Morning  “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion.” / Revelation 14:1

The apostle John was privileged to look within the gates of heaven, and in

describing what he saw, he begins by saying, “I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!” This

teaches us that the chief object of contemplation in the heavenly state is

“the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.” Nothing else

attracted the apostle’s attention so much as the person of that Divine Being,

who hath redeemed us by his blood. He is the theme of the songs of all

glorified spirits and holy angels. Christian, here is joy for thee; thou hast

looked, and thou hast seen the Lamb. Through thy tears thine eyes have seen

the Lamb of God taking away thy sins. Rejoice, then. In a little while, when

thine eyes shall have been wiped from tears, thou wilt see the same Lamb

exalted on his throne. It is the joy of thy heart to hold daily fellowship

with Jesus; thou shalt have the same joy to a higher degree in heaven; thou

shalt enjoy the constant vision of his presence; thou shalt dwell with him

forever. “I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!” Why, that Lamb is heaven itself; for as

good Rutherford says, “Heaven and Christ are the same thing;” to be with

Christ is to be in heaven, and to be in heaven is to be with Christ. That

prisoner of the Lord very sweetly writes in one of his glowing letters–“O my

Lord Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven without thee, it would be a hell;

and if I could be in hell, and have thee still, it would be a heaven to me,

for thou art all the heaven I want.” It is true, is it not, Christian? Does

not thy soul say so?

“Not all the harps above

Can make a heavenly place,

If God his residence remove,

Or but conceal his face.”

All thou needest to make thee blessed, supremely blessed, is “to be with

Christ.”

 

Evening  “And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and

walked upon the roof of the king’s house.” / 2 Samuel 11:2

At that hour David saw Bathsheba. We are never out of the reach of temptation.

Both at home and abroad we are liable to meet with allurements to evil; the

morning opens with peril, and the shades of evening find us still in jeopardy.

They are well kept whom God keeps, but woe unto those who go forth into the

world, or even dare to walk their own house unarmed. Those who think

themselves secure are more exposed to danger than any others. The

armour-bearer of Sin is Self-confidence.

David should have been engaged in fighting the Lord’s battles, instead of

which he tarried at Jerusalem, and gave himself up to luxurious repose, for he

arose from his bed at eventide. Idleness and luxury are the devil’s jackals,

and find him abundant prey. In stagnant waters noxious creatures swarm, and

neglected soil soon yields a dense tangle of weeds and briars. Oh for the

constraining love of Jesus to keep us active and useful! When I see the King

of Israel sluggishly leaving his couch at the close of the day, and falling at

once into temptation, let me take warning, and set holy watchfulness to guard

the door.

Is it possible that the king had mounted his housetop for retirement and

devotion? If so, what a caution is given us to count no place, however secret,

a sanctuary from sin! While our hearts are so like a tinder-box, and sparks so

plentiful, we had need use all diligence in all places to prevent a blaze.

Satan can climb housetops, and enter closets, and even if we could shut out

that foul fiend, our own corruptions are enough to work our ruin unless grace

prevent. Reader, beware of evening temptations. Be not secure. The sun is down

but sin is up. We need a watchman for the night as well as a guardian for the

day. O blessed Spirit, keep us from all evil this night. Amen.