Spurgeon Meditations

 

And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither.

Rev 11 12

Without considering these words in their prophetical connection let us regard them D as the invitation of our great Forerunner to His sanctified people. In due time there shall be heard "a great voice from heaven" to every believer saying Come up hither. This should be to the saints the subject of joyful anticipation. Instead of dreading the time when we shall leave this world to go unto the Father we should be panting for the hour of our emancipation. Our song should be-- My heart is with Him on His throne, And ill can brook delay; Each moment listening for the voice, 'Rise up and come away.' We are not called down to the grave but up to the skies. Our heaven-born spirits should long for their native air. Yet should the celestial summons be the object of patient waiting. Our God knows best when to bid us "Come up thither." We must not wish to antedate the period of our departure. I know that strong love will make us cry O Lord of Hosts, the waves divide, And land us all in heaven; but patience must have her perfect work. God ordains with accurate wisdom the most fitting time for the redeemed to abide below. Surely if there could be regrets in heaven the saints might mourn that they did not live longer here to do more good. Oh for more sheaves for my Lord's garner! more jewels for His crown! But how unless there be more work? True there is the other side of it that living so briefly our sins are the fewer; but oh! when we are fully serving God and He is giving us to scatter precious seed and reap a hundredfold we would even say it is well for us to abide where we are. Whether our Master shall say "go or stay let us be equally well pleasedso long as He indulges us with His presence.% 02/08/PM He shall save His people from their sins." --Matthew 1:21 Many persons if they are asked what they understand by salvation will reply Being saved from hell and taken toheaven. This is one result of salvation but it is not one tithe of what is contained in that boon. It is true our Lord Jesus Christ does redeem all His people from the wrath to come; He saves them from the fearful condemnation which their sins had brought upon them; but His triumph is far more complete than this. He saves His people "from their sins." Oh! sweet deliverance from our worst foes. Where Christ works a saving work He casts Satan from his throne and will not let him be master any longer. No man is a true Christian if sin reigns in his mortal body. Sin will be in us--it will never be utterly expelled till the spirit enters glory; but it will never have dominion. There will be a striving for dominion--a lusting against the new law and the new spirit which God has implanted--but sin will never get the upper hand so as to be absolute monarch of our nature. Christ will be Master of the heart and sin must be mortified. The Lion of the tribe of Judah shall prevail and the dragon shall be cast out. Professor! is sin subdued in you? If your life is unholy your heart is unchanged and if your heart is unchanged you are an unsaved person. If the Saviour has not sanctified you renewed you given you a hatred of sin and a love of holiness He has done nothing in you of a saving character. The grace which does not make a man better than others is a worthless counterfeit. Christ saves His people not in their sins but from them. "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." "Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." If not saved from sin how shall we hope to be counted among His people. Lord save me now from all evil and enable me to honour my Saviour.


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