of all sorts and conditions of our people, in the Communion Office itself, would prove of the greatest possible advantage to the whole English Church, and would enable all her children to pray with the spirit and with the understanding also, in offering unto God This our bounden duty and Service. My warm thanks are due to the Rev. Dr. Littledale for the kind and generous permission, so readily accorded, to make use of his Litany of the Blessed Sacrament and other Eucharistic Hymns in this work. The admirable Meditations on the Eucharist by Bishop Bouillerie (which I have consulted in the English translation, published by Mowbray) have proved most suggestive, and to them chiefly am I indebted for the working out of the type, in Chap. XXII., Esther's Banquet. Whilst I should be most ungrateful did I not here record my deep obligations to the writings of the Rev. J. R. West, of Wrawby, and specially to his Short Elementary Treatise on the Holy Eucharist (Masters). The idea of Chap. IV. is chiefly due to him; whilst many unconscious echoes of his words will doubtless be found to linger in these pages. The Rationale of the several parts of the Communion Office on page 162 was suggested by, and is founded on, that in the Introduction to Hammond's Liturgies, Eastern and Western, p. xxvi. Amongst other works which have been, more or less, made use of by me, and which the reader may find it useful to consult on separate points, I may here mention Blunt's Annotated Book of Common Prayer; Maclear's Evidential Value of the Holy Eucharist; Sadler's One Offering ; Heygate's The Holy Eucharist,its Types, etc.; Liddon's Bampton Lectures; On the Blessed Sacrament, from the Writings of the Saints (pub. Toovey); Walton and Medd's First Book of Common Prayer, Ordinal, and Communion Office of Edward VI.; Scudamore's Steps to the Altar; Neale and Littledale's Commentary on the Psalms; Neale's Catechetical Notes and Class Questions; Mortimer's Helps to Meditation; and Smith's Dictionary of the Bible. The authorities referred to in annotating and explaining the Communion Office itself, will be found in close connection with it, in Part VI. At first sight it may appear as though some of the Addresses contained needless repetitions; but this is not really so. For in practice it is found that repetition is not merely allowable, but absolutely necessary. If our people are really to receive and grasp the whole Truth as it is in JESUS, it will not be enough merely to state that Truth once for all. We must go over it again and again. There must be line upon line, precept upon precept, instruction upon instruction; here a little, and there a little, as they are able to bear it. Hence I have thought it well sometimes to touch briefly on one or two points, and so give a general view of the question; when at other times those same points have been considered separately and in greater detail. Those who use them may impart variety to the Addresses by the omission of one passage at one time, and of another at another; and it is believed that the method of printing which has been here adopted will render this easy. The sign T stands for the actual words of the text placed at the beginning of any Chapter; whilst the letters f, m, and / denote the beginning, middle, and latter part of a verse respectively. The Psalms are uniformly quoted from the Prayer Book Version, except where the letters A.V. indicate a reference to the Authorized Version. And now in sending forth this book, I pray Him, without Whom our labour is but lost, mercifully to accept this offering at the hands of His servant, to pardon its imperfections and shortcomings, and if it be His Will, to make use of it for His glory. Of those into whose hands it may chance to come, I would beg to be remembered in their prayers before the Altar, that having tasted of the sweetness of the Holy Eucharist here on earth, I may be permitted hereafter to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God! W. F. S. EASTRY VICARAGE, 2nd October 1885. Part EE: General Addresses on the Holy Eucharist. 1. Eucharistic Worship. Our highest Act of Christian Worship-Its names considered-What It is as regards God, ourselves, our fellow-Christians, II. The object and intention of the Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist the chief act of Thanksgiving-A Showing forth of the Lord's Death before God, before Angels, before men-The Bread of Life, the Very Body and Blood of the Lord-How can these things be?-What the use of Holy Communion-Who may partake of It, III. What the Eucharist is. The Holy Eucharist, what It CHAP. Christ are therein present-How we should draw nigh, IV. The Institution of the Holy Eucharist specially re- v. The Eucharist a Sacrifice and a Feast. What is a Sacrifice?-Various Jewish Sacrifices-Texts applied to Holy Eucharist as a Sacrifice-Objects for which the VI. The Eucharist a Coming of the Lord. Who it is that comes to us-How Christ is ever coming-To whom the Lord comes in the Holy Eucharist-What we must do-Why our Blessed Lord comes, VII. The Eucharistic Feast-how to be approached. How we are to draw nigh unto the Altar-With eagerness, devotion, repentance, clean hands, deep humility, VIII. The Object of the Service. The Mysteries carefully con- cealed from heathen by early Christians - Low and imperfect notions about Eucharist-Herein God gives Himself--No passing action, but an abiding gift-One Service expressly commanded-Certain forms common to all Branches of Catholic Church in celebrating the Eucharist-Some of its Types-Importance shown by being specially revealed unto S. Paul, IX. The Holy Eucharist a Sacrifice (i.). What is a Sacri- PAGE 27 |
