Evening
Time: 8:43 PM PST
"In the evening withhold not thy hand." --Ecclesiastes 11:6
In the evening of the day opportunities are plentiful: men return from
their labour, and the zealous soul-winner finds time to tell abroad the love of
Jesus. Have I no evening work for Jesus? If I have not, let me no longer
withhold my hand from a service which requires abundant labour. Sinners are
perishing for lack of knowledge; he who loiters may find his skirts crimson with
the blood of souls. Jesus gave both His hands to the nails, how can I keep back
one of mine from His blessed work? Night and day He toiled and prayed for me,
how can I give a single hour to the pampering of my flesh with luxurious ease?
Up, idle heart; stretch out thy hand to work, or uplift it to pray; heaven and
hell are in earnest, let me be so, and this evening sow good seed for the Lord
my God.
The evening of life has also its calls. Life is so short that a
morning of manhood's vigour, and an evening of decay, make the whole of it. To
some it seems long, but a four-pence is a great sum of money to a poor man. Life
is so brief that no man can afford to lose a day. It has been well said that if
a great king should bring us a great heap of gold, and bid us take as much as we
could count in a day, we should make a long day of it; we should begin early in
the morning, and in the evening we should not withhold our hand; but to win
souls is far nobler work, how is it that we so soon withdraw from it? Some are
spared to a long evening of green old age; if such be my case, let me use such
talents as I still retain, and to the last hour serve my blessed and faithful
Lord. By His grace I will die in harness, and lay down my charge only when I lay
down my body. Age may instruct the young, cheer the faint, and encourage the
desponding; if eventide has less of vigorous heat, it should have more of calm
wisdom, therefore in the evening I will not withhold my hand.