Chapter V: Part 5

It is joy to the Christian to know that the plummet is now in the hands of our great Zerubbabel, and that when He comes forth, the world's misrule shall be over. The false standards and false estimates of men shall be swept away. The standards of "expediency," of "conscience," of "every man thinking as he likes, if he is only _sincere_"--these, and all similar refuges of lies shall be like a spider's web. The measure of all things will be Christ, and Christ the Measurer of all things.

How everything will be reversed! What a turning upside down of all that now exists!

Blessed day, and longed for--the world's great jubilee, the earth's long-looked-for Sabbath, groaning creation's joy, and nature's calm repose! Who would not cry, "Come, Lord Jesus, and end this troubled dream! Shatter the shadows of the long, dark night of sin and sorrow, sighing and tears, despair and death!"--_F. Whitfield._

=November 20th.=

_In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of
good cheer; I have overcome the world. John xvi. 33._

Tribulation is God's threshing--not to destroy us, but to get what is good, heavenly, and spiritual in us separated from what is wrong, earthly, and fleshly. Nothing less than blows of pain will do this. The evil clings so to the good, the golden wheat of goodness in us is so wrapped up in the strong chaff of the old life that only the heavy flail of suffering can produce the separation.--_J. R. Miller._

=November 21st.=

_I . . . heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
saying . . . Write. Rev. i. 10, 11._

It is very sweet to note that a voice from heaven said to John, "Write." Does not that voice come to us? Are there not those who would taste the joys of heaven if we wrote them words of forgiveness and affection? Are there not others who would dry their tears if we would remind them of past joys, when we were poor as they are now? Nay, could not some, who read these plain words, place inside the envelope something bearing their signature which would make the widow's heart dance for joy?

What is our pen doing? Is it adding joy to other men's lives? If so, then angels may tune their harps when we sit at our desk. They are sent to minister to the heirs of salvation, and would be glad to look upon our pen as writing music for them to sing, because what we write makes their client's joy to be full.--_Thomas Champness._

=November 22nd.=

_Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth. Heb. xii. 6._

We should ever bear in mind that the discipline of our heavenly Father's hand is to be interpreted in the light of our Father's countenance; and the deep mysteries of His moral government to be contemplated through the medium or His tender love.--_Selected._

=November 23rd.=

_Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.
1 Thess. v. 24._

Earthly faithfulness is possible only by the reception of heavenly gifts. As surely as every leaf that grows is mainly water that the plant has got from the clouds, and carbon that it has got out of the atmosphere, so surely will all our good be mainly drawn from heaven and heaven's gifts. As certainly as every lump of coal that you put upon your fire contains in itself sunbeams that have been locked up for all these millenniums that have passed since it waved green in the forest, so certainly does every good deed embody in itself gifts from above. And no man is pure except by impartation; and every good thing and every perfect thing cometh from the Father of lights.--_Alex. McLaren._

=November 24th.=

_Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col.
iii. 16._

Remember your life is to be a singing life. This world is God's grand cathedral for you. You are to be one of God's choristers, and there is to be a continual eucharistic sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving going up from your heart, with which God shall be continually well pleased. And there should be not only the offering of the lips, but the surrender of the life with joy. Yes, with _joy_, and not with _constraint_. Every faculty of our nature should be presented to Him in gladsome service, for the Lord Jehovah is my song as well as my strength.--_W. Hay Aitken._

=November 25th.=

_Call to remembrance the former days. Heb. x. 32._

_The former days_--times of trial, conflict, discouragement, temptation. Did we oftener call these to remembrance, with how much more delight would we make the covert of God's faithfulness our refuge, exclaiming with the psalmist, "Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice."--_R. Fuller._

=November 26th.=

_The Lord . . . thy habitation. Psa. xci. 9._

We go home without arrangement. We plan our visits, and then go home because they are over. Duty, want, a host of things, lead us forth elsewhere; but the heart takes us home. Blessed, most blessed is he whose thoughts pass up to God, not because they are driven like a fisherman's craft swept by the fierceness of the storm, not because they are forced by want or fear, not because they are led by the hand of duty, but because God is in his habitation and his home. Loosed from other things, the thoughts go home for rest.

In God the blessed man finds the love that welcomes. There is the sunny place. There care is loosed and toil forgotten. There is the joyous freedom, the happy calm, the rest, and renewing of our strength--at home with God.--_Mark Guy Pearse._

=November 27th.=

_These have turned the world upside down. Acts xvii.
6._

_None of these things move me. Acts xx. 24._

The men that move the world are the ones who do not let the world move them.--_Selected._

=November 28th.=

_He touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew
that shrank. Gen. xxxii. 32._

Whatever it is that enables a soul, whom God designs to bless, to stand out against Him, God will touch. It may be the pride of wealth, or of influence, or of affection; but it will not be spared--God will touch it. It may be something as _natural_ as a sinew; but if it robs a man of spiritual blessing God will touch it. It may be as _small_ a thing as a sinew; but its influence in making a man strong in his resistance of blessing will be enough to condemn it--and God will touch it. And beneath that touch it will shrink and shrivel, and you will limp to the end of life.

Remember that the sinew never shrinks save beneath the touch of the angel hand--the touch of tender love.--_F. B. Meyer._

=November 29th.=

_With God all things are possible. Mark x. 27._

Unbelief says, "How can such and such things be?" It is full of "hows"; but faith has one great answer to the ten thousand "hows," and that answer is--GOD!--_C. H. M._

=November 30th.=

_Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath
said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them. 2 Cor.
vi. 16._

These temples were reared for Him. Let Him fill them so completely that, like the oriental temple of glass in the ancient legend, the temple shall not be seen, but only the glorious sunlight, which not only shines into it, but through it, and the transparent walls are all unseen.--_A. B. Simpson._

=December 1st.=

_Without Christ. Eph. ii. 12._

Without a hope to cheer, a Pilot to steer, a Friend to counsel, grace to sustain, heaven to welcome us, and God to console!--_Selected._

=December 2nd.=

_When I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Cor. xii. 10._

This is God's way. We advance by going backwards, we become strong by becoming weak, we become wise by being fools.--_F. Whitfield._

=December 3rd.=

_Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost. 2 Pet. i. 21._

The Bible is the writing of the living God. Each letter was penned with an almighty finger. Each word in it dropped from the everlasting lips. Each sentence was dictated by the Holy Spirit. Albeit that Moses was employed to write his histories with his fiery pen, God guided that pen. It may be that David touched his harp, and let sweet psalms of melody drop from his fingers; but God moved his hands over the living strings of his golden harp. Solomon sang canticles of love and gave forth words of consummate wisdom; but God directed his lips, and made the preacher eloquent. If I follow the thundering Nahum, when his horses plough the waters; or Habakkuk, when he sees the tents of Cushan in affliction; if I read Malachi, when the earth is burning like an oven; if I turn to the smooth page of John, who tells of love; or the rugged chapters of Peter, who speaks of fire devouring God's enemies; if I turn aside to Jude, who launches forth anathemas upon the foes of God--everywhere I find God speaking; it is God's voice, not man's; the words are God's words; the words of the Eternal, the Invisible, the Almighty, the Jehovah of ages. This Bible is God's Bible; and when I see it, I seem to hear a voice springing up from it, saying, "I am the Book of God. Man, read me. I am God's writing. Study my page, for I was penned by God. Love me, for He is my Author, and you will see Him visible and manifest everywhere."--_Spurgeon._

=December 4th.=

_They all forsook Him, and fled. Mark xiv. 50._

Separation never comes from His side.--_J. Hudson Taylor._

=December 5th.=

_Belshazzar the king made a great feast. Dan. v. 1._

There was one Guest not invited, but He came, and the work of His finger glowed upon the wall.--_Selected._

=December 6th.=

_He that watereth shall be watered also himself. Prov.
xi. 25._

The effective life and the receptive life are one. No sweep of arm that does some work for God but harvests also some more of the truth of God, and sweeps it into the treasury of life.--_Phillips Brooks._

=December 7th.=

_And they came unto Him, bringing one sick of the
palsy. Mark ii. 3._

Had it not been for the palsy, this man might never have seen Christ!--_Selected._

=December 8th.=

_Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His
benefits . . . who crowneth thee with loving kindness
and tender mercies. Ps. ciii. 2, 4._

We talk about the telescope of faith, but I think we want even more the microscope of watchful and grateful love. Apply this to the little bits of our daily lives, in the light of the Spirit, and how wonderfully they come out!--_Frances Ridley Havergal._

=December 9th.=

_When thou passest through the waters I will be with
thee. Is. xliii. 2._

God's presence in the trial is much better than exemption from the trial. The sympathy of His heart with us is sweeter far than the power of His hand for us.--_Selected._

=December 10th.=

_Then shall ye discern between the righteous and the
wicked. Mal. iii. 18._

Said Anne of Austria to Cardinal Richelieu: "God does not pay at the end of every week, but He pays at last!"--_Selected._

=December 11th.=

_What is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeared
for a little time, and then vanisheth away. James iv.
14._

"Only one life; 'twill soon be past--
And only what's done for Christ will last."--_Selected._

=December 12th.=

_He (Jesus) . . . looked up to heaven. Mark vi. 41._

In working for God, first look to heaven. It is a grand plan. Over and over again our Lord Jesus Christ looked to heaven and said, "Father." Let us imitate Him; although standing on the earth, let us have our conversation in heaven. Before you go out, if you would feed the world, if you would be a blessing in the midst of spiritual dearth and famine, lift up your head to heaven. Then your very face will shine, your very garments will smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces where you have been with your God and Savior. There will be stamped upon you the dignity and power of the service of the Most High God.--_McNeil._

=December 13th.=

_The disciples were called Christians first in
Antioch. Acts xi. 26._

This name suggests that the clear impression made by our character, as well as by our words, should be that we belong to Jesus Christ. He should manifestly be the center and the guide, the impulse and the pattern, the strength and reward, of our lives. We are Christians. That should be plain for all folks to see, whether we speak or be silent.

Is it so with you?--_Alex. McLaren._

=December 14th.=

_Having therefore these promises. 2 Cor. vii. 1._

The forests in summer days are full of birds' nests. They are hidden among the leaves. The little birds know where they are; and when a storm arises, or when night draws on, they fly, each to his own nest. So the promises of God are hidden in the Bible, like nests in the great forests; and thither we should fly in any danger or alarm, hiding there in our soul's nest until the storm be overpast. There are no castles in this world so impregnable as the words of Christ.--_J. R. Miller._

=December 15th.=

_Now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the
greatest of these is love. 1 Cor. xiii. 13. (R. V.)_

Love is the greatest thing that God can give us: for Himself is Love; and it is the greatest thing we can give to God: for it will give ourselves, and carry with it all that is ours.--_Jeremy Taylor._

=December 16th.=

_He (Thomas) . . . said, Except I shall see . . . I
will not believe. . . . Jesus . . . said . . . Be not
faithless, but believing. John xx. 25, 27._

Every doubt in the heart of a Christian is a dishonor done to the Word of God, and the sacrifice of Christ.--_Selected._

=December 17th.=

_Lot . . . pitched his tent toward Sodom. Gen. xiii.
12._

And soon Lot moved into Sodom; and before long Sodom moved into him.--_Theodore Cuyler._

=December 18th.=

_Cleanse Thou me from secret faults. Psa. xix. 12._

The world needs men who are free from secret faults. Most men are free from gross, public faults.--_Selected._

=December 19th.=

_A hearer of the word . . . a doer of the work. Jas. i.
23, 25._

Religion may be learned on Sunday, but it is lived in the week-day's work. The torch of religion may be lit in the church, but it does its burning in the shop and on the street. Religion seeks its life in prayer, but it lives its life in deeds. It is planted in the closet, but it does its growing out in the world. It plumes itself for flight in songs of praise, but its actual flights are in works of love. It resolves and meditates on faithfulness as it reads its Christian lesson in the Book of Truth, but "faithful is that faithful does." It puts its armor on in all the aids and helps of the sanctuary as its dressing-room, but it combats for the right, the noble, and the good in all the activities of practical existence, and its battle ground is the whole broad field of life.--_John Doughty._

=December 20th.=

_Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. James iv.
14._

"To-morrow" is the devil's great ally--the very Goliath in whom he trusts for victory. "Now" is the stripling sent forth against him. . . . The world will freely agree to be Christians to-morrow if Christ will permit them to be worldly to-day.--_William Arnot._

=December 21st.=

_The sea wrought, and was tempestuous. Jonah i. 11._

Sin in the soul is like Jonah in the ship. It turns the smoothest water into a tempestuous sea.--_Selected._

=December 22nd.=

_Be not doubtful, but followers of them also, through
faith and patience, inherit the promises. Heb. vi.
12._

God makes a promise. Faith believes it. Hope anticipates it. Patience quietly awaits it.--_Selected._

=December 23rd.=

_Go and sit down in the lowest room. Luke xiv. 10._

He who is willing to take the lowest place will always find sitting room; there is no great crush for the worst places. There is nothing like the jostling at the back there is at the front; so if we would be comfortable, we shall do well to keep behind.--_Thomas Champness._

=December 24th.=

_Continue in prayer. Col. iv. 2._

Our prayers often resemble the mischievous tricks of town children, who knock at their neighbor's houses and then run away; we often knock at heaven's door and then run off into the spirit of the world; instead of waiting for entrance and answer, we act as if we were afraid of having our prayers answered.--_Williams._

=December 25th.=

_A multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and
saying, Glory to God in the highest. Luke ii. 13, 14._

Angels had been present on many august occasions, and they had joined in many a solemn chorus to the praise of their Almighty Creator. They were present at the creation: "The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." They had seen many a planet fashioned between the palms of Jehovah, and wheeled by His eternal hands through the infinitude of space. They had sung solemn songs over many a world which the Great One had created. We doubt not, they had often chanted, "Blessing and honor, and glory, and majesty, and power, and dominion, and might, be unto Him that sitteth on the throne," manifesting Himself in the work of creation. I doubt not, too, that their songs had gathered force through ages. As when first created, their first breath was song, so when they saw God create new worlds, then their song received another note; they rose a little higher in the gamut of adoration. But this time, when they saw God stoop from His throne and become a babe hanging upon a woman's breast, they lifted their notes higher still; and reaching to the uttermost stretch of angelic music, they gained the highest notes of the divine scale of praise and they sang, "Glory to God _in the highest_," for higher in goodness they felt God could not go. Thus their highest praise they gave to Him in the highest act of His Godhead.--_Spurgeon._

=December 26th.=

_God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Gal. vi. 14._

The cross is the great center of God's moral universe! To this center God ever pointed, and the eye of faith ever looked forward, until the Savior came. And now we must ever turn to that cross as the center of all our blessing, and the basis of all our worship, both on earth and in heaven--in time and throughout all eternity.

=December 27th.=

_He ever liveth. Heb. vii. 25._

It is our hope for ourselves, and for His truth, and for mankind. Men come and go. Leaders, teachers, thinkers, speak and work for a season, and then fall silent and impotent. He abides. They die, but He lives. They are lights kindled, and therefore, sooner or later quenched, but He is the true Light from which they draw all their brightness, and He shines for evermore.--_Alex. McLaren._

=December 28th.=

_The friendship of the world is enmity with God. James
iv. 4._

It is like the ivy with the oak. The ivy may give the oak a grand, beautiful appearance, but all the while it is feeding on its vitals. Are we compromising with the enemies of God? Are we being embraced by the world by its honors, its pleasures, its applause? This may add to us in the world's estimation, but our strength becomes lost.--_Denham Smith._

=December 29th.=

_She (Hannah) . . . prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore
. . . she spake in her heart. 1 Sam. i. 10, 13._

For real business at the mercy-seat give me a home-made prayer, a prayer that comes out of the depths of my heart, not because I invented it, but because God the Holy Ghost, put it there, and gave it such living force that I could not help letting it out. Though your words are broken, and your sentences disconnected, if your desires are earnest, if they are like coals of juniper, burning with a vehement flame, God will not mind how they find expression. If you have no words, perhaps you will pray better without them than with them. There are prayers that break the backs of words; they are too heavy for any human language to carry.--_Spurgeon._

=December 30th.=

_Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Gen. vi.
8._

Noah found grace in the same way that Paul obtained mercy (1 Tim. 1: 16), namely, by mercy's taking hold of him.--_Selected._

=December 31st.=

_Which hope we have as an anchor to the soul. Heb. vi.
19._

Anchor to the throne of God, and then shorten the rope!--_Selected._

* * * * *

Transcriber's Notes:

Obvious punctuation errors repaired.

Page 4, there was a reference "11:10" listed under Ephesians. As Ephesians doesn't have eleven chapters, the transcriber checked page 78. Ephesians 2, written as ii, is on page 78 and is already listed under Ephesians. The reference to 11:10 being on page 78 was removed.

Page 4, "I." added to "Thessalonians".

Pge 24, "regetting" changed to "regretting" (by regretting what is)

Page 63, "Jnue" changed to "June" (June 22nd)

Page 64, "closee" changed to "closer" (by closer following)

Page 110, "porals" changed to "portals" (portals of the grave)

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