r message, we may go back again
into his presence.

One he sent away for investigation, saying, "Go ... show thyself to the
priest." Sometimes we must go out among our enemies and be a gazing-stock
for them. We must be the object of their criticism, of their scoffs, of
their mockings, and all this apart from the Master. But shall we not bear
all these things and rejoice in them, that when we have returned to the
Master, and are sitting in the quiet and silence at his feet, holding
sweet converse with him, we may know we have wrought his will and
glorified his name?

Sometimes he sends us forth to perils. "Behold, I send you forth as sheep
in the midst of wolves." But he also gives us the sweet assurance,
"Nothing shall by any means hurt you." His messengers now, as in the days
of old, must face perils; and these perils must, in a sense, be faced away
from the Master's presence.

Sometimes he sends to suffering. He said of Paul, "I will show him how
great things he must suffer for my name's sake." Even Christ himself was
sent apart from the Father. He had to leave the glories of heaven and all
that those meant, sacrifice all the honor that he had, with all his joys
in the presence of the Father, and go to earth to be despised, mocked,
hated, scourged, and crucified. Sometimes his spirit was heavy, and sorrow
weighed him down, and at last, in the most trying hour, he felt his
separation from his Father most keenly and cried out, "My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me?" If it was necessary for the Son of God to go apart
from the Father, to be sad and lonely and heavy-hearted, and at last feel
himself forsaken, should we think it a strange thing if we sometimes have
a similar experience?

How sweet to be with him in the secret closet and in the meetings with his
saints! How it warms our hearts and fills us with courage and hope! But
for our work's sake we must go apart and endure, sacrifice and suffer. We
can not always see his smiling face. But there will be a time when we
shall forever be with the Lord. Until the time shall come, let us be
willing to obey him, even though it takes all the courage and fortitude we
have. If we find ourselves apart from him, let us not accuse ourselves of
wandering away, if we are doing the work of God. Heaven will be all the
sweeter because of our having been, in this sense, apart from the Master
here, and we shall be the better prepared to enjoy his presence when he
comes for us.