Thoughts on the Lord's Supper

As I was preparing my thoughts for our celebration of the Lord's Supper this Sunday, I found myself reading from one of my favorite authors, Edward Payson (thank you John MacArthur for introducing Payson to me via Rediscovering Expository Preaching). I thought I would post these thoughts here for your own preparation before the Table of the Lord.

The Lord’s Table
Edward Payson
Italics – Edward K. Godfrey (at the end)

At the table of our Lord, each of us should recollect the personal favors and marks of kindness which he has himself received from Christ, or through His mediation. Our temporal mercies, our spiritual privileges should all pass in review.

We should look back to the never to be forgotten time of love, when He found us, poor, miserable, wretched, blind and naked; dead in trespasses and sins, having no hope, and without God in the world.

We should remember how He pitied us, awakened us, convinced us of sin, and drew us to Himself by the cords of love.

We should remember how often He has since healed our backslidings, pardoned our sins, borne with our unbelief, ingratitude, and slowness to learn; supplied our wants, listened to our complaints, alleviated our sorrows and revived our drooping spirits when we were ready to faint.

In short, we must remember all the way by which He has led us, these many years, through a wilderness of sins, sorrows, trials and temptations.

Thus we shall be convinced that no sickly infant ever cost his mother a thousandth part of the care, and labor, and suffering which we have cost our Savior; and that no mother has ever shown her infant a thousandth part of the watchful tenderness, which our Savior has shown to us.

This then is forgiveness of sins. This is our redemption. This is our communion with Jesus – that He suffered and died on the cross so that we might remember these things, that we might reflect upon His goodness, that we might rejoice in so great, so wonderful a salvation.

May we partake of the Lord’s Supper together in a manner worthy of our Lord – in a manner that gives to Him all glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed