We may observe that some souls are more occupied with the word of God, and others with their experiences of Him and His presence.
Without in the least depreciating the latter, I should say that the former is safer and surer; because, when the soul loses the sense of His presence, as it often does, it falls into darkness and depression; whereas, when it is kept before the Lord by His Word, it is always conscious of the support of it.
" Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy Name."* *A better rendering of Psa. 138:2 is, "Thou bast magnified Thy saying in accordance with all Thy Name:" every word and promise He has spoken holds good like Himself.-ED.* The Word, if truly engaging my soul, would always introduce me into the path of Christ's sympathies ; and thus, Himself would be revealed to me. It conducts me to His side, and then I ascend from the wilderness, leaning on my Beloved. I may have very true feelings, but feelings are not the material for conflict or growth, though they are the consequences of progress and victory. They are unreliable for a moment beyond the present, and a change in circumstances would soon affect my feelings.
Faith, even, is not a sword, though it is a shield, and therefore we shall find that faith without the Word to sustain it will not be sufficient to support the soul on trial. My feelings may be quite genuine, and honoring to the Lord, but they belong more to the banqueting-house than to the soldier, or to the one who needs to have his feet like hinds' feet, that he may walk on high places. We sometimes seek the cheer of the banqueting-house without seeing that we are provided not only with entire title to enter, which the wedding garment expresses, but that we are invested with the panoply of God, so as neither to be prevented nor dislodged. I must see that I am suited to the Host; I must wear costume which He has provided, viz., the enjoyable apprehension of how He accepts, " accepted in the Beloved;" but if I am in an enemy's country (as we are while left below), I must also see that the Host's enemy may be powerless in his attacks on me. Though, in a hostile country, the army of occupation may be feasting with the general, that is no reason that the guard should not be mounted. On the contrary, the guard should be all the more careful and watchful at such a time, lest there should be any surprisal. In other words, though I may be prepared to enjoy my Lord in the condition worthy of Himself, I must also be provided and armed against all the attacks of Satan, who would try to disturb my happiness; and this can only be by the Word, which, dwelling in us richly, will in the end make melody in our hearts.
The study of Scripture, which is really invigorating, is that which does not dwell with abstractions, but with a Person. The enunciation of a precept or an idea by a Person, Himself the witness of it, not only enforces conviction, but communicates power to retain it.
The soul feels the gradual adoption of the truth in power, not so much from the conclusiveness or the authority with which it has been propounded, as from the imprinting on it by the personal application. You cannot abide (mentally and morally abide) with a greater without adopting his likeness.
A glass which has covered an engraving for a certain time will often show the outlines of the picture for a day or two, after which it will fade away, the similitude only depending on the association with the original, which must ever be kept up. This is a faint illustration of what association with the Person in the study of the Word would produce on us.