A Goodly Heritage

 Here is a sweet command: "This do in remembrance of me." To whom does this command apply? "This do ye." It is important to answer this question—"This do ye," Who are intended?  Ye who put your trust in me.  "This do ye in remembrance of me." Well, now, you should suppose Christ speaking to you tonight; and he says, "This do ye in remembrance of me." Christ watches you at the door. Some of you go home, and Christ says, "I thought I said, 'This do ye in remembrance of me.'" Some of you keep your seats as spectators. Christ sits with you, and he says, "I thought I said, 'This do ye in remembrance of me.'" "Lord, I know you did." "Do you love me then?" "Yes, I love thee; I love, Lord; thou knowest I do." "But, I say, go down there—eat that bread, drink that wine." "I do not like to, Lord; I should have to be baptized if I joined that church, and I am afraid

 In the next place, I shall speak to those heirs of heaven, who, notwithstanding of their being at the table, remain full of doubts and fears, and are very apprehensive that God has not yet put them among the children, nor given them a right to the heir's portion. Well, what is the ground of your doubting? 1. O, saith one, I scarce feel the working of the sanctifying Spirit of God in my soul, which is the common earnest or pledge of the inheritance, that God useth to give to his heirs while here. Ans. Though grace be weak in you, you must "not despise the day of small things," or say you have none at all: nay, bless God, if thou canst spy any spark of grace in thy heart at all, and pray that God may cherish it. A man that gets an earnest of a good bargain, is not much discouraged whether it be a greater or a smaller piece of money, a sixpence or half-a-crown. for he thinks the least piece is a sufficient earnest or pledge from an honest man of his bargain; and he is eas

He takes the bread and the wine. -- When the minister offers the bread and wine to those at the table, this represents Christ freely offered to sinners, even the chief. The receiving of the bread and wine means -- I do thankfully receive the broken, bleeding Savior as my Surety. The act of taking that bread and wine is an appropriating act; it is saying before God, and angels, and men, and devils, "I do flee to the Lord Jesus Christ as my refuge." Noah entering into the ark was an appropriating act. Let others fly to the tops of their houses, to their castles and towers, to the rugged rocks, to the summits of the highest mountains, -- as for me, I believe the word of God, and flee to the ark as my only refuge (Heb.11:7). When the manslayer fled into the city of refuge, it was an appropriating act. As he entered breathless at gates of the Hebron, his friends might cry to him, Flee unto the wilderness! or Flee beyond Jordan! But no, he would say, I believe the word of God, th

T HE  ordinance which we have met to observe to-day, was known by various descriptive names in the ancient church. The most common of these are the Lord’s Supper, the Table of the Lord, the Love Feast, the Breaking of Bread, the Eucharist, the Oblation, the Mystery, and the C OMMUNION . To the last of these names I wish to turn your attention for a little, before you engage in the solemn act of commemoration, in the hope that the remarks to be made may be of use in guiding our thoughts and affections into a track Which will render the exercise something more than bodily service,—the vehicle and expression of enlightened holy thought and affection,—acceptable to God, useful to ourselves; edifying to the church of God. In the earliest times, ( hkoinwnia ) "the communion or fellowship," was not a name of the Lord’s Supper; it was the distinctive appellation of another institution which, along with the ordinances of "doctrine, breaking of bread and prayers," the primit

"A RE  those who are taken into the number and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God, and have his name put upon them, and receive the Spirit of Adoption, are they, I say, ever cast off?" No. "Are they sealed to the day of redemption, and inherit the promises, as heirs of everlasting salvation? Yes; Lam. 3.3. Eph. 4.30. 1 Pet. 1.5. Well then, do not the Lutherans err, who maintain, That the children of God some of them, may be cast off for a time totally, though not finally? Yes. Do not likewise the Arminians, Quakers, and Socinians err, who maintain, That those who have received the grace of adoption, may be cast off totally and finally? Yes. By what reasons are they confuted? 1 st , Because all the children of God are kept through faith unto salvation, 1 Pet. 1.5. 2 d , Because Christ hath prayed for the perseverance of all believers, John 17.20. John 11.26. And all those that are adopted, are the children of God by faith, Ga

B ELIEVERS  are 'the temple of the living God,' in which he dwells and walks, 2 Cor. 6.16. Every one of them is a little sanctuary and temple to his Majesty; 'sanctify the Lord of hosts in your hearts.' Though he be 'the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity,' yet he is pleased to come down to this poor cottage of a creature's heart, and dwell in lt. Is not this as great a humbling and condescending for the Father to come down off his throne of glory, to the poor base footstool of the creature's soul, as for the Son to come down in the state of a servant, and become in the form of sinful flesh? But then he is a temple and sanctuary to them. 'And he shall be for a sanctuary,' (Isa. 8.14.) a place of refuge, a secret hiding-place. Now, as every one is a little separated retired temple, so they all conjoined make up one temple, one visible body, in which he dwells. Therefore Peter calls them 'living stones, built up a spiritual house' t

God's will is irresistible, his counsel shall stand; who can turn him from his purpose, and who can hinder him from performance? Therefore he attains his end in the highest and most superlative degree of certainty and infallibility. Himself will not change his own purpose; for why should he do it? If he change to the better, then it reflects on his wisdom; if he change to the worse, it reflects both on his wisdom and goodness. Certainly he can see no cause why he should change it. But as himself cannot change, so none can hinder his performance; for what power, think you, shall it be, that may attempt that? Is it the power of men, of strong men, of high men, of any men? No sure! For their breath is in their nostrils, they have no power but as he breathes in them. If he keep in his breath, as it were, they perish. All nations are as nothing before him, and what power hath nothing? Is it devils may do it? No; for they cannot, though they would; he chains them, he limits them. Is it

There is no man so empty or shallow, but he hath some great design and purpose which he chiefly aims at; shall we not then conceive, that the Lord, who instructs every man to this discretion, and teaches him, (Isa. 28:26,) is himself wise in his counsel, and hath some grand project before him in all this fabric of the world, and the upholding of it since it was made? Certainly he hath. And if you ask what it is, the wise man will teach you in general — 'He made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil,' Prov. 16:4. Here, then, is his great design and purpose, — to glorify himself, — to manifest his own name to men and angels. Now, his name comprehends wisdom, goodness, power, mercy, and justice. The first three he declares in all the works of his hands. All are well done and wisely done. The excellency of the work shows the wonderful counsellor and the wise contriver. The goodness of any creature in its kind, declares the inexhausted spring of a self-b

 Use the means which God has appointed for obtaining the blessings of salvation. Go to your God through Jesus Christ. Beg earnestly the pardon of your sins through his atoning blood. Implore the Spirit's aid to illuminate your mind, to rectify your will, to purify your affections, to take away the serpent's enmity, the serpent's poison from your heart, to guide you into all truth, to give you an unshaken faith in the Savior, a delight in holiness, a cleaving unto God while life and being last. But, O my soul, never dare to fathom with your scanty line, the deep things of God. While standing on the brink of the vast profound, unite with Paul in his self-abasing exclamation: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out." And with David, "Your judgments are a great deep." "Your way is in the sea, and your path in the great waters, and your footsteps are not known.

"When I awake, I am still with you." Psalm 139:18 Communion with God is the privilege of every true believer. He alone can approach the mercy-seat in the spirit of adoption, and enjoy a foretaste of heaven while journeying towards it. John felt all this happiness when he wrote: "Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." Union to God, and communion with him through the Son of his love, is the source of every spiritual blessing. This exalted privilege can only be enjoyed by the holy followers of Jesus; for the Apostle adds, "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin." Yes, from all our sins, "though they be as scarlet," "though they be red like crimson," crying aloud for vengeance on our souls. But, "if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth;"

Seilebost Harris &Tarbat Ness

I know of no condition, except that of hardened impenitence, more pitiable than the condition of a backslider. Conscience is too quick to allow him to enjoy the world; and religion is too much neglected to yield him the smallest comfort. He lives in disquietude, and anguish, until he repents, and finds anew the favour of his God

Of the Spirit.  The word calls men externally, and by that external calling prevails with many to an external reception and profession of religion; but if it is left alone it goes no further. It is indeed the means of sanctification and effectual calling, as John 17:17,  Sanctify them through your truth;  but it does this when the Spirit, who speaks in the word, works in the heart, and causes it to hear and obey. The heart or soul of a man is the chief and the first subject of this work, and it is but slight false work that doesn’t begin there; but the  Spirit  here is rather to be taken for the Spirit of God--the efficient cause of this sanctification. And therefore our Savior in that place prays to the Father, that He would sanctify His own by that truth; and this He does by the concurrence of His Spirit with that word of truth--which is the life and vigor of it, and makes it prove  the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes . It is a fit means in itself, but it is a

At the best, a Christian is but a stranger here , set him where you will, as our Apostle teaches after; and it is his privilege that he is so; and when he thinks not so, he forgets and disparages himself, and descends far below his quality, when he is much taken with anything in this place of his exile. But this is the wisdom of a Christian, when he can solace himself against the hardness and any kind of discomfort of his outward condition, with the comfortable assurance of the love of God, that He has called him to holiness, given him some measure of it, and an endeavor after more; and by this may he conclude, that He has ordained him unto salvation. If either he is a stranger where he lives, or as a stranger deserted by his friends, and very nearly stripped of all outward comforts, yet may he rejoice in this, that the eternal, unchangeable love of God, which is from everlasting to everlasting, is sealed to his soul. And O! what will it avail a man to be surrounded with the favour

"Cast your burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain you." Psalm 55:22 It is by an act of simple, prayerful faith we transfer our cares and anxieties, our sorrows and needs, to the Lord. Jesus invites you come and lean upon Him, and to lean with all your might upon that arm that balances the universe, and upon that bosom that bled for you upon the soldier's spear! But you doubtingly ask, "Is the Lord able to do this thing for me ?" And thus, while you are debating a matter about which there is not the shadow of a shade of doubt, the burden is crushing your gentle spirit to the dust. And all the while Jesus stands at your side and lovingly says, "Cast your burden upon Me and I will sustain you. I am God Almighty. I bore the load of your sin and condemnation up the steep of Calvary, and the same power of omnipotence, and the same strength of love that bore it all for you then, is prepared to bear your need and sorrow now. Roll it all upon Me! Child of My

1.  Is Jesus Christ altogether lovely?  Then I beseech you set your souls upon this lovely Jesus. I am sure such an object as has been here represented, would compel love from the coldest breast and hardest heart. Away with those empty nothings, away with this vain deceitful world, which deserves not the thousandth part of the love you give it. Let all stand aside and give way to Christ. O if only you knew his worth and excellency, what he is in himself, what he has done for you, and deserved from you, you would need no arguments of mine to persuade you to love him! 2.  Esteem nothing lovely except as it is enjoyed in Christ, or used for the sake of Christ . Love nothing for itself, love nothing separate from Jesus Christ. In two things we all sin in love of created things. We sin in the excess of our affections, loving them above the proper value of mere created things. We also sin in the inordinacy of our affections, that is to say we give our love for created things a priority

If our hearts are true to God, we may plead with Him about His way, and seek relief from His painful processes. But the fierce fire of the crucible and the agonising victim with His agonising and submissive prayer, is not the normal and highest form of majestic and all-commanding prayer. We can cry out in the crucible, and can cry out against the flame which purifies and perfects us. God allows this, hears this, and answers this, not by taking us out of the crucible, nor by mitigating the fierceness of the flame, but by sending more than an angel to strengthen us. And yet crying out thus, with full submission, does not answer the real high, world-wide, royal and eternity-reaching behests of prayer. The prayer of submission must not be so used as to vitiate or substitute the higher and mightier prayer of faith. Nor must it be so stressed as to break down importunate and prevailing prayer, which would be to disarm prayer of its efficiency and discrown its glorious results and would

“The cup!” “The cup!” “The cup!” cried Christ: first on His feet: and then on His knees: and then on His face. “Avenge me of mine adversary!” cried the widow. “Avenge me of mine adversary! Avenge me of mine adversary!” And, O God! this day, from this day forward, avenge us of ours! Our one and only enemy is sin.  Delenda , avenge! Lord, teach us to pray. Now let it work!

1   (A Psalm of David.) Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2   Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3   Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4   Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5   Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

13   And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem  about  threescore furlongs. 14   And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15   And it came to pass, that, while they communed  together  and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16   But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17   And he said unto them, What manner of communications  are  these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18   And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19   And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20   And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21  

"Yes, He is altogether lovely."  Song of Songs 5:16 . At the ninth verse of this chapter, you have a question put forth by the daughters of Jerusalem, "What is your beloved more than another beloved?" The spouse answers, "He is the chief among ten thousand." She then recounts many of the things she finds so excellent in her beloved and then concludes with these words that I have read: "Yes, he is altogether lovely." The words set forth the transcendent loveliness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and naturally resolve themselves into three parts: 1. Who he is. 2. What he is. 3. What he is like. First,  Who he is : the Lord Jesus Christ, after whom she had been seeking, for whom she was overcome by love; concerning whom these daughters of Jerusalem had enquired: whom she had struggled to describe in his particular excellencies. He is the great and excellent subject of whom she here speaks. Secondly,  What he is , or what she claims of hi

 As to the original of it, it is free and sovereign; it does not take its rise from any thing in us, or done by us, nothing of this nature moved him to it, but he loved us, because he would love us; nothing out of himself moved him to it; it was not because we were better than others, for we are by nature children of wrath, even as others; he loved us when unlovely; he died for us while we were yet sinners, and ungodly in ourselves, and enemies to himself; our love to him is not the cause of his loving us, but his love to us is the cause of ours: in this he is entirely free and sovereign; he has pitched his love and grace on whom he will, and these he loves freely; he was not moved or influenced by foreseen faith or works, or any deservings of ours whatever; for we neither deserved nor desired his love, neither indeed could we have expected it.

 As kisses, they raise the affections and fill the soul with love to Christ; kisses, as they are indications of, so they are incentives to love. When the truths of the gospel come with power upon a sinner’s heart, they let in, not only a great deal of light, but also a large measure of love; faith comes hereby, and that works by love, both to Christ and to his gospel. Or, Secondly, We may consider this request as the request of the church, or of every particular believer, for the enjoyments and manifestations of Christ’s love. The manifestation of Christ’s love is very desirable to believers, who would always have it if they could; this is their heaven on earth, and the beginning of glory to them; this comforts them in all their troubles, and is preferred by them to all earthly enjoyments; and may be called the kisses of Christ’s mouth, 1st, Because kisses are evidences and pledges of love amongst nearest relations: Christ stands in, and fills up all relations to his people, and

39   And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40   But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41   And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42   And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43   And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

"Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth; for Your love is better than wine." These opening words are abrupt, and presuppose that the aspirations of the Church are not unknown. They evince fervent longing for closer manifestations of the love of Christ. Evidence of its nearness is sought. A familiar term gives reality to the desire. "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth." This act is the outbreak of the warm feeling of a loving parent--of an affectionate brother--of a tender spouse--of a devoted friend. Where love is ardent it thus finds vent. The Church pants to be assured that she has a saving interest in Christ; that His feelings are real and strong, and seeks delight in manifested proofs. She desires to live in the abiding sense of this interest. Many are the methods of this revelation. In the hours of  meditation  the Spirit withdraws the veil, and exhibits the Redeemer's heart. In the pages of  Scripture  He leads to persuasions of this

That a heart that knows Jesus Christ, will love to dwell on the thoughts of his worth, and to present him often to itself, as the most ravishing object, and will make use of pressing motives and arguments, to stir up itself to seek after the intimations of his love. 2. That the more a soul liveth in the love of Christ, it is the more ravished with it, and presseth, yea, panteth the more after it: it was  Him  before, 'Let Him kiss me,' as being something afraid to speak to him; it is now, 'Thou, thy love,' &c. as being more inflamed with love, since she began to speak, and therefore more familiarly bold, in pressing her suit upon him. 3. The exercise of love strengthens faith: and contrarily, when love wears out of exercise, faith dieth: these graces stand and fall together, they are lively and languish together. 4. Where Christ's love is seriously thought of and felt, created consolations will grow bare, and lose all relish; wine, and the best of creature-comf

The humiliation of Christ may be seen in his obedience to God, through the whole course of his life, even unto death; in order to which, 1. First, He took upon him the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7), and really became one; even the Servant of God: and this is an instance of his amazing humility and condescension; that he, who was the Son of God, of the same nature with God, and equal to him, the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person, should voluntarily become the Servant of him; which the apostle observes with astonishment; "though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered!" (Heb. 5:8). He was chosen of God, in his eternal purposes, to be his Servant; and therefore is called, his Servant elect (Isa. 42:1). He called him to the work and office of a servant; and said unto him, in the everlasting council and covenant of grace and peace, "Thou art my Servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified" (Isa