A Goodly Heritage

Ralph Erskine puts it: “When risen with Christ you have a Treasure, a Treasurer, and a Treasury. ‘Your Life’—that is your Treasure; ‘is hid with Christ’—He is your Treasurer; ‘in God’—that is your Treasury. Your life is hidden for secrecy and for security. The world knows not the sons of God; they draw their strength and inspiration from a secret source, they fix their hopes upon things unseen. Their life is hidden from the eyes of men. This makes it all the more secure. The foundations are beyond the reach of pickaxe or dynamite. The believer’s security does not lie exposed to the malice of man or devil. It is the security of a union which cannot be dissolved, of a trusteeship which never fails, of a covenant which cannot be broken. God the Father is the author of the Covenant. God the Son is the faithful guardian or trustee. God the Holy Ghost is the bond of the union. Secure indeed are those whose life is hid with Christ in God.”

" He that eateth and drinketh of the water that Christ will give him, shall never thirst*." But from the very commencement of the divine life, all earthly things sink in the Christian's estimation, and are accounted as dung and dross in comparison of the Divine image. In this sense " Christ is all" to him b: and he can say, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee."] 2. Constantly— [While other desires remain in the heart, they will of course occasionally rise in opposition to the better principle: but the prevailing desire of the soul is after holiness. "The flesh may lust against the Spirit," and seem for a moment to triumph over it: but " the Spirit will lust and strive against the flesh 0," till it has vanquished its rebellious motions. The needle may be driven by violence from its accustomed position: but its attractions are ever towards the pole; and it will never rest t...

Psalm 84:5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: in whose heart are the ways of them; Heb. the ways are in the heart of them. Not only are they pronounced blessed who dwell in the temple, but all they also who are travelling thither ward, (as the whole Jewish nation was wont to do three times in a year,) and who are therefore meditating on their journey, and on the way which leads to the holy city, trusting in God to strengthen, and prosper, and conduct them to the house of his habitation, the place where his glory dwells. Such a company of sojourners are Christians, going tip to the heavenly Jerusalem; such ought to be their trust in God, and such the subject of our thoughts.Psalm George Horne

When the Jews, according to God’s appointment, observed the Passover yearly throughout their generations, it was supposed that their children would ask them, ‘‘What mean you by this service?” (Exo 12:26), and they were directed what answer to give to that enquiry. The question may very fitly be asked concerning our gospel passover: What mean we by this service? We come together in a public and select assembly of baptized Christians, under the conduct and presidency of a gospel minister; we take bread and wine, sanctified by the Word and prayer (1Ti 4:5); and we eat and drink together in a solemn religious manner, with an eye to a divine institution as our warrant28 and rule in so doing. This we do often; this all the churches of Christ do, and have done in every age from the death of Christ down to this day. We doubt not but it will continue to be done till time shall be no more. Now, what is the true intent and meaning of this ordinance? What did Christ design it for in the institutio...

Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Life is the greatest of earthly blessings, all others being included in it: " all that a man hath," saith Satan, " will he give for his life:" Not so the Psalmist. He knew a pearl of far greater price, namely, the loving kindness of Jehovah, on which is suspended not only the life which now is, but that which is to come. The sense of this loving kindness tuned the harp of the son of Jesse, and now tunes those of the spirits before the throne. George Horne

Go to the cross of Jesus Christ. It is not all our resolutions,, promises, vows, endeavours, without this, that will effect our conformity to Christ in his death; no, this conformity is a fruit of the death of Christ, and therefore whosoever would have this work wrought in him, let him first have recourse to Christ’s cross, 2. Look up to him that hangs upon it, contemplate the death of Jesus Christ; consider seriously his bitter, shameful, painful sufferings. Much hath been said, only here draw it into some epitome: as, 1. Consider who he was. 2. What he suffered. 3. Why he suffered. 4. For whom he suffered. 5. For what end he suffered. 6. With what mind he suffered. Every one of these will make some discoveries either of his graces, or of his gracious actings in our behalf; and who can tell how far this very look may work on us to change us, and transform us into the image of Jesus Christ? Isaac Ambrose

S. Charnock. : — Accustom yourself to a serious meditation every morning. Fresh airing our souls in heaven will engender in us a purer spirit and nobler thoughts. A morning seasoning will secure us for all the day. Though other necessary thoughts about our calling will and must come in, yet, when we have despatched them, let us attend to our morning theme as our chief companion. As a man that is going with another about some considerable business, — suppose go Westminster, — though he meets with several friends on the way, and salutes some, and with others with whom he has some affairs he spends some little time, yet he quickly returns to his companion, and both together go to their intended stage. Do thus in the present case. Our minds are active and will be doing something, though to little purpose; and if they be not fixed upon some noble object, they will, like madmen and fools, be mightily pleased in playing with straws. The thoughts of God were the first visitors David had in th...