A Goodly Heritage

. Christianity is a busy trade; if we look up to God, what a multitude of things are required in a Christian to carry himself as he should do - a spirit of faith, a spirit of love, a spirit of joy and delight in Him above all - and if we look to men, there are duties for a Christian to his superiors, a spirit of subjection; to equals he must show a spirit of love, and to inferiors a spirit of pity and bounty. If we look to Satan, we have a commandment to resist him and watch against the tempter. If we look to the world, it is full of snares. There must be a great deal of spiritual watchfulness, that we be not surprised. If we look to ourselves, there are required many duties to carry our vessels in honor, and to walk within the compass of the Holy Ghost, to preserve the peace of our consciences, to walk answerably to our worth, as being the sons of God and joint coheirs with Christ. The Christian must dispense with himself in no sin; he must be. a vessel prepared for every good work,

Much misunderstanding arises through confusing the Christian Doctrine of Predestination with the heathen doctrine of Fatalism. There is, in reality, only one point of agreement between the two, which is, that both assume the absolute certainty of all future events. The essential difference between them is that Fatalism has no place for a personal God. Predestination holds that events come to pass because an infinitely wise, powerful, and holy God has so appointed them. Fatalism holds that all events come to pass through the working of a blind, unintelligent, impersonal, non-moral force which cannot be distinguished from physical necessity, and which carries us helplessly within its grasp as mighty river carries a piece of wood. Predestination teaches that from eternity God has had one unified plan or purpose which He is bringing to perfection through this world order of events. It holds that all of His decrees are rational determinations founded on sufficient reason, and that He ha

In connection with the knowledge of what lies beyond the grave the moment of dying is deeply significant. The way in which we see others die, and in which we die ourselves, contributes to our knowledge of God. In this hour many things that stood between God and the soul fall away. We then stand on the threshold of the unseen life, and the words of the Psalmist: "Our feet stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem," are applicable to the entering in through the gates of the new Jerusalem. Let us take dying in this connection in its real true sense. Dying is an act. In our birth we are passive. Life then only begins. But when God has privileged us to reach the years of maturity, and the end has come, the servants and handmaidens of the Lord should not be dragged out by death against their will, but of themselves they should face it with a will. And by the way in which they do this, they should reveal the fruit of their labors of faith. The first Christians sang hymns of praise

God clearly intends that this consideration should lead to our practical deliverance from sin. Paul makes this quite plain when he opens  chapter 6  of his letter with the question: “Shall we continue in sin?” His whole being recoils at the very suggestion. “God forbid!”, he exclaims. How could a holy God be satisfied to have unholy, sin-fettered children? And so “how shall we any longer live therein?” ( Romans 6:1, 2 ). God has surely therefore made adequate provision that we should be set free from sin’s dominion. But here is our problem. We were born sinners; how then can we cut off our sinful heredity? Seeing that we were born in Adam, how can we get out of Adam? Let me say at once, the Blood cannot take us out of Adam. There is only one way. Since we came in by birth we must go out by death. To do away with our sinfulness we must do away with our life. Bondage to sin came by birth; deliverance from sin comes by death—and it is just this way of escape that God has provided. Dea

But deliver us from evil. Amen. In the Greek text this petition reads thus: Deliver or preserve us from the Evil One, or the Malicious One; and it looks as if He were speaking of the devil, as though He would comprehend everything in one so that the entire substance of all our prayer is directed against our chief enemy. For it is he who hinders among us everything that we pray for: the name or honor of God, God's kingdom and will, our daily bread, a cheerful good conscience, etc. Therefore we finally sum it all up and say: Dear Father pray, help that we be rid of all these calamities. But there is nevertheless also included whatever evil may happen to us under the devil's kingdom -- poverty, shame, death, and, in short, all the agonizing misery and heartache of which there is such an unnumbered multitude on the earth. For since the devil is not only a liar, but also a murderer, he constantly seeks our life, and wreaks his anger whenever he can afflict our bodies with misf

"The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour." Proverbs 12:26 Solomon was a man of renown. He was the world's wonder; he discoursed of trees from the cedar-tree in Lebanon to the hyssop that springs out of the wall. The Proverbs are profound and holy aphorisms, inspired by the Spirit of God and penned by him who was both a king and a preacher. A great part of this book is to set forth the differences between the godly and the wicked, the happiness of the one and the misery of the other. The text is spoken in the eulogium and commendation of a righteous man: "The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour." I begin with the first word, "righteous." There is a twofold righteousness: 1. A civil righteousness; and so he is righteous who is adorned with the moral virtues: prudence, justice, and temperance; who keeps free from penal statutes and does not dash upon the rock of visible scandal. This righteousness is va

Let us try whether we are in the number of these righteous ones; whether we are indeed more excel-lent than others. 1. A righteous man is a humble man. He who is proud of his righteousness is unrighteous. "God I thank Thee that I am not as other men are. . . . I fast. . . I give tithes. . ." Luke 18:11-12. Here was a triple crown of pride the Pharisee wore. Righteousness, though it raises the name, depresses the heart. "If I am righteous, I will not lift up my head," Job 10:15. The violet is a sweet flower, yet hangs down the head; such a flower was Job. The righteous are like the silkworm. While she weaves her curious works, she hides her-self in the silk. The righteous man is more likely to judge himself than to play the critic on another. He shrinks into nothing in his own thoughts. David cried out, "I am a worm and no man"; though a saint, though a king, yet a worm. St. Austin said, "Lord, I am not worthy of Thy love." Bishop Hooper said

"Whom have I in Heaven but You? There is none upon earth that I desire besides You!" Psalm 73:25 This Psalm was composed by Asaph, one of the three chief singers whom David had appointed in the house of God. The good man had experienced a severe trial from the infirmities of his own heart; which trial, together with the manner in which he was relieved, is described in this beautiful Psalm. "For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked," and had indulged in unworthy complaints against divine providence. "This is what the wicked are like—always carefree, they increase in wealth. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits! Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocenc

A most wholesome counsel how to behave ourselves in the midst of this wicked generation, touching the daily exercise of God's most holy and sacred word. The Comfort of the Holy Ghost, etc., for Salvation. Not so much to instruct you, as to leave with you (dearly beloved brethren) some testimony of my love, I have thought good to communicate with you, in these few lines, my weak counsel, how I would you should behave yourselves in the midst of this wicked generation, touching the exercise of God's most holy and sacred word, without which neither shall knowledge increase, godliness appear, nor fervency continue amongst you. For as the word of God is the beginning of spiritual life, without which all flesh is dead in God's presence; and [as it is] the lantern to our feet, without the brightness whereof all the posterity of Adam does walk in darkness; and as it is the foundation of faith, without which no man understands the good will of God; so it is also the only organ and