December 26 - Morning"The last Adam." — 1 Corinthians 15:45
Jesus is the federal head of His elect. As in Adam, every heir of flesh and
blood has a personal interest, because he is the covenant head and
representative of the race as considered under the law of works; so under
the law of grace, every redeemed soul is one with the Lord from heaven,
since He is the Second Adam, the Sponsor and Substitute of the elect in
the new covenant of love. The apostle Paul declares that Levi was in the
loins of Abraham when Melchizedek met him: it is a certain truth that the
believer was in the loins of Jesus Christ, the Mediator, when in old
eternity the covenant settlements of grace were decreed, ratified, and made
sure for ever.
Thus, whatever Christ hath done, He hath wrought for the
whole body of His Church. We were crucified in Him and buried with Him
(read Col. 2:10-13), and to make it still more wonderful, we are risen with
Him and even ascended with Him to the seats on high (Eph. 2:6). It is thus
that the Church has fulfilled the law, and is "accepted in the beloved." It is
thus that she is regarded with complacency by the just Jehovah, for He
views her in Jesus, and does not look upon her as separate from her
covenant head. As the Anointed Redeemer of Israel, Christ Jesus has
nothing distinct from His Church, but all that He has He holds for her.
Adam's righteousness was ours so long as he maintained it, and his sin was
ours the moment that he committed it; and in the same manner, all that the
Second Adam is or does, is ours as well as His, seeing that He is our
representative. Here is the foundation of the covenant of grace. This
gracious system of representation and substitution, which moved Justin
Martyr to cry out, "O blessed change, O sweet permutation!" this is the
very groundwork of the gospel of our salvation, and is to be received with
strong faith and rapturous joy. December 26 - Evening"Lo, I am with you alway." — Matthew 28:20
The Lord Jesus is in the midst of His church; He walketh among the golden
candlesticks; His promise is, "Lo, I am with you alway." He is as surely
with us now as He was with the disciples at the lake, when they saw coals
of fire, and fish laid thereon and bread. Not carnally, but still in real truth,
Jesus is with us. And a blessed truth it is, for where Jesus is, love becomes
inflamed. Of all the things in the world that can set the heart burning, there
is nothing like the presence of Jesus! A glimpse of Him so overcomes us,
that we are ready to say, "Turn away Thine eyes from me, for they have
overcome me."
Even the smell of the aloes, and the myrrh, and the cassia,
which drop from His perfumed garments, causes the sick and the faint to
grow strong. Let there be but a moment's leaning of the head upon that
gracious bosom, and a reception of His divine love into our poor cold
hearts, and we are cold no longer, but glow like seraphs, equal to every
labour, and capable of every suffering. If we know that Jesus is with us,
every power will be developed, and every grace will be strengthened, and
we shall cast ourselves into the Lord's service with heart, and soul, and
strength; therefore is the presence of Christ to be desired above all things.
His presence will be most realized by those who are most like Him. If you
desire to see Christ, you must grow in conformity to Him. Bring yourself,
by the power of the Spirit, into union with Christ's desires, and motives,
and plans of action, and you are likely to be favoured with His company.
Remember His presence may be had. His promise is as true as ever. He
delights to be with us. If He doth not come, it is because we hinder Him by
our indifference. He will reveal Himself to our earnest prayers, and
graciously suffer Himself to be detained by our entreaties, and by our
tears, for these are the golden chains which bind Jesus to His people. December 26 |