far as I can of His point of view only. For His purposes He will take very special care of me indeed. And of all respects in which this care will be taken which may I fix upon with most certainty, most ex pectation, most realization? Surely that which concerns my inner man; my world of thought and will, the seat and spring of all that comes out in external service and according to the attitude of which towards Him will be the whole character— in His sight—of that external serv ice. I am an instrument for His use; perhaps to bear burdens as of pain, sorrow or shame; perhaps to convey messages, writing, speaking, con versing; perhaps simply to reflect light, showing His mind in the commonest of all daily rounds. In only one way can I truly do any thing of these; in the way of inner harmony with Him and peace and joy in Him. Will He not now take care, in a very special way, of this for me? Yes, He surely will. Let me keep the two thoughts or rather the two facts, the two realities, in connection — the ownership and the keeping — the Owner and the Keeper — one dear and sovereign Lord; and I shall not he disappoint ed in the latter. Let go the former; wish to be my own, claim to be — however partially — my own; and let me not look for the Master’s keeping of the unfit instrument. Something else will be needed for it; perhaps for a time some sternly merciful taking to pieces; but not this sacred keeping. But accept Him wholly as Master and we shall know something of it indeed. I am not about to enter on any elaborate discussion of the relations between our will and the Lord’s. No, I would only say that certain broad facts on this great subject stand out in the Word of God never to be forgotten. One is the true and permanent reality of my will. It is never viewed as exhaled or ab sorbed into the will of God but as willingly yielded to it, a very dif ferent thing. And when so yielded it is still to be employed with holy
reality and activity; only in very different directions probably and with very different aims from of old. It will will, for instance, in temptation far rather to call in the Master’s strength than to employ the forces, such as they are, of my own introspections and reasonings and resolves. Yes, my will remains real and active. But then on the other hand, the Scripture makes it plain, perhaps much plainer than I once thought, that His will on me and in me is an immense reality; His will, per sonal, external to me, operative, effectual, trustworthy beyond all words. It tells me and perhaps it comes to me with the light of a new world, a new sun of calm pure light and heat, that this personal Being whose I am is ready if I will trust Him for it to act on me and in me with a present power of divine life and personal influence which is able to do great things whereof I shall be glad; able so to do them that, if I may dare to say so, it shall be as if, as if, the victory over temptation, the deliverance from sinning, the animation to love, the leading forth to witness and labor, were the independent and isolated action in me of another, of my Master and Keeper. Nay, I am so to realize Him in this mighty “not-myself” of His will and work as to trust Him (while I maintain the attitude of His slave, His chat tel), for innumerable modes of purifying and preserving power in me and on me quite beyond my analysis. I only know about them all that they are ministered to me by the blessed Spirit through whom I and my Lord are one. But I am content to know this and no more in accepting the soul-blessing real ization that “His grace,” not will be, may be, but “is sufficient for me” ; that He is able to keep me from falling; that I am kept by His Father’s power; that His power worketh in me; that He can keep me back from sins; keep me in per fect peace; keep that which I have committed unto Him •— and into His hands I have committed my
spirit, not for death only but for life, for the present hour. “Able to keep.” I know well how liable is this blissful truth like every other to distortions and mis use. It is possible so to state it or rather so to ignore other truth be side it as almost to deny our im mortal personality or our present responsibility. It is possible so to interpret “not I, but Christ” as that it shall come strangely round in practical result to mean: “not Christ, but I.” But sure I am that this truth, liable to misuse, is more liable to disuse. And so I venture to state it and to press it for the Once imbalanced and unrelieved. Com mit, 0 bondservant of Christ Jesus, the keeping of thy spirit unto Him. In the problem of internal evil, in face of the dark and abiding fact of internal evil, in the question what to do with that which in thee ever tends to come up and out in vanity, in envy, in impurity, in anger, in levity, in self-indulgence, in selfishness of every shade, in actions of evil and absences of good — throw thy will supremely in the direction of looking off from the temptation and unto Him and com mit to Him the keeping. Thou ab solutely belongest unto Him, His slave, His implement, for His work. He is not only able, He greatly cares to keep thy spirit. And do not stay to analyze how in the crisis of need. He knows well how to act; according to the mighty workings whereby He is able to subdue even all things to Himself. And be sure that these acts of peace bringing trust will result by His gracious will in a holy deepening attitude and habit; in the gaze, instinctive, willing, restful, of “eyes that are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck your feet out of the net.” Jesus, my strength, m y hope, On Thee I cast my care, With humble confidence look up, And know Thou hear*st my prayer. Give me on Thee to wait Till I can all things do, On Thee Almighty to create, Almighty to renew.
17
DECEMBER 1956
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