Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
June 7
Morning
"Ye that love the Lord hate evil."—Psalm 97:10.
Thou hast good
reason to "hate evil," for only consider what harm it has already
wrought thee. Oh, what a world of mischief sin has brought into thy heart! Sin
blinded thee so that thou couldst not see the beauty
of the Saviour; it made thee deaf so that thou couldst not hear the Redeemer's tender invitations. Sin
turned thy feet into the way of death, and poured poison into the very fountain
of thy being; it tainted thy heart, and made it "deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked." Oh, what a creature thou wast when evil had done its utmost with thee, before divine
grace interposed! Thou wast an heir of wrath even as
others; thou didst "run with the multitude to do evil." Such were all
of us; but Paul reminds us, "but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but
ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God." We have good reason, indeed, for hating evil when we look back and
trace its deadly workings. Such mischief did evil do us, that our souls would
have been lost had not omnipotent love interfered to redeem us. Even now it is
an active enemy, ever watching to do us hurt, and to drag us to perdition.
Therefore "hate evil," O Christians, unless you desire trouble. If
you would strew your path with thorns, and plant nettles in your death-pillow, then
neglect to "hate evil"; but if you would live a happy life, and die a
peaceful death, then walk in all the ways of holiness, hating evil, even unto
the end. If you truly love your Saviour, and would honour Him, then "hate evil." We know of no cure
for the love of evil in a Christian like abundant intercourse with the Lord
Jesus. Dwell much with Him, and it is impossible for you to be at peace with
sin.
"Order my
footsteps by Thy Word,
And make my
heart sincere;
Let sin have no
dominion, Lord,
But keep my conscience
clear."
Evening
"Be zealous."—Revelation 3:19.
If you would see souls
converted, if you would hear the cry that "the kingdoms of this world have
become the kingdoms of our Lord"; if you would place crowns upon the head
of the Saviour, and His throne lifted high, then be
filled with zeal. For, under God, the way of the world's
conversion must be by the zeal of the church. Every grace shall do
exploits, but this shall be first; prudence, knowledge, patience, and courage
will follow in their places, but zeal must lead the van. It is not the extent
of your knowledge, though that is useful; it is not the extent of your talent,
though that is not to be despised; it is your zeal that shall do great
exploits. This zeal is the fruit of the Holy Spirit: it draws its vital force
from the continued operations of the Holy Ghost in the soul. If our
inner life dwindles, if our heart beats slowly before God, we shall not know
zeal; but if all be strong and vigorous within, then we cannot but feel a
loving anxiety to see the kingdom of Christ come, and His will done on earth,
even as it is in heaven. A deep sense of gratitude will nourish
Christian zeal. Looking to the hole of the pit whence we were digged, we find abundant reason why we should spend and be
spent for God. And zeal is also stimulated by the thought of the eternal
future. It looks with tearful eyes down to the flames of hell, and it
cannot slumber: it looks up with anxious gaze to the glories of heaven, and it
cannot but bestir itself. It feels that time is short compared with the work to
be done, and therefore it devotes all that it has to the cause of its Lord. And
it is ever strengthened by the remembrance of Christ's example. He was
clothed with zeal as with a cloak. How swift the chariot-wheels of duty went
with Him! He knew no loitering by the way. Let us prove that we are His
disciples by manifesting the same spirit of zeal.