I have but few words to say to you; as what God has set before us is very simple. And thankful we ought to be that it is so. What is deepest is simplest, that is, the perfect love of God. Our difficulty is to reconcile our state, sinners as we are, with His loving us. Now that is exactly what the gospel shows us. Through that unspeakable fact of the death of the Son of God; His love has been shown to us in what He did for our sins. He commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us—His love brought quite near to us where we are.
Hence it is that it is only when we know where we are that we understand this love. That is, when we have learned by divine teaching that we are mere sinners in ourselves, that in us (that is, in our flesh) dwells no good thing, we find that Jesus in this love has come to us there, and, though the Holy One, has been made sin for us. Oh, what a thought this is! How it opens the heart to guileless confession of what it is, and all the sin that is in it, so that it gets rest and peace with God.
I trust you enjoy this rest of heart. The walk of Christ is perfect. He knew all our sins, and all we were, when He gave Himself for us and put all away—made us if our sins were as scarlet, as white as snow. Think of your being really as white as snow before God! And you are bound to believe this, because it is the sure and revealed value of Christ's blood. Death has put an end to all we were in God's sight. And now, trusting you have the peace, and assured it belongs to you, let me speak of another thing, the love of Him Who has done this work for us. Think of Him, of His love, of His becoming a man for us, that we might escape: how He must have loved you to do it! Do you think He loved you so, as to do it? What a wonderful thought that the Son of God should love a poor thing like you, and want (He who wants nothing) to have you with Himself for your happiness and as a part of His own, the fruit of the travail of His soul! See what a difference this makes of death. It is not dying, as some think it; it is going to Him, to one we know, to One Who has loved and loves us; it is departing and being with Christ.
If your soul has, peace, think much of Him and His love; and may He be very near you! He refreshes the spirit, raises above weakness and pain to think these are but outward things for a little moment; and what we are going to lose is only sickness and what is mental and perishable, to be with One Who has loved us in spite of all, and taken us to be with Himself. Think much on Jesus. I do not mean as if you could think much in your weak state; but look to Him and lean on Him, as a sick child lies in its mother's arms, because it has no strength, not because it can do much. Peace be with you, and much of His presence, the true source of joy and strength. If you go a little before to that blessed One, it will surely not be your loss.
J. N. D.