“Look on the heart by sorrow broken, Look on the tears by sinners shed; And be thy feast to us the token That by thy grace our souls are fed.”
8. The third doctrine presented to the eye in the sacrament of the Supper is that of Faith, by which we feed on Christ to our spiritual nourishment and growth in grace. The exercise of faith on the Son of God is symbolized by our eating the bread and drinking the wine. These same acts of eating and drinking are employed by our Lord im the sixth chapter of John to symbolize and signify the exercise of faith, Thus he says in the chapter cited, “ Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you;” and again, ‘“‘ Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eterna! life; and I will raise him up at the last day;” still further it is added, “ He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” Thus the most intimate fellowship with Christ, the closest union and communion with him, life spiritual here and everlasting hereafter, together with part in the resurrec- tion of the just, are conditioned by and connected with that faith of which eating and drinking are the symbols.
“Sweet feast of love Divine; "Tis grace that makes us free To feed upon this bread and wine,
In memory, Lord, of thee.
“Here conscience ends its strife, And faith delights to prove The sweetness of the bread of life, The fulness of thy love.”
4, The fourth doctrine thus visibly taught in the Lord’s Supper is the Commenion of saints. The word “ communion ” implies our discharging some duty together (menus)— doing something in commen. At the Lord’s table we partake of bread in common and of wine in common—the same bread and the same cup; and this common par- ticipation is a visible manifestation of the doctrine of the communion of saints. Hence the apostle says, “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
286 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [on. xiv. 1—72.
i
Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” This communion of saints is based on union to Christ. As branches, we are grafted into the living Vine, and thence draw life and strength and nourishment; as living stones, we are built up into a spiritual temple, the foundation being apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ as the chief Corner-stone; as members of his mystical body, we are knit by joints and bands to him as the living Head. By virtue of this union of all true Christians with Christ, they have communion each with the other. We have common privileges, common benefits, common blessings, and common duties. We have hopes and fears in common, joys and sorrows in common, trials and triumphs in common; and all these not merely in connection with the same ~ gongregation or the same Christian communion, but to some extent “with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.” Oh that Christians realized this more in their own souls, and exhibited it more in their lives, and manifested it more to the ungodly world around! Oh, when shall the great inter- cessory prayer be fulfilled: ‘That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”! Oh, when will that proof of the divinity of our Lord’s mission be given to an unbelieving world and a misbelieving age! Oh, when shall the holy Church cease to be rent asunder by schisms, distressed by heresies, and oppressed by the scornful!
“Elect from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses, Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses With every grace endued.”
6. The fifth doctrine is that of the glorious second Advent—that advent which !,2 Church is looking for and hasting to. But this doctrine is presented in the commur ina, not visibly, but orally ; not to the eye, but to the ear, in the words, “Ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.”
IV. THE SACRAMENTAL SIGNS; THEIR SIGNIFICANCE. 1. The sacramental elements. These are two in number—bread for nourishment and wine for refreshment. One of these might serve the purpose; then why are two employed? Two are employed instead of one (1) for asswrance. Thus we read in relation to Pharaoh’s dream, “ The dream is doubled to Pharaoh twice, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.” In like manner the two signs show the certainty of the covenant and strengthen our faith in its provisions. Like the everlasting covenant made with David, well ordered in all things and sure, the promised blessings of the New Testament are firmly established, being “‘ Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus.” Their bestowal on the specified conditions is sure, soon, and certainly coming to pass. Again, they are (2) for apprehension ; that is, in order that they may be rightly and more readily apprehended. ‘hus two signs were granted to Moses, as it is written, “ If they will not believe nor hearken to the voice of the first sign, they will believe the voice of the latter sign ;” the reason assigned being the character of the Israelites, stiffnecked and hardhearted as they were. So God, because of our slowness of apprehension and hardness of heart, has added sign unto sign, mercifully accommodating himself to us, the frail and fallen children of men. But (3) they imply abundance. While they quicken our faith and help us to a clearer view of Christ, they exhibit the plenitude of his resources, for “it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell,” and “in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” the ample supplies he has in store for our necessities, the full forgiveness and plenteous redemption that are found in him, the rich ab indance of all needful gifts and necessary graces, as also the sufficient nourishment he bestows on us. 2%. The sacramental actions. Some of these are performed by the administrator, others by the recipient. On the part of the former they are taking, blessing, breaking, and giving. The taking symbolizes the assumption of our nature, “the mystery of the holy incarnation.” The blessing signifies separation froma a common to @ specia: purpose from an ordinary to a sacred use, as also thanks-
on. xiv. 1—72.] THE GOSPEL ACUORDING TO ST, MARK. 287