Till He Come

“Ye proclaim the Lord’s death till He come.” “I say unto you, 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.” “I appoint unto you a kingdom, even as My Father appointed unto Me, that ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom.” — 1 CoR. xi. 26; Matt. xxvi. 29; Luke xxii. 29, 30.

At the Supper, Jesus points us not only backward, but also forward. From the suffering He points to the glory; out of the depths He calls to the heights. Because the Supper is the remembrance, the communion of Jesus, the living Saviour, it sets Him before us in all that He was, and is, and shall be. It is only in the future that we can expect to have the full realization of what is begun at the Lord’s Supper. The Supper begins under the Cross with the reconciliation of the world; 104 it is completed before the throne of glory in the new birth of the world. It is on this account that faith, according as it has experience of the power of the heavenly food, is irresistibly drawn on to the future. The true Christian has still to wait for his inheritance. “Till He come” is his watchword at every observance of the Supper. At the table his Lord speaks of drinking the fruit of the vine anew in the kingdom of the Father, and of eating and drinking at His table in His kingdom. The Supper, which is itself the fulfilment of the shadow of the Paschal Feast, is again in its turn the shadow of coming blessings, the pledge of the time when they shall cry: “Blessed are they that are called to the marriage Supper of the Lamb.”

What a prospect is this. There sin is for ever put away. There the whole Church is eternally united without fault or division. There the whole creation shares in the liberty of the glory of the children of God. There the eye sees the King in His beauty; and we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Blessed thought: it shall not always be 105 as it is now. The blessings of the Supper are mere droppings. Jesus Himself comes once for all. Then shall I sit down with Him. Yes, He comes: and I shall see Him and know Him, and He shall see me and know me. And when I fall at His feet He will call me by my name and let me rest on His breast, and take me to be one with Him inseparably and forever.

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(For the Communion Sabbath Evening)

Triune God, once again on this blessed feast day I come to pour out my full heart before Thee. I will lift up my soul to Thee in prayer and supplication, and will enjoy anew what Thou hast bestowed upon me, while I praise Thee for it.

Receive my thanks, God and Father of the Lord Jesus, for the wonderful love Thou hast showed to me. That Thou hast prepared for me in Thine heart a place next Thine only-begotten Son, that Thou hast seen meet to honor me with the name and the rights of a child, that Thou hast been pleased to seal to me this privilege all this day by imparting to me the children’s bread: for this my soul desires to praise Thee. 0 my Father, I will place myself anew before Thee as Thy child, to delight myself in Thee, to dedicate myself 107 to Thee as a living sacrifice: 0 my Father, to live wholly for Thee, to honor Thee the whole day with a heart full of joy in Thyself, to keep m3’self ever burning on the altar as a thank offering by- fire: how my heart longs after this. Father, receive the praise, the thanks, the love of the child whom Thou hast this day blessed, and grant me grace to walk from day to day with this song in my heart: “Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.”

And what shall I say unto Thee, 0 my Jesus, Son of the Father, for what I have this day again received from Thee. O how I praise Thee for the love wherewith Thou hast loved me. Precious Saviour, Thou hast given Thj’self unto me to be mine forever. The bond that unites Thee to me is not broken in eternity; for the bond is Thy love, which is stronger than death. Yea, the bond which Thy love has formed is Thine own Divine life. The life that is in Thee, Thou hast given to be in me: Thou hast made me one with Thyself: I am Thy flesh and bone. Son of God, my soul cannot conceive it: I can only Ijow in 108 abasement, and surrender myself anew to Thee. 0 my Lord, Thou desirest to have me wholly: here am I to be wholly taken possession of by Thee, and to be filled with the Spirit whom Thou hast given.

And how shall I praise Thee, 0 Spirit of the Father and the Son, for what Thou art to me again this day. By Thee I possess and enjoy the Father and the Son. By Thee I taste the powers of the heavenly life. Every blessing which I receive from the Father and the Son I have through Thee. Thou workest in me by Thy Divine power all that I need in the spiritual life. What I have this day received and enjoyed, that Thou hast wrought in me; that Thou wilt preserve and strengthen, till I become fully partaker of the love of the Father and the grace of the Son. 0 Holy Spirit of God, my soul praises Thee. How long-suftering and patient hast Thou been in spite of all my sluggishness and folly. With the Father and the Son I honor Thee, I love Thee, I delight in Thee and in Thy fellowship.

Triune God of the Covenant, receive 109 this renewed dedication of myself to Thee. Thou art all my salvation, my everlasting portion. 0 confirm in the most effectual way the sealing of Thy grace bestowed upon me this day, and let me now as Thy sworn ally go hence in the might of the Lord and making mention of Thy righteousness, 5’ea, Thine alone. Amen.

PART III

be Meeft after tbc Supper Too soon we rise: the symbols disappear.

The feast, though not the love, is past and gone; The bread and wine remove, but Thou art here,

Nearer than ever, still my Shield and Sun.

I have no help but Thine: nor do I need Another arm save Thine to lean upon;

It is enough, my Lord, enough indeed;

My strength is in Thy might, Thy might alone.

Mine is the sin, but Thine the righteousness;

Mine is the guilt, but Thine the cleansing blood; Here is my robe, my refuge and my peace —

Thy blood, Thy righteousness, O Lord my God.

Feast after feast thus comes and passes by, Yet, passing, points to the glad feast above,

Giving sweet foretaste of the festal joy, The Lamb’s great bridal feast of bliss and love.

HOEATIUS BONAB.