Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
July 18
Morning
"They shall go hindmost with their
standards."—Numbers 2:31.
The camp of Dan brought up
the rear when the armies of Israel were on the march. The Danites
occupied the hindmost place, but what mattered the position, since they
were as truly part of the host as were the foremost tribes; they followed the
same fiery cloudy pillar, they ate of the same manna, drank of the same
spiritual rock, and journeyed to the same inheritance. Come, my heart, cheer
up, though last and least; it is thy privilege to be in the army, and to fare
as they fare who lead the van. Some one must be hindmost in honour
and esteem, some one must do menial work for Jesus, and why should not I? In a
poor village, among an ignorant peasantry; or in a
back street, among degraded sinners, I will work on, and "go hindmost with
my standard."
The Danites
occupied a very useful place. Stragglers have to be picked up upon the
march, and lost property has to be gathered from the field. Fiery spirits may
dash forward over untrodden paths to learn fresh
truth, and win more souls to Jesus; but some of a more conservative spirit may
be well engaged in reminding the church of her ancient faith, and restoring her
fainting sons. Every position has its duties, and the slowly moving children of
God will find their peculiar state one in which they may be eminently a
blessing to the whole host.
The rear guard is a
place of danger. There are foes behind us as well as before us. Attacks may
come from any quarter. We read that Amalek fell upon
Israel, and slew some of the hindmost of them. The experienced Christian will
find much work for his weapons in aiding those poor doubting, desponding,
wavering, souls, who are hindmost in faith, knowledge, and joy. These must not
be left unaided, and therefore be it the business of well-taught saints to bear
their standards among the hindmost. My soul, do thou tenderly
watch to help the hindmost this day.
Evening
"Neither shall one thrust another; they shall
walk every one in his path."—Joel 2:8.
Locusts always keep their
rank, and although their number is legion, they do not crowd upon each other,
so as to throw their columns into confusion. This remarkable fact in natural
history shows how thoroughly the a Lord has infused the spirit of order into
His universe, since the smallest animate creatures are as much controlled by it
as are the rolling spheres or the seraphic messengers. It would be wise for
believers to be ruled by the same influence in all their spiritual life. In
their Christian graces no one virtue should usurp the sphere of another, or
eat out the vitals of the rest for its own support. Affection must not smother
honesty, courage must not elbow weakness out of the field, modesty must not
jostle energy, and patience must not slaughter resolution. So also with our
duties, one must not interfere with another; public usefulness must not
injure private piety; church work must not push family worship into a corner.
It is ill to offer God one duty stained with the blood of another. Each thing
is beautiful in its season, but not otherwise. It was to the Pharisee that
Jesus said, "This ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other
undone." The same rule applies to our personal position, we must
take care to know our place, take it, and keep to it. We must minister as the
Spirit has given us ability, and not intrude upon our fellow servant's domain.
Our Lord Jesus taught us not to covet the high places, but to be willing to be
the least among the brethren. Far from us be an envious, ambitious spirit, let
us feel the force of the Master's command, and do as He bids us, keeping rank
with the rest of the host. To-night let us see whether we are keeping the unity
of the Spirit in the bonds of peace, and let our prayer be that, in all the
churches of the Lord Jesus, peace and order may prevail.