Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-12-17
FROM THE HEATHEH|S NOTION.
A LESSON OF IMPORTANCE MAY BE
LEARNED BY THE CHRIS
TIAN WORLD.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SYMBOLS
In Worsbipping the True God-Some
of the Points i'm Early Biblical His
tory-A Fine Sermon at North
street NJ. E. Church Preparatory
TO Holy Communion.

TO Holy Communion.
A sermon preparatory to the service
OF Holy Communion was preached yes
terday morning at the North Street
Methodist Episcopal church by the pas
tor, the Rev. c. B. Graham. He dwelt
forcefully upon the subject of symbolic
worship and his remarks were received
by the congregation with deserved ap-
probation.
The minister pointed out in his open
ing remarks that the heather people
had custom of offering sacrifices with
special reference to the character Of
the god to be worshipped, so that a
dwarf, crippled or imperfect person
would not think Of offering a sacrifice
10 Hercules, nor would a sad or melan
choly person offer a sacrifice to Bac-
ehus, the Of Pleasure. He was
thankful that we could enter the
temple of our God with the full as
surance that God is 40 respecter Of
persons, so far as station or class is
concerned.
he said that we may learn an impor-
tant lesson fro mthe heather notion,
namely, that whoever would please
Coo mus. seek to be like Him. And
for this purpose he has ever permitted
man to use symbols to represent Him
and hep man from his low state to a
high association with God. All classes
of worshippers have employed the Wis
ible things to represent the invisible
In many cases the custom has been
abused by the worshipper stopping at
the symbol instead OF being helped by
it onward to Jehovah.
The Special symbol.
The symbols Of Moses connected with
this text were the ark, the mercy seat,
the table OF ahrewbread and the candle
stick with their eQuippage and furnish
ings, but the shrewbread is the one
chief thought with us at this time.
The table upon which the bread was
placed was believed by Phiio and Gle
ment of Alexandria and some Others
TO represent the world and that the
legs represented the seasons. Bat this
is only an opinion to be taken for what
It's worth. The bread was OF twelve
cakes. placed six In a row upon a
table and the chief purpose seemed to
be the presence OF God among his
people in their worship. The number
twelve represented the twelve tribes
of Israel. 1t Is evident that seeing
these cakes. with the faith in Gods
presence taught humility, increased
their fellowship with each other and
L ;V
Jehovah.
symbols Now Authorized.
The Savior has come and gone and
fulfilled all the types, shadows and
symbols that typiled him and yet
with this more perfect way man needs
The help of the material in the worship
OF the Invisible.
Tho bread and wine are our symbols.
Christ kept the passover and fulfilled
the conditions of the Jewish law upon
that foundation, erected q better mon
ument to represent the great sacrifice
Of himself. these clements represent
His body and His blood. 1t would
seem that from the lessons of nature
teachings OF God, the special revelation
OF mis- word and emphasized by his
tory, confirmed BY personal testimony
ana observation that man would not
need a symbol or type in worship
now. but Jesus saw mans weakness
and his necessities and provided
acundantlv for It, He foresaw that
mans attachment to the world and
worldly associations would make MN
careless Of his best interests and he
therefore left a perpetual reminder OF
Himself and consequently OF man
duty to Him, and said: DO this IN
remembrance of me" We notice here
that the chief object Of these symbols
is to remind peCple OF Christ, but while
this Is the chiel object, they are to
remind men or themselves and their
failures to attain the standard man
hood. nobleness of soul and the per
lection of life that He desires for them.
IL may be asked why should the com
munion not be administered every
Sunday, and we would answer that
Jesus did not command it on certain
days or times, but in that as in many
other things has lett it to the regula-
ton and discretion OF the church. 1t
has been found by experience and a
test OF the ages that every Sabbath
is too frequent for the best results for
the individual or the church. We have
no fault to find with those who do use
1t every Sabbath, but the greatest
church success has been attained with
out it. We have in the Sabbath itself
sufficient reminder of Christ and his
mission, but the higher and holier and
more sacred things of His life and
death are represented by the commun-
ion service less frequently.
The man who disobeys God refuses
to exercise in this service one of the
greatest, if not the greatest privilege,
granted to mortal man. There are
others who have not church relation
ship of a visible character from I'M
avoidable reasons on their part who
should also partake OF the communion,
and they thus by remembering Christ's
body and blood claim the benefit of
His life and passion for themselves and
as the individual stands responsible to
God and deals directly with him, no
man has a right to prevent so long as
the visible life is not reproach to
the church.
Are you deaf or bothered with nose
or throat troubles? ii SO. see Dr.. Otis,
of the Wheeling Branch Sanitarium,