The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 518

Way: be cliroote nttontion to one part or his said solemnly," Tliie is the body of the Pas- nBture, hie bocly, nnd thot as Jood to be che.I Jamb." Christ transformed this fonnuh cBlon. He ehowe the mode by which we may to a now uee, but in neither case did it intm- be purticipolore of this liie lower nature, dnce a mere symbol of something absent. thaL as, joined to A<lam, we die, eo thns Ver. 27.-Re took the oup. Many good united to Obrist, we live. We mnet, ae be- manuscripts have" a cup," and some modern fore observed, remember that he who said editor~ omit the article; but this cup W&B theee words was Goel incarnate, e.nd that he the only one on the table at the time; so the designed to give hie Church a means of real- reading matters not. This wae probably izing and receiving those stupendous bless- the third cup 11t the close of the Paechal ings eet forth in his Eucharistic dfacourse as meal (see on ver. 21). The wine of the depending upon due reception of his body country ie what we call a red wine (compare e.nd blood. It is obvious that the npoetles "the blood of grapes," Gen. xlix. 11); it could not understand the terms literally, was mixed with a little water when used e.t but, believing in his Godhead, believing the table. This third cup we.a termed " the that lie could bring to pass that which he cup of blessing" ( cl. I Cor. x. 16), because said, they apprehended them in a super- over it was spoken a special benediction, natural, mystical sense; they had faith to e.nd it was regarded ae the principal cup, know that in these holy elements, bleesed hy following, as it did, the eating of the lamb. their Lord, they received him, 0.te his flesh Gave thanks (<uxapur-r/iua.s). The thanks- and blood, to their soul's health. This was giving was e. blessing (sec on ver. 26). The no mere commemorative rite, not simply a celebre.tion of ChriHt's death and the remem- way of remembering Chriet's death and brance of the incalculable blessings obtained Passion, but it was a sacrament, an outward thereby may well be termed the Holy sign of an inward reality, something from Eucharist, the great sacrifice of praise and without entering the recipients and impart- thanksgi~ing. Gave (lliwK<v) it to them. ing to them that wliich before they bad not. The aorist here used would imply sti-ictly How the outward and inward are joined to- that he gave the cup once for all, herein. gether we cannot tell. It is, e.ncl will al ways differentiating the action from that employed remain, e.n unfe.thomnble myetery. The in distributing the bread. St. Luk8's e::i:- preeence of Chrbt'~ humanity in the Holy preHsion, " Take this, and divide it among Communion is beyond, above, the ordinary yourselves,'' refers to e.n earlier stage of the conditionsofme.n's nature; it issuperne.ture.l, supper. In the present connection he nearly mire.culous, even as we.a his incarne.tion, agrees with !be other synoptists. It is which joinetl manhood e.nd Deity. The sub- possible that the cup was passeJ from Land at a.nee, indeed, of the elements remains e.e to hand after it he.cl been blessed by Christ. before, their ne.ture is not changed, but they Drink ye all of it. St. !11ark adds, " And be.ve a new relation e.nd nee and office; they they all drank of it." Strange it is that, with serve as a mee.ne of communicating Christ's these words written in the Scripture, any body and blood, e.nd they a.re so called before Church should have the hardihoocl to deny reception, so the.t the receiver's faith does the cup to _any quaWied Christi.In. The not me.ke them to be such, but Christ's own Romanist's assertion that the cup is for word with power. Attempts to explain this priests alone, as it we.e b>i.ven to the apostles Divine matter hopelessly fail. Hence the only, and was Je"tined for them a11J their Rome.niet with his traneubste.ntio.tion, or sacerdotal successors, woulcl apply equally change of eubsto.nce; the Lutheran with his to the consecrated bread. and then what consubstuntio.tion, or confusion of substance ; becomes of the ge11eral uso of the orclinll.l.lce? the Zuiuglie.n with his irreverent virtualie1u, If we woulcl have life in us, we must not only alike fall into erroJ," and depart from puro cat Christ's flesh, but ,lriuk his blood. We doctrine. The only right attitude ie to leave need to be rel"reshed as well as strengthened all such efforts alone, lo believe Christ's in the bo.ttle of life, aud it may well be the.t word simply but wholly, e.nd to use the the mutilation of the sncro.ment carries with sacrament in full faith, that by and throu.rh it spiritual effects that. impede the soul's it to the faithful recipiont are imparted i~- hoalth. . calculable beucfite. To the words, "This is Ver. 28.-For. Yes, drink ye e.ll hereof, my body," St. Luke atlcls, "which is being for it is unspee.ke.bly preoioue. This ( ToiiTo, givon (B,5oµevov) for you;" and St. Paul, as before, ver. 26) is my blood. Thill which " whioh is [broken; ? genuineJ for you." I here give you. Tbe blood separated from Tbue tl1e Lord, before he actue.lly suffered, the body represe11ts Christ's death by offered himself as a Victim voluntarily under- violenoe; it WW! also the sign of the ratill.cn- going death, and showed it forth by the tion of a covenant. Of the new testament ; broken bree.d e.nd the poured wine. We 31a.8111t11•: covenant. The adjective" new" is aro told that the master of the houeohold, omitted by some goocl manuscripts and when ho distributed the pieces of tlio lamb, mocluru e,litors, but it gives the su11so i.u-  ;;24 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [cH. xxvr. 1-75.