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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
Devotional: May 22nd

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Morning Devotional

Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.- Psalms 55:5.

Such was the mournful complaint of David; yea of Jesus too, the root and offspring of David. "Lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon Abraham the father of the faithful."- Genesis 15:12. So the Lord suffers his dearest children to be distressed; yet it is their privilege, and they are again and again exhorted to "rejoice in the Lord alway."- Philippians 4:4. Under such frames, let not disciples entertain hard thoughts of the God of love; but ever remember they are heightened by our adversary. Least of all should humble followers of the Lamb judge themselves not to be true converts, because they have not experienced such dreadful terrors of hell and damnation in their conscience, as some talk of.

It is an unscriptural notion; the word of God lays down no such rule, that the soul must be under such deep convictions of horror, must be as it were shook over the very mouth of hell, as a mark of true conversion to Jesus. Innumerable are the instances of persons crying out under dreadful terrors of wrath and damnation, as though hell itself was let loose upon them for a season; but yet after all, being still unclean and filthy, "like the dog to his vomit, and the sow to her wallowing in the mire," they have turned back to their old courses. Thanks to the loving Spirit, he doth convince of sin, not as a tormentor, merely to terrify with wrath and hell, but as a COMFORTER, to testify of Jesus and salvation. He opens the eyes of our understanding, to see our lost state and wretched condition, and he gives us to see "the hope of our calling, etc."- Ephesians 1:18. "And the fruits of the Spirit are love, peace, joy, etc."- Galatians 5:22. He works effectually. He teaches us by the law to despair in nature and self, and revives and comforts with hope and assurance of full perfect salvation in Jesus. But while the spirit of truth sows the good seed of the kingdom in the heart, Satan sows tares to spring up and choke it. He works upon our unbelief, practices his devilish art upon our carnal reason, and suggests, that God is an implacable enemy; the meek Lamb is a devouring lion; the gospel is a cunningly devised fable, or requires such hard terms, which we can never fulfil; therefore misery, wrath, and hell must be our doom. He is ever an implacable adversary to salvation by Jesus, through sovereign love and distinguishing grace. Such terrors are to be prayed against rather than coveted. David knew whence they came; says he, "Because of the voice of the enemy and the oppression of the wicked one," verse 3. Praised be our dear Lord for that precious promise, "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him," and put him to flight.- Isaiah 59:19.

Evening Devotional

I die daily. 1 Corinthians 15:31.

St. Paul in a peculiar sense could say so. He was daily in danger of suffering martyrdom for Christ. He puts the most solemn oath to it. “I protest, by our (not your) rejoicing, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” It is like swearing by the Holy Ghost, the author of this joy. Happy Paul! the joy of the Lord was in his heart; the prospect of enjoying the Lord, in his eye; the world under his feet; and he, daily expecting his Lord’s messenger to call him home. This was living indeed in the very suburbs of glory. And pray what should hinder you and I from living as he did? St. Paul was the subject of the same corrupt nature, in which dwelt no good thing, as we are. We have the same Lord to look to and rejoice in, the same faith and hope to animate us, the same Holy Ghost to strengthen and comfort us, and the same place prepared by Christ for us, as he had. Why should not we also die daily? Why should not we live a dying life? All do in reality. But why should not we in sweet practice and happy experience? Plainly, we do not believe enough, what our Lord hath done for us, is to us, and has promised to bestow on us: therefore, do not look and pray enough to our Lord. My dear fellow Christians, I will be bold to enter this protest, from the experience of my own soul, that we cannot live comfortably, unless we die daily: as considering ourselves daily subject to the stroke of death. This hour, this moment, may put a period to my existence. Why then, all my busy cares, anxious thoughts, corroding fears, and ardent desires, after the objects of time and sense? Death will soon make me quit my hold of them. But I will be beforehand with him. I will die in heart, hope, and affection to them. Take, ye sons of earth, the riches, honors, and pleasures, of a perishing world. Grasp them in your hand: clasp them to your heart, if you can: but lo, instead of substance, you will find shadow. All are but airy bubbles, that will elude your hope. I have tried them all. I die to them all. For I have found that above which kills my desires, hopes, and affections of all below. I find a once crucified, now risen and ascended Saviour, has got possession of my heart. He dwells there by faith. Christ is in me the hope of glory. The glorious rays of my Sun of righteousness extinguish all the faint light of earthly glow-worms. My Lord lives in me: that is a death to all without me. Death I daily familiarize: I entertain him as my friend, converse freely and daily with him, lodge him in my breast; he has my daily thoughts. Why? because my Lord introduces him to my heart, not with a sting to wound and kill me; but with the voice of a messenger of peace, to call me from pains and trials, to peace and rest in the full enjoyment of Jesus above, who is my chief glory and my life below. Colossians 3:4.

“He that form’d me from the womb,

He shall guide me to the tomb:

All my time shall ever be

Ordered by his wise decree.”

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