EXTRACTS

Luke 14: 25–33. Multitudes were attracted by the hearing of such grace, so in verse 26 He tells them what discipleship will involve. There may be an allusion here to Micah 7: 5, 6.

Friends must be given up for Christ. A man may have to leave everything else, but the question is. Am I to leave God? What! life too? Yes—no matter. In that life you are linked with the world, and that must be given up too, if I am in question—you cannot have two hearts—a heart for the world, and a heart for Me—Christ would say. I tremble when I see people who have not counted the cost, setting out in the profession of following Christ. It is God’s way to put the barrier at the first start. If you can leap that, you will do. Legal obedience will not stand, but following Christ. If He is in the path, it is happy and easy; but it is a path between two hedges. If Christ is not with you in it, there will be nothing but trouble and difficulty.

Luke 14: 34, 35. “Salt” is grace in spiritual energy; that is, the saints being witnesses in the world of the power of holy love, instead of selfishness. Salt is the consecrating principle of grace—if that is gone, what is to preserve? Salt is rather grace in the aspect of holy separateness unto God, than in that of kindness and meekness, though of course these are also inseparable from grace. If the salt has lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? If I have meat without salt, I can salt it; but if there is no saltness in salt, what can I do? What a character we have here of an unspiritual church, or an unspiritual saint! Like the vine which represented Israel, good for nothing at all but to dishonour the Lord its owner and be destroyed. Mercy, it is true, may recover us; but as saints we should have the savour of Christ. Whatever enfeebles attachment to Christ destroys power. It is not gross sin that does it, which of course will be met and judged; but it is the little things of everyday life which are apt to be chosen before Christ. When the world creeps in, the salt has lost its savour and we show that a rejected Christ has little power in our eyes.

J. N. Darby (Collected Writings Vol. 25, p.139)

There remains yet one precious thought—a proof of unspeakable grace in Jesus. He so reckons upon our affection, and this as personal to Himself, that He says to them, “If ye loved me ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father”. He gives us to be interested in His own glory, in His happiness, and, in it, to find our own.

Good and precious Saviour, we do indeed rejoice that Thou, who hast suffered so much for us, hast now fulfilled all things, and art at rest with Thy Father, whatever may be Thine active love for us. Oh that we knew and loved Thee better! But still we can say in fullness of heart, Come quickly, Lord! Leave once more the throne of Thy rest and of Thy personal glory, to come and take us to Thyself, that all may be fulfilled for us also, and that we may be with Thee and in the light of Thy Father’s countenance and in His house. Thy grace is infinite, but Thy presence and the joy of the Father shall be the rest of our hearts, and our eternal joy.

J. N. Darby (Synopsis Vol.3 (John14), p.371).

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