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March 17 |
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Morning Reading |
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Evening
Reading |
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"Remember the poor." |
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Galatians 2:10 |
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Why does God allow so many
of his children to be poor? He could make them all rich
if he pleased; he could lay bags of gold at their doors;
he could send them a large annual income; or he could
scatter round their houses abundance of provisions, as
once he made the quails lie in heaps round the camp of
Israel, and rained bread out of heaven to feed them.
There is no necessity that they should be poor, except
that he sees it to be best.
"The cattle upon a thousand hills are his" — he
could supply them; he could make the richest, the
greatest, and the mightiest bring all their power and
riches to the feet of his children, for the hearts of
all men are in his control. But he does not choose to do
so; he allows them to suffer want, he allows them to
pine in penury and obscurity. Why is this? There are
many reasons: one is, to give us, who are favoured
with
enough, an opportunity of showing our love to Jesus.
We show our love to Christ when we sing of him and when
we pray to him; but if there were no sons of need in the
world we should lose the sweet privilege of evidencing
our love, by ministering in alms-giving to his poorer
brethren; he has ordained that thus we should prove that
our love standeth not in word only, but in deed and in
truth. If we truly love Christ, we shall care for those
who are loved by him. Those who are dear to him will be
dear to us. Let us then look upon it not as a duty but
as a privilege to relieve the poor of the Lord's flock —
remembering the words of the Lord Jesus,
"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Surely
this assurance is sweet enough, and this motive strong
enough to lead us to help others with a willing hand and
a loving heart — recollecting that all we do for his
people is graciously accepted by Christ as done to
himself. |
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Evening Reading |
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"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they
shall be called the children of God." |
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Matthew 5:9 |
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This is the seventh of the beatitudes: and
seven was the number of perfection among the Hebrews. It
may be that the Saviour placed the peacemaker the
seventh upon the list because he most nearly approaches
the perfect man in Christ Jesus. He who would have
perfect blessedness, so far as it can be enjoyed on
earth, must attain to this seventh benediction, and
become a peacemaker. There is a significance also in the
position of the text. The verse which precedes it speaks
of the blessedness of
"the pure in heart: for they shall see God." It is
well to understand that we are to be
"first pure, then peaceable." Our peaceableness is
never to be a compact with sin, or toleration of evil.
We must set our faces like flints against everything
which is contrary to God and his holiness: purity being
in our souls a settled matter, we can go on to
peaceableness. Not less does the verse that follows seem
to have been put there on purpose. However peaceable we
may be in this world, yet we shall be misrepresented and
misunderstood: and no marvel, for even the Prince of
Peace, by his very peacefulness, brought fire upon the
earth. He himself, though he loved mankind, and did no
ill, was
"despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief." Lest, therefore, the
peaceable in heart should be surprised when they meet
with enemies, it is added in the following verse,
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven." Thus, the peacemakers are not only
pronounced to be blessed, but they are compassed about
with blessings. Lord, give us grace to climb to this
seventh beatitude! Purify our minds that we may be
"first pure, then peaceable," and fortify our souls,
that our peaceableness may not lead us into cowardice
and despair, when for thy sake we are persecuted. |
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