APPENDIX.

2. The Communion of the Sick.

In dangerous sickness it is a great comfort and blessing to receive Holy Communion; and request should be made to the clergyman to come and administer it.*

Preparation for Holy Communion must now be as strength permits. Seek the simple spirit of practical trust in God; put yourself by a conscious act of your own into His hands; and then leave all to His love. But this happy trustfulness can only follow a life of godliness; therefore put not off the work of repentance to the time of sickness, when weakness may make it impossible.

Prayer before Communion.

LORD, Thou knowest my weakness; look not,

I pray Thee, upon my unworthiness, but of

* In cases of prolonged illness it may sometimes happen that invalid neighbours will be thankful for the opportunity of receiving Holy Communion, if invited to join the sick person; and God's work will be thereby advanced.

F

Thy mercy accept me for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

I humbly thank Thee for Thy great love in calling me near to Thyself; and I pray Thee mercifully to grant that this Holy Communion may be for the strengthening and refreshing of my soul according to my needs; and for my body, grant me, Lord, what Thou knowest to be best. Especially I pray Thee to grant me . . . (mention what you most want-greater sorrow for sin; firmer trust in God; pardon; to be resigned to God's dealings; patience; the blessing of sleep; help in pain; His blessing on an operation, on the doctor's skill, on the remedies used; grace to make a just will; recovery of health, &c.—adding: nevertheless, Father, not my will, but Thine, be done). And at the last grant me, Lord, that I may be ready to depart when Thou shalt call me hence.

And now, O Father, hear me as I draw near to this Communion with my Saviour, and fill me with the sense of His infinite love in suffering for me, that I may rest upon Him in child-like faith and seek to follow Him; that earthly things may lose their power over me; and that I may be lifted up to desire Thee-Thee only-to be with Thee, and to serve Thee; and this I beg for His sake, whose precious death we plead, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

At the time of Holy Communion the sick should make their usual offering, if they can afford it.

THE COMMUNION OF THE SICK.

If the sick person be not able to come to the Church, and yet is desirous to receive the Communion in his house; then he must give timely notice to the Curate, signifying also how many there are to communicate with him (which shall be three, or two at the least), and having a convenient place in the sick man's house, with all things necessary so prepared, that the Curate may reverently minister, he shall there celebrate the holy Communion, beginning with the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, here following.

A

THE COLLECT.

LMIGHTY, everliving God, Maker of mankind, who dost correct those whom Thou dost love, and chastise every one whom Thou dost receive; We beseech Thee to have mercy upon this Thy servant visited with Thine hand, and to grant that he may take his sickness patiently, and recover his bodily health (if it be Thy gracious will); and whensoever his soul shall depart from the body, it may be without spot presented unto Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

MY

THE EPISTLE. Heb. xii. 5.

Y son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when Thou art rebuked of Him. For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth; and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.

ERILY,

THE GOSPEL. St. John v. 24.

VERILY,
LY, verily, I say unto you, He that

heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

After which the Priest shall proceed according to the form before prescribed for the holy Communion, beginning at these words [Ye that do truly, &c.] See page 46

¶At the time of the distribution of the holy Sacrament, the Priest shall first receive the Communion himself, and after minister unto them that are appointed to communicate with the sick, and last of all to the sick person.

¶But if a man, either by reason of extremity of sickness, or for want of warning in due time to the Curate, or for lack of company to receive with him, or by any other just impediment, do not receive the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood, the Curate shall instruct him, that if he do truly repent him of his sins, and stedfastly believe that Jesus Christ hath suffered death upon the Cross for him, and shed his Blood for his redemption, earnestly remembering the benefits he hath thereby, and giving Him hearty thanks therefore, he doth eat and drink the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ profitably to his Soul's health, although he do not receive the Sacrament with his mouth.

¶ In the time of the Plague, Sweat, or such other like contagious times of sickness and diseases, when none of the Parish or neighbours can be gotten to communicate with the sick in their houses, for fear of the infection, upon special request of the diseased, the Minister may only communicate with him.

APPENDIX.

3.-Spiritual Communion.

For the help and comfort of those who are kept at home by sickness or other just cause and are thus prevented from receiving the Holy Communion at the hands of God's minister, the Church teaches such that, if they do truly repent and have a lively faith in Jesus with a thankful remembrance of His death, they may receive the Body and Blood of Christ profitably to their souls' health, although they do not receive the Sacrament with their mouth.

**An Office for Spiritual Communion," published by S.P.C.K., price 1d., will be found useful by any who desire to hold this spiritual communion with their Lord.

*See the third Rubric after the Office for the Communion of the Sick.