The perfectness of Christ in all His path was that He never did anything to be seen of men; it all went entirely up to God. The savor of it was sweet to the priests, but it all was addressed to God. Serving man, the Holy Ghost was in all His ways; but all the effect of the grace thus was in Him, was in His own mind, always toward God; even if for man, it was to God. And so with us; nothing should come in, as motive, except what is to God.
We see in Eph. 4:3232And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32) and 5:1, 2, the grace toward man, and the perfectness of man toward God as the object. "Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children" (J.N.D. Trans.). In all our service as following Christ here, we get these two principles: our affections toward God and our Father, and the operation of His love in our hearts toward those in need. The more wretched the object of service in the latter case, the truer the love, and the more simply the motive is to God. We may love down and love up; and the more wretched and unworthy the persons are for whom I lay myself out for blessing, the more grace there is in it. "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." But while that is true, yet, as to my state of heart, the higher the object, the more elevated the affection. With Christ it was perfect. How can a poor creature like me be an imitator of God? Was not Christ an example, God, seen in a man? And are we to "walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an, offering and a sacrifice to God"? He gave Himself for us, but to God; it was God's grace toward poor wretched sinners.
If we look at ourselves, we shall soon see how motives get mixed up, and things come in, even where there is right truehearted purpose; and that is where we have to watch. In Christ all was perfect; all, every bit of it, as to spring and motive, was for God's glory in this world—no thought of men, as to pleasing them, but that singleness of eye which looked to God alone, though full of kindness to man—loving down in that sense, but ever looking up, and with His God and Father before His eye, which made Him perfect in everything. He was of course perfect, could not be anything else.
Now, it is not that the priests could not smell the sweet savor, but it was not offered to them; it was all burned to God. As regards His own path, not a feeling that was not entirely to God; for us, but to God. It was that which was perfectly acceptable to God.
"The last days" are more definite and distinct than the "latter times"—"perilous," because of the form of godliness.