THE FLOWERS AND THE SUN, UNION AND COMMUNION

THE FLOWERS AND THE SUN, UNION AND COMMUNION

We should all flourish if we had our eyes on our Sun. The flowers on the earth teach me, they are so affected by the ^[p. 216] sun. Their colours are bright when they have plenty of the sun, and their fragrance is in proportion. So should we have both beauty and fragrance if the eyes of our hearts were fixed on Christ. We are generally thinking of something to do, it is work of some kind which is before us. We are looking to the work to commend us, and not to the One whom Enoch studied to please. He pleased God by giving Him credit for His nature! Paul speaks of union — John of communion. I think these two words are good samples of the two lines: If you are in communion you know the good of union; and union would be nothing without communion.

I am much interested in the way John by the Spirit revives the teaching of Paul, when it had been almost lost in the huge system called by man the church. As a rule you do not restore or revive by repeating the truth that has been lapsed from, but by presenting it more distinctly in another form, more God’s side of it.

It is a great thing to secure food for the people (2 Samuel 23: 12). There is much to be learned from the fable of the lion in a net; he could not extricate himself, but the little mouse outside nibbled the knots, and thus he was eventually released!