tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48455820298573629462024-03-09T00:27:42.657+08:00APIBS Online Christian LibraryDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.comBlogger424125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-39528581262108666682015-07-16T00:30:00.000+08:002015-07-16T00:30:01.347+08:00Psalm 110:7"He shall drink of the brook in the way; therefore shall he lift up the head." - Ps. cx. 7.<br />
<br />
The brook of Kedron was a black brook (for so the word Kedron
signifies) into which all the filth from the sacrifices was thrown; it
was the brook over which the Son of God passed in the night that he
entered the garden of Gethsemane. Now, as the whole Psalm from which
this portion is taken, refers to the person of Jesus, nothing can be
more plain than that David, by the spirit of prophecy, is here
describing the deep sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should
follow. By the expression, drinking of this black brook, it is intended
to convey an idea of the "cup of trembling" put into the Lord Jesus's
hands, when he sustained all the sins and filth of his people, and in
consequence as their surety, all the Father's wrath against sin. Hence
the Lord said, "The cup that my Father giveth me, shall I not drink
it?" My soul! pause, and ask thyself, doth not this sweet but solemn
verse give thee precious instruction, when thou considerest that all
thy filth, and all thy defilements, were imputed, by the Father
himself, unto the person of thy glorious surety? Is it not blessed thus
to see, that by Christ's drinking "of the brook in the way," he took
all thy transgressions, and was made both "sin and a curse for thee,
that thou mightest be made the righteousness of God in him?" And
though, in himself, he was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from
sinners, and made higher than the heavens," yet, as the surety of his
people, he was made black with sin and suffering; "his visage was
marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men."
Precious Jesus! may I never lose sight of Gethsemane, the mount of
Olives, and the brook Kedron! Here, by faith, let my soul frequently
take her evening station, and behold thee "pouring out thy soul unto
death, numbered with the transgressors," drinking "of the brook in the
way," that thy sacred head might be lifted up, first on the cross in
suffering, and then with thy crown in glory!Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-10771142881797245992015-07-15T00:30:00.000+08:002015-07-15T00:30:00.593+08:00Genesis 22:14"And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-j ireh; as it is
said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen." - Gen.
xxii. 14.<br />
<br />
My soul! how many Jehovah-jirehs hast thou erected? At least, how many
occasions hath thy bountiful Lord afforded thee for erecting them? Oh
what cause have I to blush in the recollection! Had I done by my God,
as Abraham did by his, what blessed helps would they have afforded me,
in the same moment that they became monuments to the Lord's praise!
Surely I know all this, in theory, very plainly and fully: but how do I
fall short in the practice of it! To set up the Jehovah-jireh for all
that is past, is the best help to a soul in exercises for all that is
to come. When I can, and do put down, after any sharp trial, any
Jehovah-jireh, and say, here it was "the Lord did provide;" will it
not, in any future exercise, enable me to say, ‘If the Lord helped me
then, may I not hope that he will help me now?' It would be a very sad
requital for past mercies, in the moment of receiving them, to say,
‘Alas! the Lord did once help, but he will not. I fear, do it again.'
This would be to read the inscription of the Jehovah-jireh backward.
Whereas the very sight of our Jehovah-jirehs should teach us to say,
"Here the Lord helped me: here he manifested his free unmerited grace
to me: and will he not again? Is he less Jehovah than he was? Is he not
God all-sufficient, all-gracious still?" O it is blessed to have such
stones set up as Abraham's Jehovah-jireh. There was nothing in the
patriarch's of his own providing. His was simply an act of faith; and
neither the result of his asking by prayer, or providing by his wisdom.
And, my soul, do not overlook a most interesting mark which the Holy
Ghost hath put upon Abraham's Jehovah-jireh, in adding, "As it is said
to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen." As if he had
said, ‘ all the ages and generations yet to come shall profit by the
great father of the faithful's testimony to this place; and they shall
see it to the latest day of Jesus's church upon earth? Oh! how blessed,
when our personal experience bears an exact correspondence to that of
the faithful gone before; when we can and do set up the same. All
blessings, all provisions are in Jesus. He is the Lamb, which, from
everlasting, Jehovah hath provided, and whom his people shall see in
all their wants, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. And let their
extremities be what they may, yea, though the exercises of their faith
abound, yet let them wait but the Lord's time, which is always the best
time, and they shall most assuredly, like Abraham, find cause to call
the name of every place of trial, Jehovah-j ireh; concerning which, in
proof and in reality it shall be said, every day and to the last day,"
In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen!"Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-43414712184687106392015-07-14T00:30:00.000+08:002015-07-14T00:30:01.089+08:001 Corinthians 11:26"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." - I Cor. xi. 26.<br />
<br />
An evening or two since, my mind was led out to the contemplation of
the supper of the Lord, as a heart affecting ordinance, to make the
Lord's table a Bochim. I hope, my soul, that in this view, thou didst
find it profitable. Here is another proposed to thy meditation, which,
under grace, will prove equally so, in which it comes home to thy
affections as a subject of holy joy. Look at it in this light, and
remark what the apostle saith upon it. The Lord's death, which is thy
life, is set forth by every renewed celebration. And what a delightful
thought is that. As the body needs its constant regular meals, so doth
the soul. And as Jesus is the whole of life, and strength, and
happiness to his people; as oft as we receive the holy supper, we
testify to the world of men and angels, that he is all this; and we
glory in setting him forth as such at his table. And what a blessed
addition is that little phrase at the end of this verse; "till he
come:" yea, that "when he comes," he may find his people at his table,
and in their death celebrating his. Oh the blessedness of being so
found! Surely every lover of Jesus would desire to be found there, when
the master comes, and calleth personally for each, to take him home: to
be, in one and the same moment, in the valley of vision, and the valley
of the shadow of death! My soul! from henceforth, among the other
glories of the ordinance, do not forget this. The oftener it is
attended, the more delightful it will be. For the service keeps the
remembrance of Jesus alive in the soul, until he comes to take the soul
home to the everlasting enjoyment of himself in glory. And as there,
all his redeemed, who feast their souls with the view of his person,
unceasingly behold some new glories in him, and, after millions of
ages, will find him still increasingly lovely, and increasingly
precious; so here below, the more we see him, and know him, and enjoy
him by faith, the more we shall long to see him, and know him, and
enjoy him by sight: and the glories of his person, and the wonders of
his blood and righteousness, will be unfolding more and more to our
ravished souls. And while every other object lessens in its value by
time and use, and all created excellencies, like the planet under which
they are found, have their growing and their waning seasons; Jesus is
the same, "yesterday, and to-day, and forever." Yea, though in reality
always the same, yet from the increasing manifestations of love and
glory which he makes of himself to us, as our capacities are capable of
bearing, he will be in our view more and more blessed, from day to day,
from one ordinance to another, and through all the unknown periods of
eternity! Oh! the blessedness of setting forth Jesus, "in breaking
bread and in prayer!"Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-13016661274631928262015-07-13T00:30:00.000+08:002015-07-13T00:30:01.049+08:00Psalm 4:8"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." - Ps. iv. 8.<br />
<br />
My soul! it is blessed, indeed, to lie down, or arise, when Jesus is
thy rest and refreshment! But, void of security and safety in him, both
the day-light and the darkness have their horrors. And how unsatisfying
is everything where Jesus is not? This is strikingly exemplified, day
by day, among all carnal characters. "There be many," saith the
Psalmist (in this divine psalm), "there be many that say, who will shew
us any good?" Yea, the whole world, who know not the blessedness of
Jesus, will thus say! What a busy life some men make of it? And what is
it for? Be their pursuits what they may; let them be ever so much
diversified, one object is the aim of all. The apostle hath said what
it is;" to make provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof,"
Rom. xiii. 14. My soul! what is the first and last, the greatest and
most momentous desire of thine affections? Canst thou, and dost thou,
adopt the words of the Psalmist, in this sweet psalm: "Lord! lift thou
up the light of thy countenance upon me: and it shall put more gladness
in my heart than in the time that corn and wine increase?" Oh! the
blessedness of such a state! May it be mine! Dearest Lord Jesus! grant
it me, day by day; and in the evening and night watches, let thy sweet
visits be unceasingly renewing: and then will I take this precious
portion for my song, both when undressing for the bed of sleep, and the
bed of death: "I will lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, Lord,
only makest me dwell in safety!"<br />
Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-51702992758869798002015-07-12T00:30:00.000+08:002015-07-12T00:30:01.089+08:00Judges 2:5
"And they called the name of that place Bochim. " - Judges ii. 5.<br />
<br />
Surely it was enough to induce such an effect, when the preaching of an
angel informed the people, that the Lord, for their sins, would not
drive out their enemies before them. The place might well be called
Bochim, and they themselves might hear the name Bochim, weepers. But,
my soul, thou hast lately been to a place which is yet more calculated
to make it memorable, by weeping, when thou didst attend Jesus at the
ordinance of his supper. For there Jesus himself was, and is, the
everlasting preacher, who sheweth thee his hands and his side, pierced
and streaming with blood, for thy sins. Didst thou not hear him speak
to thee himself, in his own words, "They shall look upon me whom they
have pierced: and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his
only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in
bitterness for his first-born?" Zech. xii. 10. Didst thou not weep in
beholding such a sight, in hearing such words, and in meditating on
such things? Alas! Lord, my heart is harder than the adamant. But if
the eye wept not; say, was not my heart broken? Did I not desire to
feel, to mourn, and, with the prophet, to cry out: "Oh! that mine head
were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day
and night," in the recollection of my Redeemer's sufferings, and my
sins, the dreadful cause of them? Did Jesus die for me! Did the Son of
God offer up his precious soul and offering for me? Was his body
broken, and his blood shed for me? For me! a poor, wretched, polluted,
hell-deserving sinner? Oh! for grace to make every place a Bochim in
the recollection; and especially at the table of Jesus, may my soul
always find these ordinance- seasons heart-melting seasons. Here would
I frequently attend, to have my soul thoroughly awakened, and my stony
heart made flesh. Here would I go, to gather a holy hatred to my sins,
which brought Jesus to the cross. Here would I be found waiting, that
when any new temptation may arise, I may cry out, with a vehement
indignation, "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"
How can I "crucify the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open
shame?" Precious Lord Jesus! do thou help me to keep the eye of my soul
stedfastly fixed on thee, and all the affections of my soul to be going
out in desires after thee; to be "always bearing about in my body the
dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of the Lord Jesus may he
made manifest in my body!"<br />
Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-49096659285689020992015-07-11T01:00:00.000+08:002015-07-11T01:00:01.941+08:00Psalm 68:9"Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary." - Ps. lxviii. 9.<br />
<br />
How truly grateful are the falling showers upon the thirsty earth,
after a hot summer's day, such as this season of the year abounds with!
Such, my soul, (and thou knowest it, I hope, in the many refreshments
thou hast had) is Jesus, in the visits of his grace! "He shall come
like rain," was the sweet promise given to old testament saints, "upon
the mown grass, as showers that water the earth," Ps. lxxii. 6. And
every new testament believer hath, more or less, a real personal
enjoyment of it. Sometimes the Lord comes as the tender dew, for he
saith himself," I will be as the dew unto Israel," Hosea xiv. 5. And
hast thou not found thy Lord, not unfrequently, so to come? silent and
unperceived for a while; yea, at times, when wholly unlooked for,
unasked, unsought! Yes! thou dearest Jesus, thou tarriest not for man's
desert, neither waitest thou for their prepared state to receive thee!
Micah v. 7. And sometimes, as this blessed portion for the evening
expresseth it, the Lord comes in a "plentiful rain;" even showers of
his love, washing away "the filth of the daughter of Zion," and
cleansing everything that is polluted; as the natural clouds pour their
fullness, which wash off the insects from the vegetable creation, and
purify the air from noxious vapours. And when my God and Saviour thus
comes to his people, how doth he make the wilderness- frames of their
dry and languishing minds to blossom as the rose! So come, Lord Jesus,
I beseech thee, on my soul, and not on mine only, but on thy churches,
thy ministers, thy people! But, my soul, do not dismiss this charming
scripture, until thou hast first gathered another blessed instruction
from it, for it is most blessed. The words say, that Jehovah sends this
plentiful rain, whereby he "confirmed his inheritance when it was
weary." And doth not this most abundantly prove, that Christ, with all
his fullness, and all his graces, is the sent of God the Father? "We
have seen and do testify (said John, the beloved apostle)that the
Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world," 1 John iv. 14. Oh!
precious, precious scripture! Do I not read in it the grace, and love,
and mercy of all the persons of the Godhead? Surely, Almighty Father!
thou dost confirm all thy covenant faithfulness, when thou dost send
thy dear Son to the souls of thy people! Thou dost, indeed, both
confirm thy truth, and refresh their weary, dry, and thirsty souls,
when Jesus comes to bless them, in the dew of his grace, and in the
showers of his love and mercy!<br />
Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-86521338612996107362015-07-10T01:00:00.000+08:002015-07-10T01:00:03.122+08:00Song of Solomon 7:6"How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!" - Song vii. 6.<br />
<br />
My soul! thou hast been refreshed, many an evening, through grace, in
beholding thy Lord, both in his person, and in his comprehensive
fullness for his redeemed; nor wilt thou be without refreshment this
evening, if thy Lord, in his sweet influences, be with thee, to make
what is said in this lovely scripture, life and spirit in thine heart.
They are the words of Jesus; and they express the love and complacency
of delight which Jesus takes in his church. Surely nothing can be more
blessed, than to see the high value the Son of God puts upon the
church, which the Father gave him, endeared as it is yet more in being
the purchase of his blood! But what astonishment is it to the soul of a
poor sinner, to be told, and by the lip of truth, that sinners are fair
in Jesus's eyes! "Thou art fair, O love, yea, pleasant." Now remember,
my soul, and in that remembrance let Jesus have all the glory, that
this loveliness and beauty in the sinner, of every degree, that is
regenerated, and made anew in Christ, is from Jesus. It is wholly from
his righteousness, in which he beholds her clothed: "I washed thee with
water, (saith the Lord) and I decked thee also with ornaments; and thy
renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect
through my comeliness which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God,"
Ezek. xvi. 5-14. My soul! bow down under the conviction of all that
remains of indwelling inbred sin; and, in language like that of the
astonished apostle, cry out, ‘Lord! how is it that thou hast set thy
love upon creatures so polluted and unworthy; and dost "manifest
thyself to them otherwise than thou dost to the world?"‘Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-76925514003566915022015-07-09T00:30:00.000+08:002015-07-09T00:30:01.112+08:00Hebrews 11:31"By faith, the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not,
when she had received the spies with peace." - Heb. xi. 31.<br />
<br />
It were a pity to disconnect what. the Holy Ghost hath joined; and as
the relation of the destruction accomplished by faith on the walls of
Jericho, is followed in the scripture history, with an account of a
deliverance, from the same principle, in this wonderful woman, who was
an harlot, do thou, my soul, let thy last evening's meditation on the
one, he followed up in this, by the exercise of thy devout thoughts on
the other; for both are expressly intended to one and the same purpose,
which is to encourage the Lord's people to be "followers of them, who
now, through faith and patience, inherit the promises." What
extraordinary events are there in the scripture account of Rahab, the
harlot; that such a woman, and an harlot, should be distinguished with
such grace! That in such a city, even an accursed city, the Lord should
have so illustrious an instance of faith! That faith so illustrious
should be found in the heart of an harlot! And that the eminency and
greatness of it should be such, that God the Holy Ghost hath thought
proper to have it recorded, both in its principle and effects, by the
apostle Paul, in one epistle, and by the apostle James in another. Yea,
and what is more marvelous still, that our Lord, after the flesh,
should arise out of such a stock! Oh! what a world of wonders is folded
up in the great plan of salvation! But while thou art beholding the
wonders of grace in the instance of this woman, and admiring the
triumph of faith wrought in her, do not fail to connect with it the
still more blessed view of Him who is the author and finisher of faith,
and from whom, and in whom, and by whom, the whole is accomplished.
Precious Jesus! it is all by thee, and thy glorious undertaking, that
Rahab, the gentile, found faith to believe, while the spies of Israel
doubted. It was thou, and thy grace, O Lord, that wrought so
effectually, and therefore be thou eternally loved and adored in this
rich dispensation of thy mercy, that Rahab the harlot perished not with
them that believed not. Oh! thou bountiful Lord! publicans and harlots,
thou hast said, go into the kingdom of God, before the self- righteous
Pharisees!Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-22135595663584668732015-07-08T01:00:00.000+08:002015-07-08T01:00:03.105+08:00Hebrews 12:30"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days." - Heb. xii. 30.<br />
<br />
Never, in the annals of mankind, in the history of all wars, is there a
parallel instance to be found, of exploits like what the Holy Ghost
hath recorded here, of faith. The walls of a city actually fell down at
the blasting of rams' horns; and yet not from the blasting of horns,
but from faith in the almighty power of Goal. My soul! let thy
meditation, this evening, be directed to the subject, to see whether it
will or not, under divine teaching, give strength to the exercise's of
thy faith? We find, in the relation given of this memorable siege, that
no ramparts were thrown up, no mounds raised, nothing of any human
attempt made, either to sap the foundations, or to harass the enemy.
The simple process adopted to intimate to the besieged the appearance
of war, was an army marching round the walls, once every day, for seven
days together. I have often thought how the despisers of God and his
army, in the city of Jericho, ridiculed the Israelites in their daily
exercise. And what an apt resemblance were they of the despisers, in
the present day, of God and his Christ! But what an effect must have
been induced, when on the seventh day, and after seven times marching
round (perhaps in honour of the Sabbath) at the shout of Joshua and his
army, the whole of the walls fell flat to the ground! My soul! such,
but in an infinitely higher degree, will be the consternation of all
the enemies of Jesus, when "he shall come to be glorified in his
saints, and admired in all that believe!" Do not overlook the testimony
the Holy Ghost hath given to this memorable event, that it was wrought"
by faith!" And what cannot faith in Jesus accomplish? Hadst thou been
present at this siege, and beheld the stupendous event, when, at the
command of Joshua, the Israelites shouted, and the walls fell, thou
wouldest have seen a sight not more wonderful and supernatural, than
when, at the command of our new testament Joshua, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the weapons of sin fall out of the hands of the sinner, and the
strong holds of Satan give way in the heart, to the victorious grace of
the Spirit. Lord! I would say, in the review of this subject, increase
my faith, and make my soul strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus!Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-23975669671465005292015-07-07T01:00:00.000+08:002015-07-07T01:00:00.057+08:00John 11:35"Jesus wept." - John xi. 35.<br />
<br />
My soul! look at thy Redeemer in this account of him. Was there ever a
more interesting portrait than what the evangelist hath here drawn of
the Son of God? If the imagination were to be employed forever in
forming an interesting scene of the miseries of human nature, what
could furnish so complete a picture as these two words give of Christ,
at the sight of them? "Jesus wept." Here we have at once the evidence
how much the miseries of our nature affected the heart of Jesus; and
here we have the most convincing testimony, that he partook of all the
sinless infirmities of our nature, and was truly, and in all points,
man, as well as God. We are told by one of the ancient writers (as well
as I recollect, it was St. Chrysostom) that some weak but injudicious
Christians in his days, were so rash as to strike this verse out of
their bibles, from an idea, that it was unsuitable and unbecoming in
the Son of God to weep. But we have cause to bless the over-ruling
providence of God, that though they struck it out from their bibles,
they did it not from ours. It is blessed to us to have it preserved,
for it affords one of the most delightful views we can possibly have of
the affectionate heart of Jesus, in feeling for the sorrows of his
people. And methinks, had they judged aright, they would have thought,
that if it were unsuitable or unbecoming in Jesus to weep, it would
have been more so to put on the appearance of it. And why those groans
at the grave of Lazarus, if tears were improper? Precious Lord! how
refreshing is it to my soul the consideration, that, "Forasmuch as the
children were partakers of flesh and blood, thou likewise didst take
part of the same; that in all things it behoved thee to be made like to
thy brethren!" Hence, when my poor heart is afflicted, when Satan
storms, or the world frowns, when sickness in myself, or when under
bereaving providences for my friends, "all thy waves and storms seem to
go over me;" Oh, what relief is it, to know that Jesus looks on, and
sympathizes! Then do I say to myself, will not Jesus, who wept at the
grave of Lazarus, feel for me? Shah I look up to him, and look up in
vain? Did Jesus, when upon earth, know what those exercises were; and
was his precious soul made sensible of distresses even to tears; and
will he be regardless of what! feel, and the sorrows under which I
groan? Oh no! the sigh that bursts in secret from my heart, is not
secret to him; the tear that on my night couch, drops unperceived and
unknown to the world, is known and numbered by him. Though now exalted
at the right hand of power, where he hath wiped away all tears from off
all faces, yet he himself still retains the feelings and the character
of "the man of sorrows, and of one well acquainted with grief." Help
me, Lord, thus to look up to thee, and thus to remember thee! Oh! that
blessed scripture; "In all their afflictions, he was afflicted; and the
angel of his presence saved them; in his love, and in his pity, he
redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old,"
Isa. lxiii. 9.Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-20381556841182913242015-07-06T01:00:00.000+08:002015-07-06T01:00:02.900+08:00Leviticus 23:10"A sheaf of the first-fruits. " - Levit. xxiii. 10.<br />
<br />
This was a most interesting service in the Jewish church, and full of
gospel mercies; When the Lord appointed" a sheaf of the first-fruits"
of their harvest to be brought before him, and waved towards heaven, as
a token that all fruits were of the Lord, and that he was both the
giver and proprietor of all. And it hath reference to the person of
Christ, both in his death and resurrection. For "a lamb of the first
year, without blemish," was to be offered as a burnt-offering with it,
to testify that the death of Jesus sanctifies and sweetens all; and
Christ himself, in his resurrection, is the "first-fruits of them that
sleep." My soul! dost thou observe this Jewish service in a gospel
dress? Surely, the service is a reasonable service, and, if possible,
more heightened now than then. When this law was given, the Israelite
had no power to perform it; neither indeed was it intended to be
observed, until the people arrived in Canaan. There was neither tilling
of land, nor sowing of seed, in the wilderness; for the people were
victualled by the immediate bounty of heaven; and we are told, that
they ate the manna until that they came to Canaan. But when they were
settled in the land which the Lord had promised them, and God gave them
"fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness," surely
it was meet thus to acknowledge God in his providences, as the
providence of God had owned and blessed them. What sayest thou to it,
my soul? Here was Jesus in the sheaf of the first-fruits. Here was the
Father's blessing, acknowledged in the gift of Jesus. Here was Jesus
represented in the lamb, which accompanied the service. Here was the
waving it towards heaven, and a prohibition not to eat bread, nor
parched corn, nor green ears, until God's portion had been first
offered! Oh! my soul, wilt thou not learn hence, to trace Jesus in
every one of thy blessings, and to bless thy God and Father for a
sanctified use of everything in Jesus! Help me, Lord, I pray thee, in
my heart, in my house, in the field, in the city, in the church, in the
closet, in the world, in the family, to be forever waving before my
God, "the sheaf of the first-fruits" in all his bounties. In Jesus I
have all; in Jesus would I enjoy all; and then shall I most assuredly
have that sweet promise forever fulfilling in my heart: "Honour the
Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine
increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses
shall burst out with new wine;" Prov. iii. 9, 10.Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-65229254643688930682015-07-05T01:00:00.000+08:002015-07-05T01:00:00.724+08:00Hebrews 5:8"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience, by the things which he suffered." - Heb. v. 8.<br />
<br />
My soul! behold what a precious verse of scripture is here! How
blessedly doth it set forth thy Redeemer! See here what an example
Jesus shews to all his people, and how sweetly accommodating is that
example to every case and circumstance, into which any of them can be
brought! Surely, if any might have done without going into such a
school of suffering, for the purpose of learning, it must have been
Jesus; but yet even Jesus would not. And wouldest thou, my soul, after
such an illustrious pattern, desire to be excused? Hath not Jesus
dignified it, and made it blessed? Oh! the honour of following his
steps. There is another beauty in this scripture. The apostle, in a
verse or two preceding, took notice of Jesus in his human nature, that
he sought not, as such, the high priest's office uncalled. "Christ
(saith he) glorified not himself, to be made an high priest, but was
called of God, as was Aaron." And by reading this verse in connection
with that, it is as if the apostle had said, ‘Yea, such was the
wonderful condescension of the Son of God, in his divine nature, that,
though of the same nature and essence with the Father, yet would he
have his human nature trained up in all the exercises of suffering;
that, by a fellow feeling, his people might know how he understood
their exercises by his own.' Oh! thou gracious, condescending Lord!
Surely nothing can soften sorrow like the consciousness that thou hast
known it in our nature for thy people; and nothing can more effectually
reconcile all thine afflicted members, humbly and patiently to learn
obedience in the school of suffering, as that Jesus, though a Son, and
the Son of God, in the eternity of his nature, was pleased, in his
human nature, "to learn obedience by the things which he suffered."Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-10667060638194839582015-07-04T01:00:00.000+08:002015-07-04T01:00:00.798+08:00Matthew 22:11"A wedding garment." - Matt. xxii. 11.<br />
<br />
My soul! let this evening's meditations be directed to the subject
proposed in these few words: "a wedding garment." Very many are the
instructions which the passage contains. The Lord Jesus is
representing, under the similitude of a wedding feast, the rich
provision God the Father had made in the gospel, on account of the
marriage of his dear Son with our nature. And most beautiful, indeed,
is the representation. For what feast, in point of fullness, richness,
and satisfaction, can come up to that which is furnished for the poor,
needy, and perishing circumstances of famished and dying sinners? This
feast of fat things (as the scripture calls it) is indeed a rich feast,
a royal feast, and a true wedding feast: for as Jesus, on whose account
it is made, hath united our nature in general to himself, so hath he
united each individual of that nature in particular to himself, who is
truly, and in reality, made a partaker of it. But the parable supposes
(which, though not said, is implied) that the rich and bountiful Donor
not only provides a feast for the hungry, but a covering for the naked;
and that the very entrance to his table is inadmissible without this
wedding garment being accepted, put on, and worn by every individual
who partakes of the supper. The case is here stated of one unworthy
creature (and that one is a representative of all in like
circumstances) who, when the King came in to see the guests, was found
deficient of this covering. My soul! pause over this part. This man, it
should seem, was not observed by any around him. He had come in with
the crowd, and gained admittance with the rest. It was only when the
King came in, that he was discovered, and that by the King himself.
What a volume of instruction is contained in this short representation?
So Jesus comes in the midst of his churches. He presides at his table.
Every individual is seen, is known by him, with every secret motive for
which each cometh. It should seem, that at this supper there were great
multitudes present, and but one without a wedding garment. And yet that
one could not be hidden from the King's eye. My soul! while this
furnisheth a subject for awful consideration, so doth it no less for
joyful thought. Hast thou been at this gospel feast? Weft thou clothed
in this wedding garment? Surely, if so, thou art not at a loss to know.
If the feast and the garment were both of the King's providing, thou
must know whether thou camest to be clothed as well as fed; and whether
the Lord, that provided the food, gave thee also raiment? Say then,
when Jesus invited thee to his supper, didst thou go to it, as those in
the highway, poor, and maimed, and halt, and blind? And while he bade
thee come, didst thou regard his counsel; and buy of him, as he had
said, without money, and without price, "white raiment, that thou
mightest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness should not
appear?" Rev. iii. 18. Oh it is blessed, very blessed, to go hungry to
such a feast, and clothed in the wedding garment of Jesu's
righteousness, and have the robe put on by God the Holy Ghost. Sure
will be the acceptance, and gracious the reception, to every poor,
famishing, naked, sinner, that thus comes to the gospel feast. Do
remark, my soul, one circumstance more in this man's case. It doth not
appear that he was naked; for then it would have been said so; and, if
conscious of it, the bountiful Lord that made the feast would have
clothed him. He had a garment, but not a wedding garment. One of his
own providing; like those who have a righteousness of their own, of
whom the Lord elsewhere speaks: "Woe to the rebellious children, saith
the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a
covering, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin;" Isa.
xxx. 1. Precious Lord Jesus! clothe me with the wedding garment of thy
righteousness; and feed me with the rich food of thy body and blood;
yea, Lord! be thou my covering, my joy, my all; that when at thy
church, at thy table, at thine house of prayer below, and at thine
kingdom of glory above, the King cometh in to see his guests, my soul
may cry out, in thine own blessed, words, and with a joy unspeakable
and full of glory: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall
be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of
salvation, he hath covered me with a robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth
herself with her jewels;" Isa. lxi. 10.<br />
Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-72373612160858248652015-07-03T01:00:00.000+08:002015-07-03T01:00:00.201+08:00Joshua 4:23
"The waters of Jordan." - Joshua 4:23<br />
<br />
The sacred streams of Jordan, so often and so highly celebrated in the
word of God, open a very blessed subject for meditation. Sit down, my
soul, by the side of that ancient river, and call to mind the faith
exercised on that memorable spot by the multitude of the faithful gone
before, who were heirs with thyself of the promises; and see, whether
the Holy Ghost will not graciously, this evening, make thy meditation
sweet? Recollect, as thou viewest the hallowed ground, that here it
was, in this river, Jesus received the first public testimony from God
the Father; and the first open display of the descent of God the Holy
Ghost. Here Jehovah began to magnify the Lord Christ. And here, in ages
before, had the Lord begun to magnify that memorable type of Jesus, his
servant Joshua. And as, from the baptism of Jesus at this sacred river,
the Lamb of God opened his divine commission, so here Joshua, his type,
commenced his ministry. From hence he led the people to the promised
land. And from hence Jesus, in the baptism of his Holy Spirit, leads
his redeemed to the possession of the everlasting Canaan, in heaven.
There is, indeed, a double view of our Lord's ministry, in these waters
of Jordan; not only of baptism, as introductory to the wilderness-state
of temptation that follows to all his people; but also, as the close of
the wilderness-dispensation, in the Jordan of death, when, finally and
fully, Jesus leads them through, to their immortal possessions. And as
the children of Israel had been exercised for forty years together,
through a waste and howling wilderness, until they came to Jordan,
which opened a passage to them of life and liberty, to a land flowing
with milk and honey; so the followers of the Lord Jesus, having passed
through the pilgrimage of this world, amidst the various assaults of
sin and Satan, pass through the Jordan of death, conducted and secured
by their almighty leader, unto the possession of that kingdom of glory
and happiness which is above. Pause, my soul, over the review! behold,
by faith, the wonderful events which passed here. In this sacred river,
once rested the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth.
Here Jesus, whom the ark represented, was baptized. Here Israel passed
over. And here, my soul, must thou pass over in the hour of death. Oh!
how sweet and blessed, in the swellings of Jordan, to behold Jesus, and
hear his well-known voice, "Fear not; for I have redeemed thee; I have
called thee by thy name: thou art mine. When thou passest through the
waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not
overflow thee!"<br />
Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-79389006728653480602015-07-02T01:00:00.000+08:002015-07-02T01:00:00.331+08:00Hebrews 5:14"But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those
who, by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good
and evil." - Heb. v. 14.<br />
<br />
My soul! of what age art thou in the divine life? It is high time
to inquire: high time to know. And the information is not far to
attain, if thou dost wish it. A state of full age not only can receive,
and relish the strong meat of the gospel, but really desires it, longs
for it, and can be satisfied with nothing else. And what is the strong
meat of the gospel? Surely the person, the work, the glory, the grace,
the love, the everything that is in Jesus, which belongs to Jesus, and
flows from Jesus. And depend upon it, that if thy spiritual senses are
so frequently exercised upon Jesus, as to relish this food, to delight
in it, yea, to loath all else, there will be a sweet savour of Jesus in
thy whole life and conversation. And in the exact proportion that thou
takest a fullness of this spiritual food, so may thine age be
estimated. All we hear, all we see, all we read of, or meet with, of
Jesus, will be food to the soul. Jesus is as the sweet flower of the
field: and faith, like the bee, gathers from it, and brings home, both
the golden honey and the wax to the hive, and lives upon it: so that
then Christ is in the heart, dwells in the heart, as the apostle terms
it, by faith, and is "formed in the heart the hope of glory." Now,
where there is no fullness of age, yea, no age at all, not a babe in
Christ, nor even born again, the strong meat of the gospel can neither
be received, taken in, nor enjoyed. An unawakened heart is not only
incapable of strong meat, but is disgusted at it. Persons of this kind
may hear of Jesus, and apparently, for the time seem pleased. For as
all men, when they die, would desire to go to heaven, so a discourse
about it, may amuse, as a subject at a distance. But there is nothing
within them, with which the subject can incorporate: no digestive
powers to receive such strong meat; and consequently no relish. A
shower of rain in a dry season may wet the surface, but if it soak not
to the root, the plants find no good. My soul! what saith thine
experience to these things? Hath the Lord so manifested himself to thee
in all his glory, that nothing short of Jesus can satisfy thee? Hast
thou found a transforming power accompanying this view of Jesus, so
that, by faith, his glory hath excited thy desires to partake of him?
And do the daily hopes which arise from such thoughts and views of thy
Lord, so give rest, comfort, and joy to thee, that these refreshments
are like "the spiced wine of the pomegranate?" Blessed Redeemer! may I
be able to ascertain the real ripeness of my age by testimonies like
these; and sure I am, in this view and enjoyment of Jesus, I shall find
cause to give thanks, yea, unceasing thanks, to "God and the Father,
who thus maketh us meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the
saints in light."Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-50703312728523947332015-07-01T01:00:00.000+08:002015-07-01T01:00:01.354+08:00Daniel 7:13-14"I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man, came
with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they
brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should
serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not
pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." - Daniel 7:13,14<br />
<br />
Bless the Lord, my soul, who giveth thee "songs in the night", from the
night visions of the prophet. Read this sweet scripture, explained as
it is, most fully and completely, by the evangelists, in their account
of Jesus, as" the Son of man;" and what a wonderful coincidence and
agreement is there between them! It is in the human nature of the Lord
Christ, that the glories of this kingdom shine so full and resplendent.
"The Ancient of Days can be no other than God the Father, who is truly
the Ancient of Days, being self-existent, and from everlasting to
everlasting. And the Son of God, as God, one with the Father, is the
same from all eternity. But here he is spoken of as the Christ of God,
and particularly revealed to Daniel, in the visions of the night, as"
the Son of man." Ponder this well, my soul. Contemplate the dominion,
glory, and kingdom given to Jesus, in thy nature. Recollect also, in
the moment of thy meditation, that it is by virtue of this nature,
united to the Godhead, that the exercise of all sovereignty, wisdom,
and power, is carried on, and Christ's kingdom established forever. It
saith, in this scripture, that these things were given to him. They
could not have been given to him as God; for all things were his
before: but as Christ, the Son of man; the Son of God having taken into
union with the Godhead our nature, became one Christ, and as such,
received them. And what endears the subject, in the greatness and
everlasting nature of it is, that Jesus is all this in our nature. For
here it is that that sweet scripture unfolds all its beauty:" As the
Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life
in himself; because he is the Son of man!" John v. 26, 27. Mark the
peculiar blessedness of the expression, for the meditation is most
sweet. Jesus, as Jesus Mediator, hath life in himself. He doth not hold
it as at pleasure, or like creatures, which, because once given, may be
taken away. It is in himself in the human nature, because that human
nature is taken in, united to, and become one with the Godhead, and
therefore not liable to be recalled. Pause over this subject, this
glorious, blessed, joyful subject! Thy Jesus, my soul, hath life in
himself, in his human nature, because he is the Son of man. Think,
then, of thine everlasting safety in him; and thine unceasing glory
from him: for he saith himself, "Because I live, ye shall live also."
Hallelujah. Amen, Amen.Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-75478726809266033762015-06-30T01:00:00.000+08:002015-06-30T01:00:00.120+08:001 Thessalonians 4:16"With the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." - I Thess. iv. 16.<br />
<br />
Before I drop into the arms of sleep, I would call upon my soul to
ponder these words. I know not, each night, when retiring to rest,
whether my next awakening may not be "with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God." As what may be my state in this particular,
and hath been the state of many (for the hour of a man's death is to
all intents and purposes the day of judgment) becomes an infinitely
momentous concern; how can I better close the day and the month
together, than by a few moments' consideration of the solemn event?
What is meant by "the voice of the archangel?" I do not recollect the
name of the archangel being mentioned anywhere beside in scripture,
except Jude 9. and here, as well as there, the person spoken of is but
one. We have no authority to say, archangels; yea, it should seem, from
what the apostle Jude hath said concerning the archangel, in calling
him Michael (if compared with the vision of Daniel, chap. x. 21. and
also with what is said in the book of the Revelations, chap xii. 7.)
that it means the person of Christ. Jesus himself hath said, that "the
dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and all that are in their
graves shall come forth." John v. 25-28. At any rate, if the Holy Ghost
speak but of one, and there be but the shadow of a probability that
that one is Christ, it becomes very faulty to join others in the name,
by making the word plural. With respect to "the trump of God," we may
understand, that as the law was given with solemn splendour and glory
on mount Sinai, so the consummation of all things will testify the
divine presence. My soul, meditate on these things; give thyself wholly
to the frequent consideration of them. And, by the lively actings of
faith upon the person of thy Lord, contemplate thy personal interest in
all the blessedness of this great day of God. If this "voice of the
archangel," be indeed the voice of Jesus, and thou knowest now by grace
thy oneness and union with him, shall not the very thought give thee
holy joy? It is true, indeed, the day will be solemn, yea, profoundly
solemn. But it is equally true, that it will be glorious to all the
redeemed. And if the Lord Jesus commanded his disciples to look up, and
lift up their heads with holy joy, when their redemption drew nigh,
shall we not suppose that it must be pleasing to the mind of our God
and Saviour that we welcome and hail the fulfillment of it? Yea, must
it not be pleasing to our God and Father, that we believe in his Son
Jesus Christ to this day of eternal salvation? We find the apostles
thus encouraging the faithful Paul tells Titus to be "looking for that
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus ii. 13. Surely, if the hope be blessed,
and the appearing of Jesus, as the Redeemer of his people, glorious;
our souls should triumph in the expectation. Peter goes one step
farther, and bids the church not only to be looking but hasting unto
the coming of it; as souls well assured of their safety in Jesus; and
therefore to cry out with holy faith, "Come Lord Jesus, come quickly!"
2 Pet. iii. 12. What sayest thou, my soul, to these things? Are they
blessed? Are thy hopes thus going forth in desires after Christ's
coming? Oh! the blessedness of falling asleep each night, in the sleep
of nature, in the perfect assurance of a oneness with Christ? And Oh!
the blessedness of falling asleep in Jesus, when the Lord gives the
signal for the sleep of death! All the intervening lapse of time, from
death to this hour of the "voice of the archangel," is totally lost to
the body, like the unconscious lapse of time to the labouring man of
health, whose sleep each night is sweet. When the patriarchs, of their
different ages, arise at "the trump of God," their bodies will be
equally unconscious whether the sleep hath been for one night, or
several thousand years. Think, my soul, of these solemn but precious
things. Frequently meditate with holy joy and faith, upon this great
day of God. Recollect that it is Jesus who comes to take thee home. And
having long redeemed thee by his blood, he then will publicly
acknowledge thee for his own, and present thee to the Father and
himself, as a part of his glorious church, "not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but to be forever without blame before him
in love."Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-89016016258638284912015-06-29T01:00:00.000+08:002015-06-29T01:00:02.326+08:001 Corinthians 5:8"Let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of
malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and
truth. " - I Cor. v. 8.<br />
<br />
My soul, hast thou duly considered the unsuitableness of all leaven to
mix up with the unleavened bread of the gospel of Jesus? Whatever
sours, and gives a principle of taint to the mind, is indeed a leaven,
carefully to be avoided. And "a little leaven leaveneth the whole
lump!" So that it was expressly enjoined, in the divine precept of the
law, on the Passover, that "there should be no leaven found in their
houses; the soul that did eat of it was to be cut off from the
congregation." Exod. xii. 19. Sweet instruction, couched under the
prohibition! With Jesus there is to be no mixture; nothing of creature
leaven, of self-will, or self-righteousness to mingle. My soul, thou
hast been at the gospel feast, and sat with Jesus at his table. Surely
thou hast kept the feast then, as here enjoined, and allowed nothing of
leaven, in the old nature or in the new, to be with thee. Oh! the
blessedness of thus receiving Christ with "the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth!" Oh! the felicity of receiving a broken Christ
into a broken heart; preciously feeding upon his body broken, and his
blood shed, as the sole, the only, the all-sufficient means of
salvation by faith! Oh! Lamb of God! keep thy table sacred from all
leaven, both in the persons approaching it, and the offerings made upon
it. Let not the children's bread be received, or given to the leaven of
hypocrisy and wickedness; but let all who meet around thy board be of
the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth! And do thou, Lord, come
into thy house, to thy table, to thy people; and let each for himself
hear, and joyfully accept the invitation of the kind Master: "Eat, O
friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved!<br />
Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-45953783726916889242015-06-28T01:00:00.000+08:002015-06-28T01:00:02.021+08:00Revelation 22:17
"And the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth, say,
come. And let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him
take the water of life freely." - Rev. xxii. 17.<br />
<br />
My soul, doth not the evening bell, which calleth to the ordinance, in
all its melodious sounds, seem to express these gracious invitations?
Wilt thou not attend? Private meditation is indeed sweet; but public
ordinances are of more avail. "The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more
than all the dwellings of Jacob!" What a blessed sight is it to see the
house of God well filled! What a refreshment to my poor weary sin-sick
soul, to hear Jesus in his word saying, "Come unto me, all ye that are
weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." And every part and
portion of the service proclaims the gospel cry: - "Ho! every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye,
buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk, without money, and without
price." Isa. lv. 1. And do observe, my soul, how, in the close of
scripture, the invitation is repeated; as if to leave the impression
fresh and lasting upon every soul. Yea, the Spirit confirms it; "come,"
is the call of the Holy Ghost; "come," is the call of the whole church,
the bride, the Lamb's wife; yea, every one that heard of the free, and
full, and glorious salvation; the angels, the ministering spirits to
the heirs of salvation, they join the pressing invitation, and cry,
"come." And surely every thirsty soul will not cease to say the same,
for whoever-the Lord the Spirit hath made "willing in the day of his
power," may come in the day of his grace. And if Jesus, with his great
salvation, be welcome to his heart, that heart is welcome to come to
Jesus. My soul, with what a cloud of witnesses is the church of the
living God encompassed; and how many and numerous are the invitations
of grace! Wilt thou not then, in return, echo to the cry, and hasten
thy Redeemer's coming, in the same earnest language? Come, Lord Jesus!
to thy bride, the church, and be thou to all thy redeemed the water of
life, and the fountain of life; until thou take home thy church, which
is here below, to join thy church above, that they may unitedly dwell
together, in the light of thy countenance for evermore!Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-63375553946124543982015-06-27T01:00:00.000+08:002015-06-27T01:00:01.349+08:00Philippians 3:12"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but
I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am
apprehended of Christ Jesus." - Phil. iii. 12.<br />
<br />
My soul! take the apostle for an example in thine evening's meditation.
Here he freely and fully confesseth himself, after all his attainments
in the life of grace, to be far short of what he longed to attain. And
observe the aim of the apostle: all his pursuit, and all his desire
was, like an arrow shot at a mark, to apprehend Christ, as Christ had
first apprehended him: to grasp Jesus, as the Lord Jesus had held, and
did hold him. Happy desire! happy pursuit! and blessed mark of grace!
For let the Lord have given out to the soul ever so largely, there is
more to give out, more to be received, more to be enjoyed. And the Holy
Ghost, who is leading a child of God out of himself, more and more, to
lead him more and more to the enjoyment of Jesus, is sweetly training
that precious soul, and advancing him to the highest lessons in the
school of grace. Paul felt this, when he cried out, "Not that I have
already attained, either were already perfect." To be sure not: for if
we thought we had enough of Christ, it would be more than half
conviction that we had nothing at all. Now, my soul, learn from Paul,
in what the life of God in the soul consists: to be always pursuing the
person of Jesus, for the farther enjoyment of him; never sitting down
satisfied with what is already attained; but" pressing (as the apostle
did) towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus:" in short, to make Christ the sum, the substance, the all
of every desire; and ever to keep in remembrance, that the more we
receive, the more Jesus hath to impart; the more he gives out, the more
he is glorified; and, like some rich spring, the oftener we receive
from him, the more rich and full he flows: Oh the blessedness of such a
state! What a heaven upon earth would it be, if closely followed! To be
always living upon Jesus, coming to Jesus, thirsting after Jesus; and
the more we receive out of him, and of him, to have the soul's desires
after him the more increased by all we enjoy. Precious Lord! grant me
this felicity, that, like Paul, I may say," Not as though I had already
attained :" but all my longings are, so to apprehend and hold fast
Christ Jesus, as Christ Jesus hath apprehended and doth hold me fast.Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-63068791779242441732015-06-26T01:00:00.000+08:002015-06-26T01:00:00.912+08:00Exodus 28:30
"The Urim and the Thummim." - Exod. xxviii. 30.<br />
<br />
There is somewhat very interesting in this account of "the Urim and the
Thummim;" though in the present distance of time, we can at the best
form nothing more than conjectures as to what it was. But through
grace, and the teaching of the Holy Ghost, we can have clear views of
what it meant. The general acceptations of the Hebrew words, are,
lights and perfections. And as Aaron, as high priest, became a lively
type of Christ, so, by bearing on his breast-plate "the Urim and the
Thummim," there can be no difficulty in beholding Jesus represented as
the light and perfection of his people. And as Aaron bare all the names
of the people upon his breast, where "the Urim and Thummim" were worn;
how delightful is it to see Jesus thus represented, as bearing all the
persons of his redeemed, in his own light and perfection, when he goes
in before the presence of God for us! Sweet and precious thought to the
believer! And now the church cries out: "Set me as a seal upon thine
heart, as a seal upon thine arm;" Song viii. 6. And so important did
this appear to Moses, when dying, that he expressly prayed, that" the
Thummim and the Urim might be with Jehovah's Holy One;" Deut. xxxiii.
8. Now here we have at once the application of the whole; for who is
Jehovah's Holy One, but the Lord Jesus Christ? With him it eminently
remained, and with him only. For during the captivity, it was lost with
the temple, and was never again restored. But with Jesus, the
continuance of it was everlasting, for he hath "an unchangeable
priesthood, and is the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever."
Precious Lord Jesus! be thou "the Urim and the Thummim" to my soul; for
thou art both the light and perfection of thy people, in grace here,
and glory forever.Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-5920150262610908412015-06-25T01:00:00.000+08:002015-06-25T01:00:02.182+08:00Isaiah 6:5"Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean
lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of clean lips." - Isa. vi. 5.<br />
<br />
My soul! thy last evening was deeply exercised on that glorious
subject, the holiness of Jehovah. Let this evening's meditation call
thee to what ought immediately to follow; thy unholiness and
corruption. What a transition! And yet what more suited for meditation?
The prophet Isaiah, who had been admitted to the view of a vision, like
that which John the apostle saw in the after ages, beheld the glory of
Christ, and heard those who cried, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of
Hosts! and the effect was as is here related. His consternation was so
great, concluding that he should be struck dead (agreeably to what holy
men of old had conceived, that the sight of God would produce death),
that he cried out, "Woe is me, I am undone." Pause, my soul! thou art
also "a man of unclean lips!" How dost thou hope to see the face of God
in glory? How art thou prepared for such an overwhelming sight?
Convinced of thy uncleanness, and convinced also that God is of purer
eyes than to behold iniquity, neither can any evil dwell with him; how
art thou looking for acceptance here by grace, and the everlasting
acceptance and admittance of thy person hereafter in glory before God?
Ponder the subject well, and consider, under this particular, as in
every other, the blessedness of an union with Christ, and an interest
in Christ. Here lie all thy hopes, all thy confidence, all thy
security! Undone as thou art in thyself, and unclean as thy lips and
thy whole nature are, by reason of sin, both from the original state in
which thou wast conceived and born, and the actual transgressions which
thou hast committed; yet looking up to the throne, in and through
Jesus, thy Husband, thy Surety, thy Sponsor; here it is, my soul, and
here alone, that thy confidence is well founded, and all thy hopes
secure. And dost thou not feel a holy joy, a sweet indescribable
delight, in contemplating the divine holiness; while contemplating, at
the same time, thine own interest and right in the holiness of the Lord
Jesus? Art thou not full of rapture in beholding the glory of God's
holiness, for which, rather than an atom of it should be tarnished by
the sinner, the Son of God assumed the nature of his people, and died
on the cross, to make atonement? And art thou not comforted in the
blessed view, that God's holiness hath received more glory, more
honour, by the obedience and sacrifice of the Glory-man, Christ Jesus,
than could have been given by the everlasting obedience of men and
angels to all eternity? And say, moreover, dost thou not at times take
delight in drawing nigh to the throne of grace, and offering thy poor
feeble praises of" Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God of Hosts," when
thou art approaching, and holding communion with God, in and through
the holy Jesus, thy ‘Redeemer? Oh! thou dear Emmanuel, in whom alone,
and by whom alone, all my hopes and confidences are founded, I fall
down at thy feet, and as the prophet cried out, so do I desire
unceasingly to exclaim, "I am a man of unclean lips!" But do thou cause
the iniquity to be taken away, and my sin to be purged, by the live
coal, from thee, who art our new testament altar, and I shall be clean;
for thou art the Lord my righteousness.Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-26593788486249205902015-06-24T01:00:00.000+08:002015-06-24T01:00:00.877+08:00Revelation 4:8"And they rear not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." - Rev. iv. 8.<br />
<br />
Make a solemn pause, my soul, over these words; and when thou hast
found a fixedness of thought, that every faculty may be engaged in the
contemplation, ponder well this divine perfection of Jehovah, the
holiness of his nature, by which an eternal distinction is drawn
between him and all his creatures. None but Jehovah can be essentially
holy. Angels, who have never sinned, have indeed a holiness; but it is
derived from Him, it exists not in themselves, and, in point of
comparison, is but as the shadow to the substance; moreover, being in
their nature mutable creatures, their holiness may be changed also: the
fallen angels are proofs in point. But with Jehovah, holiness is in
himself; the peculiar glory of his nature, and inseparable from his
very existence. Pause over this view, for it is scriptural, and truly
blessed. Go on to another observation. Thrice is the ascription of
holiness given, in this sublime song of the blessed in heaven, as if to
point out the personality of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; the Holy
undivided Three," which bear record in heaven, for these three are
one," I John v. 7. When these glorious truths are suitably impressed
upon thee, pause once more, and consider with what distinguishing
characters the holiness of Jehovah is set forth in the word of God. The
heavenly host are said to rest not day and night in proclaiming their
deep sense and adoration of Jehovah in this glorious attribute. Now
here is somewhat for the mind to lean upon, in contemplating Jehovah's
holiness. Jehovah is eternal also, and hath commanded the church to
know him as the faithful God, Deut. vii. 9. But we never read that the
host of worshippers thrice repeat his eternity, or his faithfulness, in
their hymns, of adoration and praise. Moreover, Jehovah himself seems
to have pointed out this divine attribute as among the distinguishing
excellencies he will be known by; for he singles it out to swear by:" I
have sworn once by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David," Ps.
lxxxix. 35. Precious thought for the poor timid believer to keep always
in view! For it is as if Jehovah had said, ‘I have pledged my holiness,
as an attribute essential to my very nature, that what I have promised
to David's Lord, even my dear Son, of the redemption of his seed, as
sure as I am holy, I will most certainly perform.' Moreover, my soul,
holiness is the glory .of Jehovah. Hence the song of the church:" Who
is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods! who is like unto thee,
glorious in holiness!" Exod. xv. 11. And hence Jehovah is said to be
worshipped "in the beauties of holiness;" Ps. cx. 3. My soul! keep this
also in remembrance. If the representation of an angel, or a man, were
to be made, we should figure to ourselves the most beautiful
countenance; and if Jehovah be represented to us, how is it done?
Surely in the beauty of holiness; for God the Holy Ghost gives us "the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus
Christ!" 2 Cor. iv. 6. Pause over these infinitely solemn meditations,
and while thou art overawed (as, indeed, it is impossible but to be so)
in the contemplation of distinguishing a perfection of the divine
nature; and, moreover, as this view of God's holiness is so directly
opposed to the unholiness of a poor fallen sinful creature, as thou
art, look up for grace from the Holy Ghost the Comforter, and take
relief in the sweet and consoling consideration, that to this glorious
God thou art permitted, yea, commanded and encouraged, to draw near, in
and through the holiness of thy Redeemer. Hail, blessed Jesus! upheld
by the right arm of thy righteousness, and washed from all our sins in
thy blood, all thy church may here draw nigh by faith, and send forth
their feeble breathings in the same strain as the church in thy
presence doth above, while in their hymns day and night, they shout
aloud, "Holy! holy! holy! Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is
to come!"<br />
Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-37196198807216239682015-06-23T01:00:00.000+08:002015-06-23T01:00:01.557+08:00John 6:37-40"All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh
to me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to
do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the
Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And
this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the
Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise
him up at the last day." - John vi. 37 - 40.<br />
<br />
My soul, commit this blessed portion to thy memory; yea, beg of God the
Holy Ghost to commit, and write all the gracious things contained in
it, on the inner tablets of thine heart! It is in itself a gospel, yea,
a fur gospel. Methinks, I would have it proclaimed on the house-tops,
and published, day by day, in every place of public concourse
throughout the earth, until the saving truths were every one of them
known, and felt, and enjoyed, by every poor awakened and needy sinner.
Mark, my soul, the several contents of what thy God and Saviour hath
here said: take the whole with thee to thy bed, this night, and drop
asleep, in faith of the whole, in the arms of Jesus; and if the Lord
bring thee to the light of the succeeding morning, let those sweet and
gracious words, which proceeded out of Jesus's mouth, salute thee with
the first dawn of the morning, arise with thee, and go about with thee,
in thy remembrance, until the whole be fulfilled in the kingdom of
heaven. Now mark their immense blessings, according to the order in
which they stand: "All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me."
All; not one, or two, or ten, or a million only, but all. And observe
wherefore? They are the Father's gift to Jesus, and therefore they must
come. He saith elsewhere, "that I should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given me," John xvii. 2. Hence, therefore, there is a
blessed provision, a blessed security, that they shall come; for they
are the Father's gift to Christ, as well as the purchase of Christ's
blood; and the promise is absolute in the charter of grace;" Thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power," Ps. cx. 3. And, to give
every possible encouragement to the poor coming sinner, whom God the
Holy Ghost is leading by the hand to all- precious Jesus, however
unconscious that poor soul is of the gracious influence under which he
is coming, Jesus adds, "And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise
cast out." Observe the tenderness of our Lord's words. He had said, all
shall come: but Jesus well knew the most humble are the most timid, and
the most apt to be discouraged; and therefore he makes each one's case
to be expressed by the word him: "him that cometh." As if Jesus had
said, ‘Let that poor creature, who is most afraid, by reason of a
conscious sense of his transgressions, take comfort: if he cometh, let
him know, that" I will in no wise cast him out."‘ And to confirm it
still more, Jesus adds, ‘For this is the very purpose for which I came
down from heaven; not only because it was my full purpose to seek and
save that which was lost, but it is the will of my Father also, who
sent me.' And, as if to impress this grand truth upon every poor
sinner's heart, he repeats the gracious words: "And this is the will of
him that sent me." He saith it twice, that there might be no mistake.
And yet farther: if a poor sinner should say, ‘ But how am I to come,
and in what am I to come; what are the qualifications for coming?'
"This," saith the all-gracious Redeemer, "this is the will of my
Father, the will of him that sent me, that every one that seeth the
Son, and believeth on him, shall have everlasting life." And what is it
to see the Son, but so to behold him by the eye of faith, as to believe
in him to the salvation of the soul; to see him as the Christ, the
Sent, the Sealed, the Anointed of God; the one, and only one ordinance
of heaven, for the redemption of poor sinners; whose blood cleanseth
from all sin, and whose righteousness freely and fully justifieth every
believing sinner? Pause, my soul, and well ponder these precious,
saving truths; and then take comfort in the blessed assurance, that
thou hast all these testimonies in thine own experience, from having
long since come to Christ, and long found the certainty of these
promises. Lie down, my soul, this night, yea, lie down, my body, this,
and every night, until the last night, even the night of death shall
come; for thou sleepest in Jesus by faith, and his words are thy
security: "Of all my Father hath given me, I should lose nothing; I
will raise him up at the last day."Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845582029857362946.post-5358395734976994882015-06-22T01:00:00.000+08:002015-06-22T01:00:00.754+08:002 Kings 6:32"Look when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at
the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?" - 2 Kings
vi. 32.<br />
<br />
It is blessed to watch every dispensation of the Lord's providence, as
well as his grace; for Jesus is in all. So that when messengers of
heaviness come, and with sad tidings, as in this instance of the
prophet, if we shut to the door as they enter, and suffer them to open
their commission, we shall hear the sound of their master's feet behind
them, confirming every one. There are no events which can happen to a
child of God, but they ought to be thus dealt with. They are like
letters personally directed, and speak, in their whole contents, the
causes for which the king's post hath brought them; and they cannot be
mistaken, if they are well read, and pondered over; for they point to
the individual, as the prophet's servant to Jehu. "To which of all us,
(said Jehu) is this errand?" The answer was," To thee, O captain!" 2
Kings ix. 5. Now, my soul, learn hence how to receive all the
messengers of thy Lord. Shut the door upon them, and detain them, until
thou hast well studied, and perfectly understood their commission. Oh!
my Lord Jesus ] in all thine afflicting providences, cause me to hear
my master's feet following every one. "I know, Lord, that thy judgments
are right, and that thou in very faithfulness causeth me to be
troubled." I know, Lord, also, that they are graciously commissioned,
and the issue must be blessed. And I know, Lord, that even during their
exercise, however sharp, they will be sweetly sanctified, if, through
thy blessing upon them, they cause my poor heart to cleave the closer
to thee. So long then, dear Lord, as thou causest me to entertain right
conceptions of these soul exercises, let me never shrink from shutting
the door, that I may the more earnestly meditate upon thy messages; and
if I see Christ in every one, and blessings in every one, sure I am,
the issue of no one will ever be doubtful. I shah then learn the same
precious lesson that Job did, and through thy grace, like him, make it
practical: and bless a taking God, as well as a giving God: for, let
the Lord take what else he may from me, never, never will he take
Christ from me; and while I have him, in him I shah possess all things.
Oh! for grace so to receive all the sable messengers of my Lord, as to
hear my master's feet behind them. Sure I am, that when their black
covering is removed, I shall behold a fullness of blessings which they
have brought with them under their garments. Like the angel to Peter in
the prison, they may smite roughly on the side; but the very stroke
will cause the chains to fall from my hands, and open the prison doors,
to give liberty and joy. Acts. xii. 7.Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07806321633426989306noreply@blogger.com0