A Goodly Heritage

Let the people of God beware of yielding to unbelief, in any darkness they may be under. Let them not think that God haas departed from them , although they meet with things that make them wonder ; for God has not promised to take them to heaven ,inany other way but through a course of trial . (1 Peter 4. 12.)"Beloved , think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you , as though some strange thing happened unto you". We may- all, or many of us- be called to pass through such things as we had never imagined. such trials ass our fathers told us not of , and as they never knew ; for He with whom we have to do  , may break forth upon us in unknown ways .But even then , let us not imagine thaat we are cast off or forsaken of God.Onthe oather hand , let the people of god beware of turning aside into security, or of falling asleep .Let   them make provision for what will try them to the bottom;and let not give way to the thought , that God would not contrive a wa

The abundance of uncreated good ,which shall be enjoyed by the people of God appears, from the variety and infinity of the Divine attributes:- particularly those which respect creatures, and which are displayed about creatures ; such as the wisdon ,power , holiness , justice , and love of God ;- for , although we may make an enumeration of those attributes , still there is reason to believe , that it is only a specimen of them that are known to us .  It is only a specimen of the relative perfections of God , which is known to  the children of men ; and even in regard to these , there is an infinity, which astonishes those who are enlightened , in any measure ,to apprehend them , as they are manifested in his works . How amazing is that Divine wisdom and omniscience , whereby  this world was made , and "known from the beginning ;"whereby God beholds it all at once ;looking into the deep recesses of it ; penetrating the skies ; and seeing all his creatures as if only one indivi

Song of Solomon 7 11-13.       Self examination should always be an earnest work . The text says "Let us get up early." It has been well observed that who have done earnest work have got up early to do it . The dew of the morning , before the smoke and dust of the worlds business have tainted the atmosphere , is a choice and special season for all holy work . In this passage , getting up early signifies that the church felt she must give her best hour to this necessary work ; and as the work might be long , she gets up early that she may have a long day before her ; that before the sun goes down , she may have examined every vine , and looked to every pomegranate , and examined all the mandrakes of the garden . So we must set to work earnestly about self examination . This is no childs play . If thou wouldst find out the trickery of the deceitful heart , you must be very careful and watchful . If you would st find out what foundation your faith is built , it is a labourers wo

When Pilate proposed the illustrious prisoner the question , "what is truth?" he brought before him the most momentous subject which can engage the attention of a rational creature ; and if Christ refused to give an answer , his silence is to be accounted for by the captious or trifling spirit of the querist , and not by any insignificance in the question . Truth is the  most valuable thing in the universe , next to holiness. Take any branch of general science , be it what it may , and however valuable and important it may be considered , its most enthusiastic student and admirer cannot claim for it that supremacy which is implied in the expression , the truth . Who shall adjust the claims to this distinction of the various physical and moral sciences , and declare , in opposition to the false pretensions of usurpers , which is the rightful posessor of the throne ? Who? The God of truth himself ; and he has done it ; He has placed the Bible on the seat of majesty in the templ

What is this terror ? It may be the cry of fire , or the noise of theives , or fancied appearances , or the shreik of sudden sickness or death . We live in a world of death and sorrow , we may therefore look for ills in the night watches as well as under the broiling sun . Nor should alarm us , for be the terror what it may , the promise is that the believer will not be afraid . Why should he ? Let us put it more closely . Why should we ?  God our Father is here , and will be here all through the lonely hours . He is an almighty watcher , a sleepless Guardian , a faithful Friend . Nothing can happen without His direction , for even hell itself is under His control . Darkness is not dark to Him . He has promised to be a wall of fire around His people - and who can break through such a barrier ?  Worldlings may well be afraid , for they have an angry God above them , a guilty consience within them , and a yawning hell beneath them ; but we who rest in Jesus are saved from all those thing

2 Samuel 23 .5.     We are required to go forth by the footsteps of the flock , and to imitate the faith and the obedience of the children of God , as delineated in the Holy Scriptures ; and the patterns thus presented to us , are adapted to all the circumstances in which it is needful for us to be directed by them , As in the Scripture record , the way of entering into the life of faith , its continuance , and progress , are sufficiently exemplified in the life of the saints , so the way of dying in the faith is also therein set forth . David , who uttered the words of the text , is one of the cheif patterns of the exercise of grace , in all the circumstances in which the people of God may be placed ; and as he was exhibited to the ancient church , both in the inward and the outward exercises of his life , in the words of the text and context , the Spirit of God gives a view of the manner of his death , and of the exercises accompanying it . But , although these words were spoken by D

Spiritual power is a gift which no man may communicate to  his brother . It is too "hard" a boon for human hands to bestow . There are many things that we can do for one another ; we can teach , and comfort and encourage , and strenghten ; but we cannot command the Sacred Fire that burns on God,s Altar . The Holy Ghost comes down from heaven . And the giving of the Holy Ghost is more or less directly associated with a vision of the glory of the Lord . God shines in the heart , and the annointed eyes are enabled to pierce the veil of sense . The vision does not , indeed , always come in the same way ; the operations of infinite Wisdom reveal on every hand an endless diversity ; but whatever the mode of manifestation , the chariots of the Lord become a reality to all who are called to service in the kingdom of heaven . Those who are entrusted with special are favoured with special revelations . Moses is confronted with the burning bush in the desert of Horeb before he becomes t