of the contrite, nor rejectest the desire of the sorrowful; be favorable to our prayers which in our afflictions that continually oppress us, we pour out before Thee; and graciously hear them, that those things which the craft of the devil or man worketh against us, may be brought to nought, and by the counsel of Thy goodness be dispersed; so that being hurt by no persecu tions, we may evermore give thanks unto Thee in Thy holy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good coun. sels, and all just works do proceed; give unto Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey Thy commandments, and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may by Thy protection pass our time in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A suitable Psalm or Hymn shall now be sung.

Then the Minister, having taken his place in the pulpit, shall prozeed to deliver a brief Sermon, or Exhortation.

After the Sermon, the Minister, at the altar, shall address the communicants, and say:

BELOVED IN THE LORD: Our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, when He was about to finish the work of ur redemption, by making Himself a sacrifice for our sins upon the cross, solemnly instituted the Holy Sacrament of His own Body and Blood; that it might be the abiding memorial of His precious death; the seal of His perpetual presence in the Church by the Holy

Ghost; the mystical exhibition of His one offering of Himself made once, but of force always, to put away sin; the pledge of His undying love to His people; and the bond of His living union and fellowship with them to the end of time.

The same night, we are told, in which he was be trayed, He took bread; and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is My body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood; this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.

It has not been without reason, therefore, that the celebration of the Holy Eucharist has ever been regarded by the Church as the inmost sanctuary of the whole Christian worship. We have to do here, not with outward signs only, but with the heavenly realities themselves which these signs represent. Our Lord Himself calls the bread His body, and the cup His blood, or the new testament in His blood. The cup of blessing which we bless, says St. Paul, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? And it is the same Apostle who utters, in another place, the solemn warning: Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup; for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

Being of such high and awful character, it is plain that the Lord's Supper can be rightly and safely ap

proached only by those who are of a truly devout and religious mind. These holy mysteries are not for the irreverent, the worldly, or the profane. All who are impenitent and unbelieving, and who refuse to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, have no right to partake of this Christian altar. They can do so only at their own peril; for coming to it thus in the spirit of hypocrisy and wickedness, they turn the blessing of the Sacrament into a curse, and that which should be a savor of life unto life is made to be for them only a savor of death unto death. They eat and drink damnation or judgment to themselves; not because they are sinners, but because they are impenitent sinners; not because they are unworthy, but because they eat and drink unworthily, not discerning the Lord's body.

If any of you who are here present, then, know yourselves to be the willing servants of sin, being without repentance and faith, and yielding yourselves to the power of worldly affections and lusts, we sol emnly warn and admonish you, that ye presume not, so long as this is your character, to come to the table of the Lord. Do not pretend in this way, to join righteousness with unrighteousness, and light with darkness. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

On the other hand, we cordially invite to this table all who are truly grieved and penitent for their sins, who look to the Lord Jesus Christ for righteousness and salvation, who abide in the fellowship of His Church, and who earnestly desire to possess His

Spirit and to walk in His steps. To all such the voice of the infinitely compassionate Redeemer Himself speaks: Come unto Me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Fear not, therefore, as many of you as have this mind, to embrace the joyful and glorious privilege which is here offere 1 for your use. Having, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and hav ing an High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Only ye must take good heed, that your particular preparation for the Sacrament at this time be sincere and whole, according to God's command; so that no let or bar may be found in yourselves to its proper comfort and benefit. See that ye have grace, not only in general habit, but also in present exercise and power. Renew your repentance and faith. Be in perfect charity with all men. Put away from you the leaven of malice and wickedness. Remember earnestly your past offences and shortcomings, that ye may humble yourselves, with true hearty confession, under the mighty hand of Him, who alone has power to exalt you in His own good time. Thus, clothed in the robes of salvation, you will be able to compass God's holy altar with thankfulness and joy, and to share the full benefit of its one offering for sin, while you feed on the sacrifice at the same time as the bread of everlasting life. For in this most com.

fortable Sacrament of the Body and Blood cf our Sa viour Jesus Christ, we have exhibited to us at once, both the forgiveness of sins through His death, and the gift of immortality through His glorious resurrection; according to His own word: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead; he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

Ye then, beloved brethren in the Lord, who have looked earnestly into your own hearts, and who find in yourselves these good dispositions of penitence and faith, with the sincere desire and purpose of forsaking all sin and following after all Christian holiness, approach with me now to the throne of grace, and make your humble confession to Almighty God.

All kneeling.

ALMIGHTY GOD, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; we cast ourselves down at Thy feet, with deep humiliation and heartfelt penitent grief, in view of our manifold sins and great unrighteousness, whereby we have provoked against ourselves most justly Thine indigna