The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-05-07

Rev. DIR. Hutchins spoke substantially
as follows to large congregation:
l want to ask your attention to some
thoughts preliminary to the sacramental
supper, az drawn from the fifth verse of
the 23d Psalm: Thou preparest a
table before me in the pr essence OF mine
enemies; Thou anointest me with oil;
my cup runneth over"
There are therein four things suggest
ed-the protection aud security OF the
saints of God, the hospitality that God
extends to his children, the communion
and friendship OF Gods children with
Himself and each other, and the REIN
forcement and refreshment which the
children of God get from the banquet OF
the Lord.
Today this table is spread by the Lord
anew for you and for me. There are
invisible faces, with hateful elar IN
their eyes, hungry for our harm an ur
destruction, surrounding US. The 70
commercial trials and social dat ss
that are visible to the eye encircl us,
and suspect that they who are 81 Dor
ing in their persons and their h mes,
or BY trials and limitations of theee
times, can hardly understand how the
church of God can quietly sit down to
celebrate the Lord's supper in view of
the SORROWS that afflict their kind and
their countrymen. And yet, remember
all these enemies, and then recall
what the table is to us and
all 1t teaches as. Remember
the seven or eight thousand foreigners,
mad and crazy in their anger, constitute
ing the recent mob in Cleveland; 40 to
the coke regions in Pennsylvania and
sec women unsexng themselves, and
little children growing angry with the
wrath of their fathers and their mothers
as they do their desperate deeds of
violence; see in various parts OF the
country the unemployed organizing
themselves. The whole country is in
ferment; and, meanwhile, they who
should be our protectors and our deliv-
erers from these distresses, renew every
day fresh chaos in congress, and no re-
lief comes. This table 10 spread in the
presence of our enemies, but remember
its significance and take comfort. Be
reproved, il the meaning OF the table
would reprove you. What prefAced the
spread of the Eucharistic supper? The
washing of the disciples feet. Nobody
else had the grace to do this save Jesus.
Oh, it SCENE to me, over and over again,
that we have not yet got the very spirit
of Christ. Do you not see that the
spirit which Christ exhibited in wash
ing the disciples feet would have saved
us the SORROWS, the commercial depres-
sians, the social distresses, that are
affecting us today? Do you not sse that
there is an abundance and surplusage of
all the fruits of the earth7 1t is not the
bounty of God that pinches the poor.
We find wealth congested, poverty
emaciated, q poor distribution of wealth
the rich growing richer and the poor
growing poorer, all because men have
not learned the spirit OF the Master yet.
Just that.
We sometimes hear it said that the
world has tried Christianity for 10 CEN
turtles and it has proved a failure aud it
never tried Christianity yet; never has.
And Christians have not tried Chris
tianity--you nor /. Somebody may cav
we are fanatics if we really do what the
Master wants us to do. Let US try it ;
you and l.
This bread is my body, broken for
you; this wine 10 my blood, poured
out for you. 1t was the climax OF an
guish. In Gethsemane Jesus drank the
cup into which your sins are poured
and my sins-O, the hospitality and
the cost of this feantl The love that is
back of it all
II there is anybody here today who
for the first time makes up his mind
that the love of Christ constrainB him
away from his sins and to his Savior, in
the name of this church, and there is
no member Of this church that will dis
sent from this invitation, l bid him well
come to this board.
have never had the honor of being
l ever forget the Impression made upon
me as freshman at college when l sat
at the table of President Hopkins-a
man whose name had drawn me to that
school and whom almost deified in my
admiration-shsll ever forget the be-
nightly of that face, the familiarity of
his tones, and the things he said to me
that he never would have said in the
lecture rooms; the things that he per-
mitted me to say to him without sense
of intrusion, that could have said no.
where else? And then, the pervasive
gladness OF the atmosphere And Christ
calls us to His table. He has other
functions than those of host. He is a
Creator, but we do not see Him launch
the planets on their orbits; we do not see
Him bringing order out OF chaos in the
primordial world; we do not see here
the illustrations of His omnipotence,
save as we see an illustration of HE en-
nipotent love. He ia host today. Jeeus
is my friend today. By and bye He will
be my judge, but He is not on the throne
of judgment now. think the best
thoughts ever uttered by human
beings have been uttered at banquets.
1t is good time to think; it is q good
time to feel, and the guests are drawn
close to each other. This banquet
offers to US refreshment and reinforce
ment. l have no doubt about it that if
we can enter into the full meaning of
this sscramental supper we shall go
from this house reinforced, reinvigor-
ated. Let us remember the words OF the
Psalmist: "Thou preparest table be-
fore nae in the presence OF mine enemies /;
thou ansintest me with oil. My cup
runneth over"
Church of tho New Era.
In the morning the usual discussion
was under the management of the