But to the mocker, the godless, the profane; the actual receiving of Christ’s Body is no benefit, but rather injury--as was said of the unbelieving Jews--“Seeing, they see not, and hearing, they hear not.” So these, eating, they eat not--not having the necessary spiritual powers and faculties for receiving and uniting themselves with Christ; they have not that identification of their life with Him, that personal actual knowledge of Him, in which standeth or consisteth eternal life--they are like the multitude who thronged and touched our Lord, deriving no benefit from the contact; not having the simple earnest faith of the poor woman who touched Him for her disease--they cannot be made whole by the virtue that proceedeth from Him. There is another great doctrine, in connection with the Holy Eucharist, which has of late been grievously neglected; I mean the Doctrine of the Sacrifice.-- To state this doctrine in full, to discuss and remove objections, would require a treatise of itself. Briefly then, I would state, that the sacrificial character of the Eucharist is perhaps its highest and chief end. The glory of God--the fulfilment of His will and work, is the supreme object of man’s existence--man’s own welfare is but secondary. Operating therefore to counteract the treasonable idolatry with which man serves and loves the creature rather than the Creator, God has ever instituted certain material observances by which He has appointed man to recognize and serve Him, and to become vehicles of Communion with His Creature. Thus, days have been taken from time--places from the earth--substances and persons from His creatures, which He has required to be wholly diverted from their ordinary use, and devoted in special ways to Himself--the Sabbath--the Sanctuary--the Sacrifice--the Priesthood, were thus appointed to the Jews--The Lord’s Day--the Parish Church--the Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist and the Priesthood--have the same object and office with us Christians. They are our means of worshipping and serving God--our first great duty, irrespective of all personal considerations, although in the merciful Providence of God, our fulfilment of these obligations, is fraught with the greatest benefit to ourselves. On the sacred time then, at the sacred place, we come to offer the sacred offering; but what shall we bring? Ourselves, our substance, our devotions, are all imperfect and stained with sin. All were too little to testify our duty--all utterly impotent to obtain our needs. In the service then, of the Holy Communion, we offer unto God, an offering far more precious and acceptable than any earthly object--we offer, present, the Consecrated elements, the sacred Body of our Lord supernaturally present, after, and by means of consecration. Before the Throne of Grace no sacrifice can be so perfect, no plea so prevailing, as when we interpose between ourselves and the Majesty of God, the Person of His Adorable Son.