(1.) _An act of remembrance_. When our Lord gave the bread and wine to his disciples, he said, “Do this in remembrance of me:” and when they are given to us, we receive them in remembrance of Christ. We know in common life what a value we put upon any token of affection, on a book, ring, or picture, which has been given as a memorial by some dear departed friend. It becomes sacred in proportion to our love for those who gave it, and when that love is strong we care far more for it than for other things of incomparably greater value. This act is a memorial or remembrance of Christ; an outward sign to show how much we love him. He is in heaven at the right hand of God, so that none can see him; but, while the world rejects him, we remember him; and when we receive that bread and wine, we set to our seal that he is our soul’s beloved, that we live on his grace, and can never forget his mercy. But we do not merely show our remembrance of his person and character; the communion is especially a remembrance of his death. It was appointed on the very night before his crucifixion, and the broken bread represents his body crucified, while the wine is a figure of his blood so freely shed for our sins. “As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s _death_ until he come.”—Verse 26. Now, there never was an act so full of love as that; the world’s whole history contains nothing like it; the Son of God endured the curse of rebel man. Nor did anything ever done so closely affect our deepest interests; our whole hope of eternal life depends on what he then endured for us. Had he not suffered in our stead, we had all surely perished; but now, because he has borne that curse which we deserve, believing in him we are no less surely safe. Never, therefore, must that death of Christ be forgotten or disregarded by the Christian; it is our hope, our life, and only source of peace; and that man must have known little of a Saviour’s grace who does not desire to “bind it as a sign upon his hand,” and to let it be “as frontlets between his eyes.” Now, when we take the bread and wine we express before the world our thankful remembrance of his grace; we declare before men the deep fidelity of our grateful love. We may show our gratitude either by words or actions. This is an action to denote the deep affection of those who live by faith, a visible utterance of their unseen and unceasing gratitude.