The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent | Page 5

to plead
ignorance.
Moreover, God is so merciful, that He never allows any to go to
destruction unwarned of their danger. As He sent His angel to stand in
the way of Balaam, so will He send some check, and throw some
obstacle in the road you are treading, to bring you to your senses in
time, and will not allow you to perish, unless you wilfully and
deliberately persist in the road of evil, knowing the consequences, and
knowing whither you are going.
CONCLUSION.--Lastly. It was a great surprise to Lazarus when he
found himself in Paradise. He had no doubt hoped and prayed to be
admitted there, but when he found himself there, he was amazed to see
how far its happiness and its peace surpassed his expectations. So with
those of us who are found meet to enter Heaven. However great our
anticipations, they will be surpassed. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,

neither hath it entered into the heart of man, to conceive those good
things which God hath prepared for those who love Him.
May He bring us all to that glad surprise.

XXXIX.
THE HOLY COMMUNION.
2nd Sunday after Trinity.
S. Luke xiv. 16.
"A certain man made a great supper."
INTRODUCTION.--When the fulness of time was come, God the
Eternal Father said: "In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin, I have no
pleasure." Then said the Son, "Lo, I come." He came that He might
take away the valueless sacrifice, and establish the one full and perfect
propitiation for the sins of the world. And indeed it was time. All
creation was groaning and travailing in pain, and waiting for
redemption, then said He--"Lo, I come." The souls of the faithful were
in Hades, prophets, patriarchs, and kings, desirous to see His Day,
prisoners of Hope, desirous to be released by His Blood of the
Covenant,--then said He--"Lo, I come."
Men wandered in darkness, desiring light, the whole head was sick, and
the whole heart faint, and in their error, darkly, and in their sickness,
faintly, they sought the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him; then
said He--"Lo, I come."
They knew not the way of God how they might walk, and they needed
a guide; then said He--"Lo, I come."
They were sunk in sin, and found that the old bloody sacrifices and
burnt offerings could not take away guilt, they needed a more perfect
sacrifice; then said He--"Lo, I come." They knew not what the nature of

God was, and they formed to themselves gods, in the likeness of men.
How should they know without a teacher? Then said He--"Lo, I come."
Nor is this all. At this day, still His answer is, promptly, when He is
needed--"Lo, I come."
Does any father desire his dear little one to be taken into the arms of
Christ and blessed, still His answer is--"Lo, I come."
Does any man need direction, guidance, help in the way of life? He
says, "Lo, I come; I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
Does any desire sustaining food by the way? He says--"Lo, I come, and
the Bread I give is My flesh, which I give for the life of the world."
Is any burdened with the weight of sin, and desires pardon and
reconciliation, He says--"Lo, I come, though thy sins be as scarlet, they
shall be made as white as wool."
Is any in sorrow, and heart sore? He says, "Lo, I come to bind up the
broken-hearted."
Is any dying?--He is still ready with His answer, "Lo, I come, when
thou goest through the waters I am with thee."
You see how striking is the readiness of Our Blessed Lord. Now look at
to-day's Gospel, and see how this is met by man. Christ is represented
as having made a great supper, the Holy Eucharist, and to that he
invites all Christians, and He sends forth His messengers to bid them
come, then they all with one consent begin to make excuse. The
messengers go to the man who has bought oxen, and invite him to the
supper of his lord, and his answer is, "I pray thee, have me excused."
They go to a man who has bought a farm, and his answer is, "I pray
thee, have me excused." They go to a man who has married a wife, and
his answer is, "I cannot come."
"Lo, I come!" says Christ. "I cannot come," says man. "Lo, I come to
man," says Christ. "I cannot come to Christ," says man.

I. It was the rule among the early Christians to communicate every
Lord's Day. The rule of the Church, as laid down in the service-books,
then ordered that all those who were open and scandalous livers, all
those who had