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October 15—Morning Devotion
"Whose names are in the book of life."—Philippians 4:3 How is this known? It must be a blessed privilege this, and highly desirable to attain, if there be a truly scriptural testimony to it. That there is a book of life, in which the record is made of the people of the Lamb, is without all dispute, from many parts of scripture. The church of the first-born are said to have their names written in heaven; such as are chosen of God in Christ before the world began. But these are secret things which belong to the Lord our God. Yet it is said, "the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant." Hence therefore, is…
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October 14—Morning Devotion
"Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy."—Luke 10:19 Astonishing the mercy, and wonderful the privilege manifested to the followers of the Lamb! Poor, and weak, and helpless, as they are in themselves, yet how strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus! My soul, never lose sight of these blessed things. In Jesus thou art not only a conqueror, but more than conqueror. As the armies in heaven overcame by the blood of the Lamb, so here below, it is all in him, and by him, the victory is obtained. God will bruise-Satan under our feet shortly; but it is God that must bruise him, and it is he that must…
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October 13—Morning Devotion
"Jesus made a surety."—Hebrews 7:22 My soul, look at Jesus as a Surety, and as "made the Surety" this morning! Blessed view, if so be the Holy Ghost will enlighten thine eyes to see him under all these characters. First; a Surety. "We are all ruined by a debt incapable of ever being paid by any, or by all, the fallen sons of Adam. Jesus steps in, becomes a Surety for our debt, and pays the whole by his obedience and death. But we owe a duty also, as well as a debt. Jesus becomes here again the Surety. He will put his Spirit in us, and we shall live. He becomes also a Surety for promises, that all God hath promised for his sake,…
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October 12—Morning Devotion
"And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land."—Micah 5:5 What man is this but the Glory-man, the Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus? And what peace, when all enemies oppose the soul, but peace in the blood of his cross? Yes, my soul, Jesus is the wonderful man, who alone could make thy peace. "For as it was by one man's disobedience many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." And none but one in our own nature could redeem that nature; for the right of redemption belonged only to him. Levit. xxv. 25. And none but one in our nature could atone, could bleed, could die, and…
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October 11—Morning Devotion
"He wakeneth morning by morning: he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned."—Isaiah 1:4 Who is this but Jesus in his human nature, of whom the prophet speaks? Eminently to him doth it refer, to whom was given the tongue of the learned, that he might know how to speak a word to him that is weary. Precious Lord, it is indeed thy province, and thine only, to speak a word to weary souls, and to be the rest wherewith thou causeth the weary to rest, and to be their refreshing. Not only to give them rest, but thyself to be their rest. Not only to give them salvation, but thyself to be their salvation.—But, blessed Lord! May not a poor soul like myself…
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October 10—Morning Devotion
"That ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel."—Exodus 11:7 Who shall mark down all the properties of distinguishing grace? What a vast difference doth grace make, in this life, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not! And what an everlasting difference will be made in the life which is to come. My soul, make this thought the subject of thine unceasing meditation. Thou canst not walk the street, nor go to public worship, nor watch the Lord's dealings in all the vast and numberless dispensations going on in life, in the wide world of providence and grace, but what every thing speaks, in the language of the morning portion, of the difference…
