A Goodly Heritage

"My people are bent to backsliding from me."  Hosea 6:7 What a dreadful error it is to deny backsliding! What ignorance it manifests of a man's own heart! How it stamps a man as a perverter of truth, and one that trifles with sin and the displeasure of the Most High! Who that knows himself and the idolatry of his fallen nature, dares deny that he backslides perpetually in heart, lip, or life? Can any of us deny that we have backslidden from our first love? backslidden from simplicity and godly sincerity, backslidden from reverence and godly fear, backslidden from spirituality and heavenly-mindedness, backslidden from the breathings of affection and pouring forth of the heart into the bosom of the Lord? And if we have not been allowed to backslide into open sin, if the Lord has kept us, and not allowed us to be cast down into the mire, yet have we not committed that twofold evil which the Lord charges upon his people--"They have forsaken me, the fountain of living

“As the fining-pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.” —Proverbs 27:21 The [re-] fining-pot  and  furnace  have been before mentioned, as the Lord’s “trial of the heart.” The most searching furnace is here shown. He that is praised is not only much approved, but much proved. The courting of the  praise  of our fellow-creatures is the world within. Praise is a sharper trial of the strength of principle than reproach. “If a man be vain and light, he will be puffed up with it. If he be wise and solid, he will be no whit moved therewith.” A haughty deportment, “loving to have the pre-eminence” (3Jo 9), forwardness to give our opinion, and offense if it be not taken—this is the dross brought out of the furnace. Count the discovery a special mercy. Know thy need of purifying, and let the great Refiner do His perfect work (Mal 3:2-3.) But see a man humbled by praise, in the consciousness how little he deserves it, and “who maketh him to differ” (1Co 4:7).

“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.”—Proverbs 18:12 Surely this repetition, like our Lord’s often-repeated parallel (Mar 10:31), was intended to deepen our sense of their importance. It is hard to persuade a man that he is proud. Every one protests against this sin. Yet who does not cherish the viper in his own bosom? Man so little understands that dependence upon his God constitutes the creature’s happiness, and that the principle of independence is madness, and its end is destruction (Gen 3:5-6). The  haughty  walk on the brink of a fearful precipice; only a miracle preserves them from instant ruin. The security of the child of God is when he lies prostrate in the dust. If he soar high, the danger is imminent, though he be on the verge of heaven (2Co 12:1-7). The danger to a young Christian lies in an over-forward profession. The glow of the first love, the awakened sensibility to the condition of his perishing fellow-sinners, ignor

“Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” —Proverbs 13:10 Most accurately is  contention  here traced to its proper source. “He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife” (Pro 28:25). All the crudeness of the day, all the novelties of doctrine producing contention (1Ti 1:4; 2Ti 2:23), originate in the proud swelling of “the fleshly mind” (Col 2:18; 1Ti 6:3-4). Men scorn the beaten track. They must strike out a new path. Singularity and extravagance are primary charms. They are ready to quarrel with everyone who does not value their notions as highly as they do. The desire of pre-eminence, “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not” (3Jo 9); revolt from authority (Num 12:2) or sound doctrine (2Ti 4:3-4); party spirit, with the pride of knowledge and gifts (1Co 3:3-4 with 4:8)—all produce the same results. Is it too much to say that vain-glory hath lighted up all the sinful contentions th

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." —1 Tim. 1:15 Observation.  I. The salvation of sinners was the main design of Christ's coming into the world. II. God often makes the chiefest sinners objects of his choicest mercy. To show that God does so, observe, God has formally made  invitations  to such. See what a black generation they were, Isa. 1, by the record of their sins. They were rebels, and rebels against him that had nursed them. "I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me," ver. 2. And in this respect worse than the beasts they were masters of; the stupid ox and the dull ass outstripped them in intelligence. "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider," ver. 3. He calls upon heaven and earth to judge be between them, ver. 2. He appeals to

" The axe is laid unto the root of the trees." MATT. iii. 1 0. THE picture is very suggestive. The axe lying at the  tree's root, or raised in the woodman's hand to strike, shows  that judgment impends, hangs ready to fall. Any moment the tree may be cut down. The axe lying at the tree's root unused tells of patience in the husbandman; he is waiting to see if the fruitless tree will yet bear fruit, The axe leaning quietly against the tree is very suggestive, The meaning is very plain. God waits long for impenitent sinners to return to him; he is slow to punish or to cut off the day of opportunity; he desires all to repent and be saved. Yet we must not trifle with the Divine patience and forbearance. We must remember that while the axe is not lifted to strike, still there is not a moment when it is not lying close, ready to be used; when the summons may not come," Hasten to judgment." The axe of death really lies all the while at the root of every life.

"Jesus Christ, the Son of God." MARK i.1. MARK does not intend that there shall be room for mistake concerning the person of our Lord. Each of the names he here uses represents one particular phase of his character. Jesus means Saviour. " Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." None of his names can be sweeter than this. It is enshrined in every Christian heart. This is the name that brings hope into our souls. The first thing we all need is to be saved, and he is the only Saviour. Christ means the Anointed One. He is the one whom the Father has anointed to be prophet, priest, and king. He is our prophet, our teacher; he is our priest inter ceding for us, having already made himself an offering for our sins; he is our king, and we ought to obey him. Son of God tells of his divine nature and his eternal sonship. This is the name that gives security to all our hopes and trusts. If he were only a man, he might be very tender,

"When Elkanah and all his household went up to make the annual sacrifice and his vow offering to the Lord, Hannah did not go and explained to her husband, 'After the child is weaned, I'll take him to appear in the Lord's presence and to stay there permanently.' Her husband Elkanah replied, 'Do what you think is best, and stay here until you have weaned him. May the Lord confirm your word.' So Hannah stayed there and nursed her son until she weaned him." 1 Samuel 1:21-23 It is the picture of a mother of the olden times, that is before us. The story of Hannah is invested with rare interest. It is one of those narratives whose charm is their unadorned simplicity. Though living so long since, when the world was so young—this mother stands yet, in the radiant spirit of her life—in the clearness of her faith, in the devotion of her motherhood, as a model for Christian mothers in these newest ages. There are some things that grow old and out of date—but moth

Psalm 103: 1-5 IN this psalm we find the Psalmist standing at the golden altar with his harp in his hand, recounting all his mercies. This psalm teaches us adoration. Adoration is not thanksgiving; it is silent wonder. I once saw a striking instance of this in a sick one, who said to me, 'I got such a sight of the Lord Jesus — His wonderful Person—His finished work—that at last I was obliged to stop giving thanks, and just look, look, look!' Adoration is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost, and it is very sanctifying when He gives us such moments of nearness to Himself. Looking on Him at such times we cannot say, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul!' we can only gaze and wonder. Praise is a little lower down Pisgah. Adoration is higher, nearer the upper sky. It is more than apostolic, it is angelic; for the angels say, 'Glory to Him who sitteth upon the throne.' It is the feeling of a soul under God's afflicting hand, to whom God has given great sanctification. 'B

We ought not to rest in the world and its enjoyments, but should desire heaven. We should “seek first the kingdom of God.”  We ought above all things to desire a heavenly happiness; to be with God; and dwell with Jesus Christ. Though surrounded with outward enjoyments, and settled in families with desirable friends and relations; though we have companions whose society is delightful, and children in whom we see many promising qualifications; though we live by good neighbours, and are generally beloved where known; yet we ought not to take our rest in these things as our portion. We should be so far from resting in them, that we should desire to leave them all, in God’s due time. We ought to possess, enjoy, and use them, with no other view but readily to quit them, whenever we are called to it, and to change them willingly and cheerfully for heaven. A traveller is not wont to rest in what he meets with, however comfortable and pleasing, on the road. If he passes through pleasant p

We have long covered our covetousness and carnality under the cloak of his gospel, so that all men shall see us to our shame, when he shall take his gospel away, and give it to a people that will bring forth the fruits of it. Then shall we appear as we are. Let his gospel tarry with us, he cannot; for we despise it, contemn it, are glutted with it. We disdain his manna, it is but a vile meat as we think. We would be again in Egypt, and sit by the greasy fleshpots, to eat again our garlic, onions, and leeks. Since God's gospel came among us, we say now, we never had plenty, therefore again let us go and worship the queen of heaven. ( Jer. vii.  xliv.) Children begin to gather sticks, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women make the cakes, to offer to the queen of heaven and to provoke the Lord to anger. The earth now cannot abide the words and sermons of Amos; the cause of all rebellion is Amos, and his preaching. ( Amos vii. ) It is Paul and his fellows that make all out of or

“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” — Luke 5:8. The disciples had been fishing all night. They had now given over fishing; they had left their boats and were mending their nets. A stranger appears. They had seen him, probably, once before, and they remembered enough of him to command respect. Besides the tone of voice in which he spoke to them, and his manner, at once ruled their hearts. He borrowed Simon Peter’s boat and preached a sermon to the listening crowds. After he had finished the discourse, as though he would not borrow their vessel without giving them their hire, he bade them launch out into the deep and let down their nets again. They did so, and, instead of disappointment, they at once took so vast a haul of fish that the boats could not contain all, and the net was not strong enough, and began to break. Surprised at this strange miracle, overawed, probably by the majestic appearance of that