the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
April 27—Morning—John 11:36
"Behold how he loved him!"—John 11:36.
The tears of Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus produced that astonishment in the mind of the Jews, that they thus exclaimed! But had they known, or did the whole world know, what I know of thy love to me, thou dear Redeemer of my soul, every one that heard it might with greater wonder cry out," Behold how he loveth him!" I would for the present pass by, in my contemplation of thy love, all the numberless instances of it, which I possess in common with thy church and people; for though these in every and in all cases carry with them the tokens of a love that passeth knowledge, yet, for the meditation of the morning, I would pause over the view of Jesus’s love to me a poor sinner, not as it is displayed in general mercies, even the glorious mercies of redemption, but as those mercies come home, in their peraonal direction of them to my own heart, even to mine. Think, my soul, what a huge volume thou wilt have to read over in eternity, of Jesus’s love to thee, as distinguished, express, personal, and partieular. And, amidst all the several chapters of that love, how wilt thou dwell with rapture on those two sweet verses of it, which, like the hymn in one of the psalms, thou wilt have to chaunt aloud, after the review of every blessing noted down; "for his mercy endureth for ever. "I mean, first, that Jesus should ever look with pity on thee; and next to this, that after such distinguishing grace, the floods of sin and corruption in thee should not have quenched that love, and extinguished it for ever. The thought of Jesus’s love, if looked at only in these two points of view, will be enough to employ thy immortal faculties in contemplation, and love, and praise to all eternity. Pause, my soul, and take a short view of each. Jesus looked on thee, loved thee, called thee, redeemed thee, manifested himself to thee, otherwise than he doth to the world; and this at a time when thousands and tens of thousands are passed by, of temper, mind, disposition, and understanding, in every point of view vastly thy superiors, and far more promising to glorify him. Bow down, my soul, while thou ponderest over the rich mercy, and refer all the praise and all the glory unto him, whose free grace, not thy deserts, became the sole cause. And when thou hast fully turned this astonishing subject over in thy mind, think again, that after such distinguishing grace, how increasingly astonishing it is that all thy repeated and aggravated transgressions have not extinguished this love towards thee, but that Jesus still loves, though thou hast been, and still continuest, so ungrateful. Oh love unequaled, past all comprehension! When shall this base, this shameful heart of mine so love thee, as to live to thy glory? Lord, I abhor myself in this view of thy grace and my vileness!
April 27—Evening—John 20:11
"But Mary stood without at the sepulchre, weeping; and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre."—John 20:11.
Behold, my soul! in this woman, a delightful instance of what thy love should be to thy Lord. If at any time thou dost miss thy Jesus, and longest for his return, where wouldest thou expect him.? Surely at his ordinances, in his word, at his throne of grace, where Jesus "feedeth his kids by the footsteps of the flock, and beside the shepherds’ tents. "How do men of the world pursue the object of their wishes, but where it is to be found? Are they thirsty? they haste to drink. Are they cold? they, seek the fire. Follow this plan. If Jesus be away, seek him where he hath directed thee to come. So Mary waited at the sepulchre; and as she waited, she looked in, while she wept, to see the place where Jesus had lain. Sweet view of a sincere seeker! The heart and eye are both engaged, and all the affections are going forth in desire. The angels addressed Mary; but the sight of angels could not satisfy her, till Jesus himself came. It is worthy of remark, that the first appearance the Lord Jesus made of himself, after he arose from the dead, was to this woman, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And it is yet farther remarkable, that the first words which Jesus spake after the glorious event of his resurrection, was to Mary Magdalene! He passed by the whole of the apostles, to give Mary this. distinguished honour. Mary stood at the door of the sepulchre, weeping, but the apostles had returned to their own homes; and the Lord Jesus rewarded that waiting. "Woman," saith Jesus, "why weepest thou?" As if the Son of God had said, "What cause can there be now to weep, since all the ruins of the fall are done away, and sin, death, hell, and the grave, with all their tremendous consequences, are destroyed for ever?" I hope I do not mistake, but I think this feature in the character of the Lord Jesus, is calculated to dry up every tear from every eye of his redeemed. It seems to speak in the language of that precious scripture: "For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. Thou shalt weep no more. He will be very gracious, unto thee, at the voice of thy cry: when he shall hear it, he will answer thee," Isaiah 30:19. My soul! do not fail to take with thee the many blessed improvements, which the waiting of Mary, and the grace of Jesus in thus rewarding that waiting, brings with it. There is no interruption, no pause in Jesus’s love. In reading that sweet volume, there are no stops, no, not a comma, but what we ourselves make. And if at any time we find ourselves come to the bottom of a page full of the relations of Jesus and his love, it is only to turn over the leaf, and there we find the continuation of the same blessed subject. Now, my soul! learn, from Mary, to take thy stand where she stood; not at the sepulchre of Jesus, for he is risen, as he said, and we are commanded not to seek the living among the dead; but we are to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, and to look at Christ upon his throne of glory. Nevertheless, as the angels said to those who sought Christ at the tomb, "Come, see the place where the Lord lay!" so we may by faith often view that memorable sepulchre; and precious will be the meditation, as Mary’s was. And, my soul, do not forget who it was that led Mary thither, and gave her those sympathies, and at length converted her sorrow into the most heartfelt joy. Oh! it is blessed, it is precious, to be kept in the way, "the good old way," of waiting upon the Lord. He is always near, and though he may for awhile seem to conceal himself, yet he will be found of them that seek him. He saith himself, "It shall come to pass, before my people call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shah answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, here I am!" Blessed Jesus! do thou by me, do thou by all thy children, who seek thee sorrowing, as thou didst by Mary, and as thou dost by all thy people; "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? "And when our souls reply, "It is Jesus alone we seek," Oh, then, to hear our own names called upon, as her’s was, Mary! and in such a way as to draw forth every affection of the heart in our answer," Rabboni! my Lord and my God!"
