June 14

Morning

Delight thyself also in the Lord. — Ps 37:4

The teaching of these words must seem very surprising to those who are strangers to vital godliness but to the sincere believer it is only the inculcation of a recognized truth. The life of the believer is here described as a delight in God and we are thus certified of the great fact that true religion overflows with happiness and joy. Ungodly people and mere professors never look upon godliness as a joyful thing; to them it is service, duty, or necessity but never pleasure or delight. If they attend to religion at all, it is either that they may gain thereby, or else because they dare not do otherwise. The thought of delight in Christ is so strange to most men, that no two words in their language stand further apart than “holiness” and “delight.” But believers who know Christ, understand that delight and faith are so blessedly united, that the gates of hell cannot prevail to separate them. Those who love God with all their hearts, find that His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all His paths are peace.

Such joys, such brimful delights, such overflowing blessednesses, do the saints discover in their Lord, that so far from serving Him from custom, they would follow Him though all the world casts out His name as evil. We do not love God because of any compulsion; our faith is no fetter, our profession is no bondage, we are not dragged to holiness, nor driven to Christian duty. No, our piety is our pleasure, our hope is our happiness, our duty is our delight!

Holiness and delight are as allied—as root and flower; they are, in fact, two precious jewels glittering side by side in a setting of gold!

Evening

O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face ... because we have sinned against thee. — Dan 9:8

A deep sense and clear sight of sin, its heinousness, and the punishment which it deserves—should make us lie low before God’s throne. We have sinned as Christians. Alas! that it should be so. Favored as we have been—we have yet been ungrateful; privileged beyond most—we have not brought forth fruit in proportion. Who is there, although he may long have been engaged in the Christian warfare, who will not blush when he looks back upon the past?

As for our days before we were regenerated, may they be forgiven and forgotten; but since then, though we have not sinned as before—yet we have sinned against light and against love—light which has really penetrated our minds, and love in which we have rejoiced. Oh, the atrocity of the sin of a pardoned soul! An unpardoned sinner sins cheaply—when compared with the sin of one of God’s own elect ones, who has had communion with Christ and leaned his head upon Jesus’ bosom.

Look at David! Many will talk of his sin but I pray you look at his repentance, and hear his broken bones, as each one of them moans out its dolorous confession! Mark his tears, as they fall upon the ground, and the deep sighs with which he accompanies the softened music of his harp! We have erred—let us, therefore, seek the spirit of penitence.

Look, again, at Peter! We speak much of Peter’s denying his Master. But remember that it is written, “He wept bitterly!” Have we no denials of our Lord to be lamented with tears? Alas! these sins of ours, before and after conversion, would consign us to the place of inextinguishable fire—if it were not for the sovereign mercy which has made us to differ, snatching us like brands from the burning! My soul, bow down under a sense of your natural sinfulness, and worship your God. Admire the grace which saves you—the mercy which spares you—the love which pardons you!