(Number 26, extracted from Bishop Beveridge's Sermon on the subject)
I HAVE done what I could; I have taken all occasions to convince you of your sin and danger in neglecting this Blessed Sacrament, and to persuade you to a more frequent receiving of it; but I see nothing will do: indeed nothing can do it but the Almighty Power of GOD, whom I therefore beseech of His Infinite mercy to open men’s eyes, that they may "see the things that belong to their everlasting peace, before they be hid from them." And then I am sure this Sacrament would be as much frequented, as it hath been hitherto neglected. But seeing He is usually pleased to do this great work by the Ministry of His Word, I shall make it my business at this time, in his name, to put you in mind of your duty and interest in this particular, and so set before you such reasons why you ought to take all opportunities of receiving the Mystical Body and Blood of CHRIST your SAVIOUR, as I hope by His blessing may prevail with many to do it: GOD grant that it may do so with all that hear me at this time.
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| The Oxford Fathers |
For this purpose, therefore, I desire you to consider, First, that this is CHRIST’S own Institution and Command. He, "who being in the form of GOD, thought it no robbery to be equal with GOD, and yet made Himself of no reputation for your sakes." He, who loved you so, as to give Himself for you,—He, who laid down his own life to redeem and save you,—He, the very night before He died for you, He then instituted this Holy Sacrament; and He then said to all that hoped to be saved by Him, and to you among others, "Do this in remembrance of Me;" and, "do this as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." What? and will you that hope to be saved by Him, will you never do this at all? or only now and then, when perhaps you have nothing else to do? How then can ye hope to be saved by Him? Do you think that He will save you, whether ye observe His commands or no? And which of all his commands can ye ever observe, if ye do not observe this, which is so plain, so easy, so useful, and so necessary for you? No, deceive not yourselves. He that came into the world, and died on purpose to save you, you may be confident would never have required you to do this, and as often as you do it, to remember Him, but that it is necessary for your salvation that ye do it, and that ye do it as often as ye can, in remembrance of Him. And if it had been necessary in no other, as it is in many respects, yet His very commanding it, makes it so to you, and to your salvation. For as He is the only "Author of eternal salvation," He is so only to those who obey Him," (Heb. v. 9); that is, "to those who observe all things whatsoever He hath commanded." (Matth. xxviii. 20.) But this is one of those things which he hath commanded; and therefore unless you do this, you do not obey Hi, and so have no ground to expect salvation from Him. He Himself hath told you in effect, that He will not save you; in that He said, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke xiii. 3, 5.) But ye all know, that he who lives in any wilful and known sin, or in the wilful neglect of any known duty, he hath not yet repented, and turned to GOD, but is still in his natural estate, in a state of sin and damnation. And if he happens to do so, he must inevitably perish; there is no help in the world for it.
Wherefore, my brethren, ye had need look about you. CHRIST your SAVIOUR hath expressly commanded you often to receive the Sacrament of His Body and Blood in remembrance of Him. And therefore you, who never yet received it, have lived all this while in the wilful breach of a known Law, and by consequence in a wilful and known sin: and you who receive it but seldom, do not fully obey or come up to the Law, which plainly requires you to do it often: at least if it may be had. It is true, should GOD in His Providence cast you upon a place where you could not receive it if ye would, I do not doubt but He would accept of your earnest desires of it, as well as if ye did receive it; and would make up the great losses you sustained in your spiritual estate for want of it, some other way. But blessed be His Great Name, this is not your case; for He in His good Providence hath so ordered it, that you live in a place where this Holy Sacrament is actually celebrated every LORD’S Day, and may be so, if there be occasion, every day in the year. Our Church requires the first, and hath provided for the other, by ordering that the same Collect, Epistle, and Gospel which is appointed for the Sunday, shall serve all the week after; and by consequence the whole Communion Service, of which they are a part. And therefore, unless you receive it, and receive it often too, you will live in the gross neglect, if not in a plain contempt of CHRIST’S command; as you will one day find to your shame and sorrow; for how well soever ye may otherwise live, this one sin is enough to ruin and destroy you for ever. "For," as St. James saith, "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James ii. 10.) And therefore, whatsoever else ye do, if ye do not this, but offend in this one point, you are liable to all the punishments that are threatened in the Law of GOD. Neither is there any way to avoid them, except you repent, and turn from this as well as from all other sins. (more)
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