A had without the ordinance of bread and wine; and the ordinance in all its outward requirements may be had without this. Here, on both sides, the English Church is as express and clear as any lover of scriptural truth can desire. "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 nowise are they partakers of Christ: but rather, to their condemnation, do eat and drink the sign or sacrament of so great a thing." "1 "But if a man, either by reason of extremity of sickness, or for want of warning in due time to the curate, or for lack of company to receive with him, or by any other just impediment, do not receive the sacrament of Christ's body and blood, the curate shall instruct him, that if he do truly repent him of his sins, and steadfastly believe that Jesus Christ hath suffered death upon the cross for him and shed His blood for his redemption, earnestly remembering the benefits he hath thereby, and giving Him hearty thanks therefor, he doth eat and drink the body and blood of our Saviour Christ profitably to his soul's health, although he do not receive the sacrament with his mouth.' The man who is destitute of a lively faith, though he receive the consecrated bread and wine, yet is in nowise 3 a partaker of Christ. And the man who possesses a lively faith, though he does not receive the consecrated bread and wine, yet he doth eat and drink the body and blood of our Saviour Christ. Language can go no farther than this, in unequivocal explicitness; but language, the medium of reasonable communication between man and man, is powerless against impressions which are unreasonable; and therefore the most conclusive arguments frequently fail of any practical and permanent effects. The intellect may be posed, unable to answer; nay, convinced that there is no real answer to give; 1 Art. xxix. Rubric Com. Sick. He profanes a sacred ordinance to his own hurt, but he is in nowise a partaker of Christ, because Christ is in nowise in the bread and wine. yet still the man, in what is really practical within him, is not satisfied, and perseveres he can assign no reason why— in compliance with existing impressions. Those who have lived long enough in this world, and with sufficient observation on what passes around them, to be themselves impressed with this truth, will not be very sanguine as to the practical results to be expected from controversy, however unanswerable their arguments may be. Neither is the evasion of such arguments always, or generally, insincere; but the state of the affections interferes with the pure operations of the intellect. The consecutive chain of logical deduction is insensibly snapped asunder by the intrusion of some feeling or association, and the intellectual sorites crumbles into inextricable confusion before the magic wand of a pre-occupied heart. If this pre-occupation have reached the conscience as well as the affections, and the existing impression be, or be supposed to be, a matter of faith; then, to resist and reject with disdain the plainest and most conclusive argumentation is invested with all the imaginary heroism of a martyr's fidelity unto death. And thus the problem is solved: revelation is clear and explicit; reason is close, conclusive, and unanswerable; yet transubstantiation survives in the unreasonably impressed affections and consciences of sincere but deluded millions. Is such sincerity an excuse? or can it be fairly pleaded in arrest of judgment against the idolatry inseparable from this dogma as received and used in the Church of Rome? If so, there is no such thing as idolatry; because the millions of Asia prostrate before Vishnoo or Siiva are quite as sincere as the millions of Europe prostrate before the consecrated wafer. On the other hand, if it be just to charge with idolatry the men who "bowed the knee to the image of Baal"-notwithstanding their profound sincerity—and to deny this is to reject Holy Scripture at once-on what principle of right reason or fair argument can it be unjust to charge with idolatry the most sincere among the multitudes who bow the knee to the image of Jesus, Mary, or Joseph? They do not consider it idolatry!" 1 Be it so neither did "the worshippers of, Baal," neither did the craftsmen at Ephesus, who shouted "Great is Diana of the Ephesians," consider themselves idolaters. But here again reason is powerless against impressions; and men called liberal, and impressed with indifference-I might without exaggeration say infidelity-reject arguments they cannot answer, and, in defiance of both reason and Scripture, continue to idolize sincerity as the touchstone and turning-point of saving truth. To return, and to conclude. The expectation of the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ is involved in a scriptural observance of the Lord's Supper; which is expressly, limited to the period of His absence. This is an animating expectation; and with a few animating words upon it I will close this chapter. There is a secret and very cordial pleasure even in the painstaking and fatigue of getting ready, and keeping ready, for the arrival of a friend. Jesus is our Friend-our best, and kindest, and most faithful Friend,—and " He is coming." It is not, then, under the lash of a commandment grievous to be borne, that we would stand in readiness, waiting for our Lord; · but in the exercise of a watchful and prayerful diligence, which, whatever self-denial it may require, "is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort." Wherever the love of the Lord is, there the holy commandment ceases to be grievous, because the heart's desire is holiness. Wherever the love of Lord Byron's apology for the idolatries of Rome, vain as it is, is better than this: "The kindled marble's bust may wear More poesy upon its speaking brow Than aught less than the Homeric page may bear; One noble stroke with a whole life may glow, Or deify the canvas till it shine With beauty so surpassing all below, That they who kneel to idols so divine Break no commandment, for high Heaven is there Transfused, transfigurated." -Prophecy of Dante. Canto iv. the Lord is not, the commandment cannot but be grievous, and will be either carelessly disregarded, or disingenuously evaded, or wilfully disobeyed. And yet Jesus is the sinner's Friend! He is indeed the sinner's Friend "till He comes:" but-let the reader mark it well-not when He comes. He came, and lived, and died the Friend of publicans and sinners: of sinners of all descriptions without exception-thieves, drunkards, adulterers, blasphemers, murderers, and even Pharisees:1 their best Friend, opening the veins of His body and the anguish of His soul, to pour forth a rich flood of pardoning mercy to every one that believeth. In this character He still presents Himself in the ministry of reconciliation in this character it is the privilege of His faithful ambassadors again and again to proclaim Him amongst the vilest transgressors-yes, and amongst the proudest and most incorrigible moralists; imploring them in His name to be reconciled to God, and urging upon them with tender and affectionate earnestness, that "now is the accepted time, now the day of salvation." Believe in Jesus, feed on Him in thy heart, and taste His pardoning blood. Believe in Jesus, feed on Him in thy heart, and realize His holy unction. Believe in Jesus, feed on Him in thy heart, eat, and live for ever. Hear His own comfortable words unto all who truly turn to Him: "Come unto me, all that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you." Hear also what St. Paul saith: “This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Hear also what St. John saith: "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins." Now, to-day, while it is called to-day, matters stand thus, and the gracious invitations are repeated. How long this state of things may last, no man knoweth. While Jesus remains absent, this is the state of things: but He is coming, and when He comes, faith is at an end, and patience is at an end; glory is come, and hell is come. Believers are now wait 1 St. Matt. xxi. 28-32. ing upon God by faith, and God is waiting upon unbelievers in patience. But when Jesus comes there is no more waiting: the barn for the wheat-glory, glory, glory; the whirlwind and fire for the chaff-ruin, eternal ruin. Believers, be ready. In the midst of all your sorrows, lift up your heads and your hearts with joy, for your redemption draweth nigh. In the midst of all your perplexities and temptations, hold fast your confidence; for He in whom you have placed it, and who will never disappoint you, draweth nigh. In the midst of all your fears. maintain your bold confession of Jesus; for He cometh, and whosoever shall be found confessing Him before men, shall be confessed and welcomed by Him gloriously before the angels of God. Unbelievers, be ready. Behold, He is coming! Can you resist His arm of power? Can you hush His thunder into silence, or arrest His lightning in its flight? Can you break the sword that is girded upon the thigh of Him whose name is King of kings and Lord of lords? or extract the arrows of His bow, which shall be found sharp, in the hearts of the King's enemies? Can you dwell with everlasting burnings? Helpless rebel, submit! resistance is madness. Believe, and be reconciled. Believe, and show the reason of a man. 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? For we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? (1 Cor. x. 16-18). In these words of the apostle, the Christians at Corinth, and all Christians, were referred to the history of the Jewish people, "Israel after the flesh," for instruction on a very important subject. That subject was idolatry. Its impor |