The FaithFul of God
This life is a state of probation. Hence trials are necessary in order to prove us, as gold is tried in the fire. God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man; but we are tempted when we are drawn aside of our own lust and enticed. Satan works upon our corrupt […]
On Trials feb 16 2023 When I look into the world, and see all around me in pursuit of happiness; that certain something unpossessed, yet still desired; which eludes the grasp of thousands, who think they have just to make one effort more to seize the flattering shadow and be happy; I ask why all […]
How awful is the declaration of the royal Psalmist! “the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Sin is a dreadful evil, under whatever guise it may appear; whether in the loose attire of wickedness, in the brazen armor of profaneness, in the fringed garment of pharisaical pride, or […]
And did Jesus say to his disciples, “you know not what manner of spirit you are of,” when, in their zeal for the honor of their Master, they wanted fire to descend upon the unbelieving Samaritans? Then, Oh my soul, look well to yourself! Search deep into your principles of action, the ground of your […]
A good thought does not consist in simply thinking about good things. We may meditate upon the most excellent subjects, and even feel some delight in them, while our meditations are neither pleasing to God nor profitable to ourselves. From the habit of attending a Gospel ministry, and reading religious publications, we may be led […]
The word of God abounds with cautions as well as encouragements; with warnings as well as invitations; with threatenings as well as promises. These are necessary and important; otherwise, they would not be as thickly scattered through the sacred volume. We find the need of cautions and warnings in proportion as we are made aquatinted […]
There cannot be a greater blessing imparted to us, than a spirit of prayer. It is the pledge of all other blessings. When it pleases God to bestow a spirit of prayer, every other spiritual blessing is, as it were, waiting to descend upon the seeking soul. The spirit of grace and supplication is closely […]
And did Jesus say to his disciples, “you know not what manner of spirit you are of,” when, in their zeal for the honor of their Master, they wanted fire to descend upon the unbelieving Samaritans? Then, Oh my soul, look well to yourself! Search deep into your principles of action, the ground of your […]
Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of […]
How little is the genuine nature of Christianity considered by the generality of professing Christians! The declaration of our Savior, “My kingdom is not of this world;” and the character of his followers, “you are not of the world, even as I am not of the world,” seem to be words of no import with […]
Under the old dispensation, many of the great privileges of the church of God were veiled under emblems and figures drawn from natural objects. The Psalms of David, and the writings of the Prophets, abound with the most beautiful images, to describe the power, faithfulness, and love of Jehovah. Under the new dispensation the veil […]
The spirit in which Christian speech should be conducted, is delineated with peculiar accuracy in the word of God. How delightful would be the society of professing Christians, if the humble, loving, gracious, improving spirit, so much enforced in the holy Scriptures, filled every circle. How needful, then, at all times is the prayer of […]
Christianity has justly been called a religion of motives; and yet, alas! how little are those sublime motives to action, which the Gospel inspires, considered by the great mass of professing Christians! Men carry out their worldly concerns under the powerful influence of some constraining motive, which impels them forward with unabating ardor. But in […]
The beatitudes with which our Lord begins his sermon on the mount most strikingly show what is the inward state and outward conduct of true believers, as well as the general reception which such characters meet with from the world. Their inward state is described by poverty of spirit, mourning for sin, hungering and thirsting […]
How beautiful is our Savior’s parable of the vine! It illustrates in the most convincing manner this great truth, that “he who has the Son, has life; and he who has not the Son of God, has not life.” We have in this parable a striking view of the true Church of Christ, which grows […]