Morning “The church in thy house.” / Philemon 2

Is there a Church in this house? Are parents, children, friends, servants, all

members of it? or are some still unconverted? Let us pause here and let the

question go round–Am I a member of the Church in this house? How would

father’s heart leap for joy, and mother’s eyes fill with holy tears if from

the eldest to the youngest all were saved! Let us pray for this great mercy

until the Lord shall grant it to us. Probably it had been the dearest object

of Philemon’s desires to have all his household saved; but it was not at first

granted him in its fulness. He had a wicked servant, Onesimus, who, having

wronged him, ran away from his service. His master’s prayers followed him, and

at last, as God would have it, Onesimus was led to hear Paul preach; his heart

was touched, and he returned to Philemon, not only to be a faithful servant,

but a brother beloved, adding another member to the Church in Philemon’s

house. Is there an unconverted servant or child absent this morning? Make

special supplication that such may, on their return to their home, gladden all

hearts with good news of what grace has done! Is there one present? Let him

partake in the same earnest entreaty.

If there be such a Church in our house, let us order it well, and let all act

as in the sight of God. Let us move in the common affairs of life with studied

holiness, diligence, kindness, and integrity. More is expected of a Church

than of an ordinary household; family worship must, in such a case, be more

devout and hearty; internal love must be more warm and unbroken, and external

conduct must be more sanctified and Christlike. We need not fear that the

smallness of our number will put us out of the list of Churches, for the Holy

Spirit has here enrolled a family-church in the inspired book of remembrance.

As a Church let us now draw nigh to the great head of the one Church

universal, and let us beseech him to give us grace to shine before men to the

glory of his name.

 

Evening “And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away: so shall also the

coming of the Son of man be.” / Matthew 24:39

Universal was the doom, neither rich nor poor escaped: the learned and the

illiterate, the admired and the abhorred, the religious and the profane, the

old and the young, all sank in one common ruin. Some had doubtless ridiculed

the patriarch–where now their merry jests? Others had threatened him for his

zeal which they counted madness–where now their boastings and hard speeches?

The critic who judged the old man’s work is drowned in the same sea which

covers his sneering companions. Those who spoke patronizingly of the good

man’s fidelity to his convictions, but shared not in them, have sunk to rise

no more, and the workers who for pay helped to build the wondrous ark, are all

lost also. The flood swept them all away, and made no single exception. Even

so, out of Christ, final destruction is sure to every man of woman born; no

rank, possession, or character, shall suffice to save a single soul who has

not believed in the Lord Jesus. My soul, behold this wide-spread judgment and

tremble at it.

How marvellous the general apathy! they were all eating and drinking, marrying

and giving in marriage, till the awful morning dawned. There was not one wise

man upon earth out of the ark. Folly duped the whole race, folly as to

self-preservation–the most foolish of all follies. Folly in doubting the most

true God–the most malignant of fooleries. Strange, my soul, is it not? All

men are negligent of their souls till grace gives them reason, then they leave

their madness and act like rational beings, but not till then.

All, blessed be God, were safe in the ark, no ruin entered there. From the

huge elephant down to the tiny mouse all were safe. The timid hare was equally

secure with the courageous lion, the helpless cony as safe as the laborious

ox. All are safe in Jesus. My soul, art thou in him?