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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
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Wednesday, April 2, 2008
MORNING:
"He answered him to never a word."
-- Matthew 27:14
He had never been slow of speech when he could bless the sons of men,
but he would not say a single word for himself. "Never man spake like
this man," and never man was silent like him. Was this singular silence
the index of his perfect self- sacrifice? Did it show that he would not
utter a word to stay the slaughter of his sacred person, which he had
dedicated as an offering for us? Had he so entirely surrendered himself
that he would not interfere in his own behalf, even in the minutest
degree, but be bound and slain an unstruggling, uncomplaining victim?
Was this silence a type of the defencelessness of sin? Nothing can be
said in palliation or excuse of human guilt; and, therefore, he who
bore its whole weight stood speechless before his judge. Is not patient
silence the best reply to a gainsaying world? Calm endurance answers
some questions infinitely more conclusively than the loftiest
eloquence. The best apologists for Christianity in the early days were
its martyrs. The anvil breaks a host of hammers by quietly bearing
their blows. Did not the silent Lamb of God furnish us with a grand
example of wisdom? Where every word was occasion for new blasphemy, it
was the line of duty to afford no fuel for the flame of sin. The
ambiguous and the false, the unworthy and mean, will ere long overthrow
and confute themselves, and therefore the true can afford to be quiet,
and finds silence to be its wisdom. Evidently our Lord, by his silence,
furnished a remarkable fulfilment of prophecy. A long defence of
himself would have been contrary to Isaiah's prediction. "He is led as
a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so
he openeth not his mouth." By his quiet he conclusively proved himself
to be the true Lamb of God. As such we salute him this morning. Be with
us, Jesus, and in the silence of our heart, let us hear the voice of
thy love.
EVENING:
"He shall see his seed; he shall prolong his days, and the
pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand."
-- Isaiah 53:10
Plead for the speedy fulfilment of this promise, all ye who love the
Lord. It is easy work to pray when we are grounded and bottomed, as to
our desires, upon God's own promise. How can he that gave the word
refuse to keep it? Immutable veracity cannot demean itself by a lie,
and eternal faithfulness cannot degrade itself by neglect. God must
bless his Son, his covenant binds him to it. That which the Spirit
prompts us to ask for Jesus, is that which God decrees to give him.
Whenever you are praying for the kingdom of Christ, let your eyes
behold the dawning of the blessed day which draweth near, when the
Crucified shall receive his coronation in the place where men rejected
him. Courage, you that prayerfully work and toil for Christ with
success of the very smallest kind, it shall not be so always; better
times are before you. Your eyes cannot see the blissful future: borrow
the telescope of faith; wipe the misty breath of your doubts from the
glass; look through it and behold the coming glory. Reader, let us ask,
do you make this your constant prayer? Remember that the same Christ
who tells us to say, "Give us this day our daily bread," had first
given us this petition, "Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy
will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Let not your prayers be all
concerning your own sins, your own wants, your own imperfections, your
own trials, but let them climb the starry ladder, and get up to Christ
himself, and then, as you draw nigh to the blood-sprinkled mercy-seat,
offer this prayer continually, "Lord, extend the kingdom of thy dear
Son." Such a petition, fervently presented, will elevate the spirit of
all your devotions. Mind that you prove the sincerity of your prayer by
labouring to promote the Lord's glory.
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MORNING & EVENING from HEARTLIGHT /\/\
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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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