Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: March 25th

Knowing, that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.- 2 Peter 1:14.

Nothing but the life of Jesus, manifest in our flesh, can reconcile us to death. This, and this only, delivers from the fears of death, disarms it of its sting, and fortifies the mind with the knowledge of complete victory over the king of terrors, "through him who hath loved us." Constant converse with Jesus makes death familiar. So we learn to die daily; so the spiritual, immortal life of the soul triumphs over the sensual, mortal life of the body. The happy spirit, in some highly-favored seasons, is so far from fearing and trembling at the body’s dissolution, that it rejoices, and even longs to be set at liberty from its imprisoned state; it pants with desires after its beloved, and says, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly:" It wants

To clap its glad wings and tow’r away,

And mingle with eternal day.

How sweet to live in such a frame! how desirable! how daily and earnestly to be sought for! That when the frail body is attacked with any sickness, the soul may ask, with great serenity, in the words of John Baptist to Jesus, "Art thou he?" Is this disorder to put the finishing stroke to all my trials and griefs? "or must I look for another?" When a little child of mine saw a beggar ragged and deformed, it ran into my arms, and cried, ’O papa, save me from that frightful man!’ O, thought I, that in the views of death, may I ever thus, with boldness and familiarity, run to the arms of my heavenly Father.

All men know they must die. They confess this. But the thoughts of it are irksome. Believers in Jesus only, have a peculiar knowledge of death, so as to dwell on the thought, that it will come shortly, with satisfaction, hope, and comfort. Jesus hath shewed them this. From him "the righteous hath hope in his death."- Proverbs 14:32.

Is it in vain then, the Saviour saith, "Forsake all, take up thy cross, follow me!" No: it verily is for the profit and the peace of the soul. For the move stedfastly we are attached to, and eagerly pursue the things of this life, so much the more we are loth to die. We fear the approach, and tremble at the very apprehension of the unwelcome messenger. All this is, because the objects of time and sense cloud our minds, and darken our views of the victorious Jesus, his perfect work and finished salvation for us. Only while Jesus is embraced in the arms of faith, the soul can say, with Simeon, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation."- Luke 2:29-30.

Will death this body soon destroy?

O yes! I Wait the coming hour:

What then? my Lord will raise it up

Again, by his almighty pow’r.

Then shall I live a joyful life,

From sin and sorrow ever free.

O may I long the happy hour,

For ever with my Lord to be!

Behold, the skin of the face of Moses shone, and they were afraid to come nigh unto him. Exodus 34:30.

Here see the glorious effects of being on the mount with God; of having free access to and holy converse with him. When we draw nigh to God, and he draws nigh to us, our souls catch the splendor and glory of his grace. This revives our countenance, and makes our face to shine. Here is somewhat worthy our attention; for the holy inspirer calls upon us, behold. Lord! give us to behold this to our edification and comfort. (1st.) “When Moses came down from the mount his face shone, but he knew it not.” O! it, is well for us, when we are so wholly taken up with the majesty and glory of our Lord, and see such splendor of grace and love shine on his countenance, as not to be looking at ourselves, and admiring our own gifts and graces. It is to imitate fops and fribbles in nature, to look in a glass to admire ourselves. “To fall in love with our own beauty, is to play the harlot.” (Exodus 16:15.) (2d.) Though Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone, yet others saw it, and were afraid to come near him. Here behold the glory and majesty of the holy law of God: like the face of Moses, it darts its piercing rays of light and terror into the consciences of poor sinners: it works wrath; it fills the soul with the knowledge of sin, the fear of hell, and the dread of damnation. There is a glory in the law, though it ministers nothing but condemnation. (3d.) The face of Moses shone so, that he was forced to put a vail on it, while he was talking to the people. Did such a little of the glory of the law so shine in the face of Moses, and that, but with borrowed splendor, that they could not behold his face? then, how terrifying, how dreadful to sinners, to stand before the majesty of divine justice, and to be arraigned by divine truth, as transgressors of this holy law! Who can bear the thought without terror? who can bear the sight, without death and destruction from the presence of the Lord? O! think of the law, in all its dread and terror; see sin, in all its exceeding sinfulness; and consider, (4th.) The ministration of righteousness which exceeds in glory, through the love and grace of our dear Mediator. We are called to behold him, but not with a vail upon his face. “For we all with open face, behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18.) (5th.) Did the Lord cause the face of Moses thus to shine? eternal praises to him: “He hath shined in our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6.) In him we see the law fulfilled, its curse sustained, our souls redeemed from all its terror and bondage, and brought into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. “Ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14.)