the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
March 16—Morning—Ruth 3:18
"The man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day."—Ruth 3:18.
Behold! my soul, in this scripture history, some sweet features by which the disposition of Jesus’s love, and the earnestness in his heart to relieve poor sinners, is strikingly set forth. When a poor sinner is made acquainted with the Lord Jesus, hath heard of his grace, goes forth to glean in his fields; at the ordinances of his house, and under the ministration of his word, lays down at his feet, and prays to be covered with the skirt of his mantle; Jesus not only takes notice of that poor seeking sinner, but gives the poor creature to know, by some sweet and secret whispers of his Holy Spirit, that he is not unacquainted with all that is in his heart. And when such have lain long, and earnestly sought, even through the whole night of doubt and fear, until the morning of grace breaks in upon the soul, yet may they be assured, the God-man, Christ Jesus, will not rest until that he hath finished the thing. It is one of the most blessed truths of the gospel, (and do thou, my soul, see to it, that it is written in thy best and strongest remembrance to have recourse to, as may be needed, upon every occasion,) that a seeking sinner is not more earnest to see Jesus, and enjoy him, than Jesus is to reveal himself to that seeking sinner, and form himself in the sinner’s heart, the hope of glory. For Jesus will not, cannot cease his love to poor sinners, until the object for which he came to seek and to save them is fully answered. And it is a thought, my soul, enough to warm thy coldest moments, that all the hallelujahs of heaven cannot call off thy Jesus’s attention from the necessities of even the poorest of his little ones here upon earth. In every individual instance, and in every case, Jesus will not rest until that he hath finished the thing, as well in the hearts of his people, as in the world, when he finished the work the Father gave him to do. Yes! Jesus will not rest until the last redeemed soul is brought home to glory. Precious consideration, how ought it to endear yet more the preciousness of the Redeemer!
March 16—Evening—Isaiah 4:3-4
"And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy; even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning."—Isaiah 4:3-4.
What a precious scripture is here! and what vast things are contained in the bosom of it! Mark them down, my soul, one by one, this evening, and see what of thy personal interest thou canst trace in the whole. And first, who they are, of whom these things are said, namely," the living in Jerusalem; even every one that is written: and he that is left, and he that remaineth. "By living, and being written, can only be meant what the beloved apostle saith of being "written in the book of life."- Revelation 13:8. And of "him that remaineth," there is, as another apostle saith, "a remnant according to the election of grace."- Romans 11:5. Hence the Lord Jesus bids his disciples rejoice, not because the spirits were subject unto them, but because "their names were written in heaven."- Luke 10:20. Secondly, what they are; and we find, that they are called holy. This is the great object of gospel grace; whence the apostle saith," We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit." - 2 Thessalonians 2:13. And when God saith, "Be ye holy, for I am holy," - Leviticus 11:44; his word works by his divine power, in the new creation of the soul, as he did in the old creation of the earth: the same efficacy is wrought by the one as by the other. "Let there be light, and there was light. "Thirdly, What they shall be. They shall be cleansed from filth and uncleanness. There shall be cleansing work, and purging work. Zion shall be washed, and Jerusalem shall be purged. Sweet and precious scripture, in proof of that fountain of Jesus’s blood, opened in after-days," to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness."- Zechariah 13:1. Fourthly, Who shall do all this? - The Lord! this blessed scripture saith; for He, and he only, can be competent to the great work. The Creator of the soul must also be its Redeemer. None but the Lord can take away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purge the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof. Precious Jesus! it is thy blood only, which cleanseth from all sin. Fifthly, How will the Lord do it? By the spirit of judgment, and the spirit of burning! Yea, the Holy Ghost, amidst his manifold gifts and gracious offices, will thus act upon every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem. "As a spirit of judgment," he will plead the cause of an injured God and Saviour, with the sinner’s guilty conscience; "convincing of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." And he will be a "spirit of burning;" for his word will act, (as the prophet describes it, Jeremiah 20:9.) "as a burning fire, shut up in the bones," consuming all the day. My soul! what sayest thou to this solemn but sweet scripture? Hath God the Spirit been to thee all these? Hath he convinced thee, enlightened thee, and been to thee a spirit of judgment, and a spirit of burning? Hath he convinced thee of thy sinful heart, enlightened thy dark heart, burnt, up the lustful desires of thy corrupt heart, melted thine hard heart, warmed the frozen affections of thy cold heart, and formed a love there towards the person, grace, and righteousness of a dear Redeemer? Canst thou set thy seal to this blessed scripture, that God is true?
