July 5

Morning

Called to be saints. — Rom 1:7

We are very apt to regard the New Testament saints as if they were “saints” in a more especial manner, than the other children of God. All are “saints” whom God has called by His grace, and sanctified by His Spirit; but we are apt to look upon the apostles as extraordinary beings, scarcely subject to the same weaknesses and temptations as ourselves. Yet in so doing, we are forgetful of this truth—that the nearer a man lives to God—the more intensely has he to mourn over his own evil heart; and the more his Master honors him in His service, the more also does the evil of the flesh vex and tease him day by day.

The fact is, if we had seen the apostle Paul, we would have thought him just like the rest of the chosen family. And if we had talked with him, we would have said, “We find that his experience and ours are much the same. He is more faithful, more holy, and more deeply taught than we are but he has the same exact trials to endure. Nay, in some respects he is more sorely tried than ourselves.”

Do not, then, look upon the ancient saints as being exempt either from infirmities or sins; and do not regard them with that mystic reverence which will almost make us idolaters. Their holiness is attainable even by us. We are “called to be saints” by that same voice which constrained them to their high calling. It is every Christian’s duty to force his way into the inner circle of saintship. If these saints were superior to us in their attainments, as they certainly were, let us follow them; let us emulate their ardor and holiness. We have the same light that they had, the same grace is accessible to us—so we should not rest satisfied until we have equaled them in heavenly character! They lived with Jesus, they lived for Jesus, therefore they grew like Jesus. Let us live by the same spirit as they did, “looking unto Jesus,” and our saintship will soon be apparent!

Evening

Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. — Isa 26:4

Seeing that we have such a God to trust to, let us rest upon Him with all our weight; let us resolutely drive out all unbelief, and endeavor to get rid of doubts and fears, which so much mar our comfort; since there is no excuse for fear—where God is the foundation of our trust.

A loving parent would be sorely grieved if his child could not trust him; and how ungenerous, how unkind is our conduct when we put so little confidence in our heavenly Father who has never failed us, and who never will. It would be well if doubting were banished from the household of God; but it is to be feared that old Unbelief is as nimble nowadays, as when the psalmist asked, “Is His mercy clean gone forever? Will He be favorable no more?”

David had not made any very lengthy trial of the mighty sword of the giant Goliath, and yet he said, “There is none like it!” He had tried it once in the hour of his youthful victory, and it had proved itself to be of the right metal, and therefore he praised it ever afterwards; even so should we speak well of our God, there is none like unto Him in the heaven above—or the earth beneath, “To whom then will you liken Me, or shall I be equal? says the Holy One.” There is no rock like unto the rock of Jacob!

So far from allowing doubts to live in our hearts—we will take the whole detestable crew, as Elijah did the prophets of Baal, and slay them over the brook! And for a stream to kill them at—we will select the sacred torrent which wells forth from our Savior’s wounded side! We have been in many trials but we have never yet been cast where we could not find in our God all that we needed. Let us then be encouraged to trust in the Lord forever, assured that His ever lasting strength will be, as it has been, our support and stay!