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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
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Saturday, December 29, 2007
MORNING:
"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."
-- 1 Samuel 7:12
The word "hitherto" seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the
past. Twenty years or seventy, and yet, "hitherto the Lord hath
helped!" Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through
health, at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honour, in
dishonour, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in
temptation, "hitherto hath the Lord helped us!" We delight to look down
a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from end to end of the
long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and
its arches of leaves; even so look down the long aisles of your years,
at the green boughs of mercy overhead, and the strong pillars of
lovingkindness and faithfulness which bear up your joys. Are there no
birds in yonder branches singing? Surely there must be many, and they
all sing of mercy received "hitherto."
But the word also points forward. For when a man gets up to a certain
mark and writes "hitherto," he is not yet at the end, there is still a
distance to be traversed. More trials, more joys; more temptations,
more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength;
more fights, more victories; and then come sickness, old age, disease,
death. Is it over now? No! there is more yet-awakening in Jesus'
likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of
Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fulness of
eternity, the infinity of bliss. O be of good courage, believer, and
with grateful confidence raise thy "Ebenezer," for-
He who hath helped thee hitherto
Will help thee all thy journey through.
When read in heaven's light how glorious and marvellous a prospect will
thy "hitherto" unfold to thy grateful eye!
EVENING:
"What think ye of Christ?"
-- Matthew 22:42
The great test of your soul's health is, What think you of Christ? Is
he to you "fairer than the children of men"-"the chief among ten
thousand"-the "altogether lovely"? Wherever Christ is thus esteemed,
all the faculties of the spiritual man exercise themselves with energy.
I will judge of your piety by this barometer: does Christ stand high or
low with you? If you have thought little of Christ, if you have been
content to live without his presence, if you have cared little for his
honour, if you have been neglectful of his laws, then I know that your
soul is sick-God grant that it may not be sick unto death! But if the
first thought of your spirit has been, how can I honour Jesus? If the
daily desire of your soul has been, "O that I knew where I might find
him!" I tell you that you may have a thousand infirmities, and even
scarcely know whether you are a child of God at all, and yet I am
persuaded, beyond a doubt, that you are safe, since Jesus is great in
your esteem. I care not for thy rags, what thinkest thou of his royal
apparel? I care not for thy wounds, though they bleed in torrents, what
thinkest thou of his wounds? are they like glittering rubies in thine
esteem? I think none the less of thee, though thou liest like Lazarus
on the dunghill, and the dogs do lick thee-I judge thee not by thy
poverty: what thinkest thou of the King in his beauty? Has he a
glorious high throne in thy heart? Wouldest thou set him higher if thou
couldest? Wouldest thou be willing to die if thou couldest but add
another trumpet to the strain which proclaims his praise? Ah! then it
is well with thee. Whatever thou mayest think of thyself, if Christ be
great to thee, thou shalt be with him ere long.
"Though all the world my choice deride,
Yet Jesus shall my portion be;
For I am pleased with none beside,
The fairest of the fair is he"
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Morning & Evening is the classic devotional by 19th-century writer
and preacher Charles Spurgeon. It's part of HEARTLIGHT Magazine,
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