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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING http://www.heartlight.org/
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Saturday, April 25, 2009
MORNING:
"Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away."
-- Song of Solomon 2:10
Lo, I hear the voice of my Beloved! He speaks to me! Fair weather is
smiling upon the face of the earth, and he would not have me
spiritually asleep while nature is all around me awaking from her
winter's rest. He bids me "Rise up," and well he may, for I have long
enough been lying among the pots of worldliness. He is risen, I am
risen in him, why then should I cleave unto the dust? From lower loves,
desires, pursuits, and aspirations, I would rise towards him. He calls
me by the sweet title of "My love," and counts me fair; this is a good
argument for my rising. If he has thus exalted me, and thinks me thus
comely, how can I linger in the tents of Kedar and find congenial
associates among the sons of men? He bids me "Come away." Further and
further from everything selfish, grovelling, worldly, sinful, he calls
me; yea, from the outwardly religious world which knows him not, and
has no sympathy with the mystery of the higher life, he calls me. "Come
away" has no harsh sound in it to my ear, for what is there to hold me
in this wilderness of vanity and sin? O my Lord, would that I could
come away, but I am taken among the thorns, and cannot escape from them
as I would. I would, if it were possible, have neither eyes, nor ears,
nor heart for sin. Thou callest me to thyself by saying "Come away,"
and this is a melodious call indeed. To come to thee is to come home
from exile, to come to land out of the raging storm, to come to rest
after long labour, to come to the goal of my desires and the summit of
my wishes. But Lord, how can a stone rise, how can a lump of clay come
away from the horrible pit? O raise me, draw me. Thy grace can do it.
Send forth thy Holy Spirit to kindle sacred flames of love in my heart,
and I will continue to rise until I leave life and time behind me, and
indeed come away.
EVENING:
"If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in
to him."
-- Revelation 3:20
What is your desire this evening? Is it set upon heavenly things? Do
you long to enjoy the high doctrine of eternal love? Do you desire
liberty in very close communion with God? Do you aspire to know the
heights, and depths, and lengths, and breadths? Then you must draw near
to Jesus; you must get a clear sight of him in his preciousness and
completeness: you must view him in his work, in his offices, in his
person. He who understands Christ, receives an anointing from the Holy
One, by which he knows all things. Christ is the great master-key of
all the chambers of God: there is no treasure-house of God which will
not open and yield up all its wealth to the soul that lives near to
Jesus. Are you saying, "O that he would dwell in my bosom?" "Would that
he would make my heart his dwelling-place for ever?" Open the door,
beloved, and he will come into your souls. He has long been knocking,
and all with this object, that he may sup with you, and you with him.
He sups with you because you find the house or the heart, and you with
him because he brings the provision. He could not sup with you if it
were not in your heart, you finding the house; nor could you sup with
him, for you have a bare cupboard, if he did not bring provision with
him. Fling wide, then, the portals of your soul. He will come with that
love which you long to feel; he will come with that joy into which you
cannot work your poor depressed spirit; he will bring the peace which
now you have not; he will come with his flagons of wine and sweet
apples of love, and cheer you till you have no other sickness but that
of "love o'erpowering, love divine." Only open the door to him, drive
out his enemies, give him the keys of your heart, and he will dwell
there for ever. Oh, wondrous love, that brings such a guest to dwell in
such a heart!
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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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