Milo

4 FEBRUARY

Watch over your children

‘And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.’ Exodus 2:9
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Hebrews 12:4–12

Parents, being evil, know how to give good gifts to their children—the good things of this life—to feed, clothe them, and so on,—but to nurse and bring them up for the Lord signifies more:
(i) to endeavour to instil into them religious principles. I mean more by this than to teach them a catechism by rote as you would teach a parrot. They should be conversed with and every occasion laid hold of to explain and make them know that God sees and hears them, and that this God is only to be known and worshipped in Jesus.
(ii) to watch over and govern their temper—this is vastly needful, to take them while they are young—yet how sadly are they hurt by a fond and blind indulgence to their faults and humours. And if any correction or restraint is attempted, it is often in anger and heat, so that the end is not answered. It is but like Satan casting out Satan. If you do not bring in the authority of God and act in a spirit of meekness and steadiness, you may make them fear you, but you will do but little good.
(iii) to take care in particular that they attend on the worship of God on the Lord’s Day, and are not suffered to break the Sabbath. I am afraid many parents have much to answer for in this point. But almost all the evils and abominations to which youth are in time addicted enter at this door.
(iv) to set them a good example. Without this indeed the rest will ordinarily do little. But alas, for many poor children are forced to blush every day for the behaviour of their parents. If you love them, be careful of laying stumbling blocks in their way.

FOR MEDITATION: My dear child [Betsy], … When you read our Saviour’s discourses, recorded by the evangelists, attend as if you saw him with your own eyes, standing before you; and when you try to pray, assure yourself before you begin, that he is actually in the room with you, and that his ear is open to every word you say.… You are not speaking into the air, or to One who is a great way off; but to One who is very near you—to your best Friend.

SERMON: EXODUS 2:9 [2/3]

3 FEBRUARY

Nurture the rising generation

‘And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.’ Exodus 2:9
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: 2 John 1–13

Though these words were first spoken on a particular occasion by Pharaoh’s daughter to the mother of Moses, yet they express the sense of God’s revealed will and command to all parents. And the subject is one of those which his ministers ought at times to press upon their hearers. And it is a point of much importance. The hopes of the church and nation depend upon the rising generation. The people of God are fewer, and dropping away daily. How little success the preaching of the gospel has upon those who are grown old and hardened in sin, experience shows. Surely except the Lord of hosts has a remnant among those who are growing up, we shall soon be as Sodom and be made like unto Gomorrah. And yet perhaps there is nothing in which believers are so generally negligent as in this. And though some of the chief arguments I would use can only be fully understood by believers, yet I will speak as much at large as I can, for it is a common concern, which all ought to lay to heart.
Children are the gift of God—when his hand is seen, and his glory regarded in them, they are blessings. You that have children, there was a voice with the providence; the voice said to you, take this child and nurse it for me. Bring it up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

FOR MEDITATION: Lord, do thou strengthen my hands, and water my poor endeavours, and grant that some of these little ones may look back with thankfulness to thee for these opportunities, when I am laid low in the dust.
Journal of children’s meetings at Olney, 28 March 1765

We, when companions together in youth, enjoyed the same scenes of childhood under the kind instruction of Good Mr Newton and have united in singing those sweet hymns in Dr Watts’s little book in the Great House Meeting as we used to call it. Those reflections were a source of comfort to her—your dear mother.31

[by a former member of the children’s meetings, c.1842]

SERMON: EXODUS 2:9 [1/3]

2 FEBRUARY (PREACHED 1 FEBRUARY 1770)

Peace and provision

‘Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.’ Psalm 147:12–14
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Leviticus 26:3–13

Provision. The quality: the finest wheat, the doctrines and truths of the gospel in their power and purity. This is the bread of life Jesus Christ dispensed in the word and received by faith. The quantity: filleth, when ordinances are attended not only now and then, but frequently, and when by the Spirit’s application they are made lively and savoury.
Peace. Peace is threefold:
(i) peace in their own souls, when they grow into an established peace with God by Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).
(ii) peace amongst themselves, when the power of his grace prevents all those jealousies, envyings, discords, which wherever they prevail are dishonourable, uncomfortable and hurtful to the works.
(iii) outward peace. A full peace with the world cannot be expected, but I mean liberty to enjoy our privileges without interruption or ill-treatment—a mercy with which we are singularly favoured.
Now the most of the blessings and benefits I have mentioned depend under God upon the continuance of a gospel minister. This some of you will know, and therefore when the Lord seemed to threaten a removal you were pained. Woeful are the consequences when the Lord removes his candlestick—then profession languishes, errors creep in, dispensations and discords take place—the spirit of the world takes place, and the most established feel a want and a loss. Let us remember we are still dependent upon him. As the time of distress is his time of help, so the hour of security is the hour of danger.
FOR MEDITATION:
Round each habitation hovering
Thus deriving from their banner
See the cloud and fire appear!
Light by night and shade by day;
For a glory and a covering,
Safe they feed upon the Manna
Showing that the LORD is near:
Which he gives them when they pray.

SERMON: PSALM 147:12–14 [2/2] [ON THE COTTINGHAM ANNIVERSARY]

1 FEBRUARY (PREACHED 1 FEBRUARY 1770)

For an anniversary

‘Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.’ Psalm 147:12–14
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 147:1–20

Zion signifies the church: recovered by Jesus, the true David, out of the hand of his enemies; the seat of royal residence and of spiritual worship. The name is applicable to each of the hills of Zion: the congregations of believers. Happy the people that are in such a case as my text describes. The Lord grant it may in some measure be our case and that we may be thankful. I have chosen the subject as not unsuitable to what I believe is upon many of our hearts on the return of this day. Here we have protection, provision, blessing and peace.
Protection: he strengtheneth the bars of thy gates. Zion is a besieged city, but kept by the power of God. Satan is always endeavouring to break in, attempting to hurt them by erroneous doctrines or licentious practices. Therefore we are called upon to watch and stand fast in the faith, to quit ourselves like men and be strong.
He blesseth thy children. An increase in graces, making them thriving, giving them appetite as well as food and enabling them to show forth his praise in a holy conversation. An increase in numbers, calling them into the state of children who were by nature strangers and aliens.

FOR MEDITATION:
Blest inhabitants of Zion,
Washed in the Redeemer’s blood!
JESUS, whom their souls rely on,
Makes them kings and priests to GOD:
’Tis his love his people raises
Over self to reign as kings
And as priests, his solemn praises
Each for a thank-offering brings.

SERMON: PSALM 147:12–14 [1/2] [ON THE COTTINGHAM ANNIVERSARY]

January 31st

Do you see your calling?

Separated unto the Gospel. Romans 1:1.

Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the Gospel of God. The one thing that is all important is that the Gospel of God should be realized as the abiding Reality. Reality is not human goodness, nor holiness, nor heaven, nor hell, but Redemption; and the need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker to-day. As workers we have to get used to the revelation that Redemption is the only Reality. Personal holiness is an effect, not a cause, and if we place our faith in human goodness, in the effect of Redemption, we shall go under when the test comes.
Paul did not say he separated himself, but—“when it pleased God who separated me.…” Paul had not a hypersensitive interest in his own character. As long as our eyes are upon our own personal whiteness we shall never get near the reality of Redemption. Workers break down because their desire is for their own whiteness, and not for God. ‘Don’t ask me to come into contact with the rugged reality of Redemption on behalf of the filth of human life as it is; what I want is anything God can do for me to make me more desirable in my own eyes.’ To talk in that way is a sign that the reality of the Gospel of God has not begun to touch me; there is no reckless abandon to God. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul is unconscious of himself, he is recklessly abandoned, separated by God for one purpose—to proclaim the Gospel of God (cf. Rom. 9:3).