A Goodly Heritage

It is true our churches do not  abound  with such people—but, enriched as our cause is with the principles of divine truth, and patronized by the smiles of Heaven, we can dispense with the blazonry and patronage of secular distinctions. There are men, however, who, amid the accumulations of increasing wealth, remain firmly attached to the principles of the gospel, and who delight to lavish their fortunes in supporting the cause they love and espouse. Let them consider it as their incumbent duty, to consecrate no small portion of their affluence, not merely in propagating the principles of Christianity abroad—but upholding  the cause of truth  at home. The erection of chapels, the support of seminaries, the maintenance of poor ministers, the establishment of churches--should with them be objects of deep concern. Let them, in order to abound more and more in such efforts, as well as to exhibit a bright example of pure and undefiled religion, avoid all  un...

Contentment   with such things as they have, and an  unmurmuring submission  to the appointment of Providence, are most obviously their duty, and should be conspicuously manifested in all their deportment. It should not appear as if they thought it hard, that their lot was cast in the 'humble valley of poverty'. A cheerful resignation to the irremediable ills of their station, a frame of mind that looks as if they were so grateful for the blessings of 'grace'—as to be almost insensible to the privations of poverty, is one of the ways in which poor Christians may signally glorify God. The poor should watch against an  envious   spirit. "But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie." James 3:14. The poor should be conspicuous for their  industry ,  nor wish to eat the bread of idleness. "Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: "Whoever d...

"It is a fearful thing," says a distinguished writer, "for an immortal being to have   no   hope for eternity. But it is scarcely less dreadful to have a   false   hope—though it is a confident hope—which must make him who cherishes it ashamed and confounded, world without end." Hence the necessity and tremendous importance of looking well to the foundation on which we rest our expectations of everlasting happiness. Every wise builder will take especial care, when he is about to erect an edifice, that the foundation is good, and his solicitude will be in exact proportion to the magnitude, height, and importance of the intended structure. Our Lord closes his Sermon upon the Mount with an allusion to this, where he speaks of the different results of building upon the sand or upon a rock. What deep concern, then, should be felt by him whose superstructure of hope is to rise as high as heaven, to stand against all the assaults of time, and to last through eternity. Wh...

There are  three kinds of assurance  spoken of in the Word of God– 1. "The assurance of  understanding ,"  Col. 2:2; which means, a clear, comprehensive, heart-establishing acquaintance with divine truth. 2. "The assurance of  faith ,"  Heb. 10:22; which signifies an entire persuasion of the truth of the gospel. 3. "The assurance of  hope ,"  Heb. 6:11; which imports a confidence of personal saving interest in Christ. It is of the latter I treat in this address. They are all three intimately related to, and grow out of each other. In proportion as we fully know and are spiritually taught the doctrines of the gospel, we shall be fully assured of their truth, and have the assurance of faith. And in exact proportion as we are fully assured of the divine person, mission, and work of Christ, we shall be fully assured of our personal interest in them, faith being based upon knowledge, and hope upon faith. The assurance of knowledge and fait...

Isaiah 30:9-11) A wish to be deceived is a state of mind by no means uncommon. Many have made truth their enemy, and it is not to be wondered at that they are then in love with falsehood. They who have everything to fear from the light, will retire from its beams, even in those cases where darkness will only yield them a little present relief, at the dreadful expense of future happiness. The moral courage which can calmly look danger in the face, and patiently listen to the alarming report which is made by some faithful expositor of the whole affair, is what few possess. Even in reference to their temporal concerns, how prone are men when they have a lurking suspicion that things are not right, to wish to be deceived; how eagerly do they look to the bright side of their fortunes; how anxiously do they cover or diminish every unfavorable symptom; and how petulantly do they rebuke or contradict the individual who has sagacity to foresee, and fidelity to predict, the gathering stor...