LECTURE XXI. DECEMBER 28, 1851. 1 CORINTHIANS, xi. 18-34. -"For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. - When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. - For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper and one is hungry and another is drunken. - What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. For I have 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 broken 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. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. - For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. - - But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. - And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come." THE remainder of this chapter treats of an abuse in the administration of the Lord's Supper, as practised in the Church of Corinth. It may be necessary here to go a little into historical investigation. Every Church has a right to introduce new forms and ordinances; and the Church of Corinth, taking advantage of this right, introduced what was called a love-feast, in which the Churches met together previons to the reception of the Lord's Supper, to partake of a common meal rich and poor bringing their own provisions. This idea seemed in strict accordance. with the original institution of the Lord's Supper, as that certainly was preceded by a common meal. There was a great beauty in this arrangement, because it showed the conviction of the Church of Corinth that differences of birth and rank are not eternal but temporary, and are intended to join by reciprocal bonds the different classes together. Still, beautiful as the idea was, it was liable to great abuse. Thus there arises a perpetual lesson for the Church of Christ; it is never good to mix things religious with things worldly. In the highest conceivable form of the Church of Christ, the two will be identified, for the kingdoms of the world are to become the kingdoms of God and of His Christ. In order to make these two one, the Christian plan has been to set apart certain days as holy, that through these all other days may be sanctified to set apart a certain class of men, through them to sanctify all other men: to set apart one particular meal, that all meals through that one may be dedicated to God. The World's way is rather this: to identify things religious and worldly by throwing the spirit of the week-day into the Sabbath; to make Christian Ministers like other men, by throwing into them its own. secular spirit; and to eat and drink of the Lord's Supper in the spirit of a common meal. In order to rectify the abuses which had grown out of these love-feasts, the Apostle recalls to their remembrance the reasons for the original institution of the Lord's Supper, and from them deduces the guilt and responsibility of their desecration of that ordinance. He says that it. was meant as a memorial of the Redeemer's sacrifice. There may appear to us something superfluous in this; we should be inclined probably to say, “We need no memorial of that; it is graven on our hearts as on the rock for ever." The Son of Man knew our nature far too well to trust such a pledge even if it could have been given. He knew that the remembrance of it would fade without perpetual repetition, and also an appeal to the senses; therefore by touch, by taste, by sight, an appeal is made to the senses, reminding us perpetually that Christianity is not a thing of mere feeling, but a real historical actuality. It sets Jesus Christ forth evidently crucified among us. Let us draw something practical from this. Memory depends on two things on repetition, and on the impression being a sensible one, that is, one of which the senses take cognizance. Does any man wish to forget God? Does any man wish to live in sin without being disturbed by the painful thought of Judgment? We can tell him how he may insure that for a time at least. Let him attempt to be wiser than his Maker: let him say, "I can read my Bible at home, and worship God in the open beauties of Nature, as well as in a church;" let him give up private prayer, and never attend the Lord's table, giving up all that is symbolical in religion. Let him do this, and we will insure him most terrible success; for so "judgment to come" will be to him only a hypothesis, and God's own existence merely a perhaps. The second reason for the institution of the Lord's Supper was to keep in mind Christ's second Advent: "Till He come." When Christ left this world, it was with a promise that he would return again. Ever since that time have the souls of the faithful been preparing and watching for that coming. So, then, there are two feelings which belong to this Supperabasement and triumph; abasement, because everything that tells of Christ's sacrifice reminds us of human guilt; and triumph, because the idea of His coming again, "without sin unto salvation," is full of highest rapture. These two feelings are intended to go hand in hand through life, for that sadness is not Christian but morbid, which has not in it a sense of triumph, neither is joy Christian which is without some sense of sorrow. We dearly love the way in which the Church of England celebrates the Supper of the Lord, with a solemn stillness so well befitting the feelings and the occasion. The next reason for the institution of the Lord's Supper is to teach the communion of saints. The symbolic elements themselves are intended to teach the Church's unity. The feeling of unity in the Church is that which belongs to fellow-countrymen meeting in a foreign land, or to ancient warriors who have fought side by side in the same battle, and meet in recollection of dangers shared together. So is it with us; we are fellow soldiers and fellow pilgrims. This relationship can alone be perpetual: the relation between father and child changes even in this short existence to friendship; even the marriage relationship is only for this life, for in heaven they neither marry nor are given in marriage. While all other ties shall be dissolved, God stamps on this alone something of His own Eternity united in Christ, you are united for ever. LECTURE XXII. JANUARY 5, 1852. CORINTHIANS, xii. 1-31.—" Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. - Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. — Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of "perations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. — But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal, - For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;- To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; - To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues :- But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. — For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. --For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. -If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? - And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. — Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary :- And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: - That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member - |