Evening, May 23
Go To Morning Reading
“Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money.”
Isaiah 43:24
Worshippers at the temple were wont to bring presents of sweet perfumes
to be burned upon the altar of God: but Israel, in the time of her
backsliding, became ungenerous, and made but few votive offerings
to her Lord: this was an evidence of coldness of heart towards God
and his house. Reader, does this never occur with you? Might not the
complaint of the text be occasionally, if not frequently, brought
against you? Those who are poor in pocket, if rich in faith, will
be accepted none the less because their gifts are small; but, poor
reader, do you give in fair proportion to the Lord, or is the widow’s mite kept back from the sacred treasury? The rich believer should
be thankful for the talent entrusted to him, but should not forget
his large responsibility, for where much is given much will be required;
but, rich reader, are you mindful of your obligations, and rendering
to the Lord according to the benefit received? Jesus gave his blood
for us, what shall we give to him? We are his, and all that we have,
for he has purchased us unto himself—can we act as if we were our own? O for more consecration! and to
this end, O for more love! Blessed Jesus, how good it is of thee to accept our sweet cane
bought with money! nothing is too costly as a tribute to thine unrivalled
love, and yet thou dost receive with favour the smallest sincere token
of affection! Thou dost receive our poor forget-me-nots and love-tokens
as though they were intrinsically precious, though indeed they are
but as the bunch of wild flowers which the child brings to its mother.
Never may we grow niggardly towards thee, and from this hour never
may we hear thee complain of us again for withholding the gifts of
our love. We will give thee the first fruits of our increase, and
pay thee tithes of all, and then we will confess “of thine own have we given thee.”