thereof give health, how much more then shall the very Body of Christ, being worthily received, Ideliver thee from all thine infirmities and wicked affections! If at Christ's only word Lazarus, having been four days in the grave, was raised up from the dead, how much more shall Christ's Body, being eaten of thee, give life unto thee, and purge thy conscience, quickening thee from the death of sin! Oh therefore, faithful soul, if thou be unclean, come to the fountain of purity; if thou be hungry, come and feed of the bread of life which fadeth not, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Art thou sick? this will be a most sovereign medicine for thine infirmity. Hast thou an issue whereof thou canst not be cured by the physicians? touch thou, in the full assurance of faith, (as did the woman in the Gospel sick of the flux of blood,) the hem of Christ's garment, even the most Blessed Sacrament, and thine issue shall be stayed. If thou feel thyself to be stung by the serpents of perverse temptations, look upon that brazen serpent in which there was no poison, even Christ hanging upon the cross. Dost thou make thy moan that thou art blind, weak, and lame? thou must then remember, that such are bidden to the supper of the great King, and are compelled to go in. But thou wilt say, I am

wavering, alas! and inconstant: yea, but this Bread doth strengthen the heart of man. Art thou sorrowful and in perplexity? this Wine doth make joyful the inward man. Do many things trouble thee? cleave fast to Him who calmed the waves of the sea when they were troubled. Goest thou astray from thy Lord and Master? yet mayest thou walk in the strength of this meat, even to the Mount of God.

These wonderful things doth the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures, and the Holy Ones of God, being inspired by the Holy Ghost, speak of this admirable Sacrament, whereof St. Cyprian in his Sermon of the Lord's Supper most learnedly and religiously writeth This unleavened bread which is the true and sincere meat, doth by the Sacrament sanctify us, by the receiving of it it doth enlighten us with faith, and confirmeth us with truth towards Christ. Therefore, let all those who love the Lord's Passion come unto this most wholesome bread, and let them not fear to eat of this most sweet manna so often as they can, whereby they may be made able to pass through the wilderness of this world without danger of their life. Let him not fear to eat of this healthful bread, whosoever desireth to have his heart made strong in the Lord, that he may overcome all those most wicked enemies, the devils,

which daily lie in wait to hinder our salvation. Let no man make doubt, so often as possibly he can, to eat this most sweet, delightful, comfortable bread, which was made in the womb of the Virgin, and baked upon the altar of the cross, in the strength whereof we shall be made able, in forty days and forty nights, (that is to say, in the short time of this transitory life,) to walk not only to mount Horeb, which signifieth a desert, but even to mount Tabor, which is the brightness and glory of God.

CHAPTER LXVI.

OF THE SPIRITUAL HUNGER WE HAVE, OR OUGHT TO HAVE, OFTEN TO COMMUNICATE; AND INDUCEMENTS UNTO THE SAME.

I. CONSIDERING our great necessity.

2. The great profit that doth hereby come

unto us.

3. The admirable satiety it yieldeth unto the distressed soul.

4. For that it inciteth to the study of piety. 5. For that it enlighteneth the understanding. 6. For that it addeth strength to our weakness. 7. For that it maketh glad the conscience.

8. For that it is our viaticum, our refreshing towards the end of our journey.

FOR THE AFFECTING OF THE CONSCIENCE, THREE THINGS ARE PRINCIPALLY TO BE THOUGHT UPON IN THE VERY TIME OF COMMUNICATING.

1. The eternal love wherewith God the Father loved us when as yet we were not, and provided all things necessary for us.

2. The inestimable love of God the Son, who gave Himself for us.

3. The unsearchable love of God the Holy Ghost, that every moment doth preserve us.

CHRISTIAN CONSIDERATIONS TO BE THOUGHT UPON BY EVERY ONE OF US, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE HOLY COMMUNION.

Before.

1. That we call to mind, that as Almighty God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, so doth He also to them whose hearts are inflamed with the love of Him.

2. That if in the law so many purifications were used, then, in purifying our hearts under grace much more is required.

3. That if Solomon took such care to build

a temple for the ark of the Lord, what care ought there to be for the Lord Himself the ark?

4. That the four questions proposed unto Jonah' -the first, quod opus tuum? "what is thy work or trade?" the second, quæ terra tua? "what is thy country?" the third, quo vadis? "whither goest thou?" the fourth, quis populus tuus? "what is thy people, or with whom livest thou?"-that these questions, I say, proposed to Jonah, every devout Communicant ought to propose unto himself, as thus:

What is thy work? to do the will of God, or thine own will? What makest thou thy country? heaven, or earth? Whither goest thou? after God, or after the world? What is thy people? with whom conversest thou? are they good or evil men?

After.

1. To be careful not to receive the grace of God in vain.

2. To resign or consecrate the rest of our life to serve God, according to that rule of the Apostle, "As you have yielded your members servants of unrighteousness unto sin, even so now yield your members servants unto righteousness."

f Jonah i. 8.

8 2 Corinthians vi. I.

h Romans vi. 19.