NOTES OF AN ADDRESS BY H. A. IRONSIDE (Read prayerfully Exodus 12 :1-28 ; 1 Cor. 5 :7, 8 ; 11 :23-34.)

"And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? that ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshiped " (Ex. 12 :26, 27).

The Lord's thoughtful care for the dawning intelligence of the children in the families of His people of old is strikingly brought out in these verses. The Passover was the yearly reminder of His divine interference when their fathers were slaves in Egypt, and it brought before them, year after year, the great truth of redemption by blood. It was to be expected that the generation growing up would look on with wonder as the various parts of the Passover ritual were carefully carried out by their elders. The question would naturally spring to young lips, again and again, " What mean ye by this service?" and the parents were to answer in accordance with the testimony of the Lord.

The last Passover feast that God ever recognized was that celebrated by Jesus Himself with His disciples in the guest-chamber at Jerusalem. The typical Passover came to an end that night; but, on the same evening, He instituted the great central ordinance of Christianity-the Lord's Supper, as the memorial of His mighty love and infinite sacrifice. Directions for the keeping of this feast are given in the New Testament; and older believers who have gone on in the ways of the Lord, should be able to give a scriptural reason for everything connected with the observance of the' 'breaking of bread" in remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ. For now, as of old, children of believers should ask, " What mean ye by this service ? " And as babes in Christ are born into the family of God, and brought out of the world into association with His separated people, they should know the why and the wherefore of each detail which their eyes behold in connection with this divine institution.

It is my desire, therefore, to answer as simply as possible some of these questions, having in mind, not well-instructed and mature saints, but the youngest of God's children who desire to walk in obedience to His word.

(1) Perhaps one of the first questions that will be asked is, " Why observe this feast so frequently when, in many places in Christendom, it is but at rare intervals that what is called ' the communion' is celebrated ? " For answer we reply that we have in Scripture no distinct command, as in the case of the Passover, regarding the particular times this feast is to be observed. The Passover was to be celebrated once a year, but when the Lord instituted the Supper He implied much more frequent observance when He said, "For as oft as ye do this, do it in remembrance of Me." Surely it is the Lord's desire that His people should often show His death in this way, calling to mind frequently His love and sacrifice for them. In the earliest days of the Church's history, the Christians broke bread daily, but after the first days of transition, and the new dispensation was fully established, we get the scriptural example in Acts 20:7:"Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread" etc. It is well-known that this was the recognized custom in apostolic days. This is not a command, but a word from the Lord, and He has said, "If a man love Me, he will keep my words." A devoted heart does not ask, "How seldom can I do this and yet have the Lord's approval ?" but, "What does His word show to have been the apostolic order in early days ?" The Book answers, "On the first day of the week." On that day, therefore, we delight to come together to remember Him.

(2) Perhaps someone may ask, "Why is there no special person, as a clergyman, to dispense the bread and wine, and take charge of the service as in the denominations generally ?" We answer, Because we cannot find anything like this in the Book. There is no intimation in the Acts or in any of the Epistles of any such officer in the early Church. Believers came together as brethren. The Lord Himself has said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst." Faith laid hold of that and recognized His presence. He, the Head of the assembly, is to-day as true to His word as in the early days. Wherever two or three are found scripturally gathered, He is in the midst; and the Holy Spirit delights to lead out the hearts of His people in their remembrance of their Lord. In that upper room, when the Lord took the bread and the cup, having given thanks He gave them to His disciples to pass them among themselves (Luke 22:17). Christ is personally now in heaven. Mystically, Christ embraces the Lord and the members of His body here on earth. As He, the Head, blessed and gave to His disciples, so He may use any member of His body to do the same. Any brother going to the table to give thanks and to break the loaf or pass the cup is used as hands and lips for the Lord Himself. There is no officialism required, the simpler the better. It is Christ with whom we desire to be occupied; and he who goes to the table does so as acting under Him. If anything-any ordination or official position-were necessary, the word of God would have indicated it ; but for this we search its pages in vain. " One is your master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren."

(3) "Why do you have one unbroken loaf upon the table as the feast begins, and break it afterwards?" Because the one loaf pictures the precious body of our Lord Jesus Christ in its entirety, and the breaking signifies His death. Also we are told, "We being many are one bread" (literally, "one loaf" ), "for we are all partakers of that one loaf" (i Cor. 10:17). To cut the bread into small pieces is to lose sight of this striking symbolism.

As it is passed from one to the other, after having been blessed and broken, each again breaks for himself, thus indicating his communion in the body of Christ.

(4) "Why is wine used, and why do all drink of it ?" The cup contains the fruit of the vine. It speaks of the precious blood of Christ, the price of our redemption. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ?" As the clusters of grapes are crushed and give forth "the blood of the grape," so Christ endured the judgment of God for our sins, and His precious, atoning blood was shed for our salvation-In sweet and solemn silence, with grateful hearts, we drink of the cup which reminds us of the mighty cost of our redemption.

(5) "Why is not this holy feast open for every one ? Why such care to see that only those who know what it is to be saved, and are known to lead godly lives, partake at this feast ?" Because the Lord must be sanctified in them that draw nigh to Him. This sacred observance is for those who have a common interest in the death of Christ, and have been saved by His blood. Even of the Passover the command was, "There shall no stranger eat thereof" (Ex. 12:43). In i Cor. 5:9-11 we are distinctly directed to walk in a path of separation from the world and from evil-doers. Of some we are told, "With such an one, no, not to eat." This clearly includes the Lord's supper, and shows us the importance of care as to those who partake at the Lord's table. Again in i Cor. 6 (read the entire chapter), and 2 Cor. 6:11-18, we have impressed upon us the importance of walking apart from the world if we are to have fellowship with God. And while it :'s true that each individual is responsible to "examine himself" in the fear of the Lord before sitting at His table, there is also grave responsibility resting upon the assembly^to maintain a holy fellowship.

(6) "Why is there no previously arranged program as to the order of this service-the hymns to be sung, prayers to be offered, and ministry of the Word? Is not time wasted in silence which might be occupied in teaching or expounding the Scriptures ?" It is important, first of all, to understand that the object of this meeting is not for prayer, or ministry, or hymn-singing, or mutual enjoyment. We come together to joy before the Lord, and to offer Him the worship of our hearts, while remembering what He passed through for us. What a great privilege it is to look as it were upon His face! What reverence should pervade our spirits. Surely there should be no lightness of behavior, no frivolity, no worldly joviality manifested as we came together. Instead of coming to listen to preaching, our one desire should be to commune with Him, while gratitude and worship fill our hearts as we recall His agony once endured on the cross for us, and now behold His glorious countenance. And at such times the Holy Spirit delights to move our hearts in unison with hymns of praise, making melody to the Lord. Formalism is out of place there, and if any speak it should be to the praise of His name, the edification of the saints, or instruction by the Word to give better understanding and apprehension of our Lord's Person or work. None would have the effrontery to set Christ aside, as it were, by taking the place of a preacher at such a time.

When we thus come together before the Lord, we will realize how we ought to behave in the house of God, for the Spirit is there to guide His obedient people. We should keep before our souls the object for which we gather, and any brother would be decidedly out of place who at such a time sought to occupy us with lengthy expositions of Scripture, or exhortations as to conduct which have no bearing on the object for which we come together. The sense of the Lord's presence will put a check upon the flesh, and any participating, either in the giving out of hymns, or in leading the assembly in praise, thanksgiving, or reading a portion of the Word, should realize his responsibility to be guided by the Spirit, and with a view to edification-not simply to give expression to personal feeling. If there be periods of silence, it will be no wasted time as we all sit with adoring hearts before Him whom we have come to meet.

In closing, let me press upon all the importance of being present on lime, that there may be no distraction in the meeting. If there be conscientious care as to this, the precious results will soon be manifest. It is a pitiful commentary on the state of many believers that they can be sharply on time every week day morning at their places of business or employment, and yet be among the stragglers on the first day of the week, when the hour set is much later than that at which they frequently go to business. In Luke 22 :14 we read, " When the hour was come, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him." Let us not dishonor our Lord by late straggling in, as if it were of no consequence.