Evening and Morning
By Charles
Haddon Surgeon
May 29
Morning
"Thou hatest
wickedness."—Psalm 45:7.
Be ye angry, and sin
not." There can hardly be goodness in a man if he be
not angry at sin; he who loves truth must hate every false way. How our Lord
Jesus hated it when the temptation came! Thrice it assailed Him in different
forms, but ever He met it with, "Get thee behind me, Satan." He hated
it in others; none the less fervently because He showed His hate oftener in
tears of pity than in words of rebuke; yet what language could be more stern,
more Elijah-like, than the words, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer." He hated wickedness, so
much that He bled to wound it to the heart; He died that it might die; He was
buried that He might bury it in His tomb; and He rose that He might for ever trample it beneath His feet. Christ is in the
Gospel, and that Gospel is opposed to wickedness in every shape. Wickedness
arrays itself in fair garments, and imitates the language of holiness; but the
precepts of Jesus, like His famous scourge of small cords, chase it out of the
temple, and will not tolerate it in the Church. So, too, in the heart where
Jesus reigns, what war there is between Christ and Belial! And when our
Redeemer shall come to be our Judge, those thundering words, "Depart, ye
cursed" which are, indeed, but a prolongation of His life-teaching
concerning sin, shall manifest His abhorrence of iniquity. As warm as is His
love to sinners, so hot is His hatred of sin; as perfect as is His
righteousness, so complete shall be the destruction of every form of
wickedness. O thou glorious champion of right, and destroyer of wrong, for this
cause hath God, even Thy God, anointed thee with the oil of gladness above Thy
fellows.
Evening
"Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city
Jericho."—Joshua 6:26.
Since he was cursed who
rebuilt Jericho, I much more the man who labours to
restore Popery among us. In our fathers' days the gigantic walls of Popery fell
by the power of their faith, the perseverance of their efforts, and the blast
of their gospel trumpets; and now there are some who would rebuild that
accursed system upon its old foundation. O Lord, be pleased to thwart their
unrighteous endeavours, and pull down every stone which they build. It should be a serious business with
us to be thoroughly purged of every error which may have a tendency to foster
the spirit of Popery, and when we have made a clean sweep at home we should
seek in every way to oppose its all too rapid spread abroad in the church and
in the world. This last can be done in secret by fervent prayer, and in public
by decided testimony. We must warn with judicious boldness those who are
inclined towards the errors of Rome; we must instruct the young in gospel
truth, and tell them of the black doings of Popery in the olden times. We must
aid in spreading the light more thoroughly through the land, for priests, like
owls, hate daylight. Are we doing all we can for Jesus and the gospel? If not,
our negligence plays into the hands of the priestcraft.
What are we doing to spread the Bible, which is the Pope's bane and poison? Are
we casting abroad good, sound gospel writings? Luther once said, "The
devil hates goose quills" and, doubtless, he has good reason, for ready
writers, by the Holy Spirit's blessing, have done his kingdom much damage. If
the thousands who will read this short word this night will do all they can to
hinder the rebuilding of this accursed Jericho, the Lord's glory shall speed
among the sons of men. Reader, what can you do? What
will you do?