Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: May 29th

By grace ye are saved.- Ephesians 2:5.

O thou man of God, "let not this truth forsake thee; bind it about thy neck, write it upon the table of thine heart; it shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones."- Proverbs 3:3; Proverbs 3:8. In the faith of this, thou wilt live in love and gratitude to God, in cheerful obedience to his sovereign will, and in confident hope and earnest expectation of eternal glory. While thou wilt be daily dying to every carnal hope and legal confidence, by the atonement and righteousness of Jesus, his grace will be all thy plea, all thy hope, and all thy glorying.

Hereby thou wilt be kept humble, and walk safely. That "the foot of pride prevail not against thee," is a happy part of this glorious salvation, so as to submit to receive it as entirely of grace, free favor, unconditional election, unmerited love, "according to the good pleasure of the will of God the Father."- Ephesians 1:5. It is SOVEREIGN GRACE, therefore sure and saving to all the spiritual seed of Jesus. All in our nature are averse to it. Nothing in us could deserve a right to it, or procure a title in it. It is freely proclaimed to the wretched and hell-deserving, who have neither power nor inclination to perform any terms and conditions to obtain an interest in it. But the Lord’s hand laid the foundation; his power will raise the superstructure; "He will bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings of GRACE, GRACE."- Zechariah 4:7.

Salvation is by DISTINGUISHING GRACE. "One shall be taken and another left:" "One of a city and two of a family,"- Jeremiah 3:14 -whomsoever the Lord is pleased to separate to himself as vessels of honor. The effects of saving grace are distinguishing; it works effectually in them that believe: "They are called with an holy calling"-possess the faith of God’s elect-experience repentance to salvation. They differ from their former selves in hope and conduct, and are distinguished also from the world, "that lies in wickedness." Under its sovereign influence such a change was wrought in Paul, that he, "who persecuted Jesus and his members, preached the faith he once destroyed."- Galatians 1:23. So every subject of grace is changed in judgment and affection. He no longer thinks grace is to assist him to do something to gain acceptance with God; but he knows "God hath made us accepted in the beloved, to the praise of the glory of his grace."- Ephesians 1:6. Hence his affections are placed upon the God of all grace, as his center of all happiness and source of all felicity. He delights "to run the way of God’s commandments." It is his joy that Jesus flies upon the wings of the wind to his relief. He loves to fly on the wings of faith and love to him. He daily prays "to be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."- Philippians 1:11.

Come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1.

A free gospel is the glory of God’s grace, the joy of humble souls, the envy of malicious devils, and the contempt of proud, self-righteous pharisees. Milk is the pure, sweet, soul nourishing doctrine of Christ. Wine is the generous, heart reviving comforts of pardon of sins, and peace with God through the blood of Christ. The Lord knows we cannot grow strong, nor be comfortable in our souls, without this precious milk and animating wine. Here is the Lord’s open house, public market, free invitation, and fixed price. Come: draw nigh to me: keep not at a distance from me, saith the Lord. Make no excuse, nor any delay: come now, this moment. Here is a free invitation, and a hearty welcome. O the love of our Lord’s heart! Buy. Art thou rich? such the Lord sends empty away. Hast thou brought a stock of thine own faithfulness, terms thou hast fulfilled, and conditions performed to buy with? then, instead of wine and milk, thou wilt receive a scourge from the Lord. Remember, those who bought, he whipt out of his temple. O! saith the poor, self-emptied, soul-humbled sinner, this word buy, puts me to a stand. I am poor and penniless; I have nothing to bring but misery and poverty; I am perishing for want of comfort. Thou art the very person invited. The Lord filleth the hungry with good things. O precious word of marvellous grace! Buy- without money and without price, or money’s worth. What! have I been five, ten, twenty years, or upwards, in Christ, and have I got no inherent stock of grace, no more worth, or value to buy with, than I had when I first came to him as a poor, naked, and miserable sinner? Must I come, as at first, poor and penniless? Yes: or not at all. The Lord knows what thou art. He invites thee just as thou art. This price just suits thy abject poverty. What an affront would it be to a dear friend, to bring a price in our hands for a rich entertainment, with a free invitation. No affectionate mother more freely administers the breast of nourishment to her hunting infant, than the Lord his milk and wine to thirsty souls. Faith works by the love of this: it operates upon the heart, so as to produce sincere love to God, and cheerful obedience to his word and will. But base unbelief; with a bastard humility, raises jealousies and suspicions of the Lord’s rich love and free grace. One says, It cannot be for me-I am too vile; another, I am unworthy of it: Christ says, “Whosoever will, let him come.” Revelation 22:17.

I thank thee, Lord, who fix’d thy price

Exactly suited to my case:

Tho’ poor and vile in my own eyes,

I’m freely welcome to thy grace.

No works, no worthiness have I,

To bring before my Lord to plead;

But still thou sayest, come and buy:

Thy grace, my Lord, is free indeed.