Evening, March 9
Go To Morning Reading
“Abide in me.”
John 15:4
Communion with Christ is a certain cure for every ill. Whether it
be the wormwood of woe, or the cloying surfeit of earthly delight,
close fellowship with the Lord Jesus will take bitterness from the
one, and satiety from the other. Live near to Jesus, Christian, and
it is a matter of secondary importance whether thou livest on the
mountain of honour or in the valley of humiliation. Living near to
Jesus, thou art covered with the wings of God, and underneath thee
are the everlasting arms. Let nothing keep thee from that hallowed
intercourse, which is the choice privilege of a soul wedded to the well-beloved . Be not content with an interview now and then, but seek always
to retain his company, for only in his presence hast thou either comfort
or safety. Jesus should not be unto us a friend who calls upon us
now and then, but one with whom we walk evermore. Thou hast a difficult
road before thee: see, O traveller to heaven, that thou go not without
thy guide. Thou hast to pass through the fiery furnace; enter it not
unless, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, thou hast the Son of
God to be thy companion. Thou hast to storm the Jericho of thine own
corruptions: attempt not the warfare until, like Joshua, thou hast
seen the Captain of the Lord’s host, with his sword drawn in his hand. Thou art to meet the Esau
of thy many temptations: meet him not until at Jabbok’s brook thou hast laid hold upon the angel, and prevailed. In every
case, in every condition, thou wilt need Jesus; but most of all, when
the iron gates of death shall open to thee. Keep thou close to thy
soul’s Husband, lean thy head upon his bosom, ask to be refreshed with
the spiced wine of his pomegranate, and thou shalt be found of him
at the last, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Seeing thou
hast lived with him, and lived in him here, thou shalt abide with
him forever.