When Peter cursed and denied his Lord, there was not a waver in the affection of Christ, not a cloud on that brow as he turned round and looked on Peter, and Peter went out with a heart broken under the power of it.
How can that God of love be ever satisfied unless we walk like Christ? unless, in everything we do, the same principle is in us which was in the One who, being the highest, went down to the lowest, and took upon Him the form of a servant? Let the light of that principle displayed in Him, come right into your soul, so as to shine out in the world. You may have need of patience, there may be pressure and heaviness of spirit, but if God has shown you the very delight of His heart, Christ in heaven, it is in order that you may forget your sorrows down here, saying, "Ah, there He is! and if the waves are breaking over me, none can break into the port where He is!" His people forget to look up, and get looking down and around at everything that is coining against them. Instead of looking for Him who is coming, you sink into the sand of the desert, and get your mouths and eyes full of it.
How blessed is the word, "Yet a little while (how little a while!), and he that shall come will come and will not tarry." It is sweet to be able to single out any face that tells out " In a little while He will come." In early times any that had houses and lands sold them, looking up full of joy because the Lord was coming. The question now is whether the thought of Christ's coming is strong enough to make our hearts bright under every trial.
I fear that there are very few of God's people of whom it can be said, "There is one whose whole heart is full of Christ-a man with this one thought ruling him, ' whether I live, I live unto the Lord, and whether I die, I die unto the Lord; living or dying, I am the Lord's.'
The crown of which the Apostle speaks is not to be given for being a Christian, but for a faithful walk. Poor Lot will not have it, nor Demas. It ought to be a solemn thought to hearts, that the Lord means to notice how people have stood as witnesses for Him, and what sort of walk theirs was. All are to be in glory on the ground of free grace; but Christ watches to see if we run well, and will bestow a reward if there has been faithfulness, and a crown of righteousness if We have loved His appearing.
If there were no difficulties, von could not say that you know what it is to have Christ with you in them. You would not experience the tenderness of this Shepherd all the way that He carries the poor sheep from the far-off common where He picked it up, right into heaven. Oh will you not try-not in nature, but in the power of divine life -to realize the love of this Lord? and that if He has got His hand strongly upon you, it is to bear on up, that you may be looking for His appearing. I want, bearing up until the time when He comes to take me to Himself; 1 want His strength made perfect in my weakness, the whole way through the wilderness.