A Goodly Heritage

Look that  ye love the Lord Jesus Christ with a superlative love, with an overtopping love . There are none have suffered so much for you as Christ; there are none that can suffer so much for you as Christ. The least measure of that wrath that Christ hath sustained for you, would have broke the hearts, necks, and backs of all created beings. O my friends! There is no love but a superlative love that is any ways suitable to the transcendent sufferings of dear Jesus. Oh, love him above your lusts, love him above your relations, love him above the world, love him above all your outward contentments and enjoyments; yea, love him above your very lives; for thus the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, saints, primitive Christians, and the martyrs of old, have loved our Lord Jesus Christ with an overtopping love: Rev. xii. 11, 'They loved not their lives unto the death;' that is, they slighted, contemned, yea, despised their lives, exposing them to hazard and loss, out of love to the

"My beloved is mine, and I am his." (Song 2:16) In this Song of Songs we see the love of Christ and his church running towards each other in a full torrent. The text contains three general parts: 1. A symbol of affection: "My beloved." 2. A term of appropriation: "is mine." 3. A holy resignation: "I am his." Doctrine: That there is a conjugal union between Christ and believers.  The apostle, having treated at large of marriage, winds up the whole chapter thus: "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Eph. 5:32). What is closer than union? What sweeter? There is a twofold union with Christ: 1.  A natural union . This all men have, Christ having taken their nature on him and not that of the angels (Heb. 2:16). But if there is no more than this natural union, it will give little comfort. Thousands are damned though Christ is united to their nature. 2.  A sacred union . By this we are mystically

Of the purpose of God concerning man’s salvation before all worlds, we read in Scripture, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose,” (Romans 8:28). And it is said of Jacob and Esau that “being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand,” (Romans 9:11). And, in Christ we are said to obtain an inheritance, “being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will,” (Ephesians 1:11). Elsewhere the apostle speaks of “the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Ephesians 3:10-11). Again, “He hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (2 Tim. 1:9). All these hold forth this truth: God purposed

I N  the Scriptures a special operation of the Spirit is mentioned, by which he aids his people in the exercise of  prayer ;   and it is spoken of as one that is common to all believers, and permanent through all ages of the Church. This cheering truth is implied in God’s promise of old, ‘I will pour upon the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,  the Spirit of grace and of supplications ;’   and it is implied also in the declared duty of all believers, which is described in the apostle’s exhortation, ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in  the Spirit. ’   But the most emphatic testimony on the subject is contained in the words of the apostle (Rom. viii. 26), ‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.’ That the Spirit of God does in some way ‘make intercession for the saints,’ is abundantly evident from these pas

I dare not leave you with your eyes half open, like him who saw 'men as trees walking' [Mark 8:24]. The Word is profitable for doctrine as well as reproof. And therefore, having thus far conducted you by the shelves and rocks of so many dangerous mistakes, I would guide you at length into the haven of truth. Conversion then, in short, lies in the thorough change both of the heart and life. I shall briefly describe it in its nature and causes. 1. The AUTHOR of conversion is the Spirit of God , and therefore it is called 'the sanctification of the Spirit' (2 Thess 2:13) and 'the renewing of the Holy Spirit' (Titus 3:5). This does not exclude the other persons in the Trinity, for the apostle teaches us to bless the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who 'has begotten us again unto a living hope' (1 Pet 1:3). And Christ is said to 'give repentance unto Israel' (Acts 5:31); and is called the 'everlasting Father' (Isa 9:6) and we His seed,