wast put to a most shameful death; how Thy hands and Thy feet were nailed to a Cross; how Thou wast crucified between two thieves, and numbered with the transgressors; and all for our salvation!

I remember, O gracious LORD, how, when Thou wast hanging on the Cross, Thou wast scoffed at and reviled; how heavily Thou wast afflicted for our transgressions; when the sins of us all were thus laid on Thee; how the anguish of Thy soul was then greater than the tortures of Thy Crucifixion; when Thou didst cry out, 'My GOD! My God! why hast Thou forsaken Me?' and how Thou didst at the last give up the ghost, and die Thyself, that we might live!

I believe, O gracious LORD, that Thou didst suffer all this for me, and all my sinful fellow-creatures; for us who by sin were Thy enemies; for us who had nothing to move Thee to pity us, but our great misery, and Thy greater mercy!

O the depth of the riches of Thy love, blessed LORD; how unutterable is Thy mercy, and Thy love past finding out!

O all ye holy angels, behold and wonder: wretched man has sinned against GOD, and GOD Himself hath suffered the sinner's punishment!

Prayer.

O, my gracious GOD, my mind and my heart are now full of the sense of Thy love: What can I render unto Thee for so much love? What but love Thee in return? Weak and imperfect though my love to Thee is, be pleased, O LORD, to accept it;

for LORD, Thou knowest that I love Thee': and that I may grow in love and in thankfulness towards Thee, grant that I may, with a true love and thankfulness, approach Thee this day in Thy holy Feast of Love; that being fed and strengthened by the spiritual Food of Thy most precious Body and Blood, I may be made more and more one with Thee, who art Love itself, and so may henceforth more truly love Thee, more faithfully serve Thee. Amen. Amen.

Things to be remembered.

1. Determine to rise in good time to say your prayers in leisure. And say with them, or else before you go to church, the meditations and prayers at pages 36-40.

2. It is well to be early in your place in church, so as to collect your thoughts before the service begins; and, if you have time, it may be well for you to look at the prayers which you intend to use before and after your Communion, so as to be better prepared for them.

3. Be prepared also with what you will give at the Offertory: and consider what the Offertory is, and your duty to take your part in it. For by it the Church expects us to worship GoD, as His holy Word bids us, with our substance, as well as with our prayers and praises. As GOD commanded his people of old, 'They shall not appear before the LORD empty. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy GOD, which He hath given thee.'-Deut. xvi. 16, 17. And again: And again: Bring pre

'Ascribe

sents unto Him that ought to be feared.' unto the LORD the honour due unto His Name: bring presents, and come into His courts.'-Psalms lxxvi. 11; xcvi. 8. So also our blessed LORD: 'If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift' (St. Matt. v. 23, 24),—warning us, indeed, not to draw nigh to Him at all, except we be in charity with others; but taking it for granted that, when we do draw nigh to Him, in our most solemn act of worship, we shall approach him with a gift. And as St. Paul taught: Concerning the collection for the saints, as have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week (i. e. the LORD's Day) let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him.'-1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. The Offertory, especially when it is used on every LORD's Day, gives to all the opportunity of obeying these Divine rules. And the words of Holy Scripture show us both the duty and the gain of doing so.

Communicants should observe that two motives are there put before them: 1. Charity to their poorer brethren; 2. Piety towards God: the Offertory being given, partly to help the poor and suffering, and partly to support the worship of God and the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments.

You will do well, therefore, to remember,

1. That everywhere there are poor people, widows, sick and aged persons, who need the Church's help.

2. That JESUS CHRIST accepts what is done for His sake to the poor, as if it were done to Himself.St. Matt. x. 42; xxv. 40.

3. That this holy Sacrament being our Eucharist, or special act of praise and thanksgiving, is a special call to us, to exercise our love towards JESUS CHRIST and all His members.

4. That in many Churches, the support of public worship and of CHRIST'S Ministers depends very much on these thank-offerings.

5. That thus GOD's honour is concerned in what you give.

6. That if you are well off you must give liberally in order to give proof of your faith and love.— St. Luke xix. 8; St. Mark xiv. 8.

7. That if you are poor, you should still give something, remembering the LORD's praise of the poor widow.-St. Mark xii. 43.

8. That though some gift should be made (if possible) at all Offertories; you should give more largely on the Church's great Festivals, when we celebrate our greatest spiritual mercies; as you should also on the occasion of any private or family mercies.

9. That your gift made in GoD's House, to be offered up to Him, is a matter between you and GOD; and that therefore you should think only how He will regard it. St. Matt. vi. 1.

10. That it is a good habit, which many Christians have had, to lay by a portion of their incomes, or earnings, to be strictly given back to God in good works.

A good Bishop, who did so, says: Let us pro

portion our alms to our ability, lest we provoke GOD to proportion His blessings to our alms.'

Another good Bishop says:-'When thou dost receive thy LORD, do thou also receive thy brother into thy heart. Thy LORD relieves thee, do thou also relieve him; and never communicate but be sure to give thy alms for one part of thy offering. Remember that by mercy to the poor the sentence of doomsday shall be declared; because what we do to them we do to CHRIST; and who would not relieve CHRIST, Who hath made Himself poor to make us rich? And what time is so seasonable to feed the members of CHRIST as that when He gives His body to feed us, and that, when His members are met together to confess, to celebrate, to remember, and to be joined to their Head, and to one another?'

The first part of the Communion Service is not printed here, because when that is being used the Prayer Book itself is required, on account of the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel.

The Holy Communion.

Then shall the priest return to the Lord's Table, and begin the offertory, saying one or more of these sentences following, as he thinketh most convenient in his discretion.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your FATHER which is in heaven.-St. Matt. v.

Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon the earth; where the rust and moth doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven; where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal.-St. Matt. vi.