# devotions

devotion:
<i> In that day shall there he … a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. - <a href='B:290 19:19'>Isa 19:19</a>. </i><p>WHILE passing from one annual period to another, this remarkable and significant prediction concerning Egypt may serve to remind us of the obligation under which we lie to rear a pillar of remembrance and memorial unto the Lord our God. &ldquo;At the border&rdquo; of the new year, therefore, First, Let us, in the Spirit and design of the action, set up a pillar on which to record our past sorrows. This will tend to keep us in remembrance that while<p><i> &ldquo;Every sigh and every pain<p>Are but the fruit of sin,&rdquo; </i><p>our sorrows are designed for our benefit; that, as it is &ldquo;good for a man to bear the yoke,&rdquo; so it is good to remember it. The remembrance of these will sober our future prospects and lower our earthly hopes, while it will encourage us by showing that, though we may be &ldquo;cast down&rdquo; we may not be &ldquo;destroyed,&rdquo; and though we may be &ldquo;troubled on every side,&rdquo; yet we may not be &ldquo;distressed.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, Let us set up a pillar on which to record our temporal deliverances. David remembered the hill Mizar- probably the scene of some signal deliverance-Hezekiah composed a writing on his recovery from sickness, and gave it to the leader of the psalmody, in order that it might be sung in the temple, and he said: &ldquo;The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day;&rdquo; and Paul said, &ldquo;He who hath delivered doth deliver, and he, we trust, will yet deliver us.&rdquo; We, too, have been helped in our straits, and supplied every morning and evening with needed mercies. Let us take care to keep ourselves sensible of our obligations to God for his interposition.<p><i> &ldquo;Why should the wonders he hath wrought,<p>Be lost in silence and forgot?&rdquo; </i><p>Again, let us record on this pillar of remembrance our Spiritual benefits-such as the Son of his love, the Spirit of his Son, the throne of his grace, the word of his truth, and the exceeding great and precious promises thereof, which are &ldquo;yea and amen in Christ Jesus.&rdquo; All Christians have some red-letter days in the almanack of their experience, and times of love to remember and to be grateful for. Oh, what a &ldquo;time of love&rdquo; was that when he said unto us &ldquo;Live;&rdquo; when he &ldquo;called us out of darkness into his marvellous light;&rdquo; when he poured the balm of hope into the bosom of despair, and enable us to say, &ldquo;I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.&rdquo;<p><i> &ldquo;Many days have passed since then,<p>Many changes I have seen;<p>But have been upheld till now-<p>Who could hold me up but Thou?&rdquo; </i><p>But we have been upholden in our work and warfare. What snares laid for our souls he has broken, and what &ldquo;times of refreshing have come&rdquo; to us &ldquo;from the presence of the Lord.&rdquo; At his throne, in his house, and at his table, how often have his comforts delighted our souls; and his promises have been fulfilled in our experience, meeting our wants and woes, our weaknesses and diseases. &ldquo;Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.&rdquo;<p><i> &ldquo;Here I raise my Ebenezer, <p> Hither by thy help I&rsquo;m come;<p>And I hope by thy good pleasure <p> Safely to arrive at home.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. - <a href='B:470 6:6'>Mat 6:6</a>. </i><p>OUR blessed Saviour was the example as well as the enjoiner of private devotion. We read of his &ldquo;rising a great while before day,&rdquo; and of his &ldquo;going up into a mountain apart to pray,&rdquo; and of his &ldquo;continuing all night in prayer&rdquo; to his Divine Father. Some complain of not having time. Daniel was prime minister of one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, and daily and frequent private devotion was his constant practice. David had to give audiences to ambassadors, and orders to generals and magistrates, and yet he says, &ldquo;Morning and evening and at noon will I pray.&rdquo; A real Christian will not live a stranger to devotional retirement; he will feel continually that he has much to do with God alone. There are three advantages pertaining to private prayer. The first results from, frequency; we can retire much oftener than we can go to the public sanctuary. We can easily seize a moment of leisure when journeying or engaged in our occupations, as Nehemiah did, who was the king&rsquo;s cupbearer, who, while attending on his royal master, said, &ldquo;I prayed to the God of Heaven.&rdquo;<p>The second is freedom; for alone we can make confessions which it would not be proper to make in the hearing of a fellow-creature. We can pour into the bosom of God things we do not feel at liberty to divulge to the dearest relation and friend upon earth. Friendship always deals in secrecy, and so does the friendship subsisting between God and the soul.<p>The third arises from sincerity. Private devotion is a much better evidence of sincerity than public worship. Many things in the public assembly are calculated to excite and attract; but when a man retires God must be the principal excitement and attraction. His language is, &ldquo;Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth I desire beside thee.&rdquo; We must not judge of ourselves by what we feel in large assemblies.<p>Let us retire to be alone with God, and then we shall say, &ldquo;It is good for me to draw near to God.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> To die is gain. <a href='B:570 1:21'>Phi 1:21</a>. </i><p>THE curse to a believer is turned into a blessing, and the enemy into a friend. For &ldquo;to die is gain.&rdquo; The traveler then gains his Father&rsquo;s home; the mariner gains the desired haven; the soldier gains his victory and triumph; the believer, after all his conflicts, gains a complete deliverance from all his sorrows and all his sins and temptations. The whole life of a Christian here is founded upon a hope that can only be accomplished by dying. It will be the completion of bliss to be with Christ, and to behold his glory.<p>Death to a Christian is not a bar but a bridge, so that he may pass over and take possession of his glorious inheritance. To a believer death comes so changed in its character that it ought not to be called by this name. It is not properly dying, it is &ldquo;sleeping in Jesus;&rdquo; it is &ldquo;departing to be with Christ, which is far better;&rdquo; it is &ldquo;going home;&rdquo; it is &ldquo;entering into his rest,&rdquo; and &ldquo;into the joy of his Lord.&rdquo; Dr. Gouge often said: &ldquo;I have two friends in the world, Christ and death; Christ is my best friend, death is my second.&rdquo; Adams, in his &ldquo;Private Thoughts,&rdquo; says, &ldquo;I bless thee, O God, that I am to die. I bless thee I am capable of dying. I bless thee that I am appointed to die; and I bless thee the execution is drawing so near.&rdquo; The great John Howe, having been speaking of glory, says: &ldquo;Oh, how should our hearts leap for joy, that in order to our perfect blessedness nothing is further wanting than to die, and that the certainty of death completes our assurance of heaven. What should now hinder our joyful thanksgivings that we are in no danger of an earthly immortality; that it is not in the power of all the men in the world to detain us in it, and that our greatest enemies can never keep us from dying, and therefore keep us from thee.&rdquo;<p>O, my soul, let me die &ldquo;the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us. <a href='B:520 12:6'>Rom 12:6</a>. </i><p>GOD does not communicate the same favours to all, nor in the same degree. To some he gives more, to some less. Some he places in splendid stations, others are called to pass their days in obscurity. But to &ldquo;every one is given grace according to the gift of Christ.&rdquo;<p>There is a variety in all his works. If we look up we shall see &ldquo;one star differeth from another star in glory;&rdquo; if we survey the earth, we shall find hills and valleys, rivers and oceans. If we observe the natural body there is a diversity of parts, and these are very unequal, yet no one of them is needless oj useless. It is the same in the mystical body; there are many offices, but all cannot fill the same office. &ldquo;Having, then,&rdquo; says the apostle, &ldquo;gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; for as we have many members, and all members have not the same office, so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.&rdquo; So the apostle Peter says, &ldquo;As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.&rdquo;<p>Grace again, manifold grace! &ldquo;If any man speak, let him speak as the oracle of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ.&rdquo;<p>Unto Christians at large is this grace given-&ldquo;gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us&rdquo;-that some should be employed in teaching poor children to read the Bible, and that others should &ldquo;visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction;&rdquo; to some it is given to subscribe to Bible and Missionary and Tract Societies, and to others to collect for them. Thus we see all may be graciously employed and honoured. And Newton, when he says that at God&rsquo;s bidding some fly over earth and seas, adds finely, &ldquo;They also serve thy will, and they require more grace who wait than those who fly.&rdquo;<p>&ldquo;For unto you it is given,&rdquo; says the apostle, &ldquo;in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> If the Son shall make you free. - <a href='B:500 8:36'>Joh 8:36</a>. </i><p>THIS supposes a previous state of bondage. And the bondage from which the Son of God delivers us is twofold.<p>First, The bondage of condemnation. Sin always binds over the offender to penalty. Now no one by nature is free from this bondage-&ldquo;Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law, to do them.&rdquo; And who has ever done this? &ldquo;There is none righteous, no, not one.&rdquo; But who can lay open the contents of this curse? &ldquo;Who knoweth,&rdquo; says the Psalmist, &ldquo;the power of thine anger: even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.&rdquo; The apprehension of this wrath is tremendously awful, but the doom will far surpass the dread. There is the bondage, where is the Deliverer? The Son makes us free. He does this by his cross-by sacrifice, by ransom, by substitution, by &ldquo;redeeming us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us,&rdquo; by &ldquo;bearing our sins in his own body on the tree.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, There is the bondage of corruption. This takes in-the tyranny exercised over us by all our Spiritual enemies. We talk of liberty, &ldquo;but of what a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage.&rdquo; Is he free who is the servant of sin-who is taken captive by the devil at his will-who hangs his hopes and fears upon the course of this world-who is governed, not by the convictions of his own mind, but by the smiles and frowns of his fellow-travellers, and approves better things and follows worse? There is the bondage; where is the Deliverer? The Son makes us free. He does this by his grace-by the undeserved and powerful agency of the Holy Spirit; and everything else will prove ineffectual.<p>The slave of sin resolves to escape; but attempting it in his own strength, he is overtaken, and is &ldquo;tied and bound by the chain of his sin&rdquo; faster than before. But when He who proclaims liberty to the captive comes and cries, &ldquo;Loose him and let him go,&rdquo; the poor captive is released-his fetters fall off-he gazes on his Deliverer, he melts into tears of sorrow, gratitude, and joy -he kneels, and asks, &ldquo;Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?&rdquo; And he rises and says, &ldquo;I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.&rdquo; There is the bondage, there the Deliverer. 


devotion:
<i> Ye shall be free indeed. - <a href='B:500 8:36'>Joh 8:36</a>. </i><p>HERE is the EXCELLENCY of this deliverance. Christ not only makes his people &ldquo;free,&rdquo; but &ldquo;free indeed.&rdquo; This admits of a fourfold exemplification.<p>First, The freedom is real. It is neither a device nor a delusion. There is no reality in what men call liberty-for which men have fought and bled and of which they boast-compared with the relief and pleasure of the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.<p>Secondly, It is Spiritual. The soul is and must be the seat of happiness or misery. What was Paradise to Adam when guilt had filled him with fear and sorrow? What was a prison to Paul, rejoicing in God&rsquo;s salvation?-his soul, his ideas, his volitions, his resolves, and his resources were free. No night, no darkness, can hinder the &ldquo;arising of the Sun of Righteousness with healing on his wings.&rdquo; No tyrant can touch a soul that he has made free indeed.<p>Thirdly, It is permanent. Many, after asserting their freedom, have been again conquered; but a freed Christian can never be reconquered. &ldquo;Sin shall not have the dominion over you,&rdquo; saith the apostle, &ldquo;for ye are not under the law, but under grace.&rdquo; &ldquo;The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.&rdquo; At death the Christian&rsquo;s liberty is enlarged and completed; then is brought to pass the saying that is written, &ldquo;Death is swallowed up in victory.&rdquo;<p>Fourthly, This freedom is infinite. There is immensity attached to the advantages connected with it. He is free indeed who is free of Mount Zion, the city of the living God-who is free to commune with God as a man talketh with his friend-who can call God Father, enter his house, sit at his table, lean upon his arm, and repose on his bosom- who has every desirable good thing chartered to him, and who, when he dies, is placed nearer to the throne of God and of the Lamb than angels.<p>Let us adore the Saviour who has thus made us really, Spiritually, unchangeably, and infinitely free. <p>&ldquo;A soul redeem&rsquo;d demands a life of praise.&rdquo; </i><p>It is the design of such a deliverance, &ldquo;that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness, all the days of our life.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Come, ye blessed of my Father. <a href='B:470 25:34'>Mat 25:34</a>. </i><p>THE blessedness of the saints began by being made to feel their need of the Saviour here. It was the business of their life-they sought after him in his works-in his word-in his ways-in his dispensations-in his ordinances. They had been brought to such a state that they could say- <p>&ldquo;I cannot live contented here, <p> Without some glimpses of thy face; <p> And heaven, without thy presence there, <p> Would be a dark and tiresome place.&rdquo; </i><p>He will therefore fulfil all their desires after him completely, and say at last, &ldquo;Come, ye blessed of my Father.&rdquo; &ldquo;Come!&rdquo; Were they afar oft&rdquo;? They were by nature without Christ, and thence their debasement and their misery. He knew that they stood in need of him, and that without him they would be undone for ever; and that he was the essence of their blessedness, and unless they came to him they never could be truly happy; and therefore his language always was, &ldquo;Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.&rdquo; &ldquo;Him that cometh unto me I will in nowise cast out.&rdquo; Thus their blessedness began. It was by intercourse; it was by coming to him; and how is it completed? Why, in the very same way. &ldquo;Come, ye blessed of my Father.&rdquo; As if he thought they could not be near enough to himself. &ldquo;Come,&rdquo; as if he had said, I saw you coming to my cross with your burden. I saw you coming to my throne with all your wants. I saw you coming to my house to behold my beauty and glory. I saw you coming to my table to behold my hands and my side. Oh, come now into my immediate presence; come now into my arms; come now into my bosom, and be for ever with the Lord.<p>Come, come! Do they hesitate?-are they ready to shrink back? There was a time when this was the case; not from anything like aversion, but from a sense of their own unworthiness. And if they are sensible of their unworthiness now, they will be a thousand times more sensible of it hereafter. Therefore are they represented as casting their crowns before him, as much as to say, by their abdication, that they are not worthy to wear them. But then they will have equal confidence in him. Then they will know no sin. They will know, and he will wish them to know, that they are as welcome as they are unworthy. Yes; no one has, in inviting a beloved friend to their house, or a child to their bosom, given either of them a thousandth part of the welcome with which he will receive his brethren when he shall say at the last &ldquo;Come, ye blessed of my Father,&rdquo; &c. 


devotion:
<i> Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. - <a href='B:470 25:34'>Mat 25:34</a>. </i><p>OBSERVE four things. First, The possession-a kingdom -not only a building of God-a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens-not merely an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away; but something more excellent and dignified. A crown sparkles in the eye of ambition; a throne is the highest pinnacle of honour; but the highest throne of an earthly monarch will be nothing compared to the throne of the humblest Christian.<p>Secondly, The attribute attached to it-prepared for you. For it was not a natural acquisition; neither of easy attainment; nor an inexpensive endowment. Oh, how many things had to be removed and done before we could receive it! What a system of mediation was to intervene between God and us! and, therefore, says the Saviour, &ldquo;I go to prepare a place for you.&rdquo; His death, his resurrection, ascension, intercession, advocacy with the Father, and his possession of the whole dispensation of the Gospel, the means of grace, and the agency of the Holy Ghost, were necessary.<p>Thirdly, Observe the earliness of the design-a kingdom prepared &ldquo;from the foundation of the world.&rdquo; Christianity is not only as old as the creation, but much older. &ldquo;The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting as well as to everlasting.&rdquo; Do we think of the sacrifice that procured it? It is &ldquo;The Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world;&rdquo;-Of the promise that conveys it? &ldquo;In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began;&rdquo;-Of the love which was the source of it? &ldquo;I have loved thee with an everlasting love, and therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.&rdquo; So true is it that he has &ldquo;saved us and called us with an holy calling; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.&rdquo;<p>Fourthly, The period of its actual possession. It is future. &ldquo;Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit,&rdquo; &c. They are now heirs, but heirs under age; and, as such, are in some respects no more than servants. As Young finely says- <p>&ldquo;Creatures of yesterday we are, <p> Nor into manhood rise, <p> Till death pronounces us of age, <p> And crowns us for the skies.&rdquo; </i><p>They are now indeed the sons of God; but it doth not yet appear what they shall be, and the world knoweth them not. They are like David now, anointed, but not crowned; and, like him, through much tribulation they also are entering into their kingdom. Then they will be as kings sitting upon thrones, and reigning for ever and ever. 


devotion:
<i> Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. <a href='B:290 38:17'>Isa 38:17</a>. </i><p>OBSERVE the manner in which the pardon of sin is here expressed. It is by a metaphor. What a man throws behind his back is out of his sight, and he regards it no more. How does this apply to God? Nothing can ever be properly out of his sight, or out of his knowledge. No; but the meaning is, that their sins will no more appear before him to provoke his anger or call forth any condemnation. It is not what we do with our sins, but what God does with them; not whether we forget them, but whether God remembers them. The Christian may say with David, &ldquo;As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgression from us.&rdquo;<p>Observe the extensiveness and measure of the blessing. Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back, however numerous, and however heinous. &ldquo;Though our sins are as scarlet,&rdquo; says he, &ldquo;they shall be white as snow;&rdquo; &ldquo;though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool,&rdquo; for he will abundantly pardon. If only one sin remains it would be enough to ruin the soul for ever. But this is not the case. Mark, here is the knowledge of the privilege. He speaks without any hesitation: &ldquo;Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.&rdquo; There is a difference between the reality and the manifestation of a thing. There are persons whose pardon God hath sealed, who write very bitter things of themselves. They have not as yet the full assurance of faith. Nevertheless, they are sustained by hope in his mercy. And if they seek it in his own way, he will in due time appear to their joy, and they shall not be ashamed. If they throw themselves at his feet he will take them to his bosom. If with Peter they cry, &ldquo;Lord save, or I perish,&rdquo; they will be able, by-and-by, to say with Thomas, &ldquo;My Lord and my God!&rdquo; Let us therefore seek after this inestimable blessing.<p>What is every thing else without this?-what if we have been recovered from the grave?-what would our going down to the pit of corruption be when compared with going down to the pit of damnation?-what would it be to have the body healed, and the soul condemned? Oh! to be reconciled to God by the death of his Son; to be able to say, &ldquo;O Lord, thou wast angry with me, but thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD. - <a href='B:230 115:11'>Psa 115:11</a> </i><p>TRUSTING in God is the basis of every part of religion. We fall by losing our confidence in God, and we can only be recovered by the renewal of it. And the one simple design of revelation, from the beginning to the end, is that &ldquo;we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.&rdquo; This is the grand design of the mediation of our Saviour. &ldquo;God raised him up from the dead and gave him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God.&rdquo; Hence we are said to be &ldquo;saved through faith,&rdquo; to be &ldquo;justified by faith,&rdquo; &ldquo;purifying our hearts by faith,&rdquo; and to be sanctified by faith, to &ldquo;live by faith,&rdquo; and to &ldquo;walk by faith.&rdquo; And faith is this trust in its principle, and trust is this faith in its exercise. Let us consider what it is that characterizes a believer&rsquo;s trust in God.<p>First, It is difficult. It is no easy thing for a man whose conscience is truly awakened to trust in a Being who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and whom he has offended times without number; and especially to trust in him not only for pardon, but for acceptance and supplies, and salvation, and salvation with eternal glory-to trust a Being who has never been the object of any of our senses, who is therefore an entirely invisible Being to us.<p>Secondly, This trust in God is warranted. This warrant is to be found in God&rsquo;s word. It is this makes him known, and proclaims his name, &ldquo;The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious.&rdquo; It is here we have his engagement confirmed by his oath, his promise, and his command, to authorize our trust in him.<p>Thirdly, It is always of a practical nature. I may tempt God in a thousand ways, but I can only trust God Spiritually in the path of duty and in the use of means.<p>Fourthly, This trust is perpetual. We are to trust in him at all times. In general there are two conditions, both of them great trials of this confidence. The first is a state of prosperity, when our very successes and engagements keep us from feeling our need of him so much; and the other is a state of adversity, when events seem to oppose the promises of God. Here is the time to trust in God, and to say with Job, &ldquo;Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.&rdquo; This trust is very extensive. It regards everything we need for time and for eternity. It is very relieving. &ldquo;His heart shall not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord;&rdquo; and it is this trust by which God is pleased and honoured. <p>&ldquo;Retreat beneath his wings, <p> And in his grace confide, <p> This more exalts the King of kings, <p> Than all your works beside.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> Full of grace. - <a href='B:500 1:14'>Joh 1:14</a>. </i><p>THAT is, the Lord Jesus Christ was full of divine influence, which in the Scriptures is so often called grace, because it flows from the mere favour of God. As he himself said to Paul, &ldquo;My grace is sufficient for thee.&rdquo; &ldquo;Most gladly, therefore,&rdquo; said the Apostle, &ldquo;will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me, for when I am weak then am I strong.&rdquo; Now of this grace all his disciples are partakers.<p>If we lived with the holiest of his people, we should not find them full of grace; we should discover many sad deficiencies in their principles, their affections, and their actions. But he was filled with the Holy Ghost. He had every excellence, and every excellence in its perfection; grace was poured into his lips, into his ears, into his eyes, into his life, into all he said, into all he did and suffered, and into all that he enjoyed. And he had this grace which filled him, not only as a man for himself, but as a Mediator for us, that from his fulness we might all &ldquo;receive, and grace for grace.&rdquo; But grace often signifies kindness, benevolence, and generosity; and was he not full of this? Hence we read that he had compassion on the multitude, and fed them. Did he not, with a voice breathing the softness and gentleness of his own loving heart, say, &ldquo;Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;&rdquo; and &ldquo;Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out;&rdquo; and to the woman that was a sinner.<p>&ldquo;Thy sins are forgiven thee;&rdquo; and to the poor suffering thief, who said, &ldquo;Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom,&rdquo; he instantly said, &ldquo;This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.&rdquo; Yes, blessings on his dear name! he is full or grace.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. <a href='B:680 3:18'>2Pe 3:18</a>. </i><p>THERE are some who deny growth in grace, as if it were not possible to obtain clearer views of divine truth, to be more patient in tribulation, and to be more concerned for the Divine glory, and the welfare of those around us. But our Saviour hath said that the water he gives us shall be in us &ldquo;a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.&rdquo; And that growth in the divine life is possible, important, and necessary, let us consider the precepts of Scripture: &ldquo;Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity.&rdquo;<p>If we turn to the emblems of Scripture, we find it thus variedly and beautifully illustrated: &ldquo;The path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day.&rdquo; If we look at the corn growing in the field, there is &ldquo;first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear.&rdquo; In God&rsquo;s family there are &ldquo;babes, young men, and fathers in Christ.&rdquo;<p>All these are intended to convey the idea of progression. Observe the examples of Scripture. The Apostle, writing to the Thessalonians, says, &ldquo;Your faith groweth exceedingly.&rdquo; And there is the Apostle himself. Who ever made greater advancements in the divine life than he? and what does he say? &ldquo;Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect, but I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.&rdquo; In the promises of Scripture this result is abundantly assured to us: &ldquo;I will be as the dew unto Israel. He shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.&rdquo; &ldquo;They shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine.&rdquo; &ldquo;The righteous shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger.&rdquo;<p>Let us also consider the advantages of thus making progress in Spiritual attainments; as we advance we shall be changed from glory to glory; every step will add to our dignity and to our usefulness. It is thus that we shall adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, and recommend religion to all around us. While it will tend to promote the Divine glory, it will greatly increase our own comfort and enjoyment, by adding to the evidences of our state and character; and &ldquo;herein,&rdquo; says the Saviour, &ldquo;is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. <a href='B:500 15:13'>Joh 15:13</a>. </i><p>FRIENDSHIP among men arises from the possession of some real or supposed amiable quality in the object of regard; but the friendship of Christ arises from no excellency in its subject. His regards are all undeserved. What were they when he first took knowledge of them? Unworthy of the least possible favour, undeserving, ill-deserving, and hell-deserving creatures. &ldquo;God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.&rdquo; &ldquo;When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.&rdquo; Behold! and see what friendship he has manifested towards us. He &ldquo;who thought it not robbery to be equal with God,&rdquo; taking upon him the form of a servant, becoming &ldquo;a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;&rdquo; &ldquo;who though he was rich yet for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich.&rdquo; What friendship! See him &ldquo;bruised for our iniquities,&rdquo; that by &ldquo;his stripes we may be healed,&rdquo; and dying that we may live. &ldquo;Behold,&rdquo; said the spectators at the grave of Lazarus, when they saw him weep, &ldquo;how he loved him!&rdquo;<p>And we can look up and see his friendship to us marked even in stronger colours. What did the angels think of him when they saw him bleeding on the cross? Behold how he loved them! What friendship! See him delivering us &ldquo;from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.&rdquo; What friendship! to wash us from our sins in his own blood-to sympathise with us in all our sorrows, and to be touched with the feeling of our infirmities now in his glorified state. 


devotion:
<i> And you … hath he reconciled. <a href='B:580 1:21'>Col 1:21</a>. </i><p>RECONCILED to whom? To God. How? In the body of his flesh through death. This reconciliation is effected alone through the mediation of him who died for us, and rose again; of which the Apostle speaks when he says, &ldquo;God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing unto them their trespasses.&rdquo; We had provoked Jehovah, and he could easily and righteously have destroyed us. We lay entirely at his mercy, and we had no claim to his pity. But when he might have come against us in flaming fire with his holy angels, to take vengeance on us who knew him not, and did not obey him, behold he himself comes forward arrayed as the God of love.<p>There were difficulties in the way of our reconciliation; he removes them. A ransom was necessary; he provides it. A righteousness was requisite; he has wrought out and brought in everlasting righteousness. &ldquo;He spared not his Son, but delivered him up for us all,&rdquo; that we may have the assurance that &ldquo;with him he will also freely give us all things.&rdquo; And, oh, let us remember that in thus reconciling us, he did not wait for our submission and our application. He formed the plan himself, and he accomplished it; and &ldquo;having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things to himself,&rdquo; and having opened &ldquo;a new and living way into the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus,&rdquo; he himself advances; he comes forward, he invites us, and he presses us, &ldquo;who were alienated and enemies in our minds by wicked works,&rdquo; to enter in.<p>Hid as we were among the trees of the garden by fear, the voice of thunder would only have driven us yet further off; but the still small voice of peace, saying unto us, &ldquo;Be ye reconciled unto God,&rdquo; draws us forth, brings us to his dear feet, encourages us to say, &ldquo;O Lord, I will praise thee; though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me,&rdquo; and to pray, &ldquo;Lord, I am thine, save me; Lord, I am thine, employ me.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> This is not your rest. <a href='B:400 2:10'>Mic 2:10</a>. </i><p>THIS admonishes us not to look after too much here. There are some persons who idolize life; but after all, what is it found to be? There is no condition, nor any period of it, but justifies the sentiment of the poet- <p>&ldquo;Too low they build who build beneath the skies.&rdquo; </i><p>They who do this are walking in a vain show, and are disquieting themselves in vain-are going to broken cisterns, and seeking the living among the dead. If we would not be exposed to continued disappointment and wretchedness, we &ldquo;must set our affections on things above, and not on things on the earth.&rdquo; Let us therefore draw in our earthly hopes and contract our desires after worldly good, that we may thus escape mortification.<p>This is no rest, no home for a believer. Abraham had many blessings, but it was not to Isaac, although very dear to him, nor to his flocks and herds, however large, that he trustfully looked. But with &ldquo;Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise, he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.&rdquo; So David, though he had the splendour of a court around him, says, &ldquo;Hide not thy commandments from me, for I am a stranger in the earth.&rdquo; &ldquo;I have made thy statutes my song in the house of my pilgrimage.&rdquo; Did he feel at home? &ldquo;Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.&rdquo; Did he find this to be his rest? &ldquo;Lord,&rdquo; says he, &ldquo;deliver me from men of the world, that have their portion in this life.&rdquo; &ldquo;As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I wake up in thy likeness.&rdquo; There tended his thoughts, and there terminated his hopes. <p>&ldquo;My rest is in heaven, my rest is not here, <p> Then why should I tremble when troubles appear? <p> Be hush&rsquo;d, my dark Spirit; the worst that can come <p> But shortens thy journey, and hastens thee home. <p>&ldquo;It is not for me to be seeking my bliss, <p> Or building my hopes in a region like this; <p> I look for a city that hands have not piled, <p> I pant for a country by sin undeflled </i>


devotion:
<i> Arise ye, and depart. <a href='B:400 2:10'>Mic 2:10</a>. </i><p>SOMETIMES the believer is drawn and weaned from the earth. But if not disposed to leave the world, the Lord knows how to drive as well as to draw him. He can put a thorn in our nest, and cause us to flutter out to the edge of it, and there to sit like a bird ready to fly towards heaven when he shall have sent the command. If we become careless and high-minded, and, like David, saying, &ldquo;In my prosperity I shall never be moved,&rdquo; then we shall be made to say, also with him, &ldquo;Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.&rdquo; We are liable to become slothful, and to fall asleep at our post, and it is no little thing sometimes that will wake us; but God can strike very hard, and will do so if necessary; and instead of our complaining of this, we should rather be grateful that he is determined we shall not take up with anything here as our portion, and that he should say by his providence as well as by his word, &ldquo;arise and depart, for this is not your rest;&rdquo; look towards heaven, go and take hold of the everlasting covenant.<p>And the trials and disappointments of earth will never do us good till they have produced this result. If we only dispute, cavil, and fret, our afflictions have as yet done nothing effectually for us. But when they cause us to turn from earth to heaven, from time to eternity, from the creature to God, they are working together for our good, and made to yield unto us &ldquo;the peaceable fruits of righteousness&rdquo;- <p>&ldquo;From every earthly pleasure, <p> From every transient joy, <p> From every mortal treasure, <p> That soon will fade and die; <p> No longer these desiring, <p> Upwards our wishes tend, <p> To nobler bliss aspiring, <p> And joys that never end.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> O Lord, I will praise thee. Though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. <a href='B:290 12:1'>Isa 12:1</a>. </i><p>THOSE who have tasted the bitterness of alienation have enjoyed the luxury of renewed and restored sentiments of friendship and tenderness. But what is peace with a friend, with a brother, or a father, compared with peace with God? &ldquo;In his favour is life,&rdquo; and &ldquo;his lovingkindness is better than life.&rdquo; Who can describe the calm after a tremendous storm? It is a &ldquo;peace which passeth all understanding.&rdquo; It is angels&rsquo; food. It is more- <p>&ldquo;Never did angels taste above, <p> Redeeming grace and dying love.&rdquo; </i><p>Angels never knew what it was to have a &ldquo;certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation&rdquo; to be delivered from; they never felt the anguish of a wicked conscience, and therefore they never felt the sunshine of rising hope beaming upon their distressed Spirits; but the Christian by faith, placing his arms around the cross, can say with the Apostle, &ldquo;We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement.&rdquo; <p>&ldquo;Believing, we rejoice <p> To see the curse remove; <p> We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice, <p> And sing his bleeding love.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> He will rejoice over thee with joy. <a href='B:430 3:17'>Zep 3:17</a>. </i><p>THE satisfaction here implied is the Saviour&rsquo;s own joy arising out of the salvation of his people. He is &ldquo;mighty to save.&rdquo; &ldquo;He will save; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing.&rdquo;<p>First, We may view this joy of the Saviour as the result of success. Nothing is more distressing than to be unsuccessful in our efforts, and nothing is more delightful than to see those efforts crowned with success. What said our Saviour? &ldquo;A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come, but as soon as she is delivered of her child she remembereth no more her sorrow, for joy that a man is born into the world;&rdquo; the very image inspiration applies to the Saviour and his sufferings, where it is said, &ldquo;He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied.&rdquo; This was &ldquo;the joy that was set before him,&rdquo; for which &ldquo;he endured the cross and despised the shame.&rdquo; And oh, what joy did the Saviour experience when he ascended &ldquo;to his Father and our Father, to his God and our God,&rdquo; after saying, &ldquo;I have finished the work thou gavest me to do.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, This joy may be viewed as a manifestation of his benevolence. There is no pleasure to be compared with the pleasure of benevolence; none so unselfish, so pure, so elevating, and that will bear reflecting upon, like this. Such joy will be in proportion to the degree of benevolence possessed. How great therefore must be his joy! for <p>&ldquo;His heart is made of tenderness, <p> His bowels melt with love.&rdquo; </i><p>Thirdly, Let us view the Saviour&rsquo;s joy as indicative of the delight and complacency with which he regards his people. &ldquo;He taketh pleasure in them that fear him.&rdquo; He himself says, in addressing his church, &ldquo;Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.&rdquo; For &ldquo;as a bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.&rdquo; The Saviour&rsquo;s joy over and in his people is the sinner&rsquo;s hope. Oh, what encouragement does it afford to all penitents! If we were but as willing to receive his blessings as he is to confer them upon us, we, too, should go on our way rejoicing. When, therefore, we feel almost afraid to apply to him because of our unworthiness, let us remember that instead of offending him by so doing we shall give him the greatest pleasure.<p>Lastly, The Saviour&rsquo;s joy is the saints&rsquo; example. He was infinitely more than an example, and nothing less. If we depend upon him, we must resemble him. If we glory in his cross, we must tread in his steps; we must weep with him when he weeps, and rejoice with him when he rejoices; &ldquo;for if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. - <a href='B:670 3:18'>1Pe 3:18</a>. </i><p>THE righteous Lord loveth righteousness. He has united sin and sorrow by an adamantine chain. &ldquo;The soul,&rdquo; says he, &ldquo;that sinneth shall die.&rdquo; When I look at the holy Son of God, I see &ldquo;a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;&rdquo; I hear him saying, &ldquo;Behold and see if ever there was sorrow like unto my sorrow, wherewith the Lord afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.&rdquo; Other sufferers suffered only in some part, he suffered in every part capable of pain; others suffered occasionally, he continually, from the manger to the cross; other sufferers know not beforehand what they have to endure, he saw the end from the beginning, all was spread before him; others have some to sympathise with them and to soothe their sorrows if they cannot remove them, but he looked for this in vain. He &ldquo;looked for some to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but he found none.&rdquo; With others, suffering is the offspring of sin; in him was no sin; &ldquo;he did no evil, neither was guile found in his mouth.&rdquo; He was the Holy One of God. He said to the multitude, &ldquo;Which of you convinceth me of sin?&rdquo; Judas said, &ldquo;I have betrayed innocent blood.&rdquo;<p>Is there unrighteousness with God? Does he punish the righteous with the wicked, and as the wicked, and more than the wicked? Here is a mystery. Here is a combination of the greatest innocence and the greatest suffering. Here is a mystery which would indeed be a contradiction and a blasphemy unless we could add another mystery to it, namely, that of substitution, that which arises from his interposition in our behalf, and saying, &ldquo;Deliver him from going down into the pit, I have found a ransom.&rdquo;<p>Oh, he snatched us away from the stroke and placed himself in our room, and &ldquo;bore our sins in his own body upon the three.&rdquo; Thus he suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust, to bring us unto God. &ldquo;He was made sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> We know in part. - <a href='B:530 13:9'>1Co 13:9</a> </i><p>HEAVEN is a state of knowledge. Everything there will be favourable to the acquisition of wisdom. It is impossible to imagine how full, extensive, and profound our future knowledge will be when that &ldquo;which is perfect is come, and that which is in part shall be done away.&rdquo; But the Apostle shows that it is &ldquo;in part&rdquo; even now, and the Christian does partake of it even now; and thus even here, says the Apostle John, &ldquo;we have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things.&rdquo; There is at present great restriction, but we are allowed to conceive of heaven as the scene of present knowledge perfected. The views which the Christian now has of the evil of sin, the vanity of the world, the beauties of holiness, the worth of the soul, the excellencies of the Saviour, and of the grace and glory of his character, are the same in kind though not in measure and degree as the views he will have hereafter.<p>The knowledge he now possesses is like to that of the saints in glory, peculiar and certain. It is not mere opinion, nor conjecture, nor yet mere reasoning. In God&rsquo;s light he sees light. He can say with Paul, &ldquo;I know in whom I have believed.&rdquo; &ldquo;We know that if the earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God.&rdquo; And there is also an influence in it which others never feel, which descends from the head into the heart. Therefore is it said that God gives his people a heart to know him. &ldquo;And,&rdquo; said the Saviour, in his intercessory prayer, &ldquo;this is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.&rdquo;<p>Heaven is thus already commenced, and though the day is hereafter, the dawn is now, and the dawn is produced by the same sun that produces the day. 


devotion:
<i> When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. <a href='B:230 27:8'>Psa 27:8</a> </i><p>THIS in the Scriptures stands for the whole of religion, and for two reasons: First, Because it is with him we have principally to do. He is the greatest and the best of beings. We are most importantly related to him, our principal dependence is upon him, our principal expectations from him, our principal connections with him. He is our Creator, Proprietor, Preserver, Benefactor, Governor, and our Judge.<p>Secondly, Because before we can have anything to do with him we must find him. Essentially God is nigh unto us, for &ldquo;in him we live, and move, and have our being.&rdquo; He is about our path, and is acquainted with all our ways- <p>&ldquo;Oh, may these thoughts possess my breast, <p> Where&rsquo;er I roam, where&rsquo;er I rest; <p> Nor let my sinful passions dare <p> Consent to sin, for God is there.&rdquo; </i><p>But, morally and Spiritually considered, sinners are away from God, and God is away from them. We all left him criminally, and he left us penally. So that we who sometimes were &ldquo;afar off,&rdquo; and were living without God in the world, have been &ldquo;made nigh.&rdquo; Our first and chief concern, therefore, is to find God. Where shall we find him if we do seek? Why, in heaven. Hence we are taught to address him as &ldquo;our Father, who art in heaven.&rdquo; But if ever we get there, and before we get there, we must find him-Where? In the Son of his love. Without him, God is a consuming fire. In him he is reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. He is to be found in his house; he has promised to be there, and his people have seen the goings of their God and their King in the sanctuary.<p>God is to be found-and they have found him- in his &ldquo;palaces for a refuge,&rdquo; at his table, at the family altar, and in the devotions of the closet. <p>&ldquo;Where we seek him he is found, <p> And every place is hallowed ground.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> The LORD is good. <a href='B:410 1:7'>Nah 1:7</a>. </i><p>HE is essentially good-immutably good-infinitely good.<p>The good of all creation is derived from him. They are only so many beams from this sun, or so many drops from this ocean. &ldquo;He is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.&rdquo; But his goodness does not appear here in its highest form; and the reason is, these creatures never forfeited his care and kindness; they answer the purpose of their original creation.<p>It is otherwise with us; we have rebelled against him; we are transgressors from the womb; we deserve, as children of disobedience, that his wrath should be poured out upon us. And yet such is his marvellous loving-kindness, that even &ldquo;the children of men put their trust under the shadow of his wings.&rdquo; And he spares us, and preserves us. He provides for us, and gives us richly all things to enjoy.<p>What a world has he fitted up for us! what sights for our eyes! what sounds for our ears! what relishes for our appetites! Yet, if he were to stop the bounties of nature and providence, we could even then exclaim with the Apostle John, &ldquo;Herein is love.&rdquo; In what? &ldquo;Not that we loved God, but that God loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.&rdquo; Oh, this ensures every other blessing. &ldquo;He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things.&rdquo; This involves every other. He is &ldquo;all in all.&rdquo; By him and in him we are &ldquo;blessed with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places.&rdquo;<p>How good is he, who not only without our desert and without our desire provided for us such a Saviour, but has disposed and enabled us also to avail ourselves of him; who has called us, not only by his word, but by his Spirit?&rdquo; &ldquo;Why,&rdquo; may every Christian ask- <p>&ldquo;Why was I made to hear his voice, <p> And enter while there&rsquo;s room, <p> While thousands make a wretched choice, <p> And rather starve than come? <p>&ldquo;&rsquo;Twas the same love that spread the feast, <p> That sweetly forced me in, <p> Else I had still refused to taste, <p> And perish&rsquo;d in my sin.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> If then I be a father, where is my honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts. - <a href='B:460 1:6'>Mal 1:6</a>. </i><p>IT becomes us to obey whatever God commands us, and to do whatever he enjoins. First, Because he has a right to command us. He is the sovereign; we are his subjects. He is the master; we are his servants. He is the father; we are his children. A king has no such right to the obedience of his subjects; a master has no such claims to the duty of his servants; a father has no such claims to the regards of his children, as God has to all our homage. The reason is, they have not, and never can have, an absolute property in us. But God has, for it is &ldquo;he that hath made us, and not we ourselves.&rdquo; We derive from him our being, our powers, our possessions, all our enjoyments, and all our hopes. We are therefore his by infinite ties, and bound to serve him. And we cannot complain that we do not know what his demands are upon us. He has shown us what is good. He has told us what he has required of us. He has given us his word. We have his will, and to this we may repair, unawed by every authority in the universe unless his own, to know what he enjoins upon us. We, therefore, know his will; and to &ldquo;him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.&rdquo; The servant which knoweth his lord&rsquo;s will, and doeth it not, &ldquo;shall be beaten with many stripes.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, Because all his commands are reasonable; none of them are arbitrary or tyrannical. We may not always be able to perceive the reasons on which they are founded; but there are reasons, and these reasons are now satisfactory to him, and by and by will be more apparent and satisfactory to ourselves.<p>Thirdly, Because all his commands are beneficial. If a Christian serves God disinterestedly, even then he cannot serve him for naught. All that he enjoins upon us has special regard to our welfare, as well as his own glory; and &ldquo;in keeping his commandments there is great reward.&rdquo;<p>And Fourthly, we should render obedience unto all God&rsquo;s commandments, because they are all practicable; they all imply a power to obey, if not already possessed, yet attainable; if not in nature yet in grace; if not in ourselves, yet in him whose authority we recognize, and who is always accessible. Thus while we are not sufficient of ourselves, even to &ldquo;think anything as of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God;&rdquo; and while &ldquo;without him we can do nothing,&rdquo; yet with his strengthening us we can &ldquo;do all things.&rdquo; His commands, therefore, are so many intimations of success. 


devotion:
<i> For through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father. - <a href='B:560 2:18'>Eph 2:18</a>. </i><p>THE effect of sin is to separate us and God, and to keep us from God. This is the condition of all men by nature. The degradation, the misery, the wretchedness of sin, all arise from our separation from God, and our happiness and our elevation must, therefore, arise from our re-admission to him, and fellowship and communion with him. And, says the Apostle, &ldquo;we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.&rdquo;<p>The approach to an earthly monarch may be difficult, and it must necessarily be very much limited. They cannot always personally receive every petition presented to them, nor can they hold intercourse with all their subjects; this would neither be in accordance with their ability or dignity. But with regard to believers and their Sovereign, who is King of kings and Lord of lords, they can have access to him at all times; they can tell him all that perplexes them, all that distresses and alarms them; they can communicate to him what they are not at liberty to communicate to their dearest friend; they can have access unto him in every place, talk with him by the way, and have communion with him, and, Isaac-like, they may find their meditations of him in the fields to be sweet; and even while transacting their ordinary business they may have delightful intercourse with him.<p>Thus also we may have access unto him in his house, at his table; we may lean on his arm, repose in his bosom, and enjoy him as the strength of our heart, and our portion for ever. 


devotion:
<i> We which have believed do enter into rest. - <a href='B:650 4:3'>Heb 4:3</a>. </i><p>HEAVEN is a state of blessedness. All are capacitated for enjoying happiness, but there are some who have found it. These are they to whom the ever blessed God has assigned &ldquo;the path of life,&rdquo; and who are now in &ldquo;his presence,&rdquo; where &ldquo;there is fulness of joy,&rdquo; and at his right hand, where &ldquo;there are pleasures for evermore.&rdquo; We do not question their happiness, nor are Christians here strangers to all that blessedness which they above are now enjoying.<p>They also have attained to the glorious liberty of the sons of God, the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus having already made them free from the law of sin and death; they are upheld by God&rsquo;s free Spirit; they run in the way of his commandments with enlarged hearts. Is there a rest that remaineth for the people of God? We, says the Apostle, which believe, do even here &ldquo;enter into rest.&rdquo; Have the blessed multitude in heaven entered into pure, complete, and eternal peace? Why even here, the Apostle tells us, Christians are possessed of the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keeping their hearts and minds through Jesus Christ; even now their minds are kept in perfect peace, being stayed upon God. Are they not blessed because they are still with the Saviour, dwelling where he is, and beholding his glory? And do not Christians now enter into glory by the eye of faith?<p>Do not they hold sweet communion with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, even now? Yes, blessed be God, these are the earnests and foretastes of that blessedness which is begun on earth and perfected in heaven. <p>&ldquo;Blessed are the sons of God, <p> They are wash&rsquo;d in Jesus&rsquo; blood; <p> They are happy now, and we <p> Soon their happiness shall see.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways are past finding out. - <a href='B:520 11:33'>Rom 11:33</a>. </i><p>LET us not therefore be surprised if sometimes we should be required to exercise implicit confidence in such a Being, and be compelled to trust him even in the dark. Is it to be supposed, that everything which he is doing in the church and in the world, in families and with regard to individuals, should be level to our capacity? We are now &ldquo;walking by faith, and not by sight;&rdquo; and he is continually saying to us, &ldquo;What I do ye know not now, but ye shall know hereafter.&rdquo; A period is coming when we shall have the fullest and clearest perception of this truth, &ldquo;when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.&rdquo;<p>They admire him now, but how much more will they admire him then. For though now, and in other cases, ignorance is the cause of wonder, yet here knowledge is the cause; and the more we know the more we shall admire, because he is not only perfect but infinite, and therefore we shall always be discovering more and more, and therefore honour and admire him more. Then he will &ldquo;appear in his glory.&rdquo; &ldquo;We shall see him then as he is.&rdquo; Then his work will be finished, then every mysterious dispensation will be unveiled to our view, then we shall see clearly how all that he did here harmonized with the truth of his word, how all conduced to the welfare of his people.<p>Now, often he seems to forget them, to neglect them, to be adverse to them. How unlikely the events which befell Joseph appeared to fulfil the assurance given unto him, yet, by and bye, the whole was explained, and he could say, &ldquo;Ye meant it for evil, but the Lord meant it for good.&rdquo; So shall it be with us; we shall not only see the wisdom and the rectitude and the goodness of his dispensations to our own satisfaction, but to his eternal praise. We shall say with Moses, &ldquo;God is a rock, his work is perfect. His ways are judgment; a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he;&rdquo; and, with the adoring throng, &ldquo;Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. - <a href='B:530 1:27'>1Co 1:27</a>. </i><p>HERE we see the weakness of human instrumentality and the efficiency of divine agency. If we go back to the beginning of Christianity, we shall find the greatest work accomplished with means and instrumentality the most inadequate to the purpose. What a work, to set up the kingdom of God in a world lying in wickedness, to establish the gospel dispensation, and to extend it in the face of a world in arms against it. Its doctrines seemed unaccountable to human reason; its motives being Spiritual were opposed to the carnal mind; its duties required the destruction of every evil passion, and the profession of it was sure to expose a man to reproaches, losses, exile, imprisonment and death. It had to overcome the edicts of emperors, the persecution of magistrates, the subtlety of philosophers, the craftiness and covetousness of priests, and the profligacy of the common people. His design has ever been to subdue all nations to the obedience of the faith. He therefore commanded his Apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.<p>And who were they? They were not fetched from the schools of Greece or Rome, but from the lake of Galilee, without power to compel, or riches to bribe, or learning to perplex, or eloquence to persuade, yet &ldquo;the word of the Lord grew and multiplied&rdquo; so that the gospel soon reached the boundaries of the unwieldy Roman empire. &ldquo;The faith of the gospel has come unto you,&rdquo; says the Apostle to the Colossians, &ldquo;as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you.&rdquo; It is the Lord&rsquo;s doing and is marvellous in our eyes. Other agents would gain admiration by the excellency and competency of the means and instruments they employ. His praise springs from their weakness and unfitness.<p>The barley cake of Gideon, the blowing of the priest&rsquo;s ram&rsquo;s-horns at the destruction of Jericho, the sling and stone of David, all teach the same truth, as the Apostle states, &ldquo;We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power might be of God, and not of us.&rdquo; So, when the nations of Europe were to be reformed from popery, Luther, a poor monk, and not the head of the catholic church, was to be converted and employed for the purpose. And if the Scriptures are to be translated into the various languages of the East, God does not call for a first-rate scholar from the university, but takes a Carey from the humble craft of shoe-making. So it is often found now as to personal experience.<p>One man goes into a place of worship from mere curiosity and is converted; another takes up a tract and reads it and is pricked in his heart. An accident befalls another and he reflects; a dream terrifies another, and he prays. The most likely means are nothing, unaccompanied by the energy of God, and the most unlikely means are available when he is pleased to employ them.<p>Thus ministers shall not labour in vain, nor shall the humblest effort be in vain, but shall produce &ldquo;all the good pleasure of his goodness.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> I create the fruit of the lips. - <a href='B:290 57:19'>Isa 57:19</a>. </i><p>TWO inquiries must be here made. What is intended by the fruit of the lips, and how it is produced? With regard to the first, we know, from the authority of Hosea, and also of the Apostle to the Gentiles, that this intended praise and thanksgiving. The latter, speaking of Christ, says, &ldquo;By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise unto God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks unto his name.&rdquo;<p>And respecting the second God says, &ldquo;I create the fruit of the lips.&rdquo; He does this two ways: HE produces the subject of this praise; that is, providence, with its unnumbered mercies, and the gospel, with all its abundant privileges, promises, and blessings. The former good is often the result of human instrumentality employed by God&rsquo;s agency. The latter is entirely produced from &ldquo;the good pleasure of his goodness.&rdquo; &ldquo;He hath saved us. and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.&rdquo; This, therefore, is entirely supernatural; this comes alone from him without interference on our side, opposed to all our desert, and distinguished from all desire and preparation for the reception of it. Nothing can deserve our praise like the gospel. It is owing to the gospel that our country has risen to such distinction and preeminence. Oh that we esteemed it more highly than we do! God also produces the disposition itself.<p>The application of the gospel is from him as well as the existence of it. &ldquo;Not unto us, therefore,&rdquo; we are constrained to say, &ldquo;not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy name be the glory, for thy mercy and thy truth&rsquo;s sake,&rdquo; if a Saviour has not only been provided for us, but received by us. While we praise him for the seasons of the year, the beauties of nature, and the bounties of providence, let us adore and bless him for the unsearchable riches of Christ. In thus blessing God that we have been enabled to receive the gospel in the love and in the blessedness of it, we shall be yielding unto him the fruit of our lips, and he who thus &ldquo;creates the fruit of the lips&rdquo; will accept and honour it, for he says, &ldquo;Whosoever offereth praise glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. - <a href='B:230 34:8'>Psa 34:8</a> </i><p>THE best way of knowing the goodness of God is by tasting it. Here David does not say, Read and see! hear and see! but &ldquo;Taste and see that the Lord is good;&rdquo; that is, apply it, make trial of it, and prove it for yourselves. The man of God here refers to experience. Experience means knowledge derived from experiment and trial in contradistinction to mere opinion, speculation, and conjecture. Experimental philosophy is universally commended, and properly speaking no other philosophy is appreciated. So what the Scriptures speak of with regard to faith, knowledge, repentance, humility, love, peace, and joy, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, may be reduced to experiment and trial in the same way; and there are numbers, blessed be God, who have not only read and heard, but have also &ldquo;tasted that the Lord is gracious,&rdquo; who know the Lord is good by their own experience, and can say, I know it, for I have realised it-I have enjoyed it.<p>There are three advantages which result from this tasting or from this experimental knowledge. The first is an increased desire after it. This is natural and unavoidable, &ldquo;As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby, if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, It will produce a fuller conviction of its truth and importance. A poor unlettered man may be trusted in the presence of the most subtle philosopher who would endeavour to persuade him that honey was sour, and that gall was sweet. He would say, You may reason and ridicule but you will never convince me; I know that honey is sweet and that gall is bitter, for I have tasted them. So is it with the real Christian; &ldquo;he that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.&rdquo;<p>Thirdly, it will produce fervency and earnestness in speaking of these things and in recommending them to others. Such an one knows the value and efficacy of the medicine he recommends, he has tried it himself and has been cured by it; and the Christian knows what peace flows from a sense of pardoning love-that it is good to draw near to God -he knows there is a &ldquo;joy unspeakable and full of glory.&rdquo; And with the Apostle John they will thus bear testimony: &ldquo;That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you.&rdquo; And shall not we also say, <p>&ldquo;Now will I tell to sinners round, <p> What a dear Saviour I have found, <p> I&rsquo;ll point to his redeeming blood, <p> And say, Behold the way to God!&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> He saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. - <a href='B:630 3:5'>Tit 3:5</a>. </i><p>IT is by the agency of the Holy Spirit that we have been made to see our guilty, wretched, undone, and perishing condition-by whom alone our once rebellious will has been bowed to God&rsquo;s dispensations and to obey his will-by whom also the affections which were once earthly, sensual, and devilish are fastened and feasted on things above, and the memory is made to retain God in its knowledge, and the conscience to fear him, and by whom we are disposed to dedicate all we are and have to the service and glory of God, walking before him in newness of life.<p>It is he alone that renders the gospel precious by impressing us with the sense of our wants, and showing us every blessing there that is adapted to relieve a fallen, guilty, depraved, helpless, perishing creature. It is he that makes the gospel of peace effectual to relieve the conscience under its pressure of distress, and also to purify the heart by faith, and to fill the life with all the fruits of righteousness, and this is unto the praise and glory, not of the man who exercises it, but of God who produces it.<p>Thus it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by his mercy, he saved us; &ldquo;for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.&rdquo; Let us, therefore, give him the glory that is due to his holy name. 


devotion:
<i> The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble. - <a href='B:410 1:7'>Nah 1:7</a>. </i><p>OR, as it is in the margin, &ldquo;He is their strength in the day of trouble.&rdquo; He does not keep his people from trouble, but he is their refuge and relief in it. From whence does this &ldquo;day of trouble&rdquo; arise? Does it arise from danger? Why, he is our strength for protection. However persuasive or powerful our foes may be, we may say with David, &ldquo;The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?&rdquo; and with Paul, &ldquo;In all these things we are more than conquerors.&rdquo; Or does the day of trouble arise from duty? Then he is our strength for assistance. How often have we been oppressed by a sense of our inability to perform the work required of us. While thinking of plucking out a right eye, or cutting off a right hand, of walking by faith instead of walking by sight, living while on earth with our conversation in heaven, and looking at the things which are unseen and eternal, well may we exclaim, &ldquo;Who is sufficient for these things?&ldquo; The work looks fitter for an angel&rsquo;s strength than for a man&rsquo;s. And it is so; but we have more than the ability of an angel for the performance of it; &ldquo;our sufficiency is of God.&rdquo;<p>By this Abraham was enabled to offer up his son Isaac, and thus strengthened Daniel entered the lion&rsquo;s den, and the three Hebrew children the fiery furnace. Or is the day of trouble the result of affliction? Why, then he is our strength to support and deliver us. He does not always release his people from their afflictions, but he can sustain us under them, and comfort us in all our tribulations. Instead of releasing Paul from the thorn in the flesh, though he was very importunate in praying for its removal, he said, &ldquo;My grace is sufficient for thee.&rdquo; And Paul was perfectly satisfied that the trial should remain, since the &ldquo;strength&rdquo; to sustain it was insured to him. Most gladly, therefore, says he, &ldquo;will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ&rsquo;s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.&rdquo; And now the promise is, &ldquo;Thy shoes shall be iron and brass, and as thy days so shall thy strength be.&rdquo;<p>Whatever the nature and degree of our affliction may be, we shall always find God to be a &ldquo;very present help in the day of trouble.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Turn ye unto me. - <a href='B:450 1:3'>Zec 1:3</a>. </i><p>WE have turned away from God, and the language of the Church well becomes us: &ldquo;All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.&rdquo; This being the case, religion must always commence with a turning unto the Lord. The very meaning of the word conversion is turning-from darkness to light-from sin to holiness -from the creature to God-as our end, our resting-place, and our portion.<p>But this will never take place without a deep conviction of the wrongness and danger of the state we are in, and of the course we are pursuing, as well as of the importance and necessity of our being united to the blessed God, with whom is the fountain of life, and who alone can &ldquo;supply all our need from his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.&rdquo; This conviction the Holy Ghost produces, and under the influence of it the turning to God will be immediate and without delay. &ldquo;I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.&rdquo; It will he penitential; there will be a &ldquo;sorrowing after a godly sort&rdquo; that we have ever forsaken him. Under this conviction we shall turn to him fully, not merely forsaking some sins which are of easy abandonment, and performing some duties which are of easy execution, but the change will be entire.<p>We shall seek him with our whole heart; &ldquo;for we cannot serve God and mammon.&rdquo; David therefore says: &ldquo;I esteem all thy commandments concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way.&rdquo; This turning will be evangelical. There is no turning to God aright but through the Mediator- or it will be turning towards a &ldquo;consuming fire,&rdquo; for such God is out of Christ. It is only in the Son of his love that he is approachable. &ldquo;I am the way,&rdquo; says he. &ldquo;No man cometh unto the Father but by me.&rdquo;<p>It is thus we came to God at first. It is thus we must come to God always. It is only here that we can find boldness and access with confidence, and as we thus submit ourselves to the righteousness that is of God, we are accepted in the beloved, and have the testimony that we please God. 


devotion:
<i> I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of Hosts. - <a href='B:450 1:3'>Zec 1:3</a>. </i><p>HIS command to turn unto him might have been enforced by his absolute right, and by his uncontrolled authority; but he softens and sweetens it by his goodness and grace, assuring us that we shall not seek him in vain, but find him to the joy and rejoicing of our heart. This assurance is necessary. &ldquo;We are saved by hope;&rdquo; nothing can be done without hope. We have something here more than mere conjecture-mere peradventure-mere possibility, or probability. Possibility will, in some cases, actuate a man-and the beginning of a religious life is sometimes a kind of venture with young converts-but probability will influence even much more. But here we have certainty- we have all the assurance we can desire-founded upon the veracity of a true and faithful God. He says, &ldquo;Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.&rdquo; He in effect says, <p>&ldquo;Look from the borders of the pit <p> To my recovering grace.&rdquo; </i><p>And see what it has actually done. Look at Manasseh, who sinned away all the advantages of a pious education; and yet &ldquo;in his affliction he sought the Lord God of his fathers, and was found of him.&rdquo; How basely did the Prodigal conduct himself. He confessed that he was not worthy to be called a son; and all he could plead for was to be made like a hired servant; but when he turned to his father, the father saw him while he was yet a great way off, and had compassion on him, and &ldquo;ran and fell upon his neck, and kissed him;&rdquo; and not only clothed, but adorned him; not only fed, but feasted him. Let the goodness of God, therefore, lead us to repentance; and while God is turning to us with a smiling face and open arms, invoking us to return unto him, let us say, with the Church, &ldquo;Behold we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> The Word was made flesh. - <a href='B:500 1:14'>Joh 1:14</a>. </i><p>NO one for a moment can doubt that this refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Observe two things. First, His peculiar denomination, &ldquo;The Word.&rdquo; John is the only one of the sacred writers who speaks of him under this name; but this does not render it less worthy of regard, for &ldquo;he wrote as he was moved by the Holy Ghost.&rdquo; Three things appear to be derived from John&rsquo;s use of the title, &ldquo;The Word.&rdquo;<p>First, That it is intended to mark a person. Nothing can be more false or forced than the meaning given by the Socinians, that it here means the wisdom of God. How could the wisdom of God be made flesh, and dwell among us? And how could we behold this as the only begotten of the Father?<p>Secondly, The term indicates previous existence. When it is said the Word was made flesh, it conveys the idea that he was something else before.<p>Thirdly, It is designed to mark a Divine person. The name given to God is expressly given to him. Creation is ascribed to him. All this could not have been affirmed of him, as a mere creature, or a super-angelic being. John here declares that he was Gob; and that he was the source of all life and existence.<p>Observe, His incarnation, &ldquo;The Word was made flesh,&rdquo; which is saying that he became man. But he did not cease to be God in order to become man. Union is not transmission. As he was God before, so he could not cease to be God after, he took upon him our nature; &ldquo;for he took not on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham.&rdquo; Hence the Scriptures ascribe many things to him which will not apply to his Divine nature, or agree with his human nature separately. &ldquo;Unto us a child is given.&rdquo; This does not refer to him as God. &ldquo;And his name shall be called Wonderful.&rdquo; This does not refer to him as man. It is not the humanity of Christ that was from everlasting; and it is not the divinity of Christ that hung and suffered on the tree. So that there is neither contradiction nor impossibility in the incarnation of the Son of God; but it is a mystery, and will perhaps ever remain so. And what is not a mystery? There is a mystery in the wind. Every blade of grass, and every part of matter is a mystery. And &ldquo;great is the mystery of godliness: God manifest in the flesh.&rdquo; And the Apostle makes it to be of so much importance, as to be the medium of our salvation.<p>It is thus the Deity is brought down to our apprehension and to our reach. Thus he becomes what he could not else have been-our example. Thus he is able to sympathize with us in our distresses. Thus he would suffer, bleed, and die, and put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 


devotion:
<i> Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints. - <a href='B:560 3:8'>Eph 3:8</a>. </i><p>DISTINGUISHED and honored as the Apostle had been, he does not he have himself unseemly. He does not think of himself more highly than he ought to think. He is not puffed up. &ldquo;I am less,&rdquo; says he, &ldquo;than the least of all saints.&rdquo; Bad grammar, but good divinity. The fact is, his feelings were often too powerful for expression-his meaning too big for common utterance; and therefore he used old words, or coined new ones, in order to produce an appropriate impression. The designation, &ldquo;saints,&rdquo; means &ldquo;holy ones;&rdquo; it is therefore of holiness he is speaking, not of his condition, of his natural talents, of his learning, nor of his knowledge, but of his holiness. He does not say, I am the least of all writers: the least of all scholars: this would have been falsehood and affectation in him; but &ldquo;I am less than the least of all holy ones;&rdquo; and the reason of this distinction is this, that all other qualities and excellencies may be known in their subjects and in their effects, but not so of holiness.<p>Holiness resides essentially within, and consists principally in the state of the heart, and in the rectitude of our motives and principles. For a man is not the more or less holy according to the number of religious actions he performs. These may be done without any love to God in the performance of them. They may he done even from an improper motive. It is possible for a natural man to surpass a real Christian in many things that are materially good. But we are holy in proportion as our heart is right with God, and as our motives and principles are pure and heavenly. We cannot know what is in the heart of another, nor the degree of his motives and principles. If our conduct is better than his, his motives and principles may be superior to ours, and therefore in the view of God he may have more of moral and spiritual excellence.<p>It is thus we are to understand the admonition of the Apostle to the Philippians: &ldquo;Let each esteem other better than himself.&rdquo; This maxim will not apply universally; to use it in some cases would be folly; for a strong and healthy man to esteem a weak and sickly one as more able to do many things than himself, or for a rich man to esteem a poor man richer than himself, or a scholar to esteem an illiterate man wiser than himself. But it is otherwise with regard to holiness: there we should never presume in our own favour, but, with the Apostle, we should be disposed to consider ourselves &ldquo;less than the least of all saints.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> We have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. - <a href='B:560 3:12'>Eph 3:12</a>. </i><p>HERE we see that while the Lord Jesus Christ is the object of our faith, he is also the, medium of our access unto God, and that, to enjoy this privilege, our faith is as necessary in one sense as Christ is in another. The one is meritorious, the other instrumental. Here is the way of access, but faith is necessary to approach God with boldness and confidence. Let us observe three things respecting this faith in Christ, and the freedom we enjoy through it in drawing near to God.<p>First, We have boldness and access with confidence through the faith of him as the gift of God. &ldquo;God so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son;&rdquo; and the Apostle says, &ldquo;How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?&rdquo; The conclusion is obvious, that if he should give us the greater he will not withhold the less. If he has given us the one without asking, he will not deny the other upon our asking.<p>Secondly, We have boldness and access by the faith of him as the sacrifice for sin. When a man is convinced of sin, nothing but this will satisfy him. Now he can come and plead with God through the atonement of the Lord Jesus.<p>Thirdly, We have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him as our risen and exalted Saviour.<p>Thus God raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that our hope might be in God. As &ldquo;he was delivered for our offences,&rdquo; so &ldquo;he was raised again for our justification;&rdquo; and &ldquo;he ever liveth to make intercession for us.&rdquo; He is our &ldquo;advocate with the Father.&rdquo; He pleads on our behalf. Thus we have boldness and access with confidence through the faith of him. What is our worship? Is it having access unto God? Is it drawing nigh to God, and honouring him with the lip while the heart is far from him? or are we concerned to &ldquo;worship God in the Spirit,&rdquo; to &ldquo;rejoice in Christ Jesus,&rdquo; while we have &ldquo;no confidence in the flesh?&rdquo;<p>This is the happiness of a believer in Jesus, who is free and welcome to have access with confidence and boldness to God. Let us make use of this privilege both for ourselves and on behalf of others, being more enlarged in our desires, more emboldened in our hopes, and more importunate in our supplications. <p>&ldquo;Thou art coming to a King, <p> Large petitions with thee bring; <p> For his grace and power are such, <p>None can ever ask too much.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. - <a href='B:560 3:20'>Eph 3:20</a>. </i><p>NOTHING is more painful to real affection than inability to help the beloved object-to behold the sufferer&rsquo;s wants we cannot relieve-pains which we cannot alleviate-to hear the parched lips saying, &ldquo;Pity me, pity me, oh ye my friends, for the hand of God hath touched me,&rdquo; and to be able only to shed unavailing tears. But, with regard to our heavenly Friend, &ldquo;His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear, nor his hand shortened that it cannot save.&rdquo;<p>The Syro-Phenician woman in behalf of her daughter cried unto him, &ldquo;Lord, help me,&rdquo; and she cried not in vain. The father of the lunatic brought his child to his disciples, but they could not dispossess the evil Spirit. He then cried &ldquo;Lord, have mercy on my son,&rdquo; and he succeeded. Thus we see he answers to the declarations of his blessed word. He comes forward as &ldquo;mighty to save&rdquo;-able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him.<p>Speak we of wisdom? His understanding is infinite; he sees the end from the beginning, and always knows what is best for us. Speak we of wealth? His riches are boundless. The world is his and the fulness thereof; all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth. Speak we of strength? Lo! he is strong. &ldquo;Nothing is too hard for the Lord.&rdquo; Then he can conquer, and enable us, worms as we are, to vanquish too. &ldquo;We are made more than conquerors through him that hath loved us.&rdquo; And he will raise us up at the last day; and therefore believers are looking for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, &ldquo;who shall change this vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lag down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed. - <a href='B:10 28:10-12'>Gen 28:10-12</a> </i><p>THE life of Jacob was a very chequered scene, and one remark may be made on the whole of his history. His greatest trials sprung from his greatest comforts, and his greatest comforts sprung from his greatest trials. He passed through a great number of trials, one of which arose from the resentment of his brother Esau; to preserve him from Esau&rsquo;s fury Jacob was sent to his uncle Laban, who dwelt in Padan-Aram. This journey must have exercised Jacob very severely. He was now parted from his parents; the journey was long, he had been tenderly brought up; he was alone-no beast to carry him, no guide to direct him, nor companion to soothe his mind by conversation. After a journey of forty miles, his safety prevented his going further that night. What will he do for a lodging? Here is no building near him, no materials to build even a temporary shelter. The clouds serve him for a tent, the darkness for his curtains, and the ground for his bed; &ldquo;and he took of the stones of the place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.&rdquo;<p>How happy in trouble, and how safe in danger, are they who have the all-sufficient Jehovah to watch over them and to preserve them in their going out and in their coming in! Jacob slept, but his heart waked. We have every reason to suppose that what he had most reflected upon in the day continued to occupy and impress his thoughts in the night season. God, therefore, took advantage of this; and though much that is here is supernatural, yet we may be fully assured that if God had more of our waking thoughts he would have more of our sleeping thoughts too. &ldquo;A dream cometh through the multitude of business.&rdquo; Jacob dreamed. Dreams are generally frivolous and absurd, yet there are some good, though weak, persons who lay much stress upon them; hence they are depressed or elated according to the character of their dreams. This is unquestionably wrong; for though God has spoken to his people in this way, it is not his ordinary way. &ldquo;We have a more sure word of prophecy, to which we do well to take heed, as unto a light shining in a dark place.&rdquo; If from this blessed Book we have reason to conclude that we are the servants of God, we may rely on him to take care of us and to provide for us in whatever circumstances we are placed. But the circumstances of his dream are worthy of our attention, because they have the signature of God upon them. 


devotion:
<i> And behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold! the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. - <a href='B:10 28:12-13'>Gen 28:12-13</a>. </i><p>OBSERVE what he saw and what he heard in his dream. As to what he saw: &ldquo;Behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven, and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.&rdquo; We think this was doubtless intended to be a representation of the Divine presence, observing everything and keeping up a constant communication between heaven and earth. Our Saviour said to Nathaniel, &ldquo;Hereafter ye shall see the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.&rdquo; Here then we have found the mystery of Jacob&rsquo;s ladder. It is a representation of the Son of God. The extent of the ladder, reaching from earth to heaven, shows his Deity and humanity. The angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man show that these glorious beings are peculiarly connected with his mediatorial work.<p>He was seen of angels-at his birth; he was relieved by them in the wilderness; they strengthened him in the garden, proclaimed his resurrection, and attended him back to heaven. He is the medium of all intercourse between heaven and earth. Every blessing comes to us through his mediation: so, as we here see, does this blessing of the ministration of angels. In consequence of what he has done and suffered, and from the relation in which we stand to him, they are &ldquo;all ministering Spirits sent forth to minister unto them who shall be heirs of salvation.&rdquo; The poorest Christian upon earth is more superbly attended than the mightiest monarch that ever swayed a sceptre.<p>He also saw the Lord standing above. Standing was in this case the posture of attention, and all the scheme of providence and of redemption is under his review.<p>This is what he saw. What did he hear? Why, the Lord repeated unto him the covenant made with his father, and ratified it with him. He then accommodates himself more immediately to Jacob&rsquo;s present situation and circumstances. Jacob was alone; God promises to be with him: he was exposed; he promises to keep him: he was an exile; he promises to bring him home again. All this was true. All this was to be relied on. God assured him that he would not leave him until he had brought to pass all that of which he had spoken to him.<p>And his word is firmer than the earth or the heavens; for &ldquo;heaven and earth may pass away, but his word shall not pass away.&rdquo; What could Jacob desire more? What could God engage to do more? 


devotion:
<i> All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. - <a href='B:620 3:16'>2Ti 3:16</a>. </i><p>THE Bible is an inspired book. It claims for itself no less a distinction and preeminence. Wise and good men may differ a little as to the mode of this inspiration, but this does not affect the reality nor the nature of its communications. The Bible is full of God, and it is able to make us wise unto salvation. I take up this Book and read; and I there find an infinite adaptation to my state as a sinner. If I am a wanderer, here is a guide; if I am enslaved, here is redemption; if I am all guilt and weakness, here is righteousness and strength. I take up the Book and read, and I immediately perceive that it must have been written by a Being who knew me, and knew me perfectly, and by a Being who was concerned, and perfectly concerned, for my welfare- That is the blessed God. I take up the Book and read, and I say such heavenly benevolence and such pure morality could not flow but from the Fountain of all purity and benevolence. I take up the Book and read, &ldquo;Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.&rdquo; &ldquo;By love serve one another.&rdquo;<p>What, compared with these, was pagan philosophy? and what, compared with these, is modern infidelity? How abundant are the proofs that the Bible is desirable, useful, and necessary to man; that this alone can rescue us from the thraldom of corruption, free our minds from stinging doubts and tormenting fears; that without this all is confusion without us and all is dark within us; that this alone can instruct us in ignorance, sanctify us in prosperity, sustain us in adversity, and enable us to triumph in death. We cannot question either the Divine inspiration of the sacred Scriptures, or of their being fully able to accomplish their design, that &ldquo;the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> The Spirit of Jesus Christ. - <a href='B:570 1:19'>Phi 1:19</a>. </i><p>THIS is not the only place where the Spirit is ascribed to Jesus Christ. To the Romans the Apostle says, &ldquo;If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his.&rdquo; It is the same Spirit which he partook of as man, and which prepared him for the discharge of his mediatorial work. All his people are as really partakers of this Spirit as himself, but only with this difference: they have it in measure, while he has the Spirit without measure. They have an &ldquo;unction from the Holy One,&rdquo; but he was &ldquo;anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.&rdquo; He also obtained the Spirit for us. He possesses the Spirit; from him alone we can receive it. &ldquo;The Son quickeneth whom he will,&rdquo; and it is with him we have immediately to do; for it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; and from his fulness we may receive, &ldquo;and grace for grace.&rdquo;<p>Observe the importance of the supply of the Spirit. We need this influence continually. The Apostle needed it; ministers need it; Christians of all ages and under all circumstances need it. We need it in duties, that we may be able to perform them aright; we need it in our warfare, that we may be more than conquerors; we need it in our trials, that we may be preserved from sinking or sinning in the day of adversity, that we may acquiesce in the dispensations of Providence, and say, &ldquo;Let him do what seemeth him good.&rdquo;<p>Observe, also, the manner in which this influence is communicated. By &ldquo;the supply.&rdquo; As the body is sustained and refreshed day by day, so it is with regard to the Spiritual life. &ldquo;They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.&rdquo; Let us therefore remember this, and seek for it. Let us not rely on natural principles or former experiences, or on our frames; but let us seek to &ldquo;be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus.&rdquo; Thus, however weak in ourselves we may be, we can become &ldquo;strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.&rdquo;<p>If in ourselves we can do nothing, with Christ thus &ldquo;strengthening us by his Spirit in our inner man&rdquo; we can do all things. 


devotion:
<i> He knoweth them that trust in him. - <a href='B:410 1:7'>Nah 1:7</a>. </i><p>DOES he not know those who do not trust in him? Yes, he does. &ldquo;His eyes are upon the ways of man, and he pondereth all his goings.&rdquo; This knowledge, therefore, may at first view seem to be no privilege. But it is a privilege, and it affords no common satisfaction to the mind of the Christian to reflect, that under all the misconceptions of friends, and the reproaches of enemies, &ldquo;he knoweth them that are his.&rdquo; Yes, &ldquo;he knoweth our frames, and remembereth that we are but dust;&rdquo; &ldquo;he knows our souls in adversity;&rdquo; and he knows all our walkings through the wilderness, all the moral maladies of the mind, and what remedies to apply; he knows where and when to afflict, and how to deliver, and so as to make &ldquo;all things work together for our good.&rdquo; Is not this a privilege-a source of satisfaction which lays the foundation for his universal providence? As the prophet says, &ldquo;The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.&rdquo;<p>Knowledge here does not intend mere perception and intelligence, but approbation, complacency, and acknowledgment; therefore it is said, &ldquo;If a man love God, the same is known of him;&rdquo; that is, he is approved of and delighted in: the meaning therefore is, that Christians are &ldquo;accepted in the Beloved;&rdquo; that God is &ldquo;well pleased with them for his righteousness&rsquo; sake,&rdquo; that he &ldquo;takes pleasure in them that fear him, in them that hope in his mercy;&rdquo; that their alms are the odor of a sweet smell; that their services are Spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; and that God stands in an attitude of the most perfect friendship toward them and says of them, as he did of Abraham, &ldquo;I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee.&rdquo;<p>What then remains, but that we say with the Church, &ldquo;Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation-my God will hear me.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Surely, the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. - <a href='B:10 28:16'>Gen 28:16</a>. </i><p>HOW strikingly does the ignorance of Jacob on this occasion represent the ignorance of mankind at large! We cannot go from the presence of God, nor flee from his Spirit. He is in every place; &ldquo;he fills heaven and earth, beholding the evil and the good.&rdquo; He sees all we do, hears all we say, knows all we think, whether it be good or whether it be evil; but how little do men in general imagine this! They do not realize this solemn fact, nor think that God &ldquo;compasseth their path and their lying down, and is acquainted with all their ways.&rdquo;<p>It also represents the ignorance of God&rsquo;s people themselves. They are prone to imagine that they shall be alone, or that they are alone, in trying situations and circumstances. God&rsquo;s manifestions to his people are often very unlooked for, for he looks not only to deliver and to relieve them, but to surprise them; to cause it at &ldquo;even-tide to be light,&rdquo; and to turn the &ldquo;shadow of death into the morning.&rdquo;<p>Still we should look for these tokens of his gracious presence, especially in trouble; because he has expressly said, not only &ldquo;I will never leave nor forsake thee,&rdquo; but &ldquo;I will be with thee in trouble.&rdquo; We should, therefore, be sure to expect him there; for, have not his people always found him there? Spilsbury suffered for conscience sake; he had been in prison and released once, and when he was apprehended a second time, and they were leading him away to prison, and his wife and children were weeping around, he said &ldquo;O, weep not for me; I am not afraid to go to prison now, for I found God there the first time.&rdquo; Did not John find him when labouring as a slave in the Isle of Patmos? Did not Daniel find him in the den of lions? Did not the three Hebrew children find him in the fiery furnace? Did not Joseph find him in the prison?<p>Have not his people in all ages found him a very present help in every time of trouble? Little did Jacob imagine that such a scene awaited him here. 


devotion:
<i> Your joy. - <a href='B:500 16:24'>Joh 16:24</a>. </i><p>THERE is, then, a joy belonging to Christians. &ldquo;Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.&rdquo; Your joy, says the Saviour. The intimation would have been absurd, if there was not a joy provided for them, and valued by them, to which they were entitled, and of which they were possessed. This accords not, indeed, with the opinions of the people of the world; according to them, religion prescribes a joyless course, engaged in which, we must bid adieu to everything like pleasure. According to them-if it smiles on eternity, it frowns on time; if it renders death safe, it renders life melancholy and gloomy. But where did they learn this? At the bar of reason? As all happiness depends on God, is it likely that he will allow those who love and serve him to be less happy than those who hate and oppose him? Where did they learn this? At the oar of experience? If we consult those who have made the trial of his service, they will tell us that since they have served him they have found his yoke easy, and his burden light. Where did they learn this? At the bar of Scripture? Why, this assures us that Religion&rsquo;s &ldquo;ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.&rdquo; What say its commands? &ldquo;Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, rejoice.&rdquo; What say its promises? &ldquo;They shall sing in the ways of the Lord.&rdquo; What say its representations? &ldquo;Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound.&rdquo; &ldquo;In thy name shall they rejoice all the day &ldquo;And what say its examples? Look to the first Christians, none of whom escaped persecution. Their religion made them sufferers, but it did not deprive them of pleasure and comfort; they &ldquo;received the word in much affliction,&rdquo; and &ldquo;in joy of the Holy Ghost.&rdquo; They &ldquo;took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance.&rdquo;<p>The reason that we see and hear so little of joy among Christians now, is that everything in this cold wintry world is adapted to repel instead of drawing forth their joy; and, moreover, theirs is a joy with which strangers intermeddle not. Their joy floats not upon the surface, but dwells deep in the recesses of the heart, making holidays there. And lastly, if Christians do not rejoice, it is because they do not live as they ought; they do not live up to their privileges. 


devotion:
<i> That your joy may be full. - <a href='B:500 16:24'>Joh 16:24</a>. </i><p>WITH many Christians their joy is feeble, stinted, and ever varying. Yet there is a fulness of this joy-a twofold fulness- there is an absolute fulness of this joy. This is reserved for the believer, in another world, when he &ldquo;shall be presented before the throne of his glory with exceeding joy.&rdquo; &ldquo;In thy presence,&rdquo; says the Psalmist, &ldquo;is fulness of &lsquo;joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.&rdquo; The other is comparative, and this is attainable here. The Apostle prayed on behalf of the Romans, that they might be &ldquo;filled with all joy and peace in believing;&rdquo; and here the Saviour intimates that the completion of this joy is very desirable. It is so on three grounds.<p>First, As the ornament and recommender of religion. There is nothing adorns the doctrine of God our Saviour, or that recommends religion to those around us, more than this joy; we should therefore be careful to showmen that there is a reality, an excellency, and a blessedness in religion.<p>Secondly, This joy is an assistant in duty. &ldquo;The joy of the Lord is our strength.&rdquo; Sorrow is depressive and unnerving, joy is emboldening, impulsive and communicative. If this joy abounded, we should be less ashamed and afraid of confessing what we believe in the heart. How it enlivens duty and feeds zeal! This joy is like oil to the wick of a lamp, and like wind to the sail of a ship: it sets all, and keeps all, in motion. It weans the believer&rsquo;s heart from the world by finding a substitute infinitely richer and sweeter- <p>&ldquo;As, by the light of open day, <p> The stars are all conceal&rsquo;d, <p> So earthly pleasures fade away <p> When Jesus is reveal&rsquo;d.&rdquo; </i><p>Thirdly, This full joy is a supporter in the hour of affliction. &ldquo;In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul.&rdquo; What could have been more distressing than the situation of the church in the days of Habakkuk? &ldquo;Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be on the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:&rdquo; yet, says she, &ldquo;I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Although my house be not so with God. - <a href='B:100 23:5'>2Sa 23:5</a>. </i><p>HERE is a depth of distress. David experienced many sore trials; the affliction to which he refers here was domestic, and principally of a moral nature. Religion does not destroy or eradicate relative feelings; but it improves, enlivens, enlarges, and regulates them. David&rsquo;s heart was strongly set upon his house. Hence it was that he felt suffering from this quarter touching him to the quick. And who does not? &ldquo;A man&rsquo;s chief foes,&rdquo; says the Scripture, &ldquo;are of his own household;&rdquo; and the same may be said of his trials and afflictions. A man can endure the storms and buffetings of the world when he finds in his home a calm and an inviting retreat; but how hard to hear when no comfort grows there, when nothing but sorrow is to be gathered there! What disappointments do fond parents experience from this quarter! &ldquo;Children,&rdquo; says Mr. Henry, &ldquo;are certain cares, and uncertain comforts and probable crosses.&rdquo; One perhaps is maimed in body; another is unsuccessful in business; a third is wretched in his connections; another is diseased; and another is carried down to an early grave, and left under a stone on which is inscribed by a bleeding heart, &ldquo;Childhood and youth are vanity&rdquo;-&ldquo;Thou destroyest the hopes of men;&rdquo; while another is seen walking the downward road, a companion of transgressors. How was it with David? Various domestic calamities had befallen him. Ah! this was the sting of his affliction-&ldquo;My house is not so with God.&rdquo;<p>Some religious parents can enter into his feelings, while they often think of their children, of their forms, of their features, of their talents, of their accomplishments, of their worldly prospects, and of their settlement in life; but this is the principal thing -what they should be with God. If they are not so with him as it ought to be, as they wish it to be, as they hoped it would be, everything else is like the chaff that the wind driveth away. And there are some who are saying, We have waited and we have watched and we have prayed, and nothing grows; after all our endeavours we see them turning back, turning aside following every folly- like the deaf adder, nothing charms them but sin, &ldquo;charm we never so wisely.&rdquo; errors will grow, and bad tempers will grow fast enough; but the growth of religious principles, of the seeds of truth sown in the youthful mind, depends upon Divine grace.<p>The grace that softened our hearts can soften the hearts of those who are dear to us, however hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. &ldquo;Instead of the thorn may come up the fir tree and instead of the brier may come up the myrtle tree.&rdquo; &ldquo;although&rdquo; at present &ldquo;he maketh it not to grow.&rdquo; 


devotion:
 He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. This is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he maketh it not to grow. - <a href='B:100 23:5'>2Sa 23:5</a>.<p>HERE is an all-sufficiency of consolation. Although my house is not so with God as it ought to be, as I wished it to be, as I hoped it would be; though my family is in disorder and distraction; though irreligion has expelled peace and comfort from my home; I can look abroad, and I can look above too, and I can find something in which to wrap my poor troubled Spirit: the gracious engagement of my God holds firm. Here I am prepared, as if he should say, for anything and everything; here I find the shadow of a great rock in a weary land; here I ride at anchor, and say, in the storm, <p>&ldquo;A hope so much divine, <p> May troubles well endure.&rdquo; </i><p>Now let us feast our souls upon this heavenly manna: it is meat to eat which the world knows not of. And first, It tells us that God has entered into a covenant with us to be our God and guide even unto death, and our portion for ever; that this covenant is everlasting, and that its counsels and contrivances bear the most ancient date. &ldquo;Yea,&rdquo; says God, &ldquo;I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, This covenant is ordered in all things; nothing in it is left to contingency; wisdom presided over mercy in the formation of it; all its parts are arranged with a view to the whole, and with a view to their end.<p>Thirdly, This covenant is sure. Its promises and performances are absolutely certain; he has sworn as well as promised, and because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself -&ldquo;Surely in blessing I will bless thee.&rdquo;<p>Observe also the importance he attaches to it: &ldquo;it is all my salvation;&rdquo; all that was necessary to its present, full, and final accomplishment and enjoyment is included here. He tells us also of the love he bore to it: it is &ldquo;all my desire.&rdquo; <p>&ldquo;The Lord my portion is, <p> I shall be well supplied; <p> Since he is mine, and I am his, <p> What can I want beside?&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> This is all my salvation, and all my desire. - <a href='B:100 23:5'>2Sa 23:5</a>. </i><p>ALL my salvation requires to be done, and all my salvation requires to be given, is included in the everlasting covenant. And how much is required! Is the pardon of my sin necessary? There it is: &ldquo;I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.&rdquo; Is holiness necessary? There it is: &ldquo;I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness; and from all your idols will I cleanse you, and a new heart will I give you.&rdquo; Is strength necessary? &ldquo;The Lord is my strength and my song, and has become my salvation,&rdquo; and he will put strength in us. Is grace necessary? The covenant gives it. Is glory necessary? It provides it. Is God necessary himself, with all his relations and attributes? There is the grand provision in the covenant: &ldquo;I will be their God, and they shall be my people.&rdquo;<p>So therefore all the Lord&rsquo;s people have each a God for himself; a God to guide, to guard, and to supply all their need from his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. David also says, &ldquo;This covenant of Salvation is all my desire.&rdquo; The believer desires to comprehend, with all saints, what is its height, and depth, and length, and breadth. He desires more of all this salvation, but not more than all its rich and glorious provisions. If we regard this as the supreme good, it will be all our desire to know more clearly our interest in this covenant, and to feel more richly an experience of its blessings, and to live more entirely according to its motives and encouragements. If we thus regard the blessings of this well-ordered covenant, our hold of other things will be loosened; and we shall sing, with Doddridge:- <p>&ldquo;All my capacious powers can wish <p> In this doth richly meet; <p> Nor to my eyes is light so clear, <p> Nor friendship half so sweet.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> That it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater. - <a href='B:290 55:10'>Isa 55:10</a>. </i><p>WHAT would our world be without the snow and the rain from heaven? If God were to make the heavens over us to be as brass, the earth would soon be beneath us as iron. But now see the consequences of these influences-how his paths drop fatness, and how the valleys are made to stand thick with corn; and let us observe how, when these showers come down, the earth brings forth and bears, and gives &ldquo;seed to the sower and bread to the eater;&rdquo; that is, furnishes a supply both for present provision and future propagation. Let us see how easily this may be applied to the gospel.<p>What would any country, town, village, or individual be without the Scriptures? Perishing for lack of knowledge. But when the gospel comes, it brings along with it the living bread, the staff of Spiritual and eternal life. In other words, it brings pardon, friendship with God, the renovation of our natures, all the fruits of the Spirit-which are &ldquo;joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.&rdquo; And as the husbandman is a sower as well as an eater, so is the Christian. He enjoys the blessings of the gospel himself, but then he is to convey them to others; and the gospel has been preserved and maintained in our world in the same way as the corn-not by miracle but by propagation. The one is by making it the duty of all who have received it to extend and diffuse it, and the other is by making it a privilege to do it; and it does this by producing in them a disposition for it, so that their duty becomes their delight. If we drop a single grain of wheat into the ground, it will yield a number of similar grains. If we sow them also, they will produce many more, so that from one single grain of corn there will be a sufficiency with which to disseminate a furlong, a field, a district, a province, a country, yea, and the globe itself.<p>Once all Christianity was centered in the Saviour. He imparted it to twelve apostles, and then to seventy disciples, and they to thousands. God says, &ldquo;I will sow them in the earth:&rdquo; that is, they shall be the means of producing their like; they shall multiply. &ldquo;I will cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.&rdquo; &ldquo;I will bless them, and they shall be a blessing.&rdquo;&lsquo; 


devotion:
<i> I will remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites. - <a href='B:230 42:6'>Psa 42:6</a>. </i><p>THERE are two ways in which we may understand these words-both instructive, and perhaps both included. First, As an expression of determined confidence; as if he had said, &ldquo;In whatsoever situation, place, or circumstance I may be found, I will remember God, and I will hope and confide in him.&rdquo; How often in the Scriptures do we find good men imagining the worst, and yet hoping for the best! Thus the church in the days of Habakkuk, after surveying their condition, and finding every indication of prosperity destroyed, says, &ldquo;Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.&rdquo; Thus David sang in the 98th psalm, a psalm of which Luther was very fond, so that when his timid but good friend Melancthon, who had not his fortitude, was distressed, &ldquo;Come,&rdquo; says Luther, &ldquo;let us sing the 98th psalm, and let Rome and hell do their worst.&rdquo; And so says David here, as if he had said, &ldquo;Wherever I am, O my God, I will think of thee; and if banished from my own palace, and deprived also of thy sanctuary and public ordinances, I will think of thee and be comforted.&rdquo; And so may we say, whatever may be our circumstances, I will call thee to remembrance, and exercise confidence in thee. Thou, Lord, only art &ldquo;my portion in the land of the living.&rdquo; And in whatever situation, however disadvantageous and trying, I may be found, I will remember thee.<p>Secondly, Then we may consider it also as an expression of confidence derived from reflection. He would remember God &ldquo;from the land of Jordan,&rdquo; etc., because he had been there, and had experienced there what would always serve to increase and confirm his confidence in God. He does not tell us what God had done for him in these places, but it is obvious that they had been scenes of divine manifestations and inter positions. Let us call to remembrance what God has done for us in providence and grace what proofs we have received of his kindness, faithfulness, and power. It is our duty and privilege not only to notice God&rsquo;s appearances for us at the time, but to treasure them up in our mind, that we may recur to them; for they were intended not only for our immediate relief, but in order to be cordials against our future faintings. <p>&ldquo;His love in time past forbids me to think <p> He&rsquo;ll leave me at last in trouble to sink; <p> Each sweet Ebenezer I have in review <p> Confirms his good pleasure to help me quite through.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> The hill Mizar. - <a href='B:230 42:6'>Psa 42:6</a>. </i><p>WE know, from accurate maps of the land of Canaan, where the Jordan rolled; we know where was the land beyond Jordan; we know where was the region possessed by the Hermonites; but no one has informed us what or where this hill Mizar was. The word in the margin is from the little hill. Now we know not what took place on this hill. It might be here that the Lord delivered him &ldquo;out of the paw of the lion,&rdquo; and &ldquo;out of the paw of the bear;&rdquo; but whether the supposition be correct or not, we may be assured there was something that served to impress it on the mind of David, and thus to increase his confidence and his hope.<p>All places are alike to God, but they are not the same to us. There are few persons who have not some place toward which they look with peculiar interest. How dear must be to a mother the spot in the churchyard that holds the ashes of her darling child! How endeared and affecting must the cave of Machpelah have been to Abraham after it contained his beautiful and beloved Sarah! We are told that Mary was gone to the grave of her brother to weep there. And how many places are interesting in review! How many spots have been made sacred by meditation and intercourse with God, and of which we could say, &ldquo;This is none other than the house of God!&rdquo; There are spots toward which we can look, where God freed our mind from a grievous snare and temptation, and made us free indeed; where God commanded a wonderful deliverance for us; where he turned the shadow of death into the morning, and where at eventide it was made light. These Mizars, these little hills, how precious do they become in the remembrance! <p>&ldquo;Here to these hills my soul will come, <p> Till my beloved calls me home.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> He was rich. - <a href='B:540 8:9'>2Co 8:9</a>. </i><p>LET us notice the Saviour&rsquo;s greatness-&ldquo;He was rich.&rdquo; Then he existed before his incarnation. Discarding his pre-existence, what sufferable meaning can be assigned to the Apostle&rsquo;s language? A man cannot pass from one situation or condition to another before he exists; and where there is no previous dignity there can be no condescension. Hear what he saith himself: &ldquo;I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world.&rdquo; &ldquo;Before Abraham was, I am.&rdquo; John says, &ldquo;In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.&rdquo; Thus, we not only find him existing, but existing divinely too. How rich was he in the nature and claims of Deity!<p>How we are lost in the thought of eternity, omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience! How rich must he be who possessed all these attributes of Deity! And he possessed them. &ldquo;In him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.&rdquo; How rich was he whose dominion was universal, and whose possessions were boundless! He could say, &ldquo;Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills; the world is mine and the fulness thereof.&rdquo;<p>How rich must he be who could produce all these, and uphold them by the word of his power! &ldquo;The eyes of all wait upon him, and he giveth them their meat in due season.&rdquo; &ldquo;He openeth his hand and satisfieth the desire of every living thing.&rdquo; Then in him were &ldquo;hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.&rdquo; What accomplished beings have we had in our world! How wealthy are some in mind! We think of Newton, Bacon, Boyle, Locke, Sir William Jones, &e. But if we take all the wisdom of all the men who ever lived on earth, and add to this all the intelligence of all the angels in heaven, still we should bear in mind the fact, that all these in their aggregate are no more to his infinite understanding than the drop to the ocean, or a beam to the sun, and that all had been derived from him. He was rich in all communicable blessings-blessings of grace and of glory, providential and spiritual, of time and of eternity. 


devotion:
<i> He became poor. - <a href='B:540 8:9'>2Co 8:9</a>. </i><p>FROM the Saviour&rsquo;s greatness let us pass to His humiliation. We are not to suppose from hence that he ceased to be what he had been, or that he divested himself of the prerogatives of Deity. This was impossible; but he veiled them. The first degree of his humiliation was his assuming our nature. &ldquo;The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.&rdquo; It would have been a low stoop in him if he had taken upon him the nature of angels; but he stooped much lower. &ldquo;Because the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.&rdquo;<p>The next degree in his humiliation was the manner in which he became incarnate. Jesus appeared in no worldly grandeur; nothing could be more obscure, abased, abject, than the circumstances attending his birth: born in a stable and laid in a manger. His mother acknowledged to God the &ldquo;low estate of his handmaiden.&rdquo; Nor was he exempted from the weakness of infancy. He tottered before he could walk, lisped before he could speak; he passed from ignorance to knowledge; he increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. He was brought up at no university, and was not trained at the feet of any Gamaliel. Therefore the people said, &ldquo;Whence hath this man knowledge? seeing he was never taught.&rdquo; He was poor in accommodation. He said himself, &ldquo;The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.&rdquo; He was poor in reputation. He was &ldquo;a worm, and no man.&rdquo; He was called &ldquo;a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber, and the friend of publicans and sinners;&rdquo; a Samaritan, an enemy of Cæsar, and a blasphemer of Moses. He was poor in sympathy. The feelings of persons struggling with hardships, or under sorrow, are often relieved when they excite commiseration and notice; for it is natural for the sufferer to exclaim, &ldquo;Pity me, pity me, oh ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.&rdquo; &ldquo;I looked,&rdquo; said he, in his agony, &ldquo;for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.&rdquo; Where is the multitude he fed with the loaves and fishes? Where are the blind whose eyes he opened? And his disciples, where are they all? They have forsaken him, and fled. Angels who ministered to him in the wilderness, where are ye? Almighty God, where art thou? &ldquo;My God, my God,&rdquo; he cries, &ldquo;why hast thou forsaken me?&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> I am the truth. - <a href='B:500 14:6'>Joh 14:6</a>. </i><p>THERE is the truth of sincerity-and Jesus is the &ldquo;faithful and true Witness,&rdquo; in his lips there was no guile. There was always a correspondence between his words and his works. Everything he said could be relied upon, and can be relied upon now. There is the truth of accomplishment -he was full of this. Under the former dispensation all was figure and type: &ldquo;the law was a shadow of good things to come,&rdquo; but &ldquo;the body was Christ.&rdquo; He was the true bread which came down from heaven; the true rock whose streams flowed in the wilderness; the true tabernacle &ldquo;which the Lord pitched, and not man;&rdquo; the true mercy-seat. Every bleeding bullock, every slaughtered lamb, proclaimed him aloud as the &ldquo;Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.&rdquo; All had its fulfilment in Him. There is the truth of reality. All on earth is shadow, but here all is substance. <p>&ldquo;In vain we lavish out our lives <p> To gather empty wind, <p> The choicest blessings earth can yield <p> Will starve a hungry mind.&rdquo; </i><p>But his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed; and he that eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood hath everlasting life. Then there is the truth of doctrine. There are various kinds of truth; historical, philosophical, and scientific truth; but he was Divine Truth. That truth which regards the soul and eternity; which tells us all we want to know, and all we must know; which tells us of our ruin and our recovery; of our reconciliation with God; of the only way of justification; of our sanctification; of the only way of obtaining a title to heaven, and a meetness for it. All this he revealed, and all this is contained in the glorious gospel of the blessed God. 


devotion:
<i> For the mountains shall depart, and the hills he removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace he removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. - <a href='B:290 54:10'>Isa 54:10</a>. </i><p>THE covenant of works, made with Adam, and the national covenant of the Jews, were soon destroyed; but the covenant of grace and peace is immutable and immoveable.<p>It is sure to all who are interested in its blessings. It is as sure as the truth, as the faithfulness, and as the promise of God can make it; for he has sworn as well as promised, and because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself. &ldquo;Surely in blessing I will bless thee.&rdquo; Formerly covenants were made by sacrifice. Instances of this are to be met in profane as well as in sacred history; and it is here we read of the &ldquo;blood of the everlasting covenant, by which the Lord Jesus was brought again from the dead.&rdquo; A person may fail in his engagement, however solemnly made, either by forgetfulness, or change of mind, or inability to execute it; but this can not apply here.<p>Blessed be God, he cannot forget-&ldquo;his understanding is infinite.&rdquo; He cannot change, for he is &ldquo;without variableness, or the shadow of turning.&rdquo; He can never feel weakness, for he is the Almighty Maker of heaven and earth, and in whom is everlasting strength. Therefore, all the &ldquo;promises are yea and amen in Christ Jesus, to the glory of God by him.&rdquo; A believer may therefore stand firm on the rock of everlasting ages. &ldquo;Yea, the mountains and the hills shall depart; heaven and earth may and will pass away, but my word,&rdquo; saith he, &ldquo;shall not pass away; neither shall my covenant be removed, saith the Lord.&rdquo; Let us trust, and not be afraid.<p>A good man lately, when he was dying, seemed to be much in anguish and agony of spirit. It was a struggle with unbelief, but faith prevailed; after a while he opened his eyes again, and raising his hands, he said, &ldquo;His promise is yea and amen, and never was forfeited yet;&rdquo; and immediately expired. <p>&ldquo;Oh, for a strong and lasting faith, <p> To credit what the Almighty saith; <p> To embrace the message of his Son, <p> And call the joys of heaven our own.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. - <a href='B:540 8:9'>2Co 8:9</a>. </i><p>THERE are many who do not know it-who have never heard of his name; they are the proper objects of our compassion: we should daily pray for them, that &ldquo;his way may he known upon earth, his saving health among all nations.&rdquo; But it is otherwise with us. &ldquo;To us is the word of this salvation sent.&rdquo; It matters very little what we know, if we know not this; yet it is a lamentable fact, that there are many to be found in this land of light who are ignorant of the leading truths of the gospel; these are hastening into a miserable eternity. But persons may not only perish from ignorance, they may perish also by knowledge.<p>&ldquo;To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.&rdquo; Oh, the grand thing is for us to know &ldquo;the truth as it is in Jesus,&rdquo; to know the way of salvation, to know the way everlasting. Oh, there is a certainty, there is an excellency in this knowledge which distinguishes it from every other. There is blessedness in it. &ldquo;Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound.&rdquo; There is freedom in it. &ldquo;Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.&rdquo; There is eternal life in it. &ldquo;This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.&rdquo; It is therefore more than a speculative knowledge that the Apostle intends.<p>Of what advantage would it be for us to know that he is the foundation, and we never build upon it? Or that he is the refuge, and we never flee to it? Or that he is the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, and we never wash therein? This gospel belongs to the heart; it requires all our feeling, and it is impossible for us to receive it as we ought-as a message faithful and worthy of all acceptation-unless it excites feelings such as nothing else can produce, and is accompanied with dispositions and pursuits such as nothing else is characterized by. 


devotion:
<i> The glory as of the only begotten of the Father. - <a href='B:500 1:14'>Joh 1:14</a>. </i><p>HERE is a glorious object to behold. Not the glory of the world, or of the princes of the world, which cometh to nought. Not the glory of a temporal empire, which the Jews were looking for. Not the glory of a worldly conqueror- a glory stained with blood, concerning which the late Bishop Porteus says, &ldquo;One murder makes a villain; millions a hero.&rdquo; Not the glory of statesmen. No, but a godlike glory; &ldquo;the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.&rdquo; God has many children by creation, and he has many children by adoption, for all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty; but he is &ldquo;the only begotten Son of the Father.&rdquo;<p>He, therefore, is raised in his glory beyond the glory of Moses, or of Solomon, or of angels. &ldquo;For to which of the angels said he, at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee? &ldquo;But, &ldquo;when he bringeth forth his first begotten into the world he saith, Let all the angels of God worship him.&rdquo; They who saw him saw &ldquo;the brightness of the Father&rsquo;s glory, and the express image of his person.&rdquo; His attributes, actions, and Spirit, all proved a Divine relation, superior to every creature-to an infinite and Almighty Being; and &ldquo;we behold the light of the glory of God as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ,&rdquo; and the perfections of the one are the perfections of the other. And, says the Saviour, &ldquo;He that hath seen me hath seen my Father also, for I and my Father are one.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> We beheld his glory. - <a href='B:500 1:14'>Joh 1:14</a>. </i><p>HOW was this perception of the Redeemer&rsquo;s glory realized? First, They saw his glory corporeally, with their bodily senses; they heard him in conversation and preaching. They saw his glory at his baptism, in his transfiguration, in. the miracles he wrought, in the garden of Gethsemane, at his crucifixion. How much of his glory did they see after his resurrection, and when he ascended to his Father, and the heavens received him out of their sight, and on the day of Pentecost? Before this &ldquo;the Holy Ghost was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.&rdquo; &ldquo;He hath showed forth this,&rdquo; says the Apostle, &ldquo;which ye now see and hear.&rdquo; All these new tongues are his, and in the conversion of the three thousand they saw the glory of his power displayed in giving efficacy to the word of his grace.<p>They now saw his kingdom was not of this world, that his death, was a propitiation for sin, and that he was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. They not only saw the Saviour&rsquo;s glory corporeally, but Spiritually too. Others saw the miracles, but believed not on him. But it pleased God, said the Apostle, to &ldquo;reveal his Son in me.&rdquo; And it is the same now; while he is revealed to others, he is revealed in his people. And according to the Saviour&rsquo;s own word, &ldquo;He that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, hath everlasting life.&rdquo;<p>Are we able to make this acknowledgment? Can we say we have &ldquo;beheld his glory?&rdquo; for this is possible now. He is now to be seen by the eye of faith, and by the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Yes, he is to be seen now in the gospel, in his house, in his ordinances, in his people, and in his works. If we have beheld his glory, then we have been abased in our own eyes; then the world has ceased to overcome us; then we can say with Paul, &ldquo;I count all things but loss for the excellency of Christ Jesus my Lord;&rdquo; and we shall exclaim with Doddridge:- <p>&ldquo;Yes, thou art precious to my soul, <p> My transport and my trust; <p> Jewels to thee are gaudy toys, <p> And gold is sordid dust.&rdquo; </i><p>Secondly, If we have seen his glory, we shall he concerned that others may behold him also; his love will constrain us to live not unto ourselves but unto him who loved us and gave himself for us. Then we shall resemble him. He will not only be our teacher but also our example. This is the essence of all religion, and this is what he himself enjoined. &ldquo;If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> I will heal him. - <a href='B:290 57:19'>Isa 57:19</a>. </i><p>GOD by the gospel heals in two ways. First, He heals the anguish of a wounded Spirit. &ldquo;He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.&rdquo; While some never feel their wounds, have never been disturbed in their conscience, others have their consciences bruised under a sense of guilt and a dread of wrath to come. Such an one mingles his drink with weeping. The world can no longer charm, nor old companions allure him. &ldquo;The arrows of the Almighty stick fast within me,&rdquo; said one of old, &ldquo;the poison whereof drinketh up my Spirit.&rdquo; &ldquo;A wounded Spirit who can bear?&rdquo; and a wounded Spirit who can heal? Men may skin over the wound, try many things, but it will break out again. Outward reformation, vows, fastings, alms&rsquo; deeds-from all these some endeavour to obtain peace of conscience, and although they may for a time obtain something like a calm, yet as the light in them increases, and as they become better acquainted with the Spirituality of God&rsquo;s law, all their fears and despair revive; but nothing can relieve an awakened mind but the scheme of redemption revealed in the gospel. That alone can satisfy the sinner&rsquo;s conscience which satisfied the justice of God- nothing but the blood of sprinkling, which &ldquo;speaketh better things than the blood of Abel.&rdquo;<p>Then, secondly, God by the gospel heals the moral maladies of our nature. This always accompanies the former. It would be endless to enumerate the diseases of our fallen and depraved nature. &ldquo;The whole head is sick, the whole heart faint, and there is no help in us. But are we under the necessity of perishing? By no means. If there is no help in us, there is help laid upon one that is mighty. If there be no hope in us, there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. If there is no health in us, there is balm in Gilead, and there is a physician there. The same light that shows us our disease reveals to us also our remedy, and the grace that makes us feel the one enables us to apply to the other-and that is a Saviour, who is made unto us not only righteousness but sanctification, who not only justifies but renews; for if any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away and all things become new.&rdquo;<p>See a man under the agency of the spirit of God, delighting in the Saviour; he dedicates all he has and all he is to his service and glory, walking before him in newness of life. 


devotion:
<i> And knew the grace of God in truth. - <a href='B:580 1:6'>Col 1:6</a>. </i><p>THE grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ cannot be known in truth, without producing in us corresponding effects. It will excite our application to him; we shall be found at his feet, praying, &ldquo;Heal me, for I have sinned against thee.&rdquo; It will excite our admiration, and with angels we shall desire to look into these things.<p>How surprising his condescension, how matchless his mercy! It baffles all description, it defies all wonder; it sets even astonishment at a stand. The mind never feels its insignificance so much as when it is contemplating the heights and depths and lengths and breadths of the Saviour&rsquo;s love, which passeth knowledge. This knowledge will also teach us to love him. It will make us truly grateful, and we shall ask, &ldquo;What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits?&rdquo; It will lead us to devotedness to his service, and we shall pour forth the warmest emotions of our souls, and ask daily, &ldquo;Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?&rdquo; It will excite us to imitate him, to be like-minded with him, and to walk even as he walked. And while we reflect on the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that &ldquo;though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich,&rdquo; we shall deem nothing too humiliating, nothing too arduous to engage in for his sake on the behalf of others.<p>Blessed Jesus, thy heart was made of tenderness! Thou went about doing good. In thee the disconsolate always found a comforter, the ignorant an instructor, and the lost a Saviour. Oh that we may resemble thee! Oh that we may have the same mind in us which was also in Christ Jesus! 


devotion:
<i> When I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? - <a href='B:290 5:4'>Isa 5:4</a>. </i><p>&ldquo;WHAT,&rdquo; says God, &ldquo;could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it?&rdquo; He has done much for us, and he has a right to expect much from us. Though we are not able fully to discharge the obligations under which he has placed us, yet we ought to be sensible of them and show that we are willing to make adequate returns, and to be always asking, &ldquo;Lord what wilt thou have me to do?&rdquo;<p>Therefore we may observe that God expects us to make suitable returns, and is disappointed if we do not. But can God ever be disappointed? Here we must make a distinction between what is a fact and what is a right. As to the question of fact, he is not disappointed, he cannot be disappointed. No event nor circumstance can occur to surprise, or even to inform him. But as to the question of right, he may, he has a right to be disappointed. What culture has he bestowed upon his vineyard! He therefore justly complains, &ldquo;What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it?&rdquo; &ldquo;These three years I have gone seeking fruit and found none.&rdquo; He does expect gratitude and a sense of obligation where he has conferred benefits.<p>Alas! what instances of ingratitude, unkindness, and unfruitfulness compel him to say, &ldquo;When I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things. - <a href='B:100 23:5'>2Sa 23:5</a>. </i><p>THIS covenant of salvation shows that God is good. His work is perfect, and all his ways are judgment; he hath done all things well. It is &ldquo;ordered in all things.&rdquo; Its arrangements are perfect. At present we can but imperfectly survey this order; but though we now see through a glass darkly, by and by this mystery will be more fully developed. We shall then find that all heaven will be filled with admiration and praise at the manifold wisdom of God herein. But we even now see some and much of its excellency. It is so ordered in all things as to harmonise and display the Divine perfection; as to unite his honour with my happiness, that while he redeems Jacob he glorifies himself in Israel. It is so ordered in all things, that while the sinner is encouraged he is abased, and abased while he is encouraged; that sin is pardoned while condemned, and condemned while it is pardoned. It is so ordered in all things, as to provide for everything we need, and only as we need it, from the fulness of the Redeemer and not from ourselves. This will serve to influence our love, check self-confidence, incite to diligence, and promote intercourse with our Lord and Saviour. It is so ordered in all things, as to separate care and duty; so that while it delivers us from all anxiety about events, by showing us the providence of God, managing all things for us-God caring for us-it frees us from solicitude, and leaves us free to pursue our work, and nothing else.<p>In a word, we see it is so ordered in all things, as to prove that the Author of it was a being who perfectly knew us and all our condition, and that he perfectly loved us; for he has wisely and mercifully adapted all things to all our woes, wants, weakness, and wishes. Therefore to this a believer turns in a dark and cloudy day, and not only submits but acquiesces. He glories in the scheme, and wishes to glory in nothing else. <p>&ldquo;Amidst temptations sharp and long, <p> My soul to this dear refuge flies; <p> Hope is my anchor, firm and strong, <p> When tempests blow and billows rise.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> I will go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy. - <a href='B:230 43:4'>Psa 43:4</a>. </i><p>THIS regards the worship of God; and our worship is infinitely due to him, whether we consider the eminency of his perfections or his relation to us. Some are above all the formalities of religion; they find every day a Sabbath, and every place a temple, and in so saying give too much reason to question whether they worship God at all. Those who are most regardful of the Sabbath and the sanctuary are the most attentive to all the other duties of life; and, indeed, one good work always prepares for another. Our nature is such that we need seasons, and forms, and places of worship. The mind must be approached through the medium of the body, and our communion with things unseen and eternal must be maintained by means of things temporal. God is to be glorified in our bodies as well as in our spirits, which are his. Under the Jewish dispensation there was a tabernacle and a temple.<p>Our Saviour attended in the synagogue and the temple. His followers are commanded not to forsake the assembling of themselves together, and in order to incite and encourage them he hath. said: &ldquo;Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.&rdquo; The public services of the sanctuary are indispensable to the maintenance of religion in a neighbourhood or country. In the sanctuary the various distinctions of life are preserved from becoming excessive. There the rich and the poor meet together in the presence of Him who is the Maker of them all. There are they reminded of their original equality- their final and their religious equality-and who has not often exclaimed, <p>&ldquo;Lord, how delightful &rsquo;tis to see <p> A whole assembly worship thee; <p> At once they sing, at once they pray, <p> They hear of heaven, and learn the way.&rdquo; </i><p>And how do the public services of the sanctuary enliven our affections! How much information is obtained while we see his beauty and inquire in his temple! What consolation is experienced there! &ldquo;God is known in his palaces for a refuge.&rdquo; The widow there draws to her knee her fatherless boy, and there she hears God is a father to the fatherless, and a judge of the widow in his holy habitation. There she hears: &ldquo;Let thy widows trust in me;&rdquo; and she departs rejoicing in the God of providence. Where is the Christian who has not said- <p>&ldquo;In every new distress <p> We to his house repair; <p> We&rsquo;ll think upon his wondrous grace, <p> And seek deliverance there.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> Might be rich. - <a href='B:540 8:9'>2Co 8:9</a>. </i><p>HERE is another wonderful transition. We have seen a transition from riches to poverty; here is a transition from poverty to riches, and all through the medium of his interposition on their behalf. What a change takes place in the subjects of divine grace always! They were &ldquo;thorns&rdquo; and are now &ldquo;fir-trees;&rdquo; &ldquo;briers &ldquo;but now &ldquo;myrtle-trees;&rdquo; afar off, but now &ldquo;made nigh;&rdquo; blind, but now they see; dead, and are made alive; were &ldquo;lost, and are found;&rdquo; were poor, and now are &ldquo;made rich.&rdquo; We were poor in every sense of the word; we had nothing we could call our own except sin. Poor as creatures, poor as sinners; the fall has stripped us of all our moral and Spiritual excellencies, but He &ldquo;remembered us in our low estate.&rdquo;<p>We had no knowledge, but we are now &ldquo;made wise unto salvation.&rdquo; We had no righteousness then; we have now &ldquo;the righteousness which is of God by faith.&rdquo; We had no strength then; we are now &ldquo;strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.&rdquo; We had then no title to heaven; we have now &ldquo;a right to the tree of life.&rdquo; We had no peace then, we have now a &ldquo;peace which passeth all understanding.&rdquo; We were then strangers to joy; we have now a &ldquo;joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.&rdquo; We were then poor enough, were living without God; we now have a God who is our own God for ever and ever, and we can claim him with all his perfections, relations, and promises, and can say, &ldquo;God, even our own God, shall bless us.&rdquo; How rich are Christians then become! Theirs are the &ldquo;unsearchable riches of Christ.&rdquo;<p>We shall never do them justice, for we never can understand them fully. They are Spiritual riches; they render the soul wealthy, and they are eternal in their duration. This Spiritual wealth may consist with much outward poverty and distress; persons may be poor in this world&rsquo;s goods, and be rich in faith, rich towards God, and &ldquo;heirs of the kingdom &ldquo;which he hath promised to them that love him. &ldquo;Poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, yet possessing all things.&rdquo; Very little of the Christian&rsquo;s wealth is here discernible, because it is to be enjoyed above. They are now minors; their inheritance is therefore reserved in heaven for them: for &ldquo;eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.&rdquo; <p>&ldquo;His angels can never express, <p> Nor saints who sit nearest the throne, <p> How rich are his treasures of grace! <p> This, tins is a mystery unknown.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> For your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. - <a href='B:540 8:9'>2Co 8:9</a>. </i><p>THIS is the medium of all a believer&rsquo;s attainments. If we are rich, it is because &ldquo;he was poor, and that through his poverty we might become rich;&rdquo; that is, by his emptying himself we are filled; that by his descending to earth, we can ascend to heaven; that by his bearing the shame, we are crowned with glory and honour; that by his dying alone we live. If he saved others, himself he could not save. If he redeemed us, it must be with the price of his own most precious blood. If we are saved, and enriched, and glorified for ever, it must be in a way in which the law is not dishonoured, but magnified and made honourable; in which sin must be condemned while pardoned; in which all the attributes of God must be blended in perfect harmony. &ldquo;Mercy and truth meet together, righteousness and peace kiss each other,&rdquo; in a way which blends and mingles &ldquo;glory to God in the highest&rdquo; with &ldquo;peace on earth, good will to men.&rdquo; And here it is that all are displayed. &ldquo;Therefore he was made perfect through suffering, and thus became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.&rdquo;<p>Thus it was that &ldquo;He who was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich;&rdquo; that &ldquo;he once suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.&rdquo; It is here we see the value of our souls; it is here we see the importance of our salvation; it is here we see what difficulties stood in the way of it, and how remotely, infinitely remotely they are removed. It is here we learn our full obligation to the Saviour. <p>&ldquo;Were the whole realm of nature mine, <p> That were a present far too small; <p> Love so amazing, so divine, <p> Demands my soul, my life, my all.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> This is my friend. - <a href='B:260 5:16'>Son 5:16</a>. </i><p>LORD Brooks was so charmed with that wise and accomplished person Sir Philip Sidney, that when he died he would have no other inscription upon his tomb than this: &ldquo;Here lies the friend of Sir Philip Sidney;&rdquo; and shall not we say, Oh may my tomb but as truthfully declare, &ldquo;Here lies a friend of Jesus.&rdquo; This will be infinitely more important than if it were adorned by the trophies of victory, the ensigns of power, or the emblems of affection. Let us endeavour to ascertain as clearly as we can that he is our friend, so that we may also say, &ldquo;My beloved is mine, and I am his.&rdquo; Then whatever be our circumstances, we may fully rely upon his presence and aid. And to encourage and comfort us he says, &ldquo;Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.&rdquo; If other friends forsake, and other helpers fail, he is the same. &ldquo;When my father and mother forsake me,&rdquo; said the Psalmist, &ldquo;then the Lord will take me up.&rdquo; He is the &ldquo;friend that sticketh closer than a brother.&rdquo; &ldquo;He fainteth not, neither is weary.&rdquo; &ldquo;He is a very present help in trouble.&rdquo; And then let us often think of going home to this dear friend, and of being for ever with the Lord.<p>The Apostle said, &ldquo;Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better.&rdquo; It will also be &ldquo;far better&rdquo; for us; &ldquo;far better&rdquo; for us to be in &ldquo;the land flowing with milk and honey,&rdquo; than to be in the wilderness with the serpents, and entangled with the thorns and briers. It will be &ldquo;far better&rdquo; to be delivered from the burden of the flesh, and to be presented &ldquo;faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.&rdquo;<p>We need not be afraid of going to him. His presence will be with us in the valley of the shadow of death, and at the end we shall find him waiting to receive us to himself, that we may behold his glory, that we may see him as he is and be for ever with him. 


devotion:
<i> Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. - <a href='B:610 6:17'>1Ti 6:17</a>. </i><p>EVERY creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. While some abuse temporal blessings and comforts, there are others who are almost afraid to make use of them. It is always desirable we should be sensible of our desert, and that we are not worthy of the least of all the mercies bestowed upon us; yet it is equally important we should feel that we are welcome to enjoy the goodness our heavenly Father has provided for us. It is true, we have by sin forfeited all claim to God&rsquo;s goodness; but the Saviour has restored to believers this right:- <p>&ldquo;He sank beneath our heavy woes, <p> To raise us to a throne, <p> There&rsquo;s ne&rsquo;er a gift his hand bestows <p> But cost his heart a groan.&rdquo; </i><p>They are therefore now again become ours, yea, more ours than ever they were before. The Apostle here would have believers to understand that they are not to be unobservant of the seasons of the year, nor be blind to the beauties of the garden nor insensible to the fragrance of the rose, nor look with indifference upon the valleys when they stand thick with corn, or on the little hills when they rejoice on every side; but that they should avail themselves of their high privilege, for every Christian can look around upon all the works of creation, and say, &ldquo;My Father made them all.&rdquo; Indeed there is no one can enjoy the good things of nature like one of God&rsquo;s beloved children, because he connects a sacredness with them, being ransomed by the Saviour&rsquo;s death, so that he cannot use them indifferently or improperly. And then he relishes the love of the Giver in the gift, and as Watts says- <p>&ldquo;How sweet our daily comforts prove, <p> When they are season&rsquo;d by his love.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself. - <a href='B:240 9:12'>Pro 9:12</a>. </i><p>AS religion makes us truly wise, to possess it is to gain the greatest advantage. Now this does not mean that heavenly wisdom will make a man cunning and selfish. The man of wisdom will be concerned to be useful. While religion is indeed personal, it is also social in its aspects and influences. It begins, and indeed must begin, with himself; but it must not end there. A Christian will be anxious, as he has opportunity, to do good to all men. Nor does it mean that he will not be beneficial to others as well as himself. As before his conversion he was a curse, so now he will prove a blessing.<p>Christians are &ldquo;the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.&rdquo; They are the &ldquo;repairers of the breach; the restorers of paths to dwell in.&rdquo; Christians are the greatest benefactors of the human race. By their prayers and by their examples, by their influence and by their exertions, they &ldquo;serve their generation according to the will of God.&rdquo; The meaning of the expression, &ldquo;thou shalt be wise for thyself,&rdquo; first, is spoken of in reference to God. Our goodness extendeth not to him. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? We must not, therefore, think much of our services in his cause; for when we have done all that is commanded of us, we must say we are unprofitable servants. That is, unprofitable to him, never to ourselves. And therefore we need not be afraid to come to him because we have no worthiness, and have nothing to bring; for he has said we are to come to him, not to communicate, but to receive.<p>Then it means, secondly, that though others may derive benefit from it, no one is or can be so enriched by it as the possessor of true wisdom. The fruit will fall principally into our own lap. It means that &ldquo;godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come.&rdquo; The temporal benefits of religion are great, but the Spiritual benefits are greater. And as to the eternal benefits to which it leads, and of which it is the earnest, &ldquo;eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Ebenezer. - <a href='B:90 7:12'>1Sa 7:12</a>. </i><p>A ROMAN emperor has advised us to dispose of the three periods of time thus: the past to oblivion, the present to duty, and the future to Providence. To two of these admonitions we do well to take heed. Let us give the present to duty, &ldquo;and whatsoever our hand findeth to do, let us do it with our might, for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither we are fast hastening.&rdquo; Let us also give the future to Providence; casting all our care upon him, for he careth for us, being assured that, as the result of so doing, we shall possess the peace of God which passeth all understanding. But we dare not give the past to oblivion, for &ldquo;God requireth that which is past;&rdquo; and therefore we should remember and record it. We are too prone to forget the benefits we have received; but our time cannot be more profitably employed than in reviewing our past life. From such a review we may derive many valuable and instructive lessons.<p>This was God&rsquo;s command to the Jews: &ldquo;Thou shalt remember all the way the Lord thy God hath led thee.&rdquo; Who is wise, and will observe these things, even he shall understand the lovingkindness of God. We should be frequently thus reviewing and recording the various scenes of life through which we may have passed. In so doing we shall be advancing our own humiliation, the glory of God, our gratitude to, and our own confidence in God, our own instruction, and the encouragement of others. There are stated seasons when this may be profitably done-on a birthday, or at the commencement of the new year, when passing on from one annual period to another. We should set up a pillar of grateful remembrance.<p>What have been our reviews of life? What praises have we rendered? Have they been according to the benefits done unto us? Some have by a succession of disappointments been brought low, but he has also helped them, and turned the shadow of death into the morning; others have been afflicted, and said, The graves were ready for me, but he sent his word and healed me; and I said, I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord. And another has said, I have had to contend with corruptions within and temptations without, and yet &ldquo;my foot has held his steps; his way have I kept, and not declined.&rdquo; I have often been ready to halt, and even have sometimes said, I shall one day perish; but through thee &ldquo;I have run through a troop, and by my God have leaped over a wall.&rdquo; Therefore, as to the past, cannot we join issue with the grateful prophet, and say, &ldquo;Hitherto hath the Lord helped me;&rdquo; and connecting the past with the future, are we not warranted in saying with Newton- <p>&ldquo;His love in time past forbids me to think <p> He&rsquo;ll leave me at last in trouble to sink, <p> Each sweet Ebenezer I have in review, <p> Confirms his good pleasure to help me quite through.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> Who inherit the promises, - <a href='B:650 6:12'>Heb 6:12</a>. </i><p>GOD from the beginning has dealt with his people in a way of promise. He could have accomplished all his grace and mercy in their behalf without having previously announced them. But then they could not have known them: they could not have believed in them; they could not have hoped for them, and pleaded them in prayer, or have made them their song in the house of their pilgrimage. Many advantages are derived from the promises; some of these promises regard the life that now is, but many more of them regard the life which is to come.<p>Few of the promises of God, indeed, are ever completely accomplished in this world; they draw us, therefore, forward and upward. &ldquo;We are saved by hope;&rdquo; &ldquo;we rejoice in hope;&rdquo; heaven will fill up every void; heaven will perfect everything that concerns us. Heaven will perfect the intellectual life. &ldquo;Here we see through a glass darkly, there face to face; now we know in part, then shall we know even as we are known.&rdquo; Heaven will perfect the Spiritual life. We now groan, being burdened, and when we would do good evil is present with us; we shall then be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Heaven will perfect the social life. Here we dwell in Mesech, and have our tents in Kedar; there shall we join the general assembly and church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven; and the Spirits of just men made perfect; and an innumerable company of angels; and Jesus, the Mediator; and God, the Judge of all. Heaven will perfect the corporeal faculties. What limbs, what senses, what imaginations, shall we have then! What a state heaven must be, if we take but this one view of it- that it brings us into the possession of all the promises. &ldquo;To die is gain,&rdquo; says the Apostle; and no wonder, if we are to gain all that God has spoken of, and if all that the Scriptures have told us is to be there realized.<p>Now observe that this inheritance is & present possession. They inherit-not that they shall inherit. Now, says our Saviour, &ldquo;God is not the God of the dead, but of the living,&rdquo; for all live unto him. And do not the Scriptures perpetually imply it? How else could we understand the words of the Saviour to the poor thief, or the language of the Apostle? &ldquo;Absent from the body, present with the Lord.&rdquo; This intimates an immediate transition. &ldquo;Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better.&rdquo; This regards immediate enjoyment. How delightful to remember that our pious friends and relatives, who have been removed from us, now inherit the promises! Delivered from the burden of the flesh, they are now enjoying the felicity of heaven. They have done with sorrow, and, what is best, they have done with sin, and are freed from all their infirmities. They have entered that blessed world of light and life-of peace and joy-and are for ever with the Lord. 


devotion:
<i> But followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. - <a href='B:650 6:12'>Heb 6:12</a>. </i><p>THIS injunction implies three things. First, That there is nothing unattainable and impracticable in the example of those who have gone before us. We may, we can follow them. They were exercised by the very same trials and temptations, and they had the very same passions with us. What they were they were by grace; what they did they did by grace, and that grace is the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever; there is no reason, therefore, that we should ever despond.<p>Secondly, That we should acquaint ourselves with them. Without this we cannot follow them. We cannot follow what we are ignorant of. Imitation is something voluntary-intentional-that requires frequent observation, and to have the thing much before the eye of the mind, in order to have the mind impressed. We should, therefore, search the Scriptures to see what God has there recorded of their principles, their actions, and their sufferings. We must behold them in the various relationships and conditions of life; how they behaved in prosperity and in adversity, in life and in death.<p>And the Third thing is, That we should not be satisfied with anything short of resemblance and conformity. With these men labouring in the vineyard we are to work too. If they denied themselves, we are enjoined also to deny ourselves. With them we are to have also our conversation in heaven, and to walk by faith, and not by sight, even as they also walked. In regarding this injunction we may observe-That we are to distinguish what was peculiar in their situation to themselves, and what was common and general. For want of doing this, the Apostles were rebuked by the Saviour, to whom he said, &ldquo;Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of.&rdquo; We may notice also that with regard to those things in which they were exemplars, we must attend to them chiefly as regards ourselves. There is a disposition in many the very reverse of this. They love to hear of the duties of others, not of their own. It is far better for us all to seek after our own particular duties, and whatever be our rank, whatever our condition in life, to say with David: &ldquo;I will hear what God the Lord will speak;&rdquo; or with Paul, &ldquo;What wilt thou have me to do?&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been a long time in that case. He saith unto him, Wilt thou he made whole? - <a href='B:500 5:6'>Joh 5:6</a>. </i><p>WHAT hath sin done! How various and how numerous are the evils which affect human nature! Some of our fellow creatures are made to &ldquo;possess months of vanity,&rdquo; and have &ldquo;wearisome nights appointed to them.&rdquo; These seem incapable of enjoyment, and are unfitted for the active services of life-dying while they live. Among the objects of woe found by our Saviour on this occasion, his attention was struck by a poor wretch who had groaned under his malady for thirty and eight years, and had been waiting at the pool for the propitious moment, but always had the mortification to be prevented by those who were less helpless than himself, or who were better served. The Saviour knew all his distress, and his eye affected his heart. When Jesus saw him he knew that he had now been a long time in that case; he saith unto him, &ldquo;Wilt thou be made whole?&rdquo; This case is here recorded for an important purpose; and we never read the gospel, nor peruse the history of the Saviour to advantage, till we learn to bring it home to our own business and bosoms; till we learn to rise from the body to the soul, and in the recovery of the one to acknowledge the salvation of the other.<p>He who came into the world to seek and to save that which is lost is fully acquainted with our condition, which, like that of this impotent man, is a state of disorder and disease. And here the subject comes into conflict with the prejudices and pride of man. We often hear persons talking about the dignity of human nature; and if we consider it physically and intellectually, it is dignified; when we see man in his capacity for boundless improvement, in the expansion of his powers, in the acquisition of literature, and in the progress of philosophy, we see that man is made &ldquo;a little lower than the angels.&rdquo; But oh, how lamentable is it to find any of these fine powers misapplied and abused! What is man morally?-what is he religiously?- what is his state and disposition towards God? Why he is a fallen, a guilty, a depraved, a perishing, and, in himself, a helpless creature. His body has become mortal, and subject to every calamity; and his soul is &ldquo;alienated from the life of God.&rdquo;<p>Many are continually acknowledging in their devotions that &ldquo;they are tied and bound by the chain of sin,&rdquo; and saying &ldquo;there is no health in us,&rdquo; meaning there is no moral and Spiritual health in them. The Scriptures have decided this melancholy fact by the glorious provisions of the gospel-else what need of a redemption if man is not enslaved; and of a Saviour if not lost; or of a remedy if not sick and dying? And Scripture also confirms this fact by the most express decisions, declaring that &ldquo;all have sinned,&rdquo; &ldquo;all have become guilty before God;&rdquo; that all are &ldquo;condemned;&rdquo; that, by the law of God, &ldquo;every mouth is stopped;&rdquo; that the &ldquo;whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint;&rdquo; and that, from the &ldquo;crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is nothing but wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores.&rdquo;<p>All the principles, all the powers of the soul are affected by sin, precisely in the same way as the body is injured by disease. This is seen in the perversion of the judgment, in the ignorance of the understanding, in the rebellion of the will, in the pollution of the conscience. It is seen in the inconsistency, tyranny, and carnality of the affections, and in the folly and iniquity of the life; while destruction and misery are in their paths. This is an affecting condition. We shall hereafter consider the remedy proposed. 


devotion:
<i> Wilt thou be made whole? - <a href='B:500 5:6'>Joh 5:6</a> </i><p>TWO things are implied in the question. First, That the disease is curable; for our dear Saviour would not raise our attention to trifle with us, much less to deceive us. The case is indeed desperate with regard to our own ability, and with regard to the sufficiency of all creatures. <p>&ldquo;The help of man and angels join&rsquo;d <p> Could never reach our ease; <p> Nor could we hope relief to find <p> But in his boundless grace.&rdquo; </i><p>But there is hope in Israel concerning this thing, and nowhere else. But while all others address the sinner in vain, and in withdrawing say, &ldquo;Help is not in me,&rdquo; He, blessed be his name, comes forward bringing health and cure, and saying, &ldquo;I will come and heal him.&rdquo; O, how many millions have experienced the efficacy of his cross and grace, who are now before the throne; and how many thousands are there now living on earth who are witnesses for him! For though not free from infirmity, though they complain of inward corruption, yet are they new creatures; yet old things have passed away, and all things have become new; yet they are walking by faith, having their conversation in heaven, looking for that blessed hope.<p>Secondly, It is here implied that willingness to be cured is essential to recovery. This cure is not forced upon any, neither is it accomplished by an operation of which we are insensible, or by a charm. The method of cure is one which requires thought, conviction, recollection, inclination, choice. There is no deviation from this, even in the work of the Spirit himself.<p>The way he heals is by opening the eyes of the understanding, and showing us what is the hope of our calling, and what is the glory of the riches of his inheritance. He &ldquo;works in us&rdquo; &ldquo;to will and to do.&rdquo; He draws, and we run after him. His way is, by a divine influence to make us sensible of our need of the blessing, to lead us to prize it, to long for it, to seek for it, and then the attainment will render both blessed and grateful.<p>Thus Mary, we are told, chose the good path which should not be taken from her. &ldquo;He that feareth the Lord, him shall he teach in the way.&rdquo; What way? The way he shall choose. &ldquo;Wilt thou be made whole?&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Wilt thou be made whole? - <a href='B:500 5:6'>Joh 5:6</a>. </i><p>WHAT answer have we returned or are disposed to give to this question? for we are now as capable as was the impotent man of answering this question, and Christians are daily and hourly answering it; and we can testify our readiness to be cured in four ways. First, By our inquiry after the way and means of recovery, saying, &ldquo;What must I do to be saved?&rdquo; The Scriptures will be searched now to find the only thing which they were principally designed to make known, namely, a dying, risen Saviour.<p>Secondly, We show our willingness to be cured by our applying to the great Physician, resorting to his footstool, and crying &ldquo;Heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.&rdquo;<p>Thirdly, Our readiness to be cured is proved by our submission to his prescriptions, without murmuring or complaint. When the man of God had prescribed for the cure of Naaman, Naaman was wroth, and went away and said, &ldquo;Behold, I thought he will surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place and recover the leper.&rdquo; So he thought, but it did not become him to think but to acquiesce. &ldquo;But,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel; may I not bathe in them and be clean?&rdquo; So he turned away in a rage, and had nearly missed his cure. How different was it with the poor blind man, when Jesus made clay and anointed his eyes, and said unto him, &ldquo;Go to the pool of Siloam and wash;&rdquo; he did not question but believed: he went and washed, and received his sight.<p>And this is the disposition of every awakened and convinced sinner-every one who is willing to be healed by the Saviour; he will say: &ldquo;If by any means, Lord prescribe, I submit, however mysterious to my reason, however humiliating to the pride of my heart, to whatever provision or sacrifice thou requirest; Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?&rdquo; He wishes not merely that the disease may be checked, but that he may be free from the very principle, from the very cause of the malady. He desires to be entirely whole.<p>And, Fourthly, The willingness to be cured will also appear in the eagerness with which we shall sometimes look after convalesence. We know how much is at stake-our eternal life. O, with what anxiety do we ask, &ldquo;And shall I be cured, or must I after all perish under this fatal disease of sin?&rdquo; And O, what pleasure we shall experience if we discern any sign, however small, of recovery-any little appetite we have after the provision of God&rsquo;s house, any little strength, any little ability to walk if not to run in the way of God&rsquo;s commandments.<p>How this will encourage our souls. Am I thus desirous to be made whole? 


devotion:
<i> Look to yourselves. - <a href='B:700 1:8'>2Jn 1:8</a>. </i><p>REASON and Scripture combine to enforce upon us self-attention; and therefore we may observe that we may and ought to look, to ourselves. First, It enjoins upon us a regard to the soul, to see that we have evidence of its being pardoned and renewed; that we have a title to heaven and a meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light; that we are feeding upon the bread of life and clothed with the garments of salvation; and our care of the soul is to be supreme. The salvation of the soul is the one thing needful, and therefore we are commanded to &ldquo;seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, We are here admonished to look to our bodily health, not to be finical or fanciful, but to maintain a rational care of it in the use of proper means, for health is a most invaluable blessing; it is the salt that seasons and the honey that sweetens very other enjoyment, and is to be valued not only on the ground of enjoyment, but also on the score of usefulness.<p>Thirdly, We are to be mindful of our reputation; a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. Character is credit: it gives weight to a man&rsquo;s counsel and advice. We ought to be very careful lest through any inadvertence or impropriety the way of truth may be evil spoken of, and the worthy name by which we are called may be blasphemed. With a Christian, carelessness is a crime; and therefore, says the Apostle, &ldquo;Avoid the appearance of evil.&rdquo;<p>Fourthly, We are to be concerned for the welfare of our family connections, and those with whom we are intimately associated. &ldquo;He that provideth not for those of his own house hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.&rdquo;<p>Lastly, This injunction will further apply to our secular matters. We are required to abide with God in our calling. The Apostle urges upon the Romans to be &ldquo;fervent in Spirit, serving the Lord.&rdquo; Paul would have a Christian tradesman a morning man, punctual, regular, obliging, active, intelligent. Why should the &ldquo;children of this world&rdquo; be &ldquo;wiser in their generation than the children of light?&rdquo; &ldquo;If a Christian man be a tradesman,&rdquo; says Mr. Newton, &ldquo;I would have him be the best in the nation. Yea,&rdquo; says he, &ldquo;if he be but a blacker of shoes, I would have him the best in the whole parish.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. - <a href='B:570 2:4'>Phi 2:4</a>. </i><p>THAT is, we are not to look upon our own things exclusively or only, &ldquo;but every man also&rdquo;-this is the interpretation-&ldquo; on the things of others.&rdquo; Self-preservation has been called the first law of nature, and it is so; and if man were only a solitary creature it would be the only law of his nature. But now man is variously associated and related, and therefore he is a social being, for &ldquo;no man liveth unto himself;&rdquo; and only a Cain will question this, and ask, &ldquo;Am I my brother&rsquo;s keeper?&rdquo;<p>Observe, therefore, what the admonition requires: that we look also upon the things of others-not with curious inquisitiveness, needlessly prying into other people&rsquo;s history, condition, and circumstances, in order to gratify vanity or furnish materials for the tongue. &ldquo;Let none of you suffer as a thief or as an evil-doer, or as a busy-body in other men&rsquo;s matters.&rdquo;<p>Again, we are not to look upon the things of others enviously. &ldquo;Be not thou afraid,&rdquo; says David, &ldquo;when one is made rich, or when the glory of his house is increased:&rdquo; as if he should say, The distinctions and the acquisitions and the cares which make others so uneasy around you are not worthy of you. Oh, what evil is there in this disposition, for one person to be uneasy because another is happy; and yet this principle is so powerful, so subtle in its various workings, that Solomon says, &ldquo;Who can stand before envy?&rdquo;<p>Thirdly, We are not to look upon the things of others unconcernedly, but with sympathy, and to help them. Hence we are commanded to &ldquo;rejoice with them that do rejoice, and to weep with them that weep.&rdquo; Thus it was with Job. &ldquo;Did not,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;I weep for him that was in trouble; was not my soul grieved for the poor?&rdquo; And this is the meaning of the Apostle here; for when he says, &ldquo;Look on the things of others,&rdquo; he cannot mean with such a look as the priest and the Levite gave to the poor, wounded, bloody traveller, and who went by on the other side; but he means such a look as that the eye shall affect the heart, such a look as shall awaken commiseration and produce corresponding emotions and exertions. 


devotion:
<i> The unsearchable riches of Christ. - <a href='B:560 3:8'>Eph 3:8</a>. </i><p>THESE unsearchable riches of Christ do not intend so much his attributes and possessions as God, as his mediatorial resources and treasures. The whole dispensation of the Spirit is lodged in his hands; for &ldquo;in him it hath pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell&rdquo;-pardon, peace, knowledge, strength, grace, and glory. There is an abundance of these riches in him; they are unsearchable as they are found in him. The world has its riches, but they are easily comprehended; and Solomon summed them all up when he said, &ldquo;Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, all is vanity.&rdquo; All the wealth of the world, all the world calls good and great, is infinitely inferior to mind.<p>The riches of the Saviour are for the soul and for eternity-they are therefore invisible as to the senses; and they are boundless, too, so that no creature in heaven or earth can ever fully explore them. Angels, it is true, desire to look into these things, and will always be looking into them, but never fathom their depths. No mortal, therefore, can ever worthily conceive of the value of that blood which cleanseth from all sin;-the perfection of that righteousness which can justify the ungodly and give him a title to eternal life;-that peace which passeth all understanding;-that &ldquo;joy which is unspeakable and full of glory;&rdquo;-that love which passeth knowledge; or that power that is &ldquo;able to do for us exceedingly abundant above all that we can ask or think.&rdquo; Well, therefore, may the Apostle call them the &ldquo;unsearchable riches of Christ.&rdquo;<p>O, how we should rejoice to know that he is in possession of such unsearchable riches. It should gladden us to learn this on his own account, for he is infinitely worthy; on our own account we should rejoice that he has in his possession and at his disposal, and for us, all the treasures of nature and grace, and of providence and glory; and we should rejoice on the account of others, that these unsearchable riches belong to one <p>&ldquo;Whose heart is made of tenderness, <p> Whose bowels melt with love.&rdquo; </i><p>Let us rejoice to think that therefore there are in him the resources of pity and of power, and the resources of grace and of glory. And let us tell this joy to him who has unsearchable riches, with confidence. Let us enlarge our desires and our hopes, and be not satisfied with just obtaining from him mere relief, but &ldquo;ask and receive, that our joy may be full.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> So will I save you, and ye shall he a blessing. - <a href='B:450 8:13'>Zec 8:13</a>. </i><p>CHRISTIANS do not go to heaven alone. The subjects of divine grace, as they wish to be useful, and endeavour to be useful, so they are honoured in being made useful. They are made useful by their prayers, by their example, by their influence, and by their exertions. Thus it was with David. &ldquo;Restore unto me,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;the joys of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit, then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee.&rdquo; But he was a musician, a poet, a monarch; he had large resources, he could serve his generation according to the will of God. And so too can all who are willing and disposed.<p>There is no situation, however inconsiderable and obscure, but contains in it efficiencies, if we will but employ them. A brother may bring a brother to Christ, as Andrew brought Peter. A friend may bring a friend to Christ, as Philip brought Nathaniel. A neighbour may bring a neighbour to Christ, as the woman Sychar did the Samaritan. Masters and mistresses may instruct their servants. Many a servant has said, &ldquo;Blessed be God that ever I entered such a family; I was then ignorant as a heathen; then my feet were turned into the paths of peace.&rdquo; And what a revolution was produced in the family of Naaman, and in all Syria, by a little girl that was taken captive in war, who availed herself of a favourable opportunity, while dressing her mistress&rsquo;s hair, to talk about the prophet of God in Israel.<p>Thus we see how and why some are blessed-that they may be blessings to others. 


devotion:
<i> Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. - <a href='B:560 1:3'>Eph 1:3</a>. </i><p>HERE is the quality of these blessings: &ldquo;Spiritual blessings.&rdquo; Here is their plenitude: &ldquo;all&rdquo; Spiritual blessings. Here is their residence: &ldquo;in heavenly places.&rdquo; Here is their security: &ldquo;in Him.&rdquo; The grand thing is to be blessed of God. Men bless only in words and wishes, God in results and communications, for &ldquo;he commandeth the blessing, even life for evermore.&rdquo; Of what avail, in the most important exigencies of life, would be the friendship of our fellow mortals, however powerful? But &ldquo;the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich,&rdquo; and he &ldquo;addeth no sorrow with it.&rdquo; How vain the censure of the whole world if he should smile upon us! &ldquo;Let them curse, but bless thou.&rdquo; What are the revilings of men while he says to the soul, &ldquo;I am thy salvation.&rdquo;<p>His blessing is upon his people, upon all their concerns. He blesses even their temporal advantages and comforts; he &ldquo;giveth them all things richly to enjoy.&rdquo; He blesses, as it is said, &ldquo;their bread and their water.&rdquo; Hence &ldquo;the little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.&rdquo; He not only feeds his people, but feeds them with the &ldquo;bread of life.&rdquo; He not only clothes them, but clothes them with the &ldquo;garments of salvation.&rdquo; He not only makes them free, but &ldquo;free indeed.&rdquo; He not only enriches them, but bestows upon them the &ldquo;unsearchable riches of Christ.&rdquo; He makes them not only creatures, but &ldquo;new creatures;&rdquo; delivers them from the curse of the law, justifies them freely by his grace, renews them by his Holy Spirit, calls them to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ, so that when &ldquo;he shall appear they also shall appear with him in glory;&rdquo; and now he gives them the earnests and first-fruits and foretastes of the heavenly inheritance, so that- <p>&ldquo;The men of grace have found, <p> Glory begun below; <p> Celestial fruits on earthly ground, <p> From faith and hope may grow. <p>&ldquo;The hill of Zion yields <p> A thousand sacred sweets; <p> Before we reach the heavenly fields, <p> Or walk the golden streets.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> That thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. - <a href='B:50 27:3'>Deu 27:3</a>. </i><p>THE history given in the Scriptures of the Jews is very interesting and profitable. It is worthy of our regard, for its veracity and antiquity, for the wonders it records, and for the instructions it supplies. As they were fair specimens of human nature, it teaches us much concerning ourselves, and it teaches us also how to regard God. The Jews, as a people, were typical of the Christian church. A type, as Dr. Doddridge says, is always inferior to the reality. Canaan was in many respects a type of heaven; and in the Scriptures we find the Jews were typical of Christians. Moses was a type of Messiah. He says himself, &ldquo;A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up like unto me. Him shall ye hear.&rdquo; Their condition in Egypt may serve to represent our natural state; their deliverance from it, our conversion; their passage through the wilderness, our residence in this world; Jordan, death; Canaan, heaven.<p>Regarding Canaan as an emblem of heaven, we may observe-First, That Canaan was given to the Jews entirely irrespective of all worthiness and works in them. How often does Moses labour to convince them of this. God had not chosen them for their righteousness sake, for they were a stiff-necked people. And the Apostle does not labour the less to convince us that &ldquo;we are saved by grace through faith, and not of ourselves; it is the gift of God;&rdquo; and that &ldquo;the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, Canaan was given by promise and covenant. So is heaven. &ldquo;In hope of eternal life,&rdquo; says the Apostle, &ldquo;which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began.&rdquo; To whom, then, could he have addressed the promise? Not to us, but to our covenant head and representative. The covenant which secured to the Jews the land of Canaan was made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; in them the children of Israel were blessed, and for their sakes they received all these things. But the better covenant, of which all the Spiritual Israel shall glory, was made with a far greater character than Abraham, who was given, as Isaiah says, for &ldquo;a covenant to the people;&rdquo; and in him we are blessed, and for his sake we receive all these things.<p>Third, Canaan was given for the settlement and rest of the Jews after their bondage in Egypt, and their travels and toils, and privations and hardships in the wilderness; and like it &ldquo;there remaineth a rest for the people of God.&rdquo; &ldquo;They rest from their labours.&rdquo;<p>Fourthly, Canaan was remarkable for its fertility. It is seldom ever mentioned in the Scriptures without the addition of &ldquo;flowing with milk and honey.&rdquo; Moses describes it as &ldquo;a good land; a land of brooks of water; of fountains and depths, that spring out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil, olives and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness: thou shalt not lack anything in it.&rdquo; Let us look through this literal description to the Spiritual glory discerned, and let us remember the language of the Apostle with regard to the patriarchs: &ldquo;They confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers on the earth. Now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city.&rdquo; After all, what were the clusters of grapes and pomegranates to the whole vintage of Canaan? and what was Canaan to heaven and what are all the present indulgences which are here vouchsafed to Christians, compared with what is reserved for them? &ldquo;It doth not yet appear what we shall be.&rdquo;<p>It is a good report we have heard, but the half has not been told us; for &ldquo;eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him.&rdquo; <p>&ldquo;If such the sweetness of the streams, <p> What must the fountain be, <p> Where saints and angels draw the bliss <p> Immediately from thee.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> Whose faith follow. - <a href='B:650 13:7'>Heb 13:7</a>. </i><p>EVERYBODY feels the force of the common adage, that example is above precept; and the Bible contains examples worthy our imitation. Let us, therefore, ascertain our models. The principal of these examples is indeed the example of the Lord of life and glory. He it is who is the image of the invisible God, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Other examples are occasionally useful. With these the Scripture abounds. We have the example of the servants, as well as of the Master. And we are commanded to set our feet in the foot-prints of the flock. We are to be followers of them &ldquo;who through faith and patience inherit the promises.&rdquo; The Apostle here refers in general to the patriarchs and prophets of ancient times. With these holy men we have an intimate connection, remotely as they lived from us, as to time and place. &ldquo;They that are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.&rdquo; &ldquo;Now we, then, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise.&rdquo; Jacob wrestled with God, and prevailed, and was immediately knighted on the field, and surnamed by the name of Israel; and such honour have all the saints. He has not said to the seed of Jacob, &ldquo;Seek ye me in vain.&rdquo; &ldquo;In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory.&rdquo; Passing over successive generations, passing by princes, heroes, statesmen, and scholars, the Apostle points us to a small company distinguished chiefly by their communion with God and their obedience to him. And as this distinction is everything in the view of the Supreme Being, so it should also be in our estimation.<p>Let us, therefore, judge of men by their real worth; by their intellectual, moral, and religious character. The righteous are the excellent of the earth; they are more excellent than their neighbours; it is for them kingdoms are preserved or delivered from judgments; it is for them that God confers and continues blessings; it is for them that the earth itself is in being. These men lived also under a dispensation very inferior to our own. Yet such was their improvement of their means and privileges, that they are deemed worthy to be held forth as examples to us, upon whom the ends of the world are come. We cannot, therefore, judge of men solely by their situation and external advantages. Some plants of righteousness, who are fixed in a very unfavourable soil, bring forth more of the fruits of righteousness than others who are planted in the house of the Lord. Thus, &ldquo;the first shall be last, and the last first.&rdquo; We may observe, also, that these men had their faults and their infirmities, and are never represented in the Scriptures as perfect. But their imperfections are not to render us insensible to their excellencies; the evil in them is not to hinder us from following the good that was in them.<p>In reading the address of our Saviour to the seven churches, we may remark how in each case he seems to labour to find something to eulogize before he is constrained to condemn. May the same mind be in us which was also in him; and let us keep in view our models, that we be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 


devotion:
<i> Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. - <a href='B:570 1:29'>Phi 1:29</a>. </i><p>HERE is an honour often conferred upon Christians. Nothing strikes us like a fact; and nothing is ever so impressive as the display and the exercise of the passive graces in the believer. God, therefore, gives his people the grace of being placed in a state of affliction, in order that they may become his witnesses; that they may be examples to display to others the truth of the excellency and efficacy of the religion of the gospel; and they are often enabled peculiarly to glorify God in the fire of tribulation.<p>Sometimes, when they are laid by, through accident, or an affliction, or a disease, they are ready to think they are approaching a very useless part of their lives. They are led to conceive of it as Job says, as being &ldquo;made to possess months of vanity,&rdquo; during which they can do nothing for God or their generation, when, in fact, they have been in such circumstances as to be approaching the most useful part of their lives, when they have been enabled to suffer as Christians; when their whole frame and character has been expressive of the language, O Lord, I mourn, but I do not, dare not murmur; &ldquo;I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.&rdquo; &ldquo;Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.&rdquo; And how salutary has the effect of this been! how useful has been the impression it has produced! And even where Christians have lived, perhaps, in a mud-wall cottage-stretched, it maybe, on nothing better than a pallet of straw, where they are hardly observed by any of their fellow-creatures-by the manner in which they suffer, for aught we know, they may excite even praise and thanksgiving in another world; for the Apostle tells us we are made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 


devotion:
<i> Unto me.....is this grace given. - <a href='B:560 3:8'>Eph 3:8</a>. </i><p>AUGUSTINE calls the Apostle Paul the &ldquo;herald of grace.&rdquo; He well deserves the name. He is always magnifying and extolling it. He never loses sight of it for a moment. He connects it with everything. He connects it with his conversion: &ldquo;When it pleased God, who called me by his grace to reveal his Son in me, who called me by his grace.&rdquo; He connects it with his conversation in the world: &ldquo;Not by fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God we have our conversation in the world.&rdquo; He connects it with his trials and sufferings: &ldquo;He said unto me,&rdquo; says Paul, &ldquo;my grace is sufficient for thee.&rdquo; Pie connects it with his unparalleled exertions: &ldquo;I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.&rdquo; He connects it with his functions: &ldquo;Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.&rdquo; As if he had said, This honour has been conferred on me; I have been invested with this office, not for any excellence in me; I did nothing to deserve it; yea, burned with nothing but hatred against it, and compelled men to blaspheme.<p>O, what grace, grace the most free and sovereign, not only to have pardoned me, but also to have employed me, and made me the messenger of his heart&rsquo;s compassion, to go forth and announce to the perishing human race that &ldquo;God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.&rdquo; What grace is there here; so that both as a Christian and an Apostle he was constrained gratefully to exclaim, &ldquo;By the grace of God I am what I am.&rdquo; Earthly princes when they want ministers, or masters when they want servants, will be sure to take those who seem the most meritorious, and who already possess the qualities and excellencies they require in them. In calling his servants, God frequently takes the most unsuitable and the most inadequate, and qualifies them for the work he assigns to them, in order to show that the excellency of the power is of himself, and not of man.<p>Man needs instruments, God does not. It is true he employs them, but never from weakness, always from wisdom, in grace and kindness. Men depend upon their instruments; God&rsquo;s instruments depend upon him for every purpose and in every work. 


devotion:
<i> My word. - <a href='B:290 55:11'>Isa 55:11</a>. </i><p>AS we are the creatures of God, and as he hath made us reasonable creatures, it is natural to suppose that he would give to us a revelation of his mind and will concerning us. Without this we cannot walk so as to please him, or obtain a knowledge of his approbation, upon which all our happiness depends. In the Holy Scriptures God has made this revelation, which is emphatically designated the Word of God. &ldquo;My word,&rdquo; says God. Abundant evidences establish the divine origin of the Scriptures-evidences derived from various proofs, and proofs so convincing that a man must have closed his eyes not to perceive the force of them. &ldquo;Holy men of old wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.&rdquo; All we have met with in the Scriptures constrain us to say, &ldquo;This is the finger of God.&rdquo; We have here prophecies, precepts, promises, admonitions, the achievements of the best of men, and the convictions of the wisest of men. We have internal evidence in the purity and dignity and consistency of its contents. We have external evidences in the numberless miracles openly performed in the presence of enemies, who would have gladly denied them if they could. We have prophecies, many of which have been fulfilled, and others which are fulfilling under our own eye; and the establishment and spread of his cause by means which could never be considered adequate to the production of the result without a divine interposition and agency.<p>And how delightful is it, in a world of uncertainties and suspicions, of conjectures and errors, to find something concerning which we may say, This is truth; this is something upon which we may rely, firm and secure; and here we have something upon which we can depend, with more assurance than upon the continuance of the earth and heaven, for our Saviour says: &ldquo;Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. - <a href='B:490 5:31'>Luk 5:31</a>. </i><p>OF what importance is it, therefore, that we should be fully sensible of the condition we are in! Unless we are conscious that we are suffering from a Spiritual disease ourselves, and are thereby in danger of perishing, we shall never be induced to seek of the Physician of souls a divine and everlasting cure. For this purpose let us consider, First, The complaint itself; and there is nothing so dreadful; no disorder of the body will bear any comparison with it. It vitiates our noblest parts; it destroys the beauty, strength, freedom, pleasure, and the activity and usefulness of the soul; and it exposes not only to a temporal, but to an eternal death.<p>Secondly, Let us consider the Physician to whom we are directed to apply. He has everything to recommend him. Job rejected his friends under the notion that they were physicians of no value. But the Lord Jesus is the very reverse of all this. He is infinitely able; no difficulty is too great for his skill; he never failed in any case yet which he undertook since the creation of the world. And he is equally willing. He performs all his cures &ldquo;without money and without price.&rdquo; He is always accessible, and is always condescending and affable, and ready to attend us. He has said, to encourage all applicants, &ldquo;Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.&rdquo;<p>Thirdly, Let us consider that the time of cure is limited, that it is short, and that it is very uncertain. It is only now that he addresses the question, &ldquo;Wilt thou be made whole?&rdquo; While there is life there is hope, physically and morally; but still there are favourable opportunities which may pass and never return. There are impressions that may be worn off, and there are convictions that may be starved for want of being cherished and sustained; and we know that at death all the opportunities of salvation are over.<p>Lastly, Let us remember, that neglecting to make application to this only Physician of souls, and rejecting the gracious remedy provided, will greatly aggravate the misery by which it will be succeeded. 


devotion:
<i> Bless the Lord, O my soul, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction. - <a href='B:230 103:2-4'>Psa 103:2-4</a>. </i><p>WHAT is required of those who have experienced at the hand of the great Physician his recovering mercy? First, To be adoringly thankful; and shall not we call upon our souls, and all that is within us, to bless his holy name that he restoreth our souls, that he healeth our bruised hearts, and bindeth up our wounds; and shall we not make the grateful acknowledgment, &ldquo;Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling; therefore will I walk before the Lord in the land of the living;&rdquo; presenting &ldquo;our bodies unto him as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, If we are healed, it is our duty to recommend our gracious deliverer to others, to tell them &ldquo;what a dear Saviour we have found.&rdquo; We often observe in the public prints acknowledgments from patients when they have obtained relief, and those acknowledgments arise from two things-from compassion towards their fellow sufferers, and also a regard to the physician. If all the cases which our Saviour has cured from the beginning had been so testified of, the world, I suppose, would not contain the books that would be written. Hereafter they will all be made known, to the honour of this Physician, &ldquo;when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe.&rdquo; Let us be concerned, therefore, to seize every opportunity to tell what God hath done for our souls. If we do this with simplicity and sincerity, we maybe the means of saving souls from death; and the deliverance of one soul from Spiritual death is of more consequence than the delivering of an empire from civil bondage. But let us be careful to recommend the great Physician by our lives as well as our lips, by our tempers as well as our tongues. <p>&ldquo;Thus shall we best proclaim abroad <p> The honours of our Saviour God, <p> When the salvation reigns within, <p> And grace subdues the power of sin.&rdquo; </i><p>Thirdly, If we have been healed, let us avoid a relapse, and abstain from those indulgences from which we have suffered so much already. Let us guard against the sin which doth so easily beset, and by which we have been so degraded and injured, and brought down to the very gates of death and hell, taking heed to what our Saviour said: &ldquo;Go thy way and sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon thee;&rdquo; and as David said: &ldquo;Ye that fear the Lord hate evil.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Be not slothful. - <a href='B:650 6:12'>Heb 6:12</a>. </i><p>A PHILOSOPHER, when he was asked &ldquo;What is the sin most universal to mankind?&rdquo; answered, truly and justly, &ldquo;Idleness and sloth.&rdquo; But mental sloth is greater than bodily sloth, and Spiritual sloth is greater than mental. It seems very astonishing, as well as unnatural, that any man can see such honours as those which come from God and not feel something like ambition, or behold the unsearchable riches of Christ and not covet them, and learn that the Judge standeth at the door and not be afraid; see such a heaven and not agonize to enter it; see hell moving to meet him at his feet and not tremble and flee from the wrath to come.<p>When we consider the infinite importance of eternal things, that with such consequences depending, and with such a prize exhibited before us, it is most marvellous that we should so faintly &ldquo;fight the good fight of faith,&rdquo; and so sluggishly &ldquo;run the race that is set before us.&rdquo; How diligent men in general are in the ordinary transactions of life; they rise early and sit up late, eating the bread of carefulness; they compass sea and land to advance their temporal concerns, which, after all, have very little connection with their happiness; a hint is sufficient there: but to stir us up to be followers of Christ, there must be sanctuaries, preachers without and conscience within-various dispensations of providence; we must be goaded and wooed, blessed and chastised, in order to induce us to think of a better, even a heavenly inheritance; and yet, alas! all this is too little, all this is in vain. It was not by the indulgence of sloth that those characters who &ldquo;through faith and patience inherit the promises&rdquo; rose to their eminence and distinction and entered the kingdom.<p>Let us watch against the very beginning of sloth, and cultivate a holy activity of mind, ever keeping in view our station and our resources, and see how we can best glorify our Saviour and serve our generation. Our time is flying, and we ought not to be creeping; but while we should be followers of the good, we may also, in works of faith and labours of love, be ourselves examples to others. O let us be followers of Him who said, &ldquo;I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Faith and patience. - <a href='B:650 6:12'>Heb 6:12</a>. </i><p>WITH regard to these excellent graces of the Holy Spirit, observe, First, Their dependence and order: faith and patience, not patience and faith; patience does not produce faith, but follows it: so does everything in religion. Other things are the stream, this the spring; other things are the produce, this the root.<p>Secondly, The nature of their service. One word will explain this fully; it is &ldquo;through faith and patience,&rdquo; says the Apostle, &ldquo;they inherit.&rdquo; This shows at once their present use and future vocation. Neither of these graces will be found in the future world.<p>Where is the need of faith, where we see and know? and where is the need of patience, when we have nothing to endure? But both of these are admirably adapted to our present state, and of unspeakable use in our passing through this world. What could we do without faith? It is through faith &ldquo;we understand the worlds were framed by the word of God.&rdquo; &ldquo;Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath revealed&rdquo;-revealed them unto us by his Spirit. &ldquo;Without faith it is impossible to please God;&rdquo; for he that cometh unto God must &ldquo;believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.&rdquo; &ldquo;We are saved through faith.&rdquo; There is neither justification nor sanctification without faith. We &ldquo;live by faith,&rdquo; &ldquo;walk by faith,&rdquo; &ldquo;overcome by faith.&rdquo; Hence we read of the &ldquo;word of faith,&rdquo; the &ldquo;fight of faith,&rdquo; the &ldquo;work of faith,&rdquo; and of the &ldquo;household of faith.&rdquo;<p>May this, therefore, ever be our prayer, &ldquo;Lord, increase our faith.&rdquo; What could we do without patience? Patience has two offices to perform; the one regards waiting for the good, and the other the bearing of evil. How necessary is it, therefore, that we should pray that patience may have its perfect work,&rdquo; that &ldquo;we may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.&rdquo; Both of these graces will be constantly required while we are here, and it is only through these that we can ever inherit the promises. 


devotion:
<i> Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. - <a href='B:570 1:27'>Phi 1:27</a>. </i><p>WE may here observe three things: First, The designation of the gospel. It is the &ldquo;gospel of Christ,&rdquo; and is so named, not only because he is the author of it, but because he is also the subject, and, in a sense, the only subject of it, for all more or less remotely refers to him. It is elsewhere designated &ldquo;the word of Christ,&rdquo; &ldquo;the truth as it is in Jesus.&rdquo; It is full of his person, his character, his offices, his sufferings, his atonement, his righteousness, his intercession, and his glory. The Apostle made Christ everything, not only in doctrine, but even in duty, and he could not enforce conjugal tenderness without a reference to him. &ldquo;Husbands love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, The conversation enjoined. This term commonly with us means discourse, and it is a great thing to regulate this, and for the speech to be always with grace. James, therefore, said &ldquo;If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man&rsquo;s religion is vain.&rdquo; And what our Saviour said is enough to make us shudder every day, to think that for &ldquo;every idle word that men speak they shall give an account thereof &rdquo; in the day of judgment; for &ldquo;by thy words shalt thou be justified, and by thy words shalt thou be condemned.&rdquo; But it also mean&rsquo;s habitual behaviour or conduct. &ldquo;To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.&rdquo; &ldquo;Let your conversation be without covetousness.&rdquo; &ldquo;What manner of persons ought ye to be, in all conversation and godliness?&rdquo; In all these cases conversation means a course of action.<p>Thirdly, The correspondence between the gospel and this conversation. &ldquo;Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.&rdquo; Now the becomingness of anything is always relative; what is becoming in one might not be so in another. We cannot determine how a man ought to live as to his expenditure till we know what he has to depend upon as to his income; for we are to provide things honest, not only &ldquo;in the sight of the Lord,&rdquo; but also &ldquo;in the sight of man;&rdquo; while godliness is always essentially the same in its principles and practice, yet Solomon says, &ldquo;In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider.&rdquo; Now, therefore, before we can judge what conversation becometh the gospel, we must ascertain what the gospel itself is.<p>The gospel has four characteristics, or may be viewed under four aspects. It is a system of knowledge, cheerfulness, sanctity, and of mercy and benevolence. Conversation, therefore, becoming the gospel of Christ must be distinguished by four attributes, that is, it must be wise, cheerful, holy, and benevolent. <p>&ldquo;So let our lips and lives confess <p> The holy gospel we profess.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> The LORD turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. - <a href='B:220 42:10'>Job 42:10</a>. </i><p>THUS we see that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. There is not only the efficiency of personal prayer, but the efficiency of relative prayer. The prayer which led to Job&rsquo;s deliverance was not a prayer for himself but for others. When our Saviour taught his disciples to pray, he did not teach them to say my Father, but &ldquo;Our Father, who art in heaven.&rdquo; And thus he intimates to all his followers that they are not to come to the throne of grace for themselves alone. We should remember this, that as in the days of his flesh the dear Redeemer never rejected any that came to him on their own behalf, so he never rejected any who came pleading with him on behalf of others.<p>Let this, therefore, encourage parents to pray for their children, masters and mistresses to pray for their servants, relatives to pray for their friends. We should never forget what a resource we have in such prayers. We are passing through a world of misery, and are continually meeting with wretchedness we cannot relieve. We can sympathise and weep with the sufferers, but this is not all. We can retire and address the God of all grace, and engage him on their behalf, &ldquo;who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think.&rdquo; And the success of our prayer does not depend upon talent or eloquence; for &ldquo;He despiseth not the prayer of the destitute, but will hear their cry.&rdquo; And whether we are in the closet, in the field, or in the shop-any where and at anytime-we may avail ourselves of this blessed resource of praying on behalf of others. 


devotion:
<i> Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day. - <a href='B:590 5:5'>1Th 5:5</a>. </i><p>THE gospel is a system of knowledge. Hence it is called &ldquo;light.&rdquo; &ldquo;The light of life,&rdquo; &ldquo;a great light,&rdquo; &ldquo;the light of the world.&rdquo; When we think of this subject comparatively, three states with regard to knowledge present themselves to our notice. First, If we refer to the heathen, they were the children of night; all was dark with them. This was the case with these boasters of knowledge. &ldquo;Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools;&rdquo; they were &ldquo;vain in their imagination, and their fleshly hearts were dark.&rdquo; If some of these philosophers had a belief in the immortality of the soul, it was &ldquo;only,&rdquo; as Paley said, &ldquo;one of conjecture; they never taught it as a principle, never urged it as a duty.<p>Secondly, &lsquo;If we turn from the heathen to the Jews, we shall find they were the children of the light. They had some light. Here was God known. &ldquo;His name was great in Israel.&rdquo; &ldquo;To them were committed the oracles of God.&rdquo; They possessed all the revelation the world then contained. But much as this was the case compared to the destitution of all around them, it was little compared with what was possessed by those who should come after them; and therefore our Saviour said to his disciples &ldquo;that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things that ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things that ye hear, and have not heard them.&rdquo;<p>Therefore, Christians are the children of the light and of the day. The Jews had the types and the shadows; Christians have the realities. The Saviour was to them &ldquo;afar off,&rdquo; and they could not discern his lovely features, but we behold him &ldquo;face to face.&rdquo; To them the Sun of Righteousness was below the horizon, but upon us he has &ldquo;risen with healing in his wings;&rdquo; and, says the Apostle John, addressing believers, &ldquo;Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things;&rdquo; not that we are to understand that we derive from the Scriptures a knowledge of the arts and sciences.<p>We do not go to the gospel for philosophy but divinity. It does not profess to teach us astronomy, but something beyond the stars. Its language is the language of Him whose words are words of &ldquo;eternal life.&rdquo; It is wisdom: it is the &ldquo;wisdom from above;&rdquo; and it is knowledge: it is the excellent &ldquo;knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord.&rdquo; There we know all that is necessary for us to be acquainted with as sinners: and there we find things made plain just in proportion as they are important, so that the wayfaring man may not err therein. And as the dial tells us the hours of the day by the shadow as well as by the sunshine, so shall it be found that the gospel teaches us by what we do not see as well as by what is revealed. How much may we learn from its silence, and how much wiser would some men be if, when the gospel ceases to guide them, they would choose not to advance and intermeddle with what they ought not to know, and pry into things which they have not power to discern, and which puff up the fleshly mind. But let us not forget or neglect the intelligence derived from the gospel.<p>Seeing that we are &ldquo;children of light and of the day, let us not sleep as do others.&rdquo; How lamentable it is that we, who have the Scriptures, and sabbaths, and sanctuaries, and such abundant opportunities and advantages &ldquo;to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,&rdquo; should make so little proficiency. To us the words of our Lord will, we fear, be applicable: &ldquo;Are ye also yet without understanding?&rdquo; &ldquo;Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me?&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> This is his name whereby he shall he called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. - <a href='B:300 23:6'>Jer 23:6</a>. </i><p>TO whom does this passage refer but to the Son of God, &ldquo;in whose days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely?&rdquo; To him from whom we derive all our salvation and all our security. Let us, therefore, consider his personal title. He shall be called the lord our righteousness. The word is JEHOVAH, which is a name above every name. Our translators have rendered the word &ldquo;Jehovah&rdquo; by the word &ldquo;Lord,&rdquo; which is very inferior to the comprehensive idea of the original. The Scripture gives an honour to this name above every other by which the Divine nature is represented.<p>God, therefore, reserved the proclamation of it for the most illustrious revelation of his power and glory; and he applies this name to himself peculiarly and as incommunicable. And this name is given to him who came into the world to save sinners. In the New Testament it is paraphrased and expressed thus: &ldquo;Him who was and is, and is to come-The Almighty.&rdquo; Is he here called Jehovah? The language is strong, but his perfections allow it. His omniscience allows it- &ldquo;The churches shall know that I am he who searcheth the reins and the heart.&rdquo; His omnipresence allows it-&ldquo;Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.&rdquo; His unchangeableness allows it- &ldquo;He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.&rdquo;<p>The language is strong, but his operations justify it. &ldquo;All things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.&rdquo; &ldquo;Without him was not anything made that was made.&rdquo; The language is strong, but it accords with the worship demanded and received by him. When John fell at the feet of the angel to worship him, the angel said unto him, &ldquo;See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow-servant.&rdquo; Worship God. Worship him only and exclusively. When the Apostles came to our Saviour and said, &ldquo;Lord, increase our faith,&rdquo; he did not rebuke them; and Stephen, when dying, and being full of the Holy Ghost, and therefore not likely to be mistaken, prayed unto him, and said, &ldquo;Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit;&rdquo; and &ldquo;lay not this sin to their charge.&rdquo; Paul &ldquo;besought the Lord thrice&rdquo; when he had the &ldquo;thorn in the flesh,&rdquo; that it might depart from him.<p>And we know that it was to the Lord Jesus that he prayed, because he answered the prayer, and said, &ldquo;My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.&rdquo; &ldquo;Therefore, says the Apostle, &ldquo;I will glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.&rdquo; And where, also, in other places, addressing the Corinthians, he says, speaking of the Saviour, &ldquo;Their Lord and ours.&rdquo; &ldquo;To all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, both, theirs and ours.&rdquo; And if men were liable to mistake, the angels are considered as infallible. And yet John heard them crying with a loud voice, &ldquo;Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.&rdquo; And they were authorized to do it, and they were commanded to do it; and if they could err, God could not, who enjoined it upon them, for &ldquo;when he bringeth his first-begotten into the world, he saith, &lsquo;Let all the angels of God worship him.&rsquo;&rdquo; The language is strong, but the occasion requires it. His greatness must be carried into every part of his work, as a Saviour.<p>Without this, how could he preserve what they committed to him against that day? Without this, how could his obedience be meritorious or his blood Divine? Or how could it be that One died for all, so that his death was an equivalent, and more than an equivalent, for the destruction of the numberless victims who would otherwise have perished? So we see this is not a mere speculation, but it is an indispensable truth in the Christian system. 


devotion:
<i> This is his name whereby he shall he called, The LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. <a href='B:300 23:6'>Jer 23:6</a>. </i><p>OBSERVE his RELATIVE CHARACTER, or what he is to us, &ldquo;The Lord our righteousness.&rdquo; The former would have filled us with terror, but this softens down the effulgency, this throws a rainbow around his head, and tells us we need not be afraid of another deluge. He is our righteousness in two ways-by his making us righteous by a change of state and by a change of nature, for the latter is as really derived from him as the former. Our sanctification comes to us from his suffering and his dying for us. Nothing can be more expressly declared than this: &ldquo;He gave himself for our sins,&rdquo; says the Apostle, &ldquo;to deliver us from the present evil world.&rdquo; &ldquo;He loved us, and gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works;&rdquo; for by his death he not only satisfied Divine justice, but he obtained the dispensation of the Holy Ghost. Therefore &ldquo;the Son quickens whom he will.&rdquo; And true it is, as Watts expresses it, <p>&ldquo;&rsquo;Tis by the merits of his death <p> Who hung upon the tree, <p> The Spirit is sent down to breathe <p> On such dry bones as we.&rdquo; </i><p>But now, though this change of state and change of nature be indispensable, they are very distinguishable. Every Scripture should have its own legitimate meaning given to it, and no more. In the passage before us, the reference is to the change of state, the righteousness of justification; &ldquo;And Christ,&rdquo; says Paul, &ldquo;is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.&rdquo; Righteousness by his performing the precept and by his enduring the penalty of the law.<p>Thus he is &ldquo;the Lord our righteousness;&rdquo; our righteousness to the exclusion of every other.&rdquo; As there is salvation, there is righteousness &ldquo;in none other.&rdquo; &ldquo;He trod the wine-press alone&rdquo; in the procurement of it, and we thus plead it, as David did, &ldquo;I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.&rdquo; It is ours by imputation, &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; the Apostle says, &ldquo;he hath made him to he sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.&rdquo; He was made &ldquo;sin,&rdquo; and we are made &ldquo;righteousness,&rdquo; in the same way both by imputation. Our guilt was reckoned to him, and he transferred his righteousness to us, and we are absolved.<p>Therefore the Apostle desired that he might be &ldquo;found in him, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.&rdquo; It is ours perfected. He said, when he expired, &ldquo;It is finished;&rdquo; and it was finished, and nothing now can be added to it. It yields all the claims which God demands. It magnifies the law and makes it honourable. In the parable it is called the &ldquo;best robe.&rdquo; David tells us that in this righteousness believers are exalted-not only justified, but exalted-raised above Adam in paradise and the angels in heaven. The obedience of Adam was but the righteousness of a man; the obedience of angels was but the righteousness of creatures; but the believer has &ldquo;the righteousness which is of God by faith&rdquo;-a Divine righteousness-and therefore infinitely perfect and infinite in its value. It is. ours for ever. This &ldquo;adds bliss to bliss.&rdquo; Daniel tells us that the Messiah was to &ldquo;make an end of sin, and bring in everlasting righteousness.&rdquo; &ldquo;My righteousness,&rdquo; says God, &ldquo;is for ever and ever&rdquo;-for ever in the doctrine and in the experience and in the enjoyment of his people. <p>&ldquo;This glorious dress the same appears <p> When ruined nature sinks in years; <p> No age can change its glorious hue, <p> The robe of Christ is ever new.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> This is his name whereby he shall he called, The LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. - <a href='B:300 23:6'>Jer 23:6</a>. </i><p>NAMES are designed to distinguish and to make their owners known; persons more than things are always called by their proper names. When it is here said: &ldquo;This is his name whereby he shall be called-JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU, the Lord our righteousness, it may be considered as including three things.<p>First, This is considered his greatest work. When a man takes a name from any of his actions, we may be assured that he will do it from the most peculiar, the most eminent, the most glorious of them. When, therefore, the Redeemer was to assume a name worthy of him, and by which he was to pass in our world, he was to be called &ldquo;the Lord our righteousness.&rdquo; He is great and mighty as a Prophet and as a King, but it is his Priestly office on which all is founded, and which gives them their efficiency and their success. We rejoice in his dominion, but it is &ldquo;his obedience unto death, even the death of the cross,&rdquo; that affords relief to our troubled consciences, and by believing which we are enabled to &ldquo;enter into rest.&rdquo; This is the doctrine that harmonizes and honours the divine perfections, that gives them their glory in the highest; this is that which best secures holiness in life, and peace in death. This, and this alone, constrains us to live not unto ourselves, but to him that &ldquo;died for us and rose again.&rdquo; This is our comfort in adversity; in the confidence of this alone we can finish our course with joy. Every truth in Scripture is connected with it, and leaving it we lose the clue, and are found only in an inextricable labyrinth.<p>Secondly, It means that he is to be approached under this character. This is always to be the great subject of the Christian ministry. Paul therefore says, &ldquo;We preach Christ crucified,&rdquo; &ldquo;whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.&rdquo; The first preaching of the gospel was called the &ldquo;preaching of the cross&rdquo; itself, and the first ministers made manifest the Saviour and the Redeemer&rsquo;s knowledge in every place, for they knew and conformed to it-they knew that this was the name by which he was to be called, &ldquo;The Lord our righteousness.&rdquo;<p>Thirdly, It means that all his people would own him as such. Therefore it is said: &ldquo;Surely shall one say, in the Lord Jehovah have I righteousness and strength.&rdquo; Not only believe it, but say it. &ldquo;One&rdquo; here does not mean &ldquo;one&rdquo; exclusively, but &ldquo;one&rdquo; characteristically-one as a specimen, a sample of all of them; for all of them will be induced to use the same language, when inducted into the glory of this scheme, by the influence of him who is to glorify Christ by taking of the things of Christ and showing them to us. Each will then say, &ldquo;My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long.&rdquo; And not only is it the burden of their praise below, but of their praise above. It is the name under which they will adore him for ever.<p>They will not be so taken up with their joy, and dazzled with their glories there, as to forget the way by which they came there, and realized all this, but they will sing, &ldquo;Worthy is the Lamb;&rdquo; they will say, &ldquo;Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. <a href='B:490 23:47'>Luk 23:47</a>. </i><p>A DYING bed is a very affecting scene, but few have opportunity or liberty to observe it. But a public execution awakens much attention, and will be impressive according to the character of the sufferer and the disposition of the spectators. Our Saviour died, not in a quiet room, not on a bed of ease and comfort, but upon a cross, upon a hill, and at a public festival. No wonder, therefore, especially considering his fame, that his death should have attracted many spectators. We do not read of the chief priests, or of the elders, or of the scribes, or of the rulers being affected on this occasion. Yea, we know that, regardless of all decorum as well as of humanity, they joined in insulting the Redeemer in his last agonies. But we see the centurion impressed.<p>This centurion was a Roman officer. We should always avoid general and indiscriminate reflections upon bodies and professions of men. Pour centurions are mentioned in the New Testament, and of all those individuals we are compelled to think well. This centurion was the commander of a hundred men, and he was now appointed with his troops to guard the cross-to preserve it from all kinds of tumult. He was therefore now in his calling, and what a mercy it fell to his lot to perform duty on this occasion. Little did he imagine, when he ascended the hill of Calvary with his men in the morning, what he should experience while he was there.<p>Who knows what a day may bring forth? Little did Joseph imagine, when he went to inquire after his brethren&rsquo;s welfare in the plains of Dothan, that he would be governor of the land of Egypt; or Saul, when he set off to seek his father&rsquo;s asses-or David, when he carried provision to his brethren in the camp of Israel, that they would be anointed kings over all Israel. The people of the world call this the romance of history; but we view these things as the mysteries of the providence of Him &ldquo;who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working.&rdquo; He was not only a Roman officer; he was a heathen, a Gentile.<p>And with regard to the attractive influence of the cross of Jesus, our Lord said, &ldquo;I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.&rdquo; And here we see an instance of it. And the man being a Gentile, renders the case more interesting to us; for what were we once but Gentiles in the flesh, worshipping the sun and the moon, and having a God for every day in the week; painted, naked savages, living in the woods, the slaves of a cruel and bloody superstition. But now what was it that affected the centurion? It was what he saw was done. He saw the Saviour give up the ghost. He was surprised that he should die before those who were crucified with him- before the blow which fractured and dispatched them; that he should not die of exhaustion; and that, with such calm composure and divine compassion, he should pray for his murderers while they were driving the nails into his hands and feet-and at the promise to the dying thief, the address to his mother, and to John concerning his mother.<p>Ah, it was the moral scenery, as well as the physical scenery, which made the impression upon the mind of the centurion, &ldquo;who, when he saw what was done, glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.&rdquo; In a parallel passage it is said, &ldquo;He feared God greatly, and exclaimed, Truly this was the Son of God.&rdquo; He was the Son of God, because he had often said so, and he would not have said this unless it had been true; and, therefore, he was convinced of his innocency and of his dignity, by the disposition which he displayed, and by the miracles which were performed on his behalf, and which were so many express testimonies from God. 


devotion:
<i> All the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. - <a href='B:490 23:48'>Luk 23:48</a>. </i><p>OBSERVE what is here said of SOME OF THE PEOPLE. This passage says, &ldquo;all&rdquo; the people; but this &ldquo;all&rdquo; must be taken with some restriction. We read in the thirty-third verse, that &ldquo;the people stood beholding.&rdquo; &ldquo;And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; himself he cannot save.&rdquo; The word all is often taken for many. There were many with him; and all those, it is said, who &ldquo;came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.&rdquo; The common people had always heard him gladly; they followed him from place to place. These were the persons to whom he principally preached; and he was so popular among them that the priests and rulers dared not lay hands upon him, for they feared the people.<p>Observe the action and conduct of the people. They &ldquo;smote their breasts,&rdquo; in token of solemn displeasure and sorrow. They not only lamented and condemned the injustice and cruelty of others, but reflected upon themselves for not espousing his cause- for not bearing testimony in his favour; and some of them, it is more than probable, had joined in the yell in the courtyard-&ldquo; Away with him; crucify him, crucify him.&rdquo; And probably they had not only beheld his miracles, but had been made partakers of some of his benefits. Now, when they began to see what they had been doing, and who and what he was, they were greatly affected. They did it ignorantly; but it was nevertheless criminal. But, though the ignorance was a crime, it was pardonable; and now they began to discern the truth of the case, they smote their breasts. There was something of that feeling when, seven weeks afterwards, Peter stood up amongst them and said- &ldquo;Ye have crucified the Lord of life and glory.&rdquo; &ldquo;They shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born.&rdquo; Was this the case? They smote their breasts and returned.<p>Whether this may intimate that they would look no further; or that they would stay no longer, nor inquire what was the result of all this; or that the impression made was merely momentary, and that they returned to their ordinary concerns again; or was it in their favour, to show that they were unable to bear the sight any longer- that they wished to be alone to grieve, and therefore withdrew, as Peter went out and wept bitterly-as the stricken deer leaves the herd-or as duty called them to prepare immediately for the solemnities of the Sabbath, now so soon to draw on? Here we are again unable to determine; yet, from all the circumstances of the case, we may conclude that they sorrowed after a godly sort; that they carried away impressions which were never erased; and that this again was another fruit of the Saviour&rsquo;s death, and the exemplification of his own prophecy, &ldquo;Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and. die, it abideth alone; but, if it die, it bringeth forth fruit.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. - <a href='B:490 23:49'>Luk 23:49</a>. </i><p>AND here we have some of the SAVIOUR&rsquo;S OWN CONNECTIONS spectators on this occasion. Observe, First, They include his acquaintance. These were persons between friends and strangers, with whom he had occasional and partial intercourse, without admitting them to intimacy. Of such our Saviour must have had many, as he had never affected the monk and the ascetic. In his various journeys up to Jerusalem and back again to Galilee, where he commonly resided, he must have slept under many a roof. We find him frequently preaching in a private house. He would make acquaintance of those who resided there. His acquaintance, therefore, must have been many.<p>Secondly, They include &ldquo;the women that followed him from Galilee, who stood afar off beholding these things.&rdquo; Everything here was more than allowable. Everything here was praiseworthy. It is a remark which has been often made, but cannot be made too often, that women were the last at the cross, and the first at the tomb of Jesus. What a contrast these pious women here form with the disciples! Where are they? One has betrayed him; another has denied him; and all have forsaken him and fled. These women were not the &ldquo;daughters of Jerusalem,&rdquo; to whom Jesus turned and said, &ldquo;Weep not for me.&rdquo; Those were dwellers in Jerusalem; whereas the women here spoken of had followed him from Galilee, where they resided; they accompanied him when he came up to attend the Passover. But this is not all. We are led to observe, that there were &ldquo;many women,&rdquo; some of whom were women of substance, and they were enabled to exercise beneficence towards their Lord and Saviour.<p>Observe, it is not only said that they followed him up to Jerusalem, but that they &ldquo;ministered unto him,&rdquo; bearing his expenses. We have the names of some of them- Mary Magdalene was one who had been healed and delivered by our Lord of a complication of maladies, and she felt her obligation. Another was Mary, the mother of James and John, the very woman who, influenced by her two sons, requested that &ldquo;one of them might sit at his right hand, and the other at his left in his kingdom;&rdquo; and to whom he said, &ldquo;Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of, and be baptized with the baptism wherewith I am baptized?&rdquo; and they foolishly said, &ldquo;We are able.&rdquo; Here was the mother, but where were James and John, who said thej1 were then able? We shall indeed presently find one of them at least drawing near the cross, but nothing is said of James. Where was he?<p>Observe their position- &ldquo;they stood beholding afar off.&rdquo; Perhaps they could not get nearer for the crowd; but even here the prophecy was fulfilled, &ldquo;My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore, and my kinsmen stand afar oft&rsquo;.&rdquo; Perhaps they were in some measure influenced by fear, and their courage increased with the occasion. But there was real love in them; this was the principle which swayed them, and they were soon by their love able to cast out fear, as we see by their subsequent conduct, especially on the morning of the resurrection. They stood beholding him, until, through the growing obscurity of the darkness that was now coming on, they had nearly lost sight of him. Doubtless they felt much despondency. They would feel the annihilation for the time of all their hopes of an earthly empire. After awhile, it is to be observed, they got nearer to the cross. Feeling the shaking of the earth, and now seeing the darkness, many drew back from the cross terrified, and thus gave the Saviour&rsquo;s friends an opportunity of approaching nearer to it. And this was necessary, for otherwise they would not have been able to contemplate him in the spreading darkness. Here were two of the women with the mother of Jesus, Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene. Mary Zebedee, who had introduced her two sons, is not standing near the cross. John is there now. When Jesus therefore saw his mother and that disciple standing by, he saith unto his mother-Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to that disciple, Behold thy mother!&rdquo;<p>These were the spectators on this occasion; and thus they were all influenced. Jesus died nearly two thousand years ago. We cannot therefore actually see him die, and yet in the preaching of the gospel before our eyes Jesus Christ is evidently set forth as crucified among us. 


devotion:
<i> The Son of man came.....to give his life a ransom for many. - <a href='B:470 20:28'>Mat 20:28</a>. </i><p>THIS Jesus said in allusion to his own death, and it is to remind us of the numerous influences and advantages derived from it. And concerning his death he mentions four things. First, We are to consider him as a ransom. This metaphorical expression is one of the favourite terms employed by the Holy Ghost. There is a reality in it infinitely surpassing the emblem. A ransom is a satisfaction or a compensation for release from bondage. It reminds us of what we were, and of the state in which we were; we were the slaves of sin-led captive by the devil at his will. The lowness and wretchedness of the state of bondage in which we were are inexpressible, inconceivable. He interposed and said, &ldquo;Deliver them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.&rdquo; What was this ransom? Had we been delivered from our former condition it would have been a deliverance only, not a redemption. Redemption supposes a price. We were &ldquo;bought with a price.&rdquo; And what was the price? &ldquo;Ye were not redeemed,&rdquo; says Peter, &ldquo;with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.&rdquo; This was the ransom- &ldquo;a price beyond all price.&rdquo; He was our substitute. He died in our stead, in our place. He bore our sins in his own body on the tree. He, the just, died for us, the unjust. &ldquo;Surely,&rdquo; says the Church, &ldquo;he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, He tells us that his death was intentional; not an eventual thing, but foreknown; not a consequence, but a design. He assumed our nature, not to reign in it, but to suffer, and on purpose to suffer. This was his grand aim and business, to &ldquo;give his life a ransom for many.&rdquo;<p>Thirdly, He reminds us also that his death was voluntary. He gave himself a ransom for many. Although it is sometimes said that he was sent of the Father, yet he was at his own disposal. Therefore the Scriptures sometimes ascribe his death to his love, &ldquo;He loved us and gave himself for us;&rdquo; and sometimes it is ascribed to his power, &ldquo;No man taketh my life from me, I lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.&rdquo; This commission he voluntarily accomplished, it was not forced upon him, and therefore he said, &ldquo;That the world may know I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.&rdquo; Therefore he said, &ldquo;Lo, I come, I delight to do thy will, O my God, thy law is within my heart. I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished.&rdquo;<p>Fourthly, It regards the esteem he has for his people. Sometimes they are described by their character, here by their number-&ldquo;many.&rdquo; He does not tell us how many; and he has almost forbidden us to inquire concerning it, for when a man one day asked him, &ldquo;Lord, there are few that be saved?&rdquo; without noticing the poor trifler at all, he said to them that were with him, &ldquo;Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able.&rdquo; As much as if he had said, Instead of indulging yourselves in various inquiries concerning the number of the saved, do you be concerned to be one of them. But we are allowed to say very many. So many, to do justice to the promise made to the Messiah, that&rdquo; all kings shall fall down before him, and all nations serve him.&rdquo; So many, that when gathered out of every country, and nation, and tongue, and people, they will be found a multitude that no man can number. So many, as that the Messiah admits it an ample compensation for all the sufferings he endured; for &ldquo;he shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. - <a href='B:520 4:25'>Rom 4:25</a> </i><p>THE importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is often expressed in the Scriptures, but the importance of it is not seen by viewing the fact itself, or considering it separately. All we hope to derive from the mediation of Jesus Christ, or from the official relation he sustains, depends upon his resurrection, and is nothing without it. It is there we have the clearest evidence of his Messiahship, because he is thereby declared to be the Son of Cod, with power; it is there we see him victorious over all the powers of darkness.<p>Enoch and Elias never grappled with death; they slipped into heaven by a flowery way. But it was otherwise with the Messiah. Death seized him, and dragged him into his den, but there he was strangled himself, and the destroyer of death came forth in triumph, and proclaimed, &ldquo;I am the resurrection and the life.&rdquo; It is there we see the worth, the all-sufficiency, and the acceptableness of this sacrifice. It is there we have evidence that his death was an offering and a &ldquo;sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling savour.&rdquo; &ldquo;He raised him up from the dead and gave him glory&rdquo; for that purpose.<p>In his discharge from the grave we may read our own discharge from the curse of the law; and hence we read that an angel came and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the sepulchre. He could have done this himself, but it would have looked like a prisoner breaking away from his prison, and endeavouring to escape by stealth, whereas now he who had imprisoned him as the surety of his people releases him. He has made the payment, and his resurrection from the dead is a receipt in full for the deliverance of his church, by his suffering for them. Therefore it is said, &ldquo;He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.&rdquo; Therefore, says the Apostle, &ldquo;who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.&rdquo; It is there we behold him, the source of Spiritual life, awaking, and sanctifying, and enlightening, and renewing his people by the Holy Spirit, which he died to obtain, and which he rose to possess and to communicate. It is there we behold him, as the model and principle of our resurrection.<p>When he died, we died in him; when he rose, we rose with him; when he was quickened, we were quickened together with Christ, and raised, and made to sit with him in heavenly places. Our glory, if we belong to him, necessarily follows his; he would not be complete without us. Where the head is, there shall also the members be, and the Apostle assures us that &ldquo;if, when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> I will raise him up at the last day. - <a href='B:500 6:44'>Joh 6:44</a>. </i><p>OBSERVE first the specialty of the privilege. For it may be asked-&ldquo;Will he not raise all at the last day? He will; but that cannot be considered a deliverance which raises a man from a bad state and consigns him to a worse; which takes him from worms and casts him into flames. The wicked are not raised hereafter from the same principle as the righteous, nor are they raised under the same kind of dispensation. They are to be raised as criminals, not to be set free, but to be judged, and punished for the deeds done in the body. So that though the resurrection be a universal event, it is a special and limited privilege. Unquestionably the privilege is to be taken exclusively, that in comprehending all that precedes it, and subserves it, and that is necessary to it, it takes in the perseverance of believers to the end of life, their victory over all Spiritual enemies, and the raising up the body at the resurrection. The resurrection is not only apart of this blessedness, but it is the completeness of it, the principal part. We see how far the Redeemer carries his concern on behalf of his people. As he will lose no one of them, so he will lose no part of them. He has ransomed the body as well as the soul, and he will reclaim them; and &ldquo;the temple of the Holy Ghost,&rdquo; though demolished for a time, he will re-edify; it will be raised infinitely improved. The same body, but oh, how superior; not after the model of Adam&rsquo;s body when he came from his Maker&rsquo;s hands in Paradise, but &ldquo;after the image of the heavenly.&rdquo; This is the privilege.<p>Observe also the Author of it. He is not only the model of the resurrection of his people, but the accomplisher of it. And in his humiliation he knew this sublime destination, he knew that his voice was to awaken all the dead, that he was to raise them up, and judge them all, and to assign them their proper portions. The Apostle, therefore, fixes upon the ability, which it is necessary for us to recognise here- We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it maybe fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.&rdquo; Then, finally, the certainty of the privilege, &ldquo;I will raise him up at the last day.&rdquo; It is, moreover, as sure as it can be made. As his power renders him able, as his love makes him willing, so his word has bound him down, for though we could not bind him, he has condescended to bind himself. And his people can depend upon him as a faithful and true witness, especially as they know that there is such a union between him and his people that he cannot be complete without them, that where he is there shall also his servants be, that where the head is there must the members be.<p>And he has said, &ldquo;Because I live ye shall live also.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Ye know all things. - <a href='B:690 2:20'>1Jn 2:20</a>. </i><p>THIS must be taken with some restriction, otherwise the assertion would not be true with regard to any individual, not even to an inspired Apostle, who says, &ldquo;We see in part.&rdquo; It must therefore be qualified, by being taken with four limitations. First, These &ldquo;all things&rdquo; include religious things only; the Apostle does not refer to the knowledge of nature, of commerce, or of policy, or of the arts and sciences; but what Paul calls &ldquo;the things of the Spirit,&rdquo; and the things which are of God &ldquo;and which accompany salvation.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, it extends only to all religious things that are revealed- &ldquo;secret things belong to God, but the things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children.&rdquo; Where the Scripture is silent, it is better for us to be silent also. The question with us is, What saith the Scripture?<p>Thirdly, All religious things which are revealed, and which are important. Everything in religion is not equally momentous, though equally true. The grand business of the things which are revealed is to answer the question, &ldquo;What must I do to be saved?&rdquo; The grand exhibition is, &ldquo;Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.&rdquo; What we are required to know is not the decrees of God, but his commands; to study the promises of God rather than his prophecies. As soon as the disciples began to study prophecy, and came to our Saviour, saying, &ldquo;Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom unto Israel?&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;It is not for you to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power.&rdquo; A man may be a Spiritual man, and yet not know what sort of a creature leviathan was. There are many things in the Scriptures the knowledge of which does not necessarily accompany salvation.<p>Fourthly, The knowledge of all things revealed is to be considered comparatively, not absolutely and completely; for &ldquo;who by searching can find out God? who can find out the Almighty to perfection?&rdquo; As to many of the things revealed, if we can know but little of their nature and mode of existence, or even the mode of their operation, we know them in their results and developments; how little of these we know, and which even the very &ldquo;angels desire to look into.&rdquo; They see there is much more to be known, and they come to the church to learn the &ldquo;manifold wisdom of God.&rdquo; <p>&ldquo;The cross, the manger, and the throne, <p> Are big with wonders yet unknown.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> So is the kingdom of heaven, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. - <a href='B:480 4:26-27'>Mar 4:26-27</a>. </i><p>NATURAL influences operate mysteriously, and thus also is it in the spiritual economy. Those individuals who say that they will not believe any more than they can comprehend, must have either very large understandings or very little creeds, for what do we know or what can we comprehend? we do not even understand ourselves. &ldquo;Oh, what a miracle,&rdquo; says Young, &ldquo;is man to man!&rdquo; Who can explain the human frame, the causes of vital heat or the colour of blood, and a thousand other things? We should do, therefore, in reference to Spiritual things, what we do in all such cases as those to which reference is here made. In all these instances we are satisfied with the results, if we are ignorant of the processes; we are satisfied of the effect though reason may fail, and perfectly fail, as to the causation and the mode by which the effects have been produced.<p>As we know not how the bones of the unborn infant do grow, nor &ldquo;what is the way of the Spirit;&rdquo; &ldquo;even so,&rdquo; says the Royal Preacher, &ldquo;thou knowest not the works of God, who maketh all.&rdquo; &ldquo;The wind,&rdquo; says our Saviour, &ldquo;bloweth where it listeth&rdquo; -and what philosopher can explain the first rise and final issue, and numberless other things pertaining to it-&ldquo;yet thou hearest the sound thereof;&rdquo; and you feel its currents: you see the clouds course along; you see the waving of the corn in the field; and you see trees torn up by the roots. &ldquo;Thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.&rdquo; Or apply it more immediately to the imagery here employed by our Lord of the corn which the husbandman sows, and &ldquo;which springs up he knoweth not how.&rdquo; In vain, therefore, as Paul says, do any ask, &ldquo;How are the dead raised, and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain.&rdquo;<p>Here we see life and death; we see decay and growth at once, equally inexplicable and undeniable; so is the spiritual life. 


devotion:
<i> Ask, and ye shall receive. - <a href='B:500 16:24'>Joh 16:24</a>. </i><p>WITH regard to the asking and receiving blessings from our heavenly Father observe four things. First, That God has prescribed this course, and made prayer the channel of his influence and communication. For all these things, says he, &ldquo;I will he inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, He has a right to determine the way in which he should be gracious; for grace must be free, or it is no more grace. He is a great King above all gods, and we have no claim upon him. Yea, we were unworthy of the least of all his mercies; we lay entirely under his displeasure, and as children of disobedience we deserved that his wrath should come upon us.<p>Thirdly, The way he has chosen is best, whether we consider his glory or our own welfare. Prayer humbles man, while it exalts God: it expresses our dependence upon him, and gives him the glory that is due to his holy name: thus honouring his wisdom, his power, and his goodness. And as to ourselves, if we obtained these blessings without ever claiming or seeking after them, the attainment would afford us no satisfaction. We should not then value them, nor call upon our souls, and all that is within us, to bless and praise God for them.<p>Fourthly, As he has appointed and enjoined this way, He will always pay regard to it. He always has done so from the beginning of the world. He hath not said to the seed of Jacob, &ldquo;Seek ye me in vain;&rdquo; and he never will, and he never can. For though we could not bind him, he has bound himself by promise; and the Scripture cannot be broken. Let us therefore confide in his faithfulness, and pray for the blessings we need; for, says he, &ldquo;Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth: and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.&rdquo; And, blessed be his name, there are no meritorious qualifications required-no hard conditions imposed. <p>&ldquo;Though in ourselves we have no stock, <p> The Lord is nigh to save; <p> The door flies open when we knock: <p> It is but ask and have.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> He that is holy, let him be holy still. - <a href='B:730 22:11'>Rev 22:11</a>. </i><p>HEAVEN is not only a high but a holy place, in which entereth &ldquo;nothing that defileth;&rdquo; for &ldquo;without holiness no man shall see the Lord.&rdquo; Christians are called to holiness, and are commanded to be holy: &ldquo;Be ye holy; for I am holy.&rdquo; They are addressed as &ldquo;holy brethren.&rdquo; They are here made partakers of the holiness they are to possess and enjoy in heaven. Hence are they said to be &ldquo;predestinated to be conformed unto the image of God&rsquo;s dear Son.&rdquo; Are we discouraged by this description of the Christian&rsquo;s holiness, and ready to say, instead of experiencing this holiness of heart and life-this conformity to the mind of Christ, and of walking as he also walked-that we &ldquo;find another law in our members warring against the law of our minds?&rdquo; Still we may bless God there is a law of the mind to be warred against, which was not the case with us once; nor is it the case with others now. Do we say, &ldquo;When I would do good, evil is present with me?&rdquo; Yes; but there is also the will to do good.<p>This shows that those who are thus exercised are not merely convinced but converted, not merely reformed but renewed in the Spirit of their mind, not only moral but holy; being made partakers of God&rsquo;s holiness, they mind Spiritual things, are joined to the Lord, and have one Spirit. He that is holy here will be confirmed in holiness hereafter. The Christian on earth is therefore the subject of the same holiness, differing only in measure and degree, as the glorified Spirits above. The same Spirit of humility which disposes them to cast their crowns at the Saviour&rsquo;s feet, leads the believer now to say, &ldquo;Not I, but the grace of God in me.&rdquo;<p>Do they who dwell in his house above still praise him? Believers have the same Spirit of gratitude, and are saying, &ldquo;I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be continually in my mouth.&rdquo; There, his servants serve him, see his face, and have their names in his forehead. So in his church on earth, the saints in degree take pleasure in diffusing his glory, realizing his presence, and avowing, even unto death, his name. <p>&ldquo;The men of grace have found <p> Glory begun below; <p> Celestial fruits on earthly ground, <p> From faith and hope may grow.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> The earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the Made, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. - <a href='B:480 4:28'>Mar 4:28</a>. </i><p>NATURAL influences operate gradually, and so do the Spiritual. What a scene does winter display often, when the woods, and the hedges, and the trees, and the fields, and the gardens are stripped of their ornaments, and look dreary and dead! But the spring comes round, and brings out their beauties and fertility, and we go forth, and we see nature renewing the face of the earth, and making all things new. But how? By degrees! We would not limit the Holy One of Israel: there must be a time when religion begins, though there is no time when it ends. Instantaneous conversions are not always to be depended upon. In nature we see every thing resulting from small beginnings, and by imperceptible degrees advancing. So it is in Spiritual things.<p>And we may observe, too, that the more excellent things are, the slower is their progress. How much sooner some animals reach their full size than a man, and how much more rapidly grows the osier than the oak. There are many eminent Christians and ministers, who for some years were very feeble in their views and dispositions. It was a considerable time before they came into the glorious &ldquo;liberty of the sons of God.&rdquo; They had to feel and they had to fight their way too. But they trod the firmer and fought the harder, because they could say, &ldquo;We have &lsquo;learned by experience.&rsquo;&rdquo; We know that this was the mode with our Saviour, in the days of his flesh. He said to his disciples, &ldquo;I have many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now.&rdquo; Thus he leads them on.<p>So it is with his people now. Their course has commenced, like the dawn, with a few rays; but then these rays are forerunners. But &ldquo;the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.&rdquo; Let us not, with regard to ourselves or others, &ldquo;despise the day of small things.&rdquo; Neither let us be discouraged if at present we have but little strength. How small is the germ of the corn at first! How unlikely it seems to be able to withstand the assailing of the weather and of the winter! But that which is &ldquo;sown in weakness is raised in power;&rdquo; &ldquo;though our beginning be small, our latter end shall greatly increase.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Behold, for peace I had great bitterness. - <a href='B:290 38:17'>Isa 38:17</a>. </i><p>WE ought always to value God&rsquo;s mercy; but our successes and indulgences, frequently for a time, make impressions which are injurious. They cause us to forget our present condition, and that other dangers may be yet in reserve and awaiting us. So it was here. Hezekiah had just experienced a marvellous deliverance, and promised himself a continuance of peace and triumph. When lo! he was seized with a distemper, which embittered all his comforts, and threatened his life. &ldquo;In my prosperity,&rdquo; said David, &ldquo;I shall never be moved.&rdquo; Ah! vain hope; for with the same breath he exclaimed, &ldquo;Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.&rdquo; Of the many sources of disappointment to which the most favoured child of Providence is liable, let us notice four. And, First, There is nothing more precarious than health. Who can tell what a day may bring forth; what accidents may befal us; or by what diseases we may be laid prostrate?<p>Secondly, Children may bitterly disappoint a parent&rsquo;s hope. Here is Rachel, holding up their little robes, which are to be worn no more, &ldquo;weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are not.&rdquo; And here is a greater affliction still-a child becoming vicious, and a companion of fools.<p>Thirdly, The friendships of life may prove how insincere and perfidious are some who have been trusted as friends. Hence the language of David, &ldquo;It was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it; but it was thou, my guide and mine acquaintance.&rdquo; Thus it was with Job; his friends dealt deceitfully with him. So it was with Paul, when before Caesar, he says, &ldquo;All men forsook me.&rdquo;<p>Fourthly, Wealth is another source of disappointment. Many who began life in affluence are now living in want, or depending on alms. We should therefore take care, and be sober-minded, and not look for more from any of those things, in our passage through life, than they are able to afford.<p>Let us make the Lord our trust; he will not, he cannot, disappoint us. If creatures are broken cisterns, he is the Fountain of living waters; if they are broken reeds, he is the Rock of Ages. 


devotion:
<i> The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. - <a href='B:640 1:25'>Phm 1:25</a> </i><p>TO what else than this principle alone can our salvation. be ascribed? The Saviour&rsquo;s interposition on our behalf is neither the result of imposition, compulsion, desert, nor importunity. It cannot be ascribed to imposition. Some persons undertake enterprizes unconscious of their consequences. How often they have exclaimed, &ldquo;If I had foreseen the results, I would have had nothing to do with it!&rdquo; But this was not the case with the Lord Jesus. He was neither inveigled into it, nor did he engage in it from ignorance. He saw the end from the beginning. It was laid before him. He saw it all when he said, &ldquo;Lo! I come to do thy will, O God.&rdquo;<p>We know what this will implied-it was his becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Yet he came forward and showed no reluctance in the execution; and as his passion drew near, he said, &ldquo;I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!&rdquo; Voluntariness was also necessary to his obedience. Deity has no impression from external causes. He therefore must act and did act freely. His passion was the exercise and the expression of his absolute independence: &ldquo;No man taketh my life from me; I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.&rdquo; Therefore, in his death, &ldquo;he cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost,&rdquo; which showed that he died not of exhaustion or weakness. He was not only the Sacrifice, but the Priest that offered it. Nor could it be the effect of desert. We were criminals in our misery; and this is a circumstance on which the Apostle enlarges so frequently and so much: &ldquo;When we were without strength, Christ died for the ungodly;&rdquo; &ldquo;God commendeth his love to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.&rdquo; Nor was it the result of importunity. It was as much without our desire as it was without our desert; for it was long before we had a being. To humble Job God said to him, &ldquo;Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?&rdquo; and Christ may say to Christians, &ldquo;Where were you when I came forward and said, Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom?&rdquo;<p>No; the more we examine this subject the more we shall find it impossible to ascribe our being, enriched with all the blessings of salvation, of grace, and of glory, to any other cause than to his grace. <p>&ldquo;With pitying eyes the Prince of Peace <p> Beheld our helpless grief; <p> He saw, and O amazing grace, <p> He came to our relief.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> The Salvation of the Lord. - <a href='B:20 14:13'>Exo 14:13</a>.. </i><p>THIS is the distinguishing theme of the gospel. Salvation always refers to some evil; and numberless are the evils which are embattled against us &ldquo;in our passage through this vale of tears, and from which alone we are protected by the God of salvation, to whom belong &lsquo; the issues from death,&rsquo;&rdquo; and who is therefore called &ldquo;the Preserver of men.&rdquo; But we are fallen, guilty, depraved, perishing, and, in ourselves, helpless creatures; and therefore we need deliverance from great and manifold Spiritual evils. This deliverance is emphatically called always Salvation- &ldquo;so great&rdquo; salvation-and it is so great, so inconceivably great, that compared with it every other salvation is &ldquo;nothing, and less than nothing, and vanity.&rdquo;<p>Now this salvation includes more than mere deliverance. It is not only a deliverance from something, but to something- &ldquo;from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God;&rdquo; from condemnation to adoption; from the curse of the law to all the promises of the gospel; and from hell to heaven. <p>&ldquo;Buried in sorrow and in sin, <p> At hell&rsquo;s dark door we lay; <p> But we arise by grace Divine <p> To see a heavenly day.&rdquo; </i><p>This salvation is for ever; as it is written, &ldquo;Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation.&rdquo; The more valuable any possession is, the more alive we are to its stability, and the more miserable we become in proportion as we discover the probability or possibility even of leaving or losing it. &ldquo;He that believeth on me,&rdquo; says the Saviour, &ldquo;hath everlasting life, and shall never come into condemnation.&rdquo; &ldquo;I give unto my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.&rdquo;<p>It is a full salvation. It leaves no evil unremoved, no want unsupplied, no hope unaccomplished. It brings to us &ldquo;wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.&rdquo; It reveals unto us a sun in our darkness, a shield in our danger, strength in our weakness, peace in our trouble, joy in our sorrow. It blesses us with &ldquo;all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.&rdquo; &ldquo;It is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.&rdquo;<p>This salvation, as to its procurement, was finished on the cross; and as to its actual application and enjoyment, will be completed when the believer, as an embodied creature, shall &ldquo;enter into the joy of the Lord.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. - <a href='B:530 3:6'>1Co 3:6</a>. </i><p>SO we see that Spiritual influences, as well as natural, operate in connection with human means and exertions. The husbandman knows that he cannot produce an ear of corn; but he equally knows that he can manure, and plough, and sow; and he knows that it would be egregious folly were he to look for a crop without these. For though he well knows that God could produce a crop without human culture, he knows he never does. While he knows that all these efforts would be nothing at all without the snow and the rain from heaven, he equally knows that the rain and the snow from heaven would be nothing without these. The one in the economy of God is as necessary as the other. Instrumentality never excludes agency, never detracts from it, yea, displays it the more.<p>Ministers cannot of themselves convert their hearers, yet they can study hard and give themselves to meditation, and seek to find out not only words of truth, but acceptable words, and then retire and pray, &ldquo;O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.&rdquo; Although parents cannot convert their children, yet they can train them up in the admonition of the Lord. And we should all be working &ldquo;out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who worketh in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure.&rdquo; &ldquo;For all these things,&rdquo; says God, after promising them, &ldquo;will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.&rdquo;<p>Here, indeed, now is some difference between these natural and Spiritual influences, but then it is in our favour. We are not sure that our prayers will always move the clouds, but we know Him who has said, &ldquo;Ask, and it shall be given; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened.&rdquo; We know, also, who has said, &ldquo;If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him? &ldquo;The fertility produced by natural influences in the fields and in the gardens is always limited, but there are no bounds to control the Spiritual progress. God &ldquo;giveth more grace.&rdquo; He is the &ldquo;God of all grace.&rdquo; We are exhorted to &ldquo;go on unto perfection;&rdquo; and we may &ldquo;increase with all the increase of God,&rdquo; and be &ldquo;filled with all the fulness of God.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! - <a href='B:10 28:17'>Gen 28:17</a>. </i><p>THAT is, how venerable, how august, how solemn, how divine! Intercourse with God is calculated to check levity of mind and to produce serious impressions. The man who was not at all afraid to be down in this place, surrounded with danger and enveloped in darkness, is filled with fear in the morning-at what? at the thought of a present Deity. This was not a slavish dread, like that which Belshazzar felt when he saw the handwriting upon the wall; but he was filled with what the Apostle calls &ldquo;reverence and godly fear.&rdquo; Such the seraphim know when they cover their faces with their wings, when they appear before God; such Isaiah felt, when he said, &ldquo;Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.&rdquo; Such Peter felt, when he said, &ldquo;Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord God.&rdquo; Such Job felt, when he said, &ldquo;I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, and now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.&rdquo; And the experience of every believer now is the same. He knows &ldquo;there is forgiveness with God, that he may be feared.&rdquo;<p>The Christian fears the Lord and his goodness; and when we can meet Christ as our own, &ldquo;as our portion for ever&rdquo;-when in duty we draw near to him, &ldquo;even to his seat&rdquo;-when we enter the secret pavilion and our thoughts are arrested-then the character of God, as He is, rises in our estimation, and more of the adoration of the supreme Being is introduced in all the feelings of our soul. It was so with Jacob here. This may serve to check an improper practice among some persons, who, in addressing God in prayer, express themselves in a manner they would not dare to do in addressing a fellow-creature of their own rank. We should never forget that we are addressing the King of kings and Lord of lords. This, therefore, may remind us, that if we would serve God acceptably, we must serve him with reverence and godly fear.<p>There is nothing that tends to render devotional exercises so conducive to edification, as our coming to them in a solemn and impressive frame of mind, just as Jacob felt after this interview and this address. 


devotion:
<i> As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven: so shall my word he that goeth forth out of my mouth. - <a href='B:290 55:10-11'>Isa 55:10-11</a>. </i><p>&ldquo;THE rain and the snow that cometh down,&rdquo; and the gospel, have one author. &ldquo;Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.&rdquo; There are some who imagine the Apostle James here means to establish a distinction between these -between the good gifts and the perfect gifts-applying the good gifts to earthly, and the perfect gifts to Spiritual benefits. It is true that there is such a difference between them, and it is equally true that they all descend from above, and they all come down from the God of all grace. This is unquestioned with regard to the snow and the rain. Every one knows that if God were to withhold these no creature could obtain a &ldquo;fall&rdquo; of the one or a &ldquo;shower&rdquo; of the other. &ldquo;Hath the rain a father, and who hath begotten the drops of dew?'' "Can any among the vanities,&rdquo; asks Jeremiah, &ldquo;of the Gentiles give rain?&rdquo;<p>And the inference to be derived from this is, that if God gives the less, he gives the greater; that as the natural light is from him, so must also Spiritual illumination be; for, saith the Apostle: &ldquo;God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.&rdquo; The life of an insect and of the plant comes from God, and so also does that life which is emphatically called the &ldquo;life of God.&rdquo; &ldquo;You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.&rdquo; The verdure of the meadows, and the fertility of the fields and of the gardens praise God, and the saints by their self-denying duties, their works of faith and labours of love, and the graces of the Spirit, &ldquo;show forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light;&rdquo;.<p>If we are filled with the fruits of righteousness,&rdquo; it is by &ldquo;Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God.&rdquo; &ldquo;This people,&rdquo; says God, &ldquo;have I formed for myself, and they shall show forth my praise.&rdquo; It is commonly and justly admitted that the works of nature lead to God as their author, and that there is upon all of them the impress of Deity; that such is the immensity of some and the minuteness of others, and the perfection of the whole, that we are constrained to say- <p>&ldquo;The hand that made them is Divine.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> He that received seed in the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty. - <a href='B:470 13:23'>Mat 13:23</a>. </i><p>WE here see, that as natural influences operate according to the nature of the soil, so do the Spiritual. In the parable we observe there was the very same sower, the very same seed, and the very same season: the difference therefore in the result was not in these. It was in the nature of the ground. There were four kinds of soil. The way-worn and the stony place, the thorny place, and the good ground. Our Saviour says the good ground is the honest and good heart; not that any hearts are naturally so, or can be so, destitute of the grace of God. But some are prepared for the reception of the word. The parable takes the fact, and wisely accounts for the difference of the produce from the difference of the soil. &ldquo;Do not,&rdquo; says God, &ldquo;my words do good to them that walk uprightly?&rdquo; that is, to those who are sincerely desirous of knowing and following its designs. And our Saviour says: &ldquo;He that doeth my will, shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.&rdquo;<p>We are, therefore, likely to derive benefit from reading or hearing the word, when our hearts are delivered from the love of every sin, and when we can come to his dear feet and pray-&ldquo;Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? &ldquo;Lead me in the way and guide me, for &ldquo;thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.&rdquo; Agencies must evermore operate according to the nature of their subjects. Heat, the very same heat that melts wax, will harden clay. There may be two persons sitting in the same pew and hearing the truth; if one of them believe it, and believe not only the truth of it but the importance of it, and the other does not, it is not possible for them to feel alike the same doctrine. So says the Apostle to the Hebrews, &ldquo;The word did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.&rdquo; And to the Thessalonians he says, &ldquo;Ye received our word, not as the word of man, but as it is in truth the word of God, which effectually worketh in them that believe.&rdquo;<p>Therefore, says the Apostle James, &ldquo;Lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive meekly the engrafted word, which is able to save our souls.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption. - <a href='B:290 38:17'>Isa 38:17</a>. </i><p>THE writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, when he had been sick. Observe, First, His perilous situation. It was the &ldquo;pit of corruption,&rdquo; that means the grave; he was on the verge of the eternal world. We see how unimportant the distinctions of the world are. He was a great king, and very successful, but a disorder arrests him and lays him low. One day he is on the throne, another on the bed of languishing. No human greatness can secure a man from the ordinary infirmities of nature or the common calamities of life.<p>Observe, Secondly, His restoration from this perilous state. He was delivered, that is, recovered. He speaks of it as a privilege. &ldquo;Life is yours,&rdquo; saith the Apostle Paul; and it is an inestimable blessing, and capable of infinite improvement. With regard to the Christian&rsquo;s personal enjoyment, he may say, &ldquo;It is better to depart and be with Christ,&rdquo; but to abide in the flesh may be more useful to others. It is, indeed, the only season of usefulness. This is the only opportunity Christians have of serving their generation, and of glorifying their Saviour.<p>Thirdly, Observe also the Author of his deliverance. It is the Lord&rsquo;s doing. He bringeth down to the grave, and he raiseth up. Hezekiah was recovered by the application of prescribed and proper means; but this only shows God&rsquo;s order in working. God chooses to use means in his agency, and therefore we must use means too. But whatever means we employ we must rely for their success entirely upon him; for &ldquo;without him we can do nothing.&rdquo;<p>Observe, Lastly, That he received this deliverance as springing from the divine favour. &ldquo;Thou hast in love to my soul&rdquo; done it. Our temporal mercies never have so sweet a relish as when we taste the love of God in them. God sometimes denies his people in love. When through ignorance they implore things which would be injurious to them, his kindness leads him to refuse their desires. So he sometimes grants in wrath. The Israelites, discontented with the manna, desired flesh. God gave them their heart&rsquo;s desire, but sent leanness into their souls. 


devotion:
<i> The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. - <a href='B:500 4:21'>Joh 4:21</a>. </i><p>WE here observe that the Christian dispensation did not properly commence till the death of Christ. But, upon his resurrection from the dead, he gave his commission to his disciples, to &ldquo;go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;&rdquo; &ldquo;and they went forth preaching everywhere that men should repent.&rdquo; There is nothing, therefore, in the Christian dispensation like that of Judaism, which, though of divine origin, was now to be abolished. That system was exclusive, and. necessarily confined to a particular nation. In the nature of the case it never could have become a universal religion. It was impossible that the males of all countries could have repaired three times a year to Jerusalem, to appear before the Lord, and to worship there. <p>&ldquo;But we have no such lengths to go, <p> Nor wander far abroad; <p> Where&rsquo;er the saints assemble now, <p> There is a house for God.&rdquo; </i><p>Christianity has no localities. The gospel overlooks everything that is external and adventitious in men&rsquo;s condition, and regards them as men only, whatever be their colour, condition, their country, or their character; it regards them in those exigencies which are common to every individual of the human race. It finds all guilty, and it brings forgiving mercy. It finds all depraved, and brings sanctifying grace. It finds all capacitated and destined to live for ever, and turns this, which would otherwise have been a curse, into a blessing, by converting it into life and immortality. 


devotion:
<i> My soul is cast down within me. - <a href='B:230 42:6'>Psa 42:6</a>. </i><p>&ldquo;MAN is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward;&rdquo; and whatever direction our life takes, it will be sure to conduct us through a vale of tears. Observe, here, the speaker himself. These are the words of David, a great man, who had even reached the throne. It was not while he was in Bethlehem, but after he had reached Jerusalem-after he had exchanged a shepherd&rsquo;s crook for the royal sceptre- that he said, &ldquo;O that I had wings like a dove, then would I flee away and be at rest.&rdquo; Yet he was a good man-an eminently good man-who possessed more experimental religion than any man before the incarnation of the Son of God; &ldquo;a man after God&rsquo;s own heart.&rdquo; There are many who are perplexed and distressed because they think God has no regard for them, therefore they often ask, &ldquo;If I am his why am I thus?&rdquo; Whereas they are thus because they are his. They are pruned because they are vines, and because he would have them bring forth more fruit. They are in the furnace because they are gold; they are chastened because they are sons-&ldquo;for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not.&rdquo;<p>Observe, next, the extent and degree of his fear. You will see that it got through to his mind, and pulled his very soul down to the ground. &ldquo;My soul is cast down within me.&rdquo; It is not the water without a vessel that sinks it, but the water that gets in. While the mind is calm, peaceful, and heavenly, outward distresses are of little importance; but when all is dark without and gloomy within too, when man frowns, and God does not appear to smile, then is the soul tried. A man&rsquo;s Spirit may sustain his infirmities, &ldquo;but a wounded Spirit who can bear?&rdquo; And, we may add, who can cure? Why, only the God of all grace, and the God of all comfort, to whom David made his complaint.<p>Let us, whenever we feel distressed and depressed in our mind, take the case and spread it before the Lord. He alone can alter the state of the mind who has access to it, and dominion over it. Let us remember that when the soul is cast down it is not destroyed; and endeavour to check instead of giving way to despondency; and say, in the preceding words, &ldquo;Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, for he is the help of my countenance, and my God.&rdquo; <p>&ldquo;Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; <p> The clouds ye so much dread <p> Are big with mercy, and shall break <p> In blessings on your head.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. - <a href='B:550 6:10'>Gal 6:10</a>. </i><p>OBSERVE, First, That this command is founded on the authority of God; for who can read his word without reading the injunction-to &ldquo;do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.&rdquo; &ldquo;If a man love not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen.&rdquo; &ldquo;And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, This command intimates to us the need we have of each other. There is no such thing as independence in our world; it is only ignorance and pride that lead people to affect anything like it. It is in the social body as it is in the natural body; there are many members, but there is only one body. &ldquo;Ye,&rdquo; says the Apostle, &ldquo;are members, one of another.&rdquo; The higher men rise the more dependent do they become; the rich owe more to the poor than the poor owe to them. The foundation of the social edifice is the lowest part, but then it sustains the whole. Let us learn how dependent we are, and how much others have done for us.<p>Thirdly, Obedience to this command is necessary to the enjoyment of the pleasures of beneficence. He who leaves his neighbour in hunger and wretchedness, while he has the means and opportunities of doing good, is just like a man who dies for thirst with a cup of nectar in his hand. In the same proportion as we are really benevolent will be our happiness; therefore our Lord said, &ldquo;It is more blessed to give than to receive.&rdquo; What luxury ever equalled that of Job, when he said, &ldquo;The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow&rsquo;s heart to sing for joy.&rdquo; Here is pure pleasure; durable pleasure; pleasure that will bear examination, bear review; pleasure that, like the rose, will yield perfume even after it is dead.<p>Fourthly, To induce in us a practical regard to this admonition, let us keep in mind that benevolence will not lose its reward. How often in his word does God press this as a motive upon us. It cannot, therefore, be wrong for us thus to regard it. &ldquo;Cast thy bread upon the waters,&rdquo; says the wise man, &ldquo;and thou shalt find it after many days.&rdquo; &ldquo;The liberal soul deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand.&rdquo; These are the declarations, the assurances of God, who is faithful and able to perform what he has promised; for all events are under his control, and all creatures at his disposal.<p>Fifthly, Let us refer to the example of Christ; and this motive is reserved for the last because it is the best. &ldquo;Whatsoever we do in word or deed,&rdquo; we are to &ldquo;do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.&rdquo; Our arguments, therefore, and our practice, must be Christian and evangelical. &ldquo;Let this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus.&rdquo; We had no claims upon him; we were unworthy of the least of all his mercies, ill-deserving, hell-deserving creatures, and must have perished for ever. And what did his interposition on our behalf cost him? &ldquo;For our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich.&rdquo; &ldquo;He gave his life a ransom for us.&rdquo; &ldquo;Therefore if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man; that he may bring forth food out of the earth. - <a href='B:230 104:14'>Psa 104:14</a>. </i><p>THE literal description, which is contained in this fine ode to the spring by the royal Psalmist, is again being fulfilled. The clouds have poured down their treasure, and the grateful soil is teeming with the promises of loveliness and fertility. In this case two things should follow. First, That we should gratefully adore that God, who never leaves himself without witnesses, in that he is continually doing us good and sending us rain and fruitful seasons, and &ldquo;filling our hearts with food and gladness.&rdquo; Why are we thus indulged? Have we duly improved his former loving kindnesses? &ldquo;Not unto us, O Lord!&rdquo; for &ldquo;it is of the Lord&rsquo;s mercy we are not consumed.&rdquo; O that the &ldquo;goodness of God may lead us to repentance.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, Let us endeavour to derive religious instruction from it. There are but very few persons who are really lovers of natural scenery. The multitude are carried away by something artificial, and are more struck with the works of man than by the works of God. And we have met with others, who have a real taste for nature, but then they never regarded it as the handmaiden of grace, never made it the representation and the remembrance of better things. Yet there is a striking analogy between the works of God in nature and in grace. The blessings of the Scripture are infinitely superior to the blessings of the field, yet the one furnishes illustrations of the other, and was designed to furnish them; and by a holy chemistry we may extract heaven from earth; by a holy mechanism we may make the creature a ladder by which to ascend to the Creator; by Spiritual-mindedness and meditation we may render every place a house of God, every avenue the gate of heaven, every object a preacher.<p>The rising sun may tell us of the &ldquo;Sun of Righteousness rising with healing under his wings.&rdquo; The refreshing dew may remind us of the doctrine of divine grace. &ldquo;And,&rdquo; says Isaiah, &ldquo;as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be; that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. - <a href='B:660 5:13'>Jas 5:13</a>. </i><p>AFFLICTIONS of every kind are considered in the Scriptures as trials, and the reason is, because they serve to show our principles, our dispositions, and our resources. It is natural for men, when they are in difficulties and distresses, to repair to something that promises to afford them deliverance, or at least to temper and sweeten the bitter cup of sorrow; and as every individual is insufficient in himself to secure this, we make use of various and numerous expedients for the purpose, but they are all in vain, and therefore, at last, classing our comforts with our crosses, and the good with the evil, disappointed and confounded, we acknowledge with Solomon, &ldquo;all is vanity and vexation of Spirit.&rdquo;<p>The Christian has but one resource, but then it is an adequate and an infinite one, and is able to weigh down all that can be brought against him. Therefore, instead of walking up and down, saying, &ldquo;Who will show me any good?&rdquo; he says to his soul, &ldquo;Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.&rdquo; Now this is the divinely-prescribed course-&ldquo;Call upon me,&rdquo; says God, &ldquo;in the day of trouble.&rdquo; &ldquo;Is any afflicted? &ldquo;says the Apostle, &ldquo;let him pray.&rdquo; We should regard prayer not only as a duty but as a privilege, as the cordial of human life, as the balm of affliction, as opening an asylum into which no evil shall enter, as affording a sanctuary where &ldquo;the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest.&rdquo; Hence said the church, &ldquo;Come and let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn and he will heal us, he hath smitten and he will bind us up.&rdquo;<p>Thus we may repair in all our distresses unto God, and if we cannot address him. in words, it is our mercy to know, that &ldquo;all our desire is before him, and our groaning is not hid from him.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> I will remember the works of the Lord. - <a href='B:230 77:11'>Psa 77:11</a>. </i><p>THIS is not a natural resolution. Men naturally are for putting God out of their thoughts. God infinitely deserves our remembrance, and He is perpetually making us to remember. He says to us in his word and by all his works, &ldquo;Behold me, behold me.&rdquo; He pours a profusion of benefits around us, that we may be perpetually reminded of him; and when we forget him, he will employ other and painful methods to induce us to regard him. And when he is visiting us with chastisement, it is well if we remember him, and ask, &ldquo;Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night?&rdquo; David, when in distress, and when his soul was cast down within him, says, &ldquo;I will remember thee.&rdquo; And so said Asaph, in the day of trouble, and when his &ldquo;sore ran in the night.&rdquo;<p>Whom ought we to remember? Whom can we remember so effectually when in distress as God? &ldquo;He is,&rdquo; says the Apostle, &ldquo;the blessed God;&rdquo; the original is &ldquo;the happy God,&rdquo; happy in himself, and the source of happiness to us. Therefore, when our soul is cast down within us, let us remember him-remember his power. Can anything be &ldquo;too hard for the Lord? &ldquo;Is he not able to do far more exceedingly abundant than we can ask or think? Let us remember his wisdom. He knoweth our soul in adversity. He knows what discipline we require. He knows &ldquo;how to deliver the godly,&rdquo; and how to make &ldquo;all things work together for good.&rdquo; Let us remember his goodness. &ldquo;He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.&rdquo; There is a needs-be for these dispensations. If we should ever question whether he withholds anything for want of disposition to indulge, let us look at the cross. See what he has given us already. Let us remember that he &ldquo;spared not his own Son,&rdquo; but &ldquo;gave him up for us all,&rdquo; and will he not &ldquo;with him also freely give us all things&rdquo; that are necessary for our welfare? Let us remember his word. &ldquo;This is my comfort in my affliction, thy word hath quickened me.&rdquo; What provisions! what promises do we find here! how suited to our own case, and all-sufficient for our relief. Let us remember his covenant, which is ordered in all things and sure; and let us remember his providence.<p>O may we never forget that God is about our path, and while he is acquainted with all our ways, he is &ldquo;performing all things for us.&rdquo; In the midst of our fears, he is managing all our affairs, and caring for us, with infinite wisdom and kindness. Let us therefore remember the works of Him, without whom a sparrow falls not to the ground, and who numbers the very hairs of our head. It was thus David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. 


devotion:
<i> The place was called the brook of Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. - <a href='B:40 13:24'>Num 13:24</a> </i><p>CANAAN was rich in its productions, and the Jews had even while in the wilderness a specimen of it; and as the spies held forth grapes, figs, and pomegranates, they said, &ldquo;This is the fruit of it;&rdquo; so that the children of Israel had something beside the report and the promise: they had not only the pledge of it, they had a part of Canaan itself, a little realization of it. And have not Christians something of heaven even while they are here? and concerning which they also may say, &ldquo;This is the fruit of it?&rdquo; The report is indeed something, and it is a good report, and the promise is also exceedingly precious, and is a promise that shall never fail; but the Christian is a partaker of heaven while on earth. Are not the knowledge, purity, and blessedness, in which consists their Spiritual life, to believers now what the grapes of Eshcol were to the children of Israel-the earnests and foretastes of the heavenly Canaan? And there are seasons in which these earnests and foretastes are most richly vouchsafed and enjoyed.<p>The first of these is Solitude. As Christians, our souls can never prosper in the divine life without occasional and frequent retirement. As the treasures of friendship are mainly unfolded and enjoyed in secret, so is this abundantly the case with the friendship subsisting between God and his people. It is then he manifests himself unto the Christian as he does not unto the world. It is then we sing:- <p>&ldquo;Be earth with all her scenes withdrawn, <p> Let noise and vanity be gone; <p> In secret silence of the mind <p> My God and there my heaven I find.&rdquo; </i><p>Secondly, The means of divine appointment. In reference to the sanctuary, have we not often prayed with Watts, <p>&ldquo;Send comforts down from thy right hand, <p> While we pass through this barren land; <p> Lord, in thy temple let us see <p> A glimpse of heaven, a glimpse of thee.&rdquo; </i><p>And how often have we been privileged to see his power and his glory in the sanctuary? As he himself has said, &ldquo;I will bring them to my holy mountain, and I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Thirdly, The table of the Lord. It is here that sense aids faith; it is here that Jesus Christ stands and shows to his beloved and loving disciples his hands and his side; and while participating in this ordinance they have said, &ldquo;I sat under his shadow with great delight, and found his fruit sweet unto my taste.&rdquo; Affliction is another season at which God vouchsafes his earnests and foretastes of heaven. Jacob was a fugitive when he said, &ldquo;This is none other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven.&rdquo; John was an exile in Patmos when he was &ldquo;in the Spirit on the Lord&rsquo;s day.&rdquo; &ldquo;And,&rdquo; says Paul, &ldquo;as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. Lastly, These earnests and foretastes of heaven are peculiarly vouchsafed in dying moments, and we shall need them then; and <p>&ldquo;Jesus can make a dying bed, <p> Feel soft as downy pillows are.&rdquo; </i><p>Affliction tends to promote the believer&rsquo;s readiness to leave this world; but these earnests tell us what heaven is, and render it attractive, so that he sings- <p>&ldquo;Yes, I have tasted of the grapes, <p> And now I long to go <p> Where my dear Lord the vineyard keeps, <p> And all the clusters grow.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> Seek ye the Lord. - <a href='B:430 2:3'>Zep 2:3</a>. </i><p>OBSERVE four purposes for which we are to seek God, and which enter essentially into genuine religion. First, We are to seek to know him. Here religion begins. &ldquo;This is life eternal to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.&rdquo; &ldquo;I will give them,&rdquo; says God, &ldquo;a heart that they may know me.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, We must seek to enjoy him. In order to this, we must be reconciled; till his anger is turned away from us, he cannot comfort us; till we are justified by faith, we cannot have peace with God; we cannot rejoice in Christ Jesus till we have received the atonement; and then we have boldness and access by the faith of him; then we can draw near to him as our exceeding joy; then our souls can be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness; in his favour we live, and his loving-kindness is better than life.<p>Thirdly, We are to seek to serve him. He is not only our portion to enjoy, but our master to obey and attend upon. &ldquo;On thee,&rdquo; says David, &ldquo;do I wait all the day&rdquo;- not only as an expectant to receive his supplies, but as a servant to receive and execute his orders, and to inquire, &ldquo;Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?&rdquo; His service is perfect freedom; his work is honourable and glorious; his yoke is easy and his burden is light; and in keeping his commandments there is great reward.<p>Fourthly, We must seek to resemble him. It is the essence of religion to be like him whom we worship. We are to &ldquo;showforth his praises&rdquo; (in the margin, virtues) &ldquo;who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light.&rdquo; God&rsquo;s virtues are God&rsquo;s perfections; and the best way in which we can show them forth is by following them and exemplying them. We cannot resemble his natural perfections; we cannot be Eternal, like him; Almighty, like him; Omniscient, or Omnipresent, like him: but we may resemble his moral attributes. In our measure and degree we may be holy, like him; do good, like him; forgive, like him; and therefore our Saviour says, &ldquo;Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful:&rdquo; &ldquo;for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.&rdquo;<p>And as we advance in this grace, and are &ldquo;renewed after the image of Him who created us in righteousness and true holiness,&rdquo; &ldquo;we are changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> They are men wondered at. - <a href='B:450 3:8'>Zec 3:8</a>. </i><p>THE subjects of divine grace are like him to whom they belong, and whose name is &ldquo;The Wonderful.&rdquo; They are for signs and for wonders. &ldquo;I am a wonder unto many,&rdquo; says David; and, indeed, the experience of Christians in general is strange to the people of the world. Their language to them seems paradoxical when they say, &ldquo;I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.&rdquo; The people of the world think it strange that they run not with them to the same excess of riot. They are amazed when they see that they can turn their backs upon those amusements and dissipations, which seem essential to their very life; and they often imagine that it is mere affectation in Christians to do this-that their hearts are still after these things; for they are not in the secret. They know not that they have discovered pleasures infinitely superior-that they are thus weaned from worldly indulgences; so that they are astonished when they see them in their trials &ldquo;possessing their souls in patience,&rdquo; and sometimes even rejoicing in tribulation.<p>The reason they are so amazed when they see this in Christians, is because they do not see all. They see their troubles, but they do not see their supports. They see the burdens which press them down, but they do not see the &ldquo;everlasting arms&rdquo; underneath them. They do not see what access they have to the throne of the heavenly grace; how they bathe their weary souls in the streams of that river which maketh glad the city of God; how by waiting upon God their strength is renewed. They are astonished when they see them going on cheerfully in their religious course, though they gain by it no worldly honour or wealth; nay, often lose the friendship of their connections, and draw upon them the abuse and reproach of their neighbours.<p>The reason is, they know not the principles which actuate them. They are not acquainted with their grand attraction; &ldquo;for the love of Christ constraineth us,&rdquo; says the Apostle, &ldquo;to live not to ourselves, but to him that died for us and rose again.&rdquo; He says, &ldquo;Lovest thou me?&rdquo; and the Christian answers, <p>&ldquo;Lord, it is my chief complaint <p> That my love is weak and faint! <p> Yet I love thee, and adore, <p> O for grace to love thee more.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive. - <a href='B:500 16:24'>Joh 16:24</a>. </i><p>SOME suppose that in this Scripture our Lord gave a gentle rebuke to his disciples for their contractedness in their prayers. As if he had said, Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name compared with what you might, with what you ought to have asked. But it is an intimation of their ignorance as to the proper mode of prayer; for as the Apostle says, &ldquo;At this time the way to the holiest was not fully made manifest.&rdquo; It had been typified and prefigured from the beginning, but the disciples themselves did not understand the thing designed. Hitherto they had not expressly prayed in his name, neither did it seem necessary while he was with them. But now, says he, &ldquo;If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it.&rdquo; &ldquo;Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will do it for you.&rdquo; Now ask, and ask in my name.<p>Nothing can be more decisive, more expressive than the declarations of Scripture concerning the nature and availableness, and only availableness, of our Saviour&rsquo;s mediation. &ldquo;We have boldness to enter into the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus.&rdquo; We come unto God by him. &ldquo;Through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father.&rdquo; &ldquo;I am the way; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.&rdquo; And be it observed that our asking in his name is not, as the Socinians explain it asking by his authority; but it means that we are to pray through his mediation; imploring blessings for his sake-pleading his incarnation, his sacrifice, his intercession. Abel was heard and accepted because of the excellency of his sacrifice. Under the law no penitent was ever pardoned in any other way, for without the shedding of blood there never was any remission.<p>We learn, therefore, from hence, that our prayers to be available must be Christian, to be Christian they must be in his name; that is, we must be sensible not only of our unworthiness, but of our guilt, not only of our wants, but of our desert; not only renouncing our own sufficiency, but our own righteousness, submitting ourselves unto the righteousness of God, acquiescing in this mode, placing all our dependence upon it, and even glorying in it. Without this, if we seek we shall have not, &ldquo;because we ask amiss.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> The riches of his goodness. - <a href='B:520 2:4'>Rom 2:4</a>. </i><p>WE may here observe, that, besides the displays of Cod&rsquo;s general goodness, there is his goodness which we may call mercy and grace-a goodness which deals with us as sinners- a goodness which was the sovereign origin of our salvation, and of all those Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, the goodness which led him to remember us in our low estate. In this, as John says, without overlooking other things-&ldquo;In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.&rdquo; &ldquo;Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.&rdquo;<p>What an unspeakable, what an infinite instance of God&rsquo;s love towards us is this. Herein we have a pledge, and indeed the substance of every other, for &ldquo;He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things.&rdquo; All things in grace. Are we oppressed with a sense of sin? and do we feel it to be a burden too heavy for us to bear? Here he says, &ldquo;I will be merciful to thy unrighteousness and thy sins, and thy iniquity will I remember no more.&rdquo; Are we groaning, by reason of the bondage of corruption, as well as under the sentence of condemnation, and do we long to be holy? Here he says, &ldquo;I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean; and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart will I give you, and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them.&rdquo; Do we apprehend dangers and difficulties in our course, filling our minds with despondency? Here he says, &ldquo;Fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness;&rdquo; &ldquo;my grace is sufficient for thee.&rdquo;<p>The riches of his goodness include all things in Providence. Here we learn that &ldquo;all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that fear him;&rdquo; here we find that &ldquo;all things shall work together for good to them that love God&rdquo;-the darkness as well as the light, pain as well as pleasure, enemies as well as friends, losses as well as gains; and &ldquo;though no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> My word shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. - <a href='B:290 55:11'>Isa 55:11</a>. </i><p>HERE we see the resemblance between natural and Spiritual influences in the certainty of their success. The snow and the rain do not return fruitless, nor shall God&rsquo;s word; neither the one nor the other is ineffectual, but produce results corresponding to a certain and previous arrangement. Some results indeed always follow. But are these showers always useful? It is easy to see, that when they fall upon the garden and upon the cultivated field they are useful, but what is their use when they fall upon the sea, upon the sand, and upon the rock? We cannot say that God has poured them down in vain even then.<p>It is not for us mere short-sighted creatures, to determine what is in vain in the divine empire, where we find one operation will produce a thousand effects. It is a fact that God sends his gospel, and it is fairly and faithfully preached often when persons do not receive it. Nor is it then thrown away; even with regard to the wicked it is not in vain; they will have to acknowledge that &ldquo;a prophet has been among them;&rdquo; &ldquo;they will have no cloak for their sin;&rdquo; they &ldquo;will be speechless;&rdquo; they will be made to feel the full conviction that their destruction has been from themselves; they will have to acknowledge that God is justified when he speaketh, and clear when he judgeth.<p>Besides, man is to be considered not only personally but relatively. Where the gospel does not sanctify, it restrains; where it does not save, it civilizes. The community derives a thousand benefits from the genial influence of the gospel. But there is a certainty of some Spiritual effects in this case also. The degree and the instances of usefulness here we are incompetent judges of. It is impossible to tell what conviction it produces, or what emotions it excites. O, could we witness what has taken place under a gospel sermon as God surveys it! Then we should find one pricked in the heart crying out, &ldquo;What must I do to be saved?&rdquo; There is another, freed from his doubts and fears, and enabled to rejoice in the God of his salvation. Another comes in, pressed with grief to the ground; and the preacher has the tongue of the learned, and speaks a word in season to his weary heart; and he finds God in his palaces for a refuge. 


devotion:
<i> There is none abiding. - <a href='B:130 29:15'>1Ch 29:15</a>. </i><p>HOW often are believers saying with the patriarch Job, &ldquo;Changes and war are against me.&rdquo; &ldquo;Here,&rdquo; says the Apostle, &ldquo;we have no continuing city.&rdquo; This will account for the variations in the views and feelings of the godly which are continually taking place. If it is now day with them- &ldquo;the day is neither clear nor dark;&rdquo; it is a mixture of both. Their life is a chequered scene. &ldquo;For we are,&rdquo; says David, &ldquo;strangers and sojourners, as were all our fathers; and our days on earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.&rdquo; The image of the church in its present condition may be &ldquo;a bush burning with fire, and not consumed;&rdquo; and the motto of each member of the church is still that which Paul adopted in his day, &ldquo;Perplexed, but not in despair; cast down, but not destroyed.&rdquo;<p>Here is the difference between vitality and formality in religion. The latter knows no change, while the former always abounds with it. Many persons are like stones in the field; they remain the same throughout the year, for they are dead. But it is otherwise with the trees in the garden-they are alive; and the &ldquo;trees of the Lord are full of sap.&rdquo; And as in the vegetable economy, so in the Spiritual-they pass through all the variations of the seasons. Here we talk of a dark night; in heaven it is day without a cloud. While we now feel changes-changes without, changes within-let us think of the everlasting covenant that is well ordered in all things and sure.<p>Here we are all anxiety and confusion in our minds and circumstances. One prop is struck away after another. One friend is removed after another, and one comfort after another is dropping; for God never meant that we should continue our hold of earthly good; but in his blessed word he says, &ldquo;Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.&rdquo; Let us, therefore, say with David, &ldquo;Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with we; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.&rdquo; Finally, let this experience teach us to look forward to heaven, for <p>&ldquo;All on earth is shadow. <p> All beyond is substance. How solid all <p> Where change is known no more.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> And they shall say, The LORD is my God. - <a href='B:450 13:9'>Zec 13:9</a>. </i><p>IN proportion as we feel our need of anything, and value it, are we anxious to make it our own. How many are there who think they would be happy if they were able to say, This office is mine, this title is mine, this house is mine, this land is mine, this inheritance is mine; but he only is truly blessed who can say, This God is mine. There is a foundation for this appropriation. Indeed there is nothing else that a Christian has which is really his own. Our wealth, if we have it, or children, or time, are not our own; our souls are not our own; but a believer may say, &ldquo;God, even our own God, shall bless us;&rdquo; and as he is really our own, so is he entirely and eternally our own. &ldquo;This &lsquo;God is our God for ever and ever.&rdquo;<p>This is the grand thing when we address God, especially when we are dealing with God in trouble and distress. Then we may plead with him on the ground of our interest in him. There are times when we may be afraid to adopt this language of appropriation, as if it did not belong to us; but there are two senses in which the most timid Christian is able to use this language.<p>First, We may use it as the language of hope. This hope may have to war daily with doubts and fears, and yet we cannot give it up. It may not at present bring us full relief, but then it ascends to the throne of grace, it brings us to the foot of the cross. This hope is like laying hold of a branch when sinking in deep waters; it is just enough to keep the head above water, to preserve us till some more effectual aid be brought to extricate us.<p>There is also another sense in which the most fearful of God&rsquo;s children can adopt this language. We can say he is our God by preference and submission. &ldquo;Lord, I am thine, save me;&rdquo; if thou refuse to acknowledge the relation (and I deserve to be refused as a friend), O &ldquo;make me as one of thy hired servants;&rdquo; &ldquo;Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?&rdquo; Thus it is we may say, &ldquo;The Lord is my portion, therefore will I hope in him.&rdquo;<p>God is ours, not only by donation on his side, but by dedication on our side. There is an inseparable connection between these two. If we have been enabled to give up ourselves to God, we may be assured that God has given himself to us. If we love God, and choose him for our portion, we may be assured he has loved us and chosen us to be his peculiar treasure, for we love him because he first loved us. <p>&ldquo;When I can say my God is mine, <p> When I can feel his glories shine, <p> I tread the world beneath my feet, <p> And all that earth calls good or great.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; when his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; as I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; when the Almighty was yet with me. - <a href='B:220 29:2-5'>Job 29:2-5</a>. </i><p>THE remembrance of our early views and feelings may tend to check present felt or feared declension, and become a principle of recall and revival, inducing us to say, &ldquo;I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better with me than now.&rdquo; We read of the &ldquo;first ways of David.&rdquo; Alas! how often are the first ways of Christians better than their last ways. Still what was said to the church at Ephesus will apply to churches and Christians now-&ldquo;I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.&rdquo; &ldquo;Go,&rdquo; says God to Jeremiah, &ldquo;and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown; Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the first fruits of his increase.&rdquo;<p>And we do well to call to remembrance the former days-the days of first love. Oh, how little dominion had the world over us then. How did we find his word, and eat it; and it was the joy and rejoicing of our souls. Then we not only called the Sabbath of the Lord a delight, but felt it so; and we numbered the intervening days. What pleasure we found in waiting upon God; the trifling things that detain us now had no power with us then. We said, &ldquo;One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.&rdquo; <p>&ldquo;What peaceful hours I then enjoyed, <p> How sweet their memory still, <p> But they have left an aching void, <p> The world can never fill.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> The wisdom of the just. - <a href='B:490 1:17'>Luk 1:17</a>. </i><p>TO be religious is to be wise. It is so in the estimation of him whose judgment is always according to truth. Scripture is express on the subject. Hence the design of John&rsquo;s ministry was to &ldquo;turn the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.&rdquo; Hence Solomon says, &ldquo;The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, that is understanding.&rdquo; It is not so, indeed, in the opinion of the world, the blind world. Yet while the men of the world rail and vilify the truly wise, they often feel convictions very different from their language; like Balaam, who while cursing Israel, was compelled to exclaim, &ldquo;How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel; let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.&rdquo;<p>So then wisdom will be justified of all her adversaries hereafter, and wisdom is justified of all her friends and all her children now. &ldquo;They know that they have chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from them.&rdquo; &ldquo;They know whom they have believed, and why they have believed him, and they are persuaded that he is able,&rdquo; and faithful, &ldquo;to keep that which they have committed to him against that day.&rdquo; They are all children of the light and of the day; they are not of the night nor of darkness. There are many things, indeed, of which they are ignorant, but they are &ldquo;made wise unto salvation.&rdquo; They have &ldquo;an unction from the Holy One, and know all things.&rdquo; Not all things absolutely, but all things relatively-all things essential, all things which are necessary to their real welfare. They were once blind; they will acknowledge it; but they now see and are thankful. They know what is &ldquo;the hope of their calling and the riches of the glory of their inheritance.&rdquo; They know all things comparatively: their knowledge is different from the knowledge of the same thing which they once had, for now in God&rsquo;s &ldquo;light they see light,&rdquo; and the Holy Spirit &ldquo;leads them into all truth.&rdquo;<p>They have, therefore, other views of themselves, and other views of the Saviour, than they once had. Their knowledge discriminates between things that differ-between those truths which are essential and those which are circumstantial- between those truths which are fundamental and those which are ornamental-between treasures and treasuries. Their knowledge is practical. They are wise to propose the noblest end, and wise to pursue it by the most suitable means-wise to secure in the only opportunity the things which belong to their peace. &ldquo;He that gathereth in summer is a wise son; but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him. - <a href='B:500 6:44'>Joh 6:44</a>. </i><p>THERE are three things here deserving our regard. The first regards our coming to Christ; implying absence, accessibleness, and application. The second regards man&rsquo;s inability without divine agency; this inability is moral and universal. The third, the influence by which the soul is brought to the Saviour: it is by an influence divine; it is by the Father, who hath sent the Saviour; it is by the Father&rsquo;s drawing him. This is not always an alluring and gentle influence. When God is dealing with the souls of men in bringing them to the Saviour they often feel something besides pleasing and gentle attraction. This was the case with the jailor, when tremblingly he exclaimed, &ldquo;What must I do to be saved?&rdquo; and with the three thousand, when they were pricked in the heart, and cried out, &ldquo;Men and brethren, what must we do?&rdquo; In a general way (for there are some little variations) the work may be described thus.<p>First, There is conviction of sin: the man is made to see the nature, the pollution, and the number of his transgressions.<p>This produces, Secondly, Distress and fear: he sees the curse of the law hanging over his offences, and that he is ready to perish. His conscience is awakened, it condemns him; a burden too heavy for him oppresses him. The world no longer can charm him; he feels his need of something now which he never felt before, and he feels that it cannot be derived from himself.<p>Hence, Thirdly, Self renunciation and despair: he sees that he can do nothing to atone for his former transgressions, to deliver him from the condemnation of the law, and to renew him in the Spirit of his mind.<p>Yet, Fourthly, Along with all this there is some hope founded upon the declarations and examples of Scripture. This hope for a time may be very weak and trembling, just sufficient to keep him from despair and afterwards from turning back to perdition, and to induce him, as with a rope upon his neck, to go forward towards the merciful King of Israel, saying, &ldquo;I will go in unto the king: and if I perish, I perish.&rdquo;<p>Fifthly, With all this there are new and earnest desires after Jesus; a hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Now he sees the Saviour&rsquo;s all-sufficiency and his suitableness. His desires are naturally drawn towards him, as those of a hungry man after food, or those of a thirsty man after water. Oh, says he, whatever I may be denied, &ldquo;that I may but know him, and the power of his resurrection.&rdquo;<p>And therefore, Lastly, He is now willing to receive Jesus Christ, as he is presented in the gospel-a holy and gracious Saviour, at once the destroyer of sin and of self; and not only now does he feel a readiness to submit to this plan, but he is able to acquiesce in it, to glory in it, and to say with the Apostle, &ldquo;God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> And when they had prayed, the place teas shaken where they were assembled together. - <a href='B:510 4:31'>Act 4:31</a>. </i><p>OBSERVE here the occasion of the prayer. Peter and John had been apprehended, and had successfully defended themselves; so, when the council had further threatened them, &ldquo;they were let go, finding nothing how they could punish them.&rdquo; Like attracts like, and &ldquo;being let go they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them;&rdquo; and the persecuted disciples immediately gave themselves to prayer. Prayer is enjoined upon us in our distresses.&rdquo; &ldquo;Call upon me in the day of trouble.&rdquo; &ldquo;Is any afflicted, let him pray.&rdquo;<p>Observe the substance of their prayer. It was very seasonable, very suitable, and very short, as all Bible prayers are. It was also very exemplary; though they had been so evil entreated, yet they felt no disposition for revenge. They remembered the instructions of him who had said, &ldquo;Love your enemies; bless them that curse you.&rdquo; They had imbibed the Spirit of him who, &ldquo;when he was reviled, reviled not again; but committed himself into the hands of him that judgeth righteously.&rdquo; And therefore you see they besought God to stretch forth his hand, not to strike and punish, but &ldquo;to heal.&rdquo;<p>There was something very extraordinary in this prayer. Though the Jews acted so wickedly in putting the Saviour to death, yet they did it&rdquo; according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.&rdquo; Here is a chain thrown across a river; we can see the two opposite ends, but not the union in the midst; but were the chain raised, or the water lowered, we could see the connection as well as the extremities. All our knowledge of the affair begins and ends here-God&rsquo;s foreknowledge and man&rsquo;s free agency harmonize really, but inexplicably. Then we see the success of the prayer; and God hath never said to the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain. The sign of the acceptance of the prayer seems strange-&ldquo;The place was shaken.&rdquo; This seemed much more likely to produce dread than to engender hope. But God would so teach us that he is &ldquo;greatly to be feared in the assembly of his saints,&rdquo; that he will be sanctified of all them that come nigh to him, and that there was something awful in the dispensation of his mercy and his grace; as Watts says:- <p>&ldquo;Terrors attend the wond&rsquo;rous way <p> That brings our blessings down.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. - <a href='B:510 4:31'>Act 4:31</a>. </i><p>THIS is said to have been the effect resulting from the prayers of the Apostles, and the members of the Church assembled, when Peter and John were set at liberty after being examined by the chief priests and elders. The effect as here stated has two references.<p>First, It refers to the extraordinary agency of the Holy Ghost. This was now necessary in their circumstances, and they had already been enabled to speak suddenly many languages which they had never learned, and healed with a word a man who had been lame from his birth. Thus the grand seal of heaven was affixed to their commission. But though these extraordinary influences were then needful, they were not to be continued; indeed, if they had been continued, they would have been extraordinary no longer. The possession of them never was an evidence of the godliness of the possessor. Balaam prophesied as sublimely as ever Isaiah did, and Judas performed miracles as well as Peter and John. Many will be disowned by our Saviour in the last day, who will yet be able to plead, &ldquo;Have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name done many wonderful works?&rdquo; And, therefore, while we are not to look for these now, we should not envy those who were partakers of them. The Apostle says to the Corinthians, &ldquo;Covet earnestly the best gifts; and yet show I unto you a more excellent way;&rdquo; that is, as he adds, Seek after the possession of the graces of God&rsquo;s Spirit, &ldquo;faith, hope, and charity, these three;&rdquo; and remember that &ldquo;the greatest of these is charity.&rdquo; Seek to be &ldquo;filled with the Spirit,&rdquo; as a Teacher, an Enlivener, a Renewer, a Comforter.<p>Secondly, The expression refers to the special influences of the Holy Ghost. They were now called to fresh deeds, fresh difficulties, fresh dangers; and therefore they required fresh supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And. thus we, like them, may also find strength equal to the day, and obtain accessions of illumination and confidence, and courage, peace, and joy, and be prepared to stand complete in all the will of God. 


devotion:
<i> Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. - <a href='B:560 6:10'>Eph 6:10</a>. </i><p>THE Fall has left us as much without strength as without righteousness. Many are not willing to admit this. It is much easier to convince such of their guilt than of their weakness. Though they neglect for the present the &ldquo;things which belong to their peace,&rdquo; they never question their ability to do them. Therefore, at some future season, when they have leisure-and when circumstances are more favourable-they mean to do this. But, ah! the trial, the real trial, would convince them of their inability of themselves to believe, to repent, to obey, and to become &ldquo;new creatures;&rdquo; this would bring them upon their knees, and then these important results would soon be exemplified.<p>But Christians themselves acquire the knowledge of their weakness slowly and gradually. At first they are found to rely very much upon their convictions, purposes, resolutions, and perhaps vows too, but their &ldquo;iniquities, like the wind, after all carry them away,&rdquo; and by their failings and falls they are taught that they only are safe who are &ldquo;kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation.&rdquo; They also learn to pray more and more- &ldquo;Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.&rdquo; This was the case with Peter. But a very few hours after his warm, sincere, and vehement protestations of fidelity-&ldquo;Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee&rdquo;-have elapsed before we find him denying the Saviour, and that with oaths and curses. Let us <p>&ldquo;Beware of Peter&rsquo;s word, <p> Nor confidently say, <p>&lsquo;I never will deny thee, Lord,&rsquo; <p> But grant I never may.&rdquo; </i><p>Christians learn by experience more and more where alone their strength lies, and they are led at length to trust in the Lord only, &ldquo;for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.&rdquo; They find that all their &ldquo;sufficiency is of God;&rdquo; that his grace and his strength alone is sufficient for them. Hence the command-&rdquo;Be strong in the Lord,&rdquo; &c. Hence the promise-&ldquo;I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.&rdquo; Hence the prayer-&ldquo;Be thou my strong rock, for a house of defence to save me.&rdquo; And hence the devout and confident acknowledgment-&ldquo;I can do all things through Christ strengthening me.&rdquo; When cast down under a sense of weakness, and of the duties, difficulties, and dangers of our course, let us remember that <p>-&ldquo;The Mighty God <p> Still feeds the strength of every saint.&rdquo; </i><p>There are two things with regard to this strength, we must remember. The one is, the supplies of it are communicated seasonally-&ldquo;As thy day so shall thy strength be.&rdquo; His grace is communicated in time of need, active grace for active service, suffering grace for a suffering hour, and dying grace for a dying hour. And the other is, that it is obtained by the use of means-&ldquo;They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.&rdquo; Our souls can never prosper if we neglect the use of means. It is &ldquo;the diligent soul that shall be made fat.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> They shall all know me. - <a href='B:300 31:34'>Jer 31:34</a>. </i><p>KNOWLEDGE is the prerogative and the distinction of humanity. &ldquo;For there is a Spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding.&rdquo; The principal object of this knowledge must be God himself, whether we consider the perfections of his nature, or the various relations in which he stands to his creatures. Indeed we know nothing as we ought to know, unless we know him. This knowledge is evangelical. It is not knowing him as the almighty and eternal God, who made all things; &ldquo;who upholdeth all things by the word of his power;&rdquo; &ldquo;who is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.&rdquo; This knowledge will not answer the purpose of a poor perishing sinner. Yea, it may operate upon his depravity to produce distance, dread, and dislike.<p>&ldquo;We are saved by hope;&rdquo; and our restoration cannot be accomplished till we are enabled by his grace to hope in him, and to see that with the Lord there is forgiveness, and with him is plenteous redemption. God in nature is God above us; God in providence is God beyond us; God in law is God against us: but God in Christ is God for us, and God with us, and God in us. We must know him, therefore, in the person of his dear Son; for &ldquo;God, who commandeth the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.&rdquo; This knowledge is experimental.<p>There is a great diiference between knowing a thing only in theory and knowing it in experience, by the confidence of the heart, the bias of the will, and the ardour of the affections. It is expressed by tasting-&ldquo;O taste and see that the Lord is good.&rdquo; This is very different from the mere reading, speaking, and talking about it. The knowledge of some professors of religion never descends lower than the head. But in the new covenant God says, &ldquo;I will give them a heart to know me;&rdquo; and this knowledge is ever accompanied with three things. With confidence-&ldquo;They that know thy name will put their trust in thee;&rdquo; with affection-&ldquo;He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love;&rdquo; and with obedience-&ldquo;He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.&rdquo;<p>This knowledge is therefore practical; indeed knowledge is always to be viewed in the order of means; and when it does not reach the end, the sacred writers consider it no better than ignorance; and indeed it is not. This knowledge is also appropriating; and there are some who can say with the Psalmist, &ldquo;This God is our God for ever and ever, and he will be our guide even unto death.&rdquo; And oh! what a happy experience to be able to exclaim- <p>&ldquo;When I can say this God is mine, <p> When I can feel his glory shine, <p> I&rsquo;ll tread the world beneath my feet, <p> And all that earth calls good or great.&rdquo; </i><p>And where this appropriation is not actually experienced! it is always really desired; and the desire is an evidence of a work of grace begun in the heart. The Christian therefore prays with David, &ldquo;Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation;&rdquo; and &ldquo;blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Come unto me. - <a href='B:470 11:28'>Mat 11:28</a>. </i><p>THIS is not to be understood corporeally. Many literally came to the Lord Jesus Christ when upon earth; some from captiousness, some from curiosity, some for the loaves and fishes, and some under temporary emotion and awakening; to whom he said, &ldquo;Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life;&rdquo; but though the expression is not to be understood corporeally, it is yet taken from the body. It is a remark of Dr. Watts, that there is hardly a part of the human body whose action has not been employed to hold forth the operations of faith. Sometimes the reference is to the eye-then believing is seeing him; sometimes it is to the ear-then believing is hearing him; sometimes to the taste-then believing is eating his flesh and drinking his blood; sometimes to the feet, and then believing is coming to him. If it be asked, what is coming to Christ? it is believing on him; and what is believing on him? it is coming to him.<p>This coming to Christ implies three things. First, Absence; for what need is there of our coming to Christ, unless we are previously at a distance from him? Such is the condition of every man. Naturally all are without Christ as to saving influence as to a proper knowledge of him, love to him, confidence in him, and union and communion with him.<p>Secondly, Accessibleness. We can come to him, we can find and approach him. Not to his bodily presence. As man he is absent; as God he is still present. He said to his Apostles, &ldquo;Lo! I am with you, even to the end of the world.&rdquo; Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.<p>Thirdly, Application; for this coming to him is to deal with him concerning the affairs of the soul and eternity, and for all the purposes for which he executes his various offices, and for all the blessings which he has to bestow. We come to him as a way, that we may walk in him; as to a refuge, that we may enter him; as to a fountain open for sin and uncleanness, that we may wash therein; as to a foundation, that we may build on him our structure of hope and happiness for ever: as diseased and dying patients try a physician; and, throwing ourselves at his feet, cry, &ldquo;Heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.&rdquo;<p>We come to him as a Prophet, and we pray that he would &ldquo;lead us into all truth;&rdquo; as to the High Priest of our profession, and beseech him to intercede for us. We come to him as our King, and pray that he would rule over us, and reign in us, and establish there his own kingdom, which is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. We come to him as the &ldquo;Shepherd of Israel divine,&rdquo; and ask, &ldquo;Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon.&rdquo; I want thy rest, and I want thy food, and nothing else will satisfy my longing soul.<p>Faith is therefore often represented by trusting in him. The idea is that of confidence exercised, and this is always preceded and accompanied by knowledge. Hence, said the Psalmist, &ldquo;They that know thy name will put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> As a root out of a dry ground, he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him. - <a href='B:290 53:2'>Isa 53:2</a>. </i><p>THIS is most culpable ignorance. If we found a man who was entirely insensible to Milton&rsquo;s &ldquo;Paradise Lost,&rdquo; or Cowper&rsquo;s &ldquo;Task,&rdquo; dead to Raffael&rsquo;s pencil, to all the beautiful and sublime scenery of nature, to all that is illustrious and inspiring in human disposition and action, we should be ready to say, Why this senselessness is enough to make a stone speak. Men may be undeserving of the praise they obtain, or if the praise be deserved in the reality, it may be excessive in the degree. But it is impossible to ascribe titles too magnificent, attributes too exalted, adoration too intense, to him who &ldquo;is fairer than the children of men;&rdquo; who is &ldquo;the chief among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely;&rdquo; for &ldquo;how great is his beauty!&rdquo; <p>&ldquo;All human beauties, all divine, <p> In our beloved meet and shine.&rdquo; </i><p>Oh! there have been individuals whom it would have been a sin not to have admired and applauded. We have heard of a Pearce, a Wilberforce, a Winter, and a Newton, who seemed to be &ldquo;the Spirits of just men made perfect.&rdquo; We have heard of a Howard, and have melted at the recollection before his image in St. Paul&rsquo;s; of a Fenelon, who seemed to possess the meekness of wisdom and the wisdom of meekness; and as to Archbishop Usher, Bishop Burnet says, &ldquo;In free and frequent conversation I had with him for twenty-five years, I never heard him utter a word which had not a tendency to edification; and I never saw him in any other frame than that in which I wish to be found when I come to die.&rdquo; But He made all these fine beings- all their excellencies were derived from Him; and if all these excellencies, and all other excellencies that could be extracted from men on earth or from angels in heaven, were assembled together, the aggregate could be no more compared with his glory, than a drop to the ocean or a beam to the sun.<p>Now to be insensible to such a Being as this, argues not merely a want of intellectual, but of moral taste; and evinces not only ignorance, but depravity. The man is dead; but, as the Apostle says, &ldquo;he is dead in trespasses and sins&rdquo;-that is, morally and guiltily dead. He can &ldquo;walk according to the course of this world,&rdquo; though he cannot take a step in the way everlasting. He can feel a veneration before an earthly judge, but he can constantly trifle in the presence of the Judge of all. He can admire an earthly friend, but never extols that &ldquo;Friend who sticketh closer than a brother:&rdquo; <p>&ldquo;Whose heart is made of tenderness, <p> Whose bowels melt with love.&rdquo; </i><p>He can idolize the hero that falls in defence of his country; he can applaud all that the chisel, all that the pen, all that the pencil can produce, and aid in rolling along his fellow-creature&rsquo;s fame to the end of the earth; but he who died not for a country, but for a world, and for a world of crime, He awakens no emotion, no respect. <p>&ldquo;Brightness of thy Father&rsquo;s glory, <p> Shall thy praise unheeded he? <p> Fly, my soul, such guilty silence, <p> Sing the Lord who came to die.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> The grace of God that bringeth Salvation. - <a href='B:630 2:11'>Tit 2:11</a>. </i><p>IT is of the gospel the Apostle here speaks. Observe its name: &ldquo;the grace of God.&rdquo; This is a name often applied to it in the Scripture, as for instance, we read, &ldquo;This is the true grace of God wherein we stand.&rdquo; &ldquo;Receive not the grace of God in vain.&rdquo; &ldquo;It is a good thing that the heart he established with grace.&rdquo; This designation of it is intended chiefly to remind us of its source, as it could only arise from the good pleasure of his goodness. Surely we contributed nothing towards this dispensation by our desert, or preparations to receive it, or desires after it. The gospel also reveals and testifies of the grace of God. This is the communication it makes concerning his treatment of a world of rebels: that &ldquo;God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.&rdquo; Herein he shows us the &ldquo;exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ.&rdquo;<p>Observe its subject. The gospel is not employed on a trifle. Its infinite importance is to be inferred from the subject it brings, which is salvation. This is a blessing we can never too highly extol. It is called &ldquo;a great salvation.&rdquo; Other salvations have been produced by an exertion of Divine power only, but this was achieved by nothing less than the incarnation, sufferings, and death of the Son of God. Those were for the body, this for the soul; they were for time, this for eternity. We can look into Blackstone to know how to save our property; into Galen to know how to save our health; into Seneca to know how to save our reputation.<p>Yet, if we would attain a knowledge of the way to obtain the salvation of our souls in the day of the Lord Jesus with eternal glory, we must come to the Scripture. Here are the &ldquo;words of eternal life,&rdquo; which &ldquo;show unto men the way of salvation.&rdquo; I am expiring, here is a remedy; I am in bondage, here is redemption; I am perishing, here is &ldquo;balm in Gilead&rdquo; and a physician; I am destitute, here is &ldquo;the bread of life;&rdquo; naked, here is Christ&rsquo;s &ldquo;robe of righteousness;&rdquo; poor, here are &ldquo;unsearchable riches;&rdquo; I am nothing, here I can &ldquo;possess all things,&rdquo; and exclaim, &ldquo;Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.&rdquo; 


devotion:
MAY !7<p><i> The common salvation. - <a href='B:720 1:3'>Jud 1:3</a>. </i><p>IN eulogizing the gospel the finest epithet the Apostle could attach to it was its commonness. Common to all ages, all countries, all conditions, all characters; for &ldquo;the grace of God,&rdquo; saith another Apostle, &ldquo;hath appeared unto all men.&rdquo; Christianity was designed to be a &ldquo;light to lighten the Gentiles,&rdquo; as well as &ldquo;the glory of the people Israel.&rdquo; Hence Christ is not compared to a lamp, which can shed but a partial and confined illumination, but to the orb of day, which irradiates the valley and the hill. &ldquo;I am come a light into the world.&rdquo; This will be the final result of Christianity. Down to this time it has had to do with individuals and families; by and by there will be the &ldquo;nations of those who are saved.&rdquo; &ldquo;The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.&rdquo; And to this universal extension it is every way adapted; there is nothing in Christianity restrictive. The Jewish religion, though divine in its origin, was confined, and necessarily confined, to one people.<p>But Christianity has no locality; &ldquo;The hour cometh,&rdquo; said our Saviour to the woman of Sychar, &ldquo;when neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem shall men exclusively or superstitiously worship the Father.&rdquo; By revealing pardon, mercy, sanctifying grace, and eternal life, it is easy to see that the gospel addresses man only as man, regardless of any adventitious circumstances. It regards all men, wherever they are, first, as guilty; secondly, as depraved; and thirdly, however guilty and. depraved, as destined to immortality. It passes by all the little distinctions that exist for a few moments here between the great and the small, the rich and the poor, the learned and the illiterate, and verifies the language of the Apostle, &ldquo;There is neither Jew nor Greek, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all.&rdquo; And surely this will much more strongly apply to those minor differences, that subsist among those who equally &ldquo;worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.&rdquo; It teaches us to say, &ldquo;Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.&rdquo; It rebukes all persons who would confine salvation to their own party, and who anathematise those who are walking without the line drawn by their prejudice, ignorance, and pride.<p>The gospel teaches us to say of every disciple of Jesus, &ldquo;Whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother and sister and mother.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men. - <a href='B:630 2:11'>Tit 2:11</a>. </i><p>BY this the Apostle intends particularly to intimate that none are excluded from the benefits which the gospel reveals, and that none are exempt from its appointments. All men are included in the benefits the gospel reveals. We never in the Scriptures read any such language as this: If this person seek him he will be found by him; but if that person seek him he will reject him. So far from that, the language of the gospel is, &ldquo;Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely;&rdquo; &ldquo;Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;&rdquo; Go forth, and &ldquo;as many as you find, both good and bad, bid to the wedding.&rdquo;<p>In proclamations of grace among men there are always some exceptions; for instance, the ringleaders are excluded: their pardon would endanger the safety of the community. But &ldquo;God&rsquo;s thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor God&rsquo;s ways as our ways.&rdquo; We have, therefore, in the Scriptures some of the chief of sinners, the vilest of the vile, called on purpose to be patterns: not to induce people to continue in their sins, but to seek after salvation from them; and the Apostle, after mentioning the wickedness of his former course of life, says, &ldquo;Nevertheless I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting.&rdquo; And as none are excluded from its benefits, so none are exempted from its appointments.<p>It reaches to all men. It commands sovereigns and judges, as well as subjects and criminals. It says, &ldquo;Be wise now, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth.&rdquo; It says, &ldquo;Blessed are all they that put their trust in the Lord.&rdquo; None are beneath its notice. It enters into all the directions of actual life. If men are single, it prescribes their choice; if they are connected, it regulates their condition; if they are masters, it tells them of a &ldquo;master in heaven;&rdquo; if they are servants, it enjoins them to &ldquo;adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things;&rdquo; if wives, it enjoins that they reverence their husbands; if husbands, it commands them to love their wives; if children, to be obedient to their parents; and parents to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and thus we see how &ldquo;the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> For he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. - <a href='B:490 6:35'>Luk 6:35</a>. </i><p>INGRATITUDE is the blackest of all crimes. &ldquo;The ungrateful are like the grave, always receiving and never returning;&rdquo; but nothing can equal our ingratitude if we refrain from speaking in our Saviour&rsquo;s praise. We have no claim upon his benevolence; we are unworthy of the least of all his mercies. Nay, we are not only unworthy, but we are undeserving, ill-deserving, and hell-deserving creatures; we have sinned ourselves completely into the hands of his justice; and he could both righteously and easily have destroyed us.<p>Let us think also of the number and magnitude of the benefits which he bestows. Without going over the field of nature, or examining the dispensations of Providence, though in reference to them we should &ldquo;abundantly utter the memory of his great goodness,&rdquo; we will notice only those which refer to the Saviour&rsquo;s coming &ldquo;to seek and to save that which was lost;&rdquo; &ldquo;to deliver us from the curse of the law;&rdquo; to save us from the &ldquo;wrath to come;&rdquo; to emancipate us from the &ldquo;bondage of corruption;&rdquo; to make us the &ldquo;sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty;&rdquo; and to entitle us to an immensity and an eternity of blessedness and honour insured to us and even begun in us here. And then let us add the expensiveness of the medium.<p>We sometimes do good, but it may be without design, or to gain advantage or reputation, or it may be owing to some pressure, or to deliver ourselves from some importunity, or without any self-denial. But we &ldquo;know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who though he was rich yet for our sakes became poor.&rdquo; We know that he laid aside the form of the sovereign, and took upon him the form of a servant. He was &ldquo;a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.&rdquo; We have seen him in the manger, agonizing in the garden, and bleeding on the cross. And can we see this, without every feeling of our soul inducing us to exclaim- <p>&ldquo;Let him be crown&rsquo;d with majesty <p> Who bowed his head to death, <p> And be his honour sounded high <p> By all things that have breath.&rdquo; </i>


devotion:
<i> Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. - <a href='B:220 14:4'>Job 14:4</a>. </i><p>THE natural state of man as a sinner, as described in the Scriptures, differs very widely from the notions entertained of him by some. For while there are those who altogether deny his fall and depravity, there are others who suppose he yet possesses a very large degree of rectitude, and that the common grace which every man is supposed to bring into the world, if well managed, is sufficient for his salvation. It is easier to bring men to a confession of their guilt than of their inability. They cannot indeed very well deny that they have sinned, but as to their neglecting their duty, they mean to attend to this, and they never questioned their ability to repent and obey whenever they please. But surely such persons cannot have read the Scriptures with attention or they would have found that Paul himself acknowledges that &ldquo;in him,&rdquo; that is in his &ldquo;flesh, dwelt no good thing.&rdquo;<p>No stream can rise higher than its fountain. The effect cannot be better than its cause. As we cannot perform natural actions without the concurrence of nature, how can we perform Spiritual actions without the concurrence of the Spirit? If we &ldquo;live and move and have our being&rdquo; in God naturally, surely we must live and move and have our being in God Spiritually, especially when we consider that this life is of so much higher an order than every other.<p>What but pride can render a man averse to this design? for it only brings a man where he ought to be, that is, feeling himself to be &ldquo;nothing at all,&rdquo; and holds forth God as what he really is, &ldquo;all in all.&rdquo; This is not a mere speculation. It is a truth of importance. It serves to show those who are the subjects of this work what is their duty-to bless and praise God, who by his sovereign grace has not only provided for them salvation, but has &ldquo;enabled them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ unto life everlasting.&rdquo; So that they are not allowed to &ldquo;starve rather than come,&rdquo; but are graciously compelled to come in that his house may be filled.<p>On the other hand, if strangers to it, it shows what is their duty, namely, prayer to him who alone can accomplish this, and &ldquo;who works in us to will and to do, of his good pleasure;&rdquo; who is always able to do it, always willing to do it; and far more willing to save us than we are to be saved, and to make us holy than we are to be made holy. It is, therefore, infinitely better that the power should be in him than in ourselves. 


devotion:
<i> Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. - <a href='B:670 1:3'>1Pe 1:3</a>. </i><p>THERE are two things which may be observed with regard to gratitude, and both of them are here exemplified. The one regards the regulation of it. Temporal blessings are never to be overlooked; but what are these when compared with &ldquo;all Spiritual blessings,&rdquo; which regard the soul and eternity? How many have said, &ldquo;What a blessed rain this is!&rdquo; who have never once in their lives said, &ldquo;Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope.&rdquo;<p>The other regards the importance of confidence in order to gratitude. The discovery of these blessings is a very pleasing thing, and it is well to know that they are attainable, and to rejoice even in hope of them; but it is the appropriation of these blessings which touches all the springs of holy passion and praise. It is this that animates the Apostle and his fellows in this passage-&ldquo;who hath begotten us.&rdquo; But how are we to &ldquo;bless&rdquo; the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? How can we bless him? We never can bless him as he blesses us. When he blesses us he communicates something, and we receive something we had not before; but this will not apply to our blessing him: our goodness extendeth not to him. He is exalted above all blessing and praise. But gratitude really consists in the disposition to return a favour received.<p>Among men there may be more than an equivalent given for a favour received, but this can never be the case with regard to the Almighty; our obligations to him can never be discharged. The gratitude therefore must appear principally in feeling them, and, while we are unable to make adequate returns, in showing that we are willing to make suitable ones, such as are in our power. It will appear therefore in our thinking well of him, in our speaking well of his name, in recommending him to others, in endeavouring to please him, in praying that the words of our lips and the meditations of our hearts may be acceptable in his sight, according to the inquiry of David and the admonition of the Apostle, &ldquo;What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits?&rdquo; &ldquo;I beseech you by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto the Lord, which is your reasonable service.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Blessed he the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. - <a href='B:670 1:3'>1Pe 1:3</a>. </i><p>HERE are three things we may notice concerning the production of the believer&rsquo;s hope. First, The author of it. &ldquo;The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.&rdquo; The title of God, under the Old Testament dispensation, was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The title of God under the Gospel is, so to speak, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything is paternal in the new economy. &ldquo;The Father loveth the Son, and hath put all things into his hands.&rdquo; This is the grand rule in the dispensation of divine grace. It always regards him first, and then us in him, as he said to his disciples, &ldquo;I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.&rdquo; We here see not only the communion which Christ and Christians have in this relation, but we see the order of the communion too. First, His God and Father; then our God and Father. It is this which is to explain the manner in which we are always to pray. We are to come and ask in his name and for his sake, and it is this which is to explain the motive urged by the Apostle, &ldquo;to forgive one another even as God for Christ&rsquo;s sake hath forgiven us.&rdquo;<p>Secondly, Observe the principle of the production. &ldquo;According to his abundant mercy.&rdquo; There was power in God; this would have crushed us. There was justice in God; this would have condemned us. There was goodness in God; but we have no claims upon his goodness. He could both righteously and easily have destroyed us. But there was mercy, &ldquo;abundant mercy.&rdquo; Owing to this, mankind from the beginning were placed under a dispensation of forbearance. This led God so early to speak in a way of promise to the perishing children of men; this led him to open a door of hope even in this vale of tears. <p>&ldquo;&rsquo;Tis from the mercy of our God <p> That all our hope begins.&rdquo; </i><p>&ldquo;Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.&rdquo;<p>Thirdly, Observe the medium of the production: &ldquo;The God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.&rdquo; The case is this, that all the hope we derive from the mediation of Jesus Christ, or from any one of the offices he sustains, depends upon his resurrection, and would be nothing without it. It is in his discharge from the grave we may read our own discharge from the curse of the law. In his resurrection we behold him as the model, the principle, and the efficiency of our resurrection. When he died, we died in him; and when he rose, we rose with him. 


devotion:
<i> A lively hope. <a href='B:670 1:3'>1Pe 1:3</a>. </i><p>THE &ldquo;hope laid up for us in heaven&rdquo; has entirely and only to do with life. All life is valuable, but there is a life which deserves the name-a life of justification, a life of sanctification, the life of God in the soul of man, the life everlasting. This hope has only to do with this life. It is a hope full of immortality. The Apostle here means that it is durable and growing. Other hopes die. We have buried many of our hopes already, and others are dropping off like leaves in autumn. But this hope can never decline, never diminish: it will not grow dim with the eye, nor dull with the ear of the body; but as the &ldquo;outward man perishes, the inward man will be renewed day by day.&rdquo;<p>Time is necessarily killing every other hope. Every day, every hour, takes something from our worldly possessions and enjoyments, and brings us nearer to the end of them; but the very reverse of this is the case with the Christian&rsquo;s hope. Every day, every hour, instead of diminishing, increases it; brings us nearer to its fruition and perfection for ever. He means to tell us, that in this &ldquo;lively hope&rdquo; there is an efficiency. This hope can never be found in the soul inoperative. All real hope indeed is active and lively, according to its degree. Let us look at the energy of a Christian&rsquo;s hope in trials; it is &ldquo;an anchor of the soul, sure and stedfast:&rdquo; holding us secure in the raging and buffeting of the sea and storm. <p>&ldquo;A hope so much divine <p> May trials well endure.&rdquo; </i><p>Let us view the vigour of this hope in worldly temptations. Moses not only endured the menaces of Pharaoh because he saw &ldquo;Him who was invisible,&rdquo; but &ldquo;when he was come to years he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh&rsquo;s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect to the recompense of the reward.&rdquo;<p>It is thus by faith the Christian overcomes the world. He can only be weaned from earth by finding and realizing something better. When the soul is satisfied with the goodness, and filled with the blessing of the Lord, the world allures in vain. See the vigour of this hope in duty. When is a Christian so active as when he feels &ldquo;the joy of God&rsquo;s salvation,&rdquo; and can &ldquo;rejoice in hope?&rdquo; How this drives off dullness, and indifference, and sloth, and even drowsiness in religious concerns! How the Christian &ldquo;worships God in the Spirit,&rdquo; and is &ldquo;fervent in Spirit, serving the Lord.&rdquo; For the &ldquo;joy of the Lord is our strength.&rdquo; See the vigour of this hope in the Christian&rsquo;s sanctification and holiness. He that &ldquo;hath this hope purifieth himself even as he is pure,&rdquo; as to measure, and degree, and quality; for the believer, &ldquo;beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, is changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. - <a href='B:520 5:12'>Rom 5:12</a>. </i><p>Taking mankind at large, it is supposed that one dies every second. How many have died during the last hour, during the last day, during the last week, and during the last year! Oh, the immensity of the aggregate of the dead since the Fall! But of all this number one died first; and there are several things pertaining to the first of our race who died worthy our attention. The first man that died, died young.<p>Had the course of nature been followed, Adam and Eve would have died before Abel; but Abel went first, as if in the very beginning God would prevent the presumption of those who reckon upon life because of their youth. There cannot be a more fallacious rule to go by. The very first person that ever died, died suddenly- without warning, without sickness, in the fullness of health and strength. It is true, his death was the effect of external violence; but we need not to be informed that we are perpetually exposed to accidents, and to the malice of wicked and invisible Spirits. A sudden death commonly excites surprise, but there is nothing really wonderful in it; the wonder is on the other side. And when we consider the structure of our body, the multiplicity of the delicate organs and vessels of which it consists, the brittleness of the human frame, the wonder is that we live a single day or a single hour.<p>There are sixty movements of the blood every minute, so that sixty times every minute the question is asked, &ldquo;Shall I live or die?&rdquo; The very first man that died was a good man, a man accepted of God, loved of God. It might seem strange that God should allow this; but it showed from the first that &ldquo;no man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before him,&rdquo; that there is no judging of the regards of God by external dispensations, and that all things come alike to all. &ldquo;There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked.&rdquo; It showed, also, that though death was the effect of the curse, it could be turned into a blessing; and the fact altogether looks favourably to the human race.<p>God would not suffer Satan to have the first fruits of death. The first man that entered the grave entered glory, and heaven was inhabited by a human being before hell was inhabited by one. The very first man that died was a martyr; not only was he religious, but he died for his religion. &ldquo;Marvel not that the world hate you.&rdquo; Yes, &ldquo;if any man will live godly in Christ Jesus he shall suffer persecution.&rdquo; We see how soon this wretched business commenced in the world. It is found in the family of Abraham, between Ishmael and Isaac, where he that was &ldquo;after the flesh persecuted him that was after the Spirit.&rdquo; But it was found much earlier.<p>We read that Cain killed his brother Abel, because his own works were evil and his brother&rsquo;s righteous. He hated him because God loved him. It was &ldquo;God testifying of his gifts,&rdquo; and accepting his sacrifice, that was the only provocation of his resentment; and the &ldquo;carnal mind is still enmity against God.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Teaching us. - <a href='B:630 2:12'>Tit 2:12</a>. </i><p>LET us attend to what is here said of the influence of the gospel. It is expressed by &ldquo;teaching.&rdquo; It teaches by way of precept. Some of those precepts are particular, and others are more general. It teaches by way of example; and as example goes much further than precept, everything in the gospel is thrown down before us in instances and facts. We are not only told of the Christian warriors, but we see the warriors engaged; and we see the pilgrims, and mingle with them; we travel with them, and hold converse with them. We see the actings of faith in Abraham; of meekness in Moses; of patience in Job; of zeal in Paul; and we have the perfect example of one who did no evil- in whom was no sin-the Holy One of God-godliness incarnate- the ten commandments walking up and down in the flesh.<p>The gospel also teaches in the way of motive. It addresses every principle of our nature; every passion of our bosom; our hope, our fear, our joy, our sorrow, our abhorrence, and our admiration. It draws back the veil, and we see a burning world-a descending Judge-the rising dead-the dead, small and great, standing before God-the glories of heaven and the flames of hell. It addresses our discouragements, our unworthiness, and the sense of our weakness. It says, &ldquo;Fear not, for I am with thee,&rdquo; &c. &ldquo;My grace is sufficient for thee; my strength is made perfect in weakness.&rdquo;<p>It also teaches by way of real, Spiritual, and efficient operation. It is here that none teaches like him: he not only gives the lesson, but the capacity to receive it; not only the light, but the seeing eye; not only the sound, but the hearing ear. It teaches the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the dead to feel. Precept and example may suit those who are already alive; but what will they do with those who are &ldquo;dead in trespasses and sins,&rdquo; unless there be something more? There is this distinction between the gospel and all other moral means: all other moral means are left to their own unaided strength; but this is not the case with the gospel. The gospel is connected with the presence and energy of God, and this is insured to us.<p>The gospel is the &ldquo;ministration of the Spirit.&rdquo; &ldquo;Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.&rdquo; And when it is effectual for our salvation it comes, as the Apostle says to the Thessalonians, &ldquo;not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. - <a href='B:630 2:12'>Tit 2:12</a>. </i><p>HERE we see what the gospel teaches us to deny, and what it teaches us to do. It teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. We are therefore required to &ldquo;lay aside all malice and guile, and hypocrisy and evil speaking,&rdquo; and to receive with meekness the engrafted word-to put off the old man with his deeds, according to the deceitful lusts of the flesh-to put on the new man. It requires us not only to &ldquo;cease to do evil,&rdquo; but to &ldquo;learn to do well.&rdquo;<p>There are many people who are leaning on a negative religion; and a negative useless life is as criminal and as unchristian a life as a life of profligacy. The tree that brought not forth good fruit was hewn down. The servant that was unprofitable was a wicked servant, and cast into outer darkness; not because he abused his talent, but because he hid it. Therefore, observe what the gospel teaches us to do, &ldquo;to live soberly, righteously, and godly.&rdquo; Here is a fine reference to the three parties concerned in all moral acts and duties-ourselves, our fellow-creatures, and our God. When we are sober minded, temperate in the indulgence of our passions, affections, appetites, and senses; when we are moderate with regard to all earthly things-not too eager to gain them-not too fond of possessing them-and not too sorrowful when we resign them-then we live soberly.<p>When whatsoever we would that men should do unto us we do so also unto them; when we render to all their due; obedience to whom obedience is due; honour to whom honour is due; pity to whom pity is due; relief to whom relief is due; money to whom money is due; when actuated by conscientiousness, we regard what is due to the souls and bodies of our fellow-creatures, then we live righteously. And when our hearts are right with God; when we believe in him, fear him, love him, resemble him; when we make his word our rule, and his honour our aim, and do all to the glory of God, then we live godly. And the Apostle reminds us where we are thus to live-namely, &ldquo;in the present evil world.&rdquo;<p>There is another world to which we are rapidly advancing, and with which we are intimately connected. The gospel teaches us to make religion our principal concern in this world. Its truths must be learned; its principles must be gained; audits disposition must be exercised in the present world. We must now, or never, acquire that taste that will prepare for the enjoyment of heaven. We must now, or never, obtain that capacity that will fit us for the employments of heaven. We must now be made &ldquo;meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.&rdquo; &ldquo;Now, he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who has also given us the earnest of the Spirit.&rdquo; And when the Apostle says that it must be in the present world, he means to show the possibility as well as necessity of the case.<p>Bad as the situation is, it is possible for the grace of God to teach a man to live righteously, soberly, and godly in the present world. There have already been instances of this, and there are instances now. 


devotion:
<i> Behold, thy King cometh. - <a href='B:470 21:5'>Mat 21:5</a>. </i><p>THERE is observable throughout the whole of the Redeemer&rsquo;s history a wonderful combination of abasement and grandeur. This could be exemplified in various instances; but, especially, by what is called his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. In one view nothing could be more humiliating than this scene. He entered in order to suffer and to die on a cross, between two thieves; and he rode on an ass. The thing itself was not degrading: it was common in the East for princes and judges to ride on asses. But let us observe the appendages here. The animal was borrowed. It was untrained; &ldquo;a colt, the foal of an ass, on which never man rode.&rdquo; It was completely unfurnished, and one of the company threw his garments across its back for the Saviour&rsquo;s accommodation. And who were his attendants, his guards, his heralds-at-arms, on this occasion? None of the priests, or scribes, or chief citizens of Jerusalem, but the common people; who were considered as not knowing the law-as accursed. And yet here, even here, we behold his glory, &ldquo;the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.&rdquo;<p>For, First, The transactions had been predicted ages before by the Spirit of prophecy. Secondly, It showed the Omniscience of the Saviour, that he well knew the place and position of the two animals-the colt tied to the mother, where two ways met; and it evinced his Omnipotence, in making the owner willing to give it up for the use of a stranger. And he was surrounded with acclamations which could not be suppressed; the whole multitude of the disciples began to &ldquo;rejoice, and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;&rdquo; saying, &ldquo;Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord.&rdquo; Among the multitude were found some of the old haughty hypocrites, the Pharisees, and they immediately said, &ldquo;Master, rebuke thy disciples.&rdquo; It is very unseemly, besides it is liable to be very injurious. It is dangerous; it may gender a tumult. It is outrageous; it will bring all sober and rational religion into contempt. It is vanity in him who receives it, and indiscretion in them that offer it. They deserved no reply; but Jesus answered and said unto them, &ldquo;I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.&rdquo;<p>The phrase is susceptible of three meanings; and it is not easy to determine which was the leading sentiment in the mind of the Saviour. He would intimate, first, that the silence would be vile; secondly, that it would be difficult; and, thirdly, that it would be useless. That, should they be induced to hold their peace, nothing would be gained, for others would immediately rise up in their place who would make as much noise, and perhaps a great deal more. 


devotion:
<i> Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. - <a href='B:630 2:13-14'>Tit 2:13-14</a>. </i><p>HERE we are taught what believers are to expect, and what they are to acknowledge. It teaches us what to expect. This hope does not mean the grace of hope, but the object of hope. Observe its residence. It is said to be in another place, &ldquo;laid up for us in heaven.&rdquo; It is described by its attribute, &ldquo;blessed,&rdquo; and it may well be called &ldquo;that blessed hope;&rdquo; for &ldquo;eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.&rdquo; And it is also described by the season when it is to be attained; &ldquo;at the appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.&rdquo; This season is mentioned because it will then be accomplished.<p>The intermediate state is not denied, or overlooked, or undervalued by the Apostle, here or elsewhere, but he leads forward very naturally the minds of Christians to the consummation of the whole in the adoption: that is to say, the redemption of the body, when the flesh, which has slept in hope, shall be awakened; when this &ldquo;vile body&rdquo; will be changed, and fashioned like the Saviour&rsquo;s own glorious body; when the number of the redeemed will be complete, as well as their persons, and the whole of them entered into the joy of their Lord.<p>It also teaches believers what they are to acknowledge, for their religion is not a future existence only. No, they can look backward as well as forward; we are to acknowledge that he gave himself not only to us but for us. That is, to be poor, to be persecuted and oppressed, to suffer and to die, and not to be a martyr only, but to be a Redeemer; not only to redeem them from the guilt, and the curse, and the horrible consequences of our manifold iniquity, but as we are defiled, as well as guilty, and stand in need of renovation as well as pardon, &ldquo;to purify them unto himself &ldquo;by the agency of the Holy Spirit, that they might be &ldquo;a peculiar people;&rdquo; whose peculiarity should not consist in notions, in opinions, in the shape of a garment, in the use of a pronoun, or in a dissent from the ancient established customs and manners of the community in which they live; but a practical peculiarity and dissent from the Spirit and maxims and cares of the world-&ldquo;a peculiar people, zealous of good works.&rdquo;<p>These are the glorious truths that feed and nourish our experience and practice. Under the influence of these principles may we live, and in the enjoyment of them die. 


devotion:
<i> The great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. - <a href='B:630 2:13'>Tit 2:13</a>. </i><p>WHAT would our religion be, abstracted from the exalted sentiment, that &ldquo;he gave himself for us,&rdquo; or if these words were philosophized away? But Christians feel their power and their vitality. What an evidence have we here of the mighty doctrine of &ldquo;the faith once delivered to the saints,&rdquo; the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle, in speaking of &ldquo;the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ,&rdquo; means that he is intended. This is undeniable, because of his appearance. The appearance is never in the Scriptures applied to the Father, but only to the Son; and the being who is to appear is the same being who gave himself for us to redeem us.<p>Nor is this all; the Apostle remarks- and what a proof again is this of his divinity-that our recovery is not only from him as the author, but terminates in him as the last end. He says, he gave himself for us to &ldquo;purify unto himself a peculiar people.&rdquo; In another place, it is said, &ldquo;He hath redeemed us unto God by his blood.&rdquo; Here then he does it to present us to himself a &ldquo;glorious church.&rdquo; He cleanses it and washes it by the washing of water, that he might present it to himself a &ldquo;glorious church.&rdquo; As in the old creation, so in the new; &ldquo;all things are made by him and for him.&rdquo; And we are here reminded of our obligations to him, that we may acknowledge not only our dependence on him now, but how much we owe him, and shall owe him for ever; that we may dedicate ourselves to his service, and ask, &ldquo;Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?&rdquo;<p>And, therefore, how valuable and worthy does the gospel appear. It infinitely suits our wants, and completely relieves them. It is a doctrine of godliness and grace. &ldquo;It is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life which now is, and the life which is to come.&rdquo; It unites the glory of God and the happiness of man together; while it tranquilizes the conscience of the sinner, it heals his moral maladies, and makes him a new creature. Well may the gospel, which is so holy in its tendencies, so sublime in its doctrines, so adapted to make men individually and socially happy, be called the glory and excellency of God.<p>While we would be thankful for this inestimable blessing, let us be concerned for its wider diffusion. It is by this alone the present evil world will be morally changed. May we therefore pray that it may have free course, run, and be glorified, and that &ldquo;His way may be known upon earth, and his saving health among all nations.&rdquo; Amen. 


devotion:
<i> When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. - <a href='B:510 2:1-4'>Act 2:1-4</a>. </i><p>THE account given of the origin of Christianity in this book is both minute and marvellous. Infidelity has endeavoured to account for the fact without the admission of supernatural agency; but it has signally failed, and the very events which it has considered as causes were themselves the effects, and no solution can be given which is satisfactory but that which is here furnished us. And the more we reflect on the nature of God and the character of men, and the more we consider general causes and effects, whatever obscurities there may be, we must yet acknowledge that &ldquo;this cometh of the Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.&rdquo; Before our Saviour left his disciples, he said to them, &ldquo;Tarry ye at Jerusalem, and wait for the promise of the Father, which ye have heard of me; and ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.&rdquo;<p>It is very likely that they did not entirely comprehend the meaning of this assurance, but they believed the word of the Saviour; they expected some extraordinary communication, and therefore they remained in the city in the exercises of devotion. The event took place on one of three great festivals which the Jews were accustomed to commemorate. It is here called Pentecost, that is, &ldquo;the fiftieth;&rdquo; it means fifty days after, the promise not being fulfilled until the day was &ldquo;fully come.&rdquo; It was in the morning, and early in the morning, when the disciples were &ldquo;with one accord in one place,&rdquo; waiting in earnest and united prayer for this glorious communication; &ldquo;and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.&rdquo;<p>This was a solemn harbinger, intended to prepare them for the occasion, and it could not fail to awaken in them the most serious attention. This was an address both to the ear and to the eye, for scarcely had the sound ceased, when &ldquo;there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.&rdquo; The element of fire was an emblem of the Holy Spirit&rsquo;s influence; while the peculiar form which it assumed showed the kind of gift conferred upon them; &ldquo;for they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.&rdquo;<p>Their emotion and their zeal could not long remain unnoticed, &ldquo;for there were dwelling at Jerusalem at this time devout men, out of every nation under heaven;&rdquo; and when they heard of it they came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language, &ldquo;and they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we in our own tongue, wherein we were born, the wonderful works of God?&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? - <a href='B:510 2:8'>Act 2:8</a>. </i><p>THE audience on this occasion was composed of &ldquo;Parthians and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, and Cretes, and Arabians;&rdquo; but, however diversified, they all heard the Apostles speak in their own tongues the wonderful works of God.<p>In noticing, therefore, this extraordinary fact, we observe, First, That it could be nothing less than a real miracle. Two things are essential to a miracle. First, There must be something that can be seen, and touched, and handled. These are called signs, and it would be wonderful if signs could not be seen. This, by the way, shows the absurdity of the doctrine of transubstantiation. Its advocates say it is a miracle. Why, then, let it be seen. We are all capable of seeing and knowing bread and wine; the priest mumbles certain words over it, and he says it is changed. Why, then, let it be seen-let it be tasted, let it be touched, let it be examined. It was so with all the miracles of Moses. It was so with the miracles of our Lord. The deaf heard, the blind saw, the dumb spake, the lepers were cleansed, the dead were raised up; and so it was here. These men professed to speak in all these various languages; well, and here were many men who heard them speak in these languages, and were well capable of judging.<p>Secondly, A miracle must be above all known second causes. God only could have done this. God only could have stored the minds of these men with such a multitude of arbitrary signs, and have given them power and ability to utter such a variety of distinct sounds. It is well known to be very difficult for any man to speak a foreign language-to bring his knowledge of it into application, so as to be intelligible. And yet we find these men speaking these languages off-hand, and rendering themselves perfectly intelligible to all that heard them. It could therefore be nothing in them. 


devotion:
<i> We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. - <a href='B:510 2:11'>Act 2:11</a>. </i><p>THE truth of the miracle here recorded is also fully substantiated. Infidels are never satisfied, or we should think here is enough to satisfy them, for who are these men? These men were well known. &ldquo;These men are all Galileans.&rdquo; If they had been strangers, it might have been said, &ldquo;O, they knew these languages and they only pretended that they had become suddenly acquainted with them.&rdquo; But the men, their characters, and their pursuits were well known; it was well known they were poor fishermen of Galilee.<p>Then observe their judges, if they had spoken in one language only the others might not have detected it; but everyman, whether Crete or Arabian, heard them speak in the dialect of his country. Observe the place, also, in which they spake. They did not go to a distance to tell their tale: they began when the Jews were around them, who were their bitter enemies. Observe the season: what large multitudes were present on the occasion. And mark their boldness: they charged the Jews with having &ldquo;killed the Prince of life,&rdquo; and denounced upon them the heaviest judgments of God. And what did Peter, who had denied his Lord and Master through fear- does he dare thus to accuse and to denounce them; and could he have done this unless God had fulfilled his promise-&ldquo; It is not ye that speak but the SPIRIT of your FATHER which speaketh in you?&rdquo; And then mark the result; the hearers were pricked in the heart, and many gladly received the word and were baptized, and the same day there were added to the church about three thousand souls.<p>Thirdly, This miracle was predicted. When our Lord was going to leave his disciples, he said, &ldquo;These signs shall follow them that believe. In my name they shall speak with new tongues.&rdquo;<p>Fourthly, This miracle was necessary. Miracles were never performed merely to excite wonder- all were to answer some useful purpose; and so it was in this case. If these disciples had gone first to learn these languages, what an expense there would have been in time and labour. And even if they had gone out with interpreters, how could they be sure that those interpreters would be faithful and trustworthy. But difficulties are nothing in the way of Omnipotence; he can remove all, and effect his purposes.<p>Fifthly, Miracles were continued for years-to the end of the times of the Apostles. Sixthly, The gift was extensively distributed. Many had it who perished. It had no connection with the salvation of the soul.<p>Finally, The absence of this miracle in the church, in the work of evangelizing the world, must now be supplied by human learning. And we ought to be very thankful to God that his word has been translated into so many tongues. But the time is coming when all the inhabitants of the earth shall read &ldquo;in their own tongues the wonderful works of God.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> That I might preach him among the heathen. - <a href='B:550 1:16'>Gal 1:16</a>. </i><p>THE Apostle preached the gospel to the Gentiles long before he preached it to the Jews at all. &ldquo;I am the Apostle of the Gentiles,&rdquo; says he; &ldquo;I magnify mine office.&rdquo; The Jews in general, having been the peculiar people of God, were exceedingly jealous of the extension of these privileges to others. It has been supposed that, for the announcement of this, Isaiah was sawn asunder. The Apostle cites this as an instance of great moral heroism. Isaiah is very bold, and says, &ldquo;I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by name.&rdquo; And even the minds of our Lord&rsquo;s own immediate disciples were beclouded by this prejudice, and it required a miracle to deliver the Apostle Peter from this tendency.<p>But it was otherwise with this Hebrew of the Hebrews. Oh what a noble soul had he from the beginning! He rejoiced in proportion as the blessings of the gospel became common and general. &ldquo;Would to God,&rdquo; said he before Agrippa, &ldquo;that all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.&rdquo; It delighted him to think his head would not sparkle alone, but that the heads of them also that love the Saviour&rsquo;s appearing would be equally adorned with the same crown.<p>Thus it was God&rsquo;s design that the Gentiles should become partakers of the promises of Christ by the gospel. While &ldquo;without Christ&rdquo; they had been &ldquo;aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise, living without hope, and without God in the world;&rdquo; enveloped in ignorance, darkness, idolatry, superstition, and every kind of vice and wretchedness. But it was predicted that &ldquo;in his name should the Gentiles trust,&rdquo; and to him should &ldquo;the Gentiles seek.&rdquo; Simeon was enabled to perceive this when he embraced the infant Saviour, and blessed God that he had seen his salvation, &ldquo;which was prepared before the face of all people: a light to lighten the Gentiles,&rdquo; as well as &ldquo;the glory of his people Israel.&rdquo; The Jews had despised them; considering themselves children, they always called them &ldquo;dogs&rdquo;-viewing themselves as &ldquo;citizens,&rdquo; they considered them only as &ldquo;outcasts.&rdquo;<p>But, says our Saviour, &ldquo;Go ye out into the highways and hedges, and bring in the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.&rdquo; What goodness, yea, what abounding grace was here! It says to the most unworthy, <p>&ldquo;Let not conscience make you linger, <p> Nor of fitness fondly dream. </i><p>Let us therefore be encouraged, when most sensible of our guilt and misery. Unto us, as well as unto these Gentiles, has been sent &ldquo;the unsearchable riches of Christ.&rdquo; 


devotion:
<i> An inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. - <a href='B:670 1:4'>1Pe 1:4</a>. </i><p>AN inheritance properly signifies patrimonial or hereditary property, as distinguished from what is obtained by purchase or received as wages or reward. And this blessing, this glory, comes to us from relationship, for we are children and heirs. &ldquo;If children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.&rdquo; But we would have regard rather to the nature of this object than to its name; and yet, what do we know of this object? &ldquo;Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him;&rdquo; but though it be &ldquo;glory to be revealed&rdquo; as to its full disclosures, it is a glory already revealed as to its reality and essence. We have allusions if not resemblances; we are told what it is not, rather than what it is; and Peter furnishes us with four articles concerning it, telling us that this inheritance is, First, Incorruptible. Everything here tends to dissolution-kings die, and thrones moulder away. Where now is all that was venerable in relation, and all that was sacred in office; all that was once dear to affection and lovely in appearance? <p>&ldquo;A heap of dust alone remains of thee, &rsquo;<p>Tis all thou art, and all the proud shall be.&rdquo; </i><p>All that our eyes behold is going, and we are going. The world itself is doomed to perish.<p>Secondly, This inheritance is undefiled. Sin is the source of mortality. Of all we possess and enjoy here, sin is the worm at the root and the mildew in the bud. There are few inheritances which are undefiled. If we trace them back we shall find them frequently originating in violence, knavery, or injustice. And how are they held? What forgetfulness of God! What improper hoarding, what improper expenditure, what provisions for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof! They may well be called in general the &ldquo;mammon of unrighteousness.&rdquo; But into that world enters &ldquo;nothing that defileth;&rdquo; the pure in heart only shall see God. The Author of that blessedness is holy, the companions of it are holy, the pleasures and the enjoyments of it are holy- &ldquo;the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.&rdquo;<p>Thirdly, This inheritance fadeth not away. The meaning here is not only that there shall be no annihilation, but no decline, no variation. Not only that all will be living, but always living-always new-always flourishing and green. <p>&ldquo;There everlasting spring abides, <p> And never withering flowers.&rdquo; </i><p>Fourthly, It is &ldquo;reserved in heaven for us,&rdquo; and therefore it is safe. Whatever tabernacles we build here we shall surely have to take them down again. As long as we remain here we shall hear a voice saying, &ldquo;Arise and depart hence, for this is not your rest.&rdquo; Thus when the Jews were in the wilderness, the inheritance which God had promised them was reserved in Canaan for them, and they could not reach it until they had passed the river Jordan.<p>Christians who are now in the wilderness, and between whom and their inheritance the Jordan rolls, need not be afraid. The foot of our High Priest will divide the stream and give us a dry passage, and then we shall have no objection for the waves to unite behind, and to exclude us for ever from a world lying in wickedness and woe. We shall have gone the way we shall not return, nor shall we desire it. 


