"For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin."-Heb. x., 4. "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God."-Heb. x., 12. "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."-Heb. x., 14. (3) Christ ordered that the Lord's Supper was to be observed as a memorial of this sacrifice of Himself. "Do this in remembrance of me."-St. Luke xx., 19. "And as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim the Lord's death till he come."-1 Cor. xi., 26. 2. The Benefits which we receive thereby. The following are the benefits resulting from the sacrifice of the death of Christ: (1) Forgiveness of Sins-e.g.: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins."-Ephes. i., 7. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin."-1 John i., 7; Rom. v., 1; Col. i., 21, 22. (2) Justification and Sanctification—e.g.: "Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."-Rom. v., 9. "We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."-Heb. x., 10. (3) Everlasting Life—e.g.: "That by means of death, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."- Heb. ix., 15; St. John vi., 54. "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."-Rom. vi., 23. The Lord's Supper was instituted at the Feast of the The Passover was the annual memorial of the deliverance It is sometimes called 1. The Holy Communion-because : (1) Christ therein communicates to us His body and blood.-1 Cor. x., 16. (2) We have therein communion with one another in Him.-1 Cor. x., 17. 3. The Breaking of Bread."-Acts ii., 42; XX., 7; 1 Cor. X., 17. The chief types of this Sacrament in the Old Testament are— 1. The Tree of Life in the garden of Eden.-Gen. ii., 9; iii., 22. 2. Manna, or bread from heaven, in the wilderness.-Exodus xvi., 15; St. John vi., 32-35, 49, 50. 3. The Feast of the Passover. III.-The Outward Sign of the Lord's Supper. Bread and wine were commanded by our Lord to be taken in this Sacrament, as types of the spiritual food given to our souls on a right use of the Sacrament. The bread is a type of Chr st's body, and the wine is a type of His blood.-St. Luke xxii., 19, 20. The Lamb in the Feast of the Passover was eaten as a type of Christ; in this Sacrament bread and wine were ordered to be taken and received in remembrance of Him. Both signs (viz., bread and wine) were commanded to be taken by our Lord, and hence the Church of England, acting upon Christ's positive command, enjoins that both signs shall be taken and received by all her members, laity as well as clergy.-Art. XXX. The Church of Rome withholds the cup (wine) from the laity. "In the primitive ages of the Church, however, and indeed till the 12th century, the Holy Communion was received by all under both kinds. Nor was it till the Council of Constance (A.D. 1414) that the custom of withholding the cup from the laity became established in the Church of Rome."-Arden, page 120. IV. The Inward Part of the Lord's Supper. "The body and blood of Christ, which are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper." The truth of this statement may be proved from— 1. The words of Our Lord-e.g. : "This is my body, this is my blood."-St. Matt. xxvi., 26-29; St. John vi., 55. 2. The words of St. Paul-e.g.: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?"-1 Cor. x., 16; xi., 24. The Church of Rome interprets these expressions literally, and teaches that the bread and wine are, after consecration, no longer bread and wine, but the actual body and blood of Christ. This doctrine is called Transubstantiation. The Church of England condemns this as contradicting our own senses, and the plain words of Christ (St. Matt. xxvi., 26-29; 1 Cor. xi., 26-28), as well as overthrowing the nature of a Sacrament, by destroying the outward sign; and teaches that there is no change of substance, that the bread and wine remain bread and wine after consecration; and that the body and blood of Christ are not taken and received literally and corporeally, but to all intents and purposes. "We eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of Him, and thereby renew our interest in the sacrifice of His death: obtaining all the benefits we could be imagined to derive from literal participation of His body and blood." In the words of the Communion Service, "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." "The supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that Christians ought to have among themselves one to another, but rather it is a Sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death; insomuch that to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith receive the same, the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ; and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ. "Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of bread and wine in the supper of the Lord) cannot be proved by Holy Writ; but it is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions. "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 by the supper is Faith. "The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped."-Art. XXVIII. Only the faithful, i.e., such as come in a true and lively faith, verily and indeed take and receive the body and blood of Christ. "The wicked, and such as be void of a lively faith. although they do carnally and visibly press with their teeth (as St. Augustine saith) the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, yet in no wise are they partakers of Christ; but rather, to their 'condemnation,' do eat and drink the sign or Sacrament of so great a thing."-Art. XXIX. "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." 1 Cor. xi., 29. V.—The Benefits of the Lord's Supper. "The strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the 1. The Strengthening of our Souls. (1) The need of strength. We need strength to assist us in our spiritual warfare. (2) The supply of strength. In the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper we are taught that "it is our duty to render most humble and hearty thanks to Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for that he hath given his Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, not only to die for us, but also to be our spiritual food and sustenance."-Communion Service. 99 66 "If, therefore, with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive that holy sacrament," our sinful bodies are made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and we dwell in him and he in us."-St. John vi., 54-56. Thus His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. xii., 9), and we shall be able to do all things necessary for our salvation "through Christ that strengtheneth us."-Phil. iv., 13. 2. The Refreshing of our Souls. (1) The need of refreshment. We need refreshment to revive and cheer us in our spiritual warfare; being frequently, on account of our sins and our weaknesses, dispirited and disquieted.— Psalm xlii., 5. (2) The supply of refreshment. This Sacrament rightly received "fortifies us against temptation, and enlivens us in seasons of trial, perplexity, and suffering." It cheers us with the " assurance of God's favour and goodness towards us.' "It refreshes us with the glad tidings of the abundance of His mercy towards us," and so influences us to offer and present ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice to God."-Communion Service. "The Lord's Supper, therefore, is not merely a commemoration, but an actual channel or vehicle of grace to the soul. It stands on the same footing in this respect with prayer, reading of Scripture, public worship, and sermons; only we believe that it takes precedence of them all as the instrument of a higher grace, and a means of a closer communion with God."-Goulburn's Thoughts on Personal Religion, page 124. Hence, it is exceedingly desirable that the Sacrament should be received frequently, and "at the least three times in the year, of which Easter to be one."- Eighth Rubric after Communion Service. "In the early Church, when men were living in constant danger of persecution and death, the Holy Communion was administered every day in some places, and at the least every Lord's Day."—Acts xx., 7. "If we really fear lest our reverence should be diminished by a more frequent approach to our Saviour, and do not merely use it as a cloke for slothfulness, our safety lies in more diligent prayer, more earnest preparation, not in defrauding ourselves of the very means which Christ has appointed for 'the strengthening and refreshing of our souls.'"-Arden, page 124. VI.--Requirements for Approach to the Lord's Supper. 1. "Repent them truly of their former sins." Repentance. |
