Milo

15 SEPTEMBER (PREACHED HARVEST 14 SEPTEMBER 1766)

The Lord, the Giver

‘For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.’ Hosea 2:8
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 65:1–13

It is the Lord that gives corn. How many plough and sow and reap without lifting up their hearts to him either in prayer or in praise. It is looked on as a thing of course. We think there is some necessary connection between sowing and reaping, but it all depends upon the Word and blessing of God who has appointed our provision to come this way. The clouds would drop down food for us as for Israel if the Lord should command, and without his command the earth could no more yield corn than the water. The dispensation of the weather is in his hand. He causes his sun to shine and sends his rain, and this he manages in such proportion that the end is generally answered. This likewise depends upon his promise, and mercy it was to make such a promise to those who are so unworthy of any good thing (Genesis 8:22). It is dangerous—who can tell how soon he may be provoked to punish? He commandeth the sun and it shineth not. He restraineth the rain. He has hailstorms and lightning at his beck. What havoc these have sometimes made in other places, we have heard. I am almost afraid to say what he can do, lest he should see fit to confirm the word by giving you a mournful proof that his ministers do not speak lightly of them when they warn you of the error of your ways.
FOR MEDITATION:
While I view the plenteous grain
Let the praise be all the Lord’s,
As it ripens on the stalk;
As the benefit is ours!
May I not instruction gain,
He, in seasons, still affords
Helpful, to my daily walk?
Kindly heat, and gentle flowers:
All this plenty of the field
By his care the produce thrives
Was produced from foreign seeds;
Waving o’er the furrowed lands;
For the earth itself would yield
And when harvest-time arrives,
Only crops of useless weeds.
Ready for the reaper stands.

SERMON: HOSEA 2:8 [2/2]

September 14th

Imagination v. inspiration

The simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Cor. 11:3.

Simplicity is the secret of seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly for a long while, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think a spiritual muddle clear, you have to obey it clear. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will think yourself into cotton wool. If there is something upon which God has put His pressure, obey in that matter, bring your imagination into captivity to the obedience of Christ with regard to it and everything will become as clear as daylight. The reasoning capacity comes afterwards, but we never see along that line, we see like children; when we try to be wise we see nothing (Matthew 11:25.).
The tiniest thing we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is quite sufficient to account for spiritual muddle, and all the thinking we like to spend on it will never make it clear. Spiritual muddle is only made plain by obedience. Immediately we obey, we discern. This is humiliating, because when we are muddled we know the reason is in the temper of our mind. When the natural power of vision is devoted to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the power of perceiving God’s will and the whole life is kept in simplicity.

September 14

“Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34.)

THE cross which my Lord bids me take up and carry may assume different shapes. I may have to content myself with a lowly and narrow sphere, when I feel that I have capacities for much higher work. I may have to go on cultivating year after year, a field which seems to yield me no harvests whatsoever. I may be bidden to cherish kind and loving thoughts about someone who has wronged me—be bidden speak to him tenderly, and take his part against all who oppose him, and crown him with sympathy and succor. I may have to confess my Master amongst those who do not wish to be reminded of Him and His claims. I may be called to “move among my race, and show a glorious morning face,” when my heart is breaking.
There are many crosses, and every one of them is sore and heavy. None of them is likely to be sought out by me of my own accord. But never is Jesus so near me as when I lift my cross, and lay it submissively on my shoulder, and give it the welcome of a patient and unmurmuring spirit.
He draws close, to ripen my wisdom, to deepen my peace, to increase my courage, to augment my power to be of use to others, through the very experience which is so grievous and distressing, and then—as I read on the seal of one of those Scottish Covenanters whom Claverhouse imprisoned on the lonely Bass, with the sea surging and sobbing round—I grow under the load.—Alexander Smellie.

“Use your cross as a crutch to help you on, and not as a stumblingblock to cast you down.”
“You may others from sadness to gladness beguile,
If you carry your cross with a smile.”

14 SEPTEMBER (PREACHED HARVEST 14 SEPTEMBER 1766)

Crowned with his goodness

‘For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.’ Hosea 2:8
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Deuteronomy 32:1–18

The exceeding goodness, patience and bounty of God cannot be rightly conceived unless we compare it with the returns and provocations he meets with from sinful, rebellious man. Observe his carriage to Israel of old. He found them in the waste howling wilderness [Deuteronomy 32:10], he guarded them there, and at last placed them in a good land. There he was an enemy to their enemies, and blessed them with abundant increase. But what was their behaviour towards him? Always rebellious and disobedient from their first settlement. In the prophet’s time they were like their fathers. They are here charged with two great evils: insensibility—they knew not he gave them their good things; ingratitude—in abusing his gifts that he afforded them and intended as bonds of gratitude upon their souls; they misemployed to the worst purposes—they prepared them for Baal. But was Israel the only people who acted thus? Rather they were a sample of all mankind. In what respect can it be said we are better than they? I have chosen this as a proper subject for the present season. The Lord has crowned this year with his goodness, removed the threatening appearances which were against us some time ago, and favoured us with seasonable weather for gathering the fruits of the earth. There has been a general satisfaction amongst us that the harvest is happily closed. But against how many does this double charge lie—that they know not, consider not, the hand of God in giving them corn—and that they are disposed and determined to abuse his bounties by consuming them on their lusts?

FOR MEDITATION: ‘Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness’ (Psalm 107:8–9).
‘Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation’ (Psalm 68:19).

SERMON: HOSEA 2:8 [1/2]

September 13th

After surrender—what?

I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. John 17:4.

Surrender is not the surrender of the external life, but of the Will; when that is done, all is done. There are very few crises in life; the great crisis is the surrender of the will. God never crushes a man’s will into surrender, He never beseeches him, He waits until the man yields up his will to Him. That battle never needs to be re-fought.
Surrender for Deliverance. “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.” It is after we have begun to experience what salvation means that we surrender our wills to Jesus for rest. Whatever is perplexing heart or mind is a call to the will—“Come unto Me.” It is a voluntary coming.
Surrender for Devotion. “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself.” The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, my self with His rest at the heart of it. “If you would be My disciple, give up your right to yourself to Me.’ Then the remainder of the life is nothing but the manifestation of this surrender. When once the surrender has taken place we never need ‘suppose’ anything. We do not need to care what our circumstances are, Jesus is amply sufficient.
Surrender for Death. John 21:18–19 . “… another shall gird thee.” Have you learned what it means to be bound for death? Beware of a surrender which you make to God in an ecstasy; you are apt to take it back again. It is a question of being united with Jesus in His death until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him.
After surrender—what? The whole of life after surrender is an aspiration for unbroken communion with God.