The twelfth SECTION. The practice of Communion.
ALl those who dispose themselves to a life more Christian, know they have not a means more wholesom nor effectual to acquire and pre∣serve the grace of God, than the Sacrament of the Altar, and for this cause it is fit both often and duely to have access thereunto. But a beautiful looking-glass * 1.1 in a golden frame in the house of a blind man; an excellent lute in the chamber of the deaf; a good∣ly diamond in a truss of straw; a honey-comb in the throat of a dead lyon, what availeth all this? The blind man seeth not, the deaf heareth not, the dia∣mond sparkleth not, the honey-comb nourisheth not. And what profiteth likewise the blessed Sa∣crament in a faint, languishing, and indisposed soul? Imagine according to that which the lear∣ned * 1.2 Rupertus saith, that the Blessed Sacrament is the fountain of terrestrial Paradise, which wa∣tereth the whole Church with its delicious refresh∣ings.
All the faithful draw from thence, but all come * 1.3 not with the same disposition. Some bring thither a heart of paper, that is to say, a childish heart which padleth in the water and no whit profiteth. Others, a heart like a sive, that lets all go through, and re∣taineth nothing but a little moysture. The rest a heart of a sponge, which is abundantly replenished with the favours and mercies of God. If you desire to communicate fruitfully, make a present to your celestial spouse (who is pleased to feed among lilies) of a lilie of six leaves. There are six remarkable qua∣lities * 1.4 which must be had to accomplish this exer∣cise. Two before communicating, desire and pu∣ritie: Two in communicating, humility and charity: Two after communicating, thanksgi∣ving and renovation of the inward man by the oath of fidelity.
You must then endeavour from the eve of the day * 1.5 you are to receive, to make a furnace of desires in your heart, that so you may say with the Prophet Jeremie: I feel in my heart a burning fire, which fixeth * 1.6 it self even in my bones, and the violence thereof is such that I cannot bear it. Let us go to this sacred table as the thirsty Hart to the stream of waters, as an hungry creature to a feast, as the bridegroom to the wedding a thousand times desired, as the covetous to a myne of gold, as the conquerer to spoils. Is not there mat∣ter sufficient to serve as a spur to your desires, since there is our beginning, our origen, our treasure, our sovereign good?
The mother of young Tobie sighing said: My son, * 1.7 all our treasures, our riches, our honours, our content∣ments, our delights were in thy person, and therefore we ought never to be separated from thee. But it is verily in this subject, we have true cause to speak these words. All is in the sacred Eucharist; the body, the bloud, the soul, the life, the humanity, the divinity of * 1.8 Jesus Christ, all that which he hath derived from the Eternal Father, all that which he hath taken from our nature, he yieldeth us in this blessed Sacrament, and doth as the bee who robbeth the flowers of his Masters garden, to restore all again in honey. All the perfections which our Lord hath conferred on his own Person, are seasoned to us in this high and ma∣jestical mysterie, as in a honey-comb. It is an exten∣sion of the Incarnation of the Son of God: He was once hypostatically united to one sole man, but here he is united to all men as oftentimes as they receive him by a visceral transfusion of himself, as one should melt one piece of waxe within another (as saith S. Cyril.) And then who would not desire such an union of a Saviour so merciful with a sinner so miserable? of a sovereign Physitian with a sick man so remediless? of a King so powerful with a vassal so wretched? of a Father so benign with a son so refra∣ctary? May we not well say, that they which tast not this celestial viand have their rellishes much dulled with the leeks and onions of Aegypt? May we not affirm that they lead no other life but of a mushrome? Ought we not al the night before to make our hearts sparkle in good desires and jaculatory prayers, when we go to the bed of our celestial bridegroom.
Endeavour then to awaken and cherish your desire with a thousand aspirations and elevations of heart, and have always in your mouth some good words, which may be the pledges and earnest-penies of your intentions. Behold the first leaf of the lilie.
The second is called purity. I speak not of that * 1.9 which concerneth the purging of mortal sins by con∣fession, which is wholly necessary, and cannot be omitted without sacriledge; I speak of purity more subtile and fine, which consisteth in faith, affections, and intentions. You ought first to have a singular * 1.10 faith, and a most worthy and serious understanding of the mysterie, not onely in believing what the Church teacheth us of this Sacrament, either of the reality of the precious body of our Saviour, or of transubstantiation; but to believe it sincerely, clearly, firmly, without curiosity, restriction, or hesitation; not as those who convinced, and as it were confoun∣ded with reason, do in some sort believe, and upon the least occasion repent in their faithless heart what they have believed, & make to themselves a faith floa∣ting and racking up and down, like clouds under the breath of the winds. When you go to receive the Blessed Sacrament, you must do as Abraham did in his Sacrifice, hold the bond-men and ass, which are your senses, at the foot of the hill, and let your will and understanding ascend, lightened with the torch of faith, even to the height, to sink it self down into those resplendent nights of the wisdom of Heaven.
For purity of intention, which is the character of * 1.11 our actions, I would have nothing side-ways nor bearing upon any byass: I will not that you com∣municate for some humane respect, some civil de∣cencie, or to please those whose favour you desire,