3. That thou weigh with thyself the reasons why thy life is to be dedicated unto God, of whom thou hast received a life of nature, a life of grace, and an assured hope of a life of glory in the world

to come.

CHAPTER LXVII.

DEVOUT CONSIDERATIONS TO BE USED AFTER THE RECEIVING OF THE HOLY SACRAMENT.

I. CONSIDER with what honour thou art prosecuted by receiving this Holy Pledge, in regard whereof all earthly honours are to be contemned.

2. Consider, whilst thou dost communicate, thou art become a temple of the Holy Ghost, and that if Solomon so much rejoiced when he saw the building of the Temple finished, which was but a material temple, hast thou not cause much more to rejoice in this temple which is spiritual? In this temple thou oughtest often to praise God, and, casting out evil thoughts, say, This my soul is now become a house of prayer.

3. Consider, that thou by often receiving dost become a living sepulchre of Christ: think if thou hadst been present when He was taken down from the cross, and believing He was thy Saviour, surely

thou wouldest have been glad to receive His blessed Body into thine house.

MEDITATIONS

ACCOMMODATED ΤΟ THE SEVERAL

PARTS AND PETITIONS CONTAINED IN THE LORD'S PRAYER, WHICH PRAYER IS WONT TO BE PRAYED AFTER OUR RECEIVING.

Our Father.

O my Father, what wilt Thou? I ask of Thee, being an evil son. Behold, I ask of Thee the Spirit of Thy Son, that, without servile fear, and with much confidence, I may receive Thee, to the unspeakable comfort of my soul.

Which art in heaven.

Lord, give me a taste of that felicity which all Thy saints enjoy with Thee in heaven, that from henceforth I savour not earthly things but heavenly, or things on high.

Hallowed be Thy name.

Give me grace, that for this benefit I may give Thee laud and praise, and sanctify Thy name. Grant that in all my actions I may seek, not mine own, but Thy glory.

Thy kingdom come.

Evermore reign in my heart, which I do offer unto Thee for a gift; let not sin, let not the flesh, let not the dominion of Satan, rule there, but Thy grace only.

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Teach me to do Thy will readily, willingly, joyfully, as Thy Saints do the same will of Thine in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

I beseech Thee, O Lord, to me grant an ardent desire towards this Holy Sacrament, the true bread of angels.

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.

Give me remission of all my sins past, an hatred of the same, and a readiness for the love of Thee for the time to come.

And lead us not into temptation.

Give me grace to withstand the temptations of my ghostly enemy, and both in adversity and pro

sperity evermore keep constancy of mind, that mine enemies prevail not against me.

But deliver us from evil.

Deliver us from all our sins, that we may be presented unto Thee, and unto Thy service.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Thou, O Lord, art worthy to receive honour and praise, and dominion for evermore'.

OF THE VIGILANT CARE THAT A CHRISTIAN OUGHT TO HAVE OF NOT FALLING AWAY FROM A GOOD AND GODLY COURSE OF LIFE.

Concerning the sin of relapsing or falling away from a good and godly course of life, we are first to consider, that he who doth truly repent doth so bewail his evils passed, that he doth fully purpose not to commit them again; and that a vain repentance is that, saith St. Augustine, which the same fault following doth defile. The lamentations for former sins are not effectual, if the same sins are iterated. Wilt thou be a true penitent? then cease from sin; take heed thou say not, I cannot abstain

i Revelation iv. 11.

from sin: "God is faithful, who will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able" Non posse pretenditur, non velle in causa est. "We are not able to resist sin is pretended, we are not willing is the cause." So saith St. Augustine.

Secondly, we are to consider that the sum and complement of all virtue doth consist in perseverance; not he that runneth, but he that runneth unto the end, attaineth the prize1.

Thirdly, let us call to mind by whose instinct and motion we began this good work, and that the end thereof was to serve Him.

Fourthly, who it is that would have us leave it off, to wit, the professed enemy of our souls.

Fifthly, that evil men do often persevere in evil; how much more should we persevere in good!

Sixthly, that for want of perseverance, an Angel lost Heaven, Adam lost Paradise.

Seventhly, or last of all, by perseverance we come to blessedness. "Blessed is he that continueth to the end; he shall be saved "."

A PRAYER TO OBTAIN PERSEVERANCE.

O Lord Jesus Christ, our most perseverant love, Thou who always lovest Thine unto the end, Thou 1 Ibid. ix. 24. m Matthew xxiv. 13.

k1 Corinthians x. 13.