the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.- Jeremiah 15:16.
That is a sweet petition in the service of the church of England; ’Grant, O Lord, that we may not only hear, read, mark, and learn, but inwardly digest the holy scriptures.’ As soon as the Lord hath fulfilled this prayer upon any poor sinner, then Jesus is the hope of his soul; he esteems the scriptures as his daily food, the doctrines of grace are the joy and rejoicing of his heart; and he will love and attend such prophets of the Lord, who have also "found God’s words and have eat them."
Glory to our loving shepherd, he finds his sheep scattered and starving upon the barren mountains, he leads them to green pastures of gospel-grace and love: there they feed and lie down beside the still waters of peace and salvation. And this heightens every comfort, and improves every joy, even an inward testimony: "I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts." How happy, when minister or disciple is able, in simplicity and godly sincerity to make this appeal, "Thou hast called me." Thou, Jehovah, who rulest over the armies of angels and archangels, and all the heavenly host, thou hast condescended to make known thy name, thy grace, thy salvation to me, even wretched me. I hear thy voice, I know thy voice; I feel desires after thee; my heart thinks of thee with pleasure and delight; I find an hungering and thirsting within me, which nothing but thy blessed self can satisfy; I am grieved when I offend thee; only happy when thy love and presence are enjoyed, and am concerned that I enjoy them no more. This is heaven below. Feeding upon the word of truth increases desires after Jesus, the object of faith. So also the soul becomes dead to the life of sense, the intrusions of sin, the allurements of the world, and the baits of Satan. Happy those in whom the word of Christ dwells richly in all wisdom. Happy those in whom Christ dwells in their hearts by faith. O soul, hast thou an appetite to eat thy Bible, to feed upon it, to digest it? Is it "health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones?" O then thou art blessed with the most exquisitely delicate taste. A poor sailor was lately cast away, lost his all, was almost naked. The first half crown he got he enquired where to make a purchase-of what think you? O what was dearest to his heart-a BIBLE. Blessed evidence of a Christian.
The volume of thy Father’s grace
Doth all my griefs assuage.
Here I behold my Saviour’s face
Almost in ev’ry page.
O may thy counsels, mighty God,
My roving feet command!
Nor I forsake the happy road
That leads to thy right hand.
The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 1 Corinthians 4:20.
It is the wisdom of a Christian to improve from the various objects he meets with. See we an open, profane sinner? beware of looking down upon him with Pharisaic pride, and supercilious contempt: behold in him your wicked nature! Remember, grace alone made the difference: be humble: adore the God of grace. See we only the form of godliness in any? St. Paul tells us how to act: “From such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:5.) You will get no good from them. There is little hope of doing good to them: leave them. Why so? Because they are strangers to the vital power of godliness, and destitute of the inward experience of the grace of Christ upon their souls. True, they may make a great shew; have vast zeal for the interest of a party; be very warm and violent for the form of sound words, a consistent plan of doctrine, and a set of Scripture notions. But, yet, after all, it is but the notion and form of things, which float in their heads, and swim on the surface of their understandings. Their hearts are dead to the love of Christ, but alive to the love of the world. They join the men of the world in their contemptuous sneer upon the power of self-denying godliness; and in irreligious banter upon those, who separate themselves from the ungodly and profane, and live and walk under the influence of spiritual feelings and experience. All this they account precise folly, and condemn as rank enthusiasm. Have you the power of godliness? Is Christ the power of God in your heart? Is your soul alive to him? Is your body the temple of the Holy Ghost? Does God dwell in you, and delight over you? Is it your daily delight to study the word, rely upon the promises, taste the grace, feel the power, feed upon the comfort, and live upon the fulness of the love of Christ? What have you to do with the men who are content with mere form, shadow, and notion; and are strangers to the power of all this? Catch the infection of their secure spirit, you may: by such, the keen edge of your spiritual affections may be blunted: you may be drawn to lie supinely down by them, and get into spiritual slumber with them. But of all men, there is the least hope of these rising from their security, running the heavenly race with you, and of being spiritually profitable to you. Think of this, and turn from them. Know your danger: though not of losing your soul, yet of losing the life, comfort, and power of godliness. O! what is a Christian without this? How comfortless the moments! how dejecting the hours! how distressing the days! how doleful the nights-without experiencing the power of Christ! Yea, what is life itself, without the experience of his grace and love?
