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January 20, 1909. THE PRESBYTERIi
IRISH COMMUNIONS IN THE OLDEN TIMES.
By David McMeekin.
There are still a few congregations in Ireland connected
with what is known as the Reformed Presbyterian
Synod?the old Covenanting church of Scotland.
Their membership is neither numerous nor influential
in the present day. One of their regnant principles is
that their members should take no part in the election
of members of parliament. They would also preach in
the pulpits of the Irish General Assembly, but 011 no
.armiint urr?nl/l flio? 4.. ? * 1 "
..~w.vw...iiiiii iiic i_uinpiiineni ana asK
ministers of the General Assembly to preach in their
pulpits. They are narrow beyond description, but yet
a trustworthy, reliable people, who read their Bibles,
attend their churches and sanctify the Sabbath day. In
conversation with an aged member of this communion
lately his description of a communion service in the
olden times will bear repetition.
The services on a communion Sabbath he said commenced
at 11 o'clock in the morning and continued up
till 8 o'clock in the evening. There were several ministers
present to assist the local pastor. The action
sermon was preached by the minister of the congregation,
when Psalms would be explained, chapters expounded
and a sermon preached, the entire service extending
over a period of three hours. After this one
of the ministers present would fence the table, as it
was called?that is he would erect a fence around the
communion for its protection?showing who should and
who should not enter within the sacred enclosure. The
ministers in the Highlands of Scotland were and still
are specialists in fencing the table. I heard of one of
them who on one occasion debarred his hearers so vehemently
that only three individuals communicated.
In the days of which "we speak the people did not
as they do now communicate in the pews?tables at
this time were erected in the aisles of the church, covered
over with linen cloth, to which the officiating minister
invited intending communicants. For a time a
solemn silence prevailed, after which a move would be
maue in one ot the pews by the rising of an individual?
then another would rise, then another, until a sufficient
number had taken their places at the table. During
their progress to the table they were all in the most
reverent manner, singing portions of Psalm 103.
The tables at which the several communicants were
to be present were numbered 011 the tokens, little square
pieces of pewter having the name of the church 011 one
side and the number of the t&ble on the other. When
all were seated the presiding minister would commence
the solemn service by an address, after which he would
consecrate the elements. This being done the tokens
would Kp pnllaoto'l ? ? -L:-L '*- "
wnvutu, <xilci wmcn me elements would be
distributed. When all had partaken the minister would
close this part of the service with an address, at the
conclusion of which the communicants would leave the
table as they came to it?singing. Afterwards the second
table would assemble and be similarly addressed
and so on in succession until all had partaken. It was
not an unusual thing to have eight or ten tables. Communion
was observed only twice in the year and so
OF THE SOUTH. 9
some of those communicating came from great distances.
The closing exercises of the day were usually
taken by the minister of the place, the only light they
had being that supplied by wax candles and the moon.
There were other services besides the Sabbath ones that
those coming to communion were expected to attend.
There was the Thursday Fast Day service. Then there
was a service on Saturday, while Monday was spent in
the church as a day of thanksgiving. A practice that
prevailed also at communion was for the officiating
ministers during the week succeeding communion to
visit the members of the congregation and make the
following inquiries: 1. Were you present at communion
and if net why? 2. If at communion how did
you enjoy the service? My old Covenanting friend told
me that these prolonged communion services were con?1..^1..,1
......11.. _jj e- ^
<-iuucu uauuiijr wim an auuress irom 2V,or. 13 : II,
when the people would be visibly affected. The communions
here now are not so prolonged..
Ireland.
A FRESH START TOWARD CHRIST.
By Rev. Theodore L. Cuyler, D. D.
A man has just gone out of my room who said to vme:
"I am going to begin the new year with a fresh start."
All his life he had been drifting farther and farther off
from where his conscience told him that he ought to be.
His ''fresh start"' was toward Jesus Christ. And every
unconverted person who reads these lines ought to take
me ?<iiiic si-cp; juu cxpcci 10 uo 11 ai some nine oeiore
you die; do it now. Jesus Christ waited for you all
last year, and many years before it; hasten to him at
once.
Do not wait for any keener sense of guilt; people
often discover more of their own weakness and wickedness
after they have come to Jesus than they ever
dreamed of before. Do not wait for more feeling. If
you had fallen from a ferryboat into the North river,
filled with floating ice, would you wait to feel colder
before you grasped the rope flung out to you? When
Jesus told the blind beggar to come to him. he cast off
his garment and came straightway. When the leper
besought Christ to heal him, the Master bade him "go
show himself to the priest." The suffering wretch did
not stop to count his scabs or scales, nor inquire, "What
good will it do me to go?" He asked no questions, but
started, and "as he went he was healed." The path of
obedience was the path of salvation; it will be just so
with you.
When Jesus encountered James and John on the lake
shore of Gennesaret, he simply said to them. "Follow
me." He did not come twice after them, nor did he .
need to speak twice to them. Their destiny hung upon
ten minutes; so may yours. Suppose that these two
fishermen had treated the Savior as you have always
treated him, where were their wonderful history, their
priceless service, and their crown of glory? Their destiny
turned on a "Yes" or a "No." They did not stop
to cry over their sins, or to bargain with their new Mas