February 29 AM

One born out of due time. 1 Cor. 15:8.

God's children want no other, they can have no better proof of the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of their JESUS than what the scriptures afford: they say with their master, "thy word is truth." John 17:17. They wish to have no other ideas of God, of Christ, and of themselves, than what the scriptures impress on their minds. They are fully satisfied of their hope of salvation by Jesus ONLY. This is the reasoning of their faith: "if we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater." 1 John 5:9. God has borne witness to his Son Jesus in every type, ceremony, and prophesy of the Old-Testament: and by such signs, miracles, and even by his voice from heaven in the New, as are incontestable. And beside all these, the Spirit of God bears the inward testimony of faith, that our Jesus is risen. For we find our hearts attracted to him, our affections set on him, and we enjoy sweet fellowship with him. This is of distinguishing grace, "One shall be taken and another left." "This is hid from the wise and prudent, and revealed unto babes." What shall we say to this? "Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." Such humble sentiments are in all who have the mind of Christ. So Paul, when he saw himself a miracle of grace, accounted himself an abortion in nature; as mean, as contemptible as a child born by miscarriage, before its due time and proper growth; "the least of all apostles;" yea, as though he wanted words fully to express the opinion he had of himself, not only a sinner, but THE CHIEF OF SINNERS. Not only the least, but "me who am LESS than the least of all saints." Eph. 3:8. Paul had now done with his notions of fulfilling terms and conditions to obtain God's favor, and entitle himself to salvation. O, now Christ was revealed in him! He saw his glory full of grace and truth. This stained all his former pride, laid his honor in the dust, and stopped his mouth to self-righteous confidence and human glorying. Strange pre-requisites Paul possessed to qualify him for the grace of God! Yet no one sinner by nature can boast of any better. But the same Lord who wrought effectually in Peter, was mighty in Paul, and he also converts every redeemed soul to Jesus. Let us not envy others their lofty thoughts of themselves, nor murmur against our Saviour for keeping us low and humble.

But if Paul had, if all the children of God have such mean contemptible thoughts of themselves, are so little and base in their own eyes, will not Satan attack and aim to distress them? Doubtless he will. For where he cannot delude sinners into a notion that they are righteous and PERFECT in themselves, he aims to distress them for want of PERFECTION. In the day of health, in the time of sickness, and perhaps, most powerfully in the hour of death, Satan will inject into the mind these fiery darts: "you a child of God, you a member of Jesus, who never loved God perfectly, served him faithfully, nor obeyed him sincerely! In all things you have sinned. His law curses you; his justice is incensed against you; his wrath is ready to fall on you. Your faith is fancy; your hope delusion; hell will be your portion." O, what can any poor sinner say to all this? What can he do against all this? Say! Glorify his Lord, by confessing, Lord I am damned, but thou hast died; but for thy salvation, my state is as desperate as devils. What can he do? Honor his Lord, by obeying his word, "put on the whole armour of God, that ye may stand in this evil day, and above all (or rather upon all other parts of it) take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked ONE." Eph. 6:11,16. Fiery darts! Yes, being dipped in the wrath and terrors of a broken law, they wound, inflame, and bring the fire of hell into the conscience. What is this shield of faith? The belief that Jesus is to us sinners a Saviour; that his blood has perfectly atoned for our sins; his righteousness has fully justified our persons; and that there is no condemnation to us. Thus shall these fiery darts of Satan be quenched, and our conscience healed; this and nothing but this, can effect it. Mind this precious word, "ye shall be ABLE." The ability of our faith is nothing less than the almighty power of Jesus our God. This is engaged for us. By this we shall stand against every assault of Satan; and all shall issue in present peace of conscience, and eternal salvation of soul. This is the glory of a Christian, to resist Satan in the faith of what Jesus is to him and hath done for him. We are sure to overcome him by the blood of the LAMB, but in no other way. "Shortly, our God of peace shall forever bruise Satan under our feet." We "shall return and come to Zion with songs (of free grace) and everlasting joy shall be on our heads, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isa. 35:10.

Now, Christian reader, I commend thee to God and to the word of his grace, wishing thee sweet comfort in perusing these Daily Meditations. If our Lord give thee only as much in reading as I have found in writing them, thou wilt have great cause for love and praise. Accept them as the labour of one "who is no prophet, nor the son of a prophet;" but who can, from his heart, say with Gideon, "my family is poor, and I am the least in my Father's house." Judges 6:15. Yet having been taught somewhat of the glory of Jesus from the word of truth, by the grace of the Spirit, I would rejoice to spread the glory of my Lord's precious name, and the comforts of his everlastingly finished salvation, among my fellow sinners: testifying, that all my hope of eternal life is fixed upon the Son of God, who was crucified on mount Calvary; therefore would glory in being a saved sinner by the cross of Jesus, and in the name of a CALVARYIST.

Glory be to God in the highest. Grace be with all them who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.