Morning and Evening by Spurgeon

"He appeared first to Mary Magdalene."

—Mark 16:9

Evening Thought


Jesus "appeared first to Mary Magdalene," probably not only on account of her great love and persevering seeking, but because, as the context intimates,she had been a special trophy of Christ's delivering power. Learn from this, that the greatness of our sin before conversion should not make us imagine that we may not be specially favoured with the very highest grade of fellowship. She was one who had...

 

"The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out."

—Leviticus 6:13

Morning Thought


Keep the altar of private prayer burning. This is the very life of all piety. The sanctuary and family altars borrow their fires here, therefore let this burn well. Secret devotion is the very essence, evidence, and barometer, of vital and experimental religion.
Burn here the fat of your sacrifices. Let your closet seasons be, if possible, regular, frequent, and...

 

"As it began to dawn, came Magdalene, to see the sepulchre."

—Matthew 28:1

Evening Thought


Let us learn from Mary Magdalene how to obtain fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Notice how she sought. She sought the Saviour very early in the morning. If thou canst wait for Christ, and be patient in the hope of having fellowship with him at some distant season, thou wilt never have fellowship at all; for the heart that is fitted for communion is a hungering and a thirsting...

 

"If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it."

—Exodus 20:25

Morning Thought


God's altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of human skill or labour might be seen upon it. Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature; instead, however, of improving the gospel carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel, and not the...

 

"When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me."

—Psalms 56:9

Evening Thought


It is impossible for any human speech to express the full meaning of this delightful phrase, "God is for me." He was "for us" before the worlds were made; he was "for us," or he would not have given his well-beloved son; he was "for us" when he smote the Only-begotten, and laid the full weight of his wrath upon him-he was "for us," though he was...

 

"God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry?"

—Jonah 4:9

Morning Thought


Anger is not always or necessarily sinful, but it has such a tendency to run wild that whenever it displays itself, we should be quick to question its character, with this enquiry, "Doest thou well to be angry?" It may be that we can answer, "YES." Very frequently anger is the madman's firebrand, but sometimes it is Elijah's fire from heaven. We do well when we are angry with sin, because of...

 

"His heavenly kingdom."

—2 Timothy 4:18

Evening Thought


Yonder city of the great King is a place of active service. Ransomed spirits serve him day and night in his temple. They never cease to fulfil the good pleasure of their King. They always "rest," so far as ease and freedom from care is concerned; and never "rest," in the sense of indolence or inactivity. Jerusalem the golden is the place of communion with all the people of God. We shall sit with Abraham, Isaac, and...

 

"Sanctified by God the Father."

—jude 1

Morning Thought


"Sanctified in Christ Jesus."
- 1 Corinthians 1:2
"Through sanctification of the Spirit."
- 1 Peter 1:2

Mark the union of the Three Divine Persons in all their gracious acts. How unwisely do those believers talk who make preferences in the Persons of the Trinity; who think of Jesus as if he were the embodiment of everything lovely and gracious, while the Father they regard as severely just, but destitute of kindness...

 

"Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation."

—Joel 1:3

Evening Thought


In this simple way, by God's grace, a living testimony for truth is always to be kept alive in the land-the beloved of the Lord are to hand down their witness for the gospel, and the covenant to their heirs, and these again to their next descendants. This is our first duty, we are to begin at the family hearth: he is a bad preacher...

 

"After that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."

—1 Peter 5:10

Morning Thought


You have seen the arch of heaven as it spans the plain: glorious are its colours, and rare its hues. It is beautiful, but, alas, it passes away, and lo, it is not. The fair colours give way to the fleecy clouds, and the sky is no longer brilliant with the tints of heaven. It is not established. How can it be? A glorious show made up of transitory...