i:^ ^ ^ PRINCETON, N. .J. SAMUEL AONEW, BX 5037 .H38 1831 v,8 Hawker, Robert, 1753-1827. The works of the Rev. RobertI Hawker . . . Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/worksofrevrobert08hawl< THE WORKS REV. ROBERT HAWKER, D.D. LATE VICAR OF CHARLES, PLYMOUTH. A MEMOIR OF HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS, BY THE REV. JOHN WILLIAMS, D.D. MINISTER OF STROUD, GLOUCESTERSHIRE. IN TEN VOLUMES. VOL. VIIL PRINTED FOR EBENEZER PALMER, 18, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON. MDCCCXXXI. PRINTED BY E. JUSTINS & SON, BRICK LANE, SPlTAiFIELDS. CONTENTS OF VOL. VIII. THE POOR MAN'S MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. THE POOR MAN'S MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS; BEING A SELECTION OF A VERSE OF SCRIPTURE, WITH SHORT OBSERVATIONS I^OR EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR, FOR THE USE OF THE POOR IN SPIRIT, WHO ARE RICH IN FAITH, AND HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM. " I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."— Job xxiii. 12. « Thy words were foiiud aud 1 did eat them ; and thy word was onto me the joy and rejoicing ofmiue heart."— Jar. xv. 16. " The law of thy mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of gold and silver.'— Ps. cxis. 72. VOL. VIU. A PREFACE TO THE POOR MAN'S MORNING PORTION. The title-page of this humble work sufficiently explains itself. It is designed as a means, in the divine hand, to promote the Redeemer's glory, and his people's happiness. It hath often struck me, that sucli a method, under the bless- ing of the Lord, might prove eminently useful. By publish- ing in this way, in little penny books, some sweet portion of scripture for every day in the year, it might come within the reach of all pockets, be within the reach of all hands, and bid fair to be read when larger books are laid aside and forgotten. It was, indeed, with the same view, that some few years since I sent forth a Diary of this kind. But, in that work, the selection was confined wholly to the promises. Experi- ence hath since shewn, that reference may be occasionally had, with great advantage, to other parts of the word of God. In this, therefore, I have enlarged the plan. And besides making extracts from the whole scripture, I have ventured to add, under each passage, such thoughts as passed over my own mind in the perusal, hoping that the Lord might render them profitable to others. It will be scai-cely necessary to go over the same ground, by way of preface, as was then done. But it cannot be too 4 PREFACE TO THE often said, by way of reminding the believer, that the promises of God in Christ are evidently meant by the gracious Giver of them for the daily comfort of his people. And ^hat is said of the promises, may be equally applied to the whole tenor of covenant love which runs through the bible. Indeed, if the truly awakened soul did but consider the word of God in this point of view, and make use of it upon every occasion, as his own circumstances are found to require, it could not fail of opening to his mind a perpetual source of joy and consolation all the day. For what are the promises, but so many bonds and engage- ments of a covenant God in Christ ? In them, the Lord hath pledged himself to his people, as they stand related to Christ ; and by the fulfilment of them, they prove his faithfulness. So that, strictly and properly speaking, God's promises are our charter ; his word our security ; his verily and amen the breasts of consolation whence God's little ones are nourished. And if the Lord's people would seek from the Holy Ghost the testimony he gives in them concerning Jesus, and from gene- ral promises make application of them to their own particular state and circumstances, as they may require, they would find, upon numberless occasions, that the Lord is speaking in them, and by them, to the souls of his people, and in the sweetest and most endearing language. ' I would rather have God's amen, and his yea, and verily, (said a tried soul of old) than the promises or oath of all the men upon earth.' And so would every believer, when from long experience of God's fulfilment of his word and promises, he could " set to his seal that God is true." But, if w^e never make use of God's promises, never exercise faith upon them, never bring them before the throne for payment, nor make memorandums when they are paid, how shall we know their value, or God's love and faithfulness in their accomplishment ? Convinced of the importance of the thing itself, and with a view to direct the minds of God's people to the daily exercise of this grace of faith upon the word and promises of our cove- nant God in Christ, I have here gathered out of the holy POOR man's morning portion. 5 treasury some sweet portion for gracious souls to feed ou from day to day. And so fully persuaded am I of the preciousness of this employment, that I am confident to say, if the people of God would make it their uniform custom, morning by morning, with the first return of day, and if pos- sible, before the world hath power to break in upon the mind, thus to have recourse to God's word, and (as David said he did) " to hearken what the Lord God would say concerning hira," they would find, and perhaps frequently before night, sufficient cause to bless God for his faithfulness in the ac- complishment. Nay, sometimes indeed, they would discover the word to be so immediate and direct to the present mo- ment, as if the Lord had left for a while the whole world, to draw nigh to them in those visits of his love. Like the patriarch at Bethel, they would be constrained to say, " Surely the Lord is in this place, (or in this word) and I knew it not !" It was thus holy men of old walked with God. They communed with the Lord, and the Lord with them through the medium of his word. They made known their wants, and the Lord made known his grace. Prayers went up, and answers came down ; and he " made all his goodness to pass before them." In a more special manner they considered all the promises as their own. And they accepted of them as given of the Lord, with this express design, as if the Lord pledged himself by them to his people, that they might bring them before the mercy-seat whenever they needed, and plead for payment. Hence they kept house, feasted, and lived joy- fully upon them, when they had nothing else to live upon. And from this cause it was, that after a succession of many generations from father to son, they could, and did appeal to the uninterrupted experience of every preceding history, and left it upon record for the assurance and comfort of all that should come after, that " Not one thing had failed of all the good things which the Lord had promised, but all was come to pass as it is this day." 6 PREFACE TO THK I cannot therefore but earnestly recommend to the gracious souls for whom this little work is intended, similar conduct, that we may be the patient " followers of them who now through faith and patience inherit the promises." And a method so short, so easy, and so practicable as is here set forth, and which the most busy life, even among the labouring poor of our people, cannot find much difficulty in performing, will, I trust, be abundantly blessed of our gracious God. The labourer who is straitened for time, and obliged sometimes to hasten to his work without falling upon his knees in family prayer, may yet, even while putting on his clothes, look at the Morning Portion ; and if unable to run through the ob- servations which follow the scripture, may yet take with him the scripture itself, and gather matter from it, under divine teaching, for prayer and praise as he hastens on. And if this plan be constantly and invariably followed up, without the omission of a single morning, I venture to believe his dili- gence will be abundantly recompensed, upon numberless oc- casions through life. There is one advantage more, from the use of this little work, which I detain the reader to mention, which will be, I conceive, of no small importance in making it blessed, if so be the Lord should dispose the minds of many gracious souls to the daily use of it ; I mean the communion of saints. This privilege of God's people is much spoken of ; but I rather fear, not so much attained to or regarded as it ought. And yet, next to the rapture arising from communion Avith our glorious head, what can open to more enjoyment than communion through him, with the members of his mystical body ? I cannot help telling, in this short way, many pre- cious souls, whom I love in the faith, and who I know love me, that I am lookhig forward to much spiritual enjoyment on this account, from our use of this little work, humble as it is ; not from my poor labours in the observations which follow the scripture, but from God's blessing on the scripture itself. Let it be supposed (what is very possible) that many POOR man's morning portion. 7 a true believer in Jesus, ia different places be led in one and the same moment of the morning, to the perusal of the Morning Portion. Now, as the scripture is the samej as the Almighty Spirit, who is the author of that scripture, the quickener in prayer, and the helper of the infirmities of his people in prayer, is the same ; and as he who leads out the minds of his people at all times and in all places is the same ; and his blessed work in glorifying the Lord Jesus is always the same ; what can be more animating or delightful than the thought, that all so engaged, in one and the same scrip- ture, being under the same gracious influence, must neces- sarily be all looking up to the Lord Jesus in one and the same moment; and having fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, have spiritual union also one with another, " as members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." Hence, though far asunder from each other in the body, and in numberless instances having never seen each other's face in the flesh, yet by virtue of connection with our spiritual head, we truly participate in one and the same divine life, and enjoy the very sweet and distinguishing felicity of the communion of saints. I stop the reader no longer than just to say, I humbly hope every truly gracious and awakened soul who makes use of this Morning Portion, will not fail to connect with the use of it a constant application to, and dependance upon the Holy Ghost as the glorifier of the Father and of the Son ; without whose work upon the heart, not a promise can we plead ; not an argument can we use ; not a grace can we exercise ; even to the knowledge of our wants, or of the fulness 6f the Lord Jesus to supply them. But, my brother, let me add, if your soul be warmed under the influence of the Holy Ghost, and while you read God's promise you find grace to convert tliat promise into a prayer, and when you have thus done, act faith upon it ; this will be to realize the mercy, and to make every promise your own. And Oh ! how truly blessed is it, when the believer thus proves that " all the promises of God in Christ Jesus are yea and amen, unto the glory of God by us.' ' CHARLES VICARAGE, PLYMOUTH. PREFACE TO THE POOR MAN'S EVENING PORTION. A New edition of the Poor Man's Evening Portion being called for, I beg to introduce it with a short preface. The smallest attention to the Avork itself, will, it is hoped, be sufficient to manifest to every reader, that in this little volume there is nothing spoken of with an ej'e to salvation, but Jesus only, Christ is the all in all. Indeed the very title implies as much. For unless Jesus be the portion of his people, they can have none. The reader is therefore particularly requested to have this in view through every part of this work ; that, as the holding forth the Lord Jesus, the one glorious portion of the church, is the only design the author had in writing ; so it may be the only expectation of the reader in the perusal. Christ is here made, what the scriptures of God every where make him, the Alpha and Omega ; the first and the last ; the author and finisher of salvation. That foundation stone which Jeho- vah laid in Zion, is here shewn to be the only bottom on which the believer can rest the whole spiritual building. Isa. xxviii. 16. That vine the Lord planted in his vineyard, the only root from whence can be derived life, support, and fruit- fulness to the branches. John xv. 1. That head of his body, the church, the sole source from whom " all the members having noui-ishment, ministered and knit together, increase with the increase of God," Col. ii. 19. In a word, Jesus is here set forth as substantially the whole of the believer's por- tion, to live upon in time and to all eternity. POOR man's evkning portion. 9 Moreover, the reader is yet further desired to observe, that - as in this little volume the Christ of God is considered as the whole of salvation in Jehovah's appointment, so the believer, who really and truly knows and accepts the Lord Jesus in this comprehensive character, is supposed to be thus using Christ in his whole dependauce upon him, to the divine glory and his own happiness. I make a nice distinction in ray creed (and yet not more nice than important) between the actings of my faith, and the almighty object of that faith ; between what I feel, or say, or do, and what the Lord Jesus Christ hath done in accomplishing redemption; between what Jesus is in God the Father's view and what in mine. Were I to substitute any thing of my own by way of recom- mendation, or what is to the same effect, mingle any thing of my own, as a procuiing cause to the divine favour ; this were to lessen the infinite dignity and merit of the Redeemer's person and righteousness, and render the covenant of grace uncertain and nugatory. In every mingling of this kind, it might with truth be said, " O thou man of God, there is death in the pot!" 2 Kings iv. 40. Moral virtues, pious dispositions, holiness of life and conversation, yea, faith itself, as an act of man, form no part in the justification of a sinner before God. All these are highly proper in their place, accompany a work of grace wrought in the heart, and become pi'ecious evidences of the renewed life. But all the while, these are effects only, not causes ; streams, not the fountahi. Jesus is the whole in redemption ; for " there is salvation in no other." And the glorious inscription over the very gate of heaven must be read to this effect : " To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us ac- cepted in the beloved," Eph. i. 6. If it were not for swelling this preface beyond the limit, I must observe, I should humbly beg to add another observa- tion on this important point, and say, that I am every day more and more convinced that the want of thus living wholly upon Christ, is the sole cause why so many of God's children go so lean from day to day. For if he who is the Father's 10 POOR man's evening portion. glory, was made the believer's confidence ; and while we know (as we do know) that " in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge;" from him we seek for all we need ; " wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemp- tion ;" there would be nothing fluctuating in our happiness, while there was found nothing wavering and unsteady in our faith. This would be to enter into the sweet retirings of Jesus, and to realize that blessed promise, " Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee ; because he trusteth in thee," Isa. xxvi. 4. I send forth this feeble labour, under an humble hope, that he, with whom is the residue of the Spirit, will own it to the comfort of his people. In the reading of it, may they hear the love-calls of Jesus, and receive the love-tokens of Jesus, and find that self-invitation of the Lord in every even- ing portion of their retirement. " Behold I stand at the door and knock ; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me," Rev. iii. 20. CHARLES VICARAGE, PLYMOUTH. THE POOR MAN'S MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. JANUARY 1. MORNING. — " Jesus Christ ; the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." — Heb. xiii. 8. Precious truth to open the year with, and to keep constantly in view amidst all the fluctuating and changeable circumstances arising both within and with- out, and all around ! My soul, meditate upon it : fold it up in thy bosom to have recourse to as may be re- quired. Contemplate thy Redeemer as he is here described. He is Jesus, thy Jesus ; a Saviour, for he shall save his people from their sins. He is Christ also; God thy Father's Christ, and thy Christ : the Anointed, the Sent, the Sealed of Jehovah. He is the same in his glorious Person, the same in his great salvation : — " Yesterday ;" looking back to everlasting : " To-day ;" equally so through all the periods of time : " For ever;" looking forward to the eternity to come. And, blessed thought, he is the same in his love, in the efficacy of his redemption ; his blood to cleanse, his righteousness to justify, his fulness to supply grace here and glory hereafter. And what sums up the precious thought ; amidst all thy variableness, thy frames, thy fears, doubts, and unbelievings, he abideth faithful. He is, he will be, he must be, Jesus. Hallelujah ! EVENING.—" And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." — Rev. xxi. 5. My soul ! thou^hast been^engaged in the morning of the new year, with contemplating the eternal and un- 12 I'HJi POOR MAN S changing glory of thy Jesus, in his person, work, offices, character, and relations, as in covenant engagements for thy welfare : and thou hast found him to be an everlasting and secure foundation to rest upon, and dwell in, for time and for eternity. — Come now, in the evening of the day, and look up to thy Redeemer in another precious point of view, and behold him as creating all things new, while he himself, in the eter- nity of his nature, remains for ever and unchangeably the same. Behold him on his throne ; and remember that one and the same throne belongs to God and the Lamb, to intimate the unity of the Father and the Son in nature and dignity ; in will, worship, and power. When thou hast duly pondered this view of Jesus, next listen to the important words he proclaims : " Behold, I make all things new." Pause. — Hath he made thee a new creature ? Yes ! if, as the Holy Ghost saith, " old things are passed away, and all things are be- come new." The new creature is a thoroughly changed creature. It is a new nature, not a new name. " A new heart will I give you," is the blessed promise; "and a new spirit will I put within you." So that " if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." When this grand point is fully and clearly ascertained, then, my soul, let the next consideration from this scripture be, the blessed assurance here given, that Jesus himself hath wrought it. This indeed cannot but follow ; for surely the same power that created the world out of nothing, must be necessary to create a new spirit in the sinner's heart. In the old creation of nature, though there was nothing to work upon, yet there was nothing to oppose it : but in the unrenewed heart of a sinner there is every thing to rise up against it ; for " the carnal mind is enmity against God." Mark it down then, my soul, that no power less than God's could have done this, and thy Jesus from his throne declares it. Is there any thing more to be gathered from this proclamation from the MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 13 throne ? Yes ! He that first creates the heart anew, ever lives to send forth the renevvings of the Holy Ghost: for creating grace, and renewing grace, are both alike his. Hence, therefore, let thy morning and even- ing visits be to Him that sitteth upon the throne, and maketh all things new. The same that hath made new heavens, and the new earth, wherein righteousness dwelleth ; that hath made his tabernacle with men, and dwelleth in them ; that sitteth upon the throne, making all things new ; the same is He, yesterday, to-day, and for ever, that giveth power to the weak, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Hither, my soul, come, under all thy weakness, fears, doubts, tremblings, and the like : Jesus can, and will renew thy strength. When I want a heart to pray, to praise, to love, to believe ; yea, when my heart and my flesh faint, and hope fails : Oh ! let me hear thy voice, thou that sittest upon the throne, and makest all things new: for then wilt thou be the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. JANUARY 2. MORNING.—" Lord ! let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it : and if it bear fruit, well ; and if not, then after that thou shah cut it down." — Luke xiii. 8, 9. Do 1 not behold the Lord Jesus here represented in his glorious office of our High Priest and Intercessor? And is it thus that he so mercifully pleads for the un- awakened and unprofitable among his people ? Pause, my soul ! Was it not from the effects of his interces- sion, that the world itself was spared from instant destruction, when Adam first brake through the fence of God's law ? Is it not now by the same rich grace that thousands are spared from year to year in Christ Jesus, before that they are called to the knowledge of Christ Jesus ? Nay, my soul ! pause once more over the H THE POOR man's view of this wonderful subject, and ask thyself— was it not from the same almighty interposition that thou was kept from going down to the pit during the long, long period of thy unregeneracy, while thou wert wholly unconscious of it ? And was it from thy gracious intercession, blessed Jesus, that I then lived, that I am now spared, and, after all my bari'enness, that another year of grace is opening before me ? Oh, precious, precious Jesus ! suffer me to be no longer unfruitful in thy garden ! Do, Lord, as thou hast said. Dig about me, and pour upon me all the sweet influences of thy Holy Spirit, which, like the rain, and the sun, and the dew of heaven, may cause me to bring forth fruit unto God. And, Lord, if so unworthy a creature may drop a petition at thy mercy seat for others, let the coming year be productive of the same blessings to all thy redeemed ; even to my poor unawakened relations among them ; and to thousands of those who are yet in nature's darkness. Oh that this may be to them the acceptable year of the Lord ! EVENING. — '< Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve."— Matt, xxvi, 20. And now the even is again come, will Jesus gra- ciously sit down with me ? Wherefore, my soul, shouldest thou doubt the kindness of thy condescending Lord ? It may be allowed, that in many of the ten- derest incidents which passed between Jesus and his disciples while upon earth, there were some peculiarly suited, and designed to have a personal respect to them alone. But in many things they were the representa- tives of Jesus's whole family ; and hence every child of God may invite Jesus to sit down with him, and enjoy communion with him ; that while Jesus speaks by his word to his people, and they to him; as his whole heart and soul is theirs, so their whole hearts and souls may go forth, in all the sweet exercises of love and faith to MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 15 him, and a holy familiarity may take place between them. Come, then, thou gracious Lord, and sit down with me, after all the toils of the day, and close the evening with some blessed token of thy favour. I re- member somewhat of thy past kindness, and therefore I feel encouraged to seek a renewal of thy love. Do I not know thee, O thou dear Lord ! as a tried, a sure, an unchanging friend ; a brother born for adversity ? And shall not this knowledge make me confident for all that I have now to ask ? Shall I go to the Lamb of God, who hath died for me, as one under doubts and fears that he will not own me, nor regard the purchase of his blood ? No ! precious Jesus, never will I so dis- honour thee, while thou hast given me, not the spirit of bondage, but the spirit of adoption. Never will I lose sight of thee in this endearing part of thy charac- ter ; for thine own love, and not our desert, is the rule of thy grace to thy people. Come, then, Lord Jesus, in the stillness of this evening, and manifest thyself to my heart otherwise than thou dost to the world. If Jesus will but speak, yea, whisper in the words of his holy scripture, I shall feel all the power, sweetness, and energy of its saving truths. One view of Jesus's heart, and the love in it to poor sinners, will bear down all the cries of unbelief, all the clamours of the world, and all the temptations of the enemy. Yea, Lord, I shall for a while forget every sorrow, every pain, every difficulty and trial. And will not the tempter flee, when he beholds my poor feeble soul upheld in Jesus's arms, and lying in Jesus's bosom? Blessed be my God and Saviour, [ feel a sense of thy strengthening and refresh- ing presence. My faith lays hold of thee, neither will I let thee go, O thou, the hope of Israel, and the Saviour thereof ! " And why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry but for a night ?" 16 THE POOR MAN S . JANUARY 3. MORNING. — " The year of my redeemed is come." — Isa. Ixiii. 4. Yes ! from everlasting the precise period of redemp- tion was determined, and the appointed time of the vision could not tarry. Every intermediate event ministered to this one glorious sera — redemption by Jesus. The church was in Egypt four hundred and thirty years, and in Babylon seventy. But we are told in the former instance, ' the self-same night' the Lord brought them forth with their armies ; and the latter did not outstay the hour of their promised de- liverance. So when the fulness of time was come, the Son of God came for the redemption of his people. And observe how graciously Jesus speaks of them ; he calls them his redeemed. They were so in the covenant from everlasting ; and when the time arrives for calling them by his grace, he claims them as the gift of his Father, and the purchase of his blood. My soul, is this thy jubilee year ? Art thou living as the redeemed of the Lord ? If so, plead with thy Redeemer for the holy renewed visits of his love to thee, and for the year of redemption to all his unawakened. EVENING. — " He shewed unto them his hands and his side." — John XX. 20. My Lord and my God ! I would say, while thou openest to me such a view, and while I would look into and read thine heart in it. And what was such a display designed for, dearest Lord ? I think thou hast taught me to discover. Was it not as if Jesus had said, * See here the marks of your sure redemption. From hence issued the blood that hath cleansed you from all sin. And this blood hath a voice. It is a speaking blood, which speaketh better things than that of Abel. For his blood cried for vengeance, mine for pardon. It speaketh for thee to my Father of his covenant pro- mises. And it speaketh to thee from my Father of thy MORNING AND KVBNING POKTIONS. IJ sure acceptance in my salvation.' — Neither was this all. For surely, dearest Jesus, when thou shcwcdst thine hands and thy side, it was also as if thou hadst said, ' See here an opening to my heart. Here put in all you wish to tell my Fatlier, and I will bear it to him with all my warmest affections. And let all my dis- ciples, in every age of my church do this. I will be the bearer of all their suits. And sure they may be both of my love and of my success for them ; for I will carry all that concerns them in this opening to my heart.' Precious Lord ! cause me often to view with the eye of faith this gracious interview of thine with thy disciples. And as in the evening of the day the disciples w ere thus favoured with thy presence, and so rich a manifestation of thy love ; so, Lord, make me to realize the scene afresh, and very often in the silence of the night may my soul be going forth in the full enjoy- ment of this spiritual blessing ! Yea, Jesus ! let me behold thine hands and thy side, and learn day by day to put therein all I would tell my God and Father of thy great salvation, and my firm reliance upon it ; until from a life of faith I come to enter upon a hfe of abso- lute enjoyment, and behold thee still as the Lamb that hath been slain for the redemption of thy people, in the midst of the throne, leading the church to the living fountains of waters, vvhei'e all tears are wiped away from all eyes. JANUARY 4. MORNING. — " And when Abtam was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect." — Gen. xvii. 1. Our old bibles, in their margin, have retained the original El Shaddai, which we now read (lod Al- mighty, and marked it also God All-sufficient, mean- ing that Jehovah in covenant with Jesus, as the head of his people, is all-sufficient in himself, and all-sufficient 18 THK POOR man's for all their need in time and to eternity. He is God AU-sufRcient, or of many paps, many breasts of conso- lation, (as some derive the word) for his faithful ones to suck at and draw from, in an endless supply. Here then, my soul, take tiiis sweet title of thy covenant God and Father in Christ Jesus for thy daily medita- tion, both at the opening, and through all the periods of the coming year. And as even at old age the Lord still opened to Abraham this precious source for his comfort, so look up in Jesus and behold it as thine. And Oh, my soul ! do thou walk before him in the per- fect righteousness of God thy Saviour, and thus daily keep up fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. EVENING. — " And David said, seenjeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and lightly esteemed ?" —1 Sam. xviii. 23. Did David indeed set by so high an honour in being allied to the family of an earthly prince ; what then must be the dignity to which believers are called, in being heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ? The apostle was so lost in the contemplation of this un- speakable mercy, that he cried out with holy rapture, " Behold ! what manner of love the Father hath be- stowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God !" My soul, art thou begotten to this immense privilege ? Ponder well thy vast inheritance. Not a barren title, not an empty name ; this relationship brings with it a rich revenue of all temporal, spiritual, and eternal blessings. Sons in law and in grace to God in Christ, believers are born to an inheritance incorrup- tible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. They have the spirit of adoption and of grace ; and " because they are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, whereby they cry, Abba, Father." Are they poor in outward circumstances ? bread shall be given, and water shall be sure ; and their defence MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 19 shall be the munitions of rocks. Are they afflicted in body or in mind ? their back shall be proportioned to their burden ; and as their day is so shall their strength be. Every child shall have his own portion, and the Father's blessing sanctifying all. Yea, death itself is in the inventory of the inheritance of a child of God ; for so far is death from separating from God, that it brings to God. What sayest thou, O my soul I to these things ? Art thou, like David, a poor man and lightly esteemed ? Look up and enjoy thy relationship in Jesus, and from this time do thou cry out, in the words of the prophet, and say unto God, " My Father ! thou art the guide of my youth." JANUARY 5. MORNING. — " I am my beloved's, and his desire is towards me." — Song vii. 10. Yes, dearest Jesus! I am truly thine, by every tie which can make me thine. I am thine by the gift of God the Father ; by thine own betrothing me to thyself ; by the Holy Ghost anointing me in thee, and making me one with thee, and in thee, before the world. And I am thine in the recovery of the church from Adam's fall and transgression by the sacrifice of thyself : for thou hast bought me with thy blood, and made me thereby the conquest of thine Holy Spirit. And now through thy divine teaching I can and do discover, that from everlasting thy desire was towards thy redeemed ones, and even when dead in trespasses and sins, it was thy desire to quicken them into life, and bring them to thyself And even now, notwith- standing all my backwardness to thee, thou restest in thy love, and thou art calling me by thy grace, and seeking continual fellowship in ordinances, and by thy word and providences ; all which prove that thy desire is towards me. And as to the everlasting enjoyment of all tliy church above, thy prayer to. thy Father mani- 20 THE POOR M.YK's fested thy desire, when thou saidst, " Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me he with me to behold my glory !" Are these then the desires of my God and Saviour, my Husband, my Brother, my Friend ? And shall my heart be thus cold towards thee ? Oh for the reviving influences of thy Spirit, that I may cry out with the church, " Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth ; for thy love is better than wine." EVENING. — " And Melchizedeck, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine : and he was the priest of the Most High God." — Gen, xiv. 18. Was it not in the evening of the day, when Abra- ham, returning from the slaughter of the kings, met this illustrious person ? And will Jesus, my Melchi- zedeck, meet and bless me in the evening of this day, after my return from conflicts, trials, and exercises ? — I would fain indulge the sweet thought. Surely this Melchizedeck could be no other than Jesus. And did he love his people then — and doth he not love them now ? Did Jesus witness their battles, and come forth and refresh them? And is he not Jesus still?— Sit down, my soul, and attend to what the Holy Ghost saith of this Melchizedeck ; and see whether, through his teaching, thou canst make no discoveries of Jesus. Was this Melchizedeck priest of the Most High God ? And w ho but the Son of God was ever sworn into this office with an oath ? Was Melchizedeck a priest for ever? Who but Jesus was this ? Had Melchizedeck neither beginning of days nor end of life ? And w ho but Jesus is the first and the last ? Was Melchizedeck without father, without mother? And who of Jesus shall declare his generation ? Did Melchizedeck bless the great father of the faithful? And hath not God the Father sent his Son to bless us, in turning away every one of us from our iniquities ? Did the king of Salem bring forth bread and wine to refresh the pa- MORNING AND EVENING POIlTIONf 21 tiiarch and his peo{)le ? And doth not our King of righteousness bring forth at his supper the same, as memorials of his love : yea, his own precious body, which is meat indeed, and his blood, which is drink indeed ? Precious Jesus, thou great Melchizedeck ! bring forth anew, this night, these tokens of thy love. Make thyself known to me in breaking of bread and prayer. And whilst thou art imparting to me most blessed views of thyself, give me to apprehend and know thee, and richly enjoy thy soul-strengthening, soul-comforting presence. And Oh ! for grace from thee, Lord, and the sweet influences of thine Holy Spirit, that, like the patriarch Abraham, I may give thee tythes of all I possess ! It is true, I have nothing, and am nothing, yea, in myself am worse than nothing. But of thine own would I give thee. Like the poor widow in the gospel, I would cast all my living into thy treasury. The two mites, which make a farthing, my soul and body, do I give unto thee. And those are both thine, by creation, by gift, by purchase, and by the concjuest of thy grace. Take, therefore, all ; and enable me to present my soul and body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto the Lord, which is my reasonable service. JANUARY 6. MORNING. — " For verily he took not on liim the nature of angels." — Heb. ii. 16. Contemplate, my soul, the peculiar sweetness of that grace which was in thy Jesus, when, for the accom- plishment of thy salvation, he passed by the nature of angels to take upon him thy nature. There were but two sorts of transgressors in the creation of God ; angels and men. But angels are left in everlasting chains, under darkness, to the judgment of the great day. And fallen, sinful, rebellious man, finds the grace 22 THE POOR man's of redemption. Had Jesus taken their nature, would not this have been nearer to his own ? Would not their services have been vastly superior to ours? Would not the redemption of beings so much higher in rank and intellect, have opened a far larger revenue of praise to our adorable Redeemer? Pause over these tlioughts, my soul, and then consider therefrom how our Jesus, in his unequalled condescension, hath thereby the more endeared himself to thy love. And learn hence, that if Jesus needs not the service of angels, how is it pos- sible that man can be profitable to God ! And the simple act of faith of a poor fellow sinner, in believing the record that God hath given of his dear Son, gives more honour to God than all the services of men or angels for ever. Mark this down as a blessed truth ; Jehovah is more glorified by thy faith and trust in him, than by all thy works. Lord, give me this faith, that I may cleave to thee, hang upon thee, follow thee, and never give over looking unto thee, until mine eye- strings break and my heart-strings fail, and then as now, be thou " the strength of mine heart, and my por- tion for ever !" EVENING. — " When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." — Ps. Ixi. 2. Yes, Lord ! I would make this my morning, noon, and evening petition, that the great glorifier of Jesus would gently lead me to him who is a rock, and whose work is perfect. I know, dearest Lord, in theory, and can even reason upon it in seasons of coolness, that thy strength and thy security never fail ; the failure is in me and my unbelief. And it is only when I lose sight of thee and thy promise, that I am tossed about with doubts and misgivings. If Jesus be out of sight, and thwarting dispensations arise. Oh ! how soon is my poor forgetful heart ready to exclaim with the church of old, *' I said, my strength and my liope is perished from the Lord." Then come on the reasonings of MORNINfi AND KVENING POIITIONS. 23 flesh and blood. And then the question, whether my interest in Jesus and his salvation be sure ? And then my poor heart goes forth, like the dove of Noah from the ark, having lost sight of Jesus, and can find no resting-place for the sole of my foot. Oh ! Lord the Spirit, in all such seasons, do thou " lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." If thou, blessed leader of the Lord's distressed ones, wouldest be my pilot when those storms are beating upon me, I should soon be blown upon the firm landing-place of Jesus 's security. Oh ! how should I ride out the storm even when the tempest was highest, as long as God the Holy Ghost enabled me to cast the anchor of faith upon this eternal rock of Jesus. Oh! lead me then, thou sovereign Lord, continually to my all-precious Jesus. Open the port of communication, and keep it constantly open, between Christ and my soul. Faith will find a soft and quiet bed to sleep on, in the arms of Jesus, and no noise of wars shall break the soul's rest while reposing on him; for so the promise runs: " Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." Oh ! then once again, I send up the earnest cry of my soul, let it be con- tinually answered in mercy ! " When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." JANUARY 7. MORNING. — " One peail of great price."— Matt. xiii. 46. Great indeed, and but one ! for salvation is in no other ; neither is there any other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved. My soul, hast thou considered Jesus in this precious point of view? Hast thou beheld him both in his divine and human nature, how unspeakably glorious in himself, and how enriching to the souls of his people ? Art thou a spiritual merchantman, seeking goodly pearls ? 24 THK I'OOR man's And is Jesus the one, the only one, costly, precious, and so infinitely desirable in thine eye, that thou art willing to sell all, that thou wouldest part with millions of worlds, rather than lose Christ ? Hast thou found him in the field of his scripture, and dost thou ask how shall I buy ? Listen to his own most gracious words : — " 1 counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich." Yes, thou generous Lord ! I am come to buy of thee without money and without price. For well I know, through thy teaching, that neither the obedience of men or angels can purchase the least title to thee, but thine own precious merits and thine atoning blood. And now. Lord, possessing thee, I possess all things ; and will give up all beside, and part with all, and forget all, since Jesus is mine, and I am his, in time and to all eternity. EVENING.—" Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger." — Lamentations i. I J. Dearest Jesus ! I would sit down this evening, and looking up to thee, ask the instructions of thy blessed Spirit, to unfold some of the many tender inquiries wrapped up in this question of my Lord's. \\ hatever the mournful prophet's views were of the church's sor- row, when he wrote his book of Lamentations, surely sorrow never had its full potion poured out, but in the cup of trembling which thou didst drink. And as in all the afflictions of thy people, thou wert afflicted, added to all thine own personal sufferings, their's also thou didst sustain. And where sliall i begin, dear Lord, to mark down the amazing history of thy sorrow? From the manger to the cross, every path was suffering. Indeed thou art, by way of emphasis, called " the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Thorns and thistles the eartli is made to bring forth to human na- ture at large ; but as in taking away this curse, thou MORMNO AND EVENING PORTIONS. 25 becamest a curse for thy people, none liut thyself, dear- est Jesus, was ever crowned with thorns ; as if to tes- tify the supremacy of thy sufferings. And did all our curses indeed fall upon thee ? Was all the Father's wrath in the full vials of his anger against sin, made to light upon thee ? Didst thou wade through all, and sustain all, and bear all, on purpose that thy re- deemed might be delivered ? Did great drops of blood in a cold night (when a fire of coals became needful to warm thy disciples) fall from thy sacred body, from the agony of thy soul's suffering ? Did the Son of God, who from all eternity lay in his bosom, the only begot- ten and dearly beloved of his affection, indeed die under amazement and exceeding sorrow, and the cry of his soul issue forth of his Father's desertion ? Were these among the sorrows of Jesus ? And is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by ? Is it nothing to you. Oh ! ye that by disregard and indifference would crucify the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame ? Come hither, ye careless and unconcerned; come hither, ye fools, that make a mock of sin ; come hither, ye drunkards and defiled of every description and cha- racter, whose cups of licentiousness and mirth have mingled for him the wormwood and the gall ; behold Jesus, and say, " is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by ?" My soul, bring the question home to thine own heart, and never give over the solemn meditation. It is indeed to thee every thing that is momentous and eternally interesting. Yes ! precious Jesus! every wound of thine speaks ; every feature, every groan, every cry pleads Jbr me, and tvitk me. If I forget thee, O thou bleeding Lamb ! let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth ; yea, if I prefer not the solemn me- ditation of Gethsemane and Calvary above my chief joy! 26 THE POOR man's JANUARY 8. MORNING. — " Thou hast kept the good wine until now." — John ii. 10. The good wine of the gospel must be Jesus himself; for He, and He alone, trod the wine-press of his Father's wrath, when the Lord bruised him and put him to grief. This is the wine which, in scripture, is said to cheer both God and men ; for when God's justice took the full draught of it for the sins of the redeemed, the Lord declared himself well pleased. And when the poor sinner, by sovereign grace, is first made to drink of the blood of the Lamb, he feels constrained to say, the Lord had kept the good wine until now; for never before had his soul been so satisfied. Oh, precious Jesus! how sweet is the thought! Thy first miracle converted water into wine. Moses' ministry, under thy commission, was first manifested in turning water into blood. Yes, dear Lord! when once thy grace hath wrought upon the heart of a sinner, thou makest his most common mercies, like water, to become richer than wine. Whereas the law, which is the ministration of death, as long as the poor sinner continues under its power, makes all its enjoyments to partake of the curse. O for continued manifestations of thy glory, dearest Lord! Give me to drink of thy Ijest wine, my beloved, which goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that sleep to speak. EVENING. — " A pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda." • -John v. 2. Go down, my soul, this evening, to the pool and cloisters of Bethesda, as the prophet w^as commanded to go down to the potter's house. Peradventure thy Lord may do by thee as he graciously did by him ; cause thee to hear his words. The pool of Bethesda was the place or house of mercy. It was so to the bodies of those whom the Lord healed there. It be- MORNING ANJ) KVENING PORTIONS. 27 comes so now to the souls of those who behold Jesus in the representation. In the cloisters around the pool, lay a great multitude of sick, waiting for a cure. Ponder over the miseries of our fallen nature. It is always profitable to note distinguishing blessings. Are hospitals numerous, frequently filled, numbers sick, num- bers dying, numbers dead ? Am I in health ? And will not the voice of praise go forth to the bountiful Author in a consciousness of the distinguishing mercy ? The waters of this pool were blessed with a miraculous quality. One poor creature, and but one, at that sea- son when the waters were moved by the descent of an angel into the pool, (most probably discovered by the agitation of the water) was cured of wliatsoever disease he had. Sweet testimony, before the coming of Christ, that the Lord had not left his people, notwithstanding the very languishing state in which the church then was. But, my soul, attend to the spiritual beauty of this interesting record. The pool of Bethesda, no doubt, was intended as a typical representation of the fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. And the Son of God, by visiting the pool, and healing a poor paralytic by the sovereign word of his own power, without the means, seemed very plainly to in- timate the inexpediency of the type, when the person signified was present. Behold in this pool then, the house of mercy always open. In a world like the present, full of misery because full of sin, multitudes of folk, impotent in soul, should be found in the cloisters of ordinances, and under the means of grace. Jesus loves those places. These are his favourite haunts. Here he comes to heal and to impart blessings ; and that not to one only at a season. In his blood a sovereign efficacy is found for all who are washed in it. He cures the guilt of sin, destroys its dominion, roots out its sting, and raises from the death of sin. And he doth 28 THE POOR MAN S all in so gracious, so condescending, so sovereign a manner, as cannot but endear him to every heart. Blessed be the Lord that hath led me to his pool at Bethesda, and hath healed my soul in his blood. " The Lord is my strength and my song, and he is become my salvation." JANUARY 9. MORNING. — " That will by no means clear the guilty," — Exod. xxxiv. 7. Pause, my soul, over these solemn words! Will not Je- hovah clear the guilty? And art thou not guilty? How then wilt thou come before God, either now or here- after? Hearken, my soul, to what thy God hath also said; " deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom." Oh! soul-reviving, soul-comforting words! yes, Jesus became my surety, took my guilt, and bought me out of the hands of law and jus- tice. God hath not therefore cleared the guilty, with- out taking ample satisfaction on the person of the sinner's surety. Hence now the double claim of justice and grace demands the sinner's pardon. Here then, my soul, rest thy present and thine everlasting plea. Keep up a daily and hourly remembrance of it at the mercy seat. While Jesus lives, and lives there as thine advocate, never doubt thy acceptance in the beloved : guilty as thou art in thyself, yet spotless in him. The same God which made thy Jesus to be sin for thee, who knew no sin, makes thee the righteousness of God in him. EVENING. — " And think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our Father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.'' — Matt. iii. 9. Precious are the doctrines contained in the bosom of this most blessed scripture! May the almighty Author of his own holy word, open to me, this evening, some of the many divine things contained in it. And first. MORMNr. AND EVENINfi PORTIONS. 29 my soul, remark that tlie blessing to Abraham and to his seed was not through the law. He is not a jew that is one outwardly. The blood of nature which ran through Abraham's veins, had no respect to the grace whicli was planted in Abraham's heart. If ye be Christ's, is the relationship, for then the Holy Ghost beareth witness ye are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. No Ishmaels, no sons of Keturah, not of the bond-women, but of the free. And what a sweet thought it is also to consider, that as God called Abraham when an idolater, so now the gifts and callings of God are tlie same. And in every call doth he not say, " look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged? Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you, for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him." Do not overlook this, my soul, it will always tend to exalt and endear thy Jesus. But let us not stop here. Supposing, as some have thought, that the Baptist was standing on the banks of Jordan, and referring to the twelve stones which Joshua for- merly placed there for a memorial (Josh. iv. 9-) of the twelve tribes of Israel; the allusion to the creating souls from such unpromising, and unheard-of means, becomes a most delightful thought to a child of God, to comfort him concerning the sovereignty of God's grace. Pause, my soul, and let the thought fill up thine evening's meditation, lie down with thee, and form thy songs of the night. Had it pleased thy covenant God in Christ so to have wrought his salvation, no doubt, nothing could have been more easy to his Omnipotency than to have raised heirs of glory from the stones. When the human soul, which came out of the Almighty Maker's hand at first pure and holy, hr.d by apostacy lost all its beauty and loveliness, how quickly might Jehovah have reduced it to its orignal nothingness, and 30 THK POOR MAN S from the stones of the earth raised up a seed to praise him! But here, as in a thousand instances, God's ways are not our ways, nor his thoughts our thoughts. To glorify his dear Son, the soul, though polluted and defiled, shall he made infinitely more precious by re- demption, than it was by creation when unpolluted. Beautiful as it was before it fell, yet it is vastly more beautiful now, when washed in the Redeemer's blood. Had it continued in its uprightness, it would have been but the uprightness of the creature, still liable to fall at any time from its integrity, as Adam did. But now united to Jesus, the righteousness and purity of the re- deemed is the righteousness and holiness of the Re- deemer, and cannot possibly be lost or forfeited any more. " Thy Maker is thine husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth shall he be called." Pause, my soul ! Hast thou a part, an interest in this blessedness? Art thou a poor gentile by nature and practice, an alien to the commonwealth of Israel, a stranger to the covenants of promise, and once without hope, without God, and without Christ in the world; and art thou now brought nigh by the blood of Christ ? Surely had God raised a seed from the stones of the earth to Abraham to bless him, the act would not have been moi'e sovereign, neither the mercy more gracious! Hath Jehovah raised thee from death, sin, and hell; washed thee in the blood of the Lamb; rege- nerated thee by his blessed Spirit; made thee a temple for himself, and formed tliee for his glory? O then join the prophet's song, and cry out in his words, " Sing, O ye heavens! for the Lord hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth : break forth into singing, ye mountains: O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel." MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 31 JANUARY 10. MORNING. — " My beloved is gone down into his garden, to tlie beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilie?." — Song vi. 2. Wonderful condescension! Jesus, the beloved of all his people, is indeed come down into his garden, the church; for he loves the sacred walks of a spot so near and so dear to him, wliich is at once the gift of his Father, and the purchase of his own most precious blood. Moreover, he hath gathered it out of the world's wide wilderness, and separated it as a sacred inclosure by his distinguishing grace. Surely then he will visit it. Yes, here he constantly walks; here he comes to observe the souls of his people as trees of his own right-hand planting. He is said to feed here; for the graces of his Spirit, which he calls forth into exercise, are more fragrant to him than all the spices of the east. And all the beauty and white- ness of the lily is not to be compared to the glory, loveliness, and sweet-smelling savour of the righteous- ness of Jesus, in which he beholds the souls of his redeemed as clad. And Oh! here Jesus is gathering them to himself in all the dilferent degrees of their growth, from the first moment of planting them in his garden, until he transplants them into the paradise of God. Art thou, my soul, in this garden of Jesus ? Art thou rejoicing under his gracious hand ? Are tlic dews of his ordinances, in this inclosure of thy Lord, dropping upon thee! EVENING. — " Whose 1 am, and whom I serve,"— Acts xxvii. 23. Here is a delightful subject for an evening meditation, if, like the apostle, who thus expressed himself, a child of God can take up the same words, and from the same well-grounded authority. Paul was in the midst of a storm, with not only the prospect, but the certainty of 32 THE POOR man's shipwreck before him, when he thus reposed himself in his covenant relations. An angel had informed him of what would happen; and had bidden him to be of good courage. But Paul's chief confidence arose from the con- sideration of whose property he was, and whose service he was engaged in. See to it, my soul, that thy assurance be the same; then thy security in every dark night will be the same also. For if thou art Jesus' property, depend upon it, thou wilt be Jesus' care. Hath Jesus bought thee with his blood; made thee his by grace ; and hast thou voluntarily given up thyself to him in a covenant not to be broken ? Hath the Lord spoken to thee by the sweet voice of his word, brought home to the heart in the gracious application of his Spirit ? Doth he say to thee, as to Jacob of old; " Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine?" Oh! then how sure will be the promise that follows; " When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kin- dle upon tliee : for I am the Lord tliy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour." If, in a view of covenant re- lationship, thou canst say with Paul, concerning Jesus, " whose I am;" do thou next search after the love-tokens of thine own heart, in covenant engagements also, and see whether thou canst adopt Paul's language in the other particular, and say as he did, " whom I serve." Is Jesus the one only object of thy love ? Did he give him- self for thee; and hath he by his Holy Spirit enabled thee to give thyself unto him ? Hast thou given thy- self to him, and given thyself for him, and art thou willing to part with every thing for the promotion of his glory ? Depend upon it, the real confidence of the soul can only be found in faith's enjoyment of these things. My soul ! drop not into the arms of sleep be- fore thou hast brought this point to a decision. No MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 33 storm of the night, no tempest without, will alarm, while Jesus, by his Holy Spirit, speaks peace within. If Jesus be thine, then all is thine; and as thou art his, every promise is made over to thee with him, whose thou art, and whom thou dost serve. Sweet promise to lie down with on the bed of night, or the bed of death : " My pcojJe shall dwell in a peaceable habita- tion, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." Isa. xxxii. 18. JANUARY 11. MORNING.—" I am the bright and morning Star,"— Rev. xxii. 16. How oft, in some dark wintry "morning, like the pre- sent, have I beheld the morning star shining with love- liness, when all the other lights of heaven were put out! But how little did I think of thee, thou precious light and life of men ! Thou art indeed the bright and morning- Star in the firmament of thy church, in thy word, and in the souls of thy redeemed. Henceforth, dearest Jesus, let the morning visit of this sweet planet to our darkened earth remind me of thee, amidst all the gross darkness by which in nature we are surrounded. Sure pledge of day as this beneficial star is, yet not more sure than thou in the day-dawn and day-star of pro- phecy, which ministered to thy coming; and in the twilight of grace upon the soul, the forerunner of a glorious day. Be thou my morning song, my noon- tide joy, my evening meditation, and midnight light. Through all the wintry seasons of my pilgrimage, shine forth, sweet Jesus, upon my soul. Oh! ye sons of sloth, ye children of darkness, and of night, rouse from your beds of drowsiness, before the sleep of death seal uf your eyes in everlasting darkness. Jesus, the Morning Star, now shines; and ere long, Jesus, the Sun of Righ- teousness, will appear, no more to go down, and al the sons of God will shout for joy. 34 THE POOR man' EVENING. — " Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice; cause me to hear it." — Song viii. 13. Hark, my soul! Is not this Jesus speaking to thee? Listen to thy Lord, for sweet is his voice, andliis coun- tenance is comely. But how know I that Jesus is speaking to me in these words of the Song ? Search, and see if it be so. What are these gardens, the Lord speaks of? Surely the special congregations of his churches. Is not Jesus's church, one universal church, of jew and gentile, made up of the several assemblies of the faithful throughout the earth? And art thou, my soul, brought into the church of Jesus, by regene- ration, by adoption, by the special call of God the Father, the purchase of Christ's blood, the conquest of the Spirit, and the voluntary surrender of thine heart to God ? And dost thou dwell in those gardens ? Ai'e Jesus's ordinances thy delight; his holy days thy beloved days; his presence thy joy; his tabernacles amiable to thee? And is it the uniform desire of thine heart, to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of thy life; to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple? Oh! the blessedness of such a dwelling! the felicity of the souls who dwell in it! Is it not to all such who keep his sabbaths, and join them- selves to the Lord to serve him, that the Lord Jehovah speaketh in that most gracious promise, " Even unto them will I give in mine house, and within my walls, a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters, I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off," Isa. Ivi. 5. My soul! when tliou hast an- swered this inquiry, go on, and make a farther search concerning " the companions." But what a lai'ge door of examination will open on this ground! The holy Lord himself, in his threefold character of Persons, has condescended to reveal himself according to the church's faith in Christ. And every individual believer, MORNINfi AND EVENING PORTIONS. 35 even thou, my soul, poor and worthless, and insignificant as thou art in thyself, yet considered in relation to Jesus, even thou, in common with all true followers of Jesus, carriest about with thee evident tokens of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost. Pause, and deter- mine here again ; Are these sacred Persons companions of thine? Do they walk with thee, and thou with them ? Do they hear thy voice speaking of the love of each, the grace, the mercy, the goodness of covenant compassion to poor sinners, in and through the rich salvation of the blood and righteousness of Jesus? But are there not other companions, even fellow saints and fellow citizens of the household of God, which may be implied in these words? And do they hear thy testimony concerning Jesus? Can they witness for thee, that thy lips drop as the honeycomb concerning thy Lord, and that his name, his love, his full, free, finished salvation, are the one constant, unceasing subject of thy whole conver- sation ? Dost thou so speak, so live, and dwell upon the precious name of thy Lord, and not only talk of Jesus, but walk with Jesus? And doth Jesus hear thee, and take pleasure in thy edifying conversation, ministering gi-ace to the hearers ? Is a book of remem- brance written before him, concerning those that fear the Lord, and speak often one to another, and think upon his name ? And doth Jesus, while he graciously looks on and hearkens, bid thee come to him, and say, *' Cause me to hear thy voice?" What! are thy praises of Jesus, and thy praises to Jesus, pleasant to my Lord ? Doth he indeed love to hear thy poor lisping stammering tongue ? If, while I speak to others of my companions of his blood and righteousness, and of my soul's joy in him, my adherence to him, my dependence upon him, and my expectation from him, Jesus not only favours the sweet employment, but bids me come to him, and tell himself of all that passeth in my 36 THE POOR man's heart concerning him; surely henceforth I will hasten to my Lord, pour out my whole soul before him, and tell him that he is a thousand times more precious to me than thousands of gold and silver. Yea, blessed Lord! night and morning, and seven times a day, will I praise thee, and thou shalt hear my voice. Witness for me, ye my companions, angels of light, yea, my Lord himself, if aught but his love and his praise occupy my soul. Thy name, thy love, thy grace, all, all that belongs to Jesus, shall dwell in my heart, and wholly fill it; shall hang upon my tongue in endless commendation of his beauty, and my soul's delight in him. And even in death, may the last trembling sound the companions gather from my lips be of Jesus, the altogether lovely, and the chiefest among ten thou- sand ! JANUARY 12. MORN[NG. — " If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold." — Levit. xxv. 25. How poor was I and wretched before I knew Jesus! I had not only sold, as far as I had power to sell, some of my possession, but all. Indeed, dear Lord, I could not sell thee, nor my oneness and union with thee; for that was not saleable, since Christ had from ever- lasting betrothed me to himself for ever. But in the Adam nature in wliich I was born, I was utterly in- solvent, helpless, and ruined: one like the Son of man redeemed me. But what a double blessedness was it to my soul, when I discovered that this Redeemer w as so very near of kin to me, that he was my brother. Hail, thou precious, precious Jesus! thou art indeed, a " brother born for adversity." Yes, blessed Jesus! thou art he whom thy Ijrethren shall praise; and all thy Father's children shall bow down to thee. My soul, see to it that thou make the most of this relationship. Never, Oh never, MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 37 will thy brother suffer his poor indigent relation to want any more, after that he hatli thus redeemed both thyself and thy possession. Now do I see why it was that the church so passionately longed for Jesus under this tender character. " Oh! (said she) that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother; when I should find thee without I would kiss thee ; yea, I should not be despised." EVENING. — " Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there. And, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake, came by; unto whom he said. Ho! such an one ! turn aside; sit down liere. And he turned aside, and sat down." — Ruth iv. 1. It is blessed to see, when from general calls in the gospel, the call becomes personal. The general invi- tation is, " Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to -the waters." The personal call is, " Ho! such an one." Jesus calleth his own sheep by name; how is this done? When at any time the Lord speaketh by the ministry of his word to their particular state and circumstances: as for example, when Jesus saith, " I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Faith saith in answer, then it is for me; for I am a sinner. So again when it is said, " God commendeth his love to us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us !" Faith replieth, tlien is that love suited to my case and circumstances, for I am both by nature and by practice a sinner before God. So again, when Jesus ascended up on high, he is said to have received gifts for men: yea, for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Faith again finds similar encouragement to go upon, in order to make the thing personal; for the believer saith, I have been a rebel from the womb. In short, faith always discovers ground to rest for assur- ance, when, from general rules, there is found sufficient scope for special application; and in the suitableness of Christ to the sinner's necessity, and the suitableness of the sinner for the Redeemer's glory, the word comes 38 THE POOR man': with power to the heart, and with an energy not unlike the application of the apostle's sermon : " to you is the word of this salvation sent." For then, like the kinsman of Boaz, the call becomes personal, changing the appellation from every one, to such an one; and the believing soul comes at the call, turns aside, and sits down, as the very one with whom the business is to be transacted. My soul! hast tliou heard the gospel invitation, and found it personal ? The answer will not be far to obtain, if such evidences be discoverable in thyself. Faith is a precious grace, which never rests imtil it hath acquired all it stands in need of. As the invitation comes from Christ, so where it is personally received and accepted, it leads to Christ. Faith is never satisfied with general views, its whole aim is at personal enjoyments. There is a selfishness to appro- priate and bring home all that is offered. Salvation is proclaimed from heaven for sinners. God the Father gives it; God the Son purchaseth it; God the Spirit sends it to the heart with an " Ho! such an one, turn aside, sit down." See to it, my soul, that thou hast this personal interest in it, and that Christ is formed in thy heart the hope of glory. JANUARY 13. MORNING.—" Master! where dwellest thou ?"~John i. 38. Is this the earnest inquiry of my soul ? Hear then the answer : *' Thus saith the high and lofty One, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place; with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Pause, my soul. Are these quali- ties produced by grace in thine heart ? Jesus, Master, make me what thou wouldest have me to be ; and then come. Lord, agreeably to thy promises. Thou hast said, my Father will come, and I will come, and make our abode with him. And thou hast said, the Holy Ghost MORNING ANn EVKNTNG PORTIONS. 39 shall come and abide with us for ever. What, my soul, shall I indeed have such glorious personages for my companions ? Behold, Lord, the heaven, and the hea- ven of heavens, cannot contain thee ! Oh for grace and a sanctity of thought corresponding to such mercies, since our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us ' EVENING.—" And Enoch walked with God."— Gen. v. 24, I have often considered, and as often found pleasure in the consideration of the very honourable testimony which the Holy Ghost hath given to the faith of the patriarchs, both in the old and new testaments. What wonders were wrought by faith ! " They walked witli God ! They endured (saith the sacred writer) as seeing him who is invisible." They communed with God, and were as conscious of his spiritual presence, and spiri- tual society, as we are of sensible objects. Hence, by these acts of frequent communion, their souls found a growing likeness. The more they loved God, the more their minds were led by grace into an increasing con- formity to what they loved. This assimilation is a natural consequence, even among natural things. He that walketh with wise men will be wise. We na- turally imbibe the manners, the sentiments, yea, the very habits of those with whom we like to associate. How much more must a frequent intercourse and com- munion with the Lord, and under his spiritual teach- ing, induce a conformity to the most fair, most lovely, and most beloved object of the soul ! " Beholding (saith the apostle) as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Are these things so ? Then it is explained to thee, my soul, wherefore it is that thou goest so lean, and art yet so poor in the divine life. Thou dost not, as Enoch did, keep up a continual communion with Jesus. Pause this evening, over the subject, and sec if this be not the 40 I'HE POOR man's case. All the days of thine unregeneracy, before thou wert first brought acquainted with God in Christ, were spent in a total ignorance of God. There was then no communion with him ; yea, not even the desire of com- munion. But when God, who commanded tlie light to shine out of darkness, shined into thine heart, then was first given to thee the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. Recollect then, what were thy feelings when tlie day-spring from on high first visited thee. Didst thou not flee to Jesus, as the man-slayer hastening for his life to the city of refuge ? Oh ! how feelingly wert thou made to value the very name of a Saviour ! How earnestly didst thou seek him above thy necessary food ! And if thou hast since intermitted those visits to Jesus, and lost a sense of thy daily want of him ; can it be a subject of won- der that this leanness of soul is induced in thee. Will not a distance from, and a shyness of Jesus produce a poverty in spiritual things, as much as the want of food to the body will bring on a leanness and a decline in corporeal things ? Learn then, this evening, an un- answerable reply to all thy complaints, and the com- plaints of the church at large. Wherefore is it that believers live so much below their privileges, but be- cause they live so much below the enjoyment of sweet communion with Jesus? If worldly concerns swallow up our time, as the earth did Korah and his company ; if we are satisfied with a mere form of prayer in our morning and evening retirement, and in our family worship before God, while destitute of the power of godliness ; if we are still but little acquainted with the Lord, and seldom go to court, to behold the King in his beauty, and to be favoured with his smiles ; it is no longer a matter of surprize, that from keeping so poor an house, we arc so poor in enjoyment. Oh ! for grace to walk with God, as Enocli walked! Make me, thou dear Lord, jealous above all things of my own heart MORNING AND KVENING PORTIONS. 41 Let every morning, with the first dawn of day, call me up to holy communion with thee. And let every night toll the bell of reflection, to examine what visits I have had from thee, and what visits I have made io thee ; and let nothing satisfy my soul but the continual walk of faith with thee ; that from an increasing knowledge o/"thee, increasing communion imth thee, and increas- ing confidence in thee, my soul may be growing up into such lively actings of grace upon thy person, blood, and righteousness, that a daily walk of communion with my Lord, may be gradually preparing my soul for the everlasting enjoyment of him ; and when death comes, though it make a change of place, yet will it make no change of company ; but " awaking up after thy likeness, I shall be fully satisfied with it." JANUARY 14. MORNING. — " And she said to the king, it was a true report tlial I heard in mine own land, of thy acts, and of thy wisdom. Ilowbeit, I believed not the words until I came, and mine eyes had seen it : and behold, the half was not told me!" — 1 Kings x. 6, 7. If the queen of the South was so astonished in tlie view of Solomon's wisdom, what ought to be thy sur- prize, my soul, in the contemplation of Jesus, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ! When thou didst first hear of Jesus, and when con- strained by necessity to come to him, a poor blind igno- rant sinner, how little didst thou conceive either of thyself or him. He told thee, indeed, all that was in thine heart, and made thy very spirit, like her's, to faint within thee, when he shewed thee thy sin and his sal- vation. Surely then, and often since, even now, hast thou been constrained to say, as she did, the half was not told thee by others, of what sweet discoveries he hath made to thee of himself. Think then, my soul, what holy surprize and joy will burst in upon tliee in the day when, at the fountain-head of glory in his 42 THE POOR man's courts al)ove, he will unfold all his beauty, love, and wisdom ; when thou shalt sec him as he is, and know even as thou art known ! EVENING. — " A certain beggar, named Lazarus." — Luke xvi. 20. What an affecting representation hath the Holy Ghost here made of a poor, but gracious man ! He was not only poor in the mere wants of life, but ex- posed in person to great misery ; full of bruises, sores, and griefs. His lot was not to be taken into the house of the rich man, but to lie at his gate. He had the sorrow to !)ehold every day some pampered at the tables of the great, caressed and entertained ; but for himself, the crumbs which fell from their over-abun- dance appear to have been denied him. At length his sorrows are ended, and death removes him to the upper world, " The rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lifteth up his eyes, being in torments, and beholdeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." My soul ! this is no parable, but a reality ; and in the general view of it, may serve to teach how very widely we err in our estimate of men and things. Who that looked on, but would have concluded that Lazarus was the most miserable of creatures ? And who but would have thought the rich man to have been the most liappy ? Yet it was the aggravation of even hell itself, in the torments of the damned, to behold the felicity of the righteous. Jesus himself hath so marked it: " There shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth, (saith Christ) when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and ye your- selves thrust out," Luke xiiK 28. But were these the principal points our Lord had in view in this represen- tation ? I think not. My soul ! turn the whole over again in solemn consideration this evening, and see whether, in this " certain beggar," there are not to be discovered features of thy Lord ? Though he was rich, yet we know for our sakes he became poor, that we MORNING AND EVENING rORTIONS. 43 through his poverty might be made rich. Though he was in the form of God, and with him it was no robbery to be equal with God, yet he made himself of no repu- tation, and not merely humbled himself to the condi- tion of a poor man, and one that had not where to lay his head, but he humbled himself to the cursed death of the cross. Was Lazarus poor, full of sores and maladies ? And was not Jesus " the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief?" Who, like the Son of God, was ever so wounded? Of whom but Jesus could it ever be said, the Father of mercies, and God of all gi'ace, was pleased to bruise him, and put him to grief? Did the beggar lie unregarded at the gate ? And who can overlook the neglect and scorn, the cruelty and ill usage exercised upon the person of Jesus, when he lay at the door of the rich scribes and pharisees, when arraigned at the bar of Pilate, and when nailed to tlic cross ? Precious Lord Jesus ! thy death closed thy sufferings, and angels attended tliy triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven ! Oh ! the blessedness of beholding thee at the right hand of the Majesty on high ! Oh ! the hell upon earth in refusing to hear Moses and the prophets, in their persuasions concerning thee ! And what a tremendous close will it be — everlasting tor- ments in the hell to come — when thou shalt " come with ten thousands of thy saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among men, of all their unrighteous deeds which they have com- mitted, and of all their hard speeches which unrege- nerate sinners have spoken against thee!" Then, blessed Lord ! every eye shall see thee, and they also which pierced thee ; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of thee. Even so ! Amen. JANUARY 15. MORNING.—" 1 was brought low, and he helped me." — Ps. cxvi. 6. It is blessed sometimes that the streams of creature comforts should be dry, in order to compel us to go to 44 THK rooii man's the fountain head. When the fig-tree doth not blossom^ and the field yields no meat, then a covenant God is precious to fly to. My soul, say, was not that assault of Satan sanctified, when it brought Jesus thereby to thy rescue ? Was not that cross sweetly timed, when it tended to wean thee from the world ? And wouldest thou have been without that sickness, when Jesus sat up by thee, soothed thee in thy languor, and made all thy bed in thy sickness ? Well was it for me that I was brought low, or I should never have known, in a thousand instances, the help of my God. Oh then, my soul, like Paul, learn to glory in thy infirmities, that the power of Jesus may rest upon thee. EVENING.—" At evening-time it shall be light."— Zecli. xiv. 7. Then must it be miraculous ; for nothing short of a supernatural work could produce such an effect. Sun- rise at even-tide is contrary to nature ; and the rising of the Sun of righteousness is a work of grace. Pause then, my soul, over the promise, and see whether such an event hath taken place in thy circumstances. As every thing in Jesus, and his salvation, in respect to his church and people, is the sole result of grace, not nature; so all the Lord's dispensations carry with them the same evidences. It is even-time in the soul, yea, midnight darkness, ere first the Lord shines in upon it ; it is so in all the after dispensations, when some more than ordinary manifestation is made; it is among the blessed methods of grace, when the Lord surprizeth his people with some rich visits of his love and mercy. " I said, (cried the church, at a time when the waters of the sanctuary ran low) my way is hidden from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God." But it is in creature weakness that Creator strength is manifested ; and when we are most weak in ourselves, then is the time to be most strong in the Lord. We have a lovely exam})le of this in the case of the patri- arch Jacob. His beloved Josepli was torn in pieces, as the poor patriarch thought, by wild beasts ; a famine MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 45 compelled him to send his sons into Egypt to buy corn, and there Simeon, another son, was detained ; and the governor of Egypt declared, that until Benjamin, Jacob's youngest son, was sent, Simeon should not return. Under these discouraging circumstances, the poor father cried out, " Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and will you take Benjamin also? All these things are against me." But the sequel proved that all these things were for him, and all working out a deliverance for him and his household, in which the church of Jesus (which was to be formed fi'om the house of Jacob) should triumph for ever. " At evening-time it shall be light." The Lord sometimes, and perhaps not un- frequently, induces darkness, that his light may be more striking. He hedges up his people's way with thorns, that the almighty hand, which removes them, may be more plainly seen. Oh ! it is blessed to be brought low, to be surrounded sometimes with diffi- culties, to see no way of escape, and all human resources fail, purposely that our extremity may be the Lord's opportunity, and when we are most low, Jesus may be most exalted. My soul ! is it now even-tide in the soul, as it is even-tide in the day ? Art thou stripped, hum- bled, convinced of thy nothingness ? Oh ! look to all- precious, all-suitable Jesus. Hear what the Lord saith: " When the poor and the needy seek for water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I, the Lord, will hear them ; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in dry places, and fountains in the midst of vallies." " At evening-time it shall be light." JANUARY 16, MORNING. — " And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people ; for the thing was done suddenly." — 2 Chron. xxix. 36. Sweet thought, ever to keep in view, that it is the Lord that prepares the heart, and gives answers to the 46 THE POOR man's tongue. And Oh ! how sudden, liow unexpected, how unlooked-for, sometimes, are the visits of his grace ! " Or ever I was aware (saith the church) my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadab." Is my heart cold, my mind barren, my frame lifeless ? Do thou, then, dearest Lord, make me to rejoice, in warm- ing my frozen affection, making fruitful my poor estate, and putting new life into my soul. All I want is a frame of mind best suited to thy glory. And what is that ? Truly, that when I have nothing, feel no- thing, can do nothing, am worse than nothing, that then, even then, I may be rich in thee amidst all my own bankruptcy. This, dear Lord, is what I covet. And if thou withholdest all frames which might melt, or warm, or rejoice my own feehngs ; yet if my soul still hangs upon thee notwithstanding all, as the vessel upon the nail, my God and Jesus will be my rock, that feels nothing of the ebbings and flowings of the sea around, whatever be the tide of my fluctuating affec- tions. EVENING. — " A certain man made a great supper, and bade many." Luke xiv. 16. Is not this certain man designed to represent the Father of mercies, and God of all grace ? And is not the great supper intended to set forth the full, gene- rous, free, and plentiful feast made for poor sinners l)y Jesus Christ in his gospel ? My soul ! thou art invited, for the message of grace is to the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. Jesus keeps a noble house, and it is an open house. The evening is come — the hour of supper is arrived : arise then, and ac- cept the invitation. Behold, Lord, I am come ! And now what are the spiritual delicacies of thy table? First, methinks I hear the generous Lord proclaim a hearty welcome. And it is a sweet thought for my poor soul to cherish, tliat in whatever heart Jesus is welcome, that heart is welcome to Jesus ; for as a i)Oor MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 47 iiungiy sinner needs a full Saviour, so a full Saviour needs a poor empty sinner to give out of his fulness upon, and grace for grace. Neither is a poor sinner more happy in receiving Jesus, than Jesus is glorified in receiving a poor sinner. *' The Lord waits to be gracious." And what are the viands at his table? " The kingdom of God is not meat and drink ; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Here then, I find the whole of the blessed feast. Here is Jesus himself, the bread of life, and the water of life, whose flesh is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed. Here are pardon, and mercy, and peace ; here is strength to help in every time of need ; all grace treasured up for his people in himself, and now to be imparted as their several circumstances require. More- over, the King himself is to come to his table. I could not be mistaken in his voice. He saith, " I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse. I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honey- comb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends ! drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved!" What doth our Jesus mean by " his myrrh with his spices?" Doth he mean the preparing the souls of his guests for this banquet, by enduing them with the spirit of repentance and faith ? or is it to set before them his own sufferings and death, " by whose stripes they are healed ?" In either sense, blessed be my bountiful Lord ! he is himself the provider ; it is his table, and he himself furnisheth the whole of it. He is the substance, the life, the way, the means, the end, the first and the last of all; it is all his own, and of his fulness do we all receive. And, dearest Lord ! art thou pleased with thy guests, when they come at thine invitation, under a deep sense of want, earnestly desiring to partake of thy bounty, approaching under the sweet leadings of thy Holy Spirit, and clothed in the wedding-garment of thine own righteousness ? 48 THE POOR man's Oh, thou bountiful Lord ! how blessed are they that sit in thine house, they will be continually praising thee! Now, my soul, thou hast eaten, and art full; arise from the holy table as one fed and filled with the Spirit ; bless the kind master of the feast, and give thanks, crying out with holy Simeon, " Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." JANUARY 17. MORNiNG.— " My beloved standeth behind our wall. He looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice " — Song ii. 9. It might be truly said, that it was behind the wall of our nature the Lord Jesus stood, when, by taking a body of flesh, he veiled the glories of his Godhead, during the days of his humanity. And may it not be as truly said, that it is still, as from behind a wall, all the gracious discoveries he now makes of himself are manifested to his people ? For what from the dulness of our perception, the unbelief, and the sins and infirmi- ties of our nature, the most we see of our Jesus is but as through a glass darkly. But yet, my soul, how sweet are even these visits of his love, when we can get though but a glimpse of the King in his beauty, through the windows of ordinances, oi- the lattices of his blessed word. Oh, precious Jesus! let thy visits be frequent, increasingly lovely, and increasingly glo- rious, that the souls of thy people may increasingly delight in thee ! Methinks I would lay about the doors, and windows, and courts of thy house, and be sending in a wish, and the fervent prayer of a poor beggar who is living on thy bounty, that thou wouldest come forth to my view and bless me with thy presence, until that all intervening mediums of walls and win- dows are thrown down, and Jesus manifests himself to my longing eyes in all his glory. MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS, 49 EVENING.—" Behold, I stand at the door, and knock ; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." — Rev. iii. 20. See, my soul, what condescension there is in Jesus! It was but on the last evening that thou wert feasted by his own gracious invitation at his table ; and now the Lord invites himself at thine. So earnest is Jesus to keep up the closest acquaintance and holy familiarity with his redeemed, that if they are at any time back- ward in inviting him, he will invite himself. Jesus is come then this evening, before thou art prepared for him ; yea, not only before thou hast invited him, but even before thy poor timid and unbelieving heart could have had the idea or expectation of such a guest. And hear what the gracious, kind, affectionate Lord saith ; Behold ! In which he not only desires to have it heard and known by thee, but all the church shall know his love in this particular, and be witness of his great grace and condescension. And where is the Lord ? " Behold ! I stand," he saith, " at the door and knock !" And wilt thou not, my soul, instantly cry out, as Laban of old did to the messenger of Abraham, " Come in thou blessed of the Lord ; wherefore standest thou without ?" Oh ! the grace that is in the heart of Jesus; that he, who is the sovereign Lord of all, who hath made us, redeemed us, bought us with such a price as liis blood, should nevertheless stand without, and beg admittance into the heaits of his people, which he hath made, and new made, and over whom he hath all power to kill and to make alive, to heal and to destroy ! Pi'ecious, precious Jesus ! I bless thy name that I hear thy voice. Thy loud and powerful knocks, by thy word and by thy Spirit, have made me earnest for thy admission. Put in thine hand, Lord, by the hole of the door, and open my heart, as thou didst Lydia's, and give me all-suited grace to receive thee, to embrace thee, to love thee, to delight in thee, and vol.. VIII. I) 50 THB POOR man's give thee a most hearty welcome. I would say, in the warmth and desire of my soul, and in the language of thine own most sacred words ; " Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in !" And what hath my Lord promised, when the door of my poor heart is opened ? Yea, thou hast said, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me. Bountiful Lord ! wilt thou indeed give me the precious privilege of an union with thee, and communion with thyself and thy graces ? Wilt thou feed and feast me at my poor house, as on the last night thou didst at thine own ? 1 have nothing to set before thee ; I can bring forth nothing worthy thy acceptance. But methinks I hear my Lord say, " I am the bread of life, and the bread of God which cometh down from heaven." I am all, and provide all, and will give the true relish and enjoy- ment for all ! Lord, I fall down under a deep sense of my vileness and thy glory ; my emptiness and thine all-sufficiency. Yea, blessed master ! be thou all in all, and let my poor soul feast upon thy fulness ; and do thou " stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love." JANUARY 18. MORNING. — "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again." — John x. 17. Mark, my soul, the pi-ecious cause which tliy Jesus here assigns for the love of his Father. God the Fa- ther not only loves God the Son, as God, one with him in nature and in all divine perfections ; but he loves him peculiarly because he voluntarily undertook and accomplished by his death the salvation of his people. Now then, my soul, make these two sweet improve- ments from wliat Jesus hath here said. First, think what must have been, and now is, the love of thy God MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 51 and Father to thee and every poor sinner, when he truly loves his dear Son because he became the Saviour of poor sinners. And, secondly, think what love Jesus hath shewn to poor sinners in thus manifesting his mercy in such a way, and how dear they must be to the heart of Jesus, which have n)ade him dear in the sight of God. My soul, never lose sight of this argu- ment, when thou goest to the mercy-seat. Tell thy God and Father thou art come to ask mercies in his name, and for his righteousness' sake, whom the Father loveth on this very account. And Oh, how very dear should Jesus be to thee for his blood and righteousness, who is dear to the Father for the same cause ! EVENING. — " And thou shall say unto them, this is the offering made by fire, whicli ye shall offer unto the Lord ; two lambs of the first year, without spot, day by day, for a continual burnt-offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even." — Numb, xxviii. 3, 4. Pause, my soul, over the scriptural account of this solemn transaction ! Think how infinitely important in the sight of Jehovah, was, and is, that vast sacrifice of the Lamb of God " slain from the foundation of the world," which every day, morning and evening, the Lord commanded to be set forth in an offering made by fire. With what exactness did the church observe this daily rite of oblation ! How scrupulous wei'e all true Israelites in this service ! and how fully did it proclaim to them the doctrine that " without shedding of blood there was no remission !" Who that reads the solemn precept, and remarks the strictness of Israel in their obedience to it, but must be struck with this conviction? And who can for a moment doubt but that the whole was performed by faith in the Lamb of God, who, in after ages, did away all the i)enal effects of sin^ by the sacrifice of himself? Pause again, my soul. Hath this daily sacrifice ceased, as the prophet Daniel declared it sliould ? (Dan. ix. 27.) Arc the lamb of the morning and the lamb of the evening now 52 THE POOR man's no more ? And wherefore ? Because the thing sig' nified being accomplished, the sign is needed to minister no longer; the substance being come, the shadow is for ever done away. And shall not thy morning and thine evening act of faith be expressly exercised upon this one Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world ? Did the faithful Israelite at nine in the morning, and three in the evening, (the hours of those daily sacrifices) offer the lamb by faith in the promised Redeemer ; and shall not the believing followers of the blessed Jesus have their hours of commemoration in spiritual acts of praise and faith upon the bleeding body of him, who by the one offering of himself, once offered, hath for ever perfected them that are sanc- tified ? Yes, thou precious Lamb of God ! I would pray for grace to behold thee in every act of faith, in every offering of prayer, every ordinance, every means of grace, and all the rites of religious worship. I would see thee through the whole of the bible as the one thing, the only thing signified. I would trace the sweet, the blessed, the soul-comforting, soul-strengthen- ing, soul-transforming subject, until, from the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, I followed the Lamb whithersoever he went ; until I beheld thee, as the beloved apostle saw thee, " the Lamb as it had been slain, in the midst of the throne," still wearing on thy glorified body the marks of our redemption. And there, precious Jesus, should my eyes fix, and my heart centre all her joys, because also in this exalted state thou art still the Lamb. Thy glory and thy power have made no change of nature, though of place. Thou art the Lamb of God, and the brother of thy people still. The eternal efficacy of thy blood and righteousness, and the everlasting love in thine heart towards thy redeemed are the same. As in per^n, so in office, thou art " Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." Amen. MORNING AND EVENINCx PORTIONS. 53 JANUARY 19. MORNING.—" As the new wine is found in tlie cluster, and one saith, destroy it not, for a blessing is in it ; so will I do for my servants' sakes, that 1 may not destroy them all."— Isa. Ixv. 8. It is blessed to ti-ace our mercies to the fountain- head, and to find them all folded up from everlasting in Jesus. What was it that preserved our whole na- ture when blasted and withered by the fall ? Was it not because Jesus, the promised seed, was in it ? And what is it that preserves every individual among the children of God during the dark season of their unre- generacy, but the same precious cause ? He that looks on (and who is this but Christ himself?) amidst all our perishing circumstances, by his powerful and all-prevailing intercession, commands the destroyer not to touch his people ; for though in themselves loath- some, yet in Jesus they are fair and lovely. My soul, learn hence thy security. The whole cause for which thou wert preserved until called, and, when called, preserved through grace unto glory, both in conversion and in every after-act of God's dealings with thee, all refers itself into this one source. Destroy it not, there is a blessing in thee, though not from thee : Jesus is in thee, as the new wine is found in the cluster ! EVENING — " And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." — Eph. iv. 30. Methinks I would make this scripture the motto of my daily walk, to keep in remembrance more than the dearest friend that wears the ring of love upon his finger, and bears it about with him whithersoever he goeth. And is the Holy Spirit grieved whenever a child of God forgetteth Jesus, and by indulgence in any sin, loses sight of those sufferings which he endured on account of sin ? Yes, God the Holy Ghost is grieved, communion with God the Father is interrupted, and all the agonies and bloody sweats of Jesus forgotten, if there be a loose and careless life. And shall I ever grieve the Holy Ghost by any one allowed transgres- 54 THE POOR man's sion ? Would not my soul feel shame at the conscious- ness of it, even if no eye but his liad seen the foul act ? Wouldest thou grieve for me, O Loi'd, at such a sight ? Can it be possible that a poor worm of the earth, such as I am, should excite such regard and attention ? And shall not the consideration have its constant un- ceasing influence upon my soul ? Shall I grieve the holy Lord by an unholy conduct ? Shall I quench those sweet influences which first quickened me, and recompense the kindness, which, had it not been called forth to my spiritual life, would have left me to this hour as it first found me, dead in trespasses and sins ? Oh ! thou holy, blessed, gracious Lord God ! withdraw not, I beseech thee, thy restraining influences ; leave me not for a moment to myself? Thou knowest that I shall grieve thee, if unassisted by thy grace. Self- will and confidence, sloth and forgetfulness, pride and presumption, will afford an opportunity to the great enemy of souls to betray me into sin, if thou do not keep me ; but if thou. Lord, wilt keep me, I shall be well kept. Thou wilt lead me to the all-precious Jesus, thou wilt take of his, and so effectually shew it to me, that I shall be prepared for, guided in, and carried through all acts of holy obedience ; and by thy sweet influences, and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, 1 shall be enabled to mortify the deeds of the body, so as to live. My soul ! be thou constantly look- ing to Jesus, seeking communion with the Holy Ghost, and crying out to God the Father, with David, " Take not thine Holy Spirit from me ;" that I may not grieve that Holy Lord, by whom I am sealed unto the day of redemption. JANUARY 20. MORNING. — " What shall be done unto the man whom the king dehghteth to honour ?" — Esther vi. 6. Nay, my soul, ask thine own heart what shall be done to the God-man whom Jehovah, the King of MORNING AND KVENING PORTIONS. 55 kings, delighteth to honour? Oh, for the view of what John saw, and to hear what John heard, when lie beheld the heaven opened, and heard the innumera- ble multitude chanting salvation to God and the Lamb ! Lord, I would say, " let every knee bow before him, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." And Oh, most gracious Father! dost thou take delight that Jesus should be lionoured ? Is it thine honour when Jesus is honoured; thy glory when Jesus is glorified ? Oh, what wonder- ful encouragement is this to the faith and belief of a poor sinner ! that I not only praise my adorable Re- deemer when I come to him for all things, and trust him for all things ; but when also my poverty and emptiness afford occasion to him to get glory by me, in giving to me all things, and blessing me in all things. And these exercises of grace are acceptable to God my Father, as they are honourable to God the Son. And this is the only way, and a blessed way it is indeed, by which a poor sinner can give glory to the Father, in believing the record which he hath given of his Son. Here then, my soul, do thou daily be found in honour- ing the glory-man, the God-man, Christ Jesus, whom God the Father delighteth to honour. EVENING. — " And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the rederapton of our body." — Rom. viii. 23. It is blessed to receive from the Holy Ghost such gra- cious interpretations of his own most holy word as bear a correspondence with what we feel in a life of grace. We know that our adorable Jesus is the Saviour of the body as well as the soul; but we know also that these vile bodies of ours are not regenerated, as the souls of his redeemed are. In this tabernacle, therefore, we groan, being l)iu-thened. I know," saith Paul, " that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." And 56 THE POOR MAN S I too often know, to my sorrow, the same. Pause, my soul, this evening, over this solemn scripture, and look up to the great author of it, to unfold its sacred truth to thy comfort. I hope I can humbly adopt the lan- guage, and say, that I " have the first fruits of the Spirit." I know what it is to enjoy the first dawnings and leadings of grace. I know what it is to have been once afar off, living without God and Christ in the world, an enemy to God by wicked works. And I know what it is to have been brought nigh by the blood of Christ: Jesus, by his Holy Spirit, hath come nigh to me, and brought my soul nigh to God. I know also what it is at times to have sweet seasons of com- munion. I am as sensible of the reviving, comforting, strengthening, refreshing graces of the Spirit, as the earth is of the falling showers, or the sweet return of light. I know no less what it is to have an enlarge- ment of soul, in the going forth of the exercises of faith and grace upon the person and work of the Lord Jesus. When the Redeemer is pleased to call forth into lively actings upon himself the graces he hath planted, I can then find a blessed season in contemplating his glories, his beauties, his fulness, his suitableness, and all-sufficiency. I then sit down as the church of old did, " under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit is sweet to my taste." The Lord hath then " brought me into his banqueting house," and my whole soul, under his banner of love, is delighted in fatness. But amidst these " first fruits of the Spirit," these blessed earnests and pledges of the glory that shall be revealed, I know no less also what it is to groan within myself, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of my poor polluted, sinful body. I find this partner of my heart, this earthly half of myself, at times the greatest opposer of my better dispositions. " The flesh lusteth against the Spirit;" the soul is straitened, shut up, so as to say nothing, and do nothing, when appearing before the MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 5/ Lord. I dare not neglect prayer; I dare not absent myself from going to court ! The king will know and mark my neglect. But if I go, I am cold, dead, and lifeless: I hear as though I heard not; I pray as though I prayed not. Can I do otherwise than groan ? Can I help at times being deeply affected, although I have " the first fruits of the Spirit?" Lord Jesus, undertake for me, and let all the sanctified blessings, intended by thy love and wisdom to be derived from these pain- ful exercises of the soul, be accomplished. Let this thorn in the flesh make me humble: root out the very existence of* spiritual pride ; reconcile my whole heart to the humiliation of the grave; and, above all, endear thee, thou precious Immanuel, the Lord our righteous- ness, more and more to my affections, since it is thou, and thou alone, that canst be our peace here and our salvation for ever ! JANUARY 21. MORNING. — " But for- Adam there was not found an help meet for him."— Gen. ii. 20. My soul, mark what is here said, for sure it is a sweet scripture. Amidst all the works of God, " there was not one that could be found an help meet for man." The inferior creatures could indeed minister to his bodily comfort, but not to his soul. Eve herself, with all her loveliness, must have failed in this particular. Both the woman and her husband alike needed this help to the soul. How refreshing is the thought, and what a lovely view doth it give us of God's grace and mercy, that in the seed of the woman an help, in the fullest sense of the word, was found both for time and eternity. Jesus in our nature needed the church for his partner: and the church needed Jesus, and he was, and is, the 58 THE POOR man's very Adam of whom our first father in nature, was but the shadow, and Christ the substance. Yes, blessed Jesus! in thee we trace this wondrous gift of God. Pause then, my soul, and add this thought to the vast account: The same love which fitted thee with an help meet in a Saviour, hath fitted thee, and will continue to fit thee, with the supply of all thy need. It were to be wished, that every child of God would never lose sight of this certain truth — that he must have the fittest station in life, the fittest frame of mind and of body, the fittest yoke-fellow, the fittest circumstances; in short, the fittest mercies and the fittest trials ; because every thing is made subservient to the divine glory in Jesus. Sweet thought! " He that spared not his own Son, will with him also freely give us all things." EVENING « In deaths oft."— 2 Cor. xi. 23. What did the apostle mean by this expression, but that from living in Christ, he w^s always on the look- out for dying in Christ; so that death could make no change of state, whatever change it made of worlds; for that living or dying, he was still in Christ ? Paul seems to be speaking out his whole soul in the thought. It seems as if the conscious sense of his union and interest with Jesus was so inwrought in his very nature, that he was " in deaths oft," hoping that this providence, or that appointment, would be found the messenger to call him home to his Redeemer, to be with him for €ver. My soul ! as every night the bed of sleep to thy wearied body becomes a representation of the night of death, and the chamber of the grave, sit down this evening, and look over the memorandums of thine heart, whether there are some of the same sweet tes- timonies, and arising out of the same blessed source, as the' apostle's, thou art " in deaths oft," and canst pro- test, as he did, by the rejoicing which thou hast in MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 59 Christ Jesus, that " thou dicst daily ?" — If the apostle's state is thine, the habitual frame of thine heart, from a well-grounded interest in Jesus, must be such as to leave a constant impression on thy mind, that the change of deatli, come when it may, and coming, as it must, from thy Lord's own appointment, must be to thy happy account. It is to die and be with Christ, which is far better. Here we live, we walk, we enjoy Jesus, but by faith ; there we shall ever be with the Lord ; we shall see him as he is, we shall be like him. As here Jesus imparts all the grace the souls of his redeemed need in life to carry them on, and bring them home, so there he imparts glory : as he shines in one glorious fulness as the sun, so they as the stars of heaven for multitude and brightness. He that is the source and fountain of all grace in this life, is the source also of glory and happiness in the world to come. If then, my soul, thou art " in deaths oft," as one on the look-out for the coming of thy friend to call tliee home to himself, is not the prospect delightful ? Wouldest thou shrink back, if his chariot-wheels were now at the door ? — Pause. Are you daily pleading his blood and righteousness before God ? Are you most firmly, and most satisfactorily convinced of his conquest over sin, death, hell, and the grave ? Do you heartily, cor- dially, fully approve of God's rich covenant mercy in Christ ? Can you, do you, will you take God at his word, and give him the credit due to him, in believing the record which he hath given of his dear Son? And are you living daily upon these precious, blessed things, and under his grace, determined to die in the faith of them? What sayest thou to these solemn, but precious soul-transactions ? Can a throne of grace witness for thee, that thou art constantly pleading them there, as the only means, the only security thou art looking to for thy acceptance ? If so, and should the messenger of Jesus come, and find you upon your knees, would you 60 THE POOR man's say, not yet, Lord ? Would any thing make you linger here, when Jesus stood above, calling to thee, ' Come up hither ?' Oh ! dearest Jesus, for more of that grace, for more of that faith, to overcome all fears, doubts, and misgivings. Oh ! for some sweet increasing manifes- tations from thyself, dear Lord, day by day, that the nearer I am drawing to the period of my departure, the closer I may cling to thy embraces, and the more sensibly I may hang my soul upon thee; that when death comes thou mayest impart such strerfgth to my poor dying frame, that like the patriarch I may cry out : " Into thine arms, Lord Jesus, do I commit my spirit ; for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth !" JANUARY 22. MORNING. — " They shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppres- sors, and he shall send them a Saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them." — Isa. xix. 20. Mark, my soul, the sweet encouragement contained in these words. Here is a cry, and it is the cry of the soul ; for it is directed unto the Lord. There is (as Elihu tells us) a cry of nature under oppression ; but as this is not to God, it is evident that it never came from God ; for he tells us, that none of them saith, " Where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night ?" Job XXV. 9. But when the Holy Ghost convinceth of sin, and puts a cry in the heart by I'eason of it, he con- vinceth also of the righteousness of Jesus. Hence the difference of those cries is as wide as the east is from the west. Mark, therefore, my soul, this distinguish- ing feature of grace, and see whether thy cries are pray- ing cries, and not complaining ones. And now observe what follows. When poor sinners thus cry unto the Lord, " he shall send them a Saviour, and a great one." Who but God the Father, sent his Son to be the Saviour of poor lost sinners ? Was not Jesus a Saviour MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 61 indeed, and a great one ! Who, but he, could deliver the sinner from destruction ? And remark, further, the absolute certainty of the promise; for it is said, " he shall deUver them." Yes, blessed Jesus, thy deliverance is sure, thy salvation certain. Thou hast said, thy " sheep shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of thine hand." Pause, now, my soul, over this sweet verse. Surely in its bosom is folded up the sum and substance of all the gospel. Here are all the Persons of the Godhead engaged for the salvation of every poor crying sinner. Here is God the Holy Ghost, agreeably to his blessed office, causing the sinner to feel the op- pressions of sin, and putting a cry in his heart to the Lord, to be delivered from them. Here is God the Father, answering that cry in mercy, and sending his almighty Son to be the Saviour of the poor sinner. And here is Jesus the Saviour, and a great one, saving the poor sinner with an everlasting salvation. Shout then, my soul, and begin the song of salvation to God and the Lamb ! EVENING. — " And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them ; and 1 will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me ; for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me ? saith the Lord." — Jer. xxx. 2). When the patriarch Jacob was dying, he pronounced, under the spirit of prophecy, that " the sceptre should not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come," Gen. xlix. 10. And here in the prospect of the Babylonish captivity, now on the eve of its arrival, the prophet is commissioned by the Lord to tell the church, that notwithstanding all present appearances, no foreigners should judge or rule over them ; but one should proceed from the midst of them, to l)e their governor, even David their king, whom I (saith Jehovah, verse 9.) will raise up unto them. One like unto themselves, such as our Jesus was, like unto his brethren. Sweet confirmation of our faith ! And 62 THE POOR MAN S that no doubt might arise concerning the justness of the application, the Lord by another prophet (Micah V. 2.) mentioned the place of his birth, and marked at the same time, the features of his eternal power and Godhead. "But thou, Bethlehem-Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from ever- lasting." But we must not stop here in our views of this precious scripture. He that is to come forth from among his brethren as their governor, Jehovah engageth for him, that he will cause him to approach unto him. Blessed thought ! No son or daughter of Adam could ever have drawn nigh to God, but for this gracious interposition. The holiness of the divine nature, the holiness of the divine law, and the enmity of the heart of man by sin, totally precluded it. None but he who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, could have engaged his heart to this service. And indeed he graciously under- took it, and as completely accomplished it. Jesus was peculiarly suited for this vast undertaking. For as God he was one with the Father, to whom he approached ; and as man, he was the person for whom, and by whom the reconciliation was to be accomplished ; and as both God and Man in one Person, he could (as Job calls it) be a proper Day's-man, to act between both parties, and restore to God his glory, and to man his happiness. And what a blessed addition to these delightful things respecting Jesus, is it to see, that God the Father's hand was with Jesus in all ! " I will cause him to draw- near, and he shall approach unto me." Pause, my soul, over this blessed scripture, and behold in all the vast work of thy Redeemer's salvation, the name and authority of God thy Father confirming it. And wilt thou not then, in all thy approaches to God in Christ, have respect to this sovereign act of Jehovah ? Is it MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 63 indeed God the Father who hath given his dear Son, called him, appointed him, solemnly introduced him into his high priest's office, by an oath, and in all his offices as Mediator, caused him to draw near in the accomplishment of redemption : and wilt thou not in all thy approaches, look unto Jesus as the Father hath respect unto him ? Oh ! for grace, in all the lively exercises of it, to draw nigh to the footstool of the mercy-seat, and unceasingly to remind God our Father of his own gracious appointment and acceptance of the church in the person of his dear Son. Yea ! holy Father, I would say, in every act of worship, love, and praise, " Behold, O God, our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed !" JANUARY 23. MORNING. — " That as sill hath reigned unto death, even so miglil grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord."— Rom. v. 21. Pause, my soul, and put forth thy fullest thoughts in the contemplation of those two united sources of thy felicity, marked in this verse : the Father's eternal pur- pose, in the reign of grace ; and the everlasting efficacy and infinite value of thy Jesus's righteousness, to eter- nal life. None but God himself can know the fulness and extent of either. I am persuaded, that angels of light can never entertain adequate conceptions of either. The eternal purpose of God hath bounded the reign of sin ; it is but unto death. But those purposes give a further extent to the redemption from death and sin, by Jesus; for the glory of Christ's person, and the worth of his salvation, possess in both a vast overplus, a re- dundancy of merit, which brings the redeemed into favour and acceptance in Jesus, and with such a title to everlasting felicity, as eternity itself can never ex- haust— no, nor fully i-ecompense nor pay. Oh for grace to contemplate the love of the Father, and of the Son, 64 THE POOR MAN S by this standard ; and the love of God the Holy Ghost, through whose gracious influence we enjoy both. Lord, I would be lost, I would be swallowed up, day by day, in the unceasing meditation ! Dearest, blessed, precious Jesus ! give me to think of nothing else, to speak of nothing else ; but by faith to possess in anticipation, the joys of thy redeemed, until I come, through thee, and in thee, to the everlasting enjoyment of them, in thy kingdom of glory. EVENING. — " Now when Jesus was risen early, the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils." — Mark xvi. 9. My Lord ! I have often found occasion to stand amazed at the wonders of thy grace, as set forth in thy blessed word. Every thing manifests that it is alto- gether free and undeserved ; nothing, in the objects of it, having the least tendency to call it forth into exer- cise ; no, not even our misery : for though our misery afforded an opportunity for the greater display of it, yet thy grace was long before our misery, originating as it did in thine own everlasting love. Every circum- stance connected with the manifestation of thy grace calls forth astonishment. The greatness, the continu- ance, the unceasing nature of it, notwithstanding all the undeservings of the objects of thy rich bounty ; all tend to excite astonishment in my soul. But, Lord ! when at any time I behold abounding grace shewn,' where there have been abounding transgressions ; and, as the apostle expresseth it, " where sin hath reigned unto death, that there more eminently grace should reign unto eternal life ;" my soul is overwhelmed in the contemplation ; for here I discover, as upon num- berless other occasions, that " thy thoughts are not my thoughts, nor thy ways my ways." Will Jesus, this evening, graciously tell me, why the poor Mary Mag- dalene was first blessed, before any of the disciples, with the sight of her risen Saviour ? Was it to teach MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 66 her, and all poor sinners like her, that " where sin hath abounded, grace shall much more abound ?" Was it indeed to encourage every poor broken-hearted sin- ner, long exercised with the power and temptations of Satan, that it is to such more especially that Jesus hath an eye, that he knows their sorrows, and will assuredly relieve them ? Did my honoured Lord mean, by this wonderful act of grace, to shew that he will take yet more dehght to inhabit that precious soul out of which he hath cast seven devils, than where legions of evil spirits have not been suffered so long, and so powerfully to triumph ? Am I, blessed Lord, authorized by this gracious act of thine, so to construe thy wonderful love ? Shall a poor Magdalene, who only ventured, while thou wast upon earth, to fall at thy feet, behind thee, weeping, be first blessed with a sight of thy Per- son after redemption-work was finished, before the beloved apostle who lay in thy bosom at thy table ? Oh ! thou dear, thou gracious, thou condescending Lord ! what am I to interpret of this kind act of thine, but that the heart of Jesus yearns over poor sinners, and can and will administer consolation to them in their most desperate circumstances ? Yes ! thou dear Lord ! such hath been thy mercy, love, and grace, in every act. RebelUous angels are passed by, and fallen man calls forth thy pity ! And among men, thy grace is shewn, not to the wise, and noble, and self-sufficient; but to the poor, the needy, the maimed, the halt, the blind. Yea, Lord ! thy grace is frequently manifested to tempers the most unpromising, to stubborn and rebeUious persons ; whilst those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own conceit, starched in the ceremonies and forms of religion, live, and it is to be feared die, without the knowledge of salvation by Jesus. Hence the young man in the gospel, who thought himself from his own goodness just ripe for lieaven, shall go from thee sorrowful, while Jesus will 66 THE POOR man's take up his abode in the heart of a Magdalene, which had before been occupied by seven devils ! Oh ! for grace " to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length, and depth and height ; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that I may be filled with all the fulness of God." JANUARY 24. MORNING. — " And he shewed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan ; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire ?" — Zech. iii. 1, 2. Who shall say, how many such transactions as these are continually going on, for and against the people of God, in the court of heaven, while we upon earth are unconscious either of our misery or mercy ? The Holy Ghost was graciously pleased to have this made known to the church. And John was again directed to tell the church, that a song in heaven was sung at the ex- pulsion of the devil from heaven, because the accuser of the brethren was cast down. My soul, doth he that first tempts thee, then become thine accuser? Is he carrying on this practice day and night before God ? And while Satan is thine accuser, is Jesus thine advo- cate ? Oh precious, precious Lord ! how little hath my poor ignorant and unthinking soul been meditating on thee, in this thy merciful, sweet, and gracious office. Oh glorious thought ! Now I see a blessedness in that scripture which I have often read with indifference in times past ; " If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ; and he is (for God my Father hath set him forth so) the propitiation for our sins." Hail, holy, wonderful Counsellor ! con- descend, thou mighty Pleader, still to take up my cause ! Oh may I behold thee often in this high office I Oh may I often hear thee with the ear of faith, and my MORNING AND KVENINO PORTIONS. 67 whole soul going forth in love towards thee, while thou art pointing to my poor soul, and saying, " Hath not God the Father chosen this brand plucked from the fire ? Take away the filthy garments from him. I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee." EVENING. — " Who now rejoice in ray sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the church." — Col. i. 24. What can the apostle mean from these expressions ? Not, surely, that the sufferings of Jesus were incom- plete, or that the sufferings of his people were to make up a deficiency : for in treading the wine-press of the wrath of God against sin, Jesus trod it alone, and of the people there was none with him. And so perfectly finished and complete was the whole work of redemp- tion by Jesus, that by the one offering of himself, once offered, " he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." But what a sweet scripture is this of the apostle's, when it is interpreted with reference to Jesus, that in all the sufferings of his people Jesus takes a part ! Jesus suffered in his own person fully and com- pletely, when as an expiatory sacrifice for sin he died, the just for the unjust, to bring his people to God. These sufferings as a sacrifice were full, and have fully satisfied : they cease for ever, and can be known no more. But the sympathy of Jesus with his people gives him to bear a part in all their concerns. And the consciousness of this made the apostle tell the church that he rejoiced in all his exercises, because Jesus took part, and thereby endeared the affliction. My soul ! cherish the thought also. Thy Jesus knows all, mea- sures out all, bears part with thee in all, and will carry thee through all, and finally crown all with his love and blessing. The same interest that Jesus felt in the persecu- tion of Saul over his afflicted ones, when he called from heaven to restrain Saul's rage, and said, " Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" — the same interest he feels 68 THE POOR man's in every minute event, with which his redeemed are exercised now. " Whosoever toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye." Blessed Lord ! may my soul keep in remembrance tliose endearing views of thy love. Give me to keep alive the recollection of the oneness between the glorious head, and all his exercised members. I see that a child of thine cannot mourn, but Jesus marks it down, and puts the tears in his bottle. He notes his sorrows in his book. So that by this fellow-feeling, Lord ! our interest in thee is most fully proved. And while thy people partake in thy righteousness, thou takest part in their sorrows. As it was in the days of thy flesh, so is it now in the fulness of thy glory : " in all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them : in his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bare them and carried them all the days of old." JANUARY 25. MORNING. — " This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all accepta- tion, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." — 1 Tim. i. 15. Hearken, my soul, to the proclamation from heaven ! Is this the faithful saying of a faithful God ? Surely, then, thou mayest well regard it, for it is for thy life. And if it be worthy of all acceptation, it must be eminently so of thbie ; for thou hast been a transgres- sor from the womb. But did Jesus indeed come to save sinners? Yes, so the proclamation runs. Sinners, enemies to God. Jesus, it is said, " I'eceived gifts for the rebel- lious, that the Lord God might dwell among them ;" and with that tenderness which distinguished his cha- racter, he said himself, that he " came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Well, then, my soul, upon this warrant of the faithful word of a faith- ful God, wilt thou not so fully rely as to believe unto salvation ? If any inquiries ai'ise contrary to this belief. MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 69 let this be thine answer : — Christ came to save sinners ; that is enough for me ; for I am one. God's salvation is said to be for enemies ; that is my name by nature. Jesus received gifts for the rebellious ; to this character I plead also guilty. If men or devils would endeavour to work unbelief in my heart, tliis is my answer : — " Christ came to save sinners." Let those that never felt sin, and consequently know not the need of a Saviour, stay and argue the point as they may ; my soul's eternal welfare is concerned, and I will not lose a moment to close with the heavenly proposal. Lord Jesus, thou waitest to be gracious ! The faithful say- ing of my God I accept on my bended knees. It is indeed worthy of all acceptation, and above all, of mine. Here while upon earth will I proclaim thy praise ; and in heaven, the loudest of all voices must be mine, that " Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief." EVENING. — " As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons." — Song ii. 3. My soul ! if the church found so much blessedness in making comparisons between her Lord and any of the beautiful objects of nature around her ; see if thou canst raise a subject for thy meditation, this evening, from the statement she hath made in this lovely verse. Why should not Jesus be in thy view as in her's? Doth he not infinitely transcend all sons, of whatever descrip- tion or character that can be found? Angels, no doubt, by creation may be called " the sons of God and when God had finished the works of his hands, we are told that " the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." But Jesus as far excels all angels of light, as the apple-tree the trees of the wood : for " he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." Neither did God at any time say unto the angels, " Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." But to our Jesus he said, " Thy throne, O God ! is for ever and 70 THE POOR MAX'i ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." And to shew at once the infinite supe- riority of the Lord Jesus, when he bringeth in the first- begotten into the world, he saith, " And let all the angels of God worship him." Therefore if by the term sons, it could be supposed that angels are meant, well might the church declare Jesus her beloved, to be above them. And if by so7is, the sons of men be meant, what is the whole church of saints compared to Jesus ? Though the church, by the comeliness her Lord hath put upon her, shines like a beautiful constellation among the heavenly bodies, yet all her glory and lustre are derived from Jesus, the Sun of righteousness. Pause, my soul, over this view of thy Lord. And when thou hast feasted thyself with the sweet subject, go on, and / mark some of the many beauties contained in this com- parison between the apple-tree and the trees of the wood. In our cold country, the apple-tree, in its best appearance, affords but a poor resemblance, to what naturalists relate of the pomecitron, as it is called, of the warm eastern climates. It is said of the apple- tree of those counti'ies, that it is a lofty, majestic, stately tree, abundantly fruitful, and yielding both shade and fruit to the traveller. Some assert that it continues bearing fruit the whole year, and is never without blossom. If so, without going farther, we may discover enough by which to understand the beautiful allusion the church hath made of it in this verse to her Lord. Jesus is all this, and infinitely more. He is indeed the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God, and he bears fruit every month, and the leaves of this tree are for the healing of the nations. Precious Jesus ! thou art the fairest and the chiefest among ten thousand ! Be thou to me, Lord, as the fruitful bough which the dying patriarch blessed by the well, wliose branches ran over the wall. And Oh ! do thou give strength to my poor feeble faith, to gather MORNINC. AMI KVfiNFNG PORTIONS. "Ji all the rich fruits of thy righteousness for tlie healing of my soul, that I may daily sit down under thy shadow with great delight, and thy fruit be sweet to my taste ! JANUARY 26. MORNING. — " And they said one to another, did not our heart bum within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures ?" — Luke xxiv. 32. Ought not the disciples of Jesus to do now, as the disciples of Jesus did then ? What but of Jesus should we speak of by the way ? Methinks the Lord's people, and especially when coming from the Lord's house, should be distinguished from the fi-othy conversation of mere carnal worshippers. I would, by talking of Jesus, invite him to mingle with us, and open to our understandings the scriptures. I would therefore some- times ask one and another, when returning from the house or the table of the Lord, how went the matter with your soul to-day ? I pray you tell me ; was the King at court ? Did he receive petitions ? Did he answer prayers ? Were you refreshed ? were any healed ? any comforted ? any made joyful in his house of prayer ? Surely we might hope, by such edifying inquiries, each would help his fellow. And he of whom it is said the Lord hearkened and heard, when of old the people of God were often talking one to another, would again draw nigh, and make the heart burn with the sweet manifestations of his love. But chiefly, blessed master ! if I meet with none to ask whether they have seen the King in liis beauty, give me to taste of the sweet savour of thy grace myself. Come to me. Lord, in the refreshing, strengthening, heart- warming, soul-rejoicing manifestations of thy presence ; for thy love is better than wine, and the very crumb from under thy table is more delicious than the honey and the honcy-comb. 72 THK POOR man's EVENING. — " And they took knowledge of them, that ihey had been with Jesus." — Acts iv. 13. Oh ! for the same grace to rest upon me, as upon those faithful servants of my Lord ; that, Hke them, I may manifest the sweet savour of Jesus's name in every place ; wherever I am, with whomsoever I con- verse, in every state, and upon every occasion, that all may witness for me, and every thing bear witness to me, that I have been with Jesus ! I would entreat thee, my honoured Lord, that I may honour thee so before men, that after my morning visits to thy throne of grace, my mid-day cominunion, my evening and nightly fellowship, my return to the society of men might so be distinguished as one that had just been with Jesus. And as it might be supposed, if an angel was to come from heaven that had seen thy face, and heard thy voice, and been an eye witness of thy glory ; so. Lord, having by faith enjoyed such views, I might delight to tell, as he would relate to the inhabitants of the earth, the grace, and beauty, and love of Jesus. And surely. Lord, if I have been with thee, and thou with me ; if I know any thing of thy grace and salva- tion ; will not, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speak ? Shall I not delight to tell every one I meet what my Lord is in himself, and what he is to his people ? Shall I not speak with rapture of the glories of thy Person, and the infinite value and worth of thy blood and righteousness ? Surely in the circle of m}'^ acquaintance, I shall be daily speaking of thy grace and salvation, for I know no end thereof. And especially in a day like the present, where the name of my Lord and his cross are banished from all conver- sation. Oh ! that it may be shewn that I have been with Jesus, in speaking for Jesus. Yes ! thou dear Lord ! thy truths I would espouse, thy doctrines pro- fess, salvation alone by thy righteousness and cross MORNING AND EVENING I'OUTIONS. 7^ would 1 bear before a whole world, with earnestness and with zeal ; and if this brought upon me the laugh and derision, yea, the persecution of the proud ; like thy servants of old, " I would rejoice in being counted worthy to suffer shame for thy name." And chiefly, and above all, let it not only be noticed that I have been with Jesus, in speaking of Christ and for Christ ; but let the sweet unction of thy Holy Spirit be so abiding upon me, from continual intercourse and com- munion with thee, that my whole life and conversation may be such as becometh the gospel of Christ. Oh ! for the same blessed effect as Moses, whose face shone when he came down from the holy mount, that every one with whom I have to do may see the light of thy grace, in all my transactions with the world, so shine before men, that they may glorify my Father which is in heaven. Precious Lord ! grant me these unanswera- ble testimonies of vital godliness; then will it be proved indeed and in truth, that, like thy servants of old, I have been with Jesus. JANUARY 27. MORNING. — " He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you."-— John xvi. 14. Some precious souls are at a loss to apprehend how the Holy Ghost makes application of Jesus and his benefits to his people. Hence they ask, how am I to know that the righteousness of Jesus, and the blood of Jesus, are applied to me. But be not thou, my soul, ignorant of so important a matter, on the clear appre- hension of which thy daily comfort depends. Attend, my soul, to what thy Jesus saith in those precious words ; and, under the blessed Spirit's teaching, the matter will appear abundantly plain. He shall glorify me, saith Jesus. And doth not the Holy Ghost do this in every believer's view, when he gives the soul to 74 THE POOR man's !iee that all that vast extent of redemption-blessings which the Father treasured up in his dear Son for poor sinners, flow inimediately from Jesus? And observe, the Holy Ghost doth not at first shew the sinner that all result from the everlasting love, and grace, and purpose of God the Father ; but he leads the sinner to view them, and receive them, as the blessed fruits and effects of Jesu s mediation ; and then opens more fully the glory of the Father in the original design of them, in this precious way, from everlasting. This is needed to glorify Jesus, and to glorify the Father in him. And how are these blessings applied ? The scriptural answer is the best answer : — " He shall receive of mine," saith Jesus, " and shew it unto you." And doth not that almighty Teacher do all this most sweetly and effectually, when at any time he so holds up the Lord Jesus, in all the glories of his person, and in all the beauties of his finished work, as to incline the sinner's heart so to behold the Saviour as to believe in him, and firmly to rely upon him ? Is not the righteous- ness of Jesus received, and his precious blood applied, when the soul is led to the hearty and cordial assurance that that righteousness is effectual to justify, and that blood to cleanse from all sin ? Yes, precious Jesus ! I praise thee for these blessings in thee. I adore thee, thou Holy Spirit, for thy divine teaching con- cerning them ; and 1 glorify thee, thou Almighty Fa- ther, for thine abundant grace and mex'cy in the gift of thy dear Son. EVENING. — " And on his head were many crowns." — Rev. xix. 12. Every view of Jesus is blessed. But there are some views which the heart of a believer finds a peculiar gratification in contemplating. The Holy Ghost hath in this scripture given a very interesting representation of Jesus. Heaven is oi)encd ; Jesus appears in his well-known characters, " faithful and true." A " white MORNING AND EVENING POKTIONS. "Jb horse" he rides on, to manifest his equity and justice. His vesture is " dipped in blood," to intimate that by blood he hath purchased his kingdom. And his glori- ous name, " the Word of God," is also mentioned to testify the greatness and almightiness of his person. But amidst these distinguishing characteristics, the coronation of the Lord Jesus is particularly striking. " On his head were many crowns." The crown of Godhead is his by right, in common with the Father. And the crown of God-man mediator is his also, being his by gift, by purchase, and by conquest. Having conquered death, hell, and the grave, God the Father hath set " a crown of pure gold upon his head." " For his honour is great in his salvation ; glory and majesty liath he laid upon him." But there is another crown put upon the head of our Jesus, and which every poor believing soul delighteth to see, amidst the many crowns on the head of Jesus ; namely, the very crown which that poor precious believer puts by faith upon the glorious head of Jesus, when ascribing his own personal salvation to the alone merits of his blood and righteousness. This is a coronation day indeed of the Lord Jesus ; and ever after, most blessed to the review of every believer. And as the Son of God was crowned " Lord of all," in the day when he ascended to the right hand of his Father in heaven, having finished redemption's work, when the whole assembly of heaven cast their crowns at his feet; so is the adorable Re- deemer again crowned, when, descending in the power of his Spirit, he takes the throne of a poor sinner's heart, and rules and reigns there, the Lord of life and glojy. My soul ! pause and ask thine heart what knowest thou of this coronation ? Amidst the many crowns discoverable upon the head of the blessed Jesus, canst thou with rapture discern the one, the veiy one, he wears as thy Redeemer and Lord ? It is very easy to discover it, if thine hand of faith hath placed it 76 THK POOR man's there. Art thou his subject ? " Know ye not," saith the apostle, " to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness ?" Hast thou been translated out of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son ? Is Jesus thy King, as the acknowledged and adored head of the church, which is his body ? And art thou living upon him, and from him, as this glorious head, from whence is conveyed to thee, in common witli all his members, life, light, grace, strength, and every thing in a way of communion, by which thou provest that thou art among the members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones ; and he the glorious source and fulness that fiUeth all in all ? These are precious views and soul-comforting evidences to this grand truth. And if these be found in thy experience, then art thou so beholding him, on whose head are many crowns, as to venture all thy salvation wholly upon him, and every renewed act of faith is but a renewal of thy coronation of the Lord Jesus : for in every one thou bow est the knee of thine heart before him, and confessest that " Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." JANUARY 28. MORNING. — " As having nothing, and yet possessing all things." — 2 Cor. vi. 10. My soul, hast thou learnt this holy science? There are three blessed lessons the Holy Ghost teacheth on this ground. As, first, the believer is thoroughly emptied of himself. Art thou thus taught of God? Hast thou been led to see, to feel, to know, to be con- vinced that, after all thine attainments, after all thy long standing in the school of Jesus, thou hast nothing, canst do nothing, art worse than nothing, and, literally, hast no more in thyself now to recommend thee to MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 77 Jesus, than the first rnonient thou didst hear of Jiis name? This is to have nothing; this is to be poor in spirit. Secondly, dost thou possess all things in Jesus ? Yes, if so be thou art living out of thyself wholly upon him ; and how is this known ? Nothing more evident. When a sense of my emptiness endears to me his ful- ness; my poverty, his riches; my weakness, his strength; my sins, his righteousness ; my guilt, his blood ; I truly possess all things, as far as I improve what Jesus is to his people, and rest upon him and the blessed fruits of his salvation, as God the Father designed him, who hath made him wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption to his people. And there is a thii-cl precious lesson the Holy Ghost teacheth to the poor that have nothing, and yet possess all things ; namely, so to possess Jesus himself that he may not only make his poor ones rich in his riches, but be himself their treasure ; so to supply them not only with what they need, but to be himself their fulness ; not only to open to them light and life, but to be himself both their light and life ; so to impart to them salvation as to shew them that he is himself their salvation ; and, in short, so to give them present peace, and the assurance of ever- lasting happiness in his blood and righteousness, as to give them the perfect enjoyment that he is himself both their present and everlasting happiness, and their portion for ever. My soul, hast thou learnt, and art thou every day more and more learning, these precious truths ? Oh, then, look up to thy Jesus, and say with one of old, " Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth I desire besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth ; but thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." EVENING. — " I knew that thou vvouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb." — Isa. xlviii. 8. Humbling as the view is, it is profitable to look back, and trace all the way the Lord our God hath 78 THE POOK man': brought us, through many a year in the wilderness, to humble us, and to prove us, and to shew us what is in our heart; and this perhaps is the sweetest of all subjects, when the Holy Ghost takes us by the hand, and leads the heart back. Even from the first moment of conversion, to the very moment when taking the review, every step serves to prove what this scripture sets forth, that the Lord knew that his people would deal very treacherously, and be transgressors from the womb. My soul! let thy meditation, this evening, as it concerns thyself, be to this amount : Where wert thou, when in a state of unawakened nature, and as all other carnal persons, intent only upon the best means of fulfilling to the desires of the flesh; living without God, and without Christ in the world; a child of wrath, deserving wrath even as others ? The Lord, Avho knew this, and also what undeservings would follow, still was pleased to visit thee with his great salvation. He manifested the riches of his grace in calling thee, justifying thee, adopting thee into his family, and putting thee among his sons : and he gave thee the Spirit of his Son in thine heart, whereby thou wert enabled to ciy, " Abba, Father." And what hath it been since, but the same rich display of free and unmerited mercy ? Doth he not know, that thou art still a transgressor ? Doth he not continually wait to be gracious, when thy unthinking wandering heart is forgetful of him ? Doth Jesus withhold or suspend his grace, and the manifestations of his favour, because thou art forgetful of him? Oh! not so. He deals by thee, as he did by Israel of old ! When Israel re- membered not the multitude of his mercies, but were disobedient at the sea, yea, even at the Red Sea, never- theless, it is said, " he saved them for his name's sake," that he might make his mighty power to be known. So doth thy Jesus deal by thee. Though thou art a " transgressor from the womb ;" yet Jesus is Jesus still. MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. ^9 The covenant promises of God the Father are the same ; and the efficacy of Jesus's blood and righteousness the same : therefore Jesus deals by thee, not according to thy deserts, but according to his own free and sove- reign grace. His love, and not thy merit, becomes the standard of his dealings with his people. Oh! how blessed is it to trace mercies to their fountain-head, and to behold God in Christ, dispensing pardon, love, and favour, from his own free and sovereign will and pleasure; and every renewed mercy carrying with it this divine signature: " Not for your sakcs do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you : be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel." JANUARY 29. MORNING. — " If the servant shall plainly say, I love my master' my wife, and my children, I will not go out free. Then his master shall bring him unto the judges ; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door posts ; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever." — Exod. xxi. 5, 6. How sweet is scripture explained by scripture! Jesus saith, when sacrifice and offering under the law were both unprofitable, " Mine ears hast thou opened;" or, as it might have been rendered, " Mine ears hast thou digged." Ps. xl. 6. And elsewhere, The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious." Isa. I. 3. The apostle to the Hebrews decidedly explains this in reference to Christ, Heb. x. 5. And what was all this but to shew the voluntary service of Jesus to the office and work of the Redeemer. Was not Jesus, in all that high work, the servant of Jehovah ? Though he was in the form of God, and with him it was no robbery to be equal with God, yet he made himself of no repu- tation, and took upon him the form of a servant. And for whom did he this ? Was it not, in effisct, saying, like the Jewish servant, which was typical of him, " I 80 THK POOR man's love my master, my father, in tlie work of redemp- tion ?" John xiv. 31. " I love my wife, my church, my spouse." Song iv. 10. " I love my children: behold I, and the children thou hast given me." Isa. viii. 18. *' I will not go out free." Oh, precious Lord Jesus! well might the apostle say, " Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it!" Surely it was thy love, dearest Lord, to thy church, that moved thee to serve Jehovah, " as Israel served for a wife, and for a wife kept sheep." Hosea xii. 12. Oh for grace to love thee, and to serve thee for ever! EVENING.—" He shall not speak of himself.'— John xvi. 13. I have found, in time past, a very great blessedness in this short but sweet account, which Jesus gives of the gracious office of the Holy Ghost ; and therefore I would make it the subject of my present evening meditation. I find what the Lord Jesus said concern- ing the blessed Spirit, in this most delightful part of his divine ministry, to be true. For look wherever I may, through the bible, it is of Jesus only the Holy Ghost is continually speaking, and not of himself And hence, by the way, I learn how to form a most decided testimony of the faithful preachers of the word. For, if God the Holy Ghost, in his glorifying the Lord Jesus, is never found to be speaking but of Jesus ; surely all his faithful servants, who act by his authority, and are commissioned and ordained by him to the work, will never preach themselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. And how blessed is it to be taught of Jesus, by the Holy Ghost ! It is astonishing, when we take into one mass of particulars the agency of the Holy Ghost in his glorifying the Lord Jesus, to observe the patience, the compassion, the tenderness, and love, which that blessed Spirit manifests to the church of Jesus, in holding up to their view, and in bringing MORNrXf. AND BVBNINr, PORTIONS. 81 home to their heart, the person, work, character and rela- tions of Jesus! How sweetly and effectually doth he speak of him, pleadyoy him, and win over the affections to him, by his saving light, his illuminating grace, and persuasive arguments in the heart ! It is the Holy Ghost that takes of Christ, and the things of Christ, and makes both appear lovely and desirable in our eyes. It is his blessed work to bring about the gracious union, when, as the bridegroom of his church, God the Spirit represents him in his beauty, and persuades the soul of the sinner to receive him and accept him as her Maker and her husband, to whom she is betrothed for ever! And from whom, but the Holy Ghost, do those sweet influences arise from day to day, and from one degree of grace to another, by which the life of the believer in Christ is kept up, maintained, and carried on in the soul, from the first beginning of the spiritual life, until grace is consummated in eternal glory. Oh I Lord the Spirit I I beseech thee, glorify my adorable Redeemer in my poor cold and lifeless heart, and sweetly lead over the whole of my affections to all-precious Jesus, that I may live upon his glorious person, and feel my interest in his great salvation in- creasingly precious. And Oh, thou holy Lord! keep alive, I beseech thee, thine own saving and powerful influences in my heart, that I may never, never by sin, quench thy divine flame, nor " grieve the Holy Spirit, whereby I am sealed unto the day of redemp- tion." JANUARY 30. MORNING. — " That in tlie ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his ie Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man." — John v. 22, 27. Here, my soul ! here is a sweet and blessed portion to take with thee, night by night, as a sleeping draught, to lie down with in holy composure; or if thou lie watchful, to give thee songs in the night. Every night is a new watch- word of the night of death ; and none can tell thee when thou droppest asleep, whether, in the next opening of thine eyes, thou mayest not open them in eternity, and find thyself standing before the judgment-seat of Christ ! Dost thou not wish to be prepared for such an event, and not to leave so infi- nitely momentous a concern to a peradventure? Read then, again and again, this sweet scripture. I take for granted, that thou knowest Jesus ; and art acquainted, VOL. vtn. G 98 THE I'OOR man's yea, savingly acquainted with his glorious person, as thy surety ; and the merits of his blood and righteous- ness, as thy salvation ! See then what this blessed scripture saith, that all judgment is committed unto thy Jesus, because he is the Son of man. Mark that, my soul ! not because he is the Son of God ; for in that case, judgment could not have been committed to him ; for it was his before, in common with tlie Father and the Holy Ghost ; the wliole Three Persons constituting the one eternal Jehovah. But judgment is committed to Christ, and is peculiarly his, " because he is the Son of man." Cherish the sweet, the soul-transporting, the soul-supporting truth. Thy Jesus, who is now thy surety, is then to be thy Judge. lie that hatli died for thy sins, is then to be thy advocate. And he that hath paid the ransom with his blood in this life, is then to see the reward of it in another. Now then behold where alone thy confidence is to be found. Bring for- ward to thy view the solemn, the awful day. Realize it, as if the archangel's trumpet were now sounding, and thou beheld Jesus coming to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all that believe. Let others, who now boast of their good works, and hope allowance will be made for human frailty, and the like ; or all that troop of half disciples, who partly to Christ, and partly to themselves, look for salvation ; let such do as they will ; there is but this one thing left for thee to do, and this one thing well done, will do for all ; remember, Jesus is thy Judge; and all judgment is committed unto him, " because he is the Son of man." Humbly, my soul, but with the boldness of faith through his blood, draw near to his gracious seat ; and against all law charges, and tlie divine demands of justice, hold up the blessed testament of Jesus "s blood. Here, Lord, I would say, are the Father's promises of redemption, in thy name and rigliteousness ; and this is the record God hath given of his dear Son. And here. Lord, is MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS, 99 the new testament of thy blood, which thou hast given for sinners. Thou, blessed Lord, wilt know thine hand, and own thy word. Thou therefore shalt an- swer for me, O Lord my God ! FEBRUARY 6. MORNING. — " The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls." — Exod. xxx. 15. Pause, my soul, over this sweet scripture, and mark the graciousness of thy God and Father in the blessed truth conveyed in it. What, were all the souls of the redeemed charged equally alike in the account of God ? Did God thy Father rate them thus ? And did Jesus, thy precious Jesus, purchase all his redeemed with an equal price, when he bought them with his blood ? If this be so, my soul, it must follow, that thou, a poor unworthy creature as thou art, overlooked as thou art by the great ones of the earth, and too frequently over- looking in thyself how precious every redeemed soul must be in Jesus's sight, cost as much to Jesus as the soul of Peter, or of Paul, or of any of the patriarchs, apostles, or prophets. Oh, think of this ; write it down in the tablets of thy remembrance. Will not this tend to endear Jesus yet more to thee, and bring home thy Father's love in the strongest affection ? Add one thought more to this precious relation. If to Jesus thy redemption cost as much as any one of the redeemed in glory, think, my soul, after such a purchase, such a price, will he lose his property? will he forego what cost him so dear, and suffer one pearl of his mediatorial crown to be wanting? Add another sweet thought, my soul, to this delightful meditation. If, amidst the various inequaUties of life, some poor and some rich, yet whatever difference was allowed, or even expected in other offerings, according to the abilities of God's 100 THE POOR man's people ; yet here, as a representation of the offering of the soul in Jesus' purchase, no one distinction was to be made. Is it not plain that the redemption by Jesus is in him, and him only ; and " his righteousness is unto all, and upon all, that believe; for there is no difference." Dearest Lord ! may my soul never lose sight of this blessed equality. Here thou art, indeed, no respecter of persons. EVENING. — " And he, bearing his cross." — John xix. 17. Were grace always in lively exercise, how would every incident in the life of Jesus lead out the souls of his redeemed in endless contemplation ! Alas ! my honoured Lord ! how little do I think of thee, and of thy sufferings ! Will Jesus, this evening, a\vaken me to the solemn subject ? The bell of the neighbouring church is now tolling the curfew of the day. I hear it from my window. Ah ! why should I want such a call to think on my Lord ! Awake, awake my soul, and let thy meditation take Aving, and flee to Geth- semane, and from the garden, and the hall, behold the Lamb of God bearing his cross towards the place of execution. Oh ! Pilate ! thou unjust judge ! is this thy pretended innocency, to suffer him whom thou didst declare to be innocent, in the moment thou didst pass sentence for his death, to bear his cross also? See what long furrows the ploughers have ploughed upon his sacred back ; and wilt thou compel him to bear the heavy weight upon a part so tender ? See ! Jesus faints under it ! Will none of those whose souls he hath redeemed, and whose bodies he hath healed, help the Lord of life and glory ? Where are his disciples ? Are there none to aid? Not one to be found that dares assist him ? Pause, my soul, over the sad con- templation ! Christ is here, as his type represents him, the gospel Isaac, carrying the wood for his own burnt-offering. " In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren." It was his office to be MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 101 " led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he opened not liis mouth." " It pleased the Father to bruise him, and to put him to grief." The cross was ponderous. The body fainted under its pressure. But the sins of his redeemed made it heavier to his soul ; and the weight of the Father's wrath against sin, aggravated the dreadful load. Pre- cious Redeemer, dying Lamb of God ! were my sins adding to thy sorrow? Have I been reproaching Pilate, and all the while forgetting that every trans- gression of mine became more painful to thy soul than the cross, or the thorns, or the soldier's spear that pierced thine heart ? Oh ! for grace to crucify those sins which nailed thee to the cursed tree ! Oh ! for grace to take up the cross and follow thee, day by day. Lord Jesus, I would pray thee to give me grace, to go forth unto thee, without the camp, bearing thy reproach." FEBRUARY 7. MORNING.—" Behold the Lamb of God !"— John i. 36. Who is it calls upon thee, my soul, to this most gratifying and enriching of all employments ? Is it not God the Holy Ghost, by the ministry of his ser- vant John ? And doth not God thy Father do the same by the ministry of his servant Isaiah, when he bids thee behold him in whom his soul delighteth ? And is not Jesus himself calling, again and again, in the ministry of his word and ordinances, upon thy poor forgetful heart, when he saith, " Behold me ! behold ■ me ! look unto me, and be ye saved !" And wilt thou not obey the sweet and gracious calls, on which all thy present peace and everlasting happiness depend ? Pre- cious, precious Jesus ! Yes, my Lord ! I would, me- thinks, so look unto thee, and so behold thee, until my whole heart, and all its affections, followed my eyes. 102 THE POOR man's and left not a thought behind for a single object besides thee. I would eye thee, thou dear Redeemer, as the Lamb of God ; both where thou once wast, and where thou now art, and follow thee whithersoever thou goest. I would behold thee, as the Lamb of God, set up in the decrees of eternity, from everlasting ; for thou art " the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." I would behold thee, set forth in all the representations of thy redeeming blood, in the innumerable sacrifices of the law, and in the lamb of the morning, and the lamb of the evening, through the intermediate ages, to thy coming, I would behold thee, Oh thou unequalled pattern of exceUing meekness ! when, in the days of thy flesh, thou walkedst through the streets of Jeru- salem ; and when, as a lamb, thou wast led to the slaughter. I would eye thee, Oh thou Lamb of God, until my eye-strings could hold no longer, when as the Lamb of God, and my soul's surety, thou didst hang upon the tree, putting away sin, and satisfying divine justice by the sacrifice of thyself. And never would I take off my eyes from thy cross, until called by thee to behold thee as a Lamb in the midst of the throne, where thou art feeding thy church above, and dis- pensing blessings to all thy church below. Yes, yes, blessed triumphant Lamb of God, thou art the Lamb still. Change of place hath made no change in thy nature, or thy love, or the efficacy of thy redemption. Thou still appearest as a Lamb that hath been slain. And still thou bearest on thy glorified body, the marks of my redemption. Shall I not behold thee, then, dearest Jesus ? Shall I not unceasingly behold thee, thus called upon by the Father, Son, and Spirit, and thus finding every thing that can satisfy my most un- bounded desires for time and for eternity ? Help me, blessed Jesus, so to look, and so to live upon thee ; and Oh, do thou beliold me, and bid me live, and make me thine for ever." MORNINfi AND EVENING PORTIONS. 103 EVENING. — " And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, this have we found; know now, wlielher it be thy son's coat, or no. And he knew it, and said, it is my son's coat.'' — Gen. xxxvii. 32, 33. The life of the patriarch Joseph is very beautiful and interesting, as an history only ; and the several inci- dents arising out of it are such as cannot but more or less affect every heart. But when we have gone through the whole relation, in the mere letter of the word, we are constrained to beheve, that in the spi- ritual sense and meaning of it, almost every thing in the life of Joseph was typical of Jesus ! 1 would not strain scripture upon any account. Neither would I frame to myself any thing fajiciful of Jesus and his blessed offices ; so as to see him where he is not. Yet I cannot but think, that since in so many instances, as is universally allowed, Joseph is a lively type of Christ, the Holy Ghost, in his glorifying the Lord Jesus, was, in many cases, pleased to shadow forth, somewhat of the Redeemer, where he is not at first so immediately discovered. Whether in the passage I have just read, for the present evening's meditation, there be any thing typical of Jesus, I know not ; but to those who, like Philip, have " found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth the coat of the patriarch, dipped in the blood of tlie kid, may minister in leading the heart to the contemplation of Jesus, who appeareth unceasingly in his priestly garments, in the presence of God our Father, for us. And may not a believer humbly take up the language of faith, when drawing nigh to our God and Father in Christ Jesus ; and when we enter, as it were, into his retirings, with earnest prayer, and earnest plead- ings, seeking favour in and through Jesus ; may we not, in the arms of our faith, bring the vesture of Jesus dipped in blood, and say, this have we found ; know now, whether it be Jesus 's, thy dear and ever 104 THE POOR MAN S beloved Son's vesture, or no ? Oh ! for faith to behold Christ, as the Father beheld him, when he set him forth to the church, and to love him as God our Father loved him. And how surely will God confirm his own gracious testimony concerning him, and say with the patriarch, or in words to the same effect ; " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased !" FEBRUARY 8. MORNING. — "■ Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died ; yea, rather, that is risen again ; who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." — Rom. viii. 33, 34. See, my soul, what a blessed security thou hast. Here is God justifying; Christ dying; the Holy Ghost raising the sinner's surety from the grave, as an evi- dence that the debt of sin is cancelled ; and Jesus ever living to see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied in the redemption of his people. What, then, shall rob thee of thy comfort, while thou art triumphing in thy Jesus ? Sin shall not ; for Jesus hath put it away by the sacrifice of himself. The law cannot ; for thy Jesus hath answered all its just demands. Divine justice cannot ; for God himself justifieth. Death and hell cannot; for Jesus hath conquered both. In short, aU that stood in thy way, the Son of God hath removed. And wilt thou not, my soul, triumph in the great sal- vation of thy Jesus ? Surely the poor debtor may walk as boldly before the prison door, as the king in his palace, when his debts are paid. No bailiff" can touch him ; no mittimus again confine him. " If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." Triumph then, my soul, in the liberty wherewith thy Jesus hath made thee free ; only be sure that all thy triumphs are in him. Let him have all the glory, who hath wrought the whole redemption. Make thy Jesus all; for he MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 105 liath done all for thee; and then sweetly repose thyself upon the person and work of thy beloved. Let the adversary accuse, or opposition arise from without or within, yet, saith an apostle, here is the answer : — " God justifieth; for Chi'ist died." Oh, how precious it is, after all the storms, and winds, and boisterous tossings, of law and conscience, to enter into that harbour, which is, Jesus. " We which have believed," saith the apostle, " do enter into rest." He is indeed the rest, wherewith he causeth the weary to rest; and he is the refreshing. EVENING.—" I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys." — Song ii. 1. Yes! dearest Lord Jesus, thou art all this, and infi- nitely more to my soul; more fragrant than both, and more precious than all the flowers of the field. Help me, this evening, to contemplate my Lord under those sweet similitudes. Do I not, and shall I not hence- forth, in the red blushing beauty of the rose, behold thy human nature, which thou hast assumed for the redemption of thy people ? Are not thy bloody suffer- ings, and thy red apparel, strikingly set forth by the image of the rose; as thy spotless purity is shewn under the loveliness of tlie white lily ? Can the sweet-scented rose, even of Sharon, vie with the perfume of the in- cense of thy righteousness, to a poor sinner's soul ? Or can the beauty of the lily be as grateful to the eye, as the purity of Jesus to a mind conscious of its own pollution, and beholding itself complete in his salva- tion, who is " holy, harmless, imdefiled, separate from sinners, and made higlier than the heavens?" But wherefore Sharon's rose, and the valley's lily, unless it be to speak thine infinite greatness in the excellency of Sharon, and thine infinite humbleness, in the lowest part of the earth, as the valley. And indeed, Lord, in thine own wonderful person, thou comprehendest all 106 THE POOR man's things, in the length, and breadth, and depth, and heighth ! Thou ai t both " Alpha and Omega ; the first and the last." And though Lord of all, thou didst condescend to become servant of all ; be thou to me, my Lord, every thing that is precious and lovely, as the rose of Sharon, and as the lily of the valley. And Oh ! give a sweet conformity to thyself, and thy love- liness. And though my sins be red as scarlet, do thou make them whiter than the snow ; though they be as the crimson, do thou make them as the wool! Cause me to be washed in that fountain, which thou hast opened for sin and for uncleanness; and bring me to join tliat happy multitude, before thy throne, " who have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb!" FEBRUARY 9. MORNING. — " The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall I'eed them." — Rev. vii. 17, My soul thou hast not forgotten what thou wert so lately engaged in, a day or two since, at the call of God the Holy Ghost, to beliold the Lamb of God. And art thou not still looking at him, gazing upon him, feasting thine eyes, thine heart, all thy affections, upon liim, and following him, in the sweet contemplation, from his cross to his crown. Come then, my soul, harp again and again upon this blessed string ; for sure it is most blessed. And remember, my soul, as thou lookest, tliy Jesus is in the midst of the throne — that is, the very centre of it. " In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." For what is the Lamb of God, but God revealing himself in him, to thee, my soul, and all his people? And re- member also, tliat the throne, in the midst of wliich thy Jesus is, in scripture, is called " the throne of God and the Lamb," on purpose to shew thee that it is one MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 107 and the same. And what is that throne, my soul, but a throne of grace — a mercy-seat, a place for the poor and the needy to approach, " to obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need?" Flee to it, my soul; haste ! stay not ; and remember, as Jesus is in the midst of it, it is accessible every way, and all around. The poor timid believer, that fears to go in front, may, like the woman in the gospel, who came behind, touch but Jesus' garment : efficacy from the Lamb is in every direction. If Jesus was not there, it might be alarming to approach ; but, remember the Lamb is there — and he is the Lamb of God. Sweet encouraging thought! Come then, my soul, look to the Lamb. See, by faith, how he feeds the church which is above. And will he not feed the church below ? Oh, yes. " His flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed." He is the hea- venly pelican, that feeds his young with his blood. And Oh, what spiritual food, what divine food, what suitable food, what soul-satisfying, soul-ravishing, soul- strengthening food! Precious Lamb of God! every thing in thee is food. Feed my hungry soul, Oh thou that art in the midst of the throne, and send me not empty away. EVENING. — " Thus saith the Lord : set thine house in order, for thou shall die, and not live." — Isa. xxxviii. 1. My soul ! whether or not the decree be as yet gone forth for an early day for thy removal, as here to Hezekiah, it must shortly arrive ; and as thou knowest not how soon, it is good to set both thine house and thine heart in order ; for he that is best fitted to live, is best prepared to die. How stands thy great account? This body of thine must go down to the chambers of the grave. And surely if the soul be safe in union with Jesus, such an event as the dissolution of the body, is more to be desired than dreaded. If the pearl be safe, no matter though the casket be broken. Pause over the view ; for though it be solemn, it is profitable. If 108 THE POOR man's a voice from heaven declared the dead to be blessed, who die in the Lord ; then will thy death be blessed, if thou art living in union with Christ. See to it this night, this very night, whether this be thy case ; all is well if this be well. Hath not the Holy Ghost, in times long since passed, led thee to all-precious Jesus ? And from his sweet teachings, and constraining influences, hast thou not ventured thyself upon him ? Convinced that there is salvation in no other, " neither any other name under heaven given among men, whereby thou mightest be saved didst thou not cast thyself upon his blood and righteousness, and at a time when under the deepest sense of thy sin, and his all-sufficiency to save ? And hast thou not many a time since, when the false reasoning of men, the temptations of hell, and a host of foes, from within and without, would have turned thee aside from thy Lord ; hast thou not, by this sweet, constraining, and supporting grace, been kept leaning upon Jesus ? Yea, moreover, hath not that dear Redeemer, the Lord God of the Hebrews, who first met thee by tlie way, brought thee acquainted with himself, and caused thee to believe in him ; hath he not since, in a thousand, and ten thousand renewed manifestations of his love, comforted thee, strengthened Ihee, and made thee sensible of his gracious presence ? Surely then, if he saith to thee, " Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live !" it is but the call of Jesus to the exercise of the last act of faith, and indeed to die to this world only, that thou mayest live with him in glory in a better. And wouldest thou now draw back? Didst thou first venture upon Christ, when thou hadst known but little of his faithful- ness ; and shall it be said now, that the shadow of a doubt remains, when multitudes of evidences upon evidences have been given thee, that he is, he must, he will ever be Jesus ? Precious, precious Redeemer ! Oh ! for a full tide of thy grace to be poured in upon MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 109 my soul, when thou shalt be pleased to send forth a messenger with, " Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live ;" that I may then gather all into one, of the many tokens of thy redeeming love to a poor worthless worm, such as I am; and all the many goings forth of my soul after thee, through a life of grace, since thou wast pleased to quicken me to the knowledge and desire after thee; that finally, fully, and completely, I may, once for all, cast my soul into thy blessed arms, with a " Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." FEBRUARY 10. MORNING. — " Unto you, therefore, which believe, he is precious." 1 Pet. ii. 7. My soulj art thou anxious to know whether thou art a true believer in Jesus ? Try it, then, by this mark, which the Holy Ghost hath given by his servant the apostle. Do you believe in Jesus for life and salvation? Yes, truly ; if so be he is precious. Look at him, then. Is Jesus precious in his person, precious in his work, precious in his offices, precious in his relations, precious in his whole character ? Do you know him, so as to love him, to live to him, to rejoice in him, and to cast your whole soul upon him, for life and salvation ? Do you accept him as the Father's gift, the Sent, the' Sealed, the Anointed, the Christ, of the Father ? Is he so precious, that there is nothing in him but what you love — nothing that you would part with ? His cross is dear, as well as his crown ! Afflictions with Jesus, sweeter than prosperity without him! Pause over these questions. Recollect that there is nothing out of Jesus that can be truly satisfying. Thy dearest earthly friend, however sweet, hath yet some tinge, some alloy of what is not sweet. But there is no mixture in thy Jesus ; all is pure, and lovely, and transcendantly glorious. He is, as one of old described him, a sea of sweetness, without 110 THK POOR MAN S a single drop of gall. And now, my soul, what sayest thou concerning Jesus? Is he precious to thee under all these, and a thousand more distinguishing excel- lencies ? Say, if Jesus were to be bought, wouldest thou not sell all thou hast to buy? Were he to be sold, wouldest thou not rather lose thy life than part with him ? Surely, then, he must be precious to thee : and, as such, thou art a believer ; for the apostle has commanded us to say, that *' unto them which believe he is precious." Take comfort, then, my soul : he that is precious now, will be so for ever. Yes, precious Lord, there is none in heaven or earth I desire besides thee ! EVENING. — " And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Jo ! I have sinned, and 1 have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done?" — 2 Sam. xxiv. 17. My soul ! here is a subject of an heart-searching nature opened to thee this evening, in those expostu- lating words of the man after God's own heart. Sum- mon up all thy faculties to the meditation ; and yet, infinitely more than this, seek the teaching of the Holy Ghost, that thou mayest profit by them. The apostle was commissioned by tlie Holy Ghost to tell the church, that for man's sin the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. The slaughter of every beast, the sacrifice of every lamb, proclaimeth with a louder voice than words can declare, the baleful malignity of human transgression. And if David, when he saw the destroying angel brandishing his dreadful sword over Jerusalem, felt remorse in the recollection of his own sin, and the punishment falling on the harmless sheep ; what views ought the contemplation of the unequalled sorrows and sufferings of the Lamb of God to occasion, when it is recollected that " he died the just for the unjust, to bring us to God ?" To see sin as exceeding sinful, we may get some idea, from beholding apostate spirits cast out of heaven ; or from MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. Ill the curse of Jehovah upon the earth, and all the chil- dren of Adam involved in it ; the destruction of the old world l)y water ; or the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire ; and the everlasting torments of the damned in hell : these form awful views of the dreadful nature of sin, as it appears in the sight of God. But all tliese are nothing, in comparison to one remaining to be mentioned. Wouldest thou see sin in all its tre- mendous consequences, thou must go to Golgotha. There behold the Lamb of God, taking away sin by the sa- crifice of himself. Here take up the words of David, and ask thine own heart, while confessing that thou hast sinned, and done wickedly, what had this Lamb of God done ? — But do not stop here. Go on in the contemplation. If " he who knew no sin became sin" — if he who in his sacred person " was holy, harmless, imdefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heaven, yet became both sin and a curse for his redeemed, that they might be made the righteousness of God in him wilt thou not think it the first, the last, the highest, the best, the most momentous of all points, to know whether thou, even thou thyself, art made the righteousness of God in him ? .Oh! thou holy, blessed, and eternal Spirit ! give me to see in the Lord Jesus, my almighty Surety, that in all he did, in all he sustained, and all he suffered, he bore my sins in his own body on the tree, and that not a single sin of omission or commission was left out. Oh! for grace to believe, and to plead, now and for ever, before the throne, that then all mine iniquities and all my trans- gressions, in all my sins, the Lord Jehovah laid (as Aaron typified on the great day of atonement. Lev. xvi. 21.) upon the person of his dear Son ! Help me, Lord, with increasing confidence of faith, and holy hope, and ardent joy, thus to view Jesus as my Surety, and thus to answer the account given of it in that blessed scripture : " Surely shall one «ay, in the Lord have I righteousness 112 THE POOR MAN S and strength : even to him shall men come, and all that are incensed aginst him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." FEBRUARY 11. MORNING. — " Let mine outcasts dwell with tliee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler." — Isa. xvi. 4. "When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." Moab was the sworn foe of Israel, but yet Moab shall be overruled to shelter and feed Israel. The world, Hke Moab, dis- likes God's people : but as God's people must sojourn in the world, until the time comes for God to take them home, they shall be taken care of. " Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab ;" house them as travellers in an inn. See that they have a lodging. Let their bread be given, and their water sure. " They are poor ; but they are my poor," saith our God. " They are outcasts; but they are mine outcasts." Oh ! precious Jesus, I see thou wilt still own thy people. And wherefore is it, dearest Lord ? Not for their worth, not for their de- servings, not for their adherence to thee ; but because thou hast loved them ; because the Father hath given them to thee, and thou hast purchased their persons, redeemed them, and washed them, and made them thine. Grant, dearest Lord, that though we are con- strained to dwell with Mesech,and to have our habitation among the tents of Kedar ; though we " are made as the filth of the earth, and the offscouring of all things," yet never, never may we forget our relationship to thee. Though outcasts, yet Jesus's outcasts. Be thou. Lord, our hiding-place, our covert, in the midst of Moab ; and so shall we be free from every spoiler ; thou wilt be to us all we need — " rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 113 EVENING. — «' And the angels which kept not their first estate, but {eft their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." — Jude 6. This scripture, concerning the rebellion, and conse- quent punishment of apostate spirits, will form a solemn meditation, my soul, for thy evening thoughts to be exercised upon. And perhaps, under grace, it may lead thee to some sweet improvements in the contem- plation of the distinguishing grace manifested to our rebellious nature ; while judgment the most awful, and everlasting, overtook the higher nature of angels. If we humbly inquire what was the nature of their sin, all we can gather of information concerning it, was, that it was rebellion against God. One part of scripture indeed tells us, that " there was war in heaven : Michael (by which we understand, Michael our Prince, the Lord Jesus Christ, Dan. x. 21.) and his angels fought against the dragon ; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven," Rev. xii. 7, &c. By which it should seem, that the cause of this contest of the devil with Christ, was personal, and on account of the kingdom which Jehovah gave him as God-Mediator over angels and men. And hence, when these apostate spirits left their own habitation, and were cast out, they set up a king- dom in opposition to the Lord's. And from their bitter hatred to Christ and his kingdom, they wreaked all their malice in corrupting and seducing our nature to join in rebellion against God. Hence " that old ser- pent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world," beguiled our first parents, and introduced sin and death into this our world ; which hath passed, and must pass upon all their posterity, because " all have sinned, and come short of God's glory." — Pause, my soul, over the solemn account. Think, duly think, of the fallen state, into which, by nature and by piac- tics, thou art brought by this apostacy. And when VOL, VUI. H 114 THK POOR man's tilou hast had thy mind thorougiily impressed with the awfulness of such a situation, turn thy thoughts to the due cont(!mplation also of the love, and grace, and mercy of God, in thy recovery. Sweetly dwell on the love of God thy Father, in the gift of his dear Son, for the purposes of redemption. Mark w ell the blessed features of the Son in his work of mercy, in this great accomplishment. And do not overlook, but delight evermore to contemplate the love of God the Holy Ghost, in condescending both to bring thee acquainted with the grace of the Father, and of the Son, and to incline thine heart to the thankful belief of it, and love of both ! And that the whole subject may have its full influence upon thee, to induce in thee all the suitable and becoming affections of love, thanksgiving, holy obedience, and praise to the Author of such mercy; mark well the distinguishing nature of that grace, which hath left fallen angels in their ruin and misery, re- served in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day, while bestowing pardon, reconciliation, and favour, upon fallen men, amidst all our unworthiness, sin, and rebellion. And, Oh, Lamb of God ! give me the continued grace to meditate for ever on the unequalled love of thine heart, w ho passedst by " the nature of angels, to take on thee the seed of Abraham ; that in all things thou mightest be made like unto thy brethren, in being a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make re- conciliation for the sins of thy people !" FEBRUARY 12. MORNING.—" And the Lord shut him in."— Gen. vii. 16. It was a sweet invitation to the patriarch Noah, w^hen the Lord called him to the ark. Jehovah did not say, go thou into the ark ; but, " Come." So saith Jesus to his people : " Come Avith me, from Lebanon, MOKNING AND KVENrNO POKTiONS. 115 my spouse ; with me, from Lebanon." Yes, precious Jesus, to be with thee is heaven ; for thou thyself art the heaven of the soul. But observe further, my soul: when Noah had entered the ark, what kept him there? " The Lord shut him in." Yes, neither bolts nor bars were his security ; but God himself, in his covenant engagements, kept him. The patriarch could no more get out, than the unbelieving carnal throng (who per- haps hung about the ark when they saw the flood arise, and felt its power) could get in. Precious Jesus ! and what is it keeps thy people now? Is it not thyself? Are not thy redeemed eternally secure in thee, and thy blood and righteousness, as Noah in the ark ? Yes, thou who hast the key of all things ; " thou openest, and none shutteth; thou shuttest, and none openeth." In thee my soul is kept secure ; for the Lord Jehovah hath shut me in : and I shall ride out all the storms, and floods, of sin and Satan ; and, Noah-like, rise above the fountains of the greatest deeps, being shut in in the ark Christ Jesus. EVENING. — " And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant : and now shall 1 die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircum- cised." — Judges XV. 18. Here is a sweet thought, my soul, suggested in these words of Samson, and wilt thou not hope that the Holy Ghost may make it blessed to thy evening medi- tation ? The Lord had wrought a great deliverance for Samson, in the discomfiture of his enemies: and now on a renewed pressing occasion, he makes this the plea of looking up for being again delivered. " Thou hast given," saith he, " this great deliverance into tlie hand of thy servant, and shall I now die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised ?" As if he had said, ' Shall my God cease to be God ; or shall I now want his help, who hath always helped me in what has passed ? Hath he begun to deliver ; and will he now 116 THE POOR man's cease to do so ?' — Pause, my soul ! — And when thou hast duly made thine observations upon the blessedness of faith, which, when in lively exercise, always finds unanswerable arguments for future blessings, in the recollection of those that are passed, take the same plea to thy Jesus for every event which thou meetest with in thine exercises. Hath one like the Son of Man redeemed thee, brought thee out of the hands of infinite justice ; given thee this great deliverance, from both the guilt and dominion of sin ; taken thee into covenant relations with himself; opened a new and living way for thee in his blood ; and doth he ever live to keep it open by his intercession? Hath Jesus indeed saved thee, loved thee, blessed thee, given himself for thee, and treasured up for thee a fulness of all needed supplies of grace for thy sojourning here ; and is he gone before, to prepare an evei'lasting fulness of glory for thy enjoyment of himself to all eternity hereafter ? And shall any circumstance now befal thee in the way, to cast down thy hopes, and to lessen thy faith in such a Saviour ? Shall any thing arise to frustrate his designs, or ruin thy cause? Is it possible, that any new evil, for which Jesus hath made no provision, can happen; or any unthought of, unexpected calamity arise, which shall counteract the covenant of redemp- tion, " ordered in all things and sure ?" Precious Lord Jesus ! help me ever to keep thee in view, and then all the springs of dependence on thee will be sure to flow. FEBRUARY 13. MORNING.—" Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." — Gal. iii. 13. Pause, my soul, and contemplate the unspeakable mercies contained in those precious words. However little thou hast regarded them, yet they contain in their bosom the whole blessings of the gospel. It is to MORNFNG AND EVENING PORTIONS, llj Jesus in this one glorious act of his faith, should the sinner be continually looking. There, the believer should say, there hangs my hope, my joy, my confi- dence. " Christ hath redeemed me from the curse of the law, being made a curse for me." Now, my soul, observe how Jesus accomplished this great mercy for thee. Whatever Christ redeemed the sinner from, he became that for him. In the act of redemption, by substituting himself in the sinner's place and room, he redeemed hini from that place and room, by standing tliere himself. Hence, as the sinner stood before God, accursed by reason of sin ; so Christ, by taking the sin- ner's sin upon himself, and standing in his stead to answer for it, was made a curse also. If, therefore, Christ will come under the law for sinners, that law will have as much to demand of him, as of sinners. If Jesus, from his boundless love and mercy, will take the sinner's curse upon himself, the law will speak as harsh to him as the sinner that is under the curse : and not only speak, but exact from him all that could be de- manded from the sinner. Pause, my soul ! And did Jesus, thy Jesus, thus stand; thus be considered, and was he made a curse for thee ? Did he really, truly, suffer the cursed sinner's punishment, " and die, the just for the unjust, to bring sinners to God ?" Look to it then, my soul ; he hath bought thee out, paid the full ransom, and taken away both sin and the curse of sin, by the sacrifice of himself. Shout, my soul, shout salvation to God and the Lamb! Say, as Paul, " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." EVENING.— " If 1 forget thee, 0 Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth : if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." Ps. cxxxvii. 5, 6. My soul ! sit down this evening, and contemplate the languishing state of Zion, Did ever the church of 118 THE POOR MAN Christ lie in more desolate circumstances than now ? Amidst a great profession of zeal for religion, how- little possession of the divine life is to be met with among men ! And who is there that seriously lays it to heart ? For whom doth a throne of grace witness, that they are holy mourners for Zion, and are earnestly wrestling, night and day, with the Lord, that he would visit Zion, and make his glory to appear ? Where is the priest, the minister of the Lord, that is weeping between the porch and the altar, and saying, " Spare thy people, O Lord ! and give not thine heritage to reproach ?" Joel ii. 17. And where are the people that seriously lay it to heart ? My soul ! what sayest thou of these things, personally considered? Dost thou really love Jesus ? Surely then, thou canst not be indifferent to his interests ? Is not Zion the purchase of his blood ? Are not her walls, in all her ruined state, constantly before him ? Yea, is not her name engraven on the palms of his hands ? And shall her name be on Jesus's hand, and no concern for Zion in thy heart? Moreover, look and see, in the tribulations of the present day ; are not God's judgments abroad in the earth? And is not his jealousy for his church the sole cause ? And if the nations of the earth are under the frowns of thy God, canst thou rejoice in aught but the church's prosperity? Are thousands dying in sin, and shall not the children of God mourn ? Where are the trophies of the Re- deemer's precious death and salvation ? ^Vhen shall Jesus see, agreeably to the promise, the travail of his soul, and be satisfied ? Oh ! for a portion of that holy zeal with which the Lord inspired the prophet, when he cried out, " Oh ! that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people !" Oh ! holy Lord ! give my soul from henceforth a more earnest concern for the prosperity of thy Zion ! Oh ! for grace to enter, through the blood of Jesus, into the MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 119 retirings of the Lord, and to plead with him, as the patriarch did, with an importunity not to be resisted, that he would turn the captivity of his people. Oh ! take away the rebuke of thy chosen, and let it be no longer said, of any of thine, who know Jesus, and have been made partakers of salvation by him : " There is none to guide her, among all the sons whom she hath brought forth ; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons that she hath brought up." Isa. li. 18. FEBRUARY 14. , MORNhNG. — " For where two or tliree are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." — Matt, xviii, 20. What an encouraging declaration is this of our Jesus, to prompt the faithful to meet together on the Lord's day ; or in short, any day, at all times, and all places. Observe, my soul, how sweet the Lord speaks ; ' There am I in the midst of my people ; not by my word only, not as represented in ordinances, not by the ministry of my servants, but I myself spiritually. The calls, the motions of grace felt in the heart, the tender tokens, the manifestations of my suitableness, fulness, and all- sufficiency ; these are all truly mine, which, by the influences of my Spirit, I communicate among you.' Oh, precious, condescending Lord, now we see what it is that constitutes a true gospel church — even thy presence. Thou art the beauty and glory of it ; and from thee alone all power and efficacy is derived. Thy churches are, indeed, as thou hast taught, the golden candlesticks ; and thy ministers are as stars in thy right hand. But the candlesticks have no light, until thou, by thy presence, enlighten them ; neither do thy servants, the ministers, hold forth the light of thy word profitably, until thou openest the heart, as thou didst poor Lydia's, to receive the things delivered, to the salvation of the soul. Ye ministers of my God ! draw 120 THE POOR man's all your comfort and encouragement, amidst all the difficulties you meet with, both from within and with- out, in your sacred service, from this sweet assurance of Jesus. Whenever you go up to the assemblies of God's people, hear the footsteps of your Master behind you. And ye, who pant after sweet fellowship and communion with Jesus, seek it by the footsteps of the jflock, beside the shepherd's tents, where Jesus feeds his sheep. Who would be absent from that blessed place where Jesus comes to bless ? And Oh, what encouragement to the faithful to bring with them their unawakened friends and relations to the assemblies which Jesus honours with his presence. Surely he who wrought salvation in our hearts, can work the same in theirs. No wonder, when such mercies Jesus brings with him to his people, that the heart of David fainted to go up to the house of the Lord, that he might see the power and glory of Jesus, as he had seen it in the sanctuary. EVENING. — " Unto the pure, all things are pure ; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing pure." — Titus i. 15. An union with Christ brings with it the sweet and sanctified use and enjoyment of all things. My soul, ponder, this evening, what the apostle here saith, with an eye to this, and behold thy blessedness in Jesus. Every thing which comes into the account of what may be called real good, can be so no farther than as it is found and enjoyed in Christ. Creature comforts have nothing in them of good, but what is derived from the blessedness of the covenant in them. To the pure in Christ, all things are pure. His gracious leaven in them, leaveneth the whole lump. And wherefore is it, that to them that are in a state of unrenewed na- ture, being defiled and unbelieving, there is nothing pure ; but because there is nothing of Christ in them ? They, and all they have, are under the curse ; for every thing is so out of Christ. It is Jesus which must put MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 121 a blessing and a relish into even the most common providences ; or, instead of mercy, they will bring forth evil. See to it then, my soul, that Christ be the foun- dation of all thine enjoyments. Be very jealous over thyself, and thine own heart, when thou art most happy, that it be on Christ's account; or that when exercised with difficulties, thou still see Jesus in them, and receive them as coming from his appointment. And learn never to put a value upon any thing but on his account, and from their connexion with him. This will confirm what the apostle saith, to thy experience ; " To the pure, all things are pure." For Jesus seen in all, will be enjoyed in all ; and will sweeten, sanctify, bless, and render profitable all. For as there is infi- nitely more blessedness in the most common of our mercies, from their relationship to Jesus, and their coming from him than we are aware of ; so we ought to have the greater regard to him, in all that we enjoy. And if we consider nothing as a blessing, but what is received in Jesus, we shall learn to set a value upon nothing but what is brought home to the heart bi/ Jesus. FEBRUARY 15. MORNING. — " With purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." — Acts xi. 23. My soul, art thou cleaving to thy Jesus ? It is a grand thing so to do ; and it must be from continued supplies of grace in Jesus, if thou art really doing it. A few points will shew. Is Jesus thy all? Is he uppermost in all things? Faith hath for its one object, Jesus. Let a true believer be wheresoever he may — at home, or abroad ; alone, or in company ; the closet, or the church — it is all the same, if he really, truly, cleaves to the Lord with purpose of heart ; there is a looking unto Jesus Jbr all things, and in all things. Again; if I cleave to the Lord, I shall do no one thing but 122 THE POOR man's in his strength, and deliberately desire nothing but for his glory. The graces of the Holy Spirit, implanted in the souls of the faithful, are fed and kept aHve, and brought forth into exercise by the communications of Jesus. My joy then is in Jesus ; not in myself, not in what I feel. These feelings of mine may languish, but while I cleave to the Lord, my spiritual joy will always be the same. " From me," saith that sweet Lord, from me is thy fruit found." Once more — if I cleave unto Jesus, shall I not find an increasing love for liim, an increasing desire for him, and an increasing com- munion with him, from increasing knowledge of him, and of his love and preciousness ? To be sure I shall. Well then, my soul, art thou indeed cleaving to him? Think how precious Jesus was, when first thou wast brought so savingly acquainted with him as to see thy need of him, and his suitableness and disposition to save thee. Dost thou think of these blessings less now ? Oh no ! You love him more because you know your need of him more, and therefore cleave to him the closer. Lastly, to add no more, doth my soul truly cleave to Jesus ? Why then, 1 am loosening more and more from every thing beside. If Jesus hath my whole heart, then is the world and all creature idols thrown down. One Lord Jesus Christ is portion enough for a whole ransomed church of God to live upon to all eternity. In him there is portion enough for me. Oh ! then, precious Lamb of God, be thou my portion ; for in thee I have all things. EVENING. — " A door opened in heaven."— Rev. iv. 1. Lord ! give me, as thou didst to thy servant John, a call to " come up hither," and by faith behold the glo- ries which shall be revealed ; and immediately I shall be in the spirit as he was, and so substantiate and realize, in present enjoyment, those felicities in Jesus, that this evening my soul will be, by happy faith, in MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 123 the very suburbs of that blessed city, " which hath foun- dations, whose builder and maker is God !" Is it not true, Lord, that all thy possessions are mine ? And shall I not take the map of them from scripture, and look over them with holy rapture and delight? Do men of the earth take pride in their lands and manors ; the very holding of which is precarious, even in the moment of possession, and which begin to slide from under their feet, as soon as they enter upon them ; and shall not an heir of God, a joint-heir with Christ, rejoice in having a kingdom which cannot be moved ? Come, my soul, look within the veil, whither thy fore- runner is for thee entered, and now that God the Holy Ghost hath opened a door in heaven, behold what felicities are presenting themselves to thy view. Be- hold, amidst all the glories of the palace, how eminently Jesus, even thy Jesus, appears as a Lamb in the midst of the throne; and still as a Lamb that hath been slain; as if to testify the eternal unceasing efficacy of his blood and righteousness. But what an innumerable host are these, which stand around the throne, and encircle the Redeemer ! " These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb !" Mark that, my soul ! They were once in the tribu- lated path that thou art now in ; they were once sin- ners here below, as thou art now ; and they owe all their advancement, not to their merit, but to divine bounty ; not to works of righteousness which they have done, but to the same source as thou art now seeking acceptance from — the blood of the Lamb. Oh ! pre- cious soul-satisfying testimony, on a point of such infi- nite importance ! Blessed, for ever blessed, be God the Holy Ghost, for first opening to the beloved apostle, this door in heaven, and for all the after-revelations of Jesus made by this condescending discovery to the church in all ages. Often, my soul, look up, and be- 124 THE POOR man's hold the door still open ; and often by faith look in, and behold thy Redeemer, and his redeemed, in " the spirits of just men made perfect." Realize these blessed things, and seek from thy Jesus, a strength of faith (for such a faith hath been given to some, and why not to thee?) as shall absolutely bring down the present enjoyment of heaven into thy soul, before the Lord shall finally and fully call thee up to tlie ever- lasting enjoyment of him in glory. Blessed be God (my soul, do thou cry out with the apostle) " who hath blessed us vv'ith all spiritual blessings, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus !" FEBRUARY 16. MORNING.—" Help, Lord! for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men." — Ps. xii. 1. My soul, art thou sometimes distressed in the recol- lection of the languishing state of Zion — are faithful men, faithful ministers, taken away from the evil to come ! And dost thou sometimes, at a mercy-seat, feel thyself drawn out in fervent prayer, that the Lord would fill up the vacancies he is making by death, and raise up pastors after his own heart, and believers who love Zion, to supply their place? Take comfort, my soul ; thy Jesus loves Zion ; and she is still engraven on the palms of his hands, and her walls are continually before him. Jesus must have a church in the earth as long as the sun and moon endure. Remember, the reins of government are in Jesus' hands ; and however the enemies of Zion, like wild horses, would ride over the children of Zion, Jesus puts his bridle in their jaws, and will turn them back by the way they came. Remember, also, that the care of the church is with Jesus. He saith himself concerning it, " I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment: lest any hurt MOUN£NG AND EVENING PORTIONS. 125 it, I will keep it night and day." Blessed Jesus, I would say then, Zion is, and must be safe. Die who may, Jesus lives ; and to his church he saith, " Because I live, ye shall live also." Here then is enough for me, for the church, and for every child of God. My seed, saith Jesus, shall serve him. Hallelujah. EVENING.—" And Peter said unto him. Lord! dost thou wash my feet ?" — John xiii. 6. My soul ! dost thou want some sweet, some tender, some more than ordinarily interesting view of thy Jesus, this evening, to draw out all the finer feelings in love and adoration of thy Redeemer? Look at him then in the moment in which this scripture represents him, in his lowliness and meekness, washing the disciples' feet. Had I the power of drawing the most endearing por- trait, Jesus should be my one and only object ; and for a subject of the most finished kind, the humbleness and tenderness of Jesus, the Lord of life and glory, washing poor fishermen's feet, should be the picture. And what, my soul, tends if possible, infinitely more to endear and bring home to the heart this unparalleled condescension and grace of Jesus, is, that it was, as the evangehst relates it, at a time when Jesus knew that all things were given by his Father into his hands : that is, all things relating to his mediatorial kingdom; that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father had given him ; and in due time take out of his kingdom all things that did offend. Was there ever a more lovely, a more engaging instance shewn, than by the great Redeemer of the world, in this con- descending act? Well might the astonished apostle cry out, in the contemplation of it, " Lord! dost thou wash my feet?" — My soul! pause over the subject, and consider it well ; and when thou hast duly weighed the matter, let it be asked, what condescension, what grace, what love, what mercy, will Jesus think too great for the salvation of poor sinners ? Oh i that I had the 126 THE POOR man's power of persuasion, with any poor broken-hearted transgressor, to convince him that there is nothing to keep a soul from Jesus but unbelief. I would say to such an one, my brother, Oh! make trial only of Jesus's love. The greater your unworthiness, the greater will be the grace of Jesus, in his mercy towards you. And the lower the Son of God bends down to wash a sinner, the higher surely will he be in the sinner's love and esteem. Let it be asked, through the whole church of Christ upon earth, who loves Jesus most, but the sinner to whom Jesus hath forgiven most ? Let it be inquired, through the realms of heaven, whose song of redemp- tion is the loudest and the best ? and the I'eply must be, the song of those who were most low upon earth when Jesus first stooped to wash them. Oh ! thou blessed Immanuel! thou, the Lord our righteousness! never let me forget this instance of thy grace to poor sinners, but do thou cause it to be my daily encourage- ment to come to thee, and under the same conviction as the apostle, to cry out, " Lord, wash not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." FEBRUARY 17. MORNING. — " Knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord : we are confident, 1 say, and wilHng rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." — 2 Cor. V. 6, 8. My soul, is this thy real language? Pause, while thou art at home in the body, how dark and dim, how- few and short, are all the glimpses thou hast by faith of Jesus. What from the workings of corruption, the claims of the body, the concerns of the world, and the numberless, nameless, obstructions which surround thee, how little dost thou know of Jesus ! And wouldest thou desire for ever to live at this distance ? Think what the first view only of Jesus will be, when thou art MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 127 once absent from the body, and present with the Lord! — What holy transports will break in upon the soul, when all the lines of love meet in one centre, to mani- fest the Lord Jesus to thy view in his redeeming ful- ness ! If here below a single hour's enjoyment of thy Jesus, through the medium of his word or ordinances, be so precious that no felicity on earth are equal; what must a whole eternity be, in the full uninterrupted vision of God and the Lamb ! If, througli ihe influences of thy blessed Spirit, dearest Jesus, the tear of joy, and love, and praise, will fall in the contemplation of thy person and work; surely all the flood-gates of the soul will open, when I see thee as thou art, and come to dwell with thee for ever. Oh ! for grace, then, to long for that blessed hour, when, absent from the body, I shall be present with the Lord; — " when I shall be- hold thy face in righteousness, and shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." EVENING.—" Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch ! Thou didst say, woe is me now ! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow ; J fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest. Thus shall thou say unto him : the Lord saith thus ; behold, that which 1 have built, will 1 break down ; and that which 1 have planted, I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself ? Seek them not." — Jer. xlv. 2 — 5. ' Here, my soul! take an instruction, and a blessed one it is, when applied by the Holy Ghost, suited for God's people in all ages of the church, and in all generations. At all seasons, it is unbecoming in a believer in Jesus to have a mind hankering after things of the world, which the carnal seek ; but the evil is increased in times of general calamity. Baruch, though the Lord's servant, yet felt too much desire of the world's ease. My soul, learn to avoid every thing which may lead to an attachment to things below ; that when thou art called upon to leave them, their hold may be too little to be felt. And in a day like the present, doth not thy Lord speak to thee, in the same language as to the 128 THE POOR man's prophet : " Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not. If I have been with Jesus, and given in my name to him, " what have I to do any more with idols ?" It is remarkable, that after the Lord Jesus had instituted his holy supper, and put the cup into his disciples' hands, he observed, " I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom ;" hereby teaching us, that in the dedication of the soul to him, an exchange is then made of earth for heaven. And as from that hour, Jesus's cup was tlie cup of trembling, and of wormwood and the gall ; so the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. And they that are Christ's, are said to have " crucified the flesh, with its affections and lusts." FEBRUARY 18. MORNING. — " And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good ; but 1 will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me." — Jer. xxxii. 4C. Precious consideration to a poor exercised soul, that a covenant God in Christ, hath not only engaged for himself, but undertaken for his people also. God will not, and his people shall not. My soul, take a short view of the foundation of this precious, precious pro- mise. It is God's everlasting love, everlasting grace, everlasting covenant. And remember, the Author of it is not changeable as thou art: "with Him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Moreover, it is purchased by the blood, sealed in the blood, and made eternally firm and sure in the blood and righte- ousness of Christ; the everlasting eflScacy of which is as eternal as the Authoi- of it. Neither is this all. There is an union with the person of thy Jesus. The head without a body would be incomplete ; and, united to his Person, the believer is interested in all his gi-aces, fulness, suitableness, all-sufficiency: so that this preserves MORNIN(i AND HVENINO PORTIONS. 129 grace from perishing, because it is an everlasting spring. And Jesus lives to see it all complete. His intercession answers every want, and supplies every necessity. Nei- ther is this all; for God the Holy Ghost sets to his seal, in the heart, that God is true. His quickening, convincing, converting, manifesting grace in the soul, in taking of the things of Jesus, and shewing to the heart, becomes an earnest and pledge in assurance; and all tending to confirm, that God will not, and his redeemed ones, shall not turn away, but his covenant remain everlasting. EVENING.—" A citizen of no mean city." — Acts xxi. 39. It certainly was very laudable in Paul, in a moment of danger, to avail himself of the common privileges of his freedom, in the common rights of men. But it would have been a sad thing for the apostle, had he not, at the same time, been also " a fellow citizen with the saints, and of the household of God." He, like the patriarchs, knew his right in that city " which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." My soul! see to it, this evening, that thy name is enrolled among the citizens of those who are built upon the " founda- tion of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone." And if thou canst find evidences of this high calling, thou wilt know also, as well as Paul, that thou art " a citizen of no mean city." Now a city that hath " foundations, and whose builder and maker is God," differs totally from all the cities founded among men. All these have their rise, their increase, and fall. Where are the vast monarchies of past generations ? Alas ! time hath passed over them as a flood, and swept them all away. And what the sacred writer hath said of one, may be equally applied to all : " Babylon, the great, is fallen, is fallen ; in one hour is thy judgment come !" But the citizenship of a believer is firm, eternal, and secure. God the Father VOL. VI! r. 1 130 THK POOR MAN S is the founder of it: he hath laid the foundation-stone in Zion. God the Son is the Rock on which it is built. And God the Holy Ghost is the eternal source of life and strength, and all the immutable privileges of it. This city is everlastingly and eternally secure, for " sal- vation hath the Lord appointed for walls and bulwarks." And the peace and happiness of its inhabitants must ever remain the same; for the citizens are of one body, and one spirit, even as they are called, in one hope of their calling. For the Son of God hath made them free by his blood and righteousness, and they are free indeed. Such, my soul, among numberless other dis- tinguishing characters, are the outlines of the history of that city which hath foundations, and of which we may say, with the psalmist, " Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God !" If thou art a citizen of it, the enrolment of thy name among the free- men may be easily seen, for Jesus, the King of Zion, must have signed it with his blood. And then art thou come, as the apostle describes, not to the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire : not unto blackness and darkness, and tempest; but unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and church of the first- born, which are written in heaven; and to God, the Judge of all; and to the " spirits of just men made per- ^fect;" and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling. Then, have you found also the blessedness of the place, and the immense privileges of its inhabitants? In the freedom of this city is found peace with God, through the blood of the cross; and access at all times, through him, by one Spirit, unto the Father. And as among other citizens there are certain marks and characters, by which the privileges of one city are distinguished from another ; so in this, the language, the dress, the manners, and MORNTNG AND EVENING PORTIONS. 131 customs, are wholly foreign to all the rest of the world. A citizen of God's house, talks the language of God ; he is dressed in the garment of salvation, and the robes of Jesus's righteousness. His manners and customs are altogether peculiar to a child of God and an heir of heaven; for all is in conformity to the gospel of Christ. My soul! what say est thou to these charac- ters ? Are they thine ? If so, thou mayest assume Paul's account of himself; for, like him, thou art " a citizen of no mean city." FEBRUARY 19. MORNING.—" The prisoner of Jesas Christ."— Eph. iii. 1. My soul ! art thou a prisoner of Jesus Christ ? See to it, if so, that, like the apostle, thou art bound with Jesu's chains for " the hope of Israel." They are golden chains. When Paul and Silas were fast bound in the prison, the consciousness of this made them sing for joy. Men have their prisons, and God hath his. But here lies the vast difference : no bars or grates, among the closest prisons of men, can shut God out from comforting his prisoners; and, on the contrary, nothing can come in to afflict Jesu's prisoners, when he keeps them by the sovereignty of his grace, and love, and power. Blessed Lord ! look upon thy poor prisoner ; and come in, dear Lord, with thy wonderful conde- scension, and do as thou hast said : sup with him, and cause him to sup with thee. EVENING. — " Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sor- rows."— Isa. liii. 3. My soul! call up, this evening, all thy most earnest and most solemn thoughts, to the meditation of a sub- ject, which the Holy Ghost opens to thy view in these words. And if the Lord the Spirit, that proposeth to thy soul the solemn consideration, will graciously 132 THE poon man's instruct thee through it, perhaps it will lead to such views of Jesus as may not before so fully have struck thine attention. Oh, Lord ! guide thy servant in it ! Now here it is said, " He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." By which, it may be supposed, is meant, both the curse and the punishment. And cer- tain it is, that unless Christ bore both, the sinner is not freed. From the sinner, or his surety, God's justice must exact full payment. But if it be found that in the surety that exaction hath been made, and fully paid, then is the sinner free; for from both it would be imjust to exact. Now behold, my soul, in the person of thy surety, how in the most minute points, even as the sinner himself, thy Jesus stood for thee. And then see, from beholding thy Redeemer in this most endearing point of view, whether thou art not constrained to cry out, with the prophet, " Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows !" A few of the most prominent features in the griefs and sorrows of Jesus, will be suffi- cient in point, by way of illustration. And first, every sinner, by virtue of being a transgressor, is exposed to the curse of God; and that curse is upon every thing belonging to him, as Moses told Israel; " Thou art cursed in thy basket, and in thy store ; in lying down and rising up ; in going out and coming home." Deut. xxviii. 16, &c. Now Jesus, as the sinner's surety, is, by way of peculiar emphasis, called " the man of sor- rows, and acquainted with grief." He endured, in his person, the very curse denounced upon the sinner. All was poured upon Jesus, through every part of his life : and as the curse, but for Jesus's interposition, would follow the sinner in death; so Christ was fol- lowed by it to the cross. The sinner's dying chamber w^ould open to him the horrors of divine wrath on sin ; such as Jesus, for the sinner, sustained in the garden of Gethsemane. And as no by-standers, no earthly friends, could mitigate the horrors of the sinner's soul MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONa. 133 in such a season; so we find Christ, when going through these conflicts for the sinner, could gain no help from any of his disciples — " they all forsook him and fled." And doth the sinner's conscience then betray and ag- gravate the load of woe ? And did not Judas, Christ's bosom friend, come boldly forward to aggravate the Redeemer's sorrow ? And as every sinner, out of Christ, for whom he, as the surety, hath paid no ransom, would in the moment of death, be seized, bound hand and foot, and carried away by an armed band to utter darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth ; so Christ was taken, as the sinner's surety, by an armed band, from the high priest to the judgment- hall, where he lay all night, suffering the punishment of stripes and mocking. And as, in the morning of the resurrection, sinners out of Christ, must arise to all the horrors of judgment ; and the ix'reversible sentence be pronounced in the presence of all beholders, which consigns them to everlasting punishment; so Christ, the surety for his sinful people, in the morning was brought from the hall of Pilate to the hill of Calvary, and there received the sentence of death, executed upon his sacred person, in the view of all that passed by. — Pause, my soul, over the representation of truths so awful ! Surely thou mayest say, if Jesus had not sus- tained the curse and punishment, then must I have borne it for ever. But if, as the prophet hath marked it in this most blessed scripture, " Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows," then is the principal debtor free, when the surety hath paid the debt ! Oh ! the preciousness, the suitableness, the com- pleteness of Jesus, in the whole purpose of his redemp- tion. Blessed, blessed, blessed for ever, be Jehovah, for Jesus Christ ! 134 THE POOR man's FEBRUARY 20, MORNING. — " I will say unto God, do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with rae." — Job x. 2. My soul, art thou at any time exercised with any trying dispensations ? Doth thy God, thy Jesus, seem to hide his face from thee ? Are his providences af- flicting? Art thou brought under bereaving visitations? Is thy earthly tabernacle shaken by sickness ? Are the pins of it loosening ? Are thy worldly circumstances pinching? Is prayer restrained ? Oh, refer thy state, my soul, be it what it may, to Jesus. Tell thy Lord, that of all things, thy greatest dread and fear is, lest thou shouldest be mistaken concerning his love to thee. Say, as Job did, " Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me." There is an Achan in the heart. Thy Jesus doth not withdraw for nothing. Love is in his lips. Salvation fills the whole soul of Jesus. Fly to him, then, my soul ! Say to him. Lord, make me what thou wouldest have me to be. Oh! for a word, a whisper of Jesus. I cannot live without it. I dare not let thee go, except thou bless me. Not all the past enjoyments, experiences, manifestations, will do me good, until thou again shine in upon my soul. Oh ! come then. Lord Jesus! I fly to thee as my God, my Saviour, my portion, my all !" Never, surely wilt thou say to the praying seed of Jacob, " Seek ye my face in vain ! EVENING. — " Now thou art commanded, this do ye : take your waggons out of the land of Egypt, for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Also regard not your stuff ; for ihe good of all the land of Egypt is yours." — Gen. xlv. 19, 20. What effect must the first news of Joseph's being alive, and his exaltation at the light hand of Pharaoh, have had upon the mind of the patriarch Jacob ! And what a flood of overwhelming joy must have broke in upon the poor old man, when convinced of the cer- tainty of the account ! But what are all these feelings of nature, compared to the triumphs o-rncc, when the MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 135 poor sinner is first made acquainted with the wonders of redemption, wrought out and accomplished by one that is his brother, even our spiritual Joseph, the Lord Jesus Christ? Yes! thou risen and exalted Saviour! by faith I behold thee on the right hand of the Ma- jesty on high; and all power is thine in heaven and on earth. I hear thee giving commandment to thy ser- vants, to take the ordinances, and the several means of grace, in thy sacred word, and, like the conveyances of the waggons of Egypt, to bring all thy kindred, thy redeemed ones, to thee. Yea, Lord ! I would do as thou hast said, " regard not the stuff," for gladly would I leave it all behind ; for it hath already too long and too powerfully occupied my poor heart, and robbed my soul of thee. I would hasten to thy pre- sence ; for sure I am, the good of all the land of heaven itself is thy brethren's, and, what is infinitely more than even heaven, thou, even thou thyself, blessed Jesus, art thy people's. But, Lord! how shall I look thee in the face ? How shall I dare to draw nigh, con- scious of my having, like the sons of Jacob, sold thee, parted with thee, denied thee, left thee, and as the Jews of old, preferred every Barabbas, every robber before thee ? And wilt thou, dearest Lord, still own me, still love me, and still speak kindly to me ? Oh ! what praises will the realms of heaven resound with, when Jesus shall have brought home all his brethren, into his Father's house, around himself in glory ! How will then every knee (and my poor soul among the glorious number) bow before thee, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen and Amen ! FEBRUARY 21. MORNING. — " Saw ye him whom my soul loveth." — Song iii. 3. Is Jesus still the object of my soul's warmest affec- tion; the subject of all my thoughts, all my discourse, all my inquiry ? Oh, yes, my soul ; whom else, in hca- 136 THE POOR man's ven or in earth, wilt thou seek after but him ? Tell me, ye ministers of Jesus, ye watchmen upon the walls of Zion — " Saw ye him whom my soul loveth ?" Ye followers of the Lamb, can ye shew me where Jesus feedeth liis flock at noon ? Or rather, ye in the upper regions, where the Son of God manifesteth himself in the full glories of his Person; " ye spirits of just men made perfect," ye who have known, while sojourning here below, what feeling of the soul that is, which, in the absence of Jesus, is longing for his appearance. Ye angels of light also — ye who see him without an intervening medium — tell him, I beseech you, how my soul panteth for his visits : tell him, that a poor pen- sioner, well known to my Lord, is waiting this morning alms : nay, tell him that lam sick of love, longing for a renewed view of his person, — his pardoning love, — the renewals of his grace. Jesus knoweth it all be- fore you tell him, and he will send his gifts and mercies — nay, he will come himself ; for he hath as- sured me of this. He hath said, — " If a man love me, my Father will love him, and we will come and make our abode with him." Behold my soul, thy Jesus is come ! I hear his well-known voice : he saith, — " I am come into my garden." Now will I hold him, and not let him go, and pray him not to be as a wayfaring man that turneth in to tarry for a night, but abide with me until the breaking of the everlasting day. EVENING. — " Being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ."—! Cor. ix. 21. Sit down my soul, this evening, and ponder over this blessed distinction which the apostle makes between the lawless conduct of those, who, from a mere con- viction of the truth in the head, but who never felt the influences of it in their heart, hold the truth in unrighteousness ; and those who, while coriscious of being under the law to Christ, are not without law to God. To thee, my soul, who hast been brought under MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 137 the condemnation of God's holy law, and hast been enabled, through sovereign grace, to take refuge in the person, blood, and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ; to thee, justification by faith, so far from relaxing thine obedience to the law of God, has proved the best of all motives to the practice of it. Thou knowest thyself to be bought with a price ; and therefore, as the Lord's property, both by his purchase, and thy voluntary surrender, it is thy desire above all things, " to glorify God in thy body and in thy spirit, which are his." It is thy glory, thy delight, thy joy, that thy God and Father hath accepted a righteousness for thee in Jesus, thy Surety ; and to him, and him only, the Lord hath respect for thy acceptation. But while thou art taught, and thy heart delights in the soul- reviving truth, that thou art never to seek justification by the deeds of the law ; thy heart delights also, that thou art " not without law to God, but under the law to Christ." For though the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made thee free from the law of sin and death ; yet while through the law, thou art dead to the law, tlie blessedness of it is, that thou mightest live unto Christ. And it is by the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dweUing in thee, that the deeds of the body are mortified, and the soul lives. Sweet consideration, my soul, to cherish, and ever to keep in view. Thou art not working for life, but from life. Not seeking to be justified by the deeds of the law; but from Christ's justification, daily shewing forth that " thou art not without law to God, but under the law to Christ." FEBRUARY 22. MORNING.—" Where the Spirit of the Lord is, tliere is liberty."— 2 Cor. iii. 17. What liberty, my soul ! art thou brought into by thine adoption into tlic family of God in Christ? Not from 138 THE POOR man's the assaults of sin ; for thou still earnest about with thee a body of sin, under which thou groanest. Not from the temptations of Satan ; for he is still levelling at thee many a fiery dart. Not from outward trou- bles ; for the world thou art still in, thou findest it a wilderness state. Not from inward fears ; for thine unbelief begets many. Not from the chastisement of thy wise and kind Father: for then many a sweet visit of his love, under the rod, would be unknown. Not from death ; for the stroke of it thou must one day feel — though, blessed be Jesus, he hath taken out the sting in his blood and righteousness. What liberty then is it, my soul, thou enjoyest? What hath the Spirit of the Lord, as a spirit of revelation, discovering to tliee the glory of Jesus, and thy interest in him, brought thee into ? Oh, who shall write down the vast, the extensive account of thy freedom ? Say, my soul, hath not the sight of God's glory in Christ freed thee from the curse of the law, — from the guilt of the law, — from the dominion of sin, — from the power of Satan, — from the evil of unbelief in thine own heart, — from the terrors of justice, — fi'om the alarms of conscience, from the second death ? Say, my soul, doth not the sight of Jesus dying for thee, rising for thee, pleading for thee, enlarge thine heart, and lose thy bonds, and shake off all thy fetters and all thy fears ? Doth not Jesus in the throne give thee liberty to come to him, to call upon him, to unbosom thyself unto him, to tell him all thy wants, all thy necessities, and to lean upon his kind arm in every hour of need ? Shout, my soul ! and echo to the apostle's words, — " Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty :" liberty to approach, liberty to plead, liberty to pray, liberty to praise and to adore the whole persons of the Godhead, for having opened the prison-doors, and given thee freedom in Christ Jesus ! MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 1 39 EVENING. — " And he said unto them, say now unto her, behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care ; what is to be done for thee ? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host ? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people." — 2 Kings iv. 13. What an interesting account, though short, is here given of the Shunamite. The sacred historian calls her " a great woman," and certainly, she here mani- fests that she had a great mind. What she had done for the prophet, she sought no recompence for. Neither the favours of the king, nor the captain of his host,- were of any value to her and her husband. Dwelling with content in what she had, and " among her own people," was in her view enough of earthly enjoyment. But is there not a spiritual improvement to be made of the passage ? Do not the people of our God " dwell alone ?" And have they not been from everlasting so appointed, in the purposes of God their Father, and chosen in Christ, and called ? They may, and indeed they ought to desire to be spoken for to the King, the Captain of the Lord's host, as a people near to himself. Yes ! I would say, let me be spoken for, that I may always live under an abiding sense of my Lord's pre- sence and his love ; and that my constant views of him, and his gracious tokens of kindness to me, may be my daily enjoyment. Methinks I would always be spoken for to him, in this point of view, and always myself be speaking to him ; and tell my Lord that one smile of his, one whisper to assure me of my interest in him, and my love for him, and his love for me, will be more grateful than all the revenues of the earth. Here, like the Shunamite, would I centre all my desires. And while living upon Jesus, it will be my happiness also to " dwell among mine own people," who are also the Lord's people, and who, like myself, keep aloof from all unnecessary acquaintance and connection with the world, to " enjoy fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ !" 140 THE POOR man's FEBRUARY 23. MORNING. — " Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods > But ray people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit." — Jer. ii. 11. Pause, my soul, over these words ! Was it ever known that any nation changed their dunghill gods for others ? Such regard had they for whatever ignorance had set up, that the veneration never after ceased. But Israel, above every other nation of the earth, manifested folly, and even exceeded the most senseless and stupid of men. My soul ! dost thou not in Israel's folly behold thy own ? Was there ever one, when the Lord first called thee, less deserving? A transgressor, as the Lord knew thee, from the womb ! And yet this did not pre- vent the Lord from calling thee. He loved thee because he would love thee ; gave thee his Christ, — gave thee his Holy Spirit — gave thee the name, the privilege, the adoption of a son. What returns hast thou made? How often since hath thy backslidings, thy coldness, thy de- partures, been like Israel ? What vanity, what pursuit, what unprofitable employment, hath not at times been preferred to thy God ? Oh how do I see my daily, hourly, continual need of thee, thou that art the hope of Israel, and the Saviour thereof! Keep me. Lord, near thyself ; for without thee I am nothing. EVENING.—" The hidden manna.'*— Rev. ii. 17. We have an authority from Jesus himself, to say, that He, and He alone, is the manna of the gospel ; for in his discourse with the Jews, he called himself, in allusion to the manna of the wilderness, " the living bread," and " the bread of God which came from hea- ven," of which, he said, " whosoever should eat, should live for ever." But when Jesus imparts this blessed food to his people, it is hidden. And, indeed, many of the properties of it are made more blessed, from the very nature of its secresy. My soul, ponder over the subject a few moments, this evening, and behold in it, how truly gracious it is in the Lord, to hand to his MORNING AND EVENING POKTIONS. 141 people in secret, those enjoyments of himself, of which the world is altogether unconscious. Mark the outlines of it, and trace it in its effects in thine own experience. Though Jesus was preached to the world, both by the law and the prophets ; and when appearing in substance of our flesh manifested forth his glory ; yet was he known only to his disciples : the great mass of men neither knew him, nor regarded him. If he was preached in types and sacrifices, under the old testa- ment dispensation, or in open gospel under the new, few believed the report ; the cry still went forth, " is not this the carpenter's son ?" But say, my soul, is not Jesus still " the hidden manna?" Dost thou discover him in his holy word ? still is the word hidden : for though it is read openly by all, yet the mystery of it is known but to few. Doth the Holy Ghost testify to thee of Jesus, in thy desires after him ; in thy communions with him ; in the actings of thy faith upon him ; and in thy enjoyments from him ? Nevertheless in all these, however certain and refreshing to thee, thy pleasures are hidden from tlie world. This is mercy, personal and peculiar; strangers do not, cannot, intermeddle with this joy. Precious Lord Jesus! give me larger and fuller enjoyments of thee day by day ; and night by night let my secret and retired meditations of thee be sweet! Oh! for grace to live more and moi-e upon those hidden privileges, and more and more to prize them. Come to me, dear Lord ! and give me such rich partici- pations of thyself, in the fulness of thy person, blood, and righteousness, that receiving from thee " tlie hidden manna," I may say in thine own precious words, " 1 have meat to eat which the world knows not of." FEBRUARY 24. MORNING. — " He that had gathered much had nothing over ; and he that had gathered little had no lack." — 2 Cor. viii. 15. My soul ! here is a delightful morsel for thee to feed 142 THE POOR man's upon this morning. Thou art come out to gather thy daily food, as Israel did in the wilderness. Faith had no hoards. Thou wantest Jesus now as much as thou didst yesterday. Well then, look at what is here said of Israel. They went out to gather — what ? Why, in the morning bread — God's gift. Such is Jesus, the bread of God, the bread of life. And as Israel would have been satisfied with nothing short of this, so neither be thou. And as Israel was never disappointed, so neither wilt thou, if thou seek it in faith, as Israel did. And observe, " they that gathered most had nothing over so " he that gathered least had no lack." Yea, my soul, no follower of Jesus can have too much of Jesus ; no- thing more than he wants — nothing to spare. So the poorest child of God, that hath the least of Jesus, can never want. The very touch of his garment, the very crumb from his table, is his, and is precious. Dearest Lord, give me a large portion, even a Benjamin's por- tion. But even a look of thy love is heaven to my soul, EVENING. — " Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind, and the lame, the woman with child, and her that travaileth with child together, a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them : I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble ; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born." — Jer. xxxi. 8, 9. It is blessed at all times to be refreshed with God's promises concerning the latter-day glory; but more especially at a time when things are most unpromising. The present hour is eminently so. Therefore, my soul, see what a cluster of mercies are folded up on this one branch of them ; and let thine evening meditations be sweet of Jesus and his sure work, in whom, " All the promises are yea and amen, to the glory of God the Father, by us." Observe, in this blessed scripture, the certainty of the divine promises being all fulfilled, from the foundation on which they rest. If God be the MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 143 God of all the families of Israel, and if Israel be his son, and Ephraim his first-born, how can the right of inheritance fail ? Surely God is engaged by this cove- nant and relationship, and he will fulfil his promises. And what are they ? Why, that he will bring them not only from Babylon, but from all their places of captivity. Jesus, the Son of his love, is commissioned as the covenant of Jehovah, "to bring the prisoners out of the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house." There shall be a day when a nation shall be born at once. They shall be gathered to Shiloh, and shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south. Pause, my soul, over these blessed promises. Thou art frequently put to it for thyself; and art frequently exercised with fears and apprehensions for the welfare of Zion. But what saith this blessed scripture? " Be- hold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth." Do not overlook that it is God who undertakes for them, and not themselves : and what God undertakes, he will surely perform. Well, but they are much scattered. Yes ! but God will gather them. But they are di- minishing. No ! a great company shall return. But they are blind, and do not know the way : they are lame, and when they know, have no power to walk in it. Yes ! but, saith he that made the eye, and he that giveth strength to the lame, both " the blind and the lame," yea, even the woman in pregnancy, and her that is in travail, all shall come. " I will be eyes," saith God, " to the blind, and feet to the lame ; I will lead them in a way they know not ; I will under- take for them." And the sole reason is, God's free grace and covenant mercy in Christ. God is a father in this relationship, to all the families in Israel ; and in him all the families of the earth are blessed. Pause, my soul, again and again, over this sweet and precious 144 THE POOll man's scripture ; and see that these covenant marks and im- pressions be upon thee, as a sure unerring token of thy being in Christ, and gathered from the coasts of the earth ; that thou art following Jesus, as Mary Magda- lene did, with tears and supplications. Prayers are quickened by tears ; and tears flowing from the view of a crucified Saviour, must give energy to prayers. The eye that is looking unto Jesus, will affect the heart ; and the heart tliat is wounded with the view of Jesus dying for our sins, will cause tears to fall from the eye ; and both will follow Christ by the waters of ordinances, under the Spirit's teaching and gracious influences. Lord ! give to my soul these tokens for good ; and lead me in the way of salvation for thy name's sake. FEBRUARY 25. MORNING. — " Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteous- ness, and sanctification, and redemption." — 1 Cor. i. 30. What a sweet subject for my morning meditation is here ! Who is it, my soul, is made of God to thee these precious things but Jesus? And mark how they are made so. I am a poor ignorant creature, grossly ignorant by reason of the fall. I knew not my lost estate, much less the way of recovery. Here Jesus became to me wisdom. By his illuminating the dark- ness of my mind, he led me to see my ruin and my misery. But this woidd never have brought me out of it ; for though I saw my lost estate, yet still I had no consciousness by what means I could be recovered. Here again Jesus came to my aid, and taught me, that as I needed righteousness, he would be my righteous- ness, and undertake for me to God. But even after this was done, I felt my soul still the subject of sin ; and how to subdue a single sin I knew not. Here Jesus came again, and gave me to see, that as he was wisdom to cure my ignorance, and righteousness to MORNING ANU KVKNING PORTIONS. 145 answer for my guilt, so he would be my sanctification also ; purging, as well as pardoning and renewing, by his Spirit, my poor nature, when he had removed the guilt of it. Still I sighed for complete deliverance, and to make my happiness sure ; and therefore Jesus came again, that by his full redemption from all the evils of the fall, I might be made free ; and therefore he became the whole together — " wisdom, righteousness, sanctifi- cation, and redemption." And to stamp and seal the whole with the impression of God my Father, all that Jesus did, he did by God's gracious appointment ; for he was made of God to me all these, that all my glory- ing might be in the Lord. See to it, my soul, then, that this be all thy glory. EVENING. — " And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship ; and so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land." — Acts xxvii. 44. This is the beautiful conclusion of a history, which, during the providence wherein Paul the apostle and his companions were in shipwreck, afforded large opportu- nity for the exercise of faith. The issue, it appears, was not doubtful from the first ; for an angel of God had assured Paul, that God had given unto him the lives of all that sailed with him. And so it proved ; yea, the very wreck of the ship furnished out means for the people's safety. Now, my soul, here is a very precious instruction for thee. In the exercises of thy life, learn from hence to abide firmly by the promise, when every thing leading to its accomplishment seems to fail. God hath said, that eternal life, with all its preliminaries, is in his Son ; and that " he that hath the .Son, hath life, and shall not come into condemnation." Now let what will arise, after this declaration of God, like the storm and shipwreck of the apostle, these are intervening circumstances with which thou hast nothing to do. Do thou take hold of the promise ; for the promise hath its claim upon God. This cannot fail, 146 THE POOR man's whatever else may fail. And though, like Paul in this voyage, neither sun nor stars in many days may ap- pear, and no small tempest be upon thee ; Jesus is still at the helm, and thou shalt assuredly escape to land. Yea, the ver_y wreck of all things around thee, shall but the better minister to this great end. And thou shalt at length write down the same conclusion to thy his- tory, which Joshua, the man of God, made of the whole history of Israel : — " Not one thing hath failed, of all the good things which the Lord your God spake con- cerning you ; all are come to pass unto this very day." FEBRUARY 26. MORNING.—" As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." — Ps. xvii. 15. Is it refreshing to thee now, my soul, the least glimpse of Jesus s face ; the smallest manifestation of the glories of his Person and of his work ; and the very sound of his voice, in his word or ordinances ? Think, then, what will be thy felicity in that morning of the eternal world, when, dropping thy vail of flesh, he whom thou seest now by faith only, will then appear as open to thee as to the church above in glory ! Pause, my soul, over the vast thought ! What will be thy first sight of Jesus ? What will be thy feelings, when, without any intervening medium, thou shalt see him face to face, and know even as thou art known ? Precious Lamb of God ! grant me grace to feel the blessedness of this first interview. Appearing, as I trust I shall, in thine own garments, and the robes of thy righteousness, and which thou hast not only pro- vided for me, but put on, what will be the burstings forth of my heart, in the full view of the glories of thy Person, and the perfection of thy righteousness ! Surely, Lord, when I thus behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be so fully satisfied, that the rest after which MORNING AND EVKNING PORTIONS. 147 my poor soul, through a whole life of grace, since thou wert pleased to quicken me, hath been pursuing, will pursue no more. My immortal faculties will seek no more— will need no more. In tliee, the whole is at- tained. In thee, I shall eternally rest. Thou art the everlasting centre of all happiness, glory, and joy. I shall be so fully satisfied when I awake to this view, that here, in thee, I shall be at home. And what is more, it will be an everlasting duration, not only in happiness, but in likeness. And as the coldest iron, put into the fire, partakes of the properties of the fire, until it becomes altogether heated and fiery like it, so in thee, and with thee, thou blessed Jesus, cold as my soul now is, I shall be warmed with thy love ; and from thee, and thy likeness imparted, become lovely from thy loveliness, and glorious from thy glory. Precious, precious Jesus ! Is the hour near ? Are thy chariot wheels approaching ? Dost thou say, " Behold, I come quickly." Oh ! for grace to answer, " Even so, come. Lord Jesus !" EVENING. — " Who is she that looketh forth as the morning; fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.''" Song vi. 10. By whomsoever this question is asked, there can be no question of whom it is said ; for the church of Jesus, made comely by the comeliness which her Lord hath put upon her, is all this, and more, in every eye that can admire true loveliness ; and will be a perfection of beauty, in the upper and brighter world for ever. The first openings of grace upon the soul, after a dark night of the fall, may be compared to the beauty of the morning. But though fair as the moon, it is but a borrowed light, as the moon, and subject to changes in its increasings, and in its wanings also. As long as the sun's influences are upon this planet, its shinings will be fair. But when objects intervene from the earth, and the sun shines not, there will be an eclipse of aJI 148 THE POOR man's its borrowed lustre. Just so the church ; and Oh ! how often on my soul. While Jesus, the Sun of righteous- ness, shines upon me, all is fair and lovely ; but if he withdraws, tlie night immediately follows. But Oh ! my soul, when grace is perfected in glory ; when, as John in a vision saw, that wonder of wonders in hea- ven, " a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet," (Rev. xii. 1.) then shall the whole church of God shine forth " as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father." Precious Jesus ! give me to see my clear interest in thee, from my union with thee ! And do thou, dear Lord, so make me strong in thy strength, that during the whole period of my present warfare, I may be " terrible as an army with banners," to all that would oppose my way to thee, and in thee. Yea, Lord ! let sin, and Satan, and the world, be ever so united against me ; yet do thou put on me the whole armour of my God, that I may " fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life, and be made more than conqueror through him that loveth me." FEBRUARY 27. MORNING. — " He will be very gracious unto thee ; at the voice of thy cry, when he shall hear it, he will answer thee." — Isa. xxx. 19. Mark, my soul, what is here said ; for every word in this sweet scripture tells. Thy God, thy Saviour, thy Jesus, knows thy voice, hears thy cry, and will assuredly answer. He will not only be gracious, but very gra- cious. He waits to be gracious ; waits the most suited time, the best time, the praying time, the crying time ; for he times his grace, his mercy, to thy need. And though thou knowest it not, yet so it is ; when his time is near at hand, which is always the best time, he puts a cry in thine heart ; so that the time of thy cry, and the time for the manifestation of his glory, shall come together. Is not this to be gracious ; yea, very gra- MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 149 cious ? So that, while thou art looking after him, he is looking upon thee. And before thou callest upon him, he is coming forth to bless thee. Is not this very gracious ? Now then, my soul, make a memorandum of this for any occasions which may hereafter occur. Put it down as a sure, unnering truth ; thy Jesus will be very gracious unto thee. Never allow this promise to Ibe called in question any more. Next, bring it con- stantly into use. Faith, well-grounded faith in Jesus, should always bring down general rules to particular cases and circumstances, as the soul's experience may require. Hence, when God saith he will be very gra- cious unto thee, it is the act of faith to answer— if God hath said it, so it shall certainly be. And therefore, as that gracious God, who giveth the promise, giveth also the grace of faith to depend upon the promise, the mercy is already done, and faith enters upon the enjoy- ment of it. God's faithfulness and truth become the believer's shield and buckler. EVENING. — " But none saith, where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night ?" — Job xxxv. 10. Ah, Lord ! is it so, that among men of the world, though they arc oppressed by the world, and the evils of it, and some are compelled to cry out under the bit- terness of their sorrows, yet are there no hearts, no voices directed to thee ? When death entereth into their window, and taketh away the desire of their eyes with a stroke ; or when pains and chastenings of the body chain them to their beds ; do they lament the earthly bereavements, and groan under the conse- quences of sin, by which death and sickness came ; and yet in all these things, will nothing lead their unthink- ing minds " to hear the rod, and who hath appointed it ?" Will they turn from one creature comfort to another, and strive to fill up the vacancies made by distressing providences, in their fancied happiness with 150 THK I'OOR man's any thing, or even nothing, rather than look to thee for comfort and support under their troiihle ? Oh ! how great are my privileges, if this be the case, com- pared to those of the carnal ! And Oh ! how distin- guishing thy grace to my poor soul, that when sleepless on the bed, or when pains keep me awake, I can and do look to Jesus, and say, " Thou art God, my Maker, who giveth songs in the night !" Yea, Lord ! thou hast refreshed my soul with many a sweet song, when all the world was to me asleep, and could not interrupt my happiness. Oh ! how often have I been blessed with the harmony of the songs of redemption, and run over in some of the blessed verses of it, how Jesus hath loved me, and given himself for me. Yea, Lord ! may I hot say, as the prophet, " Thou hast wakened me morning by morning ; he hath wakened mine ear to hear as the learned." For methinks I have been often wakened in the night by thee, and I have found my soul instantly led out by thy grace, to a sense of thy presence, and to a desire after thee ; and was not this, my Lord, calling, as upon the church of old, " Let us get up early to the vineyards, for there will I give thee my loves !" Oh ! precious Redeemer ! grant me such frequent visits, and such sweet communications of thy grace ; and if in thy wise and kind providences, sick- ness, or pain, or afflictions, be at any time appointed me, do thou sit up by me. Lord, and keep my heart in sweet recollection of thee ; that in the multitude of the sorrows of my heart, thy comforts may refresh my soul ; and frequently may the earnest petition for thy presence and thy love, go forth in the inquiry, " "Where is God, my Maker, who giveth songs in the night?'* FEBRUAKY 28. MORNING.—" Leaning on Jesus' bosom."— John xiii. 23. Methinks I would contemplate for a while the pri- MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 151 vilege of this liighly-favoured disciple John. Surely to sit at the feet of Jesus, to look up at his face, to behold the Lamb of God, and to hear the gracious words which j)roceeded out of his mouth, what should 1 have thought of this but a happiness unspeakalile and full of glory ! But the beloved apostle leaned on Jesus's bosom. Oh, thou condescending Saviour ! didst thou mean to manifest, by this endearing token, how dear and precious all thy redeemed ones are in thy esteem ? But stop, my soul. If John lay on Jesus's breast, where was it Jesus himself lay, when he left all for thy salvation? The disciple whom Jesus loved lay upon Jesus's bosom ; but he, whom the Father loved, lay in the bosom of the Father— nay, was embosomed there ; was wrapt up in the very soul of the Father from eternity. Who shall undertake to speak of the most glorious state of the Son of God, before he con- descended to come forth from the bosom of God for tlie salvation of his people ? Who shall describe the blessedness of the Father and the Son in their mutual enjoyment of each other ? Jesus, when he was in the bosom of the Father, had not emptied himself of his glory. Jesus had not been made in the likeness of sinful flesh. Jesus had not put himself under the law. He was not then a man of sorrows. He was not then acquainted with grief. He had not then exposed his face to shame and spitting ; neither to poverty, tempta- tion, the bloody sweat, and the cross. And did Jesus go through all these, and more ? Did Jesus leave the Father's bosom ; and did the Father take this only- begotten, only-beloved Son from his bosom ; that John might lean on Jesus's bosom, and all the redeemed, like him, one day, dwell with Jesus, and lean and rest in his embraces for ever ? Oh, for hearts to love both the Fatheii and the Son, who have so loved us; that we may be ready to part with all, and forsake all. 152 THE POOR man's and die to all, that we may live in Jesus, and to Jesus, and rest in his bosom for ever. EVENING. — " Having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." — John xiii. 1. Sweet thought, my soul, for thee everlastingly to cherish ; thy Jesus is the same, and his love the same, amidst all thy changings : yet he abideth faithful. His love, and not thy merit, was the first cause of thy salvation ; and the same love, and not thy undeservings, is the final cause wlierefore thou art not lost. But mark in this blessed scripture, how many sweet and lovely things are said. Jesus hath a people, and that people are in the world, and that people are his own. What ! had he not a people in the other world ? Yes! by creation all are his, in common with the Fa- ther. But by redemption he had none, until he had redeemed them from this present evil world. And observe how very graciously they are spoken of. They are his own, his peculiar people, his treasure, his Segullah, his jewels. And how dearly doth he prize them! They were first given to him by his Father; that made them dear. They are the purchase of his blood ; this made them dear also. He hath conquered them by his grace ; this endears them to himself as his own. And though they are in this world, too much engaged in the affairs of the world, and too much in love with the world, yet Jesus's love is not abated : their persons are still dear to Jesus, though their sins he hates. The same love which prompted his infinite mind to stand up for their redemption ; the same love is going forth unceasingly, and without change or lessening, to accomplish and render effectual that re- demption. Precious Lord Jesus! Oh for grace to love thee, who hast so loved us! And while thou conde- scendest to call such poor sinful worms thine own, and to love them as thine own, and consider every thing MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 153 done for them and done to them as to thyself ; shall not a portion of such love be communicated to my poor heart, that I may love thee as my own and only Saviour, and learn to love thee to the end, as thou hast loved me and given thyself for me, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour ? MARCH 1. MORNING.—" And his name shall be called Wonderful,"— Isa. ix. 6. In the opening of the last month, the fragrancy of Jesus's name, as Emanuel, gave a sweet savour to my soul. May He, whose name is as ointment poured forth, give a new refreshment to my spiritual senses this morning, in this name also as Wonderful ; for surely every thing in him, and concerning him, of whom the prophet speaks, is eminently so. But who shall speak of thy wonders, dearest Lord ! the wonders of thy Godhead, the wonders of thy manhood, the won- ders of both natures united and centered in one Per- son ? — Who shall talk of the wonders of thy work, the wonders of thine offices, characters, relations ; thy mira- culous birth, thy wonderful death, resurrection, ascen- sion ? — Who shall follow thee, thou risen and exalted Saviour, at the right hand of power, and tell of the exercise of thine everlasting priesthood ? Who shall speak of the wonders of thy righteousness, the wonders of thy sin-atoning blood ? What angel shall be found competent to proclaim the wonders of the Father's love, in giving thee for poor sinners ? What archangel to write down the wonders of thy love, in undertaking and accomplishing redemption ? And who but God the Spirit can manifest both in the height, and depth, and breadth, and length, of a love that passeth knowledge ? Is there, my soul, a wonder yet, that, as it concerns thee, and thine interest in him, whose name is wonder- 154 THK POOR man's fill, is still more marvellous to thy view^ ? Yes, Oh thou wonderful Lord, for sure all wonders seem lost in the contemplation comjiared to that, that Jesus should look on me in my lost, ruined, and undone estate ; for his mercy endureth for ever. Well might Jesus say, " Be- hold, I and the children whom thou hast given me, are for signs and wonders!" Isa. viii. 18. Well might the Lord, concerning Jesus and his people, declare them to be as men wondered at. Zech. iii. 8. And blessed Lord, the more love thou hast shewn to thy people, the more are they the world's wonder and their own. Precious Lord, continue to suprise my soul witli the tokens of thy love. All the tendencies of thy grace, all the manifestations of thy favour, thy visits, thy love-tokens, thy pardons, thy renewings, thy morn- ing-call, thy mid-day feedings, thy noon, thy evening, thy midnight grace — all. all are among thy wonderful ways of salvation ; and all testify to my soul, that thy name, as well as thy work, is, and must be, wonderful. EVENING. — " For by one ofFering, he liath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." — Heb. x. 1 4. I hope, my soul, thou hast still upon thee the sweet savour of his name, whom in the morning portion thou didst contemplate as wonderful. And if so, here is another view of Jesus, presented to thine evening medi- tation, to keep alive the blessed fragrancy, and under the Spirit's influence, to preserve both, not only through tlie night, but to the morning ; and every night, and every morning that follows, until the night of death be passed, and that everlasting morning break in upon thee, in which thy sun shall no more go down, but Jesus himself be thine everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Look, my soul, this evening, at thy Jesus, as this sweet scripture sets him forth, and behold him. in his higli priestly office, at once the sacrifice, the saci-ificer, and the altar, on which he hath olTcred uj) that one offering, by which he " hath perfected for ever them .MORNINC; AND EVKNING I'OHTIONS. 155 that are sanctified." And mark both the preciousness of thy Jesus, and the preciousness of his work. It is but one offering, and that one but once offered. For, from its eternal value and efficacy, an everlasting per- fection is given to all them that are sanctified, and set apart for himself. " For Christ (as the apostle in his delightful manner expresseth it) being raised from the dead, dieth no more: death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once ; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God," Rom. vi. 9, 10. And what abundant precious things are contained in this view of the one offering of the Lord Jesus, which the Holy Ghost is continually .holding forth to the church ! It is blessed to behold them, blessed to be- lieve them, and doubly blessed to be living in the con- stant enjoyment of them. So vast and comprehensive is this one offering of Jesus, that it hath not merely procured the hopes of pardon, but the certainty of it ; not only brought poor sinners into a capability of lieing saved, but absolutely saved them ; and not only saved them, but quaUfied them for happiness : yea, " hath perfected, and that for ever, them that are sanctified." And who are they? Surely all are sanctified who were set apart from everlasting, in the council of peace, between the persons of the Godhead, and given unto the Son, in an everlasting covenant, that cannot be broken : for to this purport are those blessed words of Jesus himself, in his prayer to his Father, John xvii. 2. " That I should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given me." And, my soul, take one observation more, from this sweet scripture ; this perfection, given to liis people, by his one offering, is for ever ; " he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." So that the blessing runs through all eternity, i he efficacy of Jesus's blood and righteousness is eternally the same. In point of merit, it blows as fresh and pure, and sove- reign, in its pleadings now, as ever. Hallelujah ! Fold 156 THE POOR man's up, my soul, this blessed verse, in thy bosom, and carry it about with thee in thine heart. Let it be among the first and last of thy thoughts, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Jesus will own it, and prove it to the full, when thou bringest it before his throne. MARCH 2. MORNING. — " For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." — 2 Cor. viii, 12. Sweet thought this to comfort the soul under small attainments, " If there be first a willing mind." Surely, Lord, thou hast given me this ; for thou hast made me willing in the day of thy power. I feel as such, my soul going forth in desires after thee, as my chief and only good ; though, alas ! how continually do I fall short of the enjoyment of thee. I can truly say, " whom is there in heaven, or upon earth, that I desire in com- parison of thee ?" When thou art present, I am at once in heaven ; it makes a very heaven in my soul : thou art the God of my exceeding joy. When thou art absent my soul pines after thee. And truly, " I count all things but dung and dross to win thee for whatever gifts thou hast graciously bestowed upon me, in the kindness of friends, in the affections and charities of life, yet all these are secondary considerations with my soul. Tliey are more or less lovely, as I see thy gracious hand in them ; but all are nothing to my Lord. Is not this, dearest Jesus, a willing mind ? Is it not made so in the day of thy power ? But in the midst of this, though I feel this rooted desire in me after thee, yet how often is my lieart wandering from thee. Though there is at the bottom of my heart a constant longing for thy presence, and the sweet visits of thy love ; yet through the mass of unbelief, and the remains of in- dwelling corruption in my nature, which are keeping down the soul ; how doth the day pass, and how often MOKNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 157 doth the enemy tempt me to question my interest in thee. Dearest Jesus ! undertake for me. I do cry out, " When wilt thou come to me," though I am thus kept back from coming to thee ? When wilt thou manifest thyself to my soul, and come over all these mountains of sin and unbehef, and fill me with a joy unspeakable and full of glory ? And doth Jesus indeed accept from the willing mind, he hath himself given, according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not ? — Doth my Redeemer behold, amidst the rubbish, the spark of grace he himself hath kindled ? Will he despise the day of small things ? No, he will not. It was said of thee, that " thou shouldest not break the bruised reed, neither quench the smoaking flax." Mine, indeed, is no more. But yet Jesus will bear up the one, and kindle the other, until he send forth judgment unto victory. Peace, then, my soul ! weak as thou art in thyself, yet art thou strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. EVENING.—" The waters of Marah."'— Exod. xv, 23. My soul ! let thine imagination take wing, and flee thou, this evening, beside " the waters of Marah ;" and while thou sittest down by the stream, see whether thou wilt be able to gather some of the many improving lessons the Holy Ghost brings befox'e the church, con- cerning that memorable transaction wrought there for Israel. We read in the history of that people, that they had just before sung the song of salvation, on the bor- ders of the Red Sea, when Israel saw that great sight, themselves redeemed, and the enemy swallowed up; and they were now on their march toward the promised land. Three days they had travelled into the wilder- ness, and found no water ; and when they came to Marah, though water was there in abundance, yet they could not drink of it, for it was bitter. In this situa- tion they cried unto the Lord ; and the Lord shewed 158 THK POOR MAN S the pcoiile a tree, which when cast into the waters made them sweet. Such are the outlines of the history. Pause, now, my soul, and see what improving reflections thou canst gather from it. The Lord thy Ciod hath brought thee also out of spiritual Egypt, he hath led thee through a new and living way, even the red sea of Christ's blood ; and thou hast begun thy song of salva- tion also, to God and the Lamb. But when, like Israel, he is bringing thee through the wilderness, where dis- pensations suited to a wilderness may be supposed to abound ; how art thou manifesting thy faith and sub- mission ? Reader, what is your answer to such a ques- tion ? Methinks I would hope better things of tjou, than I dare say of myself. But I too often find, when the waters of life are like the waters of Marah ; when what I proposed for my comfort turns out to my sorrow, and I discover a worm in the very bud of some sweet flower I have been rearing uj) for myself with great care ; I feel rebellion rising within. I blush even now in the recollection of how often I have been tempted to call in question the divine faithfulness, and, like Israel, have taken offence, at some little difficulty I have met with, which afterwards I have discovered, was purposely put there by the Lord himself, to mani- fest his watchfulness over me, and how sure my depen- dence upon him might have been placed. Reader! doth your heart find but too much correspondence to this state of mine ? Let us both then do as Israel did, when at any time our waters are like the waters of Marah, cry unto the Lord. Let us put the cross of Jesus into the stream, be it what it may, (for that is the tree which the Lord sheweth his people,) and never doubt, but Jesus's cross, though to him more bitter than gall, yet to us will prove the sweetener of all our crosses. Yes ! thou dear Lord ! thou didst drink the cup of trembling even to the dregs, that in the view of it, thy redeemed might take the cup of salvation, and MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 159 call upon the name of the Lord. Thy cross, if cast into a sea of trouble, will alter the very properties of afflic- tion to all thy tried ones. In every place, and in every state, while my soul is enabled to keep thee in remem- brance, and " thy wormwood, and thy gall ;" the wilderness of all my dispensations will smile, and blos- som as the x'ose. I shall then learn to bless a taking God, as well as a giving God, for both are alike from the overflowings of thy mercy ; and, like the apostle, 1 shall then have learnt the blessedness of that state, " to glory in tribulation, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." MARCH 3. MORNING. — " That ye may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height ; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge." — Eph. iii. 18, 19. Did Paul pray that the church might be thus blessed? So should all faithful pastors. And there is enough in Jesus to call up the everlasting contemplation of his people. Ail the dimensions of divine glory are in Jesus. Who, indeed, shall describe the extent of that love which passeth knowledge ? But, my soul, pause over the account. What is the breadth of it ? Jesus's death reaches in efficacy to all his seed — all his children: to thee, my soul ; for thou art the seed of Jesus, And though that death took place at Jerusalem near two thousand years since, yet the efficacy of his blood, as from an higli altar, as effectually washes away sin now, as in the mo- ment it was shed. Remembei% Jesus still wears the vesture dipped in blood. Remember, Jesus still appears as the Lamb slain before God. Indeed, indeed, Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. So that, in breadth, it is broader than the sea, taking in all the seed of Jesus, through all ages, all dispensa- tions, all the various orders of his people. Neither is the length of it less proportioned. Who shall circum- 160 THK HOOK MAN S scribe the Father's love, which is from everlasting to everlasting ? Who shall Hmit Jesus's grace ? Is he not made of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption ? Is he not all this, in every office, every character, every relation ? " Jesus Christ ; the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever !" And what is the depth of this love, but reaching down to hell, to lift up our poor fallen nature. And what is the lieiglit, but Jesus in our nature, exalted far above all principalities, and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come ! Precious God of my salvation ! Oh, give me to see, to know, to entertain, and cherish, more enlarged views of this love; which hath no bottom, no bounds, no shore; but, like its Almighty Author, is from everlasting to everlasting. Shall I ever despond ? Shall 1 ever doubt any more, when this Jesus looks upon me, loves me, washes me in his blood, feeds me, clothes me, and hath promised to bring me to glory ? Oh, for faith " to comprehend, with all saints, this love of God which passeth knowledge." EVENIMG. — " Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure : for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall : for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." — 2 Pet. i. 10, 11. What a very affectionate advice is here given by the apostle ; and surely as important as it is tender ! Sit down, my soul, this evening, and ponder these words of Peter. The apostle saith, and saith it with great clear- ness of reason, as well as revelation, that an assurance of being a partaker of grace in this life, becomes as sure and certain an evidence of being made a partaker of glory in another. — The question then is, how shall 1 ascertain, and without the shadow of a doubt, the cer- tainty of my calling and election ? Shall I look into the book of life, to see my name there? That is impossible. MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 161 " Secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those that are revealed belong unto us, and unto our children, for ever." Is there nothing revealed on this important point in the scriptures of truth ? Yes. The apostle to the Romans, was commissioned to tell the church, that whom God the Father did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, " them he also called : and whom he called, them he also justified : and whom he justified, them he also glorified," Rom. viii. 29, 30. Hence, therefore, it must plainly and undeniably follow, that where a soul can fully prove his having been called, his election is included in the discovery ; for the one is the result and consequence of the other. If I see a stream of water flowing, there must be a source whence it comes, though the fountain itself be out of sight. The fruit of any tree will of itself ascertain the nature and quality of the tree whence it was gathered, whether the tree be seen or not. And if, my soul, thou possessest clear and unquestionable tokens of thy being called by grace, in the true scriptural evidences which the Holy Ghost hath there marked concerning it, thine election will as plainly be implied. See then if this be thy case. If thou hast a conviction of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; if a sense of thy transgressions hath been so marked in thine heart, as to be followed with a sense of thy utterly lost and ruined state by nature, and a total inability on thy part to accomplish any thing towards thine own recovery ; and if thou hast been led by the Holy Ghost, to the view of Jesus, as the only One mighty to save ^ and thou art come to him, with the awakened cry of the soul, " Lord, save, or I perish!" these are among the first and most striking testimonies of an effectual and saving call by grace. And therefore the diligence the apostle so strongly and affectionately recommends, is to look into thy evidences daily, and habitually to live in the enjoyment of them : so that from long and increasing acquaintance with them, all 162 THK POOR man's the great and glorious objects connected with our future and eternal state, may be made familiar to the soul. Stedfastly looking to the Lord Jesus by faith, and hving by faith upon him, we may be daily growing up to him in all things : so that when life comes to be closed, and faith swallowed up in enjoyment, like a rich and deeply laden vessel in full sail, we may then have an abun- dant entrance ministered unto us, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." MARCH 4. MORNING.—" How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" — Ps. cxxxvii. 4. Methinks, my soul, this strange land is the very place to sing the Lord's song in, though the carnal around understand it not. Shall I hang my harp upon the willow, when Jesus is my song, and when he himself hath given me so much cause to sing? Begin, my soul, thy song of redemption : learn it, and let it be sung upon earth ; for sure enough thou wilt hav-e it to sing in heaven. Art thou at a loss what to sing ? Oh, no. Sing of the Father's mercy in sending a Saviour. Sing of Jesus's love, in not only coming, but dying for thee ! Are the redeemed above now singing, " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain ?" Join in the chorus, and tell that dear Redeemer in the loudest notes, that he was slain, and hath redeemed thee to God by his blood. Strike up thy harp anew to the glories of redeeming grace, in that he not only died for thee, but hath quick- ened thee to a new and spiritual life. Add a note more to the Lord's song, and tell the Redeemer in thy song of praise, that he hath not only died for thee, and quickened thee, but he hath loved thee, and washed thee from thy sins in his own blood. Go on in thy song, my soul, for it is the Lord's song. Sing not only of redeeming love, but marvellous grace ; for both are MORNING AND KVKNING PORTIONS. 163 connected. He that redeemed thee, hath all grace for thee. He hath adopted thee into his family; hath made thee an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ. He hath undertaken for thee in all troubles, under all diffi- culties, to be with thee at all times and all places, until he brings thee home to behold his glory, that where he is, there thou mayest be for ever. And are not these causes enough to keep thy harp always strung — always in tune? And wilt thou not sing this song all the way through, and make it the subject of thy continual praise and love, in the house of thy pilgrimage ? Moreover, the several properties of the song are, in themselves, matter for keeping it alive every day, and all the day. Think, my soul, how free was this love of God to thee. Surely if a man deserved hell, and found heaven, shall he not sing ? If I expected displeasure, and received love — if I was brought low, and one like the Son of Man helped me, shall I not say, as one of old did — " He brought me out of the honible pit, and out of the miry clay ; he hath put a new song into my mouth, even thanksgiving to our God ?" If I think of the greatness of the mercy, of the riches of the mercy, of the sweet- ness of the mercy, of the all-sufficiency of the mercy, of the sureness and firmness, and everlasting nature and efficacy of the mercy — can I refrain to sing ? No, blessed, blessed Jesus ! I will sing and not be afraid ; " for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, and he is become my salvation." 1 will sing now, I will sing for evermore. In this strange land, in this barren land, in this distant land from my Father's house, I will sing, and Jesus shall be my song. He shall be the Alpha and the Omega of my hymn; and until I come to sing in the louder and sweeter notes of hea- ven, among the hallelujahs of the blessed, upon the new harp and new stringed chords of my renewed soul, will I sing of Jesus and his blood, Jesus and his righteous- ness, Jesus and his complete salvation. And when the 164 THE POOR MAN S last song upon my trembling lips, with Jesus's name in full, shall be uttered ; as the sound dies away, when death seals up the power of utterance ; my departing soul shall catch the parting breath, and, as it enters the presence of the court above, the first notes of my ever- lasting song will go on with the same blessed note, ** to him that hath loved me, and washed me from my sins in his own blood ! EVENING. — " And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, thou God seest me : for she said, have i also here looked after him that seeth me ? Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi." — Gen. xvi. 13, 14. Behold, my soul, what very blessed instructions arise out of this scripture. Beg of God the Holy Ghost to make thy present evening meditation of it sweet. The words themselves are the reflection of Hagar, the hand- maid of Sarah, when she fled from her mistress into the wilderness. In a situation of great distress, the Lord manifested himself to her, and the conclusion she drew from it, was, as is expressed, " thou, Lord, seest me." This indeed, was the name she gave unto the Lord, as if henceforth she would know the Lord in all his mer- cies by this name. Sweet thought ! Jesus is known by his name ; and in his name his grace is revealed. But Hagar added another delightful reflection, " for she said, have I also here looked after him that seeth me?" As if she had said, ' And hath the grace God looking upon me, wrought grace in me ?' But the words may be read differently, and some indeed read them so : * Have I looked for the Lord, when the Lord looked after me ? Alas ! I thought not of him, until that he called me by his grace.' Here is another delightful thought of Hagar's, and in perfect harmony with the gospel of Jesus. For " if we love God, it is because he first loved us." And there is another reflection, as interesting as either : '* wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi that is, " the well of him that liveth MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 165 and looketh on." This became Hagar's memorial ; as if she would for ever perpetuate the name of him that looked on and regarded her sorrow. This well, this place, this sacred spot, shall be Hagar's Bethel ; it shall tell every one that passeth by, here the Lord wrought, and here he manifested grace to a poor handmaid. Pre- cious scripture of a precious God ! Who but must feel delight in beholding Hagar's faith ? And who but must find cause to bless God, both for giving that faith, and affording so favourable an occasion for the exercise of it ? And shall I not, and will not you, reader, gather some of the many delightful instructions from it, for our own use, which it is so highly calculated to bring? Did the angel of the Lord look on Hagar; and doth he not look on every child of his ? Am I at any time looking after Jesus, and is not Jesus looking after me ? Oh ! what a volume of encouragement ariseth from this one view, to persevere in looking after him, and in waiting for him ; that before I thought of him, or was looking after him, Jesus was both caring and looking upon me! It is impossible to be beforehand with God. Put down then, my soul, this conclusion from this blessed scripture, that in every place, in every state, upon every occasion, thy Jesus liveth, and looketh on. And do thou call the Lord by the same name as Hagar did, that speaketh to thee, in every place, and by every providence, " Thou God scest me." And never, never forget, when thou art hardest put to it, and art seeking Jesus sorrowing ; though, to thy blind eye, he doth not so immediately appear; that he is still seeing, and fol- lowing thee, even when thou art not seeking and following after him. Let this be in thy constant re- membrance ; and make every spot that is memorable, like the well Beer-lahai-roi, to draw water of salvation from ; for in every one it is the well of him that liveth and looketh on. Precious Lord Jesus! henceforth grant me grace, that while thou art looking after me with 166 THE POOR man's love and favour, I may be looking unto thee with faith and praise. And through every step of my wilderness state, while going home to my Father's house, let this be my comfort, and the burden of my song in this house of my pilgrimage, " Thou God seest me !" MARCH 5. MORNING. — " Faint, yet pursuing." — Judges viii. 4. Surely what is said here concerning the little army of Gideon, suits my case exactly. I know that in Jesus the victory is certain ; but I know also, that I shall have battlings all the way. From the moment that the Lord called me out of darkness into his marvellous light, my whole life hath been but a state of warfare ; and I feel what Paul felt, and groan as he groaned, under a body of sin and death ; " as sorrowful, yet rejoicing ; as dying, but behold I live ; as chastened, and not killed." Truly I am faint, under the many heavy assaults 1 have sustained; and yet, through grace, pursuing as if I had met with no difficulty. Yes, blessed Jesus ; I know that there can be no truce in this war ; and looking unto thee, I pray to be found faithful unto death, that no man may take my crown. But, dearest Lord ! thou seest my day of small things ; thou beholdest how faint I am. Thou seest also, how the enemy assaults me ! and how the world and the flesh combat against me. While without are fightings, within will be fears. Yet, dearest, blessed Lord, " in the Lord I have strength ;" and how sweet is the thought, that though I have nothing, though I am nothing, yet thou liast said, " in me is thy help." Thou hast said, " the righteous shall hold on his way ; and he that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger." The worm Jacob thou hast promised shall thresh the mountains. Write these blessed things, my soul, upon the living tablets of thine heart, or rather beg of God the Holy MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 167 Ghost, the remembrancer of thy Jesus, to stamp them there for thee. *' He giveth power to the faint ; and to them which have no might, he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary ; and the young men shall utterly fail. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength ; they shall mount up with wings, as eagles ; they shall run, and not be weary ; and they shall walk, and not faint." EVENING. — " Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh.?"— Gal. iii. 3. While beholding the church of Galatia, which set out upon true gospel principles, and before whose eyes Jesus Christ had been evidently set forth as crucified among them; yet after this, turning aside to seek justification by works ; let thine evening meditation, my soul, be directed to this heart-searching inquiry : upon what art tJioii building thine hopes of salvation ? Is it simply on Christ ; or art thou mingling with the blood and righte- ousness of Jesus, somewhat of thine own, by way of justification ? The question is exceedingly important ; and the clear answer to it, of the first consequence to thy present peace, and everlasting welfare. See to it then, that there be no reserves, no limitations, nothing to qualify the plain and direct answer to tlie apostle's words ; but that having begun in the Spirit, thou raay- est truly say, thou dost not seek to be made perfect by the flesh. If this be thy case, thou hast learned to make a nice, but highly proper distinction between the great object of faith, which is Christ alone, and the fruits and eflTects of that faith, which are the gracious influences that Jesus, by his Holy Spirit, hath wrought in thine heart. It is very blessed, very desirable, to let the world, both of saints and of sinners, see our light so shine before them, that it may be not the subject of doubt, whose we are, and whom we serve. But, if any attainments, which, by grace, my soul is blessed with, be made a part saviour in my views of justifica- 168 THE POOR man's tion; and I am not looking wholly to Jesus for this great work, as wrought out and completed by him ; certain it is, that however I might begin in the Spirit, 1 am now turning aside to the flesh. Moreover, besides the motley reUgion I am thus taking up with, if what I feel, and what I enjoy in the fruits and effects of faith, be made a part of my hopes and confidence ; alas ! when those feelings, and those enjoyments at any time abate, my hopes and confidence will abate also. And if justifica- tion be made a fluctuating principle, is it not plain, that I shall be void of comfort, when I most want it ? And is it not, from this very cause, that so many precious souls go in leanness all their days, sometimes feeling hope, but for the most part, exercised with doubts and fears, according to what they feel, and not what Jesus is in their view ; and because in themselves, they are look- ing for somewhat that may give a greater confidence in Christ ? Pause, my soul, and inquire how the case stands with thyself: is Jesus the whole, in the way of a sinner's justification before God ? Is he the Alpha and the Omega also ? Dost thou regard him as both the Author and the Finisher of salvation ? Is he the first and the last ; and dost thou venture thine everlasting all upon Jesus? Pause once more, and then say, what are thy views in this distinction between the works of the Spirit and of the flesh ? Hast thou so learned Christ ? MARCH 6. MORNING. — " And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered them- selves unto him, and he became a captain over them." — 1 Sam. xxii. 2. My soul, was not this thy case when thou first sought after Jesus ? Thou wert, indeed, in debt under an heavy load of insolvency. Distress and discontent sadly marked thy whole frame. Unconscious where to go, or to whom to seek, and no man cared for thy soul. MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 169 Oh ! what a precious thought it was, and which none but God the Holy Ghost could have put into thine heart — Go unto Jesus ! And when I came, and thou didst graciously condescend to be my captain, from that hour how hath my soul been revived ! My insolvency thou hast taken away ; for thou hast more than paid the whole demands of the law ; for thou hast magnified it, and made it honourable. My distress under the apprehension of divine justice thou hast removed ; for God's justice, by thee, is not only satisfied, but glori- fied. My discontent can have no further cause for exercise, since thou hast so graciously provided for all my wants, in grace here, and glory hereafter. Hail, thou great and glorious Captain of my salvation ! In thee I see that Leader and Commander which Jehovah, thy Father, promised to give to the people. Thou art indeed, blessed Jesus, truly commissioned by thy Father to this very purpose, that every one that is in soul- distress, by reason of sin, and debtors to the broken law of God, may come unto thee, and take thee for their Captain. And truly, Lord, thy little army, like David's, is composed of none originally but distressed souls. None would take thee for his Captain, whose spiritual circumstances are not desperate. None but the man whose heart hath felt distress, by reason of sin, and is sinking under the heavy load of guilt, will come under thy banner. Oh ! the condescension of Jesus to receive such, and be gracious unto them. Oh ! that I had the power of persuasion, I would say to every poor sinner, every insolvent debtor, every one who feels and knows the plague of his heart — would to God you were with the Captain of my salvation, he would recover you from all your sorrow. Go to him, my brother, as I have done ; he will take away your distress by taking away your sin. He will liberate you from all your debt by paying it himself. He will banisl* all discontent from the mind, in giving you 170 THE POOR man's peace with God by his blood. Yes, blessed, Almighty Captain ! thou art indeed over thy people, as well as Captain to thy people. By the sword of thy Spuit, which is the word of God, thou workest conviction in our hearts ; thou makest all thine enemies fall under thee ; thou leadest thy people on to victory, and makest them more than conquerors through thy grace support- ing them. Lord, put on the military garments of salvation on my soul, and the whole armour of God, that under thy banner I may be found in life, in death, and for evermore ! EVENING. — "She bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, because I have asked him of the Lord."' — 1 Sam. i. 20. It is really both blessed and profitable to observe, how holy men of old made memorandums of the Lord's kind dealings with them, as well in providence as grace, by way of preserving alive a due sense of divine mer- cies upon their souls. A night or two since, the evening portion remarked a beautiful instance of this sort in the case of Hagar : and in the scripture I have brought forth for our present meditation, is another, equally beautiful in the instance of Hannah. In the former, the memorial was set up to perpetuate the place of the Lord's graciousness ; in this latter, the dedication is of the person concerning whom divine favour was shewn. But in both, the design is one and the same, to glorify God. I pause by the way, to remark, how much to be lamented it is, that this truly scriptural and pious custom is so little followed by christians, and even believing christians too in the present hour. What a number of unscriptural, and frequently heathenish names, are now given to children of parents professing the great truths of the gospel ? Whereas, with those early followers of the Lord, they called their children by somcM^hat that should be always significant of divine mercies. So that, whenever their children were at any time called upon, or looked to, the very name might MORNJNG AND EVENING PORTIONS. IJl bring to remembrance past blessings, and refresh their souls in the recollection of the mercies which occasioned them. This instance of Hannah is beautifully in point, by way of illustration : she called him Samuel, which signifies, " asked of the Lord." For we find in her history, with what earnestness she sought a child from the liOrd. Hence, therefore, we may suppose, upon numberless occasions, in after-days, whenever she heard her Samuel mentioned, or she called him herself, the soul of Hannah went forth in faith, and love, and praise, to the Author and Giver of this blessing. And it is but reasonable to suppose, that if the name reminded the mother of her mercy, and she called her son by this name purposely, that she might remember the Lord in his bounty ; no doubt, she was not forgetful to instruct her Samuel also in the same thing. We may, indeed, conclude that Hannah betimes made Samuel acquainted with the cause of his name. And from the sequel of the prophet's history, we find that he who was a child of prayer, and asked of the Lord, was a servant to his praise, and given to the Lord. Reader! methinks it is blessed, it is gracious, and sure I am it is right, thus to keep up intercourse with heaven. You and I have our Samuels ; I mean our asked blessings, whether in chil- dx*en, or in other providences. Oh ! for grace, while re- ceiving mercies, to make those mercies the memoran- dums of the great Giver! If what we ask from God in prayer, we give back again to God in praise, and in the stream of creature enjoyments, find a tenfold relish in them, from living upon the Creator fulness ; then we shall find cause to call many a blessing Samuel, because *' it hath been asked," and often given unasked, of the Lord. MARCH 7. MORNING. — " They shall hunger no more." — Rev. vii. 16. My soul! contemplate for a moment, before thou enterest upon the concerns of time and sense, in the 172 THli POOR man's claims of the world, the blessed state of the redeemed above. They are at the fountain-head of happiness, in their station, in their service, in their society, in their provision, in their everlasting exemption from all want, and above all, in the pi'esence of God and the Lamb. " They shall hunger no more." Sweet thought! Let me this day anticipate as many of the blessed properties of it as my present state in Jesus will admit. If Jesus be my home, my residence, my dwelling-place, will not the hungerings of my soul find supply ? Yes, surely. A life of faith on the Son of God, is a satisfying life, under all the changes of the world around. Finding Jesus, I find sustenance in him, and therefore do not hunger for ought besides him. " Thou art my hiding- place," said one of old ; and my soul finds occasion to adopt the same language. And He that is my hiding- place, is also my food and my nourishment. In Jesus there is both food and a fence ; there is fruit, as well as a shadow ; and the fulness of Jesus needs vent in the wants of his people, for the pouring forth of his all- sufficiency. My soul, cherish this thought to the full. If thy hunger be really for Jesus, and him only, then will thy hunger be abundantly supplied in his commu- nication. As long as I look at my wants, without an eye to Jesus, I shall be miserable. But if I consider those wants and that emptiness purposely appointed for the pouring out of his fulness, they will appear as made for the cause of happiness. Jesus keeps up the hun- gering, that he may have the blessedness of supplying them; he keeps his children empty that he may fill them, and that his fulness may be in request among them. So far, therefore, is my hungering from becom- ing a source of sorrow, it furnisheth out a source of holy joy. I should never be straitened in myself, when I am not straitened in Jesus. Nay, it would be a sad token of distance from Jesus if a sense of want was lessened. While, on the other hand, the best proof I can have of nearness to Jesus, and living upon him, is. MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 1/3 when my enjoyment of Jesus discov^ei's new and increas- ing wants, and excites an holy hungering for his sup- plying them. By and by I shall get home, and then at the fountain head of rapture aud delight, all hungering and wants will be done away, in the full and everlasting enjoyment of God and the Lamb ! EVENING. — " Because she judged him faithful who had promised." — Heb. xi. 11. I admire what the Holy Ghost hath here recorded of Sarah's faith. After what we read of the weakness of her faith at first, in the history to which this refers, I cannot but rejoice in the i-ecovery of the great mother in Israel, through grace ; and read with very much pleasure, this honourable testimony, which the Holy Ghost himself hath given of her. And I admire yet more, the grace and goodness of the Eternal Spirit, in causing it to be handed down to the church, among the list of such worthies, and desire to bless his holy name for this scripture. And while I bless God for the me- morial, I pray him to give me a spirit of wisdom, to improve it to my own furtherance in faith. The faith of Sarah, like that of her husband's, was the more illus- trious, fi-om the seeming impossibilities which lay in the way of the accomplishment of God's promise. For what the Lord engaged to do, was contrary to the whole course of nature. But what was that to Sarah ? All she had to do, was to consider the promise ; and keep an eye upon the Almighty Promiser. ' If there are difficulties in the way, that is God's business, and not mine,' might Sarah say. ' How the Lord will bring it to pass, is with him, and not with me: I have no con- cern with that. My province is to believe ; it is God's to work.' Here was an act of illustrious faith ! and the sequel of Sarah's history, shews how well founded it was. But the Holy Ghost explains the subject, and shews how it was accompHshed; " because she judged him faithful who had promised." Now, my soul, see 174 THE POOR man's to it, that thou make the same grand cause the founda- tion of thy faith; namely, Jehovah's faithfulness; and, depend upon it, every promise of the gospel, even Jesus, with all his fulness, thou mayest, as well as Sarah, rely upon ; and thou wilt be always able to do it, as long as thou makest the same perfection of Jehovah thy confi- dence : " because she judged him faithful that pro- mised." While I rest upon his faithfulness, I rest upon the Rock of Ages, which can never give way: and every difficulty, or seeming impossibility, which comes between the promise of a faithful God, and the accomplishment of that promise, hath no more to do with the thing it- self, than the tide hath with unsettling the rock ; but will, like the tide, soon ebb, and withdraw, and leave the ground dry. Oh! the blessedness of judging Him faithful, who hath promised. MARCH 8. MORNING.—" From this day will I bless tliee,"— Hag. ii. 19. My soul, vvliat day is the memorable day to thee from whence commenced thy blessings? No doubt from everlasting the Lord hath blessed his people in Jesus. But the commencement of thy personal enjoy- ment of those blessings, was at the time the Lord graci- ously laid the foundation of his spiritual temple in thee; the blessed, the gracious, the auspicious, the happy day, when the Lord made thee willing in the day of his power ? Oh ! blessed day, never, never to be forgotten ! A day of light ; when the light of Jesus first broke in upon me. A day of life ; when the Lord Jesus quickened my poor soul, which before was laying dead in trespasses and sins. A day of love; when his love first was made known to my soul, who so loved me as to give his dear and ever-blessed Son for me : and his love was sweetly manifested, who so loved me as to give himself for me. A day of the beginning of MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 175 victory, over death and hell, and the grave. A day of liberty ; when the Lord Jesus opened my {jrison doors and brought me out. A day of wonder, love and praise ; when my eyes first saw the King in his beauty, and my whole soul was overpowered in the contemplation of the grace, the glory, the beauty, the loveliness, tlie suitableness, the all-sufficiency of his glorious Person and glorious work. A day, Oh what dear name shall I term it to be ? A day of grace, a jubilee, a salvation day ! the day of my espousals to Jesus, and of the gladness of my Redeemer's heart! And, my soul, did thy God, did thy Jesus say, that from that day he would bless thee? And hath he not done it ? Oh, yes, yes ; beyond all conception of blessing. He hath blessed thee in thy basket and thy store. All the blessings, even in temporal mercies, which were all forfeited in Adam, are now sweetly restored, and blessed, and sanctified, in Jesus: nay, even thy very crosses have the curse taken out of them by thy Jesus ; and thy very tears have the spiced wine of the pomegranate. And as to spiritual blessings, God thy Father hath blessed thee with all in his dear Son. Thy Father hath made over himself, in Jesus, with all his love and favour. And Jesus is thine, with all his fulness, sweetness, all-sufficiency. And God the Spirit, with all his gracious influences and com- forts. And the present enjoyment of these unspeakable mercies becomes the sure earnest of blessings which are eternal. Jesus himself hath declared, that it is the Father's own gracious will that he should give eter- nal life to as many as the Father hath given him-; and therefore eternal life must be the sure portion of all his redeemed. " He that believeth in the Son hath indeed everlasting life ; and Jesus will raise him up at the last day." Pause, my soul, and view the vast heritage to which thou art begotten from the day of thy new birth in Jesus, Oh! most gracious Father, let me never lose 1/6 THE POOR man's sight of those sweet words, nor the feeling sense of my interest in them, in which thou hast said, " From this day will I bless thee." EVENING.—" A psalm of David to bring to remembrance."— Ps. xxxviii. in the title. This psalm, as well as the seventieth, is particularly marked in the title, and distinguished from every other; and it will be worth while to seek into the cause. A great light will be thrown upon it, if we connect with this title, the character of the great author, under whose inspiration David, as the penman, wrote it : I mean, that sweet and blessed office of the Holy Ghost, the Remembrancer of the Lord Jesus. " He shall teach you" (saith the Lord Jesus, when describing the blessed Spirit in his offices) " all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you :" John xiv. 26. Now, if this psalm be found, on exami- nation, to be speaking much of the person and cha- i-acter of Christ, ought it not, when read under the divine teaching of its Almighty Author, to act as a psalm to bring to remembrance, how Jesus thus suf- fered, thus groaned, bled, and died for his people ? He it was, as this psalm represents, whose lovers and friends stood aloof from him, in his sorrows ; for in the trying hour, all his disciples forsook him and fled : and he was the only person of whom it could be said, that as a deaf man who heard not, and as a dumb man who opened not his mouth, so Jesus stood, as a lamb before her shearers, when in the hall of Pilate, he was accused and condemned without opening his mouth. If then the great design of this psalm is to bring to remembrance the Redeemer, in those solemn seasons ; shall we make application of the contents of it to David, king of Israel, and overlook David's Lord ? Oh ! thou great and divine Remembrancer of the Lord Jesus! I beseech thee, thou matchless Instructor ! to cause every thing, and every incident, to call my poor forgetful heart to remember its MORNING AND EVENING POUTIONS. J 77 Lord ! Lord, I blush to think how men of the world feel interested in the most minute concerns of the his- tories of any characters of supposed eminence, which in former ages have lived among them ; every memoran- dum of them that can be gathered, is treasured up with more avidity than gold : if a letter, or the hand-writing can be found, how they expressed themselves, or how their hours were engaged, with all, or any of the little events which marked their lives ; Oh ! what attention it gains in the world ! But, as if to shew their indiffer- ence to him, who, strictly speaking, is the only one worthy regard, what heart is alive to the ever blessed Jesus ? Do thou, I beseech thee, thou eternal Spirit, in this gracious office of thine, as the Remembrancer of my Lord, make this psalm, as oft as I read it, a psalni to bring Jesus to remembrance in all his endearments : and also cause all thy sacred word to minister to this one great end ! Here let me learn a lesson from men of the world ; and while they feel rapture in the me- morandums and reliques of poor sinners, whose places know them no more ; let my soul delight in the views his sacred word affords concerning Jesus. ' Thus Jesus spake,' I would say : and ' thus he stood ;' and * thus he was encircled by the astonished multitude, who witnessed the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.' Every incident then in his divine life, will be as a psalm to bring to remembrance ; and I shall enjoy a thousand things, when the Holy Ghost, as his Remembrancer, brings them forth to view, which, without his gracious office and word, would be lost to my poor forgetful mind. MARCH 9. MORNING.— <« But now in Christ Jesus, ye, who sometimes were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ."— Eph. ii. 13. Of all the vast alterations made upon our nature VOL, vin. M 178 THE POOR MAN S by grace, that which is from death to life seems to be the greatest. I do not think the change would be as great, if Jesus were to make a child of God, after his conversion, at once an archangel, as when, by his blessed Spirit he quickens the sinner, dead in tres- passes and sins, and brings him into grace. My soul, contemplate the sweet thought this morning, that it may lead thee, with thy hymn of praise, to all precious Jesus! First then, my soul, think where you then stood, before this vast act of grace had quickened you. You stood on the very confines of hell— unawakened, unre- generate, uncalled, without God, and without Christ. Supposing the Lord had not saved you ; supposing a sickness unto death had, by his command, taken you; supposing that any one cause had been commissioned to sign your death-warrant while in this state; where must have been your portion ? And yet consider, my soul, how many nights and days did yuo live in this unconscious, unconcerned state? Oh! who, in this view of the thought, can look back without having the eye brimful of tears, and the heart bursting with love and thankfulness! Go on, my soul, and contemplate the sub- ject in another point of view ; and pause in the pleasing thought, " where you now stand." You are now, saith the apostle, " made nigh by the blood of Christ." You that was an enemy to God by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy, and unblamable, and unre- provable, in his sight. And now, my soul, if death should come, it is but the messenger to glory. Precious, blessed thought ! And Oh, how much more precious, blessed Jesus, the Author of it ! Advance, my soul, one step more in this sweet subject, and pleasingly consider, Avhei-e you soon shall be. Paul answereth ; "So shall we be ever with the Lord." " Ever with the Lord !" Who can write down the full amount of this blessed- ness? " Ever with the Lord!" Here we are, in Jesus, MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 179 interested in all that belongs to Jesus ; but there, we shall be also with Jesus. Here we see him but as through a glass darkly ; but there, face to face. Here, even the views we have of him by faith, are but glimpses only — short and rare, compared to our de- sires ; but there, we shall see him in reality, in sub- stance, and unceasingly, the precious, glorious, God-man Christ Jesus. Here, our sins, though pardoned, yet dim our view, by reason of their effects; there, we shall for ever have lost them, and see, and know, even as we are known. And have these blessed changes taken place in my soul; and all by thee, thou gracious, pre- cious, Holy One of Israel ? Oh for grace to love thee, to live to thee, to be looking out for thee, dearest Jesus, that I may be counting every parting breath, every beating pulse, as one the less, to bring me nearer and nearer to Jesus, who is my everlasting home, and will ere long, be my never-ceasing portion and happiness in eternity. — Hallelujah ! EVENING.—" The pool of Siloam."'— John ix. 7. It was a very gracious account given by the Holy Ghost, in the writings of his servants the prophets, that in the last days, meaning gospel days, " living waters should go forth of Jerusalem ;" and saith the Lord, " it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth which moveth, whithersoever the river shall come, shall live ;" Ezek. xlvii. 9. And in the day of Christ's flesh, we find Jesus giving life wheresoever he came : and not unfrequently, as if to testify the sove- reignty of his power, he communicated his blessing in this life-giving principle of himself, by means altoge- ther, to out\\'ard view, unpromising. The clay applied to the eyes "of one born blind, and the pool of Siloam, are both directly in point. It is just so, blessed Jesus, that I would have recourse to ordinances and means of grace, and when I attend, I would desire to pass over them to the enjoyment of thyself, and the gracious 180 THE POOR MAN S influences of thy Holy Spirit. Were the pool of Siloam always thus attended, and the several maladies of thy people thus brought before thee, that while using the means, we had an eye to the end, how should we find the diseased that were sent, returning healed. The imagi- nation can hardly conceive any thing more interesting, than to behold souls under their different distresses, thus coming to the pool of Siloam, and thus receiving Jesus in the use of it. Am I faint? " He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might, he increaseth strength." Is another walking in dark- ness and having no light ? Jesus saith, " I am the light of the world : he that foUoweth me shall not walk in darkness." Are our bones dried, like the bones in the valley, " and our hope lost : are we cut off for our parts?" (Ezek. xxxvii. 11.) Behold, saith the Lord God, " I will open your graves, O my people, and cause you to come up out of your graves." And how doth the Lord accomplish it ? He saith, " I am the resurrection and the life ; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ; and he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die." Are they void of faith ? Jesus is the Author and giver of faith. Are they backward to repentance ? Jesus is exalted as a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins." Have they backslidden ? Jesus saith, " I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely." In short, at the pool of Siloam, neither the water nor the clay are the objects of faith, but he that sends to the pool : and while we lay our wants over against his fulness, and consider, in our need, the very suitability there is in that need for the display of Christ's grace in the supply, this is the very way of following up the divine appointments. And as every poor sinner is made blessed in receiving from Jesus: so Jesus is made glorious in giving out of his fulness ; and the gracious purpose of salvation is answered in the comfort of the MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 181 sinner, the glory of the Saviour, and the everlasting praise of Jehovah, in the wonders of redemption ! My soul ! let thine evening meditation be thus sweet in viewing the pool of Siloam ! MARCH 10. MORNING.—" And hast feared continually every day because of the fury of liie oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy ; and where is the fury of the oppressor ?" — Isa. li. 13. Pause, my soul, over those sweet expostulating words of thy God. Wherefore should the fear of man bring a snare ? Plow much needless anxiety should I spare myself, could I but live, amidst all my changeable days and changeable circumstances, upon my unchangeable God. Now, mark what thy God saith of thy unreason- able and ill-grounded fears — " Where is the fury of the oppressor ?" Can he take from thee thy Jesus ? No ! Shouldest thou lose all thy earthly comforts, Jesus ever liveth, and Jesus is thine. Can he afflict thee, if God saith no ? That is impossible. Neither men nor devils can oppress without his permission. And sure enougli thou art, thy God and Saviour will never allow any thing to thy hurt ; for all things must work for good. And canst thou lessen the oppressor's fury by anxious fears ? Certainly not. Thou mayest, my soul, harrass thyself and waste thy spirits, but never lessen the fury of the enemy thereby. And wherefore, then, shouldest thou crowd the uncertain evils, and the may he's of to- morrow, in the circumstances of this day's warfare, when, by only waiting for the morrow, and casting all thy care upon Jesus, who careth for thee, his faithful- ness is engaged to be thy shield and buckler ? Peace then, my soul, thou shalt be carried through this op- pression, as sure as thou hast been through every former; for Jesus is still Jesus, thy God, and will be thy guide even unto death. 1^2 THE POOR man's EVENING. — " If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge- him. But if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him ?" — 1 Sam. ii. 25. It is a very solemn thing to behold a trembling con- victed malefactor, when standing before an earthly tribunal, although the judge is of the same nature with himself : for every thing is solemn, earnest, and impar- tial. But what is the awfulness of a court of human judicature, compared to that day, in which a whole world, all found guilty before God, shall stand before the judg- ment-seat of Christ? In this life, there is, for the most part, somewhat to mitigate, and to excite hope in the worst of cases : some tender-hearted friend, some kind neighbour, some feeling relation, will be found to arise, to soften, if not able to relieve, the guilty man's distress. But at that tribunal, where none can plead, and where all. hearts are open, what shall be found to stop the overwhelming horrors of the condemned ? — Pause, my soul, over the view, for it is solemn. If one man sin against another, thus breaking the law, the judge shall judge him ; and who is the judge but Jesus ? Here he that is the Judge, is also the Advocate of his people ; yea, their surety, their law-fulfiller ; so that, as the apostle was commissioned to tell the church, " If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ; and he is the propitiation for our sins," 1 John ii. 1, 2. Precious thought ! soul-support- ing consolation ! To all the sins and offences, both against God and man, the believer may plead tlie blood and righteousness of Jesus, as the law-fulfiller and ran- som paid for sin. But if a man sin against the Lord himself, by rejecting tliis counsel of God against his own soul, who then shall entreat for him ? For the only advocate, he slights; the only propitiation, he disclaims; and as there is salvation in no other, and there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, to whom, in that awful day of God, will he look ; or who but Jesus could take up his MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 183 cause ? Oh ! ye that know not Christ, or ye that slight him, think, before it be too late, what paleness, dread, and horror, must arrest that soul, which, when weighed in the balances, shall be found wanting ! Cherish, my soul, the blessedness of thy hope, which is founded wholly on the Mediator's righteousness ; and rcsteth on what can never fail of acceptance, because founded both on the merit of Christ, and God the Father's own appointment ; redemption in the blood of the Lamb, and being made accepted in the beloved. MARCH 11. MORNING. — " And behold, tliere came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord ! if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand and touched him, saying, 1 will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed." — Matt. viii. 2, 3. Behold, my soul, in the instance of this leper, thine own circumstances. What he was in body, such wert thou in soul. As his leprosy made him loathsome and offensive before men, so thy polluted soul made thee odious in the sight of God ! He would not have sought a cure, had he not been conscious of his need of it. Neither wouldest thou ever have looked to Jesus, had he not convinced thee of thy helplessness and misery without him. Moreover, he would not, though con- vinced how much he needed healing, have sought that mercy from Jesus, had he not been made sensible of Jesus's ability to the cure. Neither wouldest thou ever have come to Jesus, hadst thou not been taught who Jesus is, and how fully competent to deliver thee. The poor leper did not doubt whether Jesus was able : though he rather feared that ability might not be exer- cised towards him. His prayer was, not if thou art able, but, " Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Now here, my soul, I hope, thy faith, through grace, exceeds the Jewish leper. Surely thcu botli 184 THE POOR man's knowest Jesus's power and Jesus's disposition to save thee. Unworthy and undeserving as thou art, yet his grace is not restrained by thy undeservings, no more than it was first constrained by thy merit. His love, his own love, his free love, is the sole rule of his mercy towards his children, and not their claims, for they have none, but in his free grace and the Father's everlasting mercy. Cherish these thoughts, my soul, at all times, for they are most sweet and precious. But are these all the blessed things which arise out of the view of the poor leper's case ? Oh, no ; the most delightful part still remains in the contemplation of Jesus's mercy to the poor petitioner, and the very gracious manner the Son of God manifested in the bestowing of it. He not only healed him, and did it immediately, but with that tenderness which distinguished his character and his love to poor sinners. Jesus put forth his hand and touched him ; touched a leper ! even so, precious Lord, deal by me. Though polluted and unclean, yet con- descend to put forth thine hand and touch me also. Put forth thy blessed Spirit. Come, Lord, and dwell in me, abide in me, and rule and reign over me. Be thou my God, my Jesus, my Holy One, and make me thine for ever. EVENING. — " Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah ; comely as Jerusalem." — Song vi. 4. And what was Tirzah ? One of the cities in the lot of Manasseh, Joshua xii. 6, 24. and no doubt, as Judea was the glory of all lands, Tirzah, which was a part of it, was lovely. And the comeliness of that highly- favoured spot, Jerusalem, is celebrated in the sacred Song ; " In the mountain of his holiness," saith the Psalmist, " beautiful for situation, and the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion," Ps. xlviii. 1, 2. And is Christ's church, in her Lord's eye, thus beautiful? Yes! He himself saith she is : and, by consequence, every individual member of her is so, which constitutes her MORNING AND EVENINCx PORTIONS. 185 one body. Pause, my soul, over this account, and let thine everlasting meditation dwell upon the pleasing sulyect. Thou art mourning continually over thine infirmities ; thou feelest what Paul felt, and thou groan- est under the same burden as he groaned under : and, indeed, the consciousness of the remains of indwelling sin is enough to make the souls of the redeemed go softly all their days. But while thus conscious that iu thyself thou hast nothing that is lovely, do not overlook the loveliness which the rigliteousness of Christ, justify- ing his people, imparts to all their persons. Zion is said to be the perfection of beauty ; and so she is in the eyes of God our Father, being the body of Christ, and made so in his beauty. What Jesus is in God's sight, such must be his people. For Christ, as head of his church, is the fulness that filleth all in all. If, my soul, thou wert looking for any thing in thyself that was amiable or beautiful to recommend thee to Jesus, or to justify thee before God ; then, indeed, thou mightest exclaim with the prophet : " Woe is me, for I am undone, be- cause I am a man of unclean lips," Isa. vi. 5. But if Jesus hath touched thy lips, and taken away thine iniquity, and thy sin is purged ; then art thou all fair in him, and accepted by God the Father in him, the be- loved : and Jesus saith to thee, and of thee, " Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem." See to it henceforth, that thou art never losing sight of thy oneness with Christ, thy acceptance in Christ, and the loveliness that thou art Aenw'mgJ^rom Christ. And while thou art daily lamenting that a soul united to Jesus should still carry about such a body of sin and death as thou dost, which harrasseth and afflicteth thy soul ; yet never, never forget that thou art now looking up to the throne of grace for acceptance as thou art in Jesus, and not as thou art in thyself; and comfort thy- self with this pleasing consideration, that ere long thou wilt be openly presented before a throne of glory, *' not 186 THE POOR man'; having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and without blemish before him in love." MARCH 12. MORNING. — " Followers of them, who through faith and patience, inherit the promises." — Heb. vi. 12. How gracious is the Holy Ghost, in not only holding forth to the people of Jesus the blessedness and certainty of the promises, but opening to our view multitudes, who are now in glory, in the full enjoyment of them. My soul, dost thou ask how they lived, when upon earth, in the full prospect, before that they were called upon to enter heaven for the full participation of them ? Hear what the blessed Spirit saith concerning it in this sweet scripture. " It was through faith and patience." Now observe how these blessed principles manifested themselves. Another part of scripture explains — "they all died in faith, not having received the promises; but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them." Now this is the whole sum and substance of the believer's life : he sees them afar off, as Abraham did the day of Christ — as David, w ho had the same enjoyment in a believing view, with which his whole soul was satisfied: for he saith, " it was all his salvation, and all his desire;" a covenant which he rested upon, " as ordered in all things, and sure." Pause, my soul, over this, and ask within, are your views thus firmly founded? What, though the day of Christ's second coming be far off, or nigh, doth thy faith realize the blessed things belonging to it as certain, and as sure as God is truth. Pause, and see that such is thy faith — then go on. The faithful, who now inherit the promises, and which the Holy Ghost bids thee to follow, not only saw with the eye of faith, the things of Jesus afar off, but " were persuaded of them ;" that is, were as perfectly satisfied of their existence and reality, as if they were already in actual possession. Pause here MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS, 187 again, and say, is this thy faith ? Are you perfectly persuaded " tliat God was, in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them ?" Are you convinced that it is God's design, God's plan, God's grace, God's love, God's mercy, in all that concerns Jesus? Art thou convinced that God's glory is concerned in the glory of Jesus, and that every poor sinner gives glory to God in believing the record that God hath given of his Son? Dost thou, my soul, believe heartily, cordially, fully, joyfully, believe these precious things ; nay, that in fact, it is the only possible way a poor sinner can give glory to God, in looking up to him as God, in giving him the credit of God, and taking his word as God concerning his dear Son Jesus Christ? Dost thou, my soul, set thy seal to these things? Then art thou " persuaded of the truths of God," as the patriarchs were " who saw them afar off." Once more — the faithful, whom the Holy Ghost calls upon thee to follow, embraced them also, as well as were persuaded of them. They clasped, hy faith, Jesus in their arms, as really and as truly as Simeon did In substance. Their love to Jesus, and their interest in Jesus, their acquaint- ance by faith with Jesus, were matters of certainty, re- ality, delight ; and their whole souls were, day by day, so familiarized in the unceasing meditation, that they walked by faith with Jesus while here below, as now, by sight, they are with him above in glory. Pause, my soul! Is this thy faith? Then, surely, Jesus is preci- ous, and thou art indeed " the follower of them who now, through faith and patience, inherit the promises." And ere long, like them, thou shalt see him whom thy soul loveth, and dwell with him for ever ! EVENING. — " Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee; the re- mainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." — Psalm Ixxvi. 10. My soul ! thou art returned from the exercises of the day ; exercises which sometimes arc sharp and trying : come now into the pavilion and retirings of thy God in 188 THE POOR man's Christ, and take with thee this sweet scripture, and under his gracious teachings, see what beauties, by way of comfort, it affords. The Holy Ghost saith, " Surely the wrath of man shall praise the Lord." Pause, and consider in how many ways this blessed scripture proves itself. How often is the wrath of man made to minis- ter to the happiness of God's people! How often do they become the unconscious ministers of producing the very reverse of what they intended: and where they designed evil to the saints of God, there good is found to come ! When the Lord makes our friends, in the sweet endearments of society, promote our welfare, and we find blessings spring out of the thousand, and ten thousand charities of life ; in providences, in helps, as- sistances, and the like, in which we minister by his ap- pointment one to another ; we do not so often trace the divine hand; and from the commonness of the blessing, lose sight of the direction whence it comes. But when the Lord, at any time, makes our enemies, and the ene- mies of our God and of his Christ, accomplish the secret purposes of his holy will; and those acts of theirs, which were evidently meant by them to distress, prove the very cause of joy; then we discern how the Lord over- rules every thing to his glory, and his people's welfare. Here the Lord speaks in a loud voice, as in that sweet scripture, " In that day sing ye unto her, a vineyard of red wine. I, the Lord, do keep it. I will water it every moment, lest any hurt it; I will keep it night and day." Isaiah xxvii. 2, 3. My soul ! learn from hence- forth to be on the watch-tower, as the prophet was, looking for the evidences of these things. They wiU be very blessed, when at any time they are discovered; and, depend upon it, they are more frequent, than with thy poor thoughtless and inattentive mind thou art apt to suppose. Had not the brethren of Joseph sold him for a slave, how would he afterwards have arisen to be governor in Egypt? Had not Pharoah oppressed Israel, MORNINf. AND EVENING TORTIONS. 189 how would their cries to God have called Plim forth to their rescue? Had not that monster of iniquity pur- sued the people of God to the Red Sea, how would Israel have seen their foes dead on the shore? Nay, ascending to an infinitely higher and more momentous matter than all these, or every other in history put to- gether, I would ask, had not the wrath of man nailed Jesus to the cross, how, my soul, wouldest thou, and all the ransomed church of Christ, have found redemp- tion in his blood ? Oh ! for grace, ever to keep this in remembrance. Never, surely, did the wrath of men praise Jehovah in any equal degree, or was so made to minister to the divine glory ! Precious, precious Jesus ! I beseech thee, gracious Lord, preserve alive in my soul, this contemplation of man's malice ministering to God's praise ; that in all my little exercises here below, my soul may be stayed and comforted under them. And when at any time the enemy frowns, bad men afflict, the proud scorn, or the mighty of the earth would trample me under their feet, until in the bitterness of my heart, I cry out, " hath God forgotten to be gracious ?" O for grace to cast one look at the cross of my Lord, and there read the whole explained: " Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee; the remainder of wrath shalt thou I'estrain." MARCH 13. MORNING.—" Oh! thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt." —Malt. xiv. 31. My soul, how sweet is it to eye Jesus in all things, and to be humbled in the recollection of his compassions to thy unaccountable instances of unbelief, after the many, nay, continued and daily experiences, which thou hast had of his love and faithfulness. And doth thy Jesus speak to thee this day, in those expostulating words, " Oh ! thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ?" What answer wilt thou return? Is there any 190 THE POOR man's thing in thy life to justify, or even to apologize for doubting ? Look back — behoid thy God and Father's grace, and mercy, and love; — a Saviour so rich, so com- passionate, so answering all wants, in spirituals, tem- porals, and eternals; — a blessed Spirit, so condescending to teach, to lead, and by his influences to be continually with thee ! Surely, a life like thine, crowded with mer- cies, blessings upon blessings, and one miracle of grace followed by another— wherefore shouldest thou doubt? What shall I say to thee. Oh ! thou that art the hope of Israel, and the Saviour thereof? Lord, give me to believe, and help thou mine unbelief. I beseech thee, my God and Saviour, give me henceforth faith to trust thee when I cannot trace thee : give me tohang upon thee, when the ground of all sensible comforts seems sinking under my feet. I would cling to the faithfulness of my God in Christ, and throw my poor arms around thee,thou blessed Jesus, when all things appear the most dark and discou- raging. And thus, day by day, living a life of faith and whole dependance upon thy glorious Person and thy glo- rious work, pressing after more sensible communion with thee, and more imparted strength and grace from thee, until at length, when thou shalt call me home from a life of faith to a life of sight — then, precious Jesus, would I say to thee, with my dying breath, ' Oh ! present me, washed in thy blood, and clothed in thy righteousness, among the whole body of thy glorious church, not hav- ing spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that I may be without blame before thee in love.' EVENING.—" Whose heart the Lord opened."— Acts xvi. 14. It is always blessed to trace mercies to their source ! And blessed when, through grace, we are enabled to give God his glory, and not put down to man's merit what wholly originates in God's grace. The opening of the heart can only be the province of Him that made it. Renewing work, as well as creating work, is his. MORNING ANU FA'ENING PORTIONS. 191 He that hath the key of David, is he alone " that openeth, and none shutteth ; and shutteth, and none openeth." What a beautiful illustration hath the Holy Ghost given the church of this precious truth, in tlie instance of this woman, whose heart the Lord opened ! We are told in her history, that she was of the city of Tliyatira, a place remote from Philippi, where this sovereign act of mercy was shewn towards her. How long shehad remained in a state of unrenewed nature,or what predisposing providence it was that brought her to Phi- lippi, with other circumstances which we might have thought interesting to inquire after, we are not informed: the grand feature in her character is summed up in this short, but blessed account, " whose heart the Lord opened." The Holy Ghost hath indeed recorded her name and occupation, by way of making this testimony concerning her : — " a certain woman, named Lydia, a seller of purple." Behold, my soul ! what blessed in- struction ariseth out of it, for thine evening's medita- tion. What honourable mention is made of her, from this one blessed act, which the Lord wrought upon her. Poor and inconsiderable as she was in herself; small and of no reputation, yet her name is in the book of life ! Pause, and contemplate the rich mercy which the Loi'd hath also accomplished in thee. Hath not he that opened Lydia's heart, opened thine? And is it not his province also, that first opened it by his grace, to keep it open by the daily influences of his Holy Spirit ? Is it not his to renew, to refresh, to comfort, to strengthen, and to confirm unto the end ? And wilt thou not, my soul, with the close of day, and the opening of the morning, look up for these precious manifestations? Lord ! do thou open mine eyes, mine heart, my whole soul, to the enjoyment of these gracious renewed visits of thy love : and let no night or morning pass, with- out receiving fresh and increasing evidences from my Lord, that Christ hath both opened my heart, and is " formed in my heart, the hope of glory !" 192 THE roOR MAN S MARCH 14, MORNING. — " And for their sakes I sanctify myself." — John xvii. 19. Let thy morning thoughts, my soul, be directed to this sweet view of thy Saviour. Behold thy Jesus presenting himself as the surety of his people before God and the Father. Having now received the call and authority of God the Father, and being fitted with a body suited to the service of a Redeemer, here see him entering upon the vast work ; and in those blessed words, declaring the cause of it — " I sanctify myself." Did Jesus mean that he made himself more holy for the purpose ? No, surely : for that was impossible. But by Jesus sanctifying himself, must be understood (as the Nazarite from the womb, consecrated, set apart, dedicated to the service to which the Father had called him), a voluntary offering — an holy unblemished sacri- fice. And observe for whom : " for their sakes ;" not for himself ; for he needed it not. The priests under the law made their offerings, first for themselves, and then for the people. " But such an High Priest became us, w ho is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sin- ners, and made higher than the heavens ; and who needed not daily, as those high priests, so to offer. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the Son is consecrated for evermore." My soul, pause over this view of thy Jesus ; and when thou hast duly pondered it, go to the mercy-seat, under the Spi- rit's leadings and influences, and there, by faith, behold thy Jesus, in his vesture dipped in blood, there sanctified, and .there appearing in the presence of God for thee. There plead the dedication of Jesus ; for it is of the Father's own appointment. There tell thy God and Father, (for it is the Fathei^'s glory, when a poor sinner glorifies his dear Son in him) that He, that Holy One, whom the Father consecrated, and with an oath con- firmed in his high priestly office for ever, appeareth MORNING AND EVENING I'OHTIONS. 193 there for thee. Tell God that thy High Priest's holi- ness and sacrifice was altogether holy, pure, without a spot ; and both his Person, and his nature, and offering, clean as God's own righteous law. Tell, my soul, tell thy God and Father these sacred, solemn truths. And while thou art thus coming to the mercy-seat, under the leadings of the Spirit, and wholly in tlie name and office-work of thy God and Saviour, look unto Jesus, and call to mind those sweet words, for whose sake that Holy One sanctified himself; and then drop a petition more before thou comest from the heavenly court: beg, and pray, and wrestle with the bountiful Lord for suited strength and grace, that as, for thy sake, among the other poor sinners of his redemption-love, Jesus sancti- fied himself, so thou mayest be able to be separated from every thing but Jesus ; and as thy happiness was Christ's end, so his glory may be thy first and greatest object. Yes, dearest Jesus, methinks I hear thee say, — Thou shalt be for me, and not for another : so will I be for thee. Oh ! thou condescending, loving God, " make me thine ; that whether I live, I may live unto the Lord ; or whether I die, I may die unto the Lord ; so that living or dying, I may be thine." EVENING. — " He shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." — 2 Thess. i. 10. Among a thousand wonders that will be unfolded before the astonished world, at the great day of God, to call up the unceasing praises of the church of Christ to all eternity, there are two very blessed events which will take place, and which this scripture records ; the one is, how Jesus will be glorified in his own sacred person, in the view of his redeemed, when all his beau- ties are then displayed; and the other h, how Jesiis will be glorified in them, from the saving change which his grace hath wrought in them. Let thine evening medi- tation, my soul, be upon both. And first, think how Jesus, thy Jesus, will then appear. He hath indeed 194 THE POOR man's been always known to thee, since he w^as first revealed to thee by grace, as wonderful ; and every act of his towards thee, hath fully answered to this name. For in all his perfections, offices, characters, and relations ; in all things concerning and relating to him, every view of him is wonderful. But He that is now known by faith, will then become the object of sight ; and think, my soul, what an object of sight will it be ! Never, but in the person of Jesus, can there be any thing pre- sented to the view of men, or of angels, of equal glory.' God and man in one person, can only be found in Christ. And God dweUing in flesh, is only rendered capable by that union, and through that medium, of being seen. And think, if it be possilile, how glorious, how unspeakably glorious, the human nature of Christ must be, and is, from its union with the Godhead: such as no excellency of angels can at all, even in the most distant degree, resemble. Pause over this contempla- tion ; for such is thy Jesus ! and such will he appear, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and ad- mired in all that believe. When thou hast fully feasted thyself, (as far as thy poor unripe faculties can take in the blessedness of it,) by dwelling upon the contempla- tion of Jesus, as he is, and as he will then appear, in his own glorious person ; go on, and consider that glory that shall be revealed of Jesus, in the saving change which he hath wrought in his people, whereby he will be admired in all them that believe. Oh! what a flood of glory will pour in upon the soul, and what endless praises will go forth to the great Author of the un- speakable mercy, when the vast volume comes to be opened and explained, of what Jesus hath wrought in them ; what he hath communicated to them ; what everlasting blessings he hath procured Jbr them; and what glory, as their great Mediator he will have by them, through all the incalculable periods of the eternal world, in their living upon him and to him, and Jroi7i, MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 195 him deriving all the accessions of light and life, and glory and joy, for ever and ever! My soul! never, never lose sight of these blessed views: but add to that glorious account, that sweet testimony of Jesus, concerning this great day of God to his people : " At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." — John xiv. 20. MARCH 15. MORNMNG. — " Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord. And lie said, Vv'ho am 1,0 Lord God! and what is my liouse, that thou hast brought me hitherto ? And is tliis the manner of man, O Lord God ?"— 2 Sam. vii. 18, 19. The language of David, under the overwhelming views he had of divine goodness, as it concerned him- self, is suited to the case of every child of God, as he may trace that goodness in his own history. Surely, every awakened soul may cry out, under the same im- pression,— " Who am I, O Lord God! and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?" My soul! ponder over the sweet subject, as it concerns thyself. Behold what manner of love the love of God is from the manner of man. View it in each Person of the Godhead. What is the highest possible conception any man can have of the love of God our Father to us ? Was it not, when, as an evidence of the love he had to our nature, he put a robe of that nature, in its pure and holy state, upon the Person of his dear Son, when he gave him a body in all points such as ours, sin only ex- cepted, that he might not only in that body perfect sal- vation both by his obedience and death, but also, that lie miglit be our everlasting Mediator for drawing nigh to the Godhead, first in grace, and then in glory? Tell me, my soul, what method, in all the stores of Omni- potency, could God thy Father have adopted to con- vince thee of his love, as in this sweet method of his wisdom, God intimates, by this tender process, that he 196 THE POOR man' loveth the human nature which he hath created. And though, to answer the wise measures of his plan of re- demption, he hath not as yet taken all the persons of his redeemed up to his heavenly court, yet he will have their glorious Head, their representative there, that he may behold Him, and accept the whole church in Him, and love them, and bless them in Him, now, and for ever. Oh ! my soul, if this view of thy Father's love was but always uppermost in thine heart, what a ground of encouragement would it for ever give thee, to come to thy God and Father in him, and his mediation ; who, while he is one in the divine nature, is one also \yith thee in the human, on purpose to bid thee come. And as for thee, thou blessed Jesus, thy love and thy delights were always with thy people. From everlasting, thy tendencies of favour have been towards them; thine whole heart is ours. All thy grace, in being set up as the covenant-head for us, and all the after-actings of the same grace in time; all that thou didst then, and all that thou art doing now, — all, all testify the love of our Jesus. And may I not say to thee, thou dear Re- deemer, as David did, " Is this the manner of man, O Lord God?" Yes, it is: but it is of the Glory-man, of the God-man, Christ Jesus. And no less, thou Holy Spirit, whose great work is love and consolation ; what a thought is it to warm my soul into the most awak- ened contemplation and delight in the view of thy love, that though thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, yet dost thou make the very bodies of the re- deemed thy temples, for thine indwelling residence. My soul, do as David did : go in before the Divine Presence; fall down and adore in the solemn thought — " Who am I, O Lord God ! and what is my Father's house?" EVENING.—" A man in Christ."— 2 Cor. xii. 2. My soul ! thy last evening's meditation was sweet, (was it not ?) in contemplating thy Jesus, as glorious in MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 197 his own person, and as glorified in his people. Wilt thou add to that subject, for it is part of the same, for thy present thoughts, what is suggested in this motto, " a man in Christ?" Uost thou fully enter into the pleasing apprehension of what the phrase implies ? Now, who sliall fully describe it ; or who is competent fully to conceive the whole extent of it? "A man in Christ," must* imply every thing connected with a one- ness, an union, a part of himself; yea, " a life hid with Christ in God." "A man in Christ" is as much a part in Christ's mystical body, as the head, or hand, or foot, is a part of that body to which those members belong. Hence, (which is indeed a sweet part of the subject) every one who is "a man in Christ," is, to all intents and purposes, interested in all that belongs to Christ, as the Christ of God. Hence also, it must as undeniably follow, that every member of Christ's body, the least, as well as the greatest, the humblest as well as the highest, becomes a part in him, is equally united to hiirij and participates in what belongs to him. The life of grace here, and the life of glory hereafter, being both derived from Christ, and enjoyed wholly from an union with him, are therefore equally enjoyed; just as the smallest leaf or branch united to a tree becomes a part of that tree, as much as the largest branches. Dost thou enter, my soul, into an apprehension of these outlines of the subject ? Art thou " a man in Christ," by regeneration, adoption, justification, and grace ? Oh! then, turn over the transporting thought, with holy and unceasing de- light, in thy constant meditation. Calculate, if thou art able, the blessed inheritance, to which thou art be- gotten by it, of grace here, and glory to all eternity. " A man in Christ," is accepted in Christ, justified in Christ, sanctified in Christ, and must assuredly be glo- rified in Christ. Oh ! who that thinks of these things, and through the Holy Ghost is conscious of an interest in them, can suflcr tiie exercises of a dying world to 198 THE POOR man's bring affliction into the soul ? What a life of dignity, is " a man in Christ" brought into ! He is brought nigh unto God, through the blood of the cross. What a state of security is " a man in Christ" placed in ! " Be- cause I live," (saith Jesus) " ye shall live also." And what an endless prospect of glory, hath " a man in Christ" opening before him ; when Christ hath said, " Father, I will that they also whom th'ou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold the glory which thou hast given me !" O the unspeakable blessedness of " a man in Christ !" MARCH 16. MORNING. — " The man will not be in rest, until lie have finished the thing this day." — Ixuth iii. IS. Behold! my soul, in this scripture history, some sweet features by which the disposition of Jesus's love, and the earnestness in his heart to relieve poor sinners, is strikingly set forth. When a poor sinner is made ac- quainted with the Lord Jesus, hath heard of his grace, goes forth to glean in his fields; at the ordinances of his house, and under the ministration of his word, lays down at his feet, and prays to be covered with the skirt of his mantle; Jesus not only takes notice of that poor seeking sinner, but gives the poor creature to know, by some sweet and secret whispers of his Holy Spirit, that he is not unacquainted with all that is in his heart. And when such have lain long, and earnestly sought, even through the whole night of doubt and fear, until the morning of grace breaks in upon the soul, yet may they be assured, the God-man, Christ Jesus, will not rest until that he hath finished the thing. It is one of the most blessed truths of the gospel, (and do thou, my soul, see to it, that it is written in thy best and strongest remem- brance to have recourse to, as may be needed, upon every occasion,) that a seeking sinner is not more ear- nest to sec Jesus, and enjoy him, than Jesus is to reveal MOKNINC; AND EVENING PORTIONS. 199 liimself to that seeking sinner, and form himself in the sinner's heart, the hope of glory. For Jesus will not, cannot cease his love to poor sinners, until the object for whicli he came to seek and to save them is fully answered. And it is a thought, my soul, enough to warm thy coldest moments, that all the hallelujahs of heaven cannot call off thy Jesus's attention from the necessities of even the poorest of his little ones here upon earth. In every individual instance, and in every case, Jesus will not rest until that he hath finished the thing, as well in the hearts of his people, as in the world, when he finished the work the Father gave him to do. Yes ! Jesus will not rest until the last redeemed soul is brought home to glory. Precious consideration, how ought it to endear yet more the preciousness of the Redeemer ! EVENING.—" And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy ; even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning." — Isaiah iv. 3, 4. What a precious scripture is here! and what vast things are contained in the bosom of it ! Mark them down, my soul, one by one, this evening, and see what of thy personal interest thou canst trace in the whole. And first, who they are, of whom these things are said, namely, " the living in Jerusalem ; even every one that is written: and he that is left, and he that remaineth." By living, and being written, can only be meant what the beloved apostle saith of being " written in the book of life." — Rev. xiii. 8. And of *' him that remaineth," there is, as another apostle saith, " a remnant according to the election of grace." — Rom. xi. 5. Hence the Lord Jesus bids his disciples rejoice, not because the spirits were subject unto them, but because " their names were written in lieaven." — Luke x. 20. Se- condly, what theij are; and we find, that they are 200 THE POOR man's called holy. This is the great object of gospel giace ; whence the apostle saith, " We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to sal- vation, through sanctification of the Spirit." — 2 Thess. ii. 13. And when God saith, " Be ye holy, for I am holy," — Levit. xi. 44 ; his word works by his divine power, in the new creation of the soul, as he did in the old creation of the earth: the same efficacy is wrought by the one as by the other. " Let there be light, and there was light." Thirdly, What they shall he. They shall be cleansed from filth and uncleanness. There shall be cleansing work, and purging work. Zion shall be washed, and Jerusalem shall be purged. Sweet and precious scripture, in proof of that fountain of Jesus's blood, opened in after-days, " to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for unclean- ness."—Zech. xiii. 1, Fomthly, Who shall do all this ? — The Lord ! this blessed scripture saith ; for He, and he only, can be competent to the great work. The Creator of the soul must also be its Redeemer. None but the Lord can take away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purge the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof. Precious Jesus ! it is thy blood only, which cleanseth from all sin. Fifthly, How icill the Lord do it? By the spirit of judgment, and the spi- rit of burning! Yea, the Holy Ghost, amidst his ma- nifold gifts and gracious offices, will thus act upon every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem. " As a spirit of judgment," he will plead the cause of an injured God and Saviour, with the sinner's guilty con- science ; " convincing of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." And he will be a " spirit of burning;" for his word will act, (as the prophet describes it, Jer. XX. 9.) " as a burning fire, shut up in the bones," con- suming all the day. My soul! what sayest thou to this solemn but sweet scripture? Hath God the Spirit MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 201 been to thee all these? Hath he convinced thee, en- liglitened thee, and been to thee a spirit of judgment, and a spirit of burning? Hath he convinced thee of thy sinful heart, enlightened thy dark heart, burnt up the lustful desires of thy corrupt heart, melted thine hard heart, warmed the frozen affections of thy cold heart, and formed a love there towards the person, grace, and righteousness of a dear Redeemer? Canst thou set thy seal to this blessed scripture, that God is true ? MARCH 17. MORNING. — " Wherein ye greatly rejoice, thougli now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations." — 1 Pet. i. 6. My soul! it is too difficult a task to flesh and blood, but it is among the most blessed triumphs of grace, to glory in tribulation, that the power of Jesus may rest upon the soul. Pause over the subject, and see whether in the little exercises of thy life, such things are among thine experiences. A soul must be truly taught of God the Father ; truly acquainted with Jesus, and living near to him; and truly receiving the sweet and constant influences of the Holy Ghost ; wlien, in the absence of the streams of all creature comforts, he is solacing him- self at the fountain-head ; and, amidst also the fiery darts of temptations! But, my soul, if this be thy happy portion, thou must have acquired it in the school of grace. There are some precious marks by which thou wilt ascertain these things. As, first — I must see that the manifold temptations, be they of what kind or number they may, are in the permissions of Jesus. I must trace the footsteps of Jesus in them, the hand or Jesus directing me through them, the voice of Jesus I must hear in them; and, in short, his sacred Person regulating and ordering all the several parts of them. If I see his love, his wisdom, his grace, his goodwill, in 202 THK POOR man's all the appointment ; whatever heaviness the tempta- tions themselves induce, there will still be cause left for joy— yea, for great joy. Moreover, it will be an addi- tional alleviation to soften their pressure, if through the whole of their exercise, the soul be enabled to keep in view, that God's glory, and my soul's happiness, will be the sure issue of them. If I can realize Jesus's pre- sence, as I pass through them, and interpret, with an application to myself that blessed promise, in which the Lord saith, " I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord ; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end ;" these mercies mingled with the trial, will sweeten, and almost take away all its bitter. And, lastly, to add no more — If, my soul, the Holy Ghost should lead out thine whole heart upon the Person of Jesus during the conflict, and by making thee sensible of thy weakness, to take shelter in him, and to lean altogether upon his strength ; so that thou art able to believe and to depend upon the fulfilment of his promise, when, to the eye of sense, there doth not seem a. way by which that promise may be fulfilled ; these are foundations for rejoicing, and of great re- joicing too ; because they are all out of thyself, and centered in Him, with whom there is no possibility of change. " These are, like the Michtams of David, pre- cious, golden things. For this is to live upon Jesus, to rejoice in Jesus, and to find in him a suited strength for every need. Blessed will be these exercises, my soul, if thou art enabled thus to act under manifold temp- tations. EVENING.—" The man which had the withered hand."— Mark iii. 3. Surely the man in the jewish synagogue, which had a withered hand, will, in the history of his disease and cure, furnish me, this evening, with a very improving meditation. Do thou, blessed Jesus, the great healer both of soul and body, render it profitable, by thy gra- MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 203 cious instruction to my heart. This poor man had a withered hand, not only sinew-shrunk, but wasting away. He attended divine worship, for Jesus found him in the synagogue. But we do not read that he asked the mercy from Christ. It was Jesus that first looked upon him ; and not he on the Lord Jesus. " Stretch forth thine hand," said the Son of God, In- stantly the poor man found the powers of nature re- stored, the shrunk sinew became lengthened, and the hand which had wasted away, was restored. Pause, my soul! look at the subject as it concerns thyself. How long didst thou attend the means of grace under a withered soul? And to this hour, had not Jesus looked on thee, thou wouldest not have looked on him. Were Jesus to suspend his blessings till sinners had prepared themselves for them, or deserved them, never would blessings come at all. And did Jesus speak, as to this poor man, and bid thee live ? Did Jesus com- mand thee to stretch, forth thy dead and lifeless soul, and say unto thee, *' I am thy salvation ?" Surely, then, thy God's commands conveyed with them ability; and the same voice which said, " stretch forth thine hand," gave vigour to the hand to lay hold of his mercy. How sweet is this view of thy impotence, and Jesus's sovereignty! Here we see that scripture most com- pletely fulfilled : " He sent his word, and healed them; and delivered them from their destructions. Oh ! that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men." — Psalm cvii. 20, 21. MARCH 18. MORNING. — " And Israel strengthened himself, and sat up on the bed." — Gen. xiviii. 2. This was an interesting moment in the life, or rather the death, of the patriarch, and may serve, my soul, to shew what ought to be the conduct of the believer 204 THE POOR man's in his last expiring hours. The imagination can hardly conceive any situation equally momentous, in every point of view, both as it concerns a faithful God, a man's own heart, and the church the dying saint is going to leave behind. What can form a more lovely sight than a dying saint, sitting up in the bed, (if the Lord permits the opportunity) and recounting, as Jacob did, the gracious dealings of the Lord, all the way along the path of pilgrimage — " The God which fed me," said Jacob, " all my life long unto this day : the angel (and who was this but Jesus?) which redeemed me from all evil." Pause, my soul. Anticipate such a day. Figure to thyself thy friends around thee, and thou thyself strengthened, just to sit up in the bed, to take an everlasting farewell. What hast tliou to relate? What hast thou treasured up of God's dealings with thee, to sweeten death in the recital, to bless God in the just acknowledgment, and to leave behind thee a testimony to others of the truth, as it is in Jesus ? My soul, what canst thou speak of ? What canst thou tell of thy God, thy Jesus ? Hast thou known enough of him to commit thyself into his Almighty hands, with an assurance of salvation ? Pause ! Didst thou not in the act of faith, long since, venture thyself upon Jesus for the whole of thy everlasting welfare ? Didst thou not from a perfect conviction of thy need of Jesus, and from as perfect a conviction of the power and grace of Jesus to save thee — didst thou not make a full and complete surrender of thyself, and with the most per- fect approbation of this blessed plan of God's mercy in Christ, to be saved wholly by him, and wholly in his own way, and wholly to his own glory ? And as such, art thou now afraid, or art thou now shrinking back, when come within sight almost of Jesus's arms to receive thee ? Oh, no ! blessed be God, this last act of committing thy soul is not as great an act of faith as the first wasj for since that time thou hast had MORNING AND EVENING TORTIONS. 205 thousands of evidences, and thousands of tokens in love and faithfuhiess, that thy God is true. Sit up then, my soul, and do as the dying patriarch did ; recount to all around thee thy confidence in the Son of God, who " hath loved thee, and given himself for thee." Cry out, as he did, " I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord." And as this will be the last opportunity of speaking a word for God, testify of his faithfulness, and encourage all that behold you to be seeking after an interest in Jesus, from seeing how sweetly you close a life of faith before you begin a life of glory, in blessing God, though with dying lips, that the last notes which you utter here below, may be only the momentary interruption to the same subject in the first of your everlasting song — " To him that hath loved you, and washed you, from your sins in his blood." EVENING.—" Who are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation." — 1 Peter i. 5. When I call to mind that in me, " that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing ;" when I stand convinced, (as I do most fully, blessed be God the Holy Ghost, for having exercised his gracious office in my soul, to this gracious effect,) that though renewed in the spirit of my mind, yet in that unrenewed part of myself, which is hastening to the grave, every member is virtually all sin ; when I know that never did sin break out in acts of open wickedness, in any son or daughter of Adam, but that the seeds of the same sin are in me and my nature ; 1 long not only to know, but always to keep in remembrance by what means, and from, what cause it is, that those seeds do not ripen in my heart, as well as in others; that while corrupt nature is the same in all, it is restrained in me, while so many of my fellow- creatures, and fellow-sinners, fall a prey to temptation. Blessed Spirit ! the merciful scripture of the evening answers the important question. They who are kept, 206 THE POOR MAN S " are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation." Here is the solution of the whole subject. With what humbleness of soul, then, ought every child of God to fall down before the throne of grace, under the deepest sense of distinguishing love, in the consci- ousness that it is divine restraint, and not creature me- rit, which maketh all the difference. Help me. Lord, to go humble all my days, in this view, and let it be my morning thought, as weU as my mid-day and even- ing meditation, that I am kept by thy power, through faith unto salvation. Almighty Father, help me to be living upon thy faithfulness in the covenant of grace, established and sealed as it is in the blood of thy dear Son, that " thou wilt not" turn away from me to do me good ; and that thou wilt put thy fear in my heart, that I shall not depart from thee. — Jer. xxxii. 40. Precious Lord Jesus ! give me to rest also upon an union with thee, a communication of grace Ji'ovi thee, and a parti- cipation in thee, in all the blessings of thy redemption. Surely I am the purchase of thy blood, and thou hast said, " thy sheep shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of thine hand." — John x. 28. And Oh ! thou blessed Spirit of all truth, be thou to me an indwelling security from sin, to keep me from falling, and to preserve me faultless in Jesus, until the day of his coming. Make my body thy temple, and cause me, by thy sweet constraining love, to " glorify God in my body, and in my spirit, which are his." — 1 Cor. vi. 20. MARCH 19. MORNING.—" Oh that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! 1 would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. Will he plead against me with his great power ? No; but he would put strength in me." — Job xxiii. 3, 4, 6. My soul, are these thy breathings ? Dost thou really long, and, like David, even pant, to come before the throne of grace ? Art thou at a loss how to come, how MORNING AND EVENING POUTIONS, 207 to draw nigh ? Wouldest thou fill thy mouth with argu- ments, and have thy cause so ordered as to be sure not to fail ? Look to Jesus ! Seek from him tlie leadings of the Spirit ; and while thine eye is steadily fixed on thy great High Priest within the vail, still wearing a vesture dipped in blood, see to it that thy one great plea is, for a perfect and complete justification before God and thy Father, upon the sole footing of righteousness. Yes, my soul, plead earnestly, heartily, steadily; and, like Jacob, wrestUng with God, upon the sole footing of righteousness. Wouldest thou fear on this ground ? Yes, thou wouldest have cause enough to fear and tremble, if thy plea was with the least reference to any righteousness of thine. But, my soul, remember it is Jesus's righteousness, and his only, with which, like Job, thy mouth must be filled with arguments. This is the strength thy God and Father will put in thee : and it is a strength of Jehovah's founded in his justice. As a poor guilty sinner, thou couldest have nothing to plead but free grace and rich mercy. But when thou comest in Jesus, thy Surety's righteousness, thou mayest appeal, and art expected so to do, to God's holiness and his justice also. Oh, how sweet the assurance, how unanswerable the plea, how secure the event ! Jesus hath fulfilled the law — Jesus hath paid the penalty of justice; and God hath promised to pardon and bless his seed, his redeemed in him. Hence, the apostle Paul, in the contemplation of death and judgment, while looking at his everlasting secu- rity in Jesus, cries out, Hencefoi'th there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day ; and not to me only, but unto all them that love his appearing." Behold then, my soul, thy vast privilege ; and when, like Job, thou art desiring to approach a throne of grace now, or looking forward to a throne of judgment hereafter — never, never for a moment forget that this 208 THE POOR man's is the way, and the only way, (for a blessed sure way it is,) maintaining communion with God in Christ. Thy God, thy Father, will not plead against a righte- ousness of his own appointing ; but he will put Jesus, his strength, in thee. Hallelujah ! EVENING. — " And he gave them their request, but sent leanness into tlieir soul." — Ps. cvi. 15. Here is a very solemn subject to exercise the mind of a child of God. My soul, take it for thine own exercise this evening. In the part of the church's history alluded to, it should seem that they were just arrived on the borders of Canaan : they had been all along fed and sustained by God's bounty ; and the manna, as usual, came fresh and pure from heaven every morning; but tired and dissatisfied with the table of God's providing, they demanded flesh to eat, and the Lord gave them their request, but sent lean- ness into their soul. Happy would it have been for the church of God, if such rebellions had been confined to that period of its history. But, alas! in all ages, God's children too often manifest the like temper. My soul! bring the subject home; thy God, thy Jesus, hath appointed thee the very path best suited for thee. Had a synod of angels been convened to choose what would be most conducive to thy present and everlasting welfare, never could they have arranged either thy state or circumstances better than Jesus hath done. Surely, his infinite wisdom and love are manifested in all the appointments by the way, which he hath made for thee as well in providence as in grace. And yet how often hast thou thought, that such an attainment, or such a possession, would have been for thy good ! And how often hast thou felt displeased when matters appeared to thee discouraging! and in the fulness of thy thoughts, thou hast at times felt disposed to tell thine heavenly Master that such an exercise might have been spared ; or that such a temporal portion MORNING AND EVENrNO PORTIONS. 209 might have been given thee ! And hast thou not, more than once, afterwards discovered that had Jesus granted what thy wayward heart perversely coveted, evil, and not good, would have followed? If thou wouldest gather improvement from the church's histoiy, in the striking instance before thee, see the sad con- sequences of having any earthly desire gratified, which for the most part bringeth leanness into the soul. Ask the question from any of the chosen few, whose situa- tions are among the great or affluent, whether their souls do not go lean, from their bodies being better fed than others ? Prosperity in this world is too dangerous to God's dear children ; which very fully explains why Jesus, for the most part, keeps his people humble. When the Lord made Israel to ride upon the high places of the earth, and caused him to drink of the pure blood of the grape; the next account is, " Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked," Deut. xxxii. 14, 15. Precious Lord Jesus, do thou choose for me, in every thing, and for every state ; for then I am sure, I shall be well pro- vided for, and well taken care of. Never, dearest Lord, grant any request of mine, which, in the weak- ness and perversity of my heart, I might be tempted to put up, lest a state, so truly awful as that of Israel should follow ; and while the flesh sought ease and ful- ness, there should be a leanness of soul ! MARCH 20. MORNING. — " Thine eyes shall see ihe King in his beauty." — Isa. xxxiii. 17. Who, my soul, but Jesus could be intended by this sweet promise ? And who is beautiful and lovely in thine eyes but him? There was no beauty in him while thou wert in a state of unrenewed nature, that thou shouldest desire him ; neither can any man truly love him, until that a soul is made light in the Lord. 210 THE POOR man's Is Jcsiis then lovely, to thee ? Hast thou seen liim ? Dost thou now know him, love him, behold him, as altogether fair, and the chiefest among ten thousand ? Then, surely, this promise hath been, and is continually fulfilled in thy experience. Hast thou so seen him, as to be in love with him, and to have all thine affections drawn forth towards him ? Dost thou, my soul, so behold him as to admire him, and love him above all ; and so to love him, as never to be satisfied without him ? Moreover — hast thou seen this King in his beauty, in his fulness, riches, and suitableness to thee as a Saviour? Surely, blessed Jesus, tliere are not only glorious, precious excellencies in thee, and thine own divine person, which command the love and affec- tion of every beholder, as thou art in thyself ; but there is a beauty indeed in thee, considered as thou art held forth by our God and Father, in all thy suitableness to thy people. In thy beauty, blessed L"rd, there is to be seen a fulness of grace, and truth, and righteousness, exactly corresponding to the wants of poor sinners — thy blood to cleanse, thy grace to comfort, thy fulness to supply ; in thee thei'e is every thing we can want — life, light, joy, pardon, mercy, peace, happiness here, glory hereafter. And do I not see thee, thou King, in thy beauty indeed, when I behold thee as coming with all these for my supply ? So that, under the enjoy- ment of the whole, I feel constrained to cry out, with one of old, " I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my strength and my song ; and he is become my salvation." Neither is this all ; for in beholding the King in his beauty, I behold him also in his love. Yes, blessed Lord, thou art indeed most beautiful and lovely ; for thou hast so loved poor sin- ners, as to give thyself for them ; and the conscious sense that our love to thee did not first begin, but thine to us was the first cause for exciting ours, and the shedding forth that love in our hearts, by thy blessed MORNINO AND EVENING I'ORTIONS. 211 Spirit, first prompted our minds to look unto tliee, makes thee lovely indeed. And now, Lord, every day's view of thee increaseth that love, and brings home thy beauty more and more. The more frequent thou condescendest to visit my poor soul, the more beautiful dost thou appear. Every renewed manifesta- tion, every view, every glimpse of Jesus, must tend to make my God and King more gracious and lovely to my soul, and add fresh fervour to my love. Come then, thou blessed, holy, lovely one, and ravish my spiritual senses with thy beauty, that I may daily get out of love with every thing of created excellency, and my whole soul be filled only with the love of Jesus ; vmtil, from seeing thee here below, through the medium of ordinances and grace, I come to look upon thee, and live for ever in thy presence, in the full beams of thy glory in thy throne above. EVENING. — " And they journeyed ; and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob." — Gen. xxxv. 5. It was the evening before the last, that my soul was led to the contemplation of what is the everlasting security of a child of God, amidst all the corruption, within and without, which he carries about him in a body of sin and death. It will form a very pleasing subject, to a similar effect, to trace also a believer's security from the world at large, in the natural enmity there is in every unawakened heart to a state of grace. And this precious scripture traces every child of God's safety to the same source. The family of Jacoi), the praying seed of Jacob, are still journeying ; for here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. The people of God are but few in number; yea, very few : the scripture saith, " And they are strangers in the land," Ps. cv. 12. The very profession of the cross will always make them strangers ; and as men whose manners and pursuits differ from the world, like 212 THE POOR man's Joshua and his people, " they are men wondered at." How are they kept from being run down, oppressed, subdued, and overcome ? This text answers : *' the terror of God was upon the cities round about them." Pause, and consider the blessed subject, my soul, and never lose sight of it. He that toucheth thee, toucheth the apple of Jesus' eye. The reins of all government, both of men and kings, are in Christ's hand ; nothing can take place but by his appointment. Oh ! how blessed to Hve in the full persuasion of this most un- questionable truth. If a thorough sense of an interest in Jesus, and an union and oneness with Christ, were always uppermost in the heart, this filial fear in Jesus would drive out all creature fear, as the fire of the sun puts out the fire on the hearth. The prophet beau- tifully expresses this in one of his precepts to the church : " Say ye not, a confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, a confederacy ; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid ; but sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread, and he shall be for a sanctuary," Isa. viii. 12, 13, 14. MARCH 21. MORNING.—" Truly, our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." — 1 John i. 3. Precious, blessed consideration ! Art thou, my soul, at this time in the full enjoyment of it ? Pause over the inquiry. Sometimes, for the want of this search of soul, and the neglect of it, deadness, or at least lean- ness, creeps in. Say then, my soul, how art thou dealing with thy God? and how is thy God dealing with thee? When were his latest manifestations? When did he take thee to his banqueting-house ; or when didst thou sit under his shadow ? Hast thou very lately heard his voice, saying, " Fear not, I am thy salvation ?" The discovery of these things are MORNING AND JiViiNINt. PORTIONS. 213 among the sweetest exercises which flow from the indwelling Spirit. Go on further in the inquiry — how art thou dealing with thy God? When hadst thou fellowship and communion with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ ? What petitions hast thou now awaiting for answers from the heavenly court ? What grateful acknowledgments have lately gone up for mercies received ? How is thine acquaintance there advancing ? How art thou growing in grace, and in the knowledge of thy Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ? If these things are neglected by thee, will not a strange- ness between thy God and thee come on ; such as is induced by earthly friendships, when absence and time, where there is no correspondence kept up, wears out remembrance? My soul, rouse up, and consider the vast importance of keeping up constant intercourse with thy God and Saviour. Precious Jesus ! do thou keep the flame of love alive ; manifest to my soul the certainty and reality of my union with thee, thou sweet Saviour, by causing this blessed communion to be constant, unceasing, and full of divine communica- tions. Let thy Spirit call forth in me the exercise of the graces he hath planted ; and do thou come forth in refreshing manifestations of love ; so that, while prayers go up, blessings may come down ; and while thou art graciously saying, " Seek ye my face," my heart may say unto thee, " Thy face. Lord, will I seek." Oh, the blessedness of such a life to break the power of sin ; to revive and strengthen the spirits ; to open and to enlarge to my view the discovei'ies of thy Person, thy glory, thy riches, thy suitableness, thine all-suffi- ciency. If, dearest Jesus, thou wilt mercifully keep this fellowship, this partnership, alive in my soul, how will my poor soul be living upon thee, and with thee ; and how shall I be exchanging with thee all my lean- ness, poverty, wretchedness, and weakness, for thy fulness, riches, righteousness, and strength ? Come, 214 THK POOR man's then, Lord Jesus, and " until the day break, and tlie shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe, or a young hart, upon the mountains of Bether." EVENING.—" A nail in a sure place."— Isaiah xxii. 23. My soul ! through grace, thou hast long been enabled to hang all thy grand concerns for eternity upon the Lord Jesus ; and will it not be a very refreshing subject for thine evening meditation, to see how eternally firm and secure all rest, with an unshaken and unchangeable confidence ? Behold him as he is in himself, in his person, work, and righteousness ; " Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." Next con- template him as the source, origin, fountain, and sup- port of all the great things of salvation. There is not a purpose of God, but is founded on Christ ; not a promise, but is made, confirmed, and fulfilled in Christ ; and not a dispensation in all the kingdoms of nature, grace, and glory, but comes Jrom Christ and his own righteous government. Go on, under a third branch of meditation, and behold Jesus as a nail in a sure place, and that the persons, concerns, and blessings of his peoi)le all hang on him ; from him they derive all their spiritual strength, gifts, graces, authority, order, and appointment ; on him they all depend for life, ability, power, and disposition to carry it on ; and to him the whole glory of their services return, in an endless revenue of praise. Lastly, and above all, to crown thine evening meditation, on this nail in a sure place, behold the hand of God thy Father, both fixing him there, and proclaiming it to the souls of his people ; '* I will fasten him," saith Jehovah, " as a nail in a sure place ; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his Father's house." Hail! thou glorious almighty Me- diator! founded on such authority, and possessing in thyself such eternal principles, evermore will I hang my soul, and body, and spiiit, with all I have, and all MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 215 I am or hope to be, in time and to all eternity, on thee; for never can too great a stress be laid upon Jesus, nor too full a confidence be placed in him. How can a soul perish that hangs on God's Christ ? MARCH 22. MORNING. — " Thus saitli the Lord ; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown." — Jer. ii. 2. Pause, my soul, over this condescending token of God's love to Israel ; and see whether it doth not hold forth to thee a blessed portion for thy encouragement. Israel had been most undeserving ; but yet the Lord would put Israel in remembrance, by assuring his people that he remembered their love when God first formed Israel into a people. When he led them into the wilderness, and married Israel, they sung the praise of Jehovah in their love-songs, on the day of their espousals. ' Now,' saith the Lord, — ' 1 remember thee in these things ; for these were tokens of affection when thou wentest after me in following the pillar of cloud through the desert ; in trusting to a harvest, though as yet the land was not sown.' And may I, blessed Lord, sweetly interpret this precious portion with application to myself, as though my God so spake to me of the day of my espousals ? Doth my God and Saviour remember me in the first awakenings of his grace, when, at the first mention of his name, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadab ? Well, then, may my soul remember thee, Oh thou God of my salvation ! The savour of thy past love and past expe- riences gives now, at this moment, new delight to my soul, and awakens new desires of communion with my God. The very recollection of what I then was, and how thou callcdst me, and made my time u time of love ; and how thou passedst by, and didst bid me live, 216 TH£ POOR man's and didst cleanse me, and take me home, and betroth- edst me to thyself, and made me thine for ever ; the very thoughts refresh my soul now ; and these former experiences drive away present distresses and despond- ency. How is it, my soul, with thee now ? Art thou less in frame — less in love ? Hast thou not the same earnest liking to Jesus now, as then ? Is the strength of thy love, and desires, and delights, abated ? Look at this blessed scripture. Hear what God saith to Israel, in a time of Israel's coldness. See how God's love was not changed, though Israel's was so abated. Art thou, my soul, conscious of the same ? Art thou lamenting it ; desiring, waiting for some renewed token of thy Jesus's love ? Is his name, his person, his righ- teousness still precious ? Dost thou wait but for the whispers of his grace ? See, here it is — I remember, though thou hast forgotten the day of thine espousals. Oh the wonderful condescension of the Son of God ! Behold, my soul, how, in this very way, he is preparing thine heart for the renewings of his love, and his sweet manifestations towards thee. Oh cry out with the church of old, under similar circumstances, " Draw me ; we will run after thee." Unless thou drawest. Lord, the distance will remain ; but the desire of being drawn, shews the earnestness for union. Lord, I be- seech thee, do this ; bring me near to thyself, to thine everlasting embraces ; then shall I run, nay, even flee to my beloved, and will hang upon thee as the vessel hang- eth on the nail, and dwell, and remain with thee for ever. EVENING. — " TliJS man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." — Luke XV. 2. My soul! wouldest thou, by faith, review some more than ordinary representation of the Lord Jesus, to melt the finer feelings of thy heart, in the contemplation of his unequalled condescension and love ? Let this be it, which the evangelist hath here drawn of the Son of God. Behold him, encircled with poor publicans and MORNING AND EVBNING PORTIONS. 217 sinners, alluring them to the arms of his mercy ; and behold the self-righteous pharisees and scribes with- drawing from the sacred spot, and with all that indig- nation and scorn, which marked their character, mur- muring at the grace of Jesus, saying, " This man re- ceiveth sinners, and eateth with them !" Well is it for thee, my soul, that the Son of God hath received sin- ners ; else how should I have been looked upon by him? And well is it that his table hath been spread for sin- ners ; or how should I have been fed by him ? Yea, Lord, is it not the very feature of thy rich dispensa- tion of mercy, that it is for sinners, as sinners, that thou didst come down from heaven, to seek and save them ? And who but sinners, should Jesus, the great Saviour of sinners receive, and eat with ? Will the Lord allow me, this evening, to dwell upon the sweet subject, and run over some of the blessed thoughts, which arise out of this view of my compassionate and all-loving Lord? Why then, I would say to my soul, remember, when thy Jesus first received thee as a sin- ner, thou wert hastening on to ruin ; and it was then, of all moments the most alarming, when thou didst merit hell, that Jesus received thee, and promised thee heaven. And do not forget how truly seasonable was the mercy ; for thou wast then living without hope, without God, and without Christ in the world, when Jesus brought thee nigh by the blood of his cross. And never, surely, was mercy more unexpected, less sought for, or less esteemed, than when Jesus surprised thee with the manifestations of his grace, and made thee willing in the day of his power. Precious Redeemer! the Pharisee's reproach shall be my joy ; and what they spoke of my Lord in contempt, shall henceforth be the chief note in my evening song to his praise:— -'This man, this God-man, receiveth sinners and eateth with them, for he hath received me, the chief of sinners, and eaten with me.' Lord Jesus ! ever receive me, the poorest, the 218 THE I'OOR man's most unworthy of all the objects of thy grace. Come in. Lord, to my poor house, to my heart, and bring me to thine house and to thy table ; and there let it be noticed, and known to every beholder, while my soul is feasting itself in the rich enjoyment, that " Jesus re- ceiveth sinners, and eateth with them." MARCH 23. MORNING. — " By his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." — Heb. ix. 12. Ponder, my soul, these solemn expressions concerning thy Jesus. Mark, in them, their vast contents. Jesus, as a prophet, hath revealed his salvation : as a priest, he alone hath procured it, and offered it up to God and the Father ; and as a King, he ever Hves and reigns to see its efficacy fully accomplished in all his redeemed, being made partakers of it. Behold in this, his priestly office, both as an high priest and as the sacrifice, what he hath wrought, and what he hath accomplished — even eternal i-edemption. Mark, my soul, the several volumes of mercy comprised in it. First — Of man's revolt from God. Secondly — The deadly breach by reason thereof. Thirdly — The proclamation from hea- ven, of God's determined purpose to take vengeance of sin. Fourthly — Man's total inability to appease the divine wrath, either by doing or suffering. Fifthly — Divine grace, in the love of the Father, permitting a substitute, competent to do this great act of salvation for men ; and appointing and constituting no less a per- son than his dear Son to the accomphshment of it. Sixthly — Jesus, the Son of God, voluntarily giving him- self an offering and a sacrifice for sin, and by that one offering of himself, once offered for ever, perfecting them that are sanctified. Seventhly — Having thus ac- complished the purpose of salvation upon earth, Jesus now, by his own blood, entered into the holy place, to make the whole effectual by the exercise of his priestly MORNING AND EVENING rORTIONS. 219 office in heaven. And, lastly, to add no more — God accepting and confirming his perfect approbation of the whole, and now proclaiming peace on earth, good-will towards men. Ponder over these grand, these glorious, these momentous subjects, my soul, this day. Take them about with thee wheresoever thou goest ; fold them in thy bosom ; write them on the tablets of thine heart; let them arise with thee, and lay down with thee. And, in all thine approaches to the mercy-seat behold Him, and let him never be lost to the view of the eye of faith, by whom the whole is wrought, and of whom this sweet scripture speaks ; who, " by his own blood entered in once into the holy place, having ob- tained eternal redemption for us." EVENING. — "And manifested forth his glory ; and his disciples believed on him." — John ii. 11. It forms a very sweet thought to the believer, that, amidst the general darkness and ignorance concerning the person of Jesus, in the days of his flesh, the glory of his Godhead was frequently manifested to his disci- ples, so that they knew him, and believed on him. And it is equally blessed, that now, amidst the darkness and ignorance of many who call themselves christians, after Christ, (but who denying, or being unconscious of his Godhead, prove that they know him not) the Lord bath not left himself without a witness of who he is, to the minds of his faithful followers; but iiath manifested forth his glory ; and all true disciples believe on him. My soul ! if thou wert called upon to give thy testi- mony to Jesus, concerning all the grand points which prove the Godhead of Ids person, and the eternal merits and efficacy of his blood and righteousness; how would- est thou shew the evidences, that he hath manifested forth his glory to thee, and that thou believest on him? I would answer, Jesus hath fully manifested himself to me, as " One with the, Father, over all, God blessed 220 THIS POOR man's for ever ;" and as such, having seen the Son, 1 believe in him, " in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the God- head bodily." Hence, therefore, as it is said, " they that know thy name, will put their trust in thee ;" so " I know whom I have believed ;" and by his blessed Spirit, am persuaded, that " he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him to that day." Now, had not the Lord Jesus, by his Holy Spirit, taught me who he was, and what he was able to perform ; had he not manifested forth his glory, never should I have known him, so as to believe on him. But the revelation he hath made of himself, hath induced all those saving effects, which none but the teachings of his Holy Spirit could impart. It hath wrought in me faith and love, humbleness and self-loathing, a regard for his cause, a zeal for his honour, a love to his people, an indifferency to the world ; and all those gracious fruits of faith which follow the knowledge of Jesus. Blessed Lord ! my soul rejoiceth anew, this evening, in the contem- plation of thy glory. And under a sense of the dis- tinguishing mercy, I feel constrained to cry out with the astonishment of the apostle, " Lord! how is it, that thou hast manifested thyself to me, and not unto the world !" _ MARCH 24. MORNING. — " I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." — Joha xvii. 23. Think, my soul, to what a transcendant honour, to what a state of unspeakable happiness, the truly re- generated believer in Jesus is begotten. Who shall de- clare it ; what heart shall fully conceive it? Mark, my soul, how graciously thy Redeemer hath pointed it out, in those sweet words. Observe the foundation of the whole, in that glorious mystery of union between the Father and the Son. This is at the bottom of all our mercies, and becomes the source and spring of every MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 221 Other. " Thou in me," saith Jesus ; not only as One in the nature and essence of the Godhead, in a same- ness of nature, of design, of will, of perfections, and in all the attributes which constitute tlie distinguishing- properties of Jehovah ; but peculiarly as Mediator, the head of the church and people, in communicating all the fulness of the Godhead to dwell bodily in Jesus, as the Glory-man, the God-man, the Anointed of God. Thus, being one with Christ, and dwelling in Christ, in such a way and manner as the Godhead never did, and never can, dwell in any other. And as Jesus is thus One with the Father in the essence of the Godhead, and the Father in him, dwelling in him, and being in him, in all the work of redemption, as Mediator — so is Jesus one in the nature of the manhood, with all his mystical members. " I in them," saith Christ, " as thou art in me." Jesus is the Head of his body, the church, and he is their fulness ; and they members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Hence result the blessed effects which his redeemed all derive from him, " that they may be made perfect in one," Sweet and pre- cious thought! in Jesus they are made perfect. From him they derive perfection. As one with him, they are counted, and beheld perfect before God; and by him they will be found so to all eternity. And what particu- larly endears this lovely view of the believer's perfection in Christ Jesus, is this; that every individual member of Jesus's mystical body, is all alike equally interested in this perfection in Jesus. For as it is from the same Spirit dwelling in them all, that they are quickened to this spiiitual life in Christ Jesus, and are all of them made living members, and united to Jesus, their one glorious head ; so there must be an equally near and dear union to Jesus, and to one another. Delightful consideration ! as the apostle reasons upon another con- sideration— " The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee; nor the foot say, because I am not the 222 THE POOH man's hand, I am not of the body." In Jesus they are all one ; neither can any touch the least of his people, no more than the apple of his eye, without touching him. Is it so, my soul ? And art thou one with Jesus, one with the glorious Head, one with the precious members? Hast thou communion in all that concerns Christ ; com- munion and interest in his Person ; communion in his righteousness ; communion in his life, in his death, in his resurrection, in his chui'ch, in his people, in his or- dinances, in all that concerns Jesus ? Oh then, rest assured that thou shalt have an everlasting communion, and nothing shall separate thee from Jesus — neither in time nor to all eternity. Go down, my body, go down to the grave with this perfect confidence — " That if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal body, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." EVENING. — " And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lift up his eyes, and looked, and behold, there stood a man over against him, with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, art thou for us, or for our adversaries ? And he said, nay, but as Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship." — Joshua V. 13, 14. Behold, my soul, what a most blessed portion here is, for thee to feast upon, in almost endless thought. Who could this be, that appeared to Joshua, but the liOrd Jesus Christ? Who ever called himself the Cap- tain of the Lord's host, but he whom the Holy Ghost hath called, " the Captain of our salvation ?" Heb ii. 10. Is he not the same who appeared to Adam in the garden, to Abraham in his tent, to Jacob at Bethel, to Moses at the bush? And though he diversified his form, upon these and several other occasions ; yet all were only intended to familiarize his people to the knowledge of him. And wherefore, dearest Jesus, was it, that thou didst thus graciously condescend to visit MOllNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 223 thy chosen, so long before the time appointed for the open display of thyself, when tabernacling in flesh, but to tell thy church, that thy whole heart was towards them in love, and that the thoughts thou hadst towards them, were thoughts of good and not of evil ? And although, in this thy appearance to thy servant Joshua, thou didst assume the human form ; yet as Captain of the Lord's host, he instantly knew thy glorious character of Mediator, and fell to the earth in adoration. Hail then, thou almighty Lord, thou Captain of the Lord's host, and of my salvation ! thou hast indeed, indeed entered the lists of the holy war, and in thine own person, led captivity captive, and fully conquered Satan and sin, and death, and hell, for thy people : and thou wilt assuredly conquer all those tremendous foes of ours, in thy people, and bruise Satan under our feet shortly. Indeed, indeed, dear Lord, thou hast already brought them under; for by thy sove- reign grace in the hearts of thy redeemed, thou hast made thy people " willing in the day of thy power." By the sword of thy Spirit, thou hast convinced my soul of sin, and by the arrows of thy quiver, thou hast wounded my heart with deep contrition for sin. Lord, I fall before thee, as thy servant Joshua did, and worship thee; and with all the church of the redeemed, both in heaven and earth, cheerfully confess, " that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Amen. MARCH 25. MORNING. — " The mercy promised."— Luke i. 72. " The mercy promised !" Why, God graciously pro- mised many mercies, and most faithfully and fully per- formed them. Yes ! every thing out of hell may well be called a mercy. Every child of Adam beareth about with him, day by day, tokens of God's mercy. The air we breathe, the garments we put on, the food we eat ; all 224 THE POOR MAN S the comforts, conveniences, enjoyments of life; these are all mercies. But none of these are what the sweet portion of the morning points at. It is here a particu- lar, a special, one specific mercy. And who can this mean, my soul, but Jesus, thy Jesus? — He is, indeed, " the mercy promised," the first mercy, the first promise; the first, best, and comprehensive gift of God in the bible. He is indeed the mercy of mercies, the first born, the sum and substance of every other. He is essential to make all other mercies really and truly mercies ; for without him, they ultimately prove injurious. He is essential to put a sweetness, to give a relish, a value, an impor- tance, to every other. Where Jesus is, there is mercy; where Jesus is not, what can profit? My soul, hast thou considered this ? — Dost thou know it? Is Jesus thine ? Is this mercy promised, really, truly given to thee ? Hast thou taken him home to thine house, to thine heart ? Pause, if it be so, how dost thou value him, know him, use him, live to him, walk with him, hope in him, rejoice in him, and make him thine all? Hast thou received him as a free mercy, an undeserved mercy ? Hast thou accepted him as so seasonable a mercy, that, without him, thou wouldest have been undone for ever ? Is he now so truly satisfying to thee in all thy desires, for time and for eternity, that thou canst bid adieu to every enjoj'^ment, if needful ; and, looking up to Jesus, canst truly say, *' Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee ?" Oh my soul, if this be thy portion, then hast thou a Benjamin's portion indeed ! God thy Father hath given thee indeed the mercy promised ; and Jesus is, and will be, thy mercy, and the mercy of all mercies, to all eternity. Amen. EVENING. — " Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord ; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." — James v. 1 1. There is something uncommonly soothing and conso- MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 225 latory in these words, concerning the Lord's grace, " that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." Very pitiful! Sweet consideration to a child of God, under affliction! For it speaks in the tenderest and most endearing manner, upon all such occasions, that if af- flictions abound, while the Lord is veiy pitiful, and of tender mercy, there must be a needs be for them. My soul, keep this thought always uppermost in thy remem- brance ; and carry it about with thee in thy bosom for constant use, to have recourse to, as occasion may re- (piire. And take another sweet lesson with thee, to help on thy mind to suitable exercises on this account. Hadst thou as much wisdom, and as much love for thyself, and what concerns thy most material interests, as Jesus hath, and is using for thee, the most painful exercises thou art now called to, and which thou art apt to shrink from, would be among the subjects of holy joy. And mark farther what the apostle saith : " Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord that is, in the issue of Job's trials. Who that reads the patriarch's history, can doubt but that the Lord all along intended the whole for his servant's happiness, as well as his own glory ? In all thine exercises, my soul, look to the end of them. Some blessed purpose, depend upon it, thy Jesus hath in view in all, and he will accomplish it. In the mean time, never forget, that " the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy :" in all the afflictions of his people he is afflicted. And what a memorable scripture is that : " His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel ;" Judges X. 16. Precious Jesus! all is well. In the sorrows of thy children, thou bearest a part ; and the largest part is thine ; the heaviest end of every cross thou carriest. The cup of our affliction is not bitter like thy cup of trembling: for through thy love in redemption, the gall and wormwood are taken out. There is no bitter wrath in the chastisements of a kind father under VOL. VIIF. p 226 THE POOR man's sin ; for thou hast borne the wrath when made sin and a curse for us, that we might be made the righteous- ness of God in thee. Often, my soul! let these sweet consoling thoughts refresh thee." Thy Lord, thy Jesus, " is very pitiful and of tender mercy." MARCH 26. MORNING. — "Thy lips, 0 my spouse, drop as the honey-comb." — Song iv. 1 1 . While Jesus is so precious to his people, that they seek him in every thing that is lovely, and indeed can discover nothing to be lovely until they have found Jesus in it, what an endearment is it to the soul of a believer, when he discovers Jesus locking upon him, eyeing him, and even commending Jesus's own graces, which he hath imparted to the soul, brought out into exercises again by the influences of his own Holy Spirit. My soul, canst thou really be led to believe that Jesus is speaking to his church, to his fair one, his spouse, to every individual soul of his redeemed and regenerated ones, in those sweet words of the song? Doth Jesus, the Son of God, call thee his spouse ; and doth he say, thy lips drop as the honey-comb ? Pause, my soul, and ponder over these gracious words of thy God. By thy lips, no doubt, Jesus means thy words; of which Solomon saith — " pleasant words are as an lioney-comb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones." Prov. xvi. 24. Do thy lips drop in prayer, in praise, in conversation, in christian fellowship, in ordinances, and in all the ordinary intercourse of life ? Is Jesus thy one theme ; his nanie, his love, his grace, his work, his salvation ; what _^he hath done, what he hath wrought ; how he hath loved, how he hath lived, how he hath died, how he now lives again to appear in the presence of God for his people; and to give out of his fulness, his mercies, his treasures : in visits, in manifestations, MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 227 and the ten thousand numberless, nameless, ways by which he proves himself to be Jesus ? Do thy lips, my soul, drop in these topics when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, when thou risest up, and when thou goest in before the presence of God, in the public worship of the temple, or the private closet, where no eye seeth thee but him that seeth in se- cret? And doth thy Jesus really mark these things? Doth he condescend to notice his poor creature, and to esteem these droppings as the sweetness of the honey ? Precious God, precious Jesus ! what a love is here. O for grace, for Jove, for life, for every suited gift of my God and Saviour, that my lips, from the abundance of the heart, may drop indeed as the honey-comb — sweetly, freely, not by constraint, except the constraint of thy love ; but constantly, unceasingly, for ever, as the drops of the honey-comb which follow one another ; that prayer may follow praise, and praise succeed to prayer ; and that there may be a succession in magnifying and adoring the riches of grace ; that the name of Jesus may be always in my mouth ; and from that one blessed source, that Jesus lives in my iieart, and rules, and reigns, and is formed there the hope of glory. EVENING. — " And Moses said unto God, behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, the God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, what is his name ? what shall I say unto them ? And God said unto Moses, I am THAT I AM. And he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am hath sent nie unto you." — Exod. iii. 13, 14, My soul, hast thou fully considered, so as to rest in the full assurance of faith upon it, on what the whole foundation of covenant promises and engagements rest ? It is not the greatness of the promise, no, nor the great- ness of the deliverance wrought out for poor sinners, by the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, on which faith founds its claim; for, in fact, 228 THK rOOB MAN S the more astonisliing, and great, and unexpected the mercy is, as in the case of redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ, the more difficult would it be for a poor self-condemned sinner to trust in it, with full assurance of faith ; but the great foundation for thee, and for every poor sinner to ground his hopes of redemption by Jesus Christ upon, is the faithfulness of that God which cannot lie, having promised, as appears, from the beautiful instance this precious scripture records. Tlie Lord was going to send Moses, as his minister, to l)ring out his people Israel from Egyptian bondage; Moses desires the Lord to give him the commission with his name ; whence, by the way we may learn, that they who stand up in the Lord's name, ought themselves to know who the Lord is, and from a proper acquaintance with the Lord, to recommend him to those among whom they proclaim him, as one they themselves know and trust in. To the inquiry of Moses concerning the name by which he should hold him forth to his people, the Lord condescends to give this answer ; I am that I AM : intimating the self- existence, the eternity, and faithfulness of Jehovah. As if God had said, I am, and therefore by virtue of this underived being, which I possess in myself, I give being to all my promises. My soul ! often call to re- membrance this grand and glorious trutli. Thou hast not only tlie peifect and covenant redemption of thy Christ's blood and righteousness to confide in ; l)ut thou hast this other pillar and ground of the truth to confirm thy faith ; I am hath engaged for it also. So that both the blessedness of the promise, and the faithful- ness of the Almighty Promiser, are with thee. Plead both before the throne, for Jehovah will ever be mind- ful oj\ glory in, and prove faithful to, all his covenant promises in Christ, to a thousand generations. Halle- lujah ! Amen. MORNINfi AND EVENING PORTIONS. 229 MARCH 27. MORNING.—" The trumpet of the jubilee."— Levit. xxv. 9. My soul, pause over the subject of the jubilee trum- pet ; for surely much of gospel was proclaimed by it. It should seem that there were four distinct and special sounds of the trumpet in the camp of Israel. The trumpet of memorials, so called, (Levit. xxiii. 24.) was blown on the occasion of the new moon, calling the people to the joyful assembly, Psalm Ixxxi. 3. There was also the fast trumpet of which the prophet speaks, Joel ii. 1. Besides these, the war trumpet gave a cer- tain sound to prepare to battle, 1 Cor. xiv. 8. And this of the jubilee, which differed fx'om all. And al- though the jubilee trumpet was never heard but once in fifty years, yet so sweet and so distinguishing was the sound, that no poor captive among the servants in the camp of Israel, was at a moment's loss to understand its gracious meaning. Say, my soul, is not the gospel sound, when first heard by the ear of faith, precisely the same? When pardon was first proclaimed to thee by the blood of Christ, and the day of his atone- ment so manifested to thy spiritual senses, that tlie captivity of sin and Satan lost tlieir power upon thee, was not this indeed the jubilee trumpet, and the ac- ceptable year of the Lord ? Hast thou heard this joyful sound ? Hath the Son of God made thee free ? Hath Jesus caused thee to return to thy long-lost, long- forfeited inheritance ? And wilt thou never forget the unspeakable mercy ? Hail, thou Almighty Deliverer, thou Redeemer of thy captives ! I had sold my posses- sion, sold myself for nought ; and thou hast redeemed it for me again without money. I had sold it, indeed, but could not alienate it for ever, because the right of redemption was with thee. Yes, blessed Jesus, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise. Thou art the next of kin, tlie nearest of all relation?, and the dearest 230 THE POOR man's of all brothers. And thou hast redeemed both soul and body, both lands and inheritance by thy blood ; and so redeemed the whole, as never more to be lost again, or forfeited for ever. And now, Lord, thy jubi- lee trumpet sounds ; and the proclamation of the ever- lasting gospel is heard in our land, to give liberty to the captive, sight to the blind, to l>ring the prisoners out of the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house. Oh, cause me to know the joyful sound, and daily to walk in the light of thy counte- nance. Cause me, by the sweet influences of thy Spirit, to live in the constant expectation of the year of the everlasting jubilee, when the trumpet of the archangel shall finally sound, and all thy redeemed shall then return to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads ; when they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Hallelujah. EVENING. — " To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary." — Ps. Ixiii. 2. My soul ! knowest thou what it is, at times, to be sensible of a barrenness of spiritual enjoyments ? If at the house of God, to be cold and lifeless there ? If at home, or unable to attend the place where God's honour dwelleth, yet there also to be without the Bethel- visits of thy Lord ? Behold one of old, in a wilderness state, feeling the same. But do not fail to remark also, in the very breathings of the soul after Christ, how plainly his soul was under the sweet influences of Christ : David did not so much long for the temple ser- vice, as for the presence of the God of the temple. Remark also the peculiarity of expression : he longed to see the Lord's power and glory, so as he had seen hivi in times jjast. God in Christ is Jehovah's power and glory ; and the sanctuary without him, would be no better than the wilderness. What a beautiful devout MORNrNG AND EVENING PORTIONS. 231 frame of mind was tliis sacred writer in, when thus going forth in earnest longing after the divine power and glory, as manifested in the person of God in Christ! Now, my soul, canst thou make use of the same lan- guage, even when thou ai't mourning in retirement over the absence of the Lord Jesus ? Is Jesus still the one object of desire ? And are the power and glory of Jehovah, as manifested in the person of Jesus, the long- ing of thy heart to enjoy ? Be comforted, in still having before thee the great object of faith, and the actings of faith, even when the waters of the sanctuary run low. God is still honoured, still loved, still trusted in, and depended upon, by this humble, though sorrowful frame; and ere long, he whom thou desirest to see in his power and glory will manifest himself in both ; and thou shalt yet give him praise, " who is the health of tliy counte- nance and thy God." MARCH 28. MORNING. — " For where a testament is, tliere must also of necessity Le the death of the testator ; for a testament is of force after men are dead, otherwise it is of no strength at all v/hile the testator liveth." — Heb. ix. 16, 17. Behold, my soul, how graciously the Holy Ghost hath here represented the necessity of Jesus's death, in order that the testament, or will, he left behind liim, might have the intended effect ; and all the benefits and bless- ings he bequeathed in it to his people, might be fully paid and made over to them for their present peace and everlasting happiness. Now, my soul, mark down, for this day's special meditation, the many precious things here contained. Observe how very accommodating the Holy Ghost is to explain to thee divine things, by the similitude of human transactions. As a man makes his will, so Jesus made his. As what a man gives is alto- gether a free and voluntary act, so Jesus was not con- strained by what he gave in his blessed will ; but the whole was the result of his own free, gracious, and ever- 232 THE POOR man's lasting love. And as a man must die before his will can be put in force, so Jesus must, and did die, that his testament and will might have the full effect also. But there is one sweet point more to be taken into this account, in which, my soul, thy Jesus hath infinitely surpassed all men in this article of their wills. When a man dies,^ he appoints by will an executor, to whom he must trust the management of all his effects after his decease ; and should his executor prove unfaithful, his best designs for those he loved, when living, may all fail of the end when he is dead. Now here lies the sweetness of Jesus's will: — he not only made the will, but he himself will see it fully executed ; for as he died once, in order that by his death his will might be confirmed, so he ever liveth to see the whole of his blessed gifts and legacies paid. Precious, precious Jesus! how sure then is thy will, and the certainty of every tittle of it being fulfilled. Now, my soul, there are two grand things which concern thee to inquire con- cerning the will of the Lord Jesus. The Jirst is, whether thou hast any interest in it ? And the second is, what the Lord Jesus hath left behind him ? Recol- lect, my soul, that in this instance, as in the former, when men make tlieir wills, it is to dispose of their effects to their relations, their friends, their families. Jesus also hath his relations, his friends, his family. Yes, thou dear Lord, thou condescendest to call thy people thy spouse, thy brethren, thy children, thy jewels, thy redeemed. My soul, dost thou claim relationship to Jesus ? Canst thou prove, or hast thou proved his will ? Is Jesus thine husband ? Hath he betrothed thee to himself? Again— hast thou the marks of a child in God's family ? Art thou born again ? Again — if you are his, then hast thou his Spirit: "for he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit." If you are a child of God, and a joint-heir with Christ, then art thou under his divine leadings ; " for as many as are led by the Spirit of MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 233 God, they are the sons of God." If thou hast these marks of relationship, thou mayest safely look for his gifts. Surely Jesus hath remembered in his legacies his spouse, his children. And Oh, what an inventory wilt thou find, my soul, under the second inquiry, when thou hast fully proved the first. Oh, what legacies, what gifts, what an inheritance, art thou entitled to by the will of Jesus! All temporal blessings, all spiritual blessings, all eternal blessings ! Pardon, mercy, peace, in the blood of his cross ; the sweet enjoyment of all providences in this life, and the sure possession of everlasting happiness in that which is to come, Oh, how true was it, my God and Saviour, when thou didst say, " I will cause them that love me to inherit substance." EVENING. — « Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage ? lie retaineth not his anger for ever, because he dehghteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us : he will subdue our iniquities : and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." — Micah vii. 18, 19. My soul! hast thou ever duly and thoroughly pon- dered over the several interesting volumes of grace recorded in this glorious scripture? If not, make them the subject of this evening's song. Let every chapter contained in them, pass and re-pass in review before thee, and see whether, in the close of the whole, the astonishment of the man of God is not thine also; crying out, " Who is a God like our God? a God in Christ, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin!" And, first, " He pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his people." Yes; in Jesus, the Son of his love, he hath done all this, and more than this, for he hath taken the objects of his clemency into favour. Secondly, the cause of all these unspeakable felicities is assigned; " because he delighteth in mercy." It is from himself, and his 234 THE POOR man's own free sovereign grace, that these blessings flow. Not what the highly-favoured objects merit, but what grace can do for them. Not what claims they have to his bounty, but how his grace can best be magnified in their salvation. Sweet and precious consideration to the breast of every poor sinner! My soul! I hope that thou canst truly participate in the delightful thought. Thirdly, he that delighteth in mercy, will delight to turn again to his people. He will turn their hearts to himself, and then his returns to them will sweetly follow, to their apprehension, and to their joy. " Fourthly, he will not only pardon their iniquity, but " he will subdue their iniquities: not only take away the guilt of sin, but also destroy the dominion of sin ; not only cast their sins behind his back, but " cast them into the depths of the sea:" and so effectually shall they be lost, that if the sin of Judah be sought for, it shall not be found. The depths of the sea, that fountain which God hath opened in the Redeemer's blood, shall more completely bury them, than the congregated waters of the ocean cover any mountain or hill cast into them. Say now, my soul! dost thou not look up to a God in Christ, and cry out, with the prophet, in the same holy rapture and astonishment, " Who is a God like unto thee ?" MARCH 29. MORNING. — " The precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments." — Psalm cxxxiii. 2. My soul, behold, in the anointing here set forth of the Jewish high priest, a type of His anointing who is a Priest for ever, and a Priest upon his throne ; and while looking at Aaron, say, as the Lord Jesus did upon another occasion concerning Solomon, " A greater than Aaron is here." It is sweet, very sweet, and very profitable, to behold the old cliurch shadowing forth MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 235 the new, and the law ministering to the gospel. Yes, blessed Jesus, I behold in Aaron, and in the precious ointment poured forth upon his head, thus running down to the skirts of his garments, the beautiful re- presentation of that fulness of the Spirit, which was poured out upon thee without measure; that from thee the communication miglit flow down to the poorest, the humblest, the lowest of thy members, even to the very skirts of thy clothing. " It pleased the Father that in thee should all fulness dwell :" that of that fulness all thy people might receive, and grace for grace. And by virtue of our interest in thee, and union with thee, all thy people do richly partake of communion in all thy benefits, blessings, mercies. The sun shines not to itself, nor for itself, but to impart light and life to others: so dost thou, the. Sun of Righteousness, shine forth in all thy glory, not for thyself, but to bless, and enliven, and give out of all thy grace and fulness, every suited blessing, according to the measure of the gift of Christ. My soul, bring home these precious truths to the conviction of experience. Was Jesus indeed anointed for his people ? Was grace poured into his lips ? Was he, like Aaron, so installed into the office of the priesthood, and the Holy Spirit so unmeasurably communicated to him, on purpose that all his little ones should partake of this unspeakable gift of God ? Did God the Father say to Jesus, " I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine off- spring ?" Well then, my soul, hast thou partaken of the Holy Spirit ? Hast thou communion with Jesus in all that concerns thy salvation? A child of God, a joint- heir with Christ, and a soul begotten of the Holy Spirit, hath interest and communion in all that belongs to Jesus, as the Great Head and Mediator of his church ; interested in his Person, interested in his work, in- terested in his righteousness, in his hfe, in his death, in his resurrection, iu his everlasting priestly office, and in 236 THE POOR MAN his everlasting glory. What sayeth my soul to these things ? Go, my soul, go this morning, go in the strength of this interest, and look at a throne of grace, within the vail, whither thy forerunner is for thee en- tered j behold thy glorious Aaron, wearing the priestly vestments still, and having all grace, all fulness; waiting to be gracious, and to impart of that fulness to thy necessities ; and having received gifts for men, yea, for thee, the most rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Lord, proportion thy mercies to my wants ; and as the day is, so let the strength be. EVENING. — " Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him ; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily, I say unto thee, thou shall by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing." — Matt. v. 25, 26. My soul ! hast thou agreed with thine adversary, and made full payment of all the law charges? If so, it is blessed to review the account, and look over the several particulars, wherein thou wert a debtor, now struck out of God's book, and marked j^oid, 2}fiid, in red letters, with Jesus's blood. To thee, as a sinner, born in sin, and an insolvent debtor, both by nature and by prac- tice, the law of God stood forth as thine adversary. To agree with him as quickly as possible, whilst in the way with him, and while life remains, which is every moment subject to be ended, is the first and most mo- mentous of all concerns. Hadst thou not done this, and death had come, both law and justice must have consigned thee over to the J udge of quick and dead ; and having rejected him as thy Saviour, and knowing him only as thy Judge, he must have delivered thee to the angels, who are officers in his kingdom, to execute his wrath ; and into hell, as the eternal prison, thou must have been cast : and as the debt then could never have been paid, so deliverance could never have been obtained ; but unsatisfied justice would have continued MORNING AND EVKNINC PORTIONS. 237 to demand, without any possibility on tliy part of pay- ing, to all eternity. Now see how thy account stands. It is a solemn thing to deal with God. If thy debt of original and actual sin be not paid by thy surety, it is not cancelled; but if Jesus, thy surety, hath paid it for thee, thy God hath accepted it of him; yea, he himself constituted and appointed him to pay it ; and Jesus never gave over, nor did he compound with God, until he had paid the uttermost farthing : then art thou free. Oh ! then, be often reviewing the blessed account, in which all thy plea for grace and acceptance here, and glory hereafter, most completely stands. Jesus hath paid the whole, and God the Father graciously saith, " Deliver him from going down into the pit ; I have foimd a ransom." — Job xxxiii. 24. MARCH 30. MORNING. — " So then with the mind ! myself serve the law of God ; but with the flesh the law of sin." — Rom. vii. 25. Is this thy language, ray soul ? Hast thou learnt with Paul, with Job, with Isaiah, and all the faithful gone before, to loathe thyself in thine own sight ? Dost thou groan, being burthened with a body of sin which drags down the soul ? Pause over this view of human nature. In the first place — think, my soul, what hum- bling thoughts such a state of corruption ought to in- duce. Though the mind be regenerated, though with the mind the believer serves the law of God, delights in the law of God, loves the law, and would make it the subject of devout meditation all the day ; yet such is the body of sin, the flesh with its affections, and ap- petites, and desires, that it draws away the attention, imperiously puts in its claims, and rises up in rebellion continually. And are the souls of God's children thus exercised, thus afflicted, in the struggles between the different motions of grace and corruption from day to 238 THE POOR man's day ? Yes, such is the state, such the uniform experi- ence of God's people in all ages. Paul thus complains, though he had been so highly sanctified. Perhaps there never was a child of God brought into a closer and more intimate communion with God. He had been caught up to the third heaven, and heard unspeakable words. He had laboured more than all the apostles. He had been converted by a miracle from heaven, and by the immediate call of the Lord Jesus personally to him. But yet this highly favoured servant of the Lord, this blessed apostle, who was continually flying on the wings of zeal and love in the service of his Master, even he, with his flesh, he tells us, served the law of sin : nay, he felt and discovered " a law of sin in his members, warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin which was in his members ;" and under a deep distress of soul he cried out — " Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death !" Is it so, then, my soul, with thee also ! Dost thou discover the same in thy experience ? Dost thou feel the rebellions of sin rising up within thee ? Dost thou detect thine heart, wandering even in the moment of soleran exer- cises ; and, in short, thine own body, the worst and greatest enemy thou hast to contend with ? Oh then, learn from hence, what humbling views oughtest thou to have of thyself, and to lay low in the dust in conse- quence thereof before God. When thou hast duly contemplated this state of fallen nature, let thy next improvement of this subject be to endear the Lord Jesus to thee, my soul, more and more ; to fly out of thyself, to fly to Jesus, to take refuge in him and his great sal- vation ; from even thyself, with all that body of sin and death, under which thou thus continually groanest; and to derive herefrom a daily and hourly conviction, yet more strong and unanswerably conclusive, that no- thing but the blood of Jesus can cleanse, nothing but the MORNING AND RVENING PORTIONS. 239 righteousness of Jesus can save and justify a sinner. Say as Paul did, when from the bottom of his heart that soul-piercing question arose, " Who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." EVENING.—" 1 would lead thee, and bring tliee into my mother's house, who would instruct me." — Song viii. 2. My soul ! hast thou ever noticed the peculiar beau- ties of this scripture ? if not, make it the subject of this evening's meditation; it will amply recjompence thine attention. The church is here in great liveliness, and actings of faith upon the person of her Lord ; indeed, so much so, that we do not find any thing like this holy familiarity, used by the church towards her Lord, in any other part of the bible. It is the well-known office of Jesus, to lead his people, and to draw them to himself. God the Father hath given him for this blessed purpose, as " a Leader and Commander to his people." Isaiah Iv. 4. And Jesus iiimself declared, that " if he was lifted up, he would draw all to him- self." John xii. 32. But here, it is tlie church leading- Christ. Pause, my soul. Dost thou know any thing of this, or like it, in thine own experience ? Shall I not hope thou dost? Look diligently; for if so, it Avill form a blessed subject, not only for thy present medi- tation, but for every evening and morning of thy life. And it will have a blessed effect also, in proving the reality of thy faith, and of endearing to thyself the Redeemer's love. Say, then, is not Jesus led by his people, when he is constrained at any time, as the dis- ciples constrained him at Emmaus, to remain witli them, until he maketh himself known to them in breaking of bread ? Hast thou not thyself been com- pelled, at times, to say, as they did, that " thine heart hath burned within thee," when Jesus hath made him- self known, in the word of his grace ; or when lie hath 240 THE roon man's manifested himself in the tokens of his love, in soft- ening thine heart when hardened, in warming it when frozen, comforting it when cast down ; and thou hast held him in the galleries of his grace, by faith and prayer, and the exercises of the graces of his Holy Spirit, which his own hand first gave thee, and which his own power, in all the after-enjoyments of them, called forth into actings upon his person, work, and righteousness? Luke xxiv. 28— 33. What wilt thou call these things, but leading Christ, and bringing Christ infco thy mother's house, the church, where Jesus manifests himself to his beloved, otherwise than he doth to the world ? Was it not thus that Jacob led the Lord, and constrained him not to depart from him, until he had blessed him? Gen. xxxii. 26. AVas it not of the same kind, in the instance of Lot, when, by faith and prayer, the patriarch so led the Lord con- cerning Zoar, that the Lord said, " I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither ?" Gen. xix. 22. Precious, precious Jesus! is it thus thy people have power with thee, and prevail with thee to stay with them ; and thou sufFerest thyself to be led by them, in all those instances where their furtherance in grace, and the promotion of thy glory will be accomplished by it ? Oh ! then, thou dear Loi'd ! I beseech thee, give me such a double portion of thy blessed Spirit, that, taking hold of thy strength, I may lead my Lord, by faith and prayer, and all the goings forth of grace upon thy person and righteousness, into such rich en- joyments as the church here had in view, until " I cause thee to drink," also as she did, " of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate!" MARCH 31. MORNING. — " Having a desire to depart, and to be with Ciirist." — Phil. i. 23. My soul, thou hast not, I liope, dismissed the solemn MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 241 thoughts opened to thy view by the scripture of yesterday. Surely, since that last morning, thou hast had but too many renewed occasions to feel the truth of it. Sin is not only present with thee at all times, but in thee, and as inseparable from thy unrenewed part, as the shadow from the substance. Thou knowest this, thou feelest it, thou groanest under it ; and the consciousness of it is, in itself, enough to make thee go humbly all thy days. All other afflictions are nothing to this affliction: this, like the ocean compared to rivers, sui'passeth and swalloweth up all. It is indeed a soul-supporting thought, (and, blessed be God, thou feelest the sweet- ness of it,) that under all, and in all, Jesus is thy hope. And while sin is always present with thee, Jesus, thy Advocate and Propitiation, is present for thee with the Father. But though in Him, and his righteousness accepted and secure, yet the consideration how much thy daily short-comings and transgressions dishonour God, and deprive thee of comfort here, is matter sufficient to make thine eyes run down with water, and thine heart continually to mourn before the mercy-seat. And will these things always be the same, whilst thou carriest about with thee this body of sin ? Shall this perishing part of thine be always so unfavourable to the sweet and gracious desires of the soul ? Shall I never, never truly and uninterruptedly enjoy Jesus until the body is dissolved, and the dust returns to the earth out of which that part of my nature was taken? Pause, my soul, and say — Hast thou not then a desire to depart, and to be with Christ ! Is not the grave, in this view, not only made bearable, but even desirable — nay, even pleasant? What, shall I never be wholly free from sin, until that I am wholly freed from the body ! Shall I never be secure of sweet enjoyment with Jesus in ordinances, in retirement, in prayer, in praise, until that I drop this body of sin ? And wouldest thou not, my soul, gladly part with such a partner, near and dear VOL. VIII, Q 242 THE POOR man's as it is, if this partner, in its present state, so dreadfully robs thee of thy most precious enjoyments? It is true, death in itself is not desirable: but if only by dying thou canst enjoy Jesus ; and if only by dying this body will lose its corruptions ; if the grave hath a commission from thy Jesus to destroy that part only of thy body which is corrupt, and at the same time to act as a pre- server of that part which Jesus at the last day will raise up to glory ; if Jesus hath assured thee that, though worms destroy thy corrupt part, yet thine eyes, even thy bodily eyes, when raised up by Jesus a glo- rified body, shall see God ; and if thy body, thus raised up and re-animated, shall then be not only wholly freed from all corruption, but equally disposed as the soul to praise thy God and Saviour for ever and for ever, and both soul and body unite as dear friends in this blessed service. Oh then, from henceforth never, my soul, look at death any more but as thy kind friend. It is to die to sin ; but it is to live to Jesus. It is to be dead to all things but Jesus, that Jesus may be all things in life for ever. Oh then, for this desire to depart and to be with Cinnst! EVENING.—" And the desire of all nations shall come."— Haggai ii. 7. And who could this be, but Jesus? Who, but he alone, could be the object of desire; or able to gratify the desire of all nations? Sit down, my soul, this evening, and consider the subject to the full; and if the result be, as it surely must be, under divine teach- ing, that none but Jesus can answer to this character, and he most fully and completely comes up to it in every possible point of view ; thou wilt find another sweet testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus, that he who alone is thy desire, hath ever been, and still is, to all that need and seek salvation, the desire of all nations. AnA, first, consider how universal the want of Jesus must be. " All the world is become guilty MORNING AND EVENINC. PORTfONS. 243 (the scripture saith) before God." Romans iii. 19. Hence, in every nation, kindred, tongue, or clime, every poor awakened and convinced sinner stands in need of a Saviour; and, however diversified by language, customs, or manners, sin is felt exceeding sinful, and the desire of deliverance from its guilt and its consequences, however variously expressed, is the burden and cry of every prayer. Now suppose, that to souls of this de- scription, Jesus and his glorious salvation was revealed, M^ould not the desire of every heart be towards him? Surely every eye would be directed to Jesus, and every tongue call aloud upon his name. Hence it is that Jesus, and he alone, is the desire of all nations. And as all poor sinners, whether conscious of it or not, stand in need of salvation ; so, secondly^ it must be observed, that it is Jesus, and he alone, who can give salvation : for, as the apostle speaks, " there is salvation in no other, neither is there any other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts iv. 12. And how extensive and all-sufficient is Jesus, to answer the desire of all nations ! As one sun in the heavens becomes a fulness of light, and warmth, and healing to a whole earth ; one ocean to supply all the rivers and lakes, and the inhabitants of the world ; so one Lord Jesus Christ is both the Sun of righteousness, and the everlasting river of life, which niaketh glad the city of God. Every want, and every desire that can be necessary for time and eternity, all temporal, spi- ritual, and eternal blessings, are in Jesus. He that is the desire of all nations, is in himself sufficient to satisfy the desires of every living soul. — Pause one moment, my soul, over this view of thy Jesus, and say, is He, that is, the desire of all nations, tliy one, thine only one desire, to which every other is subordinate, and in which every other is swallovved up and lost? See what answer thou canst give to the heart-searching question? And when, through grace, thou hast derived renewed 244 THE POOR man' conviction from this view of the subject, that none but Jesus can fully answer the desires of an awakened soul, close the month, as thou hopest to close life, with the blessed hope that he who is thy one desire now, will be thine everlasting portion to all eternity. Amen and Amen. Al'RlL 1. MORNING.—" And this is his name whereby he shall be called— The Lord our Righteousness." — Jer. xxiii. 6.- Begin this month, my soul, with contemplating thy Jesus in this glorious distinction of character ; and beg of God the Holy Ghost, who hath here declared that, under this character, Jesus shall be known and called, that every day through the month, and through the whole of life, thou mayest find grace and strength so to know and so to call Jesus, as to be everlastingly satisfied that thou art made the righteousness of God in him. And first, my soul, consider who and what this Holy One is. He is the Lord Jehovah. In the glories of his essence, he is One with the Father. In his 2><^rsonal glories, he is the Lord thy Mediator. And in his relative glories, he is thy righteousness. For, by virtue of his taking thy nature, what he is as Mediator and as the Surety of his people, he is for them. Pause over this blessed view, and then say, what can be more blessed than thus to behold Jesus as what he is in him- self for his people. Look at him again, my soul, and take another view of him in his loveliness; in what he is to his people. This precious scripture saith, that he is the Lord our righteousness; that is, by virtue of his Godhead he is our righteousness, in such a sure way, and with such everlasting value and eflScacy, as no crea- ture could be. The righteousness his redeemed possess in him, and have a right in him, and are entitled to in him, is the righteousness of God; and therefore im- possible ever to be lost, and impossible ever to be fully MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 245 recompensed in glory. Sweet and blessed consideration! it seems too great to be believed. And so it would indeed, if the authority of Jehovah had not stamped it, and made the belief of it the first and highest act of a poor sinner's obedience. And obsierve, my soul, yet further, there is this blessed addition to the account — " he shall be called so." By whom? Nay by every one that knows him. The poor sinner sliall call him so, who is led to see and feel that he hath no righteous- ness of his own; he shall call Jesus his Lord, his righteousness. He shall call him so to others; he shall call upon him for himself '; he shall be that true Isiaelite, that very one whom the prophet describes — " Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength." The redeemed upon earth, the redeemed in heaven, the church of the first-born, shall call him so. The whole army of patriarchs and prophets, and apostles, all shall know Jesus as the Lord our righte- ousness. Nay, God himself, our Father, shall call his dear Son by this glorious name ; for it is He who hath constituted and appointed him as the Lord our righte- ousness. And that Jesus is our righteousness is from this very cause, " that he is made of God to us wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption, that he that glorieth may glory in the Lord." Now, my soul, what sayest thou to this sweet view of Jesus in this most precious scripture ? Is not this name of Jesus most grateful to thee, as ointment of the richest fragrancy poured forth ? Can any name be as sweet and delightful to one convinced, as thou art, that all thy righteousness is as dung and dross, as that of Jesus the Lord our righteousness? Witness for me, ye angels of light, that I renounce every other; and from hence- forth will make mention of his righteousness, and his only. Yes, blessed Jesus, my mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation ; for I know no end thereof. 246 THE POOR AfAN S EVENING. — " And this is the name, wherewith she shall be called, the Lord our righteousness.— Jer. xxxiii. 16. My soul! the subject of thy morning meditation would not be complete, if thy personal interest in it were not taken into the account ; and therefore let thy mind be led forth, this evening, in sweet contemplation upon what the Holy Ghost hath said, in this scripture, by his same servant, the prophet, concerning the church of Jesus. If Jesus be called " the Lord our righteous- ness," and be, as he is well known to be, the husband of his j)eople, surely his wife shall be called by her hus- band's name. She shall be called so because it is her husband's name ; " the Lord our righteousness." And as he became sin for her, when he knew no sin; so she, when she knew no righteousness, shall, by virtue of her union and relationship with him, be righteousness, even " the righteousness of God in him," 2 Cor. v. 21. Now, my soul, seeing that these things are certain, sure, and unquestionable, do thou follow up the transporting meditation in every way, and by every way, and by every consideration, in which the blessedness of it is confirmed and assured. Married to Jesus, thou hast an interest in all he hath as Mediator, as the glorious Head of his body, the church, " the fulness of him that filleth all in all." And indeed, it is such an union and one- ness, as nothing in nature can fully represent : " For he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit," 1 Cor. vi. 17. It infinitely transcends tlie marriage imion, which is only in natural ^things, and at death is dissolved ; for this union is spiritual, and continues for ever. Hence Jesus saith, " I will betroth thee to me for ever," Hosea ii. 19. Never lose sight of this high union, and the infinitely precious blessings to which, by virtue of it, thou art entitled : and while thou art called by his name, see that thou hast a conformity to his image. An union of grace should be manifested by an union of heart. What thy Jesus loves, thou shouldest love ; and MORNING ANO KVENING I'OKTIONsi. 24/ what lie hates, do thou hate. Let his people be thy people ; and his God and Father thine also. And from being one with liim in heart, in mind, in sym- pathy, and affection ; receiving life from him, living on him, and being in him ; then will he be every thing to thee, of grace in this life, and of glory in that which is to come. Precious Lord, and husband of thy people, be tliou made of God to me, and all thy redeemed, " wis- dom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; that according as it is written, he that glorieth, may glory in the Lord !" APRIL 2. MORNING. — " Anri Aaron shall lay i)oth his hands upon the head of the live goal, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities, unto a land not inhabited." — Lev. xvi. 21, 22. Pause, my soul, and behold the tender mercy of thy God, in thus causing to be represented to the church of old, by so striking a service, that grand and most mo- mentous doctrine of the gospel, which, in after-ages of the church was fully set fortli and completed, when Jehovah laid upon our Lord Jesus Christ the iniquities of his people. And do, my soul, attend to those several most interestuig points here graciously revealed. As first — this was at the express command of God. Yes, who but God could transfer or permit a change of persons in the transferring of sin ? This is one of the most blessed parts of the gospel, that when Jesus bore our sins in his own body on the tree, it was by the express will and appointment of Jehovah. The Lord Jesus took not those sins on himself; but the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. Mark tiiis down in strong characters. Then next consider — that as Jesus had a transfer of all the sins of his people, consequently they 248 THE POOR man's were no longer upon the people, from whom they were transferred. Here faith finds full scope for exercise, in giving God the credit due to God. The sending away the goat was intended to represent the full remis- sion of sins ; and by the goat bearing them away into a land not inhabited, intimated that those sins should never be seen nor known any more ; according to that precious scripture of the Holy Ghost by the prophet — " The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none ; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found," Jer. 1. 20. And there is one sweet thought more, not to be overlooked in this blessed scrip- ture, concerning those sins. Observe, my soul, the particularity of the expression. The confession of Aaron, the great high priest, was not only of all the iniquities of the children of Israel, but all their trans- gressions in all their sins. Pause, my soul, over this view, and recollect that there are many, and sometimes very heinous and aggravated circumstances of transgres- sion in thy sins. Now what a sweet thought of relief to thy mind is it, under particular and galling circum- stances of sin, to behold thy Jesus bearing thy sins, and all the transgression of all thy sins. The Lord caused to meet in him, as the passage might have been ren- dered, the iniquities of us all. Isa. liii. 6. Jesus was made as the common receiver, the drain, the sink, into which all the sins, and every minute and particular sin, was emptied. " He shall drink of the brook in the way," said the Holy Ghost. Ps. ex. 7. W^as not this the black and filthy brook of Cedron, into which all the filth from the sacrifices of the temple was emptied? Here it was Jesus passed, when, in the night of his entering on his passion, he went into the garden. Look to this, my soul, and see whether it doth not strikingly, though solemnly, at the same time, set forth Jesus bearing all and every particular transgression in all thy sins. One thought more. The goat thus laden with MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 249 all the sins of the people, was to be sent away by the hand of some fit man into the wilderness. As none but Jesus could be competent to bear sins, so none but Jesus could be fit to bear them away into a land of everlasting forgetfulness. It doth not lessen the beauty of this blessed scripture in the representation here made, in Jesus being set forth under two characters ; for he is so in many. None but Jesus can indeed accomplish all : he is the High Priest, the Altar, and the Sacrifice, through all the law ; and he is the fit man here repre- sented, as well as the burden-bearer of sin. Hail ! thou great High Priest ! Blessed for ever be thou who hast borne away all the sins of thy people into a land not inhaljited. Thou hast crossed out, in God's book of account, each and every individual sin, and the trans- gression of all our sins, in the red letters of thy blood ; and never shall they appear again to the condemnation of thy people. EVENING. — " I pray thee let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon." — Deut, iii. 25. What a very lovely and interesting view doth this sweet scripture afford of Moses, the man of God! Look at him, my soul, as the Holy Ghost hath here repre- sented him, and pray for grace to gather some of those blessed instructions which this part of his history par- ticularly affords. And what was it that made Moses so anxious to go over and see the good land ? It was but a type of heaven, even in its highest glory ; and surely the type or representation of any thing cannot be equal to the thing itself ; and Moses knew, that if lie had not the type, he should have the substance : if de- barred Canaan, lie should be in heaven. There must have been some other cause, which made Moses long for the sight of it. I venture to think (we may at least conjecture) and this scripture, I confess, leads me to the idea : " Let me see (said Moses) that goodly moun- tain, and Lebanon." This was the one hallowed spot Moses longed to see, and to feast his eyes upon. He 250 THE POOR man's who had converstd with Jesus at the bush, wanted to behold, and with sacred meditation, by faith, converse with him, on the very spot where, in after ages, he knew that Jesus would be crucified. Pie who by faith walked with Jesus, while in Egypt, so as " to esteem the re})roach of Christ greater riches than all its trea- sures would there, by faith, have realized the pre- sence of his Lord in sweet communion : and if, through faith, he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, in the ordinance of the paschal lamb, what may we not suppose the man of God would have felt, as he traversed over the sacred goodly mountain, and Lebanon? ' Here,' he would have said, as he beheld, by faith, the day of Christ afar off, like the patriarch Abraham, ' here is the memorable ground, the holy mountain, on which Jesus, " my dweller in the bush," will one day make his soul an offering for sin ? Here will go up before God the Father, that one sacrifice to which all under the law shadowed and ministered, and by which the Lord Jesus will for ever perfect them that are sanctified ! Here the Son of God will for ever do away sin by the sacrifice of himself.' Oh, Lebanon ! that goodly mountain ! for ever sacred to the soul's meditation of all the redeemed of the Lord Jesus ! though, like Moses, I have not trod- den thine hallowed ground ; yet, by faith, I have seen Jesus in his agonies and passion there ; and bless and ])raise God and the Lamlj, for the wonders of redemp- tion. Lord, bring me to the everlasting enjoyment of thy person, work, and righteousness, in glory, for this will be indeed the good land that is beyond Jordan ; the goodly mountain, and Lebanon : that " when I awake after thy likeness, I may be satisfied with it." APRIL 3. MORNING. — " A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." — Isa. liii. 3. My soul, there is one feature in thy Redeemer's MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 251 character, which, in the unequalled abasement of his person, demands thy constant contemplation. I fear it hath not been considered by thee as it ought. And yet it is so sweetly accommodating and lovely, that the more thou beholdest thy Jesus in this tender light, the more endeared he must appear to thee. The prophet, under the Holy Ghost, hath here in a few words sketched the outlines of it — " A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." It was most essential that Jesus should be all this, because it belonged to the curse which he became for his people, when he offered him- self as their surety. You will remember, my soul, the curse which God pronounced upon the earth, and man's passage through it, when he broke the divine law. The ground was cursed ; the product of it was to be thorns and thistles ; in sorrow, and in the sweat of the brow, was man to eat bread ; and, at length, death was to close the life. Now it behoved him who undertook to remove the curse, to bear that curse be- fore the removal of it ; and, as such, it behoved Jesus to be " a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Hence all these seized on the Lord Jesus in the first moment he assumed our nature. And though he had no sin in his nature ; not being born in the ordinary way of our nature, yet, as a Surety, he was at once exposed to all the frailties in the sinless sorrows, and travails, and labours of it. This sentence would not have been fulfilled, had not Jesus eat bread in the sweat of his brow. So interesting a part, therefore, was it in Christ's life, that he should labour in a com- mon occupation, that this part of the curse might not go by, without being accomplished. And how emi- nently, my soul, was this part indeed fulfilled, when, in the garden, the sweat of his brow was drops of blood ! How full of thorns and thistles was the earth to Jesus, may be in some measure considered, when we behold him in the unequalled sorrows of the oppo- 252 THE POOR man's sition he met with from the world, the unkindness of friends, the malice of enemies. The thorny crown put upon his sacied head was Utile considered by those that put it ; but yet it was, in reality, crowning him Lord of sorrow and grief, beyond all men that ever were exercised with affliction. So great, indeed, was the continued load he bore of grief, and so much did it tend to waste and wear the spirits, that according to that expression of the Jews to him — " thou art not yet fifty years old," evidently proved, that he had the visage of one of fifty, when only thirty. And it is remarkable, though we are told that Jesus rejoiced in spirit, yet we never read that he was once seen to laugh during his whole life. Precious Jesus, enable me ever to be looking unto thee, thou meek and lowly Lamb of God ! And may I never lose sight of this sweet part of thy character also ; that whilst thou didst bear our sins, so didst thou carry our sorrows ; and in fulfilling the law, didst take away the curse also, when in sorrow thou didst eat bread all the days of thy life. EVENING.— "For him halh God ihe Father sealed."— John vi. 27. My soul, hast thou ever remarked the peculiar glory of those scriptures, which comprise within a small com- pass all the persons of the Godhead, as concurring and co-operating in the grand business of salvation ? No doubt, all scripture is blessed, being given by inspira- tion of God ; but there is a peculiar blessedness in these sweet portions, which at one view, represent the Holy Three in One, unitedly engaged in the sinner's redemp- tion. My soul, ponder over this divine passage, in thy Saviour's discourse, as thus: who is the Him here spoken of, but the Lord Jesus ? And whom but God the Father could seal Christ ? And with whom was Christ sealed and anointed, but by God the Holy Ghost ? Would any one have thought, at first view, that in seven words, such a blessed testimony should MORNING AND EVENING POUTIONS. 253 be given to the glorious foundation-truth of the whole bible ? " For him hath God the Father sealed." Pre- cious Jesus ! enable me to behold thy divine authority as the warrant of faith in this gracious act of thy Fa- ther. And while I view thee as infinitely suited for my poor soul, in every state and under every circumstance, let my soul find confidence in the conviction that the validity of all thy gracious acts of salvation is founded in the seal of the Spirit. Yes, thou dear Lord, it was indeed the Spirit of Jehovah that was upon thee, when thou wast anointed to " preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the broken in heart, to give deliverance to the captive, and the restoring of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." And art thou, dearest Lord, thus held forth, and thus recommended by the grand seal of heaven, to every poor sinner who feels a conscious want of salvation ? Oh then help. Lord, by thy blessed Spirit, all and every one of this description, so to receive a sealed Saviour, as to rest in nothing short of being sealed by him ; and while every act of love, and every tendency of grace proclaims thee, blessed Jesus, as " Him whom God the Father hath sealed," so let every act of faith, and every tendency of the soul, in the goings forth after thee, be expressive of the same earnest longings as the chuich, of being sealed and owned by thee, when she cried out, " Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm ; for love is strong as death ; jealousy is cruel as the grave ; the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehe- ment flame." APRIL 4. MORNING.—" A place called Gethseraane."— Matt. xxvi. 36. My soul, let thy morning meditation be directed to the garden of Gethsemane, that memorable spot, sacred to the believer, because so much beloved and 254 THE POOR man'? resorted to by Jesus. Here Jesus oft came with his disciples. And here, my soul, do tliou often take the wing of faith, and flee in devout contemplation. Was this place dear to thee, thou precious Redeemer? And was it not because here thou didst enjoy the sweetest refreshing in communion with the Father? Was it not because here thou knewest would Ijegin the conflict and the agony, in whicli the great business for which thou earnest on earth would be accomplished. Didst thou abide here, Lord, a whole night, after a day's constant preaching to the people, the week only before thy crucifixion. (See Luke xxi. 37.) And when the night was past, didst thou again repair to the temple to the same employ? Was Gethsemane dear to Jesus ! Was here his favourite haunt ? And shall not my soul delight to be oft here in solemn meditation ? "Will not my Lord lead me there, and go with me there, and sweetly speak to me there ; that while, in imagina- tion, I tread the sacred ground, my soul may view the several spots, and say — Here it was, perhaps, my Redeemer was withdrawn a stone's cast from his dis- ciples, that the powers of darkness might more furiously assault his holy soul ; and here stood the angel sent from heaven to strengthen him; and here the Lord Jesus was in his agony, when the sweat of his body forced through all the pores great drops of blood, falling down to the ground ! Is this Gethsemane f And why Geth- semane? The Jews call it Ge-hennom, or hell; for here it was that Josiah burnt the idol vessels. 2 Kings xxiii. 4 — 10. And it is the same as Tophet, the only word the Jews used for hell after their return from the Babylonish captivity. The field of Cedron was indeed a dark and gloomy place ; and by its side ran the foul and black brook which Jesus passed over when he went into Gethsemane. Here David, of old, went mourning and lamenting, when Ahitophel, like another Judas, betrayed him, and his life was sought MORNINO AND EVKNING PORTIONS. 255 after. 2 Sam, xv. 23. And here the Son of David passed also, when the man of whom David by the spirit of prophecy spake, (Ps. xli. 9.) which eat bread with Jesus, lifted up his heel against him. And was this Gethsemane the favoured spot of Jesus, because here he had so sweetly enjoyed communion with his Father, and because he here should encounter the powers of dark- ness ? Learn then, my soul, from thy Jesus where thou oughtest to seek grace in a refreshing hour, to comfort a trying hour. Say, my soul, where should be thy dying place, but where thy God hath most blessed thy living place ? There, Jesus, make my seasons (if needs be) of conflict, where thou hast sanctified and made blessed by thy Bethel visits. And was a garden the favoured spot of Jesus ? Yes, it was in a garden the first Adam lost himself and his posterity; tl.ere, then, Jesus will recover the forfeited inheritance. Did the devil begin in heaven to ruin man? Why, then, in Gethsemane Jesus will begin to conquer hell for man's recovery. Did Satan, from the garden, bind and carry captive the first Adam ? Then from a garden also shall he cause to be bound, and carried away to the cross, the second Adam, " that he, by death, might destroy him that had the power of death — that is, the devil; and deliver them who, through fear of death, are all their life-time subject to bondage." Solemn Gethsemane ! awful, but hallowed spot ! Here would I often come here contemplate Jesus, my blessed Surety, groaning, yet! conquering ; pressed under all the hellish malice of the devil, yet triumphing over all ; deserted by his disci- ples, sweating a bloody sweet, sustaining the wrath of offended justice, drinking the cup of trembhng ! Is this Gethsemane ? Oh, thou Lamb of God, thou paschal Lamb ! here oft bring me ; here shew me thy loves : and as thy joys were here turned into sorrows, give me to see how the curses which I deserved, but which thou didst endure, were converted into blessings ; and 256 THE POOR man': that by thy stripes I am healed. Hail sacred Geth- semane ! EVENING.—" Thy rebuke hath broken my heart."— Psalm Ixix. 20. Hast thou, my soul, still upon thee the solemn savour of thy morning meditation? Surely Gethsemane is not forgotten by thee ! Pause over the subject ; and from the whole mass of the soul sufferings of thy Lord, behold what crowned the whole: " Thy rebuke, (saith Jesus to the Father,) thy rebuke hath broken my heart." To search into the depths of this mediation is impossible; for who shall describe it? What human, or even angelic intellect can fathom the profound sub- ject? That this was the greatest and heaviest weight in the whole curse, we may venture to suppose: because we read of nothing which bore so hard upon the holy Jesus, amidst all his agonies, as the Father's rebuke. It was this which " broke his heart." My soul ! repeat the solemn scripture, as if Jesus was in the moment uttering the words : " Thy rebuke hath broken my heart." Precious Lord ! could not this have been spared thee ? — Pause, my soul ! — Lamb of God ! must the re- buke of thy Father be also in the curse ? — Pause again, my soul ! When Jesus made his soul an offering for sin, would not the Father of mercies, and God of all con- solation, shew the least poi'tion of favour to his dear, his beloved, his only begotten Son ? — Pause, my soul, yet once again, and ponder over the solemn subject! "It pleased the Father to bruise him, to put him to grief." — But, my soul ! though neither thou, nor per- haps angels of light, can explain the extremity of the Redeemer's sufferings, in the rebuke of the Father for sin, which broke his heart; yet in the contemplation of the lesser sorrows of the curse which Jesus endured, thou wilt be led to form some faint idea, however small, in comparison of the real state of it, to induce a train of the most solemn meditations. When the Son of ' MORNING AND EVKNING PORTIONS. 257 God assumed our nature, though in a holy portion of that nature, untainted by the fall, being not derived by ordinary generation, yet coming as the sinner's surety, he took upon him the curse for sin ; he was first made sin, (2 Cor. v. 21.) and then a curse for us (Gal. iii. 13); as such, he was invested with every thing belonging to the frailties of our nature, which might expose that nature to sorrow, and suffering, and death. The sen- tence of the fall was, " Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return;" Gen. iii. 19: so that the curse, then seizing the human nature of Christ, at once tended to waste all the animal spirits, and to induce a state of mind peculiarly low and dejected. Agreeably to this, we find, that the holy Jesus, though it is once said of him, that in that hour " he rejoiced in spirit," when the devils were subject to his name (Luke x. 18 — 21.) yet is it never said of him, that he was once seen to laugh. As the sinner's surety, he sustained every thing of sorrow which belonged to God's curse against sin ; and became eminently marked with affliction; and in a way which none but himself ever waded through ; yea, to make the horrors of death more tremendous and bitter, the very sun became darkened at mid-day ; not so much, I humbly conceive, as some have thought, to intimate, by the miracle, God's displeasure at the act of the Jews in the crucifixion of Christ, as to manifest the Father's rebuke of sin, which Jesus then stood as the sinner's surety to answer for, and which Christ, as if summing up the whole of his misery, declared to be the finishing stroke, which had " broken his heart." My soul ! look up, and thus behold the Lamb of God ! Oh! thou precious, precious Redeemer! the sons of thy Zion, but for this blessed undertaking of thine, " would Iiave fainted for ever !" They would have lain " at the head of all the streets as a wild bull in a net ; they would have been full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God." But now, Lord, thou hast swal- VOL. viu. R 258 THE POOR man's lowed up death in victory : " the Lord God hath wiped away tears from oif all faces : and the rebuke of thy people thou hast taken away from off all the earth : for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." APRIL 5. MORNING.—" Being in an agony."— Luke xxii. 44. My soul, art thou still in Gethsemane? Look at Jesus once more ; behold him in his agony ; view him in his bloody sweat, in a night of cold, and in the open air, when we are told the servants, in the high priest's hall, were obliged to make a fire of coals to warm themselves. In such a night was thy Jesus, from the extremity of anguish in his soul, by reason of thy sins, made to sweat great drops of blood. Look at the Lord in this situation ; and as the prophet, by vision, beheld him coming up with his dyed garments, as one that had trodden the wine fat ; so do thou, by faith, behold him in his bloody sweat ; when, from treading the winepress of the wrath of God, under the heavy load of the world's guilt, his whole raiment was stained with blood. Sin first made man to sweat : and Jesus, though he knew no sin, yet taking out the curse of it for his people, is made to sweat blood. Oh thou meek and holy Lamb of God ! methinks, I would, day by day, attend the garden of Gethsemane by faith, and contemplate thee in thine agony. But who shall unfold it to my wondering eyes, or explain all its vast concern to my astonished soul ! The evangelists, by their different turns of expression to point it out, plainly shew, that nothing within the compass of language can unfold it. Matthew saith, the soul of Jesus was " ex- ceeding sorrowful, even unto death." Matt, xxvi, 38. The sorrows of hell, as is elsewhere mentioned, en- compassed him. Ps. xviii. 5. My soul, pause over this. Was Jesus's soul thus sorrowful, even with hell sorrows, when, from the sins of his people charged on him, and MORNING AND EVKNING PORTIONS. 259 tlie penalty exacted from liim as the sinner's surety, the wrath of God against sin, ligliting upon him, came as the tremendous vengeance of hell ? Mark descrilies the state of the Lamb of God as " sore amazed." The expres- sion signifies the horror of mind ; such a degree of fear and consternation as when the hairs of the head stand upright, through the dread of the mind. And was Jesus thus agonized, and for sins his holy soul had never committed, when standing forth as the surety of others? John's exj^ression of the Redemer's state on this occasion is, that he said, " his soul was trou- bled." John xii, 27- The original of this word troubled, is the same as the Latins derive their word for hell from. As if the Lord Jesus felt what the prophet had said concerning everlasting burnings. Isa. xxxiii. 14. *' My heart," said that patient sufferer, " is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels." Ps. xxii. 14. Hence Moses, and after him Paul, in the view of God's taking vengeance on sin, describe him under that awful account — " our God is a consuming fire." Deut. iv. 24. Heb. xii. 29. Beholding his Father thus coming forth to punish sin in his person, Jesus said-!— " Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, there- fore my heart faileth me." Ps. xl. 12. And Luke folds up the account of Jesus with " being in an agony;" such a labouring of nature as implies an universal convulsion, as dying men with cold clammy sweats : so Jesus, scorched with the hot wrath of God on sin, sweated, in his angony, clots of blood ! My soul, canst thou hold out any longer ? Will not thine eye-strings and heart-strings break, thus to look on Jesus in his agony ! Oh precious Jesus ! were the great objects of insensible, inanimated nature, made to feel as if to take part in thy sufferings; and am I unmoved ? Did the very grave yawn at thy death and resurrection ; and were the rocks rent, while my tearless eyes thus behold thee? Oh gracious God, fulfil that promise by the 260 IHE POOR man's prophet, " that I may look on him whom I have pierced, and mourn as one that mourneth for his only son, and be in bitterness as one that is in bitterness for liis first-born." EVENING. — " Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate sailh unto them, behold the man." — Joiin xix. 5, My soul, thou art engaged in solemn subjects at this season, both night and morning ; and here is one as solemn as any ; thy Jesus coming forth in his corona- tion robes ! Yes ! For he, and he alone, is the prince of sufferers, as the prince of his people. Many of his dear children have been beset with thorns ; and to many, indeed to all more or less, the Lord hedgeth up their way with thorns. But none but the ever blessed Jesus was crowned with thorns. Now, my soul, ponder well the solemn subject. And Oh! that God the Holy Ghost may open all the glories of it to thy view. And first, look at thy Jesus, crowned with thorns. None but the Lord Jesus could properly wear this crown ; because the curse pronounced by God at the fall, of thorns being brought forth to the man, could belong to none but him, the God-man Christ Jesus. This curse contained an abridgment of all the curses in the bible : and which never fell upon any but the person of Christ, so as to croivti him as having suffered all. He was first made sin, and then a curse for his redeemed. Now the three grand branches of this curse were never fulfilled in any but in Christ: as, first, a separation from God; secondly, a state of unequalled sorrow, subject to all the frailties of nature, in pain and misery; and thirdly, death: in dying he died; intimating thereby the iJ^ry death, as comprehensive of all in one. All men in death are exposed to a cold and clammy sweat; but it was reserved to the Lord Jesus, in his death, to sweat a bloody sweat. My soul ! do thou thus look at him, in his purple robe, and crown of thorns, who is here MOllNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 261 i-cpresented to thy view, and never, never forget, that in all this he was and is thy surety ; the Lord thy righteousness ! But there is another point to be re- garded in this solemn scripture, which demands thy closest attention ; and let this form a second delightful consideration for thy evening's comforts. When Jesus thus came forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe, as the translation represents the passage, it is Pilate who saith, " Behold the man !" But this is a mistake, and a sad mistake indeed: for it is not Pilate that speaks, but Christ. The word Pilate, if you well observe, is printed in italics, which denotes that it is a word not found in the original, but put in by another hand; and much to be lamented it is, that it should ever have been there. The Lord Jesus Christ had been all along pointed out in the old testament scripture as the man, the very man, that should be " a man of soinows, and acquainted with grief;" who should give his back to the smiters, and his cheek to them that plucked off his hair, and that would not hide his face from shame and spitting. When, therefore, Pilate brought the Lord Jesus to the view of his people, in direct and full testimony as answerable to those cha- racters, Jesus saith unto them, " Behold the man !" He had before, under the spirit of prophecy, cried out, " Behold me ! behold me !" (Isaiah Ixv. 1.) and now, as if to shew the wonderful and complete agreement of scripture prophecy with his sacred person, he saith, "Behold the man!" Oh! how blessed is it to receive this testimony from Jesus's own mouth ! Oh ! how re- freshing to the soul, to perceive Christ's gracious at- tention, in such a moment of trial, to the security and comfort of his people ! And what a blessed strengthening to the faith of his redeemed, to behold all the persons of the Godhead calling upon the church to the same contemplation ! " Behold (saith God the Father) my servant, whom I uphold ; mine elect, in whom my soul 262 THE POOR man's delighteth?" Isa. xlii. 1. Behold (saith God the Holy Ghost) the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world !" John i. 29. " Behold the man !" saith Christ himself, as in this most blessed scripture. Lord Jesus ! give me to behold thee, with an eye of faith, and so to gaze, with holy joy, and wonder, love, and praise, upon thy glories, that my ravished soul may go forth in longing desires after thee, and thus daily behold thee, until faith be swallowed up in sight, and hope be lost in absolute fruition ! APRIL 6. MORNING. — " Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, whom seek ye ? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground." — John xviii. 4, 5, 6. What a glorious scripture is this ! Ponder it well, my soul ; for of all the miracles of thy Jesus, there is not one more sweet and satisfactory to contemplate. Yes- terday thou wast loking at thy Redeemer under a heavy cloud. Look at him as he is here represented, for he is still, in this transaction, in the same garden of Geth- semane; and behold how the Godhead shone forth with a glory surpassing all description. Observe what a willing sacrifice was Jesus. He knew tlie hour was come, for he had said so. He doth not wait to be taken, and by wicked hands to be crucified and slain : but he goeth forth to surrender himself. Yes ! Jesus did not go to the garden of Gethsemane for nothing ; he knew Judas would be there ; he knew the powers of darkness Avould be there ; he knew his whole soul would be in an agony ; but there Jesus would go. He had said at the table of his disciples, " Arise, let us go hence." Precious, precious Jesus ! how endearing to my poor soul is this sweet view of thy readiness and earnestness MORNING AND KVfiNING PORTIONS. 263 to become a sacrifice for the sins of thy people. Thou hast tliis baptism. Lord, to be baptised with ; and how- wast thou straitened until it was accomplished ! There was a time, dear Lord, when the multitudes sought for thee to make thee a king ; so convinced were they, for the moment, who thou wert ; and then thou didst hide thyself from them. But now thine enemies come to make thee king with a crown of thorns, and to nail tliy sacred body to the cross, thou didst hasten to meet them. Well might the prophet say, thou wentest forth for the salvation of tliy people. Look at this scripture again, my soul. " Whom seek ye ?" said Jesus. Did they not know him ? It was a light night, most pro- bably ; for the moon was then at the full ; besides, the seekers of Christ had lanterns and torches. How was it they did not know him ? Didst thou for the mo- ment, dearest Lord, do by them as thine angels at the gate of Lot by the Sodomites, so cause their eyes to be holden that they should not know thee ? Was there somewhat of a miracle in this also? But, my soul, behold the wonder of wonders that followed : no sooner had Jesus said to their inquiry, (whom seek ye) " I am he," than they went backward and fell to the ground. Was there indeed some sudden overpowering emana- tion of the Godhead, breaking through the vail of Jesus's flesh, which induced this effect ? Was it ever known, ever heard of, in any age or period of the world, of such an effect before ? Supposing all the monarchs of the earth, with the mightiest armies of men, could be assembled togetlier, how should such an event be in- duced by the breath of their mouth? Contemplate this, my soul, again and again Rejoice, my soul, in this view of thy Saviour; for never, surely, was a greater miracle of thy Redeemer's wrought; and re- member how soon it took place after his agony. Never go to Gethsemanc in meditation, without taking the recollection of it with thee. " Behold the man!" beliold 264 THE POOR MAN S the God! Here was nothing exercised by Jesus; no weapon, no threat, no denunciation, no appeal to the Father. Jesus only simply said, " I am he," and they fell to the earth. Precious Jesus, what a volume of in- struction doth it afford. If such was the effect in the day of thy flesh, how sure is that scripture concerning the day of thy power, in which it is said, " The Lord shall consume tlie wicked with the breath of his mouth, and destroy them with the brightness of his coming." 2 Thess. ii. 8. And if, my soul, tliere was such power in the woi'd of thy Saviour, when he only said to his enemies, " I am he," why shouldest thou not feel all the sweetness and gracious power of his love, when he saith, " Fear not, I am he; behold I am with thee: it is I ; be not afraid." Ponder, my soul, in this view also, the awful state of a soul hardened by sin. The enemies of Jesus, though they fell to the ground at his mere word, felt no change, no compunction, at the dis- play of it. Judas also was with them. Yes ! he fell also; but Satan had entered into him, and a reprobate mind marked him as the son of perdition. Oh precious Jesus! how fully read to thy people, in every part of thy word, is the solemn truth, that grace makes all the difference between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not. Oh keep me, Lord, and I shall be well kept; for unto thee do I lift up my soul! EVENING.—" A place called Golgotha."— Matt, xxvii. 33. And wherefore called Golgotha ? It was " a place of skulls;" not a charnel house; not a sepulchre for the great ; but probably where a number of unburied skulls of poor criminals lay together, or scattered here and there, as the feet of those who visited this place of sorrow, might kick them. Luke calls it Calvary, (Luke xxiii. 33,) but both mean one and the same place. And was this a suited place for thee. Oh thou Lord of life and glory ? Yes, blessed Jesus ! if thou wilt become MORNING AJfD EVENING PORTIONS. 265 sin, and a curse for thy redeemed; then, surely, this of all places becomes thee, where thy people must have lain for ever, hadst thou not interposed, and undertaken all that behoved them to suffer, that they might be made "the righteousness of God in thee!" My soul, did Jesus suffer at Golgotha? Go thou forth to him " without the camp, bearing his reproach." AiYd is this Golgotha? And was it here that Jesus " then re- stored that which he took not away?" Oh! how- blessed the review! how memorable, how sacred the spot ! Who would have thought that a place so wretched should have produced so much good ! Confusion had been introduced into all the works of God, by reason of sin ; here Jesus restored perfect order to all. God's glory had been tarnished ; God's law had been broken ; God's justice despised. At Golgotha, Jesus restored all. And as man had lost the image of God, the favour of God, the acquaintance with God : at this memorable spot, Jesus restored to God his glory, and to man God's favour. My soul ! do thou often visit the place called Golgotha ; and to endear the sacred haunt still more, look at thy Lord as thou goest thither, and figure to thyself thy Jesus going with thee. Here it was that his person and all his sacred offices were blasphemed. Is Jesus the Lord God of the prophets ? Then will the rabble vilify his prophetical office. " Proj)hecy," say they, " thou Christ, who is he that smote thee !" Is Jesus the great High Priest of Jehovah, after the order of Melchisedec? This also shall be despised. " Save thyself and us," said the scoffing multitude. And is Jesus a king ? " Come down then," say they, *' from the cross, and we will believe." Yea, and as the most aggravating circumstance of cruelty, and which, as far as 1 have ever heard, or read, was never practised upon the most abject criminal, his very prayers were turned into ridicule. " My God, my God," said the holy sufferer, " why hast thou forsaken me !" " This 266 THE POOR man's man calleth for Elias," said they ; " let us see whether Ehas will come to take him down !" Pause, my soul ! over the solemn view : and as thou takest thine evening stand at Golgotha, ask thine heart, is this Jesus, who is " the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person ?" Is this He, whom angels wor- ship, and at whose name " eveiy knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth ?" Oh ! thou bleeding Lamb, that art now in the midst of the throne ! often let my soul ruminate over the affecting scenes of Golgotha. Solemn is the place, but blessed also. Here would I sit down, and as I contemplate Jesus, in this endearing part of his cha- racter, I would hear his voice, speaking in the tenderest manner, " Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by ? Behold, and see, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger." APRIL 7. MORNING. — " He hath poured out his soul unto death." — Isaiah liii. 12. My soul! from the garden to the cross, follow Jesus. Behold him apprehended and hurried away, both to judgment and to death. He who struck to the ground the band that came to take him, might surely, by the same breath of his mouth, have struck them to hell, and prevented his being apprehended by them. But one of the sweetest and most blessed parts of Jesus's redemption of his people, consisted in the freeness and willingness of his sacrifice. Yes, thou precious Lamb of God! no man (as thou thyself hadst before said) had power to take thy Ufe from thee; but thou didst lay it down thyself: thou hadst power to lay it down, and thou hadst power to take it a^ain. De- lightful consideration, to thee, my soul! Now, my MOHNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 267 soul, let this day's rr,editation be sacred to the view of thy Redeemer pouring out his sotil unto death. And to-morrow, if the Lord give thee to see the morrow, let the solemn subject of thy study be the sufferings of Jesus in his hody. Pause then, my soul, and call up all the powers of thy mind to the contemplation of what the scripture teacheth concei'ning thy Redeemer's pouring out his soul unto death. Seek the teachings of the Holy Ghost in this solemn and mysterious subject. The original curse pronounced on the fall, which Jesus took upon himself, and came to do away, contained somewhat vastly great. For as the blessing promised to obedience, " Do this, and thou shalt live," certainly meant somewhat much greater than mere animal life, and implied sweet fellowship and communion with God; so the curse to disobedience, " Dying, thou shalt die," as plainly intimated much more than the mere return of the body to the dust out of which it was taken : it meant what in scripture (Rev. xx. 6.) is called the " second death," meaning hell and everlasting misery. Hence, in the recovery of our lost and fallen nature from this awful state, when Jesus undei took the sal- vation of his people, he was to sustain all that was our due; and, in the accomplishment of this, he not only died in his body, but he poured out his soul unto death. As the sinner's representative, and the sinner's surety, he bore the whole weight and pressure of divine justice due to sin ; according to what the Holy Ghost taught — " Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil." — Rom. ii. 9- Not that the Redeemer needed, in the accomplishment of tliis, to go down into hell to suffer the miseries of the damned; for when the avenging wrath of God came upon him, he endured it here. The wrath of God may be sustained in earth as well as hell : witness the evil spirit tliat is called the prince of the power of the air, Ephes. ii. 2 ; for wherever the apostate angels are. 268 THE POOR man's they still endure divine wrath. Hence, when the Lord Christ poured out his soul unto death, by reason of the extremity of his soul sufferings, and soul's travail for his redeemed, he sustained all this as the sinner's surety, in becoming sin and a curse, to feel and suffer all that was the sinner's due. Oh ! who shall say, what heart shall conceive, the greatness and extensiveness of thy sufferings, precious, precious Lamb of God! Oh ! who shall undertake fully to shew the infinite suitableness of Jesus to every poor humble convinced sinner, in de- livering him from the wrath to come ! Here, my soul, fix thine eyes; here let all thy powers be employed in the unceasing contemplation, while beholding Jesus, thy Jesus, " pouring out his soul unto death ; while num- bered with the transgressors, and bearing the sin of many, and making intercession for the transgressors." EVENING. — " And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, and he was numbered with the transgressors." — Mark xv. 28. Look up, my soul, to the cross, and behold thy Lord hanging with two thieves ; yea, in the middle of them, as if the greatest malefactor of the three; and, what is the most awful part of the subject, not only was he thus considered by theJewish rabble,but as the sinner's representative, Jesus was thus beheld in Jehovah's view; " numbered with the transgressors," and virtually, the great surety and sponsor of them all. Pause, my soul, as thou readest this scripture, and as thou beholdest it fulfilled on the cross. Will it not undeniably follow, that if Christ was so reckoned, and so numbered, then must it have been, not for himself, for he had no sin, but for his people; and if made sin and a curse, surely he hath taken away both sin and the curse, by the sacrifice of himself, that they might be made the riglite- ousness of God in him ? There is one circumstance in this representation of Jesus being reckoned v. ith the transgressors, as a sin and a curse, yea, sustaining the whole of sin and the curse in his own sacred ])erson. MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 260 that is particularly striking; I mean, that amidst all the shadowy representations under the law, the only type on this subject, and a most decisive one it was, is that of " the brazen serpent." Of all the creatures of God's creation, it was the serpent only that was pronounced cursed at the fall ; and therefore, though the blood of many beasts may be, and indeed was made typical of redemption by the sacrifice of Christ, yet none but the serpent could represent Christ as a curse for his people. There is somewhat very striking in this. Christ, in redeeming us from the curse of the law, must be re- presented as a curse for us : the serpent therefore, the cursed beast, shall be lifted up in the wilderness ; and Jesus himself will graciously explain it: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life :" John iii. 14, 15. What a wonderful event ! Who, but for the scripture, and the teaching of the Holy Ghost, would have been able to trace the affinity ? " My righteous servant," saith Jehovah, " shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities." He is therefore numbered with the transgressors, Isaiah liii. 11, 12. And agreeably to this, all the circumstances attending this sustaining of the curse, shall correspond : a drop of water is denied to none but the cursed in hell ; Jesus, therefore, in his thirst, shall be denied it also. If malefactors under the curse have no one to mitigate their sorrows, here again Jesus shall be the same ; for in his sufferings, " all his disciples forsook him, and fled." Is the darkness in hell an aggravation of the miseries of the cursed there ? Thus also shall it be in the extreme agonies of Jesus ; for darkness covered the earth during his crucifixion, from the sixth to the ninth hour. Yea, and above all, the sense of divine manifestation shall be withdrawn, as from those in the regions of everlasting misery, who have no sense of the divine presence, but in his wrath. 270 THE POOR man's So that Jesus needed not to go down into hell to suffer the torments of the damned; for being numbered with the transgressors, and standing forth to the view of Jehovah, as sin and a curse for his people, the waters of the great deep were broken up, to overwhelm his precious soul ; and in those tremendous hours, all the cataracts of divine wrath were poured out upon him, until the holy patient sufferer was constrained to cry- out in that dolorous cry, " All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me !" Psalm xlii. 7. Lamb of God ! is it thus at Golgotha thou wert numbered with the trans- gressors? And was it thus that the scripture was fulfilled? Oh, for grace so to behold thee, so to fix and feast my soul upon thee, that, while conscious that thy holy soul knew no sin, though made sin for me, I, who know no righte- ousness, and truly have none, may be made the righte- ousness of God in thee ! APRIL 8. MORNING. — " He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." — Philip, ii. 8. My soul, dost thou not feel, at every step towards Calvary, somewhat of the angel's words when he cried, " One woe is past, and behold there come two woes more hereafter?" Rev. ix. 12. Surely, never was there a manifestation of the holiness of Jehovah, nor the utter detestation of God against sin, as was set forth in the crucifixion of Jesus. Would men, would angels, see what sin really is, let them go to the cross of Jesus. The casting rebellious angels out of heaven, the curse pronounced upon the earth, the drowning the old world by water, the burning of Sodom by fire ; nay, the mil- lions of miseries among men, and the unquenchable fire of hell ; though all these may make the souls of the awakened exclaim against sin, yet all these are slight and inconsiderable things, compared to the wrath MORNING AND EVKNING PORTIONS. 2/1 of God poured out upon the person of God's own Son, wlien he died the accursed death of the cross. My soul, take thy stand this day at the foot of the cross. Behold the Lamb of God ! There see divine justice more awfully displayed than would have been in the ever- lasting ruin of all creation. And Oh may it be thy portion, my soul, while looking unto Jesus, to say as Paul did — " I am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." But, my soul, while thou lookest up to Jesus hanging on the painful tree, contemplate the sufferings of the Lord Jesus in his sacred body. The death of the cross was a violent death ; for as there was no sin in Jesus, there could not have been those seeds of death, which in all the race of Adam, are found to bring forth fruit unto death. Precious thought this, even in the moment of beholding Jesus's life taken by violence. Had Jesus not died by a violent death, he would have been no sacrifice ; for that whicli died of itself naturally, could not by the law have been offered to God. The death of Jesus was also a cursed death ; for it is written, " Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Behold, my soul, thy Lord thus lifted up a spectacle between heaven and earth, as if cursed and despised both of God and man. The death of Jesus was a painful death, in which many deaths were, as it were, con- tained in one. The nails driven through the most feeling parts of the hands and feet, and the body stretched forth on the transverse timber; in this manner the cross, with the Lord Jesus fastened upon it, was lifted up in the air, until the bottom fell into its socket, which suddenly shook the whole and every part of his sacred body ; and thus the whole weight hanging on his pierced nailed hands, the wounds in both hands and feet by degrees widened as he hung, 272 THE POOR MAN until at length he expired in tortures. Precious, pre- cious Redeemer ! was it thus thou didst offer thy soul an offering for sin ? Was there no method, in all the stores of Omnipotency, for satisfying divine justice, but by thy holy, harmless, undefiled body dying the violent, cursed, painful death of the cross ? Oh by the crimson fountain of thy blood, which issued from thy pierced side, enable me to sit down, day by day, until I find my whole nature crucified with thee in all its affections and lusts. Let there be somewhat, dearest Lord, of an holy conformity between my Lord and nie; and if Jesus died for sin; may my soul die to sin; that by mortifying the deeds of the body I may live; and by carrying about with me always the dying of the Lord Jesus, the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in my mortal body. EVENING. — " And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead." — Mark xv. 44. Precious Jesus! had the unjust judge but known thy soul travail and agonies, instead of wondering at the speediness of thy death, all his astonishment would have been that nature, so oppressed, and so suffering, could have held out so long; for what would have crushed in a moment all creation, as well angels as men, in sustaining the wrath of God, due to sin, Jesus endured on the cross for so many hours! In point of suffering, he wrought out a whole eternity due to sin, on the cross: and in point of efficacy, he " for ever perfected them that are sanctified." Jesus therefore accomplished more in that memorable day, than all the creatures of God could have done for ever. Wonder- ful were the works which God dispatched in creation; but the wonders of redemption far exceed them. The six hours which Jesus hung upon the cross, wrought out a more stupendous display of almighty power and grace, than the six days God was pleased to appoint to him- self in making the world. But, indeed, Pilate need not, on another account, have marvelled at tlie quick- MORNING AND KVENINO PORTIONS. 2J3 Yiess of Christ's death, had this unjust judge but re- flected on the previous sufferings of the Redeemer. They who have spent sweet hours in tracing Jesus's footsteps through the painful preludes to his death, and especially in the concluding scenes, have been able to mark many a sorrowful part which (besides the soul agonies of Jesus in accomplishing redemption- work) bore hard upon his body also. My soul, if thou wert to trace back the solemn subject, thou wouldest find enough to excite thy astonishment that Jesus lived so long on the cross, rather than that he died not before. His agony evidently began four days before the passover. The evangelist Luke tells us, that he spent the whole night in prayer, and the whole day in preaching to the people in the temple, Luke xxi. 37, 38. Read also Matthew's account four days before his cru- cifixion, in the prospect of what was coming on, Matt. XX. 18, 19. And again, before a single assault was made upon him in the garden. Matt. xxvi. 38. " My soul is exceeding sorrowful," said the dying Lamb, " even unto death." And the beloved apostle's relation is to the same amount, four days before his crucifixion: " Now is my soul troubled (said the holy sufferer) ; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour! But for this cause came I unio this hour!" John xii. 27. And if to these agonies of soul, before the tremendous season of Gethsemane and Golgotha arrived, be added the exercises of the Redeemer in body; all must have contributed to wear out and exhaust his strength, and hasten on the pains of death. When we call to mind how the Lamb of God was driven to and fro ; hurried from one place to another; from Annas to Caiaphas, and from the judgment hall to Calvary; we cannot be surprised at his fainting under the burden of the cross. Many a mile of weariness did he walk, before nine of the o'clock in the morning of the day of his crucifixon; and many a bodily fainting must he have felt from the VOL. vm. s 274 THE POOR man's thorny crown, the soldiers scourging, and their buf- fetings and smitings with the palms of their hands. Unfeeling Pilate! thy marvellings will be now, and to all eternity, of another kind. As for thee, my soul, take thy stand at the foot of the cross, and do thou marvel, whilst tliou art looking up, and beholding Jesus dying, that He who might have commanded twelve legions of angels to his rescue, should in love to his church and people, thus give " his soul an offering for sin," and die, " the just for the unjust, to bring us unto God!* APRIL 9. MORNING. — " Then said Jesus, Fatlier, forgive tiiem, for they know not what they do." — Luke xxiii. 34. My soul, art thou still taking thy stand at the foot of the cross ? Art thou still looking up to Jesus ? If so, listen now to his voice. There were seven expressions of Jesus, which were his last words, which he uttered on the cross. The last words of dying friends are par- ticularly regarded : how much more the last words of the best of all friends ; even the dying friend of poor lost perishing sinners. Those which I have chosen for the portion of the day were the first; and they contain the strong cry of Jesus to his Father for forgiveness to his murderers. And what endears those expressions yet more to the heart are, that they are not only the first upon the cross, but they are wholly, not for himself, but the people. During the whole painful process of suffer- ing, when they scourged him, crowned him with thorns, smote him with their hands, and mocked him, we hear no voice of complaint. " He was led as a lamb to the slaughter ; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." Precious, meek Lamb of God ! But now, when lifted up on the cross, Jesus broke silence, and cried out, " Father, forgive them, for they MORNIN(J AND KVENING PORTIONS. 2/5 know not what they do." Pause, my soul. Look again at the cross. Was not Jesus now entered upon his high priest s office ? Was not the cross as the altar from whence the sacrifice was offered ? Was not Jesus him- self the sacrifice ? And was not Jesus the sacrificer ? Might not the pale, the dying, whitened visage of Jesus be compared to the white ephod of the high priest; the streaming blood, flowing over his sacred body from the several wounds, as the incense of his censer; and the dying sweat of his holy frame, like the smoke as- cending with the sweetest savour before God ? As the arms of Jesus, when he thus prayed, were stretched forth on the cross, so the high priest spread forth his hands, when burning the incense for sacrifice, in plead- ing for the people. Hail, thou glorious high priest ! in this the humblest moment, and the most powei'ful of thine intercessions. Surely every wound of thine, every look, every feature, every groan, pleaded with open mouth this gracious intercession for forgiveness of sin- ners. Lord, was I not included in the prayer? Was not the eye of Jesus upon me in the moment of this all-prevailing advocacy ? Oh ye of every description and character, that still sit unconcerned and unmoved at this cry of the Son of God, " is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by ?" Think, my poor unawakened brother, how justly that voice might have been heard for all the enemies of Jesus — "Depart from me, ye cursed ;" when the tender language of Jesus was, " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And think, moreover, that the same gracious voice is still heard in heaven, and of the same blessed force and efficacy as ever; for while our sins are calling for judgment, the blood of Jesus calls louder for mercy. Dear Lord, let this first cry of thine upon the cross, be the first and last of all my thoughts, under every ex- ercise and temptation of sin and Satan — " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." 276 THE POOR man': EVENING. — " IJe shall see of the travail of iiis soul, and shall be satisfied." — Isaialiliii. 1 I. Is not this covenant promise of tliy faithful God and Father peculiarly suited, niy soul, for thine evening meditation, after the subject of the morning, in con- templating the first cry of Jesus upon the cross : " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?" And was not the cry answered in the case of the Jerusalem sinners at the day of Pentecost, soon after, when, under the apostle Peter's sermon, they were pricked to the heart, and cried out, " Men and brethren, what shall we do ?" Acts ii. 23, 37- Ponder over the solemn expression, the travail of the Re- deemer's soul. Did Jesus really sustain in soul some- what like those throes of nature with which a womian is exercised in her hour of extremity ? Did he travail in birth for his redeemed ? — Pause, my soul, and very solenmly consider the subject. If the eighteenth Psalm be supposed to contain prophetical allusions to Christ, we may therein discover somewhat which will be help- ful in this study : " The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me;" Psalm xviii. 5, We have similar expressions. Psalm cxvi. 3. As therefore these strong terms are very highly descriptive of suffering, and of a peculiar kind, it may be well to inquire farther, whethei- there be any ground to make application of them in reference to this subject ? Now it is worthy remark, that the curses pronounced by God at the fall, upon Adam and his wife, became distinct acts of suffering; and it should seem, that he, who, in after ages, was to take away sin and the curse from both, must do it by suffering for both, in order to deliver them from it. My soul, review them : " Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, and thy conception ; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children : and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and MORNIXfi AND KVKNINC I'OIITIONS. 277 he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, be- cause thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of vk^hich I commanded thee, saying, thou slialt not eat of it : cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all tlie days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee ; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face slialt thou eat bread till thou return to the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return;" Gen* iii. 16 to 19. Now, that Jesus, in his own sacred per- son, literally and truly bore every title of this sentence as it referred to Adam, none, who have read the history of the blessed Jesus in the gospels, can for a moment question. So much in sorrow did Jesus eat his bread, that he, and he alone, by way of emphasis, must be pecuharly called, " The man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." And he it was that was crowned with thorns, by way of emiuency in affliction, and sweat a bloody sweat; and he said liimsclf, " Thou hast brought me into the dust of death," Psalm xxii. 15. But un- less we can trace a similarity of Jesus bearing in his own sacred person somewhat in reference to the woman also, how shall we see the curse removed, and the sen- tence done away ? Hence, if the travail of soul spoken of by the Lord, through the prophet, be intended to allude to the Lord Jesus bringing forth his sons to glory (and wherefore it should not, cannot be shewn), then have we a most gracious and beautiful represen- tation folded up in this scripture; and the promise connected with it is equally delightful. And may we not interpret that scripture of another prophet by this illustration : " Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child ? When?fore do I see every man vv ith his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness ? Alas ! for that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time 278 THE POOR man's of Jacob's trouble : but he shall be saved out of it Jer. XXX. 6, 7. Precious Jesus ! thou art indeed the man, the God-man, that didst travail for thy children; and while all faces are turned into paleness by reason of sin, thou, our glorious Jacob, our Israel, Jehovah's servant, in the day, the great day of thy soul travail, shalt be saved out of it, and shalt see of the travail of thy soul, and be satisfied. Yea, Lord, thou wilt re- member no more thine anguish, for joy that the dew of thy birth is as incalculable as the drops of the morning. Hail ! Almighty Lord ! the trophies of thy redemption shall correspond to the greatness of thy name : " men shall be blessed in thee, and all nations shall call thee blessed." Amen. APRIL 10. MORNING — " When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the dis- ciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, behold thy mother." — Johnxix, 26, 27, This was the second among the dying words of the Lord Jesus ; and no doubt, of high importance in their full sense and meaning: not simply to recommend Mary to the care of the beloved apostle, John, but probably of greater moment in reference to the church of Jesus at large. My soul, is it not very certain that the Lord Jesus knew all the events which would take place in all generations of his people? And as such, did not Jesus perfectly well know also that the time would come when divine honours would be offered to Mary ? These points cannot be disputed. Well then, is it not worthy the closest observation, that Jesus both in this place, and upon all other occasions, when speaking of Mary, called her woman ? Why so ? If, as Jesus knew, that there would be some who would pray to her, and call her mother of God, by wliich name the Holy Ghost never distinguished her, neither the Lord Jesus himself; MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 2/9 could there have been a more decided method adopted than this to discountenance such idolatry, than when Jesus, in his djiug moments, called Mary only woman? Besides, was it not on another account, that as Jesus was to be the seed of the woman, which was promised to bruise the serpent's head, such a dying testimony might serve instead of a thousand witnesses, in proof of the confirmation of the fact : and Mary's song might be the song of thousands—" My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God mij Saviourr' But when we have thus attended to the second cry of Christ upon the cross, in reference to those sweet points, do thou, my soul, remember also how tenderly those expressions of thy Lord recommend all the endearing affections of love and regard through all the members of Christ's mystical body. To behold our mother, or to behold our sons, are only different expressions to intimate that all true believers in Jesus are members of one another, and of his body, his flesh, and his bones. And as it was by our Lord himself in this life, so is it with all his redeemed, both in this life and in that which is to come; they who do the will of his Fatlier, which is in heaven, the same are Christ's brethren, and sisters, and mother. EVENING. — " Awake, 0 sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts : smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." — Zech. xiii. 7. That this blessed scripture points to Christ, and to him only, the Lord Jesus himself fully confirmed in his discourse with his disciples at the Mount of Olives, Matt. xxvi. 31. And indeed of whom could Jehovah thus speak, as " fellow to the Lord of Hosts," but to Him, who, " though in the form of God, and with whom it was no robbery to be .equal with God, yet took upon him the form of a servant, and vi^as made in the likeness of men ?" But what call is this to the sword? Was it the flaming sword at the gate of Para- 280 THK POOR MAS S dise, which was placed there to guard the way to the tree of life ? And had the sword been for so many ages sleeping ? Could none presume to enter but Jesus? And if he enters, the sword of God's justice must first awake, and be sheathed in his heart? And is it God the Father himself that thus commands the sword to awake, and smite his only begotten Son ? Did God indeed so love the world, that he thus gave his only begotten Son, " to the end that all who believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life ?" Pause, my soul, over these solemn, but blessed thoughts. And is he God, on whom these things are to be transacted? Yes; for he is " fellow to the Lord of Hosts." And is he man also ? Yes ; for " the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us !" Such is the mystery of godli- ness; "God manifest in the flesh!" And, what! is he both God and man in one person ? Yes ; for so only could he be Christ. AVell might the prophet exclaim, " Wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth !" — My soul ! take thy stand, this evening, at the foot of the cross, and contemplate, among the prodigies of that memorable day, that great wonder concerning Him crucified, who was fellow to the Lord of Hosts. View both his natures : He was truly and properly man ; for it was one express article in the covenant of redemption, that " as by man came death, by man should come also the resurrection of the dead. And as by the disobedience of one many were made sinnei s, so by the obedience of one should many be made righteous." Moreover, the first promise of the bible, which came in with the fall, was express to this i)urpose: " The seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head." The devil had triumphed over the nature of man in the fall; and the same nature of man was promised to conquer death, hell, and the grave : and as both the law and the jus- tice of God were solemnly concerned that the same nature which had rebelled should obey, and the same MORNING ANn EVBNINfi PORTIONS. 281 nature which had sinned should atone; and all the divine perfections were concerned, that he who under- took the purposes of redemption, should be the man that was fellow to the Lord of Hosts, even Christ Jesus. Secondly, as none but man could be suited for a Re- deemer, so none but God could be competent to ac- complish redemption. Hence he must be fellow to the Lord of Hosts. In point of dignity, in point of merit, the glory due to a Redeemer when redemption should be accomplished, and the adoration, love, and praise to be ascribed to him, could never be suitable to any less than God. Hence by the union of both natures, Jesus, and Jesus only, who thus formed one Christ, became the very person here described, and was, and is, and ever must be, " the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts." Now, my soul, whenever thou lookest up to the cross, (let it be daily, hourly, continually, yea, unceasingly) never lose sight of this glorious union of God and man in thy Jesus. Fix thine eyes, thine heart, thy whole affection upon him ; and while thou art resting all thine assurance of pardon, mercy, and peace, the joy of this life, and tlic glory of that which is to come, wholly u})on thy Jesus; Oh ! let thine ear of faith receive in transports of delight, the pro- clamation of God thy Father concerning Him, " thc man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts." AFRIL 11. MORNING. — " And Jesus said unto him, verily ! say unto tliee, to- day shall thou be with me in Paradise." — Luke xxiii. 43. My soul, hear the gracious words of thy Jesus. This was the third cry of the Redeemer on the cross. And Oh! how full of grace, rich, free, unmerited, unexpected, unlooked-for grace, to a poor lost perishing sinner, even in the very moment of death. Let the self-righteous pharisee behold tliis example of redeeming love, and 282 THE POOR man's wonder, and be confounded. Surely no one will venture to suppose that this man's good works were any re- commendation, when the poor wretch was dying under the hands of justice. What was it then that saved him but the complete salvation of Jesus? The Son of God was offering his soul on the cross a sacrifice for sin, and being between two notorious sinners, gave a rich dis- play of the sovei'eignty of his grace, and his love to poor sinners ; and in confirmation, snatched this one as a brand from the burning — took him from the very jaws of hell, and that very day led him in triumph to heaven ; thereby manifesting to every poor sinner, in whose heart he puts the cry for mercy, that, that cry shall never be put forth in vain. And mark, my soul, how powerful the gi'ace of the Lord Jesus wrought upon this man. He and his companion both knew that before night they would both be in eternity. The thought affected neither; they joined the rabble in in- sulting Jesus. " Save thyself and us," was the language of the heart of both, until the grace of Jesus wrought on this man's mind, and changed the reviler into an humble suitor. What could there be in Jesus thus to affect him ! Jesus hung upon the cross like a poor Jew. Jesus had been always poor, and never more so than now. And yet, in the midst of all these surrounding circumstances, such a ray of light broke in upon this man's mind, that he saw Jesus in all his glory and power, acknowledged him for a King, when all the disciples had forsook him and fled, and prayed to be remembered by him when he came into his kingdom. Precious Lamb of God! bestow upon me such a portion of thy grace as, under all the unpromising circum- stances around, may call forth the like conviction of thy power, and my need. And Oh ! tliat this patteni of mercy might be reviewed by thousands of poor perishing dying sinners ! Methinks I would have it proclaimed through all the public j)laces of resort. MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 283 through all the haunts of licentiousness, among the num- berless scenes of hardened sinners who fear that they have sinned beyond the possibility of forgiveness. Oh look at this example of Jesus's love, ye that are going down to the grave full of sin and despair ! behold the thief ! behold the Saviour ! And Oh for a cry of grace like that of the dying malefactor — "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom;" and Jesus's gracious answer—" To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." EVENING.—" And one of the malefactors, which were hanged, railed on him, saying, if thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering, rebuked him." — Luke xxiii. 39, 40. My soul ! thy morning meditation was directed to that soul-reviving, penitent, encouraging prospect, which the cross of Christ affords, in the recovery of the thief upon the cross, as furnishing the most illustrious example of the sovereignty of grace ! Oh ! what a trophy was there of the Redeemer's conquest ! Now take thy stand again at the foot of the cross, and look on the other side, and behold the dreadful reverse, in the obduracy of the human heart. Here view the sinner dying in all the possibilities of a hardened con- science, railing and blaspheming ; while the other departs in the most finished act of faith and repentance, glorifying the Lord. Pause over the contemplation, and then ask, what was it made the mighty difference ? Who made thee, my soul, to differ from another? And what hast thou, which thou didst not receive ! Blessed Lord Jesus ! I do indeed rejoice with trem- bling, when I consider what I am; yea, what every man is by nature ; and how resolutely shut and bolted the hearts of all men are, in our universally fallen state, and cannot but remain so for ever, unless thou, who hast the key of David, dost open, and by thy sweet in- fluences dost enter in ! Pause once more, my soul ! Perhaps, among the wonders which attended the cruci- 284 THE POOR man's fixion and death of Jesus, tliis, of a determined obdu- racy, is not the least. Nothing can be more plain, than that a general suspicion took place, both among the Jews and the Roman soldiers, who attended the cru- cifixion of Jesus, that he was more than man; Jesus had wrought many miracles, in confirmation of his being the Christ : and, now on the cross, the stupendous events which took place most loudly proclaimed it. The sun became dark at mid-day ; the veil of the tem- ple was rent in twain by an invisible hand; the earth did quake, the rocks were rent, and graves were opened ! And to such a degree were these portentous sights carried, that the centurion, who presided at the execution, for the moment, felt himself so overcome with a conviction of Christ's real character, that, una- ble to resist the impulse on his mind, he cried out, and feared greatly, saying, " surely this was the Son of God!" Matt, xxvii. 51 — 54. But, as if to shew the desperately wicked state of the human heart, even these prodigies, and the renewal of them on the morning of our Lord's resurrection, soon lost their effect, and were considered no more. Though an earthquake ushered in the morning of Christ's triumpli over the grave ; though for a while, at this, and the presence of an angel, the Roman soldiers became as dead men ; though Christ had foretold his resurrection, and the pharisees ob- tained a guard to watch the sepulchi-e on this account, and had it sealed with a seal, and a stone ; still, both soldiers and pharisees, when recovered from their fright, rather than own Jesus foi' the Christ, will resolutely pei'sist to their own damnation ! My soul ! pause over this solemn subject, and learn to have a proper view of the desperately wicked state of every man's heart by nature. Learn also where to ascribe the whole of that difference between one man and another, in the blessed effects of distinguishing grace. But for tliis, neither wouldest thou have believed in the resurrection of Jesus. MORNING AND KVENINf. I'OKTIONS. 285 That " Jesus is believed on in the world," is one of the wonders in the apostle's account " of the great mystery of godliness ;" 1 Tim. iii. 16. And however astonish- ingly it strikes the mind, yet the word of God confirms the undeniable truth, that were the devils in hell liberated from their chains, still devils would they remain. This vve learn from the solemn account in the book of Revelations. Under the vials of God's wrath, they who have hardened their hearts against God and his Christ, are there given up to be hardened for ever : " In the kingdom of darkness," it is said, " they gnawed their tongues for pain ; and blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds;" Rev. xvi. 8 — 11. Lord Jesus ! give grace to all th}'^ redeemed, in the view of thy distinguishing love, to know our mercies, and to bless thee, as the author of them. APRIL 12. MORNING. — " And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani ; that is to say, My God, my God, why hast tliou forsaken me ?" — Matt, xxvii. 4fi. Mark, my soul ! Jesus had hung upon the ci oss now for six hours. Think what agonies he sustained both in soul and body. The fury of hell had broke out upon him, and in the cruelties of the men around him, exer- cised upon his sacred person, manifested how extensive that fury was. But had this been all; had God the Father smiled upon him, had the cup of trembling been taken away, some alleviation would have taken place in Jesus's sufferings ; but so far was this from being the case, that the heaviest load of the sorrow his holy soul sustained, was the wrath of the Father due to sin, as the sinner's surety. Angels, no doubt, looked on. All heaven stood amazed. And, at length, overpowered with the fulness of sorrow and anguish of soul, the 286 THE POOR man'; dying Lamb cried out, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" Pause, my soul, while thou hear- est in the ear of faith, still vibrating in the air, the dolorous cry ; and conceive, if it be possible, what the holy, harmless, undefiled Jesus felt, when such expres- sions of exquisite terror and distress were forced from his dying lips. What forsaking was this of Jesus by God his Father ? Not the dissolving of the union between them : not the withdrawing the arm of his strength ; for Jesus still calls him, " Eli, Eli," that is, My strong One. Not that he left him to himself ; nei- ther that his love for Jesus was lessened : but it was the withdrawing or withholding those sweet manifestations whereby he had sustained the human nature of Jesus, through the whole of his incarnation. It was beholding Jesus in this solemn season as the sinner's surety ; and as such, it was a punishing desertion ; implying that as Jesus stood, or rather hung, with all the burden of our sins, he was so deserted for that time as we, out of Jesus, deserve to be forsaken for ever. The cry of Jesus, the shriek of his precious soul, under this deser- tion, represented the everlasting shrieks of them that are cast out of God's gracious presence to all eternity. Here pause again, my soul. And w^ouldst thou have howled this endless, pitiable cry for ever, had not Jesus uttered it for thee once ? And art thou, by virtue of it, saved from this wrath to come ? Hath Jesus both borne thy sins, carried thy sorrows, and been forsaken of his Father, that thou mightest enjoy his presence and favour for ever ? My soul, what wilt thou render to the Lord for all his benefits ? Wilt thou not take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord, now thy Jesus hath for thee taken the cup of trembling, and drank all the dregs of it ? Precious, pre- cious Redeemer, may I never, never lose sight of thee in this partof thy sufferings also ; and especially eye thee still more when my soul is under the hidings of God's coun- MORNING AND EVKNING PORTIONS. 287 tenance. Let me recollect, dearest Lord! that thou hast been forsaken before thy people, and for thy peo- ple ; and here, as in all other instances, thou hast the pre-eminence, so as to sanctify even our momentary de- sertions to our good and to thy glory. Yes, precious Lord ! such are the blessed effects of thy desertion, that hence my soul learns, my God still supports, though my God may withhold his comforts. Jesus was for- saken for a season, that my soul might not be forsaken for ever. And grant me, dearest Lord, from thy bright example, to cast myself wholly upon thee, as thou didst upon thy Father, when all sensible comforts fail, convinced that thou " art the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever ! ' EVENING. — " And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on tlie cross. And the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth the KrNG of the Jews." — John xix. 19. My soul ! thou hast not yet read the inscription over the cross of Christ, in thine evening meditations. Do not withdraw from the sacred spot, until thou hast read it, and also, through divine teaching, understood its blessed design. Pilate meant it in reproach : but Jehovah over-ruled the design, to give his dear Son due honour. It was written in the three learned languages, in Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew. And it is the best of all learning to be able to read it in the light in which the Lord the Spirit caused it to Ije written. Do thou, almighty Teacher, cause me so to read it ! Pilate meant it as Christ's crime ; as if to tell the world wherefore he suffered : but, so far is the inscription it- self from notifying a crime, that it positively asserts what it was meant to deny. Pilate wished it to be un- derstood that Christ was punished as an usurper : but then he should not have said that he was the king of the Jews, but that he assumed the title; whereas he marks 28N THE POOR man's it as a thing perfectly understood ; " Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews." Some of Christ's enemies perceived this, and accordingly desired Pilate to alter the words — " write not," say they, " the king of the Jews: but that he said, I am king of the Jews." But he who over-ruled the mind of Pilate to write, over-ruled his mind that he should not alter. " What I have written," said he, " I have written." Yes, Pilate : Jesus was in- deed king of the Jews ! And now that memorable scripture was fulfilled : " Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion j" Psalm ii. 6. Precious Lord Jesus ! thy title hath been this from everlasting ; and will be to everlasting. It is like thyself, " the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever!" And now, my soul, do not lose sight of the testimony of an enemy to the kingship of thy Lord Jesus. Look at the cross now, where thy Redeemer was publicly proclaimed king upon it ; and behold how the offence of the cross is ceased. And Oh ! for grace to own Jesus now in glory for my King, as Pilate notified to all the world that he was king, when in the lowest humiliation upon earth. And Oh ! what rapture will break in upon the soul, when he, whom Pilate proclaimed king upon his cross, shall come as a King upon his throne. Lift up thine head, O my soul, and contemplate thy King, who once was crowned with thorns, now crowned with glory. Hear what the apostle saith, and let thy whole mind be occupied in contemplating the glory that shall be re- vealed: " Behold, the Lord Cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to con- vince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him !" And what is the answer of the church, but " even so ; come. Lord Jesus !" Amen. MOHNINO AND KVKNING PORTIONS. 289 APRIL 13. MORNING.—" After this, Jesus knowing that ail things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst." — John xix. 28. After this, that is, I conceive, (though I do not presume to mark the very order in which the Lord Jesus uttered his loud cries upon the cross,) after his complaint of desertion: for whether this was the foui'th or fifth of the seven last words of the Redeemer, I dare not determine: yet the words themselves were highly important, and significant of great things, in reference to Jesus and his people. Jesus thus cried, that the scriptures might be fulfilled, it is said ; for it had been prophesied of him, that gall was given him to eat— and, when thirsty, vinegar to drink, Ps. Ixix. 21. And the soldiers, unconscious of what they did in ful- filling this very prophecy, gave him sponge dipped in vinegar. But, my soul, was it the thirst of the body thy Jesus complained of? I think not. He had before declared, at his last supper, that he would drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until the day he drank it new in the kingdom of his Father. What could be then the thirst of Jesus, but the thirst of his soul, for the accomplishment of redemption for his people, and the accomplishment of redemption in his people. He thirsted with an holy vehement thirst for the ever- lasting salvation of his ransomed, and seemed to anti- cipate the hour by this expression, when he should see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied. But did not Jesus also, in this hour, as bearing the curse and wrath of God for sin, thirst in soul with that kind of thirst which, in hell, those who bear the everlasting torments of condemnation feel, when they are under an ever- lasting thirst which admits of no relief! That repre- sentation the Lord Jesus gives of this state, in the parable of the rich man's thirst, serves to afford a lively but alarming view of such superlative misery. Oh VOL. VIII. T 290 THE POOR man's that those who now add drunkenness to thirst, would seriously lay this to heart. Did God suffer his dear Son, to whom sin was but transferred, and not com- mitted by him — did he suffer him to cry out under this thirst? and what may we suppose will be the ever- lasting cry of such as not only merit his wrath for sin, but merit yet more his everlasting wrath for refusing redemption by Jesus, who thirsted on the cross to re- deem sinners from endless thirsting in despair and misery ? My soul, did Jesus thirst for thee ? Were his dying lips parched, and his soul deeply athirst, for thy salvation ? And shall not this thirst of thy Redeemer kindle an holy thirst in thee for him, and his love and his great salvation ? Wilt thou not now this morning anew, look up by faith to the cross and to the throne, and catch the flame of love from his holy, loving, longing, and languishing eyes, until all thy powers go forth in vehement desires, like him of old, crying out — " As the hart thirsteth for the water brooks, so longeth my soul after thee, O God. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth ; for thy love is better than wine." EVENING. — " His soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption." — Acts ii. 31. Two sweet, but distinct thoughts, arise out of this scripture: one, concerns the soul of Christ; the other, respects his body ; and both are most blessed to the believer in the review. My soul ! thou hast attended to the parched state of thy Redeemer, as represented on the cross, and made it the subject of thy morning meditation; do thou now behold what this scripture states, under all his humiliating circumstances, that neither hell nor the grave can have dominion over him. His soul shall not be long in a way of separation from the body, in the invisible state; for very shortly it shall arise from hades, the hell here mentioned. And his MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 291 body is too holy, harmless, and undefiled, to admit of putrefaction; yea, it must be presented before the Lord for a sweet-smelling savour. Precious thought to the believer ! Jesus needed not to lie long under the domi- nion of death: he had fully paid the debt of sin by death ; and tiierefore there needed no detention to make farther restitution for the sins of his people, when thus fully cancelled. And as the infinite holiness and purity of his nature could not become subject to the power of corruption, he needed not to lie longer in the grave than might clearly and fully ascertain to his people in all ages, the reality of his death, for the better confirmation of the resurrection that followed. Hence Jesus could not be left, as the great represen- tative of his people, in a situation so comfortless, when the work was completed which the Father gave him to do. And as his holy nature could not admit the possibiUty of corruption; so the covenant of redemp- tion exempted him from it. Add to these, it was needful that, both in soul and body. He who had died for our sins, shoidd rise again for our justification, and not only triumph in our nature over death, hell, and the grave, but return to the right hand of power, " there to appear in the presence of God for us," Hail! thou holy and triumphant Lord! I bow the knee before thee! In thy holiness thy people are considered holy : and as thy spotless soul could not be detained in hell, neither thy flesh see corruption, so all thy redeemed shall be accounted holy before thee, and through thy righteousness, be considered righteous before God and thy Father for ever. Amen. APRIL 14. MORNING — " When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished." — John xix. 30. Perhaps these words formed the sixtli cry of the Lord Jesus on the cross. The glorious close of all his 292 THE POOR man's sufferings was now arrived; and full of these high ideas which occupied his holy mind, he cried out, " It is finished!" What is finished? Redemption-work is finished. All the long series of prophecies, visions, types, and the shadows of good things to come, which pointed to Jesus and redemption by him, were now finished in their accomplishment. The law was finished in its condemning power ; and the gospel commenced its saving influence. Jesus, by that one sacrifice now offered, had for ever perfected them that are sanctified. The separation between Jew and gentile was now finished and done away for ever. Jesus had now " gathered together, in one, all the children of God which are scattered abroad." The iron reign of sin and Satan, of death and hell, were now broken in pieces by this stone cut out of the mountain without hands; and life and immortality, pardon, mercy, and peace, were brought to light, and secured to the faith- ful, by this finished redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ. The peace, the love, the favour of God the Father, was now obtained ; and that spiritual kingdom of the Lord Jesus, which shall have no end, was from this moment set up in the hearts and minds of his people. The sure descent of the Holy Ghost was now confirmed; and the Lord Jesus already, by anticipation, beheld his Israel of old, and his gentile church, as well as Ethiopia and the multitude of the^isles, stretching forth their hands unto God. Full of these and the like glorious prospects the mind of Jesus was filled ; and having received the vinegar, as the last prophecy remaining then to be completed, he cried out, " It ia finished!" My soul, never let these precious, precious words of Jesus depart from thy mind. Do by them as Moses commanded Israel concerning the words he gave them; " let them be in thy heart, and in thy soul; bind them as a sign upon thine hand, and let them be as frontlets between thine eyes." Tell thy God MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS/ 293 and Father what thy Jesus hath told thee — " It is finished!" He hath finished redemption for thee; and He will finish redemption in thee. He hath destroyed death, both satisfied and glorified the law, taken away the curse, made full restitution for sin, brought in an everlasting righteousness, and opened the glorious man- sions of the blessed as the home and rest of all his people. Oh my soul, let these dying words of thy Jesus be made by thee as an answer to all thy prayers, and begin that song to the Lamb, which ere long, thou wilt fully and loudly sing among the church above — " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain ; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." EVENING. — " And the people stood beholding ; and the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others ; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and saying, if thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself." — Luke xxiii. 35 — 37. My soul! thou art not tired, I hope, of taking thy stand, night by night, and morning by morning, at the foot of the cross. Surely it is blessed to sit down by the fountain, which was opened by the soldier's spear, in the heart of Jesus, and contemplate, one by one, the mercies which flow in it to the souls of his redeemed. There are more to be seen, more to be discovered at every renewed review; for in the death of Christ, is the life of the soul. It is not the smallest part of the excellencies which Jesus discovered in his death, that it was " the death of the cross;" for the apostle joins this with his sufferings. He not only endured the cross, but he despised the shame; and yet that shame, in all the parts of it, forms a wonderful branch in the subject. My soul! look at the cross in this point of view, and see wliether thou wilt not draw sweet consolation from it, under the grand considera- tion, that as thy sins have caused shame before God, so the sliame thy blessed Surety endured, has more 294 THE POOR man's than made satisfaction to the divine glory. Behold the people, with the rulers, deriding Christ with taunts and reproaches; and even the Roman soldiers mocking Jesus, though they knew him not. Indeed, every thing in Christ became the subject of their resentment. Through his whole life, this had been the case ; and now, in the close of it, the whole is summoned up into the most finished contempt. His person most daringly despised: " if he be the Son of God, let God save him if he will have him," say they! His offices blasphemed: " art thou a king then," said Pilate, in the most sove- reign contempt. " If thou be the King of Israel," said the rabble, " save thyself and come down from the cross." " Prophecy, thou Christ," said one of them in the hall, " who is he that smote thee." And as a priest, when Jesus was stretched forth on the cross, as in the act of blessing, and truly in the act of dying for them, the taunt was, " He saved others, him- self he cannot save." Thus the Lord of Ufe and glory, as the prophet had foretold, hid not his face from shame and spitting ! And, as if to crown all with the highest possible instance of shame and disgrace, while the multitude counted him for a deceiver, and all his disciples forsook him and fled, as from a person with whom it was dangerous to be found, he is hung up as a malefactor, and that between two thieves ; yea, God himself allowed him, nay, appointed him to be reckoned among the transgressors. Pause, my soul, over this blissful subject; and most blessed it is, when Christ is thus beheld in relation to his people. For surely whatever shame and confusion of face is the sinner's, due by reason of sin, the Lord Jesus hath fuUy paid it, yea, more than paid it, as the sinner's representative. And herein is that scripture completely explained and applied: " Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. her iniquity is pardoned : for she Lath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." Surely this was literally and truly the case in the person of her Almighty Surety and Representative, when Jesus en- dured the cross, and bore the shame for all his people ! APRIL 15. MORNING.—" And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit : and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." — Luke xxiii. 46. My soul, ponder well these last of the last seven words of thy God and Saviour which he uttered on the cross; for surely they are most sweet and precious, and highly interesting, both on thy Saviour's account and thine own. And first remark, the manner in which the Lord Jesus thus breathed out his soul; not like a man spent and exhausted, after hanging so many hours on the cross, faint with loss of blood, and such agonies of soul as never one before endured; but it was with a loud voice, thereby proving what he had before de- clared— " No man taketh my life from me ; I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." Precious Jesus, how sweet this assurance to thy people. But wherefore cry with a loud voice ? A whisper, nay, a thought of the soul only, if with an eye of communication to God the Father, would have been sufficient, if this had been all that was intended. Wherefore then did Jesus cry with a loud voice? Was it not that all in heaven, and all in hell might hear ? Did not angels shout at the cry ? Did not the spirits of just men made perfect among the faithful gone to glory in Jesus's name, hear, and sing aloud? Did not all hell tremble when Jesus thus cried aloud, conscious that the keys of the grave, and death, and hell, were now put into his Almighty hand ? Oh ! precious, precious Jesus ! was this among thy gracious designs 296 THE POOR MAN S for which, when thou wert retiring from the bloody field of battle, as a conqueror, thy loud voice shouted victory? And was there not another sweet and gracious design in this loud cry, Oh! thou blessed Jesus? Didst thou not intend thereby that poor sinners, unto the ends of the earth, might, by faith, hear and believe to the salvation of their souls? Didst thou not, dearest Lord ! when bowing thy sacred head, as if to take a parting look of the disciple and the Marys, at the foot of the cross, and beholding them as the representatives of all the members of thy mystical body, didst cry with a loud voice, that all with them might behold thy triumphs, and rejoice in thee their glorious Head? Yes, Lamb of God ! we adore thee in this glorious act; for we do accept it as it really is, the act of our one glorious head. In this solemn committing of thy spirit to the Father, we consider our spirits also as committed with thee, and by thee. (My soul ! mark this down cai'efully in the inmost tablet of thine heart.) In all tliis, blessed Jesus! thou wert, and art, our Head. Thou didst, to all intents and purposes, take every in- dividual believer of thine as a part of thyself, and by this act didst commit, with thyself, the whole into thy Father's hands, to be kept until the hour of their dropping their bodies, then to be united to thee for ever. Oh! precious Jesus! O precious mercy of our Jesus, how safe, how eternally safe, and secure, are all thy redeemed ! Well might thine apostle say, " No man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself; for in Jesus his people ever live, and in Jesus they securely die." Henceforth, dear Lord I let me know myself to be already committed with thee, and by thee, into the hands of my God and Father in Jesus, and when the hour cometh that the casket, in which that precious jewel, my soul, now dwells, is opened for the soul to take her departure, O then for faith in lively, active, earnest faith, to follow the example, and MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 297 to tulopt the very language of my God and Saviour; and to cry out — " Lord Jesus, into thy hands I com- mend my spirit; for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth !" EVENING. — " And every priest slandeth daily ministering and offer- ing oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the rigiit hand of God." — Heb, x. 11, 12. The morning portion was the finishing cry of Jesus on the cross. This, my soul, I hope thou didst, as it were, hear with the ear of faith: beholding with the eye of faith, the Lord of life and glory as retreating from the field of battle, having gotten himself the vic- tory, and by that " one offering of himself, once off^ered, for ever perfected them that are sanctified." Fold up then the blessed object for thy nightly pillow, as for thy morning meditation, and bring it forth continually for thine unceasing joy and peace in believing, that (as tlie Holy Ghost hath in this scripture, for thy present en- joyment, sweetly set it forth) when all the priests in their daily ministry could accomplish nothing, this man, this God-man, this thy Jesus, whose name is Wonderful, hath by his one offering," for ever put away sin, and is " sat down on the right hand of God," to see the purchase of his redemption, by jirice and by power, fully compensated to all his people. But here lie the blessed effects of thy Jesus's redemption ; and do thou mark it, and bring it forward constantly in thy plead- ings for acceptance with the leather in the Beloved, that so rich, so precious, so inestimable and invaluable is the redemption of God's dear Son, that it never can be fully compensated to his people. A whole eternity will not be sufficient to pay, nor can all the glories of heaven constitute a suflRcient recompence ; for after millions of ages are past, and millions of redemption blessings have been given in them, such is the infinite merit, and such is the infinite glory of the Son of God's 298 THK POOH man's righteousness, and blood, and sacrifice, that there must still remain a surplus unpaid, a redundancy still un- accounted for. Jesus will have brought in such ever- lasting revenues of glory to Jehovah, by the redemption of sinners, and in the honour done to his justice, love, and wisdom, by accomplishing the work the Father gave him to do, as will never be fully recompensed; yea, the merit of his cross alone will, to all eternity, shine with such splendour as to fill heaven with songs of endless praise. The sons of God, we are told, shouted for joy, when beholding the six days works of creation. But the six hours which Jesus hung on the cross wrought a more glorious work of redemption to Jehovah's praise, and will call up the unceasing ado- ration of angels and men to all eternity. What sayest thou, my soul, to this view of the wonderful subject ? Let such be thy meditation day by day, and may thine eyes prevent the night watches to be fully occupied in it. Take thy stand at the foot of the cross; there by faith behold Him on whom the eye of Jehovah is un- ceasingly fixed : and when thou hast followed the Lamb from the cross to the throne, where Jesus is now for ever sat down on the right hand of God, catch the notes of the hymn which the redeemed are now singing in glory before him, and in which, ere long, thou wilt assuredly join: " To him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb that was slain, be glory and honour for ever and ever. Amen." APRIL 16. MORNING.— "There laid they Jesus."— John xix. 42. My soul, it is usual for the relations and friends of those that are deceased to attend the funeral. Art thou a friend, a relation, of Jesus ? Oh yes ; I trust thou art. He was, and is, the dearest of all friends, MORNING AND KVENING PORTIONS. 299 the nearest of all relations. He is at once all and every one — the Father, the Husband, the Brother. The invitation is therefore sent to thee, personally to thee. Every voice of affection calls thee to the tomb of Jesus, saying, " Come, see the place where the Lord lay." And if, like Mary Magdalene, from more abun- dant love, thou art asking, " Where have they laid him ?" — the answer immediately is I'eturned, " Come and see." Yes, thou dear Redeemer! by that faith thou hast graciously given me, I will come and see. Let my faith take wing, and light down in Joseph of Arimethea's garden, and behold the place where the Lord lay. Was this the memorable spot? Did Jesus lay here ? Did he here make (according to the ancient pro- phecy foretold of him) " his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth ?" Here let me look; here let my soul wander in contemplation. Oh what a marvellous sight to behold Jesus thus lain in the grave. Surely we may cry out, as the church did in the view, " My beloved is white and ruddy." Never did death triumph so before. Never did the grave receive and hold such a prisonei'. But, my soul, behold also, in the view, how Jesus triumphed even in death. It was " through death he destroyed him that had the power of death — that is, the devil, that he might deliver them who, through fear of death, are all their life-time subject to bondage." And what saith Jesus to my soul from the grave ? Fear not, " I have the keys of death and the grave : fear not to go down to the Egypt of the grave, I will go with thee, and will surely bring thee up again from thence." And observe, my soul, as the grave could not detain thy Lord, thine Head, a prisoner; so neither can the grave, beyond the appointed time, detain any of his members. And as the union between the Godhead and the manhood in Jesus was not broken off by deatli, so neither can the 300 THE POOR xHAN's union between Jesus and his people be interrupted by death. The covenant of redemption, the union of Jesus with his people, the love of God in Christ to the souls and bodies of his redeemed, all these rot not in the grave; nay, where sin is taken out, the very enmity of the grave is slain ; and though it acts as a devourer of our corrupt bodies, yet it acts as a preserver also of the refined part, that the dust and ashes of his saints Jesus may visit, and manifest his care over, from day to day. Precious Lord, here then, as in every thing, thou hast the pre-eminence. Thou hast gone before: thou hast sweetly perfumed the grave by having lain there. And where should the dying members be but where their living Head hath been before ? Hence then, my soul, take comfort and fear not, when thy partner, the body, is called upon to go down to the grave. When the soul flies to Jesus in heaven, the body will sweetly rest in Jesus till summoned from the grave. Thy God, thy Jesus, hath the appointment for thy departure; both the place where, the time when, and the manner how, are all with him. He hath the keys both to open the door of death, and to open the kingdom of heaven. Leave all then with him. Frequently, by faith, visit his se- pulchre, and behold where they laid him. And in the triumphs of thy Jesus, as thine head, already take part, as a member of his body, crying out with the apostle, " Oh death where is thy sting ? Oh grave, where is thy victory? God be praised who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ." EVENING. — " Having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." — Acts ii. 24. My soul ! thou hast been in contemplation to the tomb of Jesus this morning, and seen the place where the Lord lay; now sit down, and ponder over what this blessed scripture saith, that " the pains of death were loosened, because it was not possible for Jesus to MOnNING AND BVENINO I'OKilONS. 301 be detained a prisoner by it." And if there were no other scripture, but this one, in proof of Christ's god- head, this in itself would be unanswerable ; for it could be nothing but the godhead of his person which made it impossible. It was this which, from the union of the manhood with the godhead, preserved his soul from sin, and his body from, corruption ; for though the human nature that Christ took was subject to all the sinless in- firmities of nature, and to feel hunger, weariness, and the like, to the full, being part of the curse on the fall, which he came to bear and do away ; yet was he not left to the infirmities of what we, in our fallen state, are exposed to, and often sink under. Sweet thought, to look to the tomb of Jesus with ! Here, as oft as we contemplate the spot, we may say : here Christ hath lain down, to teach his followers to lie down. But here Christ could not be detained ; his holy body was not subject to corruption. " Thou wilt not leave his soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." But may it not be added also, on another account, that the pains of death could not hold Christ ; forasmuch as God's justice being fully satisfied by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all, there could be no detention of the prisoner when the debt was paid? The Lord Jesus did not, for he needed not, go down to hell for the purpose of receiving there the punishment our sins deserve, and which, by suffiering in our stead and room, he did away: his sufferings were fully commensurate upon earth : and it is not the place, but the degree and iiature of punishment, that makes an equivalent on the score of paying. His capability of suffering, and the extremity of what he endured during his agony in the garden, and on the cross, (not to men- tion a whole life of sorrows, in being all along acquainted with grief) these were the full cup of trembhng which Jesus drank, and completely adequate it was, or he would not liave said upon the cross, "it is finished !''' 302 THE POOR MAN S Neither was it necessary that the Redeemer should long endure the sufferings due to sin, as the sinner's surety. Here also his capability of sustaining much, in a little space, plainly proves, that wlien all the vials of divine wrath were poured out upon his sacred head ; being once completely emptied, they could not again be filled. Though had not Jesus died, " the just for the unjust, to bring us to God," the second death (which, out of Christ, is the sinner's due) must be an eternal death, because the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, are only fitted for, and capable of receiving misery by por- tions, which never being fully poured out, are conse- quently never finished. But not so with Him who stood the sinner's surety. He could, and did receive at once, in life and death, the whole of the punishment due to sin : and therefore he it is of whom the Holy Ghost speaks, " All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me," Psalm xlii. 7. Precious Lord ! while I think of these things, and my whole soul is going forth in sorrow at the contemplation of those sufferings of thine for my salvation, grant me to feel at the same time the blessedness of thy redemption, and my interest in it, since " by thy stripes I am healed." APRIL 17. MORNING. — " The Lord is risen indeed." — Luke xxiv. 34. Let thy meditations, my soul, this morning, be sweetly exercised upon thy risen and exalted Saviour. For if thy Lord be indeed risen, then will it undeniably follow, that as he died for our sins, so he arose for our justification, and is thereby become the first fruits of them that sleep. Beg of God the Holy Ghost to lead thee into the devout contemplation and enjoyment of this soul-reviving subject. Trace the testimonies of this wonderful event, until, from being overpowered in the vast assemblage of witnesses, thou art promised to cry MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 303 out in the same language, " the Lord is risen indeed." And surely never was there any one fact so fully, so clearly, and so circumstantially confirmed. It hath the united testimony of heaven and earth : of angels and men, of the living and the dead, of friends and foes ; and God himself confirming it in the midst of his people, by sending down the Holy Ghost agreeably to the pro- mise of Jesus at the day of Pentecost. Review these things in order. First, heaven gave in its evidence in those supernatural signs which issued in the morning of Jesus's resun-ection ; for we are told that " an angel de- scended from heaven, and rolled back the stone from the door of Jesus's sepulchre, and sat upon it." And, seco7idly, earth gave her testimony also to the same, by the convulsions sustained at his approach — " there was a great earthquake." And then again, as angels came to inform the pious women who waited to embalm the sacred body of Christ, that Jesus was risen ; so the tes- timony of multitudes among men gave equal attestation to this glorious truth. For besides the many separate and distinct appearances- Jesus made to numbers, he ap- peared to above five hundred brethren at once, by way of confirming the undoubted fact. The living, who ate and drank with him after he arose from the dead, surely could not be mistaken. And the dead which arose from their graves, as if to celebrate the glories of his resurrection, in which they took part, came forth when the sepulchre yawned at the triumph of Jesus, and went into the holy city and appeared unto many. And not only the friends of Jesus, but the foes of Jesus, became undesignedly the witnesses of this great truth : for, by attributing his resurrection to the disciples' stealing away his body, they positively proved that the body of Christ remained not in the sepulchre. And that the poor timid disciples whose meetings were all in secret for fear of the Jews, should project sucli a scheme as to take away the body, which the Roman soldiers 304 THE POOR MAN S were purposely placed to secure, is not to be equalled in folly in the very idea, unless by that other part of the childish story, that the body was stolen while the guard slept, that so the testimony, it should seem, to this tale, is the testimony of men sleeping. Here then, my soul, in devout contemplation, take thy stand at the door of the sepulchre of thy Jesus, and ponder over such a multitude of witnesses, who all cry out with one voice, as the angels did to the astonished women, " He is not here ; for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." And O thou dear Re- deemer, do thou, while my soul is pondering these things, do thou draw nigh, as thou didst to the disci- ples on the morning of thy resurrection, and sweetly commune with me of all these blessed truths concerning thyself ; lead me, by faith, through all the precious subject, from the sepulchre to thine house of prayer, to the ordinance and thy table, from thy cross to thy crown ; and cause my whole heart to burn within me, while thou art talking to me by the way, and while thou art opening to me the scriptures. Then shall I truly rejoice that my Lord is indeed risen from the dead, and my soul is risen with him, from dead works, to serve thee, the living and true God. EVENING.—" The same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saiih unto them, Peace be unto you." — John xx. 19. There is a peculiar blessedness in this first visit of the Lord Jesus to the whole college of disciples (at least as many as were present of them) after he arose from the dead : and the manner of relating it is peculiarly striking also. It was the same day at evening ; and it was the first dmj also ; as if the Lord Jesus would again and again honour the day, as well in the even- ing as the morning of his resurrection, and make that day for ever memorable to his church, and among his MORNING AND EVENING PORTIONS. 305 people. My soul! thou hast celebrated thy Lord's triumphs over death, in the morning, both at home and abroad, in his church, at his ordinances, at his table, and among his disciples ; but learn hence also, that at evening time Jesus will make it light by the sweet renewed visits of his grace ; and when the doors are shut, and in thy retirement the world is shut out, and thou art communing within, Jesus will come and say, *' Peace be unto thee." And doth Jesus do this ? Hast thou this precious legacy of peace, which he left to his people, administered to thee by his own blessed hand ? Is he thy peace, and hath he made thy peace through the blood of his ci'oss ? Having purchased it by his death, doth he confirm it to thee by his resurrection, and in the earnest of his Spirit, seal it on thy soul to the day of eternal redemption ? Oh ! then look up to him, my soul, again this evening, as thy peace, thy surety, thy sponsor ; and say with the prophet, " This man shall be our peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land ;" Micah v. 5. Yes, thou dear Redeemer ! thou art indeed the peace, the very means and end of all joy and peace in believing, and wilt be the ever- lasting security of thy people in peace with God through all eternity ! Methinks I hear thee say, in the nightly visits of thy love and grace, as to the dis- ciples of old : *' Peace I leave with you ; my peace I give unto you ; not as the world giveth, give I unto you : let not your heart be troubled ; neither let it be afraid !" APRIL 18. MORNING.— " And declared to be the Son of God with power, ac- cording to the Spirit of hoUness, by the resurrection from the dead." — Romans i. 4. Do not, my soul, hastily pass away from this most precious subject of thy Lord's resurrection. It is an VOL. viri. u 306 THE POOR man's inexhaustible theme, and will be among thy felicities in eternity. Yesterday, thou didst but barely consider the fact. Let this day occupy thy thoughts on another sweet portion of it, in beholding how Jesus effected it by his own power and Godhead. He had said before that he had power to lay down his life, and power to take it again. And he had told the Jews to destroy the temple, by which he meant the temple of his body, and he would I'aise it again in three days. He had pro- claimed himself to be the resurrection and the life : and here he proved it, when he was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of hoHness, by his resurrection from the dead. Now, then, pause over this glorious view of Him ho was thus proved to be one with the Father, and who, at the same time, was one in thy nature, bone of thy bone, and flesh of thy flesh. Beautiful and comprehensive is the expression — " declared to be the Son of God !" for who but God could accomplish such an event ? And by the Spirit ot holiness he was equally declared to be not hable to cor- ruption ; for, as God's Holy One, it was impossible that his flesh should see corruption. Psalm xvi. 10. And the Holy Ghost again, by Peter the apostle, explains it when he saith, " Christ was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." 1 Pet. iii. 18. The flesh here means his human nature; and the quickening by the Spirit (being what is called the antithesis, that is, the opposite to flesh) means his own Spirit, his own power and Godhead ; similar to what is said in the Hebrews concerning the offering of Jesus, that through the Eternal Spirit he offered himself, Heb. ix. 14. — meaning, that his Godhead gave dignity and value to the offering of his body for the sins of his people. Ponder this blessed truth, my soul ; for it is most blessed, and of much greater importance than, at the first view of the words, it may strike you. Behold in it, that it was the Godhead of Jesus by which thy Jesus MORNING ANU EVENING POKTIONS. 307 triumphed over death and the grave. The Father's hand was in it most certain, as it was in all the other acts of redemption ; for the Holy Ghost taught the church, hy Paul, that God had raised up the Lord. 1 Cor. vi. 14:. And manifested by this, saith the Holy Ghost, that he was the God of peace, in bringing again from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ. Heb. xiii. 20. And the Holy Ghost had his almighty hand in the same ; for it is the Spirit that quickeneth ; and hence Christ is said to have been justified in the Spirit. 1 Tim iii. 16. But while we are taught by these scriptures, and others to the same purport, to behold both the Father and the Holy Ghost acting in the resurrection of Jesus — by this, and others of the same kind, we are taught to view the Godhead in Christ as the cause of his resuri'ection. For if Jesus had been raised by the power of the Father and the Holy Ghost only, how would he have been declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection ? For, in this case, nothing more would have been manifested in his resurrection than in the resurrection of others ; for it is by the power of God that the dead are to be raised. Hence, my soul, behold the vast importance of this great point in the resurrection of thy Lord : and never lose sight of this blessed truth, that thy Jesus, who is thy resurrection and thy life, arose himself by this self-quickening prin- ciple. Behold, in this point of view, what a glorious truth is the resurrection of Jesus. And what a lovely promise did the Lord, by the prophet, give to all the people of God concerning this, ages before this glorious event took place — " Thy dead men shall live ; together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust ; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out her dead." Isaiah xxvi. 19. 308 THE POOR man's EVENING. — "Of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive."— Acts XXV. 19. And well might Paul affirm it ; for Jesus, after his resurrection, had spoken to Paul from heaven ! ^Ve\\ might John, the beloved apostle, give the church his repeated evidence to it ; for Jesus not only made his appearance to John, in common with the other apostles, but in the islan