THE ORDER IN WHICH THE HEART LEARNS CHRIST

^[p. 158] THE ORDER IN WHICH THE HEART LEARNS CHRIST

The real good in any ministry is in the measure in which it feeds the heart with Christ. He is the Sun to give light and heat, and the greater the extent of surface presented to Him the more He confers. There is more capacity to take in, and this capacity is increased as the heart is occupied with Him.

The heart is first won, and this deepens as it learns His love in humiliation. He “loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2: 20). Secondly, it is satisfied because united to Him, and in association with Him where He is. The heart captivated by an object could never be at rest until it was united to the one who had won it, and for satisfaction it must be where He is - there is no company otherwise. The first desire of a true heart, as with the woman in Luke 7, is to seek the presence of the Saviour, to be in personal nearness to Him. With the bride in Canticles, whenever He is present, all is bright, but there is no satisfaction; there is true affection, and often deep delight, but there cannot be satisfaction until the heart is in assured union and association with its object. Thirdly, after satisfaction comes an entirely new occupation. All before related chiefly to oneself. The heart is won, and the heart is satisfied; now the occupation will be studying Him - seeking to be suitable to Him. Many try to be suitable to Him in order to satisfy their hearts, but then there is a legality about the effort, and it bears the mark of seeking to make oneself the object rather than Him.

Now after my heart is satisfied, I sit down before the Lord and study His mind, and from that study I adopt habits and ways, and enter on work in order to please Him. All the previous gains of the heart are increased by each new one; that is, I am more won by Christ as I am satisfied by Him, and I am more won and satisfied as I study Him. And then I learn sanctification in His company. “For their sakes I sanctify myself” (John 17: 19). As I am sanctified I am ornamented, and it is the adorned one that is properly qualified to be the serving one, which is the last thing. “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her” (Proverbs 31: 11). The serving one deepens in all the preceding gains. He is more won, more satisfied, more suitable as he is more serving.

The action of love, like Jonathan’s for David, is always to seek the company, the presence of the one loved, and then to express itself by making much of the object, and little of self. The answer to the sinner is, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (Luke 7: 50). This is the confirmation given to the sinner in his first acquaintance - personal acquaintance with the Saviour. The saint has that love deepened, and he has besides, union and association; and then he is satisfied. This is the most blessed point to reach. Love really cannot think of anything until it is quite sure of its object; then when at rest about itself, it studies the mind and heart of the object.

I do not come to Christ as to my fellow, attracting Him by something in me - I have nothing to bring to Him, and He won me when I was in the most unattractive state; hence I must be well assured of the constancy of His heart, and of my association with Him far removed from the depth of misery I was in, before I can think whether I could be anything or could do anything to please Him; for I have nothing of myself, and it is only in His company that I acquire tastes and habits which answer to His mind.