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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
Devotional: August 23rd

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Morning Devotional

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.- John 3:7.

Spiritual doctrines ever appear to the judgment of carnal reason, foolishness. Marvel not to find the wisdom of natural men ever crying out, "How can these things be?" and explaining away their spiritual meaning by corrupt reasonings. We are not to expect a total freedom from our own carnal objections. The old man is yet alive; the kingdom of his residence, the flesh, is at war against that kingdom into which the soul is spiritually born. Many souls see clearly the nature of the doctrine of a new-birth of the soul, and are convinced of the necessity of it, in order to see the kingdom of God. But how are they straitened, pained, and perplexed to know whether it be accomplished in them or not! And indeed, many have so unscripturally treated of the new birth, as sadly to puzzle and grievously distress simple hearts. Is it not marvellous to find men gravely telling us how many steps a dead sinner must take, in order to get into this new birth? The time WHEN, many are uncertain of; for the kingdom of God cometh not with observation. The manner HOW, none can explain; "for the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." But the effects are visible and evident. As sense and motion are the properties of natural life, so when the soul is born again of the Spirit, there is a sight of Jesus, a hearing of his voice, the affections of the soul go out after him, believing him to be the way, the truth, and the life.

Hence, St. John lays down this infallible mark, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God."- 1 John 5:1. This is a simple, plain truth. Am I born of God? This must be answered by enquiring, do I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the anointed Son of GOD to the office of a Saviour, for lost and perishing sinners? Does this truth enter into my heart and mind? Is it received and believed as a matter which can only and alone bring relief to my guilty conscience, peace to my troubled mind, and hope to my dejected spirit? If so, I do believe in JESUS-he is the object of my faith and the hope of my heart. I am born again, born of GOD, born to see, to enter into, and enjoy the kingdom of GOD. The evidence of this, the soul, gets more and more strongly and clearly settled in the conscience as faith grows and increases. For its fruits will be manifest and abound in seeing sin’s filthiness, feeling its burdens, hating and resisting it: striving to maintain a holy fellowship with God the Father, and his Son Jesus, through the Spirit.

Who can describe the joys that rise

Thro’ all the courts of paradise,

To see a prodigal return,

To see an heir of glory born?

With joy the Father doth approve

The fruit of his eternal love;

The Son with joy looks down and sees

The purchase of his agonies.

The Spirit takes delight to view

The holy soul he form’d anew;

The saints and angels join to sing

The growing empire of their King.

Evening Devotional

They crucified him. Matthew 27:35.

A short sentence, replete with the greatest importance to a world of sinners: each word in it contains matter of sorrow, wonder, and joy. Here is a fund for meditation. O Christian, time can never explore its depths. It will be the glory of eternity to sing of, wonder, and adore a once crucified Jesus.

Let us consider the agents-the work-and the subject. (1st.) The agents-they. Who? Angels? No: they gaze and wonder at the cruel, awful deed; but share not in it. Devils? No: they instigate to it; they shout and applaud the deed, but effect it not. No, the work is done by beings, little lower than the angels; yet not devils, but men. Men of devilish natures, cursed passions, and wicked hands. With these they seize the innocent victim, doomed to direful agonies, and an ignominious death. (2d.) The work. They crucified. O the bloody deed! Heaven that hour let fall a tear. There hangs- who? A man like us? Yes, but immaculate, innocent. Yea, more, the Son of God. God and man in one Christ. The Lord of life and glory hung a spectacle to men and angels: nailed his innocent hands and tender feet to the transverse wood, to bleed and groan, and die. Say, why? Consider, (3d.) The subject, HIM: Jesus Christ, the anointed Saviour. As God, he loved sinners from all eternity. As man, he was born to make sinners righteous by his life, and to take away their sins by his death. The work is done. On the cross he finished it. What are the effects?

Seest thou, O sinner, where hangs all our hope?

Touch’ed by the cross we live.

Ever view then, O soul, the sovereign cure of death, the eternal source of life. God and man in one Christ, on the accursed tree, to make thee blessed and happy. Such is the love of thy Saviour. Such is his salvation. Where is your faith? O look, and look, and look again, till your whole soul loves him. Is sin your grief, and pain, and burden? O the load of pain and grief which Jesus bore! The iniquities of us all. He has taken them ALL away by his ONE sacrifice. Remember this. Plead this before the Lord. The faith of this brings hope to the most desperate and vile. The best of saints have no other. With this faith and this hope thou mayest draw nigh to God, plead boldly before justice itself-challenge the law to lay aught to thy charge-face death-resist and repel Satan with thy dying Saviour’s words, IT IS FINISHED.

Thy dying love, thy rising pow’r,

My Saviour dear, I’d sing:

In thee, I’d glory ev’ry hour,

Till thou to glory bring.

Midst all my fears, and doubts, and woes,

Lord, still superior rise,

That I may triumph o’er my foes,

And meet thee in the skies.

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