A Goodly Heritage

Two ways of Prayer.  A prayer wrought out by virtue of a gift of knowledge and utterance. This is bestowed on many reprobates, and that gift may be useful to others, and to the church. But as it is merely of that sort, it is not accepted, nor does Christ put it in before the Father for acceptance. For, secondly, There is a prayer wrought in men by virtue of the Holy Spirit, Zech. 12:10, "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication," and that is the only acceptable prayer to God. James 5:16, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." The word "effective" is from the Greek word "inwrought." Right praying is praying in the Spirit. It is a gale blowing from heaven, the breathing of the Spirit in the saints, that carries them out in the prayer, and which comes the length

See here the right rule of our love to Christ, namely to love him as the Father loves him. Wherein should our love to Christ resemble the Father's love? Why, the Father's love to the Son was evidenced in choosing him to be our Saviour and Surety: so should our love to Christ be manifested in making choice of him to be our Saviour and Surety; insomuch, that as God hath laid all our help upon him, so we should lay all our help where God hath laid it. Again, the Father's love to the Son was evidenced in giving all things into his hand: thus should our love to Christ be evidenced in putting all things in his hand as the Father doth; and particularly, you may put your hearts in his hand, that he may keep them; put your souls in his hand, that he may save them; put your plagues in his hand, that he may heal them; put your corruptions in his hand, that he may weaken and subdue them. Put your wants in his hand, that he may supply them; put your work in his hand, that he may work

An old medieval mystic once said, "There is nothing weaker than the devil stripped naked." Would it were true! For there is one thing that is weaker than a discovered devil, and that is my own heart. For we all know that sometimes, with our eyes open, and the most unmistakable consciousness that what we are doing was wrong, we have set our teeth and done it, Christian men though we may profess to be, and may really be. All such conduct is inconsistent with Christianity but we are not to say, Therefore, that it is incompatible with Christianity. Thank God! that is a very different matter. But as long as you and I have two things--viz., strong and hot desires, and weak and flabby wills--so long shall we, in this world full of combustibles, not be beyond the possibility of a dreadful conflagration being kindled by some devil-blown sparks. There are plenty of dry sticks lying about to put under the cauldron of our hearts, to make them boil and bubble over! And we have, alas! b

 "He hath poured out his soul unto death."-Isaiah liii. 12. My soul! from the garden to the cross, follow Jesus. Behold him apprehended and hurried away, both to judgment and to death. He who struck to the ground the band that came to take him, might surely, by the same breath of his mouth, have struck them to hell, and prevented his being apprehended by them. But one of the sweetest and most blessed parts of Jesus's redemption of his people, consisted in the freeness and willingness of his sacrifice. Yes, thou precious Lamb of God! no man (as thou thyself hadst before said) had power to take thy life from thee; but thou didst lay it down thyself: thou hadst power to lay it down, and thou hadst power to take it again. Delightful consideration, to thee, my soul! Now, my soul, let this day's meditiation be sacred to the view of thy Redeemer pouring out his soul unto death. And to-morrow if the Lord give thee to see the morrow, let the solemn subject of thy study be

2. Love and affection. Mary Magdalene, out of whom Christ had cast seven devils, was most early in her affection to bestow her provision of spices upon the dead body of her Saviour. The fire of grace cannot be stifled, but will break out in glory to God. This is such a grace that man in innocency could not have exercised in such a height; because now the sinner is not only in his own sight unworthy of pardon, but worthy of the greatest hatred and punishment. You scarce find yourselves possessed with greater affection to any, than those who have been instruments to free you from your sinful fetters. How often do you bless them, could pull out your eyes for them, and think all ways too little to manifest the sense of your obligations to them! And does the instrument carry away all? Surely God has the greatest sacrifice of affection when the convert considers that his powerful grace was the principal agent to draw him out of this spiritual mire. As when a present is sent to you, you she

It will be allowed by all, that  Adam  was perfectly happy in Paradise before his fall. No tear suffused his eye; no care wrinkled his brow; no fears disturbed his peace; no groan escaped his bosom. He was at rest. He rose in the morning without dread; passed through the day without a sense of need; and lay down at night without a sigh. Perpetual sunshine gilded his countenance, and untroubled serenity reigned in his soul. What made him happy? Not company, for one sole partner of his bliss shared with him the new-made world—not the pleasures of the table, for he ate only of the fruits that grew around him, and drank of the springs that watered the garden; not public amusements, for they had no existence—not music, for, with the exception of the feathered choir of the grove, there was but one voice besides his own, and no instrument, on earth—not the arts, for they were not invented—not science, for it had not begun its discoveries—nor literature, for it had not commenced its studies

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."  2 Peter 3:18  When there is no growth, there is no life. We have taken it for granted that among the regenerate, at the moment of their conversion, there is a difference in the vigour of the principle of spiritual life, analogous to what we observe in the natural world; and no doubt the analogy holds as it relates to growth. As some children who were weak and sickly in the first days of their existence become healthy and strong, and greatly outgrow others who commenced life with far greater advantages, so it is with the "new man". Some who enter on the spiritual life with a weak and wavering faith, by the blessing of God on a diligent use of means, far outstrip others who in the beginning were greatly before them. It is often observed that there are professors who never appear to grow—but rather decline perpetually, until they become in spir

  From grace.  The Spirit kindles, but gives us the oil of grace to make the lamp burn clear. There must not only be wind to drive, but sails to catch it; a prayer without grace is a prayer without wings. There must be grace to begin it. A dead man cannot rejoice in his land, money, or food; be cannot act, and therefore cannot be cheerful in action. Cheerfulness supposeth life; dead men cannot perform a duty, "The dead praise not the Lord," (Psalm 115:17), nor dead souls a cheerful duty. There must not only be grace infused, but grace actuated. No man in a sleep or swoon can rejoice. There must not only be a living principle, but a lively operation. If the sap lurk only in the root, the branches can bring forth no fruit: our best prayers without the sap of grace diffusing itself, will be but as withered branches. Grace actuated puts heat into performances, without which they are but benumbed and frozen, (Reynolds). Just as a rusty key will not unlock a door, rusty grace wi

All, who are united to Christ by faith- all, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them- all, who rely simply and without reserve on the blood and righteousness of the Redeemer, through the Spirit, have fellowship with the Father and the Son. To them, God is a God that hears prayer; he grants the requests of their lips. As they pour out their hearts before him, so he pours his blessings into their souls. He fills them with light, he strengthens them with might, by his Spirit in the inner man- he speaks peace through the blood of Jesus- and accepts them, clothed in his righteousness; the divine image is formed in their souls, and they are made fit for the kingdom of glory.  Such is the character and experience of all who are privileged to hold communion with the Father of spirits. What honor can exceed that of being admitted into the presence-chamber of the King of kings– of holding converse with Him, whom angels worship, and before whom devils tremble! Is this th

1. As a teaching and instructing Spirit, furnishing proper matter of prayer, causing us to know what we pray for, Rom. 8:26, enlightening the mind in the knowledge of our needs, and those of others. The Spirit brings into our remembrance these things, suggesting them to us according to the word, together with the promises of God, on which prayer is grounded, John 14:26,"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." Hence it is that the saints are sometimes carried out in prayer for things which they had no view of before, and carried by some things they had. 2. As a quickening, exciting Spirit, Rom. 8:26.; the Spirit qualifying the soul with praying graces and affections, working in the praying person sense of needs, faith, fervency, humility, etc. Psa 10:17, "Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause

6.  A delight in those graces and affections which are exercised in prayer.  A gracious heart is most delighted with that prayer wherein grace hath been more stirring, and gracious affections have been boiling over. The soul desires not only to speak to God, but to make melody to God; the heart is the instrument, but graces are the strings, and prayer the touching them, and therefore he is more displeased with the flagging of his graces than with missing an answer. There may he a delight in gifts, in a man's own gifts, in the gifts of another, in the pomp and varnish of devotion; but a delight in exercising spiritual graces is an ingredient in this true delight. The Pharisees are marked by Christ to make long prayers; vaunting in an outward bravery of words, as if they were playing the courtiers with God, and complimenting him: but the publican had a short prayer, but more grace, "Lord be merciful to me a sinner;" there is reliance and humility. A gracious heart labours

Not a sin passed in the world before the coming of Christ in the flesh, but was a commendatory letter of God's forbearance, 'To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God,' Rom. 3:25. And not a sin passed before the coming of Christ into the soul, but gives the same testimony, and bears the same record. And the greater number of sins, and great sins are passed, the more trophies there are erected to God's longsuffering; the reason why the grace of the gospel appeared so late in the world, was to testify God's patience. Our apostle takes notice of this long-suffering towards himself in bearing with such a persecutor. 'Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him,' 1 Tim. 1:16. This was Christ's end in letting him run so far, that he might shew forth not a few mites, grains, or

1.  It is an inward and hearty delight.  As to the subject of it, it is seated in the heart. A man in prayer may have a cheerful countenance and a drowsy spirit. The Spirit of God dwells in the heart, and love and joy are the first-fruits of it, Gal. 5:22. Love to duty, and joy in it; joy as a grace, not as a mere comfort. As God is hearty in offering mercy, so is the soul in petitioning for it. There is a harmony between God and the heart. Where there is delight, there is great pains taken with the heart; a gracious heart strikes itself again and again, as Moses did the rock twice. Those ends which God hath in giving, are a Christian's end in asking. Now the more of our hearts in the requests, the more of God's heart in the grants. The emphasis of mercy is  God's whole heart  and  whole soul  in it, Jer. 32:41. So the emphasis of duty is our whole heart and whole soul. As without God's cheerful answering, a gracious soul would not relish a mercy, so without our heart

"He stays (restrains) His rough wind in the day of the east wind." Isaiah 27:8 This is a sheltering verse to those who, in a figurative sense, are exposed to the swoop of the hot desert wind. Under one of God's own Palms we can sit and calmly meditate on the blessed promise, here given under expressive imagery, that  He will never allow our trials or His discipline to go too far! "Man is born to trouble." Sorrow is the common heritage of a suffering world. And not only are the "rough wind" and the "east wind" ever and anon racing by, but He does not conceal that it is  He  who sends them. It is specially spoken of and designated here as  "His  rough wind." In the blighting of Jonah's gourd, we are told  "The Lord  prepared a vehement east wind:" and in the bold and sublime language of the Psalmist, He is similarly represented as "walking on the wings of the wind." So too in  moral  hurricanes. "

Love is the Queen of the Christian graces. It is a holy disposition given to us when we are born again by God. It is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. True spiritual love is characterized by meekness and gentleness, yet it is vastly superior to the courtesies and kindnesses of the flesh. We must be careful not to confuse human sentimentality, carnal pleasantries, human amiability and affability with true spiritual love. The love God commands, first to Himself and then to others, is not human love. It is not the indulgent, self-seeking love which is in us by nature. If we indulgently allow our children to grow up with little or, no Scriptural discipline, Proverbs plainly says we do not love them, regardless of the human sentimentality and affection we may feel for them. Love is not a sentimental pampering of one another with a loose indifference as to our walk and obedience before the Lord. Glossing over one another's faults to ingratiate ourselves

The means or instruments by which the Spirit of God accomplishes our union with Christ, and our fellowship with Him in all holiness, are the gospel, by which Christ enters into our hearts to work faith in us, and faith, by which we actually receive Christ Himself, with all His fullness, into our hearts. And this faith is a grace of the Spirit, by which we heartily believe the gospel and also believe on Christ as He is revealed and freely promised to us in this, for all His salvation. That which I assented, in the foregoing direction, concerning the necessity of our being in Christ, and having Christ in us by a mystical union to enable us for a holy practice, might put us to a stand in our endeavours for holiness, because we cannot imagine how we should be able to raise ourselves above our natural sphere to this glorious union and fellowship, until God is pleased to make known to us by supernatural revelation the means by which His Spirit makes us partakers of so high a privilege.

 This love of God to his elect cannot be traced by us from its first rise. We can only go by the light of scripture, and affirm what God's witnesses have done before; viz. that God loved his elect with an everlasting love. But the idea of eternity will drown every thought that a mortal is capable of in launching forth into that unfathomable abyss. We may trace his word and works, and conclude as Job did, "Lo these are some of his ways; but how little of him is understood!" 

A great mystery in the way of sanctification is the glorious manner of our fellowship with Christ in receiving a holy frame of heart from Him. It is by our being in Christ, and having Christ Himself in us - and that not merely by His universal preference as He is God, but by such a close union as that we are one spirit and one flesh with Him; which is a privilege peculiar to those that are truly sanctified. I may well call this a mystical union, because the apostle calls it a great mystery, in an Epistle full of mysteries (Eph.  5:32  ), intimating that it is eminently great above many other mysteries. It is one of the three mystical unions that are the chief mysteries in religion. The other two are the union of the Trinity of Persons in one Godhead, and the union of the divine and human natures in one Person, Jesus Christ, God and man. Though we cannot frame an exact idea of the manner of any of these three unions in our imaginations, because the depth of these mysteries is beyond

"Who shall not fear thee,O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy."The Rev. 15:4 What a sublime perfection is this! It would seem to form the loftiest theme for the adorations of saints and angels. They cease not day nor night to cry, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!" It evokes from the Church on earth her loudest strains- "Let them praise His great and terrible name, for it is Holy!" Holy, Holy, Holy Three! One Jehovah evermore! Father! Son! and Spirit! we, Dust and ashes, would adore Lightly by the world esteemed, From that world by You redeemed, Sing we here with glad accord. Holy! Holy! Holy Lord!" Reader, seek, in some feeble measure, to apprehend the nature of God's unswerving hatred at sin! It is the deep, deliberate, innate opposition of His nature to moral evil, which requires Him to hate it, and visit it with impartial punishment. It is not so much a matter of will as of necessity. But what pleasure can there be in

To suffer death was the immediate end of the interposition of Christ. The principal end of his undertaking was to right the honour of God , and glorify his attributes in the recovery of the creature ;but the immediate end was to suffer, because this was the only way to bring about the end which was principally aimed at in Christ's interposition , and God's determination concerning him . Death being denounced as the punishment of sin , Christ interposed himself for our security, with a promise to bear the punishment in our stead for  procuring our exemption from it ; therefore what punishment was of right to be inflicted on man for the breach of the law , was , by a gracious act of God , the governor of the world and  guardian of his laws , transferred upon Christ, as putting himself in our stead . His first interposition was for the same end with his death, but his death was evidently for our sins . It was for them 'he gave himself', they were our sins ' he bare in

 Would detract from the strength and excellency of the Word of God, which, as the sun, shines best with its own beams. The Spirit's eloquence is most piercing and demonstrative, and quickly convinceth a man by its own evidence. Carnal wisdom charms the ear, but this strikes It detracts from the glory of God, who is more honoured by the simplicity of the gospel than luxuriances of wit. It was his honour, by the doctrine of a crucified Saviour, to no–plus the wisdom of the world; and the glory of his wisdom, as well as strength, to confound, by impotent and weak men, the power of Satan, which so long had possessed the hearts of the Corinthians.  It would be an argument of hypocrisy to use any other arguments than divine. Men in this would but seek themselves, not God's glory. It would be pride to think that their fancies could be more prevalent than evangelical reason. And therefore the apostle would do nothing hut endeavour to set out Christ in his own colours, as he hung u

His sufferings could not be of infinite meritfor us except they had been voluntarily undertaken by him. If his sufferings took their worth and value from his person, they must likewise have their freedom and election from his person . Whatsoever pun ishment , reproach, and trouble the fury of wicked men brought upon him , was not suffered by an absolute necessity, but conditional, after the engagement of his will.

"Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him." I. We may learn from this declaration of God to Elijah, in reply to his complaint, NEVER TO TAKE TOO GLOOMY OR DESPONDING A VIEW OF THE POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF THE CHURCH. However reduced in number and influence and piety the Church of God apparently may become; — however feeble the spark, it cannot be quenched; — it cannot die. The true Israel often and again have been reduced to the lowest ebb; — the bush burning with fire ready to be consumed; but the living God was in the bush, and defied the destroying flames. II. Arising from the lesson just drawn, and suggested by it, we may further learn to BEWARE OF HARSH JUDGMENTS ON OUR FELLOW-MEN AND FELLOW-CHRISTIANS. There was unwarrantable self-sufficiency in Elijah — so boldly averring, "I, even I only, am left!" It was not for him ("the man of like passions") t

Since sin entered the world, no man has had communion with God because of his sinful nature. He is light; we are darkness; and what communion has light with darkness? (2Cor.6:14). He is life; we are dead. He is love; we are enmity. What agreement can there be between us? Men in such a condition have neither Christ, nor hope, nor God in the world, Eph. 2:12. “Being alienated from the life of God through their ignorance,” chap. 4:18. Now, two cannot walk together unless they are agreed, Amos 3:3. So, while this distance between God and man exists, they cannot walk together in fellowship or communion. Our first interest in God was so lost by sin, that no recovery remained in ourselves. We deprived ourselves of all power to return to him. And God had not revealed that there was any way to regain access to him. Nor did he reveal that sinners could approach him in peace for any reason. Nothing that God made, and no attribute that he revealed, provided the least hint of such a possibility.

What do you mean by hallowed? Can you make God holier than he is, or add anything to God? No, we cannot add anything to him that gave all to us. How then do we hallow God’s name? When we make God’s name to be discovered as a holy thing, the expression of this is that we would hallow. How shall we do that? There was a consultation in heaven, how the Godhead might be manifested, might be conferred, else none were here to apprehend it from eternity. No, if there had been any, they could not apprehend it. I will, says God, have my attributes expressed. Therefore God would have a Word, wherein his goodness should be discovered. Exo 33.23 You shall not see my face, but my back-parts you shall see. As it is with a torch, carry it from one place to another, and it will leave a [14] glimpse behind it. So it is in the surpassing beauty of God. He leaves some beams behind him, that we may say justice and mercy, etc. have been here. Now we are said then to hallow his name, as when

"Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy" (Rev. 15:4). He only is independently, infinitely, immutably holy. In Scripture He is frequently styled "The Holy One": He is so because the sum of all moral excellency is found in Him. He is absolute Purity, unsullied even by the shadow of sin. "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). Holiness is the very excellency of the Divine nature: the great God is "glorious in holiness" (Ex. 15:11). Therefore do we read, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" (Hab. 1:13). As God’s power is the opposite of the native weakness of the creature, as His wisdom is in complete contrast from the least defect of understanding or folly, so His holiness is the very antithesis of all moral blemish or defilement. Of old God appointed singers in Israel "that they should praise for the beauty of holiness" (2 C

The unregenerate world of sinners despises the Holy Ghost, "because it seeth him not." Yes, I believe this is the great secret why many laugh at the idea of the existence of the Holy Ghost—because they see him not. You tell the worldling, "I have the Holy Ghost within me." He says, "I cannot see it." He wants it to be something tangible—a thing he can recognize with his senses. Have you ever heard the argument used by a good old Christian against an infidel doctor? The doctor said there was no soul, and asked, "Did you ever see a soul?" "No," said the Christian. "Did you ever hear a soul?" "No." "Did you ever smell a soul?" "No." "Did you ever taste a soul?" "No." "Did you ever feel a soul?" "Yes," said the man—"I feel I have one within me." "Well," said the doctor, "there are four senses against one; you only have one on your sid

"He whom you love is sick." The messenger has reached—what is his message? It is a brief, but a beautiful one. "Lord, behold he whom You love is sick." No labored eulogium—no lengthened oration could have described more significantly the character of the dying villager of Bethany. Four mystic words invest his name with a sacred loveliness. By one stroke of his pen the Apostle unfolds a heart-history; so that we desire no more—more would almost spoil the touching simplicity!  "He whom You love!"  We might think at first the words are inverted. Can the messenger have mistaken them? Is it not more likely the message of the sisters was this—"Go and tell Him, 'Lord, he whom  we love ,' or else, 'he who  loves You  is sick?'" No! it is a loftier argument by which they would stir the infinite depths of the Fountain of love! They had "known and believed the love" which the Great Redeemer bore to their brother, and they furth

"My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  2 Cor. 12:9 The apostle's 'thoughts' were desponding ones, when his God whispered in his ear this precious thought of comfort. A  thorn  in the flesh—a messenger from Satan—had been sent to buffet him. We know not specially what this thorn may have been. It is purposely left indeterminate, that each may make an individual application to his own case and circumstances. But who, in their diversified and chequered experience, has not to tell of some similar trial?—some dead fly in life's otherwise fragrant ointment—some sorrow which casts a softened shadow over perhaps an otherwise sunny path? Infirm health, worldly loss, domestic anxiety, family bereavement, the discharge of arduous and painful duty, the treachery of tried and trusted friends, the sting of wounded pride or disappointed ambition, the fierce struggle with inward corruption and unmortified sin, the scorpion-dart

Because all men's souls are naturally unfit and unprepared to enjoy communion with Christ; it is said, (Rev. xxi.) unclean "Nothing enters into the new Jerusalem on earth, which is unclean, and defileth;" and, (Heb. xii. 14,) "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Now, naturally all men are defiled, and unclean vessels, and under the power of their sins, loathing angels' food, the grace of Christ, and weary of the fellowship of Christ; and, therefore, they must be prepared for the Lord first; this is one reason why preparation to every holy duty is needful, and so needful, that let men perform any holy duty, wherein they draw near to Christ without a heart prepared, (Ps. x. 17,) their performances are rejected, or not blessed; and hence Rehoboam, though he did maintain the worship of God at Jerusalem, "yet he prepared not his heart," (2 Chron. xii. 14;) and hence Hezekiah mourns, and begs pardon for this, "that he is so purified accor

THE  general frame  of a gracious soul, in its perplexities about sin, hath been declared. Its  particular actings,  what it doth, what it meets withal, are next represented unto us. First, then, in particular, it cries out,  "If  thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" There is in the words a  supposition,  and an  inference  on that supposition. In the supposition there is, -- 1. The  name of God,  that is fixed on as suited unto it; and, 2.  The thing itself  supposed. In the inference there is expressed the matter of it, to "stand;" and the manner of its proposal, wherein two things occur -- 1. That it is expressed by way of interrogation. 2. The indefiniteness of that interrogation, "Who shall stand?" "If thou, LORD." He here fixes on another name of God, which is Jah; -- a name, though from the same root with the former, yet seldom used but to intimate and express the terrible majesty of God: "He ride

"How precious also are Your thoughts unto me, O God!" I have loved you, My people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself.  Jeremiah 31:3 Here we have an everlasting thought of God, "in the beginning, before ever the earth was." Believer, travel back in imagination to the ages of the past. Before the trance of eternity was broken by any visible manifestation of power—before one temple was erected in space, before one angel waved his wing, or one note was heard of seraph's song—when God inhabited alone these sublime solitudes—then there was a thought of you, and that thought was— Love! Think of the  sovereignty  of that love. He says not, 'You have loved Me with your poor earthly love, therefore have I drawn you.' No, no! It is from nothing in you—no foreseen goodness on your part. Grace is the reason of all He has done—"God who is rich in mercy for His great love with which He loved us." "I will