A Goodly Heritage

The question has been asked, "Can a person who has committed such atrocious crimes, and so long remains impenitent, be indeed a child of God, a member of Christ, a temple of the Holy Spirit, and an heir of everlasting glory? Can one  spark of Divine life  exist unextinguished, in such an  ocean of evil ?" Were we left to our own unaided judgment to make reply, most probably every last one of us would promptly answer—No, such a thing is unthinkable! Yet in the clear light of Holy Writ, it is plain that such things are possible. Later David made it manifest that he was a truly regenerated person, by the sincerity and depth of his contrition and confession. Yet, let it be said that no man while guilty of such sins, and before he genuinely repents of the same—can have any warrantable  evidence  to conclude that he is a believer; yes, everything points to the contrary. Though  grace  is not lost in such an awful case, Divine  consolation  and...

Man  at his first creation was substituted by God as his Viceregent, to receive the homage, and enjoy the services of all inferior beings: nay, farther was endowed with excellencies fit to maintain the port of so vast an Empire. Yet those very excellencies, as they qualified him for dominion, so they unfitted him for satisfaction or acquiescence in those his vassals: the dignity of his nature set him above the society or converse of mere animals; so that in all the pomp of his royalty, amidst all the throng and variety of creatures, he still remained solitary. But God who knew what an appetite of society he had implanted in him, judged this no agreeable state for him, It is not meet that man should be alone.  Gen. 2 . 18. And as in the universal frame of nature, he engrafted such an abhorrence of vacuity, that all creatures do rather submit to a preternatural motion than admit it, so, in this empty, this destitute condition of man, he relieved him by a miraculous expedient...

"Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?"—Luke 22:48. THE kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Let me be on my guard when the world puts on a loving face, for it will, if possible, betray me as it did my Master, with a kiss. Whenever a man is about to stab religion, he usually professes very great reverence for it. Let me beware of the sleek-faced hypocrisy which is armour-bearer to heresy and infidelity. Knowing the deceivableness of unrighteousness, let me be wise as a serpent to detect and avoid the designs of the enemy. The young man, void of understanding, was led astray by the kiss of the strange woman: may my soul be so graciously instructed all this day, that "the much fair speech" of the world may have no effect upon me. Holy Spirit, let me not, a poor frail son of man, be betrayed with a kiss! But what if I should be guilty of the same accursed sin as Judas, that son of perdition? I have been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus; I am a membe...

“Christ has also freed the believer from the dominion of sin: ‘Sin shall not have dominion over you’ (Rom. 6:14).  Why?  ‘For you are not under the law, but under grace.’  While we were under the law, sin had full dominion.  It had not only possession of us, but dominion over us.  …But now, being under grace, a covenant of grace, and being interested in Christ and set free by Him, we are freed from the dominion and power of sin.” “We still have the presence of sin, nay, the stirrings and workings of corruption.  These make us to have many a sad heart and a wet eye.  Yet Christ has thus far freed us from sin; it shall not have dominion.  There may be the turbulence, but not the prevalence of sin.  There may be the stirrings of corruption.  It was said of Carthage that Rome was more troubled when it was half destroyed than when whole.  So a godly man may be more troubled with sin when it is conquered than when it reigned.” “Sin ...

Continued meditation brings great profit to the soul. Passant and transient thoughts are more pleasant, but not so profitable. Deliberate meditation is of most use because it secures the return of the thoughts.    The end of study is information, and the end of meditation is practice, or a work upon the affections. Study is like a winter sun, that shines, but warms not: but meditation is like a blowing upon the fire, where we do not mind the blaze, but the heat. The end of study is to hoard up truth; but of meditation to lay it forth in conference or holy conversation. What is the reason there is so much preaching and so little practice? For want of meditation.... Constant thoughts are operative, and musing makes the fire burn. Green wood is not kindled by a flash or spark, but by constant blowing.

“Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psa. 119:11). The duty of God’s children is to hide His Word in their hearts, and in so doing there must be a right end; their knowledge of it and delight in it is to be directed to practice. One duty and necessary practice of God’s children is to hide the Word in their hearts. See it confirmed by a Scripture or two: “This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night” (Josh. 1:8); “Receive, I pray thee, the law from His mouth, and lay up His words in thy heart” (Job 22:22). Lay up His words as we would do choice things, that they may not be lost; and lay them up as a treasure to be used upon all occasions. In the heart let them not swim in the brain or memory only, but let the affections be moved therewith, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16): be so diligent in the study of the Scripture that it may become familiar with us, by frequent heari...

Grace is no enemy to good works.  Libertinism is ancient and natural. Christ died to improve piety, not to lessen it, but to raise it to the highest, to make us zealous of good works that we might be carried on to heaven with full sails. Therefore, he that grows looser, less watchful against sin, less diligent in the exercise of holiness, less frequent in communion with God, less humble and penitent after committing of sin, offers the greatest abuse to grace that may be and perverts its natural use. There is no freezing by the fire. We may freeze indeed by painted fire: that may make us contract chilliness and drowsiness.  But true grace is a fire that warms and inflames our affections. Christ came to make us more cheerful and lively, but not slack, careless, and cold…A cold Christian will have but cold comfort. For whom did Christ die? For those that are zealous of good works…It is not cold prayers, yawning devotions, and drowsy wishes when men are half-asleep that will serv...