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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
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Thursday, July 10, 2008
MORNING:
"Fellow citizens with the saints."
-- Ephesians 2:19
What is meant by our being citizens in heaven? It means that we are
under heaven's government. Christ the king of heaven reigns in our
hearts; our daily prayer is, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven." The proclamations issued from the throne of glory are freely
received by us: the decrees of the Great King we cheerfully obey. Then
as citizens of the New Jerusalem, we share heaven's honours. The glory
which belongs to beatified saints belongs to us, for we are already
sons of God, already princes of the blood imperial; already we wear the
spotless robe of Jesus' righteousness; already we have angels for our
servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our Brother, God for
our Father, and a crown of immortality for our reward. We share the
honours of citizenship, for we have come to the general assembly and
Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven. As
citizens, we have common rights to all the property of heaven. Ours are
its gates of pearl and walls of chrysolite; ours the azure light of the
city that needs no candle nor light of the sun; ours the river of the
water of life, and the twelve manner of fruits which grow on the trees
planted on the banks thereof; there is nought in heaven that belongeth
not to us. "Things present, or things to come," all are ours. Also as
citizens of heaven we enjoy its delights. Do they there rejoice over
sinners that repent-prodigals that have returned? So do we. Do they
chant the glories of triumphant grace? We do the same. Do they cast
their crowns at Jesus' feet? Such honours as we have we cast there too.
Are they charmed with his smile? It is not less sweet to us who dwell
below. Do they look forward, waiting for his second advent? We also
look and long for his appearing. If, then, we are thus citizens of
heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.
EVENING:
"And the evening and the morning were the first day."
-- Genesis 1:5
The evening was "darkness" and the morning was "light," and yet the two
together are called by the name that is given to the light alone! This
is somewhat remarkable, but it has an exact analogy in spiritual
experience. In every believer there is darkness and light, and yet he
is not to be named a sinner because there is sin in him, but he is to
be named a saint because he possesses some degree of holiness. This
will be a most comforting thought to those who are mourning their
infirmities, and who ask, "Can I be a child of God while there is so
much darkness in me?" Yes; for you, like the day, take not your name
from the evening, but from the morning; and you are spoken of in the
word of God as if you were even now perfectly holy as you will be soon.
You are called the child of light, though there is darkness in you
still. You are named after what is the predominating quality in the
sight of God, which will one day be the only principle remaining.
Observe that the evening comes first. Naturally we are darkness first
in order of time, and the gloom is often first in our mournful
apprehension, driving us to cry out in deep humiliation, "God be
merciful to me, a sinner." The place of the morning is second, it dawns
when grace overcomes nature. It is a blessed aphorism of John Bunyan,
"That which is last, lasts for ever." That which is first, yields in
due season to the last; but nothing comes after the last. So that
though you are naturally darkness, when once you become light in the
Lord, there is no evening to follow; "thy sun shall no more go down."
The first day in this life is an evening and a morning; but the second
day, when we shall be with God, for ever, shall be a day with no
evening, but one, sacred, high, eternal noon.
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Morning & Evening is the classic devotional by 19th-century writer
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