Morning “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” / Hebrews 4:9

How different will be the state of the believer in heaven from what it is

here! Here he is born to toil and suffer weariness, but in the land of the

immortal, fatigue is never known. Anxious to serve his Master, he finds his

strength unequal to his zeal: his constant cry is, “Help me to serve thee, O

my God.” If he be thoroughly active, he will have much labour; not too much

for his will, but more than enough for his power, so that he will cry out, “I

am not wearied of the labour, but I am wearied in it.” Ah! Christian, the hot

day of weariness lasts not forever; the sun is nearing the horizon; it shall

rise again with a brighter day than thou hast ever seen upon a land where they

serve God day and night, and yet rest from their labours. Here, rest is but

partial, there, it is perfect. Here, the Christian is always unsettled; he

feels that he has not yet attained. There, all are at rest; they have attained

the summit of the mountain; they have ascended to the bosom of their God.

Higher they cannot go. Ah, toil-worn labourer, only think when thou shalt rest

forever! Canst thou conceive it? It is a rest eternal; a rest that

“remaineth.” Here, my best joys bear “mortal” on their brow; my fair flowers

fade; my dainty cups are drained to dregs; my sweetest birds fall before

Death’s arrows; my most pleasant days are shadowed into nights; and the

flood-tides of my bliss subside into ebbs of sorrow; but there, everything is

immortal; the harp abides unrusted, the crown unwithered, the eye undimmed,

the voice unfaltering, the heart unwavering, and the immortal being is wholly

absorbed in infinite delight. Happy day! happy! when mortality shall be

swallowed up of life, and the Eternal Sabbath shall begin.

 

Evening  “He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

/ Luke 24:27

The two disciples on the road to Emmaus had a most profitable journey. Their

companion and teacher was the best of tutors; the interpreter one of a

thousand, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Lord

Jesus condescended to become a preacher of the gospel, and he was not ashamed

to exercise his calling before an audience of two persons, neither does he now

refuse to become the teacher of even one. Let us court the company of so

excellent an Instructor, for till he is made unto us wisdom we shall never be

wise unto salvation.

This unrivalled tutor used as his class-book the best of books. Although able

to reveal fresh truth, he preferred to expound the old. He knew by his

omniscience what was the most instructive way of teaching, and by turning at

once to Moses and the prophets, he showed us that the surest road to wisdom is

not speculation, reasoning, or reading human books, but meditation upon the

Word of God. The readiest way to be spiritually rich in heavenly knowledge is

to dig in this mine of diamonds, to gather pearls from this heavenly sea. When

Jesus himself sought to enrich others, he wrought in the quarry of Holy

Scripture.

The favoured pair were led to consider the best of subjects, for Jesus spake

of Jesus, and expounded the things concerning himself. Here the diamond cut

the diamond, and what could be more admirable? The Master of the House

unlocked his own doors, conducted the guests to his table, and placed his own

dainties upon it. He who hid the treasure in the field himself guided the

searchers to it. Our Lord would naturally discourse upon the sweetest of

topics, and he could find none sweeter than his own person and work: with an

eye to these we should always search the Word. O for grace to study the Bible

with Jesus as both our teacher and our lesson!