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Our confidence is not rooted in anything of ourselves—our seeing, hearing, feeling. The roots of an assurance which will stand the shocks of life and the solemn hour of death run deep into the word of the living God, so that if tonight “without a screen in one burst be seen the Presence in which I have ever been,” I may have confidence.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind—to strengthen with forgiveness those that are bruised,” so the Aramaic ends that word of peace.
“Come unto Me. Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” And (for without this truth we have only half a gospel) He is “able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy”—here is sure ground for faith.
There was one who was troubled because the Lord Jesus, to whom she did desire truly to come, seemed a long way off. And then in His mercy He stooped to speak with her:
Below, above, around thee everywhere—
So is My love, like clearness of blue air.
To find the air so high and yet so low,
Tell Me, beloved, hast thou far to go?
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So high, so low—but I had thought Thee far,
Remote, aloof, like glory of a star.
And is the way of love so near to me?
Then by that way I come; I come to Thee.
“For to Him who is everywhere, men come not by traveling but by loving.” St. Augustine’s beautiful words are seeds of light; I sow them on the page in faith that they will spring up as seeds do, thou knowest not how, perhaps for a Mary: “Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.” Perhaps for a Thomas: “Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.”
And is the way of love so near to me?
Then by that way I come; I come to Thee.
“For to Him who is everywhere, men come not by traveling but by loving.” St. Augustine’s beautiful words are seeds of light; I sow them on the page in faith that they will spring up as seeds do, thou knowest not how, perhaps for a Mary: “Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.” Perhaps for a Thomas: “Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.”