A Goodly Heritage

When the real life of God enters the soul , it persists there . Genuine religion is shown by its power of persistence . Anything short of a God given faith will sooner or later fail . It may run well for a time , but its pace will inevitably slacken till it comes to a complete halt . The youths faint and are weary , and the young men utterly fall . The seed sown on the rock springs up quickly , and as quickly dies down and perishes . But where there is rooting and grounding in God , there is a perpetuity and persistence which outlives all storms and survives all resistance . You shall hold on your way because Jesus holds you in his strong hand . He is your shepherd ; He has vanquished all your foes , and you shall never perish

Those who have , through faith , gone down with Christ in his baptism of blood to wash their sins away , acquire a depth and solidity of character which enables them to bear unmoved the tossings of a troubled time . An established , experienced , hopeful Christian , is , in the world , like an iceberg in a troubled sea . The waves rise and fall . Ships strain and shiver , and nod on the agitated waters . But the iceberg may be seen from far receiving the breakers on its snow white sides , casting them off unmoved , and while all else is rocking to and fro , standing stable like the everlasting hills . The cause of its steadiness is its depth . Its bulk is bedded in calm waters  beneath the tumult that rages on the surface . Although , like the ships , it is floating in the water , it receives and throws off the angry waves , like the rocks that gird the shore .   Behold the position and attitude of Christians . They float in the same sea of life with other men , and bear the same buff

" Then Jesus said unto them , Verily , verily . I say unto you , Moses gave you not that bread from heaven ; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven . For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven , and giveth life unto the world . They said unto him , Lord , evermore give us this bread . And Jesus said unto them , I am the bread of life ; he that cometh to me shall never hunger ; and he believeth on me shall never thirst ." John 6 . 32 - 35.  There is bread enough ; "Blessed are they that hunger!"

2 Cor. 9:10.There are two ways of treating the seed . The botanist splits it up and discourses on its curious characteristics ; the simple husbandman eats and sows ; sows and eats . Similarly there are two ways of treating the gospel . A critic disects it ; raises a mountain of debate about the structure of the whole , and relation of its parts ; and when he is done with his argument , he is done . To him the letter is dead ,, he neither lives on it himself , nor spreads it for the good of his neighbours . He neither eats nor sows . The disciple of Jesus , hungering for righteousness takes the seed whole ; it is bread for today's hunger , and seed for tomorrows supply . But the scientific botanist may also be a husbandman ; and wise is he if he use his technical knowledge of the seed in sowing it more skillfully. He who examines most keenly the letter of the word , may get the spirit too . Criticism is lawful and useful when it helps to live upon every word of God . Those who have

"having a desire to depart , and to be with Christ , which is far better ; nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." Phillipians .1  23, 24 . Living hope of going to be with Christ is the only anodyne to neutralize the pain of parting with those who are dear to us in the body . When Paul upon his own children in the faith , who still greatly needed his presence , the thought of separation was in itself painful . The bond on this side was strong , the attraction on this side powerful ; it was good for him that he was drawn with equal force to the other side . Brethren , we all have tender ties to earth and time . Children , it may be , or brothers , both in the flesh and in the spirit , are twined closely round our hearts . We are needful to them . This is felt on both sides now , and will be felt more tenderly when the hour of separation is drawing near . How shall the pang be softened to both parties , - to him who is departing , and to those who remain ?

"He shall grow up before him as a tender plant " The figure , we think , is indicative of high and exquisite valuation .  It can be understood by the simplest and lowliest . That poor old lone mother has on the window sill of her little room a "tender plant" . As she watches it grow up before her from week to week ; she waters , keeps . and tends it sensitively as if it could feel . It was the gift of someone who has gone ; it is all her own , and to her mind it breathes a sweeter scent , and burns with a richer blush of beauty , than any other plant she knows  .Your "tender plant " perhaps , is some human life - a  life now in the nursery , or a life at school or a life tremulous and fragile through age and sorrow - a life for which you would gladly spend and be spent , and for which you pray that the wind may not visit it too roughly .  During the unknown , unchronicled years of His life at Nazareth , Jesus was growing up before the Lord as a "tende

God the Father keeps him . "  kept by the power of God " , the power that created and upholds the world , keeps the believer . The eternal purpose , love , and grace of the father keeps him : this is the first cord . Again , God the Son keeps him ; " My sheep hear my voice , and I know them , and they follow me ; and I give unto them eternal life ; and they shall never perish ,neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand ."The covenant engagements , the perfect obedience , the atoning death of Immanuel , keeps the believer ; this is the second cord .   Yet again , God the Holy Ghost keeps him :  " When the enemy shall come in like a flood ,the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him " The effectual calling  , the personal indwelling , the tender love , the covenant faithfulness, and the omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit , keep the believer ; this is the third cord . And "a threefold cord is not easily broken ." Exceeding gr

The kingdom recognises two successive homecomings in the history of every citizen . The exile discovered and borne back by the discriminating mercy of the redeemer , comes home when through the regeneration he enters a state of grace ; and he comes home under the leading of the same chief , when in the resurrection he enters a state of perfect glory . It is instructive and comforting to observe that , while both homecomings are joyful , it is of the first that the Lord expressly speaks when he intimates that over it himself and the hosts of heaven shall rejoice . It is over the repentance of a sinner that a jubilee is held in heaven ; they do not wait till the ransomed one shall appear in bodily presence near the great white throne . There is no need ; the entrance into grace ensures the entrance into glory . The children will all get home . No slip can come between the cup of the Redeemer's glad anticipation when a sinner is renewed , and the lip of his complete satisfaction when

Abraham believed God and it counted unto him for righteousness; but Abraham's faith was a living , and therefore a bearing and doing faith . What is your faith doing ? It is not our doing that will be our justifying righteousness in the great day ; but it is a doing faith , and not a dead one ,that unites a believer to Christ and so saves him . It is not the activity of the believer that recommends him to the judge as righteous ; but it is an active believing that makes Christ' righteousness his . Said Jesus , to the fallen and restored disciple , "Simon , son of Jonas , lovest thou me ? "  "Yea Lord , "replied Peter , " thou knowest all things , and thou knowest that I love thee, " There is a noble confession ; will it suffice ? No , if it be dead ; and it is dead if it remain alone . Here are the fruits which must flow from its life , and prove that it is living :-" Follow thou me ;" "Feed my sheep ;" "Feed my Lambs .&quo

"Men ought always to pray and not faint ." When Christ was asleep in the ship , it was not the sound of the storm that awoke Him out of sleep , but the cry or the prayers of His disciples . May He give us the grace to wrestle with Him and , like Jacob at Peniel , may we refuse to let Him go till He gives us His blessing .