A great master in the art of holy living, the most excellent and pious Bishop Jeremy Taylor, has, in so pointed and convincing a manner, enforced this duty upon all descriptions of Christians, and his reasoning so strongly confirms what I have already advanced, that I cannot deny myself the pleasure of transcribing the passage.
“_All_ Christian people _must_ come to this holy supper. They, indeed, that are in a state of sin must not come so, but yet they _must_ come; first, they must quit their state of death, and then partake of the bread of life. _They that are at enmity with their neighbours_ must come, _that_ is no excuse for their not coming; only they must not bring their enmity along with them, but _leave it_, _and then come_. _They that have a variety of secular employments_ must come; only they must leave their secular thoughts and affections behind them, and _then come and converse with God_. If any _man be well grown in grace_, _he_ must needs come; because he is excellently disposed to so holy a feast: _but he that is but in the infancy of piety had need to come_, _that so he may grow in grace_. The _strong_ must come, lest they become weak; and the _weak_, that they may become strong. The _sick_ must come to be cured, the _healthful_ to be preserved. _They that have leisure_ must come, because they have no excuse; _they that have no leisure_ must come hither, that by so excellent an act of religion they may sanctify their business. _The penitent sinners_ must come, that they _may_ be justified; _and they that are justified_, _that they may be justified still_.” { 19}
Such are the arguments, my dear Sir, by which I have convinced myself of the _absolute_ duty of _frequent_ and _regular_ communion; and so far am I now from considering the attendance upon the holy altar as a burden, which one cannot but fear is the case with too many, I am sensible, that to be _permitted_ to perform this _duty_ is a _high_ and _inestimable privilege_, as well as a duty. I have now, therefore, myself arrived at this determination, never to turn my back upon the holy table, when it is prepared for my reception. From this practice I have derived a peace of mind, a steadiness of motives to good conduct, and a consolation under the pressure, both of sorrow for the loss of friends, and of frequent pain and bodily infirmity; which by the grace of God, I trust, no worldly considerations could now induce me to relinquish or forego, by a contrary conduct.