December 18, Evening

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds." — Proverbs 27:23 · KJV

Every wise merchant will occasionally take stock, casting up his accounts, examining what he has on hand, and finding out decisively whether his trade is prospering or declining. Every man who is wise in the kingdom of heaven will cry, "Search me, O God, and try me"; and he will often set apart special seasons for self-examination, to discover whether things are right between God and his soul. The God we worship is a great heart-searcher; and of old His servants knew Him as "the Lord which searcheth the heart, and trieth the reins of the children of men." Let me stir you up, in His name, to make diligent search and solemn trial of your state, lest you come short of the promised rest. What every wise man does, and what God Himself does with us all, I urge you to do with yourself this evening. Let the oldest saint look well to the fundamentals of his piety, for gray heads may cover black hearts; and let not the young professor despise the word of warning, for the greenness of youth may be joined to the rottenness of hypocrisy. Every now and then a cedar falls in our midst; the enemy still continues to sow tares among the wheat. It is not my aim to introduce doubts and fears into your mind — no, indeed; rather I hope that the rough wind of self-examination may help to drive them away. It is not security, but carnal security, we would kill; not confidence, but fleshly confidence, we would overthrow; not peace, but false peace, we would destroy. By the precious blood of Christ, which was not shed to make you a hypocrite, but that sincere souls might show forth His praise, I beg you, search and look, lest at the last it be said of you, "Mene, Mene, Tekel: thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting."