March 3rd Evening

0:00You are listening to Morning and Evening, a daily devotional work by Reverend Charles Spurgeon. This reading is brought to you by the Spurgeon Study Bible, available in the original King James Version, or the Christian Standard Bible, at SpurgeonStudyBible.com. Good evening, today is March 3rd. He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, Matthew 3 verse 16. As the Spirit of God descended upon the Lord Jesus, the head, so he also, in measure, descends upon the members of the mystical body. His descent is to us after the same fashion, as that in which it fell upon our Lord.

1:03There is often a singular rapidity about it, or ever we are aware we are impelled onward and heavenward beyond all expectation. Yet is there none of the hurry of earthly haste, for the wings of the dove are as soft as they are swift. Quietness seems essential to many spiritual operations. The Lord is in the still small voice, and like the Jew, his grace is distilled in silence. The dove has ever been the chosen type of purity, and the Holy Spirit is holiness itself. Where he cometh everything that is pure and lovely, and of good report, is made to abound, and sin and uncleanest depart. These rains also where the holy dove comes with power, he bears the olive bronze, which shows that the waters of divine rust are assuaged. Dentalness is a sure result of the sacred dove's transforming power.

2:06Hearts touched by his benign influence are meek and lowly henceforth and forever. Homelessness follows, as a matter of course, eagles and ravens may hunt their prey, the turtle dove can endure wrong, but cannot inflict it. We must be harmless as doves, the dove is an apt picture of love, the voice of the turtle is full of affection, and so the soul visited by the blessed Spirit abounds in love to God, in love to the brethren, and in love to sinners, and above all in love to Jesus. The brooding of the Spirit of God upon the face of the deep, first produced order and life, and in our hearts he causes and fosters new life and light. Blessed Spirit, as started dressed upon our dear Redeemer, even so, rest upon us from this time forward and forever.

3:12Beloved, rest this night, knowing that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor demons, nor powers, nor things present, or things to come, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.