such could be the emblem chosen by my Saviour as the pledge and proof of His everlasting love! Gratitude to my Saviour -God-should be pre-eminently mine, for emancipating me by His word and Spirit, from the galling bondage in which I was so long enthralled, while I received at second hand such false representations of "the cup of the Lord," "the cup of salvation," and "of blessing;" and neglected, diligently and prayerfully to "search the Scriptures" for myself, to see "whether those things were so." And now, let me rejoice with all my heart, that God has been graciously pleased to bestow upon me, and other poor sinners, such a sweet and blessed cup, not only not corrupted and poisonous, (a thing indeed impossible, though so long believed,) but refreshing and nutritious to drink, in remembrance of Him; instead of alcoholic wine, which is "a mocker," or strong drink," which "is raging," like their progenitor and patron, "the father of lies," and "murderer from the beginning!" 66 The arch enemy of mankind—the Devil-succeeded in tempting Adam and Eve by one kind of lie—in making them believe, that by eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, their minds would be enlarged and enlightened; and, that it was unkind in God to keep it from them. Having added to his craftiness by experience, and failed in his attempts to ensnare the Saviour of the world-nourishing a bitter, rancorous hatred against Him, for befriending mankind-he determined to do his utmost to ruin them by a new device, and has succeeded so far, marvellously in the attempt, by inducing so many to believe that their blessed Lord bequeathed to them as a good thing, that intoxicating cup, which the foul fiend well knew, He, as the sin-hating God, had not only not enjoined, but in the most express terms, denounced and prohibited. The more I meditate on my Lord's goodness in identifying Himself with the vine and its fruit for my sake, and that of other helldeserving sinners, the more may I adore and love Him. “The fruit of the vine," which Jesus Himself calls " my blood," with all its sin-cleansing, heart-cheering, hope-inspiring associations, is a rallying point to which Christians may always resort; a strong-hold in which they may always find shelter and protection from the enemy; a watch-word by which they may always communicate and re-assure each other, when taunted or tempted by Satan; a characteristic, holy badge, by which the church militant ought ever to be conspicuously distinguished from the armies of the aliens; they finding their chief sensual gratification in quaffing "the wine wherein is excess,” (dowτía— destruction,) "the cup of Devils;" while the true disciples of the Lord drink with exquisite delight and thankfulness "of the fruit of the vine,' "the cup of the Lord," "the cup of salvation!" rance. We have only noted a few of the emotions and reflections which might probably arise in the mind of a penitent communicant, at the Lord's table, upon first drinking of "the unfermented fruit of the vine," of the existence of which, and the duty of using it, he had so long remained in profound ignoIt must be evident to every intelligent, serious person, that there may be a great variety of "compunctious visitings,' hallowed thoughts, tender sentiments of sacred love, bright anticipations of glory, sincere purposes of greater devotedness to God, and usefulness to man, springing up in the breasts of devout partakers of the Lord's supper, according to their diversified circumstances. But all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, will find abundant materials for pious meditation, and all the sheep and lambs of the flock luxuriant pasture to feed upon, in the sufferings of Christ for them, and the blessedness to be revealed when He shall come "the second time in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels," in connexion with "the fruit of the vine," the exquisitely appropriate and beautiful emblem of His sin-cleansing blood. As it was the forbidden fruit, which was the instrument 66 in the hands of Satan of tempting our first parents to shake off their allegiance to God, so it is a forbidden fruit-that of alcoholic fermentation-"the cup of Devils,"-which he has continued to palm upon their deluded offspring-still turning them. away from "the Father of Lights," (how many, the day of judgment alone can reveal,) they all the while-poor, silly,7 infatuated souls-dreaming that they are drinking of the cup: of blessing, because the old Serpent, the liar from the beginning, gives to it that sacred name; and not content with that, has even blasphemously dared to surname it by a name which is above every name-that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and every tongue confess that Jesus: Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." But the antidote of this deadly fruit is not confined to earth, (as has been repeatedly noticed,) it adorns also the paradise above, as it did aforetime the earthly paradise. "In the midst of the street of it, (the New Jerusalem,) and on either side of the river was the tree of life, which bare twelve fruit harvests, (Dr. M. Stuart,) yielding her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." The leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations? Yes, the fruit of the earthly vine scarce to be compared with the leaves of the heavenly vine. This fruit of the vine is like the hem of Christ's garment, which the woman touched in faith and had the issue of blood stanched, for which she had suffered many things of many physicians, for twelve long years, and spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse: (Mark v, 25-29.) In like manner, many since her day have fallen victims to a more cruel disease, even drunkenness, "wasted their substance with riotous living," "suffered many things of many physicians "-found all their prescriptions of no value-and grew no better, but rather worse, under them-who, if with like precious faith to hers, they had partaken of "the fruit of the vine," at the Lord's supper, might have had the soul-inspiring, heart-cheering words, originally addressed to the poor woman with the issue of blood, applied to them by the Holy Spirit: "Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace and be whole of thy plague:" (Mark v, 34.) Alas! alas! for centuries past, how few (if any,) have thus partaken in faith of "the fruit of the vine," at the table of the Lord; we mean that faith, which sees in that cup the heaven-appointed antidote of alcoholic intemperance, or keeps its possessors from the use of alcoholic liquors? Take the following illustration of this most consolatory truth: By the precious stone, the amethyst, we are to understand from its derivation, (a priv.: and pe0vw,) an antidote against drunkenness. Where do we find it in the New Testament? In * *"Queen Elizabeth's Cup," adorned with amethysts and other precious stones, as described below, affords an interesting illustration of the virtues ascribed to the amethyst as the preventive of inebriety. This costly example of olden taste was exhibited at a Soirée given by Lord Albert Conyngham, on Wednesday, at the family mansion, in Hamilton-place. There were present the leading members of the British Archæological Association, of which Lord Albert Conyngham is President. The Cup is in the possession of Colonel Gwatkin, whose mother (a niece of Sir Joshua Reynolds,) obtained it from her sister, who married the Marquis of Thomond, in whose family it had been preserved for a long period of time. The cup is of silver gilt; the rim around the cover is engraved with an arabesque, and bears traces of colored enamels and stones which have decorated the leaves and flowers of which it consists. This is the only piece of engraved work upon the cup; for the cover, sides, and knobs are completely covered with precious stones, many hundreds in number, secured in separate cells, and ranged closely together, in rows, entirely round the vessel. These stones are amethysts of various tints, the interstices of the setting of each being filled with small turquoises, which are, in some instances, as minute as seed pearls, to allow of every part of the cup being incrusted with jewels. The knob on the top of the cover, and the three upon which it stands, are similarly covered with jewels. Those which form the feet unscrew; a hollow tube affixed to the bottom of the cup passes partially through each, and a screw, the head of which contains an amethyst, fits into this tube from beneath, and completely conceals the mode |