Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
June 6
Morning
"Behold, I am vile."—Job 40:4.
One cheering word, poor lost sinner, for thee! You think you must not
come to God because YOU are vile. Now, there is not a saint living on earth but
has been made to feel that he is vile. If Job, and Isaiah, and Paul were all
obliged to say "I am vile," oh, poor sinner, wilt thou be ashamed to join in the same confession? If divine grace
does not eradicate all sin from the believer, how dost thou hope to do it
thyself? and if God loves His people while they are
yet vile, dost thou think thy vileness will prevent His loving thee? Believe on
Jesus, thou outcast of the world's society! Jesus calls thee, and such
as thou art.
"Not the
righteous, not the righteous;
Sinners, Jesus
came to call."
Even now say, "Thou hast died for
sinners; I am a sinner, Lord Jesus, sprinkle Thy blood on me"; if thou wilt confess thy sin thou shalt find pardon. If,
now, with all thy heart, thou wilt say, "I am vile, wash me," thou
shalt be washed now. If the Holy Spirit shall enable thee from thy heart to cry,
ÓJust as I am,
without one plea But that Thy blood was shed for me, And
that thou bidd'st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I
come!"
...thou shalt rise from reading this morning's
portion with all thy sins pardoned; and though thou didst wake this morning
with every sin that man hath ever committed on thy head, thou shalt rest
to-night accepted in the Beloved; though once degraded with the rags of sin,
thou shalt be adorned with a robe of righteousness, and appear white as the
angels are. For "now," mark it, "Now is the accepted
time." If thou "believest on Him who justifieth the ungodly thou art saved." Oh! may the Holy Spirit give thee saving faith in Him who
receives the vilest.
Evening
"Are they Israelites? so
am I."—2 Corinthians 11:22.
We have here A PERSONAL CLAIM, and one that needs proof. The
apostle knew that His claim was indisputable, but there are many persons
who have no right to the title who yet claim to belong to the Israel of God. If
we are with confidence declaring, "So am I also an Israelite," let us
only say it after having searched our heart as in the presence of God. But if
we can give proof that we are following Jesus, if we can from the heart say,
"I trust Him wholly, trust Him only, trust Him simply, trust Him now, and
trust Him ever," then the position which the saints of God hold belongs to
us—all their enjoyments are our possessions; we may be the very least in
Israel, "less than the least of all saints," yet since the mercies of
God belong to the saints AS SAINTS, and not as advanced saints, or well-taught
saints, we may put in our plea, and say, "Are they Israelites? so am I; therefore the promises are mine, grace is mine,
glory will be mine." The claim, rightfully made, is one
which will yield untold comfort. When God's people are rejoicing that
they are His, what a happiness if they can say,
"So AM I!" When they speak of being pardoned, and justified, and
accepted in the Beloved, how joyful to respond, "Through the grace of God,
SO AM I." But this claim not only has its enjoyments and privileges, but
also its conditions and duties. We must share with God's people in cloud as
well as in sunshine. When we hear them spoken of with
contempt and ridicule for being Christians, we must come boldly forward and
say, "So am I." When we see them working for Christ, giving their
time, their talent, their whole heart to Jesus, we
must be able to say, "So do I." O let us prove our gratitude by our
devotion, and live as those who, having claimed a privilege, are willing to
take the responsibility connected with it.