Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
June 27
Morning
"Only ye shall not go very far
away."—Exodus 8:28.
This is a crafty word from
the lip of the arch-tyrant Pharaoh. If the poor bondaged
Israelites must needs go out of Egypt, then he bargains with them that it shall
not be very far away; not too far for them to escape the terror of his arms,
and the observation of his spies. After the same fashion, the world loves not
the non-conformity of nonconformity, or the dissidence of dissent, it would
have us be more charitable and not carry matters with too severe a hand. Death
to the world, and burial with Christ, are experiences which
carnal minds treat with ridicule, and hence the ordinance which sets them forth
is almost universally neglected, and even contemned. Worldly wisdom recommends
the path of compromise, and talks of "moderation." According to this
carnal policy, purity is admitted to be very desirable, but we are warned
against being too precise; truth is of course to be followed, but error is not
to be severely denounced. "Yes," says the world, "be spiritually
minded by all means, but do not deny yourself a little gay society, an
occasional ball, and a Christmas visit to a theatre. What's the good of crying
down a thing when it is so fashionable, and everybody does it?" Multitudes
of professors yield to this cunning advice, to their own eternal ruin. If we
would follow the Lord wholly, we must go right away into the wilderness of
separation, and leave the Egypt of the carnal world behind us. We must leave
its maxims, its pleasures, and its religion too, and go far away to the place
where the Lord calls His sanctified ones. When the town is on fire, our house
cannot be too far from the flames. When the plague is
abroad, a man cannot be too far from its haunts. The further
from a viper the better, and the further from worldly conformity the better.
To all true believers let the trumpet-call be sounded, "Come ye out from
among them, be ye separate."
Evening
"Let every man abide in the same calling
wherein he was called."—1 Corinthians 7:20.
Some persons have the
foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for God is by becoming
ministers, missionaries, or Bible women. Alas! how
many would be shut out from any opportunity of magnifying the Most High if this
were the case. Beloved, it is not office, it is earnestness; it is not
position, it is grace which will enable us to glorify
God. God is most surely glorified in that cobbler's stall, where the godly
worker, as he plies the awl, sings of the Saviour's
love, ay, glorified far more than in many a prebendal
stall where official religiousness performs its scanty duties. The name of
Jesus is glorified by the poor unlearned carter as he drives his horse, and
blesses his God, or speaks to his fellow labourer by
the roadside, as much as by the popular divine who, throughout the country,
like Boanerges, is thundering out the gospel. God is
glorified by our serving Him in our proper vocations. Take care, dear reader, that you do not forsake the path of duty by leaving your
occupation, and take care you do not dishonour your
profession while in it. Think little of yourselves, but do not think too little
of your callings. Every lawful trade may be sanctified by the gospel to noblest
ends. Turn to the Bible, and you will find the most menial forms of labour connected either with most daring deeds of faith, or
with persons whose lives have been illustrious for holiness. Therefore be not
discontented with your calling. Whatever God has made your position, or your
work, abide in that, unless you are quite sure that he calls you to something
else. Let your first care be to glorify God to the utmost of your power where
you are. Fill your present sphere to His praise, and if He needs you in another
He will show it you. This evening lay aside vexatious ambition, and embrace
peaceful content.