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were!—men who sacrificed in faith for Christ. So he says, “I
have kept the faith”. O, beloved, let us not be influenced either
towards legality, under which we can suffer, or towards
looseness, as if we could dally with this world that crucified our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us not trifle with matters,
beloved, but, like Paul, keep the faith. Then Paul speaks of
“the crown”, and how we shall say ‘Amen’ to what the Lord
brings forward as to Paul in that day, but then—
“to all who love his appearing”, and it is His appearing that is in
mind in the second scripture that I read in Peter.
Peter speaks of stirring us up by putting us in remembrance,
“knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle is speedily to
take place”. Think, beloved, for a moment of the character of
the speaking by one who had heard speaking from heaven in
an unparalleled way; one who was, with two others, an
eyewitness of “His majesty”. The reality of the present exalted
glory of Christ is now to be felt in this room. This is no matter
of a fable, what can be created by man’s imagination; this is a
question of the glory of the One whom we are awaiting, and
the prophetic word is made surer. The Spirit is still here in the
house of God, indwelling believers, and the prophetic word still
comes and is made surer in our hearts. Then he says,
“until the day dawn and the morning star arise in your hearts”.
Beloved, there is something special for the assembly as to the
morning star; no other family has that, not even the recovered
Israel; they will see the Sun of righteousness, as one of our
beautiful hymns
says, ‘Splendour of eternal glory’. That is what Christ is—
‘Splendour of eternal glory’. What a blaze that will be, the glory
of the suffering Lamb, come to be vindicated in the very scene
where He was crucified. But the “morning star” is private; it is
for the assembly’s heart, towards the Bridegroom, for the heart
of the bride towards the Bridegroom. The world is asleep in the
darkness of Satan’s domination, but those of the assembly