the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.- Psalms 106:15.
When the sunshine of worldly ease, and a greater portion of the good things of this life than he was wont to enjoy, fell to the lot of that champion of Jesus of blessed memory, LUTHER; it excited a holy fear and jealousy in his heart, which made him cry out, ’Lord, I will not be put off with these things.’ However pleasant and agreeable worldly prosperity may be to the flesh, yet indulging and pampering the body begets and feeds many disorders and humors which are destructive to the health of the soul. The body without exercise naturally loses its strength and vigor. Afflictions are the exercise of the soul; though they be dreaded because grievous to the flesh, yet are they profitable to the spirit; or else not one of God’s dear children should know what a single trouble is: for they are all the allotments of covenant love. In our prayers we often imitate James and John, "we know not what we ask." We ask amiss, and yet are ready to complain that the Lord doth not answer us according to our desire; though the very thing we asked would have proved as a serpent, to bite and destroy us.
O what patience doth our God and Father exercise towards the froward dispositions of his dear, but untoward children! It would be bad for the best of us, if we were our own carvers. Let Peter have his request, and Jesus shall not die; then Peter and every soul of man must have perished. It is our mercy that the Lord sometimes answers prayers with denials; he most blesses us by not granting our petitions. Saints long and pray to be entirely delivered from the body of sin; but though the Lord doth not take it away, yet he gives what is better, grace to subdue our corruptions; and withal subdues pride, and keeps the soul dependent upon himself, which is best of all. Thy will, thy glory should ever set bounds to our petitions. The health and prosperity of the immortal soul, is infinitely to be preferred to the enjoyment and happiness of the perishing body. Gay clothing, with empty pockets, and a lean, starving body, is a distressed condition; but how much more deplorable! how awfully to be dreaded, the state of many professors! They have got what they eagerly sought, and earnestly requested; the riches, honors, and pleasures of this world; but alas! their precious souls are in a lean, starving, famishing condition. Can the comforts and joys of a perishing world compensate the want of a sense of God’s love, the reviving grace of our Lord Jesus, and the comforting fellowship of the Holy Ghost? We should be ever concerned, in all our petitions, to make the enjoyment of God the chief, the ultimate end. "Hearken diligently unto me, eat that which is good; and let your soul delight itself in fatness."- Isaiah 55:2.
For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great. Psalms 25:11.
Strange plea! Great is mine iniquity, therefore pardon it! Such an address at a throne of grace, never arose from a self-righteous heart. No: with the Pharisee of old, such are ready to say, “Thank God I am not such a sinner as David was: I never committed the horrid crimes of murder and adultery: his iniquity was great indeed.” It was so; but souls, enlightened by the word of truth, to see the spirituality of the holy law of God, will agree to our Saviour’s comment upon it, that lust is adultery in the heart, and anger a species of murder in the soul. (Matthew 5:28.) “Out of the heart proceed murders, adulteries,” etc. (Matthew 15:19.) Sensible of the desperate wickedness of our heart, convinced of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, who will dare plead, Pardon mine iniquity, for it is little? Is it against a little God, sin is committed? Is it a little wrath revealed against sin? Did a little Christ die for us? Is a little hell the punishment of sin? Lord forbid that we should think little of sin, or that iniquity should appear little in our eyes! The iniquity of each of us all is great.
O! says a poor, sin-burdened soul, mine iniquity is great, too great to be forgiven. So the father of lies might suggest to David: but he believed him not. Great as his iniquity was, he did not aggravate his crimes, by rejecting God’s declaration of mercy, invitations of grace, and promises of pardon. He confesses his great iniquity: he pleads pardon for it. On what does he found his plea? “For thy name’s sake, O Lord!” Thou hast taken upon thee that precious name, JESUS. “Thou wilt be salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Psalms 98:3.) Thy blood cleanseth from all sin: wash me in it, and I shall be whiter than snow. ALL manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men. O! while these glorious truths stand upon record, I cannot doubt-I dare not despair. The belief of them causes me to pray, and plead, and hope. Great as mine iniquity is, great as my distress is; yet thou art a great God and Saviour, to pardon my sin and give peace to my soul. Was ever any sinner sent to hell with such a plea in his mouth? No: that is impossible. For the word of God cannot be broken, which says, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9.) Therefore, heaven resounds with acclamations of joy from such pardoned, glorified sinners. O that we may join them in giving glory unto him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Revelation 1:5.
No sin however great,
Shall keep me from my God:
For Christ’s salvation is complete;
I’ll plead his cleansing blood.
Pardon, O Lord, my soul,
Bring comfort to my mind;
O! make my wounded spirit whole,
And cause me joy to find.
