FASCICULUS MYRRHAE: Of Our Saviours Last Supper

JOOS van Wassenhove 

The Institution of the Eucharist 

1473-75

 

THE III CHAPTER 

OF OUR SAVIOURS LAST SUPPER

His last supper of Christ was an Ordination of his Testament, before death, full of heavenly Legacies given therein, & promised unto us: or rather a banquet of love (as a devout Author calleth it) begun with humility, sweetened with bounty, & concluded with Charity in speeches, gifts, & acts of Love wonderfully expressed. 

Humility prostrated him therein, even at Judas feet, then resolved to betray him. 

Bounty inclined him to bestow therein a gift fully equaling his infinite Love towards us. 

And Charity hastened him to a speedy delivery of himself for us, that the world may know (said he) how I love my Father, and am ready to do as he hast commanded: arise let us go &c.. 

His Apostles were only with him, in this mysterious Supper, as having been peculiarly chosen by him, to be the chief dispensers of those heavenly Legacies, then bequeathed onto them. 

Taking bread and wine into His powerful hands, he designed them by his myſterious blessing, to be the future subjects of those wonderful mutations which himself then, & his Priestly Servants afterwards, were authorized to work in them. 

Looking towards heaven, and humbly thanking his Eternal Father, he both showed the greatness of that blessing, which he was ordaining then for us, and supplied withal our great ingratitude, by his own thankfulness for it. 

His Sacramental words then uttered; This is my body &c.. This is the Chalice of my blood &c.. had not only in his own mouth, an omnipotent kind of force, really to effect, what literally they imported; but they retain still also, the same power, in the mouths of his Princely servants, authorized to do, what himself did before them; when his holy will swayed with Love, and attended on by an incinna Power , deligh- lied it lilfe , for a farewell out of this world, co comunicate (laych S. Tho.Our Saviours Paliou. 21 S.110111:15 ) in ail profitable, and i jollible manners ynto ys, whic for vs, and from vs he had gra- ciouſly receaued. Andas, his divine Father had with an effuſed bounty, given him to be bloudily facrificed in humane nature for vs : ſo was he, in an equall exceſſe of loue and mercy, graciouſly pleaſed, in his 1aft Sufper ,to orday ne of him- Selfc, a myſterious and vnbloudy Oblation. 

Wherein the painetull separation of his body & blood, once made on the Cross, might daily (even to the worldsend) & triumphantly be repreſented;and the fruits of his death occalio- ned therby, effectually & abundantly be applied unto vs. 

It well became ſo divine an High Priest, as was the son of God himself, in human nature, to digrify his Church; grace his new 22 Tresiile of new Law,and Linctify,alwell the miniſters, as profcflours therof, by ro divine , and triumphant a sacrifice, one, in the Holi,irith his bloody oblation, and only diffe- rentin our manner of ofering it. 

In that (for example ) he was passable, and mortal: In this, he is immortal and glorious. 

In that, he was to the open view of all people present, nakedly exposed: whereas in this, under the forms of bread, and wine, he is hidden, and yndilcei nabiy offered. 

In that, he ſuffered painefull tearings, and comments:In this he cannot be payned, or immediatly touched. In that, he was at bisful breadth and length locally extended: In this, his whole body, is into a puntuall& indiuilible preſence, miraculouſly contracted: In ur Sanicurs Parifios. 23 In that, his reall death was the confummation of his sacrifice: In this, his myſterious, and repre fentatiue death ,only fufficeth. 

In that, he was only hidden in his perſonall maiefty:in this, he is concealed in bis humanity allo. 

Never greater , then in being ſo iellencd: neuer more glorious, chen in being ſo oblcured: never ſo gainctully gazed on, as here he is micritoriouſly believed, to be corporeally present, gratefully oilored to his Eternal Father, & by holy souls sacramentalyre- ccaued. 

Who daily eaten, is never carnally devoured. 

Diſtant flaces do not douide him: nor ditterent hoſts multiply, or par- cially contay ne him: one, & ma- ny do cqually rcccaue him; and joules bell prepared, do queſtion- WeiTc reccaue greateſt graces from Shim: when, as a loving Father, Brother 24 A Treatiſe of Brother, Spoule, Philitian, King, land Caçtayne, he bleſſeth, ado. preth, imbraceth, fecundareth, cureth, croir neth, & conducteth to cternall happines, with him. relfe, a!i such, as like obedient children,adopted brethren, chait fpoules, Fenitent patients , loya!! subjects, and faithful soldiers, worthily receive him: a heavenly sun to illuminate , a holy fyre to enfome, a flowing fountain to clenie, a food of life to nouo riſ, a hidden Msnrs to delight, a loucraigne Medicine to cure, a powerful antidote to freleruc darke,coid, soul, hungry, com. fortleſle, diſealed and diſtreſſed Coules, devoutly entertaining him. 

Fasciculus Myrrhae John Falconer 1633