A Goodly Heritage

How many are the calamities of old age, and that if we should live to be old, our days will be such as we shall have no pleasure in, which is a good reason why we should return to God, and make our peace with him, in the days of our youth, and not put it off till we come to be old; for it will be no thanks to us to leave the pleasures of sin when they have left us, nor to return to God when need forces us. It is the greatest absurdity and ingratitude imaginable to give the cream and flower of our days to the devil, and reserve the bran, and refuse, and dregs of them for God; this is offering the torn, and the lame, and the sick for sacrifice; and, besides, old age being thus clogged with infirmities, it is the greatest folly imaginable to put off that needful work till then, which requires the best of our strength, when our faculties are in their prime, and especially to make the work more difficult by a longer continuance in sin, and, laying up treasures of guilt in the conscience, to

Her Last Words. This martyr, though both young in years and of the weak sex, was so singularly assisted of the Lord in his cause, and had such discoveries of his special love to her soul, that she was nothing terrified by her adversaries. When she was brought from the tollbooth to the council-house, to be carried to her execution,—as she came out of the tollbooth door, several friends attending her,—she was observed to say with a surprising cheerfulness and air of heavenly ravishment, "Behold, I hear my beloved saying unto me, Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." And being brought to the council, bishop Paterson being resolved,—seeing he could not destroy her soul,—yet to grieve and vex it, said,—"Marion, you said,you would never hear a curate, now you shall be forced to hear one;" upon which, he ordered one of his suffragans, whom he had prepared for the purpose, to pray.* So soon as he began, she said to her fellow prisoner Isabel Alison; "Come Isabel

"O dear friends, I would, as one going to eternity, ob test you, that you make good earnest in religion, and be restless until you get a clearness of an interest in Christ; for it is a dangerous time to live in the dark. I would have you consider what a weighty business it is, to deny the Lord of glory before men. There has strange things of this nature fallen out, in this our day. O I look to yourselves, I would entreat you, to be for God, and he will be for you; confess him, and he will confess you. As good soldiers, endure hardness; wax valiant in suffering. Resist unto blood, for it is the cause of God, that is at stake. O! there are none of you lamenting after God; ah! is there none of you that hath love to the Lord, and will take part with him, against all his enemies? O I but it be sad to see you with such whole hearts, and so little grief among you, for the robbery that the Lord of glory is getting. I declare, my suffering is nothing; but, when I see you who are professors

WALTER MILL. [The death of this martyr is said to have contributed most effectually to the downfall of popery, in Scotland. He was born about the year 1476, and, having taken orders in the church, became priest of Luna n, in Angus-shire. But having imbibed the reformed opinions, and left off the saying of mass, he was so early as the year 1538, arrested and condemned. He escaped, however, for his life into Germany, where he remained about twenty years. He then returned home, and having attempted to render himself useful, by instructing his neighbours in the protestant faith, he was again taken and condemned as a heretic. His conduct whilst on trial, powerfully evinced the sincerity of his faith, and made a deep impression on all who witnessed it. The following is a short account of what took place at his death :] All things being prepared, he was led forth with a guard of armed men to execution. Being come to the place, some cried out to him to recant, to whom he answered, "I marv

Think not strange of the Lord’s method with his church, in bringing her to so low and desperate a posture many times. Can she be in a condition more seemingly desperate than was her Head,—not only in ignominious sufferings, but dead and laid in the grave, and the stone rolled to it, and sealed, and all made sure? And yet, he arose and ascended, and now sits in glory, and shall sit “till all his enemies become his footstool.” Do not fear for him, that they shall overtop, yea, or be able to reach him who is exalted higher than the heavens; neither be afraid for his church, which is his body, and, if her Head be safe and alive, cannot but partake of safety and life with him. Though she were, to sight, dead and laid in the grave, yet shall she arise thence, and be more glorious than before, Isa. xxvi. 19. and still, the deeper her distress, shall rise the higher in the day of deliverance. Robert Leighton

At Kurnalpi I took my lamp and went to the place of meeting. A gentleman had offered me his auctioneer’s box as a pulpit. I fixed my lamp beside me in the box so that I could read by its light. When I mounted the pulpit, there was not a soul about me that I could see in the darkness, so first lifting my heart for a moment to my Master, I next lifted my voice and shouted “Gentlemen, the sale is about to commence!” You should have seen the response. They came running out from everywhere, like ants from an ant-hill, and rushed to get a good place near the auctioneer. There was a billiard saloon not far away, and though it was crowded a little ago, it was emptied quicker than it takes me to tell about it. Soon I had between two hundred and three hundred men around me. In my travel during the day I had learnt something of the open, unblushing sin prevailing here, and as I reasoned of righteousness and judgment, the Power of God fell on those men. This was my pioneer gospel service. I had ri

BREAD UPON THE WATERS. A SCOTCH lady of social distinction, whose name for obvious reasons need not be mentioned, and whose husband had left her a competence, had two profligate sons, who wasted her substance with riotous living. When she saw that her property was being squandered, she determined to make an offering to the Lord. She took twenty pounds and gave it to the London Missionary Society. Her sons were very angry at this, and told her that she might just as well cast her money into the sea. “I will cast it into the sea,” she replied, “and it will be my bread upon the waters.” The sons, having spent all they could get, enlisted in a regiment, and were sent to India. Their positions were far apart, but God so ordered, in his providence, that both were stationed near good missionaries. The elder one was led to repent of his sins and embrace Christ. He shortly afterward died. Meanwhile the widowed mother was praying for her boys. One evening, as she was taking down her family bible

Among the many deep truths which the early chapters of the Book of Genesis enforce, there is none which strikes the thoughtful inquirer more forcibly than does THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DISORDER OCCASIONED BY MAN'S SIN AND THE REMEDY ORDAINED BY THE WISDOM AND THE MERCY OF GOD. This connection may be traced in a very remarkable manner in the appointment of the rainbow as sign and pledge of the covenant. Rainbow equally dependent for its existence upon storm and upon sunshine. Marvellously adapted, therefore, to serve as type of mercy following upon judgment — as sign of connection between man's sin and God's free and unmerited grace. Connected gloomy recollections of past with bright expectations of future. Taught by anticipation the great lesson which it was reserved for Christ's Gospel fully to reveal, that as sin had abounded, so grace should "much more abound." II. Further, not only is the rainbow, as offspring equally of storm and sunshine, a fitting emb

In one of Edna Lyall’s novels, We Two, we have the story of Erica Raeburn. Erica is the daughter of Luke Raeburn, the sceptic; and she has been taught from infancy to despise all holy things. But as life, with its stress and struggle, goes on, she finds that she cannot satisfy her soul with denials and negations, * At last,’ Edna Lyall says, ‘ Erica’s hopelessness, her sheer desperation, drove her to cry to the Possibly Existent.’ She stood at the open window of her little room, looking out into the summer night. Before she knew what had happened, she was praying ! ‘O God,’ she cried, ‘I have no reason to think that Thou art, except that there is such fearful need of Thee. I can see no single proof in all the world that Thou art here. But af Thou art, O Father, 7f Thou art, help me to know Thee! Show me what is true!’ A few days later the answer came. Erica was at the British Museum, making some extracts, in the ordinary course of her business, from the Lrfe of Livingstone. All at

Matthew Henry. This may be understood, either figuratively, of the repose of the soul, in the assurance of God's grace, or literally, of the repose of the body, under the protection of His providence. The Psalmist having given the preference to God's favour above any good, having chosen that, and portioned himself in that, here expresses his great complacency in the choice he had made. Those who have the assurances of God's favour toward them, may enjoy, and should labour after, a holy serenity and security of mind. It is the privilege of good people that they may be thus easy and satisfied; and it is their duty to use the means appointed for the obtaining it. The Psalmist, after an anxious day, now retires to his chamber with the words, "I will lay me down in peace, and sleep." Here we have David's pious thoughts when he was going to bed. Observe his confidence in God, his composedness in himself Doctrine: As we must begin the day with God, and wait upon Him

Of the honor of marriage in regard of the first institution thereof. Great reason there is why marriage should with such honor be solemnized. For it is a most honorable thing. Honorable in the institution, ends, privileges, and mystery thereof. No ordinance was more honorable in the first institution thereof, as is evident by the Author thereof, the Place where it was instituted, the Time when it was instituted, the Persons who were first married, and the Manner of joining them together. 1. The Author and first Institutor of marriage was the Lord God (Gen 2:18,21,22). Could there have been a greater, or any way a more excellent Author? 2. The Place was Paradise; the most fair, glorious, pleasant, honorable, commodious, and every way most excellent place that ever was in this world. Place, though it be but a circumstance, adds much to the honor of a thing. Solemn ordinances are made in honorable places. Thus with us marriages are solemnized in Churches, not in private houses. 3. The Tim

. The spirit of brotherhood like dew David I. Brotherly love is SILENT, NOT DEMONSTRATIVE. Nothing in nature is more silent than the dew. The rain rattles, the wind howls, and the ocean booms, but the dew descends serenely and unheard. Genuine love is never noisy. The deepest emotions are always the most silent; the shallowest the most tumultuous. II. Brotherly love is VITAL, NOT MECHANICAL How refreshing is the dew! It gives new life and verdure to all it touches. Brotherly love is independent of organizations, it is independent of all social mechanisms. III. Brotherly love is DIVINE RATHER THAN HUMAN. Whence comes the dewy It descends from above. All true love comes from God, as all light from the sun. (David Thomas, D. D.)

The mercy of preservation, both from sin and danger: so in the text; "Keep, through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me", which is explained, ver. 15. "I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil." We, in ours, and the saints that are gone, in their respective generations, have reaped the fruit of this prayer. How else comes it to pass, that our souls are preserved amidst such a world of temptations, and these assisted and advantaged by our own corruptions? How is it else, that our persons are not ruined and destroyed amidst such multitudes of potent and malicious enemies, that are set on fire of hell? Surely, the preservation of the burning bush, of the three children amidst the flames; of Daniel in the den of lions; are not greater wonders, than these our eyes do daily behold. As the fire would have certainly consumed, and the lions, without doubt, have rent and devoured, had not God, by the in

1. So far as we are capable of judging, it was a thing in itself indifferent, having nothing in it of an intrinsically moral character. Now, in this view of it, it was peculiarly appropriate. It was a test of subjection to the Divine will; a test, simply considered, of obedience to God. 2. It has been remarked that the circumstances in which Adam was, at his creation, were such as to remove him from all temptations to, and, in some instances, from all possibility of, committing those sins which now most frequently abound amongst his posterity; "which is one thought of considerable importance to vindicate the Divine wisdom in that constitution under which he was placed." 3. We further observe that it was specially appropriate in this, that, from the comparatively little and trivial character of the action prohibited, it taught the important lesson that the real guilt of sin lay in its principle, the principle of rebellion against God's will; not in the extent of the misc

7 HERE are six things in the life of Noah 1 The warning 2 The fear 3 The ark 4 The sal vation 5 The condemnation 6 The righteous ness I The warning The word is the same as is used regarding Joseph and the young child in a dream Matt ii 12 22 regarding Simeon Luke ii 26 regarding Cornelius by an angel Acts x 22 The warning was a divine one how given we know not whether by voice or vision or dream or angel As the sons of God still worshipped in front of Paradise where the shekinah rested it might be from the glory that the God of glory spoke to Noah as afterwards to Abraham The warning was explicit and unconditional regarding coming danger and destruction God announced that He meant to bring a flood upon the earth for total destruction whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished There has been a warning sounding through the ages Behold the Lord cometh It is the warning of a more terrible deluge than that of Noah a fiery deluge in the day of the vengeance of our

The effect of the fall was shame, the never-failing companion of sin. "They knew that they were naked." The image of God was gone. Their native robe of innocence was gone. Their peace and purity were gone. Awful condition! They were indeed naked and exposed to all the terrors ofincensed justice, without a covering from its wrath. Another effect of the fall was the darkness of the mind. "They hid themselves from the presence of Lord God among the trees of the garden." Amazing blindness! to hide themselves from that Being, who eyes are brighter than ten thousand suns; who fill heaven and earth with his presence, and from whom no secrets are hid. Slavish fear was another fruit of the fall. When God asked Adam why he hid himself, he replied, "I was afraid." Ah! what inward torment did sin produce in the soul of our first parents! How changed their condition! They are now afraid to look upon Him whose presence was their heaven and their joy. Impiety and impenit

WITTY PREACHERS 6 THERE is a class of preachers we hope it is a small one who come within the descriptive line of Cowper of those who court a grin where they should woo a soul aiming to say amusing and funny things to move the risibles of their auditors seemingly forgetful that their vocation is something far more serious than this A care ful study of the ministerial epistles of Paul would fail to discover any directions on the value of securing attention by keeping an audience in jolly good humour Paul himself was a model minister in matter and manner We hear of his earnest exhortation and persuasion of his con suming self sacrifice and zeal of his weeping and tears while beseeching sinners but never of his effort to make his hearers laugh He had too awful a sense of his responsibility in deliver ing his message which was to prove a savour of life or death to others and of his anxiety to be free from the blood of all men But where do we hear of his studied attempts to amuse He habitua

Isaiah 1:2 R. Tuck Literally, the verse reads, "Sons I have made great and high, and they have broken away from me." The later conception of the Jewish covenant embraced the ideas of fatherhood and sonship, and thus prepared for the revelation of the fatherhood of God in the teachings of the Lord Jesus, and for the apprehension of the "sonship of men" through Christ's own sonship. It is the point of impression, that this relation intensifies the guilt of the people's unfaithfulness and rebellion, just as Absalom's relation, as son, to David aggravates the criminality of his deceptions and his revolt. In addition to the actual relation of father and son, the text suggests the exceptional goodness and considerateness of Israel's Father-God. He had brought the nation to its maturity, and given it a high place among the kingdoms. And still the extreme painfulness of sin is not its breaking of law, its insult to kingly majesty, or the necessarily bitter c

“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”—John vii. 37. One of the most gracious “words” that ever “proceeded out of the mouth of God!” The time it was uttered was an impressive one; it was on “the last, the great day” of the Feast of Tabernacles, when a denser multitude than on any of the seven preceding ones were assembled together. The golden bowl, according to custom, had probably just been filled with the waters of Siloam, and was being carried up to the Temple amid the acclamations of the crowd, when the Saviour of the world seized the opportunity of speaking to them some truths of momentous import. Many, doubtless, were the “words of Jesus” uttered on the previous days, but the most important[Pg 57] is reserved for the last. What, then, is the great closing theme on which He rivets the attention of this vast auditory, and which He would have them carry away to their distant homes? It is, The freeness of His own great salvation—“If any man thirst, let him come unto

Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”—Matt. xi. 28. Gracious “word” of a gracious Saviour, on which the soul may confidingly repose, and be at peace for ever? It is a present rest—the rest of grace as well as the rest of glory. Not only are there signals of peace hung out from the walls of heaven—the lights of Home glimmering in the distance to cheer our footsteps; but we have the “shadow” of this “great Rock” in a present “weary land.” Before the Throne alone is there “the sea of glass,” without one rippling wave; but there is a haven even on earth for the tempest-tossed—“We which have believed DO enter into rest.” Reader, hast thou found this blessed[Pg 5] repose in the blood and work of Immanuel? Long going about “seeking rest and finding none,” does this “word” sound like music in thine ears—“Come unto Me?” All other peace is counterfeit, shadowy, unreal. The eagle spurns the gilded cage as a poor equivalent for his free-born soarings. T

S. H. Kellogg. D. D. Very beautiful and instructive was the direction that the Israelite, in the cases specified, should make his daily food a peace-offering. This involved a dedication of the daily food to the Lord; and in his receiving it back again then from the hand of God, the truth was visibly represented that our daily food is from God; while also, in the sacrificial acts which preceded the eating, the Israelite was continually reminded that it was upon the ground of an accepted atonement that even these everyday mercies were received. Such also should be, in spirit, the often neglected prayer before each of our daily meals. It should be ever offered with the remembrance of the precious blood which has purchased for us even the most common mercies; and should thus sincerely recognise What, in the confusing complexity of the second causes through which we receive our daily food, we so easily forget that the Lord's Prayer is not a mere form of words when we say, "Give us

Ezekiel 34:11-16 J.R. Thomson What a marvelous contrast is here presented between the hireling and unfaithful shepherds who have presumptuously undertaken the care of God's people, and the Lord God, who in his condescension assumes the pastoral office, and fulfils it with Divine qualifications and completeness! According to the beautiful and touching representation of this passage - I. THE LORD SEEKS HIS SHEEP WHEN LOST. They have gone astray, through willfulness on their part and through negligence on the part of the pretended shepherds. Bat the Divine Shepherd seeks and saves that which was lost, and, distant though they be, and in dangerous places, finds them out and lays his gracious hand upon them. II. THE LORD DELIVERS HIS SHEEP FROM THE POWER OF THEIR ENEMIES. They have their enemies, and they have fallen into their enemies' hands. From such peril One only can save; and the Lord rescues them and, in the exercise of his pity and his power, sets them free from bondage an

Psalm 89:19 Our helper W. Jay. I. WE NEED HELP. Christianity does three things for us, which Deism does not. 1. It tells us that this was not our original state; that God made man upright, but he sought out many inventions. 2. It checks much of the evil now: by its direct influence in many cases, and by its indirect influence in many more; in humanizing war, in abolishing slavery, in taming the human passions; it has been the harbinger of peace, and has done more for man than all human institutions in the aggregate beside. 3. It tells us of a remedy for all this, and this is placed within our reach, if we would avail ourselves of it; and therefore if we perish in this state, the blame will be our own. — II. GOD HAS PROVIDED HELP FOR US. 1. This help includes redemption. "With the Lord there is plenteous redemption." "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." Thus the burden too heavy to be borne is rolled off the conscience

Yet He opened not His mouth Isaish 53 J. I. Blackburn. (with Matthew 26:63; Matthew 27:14): — What can be said of the silence of Christ? Much has been said of the words He spake, and too much can never be said of them, for He spake as never man spake. Much has been said of the sacrifice He made. Much has been said of His miracles, etc., but how little of His silence, and yet how full of meaning to every thoughtful and inquiring-mind. I. IT WAS WONDERFUL. Wonderful that Christ should remain silent, especially under false accusations — false witnesses giving testimony against Him, and a wicked judge about to deliver the charge. He who could with one word have made the world tremble, witnesses, judge and jury fall dead before Him, testifying to His innocence as well as His Divinity by their lifeless bodies. The silent years of Christ — how wonderful! He who knew so well how to speak and what to say. But, we can understand something of this — it was a time of restraint, of growth, of pre

I. There underlies this prophecy A VERY SAD, A VERY TRUE CONCEPTION OF HUMAN LIFE. 1. We live a life defenceless and exposed to many a storm and tempest. 2. "Rivers of water in a dry place!" And what is the prose fact of that? That you and I live in the midst of a world which has no correspondence with nor capacity of satisfying our truest and deepest selves — that we bear about with us a whole set of longings and needs and weaknesses and strengths and capacities, all of which, like the climbing tendrils of some creeping plant, go feeling and putting out their green fingers to lay hold of some prop and stay — that man is so made that for his rest and blessedness he needs an external object round which his spirit may cling, on which his desires may fall and rest, by which his heart may be clasped, which shall be authority for his will, peace for his fears, sprinkling and cleansing for his conscience, light for his understanding, shall be in complete correspondence with his

Secret faults T. F. Crosse, D. C. L. Temptation comes to all men everywhere, and St. Bernard roundly says, "All life is a temptation," which means that it is a history of attacks and resistances, victories and defeats, in spiritual things. How could we ever expect to hear the praise, "Well done, good and faithful servant," if we had gained no victories over self? And how shall we gain them without effort? Temptation has various sources — our own weakness, Satan's plots, and God's purposes. Examination shows that temptation is allowed for in God's plan. Still, we are not to think God is Himself the author of temptation. The fact is, temptation has different meanings and objects, according to the different sources from which it comes. It was from mere malignity Satan tempted Job. It was from party spirit and self-sufficiency the lawyers questioned Christ, tempting Him. It is from coveting that those who would be rich fall into temptations; but when God al

If we look to the present state of the church of Christ, it is as Daniel in the midst of lions, as a lily amongst thorns, as a ship not only tossed but almost covered with waves. It is so low that the enemies think they have buried Christ, with respect to his gospel, in the grave, and there they think to keep him from rising. But as Christ rose in his person, so he will roll away all stones and rise again in his church. How little support has the church and cause of Christ at this day! How strong a conspiracy is against it! The spirit of antichrist is now lifted up and marches furiously. Things seem to hang on a small and invisible thread. But our comfort is that Christ lives and reigns, and stands on Mount Zion in defense of those who stand for him (Rev. 14:1); and when states and kingdoms shall dash one against another Christ will have care of his own children and cause, seeing there is nothing else in the world that he much esteems. At this very time the delivery of his church and t

" Mr. Henry recorded, as coincident with his own, the opinion of Sir Edward Turner, Speaker of the House of Commons, at the Prorogation, July 27, 1663 : -" He that remembers not to keep the Christian Sabbath at the beginning of the week, will be in danger to forget before the end of the week that he is a Christian." To Mr. Henry the Lord's Day was indeed the queen of days, the pearl of the week. Whatever were the circumstances of his public engagements, which varied, he was very exact, and abounded in the work of the Lord on the Sabbath in his family as he did on other days. He noticed in Numbers xxviii. 15, that extraordinary sacrifices did not supersede " the continual burnt offering and his meat offering." His common salutation of his family and friends in the morning was,-" The Lord is risen ; he is risen indeed ! " He had always a particular subject for his expositions ; as, the harmony of the Evangelists, the prayers of Scripture, propheci

Words in BIBLE THOUGHTS BY THE EDITOR 1 COR XVI 13 14 en HERE are five closing words of warning and counsel to the saints of Corinth If they who were riched in all utterance and in all knowledge and who came behind in no gift needed such words how much more we I Watch ye The servant takes up the master's words for these are specially Christ's words and of the twenty one times that they occur in the New Testament twelve are in the Gospels The Lord saw that his church would need such a word as her watchword and motto Our tendency is to be off our guard to fall asleep therefore we are exhorted to watch We are to watch against things both within and without We are to watch con stantly one unwatchful hour may work unspeak able evil to ourselves and to others Were a pilot to fall asleep at the helm or the keeper of the lighthouse or the engine man on one of our ex presses what would be the consequences We are to watch 1 Against ourselves our unbelief our carnality our indolence our s

TRUE SELF DEVOTEDNESS THE most striking instance of self devotedness in cause of Christ of which I ever heard in these days of deadness I was told of last week by an English minister It has never been printed and therefore I will relate it to you just as I heard it to stir up our cold hearts that we may give ourselves to the Lord The awful disease of leprosy still exists in Africa Whether it be the same leprosy as that mentioned in the Bible I do not know but it is regarded as per fectly incurable and so infectious that no one dares to come near the leper In the south of Africa there is a lazar house for lepers It is an immense space enclosed by a very high wall and containing fields which the lepers cultivate There is only one entrance which is strictly guarded Whenever any one is found with the marks of leprosy upon him he is brought to this gate and obliged to enter in never to return No one who enters in by that awful gate is allowed to come out again Within this abode of there are