Milo

October 10

“Fret not.” (Psalm 37:1.)

THIS to me is a Divine command; the same as “Thou shalt not steal.” Now let us get to the definition of fretting. One good definition is, “Made rough on the surface.” “Rubbed, or worn away”; and a peevish, irrational, fault-finding person not only wears himself out, but is very wearing to others. To fret is to be in a state of vexation, and in this Psalm we are not only told not to fret because of evildoers, but to fret not “in anywise.” It is injurious, and God does not want us to hurt ourselves.
A physician will tell you that a fit of anger is more injurious to the system than a fever, and a fretful disposition is not conducive to a healthy body; and you know rules are apt to work both ways, and the next step down from fretting is crossness, and that amounts to anger. Let us settle this matter, and be obedient to the command, “Fret not.”—Margaret Bottome.

OVERHEARD IN AN ORCHARD

Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
“I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so?”

Said the Sparrow to the Robin:
“Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me.”
—Elizabeth Cheney.

10 OCTOBER (PREACHED 1770)

Lost opportunities

‘But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.’ Luke 9:32–33
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Ephesians 6:10–20

Perhaps Satan had some influence here. He is desirous to spoil our worship and to rob us of our comfort as much as he can. And many attentive observers of themselves think they know something of his practising upon their bodily indispositions in order to distract their minds. It is our wisdom in all our approaches to God, and particularly when we wait upon him in public, to pray against his wiles, and that the Lord may keep us wakeful and attentive to what we are engaged in.
This bodily weakness will have influence when we have the greatest seeming advantage to help us against it. I believe sometimes when people are drowsy they are ready to charge it upon the preacher—and indeed we have not much to say for ourselves. We wish we could speak with an earnestness and power suitable to the great subjects of our ministry, then surely we should command more attention. However, the disciples could not charge their drowsiness upon any defect in means, for Jesus was transfigured before them, and Moses and Elijah were visible in glory, yet they slept. It is therefore a deep-rooted evil which lies in our very nature and of which every spiritual worshipper must be more or less aware.

FOR MEDITATION: Though this example of the disciples, and our Lord’s gracious condescension to their weakness, affords sincere souls some encouragement under the infirmities which burden them, it gives no excuse to an allowed slothfulness. I observe at times some who sit so much at their ease and sleep with so much composure—as if they came to church for nothing else. This is shameful—I wish there was no occasion to speak of it. People should strive against it, and they who love the Lord will do so because they are losers—as the disciples were—they only awaked just in time enough to see the glory departing.

SERMON SERIES: ON THE TRANSFIGURATION, NO. 6 [2/3], LUKE 9:32–33

October 9th

Pull yourself together

Yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Romans 6:13–22 .

I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot atone for sin; I cannot redeem the world; I cannot make right what is wrong, pure what is impure, holy what is unholy. That is all the sovereign work of God. Have I faith in what Jesus Christ has done? He has made a perfect Atonement, am I in the habit of constantly realizing it? The great need is not to do things, but to believe things. The Redemption of Christ is not an experience, it is the great act of God which He has performed through Christ, and I have to build my faith upon it. If I construct my faith on my experience, I produce that most unscriptural type, an isolated life, my eyes fixed on my own whiteness. Beware of the piety that has no presupposition in the Atonement of the Lord. It is of no use for anything but a sequestered life; it is useless to God and a nuisance to man. Measure every type of experience by our Lord Himself. We cannot do anything pleasing to God unless we deliberately build on the presupposition of the Atonement.
The Atonement of Jesus has to work out in practical, unobtrusive ways in my life. Every time I obey, absolute Deity is on my side, so that the grace of God and natural obedience coincide. Obedience means that I have banked everything on the Atonement, and my obedience is met immediately by the delight of the supernatural grace of God.
Beware of the piety that denies the natural life, it is a fraud. Continually bring yourself to the bar of the Atonement—where is the discernment of the Atonement in this thing, and in that?

October 9

“Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you.” (Isaiah 30:18.)

WHERE showers fall most, there the grass is greenest. I suppose the fogs and mists of Ireland make it “the Emerald Isle”; and whenever you find great fogs of trouble, and mists of sorrow, you always find emerald green hearts; full of the beautiful verdure of the comfort and love of God. O Christian, do not thou be saying, “Where are the swallows gone? They are gone; they are dead.” They are not dead; they have skimmed the purple sea, and gone to a far-off land; but they will be back again by and by. Child of God, say not the flowers are dead; say not the winter has killed them, and they are gone. Ah, no! though winter hath coated them with the ermine of its snow; they will put up their heads again, and will be alive very soon. Say not, child of God, that the sun is quenched, because the cloud hath hidden it. Ah, no; he is behind there, brewing summer for thee; for when he cometh out again, he will have made the clouds fit to drop in April showers, all of them mothers of the sweet May flowers. And oh! above all, when thy God hides His face, say not that He hath forgotten thee. He is but tarrying a little while to make thee love Him better; and when He cometh, thou shalt have joy in the Lord, and shalt rejoice with joy unspeakable. Waiting exercises our grace; waiting tries our faith; therefore, wait on in hope; for though the promise tarry, it can never come too late.—C. H. Spurgeon.

“Oh, every year hath its winter,
And every year hath its rain—
But a day is always coming
When the birds go north again.

“When new leaves swell in the forest,
And grass springs green on the plain,
And alders’ veins turn crimson—
And the birds go north again.

“Oh, every heart hath its sorrow,
And every heart hath its pain—
But a day is always coming
When the birds go north again.

“’Tis the sweetest thing to remember,
If courage be on the wane,
When the cold, dark days are over—
Why, the birds go north again.”

9 OCTOBER (PREACHED 1770)

Asleep on duty

‘But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep …’ Luke 9:32
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Matthew 26:36–46

They were heavy with sleep. If this had not been recorded we should have little expected that, on such an affecting and extraordinary occasion, the disciples should be overpowered with sleep. These same persons were afterwards chosen to be witnesses of his agony, and then they slept again. Though they loved their Lord, yet they could not watch with him when he took them to be spectators of his glory and of his sufferings. We may consider this as a proof of their infirmity. The flesh is weak. Perhaps they were weary with their journey and in want of rest. The natural imperfections of our frame, and which are not sinful as we usually understand the word, greatly indispose and hinder us from the due improvement of our spiritual opportunities. It is the case with many. Their love to the ordinances and a desire to obtain some glimpse of the Lord, makes them glad to appear in his courts, and perhaps they come from a considerable distance. But when there, they are heavy to sleep. If this is mourned over, and striven against, people should not be so distressed for it, as if they had committed a sin. Yet it is a cause of humiliation. It is the fruit and effect of that sin which has defiled and enfeebled us in every part. We did not come thus, heavy, languid and stupid, out of the hands of our Maker at first. But now the believer finds the body a clog and an impediment in his best opportunities of waiting upon the Lord.

FOR MEDITATION: Alas! the many instances I can recollect in which I dallied and trifled with dangerous temptations, so that if thy mercy had not watched over me when I was sleeping in the midst of my enemies, they had surely prevailed and triumphed over me.
Annotated Letters to a Wife, 4 August 1794

SERMON SERIES: ON THE TRANSFIGURATION, NO. 6 [1/3], LUKE 9:32–33