Monthly Archives: December 2021
“Now, I beseech you, brethren, mark them who cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them.” (Romans 16:17-18) As amongst the nations of this world, sedition and treason are punished more severely than private offences because the former cut asunder the very bonds of society itself, and injure not an individual, but the whole community; so in the kingdom of Christ the advancement of doctrines… Read More
The very thing which constitutes a believer righteous, is not any inherent holiness of which he is the subject, nor any works of his own, either legal or evangelical, whether performed with the help of divine grace, or in his own strength; but that which makes the sinner just, is the alone work of Christ, finished on the cross, imputed to all for whom it was accomplished, and received by faith alone…. Read More
The Mosaic institution, which formed the tribes into a theocracy, was very different from the government of any other nation, and from the government of Gospel congregations. The Israelites had no legislature, but received their laws from Jehovah; they had no executive, God was their king. Judges they had, but no salaries proved for them; of course their civil list did not cost them a cent per annum. Exclusive of their “divers… Read More
Because the truth itself is fallen in our streets, therefore the love of the brethren for the truth’s sake faileth also. There is, however, a kind of charity prevalent amongst us, a spurious charity, which rejoiceth not in truth. It is now thought an evidence of a bigoted spirit, to contend earnestly for the peculiar doctrines of grace; and it is considered the mark of a candid disposition to bear with doctrines… Read More
“But Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within,… Read More
“Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8) Apparently paradoxical debt of love! You owe it, you pay it, you still owe it! A debt which accumulates as you pay, which never decreases though you pay! An obligation which, though you always faithfully fulfill it, is never fulfilled! Owe no man anything, render unto every man his dues, above all do… Read More
Election is something deeper than a mere purpose; it is an actual choice, before all worlds were made, of a people existing then and there in our Lord Jesus Christ; Existing in the sense in which Christ was and is, from everlasting the life of His people. Their eternal life was there. I have no reference in this remark to their life in the earthly Adam, but to their life in the… Read More
It takes a miracle for the dead to hear! However being quickened or made alive with Christ through His Resurrection from the dead effects the New Birth of everyone Christ died and rose for. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1st Peter 1:3) The… Read More
The harvest is great, but the labourers are few; however, he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto eternal life; and the time will come when he that soweth and he that reapeth shall both rejoice together: then cometh the end and the harvest-home, when the sheaves shall be gathered into the floor, and the LORD of the harvest shall rejoice in the crop; when the labourers shall banquet at the… Read More
The doctrine of indefinite redemption is greatly injurious to the comforts and joys of believers. 1. The notion that the death of Christ is conditionally sufficient for all mankind, that is if all mankind were to believe in it, leads the sinner at once to the performance of some duty which he imagines will give efficacy to the death of Christ and render it available to him. By this means he is lead… Read More
William Rushton of Liverpool went to be with our Lord Jesus, February 6th, 1838, triumphing in the glorious gospel of the blessed God. Our brother who was the author of ”Letters on Particular Redemption”, taught the Word of God for many years at Lime Street Chapel, Liverpool, and his labours, His Master crowned with success. He was made through the power of the Holy Ghost an honoured instrument of building up God’s… Read More
Preached by Frank L. Gosden at Galeod Chapel, Brighton, on Wednesday Evening, 17th January, 1962. “O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.” (Song of Solomon 2:14) I expect some of you feel, as I certainly feel myself, that this Song of… Read More
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” (I Peter 4:7) On the one hand, New Year’s Eve is apt to be an hour of reminiscence. It is apt to be an hour in which we are inclined to glance back upon the way which we have traveled. Another year has again passed by. A year with many and various experiences. A year… Read More
God tells us that His people are accepted in Christ (Ephesians 1:6). If we are without Christ, then we have nothing that God will accept, because His people are accepted in Christ. God has said that no man can come unto the Father but by Christ; therefore, if we are without Christ, we have no ground upon which he can approach God. Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”… Read More
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 1:18) Here is a special people addressed, “a small remnant.” They tremble and fear under a feeling sense of their guilt and utter unworthiness; but God mercifully calls unto them, saying, “Come now, and let us reason together.” Some people think they are as good as any of their neighbours, and a deal better than most, and they try thus to… Read More
When God, in His rich grace, takes a poor sinner manifestatively in hand, the first thing He does is to give life and light; when this divine life and light are communicated, the dead soul is quickened, and the dark soul is enlightened. We begin to see sin in the light of God’s countenance, and even our secret sins are laid open to the conscience, and we both see and feel that… Read More
“The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort them that mourn; to appoint unto them… Read More
I remember, that after my poor heart had wandered from the sweet enjoyment of the LORD, and I had got entangled with some flesh-pleasing idols, the LORD brought me feelingly into chapter 16 of Ezekiel, for that chapter contains a solemn figure of the wandering, backsliding heart of a child of God. Almost every sentence of it cut me up, and I said to myself, This is my case. In a spiritual… Read More
“And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.” (Hosea 11:7) There is a vast difference in merely reading a passage of scripture and in knowing the truth contained therein, even though the scripture be directly the language of God. Mere reading it is not the knowledge of the truth that it contains. We, of course, are ready… Read More
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: Genesis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him… Read More
Some preachers have declared if the damned in hell could hear the glad tidings of the gospel and were permitted [as if they have the wherewithal to resurrect themselves from the dead in order to believe—natural man, natural faith—not salvific], how gladly would they embrace it! How awful such declarations are! Why, if even they could hear of a Saviour, but had no spiritual hunger or thirst for Christ and His salvation,… Read More
“Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; for this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he makes it not to grow.” (2nd Samuel 23:5) ————————— “I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant.” (Psalm 89:3) ————————— In this covenant it is provided who shall be saved,… Read More
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) —————————— When God has worked in a man “to will,” and not only worked in him “to will,” but also worked in him “to do;” when He has made him willing to flee from the wrath to come; willing to be saved by the atoning blood and justifying righteousness of Jesus; willing… Read More
Christ is the mystery of the scripture – grace the mystery of Christ Believing is the most wonderful thing in the world. Put anything of your own to it, and you spoil it. Christ will not so much as look at it for BELIEVING. When you believe and come to Christ, you must leave behind you, your own righteousness, and bring nothing but your sin (Oh, that is hard!); leave behind all… Read More
If the sins of believers are blotted out, obliterated, and put away; if the righteousness of Christ is transferred to them, and this entitles them to reign in life with Him, then it will follow that those who are engaged in teaching that “neither sin nor righteousness are in themselves transferable;” that believers in justification, “receive only the benefits or effects of Christ’s righteousness,” are false witnesses for God, and are engaged… Read More
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2) Transformation—Conformation! Either-Or. Not Both-And. God against Mammon. Or Mammon against God! Rowing up against the current. Or drifting down the stream. In the world, against the world. Or in the world, of the world, for the world, with the… Read More
Jude 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha,… Read More
“And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.” (Joshua 24:12) Some of the preacher brethren have been criticized as being “extreme” on the doctrine of predestination, just because they believe that God predestinated and controls the whereabouts of chiggers, fleas, flies and gnats, and these preachers are neither afraid nor… Read More
“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” (Romans 2:1) The apostle introduces this second chapter by combining it with the first when he says: “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judges.” “Therefore.” The question is, wherefore? Wherefore is this particular man whom the apostle addresses inexcusable? It is… Read More
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” (John 5:25) Christ was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25). Therefore, the resurrection of Christ from the dead is God’s own verdict that all His own are justified in Him. And when we experience, by faith,… Read More
“And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.” (Ezekiel 11:23) The glory of Israel was the presence of God in the land; the centre of that glory was Jerusalem. The Sun was there; the rays all radiated from that centre. But for that there was nothing but darkness, as in all the… Read More
“For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God…” (1st Peter 3:17-18) For Christ also hath once suffered for sins! O, there can be no doubt about it, even though we repeat it with fear and trembling, our Lord is not the only one, though He… Read More
This entire chapter of 28 verses is given over to the story of God’s servant, Daniel’s experience regarding the den of lions. Verse 1 through verse 28 is all about Daniel and the lion’s den. Why do you suppose so much of the scripture is devoted to this experience of Daniel and the lion’s den? It could be told in three verses. Daniel offended the king, and the king cast Daniel into… Read More
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to… Read More
“For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them than believeth not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 8:16-19)… Read More
“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer.” (Revelation 2:10) —————————— How important to us, as having immortal souls and having to do with a Holy God, is the position we stand in relation to the Word of God, whether against us are directed its threatenings, or whether for our comfort are its blessings. Not one jot or tittle will ever fail from being fulfilled in each of our cases; God… Read More
And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. (Revelation 9:5) ——————- In the previous verse we discover that these false prophets (spiritual locusts) were commanded NOT to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, neither were they to hurt any tree. We… Read More
“And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:” (Luke 23:18) The will of the people had spoken. It was not at all proper that a question such as whether Jesus be the Christ, the Son of God, should be submitted to a vote of the people. A shameful act it was on the part of Pilate to present the nomination of Jesus and Barabbas and… Read More
“And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17) The Lord Jesus teaches us, that He is the way to the Father’s house, and that no one cometh unto the Father, but by Him (John 14:6). And Christ is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him (Heb. 7:25). O, indeed, we must come to God. Whosoever will may come, means “whosoever will come to… Read More
Lamentations 1:1 How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! Lamentations 1:2 She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. Lamentations 1:3 Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction,… Read More
Lamentations 2:1 How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger! Lamentations 2:2 The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down… Read More
Lamentations 3:1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. Lamentations 3:2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. Lamentations 3:3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. Lamentations 3:4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. Lamentations 3:5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. Lamentations 3:6 He hath set me… Read More
Lamentations 4:1 How is the gold become dim how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. Lamentations 4:2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter. Lamentations 4:3 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones:… Read More
Lamentations 5:1 Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. Lamentations 5:2 Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. Lamentations 5:3 We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows. Lamentations 5:4 We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us. Lamentations 5:5 Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest. Lamentations 5:6 We have given… Read More
The Son who is able to make one truly free is Christ, the Lord. He is free Himself, for He is the eternal Son of God, dwelling in infinite perfection and in the sphere of divine love. As the Son of God He loves the Father, even as the Father loves Him, from eternity to eternity. As such He is absolutely free. He is free, too, as the Christ, the Son of… Read More
All true prayer contains the following elements: 1) It is a holy activity of the entire soul, proceeding from the regenerated heart, dominated by the Spirit of Christ. 2) It is such an activity of the believer as brings him consciously into the presence of God in the face of Christ Jesus, so that he presents himself before His face. 3) Hence, all true prayer is always an act of worship whereby the… Read More
“In the days of Noah, the ark was a preparing, eight souls were saved by water, the like figure where unto even baptism doth also now save us, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1st Peter 3:20-21) The water was the wrath of God during the great flood in the days of Noah that destroyed all of mankind save for Noah and his household. It was the pitch that was the picture… Read More
The cross is the only ground of Justification in all dispensations. We hold that the saints who lived before the death of Jesus were justified on the ground of the work which He had undertaken to perform; while those that have lived since are justified on the ground of His actually accomplished work, and that thus the cross of Jesus lays the one, all-sufficient and most glorious foundation for the salvation of… Read More
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