01.15. Chapter 15 The Feet of Jesus—the Place of Manifested Glory
Chapter 15
We have seen Him wayfaring in Judea, lying in a grave, and giving to His people but fitful glances of Himself after His resurrection— but now He is manifested in fullness of light.
It is true, this manifestation is of but partial use to us; for as yet we can but little understand anything of His great glory; but what little we can gather up and comprehend, is of great value. That vision of the once travel-stained—but now glorious feet, may be very helpful to us even in what remains to us of our pilgrimage through the dusty paths of life. The glory manifested to us here is magnificent. It is as complete as grand. It presents Christ from head to foot. In the midst of the seven candlesticks is "One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, and with a gold sash wrapped around His chest. His head and hair were white like wool—white as snow, His eyes like a fiery flame, His feet like fine bronze fired in a furnace, and His voice like the sound of cascading waters. In His right hand He had seven stars; from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was shining like the sun at midday!" Revelation 1:13-16. Was it any marvel that when John saw Him—that he fell at His feet as dead?
Apart from the consideration of who it is that embodies in Himself this glory, such a sight could have but one effect upon man, and that is dread and repulsion. All that the beholder could say, is, "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips—Woe is me, for I have seen the Lord in his glory!" But that gracious act of the Glorious One—His laying His right hand upon John, and saying, ’Fear not!’—His telling him who He was; not only that He was the First and the Last—but that He was the One who lives and was dead, and is now alive for evermore, brings him and us—who would contemplate this glory along with him, into a new position altogether. This sight is no longer one of repulsion—but of attraction. Jesus binds heaven and earth together—binds them for us in the only way in which they can be bound—in the bond of connection made by Himself—the One who has been on earth, who is in heaven. This glory, then, of Jesus, we must look at, not as repellent—but as attractive; not as that with which we have nothing to do, as being immeasurably beyond us—but as that with which we have the highest interest. For if Jesus is ours, is not this the beauty of our Christ? Have not we a connection with Him, which makes His glory to be dear to us, even as our sufferings are dear to Him?
Moreover, we can never look at Him without learning. All this book of Revelation is for teaching. "Blessed," it says in verse 3, "is he who reads," and that blessing belongs to him who considers the "feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace!"
We have already, it is to be hoped, learned something from considering the feet of the Lord on earth, and in the tomb, and as risen from that tomb. We cannot but hope for teaching from the consideration of them in heaven. As a mere abstract sight, the revelation which we have here of Him is wonderful—but its value consists in its connection with ourselves.
First then, let us gather up some thoughts from the feet of Jesus being in glory at all. This picture is in all particulars, that of a man. A provision is here made for the manifestation of the unbroken humanity of the Lord—as a man He walked the earth, as such He is in heaven. He had walked among men, as a man, before His death; as a man He died and was buried; after resurrection He expressly asserted His manhood, pointing out that a spirit had not flesh and bones, as the disciples saw that He had—thus He ascended, and thus now is He seen by John in glory. The believer should admit in thought, no break in the manhood of his Lord. We should keep Jesus before us in that wondrous connection with us to which it pleased the Father that He should condescend; if we do not, we shall find two evils come upon us—one weakening for the present, and another, clouding for the future. The believer derives his present power from union with a Christ who walked an evil earth, sinlessly—from One who felt sorrow, and pain, and need—just as the believer does himself; and if that Christ has gone away to heaven, and has left His manhood, and manhood’s feelings behind Him—where is the tried believer to look for that sympathy upon which it is so essential that he should lean? The natural tendency of the mind would be not to connect heavenly glory, and human nature together—to think that when earth is ended with, that which is human should be left behind; but God knows that we need human sympathies in our High Priest, and there they are in the man Christ Jesus, with full manhood in heaven. No man can be a strong believer, a strong sufferer—who does not gather his strength, be it with more or less of consciousness, from the presence of the man Christ Jesus in glory.
Moreover—if we know nothing of Christ in this light, the connection between the present and the future is far less real for us than it ought to be—than God has made it—we are making ourselves other than what God has done. Surely it is as such we expect to see Him, and to be with Him, and to think of Him evermore. No doubt there is a great difference between the aspect which Jesus presented to John in glory, and that which He did when the beloved apostle lay upon His breast—but the essential nature of the Lord was unchanged.
Yes! Christ’s preserved manhood in glory tells us not to want to make ourselves other than what God has designed us to be. Some talk as though heaven were the getting rid of all that belongs to manhood and the like; they talk of so-and-so being an angel, and of glorified spirits; but did Jesus get rid of manhood? and what can we aim at higher than what He is? Not one among the angels will hereafter equal glorified man, of whom the head is the Son of God (both God and man) Himself. The interest which we have in heaven is not only on account of Godhead—but manhood. When our business lies in insisting on, arguing for, or unfolding one side of a truth—we are very apt to be taxed by unthinking people with denying its other side. So it may be well to guard ourselves against any misconception by stating the fullness of our belief in the essential Godhead of Jesus, and His oneness with the Father—very God of very God—begotten, not made. But that truth fully stated, our chief concern now, lies with the human side of His being—His human nature in glory.
We have a distinct interest in heaven, not only because of the presence of the Father there, and of the Son in His Godhead—but on account of the Son in His manhood.
Christ Himself develops this class of interest, by the particular manifestation which He here gives of Himself. Nothing is detracted from the glory of His Godhead—that remains as grand as ever; yet how much is unfolded of His manhood! Does God will us to have an interest in heaven—in Christ as there now, on account of manhood? Yes—for man was very dear to Him. Our original redemption proved this—the whole bent of God’s mind towards us proved it; if we want to know how dear man was to God, we have only to look at His Son as a man in glory. The feet of Jesus as a man pierced and fixed to the cross, have a teaching for us on this head—as on earth; the feet of Jesus glorious like unto fine brass, have the same for us—as from heaven. This particular manifestation of our Lord shows us further, that it is the Father’s will that manhood should not be separated from His Son. They cannot be so separated forever. Jesus has taken upon Himself the human nature for eternity. The idea wrought out in death, resurrection, and ascension, was not to get rid of manhood—but to exalt it, as we see by this manifestation of it in glory.
God does not will us to deny our nature; He made us men, and He means us to continue men for ever; how great, then, our interest in humanity glorified in heaven!
Surely this ought to make heaven and glory more real to us; it ought to make our ideas and our hopes more definite than they are; it ought to make us more earnest in striving to be holy as men. Instead of connecting the future with being rid of the nature which God has given us, and in which it is His will that He shall be eternally praised and glorified—we shall desire Him to be glorified in it now, as much as can be on the earth, and we shall look forward to glorifying Him in it forever. This will animate us as men; this will make our daily human life real; this will keep us from those strange and dreamy notions which from their very undefinedness, help to weaken the influence which the next life should have on this.
It is true Paul desired to be delivered from the body of this death, and now we groan being burdened; but all that we would be rid of—are the sorrow, and pain, and burden, and decay, which belong to sin; human nature, and the human form glorified, await us hereafter! For observe next: This drawing near, this drawing in of manhood to God, is shown to us very clearly by Christ’s appearance as a man in glory. He is there as our representative head, and He would be no representative, if He had after ascension entered a phase of being altogether different from ours. Therefore we learn two things from this magnificent appearance of Christ—one is, that God wills to have man very close to Himself, and the other, that He will have him very exalted.
There was a terrible alienation from God—in the case of the first man, Adam—there is a glorious drawing in by the second man, Jesus Christ. And should not this dispel a whole multitude of fears and doubts—as to God’s good will concerning us? When we feel human nature in its weakness, and short coming, and decay—should we not look away from what we feel in ourselves, to what are the great intentions of God for us? Should we not see that whatever may be our weakness, it shall not countervail His strength? Shall not we, who are one with Christ by God’s own way of faith, behold Him passed through His sufferings to glory, and believe that we shall be brought triumphantly and safely through ours?
Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame; and when we think of the capacities of our human nature—of the drawing near of it to God by and by—let us bear with whatever may be our lot here. Let us refuse to be down-pressed beyond measure; let us spring at the thought of the possibilities which exist for the very nature in which we are suffering. And let us seek now, and here. It was in human nature that Jesus was holy—it was to Him as in human nature that Satan came and tempted Him—it was as man, that He hungered and thirsted, and people sought to entangle Him in His talk; and now in that very victorious nature He is glorified in heaven. Surely it will be helpful to us, if we say, ’as a man, I am to be with God forever, therefore as a man will I seek after being holy now.’
We have already spoken of the power of contrast in the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ; now this idea of contrast comes in again. There it was the contrast between suffering and ministration, between execrations and Hosannahs. Here it is the opposite; between glory and shame—rest and weariness—the light of burning brass, the dust-stain of travel.
We must fix our eyes again upon the manhood of the Son of God. This is the aspect of man in glory before God; contrasted—yet connected with His aspect on earth—the same man in both instances—the man Christ Jesus.
These are the very feet which were sorely weary, which were dust-stained, which were pierced, which needed and accepted human ministration; and now they are like unto fine brass, glowing in a furnace. What a contrast to the Lord himself! The past—His past will never be effaced from His mind—no, not the smallest incident of it; and contrast will work by the law of its own nature, and will call up in Him all the thoughts which properly belong to it. And there is another who remembers all the past, that is—the Father. All things of Christ are remembered by Him. And why they were so, is remembered also. All the humiliation and suffering of the Son is connected with His oneness with the Father’s mind—with His obedience—with His saying, ’I delight to do Your will,’—with His ’not my will—but Your be done,’—with His full entrance into the purposes of grace by which God was to be glorified in the salvation of man. When we think of that glory, and that it consists of redemption, is it any wonder that the Redeemer, should be found in glorified human nature in heaven?
We can well believe that this contrast will be recognized by the Father also. His rejoicing is in the Son—it is on the Son He looks with infinite delight—the Son’s interests are His; and we can well believe that the Father rejoices in the contrast between the feet like unto fine brass glowing in a furnace, now that redemption is accomplished, and those feet weary and pierced while it was being wrought out. A contrast will be presented to the Father’s eye throughout eternity by those who have been redeemed by the Son, and who are one with Him—who according to their capacity shine after His image in glory. But how different the contrast which they present and that which is shown by Jesus. He has come to His glory through sinless sorrow, and travail, and pain—they through that which was full of sin! Christ’s robe was never stained, ours can only be white as washed in His blood. This, however, will not hinder God’s glory in our contrast, nor our own joy. The death of Christ involved it, purchased it; we shall throughout eternity acknowledge it. We, who have been sinners, shall in our light reflect the glory of Him who died for our sin.
Let this prospect cheer us now. Let us look forward with great longing and assurance to that time when we also, no longer in sinful—but in glorified manhood, shall be with the One who now has the headship of humanity in glory. Yes! let such a light as this cheer us in our sorrow, make us content when we are in severe trials, enrich us in our seasons of poverty, and raise us when we are depressed. We are not always to have dusty and toil worn feet; we are not always to be amid the depressions and sin veilings of a clouded humanity—there was joy set before Jesus, and in the power of it He endured His cross, and despised its shame—there is joy set before us, and let us try and do something in the power of it after the example of our Lord.
Oh, yes! often let us look upward, often onward—often away from the present gloom—to the future light; and the present unrest—to the future peace. It is partly for this purpose that the future is unveiled in any degree—it is meant to be an uplifting power in our present spiritual life. And there is no sphere so lowly—but that it may enter into it.
Poor toiling Christian men and women engaged in the lowest occupations may raise their eyes from the midst of them, and look at the glorified Savior, and at His feet shining like fine brass. He was revealed to John, not for himself alone, but for us—the eye of the apostle saw for the universal church. Let us distinctly refuse to allow any earthly occupation, if a lawful one, to degrade us by pinning us down to the dust amid which we must walk and work. This is an animating sight, and introduced into the common affairs of daily life may enable us to do our work in them amid the shining of heaven’s own light.
Let us next note the fullness of this revelation—it shows us Christ from head to foot—from the head and the hairs white like wool, as white as snow, down to these feet like unto fine brass, glowing in a furnace.
This, then, is the manifestation in glory of a whole Christ. It might seem at first sight that we should not need any exhortation, to avail ourselves of the privilege of contemplating a whole and full Christ. But in truth we do.
We are so one-sided, so narrow-minded, and so apt to fix upon parts of a truth, without their relation to the whole—that we are apt to violate or to miss the harmonies of truth—that we need to be reminded that even of Jesus, a part is not the whole; and that no one part of His character or beauty was intended to satisfy our souls.
Many of our mistakes in the Christian life come from partial views of Christ, from missing the harmony, symmetry, and perfect proportion of His character. That mistake never can be made in glory.
Here you find one Christian fixing on Christ’s humility, another on His zeal, another on His holiness, another on His unworldliness, and so on—and perhaps bending all their energies to attain that particular grace by which they have been so much struck. But while doing so, the other beauties of Jesus are unperceived, unsought, and unattained.
Now, here is Christ with God in heaven—and we see how He is with His Father, and how He is viewed by Him, namely, in harmonious entirety. In Daniel’s image the head was resplendent of fine gold—but the body passed through a series of deteriorations, until at length the feet were only a mixture of iron and clay. Here, where all human might was combined, and the image presented was that of earthly dominion and beauty at its best, gradual failure is what we see—the perfection of the head was not sustained—the feet were not perfect even after their kind; with the iron was a mingling of clay. The deterioration is a leading characteristic of all earthly excellence. We find it in ourselves—whatever we may have attained to, there is always a tendency to deteriorate. But the man Christ Jesus was above and deterioration or failure. His life was in its fullness, that "path of the just which shines more and more unto the perfect day." The head was glorious, and the feet too—there was perfection in carrying out thought into action—harmony between the thoughts of the head, and the actings of the hands, and the walkings of the feet. And let this thought weigh with us now; it is full both of comfort and instruction—of comfort, because we see we have to do with a Christ who does not content Himself with simply good intentions. He thought much of His disciples on earth, and then said, "I go to prepare a place for you!" With Him action was the natural consequence of thought. And so, we have not to do with a Christ of mere intentions. We shall find His doings equal to His thinkings. And if we do so here, where we must live amid cloudings and drawbacks of many kinds, and where the actings of Christ are to a great extent His helping us amid hindrances, how much more shall it be the case in that land where hindrances are done with forever! Then we shall see what it is to have an acting Christ—one whose thoughts and deeds go together—one who proves that He loves not in word only—but in deed and in truth. And from this contemplation of the Lord, it will be instructive to look for a moment to ourselves. May we have grace given to us to be harmonious from head to foot in our Christian life—neither to think without acting, nor to act without thought. Let us not content ourselves with good thoughts without good deeds—the head without the feet. We have often failed in this respect, and so come short of the glory of God; let us look on Christ, let us think of what He will make even these feet of ours by and by, and let us be up, and in our daily walk glorify Him with them now! The thought also comes into our minds—how should we serve a Being thus all holy, all bright—the very feet like fine brass, glowing in a furnace. Let us look at that head, and glance downward to those feet—and then think nothing small, nothing to be neglected in our walk and life. Let us try with all holiness to serve—to copy—to be so far as we can worthy of a Being all holy. One writes this with shame—for what have we been in the past? what are we now? yes, what can we ever hope to be while in the flesh? But we must not withhold on this account; we must set the pattern before us—and try to become as like it as we can. The head and the feet are both glorious in light, and so the eye cannot fix upon any part in which there is imperfection or short-coming in the glory of the Lord—any part in which there can be the least sympathy with evil; but we need not be discouraged on that account. Though He has no sympathy with sin, He has with the poor sinner—He knows our frame, He is experienced of our temptations, He is well aware that we are open to attack from head to foot, and that we are weak all over, and that our feet are set in slippery places. And He who has feet like unto fine brass glowing in a furnace—will hold up our feet as they travel Zionwards, until at last He sets them down upon the land where there are none to hurt or destroy, and where there is the rest which now "remains for the people of God."
Another blessed thought suggested to us by this mention of Christ from head to foot in glory is this. The saints shall see, and shall rejoice in a whole Christ in heaven.
Such a view we have not now. We seem unable to take in much about the Lord at once. And in consequence our joy is not full. Our view may be great in one contemplation and another of the Lord—but it is not full. In heaven we shall rejoice in everything belonging to Christ. All His character will be presented to us in its variety of beauty; and if we know what it is to feel joy at the realization of any one of His manifestations of Himself here, how much more shall we feel it when He dwells with us in full gracious manifestation of Himself there.
Then shall His people know how wholly He was theirs in the past; they shall do so, by feeling how wholly He is theirs now. Yes! that is the way we shall read our past—all was His patience, and tenderness, and righteous and loving dealing with us. We shall know much of our own histories then, and they will be full of Christ. We shall wonder then at the greatness of the gift of God in giving us a whole Christ, and that, when we were in a world and a body of sin.
We cannot enjoy a whole Christ as we are now circumstanced, because the flesh is ever pulling us down to a low standard, and entering into conflict with this and that which was glorious in Jesus; but then all these impediments are removed, the head, the feet, the hands, all are ours, even as all of us is His! And that will satisfy the longings of our intensest love. Intense absorbing love, does not willingly lose anything of the one that is loved; it craves the ministry of the head, and hand, and foot; of thought, and deed. We could no more do without the feet of Jesus in glory, than we could without His head; without the instruments and symbols of His long travel, than that of His loving thought on our behalf. If so, we would say, "Where are the feet which were weary, which were pierced, which accepted the sacrifice of a woman’s love, at which the afflicted were cast and made whole?" We shall not have so great a loss—as this missing of the feet of Christ. The Father has given Him unto us a whole Christ; as a whole Christ He offered Himself on Calvary; as a whole Christ He is our representative and sacrifice now, saying on our behalf, "They pierced my hands and my feet;" and less than a whole Christ we could not do with in heaven. The feet of Jesus may well be taken to represent all that was most humble and lowly. The unloosing of the shoe latchet—the covering of the foot was the humblest task which John the Baptist could represent himself as doing for Jesus. And when the Lord Himself would stoop to the humblest and lowest act of service, and teach His disciples to do the same—the washing of feet was the one He chose. That His own feet should now be thus gloriously exalted in heaven is not without some teaching for us in this direction. We find, then, that which was most lowly on earth—is exalted in heaven, and that with intensity of brightness. The feet are sharers with the head, they occupy a position of association. No doubt Jesus during His earthly walk saw all humble and lowly deeds in both their true present and future dignity. He knew how and why it was that He who would be greatest—must be the servant of all. He connected service and reward together. And in His mind all lowly deeds associated themselves with high thoughts; they were invested with a dignity with which His knowledge of the mind of the Father enabled Him to clothe them. And it is just here that we fail. We have little power of association. We isolate things and deeds—from principles and thoughts, and then our services become burdensome, and our duties become toil—and failure is too often the result.
Jesus never did a humble deed, or took up a menial position, or uttered a lowly speech, without a consciousness of the true nobility attached to them. By the very fact of their lowliness they had other world connections; they linked themselves with the head and the hair white like wool, with the girding of the golden belt, with the eyes as a flame of fire, and the feet like unto fine brass, glowing in a furnace. With what joy, with what power did Jesus perform all His humble deeds under these conditions! He was always dealing with what had been kindred to glory—association with heaven—oneness with His Father—connection with His own future high position.
Let us try to bring all lowliness into association. Let us try and see the capacities of expansion which exist in lowly deeds. They are like little seeds which can produce something very unlike themselves; let us think not only what they appear on earth—but what they really are in heaven; yes, and what they will be by and by, when the full time for development shall have come. No one can get a right idea of a thing by looking only at a part of it; we certainly do not get a right idea of the blessedness of lowly deeds, thoughts, or ways, by going no farther than this life.
Let us bind heaven and all of heaven to our humble duties and walks on earth; let us look at our Great Head and see the glory which is now His; let us believe that in our measure and according to our capacity so shall it be with us.
What could be more humble than a little child—but He presented such in a position of dignity, saying, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." The kingdom of heaven! in its bright eternal meaning let it touch and gild all the service of earth—let the light from the feet of brass shine upon us, as well as that from the eyes which are as a flame of fire. Let us remember that our now all-glorious Redeemer, His earthly service now ended, once said, "I am among you as the One who serves." Luke 22:27
Let us realize the nobility of our lowly service, of our humble places, and positions, and opportunities at once. We have only to take the nobility which God has already attached to them, and it is done. Let us not call anything common—if it be the way in which we are to serve God. Let us be afraid of no soiling—except that of sin. Mud and dust there are in plenty here; and few steps can we take without encountering and perhaps being troubled with the one or the other; but that is the very service out of which will come the brightness of the future, and the rest of the people of God.
Life, and common every day service and duties—will wear a new aspect to us—when we see them tending to such a glorious consummation! And we shall have fresh heart and energy for our humble gospel labors. We shall be more content with humble things, and more willing to bear the mis-judgings of the world; and we shall take up many a sphere which otherwise would have been left unfilled. The future will compensate abundantly for the present humble services—for the joy which is set before us. The lowly ministries and ministers of God—we shall exalt and not despise; and we shall see in many a washer of feet one who himself shall hereafter stand with glorious feet in heaven.
Thus much, then, from the bare fact of having a mention made of the feet of Jesus in heaven—that which is lowliest of man in the very abode of God. May those feet which went about doing good during His sojourn on earth, still minister to us from the height of glory—so that abiding in Him, we may walk even as He walked, and at last be with Him where He is. The head and the feet are both glorious in light. And so we see the impossibility of fixing on any imperfect part in Christ which can sympathize with evil. This is one of the great differences between Him and the holiest people on earth. The purest and the best here have some sympathies, however small, with evil. None of them can say as Jesus did, ’the prince of this world comes—and has nothing in me.’ We may not be aware ourselves that this sin and shortcoming, or excess whatever it may be in which the sin consists, comes not merely from a temptation—but from our inward sympathy with evil; but were it not for that measure of sympathy with evil, the temptation could do nothing. But Jesus was triumphant, sin found no sympathy in Him. Neither in the thought of the head, nor the affection of the heart, nor the way of the feet, did it find seed-ground on which it could sprout.
There are two thoughts in connection with this which concern us much. One is, we must take a whole Christ; the other, we must submit the whole of our self to Christ.
Many men have part Christs. What they have is true as far as it goes; but it is only a whole Christ that can save us, or that can lift up our moral natures. Therefore let us dwell in our minds on all of Jesus; let us think of what He was, and what He felt, and what He did, and how He did it; and what He would not do, and how and why He left it undone—of Jesus in this relationship, and that, everything that we can learn about Him, in every way. He exists as ’the man’ Christ Jesus. He is in glory as the man Christ Jesus, not only for Himself—but for us; the soul that has any adequate conception of what Jesus is, knows as the bride says in Canticles, that He is altogether lovely, and therefore altogether to be desired.
Moreover, we must desire—nay, if we think thus of Christ, we cannot help thus willing that He should take the whole of us. Our desire will be the whole of Him for us, and the whole of us for Him. We could not so to speak, take a whole Christ to ourselves, unless our whole selves were given to Him. No doubt many of our spiritual sorrows, and some of the fretfulness of our spiritual life, come from the not submitting (not perhaps designedly) of some part of our whole self to Christ. We hold on to that to which is unsavory, and unsanctified, and troubles the fineness of our spiritual sense, and disturbs the balance of a perfectly healthy spiritual constitution. The sanctification of the whole body and soul is accomplished by the fitting to us a whole Christ—it is in a whole Christ that we shall be presented without spot or blemish or any such thing.
There are, it may be quite unconsciously on our part, some withholdings, be they more or less, in all of us, from Christ; something to which we do not want Him to submit to Him. Out of these withholdings come weakness, and sin, and sorrow. And so it will be well for us often to speak to Christ on this matter—to say, ’O my Savior take me altogether. I want to be wholly yours. You have purchased me altogether; You gave Your whole self for my whole self, therefore it is all Yours, and as Yours take it.’ This will be fully after God’s mind, for His way of raising us is not by contenting Himself with only a part of us—but by bringing our total self into connection with One who is perfect.
We often seek to attain our end by lowering the standard to accommodate our self; God never lowers His standard but He gives strength whereby that standard may be reached. And here the ideal which God puts before us is a real one also. It has the immense advantage of being the reality; not the dream of a poet, or the abstruse figure of the painter—but a life of fact.
We are not then to lose ourselves in any of our contemplations of our Lord, His life, His death, His present life in glory—His whole self is to be a living reality to us. The present life in glory is ours, just as much as was the life of suffering, and the death of shame. Let us look upon the feet burning like fine brass in the light of as solid a reality for us, as those same feet when sitting wearily at Sychar, or hanging pierced on Calvary.
We do not rejoice as we ought at the perfection of Christ’s holiness, we do not admire it as we should, namely, with a consciousness of self-interest therein. The thought of His holiness ought not to affright us; what He has He gives to us; it should be a source of gladness. I admire it in Him, and He says, ’What is mine—I give to you.’
All that He has in manhood, He has for His people—therefore the light and glory of His feet—of His holy ways, of His completeness is mine. That head, and those eyes, are wonderful—but not more so to me, nor are they of deeper concern to me than these "feet like unto fine brass, glowing in a furnace."