Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
July 7
Morning
"Brethren, pray for us."—1 Thessalonians 5:25.
This one
morning in the year we reserved to refresh the reader's memory upon the subject
of prayer for ministers, and we do most earnestly implore every Christian
household to grant the fervent request of the text first uttered by an apostle
and now repeated by us. Brethren, our work is Solemnly momentous, involving
weal or woe to thousands; we treat with souls for God on eternal business, and
our word is either a savour of life unto life, or of
death unto death. A very heavy responsibility rests upon us, and it will be no
small mercy if at the last we be found clear of the blood of all men. As
officers in Christ's army, we are the especial mark of the enmity of men and
devils; they watch for our halting, and labour to
take us by the heels. Our sacred calling involves us in temptations from which
you are exempt, above all it too often draws us away
from our personal enjoyment of truth into a ministerial and official
consideration of it. We meet with many knotty cases, and our wits are at a non plus; we observe very sad backslidings, and our hearts
are wounded; we see millions perishing, and our spirits sink. We wish to profit
you by our preaching; we desire to be blest to your children; we long to be
useful both to saints and sinners; therefore, dear friends, intercede for us
with our God. Miserable men are we if we miss the aid of your prayers, but
happy are we if we live in your supplications. You do not look to us but to our
Master for spiritual blessings, and yet how many times has He given those
blessings through His ministers; ask then, again and again, that we may be the
earthen vessels into which the Lord may put the treasure of the gospel. We, the
whole company of missionaries, ministers, city missionaries, and students, do
in the name of Jesus beseech you
"BRETHREN, PRAY FOR
US."
Evening
"When I passed by thee, I said unto thee, Live."—Ezekiel 16:6.
Saved one, consider
gratefully this mandate (of mercy. Note that this fiat of God is majestic.
In our text, we perceive a sinner with nothing in him but sin, expecting nothing
but wrath; but the eternal Lord passes by in His glory; l He looks. He pauses,
and He pronounces the solitary but royal word, "Live." There speaks a
God. Who but He could venture thus to deal with life and dispense it with a
single syllable? Again, this fiat is manifold. When He saith "Live," it includes many things. Here is
judicial life. The sinner is ready to be condemned, but the mighty One saith, "Live," and he rises pardoned and
absolved. It is spiritual life. We knew not Jesus—our eyes could not see
Christ, our ears could not hear His voice—Jehovah said "Live,"
and we were quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. Moreover, it
includes glory-life, which is the perfection of spiritual life. "I said
unto thee, Live:" and that word rolls on through all the years of time
till death comes, and in the midst of the shadows of death, the Lord's voice is
still heard, "Live!" In the morning of the resurrection it is that
self-same voice which is echoed by the arch-angel,
"Live," and as holy spirits rise to heaven to be blest for ever in
the glory of their God, it is in the power of this same word, "Live."
Note again, that it is an irresistible mandate. Saul of Tarsus is on the
road to Damascus to arrest the saints of the living God. A voice is heard from
heaven and a light is seen above the brightness of the sun, and Saul is crying
out, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" This mandate is a mandate
of free grace. When sinners are saved, it is only and solely because God
will do it to magnify His free, unpurchased,
unsought grace. Christians, see your position, debtors to grace; show your
gratitude by earnest, Christlike lives, and as God
has bidden you live, see to it that you live in earnest.