him of my Father" (vers. 64, 65). In explanation of your mistake about eating, I tell you that some of you do not believe, and this is the reason why I said to you, No man can come, except it were given him of the Father.

This doctrine was too spiritual for many who had enrolled themselves amongst His followers. "From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

Peter put the right interpretation upon His words throughout the whole discourse. To believe that He, standing in true and proper human flesh among them, was the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Way, the Truth, and the Life; to believe that His words were the words of eternal life, words revealing Him, "in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life;" this was to come to Him, this was to eat His flesh and drink His blood, this was to live by Him. Jesus acknowledged the correctness of this interpretation, and answered, "Have not I chosen you twelve?" If I had not, you would have gone away with the rest; but I have chosen you, and therefore it is given unto you to perceive my spiritual meaning, and therefore you do not go away. Nevertheless, do not suppose that I am deceived in any of you. I know whom I have chosen unto salvation; and I know whom I have chosen, but that the Scripture might be fulfilled. I have chosen eleven of you for one purpose, and one of you for another. "Have not I chosen you twelve? and one of you is a devil."

We see here the nature of genuine spiritual religion. It is not a participation in national privileges, however excellent

No, but I deny that Luther ever did eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood.

Then you abjure transubstantiation, because Luther frequently received the Holy Eucharist in the Church of Rome.

in themselves, and however highly esteemed as blessings from God. It is not a round of outward observances, nor the regular performance of moral duties, however acceptable those observances and duties may be, as things commanded of God. These things are all upon the surface. When the inward man is right, these things occupy an important place in the witness which that man bears for God in the world, and in the witness which God will bear for that man in the day of judgment. But still these things do not lie at the root. National privileges may be enjoyed, and outward duties may be regularly and strictly observed by many who have never come to the way of God, never believed on the truth of God, never eaten of the flesh of the Son of God. Real religion lies within. It is communion with Christ, and with the Father through Christ, such as Christ Himself held with the Father. Hear the apostle John: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write unto you, that your joy may be full (1 John i. 1-4).

This fellowship is by faith in Jesus as the truth it is by coming to Jesus as the Way; it is by being grafted into Jesus as the Vine; it is by realizing the guardian care and watchful supplies of Jesus as the Shepherd; it is by having sympathy, and counsel, and comfort from Jesus as a Friend; it is by enjoying the love of Jesus as a Husband; it is by eating Jesus as the bread of life.

We see by all this what description of interpretation the apostles had learned to put upon such language from their Lord. They had been carefully instructed in what He meant by such words as eating His flesh and drinking His blood.

They had received the lesson; and knew that they should identify such eating and drinking with coming unto Him,' and believing on Him, and being grafted into Him.

Now then let us follow them to that night in which their Master was betrayed; let us enter with them into that upper chamber where they had made ready the passover; and let us attend to what took place there while they sat at supper.

This will lead to a more direct consideration of the ordinance of the Lord's Supper.

I. In its original institution.

II. In its continuance in the Churches.
III. In what is essential to its celebration.
IV. In the true spiritual nature of it.

I. The divine institution of the Lord's Supper is contained in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. As they were eating, "He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (St. Luke xxii. 19; St. Matt. xxvi. 27, 28).

This is express and complete, so far as the disciples to whom Jesus addressed Himself were concerned. It became obviously and undeniably their duty to observe this ordinance, as commanded by their Lord and Master. But this, of itself, would not prove that the ordinance was to be continued in the Church after those first disciples had fallen asleep. Some of the things which the Lord commanded them were not to be continued. For example, when sending the twelve forth to preach, He commanded them, saying, "Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat" (St. Matt. x. 9, 10). From these words it became their plain duty to go forth without any of the ordinary means of support; but it does.

not follow that all who have succeeded them in the ministry of the word should go forth in like manner. And, doubtless, had the Scriptures contained nothing more upon the subject of the Lord's Supper than the commandment of Jesus to the twelve disciples, a similar line of argument might fairly be applied to invalidate the continuance of that ordinance in the Churches.

II. But it has pleased God to place this matter beyond the reach of reasonable doubt, and to give us as express an authority for the continuance as for the original institution of the Lord's Supper. St. Paul was not one of the disciples to whom Jesus gave the commandment. At that time he was not a disciple at all, but an opposer and persecutor. Afterwards, when he was called to be an apostle, and sent forth to preach to the Gentiles, to guard, it would seem, against any mistake upon this point, the Lord gave him special instructions, similar to His original commandment addressed to the twelve. Of this he thus informs us: "I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That 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 given 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 in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me" (1 Cor. xi. 23-25). And to prevent any subsequent mistake as to the continuance of the ordinance, the apostle was instructed to declare that it was of uninterrupted divine obligation, until the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come" (ver. 26). The former part of this passage extends the institution to us Gentiles; and the latter part binds it upon us and our children, till the Lord comes.

III. The right celebration of the Lord's Supper includes an actual and literal use of bread and wine. This would seem

to follow from the language of the institution itself, "eat," "drink." But this alone would not be conclusive; because such language is, as we have seen, frequently used figuratively, to signify spiritual communion; but here again we are supplied, by the facts of the case, with most conclusive proof, that in the celebration of this ordinance, under apostolical authority, there was the actual use of bread and wine. The members of the primitive Corinthian Church were guilty of a carnal abuse of this sacred ordinance. St. Paul reproves them for it, charging them with such reckless and selfish eating and drinking, that while some of the brethren were left without anything, others were surfeited even to drunkenness. His words are, "One is hungry, and another is drunken." It is obvious, therefore, that they had actual eating and drinking. (I may add, in passing, that it is equally obvious that what they drank was actually intoxicating wine.) And the apostle, while directly correcting their abuse of the practice, indirectly stamps the practice itself with his inspired authority. Here was an opportunity afforded of putting a stop to the practice of using literal wine, had such practice been an error. But instead of putting a stop to it, the apostle plainly sanctions it, provided it were done decently and in order. It follows from this, that whatever views of spiritual truth may be entertained, and whatever spiritual feelings may be experienced, no person, or society of persons, refusing to use, in this ordinance, literal bread and wine, can be living in obedience to our Lord's commandment. And it follows, also, that the lay members of the Church partook of wine, as well as bread, otherwise no opportunity could have arisen for such an abuse, or the use of such language.

Again, the right celebration of this ordinance involves an acknowledgment of the doctrine of atonement, i.e., pardon of sin, through the meritorious substitution of an appointed sacrifice. This was plainly declared by our Lord in the institution of it: "This is my blood, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins." This direct connexion between