According to the greatness of thy goodness, and the multitude of thy mercies, look upon me, and hear the prayer of thy poor servant, who is far exiled from thee, in the land of the shadow of death.

Protect and keep the soul of thy servant amidst so many dangers of this corruptible life; and, by thy grace accompanying me, direct it by the way of peace, to the country of everlasting light. Amen.

BOOK IV.

AN EXHORTATION TO THE HOLY COMMUNION.

THE VOICE OF CHRIST.

"COME unto me, all ye that travail, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.

"The bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. Take, eat: this is my body, that is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

"He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. The words which I speak unto you are spirit and life."

CHAPTER I.

With how great Reverence Christ ought to be received.

THE VOICE OF THE DISCIPLE.

THESE are thy words, O Christ, the everlasting Truth. Because, therefore, they are thine, and true, they are all thankfully to be received by me. They are thine, and thou hast spoken them: and they are mine also, because thou hast spoken them

for my salvation. I willingly receive them from thy mouth, that they may be the deeper imprinted in my heart. These gracious words, so full of sweetness and love, encourage me; but mine own offences drive me back from receiving so great mysteries.

2. Thou commandest me to come confidently unto thee, if I will have part with thee; to receive the food of immortality, if I desire to obtain everlasting glory. "Come," sayest thou, "all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you."

O sweet and friendly words in the ears of sinners, that thou, my Lord God, shouldest invite the poor and needy to the participation of thy most holy body!

But who am I, Lord, that I should presume to approach unto thee? Behold, the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, and thou sayest, "Come ye all unto me!"

3. What meaneth this gracious condescension, this friendly invitation? How shall I dare to come, that know no good in myself? How shall I bring thee into my house, that have so often offended thy most gracious countenance?

The angels and archangels revere thee, and the saints and just men fear thee: and thou sayest, "Come ye all unto me!" Unless thou, O Lord, didst say it, who would believe it to be true?

And unless thou didst command it, who would dare to come unto thee? Behold, Noah, a just man, laboured a hundred years in making the ark, that he might be saved with a few: and how can I, in one hour, prepare myself to receive with reverence the maker of the world?

4. Moses, thy great servant, and thy special friend, made an ark of incorruptible wood, which also he covered with pure gold, and put the Tables of the Law therein and how shall I, a corruptible creature, dare lightly to receive the Maker of the law, and the Giver of life?

Solomon bestowed seven years in building a magnificent temple to the praise of thy name.

He celebrated the feast of the dedication thoreof, eight days together: he offered a thousand peaceofferings, and solemnly set the ark on the place prepared for it, with the sound of trumpets and of joy. And how shall I, the most miserable and poorest of men, bring thee into my house, that can scarce spend one half hour devoutly? Yea, would I could once spend near half an hour in a due manner!

5. O my God, how much did they do out of an endeavour to please thee! And, alas! how little is that which I do! How little time do I spend to prepare myself to receive thy salvation!

I am seldom wholly recollected, seldom free from all distraction. And yet surely no unbecoming thought ought to appear in the presence of the Deity, nor any creature find any place in me. For I am not to harbour an angel, but the Lord of angels.

6. And yet there is a great difference between the ark of the covenant, and thy most pure body; between those legal sacrifices, figures of future things, and the completion of all ancient sacrifices.

Why, therefore, am I not more inflamed at thy venerable presence?

7. David danced before the ark with all his might, calling to mind the benefits bestowed in

times past upon his forefathers. He made instruments of sundry kinds; he composed Psalms, and appointed them to be sung with joy.

He also himself sung to the harp, being inspired with the grace of the Holy Spirit. He taught the people of Israel to praise God with their whole heart, and with joint voices every day to bless and praise him. If so great devotion was then shown, and there was such a celebrating of the divine praise before the ark of the testament; what reverence and devotion are now to be performed by me, and all Christian people, in receiving the most precious body and blood of Christ!

8. O God, the Creator of the world, how wonderfully dost thou deal with us! How sweetly and graciously dost thou dispose of all things to thine elect, to whom thou offerest thyself to be received in this sacrament! This exceedeth all understanding. This strongly draweth the hearts of the devout, and inflameth their affections.

9. O the admirable and hidden grace of this sacrament, which only the faithful know; but the unbelieving, and such as are slaves unto sin, cannot experience! In this sacrament, spiritual grace is given, and strength which was lost is restored in the soul, and the beauty disfigured by sin returns again.

This grace is sometimes so great, that not only the mind, but the weak body also, feeleth great increase of strength.

10. Our coldness and negligence are much to be bewailed, that we are not drawn with great affections to receive Christ, in whom all the hope of those that are to be saved consists. For he is our

Sanctification and Redemption. He is the Comforter of us travellers, and the everlasting Fruition of saints. It is much, therefore, to be lamented that many so little consider the salutary mystery, which rejoiceth heaven, and preserveth the whole world. O the blindness and hardness of man's heart, that doth not more deeply weigh so unspeakable a gift.

11. If the holy sacrament were celebrated in one place only, and consecrated by only one person in the world; with how great desire would men be affected to that place, and to such a minister, that they might enjoy these divine mysteries!

But now Christ is offered in many places, that so the grace and love of God to man may appear greater. Thanks be unto thee, gracious Jesus, the everlasting Shepherd, who hast vouchsafed to refresh us poor exiles with thy precious body and blood, and to invite us to the receiving of these mysteries with the words of thine own mouth, saying, "Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you."

CHAPTER II.

That the great Goodness and Love of God is exhibited to Man in this Sacrament.

THE VOICE OF THE DISCIPLE.

IN confidence of thy goodness and great mercy, I come, O Lord, a sick man, unto my Saviour; hungry and thirsty, to the Fountain of Life; needy, to the King of heaven; a servant, unto my Lord; a creature, to his Creator; disconsolate, to thee my merciful Comforter. But whence is this to me,