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 ...

SECT. II. Acts of Vertues and Graces relative to the Mystery, to be us'd before or at the Celebration of the Divine Sacra∣ment.

I. The Address.

IT is well, O sweetest Saviour Jesus, it is very well that thou art pleas'd to be a dai∣ly Sacrifice for us, and to become our daily supersubstantial bread to feed our souls. Cer∣tain it is, that we by our daily failings and the remaining pollution of our sins, frequent∣ly sink down to the bottom of thy displeasure. But do thou grant that being refreshed by the Sacrament and recreated by thy grace, strengthened by thy spirit, and comforted with thy miraculous sweetness, my heart and my affections may be lifted up on high.

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.

II.

Thou dwellest in every sanctified soul, she is the habitation of Sion, and thou ta••est it for thine own; and thou hast consecrated it to thy self by the operation of glorious mysteries with∣in her. O be pleased to receive my soul presen∣ted to thee in this holy Communion for thy dwel∣ling place, make it a house of prayer and holy meditations, the seat of thy Spirit, the reposi∣tory of graces: reveal to me thy mysteries, and communicate to me thy gifts; and love me with that love thou bearest to the Sons of thy house: Thou hast given me thy Son, with him give me all things else which are needful to my body and soul in order to thy glory, and my salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

III. An act of Love and Eucharist to be added if there be time and opportunity.

O Lord Jesu Christ, Fountain of true and holy love, nothing is greater than thy love, no∣thing is sweeter, nothing more holy: Thy love troubles none; but is entertained by all that feel it with joy and exultation, and it is still more desired, and is ever more desirable: Thy love O dearest Jesu gives liberty, drives away fear, feels no labour, but suffers all; it eases the weary, and strengthens the weak, it comforts them that mourn, and feeds the hungry. Thou art the beginning and the end of thy own love; that thou mayest take occasion to do us good, and by the methods of grace to bring us to glory. Thou givest occasion, and createst good things, and producest affections, and stirrest up the ap∣petite, and dost satisfie all holy desires. Thou hast made me, and fed me, and blessed me, and preserved me, and sanctified me that I might love thee, and thou would'st have me to love thee, that thou mayest love me for ever. O give me a love to thee that I may love thee as well as ever any of thy servants loved thee; according to that love which thou by the Sacrament of love workest in thy secret ones.

Abraham excelled in faith, Job in pati∣ence, Isaac in fidelity, Jacob in simplicity, Joseph in chastity, David in religion, Jo∣siah in zeal, and Manasses in repentance; but as yet thou hadst not communicated the Sacra∣ment of love; that grace was reserved till thou thy self shouldst converse with man and teach him love.

Thou hast put upon our hearts the sweetest and easiest yoke of love; to enable us to bear the burden of man and the burden of the Lord; give unto thy servant such a love, that what∣soever in thy service may happen contrary to flesh and bloud, I may not feel it; that when I labour I may not be weary▪ when I am despised I may not regard it; that adversity may be to∣lerable, and humility be my sanctuary, and mortification of my passions the exercise of my daies, and the service of my God, the joy of my soul; that loss to me may be gain, so I win Christ; and death it self the entrance of an eternal life, when I may live with the Beloved, the joy of my soul, the light of my eyes, My God, and all things, the blessed Saviour of the world, my sweetest Redeemer Jesus. Amen.

An Eucharistical Hymn taken from the Prophecies of the Old Testament rela∣ting to the blessed Sacrament.

Praise ye the Lord; I will praise the Lord with my whole heart; in the Assembly of the upright, and in the Congregation.

He hath made his wonderful works to be re∣membred, the Lord is gracious and full of compassion: He hath given meat unto them that fear him, he will ever be mindful of his Covenant.

His bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

Binding his Foal unto the vine, and his Asses colt unto the choice vine: he washed his garment in wine, and his cloaths in the bloud of grapes.

In this mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees.

He will swallow up death in victory, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth, for the Lord hath spoken it.

And the Lord their God shall save them as the flock of his people, for how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty? Corn shall make the young men chearful, and new wine the virgins.

The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple, even the messenger of the Cove∣nant whom ye delight in.

He shall purifie the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer un∣to the Lord an offering in righteousness.

O Israel return unto the Lord thy God: for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord▪ saying,

Take away all iniquity and receive us gra∣ciously: so will we render the calves of our lips: for in thee the Fatherless findeth mercy.

The Lord hath said, I will heal their back∣slidings, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away.

They that dwell under his shadow shall re∣turn: they shall revive as the corn, and blossom as the Vine; the memorial thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

The poor shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise the Lord that seek him; your heart shall live for ever: for he hath placed peace in our borders, and fed us with the flower of wheat.

For from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same, the Name of the Lord shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place Incense shall be offered unto his Name and a pure offering: for his Name shall be great among all Nations.

Who so is wise, he shall understand these thi••gs, and the prudent shall know them: for

the waies of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

A Prayer to be said after the Communion in behalf of our souls and all Christian people.

1. O most merciful and gracious God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory; thou art the great lover of souls, and thou hast given thy holy Son to die for our salvation, to redeem us from sin, to destroy the work of the Devil, and to present a Church to thee pure and spotless and undefiled; relying upon thy good∣ness, trusting in thy promises, and having re∣ceived my dearest Lord into my soul, I humbly represent to thy divine Majesty the glorious sa∣crifice which our dearest Jesus made of himself upon the Cross, and by a never ceasing inter∣cession now exhibites to thee in heaven in the office of an eternal Priesthood; in behalf of all that have communicated this day in the Di∣vine Mysteries in all the Congregations of the Christian world; and in behalf of all them that desire to communicate, and are hindred by sickness or necessity, by fear or scruple, by censures Ecclesiastical, or the sentence of their own consciences.

2. Give unto me O God and unto them a portion of all the good prayers which are made in heaven and earth; the intercession of our Lord, and the supplications of all thy servants; and unite us in the bands of the common faith and a holy charity; that no interests or parti∣alities, no sects or opinions may keep us any longer in darkness and division.

3. Give thy blessing to all Christian Kings and Princes, all Republicks and Christian Go∣vernments; grant to them the Spirit of mercy and justice, prudence and diligence; the fa∣vour of God and the love of their people; and grace and blessing, that they may live at peace with thee and with one another; remembring the command of their Lord and King, the se∣rene and reconciling Jesus.

4. Give an Apostolical Spirit to all Ecclesiasti∣cal Prelates and Priests; grant to them zeal of souls, wisdom to conduct their charges, pu∣rity to become exemplar, that their labours and their lives may greatly promote the honour of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus. O grant unto thy flock to be fed with wise and holy shep∣herds; men fearing God and hating covetous∣ness; free from envy, and full of charity; that being burning and shining lights, men behold∣ing ••heir light may rejoyce in that light and glorifie thee our Father which art in heaven.

5. Have mercy upon all states of men and women in the Christian Church, the Governors and the governed, the rich and the poor, high and low; grant to every of them in their se∣veral station to live with so much purity and faith, simplicity and charity, justice and per∣fection, that thy will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven.

6. Relieve all oppressed Princes, defend and restore their rights, and suppress all vio∣lent and warring spirits that unjustly disturb the peace of Christendom: Relieve and com∣fort all Gentlemen that are fallen into pover∣ty and sad misfortunes: Comfort and sup∣port all that are sick, and deliver them from all their sorrows, and all the powers of the enemy, and let the spirit of comfort and pa∣tience, of holiness and resignation, descend upon all Christian people whom thou hast in any instance visited with thy rod: And be gra∣ciously pleas'd to pity poor mankind; shorten the days of our trouble, and put an end to the days of our sin, and let the Kingdom of our dearest Lord be set up in every one of our hearts, and prevail mightily and for ever.

7. I humbly present to thy Divine Majesty this glorious Sacrifice which thy servants this day have represented upon earth in behalf of my dearest Relations, [Wife, Children, Hus∣band,

Parents, Friends, &c.] Grant unto them whatsoever they want, or wisely and holily de∣sire; keep them for ever in thy fear and fa∣vour: grant that they may never sin against thee, never fall into thy displeasure, never be separated from thy love and from thy pre∣sence; but let their portion be in the blessing and in the service, in the love and in the Kingdom of God for ever and ever.

8. Have mercy upon all strangers and ali∣ens from the Kingdom of thy Son; let the sweet sound of thy Gospel be heard in all the corners of the earth; let not any soul, the work of thy own hands, the price of thy Sons blood, be any longer reckon'd in the por∣tions of thy Enemy; but let them all become Christians; and grant that all Christians may live according to the Laws of the holy Jesus, without scandal and reproach, full of faith and full of charity.

9. Give thy grace speedily to all wicked persons, that they may repent and live well, and be saved: To all good people give an in∣crease of gifts and holiness, and the grace of perseverance and Christian perfection: To all Hereticks and Schismaticks grant the Spirit of humility and truth, charity and obedience; and suffer none upon whom the Name of Christ is called to throw themselves away, and fall

into the portion of the intolerable burning.

10. For all mankind whom I have and whom I have not remembred, I humbly re∣present the Sacrifice of thy eternal Son, his merits and obedience, his life and death, his resurrection and ascension, his charity and in∣tercession; praying to thee in vertue of our glorious Saviour, to grant unto us all the gra∣ces of an excellent and perfect repentance, an irreconcilable hatred of all sin, a great love of God, an exact imitation of the holi∣ness of the ever blessed Jesus, the spirit of de∣votion, conformable will and religious affe∣ctions, an Angelical purity and a Seraphical love; thankful hearts, and joy in God; and let all things happen to us all in that order and disposition as may promote thy greatest glory and our duty, our likeness to Christ and the honour of his Kingdom. Even so Father let it be, because it is best, and because thou lovest it should be so; bring it to a real and unalterable event by the mira∣cles of grace and mercy, and by the blood of the everlasting Covenant poured forth in the day of the Lords love; whom I adore, and whom I love, and desire that I may still more and more love, and love for ever. Amen, Amen.

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.