Part 5 (2/2)

We do not claim for the rite of confirmation a ”_thus saith the Lord_.” We do not claim that it possesses sacramental efficacy, or that it is absolutely essential to salvation. We do claim, however, that there is nothing unevangelical or anti-scriptural in this ceremony. On the contrary, we believe it is in perfect harmony with the whole tenor and spirit of the Gospel. If we cannot trace it to apostolic usage, we can find it in all its essential features in the pure age of the Church immediately succeeding the Apostles. In some form or other it has been practiced in the Church ever since.

True, it has often been and is still grossly abused. It has often been enc.u.mbered and entangled with error and superst.i.tion; and therefore there have not been wanting radical purists who have not only set it aside, but cried it down as Romish and heathenish. The more sober and conservative churches have been content to purge it of its error and superst.i.tion. In its purified form they prize it highly, cherish its use, practice it, and find it attended by G.o.d's richest blessing.

It is a significant fact also that some of those who were once its most bitter opponents are gradually returning to its practice. We find, for example, that certain Presbyterian churches confirm large cla.s.ses of catechumens every year.

Certain Methodist book concerns and publis.h.i.+ng houses also-publish confirmation certificates, from which we infer that some of their churches also must practice this rite. Again, we find in certain ”pastors' record books,” gotten up to suit all denominations, columns for reporting the number of confirmations.

All churches must indeed have some kind of a ceremony for the admission of the young among the communicants of the church. And there certainly is no more befitting, beautiful and touching ceremony than confirmation, as described above and practiced in the Lutheran Church.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE LORD'S SUPPER--PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

Our catechumen has now been confirmed. The pastor has given him, in the name of the congregation, the right hand of fellows.h.i.+p, and also publicly authorized him to join with the congregation in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. For the first time, then, the young Christian is to partake of this holy sacrament, in order that thereby he may be still further strengthened and confirmed in the true faith.

This sacred inst.i.tution, also, is a part of G.o.d's Way of Salvation. It is one of the means of Grace appointed and ordained by Christ. It ”hath been inst.i.tuted for the special comfort and strengthening of those who humbly confess their sins and who hunger and thirst after righteousness.”

It is true that mult.i.tudes do not regard it as a means or channel of Grace. To them it is only an ancient rite or ceremony, having no special significance or blessing connected with it. It is at most a symbol, a sign, or representation of something, entirely absent and in no way connected with it. If there is any blessing at all attached to it, it consists in the pious thoughts, the holy emotions and sacred memories, which the communicant tries to bring to it and which are in some way deepened by it. At best, it is a memorial of an absent Saviour, and in some form a representation of His sufferings and death.

Now if this were all that we could see in the Lord's Supper, we would not regard it as a part of G.o.d's Way of Salvation. But our Church sees much more in it. With her it is indeed an essential and integral part of that Way. And since this is another of the few points on which the Lutheran Church differs materially from many others, it will be well for us to devote some s.p.a.ce and time to its study.

Much has been written on this important subject. We may not have anything new to add, but it is well often to recall and re-study the old truths, so easily forgotten. Before we consider the nature of this sacrament, we will make a few preliminary observations that will help us to guard against false views, and to arrive at correct conclusions.

We observe first, the importance of bearing in mind the _source_ from which this inst.i.tution has come. Who is its author? What is the nature or character of its origin? Our views of any inst.i.tution are generally more or less influenced by thus considering its origin.

Whence then did the Church get this ordinance which she has ever so conscientiously kept and devoutly celebrated? Did it emanate from the wisdom of man? Did some zealous mystic or hermit invent it, because forsooth he supposed it would be pleasant and profitable to have such an ordinance in the Church? Or did some early Church Council inst.i.tute it, because those earnest fathers in their wisdom deemed it necessary that the Church should have such a service? Can it, in short, be traced to any _human_ origin? If so, then we can deal with it as with any other human inst.i.tution. We are then at liberty to reason and speculate about it. We can apply to it the rules of human science and learning. We can test it, measure it, sound it by philosophy, logic, and the laws of the mind. Each one then has a right to his own opinion about it. Each one can apply to it the favorite test of common sense, and draw his own conclusions.

But now, we know that this is not a human inst.i.tution. The Church has received it from the hands of the Son of G.o.d. It was ordained by Him who could say, ”_All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth_,” and, ”_In whom dwelt all the fullness of the G.o.dhead bodily_;” who even before his birth in human form was called ”_the Mighty G.o.d, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace_.” When we come to deal with an inst.i.tution of His, we dare never expect to fathom or test it by our poor, short-sighted and sin-blinded reason, philosophy, science, or common sense. ”_For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts._” Whenever, therefore, we come to deal with anything that comes from His hands, it is no longer of the earth, earthy, and is not subject to earthly laws and human rules. His acts, His deeds, His words, belong to the realm of faith, and not of reason. Reason must ever be taken captive and made to bow before the heavenly things connected, with Him. Or shall we try to reason out His human birth, His growth, His nature, His deeds? Shall we reason out the feeding of the mult.i.tudes with those few barley loaves and fishes? No; they came through His hands, and the power of those hands we cannot comprehend. We cannot comprehend how that afflicted woman could receive virtue, health and life, by touching the hem of His garment--a mere fabric of cloth--or how the clay and spittle from His hands could open the eyes of one born blind.

Whenever, therefore, we come to study this ordinance, let us ever bear in mind its divine origin. It is _the Lord's_ Supper. This precaution will be a safeguard against error, and a help to the truth.

We notice secondly the _time_ of inst.i.tution. It was ”_in the night in which He was betrayed_.” That awful night, when the clouds of divine wrath were gathered over Him, and were ready to burst upon Him; when the acc.u.mulated guilt of a sinful race was all to be laid on Him, borne by Him as though it were His own, and its punishment endured as though He had committed every sin. Then, when the strokes of justice were about to fall, our blessed Saviour, ”_having loved His own, He loved them to the end_.” He gathered His little band of chosen ones about Him for the last time before His crucifixion. He spoke to them His farewell words, uttered His high-priestly prayer, inst.i.tuted and administered to them this holy sacrament. All the surroundings conspired to throw round it a halo of heavenly mystery. Everything was calculated to impress that little band that what He now ordained and made binding on the Church, till He would come again, was something more than an empty sign or ceremony.

Thus the time, the circ.u.mstances, and all the surroundings of the inst.i.tution of this holy sacrament, prepare us in advance to believe that there must be in it or connected with it some heavenly gift of Grace that can be obtained nowhere else.

We notice thirdly the significant _term_ by which Jesus designates this inst.i.tution. When he administered the cup He said: ”This cup is the _New Testament_ in my blood.” He calls it a testament. A testament is a last _will_.

Jesus was about to go forth to die. Before he departed, He made His will. He bequeathes to the Church an inheritance. The legacy that He leaves is this sacrament. Before we undertake to study the words of the inst.i.tution, we wish to impress this thought. A will is the last place where one would use ambiguous or figurative language. Every maker or writer of a will strives to use the clearest and plainest words possible. Every precaution is taken that there may be no doubtful or difficult expression employed. The aim of the maker is to make it so plain that only one meaning can be taken from it.

Neither is any one permitted to read into it any sense different from the clear, plain, literal meaning of the words. Fanciful, metaphorical, or far-fetched interpretations are never applied to the words of a will. Much less is any one permitted to _change_ the words by inserting or subst.i.tuting other words than those used by the maker. Christ's words of inst.i.tution are the words of His last Will and Testament.

We will consider the _nature_ of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in the next chapter.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE LORD'S SUPPER--CONTINUED.

<script>