Again, the words of institution of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, "This is My Blood of the new testament[13], which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (S. Matt. xxvi. 28), pointed both to the ending of the old covenant, or testament, which was sealed in the blood of beasts (Exod. xxiv. 5-8), and to the passing away of the Jewish ritual and modes of worship. And the question would arise, What forms of worship were to be observed by His subjects in place of those ordained by the Law of Moses? Sacrifices could no longer have their former meaning, when the Lamb of God, to which they pointed the worshipper, had been offered upon the Cross. Was "the breaking of bread" to take the place of all the old sacrificial services? And with the subject of worship, the observance of the Sabbath would need to be considered. Was the Jewish Sabbath still binding on men's consciences? Was the Seventh Day to be observed in accordance with the Law of Moses, or was the First Day of the week to take its place, now sacred to the subjects of the Lord Jesus as that on which He rose, and to the keeping of which He had seemed to give His sanction, by appearing once and again on that day to the disciples as they were assembled together? (S. John xx. 19, 26.) On all these points[14] we find, in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, that the Apostles took at once a definite line of action. They knew what to do, and how to direct their converts. And though we have no record of the words of our Lord, we are confident that the Apostles were thus carrying out His own teaching[15], under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, on all such matters "pertaining to the Kingdom of God." Amongst the few words recorded as having been spoken at this time to the Apostles, is this clear promise, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts i. 8). And in the power of the Holy Ghost we find that they went forth to publish the glad tidings of "The Kingdom of Heaven." And, beginning from Jerusalem, they extended their work gradually to Samaria, and Syria, and to all countries, carrying out their Lord's commission, and preaching the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, as freely offered to all who would accept Him as their King, and enter through the strait gate of the New Birth into His Kingdom. FOOTNOTES: [10] For fuller information about this period, see Bishop Moberly's "Discourses on the Great Forty Days." [11] See the note in the margin of a Reference Bible.