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I. THE INSTITUTION OF THIS HOLY RITE. "This do" — that is, do what I am doing. To do what Jesus did we are to take bread and wine. And we are to take this bread and wine, not for an ordinary meal — for they "had supped'; and St. Paul says, "If any hunger, let him eat at home," — but for a sacramental feast, a means of feeding in our souls upon the Body and Blood of Christ our Saviour. Again, if we would do what Jesus did, we must, before we eat that bread and drink that wine, have them consecrated: "Jesus blessed"; and, as St. Paul says, "the cup of blessing which we bless." Next, we are to have a minister to consecrate them. We do not find that any disciples meeting together could consecrate the elements, for in Matthew we are told, that "Jesus blessed it and brake it, and then gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat, this is My Body." Again we find, that in doing this, our Lord accompanied it with prayer.

II. THE PURPOSE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER — "do this in remembrance of Me." The remembrance of Jesus may be considered actively or passively — "this do in remembrance of Me" — that is, to remind Jesus of us, or to remind us of Jesus. The expression may be applied both ways, and may be profitably considered in either view. We have need of reminding Christ of us, of our necessities, our wants, our joys, and our sorrows, as in Isaiah 43:26. In Numbers 10:9, we have the same truth of reminding God of us set before the Jews, and so s gain in Malachi 3:16, 17. In this view of these words, we have then this truth set before us that, in that holy ordinance, we remind Jesus of His covenanted mercy, of His dying love, the price it cost Christ to purchase our souls, the greatness of His promises, the reality and truth of our faith in Him, the necessity we have to bring before Him our weakness and our woes. We remind Him that we do indeed believe in Him, and that, believing in Him, we cling to His precious covenant. In taking of the memorials of His dying love, we remind Him that we are those of whom He has said, "He that believeth on Me, though He were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth on Me shall never die." But again, the remembrance of Jesus, taken passively, implies that we remember Jesus; our remembrance of Jesus implies, not merely a remembrance of one act of the Saviour, of one truth, or one fact connected with His gospel or His life, but a remembrance of Himself. He does not say, do it in remembrance of the cross-do it in remembrance of the garden, but, do it in remembrance of Me — My person — My offices — My qualities — My whole being — Christ Jesus our Redeemer — our Friend. Remembrance of Jesus must vary in intensity, and affection, and character, in proportion to our knowledge of His love, His grace, His kindness, and His truth, and of our habitual abiding in Him in our own souls.

III. WHO ARE THE PERSONS THAT OUGHT TO PARTAKE OF IT?

IV. THE DUTY OF OBSERVING IT. It was given for disciples.

(J. Baylee, D. D.)

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KJV: And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.

WEB: When the hour had come, he sat down with the twelve apostles.