Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

always new. And by the force of pious meditation, the mystery will affect thy wondering mind at every repetition, as if the Son of God were just that moment born from the womb of his mother; as if thy suffering Redeemer were in that instant labouring under all his agonies; and thine own eyes beheld him hanging and bleeding, and dying on the cross.

A Prayer on Sunday Morning, before the

communion.

Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. John vi. 53.

O Almighty God, and merciful Father, who hast given thy only son Jesus Christ to die for us, who did institute a holy feast in commemoration of that his most precious death, thereby to preserve in our minds a constant remembrance of his great love, in laying down his life for our sakes; I thy unworthy servant, who am now invited to thy holy table, do humbly adore thy divine majesty, acknowledging that I am not worthy of my daily bread, much less of that which came down from heaven, and which thou hast given to be the food and nourishment of our souls.

I confess, O Lord, my sins may justly cause me to tremble, when I appear before thee;

but, O most merciful Father, encouraged by thy wonderful goodness and love, in giving thy Son to die for all penitent and returning sinners, I present myself before thee at this time; beseeching thee, in great humility to continue to me that love, and admit me to thy holy table, that I may taste and see how gracious thou art, and how wonderful in thy doings toward the sons of men.

O make my longings and desires after this divine food, some way answerable to my great need of it; that my soul being sensible of all its wants, it may no longer seek for relief from the unsatisfying objects of this world; but coming to thy holy table with a true spiritual hunger and thirst, may there find a full supply of all those graces and blessings that it stands in so much need of.

And to this end, O Lord, fit and prepare my heart to partake of so great a mercy, by giving me a just abhorrence of my own unworthiness, and an unfeigned repentance of all my sin. Root out of my heart all sinful and corrupt affections, all prejudice, hatred, and illwill; and plant all those devout and pious, charitable and humble dispositions, that become the worshippers of the holy Jesus; that when I presume to appear before

thee, I may bring with me a heart raised above the corruptions that are in the world, and full of the strongest desires and resolutions of loving and serving thee.

Deliver me, O my God, from all coldness and formality, when I attend upon thee in holy and religious duties; and grant that by going to this holy feast, I may have my pardon sealed, my weaknesses repaired, all my evil inclinations subdued, my faith strengthened, my hopes enlarged, my charity encreased, and my soul so entirely and inseparably united unto thee, that nothing may be ever able to dissolve the union; but that being begun here in grace, it may hereafter be consummated in glory, through the merits of him that died for me, even the son of thy eternal love, Jesus Christ the righteous; to whom with thee, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, be ascribed, as is most due, all honour, glory, power, thanksgiving, and praise, both now and for evermore. Amen.

This last prayer may be added to your other devotions the morning you receive, and may be frequently used in the week preceding the sacrament. See also the directions on page 52. Ejaculations when you first come into church.

How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!—Blessed are they that dwell in thy

house, they will be always praising thee.---My soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord : my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.-For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand years; I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

A prayer to be said before or after the prayers of the church, as time shall admit.

It is but too apparent, blessed Lord, how apt we are to forget thy dear love to us, and thy bitter sufferings for us; our continual transgressions publish it, and our former stupidity and indevotion do plainly declare it. Praised therefore be thy goodness for the lively emblems thou hast given us of thy most meritorious cross and passion.

O that the characters of thy love may be so deeply imprinted upon my heart, that no time nor temptation may wear them out! may I now most affectionately call to mind the humility of thine incarnation, the merits of thy death, the power of thy resurrection, and the glories of thy ascension.

O how much do we owe thee, most blessed redeemer! how great is the price, which thou hast paid for the ransom of us miserable sin

ners! what shall I render unto thee for the incomprehensible benefits thou hast bestowed upon me? Alas! I have no return to make but a broken and contrite heart which thou wilt not despise; and this is yet a further instance of thy goodness, that thou expectest no other testimony of gratitude, but my sincere affections in serving thee, the only true God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer to be used as soon as sermon is ended.

O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness, ard declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men. Psalm cvii. 20, 21.

O Eternal and almighty God, by whose bounty and goodness, I have now an opportu nity offered me of approaching thy table, and of pleading before thee the prevailing merits of the death and passion of thy son Jesus Christ; I am sensible, O Lord, of my great unworthiness; but the positive command of my blessed saviour, when he was about to lay down his life for my sake, has made it absolutely necessary; and the many spiritual wants I labour under, oblige me to apply to this sovereign remedy, for the repair of those breaches my sinful follies have made in my soul.

Therefore, assist me, O Lord, with thy holy spirit, in the great duty and service I am about

« AnteriorContinuar »