Jesus Near but Unrecognized

A SERMON DELIVERED BY

C. H. SPURGEON

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"But their eyes were restrained that they should not know Him." Luke
24:16.

THE Lord may be present with His people and yet they may not be
conscious of it. They may be conscious of the effect produced thereby,
but not of the fact itself. When the Lord visited Abraham in his tent
on the plains of Mamre, at the first, at least, Abraham thought he was
receiving a wayfaring man and so he entertained the Angel of the
Covenant unawares. When the Lord appeared unto Jacob he rose up from
the vision and said, "Surely God was in this place, and I knew it not."
Afterwards at the brook Jabbok, when the Covenant Angel wrestled with
him, Jacob was not aware of the exact Character of the mysterious
personage, for he said, "Tell me Your name." He did not understand who
it was with whom he wept, made supplication and prevailed.

The same is true of Joshua. He saw a man standing with his sword drawn
in his hand, and he challenged him, mistaking him for a warrior–he did
not recognize the Person of his Lord until He said, "No, but as Captain
of the Lord's host am I come." It is possible, then, for saints to be
favored very remarkably with the Presence of their Master and yet for
some cause or other they may not know that He is specially near them.
So was it in the case before us, which let us consider.

I. We shall note, first, REASONS WHY, IN THE VERY PRESENCE OF THEIR
MASTER, SAINTS MAY NOT KNOW THAT HE IS NEAR. The reason in this case
was twofold–first, because their eyes were restrained. And secondly,
because, as Mark tells us, He appeared unto them in another form. We
must not suppose either of these reasons to be untrue, but that they
are both true, and that the two evangelists have thus given us the
whole of the Truth of God, one taking note of one part of it and the
other of the other. The first reason, then, why these good men did not
perceive the Presence of their Master was that, "their eyes were
restrained." There was a blinding cause in them. What was it? We cannot
dare say–where Scripture does not strictly inform us, it is not for us
to dogmatize.

By some mysterious operation, their eyes, which were able to see other
things, were not able to detect the Presence of their Master. They
thought Him to be some common traveler. Still, we are permitted to say
that in their case, and in the case of a great many disciples, their
eyes may have been restrained through sorrow. They were very grieved
for they had lost their Master. He was gone they knew not where. They
would have been glad, even, if they could have found His body, but
certain women had gone to the sepulcher, and though they told a
wonderful story about a vision of angels, yet to these men it sounded
like a knell in their ears, "for Him they found not."

Ah, there is no sorrow to a Christian like the loss of his Master's
Presence! May you and I never be able to bear it with composure. "The
days shall come when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, then
shall they fast." Fast, indeed! There is no fast like that which sets
in when those who have once seen the Bridegroom's beauty and tasted of
the love that is better than wine, have to cry out, "O that I knew
where I might find Him!" That careless spouse who had slept and would
not open to her Beloved for a while–when her heart was touched and
moved for Him–rose up and searched through the streets of the city for
Him. She could not rest until she found Him and she made every watchman
on the walls hear her question–"Have you seen Him whom my soul loves?"
Sorrow will unsettle the judgment. Even holy sorrow for sin and grief
for the absence of the Master may, sometimes, put a mote into the eye
and destroy its clear vision. Even tears of repentance have prevented
men from seeing Truths of God which might have made their hearts glad.

Again, in their case, in addition to the mysterious operation which
held their eyes, which we do not attempt to account for, we have no
doubt their eyes were restrained with unbelief Had they been expecting
to see Jesus, I think they would have recognized Him. If they had gone
to Emmaus fully persuaded that He was alive somewhere upon the earth,
as

soon as they had seen Him approach, they would at least have said,
"Perhaps this is the Master! Perhaps even now He is coming to us." They
knew that His delights were with the sons of men, so that He would not
long conceal Himself from His beloved while He was on earth. They knew,
also, that He loved His own to the end and would love them still. They
might, therefore, have felt sure that He would come to meet them–and
had they been believing and expecting–they would, probably, have
discovered Him at once.

Whether it is so or not, I am sure, dear Brothers and Sisters, that our
unbelief has often hid the Lord from our eyes. What might we have known
of our Lord by this time–what might we have tasted and handled of Him
by this time if it had not been for our unbelief? He might say to some
of us, "Have I been so long a time with you and yet have you not known
Me?" By reason of our unbelief we have not dived into the mysteries of
His heart! We have not understood the fullness of His love! Oh, for
more faith! Faith has the eagle's eyes–it can see where other eyes
cannot penetrate. Oh, for the eyes of love–the dove's eyes of love, by
the rivers of waters, washed with milk and fitly set–for faith and
love together make up a blessed pair of optics which can see the Lord
even when clouds and darkness are roundabout Him!

Whatever may have been mysterious about the restraining of the
disciples' eyes, they were also somewhat restrained by ignorance. They
had failed to see what is plain enough in Scripture, that the Messiah
must suffer, bleed and die. They had their sacred books and yet were so
little acquainted with their real meaning that, albeit Christ is in
every page of the Old Testament, yet they did not perceive Him there!
And so, not knowing that all this must be as it had happened, and
expecting something very different and more in accordance with the
traditional views of their race–they did not recognize their Master.
If it were not so with them, it is certainly so with many of God's
people today Some professors– I speak it with sorrow–do not know more
than the most elementary doctrines of the Gospel. With the exception of
knowing themselves sinners and Christ a Savior, they know nothing!

Justification, in the full glory of it, is hidden from their eyes. They
do not consider the work of the Holy Spirit. The fullness of the union
of the child of God with Christ and the Glory that is to come, which
already casts a halo about the saints, they have not perceived. They do
not study the Word so as to enter into its depths. They are afraid of
some doctrines because they are said to be, "High Calvinism," and of
other doctrines because they are denounced as, "Arminianism." They are
frightened into joining a party, instead of taking the Truth as God has
revealed it and beholding Jesus sitting upon the Truth like a king upon
a throne of ivory. Beloved, the scales of ignorance have often
restrained the eyes of the saints–it is well when the Holy Spirit
opens our understandings to receive the Scriptures and enables us to
see Jesus Christ as He truly is in the field of the Word of God–like a
precious treasure hidden therein! Thus Jesus may be with His people,
but they may not see Him because of something in themselves.

At other times they may not see Him because of something in the Master.
Listen, as I have told you, Mark says He appeared unto them "in another
form." I suppose he means in a form in which they had not seen Him
before. The Lord Jesus Christ has appeared at times in the Old
Testament to His servants, but on each occasion in a different form. To
Abraham, who was a stranger and a wayfaring man in the land, He
appeared as a pilgrim. To Jacob, who was a wrestler with his brother,
He appeared as a wrestler. To Joshua, who was a soldier, fighting to
conquer Canaan, He appeared as a soldier. To the holy children who were
in the furnace He appeared as one walking amidst the burning coals. He
puts Himself into fellowship with His people. So here the two travelers
were overtaken by a third traveler–He appeared to them in that form in
which they themselves were!

As He is to make them like Himself, He begins by making Himself like
they are. "As the children were partakers of flesh and blood, so He,
also, Himself took part of the same." Jesus condescends to our
condition and our circumstances. There is no position into which
Providence may cast us but what Jesus can sympathize with us. We see
Him best under certain characters when we, ourselves, are in that form
of character. Beloved, it may be you are a beginner in Divine Grace
and, up to now, the Lord Jesus has appeared to you with a smile upon
His face–as a gentle Shepherd leading the lambs. But possibly for a
while He has gone, or you think so, for you feel His rebuke in your
soul as if He were saying to you, "O fool and slow of heart."

You conclude within yourself, "This cannot be Christ. I thought He was
always a feeder of lambs." Yes, so He is, but He sometimes comes with a
scourge of small cords to chase out buyers and sellers from His Temple.
He is the same Christ, only you have not seen Him in that Character.
Perhaps you have only seen Jesus as your joy and consolation–under
that aspect may you always see Him, but, remember–"He shall sit as a
Refiner. He shall purify the sons of Levi." When you

are in the furnace, suffering affliction, trial and depression of
spirit, the Refiner is Christ, the same loving Christ in a new
Character. Up to then you have seen Christ as breaking the Bread of
Life to you and giving you to drink of the Water of Life, but you must
learn that His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge the
floor of your heart. He is not another Christ, but He puts on another
aspect and exercises another office.

At first, poor sinners are content to see Jesus as their Priest who
cleanses them from sin. They must go on to see Him as their King who
conquers them by the sacred arms of love–and they must also know Him
as their Prophet–leading them into the mysteries of the Kingdom of
Heaven. They must not wonder if He appears unto them in another form
while they are learning more of Him. This kind of sacred philosophy
comes by experience, for how often do we find precious children of God
distressed because they have not, today, the same sweets they used to
have? At first we give little children such food as will be easily
assimilated–they have nothing else but milk. By-and-by hard crusts are
given them, for there are wisdom teeth to be cut. Suppose when we give
them more solid food, they began crying out for the milk, again? Should
we give it to them?

The Lord does not wish you always to be babes! He would have you grow
into men in Christ Jesus. And though Christ is always your food whether
He comes to you as milk or as meat, yet still He will not always be
milk to you lest you should remain a babe. He means to be meat to you
that your senses may be exercised, that you may be able to understand
the stronger and deeper Truths of the Kingdom of God. Do not,
therefore, be astonished! Or, if you are, let this always comfort you,
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever," and though He
may change the form under which He manifests Himself, yet He is the
immutable Lord of Love.

You have thus heard two reasons why saints may have Christ with them
and yet may not discern Him. First, because of themselves–their eyes
are restrained. And, next, because of Himself–He may appear in another
form.

II. Secondly, let us speak of the manners of the saints when they are
in such a case. When their Master is with them and they do not know
Him, how do they conduct themselves? First, they are sad because the
Presence of Christ, if Christ is unknown, is not comfortable, though it
may be edifying. It may be for rebuke, as it was to them, but it
certainly is not for consolation. For joy, we must have a known Christ.
Saints are always downcast when Jesus is not known to be present and,
as I have said before, may we never be otherwise than unhappy if our
Lord is hid from us. I can understand the child of God saying, "I am
out of fellowship with Christ," but I cannot understand his saying that
calmly and deliberately, without tears, without deep regret and intense
repentance!

I can comprehend that the heir of Heaven may walk in darkness and see
no light, but I cannot understand how he can be at home in darkness.
Set a bird of the day flying by night and see how it flutters, and how
uneasy it is. Go with a candle, if you will, to any place where a
number of birds have made their nests, and see how strangely bewildered
they are. The only bird that will be at home in the dark is the owl,
the bird of the night–and if any one of you can be happy without your
Master you are of the night. If you can be content without the sunlight
of Jesus' Presence, depend upon it, you are one of the bats of the
cavern–you are not one of the eagles of the day. God grant us to be
like these disciples– sad, doubly sad, if we do not know our God to be
with us.

Next, these disciples, though they did not know that their Master was
there, conversed together–a good example for all Christians. Whether
you are in the full joy of your faith or not, speak often to one
another. He who is strong will help the weak Brother. If two walk
together, if one shall trip, perhaps the other will not, and so he will
have a hand to spare to support his friend. Even if both saints are
unhappy, yet some good result will come from mutual sympathy. The one
is saying, "I have lost my Master," and the other replies, "I have lost
my Master, too," and they will both know that they are not the only
persons in such a case–and that is some help to a man in sorrow.
Sometimes even a gleam of light, such as will arise from the fact that
another is in the same plight, may be useful.

Christian people, commune together, but let your communications always
be like these which are recorded in this chapter. Speak of Him, talk of
Him, what you know of Him, of your sorrows about Him, even of your
neglects of Him, of your ill treatment of Him, your sins against Him.
Talk of these things to one another, for so long as they are about Him,
it will be good, even, to confess your faults to one another, for it
will lead you to pray for one another and to join your prayers
together, so that there will be greater strength in the petitions. For
if two of you are agreed, you know what power that sweet agreement has
with Heaven. "They that feared the Lord spoke often to one another."

A blessed practice, an ancient practice, an edifying practice, a
God-honoring practice–one which so pleased God that He turned
eavesdropper–came under the window to listen to what they said and
took His notebook and recorded it–"a book of remembrance was written."
And He has published it and given His blessing to "those that fear the
Lord and that think upon His name." Beloved, even if you are out of
fellowship with Jesus, do not forsake the assembly of God's people.
Though you may feel unworthy to speak with them, yet get among them and
perhaps, there, you will find your Master.

Note, next, that these disciples, in addition to communicating with one
another, were ready to be communed with by good men. When this new
Pilgrim on the road came up and asked them a question, they were not
shy, they were ready to give an answer. They poured out their hearts to
Him and He talked to them, and they were soon on the way to being
instructed. It is well for Christians to be willing to receive the
Truth of God, not merely through their own immediate companions, but
from others who fear the Lord, who perhaps may have looked at things
from a different point of view and who may have received clearer light.
These two disciples were communicative. It is a pity that Christian
people so often shut themselves up within themselves.

This is a particular fault of English people. You may travel all over
the world in the same railway carriage with an Englishman and he will
not say a word to you! I am sure Christian people would get much good
from one another if they would not be so distant. Many precious
children of God have sat side by side by the hour together and out of
undue reserve, which they have thought most proper, they have failed to
communicate–and have missed the opportunity of a sacred commerce of
thought and experience which would have enriched them both. Be ready to
communicate (not, of course, being indiscreet, for there is such a
thing as casting pearls before swine). Using a heavenly prudence, be
free to speak to those who are willing to converse concerning Christ.

John Bunyan in his, "Pilgrim's Progress," has a very witty and pithy
piece about Mr. Talkative, who joined with the pilgrims. And, if you
remember, he would soon have wearied them with his chat, had not
Christian and Hopeful adopted a capital expedient for getting rid of
him. They would talk of nothing else but their inward experience in the
things of God. And after a while Mr. Talkative dropped behind–that was
not the sort of talk he wanted! And you will not long be troubled with
the company of a gentleman who does not love your Master if you keep to
the grand theme. He will soon be sick of you and go where his trashy
wares are saleable, which they do not appear to be in your market, for
you have better goods on hand. These good people were communicative to
those who could sympathize with them.

Note, again, that though they did not know their Master was there, yet
they avowed their hopes concerning Him. I cannot commend all that they
said, there was not much faith in it, but they did confess that they
were followers of Jesus of Nazareth. "We trusted that it had been He
which should deliver Israel. And, besides all this, today is the third
day." And they went on to let out the secret that they belonged to His
disciples. "Certain women of our company made us astonished." They were
under a cloud and sad, but they were not so cowardly as to disown their
connection with the Crucified. They were not so far gone in depression
of spirit as to talk about the whole thing as though it were to be
disavowed or concealed, lest anybody should say, "You were the foolish
dupes of an impostor."

They still avowed their hope. And oh, Beloved, when your comforts are
at the lowest ebb, still cling to your Master! If I never get a smile
from His face as long as I live, I must speak well of Him. If never
again I see Him, yet is He the Chief among ten thousand, and the
altogether lovely. I like to see the strong retentiveness of many an
almost despairing saint. I remember a minister who was talking to a
poor bedridden woman who was under a grievous cloud, and she said,
"Sir, I do not think I have any faith or any love for Christ whatever."
He knew better, for he knew what her life had been, and so, walking up
to the window, he wrote on a piece of paper, "I do not love the Lord
Jesus Christ," and he brought it back with a pencil, and said, "Now,
Sarah, sign that."

When she had read it, she said, "Oh, Sir, I would be torn to pieces
before I would sign that." "Oh, but you said it just now." "Ah, Sir,
but I could not put my hand to it." "Then I suspect, Sarah, that you do
love Him." "Well, Sir, whether I do or not, I will never give Him up."
I remember visiting a woman, years ago, whom I never could comfort till
she died, and then she died triumphantly. I said to her, "What do you
come to the Chapel for? What is the good of it if there is nothing
there for you?" "No," she said, "still I like to be there. If I perish,
I will perish listening to the precious Word of God." "Well, but why is
it you remain a member of the Church, as you say you are not a saved
soul?" "Well,"

she said, "I know I am not worthy, but unless you turn me out I will
never go out, for I like to be with God's people. I desire to be
numbered with them, too, though I know I am not worthy, for I have no
hope."

I said, "Well, now, come, I will give you five pounds if you will give
up your hope altogether." And I drew out my purse. "Five pounds!" she
said, and she looked at me with utter horror. "Five pounds!" She would
not give Christ up for 5,000 worlds. "But you have not got Him, you
said." "No, Sir, I am afraid I have not got Him, but I will never give
Him up." Ah, there came out the real truth. So was it with these two
disciples–they talked as if they could not give Him up! Though they
were afraid that He had not risen from the dead, yet they remained His
disciples, and spoke of, "Certain women of our company." They were
half-unconsciously clinging to the forlorn cause in its very worst
estate. And, Beloved, so will we. We will say with Job–"Though He slay
me, yet will I trust in Him."–

"When our eye of hope is dim, We'll trust in Jesus, sink or swim. Still
at His footstool bow the knee, And Israel's God our help shall be."

But, passing on–these poor people, though very sad, and without their
Master as they thought, were very willing to bear rebukes. Although the
word used by our Lord should not be rendered, "fools," yet it sounds
somewhat hard, even, to call them inconsiderate and thoughtless–but we
do not discover any resentment on their part because they were so
severely chided. Souls that really love Jesus do not grow angry when
faithfully rebuked. Beloved, do you approve the sermon which cuts you
up root and branches? Are you thankful for the ministry which smites
your faults? Do you say to the Lord, as you bare your bosom to the
sword of His Word, "Search me and try me"? Ah, then, there is something
more in you than in the man of the world, for his proud heart rebels
when his conscience is too roughly assailed.

I had, the other day, some such conversation as this reported to me–A
man and his wife had come to the Tabernacle. The wife said she liked to
go to Church–her husband said he preferred to come here. What do you
think were the reasons for each choice? The woman said, "Spurgeon is
too plain." "That is why I like him," said the husband. "He is too
personal," said the wife, "I do not think people ought to be talked to
in that way." "That is what we need," said the husband, "we need to
have it brought home to us. What is the good of our going where there
is nothing said that really belongs to us?" That is just so. We do not
need a Gospel that belongs to the people on the moon, but to ourselves!
Some admire a preacher who can send a stone so high that it never hits
anything–but we need a preacher who can sling a stone to a hair's
breadth and not miss the target of the conscience. Whatever deficiency
there may be about them, those are right at bottom who can bear to be
somewhat roughly rebuked by their Master.

And then, they were willing to learn. Never better pupils, never a
better Teacher, never a better school book, never a better explanation!
They were disciples, with Christ to teach them, with the Bible for a
school book and Himself to be the exposition–so they listened while He
went on to open up from Genesis right through the Old Testament–the
things concerning Himself! Poor child of God, are you in doubt and
trouble? Still be anxious to learn of Jesus! Pray the Lord to enlighten
you! Ask Him to teach you His statutes and to open your eyes to behold
wondrous things out of His Law, for whatever God's children may not be,
they are a teachable people. They shall all sit down at His feet and
all receive of His Words.

Again, dear Friends, notice that while the two were willing to learn,
they also wished to retain the teacher and His instruction, and to
treat Him kindly, too. They said, "Abide with us; the day is far
spent." They had been benefited by Him and therefore they wished to
show their gratitude to Him. Have you learned so much that you are
willing to learn more? Are you of a teachable heart, ready to receive,
with meekness, the engrafted Word of God? Now, I speak not of myself,
for I have no cause to complain, but I have known true servants of
Christ whom the people have driven forth from them because they were
fickle and needed a change, for change's sake. They have not said,
"Abide with us." Neither have they given them to eat, but though they
have been worthy servants of God they have been thrust out not knowing
where they should go–and their people not caring where.

I believe that God resents these things and that the unkind treatment
of His servants will bring judgment upon the Church. If He sends
ministers with His message, He expects them to be treated with respect
and kindness. Just as Moses said to Hobab, so wise Believers say to
God-sent ministers, "Come with us and we will do you good, and you
shall be to us instead of eyes, for you know where we should encamp in
the wilderness; and as the Lord deals with us so we will deal with
you." These two disciples entertained their instructor and would not
let Him go.

And, once more, though they did not know that their Master was with
them, they were well prepared to join in worship. Some have thought
that the breaking of bread that night was only Christ's ordinary way of
offering a blessing before meat. It does not seem so to me, because
they had already eaten and were in the middle of the meal when He took
the bread and blessed it. I think He did, then and there, set before
them those dear tokens of His passion, which He bids us feast upon on
the first day of the week, that we may show His death until He shall
come. Whichever it was, whether the devotion proper to their own table,
or the devotion proper to the Lord's Table, they joined in it.

Now, it is a strong temptation of Satan with children of God, when they
are full of sorrow, to tempt them to stay away from the means of Grace.
Because they are in the dark, the temptation is to keep them away from
the light–but oh, children of God, do not "forsake the assembling of
yourselves together, as the manner of some is." Do not be tempted to
stay away from the place where God has met you and made the place of
His feet glorious! Join, still, with the Lord's people–and if your
faith trembles, yet, nevertheless, come humbly to the Table. Christ has
not a Table for those without doubts, else you might not come–He has
not made it a table for those without sin, else you might not come–but
He bids all His disciples come, you among them!

III. Lastly, let us try to set forth THE ACTIONS OF BELIEVERS WHEN THEY
DISCOVER THEIR LORD.

"Their eyes were opened, and they knew Him." What then? Well, first,
they discovered that there had been, all along in their hearts,
evidences of His Presence. "Did not our hearts burn within us while He
spoke with us by the way?" This heavenly heartburn never comes to any
but through the Presence of the Lord Jesus. They began to look at one
another, and say, "Ought we not to have known that it was none other
than our great Teacher by the very fact that when we did not see Him
our hearts were burning for Him?"

Now let me turn this text around a little. There is a poor sinner here
who says, "Oh, how I wish that I could find the Savior, but I cannot
find Him." Why? Your heart is burning after Him! Who is it that makes
you long after Him? Those strong desires are kindled by His Sovereign
Grace. He is near you. "But I feel so much of the evil of sin! Oh, that
it were rolled away. My heart cries, 'Give me Christ, or else I die.'"
Do you think that humanity unrenewed by Grace cries in that way? Surely
the Master is near you! There is already, if not a summer in your soul,
at least a springtide. The ice is breaking up, the buds are beginning
to swell, the sun is coming and you are beginning to feel His glow! The
Lord is not far from you and one of these days when you come to look
back upon it you will say, "I did not know it, but He was close to me.
I said, 'Where shall I find Him?' and all the while He was close upon
me!"

I now turn to the child of God. You, perhaps, have said, "I have lost
communion with my Lord in that happy form I once enjoyed. But I can
never be satisfied without Him. I could sit down and cry my eyes out to
think–

"What peaceful hours I once enjoyed–

How sweet their memory still!

But they have left an aching void

The world can never fill."

Where does this kind of heartburn come from? From the devil? Then he
has undertaken a new business! Does it come from yourself? Is that a
sheep calling the shepherd? To me it looks like the Shepherd seeking
the sheep! But you say, "Oh, how I wish I could return to walking with
God, in Christ, and sitting under His shadow with great delight." Do
you desire it vehemently, passionately, as they that wait for the
morning? Who made you desire it, do you think? Is He so far away where
those strong desires are present? I know it is not so!

"Ah," you say, "I feel in my soul that I love Him. Yet I am afraid I
have no fellowship with Him. But when I hear His name extolled, I say
in my heart, 'That is the sweetest music under Heaven.' When I hear my
Master spoken well of, I wish I had the tongue of men and angels that I
might speak of Him, too. He cannot be too greatly extolled for me. I
find tears in my eyes when I hear of His true love for sinners.
Sometimes I am afraid I deceive myself, and am not a partaker in it,
but still He is a precious Christ, and glory be to His name." Do you
think you would have your heart burning like that if He had quite gone?
I think not!

You feel your heart burning for the conversion of others! You say, "Oh
that we had a revival of religion everywhere, that the kingdom would
come unto Christ and the crown were set upon His head over ten thousand
times ten thousand human hearts!" Your heart breaks for the longing
that Christ may be glorified among men, and yet you say, "I am afraid
He is not with me"? One of these days you will say, "Did not my heart
burn within me? He must have been near." You

are blindfolded and cannot see the fire, yet, if on a cold day you get
very hot, I should think there must be a fire near you! If you cannot
see Jesus to your soul's comfort, yet still, if there is such glowing
and burning as these, He is very near you!

Sometimes on the Sabbath do you not know what it is to say, "Oh, my
Lord and Master, the days are weary in which I do not see You–when
shall I behold You face to face?" You have heard of the glories of
Christ in Heaven and you have longed to peep through the keyhole, if
that were all, that you might see the King in His beauty! And you have
cried, "Why is His chariot so long in coming?" You have often wished
you could–

"Sit and sing yourself away To everlasting bliss."

Well, you may be sure the lodestone is not far off when the needle is
so much moved. When your eyes are opened you will say, "Why, He was
with me! He was with me! Did not my heart burn within me while He spoke
with me by the way? My doubts and fears and trembling heart forbade my
understanding how near the precious Christ was to me."

The next thing they did was to compare joys. The one said to the other,
"Did not our hearts burn within us?" It is always a good thing for
Believers to communicate their returning enjoyment. Somehow we are
rather shy as to speaking of our joys. Ought we to be so? One does not
mind speaking of his faults to his Brother, for there does not seem to
be any assumption in that. But if the Lord is very gracious I have
known Believers feel as if they could not speak of it lest they should
seem to exalt themselves. We must studiously avoid everything like
self-exaltation, but we must not rob our Master of a particle of His
Glory. If we have seen the Lord, let us tell our Brothers and Sisters
so, and say to one another, "Did not our hearts burn within us?"

If you had a very dull and dry discourse you would get together and
say, "Oh dear, dear! Our Sundays are dreadfully wasted. We do not
profit. The good man is so dull and dead," and so on. You would be sure
to say that, would you not? Well, when the Lord refreshes you, say to
one another, "It was good to be there this morning. We had a feast of
fat things. The Lord was with us." Do not leave the table of spiritual
bread till, like a good child, you have thanked your Father. Once
again. These disciples, when they saw the Master, hastened to tell
others about it. It was the dead of the night, I suppose, by the time
they knew their Lord.

Our Lord Jesus had none of the prejudices of the High Church fraternity
against breaking bread in the evening. That has always seemed to me to
be the oddest of their freaks–that they will persist in contending
that the Lord's Supper ought to take place early in the morning! They
ought not to call it a, "supper"–they should call it a breakfast. I
never could understand a certain class of Christians, great sticklers,
too, for Scripture, who always will have the Lord's Supper in the
morning of the day, without any precedent, that I know of, for turning
an evening meal into a morning one. I grant there is no importance
whatever in the time–the only importance that I speak of is putting an
importance on a wrong time–which those do who say it ought to be in
the early part of the day. We say that whenever Believers meet together
they may break bread in remembrance of their Lord! If, however, there
is one time more like the first occasion, it certainly is the evening
of the day.

Though it was late, the two disciples set off on a seven-and-a-half
mile journey, in the dead of night, to tell others that they had seen
the Lord! If ever you find Christ to the joy of your heart, go and tell
His people about it. Yes, and tell sinners, too, and put yourself to
inconvenience to do it. Nowadays we are willing to testify if we can do
it very comfortably–but I love to hear of those good Brethren who will
walk many miles on Sunday to preach the Gospel– who are willing to
sacrifice ease and comfort so that they may do good to others, just as
these did. Oh, for more enthusiasm in telling of the Savior's love and
hearing of it! We need nice cushions and very comfortable pews, don't
we, nowadays? When we were first converted we would stand anywhere in
the crowd if we could but hear the Savior's name!

I remember when I would have gone over hedge and ditch to hear about my
Master, or to preach about Him, too. May our earnest love to Him never
grow cold and our enthusiasm never depart. May a midnight's walk be
nothing to us if we may but declare even to unbelieving brethren what
we have seen of our blessed Lord! It is a good message, and it is a
good errand to go upon, when we go to tell of Jesus–and it will bring
good to our own souls.

I notice that while they told of their Lord's appearing, they made
mention of the ordinance which had been blest to them, for they
especially said that He had been known to them in the breaking of
bread. I like to see them mention that, for, though ordinances are
nothing in themselves, and are not to be depended upon, they are blest
to us. There is a tendency among us, because others make too much of
ordinances, to make too little of them. Do not treat Baptism, or the

Lord's Supper, or the reading of the Word of God, or the hearing of it,
in a slighting manner. If these are blest to you, bless God for them!
And if God speaks to you through them, do not forget to say that they
have been valuable channels of communication.

And now, dear child of God, I pray for you and for myself that we may
always have our Master with us–and may know it! But, if we lose His
recognized Presence, may we act as these two disciples did, or better.
May the Lord lead us on from strength to strength and glorify Himself
in us. If there is any poor sinner here who needs Jesus Christ, let him
remember that his desire after Christ is an indication of the nearness
of the Savior to Him. Christ is always within eyeshot. He cries, "Look
unto Me and be you saved, all you ends of the earth." He is close at
hand to every seeking soul. "If you seek Him He will be found of you."
"Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near."
Trust Him and He is yours. May Jesus abide with you. Amen.

PORTION OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON–Luke24:1-35. HYMNS FROM "OUR
OWN HYMN BOOK"–766, 776, 785.
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