Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/261

 commune unworthily, there would be no possibility ever to correct the sad and awful mistake.' Then said I, ' Well, General, I see your difficulty, and it is a very reasonable one as you see it. But I think I can show you that it has no scriptural foundation at all. First, allow me to say that I have not the least shadow of doubt as to your honesty in your statement of what Dr. Blackburn said. But yet I think it possible that you misunderstood him. But upon the ground that you are correct in your statement, I think I can so present the doctrine of the passage referred to that if you will read it over carefully you will see that Dr. Blackburn made a fearful mistake in his exegesis. He missed entirely the true teaching of the inspired apostle.' Then I told him that I understood the apostle to administer a rebuke to the Corinthian brethren for their observance of the ordinance in that they made it a feast, and ate and drank to gratify their natural appetites, instead of remembering and discerning the Lord's body as He had directed them to do. He reminds them also of the true nature of the Lord's Supper, and that he had received it of the Lord Jesus just as he delivered it to them with the law governing it as a Christian ordinance and duty. But they by their perversion had so changed it that when they came together it was not to eat the Lord's supper, and thus show forth His death as His law of the ordinance required them to do. So they violated this law, and thereby brought upon themselves the condemnation of this law governing this holy ordinance. Then I think that the question in the mind of the apostle was one of manner, as indicated by the word unworthily, which is an adverb of manner, and describes, not their faith in Christ, or relationship as Christians to Christ, but the manner in which they discharged their duty, in eating and drinking the emblems of His body. Therefore, when the apostle says, 'Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat,' I do not believe he had any reference to the question of their being Christians, or to the laws governing that matter; but reference alone to the law governing their ordinance, and the questions of right views, motives, and purposes, as set forth in that law. If this be so, then the danger against which the apostle cautioned the Corinthians was not that eating and drinking unworthily would be a violation of the law governing their Christian existence or being, but such unworthy acts would be a violation of the law of this ordinance which governs their well-being, happiness, and usefulness as Christians in a very great degree. 'Thus,' said I to the General, 'you see why I said that Dr. B. made a fearful mistake, perverting entirely the true doctrine of the passage to which he referred ' ' Yes,' said the General, ' I see it clearly, and now I will return home and read that chapter carefully. Your views are new to me, but they seem to be very reasonable, and I thank you for them.' We then parted. I went on to my appointment. He returned, read the Scriptures mentioned, and joined the church."