Isaiah 26:9 With my soul have I desired you in the night; yes, with my spirit within me will I seek you early… Night appears to be a time peculiarly favourable to devotion. Its solemn stillness helps to free the mind from that perpetual din which the cares of the world will bring around it; and the stars looking own from Heaven upon us shine as if they would attract us up to God. I shall not speak of night natural at all, although there may be a great deal of room for poetic thought and expression. I. I shall speak to CONFIRMED CHRISTIANS; and I shall bring one or two remarks to bear upon their case, if they are in darkness 1. The Christian man has not always a bright, shining sun; he has seasons of darkness and night. It is a great truth, that the true religion of the living God is calculated to give a man happiness below as well as bliss above. But, notwithstanding, experience tells us that if the course of the just be "as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day," yet sometimes that light is eclipsed. (1) Sometimes it is night over the whole Church at once. Of course each Christian participates in it. (2) At other times this darkness over the soul of the Christian rises from temporal distresses. (3) "But oh!" says another, "you have not described my night. I have not much amiss in business; and I would not care if I had — but I have a night in my spirit." "Oh," says one, "I have not a single evidence of my Christianity now. I was a child of God, I know; but something tells me that I am none of His now." 2. A Christian man's religion will keep its colour in the night. "With my soul have I desired Thee in the night." What a mighty deal of silver slipper religion we have in this world. Men will follow Christ when everyone cries "Hosanna!" But they will not go with Him in the night. There is many a Christian whose piety did not burn much when he was in prosperity, but it will be known in adversity. 3. All that the Christian wants in the night is his God. "With desire have I desired Thee in the night." By day there are many things that a Christian will desire besides his Lord; but in the night he wants nothing but his God. 4. There are times when all the saint can are is to desire. We have a vast number of evidences of piety: some are practical, some experimental, some doctrinal; and the more evidences a man has of his piety the better. We like a number of signatures, to make a deed more valid, if possible. We like to invest property in a great number of trustees, in order that it may be all the safer; and so we love to have many evidences. But there are seasons when a Christian cannot get any. He can scarcely get one witness to come and attest his godliness. But there is one witness that very seldom is gagged, and that is, "I have desired Thee — I have desired Thee in the night." II. Speak to NEWLY AWAKENED SOULS. 1. The first question they would ask is this — How am I to know that my desires are proofs of a work of grace in my soul? (1) You may tell whether your desires are of God by their constancy. (2) By their efficacy. If your desires lead you into real "works meet for repentance," then they come from God. (3) By their urgency. 2. But you say, "If I have desired God, why have not I obtained my desire before now?"(1) You have hardly a right to ask the question; for God has a right to grant your petition or not as He pleases. But since thine anxiety has dictated the question, let my anxiety attempt to answer it. (2) Perhaps God has not granted thy desire because He wishes thine own profit thereby. He designs to show thee more of the desperate wickedness of thine heart, that in future thou mayest fear to trust it; He wants thee to see more of the blackness of darkness under the horrible pit of sin, that like a burnt child thou mayest shun the fire forever. He lets thee go down into the dungeon, that thou mayest prize liberty the better when it comes. And He is keeping thee waiting, moreover, that thy longings may be quickened. (3) Besides, God keeps thee waiting, perhaps, in order that He may display the riches of His grace more fully to thee at the last. I believe that some of us who were kept by God a long while before we found Him, loved Him better perhaps than we should have cone if we had received Him directly; and we can preach better to others, we can speak more of His loving kindness and tender mere . (4) One thought more. Perhaps it has come already. I fancy some of you think you will have a kind of electric shock — that a sort of galvanism, or something or other, will pass through you, such as you never had before. Do not be expecting any miracles now. If you will not think you are pardoned till you get a vision you will have to wait many a year. 3. But there is one more serious inquiry: and it is, Will God grant my desire at last? Yes, poor soul, verily He will. It is quite impossible that you should have desired God and should be lost. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. |
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