Morning, November 14
Go To Evening Reading
“I will cut off them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that
swear by Malcham.”
Zephaniah 1:5
Such persons thought themselves safe because they were with both parties:
they went with the followers of Jehovah, and bowed at the same time
to Malcham. But duplicity is abominable with God, and hypocrisy his
soul hateth. The idolater who distinctly gives himself to his false
god, has one sin less than he who brings his polluted and detestable
sacrifice unto the temple of the Lord, while his heart is with the
world and the sins thereof. To hold with the hare and run with the
hounds, is a dastard’s policy. In the common matters of daily life, a double- minded man
is despised, but in religion he is loathsome to the last degree. The
penalty pronounced in the verse before us is terrible, but it is well
deserved; for how should divine justice spare the sinner, who knows
the right, approves it, and professes to follow it, and all the while
loves the evil, and gives it dominion in his heart?
My soul, search thyself this morning, and see whether thou art guilty
of double-dealing. Thou professest to be a follower of Jesus—dost thou truly love him? Is thy heart right with God? Art thou of
the family of old Father Honest, or art thou a relative of Mr. By-ends?
A name to live is of little value if I be indeed dead in trespasses
and sins. To have one foot on the land of truth, and another on the
sea of falsehood, will involve a terrible fall and a total ruin. Christ
will be all or nothing. God fills the whole universe, and hence there
is no room for another god; if, then, he reigns in my heart, there
will be no space for another reigning power. Do I rest alone on Jesus
crucified, and live alone for him? Is it my desire to do so? Is my
heart set upon so doing? If so, blessed be the mighty grace which
has led me to salvation; and if not so, O Lord, pardon my sad offence,
and unite my heart to fear thy name.