September 15

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee. - Revelation 2:4.

IT is very desirable to have a friend: one who will wipe off the dew of an unwholesome evening from our brow, soothe us in our sorrows, guide us in our perplexities and in our weaknesses; and, above all, one who will kindly tell us of our faults, for they are our own faults, and we ought to know them; and they are our own faults which, if we are wise for ourselves, we shall endeavour to correct, and however we may be pained we shall not be offended at the discovery. We shall rather say with David, “Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head.” “Faithful are the wounds of a friend,” and such a friend is Christ. “He is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” “He is a friend who loveth at all times,” “a brother born for adversity;” and as his friendship is without change, so is it without flattery. He can praise, but he can also censure. Therefore he says, “As many as I love I rebuke and chasten;” an instance of this we have in these words: “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee.” This reproof was prefaced by a very high commendation, which this Church received from the lips of the Saviour: “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil, and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars, and hast borne and had patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured and hast not fainted.”

But after all this he adds, “Nevertheless.” Oh this regretful word! how painful to hear praise followed by censure. How mortifying to see beauty associated with blemish. Who does not lament to see an exquisite piece of workmanship marred by some one defect? In this case the proximity and prominency of these excellencies render the fault more offensive. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee;” and where is the individual against whom he has not some charge to bring? Alas! in many things we offend all. We ourselves, with all our self-love and all our ignorance, can see much in ourselves which is amiss; how much more can he discern who is infinitely wise and infinitely holy-who sees more vileness in our duties than we ever saw in our sins.

Has he nothing against thee, O my soul? Nothing against thee in thy prayers, in thy services, in the state of thy heart, and in thy motives as well as in thy actions? Our prayer should ever be, “Cleanse thou me from secret faults.”