Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing ChristiansRyle, J. C. (John Charles)
Religion
Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians
Ryle, J. C. (John Charles)
Christian life -- Anglican authors
(_a_) Right reception of the Lord's Supper has a _humbling_ effect on
the soul. The sight of these emblems of Christ's body and blood, reminds
us how sinful sin must be, if anything less than the death of God's own
Son could make satisfaction for it, or redeem us from its guilt. Never
surely ought we to be so "clothed with humility," as when we kneel at
the Communion rail.
(_b_) Right reception of the Lord's Supper has a _cheering_ effect on
the soul. The sight of the bread broken, and the wine poured out,
reminds us how full, perfect, and complete is our salvation. Those
lively emblems remind us what an enormous price has been paid for our
redemption. They press on us the mighty truth, that believing on Christ,
we have nothing to fear, because a sufficient payment has been made for
our debt. The "precious blood of Christ" answers every charge that can
be brought against us. God can be a "just God, and yet the justifier of
every one that believeth on Jesus." (Rom. iii. 26.)
(_c_) Right reception of the Lord's Supper has a _sanctifying_ effect on
the soul. The bread and wine remind us how great is our debt of
gratitude to our Lord, and how thoroughly we are bound to live for Him
who died for our sins. They seem to say to us, "Remember what Christ has
done for you, and ask yourself whether there is anything too great to do
for Him."
(_d_) Right reception of the Lord's Supper into hearts, has a
_restraining_ effect on the soul. Every time a believer goes up to the
Communion rail he is reminded what a serious thing it is to be a
Christian, and what an obligation is laid on him to lead a consistent
life. Bought with such a price as that bread and wine call to his
recollection, ought he not to glorify Christ in body and spirit, which
are His? The man that goes regularly and intelligently to the Lord's
Table finds it increasingly hard to yield to sin and conform to the
world.
Such is a brief account of the benefits which a right-hearted
communicant may expect to receive from the Lord's Supper. In eating that
bread and drinking that cup, such a man will have his repentance
deepened, his faith increased, his knowledge enlarged, his habit of holy
living strengthened. He will realize more of the "real presence" of
Christ in his heart. Eating that bread by faith, he will feel closer
communion with the body of Christ. Drinking that wine by faith, he will
feel closer communion with the blood of Christ. He will see more clearly
what Christ is to him, and what he is to Christ. He will understand more
thoroughly what it is to be "one with Christ, and Christ one with him."
He will feel the roots of his soul's spiritual life watered, and the
work of grace in his heart stablished, built up, and carried forward.
All these things may seem and sound foolishness to a natural man, but to
a true Christian these things are light, and health, and life, and
peace. No wonder that a true Christian finds the Lord's Supper a source
of blessing!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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