Morning  “As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.” / 1 Corinthians

15:48

The head and members are of one nature, and not like that monstrous image

which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. The head was of fine gold, but the

belly and thighs were of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet, part of iron

and part of clay. Christ’s mystical body is no absurd combination of

opposites; the members were mortal, and therefore Jesus died; the glorified

head is immortal, and therefore the body is immortal too, for thus the record

stands, “Because I live, ye shall live also.” As is our loving Head, such is

the body, and every member in particular. A chosen Head and chosen members; an

accepted Head, and accepted members; a living Head, and living members. If the

head be pure gold, all the parts of the body are of pure gold also. Thus is

there a double union of nature as a basis for the closest communion. Pause

here, devout reader, and see if thou canst without ecstatic amazement,

contemplate the infinite condescension of the Son of God in thus exalting thy

wretchedness into blessed union with his glory. Thou art so mean that in

remembrance of thy mortality, thou mayest say to corruption, “Thou art my

father,” and to the worm, “Thou art my sister”; and yet in Christ thou art so

honoured that thou canst say to the Almighty, “Abba, Father,” and to the

Incarnate God, “Thou art my brother and my husband.” Surely if relationships

to ancient and noble families make men think highly of themselves, we have

whereof to glory over the heads of them all. Let the poorest and most despised

believer lay hold upon this privilege; let not a senseless indolence make him

negligent to trace his pedigree, and let him suffer no foolish attachment to

present vanities to occupy his thoughts to the exclusion of this glorious,

this heavenly honour of union with Christ.

 

Evening   “Girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” / Revelation 1:13

“One like unto the Son of Man” appeared to John in Patmos, and the beloved

disciple marked that he wore a girdle of gold. A girdle, for Jesus never was

ungirt while upon earth, but stood always ready for service, and now before

the eternal throne he stays not His holy ministry, but as a priest is girt

about with “the curious girdle of the ephod.” Well it is for us that he has

not ceased to fulfil his offices of love for us, since this is one of our

choicest safeguards that he ever liveth to make intercession for us. Jesus is

never an idler; his garments are never loose as though his offices were ended;

he diligently carries on the cause of his people. A golden girdle, to manifest

the superiority of his service, the royalty of his person, the dignity of his

state, the glory of his reward. No longer does he cry out of the dust, but he

pleads with authority, a King as well as a Priest. Safe enough is our cause in

the hands of our enthroned Melchizedek.

Our Lord presents all his people with an example. We must never unbind our

girdles. This is not the time for lying down at ease, it is the season of

service and warfare. We need to bind the girdle of truth more and more tightly

around our loins. It is a golden girdle, and so will be our richest ornament,

and we greatly need it, for a heart that is not well braced up with the truth

as it is in Jesus, and with the fidelity which is wrought of the Spirit, will

be easily entangled with the things of this life, and tripped up by the snares

of temptation. It is in vain that we possess the Scriptures unless we bind

them around us like a girdle, surrounding our entire nature, keeping each part

of our character in order, and giving compactness to our whole man. If in

heaven Jesus unbinds not the girdle, much less may we upon earth. Stand,

therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.