your illness, gone through the Order of the Visitation of the Sick as prescribed by the Church, with such Prayers and Exhortations as I have thought needful and convenient, agreeably to that discretion which her Ministers are permitted to use on such occasions *; and having examined your Faith, of which you have made a solemn profession; and having inquired into the Truth of your Repentance which you declare to be hearty and sincere; and having assured you of God's forgiveness of your sins, if it be so; I now think it my duty to speak to you on the necessity of your receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper: nor must I conceal from you the great sin you have committed in never [or, but seldom] having received it before; notwithstanding the excuses you may have deceived yourself with for neglecting this most necessary duty. God will, on your true repentance, forgive that, as well as the other sins which you have been guilty of; but you must pray that he would give you grace for the time to come, should it please him to raise you up from your bed of sickness, to take all opportunities of complying with your dying Saviour's command to do this in remembrance of him t. Sixty-seventh Canon. + Luke xxii. 19. This This Sacrament is not to be administered hastily to a sick person; that is, not till he has been informed very particularly concerning the meaning of this ordinance, and the ends for which it was appointed; what this Sacrament obliges Christians to, and the benefits they may expect from it; with what dispositions a Christian should come to it, and the great sin of despising it * Too many are apt to consider it as a kind of charm, and "as a passport on the road to Heaven, which they expect will answer their purpose at once †;" and that, if they receive the Sacrament but once in their lives, which they intend to do at the end of them, they shall sufficiently comply with their Saviour's injunction to do this in remembrance of him. But this is a most fatal delusion! and it is the opinion and practice af some Clergymen, not to administer it to such sick persons, as have never received it, when they were in health. I do not however say, that I will not administer it to you, if you are heartily sorry that you never did receive it, [or, but seldom] and are now desirous of re * shop Wilson's Parochialia, Page 58. r. Stonhouse's Sick Man's Friend, Page 98. ceiving it, after I have explained to you the nature, end, and design of that Sacrament in this and some future Visits. In order to which I mean to read to you at different times, by little and little, as you may be able to attend to me, A Short and Plain Introduction for the better understanding of the Lord's Supper, with the necessary Preparation required," written by one of the best men, I believe, that ever lived*: and I pray God to give you understanding, that you may be thoroughly convinced of your sinfulness in having neglected it, and be duly prepared to receive it, when I shall think proper to administer it to you. And now, my Christian Brother, I would begin to read to you the Introduction I have been speaking of; but as the exhortation I have just addressed to you, and the prayers in which I wish you to join with me, will have sufficiently engaged your attention for the present, if not wearied your spirits, I shall rather defer it till my next Visit, giving you my reason for reading it at all; which is this: By hearing it read over distinctly by me, I think you will be able afterwards to read it yourself with greater edification, than if Bishop Wilson. I were I were to desire you to read it first your self. At the end of every section there is a suitable prayer which I shall read after it; not by way of making it a present act of devotion; but that you may the more readily make it so, when you shall read it yourself, if you should be able to do so, after I have gone through the whole of it. If you should not be able then to read it yourself, I shall advise you to get some friend to read it to you, whom you may follow in the prayer after each section, and make it your own by saying heartily Amen. And now that this Visit may not seem too tedious, I shall take my leave of you, as soon as I have prayed with and for you, in the manner in which I have before. Here the Minister kneeling down with those who are attending on the Sick Person, may say: Remember not, Lord, our iniquities, nor the iniquities of our forefathers. Spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not angry with us for ever. Answer. E 3 Answer. Spare us, good Lord. ¶ Then the Minister shall say, Let us pray. Lord, have mercy upon us. Our Father, which art in heaven hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Minister. O Lord, save thy servant; Answer. Which putteth his trust in thee. Minister. Send him help from thy holy place; Answer. And evermore mightily defend him. Minister. Let the enemy have no advantage of him; Answer. Nor the wicked approach to hurt him. Minister. Be unto him, O Lord, a |