""The trees of the Lord are full of sap."" 
              — Psalms 104:16

Without sap the tree cannot flourish or even exist. Vitality is
essential to a Christian. There must be life -a vital principle infused
into us by God the Holy Ghost, or we cannot be trees of the Lord. The
mere name of being a Christian is but a dead thing, we must be filled
with the spirit of divine life. This life is mysterious. We do not
understand the circulation of the sap, by what force it rises, and by
what power it descends again. So the life within us is a sacred
mystery. Regeneration is wrought by the Holy Ghost entering into man
and becoming man’s life; and this divine life in a believer afterwards
feeds upon the flesh and blood of Christ and is thus sustained by
divine food, but whence it cometh and whither it goeth who shall
explain to us? What a secret thing the sap is! The roots go searching
through the soil with their little spongioles, but we cannot see them
suck out the various gases, or transmute the mineral into the
vegetable; this work is done down in the dark. Our root is Christ
Jesus, and our life is hid in him; this is the secret of the Lord. The
radix of the Christian life is as secret as the life itself. How
permanently active is the sap in the cedar! In the Christian the divine
life is always full of energy-not always in fruit- bearing, but in
inward operations. The believer’s graces, are not every one of them in
constant motion? but his life never ceases to palpitate within. He is
not always working for God, but his heart is always living upon him. As
the sap manifests itself in producing the foliage and fruit of the
tree, so with a truly healthy Christian, his grace is externally
manifested in his walk and conversation. If you talk with him, he
cannot help speaking about Jesus. If you notice his actions you will
see that he has been with Jesus. He has so much sap within, that it
must fill his conduct and conversation with life.

On this day...

• 1 Chronicles 2 - 2024
• 1 Chronicles 1 - 2024
• Technology and Faith: 12 Precautions - 2012
• Doctrine accompanied by a holy life - 2012
• True Profession of Faith - 2012
• The Underestimated Pastoral Power of a Proper Doctrine of Conversion - 2012
• What Is the Gospel? - 2012
• 4 Life Purposes Worth Living - 2010
• Recognize the lie, and insert the Truth - 2010
• Proving the Trinity - 2010