Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: October 19th

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.- Exodus 33:19.

Carnal reason, pride, and unbelief, like a threefold cord, binds the soul under legal bondage; each of these mutually strengthens the other, and all combine to oppose the sovereign goodness and grace of our Lord. Instead of believing in, so as to be comforted by free-grace declarations from our God, how apt are we to consult flesh and blood! How prone to reject them, because we cannot reconcile them to our carnal reason! here is the grand source of that damning sin, unbelief. Marvel not, believer, though the pride of thy flesh rises and rebels against distinguishing grace and discriminating love. This, though sweet to the experience of faith, is bitter to the stomach of rebellious nature: but here is thy mercy; grace, which is sovereign in its nature, is saving in its operations; all must be resolved into this humbling acknowledgment, "I, a poor sinner, who could neither will nor run the way of salvation; the Lord wills to shew me his goodness, to proclaim his name, to bestow his grace, and comfort me with his mercy in Christ Jesus, to the salvation of my precious soul."

Thus the Lord speaks in love; let all his children hear in faith, rejoice, and be humbled. Where, O soul, canst thou fix thy foot, but thou standest upon the ground of free grace? Hast thou faith? It is of grace. Dost thou find pardon of sin and consolation of heart in Christ Jesus? It is of grace. Dost thou "love God? It is because he has first loved thee." Dost thou hate sin as contrary to God’s glory and thy soul’s peace? What astonishing grace is this! Consider it on thy knees; reflect on it with meltings of soul. Why shouldst thou be singled out by the power of the word, marked by the grace of the Spirit for salvation, when many hundreds perish everlastingly? Why are thine eyes opened amidst a throng of blind sinners? Why art thou watered, like Gideon’s fleece, while others are dry? Was thy nature better, thy desires holier? What conditions hadst thou performed to procure this? Grace has taught thy soul otherwise than so to think; all must be resolved into this soulhumbling, God-exalting truth, "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious." Here is an inexhaustible source of comfort; this a never-failing motive to love and obedience; that grace and mercy which God owes to no one sinner on earth, he has freely given to thee; it is thy privilege to rejoice in it, thy duty to confess it, and to lie in the dust and be humble. "If by grace, it is no more of works."- Romans 11:6.

Behold, he prayeth! Acts 9:11.

In many trades, it is customary to shew samples or patterns. By these men judge of the goodness or quality of the whole. St. Paul sets himself forth as a sample, or pattern, of the free, distinguishing, sovereign, unmerited grace of God, that we should judge of its nature by its efficacy upon him. “I obtained mercy, for this cause, that in me first (a first rate sinner) Jesus Christ may shew forth his all long suffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting,” (1 Timothy 1:16.) Thou hast seen this pattern of free grace. What dost thou think of it? The whole is alike with the pattern. It cometh alike upon elect sinners. It finds no more prerequisites, fitness, qualifications, or conditions in any, than it did in St. Paul. Whenever it takes place upon any, it produceth the same effects as it did in him. Grace and mercy from Jesus, makes Saul pray to Jesus. There is the emphasis. This is the main point. “Behold, he prayeth!” To whom? Doubtless he had prayed much and often, while he remained an unconverted Pharisee. But it was to an unknown God. He knew there was a God. He knew it was his duty to pray to him. But he knew him not. But now, Jesus speaks to him. God manifests himself to him in Christ. Therefore, behold, take special notice of this. “Behold he prayeth,” to Jesus: to God in Christ. He no longer durst come before God in his own name, nor expect access to, and acceptance with him, on account of his own sincerity, works of righteousness, etc.; but in the name, blood, and righteousness of the Son of God ONLY, so he prayed, so he evidenced his conversion to Jesus. Hence, the true Spirit of prayer manifested itself in him. His prayers were agreeable to, and sprung from his knowledge of himself as a guilty sinner, and faith in the Son of God as the only Saviour. This is the prayer which God delights in, takes special notice of, and refers to as an evidence of true conversion. Hence know, prayerless souls are Christless. Prayer, without the knowledge of Christ, faith in him, hope of eternal life by him, and acceptance through him, is only service, and formal duty. But, the spirit of prayer arises in the heart, from a discovery of God in Christ-the knowledge of him, by believing his word of grace and truth, and expecting his mercy and salvation, according to his great and precious promises given in Christ. Dost thou pray thus? Then it may truly be said of thee, behold thou art converted. Thy prayers evidence it. The God who heareth prayer, hath manifested himself to thee, as he doth not unto the world.

We cannot pray when we are dead,

Because we feel no want:

But when we seek God’s gracious aid,

In mercy he doth grant.