1. Coldness. "And Peter followed afar off" (Luk 22:54). This is one of the seven downward steps in the fall of Peter. The first was self-confidence; the second was sleeping instead of watching; the third was doing what he had no authority to do, namely, cutting off the ear of the servant of the high priest; the fourth was following afar off; the fifth was sitting down in the company of the ungodly; the sixth was denying his Master; and the seventh was denying Him with oaths and curses (Luk 22:33, 45, 50, 54, 55, 57; Mat 26:72, 74). Beware of the first step, for it leads to all the rest.
2. Cleaving. "My soul followeth hard after Thee" (Psa 63:8), or as it might be rendered, "is glued to Thee." The Hebrew word rendered "followeth" here is the same as is rendered in Gen 2:24, "cleave"; in Rth 1:14 "clave"; in Psa 119:31 "stuck"; in Jer 42:16 "follow close"; in Job 41:17 "joined"; and in Gen 31:23 "overtook." Now if we look at the above Scriptures, we find the following thoughts:—Affection, devotion, faithfulness, attention, oneness, and earnestness. If we are following hard after the Lord there will be:
"Hard after Thee." As the sheep follows the shepherd; as the student his studies; as the business man his business; as the athlete for the prize; as the bird after its food; and as a hunter after the prey.
"Thee." Not theories, not dogmas, not self, not the world, or pleasure, but Thee, Thee alone, and Thee always.