“The fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” 1 Corinthians 3:13 The fire which is to prove every man’s work of what sort it is, is not merely God’s wrath as manifested at the last day; but his fire as significative of the fiery trial which takes place in this life, … Read more
“For we which have believed do enter into rest.” Hebrews 4:3 To rest is to lean upon something. Is it not? So spiritually. We want to lean upon something. The Lord himself has given us this figure. “Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved?” The figure of “a rock” … Read more
“I am God, and not man.” Hosea 11:9 We speak sometimes of the attributes of God, and we use the words to help our conception. But God, strictly speaking, has no attributes. His attributes are himself. We speak, for instance, of the love of God, but God is love; of the justice of God, but … Read more
“Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at.” Zechariah 3:8 A sinner saved is a spectacle for angels to contemplate. As the Apostle says, “We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels and to men.” The ancients used to … Read more
“Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.” Jeremiah 2:2 If we look at salvation, we shall see that it consists of three parts; salvation past, salvation present, and salvation future. … Read more
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” Hebrews 10:19 Nothing will satisfy a living soul but coming “into the holiest.” He wants to have communion with God, the holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts. He is not dealing with a God distant and afar off, an idol, … Read more
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” 1Peter 5:10 There is no Christian perfection, no divine establishment, no spiritual strength, no solid settlement, except by suffering. But after the soul has … Read more
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 What is it to “come short of the glory of God?” It is to act without a view to his glory. Now everything that we have ever done, which has not been done with a single eye to God’s glory, has … Read more
“In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” Ephesians 1:13 Sealing is subsequent to believing: “In whom after ye believed, ye were sealed.” In legal documents the writing always precedes the sealing. That is the last act, and follows even the signing, putting an attesting stamp on … Read more
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37 Now, poor sinner, upon whose head the beams of a fiery law are darting; now, poor sinner, distressed in thy mind, guilty in thy conscience, plagued with a thousand temptations, … Read more
“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:34 As the soul is led and taught by the Spirit, it follows the Lord through all the various acts and sufferings of … Read more
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Galatians 5:17 The Holy Spirit is especially tender of his own work upon the soul. He originally formed it; it is his own … Read more