Sermon 552. Do You Know Him?

(No. 552)

Delivered on Sunday Morning, January 31st, 1864, by the

Rev. C. H. SPURGEON,

At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington

"That I may know him."-Philippians 3:10.

THE object of the apostle's life-that for which he sacrificed everything: country, kindred, honor, comfort, liberty, and lifeitself, was, that he might know Christ. Observe that this is not Paul's prayer as an unconverted man, that he may know Christ,and so be saved; for it follows upon the previous supplication that he might win Christ and be found in him. This is the desireof one who has been saved, who enjoys the full conviction that his sins are pardoned, and thathe is in Christ. It is only the regenerated and saved man who can feel the desire, "That I may know him." Are you astonishedthat a saved man should have such a desire as this? A moment's reflection will remove your astonishment. Imagine for a momentthat you are living in the age of the Roman emperors. You have been captured by Roman soldiers and dragged from your nativecountry; you have been sold for a slave, stripped, whipped, branded, imprisoned, and treated with shameful cruelty. At lastyon are appointed to die in the amphitheatre, to make holiday for a tyrant. The populace assemble with delight. Therethey are, tens of thousands of them, gazing down from the living sides of the capacious Colosseum. You stand alone, and naked,armed only with a single dagger-a poor defense against gigantic beasts. A ponderous door is drawn up by machinery, and forththere rushes the monarch of the forest-a huge lion; you must slay him or be torn to pieces. You are absolutely certain thatthe conflict is too stern for you, and that the sure result must and will be that those terrible teeth will grind yourbones and drip with your blood. You tremble; your joints are loosed; you are paralyzed with fear, like the timid deer whenthe lion has dashed it to the ground. But what is this? O wonder of mercy!-a deliverer appears. A great unknown leaps fromamong the gazing multitude, and confronts the savage monster. He quails not at the roaring of the devourer, but dashes uponhim withterrible fury, till, like a whipped cur, the lion slinks towards his den, dragging himself along in pain and fear. Thehero lifts you up, smiles into your bloodless face, whispers comfort in your ear, and bids you be of good courage, for youare free. Do you not think that there would arise at once in your heart a desire to know your deliverer? As the guards conductedyou into the open street, and you breathed the cool, fresh air, would not the first question be, "Who was my deliverer, thatImay fall at his feet and bless him?" You are not, however, informed, but instead of it you are gently led away to a noblemansion house, where your many wounds are washed and healed with salve of rarest power. You are clothed in sumptuous apparel;you are made to sit down at a feast; you eat and are satisfied; you rest upon the softest down. The next morning you are attendedby servants who guard you from evil and minister to your good. Day after day, week after week, your wants are supplied.You live like a courtier. There is nothing that you can ask which you do not receive. I am sure that your curiosity wouldgrow more and more intense till it would ripen into an insatiable craving. You would scarcely neglect an opportunity of askingthe servants, "Tell me, who does all this, who is my noble benefactor, for I must know him?" "Well, but" they would say, "is it not enough for you that you are delivered from the lion?" "Nay," say you, "it is for thatvery reason that I pantto know him." "Your wants are richly supplied-why are yon vexed by curiosity as to the hand which reaches you the boon? If your garmentis worn out, there is another. Long before hunger oppresses you, the table is well loaded. What more do you want?" But yourreply is, "It is because I have no wants, that, therefore, my soul longs and yearns even to hungering and to thirsting, thatI may know my generous loving friend." Suppose that as you wake up one morning, you find lying up on yourpillow a precious love-token from your unknown friend, a ring sparkling with jewels and engraved with a tender inscription,a bouquet of flowers bound about with a love-motto! Your curiosity now knows no bounds. But you are informed that this wondrousbeing has not only done for you what you have seen, but a thousand deeds of love which you did not see, which were higherand greater still as proofs of his affection. You are told that he was wounded, and imprisoned, and scourged for your sake,for he had a love to yon so great, that death itself could not overcome it: you are informed that he is every moment occupiedin your interests, because he has sworn by himself that where he is there you shall be; his honors you shall share, and ofhis happiness you shall be the crown. Why, methinks you would say, "Tell me, men and women, any of you who know him, tellme who he is and what he is;" and if they said, "But it is enough for you to know that he loves you, and to have daily proofsofhis goodness," you would say, "No, these love-tokens increase my thirst. If ye see him, tell him I am sick of love. Theflagons which he sends me, and the love-tokens which he gives me, they stay me for awhile with the assurance of his affectionbut they only impel me onward with the more unconquerable desire that I may know him. I must know him; I cannot live withoutknowing him. His goodness makes me thirst, and pant, and faint, and even die, that I may know him."

Have I imagined emotions which would not be natural? I think not. The most cool and calculating would be warmed with desireslike these. Methinks what I have now pictured before you will wake the echoes in your breasts, and you will say, "Ah, it iseven so! It is because Christ loved me and gave himself for me that I want to know him; it is because he has shed his bloodfor me and has chosen me that I may be one with him for ever, that my soul desires a fuller acquaintancewith him."

Now may God, the Holy Ghost, very graciously lead me onward that I may also quicken in you the desire to know HIM.

I. Beloved, let us PASS BY THAT CROWD OF OUTER-COURT WORSHIPPERS WHO ARE CONTENT TO LIVE WITHOUT KNOWING CHRIST. I do notmean the ungodly and profane; we will not consider them just now-they arc altogether strangers and foreigners to him-I meanchildren of God: the visible saints. How many there are of these whom I must call outer-court worshippers, for they are strangersto this panting to know him. They can say with Paul, "That I may win him and be foundin him"-that they do want; but this higher wish, "That I may know him," has not stirred their hearts. How many brethren we know, who are content to know Christ's historic life! They read the evangelists and they are charmed with the perfect beauty of the Savior's history. "Never man spake like thisman," say they; and they confess that never man acted with such love as lie did. They know all the incidents of his life,from his manger to his cross; but they do not know HIM.They are as men who have read " Caesar's Commentaries," but who have never seen Caesar. They know the battles which Caesarfought; they can even recognize the mantle which Caesar wore "that day he overcame the Nervii;" but they do not know Caesarhimself. The person of the Lord Jesus is us much hidden from their eyes us the golden pot of manna when concealed in the ark.They know the life of Christ, hut not Christ the Life; they admire his way among men, hut they see not himself as the way.

Others there are who know Christ's doctrine, and prize it too, but they know not Him. All which he taught is dear to them; orthodoxy-for this they would burn at Smithfield,or lay down their necks at Tower Hill. Many of them are well-instructed and divinely-illuminated in the doctrine of Christ,and the wonder is, that they should stop there; because, beloved, it does seem to me when I begin to know a man's teaching,that the next thing is the desire to know hisperson. Addison, in one of the " Spectators," tells us that the reason why so many books are printed with the portraitsof the authors is just this, that as a man reads a book, lie feels a desire to know what sort of appearance the author had.This, indeed, is very natural. If you have ever been refreshed under a minister's printed sermons, if you have at any timereceived any benefit from his words, I know you have said, "I would like to see that man; I would like to hear the truth flowhotand fresh from his living lips; I would like to know just how he said that sentence, and how that passage sounded as itcame from his earnest heart." My beloved, surely if you know the doctrine of Jesus, if you have so been with Christ as tosit at his feet and hear what he has to say, you must, I hope, have had some longings to know him-to know his person; andif you have, you will have had to pass by multitudes of followers of Jesus who rest satisfied with his words, but forget thathe ishimself "THE WORD."

Beloved, there are others-and against them I bring no complaint; they go as far as they can-who are delighted with Christ'sexample. Christ's character is in their esteem the mirror of all perfection. They desire to walk in his footsteps; they listento his sermon upon the Mount; they are enchanted with it-as well they may be; they pray to he obedient in all things to Christ,as their Master and their Lord. They do well. Mark, I am finding no fault with any of thesewho prize the history, or who value the doctrine, or who admire the precept; but I want more. I do want, beloved, thatyou and I should "know HIM." I love his precepts, but I love HIM better. Sweet is the water from Bethlehem's well; and wellworth the struggle of the armed men to win but a bucket from it; but the well itself is better, and deserves all Israel'svalor to defend it. As the source is ever more valuable than the stream, so is Christ ever better than the best words of hislips, orthe best deeds of his hand. I want to know him. I do care for his actions; my soul would sit down and admire those masterly works of holy art-his miracles of humiliation,of suffering, of patience, and of holy charity; but better far I love the hands which wrought these master-works, the lipswhich spoke these goodly words, and the heart which heaved with that matchless love which was the cause of all. Yes, beloved,we must get farther than Immanuel's achievements, however glorious; wemust come to "know him."

Most believers rest perfectly at ease with knowing Christ's sacrifice. They see Jesus as the great High Priest, laying a great sacrifice upon the altar for their sins, and with their whole heartthey accept his atonement. By faith they know that all their sin is taken away by precious blood. This is a most blessed andhallowed attainment, I will grant you; but it is not every Christian who perceives that Christ was not only the offerer ofa sacrifice, but washimself the sacrifice, and, therefore, loves him as such. Priest, altar, victim, everything Christ was. He gathers up all in himself,and when I see that he loved me, and gave himself for me, it is not enough to know this fact: I want to know him, the glorious person who does and is all this. I want to know the man who thus gave himself for me. I want to behold the Lambonce slain for me. I want to rest upon the bosom which covers the heart which was pierced with the spear;I pray him to kiss me with the kisses of that mouth which cried, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" I love Calvary, the scene of woe, but I love Christ better, the great object of that agony; and even his cross and all hissufferings, dear though these must ever be to the Christian mind, only occupying a second place; the first seat is for himself,his person, his deity, and humanity.

Thus, you see, we have to leave a great many believers behind; nor have we enumerated all, for I believe that even some ofthose saints who have received grace to look for the coming of Christ, yet in their vision of his coming too much forget him.Is it not possible for nine to pant for the second advent as to lose sight of him who is to make that advent? So to long for a millennium, that I may forget him who is to reign King of kings? So to pantafter that gloryof Israel that I may forget him who is Israel's glory? Anywhere short of knowing him, I would not have you stop, beloved; and even when you know him, I would urge you still to be impelled with the same desire,and to press forward, crying with the apostle, "That I may know him."

Beloved, how many there are who have heard of Christ and read about Christ, and that is enough for them! But it is not enoughfor me, and it should not be enough for you. The apostle Paul did not say "I have heard of him, on whom I have believed," but " I know whom I have believed." To hear about Christ may damn you, it may be a savor of death unto death to you. You have heard ofhim with the ear; hut it is essential that you know him in order that you may bepartakers of eternal life. My dear hearers, be not content unless you have this as your soul's present portion.

Others there be who have been persuaded by the judgment and encouragement of others, that they know something about the greatRedeemer. They do not know him, but still they are persuaded by others that they have an interest in him. Let me warn you of second-hand spirituality,it is a rotten, soul-deceiving deception. Beware of all esteeming yourself according to the thoughts of others, or you willbe ruined. Another man's opinion of me may have great influence overme, I have heard of a man in perfectly good health killed by the opinion of others. Several of his friends had foolishlyagreed to play him a practical trick; whereupon one of them met him and said, "How ill you look this morning." He did notfeel so; he was very much surprised at the remark. When he met the next, who said to him, "Oh! dear, how bad you look," liebegan to think there might be something in it; and us he turned smart round the corner, a third person said to him, "Whata sightyou are! How altered from what you used to be!" He went home ill, he took to his bed and died. So goes the story, andI should not marvel if it really did occur. Now, if such might be the effect of persuasion and supposed belief in the sicknessof a man, how much more readily may men be persuaded into the idea of spiritual health! A believer meets you, and by his treatmentseems to say, " I welcome you as a dear brother"-and means it too. You are baptized, and you are received intoChurch-fellowship, and so everybody thinks that von must be a follower of Christ; and yet you may not know him. Oh, I do pray you, do not be satisfied with being persuaded into something like an assurance that you are in him, but do know him-know him for yourself.

There are many who I hope will be saved ere long; but I am in great doubt of them, because they can only say they half thinkthey know Christ; they do not quite believe in him, but they do not disbelieve in him; they halt between two opinions. Ah,dear hearer, that is a very dangerous place to stand in. The border-land is the devil's hunting ground. Undecided souls arefair game for the great fowler. God give you once for all the true decision by which through grace youshall know him. Do not be satisfied with thinking you know him; hoping you know him, but know him. Oh, it is nothing to have heard about him, to have talked about him, to have eaten and have drank with him, to havepreached him, or even to have wrought miracles in his name, to have been charmed by his eloquence, to have been stirred withthe story of his love, to have been moved to imitate him-this shall nothing avail you, unless you win him and are found inhim. Seek with theapostle, to give up everything of your own righteousness, and all other objects and aims in life, and say, "This I seekafter, that I may know him." Thus much, then, on the first point. Leaving those behind who do not know him, let us make anadvance.

II. Secondly, let us DRAW CURTAIN AFTER CURTAIN WHICH SHALL ADMIT US TO KNOW MORE OF CHRIST.

Did you ever visit the manufactory of splendid porcelain at Sevres? I have done so. If anybody should say to me, "Do you knowthe manufactory at Sevres?" I should say, " Yes, I do, and no, I do not. I know it, for I have seen the building; I have seen the rooms in which the articles are exhibited for sale, andI have seen the museum and model room; but I do not know the factory as I would like to know it, for I have not seen the processof manufacture, andhave not been admitted into the workshops, as some are. "Suppose I had seen, however, the process of the moulding of theclay, and the laying on of the rich designs, if anybody should still say to me, "Do you know how they manufacture those wonderfularticles?" I should very likely still be compelled to say, "No, I do not, because there are certain secrets, certain privaterooms into which neither friend nor foe can be admitted, lest the process should be open to the world." So, you see, Imight say I knew, and yet might not half know; and when I half knew, still there would be so much left, that I might becompelled to say, "I do not know." How many different ways there are of knowing a person-and even so there are all these differentways of knowing Christ; so that you may keep on all your lifetime, still wishing to get into another room, and another room,nearer and nearer to the great secret, still panting to "know him." Good Rutherford says, "I urge upon you a nearercommunion with Christ, and a growing communion. There are curtains to be drawn by, in Christ, that we never shut, andnew foldings in love with him. I despair that ever I shall shall win to the far end of that love; there are so many pliesin it. Therefore, dig deep, and set by as much time in the day for him as you can, he will be won by labor."

To begin with. We know a person when we recognize him. You know the Queen. Well, I do. I recollect seeing her, and if I were to see any quantity of ladies, I think I should knowwhich was the Queen and which was not. You may say honestly that you know her to that extent. Beloved, every Christian mustin this sense know Christ. You must know him by a divine illumination so as to know who he is and what line is. When Jesussaid to Simon Peter, "Whom sayest thou that Iam," he said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God;" and the Lord replied, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjonas,for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee." It is an early step in this knowledge of Christ, to know and to believethat Jesus Christ is Lord; to know that Christ is God, divine to me; that Christ is man, brother to me-bone of my bone andflesh of my flesh-that as such line is a sin-subduing Savior; that line is for inc an intercessor, pleading before thethrone; my prophet, priest, and king-in this sense I trust that most of you know him. If you do not, breathe the silentprayer now, "Lord, help me that I may know him." But this knowledge of recognition is comparatively a low attainment, oneof the lowest rounds of the ladder of light.

In the second place, a believer knows Christ, to a higher degree when he knows him by practical experiment at acquaintance with what he does. For instance, I know Christ as a cleanser. They tell me he is a refiner, that he cleanses from spots; he has washed me inhis precious blood, and to that extent I know him. They tell me that he clothes the naked; he hath covered me with a garmentof righteousness, and to that extent I know him. They tell me that he is abreaker, and that he breaks fetters, he has set my soul at liberty, and therefore I know him. They tell me that he isa king and that he reigns over sin; he hath subdued my enemies beneath his feet, and I know him in that character. They tellme he is a shepherd: I know him for I am his sheep. They say he is a door: I have entered in through him, and I know him asa door. They say he is food: my spirit feeds on him as on the bread of heaven, and, therefore, I know him as such. You knowifanyone says, "Do you know doctor So-and-so?" It is a very satisfactory answer, if you can reply, "Oh, yes, I know him,for he attended me the last time that I was ill." There is more knowledge in that, than if on could only say, " Oh, yes, Iknow him: he wears such-and-such a hat or "line is a man of such-and-such an appearance." So, Christian, thing is a secondand higher step to know Christ, because you have experienced in your own soul that he is just what God has revealed him tobe.

But we know a man in a better sense than this when we are on speaking terms with him. "Do you know So-and-so?" " Yes," you say, I not only know him by name, so as to recognize him; I not only know him as a tradesmanhaving dealt with him, but I know him because when we pass each other in the morning, we exchange a word or two; and if Ihad anything to say upon matters-any request to make-I should feel no difficulty about asking him." Well, now. the Christianknows his Lord in this sense, line has every day official communication with Christ, line is on speaking terms with him.There may be persons here, perhaps, who know the Queen in a sense in which I do not know her-perhaps they speak to him. Theyhave so done; I have never done that; they go beyond me there. But you see, dear friends, this is not a very great thing becauseyou may be on speaking terms with a man, but you may not know much of him for all that. So you may be in the habit ofdaily prayer, and you may talk with Christ every morning and every evening, and you may know exceedingly little of him.You are on speaking terms with him; but there ins something beyond this, very far beyond this. As I might say that I knowa man merely because I meet him every day, and ask him for what I want, and understand that he is kind and generous; but howshallow is such an acquaintance, for I do not know his private character nor his inward heart. Even so a believer may haveconstantdealings with Christ in his prayers and in his praises, and yet for all that, he may have only gone a certain distance,and may have need still to pray, "That I may know him."

But you are said to know a person better still when he invites you to his house. At Christmas time there is a family party and a romp, and he asks you there, and you are one of the children, and enter intoall their sports around the fire-side, and you indulge as they do in the genialities of social life. You are asked again;you go there pretty often; in fact, if there is a happy evening in that house they generally expect to see friend So-and-sothere. Well, now,that is better. We are getting now into something like knowing a man; and I do trust there are many of you, beloved, whohave got as far as this with regard to your divine Lord. Christ has entertained you with some rare visits from his graciouspresence. He brought you into the banquetting-house, and his banner over you was love. When he manifested himself, he didit unto you as he did not unto the world. He was pleased in the majesty of his condescension, to take you aside and show youhishands and his side. He called you "Friend;" he treated you as such, and permitted you to enjoy thine sweets of being oneof the family.

Ah, but you may go into a man's house as a constant visitor, and yet you may not know him-that is to say, not in the highestsense. You speak to the man's wife and say, "Your husband is a marvellously charming man; what a cheerful, joyful, spiritedman he is; he never seems to have any depressions of spirit, and experiences no changes whatever." She shakes her head. andshe says, "Ah! you do not know him, you do not know him as I do;" because shine sees him at all timesand at all hours; she can read the very heart of the man. That Christian has grown much in grace who has advanced notonly to be the friend of Christ, having occasional fellowship with him, but who comes to recognize his marriage-union withthe person of his Lord, and of whom it can be said, "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show themhis covenant," Now we have the intimacy of love, with its perfect frankness, nearness, sweetness, joyousness, delight. Therendingaway of every separating veil makes the communion to be as near as it well can be this side the black river; but a Christianmay get farther than this.

Even the spouse may not know her husband. The most loving wife who ever entered into the cares of her husband, must have discoveredthat there is a something which separates his experience from her powers of comprehension. Luther's wife. Catherine, was ofall women the wife for Luther; but there were times in Luther's gigantic tribulations, when he must leave Kate behind. Therewere extraordinary times within him; times both of ecstatic joy, when like a great angel, hestretched his mighty wings, and flew right up to heaven, and of awful misery, when he seemed to sink down to the verydepths of hell; and in either case, no other heart could keep pace with him. Then it was himself alone who had communion withhimself. And a Christian may so grow in grace as to become identified with Christ, a member of his body; not so much marriedto him as a part of him, a member of the great body of Christ, so that he suffers with Christ, sympathizes with Jesus, hisheartbeating to the same dolorous tune, his veins swollen with the sumac floods of grief, or else his eyes sparkling with thatsame gleam of joy, according to the Master's Word, "That my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."

Well, have not you waded out of your depth some of you? I have certainly got out of my own. I feel as if the Master mightcome on to this platform, look round on many of us, and say, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not knownme, Philip?" for truly even in the minor sense, though I trust we arc saved, though we have believed in Jesus, yet we havenot reached the height of this great text-"That I may know him."

III. Having taken you so far, let us SIT DOWN A FEW MINUTES AND CONSIDER WHAT SORT OF KNOWLEDGE THIS KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST IS-"ThatI may know him."

Then it is clear, if I know him I shall have a very vivid sense of his personality. "That I may know him." He will not be to me a myth, a vision, a spirit, bat a person, a real solid person, as much real asI am myself, or as my dearest friend can be to me. My soul, never be satisfied within a shadowy Christ. My heart, be thounever content until he hath embraced thy soul, and proved to thee that he is the lover of his people. This knowledge, then, must be aknowledge of him in his personality. Then, beloved, it must be a personal knowledge on our part. I cannot know Christ through another person's brains. I cannot love him with another man's heart,and I cannot see him with another man's eyes. Heaven's delight is, "Mine eyes shall see him and not another." These eyes shall behold the King in his beauty. Well, beloved, if this be heaven, we certainly cannot do without a personal sightof Christ here. I am so afraid of living ina second-hand religion. God forbid that I should get a biographical experience. Lord save us from having borrowed communion.No, I must know him myself. O God, let me not be deceived in this. I must know him without fancy or proxy; I must know him on mine own account.

Then these few thoughts upon what sort of knowledge we must have. It must be an intelligent knowledge-I must know him. I must know his natures, divine and human. I must know his offices-I must know his attributes-I must know his works-I mustknow his shame-I must know his glory; for I do not know him if it be merely a subject of passion and not of intellect. I mustlet my head consciously meditate upon him until I own something like an idea of him, that Imay "Comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ,which passeth knowledge."

Then I must have an affectionate knowledge of him; and, indeed, if I do know him at all, I must love him. As it is said of some men, that there is such acharm about them, that if you once get into their company you cannot criticise any longer, but must admire; so you feel withChrist. It is said of Garibaldi, that if you are in his society he charms all, so that even malice and slander must be silentin his presence. Infinitely, supremely so is it with Christ.Being near him, his love warms our hearts, till we glow with intense love to him.

Then I shall find, if I know Christ, that this is a satisfying knowledge. When I know Christ my mind will he fill to the brim-I shall feel that I have found that which my spirit pantedafter. "This is that bread whereof if a man eat he shall never hunger."

At the same time it is an exciting knowledge; the more I know of Christ, the more I shall want to know. The deeper I plunge the greater the deeps which willbe revealed. The higher I climb the loftier will be the summits which invite my eager footsteps. I shall want the more asI get the more. My spiritual thirst will increase, though in another sense it will be entirely quenched.

And this knowledge of Christ will be a most happy one, in fact, so happy, that sometimes it will completely bear me up above all trials, and doubts, and sorrows; and it will,while I enjoy it, make me something more than "Man that is born of a woman who is of few days, and full of trouble;" for itwill fling about me the immortality of the ever-living Savior, and gird me with the golden girdle of his eternal happiness.To be near to Christ, is to be near to thepearly gates of the golden-streeted city. Say not, "Jerusalem, my happy home, my labors have an end in thee;" but say,"Jesus, thou art my rest, and when I have thee, my spirit is at peace." I might thus keep on speaking in praise of this knowledge,but I will not.

Only permit me to say, what a refreshing, what a sanctifying knowledge is this, to know him. When the Laodicean Church was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, how did Christ seek her revival? Did he send her preciousdoctrines? Did he send her excellent precepts? Mark you, he came himself, for thus it is said, "Behold, I stand at the door,and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he withme." That is a cure for it all, you see. No matter how lukewarm, though God may say, "I will spue thee out of my mouth,"yet, if Christ comes, that is the cure. The presence of Christ with his Church puts away all her sicknesses. When the disciplesof Christ were at sea in a storm, do you recollect how he comforted them? Did he send them an angel? No. "It is I, line not afraid;" and when they knew him, then they had no more fears. They were assembled one night, "the doors being shut forfear of the Jews:" how did he comfort them? Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said, "Peace be unto you." Therewas Thomas, full of doubts and fears. How did Jesus Christ take away his doubts? "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands;and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side." Oh! it is Christ, it is Christ who cures all. The company of Christis the only thing which a Christian wants. I will undertake that if his heart be like an iceberg, as soon as Jesus comes,itshall flame like Vesuvius. His spirit shall be dead and like a rotten corpse; but if Jesus comes he shall leap like ahart, and become strong as a young unicorn. Thy presence makes me like the chariots of Amminadib. Now, do not think I am talkingwhat I do not know. Do not imagine that I am talking mere fanatical slip-slop which I cannot prove. I do assert (and God whosearcheth all hearts, knows how true this is), I do assert that, from the depths of doubt, of dullness, of worldliness, Ihaveleaped in one moment into love, and life, and holy enthusiasm, when Jesus Christ has manifested himself to nine. I cannotdescribe the difference between my spirit, water-logged, worm-eaten, ready to sink to the bottom without Christ, and thatsame spirit, like a strong stanch ship, with sails full, with favorable wind, speeding into harbor, with a golden freight.Like you poor little bird which some cruel boy has torn from the nest and almost killed-it is not fledged yet, and cannotfly, andit lies down to die, trampled in the mire in the streets-that is my heart without Christ. But see that other bird! Thecage-door is opened, its wings vibrate, it sings within all its might. and flies up to talk with the sun-that is my heartwhen I have the conscious presence of my Lord Jesus Christ! I only bring in my own consciousness because I do not know yours;but I think I will now venture to say that every believer here will admit it is the same with him-

"'Midst darkest shades if he appear

My dawning is begun;

He is my soul's bright morning star,

And he my rising sun.

IV. I shall close by urging you, dearly beloved, who know the Lord, to take this desire of the apostle, and by exhorting you,make it your own, "That I may know him." I wish I had time this morning-time will fly-I wish I had time to urge and pressyou, believers, onward to seek to know him. Paul, you see, gave up everything for this-you will be seeking what is worth having.There can be no mistake about this. If Paul will renounce all, there must be a reward which isworthy of the sacrifice. If you have any fears, if you seek Christ and find him, they will be removed. You complain thatyou do not feel the guilt of sin; that you cannot humble yourself enough. The sight of Christ is the very best means of settingsin in its true colors. There is no repenting like that which comics from a look of Christ's eye: the Lord turned and hookedupon Peter, and he went out and wept bitterly. So it is not a sight of the law, it is the sight of Christ looking upon uswhich will break our hearts.

There is nothing like this to fill you with courage. When Dr. Andrew Reed found some difficulties in the founding of one ofhis orphan asylums, he sat down and drew upon a little piece of paper the cross, and then he said to himself, "What, despairin the face of the cross?" and then he drew a ring round the cross, and wrote in it nil desperandum! and took it for his coat of arms. Oh, there cannot be any despair in the presence of the cross. Thou dying Lamb, didstthou endure the cross, despising the shame, and shall I talk of difficulties when thy glory is in the way? God forbid!O holy face, bedewed with bloody sweat, I pledge myself in thy solemn and awful presence, that though this face of mine shouldbe bedewed with sweat of the like sort, to accomplish any labor upon which thou shalt put me; by thy will and in thy strength,I will not shrink from the task. A sight of Christ, brethren, will keep you from despondency, and doubts, and despair. A sightof Christ! How shall I stir you to it? It will fire you to duty; it will deliver you from temptation; it will, in fact,make you like him. A man is known by his company; and if you have become acquainted with Christ, and know him, you will besure to reflect his light. It is because the moon hath converse within the sun, that she hath any light for this dark world'snight; and if you talk with Christ, the Sun, he will shine on you so gloriously, that you. like the moon, shall reflect hislight,and the dark night of this world shall be enlightened by your radiance. The Lord help us to know him.

But I do seem, this morning, to have been talking to you about him, and not to have brought him forward. O that I knew howto introduce you to him! You who do not love him, O that I could make you seek after him! But you who do love him and havetrusted in him, O that I could make you hunger and thirst until you were filled with him! There he is, nailed to his cross,suffering-oh! how much!-for you; there he is, risen, ascended, pleading before the throne of God foryou. Here he is: "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Here he is, waiting to be comforted with yourcompany, desiring communion with you, panting that his sister, his spouse, would be no longer a stranger to him. Here he is,waiting to be gracious, saying, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Come, Christian,come, let this be thy desire, "That I may know him."

And you who do not know him, and have not loved him, I pray you, breathe this prayer with me, " Lord, be merciful to me asinner." O sinner, he is a gentle Christ; line is a loving Savior, and they that seek him early shall find him. May you seekand find him, for his name's sake. Amen.