THE COMMUNICANT'S GUIDE. CHAPTER I. THE NATURE AND DESIGN OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST. SECTION I. Scriptural account of its Institution. THE promotion of holiness is the grand end designed to be effected by the pure life, meritorious death, and divine precepts of the Lord Jesus Christ. All his actions from the cradle to the grave, were regulated by an habitual regard to this glorious result of his mission to our world. In every deed which he performed, the purity and excellence of unadulterated virtue were discoverable; and his whole life was a perfect, unbroken exhibition of the most fervent love to God, and the most active benevolence to man. That life was designed for our benefit. As an Apostle declares, "he left us an example that we should follow his steps." It was to advance the interests of holiness that he submitted to the scoffs and indignities of men; to his agony and bloody sweat in the garden; and was at last nailed to the accursed tree. "He gave himself for us, that he might redeem "us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." All the moral precepts of his gospel have the same holy tendency: they are designed to produce in the hearts and lives of men a conformity to the divine image and an obedience to the divine will. But the most pure and exalted precepts of morality and holiness, will have but little influence upon creatures who are more under the government of sense than reason; and it was undoubtedly, owing to the depravity of man, and in condescension to his weakness and infirmity, that the Divine Redeemer instituted his sacraments, in the use of which by the instrumentality of visible emblems and through the avenues of sense, holy principles and affections are the more easily instilled into the human heart. To the consideration of one of the two sacraments of the Christian Church, the following pages are devoted; and as it was the last institution of our blessed Redeemer before he suffered, the subject cannot fail to awaken an interest in the minds of all who consider themselves as his followers. Here I will present a connected view of the different accounts of the institution of the Lord's supper contained in the New Testament. "And, as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 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. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives." (St. Matt. xxvi. 26-30.) "And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives." (St. Mark xiv. 22-26.) "And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: for I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom |