What joy must have filled Him when at His incarnation He announced, "Lo I come to do Thy will O G.o.d" (Heb. x:5, 6). And then He came and took upon Himself the form of a servant, the first word the heavenly messenger spoke, sent to the virgin to announce the incarnation, was a word of joy. Never before had Gabriel been sent with such a message. "Hail" our English version has it; but the greeting means "Joy" or "Oh the joy!" And the angel later announced "good tidings of great joy." And that blessed life which was lived upon earth to the Glory of G.o.d, was a life which knew joy. All along the way from Bethlehem to Golgotha He had joy before His heart. It is true He wept, He had sufferings, He was tempted, He was ill-treated, cast out, maligned, accused of evil and rejected, but joy filled His heart. His G.o.d and Father was His joy, yea, His exceeding joy. To do His will, who had sent Him was His constant joy. His joy was to walk in confidence, in dependence on Him. His Father's love and delight, which rested upon Him were His joy. "Whom have I in heaven but Thee?

and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee" (Ps.

lxxiii:25). This beautiful word must have been His constant declaration; and that is joy. "I have set the Lord always before me"

(Ps. xvi:8) is another utterance of G.o.d's Spirit concerning the holy life of G.o.d's well beloved Son. And that meant joy. The seventy He had sent forth had returned again with joy, because the demons were subject unto them. That is sinful man in carnal rejoicing! some power manifested, some great success fills our proud hearts with joy. But His words told them of a different joy. They were not to rejoice that the spirits submitted to them, but that their names were written in heaven. "In that hour Jesus _rejoiced_ in spirit, and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and hast revealed them to babes; even so Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight. All things are delivered to Me of My Father; and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and to whom the Son will reveal Him" (Luke x:21, 22).

Thus _He_ rejoiced. In the parable of the treasure in the field He speaks of His joy. The man who has found the treasure, for joy thereof goeth and selleth all he hath, and buyeth that field ( Matt.

xiii:44). The man in the parable is the Lord Himself and the field is the world. With joy He gave up all and came down here to buy us back. And all His suffering from man and from Satan, the persecutions He suffered from His own people to whom He came were borne by Him with joy. He told out His own blessed character in the beat.i.tudes and in speaking of those who are reviled and persecuted, He said, "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad." Thus He must have borne it all with joy. And then the cross. The cross in which He who knew no sin was made sin for us. He was troubled in His holy soul when He looked towards the cross (John xii:27). In the garden He saw the cross. "And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke xii:44). And yet it is written "who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of G.o.d" (Heb. xii:2). All the suffering put upon Him by man, acting under satanic impulses and the shame connected with the cross, He despised, the cross itself He could not despise, but He endured that. The joy was that He saw and knew the full and glorious result of all His work He had come to do.

He saw then the travail of His soul and was satisfied. But in that cross there was that suffering, which is unfathomable. G.o.d's own hand rested upon Him. All His sorrowful complaints as predicted by His own Spirit were then fulfilled. "_Thou_ hast laid me in the dust of death." "All _Thy_ waves and billows go over me." "_Thine_ hand has pressed me sore." "_Thy_ wrath lieth hard upon me." "_Thy_ fierce wrath goeth over me." "_Thou_ hast laid me in the lowest pit." Thus He suffered from G.o.d--smitten and afflicted of G.o.d. It pleased the Lord to bruise Him. Then from that cross there came that loud and triumphant cry when He gave His life "It is finished!" Oh!

what joy must have filled then His soul, when He knew the work is done, all is accomplished. And with equal joy G.o.d answered the cry of His well beloved Son, when He rent the veil from top to bottom.

The risen Lord in meeting His disciples greeted them, with the greeting of joy, which Gabriel had used. "All Hail"--literally, _Oh the joy!_ (Matt. xxviii:9.) What joy must then have filled His loving heart as He met His own again. Oh the joy! thus they had mocked Him when they crowned Him with a crown of thorns and bowed the knee and in derision shouted "All hail"--"Rejoice"--"King of the Jews." But in the resurrection He shouts "Oh the Joy!" The victory is won. Satan, Sin, Death and the Grave are vanquished. And what joy is His now! What joy will be His ere long! With a shout He went up (Ps. xlvii:5). What a joy when He pa.s.sed through the heavens and as the glorified man He entered the Holy of Holies! What a joy when the Father had the well beloved with Him again, and He took His seat at His own right hand. What joy for Him and the heavens when Glory and Honor was put upon Him and He was proclaimed throughout the depths of the universe as Heir of all things! What joy! All power in heaven and on earth is His. Oh the joy! as sinners are saved by Grace, whom He redeemed by His blood. And as His body is building He rejoiceth as the bridegroom over the bride. In unspeakable joy He carrieth on His loving, tender, priestly work in behalf of those for whom He died. His joy and delight, as well as His love and His power is with them, who are His.

But there is greater joy in the future for Him, the Man in Glory.

Though even now He _is_ "anointed with the oil of gladness above all His fellows." His joy will increase and be full in the future.

Another glad shout will be heard when he leaves the Father's throne and descends into the air. A shout of triumph and joy it will be, which will open the graves of the Saints, which will summon those who remain to meet Him in the air. Oh the joy at last the travail of His soul will be brought into His presence. Oh the joy! He will have us then and we will be with Him. With _exceeding joy_ He will present us faultless before the presence of His Glory (Jud. 24). In joy and a glorious triumph He will bring many sons to glory. What joy it will be when He leads forth from heaven's glorious mansions, those who are "G.o.d's workmanship created by Christ Jesus!" Then all the world will know and angels shout once more for joy in the full and glorious revelation of the new creation.

Oh! the Joy for Him! when Israel cries out "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!" Oh the joy! when creation sings her songs of praise to Him, whose pierced hands have removed the curse.

Oh! the joy! when nations hear war no more but sing the worth of the King of Kings and lay their gifts at His feet.

If we could measure all which was accomplished on Calvary's cross, then we could also measure His joy, the joy of the Lord.

Reader! If you are saved by Grace, one with the Lord, then all this is yours. The joy in the Lord and the joy of the Lord is to be your portion now and in the day of His joy and glory. Murmuring, discouraged, tempted, complaining, bereaved, downhearted, halfhearted child of G.o.d, ponder over these words. Let G.o.d's Spirit lead you into them. The joy of the Lord is to be your portion. It will dispel your gloom. It will end your discouragement. It will give you songs in the night. It will lift you into a holy walk. The joy of the Lord can do this. He wants you to possess His joy. "These things have I spoken unto you, and that your joy might be full"

(John xv:11). Let the Holy Spirit, who is given to you of G.o.d, make the Lord Jesus Christ a greater reality in your life. Let the joy of the Lord be your joy. Rejoice in G.o.d, the G.o.d and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let your joy be to do His will. Accept all from His hands. Rejoice in all things. "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice" (Phil. iv:4). Rejoice and glory in tribulation.

"Count it all joy when ye fall in divers temptations" (James i:2).

Having Christ, brought nigh to G.o.d, a perfect access into His presence, yea the right to come with boldness, a rejoicing and praising spirit should be manifested by us.

And look at the joy which is set before us. How it ought to lift us over all the present day trials and temptations and give us victory over the cares and anxieties, the pleasures and deceitful riches of this present evil and fast closing age. "Enter thou into the joy of _Thy_ Lord." This _is_ our blessed and glorious future. We shall share His future joy as we shall share His glory. And it is but a little while longer and weeping, which endured for the night, will give way to the _joy of the morning_.

"This Same Jesus."

"AND He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pa.s.s, while he blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing G.o.d" (Luke xxiv:50-53).

Something else is reported in the first chapter in the book of Acts in connection with the Return of our blessed Lord to the Father. "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? _This same Jesus_, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven". (Acts i:10-11).

This blessed message must have been the reason why they returned to Jerusalem with _great_ joy. Instead of tears and sorrow at that parting there was joy, because they knew and believed that He who had said "I will come again and receive you unto myself," this same Jesus would come for them. What a blessed truth it is that the same Jesus, the same Lord who walked on earth, who spoke such words of infinite love and tenderness, who wept, healed the sick, raised the dead and commanded the demons, who calmed the storm, who had gone to the cross to die that awful death in our stead--that this same Jesus, raised from the dead, is now in the presence of G.o.d for us and our Advocate with the Father. It is the same loving, tender, caring, mighty Lord and Saviour, who is there and this same Jesus, not another, will come again. The reality of this filled the disciples with joy. They knew He had left them, they knew He lived and that He would come again. This knowledge gave them power to witness and to walk in holiness. The reality of this fills still the believing heart with joy and leads as well as keeps in the blessed faith life of fellowship with Himself, into which we have been called by the Grace of G.o.d. The heart of the believer under the control of the Holy Spirit has but one desire. It is to know Him and know Him better. Other desires for blessings may come up, but that life which is in the believer ever reaches out after Himself who is our life. "That I may know Him" was the pa.s.sion of that wonderful man, who knew Him so well (Phil. iii:10). And it is just heart knowledge of this same Jesus in His loveliness, His patience, His power, His glory, in all His blessed fullness, which we need the most and through this all other needs are met.

Look up then in faith, child of G.o.d, He who is altogether lovely, whose perfect ways of love and grace, were so blessedly made known in His life down here, this same Jesus, with all the tenderness of infinite love, the love that never grows cold, is with the Father.

Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, to-day and forever. The disciples heard Him pray His great prayer before He went to the cross (John xvii). As they listened to His words addressed to the Father, they learned as never before, how dear they all were to Him. How He loved them, cared for them, what He had done for them, would continue to do and what their future would be. And whenever we read these words in His high priestly prayer, we can hear Him still pray. We know that love for us cannot change; that prayer to keep does not fail; that concern, so deep and gracious, in all who belong to Him is unchanged, for it is "this same Jesus," who intercedes for us, whose loving eyes watch our going in and our going out, our walk down here.

Oh! for the reality of this! This same blessed Lord is with us, for us, above us. We can count on His unchanging love. We can count on His power. The reality of the Person of our exalted Lord keeps us down here. Oh, draw near, beloved reader, for it is your privilege, your calling, to know Him and to enjoy Him. His heart is never satisfied unless you drink deep of His love and you lie in blessed dependence at His feet. Have you failed Him? Are days, weeks, perhaps months of wandering your past, days in which you grieved Him? Return, oh return! it is "this same Jesus" who at the lake of Tiberias so tenderly restored Peter and who waits for thy return.

And "this same Jesus" comes again. If the joy was so great when He left, because the heavenly messengers gave the good news that this same Jesus is coming again, what will be the joy when he _does_ come! He comes as Saviour, which is the meaning of His blessed name.

"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our body of humiliation, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body"

(Phil. iii:20-21). The glorious appearing of the great G.o.d and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us, will some day take place. And when He comes into the air and gives the shout, He will be "this same Jesus." When we are caught up in clouds to meet Him in the air we shall meet _Him_, the same blessed Person, who walked on this earth, who died on the cross, who in His unchanging love kept and carried us and called us home. We shall see Him as He is. He comes, this same Jesus, to take us to be with Him. What will be His joy then when all His blood-washed, redeemed people are at last with Him! Then this same Jesus who bore our sins in His own body on the tree will bestow upon us His glory, the glory the Father has given Him.

Reader! Is it even now before you such a living reality, this same Jesus--is coming again; coming to take us all into the Father's house with its many mansions, to the place whose portals were opened with His own blood! And how soon it may be that we shall see Him and be with Him!

If an angelic message were brought to-day to all Christians, we said recently in a meeting, and that message would state in terms unmistakably, one week more and the Lord Jesus Christ comes, one week more and we shall see Him; what would be the result? We can imagine the eagerness with which all would begin to serve and reach out after the unsaved; what self-denials and boldness we would behold! How all the earthly things, the childish things, the playthings of the dust, would lose their attractiveness. Then heaven's glory would break upon us. But such a message is not promised to us. It is nowhere said that it will take place. No angel will come to announce the time when "this same Jesus" comes to call us home. The fact is G.o.d has told us in His Word, that His ever blessed Son will come and that He will come suddenly. He may come _to-day_. He may call us home before another morning comes. And if we believe it we shall walk in expectation and in separation. The Lord graciously revive the blessed Hope in our hearts and through it make us holy in our lives, zealous for the Gospel, untiring in service and loving towards all the Saints.

The Wondrous Cross.

WHO can tell out the story of the cross! There was a time when we thought we knew much of it; but oh! the depths, the wonderful depths of the cross and the work accomplished there, which constantly break in upon the heart, as one meditates on the cross. One who knew the cross, whose eyes were filled with all its glory, because He beheld Him, who hung on the cross, in highest glory has told us "But G.o.d forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Crucified unto the world. Dead to the world and to sin are the blessed effects of the cross.

Some time ago while remembering the Lord on the Lord's Day we sang a familiar hymn:

When we survey the wondrous cross On which the Lord of glory died, Our richest gain we count but loss, And pour contempt on all our pride.

How true!--contempt must be poured on all our pride when one beholds that sight, the cross on which the Lord of glory died. But is it so, "and pour contempt on all our pride?"

And when we sang the second verse its truth came home still more to the conscience:

Forbid it, Lord, that we should boast, Save in the death of Christ, our G.o.d; All the vain things that charm us most, We'd sacrifice them to His blood.

How true! If such a one died to deliver us out of this present evil age then the vain things that charm us most, not the sinful things, must be relinquished. But is it really so--all the vain things that charm us most--we'd sacrifice them to His blood?

There from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flowed mingled down; Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature ours, That were an off'ring far too small; Love that transcends our highest powers Demands our soul, our life, our all.

And then once more the heart said, How true! Marvelous sight the Lord of Glory on that cross for me! Forsaken of G.o.d, paying the penalty of my sins, drinking the cup of wrath, untasted by me. Such love surely demands our soul, our life, our all. But is it so? How often we sing these blessed truths and our lives are strangers to them. G.o.d grant that we may live out the truth of the cross in our lives. May the deliverance, the victory, the power of His cross be manifested in our lives. Dead to the world and the world dead to me.

His Legacy.

BLESSED and ever precious are the words, which came from the lips of our loving Lord, before he went to the cross. His own were gathered around Him; before He ever comforted them and poured out His loving heart, He manifested that love by serving them. He arose from the supper, laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.

What a sight the Son of G.o.d girded! "After that He poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded" (John xiii:5). It was a great symbolical action. He who stooped so low to wash the feet of His sinful creatures is the same who declared in the Old Testament "Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities" (Isaiah xliii:24). The washing typifies the service our beloved Lord renders to His saints in cleansing them from defilement; it is "the washing of water by the Word." And thus He continues in loving service till at last all His redeemed people are brought home into the presence of the throne and "the sea of gla.s.s like unto crystal" (Rev. iv:6) where no more defilement is possible and no more washing is needed.

Many and blessed are the words, which then flowed from His lips, after Judas had gone out into the dark night. Only He could speak thus. Thousands upon thousands, countless mult.i.tudes have been fed upon His gracious, comforting words and have been strengthened and upheld. Their careful and refreshing power is undiminished. Like Himself His Words are eternal and inexhaustible. The Father's house with its many mansions, the fact of His personal return, the gift of the other Comforter, who came to abide with and in His own, the promises concerning prayer and a.s.surance that the Father Himself loves them and many other precious truths were spoken by Him ere He left the world to go to the Father. At that time He gave His blessed legacy. "_Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you_" (John xiv:27). And the last word He spoke to His disciples before He uttered that marvelous high priestly prayer, contains also the a.s.surance of peace. "These things have I spoken unto you, that _in Me_ ye might have _peace_. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer I have overcome the world" (John xvi:33).

The adorable Lord came to this poor sin cursed earth, a world of sinners and enemies of G.o.d by wicked works to make peace. The great work of reconciliation was effected on the cross. By His death on the cross the enemies of G.o.d, believing in Him, became reconciled to G.o.d. He made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. i:20). As believing sinners we are justified and _have_ peace with G.o.d through our Lord Jesus Christ. Not our walk or service, not our faith or repentance or anything we have done or are doing is the ground of peace with G.o.d, but what Christ has done for us. Yea He Himself is our peace. And because _He_ is our peace, it is a peace which can never be undone or unsettled.

Oh, the peace forever flowing From G.o.d's thoughts of His own Son!

Oh, the peace of simply knowing On the cross that all was done!

Peace with G.o.d, the blood in heaven Speaks of pardon now to me: Peace with G.o.d! the Lord is risen!

Righteousness now counts me free.

When all was finished, the mighty victory over sin, Satan, death and the grave had been gained, when every foe had been met and fully conquered, the blessed victor appeared in the midst of His beloved disciples. It was on "the same day" the day when He arose, when the mighty power of G.o.d opened the grave, on the same day, He suddenly stood in their midst. The doors were shut. The disciples were full of fears and doubts. Thomas was not there at all. All at once their eyes beheld Him once more who had been crucified, had died and was buried. "Peace be unto you!" This heavenly greeting came from His lips and soothed their sorrows, cleared their doubts and dispelled their fears. And He who stood thus in their midst was the same whom Gideon had seen and who answered His fears with "Peace be unto you; fear not" (Judges vi:23). Jehovah is peace; He is our peace. On the glad and glorious resurrection day the gracious Lord appeared in their midst and proclaimed peace to them. But He also showed them His hands and His side. The marks of the nails and of the spear were seen there. They are the evidences of His death for His people. But He who was dead is risen and lives evermore. Ah! that is peace! The Christ who died for our sins, who is risen and is in G.o.d's own presence is our peace. Would we enjoy that peace in a greater sense and have it more real, then let us just have Himself, the Person as the object of our hearts. "Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord." Nothing could make them glad aside from the Lord Himself. Alas! that some of G.o.d's people try to find joy and peace in their service, experiences, knowledge of truth. Dear souls, it is the Lord only, who gives us peace and gladness.

But the blessed legacy of our Lord is not so much the peace with G.o.d, as it is "His own peace." The peace which He possessed while on earth, that peace like a majestic river, ever flowing on in silence with not a moment's interruption. His own peace, He bequeathed to His own. What a peace was His! What restfulness the divinely reported scenes of that blessed life breathe! We have written before on His patience, His joy and His love, the love which pa.s.seth knowledge. How much might be written too on "His peace." But not half could ever be told. What calmness we see wherever we look. The threatening mult.i.tudes did not disturb Him, nor did the fierce storm on the Galilean sea; peacefully He rested in sleep, while the angry waves tossed the little ship aside and the terror-stricken disciples awoke Him. They cried "Lord, save us; we perish." And then His eyes opened and in loving tenderness He said unto them, "Why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith?" _Then_ He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm. Ah! poor human heart!

how canst thou ever doubt with such a Lord at thy side!

And this peace which was His constant portion, was the result of a constant communion with G.o.d. His meat and drink was to do the will of Him that sent Him. That calm, unruffled peace was the fruit of His constant trust in G.o.d and dependence on Him. And this peace He wants us to enjoy. In a world full of tribulation, anxiety and care, a world full of increasing evils, conflicts and sufferings, He wants us to have His own peace. The enjoyment of this peace of our Lord Jesus Christ depends on our communion with G.o.d and the realization of our union with Him. On that blessed evening of the resurrection day the Lord spoke a second time, "Peace be unto you." Why should He repeat the same greeting? The words which follow explain this. "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (John xx:22). As Christians saved by grace and in Christ we are sent by Him as He was sent by the Father. As we realize this and walk under Him, as we set the Lord always before our eyes and our life's aim is to do _His_ will and not our own, to please Him and not ourselves, to serve Him and not man, to let Him plan and not we ourselves, to be nothing instead of something, to be in the dust instead of exalted, then shall we enjoy His legacy "His own peace." He wants us to have it.

He wants us to be kept in perfect peace. Are we willing to have it?

And what else honors our absent Lord more than a life which manifests His peace. What pleases the Father more than to behold His children reminding Him by their lives of dependence and peace, the result of the rest of faith, of His own blessed Son. And the Holy Spirit, who produces all this in us will ever lead us on in the fuller enjoyment of the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.