Good Words 1860 - Good Words for Every Day of the Year

July 13.

"When the fruit is brought forth (marg. is ripe), immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."—Mark iv. 29.

Here we have a ray of heavenly light cast upon many dealings of God, which men are ready to call very dark. We see useful lives suddenly brought to a close; we see the Christian pastor taken away in the midst of a most important work ; the Christian statesman removed from his place of high hope and promise for good; the Christian soldier falling before the fight was done, and perhaps, most mysterious of all to our natural sight, the faithful, tender, holy, Christian mother taken away from a large family of little ones whom she was leading straight to Jesus ! and these things seem utter darkness to us till we consider not our loss, but their gain. They were taken away not when we needed them least, or could best spare them, but " when the fruit was brought forth." The Lord watches the progress of the seed He sowed, the blade, the ear, the full corn in the ear; in some, the full corn presents so rich a harvest of beauty, that we dread the day of reaping! but He watches it, and even because of its ripeness, "when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle," and gathers it home, safely, surely, speedily home!

July 14.

"Blessed be his glorious name for ever, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen."—Ps. lxxii. 19.

There is a glorious day yet before us, when this prayer, which is also a prophecy, shall be accomplished, and this earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord as it has never yet been. We ask not how this shall be; we simply believe, that because the Lord has said it, He will do it to His own eternal praise and glory. The thought is to the believer a source of unspeakable joy and comfort; such comfort, as it must have been to the Jewish believer of the elder Church, to look forward to a Saviour yet to be revealed, of whom the prophets spoke, and the typical services gave promise. And thus do we look for His second coming, which will make this sin-blighted world full of His glory; rejoicing in the thought that our Saviour, who was rejected and despised among men, will in that day reign as King of kings and Lord of lords in an inconceivably glorious kingdom, where all the prophecies shall be seen and known to be true, finding their full accomplishment in ways perhaps which we little dream of.

"Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, he diligent, that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless," 2 Pet. iii. 14.

"He shall reign from pole to pole With illimitable sway; He shall reign when as a scroll Heaven and earth shall pass away!"

July 15.

"Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."—Rev. vii. 10..

This high song of praise is even now swelling forth in the upper sanctuary, beyond that blue firmament which veils from our feeble eyes the great glory of heaven. They are singing it there as none upon earth can do, for only those who have reached their heavenly rest can tell how great is the salvation with which God has saved them. Many whom we have heard of, many, perhaps, whom we have known and loved are there; old and young, they have finished their course, whether longer or shorter, with joy, and they now know what great things God hath prepared for those that love Him. To Him and to the Lamb do they ascribe all the glory of their salvation; they make no distinction, for the love of God is the love of the Lamb of God ; but we may well take note, that the name by which in heaven they praise God the Son, is in itself the recognition of His great work of redemption in dying for them. Even there, in His kingdom above, He is the Lamb that was slain, "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world." When we have followed some loved one to the grave, how does it revive our mourning hearts to hear, as from above, this voice of praise coming to us across the great gulf of separation; to hear the dear Christian friend with whom we have taken sweet counsel, singing now to the golden harp the wonderful salvation which God has wrought, and praising in heaven, as formerly with feeble tongue on earth, Him who has finished all this great work of redemption; "the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood."