Morning  “Fellow citizens with the saints.” / Ephesians 2:19

 What is meant by our being citizens in heaven? It means that we are under

heaven’s government. Christ the king of heaven reigns in our hearts; our daily

prayer is, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The proclamations

issued from the throne of glory are freely received by us: the decrees of the

Great King we cheerfully obey. Then as citizens of the New Jerusalem, we share

heaven’s honours. The glory which belongs to beatified saints belongs to us,

for we are already sons of God, already princes of the blood imperial; already

we wear the spotless robe of Jesus’ righteousness; already we have angels for

our servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our Brother, God for our

Father, and a crown of immortality for our reward. We share the honours of

citizenship, for we have come to the general assembly and Church of the

first-born whose names are written in heaven. As citizens, we have common

rights to all the property of heaven. Ours are its gates of pearl and walls of

chrysolite; ours the azure light of the city that needs no candle nor light of

the sun; ours the river of the water of life, and the twelve manner of fruits

which grow on the trees planted on the banks thereof; there is nought in

heaven that belongeth not to us. “Things present, or things to come,” all are

ours. Also as citizens of heaven we enjoy its delights. Do they there rejoice

over sinners that repent–prodigals that have returned? So do we. Do they

chant the glories of triumphant grace? We do the same. Do they cast their

crowns at Jesus’ feet? Such honours as we have we cast there too. Are they

charmed with his smile? It is not less sweet to us who dwell below. Do they

look forward, waiting for his second advent? We also look and long for his

appearing. If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions

be consistent with our high dignity.

 

Evening “And the evening and the morning were the first day.” / Genesis 1:5

 The evening was “darkness” and the morning was “light,” and yet the two

together are called by the name that is given to the light alone! This is

somewhat remarkable, but it has an exact analogy in spiritual experience. In

every believer there is darkness and light, and yet he is not to be named a

sinner because there is sin in him, but he is to be named a saint because he

possesses some degree of holiness. This will be a most comforting thought to

those who are mourning their infirmities, and who ask, “Can I be a child of

God while there is so much darkness in me?” Yes; for you, like the day, take

not your name from the evening, but from the morning; and you are spoken of in

the word of God as if you were even now perfectly holy as you will be soon.

You are called the child of light, though there is darkness in you still. You

are named after what is the predominating quality in the sight of God, which

will one day be the only principle remaining. Observe that the evening comes

first. Naturally we are darkness first in order of time, and the gloom is

often first in our mournful apprehension, driving us to cry out in deep

humiliation, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” The place of the morning is

second, it dawns when grace overcomes nature. It is a blessed aphorism of John

Bunyan, “That which is last, lasts forever.” That which is first, yields in

due season to the last; but nothing comes after the last. So that though you

are naturally darkness, when once you become light in the Lord, there is no

evening to follow; “thy sun shall no more go down.” The first day in this life

is an evening and a morning; but the second day, when we shall be with God,

forever, shall be a day with no evening, but one, sacred, high, eternal noon.