the children of men."a May there not also be in this a mixture of fear, lest you should be expected to live more consistently and holily, if you thus "show forth His death?" And is not this a device of the enemy, who would hinder you hereby?

That feeling of awkwardness is very painful, but it soon wears off; the more frequent the communion, the less it is felt.

It is surely true, that it is far less like communion in a sick room, than in the Church. For the holy place, the many uniting, and all the associations, are the greatest help to worship: nevertheless, when God calls any one aside into their chamber, He expects them to worship Him there and not at church, and it is there that He meets with them and blesses them. They will not fail to find His presence, if they really expect it and believe in it. The fear of interruptions, and of not choosing a suitable time, can be obviated by setting apart a special time, which is the freest from interruptions, and making it a stated service at that time, whether more or less frequent, according to circumstances.

In merely a short illness, in which there is the hope of speedy recovery, it may be well to wait until you can go to church. But in any long illness, and especially in a life-long sick

Jer. xvii. 10.

b 1 Cor. xi. 26.

ness, it is merely robbing yourself of a blessing, which you never needed perhaps so much before.

The Church specifies three times in the year as the least possible number for any one to communicate, who considers himself as a member of the Church of England. Nor are sick persons excluded from this order, if they are members of the Church.

It is easy to prevent causing alarm to your friends by the proposal, if you tell them why you desire it; not from any idea of the immediate approach of death, but from feeling that it is your highest duty and blessing. It is a great mistake to wait until your dying hour before you avail yourself of so great a help in living to God, and in suffering his holy will. Because it has so often been looked upon in this light, people are apt to fancy that it is required chiefly in cases of dangerous sickness. No strength or help can be so great in a dying hour; and it is a great blessing for those who can then have the comfort. But we need grace and help and strength to suffer, as well as to die: whilst living, to live unto the Lord. Surely, no slight hindrance, nothing that can possibly be overcome, ought to prevent us from seeking this blessing; from fulfilling this command of our suffering and dying Lord and Master.

What He has commanded He likewise desires. He says, "With desire have I desired to

eat this passover with you."a He is ready,-is inviting us, and will be truly present with us. He is ready; the unreadiness is only on our side. He is willing;-the unwillingness is wholly on our part. He invites us;-it is we who refuse.

The more frequently sick persons can communicate, the less will be the feeling of strangeness and inability to enjoy the service. They will eat and live; will feel strengthened to go on their weary, painful way; will be raised above suffering by "looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of their faith; who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God."b

Thus will they best learn to "endure as seeing Him who is invisible," and to "go from strength to strength, until they appear in Zion before God." Let no hindrances, no fears, no delays, rob you then of this your "bounden duty and service;" "lay aside every weight," and ask Him to overcome all difficulties in you, and for you. Look upon it as a duty; and you will soon find that it can be fulfilled. Beware of suffering yourself to make excuses, lest you should find that "such excuses are not so easily accepted and allowed before God." If any

a Luke xxii. 15.

• Heb. xi. 27.

b Heb. xii. 2.

d Ps. lxxxiv. 7.

special thing burdens your mind; any fear that some particular sin is a hindrance; the Church directs you to lay it before "some discreet and learned minister of God's word."

Perhaps you have a fear lest your great bodily weakness should prevent you from attending, and that you shall but give outward worship, your thoughts the mean while either wandering, or being literally absent and beyond your control. Do not fear this. "He knoweth your frame, and remembereth that you are dust."a He will only require and expect of you as much service and attention as you are able to render, and He knows how much that is, and expects

no more.

Sometimes sick people have found that they were raised far above their weakness, and for the time, enabled to forget it. It is a good plan to make it a special subject of prayer previously; to ask that you may forget your body and yourself: that you may forget the presence of every one, and only be conscious of His presence, who has invited you to meet Him, and to "eat His flesh and drink His blood."

And even, if it must be that you cannot attend to the whole service, there will be a hallowed calm feeling shed around you; and portions of it you will understand and enjoy. At times the blessing may be even greater to you after

a Ps. ciii. 14.

wards than you were aware of at the time. Do not distress yourself when the service is ended, or in time to come by thinking how little power you had of attention. Say rather, "Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee;'a accept my poor, weak, broken service, not weighing my merits, but pardoning my offences,' for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

IV.

PRAYER FOR RECOVERY.

SICK people are often perplexed by the question, whether it is right to pray for recovery?

Some people urge the duty of their doing so, as if they ought to "take heaven by violence;"b others, on the contrary, think that the doing so is a proof of want of submission,-that illness. is sent by God, and therefore we should not wish it otherwise. Most certainly, if our heavenly Father gave us every thing that we ask, just because we ask it-and granted all our desires, just because He would not deny us any thing, then we ought to ask for nothing but what He has already given us, and never to tell Him our desires, lest, when we think that we are asking a fish," it should prove a stone."c

for "

Luke xi. 11.