Morning  “The love of the Lord.” / Hosea 3:1

Believer, look back through all thine experience, and think of the way whereby  the Lord thy God has led thee in the wilderness, and how he hath fed and  clothed thee every day–how he hath borne with thine ill manners–how he hath  put up with all thy murmurings, and all thy longings after the flesh-pots of  Egypt–how he has opened the rock to supply thee, and fed thee with manna that  came down from heaven. Think of how his grace has been sufficient for thee in  all thy troubles–how his blood has been a pardon to thee in all thy sins–how  his rod and his staff have comforted thee. When thou hast thus looked back  upon the love of the Lord, then let faith survey his love in the future, for  remember that Christ’s covenant and blood have something more in them than the  past. He who has loved thee and pardoned thee, shall never cease to love and  pardon. He is Alpha, and he shall be Omega also: he is first, and he shall be  last. Therefore, bethink thee, when thou shalt pass through the valley of the  shadow of death, thou needest fear no evil, for he is with thee. When thou  shalt stand in the cold floods of Jordan, thou needest not fear, for death  cannot separate thee from his love; and when thou shalt come into the  mysteries of eternity thou needest not tremble, “For I am persuaded, that  neither death; nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor  things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other  creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in  Christ Jesus our Lord.” Now, soul, is not thy love refreshed? Does not this  make thee love Jesus? Doth not a flight through illimitable plains of the  ether of love inflame thy heart and compel thee to delight thyself in the Lord  thy God? Surely as we meditate on “the love of the Lord,” our hearts burn  within us, and we long to love him more.

Evening “Your refuge from the avenger of blood.” / Joshua 20:3

It is said that in the land of Canaan, cities of refuge were so arranged, that  any man might reach one of them within half a day at the utmost. Even so the  word of our salvation is near to us; Jesus is a present Saviour, and the way  to him is short; it is but a simple renunciation of our own merit, and a  laying hold of Jesus, to be our all in all. With regard to the roads to the  city of refuge, we are told that they were strictly preserved, every river was  bridged, and every obstruction removed, so that the man who fled might find an  easy passage to the city. Once a year the elders went along the roads and saw  to their order, so that nothing might impede the flight of any one, and cause  him, through delay, to be overtaken and slain. How graciously do the promises  of the gospel remove stumbling blocks from the way! Wherever there were  by-roads and turnings, there were fixed up hand-posts, with the inscription  upon them–“To the city of refuge!” This is a picture of the road to Christ  Jesus. It is no roundabout road of the law; it is no obeying this, that, and  the other; it is a straight road: “Believe, and live.” It is a road so hard,  that no self-righteous man can ever tread it, but so easy, that every sinner,  who knows himself to be a sinner may by it find his way to heaven. No sooner  did the man-slayer reach the outworks of the city than he was safe; it was not  necessary for him to pass far within the walls, but the suburbs themselves  were sufficient protection. Learn hence, that if you do but touch the hem of  Christ’s garment, you shall be made whole; if you do but lay hold upon him  with “faith as a grain of mustard seed,” you are safe.

“A little genuine grace ensures The death of all our sins.”

Only waste no time, loiter not by the way, for the avenger of blood is swift of foot; and it may be he is at your heels at this still hour of eventide.