hindered by our thoughts of God, but more distinctly, and with readier mind and will. Seek we, amid our daily duties or refreshments, to win our thoughts more to Him, to consecrate to Him the several portions of the day and our larger courses of action, and, as we learn how, each several action.

For more immediate preparation, frequent Communicants, living, as they should, in habitual watchfulness, as they will have a shorter period to review, so having learned more watchful ways, their souls will lie more open to themselves, and they will learn, with less of effort, to exercise more readily a closer search. Their accounts with themselves will be in better order, and so reviewed more easily. Then also win we, if we can, some time for collectedness and retirement, as by earlier rising, or, when we may, by stillness and holier reading on the preceding evening, or in its later hours. Above all, do not neglect preparation or thanksgiving on any day, because thou canst not use all the prayers thou wouldst. God does not look on the length of the prayers, but on the desire of the heart. He who accepts the " cup of cold water given to a disciple in His name," from those who have no larger gift to offer, will accept brief prayers darted up, out of the midst even of occupation, to Him.

His glorious Body is in Heaven, where It is to remain "until the restitution of all things." Yet

He made Himself present to S. Paul on his way to Damascus "I am Jesus, Whom thou persecutest." He is not present, in the same mode of existence, in the Heavens and on the Altar. But "by a Divine virtue He raises His Body above the condition of a body and gives it a spiritual mode of existence," as He Himself speaks, when speaking of that great mystery in the words which S. John has recorded; so that it exists as if it were a spirit, invisible and indivisible; "a likeness of which we see in the soul which exists everywhere in the body and wholly in each part of it. But then the same Body, which is locally at the Right Hand of God, is supralocally, under a different mode of existence, present with us, really, truly, substantially, though spiritually. And since His Body is there, there must His Soul be also, there also His Divinity. For they are inseparable. And all this for us, all this for each one of us as closely as is possible with Himself. He does not leave Heaven for us; His Presence there is necessary for us; yet ere He left earth, He contrived a way, whereby He should be continually present on earth-present, not, as when on earth, in one single place, but throughout the whole earth, wherever Christians are, for Him to come to, wherever, according to His holy Institution, His words consecrate the oblations to be His Body and Blood. Truly "it is expedient

for us that He should go away," for we could not everywhere have been present with Him in His Bodily Form, but He is everywhere present with us, to be to each one of us, what He is to all. When Jesus was on earth, He merited for His Human Soul and Body too. Every moment's suffering and humiliation and obedience was adding to the ineffable glory of His Human Body and Soul. Now He comes to be present, simply for us, to allow Himself to be sacramentally offered, in order to apply to our wants the infinite merits of His own Sacrifice on the Cross, to come to dwell in us, to unite Himself with us, to be our Food, not changed into us, but changing us into Himself; that "spiritually eating the Flesh of Christ and drinking His Blood, we may dwell in Christ and Christ in us, may be one with Christ and Christ with us."

He will make each Lord's Day an Easter-Day to us, in which our Risen Lord will appear to us, "talk to us by the way," "open our hearts," and into our opened hearts pour in His Life, and Presence, and Love. He will anew cleanse the defilements which we bewail; fill up the scars our sins have left; repair the decays, which in our forgetfulness or wilfulness we have contracted; heal our infirmities, that in Mercy and Loving-kindness He may crown us. He will make each Lord's day a herald of that glorious Easter-morn, when "shadows

shall flee away," and night, and time, and sin, and infirmity, and death shall be no more; when all who are His, shall for ever meet in His Presence, and joy before Him.

For we

It has been advised, when Communion is weekly, to make the three first days of the week thanksgiving; the three last preparation; or thanksgiving and preparation may be blended into one. ask for His Blessed Presence, not as though we had It not; we thank Him for His Gift, not as though we needed not that it be renewed.

For the week of preparation, use and make what time you can. Our fathers used, not so long since (even when daily service had declined), yet at least to assemble themselves (whosoever wished to be Communicants) in God's House during the week before, there to lament their sins before Him, that so having confessed their sins, they might on the next Lord's day be more worthy partakers of the Holy Communion.

The gifts of God in His Sacraments are so surpassing, and yet all which appears outwardly to the senses is so slight; they are so exceeding spiritual, and must be received and believed spiritually, and man is by nature so inclined to dwell on the things of sense, they must be searched deeply, and man of himself returns for ever to the surface, that it is of the more moment continually to fix our minds upon

them, and for ministers to go over things which seem to be well known. For God gives us not even our knowledge of Him once for all; He teaches us not once for all, in youth for instance; but, that we may the more entirely depend upon Him, He supplies us according to our use of what He has given us, and our desires; all our lives we are learners. Were this gift of God in His Sacrament better loved, and so better understood, instead of thinking monthly Communions a great thing, people would desire weekly, and they who had weekly would, as our Church once had, desire daily, their daily spiritual Bread, as they daily receive that of the body.

The weekly union with your Lord will become the very centre, as it is the fulness, of your life. Your life will be spent either in thankfulness for the past, or longing for His coming Gift. And the more we ask, the more He giveth, Who is always more ready to give than we to pray.

And since the soul longs more earnestly when it is gathered around one object, it is often best to pray for some one grace. Desire this with your whole heart. So you will come to Holy Communion, not only with the general hope of receiving grace and strength, but with the strong desire to be strengthened in this one grace, wherein ye are now weakest. With this prayer, offer, on your part, by