A Goodly Heritage

"For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." 1 Cor. 2:2. The former verse contains an apology for the plain and familiar manner of the apostle's preaching, which was not (as he there tells them) with excellency of speech, or of wisdom; I. e. he studied not to gratify their curiosity with rhetorical strains, or philosophical niceties. In this he gives the reason, "for I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ," &c. "I determined not to know." The meaning is not, that he simply despised, or condemned all other studies and knowledge; but so far only as they stand in competition with, or opposition to the study and knowledge of Jesus Christ. And it is as if he should say, it is my stated, settled judgment; not a hasty, inconsiderate censure, but the product and issue of my most serious and exquisite enquiries. After I have well weighed the case, turned it round, viewed it exactly

"If any man thirsts—let him come to Me and drink!" John 7:37 This was an astonishing announcement. If  Plato  had uttered it from his Academy, it would have savored of boastful presumption. Yet a Galilean peasant, whose whole "school" of followers scarcely went beyond a dozen fishermen and publicans, makes this proclamation to all human kind: "If anyone is thirsty for pure happiness—I will satisfy him; if any one is suffering from a sense of guilt—I will relieve him; if any one is heart-broken—I will comfort him." There is no alternative. Either this carpenter's son from Galilee is an insane impostor—or else he is a being clothed with divine power. No madman ever talked for three years without uttering one foolish syllable; no impostor ever pushed himself before the public eye for three years without doing one selfish act. Jesus of Nazareth, then, was what he claimed to be—the Son of God. He does not draw from others, his supplies for human needs

The Song at the Well From there the Israelites traveled to Beer, which is the   well   where the Lord said to Moses, "Assemble the people, and I will give them water." There the Israelites sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Yes, sing about it! Sing of this well, which princes dug, which great leaders hollowed out with their scepters and staffs." Numbers 21:16-18 There was once a sermon at a well. The teacher was Jesus of Nazareth, and the discourse was delivered to one poor sinful woman as the entire audience. The Son of God felt (what we ministers too often forget on stormy Sundays) that   a single immortal soul   is a great audience. Other wells in the Bible are historic besides the well of   Sychar . One, at   Bethlehem , is associated with a princely act of chivalry; another, at   Nahor , with the beginning of a singular courtship. We venture to say that there is one well beside which most of our readers never halted—and out of which they have never drawn

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." Romans 8:10 We want two things in lively operation; a spiritual death and a spiritual life. We want death put upon the flesh, upon sin, upon everything which is ungodly, that it may not reign or rule; and we want also the communication and maintenance of a divine life which shall act Godward, exist and co-exist in the same breast, and be in activity at the same moment. Here is sin striving for the mastery; but here also is a view of the cross of Christ; here is a testimony of bleeding, dying love. This puts a death upon sin. But as death is put upon sin and the lust is mortified, crucified, resisted, or subdued, there springs up a life of faith and prayer, of hope and love, of repentance and godly sorrow for sin, of humility and spirituality, of a desire to live to God's praise and walk in his fear. The cross gives both. From the cross comes death unto sin; from the cr

“Courage up your heart; when you tire He will bear both you and your burden.” Who does not sometimes tire Even the strongest saints are liable to faint and grow weary; at least they grow weary in, if not weary of, their Master's service. But, however much they may sometimes tire, they never altogether sink. And what lightens their bur den, and dispels the rising mists of desponden cy and fear? It is the presence of the Lord— the sustaining hand of him who is the Son of Man, and yet the Son of God. Dear believer, your burden may be heavy, but however heavy the burden, or weak the bearer of it, courage up your heart; for when you tire, he will bear both you and your burden, and he alone. None but Jesus can give the heavy laden rest. “Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.”—Ps. xxvii. 14.

** Build your nest upon no tree here, for you see God hath sold the forest to Death; and erery tree whereupon we would rest is ready to be cut down, to the end we may flee and mount up and build upon the Rock.” - Creatures and creature-comforts are such trees, feeble and withering at the best, and soon to be cut down. But Jesus is the rock in the clefts of which we may securely and abidingly hide. If we build our nests of joy and peace on the former, we shall and must be disap pointed; for sooner or later the hand of the great forester shall lay the axe to the root, and trees and nests must fall together. Some trees may be firmer rooted than others, and may thus flourish longer, but in the end, whether by tem Pest or by axe, every tree must fall; for “the wholeforest is sold to Death.” It is only when we build our happiness on Christ that we build surely; for he is not a fading tree, but an en during rock. The nests built on the clefts of this rock are lasting as eternity. Where, read

THE PSALMS. Composed upon particular occasions, yet designed for general use; delivered out as services for Israel | ites, under the Law, yet no less adapted to the circumstances of Christians under the Gospel; com municating truths which philosophy could never in vestigate, in a style which poetry could never equal; | while history is made the vehicle of prophesy, and | creation lends all its charms to paint the glories of | redemption. Calculated alike to profit and to please, they inform the understanding, elevate the affections, and entertain the imagination. Indited under the | influence of Him to whom all hearts are known and | all events are known, they suit mankind in all situa |tions—grateful as the manna which descended from heaven, and conformed itself to every palate. The |fairest productions of human wit, after a few peru sals, like gathered flowers, wither in our hands, and lose their fragrancy; but those unfading plants of Paradise become, as we are accustomed to them,

I have heard many curious stories illustrative of that veneration with which the Sabbath is regarded in Scotland. Let me mention one or two. A geolo gist, while in the country, and having his pocket hammer with him, took it out and was chipping the rock on the way-side, for examination. His proceed ings did not escape the quick eye and ready tongue of an old Scotch woman. “What are you doing there, man?” “Don’t you see? I'm breaking a stone.” “Y'are doing mair than that: y’are break ing the Sabbath.” Another old woman's inquiry of one who, on the Sabbath-day, passed her on the road, singing as he went, was equally characteristic. It was very brief. “Songs, man, or psalms?" Now, I am well aware that many readers will at once say, “What ultra severity " " and will be only able to see something absurd and ridiculous in these sayings. Others, among whom I readily number myself, will view them in a light altogether different—as apt, amusing, and characteristic, n

The most precious thing in heaven or earth In giving Christ to die for poor sinners, God gave the richest jewel in His cabinet; a mercy of the greatest worth, and most inestimable value. Heaven itself is not so valuable and precious as Christ is! Ten thousand worlds— as many worlds as angels can number , would not outweigh Christ's love, excellency and sweetness! O what a lovely One! What an excellent, beautiful, ravishing One— is Christ! Put the beauty of ten thousand paradises, like the garden of Eden, into one; put all flowers, all smells, all colors, all tastes, all joys, all sweetness, all loveliness into one; O what a lovely and excellent thing would that be! And yet it should be less to that loveliest and dearest well beloved Christ— than one drop of rain to all the seas, rivers, lakes, and fountains of ten thousand earths! Now, for God to bestow the mercy of mercies, the most precious thing in heaven or earth, upon poor sinners; and, as great , as lovely, as excellent as H

“Mortification is the soul’s vigorous opposition to self, wherein sincerity is most evident.” “All other ways of mortification are vain, all helps leave us helpless; it must be done by the Spirit.” “Not to be daily mortifying sin, is to sin against the goodness, kindness, wisdom, grace, and love of God, who hath furnished us with a principle of doing it.” “Indwelling sin always abides whilst we are in this world; therefore it is always to be mortified.” “Mortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world.” “There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails or is prevailed on; and it will be so whilst we live in this world.”  John Owen

"Then I was by him, as one brought up with him; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." Proverbs 8:30 These words are a part of that excellent commendation of wisdom, by which in this book Solomon intends two things; first, Grace or holiness, Prov 4:7. "Wisdom is the principal thing." Secondly, Jesus Christ, the fountain of that grace: and look, as the former is renowned for its excellency, Job 28:14, 15, so the latter, in this context, wherein the Spirit of God describes the most blessed state of Jesus Christ, the wisdom of the Father, from those eternal delights he had with his Father, before his assumption of our nature: "Then was I by him," and was wholly swallowed up, and spent in unspeakable delights and pleasures. Which delights were twofold, (1.) The Father and Son delighted one in another (from which delights the Spirit is not here excluded) without communicating that their joy to any other, for no creature did then exist

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." John 1:14 You have heard the covenant of redemption opened. The work therein propounded by the Father, and consented to by the Son, is such as infinitely exceeds the power of any mere creature to perform. He that undertakes to satisfy God, by obedience for man's sin, must himself be God; and he that performs such a perfect obedience, by doing, and suffering all that the law required, in our room, must be man. These two natures must be united in one person, else there could not be a concourse or cooperation of either nature in his mediatory works. How these natures are united, in the wonderful person of our Emmanuel, is the first part of the great mystery of godliness: a subject studied and adored by angels! and the mystery thereof is wrapped up in this text. Wherein we have, First, The incarnation of the Son of God plainly asserted. Secondly, That assertion strongly confirmed. (1.) In the assertion we have th