THOU WAST PRECIOUS IN MY SIGHT.

 
OCTOBER 17.
 
Thou wast precious in my sight.
Isaiah 43:4
 
ALL the Lord's people are precious in the Lord's sight:
  never was child so precious in the
  estimation of a fond mother,
  as the poorest, weakest believer, is to the Lord Jesus.
 
They are precious to him as creatures,
  as sinful creatures,
   but especially as regenerated creatures.
 
They are precious to him,
  therefore he lay down his life for them, and
  will never, never part with one of them.
 
Their persons are precious,
  their graces are precious,
  their prayers and praises are precious,
   and their life is precious.
 
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
 
Every thing he has done for them,
  said to them, or set before them,
  proves that they are precious to him.
 
His invitations, his expostulations, his promises,
  his exhortations, and his warnings, prove this.
 
They are precious to the Father, as his child;
  precious to the Son, as his bride;
  precious to the Holy Spirit, as his temple.
 
They are redeemed by precious blood,
  blessed with precious faith,
  interested in precious promises,
  entitled to precious things, and
   are comforted with God's precious thoughts.
 
If we are precious to Jesus,
  he will certainly be precious to us.
 

Hear, O my soul, what Jesus saith,

Nor tremble to depart;

For all his saints in life and death,

Are precious to his heart.

 
James Smith 1849

MY HEART SHALL REJOICE IN THY SALVATION

 
OCTOBER 16.
 

My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
Psalm 13:5

 
WE may rejoice and this (thy salvation)
  when we can rejoice in nothing else.
 
It always suits us, and
  it is calculated to raise us above all that is
    gloomy, depressing, and sorrowful.
 
God’s salvation is his glory, and it is our best portion.
 
It is a deliverance from all that is
  injurious, degrading, and dreadful;
  a restoration to all that is
  beneficial, elevating, and delightful; and
  a title to joys more pure, treasures more vast, and
  honour more glorious than unfallen Adam ever experienced.
 
God salvation, is himself saving sinners in the most free,
  complete, and glorious manner.
 
Each of the Divine persons in Jehovah are engaged and
  employed in saving us, therefore we may well say,
    “My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.”
 
To be saved at all should fill us with gratitude and joy,
  but to be saved by the Lord,
  should it cause our hearts to leap for joy, and
  fill our mouths with constant song.
 
This should make us happy in the dreariest seasons, and
  cheer us in the most wintery day
 
O my soul, when thou canst not rejoice in thy frames, 

  thy friends, thy possessions, or immediate prospects,
    then rejoice in God’s salvation.
 

Rejoice, my soul, and prize thy lot,

Though trials should abound;

My Father's purpose changes not,

And he will have thee crowned.

 
James Smith 1849

MY FATHER.

 

My Father.
Jeremiah 3:4

 
THIS is a child’s cry: a word which no
  slave was allowed to use.
 
It is full of meaning.
It is full of love.
It is full of comfort.
It is a title which the Lord loves to hear us use,
  therefore, he says,
  “Wilt thou not call me, MY FATHER.”
 
Lord, give us the Spirit of adoption this morning, and
  let us see and feel,
  that we are thy children!
 
Believer, to whom will you repair in trouble?
To whom will you look in difficulty?
To whom will you cry in danger?
From whom will you expect and what?
 
Surely, I hear you say, “MY FATHER.”
 
And who speaks to you in the Bible?
Who tries you by his providence?
Who chastens you with his rod?
Who strips and cleanse you?
Who humbles and reproves you?
 
And again you will say, “MY FATHER.”
 
Who supports the world?
Who controls the nations?
Who chains up Satan?
Who blesses the church?
Who comforts the believer?
Who pardons the backslider?
Who received the sinner?
 
And again, you reply, “MY FATHER.”
 
Then I exhort you to trust your FATHER’S word,
  abide in your FATHER’S house,
  expect from your FATHER’S hand, and
   say in every trial, “I will arise and go to my FATHER.”

 

God is my Father, then I see,

He will all good bestow

In everlasting love to me,

His mercies daily flow.

 
James Smith 1849

HE THAT HATH THE SON HATH LIFE.

 

OCTOBER 14.
 
He that hath the Son hath life.
I John 4:12

 
JESUS is presented to us in the
  everlasting gospel as God's free gift;
  he contains in himself all we do, or can possibly want.
 
His wealth is unparalleled.
 
His riches are unsearchable.
 
Christ must either be received or rejected by us.
 
If we feel our need of him,
  if we desire to possess him,
  we are heartily welcome to him.
 
God gives him to sinners.
 
He presents himself to sinners.
 
He says, “He that receiveth me receiveth my Father also.”
 
He that hath Christ hath life,
  he is quickened by the Holy Spirit;
  he is delivered from all condemnation;
  he is entitled to everlasting glory.
 
He that hath the Son,
  hath in reality all things;
  for all things go with Christ.
 
He hath a righteousness that justifies him from all things;
  a peace that passeth all understanding,
  strength that will enable him to overcome all foes, and
  wisdom that will preserve him from falling into any fatal snares.
 
He that hath Christ now,
  will have Christ for ever.
 
If we have Christ in our life,
  we shall have Christ in our death.
 
If we have Christ on earth,
  we shall have Christ in heaven.
 
He that hath Christ is fully, freely, and eternally blest.
 
Reader, have you received Christ?
 
Life or death hangs on this.
 

He that hath Christ is always blest,

From him we cannot fall;

Christ is our life, our joy, our rest,

Our God, our strength our all.

 
James Smith 1849

THROUGH SANCTITICATION OF THE SPIRIT

 
OCTOBER 13.
 
Through sanctification of the Spirit.
2 Thessalonians 2:13

 
GOD has chosen us to salvation, this is the end;
  but it is through sanctification of the Spirit, 

  this is the means.
 
The sanctification of the Spirit commences in regeneration,
  it is carried on through life, and
  will be completed in the day of Christ.
 
It consists of making us holy, or
  inwardly and outwardly conforming us to
   the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
It separates us from the world,
  sets our hearts against sin,
  consecrates us to the Lord’s service,
  makes us zealous for his glory, and
  creates us anew in Christ Jesus.
 
Physically we are the same as before,
  but morally and spiritually we differ.
 
The more we experience of the sanctifying work of the Spirit,
  the more clearly we shall discover our own sinfulness,
  the more we shall be tried with our own inward corruption,
  the more we shall see the need of the Saviour's blood,
  the more we shall bless God for the Redeemer’s finished work,
  and the more carefully and cautiously we shall walk
    in our intercourse with an ungodly world.
 
Nothing will prove our election by the Father, or
  our redemption by the Son,
  but the sanctification of the Holy Spirit.
 

Lord, while below, may I enjoy

More sanctifying grace;

Then shall my spirit soar on high,

And feel more solid peace.

 
James Smith 1849

PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD.

 
OCTOBER 12.

 
Purchased with his own blood.
Acts 20:28

 
PAUL is speaking of the church,
  he was in the habit of viewing it
   as a purchased possession.
 
The price paid for it was the blood of Christ,
  whom the apostle calls “God”.
 
The whole church therefore is bought and paid for.
 
The price paid was satisfactory, and
  the property will all be given into the Saviour's hand.
 
The Father, who receives the price,
  will draw the purchased ones to the Son, and
  all who come to him will be cheerfully received by him.
 
The church of Christ belongs therefore to no one but Christ.
 
Hence the apostle says, “ye are not your own,
  for ye are bought with a price;
  therefore glorify God in your body, and
  in your spirit, which are God’s.”
 
Beloved, let us view ourselves as the property of Jesus;
  as property purchased and paid for;
  as property purchased at a price which
   no created mind can calculate;
  which defies all the powers of arithmetic to set forth.
 
The blood of Jesus!
 
The blood of God's own son!
 
The blood of God manifested in the flesh!
 
Who can conceive its value?
 
Who can question its efficacy?
 
Who dare trifle with it?
 
Precious blood of Jesus,
 made my eye be steadily fixed on thee,
 at all times, and in all places!
 

Tis through his blood my prayers ascend

And reach Jehovah's throne;

Through it my God accepts, and smiles,

And pours his blessings down.

 

James Smith 1849

THE CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL

 
The consolation of Israel.
Luke 2:25

 
SIN has filled our world, and our natures,
  with all the elements of misery and unhappiness.
 
And we never can be made truly happy,
  except God send down happiness from his own bosom.
 
This he has done.
 
Jesus came not only to save, but to console us; or
  to make us happy, as well as make us holy.
 
The grace which Jesus gives is the seed of happiness,
  and as it springs up and flourishes in our souls,
  it conquers and triumphs over our misery.
 
Beloved, if we would be happy,
  we must seek to be interested in,
  conformed to, and walk in fellowship with, Jesus.
 
He was once the man of sorrows for us,
  but even then, he opened a fountain of happiness to us.
 
He called sinners who were weary and
  heavy laden to him, and
   promised to give them rest.
 
He is now the happy One, and
  the happy making One.
 
There is a fulness of consolation in him,
  he comforts all that mourn,
  giving them the oil of joy for mourning, and
  the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
 
Holy Spirit, in all seasons of trouble,
  in all times of depression and sorrow,
  leads us to Jesus as the consolation of Israel
   and make us happy in his love.
 

Though oft I am mourning below,

And find little permanent rest,

Yet this I assuredly know,

There is strong consolation in Christ.

 
James Smith 1849