A Goodly Heritage

A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise, Psalm 17. But we must always remember these three things about all our spiritual sacrifices: 1. That as they must be all of his requiring, so they must be of his providing. We have nothing to offer to God that he will accept, till he give it to us, and till he first work it in us. David's broken heart was first given to him. Dreadful sins first lay quiet in his hard heart, till God broke it. 2. That a broken heart is always a humble heart. It begins to grow whole again (and quickly it will, unless the breaker of it keep it broken) when it begins to be proud. Such as have a good opinion of their own hearts, know not what a broken heart means. He that hath a broken heart, is broken with his vile heart; as the Lord speaks of his grief at mend whole hearts, Eek. vi. 9. 3. That all our spiritual sacrifices, and a broken heart, must be offered to God for acceptance on the right altar, and by the right High priest, Jesus Christ....

THE COVENANTERS. [HARVEY'S PICTURE OF COVENANTERS WORSHIPPING AMONG THE HILLS OF SCOTLAND.] It came from out the silent glen, The mingled prayer of armed men; Their swords in sheath for one calm day, "And let us worship God," they say. ⁠They met—in fear, but not of man; ⁠In hope—but not of human aid; ⁠In faith—that dreads no mortal ban; ⁠In trust—mid perils undismayed. As wearied travellers seek the brook, They ask refreshment from "the Book!" The fountain gives them strength for strife, And Freedom will be bought with life. No Temple made by human hands Is that in which the Pastor stands; Around him mighty mountains rise, Pillars to yon vast roof, the skies; ⁠But Freedom consecrates the glen; ⁠And girlhood, boyhood, age, and youth, ⁠Utter or breathe a stern "Amen" ⁠To words that Reason stamps with Truth; For God and Nature bade them be All—like their free forefathers—free; Such message yon good Pastor brings— A message from the King of kings! Say,...

Hugh Binning points out that the most profound thing that we can say about God is also the simplest. “The Lord gives a definition of Himself”. It is short and we may not think it says much—”I AM” (Exodus 3:14). When people seek to exalt themselves they want to be described in grand and majestic ways to flatter themselves. But there is more majesty in this simple title “I AM” than in all others. This is spiritually discerned. To compare God with others and say that He is best gives too great significance to the things which we use for comparison. Thus, the Lord calls Himself “I AM”, meaning “I am as if nothing else were”. Not, “I am the highest, the best and most glorious that is”. This assumes other things have some being and glory that is worth taking account of. Rather it is “I am, and there is none else; I am alone”. Nothing else can say, “I am, I live, and there is nothing else”. Everything else is dependent on God. Thus, nothing besides God, can say, “I am”. All things are only b...

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." "And He bearing His cross."—John 19:17. When did Jesus bear the cross? Not that moment alone, surely, when the bitter tree was placed on His shoulders, on the way to Golgotha. Its vision may be said to have risen before Him in His infant dreams in Bethlehem's cradle; there, rather, its reality began; and He ceased not to carry it, until his work was finished, and the victory won! A cloud of old, hovered over the mercy seat in the tabernacle and temple. So it was with the Great Antitype—the living Mercy-seat—He had ever a cloud of woe hanging over Him. "He carried our sorrows." Reader! dwell much and often under the shadow of your Lord's cross, and it will lead you to think lightly of your own! If He gave utterance to not one murmuring word, can you complain? "If we were deeper students of His bitter anguish, we would think less of the ripplings of our waves, amid His horrible tempes...

Strong indictment of Christian countries Who has not felt as Jeremiah? "This is a Christian country." Why? Because the majority are as bent on self-pleasing, as careless of God, as heartlessly and systematically forgetful of the rights and claims of others, as they would have been had Christ never been heard of? 1. A Christian country? Behold its meaningless shibboleths, its two hundred forms or fashions of Christian belief! How this disunion dishonours Christ. 2. A Christian country? Behold the worship of mammon, the rage of avarice. Look at the wonderful baits which the company monger throws out day by day to human weakness and cupidity! The lying advertisements, the countless quacks, raising hopes never to be fulfilled. 3. A Christian country, and God denied on the platform and in the press! Where atheism is mistaken for intelligence, and agnosticism for logic and reason! Where flagrant lust walks the streets, and gambling reigns! 4. A Christian country: where the ri...

—Revelation 2:4 In the verses preceding Revelation 2:4, eight signs are mentioned that show the zeal and activity of the church at Ephesus. But there was one bad sign, and the Lord said, “I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (v. 5). And what was this sign? “Thou hast left thy first love.” We find the same lack in the church of the present day. There is zeal for the truth, there is continuous and persevering labor, but what the Lord values most is still missing: the tender, fervent love for Himself. This is a thought of great significance. A church, or even an individual Christian, may be an example in every good work, and yet the tender love for the Lord Jesus in the inner chamber is missing. There is no personal, daily fellowship with Christ, and all the manifold activities with which people satisfy themselves are nothing in the eyes of the Master Himself. Dear brother or sister in Christ, this book speaks of the fellowsh...

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, - All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (Matthew 28:18) WHAT an empire is this! Heaven and earth – the Church militant – the Church triumphant – angels and archangels – saints and seraphs. At His mandate the billows were hushed – demons crouched in terror – the grave yielded its prey! “Upon His head are many crowns.” He is made “head over all things to His Church.” Yes! Over all things, from the minutest to the mightiest. He holds the stars in His right hand: – He walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, feeding every candlestick with the oil of His grace, and preserving every star in its spiritual orbit. The Prince of Darkness has “a power,” but, God be praised, it is not an “all power;” potent, but not omnipotent. Christ holds him in a chain. He hath set bounds that he may not pass over. “Satan,” we read in the book of Job, “went out (Chaldee paraphrase, ‘with a license’) from the presence of the Lord.” He wa...