A Goodly Heritage

"Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood." --Rom. 3:25 "Happy is he alone, to whom the Lord does not impute transgression--to have Him propitious to me against whom alone I have sinned. When my soul is troubled with the view of my sinfulness, I look at Your mercy, and am refreshed." –Bernard, 1123. "The Everlasting God be praised! We have a remedy and a sure helper. Christ the Son of the living God has fulfilled the law for us, to deliver us from sin." –Latimer, 1546. "Under this shadow, O my soul, refresh yourself. If your sins fear the hand of justice, behold your sanctuary; if your offences tremble before the Judge, behold your Advocate ; if your creditor threatens a prison, behold your bail. Behold the Lamb of God, that has taken your sins from you." –Francis Quarles, 1592. "Sprinkled with His atoning blood, Safely before our God we stand; ...

How precious also are Your thoughts unto me, O God!" I have loved you, My people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself. Jeremiah 31:3 Here we have an everlasting thought of God, "in the beginning, before ever the earth was." Believer, travel back in imagination to the ages of the past. Before the trance of eternity was broken by any visible manifestation of power—before one temple was erected in space, before one angel waved his wing, or one note was heard of seraph's song—when God inhabited alone these sublime solitudes—then there was a thought of you, and that thought was— Love! Think of the sovereignty of that love. He says not, 'You have loved Me with your poor earthly love, therefore have I drawn you.' No, no! It is from nothing in you—no foreseen goodness on your part. Grace is the reason of all He has done—"God who is rich in...

"When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." John 19:30 How terribly have these blessed words of Christ been misunderstood, misappropriated and misapplied! How many seem to think that on the cross the Lord Jesus accomplished a work which rendered it unnecessary for the beneficiaries of it to live holy lives on earth. So many have been deluded into thinking that, so far as reaching heaven is concerned, it matters not how they walk provided they are "resting on the finished work of Christ." They may be unfruitful, untruthful, disobedient, yet (though they may possibly miss some millennial crown) so long as they repudiate all righteousness of their own and have faith in Christ—they imagine they are "eternally secure." All around us are people who are worldly-minded, money-lovers, and pleasure-seekers, yet who thi...

Q. 22. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man? A. Christ the Son of God became man, by taking to himself a true body and a reasonable soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin. 1. Did Christ the Son of God become man? Yes: forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, Heb. 2:14. Was it requisite he should become man? Yes: for in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, Heb. 2: 17. Has the Son of man the fulness of the Godhead? Yes: for in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, Col. 2: 9. Has the Son of God the tenderness of a man? Yes: for he was touched with the feeling of our infirmities, Heb. 4:15. 2. Did Christ take unto himself a true body? Yes: A body hast thou prepared me, Heb. 10:5. Was it a body like unto ours? Yes: for he was in the likeness of sinful flesh, Rom. 8:3. Did he...

Robert Murray M'Cheyne The Lord's Supper is the sweetest of all ordinances: 1. Because of the time when it was instituted. "The Lord Jesus, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread." It was the darkest night that ever was in this world, and yet the brightest -- the night when His love of the sinners was put to the severest test. How amazing that He should remember our comfort at such a time! 2. Because it is the believer's ordinance. It is the duty of all men to pray. God hears the ravens when they cry, and so He often hears the prayers of the unconverted men (Psalm 107; Acts 8:22). It is the duty of all men to hear the preached gospel. "Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men." But the Lord's Supper is the children's bread; it is intended only for those who know and love the Lord Jesus. 3. Because Christ is the beginning, middle, and end of it. "This do in remembrance of Me." "Ye do show the L...

"Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation, &c." — Heb. iii.7, 8. IN this chapter, the apostle displays something of the Mediator's glory and excellency; he shows that he is far preferable to Moses, as much as the builder of the house is greater than the house; and that he alone is the eternal Son of God, the great prophet and teacher of his church. And having laid down several propositions to this purpose, he comes to draw an inference from them in the words of my text, Wherefore, &c. As if he had said, seeing Christ is the chief apostle and prophet of his church, a teacher sent from God to instruct the world; it is therefore our indispensable duty to hear his voice, comply with his counsels, and that without delay; and this exhortation the apostle strengthens with that of Da...