We are approaching now the end of our Saviour's life. The last week
has come, and we are in the midst of it. This is called Passion week.
We commonly use this word _passion_ to denote anger. But the first
and true meaning of the word, and of the Latin word from which it
comes, is--suffering. And this is the sense in which we find the word
used in Acts i: 3. There, St. Luke, who wrote the Acts, is speaking
of Christ's appearing to the apostles, after his resurrection, and he
uses this language: "To whom he showed himself alive, after his
_passion_;" or after his suffering and death.
In the midst of this last week--this passion week--one of the
interesting things that Jesus did was to keep the Jewish Passover for
the last time with his disciples. This Passover feast had been kept
by the Jews every year for nearly fifteen hundred years. It was the
most solemn religious service they had. It was first observed by
them in the night on which their nation was delivered from the
bondage of Egypt and began their march towards the promised land of
Canaan. We read about the establishment of this solemn service in
Exodus, twelfth chapter. The first Passover took place on the
fourteenth day of the month Nisan. This had been the seventh month of
the year with the Jews. But God directed them to take it for their
first month ever afterwards. They were to begin their year with that
month. Every family was to choose out a lamb for themselves, on the
tenth day of the month. They were to keep it to the fourteenth day of
the month. On the evening of that day, they were to kill the lamb.
The blood of the lamb was to be sprinkled on the two side-posts and
upper lintels of every door. They were to roast the lamb and eat it,
with solemn religious services. And, while they were doing this, the
angel of the Lord was to pass over all the land of Egypt, and, with
his unseen sword, to smite and kill the first-born, or eldest child,
in every family, from Pharaoh on his throne to the poorest beggar in
the land. But the blood, sprinkled on the door-posts of the houses in
which the Israelites dwelt, was to save them from the stroke of the
angel of death as he passed over the land. And so it came to pass.
The solemn hour of midnight arrived. The angel went on his way. He
gave one stroke with his dreadful sword--and there was a death in
every Egyptian family. But in the blood-sprinkled dwellings of the
Israelites, there was no one dead. What a wonderful night that was!
Nothing like it was ever known in the history of our world. It is not
surprising that the children of Israel, through all their
generations, should have kept that Passover feast with great
interest--an interest that never died out, from age to age. Nor do we
wonder that our blessed Saviour looked forward longingly to the
occasion when, for the last time, he was to celebrate this Passover
with his disciples. As they began the feast he said to them, "With
desire I have desired" that is, I have earnestly, or heartily desired
"to eat this passover with you before I suffer," St. Luke xxii: 15.
It is easy to think of many reasons why Jesus should have felt this
strong desire. Without attempting to tell what all those reasons
were, we can readily think of some things which would lead him, very
naturally, to have this feeling. It was the last time he was to eat
this Passover with them on earth. This showed that his public work,
for which he came into the world, was done. He had only now to suffer
and die; to rise from the dead, and then go home to his Father in
heaven.
This Passover had been one of the services established and kept for
the purpose of pointing the attention of men to himself as the Lamb
of God who was to take away the sins of the world. And now, the time
had come when all that had thus been pointed out concerning him, for
so many hundred years, was about to be fulfilled. He, the one true
Lamb of God, had come. He was about to die for the sins of the world.
Then the Jewish church would pass away, and the Christian church
would take its place. And then the blessings of true religion,
instead of being confined to one single nation, would be freely
offered to all nations; and Jews and Gentiles alike, would be at
liberty to come to Christ, and to receive from him pardon, and grace,
and salvation, and every blessing.
There was enough in thoughts like these to make Jesus long to eat
this last Passover with his disciples. In each of the four gospels we
have an account of what took place when the time came for keeping
this Passover. What is said concerning it we find in the following
places: St. Matt xxi: 17-30, St. Mark xiv: 12-26, St. Luke xxii:
7-39. St. John begins with the thirteenth chapter, and ends his
account at the close of the seventeenth chapter. He is the only one
of the four evangelists who gives a full and particular account of
the wonderful sayings of our Lord in connection with this last
passover, and of the great prayer that he offered for all his
people.
Here is a brief outline of these different accounts. When the time
came to keep the Passover, Jesus sent two of his disciples from
Bethany, where he was then staying, to Jerusalem. He told them, that,
when they entered the city, they would meet a man bearing a pitcher
of water. They were to ask him to show them the guest-chamber, where
he and his disciples might eat the Passover together. There were
always great crowds of strangers in Jerusalem at the time of this
festival; and many furnished chambers were kept ready to be hired to
those who wished them, for celebrating the Passover. This man, of
whom our Saviour spoke, was probably a friend of his, and according
to our Lord's word, he showed the disciples such a room as they
needed. Then they made the necessary preparations; and, when the
evening came, Jesus and his disciples met there to keep this solemn
feast.
Many of the pictures that we see of this last Supper, represent the
company as seated round a table, very much in the way in which we are
accustomed to sit ourselves. But this is not correct. The people in
those Eastern countries were not accustomed to sit as we do. On this
occasion the roasted lamb, with the bread and wine to be used at the
feast, was placed on a table, and the guests reclined on couches
round the table, each man leaning on his left arm, and helping
himself to what he needed with his right hand.
Various incidents took place in connection with this last Supper. The
disciples had a contest among themselves about which of them should
be greatest. This led Jesus, in the course of the evening, to give
them the lesson of humility, by washing his disciples' feet, of which
we have already spoken. Then he told them how sorrowfully he was
feeling. He said they would all forsake him, and one of them would
betray him that very night. This made them feel very sad. Each of
them suspected himself--and asked sorrowfully--"Lord, is it I?" They
did not suspect each other; and none of them seems to have suspected
Judas Iscariot at all. Then Peter whispered to John, who was leaning
on the bosom of Jesus, to ask who it was that was to do this? In
answer to John's question, Jesus said it was the one to whom he
should give a piece of bread when he had dipped it in the dish. Then
he dipped the sop and gave it to Judas.
After this, we are told that Satan entered into him, and he went out
and made preparation for doing the most dreadful thing that ever was
done from the beginning of the world--and that was the betrayal of
his great, and good, and holy Master, into the hands of his enemies.
When Judas was gone, and before the Passover feast was finished,
making use of some of the materials before him, Jesus established one
of the two great sacraments to be observed in his church to the end
of the world--the sacrament of the Lord's Supper--or the holy
Communion.
This is St. Luke's account of the way in which it was done, chapter
xxii: 19, 20--"And he took the bread, and gave thanks, and brake it,
and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you:
this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper,
saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for
you." St. Matthew adds, and--"for many."
Such is the account we have of the first establishment of the Lord's
Supper. It was to take the place of the Jewish Passover, and to be
observed by the followers of Christ all over the earth, until the
time when he shall come again into our world.
And this solemn sacrament--this holy communion--this Supper of our
Lord, ought to be observed, or kept, by all who love him, for three
reasons: these are its connection with _the word of his command--the
memory of his sufferings--and the hope of his glory_.
Jesus connected this sacrament with _the word of his command_ when he
said--"_This do_ in remembrance of me." St. Luke xxii: 19. This is
the _command_ of Christ. It is a plain, positive command. Jesus did
not give this command to the apostles only, or to his ministers, or
to any particular class of his followers, but to all of them. It was
given first to his apostles, but it was not intended to be confined
to them. Jesus does not say--"This do," ye who are my apostles; or,
ye who are my ministers. He does not say--"This do," ye old men, or
ye rich men, or ye great men; but simply, "This do." And the meaning
of what he here says, is--"This do," all ye who profess to be my
followers, all over the world, and through all ages. And the words
that he spake on another occasion come in very well here: "If ye love
me, keep my commandments." And _this_ is one of the commandments that
he expects all his people to keep. He points to his holy sacrament,
which he has ordained in his church, and then to each one of his
people he says--"This do." No matter whether we wish to do it or not;
here are our master's words--"This do." No matter whether we see the
use of it, or not; Jesus says--"This do." It is enough for each
follower of Jesus to say, "here is my Lord's command; I _must_ obey
it."
In an army, if the general issues an order, it is expected that every
soldier will obey it. And no matter how important, or useful, in
itself considered, any work may be, that is done by one of those
soldiers, yet, if it be done while he is neglecting the general's
order, instead of gaining for that soldier the praise of the general,
or of securing a reward from him, it will only excite his
displeasure:--he will order that soldier to be punished.
But the church of Christ is compared in the Bible to an army. He is
the Captain or Leader of this army. And one of the most important
orders he has issued for his soldiers is--"This do in remembrance of
me." If we profess to be the soldiers of Christ, and are enlisted in
his army, and yet are neglecting this order, he never can be pleased
with anything we may do while this order is neglected. We seem to see
him pointing to this neglected order, and saying to each of us, as he
said to Saul, the first king of Israel, by the prophet Samuel:
--"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice: and to hearken, than the
fat of rams." I. Sam. xv: 22.
No age is fixed in the New Testament at which young people may be
allowed to come to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. But, as soon
as they have learned to know and love Christ and are really trying to
serve him, they ought to be allowed to come. And yet ministers and
parents sometimes keep them back, and tell them they must wait, and
be tried a little longer, before they receive the help and comfort of
this ordinance of Christ, even when their conduct shows they are
sincerely trying to love and serve the blessed Saviour.
If a farmer should send his servant out into the field, when winter
was approaching, telling him to put the sheep into the fold, that
they might be protected from the wolves, and from the cold, it would
be thought a strange thing if he should allow him to bring the sheep
into the shelter of the fold, and leave the little lambs outside.
This is a good illustration to show the importance of taking care of
the lambs. But it fails at one point. The shelter of the fold is
absolutely necessary for the protection of the farmer's lambs. They
could not live without it. If left outside of the fold they would
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.
You know how it is when we are trying to understand the music to
which a particular tune has been set. There is always one special
note in a tune, which is called the _key-note_. The leader of a
choir, when they are going to sing, will strike one of the keys of
the organ, or the melodeon they are using, so as to give to each
member of the choir the proper key-note of the piece of music they
are to sing. It is very important for them to have this key-note,
because they cannot have a proper understanding of what they are to
do without it. This holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper is like a
solemn song. And the key-note of the music to which the song is set
is this word--_remembrance_. It teaches us that the sacrament of the
Lord's Supper is a _memorial_ service. And, in going through the
music to which the song of this service has been set, every note that
we use must be a memorial note. And the language used by our blessed
Lord when he established this Supper, or sacrament, must be explained
in this way. When he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples,
saying--"This is my body, which is given for you: this do in
remembrance of me," he meant that we should understand him as
saying--"This is the _memorial_ of my body." And when he gave them
the cup, and said--"This is my blood of the New Testament," he meant
that we should understand him as saying--"This is the _memorial_ of
my blood." And we are sure that this was the meaning, for two
reasons.
One reason for believing this is that _this was the way in which
similar words had been used in the Jewish Passover, which Jesus and
his disciples were then keeping_.
In the Passover service, when the head of the family distributed the
bread, he always said--"This is the bread of affliction." When he
distributed the flesh of the lamb, roasted for the occasion, he used
to say--"This is the body of the Passover."
But every one knows, and every one admits, that the Jewish Passover
was a _memorial_ service. It was kept in memory of the wonderful
deliverance of their forefathers from the bitter bondage of Egypt.
And the words used at that service were memorial words. And so, when
Jesus, a little while before, had given to his disciples the Passover
bread, saying--"This is the bread of affliction:" he did not mean to
say that _that_ was the very same bread which their forefathers had
eaten, in the time of their affliction in Egypt. What he meant to say
was--this is the bread which you are to eat in _memory_ of your
forefathers' trial and deliverance. And when he gave to each of them
a piece of the sacrificial lamb, saying, "This is the body of the
Passover;" he did not mean that in any mysterious, or supernatural
sense, _that_ was the very lamb of which their forefathers had eaten
on the solemn night of the Passover; he only meant that it was the
body of which they were to eat in memory of the Passover. The
Passover was a memorial service; and the words used at the Passover
were memorial words.
And so, when Jesus went on, from the last Passover of the Jewish
church, to the first sacramental feast of the Christian church, and
began by saying, "This do in _remembrance_ of me," what else could
the apostles possibly have thought, but that he intended this new
service of the Christian church to be a memorial service, just as the
old festival of the Jewish church had been? When he gave them the
broken bread, and said, "This is my body;" they could only have
understood him as meaning this is the memorial of my body. And when
he gave them the cup into which he had just poured the wine, and
said: "This is my blood;" they could only understand him as meaning
this is the memorial of my blood. And so, the sense in which he had
just before used the words employed in the Jewish festival must have
led the disciples to understand them in the same way when he used
similar words in the Christian sacrament. This is a good, strong
reason for thinking of this sacramental feast as a memorial service.
There is indeed, one point of difference between the Jewish Passover
and the Christian sacrament, when we think of them as memorial
services. The Jews kept their solemn festival in memory of a _dead_
lamb--the Passover lamb that was put to death for them, but never
came to life again. We keep our Christian sacrament in memory of the
Lamb of God, who died for us indeed, but who rose from the dead, and
is alive forevermore. As we keep this solemn festival, we may lift up
our adoring hearts to him and say for ourselves personally,
"O, the Lamb! the loving Lamb!
The Lamb of Calvary!
The Lamb that was slain, but liveth again,
And intercedes for me!"
And though they are both memorial services, yet this one thought
makes a world-wide difference between them. The bread and meat which
the pious Jew ate, when he kept the Passover, and the wine which he
drank on that occasion, would strengthen his body, but there was
nothing connected with those material substances that would do any
special good to his soul. It is different, however, with our
Christian festival of the Lord's Supper. And this difference is
clearly brought out in what we find in the catechism of our church on
this subject. In speaking of this holy sacrament, the question is
asked--"What are the benefits whereof we are partakers thereby?" And
the answer to this question is--"The strengthening and refreshing of
our souls, by the body and blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the
bread and wine."
Here we see that while the Lord's Supper is a memorial service
indeed, it is at the same time something more than that.
_And then, the actual bodily presence of Christ with them must have
compelled the apostles to understand the words he used on that
occasion, in this memorial sense_.
They could not possibly have considered him as meaning that the bread
and wine which he gave them at that solemn service did, in any
mysterious and supernatural way, become his actual flesh and blood;
because, these were already before them in the form of his own body.
And they could not be in his body and in the bread and wine, at the
same time. The sense in which Jesus first used these words--"my body"
and "my blood," was clearly the memorial sense. He meant his
disciples to understand him as saying "Take this bread in remembrance
of my body, which is to be crucified for you;" and "Take this wine in
remembrance of my blood which is to be shed for you."
This was what he taught the apostles when he first used these words
among them; and this was all he taught them; and we have no right to
use these words in any other sense till our blessed Lord himself
shall give us authority to do so.
Let us never forget the word--_remembrance_, as used by our Saviour
here. It is the root out of which the whole tree of this solemn
service grows. Let us hold on to this root word, and it will save us
from the errors into which many have fallen in reference to this
subject.
And, surely, there is nothing so precious for us to store away in our
memories as the thought of Christ in the amazing sufferings he once
bore for us, in the great work he is now doing for us, and in the
saving truth he embodies in his own glorious character. The story is
told of Alexander the Great, that when he conquered King Darius he
found among his treasures a very valuable box or cabinet. It was made
of gold and silver, and inlaid with precious jewels. After thinking
for awhile what to do with it, he finally concluded to use it as his
choicest treasury, or cabinet, in which to keep the books of the poet
Homer, which he was very fond of reading. Now, if we use our memory
aright, it will be to us a treasury far more valuable than that
jeweled box of the great conqueror. And the thought of Christ, not in
his sufferings only, but in his work, and in his character, is the
most precious thing to lay up in our memory. And if we keep this
remembrance continually before us it will be the greatest help we can
have in trying to love and serve him better.
Here is an illustration of what I mean, in a touching story. We may
call it:
"Love Stronger than Death." Some years ago there was a great fire in
one of our Western cities that stood in the midst of a prairie. A
mother escaped from her burning dwelling. Her husband was away from
home. She took her infant in her arms, and wrapped a heavy shawl
round herself and the baby. Her little girl clung to the dress of
her mother, and they went out into the prairie, to get away from the
flames of the burning buildings. It was a wild and stormy winter's
night and intensely cold. She tried to run; but burdened as she was
that was impossible. Presently she found that the tall dry grass of
the prairie had caught fire. It was spreading on every side. A great
circle of flame was gathering round her.
A little way off she saw a clump of trees on a piece of rising
ground. Towards that spot she directed her steps, and strained every
nerve to reach it. At last she succeeded in doing so.
For a moment the poor mother and her child were comparatively safe.
But, on looking around, she saw that the flames were approaching her
from opposite directions. Escape was impossible. Death--a terrible
death by fire, seemed to be the only thing before her. She might wrap
herself in that great shawl, and perhaps live through it. But, there
were the children. Of course a mother could not hesitate a moment
what to do under such circumstances. Wrapping the baby round and
round in the folds of the shawl, she laid it carefully down, at the
foot of one of the trees. Then, taking off her outer clothing, she
covered the other child with it. She laid her down beside the baby,
and then stretched herself across them. In a few moments the helpless
little ones were sound asleep. The long hours of the night passed.
The raging flames licked up the withered foliage about that clump of
trees, and then left their blackened trunks to the keenness of the
wind and frost.
The next day the heart-broken husband and father returned to find his
home burnt, and his family gone--he knew not whither. He set out to
search for his lost treasures. He found them by that clump of trees.
There lay his wife--her hair and eyebrows, her face and neck scorched
and blackened by the fire--but her body frozen stiff. Whether she
perished by the flames or the frost no one ever knew. But, on lifting
her burnt form they found, warm and cozy beneath, her two sleeping
children. The elder child as they roused her, opened her eyes
exclaiming, "Mamma, is it morning?" Yes: it was morning with that
faithful mother, in the bright world to which she had gone!
Now, suppose that those children, as they grew up, should have had
preserved among their treasures a piece of the burnt dress, or a lock
of the scorched hair, of their devoted mother. As they looked at it,
every day, it would be in _remembrance_ of her. How touchingly it
would tell of her great love for them, in being willing to lay down
her life to save theirs! And how that thought would thrill their
hearts and make them anxious to do all they could to show their
respect and love for such a mother!
And so the broken bread and the poured out wine of this solemn
sacrament should melt our hearts in the remembrance of the wonderful
love of Christ to us, and should lead us to show our love to him by
keeping his commandments.
And as we keep this solemn memorial service, how well we may say, in
the words of the hymn:
"According to thy gracious word,
In meek humility,
This will we do, our dying Lord,
We will remember thee.
Thy body, broken for our sake,
Our bread from heaven shall be:
Thy sacramental cup we take,
And thus remember thee.
"Can we Gethsemane forget?
Or there thy conflict see,
Thine agony and bloody sweat,
And not remember thee?
When to the cross we turn our eyes,
And rest on Calvary,
O Lamb of God, our sacrifice,
We must remember thee."
_But Jesus has connected this blessed sacrament with the hope of his
glory_--as well as with the word of his command and the memory of his
sufferings.
He made this connection very clear when he said at the institution of
this solemn service--"I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of
the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's
kingdom." St. Matt, xxvi: 29. And the apostle Paul pointed out the
same connection when he said, "As often as ye eat this bread, and
drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death, _till he come_." I. Cor.
xi: 26. This sacrament of the Lord's Supper is the point of meeting
between the sufferings of Christ and the glory that is to
follow--between his cross, with all its shame and anguish, and his
kingdom, with all its honor and blessedness.
We have sometimes heard or read of magicians who have pretended to
have wonderful mirrors into which persons might look and see all that
was before them in this life. If there were such a mirror, it would
be a strange thing indeed to look into it and find out what was going
to happen to-morrow, or next month, or next year, or twenty years
hence. But, there never was any such mirror. As the apostle says,
"We know not what shall be on the morrow." No mortal man can tell
what will happen to him as he takes the very next step in life.
Yet, this solemn sacrament is like such a magical mirror. We can look
into it and see, clearly represented there, what will happen to us in
the future, not of _this_ life indeed, but of the life to come. It
leads our minds on to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And a voice
from heaven declares--"Blessed are they who are called to the
marriage supper of the Lamb." Rev. xix: 9. That marriage supper
represents the highest joys of heaven. It gathers into itself all the
glory and happiness that await us in the heavenly kingdom. And this
sacramental service is the type or shadow of all the bliss connected
with that great event in the future. If we are true and faithful
partakers of this solemn sacrament--this memorial feast, we shall
certainly be among the number of those whose unspeakable privilege it
will be to sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb, in heaven.
There we shall be in the personal presence of Jesus, our glorified
Lord. Our eyes "shall see the King in his beauty." And we shall see
all his people too in the perfection of glory that will mark them
there. And in happy intercourse with that blessed company we shall
find all "the exceeding great and precious promises" of God's word
fulfilled in our own personal experience.
And then there is nothing that can sustain and comfort us under the
many trials of this mortal life like the hope of sharing this joy
with our blessed Lord, when he shall come in the glory of his
heavenly kingdom.
"The Hope of Glory." A Christian gentleman was in the habit of
visiting, from time to time, a poor afflicted widow woman who lived
in his neighborhood. She had once been very well off, and was the
wife of a well-known and apparently successful merchant. But finally
he failed in business and died soon after, leaving her alone in the
world, and without anything to live on but what she could earn by her
own labor.
After awhile her health failed, and then she was entirely dependent
for her support on the kindness of her Christian friends. But she was
always cheerful and happy. "On going in to see her one day," says
this gentleman, "I found, on talking with her, that she was feeling
very comfortable in her mind.
"'Tell me, my friend,' I asked, 'have you always felt as bright and
cheerful as you seem to feel now?'
"'O, no,' she replied, 'very far from it. When my husband died, and
I was left alone in the world, I used to feel very sad and
rebellious. Many a time I was so sorrowful and despairing as to be
tempted to take away my own life. But, in the good providence of God,
I was led to read the Bible, and to pray for help from above. I
became a member of the church. But, for a while, I did not find much
comfort in my religion. And the reason of it was that I did not have
very clear views of Christ as my Saviour, and of the wonderful things
he has promised to do for his people in the future.
"'But, on one communion occasion, my minister preached on the
words--"_Christ in you the hope of glory_." That was a blessed
communion to me. I saw then, as I had never seen before, how that
sacred and solemn service was intended by him to be to all his
people, at one and the same time, the means of preserving in their
minds the remembrance of the sufferings he has borne for them in the
past, and also of keeping alive in their hearts the hope of sharing
in the glory which he has prepared for them in the future. And I have
never had any trouble in my mind since then. My communion seasons
were always bright and blessed seasons to me as long as I was able
to go to church. And though I can no longer go up to the sanctuary
and partake of the bread and wine, "the outward and visible signs"
made use of in the heavenly feast; yet, blessed be God's holy name, I
can, and do partake in a spiritual manner of that which those signs
represent. I feel and know what it is to have "Christ in me the hope
of glory." And this "satisfies my longing, as nothing else can do." I
find peace and comfort in simply "looking unto Jesus." I have had
much outward trouble and affliction since then. I live alone. There
is no one here to help me. Sometimes I have nothing to eat, and but
little to keep me warm. You see me _sitting_ here now. Thus I have to
spend my nights. My complaint is the dropsy, and this prevents me
from lying down. _But I would not exchange my place as a forgiven
sinner, with "Christ in me the hope of glory," for all the wealth and
the honor that Queen Victoria could bestow upon me!_'"
What a blessed Saviour Jesus is, who can thus spread the sunshine of
his peace and hope through the hearts and homes of the poorest and
most afflicted in the land!
And thus, we have spoken of three good reasons, why all who love our
Lord Jesus Christ should keep this solemn sacrament which he has
ordained; we should do it because we see in it--_the word of his
command--the memorial of his sufferings--and the hope of his glory_.
And when we partake of this solemn ordinance ourselves, or see others
partaking of it, how well we may say in the beautiful lines of
Havergal, the English poetess:
"Thou art coming! At thy table
We are witnesses for this,
While remembering hearts thou meetest,
In communion closest, sweetest,
Earnest of our coming bliss.
Showing not thy death alone,
And thy love exceeding great,
But thy coming, and thy throne,
All for which we long and wait.
"O the joy to see thee reigning,
Thee, our own beloved Lord;
Every tongue thy name confessing,
Worship, honor, glory, blessing,
Brought to thee with glad accord,
Thee our master and our Friend,
Vindicated and enthroned;
Unto earth's remotest end,
Glorified, adored, and owned."
"_THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME_."