From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
July 19 "The poor have the gospel preached to them." Matthew 11:5 What is the gospel? Is not the gospel a proclamation of
pure mercy, of super-abounding grace? Does it not declare the
loving-kindness of God in sending his only-begotten Son to bleed and die,
and, by his obedience, blood, and merit, to bring in a salvation without
money and without price? Is not this the gospel? Not clogged by conditions,
nor crippled by anything that the creature has to perform; but flowing
freely forth as the air in the skies? The poor to whom the gospel is
preached, value it; it is suitable to them; it is sweet and precious when
the heart is brought down. But if I stand up in religious pride, if I rest
upon my own righteousness, if I am not stripped of everything in the
creature, what is the gospel to me? I have no heart to receive it; there is
no place in my soul for a gospel without money and without price. But when I sink into the depth of creature poverty, when
I am nothing and have nothing but a mass of sin and guilt, then the blessed
gospel, pardoning my sins, covering my naked soul, shedding abroad the love
of God, guiding me into everything good, and leading me up into enjoyment
with a Three-One God, becomes prized. When such a pure, such a blessed
gospel comes into my heart and conscience, has not my previous poverty of
spirit prepared me for it? Has not my previous beggary and necessity made a
way for it, made it suitable to me, and when it comes, makes it precious to
me? We must, then, sink into poverty of spirit, that painful place, in order
to feel the preciousness, and drink into the sweetness and blessedness of
the gospel of the grace of God.