For

if we receive the same unworthily. then we are guilty of the body and blood of Christ our Saviour; we eat and drink our own damnation, not considering the Lord's body we kindle God's wrath against us; we provoke him to plague us with divers diseases, and sundry kinds of death. Judge therefore yourselves, brethren, that ye be not judged of the Lord; repent you truly for your sins past; have lively and stedfast 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, above all things, ye must give most humble and hearty thanks to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, for the redemption of the world by the death and passion of our Saviour Christ, both God and man;* who did humble himself even to the death upon the cross, for us miserable sin

* Draw near, therefore, ye contrite souls, and behold the Lamb of God dying for those sins for which ye have mourned, removing that wrath at which ye trembled ; let your sorrow be turned into joy, and your fear into faith and hope. Come and offer up your best praises to the Father, who contrived this glorious redemption; to the Son, who effected it; and to the Holy Ghost, who gives us the benefit thereof. As every Person of the blessed Trinity hath joined in this noble work, let every Person share in the praise; and as the world hath been redeemed, so let every man make his parti

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ners, who lay in darkness and the shadow of death, that he might make us the children of God, and exalt us to everlasting life. And to the end that we should alway remember the exceeding great love of our Master and only Saviour Jesus Christ, thus dying for us, and the innumerable benefits which, by his precious blood-shedding, he hath obtained to us, he hath instituted and ordained holy mysteries as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless comfort. To him, therefore, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, let us give (as we are most bounden) continual thanks; submitting ourselves wholly to his holy will and pleasure, and studying to serve him in true holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. Amen.

Then shall the priest say 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,

cular acknowledgments. Behold, how fit a Saviour is provided! one that is God that he might conquer, man that he might suffer, and both God and man that he might reconcile the Divine majesty to human nature. Praise ye the Lord!-COMBER.

and walking from henceforth in his holy ways, draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to almighty God, meekly kneeling upon your knees.

Then shall this general confession be made in the name of all those that are minded to receive the holy communion, by one of the ministers, both he and all the people kneeling humbly upon their knees, and saying,

We

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we from time to time most grievously have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against thy Divine majesty, provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings. The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; the burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all that is past, and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life, to the honour and glory of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then shall the priest (or bishop, being present)

stand up, and turning himself to the people, pronounce this absolution:*

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to ever

* If we would choose to believe rather than dispute, it would be a powerful cordial to every troubled spirit, by a particular officer from the kingdom of heaven to be thus saluted; and he that cannot value this absolution from the priest, can no other way receive satisfaction to his doubts and fears, unless he expect to be assured of his remission by an immediate revelation, or can be content to stay till the day of judgment for the resolution of this great inquiry. Let it therefore cheer your hearts, ye contrite ones, to hear this blessing from your spiritual Father; for behold it contains all that you do need or can desire. Are you miserable? here is mercy. Are you sinful? here is pardon. Are you liable to punishment? here is deliverance. Are you desirous, but unable to do good? here is strength and confirmation. Are you fearful of death and hell? here is heaven and everlasting life. And all this asked of God by one that he hath commissioned to make this prayer; so that your only care is, that your repentance be such as your minister believes it to be, and then this absolution shall certainly be confirmed in the high court of heaven, and not one word thereof shall fall to the ground.-COMBER.

lasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then shall the priest say,

Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all that truly turn to him.

Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. (St. Matt. xi. 28.)*

So God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (St. John iii. 16.)

Hear also what St. Paul saith:

This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. (1 Tim. i. 15.)

Hear also what St. John saith:

If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins. (1 John ii. 1.)

These are thy words, O Christ, for thou hast spoken them; and they are mine, because thou hast spoken them for my salvation. But who am I, O Lord, that I should dare to come? The angels and archangels reverence thee, thy saints and holy ones fear before thee; and yet thou sayest unto me" Come!" Unless thou hadst said it, who could have believed it to be true? unless thou hadst commanded it, who durst have attempted this approach?—A KEMPIS.