Now that you have found him, cleave to him. "Abide in me," the Master
says. In union with Christ the Christian finds his safety, strength
and happiness. And the closer this union, the greater is the security,
strength and happiness of the Christian. Would we be guided by his
eye? Then must we be continually "looking unto Jesus." Do we need
strength? "In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." Are we
seeking happiness? "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his
help, whose hope is in the Lord his God."
Cling closer, young Christian, cling closer to Christ. Learn to walk
with him daily in sweet communion. Be not satisfied with an occasional
visit from your Lord, but beseech him to abide with you. He is willing
to come and abide with you. "If any man love me, he will keep my
words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and
make our abode with him."
[Illustration]
II.
_His Name._
"My meditation of him shall be sweet" _when I remember his name_.
We need not say, as did Jacob, "Tell me, I pray thee, thy name." We
know thy name, _Jehovah Tsidkenu_, "The Lord our Righteousness." We
are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags, and all the soap and nitre in the world cannot make us pure and
holy. "If I wash myself with snow-water, and make my hands never so
clean, yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes
shall abhor me." But in the covenant of the cross we come and change
clothes with Christ. He takes our filthy rags and gives us his own
spotless robe; and we are "accepted in the Beloved," not having our
"own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."
We know thy name, _Jehovah Shalom_, The Lord of Peace. Sweet peace
speedily follows as one of the results of justification. "And the work
of righteousness shall be peace, and the effects of righteousness
quietness and assurance for ever." Or, as the apostle expresses it in
the Epistle to the Romans, "Therefore, being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Peace was one of
the notes in the song which angels sung when He was born who himself
"is our peace." And when he was parting from his disciples "peace" was
among the last words that fell from his lips: "Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give unto you." "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose
mind is stayed on thee." "Perfect peace," being interpreted, means,
"Peace, peace." So that we shall have a double portion, "good measure,
pressed down and shaken together and running over."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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