Winslow Clouds of the Christian is a single chapter work about clouds and the Christian life.
The Clouds of the Christian,
the Chariot of God
by Octavius Winslow
“Who maketh the clouds his chariot” (Psa 104:3).
If God were perfectly comprehensible in his being and government to a finite mind, then either he must forego his claim to divinity, or we must cease to be human. And yet in nothing, scarcely, is the Christian more at fault than in attempting to fathom those dispensations of his government in which he conceals his purposes and enshrouds himself, and failing, he then questions the wisdom and rectitude of his procedure! But how gently does the result rebuke and confound our misapprehension and distrust.
When from the secret place of thunder he utters his voice, when in his dealings darkness is under his feet, when he makes darkness his secret place, his pavilion round about him dark waters and thick clouds of the skies (Psa 18:11), even then he is but making a way for his love to us, which shall appear all the more real and precious by the very cloud-chariot in which it travels.
The believer in Christ has nothing slavishly to dread, but everything filially to hope from God. So fully is he pardoned, so completely is he justified, so perfectly is he reconciled to God, that even the darkest dispensations in which he hides himself shall presently unveil the brightest views of his character and love; and thus the lowering cloud that deepened in its darkness and grew larger as it approached shall dissolve and vanish, leaving no object visible to the eye but him whose essence and name is love. Oh, it is because we have such shallow views of God’s love that we have such defective views of God’s dealings! We blindly interpret the symbols of his providence because we so imperfectly read the engraving of his heart. Faith finds it difficult to spell the word ‘love’ as written in the shaded characters of its discipline; to believe that the cloud which looks so somber and threatening is the love-chariot of him who for our ransom gave himself unto the death because he so loved us!
The subject on which this chapter engages our thoughts presents another path heavenward for the Christian. And as this path is frequently trodden by many, we desire to present it in such an aspect as shall help onward those who are walking in darkness having no light, or around whose way the dense dark clouds of divine dispensations are gathering, filling the soul with fear and trembling. He makes the clouds his chariot; and soothed with this assurance, the beclouded, benighted traveler may be still and know that he is God. Let us view some of those clouds of the Christian pilgrimage which Christ makes his chariot.
The heavens are draped with many clouds of varied forms and hues. Such are, figuratively, the dealings of God with his people. Our Lord has many chariots. It is recorded of Solomon that his chariots were fourteen hundred; but the chariots of God are twenty thousand. In every cloud in the history of the church and in the experience of the saints is a divine chariot, and every chariot is, like the King of Israel’s, paved in the midst with love. We may illustrate this by a reference to Christ’s state-chariot, or, in other words, the Lord’s appearance to his people in the cloud of his essential and divine glory. It was in this cloud he entered and filled the tabernacle ‘so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD’ (1Ki 8:11). In this same cloud, too, he descended upon Mount Sinai: And a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai’ (Exo 24:15-16). The same glorious chariot was seen descending and lighting upon Mount Tabor, in that sublime and expressive scene of our Lord’s transfiguration, when ‘he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’ (2Pe 1:17).
The same chariot of state waited his ascension and bore him back to heaven, reinvested with the glory which he had with the Father before the world was; for as he went up and his form disappeared from the gaze of his disciples, ‘a cloud received him out of their sight’ (Act 1:9). In like manner, descending in the state-chariot of his own glory and the glory of his Father, shall he come again. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him’ (Rev 1:7). Solemn scene! Sublime advent! Blessed hope of those who love and look and long for his appearing! Saints of God, it speedeth on!
The day of your full redemption draweth nigh. The state-chariot of our Immanuel is preparing for its descent to the world, conveying him to his church, his loving, longing bride. Lord, why tarry the wheels of thy chariot? Come, quickly come, and terminate the reign of sin and sorrow and death in the dominion of holiness and happiness and endless life, and take thy wearying church to thyself. continue reading in the module.
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