the next higher plane, almost everything was for Me, but something was for You, for the sake of keeping you peaceable with me. On the still higher plane of civility and patriotism and heroism, they lived more largely for others, but mostly yet for Me. But when they came to the spiritual plane, out broke the divine principle, and they lived no longer for the lower animal nature, or for the social nature, with a small distribution of self, nor even for a patriotic sentiment, with a large and more heroic distribution of self; they came into that spirit in which they lived for others.

That is God. It is the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, who, though he was made in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no repu tation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, and not only that, but the most ignominious death, the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him. God, by that everlasting decree on which the universe stands; God, by the inscrutable law which runs through all eternity, exalted him-the law that he who gives most is highest, and that he who keeps back most is lowest. He that would be chief, let him be your slave; he that would go up, let him come down-that is the law: not a special and arbitrary enactment of Christianity; not a special and arbitrary duty imposed by the church, but a decree brought into the world first by the Lord Jesus Christ. The race had so far risen, when the fullness of times came, that it was possible to develop higher forms of life in which a new kingdom was to break out with effulgence and glory; and here was a revelation of it. That law is, Use the whole power of your life for other men. So you shall harmonize your own life, and fill it with blessedness.

"Take my yoke and my burden," says Christ; "they are light, and they are easy, and they shall bring rest to your souls." Live for yourselves, and you fret; live for others, and all goes smoothly. Live for yourselves and you moan, you are dissatisfied, you are despondent, you are filled with pinings and conflicts and jealousies; live for others, give up

all things to God and to mankind, and count yourself but an accumulated force under the law of love, and life will be bright above, and bright beneath, and bright in the eternal future.

And now, to-day, we are going to celebrate, for the last time this summer, and peradventure for the last time on earth, the Lord's Supper. Who may come and take it? To whom is it offered? For whom is it? What is it? It is bread for the hungry that stands here to-day, saying, "I represent God." What is it? It is the crushed cluster in these cups that stand here to-day, saying, "I am Jehovah." It is that which sets forth to men the giving up of all things for others. That is the divine ideal. That is the conception of God, who lives, not to be the center of the universe, having all things flow in, as into a mighty vortex, toward him. God sits throwing out everywhere, like the sun, light and warmth and power; and he represents himself by the loaf and crushed cluster, saying, "As the loaf feeds others and not itself, and fulfills its nature in giving food and strength to others, so do I eternally give myself to others." As the cluster gives its life, its very innermost blood, that others may be cheered, itself being destroyed, but gloriously reappearing in those that are helped, so it symbolizes the nature of the God of all grace and all joy. Oh, how blessed to be God, if that means to be forever, and with infinite circles, joy upon joy-joy, not in the form of abstract raptures, that roll like airs through the atmosphere, but joy by exalting men, by ennobling them, by sanctifying men, by teaching them a nobler manhood, and waiting till they grow up into it by the divine power of inshining, and so making them joyful here preparatory to the outburst of eternal joy there.

Now, who may come to this table? "I was baptized in my youth; my parents were Christians; they brought me up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; I was catechized up and down and crosswise, I know the catechism from end to end, and I believe it-the Westminster Catechism, I mean; and I have always been accustomed to the house of God." It is said that knowledge puffeth up. I do not ask you to come if that is all the reason you have. "But I belong to the true

church. Jesus Christ founded the church, and ordained great officers in it, and empowered them to forgive sins, and I have had priestly remission and absolution; and therefore I have a right to come." If all you have is from the touch of man's hand, however sacred and reverend, I do not invite you to come. I do not give this invitation to a churchman, or to a member of the church; I do not give it to those who are moral; I do not give it to those who respect the services of religion, and mean to do something toward supporting them in the community. But if there be any soul, in the church or out of the church, that has been touched with priestly hands, or that has never been touched with priestly hands, but that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thinks it is a glorious thing to be God, and do good, and spread joy and goodness throughout the universe-if there be any soul that is kindled in the light of God's inspiration, and says, "I, too, want to live in that way," that soul I invite. But there is much for you to overcome before you can do it; and you must fight the battle for yourself; saying, "If God will help me I will fight that battle." Are there those who say, "I am conscious of my infirmities of temper, and of immoralities of life, but I see what the higher life is, and by the help of God I will live toward it, and will from this hour endeavor to consecrate myself to the welfare of men, as God consecrates himself to my welfare; I will give my life, as far as I know how to give it, for the good of others; I will renounce selfishness and I will embrace benevolence, because it is his command"? Now come and ratify that vow. As you take the bread, and as it gives you strength, determine in yourself that your life shall be as a loaf to others, and that you will give your strength to them. As you take the wine that exhilarates, pray that all the power which is in you may be as courage to the discouraged, and consolation to the disconsolate If you are willing to consecrate all your power of body and soul to the welfare of your fellow-men, I ask you to come. I ask you not because you are sinless-you are very sinful; not because you do your whole duty-you fall far short of your whole duty: I invite you to come because, realizing your sinfulness, and your imperfect performance of

duty, you are striving to overcome your sins and fulfill your duty; and I invoke on you the spirit of God; and if you persevere you will find that you are advancing from class to class. As you rise from the primary school to the academy, from the academy to the college, and from the college to the professional school, so, in the Christian life, if you are faithful, you will advance in the higher way of living for others, until you have become like Christ, and understand more and more of him, and return with larger and larger power of peace and gentleness and goodness, and pour it out on the unlovely and upon the unworthy, and until you have this testimony in yourself: "By the grace of God I live, not for myself, but for others." Then, in that spirit, when death comes, it opens the ears to the eternal rapture, it gives to the heart eternal life, and it brings you, with your introduction written in your own soul, into the presence of God and joying angels.

PRAYER BEFORE THE SERMON.*

WE rejoice, O Lord Jesus, that by the power of thy name men still are called from death to life, that by faith of thee joy takes possession of sorrow, that hope is more than fear, and that there is victory even in defeat. We rejoice that all the streams of human affairsthe temptations of pleasure, the power of pride, the organized forces of human life—are not so much as the power of thy Spirit; that thou dost still, against the world and against all its seductions, bring forth children unto thyself, redeeming them from thrall, creating in them new hearts, and giving them a new spirit filled with love, with joy, with hope and with patience; that finally thou dost carry them forward to the very end; and that having loved thine own, thou dost love them to the end.

To thy holy care and keeping we commit the beloved ones who have been brought into this household of faith. We ask not that their faith may always be one of light or one of ease, but that thou wilt grant to them the secret of songs in the night, of light inward where there is cutward darkness, and strength to endure hardness as good soldiers when thou dost lead them in a strait and narrow way. We pray that their life may not be hid except in Christ. May they shine forth upon the world that which they learn of him. We pray that they may be made fruitful in their spheres of labor. And as thou hast appointed to them severally, grant that they may adorn both the doctrine of Christ and the name of the Saviour, by bearing his Spirit among men.

We pray that thou wilt grant thy blessing to rest upon the great brotherhood; and more and more wilt thou be with every member of this church—with each one in his own personal experiences, in Lis trials, in his secret, inward, hidden life, known only to God. Grant that there may be breathed upon the very springs of action the sanctifying influences of the divine Spirit.

We pray that thou wilt bless all of us in our household life. More and more may we learn of God by the interpretation of our daily experiences. More and more may our love, our friendship, our life be sanctified, that it may reflect upon us the truths of the eternal world. Grant that all the members of this church, in their outgoing and incoming, in their various and appropriate duties in society at large, may bear in them a true manliness. May they have that manhood which is in Christ Jesus. We beseech of thee that they may have force, and enterprise, and victorious accomplishment in the things whereunto they set their hand. May they be diligent in business and fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. And grant that they may serve thee, not alone in their thoughts in the household aud in the church, but in their business, so that everywhere they may be witnesses for Him who loved them, and who gave himself for them. We pray that their spirit may be so guided and so disciplined as that they shall make known to men by their unconscious life, even more than by their words, what is the secret of God with men. We pray

* Immediately following the reception of members into the church.