January 3

First Week in Advent.—Tuesday

That which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. S. Luke 12:3.

No word of folly or of sin "whispered in the ear" but shall be proclaimed on the housetop. Look as steadfastly as you can on that awful day, when the thrones shall be set, the books opened, when the tempter shall become the accuser, and for every forgotten sin claim us as his own lawful property. See him bringing before thee God's calls which thou wasted, the mercy thou despisedst, the grace thou slightedst, the times of prayer thou neglectedst, the love against which thou sinnedst, asking, "Is this Thy Son's robe or no? Is this the Robe of Righteousness wherewith Thou didst anew clothe him? Are these filthy rags, this garment spotted by the flesh which Thou didst bid him hate? Whose tokens are these, mine or Thine?" Can ye deny a bitter past of sins, negligences, ignorances, the remembrance whereof "is grievous," the burden intolerable, which ye would wash out if you could with tears of blood? All which we have hid from ourselves now will throng around us. When God calls them to our memory they will say, "Here we are." What can we say then but, "Enter not into judgment with Thy servant, O Lord." To Him, then, we would look. What a sight! His holiness and His love! Do not His very wounds and open Side upbraid us. Do they not say to us, in His Name, "Where is the fruit of these My sufferings? Where the price of My Blood? I set you above the glory I had with the Father."

Lord, ere our trembling lamps sink down and die, Touch us with chastening hand, and make us feel Thee nigh.