By
C. H. Spurgeon
"Thou shalt be called, Sought out."—Isaiah 62:12.
HE surpassing grace of God is seen very clearly in that we were not only sought, but sought
out. Men
seek
for a thing which is lost upon the floor of the house, but in such a
case there is only seeking, not seeking out. The loss is more perplexing
and the search more persevering when a thing is sought
out. We
were mingled with the mire: we were as when some precious piece of gold
falls into the sewer, and men gather out and carefully inspect a mass of
abominable filth, and continue to stir and rake, and search among the
heap until the treasure is found. Or, to use another figure, we were
lost in a labyrinth; we wandered hither and thither, and when mercy came
after us with the gospel, it did not find us at the first coming, it
had to search for us and seek us out; for we as lost sheep were so
desperately lost, and had wandered into such a strange country, that it
did not seem possible that even the Good Shepherd should track our
devious roamings. Glory be to unconquerable grace, we were sought
out!
No gloom could hide us, no filthiness could conceal us, we were found
and brought home. Glory be to infinite love, God the Holy Spirit
restored us!
The lives of some
of God's people, if they could be written would fill us with holy
astonishment. Strange and marvellous are the ways which God used in
their case to find His own. Blessed be His name, He never relinquishes
the search until the chosen are sought out effectually. They are not a
people sought to-day and cast away to-morrow. Almightiness and wisdom
combined will make no failures, they shall be called,
"Sought out!" That any should be sought out is matchless grace, but that
we
should be sought out is grace beyond degree! We can find no reason for
it but God's own sovereign love, and can only lift up our heart in
wonder, and praise the Lord that this night we wear the name of
"Sought out."
HY does God
allow so many of His children to be poor? He could make them all rich
if He pleased; He could lay bags of gold at their doors; He could send
them a large annual income; or He could scatter round their houses
abundance of provisions, as once he made the quails lie in heaps round
the camp of Israel, and rained bread out of heaven to feed them. There
is no necessity that they should be poor, except that He sees it to be
best. "The cattle upon a thousand hills are His"—He could supply them;
He could make the richest, the greatest, and the mightiest bring all
their power and riches to the feet of His children, for the hearts of
all men are in His control. But He does not choose to do so; He allows
them to suffer want, He allows them to pine in penury and obscurity. Why
is this? There are many reasons: one is, to give us, who are favoured with enough, an opportunity of showing our love to Jesus.
We show our love to Christ when we sing of Him and when we pray to Him;
but if there were no sons of need in the world we should lose the sweet
privilege of evidencing our love, by ministering in alms-giving to His
poorer brethren; He has ordained that thus we should prove that our love
standeth not in word only, but in deed and in truth. If we truly love
Christ, we shall care for those who are loved by Him. Those who are dear
to Him will be dear to us. Let us then look upon it not as a duty but
as a privilege to relieve the poor of the Lord's flock—remembering the
words of the Lord Jesus, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Surely this
assurance is sweet enough, and this motive strong enough to lead us to
help others with a willing hand and a loving heart—recollecting that all
we do for His people is graciously accepted by Christ as done to
Himself.
T is
interesting to remark how large a portion of Sacred Writ is occupied
with the subject of prayer, either in furnishing examples, enforcing
precepts, or pronouncing promises. We scarcely open the Bible before we
read, "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord;" and just as we
are about to close the volume, the "Amen" of an earnest supplication
meets our ear. Instances are plentiful. Here we find a wrestling
Jacob—there a Daniel who prayed three times a day—and a David who with
all his heart called upon his God. On the mountain we see Elias; in the
dungeon Paul and Silas. We have multitudes of commands, and myriads of
promises. What does this teach us, but the sacred importance and
necessity of prayer? We may be certain that whatever God has made
prominent in His Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives. If He
has said much about prayer, it is because He knows we have much need of
it. So deep are our necessities, that until we are in heaven we must
not cease to pray. Dost thou want nothing? Then, I fear thou dost not
know thy poverty. Hast thou no mercy to ask of God? Then, may the Lord's
mercy show thee thy misery! A prayerless soul is a Christless soul.
Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant, the shout of the fighting
believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. It is
the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honour of a
Christian. If thou be a child of God, thou wilt seek thy Father's face,
and live in thy Father's love. Pray that this year thou mayst be holy,
humble, zealous, and patient; have closer communion with Christ, and
enter oftener into the banqueting-house of His love. Pray that thou
mayst be an example and a blessing unto others, and that thou mayst live
more to the glory of thy Master. The motto for this year must be,
"Continue in prayer."
