January 11

A union of personal and relative duty: "He feared God, with all his house." This was like Joshua, who said, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord:" not my house without myself, nor myself without my house; but I, and my house. If we are godly ourselves, we shall surely give evidence of it by instructing and admonishing and impressing those who are placed under our care. And in vain shall we use the means, if we counteract them by our own example. We must do, as well as teach.

A union of piety and morality: he gave alms and prayed. Piety is more than prayer; and morality is more than alms: yet alms and prayer are not only parts, but essential parts of them; and they can never be separated. Some talk of their love to the gospel, and their communion with God, who are hard-hearted and close-handed. "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" Others stand fair with their fellow-creatures, and are distinguished by liberality and kindness, yet they have no fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ; they live without God; they indulge their sensual passions, and imagine that charity covers a multitude of sins. "But pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep themselves unspotted from the world."

A union of the real and eminent in religion: "He gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always." There cannot be the eminence of grace without the reality; but there may be the reality without the eminence. We should be thankful for a day of small things, but we ought to seek after a day of great ones. We should add to the essentials of religion its excellences too. We should not only have life, but have it more abundantly.

As to our temporal condition, we should be content with such things as we have. But contentment does not become us in divine things. There we should be ambitious. There we should be covetous. We need more, and more is attainable. Let us therefore enlarge our desires and our hopes, and seek to be filled with all the fulness of God.

"Where dwellest thou?" John 1:38.

THIS question was addressed to our Lord by two of John's disciples. One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. Of the other we are ignorant, but they were now both following Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and said unto them, "What seek ye?" They said unto him, "Rabbi, where dwellest thou?"

Let us consider the principle of the inquiry. It was not curiosity, but regard. It was as much as to say, we wish to be better acquainted. John had spoken of him highly, and they had just seen him; but this, instead of satisfying them, drew forth their desire after more intimacy. Now this is common to all the subjects of divine grace.

It arises from their love to him. For love longs to be near the object of attachment; separation is painful; distance is intolerable; while intercourse yields a pleasure words can no more describe than paint can express light or heat. Hence the believer longs to be with the Saviour. "Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon; for why should I be as one that turneth aside from the paths of thy companions?"

The desire arises also from the want of him. What can I do, says the Christian, without him? He is my deliverer, my helper, my guide, my comforter. The earth can do better without the sun, than I can do without him, the Sun of righteousness. The body does not depend so much upon the soul, as I do upon him, the quickening Spirit. Who can screen me from the condemnation of the law? Who can relieve my burdened conscience? Whose grace is sufficient for me, to sanctify me in prosperity, to sustain me in adversity, to enliven me in death? "Oh, cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me." I must live in the same place, the same house, the same room where thou dwellest. "Where dwellest thou?"

But let us find, if we can, an answer to this question. "He saith unto them, Come and see;" and they went, and "saw where he dwelt." In a general way, he had not where to lay his head. It is not probable he had now a house to himself, but only an apartment hired or borrowed. But how was that lodging sanctified and honored! They showed Alexander, when in Holland, a house where Peter the Great resided, and which is preserved in memory of him. Many have seen at Olney the alcove where Cowper wrote his "Task." O, to have seen a dwelling where Jesus resided! But where dwells he now? He is everywhere, but he is not said to dwell everywhere. Dwelling, with regard to him, implies preference, and abiding with delight. First, then, he dwells in heaven. This marks the place, yea, this makes it. "Where I am, there shall my servants be." "Absent from the body, and present with the Lord." Secondly, he dwells in his church. "This," says he, "is my rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it." Thirdly, he dwells in the sanctuary. "In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee." "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." And there his people have found him, and exclaimed, "Surely God is in this place." Fourthly, he dwells in the heart. He will reject every other residence you may offer him. "My son," says he, "give me thy heart;" and from every believer he obtains what he demands. Christ dwells in his "heart by faith."

This may be called enthusiasm by some, but it is the language of inspiration. "Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."

Let me forbear to injure and insult a Christian. Let me revere and honor him. He is a palace of the Prince of peace. He is a temple of the Lord of all.

Let me admire the condescension and kindness of Immanuel, God with us. If I am the subject of this residence, let me not only rejoice in the dignity and privilege, but be concerned to discharge every duty I owe to such a distinguished guest, to such a divine inhabitant. "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."