Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: September 28th

But the Comforter who is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.- John 14:26.

Our blessed Lord here gives us the clearest discovery of the ever-glorious three persons, in covenant, for the salvation of lost sinners. In this knowledge lies all our hope; from this belief springs all our comfort. In the love of this, our heaven is begun upon earth; for the knowledge, belief, and love of this truth in our hearts, we are wholly indebted to the comforter. He teaches all things. Not by any new lights or fresh revelations; but he graciously instructs our minds and comforts our hearts by the same light of truth and love which beamed forth in the first promise, and which shone brighter and brighter in prophecies, types and shadows of the Covenant, until the substance, Jesus, was come. Then the canon of revealed truth was completed by the apostles, under the teaching of the Holy Spirit; the substance of which is, the things which Jesus spake, did, and suffered on our account, as our substitute, and for our salvation. It is the peculiar office of the Spirit to glorify Jesus, and to sanctify our souls.

This he doth by the word of truth; teaching our minds the Father’s electing love, as centering in Jesus, and directing our eyes to him, as made of God to us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Let no man deceive us with expectations of any new revelation from heaven, of new truths to comfort us; but ever hear Paul, "Though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."- Galatians 1:8. Let us prize and study God’s word; in and by that the Spirit teacheth and comforteth our minds; in everlasting love and the most ancient truth he establisheth us; we are poor sinners from day to day: we feel many things in and around us to deject and distress us. When we remember what sin hath done to us, brought upon us, and exposeth us to, our hearts are in fears and doubts what will become of us. O, then the comforter brings to our minds and consciences the transcendently rich love of Jesus; what he undertook, spoke, and did in life, suffered in death, and still lives to plead in our behalf before the throne. O, the heartfelt joy of this! So he relieves our minds and refreshes our spirits, through the faith of Jesus, in the knowledge of the truth; so he teaches us selfdespair, animates us with courage to go on in the path of holiness, and fortifies our minds to withstand all that is against us. "Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."- Ephesians 4:30.

If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Romans 8:10.

St. Paul was an experimental teacher. He applies himself to the heart. He appeals to the conscience. He aims to quicken and animate the soul, and to draw out the affections to Christ, from what it had inwardly experienced of divine grace. O Christians, let this be your study when you meet and talk together. Yea, often do as David did. Converse freely with your own soul. If Christ be in you. That is, if he dwell in your heart by faith. If you have an inward approbation of him, delight in him, and love to him in your heart: if you believe in him as the Son of God, anointed by the Holy Ghost, to be the only Redeemer, Justifier, and Saviour of perishing sinners- what then? I will tell you, says the apostle, what will be the experience of your heart. (1st.) “The body is dead because of sin.” You will find, and groan under the weight of a dead body, when in your most solemn duties: yea, and in your best frames too, you will find its deadness, and feel its pressure. So that, as one says, a Christian is often weary in, though never weary of serving God. Because of sin, the body is dead to all spiritual delights. It has no relish but for carnal joys and earthly pleasures. It is under the sentence of the law of death, because of sin. No good thing dwells in the flesh. Expect none from it. Be content to leave it dead to spiritual purposes, as you found it. Do not gratify, but mortify it. Be not discouraged under this irksome sense and feeling. Rejoice, it is from experience, (2d.) That “the Spirit is life, because of righteousness.” Sin, and the loss of righteousness, brought death upon body and soul. A sinless man, with perfect righteousness, restores life to the soul. Some talk of their own righteousness, and the work of the Spirit upon the soul, and yet deny the obedience and righteousness of Christ’s life for us. This is contrary to the faith of the gospel. We find our souls alive to God, we own it is by the Spirit of God, because of the righteousness of the Son of God. Therefore we live by his righteousness, live upon him, and live to him, who wrought it for us. This is the life of the soul: the life of faith. O what a special mercy for the soul to be alive to God! O what joy, under a sense of all deadness, dejections, short comings, imperfections, etc. to have the perfectly glorious righteousness of Christ to plead before God! For though we are not righteous in ourselves, yet, “Christ of God is made unto us righteousness.” 1 Corinthians 1:30.

What tho’ we find the body dead,

Under the curse of law:

We’re righteous in our living head,

And hope to see his face.

Christ in us lives by precious faith,

The life of every grace:

We feast with joy on what he saith,

And hope to see his face.