If the Sick Person should express such desire and resolution, the Minister may proceed thus: Such being your desire, and such your resolution, I think I may venture to administer the Sacrament to you at my next Visit, if you will desire two other persons, at least, to be here, to receive it with you. But as you cannot be too particularly informed, as I have observed before, concerning the meaning of this ordinance, and the ends for which it was appointed; -what this Sacrament obliges Christians to, and the benefits they may expect from it;-with what dispositions a Christian should come to it, and the great sin of despising it, I wish once more to "put you in mind, that as they were in the Jewish, so there are in the Christian Church, two Sacraments." "That the Sacrament of Baptism was ordained by Christ for admitting us into his Church upon certain conditions, which such as are baptized in their infancy are to perform when they come to age." "And the Holy Supper he ordained, that Christians might have an opportunity of renewing their baptismal vows, which they are but too apt to forget, and of making making their peace with God, when they had broke his laws, and desire sincerely to return to their duty." Now as Jesus Christ did by his death make our peace with God, and obtain eternal redemption for all them that obey him, we Christians, in obedience to his command, do keep up the remembrance of his death until his coming again, after this solemn manner :' "First; as God is the King of all the earth, we offer unto him the best things that the earth affords for the life of man, namely, Bread and Wine, as an acknowledgement that all we have, whether for the support or comfort of our lives, is owing entirely to his bounty." The Bread and Wine being placed upon the altar, (by which they are sanctified, that is, set apart for holy uses) we then proceed to give God thanks for his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the life of our souls, after this manner: "The Priest, by doing what Christ did, by prayer and thanksgiving, by breaking the bread, and pouring out the wine, obtaineth of God, that these creatures, become, after a spiritual manner, the body and blood of Christ, by receiving of which our souls shall be strengthened and refreshed, as our bodies are by bread and wine." "For "For all this is done to represent the death of Jesus Christ, and the mercies which he has obtained for us; to represent it not only to ourselves, but unto God the Father, that, as the prayers and alms of Cornelius are said to have gone up for a memorial before God*, so this service may be an argument with his Divine Majesty to remember his Son's death in Heaven, as we do on Earth, and for his sake to blot out our sins, and to give us all an interest in his merits." "After this we all receive the bread and wine (being thus made the body and blood of Christ) in token of communion with Christ our head, and with all his members." "And that we may have a more lively sense imprinted upon our souls, of the love of God, and of the kindness of our Redeemer, and of the benefits he has by the shedding of his blood obtained for us, the Minister of God applieth the merits of Christ's death to the soul of every faithful receiver in these words: Eat and drink this in remembrance that Christ died for thee, and that he may preserve thy body and soul unto eternal life †." I think now, my Christian Brother, after what has been read to you, and after Acts x. 4. + Communion Service. what but see, what you have read yourself, you cannot "That by joining in this Sacrament, we keep up the remembrance of Christ's death, which is our salvation:" "We plead with God for pardon, for his Son's sake, after a way which his Son himself appointed: "We are hereby more firmly united to Christ, our head, and to the Church which is his body: "And lastly, we do hereby express our faith and hope of his coming again to reward his faithful servants." "Now, these being duties of the greatest concern to Christians, it is no wonder that the Church, directed by St. Paul, very seriously exhorts all Christians to examine themselves for this Holy Ordinance; for if a Christian should presume to go to the Lord's Table, without knowing what he is going to do, without repentance, without purposes of leading a Christian life, without faith in God's mercy through Christ, without a thankful heart, and without charity, he will receive a curse instead of a blessing*" And now, my beloved Brother, having, I trust, led you to a right understanding of the Lord's Supper,-why that Sacra * Bp. Wilson's Parochialia. Pages 58-63. ment ment was ordained-and what is required of those who come to it,-you will allow me to ask you a few questions in the words of our most excellent Catechism: 1. Do you repent truly of your former sins, and stedfastly purpose to lead a new life? "Cease to do evil: learn to do well." Isai. i. 16. "Except ye repent, ye shall all perish." Luke xiii. 3. Without sincere resolutions of leading a new and holy life, your repentance is imperfect, and will not avail. You must pray daily for the help of the Holy Spirit, to enable you to keep these resolutions. 2. Have you a lively faith in God's mercy through Christ? "Without Faith," says the Apostle, "it is impossible to please God: For he, who cometh to Him, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them, who diligently seek him." Heb. xi. 6. "Ye believe in Gon, believe also in me," says CHRIST. John xiv. 1 It must be a lively Faith and active: it must work in you such an obedience to GOD's commands, as CHRIST has enjoined in the Gospel. Faith is necessary to salvation, because 5 the |