Thirty-one Meditations on Christ

Well may you then eat of the bread of common providences, 70 and drink of the
sweet of all sanctified mercies, for everything is blessed in Jesus, and Jesus is blessing
you in everything. Surely, an accepted soul is a blessed soul, for he is blessed in his
basket 71 and in his store; 72 blessed in his lying down and blessed in his rising up;
blessed in his going out and blessed in his coming home; yea, blessed in time and
blessed to all eternity. Yes, blessed source of all my blessedness, precious Jesus, I will
go my way, for You are my way (Joh 14:6). I will eat my bread with joy, for You are
my bread of life (Joh 6:35). I will drink the wine which You have mingled 73 for me,
for Your love is better than wine (Song 1:2).
And as God my Father accepts me in You, this forms an everlasting cause of everlasting
joy: joy in what I have; joy in what I expect; joy in even what I want, 74 for
those very wants will lead me the closer and the nearer to You. Joy in what I fear, for
my fear will keep me depending upon You; joy in what I suffer, for my sufferings are
sweetly blessed when they afford a renewed occasion for my Jesus to soothe me under
them and, in His time, to deliver me out of them. And joy in all I lose, for lose
what I may, I cannot lose You—I cannot lose God’s Christ; I cannot lose His love, His
favor, His grace, His Spirit, the efficacy of His blood, and the merits of His righteousness.
Oh precious security, precious salvation in the Lord our Righteousness (Jer
33:16)! Shall I not then live up to this heritage, and live under its influence, in the
thankful, joyful use of it from day to day? Go your way, my soul, go in Jesus as your
Way. Every day, and all the day, eat your bread with joy. Eye Jesus as your spiritual
food and always present at your table. Drink hourly of His cup of salvation with a
cheerful heart, for you are accepted in the Beloved.
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“One pearl of great price”
—Matthew 13:46
Great indeed, and but One, for salvation is in n<strong>one</strong> other; neither is there any
other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved (Act 4:12).
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providences – works of God in preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions.
71
basket – contents of a basket, as in harvesting—as much as it can hold.
72
store – storehouse, as of harvested food.
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mingled – mixed (possibly with water, as was a common practice).
74
want – lack.
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