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answer may come in quite an extraor dinary way. We get where we desire to be, but by God’s own path. Sometimes the Lord permits our seclusion in order that we may do a larger work. His mer ciful sight has long range, and that is why our immediate circumstances are often so contradictory to our aspiration and prayer. The Lord looks beyond the temporary bondage to the ultimate free dom. “The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.” —J. H. J owett . SEPTEMBER 19 "He cometh, and findeth them sleep ing” (Mk. 14:37). When is the Christian most liable to sleep? Is it dot when his temporal circum stances are prosperous ? Have you not found it so? When you had daily troubles to take to the throne of grace, were you not more wakeful than you are now? Another dangerous time is when all goes pleasantly in spiritual matters. There is no temptation half so dangerous as not being tempted. The distressed soul does not sleep; it is after we enter into peaceful confidence and full assurance that we are in danger of slumbering. The disciples fell asleep after they had seen Jesus transfigured on the mountain top. Take heed, joyous Christian; be as happy as you will, only be watchful. —C harles H addon S purgeon . SEPTEMBER 20 "Blessed are they which are called un to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). How blessed it will be to those “called” ones, to “sit down” at “the marriage sup per of the Lamb” ! Then will “the King sit indeed at his table,” and “the spike nard will send forth the smell thereof.” He who once hung so sad upon the cross for every one will look around that bright company, and in every white robe, and in every lighted countenance, r He will behold the fruit of His sufferings. He will “see of the travail of his soul, and will be satisfied.” It will be the eter nal union of God fulfilled in its deepest counsel—a people given to Christ from before all worlds; . . . all chosen, all gathered, all washed, all saved, and not one of them lost!— J ames V aughan . SEPTEMBER 21 “Peace through the blood of his cross” (Col. 1 :20). All the blessings we have received from God in this world, and all the blessings we shall receive in the worlds to come, are based upon the cross. The Lord’s death on the cross was the great and sub stitutionary work for the glory of God and the salvation of lost sinners. The cross is the most heart-stirring theme of themes through the sacred pages of the holy Bible. The cross stands out in the holy presence of God in all if? incor ruptibility, in all its immovability, in all its unchangeability. Think of its accept ability to God and its availability and suitability for guilty sinners. The majesty of the cross has unthinkable greatness, unthinkable grandeur, and unthinkable glory.— J ohn F. G ray .
d^aily (devotional(d^eaclings A M E S S A G E F O R E V E R Y DAY O F T H E M O N T H
SEPTEMBER IS "Watch and pray” (Matt. 26:41). Of all the duties enjoyed by Christian ity, none is more essential and yet more neglected than prayer. Most people con sider the exercise a fatiguing ceremony, which they are justified in abridging as much as possible. Even those whose pro fession or fears lead them to pray, pray with such languor and wanderings of mind that their prayers, far from draw ing down blessings, only increase their condemnation.— F enelon . Do you know how to pray through, to pray undaunted, to pray to the end, until souls are delivered ? Spurgeon said: “Knock at mercy’s gate, but wait till it opens to you. Too many prayers are a sort of runaway knock, for they are not attended with expectant waiting upon God.” If there ever was a day when, in spite of all the talk about prayer, and the ser mons on prayer, and the books on prayer, men needed to pray and to go on praying, this is the day. God teach us to pray, for prayer—real holding-on prayer, is the mightiest weap on He has ever placed within human reach,—- T he W ay of H oliness . SEPTEMBER 16 “Be sober, be vigilant” (1 Pet. 5:8). “Be sober, be vigilant.” How? Ah, here is the key to the secret of the detection of the arch-enemy, approach us as he may—whether as a roaring lion, to fright en us into self-serving, or as an angel of light, to entice and entrap us by his sud den devices that he may devour us. In what consists real sobriety and true vigi lance? Is -.it.-not in a delicate and true sensibility as to the presence or absence of the Lord, and a sensitive and deep hatred of sin, inducing pain at the approach of whatever is not of the Lord? The mis take which underlies the practice of vigi lance is that of taking it for granted that the keeping power is our own by the help of the Lord, instead of being His without any help from us, except that which en trusts it all to Him and keeps on doing so to the end. This, then—true vigilance, born of the Spirit, not of the flesh—is the price of perpetual freedom from the do minion of sin. . . . True faith which com mits all and trusts all is the apostolic way of paying the price. “Oh, may the least omission pain My well-instructed soul, And drive me to the blood again That makes the wounded whole. Quick as the apple of an eye, O God, my conscience make: Awake my soul when sin is nigh, And keep it still awake.” —W. E. B oardman . SEPTEMBER 17 “I will write upon him my new name" (Rev. 3:12).
“Thy name shall be called Abraham.” Abram meant “high father.” The name Abraham was a reminder of the promises of God. It means “father of a multitude.” God talked with him. God talks with us. Why should not God speak to man whom He has created in His own image? How foolish to doubt revelation when it has been confirmed through all history! What could be more natural than the super natural ? It was antecedently probable that God would break the silence and speak to His own. He speaks to us through His living Word today. His covenants are as sure as His throne. . . . Like Abram, we need assurances. They are granted. The new name and the new song will be ours if we are faithful. . . . God never forgets. Nothing is impossible to Him. Trust, love, and waitljlA. Z. C onrad . SEPTEMBER 18 "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mk. 11:24). The apostle Paul had a great longing to visit Rome. He coveted the privilege of preaching the gospel in the metropolis of the world. “I am ready to preach the gos pel to you that are in Rome also.” And so he prayed that his burning desire might be granted. His prayer was an swered, but in such a startling, unexpected way. “When we came to Rome the cen turion delivered the prisoners.” And Paul was among them! He entered in bonds. God may answer our prayers, but the Sing! Let all the soul of you take wing, Until, o f every creeping care divest, It seeks its tabernacled nest Within the altars of God’s house of rest. Sing, too, When victory has come to you, For mountains skip and treelings clap their hands A t every battling soul who stands Possessor of new conquered lands. Sing more, When the_ fierce conflict is before, For that is heaven-born faith which sees, In answer to its sturdy pleas, The fact of unaccomplished victories. Sing still, When from your dream-place on a hill, You glimpse the patterned fields be low, The far, few reapers swinging slow, Although it may not be given you to go. —O pal L eonore G ibbs . The Song of the Lord
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