Morning    To whom be glory forever. Amen” / Romans 11:36

“To whom be glory forever.” This should be the single desire of the Christian.

All other wishes must be subservient and tributary to this one. The Christian

may wish for prosperity in his business, but only so far as it may help him to

promote this–“To him be glory forever.” He may desire to attain more gifts

and more graces, but it should only be that “To him may be glory forever.” You

are not acting as you ought to do when you are moved by any other motive than

a single eye to your Lord’s glory. As a Christian, you are “of God, and

through God,” then live “to God.” Let nothing ever set your heart beating so

mightily as love to him. Let this ambition fire your soul; be this the

foundation of every enterprise upon which you enter, and this your sustaining

motive whenever your zeal would grow chill; make God your only object. Depend

upon it, where self begins sorrow begins; but if God be my supreme delight and

only object,

“To me ’tis equal whether love ordain

My life or death–appoint me ease or pain.”

Let your desire for God’s glory be a growing desire. You blessed him in your

youth, do not be content with such praises as you gave him then. Has God

prospered you in business? Give him more as he has given you more. Has God

given you experience? Praise him by stronger faith than you exercised at

first. Does your knowledge grow? Then sing more sweetly. Do you enjoy happier

times than you once had? Have you been restored from sickness, and has your

sorrow been turned into peace and joy? Then give him more music; put more

coals and more sweet frankincense into the censer of your praise. Practically

in your life give him honour, putting the “Amen” to this doxology to your

great and gracious Lord, by your own individual service and increasing

holiness.

 

Evening  “He that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.” / Ecclesiastes 10:9

Oppressors may get their will of poor and needy men as easily as they can

split logs of wood, but they had better mind, for it is a dangerous business,

and a splinter from a tree has often killed the woodman. Jesus is persecuted

in every injured saint, and he is mighty to avenge his beloved ones. Success

in treading down the poor and needy is a thing to be trembled at: if there be

no danger to persecutors here there will be great danger hereafter.

To cleave wood is a common every-day business, and yet it has its dangers; so

then, reader, there are dangers connected with your calling and daily life

which it will be well for you to be aware of. We refer not to hazards by flood

and field, or by disease and sudden death, but to perils of a spiritual sort.

Your occupation may be as humble as log splitting, and yet the devil can tempt

you in it. You may be a domestic servant, a farm labourer, or a mechanic, and

you may be greatly screened from temptations to the grosser vices, and yet

some secret sin may do you damage. Those who dwell at home, and mingle not

with the rough world, may yet be endangered by their very seclusion. Nowhere

is he safe who thinks himself so. Pride may enter a poor man’s heart; avarice

may reign in a cottager’s bosom; uncleanness may venture into the quietest

home; and anger, and envy, and malice may insinuate themselves into the most

rural abode. Even in speaking a few words to a servant we may sin; a little

purchase at a shop may be the first link in a chain of temptations; the mere

looking out of a window may be the beginning of evil. O Lord, how exposed we

are! How shall we be secured! To keep ourselves is work too hard for us: only

thou thyself art able to preserve us in such a world of evils. Spread thy

wings over us, and we, like little chickens, will cower down beneath thee, and

feel ourselves safe!