“Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:9 What a blessed, what a glorious end is this; what a prize to win, what a victory to gain, what a crowning consummation of all that faith has believed, hope expected or love embraced! Whatever doubts and fears may have … Read more
“If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” John 4:10 We cannot know the nature, though we may know the necessity, of the gift of God, till we experience its … Read more
“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” … Read more
“”Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of.” 2 Timothy 3:14 Various hindrances meet the child of God in his path heavenwards. And their tendency is such, that but for the grace of God, they would effectually succeed in driving him from the faith. When, then, he has to … Read more
“O Lord, by these things men live; and in all these things is the life of my spirit.” Isaiah 38:16 When Hezekiah said, “By these things men live,” he meant that by these trials and deliverances, by these sinkings and risings, strippings and clothings, emptyings and fillings, “by these things men,” that is, spiritual men, … Read more
“And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” Exodus 25:22 What heart can conceive or tongue describe … Read more
“”The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy; he will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger for ever.” Psalm 103:8, 9 God is angry and justly angry with the sins of his people. He hates sin with a perfect hatred. He cannot but entertain unceasing wrath against … Read more
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” 1 John 5:11 How often we are looking and looking in vain for life in ourselves. True it is that if God has quickened our souls we are partakers of life divine, of life spiritual, … Read more
“If a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” 2 Timothy 2:5 In other words, it is not a bare striving, but a striving according to certain rules. But these rules are spiritual rules; and being spiritual rules, exclude everything of sense, reason, and nature. Now man, in … Read more
“Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.” Psalm 68:18 What a painful thing it is to be rebellious! There is hardly any feeling worse than rebellion to a man whose conscience is made … Read more
“O that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.” Job 23:3, 4 Was not Job in the same spot where we often are? If this aged patriarch had not known what it was to … Read more
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Romans 8:17 O the blessedness of being a child of God! Can heart conceive or tongue express the heights and depths of grace and glory, the safety, the … Read more
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Romans 8:16 You may not perhaps, for the most part, enjoy a strong or clear assurance of your interest in Christ; you may be frequently much exercised whether you are a child of God; and yet you may at times … Read more
“My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.” Psalm 119:81 How difficult, for the most part, it is, and we may add, how rare to be able to realise for ourselves, with any degree of abiding permanency, a sweet experimental sense of, and an assured interest in those spiritual blessings with … Read more
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” Hebrews 6:18 If ever there was in your experience a season never to be forgotten of alarm, of fear, of terror, … Read more
“Having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8 True religion lies deep; it is not a balloon hovering over us miles up in the air. It is like truth—it lies at the bottom of the well. We must go down, then, into religion, if we … Read more
“Godliness is profitable unto all things.” 1 Timothy 4:8 What is “profitable?” I may define it in one short sentence—that which does the soul good. Now “godliness” is profitable unto all things, as doing the soul good in all circumstances. Here it stands apart and separate from everything of a worldly nature. Here it is … Read more
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” Psalm 51:1 This psalm is very suitable to the wants and feelings of every sensible sinner, for it is not necessary to have committed David’s sin to have a measure of David’s repentance … Read more
“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,” Ephesians 1:19, 20 It is no great mystery that the … Read more
“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.“ 1 John 5:7 A spiritual knowledge of the Trinity lies at the foundation of all vital godliness. To know Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by special teaching and divine revelation, is the sum … Read more
“He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.” Psalm 57:3 And where is God’s mercy revealed? Outwardly in the word of God; inwardly in the heart. And it is by sending his mercy into the conscience, … Read more
“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” Psalm 9:10 There is a knowing of God’s name. By the “name of God” are to be understood the revealed perfections of the Almighty–all that he has revealed concerning himself in the Scriptures … Read more
“One shall say, I am the Lord’s – and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.” Isaiah 44:5 “Another shall call himself by the name of Jacob.” Jacob was a wrestler, for he wrestled all … Read more
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.” 1 Timothy 6:12 It is through faith that the power whereby God keeps his people, acts and is made known, and it is very instructive and encouraging to be able to trace in our own hearts the connection between the power of God and … Read more
” For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2 We by nature and practice are slaves to sin and Satan. We are the sport of the prince of the power of the air, who takes us captive at his … Read more
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 Wherever there is faith, there is desire; and as faith embraces heavenly realities, desire embraces that of which faith testifies. Now as the soul is wrought upon by a divine power, and faith is drawn forth into blessed … Read more
” Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31 Jesus is “exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins.” The two go together. Whenever he gives repentance, he gives … Read more
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” John 16:13 There are two grand lessons to be learned in the school of Christ, … Read more
“That as sin has reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:21 This is the mercy for mourning saints who are sighing and groaning under a body of sin and death, that God has decreed that grace not only may reign, but that … Read more
“He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.” John 3:33 We can only set to our seal that God is true in any one point of doctrine, experience, or precept when we feel an inward witness that God indeed has declared it. Thus, upon every manifestation of God’s … Read more
” Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Psalm 89:33, 34 We live in a changeable, ever-changing world. All outside of us is stamped with variation, death, and decay; … Read more
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.” Ephesians 1:17 Revelation means literally an uncovering or unveiling of a concealed or covered-up object. It is used, therefore, sometimes in the sense of manifesting, making known, or … Read more
“Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.” Psalm 22:4,5 O what a blessed thing it is to have in one’s own bosom a secret trust in Jesus – that while so many are looking to … Read more
“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” Zechariah 13:7 Would we see, feel, and realize the exceeding sinfulness of sin, it is not by … Read more
“The poor have the gospel preached to them.” Matthew 11:5 What is the gospel? Is not the gospel a proclamation of pure mercy, of super-abounding grace? Does it not declare the loving-kindness of God in sending his only-begotten Son to bleed and die, and, by his obedience, blood, and merit, to bring in a salvation … Read more
“Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.” Zechariah 4:7 If the literal temple had been built up without any trouble whatever; if all had gone on smooth and easy, there would not have been … Read more
“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” Hebrews 5:8 Our gracious Lord had to learn obedience to the will of God by a personal experience of suffering, and especially by an implicit submission to his heavenly Father’s will. And what was this will? That he should take … Read more
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5 That he is God, is the very foundation of his salvation; for it is his eternal Godhead that gives virtue, efficacy, and dignity to all that as man he did and suffered for his chosen people. … Read more
“And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.” Isaiah 54:12 Upon Zion in her time-state “the Sun of righteousness” does not shine in all his brightness; the “windows of agate,” whilst she is in the flesh, temper his rays. Her prospects, too, are … Read more
“I will lay thy foundations with sapphires.” Isaiah 54:11 Before we can stand firmly in the things of God we must have a good foundation, something solid for our faith, our hope, our love, our all, to rest upon. This God promises to lay for his afflicted Zion: “I will lay thy foundations with sapphires.” … Read more
“Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours.” Isaiah 54:11 By these “stones,” which the Lord has promised to “lay with fair colours,” I think we may understand the blessed truths of the gospel which are laid into the soul by the hand of God. The fair colours are deeply ingrained and embedded in … Read more
“O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted.” Isaiah 54:11 The Lord here compares his suffering Church to a ship at sea, under bare poles, labouring in a heavy storm, driven out of her course by contrary winds, as was Paul’s case in the Adriatic, and doubtful whether she will ever reach the harbour; … Read more
“What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.” Psalm 25:12 In all the multiplicity and variety of circumstances that have distressed the children of God, has the Lord ever taken a wrong step? Though he has baffled nature, though he has disconcerted reason, though … Read more
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 There is not a more blessed declaration than this in the whole word of truth. It is the sweetest note sounded by the gospel trumpet, for it is the very crown of the whole jubilee. Is not condemnation the bitterest … Read more
“For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God?” Job 27:8-10 Many of God’s people are at times exercised as to their hypocrisy, … Read more