And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (8) And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. (9) And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. (10) And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. (11) When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. (12) And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.
I admire the expression, the first day of the week; meaning the day in which the Lord Jesus arose from the dead. For the whole body of believers ' from that time, made it the great day of public meeting. And, from that period, they considered it for their sabbath. And before the beloved Apostle left the Church upon earth, to join the Church in glory, the name by which this first day was known, was the Lord's day. Hence John saith: I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, Revelation 1:10. And, as in the first ages of the Church, the name by which the holy Supper Christ instituted was called, breaking of bread and prayer: Acts 2:42. So, before Paul's ministry ended, the believers called this solemn service, the Lord's Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:20. And what can be more sweet and suited, in reference to both? Is it not the Lord's day, and the Lord's Supper? Is not Jesus Lord of both; yea, the sum, and substance of both? Reader! do you not love the Lord's day, and the Lord's Supper? And can anything be more suited, than that all true believers, celebrate the Supper of the Lord on the Lord's day? Not indeed to the exclusion of other days, when the Lord invites his members to his table. All days, and all times, are blessed, when the King sitteth at his table, and when the sweet Spikenard of his people's graces, planted and brought into exercise by His Spirit, send forth the smell thereof: Song of Solomon 1:12; 1 Corinthians 10:16. But, there is a peculiar sweetness and sacredness, on the Lord's day, and is endeared to the Lord's people by every tie of affection. And, what blessedness have the saints of God in all ages, yea, the whole Church of God, during the whole time, state of her pilgrimage here below, found in it? The Jews say, that it was the first day when Jehovah, in his three-fold character of Persons, went forth, in the creation of the world. And we know, that it was the first day when the Son of God, in our nature, triumphed by his resurrection; over death, hell, and the grave. And, is it not the first day as such of the everlasting world to all his redeemed? Hail! thou holy day of the Lord! Sweet pledge and emblem of the eternal and unceasing Sabbatism of heaven!
The farewell sermon of Paul was lengthened to the midnight hour. His heart was with the people, and he knew not how to leave off; It is truly blessed, when the sent servants of the Lord, like the Apostle, are so affectionately desirous of the flock of Christ, as not to impart only the Gospel of God, but their own souls also, because they are dear to them. See a beautiful portrait of this in the Apostle himself: 1 Thessalonians 2:1 throughout. And it is a lovely sight, when a congregation, under the teachings and influences of God the Spirit, hang upon the Preacher's words, and forget the length of the discourse in the sweetness of it, from Christ being both text, sermon, and substance. Reader! think, what a Preacher must have been Jesus himself! Look at one instance of the Lord's preaching, when the people pressed upon him to hear his word? Luke 5:1
I stay not to make any further observation on this certain young Man's infirmity of sleeping under the word, than to remark, his sin, and the Lord's mercy. Had not the Lord's grace been greater than even his undeservings, what would have been the consequence? The Evangelists have been particular, in telling the Church how the disciples slept, when Christ was in his agony. But, the Lord himself hath taught us from what quarter the temptation came. It was the hour of the power of darkness, See Matthew 26:36-45; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-53. And who shall say, even now in the present hour, how often the deadly foe attempts to drench the people of God in sleep, when sitting under the word, in the house of prayer, to render it unfruitful? Let the Lord's people seek grace from the Lord, to counteract Satan's devices. Pray, saith Jesus, that ye enter not into temptation, Luke 22:40. And, every sinner that reads this history of Eutychus, (though his life was restored to him by a miracle) hath reason to tremble, if sleeping in the house of God, conscious that he thereby insults the majesty of the Lord, and exposes himself both to the divine wrath, and to the devil's devices, Mark 4:15.