The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-04
PAS STOR PREACHED
 ON LORDS SUPPER The Rev. J. W. Canty Johnson's
 Morning Sermon TEXT FROM CORN THIANS Subject Was "The Devotional AttI- tude Towards the Lords Sup
 per"-Able Discourse on An
 Important Subject.
TEXT FROM CORN THIANS

of St. y's-on-the-Highlands preach ed at that church yesterday morning on the subject, ''The Devotional Attitude Towards the Lords Supper"
 Taking his text from I. Corinthians xi:2s, the speaker said:
 "For he that eateth and drinketh in an unworthy manner, eateth and drink eth Judgment to himself, not discerning the Lords body"
 It Is of the utmost importance in our Christian living that we have proper devotional attitude towards the Holy Communion.
 Indifference in our daily lives to wholesome reflection upon this loving provision God has granted us, and thoughtfulness, ignorance or indifference in the presence of this holy sacrament, are sources of the spiritual weakness which overtakes so many in our congre- gations.
 There is committed to the church the care of this and other sacred institutions, and the very trust emphasizes the de- pendence of Christians upon these holy gifts. The neglect of a proper attitude
  casion of St. Paul's vigorous assertion, For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep
 Proper Attitude.
 If we would emphasize proper atti- tude of the Christian towards the Holy Communion 1t Is well for us to lay as a foundation for any regard at all an understanding of the sacrament. That Is. there must be some intellectual atti- tude before there can develop anything that Is devotional.
 I say an understanding of the sacra- ment Is necessary-and yet, brethren, we cannot forget our inability to fathom all the mystery which lies many fathoms deep.
 We can understand the Blessed Lords intention, His lofty purpose, and the sweet reasonableness of the elements, the bread and wine, which were chosen out of nature, to give us an approach to these new elements-the body and blood of Christ, but the mystery whereby this Is true is beyond human understand ing, and yet no one can justly say "Un- reasonable" Our liturgy speaks of these holy mysteries" What then Is the true purpose of this blessed sacrament? The | answer involves knowledge. or the in- | tellectual attitude. The devotional atti- tude can come only from the personal approach. St. Paul in his treatment of 1 this sacrament gives two distinct mo- tions of the divine intention. | These are covered by two familiar worlds The communion and the eucharist, | and fin them we find the two great teach l ings the church, in loyalty to her trust has been ever zealous to preserve. Around them have been waged the great | est ecclesiastical controversies, and yet the two truths or two phases of the one great sacramental truth stand out in all clearness today, and are acceptable l to the great mass of Christians, although often needing emphasis, and often mis- conceived.
 The language of definition will some times exaggerate, and sometimes dimin- ish the full statement of these two Paul. inc declarations of this holy sacrament.
 First Phrase Found.
 The first phrase, the Communion" is found in the original language of I. Cor. x, 16, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is 1t not participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christi" (R. v) Here the nutritive character of the sacred body and blood of Christ are em- phaslzed, and at once we are reminded of nd | ly material or physical meaning of the title, "The Lords Supper Through ignorance too many find In the | expression 'The Lords Supper no other meaning than term descriptive of supper had by Our Blessed Lord on the momentous occasion of the eve of His crucflxion.
 If this be correct. the power of this sacrement as living institution ceases, and those who commemorate the Lords Supper only at long intervals are right for otherwise, a constant recalling of past event will soon deaden it's freshness. St. Paul speaking from the standpoint of one Into whose life this Christian in- stitution has entered. calls "the cup of blessing participation in the blood of Christ"
 As simple declaration of the Divine intention can the earnest Christian di- minish this or add to it? Can he Loyalty say: No; there Is no gift, no nourishment of the soul "by the body and blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the bread and wine"?
 On the other hand, what right have we to add the assumption that the ''bread brethren. is to accept the truth that for Us this Is a participation in the blood and the body of Christ.
 The Second Ward. The second word of Eucharist is to be found In l Cor. xiv.-16 and in 1 St. Tim. ii.-1, where St. Paul speaks of the giving of thanks Gin Greek, Eucharistia) in such a way that leads to the conclusion that he meant the Holy Eucharist. Eminent Scholars speek of it as .'the favorite designation at the first"
 In the institution of the Lords supper 1t is said that our Lord gave thanks'' before the breaking of the bread of the sacrament. He offers Himself for others: This is My body which Is given for you" and His blood which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'' Have we no thanksgiving, no Flu charist to offer Him for His so great sac- rifice?
 It is this word-E -Eucharist-that pre-