Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
September 10
Morning
"And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth
unto him whom he would: and they came unto him."—Mark 3:13.
Here was sovereignty.
Impatient spirits may fret and fume, because they are not called to the highest
places in the ministry; but reader be it thine to
rejoice that Jesus calleth whom He wills. If He shall
leave me to be a doorkeeper in His house, I will cheerfully bless Him for His
grace in permitting me to do anything in His service. The call of Christ's
servants comes from above. Jesus stands on the mountain, evermore above the
world in holiness, earnestness, love and power. Those whom He calls must go up
the mountain to Him, they must seek to rise to His
level by living in constant communion with Him. They may not be able to mount
to classic honours, or attain scholastic eminence,
but they must like Moses go up into the mount of God and have familiar
intercourse with the unseen God, or they will never be fitted to proclaim the
gospel of peace. Jesus went apart to hold high fellowship with the Father, and
we must enter into the same divine companionship if we would bless our
fellowmen. No wonder that the apostles were clothed with power when they came
down fresh from the mountain where Jesus was. This morning we must endeavour to ascend the mount of communion, that there we
may be ordained to the lifework for which we are set apart. Let us not see the
face of man to-day till we have seen Jesus. Time spent
with Him is laid out at blessed interest. We too shall cast out devils and work
wonders if we go down into the world girded with that divine energy which
Christ alone can give. It is of no use going to the Lord's battle till we are
armed with heavenly weapons. We must see Jesus,
this is essential. At the mercy-seat
we will linger till He shall manifest Himself unto us as He doth not unto the
world, and until we can truthfully say, "We were with Him in the Holy
Mount."
Evening
"Evening
wolves."—Habakkuk 1:8.
While preparing the present
volume, this particular expression recurred to me so frequently, that in order
to be rid of its constant importunity I determined to give a page to it. The
evening wolf, infuriated by a day of hunger, was fiercer and more ravenous than
he would have been in the morning. May not the furious creature represent our
doubts and fears after a day of distraction of mind, losses in business, and
perhaps ungenerous tauntings from our fellow men? How
our thoughts howl in our ears, "Where is now thy God?" How voracious
and greedy they are, swallowing up all suggestions of comfort, and remaining as
hungry as before. Great Shepherd, slay these evening wolves, and bid Thy sheep
lie down in green pastures, undisturbed by insatiable unbelief. How like are
the fiends of hell to evening wolves, for when the flock of Christ are in a
cloudy and dark day, and their sun seems going down, they hasten to tear and to
devour. They will scarcely attack the Christian in the daylight of faith, but
in the gloom of soul conflict they fall upon him. O Thou who hast laid down Thy
life for the sheep, preserve them from the fangs of the wolf.
False teachers
who craftily and industriously hunt for the precious life, devouring men by
their false-hoods, are as dangerous and detestable as evening wolves. Darkness
is their element, deceit is their character, destruction
is their end. We are most in danger from them when they wear the sheep's skin.
Blessed is he who is kept from them, for thousands are made the prey of
grievous wolves that enter within the fold of the church.
What a wonder of grace it
is when fierce persecutors are converted, for then the wolf dwells with the
lamb, and men of cruel ungovernable dispositions become gentle and teachable. O
Lord, convert many such: for such we will pray to-night.