Morning “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge,

etc.” / 2 Peter 1:5-6

 If thou wouldest enjoy the eminent grace of the full assurance of faith, under

the blessed Spirit’s influence, and assistance, do what the Scripture tells

thee, “Give diligence.” Take care that thy faith is of the right kind–that it

is not a mere belief of doctrine, but a simple faith, depending on Christ, and

on Christ alone. Give diligent heed to thy courage. Plead with God that he

would give thee the face of a lion, that thou mayest, with a consciousness of

right, go on boldly. Study well the Scriptures, and get knowledge; for a

knowledge of doctrine will tend very much to confirm faith. Try to understand

God’s Word; let it dwell in thy heart richly.

 When thou hast done this, “Add to thy knowledge temperance.” Take heed to thy

body: be temperate without. Take heed to thy soul: be temperate within. Get

temperance of lip, life, heart, and thought. Add to this, by God’s Holy

Spirit, patience; ask him to give thee that patience which endureth

affliction, which, when it is tried, shall come forth as gold. Array yourself

with patience, that you may not murmur nor be depressed in your afflictions.

When that grace is won look to godliness. Godliness is something more than

religion. Make God’s glory your object in life; live in his sight; dwell close

to him; seek for fellowship with him; and thou hast “godliness”; and to that

add brotherly love. Have a love to all the saints: and add to that a charity,

which openeth its arms to all men, and loves their souls. When you are adorned

with these jewels, and just in proportion as you practise these heavenly

virtues, will you come to know by clearest evidence “your calling and

election.” “Give diligence,” if you would get assurance, for lukewarmness and

doubting very naturally go hand in hand.

 

Evening “That he may set him with princes.” / Psalm 113:8

 Our spiritual privileges are of the highest order. “Among princes” is the

place of select society. “Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with

his Son Jesus Christ.” Speak of select society, there is none like this! “We

are a chosen generation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood.” “We are come

unto the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are

written in heaven.” The saints have courtly audience: princes have admittance

to royalty when common people must stand afar off. The child of God has free

access to the inner courts of heaven. “For through him we both have access by

one Spirit unto the Father.” “Let us come boldly,” says the apostle, “to the

throne of the heavenly grace.” Among princes there is abundant wealth, but

what is the abundance of princes compared with the riches of believers? for

“all things are yours, and ye are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” “He that

spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with

him also freely give us all things?” Princes have peculiar power. A prince of

heaven’s empire has great influence: he wields a sceptre in his own domain; he

sits upon Jesus’ throne, for “He hath made us kings and priests unto God, and

we shall reign forever and ever.” We reign over the united kingdom of time and

eternity. Princes, again, have special honour. We may look down upon all

earth-born dignity from the eminence upon which grace has placed us. For what

is human grandeur to this, “He hath raised us up together, and made us sit

together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”? We share the honour of Christ,

and compared with this, earthly splendours are not worth a thought. Communion

with Jesus is a richer gem than ever glittered in imperial diadem. Union with

the Lord is a coronet of beauty outshining all the blaze of imperial pomp.