One cannot help seeing the profound love such a passage as this breathes, as well as the profound interest and delight the Lord takes in blessing. A Father's thoughts of giving to his children take their measure very much from the love he bears them. What must be the thoughts, then, of the heart of our God for us, the objects of that love, abject sinners as we are, taken up by Him to show the greatness of His love. It is by Christ He does all. When He sets about to bless, it is by Christ the Son of His love. It is an immense foundation for us to rest on; not only deep, but large; not only wide, but strong. He went down to the lowest place of death, and went up to the highest place in glory, to the throne of God. All between these extremes is filled up by Christ, so that nothing can escape Him. Here is strength for me, a poor sinner; something to rest on it is not distant from us; but we have the consciousness of its being in and around us. It is said of the city in Revelation, " the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." This Lamb is nearer now to my heart than any besides. He has known me better than any; better than I know myself. This Christ, who dwells in our hearts by faith, is the one we shall meet on High. Aye, I shall find one in heaven nearer and dearer to my heart than any one I know on earth. None is so near to us as the Christ that is in us; and none is so near to God as His Christ. Present confidence in Christ is needed in trial; for if there were one thing in which I could not rest in Christ it would be dreadful. All our best affections are the cause of our greatest distresses, because of sin coming in, and death by sin separating the dearest ties. We must have trial and conflict in passing through this wilderness; but if the heart is kept trusting, every trial gives a man to know more and more of the divine sympathy there is in God Himself; more and more of what there is in Christ to meet the need; more of Christ, as possessing Him. " I bare thee on eagles' wings, and brought thee unto myself;" there we find all the unfoldings of what God is in Christ. I cannot do without Christ. I want manna in the wilderness; God gives it me; manna and water too, and Christ Himself in it all. Our natural portion as Christians is to enjoy God. " The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which he hath given to us." We dwell in God. God's love is infinite in measure; but I am in it. I dwell in it and He dwells in me. I, a poor nothing, dwell in Him. "Builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit; " that is the Church's vocation. What a thought! What a bringing down, not of heaven, but of something more; by special blessing, bringing Him down to dwell in us. God would not dwell in angels. There is not the same need in them; but He will make Himself better known to angels by His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. What is the first practical result of this calling to be the habitation of God through the Spirit? " With all lowliness and meekness," a vessel of God; all the passions of the flesh there, but having the presence of God making us unspeakably happy, for that is our portion. A man who is humble needs not to be humbled. The lowly One is the pattern of all lowliness. I know what water is by drinking; and I know what sweetness is by tasting; and if I know God it is by His being in. me; and collectively we look one upon the other and see God in all. God is come to take possession of our hearts, and be the spring of the actions of each heart. He comes to make us love, because He loves. We shall find it is fully so in heaven.
" For the perfecting of the saints." Christ is the object of His thoughts, and must be of mine. I must have these loved ones like Christ! This is the end of all the communion and all the exercises of our hearts together in ministering to you and you to me. The object is to grow up into Christ; and all the flow of Christian affection we have here is to this end. I look at any brother here whom I may have never seen before, and I feel a greater union with him than with my nearest natural tie, and I know we are going to be in heaven together. Enjoyment of this fellowship shuts out the world. You are not now thinking of its troubles and cares, you have left them outside, the flesh cannot enter into this fellowship. The more we are individually full of divine things the more will this communion together be realized. If two together are both spiritually-minded, they open the sluices of blessing which all our cares in the world cannot dry up. That power of the Holy Ghost which makes us overcomers here, will make us full of enjoyment in heaven. Our common joy now is the union of our affections to Him and to one another, which when we are there will be complete.