the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
October 1—Morning—Genesis 49:10
"Shiloh."—Genesis 49:10.
Precious name of the Lord Jesus! How blessed hath it been in all ages to thy people. Oh Lord, make it as ointment poured forth this morning to my soul! Both Jews and Christians alike agree in it, that it belongs only to the Messiah. And how then is it that they do not see Christ in it, even our Jesus, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, and died, as Caiaphas predicted the expediency, that one man should die for the people, and that he should fulfil the dying patriarch’s prediction, by gathering together in one the children of God which were scattered abroad? That Jesus answered to Jacob’s prediction, and none but Jesus ever did, is evident from their own testimony:—"We have a law," said they to Pilate, "and by that law he ought to die." Now, then, they themselves hereby confessed that as Jacob prophesied, the Lawgiver was not departed from Israel when Christ came. And when they added, "We have no king but Caesar," certain it was, from their own testimony, the sceptre was gone out of the family of Judah, when the heathen emperor was king. Think of these evidences, my soul, and feast thyself upon the precious name of thy Shiloh. Thy Jesus, thy Shiloh, thy Almighty Deliverer, is come. He is both thy Lawgiver and thy Law-fulfiller; thy God and thy King, who sprang out of Judah. Oh thou glorious Shiloh! let my soul be gathered to thee, to live upon thee and to thee; and do thou, Lord, arise out of Zion, and when the fulness of the gentiles is completed, let both Jew and gentile be gathered into one fold, of which be thou the ever-living, ever-loving, ever-governing Shiloh, to bless them in thyself for ever. Amen.
October 1—Evening—Habakkuk 3:17-18
"Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat, the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation!"—Habakkuk 3:17-18.
See, my soul, in the prophet’s example, the blessedness of living above creature enjoyments, by living upon Creator fulness. Here is a sun, which never goes down! Here is a fountain, whose streams can never dry up! He that lives upon creature excellency, will want both food and comfort when that excellency dies, for they must die with it, when the period of its flourishing is over. But the soul that draws all from Jesus, the God of his salvation, will have Jesus and leis salvation to live upon, and to be an everlasting source, when nature, in all its varieties, ceases to supply. My soul, what are thy resources for a day of famine? Canst thou join issue with the prophet? If blasting, or mildew, or frost, shall nip the fig-tree of its blossom; both the vine and the olive fail; yea, if the staff of life, as well as the sweets of life, should all be gone; hast thou Jesus to live upon; canst thou rejoice in him, when there is nothing else left to rejoice in; and call him thine, and the God of thy salvation, when none will own thee, and thou hast none beside him to own? They say that music upon the waters always sounds best. Be this so or not, yet the melody of the soul is certainly sweetest when nature is out of tune, if the believer can take his harp from the willow, and sing aloud on the tribulated waters of sorrow, to the God of ’ salvation. And this is a song never out of season, but has peculiar joy in the note, when from a new-strung heart, the believer sings it of the God of his salvation, and addresses it to the God of his salvation. Blessed Lord Jesus! give me grace, like the prophet, so to sing and so to triumph, that since, lose what I may, I cannot lose thee, while thy creature comforts remain, I may enjoy them, from enjoying thee in them: and when all are taken away, still, having thee for my portion, may I sing aloud with the prophet, though all earthly enjoyments cease, "I will still rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
