Pilgrim Portions - Part 1 | John Nelson Darby

STEM Publishing: J. N. Darby: Pilgrim Portions Pilgrim Portions J. N. Darby. Contents 1 — Sin 2 — Grace 3 — The word of God 4 — The Holy Spirit 5 — The Perfections of Christ 6 — Faith 7 — Peace 8 — Guidance 9 — Humility 10 — Trial 11 — Communion 12 — Conflict 13 — Devotedness 14 — Unbelieving fears. 15 — Separation from the world 16 — Joy 17 — Dependence 18 — Cross-bearing 19 — Looking unto Jesus 20 — Growth 21 — The presence of God 22 — Service 23 — Divine affections (1) 24 — Divine affections (2) 25 — Self-renunciation 26 — Songs of the night 27 — The Man of sorrows 28 — Love 29 — The all-sufficiency of Christ 30 — Divine energy 31 — Help from the sanctuary 32 — Rest 33 — The faithfulness of God 34 — Submission 35 — Satisfaction 36 — Nearness to God 37 — Backsliding and restoration 38 — The light of eternity 39 — Our needs and His fulness 40 — Power 41 — The divine heart 42 — Practical sanctification 43 — Praise 44 — Cheer for pilgrims 45 — The will of God 46 — Sympathy 47 — The courts above 48 — Christ is all 49 — Walking with God 50 — Confidence 51 — The heavenly light 52 — Our hope Pilgrim Portions Meditations for the Day of Rest Selected from the Writings, Hymns, Letters, etc., of J. N. D. "Those He calls His own — pilgrims in scenes where He has been." Selected by H. G. Published by G. Morrish, 20, Paternoster Square E.C. London. Preface to the original edition. The extracts of which this volume is composed are taken from a ministry of the rarest possible kind. The subject of them all is Christ—Christ in many aspects as suited to the needs of souls. Such a ministry could only be given by the Holy Spirit, even as the Lord Himself said, speaking of the Comforter, "He shall testify of me." One further word may be permitted. These detached sentences are really nuggets of gold, but they must be well examined and proved if their full value is to be discovered. Like all the author's writings, they form a mine of wealth, only it is he who digs the deepest who obtains most of its riches. With this explanatory foreword this little book is earnestly commended to the blessing of God, with the prayer that the devout reader may become as redolent of Christ as the book itself is. E. Dennett. Preface We have before us fifty-two weekly meditations for the day of rest, that is to say, for the eve of the Lord's Day, corresponding to each of the fifty-two weeks of the year, and leading the reader to consider a theme at a time. May the Lord bless them and bring believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to a deeper appreciation of His Person, His work for us and in us, and of the Hope He has left us, till He come; may we also undertake, with a renewed desire, "to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). J. N. Darby published many works of Bible exposition, a number of poems and hymns, and wrote an impressive amount of letters with themes of the Christian faith. Regarding this, it is important to let him give his own thoughts about his own efforts to teach the Word of God, in his own words as penned in the Introduction to his Synopsis on the Books of the Bible: "Though a commentary may doubtless aid the reader in many passages in which God has given to the commentator to understand in the main the intention of the Spirit of God, or to furnish philological principles and information, which facilitate to another the discovery of that intention; yet if it pretend to give the contents of scripture, or if he who uses it seeks these in its remarks, such commentary can only mislead and impoverish the soul. A commentary, even if always right, can at most give what the commentator has himself learned from the passage. The fullest and wisest must be very far indeed from the living fulness of the divine word. The Synopsis now presented has no pretension of the kind. Deeply convinced of the divine inspiration of the scriptures, given to us of God, and confirmed in this conviction by daily and growing discoveries of their fulness, depth, and perfectness; even more sensible, through grace, of the admirable perfection of the parts, and the wonderful connection of the whole, the writer only hopes to help the reader in the study of them. . . . " And it is with this thought of directing the reader to the meditation of the Scriptures and thus to come closer to our Lord Jesus Christ that we publish this selection of thoughts, meditations, poems and letters of a believer who loved the Lord and who wanted to help his brethren in their common walk of following Christ. Santiago Escuain Sin "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23. Father! Thy sovereign love has sought Captives to sin, gone far from Thee; The work that Thine Own Son hath wrought, Has brought us back — in peace and free! First Week A single sin is more horrible to God than a thousand sins — nay, than all the sins in the world — are to us. It is the action of an independent will which is the principle of sin. God can let nothing pass; He can forgive all and cleanse from all, but let nothing pass. Christ is love; the greater sinner I am, the more need I have of Him. If all the sins that ever were committed in the world were congregated in your persons and were your own act, this need not prevent your believing in Christ and coming unto God through Him. Look at the state man is really in as regards the trust he puts in man rather than God. If his neighbour should ask him to do anything, though his conscience may tell him God hates what his neighbour wants him to do, still, rather than disoblige his companion, he will sin against God. Sinning and religiousness go on together. . . . Where the power of godliness is not, nearness to godly things is only the more dangerous. If our hearts . . . feel not sin, Christ felt it when He drank the cup and bore sin for us. If the heart does not feel the gravity of sin, not to the same point as Jesus knew it, but at least in some degree — if, feeble as it may be, the feeling of sin is a stranger to us — we have not at all entered into the mind of Jesus. Adam sinned and left God, because he thought more of what Satan offered him; he thought the devil a better friend to him than God: but he has since found out to his cost that the devil was a liar; that he never had the power of giving him what he promised, and that by catching at the devil's bait; he has received his hook, and that "the wages of sin is death." On the cross hung the one spotless, blessed Man, yet forsaken of God. What a fact before the world! No wonder the sun was darkened — the central and splendid witness to God's glory in nature, when the Faithful and True Witness cried to His God and was not heard. Forsaken of God! What does this mean? What part have I in the cross? One single part — my sins. . . . It baffles thought, that most solemn lonely hour which stands aloof from all before or after. Christ . . . died rather than allow sin to subsist before God. Directly grace acts in the heart, it gives the consciousness of sin; but, at the same time, the love of Christ reaches the conscience, deepening the consciousness of sin; but if this is deep, it is because the consciousness of the love of Christ is also deep. Grace "The God of all grace." 1 Peter 5:10. There is rest in the calming grace That flows from those realms above What rest in the thought I we shall see His face, Who has given us to know His love! Second Week Oh! when will the heart of man, even in thought, rise to the height of God's grace and patience? It is the love that is in God, not any loveliness in the sinner, that accounts for the extravagant liberality of his reception in Christ. What the natural man understands by mercy is not . . . God's blotting out sin by the bloodshedding of Jesus, but His passing by sin with indifference. This is not grace. There is no giving in the "far country," not even of husks. Satan sells all, and dearly — our souls are the price. You must buy everything. The world's principle is "nothing for nothing." Would you find a giver? You must come to God. Grace has no limits, no bounds. Be we what we may (and we cannot be worse than we are), in spite of that, God towards us is Love. His grace . . . is ever more astonishing . . . and it so connects itself with every fibre and want, too, of our hearts in Christ's becoming man, that it brings us into a place which none can know who are not in it. And yet one is nothing in it, though united to Him who is everything — and to be nothing is to be in a blessed place. The law may torture the conscience, but grace humbles. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." We see just two things in this — that the sinner is without strength, without riches. Like the poor prodigal, he has spent all he had, and now he comes to himself, and is about to return, he has nothing to bring with him. Like a shipwrecked mariner, all is thrown overboard, everything going adrift, and he himself struggling with the dark billows is just cast ashore, wearied and poor, having nothing! But blessed be God, if we have got to shore, God is there, and He is for us . . . and we know we shall not be cast out again, and that we may lay claim now to all things that God can give. "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?" The way I come at the sense of the immensity of sin is by the immensity of the grace that has met it. "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of grace in his kindness toward us by Christ Jesus." This is the way the angels will learn, and principalities and powers in the heavenly places, the meaning of "the exceeding riches of his grace." They will see the poor thief, and the woman of the city that was a sinner; ourselves, too, in the same place and glory as God's Son! In the desert God will teach thee What the God that thou hast found; Patient, gracious, powerful, holy, All His grace shall there abound! The word, "Well done, good and faithful servant," sounds sweet in the ears, and most so in his who knows that by His grace alone can we be one or the other. The Word of God "The word of God endureth for ever." 1 Peter 1:25 Where'er we ope the pages, In which — Thy wondrous word! Man's path through varied ages Is given us to record — Of failure, ruin, sorrow, The story still we find; God's love but brings the morrow Of evil in mankind. Third Week In these days when the word of God is so called in question, it is blessed to think how a single verse of scripture was sufficient for Christ for authority, and sufficient for the devil, who had not a word to say. I do not care for novel interpretations of scripture, cream lies on the surface. But, oh, how is the word its own proof, and how has it its own power, though surely nothing but the Spirit of God can give it that power in us. But in walking with God alone can we draw out its sweetness and feed upon it. I believe that the Spirit of God is a positive teacher in this respect, and may give, if He sees good, developed thoughts of its contents, but if rivers are to flow out we must drink for ourselves as thirsty for it. Let us now stop and ask ourselves, What has my mind been occupied with to-day? What has it been running after? Could you say, "The word of Christ has dwelt in me richly"? Now, perhaps, we have been occupied with politics, perhaps with the town talk, or with something of our own, Has the word of our own heart, the work of our own mind, filled up the greater part of our day? That is not Christ. There is nothing more dangerous than the handling of the word apart from the Spirit . . . I know of nothing that more separates from God than truth spoken out of communion with God; there is uncommon danger in it. God reveals not His things "to the wise and prudent," but unto "babes." It is not the strength of man's mind judging about "the things of God" that gets the blessing from Him; it is the spirit of the babe desiring "the sincere milk of the word." . . . The strongest mind must come to the word of God as the new-born babe. There is not a single word in the book of God which cannot feed our souls. Study the Bible . . . with prayer. Seek the Lord there, and not knowledge — that will come too; but the heart is well directed in seeking the Lord. I think . . . you have studied too much, and read the Bible too little. I always find that I have to be on my guard on this point. It is the teaching of God, and not the labour of man, that makes us enter into the thoughts and the purposes of God in the Bible . . . I do not think that any one will believe that I do not wish it should be much read, but I do wish it should be read with God. There is one Man who knows the truth, because He is the truth, who is satisfied with the written word, and that is the Lord. There is no craft of Satan that the word of God is not sufficient to meet. When this fleeting life shall be over that only shall abide which has been produced by the word. The Holy Spirit "Another Comforter." John 14:16 But God, in love, has freely given His Spirit, who reveals All He's prepared for those, in heaven, Whom here on earth He seals. Fourth Week Let me ask you how you treat this divine Guest. I am now speaking reverently of God's presence. How often do you think of it in the day, that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost? If the queen were to come, and for a time take up her abode with any of us, we should think of nothing else. . . . But what of the Holy Ghost who dwells in us? We think not of it half the day, we think of it if we do all things so as to please the Lord. The effectual presence of the Spirit crucifies egotism, and gives freedom of thought about ourselves while on the way; it occupies us with one object — Jesus. Where the life of the flesh ends, the life of the Spirit begins, and practically we have power in the life of the Spirit in proportion as the flesh is dead. To have the Spirit is one thing; to be filled with the Holy Ghost is another. When He is the one source of my thought, I am filled with Him. When He has possession of my heart, there is power to silence what is not of God, to keep my soul from evil, and to guide in every act of my life and walk. Sometime there may be need to rebuke . . . but the flesh cannot rebuke the flesh, nor will the flesh submit to it; but if you indeed walk in the Spirit, you will have God's authority according to your measure, and Satan will yield to the Spirit. Habitual unprofitable speaking I think ought to be stopped. . . . I never could understand why the church of God is to be the only place where the flesh is to have its way unrestrained. It is folly to suppose this. I desire the fullest liberty for the Spirit, but not the least for the flesh. The Spirit is overflowing like "rivers of living water" from the soul of him in whom He has entered, flowing on all around; it may be on the good soil, or on the barren sand, but still His nature and power is ever to flow forth. We ought to be able to confound every enemy, not with man's wisdom, intellect and understanding, but in the power of the Spirit. Do others not believe in it (the word of God)? I am not going to give up the sword of the Spirit because you do not think it will cut. I know it will cut, and therefore use it. When a man is not filled with the Spirit of God, who gives force to the truth in his heart and clearness to his moral vision, the seductive power of the enemy dazzles his imagination. He loves the marvellous, unbelieving as he may be with regard to the truth. He lacks holy discernment, because he is ignorant of the holiness and character of God, and has not the stability of a soul that possesses the knowledge of God . . . as his treasure — of a soul which knows that it has all in Him and needs no other marvels. The Perfections of Christ "He is altogether lovely." Song of Sol. 5:16 Yet sure, if in Thy presence My soul still constant were, Mine eye would more familiar Its brighter glories bear: And thus Thy deep perfections Much better should I know, And with adoring fervour In this Thy nature grow. Fifth Week The Lord Jesus . . . is the summing up of all possible beauty and perfection in Himself. What was then the life of this Jesus, the Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief? A life of activity in obscurity, causing the love of God to penetrate the most hidden corners of society, wherever needs were greatest . . . this life did not shelter itself from the misery of the world . . . but it brought into it — precious grace! — the love of God. As Adam's first act . . . was to seek his own will . . . Christ was in this world of misery, devoting Himself in love, devoting Himself to do His Father's will. He came here emptying Himself. He came here by an act of devotedness to His Father, at all cost to Himself, that God might be glorified. The only act of disobedience which Adam could commit he did commit; but He, who could have done all things as to power, only used His power to display more perfect service, more perfect subjection. How blessed is the picture of the Lord's ways! The more faithful He was, the more despised and opposed; the more meek, the less esteemed: but all this altered nothing, because He did all to God alone: with the multitude, with His disciples, or before His unjust judges, nothing altered the perfectness of His ways, because in all circumstances all was done to God. The Man Christ Jesus grew in favour with God and man. He was always the servant of everyone. The first thing that struck me some years ago in reading the gospels was, Here is a man that never did anything for Himself. What a miracle to see a man not living to himself, for He had got God for Himself. The gospels display the One in whom was no selfishness. They tell out the heart that was ready for everybody. No matter how deep His own sorrow, He always cared for others. He could warn Peter in Gethsemane, and comfort the dying thief on the cross. His heart was above circumstances, never acting under them, but ever according to God in them. Self-pleasing, self-exalting, self-advancing are ever the principles of men's actions . . . In the blessed Lord . . . there was true devotedness of heart and affection, and service, without the smallest particle of self-seeking. . . . The very thing man so much covets, there was the perfect absence of in Him. "I receive not honour from man." We find admirable affections in the apostles . . . we find works, as Jesus said, greater than His own; we find exercises of heart and astonishing heights by grace . . . but we do not find the evenness that was in Christ. He was the Son of man who was in heaven. Such as Paul are chords on which God strikes, and on which He produces a wondrous music; but Christ is all the music itself. May God grant unto us to value the perfect beauty of that Jesus who came to us. Faith "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God." Gal. 2:20 Then would'st Thou that I should rejoice, And walk by faith below — Enough, that I had heard Thy Voice, And learnt Thy love's deep woe. Sixth Week Faith makes me see that God is greater than my sin, and not that my sin is greater than God. Connect your service with nothing but God, not with any particular persons. You may be comforted by fellowship, and your heart refreshed; but you must work by your own individual faith and energy, without leaning on any one whatever; for if you do, you cannot be a faithful servant. Service must ever be measured by faith, and one's own communion with God. . . . In every age the blessing has been by individual agency, and the moment it has ceased to be this it has declined into the world. The tendency of association is to make us lean upon one another. The simplicity of a life of faith has charms that they do not know who never tried it. One does not get rid of the difficulties of the path of faith by trying to avoid them, one must surmount them by the power of God. A difficulty may be a real one, but it is only for the unbelief of hearts that it is an obstacle, if on the path of God's will; for faith reckons upon God . . . and difficulties are as nothing before Him. Experience ought to strengthen faith; but there must be a present faith to use experience. It is by faith that God is honoured. It is enough for Satan if he succeeds in frightening us away from the pure and simple path of faith. Faith acts on God's behalf, and reveals Him in the midst of circumstances, instead of being governed by them. Its superiority over that which surrounds it is evident. What repose to witness this amid the mire of this poor world. It is characteristic of faith to reckon on God, not simply spite of difficulty, but spite of impossibility. I have not seen the Lord leave those who have given themselves up to work, trusting Him; and I have seen distress of spirit and greatly hindered usefulness in those who, through their wives or own hearts, have turned to other things to help wife or family here. Faith tested is faith strengthened; it is to have learnt your weakness, but to have learnt the faithfulness of God, His tender care even in sending the difficulties, that we may be there with Him. My resources are somewhat diminished . . . but it is all right: everything is right for faith. . . . "In everything give thanks," and if all come from God it must be right. There is One above . . . all able to bring about His thoughts, and he who has faith will find the sureness of His hand if He be really waited on. We are quick at seizing the reins when we see danger ahead; but the Lord knows better than we do what has to be done: in due season He will deliver all who look to Him. Peace "Peace . . . which passeth all understanding." Phil. 4:7 And stayed by joy divine, As hireling fills his day, Through scenes of strife, And desert life, I tread in peace my way. Seventh Week It is a serious thing, whatever be the goodness of God, to find peace with a God of holiness. Christ has made peace; but He would have us feel what it is to have need of it, in order that we may know it. You look to getting the victory in order to get peace; we must get peace to get the victory — peace already made by Christ's work — then you will get strength. We do not find it till we see we have none. The gospel of peace is ours in Christ; but I must have the spirit of peace in my heart. Peace has been made for us that we may dwell in peace. It is Christ's work which gives peace to the conscience; but it is subdued will, having none of our own, which in great and in little things makes us peaceful in heart in going through a world of . . . trial. In all things . . . instead of disquieting ourselves . . . we ought to present our request to God with prayer, with supplication . . . so that, even while making our petition to Him, we can already give thanks, because we are sure of the answer of His grace, be it what it may. . . . It does not say, you will have what you ask; but God's peace will keep your hearts. . . . Oh, what grace! that even our anxieties are a means of our being filled with this marvellous peace. One great evidence of my abiding in Christ is quietness. I have my portion elsewhere, and I go on. . . . No matter what it may be, we bring quietness of spirit into all circumstances whilst dwelling in God. The soul is not only happy in God for itself, but it will bring the tone of that place out with it. Does all trouble find your heart so resting on God as your Father, that when it is multiplied, it leaves your spirit at rest, your sleep sweet, lying down sleeping, and rising as if all was peace around you, because you know God is, and disposes of all things? Is He thus between you and your troubles and troublers? And if He is, what can reach you? The soul in communion with God will live in the spirit of peace. There is nothing more important, to meet the turmoil of the word, than getting into this spirit of peace. Nothing keeps the soul in such peace as a settled confidence in God. Without this a man will be continually excited, in haste, and full of anxiety. If the peace of God keep your hearts, you will have the triumph of it; nothing can be heard that is distinctive from it and that does not perfectly harmonise with it. The love and grace of God which set us in close connection with heaven fill our hearts, and we know how to carry to distracted souls that calm and peace which nothing in this world can destroy. A little leisure enables us often to see all things quietly with Christ's eye. Guidance "I will guide thee with mine eye." Ps. 32:8 Rise my soul! Thy God directs thee; Stranger hands no more impede: Pass thou on, His hands protect thee — Strength that has the captive freed. Light divine surrounds thy going; God Himself shall mark thy way: Secret blessings, richly flowing, Lead to everlasting day. Eighth Week The steps of a good man are ordered by Jehovah. This is a vast and precious blessing. . . . A young Christian may, in confiding zeal, not see so much the value of this . . . but when one has seen the world, what a pathless wilderness it is; it is beyond all price that the Lord directs our steps. If we look to Him all is simple; we see our way clearly, and we have motives that do not leave the soul a prey to uncertainty. It is the double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways. It is an amazing comfort for my soul to think that there is not a single thing all through my life in which God as my Father has not a positive will about to direct me . . . that I do not take a step but what His love has provided for. The Lord guide you . . . it is ever good to wait on Him, and not be in a hurry, or let our own will work. "I waited patiently for the Lord" is a word of Christ's Himself, and He cares for us and directs in everything. I have no doubt that if we kept close to Christ, His Spirit would guide us in our intercourse with others. We are not always conscious of divine guidance even when it is there; but the word comes from Christ to the souls we have to say to, even if rejected. . . . But our part is to keep close to Christ, so that it should be "not I, but Christ liveth in me," and thus He acts in our thoughts and ways without our, at the moment, thinking of Him directly; but we always have the consciousness of speaking for Him, and of His presence. The Spirit and the word cannot be separated without falling into fanaticism on the one hand, or into rationalism on the other — without putting oneself outside the place of dependence upon God and of His guidance. The sheep know the voice of Christ, and if they have not got His voice they stop until they have. There is one voice they know. There are plenty of other voices, but they do not know them. Sheep are silly, stupid creatures; but they know the shepherd's voice — that one voice. The moment Christ's voice has reached me, it is enough; and this gives a peace and quietness in one's path that nothing else does. It is not great wisdom or great strength that gives this, but it is hearing the Shepherd's voice and knowing it. If not the shepherd's voice, it is dreaded. "A stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him." The Shepherd does not frighten. He gives strength and confidence; and His voice having once reached the heart, nothing else is needed. And, Saviour! 'tis Thee from on high I await, till the time Thou shalt come To take him Thou hast led by Thine eye To Thyself, in Thy heavenly home. Humility "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." Matt. 11:29 O lowliness, how feebly known, That meets the grace that gave the Son! That waits, to serve Him as His own, Till grace what grace began shall crown! Ninth Week Pride is the greatest of all evils that beset us, and of all our enemies it is that which dies the slowest and hardest. God hates pride above all things, because it gives to man the place that belongs to Him who is above, exalted over all. Pride intercepts communion with God, and draws down His chastisement, for "God resists the proud." "Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well." The valley of Baca is a place of sorrow and humiliation, but one of blessing also. . . . With some of us this valley may be the loss of that nearest our hearts, or the thwarting of the will — something that will humble us; but it is a place of blessing. We get more refreshing from the painful than the pleasant things. . . . The refreshment and the blessing come from that which has pained us, humbled us, emptied us of self. He who is lowest and lowliest will be most blessed. Often the soul, by seeking joy, cannot get it; this would not purify and bless it and to bless God must purify. When emptied of self and seeking God we find joy. Shall I ever forget the humiliation of Christ? . . . Never! never! through all eternity. I shall never forget His humiliation on earth. While seeing Him in glory animates the soul to run after Him, what feeds the soul is the bread come down. That produces a spirit that thinks of everything but itself. . . . Go and study Him, and live by Him, and you will come out in His likeness, in all His grace and gentleness and loveliness. . . . The Lord give us to be so occupied with Him who was so full of love . . . so full of lowliness, that we shall manifest the same. True humility does not so much consist in thinking badly of ourselves as in not thinking of ourselves at all. I am too bad to be worth thinking about. What I want is, to forget myself and to look to God, who is worth all my thoughts. The only real humbleness and strength and blessing is to forget self in the presence and blessedness of God. May you be in yourself so broken down that you may find One who never breaks down.

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Pilgrim Portions - Part 1

John Nelson Darby

John Nelson Darby (1800 - 1882)

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