the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.- Exodus 33:15.
Happy for us if this was our address to the Lord under every enterprise; how many distresses and difficulties should we avoid! how much more peaceful and comfortable should we be in our journey through life! It is a blessed thing to have an especial eye to God’s presence, as well as to his providence. The Lord may permit his children to succeed in their schemes and undertakings in the course of his providence, when he doth not accompany their souls with his favor and presence. Yea, believer, canst thou not see in many of thy ways wherein thou hast been permitted to go, that they have proved the very means of losing the sweet sense of thy Lord’s presence? whatever outward profit or pleasure thou hast gained, verily thou must confess to have sustained an inward loss. How doth it behove every disciple of Jesus to "consider his ways!"
It is thy wisdom daily to reflect, what is the tendency of my present pursuit? what is my chief aim? what can I expect from the end of it? am I going to gratify the flesh in pleasing diversions and carnal delights? Stop one moment. Consider. Canst thou expect the presence of thy God? Canst thou lift up thy believing heart in prayer to Jesus to accompany thee? Certainly if it is not right to ask nor expect his spiritual presence to go with thy soul, surely THERE it is unlawful for thee to go. If thou canst not PRAY in faith, canst thou GO in faith? O remember the love of thy Saviour, who died to redeem thee from this present evil world. Call to mind those joys and pleasures which are experienced from a sweet sense of his love and presence. Think how cutting to thy heart, how grieving to thy spirit, if under any vain indulgence Jesus should put this question, Disciple, lovest thou me more than these vanities? Better for Peter to have been in his Lord’s presence with a cold body, than to have been warming himself with the high priest’s officers and servants; for there he was blown down by the breath of a damsel.
It is related of a Christian, of whom Satan had taken possession and greatly terrified and distressed her soul, that on his being asked, how he dared to enter into a child of God? He replied, ’I found her on my own ground, at the playhouse; therefore I challenge her as my servant.’ Whether the story be true or not, the moral is good. Christians have no business on the devil’s ground.
Not earth, nor all the sky
Can one delight afford,
No, not a drop of real joy
Without thy presence, Lord.
Thou art the sea of love
Where all my pleasures roll,
The circle where my passions move,
And centre of my soul.
And be found in him. Philippians 3:9.
What! the heavenly-inspired, holy, self-denied Paul, who had the richest experience of grace, manifold gifts of the Spirit, been caught up to the third heaven, and laboured more abundantly than all the apostles,-has he advanced no farther yet, than to have no other hope and desire than such a worthless sinner as I? What! had not he arrived at perfection? Had he no inherent righteousness, no graces of the Spirit, no holiness, no fruits of good works, no sincere obedience, no terms and conditions he had performed to look to, rely upon, and desire to be found in at the bar of God? No: but he had obtained precious faith in a precious Saviour. Therefore, he looks out of himself, out of all that was wrought in and done by him-he passes it all by-he looks through it all to Jesus- he renounces it all in point of justification before God, and puts the issue of his eternal life and salvation upon being found in Christ, and having on his infinitely perfect and everlastingly glorious righteousness. Beza, upon this place, brings in the justice of God pursuing Paul as a malefactor, and Christ as a city of refuge, which he desires to flee to, and be found in. Mr. Burkitt, though not the most consistent expositor, yet this is one of the many excellent things which he says: “Christ’s perfect obedience entitles us to heaven.”
From St. Paul’s desire, we learn, (1st.) what is the sole object of a convinced sinner’s faith. Not, what he is in himself-not any thing wrought in him, or done by him: but, wholly, and exclusively of every other matter or thing, the person and righteousness of the Son of God. If you have the faith of God’s elect, you will rest your soul’s hope only upon Christ, and desire to be found in him in life, in death, and at judgment. (2d.) Let us beware that we do not slight, despise, and decry the graces and fruits of the Holy Spirit in us. Though these are not to be looked at for our justification, yet they are comfortable evidences of our being one with Christ, and interested in the Father’s everlasting love and the salvation of Christ. They are not bestowed on us to rival Christ in our hope; but that we should glory in him, and exalt him in our hearts, lips, and lives. (3d.) Though we desire to be found only in Christ, though our holy walk and good works cannot justify our persons; yet they justify our faith, our profession, yea, and the doctrines of grace, from the unjust charge of licentiousness. O! may we be more and more concerned to obey Christ, to let our light of truth shine before men, that, seeing our good works, they may glorify our Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16.) Lastly, St. Paul here wishes for the experienced comfort and sensible blessing of being found in Christ. This precious enjoyment we also should covet earnestly.
