by William Jay

Morning Devotional for March 9th

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Corinthians 3:17

Liberty has always been highly prized, and can never be prized too highly. Well, we have civil liberty as Britons and spiritual liberty as Christians,-a liberty “unsung by poets, and by senators unpraised.” Let us endeavour to exemplify our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus. It will be found to include five things: First, Our freedom from the exactions and impositions of men in religion. Now, observe, we say in religion, because we do not here refer to civil things. We are willing to abide always by our Saviour’s distinction:-“Render unto Cæsar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” Where religion is concerned, “The Lord is our King, the Lord is our lawgiver; and, if any require us to believe or do what he has not enjoined us to believe or do, we are to obey God rather than man. The Saviour says, “Call no man master upon earth; for one is your master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren.” When will men distinguish between civil governments and Christianity? The one regards us as citizens, the other as Christians.

Secondly, This liberty includes a freedom from the tyranny of Sin and Satan. As saith the apostle, “What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”

Thirdly, It includes a freedom from the condemnation of the law. “The soul that sinneth shall die;” and, saith the apostle, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.” And “who has ever done this?” Who has ever continued, from the first hour of reason, in avoiding every thing the law forbids and in doing every thing the law commands? But whose curse is it? The curse of Almighty God: and who knoweth the power of his anger? And the execution of this power is certain, unless-unless what? unless a surety be found; and such a Surety has been found, who has come forward and said, “Deliver them from going down to the pit;” I will give myself a ransom; I will bear their sins in my own body on the tree; I will suffer, “the just for the unjust, to bring them to God.” “There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” No; he has “redeemed them from the curse of the law, being made a curse for them.” Now, “therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Fourthly, It includes freedom of access unto God. “He is the greatest and best of Beings.” The effect of sin is to separate between us and God. When the angels sinned in heaven, they were immediately banished thence; when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, they were driven out of it; and for sinning, the Jews were expelled from the land flowing with milk and honey. So many instances of actual fact show us-every one of them-what is the effect of sin:-that it is to separate between us and God, and to keep us from God. But now, through Christ Jesus, who is the Mediator between us and God, “we have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” The believer has the liberty of approach unto God at all times, in every place, under all circumstances; they have full liberty to hold communion with him in the fields, by the way, in their ordinary business; they have full liberty to enter his house, to come to his table, to hang upon his arm, to recline upon his bosom, to call him their Lord and their God,-the strength of their heart and their portion forever.

by William Jay

Morning, March 20th

A glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. - Ephesians 5:27

The church, when presented to the Saviour by himself, will be glorious. And is not his church glorious now? It is. It is not a glorious church indeed in the eyes of the world, for the world knoweth them not; they are often like their Lord, “despised and rejected of men;” but they are glorious in the eyes of the Lord. The Judge of all, even when he sees them “wandering in goatskins and sheep-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented,” says, “Of them the world is not worthy.” We may turn to the language of God in one of the Psalms:-“Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.” What are the mountains of prey? Why, those empires that love war,-that live on the spoil or the prey. Nothing is so splendid in the view of carnal men as these mountains of prey.

We see how the Assyrian, the Persian, the Macedonian, and the Roman empires were presented by God to Daniel. He saw them as “four great beasts coming up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear; and it raised itself up on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it; and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.”

But though the church is now “glorious,” and “more glorious than the mountains of prey,” yet its glory is partially prevented and obscured now. It is so by the fewness of its numbers. Here we can only see the Lord’s army in its recruiting state, or as learning its exercise, or as practising in small detachments. But when the whole shall be completed, oh, then may it well be said, “Who is this that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?” Its glory is now partially prevented and obscured by inter-mixtures. The lilies are among the thorns; the tares are among the wheat. “Among my people,” says God, “are found wicked men;” and now we very well know the few will often characterize the many, and the false will throw suspicion on the true, and the bad will serve to disgrace the good. “But then,” says our Saviour, “the angels shall gather together out of his kingdom everything that offends;” and then he will cast them into a furnace of fire; “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth;” and “then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

It is now also partially prevented and obscured by their outward condition. They are now often poor; then shall they “possess all things.” They are often despised now; then their very enemies will exclaim, “We fools counted their lives madness, and their end to be without honour; now are they numbered with the children of God, and their lot is among the saints.” Now they are often oppressed; many rise over their heads; but “the righteous shall have dominion over them in the morning.” Now they are judged, (how falsely judged often!) but then they will be the judges:-“What, know ye not that the saints will judge the world? Know ye not that saints shall judge angels?” Now they “groan, being burdened;” then they will be freed from the burden of the flesh, and those vile bodies shall be fashioned like the Saviour’s own glorious body.

by William Jay

Morning - February 16th

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost. - 1 Thessalonians 1:5

We need not be informed that all to whom the gospel comes do not receive it. The Scripture speaks of such persons as these under various awful representations: as neglecters of the grace of God, “as turning away from him that speaketh from heaven,” “as treading under foot the Son of God,” as making light of the message of his servants, and going their way, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. It addresses their eyes, but, alas! they are closed; It addresses their ears, but they are stopped up. It addresses their hearts, but they are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. It addresses their passions, but they are all running mad after the things of the world.

But as to the Thessalonians, it came to them in the “demonstration of the Spirit, and with power.” They received it therefore as an immediate revelation from God, though delivered by man. To the Thessalonians it was a novelty, even in itself; to us, who are born in a land of vision, it is a novelty only as a matter of experience. But when the ministry of the word becomes the ministry of the Spirit, the man is then “called out of darkness into his marvellous light;” and, however acquainted with the things before, they now impress him as new. Thus he resembles one born blind, who, if his eyes were opened, would not see a new sun, but the same which has been shining from the beginning; but it would be a new sun to him, for he never saw it before.

There are some who receive the gospel more feelingly and suddenly; and they resemble Zacchaeus in the tree, who, as soon as he heard our Saviour say, “Make haste, and come down, for today I must abide at thy house,” made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. Some are more slow under admonition. The man is gradually impressed and enlightened; he has to feel and fight his way, and to drop his prejudices by degrees; he sets off, like the dawn, with a few rays, but his “path is like the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Another from no good motive goes to hear the word; he gives the preacher a look half wondering and half frowning. As the preacher proceeds, he begins to feel, and he blushes, as if he were “known of all and judged of all.” He is full of alarm and resentment, and yet he cannot leave the place. He goes home, and, being uneasy, is fretful and discontented. He betakes himself to his companions in dissipation, but they no longer please:- “miserable comforters are they all.” He hates the place where he was made so uneasy, yet he cannot keep away. Again he goes, and learns more of his depravity and danger. He determines, therefore, that he will mend, and that he will not only “turn over a new leaf,” but become “a new creature.” But soon he feels that he is unable to perform his vow; and now is the danger lest he should be induced to say, There is no hope; lest despair should link him effectually to an unconverted state. He goes again and now he learns that what hinders his salvation is not his depravity, is not his guilt, is not his weakness, but his unbelief and his pride. He finds that it is unnecessary to build a refuge of his own: there is a refuge already provided; he has only to enter it. Instead of furnishing himself with a righteousness, he has to submit only to the righteousness which is of God. He finds that “to him that worketh not, but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted to him for righteousness.” Obedience he sees is required, but it is already provided for him in that dear One in whom he has not only righteousness but strength.

by William Jay

Evening Devotional for April 14th

The earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the Made, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. - Mark 4:28

Natural influences operate gradually, and so do the Spiritual. What a scene does winter display often, when the woods, and the hedges, and the trees, and the fields, and the gardens are stripped of their ornaments, and look dreary and dead! But the spring comes round, and brings out their beauties and fertility, and we go forth, and we see nature renewing the face of the earth, and making all things new. But how? By degrees! We would not limit the Holy One of Israel: there must be a time when religion begins, though there is no time when it ends. Instantaneous conversions are not always to be depended upon. In nature we see every thing resulting from small beginnings, and by imperceptible degrees advancing. So it is in Spiritual things.

And we may observe, too, that the more excellent things are, the slower is their progress. How much sooner some animals reach their full size than a man, and how much more rapidly grows the osier than the oak. There are many eminent Christians and ministers, who for some years were very feeble in their views and dispositions. It was a considerable time before they came into the glorious “liberty of the sons of God.” They had to feel and they had to fight their way too. But they trod the firmer and fought the harder, because they could say, “We have ‘learned by experience.’” We know that this was the mode with our Saviour, in the days of his flesh. He said to his disciples, “I have many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now.” Thus he leads them on.

by William Jay

Morning Devotional - November 24th

The blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. - Hebrews 12:24

The blood of Abel here referred to is typical. The language is used comparatively. Abel’s blood was shed by wicked and cruel hands; so was the blood of Christ. Abel’s blood was shed by his own brother according to the flesh. Abel’s blood spake; so did the blood of Christ. But here comparison becomes contrast. In common language we say of the murdered, His blood cries aloud for vengeance. So it is said of the sins of Sodom, that the cry of them came up before God. The dreadful crime committed by Cain is referred to in a bold but very elegant figure:-“The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth to me from the ground.” The action was horrid: it was the murder of a brother because his works were righteous. No wonder that such guilt should have provoked the wrath of God.

But the blood of Christ was not only shed by men, but for them; and “his blood speaketh better things than that of Abel,” for Abel’s blood speaks and calls to God for punishment, but the blood of Christ speaks and calls for pardon. The one calls for the death of the murderer, the other calls for-oh, marvellous mercy and grace!-his life. The blood of Abel only called for the destruction of one murderer; the blood of Christ calls for the life of the world, and for salvation for the vilest upon earth, even for those who shed his blood. Therefore he said to his disciples, “When ye preach the gospel, begin at Jerusalem: let those who smote the rock drink of it first.”

Yes, he died to give himself a ransom for sinners, and by his death has shown God’s displeasure and abhorrence of sin, and “he was raised up from the dead that our faith and hope might be in him.” His death was “a sacrifice, and an offering to God of a sweet-smelling savour,” and here “mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace embrace each other.” Yea, it is more glorious to God that Christ thus died, than if an apostate world had all perished. He now appears for us above as our High-Priest, “who ever liveth to make intercession for us.”

by William Jay

Evening Devotional

And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. - Luke 17:14-16

Observe their recovery. These men having received our Saviour’s directions, concluding that the very order to show themselves unto the priests was an intimation that they should be healed, immediately went, and as soon as they began to move the cure commenced; and filled them with wonder and astonishment. “Oh,” says one, “I feel better already.” “So do I,” says another. So say they all. They look upon each other and see their flesh has become like the flesh of a new-born child. They feel and they find the purification of their blood, and the renewal of their strength, and all those fine but indescribable emotions and energies which are enjoyed when a person recovers from disease and enjoys health and strength again.

Observe what was their conduct finally. The conduct of one of them was very praiseworthy. “One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God and fell down at his feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan.” And what said the Saviour to him? “Arise, go thy way;” but he seemed glued to the very ground whereon our Saviour stood. He seemed to imagine that he might have been allowed to remain with him as a servant, to do his pleasure as a monument of his power, as a trophy of his goodness, and to accompany him on his journey. But no, the religion of the Saviour is a religion adapted to human nature. “No,” said Jesus, “‘go thy way; thy place is vacant,-it is asking for thee; thy family, thy friends, thy condition- they are all waiting for thee. Go and walk among them, and show forth the praises of thy Deliverer.”

Nor was this all, but he gave him a very important assurance: “Thy faith hath saved thee;” tending to encourage his future confidence in him; not meaning that his faith had done this efficiently, but that this was the medium through which he chose to convey to him a cure. And this is most strikingly the case with regard to ourselves; we therefore read everywhere of the importance of faith; we read that by faith we walk, we live, we are justified, we are sanctified, “we are saved by grace through faith.”

Hence it is worthy of remark that the very same things in the Scriptures which are ascribed to Christ are also ascribed to faith; not in the same way, indeed; they are ascribed to him meritoriously, but they are equally ascribed to faith instrumentally. He is indeed a refuge; but a refuge is nothing unless it be entered, and it can only be entered by faith.

He is the remedy; but the remedy is nothing unapplied, and it can only he applied by faith. He is the food of the soul; but however excellent in itself, this cannot nourish us unless it be eaten, and it is only to be eaten by faith. “He that eateth me, even he shall live by me.”