Morning, December 6, edited from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

“And as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.” — 1 Corinthians 15:48

The head and other members are of one nature, and not like that monstrous image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. The head was of fine gold, but the belly and thighs were of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet, part of iron and part of clay. Christ’s mystical body is no absurd combination of opposites; the members were mortal, and therefore Jesus died; the glorified head is immortal, and therefore the body is immortal too, for accordingly the record states, “Because I live, you shall live also.” As our loving Head is, such is the body, and every member in particular. A chosen Head and chosen members; an accepted Head, and accepted members; a living Head, and living members. If the head is pure gold, all the parts of the body are of pure gold also. Thus is there a double union of nature as a basis for the closest communion.

Pause here, devout reader, and see if you can, without delighted amazement, contemplate the infinite act of the descent of the Son of God and consequent exalting of your desolate state into holy union with his glory. You are of such low standing that in remembrance of your mortality, you may say to decay, “You are my father,” and to the worm, “You are my sister”; and yet in Christ you are so honored that you can say to the Almighty, “Abba, Father,” and to Jesus, the Incarnate God, “You are my brother and my husband.” Surely if relationships to ancient and noble families make men think highly of themselves, we have that which to glory over the heads of them all. Let the poorest and most despised believer lay hold upon this privilege. Do not let a senseless lethargy make him negligent to trace his pedigree, and do not let him tolerate any foolish attachments to this day’s worthless pleasures, as to occupy his thoughts to the exclusion of this glorious and heavenly honor of union with Christ.