Milo

12 JULY (PREACHED THURSDAY 11 JULY 1776)

With a single eye

‘And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.’ Genesis 17:1
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: 1 Peter 1:13–25

His people’s duty and aim, in consequence of his all-sufficiency, is:
(i) to walk before him; that is, as in his sight, importing acting from a principle of love and reverence, with a view to his glory, and in a spirit of dependence. O the honour, the comfort, the excellence of such a walk.
(ii) to be perfect. This means not a sinless perfection, but sincerity. This includes a single eye, in opposition to all mean and selfish views, and a universal respect to all his commandments.
The knowledge of God as all-sufficient will influence us to such a walk and it is impracticable upon any other principle. Whatever is short of this is but a poor pretence, a lifeless shadow of religion.

FOR MEDITATION: How shall I speak with that reverence which becomes an ambassador of God, with that earnestness which is suitable to the case of perishing souls, with that faithfulness as to deliver my own soul and be pure from the blood of all men, with that wisdom as to avoid unnecessary offences and not lay obstacles in my own way, with that steadiness as not to be disconcerted by smiles or frowns, by temptations or afflictions, by men or devils? The servant of God will not be deterred by these considerations, because he knows the Lord whom he serves is able to deliver and support him, but it seems impossible he should be unaffected with them.
Miscellaneous Thoughts, Thursday 29 June 1758

Oh, may it please thee, that now in the evening of life, I may not dishonour my profession, or lose the testimony of a good conscience. But that my sun may set without a cloud, and that I may be a testimony to thy goodness for the encouragement of those around me, with my latest breath or so long as I am able to speak. Amen.
Diary, 21 March 1794

SERMON SERIES: GENESIS, NO. 35 [2/2], GENESIS 17:1

July 11th

The spiritual saint

That I may know Him. Phil. 3:10.

The initiative of the saint is not towards self-realization, but towards knowing Jesus Christ. The spiritual saint never believes circumstances to be haphazard, or thinks of his life as secular and sacred; he sees everything he is dumped down in as the means of securing the knowledge of Jesus Christ. There is a reckless abandonment about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we shall realize Jesus Christ in every domain of life, and He will bring us back to the same point again and again until we do. Self-realization leads to the enthronement of work; whereas the saint enthrones Jesus Christ in his work. Whether it be eating or drinking or washing disciples’ feet, whatever it is, we have to take the initiative of realizing Jesus Christ in it. Every phase of our actual life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus. Our Lord realized His relationship to the Father even in the most menial work. “Jesus knowing … that He was come from God, and went to God; … took a towel, … and began to wash the disciples feet.”
The aim of the spiritual saint is “that I may know Him.” Do I know Him where I am to-day? If not, I am failing Him. I am here not to realize myself, but to know Jesus. In Christian work the initiative is too often the realization that something has to be done and I must do it. That is never the attitude of the spiritual saint, his aim is to secure the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances he is in.

July 11

“It came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.”
(1 Kings 17:7.)

WEEK after week, with unfaltering and steadfast spirit, Elijah watched that dwindling brook; often tempted to stagger through unbelief, but refusing to allow his circumstances to come between himself and God. Unbelief sees God through circumstances, as we sometimes see the sun shorn of his rays through smoky air; but faith puts God between itself and circumstances, and looks at them through Him. And so the dwindling brook became a silver thread; and the silver thread stood presently in pools at the foot of the largest boulders; and the pools shrank. The birds fled; the wild creatures of field and forest came no more to drink; the brook was dry. Only then to his patient and unwavering spirit, “the word of the Lord came, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath.”
Most of us would have gotten anxious and worn with planning long before that. We should have ceased our songs as soon as the streamlet caroled less musically over its rocky bed; and with harps swinging on the willows, we should have paced to and fro upon the withering grass, lost in pensive thought. And probably, long ere the brook was dry, we should have devised some plan, and asking God’s blessing on it, would have started off elsewhere.
God often does extricate us, because His mercy endureth forever; but if we had only waited first to see the unfolding of His plans, we should never have found ourselves landed in such an inextricable labyrinth; and we should never have been compelled to retrace our steps with so many tears of shame. Wait, patiently wait!—F. B. Meyer.

Lettie B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert (Los Angeles, CA: The Oriental Missionary Society, 1925), 205.

11 JULY (PREACHED THURSDAY 11 JULY 1776)

The all-sufficient God

‘And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.’ Genesis 17:1
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 89:1–18

The Lord’s appearance to Abraham in the former chapter was some time before the birth of Ishmael; this was thirteen years after his birth. Abraham had some special visits of love but his ordinary walk was, I suppose, by faith and dependence—the Lord did not appear to him every day. The time was not yet at hand when Isaac should be born and now the covenant is again confirmed. This text is of general application. We have the Lord’s character and his people’s duty [see 2/2].
The Lord’s character: God Almighty, or All-sufficient. O who can expound the fullness of this glorious name? Happy are his people who know him in Christ. This name is applicable to all their circumstances. In him they have an all-sufficiency:
(i) of righteousness—so the songs in Isaiah 12 and Psalm 27. They are accepted and no charge shall be heard against them. Herein they may glory all the day long (Psalm 89:16).
(ii) of strength—and that both in them and for them. In them: to enable them for suffering and for service (2 Corinthians 12:9), so that they shall not faint, but shall endure to the end. Their strength is not in themselves, but is renewed by waiting upon him. For them: to control and subdue all their enemies. Herein is their safety. Many fight against them, but cannot prevail, for if God be for us … (Romans 8:31).
(iii) of happiness. He is their portion, all-sufficient—in time—affording by his presence such a joy as the world cannot give—and he will be their portion for ever.
FOR MEDITATION: ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness …’ (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Strange and mysterious is my life,
The rule of grace, the power of sin:
What opposites I feel within!
Too often I am captive led,
A stable peace, a constant strife,
Yet daily triumph in my Head.

SERMON SERIES: GENESIS, NO. 35 [1/2], GENESIS 17:1

July 10th

The spiritual sluggard

Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. Hebrews 10:24–25 .

We are all capable of being spiritual sluggards; we do not want to mix with the rough and tumble of life as it is, our one object is to secure retirement. The note struck in Hebrews 10 is that of provoking one another and of keeping together—both of which require initiative, the initiative of Christ-realization, not of self-realization. To live a remote, retired, secluded life is the antipodes of spirituality as Jesus Christ taught it.
The test of our spirituality comes when we come up against injustice and meanness and ingratitude and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritual sluggards. We want to use prayer and Bible reading for the purpose of retirement. We utilize God for the sake of getting peace and joy, that is, we do not want to realize Jesus Christ, but only our enjoyment of Him. This is the first step in the wrong direction. All these things are effects and we try to make them causes.
“I think it meet,” said Peter, “… to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” It is a most disturbing thing to be smitten in the ribs by some provoker of God, by someone who is full of spiritual activity. Active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work may be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The danger of spiritual sluggishness is that we do not wish to be stirred up, all we want to hear about is spiritual retirement. Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement—“Go tell My brethren …”