FROM
THE
MILLENNIAL HARBINGER.
SERIES III.
 | ||
| VOL. IV. | B E T H A N Y, DECEMBER, 1847. | NO. XII. |
| ||
| Robert Richardson | Communings in the Sanctuary--No. IV (1847) |
FROM
THE
MILLENNIAL HARBINGER.
SERIES III.
| ||
| VOL. IV. | B E T H A N Y, DECEMBER, 1847. | NO. XII. |
| ||
COMMUNINGS IN THE SANCTUARY--No. IV.
|
"Thou, which hast showed me great and sore troubles, shall quicken me again, and
shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth."--Ps. lxxi. 20. |
IT appears, at first view, somewhat strange that Christianity which brings life and immortality to light, and opens to faith the transcendant glories of the spiritual world, should nevertheless have here assembled its votaries to present to their contemplation the emblems of death and sorrow. It would seem as though its far-seeing gaze were suddenly obstructed, and its distant hopes obscured; or that all its [679] movements and influences were reversed, and its noblest purposes altered; so that now its paths, like those of earthly glory, "lead but to the grave." Nor is it a less singular thought that death should become, under any circumstances, a subject of commemoration.--Strange, that the very consummation of human woes, and the chief object of human fears could be made a matter of voluntary contemplation--a matter to be celebrated, a source of happiness and hope! And stranger still, that we should have met to celebrate the death, not of an enemy, but of our best and truest Friend!
But it is in the sanctuary of God that the enigmas both of life and death, are solved; that the mysteries of Religion, and even those of Nature, are revealed. It is here that truths concentrate; that extremes meet, and the first and the last, the beginning and the end are one. It is here that He, who, in the beginning, brought light out of darkness, educes good from evil; joy from sorrow; life from death, and glory from dishonor. It is here that we begin truly to realize that we dwell amidst the antagonisms of natural and spiritual contrarieties; and that an omnipotent and omniscient Friend has wisely ordained our lot, that we might become acquainted with opposite and contrary affections, and learn by experience how immeasurable the height of that supreme love which holds the nice balance of our destiny, and how unfathomable the depths of that divine wisdom which, from the very lowest abyss of misery and depression, builds up the loftiest abode of joy.
It is here, in view of these sacred emblems of the divine philanthropy, that we may appreciate that strange and solemn truth, as fully verified in respect to the body as the soul, that we can live by death alone. Not only do we sustain our animal life by the lifeless forms of once living plants and animals, but even our own corporeal frame itself subsists by its own decay, and, like the light of a lamp, lives by the very waste which tends to destroy it! How well we know, then, that we can live only by that which has died for us;--by that which has yielded its life for ours! And how admirably the irrevocable arrangements of Nature itself illustrate the no less important laws of divine grace!
"Except you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man," says Jesus, "you have no life in yourselves." This is but the expression of the law of our spiritual being. "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." "This is the record, that the Father hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life." If Jesus had not [680] died we could not have lived. For it is only through him who died for us that we can live to God. It is only by partaking of that bread which came down from heaven, and which was given for the life of the world, that we can live forever. And this celestial food is received, not merely in the communion of his body and blood, when we commemorate his death, but in every institution for Christ; in every act of faith; in every emotion of love; in every joy of hope; through every medium by which we can lay hold of Christ, and enjoy the divine mercy and salvation. How delightful to reflect that we can thus, at all times, have access to this heavenly food, whether in the midst of the assembly of the saints, or in the throng of the ungodly; whether in the family or in the closet; at home or abroad; in sickness or in health; and that the just can thus live by faith amidst all the trials and corruptions of the world, and all the darkness and desolation of the grave! "I am the bread of life," said Jesus" "he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst."
How precious the life which this spiritual food imparts! How just and striking the relation between this life and the food by which it is sustained! As the effect must correspond with its cause, celestial life can proceed only by the bread of heaven. Food that is itself corruptible, can maintain only a perishable life. Therefore, said our Lord, "labor not for the meat that perisheth." "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert," replied the Jews, "as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat." Nay, rejoined Jesus, "I say to you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven." That manna was corruptible; for, if kept, it bred worms and perished. It could sustain, therefore, but a perishable life. It was evanescent, and disappeared before the rising sun. It was fitted, therefore, only to support a life which, like a "vapor, appears but for a little time and then vanishes away." "Your fathers," he therefore added, "did eat manna in the desert and are dead." But the food by which spiritual life is sustained is imperishable. "I am that bread of life," said the Redeemer. "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world." Thus it is "living," incorruptible food alone that can impart true life and incorruptibility. And oh! how striking the literal fact which perfects the agreement of these truths, that when our Lord gave his flesh for the life of the world, that "living food" saw no [681] corruption! For he was the "true bread from heaven;" the celestial manna; the "bread of God which came from heaven to give life to the world." It was not possible that he should be held by death in the bondage of the grave. God would not leave his soul in Hades, nor suffer his Holy One to see corruption. The food of spiritual life must be imperishable as that life, and a just correspondence must obtain between the figurative and the real; the type and the antitype; the fact, and the doctrine which the fact reveals.
How important, then, the solemn declaration: "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in yourselves!"* As there is a necessary connexion between natural life and its food, so also between spiritual life and the means by which it is sustained. Mortality and corruption depend upon food that is itself perishable. Eternal life is equally dependent upon that food which endures forever. Well, therefore, did our Savior say: "Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him." How happy he who can truly realize by experience these precious spiritual truths! How blissful the assurance that in becoming partakers of Christ, we share that divine nature in which life is inherent! How wonderful the thought that we who are but, as it were, the creatures of yesterday, may lay hold of the very attribute of the Deity, and be invested with imperishable life and joy! And how inscrutable the wisdom, power, and goodness, which can thus cause the natural to give place to the spiritual; which can compel weakness to reveal power; and death itself to yield us life!
R. R.
[The Millennial Harbinger, Third Series, 4 (December 1847): 679-682.]
ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC EDITION
Robert Richardson's "Communings in the Sanctuary--No. IV" was first published in The Millennial Harbinger, Third Series, Vol. 4, No. 12, December 1847. The electronic version of this meditation on Psalm 71:20 has been produced from the College Press reprint (1976) of The Millennial Harbinger, ed. Alexander Campbell (Bethany, VA: A. Campbell, 1847), pp. 679-682. Its first book appearance was as Chapter IV. in Communings in the Sanctuary (Lexington, KY: Transylvania Printing and Publishing Company, 1872), pp. 28-35.
Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained.
The following differences in the text of the meditation are noted from its first publication in The Millennial Harbinger to its first book appearance in Communings in the Sanctuary:
Pages The Millennial Harbinger [ Communings in the Sanctuary
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
679 / 28 --Ps. lxxi. 20. [ --PSALM lxxi: 20.
IT appears, [ IT appears,
Christianity which [ Christianity, which
light, and [ light and
to faith [ to Faith
transcendant [ transcendent
world, should [ world, should,
nevertheless have [ nevertheless, have
680 / commemoration.-- [ commemoration:--
29 woes, and [ woes and
and hope! [ and hope;
And stranger [ and, stranger
truest Friend! [ truest friend!
enigmas both [ enimgas, both
of Religion, [ of religion,
and even those of Nature, [ and of humanity
end are one. [ end, are one.
from evil; [ from evil,
from sorrow; [ from sorrow,
contrarieties; [ contrarieties,
/ 30 It is here, in view of these sacred emblems of the divine
philanthropy, that we may appreciate that strange and
solemn truth, as fully verified in respect to the body as
the soul, that we can live by death alone. Not
only do we sustain our animal life by the lifeless forms
of once living plants and animals, but even our own
corporeal frame itself subsists by its own decay, and,
like the light of a lamp, lives by the very waste which
tends to destroy it! How well we know, then, that we can
live only by that which has died for us;--by that
which has yielded its life for ours! And how admirably
the irrevocable arrangements of Nature itself illustrate
the no less important laws of divine grace! [
spiritual being. "As the living Father hath sent me, and I
live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall
live by me." "This is [ spiritual being. "This is
hath given [ has given
God, hath [ God hath
681 / have lived. [ have lived;
For it is [ for it is
live forever! And this celestial food is received, not
merely in the communion of his body and blood, when we
commemorate his death, but in every institution for
Christ; in every act of faith; in every emotion of love;
in every joy of hope; through every medium by which we
can lay hold of Christ, and enjoy the divine mercy and
salvation. How delightful to reflect that we can thus, at
all times, have access to this heavenly food, whether in
the midst of the assembly of the saints, or in the throng
of the ungodly; whether in the family or in the closet;
at home or abroad; in sickness or in health; and that the
just can thus live by faith amidst all the trials and
corruptions of the world, and all the darkness and
desolation of the grave! "I am the bread of life," said
Jesus" "he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he
that believeth in me shall never thirst." [ live forever.
As the effect [ As the life
with its cause, [ with that by which it is maintained,
can proceed [ can be nourished
corruptible, can [ corruptible can
Therefore, said [ "Therefore," said
/ 31 Nay, [ "Nay,"
rejoined Jesus, [ replied Jesus,
corruptible; for [ corruptible, for
and perished. [ and perished;
It could sustain, [ it could sustain,
rising sun. [ rising sun;
It was fitted, [ it was fitted,
"vapor, appears [ "vapor, appeareth
live forever; and [ live forever, and
flesh which [ flesh, which
/ 32 saw no corruption! [ saw no corruption!
682 antitype; [ anti-type;
the fact, and [ the fact and
/ 33 As there is a necessary connexion between natural life and
its food, so also between spiritual life and the means by
which it is sustained. Mortality [ How important to
realize that there is this necessary connection between
life and its food, and that as mortality
itself perishable. [ itself perishable,
Eternal life. [ so eternal life
/ 34 assurance that in [ assurance that, in
and goodness, which [ and goodness which
reveal power; and [ reveal power, and
Footnote
682 / 32 is very improperly [ is incorrectly
in our translations, [ in the common version,
in you," or "You have not life in you." [ in you."
'has life in him,' [ "has life in him,"
'he has life in himself.' [ "he has life in himself."
first denotes [ former denotes
/ 33 not only the possession of life on the part of the person
spoken of, [ not only this,
but also that this life is an essential part of his nature.
[ but that the life possessed is an essential part of the
nature of the person of whom it is affirmed.
here, as [ here as
verse 26th [ verse 26
preceding chapter, [ preceding chapter
(the 5th of John,) [ (John v),
essential attribute [ essential attribute
the divine nature, [ the Divine nature
becomes an essential [ becomes likewise an essential
that divine nature, [ that Divine nature
Hence, using the very same expression, our Lord affirms by
necessary implication, that all who eat his flesh and
drink his blood, have life in themselves. And he
affirms [ Hence, it is affirmed
of the just, [ of the just
accordingly, that they [ that "they
CANNOT die any more, [ can not die any more,"
made equal, [ made equal
in this respect, [ in this respect
Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.
Ernie Stefanik
373 Wilson Street
Derry, PA 15627-9770
e_stefanik@msn.com
Created 16 June 2000.
| Robert Richardson | Communings in the Sanctuary--No. IV (1847) |
|
Send Addenda, Corrigenda, and Sententiae to
the editor Back to Robert Richardson Page Back to Restoration Movement Texts Page |