6. His lips for thee. Perhaps there is no part of
CHRIST FOR US
that knocketh, saying, Open to Me, My sister, My love''; the voice that His sheep hear and know, and _ that calls out the fervent response, ''Master, say on!'' This is not all. It was the literal voice of the Lord Jesus which uttered that one echoless cry of desolation on the Cross for thee, and it will be His own literal voice which will say, ''Come, ye blessed!'' to thee. And that same tender and glorious voice has literally sung and will sing for thee. I think He consecrated song for us, and made it a sweet and sacred thing forever, when He Himself sang a hymn, the very last thing before He went forth to consecrate suffering for us.
That was not His last song. The Lord thy God will joy over thee with singing. And the time is coming when he will not only sing for thee or over thee, but with thee. He says He will: ''In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee!'' Now what a magnificent glimpse of joy this is! Jesus
Himself leading the praises of His brethren, and we ourselves singing not merely in such a chorus, but with such a leader! If singing for Jesus is such a delight here, what will this singing with Jesus be?
Surely song may well be a holy thing to us henceforth.
6. His lips for thee. Perhaps there is no part of our consecration which it is so difficult practically to realize, and in which it is, therefore, so needful to recollect—''I also for thee.'' It is often helpful to read straight through one or more of the Gospels with a special thought on our mind, and see how