1 Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. When the Lord spreads His table to feast His friends, He calleth not them who have no appetite; and therefore thou must examine thyself whether thou hast a hungering after Christ. If a man have his victuals taken from him, he grows hungry and is discontented. How then cometh it to pass that our bodily hunger is so sensible, when yet our soul's hunger is not felt of us? He that is in this estate, a-starving, and feels it, is not that man ready to die? Before we come therefore to the Lord's table, let us labour to get an appetite, for, I say, God thinketh such precious meat at this ill bestowed upon them that have no appetite unto it. But it is not sufficient for a man to hunger, and never go about the work; but as a hungry man is eager to feed, nothing should keep him from it. A man that is ready to die for hunger will give all that he hath rather than he will go without meat. Even so the soul, when it is once pinched and hunger-bit, and seeth bread in heaven, it presenteth itself before God, beggeth as for life that God would bestow His Son for cure. So that I may truly say, "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence" (Matthew 11:12), and nothing shall withhold the violent from taking it, when they come into the presence of God. (R. Sibbes, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.WEB: But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. |
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