A Goodly Heritage

“And He marvelled because of their unbelief.” Mark 6:6. THAT Jesus marvelled was in itself a marvel; we never read that either science or art, nature or providence excited His wonder; we do not find that He marvelled at the grandeur of the temple, although His disciples were evidently wonder-struck, for they said, “Master, see what manner of stones and buildings are here!” Little did His mind dwell upon the gigantic size of the stones, or the antiquity of the pile, or the grandeur of the architecture, but His sympathetic soul mourned as it foresaw the destruction of the whole, and of those who dwelt around it; and He uttered the prophetic words, “There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” I do not find the Redeemer marvelled at the force and majesty of the Roman Empire, and yet it wielded a very remarkable power, an all-pervading and irresistible influence. Out of utter insignificance the Roman Empire had developed itself into a universal monarchy ...

"Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord and thy redeemer the Holy one of Israel."—Isaiah 41:14. I SHALL SPEAK this morning to those that are discouraged, depressed in spirit, and sore troubled in the Christian life. There are certain nights of exceeding great darkness, through which the spirit has to grope in much pain and misery, and during which much of the comfort of the Word is particularly needed. Those seasons occur in this manner. Frequently they occur at the outset of a religious life. A young man, deeply impressed under the ministry, has been led to feel the weight of sin; he trusts also he has been led to look for salvation to the Christ who is preached in the gospel. In the young ardour of his spirit he devotes himself wholly to Christ; with the most solemn vows he dedicates body, soul, time, talents, all that he has, to the great work of serving God; he thinks it easy to fulfill his vow; he doth not count the cost; he...

Open my eyes , that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law!" Psalm 119:18 Let me tell you a little secret: whenever you cannot understand a text, open your Bible, bend your knee, and pray over that text; and if it does not split into atoms and open itself, then try again. If prayer does not explain it, then it is one of those things that God did not intend you to know, and you may be content to be ignorant of it. Prayer is the key that opens the cabinets of mystery . Prayer and faith are sacred picklocks that can open secrets, and obtain great treasures! There is no college for holy education like that of the blessed Spirit, for He is an ever-present tutor, to whom we have only to bend the knee, and He is at our side-- the great expositor of truth! You will frequently find fresh streams of thought leaping up from the passage before you, as if the rock had been struck by Moses' rod! New veins of precious ore will be revealed to your astonished gaze as you quarry God...

“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name.” – Psalm 29:2 “God’s glory is the result of his nature and acts. He is glorious in his character, for there is such a store of everything that is holy, and good, and lovely in God, that he must be glorious. The actions which flow from his character are also glorious; but while he intends that they should manifest to his creatures his goodness, and mercy, and justice, he is equally concerned that the glory associated with them should be given only to himself. Nor is there aught in ourselves in which we may glory; for who maketh us to differ from another? And what have we that we did not receive from the God of all grace? Then how careful ought we to be to walk humbly before the Lord! The moment we glorify ourselves, since there is room for one glory only in the universe, we set ourselves up as rivals to the Most High. Shall the insect of an hour glorify itself against the sun which warmed it into life? Shall the potsherd exalt itself ab...

"God has spoken in His holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth."  Psalm 108:7 . THERE is an old promise concerning God's people which says, "Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." This text is one of the instances in which the Lord has dealt with His saints upon the lines of that promise. Read the preceding verse. David there prays, "Save with Your right hand and answer me." And while he is waiting for God to answer him, he remembers that God has already spoken. In effect, he says to himself, "I am waiting for an answer, but God has given it to me." Very often the response to a Believer's petition has been practically received before he presents his request—he only needs that God should open his eyes for him to see that before he called, God had answered his supplication! Indeed, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, in one sense all your prayers—that i...