CHAPTER XI THE PRINCIPLE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER I T seems clear that atonement in its fullest sense is symbolized by the Lord's Supper; and the view of the atonement outlined in this treatise receives strong support from this sacrament. It is surely the sacrament of the cosmic law of vicariousness. The broken bread and the expressed juice of the grape are themselves an exhibition of the fact that even in the sub-human world beings give up their lives for other lives. "This is My body which is given for you." "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for you." In these words, as in His reply to the Greeks, Jesus proclaims that His act of self-giving is akin to that of the grain of wheat crushed to make bread, and to the grape pouring out its life for others. The fact of communion at this point is what gives value to the bread and wine as elements of the sacrament. It is a cosmic truth here made sacramental. Jesus here proclaims that His sacrifice on Calvary is the cap-stone of the universal vicariousness that has its broad base in the constitution of nature-the climax of the total plan. He proclaims by inference that the sign of the cross is upon the wheat and upon the grape, and these elements, in their self-sacrifice for others, point to Him as the fulfillment of their law, and thus become an age-long memorial of His death and passion for us. This ceremony, however, is not merely the sacrament of vicariousness, but of vicariousness appropriated. Bread and wine are useless as a sacrament until taken into the body. So is there no value in the broken body and shed blood of Jesus until we eat Christ's flesh and drink His blood, even as He said in the sixth of John. The grace of God cleanses us from all sin only when we appropriate the principles of loyalty and of altruism to our own lives by taking up the cross. Without personal acceptance of a life of loyalty to truth and of self-devotion to the service of others, there is no forgiveness; for we are yet in our sins, and have neither part THE PRINCIPLE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER nor lot in this matter. "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins;" and we must mingle our blood with the Savior's. Christ appropriated is the means of salvation-the cause of eternal life; for "except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, ye have not life in yourselves." There is no pardon outside of an appropriated Christ; if we have not the Spirit of Christ, we are none of His; there is no reconciliation apart from conformity to the law of His life and death; there is no mysterious atonement wrought in heaven for those who are not willing to wear the cross deep in their hearts, like the aged Sir Launfal; but there is grace enough behind the cross of Calvary to cover the past offenses of the whole world against truth and love, if only the world will in faith turn to Christ's cross and take it up as the supreme principle of human life. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion of [participation in] the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ?'' (1 Cor. 10:16.) These are significant words. To par take of the "Communion" without having the Spirit of Christ-which is the Spirit of the cross -to take the sacrament, while selfishness reigns in our lives, is to eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, and to be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. It is like eating friendly bread with the spirit or heart of an enemy, as did Judas. "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:" there is no atonement, no propitiation; “but if we walk in the light"-the light of the cross-"as He is the light, we have fellowship one with another (that is, we with God, as well as Christians with one another), and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanseth us from all sin." This certainly means that it is "fellowship" that makes atonement effectual; and there is no fellowship with God apart from fellowship in the blood of Jesus, seal and symbol of the divine principle of self-loyalty and loving service. Outside of this principle there is no communion between man and God. In the "fellowship of Christ's sufferings" we are cleansed and saved; and there |