“A living
dog is better than a dead lion.” – Ecclesiastes 9:4
Life is a
precious thing, and in its humblest form it is superior to death. This truth is
eminently certain in spiritual things. It is better to be the least in the
kingdom of heaven than the greatest out of it. The lowest degree of grace is
superior to the noblest development of unregenerate nature. Where the Holy
Ghost implants divine life in the soul, there is a precious deposit which none
of the refinements of education can equal.
The thief
on the cross excels Caesar on his throne; Lazarus among the dogs is better than
Cicero among the senators; and the most unlettered Christian is in the sight of
God superior to Plato. Life is the badge of nobility in the realm of spiritual
things, and men without it are only coarser or finer specimens of the same
lifeless material, needing to be quickened, for they are dead in trespasses and
sins.
A living,
loving, gospel sermon, however unlearned in matter and uncouth in style, is
better than the finest discourse devoid of unction and power. A living dog
keeps better watch than a dead lion, and is of more service to his master; and
so the poorest spiritual preacher is infinitely to be preferred to the
exquisite orator who has no wisdom but that of words, no energy but that of
sound.
The like
holds good of our prayers and other religious exercises; if we are quickened in
them by the Holy Spirit, they are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ,
though we may think them to be worthless things; while our grand performances
in which our hearts were absent, like dead lions, are mere carrion in the sight
of the living God. O for living groans, living sighs, living despondencies,
rather than lifeless songs and dead calms. Better anything than death. The
snarlings of the dog of hell will at least keep us awake, but dead faith and
dead profession, what greater curses can a man have? Quicken us, quicken us, O
Lord!
Thanks
for the time of Reflection,
R.
Solomon
(This Devotional Reflection Issue is an excerpt from Charles
Spurgeon's Devotional “Morning and Evening: Daily Readings.”)