January 28
Daily Gleanings of the Saintly LifeFourth Week in Advent.—Saturday
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. S. Matthew 11:28.
How wide is the welcome which these words convey! How full of encouragement to many a weary soul! We are not to look to God's election as a secret law of government, which may be working against us without our being aware. We are to listen to the call of Christ awakening within us the desire to come; and every movement, however feeble, which we are enabled to make towards Christ, is a token that we can attain to His glory if we will. "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." We are not to imagine that the grace of Christ will operate for our acceptance with God if we stay away. The power of grace is shown in drawing us to Christ. Unless we come, there can be no acceptance; but if we come, there can be no rejection. When Christ speaks of our coming to Him, it is specially of sacramental approach that He is speaking. The welcome is for all who come. No unworthiness can debar the truly penitent soul from the benefits of coming to Christ. However great our unworthiness may be, in coming to Christ we come out of it, we leave it behind. If we remain under its power we cannot come. True, indeed, we may come outwardly, but to come outwardly alone is not to come at all, for we come not to Christ, unless we come to Him in His inner Divine Being.
Out of a world of grief and wrong, Where we have wandered all too long, To Thee, our Father, we return, Do Thou not spurn!
Thou art our Father, only Good, Wilt Thou not give us that blest food? We on Thine altar for Thine aid Ourselves have laid.