Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: April 1st

The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.- 1 Peter 4:7.

The word of grace and truth, like a judicious physician for the body, prescribes different recipes for the soul. Sometimes the bitter draught of affliction; at others the strengthening, comforting balsam of faith, with the restorative mixture of love; but at all times a necessary regimen, whereby to rule and govern our lives, so that our souls may prosper and be in good health.

To use means in faith is our bounden duty: to neglect them is a contempt of the wise prescriber; whereby we suffer loss and receive hurt to our souls. As faith binds the soul to Jesus in the sweet bands of love, so it produces a conformity to him in heart and life. As the Spirit enriches the soul with precious graces, so they are accompanied with his transforming influence. He ever directs to the word he has inspired, that we may be taught to avoid those things contrary thereto; and also to practise those duties, which have a native tendency to strengthen the soul in persevering in holiness and truth.

An intemperate thirst after, and inordinate indulging ourselves in the enjoyment of any of the good creatures of this life, sadly indispose the mind to spiritual concerns. This is contrary to the life of faith; interrupts sweet communion with the Father of spirits, deadens the heart to holy fellowship with Jesus, and opposeth the comforting consolations of the blessed Spirit. Hence the soul finds great languor, deadness, and formality in its addresses at the throne of grace. Thy soul and mine is therefore called upon to consider, time, how short! eternity, how near! The judge is at the door. All things are on the point of dissolution. I am expecting the messenger to call me hence.

Since continuance here is so uncertain, all worldly enjoyments so precarious, and all certainly perish in the using, what temperance, what sobriety of conduct becomes one? And this is certain, Jesus, with his much incense, is ever before the throne. It is a mercy-seat, sprinkled with his precious blood. From hence all grace is bestowed; all power given. O may we be concerned to watch continually against the motions of the enemy, the stirrings of pride and lust! watching in prayer for the power of the Spirit; watching after prayer for an answer of peace. And when, disciple, is the time that this exercise may be omitted? Verily, not till faith is lost in sight, hope is turned into enjoyment, and prayer is lost in praise. O what a precious word is this from our Jesus: "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do."- John 14:13.

And shall I then neglect to pray,

When Jesus thus declares?

Despise his word, refuse his aid,

Amidst ten thousand snares?

Forbid it, Lord! thy Spirit send.

To quicken ev’ry thought;

To soar above this trifling world,

Till I to thee am brought.

Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God. Jeremiah 3:22.

Peter was an awful backslider: his crimes deserved hell: so do yours and mine. Both he and we should be sent there, if love did not reign in heaven, and grace abound to sinners on earth. One look of love from Christ broke Peter’s heart, made him weep bitterly, and return to a crucified Saviour earnestly. A bone broken and set, is stronger than it was before. This I am sure of, a heart broken by forgiving love, grows stronger in love: having much forgiven, we love much. I have often thought, fresh love added speed to Peter’s feet, when he ran to the sepulcher, to see his dear, his crucified Lord. (John 20:4.) See the happy effects of loving speeches and gracious words from a loving Lord. We saw the backsliding children arraigned, and their conduct condemned, in our last meditation. What was the sentence passed on them? Was it “Go ye cursed, vile wretches! ye have gone from me in your ways: now I will be glorified in your damnation?” No! Break, hard heart; melt, O frozen soul; bow, stubborn knee, and be as sinews of a new-born babe: for love, everlasting- immutable love lives; sovereign, unmerited grace proclaims, Return, ye backsliding children, (children still! O matchless grace!) and I will heal your backslidings. What say gracious hearts to this? Do they reply, “O! this is fine doctrine. Come, let us continue to go on, to enjoy the world and sin, and delight ourselves in our happy distance from God?” O, no: this is the language of hell-born, free-will pride. If left to that, so they would act: but a spark of free grace within us, catches fire from gracious words without; and therefore it is, Behold! see the effects of the Lord’s rich grace and precious love. Like fire, it melts down our hard hearts; makes us lament our base conduct; affects us with the deepest sense of sin; inspires our souls with a hope of mercy and assurance of pardon: and, therefore, “we come unto thee.” Here we see the actings of a holy faith in the heart. It works by love; by the loving declarations of a gracious Father and dear Redeemer. It works love in the heart; and it works by love in returning to God: here is the joyful claim of faith. “For (O precious cause!) thou art the Lord our God.” Were it not so, thou couldst never have borne with our vile conduct; never have had a thought of mercy nor a look of love towards us. O! let covenant love and faithfulness ever bind our hearts to thee; that we may never more depart from thee; pervert our way before thee; or ever forget thee, O Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit! our one God in Trinity.

When we the sacred truth believe,

Of God’s great love in Christ,

Our souls to him return and live;

And thus, by grace, we’re blest.