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March 11 |
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Morning Reading |
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Evening
Reading |
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"Sin ... exceeding sinful." |
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Romans 7:13 |
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Beware of light thoughts
of sin. At the time of conversion, the conscience is so
tender, that we are afraid of the slightest sin. Young
converts have a holy timidity, a godly fear lest they
should offend against God. But alas! very soon the fine
bloom upon these first ripe fruits is removed by the
rough handling of the surrounding world: the sensitive
plant of young piety turns into a willow in after life,
too pliant, too easily yielding. It is sadly true, that
even a Christian may grow by degrees so callous, that
the sin which once startled him does not alarm him in
the least. By degrees men get familiar with sin. The ear
in which the cannon has been booming will not notice
slight sounds. At first a little sin startles us; but
soon we say, "Is it not a little one?" Then there comes
another, larger, and then another, until by degrees we
begin to regard sin as but a little ill; and then
follows an unholy presumption: "We have not fallen into
open sin. True, we tripped a little, but we stood
upright in the main. We may have uttered one unholy
word, but as for the most of our conversation, it has
been consistent." So we palliate sin; we throw a cloak
over it; we call it by dainty names. Christian, beware
how thou thinkest lightly of sin. Take heed lest thou
fall by little and little. Sin, a little thing? Is it not a poison? Who knows its
deadliness? Sin, a little thing? Do not the little foxes
spoil the grapes? Doth not the tiny coral insect build a
rock which wrecks a navy? Do not little strokes fell
lofty oaks? Will not continual droppings wear away
stones? Sin, a little thing? It girded the Redeemer's
head with thorns, and pierced his heart! It made him
suffer anguish, bitterness, and woe. Could you weigh the
least sin in the scales of eternity, you would fly from
it as from a serpent, and abhor the least appearance of
evil. Look upon all sin as that which crucified the
Saviour, and you will see it to be "exceeding sinful." |
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Evening Reading |
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"Thou shalt be called, Sought out." |
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Isaiah 62:12 |
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The surpassing grace of
God is seen very clearly in that we were not only
sought, but sought out.
Men seek
for a thing which is lost upon the floor of the house,
but in such a case there is only seeking, not seeking
out. The loss is more perplexing and the search more
persevering when a thing is sought
out. We were mingled
with the mire: we were as when some precious piece of
gold falls into the sewer, and men gather out and
carefully inspect a mass of abominable filth, and
continue to stir and rake, and search among the heap
until the treasure is found. Or, to use another figure,
we were lost in a labyrinth; we wandered hither and
thither, and when mercy came after us with the gospel,
it did not find us at the first coming, it had to search
for us and seek us out; for we as lost sheep were so
desperately lost, and had wandered into such a strange
country, that it did not seem possible that even the
Good Shepherd should track our devious roamings. Glory
be to unconquerable grace, we were sought
out! No gloom could
hide us, no filthiness could conceal us, we were found
and brought home. Glory be to infinite love, God the
Holy Spirit restored us!
The lives of some of God's
people, if they could be written would fill us with holy
astonishment. Strange and marvellous are the ways which
God used in their case to find his own. Blessed be his
name, he never relinquishes the search until the chosen
are sought out effectually. They are not a people sought
to-day and cast away to-morrow. Almightiness and wisdom
combined will make no failures, they shall be called, "Sought
out!" That any should be sought out is matchless
grace, but that we
should be sought out is grace beyond degree! We can find
no reason for it but God's own sovereign love, and can
only lift up our heart in wonder, and praise the Lord
that this night we wear the name of "Sought
out." |
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