The Fire of God

(Lev. 9 : 23:24)      There are two fires to which the soul is subject - the fire of sin , and the fire of God . There is a fire which men call the fire of hell , and there is a fire which they ought to call the fire of heaven ; the one consumes the soul , and the other consumes everything that impedes the soul . The fire of sin comes because God is absent , but the fire of God comes only when He Himself is near . So was it with this congregation at the door of the tabernacle . They beheld a consuming fire , but they beheld it not because God was far away , but because He was at the door . It was only when the glory of God had appeared that the consuming fire appeared . Ther was no sacrifice to them , no sense of pain to them , no life surrender to them , until their eyes had rested on the vision of the divine glory . But when the vision of God's glory came the consuming fire came also ; the sacrifice and the pain followed the sight of God . " There came a fire out from before the Lord ."  My soul , ponder deeply the meaning of these words , for they have a deep message for you . Often you have been called to pass through the fire , and it has seemed a hard thing . It has seemed as if thy God had overlooked thy cause , nay , even as if thou were under his special judgement .  Did you forget that there was a fire that burns only the alloy , and burns it for the sake of the gold ? Did you forget that there is a suffering which means not enmity but fellowship with your God ? Did you forget that he who follows closest after the Divine life is ever he who is nearest to the cross . There are sacrifices which can only begin with the Christ -life , offerings which can only be made in the presence of the infinite Glory . The fire of heaven was God's first gift to you ; it consumed the dross and disencumbered the precious ore . It shall ever be to you a joy , for walking in the midst of the furnace , was one like unto the the Son of Man .