Evening, September 11
Go To Morning Reading
“Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies.”
Psalms 5:8
Very bitter is the enmity of the world against the people of Christ.
Men will forgive a thousand faults in others, but they will magnify
the most trivial offence in the followers of Jesus. Instead of vainly
regretting this, let us turn it to account, and since so many are
watching for our halting, let this be a special motive for walking
very carefully before God. If we live carelessly, the lynx-eyed world
will soon see it, and with its hundred tongues, it will spread the
story, exaggerated and emblazoned by the zeal of slander. They will
shout triumphantly. “Aha! So would we have it! See how these Christians act! They are hypocrites
to a man.” Thus will much damage be done to the cause of Christ, and much insult
offered to his name. The cross of Christ is in itself an offence to
the world; let us take heed that we add no offence of our own. It
is “to the Jews a stumblingblock”: let us mind that we put no stumblingblocks where there are enough
already. “To the Greeks it is foolishness”: let us not add our folly to give point to the scorn with which the
worldly-wise deride the gospel. How jealous should we be of ourselves!
How rigid with our consciences! In the presence of adversaries who
will misrepresent our best deeds, and impugn our motives where they
cannot censure our actions, how circumspect should we be! Pilgrims
travel as suspected persons through Vanity Fair. Not only are we under
surveillance, but there are more spies than we know of. The espionage
is everywhere, at home and abroad. If we fall into the enemies’ hands we may sooner expect generosity from a wolf, or mercy from
a fiend, than anything like patience with our infirmities from men
who spice their infidelity towards God with scandals against his people.
O Lord, lead us ever, lest our enemies trip us up!