III. Let the brightness of thy divine grace for ever shine upon thy servants, that we, being purified from all error and infidelity, from weak fancies, and curious inquiries, may perceive and adore the wisdom and the love of God, in the truth and mysteriousness of this divine sacrament. And be pleased to lighten in our spirits such a burning love, and such a shining devotion, that we may truly receive thee, and be united unto thee; that we may feed on thee the celestial manna, and may, with an eye of faith, see thee under the cloud, and in the veil; and, at last, may see thee in the brightest effusions of thy glory. Amen. A Confession of Faith in Order to the Mysteries of the Holy Sacrament, taken out of the Liturgy of St. Clement; to be used in the Days of Preparation and Communion. HOLY, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Blessed art thou, O God; and blessed is thy name for ever and ever. Amen. For thou art holy; and in all things, thou art sanctified and most exalted; and sittest on high above all, for ever and ever. Holy is thine only begotten Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ; who, in all things, did minister to thee his God and Father, both in the creation of the world, and in the excellent providence and conservation of it. He suffered not mankind to perish; but gave to him the law of nature, and a law written in tables of stone, and reproved them by his prophets, and sent his angel to be their guards. And when men had violated the natural law, and broken that which was written, -when they had forgotten the divine judgment manifested in the deluge upon the old world, in fire from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, in many plagues upon the Egyptians, in the slaughters of the Philistines,-and when the wrath of God did hang over all the world for their iniquity,--according to thy will, he who made man, resolved to become a he who is the Lawgiver, would be subject to laws; he man; that is the High Priest, would be made a sacrifice; and the great Shepherd of our souls, would be a lamb, and be slain for us. Thee, his God and Father, he appeased, and reconciled unto the world, and freed all men from the instant anger. He was born of a virgin, born in flesh; he is God, and the Word, and the beloved Son, the first-born of every creature, according to the prophecies which went before him, of the seed of Abraham and David, and of the tribe of Judah. He who is the Maker of all that are born, was conceived in the womb of a virgin; and he that is void of all flesh, was incarnate and made flesh: he was born in time, who was begotten from eternity: he conversed piously with men, and instructed them with his holy laws and doctrine: he cured every disease and every infirmity: he did signs and wonders among the people: he slept, and ate, and drank, who feeds all the living with food, and fills them with his blessing: he declared thy name to them, who knew it not: he enlightened our ignorances: he enkindled godliness, and fulfilled thy will, and finished all that which thou gavest him to do. All this when he had done, he was taken by the hands of wicked men, by the treachery of false priests and an ungodly people, he suffered many things of them, and, by thy permission, suffered many things of reproach. He was delivered to Pilate the president, who judged him that is the Judge of the quick and dead, and condemned him who is the Saviour of all others. He who is impassible, was crucified; and he died, who is of an immortal nature; and they buried him, by whom others are made alive; that, by his death and passion, he might free them for whom he came, and might dissolve the bands of the devil, and deliver men from all his crafty malices. But then he rose again from the dead; he conversed with his disciples forty days together; and then was received up into heaven, and there sits at the right hand of God his Father. We, therefore, being mindful of these things, which he did and suffered for us, give thanks to thee, Almighty God, --not as much as we should, but as much as we can; and here fulfil his ordinance-and believe all that he said; and know and confess that he hath given us his body to be the food, and his blood to be the drink of our souls; that in him we live, and move, and have our being; that by him we are taught, by his strength, enabled, by his graces, prevented, by his Spirit, conducted, by his death, pardoned, —by his resurrection, justified,—and by his intercession, defended from all our enemies, and set forward in the way of holiness and life eternal. O grant that we and all thy servants, who, by faith and sacramental participation, communicate with the Lord Jesus, may obtain remission of our sins, and be confirmed in piety, and may be delivered from the power and illusions of the devil; and being filled with thy Spirit, may become worthy members of Christ, and at last may inherit eternal life; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. CHAPTER IV. OF CHARITY, PREPARATORY TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. SECTION I. THE second great instrument of preparation to the blessed sacrament is charity: for though this be involved in faith, as in its cause and moral principle,-yet we are to consider it in the proper effects also of it, in its exercise and operations relative to the mysteries. For they that speak distinctly, and give proprieties of employment to the two sacraments, by that which is most signal and eminent in them both respectively, call baptism the sacrament of faith,' and the eucharist the sacrament of charity;' that is, faith in baptism enters upon the work of a good life; and, in the holy eucharist, it is actually productive of that charity, which, at first was designed and undertaken. For charity is that fire from heaven, which unless it does enkindle the sacrifice, God will never accept it for an atonement. This God declared to us by the laws given to the sons of Israel and Aaron. The sacrifice that was God's portion, was to be eaten and consumed by himself, and, 3. Although, in these things, there is no difficulty, yet, in the intention and expressions of this duty, there is some. For if it be inquired what is meant by forgiving,-many men suppose it is nothing but saying, I forgive him with all my heart; and I pray God forgive him:' but this is but words, and we must have more material significations of it than so; because nothing can commute for the omission of the necessary parts of this duty. It is, therefore, necessary that we observe these measures. X 1. Every man that hath received injuries, be they ever so great, must have a mind perfectly free from all intentions of revenge, in any instance whatsoever. instance whatsoever. For when the question is concerning forgiving him that did the wrong, every man can best answer his question, by placing himself in the seat of him that did the offence,—and considering to what purposes, and by what significations, and in what degrees, and to what event of things himself would fain be pardoned, if he were in his case, and did repent the injury, and did desire pardon. That is the measure and the rule; and we learn it from Chrysologus, "Thou art a sinful man, and thou wouldest that God and man should always forgive thee. Do thou forgive always: so much, so often, so entirely, as thou wouldest be pardoned thyself,--so much, so often, and so entirely give pardon to thine enemy." And this, together with the reason of it, is well expressed in the Gospel of the Nazarenes; "If thy brother sins against thee in words, and offers thee satisfaction seven times in a day, receive him. Simon, his disciple, saith unto him, Seven times in a day?? The Lord answers, Yea, I say unto you, seventy times seven times. For even amongst the prophets also, after they were anointed with the Holy Ghost, there was found the word of sin, that is, they also offended in their tongues."" 6 Against this there is no objection, but what is made by the foolish discourses of young men, fighters and malicious, who, by the evil manners of the world, are taught to call * Qui, ne tuberibus propriis offendat amicum Horat. 1. Serm. 3, 73. y Homo sine peccato esse non potes: et vis semper tibi dimitti? dimitte semper. Quantum vis tibi dimitti, tantum dimitte. Quoties vis dimitti tibi, toties dimitte: imo quia vis totum dimitti tibi, totum dimitte. revenge gallantry, and the pardoning of injuries to be pusillanimity and cowardice. For this devil that dwells in tombs, and cannot be bound with chains, prevails infinitely upon this account, amongst the more glorious part of mankind; but (as all other things are, which oppose the wisdom of God) is infinitely unreasonable, there being nothing in the world a greater testimony of impotency and effeminacy of spirit, than a desire of revenge. Who are so cruel as cowards? and who so revengeful as the weakest and the most passionate women? Wise Chrysippus, and gentle Thales, and the good old man, who, being to drink his poison, refused to give any of it to his persecutor; these men did not think revenge a pleasure, or a worthy satisfaction. For what man is so barbarous, as to recover his leprosy by sucking the life-blood from dying infants? A good man would rather endure ten leprosies, than one such remedy. Such a thing is revenge, it pretends to cure a wound, but does it with an intolerable remedy. It was the song of Cyclopsa to his sheep, "Feed you upon the tender herbs, I mean to feed upon the flesh, and drink the blood of the Greeks:" this is a violence, not only to the laws and manners, but even to the very nature of men. Lions, indeed, and tigers, do, with a strange curiosity, eye and observe him that struck them, and they fight with him above all the hunters; to strike again is the return of beasts; but to pardon him that smote, is the bravest amends, and the noblest way of doing right unto ourselves; whilst in the ways of a man, and the methods of God, we have conquered our enemy into a friend. But revenge is the disease of honour, and is as contrary to the wisdom and bravery of men, as dwelling in rivers, and wallowing in fires, is to their natural manner of living. And he who, out of pretence of valour, pursues revenge, is like to him, who, because fire Semper et infirmi est animi, exiguique voluptas Nemo magis gaudet quam fœmina :- |