the Table of blessing and ministers the rite of consecra∣tion, then do as the Angels do, who behold, & love, and wonder; that the Son of God should become food to the souls of his servants; that he who cannot suffer any change or lessening should be broken into pieces and enter into the body to support and nourish the spirit, and yet at the same time remain in Heaven while he descends to thee upon Earth; that he who hath essen∣tial felicity should become miserable and dye sor thee, and then give himself to thee for ever to redeem thee from sin and misery; that by his wounds he should procure health to thee, by his affronts he should intitle thee to glory, by his death he should bring thee to life, and by becoming a Man he should make thee par∣taker of the Divine nature. These are such glories that although they are made so obvious that each eye may behold them, yet they are al∣so so deep, that no thought can fathome them:

But so it hath pleased him to make these my∣steries to be sensible, because the excellency and depth of the mercy is not intelligible; that while wee are ravished and comprehended within the infinitenesse of so vast & mysterious a mercy, yet we may be as sure of it, as of that thing we see and feel, and smell and taste; but yet is so great, that we cannot understand it.

9. These holy mysteries are offered to our senses, but not to bee placed under our feet; they are sensible, but not common: and therefore as the weaknesse of the Ele∣ments addes wonder to the excellency of the Sacrament: so let our reverence and venera∣ble usages of them adde honour to the Ele∣ments, and acknowledge the glory of the my∣stery, and the Divinity of the mercy. Let us receive the consecrated Elements with all de∣votion, and humility of body and spirit; and do this honour to it, that it be the first food we eat, and the first beverage we drink that day, unlesse it he in case of sicknesse, or other great necessity: and that your body and soul both be prepared to its reception with absti∣nence from secular pleasures, that you may better have attended fastings and preparato∣ry prayers. For if ever it be seasonable to observe the counsel of Saint Paul, that mar∣ried persons by consent should abstain for a time that they may attend to solemne Reli∣gion,* 1.2 it is now. It was not by Saint Paul nor the after ages of the Church called a duty so to do, but it is most reasonable, that the more solemne actions of Religion should be attend∣ed to without the mixture of any thing that may discompose the minde, and make it more secular, or lesse religious.

10. In the act of receiving, exercise acts of Faith, with much confidence and resignation, believing it not to be common bread and wine, but holy in their use, holy in their signification, holy in their change, and holy in their effect, and believe if thou art a worthy Communicant thou doest as verily receive Christs body and blood to all effects and purposes of the spirit, as thou doest receive the blessed elements into thy mouth; that thou puttest thy finger to his hand, and thy hand into his side, and thy lips to his fontinel of blood,* 1.3 sucking life from his heart: and yet if thou doest communicate unwor∣thily; thou eatest and drinkest Christ to thy danger, and death, and destruction. Di∣spute not concerning the secret of the mystery, and the nicety of the manner of Christs pre∣sence: it is sufficient to thee that Christ shall be present to thy soul, as an instrument of grace, as a pledge of the resurrection, as the earnest of glory and immortality, and a means of ma∣ny intermedial blessings, even all such as are necessary for thee, and are in order to thy sal∣vation: and to make all this good to thee, there is nothing necessary on thy part but a holy life, and a true belief of all the sayings of Christ, amongst which, indefinitely assent to the words of institution, and believe that Christ in the holy Sacrament gives thee his bo∣die and his blood. He that believes not this, is not a Christian; He that believes so much, needs not to enquire further, nor to intangle his faith by disbelieving his sence.

11. Fail not this solemnity according to the custom of pious and devout people to make an offering to God for the uses of religion and the

poor, according to thy ability. For when Christ feasts his body, let us also feast our fellow mem∣bers who have right to the same promises, and are partakers of the same Sacrament, and part∣ners of the same hope, and cared for under the same providence, and descended from the same common parents, and whose Father God is, and Christ is their Elder Brother. If thou chancest to communicate where this holy cu∣stom is not observed publickly, supply that want by thy private charity, but offer it to God at his holy Table, at least by thy private designing it there.

12. When you have received, pray and give thanks. Pray for all estates of men: for they also have an interest in the body of Christ whereof they are members: and you in con∣junction with Christ (whom then you have received) are more fit to pray for them in that advantage, and in the celebration of that holy sacrifice which then is Sacramentally re∣presented to GOD. * Give thanks for the passion of our Dearest Lord: remember all its parts, and all the instruments of your Redemption; and beg of GOD that by a holy perseverance in well doing you may from shadowes passe on to substances, from eating his body to seeing his face, from the Typicall, Sacramentall, and Transient, to the Reall, and Eternall Supper of the Lambe.

13. After the solemnity is done, let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith, and love, and obedience, and conformity to his life and death; as you have taken CHRIST into you, so put CHRIST on you, and conforme every faculty of your soul and body to his holy

image and perfection. Remember that now Christ is all one with you; and therefore when you are to do an action, consider how Christ did, or would do the like, and do you imitate his example, and transcribe his copy, and un∣derstand all his Commandments, and choose all that he propounded, and desire his promi∣ses and fear his threatnings, and marry his loves and hatreds, and contract all his friendships; for then you do every day communicate; espe∣cially when Christ thus dwells in you, and you in Christ, growing up towards a perfect man in Christ Iesus.

14. Do not instantly upon your return from Church, return also to the world, and secular thoughts and imployments; but let the remain∣ing parts of that day be like a post-Communion or an after-office, entertaining your blessed Lord with all the caresses and sweetnesse of love and colloquies, and entercourses of duty and affecti∣on, acquainting him with all your needs, and revealing to him all your secrets, and opening all your infirmities; and as the a••fairs of your person or imployment call you off, so re∣tire again with often ejaculations and acts of entertainment to your beloved Guest.

The effects and benefits of worthy communicating.

When I said that the sacrifice of the crosse w^ch Christ offered for all the sins and all the needs of the world is represented to God by the Mi∣nister in the Sacrament, and offered up in pray∣er and Sacramental memory, after the manner that Christ himself intercedes for us in Hea∣ven (so far as his glorious Priesthood is imi∣table by his Ministers on earth) I must

of necessity also mean, that all the benefits of that sacrifice are then conveyed to all that com∣municate worthily: But if we descend to par∣ticulars; Then and there the Church is nou∣rished in her faith, strengthened in her hope, enlarged in her bowels with an increasing cha∣rity: there all the members of Christ are joyn'd with each other, and all to Christ their head; and we again renew the Covenant with God in Jesus Christ, and God seals his part, and we promise for ours, and Christ unites both, and the holy Ghost signes both in the collation of those graces which we then pray for, and exercise and receive all at once: there our bodies are nourished with the signes, and our souls with the mystery: our bodies receive in∣to them the seed of an immortal nature, and our souls are joyned with him, who is the first fruits of the resurrection and never can dye: and if we desire any thing else and need it, here it is to be prayed for, here to be hoped for, here to be received; Long life and health, and recovery from sicknesse, and competent support and maintenance, and peace, and de∣liverance from our enemies, and content, and patience, and joy, and sanctified riches, or a cheerful poverty and liberty, and whatsoever else is a blessing, was purchased for us by Christ in his death and resurrection, and in his inter∣cession in Heaven: and this Sacrament being that to our particulars, which the great myste∣ries are in themselves, and by designe to all the world, if we receive worthily we shall receive any of these blessings, according as God shall choose for us; and he will not onely choose with more wisdom, but also with more affection then we can for our selves.

After all this, it is advised by the Guides of souls, wise men and pious, that all persons should communicate very often, even as often as they can without excuses or delayes: Every thing that puts us from so holy an imployment when we are moved to it, being either a sin or an imperfection; an Infirmity or indevotion, and an unactivenesse of Spirit. All Christian people must come: They indeed that are in the state of sin must not come so, but yet they must come: First they must quit their state of death, and then partake of the bread of life. They that are at enmity with their neighbours must come, that is no excuse for their not coming; onely they must not bring their enmity along with them, but leave it, and then come.

They that have variety of secular imployments must come; onely they must leave their secular thoughts and affections be∣hinde them, and then come and converse with God.* 1.4 If any man be well grown in grace he must needs come, because he is excellently disposed to so holy a feast: but he that is but in the infancy of piety had need to come that so he may grow in grace. The strong must come lest they become weak, & the weak that they may become strong. The sick must come to be cured; the healthful to be preserved. They that have leisure must come because they have no excuse: They that have no leisure must come hither, that by so excellent religi∣on they may sanctifie their businesse.

The pe∣nitent sinners must come, that they may be ju∣stified: and they that are justified, that they may be justified still.

They that have fears and great reverence to these mysteries, and think no pre∣paration to be sufficient must receive, that they

may learn how to receive the more worthily: and they that have a lesse degree of reverence, must come often to have it heightned: that as those Creatures that live amongst the snowes of the Mountains turne white with their food and conversation with such perpetual white∣nesses: so our souls may be transformed into the similitude and union with Christ by our per∣petual feeding on him, and conversation, not onely in his Courts, but in his very heart, and most secret affections, and incomparable pu∣rities.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vasa pu••a ad 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Divinam, Pl••ut 〈◊〉〈◊〉 c••p. 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.2

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• * 1.3

  〈…〉〈…〉 vulne••a: fig imu•• lin••uam. Cypri•••• de Coen•• ••om.
• * 1.4

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