A Goodly Heritage

“ The good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep.  He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, heholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them and scattereth them: he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep .” {28} 26. In the strictest sense, he alone is the shepherd; and yet, as he alone is Christ but nevertheless calls us by the same name—Christians—even so, though he alone is the shepherd, he designates all those who exercise the office of the ministry among Christians by that name also.  In like manner in Matthew 23.9 he forbids us to call any man on earth father, for one is our father, even he who is in heaven, yet Paul calls himself a father of the Corinthians when he says: “I begat you through the Gospel.” 1 Cor. 4.15.  Thus God acts as though he alone would be our father, and yet he attributes the name to men also, so that they are called fathers.  But they h...

A sure saying: If any man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth an excellent worke. Therefore a Byshop must be unreprouable, the husband of one wife onely, watchfull, wise, modest, a willing receiuer of straungers, apt to teach, Not giuen to wine, no striker, not couetous of unhonest gaine, but gentle, no quareller, not couetous . A good ouerseer of his owne familie, hauing his children subiect with all reuerence . W E  have not only to entreat in this place of the virtues which Paul requireth in them which are to be made shepherds [ pastors ] in the Church of GOD, but also to mark to what end he driveth. For all of us have to receive a common doctrine and lesson out of this that is contained in these words. True it is that Paul directeth his talk to them that have the charge to choose Shepherds, but yet they that are chosen, and are called to this office, have to consider that GOD layeth the bridle in their necks as it were, and sheweth them upon what condition he call...

John 10:11  "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep." I n our first lecture we saw that the people did not understand Christ. There were two things that they did not understand. The first thing that they did not seem to understand was the door of the sheepfold; the second, who the shepherd was. And we saw last Sabbath that he explained to them what the sheepfold was. And now he begins to show who the shepherd is: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." It is exce...

In order to have mighty and unexampled revival, what we especially need is for the whole Church to be down on its knees before God. Past redemptions should make our cravings great. “I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt; open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Psalm 81:10). Thousands have already been seen gathered in one place for prayer, but when “the Spirit of grace and of supplications” is poured out on the great body of Christians, touched with pity for the desolations of the spiritual Jerusalem, that word will come true: “Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to favour her, yea, the set time is come; for thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof” (Psa 102:13-14). Oh! that God's people were awake to the privilege of crying aloud for his great gift! Open your mind, believing reader, to the extraordinary truth, that God has an infinite willingness to bestow in answer to prayer that which, since the sen...

We look at the case of those who are called Antinomians. Just as the Papists set up the law for justification, so the Antinomians decry the law for sanctification. We claim to be free from the curses of the law; they would have us free from the guidance, from the commands of the law. We say we are free from the penalties, but they would abolish the precepts of the law. They tell us that we make a false mixture together of Christ and Moses, and that we mingle law and Gospel together. How unjustly they lay this charge against us, let men of understanding judge. We cry down the law in respect of justification, but we set it up as a rule of sanctification.  The law sends us to the Gospel that we may be justified; and the Gospel sends us to the law again to inquire what is our duty as those who are justified.  Whatever they say of the law, though they cast contempt and disgrace upon it, and upon those who preach it, yet we know that, for the substance of it, it is the image of Go...

 If our brethren will not forbear their charge of Antinomianism, we entreat them that they will make it justly, such as: 1. Against those who say that the sanction of the holy law of God is repealed so that no man is now under it, either to be condemned for breaking it, or to be saved by keeping it,  which to us is rank Antinomianism and Arminianism both. Indeed, they say that the law does not now require perfect holiness. But what else can it require? For it is no law if its sanction is repealed. 2. On those let the charge lie that are ungodly under the name of Christianity.  And both they and we know where to find such true Antinomians in great abundance, who nevertheless are never called by that name. And is it not somewhat strange that men who have so much zeal against an Antinomian principle have so much kindness for true Antinomians in practice? 3. Let him be called by this ugly name who does not judge the holy law and Word of God written in the Old and New ...