we shall hear these terrible words, Cast him bound hand and foot into outer darkness."

Woe be to me, O Lord, who, like the prodigal son", by luxurious living have bewrayed and torn the garment of innocence received in Holy Baptism. Woe, wretched creature that I am, if Thou help me not, O Lord, I dare not appear at Thy holy feast. What shall I do, if for my sins I shall be refused of Thee? What shall I do, when with shame I am forbidden to come without a wedding garment? Haply I may sew me a garment of leaves, as Adam did, after he left the garment of innocence given him of God: but alas! that will as little profit me as it profited Adam, when he durst not come into God's sight with that garment, but hid himself but if I hide myself, shall I not be deprived of Thy heavenly and healthsome feast.

I turn me therefore to Thee, O Father of mercy, and I confess that I have offended Thee after that manner, that I am no more worthy to be called Thy son; but trusting in Thy infinite goodness, I beseech Thee that Thou wilt not respect the greatness of my offences but the greatness of Thy goodness. I am not worthy to be called Thy son, make me, O Lord, as Thy meanest servant. Grant only the lowest room at Thy table, and it sufficeth.

u Luke xv. 13.

CHAPTER IV.

OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS OF THIS SACRAMENT.

WONDERFUL is God in all His works; but

in none more than in the holy institution of

His Last Supper.

Amongst other names of excellence which the prophet Esaias attributeth to the second Person in the holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, this is one

"His name is Wonderful." How truly this is verified in this His holy institution may be left to the contemplation of faith, which is then most strong when human reason stands mute.

When as Almighty God rained down manna amongst the people of Israel, the people being amazed at the sight thereof, said Manhu, that is, What is this? And the thing seemed so wonderful, that they beholding it truly admirable, passed over as it were to the first word, Man. Lord, what is this? What is this, that the Son of God should take the nature of man, and after a spiritual and heavenly manner be given for meat to a new people, to whom all things are manifest in truth.

What is this, that He which dwelleth in heaven, sitteth amongst the choir of angels, would come

Isaiah ix. 6.

y Exodus xvi. 15.

into the world, and after a wonderful and admirable manner, dwell with the sons of men? What is this, that the Lord of Majesty, who is of the same substance with the Father and the Holy Ghost, will be made one with man, and take up His abode with him?

What meat is this, which doth cleanse our leprosy, comfort the conscience, and cure our souls?

What is this? What piety is this? What bowels of mercy are these? Surely the gift is worthy of the Giver. Solomon brake out into a certain kind of admiration, speaking of the ark of the covenant, in the 1st of Kings: Ergone putandum est quod vere Deus habitat super terram, si eum cœli et cœli cœlorum capere non possunt, quanto minus domus hæc ? "And is it true indeed that God will abide on earth, whom the heavens, nor the heaven of heavens, cannot contain, much less this house?" O the depth of the wisdom of the Most Highest : Thy judgments are past finding out. But should we presume to lift up our eyes against those glistening beams whereby the sharpest eagle may be dazzled? No, surely, for then there would be no end of admiration: superfluous were it to wade far; we best know God's mysteries, when with all 1 Kings viii. 27.

thankfulness we admire them, and say, Blessed be God in all His works.

St. Chrysostom, in his 61st Homily to the Priests of Antioch, calleth this Sacrament the miracle of the mysteries of the Christian law, wherein our Saviour imparteth His Body and Blood, thereby to declare the desire wherewith He burneth of uniting Himself unto us, which is proper to them that love ardently. Here Samson's riddle is solved: De comedente exivit cibus, de forti egressa est dulcedo: 'Out of the eater came meat; out of the strong came sweetness.' What is stronger than the lion? what sweeter than honey? Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah honey the spiritual sweetness of the Holy Eucharist.

THE FOURTH MEDITATION.

Of the wonderful things of this Sacrament.

1. Let us behold with the eyes of faith, one of the greatest and most comfortable works of God under heaven; and for this inestimable benefit laud and praise His holy Name.

2. Let us with thankful hearts wonder at the love of God, who after He received us into His family, there placed us not as servants, but as sons; and that He might shew the part of a careful Fa

ther, doth provide a mean to nourish us, and that after such a Divine manner of nourishing.

3. Consider the Divine Wisdom of the Son of God, who, respecting our weakness, hath conveyed unto us His Body and Blood after a Divine and spiritual manner, under the forms of Bread and Wine.

4. Consider how by this Holy Communion occasion is given to exercise our faith in prayer, that our receiving may be unto life everlasting.

5. Consider the high and worthy effect of this heavenly food, which is not so much changed into the substance of the eater, as it doth rather change the eater into the substance of it; the meat being Divine, doth make us also Divine. O the omnipotent wisdom and power of the love of God!

THE FRUIT.

The fruit of this meditation is, to lift up ourselves above ourselves, and bless God for this wonderful benefit, without curious searching and needless questioning about the manner how, but to give God thanks, and be ashamed rather at ourselves, that neither the wonderfulness of His power nor the greatness of His benefits can make us no more love Him than we do.