Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 2.pdf/55

 back, exhibiting thereby the spiritual state of his own mind. The Word is called a pillar of fire, because in man's night of obscurity, celestial love, which is the hallowed fire in the pillar, gives warmth and blessing to the affections and desires of his heart. Thus, as truth in its glory is tempered and accommodated, as by a cloud, to man's day of small things, while journeying onwards; his night, or state of obscurity, is warmed and illuminated by the Love of God, which is the fire that ever burns without consuming, to warm and bless him on his way. Now, as the spiritual sense of God's, which relates to all the affections and thoughts of angelic life, and which fall not into mere human ideas, is the glory within the cloudy pillar; so the Lord, in bowing the heavens and coming down, veiled His brightness by His written word, the letter being as a cloud that tempers the glory to man's wants, and thus raises him by gradual instruction, into the light of life. This will explain why the Lord so often appeared to the sons of Israel in a cloud, and why the Lord is said to come in the clouds of heaven, with power and glory. (Matt. xxiv. 30.) The Word of God, this sacred pillar, is still with us to guide us on our way; and O, what a soul cheering statement of Divine mercy is expressed in the words—"He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people."