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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
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Thursday, January 17, 2008
MORNING:
"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion."
-- Revelation 14:1
The apostle John was privileged to look within the gates of heaven, and
in describing what he saw, he begins by saying, "I looked, and, lo, a
Lamb!" This teaches us that the chief object of contemplation in the
heavenly state is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the
world." Nothing else attracted the apostle's attention so much as the
person of that Divine Being, who hath redeemed us by his blood. He is
the theme of the songs of all glorified spirits and holy angels.
Christian, here is joy for thee; thou hast looked, and thou hast seen
the Lamb. Through thy tears thine eyes have seen the Lamb of God taking
away thy sins. Rejoice, then. In a little while, when thine eyes shall
have been wiped from tears, thou wilt see the same Lamb exalted on his
throne. It is the joy of thy heart to hold daily fellowship with Jesus;
thou shalt have the same joy to a higher degree in heaven; thou shalt
enjoy the constant vision of his presence; thou shalt dwell with him
for ever. "I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!" Why, that Lamb is heaven itself;
for as good Rutherford says, "Heaven and Christ are the same thing;" to
be with Christ is to be in heaven, and to be in heaven is to be with
Christ. That prisoner of the Lord very sweetly writes in one of his
glowing letters-"O my Lord Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven
without thee, it would be a hell; and if I could be in hell, and have
thee still, it would be a heaven to me, for thou art all the heaven I
want." It is true, is it not, Christian? Does not thy soul say so?
"Not all the harps above
Can make a heavenly place,
If God his residence remove,
Or but conceal his face."
All thou needest to make thee blessed, supremely blessed, is "to be
with Christ."
EVENING:
"And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from
off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house."
-- 2 Samuel 11:2
At that hour David saw Bathsheba. We are never out of the reach of
temptation. Both at home and abroad we are liable to meet with
allurements to evil; the morning opens with peril, and the shades of
evening find us still in jeopardy. They are well kept whom God keeps,
but woe unto those who go forth into the world, or even dare to walk
their own house unarmed. Those who think themselves secure are more
exposed to danger than any others. The armour-bearer of Sin is
Self-confidence.
David should have been engaged in fighting the Lord's battles, instead
of which he tarried at Jerusalem, and gave himself up to luxurious
repose, for he arose from his bed at eventide. Idleness and luxury are
the devil's jackals, and find him abundant prey. In stagnant waters
noxious creatures swarm, and neglected soil soon yields a dense tangle
of weeds and briars. Oh for the constraining love of Jesus to keep us
active and useful! When I see the King of Israel sluggishly leaving his
couch at the close of the day, and falling at once into temptation, let
me take warning, and set holy watchfulness to guard the door.
Is it possible that the king had mounted his housetop for retirement
and devotion? If so, what a caution is given us to count no place,
however secret, a sanctuary from sin! While our hearts are so like a
tinder-box, and sparks so plentiful, we had need use all diligence in
all places to prevent a blaze. Satan can climb housetops, and enter
closets, and even if we could shut out that foul fiend, our own
corruptions are enough to work our ruin unless grace prevent. Reader,
beware of evening temptations. Be not secure. The sun is down but sin
is up. We need a watchman for the night as well as a guardian for the
day. O blessed Spirit, keep us from all evil this night. Amen.
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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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