the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
October 16—Morning—Song of Solomon 1:11
"We will make thee borders of gold, with studs of silver."—Song of Solomon 1:11.
My soul, ponder over these words. What borders of gold shall be made for the believer, but the robe of Jesus’s righteousness? And what silver, but the garment of his salvation? If thou art clothed with this, my soul, thou wilt shine indeed with more lustre than all the embroidery of gold and precious stones, which perish with using. But mark, my soul, who it is that makes them, and who puts them on thee—surely none but God. And observe how all the persons of the Godhead are engaged in this work. "We will make thee," is the language. Yes, Jehovah, Elohim, who said, "Let us make man," at the original creation; the same now saith, at the new creation, "We will make thee borders of gold, with studs of silver." And is it not the hand of God the Father in this blessed, gracious act, in the gift of his Son to the poor sinner? Is it not Jesus who hath wrought out a robe of salvation for the poor sinner? And is it not the Holy Ghost who puts on the blessed adorning upon the poor sinner, in taking of the things of Jesus, and shewing unto him? Oh precious testimony of a precious God in Christ! Be it unto me, Lord, according to thy word. Let me be thus clothed and adorned, and I shall be happy now, and happy to all eternity.
October 16—Evening—Hebrews 13:12
"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood."—Hebrews 13:12.
My soul, I would have thee this evening, take a view of thy Jesus in his own blood, under the special and particular act in which this scripture holds him forth; sanctifying the people by the application of it, as the great object and design for which he suffered. There is somewhat uncommonly interesting in this view, though not so commonly considered. That this is the only laver for sin, is unquestionable; and that it is infinitely meritorious, and of eternal efficacy, is also equally true. But when we consider farther, the infinite purity of it, flowing, as it did, from an holy heart, in a nature that was altogether holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; there is somewhat which, though too deeply founded in mystery to be perfectly apprehended by us, may yet serve to intimate the immense preciousness of it, and its immense importance and value. But we must not stop here. The union of the Godhead with the human nature, giving both dignity and validity to the sacrifice which Jesus once offered, that he might sanctify the people; here angels, as well as men, find their faculties unable to ascertain the extent of the wonderful subject; and, perhaps, through all eternity, none among the creation of God, will fully be competent to explain it. But, my soul, though unable to explain, or unable to conceive the infinitely precious nature of thy Jesus’s blood, yet do thou gather this sweet and soul-reviving thought from the contemplation; it must be in itself so incalculable in value, and so infinitely powerful in its pardoning and cleansing properties, that no sin, no, not all the sin of finite creatures taken in the aggregate, can stand before it. Oh precious, precious Jesus! precious, precious blood of Jesus, which cleanseth from all sin! Oh, let me hear, and feel, and know my personal interest in that sweet promise of my God in Christ, and my happiness is made for ever; "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." Amen! Amen! So be it.
