The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-11-08
n THE RELIGIOUS WORLD
What Church Folk Are Think
ing Abon. and Doing
International Sunday School Les
~nn fer November 6, is The Last
Matt. 20: 1880.
BY William II. Ellis.

ANYBODY with imagination must b.
Drverfully Impressed with the solen-
nity Of the sacrament with which this
lesson deals. l have seen great COM
NAMES Of picked men from all parts
ii the land, bowed in reverent partici-
cation. | have knelt on the bare
ground Of a historic battlefield at sun
rer while at an i~Inprovised altar the
chaplain administered the elements to
Il few soldiers On the high sea
While the ship reeled and tossed, hold
ing On to the fixed furniture, I have
shared with a company of travellers
this ever-mysterious privilege. In
great and impressive cathedralS / rave
tound the same spirit in the same sac
rament. even as when l partook of it
from primitive porcelain vessels. in a
cold native chapel in interior China.
What pictures the mention Of this
Supper calls up. Here it is a priest
administering the sacrament al the
risk of his life to an imprisoned and
dying engineer beneath a wrecked
Y"aiIWav rain: there it is a company
Of prosecuted Scotch out
on The heather. To this day the tray
tl5r may see the little rooms in the
catacombs of Rome where the early
Christians kept the feast. Lonely
rural congregations; great cosmopol-
tan conventions; in every nation and
cline, and in practically all branches
If the Christian Church, this sacra-
Uent is kept. even as it has been down
the ages, n COmnlemoration of the
sacrifice of the worlds Redeemer.
The ~unspeakable ministry of this insti-
tuition to millions of hearts makes
consideration of it reverent and
thoughtful.
Remember Me-
There is a ~touchingly human side to
the institution of the Lords Supper.
Tho not of hatred and envy WAS swift
~ tightening it's coils about Jesus. The
triumph of his foes was only a few
hours distant. h fact Of the inevi-
table cross doomed large before his
eyes. AS a last preparation. for them
and for himself, the Teacher gather
ed his disciples about him for one last
hea~rt-to-heart conference. Bv clever
Encouragement he assured the pri-
vaty of the gathering against surprise:
this time of tender farewell must be
Uninterrupted.
The hunted and doomed Man yearn-
ed, with a heart-hunger such as only
the great can know, for the Fellowship
of his friends. He wanted them to
remember him after his death. That
he might be kept wildly before their
established the Lords Supper, basins
1t upon the old Jewish memorial
feast, the Passover. The two ordi-
nances have the same kind of signif-
canoe; only the latter represents 6
human-hearted Saviour's yearning te
friends. Paul comprehended thu
meaning n admonition Of It wher
he wrote to his young friend Timothy
"Remeraber Jesus Christ"
AS yet, Christendo,n has failed t.
accent properly the significance OF tn
fact that Jesus chose to be remember
ed IN a fraternal feast, and not in
solitary feast. It is while his friend
are gathered about a common tabl
that they are to have him IN remeIn
brance, and to talk with one anOthe
concerning him. That the table is tn
center Of family life and of friendl
communion is perhaps better under
stood in the old world than IN tn
new. Perhaps it is because we hav
been husily engaged for two centurie
In opening up a new country, or per
hars it IS because of the gloom
strain OF our Puritan Blu
at any rate there is overnuch acct
cism associated with our religion. TIL
Master who began his ministry at tn
marriage feast il Cana end ed 1t q
the remembrance supper In the uppe
room
The FORWARD Look.
The trouble with Greece" said a
enlightened Greek patriot to me tn
other day, "is that it is too much er
crossed with the glories Of the pa
to devote itself to the needs OF tn
present and the future" No nat1o
can live on It's past. as certain otne
powers besides Greece are learnin
today. Neither can a man succeed b
the virtues of his ancestors. IN
great memorial service which Jes,
Instituted was marked b. all the acut
kn0wIed ge Of life. which characterize
his every deed, and so it was made
point forward. The Passover which
was meant to supplement or suppian
I~2 49, u,n TfbiG rOIQtrr
ton kept In mind the new feast, in tt
kingd ON Of triumph, where thej
would be no enemies to harrass tf
celebrants and no traitors to saddle
their hearts.
The principle is a sound one II
or-nr. dou nnnduct II 10 the fOrNar