The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-05-26

! heart, and the thirty pieces in his
/ scrip. An incubus was lifted when
the apostate left the table. All that
/ remained of the paschal ritual was
the blessing of praise with which it
was always closed. They were all
! expecting it. The innovation could
not but be noticed by those who had
| followed one program annually from
/ the time when they were ten years
old. Instead of lifting His hand in
! benediction, Jesus reached over the
/ dish of unleavened bread upon the
table, and taking up piece, He rose
/ from the mat and blessed it, and,
as He passed from one to another,
He broke it, giving each a morsel,
saying, Take, eat; this is Ny body"
Then He filled cup, and, again Civ
ing thanks, and passing it from one
to another, He said, This is Ny blood
of the new covenant, which is shed
| for many for the remission of sins"
Then followed His words of institu-
ton, This do in remembrance OF
Me-
The Teachers Lantern.
The anachronism of Leonardo ia
Vinci's lovely and justly famous
fresco OF the Last Supper is obvious
He represents Jesus and the Twelve
sitting, in Occidental style, at a
modern extension-table They did
not sit at all but reclined. 1t was
| this reclining that made it easy and
natural for John to lay his head on
Jesus bosom, and for Peter and John
to hold their soto vOce conversation
without the traitors observing them.
Perhaps We emphasize dispropor-
tiOnateIy the sadness of the Last Sup
| per. Jesus. as a host. would not al
/ low the occasion to lose it's festive
/ character. 1t was a goOdly scene
that the well-trimmed lamps shone
| d own upon. The fresh turbans of
blue, crimson, and yellow, the AMI
mated faces, the table covered with
damask and well supplied, make a
study to delight painter. The feast
extended over several hours, and only
the sOmber incidents are recorded.
There must have been much Joyous
! converse as well.
The presence of Judas was the one
ugly spot in the feast of love. Jesus.
without openly eliminating him be
! fore the company, plainly announced
| the one of the Twelve would betray
Him. He did this for their sakes. that
they might know He was perfectly
aware of His impending fate, and,
net being at all surprised, voluntarily
submitted to it. He did it for Judas
sake. 1t was His last appeal to the
! traitor. He gave Judas the chief
place at the table, washed his feet,
gave him his portion with his OVID
hand, lovingly let him know he read
his wicked heart, and only when il
was clearly of no avail He bade him
I do quickly his wicked deed
No question but that this upper
room, forever endeared to the hearts
of the apostles and probably the
property of disciple), witnessed the
appearance of the risen Christ in
their midst, and of the PentecostaI
illusions of the Holy Ghost. II so,
it was the very cradle of the infant
Church.
The various names by which the
Lords Supper is known are in them
selves very significant. 1t is the Euch.
artist, meaning our good thanks
for the Lamb that was slain: it is the
sacrament (cOmmU3a5s), sign of the in
tercourse and agreement we have
with God and each other.
Thebeliever should be always ready
to pray. But this does not render
| special preparation undesirable; for
| the commitment finds in the sacra-
ment what he brings to it, no more
and no less. Jesus is present in the
ordinance only to the thought and
! feeling of the communicate; present
only as His suffering and death are
realized by faith.
| To ask and to take the solemn to-
kens of redemption is to confess be
fore the world and before the Church
faith in the great fact.
At the table of the Lords Supper
man and God meet-man with his
highest aspirations, God with His
richest gifts.
incidentally the communion is Il
| pledge of the reunion of Jesus and all
His disciples. He said He would eat
no more of the bread nor drink of the
cup until the kingdom should come.
Then He will visibly banquet with us
all in the kingdom of His Father, ac-
cording to His promise
- an ~ u