the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
March 23—Morning—Hebrews 9:12
"By his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."—Hebrews 9:12.
Ponder, my soul, these solemn expressions concerning thy Jesus. Mark, in them, their vast contents. Jesus, as a prophet, hath revealed his salvation: as a priest, he alone hath procured it, and offered it up to God and the Father; and as a King, he ever lives and reigns to see its efficacy fully accomplished in all his redeemed, being made partakers of it. Behold in this, his priestly office, both as an high priest and as the sacrifice, what he hath wrought, and what he bath accomplished - even eternal redemption. Mark, my soul, the several volumes of mercy comprised in it. First - Of man’s revolt from God. Secondly - The deadly breach by reason thereof. Thirdly - The proclamation from heaven, of God’s determined purpose to take vengeance of sin. Fourthly - Man’s total inability to appease the divine wrath, either by doing or suffering. Fifthly - Divine grace, in the love of the Father, permitting a substitute, competent to do this great act of salvation for men; and appointing and constituting no less a person than his dear Son to the accomplishment of it. Sixthly - Jesus, the Son of God, voluntarily giving himself an offering and a sacrifice for sin, and by that one offering of himself, once offered for ever, perfecting them that are sanctified. Seventhly - Having thus accomplished the purpose of salvation upon earth, Jesus now, by his own blood, entered into the holy place, to make the whole effectual by the exercise of his priestly office in heaven. And, lastly, to add no more - God accepting and confirming his perfect approbation of the whole, and now proclaiming peace on earth, good-will towards men. Ponder over these grand, these glorious, these momentous subjects, my soul, this day. Take them about with thee wheresoever thou goest; fold them in thy bosom; write them on the tablets of thine heart; let them arise with thee, and lay down with thee. And, in all thine approaches to the mercy-seat behold Him, and let him never be lost to the view of the eye of faith, by whom the whole is wrought, and of whom this sweet scripture speaks; who, "by his own blood entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."
March 23—Evening—John 2:11
"And manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him."—John 2:11.
It forms a very sweet thought to the believer, that, amidst the general darkness and ignorance concerning the person of Jesus, in the days of his flesh, the glory of his Godhead was frequently manifested to his disciples, so that they knew him, and believed on him. And it is equally blessed, that now, amidst the darkness and ignorance of many who call themselves Christians, after Christ, (but who denying, or being unconscious of his Godhead, prove that they know him not) the Lord hath not left himself without a witness of who he is, to the minds of his faithful followers; but hath manifested forth his glory; and all true disciples believe on him. My soul! if thou wert called upon to give thy testimony to Jesus, concerning all the grand points which prove the Godhead of his person, and the eternal merits and efficacy of his blood and righteousness; how wouldest thou shew the evidences, that he hath manifested forth his glory to thee, and that thou believest on him? I would answer, Jesus hath fully manifested himself to me, as "One with the Father, over all, God blessed for ever; "and as such, having seen the Son, I believe in him, "in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Hence, therefore, as it is said, "they that know thy name, will put their trust in thee;" so "I know whom I have believed;" and by his blessed Spirit, am persuaded, that "he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him to that day." Now, had not the Lord Jesus, by his Holy Spirit, taught me who he was, and what he was able to perform; had he not manifested forth his glory, never should I have known him, so as to believe on him. But the revelation he hath made of himself, hath induced all those saving effects, which none but the teachings of his Holy Spirit could impart. It hath wrought in me faith and love, humbleness and self-loathing, a regard for his cause, a zeal for his honour, a love to his people, an indifferency to the world; and all those gracious fruits of faith which follow the knowledge of Jesus. Blessed Lord! my soul rejoiceth anew, this evening, in the contemplation of thy glory. And under a sense of the distinguishing mercy, I feel constrained to cry out with the astonishment of the apostle, "Lord! how is it, that thou hast manifested thyself to me, and not unto the world!"
