me? When ye should return
to God, will ye excuse yourselves, and say ye are not ready?
Consider earnestly with yourselves how little such feigned excuses
will avail before God. They that refused the feast in the Gospel,
because they had bought a farm, or would try their yokes of
oxen, or because they were married, were not so excused, but
counted unworthy of the heavenly feast. I, for my part, shall
be ready; and, according to mine Office, I bid you in the Name of
God, I call you in Christ's behalf, I exhort you, as ye love your
own salvation, that ye will be partakers of this holy Communion.
And as the Son of God did vouchsafe to yield up his soul by death
upon the Cross for your salvation; so it is your duty to receive
the Communion, in remembrance of the sacrifice of his death, as
he himself hath commanded: which if ye shall neglect to do, consider
with yourselves how great injury ye do unto God, and how sore
punishment hangeth over your heads for the same; when ye wilfully
abstain from the Lord's Table, and separate from your brethren,
who come to feed on the banquet of that most heavenly food. These
things if ye earnestly consider, ye will by God's grace return to
a better mind: for the obtaining whereof we shall not cease to
make our humble petitions unto Almighty God our heavenly Father.

_At the time of the Celebration of the Communion, the Communicants
being conveniently placed for the receiving of the holy Sacrament,
the Priest shall say this Exhortation_.

Dearly beloved in the Lord, ye that mind to come to the holy
Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ, must
consider how Saint Paul exhorteth all persons diligently to try
and examine themselves, before they presume to eat of that Bread,
and drink of that Cup. For as the benefit is great, if with a true
penitent heart and lively faith we receive that holy Sacrament;
(for then we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ, and drink his
blood; then we dwell in Christ, and Christ in us; we are one with
Christ, and Christ with us;) so is the danger great, if we receive
the same unworthily. For then we are guilty of the Body and Blood
of Christ our Saviour; we eat and drink our own damnation *, not
considering the Lord's Body; we kindle God's wrath against us; we
provoke him to plague us with divers diseases, and sundry kinds
of death. Judge therefore yourselves, brethren, that ye be not
judged of the Lord; repent you truly for your sins past; have a