The King And His Attendants
Receiving Christ includes embracing all His graces, church, and cross in our lives.
"Those who entertain a king, reckon upon receiving his train." It is not fit that he should come alone. So those who receive Jesus by faith into their hearts, receive also his church, his ministers, his word, and his cause. They take the Saviour and all his belongings. As the old proverb hath it, "Love me, love my dog," so they love all who belong to Jesus for their Lord's sake. Where Jesus comes with pardon, he brings all the graces with him and we are right glad to entertain them all: not only faith, but love, hope, patience, courage, zeal, and the whole band of virtues. It would be idle to say, "Christ is in me," if none of the graces of his Spirit lodged within our souls. Come in, great Lord, and dwell in my heart, and bring all thy disciples with thee, and all thy belongings, yea, and thy cross itself.