From: Suzianty Herawati
"That He may set him with princes." --Psalm 113:8
Our spiritual privileges are of the highest order. "Among princes" is the place of
select society. "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus
Christ." Speak of
select society, there is none like this! "We are a chosen generation, a peculiar
people, a royal priesthood." "We are come unto the general assembly and church of the
first-born, whose
names are written in heaven." The saints have courtly audience: princes have
admittance to royalty when common people must stand afar off. The child of God has
free access to the
inner courts of heaven. "For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the
Father."
"Let us come boldly," says the apostle, "to the throne of the heavenly grace."
Among princes there is abundant wealth, but what is the abundance of princes compared
with the riches of believers? for "all things are yours, and ye are Christ's, and
Christ is God's."
"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not
with Him also freely give us all things?" Princes have peculiar power. A prince of
heaven's empire has great influence: he wields a sceptre in his own domain; he sits
upon Jesus' throne, for "He hath made us kings and priests unto God, and we shall
reign for ever and ever." We reign over the united
kingdom of time and eternity. Princes, again, have special honour. We may look down
upon all earth-born dignity from the eminence upon which grace has placed us. For what
is human
grandeur to this, "He hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus"? We share the honour of Christ, and compared with this,
earthly splendours are
not worth a thought. Communion with Jesus is a richer gem than ever glittered in
imperial diadem. Union with the Lord is a coronet of beauty outshining all the blaze
of imperial pomp.
by CH Spurgeon
=============================================
"Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will." --Ephesians 1:11
Our belief in God's wisdom supposes and necessitates that He has a settled purpose
and plan in the work of salvation. What would creation have been without His design?
Is there a fish
in the sea, or a fowl in the air, which was left to chance for its formation? Nay, in
every bone, joint, and muscle, sinew, gland, and blood-vessel, you mark the presence
of a God working
everything according to the design of infinite wisdom. And shall God be present in
creation, ruling over all, and not in grace?
Shall the new creation have the fickle genius of free will to preside over it when
divine counsel rules the old creation? Look at Providence! Who knoweth not that not a
sparrow falleth to
the ground without your Father? Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. God
weighs the mountains of our grief in scales, and the hills of our tribulation in
balances. And shall there be
a God in providence and not in grace? Shall the shell be ordained by wisdom and the
kernel be left to blind chance. No; He knows the end from the beginning. He sees in
its appointed
place, not merely the corner-stone which He has laid in fair colours, in the blood of
His dear Son, but He beholds in their ordained position each of the chosen stones
taken out of the quarry of nature, and polished by His grace; He sees the whole from
corner to cornice, from base to roof, from foundation to pinnacle. He hath in His mind
a clear knowledge of every stone which shall be laid in its prepared space, and how
vast the edifice shall be, and when the top-stone shall be brought forth with
shoutings of "Grace! Grace! unto it." At the last it shall be clearly seen that in
every chosen vessel of mercy, Jehovah did as He willed with His own; and that in every
part of the
work of grace He accomplished His purpose, and glorified His own name.
by CH Spurgeon
==========================================
"We know that all things work together for good to them that love God."
--Romans 8:28
Upon some points a believer is absolutely sure. He knows, for instance, that God
sits in the stern-sheets of the vessel when it rocks most. He believes that an
invisible hand is always on the world's tiller, and that wherever providence may
drift, Jehovah steers it. That re-assuring knowledge prepares him for everything. He
looks over the raging waters and sees the spirit of Jesus treading the billows, and he
hears a voice saying, "It is I, be not afraid."
He knows too that God is always wise, and, knowing this, he is confident that there
can be no accidents, no mistakes; that nothing can occur which ought not to arise. He
can say, "If I should lose all I have, it is better that I should lose than have, if
God so wills: the worst calamity is the wisest and the kindest thing that could befall
to me if God ordains it." "We know that all things work together for good to them that
love God." The Christian does not merely hold this as a theory, but he knows it as a
matter of fact. Everything has worked for good as yet; the poisonous drugs mixed in
fit proportions have worked the cure; the sharp cuts of the lancet have cleansed out
the proud flesh and facilitated the healing.
Every event as yet has worked out the most divinely blessed results; and so, believing
that God rules all, that He governs wisely, that He brings good out of evil, the
believer's heart is assured, and he is enabled calmly to meet each trial as it comes.
The believer can in the spirit of true resignation pray, "Send me what thou wilt, my
God, so long as it comes from Thee; never came there an ill portion from Thy table to
any of Thy children."
"Say not my soul, 'From whence can God relieve my care?
Remember that Omnipotence has servants everywhere.
His method is sublime, His heart profoundly kind,
God never is before His time, and never is behind.'"
by CH Spurgeon
=================================================
"The sweet psalmist of Israel." --2 Samuel 23:1
Among all the saints whose lives are recorded in Holy Writ, David possesses an
experience of the most striking, varied, and instructive character. In his history we
meet with trials and temptations not to be discovered, as a whole, in other saints of
ancient times, and hence he is all the more suggestive a type of our Lord. David knew
the trials of all ranks and conditions of men. Kings have their troubles, and David
wore a crown: the peasant has his cares, and David handled a shepherd's crook: the
wanderer has many hardships, and David abode in the caves of Engedi: the captain has
his difficulties, and David found the sons of Zeruiah too hard for him. The psalmist
was also tried in his friends, his counsellor Ahithophel forsook him, "He that eateth
bread with me, hath lifted up his heel against me." His worst foes were they of his
own household: his children were his greatest affliction. The temptations of poverty
and wealth, of honour and reproach, of health and weakness, all tried their power upon
him. He had temptations from without to disturb his peace, and from within to mar his
joy. David no sooner escaped from one trial than he fell into another; no sooner
emerged from one season of despondency and alarm, than he was again brought into the
lowest depths, and all God's waves and billows rolled over him. It is probably from
this cause that David's psalms are so universally the delight of experienced
Christians. Whatever our frame of mind, whether ecstasy or depression, David has
exactly described our emotions. He was an able master of the human heart, because he
had been tutored in the best of all schools--the school of heart-felt, personal
experience. As we are instructed in the same school, as we grow matured in grace and
in years, we increasingly appreciate David's psalms, and find them to be "green
pastures." My soul, let David's experience cheer and counsel thee this day.
by CH Spurgeon
=====================================================
"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?
by CH Spurgeon
==============================================
From: Suzianty Herawati
"Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn." --Ruth 2:2
Downcast and troubled Christian, come and glean to-day in the broad field of
promise. Here are abundance of precious promises, which exactly meet thy wants. Take
this one: "He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax."
Doth not that suit thy case? A reed, helpless, insignificant, and weak, a bruised
reed, out of which no music can come; weaker than weakness itself; a reed, and that
reed bruised, yet, He will not break thee; but on the contrary, will restore and
strengthen thee. Thou art like the smoking flax: no light, no warmth, can come from
thee; but He will not quench thee; He will blow with His sweet breath of mercy till He
fans thee to a
flame. Wouldst thou glean another ear?
"Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
What soft words! Thy heart is tender, and the Master knows it, and therefore He
speaketh so gently to thee. Wilt thou not obey Him, and come to Him even now?
Take another ear of corn: "Fear not, thou worm Jacob, I will help thee, saith the Lord
and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel."
How canst thou fear with such a wonderful assurance as this? Thou mayest gather ten
thousand such golden ears as these! "I have blotted out thy sins like a cloud, and
like a thick cloud thy transgressions." Or this, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they
shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Or this, "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and let him that is athirst come, and
whosoever will let him take the water of life freely." Our Master's field is very
rich; behold the handfuls.
See, there they lie before thee, poor timid believer! Gather them up, make them thine
own, for Jesus bids thee take them. Be not afraid, only believe! Grasp these sweet
promises, thresh them out by meditation and feed on them with joy.
by CH Spurgeon
=======================================
From: Suzianty Herawati
"Watchman, what of the night?" --Isaiah 21:11
_What enemies are abroad_? Errors are a numerous horde, and new ones appear every
hour: against what heresy am I to be on my guard? Sins creep from their lurking
places when the darkness reigns; I must myself mount the watch-tower, and watch unto
prayer. Our heavenly Protector foresees all the attacks which are about to be made
upon us, and when as yet the evil designed us is but in the desire of Satan, He prays
for us that our faith fail not, when we are sifted as wheat. Continue O gracious
Watchman, to forewarn us of our foes, and for Zion's sake hold not thy peace.
"Watchman, what of the night?" What weather is coming for the Church? Are the
clouds lowering, or is it all clear and fair overhead? We must care for the Church of
God with anxious love; and now that Popery and infidelity are both threatening, let us
observe the signs of the times and prepare for conflict.
"Watchman, what of the night?" What stars are visible ?
What precious promises suit our present case? You sound the alarm, give us the
consolation also. Christ, the polestar, is ever fixed in His place, and all the stars
are secure in the right hand of their Lord.
But watchman, when comes the morning ? The Bridegroom tarries. Are there no signs
of His coming forth as the Sun of Righteousness? Has not the morning star arisen as
the pledge of day? When will the day dawn, and the shadows flee away? O Jesus,
if Thou come not in person to Thy waiting Church this day, yet come in Spirit to my
sighing heart, and make it sing for joy.
"Now all the earth is bright and glad
With the fresh morn;
But all my heart is cold, and dark and sad:
Sun of the soul, let me behold Thy dawn!
Come, Jesus, Lord,
O quickly come, according to Thy word."
by CH Spurgeon
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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