Show I CHURCH CHIMES Tlio Sermon of the Rev Mr Thrall at the Congregational Church Yesterday Inc Chooses for His Text This Do in Remembrance Me < The Dedication of the New M E Church at Stockton by theRev Mr Iliff The Congregational Church on Third South streetwas yesterday well attended and the congregation was highly satisfied with the sermon of their pastor the Rev Mr Thrall on the subject of the Communion Com-munion The reverend gentleman began by speaking of the original custom of observing ob-serving the Lords Supper and of how it has degenerated He saidit had degenerated degen-erated first into the remembrance of certain dogmas concerning Christ second sec-ond into mere occasion of sentiment third into mere form than which nothing could be more empty He said that religion is not mere intellectual intel-lectual knowledge of God That is theology the-ology Religion is not mere emotion and it is not mere doing but it is I knowing feeling and doing combined in one and since Christ is the highest manifestation of God to man religion is tous who are Christians such a complete union with Christ that we know love and follow him We know Him and we have the mind of Christ We love Him and we have the heart of Christ We are moved by what moved Him We follow Him and we do His commandments command-ments The object is to know Him as one knows his best and most intimate friend so that insensibly and necessarily we shall have His mind His heart and His affections and do His deeds To bring u into His fellowship is the object of tins communion service Its symbolism is similar to that of the old New England Thanksgiving Day or that of any other regular recurring union This do in remembrance of Me is the watchword of every season of earthly fellowship and presupposes a pievious union of minds hearts and hands a i previously existing friendship and fellowship fellow-ship I To remenber Christ is impossible in this ceremony without a careful and discriminating dis-criminating study his life and his works First study the times in which he lived He was in continual conflict with the Roman Governmentwiththe priestly and rabbinical class of Jews and with the messianic hopes of the common people He showed physical courage and spiritual courage with a great motive Greater love than this hath no man that he would lay down his life for that of another He showed self sacrifice for the sake of others He showed courage in action and courage in rest Hughes says Self restraint is the highest form of self assertion This is a lesson we need to learn I Even the children should take part in this ceremony of communion for Jesus was once a boy Those were years when first He heardthe heavenly voice How prone the best of men are to regret the high incentives and resolves of early youth that have led them away from ease and honor into paths of renown and difficulty dif-ficulty It was not so with Christ We have have a truer and better story in the gospels IC Wist ye not that I must be about my fathers business He was subject to His parents and He cherished the inner call even during the impatient waiting period of boyhood How necessary it is for boys to learn that lesson not to break out into youthful license A lesson too seldom learned yet absolutely necessary to a perfectly Christ like character We need to remember not Christian ity but the Lord Jesus himself Paul remembered the Lord Jesus and that made him remember his re ligion Let us remember that He is ours in His simple personality and that fact should not only bind us together but should make us bring others to Him |