The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-05
(BY WILLIAM t. ELLIs.)

lM--a El SdCTdLuGIL Will HIAAS4A NAA-S
lesson deals. I have seen
great companies of. picked
men from all parts of the land, bowed
in reverent participation. have knelt
on the bare ground of historic pat
tIefield at sunrise while at an 1mpro-
vised altar the chaplain administered
the elements to few soldiers. ON the
high seas, while the ship reeled ana
tossed, holding on to the fixed 1urnl.
ture, have shared with a company OF
traveI1ers this ever mysterious privi-
lege. In great and impressive cathe-
drals have found the same sp!rn IN
the same sacrament, even as When
partook of it from primitive porceIalH
vessels in a cold native cndpeI III liz
terror China.
What pictures the mention of this
supper calls up. Here it is priest
administering the sacrament at the
risk of his life to an imprisoned anu
diving engineer beneath wrecked ran
Way train: there it is company OF
nersecuted Scotch coVenanterS out on
the heather. To this day the traveller
NAV see the little rooms IN the SdId
combs at Rome where the early Chfls-
tians kept the feast. Lonely rura1 CON
pregations: great cosmopolitan conVen-
Tions. in every nation and cline, ana
IN practically all branches OF tne
Christian church, this sacraIneht -
kent even as it has been down Iie
ages, in commemoration of the sacrl-
e. IF the worlds Redeemer. The un-
sDeakabIe ministry of this institution
10 millions of hearts makes any con
CELEBRATION of it reVerent and thought
full.
s.Remember Me-"
There is a touchingly human side to
the institution of the LORD S supper
The net of hatred and envy was swiftly lily
f{ghtening its coils about Jesus. me
triumph of his foes was only rev
hours distant. The fact OF the new
able cross doomed large before ms
ewes. AS a last preparation, Tor tne II
and for himself, the Teacher gatheLeu1
his disciples about him for one last
heart to heart conference. BY clever
Encouragement he assured the privacy
of the gathering against surprise: inns
time of tender farewell must pc until
terrupted.
The hunted and doomed man yea l-I,-
ed with a heart-hunger such as ohiy
the great can know, for the fellowship
oF his friends. He wanted them TO
remember him after his death. Ihat
he might be kept Vividly before ther
ewes in his essential character, ne IS
11pon the old Jewish memorial feast
the Passover. The two ordinances
have the same kind of sign1flcance'
on;y the latter represents human
hearted Saviour's yearning TO contln-
ne 70 live in the love of his friends.
admonition of it when he wrote TO ms
Young friend Timothy, Remember Jes-
us Christ.
AS vet Christendom has failed to &C
cent properly the significance OF the
fact that Jesus chose to. be rememoer-
ed in a fraternaI feast, and not IN d
solitary fast. 1t is while his frlendS
are gathered about common tapl0
that they are to have him in remem-
brance, and to talk with one announcer
Ii hot
center of family life and Of friendly
communion is perhaps better under-
stood in the old world than in the new
Perhaps it is because We have peen
busily engaged for two centuries n
onenine I'D a new country or perhaps
# is because of the gloomy strain OF
our Puritan forefathers, but at any
rate there is overmuch aceticism as
ISOLATED with our religion. The MASTER
who began his ministry at the mar
rage feast in Cana ended 1t at the re
membrance supper In the upper roolii
The Forward Look.
1.-THE trouble with Greece" said an
other day, sis that it is too much en-
crossed with the glories of the past
to devote itself to the needs OF the
present and the future" NO nation
can live on it's past, as certain otneT
powers besides Greece are learning to-
the virtues of his ancestors. This
great memorial service which Jesus IN
stituted was marked by all the acute
knowledge of life which characterized
his every deed, and so it was MADE TO
Dofnt forward. The Passover which 1t
was meant to supplement or supplant,
had looked backward. This celebra-
ton kept in mind the new feast, in the
kingdom of triumph, where there
would be no enemies to harass the
Il Il
their hearts.
The principle is a sound one for
every day conduct 1t is the forward
look that is invigorating. Life is par
alyzed when it stops striving in order
TO indulge in complacent self-contem-
plation- Youths prospects and pur-
poses mean more to the race than ma
turity's retrospection The man who
ceases to grow because he is so proud
of what he has done is a figure as
pathetic as he is common. Christian
1ty's best days are always ahead. There
is essential rightness, and fidelity to
type. in the modern missionary i'm
pulse. The last Supper was a finger
board pointing forward.
The Master at a Slaves Task.
"a gentleman can do anything" says
the proverb. The truly great may con-
descend to the lowliest actions; it is
only the person who is not sure of his
station and prowess who is ever at
pains to guard his dignity. Such a lot
of second raters. it must be admitted,
were these friends whom Jesus was
toilsomely making over into frst-class
men. They were filled with the Jeal-
ousies of the petty. They forgot their
common politeness in zeal for pre-
eminence. The assembly reclined al
supper without having had its feet
bathed, because each Of the disciples
felt himself superior to the task.
Then 1t was that the mild and pa
tent Jesus arose, and having girde6
himself with all his supernatural of
fees, in the full knowledge that ht
came from God and was going to God
he next gtrded himself with the bowe
of service. and Iaved the feet of these
squabbling friends. In a Weather com
pany it would have been a slaves task
Fully aware Of the mental nature 0