to such guilty, treacherous, self-seeking, unkind brethren, our true Joseph saith, Come near to Me, I pray you' (Gen. xlv. 4), in My own appointed way-prepare the guest-chamber of thy heart to receive Me, that when I come I may find in thee a mansion prepared for Myself. Remember that no man upon earth is naturally fit to receive into himself the Lord of Life and Glory, that Mighty God of Jacob, Who comes travelling in the greatness of His strength. None can be worthy of themselves to receive the Lord's Body-we must feel with the centurion (S. Matt. viii. 8). But if there be a real sorrow for the past (Ps. xxxviii. 18), a real desire and intention to lead a holier and a better life in the future, JESUS will make us partakers of the benefits of His Passion, will wash us in His Precious Blood, and take our sins away; and so make us meet and fit, to receive so Great a Guest, to house our God. What we must do is to try and find out our sins (Ps. cxxxix. 24)— 'search and examine your own consciences' (1st Exh. in Com. Off.), 'judge therefore yourselves, brethren, that ye be not judged of the Lord' (3rd Exh. in Com. Off.)-and if there be any difficulty there is the Priest to help us—to hate them, put them away, and be really sorry for them—' and that not lightly and after the manner of dissemblers with God' (1st Exh. in Com. Off.). Much false sorrow- -(cf. 1 Sam. xv. 24, 25, 30)—but godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation (2 Cor. vii. 10) not to be repented of. Let us try ourselves, and so judge ourselves now, by God's standard, that we may not be condemned at last. Sins of omission and commission. III. Why does our Blessed Lord come to us in the Holy Communion? He comes to us that we may come to Him; He draws nigh to us in the Holy Eucharist, that we may draw nigh unto Him in love, in trust, in adoration, in devotion; He comes because we are so fast bound in misery and sin, that we could never get forth and come to Him, unless He first came to give us strength (S. John xv. 57; 2 Cor. xii. 97; Isa. xxvi. 127). He comes, because He is mighty to save-Heb. vii. 25—our own JESUS-Emmanuel, God with us,-veiled under Bread and Wine. He comes as the live coal from off the Altar (Isa. vi. 6, 7) to touch our lips, to take away our iniquity, to purge our sins, to enter into us and take full possession of our whole being, and to burn up within us everything that is contrary to His mind and will. He comes to cleanse us from the stains of sin—Ps. li. 7 ; to heal our wounds caused by sin-Isa. i. 57, 6; S. Luke x. 30, 34; to strengthen us and garrison our soul against the assaults of sin. He comes in Righteousness, mighty to save. Shall we not hail His approach, saying, 'Amen, even so come, Lord JESUS,' 'Be it unto me according to Thy Word '? VII. The Eucharistic Feast-how to be Approached. S. LUKE XIV. 17. .. Come, for all things are now ready.' The Day of the Lord is at hand, whereof it is written, A certain man made a Great Supper, and bade many' (S. Luke xiv. 16). For 'the Lord hath prepared a Sacrifice, He hath bid His guests.' And now the Eternal Wisdom cries unto the sons of men: 'Come, eat of My Bread, and drink of the Wine which I have mingled' (Prov. ix. 5), 'for My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed' (S. John vi. 55). "In the morning ye shall be filled with Bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God' (Ex. xvi. 12). Yes! [morning by morning, and] Sunday by Sunday, the Man Christ JESUS, our Lord and God, makes a great Feast, wherein He sets before us no common food, but 'Angels' Food,' Bread prepared without their labour, able to content every man's delight, and agreeing to every taste' (Wisd. xvi. 20), even Himself the True Bread, the Bread of Life, the Bread of God, the Living Bread which cometh down from Heaven, that man may eat thereof and not die (S. John vi. 32, 33, 48, 50). 'O how can we thank Thee For a Gift like This, Gift that truly maketh Heaven's eternal bliss!' Behold! the Lamb is slain, the Sacrifice is prepared, the Wine is mingled (S. John xix. 34), the Table is spread, the Feast is ready, and the Host stands ready and waiting to receive His guests. And now to-day, as the Priest of the Most High God, the messenger of the Lord of Hosts, and the steward of His mysteries, I cry unto the weary and heavy laden, the hungry and faint, and thirsty in life's journey, Come, for all things are now ready! 'Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him,' in heart and mind and desire, at His Holy Altar, His Table of Sacred Communion. Behold, thy glorious King cometh unto thee, Meek and Lowly, hiding the glory of His Divinity and the excellency of His Humanity under the outward Elements of Bread and Wine. 'Devoutly we adore Thee, DEITY unseen, Who Thy glory hidest 'neath these shadows mean. JESU whom now veiled, we by Faith descry, My brother! my sister! the Master is come and calleth for thee. Make haste then and come down from all proud, vain, and worldly thoughts, and prepare to receive Him as thy Guest, for He would fain abide in thy house, the house of thy soul and body, and dwell therein for ever. Oh! if thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that cometh unto thee in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, thou wouldest hasten eagerly to this Great Feast, and wouldest lovingly prepare thy heart to receive and entertain so Great and Blessed a Guest! 'Where the Sacred Body lieth, Eagle souls together speed, There the Saints and there the Angels Seek refreshment in their need.' But how are we to draw nigh unto the Altar of God and to partake of this Eucharistic Feast? 1. With the holy eagerness of the Shepherds, who on the night in which He was born ' came with haste and found the Babe lying in the manger.' If we are indeed hungering and thirsting after righteousness, if we can say, 'Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, so longeth my soul after Thee, O God' (Ps. xlii. I, 2f), then we shall require no exhortations to bring us to Holy Communion, but shall be eager to satisfy the longing of our heart, the craving of our soul, with JESUS our Lord, the Living Bread. 2. We should draw nigh unto God's Altar with the loving devotion and holy reverence of the Magi, who when they were come into the house, and saw our dear Lord as a Babe in His Blessed Mother's Arms, acknowledged the glory of His Godhead though shrouded in the weakness of His Manhood, and fell down and worshipped Him, and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto Him gifts, etc. (S. Matt. ii. 14). So in this Blessed Sacrament let us adore our dear Lord, truly present, albeit hidden from our bodily eyes, and let us say to Him, "Verily Thou art a God that hidest Thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour' (Isa. xlv. 15), yet I believe that Thou art here truly present, albeit in a way 'passing man's understanding,' because Thou the Very and Eternal Truth hast said it-This is My Body-This is My Blood. 'Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief!' (S. Mark ix. 24/). 3. Let us come with the earnest repentance and humble confession of the poor Publican, who stood 'afar off' in his humility, but was not far off from God, and who smote upon his breast, saying, 'God be merciful to me a sinner!' (S. Luke xviii. 13). So, rejoicing in the knowledge that— 'if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father,' etc. (1 S. John ii. 1, 2); that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness' (1 S. John i. 9, 77); and that This Man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them,' in This Great and Blessed Sacrament; let us prepare ourselves for drawing nigh unto the Altar of God and receiving the Holy Communion. i. by earnest self-examination, judging ourselves that we be not judged of the Lord; ii. by brave and humble confession, for 'he that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy' (Prov. xxviii. 13); iii. by true and thorough repentance I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes' (Job xlii. 6). 4. Let us come, as did the Psalmist, with clean hands-hands free from blood (Isa. i. 15; Prov. vi. 17), impurity, violence (Ps. lviii. 2 A.V.), mischief (Ps. xxvi. 10f A.V.), deceit (Hos. xii. 7), bribes (Ps. xxvi. 10)— Saying, 'I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord; and so will cleansing our hands from sin, and purifying our hearts from double- and coming with clean hands and a pure heart (Ps. xxiv. 3, 4ƒ; and cf. Heb. x. 22). Because such 'shall receive the Blessing from the Lord,' etc. (Ps. xxiv. 5); 'he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger' (Job 'he that walketh in righteousness, and speaketh uprightness; he shall dwell on high... Bread shall be given him,' etc. (Isa. xxxiii. 15, 16). 5. Let us come, as did the Centurion, with deep humility and selfdistrust, saying, Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof' (S. Matt. viii. 8), and with S. Peter, for I am a sinful man, O Lord' (S. Luke v. 87): nevertheless as Thou hast said, 'Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it' (Ps. lxxxi. 117), be it unto me according to Thy word, for 'Blessed is He Who cometh in the Name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest !' 6. Let us come, as did the Prodigal Son (S. Luke xv.), when 'he came to himself' and felt the pangs of hunger, with a passionate longing for the Children's Bread Feeling with him, 'I perish with hunger' except I eat This 'Living Bread which cometh down from Heaven' ; Resolving, 'I will arise and go unto my Father, and will say unto Him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son,' nevertheless grant unto me that I may eat of Thy Bread and drink of Thy Cup, at Thy Table all the days of my life. Give me this day my Daily Bread, even That holy life-giving Food of which Thou hast said, 'Whoso eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day;' 'he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me' (S. John vi. 54, 57). Let us thus draw nigh unto God (1) with the holy eagerness of the Shepherds; (2) with the loving devotion and holy reverence of the Magi-kings; (3) with the earnest repentance and humble confession of the Publican; (4) with the clean hands and pure heart of the Psalmist ; (5) with the deep humility and self-distrust of the Centurion; and (6) with the passionate longing for the Children's Bread of the repentant Prodigal. And He will surely draw nigh unto us (S. Jas. iv. 8f) in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Then shall we taste of His sweetness, we shall be satisfied with His goodness, we shall see and flow together, and our heart shall be enlarged (Isa. lx. 5). Yea! we shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for Wheat and for Wine, and for Oil' (¿.e. the grace of God the Holy Ghost).. and our soul shall be as a watered garden.' JESUS our Lord shall make Himself known unto us in the Breaking of the Bread of the Holy Eucharist; our mouth shall be satisfied with good things, and our strength renewed like the eagle's (Ps. ciii. 5, xxxvi. 8); and we shall go in the strength of This Meat the forty days and 'Trust Him then, ye fearful pilgrims, Oh that we amidst His faithful Round His Throne one day may stand !' VIII. The Object of the Service. Ex. XII. 26. IVhat mean ye by this Service?' In order that we may be better able to answer this question, to gain a clearer knowledge of what the Holy Eucharist really is, and of the benefits which we receive thereby,' and so be 'ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you' (I S. Pet. iii. 15), I propose to hold these our Classes monthly from time to time, and weekly in Advent and Lent, D |