February 3

Fifth Day after Christmas

Emmanuel, God with us. S. Matthew 1:23.

How different is this earth since it has been printed by the Feet of Him Who came from heaven to save His people from their sins! It was like one vast scene of desolateness and disappointment. It is now a place where God's elect and ransomed children are trained up for glory and immortality. Curse and death only were written upon all its fairest things. It is now full also of recollections of mercy; and its very dust in which the Saints sleep, and from which Christ has risen as the first-fruits of the great harvest, has become the birthplace of Eternal Life. Such, then, is the twofold force of the title Emmanuel, "God" in Himself, but with us and such as we; not "with us" merely by mercy, or care, or providence, or protection, but "with us" as one of us; not doing only great things for us, but taking our nature on Him, and therein suffering for us, and with us; not restoring us by His word, as He created us, but by becoming as one of us; not by raising us by the hand when fallen, but Himself humbling Himself to us; Himself sinking to us, that He might rise with us; might ascend to His Father, girt round with us, placing at God's Right Hand, united with Himself, and as part of Himself, the nature which He has redeemed.

To know the Christ of God,

The Everlasting Son;

To know what He on earth

For guilty man has done:

This is the first and last

Of all that's true and wise;

The circle that contains all light

Beneath, above, the skies.

Father, unseal my eyes,

Unveil my veiled heart,

Reveal this Christ to me.