Evening and Morning
By Charles
Haddon Spurgeon
April 1
Morning
"Let Him kiss me with the
kisses of His mouth."—Song of Solomon 1:2.
For several days we have
been dwelling upon the Saviour's passion, and for
some little time to come we shall linger there. In beginning a new month, let
us seek the same desires after our Lord as those which
glowed in the heart of the elect spouse. See how she leaps at once to Him;
there are no prefatory words; she does not even mention His name; she is in the
heart of her theme at once, for she speaks of Him who was the only Him
in the world to her. How bold is her love! it was much
condescension which permitted the weeping penitent to anoint His feet with
spikenard—it was rich love which allowed the gentle Mary to sit at His
feet and learn of Him—but here, love, strong, fervent love, aspires to
higher tokens of regard, and closer signs of fellowship. Esther trembled in the
presence of Ahasuerus, but the spouse in joyful
liberty of perfect love knows no fear. If we have received the same free
spirit, we also may ask the like. By kisses we suppose to be intended those
varied manifestations of affection by which the believer is made to enjoy the
love of Jesus. The kiss of reconciliation we enjoyed at our conversion,
and it was sweet as honey dropping from the comb. The kiss of acceptance
is still warm on our brow, as we know that He hath accepted our persons and our
works through rich grace. The kiss of daily, present communion, is that
which we pant after to be repeated day after day, till it is changed into the
kiss of reception, which removes the soul from earth, and the kiss of consummation
which fills it with the joy of heaven. Faith is our walk, but fellowship
sensibly felt is our rest. Faith is the road, but communion with Jesus is the
well from which the pilgrim drinks. O lover of our souls, be not strange to us;
let the lips of Thy blessing meet the lips of our asking; let the lips of Thy fulness touch the lips of our need, and straightway the
kiss will be effected.
Evening
"It is time to seek the Lord."—Hosea
10:12.
HIS month
of April is said to derive its name from the Latin verb aperio,
which signifies to open, because all the buds and blossoms are now
opening, and we have arrived at the gates of the flowery year. Reader, if you
are yet unsaved, may your heart, in accord with the universal awakening of
nature, be opened to receive the Lord. Every blossoming flower warns you that it
is time to seek the Lord; be not out of tune with nature, but let your
heart bud and bloom with holy desires. Do you tell me that the warm blood of
youth leaps in your veins? then, I entreat you, give
your vigour to the Lord. It was my unspeakable
happiness to be called in early youth, and I could fain praise the Lord every
day for it. Salvation is priceless, let it come when it may, but oh! an early salvation has a double value in it. Young men and
maidens, since you may perish ere you reach your prime, "It is time to
seek the Lord." Ye who feel the first signs of decay, quicken your
pace: that hollow cough, that hectic flush, are warnings which you must not
trifle with; with you it is indeed time to seek the Lord. Did I observe a
little grey mingled with your once luxurious tresses? Years are stealing on
apace, and death is drawing nearer by hasty marches, let each return of spring
arouse you to set your house in order. Dear reader, if you are now advanced in
life, let me entreat and implore you to delay no longer. There is a day of
grace for you now—be thankful for that, but it is a limited season and
grows shorter every time that clock ticks. Here in this silent chamber, on this
first night of another month, I speak to you as best I can by paper and ink,
and from my inmost soul, as God's servant, I lay before you this warning, "It
is time to seek the Lord." Slight not that work, it
may be your last call from destruction, the final syllable from the lip of
grace.