May we have grace to think of these things—to think seriously. May we so walk in the Spirit that Christ may ever be a satisfying portion for our hearts. Had Israel in the wilderness walked with God, they never could have said, “Our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.” That manna would have been quite enough for them. And so with us. If we really walk with God in this wilderness world, our souls shall be satisfied with the portion which He gives, and that portion is, a heavenly Christ. Can He ever fail to satisfy? Does He not satisfy the heart of God? Does He not fill all heaven with His glory? Is He not the theme of angels’ song, and the object of their adoring homage and wondering worship? Is He not the one grand subject of everlasting counsels and purposes? Doth not the history of His ways overlap eternity?
What answer have we to give to all these queries? What but a hearty, unreserved, unhesitating YES? Well, then, is not this blessed One, in the deep mystery of His Person, in the moral glory of His ways, in the brightness and blessedness of His character—is not He enough for our hearts? Do we want aught beside? Must we get the newspaper, or some light magazine, to fill up the vacuum in our souls? Must we turn from Christ to a flower-show or a concert?
Alas! that we should have to write thus. It is most sad; but it is most needful; and we here put this question most pointedly to the reader: Dost thou really find Christ insufficient to satisfy thy heart? Hast thou cravings which He does not fully meet? If so, thou art in a very alarming condition of soul, and it behooves thee to look at once, and to look closely, into this solemn matter. Get down on thy face before God, in honest self-judgment. Pour out thy heart to him. Tell Him all. Own to Him how thou hast fallen and wandered—as surely thou must have done when God’s Christ is not enough for thee. Have it all out in secret with thy God, and take no rest until thou art fully and blessedly restored to communion with Himself—to heart-fellowship with Him about the Son of His love.
But we must return to our chapter; and in so doing, we call the reader’s attention to an expression full of weighty admonition for us,—“And _the mixed multitude_ that was among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept again.” There is nothing more damaging to the cause of Christ or to the souls of His people than association with men of _mixed_ principles. It is very much more dangerous than having to do with open and avowed enemies. Satan knows this well, and hence his constant effort to lead the Lord’s people to link themselves with those who are only half-and-half; or, on the other hand, to introduce spurious materials—false professors—into the midst of those who are seeking, in any measure, to pursue a path of separation from the world. We have repeated allusions to this special character of evil in the New Testament. We have it both prophetically, in the Gospels, and historically, in the Acts and in the Epistles. Thus we have the tares and the leaven in Matthew xiii; then, in the Acts, we find persons attaching themselves to the assembly who were like the “mixed multitude” of Numbers xi; and finally, we have apostolic reference to spurious materials introduced by the enemy for the purpose of corrupting the testimony and subverting the souls of God’s people. Thus the apostle Paul speaks of “false brethren unawares brought in.” (Gal. ii. 4.) Jude also speaks of “certain men crept in unawares.” (Ver. 4.)