Milo

February 7

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul.” (Psalm 43:5.)

IS there ever any ground to be cast down? There are two reasons, but only two. If we are as yet unconverted, we have ground to be cast down; or if we have been converted and live in sin, then we are rightly cast down.
But except for these two things there is no ground to be cast down, for all else may be brought before God in prayer with supplication and thanksgiving. And regarding all our necessities, all our difficulties, all our trials, we may exercise faith in the power of God, and in the love of God.
“Hope thou in God.” Oh, remember this: There is never a time when we may not hope in God. Whatever our necessities, however great our difficulties, and though to all appearance help is impossible, yet our business is to hope in God, and it will be found that it is not in vain. In the Lord’s own time help will come.
Oh, the hundreds, yea, the thousands of times that I have found it thus within the past seventy years and four months!
When it semed impossible that help could come, help did come; for God has His own resources. He is not confined. In ten thousand different ways, and at ten thousand different times God may help us.
Our business is to spread our cases before the Lord, in childlike simplicity to pour out all our heart before God, saying,
“I do not deserve that Thou shouldst hear me and answer my requests, but for the sake of my precious Lord Jesus; for His sake answer my prayer, and give me grace quietly to wait till it please Thee to answer my prayer. For I believe Thou wilt do it in Thine own time and way.”
“For I shall yet praise him.” More prayer, more exercise of faith, more patient waiting, and the result will be blessing, abundant blessing. Thus I have found it many hundreds of times, and therefore I continually say to myself, “Hope thou in God.”—George Mueller.

February 6

“He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.” (Psalm 66:6.)

IT is a striking assertion, “through the floods” (the place where we might have expected nothing but trembling and terror, anguish and dismay) “there,” says the Psalmist, “did we rejoice in him!”
How many there are who can endorse this as their experience: that “there,” in their very seasons of distress and sadness, they have been enabled, as they never did before, to triumph and rejoice.
How near their God in covenant is brought! How brightly shine His promises! In the day of our prosperity we cannot see the brilliancy of these. Like the sun at noon, hiding out the stars from sight, they are indiscernible; but when night overtakes, the deep, dark night of sorrow, out come these clustering stars—blessed constellations of Bible hope and promise of consolation.
Like Jacob at Jabbok, it is when our earthly sun goes down that the Divine Angel comes forth, and we wrestle with Him and prevail.
It was at night, “in the evening,” Aaron lit the sanctuary lamps. It is in the night of trouble the brightest lamps of the believer are often kindled.
It was in his loneliness and exile John had the glorious vision of his Redeemer. There is many a Patmos still in the world, whose brightest remembrances are those of God’s presence and upholding grace and love in solitude and sadness.
How many pilgrims, still passing through these Red Seas and Jordans of earthly affliction, will be enabled in the retrospect of eternity to say—full of the memories of God’s great goodness—“We went through the flood on foot, there—there, in these dark experiences, with the surging waves on every side, deep calling to deep, Jordan, as when Israel crossed it, in “the time of the overflowing’ (flood), yet, ‘there did we rejoice in Him!’ ”—Dr. Macduff.

“And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the door of trouble for a door of hope: and she shall sing THERE.” (Hosea 2:15.)

10 FEBRUARY (PREACHED 6 FEBRUARY 1777)

The plague in our hearts

‘What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive …’ 1 Kings 8:38–39
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Mark 2:1–12

I can tell some of you what the plague of your heart is. It includes such things as these:
(i) guilt. I have sinned against the LORD [2 Samuel 12:13]. Well, there is forgiveness with him—for those who are beginning to come to him and for those who have backslidden from him.
(ii) unbelief. This is always with us. I see the gospel is good and true. I know and in my judgement approve the way of salvation, and yet I cannot make it my own. Look to the temple and say, ‘Lord, increase my faith.’
(iii) indwelling sin. Some may say, O I am ready to be swept away by the stream of corrupt nature, and especially in one instance: I have an enemy who knows where I am weak and threatens to overpower me. But in this temple there is a treasury of grace.
[contd in 6/6]
FOR MEDITATION:
Physician of my sin-sick soul,
It makes me deaf, and dumb, and blind,
To thee I bring my case;
And impotent and lame;
My raging malady control,
And overclouds, and fills my mind,
And heal me by thy grace.
With folly, fear, and shame.

I would disclose my whole complaint,
A thousand evil thoughts intrude
But where shall I begin?
Tumultuous in my breast;
No words of mine can fully paint
Which indispose me for my food,
That worst distemper, sin.
And rob me of my rest.

It lies not in a single part,
LORD I am sick, regard my cry,
But through my frame is spread;
And set my spirit free;
A burning fever in my heart,
Say, canst thou let a sinner die,
A palsy in my head.
Who longs to live to thee?

SERMON: 1 KINGS 8:38–39 [5/6]

9 FEBRUARY (PREACHED 6 FEBRUARY 1777)

All persons and all cases

‘What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive …’ 1 Kings 8:38–39
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Revelation 7:9–17

When we meet in the name of Christ in his ordinances, we are at the gate of the temple. The Lord is near, his eye upon us, his ear open to us, and his arm stretched forth to bestow upon us the blessings of his goodness—therefore the promise and encouragement. What Solomon asked, the Lord put in his heart because it was his pleasure to perform. Here is leave given for all persons and all cases.
(i) All persons—that is, all who account it a privilege, every man who knows the plague of his own heart. How strongly does unbelief work when those who do have a right, make the ground of that right an objection against themselves! Do you say, ‘Ah, I am such a sinner, such a backslider, I dare not come?’ Is not this rather a proof that you know the plagues of your own heart and are therefore invited by name?
(ii) All cases—what prayer and supplication soever. This is a large word. Let no one say, ‘I am shut out.’ They who know the plague of their own hearts will have matter for various supplications. A sense of our wants and wills will teach us to pray. What is this plague? Let the Lord know and direct your prayers to the Temple and you shall be heard.
FOR MEDITATION:
Behold the throne of grace!
My soul ask what thou wilt,
The promise calls me near;
Thou canst not be too bold;
There Jesus shows a smiling face,
Since his own blood for thee he spilt,
And waits to answer prayer.
What else can he withhold.

That rich atoning blood,
Beyond thy utmost wants
Which sprinkled round I see;
His love and power can bless;
Provides for those who come to GOD,
To praying souls he always grants,
An all-prevailing plea.
More than they can express.

SERMON: 1 KINGS 8:38–39 [4/6]

8 FEBRUARY (PREACHED 6 FEBRUARY 1777)

The true Temple

‘What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men).’ 1 Kings 8:38–39
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: 2 Corinthians 3:7–18

I shall speak of the true Temple. The type points out to us several things. Though the whole earth was filled with the providence and goodness of the Lord, he was only known in the temple worship. No other place or people had tokens of God’s presence amongst them. Thus God is only known in Christ. The book of nature and even the book of Scriptures give us no comfortable apprehensions of him, any farther than Jesus the true Temple is acknowledged. If men have not eyes to see what is taught of the person, offices and saving work of Christ, even the Scripture is a sealed book to them, and with the Word of God in their hands and in their mouth, they stumble like the blind at noonday. Many who acknowledge the Scripture in words know no more of God in a way of comfortable dependence and influence than the heathens. All acceptable service was confined to the temple, or immediately referred to it. No sacrifices could be offered anywhere else, and prayers by those at a distance must be directed towards it. Thus, as there can be no knowledge of God, so no communion with God, but by Christ. He is the door and the way, and no one cometh to the Father but by him. In the temple there was a veil separating the things within it from the people’s view, intimating the state of distance of the church under the law. But this veil was removed, and every partition broken down at his death. The hidden glories are revealed. All the Lord’s people are priests and have right of access, and the temple, no more confined to one space, is open to people of all languages and nations.

FOR MEDITATION: ‘Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God’ (Revelation 21:3).

SERMON: 1 KINGS 8:38–39 [3/6]