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The Pathway of Safety; or, Counsel to the Awakened By the Right Rev. Ashton Oxenden, D.D. CHAPTER III: HELPS BY THE WAY THE LORD’S DAY.—GOD’S HOUSE.—PUBLIC PRAYER.—SERMONS.—THE HOLY COMMUNION. E. THE HOLY COMMUNION This is the highest and most solemn means of grace that a Christian can partake of. This is no common food: it is ‘the children’s bread,’ the great spiritual meal, for which God’s family from time to time meet around His table. The receiving of the Holy Communion is commonly, especially among the humbler classes, the first open act of profession by which a Christian declares himself to be an earnest follower of his Savior. It is often the first decided step in the heavenward walk of an awakened person—the first public avowal of his determination to be the Lord’s. Now, I must not forget that there are various hindrances, which may often keep back timid Christians. For instance, you may be afraid of the strict life, which an earnest communicant ought to lead; in other words, you may shrink from a close walk with Christ. But is not this what is required of every Christian? To live a holy, and devoted, and self-denying life—this is expected of all Christ’s followers; and without it we can be none of His. Oh, fear it not! Shrink not from entering upon it. Doubt not about giving your whole heart to Him. It is your duty, to which you pledged yourself at your baptism. It is your happiness, too. You will find it the only way of obtaining real and solid peace. Or do those words of the Apostle alarm you, which speak of ‘eating and drinking unworthily?’ A humble and earnest Christian, weak though he may be, and encompassed with infirmities, is welcome to his Savior’s table. If he comes renouncing all goodness of his own, throwing himself on Christ for acceptance, and earnestly desiring to live unto Him, the Savior’s arms will be thrown open to receive him. Come then, my fellow-Christian, in all your weakness and misery, and you will find that ‘He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increases strength.’ (Isa. 40.29) Or perhaps you may hear it said, that any go, and are none the better.’ This is true. But because some abuse so high a privilege, that is no reason why you should neglect it. And why is it that the ordinance is unprofitable to them, but because they go in a wrong spirit? If you are really anxious about your soul, and honestly wish to serve Christ, and to grow in meetness for heaven, then I feel sure that it will be your desire to approach in a right frame, and you will not come away unblessed. Some, again, tremble to approach the Table of the Lord, lest Satan should afterwards enter into them, as he did into Judas, and then that their latter end should be worse than the first. But this is not the trusting spirit of a Christian who has heartily committed his soul into God’s hands: it is doubting His power to keep them. Jesus buds us come; and thus offers to supply us with strength for our onward journey. Oh then, think not that He would ever have made this ordinance to be a trap and a snare to tender consciences, and weak believers. Is it your heart’s desire to serve Him? Then do not think so hardly of Him, as to suppose, that He would allow that, which He intended for your welfare, to be unto you ‘an occasion of falling.’ Believe me, it is not a matter of small importance, whether you come to this sacrament or stay away. Christ has given it as a plain command to His followers to ‘do this in remembrance’ of Him. If then you are one of His servants, or if you have an earnest longing to be one, you will not think lightly of so great an ordinance. You are on your journey to heaven. The way is steep, and the path is rigged, and you yourself full of weakness. You need nourishment by the way; and here is the richest food—you are invited to feed spiritually on the body and blood of your Lord. If you have never approached this heavenly feast, I would counsel you not to be content for one moment longer to turn away from it. You cannot be a true Christian, and yet disobey so plain a command of your Lord. You cannot expect to grow in grace, if you neglect so important a means of grace. Go to your minister, or to some pious friend, and consult him about it. Lay open your difficulties to him, and ask him to guide you in this matter. But if you are already a Communicant, look upon it as your highest privilege. Try to realize constantly your union with Christ, and ‘feed upon Him in your heart by faith.’ His ‘flesh is meat indeed, and His blood is drink indeed.’ (John 6.55) And need I exhort you to be a regular communicant? Surely, if you have indeed tasted that the Lord is gracious, your soul will long for this precious feast. You cannot too often wait upon Christ. You cannot be filled too full with His blessings. Your soul needs much; and your Lord has much to give you. Welcome then your Communion Sundays as your best Sundays. Look forward to them with joy and delight. Expect a large blessing from them. And count your admission to the Lord’s Table as a great honor, of which you are but little deserving. And that you may get a rich blessing to your soul, let me recommend to you special preparation before receiving the holy Communion. Spend a little time, during the few previous days, in solemnizing your heart for this holy ordinance. Make it a time for inward heart-searching, for lifting up the soul to God, and holding closer communion with Him. Why are our sacramental seasons not more profitable? Why have we so often to complain that the ordinance is not more blessed to us? It is, I think, because we take so little pains to trim our lamps, and put our hearts in order, for the reception of our Lord and Master. Doubtless He is ready to meet us in His own feast. There He is waiting to cheer us, and feed us, and bless us. But we feel cold and strange in His presence. A musical instrument, even the best, needs careful tuning before it is fit to use. Without this, would it not be folly to attempt to play correctly upon it? And how much more do our hearts require to be tuned before coming to so sacred a feast, and warmed by a nearer intercourse with our Heavenly Friend! The Communicants in a parish are the only persons who in fact claim full membership with the Church. Others may belong to the Church, but these are in full communion with her. Others may be in the outer fold; but only these are in the way of feeding upon the full richness of the pasturage. Count it then your privilege and blessedness to be numbered among your Savior’s guests. Look upon this feast as the highest means of obtaining His blessing. And although there may be here and there a faithless one among those who approach His table—even as there was a Judas among the twelve—still pray that you at least may be found faithful and consistent; and thus there will be no lack of blessing for you. I have now called your attention to the principal Public means of grace, which God has ordained for the support and nourishment of the Christian’s life. Do not undervalue any one of them. It has been said, that ‘every ordinance of God is what we make it to ourselves;’ that is, its amount of blessing to us depends on our hearts being in a right state to receive it. For instance, one man approaches the Lord’s Table carnally and blindly. He eats the bread, and drinks the wine; but there is no Christ there for him. By his side, perhaps, there kneels on in penitence and faith. He finds Christ in the ordinance, and feels the truth of that word, ‘My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.’ Again, one man may hear a sermon with his ears, and carry nothing away; he may even attend to it, and understand it, and yet it may never reach his heart; while another may hear the self-same sermon, and be aroused by it, or taught by it, or comforted by it. Oh, then, ask God to make you a fit receiver of these means of grace. Ask Him to make His ordinances channels of blessing to you—golden pipes, through which the streams of His grace shall flow into your soul. **************************************************** The Pathway of Safety; or, Counsel to the Awakened, Ashton Oxenden **************************************************** PREVIOUS CHAPTER -- NEXT CHAPTER ©God’sGWG
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