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"Come, for all things are ready."

LREADY there has been placed before us the history of the sacred institution which we now come to consider.

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"The Lord Jesus, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread: and when He had given thanks, He brake it and said, Take eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

"After the same manner, also, He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament (or covenant) in my blood: this do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me."

We have seen under what circumstances this institution was ordained by our heavenly Master at the last supper with His disciples, and how it followed as a memorial observance on the sacrificial feast of the Passover.

It remains for us now to consider our own part as participators in this solemn ordinance handed down to us through so many centuries, and the duty incumbent upon each member of Christ's

Church of observing His dying command, “This do in remembrance of me."

This ordinance is called by our Church a "Sacrament."* And in answer to the inquiry, "What meanest thou by this word Sacrament?" the reply is given in the Catechism as follows:

"I mean an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us, ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof."

Further, concerning this Sacrament, the Catechism is equally clear in its teaching:

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* This word is not a Scriptural one, but was by the Romans used to designate the sacred military oath of allegiance to the Emperor. Afterwards, the early Christians adopted the word as generally meaning sacred thing, to which simple signification there was further added the idea of something allegorical. Thus, the brazen serpent, typifying Christ, was called a sacrament." The idea of symbolism came at last to be always attached to the word, which, later on, was exclusively applied to sacred religious ordinances. As superstition increased, there was associated with the word sacrament the understanding of a mysterious inward grace attendant upon outward signs, when ministered by an ordained 'priest," and communicated irrespectively of the receiver's faith. Thus, the Roman Catholic Church asserted that there were seven sacraments:-baptism, confirmation, holy orders, penance, marriage, the eucharist, and extreme unction. Our reformed Church of England, when it put aside doctrines and commandments of men, and determined to take Scripture for its only guide, rejected these false views. It retained the word sacrament, with the early meaning of an outward sign of an inward and spiritual grace; but declared that it must have been "ordained as such by Christ himself;" thus limiting the sacraments to Baptism and the Lord's Supper. And our Reformers further maintained that the benefit of the sacrament lay not in the external, priestly administration, but in the right, believing, spiritual reception thereof by the person to whom it was administered.

"Why was the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper instituted?

"For the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and of the benefits which we receive thereby.

"What is the outward part or sign of the Lord's Supper?

"Bread and wine, which the Lord hath commanded to be received.

"What is the inward part, or thing signified? "The body and blood of Christ, which are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper. (And here, in further explanation, see the twenty-eighth Article of our Church: "The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper, only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the means whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is Faith.)

"What are the benefits whereof we are partakers thereby?

'The strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the body and blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the bread and wine.

"What is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper?

"To examine themselves, whether they repent them truly of their former sins, steadfastly purposing to lead a new life; have a lively faith in God's

mercy through Christ, with a thankful remembrance of His death; and be in charity with all men."

Such is the Church of England's Scriptural view of the holy ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and the summary of its benefits and requirements.

Firstly, like the Passover, it is a Memorial Feast. "This do in remembrance of me." How simple was our Lord's command! He took the ordinary articles of food, bread and wine, and delivered them to each of His disciples, bidding them thus show forth amongst themselves that breaking of His body and outpouring of His blood whereby He should redeem them.

He did not ordain some grand and imposing ceremony to be observed at certain seasons as the memorial of His love unto death. He did not command that days should be set apart, or multitudes gathered together as under the Jewish law, for the performance of any such ordinance. But with tender consideration and condescension such as He always showed for His people, He left them so easy, so simple a reminder of His death, with outward symbols because of the weakness of our nature which demands visible signs, and with precious words concerning remission of sins, which should encourage the weakest and the most sinful to rest on His atonement.

When any dearly loved friends or relatives have been removed from us, how eagerly do we treasure up every remembrance of them! Each look and word is, as far as possible, recalled. Every recollection of their habits of thought and speech, of the walks we shared with them, of the rooms wherein they dwelt, of the occupations wherein they were wont to engage, is held sacred.

But how much more should each remembrance rest in our hearts of Him who gave His life for His friends! We are too apt to look upon our Saviour as One far off, removed from sympathy with our cares, and our duties, and our struggles. But when we are enabled by His Spirit to realize our relationship to Him,-that we are one with Him, that he is not ashamed to call us brethren, that He is with us always, even unto the end of the world, then does the memory of His past love come home to our hearts with overwhelming power, while it acts upon our present communion with Him, making us confident that He who was once our Sacrifice on the cross, will never fail now as our Intercessor and Justifier. Each remembrance of His dying hours, each word that fell from His lips during the night and day of bitter anguish, each look of tender love becomes unspeakably precious to our souls. And most especially when, by His own command, bread broken and wine outpoured remind us of the crown of

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