of charity, but instruments of humility, and stronger invitations to come to those rites which are ordained for corroboratives against infirmities of the soul, and for the growth of the spirit in the strengths of God. For those other acts of preparation which precede and accompany the duty, the better and more religiously they are done they are indeed of more advantage and honorary to the Sacrament; yet he that comes in the state of grace, though he takes the opportunity upon a sudden offer, sins not; and in such indefinite duties, whose degrees are not described, it is good counsel to do our best; but it is ill to make them instruments of scruple, as if it were essentially necessary to do that in the greatest height which is only intended for advantage and the fairer accommodation of the mystery. But these very acts, if they be esteemed necessary preparations to the Sacrament, are the greatest arguments in the world that it is best to communicate often, because the doing of that which must suppose the exercise of so many graces must needs promote the interest of religion, and dispose strongly to habitual graces by our frequent and solemn repetition of the acts. It is necessary that every communicant be first examined concerning the state of his soul by himself or his superior, and that very scrutiny is in admirable order towards the reformation of such irregularities which time and temptation, negligence and incuriousness, infirmity or malice, hath brought into the secret regions of our will and understanding. Now, although this examination be therefore enjoined, that no man should approach to the Holy Table in the state of ruin and reprobation, and that, therefore, it is an act not of direct preparation, but an inquiry whether we be prepared or no, yet this very examination will find so many little irregularities, and so many great imperfections, that it will appear the more necessary to repair the breaches and lesser ruins by such acts of piety and religion; because every communication is intended to be a nearer approach to God, a further step in grace, a progress towards glory, and an instrument of perfection; and, therefore, upon the stock of our spiritual. interests, for the purchase of a greater hope, and the advan tages of a growing charity, ought to be frequently received. I end with the words of a pious and learned person: "It is a vain fear and an imprudent reverence that procrastinates and defers going to the Lord that calls them ;"* they deny to go to the fire, pretending they are cold, and refuse physic because they need it. A PRAYER. O BLESSED and eternal Jesus, who gavest Thyself a sacrifice for our sins, Thy body for our spiritual food, Thy blood to nourish our spirits and to quench the flames of hell and lust, who didst so love us, who were Thine enemies, that Thou desiredst to reconcile us to Thee, and becamest all one with us, that we may live the same life, think the same thoughts, love the same love, and be partakers of Thy resurrection and immortality; open every window of my soul that I may be full of light, and may see the excellency of Thy love, the merits of Thy sacrifice, the bitterness of Thy passion, the glories and virtues of the mysterious Sacrament. Lord, let me ever hunger and thirst after this instrument of righteousness, let me have no gust or relish of the unsatisfying delights of things below, but let my soul dwell in Thee, let me for ever receive Thee spiritually, and very frequently communicate with Thee sacramentally, and imitate Thy virtues piously and strictly, and dwell in the pleasures of Thy house eternally. Lord, "Thou hast prepared a table for me against them that trouble me;" let that Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist be to me a defence and shield, a nourishment and medicine, life and health, a means of sanctification and spiritual growth, that I, receiving the body of my dearest Lord, may be one with His mystical body, and of the same spirit united with indissoluble bonds of a strong faith, and a holy hope, and a never-failing charity, that from this veil I may pass into the visions of eternal clarity, from eating Thy body to beholding Thy face in the glories of Thy everlasting kingdom, O blessed and eternal Jesus. Amen. * Johan. Gerson in Magnificat. In the act of receiving, exercise acts of faith with much confidence and resignation, believing it not to be common bread and wine, but holy in their use, holy in their signification, holy in their change, and holy in their effect; and believe, if thou art a worthy communicant, thou dost as verily receive Christ's body and blood to all effects and purposes of the Spirit, as thou dost receive the blessed elements into thy mouth, that thou puttest thy finger to His hand, and thy hand into His side, and thy lips to His fontinel of blood, sucking life from His heart and yet if thou dost communicate unworthily thou eatest and drinkest Christ to thy danger, and death, and destruction. Dispute not concerning the secret of the mystery and the nicety of the manner of Christ's presence; it is sufficient to thee that Christ shall be present to thy soul as an instrument of grace, as a pledge of the resurrection, as the earnest of glory and immortality, and a means of many intermedial blessings, even all such as are necessary for thee, and are in order to thy salvation. And to make all this good to thee, there is nothing necessary on thy part but a holy life, and a true belief of all the sayings of Christ; amongst which, indefinitely assent to the words of institution, and believe that Christ in the Holy Sacrament gives thee His body and His blood. He that believes not this is not a Christian. He that believes so much needs not to inquire farther, nor to entangle his faith by disbelieving his sense. When I said that the sacrifice of the cross, which Christ offered for all the sins and all the needs of the world, is presented to God by the minister in the Sacrament, and offered up in prayer and Sacramental memory, after the manner that Christ Himself intercedes for us in heaven, (so far as His glorious priesthood is imitable by His ministers on earth,) I must of necessity also mean that all the benefits of that sacrifice are then conveyed to all that communicate worthily. But if we descend to particulars, then and there the church is nourished in her faith, strengthened in her hope, enlarged in her bowels with an increasing charity. There all the members of Christ are joined with each other, and all to Christ their head; and we again renew the covenant with God in Jesus Christ, and God seals His part, and we promise for ours, and Christ unites both, and the Holy Ghost signs both in the collation of those graces which we then pray for and exercise and receive all at once. There our bodies are nourished with the signs, and our souls with the mystery: our bodies receive into them the seed of an immortal nature, and our souls are joined with Him who is the firstfruits of the resurrection, and never can die. And if we desire anything else and need it, here it is to be prayed for, here to be hoped for, here to be received. Long life, and health, and recovery from sickness, and competent support and maintenance, and peace, and deliverance from our enemies, and content, and patience, and joy, and sanctified riches, or a cheerful poverty, and liberty, and whatsoever else is a blessing, was purchased for us by Christ in His death and resurrection, and in His intercession in heaven. And this Sacrament being that to our particulars. which the great mysteries are in themselves, and by design to all the world, if we receive worthily, we shall receive any of these blessings according as God shall choose for us; and He will not only choose with more wisdom, but also with more affection, than we can for ourselves. After all this, it is advised by the guides of souls, wise men and pious, that all persons should communicate very often, even as often as they can, without excuses or delays; everything that puts us from so holy an employment, when we are moved to it, being either a sin or an imperfection, an infirmity or indevotion and inactiveness of spirit. All Christian people must come. They, indeed, that are in the state of sin must not come so, but yet they must come. First they must quit their state of death, and then partake of the bread of life. They that are at enmity with their neighbours must come, that is no excuse for their not coming; only they must not bring their enmity along with them, but leave it, and then come. They that have variety of secular employments must come; only they must leave their secular thoughts and affections behind them, and then come and converse with God. If any man be well grown in grace he must needs come, because he is excellently disposed to so holy a feast; but he that is but in the infancy of piety had need to come, that so he may grow in grace. The strong must come lest they become weak; and the weak that they may become strong. The sick must come to be cured, the healthful to be preserved. They that have leisure must come, because they have no excuse; they that have no leisure must come hither, that by so excellent religion they may sanctify their business. The penitent sinners must come that they may be justified; and they that are justified that they may be justified still. They that have fears and great reverence to these mysteries, and think no preparation to be sufficient, must receive, that they may learn how to receive the more worthily; and they that have a less degree of reverence must come often, to have it heightened: that as those creatures that live amongst the snows of the mountains turn white with their food and conversation with such perpetual whitenesses, so our souls may be transformed into the similitude and union with Christ by our perpetual feeding on Him, and conversation, not only in His courts, but in His very heart, and most secret affections and incomparable purities. BISHOP PATRICK. WE should think when we go to the Table of the Lord that we go to join ourselves more closely to our Head, and to unite our hearts more firmly to the fountain of our life. That we go to receive of His Holy Spirit, which, like wine running through our veins, should diffuse itself into all the vital powers of our souls, and make us more able and strong, active and quick, ready and forward in the service of our Saviour. We should think that hereby we may get greater victories over our enemies, if we do not betray our succours; that we may more complete our conquests, if we |