Monthly Archives: October 2020
“And patience of hope.” (1st Thessalonians 1:3) —————————— The grace of hope is that third grace in living union with faith and love in the heart of God’s people, as “an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil” (Hebrews 6:19). But what does hope take its rise from? Testimonies from God; evidences of interest in the love and blood of the Lamb; manifestations… Read More
There is more true religion, more vital godliness in a sigh, cry and groan, in a simple petition put up out of a labouring bosom at the footstool of mercy, than in the presumptuous language of all the hypocrites in the world put together. There is more of the Holy Ghost’s work in the conscience of a sinner that goes burdened, exercised, tried and distressed to the throne of grace, and there… Read More
“The gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24) —————————— What does the word “gospel” signify? Gospel is a good old Anglo-Saxon word, sprung from that pure Anglo-Saxon stock which forms the bulk, as well as the most expressive and precious portion of our noble language, of that language of which the daily lengthening line is gone throughout all the earth, and its words to the end of the world, our mother… Read More
“He hath known My name” (Psalm 91:14). —————————— This leads the child of God to love – to love God – to set a love upon Him. And we see the cause. “Because God first loved us.” Therefore it was we were brought to set our love upon Him. Yes, we do not love we know not what! When Paul went to Athens what did he see? An altar with this inscription:… Read More
“Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us” (Luke 1:78). —————————— What is meant by the expression “dayspring”? By “dayspring” is meant the day-dawn, the herald of the rising sun, the change from darkness to light, the first approach of morn; in one word, the spring of the day. But what is this “dayspring” spiritually? It is the intimation of the rising of the… Read More
“If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). —————————— This chapter begins with an account of the transfiguration. There was the presence of Moses and Elias glorified, and the voice in their presence: “This is My beloved Son: hear Him.” What He has to say, the interpretation He puts on the law and the prophets, the mind of Christ in them – that is what we… Read More
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). —————————— To glorify God is the highest ambition of angels. The brightest seraph before the throne has no higher aim, no greater happiness, than to bring glory to His name. And yet a poor sinner on earth may glorify God as much, and in some way more, than… Read More
“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling.” (Jude 1:24) —————————— Jude here concludes with this gracious doxology. Do you feel your need to be kept? None are safe but those who are kept by God’s power. Let us look for a moment at the need of keeping. I feel to need keeping, in the first place, because of myself. O the capability of sin in my nature! I… Read More
A Letter by John M’Kenzie —————————— Dear Friend,I received your letter with the lines, and shall forward them for communication to the proper quarter. They contain good truth, but all rhyme, you are aware, is not poetry. Verses, to be of much use and interest in a periodical, should contain a considerable degree of the quality of poetry, be much to the point and full of matter; and unless this be the… Read More
One blessed effect of grace is pardon, or what John calls cleansing us from all sin (see 1st John 1:7), which is first discovering to us what sinners we are, and letting us feel the burden long, and then fully pardoning us all we have committed, and all we shall commit. We receive the forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of His grace. Then trace it up to glory, and… Read More
Most children’s books on the New Testament are full of pictures of the Lord Jesus. Many people cannot see any wrong in this. Why do we not agree? First: We are strictly forbidden to make any “likeness” of God (Exodus 20.4), and Jesus is God. Images, stained glass windows, and pictures, however sincere the intent, have never had a good spiritual effect. Second: We do not know what the Lord Jesus looked… Read More
Reader, it is not a careless, loose profession of Christ that will do. All this will bring the rod upon us, procure much furnace work, and cause us to go with our heads bowed down, and crying, “leanness, my leanness, woe unto me!” (Isaiah 24:16). The prophet Habakkuk went in quite a different way from such careless, carnal professors. Hence he says, “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon… Read More
When the LORD says, “Drop down, ye heavens, from above” (Isaiah 45:8), and calls upon them to let dew fall, it is as though He spake thus: “Out of Jesus’ fulness, who sits enthroned in majesty and glory, as the covenant Head of His people, full of grace and power, let the dew and rain of His grace drop into the hearts of His people.” So that the spiritual dew and rain… Read More
Power is the main thing; words are simply nothing but empty sounds. The real power of the gospel is God talking to the soul. The sound of words is the voice of man, or words may be seen by the eye in reading God’s Word, but when they talk to us, that is God’s power and voice. It is the peculiar nature of the gospel that it does not talk about Jesus… Read More
“But thou, O man of God … follow after … meekness” (1st Timothy 6:11). —————————— The last grace the apostle desires this “man of God” to follow after is “meekness.” And O, what a blessed grace is this! What an exhortation do we find the Holy Ghost giving by the Apostle Peter to the women that profess godliness! “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and… Read More
“One baptism.” (Ephesians 4:5) “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16) Simon Magus believed naturally and was baptized outwardly, but he had no part or lot in the one faith and the one baptism set before us in the text. How can we understand this? Only on the ground of the Spirit’s baptism without the aid of a font or a baptistery. See! “As many of you as… Read More
The prophet Amos, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and thus speaking for God, puts a very pointed and pregnant question, where he asks, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3.) The inquiry thus launched forth, and permanently embodied in the word of God, embraces a very wide scope, and is true naturally as well as spiritually. Take, for instance, two people in ordinary life. One quiet,… Read More
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the… Read More
Substance of a sermon preached by Charles Hemington at Gower Street Chapel, London, on 10th February, 1891. —————————— “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:11) —————————— How does the blessed God commend His love? How does He recommend and set it forth for such poor, hell-deserving sinners as we, and as the whole human… Read More
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