Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-09-23

Text OF the Lesson. Cor. ri, 2O-34-
Memory Verses, a3-a5-GoIden Text,
1 Ger. xi, 2s-Comm entary by the Rev.
ID. NJ. Stearns.
QUARTERLY TEMPERANCE LEssoN1
20. when We come together, therefore,
into one place, this is not to eat the Lords
Supper" The r. " says, ut is not posi-
BILE to eat the Lords Supper" The divi-
sions of thi%&pistle are easily recognized
by the words, Now concerning or as
touching" Chapters vii Il viii, 1; xii, 1;
xvi D. If the section in which our lesson
is found be carefully read, the prominent
topic will be found to be that of clarifying
God in eating and drinking tx, 81, and
when people come together to enjoy them
selves in eating and drinking they cannot
truly eat the Lords Supper, for it points
to the death of self, not the life of self
81 For in eating, every one taketh be-
fore other his own supper. And one is hun
cry and another is drunken" Imagine
people coming together for good time, as
they say, and after enjoying themselves to
the full, proceed to commemorate the
Lords death. These did worse than that,
for they actually made the Lords Supper
drunken feast.
% What have We not houses to eat
and drink in, or despse We the church of
GodW The supplying of our bodily needs
is one thing, but the worship of God is an
entirely different matter One of the most
prominent characteristics of Christ was
that He never lived for Himself, but al
ways as a sacrifice for others (Rom. XIV, 3;
John vi, 80, sly. If we have not His Spirit
we are none of His Rom. viii, %. If we
abide in Him we will walk as He walked
| Il John ii, 9.
%. For have received of the Lord that
which also delivered unto you, that the
Lord Jesus, the same night in which He
was betrayed, took bread" Hated by the
world betrayed by professed friend and
delivered to be crucified; this was the treat
ment Christ received, and He teaches us
not to expect anything different or better
| Uohn XIV, 1920: xvi 33).
"a. "And when He had given thanks,
He brake it and said Take, eat this is
my body which is broken for you; this do
| in remembrance of me" He did not say
this is my body which is pampered or in
dulged for you but given or broken for
you. If we are saved by His blood, then
the great question with us is no longer
one of food or raiment, but one of right
eousness and clarifying God (Rom. xiv, ~.
%. This cup is the new testament in
my blood; this do ye as oft as ye drink it,
in remembrance of me-" 1t was after the
eating of the passover on that last night
before He was crucified that He instituted
this supper duke xxi, 1920 and gave TO
| His disciples these emblems of His body
and blood to be used by them in coming
days as memorials of His death. He would
have them not only filled with gratitude
because of His sacrifice on their behalf,
but also ready to lay down their lives for
Him or pour them out in loving service on
behalf of others q John iii, l6; John XIV, 49,.
26. For as often as We eat this bread,
and drink this cup, We do shew the Lords
death till He come" Redeemed by His
great sacrifice, we are expected to deny
self, reckon our old man as crucified and
constantly present our bodies a living
sacrifice, sustained and cheered by the
glory which will be ours in the resurrec-
ton body at His coming (Math xvi, "a;
Rom. vi, g; xii, |, q viii, Is; Thess. i, 10Y.
The two greatest of all events in the his
tory of the world are the death of Jesus on
Calvary and his return to reign and sub
due the earth.
81 Wherefore, whOsoever shall eat this
bread, and drink this cup of the Lord I'M
worthly, shall be guilty of the body and
blood of the Lord" The unworthy refers
not to the persons partaking, for all are
unworthy in themselves, but to the spirit
in which it is partaken. If one should take
the bread and wine at such time for mere
carnal qualification he would be guilty of
ill treating the sacrifice of Christ and max
ing light of his death for US.
2S. But let man examine himself, and
SO let him eat of that bread and drink of
that cup. Wemust consider we'll if we have
really seen ourselves to be guilty in the
sight of God, sinners justly deserving His
wrath, and have truly received Jesus
Christ as our own personal Saviour, believ-
ing that He loved me and gave Himself
for me. If this be so, then with humble
and grateful hearts we will partake of the
bread and wine as emblems of His body
and blood.
20. For he that eateth and drinketh I'M
worthily eateth and drinketh judgment to
himself, not discerning the Lords body"
To die to self is the daily business of every
believer in order that the life of Christ
may be manifest in us Oh Cor. iv, ID One
who lives to crafty self and yet partakes
of the Lords Supper, the emblemS of which
speak of death, and life through death, of
necessity condemns himself
80 For this cause many are weak and
sickly among you, and many sleep" Phys
zeal health was promised on condition of
obedience, and disease was threatened If
they disobeyed (EX. XIV, 26: Lev. XVI, Is,
l6) At Corinth, because of disobedience,
many were sick and some had died We
are not taught that all sickness is because
Of disobedience (John tx. B; xi, y, but that
it is sometimes the case that sickness and
death follow the disobedience of believers.
81. For if we would Judge ourselves
we should not be judged" If we would
walk humbly with God and live uprightly
no good thing would He withhold from us,
and we would escape much Christening
If we would test everything by the judg
ment seat of Christ and do only what he
approves, we would thus walk in the light
with Him and enjoy constant fellowship
80. But when we are judged, we are
chastened of the Lord, that we should not
be condemned with the world" Whom
the Lord loveth he chasteneth Heb xii
. -. The same word translated chasten
Christening or chastisement, in Heb. xii
SIS, and in this verse of our lesson is in
Eph. vi 4, nurture; in III Tim. ii, %, in
struct, and in Tit H. 10, teach, so that by
Christening us when we do wrong ouI
Heavenly Father instructs us to do better
and nourishes us by His love.