BibleWare/BibWare.bin/bibstudy/morneven.exe/ME03.AM

Text File | 1993-09-05 | 62KB | 1,177 lines

* 03/01/AM

"Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden,
that the spices thereof may flow out."
                                          --Song of Solomon 4:16

   Anything is better than the dead calm of indifference. Our
souls may wisely desire the north wind of trouble if that alone
can be sanctified to the drawing forth of the perfume of our
graces. So long as it cannot be said, "The Lord was not in the
wind," we will not shrink from the most wintry blast that ever
blew upon plants of grace. Did not the spouse in this verse
humbly submit herself to the reproofs of her Beloved; only
entreating Him to send forth His grace in some form, and making
no stipulation as to the peculiar manner in which it should
come? Did she not, like ourselves, become so utterly weary of
deadness and unholy calm that she sighed for any visitation
which would brace her to action? Yet she desires the warm south
wind of comfort, too, the smiles of divine love, the joy of the
Redeemer's presence; these are often mightily effectual to
arouse our sluggish life. She desires either one or the other,
or both; so that she may but be able to delight her Beloved with
the spices of her garden. She cannot endure to be unprofitable,
nor can we. How cheering a thought that Jesus can find comfort
in our poor feeble graces. Can it be? It seems far too good to
be true. Well may we court trial or even death itself if we
shall thereby be aided to make glad Immanuel's heart. O that our
heart were crushed to atoms if only by such bruising our sweet
Lord Jesus could be glorified. Graces unexercised are as sweet
perfumes slumbering in the cups of the flowers: the wisdom of
the great Husbandman overrules diverse and opposite causes to
produce the one desired result, and makes both affliction and
consolation draw forth the grateful odours of faith, love,
patience, hope, resignation, joy, and the other fair flowers of
the garden. May we know by sweet experience, what this means.

* 03/02/AM

"But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen
every man his share, and his coulter, and his ax, and his
mattock."
                                                --1 Samuel 13:20

   We are engaged in a great war with the Philistines of evil.
_Every weapon within our reach must be used_. Preaching,
teaching, praying, giving, all must be brought into action, and
talents which have been thought too mean for service, must now
be employed. Coulter, and axe, and mattock, may all be useful in
slaying Philistines; rough tools may deal hard blows, and
killing need not be elegantly done, so long as it is done
effectually. Each moment of time, in season or out of season;
each fragment of ability, educated or untutored; each
opportunity, favourable or unfavourable, must be used, for our
foes are many and our force but slender.

   _Most of our tools want sharpening_; we need quickness of
perception, tact, energy, promptness, in a word, complete
adaptation for the Lord's work. Practical common sense is a very
scarce thing among the conductors of Christian enterprises. We
might learn from our enemies if we would, and so _make the
Philistines sharpen our weapons_. This morning let us note
enough to sharpen our zeal during this day by the aid of the
Holy Spirit. See the energy of the Papists, how they compass sea
and land to make one proselyte, are they to monopolize all the
earnestness? Mark the heathen devotees, what tortures they
endure in the service of their idols! are they alone to exhibit
patience and self-sacrifice? Observe the prince of darkness,
how persevering in his endeavours, how unabashed in his
attempts, how daring in his plans, how thoughtful in his plots,
how energetic in all! The devils are united as one man in their
infamous rebellion, while we believers in Jesus are divided in
our service of God, and scarcely ever work with unanimity. O
that from Satan's infernal industry we may learn to go about
like good Samaritans, seeking whom we may bless!

* 03/03/AM

"I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."
                                                  --Isaiah 48:10

   Comfort thyself, tried believer, with this thought: God
saith, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Does
not the word come like a soft shower, assuaging the fury of the
flame? Yea, is it not an asbestos armour, against which the heat
hath no power? Let affliction come--God has chosen me. Poverty,
thou mayst stride in at my door, but God is in the house
already, and He has chosen me. Sickness, thou mayst intrude, but
I have a balsam ready--God has chosen me. Whatever befalls me in
this vale of tears, I know that He has "chosen" me. If,
believer, thou requirest still greater comfort, remember _that
you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace_. In that silent
chamber of yours, there sitteth by your side One whom thou hast
not seen, but whom thou lovest; and ofttimes when thou knowest
it not, He makes all thy bed in thy affliction, and smooths thy
pillow for thee. Thou art in poverty; but in that lovely house
of thine the Lord of life and glory is a frequent visitor. He
loves to come into these desolate places, that He may visit
thee. Thy friend sticks closely to thee. Thou canst not see Him,
but thou mayst feel the pressure of His hands. Dost thou not
hear His voice? Even in the valley of the shadow of death He
says, "Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy
God." Remember that noble speech of Caesar: "Fear not, thou
carriest Caesar and all his fortune." Fear not, Christian; Jesus
is with thee. In all thy fiery trials, His presence is both thy
comfort and safety. He will never leave one whom He has chosen
for His own. "Fear not, for I am with thee," is His sure word of
promise to His chosen ones in the "furnace of affliction." Wilt
thou not, then, take fast hold of Christ, and say--


          "Through floods and flames, if Jesus lead,
          I'll follow where He goes."

* 03/04/AM

"My grace is sufficient for thee."
                                            --2 Corinthians 12:9

   If none of God's saints were poor and tried, we should not
know half so well the consolations of divine grace. When we find
the wanderer who has not where to lay his head, who yet can say,
"Still will I trust in the or, when we see the pauper starving
on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the
bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and yet having faith
in Christ, oh! what honour it reflects on the gospel. God's
grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of
believers. Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing
that all things work together for their good, and that out of
apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring--that
their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily, or
most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as He is
pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves
the power of divine grace. There is a lighthouse out at sea: it
is a calm night--I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm; the
tempest must rage about it, and then I shall know whether it
will stand. So with the Spirit's work: if it were not on many
occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we should not know
that it was true and strong; if the winds did not blow upon it,
we should not know how firm and secure it was. The master-works
of God are those men who stand in the midst of difficulties,
stedfast, unmoveable,--


                 "Calm mid the bewildering cry,
                 Confident of victory."

He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting
with many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord
unless his conflicts be many. If then, yours be a much-tried
path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the
all-sufficient grace of God. As for His failing you, never dream
of it--hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until
now, should be trusted to the end.

* 03/05/AM

"Let us not sleep, as