Monthly preparations for the Holy Communion by R.B

The Bread.

Welcome Fairest, take and eat; 'tis the sweetest dainties, dearest morsel Heaven can afford thee. Welcome, my Dear, to the Table of my Lord. Welcome a thousand times, I bid thee; yea, welcomer than thine own heart can wish. Take, eat this morsel, it cost my life; it's a portion thy Father sent unto thee by me, and bid me remember thee of his love to thee. He bids thee remember a Fathers love, Ay, a Saviours. He hath a heart to give thee, and so have I. Take this in earnest of them both in one. Take freely; if thou wert not welcome, I would have ⟨p. 122⟩told thee; I would have asked thee for thy Wedding-Garment, knew I not thy heart; or if I were uncertain of thy love, I would have scorned thee as unworthy of my presence; did I know thou lovest any thing above me, I would have hid my face, and never have spoke thee a welcome so feelingly and kindly to thy soul. Tell me, O tell me! dost thou not love me? I know thou dost; and above Father or Mother, Wife or Child, Lands or Living, or Credit; I know thou dost. And wilt thou not take the Cross and follow me? I know thou wilt, I see and know the labour of thy love; I remember the pains and travel of thy soul; I saw thee follow me on thy knees in tears, and begged my life rather than thy life. I know thy heart, I saw it bleeding before my Throne; I took it in my arms and bound it up, and in that breast I remember I put it up again; I saw thee when no eye saw thee; I heard thee, and had compassion on thy groanings, whilst thou wert complaining that I had shut out thy prayers; I will remember since thy heart did first fall sick with love, since the ⟨p. 123⟩time thy flesh began to die, and since thou laidst thy self in the grave down by me, and wert willing to die to all this vain empty glory of the world, because I died & left it. I know thee well enough, Thou art mine, and I am thine. Take it, I charge thee; eat it as thou lovest me; and whilst thou feedest, remember the love of thy dearest Redeemer.