the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
August 10—Morning—2 Timothy 1:9
"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began."—2 Timothy 1:9.
Mark, my soul, all the precious things, if thou hast power or time to do so, which are contained in this blessed scripture. Eternity itself will not be sufficient to allow space to enumerate them; neither will thy ripened faculties, even when full-blown and full-fruited, be found sufficient to enter into the complete apprehension of them all. Who is it that is here said to have saved ns, and called us with an holy calling, but the holy, glorious, undivided Jehovah, existing in a threefold character of Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? For all have concurred in that blessed work; and all, in the essence of the One Jehovah, must have the joint praise and the joint glory to all eternity. Well, then, put thy salvation down to this glorious account: it is God who hath saved and called thee. Next, mark the order here set forth. Thou art said to be saved before thou art said to be called. Mark that! salvation precedes our knowledge of it. The covenant engagements of the Almighty Covenanters took place from everlasting. For so saith the apostle concerning the hopes of happiness founded on salvation: "In hope," saith he, "of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began." Next, my soul, take notice of the call itself. It is an holy call: for we are called to the fellowship and communion of Jesus Christ. "And as he who hath called us is holy, so are we called to be holy, in all manner of conversation and godliness." See to it, my soul, that thy fellowship and communion is in the holiness and sin-atoning blood of Jesus. Lastly, never, my soul, lose sight of the cause of these unspeakable mercies—no, not for a moment. "We are saved and called, not according to our works, but according to his purpose." Hence, what is God’s gift, cannot be man’s merit; and what resulted from infinite love, from all eternity, cannot flow from creature love in time. Blessed purpose, and blessed grace: and thrice-blessed, being given to us in God’s dear Son, even Christ Jesus, before the world began!
August 10—Evening—Hebrews 1:14
"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"—Hebrews 1:14.
My soul, art thou an heir of salvation? Think then of thy high privilege. "If," saith an apostle, "we are children, then heirs, yea, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ," Romans 8:17. Though in this life, we be in a state of childhood, and, under age, yet by adoption and grace, we are made "heirs of God." Not like men of the world, in their earthly portions, where only one in a family can be the heir, and that the first-born; but all the church are included, for the church itself is called "the first-born which are written in heaven," Hebrews 12:25. And in this heaven-born inheritance, thou hast, my soul, if thou be a child of God, a portion in God thy Father; for all his people are a nation of spiritual priests, who, like Aaron of old, "have the Lord for their portion," Numbers 18:20. Yea, by virtue of thy union to Christ, who, as God-man Mediator, is "heir of all things," thou art interested in all things which are his, by virtue of his mediation. Oh, the rapturous thought! But do not stop here. By reason of this heirship, behold thy high dignity! Angels, who are high in intellect, disembodied spirits, and who excel in wisdom and in power, are servants in thine Emmanuel’s kingdom, to minister unto thee, and to all thy brethren in Jesus who are heirs of salvation. Oh! couldest thou see how they watch over thee, how they guard thee from a thousand evils; didst thou but know how eternally safe thou art amidst a host of foes, which come against thee; then, like the prophet’s servant, thou wouldest frequently see, by the eye of faith, "the mountain around thee full of horses and chariots of fire," 2 Kings 6:17. And who shall say to what extent their ministry is exercised? If a single angel destroyed seventy thousand in the host of Israel, at the command of God, (2 Samuel 24:15.) and a hundred and fourscore and five thousand of the Assyrians which came forth against Israel, (2 Kings 19:35.) what may not the child of God hope for, who is an heir of salvation, from the perpetual ministry of these ministering spirits? Oh! thou dear Lord, cause thine holy angels thus, by night and day, to take their stand, and watch over my defenceless hours! And, yet more than this, my adored Redeemer! come thou, and bless me with the unceasing visits of thy love, and say to me, as to thy church of old; "Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness," Isaiah 41:10.
