THERE are two things with which every believer in Christ Jesus should be well acquainted; they are of the utmost importance to us, individually. We refer to what may be called, the Christian's standing and state: his standing before God in Christ; and the state, practically, which answers to that high and holy standing.
What theme can be more uplifting and strengthening to the soul that knows the Savior? Let it be thine, O my soul, for a little while-yea, forever. Meditate, I beseech thee, on this soul-elevating theme! Depend, in all simplicity, on the presence of the Holy Ghost, who only can reveal the person and position of Christ, and make good to thee, experimentally, thy place in Him. " Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Rom. 5:1, 21Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1‑2).) Already, by faith, we possess and enjoy, in Christ, everything but glory. This is plain from the passage before us. Being justified—having peace -standing in grace-waiting for glory. We only wait for glory -" the glory of God." And even with that we are now linked in the most blessed way, having Christ in the heart, the hope of glory. " To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Col. 1:2727To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:27).
The Person, work, and position of Christ, necessarily become, with such a theme, the blessed objects of the soul's happy meditations. His humiliation and glory, as the beloved Son of the Father, fill the whole vision of the soul. Fellowship with the Father and the Son is enjoyed. Love is created in the heart, by the contemplation of His love. In meditating on the Christian's standing and state, Christ Himself must be the center of our thoughts and of our worshipful adorations; the heart must overflow, through nearness to Him, in grateful praise. As we stand in Him, we must know His standing in order to know our own; and as we are loved in Him, we must know the Father's love to the Son, before we can know His love to us. And surely, in the proportion that we enter into these blessed subjects, and are thus occupied with Christ, our state here below will be the reflection of our standing in Him above.
The two prayers of the apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians most fully, and in order, bring before us the subject of our present meditations. Follow then, I pray thee, my soul, this divine order. And grant, O Lord, that I may see., in thy light, the wondrous depths and heights of thy path and glory, as the once suffering but now exalted Man: and that I may also taste the sweetness of thy love, and know the inward power of the Holy Spirit. Oh! that these fervent breathings of thy servant-so long uttered-so often read, but, alas, so little heeded-may yet be fully answered in my experience, and also in the happy experience of all who may read these meditations!
Mark then, my soul, that the apostle in chapter i. 15-23, prays that the saints might know their place, or standing, in the risen and glorified Man, Christ Jesus-that they might have a deep and real apprehension of their place before God in Him, as exalted above all principalities and powers. Consistent with this truth, the saints are exhorted in the last chapter of this Epistle, to maintain their standing against every foe. " Stand therefore," says the apostle; he does not say advance: there is no higher or better place to reach. Hence the word is, " stand therefore.... and having done all, to stand." In chapter iii. 14-21 he again prays that they might know, and be in that state of soul which answers to this standing. Hence, he says nothing in the second prayer about being exalted and glorified, but rather, that they might be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man-that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith, and that they might be rooted and grounded in love. The latter is at clearly state as the former is standing.
Secured in Christ, their Head on high, The saints below may boldly cry-Praise to our God, Amen!
To God in Christ all praise be given-. For evermore, on earth, in heaven. Amen! Amen! Amen!
Observe further, in thy meditations, and carefully note, as of all importance, that these two prayers are founded on the two great relationships in which God stands to Christ, and, consequently, to us in Him. This is the key to the better understanding, not only of the two prayers, but of the whole epistle. The apostle commences with this twofold relationship, and has it in his mind all through the epistle: " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." He is our God and Father in Him. Immediately after our Lord arose from the dead, He made known this great truth. It is based on accomplished redemption. " Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father; and to my God and your God." (John 20:1717Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17).)
Blessed fruit of the Savior's death and resurrection!
The first prayer is addressed to " the God of our Lord Jesus Christ." The second, to " the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." And we find that the main thought in each prayer answers perfectly to these titles. Power and glory, as displayed in the risen Man, characterize the first. Relationship and love characterize the second. The Father loves the Son, and as Son He has His own place without being exalted. It is as man, once humbled for our sins, and having glorified God in putting them away, that He is exalted, and we in Him. Love and glory are the happy themes of the truth now before us. Love to the Son-glory to the Man-and we, loved and glorified in Him, and as He is. Blessed truth! Precious to our souls! What grace! what love! what glory! Can anything but praise be heard throughout eternity?
But the fullness of these wondrous truths will be better seen as we meditate on the different parts and petitions of the two prayers.
Verses 15, 16, " Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers." How much to say of an assembly of saints-of whom could the apostle say as much now? But Christ had His right place in their hearts, and the saints, as a consequence, had theirs. These two things go together. Faith in Christ-love to the saints. The one is the fruit of the other. The saints will have a very small place in our hearts if Christ has not His own place there. Viewed in this light, " Love unto all the saints," becomes a true test it our nearness to Christ, by faith. Merely to love those that suit us-whose disposition and ways are agreeable to us, would not answer to the description here given of the Ephesians. Not that we could love all Christians alike, that would be impossible; but we are to love all as the children of God, and for what we see of Christ in them. We must look at them from His point of view, not our own. True, we may have our special friends amongst the saints of God, and it may be profitable to have such; but we must be careful in manifesting our special affection for some, lest we should wound or discourage others. Largeness of heart and true affection should be cultivated for the whole family of God.
But knowest thou, O my soul, the secret of reaching and maintaining this Christ-like condition -" Love unto all the saints"-not unto some, observe, but unto all the saints? There is only one way, we believe, of manifesting this rare feature of our practical Christianity. Know, then, that we must ourselves be living sufficiently near the Lord to see the saints in His light, and learn His thoughts about them. This, and this alone, rest assured, will lift thee above all that may be unlovely in the saints; and from being occupied with self, which always hinders our love to others. Outside of God's presence we are selfish. It is only when in His presence that we lose our selfishness. " If we walk in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." (1. John 1:77The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. (John 1:7).) God must have the first place, if we are to love one another as His children.
Take an example: The great apostle of the Gentiles was imprisoned at Rome. Everything in his circumstances was calculated to depress and weigh him down. But they did not, they could not. And yet what position could be more trying? Out off from his friends-from visiting the churches-from the work of the gospel-in old age-in want. And more, trial from a very different quarter came upon him. many, taking advantage of his imprisonment, became very prominent in the work of the gospel, though in a wrong spirit; " supposing," as he says, " to add affliction to my bonds." But for his unselfish, large, loving heart, this must have been a great grief to him. But the glory of Christ, and the conversion of souls, were dearer to the apostle than his personal liberty, and his share in the work; therefore, as one far above their influence, he could say, " What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." " Many who"-as one has beautifully said, " in the presence of his power and his gifts, were necessarily powerless and insignificant persons-could make themselves of some importance when, in the unsearchable but perfect ways of God, this mighty instrument of His grace was set aside; they could hope to shine and at-, tract attention when the rays of this resplendent light were intercepted by the walls of a prison. Jealous, but hidden when lie was present, they availed themselves of his absence to bestir themselves-whether false brethren or jealous Christians, they sought in his absence to impair his authority in the Church, and his happiness. They only added to both. God was with His servant; and, instead of the self-seeking, which instigated these sorry preachers of the truth, there was found in Paul a pure desire for the proclamation of the good news of Christ, the whole value of which he deeply felt, and which he desired above all, be it in what way it might."
In writing to his beloved Philippians from the prison at Rome, his heart overflows with joy and love, in spite of everything. His joy in God abounds, and his love to the saints. The children are loved for the Father's sake, and when this is the case, all are loved. " I thank my God," he says, " upon every remembrance of you. Always in every prayer of mine for you all, making request with joy." A stream of love flowed from that dreary dungeon to the refreshing of the churches -of all the saints; and which has been flowing ever since, to the refreshing of the saints in all ages. Instead of being cast down or terrified by his enemies, he nobly rose above them all, and had his eye and his heart more effectually turned to Christ, and to his saints, than ever. What but conscious nearness to the Lord could give such holy victory? The enemy might be permitted to take his liberty from him, and to cast him amongst common criminals; but he could not take his Christ from him, or his love to the saints. Noble example! Blessed lesson for our souls! May we seek to learn it, and faithfully to follow it!
Verse 17. " That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him." The connection between teaching and praying is most intimate and beautiful. We naturally turn from teaching or preaching to prayer. L is God's way of relieving the heart. But for the relief which is found in prayer, the heart would soon sink beneath the solemn responsibility of ministering in the weighty matters of the soul. Eternal things may be seen in such a light, and realized in such power, from earnestly pressing their importance upon others, that a weight the most solemn and depressing may be left on the mind. Hence the need of a burden-bearer.
If we attach Eternity to the destinies of our hearers, we invest them with an interest, an importance, and a magnitude, which are altogether overwhelming. Compared with Eternity, everything which can be reckoned by time dwindles into utter insignificancy. How, where, can relief from the pressure of such thoughts be found? Only in prayer. The testimony, the souls, the eternal results, and the conscious shortcomings too, must all be cast upon God.
To this divine refuge-this place of repose and strength-the great apostle now turns. For the moment he takes the place of intercessor. And now, mark, I pray thee, my soul-carefully mark -the character of this divinely inspired prayer. Thou hast here the apostle before thee, both as a teacher and as an intercessor. Blessed example! -it is worthy of thy closest study. And first, observe the perfect harmony there is between his prayer and the truths he had just been teaching. He says nothing in his prayer about the forgiveness of sins, or that they might receive the Holy Spirit. What is this? thou mayest inquire. The answer is, that the tone of his prayer is not below the tone of his teaching. Some seem to pull down in their prayers what they have confessedly been building up in their teaching. Not so the apostle. He is perfectly consistent. He seeks to bind up more closely in prayer what he has built up as a teacher.
The difference, we are ready to admit, between the tone of the teaching and the prayers, to which we have referred, may flow from a sense of unworthiness on the mind of him who is ministering in the things of God. And this, in its own place, is to be admired; but, nevertheless, we may falsify the word of God, and contradict our own statements, by praying according to our feelings, or a supposed becoming humility. Intelligence in the word is to be looked for; it is our only safe guide, and the medium of the Holy Spirit's action. At the same time, the prayer may be a truer index of the state of the heart in the presence of God, than the doctrines which have been advanced. The Lord knows. O my soul, judge thyself!- solemnly, constantly, judge thyself! And may He enable all His servants so to judge themselves, that they may be true and real before Him and before the congregation. We now turn to the lesson taught us by the apostle.
Having addressed the saints at Ephesus as the children of God, and as blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, he could not consistently pray that they might know that God loves them, and that they were forgiven. He had taught them these blessed truths in the plainest and fullest manner. He had assured the Ephesians, and through the same epistle he assures all Christians, that they are the children of God, according to the good pleasure of His will-that they are before Him as the very delight of His heart-that they are pardoned and accepted in the Beloved-that the Holy Spirit dwells in them, both as a seal of their present salvation, and as an earnest of their future glory. These blessed truths are not only revealed to faith, but they are sealed home to the Christian's heart, through the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. " In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with [not by, observe, but with] that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." In beautiful harmony with these and other great truths which he had taught the saints, he prays that God may give them the spirit of wisdom to understand these marvelous revelations of His grace, and that they might rise, in faith, to the height of His thoughts and counsels about them. This is the burden of his prayer.
But are Christians, let me ask, not to confess their sins and shortcomings to God their Father? Most assuredly: that is just what they need to do constantly. And they cannot walk with God unless they do; but they should never lower, by unscriptural expressions, the ground of their standing in His presence. Our standing in the presence of God is in virtue of the work of Christ, and according to the riches of God's grace; and, as these can never fail, we can never lose the place they give. Besides, it is " to the praise of the glory of his grace " that we are there. But, though we may be deeply conscious of failure as Christians, we should never take the ground of poor, unpardoned sinners before God. This would be to deny our calling, and to bring darkness, confusion, and weakness into our souls. God says we are before Him as His children, pardoned and accepted in the Beloved. We are no longer on the ground of sinners before God, but as children before the Father. In conversion the ground is changed. When born of God, we cease to be on the ground of sinners before Him, and are ever after on the ground of children in the family. True, we do not cease to be sinners, in the sense that we sin daily and hourly in thought, word, and deed. The thought of foolishness is sin; and who is not troubled with foolish thoughts? But we are to confess our faults as children before the Father, and not as sinners before God. In faithfulness to God and His word, we ought to maintain the ground on which He has set us. Not, of course, that the sin of the child is any the less, but, on the contrary, more grievous, for it is against more light, love, and grace. And, rest assured, the better we understand our calling in Christ, the deeper will be our humiliation on account of failure, and the more unreserved our confession of it. True holiness should characterize the children of God. As it is written, " Be ye holy; for I am holy." Or, in other words, the Christian's state should always answer to his standing. When it is not so, there is too good reason for humiliation and confession.
The question, you will see, is not that the Christian is any better in himself than he ever was, but that his position is changed. His standing before God is no longer in the first Adam, but in the last Adam-the risen Christ. And he is expected to walk even as Christ walked. " He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." Indeed, the scriptures speak of the Christian as if it were just possible for him to sin. "If," the Apostle John says, " IF any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." The possibility of sinning is barely admitted. Such is the dignified manner of scripture, when speaking of the children of God: though, when speaking of our old nature, it affirms there is no good thing in it. And it is worthy of notice that he does not say, " If any man repent and pray for pardon be will be forgiven;" but, " If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father." Nevertheless, we ought to repent, and repent deeply, when conscious of failure. But, in the meantime, Christ sees to our interests in heaven, and the Holy Ghost sees to our interests on earth, so that we are well cared for: adored be the goodness of our God! What a mercy that we are in Christ's hands!
How often we may sin and never be conscious of it; but Christ sees it at once, and meets the need in virtue of His blood, so that the sin never reaches the throne of God. All praise be to His blessed name! The work of Christ has set us as children in the Father's presence, and fitted us to be there; and the advocacy of Christ maintains us holy, and without blame, before Him in love. The Lord give us to be in the intelligence of scripture, both in teaching, preaching, and praying; and may we stand firm on the great truth, that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.
GREAT ADVOCATE, Almighty Friend,
On Thee do all our hopes depend;
Our cause can never, never fail,
For Thou dost plead, and must prevail.
In every dark distressing hour,
When sin and Satan join their power,
Let this blest truth repel each dart,
That Thou dost bear us on Thy heart.
The apostle refers in his first prayer to " the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory." The mighty power of God, as displayed in the exaltation of Christ, and of the Christian in Him, is the prominent thought 'in this prayer, but not the only one. The thought suggested by the expression, " Father of glory," is sweet to the heart of the child. While we connect the idea of power with the title, " God," affection is inseparably associated with the title, " Father." This is most precious to the heart-it sweetens everything. While meditating in wonder and delight on the bright scene of glory which is before us, the happy thought crosses the mind, My Father's love is the spring of all that glory-the fountain of all that perfect blessedness. He is " the Father of glory."
Great indeed and wonderful is the effect of God's power as here seen by the eye of faith. It is called, " the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places." But who can speak of the happy combination of love and glory? Yet, surely, even the brightest glory is but the outward manifestation of love. Nevertheless, they go well together-we would not have them separated; and thank God, they never will be: but all Will allow that love is the deeper, closer thing. Both will be seen in the millennium. Then the heavens will not be so high above the earth as they now are. They will be, as it were, together. Jacob in vision saw them united as by a ladder, and the many glories encircling the Messiah were seen from earth's point of view. Then the Church will be seen in company with Christ, according to His own word in John 17 " And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."
Here all is plain as to the future. The glory which the Father gives the Son, the Son gives to us, that the world may know that the Father sent the Son, and that He loves us, as He loves the Son. When the world sees us in the same glory with Christ, it will then know that we are loved with the same love. Wondrous, blessed truth! The soul can only bow in worship, while meditating on the grace that shines in these bright scenes of love and glory. " But what will it be to be there!" True, my soul, but what of the Father's house? Ah! that is the inner circle, the home of love. What is enjoyed there the world can never know. It will see the glory outside the house; but it can never gaze on the family scenes inside. Is this thy place, O my soul? It is the children's place, I answer, and we are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus. His word can never be broken. All who are the children of God now, will be in the children's home then.
O LORD! my pilgrim spirit longs
To sing the everlasting songs
Of GLORY, LOVE, and power;
When heaven and earth and all things yield,
My Savior will be still my shield,
For He has to my soul revealed
Himself my strength and tower.
Who-O who could rest without the full assurance of an eternity of love and glory? Pray, dear reader, is this thy blessed hope? It is, surely, worthy of all thy thought-all thy attention-all thy determination; and all sacrifice too, even unto life itself, rather than lose that home of love-that eternal glory. One word settles all, " The Father loved' the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son bath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:35, 3635The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:35‑36).) May the Lord grant unto thee, and unto all who read these pages, His own richest and everlasting blessing, and may we all meet at last in that eternally happy home.
Now believe!
Verses 18, 19. " The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory I his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe." God is the source of all blessing. This is the first thought suggested in reading these verses. He is here seen as the author-the source of it all I Blessed, precious thought for the heart! Hence it is said to be His calling -His inheritance-His power. At the same time, the blessing is presented as in Christ, and with Christ, though flowing from God as its source.
When the apostle speaks of the gospel in the commencement of his Epistle to the Romans, he characterizes it as the " Gospel of God, concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." There we have God as the source, and Christ as the subject of the gospel. Here, it is the bright display of His grace and love in heavenly places, to those who have been gathered to Himself by the gospel. Of course, Christ risen is the bright display to faith of all blessing. But whether it be grace and love to sinners on the earth, or to saints in heaven, the source is the same. The preaching of the gospel—the effectual call-the future glory, and the power which accompanies the truth, and gives a foretaste of the glory, are all of God. Wondrous, marvelous truth, when we think of what we are! But there is no heart in the universe that has been so revealed to us as the heart of God. He gave His Son to die for us. And who ever lay so deep in that heart as the Well-Beloved? Its depths have been revealed. Oh! blessed, full, eternal, unfailing spring of all blessedness, both in time and in eternity! How the renewed soul loves to linger at the fountain! Here linger-here dwell—O my soul! It is thy place of joy and strength-thy highest privilege-thy home forever. Thou art born of God-born from above. A man's native place is where he was born.
What can be sweeter or more strengthening to the heart than to fall back upon the thoughts and counsels of God, as the foundation of all our blessing? This ground can never, never change. Before this world was made, our redemption was planned. It was no afterthought of the divine mind. And now, in the risen Christ, and the children of God raised up in Him, is the perfect answer to the eternal counsels of love. " In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Ver. 7.
But here, note also, my soul, that the fountain is not only the place of sweetest delight to thyself, but of the richest blessing to others. When truly connected with the source, we become the channel of living water to others. It is said of Moses, when he fled from the face of Pharaoh to the land of Midian, that " he sat down by a well." Beautiful illustration of the Christian's privileged place! He was thus in the right position to help the daughters of Reuel to water the flock. "Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to-day? And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock." Ex. 2
It is perfectly clear that we must be near to the well of life ourselves, if we would become the channel of living water to others. What a privilege to be enabled to roll away the stone from the well's mouth and water the Lord's flock when it is gathered together-to be so under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as to minister the truth in due season. Blessed Lord, keep thy servants near to thyself, that they may refresh thy gathered saints with the pure, living waters of the sanctuary!
Jesus! thou art the fountain,
The deep, sweet well of love!
The streams on earth I've tasted,
More deep Ill drink above;
There to an ocean fullness,
His mercy doth expand,
And glory-glory dwelleth
In Immanuel's land.
Turn now for a little while, my soul, and meditate on the great truth of thy christian calling. " The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling." Nothing can be of greater importance to thee than the character of God's call. To what, in the greatness of His love, has He called thee-to what has He called every Christian? This is the question. Is it to the hope of salvation, with a measure of uncertainty or insecurity hanging over it? Most assuredly not. In chapter ii. of this epistle it is said, " By grace are ye saved through faith.'.' Salvation is here viewed as a present thing-as an accomplished reality to the soul. The hope of His calling is what we are called to in Christ Jesus, as the children of God.
Christ risen from among the dead, triumphant over all enemies, and exalted to all honor at God's right hand in heaven, is the expression of that which we are called to enjoy by faith now, and which we shall fully enjoy with Christ in heaven forever. Were the heavens over our head to be opened, and could we see the Man Christ Jesus there; we should then see the Christian's place, privilege, and standing in the presence of God.
Grace begun shall end in glory;
Jesus, He the victory won;
IN HIS OWN TRIUMPHANT STORY
IS THE RECORD OF OUR OWN.
The apostle, in this part of his prayer, refers, we doubt not, to what he had written in the early part of the chapter: " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who bath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he bath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will." (Ver. 3-5.) Here all is grace-grace flowing from perfect love, and for the divine glory. But God is seen alone as the Blesser. The spring and power of all the blessing here revealed are in His own heart. It takes its character from Himself. But Christ is seen as the foundation of it all. It is in Him that we are blessed. He died for us, adored be His name! and washed us from our sins in His own blood; and thus presents us to God and His Father, in the full efficacy of His work, and in the acceptancy of His Person. This is the foundation on which all blessing, both to the individual and to the Church-both for time and for eternity, securely rests. " The gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
The heart of the apostle is so full of this great subject, that he breaks forth at once, without any preface, in the highest strains of praise and worship. " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who bath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." All our blessings flow from the twofold relationship hero introduced-God and Father. In the first message sent to the disciples by the blessed Lord, after He arose from the dead, He announces this blessed truth: " Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God." Christ Himself is the perfect man before God, and He is a Son with the Father. We are one with Him in both these relationships.
Redemption is the basis of relationship. Christ had so blotted out our sins and glorified God in His death, that the way was perfectly clear in resurrection, to introduce His disciples into the place of sons-into the same place as Himself.
Oh! wondrous truth! Oh! marvelous place of blessing! But, listen, O my soul, it is to the knowledge of this-the faith of this-the enjoyment of this-the practical manifestation of this, that thou art called of God. Explain it not away, I pray thee, think not that it is a mere feeling, but receive it as God's truth, as a present reality. It rests on the solid foundation of the death and resurrection of Christ. " God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. 4-6.) Here again we see God as the great source of our blessing. The Son comes from God -the Spirit comes from God. God sent forth His Son-He sent forth the Spirit. We are not here said to be made sons by the Spirit, but because we are sons in Christ He sends forth the Spirit to dwell in us. Hence we have not only the place of sons, but the consciousness of sonship, by the Holy Ghost.
The unscriptural notion of many is, that the blessings of divine relationship can never be really known or enjoyed while we are in this world: whereas, in the First Epistle of John, the babes are addressed as knowing the forgiveness of their sins, and the Father. But what can be more true or real to the soul than the words of the risen Lord:
" Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend. unto my Father and your Father; to my God and your God?" The apostle repeats the same truth, and connects with it the very highest character of blessing which is ours in Christ: " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who bath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."
Is thy faith, then, O my soul, up to this revelation? These are the lofty heights on which thou art called to walk, in the intelligence and power of the Holy Ghost. Doubt not, fear not; God has called thee to this. It is the safest path-the path of faith. David rose in faith to the height of God's thoughts and counsels as to Israel, when he vanquished Goliath in the valley of Elah. Men of lower faith stood fearing and trembling before the boastful giant, and no doubt thought David very presumptuous. But God was honored by the faith of David, and God honored David. And so it must ever be. True faith can rest in nothing short of the whole counsel of God. Art thou prepared then, O my soul, to ascend these spiritual heights, and, like Israel of old, plant the sole of thy foot on thine own possessions in the heavenly places? Christ is there, my soul; be of good courage-thy standing is in Him. Thou art as safe as He is-thy security is His. The measure of His blessing is thine. We are "blessed with all spiritual blessings," not one is lacking; and they are of the highest order: they are not temporal, as was the case with the Jews. It is in the most exalted capacity of the renewed man that we enjoy these blessings, and they are adapted to that capacity, they are spiritual. They are also in the highest sphere: it is not in Canaan or Immanuel's land; these blessings are granted us in the heavenly places; they are granted us in the most excellent way, one which leaves no room for comparison, it is " in Christ." This is the children's blessing, all praise to our God and Father. It is individual: the Church's blessing is spoken of afterward. Every child of God, without exception, is blessed according to that which is due to Christ. The measure of our blessing is the measure of God's value for Christ. It is enough, O my soul. It is the largest and highest blessing revealed. We are blessed in the best place-the best company, and with the best of blessings. Here rest a little in thy meditations -dwell on these three things-the measure is that which can never be measured.
We worship thee, FATHER and God!
What rich unfathomable grace,
On us, O Christ, in thee's bestowed!
Children of wrath-our nature's place-
Ransomed with blood, made ONE WITH THEE,
What lengths, breadths, heights, and depths appear!
Eternity, infinity,
Alone of grace the limits are!
" According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." This fourth verse sets before us the blessings of God's call as connected with the divine nature. The fifth, as connected with relationship. These are the two heads of blessing-nature and relationship. They are according to God, as God; and according to the Father, as the Father.
The fourth verse refers to the first. God could not have it otherwise. If we are to be brought into His presence in heaven, we must be there like Himself. Nothing less could satisfy God. He is holy, blameless, and love; and He has chosen us in Christ to be like Himself as to these moral qualities. As Father (ver. 5), He has predestinated us to the blessed intimacies and privileges of a positive relationship. Both characters of blessing, nature and sonship, are united in every Christian; blessed be the God of all grace! But, for the present moment, O my soul, dwell a little on the first. It claims thy closest study. Wouldst thou be without a perfect acquaintance with that which God has chosen thee to be? Thy new nature is thyself, the old one will soon drop off. Thy divine nature is thy capacity for the enjoyment of heaven, and all that is to be found there. Now, in the capacities of this nature, we joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and have fellowship with the Father and the Son by the Holy Ghost. Better than this, we may truly say, can never be found, even in heaven itself; but we shall know it better and enjoy it more when all hindrances are removed.
It is God Himself that has chosen us in Christ to be holy and without blame before Him in love. The thought—the choice—the love, are His own. His be all the praise and glory. Man had no voice in this matter. It was before the foundation of the world. All is according to God, and worthy of Himself. It is the necessity of His nature and character, to have those that are near Him, like Himself. It must be so. The principle is universal. The man of letters chooses for his companions literary men; and we all choose to have with us and around us those that are suitable to our nature and ways. God acts upon this principle in the fourth verse. He is holy and blameless and love, and those that are to be with Him forever must be suitable to Him. But on the other hand, it is equally the necessity of His being to exclude all evil from His presence. Far, far from the God of holiness must all evil be removed. Solemn thought, when we think of many around us. But the day will come, when not only the evil doer, but all evil, shall be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 21:88But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)); all must be banished from the presence of God. He could not suffer the least stain of sin in the most distant part of His dominions, far less on those who are near Him. The following lines are sweet to the renewed mind:
" All taint of sin shall be removed,
All evil done away;
And I shall dwell with God's beloved,
Through God's eternal day."
Oh! that the unbelieving, unpardoned, uncleansed sinner would think of this now. Then, it will be too late. Now the fountain is open for sin and for uncleanness, and whosoever will may come and wash and be clean. " I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." Hear, hear, O sinner, hear these gracious words! They are placed by the very side of that awful verse about the lake of fire. God has thus placed, as it were, side by side, the fountain of living waters, and the lake of fire. And mark, He says, " I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." It is all of grace, rich, free grace. But those who despise the open fountain of living waters must be cast, with all their evil, into the lake of fire. Awful, solemn warning! Oh! what shall I say unto thee, my fellow sinner? Do stoop, I beseech thee, and drink, and live forever. The waters are free-free to the poorest-free to the vilest-free to all-free to thee: Think of the difference between the lake of fire and the fountain of living waters. Carefully read Rev. 21:6, 86And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6)
8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8).
The thought of banishment from God in the forsaken place is awful-it is overwhelming. To be banished from God and Christ, from all the good and the holy, from all the pure and the happy; and to be doomed to dwell with all evil, and with all evil doers, and that forever, is more than we can bear to think of now. Oh! that word-that terrible word, "forsaken." Who can bear to be forsaken? It brought from the heart of the lowly Jesus that mournful and pathetic cry, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" In richest love and grace, He took that place for us, that we might never have to take it for ourselves; but sin, unrepented of and unpardoned, must take the sinner there. How awful the thought! To be forsaken of God and all His goodness-forsaken of Jesus and His bleeding love-forsaken of the Holy Spirit and all His strivings-forsaken of all that can sympathize and love; the poor, desolate, friendless soul must sink into utter despair. May all, whose hearts assure them that they are not prepared for the presence of God, cease from rest until they are. May they never rest until they come to Jesus, and find rest in Him. Matchless is the love that says, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." It is His blood, and His blood alone, that cleanseth us from all sin. But to all who trust in Him He plainly says, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." Once washed in the blood of Jesus, we are clean, "clean every whit," and that forever. The blood can never lose its power; only the daily defilements need to be washed away, as with the basin and towel. See John 13.
We now return to our beautiful fourth verse. We have only left " the ninety and nine" for a little, to look after a lost one in the desert. May the Good Shepherd lay him on His shoulder!
God is light, and God is love; and we are called to be like Him; and to enjoy Him as such. This is God's calling; but we are the called-chosen in Christ, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. This is the description of God's own character, though it is here given as the character of His children. Surely this is grace in its highest form. It breathes a well-pleased and delighting love. Do think of this, O my soul. Hurry not over the wondrous thought. This is it: when God would tell us what He is Himself, He describes what His children are-a son is of the same nature as his father. " God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." True, He is Love; but Be is also Light; and He dwells in the pure unsullied light of His own absolute Deity. And there He has called us and fitted us to be, in the fitness and acceptance of the risen and exalted Man. This is what God Himself has made us in Christ; forever blessed be His name!
But, pray tell me this: How can Christians be in the presence of God as holy, blameless, and love, seeing there is so much in us that is the opposite of all this? This is a point of much importance, and of great practical difficulty with many souls. But the answer is, The apostle is speaking of what we are in Christ; not of what we are, or have been, in ourselves. Our old nature is not referred to here-it is passed by unnoticed. Of course the old nature is in us, and no better than it ever was, and we must take care and not let it show itself. But we are chosen and called in Christ-He is our life; and we are, before God, in the Beloved One. This is the explanation, and in this the heart finds rest-Christ is holy in His character-blameless in His ways-love in His nature. And we are in God's sight as He is. If God is to find pleasure in His children, they must be like Himself. Christ is the object of God's unqualified delight, and so shall we be by and by. This is the hope of His calling. Oh! deep, divine, ineffable, unutterable, unfailing spring of happiness now-of unmingled blessedness hereafter! " We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall, see him as he is." Therefore God has chosen us in Christ, " that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." We are brought thus into His presence and His love is satisfied. Oh! most wondrous, precious truth! All is done, Christ is risen and glorified. " In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." It is only there that perfect blessedness can be found. With what a hope the calling of God fills the heart! His name alone have all the praise.
But this is only the bright side of the answer to the question. The state or practical ways of the saints is not always a true reflection of their standing and privileges in Christ. We come far short of what becomes the children of God in many things. How feebly we answer to His love; and how many things we allow that are contrary to Him. Whence come pride, vanity, and worldliness? we may ask. Certainly not from the divine nature. These, and all other evil things, flow not from our new, but from our old nature. Although our standing is in Christ, the flesh is in us, and ought to be mortified. In it there is no good thing. How often we have reason to be ashamed and humbled on account of our many faults. But ere long we shall have done with the flesh entirely, and be perfectly holy and without blame before God in love. He has chosen us to this end, and will in due time accomplish it. This is our sure hope. But in the meantime, may we seek to suppress our old nature and watch against all its tendencies. We know that we are in Christ now, and have His life in us, notwithstanding all our failures. May we have grace to feed on Him day by day and hour by hour that we may be strengthened to do His will.
" Though our nature's fall in Adam
Seemed to shut us out from God,
Thus it was His counsel brought us
Nearer still through Jesu's blood;
For in Him we found redemption,
Grace and glory in the Son,
0 the height and depth of mercy!
' Christ and we through grace are one.' ''
Hast thou well considered, O my soul, the blessing of a holy and loving nature? Who can understand the blessedness of it now? What, O what, must the change be, compared with our present unholy, unloving nature! Here pause a moment, I pray thee, and meditate on this great truth. Only think on what must be our happiness, when we shall be like Christ-when we never more can have a thought, a feeling, a desire, contrary to God; far less shall there ever be a look, a word, an action, unworthy of His holy presence. And thus will it be forever! Oh! wondrous thought! Oh! perfect blessedness 1 And no fear of a change, or of an end, shall ever cross the mind.
In one sense, this shall be thy heaven; for what were all the blessings that God can give, had we not a nature to enjoy them? But to have a nature which is the perfect answer to what God Himself is, must give a capacity for the highest and purest enjoyments of heaven. And once more remember, that this is thy nature for eternity. When the soul of the penitent thief ascended from the cross on Calvary to the paradise of God, he left behind him all that he was in himself, and ascended in all the blessedness of Christ. Not one atom of the old nature shall ever cross the threshold of heaven. Glorious deliverance! Having eternal life-a divine nature, through faith in the dying Savior, and thus made the righteousness of God in Him, he had both title and capacity to enjoy his new inheritance. The bloom, the beauty, the fragrance, the rest, the joys of paradise, shall all be relished by the children of God, and relished as those only can who have reached their eternal home and now breathe their native air.
But in the high calling of God there is more than nature, there is relationship. If we would well understand " what is the hope of his calling," we must know our relationship in Christ as well as our nature. We might have had a holy, blameless, and loving nature, and been only servants. The highest angels rise no higher. They are servants waiting on God to do His pleasure. But those whom God has called—called by His grace-called from the place of distance to the place of nearness-called from the lowest state to the highest, are sons, not servants. " Wherefore," saith the apostle, writing to the Galatians, " thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." And the closing testimony of scripture is, " He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." The son inherits the large possessions of the Father. This blessed truth is the second part of the Christian's calling.
" Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." (Verse 5.) The Jews of old were called "the people of God "-Christians are called " the children of God." Doubtless Old Testament saints were born again, and in that sense they were children of God; but they are spoken of as His people, not as His children. In the same sense, they had eternal life; but they are not spoken of as having, or knowing that they had, eternal life. The revelation of these great privileges and blessings was reserved until Christ came. And it was not until redemption was finished, and Christ risen from the dead, that He calls the disciples His brethren. Then, for the first time, He says, " Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." Now they are introduced into the place of sons, according to the position and perfectness of the risen Christ. Christ is a Son-we are sons. True, most true, Christ is the eternal Son of the Father, and none can share that higher glory with Him; but as the risen Son of God, exalted and glorified, we are one with Him; and that according to the work of the cross, and the good pleasure of the Father's will.
In all ages God blessed His people according to the revelation which He gave of Himself, as the object of their faith. See Heb. 11 He made Himself known to Abraham, for example, as the ALMIGHTY; and blessed him as the depositary of promise. Called of God he leaves his own people and country, though he knew not whither he was going. He believes God and obeys. Having nothing but the promise, he was a stranger in a strange land. But his strangership was his gain. It brought him, in spirit, nearer to God Himself. It led him to desire a better country. He had no wish to go back to his own. God, known as the Almighty, was his trust, his shield, his reward. In the presence of the king of Sodom, though a stranger in a strange land, he confessed and honored the Lord as " the most high God the possessor of heaven and earth." He refused to be enriched by the world. He was content to wait upon God, to whom both heaven and earth belonged. Enough for the heart of faith that God knows the need, and how and when to meet it. The God of promise was the object of his faith. He had nothing else; for God gave him none inheritance in the land, " no, not so much as to set his foot on; yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child." (Acts 7) It was thus that he honored God as a stranger and a pilgrim, and God is not ashamed to be called Abraham's God. What a testimony! Of whom, we may ask, could God now say so much? Abraham was a pilgrim and a stranger on the ground of promise: we, on the higher ground of oneness with a Christ rejected on earth, and accepted in heaven. Even now our citizenship is in heaven, from whence we look for the Savior. Of " the fathers" the Spirit of truth bears this blessed testimony in Heb. 11 " But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."
Israel, the natural seed of Abraham, was in covenant relationship with God, as JEHOVAH. All temporal blessings in a pleasant land-the choicest of earth's treasures, are their proper blessing. Through their rebellion they have been dispersed under His chastening hand; but they are His chosen people, and will yet be abundantly blessed, and peaceably settled in the land of promise. But the Christian's blessing goes far beyond a promise, or a goodly land. And he knows God, not only as the Almighty and as Jehovah, but as Father. "I will be," He says, " a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor. 6:1818And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:18).) We now return to the verse under meditation.
" Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." Here the soul finds perfect rest, the measure of its blessing is full. Promises were the stronghold of the Jew; the Christian rests in accomplished redemption. Nothing more can be added to this blessing-nothing more can be desired. More may be revealed to him, and all shall yet be better understood; but these words, " TO HIMSELF," are enough. Not only has He chosen us to be like Himself, but near Himself. Surely it is the expression of the most tender-the most marvelous -the most delighting love. Here are two words, O my soul, for thy long and deep meditation. Never hast thou met with two words more fitted to calm down every rising fear, and hush to eternal rest all anxieties as to the future. Couldst thou ever distrust the love that chooses to have thee near as Christ Himself is near? Can the Father ever have Christ too near His heart? Can He ever have thee too near His heart? Faith must answer; but the word is plain, " children by Jesus Christ to himself." What can be plainer? What can be truer? What can be nearer to thy heart? It is God's call to thee-to every Christian-even the least. He could not do more for His children: He will not do less. It is marvelous in our eyes.
Called to be like Him-called to be near Him; and this, mark, is " according to the good pleasure of his will." The children's place and portion will be the display, throughout eternity, of the peculiar pleasure of the Father. Now it is revealed to faith, and as true as it will be then.
The sixth verse gives unity and strength to this twofold aspect of the Christian's calling: " To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he bath made us accepted in the beloved." This verse sums up the fullness of divine favor to the children, in their effectual calling. We are said to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ -to be chosen in Christ-to be children by Jesus Christ; but we are accepted in the Beloved. Here the word is changed to "Beloved." It means that we are accepted in the highest object of God's affection. Christ is the Well-beloved of God's heart; He could show favor to none as to Him; and yet the word is plain: we are accepted, loved, and blessed in Him—in the Beloved. Higher than this, royal favor itself cannot raise us; the heart can only bow and worship and adore in the presence of such love, and in the assurance that it can never change.
Ah! 'tis too vast a story for me to dare essay!
He, source of endless glory-I, but of yesterday.
Yet, since I call Him Father and know His boundless grace,
I tremble not, but rather delight His way to trace.
How little we think, when the heart of a poor good-for-nothing sinner is touched by the word of the gospel, that such love is at work-that such treasures are thrown open to his faith. But so it is. When God calls, He calls sinners, sinners lost and ruined in their sins. But He calls them to be like Himself in nature, and near to Himself in relationship.
Dear reader, before passing on to the subject of the inheritance, I must have a word with thee. Thou art as a weight on my heart. Hast thou listened-hast thou yielded to the call of God-to the call of the gospel? Now is the time: tomorrow may be too late. And what a loss thine would be! To believe in Christ-to own and trust Him, is to yield thyself to God's call. To love and follow Christ here, where He was rejected, is the clearest proof that thou art called of God. The heights and depths, the lengths and breadths, of God's love to thee are in Christ. To receive Him, is to receive all; to reject Him, is to reject all. What a prize, 0, my fellow sinner, to lose or win! Think of the noble prize won by that poor woman at the feet of Jesus in the house of Simon-pardon, salvation, and peace. Grace is free-free to all-free to thee. " Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." We win the prize of eternal life, and all that belongs to it, by accepting it as God's free gift. He who glorified God by putting away sin on the cross, is now saying to thee, " Him that cometh to me, I will in nowise cast out "-on no account-on no consideration, cast out or reject. Hast thou come then, O my fellow sinner? Come! O come! I beseech thee Come in the faith of His own words. Let thine eye be up to Christ Himself, and let the invitation which He has given thee be in thine heart; and so coming to Him thou art saved. Saved-what a word!- saved! a soul saved-yes, thy soul saved! Saved from sin-saved from death-the death that never dies-saved from the lake of fire -the fire that shall never be quenched-saved from an eternity of misery-saved to an eternity of blessedness-saved to share the honors and glories, the dignities and privileges of God's beloved Son. O may thy heart bow to Christ, and thy tongue confess His name before this paper drops from thy hand!
I want an even, strong desire,
I want a calm, a fervent zeal,
To pull poor souls out of the fire,
To snatch them from the verge of hell,
And turn them to a pardoning God,
And quench the brands in Jesu's blood.
Enlarge, inflame, and fill my heart
With boundless charity divine!
So shall I all my strength exert,
And love them with a zeal like thine.
And lead them to thy open side,
The sheep for whom the Shepherd died.
Verse 18. "And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." This is the second part of the apostle's prayer. The first is, that Christians may understand the nature of their calling; the second, that they may understand the glory of their inheritance; and the third, that they may understand the power which puts them in possession of all that grace has given.
We have been dwelling a little, in our meditations, on the first part. There we learn God's wondrous grace to His children. Their dignity and blessedness is beyond all thought. It is overwhelming. Their birth is heavenly; their nature, holy and loving; their relationship, sons; their privilege, one with Christ. His position as the risen Man is their position; His standing is their standing. They rank with Christ; and their eternal life gives them the capacity to enjoy what He enjoys. And surely nothing more, nothing better than this can ever be conceived.
And now, O my soul, let thy thoughts dwell for a little on the inheritance-the inheritance of God's children. And thou wilt surely find that the inheritance is perfectly suited to the nature and position of the children. And forget not in thy meditations, that this inheritance is thine own: so shall thy thoughts be mingled with praise and thanksgiving. It is the Father's will for the children. Hence it is called " the mystery of his will"-the will that was kept a secret, or un-revealed, until the days of the apostle. Christ is before Him, and all is suited to His position, and we are joint-heirs with Him. Oh!.what a future! -a future of the purest happiness and glory. But the children's chief blessedness will be their nearness to God Himself-the blessedness of His own presence. The inheritance is another thing, and will embrace created things-all created things " both which are in heaven, and which are on earth." The center place will be theirs, because it is Christ's. And is this to be thy future-thy happy future, O my soul? Above thee-near thee-with thee-in thy Father's presence-in thy Father's house! And also, outside thy Father's house-around that house—what? The vast universe-from the lowly tomb of Joseph where the Lord once lay, to the throne of God where He now sits-shall -be filled with His glory. What a spectacle for men and angels! The once despised Nazarene-His once despised followers, together, glorified together, in the center of the glory. Till then, O my soul, seek to walk as becomes a child and heir of God.
Henceforth let each beloved child
With quickened step proceed,
To walk with garments undefiled
Where'er thine eye may lead.
O largely give, 'tis all thine own,
The Spirit's goodly fruit:
Praise, issuing forth in life, alone
Our loving Lord can suit.
The expression, " His inheritance in the saints," is peculiar. It is God's inheritance, and yet it is the saints'. They will personally possess it; and, jointly with Christ, it will be under their dominion. It is similar to the expression, " the hope of his calling." It is God's calling, but we are the called. Both are characterized as God's; the former according to His grace, the latter according to His glory. It is this peculiarity which gives to each such excellency and blessedness. We have something very similar in the Old Testament. The land of Canaan was God's inheritance in Israel. He gave it to Abraham and to his seed for an everlasting possession. But under the law it could not be sold, for God claimed it as His. " The land shall not be sold forever: for the land is mine." It is also called, " Immanuel's land." (Lev. 25:2323The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. (Leviticus 25:23); Isa. 8:88And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. (Isaiah 8:8).) In place- of Jehovah taking possession of the land by a direct act of His power, He takes possession in the persons of His people, so that it is His inheritance in His people. Surely this is beautiful and blessed. It is God acting in sweetest fellowship with His beloved people. Oh! that they could have seen and valued His love and care!
But when the better and brighter day comes, He will take possession, not of the land of Canaan merely, but of the entire universe: and that by the saints personally-the joint-heirs with Christ. But this grand theme is only referred to in the apostle's prayer; the counsels of God respecting it are revealed in the middle of our chapter: " That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Nothing can be plainer, we think, than these words; but in passing from the subject of the calling, to that of the inheritance, the apostle touches upon a subject which is absolutely necessary to be known, before a soul can peacefully contemplate the coming of the Lord-the breaking up of everything here, and the future glory of the saints. And as some of our readers may not be in that state of settled repose, we will refer to the subject for a few moments.
" In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." (Verse 7.) In the second chapter, man's condition under sin is fully stated. Here it is merely alluded to in passing. But there the judgment of God is plainly given. Man is dead-dead in trespasses and sins. He is not merely sick, as some would fain believe; no, he is dead-morally and spiritually dead. Nothing can be lower than this. There are degrees in evil, but there are no degrees in death. And as to his present life, he is the willing slave of Satan. This is where the gospel found the Ephesians-where it found us-where it finds all. High as the Ephesians were raised in blessing, they were all raised from this low estate. Need we wonder then at these words, " The riches of his grace?" Our deep, deep poverty is met by the riches of His grace. When speaking of saints, the Spirit uses the word, " Glory of His grace;" but when speaking of poor sinners, the word is changed to "Riches of His grace." He is glorious in grace-He is rich in grace. What love what compassion we see in this! The heart is drawn to Him who thinks of us in our misery, and blesses us according to the riches of His own boundless grace. Far as our sin has abounded, grace much more abounds. But now for the details.
1. We needed redemption, and we have it-have it now as to our souls. " The redemption of the purchased possession" spoken of in verse 14, and the redemption of the body, we must wait for until Christ comes. But the redemption of the soul, which is by far the most important thing to us, is fully and perfectly accomplished now. It never can be more so. This is the redemption referred to in verse 7: " In whom we have redemption through his blood." Not may, or will, but we have it now. All is found in Christ, adored be His name! " In whom"-it is in Him that we see our standing in the presence of God; and it is in Him that we find the redemption, which fits us for it and sets us in it.
" Salvation in that name is found,
Cure for my grief and care;
A healing balm for every wound,
ALL, ALL I WANT IS THERE."
We needed forgiveness, and we have it-have it now. We can never have it more fully. The blood of Christ is the ground of our forgiveness, and the riches of God's grace the standard. Mark the things here placed in contrast;-The sinner's slavery, and eternal redemption. The sinner's poverty, and God's riches. The sinner's sins, and the blood of Christ. Conditional forgiveness would be law, not grace. Partial forgiveness would reflect no glory on the blood of Jesus; but full, unconditional forgiveness proves God's estimate of the blood, and shows that all blessing depends exclusively upon its value. We are forgiven then, according to the value of the blood of Christ, and according to the riches of divine grace. What more, we may ask, can be done?-what more can be needed? God has given His Son, His blood has been shed. More than this, God Himself cannot do, to blot out sin. What an unspeakable comfort-what a solid ground of peace and rest for our souls. His name alone have all the praise!
3. We needed redemption and forgiveness, not according to our thoughts and feelings, but according to God's thoughts and counsels, and we have them-have them now; and have both in connection with the Person of Christ. This is everything! We have redemption and forgiveness in Him. God is glorified, the riches of His grace are displayed, and our cup of blessing overflows.
Kind hearts are here, yet would the tenderest one
Have limits to its mercy-GOD has none.
And man's forgiveness may be true and sweet,
And yet he stoops to give it: more complete
Is love that lays forgiveness at thy feet
And pleads with thee to raise it; only heaven
Means crowned, not vanquished, when it says "FORGIVEN."
But some will say, " How is it then that I still feel sin working in my heart, if I am so fully forgiven-so richly blessed?" True, sin still remains in the heart. But has. God anywhere said that He has put away sin from the believer's heart? I am sure He has not. What then? He put it away on the cross; He has not put it away from your heart. But just because it was put away on the cross, He has forgiven you, and all who believe in Jesus. Therefore God rests on the completed work of the cross, and that is where you should rest. There is no other ground of rest for a guilty soul in the universe; but faith in the cross, however weak, draws down God's deepest compassion, and the boundless riches of His grace. But, on the other hand, all confidence, however strong, that is not founded on the cross, is without God's approval, and must come to nothing. Be content
then to know that God dealt with thy sins in the Person of thy Substitute on the cross, and put them away by the shedding of His precious blood. The whole question of sin as to every believer is settled and sealed in the blood of God's dear Son.
But again, the uneasy soul will say, " I am sure I sin daily, and if I live till to-morrow I shall be sinning again, ]et me watch against it as I may: what am I to think about these sins?" Think of them, O believer, humiliating as they are, as having been judged by God in the Person of His Son on the cross. " His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree." (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24).) This will work in thy soul a deeper sense of His love, and of the hatefulness of sin, than anything else can. All true, honest self judgment of sin is founded on the assurance that it was divinely judged on the cross. When thou hast no doubt that God judged and put away these very sins on the cross, then thou canst judge them thoroughly in His holy presence. Self judgment must go on as long as we are in this world, for sin will exist as long as we are here. But the divine judgment of sin was executed once, and finished. " It is finished," should give perfect rest as to the divine judgment of sin..
If then, O believer, thou wouldst be truly happy in the presence of God, then thou must well understand these two things-self judgment, and the divine judgment of sin and sins on the cross. And
rest assured that this is needful, before thou canst happily or profitably study the scriptures as to the coming of the Lord, or His millennial glory. It is never a healthy sign for a soul to be inquiring about prophecy that has not settled peace with God. Thus it is that the apostle would have this question fairly before the Ephesians, ere he opens up to them the mysteries of God's will as to the coming glory. How can we calmly and profitably enter into the counsels of God as to the future, if we are not perfectly free from anxiety as to our own salvation?
May we be enabled by His grace to rest where He rests; and to see that it was on the cross that He put away sin, and not from our hearts; and, farther, may there be the fullest self judgment of all our faults and failures, not only because of the loathsomeness of sin in itself, but because God has judged them all once and forever in the cross of His beloved Son.
The whole question of sin, both as to the soul of the believer and the claims of God, being thus settled, the apostle is free to unfold the counsels of God concerning His Son. The saints are now in a fit condition to hear and enter into the truth. The one grand object of these counsels is the honor and glory of His beloved Son. He bath purposed to glorify Him in the very scenes of His former humiliation. In due time it shall be brought to pass, and that in a way worthy of the Father's love. Amen! so let it be, exclaim all heaven and the hearts of all the faithful. Thou, Lord Jesus-thou art worthy!
At the same time, O my soul, bear in mind, that as the Church is one with Christ, she will be glorified together with Him. True, most true-scripture affirms it-we must maintain it. So we read in this very epistle: "This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church." Christ by Himself is not the mystery, neither is the Church by herself; but Christ and the Church together.. She will share the honor and glory along with Christ, not because of anything which she has done, but because she belongs to Him. This explains everything as to her privileges and blessings-she belongs to Him.
Blessed Lord! what love! Who would not seek to form a part of thy Church-thy bride? Many, alas! are setting at naught these eternal honors,, for the passing trifles of a moment. Deliver such, O Lord, in thy mercy, from the blinding power of Satan, and truly bring them to thyself. May they now hear thy voice and follow thee. The door still stands wide open, blessed be thy name -the door that leads to thy home, thy heart, thy bridal glories!
The word " mystery," let the reader understand, affords no excuse for ignorance on this subject.
In scripture, the word does not mean something that we cannot understand, or that is even difficult to understand, but something that has not been revealed before-something that God kept secret in His own mind until He was pleased to reveal it. A good deal is said, for example, in the Old Testament about the millennium, and about the blessings of Israel in a land flowing with milk and honey; but nothing is said about the position of the Church as one with Christ in heavenly places during that period. Neither is there anything said in the Old Testament about the Church's present position in suffering and rejection, or her future position as reigning and glorified with Christ. It was a secret-a hidden mystery, • until the days of the apostle Paul; but when revealed, it is plain enough. But there is more, much more, in the mystery revealed to the apostle.
God has not only made known to us the secret of His heart concerning the Church, but also, we may say, that which lay deepest in His heart-even the glory of His dear Son. He has thus committed to our trust that which lay long a secret in His own mind. Surely this is treating us as friends. This, O most gracious God, is like thy love, but most unlike what we deserve. The grace and the glory are thine alone.
This then is the mystery of His will-His good pleasure concerning Christ and the Church, which He hath purposed in Himself: " That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance." Clearly then, it is God's purpose to unite all things in heaven and on earth, under Christ as Head. All things will be under His hand and dominion; the heavens and the earth, which are now so far apart, will be united together as by Jacob's ladder; or, according to our Lord's own words to Nathanael, " Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." The heavens and the earth will form one united scene of glory under the headship of Christ, during the millennium.
But here pause for a moment, my soul, and inquire how this vast scene of universal glory can be the inheritance of the saints. This is well, the inheritance of the saints is our present theme, still it is well to understand the whole counsel of God: it gives breadth of truth to the soul. Observe, then, that it is as " the Son of man" that Christ is thus glorified. It is as such. that we are associated with Him in the glory: " In whom we have also obtained an inheritance." Nothing can be plainer than this. And this will be the peculiar glory of the millennium. All things are put under His authority as man. And the Church, as now risen in Him, will then be associated with Him in the glory. Dwell on this wondrous truth for a moment, O my soul. Think where humanity has
been carried to in the Person of Christ, and in what state it will appear on that day of full millennial glory! What a thought 1-the vast boundless scene of heavenly and earthly glory under the headship of man. As man-as the Second Man-the Last Adam, He unites all things under His own hand, in peace, glory, and blessing. Then the Church will be seen, known, and acknowledged, as the second Eve of the heavenly man, the Last Adam. As the risen man He is heir of all things, and we are joint-heirs with Him. This is the inheritance of the saints; or, " the riches of the glory of God's inheritance in the saints." The heavens and the earth, thus filled with glory, belong to God; but He holds them in His heavenly saints. At the close of the millennium, when Christ shall have put down all rule and all authority and power, He shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, that God may be all in all. But still there is a sense in which we shall reign forever" reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 15:21-2821For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:21‑28); Rom. 5:1717For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (Romans 5:17).
Before passing on to the third part of the apostle's prayer-" The exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe;" we will look at an expression in verse 10, which is of immense importance in the economical ways of God, and closely connected with our present subject-" The dispensation of the fullness of times." The word " dispensation," or rather " administration," refers to the time when all things will be under the administration of Christ. This will be the millennium. Now Satan is permitted to reign as the god and prince of this world. Then he will be shut up in the bottomless pit. (Rev. 20:1-31And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Revelation 20:1‑3).) Christ reigning as the Prince of peace, and Satan bound in the bottomless pit, must produce a mighty change in the world. Then will be earth's jubilee. But she can hold no jubilee till then. Satan must be entirely off the scene, and Christ must take the reins of government into His own hands, before this earth's inhabitants can enjoy peace and quietness. But the promise is sure. " Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." (Isa. 32) This will be the state of things on the earth; and of the heavenly saints it is said, "And they shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years." (Rev. 20:44And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4).) The millennium, or administration of Christ, comes in between the rapture of the saints and the eternal state. No change on earth for the better need be looked for until after the Church is gone, and the scene swept of its corrupters, and the reign of Christ fairly begun. But what a comfort for our hearts to know, that He may come at. any moment, and take us out of it all, and up to be with Himself in the house of many mansions. He puts no event, no circumstance, not even a moment of time, between our hearts and His coming for us. We are not looking for a second advent merely, but for the Son from heaven: these were His last words, " He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly." Would that they had their own place in our hearts! Then could we say in true affection, " Amen, even so come Lord Jesus."
" A little while"-Come, Savior, come!
For thee thy bride has tarried long:
Take thy poor waiting pilgrims home,
To sing the new eternal song,
To see thy glory and to be
In everything conformed to thee."
Some have thought that the expression, " the fullness of times," refers to the present time, and means the same thing as " the fullness of the time." (Gal. 4) This is evidently a mistake. "The fullness of the time," and " the fullness of -times," are widely different in their meaning. The one refers to the past, the incarnation; the other to the future, the administration. In Galatians the apostle is speaking of the time appointed in the divine counsels having fully come, when " God sent forth his Son." In Ephesians he speaks of a time yet future, when all times or periods will meet and terminate in the reign of Christ. Many things now running their course must end then, and end forever. Hence it is called " the fullness of times." For example- Creation's long subjection to decay and death will then be brought to an end. " For the earnest expectation of the creature (or creation) waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." (Horn. viii.) Not, observe, for the manifestation of the Son of God, but the sons of God. He has been manifested; they, not yet. It is when the sons of God are. manifested in the glory, that the groaning creation will be relieved: that will be the signal for its complete deliverance. Its time of bondage runs on till then. " The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now:" and, alas, must continue to groan and travail until Christ, and God's " many sons," appear in glory. But then, O happy day, the whole creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption the winding sheet of death, in which it has been swathed since the days of Adam, shall then be removed-the trail of the serpent shall disappear before the rising beams of the Sun of Righteousness-the wild beasts of the field shall be shorn of their ferocity-the earth shall yield her increase, the wilderness shall rejoice and blossom as the rose-and men shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Thus shall end the long period of creation's subjection to vanity. Hasten it, in thy good time, O most gracious Lord! Oh, how many voices from the depths of oppression are daily and hourly crying, Come, Lord Jesus, O come quickly!
" Then comes the final kingdom,
No bound nor end possessing,
When heaven, and earth,
Entranced shall lie
In universal blessing;
No mourning tongue to sadden,
No breath of sin to wither,
In earth-on high-
Be naught but joy,
And blissful peace forever."
But, as it would be out of place here to enlarge on the many times or periods, which are now running their sorrowful course, we will merely name some of them, and leave them for the reader's own meditation.
The time of God's long-suffering with evil, which still goes on, will end at the appearing of Christ; and so will the time of Israel's judicial blindness-the time of Gentile dominion-the time of universal misrule—the time of the enemy's power to deceive-the time of the Church's weakness and suffering-the time of Christ's sitting at the right hand of God. These times, and more that might be named, are limited in their duration -limited to the time of the Lord's coming-" The times of restitution (or restoring) of all things."
The times of evil, of distress, of sorrow, and of open wickedness, will end, run out-cease to be, in " the dispensation of the fullness of times." Christ will then take up that which has failed in the hands of men from Adam downwards, and reign as the Lord's Anointed for a thousand years. All things will be put under Him as Head. The Church, His bride, will then be with Him, as the joint-heir of the inheritance of glory. Then God will be perfectly glorified in the world's government-His will done on earth as it is in heaven, and all His ways completely vindicated.
"Head of the Church, thy body,
Jesus, our great salvation!
Sweet to thy saints It is to think
Of all thine exaltation!
All power to thee's committed,
All power in earth, and heaven;
To thee a name
Above all fame,
Above all glory's given."
Having thus briefly glanced at the inheritance of the saints, or the plaCe of the Church as one with Christ in the coming glory, we now turn in our Meditations to dwell for a little on the third part of the apostle's prayer-the power which puts us in possession of the inheritance.
Verses 19, 20. " And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places." We speak of the cross of Christ as the strongest expression of love: and of His resurrection as the brightest display of power. Love alone, we may say, is seen in the cross. There He submitted to suffering and death for our sakes and His Father's glory. It was not the display of wisdom, though doubtless it was the wisdom of God. To the wise of this world the cross is foolishness, and to the self-righteous it is a stumbling-block. Neither was it the display of power-" He was crucified through weakness"—but it was the manifestation of love. If to the worldly-wise it is the display of weakness and foolishness, to admiring faith it is the highest expression of the endurance of love. All must own this. If they cannot see wisdom or power in the cross, they can see love enduring, and enduring willingly for its object. When love can do nothing else, it can endure. Such is its nature. It may be called weak and foolish by those who know nothing of its reality or power, but it bears all. It loves on-loves on. Many waters cannot quench it, the floods cannot drown it. It will master every circumstance, and still love on; for such love hopeth all things, as well as endureth all things.
But in the full sense of the word this could be true only of divine love-of the Savior's perfect love. And of His love can we say-it never faileth. The truest and strongest of earthly loves must fail, but He ever lives and changeth not. Now we know, blessed be His name, what His love is. We need no sign save the sign of the cross. No other sign can even now be given. All doubting hearts must be referred to the cross. It is the highest and strongest expression of His love. Even from the sunniest heights of heaven our love must ever look back to the cross, and be nourished by His, as seen and know there. The cross will be owned forever as heaven's moral center, and the foundation of all its glory and blessedness. It was there that the depths and power of His love were revealed, and yet, we may say, unrevealed. It is in the day of adversity that the true character and the full strength of love are known. What a day of adversity was His! All refuge failed Him, comforters there were none. What grief, what sorrow, what forsaking, were His! But He resisted not-He endured-" Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. 12:22Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2).
But, sweet as the love of the cross is, and needful for the heart of both God and man, it is not power: that we have in resurrection-there it is triumphant. Weakness is seen no more forever. Redemption is accomplished; and the might of God's power is put forth in raising up Christ from the dead, and setting Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. But here, my soul, let me remind thee, that it is faith only, that can pass through these wondrous scenes. They embrace the depths of the grave and the heights of the throne. Many stop short at the threshold, because, as they say, " We cannot realize these truths." But how can the mansion be seen if we stop at the gate? It is not a question of realizing, but of believing. Faith follows the truth. It passes through the portals, and descends to the depths, or, as truth leads, it ascends the highest heights. The empty tomb and the occupied throne are alike easy of access to faith. Realizing has no place here, save as the effect of faith. We must believe the truth before we can feel it: we must walk over our estate before we can know it. If we really want to know the nature of the soil and the capabilities of each field, we must walk over them. So it was of old in type. " Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses." (Josh. 1:33Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. (Joshua 1:3).) Art thou prepared, then, to believe the wonderful truth before us, understanding or not understanding it, realizing or not realizing it? This is the question. We pay but a poor compliment to the word of God when we fail to receive it because we do not understand it or realize it.
But, pray, what is the special truth that demands such absolute faith? It is simply this: that the same mighty power of God which wrought in Christ when He raised Him from among the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in heaven, above every name that is named, has already wrought in us, and raised us to have part in the same position and glory. Observe what the word says, " And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ." Personally it has been manifested in Him, but the same power has wrought in us who believe. It is not said that the exceeding greatness of His power was towards Christ only, but " to us-ward who believe."
But, in what way can this be true? thou mayest inquire, seeing we are so weak, and so easily overcome with difficulties. Did we more firmly believe God's word we should make Jess of difficulties. A great many would he carrying their beds who are clinging to them. We fail to own and honor the power with which we are associated. The Man Christ Jesus is on the throne, and we, being in Christ, are associated with the throne that rules over all. Many, alas! fail in their testimony for Christ through fear of the way. The heart of the Apostle Paul was not only fixed on Christ Himself in heaven, but it was fixed on His ways on earth. He loved to trace His every footstep, whether in the depths, or in the
heights. There is a striking resemblance in this respect between the Eighty-fourth Psalm, and the Third of Philippians. " Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee, in whose heart are the ways of them." The Lord give us to know more of this strength in us, that we may be true witnesses for Him. But now for the answer:-
The same power that wrought in Christ and raised Him from the dead, has also wrought in us, and raised us from a state of death in trespasses and sins-it has delivered us clean out of the hands of Satan, and placed us as redeemed ones in the presence of God with every enemy beneath our feet. The second chapter is the explanation and development of this great truth. The very same power has wrought in the Christian that has been displayed in Christ. We see it accomplished in Him. We know it will be fully accomplished in us in due time. The power abides with us. " And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Nothing can be plainer to faith than these words-nothing can be more difficult to reason. Christ is faith's object. All truth is connected with Him. We can only gain a knowledge of truth by an ever deepening knowledge of Christ. Blessed Lord, the eye, the heart, the thoughts, must all be fixed on thee, and all our delight must be in thee. Then, learning thy word is easy. We need not that any one teach us. The light shines-the Holy Ghost is our teacher.
Let thine eye then, O my soul, with all the tender sympathies of thy heart, be fixed on Him. Beneath the awful weight of our sins on Calvary, our Jesus died and was laid in the grave. For the moment the enemy prevailed: the Prince of life lay sealed in death. Death reigned over all. The first Adam was dead in sin, the last Adam dead for sin. But the mighty work was done, and the mighty triumph at hand. By the shedding of His precious blood He had rolled away forever the heavy load of our sins, and glorified God about them. Heaven was satisfied, hell was vanquished, and man, through faith in that blood, eternally saved. " The God of peace" -" the Father of glory"-raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places; and He raised us up in Him to the same place of privilege and blessing. The Head and the members were, together. Here God began a new thing-a new creation, of which the risen Man, Christ Jesus, is the head and center. " Old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new: and all things are of God." The world, sin, Satan, death, and the grave, are thus left behind. To faith, they are as far removed from the believer as from Christ Himself. All who love that blessed name are in Him and where He is.. God hath exalted Him, " far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world [or, age], but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all."
Clearly, then-seeing every believer is in Christ, and every enemy is beneath His feet-every enemy is beneath the believer's feet. And this is nothing more than faith looks for and reckons upon. One word explains to the heart that loves Jesus this wondrous mystery-Christ is worthy! He who glorified God on earth is worthy to be glorified by God in heaven. And any poor sinner that glorifies Christ on earth, God will glorify with Him in heaven.
This is the will of God-Honor my Son. Know Himself, esteem Himself, love Himself, trust Himself, think of Himself, commune with Himself, see Himself in the blood which He shed-in His lowly path of rejection and suffering; see Himself in all His invitations and promises. Ever look for Himself; know nothing apart from Him. Love is personal. A little bit, or a great deal of religiousness, is worth nothing. Most people have plenty of religion, but how few are more at home with Christ than with anyone else in the universe. Many are more at home in speaking of a kind Providence than of the heart of Christ, though the one lies been fully revealed, and the other is wrapped in mystery. How long, O Lord, shall it thus be? Would that the Holy Spirit were less grieved by our worldliness, that He might be free to reveal to our souls more of thy glory, that our hearts might be ravished with thy beauty!
Know then, in conclusion, O my soul, and bear this in mind, that it is as man that Christ is exalted and glorified. As God, we know, He could be neither-the glory of God changes not. But being God He could descend. He became a man and died; and as man He is exalted to all honor at God's right hand in heaven. The Church is united with Him there. He is the Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. It is not said, observe, that He is Head over the Church; but, " Head over all things to the Church." She is one with Him who is supreme over all. His members, His fullness, His completeness, His glory as the Man Christ Jesus. As it was with the first man, Adam, and his beloved Eve: so shall it be with the Second Man, the Last Adam, and the Church, His beloved Eve. Though the dominion was given directly to Adam, Eve shared it with him, according to the good pleasure of God. Christ alone is personally worthy; and God has set Him as Head over all things, and united the Church with Him as His body and His bride.
Wondrous, marvelous, blessed place and portion for the Church! But God will have it so.
It has been in His mind from all eternity. He pictured. it to Himself in the first pair before sin entered. It is no afterthought. Christ speaks to His Father in John 17 about the long looked for day, when He would share all His glory as the risen Man with those He bad given Him. " And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou East sent me, and Last loved them as thou hast loved me."
Before closing this paper, and our Meditations on the apostle's first prayer, may I ask my dear reader, if he is one of this happy company? Art thou a believer in Christ Jesus? Is He precious to thy heart? Couldst thou not live without Him even in this world? Is He necessary to thy daily peace and happiness? Is everything worthless to thee that has not His stamp upon it? And is everything empty to thee which He does not fill? A Christian is united to Christ now, and one with Him. His sins are all forgiven, he has eternal life, and is accepted in the Beloved. The Holy Spirit dwells within him as the spirit of adoption, and communicates to his soul a fuller knowledge of Christ and His finished work. Thus he is enabled to live above the world, though diligently attending to his duties in it. The Lord looks for separation from the world in all who are associated by faith with Him in heaven. This is true Christianity, and fills the soul with heavenly peace and joy. Is it thine, O my dear reader? Think not that the picture is drawn too high; it is within the plain statements of scripture; and we have no other standard. Nothing less will suit God, and nothing less will serve thy soul. True, Christ may be possessed and not enjoyed; pardon may be possessed and not enjoyed; and so may other blessings of Christianity; but the heart of a true believer, even amidst all its darkness and unbelief, will turn instinctively to Christ Himself, under a sense of need, and cleave to Him alone. This is the surest evidence of the work of God's Spirit in the soul. Doubts and fears are lamentable, and dishonoring to Christ; but the grace of God will outlive them all. Is this then, my friend, more like the picture of thy state? Or!-What?-no Christ at all? God forbid! This would be awful indeed! It is bad enough to see Christ only through the errors and darkness of man's theology, but to have no interest in Christ at all, is to be forlorn and desolate beyond all conception. No language could picture this state-no figures could sum up its misery. It is to be Christless and Godless; a hapless wreck on the shores of the lake of fire.
Dost thou own to this state? Is it really thine? Be honest about it-if so, confess it. And think not that a little human religion can meet thy need.
The work of Christ alone can meet it. He died on Calvary for sinners the chief. Blessed be His name. All praise be to Him. But, oh! do thou believe it; and be thankful for it. Love the Lord that died for thee on Calvary. Surely He deserves thy love, and the deepest devotion of thy heart. A seat, a throne, beside Himself, is ready for thee, if thou but truly turn to Him. What grace-what love! To die for us on the cross; and share His throne and glory with us forever! But, oh! what must hell be to those who reject such love and glory! The very remembrance of a Christ rejected, and a salvation despised, in that place of hopeless woe, must be the worm that never dies and the fire that shall never be quenched.
" The tick of the clock of hell," as one has said, sounds, ever-never; ever-never; everlasting woe-never-ending misery." How awful-how overwhelming the thought! Imagine its dreary, monotonous sound falling on the wearied ear of lost souls. As they lie in dark despair, its pendulum swinging from side to side and muttering unceasingly the doleful, heart-sinking sound, " ever-never; ever-never." It must be like a mockery of their agonies which is too dreadful to think of.
Once more, my friend, look at the bright side. Jesus died for lost sinners. God gave His Son for lost sinners. The Holy Ghost pleads with lost sinners. Resist not His pleadings, I pray thee: despise not the grace of God, I pray thee: despise not the blood of Jesus, I pray thee: there is pardon for thy sins nowhere else. But hear, O hear, the blessed truth, " The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin." Have faith in that precious blood, and thy sins, however many, shall, the same moment, be forgiven. " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Bow at His blessed feet-confess thy sins, and receive from His own lips of grace, a plenary pardon, salvation, and peace. Read carefully Luke 7:36-5036And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:36‑50).
" ETERNITY.-Count the gold and silver blossoms
Spring has scattered o'er the lea;
Count the softly-sounding ripples
Sparkling on the summer sea;
Count the lightly flickering shadows
In the autumn forest glade;
Count pale nature's scattered tear-drops
Icy gems by winter made;
Count the tiny blades that glisten
Early in the morning dew;
Count the desert sand that stretches
Under noon-tide's dome of blue;
Count the notes that wood-birds warble
In the evening's fading light;
Count the stars that gleam and twinkle
O'er the firmament by night
*****
When thy counting all is done-
Scarce ETERNITY's begun.
Reader! pause! where wilt thou be-
During thine ETERNITY?