A Goodly Heritage

I HAVE spoken to you, brethren, at different times, about soul-winning—that most royal employment. May you all become, in this sense, mighty hunters before the Lord, and bring many sinners to the Saviour! I want, at this time, to say a few words upon— THE OBSTACLES THAT LIE IN OUR PATH AS WE SEEK TO WIN SOULS FOR CHRIST. They are very many, and I cannot attempt to make a complete catalogue of them; but the first, and one of the most difficult is, doubtless,  the indifference and lethargy of sinners.  All men are not alike indifferent; in fact, there are some persons who seem to have a sort of religious instinct, which influences them for good, long before they have any real love to spiritual things. But there are districts, especially rural districts, where indifference prevails; and the same state of things exists in various parts of London. It is not infidelity; the people do not care enough about religion even to oppose it. They are not concerned as to what you preach, or w

I HAVE spoken to you at different times, brethren, about the great work of our lives, which is that of winning souls. I have tried to show you various ways in which we win souls, the qualifications both towards God and towards man of those who are likely to be used in winning souls, the kind of sermons that are most likely to win souls, and also the obstacles in the way of soul-winners. Now I should like, this afternoon, to talk to you upon another part of the subject; that is,— HOW CAN WE INDUCE OUR PEOPLE TO BECOME SOUL-WINNERS? You are aspiring, each of you, in due time, to become pastors of churches, unless the Lord should call you to be evangelists, or missionaries to the heathen. Well, you commence at first as single sowers of the good seed of the kingdom, and you go forth scattering from your own basket your own handfuls. You desire, however, to become spiritual farmers, and to have a certain acreage which you will not sow entirely yourself, but you will have servants w

"I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then is Christ dead in vain." — Gal. 2:21. From this first argument of the apostle for the justifying of a sinner through the righteousness of Christ, and not by the righteousness of the law, I have raised, and opened, and spoke something to four doctrines— 1st, That the grace of God shines gloriously in the justifying of a sinner through the righteousness of Christ. 2dly, That it is a dreadful sin to frustrate the grace of God. 3dly, That all who seek righteousness by the law, they do frustrate the grace of God. 4thly, That no true sound believer can be guilty of this sin. Frustrating the grace of God is a sin that no believer can commit. I would now come to make some application of these, which I, mean to prosecute from these two heads:— I. To warn you to take heed and to try the spirits, as the apostle exhorts (1 John 4:1), according to this doctrine. II. Try your own state according to your he

If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." — Gal. 2:21. "I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then is Christ dead in vain." You have heard of the connection of this verse with the preceding part of the chapter; and of its relation to the scope of the apostle, and to that point of gospel doctrine that he is there proving; and that is, "That a man is not justified by the law, but by Christ, or by faith in him. And this verse contains two arguments, the first of which I have already spoken to, and finished. In the former part of the words, "I do not frustrate the grace of God," would the apostle say, "If I seek righteousness by the works of the law, I should frustrate the grace of God;" and from this I have spoken at some length to four points of doctrine. 1st, The grace of God shines gloriously in justifying a sinner by faith in Jesus Christ. 2dly, That it is a horrible sin to frustrate th