"I will lay the Key of the House of David upon His shoulder" (Is. XXII.
22). "To the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia write: These things
saith the Holy One and the True One, He that hath the Key of David, He
that openeth and no man shutteth, shutteth and no man openeth: I know
thy works. Behold I have given before thee a door opened which no man
can shut, because thou hast a little strength." (Apoc. III. 7-8).
The Babe unborn has already had the Key laid upon His Shoulder. He
already has authority. Soon, very soon now, He will come to use it. How
will He use this Key and what is it? It is the Key of authority but it
is also the Key of love. (1) He is coming to unlock the gates which hold
the human race fast in ignorance and sin, to be its Redeemer, to give it
"a door opened which no man can shut," to give it a chance if it will of
walking out of its prison-house into the liberty wherewith Christ alone
can make it free (Gal. IV. 31). (2) He is coming to put His golden Key
of love into the hearts of men, to open those doors which are shut
against Him and which none but He can open, for none but He can give
grace. Each little child whose heart is filled with grace at its Baptism
is only able to receive it because the little Child with the golden Key
has opened its heart. "Thou hast opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all
believers." Come, then, O Key of David, come and begin Thy blessed work
on earth. Thou hast already put Thy magic Key into the heart of St. John
the Baptist and doubtless of many another; come and tarry not, come and
found Thy Church and pass on the wondrous power of the keys to those
with whom Thou wilt leave Thy authority. (3) He is coming to open with
His Key of love His own most Sacred Heart. None but He can open that
vast treasure-house of love, and none but He can shut it. It will be
there for a refuge for all His children in all time--a standing memorial
of His love. What does He ask in return? Only that when we hear Him put
His golden Key into our hearts, there may be a response: "My Beloved put
His Hand through the key-hole and my heart was moved at His touch. I
arose up to open to my Beloved" (Cant. V. 4-5). The rising up to let Him
in is our part, He puts in His Key and unlocks, that is, He removes all
obstacles by His grace, but we must respond to that grace for though He
has unlocked the door He will not force an entrance. "Behold I stand at
the door and knock," and then He waits, waits for our correspondence and
for our love. "My son, give Me thy heart," He wants it, He has used His
Key of love to obtain it, but He will not take it, it must be a free
gift of love.
At the last great Advent the door of His mercy will be shut against all
those who have refused Him an entrance into their hearts, and when He
shuts, no man can open. "Lord, Lord, open to us," and the answer will
come through the eternally locked door: "I never knew you, depart from
Me."
Oh! come, Divine little One, come with Thy Key while yet there is time
and unlock the many hearts which still find no place for Thee, no time
to attend to Thee waiting so patiently, no desire to give Thee an
invitation this Christmas; and give them grace to respond.