Morning, April 25 Go To Evening Reading “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” —Song of Solomon 2:10 Lo, I hear the voice of my Beloved! He speaks to me ! Fair weather is smiling upon the face of the earth, and he would not have me spiritually asleep while nature is all around me, awaking from her winter’s rest. He bids me, “Rise up,” and well he may, for I have long enough been lying among the pots of worldliness. He is risen, I am risen in him, why should I cleave unto the dust? I would rise towards him from lower loves, desires, pursuits, and aspirations. He calls me by the sweet title of “My love” and counts me fair; this is a good argument for my rising. If he has thus exalted me and thinks me hence comely, how can I linger in the tents of Kedar and find congenial associates among the sons of men? He bids me, “Come away.” Further and further from everything selfish, groveling, worldly, sinful, he calls me; yea, from the outwardly religious world which knows him n
Morning, April 24 Go To Evening Reading “And because of all this, we make a sure covenant.” —Nehemiah 9:38 There are many occasions in our experience when we may very rightly and with benefit renew our covenant with God. After recovery from sickness when, like Hezekiah, we have had a new term of years added to our life, we may fitly do it. After any deliverance from trouble , when our joys bud forth anew, let us again visit the foot of the cross and renew our consecration. Especially, let us do this after any sin that has grieved the Holy Spiritonor upon the cause of God; let us then look to that blood that or brought dish can make us whiter than snow and again offer ourselves unto the Lord. We should not only let our troubles confirm our dedication to God, but our prosperity should do the same. If we ever meet with occasions that deserve to be called “crowning mercies,” then, indeed, if he hath crowned us, we ought also to crown our God; let us bring forth anew all the jew