particular form of a religious rite, as an obligat. ory institution of the Gospel, is foreign to its genius.

317. The church after the death of the Apostles was made an institution, and then, and not until then; the ordinances, two or more, were given an institutional value, to maintain the institutional church.

318. The general facts relating to baptism are equally applicable to the Lord's Supper. It was observed with as much formality as a social meal,' and with no other thought of distinction, save this one: that they should think of Jesus their Savior and Friend. The symbols aided the memory and meditation, and made occasions for the exercise of faith and love. And when this is said, all is said; for there is to some the highest kind of worship without any externalities, and they only serve to divert the mind."

319. “It is no more necessary that a particular ecclesiastical official preside at the church meal, than that such a one be brought to say grace at the home table. Nor need it be thought that only a deacon can distribute the bread and wine. Whoever can properly ask the blessing and pass the food at the home table, can do so in the church meal. And let the welcome to the church supper be given to all devout persons, baptized or unbaptized." Fox's "Christ in the Daily Meal," p. 125. See Paragraph 323.

320. 2 "When they did thus break bread together, they remembered that night when Jesus Christ sat with the twelve, and brake bread with them, and passed them the bread and the wine. But as yet this simple social supper had not become a sacrament." Abbott's "Life and Letters of Paul," p. 67.

"There is no indication in our sources that in these early days the Lord's Supper was thought of as a continuation of or substitute for the Jewish Passover, or that any paschal significance whatever attached to it,” McGiffert's "Apostolic Age," p. 70.

321. 3 Emerson said: "I like the silent church before the service begins better than any preaching."

322. History points to the first observance of the Lord's Supper in connection with a common meal, each bringing his own contribution in his basket; and, while they were eating, they set apart a portion of the bread and wine for the memorial use. The brotherly love, and the unity of the Community Brotherhood, was expressed by this common meal; and a part of the service was the offering of gifts for the poor.

324. Wherever there were disciples of Jesus, a Brotherhood was formed, which, however small, gave to the heathen the family idea of Jesus' religion; and showed to them how all mankind could be controlled by the spirit of fellowship and fraternal affection. In this way they wore the badge of love indicated in the New Commandment, and by which they were to become known. Would it not be a blessed change today for every community in Christendom, if the brethren in each locality would do away with the sectarian churches which keep them apart and be known to the world simply as a Brotherhood?

2

323. 1 "The Greeks had their voluntary associations which were sometimes charitable, sometimes religious, sometimes social. They were a festive people, and these gatherings were generally accompanied with a meal. The Hebrews were also a festive people. Their religious forms and ceremonies were accompanied to a remarkable extent with eating. They believed in it as a means of unloosing the tongue and uniting people in good fellowship, and in this they were wise. So these early Christians, meeting together in private homes, and expecting the coming of Messiah straightway to set the world right, not only sang hymns, repeated together extracts from the Hebrew Psalms, and administered baptism as a token of faith in Christ, but set down to a common table together." Abbott's "Life and Letters of Paul," p. 66. Uhlhorn's "Conflict of Christianity with Heathenism," p. 132. King's "Cry of Christendom," p. 193.

2 Paragraphs 82, 246.

5. POINTS MANIFESTED IN THIS CHAPTER,

325. Ordinances were never thought of by Jesus or the Apostles, as ecclesiastical institutions; and to give them such a meaning, is the same kind of an apostacy as that of making a cultus out of his religion, and making an institution out of his Church.

326. Bread and wine were things as common as roads, and Christ made such a common thing as the food of a daily meal a reminder of himself.

327. Any number of people, or a family at home meals, or one person by himself, can have a "Lord's Supper." Many families have no freedom in speaking of Jesus, and he is excluded from the circle of the home life. How much better it would be to have it distinctly understood that there is a presence of Jesus when they eat together, and every family meal is "a table of the LORD." Is it the practice of your family to speak freely of Jesus at home? The Jewish designation of a daily meal, "the breaking of bread," is the New Testament designation of the Lord's Supper. Communion is a personal matter the same as eating. "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat," 1 Cor. 11:28. It is a great wrong to divide the Brethren by ordinances. To use them for such an end is a great apostacy. Their value to any who use them depends upon the extent to which they realize, by their use, the spiritual presence of the personal Jesus.

VIII.

JESUS THE FRIEND AND REFORMER.

328. "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; he hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." 1

329. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 2

330. "Suffer the little children to come unto me.'

"3

I. THE MOTHERS AND HOMES.

331. The work outlined in the first text above and followed up as indicated in the other two texts and by Jesus' subsequent labors for mankind, made the great Head of the Road, as a reformer, a veritable successor of the Prophets.* His teaching dealt with their relations and concerns of life, and his efforts were intensely practical. John the Baptist's great popularity was followed by great suffering on his part, and by a year and a half of waiting and imprisonment.

1 Luke 4:18; Isai. 11:2-10; 43:1-16; 61:1, 2.

332. 2 Matt. 11:28. Prof. Harnack says that the words in these first two texts, dominated Jesus' whole work and message, and they contain the theme of all that he thought and did, "What is Christianity?" p. 54. The underlying principle of Jesus' reform work is the regeneration of each in lividual heart, so that men will have similarity of feeling and purpose with God, Paragraphs 241, 243. The Golden Rule, “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them," Matt. 7:12, is the statement of the operation of Jesus' perfect civilization. Jesus made the first complete revelation of a human religion which absolutely took no notice of race, or sex, or class. "In the moral capabilities of a man he created a new order of inalienable rights," Martineau's "Studies of Christianity," p. 313-320.

3 Matt. 19:14.

*Mieah 6:8; Matt. 12:7.

333. Discouraged as to his own future, John sent the question to Jesus, "Art thou he that cometh?" The answer does not refer to opinions and cults and institutions, but is concerned about persons and life: "Go your way and tell John the things which ye do hear and see; the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk and the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them." The ground truth of all this is, Jesus is the practical friend of all suffering and needy ones.

334. The chief concern to lift up humanity, is the family; and this is the place where Jesus made his greatest reforms. From the beginning it was declared that in him all the families of the earth should be blessed. In the homes of the people of all lands, is the place first of all to look in order to know if they have the Life and Light of the world.3

335. It may be expected therefore that, foremost of all in his reform work Jesus would look after the women and mothers. Men have great responsibility, but the chief dependence for a

1 Matt. 11:3.

4

2 Gen. 12:3; 28:14; Acts 3:25. 3 Gen. 18:18; Deut. 6:7; 11:19-21.

336. Some of the most touching facts in the life of Christ relate to women. His mission to them has not been understood, because the church that men see and know has been busy with other matters. If Christians will lead the world to see Jesus on this side of His teaching and work, there is enough to bind the heart of mankind to Him forever.

In all the past, except in favored localities and at rare intervals, a slave was no more in bondage. Might made right; and history is one long record of cruelty to the subordinate by the ruling classes. Woman was classed with the subordinates, and was relegated to the realm of ignorance and servitude. She was given in marriage, or was bartered or sold, as a thing of merchandise.