Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
November 14
Morning
"I will
cut off them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham."—Zephaniah 1:5.
Such persons thought
themselves safe because they were with both parties: they went with the
followers of Jehovah, and bowed at the same time to Malcham.
But duplicity is abominable with God, and hypocrisy His soul hateth. The idolater who
distinctly gives himself to his false god, has one sin less than he who brings
his polluted and detestable sacrifice unto the temple of the Lord, while his
heart is with the world and the sins thereof. To hold with the hare and run
with the hounds, is a dastard's policy. In the common
matters of daily life, a double-minded man is despised, but in religion he is
loathsome to the last degree. The penalty pronounced in the verse before us is
terrible, but it is well deserved; for how should divine justice spare the
sinner, who knows the right, approves it, and professes to follow it, and all
the while loves the evil, and gives it dominion in his heart?
My soul,
search thyself this morning, and see whether thou art guilty of
double-dealing. Thou professest to be a follower of
Jesus—dost thou truly love Him? Is thy heart right with God? Art thou of
the family of old Father Honest, or art thou a relative of Mr. By-ends? A name
to live is of little value if I be indeed dead in
trespasses and sins. To have one foot on the land of truth, and another on the
sea of falsehood, will involve a terrible fall and a total ruin. Christ will be
all or nothing. God fills the whole universe, and hence there is no room for
another god; if, then, He reigns in my heart, there will be no space for
another reigning power. Do I rest alone on Jesus crucified, and live alone for
Him? Is it my desire to do so? Is my heart set upon so doing? If so, blessed be
the mighty grace which has led me to salvation; and if
not so, O Lord, pardon my sad offence, and unite my heart to fear Thy name.
Evening
"And
Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to
give the younger before the firstborn."—Genesis 29:26.
We do not excuse Laban for
his dishonesty, but we scruple not to learn from the custom
which he quoted as his excuse. There are some things which must be taken
in order, and if we would win the second we must secure the first. The second
may be the more lovely in our eyes, but the rule of the heavenly country must
stand, and the elder must be married first. For instance, many men desire the
beautiful and well-favoured Rachel of joy and peace
in believing, but they must first be wedded to the tender-eyed Leah of
repentance. Every one falls in love with happiness, and many would cheerfully
serve twice seven years to enjoy it, but according to the rule of the Lord's
kingdom, the Leah of real holiness must be beloved of our soul before the
Rachel of true happiness can be attained. Heaven stands not first but second,
and only by persevering to the end can we win a portion in it. The cross must
be carried before the crown can be worn. We must follow our Lord in His
humiliation, or we shall never rest with Him in glory.
My soul, what sayest thou, art thou so vain as to hope to break through
the heavenly rule? Dost thou hope for reward without labour,
or honour without toil? Dismiss the idle expectation,
and be content to take the ill-favoured things for
the sake of the sweet love of Jesus, which will recompense thee for all. In
such a spirit, labouring and suffering, thou wilt
find bitters grow sweet, and hard things easy. Like Jacob, thy years of service
will seem unto thee but a few days for the love thou hast to Jesus; and when
the dear hour of the wedding feast shall come, all thy toils shall be as though
they had never been—an hour with Jesus will make up for ages of pain and labour.
Jesus, to win Thyself so fair, Thy cross I will with gladness bear: Since
so the rules of heaven ordain, The first I'll wed the next to gain.