Preparation For Communion
by The Revd William Vickers (d. 1719)
5
Prayers in preparation for receiving Holy Communion, from a book treasured by Jane Austen.
Communion Is Not A Trap
NEITHER ought we to think so unworthily of the Son of God, who came into the world to save sinners, that he would institute this ordinance to be a snare to entangle our souls with.
It was not ordained for angels, or for glorified saints, but for humble and penitent sinners to bring them home to God, it being a seal of their pardon, and a refreshing declaration of our heavenly Father's readiness to forgive the chiefest of sinners for Jesus' sake, who graciously calls upon all who are wearied and oppressed with the guilt and burthen of their sins, to come to him, and he will refresh them, Matt. xi. 28.
Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, Matt. ix. 13.
And consequently such as account themselves most unworthy, are those very persons whom Christ doth here call and invite to this sacrament, when deeply sensible of their unworthiness. Were we not sinners, were we not conceived and born in sin, we should not need such means and instruments of grace as sacraments are; but, "being by nature born in sin, and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven."
They that are whole, saith Christ, have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. This being the case of all mankind with respect to their spiritual life, there is no other way to free ourselves from this death of sin, but by speedily applying ourselves to our heavenly Physician, who came into the world to seek and to save those who are lost, and ready to perish; and the very sense of our own unworthiness is, of all other arguments, the best qualification to recommend us to God's favour and mercy, since we know that he resisteth the proud and presumptuous sinner, but never denies his grace and favour to the humble and meek.
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Extracts from "A Companion To The Altar", by William Vickers. Includes some minor editorial changes, chiefly paragraphing.
You can find the full text of this book at Google Books.
