#evening devotion

These words are like Sampson’s riddle, which, some read thus: “Food came from the devourer, and sweetness from that which is violent, or fierce.” (Judges 14:14.) Caiaphas the high-priest, though a devourer of Jesus, yet holds forth precious food; though violent and fierce against Christ, yet he delivers sweet truth. Truth is truth, though from the tongue of an enemy: yea, it is a double confirmation of truth. If Christ be preached, let us rejoice, though even by bad men, and from bad principles. Judas preached; the Holy Ghost causes this wicked high-priest, to prophecy of Jesus. By these words, the Holy Ghost plainly instructs us in these precious truths.- O that we may receive them in love! (1st.) That though the whole world is become guilty before God, yet he has a peculiar, chosen number, who are here called, “the children of God.” They were not so by nature, but children of wrath, even as others. But God “predestinated them unto the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ, to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” (Ephesians 1:5.) Simply to believe this, is to bow to the will of God; to object to it, is to cavil against God’s good pleasure, as well as his mercy. (2d.) These children are all scattered abroad. Every one of them is turned to his own way of cursed sin, and shameful folly. They delight in their distance from God: they hate the knowledge of God, and are at enmity against his law. They say unto God, “Depart, depart! we desire not the knowledge of thee.” They sport themselves in their own delusions: they would fill up the measure of iniquity, till their souls dropped into hell. But (3d.), They are to be gathered into one. O, the amazing mercy! the astonishing grace of this! Christ is this blessed One. He, like a good shepherd, gathers his poor, scattered, lost sheep unto himself. “Unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” (Genesis 49:10.) “He gathereth the outcasts.” (Isaiah 56:8.) “for they were given to him of the Father.” (John 17:2.) Now, you are deeply concerned to know, what all the world care nothing about, whether you are a child of God or not? Here, it is come to a point. Has Christ gathered you? Has he called you by the grace of his word, and by the power of his Spirit, to come to him? Have you seen misery and destruction in yourself, and mercy and salvation in Christ? Can you say from your heart, ‘Jesus! save me, or I perish?’ If so, you are surely gathered by Christ; you are really a child of God, by faith in Christ. Let sin, Satan, and unbelief ever so much object against it, doubt not of it. Here are two little words, worth the study of your own life, in one. O! ever meditate upon the glory and blessedness of being one in and with Jesus Christ.

Practically let us obey THE GRACIOUS COMMAND, "return unto me." Why should pardoned sinners live at a distance from their God? If we have been forgiven all our sins, let no legal fear withhold us from the boldest access to our Lord. Let backslidings be bemoaned, but let us not persevere in them. To the greatest possible nearness of communion with the Lord, let us, in the power of the Holy Spirit, strive mightily to return. O Lord, this night restore us!

The narrative of the manly courage and marvellous deliverance of the three holy children, or rather champions, is well calculated to excite in the minds of believers firmness and steadfastness in upholding the truth in the teeth of tyranny and in the very jaws of death. Let young Christians especially learn from their example, both in matters of faith in religion, and matters of uprightness in business, never to sacrifice their consciences. Lose all rather than lose your integrity, and when all else is gone, still hold fast a clear conscience as the rarest jewel which can adorn the bosom of a mortal. Be not guided by the will-o'-the-wisp of policy, but by the pole-star of divine authority. Follow the right at all hazards. When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honour to trust him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle. See whether he will be your debtor! See if he doth not even in this life prove his word that "Godliness, with contentment, is great gain," and that they who "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, shall have all these things added unto them." Should it happen that, in the providence of God, you are a loser by conscience, you shall find that if the Lord pays you not back in the silver of earthly prosperity, he will discharge his promise in the gold of spiritual joy. Remember that a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of that which he possesseth. To wear a guileless spirit, to have a heart void of offence, to have the favour and smile of God, is greater riches than the mines of Ophir could yield, or the traffic of Tyre could win. "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and inward contention therewith. " An ounce of heart's-ease is worth a ton of gold.

Read: Psalms 19:1; Romans 1:20; Acts 14:17; Psalms 19:2,3; Psalms 8:3,4; 1 Corinthians 15:41,42; Daniel 12:3;

To really know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is to love and worship Him! As God's people, we are so often confused that we could be known as God's poor, stumbling, bumbling people, for we are most prone to think of worship as something we do when we go to church on Sunday! We call it God's house. We have dedicated it to Him. So, we continue with the confused idea that it must be the only place where we can worship Him. We come to the Lord's house, made of brick and stone and wood. We are used to hearing the call to worship: "The Lord is in His holy temple-let us kneel before Him!" This is on Sunday and in church-very nice! But on Monday, as we go about our different duties, are we aware of the continuing Presence of God? The Lord desires still to be in His holy temple, wherever we are; for each of us is a temple in whom dwells the Holy Spirit of God!

The Bible is a life-bringing and a life-giving book. It is not primarily concerned with any department of human thought for its own sake. If the Bible speaks about the rainbow, it is that we may be reminded of God's covenant of mercy with mankind. If it tells the story of Abraham, it does so that we may learn to know the place of faith in our relation to God. If it points us to the moon and the stars, it is that we may know now frail we are. If it talks about the birds, it is to teach us to trust our Heavenly Father without fear or doubting. It tells us about hell not to satisfy our morbid curiosity, but that we may steer our feet far from its terrors. It tells us about heaven that we may be prepared to enter there. It writes the history of human disgrace that we may learn the value of divine grace. It warns in order that it may turn our feet away from the paths that go down to the path of destruction. It rebukes in order that we may see our own faults and be delivered from them.

I hope some of you will agree with me that it is of far greater importance that we have better Christians than that we have more of them! If we have any spiritual concerns, our most pressing obligation is to do all in our power to obtain a revival that will result in a reformed, revitalized, purified church. Each generation of Christians is the seed of the next, and degenerate seed is sure to produce a degenerate harvest; not a little better than but worse than the seed from which it sprang. Thus the direction will be down until vigorous, effective means are taken to improve the seed. Why is it easier to talk about revival than to experience it? Because followers of Christ must become personally and vitally involved in the death and resurrection of Christ. And this requires repentance, prayer, watchfulness, self-denial, detachment from the world, humility, obedience and cross-carrying!

A craving after marvels was a symptom of the sickly state of men's minds in our Lord's day; they refused solid nourishment, and pined after mere wonder. The gospel which they so greatly needed they would not have; the miracles which Jesus did not always choose to give they eagerly demanded. Many nowadays must see signs and wonders, or they will not believe. Some have said in their heart, "I must feel deep horror of soul, or I never will believe in Jesus." But what if you never should feel it, as probably you never may? Will you go to hell out of spite against God, because he will not treat you like another? One has said to himself, "If I had a dream, or if I could feel a sudden shock of I know not what, then I would believe." Thus you undeserving mortals dream that my Lord is to be dictated to by you! You are beggars at his gate, asking for mercy, and you must needs draw up rules and regulations as to how he shall give that mercy. Think you that he will submit to this? My Master is of a generous spirit, but he has a right royal heart, he spurns all dictation, and maintains his sovereignty of action. Why, dear reader, if such be your case, do you crave for signs and wonders? Is not the gospel its own sign and wonder? Is not this a miracle of miracles, that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish"? Surely that precious word, "Whosoever will, let him come and take the water of life freely" and that solemn promise, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out," are better than signs and wonders! A truthful Saviour ought to be believed. He is truth itself. Why will you ask proof of the veracity of One who cannot lie? The devils themselves declared him to be the Son of God; will you mistrust him?