32:3 In ancient Rome a soldier was required to swear allegiance to his general. The Latin word for this oath was /sacramentum/, and our English word 32:6 /sacrament/ is derived from it. Among the Jews it was an ancient custom for the master of a feast to pass each guest a cup of wine. But the 32:9 Eucharist does not commemorate a Roman soldier's oath, nor was the wine, used on convivial occasions and in Jewish rites, the cup of our Lord. The cup shows 32:12 forth his bitter experience, - the cup which he prayed might pass from him, though he bowed in holy submis- sion to the divine decree. 32:15 "As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and 32:18 gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it." Spiritual refreshment The true sense is spiritually lost, if the sacrament is 32:21 confined to the use of bread and wine. The disciples had eaten, yet Jesus prayed and gave them bread. This would have been foolish in a 32:24 literal sense; but in its spiritual signification, it was nat- ural and beautiful. Jesus prayed; he withdrew from the material senses to refresh his heart with brighter, with 32:27 spiritual views. Jesus' sad repast The Passover, which Jesus ate with his disciples in the month Nisan on the night before his crucifixion, 32:30 was a mournful occasion, a sad supper taken at the close of day, in the twilight of a glorious career with shadows fast falling around; and 33:1 this supper closed forever Jesus' ritualism or concessions to matter. Heavenly supplies 33:3 His followers, sorrowful and silent, anticipating the hour of their Master's betrayal, partook of the heavenly manna, which of old had fed in the wilderness the 33:6 persecuted followers of Truth. Their bread indeed came down from heaven. It was the great truth of spiritual being, healing the sick and casting out error. 33:9 Their Master had explained it all before, and now this bread was feeding and sustaining them. They had borne this bread from house to house, /breaking/ (explaining) it to 33:12 others, and now it comforted themselves. For this truth of spiritual being, their Master was about to suffer violence and drain to the dregs his cup of sorrow. 33:15 He must leave them. With the great glory of an everlast- ing victory overshadowing him, he gave thanks and said, "Drink ye all of it." The holy struggle