December 16

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. - Psalms 145:18.

THIS is not said of the Divine omnipresence, but of the Lord’s special and gracious presence. His presence in the ordinances of religion is in a way of dispensation. There he is always to be sought and found by those who are favoured with them. But there are many to whom these means are never available. There are many who have heard his word and have partaken of his own supper, to whom the Saviour will hereafter say, “Depart, I never knew you.” And though they will reply, “We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets,” he will immediately add, “I tell you I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.”

On the other hand, there are some who have the grace of the means without having the means of grace; for God is not confined to “temples made with hands,” but as to his own people “he is nigh unto them.” He is with them in the agency of his holy and blessed Spirit, in his inhabitation in them, in his influences upon them, “I will put,” says he, “my Spirit within them, and cause them to know my statutes and do them.” He is thus not only dwelling with them, but in them, to illuminate them, to sanctify them, to comfort, and to “seal them unto the day of redemption;” and he will never withdraw from them. Their fears will sometimes lead them to exclaim, “Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me;” but he will not, he cannot, for he has been pleased to bind himself.

It is owing to this that we have continued to this day. If our feet have held his steps, if we have kept his way, and have not declined, to whom is the glory of this grace to be ascribed? Shall not we gratefully acknowledge that “having obtained help of the Lord, we continue to this day;” that with David we can look up and say, “By thee have I run through a troop, and with the help of my God have I leaped over a wall.” It is upon this we found and may found our confidence for the future, that though we may be assailed by men and by Satan, and all the hosts of darkness, yet greater is he that is in us than all they that are in the world. “In all these things, we shall be more than conquerors through him that hath loved us.”

Whenever we think of moving in life, Moses’ prayer becomes ours, “If thy presence go not with us, carry us not up hence.” But his promise to Moses becomes ours also, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest;” so that “as our day, our strength shall be.” So he will say to us as we move on, whatever may be our trials or our difficulties, “Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee by the right hand of my righteousness.”