His Last Commandment
| HIS LAST
COMMANDMENT.
THIRTIETH
Day.
—o0——.
His Last Commandment, 'This do in remembrance of Me.'
Pakewine IS last commandment! Do we not desire to obey it inits very fullest meaning, to do exactly what He meant us to do, and a that He meant us to do in it?
Let us pray that He may open our eyes to behold | Ps. cxix. 19, wondrous things in it, and enable us | John vi. 63. to rise through the letter to the spirit.
It is not simply, 'This do.'
We may obey so far month by month or week by week, and yet never once have obeyed our Lord's dying wish or fulfilled His desire.
He said, 'This do im remembrance of Me.'
We can- | 2 Pet.i. 15. not remember what we do not know.
We must know the Lord Jesus Christ | phil ii. s, before we can truly remember Him at His table ; for He does not say that K
ROYAL COMMANDMENTS.
we are to do it in remembrance of what He said, or even of what He did.
That is quite a different thing.
We may remember what we have heard or read of Ridley and Latimer, and wemight commemorate their martyrdom; but we cannot remember them, because we never knew them, except as matter of history.
But we know the Lord Jesus Christ as we know no man after the flesh.
'We do know that we know 2 Cor. v. 165
I oe moet et. ili, 18. | Him,' and 'the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ' is our very John xvii. 3. life ; it is the joy with which no stranger intermeddleth.
Prov. xiv. ro.
Without this personal knowledge of Him, there can be no true remembrance of Him in the Lord's Supper.
Let us seek to 'know Him,' so that we may be able to remember Him; then the sweet remembrance of Himself and His exceeding great love will include remembrance of the words and ways of the Lord Jesus; then it will arouse Phil. iii. ro.
Cant. i. 4.
John xiv. 26, XVi. 4. our love into a vivid reality of personal affection ; then He will draw nigh to us: for 'Thou, meetest him that reLam. iii. 57.
Isa. lxiv. 5.
HIS LAST COMMANDMENT.
joiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember Thee in Thy ways.'
Have we not sometimes gone rather to get something for ourselves than simply to remember Him? and may not this account for some of the disappointment, which is no uncommon
' experience, that we did not run exactly in'the way of His commandment?
We went to get strengtheningand refreshing.
We went perhaps vaguely expecting some peculiar manifestation of HimPs, cxix. 32, self, some almost sensible consciousness of His presence which is quite outside 'of His written promise or command.
We went expecting something decause we went, a sort of reward in and for the outward act.
We remembered our weakness, and our wants, and our wishes, and we forgot that He commanded 'one thing'—-the remembrance of LfTimself.
Shall we not ask the Holy Spirit next time to fix our hearts, so that the whole desire of our soul may be 'to Thy name, and to the remembrance of Thee'?
Isa. xxvi. &
ROYAL COMMANDMENTS.
There was no 'remembrance' in that first celebration of the Lord's Supper, Markxiv.17;| that first solemn evening communion ; Mat. "| for He was bodily present as the Luke xxii.rr.| Master of the feast.
The very word was a shadow cast before of the time Matt. ix. rs. | when He should ' be taken from them.'
Job xxxvii. | But now 'the bright light which was in a the cloud' shines all along the dim Acts i. x2. waiting time, revealing 'this same Jesus ;' for He whom we specially 'remember' at His table, is with us Matt. xxviii. | ' alway,' all the days, ' the same yesterHeb. xiii, 8. | day, to-day, and for ever.'
He loves us now as He loved us when He John xvii.20. | prayed for 'a2 them which shall be1 Cor. xi. 23. | lieve on Me' in 'the same night in which He was betrayed.'
He loves Mark xv. 30. | us now as He loved us when He would not come down from the cross to save Himself.
Love is the link between the remembrance and the anticipation ; for the two melt into each other, and form one Cant. ii 3. | hallowed radiance of present great 3 Cor. xi. 26. | delight.
'For as often as ye eat this | bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew
HIS LAST
COMMANDMENT.
the Lord's death ¢/7 LHe come.'
So perhaps some will be showing it forth at the very moment when He comes!
What a transition of unimaginable blessedness ! It isalmost too dazzlingly beautiful to think of.
Luther said: 'I feel as if Jesus Christ died yesterday.'
So fresh, so vivid, be our love and thankfulness!
But may we add: 'And as if He were coming to-day!'
Then our lives would indeed be rich in remembrance and radiant in anticipation, 'looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of Ps. cxls. 9
Titus ii. .3
14. the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity.'
According to Thy gracious word, In deep humility, This will I do, my gracious Lord, I will remember Thee.
Remember Thee, and all Thy pains, And all Thy love to me ; Yes, while a breath, a pulse remains, Will I remember Thee.
James MONTGOMERY.
ROVAL COMMANDMENTS.
THIRTY-FIRST DAY.
—)--The Great Reward.
'In keeping of them there is great reward.'
Ps. xix. x1.
OT, 'Because I keep them I shall have a great reward;' but, 'Jn keeping of them there zs great reward.'
God Himself wants us to keep them, because He loves us.
He says: 'O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them!'
This reward is an indisputable, though too often not fully recognised, fact of every
Deut. v. 29.
Christian's experience.
That we may have to keep His commandments in the very teeth of trial, loss, opposition,
Matt. xix 29. or distress does not touch the matter ; for, nevertheless, not afterward, but zz the keeping of His words, He takes
THE GREAT REWARD.
care to keep His word that there shall be great reward.
If there is not great reward, it only shows that there is not real keeping.
The essence of true keeping of God's commandments is love.
(See how many times keep and love are joined together in all parts of His word.) Now, if, we have only been obeying in mere form and letter, because we were afraid to disobey, this is of the heartobedience which is always crowned with blessing.
So, if we cannot quite John xiv. 24.
Ex. xx. 63"
Deut. xi. 13
John xiv. 15, etc. set to our seal that God is true to this promise, let us be quite sure that it is because we have not fulfilled His condition.
And let us now, at once, ask Him to write His laws in our hearts, and so to shed abroad His love in us by the Holy Ghost, that we may begin at once to keep them for very love to our glorious Lawgiver and Mediator.
Then we shall know for ourselves that they are not grievous, but that they are 'for our good, always.'
John iii. 33.
Heb. viii. 10.
Rom. v. 5.
Deut. v. 27. t John v. 3.
Deut. vi. 24, Yet surely we may appeal to the experience of every one of the King's sa ren NN
———_—_—_—_—_———
ROVAL COMMANDMENTS.
servants, that, however feeble and imperfect our obedience has been, we do know something about 'great reward,' not for it, but zz it.
As in the days of Hezekiah, when the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king, the result was great gladness, great joy, great blessing, and great prosperity, so is it now in the spiritual reign of our King.
Not outward and visible reward, though even that Hevery often adds, far more exceeding ; but inward and spiritual reward.
2Chron.xxx.
12, 21, 26, ib. xxxi. ro, 21.
Jobxxxvi.r1.
Not in general only, but in miuutest particulars.
Having pledged Himself to this, He is 'not unrighteous to forget' the least act of Spiritwrought obedience.
Sometimes He puts such wonderful sweetness into the doing of or the refraining from some little thing
Heb. vi. 10, Isa. xxvi. 12, for His sake, that we wonder what makes us so happy about it, and cannot but be conscious that it is not exactly one's mere natural feeling.
Is not this a precious experience of 'great reward,' all the greater because it came through some very little thing?
THE GREAT REWARD.
Let us put together into a bright bit of Bible-mosaic the scattered gems which are part of this great present reward, 'the promise of the life that now is,' the hundred-fold which we are to receive 'now in ¢Azs time': —1.
Strength : 'Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments ... that ye may be strong ;' for 'the way of the Lord is strength to the upright.'
2. Safety:
'Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing,' much less be hurt by it!
3. Zederty:
'I will walk 1 Tim. iv. 8.
Mark x. 30.
Deut, xi. 8.
Prov. x. 29.
Eccles. viii.
Ps, cxix. 45. at liberty: for I seek Thy precepts.'
Every commandment kept is a fetter of Satan broken by the grace and might of the 'stronger than he.'
4. Peace:
Luke xi. 22.
'Great peace have they that love Thy Ps. cxix. 165. law.' And in proportion as we hearken Isa, xlviii. 18, to His commandments, does our peace flow as a river.
Disobedience dries it all up instantly.
5. Life and Health:
Perhaps more literally than we suppose ; for it stands to reason there is less friction and wear and tear even of our nerves and physique when we keep His peace-bearing commands to trust Ps, Ixii. 8.
ROVAL COMMANDMENTS.
and not be afraid, to be without carefulness and anxious thought.
'Let thine heart keep My commandments: for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.'
'It is your life.'
'It shall be health."
'I know that His commandment is life everlasting.'
6. Knowledge: 'If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.'
'If ye continue in My word,.
. yeshall know the truth.'
Answered Prayers : 'Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments.
8. Gladness:
Again and again we find this the result of seeking out and keeping the commands of God.
9. Zhe Fathers Love:
1 Pet.v. 73
1 Cor. vii. 325
Matt. vi. 25St ee Prov. iil. 1, 2.
Deut. xxxii.
Sree ee Prov. iii. 8.
John xii. 50. ib. vii. 17. ib. vill. 31,32. x Johniii. 22.
Neh. viii. 14, 17; etc.
' He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father.'
10. Zhe Mantfestation of Jesus: "And I will love him, and will manifest Myself unto him,'
11.
The indwelling of the Triune God:
'And we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
12. The Witness of the Spirit to this indwelling :
John xiv. 2x. ib. xiv. 23.
THE GREAT REWARD.
'He that keepeth His commandments x Johniii, 24.
| dwelleth in Him, and Heinhim. And hereby we &zow that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us.'
'What shall I more say?' Verily, in keeping of them there zs great reward !
Heb, xi, 32.
'Blessey ig the man that feareth the Lord, that dvelighteth greatly in Mis commandments.'
Ps. cxii. 5.
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FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL.
PREFACE.
To the Readers of * Little Pillows,' 'Morning Bells,' and * Bruey.
\ RITING to you does not seem the least like writing an ordinary 'Preface'—all stiff and proper!
For so many of you have written to ask me to write you another book, and so many loving messages have reached me from others, that we seem to be 'friends'—don't we?
So this comes to you at last, with my love, and many a prayer that it may lead you to look oftener and more steadily at Jesus, the Bright and Morning Star.
One thing I want you very much to be quite clear about.
No amount of good little books' will do you any good unless they lead you to love the Book of Books.
Ifyou really love Jesus, you are quite sure to love His Word.
But one reason why some of you do not love it half as much as you wish you did, is because you donot know enough ofit.
And you only vead, you don't 'search,' which is what God especially tells you to do. A capital piece of advice was given by a man who dida very great deal towards leading people to love and know their Bibles.
He said, 'When you take your Bibles, you should be always hunting for something!'
So I have given you something ro hunt for every day.
You will see that nearly every time I have quoted a text, I only tell the chapter where it is to be found, and leave a little blank space for the verse.
Now not one of you is to consider your copy of the book complete till you have found out all these verses, and put them in yourself with a nice fine pen or a sharp pencil!
So you see I have left you to finish the book, and thus given you each 'something to do' and something to hunt for, which, I hope, will be only a beginning of your hunting fora great deal more.
Every verse that you find I should like you also to mark in your own Bibles, then you will find them again much more easily, and be often reminded of them in time tocome.
Though you will find here thirtyone Names of the Lord Jesus Christ, you must not fancy these are nearly all.
Some I had written about before,—such as 'My King,' 'Our Surety,' and others,—and the rest had to be left out for want of room.
But this is something else to be hunted for.
Find out all the rest, and write them at the end of this book; and then, not till then, you may write 'Finis.'
F, R. H.
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