September 27

Morning

Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord! — Deut 33:29

He who affirms that Christianity makes men miserable, is himself an utter stranger to it. It were strange indeed, if it made us wretched, for see to what a position it exalts us! It makes us sons of God! Do you suppose that God will give all the happiness to His enemies, and reserve all the mourning for His own family? Shall His foes have mirth and joy, and shall His children inherit sorrow and wretchedness? Shall the sinner, who has no part in Christ, call himself rich in happiness; and shall we go mourning as if we were penniless beggars? No, we will rejoice in the Lord always, and glory in our inheritance, for we “have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father!”

The rod of chastisement must rest upon us in our measure but it works for us the comfortable fruits of righteousness; and therefore by the aid of the divine Comforter, we, the “people saved of the Lord,” will rejoice in the God of our salvation. We are married unto Christ; and shall our great Bridegroom permit His spouse to linger in constant grief? Our hearts are knit unto Him—we are His members, and though for a while we may suffer as our Head once suffered—yet we are even now blessed with heavenly blessings in Him. We have the pledge of our inheritance in the comforts of the Spirit, which are neither few nor small. Inheritors of joy forever, we have foretastes of our portion. There are streaks of the light of joy to herald our eternal sun-rising. Our riches are beyond the sea! Our city with firm foundations lies on the other side of the river! Gleams of glory from the eternal world cheer our hearts, and urge us onward. Truly it is said of us, “Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like unto you, O people saved by the Lord!”

Evening

My Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. — Song 5:4

Knocking was not enough, for my heart was too full of sleep, too cold and ungrateful to arise and open the door but the touch of His effectual grace has made my soul bestir itself. Oh, the long-suffering of my Beloved, to tarry when He found Himself shut out and me asleep upon the bed of sloth! Oh, the greatness of His patience, to knock and knock again, and to add His voice to His knockings, beseeching me to open to Him! How could I have refused Him! O my base heart—blush and be confounded! But what greatest kindness of all is this, that He becomes His own porter and unbars the door Himself. Thrice blessed is the hand which condescends to lift the latch and turn the key.

Now I see that nothing but my Lord’s own power can save such a naughty mass of wickedness as I am; ordinances fail, even the gospel has no effect upon me, until His hand is stretched out.

Now, also, I perceive that His hand is good where all else is unsuccessful, He can open when nothing else can. Blessed be His name, I feel His gracious presence even now. Well may my affections move for Him, when I think of all that He has suffered for me, and of my ungenerous return. I have allowed my affections to wander. I have set up rivals. I have grieved Him.

Sweetest and dearest of all beloveds, I have treated You as an unfaithful wife treats her husband. Oh, my cruel sins, my cruel self. What can I do? Tears are a poor show of my repentance, my whole heart boils with indignation at myself. Wretch that I am, to treat my Lord, my All in All, my exceeding great joy—as though He were a stranger. Jesus, you forgive freely but this is not enough, prevent my unfaithfulness in the future. Kiss away these tears, and then purge my heart and bind it with sevenfold cords to Yourself, never more to wander!