certainly perish.  But there is not the same necessity for admitting young people to the Lord’s Supper.  They are not left out in the cold, like the lambs in the field, even when not admitted to this holy ordinance.  They are already under the care and protection of the good Shepherd.  He can guard them, and keep them, and cause them to grow in grace, even though, for awhile, they do not have the help and comfort of this sacrament.  And, if they are kept back through the fault or mistake of others, he will do so.  This sacrament, like that of baptism, is, as the catechism says, “generally necessary to salvation.”  This means that it is important “where it may be had.”  But, if circumstances beyond our control should prevent us from partaking of it, we may be saved without it.  Still, I think that young people who give satisfactory evidence that they know and love the Saviour, and are trying to serve him, ought to be allowed to come forward to this holy sacrament.

Some people when urged to come to the Lord’s Supper excuse themselves, by saying that—­“they are not prepared to come.”

But this will not release any one from the command of Christ—­“This do.”

What the preparation is that we need in order that we may come, in a proper way, to this holy sacrament, is clearly pointed out in the exhortation that occurs in the communion service of our church.  Here the minister says—­“Ye who do truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways:  draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort.”  And there is no excuse for persons not being in the state these words describe:  for this is just what God’s word, and our own duty and interest require of us.  If we have not yet done what these words require, we ought to do it at once; and then there will be nothing in the way of our obeying the command of Christ, when he says—­“This do, in remembrance of me,” By all the authority which belongs to him our Saviour commands us to keep this holy feast.  And the first reason why we ought to “do this,” is because of its connection with the word of his command.

The second reason why we ought to “do this”—­is because of its connection with the memory of his sufferings.

We are taught this by the word remembrance, which our Saviour here uses.  He says, “This do in remembrance of me.”  This means in remembrance of my sufferings for you.  And this is the most important word used by him when he established this sacrament.  It is the governing word in the whole service.  It is the word by which we must be guided in trying to understand what our Lord meant to teach us by all he did and said on this occasion.