August 15

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. - Psalms 73:25.

CHRIST is all in all in the estimation of his people. Abraham rejoiced to see his day: he saw it, and was glad. Moses “esteemed the reproach of Christ as greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.” David regarded him as “fairer than the children of men,” and to be preferred before all on earth and in heaven; and the church throughout the world doth acknowledge him to be “altogether lovely,” and with Paul esteem all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord.

And of the noble army of martyrs, some said, “We cannot dispute for him, but we can burn for him.” The hoary head, trembling with weakness.-pious females, with all their tenderness,-dear youths, with their love of life,-yet “not accounting; their lives dear unto them.” There were such as these, and numbers of others, who, as they approached the stake, could say, “None but Jesus,” “None but Jesus,” “Christ is all, and in all.”

And it is the same now as formerly, only they are not called to endure the like suffering, yet they possess the same dispositions. The love of Christ shed abroad in the heart constrains believers to live not to themselves, but to Him who died for them and rose again. It makes the servant willing to forego his place, and the mechanic his employ, and the tradesman his customer, and the physician his patient, rather than betray the truth or deny his Lord; willing to go forth without the camp, bearing the reproach of the cross of Christ, and “rejoicing that they are counted worthy to suffer shame for his name’s sake.”

And he is still “all, and in all,” in the estimation of his people. As to their thoughts, each of them can say, “My meditation of him shall be sweet;” and as to their desires, they “wait for him more than they that watch for the morning.” Look at their consolations: see what is their principal source of comfort. If he hides his face, they are troubled. Nothing can supply his place. Their language of inquiry is, “Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?”

“I cannot live contented here,

Without some glimpses of thy face;

And heaven, without thy presence there,

Would be a dark and tiresome place.”

Without him friends are “miserable comforters;” ministers are “physicians of no value;” promises are “dry breasts;” ordinances are “wells without water.” But when he appears, their hope, their joy begins; then, if in the world they have tribulation, in him they have peace. And we see how highly they value persons and things in connection with him. Their love to their fellow-Christians is founded principally because they belong to him and wear his image.

They love the habitation of God’s house, because it is the place where his honour dwelleth. They call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord and honourable, because it is his day. And this is also the reason why they prize the Scriptures. There, says the Christian,-

“There my Redeemer’s face I see,

And read His love who died for me.”