the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Mornings and Evenings with Jesus
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. - Hebrews 12:22.
THE apostle refers to this as a privilege of the evangelical dispensation, and as distinguished from the Levitical economy. There are five different ways in which this may be exemplified. First, “We are come” to the revelation of it in Scripture. Here we have an answer to the question, “How shall we come before the Lord, and bow before the most high God?” The Jews had types and shadows of the Messiah who was to come; but we are come to a much clearer development of the mind and will of God, according to the words of our Saviour, who said, “Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things that ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things that ye hear, and have not heard them.” They had the dawn; we have the day.
Then, Secondly, We are come to the publication of it by the ministry of the word. Thus the subject of it is not suffered to lie in the background, but is brought out from week to week by those who feel it their highest pleasure to place it before their hearers, and say, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Then, Thirdly, We are come to a saving knowledge and experience of it by the influences of the Holy Spirit, so that we can say, with Paul, “He loved me, and gave himself for me.” Thus the Christian’s condition is distinguished from that of many to whom the Saviour is made known in the Scriptures, and who hear of him by the preaching of the word, but in whom he has not as yet been revealed as the hope of glory.
Fourthly, We are come to a participation of it as an established ordinance in the Christian church. For Jesus said, when he took the cup, “This is my blood of the new testament;” thus the institution was intended to be a memorial of him. “Do this,” said he, “in remembrance of me.” It was intended to be not only a memorial, but an emblem, wherein he is held forth as being food for the soul; and what a simple and a fine emblem it is!
Fifthly, This coming is a distinguishing privilege. “Ye are come.” Herein believers are distinguished from others; for how many are there who can turn their backs upon the Saviour as if he were “a root out of a dry ground”! There are some who would gladly repair to his table; but, though he is “all their salvation and all their desire,” they fear they have no part or lot in the matter. And how many are there who neglect and despise this Saviour, who continue to live in sin and worldly indulgences! There are others who do not honour him, but rather degrade him, by supposing that their case is too bad to be remedied, who think their sins are too many or too heinous to be forgiven.
It is no easy thing to comfort a despairing soul: nothing will effectually satisfy the conscience of a convinced sinner but that which satisfies the justice of God. But surely that which satisfies his justice is enough to satisfy our conscience; and by believing we are enabled to enter into rest, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. - Mark 16:20.
IT was by the preaching of the gospel that the heathen nations were to he turned from dumb idols to serve the living God. “When the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believed.” Thus on the day of Pentecost three thousand were, by the preaching of the Apostles, “pricked in their hearts, and cried out, Men and brethren, what must we do?”
When the Christians were scattered abroad upon the persecution of Stephen, they preached the Lord Jesus, and a “great number believed and turned unto the Lord.” At the Reformation, what was it converted this country from Popery to Protestantism? It was the preaching of the truth as it is in Jesus; and we know what was done in Scotland by Knox and his companions, and since in this land by Whitefield and Wesley, and the band of men whose heart God had touched, and who flew like angels over the land, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that “dwell upon the earth;” and if the members of any Christian community should be examined as to their religious experience, how many will acknowledge they were Divinely impressed by the preaching of the word.
How often would be heard acknowledgments like these: I was a poor careless creature, without one serious thought about my poor soul, till I heard such a sermon, which like thunder accused my conscience, and induced me to ask “What must I do to be saved?” Another would say, I was a proud Pharisee, trusting in myself that I was righteous, and despising others till I heard such a sermon, which induced me to quit the hope I held before, to trust the merits of Christ, and to say, “In the Lord have I righteousness and strength.” Another would say, My soul was clad with the blackness of despair, without one ray of hope, till by such a sermon there arose light in the darkness, and it was the light of life to me.
It is thus the preaching of the Lord Jesus meets man in all his relations, in all his exigencies; it teaches and makes him “wise unto salvation:” is he weak? it makes him “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus;” is he cast down? it comforts him, it possesses him with “a peace that passeth all understanding,” it animates him with “everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.” But observe the source of their success: “The Lord working with them.”
This honour have all the faithful preachers of Christ’s holy gospel; “they are workers together with him.” And this is their encouragement, the Lord working with them; and this is their conviction, “without him they can do nothing.” “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts:” and saith Paul, “The excellency of the power is not of us;” We are not sufficient to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.”
Thus they went forth preaching, depending upon Divine cooperation; and the hand of the Lord was with them. “We then, as workers together with him,” says the Apostle- we fellow-workers, who differ in our stations, our abilities, our modes of preaching, and on which account there are some who take advantage and create divisions, and form parties, saying, “I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas,” and in so saying display much weakness and carnality, and walk as men.
Ministers, however they are endowed and employed, or wherever they are engaged, are workers together, and are workers together with God, and they say with these first preachers, “we beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
