A Goodly Heritage

It is a Divine and supernatural act . It does not originate with sinners themselves , nor can it be ascribed to a mere human agency . It originates with God . He it is who directs the motions of the clouds , and gives to doves their instinct ; and He it is who draws sinners to the Saviour , who inclines and enables them to come to him . They never do so of their own accord . No doubt , when they do come , they always come willingly ; but it in the way of their being made willing . Of themselves they have neither inclination nor ability to come to Jesus , nor can ministers , or any human friend , induce them to do so .  Nay , though all the angels in heaven were to employ their powers of persuasion for this purpose , they could not effect the conversion of a single soul . This work none but God can accomplish , and accordingly it is invariably ascribed , both in the Old and New Testaments , to the direct agency of the Spirit . "Thy people shall be willing in a day of thy power ....

"Father save me from this hour ." "O my Father , if it be possible , let this cup pass from me ." These expressions are to be viewed as the dictates of his human feelings , and as merely indicating his aversion to suffering ; thereby showing that he was really and truly man , since he had all the natural sensibilities and feelings of a man .  But while shrinking with an instinctive dread from the bitter cup put into his hands , he expressed at the same time his readiness to drink it , if such was his Father's will . "O my Father , if this cup may not pass from me , except I drink it , thy will be done ."The object of his prayer was not deliverance from death otherwise than in the way of his actually enduring it . What he desired was , to be enabled to endure it , and thereafter and by that means to be delivered from it . . He had no ability in himself as man , to bear the curse of the law , and would have sunk under it if his humanity had not been d...

(Lev. 9 : 23:24)      There are two fires to which the soul is subject - the fire of sin , and the fire of God . There is a fire which men call the fire of hell , and there is a fire which they ought to call the fire of heaven ; the one consumes the soul , and the other consumes everything that impedes the soul . The fire of sin comes because God is absent , but the fire of God comes only when He Himself is near . So was it with this congregation at the door of the tabernacle . They beheld a consuming fire , but they beheld it not because God was far away , but because He was at the door . It was only when the glory of God had appeared that the consuming fire appeared . Ther was no sacrifice to them , no sense of pain to them , no life surrender to them , until their eyes had rested on the vision of the divine glory . But when the vision of God's glory came the consuming fire came also ; the sacrifice and the pain followed the sight of God . " There came a fire ...

No man knows how the heart of God stands towards him by his hand . His hand of mercy may be toward a man when his heart be against that man , as you see in the case of Saul and others . And the hand of God may be set against a man when the heart of God is dearly set upon him . as you may see in Job and Ephraim . No man knows either love or hatred by outward mercy or misery ; for all things come alike to all , to the righteous and the unrighteous , to the good and to the bad , to the clean and the unclean . The sun of prosperity shines as well on the brambles of the wilderness , as the fruit trees of the orchard ; the snow and hail of adversity light upon the best garden , as well as upon the stinking dunghill or the wild waste . Ahab's and Josiah's concur in the very circumstances . Saul and Jonathan , though different in their natures , deserts and deportments , yet in their deaths they were not divided . Health , wealth , honours ,crosses , sicknesses , losses , are cast upon...

You who are indeed the Lord's people , redeemed not with corruptible things , such as silver and gold , but with the precious blood of the Saviour's body and the travail of his tender soul . what , in equity and gratitude , do you owe him for his generous interest in your happiness ? If love could ever beget a corresponding kindness , can the devotion of your lives , your time , your talents , and your substance , be at all an adequate requital of his unparelled friendship ? Study to increase his satisfaction by seeking the daily renewal of your spirits , the daily crucifixion of your lusts and passions , and a daily growing conformityto his lovely image . Let him see the fruit of his pain in your devotedness to his service , and your continued advancement in grace and godliness . Let your communion with him be constant . And remember that , though now in glory , he is not an indifferent spectator of your conduct . His eye is upon you . He still suffers when any part of his chu...

Love in the creature ever presupposes some good , trrue or apparent in the thing loved , by which the affection of union is drawn . But the love of God on the contrary , causes all good to be produced in the creature . He first loved us in the free purpose of His will , and thence works good for us and in us . And hence comes the unchangeableness of God's love towards us because it is founded in Himself , and in the stableness of the good pleasure of His own will . And as we may be comforted as we onserve our love to Him ; yet it is far greater comfort drawn from the consideration of His love to us ; as being not only the ground of the other , but in Him also infinite , and unchangeable . And , hereupon , it was that the sisters of Lazarus seeking help for their sick brother sent Christ word , not that he ,who loved Him but that "he whom He loved , was sick .

"But now they desire a better couuntry , that is , an heavenly." Now this is what sought in desiring a heavenly country . They wanted something heavenly , something that tasted of God , savoured of God , smelt of God , and was given of God , a heavenly religion , a spiritual faith , a gracious hope , and a love shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost ; something which came from heaven and led to heaven ; which gave heavenly feelings , heavenly sensations , heavenly delights , and heavenly joys , whereby the heart was purified from the love of sin , carnality and worldliness , by having something sweeter to taste , better to love , and more holy to enjoy . It is these heavenly visitations , droppings in of the favour , goodness , and mercy of God , which keep the soul alive in its many deaths , sweeten it amidst its many bitters , hold it up amidst its many sinkings , and keep it from being drowned while conflicting with many waters . A carnal mind has no taste for heavenl...