August 28

1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which saitheth not? beaketh diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in famine.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near;

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy

upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and lead, that it may give seed to the sewer, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thine whereto I sent it.

12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the huer shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

The idea here is the absolute freeness of the offer of salvation. No man can excuse himself for not being a Christian because he is poor; no man who is rich can ever boast that he has bought salvation, or that he has obtained it on more easy terms because he had property. None are so poor that they cannot purchase it; none are so rich that they can purchase it with gold. If obtained at all by the poor or the rich it must be without money and without price. If the poor are willing to accept of it as a gift, they are welcome; and if the rich will not accept of it as a gift, they cannot obtain it. What a debt of gratitude we owe to God, who has thus placed it within the reach of all! How cheerfully and thankfully should we accept that as a gift which no wealth however princely could purchase, and which, being purchased by the merits of the Redeemer, is put within the reach of the humblest child of Adam!

Closet Promise.—Through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.—Ephes. ii. 18.

"Through Him," the glorious Intercessor, who everywhere this day gathers His people's prayers, and offers them as incense before the Father's throne. All who this day have prayed for me offer their petitions in His Name, and I again for them. And by the Holy Spirit, the one gracious "Comforter," these prayers have ascended to "Our Father." Oh, the closeness of the tie that binds Christians together,—the threefold cord! love for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. May our hearts be drawn and fastened heavenward with this sacred, blessed Bond.