網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

SUBJECT:-The Communion of Saints.—No. I.

"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect."-Heb. xii. 22, 23.

Analysis of Homily the Six Hundred and Forty-eighth.

THE

*

CHE body of Christ is one. Part, indeed, is on earth; part in the spirit-land; part has the battle to fight, the foe to win, the victory to gain; part has fought, and bled, and won. The Church on earth is militant; the Church in heaven is triumphant; but still 'tis one Church. Death cannot part them, for they are one in Christ. (Eph. i. 10.) At times it is well for us to call to our minds the Church invisible; it were unwise to forget altogether the countless hosts of those who have crossed the flood. And so to-day we are bidden to cast our eyes down the long vista of the years gone by, and with exultant hearts to view the glorious lives of Christian heroes. We are told that with these heroes-so humble, yet so bold; so despised, yet so exalted; so self-devoted, and so great-with these we have a communion, with these we are one. Their feet, indeed, have passed away from earth. Through sorrow and blood, in fire and fierce torment, in patience and love, they left the earth they blessed; but ever and for ever they are one with Christ's Church. Baptized once into His mystic body, they are members still, though exalted now to meet their Head in heaven.

Seek we then, some thoughts about communion of saints; with saints that have been, and with saints that are. Let us put ourselves in sympathy with those who have left us rich legacies; let us learn lessons of charity to all who are in Christ's Church, but who may yet not be in the narrow circle in which we hedge ourselves in, a circle which we often mistake, and put in the stead of that Catholic Church which is the Church, which is Christ's body.

* Preached on All Saints' Day, 1863.

We have, then, an outward communion with saints, because we are baptized with water and admitted thus into Christ's outward Church. And shall we deem this a light thing? Think who have shared with us in this. Go through the ages of the Church. Think of a peaceful Clement, a martyred Ignatius, a stern Tertullian, an earnest Augustine, a venerable Bede, a saintly Herbert, a Ridley, a Latimer, a Cranmer, a Martyn, a Whately. Think of these, and hosts like these, and say,-Is it nought to share with these, even though it be but in outward symbol, in sacramental rite? Think of all who in monastic cell, or in crowded courts, by the taper's light, or in the busy light, have worked their holy work. Think of those who in battle shock or peaceful walk have fought the Christian fight. Think of these, and say,-Is not even this communion-outward though it be--is not this a privilege of privileges, a blessed bond linking you to right noble comrades? Call we thus ever to mind all the good and holy lives past and present; and then, in firm trust on a Father's love, a Saviour's death, and the Spirit's grace, resolve that henceforth no thought of our hearts, no utterance of our lips, no deed of our lives, shall be unworthy of that sacramental army who were and are our brothers in Christ. And that our strength fail not in the fight, let us seek in that higher symbol of communion-the Lord's Supper I mean-seek thence renewal of our strength, and thus afresh join ourselves to all the sacred host; for in that Supper is the second outward symbol of that great communion which links together Christ's fighting and triumphant warriors.

Think not lightly of this. I say nothing now of its Divine institution; I say nothing now of its great blessings; I say nothing now of its other spiritual significances. I speak only of it as a mark of that communion of saints of which I speak. From this view, reckon it at its full value and its true meaning. Call to mind the early Christians meeting in fear and trembling before daybreak to share in the tokens of the Body and Blood of Christ. Call to mind martyrs going from its bread and wine to fire and faggot, wild beast and sword.

VOL. XIV.

Think of those who in their dying moments have partaken of its holy mysteries, and then boldly passed over the border into the dark land of death. Sum up all in one view, and then come to this Supper for strength, and wisdom and renewal; then remember that, in it and by it, you take your stand with those who at all times of the Church have received the bread or tasted the cup.

But these outward symbols of communion, great, venerable, hallowed as they are, are more even than this; for they are the vantage ground by which we mount to a communion still higher-a communion which gives their truest meaning, their truest value to the two sacraments. I mean the communion of Spirit; or, rather, of the Spirit, as St. Paul says to the Corinthians. (1 Cor. xii. 13.)

Wide as is the communion of those bound by a common share and partaking in the sacraments-taking in all from those who were baptized at Pentecost to the babe baptized to-day-the communion in the Spirit is wider far. Closest, it is true, the communion is between those bound by the sacramental bond; for the full dispensation of the Spirit was not till Pentecost. True, that those who faithfully and humbly partake of the sacraments may be most fully assured that they are members of the spiritual communion; still, while the Christian dispensation has fuller manifestations of the Spirit than the Jewish had-even as the Jewish had fuller than the Gentiles-while this is true, and so the spiritual communion of Christians is fuller, wider, and truer than any of old, still, let us never fix the limits of our spiritual communion at the beginning of the Christian era.

If without the Holy Ghost there is nothing good, wise, holy-then all that was holy, and wise, and good among the Jews was of Him; and our communion must take in them. Nay, more; if there was in the heathen any glimmering left of purity, and truth, and goodness-and shall we dare to say there was not ?-if there were any gropings after the truth; if in any Gentile breasts man's fallen nature tried to rise and shake itself to life-this groping, these efforts, this imperfect

good must, so far as it was good, have been of the Divine Spirit, and that Spirit is one.

To-day, then, thinking of our spiritual communion, let us widen our range. Whatever there was in Abraham of undoubting faith, in Moses of sublime thought and high enterprize; whatever in David of sacred confidence and sweet poesy; whatever in Isaiah of rapt contemplation and prophetic gaze; in Daniel of fearless confession and wise statesmanship; whatever of good or wise or holy in these and all their countrymen-all came from that same Spirit which we partake; and we, in our turn, if we seek it and work for it, may receive of that same Spirit, strength, and wisdom, and holiness. With these heroes, and wise men, and patriots, we are one; bound to them for ever in the communion of one and the same Spirit, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.

Turn, now, to other nations, to other lands. Was there in Socrates aught of purity and self-devotion and love of truth; in Plato were there imaginations high, clear thoughts in prose-like poetry; in Persius, spiritual sight; in Brutus pure patriotism-whatever there was in these and other ancients of right and purity and truth, it must have been of the Eternal Spirit ; and with these great ones, we, baptized in one Spirit, receiving of that Spirit, may claim communion in Spirit, may claim real fellowship. And from Pentecost till now in what souls has the same Spirit breathed and wrought and moved! To what great deeds and noble work led on! Think for yourselves; think of all the heroes, wise men, loving hearts, and chaste lives, since then. Remember as you think, that the Spirit they had you have; that you may have Him in whatever measure you seek Him; that the more you have of Him, the closer, the more real, the more living is your communion with all the greatness, all the purity, all the holiness, that ever worked on this earth. Think, too, that in whatever respect you are acting against what you know to be the direction of that Spirit-so far you are wilfully and by your own act cutting yourselves off from any

VOL. XIV.

Q 2

true real communion, not only with goodness, purity, and truth in the abstract, but from all communion with all the good, and wise, and true men that have ever lived or are now living. For, remember, that no outward communion by the holy sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, no communion in mere thought and fancy, no pretended communion of membership or Church bond will avail us one whit unless we will allow ourselves to be guided in our thoughts, words and acts, to be guided in our outward and inner lives by the Holy Ghost, by the one Eternal Spirit who has been the moving power to all high thought, to all noble action. To sum up all. Think much of your baptism; by it you were made one in fellowship with all who ever received it. Come ever to the table of the Lord's Supper. Look upon as keeping up that communion, wrought in baptism, between you and the body of Christ. Seek much of the Spirit, the very bond of perfectness, the Creator of all true communion, the Giver of all wise, and holy, and loving life.

it

Last of all, live lives worthy of the innumerable host with whom your communion is; work up into action all their wisdom; think over, and try to attain unto, their holiness; live for the good of the world; live, so that in ages to come generations who shall be baptized, as you have been, into this communion, seeing your footsteps on the sands of time, may take heart in sorrow or in pain, and struggle on, till at last full communion shall be realized in the presence of the Eternal, who ever liveth, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

F. HEPPENSTALL, B.A.

« 上一頁繼續 »