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| 1. | 1 Samuel 14 |
| The Word of God abounds with instances of the display of God's sovereign mercy. The Old and the New Testaments both illustrate the fact, " He delighteth in mercy." God has His own time to bless; and He chooses that in which most blessing is needed. What lessons do |
| 2. | Babylon and the Beast |
| Babylon is a great system in the earth by which men's hearts are drawn away from God. It supplies them with something to have natural enjoyment in besides joy in God. In this Babylon is the great whore drawing out corrupt affections. She is supported by the great power of |
| 3. | Blessing of the Tribes by Jacob, The |
| It seems to me that we have the whole moral history of Israel, the purposes of God, and the accomplishment of them in Christ as regards this people, in the blessing of Jacob, in Gen. 49. I can only briefly set it forth here. First, Israel as it was, |
| 4. | Church of God, The |
| Is it by accident (an accident of no importance) that the term (which is become in our days almost the sole designation for the church, namely, the church of Christ) is nowhere to be found in the New Testament; whereas the very expression, " the church of God" is |
| 5. | Ephesians, Observations Upon the Epistle to the |
| The contrast between what is found in the opening and in the closing of this epistle is worthy of special notice. |
| 6. | Fragment: Adam and Eve |
| Marriage was instituted in the garden of Eden; and it vividly displays the nearness of relationship into which believers are to be brought, as the church and bride of Christ, to Himself. Moreover, the familiarity of our minds with this relationship, makes us understand better the place to which we |
| 7. | Fragment: Companion to Christ |
| If any one thought they knew how to measure Eve's blessedness and position, and only measured it by her relationship to Adam as an individual-the help meet for him, they would give short measure, far shorter than the measure given by another whose line and cord took in |
| 8. | Fragment: Five Eras of Judgment |
| What a time of crisis the time contemplated by the Revelation is-and you will observe, that very much of the moral characteristics which marked other times of crisis are to be found therein. |
| 9. | Fragment: Our Citizenship in Heaven |
| That our citizenship is in heaven is a precious truth. He who is the God of heaven has made good to us the precious privilege, writing our names on the heart of Him who is the Heir of Heaven. Yet, alas! how little heavenly in practice are we, and how |
| 10. | Fragment: Partakers of That Which Is Christ's |
| There is such a thing as being made partaker of blessing, in order that one may suffer and give up our all, and do the will of God; and there is such a thing as suffering, giving up our all and doing the will of God, in order that we |
| 11. | Fragment: Paul |
| When faith lags, God sometimes breaks up circumstances to hasten our steps-" Then they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word." The care of all the churches, also; kept Paul from having too much leisure. |
| 12. | Fragment: The Seven Churches |
| It was decline of the faith and acting the plan of the kingdom, (into which we have been called and its glory)—that became the ruin of the church. Who should worship in the divine and heavenly assembly (and of whom, indeed, should it be composed), but those who |
| 13. | Fragments |
| The expression of a thought always tells what the holder of it is. |
| 14. | God Is God |
| Yes, be the world ever so godless,-God is GOD still; be the professing church ever so ungodly, God is GOD still; be the people of GOD ever so little godly, still GOD is GOD. This mere truism, then, that "GOD is GOD," is a very practical truth for us |
| 15. | He That Descended |
| "My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa. 55:8,9 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)). |
| 16. | Heads of Psalms |
| Faithful endurance, in the day of such manifest weakness that the enemy scoffs, as despising the oppressed righteous; but in that day He confesses the Lord as His trust, and triumphs in spirit, in the deep and blessed intelligence of the things to follow after-such the actings of the |
| 17. | Hebrews 13:7-10 |
| 7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. (Hebrews 13:7-10)Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the Word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation: Jesus Christ; the same yesterday, and to day, and forever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a |
| 18. | Hebrews, The Epistle to the |
| A Fragment. |
| 19. | Intercession of the Spirit, The |
| It has pleased God to reveal that standing in grace into which faith in Christ gives us introduction; and He shows us, to our comfort, how that standing is always maintained for us in righteousness by the intercession of Christ. It is not the way of the Spirit of |
| 20. | Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father: the Church in Christ |
| " God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.... has blessed us.....IN CHRIST, according as He has chosen us IN HIM." (Eph. 1:4 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4)). |
| 21. | Kingdoms Spoken of in the Book of Daniel, Observations on the |
| The history of the kingdoms of this world has been given to us in scripture, as well as everything in which we can be instructed in righteousness. |
| 22. | Luke |
| The Gospel of Luke sets the Lord before us in the character of Son of Man, unfolding the power of Jehovah in grace among men. At first, no doubt, we find Him in connection with Israel, to whom He had been promised, and in relationship with whom He came into |
| 23. | Mark |
| The Gospel according to Mark has a character that differs in certain respects from all the others. Each Gospel, as we have seen, has its own character; each is occupied with the person of the Lord in a different point of view. As the Son of God, as the Son |
| 24. | Matthew |
| In pursuing these Scripture studies, it is with a certain kind of fear that I approach the New Testament, great as may be the blessing attendant on so doing. The concentration of divine light in this precious gift of God; the immense reach of the truths contained in it; the |
| 25. | Mind of Heaven, The |
| Mark the seven or eight times in which heaven in the New Testament is said to be opened. |
| 26. | Now and Then; or Time and Eternity |
| The principles of truth laid down in this chapter are of the most solemn and searching character. Their practical bearing is such as to render them, in a day like the present, of the very last importance. Worldly-mindedness and carnality cannot live in the light of the truth here |
| 27. | Ordinances, On |
| Ordinances spoken of with reference to the contrast between the state of the Jews in times past and the church now. |
| 28. | Partaking of Christ: Review of Rev. Maurice's Thoughts on Sacrifice |
| On taking up Mr. Maurice's dedication of his Sermons on Sacrifice, one is tempted to say, " What next?" But though Mr. Maurice shows vivid marks, in some places of the Sermons, of great earnestness for purity towards God-our praise must stop here. There always seems something that is not |
| 29. | Prayer and Fasting |
| It is well when these words express the habit and condition of the soul, and not merely acts resorted to upon some sudden and pressing emergency. They characterize respectively a consciously weak and chastened soul: and in such case, whatever may be the strength of the enemy, or |
| 30. | Present Testimony, The |
| The thoughts of many, at the present moment, about the testimony of God, appear to me to savor rather of the personal considerations, as to where they have been, and what they have been doing, than to present a fair expression of what is true as to |
| 31. | Revelation 1:1-2, Remarks on |
| 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. (Revelation 1:1-2)The name by which many, if not most, commonly designate this book is that of "The Revelations."* That there are several revelations in the book may be true enough; but the use of the term in the plural (The Revelations) as the name of the book, is calculated to |
| 32. | Seven Churches, The |
| The depths of that which was indited of God is always affording something further for the heart and life before God. Having found the bitter waters made sweet by the tree on which Jesus hung, we pass on to the twelve wells of God and the shade of His instructions |
| 33. | Thoughts on Divine Guidance |
| THE subject of divine guidance, in its application to the details of our every-day life and conduct, is evidently one of great importance; and it is one on which the minds of many saints are often greatly exercised. " It is not in man that walketh to direct his |
| 34. | Three Vines, The |
| It is among the varied ways of divine teaching to set things before us in the way of contrast. The believer in Christ is " a doer of truth;" he " comes to the light " himself, and brings everything to the light; and it is by knowing the truth |
| 35. | Word in Season, A |
| This is the time of the world's manhood. All its elements are putting on strength, and taking their full form. The civil and the ecclesiastical thing is asserting its manhood or full age. Vigor marks the progress of the Church of Rome, and of the commercial spirit; governments linking |
| 36. | Word of Exhortation; or Acceptance Through Grace Before Work, The |
| The Book of Hebrews is called by the apostle " the word of exhortation." Now, as the harmonious adaptation of the chords of an instrument elicit that peculiar sensation which makes music at once so exhilarating and attractive, so shall we find that it is the true adjustment of truth, |