From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
December 17 "Ho, every one that thirsts, come to the waters; and he
that has no money; come, buy, and eat; yes, come, buy wine and milk without
money and without price." Isaiah 55:1 How many a poor sensible sinner has, upon the strength of
these words, looked unto Jesus and been lightened (Psalm 34:5), come to him
and met with a kind reception. By the power which attends such invitations
the heart is opened, as was the heart of Lydia, to attend unto the things
spoken in the gospel. It is not put away as too holy for a poor polluted
sinner to touch, nor is the Lord Jesus viewed as an angry judge; but in
these invitations his clemency, tenderness, and compassion are seen and
felt, and beams and rays of his mercy and grace both enlighten the
understanding and soften and melt the heart. Thence spring confession of
sin, self-loathing, renunciation of one's own righteousness, earnest desires
and breathings after the Lord, and an embracing of the love of the truth so
far as made known. And as all these effects, so different from the old dead
pharisaic religion, are produced by the power of the word upon the heart,
the Bible becomes a new book, and is read and studied with attention and
delight. The ears, also, being unstopped, as well as the eyes opened, if
there be the opportunity of hearing the preached gospel, with what eagerness
is it embraced, and what a sweetness there is found in it. All who have
passed through these things will agree with us that there are no such
hearing days as what Job calls "the days of our youth, when the secret of
God is upon our tabernacle" (Job 29:4).