Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: August 21st

That no flesh should glory in his presence: He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.- 1 Corinthians 1:29; 1 Corinthians 1:31.

Humble, self-abased souls, who drink deep into selfknowledge, sensible what human nature is; whose eye of faith is to the Lord Jesus, and to what he is made of God to them; are as jealous of the pride of the flesh as they are of its sinfulness. This is a safe state; such have little reason to murmur because they do not experience high flights and ravishing ecstacies which appear to arise from nature and sense, because they lead to glory in the righteousness of the flesh. Flesh is proud and prone to glory, even in the presence of God; but faith in Jesus cuts off all glorying in the flesh, as viewing all salvation out of ourselves in Jesus. This is the very essence of the faith of God’s elect. Yet, while we are in the flesh, we are daily exposed to the workings of pride, which darken the views of Jesus, and tend to self-exalting and selfglorying. What pains doth the loving Spirit take to humble us! he testifies of Jesus, ONLY; he shews us, by line upon line, and precept upon precept, by prophets and apostles, that "IN Jesus all his children shall be justified, and shall glory."- Isaiah 45:25.

Am I made wise unto salvation? Glory to Jesus, this is from him; he is my wisdom. Am I righteous in the sight of God? Glory to Jesus, his life wrought it out; it is mine: not obtained by my works, but by God’s free gift. Jesus is my righteousness. Am I sanctified? Glory to Jesus; it is through the faith of him, by the Spirit, that I have any drops from the fountain of Jesu’s blood to wash away my guilt, and to cleanse my soul. Have I faith in, and hope of complete redemption from all misery, to all happiness? Glory to Jesus, he is my redemption; he hath bought me; he hath conquered for me. In whom then should I glory but in Jesus alone? IN him all my wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption center. "It pleased the Father, that in him all fulness should dwell." It pleases the Spirit to bear witness of, and to glorify Jesus ONLY. Shall we glory in the fruits of the Spirit as the foundation of hope, and the cause of our acceptance with God? That were to deceive ourselves. The Holy Spirit produceth no fruits in us to this end. This is contrary to his office; inverts the economy of the covenant; makes faith void; and turns the eye of the soul from the only object of hope and salvation, Jesus, to somewhat within us, instead of Christ crucified for us: but by the Spirit we glory in Christ alone. By faith in precious promises, we pray to be filled with "fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ." To what end? That we should glory in these? Glory in the flesh because of these? No; but "unto the glory and praise of God."- Philippians 1:11.

For the Lord hath called thee, as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. Isaiah 54:6.

This was literally fulfilled, when Christ’s church was first gathered to him in the days of his flesh. Scarcely were the disciples called and married to Christ, the loving Bridegroom, by faith, but he was taken away from them by a sudden and violent death. They were then like a woman, bereaved of her affectionate husband, who mourned and grieved for her great and affecting loss. They were then as a wife of youth, just married, and soon became as widows, whom the world refused and rejected. But here lay all their comfort of faith, and joy of hope,-the Lord had called them, and he would never forsake them. Though death’s relentless arm snatched Christ from them, yet his power could not hold him. By his own omnipotent power, Jesus raised himself; and because of his everlasting love to them, he appeared again unto them. And now they are all gathered home to the full enjoyment of their heavenly Bridegroom, never, never more to part from him. Disciple, how did the Lord call thee? Wast thou not as a woman forsaken by thy husband, and grieved in spirit? Was not the law, the wife of thy youth? Didst not thou live, and comfort thyself, in its embraces? When the Lord called thee, did not thy legal hopes, and legal comforts forsake thee, when you found your husband speak sharp to you, and look stern upon you, were not you grieved in spirit? Were you not disconsolate, at your wit’s end? Didst thou not cry out, O wretch that I am! Did not terror beset thee, and an horrible dread overwhelm thee? When all hope and help failed, and despair of living by thy first husband came upon thee? O the love of Christ: then, then, he openly and comfortably espoused thee to himself, in the sweet bands of faith. He became thine in sensible enjoyment; and thou becamest his before all the world. What if thou art rejected, and refused, of the world? What if thou art vileness and deformity in thine own eyes? Yet the Lord loves thee; he chose thee: he has put his rich robe of righteousness, his glorious garments of salvation upon thee. Now thou art precious in his sight; lovely in his eyes; he has put his Holy Spirit within thee. He says of thee, “Thou art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee.” (Song of Solomon 4:7.) “There is no condemnation against thee.” (Romans 8:1.) “There is no separation from my love.” (verse 39.) Be a chaste virgin to thy heavenly Bridegroom. Write it upon the table of thy heart, “My God is my salvation and my glory, the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God.” Psalms 62:7.

Ye happy souls, married by faith

To the dear Lamb of God,

Daily attend to what he saith;

Fear not his chast’ning rod.