Very full blessings has the Lord vouchsafed to me during the past week, and my glorious Christ has been to me “a place of broad rivers and streams” in this dry and thirsty land. He has sweetly manifested Himself to me on Mount Ebal, in reading Deut. 27. The blessed Spirit seemed to show me that Calvary was Mount Ebal to me, where I sit in the dust at the foot of the cross, hearing the solemn thunderings of the law, “Cursed, cursed, cursed,” which I have thoroughly deserved. But beholding them fall short of me, and rest upon my adorable Surety—the suffering Lamb sacrificed for us.

I sit in the dust at the foot of the cross, hearing the solemn thunderings of the law, “Cursed, cursed, cursed,” which I have thoroughly deserved. But beholding them fall short of me, and rest upon my adorable Surety—the suffering Lamb sacrificed for us.

Oh, what blessedness flowed into my soul! it seemed as if Mount Ebal had become Mount Gerizim. My precious Bridegroom was made a curse for me, and every open vein seemed as a mouth proclaiming to me “Blessed, blessed, blessed,” in time and eternity. Then did I feelingly understand how on Mount Ebal we eat and drink by faith the flesh and blood of our Paschal Lamb, and rejoice before the Lord, and find the peace-offering in the place of curses (verse 6, 7), which is just where we need it. Truly, here our Father supplies our need “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

I have also been richly enjoying those two expressive words, “in Christ.” Throughout eternity, we shall never fathom the depth or reach the height of that blessedness. O Lord, grant me further entrance into it now. Exercise me in the written Word by the Spirit, showing me therein the Incarnate Word.

Open my dull understanding to discern You through the types and through the shadows. Show Yourself through these lattices, and open my heart to receive You experimentally in all, and my mouth to show forth Your praise everywhere.

Adorable Immanuel, Moses wrote of You, the Psalms and prophets speak of You. Open my dull understanding to discern You through the types and through the shadows. Show Yourself through these lattices, and open my heart to receive You experimentally in all, and my mouth to show forth Your praise everywhere. Bodily strength increases, I do long to devote it to You. “Eternity will be too short to utter half Your praise.” Oh, cause me to lisp it more constantly and feelingly in the low notes of the wilderness!