In connection with the names written on the breast-plate.... every time the high priest breathed, the breast-plate moved; and I am not on the breast-plate, but in the heart of Christ. I am connected with every throb of that living heart of Christ. I can see Him as my justification before God, and God reckoning to me all that He is. God looks upon the blood of His Son sprinkled on me. That Son of His love is seated as Man on His right hand, with every capacity to feel as man, and to enter into things that affect us down here. Yes, He has the feelings of A. man, and is entering into ours.
To meet the Lord in the air-what a volume in those words! Nothing can give cheerfulness in the thought of treading a path never trod before, but the Lord Himself being there-meeting Him there.
The hope of the Lord's coming is a divine hope, centered in Himself; not only rejoicing in hope of the glory of God-more than that, waiting for Christ Himself, who, being now in the very highest point of glory as Son of man in the glory which He had with God before the world was, will come forth from that glory to take us up. How are your hearts affected in regard to the thought of this Christ of God not only coming to throw open the Father's house, but coming Himself to be our joy? Can you say that the longing of your hearts is flowing forth in the invitation continually ascending, " Come Lord Jesus?" That Nazarene has it in His heart to come, and if He speaks and says, " Surely I come quickly," have such words, drop ping from His lips, the continual answer in your heart, " Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
There is such a thing as walking with God. The invisible God is not hidden to the soul. Moses endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Enoch walked with God, the God of heaven, his heart was above, and he had the testimony that he pleased God. What else ought men of faith be doing, save walk- in 0- with God! Faith says, " Ah, there is a man in heaven, and all the divine glory of God in Him, and connected with Him, I can walk with Him. I do not see Him with my bodily eye, but his eye is upon me; I hear His voice behind me."
There is the law of sin and death in the members, and what would it be if God did not keep up a constant process-obliged to send things to prevent the flesh in us from working, and to show us the necessity of our judging it? He can use Satan to bring out, not sin, but the utter and entire worthlessness of what we are. He can use the adversary to teach and make you know what the flesh in you is; and thus comes in; to use the very writhing-the lowness-to show forth His almighty sufficiency.
It was not the question of the measure of light they had who followed the Lord; it was Himself they thought of and loved. They felt it, no doubt, a wonderful thing to walk about with Him who had all power to heal the sick and raise the dead: but ah! They loved Himself. Can we not only say, "the Son of man made all things," but is this Lord Jesus Himself the one object before whom our heart is bowed?