C. Matthew McMahon
Christian Preacher
A Devotional on Our Savior’s Death and Passion by Charles Herle (1598-1659)
Charles Herle (1598-1659) was an active member of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, and, in 1646, was chosen to preside over the assembly; he was known as a deep divine, a great scholar and eminently pastoral.
Every true Christian longs to be closer in their relationship to Jesus Christ, and obtain a more intimate communion with God. This is the point of this puritan devotional. Herle has taken the role of a preacher, and presented the preaching of the Gospel, particularly the passion and death of Christ, in a devotional manner.
What is a devotional? A devotional is akin to the meditative aspects of a sermon (direct application to the self) and how the text launches the reader into their own meditations (how it applies to “me” personally) as directly applied to the soul. Devotionals, like this one, do this step by step, one day at a time. Each chapter is a respective day’s meditation. In this work, there are 41 devotionals on the passion and death of Christ, with a concluding meditation on the resurrection; that Christ is a dying and rising Savior.
In addition, Herle thought it important to add into each devotional a kind of ending prayer. Each day there are two or three prayers linked to the devotionals that allow you to become more thoughtful about these important biblical points as they relate to what happened to Jesus, what he did for his people, and how they can be prayed back to him for the soul’s edification and benefit.
The goal in this devotional is to meditate and consider the passion of the Lord Jesus (from the Garden of Gethsemane to his death at Golgotha), and then consider what happened on the cross as he is nailed there dying for sinners. These devotionals work themselves out daily. Readers would draw the most virtue from this work, and from Jesus Christ, if they deal with one chapter each day for 41 days. But they are only as helpful as they are thoughtful and dedicated about considering them.
Devotionals are not about simply flexing one’s theological muscles each day. It is primarily to gain the real blessing of the Spirit, further conformity to the image of Jesus Christ, and a deeper fellowship with the Father as you come to understand the passion of Christ, and his death on the cross in redeeming sinners.
This work is not a scan or facsimile, and has been updated in modern English for easy reading. It also has an active table of contents for electronic versions.
Table of Contents
Meet Charles Herle by C. Matthew McMahon
A Puritan Devotional by C. Matthew McMahon
Epistle Dedicatory
Day 1: Christ’s Bloody Sweat in the Garden
Day 2: Christ’s Drops of Blood in the Garden
Day 3: Christ Betrayed by Judas
Day 4: Christ Sold by Judas
Day 5: Christ Arrested and Led to the High Priest
Day 6: Christ Will Not Fight
Day 7: Christ is Forsaken by His Apostles
Day 8: Christ is Forsaken by the Apostles, Continued
Day 9: Christ Mocked, Spit on, Blindfolded, and Buffeted
Day 10: Christ Mocked, Continued
Day 11: Christ Accused Before Pilate
Day 12: Christ Accused for Blasphemy
Day 13: Pilate Clothes Christ in Scarlet
Day 14: Herod Clothes Christ in a Gorgeous Robe
Day 15: Christ is Crowned with Thorns
Day 16: Christ’s Thorns Part of the Curse
Day 17: Christ Given a Reed as a Scepter
Day 18: Christ Takes the Reed as a Scepter
Day 19: Christ is Rejected and Barabbas is Released
Day 20: Christ is Condemned by Pilate
Day 21: Christ Bears His Cross
Day 22: Christ Followed by the Women Weeping
Day 23: Christ’s Garments are Divided by the Soldiers
Day 24: Christ is Crucified
Day 25: Christ Reviled on the Cross
Day 26: Christ is Dared to Come Down Off the Cross
Day 27: Christ’s Company at the Cross and the Reviling Thief
Day 28: Christ’s Company at the Cross and the Faithful Thief
Day 29: Christ Crucified at Golgotha
Day 30: Christ Crucified During the Feast of the Passover
Day 31: Christ Recommends His Mother to John
Day 32: Christ is Offered Gall and Vinegar on the Cross
Day 33: Christ Bows His Head and Dies
Day 34: Christ’s Power Over Darkness on the Cross
Day 35: Christ’s Death has Natural Mourners
Day 36: Nature Responds to Christ’s Death
Day 37: Christ’s Death Causes the Rocks to Split, and the Dead to Arise
Day 38: Christ’s Death Tears the Veil of the Temple in Two
Day 39: Christ’s Side is Pierced with a Spear
Day 40: Christ’s Body is Prepared by Nicodemus, and Joseph Begs for It
Epilogue (Day 41): Christ is Risen
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