Baptists -- Sermons; Sermons, English -- 19th century
Let us not forget that there is one specially ordained meal-time which
ought to occur at least once in the week--I mean _the Supper of the
Lord_. There you have literally, as well as spiritually, a meal. The
table is richly spread, it has upon it both bread and wine; and looking
at what these symbolize, we have before us a table richer than that
which kings could furnish. There we have the flesh and the blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ, whereof if a man eat he shall never hunger and never
thirst, for that bread shall be unto him everlasting life. Oh! the sweet
seasons we have known at the Lord's Supper. If some of you knew the
enjoyment of feeding upon Christ in that ordinance you would chide
yourselves for not having united with the Church in fellowship. In
keeping the Master's commandments there is "great reward," and
consequently in neglecting them there is great loss of reward. Christ is
not so tied to the sacramental table as to be always found of those who
partake thereat, but still it is "in the way" that we may expect the
Lord to meet with us. "If ye love me, keep my commandments," is a
sentence of touching power. Sitting at this table, our soul has mounted
up from the emblem to the reality; we have eaten bread in the kingdom of
God, and have leaned our head upon Jesus' bosom. "He brought me to the
banqueting-house, and his banner over me was love."
Besides these regular meal-times, there are others which God gives us,
_at seasons when, perhaps, we little expect them_. You have been walking
the street, and suddenly you have felt a holy flowing out of your soul
toward God; or in the middle of business your heart has been melted with
love and made to dance for joy, even as the brooks, which have been
bound with winter's ice, leap to feel the touch of spring. You have been
groaning, dull, and earth-bound; but the sweet love of Jesus has
enwrapped your heart when you scarce thought of it, and your spirit, all
free, and all on fire, has rejoiced before the Lord with timbrel and
dance, like Miriam of old. I have had times occasionally in preaching
when I would fain have kept on far beyond the appointed hour, for my
overflowing soul has been like a vessel wanting vent. Seasons, too, we
have had on our sick beds, when we would have been content to be sick
always if we could have had our bed so well made by tender love, and our
head so softly pillowed on condescending grace.
Our blessed Redeemer comes to us in the morning, and wakes us up by
dropping sweet thoughts upon our souls; we know not how they came, but
it is as if, when the dew was visiting the flowers, a few drops had
taken pity upon us. In the cool eventide, too, as we have gone to our
bed, our meditation of him has been sweet; and, in the night watches,
when we tossed to and fro, and could not sleep, he has been pleased to
become our song in the night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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