the common things of life, and given them a hallowed meaning. Water, bread, wine; cleansing, strength, refreshment; things we constantly use in every-day life, and yet all overflowing to the eye of faith with holy truth. God is with us of a truth, guiding us, feeding us, making us wise, giving us life. "Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, but rather they be certain sure wit nesses and effectual signs of grace, and God's good will towards us, by the which He doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our faith in Him.” Another blessing in frequent Communion is, that the faithful become thereby preachers of the cross; the sound of them is gone out into all lands; beautiful are their feet upon the mountains; they bring good tidings, they publish peace; in their very life they "shew the Lord's death;" they believe and they therefore speak; go where they will, they bear with them the marks of the Lord Jesus; they live the truth, and their doctrine cannot be gain-said. And do you think from all this, my friend, that I mean to tell you that the sinner may come without penitence, or that any may come without preparation? God forbid! 'When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed," and not till then, "and doeth that which is lawful and right," and not till then, "he shall save his soul alive." Let no Uzzah touch the ark. Let no unclean person come within the gate; the lepers stood afar off; the devil entered into Judas as he sacrilegiously ate of the hallowed bread. The wicked are in no wise partakers of Christ, but rather, to their condemnation do eat and drink the sign or sacrament of so great a thing:" but to him who comes trusting in the meritorious cross and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, how great is the blessing, how sweet the communion, how heart-felt the Eucharist, or giving of thanks; to such an one there is real edification; he is built up in Christ, the spiritual temple is built up in him; he dwells in Christ and Christ in him; he is one with Christ, and Christ with him; he feels that his Saviour is with him and in him; and he longs for the hour when he may sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb. His life is set between the first Advent and the second, the first in humility, and the second glorious and terrible; his work lies between the past and the future, and while he looks back to his entering into covenant with God in the one Sacrament once for all, he desires by the other oft repeated "to shew His death till He come." Hither then may come the spiritually sick, the weary and the world-worn. "They that have wounds," says St. Ambrose, "need medicine, we are wounded because we are under sin, to us the Sacrament is the heavenly and adorable medicine." By the power of His grace there is yet salvation. Come therefore, come now, come often; and although you be unworthy through your manifold sins to offer unto God any sacrifice, yet beseech Him to accept this your bounden duty and service, not weighing your merits, but pardoning your offences, through Jesus Christ our Lord, JOHN HENRY PARKER, OXFORD AND LONDON. Tracts for the Christian Seasons. FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. Our Lord's last Sunday upon earth. PROPER LESSONS: Morning, Deut. viii.; Evening, Deut. ix. " I LEAVE the world and go to My Father," are words most suitable for this the last Sunday after Easter, the Sunday just before the Ascension. When again will such a Sunday as this was, dawn upon our world? Strange and awful thought, that our risen Lord Himself was for this last Sunday in the world. On this day, it may be, He walked the streets of Jerusalem, or looked down from the Mount of Olives upon the guilty city. Another Sunday and He was not here; with His risen body He was gone up on high; but this day He was here below. With that very body then by which our bodies shall live, the body of the resurrection, without which no single body of man ever could have been quickened with the powers to live eternally in heaven, but through which all will rise, as on this day, He walked this world, and saw, and was seen of men. What a Sunday was this if men's eyes had been open. What a Sunday should we spend if once more we could have amongst us that very body of the Lord of life, which had gone down into the grave and returned without taint of corruption. It was here; that body, by the sight of which and for the sight of which, every corruptible body of the sons of Adam shall become incorruptible, receiving its new life from Him who hath said, "I am He that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for : evermore and have the keys of hell and of death." Reader, think of this, and it will help to make this a solemn Sunday to you. This was the last Sunday Christ spent upon earth. Think of this. Go back by faith and bring Him to your soul's sight walking and moving in this our world. Then look forward, scan in prospect your own narrow grave, lie down in thought in it, take its measure and hear Him say, "because I live, ye shall live also." "Thy dead men shall live, together with My dead body shall they arise." "Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." : But it may well be asked, if this was indeed. the last Sunday that the Lord in His risen body |