SELF DISPLACED

SELF DISPLACED

If you were more occupied with the Lord than with your own benefit, you would be wiser in your true desires to honour Him. When the Lord is really and happily before ^[p. 251] me He is everything to me, and myself nothing, and I can have nothing better. When anything devolves on me I do it, thinking of Him in relation to others, and not merely as it will interest and suit myself, and this is real charity. The more simply you make Christ your object, not for yourself but for Himself, the more will every manner, and every attitude, display the grace of the One who occupies and controls your heart. You must not seek to trace your imperfections to any failure in education or habits. You must let everything be submitted to Him for fresh moulding. Supposing your failure to arise from defective training, or the exposure, like a tree, to one prevailing wind or influence, that is but an excuse for its existence, it does not remove it. It is Christ in you which will displace and supersede all the imperfections, and set you forth as His member in the light and manner which He desires.

It is a wonder to me that this body, so easily disorganised, and thus betraying its fall, can be turned by grace to express “bowels of mercies”, etc. Neither the fruit nor the leaves of the old crab-tree are to appear. Not only are the members on the earth to be mortified, but the old man is to be put off; all the leaves are to go.

We have to do with the holy Man in the holy place. The more our hearts are kept by the Spirit of God, the more we are enjoying that side, and practically separated from our own side. I hope this will find you restful and happy in the Lord, and delighting in His sufficiency. The Lord keep you steadily pursuing.