The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-03
Living on Old Mamma.

Ihe mama, supernaturally PROVIDED Dy5
the Lord for the children of Israel, in the
wilderness, has always been regarded as
a type of the grace of God, which feeds
and strengthens all true Christians. Our
Heavenly Father graciously supplies, in,
this moral wilderness, bread from Heaven
for all His children, which was typi6ed
by the mama which fed the three mil
lions of Hebrews during their forty years,
sojourn on their way to Canaan. fs5
The mama in the desert fell only in;
daily portions, and it nccdsd to be gath-l
cred every day. If they gathered for mora,
days than one it became putrid and WORTH,
less, except on the Sabbath. si 2@l'9s ~
This was q most significant and
wonderful arrangement. God made it 50
that it was cphemeral in its preservation.
It might have been made so as to keep q
week, month, or a year. Indeed, a.
portion of it was kept divinely preserved
in the ark, as q memorial through many
generations. ..a. ~ ~ Is !. 50
But God intended human agency to be-
involved in. it's reception each day. He
intended they should each day be res
minded OF their dependence upon his
parental hand. lie desired to draw out,
their hearts in gratitude and trust and
love every day of their journey. y
1t is so with the spiritual mamma
Kept over, it rots, becomes stale, offensive
and worthless. The whole notion Of
living on old and past experience, stands
justly rebuked by the forcible analogy Of
the Hebrew mama. -',- IL.
1t antagonizes oil laws of the spiritual
economy to try to live on old gospel
mama. The Lord requires us to look to
Him day by day for our daily bread. He
wants to see us looking to the mercy seat,
each morning, each noon, each evening,
and "pray without ccasing." 1t is His
delight to hold constant communion with
our souls. he loves to bless His people.
The whole system of spiritual life de-
mands daily communion of the soul with
God. Christ said: ~ am the vine, and
We are the branches" Sever the branch
from the vine but single day, and
whitening and death ensues. The living
branch in the vine keeps up perpetual
communion and action, and the life OF
the branch depends upon the vine.
This reveals the secret of so much Lam
gushing and spiritual death in the visi-
bic church. Great multitudcs are severed
from the vine, and are trying to live on
past experience. They are starving by
trying to live on old mamma. Neglecting
to gather each day what the wants Of
each day demand, they fall back on the
old stock. Alas, how many find their
chief spiritual comfort in the recollection
of past seasons of receiving and being
blcst, while they neither seek nor get
anything fresh or new daily from God.
0, how much to be pitied and to be
blamed, those who live on "forty years
ago." while the fields arc covered each
morning with fresh mama, and the heav-
ems each night drop down afrcsh their
CANCELS food" ~
Only little less foolish would be the
man who would try to live on the food
he ate or the air he brcathcd forty years
ago. What would be thought of man
who would attempt to do up all his cat
ing, drinking and breathing in one day,
to last him forty years? ~.
Oh, the richness and freshness of daily
communion with God! How different
the mere recollections of past blessings
from present blessings. Away with all
dependence upon old, second hand bless
ings. Any soul shut up to live over
again and again in dim memory of the
Joys and consultations of the past, cannot
fail to languish and starvc.
:, viii ,,,,cto of lncDJot;o,, ~,
the Church of God, resulting from the
laly neglect to gather spiritual u,auna.
christian Hnntl1''