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March 13 |
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Morning Reading |
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Evening
Reading |
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"Why sit we here until we die?" |
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2 Kings 7:3 |
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Dear reader, this little
book was mainly intended for the edification of
believers, but if you are yet unsaved, our heart yearns
over you: and we would fain say a word which may be
blessed to you. Open your Bible, and read the story of
the lepers, and mark their position, which was much the
same as yours. If you remain where you are you must
perish; if you go to Jesus you can but die. "Nothing
venture, nothing win," is the old proverb, and in your
case the venture is no great one. If you sit still in
sullen despair, no one can pity you when your ruin
comes; but if you die with mercy sought, if such a thing
were possible, you would be the object of universal
sympathy. None escape who refuse to look to Jesus; but
you know that, at any rate, some are saved who believe
in him, for certain of your own acquaintances have
received mercy: then why not you? The Ninevites said,
"Who can tell?" Act upon the same hope, and try the
Lord's mercy. To perish is so awful, that if there were
but a straw to catch at, the instinct of
self-preservation should lead you to stretch out your
hand. We have thus been talking to you on your own
unbelieving ground, we would now assure you, as from the
Lord, that if you seek him he will be found of you.
Jesus casts out none who come unto him. You shall not
perish if you trust him; on the contrary, you shall find
treasure far richer than the poor lepers gathered in
Syria's deserted camp. May the Holy Spirit embolden you
to go at once, and you shall not believe in vain. When
you are saved yourself, publish the good news to others.
Hold not your peace; tell the King's household first,
and unite with them in fellowship; let the porter of the
city, the minister, be informed of your discovery, and
then proclaim the good news in every place. The Lord
save thee ere the sun goes down this day. |
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Evening Reading |
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"Then he put forth his hand, and took her,
and pulled her in unto him into the ark." |
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Genesis 8:9 |
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Wearied out with her
wanderings, the dove returns at length to the ark as her
only resting place. How heavily she flies — she will
drop — she will never reach the ark! But she struggles
on. Noah has been looking out for his dove all day long,
and is ready to receive her. She has just strength to
reach the edge of the ark, she can hardly alight upon
it, and is ready to drop, when Noah puts forth his hand
and pulls her in unto him. Mark that: "pulled her in
unto him." She did not fly right in herself, but was
too fearful, or too weary to do so. She flew as far as
she could, and then he put forth his hand and pulled her
in unto him. This act of mercy was shown to the
wandering dove, and she was not chidden for her
wanderings. Just as she was she was pulled into the ark.
So you, seeking sinner, with all your sin, will be
received. "Only return" — those are God's two gracious
words — "only return." What! nothing else? No, "only
return." She had no olive branch in her mouth this time,
nothing at all but just herself and her wanderings; but
it is "only return," and she does return, and Noah pulls
her in. Fly, thou wanderer; fly thou fainting one, dove
as thou art, though thou thinkest thyself to be black as
the raven with the mire of sin, back, back to the
Saviour. Every moment thou waitest does but increase thy
misery; thine attempts to plume thyself and make thyself
fit for Jesus are all vanity. Come thou to him just as
thou art.
"Return, thou backsliding Israel." He does not say,
"Return, thou
repenting
Israel" (there is such an invitation doubtless), but
"thou backsliding
one," as a backslider with all thy backslidings about
thee, Return, return, return! Jesus is waiting for thee!
He will stretch forth his hand and "pull thee in" — in
to himself, thy heart's true home. |
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