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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
Devotional: November 9th

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Morning Devotional

Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.- 1 John 3:1.

If a poor insolvent debtor, who sees no hope but to end his miserable life in a loathsome gaol, yet is unexpectedly called to hear the will of a loving friend, whereby an ample provision is bequeathed him, fully to satisfy all his wants, how must this rejoice his heart! How, in the ecstasy of his joyful mind, would he be ready to call upon every one around him to behold the delightful testament! This is but a faint view of the inestimable riches of glory and honor bequeathed to ruined sinners by New Testament love, ratified and sealed by the blood of Jesus. Upon the view of this, how should we be filled with wonder, fired with ecstasy, and our transported hearts should not keep silence! Angels see and admire, saints behold and adore the marvelously great, the inexpressibly glorious, the wonderfully discriminating love of the Father of Jesus! amazing to tell! comforting to believe! transporting to feel! Love, the love of God the Father hath made its way to sinful man; his love flows through the heart of a crucified Jesus; his love hath reached my poor heart. What terms have we fulfilled? What conditions have we performed to procure this invaluable blessing? O, the very question startles the truly gracious soul! It is a concern to his generous heart to hear such proud, vain notions taught; he rejects the thought with abhorrence and cries, ’Pride, thou busy foe, begone.’ All, all is freely given, richly bestowed.

And am I, vile and unworthy as I am, the called, the real son of God, by adoption, through the faith of Jesus? O thou heavenly paraclete, thou divine sanctifier; influence, daily influence my heart, my tongue, my life, to glorify my Father, my Saviour, my God! Though I have done nothing to procure this inestimable privilege, yet, enjoying this rich grace, love and gratitude demand corresponding fruits, a holy walk, worthy of the vocation wherewith I am called. Hence assuredly will spring another evidence of God’s children; therefore, "the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." Though our dear Saviour "went about doing good," yet even this could not gain him the approbation and esteem of the world. Never let disciples expect to be above their master; the more we follow Jesus and are conformed to him as obedient children, stronger evidence shall we have of the world’s enmity, and of our Father’s love; let us rejoice to follow Jesus, and be glad to imitate him to do good, though we suffer evil.

Behold what wond’rous grace

The Father hath bestow’d

On sinners of a mortal race.

To call them sons of God!

’Tis no surprising thing,

That we should be unknown;

The Jewish world knew not their king,

God’s everlasting Son.

Evening Devotional

And Israel said, It is enough. Genesis 45:28.

His soul seems fully satisfied with the Lord’s dealings and dispensations. He could ask no more. There was a perfect calm in his mind. He sings a sweet requiem to his soul. Like David, when he says, “return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living,” (Psalms 116:7-9.) Most precious resolution for such great bounties! Come, Christian, canst thou say with the hoaryheaded patriarch, to-night, It is enough? What, could God have done more for me, which he hath not done? Could that one word, sounded in the ears of Jacob, “Joseph is yet alive,” cause such transports of joy to rush so suddenly upon him, as to be too impetuous to be resisted? How should that blessed word, Jesus is yet alive, transport thy soul? Was Joseph governor over all the land of Egypt? The government is upon the shoulders of your elder Brother, Christ, (Isaiah 9:6). All power in heaven and earth is committed to him. (Matthew 28:18.) He saith, “I am he who liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen: and have the keys of hell and death,” (Revelation 1:18.) Is not here cause for thee to cry out, Satis, it is enough: I can desire no more? Surely, this is sufficient to cause thy dejected spirit to revive. Did Jacob believe, when he saw the presents of his son? Did he say, “I will go and see him before die?” O Christian, is thy Saviour ascended into his kingdom? Has he received gifts for thee, and poured down love-tokens upon thee? Has he given thee repentance to turn to him, and faith to embrace him? What is thy language? It is enough. Jesus ever lives: eternally loves: incessantly prays. Then I shall surely see him, but not before I die. But I shall soon shake off these rags of mortality, and sing victory in death. Then, O then, I shall behold him, eye to eye, and face to face. Then I shall say, with highest rapture of soul, “It is enough.” Then death shall be swallowed up of life, and I shall cast down my crown before the Lamb. O then I shall eternally see him, “whom having not seen I love: in whom, though now I see him not, yet believing, I rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory,” (1 Peter 1:8.) O that in the same Spirit with St. Paul may I ever say, “Doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,” Philippians 3:8.

Too oft my wand’ring heart,

To foolish snares incline,

And so from Jesus I depart,

Then grief and sorrow’s mine.

Lord, let thy love still reign,

O’er all my foes within:

Thee do I count my greatest gain,

O save me from all sin.

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