FEBRUARY, 1899
FEBRUARY, 1899
... [p. 25] What you say about your friend feeling that she was going beyond her faith in standing aloof from Christmas parties, etc., made me think of what Mr. Stoney said at a rather important point of his career. He went to J.N.D. and asked to be allowed to take his place with the very few who were at that time breaking bread. Mr. D. asked him if he had faith for it. He replied, “Faith or no faith, I can’t stop where I am”.
When a thing is seen to be contrary to God’s will, and inconsistent with fidelity to Christ, it will be separated from by any one with spiritual energy or true purpose of heart. Such a one would not stop to consider whether he had faith for it or not; but the very fact that he broke with the unclean thing would show that he was walking in the energy of faith.
When one is really after Christ he is most diligent in the renunciation of things which he judges to be inconsistent, and this not always because he has got rest and satisfaction in Christ, but because he is set for it. Such a one is inquiring the way to Zion with his face thither-ward, and there is not the smallest doubt that the compensation will come in due time. Indeed, any one, who had really come under the attraction of Christ in glory would feel that there was a blessedness in going after Him which threw everything else into the shade, though he might be perfectly conscious that he was far from having reached a region of satisfied desire.
The great point of the Nazarite, which I sought to call attention to in my published address on Numbers 6, is that he was a man commanded by the Lord. The key to the chapter lies in the words — “unto the Lord”. It was not ideas with the Nazarite, but a Person. I remember hearing of a young man who complained, after apparently breaking with a great many things, that he had given up everything for an idea. The truth was he had never come under the attraction of a Person in glory; he was imitating others, and being influenced by others rather than by Christ. And, of course, instead of finding satisfaction he met with nothing but disappointment. It was an attempt to get the Nazarite’s compensation by imitating the Nazarite’s behaviour, instead of coming under the influence of the Nazarite’s Object.
No doubt you will be able to discern whether your friend is really awaking and rising from among the dead so that Christ may shine upon her, or she is merely being influenced to take a certain course of action without having her heart touched [p. 26] by the attractiveness of Christ. If the former, she will come out all right and bright presently without a doubt; if the latter, she needs the presentation of Christ to her heart in Holy Spirit power so that His attractiveness may command her, and the “expulsive power” of the knowledge of Him may displace other things.
February, 1899.