A Goodly Heritage

Pray Without Ceasing. - 1 Thess. 5:17 THESE words are an exhortation briefly delivered, as laws use to be; and therein we have, 1. A duty proposed, "Pray." 2. The manner of it, "without ceasing." I. We have the duty itself, "Pray." It may be asked, What is prayer? I answer, It is "an offering up of our desires to God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies." Here I shall consider, 1. The object of prayer, or whom we are to pray to. 2. The parts of prayer. 3. The matter of it. 4. In whose name we are to pray. 5. The several kinds of prayer. First, I am to consider the object of this duty, or whom we are to pray to; that is, God: not to saints and angels, as the Papists do; for prayer is a part of religious worship, and therefore due to God only, Matth. 4:10; and he only knows all things, and is present everywhere to hear us, Isa. 63:16. To all the three per...

The gospel is a report from heaven to be believed and trusted to for salvation. First, we shall view the gospel in the nature of a report in general. And, 1. There is the subject of a report or the thing that is reported, viz., some design, action, or event, true or false. The subject of the gospel report is a love-design in God for the salvation of sinners of mankind (2Ti 1:9-10). Such was the gospel report that was first made in the world (Gen 3:15). It is the report of an act of grace and kindness in God, in favor of them, whereby He has given them His Son for a Savior (Joh 3:16; Isa 9:6) and eternal life in Him (1Jo 5:11). The report of the event of Christ’s dying for sinners and a crucified Christ’s being ready for marriage with sinners (Mat 22:4), [which is] a subject of the utmost importance. 2. There is the place whence the report originally comes. And the place here is heaven, the bosom of the Father. Hence, the gospel is called “heavenly things” (Joh 3:12), revealed fro...

1.  The notification of an event as future — "Perilous times shall come."(1) Times wherein it will be hard for people to keep their feet, to know how to carry themselves, to keep out of danger, and keep a good conscience.(2) "Shall come." They will be on men, in the course of providence, to try what metal they are of; as darkness comes on after light, and adversity after prosperity; in their turn. 2.  The time of that event — "In the last days." The days of the gospel are the concluding period of time. In these last days are several particular periods; the first of which was the last time of the Jewish state, beginning from the time of our Saviour, to the destruction of Jerusalem; and more periods followed, and some are yet to come; but from the time of our Saviour to the end of the world, is "the last days." 3.  The notice to be taken of that event — "This know also"; rather, "Now know this"; consider it duly, and lay it...

1. Follow a regular plan in reading the Scriptures, so that you may become acquainted with the entire Bible; and make this reading a part of your private devotions. Do not always confine yourselves only to read according to your set plan, so as never to read by choice, however, having a plan leads to the most edification. Some parts of the Bible are more difficult, some may seem very dry for an ordinary reader; but if you would look on all of it as being the very Words of God, never to be disregarded, but read with faith and reverence, then without a doubt you will find great gain. 2. Be sure to mark those passages you read, the ones which you find most fitting to your situation, condition, or temptations; or those that you have found which touches your heart more than other passages. It will be most profitable for you to often review these marked passages. 3. Compare one Scripture with another, the more obscure verses with those which are more clear. This is an excellent means t...

         In the fifth and last place, the promise of eternal life to the elect, considered in this period, comprehends a promise of temporal benefits to be conferred on them, and every one of them, being united to Christ ;  and  that in such measure, as God sees meet for his own glory and their good. This promise stands embodied with the spiritual promises in the covenant: Ezekiel 36:29, “I will also save you from all your uncleannesses; and I will call for the corn, and will increase it.” Hosea  2:22 , “The earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and they shall hear Jezreel.”  Indeed, this is not the principal thing contained in the promissory part of the covenant: but it is a necessary addition thereto; as the present state of the saints, while in this world, doth require, Matthew 6:33. And thus godliness, as the apostle observes,  1 Timothy  4:8, “hath promise of the life that now is,...

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  Romans 5:6 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.  John 6.44 We have now had a view of the total corruption of man’s nature, and that load of wrath which lies on him, that gulf of misery into which he is plunged in his natural state. But there is one part of his misery that deserves particular consideration; namely, his utter inability to recover himself, the knowledge of which is necessary for the due humiliation of a sinner. What I design here, is only to propose a few things, whereby to convince the unregenerate man of this his inability, that he may see an absolute need of Christ and of the power of His grace. A man that is fallen into a pit cannot be supposed to help himself out of it, but by one of two ways; either by doing all himself alone, or taking hold of, and improving, the help offered him by others. Likewise an unconverted man cannot be suppos...