My dear readers,

(Extracts from Daily Remembrancer by Rev James Smith, edited by Dr SH Tow)

1. “Leaning upon her Beloved” Song 8:5 (November 18 EVENING)

“I AM MY BELOVED’S, AND HIS DESIRE IS TOWARD ME.” Jesus is the object of a believer’s love. To him the world is a wilderness. Heaven is his Father’s house and his home. He is passing through the wilderness in company with Jesus. He is as the bride leaning on her beloved. This is indicative of weakness in herself and confidence in her Beloved. He is her strength as well as her guide, her support as well as the object of her affection. She leans on him as well as converses with him. He supports as well as comforts her. Believer, keep close to thy Saviour’s side. Never leave Him while in this waste howling wilderness. Lean on Him, and when you feel weak lean hard. His strong arm is put forth to support your weak frame. He will bear you up and lead you on. The more you lean on Him, the more you will love Him; and the more you love Him, the closer you will cleave to Him. Yield to His guidance, trust in His love, lean on His power, walk by His side, and commend Him to others around you. In His company you are safe, in communion with Him you will be happy: like the two disciples of old, your heart will be warmed, and you will be at the end of your journey before you are aware of it.

On thy Saviour’s love and power,
On His righteousness and blood,
Lean in every passing hour,
Lean till you sit down with God.

2. “Love is strong as death” Song 8:6 (May 26 EVENING)

DEATH has conquered all, BUT OUR LORD CONQUERED DEATH. The wisest, the strongest, the bravest, the kindest, the holiest - all have been conquered by death. It has triumphed over myriads, and turned our world into a vast graveyard. But love is equally strong, it conquers all. The love of Jesus is stronger, for it conquered death itself. And we are the objects of that love. He says, “I have loved you.” He proves it: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” He has proved the strength of His love by the gifts He has conferred upon us; by the visits He has paid us, by the tears He shed for us, by the labour He undertook to perform for us, by the sufferings He endured for us, by the death He died, by the desire He cherished, and by His constant intercession on our behalf. His love overcame all obstacles, triumphed over all opposition, conquered all foes, and now reigns in His bosom as a ruling passion of His manhood, and as a glorious perfection of His Godhead. His love passes conception. Let us retire tonight impressed with the thought, that the love of Jesus is unalterably fixed on us who believe in His name.

My blessed Saviour, is Thy love
So great, so full, so free?
Behold I give my love, my heart,
My life, my all, to Thee.

3. “Yea, He loved the people” Deut 33:3 (March 30 MORNING)

GOD’S LOVE IS NOT MAN’S LOVE. He loved the unlovely, the poor, oppressed, rebellious, stiff-necked, hard-hearted, unworthy creatures. Just such are His people by nature now, and such are we. Yet He loves us, pities us, and chooses us from among others. For us He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all; and with Him He will freely give us all things. Though He has not yet all His people with Him, yet He has Jesus sitting at His right hand as their representative; the express image and exact likeness of His elect. All the rays of God’s love centre in Jesus, who is the Head of His body the church. All the streams of delight flow from Him to every believer on earth. As He loves Jesus so He loves us, for Christ and we are one. What is done to us, is done to Him; and what is bestowed upon Him, as our Mediator is bestowed upon us His people. O glorious mystery of infinite and eternal love! Direct my heart into this love of God!

O love of incomp’rable kind!
That leaves all thought so far behind;
Where length, and breadth, and depth, and height,
Are lost to my astonish’d sight:
Lord shed abroad that love of Thine
In this poor sinful heart of mine.

4. “We love Him because he first loved us” 1 Jn 4:19 (March 11 EVENING)

“HEREIN IS LOVE, NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD, BUT THAT HE LOVED US.” Our love to God is but a feeble reflection of His love to us. He loved us in eternity that we might love Him in time. He loved us without any cause in us; but being infinitely lovely, He should be loved for His own sake. But it is the display of His love which awakens love in our bosoms towards Him; and His love being shed abroad in our hearts we love Him in return. No man in his natural state can love God, for “the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” If therefore we love Him, or even heartily desire to love Him, it is proof that our hearts have undergone a change; and that change is the proof of His love to us. Every spiritual blessing flows naturally from His love, and whatever comes to us from Him is a covenant blessing, and leads us back to Him in return. Our faith in His word, our hope in His mercy, our love to His people, our zeal for His cause, our sorrow for sin, and our desires after holiness are all so many proofs of His love to us. But our sonship crowns the whole. This is unparalleled love, that such sinners as we are, should be called, “The sons of God.”

How can I doubt Thy love to me,
Thy love which sent Thee to the tree?
That cruel cross on Calvary,
To bleed and die to ransom me!

God bless you dear readers.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,
Dr SH Tow, Founding Pastor