Morning, August 26
Go To Evening Reading
“He hath commanded his covenant forever.”
Psalms 111:9
The Lord’s people delight in the covenant itself. It is an unfailing source
of consolation to them so often as the Holy Spirit leads them into
its banqueting house and waves its banner of love. They delight to
contemplate the antiquity of that covenant, remembering that before the day-star knew its place,
or planets ran their round, the interests of the saints were made
secure in Christ Jesus. It is peculiarly pleasing to them to remember
the sureness of the covenant, while meditating upon “the sure mercies of David.” They delight to celebrate it as “signed, and sealed, and ratified, in all things ordered well.” It often makes their hearts dilate with joy to think of its immutability , as a covenant which neither time nor eternity, life nor death, shall
ever be able to violate—a covenant as old as eternity and as everlasting as the Rock of ages.
They rejoice also to feast upon the fulness of this covenant, for they see in it all things provided for them.
God is their portion, Christ their companion, the Spirit their Comforter,
earth their lodge, and heaven their home. They see in it an inheritance
reserved and entailed to every soul possessing an interest in its
ancient and eternal deed of gift. Their eyes sparkled when they saw
it as a treasure-trove in the Bible; but oh! how their souls were
gladdened when they saw in the last will and testament of their divine
kinsman, that it was bequeathed to them! More especially it is the
pleasure of God’s people to contemplate the graciousness of this covenant. They see that the law was made void because it
was a covenant of works and depended upon merit, but this they perceive
to be enduring because grace is the basis, grace the condition, grace
the strain, grace the bulwark, grace the foundation, grace the topstone.
The covenant is a treasury of wealth, a granary of food, a fountain
of life, a store-house of salvation, a charter of peace, and a haven
of joy.