heart of flesh; and this sacrament is one of the channels in which He gives this grace of love.

Another illustration of this brotherhood in the customs of the early Church was the Agape or Love Feasts, which seem at first to have been held in connection with the Holy Communion, as the institution took place in connection with the Paschal Supper. So early as the times of Pliny the two had been separated; the Holy Communion was celebrated in the early morning, and the Love Feast was held in the evening. Then the rich provided the materials of the feast and the poor sat down with them "The rich and poor meet together, the Lord is the Maker of them both "-and there ate their common meal together as members of the one family of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The still more remarkable illustration of this restoration of the paradisiacal brotherhood of man in the voluntary communism of the primitive Church of Jerusalem, when "all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need" (Acts ii. 44, 45), has already been mentioned.

CHAPTER IX.

WHAT IS Required OF THOSE WHO COME TO HOLY COMMUNION?

ASSUMING that your reason assents to what has been said in the previous chapters, that the Holy Communion is the great divinely-appointed Act of Worship, and Means of Grace, and Bond of Brotherhood of redeemed mankind; assuming that your candour admits that it is the duty of every Christian to take his part in the celebration of this great act of religion; your conscience will prompt the inquiry: How should I, being what I am, reverently approach so holy a thing? The Prayer-Book has been careful to answer this natural question. (1) In the Catechism, in answer to the question which heads this chapter, it replies: "To examine1

1 "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup" (1 Cor. xi. 28).

themselves "what about ?—" whether they repent them truly of their former sins, steadfastly purposing to lead a new life; have a lively faith in God's mercy through Christ, with a thankful remembrance of His death; and be in charity with all men." Again (2) in the first notice of Holy Communion it gives a fuller statement of "the way and means" whereby we "may come holy and clean to the heavenly feast, in the marriage garment required by Holy Scripture, and be received as worthy partakers of that holy table," viz.: "First, to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God's commandments; and whereinsoever ye shall perceive yourselves to have offended either by will, word, or deed, there to bewail your own sinfulness, and to confess yourselves to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life. And if ye shall perceive your offences to be such as are not only against God, but also against your neighbours, then ye shall reconcile yourselves unto them; being ready to make restitution and satisfaction according to the uttermost of your power, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other; and being likewise ready to

forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offences at God's hands." Further, "it is requisite that no man should come to the Holy Communion but with a full trust in God's mercy and with a quiet conscience." Again (3) in the third exhortation: Judge therefore yourselves, brethren, that ye be not judged of the Lord; repent you truly for your sins past; have a lively and steadfast faith in Christ our Saviour; amend your lives, and be in perfect charity with all men; so shall ye be meet partakers of those holy mysteries." And yet again (4) in the following invitation to them that come to receive the Holy Communion: "Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God and walking from henceforth in His holy ways, draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort."

You will see that these four different statements amount to the same thing, and may be summed up in the four words-repentance, faith, thankfulness, charity. Now, I should

shrink, as from a treason to God and to your soul, from saying anything which would lead you to think less reverently of the sacrament or lead you to come to it with real unpreparedness and unfitness. I have utterly failed in all that I have written if the whole tenor of this book does not impress you with a high sense of the dignity and sacredness of this great act of religion. Your own conscience will induce you to approach it with hesitation and awe. I shall not shrink from saying, on the other hand, what I think is required in your special case. Your danger will not be that of coming lightly and without due preparation; but your danger will be this:-the long habit of satisfying your religious wants with the other services of the Church, the natural difficulty of changing a habit, and probably a vague superstitious feeling about the Holy Communion, will tempt you to satisfy any strong impression which the reading of this book may make by an assent to the truth of its conclusions, and by the intention to fulfil, what you now frankly acknowledge to be a duty, at some future time when you shall feel more fit and more disposed.