The worthy communicant, or, A discourse of the nature, effects, and blessings consequent to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper and of all the duties required in order to a worthy preparation : together with the cases of conscience occurring in the duty of him that ministers, and of him that communicates : to which are added, devotions fitted to every part of the ministration / by Jeremy Taylor ...

II.

O grant that by thee my soul may be lifted

up to thee, and from her self may pass into thee, with a pure mind, with an unfeigned Religion, with an unblameable faith and burn∣ing devotion, with filial piety and a profound reverence. For thou art the true God, the word of life, the bright Image and splendour of thy Fathers Glory, the reward of the Saints and the Lord of Angels, the bright∣ness of eternal light, the unspotted mirrour of eternal purity.

An Act of Love.

Thee alone O Lord my soul desires; thou art eternal sweetness in my soul. If the per∣fume of thy oyntment be sufficient to all the the world, what is the refection of thy Table? If we live by every word proceeding out of thy mouth, what felicity and joy is it to live upon thee the eternal Word, chewing thee by faith, and digesting thee by love, and enter∣taining thee in our hearts for ever? How shall not my bowels melt into thee the Sun of righ∣teousness? How is it that I do not forget all deliciousness besides thee?

A single pleasure, poor and empty, weary∣ing and unsatisfying, hath often made me to forget thee. Now that thou art truly and effectively present with me, how can any o∣ther pleasure in the world seem pleasant to

me any more? I will forget all the world, I will quit all the world to live on thee, if thou pleasest O dearest Saviour: but do thou open thy ark and repositories of sweetness, and fill my soul and all my desires, that there may be no room for any thing else.

Thou hast called unto me to open my hand and thou wouldst fill it: But I would not open it; I held the world fast, and kept my hand shut, and would not let it go. But do thou open it for me; not my hand only, but my mouth; not my mouth, but my heart also.

An Act of Desire after Jesus.

O blessed Jesus, that hast said,* 1.1 it is thy de∣light to be with the sons of men: Thou hast made thy self the companion of our journeys, the light of our ignorance, the remedy of our infirmity. Dwell with me sweetest Saviour, and delight in me. It is no small thing I ask; O my God, can it ever be that my God should delight in me? That's too much O God; Grant that I may delight in thee, and do thou delight to pardon me, to sanctifie and to save me.

Grant that I may never offend thee, that I may never grieve thy Holy Spirit, that I may not provoke the Angel of the everlasting

Covenant to anger. But thou delightest in the works of thy hand, in the graces of the Spi∣rit, in thy own excellencies and glories. En∣due me with thy graces; fill me with thy ex∣cellencies; let me communicate of thy spi∣rit; and then enjoy these thy delights with thy servant; for thou canst not else delight in me. Thou art thy own essential joy, and ever∣lasting blessedness, and inseparable felicity: But this thou hast said, that thou delightest to be with the Sons of men, because thou truly lovest us. Blessed be thy Name for ever and ever.

An Act of Thanksgiving.

O Blessed Saviour Jesus, I adore the secrets of thy eternal wisdom, I admire the mysteri∣ousness of our salvation, and I love and praise and give all possible thanks to thee the Author of our spiritual life, the Deliverer that came out of Sion, the Redeemer of thy people, the spoiler of all spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, the conqueror over sin and death, the triumpher over Devils; thou hast taken from our strongest enemies all their armour, and divided the spoil: Grant that I may know nothing but thee, account all things loss in comparison of thee, and endeavour to be made conformable to thee, in the imitation of thy actions and obedience of thy Laws; in

the fellowship of thy sufferings, in the com∣munion of thy graces, and participation of thy glories; that beginning here to praise thy Name according as I can, I may here∣after for ever rehearse and adore thy excel∣lencies according to the measures of glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Ejaculations and Meditations to be us'd at any time; but particular∣ly after the Consecration of the Symbols, when the holy Man that ministers is bringing the Sacra∣ment.

1. O holy Jesu, I behold thee stretch'd upon the Cross, with thy arms spread, ready to em∣brace and receive all mankind into thy bo∣some.

2. I come Lord Jesus, I come; O take me to thee in the comprehensions of an unaltera∣ble, of an everlasting love: for thou hast o∣pened thy heart as well as thine arms, and hast prepar'd a lodging place for me in the seat of love.

3. I see the Symbols, the holy bread, and the blessed cup; but I also contemplate thy

authority establishing these rites; I adore thy wisdom, who hast made these Mysteries like thy own infancy; I see thy self wrapt up in swadling clouts, and cover'd with a vail: I hear thy voice blessing these Symbols, thy mercy reaching out my pardon, thy holy Spi∣rit sanctifying my spirit, thy blessed self ma∣king intercession for me at the eternal Altar in the heavens.

4. Thy infinite arm of mercy is reached unto us, and our arm of faith reaches unto thee: Blessed be Jesus, who will be joyned unto his servants.

5. This is thy body, O blessed Saviour Je∣sus,* 1.2 and this is thy blood; but these are not thy wounds. My Lord had the smart, but we the ease; his were the sufferings, but ours the mercy: he felt the load of stripes, but from thence a holy balm did flow upon us: He felt the thorns, but we shall have the Crown: and after he had paid the price, we got the purchase. Holy Jesus! Blessed be God.

6. I adore thy unspeakable goodness; I de∣light in thy unmeasurable mercy; I rejoyce in thy cross; I desire to know nothing but the Lord Jesus and him crucified.* 1.3 O let the power of thy Cross prevail against all the powers of darkness:* 1.4 let the wisdom of thy

Cross make me wise unto salvation: let the peace of thy Cross reconcile me to thy eter∣nal Father,* 1.5 and bring to me peace of Conscience: let the victory of thy Cross mortifie all my evil and corrupt affections: let the triumph of thy Cross lead me on to a state of holiness, that I may sin no more, but in all things please thee and in all things serve thee, and in all things glorifie thee.

7. Great and infinite are thy glories; in∣finite and glorious are thy mercies; who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high, and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and earth? Heaven it self does wholly minister to our salvation; God takes care of us, God loves us first. God will not suffer us to perish; but imployes all his at∣tributes for our good. The Son of God dies for us: the holy Spirit descends upon us and tea∣ches us: the Angels minister to us: the Sa∣crament is our food; Christ is married to our souls: and heaven it self is offered to us for our portion.

8. O God my God assist me now and ever, graciously and greatly: Grant that I may not receive bread alone; for man cannot live by that; but that I may eat Christ; that I may not search into the secret of nature, but inquire after the miracles of grace. I do

admire, I worship, and I love. Thou hast o∣vercome, O Lord, thou hast overcome; Ride on triumphantly because of thy words of truth and peace; load my soul in this triumph as thy own purchase; thy love hath conquer'd, and I am thy servant for ever.

9. Thou wilt not dwell in a polluted house; make my soul clean, and do thou consecrate it into a Temple, O thou great Bishop of our souls, by the inhabitation of thy holy spirit of purity: Let not these teeth that break the bread of Angels, ever grind the face of the poor; let not the hand of Judas be with thee in the dish; let not the eyes which see the Lord, any more behold vanity; let not the members of Christ ever become the members of a harlot, or the ministers of unrighteous∣ness.

10. I am nothing, I have nothing, I de∣sire nothing but Jesus, and to be in Jerusalem the holy City from above. Make haste O Lord, Behold my heart is ready, my heart is ready: Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.

When the holy Man that Ministers reaches the consecrated Bread, suppose thy Lord entring into his Courts, and say,

* 1.6Lord I am not worthy thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word Lord, and thy servant shall be whole.

After receiving of the Bread, pray thus:

Blessed be the Name of our gracious God: Hosannah to the Son of David; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of our Lord. Hosan∣nah in the highest: Thou O blessed Saviour Jesus hast given me thy precious body to be the food of my soul; and now O God, I humbly present to thee my body and soul, every mem∣ber and every faculty, every action and eve∣ry passion. Do thou make them fit for thy service: Give me an understanding to know thee, and wisdom like as thou didst to thy A∣postles; ingenuity and simplicity of heart, like to that of Nathanael; zeal and perfect repentance, like the return of Zacheus. Give me eyes to see thee as thy Martyr Stephen had; an ear to hear thee as Mary, a hand to touch thee as Thomas, a mouth with Peter to con∣fess thee, an arm with Simeon to embrace thee, feet to follow thee with thy Disciples, an heart open like Lydia to entertain thee; that as I have given my members to sin and to uncleanness, so I may henceforth walk in righteousness and holiness before thee all the days of my life. Amen, Amen.

If there be any time more between the receiving the holy Body, and the blessed Chalice, then add,

O immense goodness, unspeakable mercy; de∣lightful refection, blessed peace-offering, effectual medicine of our souls; Holy Jesus, the food of elect souls, coelestial Manna, the bread that came down from heaven, sweetest Saviour; grant that my soul may relish this divine Nu∣triment with spiritual ravishments and love great as the flames of Cherubims: and grant that what thou hast given me for the remission of my sins, may not ••y my fault become the in∣crease of them. Grant that in my heart I may so digest thee by a holy faith, so convert thee into the unity of my spirit by a holy love, that being conformed to the likeness of thy death and re∣surrection by the crucifying of the old man, and the newness of a spiritual and a holy life I may be incorporated as a sound and living member into the body of thy holy Church, a member of that body whereof thou art head; that I m••y abide in thee, and bring forth fruit in thee, and in the resurrection of the Just, my body of infir∣mity being reformed by thy power may be confi∣gured to the similitude of thy glorious body, and my soul received into a participation of the eternal Supper of the Lamb; that where thou art, there I may be also, beholding thy face in

glory O blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus, Amen.

When the holy Chalice is offered, attend devoutly to the blessing, and joyn in heart with the words of the Minister; saying Amen.

I will receive the Cup of salvation and call upon the Name of our Lord.

After receiving of the holy Cup; pray thus:

It is finished: Blessed be the name of our gracious God; Blessing, glory, praise and ho∣nour, love and obedience, dominion and thanksgiving be to him that sitteth on the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.

I bless and praise thy Name, O eternal Fa∣ther, most merciful God, that thou hast vouch∣safed to admit me to a participation of these dreadful and desirable mysteries: unworthy though I am, yet thy love never fails: and though I too often have repented of my re∣pentances and fallen back into sin, yet thou never repentest of thy loving kindness: Be pleased therefore now in this day of mercy, when thou openest the treasures of heaven, and rainest Manna upon our souls to refresh them

when they are weary; of thy infinite goodness to grant that this holy Communion may not be to me unto judgment and condemnation; but it may be sweetness to my soul; health and safety in every temptation; joy and peace in every trouble; lig••t and strength in every word and work, comfort and defence in the hour of my death against all the oppositions of the spirits of darkness; and grant that no unclean thing may be in me who have received thee into my heart and soul.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prov. 8.
• * 1.2

  S. Ambr. Serm. 44. de S. La∣trone.
• * 1.3

  1 Cor. 1.23, 24.
• * 1.4

  Col. 1.20.
• * 1.5

  1 Cor. 15.57.
• * 1.6

  Nempe a∣mor in parvâ te jubet esse casâ.