Pocahontas star herald., 1923-01-19

discussion of them at the proper
Time But that time is not as now
when we have the emblems before
us aud try 6v all means 10 emulate
the spirit of the Master. A spirit
of love and fraternity should move
US on occasions like this.
THE OCCASION
There Is no sadder period IN the
life of Jesus than the occasion OF
tue institution of the Memorial Sup
per. 1t wac His last night on earth
as mortal man 1t was, so to speak
q part of His farewell message TO
the men whom He had gathered
about Him and whom He loved. In
a way 1t reminds us of the old phil
osopher, Socrates, when forced to
drink the deadly hemlock. 1t fol-
lowed hard upon the saddest fact
connected with His human life-tbe
betrayal by HIS friend and follower
THE PURPOSE
can hardly do justice to this
point without touching the line of
the most bitter controversy that has
gathered around the whole subject
but think that all will agree that
one purpose that the Master had IN
view was to give His people sim.
pie yet beautiful and expressive
memorial Of the greatest event in
the history of the world as we'll as
HIS earthly career. 1t is a notable
fact that a proportion of memorial
services and monuments are to per.
petuste some sad event. Monuments
at our graves speak more of death
than OF life. Who, in passing
cemetery and noting the white CLEAN
of the monuments there, does not
think first OF all of the sad event
that made them necessary.
The first great purpose of the Mem
oral Supper is to recall the suffer
ing and death Of Jesus. Note that
it was the mortal man, Jesus, that
died aud not the Divine Christ. The
glorious Son of God Is from ever
lasting to everlasting. The divine
nature suffered all the agony of a
I lost soul, but 1t did not perish. AS
we gather here today 1t is to hold a
memorial service commemorative of
the fact that Jesus died. This SER
vice is intended to bring afresh TO
our minds the sad events touching
that death. Our minds naturally
turn to the agony of the garden
where Jesus prayed, "My Father, it
1t be possible, let this cup pass
away from me, nevertheless, not as
| will, but as Thou wilt" We see
again the hard faces and cruel looks
of the jewish Elders as they gather
about Plate and demand the death
of Jesus. We hear again the loud
cry of the rabble, "Crucify! CrucI
fyw We see once more the process
son to Golgoths; the soldiers and
Jesus bearing His cross; the Elders
with hate IN their hearts; the mad
crowd of the blood hungry; some
limId disciples; His mother and the
other women. Perhaps these last
followed still hoplrg that some re
prieve from the governor-Just any
thing might happen to stay the aw-
full execution. We watch the pre-.
parations; the digging OF the hole
in the rock; or perhaps 1t Is already
dug for some like purpose; we hear
the olink of the hammer as the nails
are driven home through the culver
ing flesh, we hear the dull thud as
the slowly elevated cross with It's
divine burden drops into the rock
hewn socket. Look! The soldiers
have finished their awful task and
are dividing His rilment among
them and casting dice for His one
woven garment. See the multitude
as they gather. Feel the trembling
Of the earth and the darkness. Hear
again the agonIzlng death cry as of