IN order to study Christ two things are necessary: first, the eye must be on Him in spirit, and secondly, the ear must be open to, and occupied with His word, the gospel narrative especially. The gospels are the foundation of the testimony to Him, as He said to the twelve, “Ye also shall bear witness, for ye have been with use from the beginning.” It will not do to have the ear open to the word, or the account of our Lord’s ways and mind on earth, unless we have our eyes fixed on Him where He is. There is no union but with the ascended Christ, and your power here flows from your being united to Him there. And unless this sense of union be preserved you will not be in power to act. A child must have power to act first before you can point out to it what course or manner it should adopt. Now, if yet only have the receptive ear as to what you are to do; that is, if You are studying the gospels without having your eye on Christ above, and consequently without a fresh sense of the power of action the consequence will be that though you will know how He acted, you will never be able to act so yourself. You will be like a child looking at a picture-book where the most interesting and useful activities are presented, unable to practice them. The child may tell from his picture-book how many steps are necessary for an active person in this thing or that, but he cannot do on of them himself. But how different it is when the same child has power to act and walk; the picture-book is then a pattern to him to follow and the steps are those which he can practice day by day.
If on the other hand the eye only is used, and the ear remains inactive; that is, if I only think of onion with Him above and do not study His ways here, then, though there is a sense of power, there is no direction given to it. I am like a locomotive without rails; or a child with power to walk but without any instruction. In the one case it is knowledge of how a great many things should be done, but inability to do an of them; while in the other, it is ability to act, but entire ignorance as to how the power to act is to be employed. It is only in the combination of both that there can be a true study of Christ, and conformity to Him. The eye of the soul must be open to see Him by faith, and the ear must be open and receptive to learn of His ways and walk here.