THE WARNING.

When the Minister giveth warning for the celebration of the Holy Com munion, he shall read this Exhortation following.

EARLY beloved, on

DEAR

day next I purpose, through GOD's assistance, to administer to all such as shall be religiously and devoutly disposed the most comfortable Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ; to be by them received in remembrance of his meritorious Cross and Passion; whereby alone we

INSTRUCTION.

Why is it necessary for us to make this remembrance?

Because we are not worthy to come to GOD in our own merits, and we therefore plead before Him the merits of the Sacrifice of Christ.

What do we mean by pleading the Sacrifice of Christ?

To plead the Sacrifice of Christ is to put it forward as our plea before GOD, alleging it as the reason and ground of our being accepted.

What is the second purpose for which Holy Communion is celebrated?

To be the means of maintaining our baptismal union with Christ, and of supplying us with spiritual food, which is as needful for our souls as meat and drink are for our bodies.

What is the spiritual food which we receive in this Sacrament? The Body and Blood of Christ, which are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper. Is this food necessary for us?

Jesus said, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."

How was this Sacrament instituted?

It was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ on the night before his suffering, when He took bread and blessed it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, THIS IS MY BODY. And He took wine and blessed it, and gave it to them to drink, saying, THIS IS MY BLOOD.

How is this Sacrament celebrated?

This Sacrament is celebrated by the priest, who places bread and wine upon the altar, and consecrates them to be unto us the Body and Blood of Christ.

How does he consecrate the Sacrament?

By reciting the account of our Lord's institution of the Sacrament, breaking the bread and taking the cup into his hands as our Lord did, and saying the words which our Lord said.

THE WARNING.

obtain remission of our sins, and are made partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven. Wherefore it is our duty to render most humble and hearty thanks to Almighty GOD our heavenly Father, for that He hath given his Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, not only to die for us, but also to be our spiritual food and sustenance in that holy Sacrament. Which being so divine and

HOW TO PREPARE.

In the upper part of the pages 6-15, you have the warning given you by the Church as to how you should prepare to receive the holy Sacrament. This warning is found in the Prayer-Book after the prayer for the Church Militant. But as it is not read in that place, but is intended as an exhortation to those who are preparing to receive the holy Sacrament on a future day, it is thought best to place it at the beginning of this book. You can read it carefully as part of your preparation for Holy Communion, and receive it as a message coming to you with the authority of the Church.

In the lower part of these pages I shall try to help you to make the preparation which GOD requires, and which the Church warns you to make, that you may come fitly to receive the holy Sacrament.

I

Three things are required: FAITH, PENITENCE, and LOVE. FAITH Cometh by hearing God's Word.

PENITENCE is deepened by self-examination.

LOVE is increased by prayer.

First think of your FAITH, and tell it to God, saying :

BELIEVE in GOD, almighty, all holy, all good, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

I believe that GOD has created me in his love, that He has called me into the way of salvation in his Church, and that He has given me grace.

I believe in the Son of GOD who loved me and gave Himself for me.

And I believe that this holy Sacrament is the way by which I am to appeal to his love.

I believe that Christ's death upon the Cross was a Sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

And I believe that in this holy Sacrament I am to present and plead that Sacrifice before GOD, offering it to Him as the ground of my hope of acceptance.

THE WARNING.

comfortable a thing to them who receive it worthily, and so dangerous to them that will presume to receive it unworthily; my duty is to exhort you in the mean season to consider the dignity of that holy mystery, and the great peril of the unworthy receiving thereof; and so to search and examine your own consciences, (and that not lightly, and after the manner of dis

HOW TO PREPARE.

I believe in Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, who said, Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, ye have no life in you.”

And I believe that this holy Sacrament is the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Communion of the Blood of Christ, and that when we receive it then we spiritually eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood.

Then add the following prayers :—

GOD, who hast given us the true bread from Heaven, that

a man may eat thereof and not die; grant us, we beseech Thee, so worthily to receive it, that we may be partakers of the resurrection unto life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BLESSED LORD, who on the eve of thy most bitter suffering, didst institute the blessed Sacrament of thy Body and Blood, and in thy holy Gospel didst command us to continue a perpetual memory of thy precious death until thy coming again; Grant, we beseech Thee, that thy great love in thus dying for us, may never fade from our forgetful hearts, but that, being strengthened by that heavenly food, making the memorial which Thou hast commanded, and looking for and hasting thy coming, we may at the last be found of Thee in peace, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one GOD, world without end. Amen.

The second condition of your worthy approach to the altar is PENITENCE.

Your penitence will be deepened by that self-examination which St. Paul enjoins when he says, "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup."

What does self-examination mean? It means trying, with the help of the Holy Ghost, to remember our sins, so that we may bring them in true repentance to our heavenly Father, and have them forgiven through the precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

THE WARNING.

semblers with GOD; but so) that ye may come holy and clean to such a heavenly Feast, in the marriagegarment required by GoD in holy Scripture, and be received as worthy partakers of that holy Table.

The way and means thereto is: First, to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God's com

HOW TO PREPARE.

But "the heart is deceitful above all things."

Whom does it deceive? Not GOD, for He cannot be deceived. Not our neighbour, for he cannot read our heart. The deceitful heart deceives itself. So we shall never know our sins unless GOD shows us them.

Therefore begin self-examination by prayer, saying :—

GOD, by thy Holy Spirit dwelling in me, teach me to know what a sinner I am, that I may feel more deeply my need of a Saviour. Show me myself, and fill my heart with penitence, that I may be truly sorry for my sins, and may sincerely purpose to forsake them. Through Him who died to save us from our sins, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then think for a few minutes about the general principles of your life, asking yourself the following questions :

HA

[AVE I taken GOD to be my GOD, and do I live my life by faith in Him?

Do I look to Jesus as my Saviour, and seek pardon through Him for all my sins?

Do I listen for the voice of God's Holy Spirit in my conscience, in the Bible, and in all the means of grace?

Do I make a faithful use of my talents, and do my duty in my daily work?

Do I act towards others as I would have them act towards me?

Do I seek by word and example to promote the glory of GoD and the welfare of other souls?

After that, think about particular sins one by one, considering which of the following sins you have committed since your last Communion, and how often. Also consider any circumstances which have aggravated the guilt of any of them, such as their wilfulness, the injury done thereby to other souls, &c.

THE WARNING.

mandments; 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

HOW TO PREPARE.