Spurgeon: March PM
* 03/30/PM
"Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord."
--Lamentations 3:40
The spouse who fondly loves her absent husband longs for his
return; a long protracted separation from her lord is a
semi-death to her spirit: and so with souls who love the Saviour
much, they must see His face, they cannot bear that He should be
away upon the mountains of Bether, and no more hold communion
with them. A reproaching glance, an uplifted finger will be
grievous to loving children, who fear to offend their tender
father, and are only happy in his smile. Beloved, it was so once
with you. A text of Scripture, a threatening, a touch of the rod
of affliction, and you went to your Father's feet, crying, "Show
me wherefore Thou contendest with me?" Is it so now? Are you
content to follow Jesus afar off? Can you contemplate suspended
communion with Christ without alarm? Can you bear to have your
Beloved walking contrary to you, because you walk contrary to
Him? Have your sins separated between you and your God, and is
your heart at rest? O let me affectionately warn you, for it is
a grievous thing when we can live contentedly without the
present enjoyment of the Saviour's face. Let us labour to feel
what an evil thing this is --little love to our own dying
Saviour, little joy in our precious Jesus, little fellowship
with the Beloved! Hold a true Lent in your souls, while you
sorrow over your hardness of heart. Do not stop at sorrow!
Remember where you first received salvation. Go at once to the
cross . There, and there only, can you get your spirit
quickened. No matter how hard, how insensible, how dead we may
have become, let us go again in all the rags and poverty, and
defilement of our natural condition. Let us clasp that cross,
let us look into those languid eyes, let us bathe in that
fountain filled with blood--this will bring back to us our first
love; this will restore the simplicity of our faith, and the
tenderness of our heart.