Morning   “Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.”    Song of Solomon 2:10

Lo, I hear the voice of my Beloved! He speaks to me! Fair weather is smiling

upon the face of the earth, and he would not have me spiritually asleep while

nature is all around me awaking from her winter’s rest. He bids me “Rise up,”

and well he may; for I have long enough been lying among the pots of

worldliness. He is risen, I am risen in him, why then should I cleave unto the

dust? From lower loves, desires, pursuits, and aspirations, I would rise towards

him. He calls me by the sweet title of “My love,” and counts me fair; this is a

good argument for my rising. If he has thus exalted me, and thinks me thus

comely, how can I linger in the tents of Kedar and find congenial associates

among  the sons of men? He bids me “Come away.” Further and further from everything

selfish, grovelling, worldly, sinful, he calls me; yea, from the outwardly

religious world which knows him not, and has no sympathy with the mystery of the

higher life, he calls me. “Come away” has no harsh sound in it to my ear, for

what is there to hold me in this wilderness of vanity and sin? O my Lord, would

that I could come away, but I am taken among the thorns, and cannot escape from

them as I would. I would, if it were possible, have neither eyes, nor ears, nor

heart for sin. Thou callest me to thyself by saying “Come away,” and this is a

melodious call indeed. To come to thee is to come home from exile,

to come to land out of the raging storm, to come to rest after long labour, to

come to the goal of my desires and the summit of my wishes. But Lord, how can a

stone rise, how can a lump of clay come away from the horrible pit? O raise me,

draw me. Thy grace can do it. Send forth thy Holy Spirit to kindle sacred flames

of love in my heart, and I will continue to rise until I leave life and time

behind me, and indeed come away.

 

Evening    “If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.”    Revelation 3:20

What is your desire this evening? Is it set upon heavenly things? Do you long to

enjoy the high doctrine of eternal love? Do you desire liberty in very close

communion with God? Do you aspire to know the heights, and depths, and lengths,

and breadths? Then you must draw near to Jesus; you must get a clear sight of

him in his preciousness and completeness; you must view him in his work, in his

offices, in his person. He who understands Christ, receives an anointing from

the Holy One, by which he knows all things. Christ is the great master-key of

all the chambers of God; there is no treasure-house of God which will not open

and yield up all its wealth to the soul that lives near to Jesus.

Are you saying, “O that he would dwell in my bosom”? “Would that he would make

my heart his dwelling-place forever”? Open the door, beloved, and he will come

into your souls. He has long been knocking, and all with this object, that he

may sup with you, and you with him. He sups with you because you find the house

or the heart, and you with him because he brings the provision. He could not sup

with you if it were not in your heart, you finding the house; nor could you sup

with him, for you have a bare cupboard, if he did not bring provision with him.

Fling wide, then, the portals of your soul. He will come with that love which

you long to feel; he will come with that joy into which you

cannot work your poor depressed spirit; he will bring the peace which now you

have not; he will come with his flagons of wine and sweet apples of love, and

cheer you till you have no other sickness but that of “love o’erpowering, love

divine.” Only open the door to him, drive out his enemies, give him the keys of

your heart, and he will dwell there forever. Oh, wondrous love, that brings such

a guest to dwell in such a heart!