Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
July 31
Morning
"I in them."—John 17:23.
If such be the union which subsists between our souls and the person
of our Lord, how deep and broad is the channel of our communion! This is no
narrow pipe through which a thread-like stream may wind its way,
it is a channel of amazing depth and breadth, along whose glorious length a
ponderous volume of living water may roll its floods. Behold He hath set before
us an open door, let us not be slow to enter. This city of communion hath many
pearly gates, every several gate is of one pearl, and each gate is thrown open
to the uttermost that we may enter, assured of welcome. If there were but one
small loophole through which to talk with Jesus, it would be a high privilege
to thrust a word of fellowship through the narrow door; how much we are blessed
in having so large an entrance! Had the Lord Jesus been far away from us, with
many a stormy sea between, we should have longed to send a messenger to Him to
carry Him our loves, and bring us tidings from His Father's house; but see His
kindness, He has built His house next door to ours, nay, more, He takes lodging
with us, and tabernacles in poor humble hearts, that so He may have perpetual
intercourse with us. O how foolish must we be, if we do not live in habitual
communion with Him. When the road is long, and dangerous, and difficult, we
need not wonder that friends seldom meet each other, but when they live
together, shall Jonathan forget his David? A wife may when her husband is upon
a journey, abide many days without holding converse with him, but she could
never endure to be separated from him if she knew him to be in one of the chambers
of her own house. Why, believer, dost not thou sit at His banquet of wine? Seek
thy Lord, for He is near; embrace Him, for He is thy Brother. Hold Him fast,
for He is thine Husband; and press Him to thine heart, for He is of thine
own flesh.
Evening
"And these are the singers . . . they were employed in that work
day and night."—1 Chronicles 9:33.
Well was
it so ordered in the temple that the sacred chant never ceased: for evermore
did the singers praise the Lord, whose mercy endureth
for ever. As mercy did not cease to rule either by day
or by night, so neither did music hush its holy ministry. My heart, there is a
lesson sweetly taught to thee in the ceaseless song of Zion's temple, thou too
art a constant debtor, and see thou to it that thy gratitude, like charity,
never faileth. God's praise is constant in heaven,
which is to be thy final dwelling-place, learn thou to practise
the eternal hallelujah. Around the earth as the sun scatters his light, his
beams awaken grateful believers to tune their morning hymn, so that by the
priesthood of the saints perpetual praise is kept up at all hours, they swathe
our globe in a mantle of thanksgiving, and girdle it with a golden belt of song.
The Lord always
deserves to be praised for what He is in Himself, for His works of creation and
providence, for His goodness towards His creatures, and especially for the
transcendent act of redemption, and all the marvellous blessing flowing therefrom. It is always
beneficial to praise the Lord; it cheers the day and brightens the night; it
lightens toil and softens sorrow; and over earthly gladness it sheds a
sanctifying radiance which makes it less liable to
blind us with its glare. Have we not something to sing about at this moment?
Can we not weave a song out of our present joys, or our past deliverances, or
our future hopes? Earth yields her summer fruits: the hay is housed, the golden
grain invites the sickle, and the sun tarrying long to shine upon a fruitful
earth, shortens the interval of shade that we may lengthen the hours of devout
worship. By the love of Jesus, let us be stirred up to close the day with a
psalm of sanctified gladness.