Spurgeon Meditations

 

Fellow citizens with the saints.

Eph 2 19

What is meant by our being citizens in heaven? It means that we are under heaven's government. Christ the king of heaven reigns in our hearts; our daily prayer is Thy will be done onearth as it is in heaven. The proclamations issued from the throne of glory are freely received by us: the decrees of the Great King we cheerfully obey. Then as citizens of the New Jerusalem we share heaven's honours. The glory which belongs to beatified saints belongs to us for we are already sons of God already princes of the blood imperial; already we wear the spotless robe of Jesu's righteousness; already we have angels for our servitors saints for our companions Christ for our Brother God for our Father and a crown of immortality for our reward. We share the honours of citizenship for we have come to the general assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven. As citizens we have common rights to all the property of heaven. Ours are its gates of pearl and walls of chrysolite; ours the azure light of the city that needs no candle nor light of the sun; ours the river of the water of life and the twelve manner of fruits which grow on the trees planted on the banks thereof; there is nought in heaven that belongeth not to us. "Things present or things to come allare ours. Also as citizens of heaven we enjoy its delights. Dothey there rejoice over sinners that repent--prodigals that havereturned? So do we. Do they chant the glories of triumphantgrace? We do the same. Do they cast their crowns at Jesu's feet?Such honours as we have we cast there too. Are they charmed withHis smile? It is not less sweet to us who dwell below. Do theylook forward, waiting for His second advent? We also look andlong for His appearing. If, then, we are thus citizens ofheaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our highdignity.% 07/11/AM After that ye have suffered awhile make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you." --1 Peter 5:10 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 sun-beams and passing rain-drops how can it abide? The graces of the Christian character must not resemble the rainbow in its transitory beauty but on the contrary must be stablished settled abiding. Seek O believer that every good thing you have may be an abiding thing. May your character not be a writing upon the sand but an inscription upon the rock! May your faith be no "baseless fabric of a vision but may it bebuilded of material able to endure that awful fire which shallconsume the wood, hay, and stubble of the hypocrite. May you berooted and grounded in love. May your convictions be deep, yourlove real, your desires earnest. May your whole life be sosettled and established, that all the blasts of hell, and allthe storms of earth shall never be able to remove you. Butnotice how this blessing of being stablished in the faith" is gained. The apostle's words point us to suffering as the means employed--"After that ye have suffered awhile." It is of no use to hope that we shall be well rooted if no rough winds pass over us. Those old gnarlings on the root of the oak tree and those strange twistings of the branches all tell of the many storms that have swept over it and they are also indicators of the depth into which the roots have forced their way. So the Christian is made strong and firmly rooted by all the trials and storms of life. Shrink not then from the tempestuous winds of trial but take comfort believing that by their rough discipline God is fulfilling this benediction to you.


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