A Goodly Heritage

Zechariah 9:9 W. Forsyth I.  BEAUTIFUL VISION. Poets in rapt moments have had glimpses of the highest ( Psalm 45 :72). The character, the life and work of a true King, have passed before them as things fair to see. But where is the reality? "Find me the true king or able man, and he has a Divine right over me" (Carlyle). II.  PASSIONATE LONGING. The heart yearns for what is best. The need presses. Circumstances now and again arise that intensify the feeling and the cry. There is so much to be done - evils to remove, wrongs to be redressed, rights and liberties to be secured. Oh for the coming of the true King! "What he tells us to do must be precisely wisest, fittest, that we can anywhere or anyhow learn, the thing which it will in all ways behove us, with right loyal thankfulness and nothing doubting, to do. Our doing and life were then, so far as government would regulate them, well regulated" (Carlyle). III.  IMMORTAL HOPE. There have been kings, good, bad, and i

  2. Now, may we not say that, in regard to the work of the Christian Church, this power is indispensable and essential? that where there is not the power of the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts all else is vain? We can never count upon success when the Spirit of God is absent. Every dry and barren period of the Churchs history tells the same tale. There may be intellectual gifts and literary culture. There may be riches and worldly resource. There may be social status and human influence. But over against these, with all the goodness that may be in them, we hear the cry echoing through the vaulted corridors of the Churchs life, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” These, at their best, are of the earth, earthy. They are but parts of human might and earthly resource, which have their limits appointed to them. But this supreme force of the Spirit of God is Divine; it is Almighty. It partakes of the nature of Him who is everlasting and omnipotent. Those oth

  " They   hear his   voice ." This implies: (1)   Recognition of his voice . In the religious world there are many voices - that of the stranger, the thief, and the hireling. It is a Babel of sounds, and Christ's voice is imitated. But believers recognize the voice of Jesus amidst all, and they  recognize  it as the voice of the Son of God and their Savior. (2)   Special attention to his voice . They not merely distinguish and know it as his, but attend and hear; and to them it is particularly sweet and charming - like the sound of pardon to the condemned, the sound of health to the sick, or the sound of the trump of jubilee to the captives in the land of Israel of old. Even all the golden harps of heaven could not produce such a sweet music, and they listen with attention and rapturous delight. (3)   Willing acceptation by faith of his teaching . His voice does not die away in music and end in mere rapturous feelings. But its teaching sinks deep in the mind, produces ge

 It is related of Mr. Knox, that the night before his death, he slept some hours with great unquietness, often sighing and groaning. When he awoke, the bystanders asked him why he mourned so heavily. He answered, “In my lifetime, I have been assaulted with temptations from Satan, and he has often cast my sins in my teeth, to drive me to despair; yet God gave me strength to overcome all his temptations. But now the subtle serpent takes another course, and seeks to persuade me that all my labours in the ministry and my fidelity in that service have merited heaven and immortality. But blessed be God, he has brought to my mind these Scriptures, ‘What hast thou, that thou hast not received?’ (1 Corinthians 4:7); ‘Not I, but the grace of God in me’ (1 Corinthians 15:10). With these in mind, Satan has gone away ashamed, and shall no more return. And now I am sure that the battle is at an end, and that without pain of body or trouble of mind, I shall shortly exchange this mortal and miserable

  Whatever may have been the original grounds of the faith of the great majority of Christian people, their faith has been verified in their own personal experience. They trusted in Christ for the remission of sins, and they have been liberated from the sense of guilt; for deliverance from sin, and the chains of evil habits have been broken or loosened, and the fires of evil passion have been quenched or subdued. They trusted in Christ for a firmer strength to resist temptation and to live righteously, and the strength has come. They have received from Him—they are sure of it—a new life, a life akin to the life of God. They have been drawn into a wonderful personal union with Christ Himself; “in Christ” they have found God, and have passed into that invisible and eternal order which is described as “the kingdom of God.” Whatever uncertainties there may be about the historical worth of the four narratives which profess to tell the story of Christ’s earthly ministry, their faith in Him i

 In preparing for a time of need, be careful to keep your consciences clean. There is no worse company in an evil day, than an evil conscience. It is worse company than the devil's. His company is that of a tempter and accuser; but an evil conscience is a judge condemning, and an executioner tormenting a man. Therefore herein excise yourselves, to have a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men, Acts xxiv. 16. It is usually seen, that times of great trials do dart in some light into mend consciences, and do make men look into their hearts and ways more narrowly, and spy small faults that they could not see at other times; for they are days of darkness in one sense, and days of light in another. Study therefore to keep thy conscience clean and pure, by holy and tender walking, and by daily believing; for it is the blood of Christ that only can purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God, Heb. ix. 14. And let me assure you of this, (and if you will not b

  We see not yet all things put under him.” If that psalm be God’s thought of man, the plan that He hangs up for us, His workmen, to build by, what a wretched thing my copy of it has turned out to be! Is this a picture of me? How seldom I am conscious of the visits of God; how full I am of weaknesses and imperfections, the solemn voice within me tells me at intervals when I listen to its tones. On my brow there gleams no diadem; from my life, alas! there shines at the best but a fitful splendour of purity, all striped with solid masses of blackness. And as for dominion over creatures, how superficial my rule over them, how real their rule over me! I can tame animals or slay them; I can use the forces of nature for my purposes. I can make machinery, and bid the lightning do my errands, and carry messages, the burden of which is mostly money, or power, or sorrow. But all these things do not signify that man has the dominion over God’s creation. That consists in using all for God, and for

  the Son is said to be "the brightness of his glory", and "the impress of his substance:" they are words borrowed from nature. For nothing can be said of things so great and so profound, but by similitudes taken from created things. There is therefore no need refinedly to discuss the question how the Son, who has the same essence with the Father, is a brightness emanating from his light. We must allow that there is a degree of impropriety in the language when what is borrowed from created things is transferred to the hidden majesty of God. But still the things which are indent to our senses are fitly applied to God, and for this end, that we may know what is to be found in Christ, and what benefits he brings to us. It ought also to be observed that frivolous speculations are not here taught, but an important doctrine of faith. We ought therefore to apply these high titles given to Christ for our own benefit, for they bear a relation to us. When, therefore, thou hea

 How can a frozen-hearted creature warm his hearers' hearts, and en kindle them with the love of God? But he whom the love of Christ constrains, his lively recommendations of Christ, and speeches of love, shall sweetly constrain others to love him. Above all loves, it is most true of this, that none can speak sensibly of it, but they that have felt it. Our most requisite pulpit-orators, yea, speak they with the tongues of men and angels, without the experience of this love, are no fit ambassadors for Christ, for his embassy is a love-treaty. Such men are but sounding brass, and tinkling cymbals. The sublimest and best contrived of their discourses, glow-worm like, or as those foolish fires, may have some light with them, heat they have none. When a man speaks of reconciliation and happiness, as if he had some interest therein himself, when his words are animated with affection, as he is like to beget some affection where there is none, so, a pious hearer that is already gained to C

 Manis born to trouble, as the sparks fly upwards, saith Eliphas Job v. 7. And as it is the corruption and sinfulness of his birth and nature, that has exposed him to trouble, so nature usually sets him at work, to look out for such things as may preserve and deliver him from trouble, or, at least, mitigate and temper the bitterness of it. And because there is not any one worldly thing that hath either certainty or sufficiency enough to serve at all times, therefore, worldly and natural men are forced to make use of variety, and are but badly served with them all. The believing soul hath but one comfort whereon he relies, but it is a great one, which alone weighs down all the rest. Bread strengthens, and wine makes glad the heart of man, Psal. xiv. 15. But God is the strength of my heart, says the Psalmist, Peal. I xxxiii. 26, and the gladness of it too: Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than they have when their corn and wine increase. Psal. vi. 7. And therefore, while the rest

 indolence, whose reign, when once established, is generally for life; and the lamentable condition of whose unhappy votaries is thus described in a vision, by an elegant and masterly pen: “There were some whose crime it was rather to “neglect reason than to disobey her; and who retreated from the heat and tumult of the way, not “to the bowers of intemperance, but to the maze of “indolence. They had this peculiarity in their condition, that they were always in sight of the road, “always wishing to return, and always resolving to “return to-morrow. In these was most eminently “conspicuous the subtlety of habit, who hung imperceptible shackles upon them, and was every moment leading them farther from the road, which “they always imagined they had the power of reaching. They wandered on from one double of the “labyrinth to another, with the chains of habit “hanging secretly upon them, till, as they advanced, “the flowers grew paler, and the scents fainter. “They proceeded in their dreary

 1. Let none be offended at the mystery of the incarnation. If we cannot comprehend, let us adore. No fact is more plainly asserted or more amply proved. Let us receive and rest upon it. He who has no heart to praise the incarnate mystery, has none of the spirit of heaven. What a shame it is that the song of angels announcing Christ’s birth “has never been answered by a general shout of gratitude from earth. Only a few faint voices from the low places of the earth have responded to the loud concert of angels.” O that must be a bad heart which loves not the Saviour. Many hear of his love with hearts colder than marble. Such hearts cannot be right in the sight of God. No heart is good that loves not goodness incarnate. If Christ’s incarnation has its mysteriousness, it yet is the only doctrine that enables us to unlock every text of Scripture relating to his person. It admits that, as God, he made the worlds; as a child, he grew in stature; as a man, he was sorrowful; as Mediator and in

Psalm 78:41 S. Conway This psalm contains many instances of this. It is a painful thing to see even a bird or beast, made for freedom and longing after it, caged or chained or otherwise kept in captivity. Yet more is it distressing to see a man of noble aspiration, of lofty capacity, of patriotic spirit, and intent on doing good, get "cribbed, cabined, and confined" by petty prejudices, mean jealousies, base motives, and vile conduct, on the part of those around him; and often such a sight has been seen. And the cry of a soul awfully limited and bound down is heard in  Romans 7:24 , "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me," etc.? What barrier in the way of blessing do such limitings set up? But what must it be to limit God? How much more sad and deplorable that must be! Now - I.  MAN CAN LIMIT GOD. 1.   But this may be questioned.  It should seem impossible when we think of the greatness and power of God, of his universal sway, of his infinite wisdom, of the

1 Corinthians 16:22 J.R. Thomson There are those who, not having known Christ, have had no opportunity of loving him. But of all who have heard and read of Christ, we may say that the one test of their character and their position lies in their feeling with regard to him, with all which that feeling involves. The apostle's warm heart could tolerate no indifference, no neutrality, here. The Lord Jesus must be not only respected, but loved. And not to love him proves that the nature is insensible to all that is good and Divine - involves its own condemnation and curse and misery. I.  THE ABSENCE OF LOVE TO CHRIST. Where there is no love to the Lord Jesus there appears to be: 1.  A want of appreciation of his perfect moral character. If Jesus be known by a holy and sympathetic nature, he will appear to such a nature "the chief among ten thousand, the altogether lovely." Who can gaze upon the sinless and pure, the just and kind, the meek and patient Jesus, and be unaffected b

Anon. Every man's character is a germ capable of large development. There are slumbering possibilities in us all. We are made for ends known to God, and there is an ideal in His mind concerning each one of us. I.  THE PSALMIST'S TRIUMPHANT CONVICTION. "The Lord will perfect." This is what we need to impart interest to life. There is no cry so pitiful as "Nothing to live for." On all hands there are disappointed folk who, thinking of condition rather than character, find life "tame." But once let a man or woman reach this assurance that through all the various scenes of life God is moulding them, and even by the "strokes of doom" fashioning them "to shape and use," and all the life sparkles with glad significance. II.  THE GROUNDS ON WHICH THE CONVICTION IS BASED. 1.  God's mercy. "Thy mercy, O Lord," etc. This must ever be our first appeal, to mercy. For which of us has a flawless record of submission to the Divine

Psalm 138:6 R. Tuck Lowliness and humility are the court-dress of God; he who wears them will please him well. "Respect unto." Bends down to look on them; draws them near to communion with him; gives them office and place beside him; entrusts them with honorable commissions for him. There is sharp contrast with God's treatment of the proud. Them, too, he knoweth; but them he knoweth  afar off ; he keeps them at a distance; he has no intimacy with them, and could have no pleasure in their company. The proud man is the self-sufficient man, who is his own center. He does not want God, and would not know what to do with him if he had him. And there is no reason why God should want him, or trouble to find a place for one who does not want any place found for him. I.  GOD HAS REGARD FOR THE LOWLY BECAUSE THEY WANT HIM. All good persons are fully responsive to frail, weak things, that are entirely dependent on them. See the mother with a sickly child; or the teacher with a backw