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APPENDIX

for the use of those who want the opportunity of receiving the HOLY COMMUNION, or are any ways disabled from going to it at the usual times of its PUBLICK administration.

(FROM BISHOP PATRICK *.)

If you be cast into a place where you have not the opportunity, or be brought under any circumstances of disability, to celebrate the remembrance of Christ's death by receiving the outward and visible signs and pledges of His divine grace; still you may communicate with Him spiritually in your own heart, and may represent to yourself His dying love in your retired thoughts; beseeching Him to accept of your unfeigned desires to make Him your public acknowledgments, and so to join with all those pious souls which are then met together throughout the Christian world to show forth His praise, and to offer up themselves in holy love to Him and to our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ. And to this purpose I would advise you to make use of such meditations, prayers, and thanksgivings as are wont to precede and attend those solemnities; altering only

* See his "Advice to a Friend."

those words which relate to your actual receiving at the table of the Lord. And doubt not, I beseech you, but your devout addresses to Him after that manner, with such pious thoughts, religious affections, and sincere resolutions to continue stedfast in His love and obedience, will be in some sort accepted by Him, as if your body were actually present there where your soul desires to be. The very disposing of yourself for this, and ordering your soul as if you were to receive the Holy Communion in the same manner that others do, will be a grateful sight to your Saviour; Who spreads His love all the Christian world over: so grateful, you may humbly hope, as that it will procure His favour as the doing of the thing itself would, whilst it is in no wise your fault that it is not done. You may well believe that when you have fitted yourself beforehand, and put all things in such order as you were wont against your approaches to the table of the Lord, He will make account of it as if you had been present there, and actually joined in that sacrifice, which in Christian assemblies was then offered and commemorated. Especially when you do all those things at that time which you would have done there, (excepting the outward receiving of the holy bread and wine), not omitting the giving something as an alms and oblation; for we ought not now, no more than they did heretofore, to appear before the Lord empty. Oblations were always a part of divine worship, joined with prayer and thanksgiving to God, and were either made, or

vowed to be made, at the time when people offered up their supplications and acknowledgments. Hence it may be very profitable to furnish you with a short office to be used in your closet at the usual time of public administration, when you want opportunity in the place where you are of receiving publickly the Holy Communion; or are any way disabled from going to it when it is there administered.

In order to dispose the mind to a more devout and affectionate use of the following prayer, it will be proper to read over attentively some of the Scriptures of the foregoing office, and particularly the historical relation of the sufferings and death of our Blessed Saviour, Section I. page 2.

PRAYER.

ALMIGHTY GOD, and most Merciful Father, Who art present in all places, and more especially nigh unto all them that call upon Thee, even to all that call upon Thee in truth; I prostrate myself before Thy Divine Majesty in the deepest humility of soul and body, to implore Thy grace and favour towards me in the pardon of all my sins; that they may not hinder the powerful presence of Thy Holy Spirit

with me at this time, to enable me to perform an acceptable service to Thee, through Christ Jesus.

O Lord, unto Whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from Whom no secrets are hid; Thou seest the desires that are in my soul to go with my christian brethren to wait upon Thee in Thy house, and at Thine altar; there to commemorate the dying love of my Blessed Saviour; to give Him thanks and praise for offering up Himself a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world: and to express my humble hope of partaking in all the benefits of His death and passion; and together herewith to devote myself, with unfeigned love, in renewed resolutions of faithful obedience unto Thee; to unite my heart also in brotherly affection to all the faithful servants of the Lord Jesus; and to rejoice in the holy communion of Him, and of all His saints; that so I might receive increase of power and strength to walk worthy of this holy fellowship, and to continue therein to my life's end.

And blessed be Thy holy Name, O Lord, that I feel such desires; blessed be Thy Name, that I find myself thus piously disposed: which as it is the effect of Thy singular grace, I humbly hope may be an earnest, that Thou wilt supply the want of outward means by the inward operation of Thy Holy Spirit; representing to me in so lively a manner the death and passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and filling my heart with such faith

in Him, such love of Him, and such unfeigned resolutions to be perfectly devoted to Him; that though I have not opportunity to receive Thy creatures of bread and wine according to our Saviour's holy institution; yet I may so thankfully remember His death and passion, as to be made thereby a partaker of His most blessed body and blood, Who in the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is My body, which was given for you; do this in remembrance of Me: likewise after supper He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of this; for this is My blood of the new testament, which was shed for you, and for many for the remission of sins: do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of Me.

Behold, O Lord my God, I now do this, which Thou hast commanded, in my mind and heart in remembrance of that wonderful love of my Saviour, which made Him content not only to die, but to be broken and crucified for me; and I seriously desire that it may be most thankfully and joyfully commemorated every where till His second coming, to the great increase of true devotion, and sincere obedience to His holy laws. Grant, I beseech Thee, that the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for me, may preserve my body and soul unto everlasting life for He is my Lord, and only Saviour;

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