p243 [From the French.] Without having anything very new, I have much enjoyed and, I hope, profited by the Word. The Psalms have formed the subject of our intercourse, and a number of passages, here and there, have assumed more force and clearness in my mind.

I have been a good deal struck with the effect of the judgment-seat of Christ on Paul. He sees all its terror, but the only effect is to induce him to persuade others. The Christ before whom he would appear was his righteousness, and judged according to that righteousness; thus there was no possible question. That which judged and that which was before the judgment-seat were identified: this was one side of the truth of the nature of God; the other side is love. Now it is this latter alone which, in consequence, is set in activity: he persuades others on account of this terror. I know few passages which more forcibly set forth the power of the gospel and the perfection of justification. But there is a precious operation of this judgment-seat: the apostle realised his appearing before Him; he did not fear to be manifested in the future, he was, in fact, manifested to God; conscience, perfectly purified relatively to God, assumed all its sway, and being kept in the presence of God, all that was not according to that presence was, in fact, manifested in the light. This was necessary, and, through grace he had the light of God to shew, to give the consciousness, that there was nothing. It is very important to be there; many things are judged there which often are not judged in a tolerably well-regulated christian life; and when conscience is before God, and clear, love is free. In this way we know also what it is to be always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal bodies; or rather walking thus, one is capable of being, one is fully in His presence.

Among other things, I have also been struck with chapters 15 and 17 of Genesis. It seems to me that the disinterestedness of Abraham, at the end of chapter 14, was the reason of God's saying to him in grace, "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." At first sight one might have thought that Abraham would have nothing to do but to rejoice with ineffable joy at the thought that God Himself was his reward; but he says, "What wilt thou give me?" God condescends in grace, when it is a question of a real need founded on promise. But there is an element which stamps its character upon that grace: "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward;" the blessing does not go beyond the personal needs or privileges of Abraham. Quite naturally his heart enters into this, and it is the development of the need of his heart according to its own state. It is immense grace, but grace which, in a certain sense, is measured by the needs of the creature. In chapter 17 God says, "I am the Almighty God." He does not say, "I am thy. …" It is what He is in Himself: "walk before me, and be thou perfect" (upright). Abraham falls on his face, and God talks with Abraham. He promises him the son, and afterwards reveals to him, as to a friend, what He is about to do. Then Abraham, instead of making requests for himself, intercedes for others. It may also be remarked that chapter 15 does not go beyond Jewish promises; in chapter 17 he is the father of many nations. It is the difference between the goodness of God, which is connected in grace with us and our needs, and communion with Him.

November, 1855.

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