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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
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Monday, October 22, 2007
MORNING:
"I will love them freely."
-- Hosea 14:4
This sentence is a body of divinity in miniature. He who understands
its meaning is a theologian, and he who can dive into its fulness is a
true master in Israel. It is a condensation of the glorious message of
salvation which was delivered to us in Christ Jesus our Redeemer. The
sense hinges upon the word "freely." This is the glorious, the
suitable, the divine way by which love streams from heaven to earth, a
spontaneous love flowing forth to those who neither deserved it,
purchased it, nor sought after it. It is, indeed, the only way in which
God can love such as we are. The text is a death-blow to all sorts of
fitness: "I will love them freely." Now, if there were any fitness
necessary in us, then he would not love us freely, at least, this would
be a mitigation and a drawback to the freeness of it. But it stands, "I
will love you freely." We complain, "Lord, my heart is so hard." "I
will love you freely." "But I do not feel my need of Christ as I could
wish." "I will not love you because you feel your need; I will love you
freely." "But I do not feel that softening of spirit which I could
desire." Remember, the softening of spirit is not a condition, for
there are no conditions; the covenant of grace has no conditionality
whatever; so that we without any fitness may venture upon the promise
of God which was made to us in Christ Jesus, when he said, "He that
believeth on him is not condemned." It is blessed to know that the
grace of God is free to us at all times, without preparation, without
fitness, without money, and without price! "I will love them freely."
These words invite backsliders to return: indeed, the text was
specially written for such-"I will heal their backsliding; I will love
them freely." Backslider! surely the generosity of the promise will at
once break your heart, and you will return, and seek your injured
Father's face.
EVENING:
"He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you."
-- John 16:15
There are times when all the promises and doctrines of the Bible are of
no avail, unless a gracious hand shall apply them to us. We are
thirsty, but too faint to crawl to the water- brook. When a soldier is
wounded in battle it is of little use for him to know that there are
those at the hospital who can bind up his wounds, and medicines there
to ease all the pains which he now suffers: what he needs is to be
carried thither, and to have the remedies applied. It is thus with our
souls, and to meet this need there is one, even the Spirit of truth,
who takes of the things of Jesus, and applies them to us. Think not
that Christ hath placed his joys on heavenly shelves that we may climb
up to them for ourselves, but he draws near, and sheds his peace abroad
in our hearts. O Christian, if thou art to-night labouring under deep
distresses, thy Father does not give thee promises and then leave thee
to draw them up from the Word like buckets from a well, but the
promises he has written in the Word he will write anew on your heart.
He will manifest his love to you, and by his blessed Spirit, dispel
your cares and troubles. Be it known unto thee, O mourner, that it is
God's prerogative to wipe every tear from the eye of his people. The
good Samaritan did not say, "Here is the wine, and here is the oil for
you"; he actually poured in the oil and the wine. So Jesus not only
gives you the sweet wine of the promise, but holds the golden chalice
to your lips, and pours the life-blood into your mouth. The poor, sick,
way-worn pilgrim is not merely strengthened to walk, but he is borne on
eagles' wings. Glorious gospel! which provides everything for the
helpless, which draws nigh to us when we cannot reach after it-brings
us grace before we seek for grace! Here is as much glory in the giving
as in the gift. Happy people who have the Holy Ghost to bring Jesus to
them.
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MORNING & EVENING from HEARTLIGHT /\/\
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Morning & Evening is the classic devotional by 19th-century writer
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