used, which in its origin implies-"strength imparted, and joy thereby communicated."

"The most comfortable sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ."

"So divine and comfortable a thing to them that receive it worthily."

"Requireth further comfort or counsel." "To our great and endless comfort."

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

(d) For those who mistake the nature of the preparation required, it will be sufficient to ask them carefully to consider the requirements pointed out in the last answer of the Catechism for those who would come to the Lord's Supper: "To examine themselves, whether they repent them truly of their former sins, stedfastly pu posing to lead a new life; have a lively faith in God's mercy through Christ, with a thankful remembrance of His death, and to be in perfect charity with all men."

These surely are the requirements of our whole spiritual life. These are not occasional acts, but regular habits. The drawing near to the Lord's Supper is the suitable occasion for examining our habits, for brushing away the dust from our garments before we enter the room, for trimming the lamp before we sit down to the feast. The readiness for the reception of the Marriage Feast is that readiness which we ought always to possess for departure to be with Christ. Ín

neither case should we wish a sudden entrance, but rather prefer these few moments, or minutes, or hours, which may be needful to call away our thoughts and feelings from the cares and troubles of the world in which we must have our part, whilst we are in it, but not of it.

CONFIRMATION

CHAPTER IV.

A POINT FROM WHICH TO

LOOK FORWARD (continued).

HE necessity of rightly using the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, if we would not wilfully neglect our salvation, is a point on which our Church speaks plainly. Question. How many sacraments hath Christ ordained in His Church? Answer. Two only, as generally necessary to salvation; that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord." The only allowed exemption is not our own unwillingness, but our inability to enjoy it, as we may gather from her language concerning the other sacrament of baptism, "the great necessity of this sacrament where it may be had." This teaching is illustrated by the rubric preceding "The Communion for the Sick." "To the intent they may be always in a readiness to die, whensoever it shall please Almighty God to call them, the curates shall diligently from time to time (but especially in the time of pestilence or other in

fectious sickness) exhort their parishioners to the often receiving of the Holy Communion, etc." Lest, on the other hand, any superstitious ideas should arise as to the mere partaking without the exercise of living faith, Article 25 affirms, "In such only as worthily receive the same they (the sacraments) have a wholesome effect or operation." And lest, again, any should be spiritually distressed who, recognizing the necessity, have not had the opportunity of receiving the Lord's Supper, one of the concluding rubrics of "The Communion for the Sick" tenderly and beautifully declares, “ If by reason of extremity of sickness, or by any other just impediment, the man 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."

If it be asked why our Church attaches so much importance to the due administration and right reception of the Lord's Supper, five answers may here be given.

First of all, Christ our Master enjoined it upon His disciples as a memorial of His death-"Do

this in remembrance of Me." The occasion of its institution, the Passover feast, was an event bringing to mind that never-to-be-forgotten night when the destroying angel as he sped through the land of Egypt passed over the dwellings of the Israelites, on whose doorposts and lintels he saw the crimson stains. Christ was Himself to be that very Paschal Lamb, by whose blood His people were to be delivered from a worse thraldom and a more terrible service than that of the land of Egypt and the house of bondage, even from the power of Satan and the kingdom of darkness. The broken bread and the outpoured wine are His own simple symbols, in the use of which we are to show forth His death; for the words "in remembrance of Me" do not signify any unintentional calling to mind, but the deliberate act of recollection manifesting itself in some external act or sign. It is not so much, "Do this because ye remember Me;" but, "Do this in order that I may be remembered." How tenderly we treasure the last words and acts of a departed friend! how frequently we bring to mind the past in which we have been with him! All this, but much more than this, is here intended; the personal remembrance is to be the instrument of commemoration whereby the historical memorial is to be kept alive from age to age, just as each stone added to the cairn serves not only to signify the act of